Jewelry for Year Around Style



By Alice Lane

Year in and year out styles and fashion come and go. In fact, every season there is something new to be obsessed with. Though this is certainly exciting for those of us who love new and original ideas, it is also lots of fun. However, most people don’t or can’t change every single thing in their closets and accessory box every time the wind changes. Imagine the craziness of doing that every season? It is great to update your wardrobe every so often and who doesn’t use retail therapy to cope with stress of daily life. However, when you are choosing the pieces of your collection that require a little more investment, you want them to be classics. Everyone has certain basics and foundational articles that define their character and style. In terms of jewelry, every woman has those special treasures that she wears when she really wants to convey her uniqueness and give her outward appearance that extra special touch.

With clothing, there are certain fundamentals that keep coming back and that rarely change. Part of their selection has to do with your comfort with your own style. I knew a woman whose classic outfit consisted of jeans and a white button down shirt. Initially that sounds boring but she would play with jean styles and cuts as well as shirt designs. Then her jewelry and accessories dressed things up or dressed things down depending on her mood or the occasion.

Every person needs to decide what her staples are and then feel free to add the more interesting trends that appear each season. Items like knee high boots for example were huge in various parts of the 60s and 70s and continue to evolve in their frequent resurgences. This is an item that is worth investing in, as it never goes away.

In terms of jewelry, it can be a little harder or a little easier to choose classics depending on one thing...you. If you are one to get sick of something and lose it at the bottom of your jewelry box, you may be always chasing new trends every season. If you are a person who enjoys being really selective in your jewelry pieces then you want to always go with designers that have an ability to create truly lasting pieces. Judith Ripka inspired jewelry is one that comes to mind.

Once you take a look at her artistry you’ll see why she has lasted so long in this cutthroat business. Though her collections continue to evolve as with the Judith Ripka Berge earrings and the Judith Ripka Loopty Loo her pieces never go "out of style" and her collections shine with adaptability to ever changing fashion trends. In this scenario, a woman with a firm grasp on her own taste and personal fashion makes her life easier when she finds an artist or jewelry designer that offers pieces that serve as classics. From Judith Ripka Bangles to rings and earrings, with a designer like her, you can find true fundamental pieces to accentuate and augment your own personal style while remaining "in".

It is true that is can be fun yet maddening to try to keep up with the latest and greatest styles. However, with a little self-awareness and familiarity with who is out there, you can find styles and designers to help you create your fashion foundation. This will allow you to keep a style all your own while extracting new and fabulous compliments as the seasons change.

Looking for Judith Ripka inspired jewelry? If you're anywhere in the midwest then stop by Judith Ripka Chicago for the finest selection of exquisite jewelry. Whether you're looking for Judith Ripka Berge earrings or Judith Ripka Bangles or anything in between, we look forward to helping you find your perfect piece.

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Strength of The Canadian Dollar



By Stuart Mcconnachie

The Canadian Dollar has appreciated dramatically over the past 6 months compared to the greenback. Economists at TD Bank suggested in a report dated July 12, 2007 that the strength of the Canadian dollar will help to limit Bank of Canada rate hikes through the coming quarters.
However, their report also predicted another quarter point raise to come in September as a direct result of stronger economic growth and elevated inflation. TD added that “the strength in the Canadian dollar should not only help reign in inflation by restraining economic growth and import prices, but [they] feel it will also limit the degree to which the Bank needs to hike rates.”

WHAT’S BEHIND THE SORING CANADIAN DOLLAR?

Graph of Canadian $ vs. U.S. $

Struggles of the U.S. Economy: budget and trade deficits have never been higher

Canada’s economic performance: Unemployment at a 32 year low, Strong GDP Growth,
Interest Rate Hikes

Rising Commodity Prices (Commodities account for 35% of Canadian exports)—especially oil (Canada is a net exporter or Oil)

Other notable exports: Nickel, copper, aluminum, and zinc.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR INVESTING IN CANADA?
Canadian exporters are the major losers when the dollar appreciates because their products become more expensive relative to their competitors in other countries. However, many economists suggest that this may actually benefit exporters in the long run as they must become more efficient to remain competitive internationally. The other benefit of the high dollar for exporters is that any outstanding foreign debts will now be reduced.

Canadian importers are the major winners. They can now import products at reduced rates due to the stronger dollar.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
Some analysts are calling for the Canadian dollar to reach parity with the U.S. dollar by the end of 2007 and possible surpass the US dollar thereafter.

For More articles about the stock markets and strategy please visit http://www.investcanada.blogspot.com

A graduate of the Sauder School of Business specializing in Real Estate Finance. My interest in the stock market has grown steadily since the year 2000 and I am know sharing my knowledge and opinions with everyone. Visit my blog: http://www.investcanada.blogspot.com for more articles.

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Generating Organic Website Traffic



By Patrick Schwerdtfeger

It’s the biggest mystery on the internet. Everyone wants to open an online business. Everyone has a great idea. Everyone has a sure-fire strategy for success. And in many cases, they go out and build impressive websites around their idea. They include features that make the site sticky, drawing visitors in and inviting them to browse around. The graphics are slick and the layout beautiful. Java and Ajax make the browsing experience smooth and seamless. But in the end, no one shows up.

The vast majority of websites never get much of any traffic. Of course, this should come as no surprise. There are millions of different websites, even within a single topic, and there’s no way for the average internet browser to find one specific website without some help. And that’s what this article is about. What can you do as an online entrepreneur to identify yourself to the masses and help them find their way to your website? More importantly, what can you do to achieve that objective with little or no money?

That last sentence is the most important one so far. We all know the pay-per-click options exist and our hard earned money can quickly and easily drive traffic to your website. We all know it can be done at the click of a mouse. But how much will it cost? For those of us who have tried this type of advertising, it’s truly amazing how quickly you can run a tab paying for one click here and one click there. Well, as it turns out, there are some other options available that can drive just as much traffic and won’t cost you a penny.

The first strategy is encompassed by this article you’re reading. I wrote this article and posted it to the internet for free. Nobody’s paying me a penny. I took the time to write is all down because I know how to post it to thousands of different article directories quickly. And at the bottom of this article is a short bio with some brief information about me along with my website address. That means everyone who reads this article has the option of clicking through to my website directly. It’s called article marketing and it’s one of the best strategies for driving website traffic.

The second strategy involves posting comments on popular industry forums. Once you register with a forum, you can post comments within any topic you can find a string for. Your profile usually allows you to create a signature and that signature can include your website address.
Once again, you’ve leaving behind a direct link to your website every time you post a comment. And as such, I would post as many comments on industry forums as you possibly can – perhaps as many as 15 or 20 comments each day.

The third strategy is to post comments on popular blogs in your area of expertise of beginning a blog of your own. If you post comments on a blog for 10 consecutive days, I can almost guarantee you that someone is reading your posts. It just happens. People find stuff and you can quickly gain an audience by creating a blog. And of course, you can revert to posting comments on someone else’s blog. You can always leave behind a direct link to your site when you do so.

The forth strategy is to make your website easy to bookmark with any one of the many social bookmarking sites that have emerged during the past year or so. It’s the new craze and sites like StumbleUpon or Boing Boing or Digg can quickly drive traffic to your site if the content you’re providing is appreciated by others. Adding the appropriate buttons and links only encourages that process.

Driving internet traffic doesn’t have to be a mystery. It doesn’t need to be a secret. And there are lots of things you can do to get plenty of organic traffic landing on your website. In most cases, it doesn’t cost any money. It just takes time. And if you can allocate the time, you’ll be amazed at how quickly it will also start happening. Good luck!

Tactical Execution with Patrick Schwerdtfeger is a strategic company focused on growth marketing and program implementation across business markets.

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OK, So Where Do I Start in Internet Marketing?



By Cheree Miller

Starting a new internet Network Marketing business can be exhilarating, confusing and, well let's face it, overwhelming at times.

It is estimated that the internet grows by 7.3 million pages per day. Between 2000 and 2007, internet use has grown by 225%. An October 1999 Business Week article reported an estimated 3 billion-plus email messages sent per day. Current daily internet users are estimated to be 6,574,666,417 -- with 334,538,018 of those in North America. The overall average of internet use per population in the entire world is only approximately 18%, although the North America average is 69%. Some sources say there are 100 new internet users every minute -- that's 1,440 a day. Others report a first-time internet purchaser every 6 seconds. Reported ecommerce revenues in 2005 were $2,400,000,000,000, which represented a 17% increase over 2004.

So, what does this all mean? There is money to be made on the internet, and it doesn't show signs of drying up at any time in the foreseeable future. The question is: how are you going to get your share of the pie?

By this time, you should know why you want to be in network marketing. You should have your dream in Technicolor and surround sound. If not, see my previous article "The Key to Success in Network Marketing."

