Jim Wyatt had led us over sand dunes and through twisted gullies for two days. Occasionally he would pause and beckon us up to the skyline with him so we could glimpse the half-breed ahead of us and trying to get away. The half-breed was on foot, and we had horses. Not even Jim could track a man in the dark though and the half-breed just kept right on traveling after the terrible sun went down.
It was shivering cold at night and burning hot in the day. The men around me grumbled about the air conditioned comfort they had left behind but I pushed those longings away with anticipation of the glory we would win when we brought the half-breed in.
Then we hit the lava beds where even the shadows was like the inside of an oven and Jim sat down on a rock to catch his breath. The posse scanned the horizon. Budge Gatlin made a motion to the east.. “The half-breed is probably out there somewhere, chuckling like a hyena as he watches us.”
The thought brought curses to other lips, just knowing he was as safe as the man in the moon. “We’ll never find him in these rocks.”
Sheriff Diawillisic took out a big bandanna and wiped the gobs of sweat from his brow. “You did your best Jim but we might as well give up right now. It might be ten miles before another track shows up.”
Jim Wyatt didn’t answer. He had peeled off his moccasins and was searching through his war bag. He brought out some thick wool socks first then a pair of tankers combat boots, the kind that zip up the side. “You can take my horse back with you if home’s where you’re headed, William.”
The sheriff took a swallow of water from his canvas water bag and swished it around in his mouth. His eyes followed the miles of basaltic rock. “You telling me you can track him through that? You telling me he’s going to be leaving tracks you can see on rocks harder than concrete?”
“Sheriff,” Jim Wyatt spoke softly. “I’m telling you that even if you put both my eyes out right now I could still track him down close enough for Indian Joe to shoot both your ears off before you knew he was there.”
He turned to the rest of us. “Anybody here want to keep me company?”
He didn’t need to ask me twice. I came off my horse with the rifle in one hand and the water bag in my other one.
Okay writers, there we are with our quarry slipping through lava rocks and it is our job to track him down. We have two basic ways of doing it. We can have Jim play it close to his vest and lead us on as if he were some superman with X-ray vision. Or, we can dust off our knowledge of modern day tracking and show the reader EXACTLY how Indian Joe left a broad trail across the badlands that Jim followed with relative ease.
Now, anybody can do it the first way. But if you want a heart-stopping story the reader can’t put down you’ll choose the second.
Lin Stone’s article TRACKING DOWN INDIAN JOE will show you exactly how to do it. Click on the title.
There are fourteen thousand pages of useful information and help for writers on http://www.talewins.com/ where you can learn how to build website traffic too.
Let's Have Some Respect Here
Let's Have Some Respect Here
by Lin Stone
Once upon a time two men lived in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. Henry struggled for years for recognition. George had it thrust upon him almost daily.
Henry invented the dual headlight system and almost got put in jail over it.
George invented necklaces by stringing ticks on a strand of metal; he was written up in the papers and put on national television.
Henry had to pay a fine to stay out of jail, George made thousands of dollars per week until he ran out of volunteers to go get the ticks for him.
Henry split his lunch with a beggar for two years. Not only did his generosity go unnoticed, one day he had no lunch to share and the beggar brought out a double portion to eat in front of Henry.
George showed up for less than an hour of service late on Christmas Morning to pass out dinners to poor diners, and it was written up in the papers -- plus he received a letter of commendation from the charity heads.
There were many, many other instances of similarities between what Henry did and what George did, with equally opposite results almost every time. Now, before you go off shaking your head and mumbling about it not being fair and nobody ever gives YOU a chance either, let me share MY evaluations with you.
Henry had invented the dual headlight system and went down the road flashing them off and on -- just showing off to people in the car with him how great they worked. And yes, they were great. Furthermore, he attracted attention of the powers that be. In fact, he was pulled over by the Highway Patrol before he'd gone twenty miles.
The officer began softly enough, but Henry made a confrontation out of it immediately. "You wouldn't have pulled Henry Ford over for inventing dual headlights!"
George decided that the one thing his area had more of than anything else was ticks, and what was the funniest things you could do with ticks but String Them Up?
Well, he got to playing around and he did string them up. Very casually he mentioned to a few people that he was stringing ticks up by the dozen. By the time a reporter got there George actually had a necklace to show off.
He didn't say how great an idea it was to string ticks up on a necklace, mostly because he didn't think it was. But the reporter knew it was a good story and set about to write it up. Before you knew it, George was on television too.
Is there a lesson to learn there in that comparison? Yes.
