Keys To An Effective In School Suspension Program

By James H Burns

I was introduced to the in-school suspension process when I became an administrator in a school for students with severe behavior problems. It was used as I expected to keep students in school when they would have otherwise been suspended. The one thing that set this (ISS) In-School Suspension program apart from other programs was the amount of time that a student spent in ISS, and the level of student accountability. Students who were assigned ISS were not put in there for hours but, for days. Students also had to produce a voluminous amount of work in order to be released. If the student’s behavior was out of line while they were in in-school suspension, they were assigned more time.

This idea of in-school suspension has been around since the 1970’s when researchers began propagating the notion that out-of-school suspensions (OSS) were ineffective, and perhaps even detrimental to students. It has been my experience that out of school suspension is only ineffective when the student is left unsupervised in the home while they are suspended, and because the parents don’t hold the child accountable for his poor behavior in school. Students would come back from out of school suspension, without any consequence imposed in the home, and had no fear of being suspended again. The school then has been handed the responsibility of holding students accountable, while the student remained in school for behaviors that they would otherwise be suspended for.

The Key Components to an Effective In-School Suspension Program:

Respect must be Present – If mutual respect is not established between the instructor and the students assigned the program will be a dismal failure. An in-school suspension program should have one, and I stress one supervising teacher. Students who have chronic behavioral problems have difficulty adjusting to different personalities and really need more of a mentor to help and encourage them to change their behavior. The supervising teacher should be a certified professional and have a background in Special Education, or counseling.

Students must be responsible and held accountable – The teachers and administration must develop a user friendly mechanism that provides assignments for the students assigned on a daily basis. All work must be completed before a student is allowed to leave. The work should be checked for completeness by the in-school suspension teacher and routed back to the teacher who provided the assignment. If students complete their assignments before the end of the day, supplemental packets should be made available. These assignments should not be busy work, but rather they should be used to address some of the specific behaviors that put the student in in-school suspension in the first place.

Non-compliance must be addressed - If a student continues to exhibit inappropriate behavior while in in-school suspension it must be addressed. Too often inappropriate behaviors are ignored; this sends the wrong message to other students in the room, and in its own way communicates by default agreement. Students who exhibit inappropriate behavior, should be given instruction regarding the rules and regulations of the room, given a firm warning, and then if the inappropriate behavior continues support needs to be summoned to the room. Counselors are not disciplinarians, but they should be called first to help manage the student’s behavior. A clear line needs to be drawn between the counselor and the administrator. Counselors deal with behavior from a therapeutic standpoint and provide compassion and understanding;
administrators enforce the rules and regulations of the school. Both are needed for the discipline process to be effective.

Room location, size, and student teacher ratio – The In-School Suspension room should be far enough away from the general population of the school, but close enough to allow for administrative visits. The room should not be so far away that the disciplinarian by-passes the room during building tours. The size of the room should be large enough to keep plenty of space between each student to avoid the possibility of any student confrontations. Students in an in-school suspension program can be chronic behavior problems. Large numbers of these students in one room can become unmanageable. The student teacher ratio should be no more than 8-1.

Amount of time assigned - It has been my experience that periods, or hours do nothing to change a student’s behavior. Students should be assigned 2 days of In-School Suspension for every day that the student would otherwise be suspended for. Too often ISS is used as a holding area and can become a place where students want to go. Students should not be allowed to assign themselves ISS because of problems with a particular teacher, or because they refuse to do work. The disciplinarian of the school has the responsibility of assigning the day and time a student should report to ISS. Administration and only administration should assign students to the ISS room.

Jim Burns is one of America’s most inspirational educational speakers. His humorous and insightful presentations touch and influence his audiences in an unforgettable way. Best known for his presentations on Bullying, Motivating Disaffected Students, Diffusing Power Struggles, Character Education, and Leadership, Jim has worked as a teacher and administrator since 1977. He is also an accomplished college instructor who teaches graduate level courses in the areas of Cooperative Discipline, Disability Awareness, Brain Compatible Methods in the Classroom, and Teaching and Learning through Multiple Intelligences. Jim connects with participants in his audience in such a unique way that they are able to practically apply his information in both their personal and professional lives.

For more about Jim Burns: http://behavioral-management.com/

MVNO's - The Upcoming Giants In The Wireless Industry

By Christine Macguire

An MVNO typically possesses access to and name recognition in a specific market niche, which enables it to leverage its brand to drive diversified revenues, such as those from a wireless service. And, when looking at trends in the wireless industry toward customization, it becomes clear why MVNO’s are well-positioned to drive wireless growth. In short, MVNO’s are all about customization. Take for example the best-known and one of the largest to date is Virgin Mobile, which launched its youth-targeted prepaid service in July of 2002 and in only two-and-a-half years boasts 3 million users. Virgin enables users to perform most standard data functions through VirginXtras, and even offers some 3G capabilities to Virgin customers.

Demographic targeting is a trend MVNO’s and some recent entries have focused on. Take a staple of the prepaid calling card industry; the Hispanic market. Some 40 million Hispanics live in the United States, and two cellular brands have sprung up to better service this niche. Other major brands are poised to jump into the wireless industry as MVNO’s. ESPN, for example, is set to leverage its content to serve sports fans. ESPN, like its competitor Fox Sports, already offers certain services to users of all major wireless carriers, but the ESPN MVNO will leverage the brand’s strength to sell top-to-bottom cellular service to committed sports fans, by offering scores, live game updates, and select video clips to subscribers. Earthlink is launching a new MVNO service with Korea’s dominant cell provider, SK Telecom. Unique among other offerings, the Earthlink/SK Telecom joint venture is a postpaid high-tech offering seeking to compete against the major providers based on early access to technology not offered by the major U.S. players.

These companies, along with other potentially successful MVNO’s, have more than simple brand recognition—their brands withstood the test of time. As with all modern offerings, convenience should not be overlooked. For example, American Airlines customers could book travel via their phones, use their phones for automated check-ins and to check on flight status, and for mile-for-minutes (or vice versa) rewards. Credit card companies could offer services incorporating pay-via-phone functionality for retail purchases. Movie Theater chains could offer automatic notices of movie schedules with one-click (or button) advanced ticket purchases. The potential here is endless.

Many of the services and benefits listed above can also be achieved via partnership, and it is reasonable to expect that many brands will seek relationships with major wireless providers for customized packages that deliver commissions (or other forms of added revenues from the relationships) without the need to operate their own wireless telephone operations.

There are many benefits a MVNO can provide to a much larger cellular service among which SMS to Email - Bulk SMS Gateway services are the significant ones. The MVNO solution provider can customize its product to cater to a very distinct segment of the market. With the mobile revolution sweeping the globe, enterprises are realizing the power of mobility in terms of better customer reach and improved efficiency.

Christine is an expert Internet marketing professional with years of experience in various industries such as: Business, Finance, Real Estate, Web-Design, Health & Medicine and many more.

SMS to Email - Bulk SMS Gateway services

Orlando Luxury Resorts Comfort and Style At Its Best

By Benjamin Scott

The City of Orlando Florida is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
According to experts, this city attracts about 52 million tourists every year. Most of these tourists come to see the famous attractions that the city of Orlando has to offer like the beautiful white beaches with crystal clear blue waters, the Walt Disney World Resort, Sea World, the Universal Orlando resort and many others.

During peak seasons, most of the Orlando luxury resorts are fully booked for months. If you are planning to come to this city and stay in one of the beautiful Orlando luxury resorts, it would be best for you to make your reservations well ahead of time to avoid any inconveniences.

Choosing Orlando luxury resorts. There are many Orlando luxury resorts that you can choose from when visiting the city. If you are one of those people who are interested in culture and arts, the Orlando luxury resorts located around the Orlando Culture Coast may prove to be very interesting for you.

If you decide to stay in one of the Orlando luxury resorts located in this area, you will be treated to the beautiful site of the Ormond Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach.

Aside from the beautiful beaches located around this area, you will also find a lot of cultural attractions here including the Atlantic Center for the Arts, the Museum of Arts and Sciences, the Ormond Beach Art Museum and the Southeast Museum of Photography.

Furthermore, living in Orlando luxury resorts located in the Culture Coast will allow you to visit numerous art galleries and shops located around the area. If you want to bring home some souvenirs from this lovely city in Florida, these art galleries and shops can offer you a wide array of mementos and other works of art.