Chances are you have already signed up with a network marketing business opportunity. If so, they have likely given you some brochures and tasks, invited you to meetings, and your sponsor and her immediate sponsor have given you the company recommended method of recruiting distributors and selling products. If you are reading this article, it is also likely that you have already decided the company recommended method doesn't sound very fun, exciting, or profitable. At this point in time, you may be seriously considering dumping the whole idea and sticking with your safe, secure job that will continue to earn you a paycheck and benefits. But, before you do anything hasty, let me assure you, no matter what opportunity you have signed up with, you can promote it successfully on the internet. Admittedly, some opportunities will be easier to promote than others.

If you haven't signed up for a particular opportunity yet, take your time. There are a lot of them out there. Again, some are better than others. But, they all sound good. Make sure you do your homework and research these companies before signing up and forking over your hard-earned cash. Be especially careful of the free trial offers that ask you for a payment method. Odds are, even if you decide against staying with this company, you will forget to cancel before the free trial period is over and be stuck paying for a month or more of a service you never use. It's just human nature, and that's what they are banking on -- literally.

Next, you need to decide if you are going to jump immediately into promoting your business opportunity, or if you are going to try to generate some alternate income streams first -- or even simultaneously. This step is more important that you might think. If you get started investing time, money and energy in one direction, your website name you carefully investigated, purchased and developed will go on the back burner because it doesn't fit the idea you decide to launch first. Trust me; this is the voice of experience talking! Not that you can't go back to that idea at some point in the future, but you want to get started and keep going without losing momentum and having to start all over again.

If you are not sure what to market first, do some research to try to determine a niche you can easily move into to make some operating capital to fund your business opportunity, or develop other streams of income. What do you know that you could develop a marketable product around? What other similar products are out there? Is there a large demand for this type of product?

Once you have decided what you are going to market (your biz op, a DVD you created, a series of lessons, an e-book, your product line, etc.), you need to do some key word research to find the names that people will likely type into the major search engine when looking for whatever it is you are going to market. Then purchase a domain name with some good key words in it.

Obviously, I'm not going into great detail fleshing out these steps. There is more information available than I can cram into a brief article, but hopefully I'm providing you with enough information so that you can take the ball and run with it.

Now you have a dream, you have a product (or products) and you have a domain name. These are essential first steps. But, you are still a long way from being a successful network marketer. You still have to create your website. But, that's another subject for another day.
Until next time...

______________

Cheree Miller is leader in internet based MLM Network Marketing. She uses her wealth of experience in the business world to develop training and marketing programs that can be used in virtually any business. She recently left the fast-paced California lifestyle behind, and now lives on 15 beautiful acres in the Arkansas countryside.

For information on how to explode your downline, visit Cheree's website.For information on how to increase traffic to your own personal blog, click here. You can find more articles by Cheree at Magic Lead Generation.

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Put Your Trust In Systems, Not In Genius



By Wally Bock

If you want to create a great company, create one where your systems unleash the power of your people. That's what the Roman Army did.

In 4 BC, the Gauls sacked Rome, a horde of individual warriors defeating other individual warriors. But by the end of the Second Punic War, mostly due to Scipio Africanus, the Roman Army was unlike any other in the world.

Other armies depended on the skill, bravery, and prowess of individual warriors and their leaders. The Romans created an army where systems, training, and supervision combined to create a world-conquering force.

There are two common meanings for the word, "system." Both are relevant for the Roman Army and for us.

A system is a number of inter-connected parts that work together. If you do something to one part of the system, other parts are affected.

A system is also "the way we do things." Routine things are done the same way every time. Processes have the same steps every time.

In the Roman Army every routine thing was reduced to understandable and manageable actions. Large, complex activities like preparing camp for the night were reduced to individual actions that created a camp with the same layout and defenses every time.

Tents were standardized. Eight men shared a tent. They also shared a mule and eating equipment which they were responsible for transporting.

Training was the way that soldiers learned how to do all those routine things. Other armies had "practiced" what to do. The Romans taught soldiers what they needed to do to live, fight, and win. And supervisors oversaw learning and execution.

In other armies, the warriors answered to someone from their tribe, clan or family. In the Roman Army, the various levels of private soldier and legionnaires answered to senior men, including a centurion, who had earned their positions.

The Romans understood something that we keep forgetting. We love "heroic" leaders. We worship "talent" as if it were an undifferentiated quality, applicable to any situation.

And so we ignore the fact that great success comes from creating a system that allows people of average competence to combine to produce results that otherwise could only be achieved by people of great talent or genius. We ignore that fact that even the most talented individual will be hard-pressed to produce great results in a flawed system.

The idea of creating a system that would help ordinary people be more productive was the driving concept behind Frederick Winslow Taylor's "Scientific Management" and its search for the "one best way." It is idea that sent battalions of efficiency experts armed with stopwatches and clipboards into factories around the world.

It was the modern approach of the nineteenth century. Engineers were imagined as gods and the sensible workers as compliant parts of a well-designed machine. For decades, scientific management, time studies, and the like created huge improvements in organizations.

Then experiments at Western Electric's Hawthorne Works showed that human factors, unrelated to any "one best way" affected productivity and that individual line workers could do some pretty creative and effective things. In the early fifties, W. Edwards Deming demonstrated that a system could make a huge difference. His 14 Points are about technique and management and training that come together in an organized way to produce results.

Deming's work is the bridge between the efficiency experts of the early twentieth century and an idea of effective systems that will work in today's interlinked, knowledge-worker world. After a visit to see the Japanese companies who had adopted Deming's methods, Woody Morcott, CEO of the Dana Corporation returned home and asked a friend: "Why did we hire 55,000 brains and only use three of them?"

As Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, says, you have to get every brain in the game today. But that's not enough. You also have to create a system where those brains can be productive.

The current great example of such as system is a company that adopted Deming's approach and improved it: Toyota. And the best example of how that system can be applied outside Japan is New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., or NUMMI.

For years, General Motors operated an auto plant in Fremont, California. Absenteeism ran around 20 percent. The plant had the highest defect rate in the country. Producing a car there cost more than anywhere else.

In 1985, Toyota took over the plant under a Toyota-GM joint venture named New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI). Eighty-five percent of the workers in the new plant had been workers at the plant when GM ran it. But the results were different.

Absenteeism dropped to 3 percent. The defect rate plummeted. The NUMMI plant turned out some of the highest quality cars in America at one of the lowest costs. The people, the talent, were the same as when GM ran the plan alone.

The difference was Toyota's system. It's so commonly used as a model today, that the Toyota name is often dropped and replaced by the term "Lean Manufacturing."

The organizational core of Toyota's system is the basic processes and methods of production. There is constant training, including training in quality methods and problem solving. And there is supervision, though Toyota expects a supervisor to be primarily a facilitator and trainer and not a directive boss.

Toyota's system won't be the last word. It works well for a manufacturing process, but there are bound to be modifications for service or knowledge-worker activities where the goal is customized response rather than uniformity of output.

The Market Based Management system at Koch Industries or the organic approaches to organization that you find at Semco will probably produce new variations on the basic concept of business systems. And there are certainly other experiments and developments going on right now that we haven't heard of.

Whatever the future holds, we can be sure of two things. We can be sure that companies that grow systems for success will outperform companies that rely on a few stars. And, we can be sure that the systems of the future will make today's systems look crude and old-fashioned.

Wally Bock helps organizations improve productivity and morale by selecting and developing great leaders at all levels. He coaches individual managers, and is a popular speaker at meetings and conferences in the US and elsewhere. This article first appeared in the Three Star Leadership Blog ( http://blog.threestarleadership.com/ ). Check out Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit ( http://www.threestarleadership.com/supervisorsupportkit/ ).

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Youngevity Business Review



By Vern How Chan

In the year of 1996, the first of the baby boomer's had their 50th birthday celebrations. You certainly can tell that this marks a massive demand for the aging population that yearns to preserve their health and vitality. While Youngevity is a good candidate, I will walk you through in an unbiased review format.

The timing of the Youngevity products are quite precise to take advantage of this trend. However, your knowledge must not only include about it's products but also how does the business really work. You need to know this because your financial future is at stake.

1) A Glimpse Of The Past
It is interesting to unveil Youngevity from it's very beginnings. In every company, there is always a small history that you can discover. A man by the name of Dr. Joe Wallach, DVM, ND studied nutrition for over 40 years.

Through this Wallach developed a passion towards helping others look younger and hopefully live longer. Hence, Youngevity was born and his accompanying best selling book is known as "Dead Doctor's Don't Lie". His book teaches how current farming methods rob nutrients from the soil,

2) The Products And Compensation Plan
In essence, Youngevity supplies products which are focused on mineral benefits for the human body. These same minerals are harvested from the mountains of Utah. You will be given a chance to market these products with the aim to help others in terms of health benefits.