To make Henry's invention a success let's go back to the moment he vehemently denounced the Highway Patrolman with "You wouldn't have pulled Henry Ford over for inventing dual headlights!" and ask ourselves, how WOULD Henry Ford have announced HIS invention of dual headlights?
Why the answer is obvious, Henry Ford would have held a press conference to show off his new invention. He would have had facts and figures ready to hand and probably even a working model that reporters could personally try to pierce the darkness with.
Then there's the matter of dress at the time of meeting the powers that be.
Henry was in his tattered, greasy overalls,
and George was stringing up ticks in his Sunday-go-to-meeting suit and tie.
But attitude is even more important than attire.Here's the difference in the attitude of these two:
Henry would rather walk a mile to start a new war than to take two steps and make a new friend.
The second day George Davis was in boot camp he put a FOR SALE sign up on his rifle. HE made friends with everyone there except the drill sergeant. Secretly, he was on George's side too.
Line Henry and George up side by side in any exhibition and which one are YOU going to listen to first? Now tell me it isn't fair of you to make a choice like that!
You don't usually get on the good side of Highway Patrolmen
OR the press
by demanding their respect.
The world is generally fair; it usually responds to those people it meets with the same respect that individual gives to the world.
You'll find the world has a whole lot more respect for you
when you show the world how much respect and appreciation you have for it.
the end
Slightly less than respected, Lin Stone lives in Mena Arkansas. His book - Negotiate Like a Champion - can help you get the respect you deserve. He is the author of seven other books and over a thousand articles. You can have immediate, and free, reading of many more pieces like this one from http://www.talewins.com/StoneSoup.htm
by Lin Stone
Once upon a time two men lived in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. Henry struggled for years for recognition. George had it thrust upon him almost daily.
Henry invented the dual headlight system and almost got put in jail over it.
George invented necklaces by stringing ticks on a strand of metal; he was written up in the papers and put on national television.
Henry had to pay a fine to stay out of jail, George made thousands of dollars per week until he ran out of volunteers to go get the ticks for him.
Henry split his lunch with a beggar for two years. Not only did his generosity go unnoticed, one day he had no lunch to share and the beggar brought out a double portion to eat in front of Henry.
George showed up for less than an hour of service late on Christmas Morning to pass out dinners to poor diners, and it was written up in the papers -- plus he received a letter of commendation from the charity heads.
There were many, many other instances of similarities between what Henry did and what George did, with equally opposite results almost every time. Now, before you go off shaking your head and mumbling about it not being fair and nobody ever gives YOU a chance either, let me share MY evaluations with you.
Henry had invented the dual headlight system and went down the road flashing them off and on -- just showing off to people in the car with him how great they worked. And yes, they were great. Furthermore, he attracted attention of the powers that be. In fact, he was pulled over by the Highway Patrol before he'd gone twenty miles.
The officer began softly enough, but Henry made a confrontation out of it immediately. "You wouldn't have pulled Henry Ford over for inventing dual headlights!"
George decided that the one thing his area had more of than anything else was ticks, and what was the funniest things you could do with ticks but String Them Up?
Well, he got to playing around and he did string them up. Very casually he mentioned to a few people that he was stringing ticks up by the dozen. By the time a reporter got there George actually had a necklace to show off.
He didn't say how great an idea it was to string ticks up on a necklace, mostly because he didn't think it was. But the reporter knew it was a good story and set about to write it up. Before you knew it, George was on television too.
Is there a lesson to learn there in that comparison? Yes.
To make Henry's invention a success let's go back to the moment he vehemently denounced the Highway Patrolman with "You wouldn't have pulled Henry Ford over for inventing dual headlights!" and ask ourselves, how WOULD Henry Ford have announced HIS invention of dual headlights?
Why the answer is obvious, Henry Ford would have held a press conference to show off his new invention. He would have had facts and figures ready to hand and probably even a working model that reporters could personally try to pierce the darkness with.
Then there's the matter of dress at the time of meeting the powers that be.
Henry was in his tattered, greasy overalls,
and George was stringing up ticks in his Sunday-go-to-meeting suit and tie.
But attitude is even more important than attire.Here's the difference in the attitude of these two:
Henry would rather walk a mile to start a new war than to take two steps and make a new friend.
The second day George Davis was in boot camp he put a FOR SALE sign up on his rifle. HE made friends with everyone there except the drill sergeant. Secretly, he was on George's side too.
