Who Pays For The First Date?

By Evan Katz

A few years ago, I went out with a woman three times in a couple of weeks. We had great chemistry, and despite the fact that I was a customer service representative at JDate pulling in barely $30K, I’d paid for everything. First date was $60. Second date was $90. The third date was brunch the morning after the second date. She’d ordered a dozen bagels and then realized she’d forgotten her wallet. No big deal. An innocent mistake. She generously offered to pick up our next date.

She called me at work the following day to tell me of a play that sounded like fun. She said she was busy at work and asked if I could find out if there were tickets available. No problem. I called the theater and learned there were only six left. What’s a guy to do? No big deal, I bought a pair of tickets and figured she’d pick up dinner before we went out.

After our $40 meal, she put down her credit card and went to the bathroom. When she came back, she noticed that I didn’t put in my credit card to pick up or split the check. Upon which she glared at me and said, with a ton of venom and not a shred of irony: "What am I, your sugar mama?!"

Yeah, being a guy isn’t always the most rewarding thing in the world. But what are you gonna do? I’ve stopped wondering about what’s "fair" and have decided to embrace the system I’ve inherited. In this system, a guy pays unquestionably, and if a woman offers to pay, he is supposed to say no. At least on the first few dates. Or as long as she’s being courted. Or maybe always. It depends on the woman. We can never know unless we let down our guard and allow her to pick up a check. And by then, it’s often too late to justify your behavior.

This is a quandary all right and there is no one right answer. Until now. As your friendly neighborhood single dating coach, I’m going to give you the definitive rulebook on how to negotiate this tricky territory, once and for all….

WHAT PEOPLE SAY:

HER: He should WANT to pay for me.

Yes, and, generally, that is the case. Being generous, especially to someone you care about, is an incredible feeling - right up there, I’m told, with having everything paid for by someone else. The one time I forgot my wallet on a date, she gracefully picked up the check and told me not to worry. This was both extremely classy, and extremely appreciated.

HIM: She EXPECTS me to pay for everything.

Yes, and that’s the precedent that was established way before you were born. Don’t fight it, just do it with a smile, ’cause if you don’t, you ain’t getting another date.

HER: He SHOULD pay, especially at the beginning.

This logic is a little dicier. Why should a man pay? Because it’s chivalrous? Consider that chivalry started at a time when men worked and women didn’t. Women, literally, could NOT pay. Thus, men picking up the check sprung out of necessity, not out of kindness. It has since been codified into a gentleman’s code, which is considered in very poor taste to question. I’m not questioning, but see how angry you are that I’m even bringing it up?

HIM: But SHE asked me out.

So what? If etiquette says that you pay for the first date, and she expects you to pay for the first date, and you can afford to pay for the first date, then pay for the damn first date.

HER: It doesn’t matter what he makes. A gentleman always pays. It indicates how he feels about me.

If a guy makes a ton of money, I can assure you, it’s his absolute joy and pleasure to spring for every last drink and spa treatment. But there’s a big difference between being cheap and being poor. Cheap means the guy asks the woman to pay for the fish when he ordered the less expensive chicken. Poor means that the guy has trouble making rent if he has to pay for five dates in a month. Put yourself in his position: it’s hard to blame him for wanting to alternate checks.

My solution is, not surprisingly, an equivocation. Let’s all try to understand one another.
Guys, be as generous as possible, not only because she expects you to, but because it’s genuinely rewarding to "be the guy" and make life easier on her.

Women, be sympathetic to the grad student or schoolteacher that doesn’t have the means to be as chivalrous as he’d like. You may not be our sugar mamas, but please don’t take it for granted that we’re your ATM’s, okay?

Postscript: A version of this article was written five years ago. Since that time, I find myself in a much greater position to be generous. I remain sympathetic to men who can’t blindly pick up every single check.

My slightly revised position for who pays on a first date is this:

He grabs the check immediately.She does the "fake reach".He waves her off and insists on paying.She thanks him for his generosity. End of scene.

Presuming the man can safely afford it, this script should play out on every date during the courting phase.

HOWEVER:
You, as a man, can’t get mad if she doesn’t make the offer to split. If you offer to take her out, expect to pay for the whole thing, and be pleasantly surprised if you don’t have to.

You, as a woman, can’t get mad if he accepts your reach. If you offer to split, and he lets you split (or even pick up) the check, he has done absolutely nothing wrong. It’s not a game or a test, unless you treat it like one.

One final, overriding note for men: It doesn’t matter if it’s coffee or dinner, whether you make more or she makes more, whether you asked her out or she asked you out. You can never go wrong by paying.

Dating coach Evan Marc Katz is the author of Why You're Still Single: Things Your Friends Would Tell You If You Promised Not To Get Mad" and "I Can't Believe I'm Buying this Book: A Commonsense Guide to Successful Internet Dating". He has been seen on The Today Show, The Early Show, CNN and Fox, and featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine. Reach him at http://www.evanmarckatz.com and read his regular advice columns at http://www.advicefromasingledatingexpert.com.

Naturalization in the United States

By Anirban Bhattacharya

Naturalization is the act whereby an individual voluntarily and actively acquires citizenship, which is not his or her citizenship at birth. Naturalization is mostly common among migrants who have immigrated to a country and have willingly chosen to become a citizen of that country after meeting specific requirements.

The basic requirements for naturalization are full-time residency for a minimum period as required by the law, and a pledge to uphold that country's laws. In the United States, the Congress has the authority to prescribe a uniform rule of naturalization that is overseen by state courts. State court refers to any court of law having common-law jurisdiction and a clerk and seal.

Until 1952, the Naturalization Acts allowed only white persons to become naturalized as citizens of the United States. The initial parameters on naturalization were however set by the Naturalization Act of 1795 as 'free, white persons' who have been resident for five years or more. The period of five years was extended to fourteen years in the Naturalization Act of 1798, a part of the Alien and Sedition Acts. However, this was canceled in 1802.

The Naturalization Act of 1862 allowed any honorably discharged Army veterans to be liable for filing petition for naturalization, without having to file a declaration of intent, after only one year of residence in the United States. An 1894 law extended the same privilege to all honorably discharged 5-year veterans of the Navy or Marine Corps. The Fourteenth Amendment made all persons born in the U.S. citizens irrespective of their race. This was, however not applicable to the Asians at the time. The 1870 Page Act allowed naturalization of 'aliens of African nativity and to persons of African descent' only. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act banned Chinese workers and specifically barred them from naturalization. The Immigration Act of 1917, (Barred Zone Act) extended those restrictions to almost all Asians. After the Spanish American War in 1898, Philippine residents were started to be counted as US nationals, but the Tydings-McDuffie Act 1934, or Philippine Independence Act, reclassified Filipinos as aliens, and set a quota of 50 immigrants per year.

The Magnuson Act, passed in 1943 was the first in the history of the United States to permit naturalization of Asians. The War Brides Act was passed in 1945, permitting soldiers to bring back their foreign wives. The Immigration Act of 1965 finally allowed all persons from all nations to be given equal access to immigration and naturalization. The other similar area of interest is Second Passport, Second Citizenship, Instant citizenship, Independent immigration, Diplomatic passport.

Myself webmaster of http://www.geraldassociates.com/ dealing in services Second Passport, Second Citizenship, Instant citizenship, Independent immigration, Diplomatic passport, Diplomatic passport services, Diplomatic passport immigration, Economic citizenship program, Diplomatic passport

Make a Free Website that Makes You Money

By Scott Bannon

I’ve been asked several times if there’s anyplace where someone can make a free website that they can earn money from online, and the answer is yes. However, if you’re serious about your venture I’d really suggest investing the few dollars it takes to register a domain name and purchase hosting just because it will appear more professional (which may help you to remain focused too), and provide you with more options and freedoms over what you can do, and how.

Still, never wanting to disappoint anyone I’ve created a short step-by-step for how you could make a free website in any number of places online, and use that free website to earn some money for yourself.

Thanks to the Web 2.0 revolution there have been dozens, if not hundreds of great properties developed online that rely on user submitted content. Places like Blogger, Hub Pages and many, many more that need your content. For anyone on a really tight budget, or just looking to test the waters before diving into the pursuit of earning an income on the web, these sites are a real treasure.

They want and need your content, but the reason they want it is because it will bring visitors to the pages you create with it, and of course these sites earn their revenue from various advertising they place on your pages, so there are some limitations as to what you can do, and typically there will be content guidelines that you have to follow as well. These sites are using your content to increase their reach and reputation online, so they do have to protect against allowing certain kinds of content–and just plain garbage–from being published on their pages; otherwise their reputation would sink right down the toilet.