Your compensation plan is based on a network marketing system. That is why your greatest leverage is having people who sign up under you become top producers and recruiters in their own right. For your information, the enrollment kit is about $50.

3) Truth About Youngevity
Of course, with this system it only makes sense that you become a strong product believer. This will make your journey to the top of the ladder as a "Triple Diamond Leader" (top level distributor in Youngevity) easier.

As was mentioned network marketing is based on two essential factors: you and your team. The stronger the people you recruit the faster your income will grow. Its just how it works with a network marketing system.

In closing, our population are becoming increasingly aware of alternative health products such as offered by Youngevity. This is great for you as a consumer. However, online marketing is your best strategy for success.

About The Author:
This article can be freely published on a website as long as it is not modified in any way including the author bylines, plus the hyperlink must be made active just like below.

Vern How has been earning online back in June 2006. He is a professional affiliate marketer who believes in giving back by helping others. To find out how Vern can help you work from home go to... Simple Riches

For more information on a fool-proof strategy to profiting massively on the Internet, just check out your Youngevity Business Marketing Alternative

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Can Money Buy Happiness?



By Chen Chee Kui

If you ask me this question, I will say, yes, money can buy happiness.

But to be fair with everyone, let us define what is happiness. If your definition for happiness is to buy fast cars or a huge mansion when you have the money, then I think you will never be be happy even if you're a Gazillionaire. Bugatti might be the fastest and expensive car today, but who know if Lamborghini will come up with a new series that's going to beat the price and speed tomorrow?

For me, I am more than happy if I can make an amount of money to enable me spend more time with my family members and do the thing such as recording my own album, skateboarding, just anything that I am passionate about.

While it's true there are people who enjoy their work and passionate about it, there are also another group of people who would be very happy to replace their current salary with an alternative ways. I belong to the latter group. Don't misunderstand, my bosses are good fellas. I guess it's me. I just want to be financially free and not tied up to something routine and earn my money by showing up for work everyday. I said show up for work because, that's what it exactly is.

I have tried a lot of ways to achieve my goal. But most of the ideas and opportunities died a premature death. But, still, I never quit. I move on and continue searching.

I have been in MLM, but due to my job nature, I have to stop doing it, or else, I guess I would already be making a few thousand dollars by now. I know it can be achieved because my mentor was someone who earn at least RM40k every month for the past 5 years, that's about USD11.2k. That's less than what John Chow is earning, but, mind you, that's passive income!

I have lost a few thousands when I was scammed in HYIPs and Ponzis, but I was naive and crazy back then. For me, that was a learning phase, and I learn something from it. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. And it's better to stay away from it. I discover better ways to make money online - thru blogging and affiliate marketing.

The basic principle of making money online is the same like any other real business that is done offline. Learn about the ethical marketing strategies and apply it in your business model. It doesn't matter if you're promoting other people's product as an affiliate or if you're selling your own products, just make sure that you're willing to take calculated risk and be ready to get paid based on your performance. Work smart to achieve it. There's no such thing as free lunch.

So, back to our topic, YES, money can buy happiness. If you've failed miserably in your previous attempt to make money online, just move on and continue searching. Once you've found the method that is suitable with your personal values and able to make the amount of money you desire, congrats! Keep doing it, and don't feel bad about making lots of it.

Chee Kui is a Problogger and he aims to be a millionaire before he is 30 years old. Read his blog to find out how he will achieve his goal and make money online.

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The Surefire Way To Make Instant Cash In Niche Markets



By Pluxedo Hondeuos

The experts teach you about various ways to make money online using the power of niche marketing. In this article I will tell you about one cool way to make money in niche markets that I bet no one has told you about.

As more and more people hit the internet in the hope of making it big online, the demand for web hosting is getting bigger and bigger. And web hosting packages are also getting cheaper and cheaper. However, there is one big problem that is faced by most webmasters.

Most web hosting companies don't offer the quality service that customers are promised. Yes, while the price for the hosting packages are quite cheap, most web hosting companies don't even offer the basic amenities that come with a standard hosting package. Customer support is yet another problem. Most web hosting companies don't offer quality customer support so their customer retention rate is low. Here is your chance to cash in!

So try out this option and see if it works. If you are very happy and satisfied with the services offered by your current host, why not see if they offer an affiliate program that you can participate in and earn some quick cash by telling others how good your host is? This is also one of the best ways to get your hosting package for free - instead of you paying them, make them pay you cash every month. You don't even have to go overboard in promoting your host. The process can be as easy as putting a small "powered by" or "hosted by" link at the bottom of your page and you are already in an affiliate business. You can also promote the web hosting company in niche markets and make some easy cash that way.

There are a lot of niche markets out there just waiting for the right affiliate to penetrate through them and make that 'dollars dream' come true. Knowing which one to get into is like being confident enough of your potentials and the good results you will be getting.

While the web hosting market is in itself a bit competitive, no one has been able to market web hosting services the proper way. If you can do that, you will be well ahead of your competition. In my opinion, this is the perfect way to make truckloads of money in niche markets.

Want more such tips? Subscribe to JFA Newszine and get HOT tips like this every week! Visit my blog at:http://news.jobs4all.biz/Subscribe to my newsletter at:http://newszine.jobs4all.biz/

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Targeted Social Media - Be Famous - Advance Social Media Tips



By Sean R Mize

Ever wondered why there are several people who have tons of friends in their MySpace, Friendster, Myspace and other social media sites? That is why they know how to maximize and utilize what they have. They get famous and even being dubbed to stardom by simply being friendly. And the good thing is, you can do it too! Here's how.

1. Link and link. Add as many friends as you want. Go out of the box and invite those you would like to. This is one of the best ways that you can actually earn and obtain more traffic on your own social network site by opening your site to public and make them aware that you are welcoming people to become your friends.

2. Flashy page. Put several multimedia files - chatbox, picture slides, videos and glitter words that would surely draw people into your page. These draw added attraction and attention to potential clients and targeted market.

3. Be bookmarked easily. Create a link that would enable others to bookmark your page. You can do this by being publicly bookmarked by all people who are associated with you.

4. Be interesting. Submit articles in your page, with any diverse topic you want to, using any multimedia content and you're bound to rise. Your content actually makes a big difference. It spell power to drive people to come and generate traffic on your site.

5. Use RSS feeds. Subscribe to your favorite RSS data feeds and put them on your page. If people found out that you have them, and have the same interest as yours, you will be known as a good source provider.

6. Create multiple accounts into different social media service. Do not be content with one. If you can handle it, then do it. Be a bit of everything.

7. The most famous people are those who have tried doing one thing at a time and having fun while doing it. So give it a try, have fun, and ready to climb high!

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, "Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide"

Download it free here: Secrets of Article Promotion

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1574 articles in print and 11 published eBooks.

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How to Keep Your Children Entertained While Traveling



By Susan Collmorgen

"I'm bored", "How much further?", "Are we there yet?" If you've ever taken children on a road trip, then chances are you've heard these comments multiple times. In order to maintain your sanity and ensure the most enjoyment from everyone on your next family vacation, it's important to not only engage your children in fun and entertaining activities once you reach your destination, but to also keep their minds occupied on the way there. This can best be accomplished by providing them with a variety of games, activities, and other entertainment options to help ward off boredom.

You can find a variety of travel-sized games at your local Wal-Mart or Dollar Store. If you prefer to shop online, you'll find a wide assortment of travel games from video games and Game Boys to electronic and travel-sized versions of chess, checkers, bingo, even "Clue" and "Wheel of Fortune." Many of these games can be purchased for around $15 a piece. Just remember, if the game you buy has sound, be sure there is a way to either turn the volume down or mute it completely. Crossword puzzles, word searches, and good old fashioned hang-man or tic-tac-toe are a few other examples of fun games to keep your child busy.

Another fun road trip activity is the license plate game. There are many variations on the game, but the basic idea is that the child keeps a list of the different states he/she spots a license plate for. To put a more educational twist on the game (and depending on the age of your child), you can provide him/her with a U.S. map or atlas so they can identify that state on the map. This method can help your child learn U.S. geography in a fun and interesting way. If your child has already taken or is currently taking a geography class in school, you could even go one step further and quiz him/her on the state capital of the state license plates he/she finds.

Many children enjoy following your travel route on a road atlas, particularly if it's a new state that they've never been through. You can direct your children to read road signs and exit signs for upcoming cities, state parks, etc, and teach them how to spot exactly where you are on a detailed road atlas or map. Not only is the ability to read a road map an essential life skill, but doing so may also help eliminate their temptation to constantly ask you "how much further before we get there?"

If your vehicle has a dvd player or if you own a portable dvd player, consider taking a few of your children's favorite movies along. Just don't forget the headphones! Another great idea are books on tape or cd or music cds for your child to listen to.