Line Henry and George up side by side in any exhibition and which one are YOU going to listen to first? Now tell me it isn't fair of you to make a choice like that!
You don't usually get on the good side of Highway Patrolmen
OR the press
by demanding their respect.
The world is generally fair; it usually responds to those people it meets with the same respect that individual gives to the world.
You'll find the world has a whole lot more respect for you
when you show the world how much respect and appreciation you have for it.
the end
Slightly less than respected, Lin Stone lives in Mena Arkansas. His book - Negotiate Like a Champion - can help you get the respect you deserve. He is the author of seven other books and over a thousand articles. You can have immediate, and free, reading of many more pieces like this one from http://www.talewins.com/StoneSoup.htm
Free Software for Authors, writers and web masters
The Who Is Driller copyright Softnik Technologies
The Pass Not: A simple Windows software tool that will help you to easily manage passwords. Create passwords that are easy for you to remember while making your keywords completely random and difficult for others to guess. copyright Softnik Technologies
Per Click It : As you probably realize, the new secure interface for the bid tool provided by Overture makes it very difficult for genuine advertisers to tabulate the bid patterns easily. Per Click It works around that problem in a devious little way that doesn't violate any of the terms and conditions of Overture. SEO firms and individuals who need to create presentations or charts for clients or for analyzing bidding patterns of competitors will find this a useful tool. An IE based browser tool that allows you to browse the Overture Bid Tools and automatically tabulate the bid information into a clean table. copyright Softnik Technologies
A complete Web Authoring System for Linux desktop users as well as Microsoft Windows and Macintosh users to rival programs like FrontPage and Dreamweaver. Nvu (which stands for "new view") makes managing a web site a snap. Now anyone can create web pages and manage a website with no technical expertise or knowledge of HTML. http://www.nvu.com/download.php I've only spent a few minutes with this program, and loved everything I found.
***
Here's another one.
WebPAGE allows you to create your own web pages without having to learn complex scripting languages. I've hunted for a software that worked like this one for years now. It is easy to understand and easy to use. I especially liked the fact you can rotate your images just a tad at a time until you get them exactly right! Now it can be yours for free. WebPAGE's WYSIWYG interface makes editing pages as easy as using your favorite word processor. On the other hand, Web Masters and other advanced users can hand code HTML using the built in color Hi-lighted source editor, while the intermediate users can clap their hands for joy because HTML wizards are available to make web design faster & easier.
The big drawback is the download site isn't that easy to find and isn't that easy to understand either. So I will try to lead you through it.
Click the banner to Register Your New Domain NameClick HERE to access the control panel of your existing domains
Click HERE to promote your web site cheaply and effectively.Promotional Powerhouses From Your Ebooks The Ten Top Reasons Authors Need a Web Site The nuts, bolts and other tools of CHOOSING your domain name Great Business Cards at a very low price.Produce Great Articles for your web site FIND Great Articles for your web site How to Build a Great Press Release FREE Gifts to Enhance your web site Key In BIGGER PROFITS Using Better KEYWORDS 3 public domain books every month Understanding Pay Per Click Piggybacking the Holidays for Bigger ProfitsAre you Guilty of Plagiarism? The Ins and Outs of Plug In Profit Web Sites Do ONE Thing and Increase Your Profits TEN Fold Make Recruiting a Marketing and Publicity Event Make them Mark Your Page as a Favorite How To Write An Article For The Web
The Pass Not: A simple Windows software tool that will help you to easily manage passwords. Create passwords that are easy for you to remember while making your keywords completely random and difficult for others to guess. copyright Softnik Technologies
Per Click It : As you probably realize, the new secure interface for the bid tool provided by Overture makes it very difficult for genuine advertisers to tabulate the bid patterns easily. Per Click It works around that problem in a devious little way that doesn't violate any of the terms and conditions of Overture. SEO firms and individuals who need to create presentations or charts for clients or for analyzing bidding patterns of competitors will find this a useful tool. An IE based browser tool that allows you to browse the Overture Bid Tools and automatically tabulate the bid information into a clean table. copyright Softnik Technologies
A complete Web Authoring System for Linux desktop users as well as Microsoft Windows and Macintosh users to rival programs like FrontPage and Dreamweaver. Nvu (which stands for "new view") makes managing a web site a snap. Now anyone can create web pages and manage a website with no technical expertise or knowledge of HTML. http://www.nvu.com/download.php I've only spent a few minutes with this program, and loved everything I found.
***
Here's another one.