Fired Travel Agent Reveals How To Get Dirt Cheap Airfare Tickets! This Angry Ex-travel Agent Will Reveal The Deepest, Darkest Secrets Of The Airline Industry To Show You How To Obtain Tickets, Accommodations, Plus Much More At Ridiculously Low Costs! Listen To Him At: http://www.resortsmaniac.com

Time Management Tools - Running Companies On Hot

By Dr. Larry Baker

You, too, can create a company that runs on HOT. My nearly 30 years of consulting and executive coaching have demonstrated executives who create company cultures that run on HOT have more personal growth, positive self-images, and so do their employees. Their companies run smoother, and executives and employees have higher productivity and waste less time and other resources.

Now, you are asking, "what is HOT?" HOT is easier to describe than create. HOT stands for Honesty, Openness and Trust ... See what I mean - easier to describe than create.

You create HOT by ensuring that you and your fellow executives are Honest and Open: always telling employees the truth, regardless of its impact. Employees are more resilient when receiving and coping with bad news than you may think, and they deserve to hear the good news.

If you will Trust yourself and your employees enough to be Honest and Open, feel assured your employees will Trust you enough to accept the truth and give you their support. They will reciprocate by Trusting you enough to be Honest and Open with you - give you important information you might otherwise never receive. The more they Trust you, the more they will respect you.

Many bosses wish they did not have to worry about employees' insidious behavior and potentially devastating acts of omission and passive resistance. They and/or previous bosses in their companies have not understood companies that run on HOT do not have employees who feel the need to "get even."

Employees do not "play games" with bosses they Trust and respect. HOT begets HOT.
Most important, being Honest and Open enhances your self-image; and Trusting your employees has the same positive effect on their self-images. Ultimately, everyone finds it easier to be Honest, Open, and Trust each other. All run on HOT!

Take action now - today - to make a previous "half truth" a "whole truth" or reveal an non-communicated program or agenda. Start a company e-zine and use it to put important employee, company and industry news in your employees E-mail, routinely; and post the E-zine on bulletin boards for those employees not having computers. Position employees to participate, to be Honest and Open with their information and ideas. Demonstrate you Trust them. Expand their involvement in strategic, operating and performance planning; problem solving; and customer relations. Then, make today the first day, but not the only day, that you run your company on HOT.

For nearly 30 years, Dr. Larry Baker has been an internationally recognized consultant, coach, speaker, author and publisher. His articles, books, booklets, tape albums, movie scripts and personal assessment surveys cover many Time Management topics, including strategic, operational, performance planning and organizational design and structure.

It is not a sin to have problems with Honesty, Openness and Trust, but it is to keep them! For personal development and higher productivity from using better Time Management skills, tips, tools and strategies to help you create better employee relationships and gain more quality hours each day, go to ...

http://www.manage-time-better.com

Lucrative Audio Streaming - Produce More Profits With Audio Streaming

By Sean R Mize

With the growing competition that is taking place on the Internet, businessmen and marketers all the same are looking for strategic ways on how they can address the issue of competition and be able to give the potential clients a better way to service their needs. More difficult to resolve on the business perspective is the issue about how they can reach out to their potential clients in manner that they get to entice and attract them still to visit their site. In response to this pressing issue, the inclusion of audio streaming on a web site is the technology that they are looking at. Streaming an audio is one of the latest technologies nowadays and has become part of most net users. In order to be effective with this, the following suggestions are being made:

a. Make yourself equipped with the latest and newest trends in audio and streaming videos. This will help you know the pulse and the basic wants and needs of people in terms of audio files and streaming. You need to make a concrete identification of what basically entices people and what appeals to them.

b. When the audio streaming files are made, you may want to ask for feedback and opinion about how well you made in the drafting and manufacturing of your audio files. After all, the feedback is never to be taken in a negative perspective and thus should always be constructive by nature.

c. If you are new in audio streaming, it is best that you seek help in identifying the right theme and background for your audio file. The theme will allow you to be coherent and organized with what you are doing.

d. Always put some personalized touch on your audio files. When you are putting yourself with what you are doing, the outcome is always geared at being the best.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to audio streaming success, ‘Secrets of Audio Streaming‘

Download it free here: Audio Streaming

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

Mortgage Qualification - Things Not To Do!

By Jon Laird

Many new homebuyers make the mistake of rushing out to buy things to fill their home with as soon as the seller accepts their purchase offer and the lender pre-approves their loan. But there are still a few major hurdles to overcome before the keys are handed out. Here are some things to avoid during the home buying process to assure your transaction goes as smoothly as possible:

• Don't make an expensive purchase. It may be tempting to order that new sofa for your soon-to-be living room, but its best to avoid making major purchases like furniture, cars, appliances, electronic equipment, jewelry, or vacations until after the closing. Financing that furniture with a store credit card or even one of your own credit cards could jeopardize your credit worthiness during the time it means the most. Using cash to purchase big items can also create a problem because many banks take into consideration your cash reserve when approving your mortgage.
• Don't get a new job. Lenders like to see a consistent job history. Generally, changing jobs will not affect your ability to qualify for a mortgage loan - especially if you are going to be making more money. But for some people, getting a new job during the loan approval process could raise some concern and affect your application.
• Don't switch banks or move money around. As your lender reviews your loan package, you will likely be asked to provide bank statements for the last two or three months on your checking accounts, savings accounts, money market funds and other liquid assets. To eliminate potential fraud, most loans require a thorough paper trail to document the source of all funds. Changing banks or transferring money to another account - even if its just to consolidate funds - could make it difficult for the lender to document your funds.
• Don't give a good faith deposit directly to the seller in a FSBO purchase. As a rule, your good faith deposit belongs to you, not to the seller, until the deal closes. Your FSBO seller may not know that your good faith funds should be applied to your expenses at closing. Get an attorney or other neutral party who can hold the deposit or put it in a trust account until you close on the home. Your purchase contract should dictate to whom the funds go should the transaction fall through.
• Don't disregard your lenders requirements. You may have been pre-approved for the loan but your work with the lender is far from over. In order to process your loan, you need to meet certain requirements. Your lender will need copies of your bank statements, W2s and other paperwork. It is up to you to get it to him or her as soon as possible. Failure to submit certain qualifying documents could cause you to lose your loan and the financing you need to buy your home.

Jon Laird is co-owner of Sterling Mortgage Corporation, one of Arizona's oldest licensed mortgage brokerage firms. Sterling Mortgage Corporation has specialized in manufactured home loans for more than 23 years. Jon has more than 32 years experience in home lending and is a state certified continuing education instructor for manufactured home financing classes for real estate agents renewing their licenses. Read more from Jon at: http://www.sterlingmortgageloans.com

Bad Credit - Don't Worry, Get Savings Account Payday Loans

By Saurabh K Jain

For a person with a bad credit history, getting a loan is a nightmare. Tedious credit checks and other documentation may take a lot of time, delaying the payday loan approval. However, today many experienced lenders have come to the rescue of such individuals.

Bad Credit Guaranteed Payday Loans
These loans are same as savings account payday loans for people who have a not so good credit score. Such cash advances are easily available online and are hassle free. Once you have applied for the savings account cash advance, loan amount gets credited in your checking account. In a similar way, its repayment process is also quick. Payment automatically gets debited from your account on the due date, leaving you free from the tension of remembering the due date.

Your credit history is termed bad, if your FICO credit score falls below 580 on a scale of 300-850. This implies that if a lender extends a loan to you, he assumes a higher risk. Hence, the loan approval for such individuals involves lengthy procedures. Poor credit cash loans cater to this segment of population. These are the people whose requirement for instant payday advance loans is the highest. Since lending in such cases is risky, lenders take appropriate steps to secure themselves against any default. Lender solicits post-dated checks to cover the borrowed sum as well as the interest and other servicing charges.

Bad credit guaranteed payday loans should usually be applied for online to minimize any chances of delay. The loan is approved simply on the basis of exact and true information furnished by the applicant. The interest rates on poor credit cash advance vary from lender to lender. The lenders may sometimes offer discount on rates, depending upon whether you are a new of an existing customer. Hence, before you shop for such instant payday loan, it will be worthwhile to study the market and have an idea of loan charges across a number of lenders.

Though such cash advances are available at ease and require no credit check, taking payday loans should not become a regular habit. Interest charges on payday loans are much higher than any conventional loan. These loans are provided to fill in the gap between two paydays and hence, should be taken only in case of emergency. A prudent budget plan can help you maintain a balance between your expenditure and earnings, thereby minimizing your need of a payday loan. Even if you have to resort to using such cash loans, make sure you borrow the minimum amount for the shortest period of time.