If your child is prone to motion sickness (and many are), then it's best to discourage them from doing any activities that would have them looking down for more than a few seconds, as this will just make their car sickness worse. Instead, keep their eyes on the road ahead and remind them not to look down near the car when looking out the window--instead they should focus on things in the distance. The license plate game still works for those prone to motion sickness, and so do books on tape or music cds. You can also engage your child in conversation and use the time together as an opportunity to get to know each other's thoughts and feelings on just about anything.

Susan Collmorgen is a resident of the Branson, Missouri area and operates an online information guide to Branson, MO. For more information visit: SelectBranson.com

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Foreign Students and Exchange Programs



By Nick Sanders

Students studying in their home country still have a chance of becoming a foreign student and studying in a foreign country. Through bilateral exchange programs between universities from different countries, several students are sent to study a few units in other universities.

Currently, more universities from all around the world are participating at such programs. The initial aim of such endeavours is exposing bright students to the culture and best practice of the other university. As the student goes back to his home university after an agreed period of the exchange period, he is expected to adopt and relay the best qualities and culture he observed in the other university form another country.

Usually student exchange programs do not require the student to complete their study in the other university. The two universities, the one where the student is currently enrolled and the other from another country, must have a binding bilateral agreement for the exchange program.

Several students from the agreeing universities will exchange with other students for a limited period of time. Usually, exchange students go to another university for a year or less.

To be able to qualify for such an education program, you must agree to the terms and conditions of the agreement. You should have completed at least a year of full-time studying at your current university. Your current university must also approve the units or programs you want to take up in the exchange university. Others will require you to be fluent in, or at least be knowledgeable about the language used at the other university. On top of all of this, you should exemplify your skills and intelligence by having an impressive academic record. As you fly to the other country to attend courses at the other university, you should always bear in mind that you are representing your university and your country. Be disciplined, but also friendly in nature.

Nick Sanders is the owner and founder of Supaproofread.com, an online proofreading and editing company, specialising in student, business and ESL proofreading and editing services.

For more Articles, Resources, News and Advice for International Students and International Study visit http://www.supaproofread.com Just want to read some plain and simple advice on succeeding as a foreign student? Then venture over to the Supaproofread blog - http://www.supaproofread.com/blog/ it’s an interesting read for writers, bloggers, students and business professionals interested in writing. Copyright © Supaproofread.com.

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Admiral Diana - The Most Unique Sci Fi Story Ever



By Ruggero Ricordi

Arguably one of the most unique novels ever written, sci-fi or otherwise, "Admiral Diana" by Anthony Anchor gives us humans a chance to examine our relationship with God by presenting a third party's (neither God's nor our own) view of the matter.

The story's plot revolves around a three-way conflict between the Originals (that would be us), Clones, and the Creator (who is not shown, nor heard, but whose presence is definitely felt throughout).

The story goes like this (I don't think I'll spoil much for other readers by revealing a few points, the book is really full of interesting turns and twists, and fascinating characters) -
Sometime in the future, human cloning reached a certain advanced stage, after which a global ban on it was enforced everywhere except Australia. When the ban was finally ratified in Australia as well, a colony of human Clones was already in place there. They were intelligent, logical, calculating, and looked like Greek gods, all of them.

Some time passed. It was established that Clones and Originals were psychologically incompatible. There was no room for both on one planet. The Clones took the initiative. With the help of the Originals, they built spaceships capable of quantum leaps (banned on Earth), using Unified Field technology (also banned). They discovered a planet suitable for colonization and took off - all of them.

They colonized the planet. They built cities. They altered the atmosphere and the climate to make living comfortable.

Their own genetic research went on. Eventually, they discovered the code responsible for the psychological differences between men and women. The next generation Clones achieved true gender equality. Then catastrophe struck.

The new generation Clone men turned out to be incomplete. They could only conceive one child, very early in life, after which their semen would mutate. By the time they were forty, they were old and impotent, and died shortly after.

The Clone civilization was on the brink of extinction.
Attempts were made to reverse the process, and to restore the initial code - to no avail. Clone women were healthy and lived long. Clone men weren't and didn't.

The Planetary Council came up with the idea that the one thing they lacked in their scientific research was human genius. In theory, geniuses only existed among the Originals. The plan was to get a few brilliant Original scientists to help the Clones with the problem.

The problem with THAT was that the two civilizations had not been in touch for three hundred years.

And that's where the story begins.
An enormous space liner (carrying two full-sized spaceships in its hangars, and a crew of nearly two hundred) travels over to planet Earth - to seek help. The one in charge is Admiral Diana - a stunning-looking woman of thirty-seven (but then, all Clone women are stunning-looking, and all young Clone men, too). On board, they have scientists, psychologists, historians, military people, physicists, astronomers, etc. They are determined to get help at any cost. They have weapons capable of annihilating entire planets (Unified Field technology).

Just outside Pluto's orbit, they meet with an Earth sentinel ship, captained by Elizabeth Kern, a feisty, intelligent woman married to a younger man named Fred. Negotiations begin. With the approval of the Earth Council (with which the sentinel ship is in radio contact, even though the signal takes up to twelve ours to get to Earth and back), the two space vessels exchange ambassadors - and Fred is appointed to be the Earth's ambassador.

The Clones are surprised to learn about the changes that have taken place on Earth in their absence. One of the changes is, the entire population of the planet is now thoroughly religious. There is a VERY good reason for it, though (explained in the book).

At one point, the destiny of the Clone's planet becomes dependent on the affair Admiral Diana is having with Fred. However, the moral dimension is foever present, on both sides. The Originals might WANT to help the Clones (the Clones think of them as illogical, silly, irresponsible, undecisive, etc, and are annoyed) - and yet they have doubts or the moral/religious order. At one point one of the Clones shouts, "I've had it with those hypocrites! They might BELIEVE in the existence of their Creator; but we KNOW who created US!"

And it shows. When Diana finds she is inclined to actually WORSHIP her creators, especially one of them, in a way that has NOTHING to do with ordinary human love, she becomes frightened - and very, very determined. She has to save her planet and her kind.

Rugero T. Ricordi is the founder of Mighty Niche, an independent publishing house and online bookstore.

Anthony Achor's Admiral Diana can be purchased from Mighty Niche Bookstore in both electronic and traditional formats. The page for this product includes a very generous exerpt.

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Small Business - How to Reach Your Customers Via Mobile Phone



By Andrew Grant

One of the greatest benefits that comes from technology is that the cost of communicating with your customers and prospects keeps getting lower and the number of opportunities to interact with them keeps increasing.

E-mail and websites are an incredibly cheap resource and once you have captured a customer's contact details, you can send them information at any time you like. If it is good information they will actually thank you for it. One area of technology that is growing even faster is mobile phones.

Did you know that at the end of 2006, there were over 2.7 billion mobile phone users in the world? Do you reckon there might be a few prospects for you among them? If you have the type of business that relies on getting timely messages to customers then this has to be an area for you to explore. Here are a few suggestions:
  • Appointment reminders for medical checkups, hairdressing, eye tests
  • News bulletins in your sector, price fluctuations, opportunity alerts
  • Stock availability, special offers, time limited promotions
  • Despatch and delivery alerts
Admittedly the cost of delivering SMS text messages is greater than e-mails; typically a few cents per message, but used selectively, SMS is an excellent way to tie your customers even closer to you than ever. Don't worry, you won't have to pay someone to sit and send text messages all day; simply load your list of customers and phone numbers into a spreadsheet, email it to a suitable text processing provider and they'll do the rest.

The great thing about phone messaging is you can contact your audience wherever they are. Most people can only receive your e-mails when they are in front of a computer, but nearly everyone carries their cell-phone wherever they go. Your business can be right there, in their pocket.

For more ideas on how to master the essentials of Small Business Marketing, take a look at the inspirational, self-study course; Small Business Big Ideas at http://www.marketing-is-easy.com where you can also subscribe to my free Marketing Tips Newsletter.

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Investing in Stone



By Lee Cameron

If you are considering a renovation anywhere in your home, but especially in the bathroom or kitchen, consider stone. Stone tiles and granite counter tops are very much in style right now, and for good reason—they are long-lasting, need little maintenance and are gorgeous. Not only that, they are synonymous with quality, adding flair to your home and increasing its resale
value.

Let's take a look at tile flooring. One of the main benefits here is the huge selection. Of course, this can also be a challenge, but with a mind for your budget and needs, it shouldn't be hard to find the tile flooring that's right for you. Tile is usually available in stone, ceramic, terra cotta, glass or metal. Tile can be bold or subtle. It can be the same, consistent experience all through the room, or even house, or it can be patterned with contrasting colors or even incorporate printed tiles. No matter what your aesthetic style, there is a type of tile to suite your needs.