The first step is to pick your publishing platform. If you want your site to be a blog there’s Blogger, Wordpress, and a bunch more. If you’d rather your site be more like a traditional web page you can use Hub Pages, Squidoo or one of the others like that. There’s even free wiki sites too. Maybe you’ve got a great idea for multiple how to’s or instructional pieces for a niche market. If so, then one of these free wiki sites would be perfect for that. The point is, decide what format you want your site to be and then select the publishing platform to use. There’s a huge list of available platforms at www.web20searchengine.com — just look for the link that says “Top 1,000 List”

Once you’ve selected your publishing platform and created an account with them, it’s time to add your content. One point I need to stress is that you make sure to read their terms of service before signing up with any publishing platform. They’re going to have guidelines that may affect your affiliate marketing links, maybe on the placement of links, or a limit to the number of links you can have, or maybe even both. You’re going to want to know the rules and be sure to stay within them, otherwise you risk spending all your time building the pages, only to have them removed right away… or worse, right after being ranked and indexed on the search engines, by some on-the-ball moderator who sees you’ve broken the rules. Just be sure to know what you’re allowed to do, and do just that. Add your content to the pages, with your affiliate links, and now you’ve made a free website with the potential to earn money from it.

After you’re done making the site, you have to promote it. Going into details about online promotions would be beyond the scope of this piece, but just like with any normal website you can use forums, blog comments, classifieds, article directories and so on to spread the word about your new pages, and hopefully get some people–and search engine spiders–to come see them.

Spend a little time every day working to build backlinks to your pages, maybe submit additional articles to the article directories, and basically just continue working to target the good keywords for your niche market.

If you’ve targeted good keywords for your niche that people use to search and don’t have lots of competition online, and you’ve done a good job of creating quality content–no spammy crap or filler text, but actual content that’s of value to the people who visit your pages–then you should begin to notice a steady growth of traffic to your pages in a relatively short period of time.

I don’t mean the flood gates are going to open on day 4, that’s not the way it works, but over the first few weeks after initially publishing your pages you should be able to spot an upwards trend in your daily visitor statistics. If not, you may need to revisit your keywords and content to see what went wrong for you. Odds are, you’ve either selected keywords which aren’t getting enough searches daily to send you traffic from, or that were too competitive and your pages haven’t been able to rank well for them.

This is the real wealth in using free platforms like this though, is that you can always make changes, or just start over in the worst cases if you have to, without losing anything but a little time. And whether you’re using free platforms or paid, and no matter how experienced you become, there’s always going to be some trial-and-error involved with every new niche you enter. Just be sure to learn something from it each time you have to go back a step, so that you avoid making the same mistakes over and over, and you’ll find it does get easier for you.

Now, assuming you did select good keywords, you’ve created great content, and did your best to direct visitors from your content to your affiliate links in a smooth manner, you should be seeing plenty of click-thrus on your affiliate links in short time, and if you chose a good affiliate product to market, some of those click-thrus should be converting into sales, and commissions for you.

There’s really no set guide to measure how a site or niche is performing, every market and product is different, but I use a base of 4 as a general rule when judging a new site, and here’s what I mean by that. I don’t bother critiquing the performance of a new site until I’ve had 4,000 visitors to it. I just don’t think you can make an accurate observation of a traffic pool on anything less, so I wait until I reach the 4,000th visitor before I start accessing.

Once I’ve had 4,000 visitors I’ll look to see how many have clicked-thru on my affiliate links.
These aren’t sales, just the number of people who visited my page and then clicked an affiliate link. What I’m hoping to see is at-least 160 click-thrus on the affiliate links. That’s 4% of 4,000.
If I see at-least 160 click-thrus, then I know that “so far, so good”. I’m getting traffic to my pages, and I’m getting at-least 4% of that traffic to click my affiliate links.

Finally, I look at how many actual sales were made. Once again, I’m shooting for 4% of what ever my actual click-thru number was. If it was 175 click-thrus, I want to see at-least 7 sales from it. If it was 200, I’d want to see 8 sales and so on. If I have 4% of my traffic clicking thru, and 4% of my click-thrus converting, I know this is a performing niche market and you can bet I’m going to expand on it from here. If I don’t reach 4% on my click-thrus or conversions, then I’m going to look at it again from page content to affiliate product sales page and see if I can determine where the problem is. Sometimes there’s little things you can do, like tweaking the anchor text of your affiliate link just a bit, or changing placement for your affiliate links that will make a world of difference. Sometimes there’s not, and the niche just isn’t as good as you had thought or hoped. That happens. But, at-least you now know more than you did before, and you should have an idea if this is a good niche market to keep working at or not, so it’s all good experience.

I can already hear people screaming that a 4% click-thru rate is outrageously low and unacceptable. That’s fine, you should definitely try for higher. But the key is to make sure your conversion rate of those who do click-thru is still at or above 4%, otherwise you’re just wasting time and bandwidth sending untargeted traffic to affiliate pages. But certainly, if you can achieve a higher click-thru rate than 4%, and do it in a way that doesn’t pollute the traffic with untargeted visitors, the more the better. I just use the 4% rate as my minimum baseline for testing a new niche market, and once I know that I can get 4% across the board then I work at turning it into 5%, 6%, and so on.

And there you have it, how to make a free website that makes you money. Again, I can’t stress enough how important I think it is to have your own domain and hosting, just to be able to do more things with your content and traffic, and especially if you’ve really found a good niche market and product(s) to promote in it, but for just starting out without any financial investment, or to test-run your niche before investing money into it, this is a perfectly suitable use of free publishing platforms.

Get valuable advice and tips from Scott's free blog for webmasters, O'Bannon's Leap, where he chronicles the ongoing leap of becoming a webpreneur. Scott Bannon earned his first online revenue in 1995 and has made a full time living online since 2000.

Scott also participates at Build The Dot Com, a free resource for webmasters, by webmasters.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Bannon

8 Quick Ways to Generate Blog Traffic Systematically

By Yian Chuan Tan

There are many ways to generate free traffic to your sites, especially for blogs. After creating a blog post, you can use methods ranging from sending your posts as articles to article submission sites like EzineArticles.com, to leveraging on social bookmarking sites like OnlyWire. In fact, it is advisable that if you have the time, to take advantage of them all.

However, due to the numerous ways available, the whole process can be extremely tedious without a systematic or automated way of doing this. Below is my own step-by-step system which, while not fully automated, can be used to reach out to a wider audience quickly and instantly, for each of your blog posts.

#1 - Submit the post as an article to article submission sites
Article submission sites are guaranteed traffic generators for well-written articles, usually on an average of between 1-200 visitors a day. If your post has been written like an article, do not hesitate to submit it to sites like EzineArticles.com. However, do note that article sites require good content, and not just something from a daily muse.

#2 - Publish Feedburner feed(s)
Ensure your posts have been published using RSS feeds, such as Feedburner.

#3 - Use Squidoo
Create Squidoo lenses for each keyword in your post, if it has not already been done. Then add your blog RSS feed in the lens. This will place your post to the eyes of anyone who visits you via Squidoo.

#4 - Stumble the post and Squidoo lens
StumbleUpon.com is a social bookmarking site which provides a browser tool bar from which you can bookmark your site's pages. It helps to generate massive amounts of traffic to your site, especially if you provide content which people find useful. As a result, more people will review and bookmark your site, creating much exposure, possible backlinks and a subsequent readership.

Once you have set up the tool bar, use the "I Like It!" button to bookmark and review the site page with your post.

#5 - Submit to OnlyWire and other social bookmarking sites
There is an increasing number of social bookmarking sites available today which provides massive potential for traffic generation. In order to submit your post to each of them requires considerable effort and time. Wouldn't it be a great timesaver if there was a tool that could automate this?

With OnlyWire, this can be achieved to a certain extent. At the moment, OnlyWire allows instant submission of your post to up to 22 social bookmarking sites. You will still need to have your own account at each of these sites, and key in your account name and password into OnlyWire. But after that, all you need to do is to bookmark your post using OnlyWire, and it will help to submit your post to all the 22 sites and a global audience.

If you are part of other sites like Digg.com (which is not on OnlyWire), do the necessary submission to those sites as well.

#6 - Ping Technorati
Technorati is often known as the authority of the latest buzz on the World Wide Web. If you have an account with Technorati and have added the necessary widgets, Technorati will ping your site upon adding a new post.

#7 - Write a WTF (Where's The Fire?) on Technorati
WTFs are short articles or excerpts on Technorati that are often used to spread the word on practically everything. They are frequently exposed on Technorati's main page and can be voted on by people. If your post or article is of great content, write a short WTF and post it on Technorati. This can provide residual traffic as well, since popular WTFs can remain on the Technorati homepage for a long while.

#8 - Alert your blog communities of new content
People who have joined your blog communities in MyBlogLog for example, are definitely keen on visiting your blog for content. Do them a service, inform them of your new post and they will drop by.