WebPAGE allows you to create your own web pages without having to learn complex scripting languages. I've hunted for a software that worked like this one for years now. It is easy to understand and easy to use. I especially liked the fact you can rotate your images just a tad at a time until you get them exactly right! Now it can be yours for free. WebPAGE's WYSIWYG interface makes editing pages as easy as using your favorite word processor. On the other hand, Web Masters and other advanced users can hand code HTML using the built in color Hi-lighted source editor, while the intermediate users can clap their hands for joy because HTML wizards are available to make web design faster & easier.
The big drawback is the download site isn't that easy to find and isn't that easy to understand either. So I will try to lead you through it.
Click the banner to Register Your New Domain NameClick HERE to access the control panel of your existing domains
Click HERE to promote your web site cheaply and effectively.Promotional Powerhouses From Your Ebooks The Ten Top Reasons Authors Need a Web Site The nuts, bolts and other tools of CHOOSING your domain name Great Business Cards at a very low price.Produce Great Articles for your web site FIND Great Articles for your web site How to Build a Great Press Release FREE Gifts to Enhance your web site Key In BIGGER PROFITS Using Better KEYWORDS 3 public domain books every month Understanding Pay Per Click Piggybacking the Holidays for Bigger ProfitsAre you Guilty of Plagiarism? The Ins and Outs of Plug In Profit Web Sites Do ONE Thing and Increase Your Profits TEN Fold Make Recruiting a Marketing and Publicity Event Make them Mark Your Page as a Favorite How To Write An Article For The Web
Camping Tips
Camping Tips
By: David Stone
Read more articles by: David Stone
Memories Of Barcelona
By: Steven Cronin
Read more articles by: Steven Cronin
Find Vacation Coupons
By: James Brown
Read more articles by: James Brown
Cheap Flight To Poland
By: Danny Wirken
Read more articles by: Danny Wirken
Here are some more specials, Click on subjects of your choice Novels * Publishers * authors * Humor * Kids * Essays * Philosophy * Personal Help * History * Web Help * Marketing * What to do about e-book theft * Literary Treasures * Submit YOUR book * Click HERE to read or comment on the latest book news we publish. Learn to Write * Tips for writing better * Books for writers * Cafe Hemingway
By: David Stone
Camping is essentially for those of us who love the outdoors and can do without all of the comforts of home for a short while. However, just loving the outdoors is not enough to guarantee that the experience will be a fun one. The essentials of having fun in the great outdoors are preparation and an open mind. Preparation is easy, if you follow some simple rules.
When you are getting ready to plan a trip, you must select a convenient time that will give you flexibility of one to two days. This will make the trip more about you, and less about your timetable. You may run into weather problems or you may just want to camp for an extra day. Next, choose a location and make it specific. Don’t just choose a county where you saw a campground. Call the campground or the park office and get reservations or information about the time you have allotted. Many parks are happy give you information and tips about what to expect. The most complicated step in preparation is making a list of what to bring. Making a list is essential and your list will change dramatically the more you trips you take.
The first thing you need to put on your list of things to take is the things that will get you there. If you are hiking to a campsite, list the number of backpacks. If you are simply driving to a site, list the number of cars. Then you must plan your shelter and sleeping situation.
Remember, tents are a luxury and heavy to carry. Hikers usually bring a plastic tarp that can shelter up to four people. With a tarp, you can tie it between trees for cover from the elements. Many time you won’t even need that but you can always lay the tarp on the ground to designate a clean sleeping area. After this has been set, you will go over what food you will need. We stress need here. Stray from fresh produce and meets because they spoil easy and their scent attracts animals and insects. Stick to dried food and canned items. Canned items will add weight, but they are more calorie rich and very easy to cook in multiple situations. Most of your food should be snacks, so that you don’t have to cook very much. Trail mix and yogurt covered raisins will fill you up more than you think, and they are a cheap alternative to buying food from camping stores that hike up the price on dried meals.
The last things you will put on your list are what will make you comfortable. Minimal clothing is best. One of each type of outfit is best. One pair of shorts, pants, sweatshirt, tee, and a couple pairs of undergarments including socks is enough. One poncho will take up minimal space. Small LED flash lights will get you around at night if you stray from the fire. Then make sure you have some things to keep you busy. Books, playing cards and a nerf football are all light and can be very entertaining for hours on end. As long as you don’t start dragging along things that aren’t meant for the outdoors, you should be fine. Remember that everything will be at home when you get back. Most importantly make a not of the things you didn’t use and the things you wished you brought. That will make each trip you take more enjoyable and different than the last.