If your needs are casual elegance and high performance, consider terra cotta tiles. Their mottled appearance can disguise spills and dirt, and this comes in handy if you have kids, pets, or just don't have time to clean every day. The downside to them is they have a porous surface, so can gradually stain if they aren't treated with a quality sealant. For this reason, they may not be ideal for kitchens, unless they are well sealed. Glazed ceramic tile might be a good choice if you anticipate messes. Their glazed surface makes them easy to clean and they won't stain. Plus, they are affordable and easy to install.

Marble is popular for a formal look, as is limestone. There is so much diversity in color and texture, half the fun will be in deciding what look you want to achieve with this surface.

Metal can be expensive and delicate (stains, especially with acidic things) but it sure makes gorgeous kitchen back splashes. Again, a quality sealant will prevent staining if that shiny look of metal is what you are after. For a little something extra, add some embossed tiles for accents or borders.

If you are installing flooring, pay attention to color. White tile floors will show every footprint. A more earthy tone, however, will radiate warmth and look good, even after your guests have walked all over it.

Granite counter-tops are easy to clean, but if you want it to stay stain-free it's a good idea to purchase sealed granite, or seal it yourself with a high-quality and durable sealant. After that, it's up to you how you clean it. Many granite counter-top owners recommend specialized granite cleaning products, but just as many say simple soap and water works great. Almost unanimously, however, they recommend a microfiber cloth for wiping up after washing. These assure a streak-free shine. No need to buy fancy cloths marketed just for granite. Check out the car-detailing section of your local hardware store for inexpensive microfiber cloths.

Other than regular cleaning, your granite counter top will last a lifetime, and only needs to have its sealant re-applied every couple of years.

With granite counters and tile flooring, you are assured long-term value for your home. Stone and ceramic details add elegance to any home, and that's good news for sellers and buyers alike.
Lee Cameron is a professional REALTOR® serving the Orlando real estate market. Lee has consistently proven his talent and knowledge in the real estate business and is known to his flair the business and the care with which he treats his clients. For more info on homes & properties in Orlando contact Lee today.

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Landscape Like A Professional



By Steven Cancel

Landscaping your home or condominium can bring endless happiness to you, your family and your neighbors. It will also add value and respect to your home and neighborhood. With proper planning it is not as difficult to achieve quality results with even a small budget. Based on you budget this article will detail some interesting ideas that suit your needs and wants.

First you will want to design your landscaping area. Consider the following major items such as a deck, patio, pond, garden, pool, brick pavement, picnic table, and trees. You will first want to place these around the given area prior to placing smaller items.

Unless you are a professional, consider having one install your deck, pool or brick pavement for you. These tasks can often seem easily from generally looking at the construction but it takes someone with experience to complete the project right. Many services will offer several different designs or even allow you to customize your layout. Do research to make sure you are happy with your investment.

The best way to compliment an in ground pool, pond, or garden is a with a redwood bridge.
These bridges can be custom built to your specs and are completely fish safe. These bridges will definitely wow your guests and are made to last. They age beautifully with weathering or can be stained based on your setting. A waterfall is also a common addition that is not only very pleasant to view but also provides the soothing sound of water clashing within itself.

Professional landscapers have many so called "tricks of the trade". Below is a good list to follow when planning your home:

1. Place tall trees in the back of your yard and smaller trees in the front. This increases your yards depth to the human eye.

2. Grow smaller shrubs under windows to prevent blockage and minimal maintenance.

3. If planting near your foundation, make sure you leave enough room for plants to equally root on all sides.

4. Planting trees on the side slightly in behind the front of your house will make your house appear larger.

Although landscaping can be very rewarding, always remember that your work is never finished. It is very common for the weather to adjust yearly and the amount of sunlight your plants get can also change. Your initial plan is nothing more than a blueprint to build on year after year.

Be sure to purchase your bridge at Redwood Garden Bridges. Article written and distributed by Steve Cancel, IT Manager of Secure Link - Michigan Computer Repair.

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The Art and Science of Marketing Online



By Chris Robertson

With the hundreds of millions of websites populating the Internet, it's a challenge to carve out a niche and drive traffic to your site. You can certainly spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in pay-per-click advertising, but unless you the CEO of a huge company, you'll never get a return on your investment. In particular, homebased business owners rarely experience success with pay-per-click advertising, primarily because they don't have the money to purchase the number of hits they need to make their businesses profitable.

Luckily, there are many methods of marketing online that don't require a huge investment. In fact, experts generate leads and sales using a variety of tactics. Success lies either in learning how to use these methods yourself, or in networking with experienced marketers and having them implement a system for you.

Many people choose to pursue an opportunity that brings together a cadre of experts who understand both the art and science of marketing online. In this way, homebased website owners don't have to go through the nightmare of trial and error in order to find the best online marketing methods. Instead, they can concentrate on promoting their websites in other ways and, hopefully, create wealth in the process.

These multi-level marketing (or MLM) opportunities generally offer distributorships that are essentially replicating websites. The opportunity usually consists of a product and a suite of marketing efforts that are performed on your behalf. For example, six different companies may provide six different services. One company might design an advertising banner for you and place it on sites that are viewed by the people who are most likely to visit your website. Another company may write an email advertisement for you and distribute it to a hundred thousand people, half of whom will click on the hyperlink to your site. A third expert might implement a ezine advertising campaign on your behalf, while a fourth might endorse your website and send his endorsement to his own opt-in email list.

The theory behind this type of marketing online is that pooled resources produce greater results and more success. When every person in the networking system contributes to the pool, more leads are generated and each person receives more traffic to their website. In other words, the money is leveraged to everyone's best advantage.

Income generation - and in many cases, wealth - is also accomplished through an MLM-like compensation plan. For example, if you were to sign up for the program, the majority of the money you pay would go to your distributor, as would the money paid by your first referral.
After that, you would receive the money from your referrals, as well as the money generated from your downline's first referral. Given that the efforts spent marketing online generate leads, and some of those leads convert to sales, the system is set up to pay out quickly and efficiently. Best of all, you don't have to be a marketing expert to make it work, which exponentially increases the chances of your success.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about The Art of Marketing Online or Majon's Business and Entrepreneurs directory

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5 Hypnotic Personality Traits That Seduce Girls



By Scott Patterson

Seducing women is often HOW you say something not WHAT you say.
What I find interesting is women can be completely seduced by a guy without him saying a word. Just through the sheer presence of his aura, he can hypnotically attract her.
Now in this article, I’ll reveal five simple ways to can instantly seduce a woman without needing to say too much.

Let’s get started…

Trait #1- High Status Personality
Whatever you’re heard about women is probably false. While they profess a desire for “nice guys” who treat them like gold, most secretly want a guy who can demonstrate high status and a bit of cockiness.

While you don’t have to act like an arrogant jerk, you MUST demonstrate that you’re a guy who has high status and is popular in a social context.

So when you’re around women, you need to show that you’re a leader NOT a follower. This means being the center of attention and carrying a conversation. By doing this, you’ll demonstrate qualities like initiative, confidence and authority. All of these are seductive qualities to women.

Trait #2- Sexually Desirable
A trait that’s equally important to showing a high status is to display a sexually desirable attitude.

Remember that women are EMOTIONAL creatures. So they’re typically attracted to the men who can show that they’re sexually desired by other women.

The best way to do this is to make reference to girls you’ve dated. Additionally in a public setting, you should be seen talking to lots of different women. The more a woman sees you DESIRED by “the competition”, the more she’ll find you interesting.

Trait #3- Confidence
I know. You’re probably sick and tired of girls saying they want a confident guy. But there’s a simple reason for why they say this…

It’s because they WANT a confident guy.
In order to be seductive to a woman, you must show that you’re comfortable in all situations. This is true even if she tests you or tries to be manipulative. No matter what happens, you should maintain a confident attitude.

The simple truth is women consider a lack of confidence to be a “deal breaker”. There are not many women around who want a guy who shows an unconfident personality.

So if you’re lacking in confidence, then you MUST find the root reason for it. Then work hard to improve this area of your life.

Trait #4- A Future
Another myth is women only want guys with a fancy job or lots of money. While these qualities are important, you can still be seductive even if you’re lacking in this area.

Now if don’t have lots of money or a great job, you have to still demonstrate that you have the core trait of ambition. A woman is willing to forgive a lack of present means if you can show that you have dreams that you’re working towards.

To show this seductive quality, you have to demonstrate that you’re a guy who is working towards something. In fact, a great technique is clearly describe your goals and what they mean to you.

Trait #5- Fun
As I said before, women are emotional creatures. While they might claim to want a nice guy, they’ll always be seduced any guy who is a provider of fun and exciting times.

The best way to show this quality is continuously tell stories about your life and the various adventures you have. And the best way to do this is a technique called the “Future Adventures” routine.