There are many other platforms on which you can leverage on to generate free traffic through various media - such as Yahoo! Answers, YouTube, Flickr, Google Alerts and the countless Web 2.0 sites sprouting up all over the Internet.The above 8 steps are just the main methods which I use to quickly and systematically spread my posts to a wider audience, using such platforms.
Use and integrate them into your own methods where applicable and useful, and pretty soon traffic generation will become second nature with more visitors to your site!

YC Tan is the owner of InternetMarketingMind.com, which provides valuable resources and tools for Internet Marketers. Click here for further recommended resources on how to be Successful in Internet Marketing with Positivity, Possibilities and Profits.

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for a Job

By Kalandra Robinson

There is much more that comes with applying for a job than simply submitting a Cover Letter and a Résumé. Here are 5 of biggest mistakes employers have found when selecting potential candidates: Not researching the potential employer. Performing a simple research on the company you may find interesting will not only show what positions are available in the career section, but it will also reveal the specific type of people they are interested in. Employers look for specific ethics and professional understandings in people. Performing a research is not difficult. Simply visit their company website and briefly review each and every tab and link you can find. Take note of all their various locations, whether national or international. If the website has financial information, take a long glance at that. The financial information will give you a good idea of how much money they make and/or lose in a given period. This will help you learn how stable or unstable the company is. Review the company's Mission Statement. Determine what their ethic is, if they even have one. Employer's perform various types of research on potential employees; why not protect yourself as well.

Failing to accurately communicate your professional expectations is another area employer's have found employees are unable to do. Employer's hire to solve problems. It is very important that you are able to effectively communicate why you are the best candidate by clearly identifying your experience.

Interviews are the time to reflect your absolute best characteristics and professional attributes. Do not bring food to an interview; if you have eaten right before, make certain you are clean and show no signs of it. Do not bring cell phones; if you do, turn them off. Do not share irrelevant information during interviews and it is an absolute no-no to speak negatively about a past employer.

As mentioned earlier, it is very important that you are able to effectively communicate all your best professional efforts. Poor communication skills are high on the list of non-desirables for employers. Speak with confidence and demonstrate your expertise with grace. Speak high about who you are and why you are the best fit for the position. Practice an interview with family or friends, people you can trust and will be honest with you on areas you may need to improve on.
Don’t be afraid of showing enthusiasm. Along with professionalism and a clear ability to perform the job, employers look for people that are enthusiastic and upbeat.

Whatever phone number you leave as a contact, make sure the voice mail message is professional. There are many people that have 1 cell phone that is used for their home and entertainment purpose. Nevertheless, be sure the voice mail message is professional. Use a professional email address if you leave one, also for contact. An email address with your name attached is professional. Use professional providers.

Kalandra Robinson writes articles and ebooks on subjects including Employment and Careers, Motivational and Self-help, and Credit Management. Visit http://www.robinwords.com

Google Pagerank Algorithm Explained

By Suto Cu

Google uses the PageRank algorithm to rank pages in their search engine results. The algorithm is based on analysing link structures: each link can be seen as a vote by a page for another page it links to. It is necessary to have a basic understanding of how PageRank works to be able to optimize web sites for the Google search engine .

History of PageRank
PageRank was invented by Larry Page at Stanford University, and named after him. Page began the project in 1995, and worked on it with Sergey Brin. The project then lead to the prototype Google in 1998. Google Inc. was founded to manage the Google search engine, which used PageRank. Currently the trademark PageRank belongs to Google Inc., but the original patent for the PageRank algorithm is assigned to Stanford University.

Google has since grown to the largest search engine in the world, with nearly two thirds of searches made on Google. The PageRank algorithm is still one of the factors taken into account in Google's search engine result ranking, and it is constantly followed by interested search engine marketing specialists around the world.

The PageRank Algorithm
A good analogy for the PageRank algorithm is that each link is a vote for the target page. This link structure of the web is analyzed recursively, so that the value of each vote depends on the PageRank of the voting page, calculated from the votes in the previous iteration of PageRank.

When a new page comes into being in this link structure, it will only get a PageRank value once other pages link to it. Each link will give some PageRank to the new page, the amount a single link gives depending mostly on two things: the PageRank of the linking page, and the number of links on it. The more outbound links a page has, the less weight each of them will have.

The actual algorithm used by Google is, naturally, more complicated then this. That algorithm also takes into account page topics. Pages with the same, or related topic that link to each other will carry more weight with their links than completely different pages that link to each other.

It is thought that raw PageRank data exists as a floating point number for each page. These real time values are constantly updated by Google crawlers. The visible PageRank value that can be seen on the Google Toolbar is on a scale from zero to ten. This is exported from the real time PR data approximately once every three months. On Google Directory the PageRank is reported as an eight unit measure, which is also periodically compiled from the real time data, though less often than the toolbar PageRank is.

In Conclusion
The voting analogy describes the PageRank algorithm fairly well, but, though Google may claim so, it is not a completely democratic system. The weight of each link depends both on the PageRank of the page linking and the number of links it has. To improve PageRank, more inbound links, preferably from pages with high PageRank, must be acquired.

Sutocu is the author of Your Website Profit. Make money online, or see our recommended Greece Hotels

Attention Restaurant Owners - How to Create a Menu for Success

By Jeffrey Hauser

This is addressed to the one million plus restaurant owners in the US. You are in business to make a profit. Sure, you also want to pass on your great recipes, watch happy people eating and create a legacy for your children. But, when all is said and done, you are in business to make money. Doing so is another issue.

It begins with a plan, including the type of food, location, and marketplace. Who will eat there and how much will they pay? How will you attract them? What are your long-term goals? How about a short-term goal of creating the restaurant and surviving the first year?

There are so many elements in the process, yet it’s fairly easy to list them, not necessarily in order:

• The basic business plan
• Arranging the financing
• Securing the property
• Seeking out a contractor
• Creating the cuisine
• Looking for employees
• Obtaining insurance, accounting and legal resources
• Planning the marketing approach
• Setting a timetable
• Designing a menu

The last one is not the least, in order of importance. It might even be the first. Without a menu, you have no restaurant. Why? Because it sets the tone for the whole operation.

It lists all the items you have for sale. It shows the public your pricing structure. It gives other information such as payment types, catering, banquet facilities, delivery or takeout, and other details about your business. If it doesn’t, it should. It’s a mini-advertisement or billboard, that eventually ends up in the hands of every single customer, therefore it’s terribly important. So, how much time did you spend on it’s content and design? Probably not nearly enough, but now you have some food for thought (pardoning the pun).

Now, a few words about my background. I worked as a sales consultant for the Yellow Pages for 25 years and encouraged all my restaurant accounts to place their menus in the directory. The problem was the need for a full page to accommodate the menu. That proved to be rather expensive and therefore, not an option, for many family-run restaurants.

Today, there are several online versions of the directory that allow this feature. Luckily , there are some more specialized sites only list restaurant menus, but they also retype them for some reason. I prefer an online copy of the actual menu, which helps display the flavor of the restaurant. I think most people prefer to see the real menu for that reason. One such site even asks for restaurants to post them on their site for free. Menuelephant.com is my choice for placing your free menu. It will gain you maximum exposure with a zero cost investment. You have no excuse not to go there and try it. Where else can you get free advertising and a purple pachyderm as a business partner?

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree in teaching.
He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He authored a book about his directory years, "Inside the Yellow Pages" which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com and he is currently the Marketing Director for http://www.thenurseschoice.com a Health Information site and http://www.menuelephant.com which posts restaurant menus on the "site you'll never forget."

Increase Your Intimacy By Increasing Your Communication

By Jennine E. Estes

Ask any happy couple what keeps the intimacy strong between them, and you’ll more than likely hear that communication is the foundation of a successful relationship. You wouldn’t try to drive a car without filling the gas tank, and you shouldn’t attempt to nurture a relationship not built upon honest, open communication. For example, take a couple that feels very much in love with one another: they spend time together every chance they get, they take classes together in school, they may even work in the same area of employment--sounds ideal, doesn’t it? Now take a look at how communication fits into the scheme of things: they don’t interact much because most times they do hang out, it’s very limited, after work, and they go to the movies where silence is golden; they are both attentive students and agree that socializing during class time is irresponsible and will be a burden on their future; they work at the same store, but being in different departments, this "ideal" couple rarely talk to one another on the job, many times being too exhausted from the day’s labor to connect one-on-one after punching out.

The point is just because a couple loves and cares for one another and/or spends a lot of time together doesn’t necessarily mean they have the positive communication essential to making their relationship work. Creeping doubts and insecurities such as past resentments (those of you "trying again" or "taking breaks"), feeling as if you aren’t being heard ("You never listen to me anymore!"), or even being heard but not listened to ("…but you don’t understand where I’m coming from.") can put a stranglehold on your relationship and intimacy by creating distance and irritability.