Bad credit guaranteed payday loans are short term loans which can be offered even to people with bad credit scores. These loans are like savings account payday loans, drawn for short periods of time, usually two weeks. Such cash advances are made available without credit checks and lengthy documentation. To read more about instant payday loans visit payday loans.

Random Event Generators And The Gobal Consciousness Project

By Athlyn Green

The Global Consciousness Project utilizes random event generators (REGs) in an effort to tap a postulated human consciousness field that may encircle the Earth. The REGs have been operating in the background, all around the world, for seven years running.

This project is a multidisciplinary collaboration among approximately 100 scientists, engineers, artists and others, to study the effects of consciousness and how it interacts with physical systems.

REGs use computer technology to generate ones and zeros in random sequences. The numbers are printed on a graph. The laws of chance dictate that equal numbers of ones and zeros should be churned out, represented by a nearly flat line on the graph. Any deviation would show as a curve or a spike.

Testing
During the late 70s, Prof Jahn carried out tests to determine whether the power of human thoughts could impact on the output of an REG. Test subjects were asked to direct their minds on the machine.

The results were astonishing. Ordinary people, using their thoughts or intention, could influence the REG. It responded by spitting out unequal numbers of ones or zeros, producing significant fluctuations on the graph.

Dr Nelson enlarged on Prof Jahn's work by taking the machines to group meditations. Once again, dramatic shifts were seen in the patterns of numbers.

Dr Nelson connected 40 REGs to his laboratory computer in Princeton. On September 6, 1997, the graph catapulted upwards; his machines reported a huge deviation from the norm. That day, an estimated one billion people around the world watched the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, at Westminster Abbey.

In 1998, Dr Nelson gathered together scientists from all corners of the globe to analyze the phenomenon. Subsequently, the Global Consciousness Project was born.

Fast Facts

Data has been collected since 1998.

The network embodies 65 host sites around the world.

Data is transmitted to a server in Princeton, NJ, USA.

The data comprises a database of synchronized parallel sequences of random numbers.

The Objective

To determine if the REGs show a deviation when major events impact on many people.

The REGs will ultimately demonstrate the validity and presence of consciousness in the world.Interestingly, when a significant event occurs REGs display patterns that should not exist in random sequences. This was noted with 9/11 and the tsunami that rocked the Indian Ocean.

Certain events even appear to have been predicted by the generators! Preceding 9/11, a bizarre spike of non-random activity was noted 4 hours before the attacks on the Twin Towers.

Investigators have examined the REGs’ output before, during, and after highly focused group events, such as the Academy Awards or New Year’s celebrations. When millions of people share similar emotions or intentions, this outpouring shows a correlation in regard to non-random activity in the REGs.

The results suggest that mind and matter are linked in some fashion—that human consciousness can indeed influence, with resultant non-random fluctuations in streams of truly random data.
If this is true, it would explain psychic ability. If consciousness can be tapped into and also transmitted, then precognitive ability and telepathy, remote viewing and remote influencing become believable and tenable.

Athlyn Green is a freelance writer interested in psychic/spiritual development, self-empowerment, and alternative health.

Athlyn discusses psychic abilities at her blog:
http://wwwintuitionandpsychicability.blogspot.com

How to Get Cheap New York Health Insurance

By Brian Stevens

New York City is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, costing twice as much as any other city in the United States. Is it any wonder, then, that 25% of New York City residents do not have health insurance? If you're uninsured, here's how to get cheap New York Health insurance with a reliable company.

Health Insurance Costs in New York
Consider these facts about health insurance in New York:

* New Yorkers pay 26% more for health care than the national average.

* From 2000 to 2006, health insurance premiums in New York rose five times faster than earnings.

New York State Insurance
New York does provide options to help the uninsured get cheap health insurance. Several state programs are available:

* Family Health Plus is a public health insurance program that
provides comprehensive coverage for uninsured adults who don’t qualify for Medicaid.

* Child Health Plus provides similar coverage for children.

* The Healthy NY program helps small business owners provide employees with affordable health insurance.

To find out if you're eligible for any of these programs, go to the New York Department of Health website - health.state.ny.us - and click on "Health Insurance Programs" under "Site Contents" on the right side of the page.

Private Insurance
If you aren't eligible for any of these programs, you can find the cheapest rate on individual or family health insurance by going to an insurance comparison website. Insurance comparison websites let you easily obtain quotes from multiple A-rated insurance companies so you can compare them and choose the cheapest one.

The best insurance comparison websites let you talk online with insurance professionals so you can get answers to all your insurance questions and get advice on how to lower your insurance costs. (See link below.)

When you choose an insurance company, you want to choose a company that will be reliable and provide you with excellent service. So before you make a final decision, check the New York Consumer Guide to Health Insurers webpage, which ranks insurance companies based on complaint statistics and enrollee satisfaction surveys. Then you'll be confident that you have the cheapest premium with the best company.

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com/health-insurance.html or click on the following link to get New York health insurance rate quotes from top-rated companies and see how much you can save. You can also get more insurance tips there.

The authors, Brian Stevens and Stacey Schifferdecker, have spent 30 years in the insurance and finance industries, and have written a number of articles on getting cheap New York health insurance quotes.

The Color to Clear Skin - 1 Colorful Way to be Acne-Free

By Jack Venta

There is a color that is the key to getting clear acne-free skin. Eating this color of food provides your body with ANTI-ACNE nutrients that will kill your acne...

Acne is NOT IMPOSSIBLE to clear. It simply requires that you eat certain foods, and that you avoid other foods. If you have acne, and you don't change your diet you have a VERY SMALL chance of clearing your acne. I know this from personal experience...

I suffered from acne for many years, and tried literally hundreds of different ways to clear my skin - all of which didn't work! I tried antibiotics, accutane, all the different over-the-counters, all the topicals, cleanser systems and acids, all the fasting and cleansing with apples I could take and none of these provided me with clear skin.

It wasn't until I changed my diet that I experienced a real clear up of my acne. So what did I do? Well one of the things I did was eat more food of the color GREEN. That's right, foods like vegetables! And no, not green sweets or anything like that!. So I highly recommend that you to eat as much green vegetables as possible to clear up your skin.

Most people's diet does not contain nearly enough vegetables, and this manifests in many ways, including acne. So eat up your greens for beautiful clear skin - they contain so many nutrients that are proven to clear your acne. For more information on how to clear up your acne visit my free website now

Jack Venta has set up a free website for you that reviews the best acne cures available and reveals how he cured his acne 100% within 1 week. Check out his website at Acne Solved right now.

Japanese Garden Design Is Quite Simple If You Do This

By Jonathan G Higgins

Japanese garden design is about as hard to understand to Westerners as the Japanese language is. The relationship to the rich and ancient eastern culture adds to this difficulty. The practice is not just a style of landscaping. Rather, it a statement that delivers a specific meaning. Adding further to its complexity is the influence of fengshui and its borrowings from Buddhism and Chinese culture.

The intention of Japanese garden design is to use nature to make a statement. The main element is symbology, most of which is influenced by Shintoism and Buddhism, which is where the gods inhabit nature. This adds even more its cultural complexity making hard for us to understand.

Since the garden is making a statement or telling a story, the first step is to determine what story you want to tell. What is it you want to communicate to the world with your garden? It might be a good idea to decide in broad terms what you want to say, and then through some research find out how Japanese would go about communicating that truth, concept or story with a garden.

Another outstanding feature of Japanese garden design is that the main point is not to be beautiful or showy. The appearance of the garden is not its purpose, but rather the message is the purpose. Beauty is the after thought, so to speak.

The careful observer will notice that flowering plants are scarce or nonexistent in Japanese garden design. Rather, dry gravel streambed or sand swept into patterns and large rocks and boulders are used to tell the tales. Remember that the heart of all Japanese garden design is symbolism and storytelling, the tradition is that this is done with plants and other elements of nature and not so much the use of colorful flowers.

Equally important to Japanese garden design are the use of water, and more specifically the use of running water, which symbolizes passing time or life.

What shouldn’t get lost in Japanese garden design, but often is by Westerners because they think it’s ‘complicated’, is its simplicity. Once you know the story you are trying tell, it’s as simple as composing the elements of nature to tell that story.

What one should refrain from doing is blindly copying someone else’s garden. Why would you do that? Perhaps because you think it “looks” good. But if the “good looks” are just the result of the telling of a story, then the copier certainly is missing the point. It would be like framing a poem you don’t understand and hanging it on the wall. First think of what you want to say, and then through the principles of Japanese garden design learn how to say and then say it. Don’t start from the beauty, but rather from the story.