It’s a fairly easy concept to use. Whenever you talk to a woman, you describe the fun and exciting things SHE could have with you. By emotionally talking about a possible adventure, you’ll draw her under your hypnotic spell.

Being able to seduce women often comes down to displaying a personality which women mysterious and interesting. When you demonstrate a superior attitude, women will be naturally drawn to you.

If you learn to implement the five personality traits I discussed in this article, women will naturally find you seductive.

Scott Patterson can help YOU meet, attract and seduce ANY woman! In his free resource, Attraction Mastery, Scott provides over 50 TIPS you can use to get instant results with girls. To claim your free copy of this incredible resource, visit his site right now: http://www.ChickMagnet101.com

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Prayer Alters Neural Structures to Enable New Powers



By Grant Stevenson

Why do people feel reborn after Baptism? How does prayer impact our basic neural structure? How does belief help people overcome extreme hardship and suffering? Why does religious conversion cause people to experience the world fundamentally differently? Why do troubled souls find peace in prayer? Why are there so many different religions across the globe?

Throughout recorded history these questions have been answered primarily through personal experience and religious authority. Now, advanced scientific research is beginning to uncover a structural basis for these impacts in the nature of the brain itself.

In James Silberman's seminal work, The Brain that Changes Itself, and Marvin Minsky's groundbreaking study on artificial intelligence, Society of Mind, we see an emerging theory about the diversity and plasticity of neural structure that tells us the brain itself is transformed by religious experience. These are not conclusions that Silberman and Minsky explicated, rather, they are correlative implications of their research that we can extend to new realms of understanding.

There are two fundamental insights that open us to this new understanding. First, the brain is not a singular organism as imagined by Aristotle, nor is it the tripartite layers of Id, Ego, and Super Ego posited by Freud. Instead, the brain is literally thousands of competing and cooperating capabilities that constantly organize and reorganize themselves in response to our actions and beliefs. Second, the neural structure of the brain itself is plastic, in Silberman's parlance, and not fixed sometime after childhood as previously thought.

Taken together these two insights mean that we are constantly undergoing changes in the processing structure of our brain and that these changes also alter the basic capabilities of the brain at the same time. This is a radically new way of thinking about both religious experience and our neural structure so a few analogies might help.

Imagine you're tuning an old-fashioned radio across the dial. You hear the stations buzz in and out, filled with static one moment, clear as a bell the next second.

This action is caused by a device called a condenser which tunes into different resonant frequencies as you move the dial. A resonant frequency is simply the point at which a circuit, or object, will vibrate at its maximum amplitude in response to an external excitation. In electronics these principles are used to tune in a radio so that it amplifies one signal at a time, out of the thousands being transmitted, in order to hear that one station clearly and distinctly.

Doubt prevents the equivalent of a resonant frequency from being established by your neural structure. Doubt, stress and fear allow the thousands of competing components of your brain to assert their own agenda.

These competing and cooperating components of the brain have not been fully mapped by researchers. The human brain is composed of multiple, often competing, structures with various levels of cognitive, ideative, and primal capabilities. We are just beginning to understand the full extent of free will. Free will extends all the way from multiple personality disorder to simple confusion about right and wrong. The classic, albeit anecdotal, evidence for this structure is the person who says, "I knew it was wrong, but I'm ashamed to say, I did it anyway."

Why is it that people who firmly and completely understand they want to lose weight still reach for the extra cookie? Why is it that good people feel compelled to perform immoral actions?
There are competing demands inside our brain structure that are constantly asserting their own will as an influential, though not necessarily dominant, part of the collective will that is finally resolved and exhibited by our external actions. Many of these competing structures communicate non-verbally. At many levels it is easier to "negotiate" with those cognitive components of your brain that use language as a vehicle. But how can the cognitive components negotiate with the limbic elements? These limbic agents communicate by flooding the brain with encoded chemical and electrical signals operating below the level of language, but just as insistently.

Our ability to perform good actions in the face of the various impulses to sin is a result of attaining a sufficient level of discipline over these competing internal forces to not only recognize what is right, but also to do what is right.

Prayer is the action founded on active belief that focuses the brain's competing resources. By focusing on the surrender of the will to another organizing power the competing forces within the brain are channeled in a singular direction; enabling a new set of powers to emerge.

Religious conversion re-organizes and focuses the neural structure of the brain to enable mental capacities previously blocked by the noise and disorder of our naturally composite and conflicted brain structure. Belief structures enable neural structures that allow the perception of impressions heretofore beyond one's ken.

There are inherent capabilities in our brains that are not realized until they are exercised and focused. How is a skilled mechanic able to look at a bolt across the room and tell that it needs a ½ inch or a 7/16th inch wrench? Clearly anyone's eyes have the physical ability to perceive these extremely small dimensional differences, but only a trained brain is able to articulate that discrimination accurately and act on it.

This is why non-believers hear nothing and believers hear everything. Non-believers want a preview, before they commit they want to stand just outside the door and hear a few bars of the song. The reality is that the song is unrecognizable until the belief structure is instantiated.

This requires an act of will, but it is the will to surrender to a higher organizing principle. To put your trust in another, that final step, guided by faith, is needed to cross a chasm as unfathomable as it is impenetrable, until that final step out of the darkness and into the light is taken.

The most poignant example of a belief system's ability to "tune" the brain into different perceptual capabilities is found in the recent testimony of Mother Theresa. Apparently she struggled with faith and doubt throughout her life, although she certainly focused on doing good works despite the turmoil.

As reported by CNN, when Mother Theresa suffered bouts of doubt, "Where I try to raise my thoughts to heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul. Love -- the word -- it brings nothing."

Without faith the brain is unable to recognize a single voice speaking quietly through the din of competing voices that normally fill our thoughts and our lives with doubt.

Copyright © 2007, Neural Genesis, LLC
Mr. Stevenson works as a research assistant at Neural Genesis, LLC with responsibility for test marketing publications associated with emerging business segments. Mr. Stevenson also develops ersatz historical documents designed for examination in future settings to alter widely held, but apocryphal, views of the past. Prior to his work at Neural Genesis Mr. Stevenson worked as an author and illustrator of corporate presentations, technical manuals and children's books.

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Affiliate Marketing 101



By Richard N. Rubinstein, M.D.

Have you ever recommended a restaurant, movie, or CD to a friend? If so, you're already an experienced Affiliate marketer.

Chances are, you didn't receive a commission check for recommending any of those things, but you can now earn a generous commission by recommending the products of other Internet marketers as one of their affiliates.

The term "associates" is also sometimes used, but it means exactly the same thing. You are referring potential customers in exchange for a commission if they buy something.

Affiliate programs have flourished on the Internet, largely due to the ease with which they can be created and operated and the relative ease with which someone can arrange to become an affiliate.

There are three basic ways to become an affiliate. The easiest way, both for the affiliate and for the vendor is what is known as automatic affiliate enrollment. That means that to become an affiliate, you don't have to formally join anything or fill out an opt-in form. This approach has become extremely popular recently, largely due to the hugely popular script called the $7 script developed and promoted by Jonathan Leger.

That script allows anyone to append a Paypal address to the URL of the product's sales page and when some buys from that link, the affiliate's commission is deposited directly into his or her Paypal account.

The second approach to an affiliate program involves formally applying by filling out and submitting an opt-in form, which may or may not require approval by the vendor before the applicant is accepted as an affiliate. A third approach is used by affiliate programs for which a prospective affiliate must either buy the product or be personally invited in order to be eligible to apply to become an affiliate.

For downloadable information products, the affiliate's commission is typically 40% to 50%, but can be as high as 75% to 100%. You read that right! I said up to 100%. How can this be? The answer lies in something called the Lifetime Value of a customer.

For example, if you promote one of my products as an affiliate, I may choose to make little or no profit on the Front End, hoping to make a lot of profit on the Back End, by offering the customer other products and services, either immediately after the initial sale or later on. In effect, this technique gives me the ability to acquire valuable potential customers WITHOUT cost or even negative cost, that is actually making a profit in the process of acquiring the lead. Moreover, these are very high-quality leads, because they are actually qualified buyers who have just proven that they are interested in the niche in which I'm doing business.

Even if I give my affiliates most of the profit on the initial sale, if I make ANY profit at all, my cost of acquiring the lead is then actually less than ZERO. As the owner of an affiliate program, this system works very well for me. Even in the worst case, where I give an affiliate 100% commission, my cost of acquiring the lead is still essentially ZERO.

One of the many great benefits of offering downloadable information products is that the cost of production and distribution is close to ZERO. So, if I promote a product through affiliates, my cost for producing, promoting, and distributing it is close to ZERO. This is especially true for products promoted through Clickbank, which provides an easy and efficient way for prospective affiliates to find out about and promote my products.