To remedy these common set-backs many of you experience in your daily relationships, you and your partner will want to start by creating a safe environment. In a safe environment couples feel more comfortable in expressing themselves without fear of judgment, criticism, feeling unheard, or not feeling supported. In order to establish healthy communication, try to avoid talking down to your partner or judging them for their actions: doing so only forces your partner to crawl further into his/her shell where you will find it much more difficult to get them to be open the next time around. Also, take your body language, facial expressions, and vocal tone into account when having a conversation with your loved one. If you are upset: uncross your arms, lose the glare, and steady your voice. If you find yourself nervous to the new improvement of open communication: relax--let your muscles be loose, smile--you have nothing to fear from positive communication, and speak up--a mumbling, indecisive partner is not attractive!

Effective Tips to Positive Communication

1. Ask and inform you partner about what your needs are: Your partner can’t read your mind, so don’t force them to try. Avoid sending hints or beating around the bush with "mind games"--they may seem cute and fun, but your partner might not always think so.

2. Make time during the day to talk to your partner: 30 minutes a day, preferably some time during the evening after you have both had time to wind down, find out what each other did during their day, share thoughts, experiences, etc. MAKE THIS HABITUAL!

3. Avoid critical and absolute words: Critical words are words which show judgment.--"Why did you…?" or "You shouldn‘t have done it that way." While absolute words form roadblocks to communication, preventing improvement-- "You will never…" or "You always…"

4. If you are upset, take time to release some of your stress: Be considerate of your partner by not taking out your frustrations on them. Try to journal, take a walking, or talk yourself through your thoughts to clear your head. Diffusion of small problems allows you to be more attentive and less reactive to your partner.

5. Remember and reinforce the concept of teamwork: Realize that in a healthy, loving relationship no one "wins" an argument; serious commitment means meeting your partner halfway. Attempt to resolve the issue as a team by finding a way to fix the situation through compromising and understanding.

6. Exhibit to each other that you both understand where the other person is coming from: Validate your partner’s feelings by having empathy, attempting to understand, and clarifying their thoughts. Ask questions to prove that you are genuinely interested in what they have to say. By summarizing what they are telling you, you are showing your partner that you are an attentive listener who is making the effort to ensure they are being understood.

Jennine E. Estes is a Marriage and Family Therapist Intern (IMF#47211) with a practice helping couples in conflict learn more effective ways to communicate and connect with one another. She is supervised by Mark Kaupp, Psy.D., MFC#33213 in Mission Valley of San Diego.
She helps couples build trust, learn how to recover from infidelity, and help them get back on track. For more information, please visit http://www.EstesTherapy.com

Free Google Advertising - Gain Free Traffic and Conversions Using Google

By Conner Hayes

We all know that Google is the most used search engine in the world. Getting listed on the front-page of search results is the goal of all webmasters, and everyone will try to achieve this in different ways. The easiest way, but indeed the more expensive, is to run a PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaign with Google AdWords.

PPC campaigns can be extremely successful, however you must be able to manage and optimize each individual ad to see which ones are performing well and which ones are just wasting money.
This requires constant monitoring of keywords, click-thru rates, and most importantly, how much money you're spending in relation to how many sales you're getting (conversion ratio). If you've ever used AdWords before, I'm sure you've had an instance where you spent a few hundred dollars in just minutes with no sales at all! It's happened to the best of us.

There is an alternative to PPC that requires much more work, but in the end will bring you more conversions with only a small, if any, investment. This alternative is Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

By editing the HTML of a website so it contains specific things the indexing algorithm of Google will look for, top positions under the organic search results can be achieved. By 'organic', I'm referring to the natural search results, or all of the results NOT listed under the sponsored ads (PPC) section. SEO can be a very long and fruitless endeavor, but if you are able to gain a front-page listing, you will gain more traffic than if you used AdWords. Plus, all of the clicks you get will be free!

If you ask any well-known internet marketer, they will agree that organic search listings are much better than PPC ads. SEO can be difficult to understand and may take months until you see any results, but it is definitely worth the effort. There are methods, however, to get organic, front-page listings on Google that do not require extensive knowledge in SEO. These methods have only been discovered recently, but are starting to take the internet marketing community by storm.

If you would like to learn more about these methods, please visit http://www.GoogleAdsExposed.com

Christian Lacroix - Man of Style

By James Philips

A man who has made his mark in the world of fashion, Christian Lacroix was born in the year 1951 in Arles, France. The favorite son in a family of engineers, Lacroix studied Art History and wanted to be a museum curator. Blessed with a fashionable father and grandmother, his taste for fashion was tuned from his childhood though it manifested into his design skills at a much later stage.

It was his wife who slowly lured him into sketching designs for dresses. In the year 1980, he joined a firm that designed clothes and his rise to stardom started from this point. This was a time when people had formed an opinion that the haute couture was a declining field with little hope for a good future.

Lacroix survived and soon made a mark in the year 1986, when he was awarded the ‘De d’or prize by the Paris officials. The next year he won the Oscar for Best Foreign Designer, an award he received from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The same year saw him launching his own salon in 1987. He also got involved in other accessories like footwear, hats, handbags, eyewear, jewelry, belts etc.

It didn’t take much time for him to get noticed. He ventured into even military uniforms and flight attendant uniforms. He became the favorite for the rich and the famous. He designed a red satin for Princess Diana on her visit to Paris once.

Christian Lacroix has a very unique style. He uses bright color combinations very often. It is said that the sun he used to see in his native province influenced him to use his trademark bright colours so often.

For now, Christian Lacroix has ventured deep into amalgamation of Information Technology into the world of fashion. He also won the coveted Legion of Honor from the French Government for his contributions in this field.

He has been credited with a number of different projects. He has been contacted to design aircrew uniforms for Air France, interior decoration of French National Railway high speed cars etc: With the rate at which he is progressing now, there is little doubt that there is nothing stopping this man of style.

Find Christian Lacroix perfume and colognes on sale at Perfume Center. Read more about Christian Lacroix perfumes

Be Wealthy - Sell Someone Else's Product - 5 Tips

By Avery Randall-mable

The most common excuse for not starting an internet business, is that people truly believe they must have a product in order to start one. However, you can make money on the internet by selling someone else's product. You will be successful at it, if you avoid common mistakes.

#5 Let's Put a Label On ItSelling someone else's product can be an entire business, in fact, it's called affiliate marketing. You may or may not have heard of it, however, you can be very profitable only if you approach it the correct way. Many people believe they don't to do much work because they aren't the owners of the product, but in fact you may find yourself doing tons of work that will eventually pay off

#4 A Common MistakeMany aspiring online entrepreneurs in the world of affiliate marketing believe that making money online is something you can build in one day, and become rich overnight. The truth is, you have to put in tons of work in the beginning before you can recline that plush leather seat and watch the sunset every day. In the beginning, affiliate marketing is no cakewalk, but it can be as easy as collecting & counting the money.

#3 Another Common MistakeThe huge failing majority of affiliate marketers put up throw up a website & a wealth of links to the product they are promoting, only to simply call it the day. This might get you one or two sells a month, but honestly? What can you do with an extra 60$ a month? Yeah sure it will help, but we must ask ourselves, was it time well spent? When you approach affiliate marketing, you must approach it like it's a full-on business.

#2 Where To Find a Winning ProgramThere are many affiliate programs out there, the best ones to join are the ones who will give you the greatest commission. If you constantly advertise products that give you low commission, then the chances of you succeeding drop dramatically.
Marketing products that give you 50-60% commission is definitely the way you should go. An affiliate program like that may be hard to find, but in the end, it's definitely worth it.

#1 When You Finally Found the Product of Your Dreams...That is only the beginning. Now it's time to start marketing. We recommend researching things such as search engine optimization, link building, and things of that nature. It's definitely wise to design a website with highly rich content and having a product to compliment the content that is on your website. Once you mastered the skill of building consistent targeted traffic to a content rich website, the rest is cakewalk.

Becoming an affiliate is an amazing opportunity to make a Lucrative amount of money onlineRead More Here Affiliate Rockstar Status Review

Is Payment Protection Insurance A Good Option?

By Amenda Dorothy

Thousands of people lose their homes due to repossession. To a certain extent, payment protection insurance helps you in avoiding such situations. Some situations are covered under this type of insurance. Whenever you face these situations, the PPI policy ensures that you do not default in your repayments. The grounds covered under this insurance policy are loss of job, disability to work, illness, accident, death, etc. Different policies may have different terms and conditions.

The cost of taking a PPI policy is called premium. You are required to pay certain amount of money annually. The annual premium varies depending on the amount of loan that you want to avail. Sometimes, it is worth paying the premium. If you are taking a loan against property, PPI policy becomes desirable. If something wrong takes place, PPI policy may come into picture and save you from committing a default in repayment of loan.

In case of secured loans, your property is at stake. If you fail to repay the loan, the lender may repossess it. PPI takes over your repayment liability on the happening of any of the events covered under the policy.