Jonathan sends out gardening tips to his newsletter subscribers. Just send an email to garden-design@aweber.com And be sure to visit Elegant Garden Design

The Science and Beauty of Hair Straightening

By Rita Lambros-Segur

If you have fought curls all your life and look at others with their long straight hair with envy there is hope. There are many kinds of hair straighteners available that will tame that mass of curls. Balm, conditioners, sprays, and gels are available for helping you to achieve the straight look.

Women and men both seem to want what they don't have. If they have curly hair they long for straight. People with straight hair spend a small fortune for perms to curl their hair and try to achieve the naturally curly look. It is not known why unless it goes along with the age old reasoning that people want what others have. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.

Chemical straightening can be one of the best hair straighteners if used properly. These should only be used by someone who knows what they are doing. If not, you can damage someone’s hair beyond repair. If your hair has been chemically color changed, it may require a weaker straightener than someone who has their natural hair color. A test strip of hair should always be straightened first to determine what strength hair relaxer to use.

Some professionals use a petroleum based cream to apply to the hair before to hair that has been straightened before. Hair that is damaged and not in top shape may need to use this cream. After the chemical relaxer has been on the hair for the required amount of time it is rinsed thoroughly. A neutralizer must be put on the hair immediately following this rinse. The neutralizer regulates the hair’s PH level. A high PH level can cause your hair to swell and break off.

Normally a conditioner is put on the hair after the neutralizer. Sometimes it is used before the relaxer and after the neutralizer depending on the shape of the hair. If your hair is really curly and you have used heat to straighten it periodically this is the recommended number of times to use conditioner. If your hair is badly damaged you should wait to put a relaxer on it because this will just cause further damage.

The three basic types of hair straighteners are sodium hydroxide, guanidine hydroxide, and ammonium thioglycolate. Basically the higher the PH in the product you use, the easier your hair will relax. However, stronger chemicals can cause more damage to your hair.

The number of times you can use a hair straightener really is based on the condition of your hair, the strength of the relaxer you are using, and how recently your hair has been straightened. Usually straightening your hair is not recommended more than a couple of times a year.

Find out about ceramic and ionic hair straighteners and how each work to accomplish a beautiful presentation at: http://www.seduhairstraightenerinfo.com Sedu Hair Straightener

Secret To Knowing Everything In All Of Reality

By Enoch Tan

It is an illusion that we can only know certain things that God has revealed to us, but what is kept hidden we may not know. The truth is that we can know everything there is to know about the whole universe. All knowledge is mental and we can access any part of it with the mind. It is only the limits of our beliefs that govern what knowledge we may or may not have access to.
When you think God is stopping you, you can go ahead and wrest that knowledge from God. You will know that he makes it available.

The secret of genius lies in using the principle of correspondence to understand all things. By understanding that which is below, you are able to comprehend that which is above, and vice versa. You're able to know all of reality without going to every place. You can know the whole world without stepping out of the door. The world's within you. Everything you see on the outside is a reflection of what is on the inside. There is nothing that's outside your range of perception. You can observe what is there from here.

Reality is holographic in nature. The part contains the image of the whole. What you find in one area is replicated in every other area. Truth is omnipresent. What is true in one place must be true in every place. Reality has many levels. Subjective truth changes from one level to the next.
What is subjectively true on one level becomes very different on another level. The set of rules that govern one level can be replaced by an entirely new one on a higher level. But objective truth stays the same on every level.

The higher level governs the lower level, therefore what is found on a higher level may not necessarily be found in its complete form on a lower level. But because of correspondence, the lower level must contain some part or some form of that which is on the higher level. If it cannot be found then it must be false. There is a representation of something that exist on a higher level in a lower one. When there's a match between the experience of one area of reality with another, then there is truth.

This is where the principle of polarity comes into play where all truth is half truth, because both the inner and the outer world form the whole picture. When you see only what's on the inside or what's on the outside, you are seeing only half the picture. The inside is the intention and the outside is the manifestation. You can look at one to understand the other but they must match if you are seeing rightly. You arrive at truth when your idea of both the higher level and the lower level harmonize with each other.

Everything is connected to everything else. Nothing stands alone. By looking into the essence of a thing and flowing with its connection to another thing and another, you are able to travel the whole universe and back to the original thing. By knowing a thing, you are able to know everything else that is connected to it. You are also able to know a thing by knowing everything else that is connected to it. You are a reflection of the entire universe and everything else in the universe reflects a certain part of you.

The ultimate nature of reality is mental. We can know everything through reason because everything is made up by it. Reality is consciousness therefore we perceive all things through reason. With the power of reason, you can travel to all levels and dimensions of reality and understand everything there is in each of them. Reason is how you are able to go everywhere from here. All things are made by reason or logos, and when you realize that reason is unlimited, your ability to perceive becomes unlimited.

There is only one consciousness that makes up the entire universe, and this consciousness is all knowing. Therefore knowledge is universal. No one knows a thing except through the universal mind. If you know something, others can know it to. If others know something, you can know it too. Nothing is limited from your awareness and you cannot limit anything from other people's awareness. Genius is omniscience flowing into man. All can tap into the universal mind and gain any kind of knowledge required.

We can know by revelation and not be limited by experience. Some people limit themselves from knowing a thing by claiming that they must experience it first. But there is knowledge of things above that is inspired from above. Those that allow themselves to learn about these things through revelation can know far more than those who limit themselves to experience. Blessed are those who have not seen but yet believe. Because their minds are able to comprehend things purely through reason and logic.

Some people are chosen by the universe for direct experience so that they can share it with others. The three blind man each experience a portion of the elephant. They can gain a fuller perspective of what the elephant is by combining their perspectives. Error is what happens when we stick to our own partial viewpoint without merging it with the viewpoints of others. We are all meant to learn from one another. Awareness is to be shared. Each of us is created to help everyone else see everything together.

When you travel along the connections of a thing, follow it until you find the core. All things lead to the core and therefore the core is all you need because it connects with everything else. The core is the purest structure within all structures. It is essence structure. The best structure is the structure that integrates and simplifies everything. It is the most ordered and clearest organization of things. The complete knowledge of the universe is the integration of all truth, and this is how you can truly know everything.

Enoch Tan aims to help people achieve greater awareness in living and experiencing life. To evolve human consciousness to higher levels. To change lives and transform the universe. To revolutionize the way we understand the mind and reality. Because that is what governs every area of life and destiny. Get Free Ebooks of The Most Powerful Knowledge and Learn Secrets of Mind and Reality That will Fully Benefit You Now at: Secrets of Mind and Reality

The Science of Process Mapping

By Rita Lambros-Segur

You may have heard that process mapping is the same thing as flow charts. While they are similar, there are specific differences. However, many people still use the terms process mapping, flow charts and process charts interchangeably. It is an old technique that is really easy and simple to use in order to streamline your work. You will need experienced and professional facilitators to help you with process mapping.

Process mapping can help you with anything in your life, but most people use it in their businesses to help keep all of their projects running smoothly and on track. A process map will help you visually see how you will get from point A to point B. It will show you the most productive way to get to your planned goal in the least amount of time. It is a great technique for businesses of any size and their employees.

As long as you have an experienced and professional facilitator doing the process mapping for you the results will be astounding. You will notice the difference between your current system and process mapping immediately. Everyone will benefit from it, and no one needs to be trained before utilizing this technique from an experienced process mapping facilitator.

Process Mapping For Achieving Your Goals –
A process map will first require you to establish what the exact project is. Identifying what your project is exactly will help you in your first step towards better planning and goal achievement.
If you are working with a product this first step will be easy, but if you are working with a service you may have a more difficult time identifying your product. This is all right, as doing so will help you in your business for the rest of your business’ life.

The process map will show you visually each step that needs to be taken in order to reach your goal for your product. This will be done in very small increments, as well as larger ones. It is pertinent that you include all of the information you have, even if you think it does not or will not effect your project. This will help you see the larger picture within the small increments of steps you need to take in order to reach your goal.

Be sure that each step, every piece of information, and each small goal will help you reach your large goal. All of your smaller steps should contribute in some way to what you need to have completed.

Process mapping will help you reach your goals faster, easier and without wasting any unnecessary time or money. It can help you with a team of employees, as well as with a team of managers or directors. It works with small businesses and large corporations. Saving time and money is probably already a part of your business goals, and adding process mapping will help you do just that.