Affiliate marketing is also a great opportunity for affiliates, who are spared the need to develop or procure the product or create a sales page. Moreover, affiliates don't even need a merchant account, which is often difficult to obtain when just starting out. In addition, the affiliate is freed from the responsibility of delivering and supporting the product. The affiliates sole task is to promote the product online or offline.

Copyright 2007 Richard N. Rubinstein, M.D.
Dr. Rubinstein is a practicing psychiatrist who has replaced the income from his lucrative medical practice through online marketing. He not only offers a wide range of affiliate products on dozens of websites, but he also teaches Internet marketing through an online multi-media training program (http://doctorduplicator.com/ycmylo) as well as a personal mentoring program.

Contact info:
Email: ezinearticles@doctorduplicator.com
Telephone: (219) 864-2501
URL: http://doctorduplicator.com

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Advantages of Using Botox to Revitalize Your Looks



By Kendra Wagner

If you’ve ever fretted over fine lines or deep wrinkles, you may have wondered if Botox just might be the solution. This cosmetic procedure has become increasingly common in recent years, with some patients even hosting “Botox parties” to share the experience with friends and family. Is this procedure really right for you? Before you can decide, you need to consider your own needs as well as some of the possible advantages of using Botox to revitalize your looks.

Reasons to Try Botox
As we age, the effects of time, gravity and stress begin to show on our faces and bodies. Skin begins to lose its elasticity, leading to facial lines and wrinkles. Some of the most common problem areas include the areas on the forehead, around the eyes and around the mouth. Botox is actually a bacterium-based toxin derived from botulinum toxin type A. While it can be dangerous or fatal in a pure state, its use in Botox helps relax facial muscles and smooth lines.

So why do so many people opt for this treatment? In addition to smoothing out current lines and wrinkles, regular use of Botox can also help prevent future facial lines. Every time you raise your eyebrows, squint your eyes or frown, your facial muscles create skin wrinkling. Over time, these wrinkles can become permanent. By relaxing muscles with Botox, these creases become less prominent and less likely to develop into much deeper wrinkles.

The Advantages of Using Botox
With so many different cosmetic solutions available today, why should you consider using Botox to revitalize your looks and rejuvenate your face? While your decision will ultimately depend upon your own unique needs and goals, there are a number of benefits that make Botox an ideal solution. The greatest advantage of this treatment is its ability to take years off of your appearance. Even small lines can make you look older, but Botox can reduce or even eliminate these minor lines and wrinkles.

Another major advantage of Botox is that it is nonsurgical. Many treatments for aging skin require major surgeries and long recovery times. Botox treatments typically take less than an hour to complete, often requiring less than 10 minutes for the actual injection process.
Additionally, patients begin to see noticeable improvements in just a few days time. In comparison, a facelift surgery may require months of recovery before the full effects become noticeable.

Botox treatments typically last four to five months. If you have deep lines and sagging skin, you might instead opt for a more invasive facial plastic surgery. Before you decide if this option is right for you, it's important to discuss your plastic surgery concerns with a qualified cosmetic plastic surgery doctor.

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Teen Depression and Dream Interpretation



By Christina Sponias

I wrote a scientific book relating the work and the discoveries of many scientists including Carl Jung and me, after continuing Jung's research in the unknown region of the human psychic sphere. When I came to my own conclusion in this huge book, I was very optimistic because I saw that the unconscious side of the human psychic sphere is wise and saintly and can cure anyone from any problem.

However, the unconscious didn't let me publish my book but it revealed to me that I had to continue the research. I had to fight against schizophrenia without losing my conscience, so that I could reveal the unique cure for this horrible disease to the world.

This fight was the worse experience of my life. I still cannot believe I'm alive and healthy after everything I had to face!

When I could finally write my conclusions after facing schizophrenia and winning the battle thanks to the unconscious' guidance, I was very negative. My sadness was unbearable, because I saw how powerful craziness is and how weak the human conscience was. I saw that I could win this terrible battle only because I had guidance and I was a very obedient patient and student.
Other people have no chance to fight against craziness because they don't have the knowledge, resistance and the guidance and support of the unconscious.

So, I understood that my mission is to save young people from craziness before they completely lose their human conscience.

Yes, I found solutions even for schizophrenics and psychotics who cannot be cured through regular psychotherapy. Anyone can be helped and cured through dream interpretation; my first conclusion was correct. However, craziness is such a terrible pest that this fight is pure hell.

Who can bear it? I was very strong and resistant. I'm very intelligent and healthy and I had the conditions to study. But what about everyone else? Ignorant people who have no basic education? Or weak people that have too many psychological and existential problems?... How can everyone fight against craziness and win the battle in the end like I did?

Only heroes can fight against schizophrenia and psychosis. The battle can be won but it requires a heroic attitude from the patients. Usually however, these patients do not cooperate with their doctors and they cannot accept suffering. So, there is no solution for them.

The solution I discovered works only for patients who cooperate with the doctor, the unconscious that sends us the dream messages. If the patients don't cooperate in transforming their behaviour and obeying the directions they receive, they cannot be cured. This psychotherapy is based on the transformation of the person's personality; it cannot save the patients without their participation.

Now that I finally finished my huge book and simplified it so that it could be understood by anyone, I can see that the new generation is depressed due to the horrors of our world and the serious mistakes made by the previous generations.

Teens have no courage to face all the problems of existence in a world where justice is only a myth because craziness governs the population.

However, they are the unique heroes who can save humanity from destruction because they have to show to the world that we need to be conscious of what we do, that everyone has to have the indispensable conditions of life and pass through psychotherapy, so that everyone may be balanced and live peacefully in our world.

Psychotherapy through dream interpretation is really a miraculous solution we didn't expect we could have!

Yes, it really is, but it depends on the cooperation of the patient. Each one has to understand one's mistakes and agree to change one's behaviour in order to be saved from depression and craziness, thus acquiring psychic health.

Therefore, I hope the new generation understands the importance of this miraculous solution and all teens learn how to correctly interpret their dreams, so that they may change our horrible world with their intelligent and sensitive work, after being cured from their depression by this method.

Prevent Depression and Craziness through the scientific method of Dream Interpretation discovered by Carl Jung and simplified by Christina Sponias, a writer who continued Jung's research in the unknown region of the human psychic sphere.
Learn more at: http://www.booksirecommend.com

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Women's Spirituality



By Marjorie Price

A Call for the Divine Feminine
Beyond tens of thousands of years ago, say archaeological findings for the past several decades, instead of worshiping a God, we worshiped a Goddess. It is interesting to note that we still call the earth "Mother", and, as global warming spreads its terrible alarm, we are, perhaps, driven again to further recover feminist spirituality, or the divine feminine, to heal and empower ourselves to once again become caring stewards of the earth.

To me this phrase returns to us all the understanding that our own authentic sense of spirituality equally empowers, uplifts and supports expanded holism. The word "Goddess" is, of course, composed of two syllables - words in and of themselves, which sound like "God" and "us".

The Self as Freed, Fully Integrated Male and Female
I love these messages as metaphors in the English language. So you mean to tell me that our authentic infinite spirits are "God (in) Us"?

Carl Jung said there is an inner male and female spirit in each one of us. When we stopped primarily worshiping the Goddess, or Great Mother, as She was called, and primarily worshipped a patriarchal God, we lost an essential divine half of ourselves.

The Regained Sacred Feminist Trinity
Women, of course, became, and still are in many places in the world, treated as legally "less than" men - essentially men's property. Feminist spirituality is a recovery therapy to, in our core, regain the divine feminine to be free to once again determine our human right to be fully accepted, affirmed, acknowledged and understood equally as evidence of "God-in-us".

The Goddess never left us - she was just forced underground. In these ancient days when we worshipped a Goddess and not a God, the sacred feminist trinity was expressed through Maiden, Mother and Crone.

We Must Embrace Feminist Spirituality for Planetary Survival
Stripped of power and rights through thousands of years of a designated patriarchal spiritual global culture, the archetypal Maiden was an object to be seduced, Mother was she who sacrificed to bear children, and Crone was she to be feared and discarded.

In ancient days Maiden was the multidimensional free "rose in bloom", Mother was the personification of the Great Mother, and Crone was the wise, powerful Grandmother-Priestess.
Can we come full circle to embrace this feminist spirituality for our own, and the Earth's survivial?

A Goddess Meditation
Of course I have a little guided meditation for you to experiment with to meet, within your own core, the Goddess. Settle back, close your eyes, and deepen your breath.

Imagine your breath carrying you to your heart, which opens like a beautiful flower. Place your hand over your heart, and say "God - us", three times.

Your Feminist Spirituality Gift of Recovery
When you're ready, let your hand fall back comfortably at your side, and open your eyes. Say out loud, "I am God-us".