About the Author:
More great information on camping is available at http://www.best-camping-resources.info
Read more articles by: David Stone
Memories Of Barcelona
By: Steven Cronin
It was just soddin’ typical I had the seat with the broken air blower. Beads of sweat ran down my face as the temperature approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside. The smell of body odour had got progressively worse from the moment we departed for the Catalonian capital of Barcelona.
To be honest, I was one of the main culprits; my shirt had stuck to my back and needed constant peeling to allow some air circulation around my body.
“We’ll be stopping in about ten minutes at the Nou Camp. Please be back on the coach no later than 12 o’clock,” bellowed the driver’s voice over the tannoy. All I could think of at this moment was getting off and finding a shady corner with a cool breeze.
As a football fan I found the Nou Camp fascinating. Home of Barcelona Football Club, it’s a magnificent example of modern stadia, holding over 100,000 supporters when full. The size of the trophy room is testament to their successful history and standing in the European game.
Back on the coach, we headed through town and the myriad of streets lined with tall trees and even taller buildings. Every household name was present and trading with the locals and tourists drawn to this great city.
We were dropped off at the docks and as luck would have it a showboat was about to set sail offering tours of the harbour. I jumped aboard, intrigued to see Barcelona from the sea. I wanted to stand back and capture the city’s character from afar.
Immediately after setting sail the fight for shaded seats began in earnest. The clever ones had got in early, sacrificing the great dockland views to secure their seats for the long haul. The rest of us had to decide between standing at the back and suffer the impending backache, or sit in the sun and toil under the intense rays.
The backache wasn’t too bad in the end. The city looked great but some of the yachts looked even better. Back ashore I headed for Las Ramblas, a wonderful cocktail of street entertainers and market traders. Everything from children’s shoes to chickens can be bought along the famous walkway.
However, the sheer volume of tourists acts as a magnet for pickpockets and scamsters. At night it can also turn into something of a red light area. But keep your wits about you and there’s no reason why you can’t have a great time about the Ramblas.
About the Author:
Steven Cronin owns the City Breaks website featuring city break special offers from luxury hotels to budget accommodations. For more information please visit http://www.sargas.co.uk
Read more articles by: Steven Cronin
Find Vacation Coupons
By: James Brown
Are you planning a vacation for sometime in the near future? Do you want to take a trip, but do not have the money to do so at this time? If you answered yes to either one of these questions you will want to try and get your hands on vacation coupons. Many people do not even know that such coupons exist. But if you know where to get them and how to use them, you will definitely be able to save yourself a lot of money on your next trip.
Vacation coupons are nothing more than coupons that offer you discounts on a variety of different items. Some of the most popular coupons are those that give you a discount on lodging. You will usually be able to find these during the off peak months. Hotels give them away as a way of bringing in tourists even when the weather is not up to par. If you are looking for these all you have to do is call around to a few different hotels. If you do not have any luck at first, do not give up. There are plenty of hotels that will offer you a special coupon rate.
Also, if you are worried about the cost of dining out on your next vacation you should seek out coupons for local restaurants. Many times you will be able to get a dining coupon book from the front desk of the hotel at which you are staying. Call ahead in advance to make sure that they have one of these coupon books available.
Your hotel may also be able to supply you with coupons off of admission at some of the most popular tourist attractions. Many people overlook these coupons, but they can go a long way in ensuring that you have a fun trip while also saving you a lot of money.
Vacation coupons are great for anybody that is planning a trip. While you are going through all of the planning details make sure that you do your best at finding these coupons. By doing this, you may be able to save yourself hundreds of dollars. At the very least, you will be able to get your hands on a couple of coupons that will save you a few dollars here and there. Don’t miss out on saving money on your next vacation; who knows, you may save so much that you can afford to stay a couple of extra days!
About the Author:
James Brown writes about Coupons and Online Coupons
Read more articles by: James Brown
Cheap Flight To Poland
By: Danny Wirken
Cheap Flight to Poland: Helpful Tips When Travelling to Poland
In the past all foreign tourists were forced to exchange certain amount of money every time they were crossing the boarder according to the official (poor) course - not anymore! People from Western Europe and the USA were also forced to pay higher rates in the hotels than people from Eastern Europe - not anymore either. In spite of the fact that Polish "zloty" (Polish currency) is interchangeable into dollars (there is not anymore "official" and "inofficial" exchange course). Poland is still a relatively cheap country for the foreigner from the Western Europe and the USA.