Learn all about business processing for better productivity at: Process Mapping

Self-Esteem - How to Turn I'm Not Good Enough, into I'm Un-Stoppable

By Beth Banning

Do you ever worry that you're not good enough, not smart enough, or you simply don't have what it takes? Do you ever worry that this is keeping you from achieving the things you want most in your life?

According to a recent report by the Priory Group, entitled I'm Not Good Enough, millions of British women suffer from low self-esteem, which in turn adversely influences their mental health, relationships, work, and overall quality of life.

How many of these statements apply to you?

1. I don't think I'm good enough to get the things I want.
2. Sometimes I feel worthless.
3. My needs don't seem to matter to other people.
4. I worry about what other people think of me.
5. Now and then, it seems like there's something wrong with me.
6. I have to do everything myself. It's like I'm all alone.
7. I'm powerless (weak, not safe, helpless).
8. At times I can't take care of myself in challenging situations.
9. I have no choice because...
10. I'm unlovable (unworthy)

If more than one of these statements rings true to you, you're not alone. These limiting beliefs are one result of how we interpret unpleasant experiences from our past. However, that's not the only way we come to believe that these statements are true.

Have you ever heard someone say that one of these statements was true about you? Even though that doesn't make any of these statements "THE TRUTH", the impact of believing such a statement can have serious consequences on our self-esteem.

On the other hand, people's self-esteem has never improved just because people made positive statements about them. In fact, many who work in the field now agree that self-esteem fans tend to go overboard when they recommended that children should be praised to make them feel good, regardless of their effort or motivation.

These people seem to focus on self-esteem as a goal, rather than a by-product of one's confidence in their ability to achieve what they want for themselves. Some people describe this as "competent behavior", which is just another way of saying that your actions produce the results you want.

So how can we learn to build self-esteem, if self-esteem (or self-worth) is just a byproduct of self-confidence? The shortest path to building your sense of confidence, is to experience your actions producing the results that you want.

Unfortunately, each limiting belief that we have adopted along the way becomes an obstacle. They prevent us from investing the time and energy it takes to develop enough competency in our skills to achieve the level of confidence we need to produce the self-esteem that we desire.

The first step down the path of raising confidence consists of transforming these limiting beliefs that prevent us from developing new skills or honing the ones we have already developed.
Sound impossible? Actually, transforming these beliefs may actually be easier than it seems.

To transform limiting beliefs you start by putting out the painful fire of your judgments. What are we taught to do when faced with fire? We're told to Stop, Drop and Roll. How does the Stop, Drop and Roll method apply to the transformation of our limiting beliefs? Stop and listen to the warning signals -- Drop the judgments -- Roll out a new plan.

StopStart with of the practice of being aware of how you feel. Use any feelings of discomfort as a warning bell. When you feel uncomfortable in any way, stop what you're doing and identify the judgmental thoughts in your head. Write them down while you're thinking of them or as soon as you can get to a pen and paper.

DropThe only way to drop your judgments is to start translating them into the truth of what's important to you. Once you identify the uncomfortable judgmental thoughts, it's time to figure out the values you hold dear that are buried within those judgments.

For example, "I'm not good enough to get the things I want" might be translated into the important values of accomplishment, effectiveness or even a deep desire to contribute. Now try saying that to yourself, "I deeply value accomplishment." Can you feel the difference?

RollOnce the painful fire is out and you are clear about what's most important to you, it's time to roll out a new plan. Identify at least two actions you can take that will support you in creating the things that you value.

Once you've mastered the Stop, Drop and Roll technique, you're well on your way to building your self-confidence and re-energizing your self-esteem. If you'd like to learn even more personal growth skills that can be used to build your self-confidence, sign up for our free motivational Weekly Action Tips eMail series at: http://www.FocusedAttention.com/cmd.php?ad=317928

Each tip will help you in your quest to live the life that you've always wanted.
Or visit us at http://www.FocusedAttention.com

What Kind of Toxins Does Your Body Have?

By Rudy Silva

A lot is being said about body toxins and colon toxins and removing toxins from the body. But what really are body toxins and where do they come from? And, why do we need to remove them?

A toxin is a chemical or substance that creates irritation and imbalance in your body. Your body response quickly to substances that you eat, drink or inhale that create irritation by creating inflammation. This inflammation, if maintained in your body for long periods, is the source of disease and decreased life span.

Body toxins create a dirty body like dirt creates a dirty house. When a house is not cleaned regularly, bacteria, fungus, parasites, pathogens, bugs, rats, you name it start to move in. The same occurs in your body. Body toxins are naturally acidic and they attract all kinds of pathogens, since they enjoy an acid environment.

Body toxins or colon toxins not only come from what you take into your body, but also, come from within your body. Unresolved emotions, feelings, or thoughts create chemicals that circulate within your body causing the same type of inflammation caused by the chemicals or substances that you eat.

It is estimated that 90% of all illnesses are created by psychological problems. If you have unresolved emotions that occurred in childhood, teen years, or adult life, then this will have an impact on your lifestyle choice. You will most likely chose those relationships with people, food, or addictive substances or behaviors that will keep you from dealing with those unresolved issues.

Doing a yearly body cleanse is a necessity, if you want to remove toxins that are slowly building a place to live and creating a disease that maintains their existence. A body cleanse can be a colon, liver, kidney, or blood cleanse. A colon cleanse is a good place start; unless you have stones in your liver or kidney, then this is the place to start.

There are a variety of different cleanses that you can choose from. The important thing is to choose one so that you can get the experience in doing one and see its effects. Cleanses do not have to be complicated. You can do a simple three day juice cleanse to get started. Then, when you do another cleanse, add herbs that assist in cleansing. And still when you do another cleanse, add special supplements that help reduce or eliminate toxins.

Body toxins and colon toxins are destructive in your body, because they begin the process of disease. If you want to have fewer body toxins, less disease, then you need to clean your inside body, frequently, like you do the outside of your body. Start with a simple 3 day cleanse just to get over the idea that a cleanse is hard or takes to much time.

Rudy Silva, Natural Nutritionist, gives you more free tips on colon cleansing at:
http://www.cleanse-the-body.com/ He has also recently release an e-report that you can easily use it for a 3 day colon cleanse called "7 Day Colon and Blood Cleanse" at: http://www.coloncleanse.for--you.com

Did You Know That Panic Attacks Can Cause Heart Attacks?

By Sylvia Dickens

How often have you thought you were having a heart attack while you were having a panic attack? How often have you been told or read that panic attacks will not kill you?

I always thought the scientists and therapists and doctors knew what they were talking about. It was important for me to know that their advice could be trusted. Many of you will relate.

While enduring years of panic attacks and continual underlying anxiety most of my life, I've always feared, as others have in my situation, that all this strain on my system couldn't be healthy. Those heart palpitations, the sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath and the anxiety are the same symptoms of heart attack. With each panic attack, I felt sure it was leading to heart failure.

In fact, I always wondered how to tell the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack. How would I know when to go to the hospital? This fear alone was enough to give me a panic attack.

Years went by and when the panic attacks didn't kill me, I grew to believe that I had fretted for nothing. There really wasn't anything to worry about.

Or so I believed, until I came across a recent announcement. Scientists are now saying that panic attacks can lead to heart problems, including heart rhythm issues and outright heart attacks. You can imagine how alarmed I was to hear this.

The only "good" news, if you can call it that, was that the damage isn't apparent right away, so there's no need to worry during a panic attack. The fact is, it can take as much as 6 months to see the effects of any damage that might have been caused during a panic attack.

They also say that the chance of panic attacks causing problems is still low, but I can't help but wonder.

I've heard that problems with heart rhythm are relatively common, as are panic attacks. Did you know that everyone at some time in their lives will experience a panic attack? According to the scientists who conducted this latest study, it only takes one panic attack to cause damage to the heart.

Taking into account the fact that everyone will have a panic attack, it's hard not to wonder if panic did cause a large number of people to develop heart rhythm problems. If you could use me as an example, I've lived with anxiety forever and panic for about 8 years. Today I have heart rhythm problems. Coincidence? Or is this evidence?

And if that's not bad enough. Apparently, woman are triply at risk because we are more likely to have panic attacks than men. Menopausal women could be at an even higher risk of having a heart attack as a result of panic attacks.

Although it's possible your heart is fine, here's a 4-point check list to get treatment for your panic attacks so that damage will not occur:

1. Start with your medical practitioner where you can get a thorough physical checkup to see if there are any underlying conditions contributing to or causing your panic attacks.