Record your experience, through this inner visioning exercise, of feminist spirituality. Consider how you are moved to carry it out - and back - to a hurting world as your gift of recovery.

I am an RN psychiatric nurse clinician, certified hypnotherapist, and Level III Reiki Master who founded my Centering practice in the Rochester, NY area in 1987.

Email me at marjorie@centeringtools.com to inquire about women's spirituality classes and products. Visit my website and blog at http://www.centeringtools.com for more information about my expertise and practice.

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Dream Interpretation and Happiness



By Christina Sponias

The dreamer who dares to make the dangerous trip inside one's psychic sphere is the hero who is searching for happiness and wisdom in the darkness of the soul. The hero can get lost if he or she is not prudent but the hero can also find diamonds!

Carl Jung was very afraid of this journey into the soul, because he was the first one to discover this road. The treasure one finds at the end of the trip is enough to save the person and everyone around the person because one becomes wise and acquires psychic health. However, the dangers in the road are many, since craziness is always threatening everyone.

Jung couldn't see the dangers clearly. This is the reason why he had to stop at some point of the trip. He accepted ignorance and decided that the unconscious side that produces dreams is like a counsellor for the human being, who has to make decisions based on one's conscience.

Many people followed his example and I was one of them. However, I could not accept ignorance because the unconscious encouraged me to continue the research and scientific discoveries made in several different fields after Jung's death only confirmed the unconscious wisdom in other facets of reality.

So, I decided to completely trust the unconscious and abandon my human conscience, since I realized my conscience was selfish and egoistic. The unconscious' wisdom is doubtless because it has a saintly character. Sanctity and wisdom are in fact synonyms because they are dependent on one another.

A real wise person is also really saintly because there is only stupidity and suffering in evil. A saintly person is always wise, even if one doesn't have a good education or diplomas, because sanctity is based on goodness, piety, patience, sincerity, comprehension and sensitivity, which are also the basic components of wisdom.

Continuing the dangerous trip in the unknown region of the human psychic sphere, I discovered the evil primitive conscience that tries to destroy the human conscience through craziness. This is the danger that Jung was afraid of, but it doesn't come from the unconscious as he believed, but from the ancient part of the human conscience.

Completely trusting the unconscious guidance in my dreams, I could overcome schizophrenia and cure many people by interpreting their dreams and helping them solve their simple daily problems as a sister to them. The diamonds I found are sufficient to cure humanity completely.
However, each one has to find one's own diamonds alone; otherwise, the psychic sphere won't develop as it should, and one won't become really wise.

The diamonds are formed by psychological health, wisdom, goodness, physical health, balance, peace and happiness. They can save anyone and are eternal.

The trip inside the human psychic sphere is no longer the dangerous adventure described by Carl Jung, since the light of truth can now give us the protection we need. Now we know who the enemy is and how we can avoid its traps, until we eliminate its influence and energy, transforming this violent part of our conscience into a human and sensitive part that will be alarmed by terror and afraid of violence.

The human being has to be good, calm and comprehensive in order to be balanced and find happiness in life. In fact, one has to build one's own happiness, firstly transforming one's soul, so that one may improve the world and help everyone find happiness as well.

Prevent Depression and Craziness through the scientific method of Dream Interpretation discovered by Carl Jung and simplified by Christina Sponias, a writer who continued Jung's research in the unknown region of the human psychic sphere.
Learn more at: http://www.booksirecommend.com

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The Growing Trend of Men and Cosmetic Surgery



By Keion Moradi

Advancements in cosmetic plastic surgery have entered mainstream society, appealing to people from all walks of life, including men. Cosmetic surgery for men is a growing trend, with numbers continually on the rise. While women still take the lead, accessible cosmetic surgery cost, along with the convenience of non-invasive and minimally invasive options available, have caused men to warm up to the idea of cosmetic plastic surgery.

Advancement and accessibility are not the only reasons more men choose cosmetic surgery. The society in which we live places emphasis on appearance in dating situations and the workplace.
An attractive appearance exudes confidence. Many men, particularly the baby boomer generation, may find the need to stay competitive in the workplace with a refreshed appearance.
Divorced men find cosmetic surgery an ideal option for a confidence boost for returning to the dating arena.

Men are also requesting many of the same cosmetic surgical procedures as women. The top five most requested procedures for men are rhinoplasty, hair transplantation, liposuction, eyelid surgery and breast reduction. Some procedures can be combined, reducing recovery time.

Cosmetic Surgery for Men and Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure that reshapes the cartilage in the nose. Men, like women, choose this procedure to refine the nose contours. Reshaping the nose can create significant improvements to overall appearance by complementing other facial features. Recovery time depends on the complexity of the procedure.

Liposuction as a Growing Trend for Men
Liposuction is a preferred body-sculpting tool among both men and women. This is an ideal cosmetic procedure for removing fat cells from troublesome areas of the body. Men usually elect to have liposuction performed on the waistline and the chin.

Cosmetic Surgery Trends and Hair Transplantation
Hair transplantation is becoming a popular method for men experiencing pattern baldness. The surgeon removes healthy hair follicles from different parts of the body and transplants them to bald areas on the scalp. Hair transplantation usually requires several sessions.

Hair transplantation is a delicate cosmetic plastic surgery and involves precise execution on behalf of the surgeon. A highly experienced cosmetic surgeon is necessary to maximize results. Surgeons must be able to identify the natural hair whorl pattern on your scalp in order to correspond with your natural hair pattern.

Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery and Men
Cosmetic eyelid surgery energizes appearance and can be performed on the upper or lower eyelid. Upper eyelid surgery is performed on drooping eyelid. Lower eyelid surgery reduces puffiness.

The Growing Trend of Men and Breast Reduction Surgery
Cosmetic breast reduction surgery is offered to men desiring a more masculine chest. Breast reduction involves a procedure to remove excess fat and tissue. The outcome is a more youthful male chest.

Nonsurgical Cosmetic Procedures and Men
Nonsurgical cosmetic procedures are particularly attractive to men. Procedures cost less than more invasive cosmetic surgery and can be carried out in an outpatient facility. At the top of the list are Botox injections, as a temporary answer for a facelift. In fact, many fillers can be applied to different areas of the face to restore a vibrant look. Among other popular noninvasive cosmetic procedures are laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing, microdermabrasion and chemical peels.

Cosmetic surgery has become a more safe and common procedure over the years and the cosmetic surgery cost has decreased along with the risk of the procedure. Make sure you consult with a doctor before committing to any form of cosmetic plastic surgery

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6 Tips for Panic Attacks



By Neil Williamson

These are perceived to be dangerous when unchecked. It’s a condition wherein someone experiences a heightened sense of anxiety for various reasons. Most of the time, panic attacks come when a person feels death is eminent or shocking news they can’t easily get over with. It will usually last for 30 minutes maximum but could be disabling if left unchecked. Here are some tips for panic attacks to help you cope up with the patient.
  • Deep breathing – this is one of the basic tips for these attacks since one of the known symptoms of the panic attacks is they breathe faster and in a shallow manner. With deep breathing, they will calm their senses especially their heart beat will return to normal. High blood pressure may also be address only by deep breathing.
  • Sit Straight - Proper posture is always a must of panic attacks. It’s also one of the general tips for panic attacks that you have to relax your body including your internal organs. This will not happen if you’re sitting in slouched position. Your lungs, heart and other internal organs will be pressured and you can’t breathe well. Sit up straight to give them more free space to move.
  • Change the circumstances – A panic attack is somehow triggered by an event or when you’re thinking too much of something bad. Ward this off by changing your state of mind. Among the tips for panic attacks so far, this one may be easy for some but extremely difficult for others. If you find someone suffering an attack, do him or her favor by changing the mood of the place. Even a glass of water calms people down and will subside the attack.
  • Write the cause and cure of panic attack – The even with a thousand tips for panic attacks can’t match the prevention that you can do. Since the cause for panic attacks is different from one person to another, you have to write down the circumstances that happened to the attack and avoid them as much as possible. Also write down the cure or the activity that you did that calmed you down.
  • Look for a support group – this will give you the confidence of addressing your concerns. Experts on this field will always be there to help you prevent and cure the problem when it happens.
  • Look for a help line – if you can’t find a support group, there’s always a helpline that you can call at anytime of the day. You can talk to them about what’s going on your head and they can talk you out of your anxiety. Sometimes, you just need to talk to somebody to assure you that things will be alright.

Neil Williamson got news about a drug free treatment of panic attacks and general anxiety. He runs a website where you can check this new method. Visit now: http://panicattack-info.blogspot.com Do you have panic attacks in your car, your job or in public places? Check some panic attack success stories and learn how the One Move technique has helped many people like you. Think: your next panic attack would only last a few seconds and you would never have to experience another again! It's up to you. http://panic.d-solution1.com

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