There are some precautions that you need to take into account before your travel to Poland:
Better use public transportation than rent a car. Car insurance is very expensive, one of the reason, many cars, especially the expensive western brands are stolen by car "Mafia's". Besides, the road system is poor, there is not enough highways and freeways in the country. Traffic on the streets of many towns is also high (lack of beltways) and it makes driving inconvenient and expensive (gas price is high compared to the USA). Polish police can also take advantage of naïve and "rich" foreign tourists and they are first to get tickets. Public transportation system is cheap and comfortable. It includes trains, buses, airplanes (between some cities) and city transportation system like trams, buses, metro (Warsaw) and of course taxis. Be careful with the taxi. Some taxi drivers may charge you higher rate especially if you are at the airport, Warsaw airport is the worst. I know that the police tried to solve that problem but I am not sure whether they did. For instance the best way of transportation between Krakow and Warsaw is an express train, but the best transportation system between the Warsaw and Wroclaw (Breslau) is to take an airplane.
Do not do any money transactions on the streets. There are money exchange offices (kantors) almost everywhere and they do not charge a fee for a transaction and are safe to exchange the money. Some locals want to take an advantage of the foreigner. Do not try to look too much as a wealthy foreign tourist with expensive cameras hanging from your shoulder and do not speak your language too loud because you would be exposing yourself to either a thief or someone trying to do some questionable deals.
About the Author:
For more information please visit http://www.444.net.
Read more articles by: Danny Wirken
Here are some more specials, Click on subjects of your choice Novels * Publishers * authors * Humor * Kids * Essays * Philosophy * Personal Help * History * Web Help * Marketing * What to do about e-book theft * Literary Treasures * Submit YOUR book * Click HERE to read or comment on the latest book news we publish. Learn to Write * Tips for writing better * Books for writers * Cafe Hemingway
With Malice Aforethought
You have a small video camera, tucked away into your phone. For most people, that means you can do a lot of cute things like capturing your kid playing on the beach, or your friend making a complete fool of himself at the karaoke after having one too many beers.
But there are some pretty sick people out there, and a small video camera is just way too much power for them to have. For example, there are instances of men who, while riding on the elevator, positioning their phones to peek inside the skirts of women. This is a downright violation of privacy, and mall security guards do their best to catch them in the act. But it still happens.
Others use video phones to record their girl friends (or one night stands) in their naked glory, with the understanding that it was “just for kicks”. But sometimes these clips find their way to porn sites, or are circulated around the Internet in a grand scale version of locker-room boasting. There are some cases when possessive boyfriends use these videos for blackmail, threatening to send them to the girl’s friends or co-workers if she doesn’t agree to certain things. In fact, the use of video phones to record people without their knowledge is the most common way that this feature is abused. Some schools have taken efforts to actually ban video phones.
Video phones can also be used as a way of industrial espionage. Most stores, for example, will not allow you to bring in a camera to record merchandising displays. Video phones lets you take all of that in while pretending to read a text message.
Police have also uncovered the modus operandi of thieves who use video phones to identify their victims. They record the faces of people who have made large bank withdrawals. They stay in the bank, or at the atm, noting down whoever has left with a sizable amount of money. They then send this video to an accomplice waiting nearby, who will then assault the person.
In some cases, video phones are not consciously abused, but are nevertheless used in a way that infringes on certain laws. For example, fans have used their phones to capture a scene from a concert, then post it on a website. This footage is then circulated among other fans, unknowingly breaking copyright laws. While these people certainly didn’t intend to hurt their favorite musician or band, and they made no money from the distribution if this material, it is nevertheless an unacceptable breach of protocol.
However, on a high note, there are also times when video phones have saved the day. In one celebrated case, a citizen was able to capture a bribe between an election official and a candidate on his mobile phone. Another bystander used a video phone to tape the face of a criminal exiting from a house robbery. As with all forms of technology, whether the video phone is productive or destructive clearly depends on the person using it.
Unfortunately, not only do we have to deal with looking at these uninvited advertisements, they actually slow down the way our computer runs causing our screens just to freeze up in the middle of doing something important, or how about when your in the middle of playing your favorite online game and wham your computer just reboots for no apparent reason. Sound familiar? Sure, it does and 99% of the time, it's because you have been plagued, again, with some type of spyware or malware. Lawmakers are recognizing the problems and the invasion of privacy that these marketing companies are causing and are working on laws to have them outlawed, but until that day comes the best we can do is educate ourselves about PC security and how to protect and remove spyware from our computer systems.