So, you can get protection in such cases. Your home will remain safe with you even if you become jobless, ill or permanently disable to work. No doubt, PPI helps you in reducing the risk especially in case of secured loans.

Now, the question that arises is whether the premium that you pay to the insurer is worth the risk. Opinions may differ. It is entirely up to you to take a decision. If you feel that in any case you would be able to repay your loan, there is no need for PPI. But, if you are doubtful, the decision lies with you. Some borrowers prefer to take PPI in case of secured loans but avoid such policies when taking out loans where there is no danger to their properties.

About The Author: The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting ask4loan.co.uk as a finance specialist.

For more information related to personal loans: http://www.ask4loan.co.uk

Website Design Training For Rewarding Career

By Michael Bustamante

If you are someone who enjoys creating interesting designs and layouts on computers, you could benefit from website design training. In the contemporary world of computers and Internet marketing, training in website design can lead you to an exciting and rewarding career as a professional website designer.

Website design training focuses primarily on the areas of graphic art and electronic media. You will become familiar with the latest web design and computer-based design and illustration software, which may include GoLive, DreamWeaver, and FrontPage. You will learn how to use HTML, XHTML, CSS, and JavaScript; you will also learn about e-commerce, Internet marketing, scripting and authoring. The goal of website design training is to teach you to create web pages and websites that look good and are easily navigated.

The field of website design is constantly changing and evolving, and it is important that you receive an education in website design that is current and up-to-date. Before you begin your website design education, make sure your chosen school will be able to teach you the latest techniques and methods used by professional website designers.

The website designing course will most likely cover Visual Art, Graphic Design, Web Design, and Computer Aided Design (CAD), among other related subjects. Website design training from a two-year program will lead to an Associate degree, which will be adequate for an entry-level position; however, an advanced degree would greatly increase your knowledge and skills for better employment opportunities. You could continue your website design education at a four-year college to obtain a Bachelor degree (BA) or a Master degree (MA).

If you are interested in learning what it takes to be a professional website designer, you can begin researching website design training today. For in-depth information about Website Design Training, please take a moment to visit our website today.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. Visit our Directory of Vocational Schools and find Training in Website Design, as well as Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com

Copyright 2007 - All Rights Reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.

Notice to Publishers: Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.

The Forgotten Forum Introduction

By S McIntyre

Hello, my name is Sophia and I'm from Beautiful BC, Canada and home to the 2010 Winter Olympics. I started working in late 2002 in various online endeavors. I own a work at home website, a health blog and moderate three work at home forums. I'm looking forward to contributing and getting to know you all better.

How hard was that? Not hard at all and it only took me about...oh...30 seconds if that, to let everyone know who I am and what I do. Forum introductions are an integral step and is just as important as reading the forum rules. Don't short change yourself by posting an "empty" introduction. Remember, first impressions always counts.

As a forum owner, I'm well aware of how many people "forget" this all important step. While many forums have a free section for members to promote their businesses, how beneficial is it to make your first post a "post and run"? I can honestly say if a forum requires an introduction your ad just met the delete button and even if they don't, it's forum etiquette. Forums are invaluable tools and it should be utilized to its fullest potential.

How many people who are looking to join a home business or looking for a specific product would seek out a member who only posts in the advertising forum? It's not many to my knowledge.
Would you enter a room full of prospects only to pass out your business card and leave?

If you made your introduction and then secluded yourself to only one section of the forum it doesn't mean your job is done. In fact, that is just as bad as not introducing yourself, in my opinion. The next step is to read the forum, join in various discussions, share your knowledge or expertise, post quality replies to topics of your interests and not just to be self-serving. Now you're actively networking and it is proven to be more effective in creating sales for yourself. People are more likely to buy from people they know and trust.

Taking full advantage of forums and what they offer goes beyond articles that tell you how you can increase sales and how to drive more traffic to your site. As an active forum member you are getting yourself out there, building trust and networking with potential people who may become your new and returning customers. They are also your word-of-mouth. You have now created your own viral marketing and it's far more effective than being a "post and run" poster.

S McIntyre owns Work At Home Space, a free work at home resource offering telecommuting jobs, job leads, articles, tips, information and other work at home related issues. You can also visit her at her blog Healthy Perspectives, featuring an array of health topics, nutrition, fitness and recipes for maintaining a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle.

Free Ways To Increase Web Site Traffic

By Sakthi Ganesh

Free Search Engine Submission
The first and fore most steps to be done to increase website traffic in free way are to submit their sites to search engines and directories. Most of the major search engines accept the site submissions for free. Google, Yahoo, Gig blast, Askjeeves are the some of the search engines that accepts free submission; you can find other search engines by searching.

Free Directory Inclusion
Directories also plays important role for increasing traffic. But choosing the relevant directory has become tedious job today. Actually free directories are not absolutely free, Some directories insists some pay for consideration of listing and some requires reciprocal link exchange. And also site listing takes some time, in free directories due to their huge requests
Alternatively you may start a new directory service and it drives huge traffic.

Participating In Forum Activities Or By Answering other questions
Participate in forum activities will drive huge traffic to sites. Yes every one have question about some thing and they will surely look in for assistance in places like forums. Choose your interest and relevant topics you want to share or get assistance form that forum. Most of the forums allows your signatures can be put through your posting. But Please be sure that your referenced site have enough content that the visitors can expect.

Yahoo answers are the huge traffic generating source to sites by the way of questioning or answering.

Sponsor Templates or Web tools
Sponsoring web tools will surely improves the traffic. Adding some tools like keyword suggestion, Back link analyzer, Page rank prediction, free space, and free articles etc.

Sponsoring templates for famous blogs like Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad will drives huge traffic to blogs today.

Otherwise you may sponsor some thing for social activities or by volunteering for some organizations like blue gross, cyber crime and etc.

Get Reviewed Or Do Some Review For Other Sites
You can participate to reviewing other sites. So many requests are made today to review their sites. Otherwise you can request others to review your sites.

Get Awards Or Sponsor Awards
If you have the good content you may apply for web awards program. Getting awards are the greatest reputation and it provides solid customer base.

Other wise you may give awards for other site. This will also drives traffic to sites. You can compensate the expenses by getting sponsors.

Requesting For Being Guest Author Or Requesting Link
Take Participate in other site or blogs activities like guest author, guiding for site design will improve the traffic to your sites. By these method both of them get reasonable traffic to each others.

Otherwise you may request for link requests from other sites. But be sure that you have got links from relevant site and your link has not placed in over crowded links place.

Article Writing Or Publishing Press Releases
Article writing is the one of the effective method of getting back links today. Back links are back bone for developing page rank to sites. By this article writing you can improve ranking as well as your writing skills. In my point of view Article writing is the one of the affordable and best method to be practiced to drive traffic to sites.

Affiliate Programs Or Partnership Programs
You may get traffic by joining affiliate programs .By these method you can get both traffic and money.

Social Networking Social networking is became the latest trend develop traffic to sites. By using this social networking you can build relationship with other participants. My space, Netscape, Orkut are the some of the social networking sites available on net.

Content is King
Last But not least, Content is king for all the time. Most of the internet users came to internet for information. So any sites will not concentrate on the content will surely loose the customer in longer run even though if it has huge traffic.

And also the low traffic sites can increase their traffic by the way of improving content.

M Sakthi Ganesh is a well known author for writing “SEO” articles for various articles and sites. He has completed his B.E Computer Science Graduation from Reputed College and Working as “SEO” in Chennai.

M Sakthi Ganesh is a well known author for writing “SEO” articles for various articles and sites. He has completed his B.E Computer Science Graduation from Reputed College and Working as “SEO” in Chennai.

Sakthi Ganesh is owning the http://www.howtogettrafficonblogs.blogspot.com/ blog that contains lot of aritles and tools to Increase Web Site Traffic , More Web site traffic .

How to Download Movie to PSP

By M Jordan

Personal PSP device has increased usage from listening to music to watching your favorite movie downloads onto your device. I would recommend getting a reasonable large memory stick to store your favorite movie files. With the memory stick, you will need a USB cable that you can use to connect your personal psp device to your computer. To download movie onto your personal psp device, just follow these simple steps.

1. Format the new memory stick
To use the newly purchased memory stick, you need to re-format it before you can start using it. To re-format, start with pressing the “home” button at the lower left of your psp console. Next, search for “setting” by using the left arrow key. Follow the next step to find the “system setting icon” using the down arrow key and press the “X” button to select it.

Use the down arrow key again to search for the “format memory stick” icon and then press X button again to select it.

By now you will see a note on the screen asking and confirming with the user to proceed with re-formatting the memory stick. (It is a fail safe confirmation for psp device to prevent its user from erasing or losing important files in case the user has accidentally selects the re-formatting link) To continue with re-formatting, press “yes” and follow by pressing “X” button again to confirm your execution. Depending on the capacity of the memory stick, it takes about quite awhile to complete the formatting.