2. Insist on being referred to a doctor or therapist who specializes in the treatment of panic attacks.

3. Do not be waved off. Let the practitioners know you won't be easily appeased. Don't settle for a simple answer to your panic attacks. In many cases, you might be given a prescription to ease your symptoms. Demand more. You need to get at the root of your panic attacks. It's proven that in the majority of cases, the best cure is an appropriate combination of talk therapy and drug therapy.

4. Find the right therapist for you. We have our own personalities and like other situations, we don't get along with everyone. The same holds true for therapists. If you feel you are not getting the results you expect, or you don't feel comfortable with your therapist, seek a second opinion.
Although the risk is relatively small, it doesn't pay to delay seeking immediate help for your panic attacks, especially if you are a woman.

Find help on our relevant Self Help Book Site Sylvia Dickens is an award-winning journalist who has struggled and overcome depression, panic and anxiety. Formerly with the Canadian Mental Health Association, she's written, "A Guide to Teenage Depression & Suicide" and "How To Build Confidence and Banish Anxiety Forever". Visit Sylvia’s Natural Anxiety Relief blog for more helpful articles. Our sister Ebook Web Site carries books on travel, music instruction, dog training, hobbies, fitness, wealth building, business and more.

Can You Cheat to Get Traffic From Social Bookmarking Websites?

By Stephanie Foster

Sites such as Digg and StumbleUpon can drive delightful amounts of traffic. If you want to have high levels of traffic driven to your site, they're one of the great ways to get it. But actually getting the traffic is difficult. So many people look for ways to cheat their way to traffic.

There are ways to do this. There are groups that will Digg, Stumble or bookmark on various other websites for you, just as you do so for other members. I won't name any here; if that's the solution for you, search them out on your own. You'll find them.

However, a lot of people really don't understand what they should be having other people submit for them. They'll put in just any old blog post and hope for traffic. But what you really want to submit are things that will get people interested in what your site has to offer. Otherwise, all you are doing is burning up bandwidth.

If you're going to do something like this, start out by using the service you're targeting. What kinds of pages tend to do well? You don't want to be copying anyone, but you can be inspired by the general topics that tend to do well.

The thing about having a group submit your site is that unless the quality is there, it won't do you a bit of good. In fact, if you aren't careful about it, you can get your account and your website banned. You can lose all your chances to make the most of social bookmarking simply by abusing it.

The key is to remember to be a genuine member, even if you have others help you get your sites up there. Share the pages you really like, not just the ones you have to share in order to get your sites submitted.

You will also want to remember that social bookmark traffic as a rule converts poorly. What you should be looking for is how to get people to subscribe to your newsletter or feed, or other ways to keep people coming back on their own, rather than just when they read about a hot topic they found through a social site.

You'll also want to remember the other benefit that you are working towards - getting other people to link to your site. While not every blogger bothers to give references when they post on a topic, the better ones will mention if something you said inspired their own comments on that same topic.

Yes, it can be considered cheating to find a group that will bookmark your site for you, but it can help to get a well-crafted page noticed when you don't have the traffic to drive it on your own. But it's a risk, and there is still no substitute for page quality. It needs to be good enough to stand on its own when other people notice it.

Stephanie Foster blogs at http://www.aspectsofhomebusiness.com/blog/ about running a successful home business. Get more tips on social bookmarking from her site.

Finding Hot Stocks Made Easy

By Mark Crisp

A stock that spikes can come crashing down just as quickly. Usually, fast spikes in the stock’s price points to the stock being volatile; not profitable. A hot stock could instead be a stock that would realize its full profits over time.

When it comes to finding hot stocks, the best thing you can do for yourself is to educate yourself. You shouldn’t be taking other people’s uneducated advice on hot stock picks. Learn everything you can about picking stocks, the market’s indicators, and just about anything you can get your hands on. In other words, take responsibility for learning how to pick your own stocks, without relying on other people’s uneducated advice.

Aside from educating yourself, a great way to learn how to pick hot stocks is to have a mentor. A mentor can show you what you’re doing right and wrong, and most importantly, why? Becaue a mentor has been there and done it. Choose very carefully who you lsiten to though. the Net. is full of people peddling information who have never walked the walk.

In addition to finding a mentor, look for qualified advice and educational material wherever you can. The internet is a great place to find qualified advice.

Investment advice blogs have soared as a means for expert stock traders to spread their advice. Finding several information-rich blogs and following them can be a very powerful educational tool for the beginning investor.

Another great source is online forums. Here you can communicate with and ask advice from already successful traders.

Get your Momentum Stock Trading System and sign up for my free weekly online trading system newsletter here at: http://www.stressfreetrading.com

Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

By Philip Spires

Anne Tyler’s Breathing Lessons is a giant of a book, a giant because of the way in which it gently wraps you into its characters’ world and allows you to feel their lives being lived. It’s a giant of a book in a very small world, a world inhabited by Maggie and her husband, Ira, and, it seems, by precious little else. They are long married, happy, perhaps without really knowing it, and replete with generally unacknowledged failure.

Breathing Lessons starts with Maggie picking up the family car after its repair job and spruce up. She immediately runs into a truck and doesn’t stop. She and Ira then head off on a long drive to a funeral of a long lost friend. Memories revisit high school and adolescence as the widow attempts to recreate her wedding service to bid farewell to her husband. The songs her friends originally sang turn out to be highly inappropriate, depending on your point of view, and some don’t want to try to recreate their youth and so become dignified spoilsports. Some old scores are retallied, none settled, of course.

Then Ira and Maggie set off home and decide to call in on their son’s estranged wife and their granddaughter, a girl of seven, it turns out, they haven’t seen since she was an infant. On the way there is a strange encounter with a fellow traveller. Maggie invents a story, for some reason, which he believes. She pursues the scam, is as duplicitous as hell and carries the whole thing off as if it had been gospel from the start. A strange episode.

Maggie is surprised that she does not recognise her granddaughter. Perhaps Anne Tyler is suggesting that the only really important things for Maggie are those she keeps within the confines of her head. Fiona, the estranged daughter-in-law, seems surprisingly accommodating, even more so when details emerge of how poorly treated she has been by Maggie and her son, Jesse. Maggie and Ira clearly weren’t too good at being parents, or grandparents, either.

Maggie convinces herself that she can get the separated couple back together and cajoles her daughter-in-law and granddaughter to motor back to Baltimore with them. She phones her son and arranges for him to call round later that day, after the travellers have reached the family home. It seems that everyone except Maggie is both indifferent and sceptical, but, for some reason, everyone goes along with her suggestions. And, of course, it all goes nowhere. None of these folk, by the way, could be described as intellectual. Not one of them seems to have read a book or, indeed, ever suffered the trauma of a moment of self-reflection since birth. All anyone ever does is react, and then usually wrongly.

Maggie is the book’s central and essential character. Ira, her husband, for the most part busies himself driving, playing solitaire or teaching Frisbee. But basically he seems to hover around the edge of Maggie’s universe, occasionally putting his foot in it by pointing out the odd reality here and there, realities that Maggie expends massive resources trying to ignore or deny. She makes mistakes. She crashes the car every time she drives (two out of two in the book). She constantly imagines herself as God’s gift, a sort of Mrs Fix-It for everyone else’s problems. But she is singularly unable to organise her own existence. She is overweight and yet overeats. She is full of self-justification, almost invariably based on obviously false premises. And she seems to have developed absolutely no powers of self-analysis or reflection, even when reality occasionally forces its way into her existence to contradict her assumptions and undermine her intentions.

I have to admit that I tried to start the book at least three times without success. For me, Maggie’s character was just not quite credible and, if it were credible, I could find no reason why I would want to read about such a person. I persevered this time, however, and the result was a rewarding insight into an uncultured and eventually valueless approach to life that, I suspect, Anne Tyler suspects may be widespread, though I feel that she would not be as judgmental about it as myself.


In the end, all of the characters in Breathing Lessons are failures, who consistently render their own lives a chaotic mess, both inside and outside their heads. They are surrounded by their own mistakes and missed opportunities. These are people who really work at their incompetence and succeed brilliantly. I can’t help feeling that at least one of them, in the normal run of things, would display an intellect superior to a demented parrot and a facility for self-reflection greater than a sooty fireback. But no one ever does. Perhaps that’s the point.