The first thing you need to know about PC security, is spyware and malware are contracted in many ways, and has many names as well. Adware displays web-based advertisements through pop-up windows or through annoying advertising banners. Many alter your browser settings or change your default home page to point to some other site and they are capable of sending personal information to third-parties called Hijackers. Keyloggers can store information, which could very well include personal details and passwords that you have typed into your computer, such that it can later be retrieved by third-parties. Then, there are others called Dialers, which connect you to long-distance or toll numbers without your consent, resulting in expensive phone bills. The list goes on, as you can even get spyware just by visiting a webpage and the best way to stop this is with good PC security.
Spyware developers are sneaky and they design these bugs to get around firewalls and yes, even virus software, as well. Don't be fooled, nothing is full proof from spyware and other programs like it because new ones are written all the time, just like software is designed to rid you of these un-welcome guests. While you can remove them manually you may spend hours hunting them down in your PC and chances are you will miss parts of the spyware programs or even damage your windows software causing you more hours by having to reinstall your system all over again. Personally, I use a spyware remover and run it at least every other day as part of my PC security protection. If you are like me, you have tried several, but, I like Spyware Nuker , it is easy to install, use and it stays up to date with all the latest new definitions for combating and protecting your pc from Phishing, Popups, Spyware, Adware, Spyware Trojans, Hijackers, Keyloggers and others as well. Therefore, you might want to check it out as it also has won several awards.
But there are some pretty sick people out there, and a small video camera is just way too much power for them to have. For example, there are instances of men who, while riding on the elevator, positioning their phones to peek inside the skirts of women. This is a downright violation of privacy, and mall security guards do their best to catch them in the act. But it still happens.
Others use video phones to record their girl friends (or one night stands) in their naked glory, with the understanding that it was “just for kicks”. But sometimes these clips find their way to porn sites, or are circulated around the Internet in a grand scale version of locker-room boasting. There are some cases when possessive boyfriends use these videos for blackmail, threatening to send them to the girl’s friends or co-workers if she doesn’t agree to certain things. In fact, the use of video phones to record people without their knowledge is the most common way that this feature is abused. Some schools have taken efforts to actually ban video phones.
Video phones can also be used as a way of industrial espionage. Most stores, for example, will not allow you to bring in a camera to record merchandising displays. Video phones lets you take all of that in while pretending to read a text message.
Police have also uncovered the modus operandi of thieves who use video phones to identify their victims. They record the faces of people who have made large bank withdrawals. They stay in the bank, or at the atm, noting down whoever has left with a sizable amount of money. They then send this video to an accomplice waiting nearby, who will then assault the person.
In some cases, video phones are not consciously abused, but are nevertheless used in a way that infringes on certain laws. For example, fans have used their phones to capture a scene from a concert, then post it on a website. This footage is then circulated among other fans, unknowingly breaking copyright laws. While these people certainly didn’t intend to hurt their favorite musician or band, and they made no money from the distribution if this material, it is nevertheless an unacceptable breach of protocol.
However, on a high note, there are also times when video phones have saved the day. In one celebrated case, a citizen was able to capture a bribe between an election official and a candidate on his mobile phone. Another bystander used a video phone to tape the face of a criminal exiting from a house robbery. As with all forms of technology, whether the video phone is productive or destructive clearly depends on the person using it.
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
Ringtones.lt is a site specialising in the different genres of ringtones, mobile videos and Nokia screensavers.
No matter if you are an amateur just getting acquainted with using your computer or an experienced computer user, we all have to deal with the annoyances of spyware and/or malware. It's really a shame that we should have to even deal with this type of problem at all. For many years now, marketing companies have been taking advantage of us by writing programs and sneaking them into software downloads without our permission so they can force us to view their advertisements for products.Unfortunately, not only do we have to deal with looking at these uninvited advertisements, they actually slow down the way our computer runs causing our screens just to freeze up in the middle of doing something important, or how about when your in the middle of playing your favorite online game and wham your computer just reboots for no apparent reason. Sound familiar? Sure, it does and 99% of the time, it's because you have been plagued, again, with some type of spyware or malware. Lawmakers are recognizing the problems and the invasion of privacy that these marketing companies are causing and are working on laws to have them outlawed, but until that day comes the best we can do is educate ourselves about PC security and how to protect and remove spyware from our computer systems.