2. Use the USB cable to connect psp to your computer
Start connecting your personal psp device to your personal computer by using the USB cable. Once you has connect both your psp to your PC using the USB cable. Once the connection is done, from the bottom left of the psp console press the “home” button and follows by scrolling left to search for the “settings” column. Next, scroll down until you find the “USB connection” and press “X” to execute it. The memory drive from the psp device will now be mounted and displayed onto your computer screen.

3. Ready to download movie to your psp
To copy movie file on the psp device, it is important to ensure the proper and correct folder in the psp device memory stick. The correct file should be MP_Root>100MNV01. If the movie files are not copied onto the proper folder, the movie files will not be able to play back. Simply create the folder manually if the MP_Root>100MNV01 folder is not available so that your movie file will work correctly.

Check the psp movie files name and must be named starting with M4V and ends with five random numbers such as M4V12345. The same goes for the THM (thumbnail) files.

Once the movie files are copied onto the psp device memory stick, disconnect your psp device from your personal computer. To watch the movie files, simply scroll down to the “Video” column of your psp device and press “X” to execute it. Now you can enjoy watching your favorite movie on your personal psp device.
Just follow the same steps above for additional movie files that you want to convert and transfer to your psp device.

Michael Jordan B writes on a variety of subjects and recommends
http://pspblenderpspdownloads.blogspot.com for more information on How to Download Movie to PSP.

Notice - You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author’s name, bio and website links must remain active/intact and included with every reproduction.

PSP Download Programs

By M Jordan

I think by now you should know that PSP has many usages, it is not only a portable games console but you can play movies or music on it as well. These opportunities gave birth to hundreds of creative psp software’s and download programs. There are endless amount of psp download programs available today in the Internet. Here are the some of the most talked about psp download programs you can find over the internet.

PSP X studio – This is a PSP video converter software. In this program, you can convert your favorite video files (may it be AVI, mpeg, DIVX, etc) to a format that can be played in psp. This will allow you to watch movie, shows or music video in your personal psp device from anywhere or anytime.

JPEG viewer – This is a picture viewer program for your psp. You can look at picture that you have taken, share or download in the palm of your hand.

PSPtunes v2.00 – This program has a look of itunes and it is a flash application that allows you to play songs from your web browser.

PSP Manager – This program is quite useful to help you manage your psp device. You can use this for CD extraction where you can transfer your favorite CD’s music to your PSP system.
Another feature is that you can use this for automatic file conversion in your psp device. And most importantly its very useful if you want to copy video and music files from your personal computer, it make the task simple enough even a child can use it. You just simply select the files, copy and drop to the “My PSP Panel”. No more wondering or need to be bothered about file formats and creating folder and hoping you did it correctly. Basically the PSP manager does all the work for you.

PSP Radio – Want to listen to music from your favorite radio station playing on your psp? This will help you incorporate an online radio to your psp. It simply able you to support AM and FM online broadcasts from your personal psp device.

PSP Cheats – It’s basically a cheat database that enables you to gain a advantage over the games that you played. All you need to do is to download it onto your psp and you will have lots of cheats available for use.

PSP universal remote – Not so many people use this but well you can actually use your psp as a universal remote to control your TV, DVD players, etc.

PSP automatic homebrew installer – This program will enable you to install homebrews instantly to your psp but just a click away.
Ebook Reader – This is the tool you need if you want to read digital books or magazines on your psp.

PSP PDA – You can also actually make use of your psp as a PDA. The PDA program has lots of functions like music player, notepad, calculator, etc.

PSP Video 9 - This is a video conversion and management application software that is free in the Internet. This program will enable you to convert your pc files to psp format. Managing and copying files from your pc and to your psp will also be easy with the use of this video 9 program.
The list of psp download programs goes on and on endlessly but the ones listed above are the most popular and widely used programs available for psp.

Michael Jordan B writes on a variety of subjects and recommends
http://pspblenderpspdownloads.blogspot.com for more information on PSP Resources and PSP Download Programs.

Notice - You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author’s name, bio and website links must remain active/intact and included with every reproduction.

How to Save Money While Driving Your Car

By Robert Tutsky

It never ceases to amaze me how some people drive their cars. Paying attention to good driving habits can certainly help you save yourself some money in the long run.

I notice all to often that there are drivers speeding up to a red light only to jam on the brakes to stop at the intersection. Why? They're literally pushing their autos to the mechanics garage.

It's not rocket science to realize that they are wasting fuel and also putting more wear and tear on their automobile unnecessarily. I don't know about you but I sure would like to put off an expensive brake job as long as possible, not to mention a new set of tires.

My ex drove her car that way and even though she had a small lightweight car (Saturn) and I ended up replacing tires at approximately 26,000 miles and a brake job at 35,000 miles. What a waste. I now know it's possible to go over 50,000 miles or more on a car like hers before replacing tires and also even longer for a brake job just by driving more sensibly.

Here are some things you can do while driving that will save you money
Always look way ahead down the road and get an idea of what's happening with the traffic light before you even reach the intersection. If it is red and you're not too far away, coast , chances are it will turn green just in time for you to pass through the intersection.

If it is green and you are far away, coast and wait till you see it turn red, continue to coast, the light might turn green and enable you to continue on without using gas or brakes.

I like to make driving a game, trying to judge the speed of my car and time it just right so I don't even have to use the brakes at all. With practice I find it works most of the time especially if you are familiar with the route you are taking.

Not only do I try to judge the optimum speed to go through an intersection without stopping, on many occasions I put my car in neutral and literally coast up to the intersection to a green light, put it back in gear and continue on my way.

There are times when this situation can happen on a slight downhill and I can coast for more than a half mile or more before I put the car in gear and continue on my way, all without using my brakes and all-the-while my car is just idling, saving gas. This way I am truly coasting and using as little fuel as possible. With practice you and in time you will realize a savings that will amaze you..

Another practice I use that I think is worth mentioning
A while back my van needed tires. I had a lot of miles on them and they were worn unevenly.
The mechanic told me that I needed a wheel alignment judging how my tires were worn.
Another added expense.

I asked the mechanic why a car goes out of alignment and he said usually shocks to the wheels from road pot holes will eventually throw the alignment out. From that point on, I try as much as possible to miss the pot holes and bumps. Again, with good driving practices you will save money driving your car.

According to Edmunds there are other ways to save while driving:

1. Stop driving like a maniac. Gentle starts and smooth acceleration throughout shifting can save up to 37% in gas use! That's a terrific savings.

2. Drive the speed limit or even less. Not only will you save gas but chances are you won't be receiving speeding tickets

3. Use the cruise control. Cruise control is not always convenient but during extended trips it will save gas.

Using these strategies will not only save you money with less wear and tear your automobile receives, it makes driving more interactive and fun

Robert Tutsky is researching ways to help you earn and save your money through frugal living and smart saving tips. Visit http://www.your-money-matters.blogspot.com

5 Myths Of Dating

By Pramod Shet

Dating is a good phenomenon where in the guy and girl approach each other and meet to know each other. That is what we would have written fifty years ago, but now what it means is get the girl. The rules have changed but the basics remain the same.

Today we are going to touch upon the myths which guys have developed in their minds regarding dating:

Myth Number 1: I am not good looking.

This is a common term I have heard guys saying . Well, the truth is girls are not attracted by looks alone. Dear friends I do agree looks matter but only 10 %. Yes, 10 % of attraction is the looks remaining 90% is related to your personality and her perception about you. So, do not give this excuse to yourself the next time.

Myth Number 2: I am not rich enough to impress her.

I do accept there are certain breeds who go only for money and believe me you are better without them, but the beautiful ones do not go for Money alone. I do understand money gives a level of confidence in the Man, but that is not an essential ingredient at all. Your personality counts a lot.

Myth Number 3: I must tell her how much I love her on my first date.

Never to be late in telling your true feelings is what some of my learned students feel. I would say wait. Let her confess it. Believe me, if you say you like her and all the mushy things on your first date itself, she is definitely going to leave you and you would not have a second date to meet her.

Myth Number 4: I must give her gifts, flowers and costly presents every time I meet her.

The first time you do it, probably it might look the usual stuff to do, but in case you are doing it again and again, believe me you will lose her much faster than ever before. Presents is a No. Flowers is a No. Unless you both have met at least 15 times before and you have not given her that thing before.

Myth Number 5: I must praise her.

"How beautiful you look!!"."What a fantastic dress you have!". "How slim you look ! "are some of the compliments she receives almost every day. Provided she is beautiful, would you not sound like the 100 others who end up saying the same thing to her all the time? You would and this is what you must not entertain.

These are mentioned for your initial knowhow.

In case you want to know more, just click the link below.