Philip Spires Author of Mission, an African novel set in Kenya http://www.philipspires.co.uk

Party Decorations and Themes

By Mike Selvon

If you're artistic, making your own party decorations can be extremely fun and cost-efficient. On the other hand, if you're pressed for time, celebration supply stores and online discount celebration supply sites can be a real blessing.

To make things even easier, some celebration rental services bring all the actors, party decorations and backdrops for you, if you're willing to pay for it. After setting your budget, we can examine the various options.

First, choose a theme for your party decorations. Some possible ideas for an adult theme celebration include: luau, western, circus, safari, Hollywood, 1950s, Roaring 20s, disco, space, pirate, sports, Las Vegas, Arabian Nights, medieval times, Mardi Gras, Spanish fiesta, rock and roll or futuristic.

Kids often enjoy character and pop culture themes, like: Spiderman, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer, Finding Nemo, Pokemon, Harry Potter or American Idol.

If you're interested in making your own decorations for a kids party, Coolest-kid-birthday-parties is a great resource. For example, with an undersea theme, you can follow step-by-step instructions on making a Finding Nemo pinata, a shark mouth standee to take photos next to and seashell party invitations. In addition to decoration ideas for various themes, the site also has food and activity tips.

If you'd rather purchase items, Party City is a great store where you can get accent themes like: disco, rock and roll, luau, movie night, fiesta, casino and western.

If you're throwing a fiesta, you can buy decorations like: chili pepper garland ($2.29), scene setters ($5), cut-outs ($3 - $10), chili pepper lights ($10), an inflatable cactus ($5), a maraca centerpiece ($3), an inflatable sombrero cooler ($13) and a pinata ($10 - $20).

You might also want to check online at Orientaltradingpost for similar items. They have twelve assorted inflatable items for $20 in the fiesta theme and great deals on bulk celebration favors.

Tableware and partyware add a nice touch to a theme party, often functioning as additional party decorations; however, the cost of these items can be exorbitant.

Most vendors sell plates in packages of eight, which is fine for intimate gatherings, but can be a nightmare if you're having fifty plus people attending. Partysupplydirect has similar deals for partyware but more selection.

A budget-conscious solution if you're not looking to spend $100 in partyware would be to purchase solid-color plates and cutlery but buy a couple of themed serving dishes, tablecloths and straws at half the cost. Another good way to stay on budget is to split expenses with other people and delegate partyware purchases.

While it is the most expensive option, hiring Premier Casino Events to provide the celebration decorations for you could be an elaborate and all-in-one, stress-free way to throw your celebration.

If you were throwing a Halloween one, not only would the company bring fog machines, coffins, cobwebbed park benches, trick mirrors and cemetary gates, but they would also bring casino games, ghoulish actors, music and food to entertain your guests for a full four hours as well!

Looking online for party decorations is a good way to brainstorm ideas. You may choose to make a few things yourself, like a pinata, or you may purchase decorations from a store.

Try to make your purchases thoughtful and don't waste money on things you'll never use again. Delegating responsibilities to co-planners can also help you cut costs and share the excitement with friends, especially when it comes to a surprise birthday party!

Want to throw the best celebration ever? Visit Mike Selvon portal to learn more about party decorations Your feedback is much appreciated at our party supplies blog where a free gift awaits you.

It Is Possible To Transform Problems Into Opportunities

By Sandy Shaw

"So tell me then - how can a very real and serious problem be turned and transformed into an opportunity? Is this not just some clever psychological trick?"

That was the challenging and almost cynical question posed to me.

Come with me into the New Testament and turn to Acts Chapter 18. In this church, at Corinth, which Paul founded, many problems arose, and if it had not been for these problems we would not have had the letters of I and II Corinthians - two letters to these people whom he loved and served, and for whom he wanted the highest and best and finest. God always wants all of these for all His people - be certain about that.

There was immorality in the congregation - incest among the members - drunkenness at the Communion Table - divisions in the fellowship modelled on their favourite preachers. This was a bit of a mess! Yes, even after 18 months of my brother Paul teaching the Word of God, all this arose.

There was misuse and abuse of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and Paul went on to teach these believers to manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit properly and responsibly. Now, there is one crucial and important lesson on its own. Just because you come across a divorce with all the pain, hurt and anguish that can arise, that does not mean you throw out marriage, in case it should happen again.

And also in this church at Corinth, there was an absence of love. As a result we have the very famous and much read Chapter - 1 Corinthians 13. Problems can be turned into opportunities.

Paul took each of these major serious problems and sought to resolve them and deal with them.

He had newly come from Athens, the city of culture and education, to the centre of commerce.

Corinth was the place of ships and sailors and immorality. The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is for all classes cultures and races - for Jew and Gentile - for all who have one thing in common - ALL ARE SINNERS IN NEED OF A SAVIOUR. The learned and the immoral - the so-called cultured and those who have never been to college - each is a sinner in need of a Saviour - and Paul preached that that Saviour is Jesus Christ.

Now, he has someplace to stay - a base - and he has a job he can do.

Every Sabbath, Paul goes into the synagogue, and there he sought to persuade Jews and Greeks, that Jesus Christ was the Messiah - the Saviour. Within a very short while the usual trouble erupts and repeats itself. The religious people were violently opposed to what Paul was saying. They even swore and blasphemed - (that is in the word translated 'abused' meaning 'to speak injuriously').

Isn't it amazing how some people react to the preaching of the Word of God, and how similar these reactions are? We have seen this, to some degree, everywhere Paul preached.

Our reaction will be very similar. We will either be saying - "God spoke to me, in some way - or - I didn't like what was being said." There is always some type of reaction to the proclamation and preaching of the Word of God.

How do you react when the Word of God challenges you? How do you respond when you become aware of people reacting? Do you understand what might be happening - and help - explain - encourage - or pray and leave it to God to deal with that individual? This is where we need mature discernment as to how to handle particular situations, and strong leaders who will confront awkward situations seeking to resolve the various issues.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.
Sandy Shaw sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

Interesting Beer Games to Go with Your Food

By Sky Joe

Most beer games are designed to get the players as loopy as possible. I’ve listed a few here that at least require a modicum of skill and not as much chug-a-lugging. I’ll say it again: Be responsible and don’t torture yourself and others around you by drinking too much. Most beer games are takeoffs of basic non-beer games.

Beer Ping-Pong
Players place a full glass of beer one paddle-width from the edge of the ping-pong table. If you hit your opponent’s cup, you earn a point and your opponent must slip. If you get the ball in your opponent’s cup, you earn five points and he or she must drink the whole cup. (Don’t swallow the ball!)

Beer Piano Here’s one of the musically inclined. One person blows into a beer bottle that’s been all or partially drunk. The player tries to find that note on a piano (or any other instrument). He or she gets three tries. If the person fails, it’s times to drink a beer. If the contestant gets the note, the note blower must drink.

Beer Cheers or “Hi Bob!’
This is similar to many television drinking games. Watch Cheers. Every times Norm touches his beer, drink a gulp of beer. If he drinks from his beer, drink the entire time he’s drinking. Every time the crowd yells “Norm!” drink. Other players can base their consumption on primary character’s actions in the show. A similar game is played with the old Newhart show. Every time someone says “hi Bob!” it’s time to chug.

Beer Hunter This one cracks me up. Take one bottle of beer and shake it for five minutes. Put it in a box with six or more beers just like it. Mix them up while the player is not looking. Have another person mix them up when the fist mixer isn’t looking and so on. The idea is to have the shaken beer hidden among its unshaken brethren. The first player picks up the beer and opens it. If he or she doesn’t get a face full if beer, he or she drinks it. And so on. You may want to try this one outdoors-no sense in damaging any furniture or angering the host.

©Skyjoe. All rights reserved. This article may be freely distributed as long as it remains unaltered inclusive of the active links and the copyright notice. No alteration is allowed without express written permission from the author.

For more information on Beer Glasses, Beer of the Month Club, Beer Dispensers or Home Beer Brewing, you can visit this site: My Beer Store

Driving Theory Tests - Practical Advice and Top Tips For Passing Your DSA Theory Test

By Mark J Emslie

Driving theory tests were introduced in the Uk in 1996. You must take, and pass, the DSA Theory Test (Driving Standards Agency) before you can apply for, and take, your practical driving test. The driver theory test became harder in recent years as, in addition to the multiple choice part of the test, you are now also tested on hazard perception (since November 2002) and both parts need to be passed at the same time. Also, since the 1st September 2007, the pass mark for the multiple choice has been raised to 44 out of 50 questions (30/35).