Pramod Shet is a well known name in the field of Dating and Sexual Mastery. Given above is just tip of iceberg. To know everything in detail and to get a girl Click Here :- HOW TO GET A GIRL
Copyright 2007 Pramod Shet.

Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or newsletter.

Home Based Business - Ashamed of Playing The Fool?

By Greg Six

There is a James Taylor song with lyrics that describe the quiet desperation that many of us are living out in our careers…

“You can play the game and you can act out the part Though you know it wasn't written for you But tell me, how can you stand there with your broken heart Ashamed of playing the fool …” Although this was written with the intentions of urging people to “Shower the people you Love, with Love”, it should make you pause to consider where you are right now. Your job and career are going nowhere, and we both know it. You are just “playing the game”. How long will you continue to “act out the part, though you know it wasn’t written for you”? This isn’t the life you have always dreamed of, yet you stand there depressed and with a broken heart, feeling like a fool because you don’t know how to take control.

Your life is fading by you in a hopeless river of time. Yet you were created to accomplish great things. Keep in mind that “your maker” as well as the rest of us, are waiting for you to take action, and create a life by design. I cannot do it for you and I wouldn’t if I could. It sounds harsh, but it would not do you any good. There is a “you” inside of you, waiting to be set free.
You have the key to make this happen. You just have to make the decision to only make decisions that take you in the directions of your goals... even in regard to a home business. They may be hard decisions, or even uncomfortable. But they will propel your life down a path that was intended for you... a path where you don’t have to “act”, you will simply allow life and career to happen based on principles and decisions you made and actions you take that are congruent with a greater life plan.

I do not know the life plan that is right for you, but you will know it as you focus on it and allow it to come to fruition. It was already written for you, you simply stepped off the path when you allowed yourself to be the person you thought others expected you to be. You made decisions that were on the path of least resistance instead of on the path that was intended for you.

Humans hate pain, suffering, trials, guidance, and correction, yet these are the things that try us, and make us strong. These are the things that mold and shape our lives, and build our character. When you take the path of least resistance, you miss these lessons and the charter building fire that you were expected to pass through.

Were you afraid? Perhaps afraid of the laughing, or peer pressure, maybe it was laziness, or lack of proper financial education that kept you from attaining that life which was meant to be. And now you find yourself “acting out a part that you know wasn’t written for you”. So, are you going to stand there and be ashamed of being the fool”, or are you going to commit yourself to finding that perfect plan that is meant for you and create a career that is full of hope and future, abundance and gain, momentum and energy?

I look forward to assisting you and having a conversation if you feel it is appropriate. A Legitimate Home Business is just over the horizon, don’t give up now.

Here’s to your success and a life full of taking action to create a life and career by design.

Greg Six has been a successful entrepreneur for over 15 years. After having owned motels and rental properties, he found success using internet marketing. He now spends his time assisting others as they search through the maze of internet offers to find the piece of the puzzle that is legitimate, and will ultimately allow an individual to create longstanding, stable wealth, without sacrificing integrity and honesty. http://www.LegitimateBusinessFromHome.net/?
ashamedofplayingthefool (This article may be reprinted, distributed and published at will, if left completely intact with links in place.)

9 Signs That Your Spouse Might Be Cheating

By Pearl White

1. He/she starts spending more money without giving any explanation.

2. He/she starts coming home at unusual times and refuses to give any rational explanation.

3. He/she suddenly starts exercising or going to the gym.

4. He/she buys new hot and sexy underwear.

5. He/she buys a whole new wardrobe of fancy and flashy clothes.

6. He/she suddenly changes his/her driving patter.

7. He/she buys a new perfume or cologne.

8. He/she starts a new diet.

9. He/she acts nervously when they are on the phone.

Surviving infidelity is one of the hardest things anyone has to do and the sheer thought of actually offering forgiveness for committing adultery is in complete opposition to the hurt and the pain and the immense hatred of the cheating spouse.

Never loose focus, remember what you have set out to do, catch the cheating spouse and then confront them with the hard evidence.

One thing for sure is that at some point they usually slip up, let something slip and if you have your suspicions you have to bide your time and get the proof before tackling that cheating spouse.

The freedom that we have in our modern world with the general practice of partners enjoying different activities and generally doing their own thing in much of their spare time acts as a catalyst for cheating spouses and this ever increasing number of cheaters has a distinct link to the life we now live.

If you have your suspicions that your partner is cheating don't let it eat away at you or try and push your fears to the back of your mind, prove it once and for all and set your mind at rest.

In forgiveness for committing adultery comes the ability to make the choice, decide whether you want to try and save your marriage or move on with your life without your unfaithful spouse.

Just remember, Cheating Spouses is one of the fastest growing areas in the private investigation field. Please visit our blog.

http://catch-cheating-spouse.blogspot.com

How to Talk to Your Peers About Alcohol

By David Richards

One of the hardest things to do in life can be to tell a friend or loved one that his or her drinking has become a problem. It can be even harder if you're trying to tell people your own age about the dangers of alcohol even before it's a serious problem. If you think you may need a few conversation starters to use with your friends, here are some of the best ways to address what could be a potentially awkward or unwelcome conversation.

One of the first things you should do if you think that one of your friends has a drinking problem is to get the facts first. You may have heard from someone that a friend has been drinking or you may suspect it yourself based on your loved one's behavior, but make sure that you know that alcohol is definitely the problem before you confront your friend. Remember, you're there to help, so you don't want to offend your friend or loved one by accusing them of being an alcoholic.

Next, if you suspect alcohol may be the real problem, find out what is going on in your friend's life that may cause him/her to drink. For instance, if you know that your best friend's parents are going through a divorce or if there has recently been a death in the family, these could be reasons why some people would start to drink more heavily. Teens (and even some adults) also drink because they think it makes them more mature or outgoing. So, if you know that your friend has been especially concerned about being popular lately, there could be a chance that he will drink if the popular kids in school are drinking. Keep in mind that even if you are out of high school, peer pressure is still a reality–many people drink in order to fit in with co-workers or influential people in the community, so you may even have to remind your adult friends who are otherwise sophisticated or affluent.

It is also a good idea to bring up casually, around other friends, that drinking is not necessary to have a good time. If a group at school or work is having a social gathering where you know there will be alcohol, you and your friends can simply plan to do something else and purposely not include alcohol in your plans. If the friend or loved one is opposed to the idea of an alternate gathering or immediately asks for alcohol, this is definitely a cause for concern.

The next step is usually to sit down with your friend in a private setting and express your concern. Do not accuse your friend of having a problem; spend more time telling your friend that you want the best for him or her and that you want to see them healthy. Let them know that you are available to talk any time and that alcohol could lead to more serious problems in the future. You may also want to bring other friends along with you if you don't feel comfortable talking on your own; this will also show your friend that there are several people who are concerned and willing to help.

David Richards is a publisher of articles on alcoholism. You can go to treating alcoholism for more.

Traditional Treatment Methods for Diabetes

By Donald Mckenzie Jr

The American Diabetes Association estimates that diabetes accounts for over 100,000 deaths, 54,000 amputations, and over 20,000 cases of blindness each year. Blindness is twenty-five times more common among diabetic patients when compared to those without diabetes. If these current trends should continue, then by the year 2010 diabetes will exceed both heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death in America.

Diabetics tend to have a high level of blood glucose. Blood sugar level is regulated by insulin, which releases it to carbohydrate consumption. Insulin causes the cells of the body to absorb glucose from the blood. The glucose is then used as fuel for cellular functions.

Traditional diagnostic standards for diabetes have been plasma glucose levels greater than 140 milligrams on 2 occasions as well as plasma glucose greater than 200 milligrams following a 75 gram glucose load. Even more recently, the American Diabetes Association lowered the criteria for a diabetic diagnosis to plasma glucose levels equal to or greater than 126 milligrams. Plasma levels outside the normal limit will need further testing. This is done usually by repeating the plasma glucose check and initiating an oral glucose tolerance test if it is needed.

The many symptoms of diabetes include increased urination, increased thirst and hunger, sudden drastic weight loss, blurred vision, very slow healing of wounds, dry and itchy skin, constantly repeated infections, sudden fatigue and headaches. With respect to diabetes, these symptoms can also be caused by many other factors. It is highly encouraged that anyone with symptoms related to the ones mentioned above should be tested as soon as possible.

For more important health articles visit Donald's Health Website. http://updated-health-news.blogspot.com

Is Wealthy Affiliate A Scam?

By Arif Kosasi

Is wealthy affiliate a scam?, everyone, who is trying to look for a particular program that is informative and supportive, tend to do research. There is no exception for a program named wealthy affiliate, which is real.

Considering these facts, you will not doubt it anymore:

1. Wealthy Affiliate is reaching its second year of existence. it was created in September 2005. Second year is not much, in fact it is much for a scam to exist that long.

2. As you can see, Many people including me have promoted wealthy affiliate, which continues to grow over time. people want to promote because it is good, you will be the next one to promote when you are a wealthy affiliate member.

3. Have you even heard of beating adwords, inside the list, and who loves money?, hot products that created by Kyle & Carson, there is so much people promoting it. If WA is a scam, who will want to promote products made by K&C, the WA founders?

4. Placed on the 4,764th of Alexa Rankings, that means wealthy affiliate is the 4,764th most popular site, you would not think that wealthy affiliate is a scam, would you?

It could be expensive considering the repetition of monthly fee (almost $30), but there are so many stuffs that worth it, such as:

• One on one coaching
• Action plans for you to begin with
• Marketing tools
• Research center
• Feeder sites
• Free hosting
• WA Spaces (like Blog)
• WA Jobs

Earn, learn and make friends at the same time. Wealthy affiliate is the only resource you need to succeed making money online. In the flow of time after learning in wealthy affiliate and implementing what you learn, earning will be absolutely possible. Learn and Learn more so that you earn and earn more. Make friends with not only beginners but also experts. Friendly and helpful members will be there to help. Do not forget that Kyle and Carson will also be there to offer their helps.

article source: http://www.squidoo.com/WAscam

How to Create A Powerful Headline

By Lassaad Gasmi

Headlines are one of the most influential factors in copywriting. Headlines are used to get your readers’ attention which will encourage your readers to read your copy or your message. They play a vital part in the copywriting process.

Internet users did not read all the copy word for word. People skim the copy. Hence, headlines must inform your visitors about your copy. Headline is the most important element to your letter, e-book, articles and all your web copy. Your headline job is to immediately get your prospects attention and draw them to read your entire copy.

Create a powerful headline need to combine different factors and here are a few tips for headline that sell:

1. Headlines Should Outline the Main Benefit
Headlines should outline the main benefits to your readers to learn your content or to buy from your web site.

People search about what are in your copy form them. Include your solution in your headline.
Make sure your headlines should answers your readers question about the specific content.

2. Headlines Should Give An Overview

Headlines should resume your copy content. Headlines and sub-headlines should offer the most important information related to your copy. Most people did not learn word for word but they skim your copy. Create a great headlines and sub-headlines will help them to understand your content and they will encourage them to read your entire copy or e-book.

3. Headlines Can Raise Curiosity

Curiosity is a very powerful human emotion. The headline should generate curiosity in the midst of your targeted audience. It should give the right impression about your copy to your readers.

4. Power Words
Use power words to force your readers to buy your e-book or to read your articles or ads. This strategy is used very effectively in advertisements.

Power words for instance “free” or “how to” or “proven” or “revealed” can make the same affect as a number of ways for example “7”or “101” or “77” to grab your readers.

5. Use your swipe file, where you have many proven headlines.

6. Use your swipe fileGet the most imporatnt headlines from others web sites and articles will help you to create a powerful headlines.

7. Use Verbs:
Verbs make what you say come to life with action, force and magnetism.

Using verbs such as turn, discover, explode or create are an effective way to create your powerful headlines.

8. Identify your ideal prospect:
Your headline needs to grab the person you want to attract and single them out. You should target a specific niche market looking for information or problems that you will offer a solution.

9. Test your headline
Test your headline before your start your sales letter promotion. Google AdWords or another pay per click advertising system will help you to drive traffic and to judge the power of your headline.

Finally, headline is the very important part to create your sales letter, ebook, ads or articles. The headline of your sales letter, ebook, ads or articles must grab your reader’s attention, because if your headline doesn’t catch them the sales letter, ebook, ads or articles will never get read.

Create powerful headline that can draw the reader into the rest of your sales letter is the most important key to increase your income and to get more readers to your sales letter.

Lassaad Gasmi is an internet marketer and seo experts. Learn more about affiliate marketing and how to set your affiliate business: affiliate marketing

Choosing the Right Custom Tattoo Design

By Tim Amlong

In today's world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of custom tattoo design is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about custom tattoo design.

Tattoos have had a colorful history on western culture for the better part of two centuries. An increased popularity to custom tattoo designs has illustrated by celebrities, athletes, and historical figures have influenced body art world to rather extraordinary numbers. Custom tattoos have regained popularity in many parts of the world and particularly in the United States, Japan, and Europe. Many tattoo designs include Tribal, butterfly, Chinese characters, flowers, dragons, planets, stars, lower back and armband tattoos. The wide variety of custom tattoos available today has increased the popularity and truly created a whole new type of art work. The influx of tattoo designs has influenced a new industry of artist, many have technical and fine art training.

The original root word tattoo is commonly believed to come from the Tongan or the Tahitian word tatau, meaning to mark or strike twice. Strike twice refers to the traditional method of applying the design. Some tribal cultures created tattoos by cutting a design into the skin and rubbing the would with ink, ashes or other means. There is some fascinating history behind the evolution of tattoos design and art, early nautical tattoos and modern tribal styles and in between.

Tattoo designs have brought on some negative association for women tagged as "tramp stamp" and other derogatory remarks and slang phrases, sometimes referring to describe tattoo designs on a womans lower back. The popularity of women in the tattoo industry itself and the larger number of women wearing tattoos has somewhat changed this perception. Also tattoos have become a mainstream culture over the past couple of decades has made huge strides to dispel this stereotype and negative comments.

Their are a wide variety of online galleries, both free and paid sites that offer a wide selection of tattoos to choose from. Whether you want a trendy henna tattoo or temporary decals the various assortments will give you a good idea exactly what you want before you go to a tattoo parlor. Most of the online shops or sites you are able to download the image. All that is left to do know is deciding the placement of the design and how big.

Deciding to get your first tattoo can be a major decision, you should research this and make sure that this is the right fit for you. Also tattoos can be very expensive according to the detail and special design. After all, this is something that is going to be part of you for the rest of your life, unless you get it remove later on which is also very expensive. With the thousands of designs, Tribal, characters, animals, and other images I am sure you will be able to pick something that you will like.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of custom tattoo design. Share your new understanding about custom tattoo design with others. They'll thank you for it.

I have a blog that I have started and will be posting many articles. This is the first article that I will be putting on my blog site. If you would like to visit to see other articles please stop by and check them out. On this site also I am promoting a product that has a very large selection of Tattoo design. They have 43 different categories to chose from and also have a geographical listing of Tattoo parlors to have that new tattoo you are wanting inked on. Go to the site and check it out!

http://www.customdesigntattoo.com

The Ethics of Copywriting - Writing with Respect

By Laurence James

A marketing director from a large creative agency once told me, ‘Always concentrate on producing great work, and never let the client interfere with the creative process. Clients come to you for guidance on each project, so you should be prescriptive about the work you give them. The day you start to care about their input - is the day you should get out of the business'. Astonishing isn't it, and I completely disagree.

The agency in question, (which will forever remain nameless), had won sack loads of awards for its creativity. No doubt everyone who worked there was very smug and felt extremely pleased with themselves – but what did their clients really think about the service they received? Were they happy with it? Was the effectiveness of client campaigns ever measured or followed up on? I wonder.

In my view, all work you complete as a freelance copywriter or creative professional should start from the perspective of respecting your clients. You should listen to the individual needs of each client and understand how their company works. Equally, you should attempt to get to know your key contacts as real people – not merely ‘consumers' of your creative genius.

If you start each project from this platform of respect, the client will love your work and the respect will be mutual. They will appreciate your personal service and your willingness to understand their company ethos, and you may even come to be viewed as part of their team - which is great for repeat business.

Further to this, when you write copy that respects your clients, and their customers too, this is reflected in the believable tone of your writing. Your target audience is never stupid, and they will always read between the lines of what you're directly saying. So, if you're insincere or take them for granted – this will be reflected in poor sales. If you're respectful and honest, your readers will instantly find you credible and authoritative – and will be more inclined to trust and buy from you.

It's also important to follow up on each project to build on this relationship of mutual respect with the client. Monitor the results of a direct mail campaign or check the response rates from a sales letter you've written. Go back and ask the client how your copy or creative is working out for them – offer to tweak a headline here or a paragraph there to make them happy. You'll be rewarded with great testimonials and more business in future.

Ultimately, respecting both clients and readers will stand you in good stead for your future career as a copywriter or creative professional. It may sound obvious, but it's relatively easy to develop a bit of an ego and start taking things for granted - especially when the money starts rolling in. In the long run, you may not win a sack load of awards for your work, but you will win a sack load of respect and fantastic feedback. You'll also have the satisfaction of knowing you did a good job and genuinely helped your client's business. That always feels great – because at the end of the day, it's not all about the money and industry acclaim. In the end, a truly great copywriter or creative professional is always recognisable by their long list of satisfied clients.

An English graduate from the University of Birmingham and professionally trained journalist at postgraduate level, Laurence James has been copywriting for over ten years. A Member of The Institute of Direct Marketing, he is also founder of The Copy Box