As a qualified driving instructor, for many years I have seen many pupils struggle with the driver theory test side of learning to drive. Here are my tips and advice for passing your theory test as painlessly and as quickly as possible.

Don't wait until you have had driving lessons before starting your study. Both the theory test studying and practical driving lessons go hand in hand. You will find that the knowledge you have gained from your theory test study will help with your driving lessons and actually driving on the roads will help you learn things for your theory test.

Start learning for your DSA theory test as soon as you can. The last thing you want is to get your driving to driving test standard but you cannot take your practical test as you are still trying to successfully pass your driver theory test. This will also be a waste of money whilst you are continuing with your driving lessons.

You cannot take for your driver theory test before your 17th birthday but you can make a theory test booking beforehand. Use this time to study the learning materials you have.

Apart from simply reading the Highway Code, it is imperative that you also use other training material available. The Highway Code will tell you the rules but will not provide the reasons behind them. If you know the background to why you should, or shouldn't, do something then this will make the whole process easier to understand. If you have access to a computer, you really should get some of the CD ROMs that are available. You will then get a feel for how the Hazard Perception Test will be when you get to the test centre and therefore more prepared for what is ahead.

You have 57 minutes to complete the multiple choice part of the theory test. Use this wisely.
Flag questions that you are not sure of and come back to them at the end. You will be surprised at the amount of time you will have left over after completing the questions you definitely know.
Do not 'speed read' the questions. It can be very easy to read what you want to read rather than what is actually on the computer screen. Read the questions at least twice and do it slowly.

On the day of your DSA theory test, make sure you have all the required documents to hand.
You will need your full driving licence (both parts) and your appointment card. If you have the old style paper licence, you will also need to take an acceptable form of identity.

Remember this, driving theory tests are simple if you have undertaken appropriate preparation and study. If you have skimped on this, you will find any driver theory test hard!

For more information on Driving Theory Tests, a Crash Course or to find a Driving School please feel free to visit the Driving-Schools-Directory.co.uk by clicking the links above.

Yahoo Stock Quotes - How To Utilize Yahoo For Your Financial And Investing Needs

By Josh Neumann

Yahoo Stock Quotes are one of the most sought after financial amenities on the internet today. The Yahoo business and finance section has done well bringing important financial decisions, quotes, statements and market performance to the people.

Yahoo Stock Quotes does not only help you find out about stocks that are going to do well but also helps you connect with people through Blogs where you can share your ideas, thoughts about the market, economy etc.

Yahoo Quotes can be confirmed by going through the basic and technical charts of the indexes and individual company’s stocks. Normally, technical charts and its interpretation software causes a lot of money but yahoo provides it for free.

All the technical charts from ADX, DMA, MACD, RSI, Stochastic to Fibonacci every possible way data can be depicted is provided by yahoo. Somebody who is familiar with the charts can easily interpret it and capture the market movement.

There is a way to use Yahoo Stock Quotes. One must be familiar with different connotations. Such as a symbol is represented by “S”, l: is last value or current price, o: for opening value, g: low value, w: for 52 week range, h: high value and v: for volume.

There are many other symbols you need to know about before accessing yahoo stock quotes. One can find the tutorials on the yahoo site. Yahoo stock data is refreshed every 15-20 minutes so it is almost dynamic.

Yahoo Quotes can be trusted and are mostly from a reliable source and to verify the same it provides you with all the charting options. You can build a list or portfolio with yahoo.

You can also build Yahoo Stock Quotes ticker with some help from the website installing different components. The ticker grabs the stock quotes and shows a detailed data on stocks.
Therefore, utilize Yahoo Stock Quotes to make your investing decisions. They are fast, reliable, and will give you all the info you need. When it comes to investing, you absolutely can’t get your investment advice from just anywhere; Yahoo is the reliable and trusted source you should use.

To learn to invest money and for other investing advice, try checking out http://www.online-investing-tips.com This is a popular investment site that gives money investment advice to help you achieve financial freedom.

The New Bedroom Furniture Colors For The Coming Holidays

By Ben Weissman

Everyone aims to be in style and following the latest trends each season. Such aspirations can be difficult to pursue at times, especially if you haven't been following the latest color trends for upcoming events. This holiday season, what will be in style, and how can you make your furniture come to life in a way that reflects the new colors that are in style? Start by evaluating what you have already and determining if you are ready to trade in your current furniture for one of the new modern bedroom sets.

You'll find several new trends in bedroom furniture, some of which are related to color and others that are related to style. All are conducive to creating a comfortable, warm, and homey feel for the holiday season. If you don't want to completely redecorate for the holidays, you should start by purchasing a contemporary headboard, which will bring a new look and style to your room with minimal expenditure and change. This can make a huge difference in the feel of your bedroom, bringing in a more modern appearance and feel. Whether you choose to purchase wood or wrought iron, make sure you have a geometrical pattern that is of contemporary style, and try to choose a darker tone that is reminiscent of a quiet winter evening. Contemporary furniture is typically available in several neutral shades.

If you are interested in replacing your bed entirely, look at modern platform beds, which are extremely popular this holiday season. Instead of the large, bulky, intricate sleigh beds of the past, these beds allow you to use the basic appeal of the simplistic design as a center for other decor this holiday. You can easily add pillows, throws, blankets, and other decor in holiday colors that will spruce up the bed, keeping the bed as a basis for future designs. You might try a sophisticated platform bed which adds something elegant to the classic platform design and maintains a price you can afford.

This particular bed also adheres to another trend in furniture for this holiday season: the return to black bedroom furniture. While obviously not the standard black lacquer furniture that was so popular in the 1990's, it nonetheless does prove that "black is back". It creates a quiet, sensual warmth that can provide you with a comfort zone on cold nights this Thanksgiving and Christmas.

With this kind of quality bedroom furniture, you'll wonder why you didn't decide to buy new furniture sooner. Hillsdale and other manufacturers can provide excellence of quality and variety in styles that will keep you trendy this holiday at prices that won't empty your wallet.

Ben Weissman writes articles on Wrought Iron Beds, Discount Bedroom Furniture, Interior Design and Quality, and Affordable Furniture Manufacturers, such as Hillsdale Furniture You'll find more Decorating Ideas at http://www.Home-and-Bedroom.com Make your bedroom into a personal retreat!

New Ideas in Office Trailers

By Mike Strawbridge

Modern modular buildings have come along way from the construction site office trailer that many of us are accustomed to.

Some recent projects completed this year include a complex of 12 modular units joined together to form a single 72 foot by 90 foot space. This office complex contains numerous offices, a large conference and training room as well as large open areas. This space was created by connecting the trailers six wide and two back to back.

Another company created their large office space by joining eight trailers side by side.

So why are companies choosing modular buildings and trailer to house their office complexes?
There are three basic reasons, cost, speed of construction and quality of the construction.

The cost of modular construction can be half to a third of the cost of traditional site built buildings. Modular buildings can be built at lower cost due in part to the saving in material cost and delivery expense. In on site construction, material must be delivered in small lots to the site. In a modular factory, material can be purchased in bulk and delivered more cost effectively.
Also, due to the repetitive nature of the construction, there is less waste.

There is also savings in site preparation and foundation work. Traditional construction requires a concrete foundation and considerable grading to prepare the site. Since modular trailers have their own frames to support the units, foundation work can be minimal and a perfectly level site is not required.

However one of the greatest benefits of modular construction is speed of occupancy. The example above, went from concept to occupancy is just six weeks. Traditional construction techniques could have taken up to a year to build a similar building.

The quality of the building can also be much better in a modular building than in a construction subject to changing weather conditions and questionable craftsmanship.

Modular buildings are constructed in a facility protected from the weather under strict quality control procedures. Quality is not as dependent on the skill and mood of the individual workers.
In the modular factory, there are procedure and quality controls inspection process to insure that all steps are completed in a workman like manner.

In normal construction, materials are exposed to the weather as the building is being constructed. In a modular factory, raw materials and the assembly are protected from the elements during construction. This protection results in better fit and finish along with less chance of mold growth and other weather related problems.

Yet another added benefit is purchasing flexibility. Modular buildings can be purchased, leased or rented depending on the application. Modular buildings have the added advantage that they can be disassembled and moved to another location if the need ever arises.

So whatever your office space requirements, from a simple construction site trailer to a full office complex, modular construction can get you in a better place faster and more economically than traditional construction techniques.

Mike Strawbridge is a Performance Improvement Coach who loves helping people achieve what they truly want in life and business.

To learn more about office trailer options see ==>
http://www.induprod.com/officetrailers.shtml