The first thing you need to know about PC security, is spyware and malware are contracted in many ways, and has many names as well. Adware displays web-based advertisements through pop-up windows or through annoying advertising banners. Many alter your browser settings or change your default home page to point to some other site and they are capable of sending personal information to third-parties called Hijackers. Keyloggers can store information, which could very well include personal details and passwords that you have typed into your computer, such that it can later be retrieved by third-parties. Then, there are others called Dialers, which connect you to long-distance or toll numbers without your consent, resulting in expensive phone bills. The list goes on, as you can even get spyware just by visiting a webpage and the best way to stop this is with good PC security.
Spyware developers are sneaky and they design these bugs to get around firewalls and yes, even virus software, as well. Don't be fooled, nothing is full proof from spyware and other programs like it because new ones are written all the time, just like software is designed to rid you of these un-welcome guests. While you can remove them manually you may spend hours hunting them down in your PC and chances are you will miss parts of the spyware programs or even damage your windows software causing you more hours by having to reinstall your system all over again. Personally, I use a spyware remover and run it at least every other day as part of my PC security protection. If you are like me, you have tried several, but, I like Spyware Nuker , it is easy to install, use and it stays up to date with all the latest new definitions for combating and protecting your pc from Phishing, Popups, Spyware, Adware, Spyware Trojans, Hijackers, Keyloggers and others as well. Therefore, you might want to check it out as it also has won several awards.
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
Dale is an online "handy man" and helps many people with their computer troubles every day. Spyware removal is a key part of maintaining your privacy and security, Spyware Nuker is an excelent tool to do this.
Tips For Photographing Wildlife
by Roberta Hochreiter
To get good shots of animals and birds, you will have to learn to be quick in setting up and framing your shots. Waiting until you get out in the wilderness to learn these tricks is not a good idea. What I found to be very helpful was practicing on my cats and on birds in my yard or local parks. You learn to anticipate their behavior and react fast to get the good shots. Here are some tips on how to get the best shots of animals and birds in the wild.
Practice taking shots of moving targets. Learning how to pan moving targets will allow you to take dramatic photographs with a sense of speed.
Keep your camera handy and set up for unexpected encounters. Make sure you have fully charged camera batteries and plenty of film or memory.
Before you go into an area, read up on what kinds of animals and birds are commonly found there. Learn all you can about these animals and birds. This will help you know where to look to find them and what kinds of behavior to expect.
Learn to walk and move quietly and practice freezing your position so that your presence is not startling or threatening to the animal.
Learn to be observant of everything around you using all your senses. With a little practice, you will gain the ability to be aware of small movements, unusual colors or sounds, even smells that can tip you off to the presence of an animal or bird even when they are well camouflaged. I cannot believe how many times I've watched people walk right by wildlife without noticing them. Hiking with an awareness of your surroundings enhances your experience immeasurably.
In the wild, telephoto lenses are basically a must. This brings you in a little closer without scaring the animals. The use of a tripod is not always mandatory, if you have enough light you will be able to shoot at a fast shutter speed to eliminate shake. Some telephoto lens have vibration reduction technology but are considerably more expensive.
When you photograph animals and birds, make sure the focus is sharpest on their eyes.
Shoot small animals from a lower angle.
The best times of the day for viewing and photographing wildlife are early in the mornings and just before dark. This is when wildlife is usually most active and the light is the most dramatic.
Try to keep the sun at your back so that the light falls directly on your subject.
Using all these tips will help you improve your nature photography. The very most important thing is practice, practice, practice and don't forget to enjoy yourself!
Roberta Hochreiter lives in the Pacific Northwest in Washington state and is an avid photographer, hiker and backpacker with 5 years experience.
http://www.womengophoto.com
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
Roberta Hochreiter is an avid photographer, hiker and backpacker with 5 years experience in nature photography. This article gives new photographers advice on how to chose photographic equipment that is lightweight and portable. For more information please to to www.womengophoto.com
It's bad enough that most of us have habits that will (at least eventually) limit our health and well-being, but the fact is, those bad habits can raise our health insurance quotes past the ceiling right now too. With the rising cost of health care, medications, and insurance, it isn’t at all surprising that people are trying to figure out ways to avoid getting sick in the first place. Live Better and Spend LESS will help you substantially reduce your health insurance premiums. *** I'm sure s/he is a jolly old soul with a girth to match his mirth At Christmas was s/he wont to strike. Click HERE to read the ballad of the Unknown Donor *** Inevitably, the bank is only going to recoup somewhere around 70% of the value of the property they have foreclosed on. That's why banks are often so ready to take short sales on foreclosures. The natural follow-up to that is, “Why are foreclosures such a hot commodity right now, and why is there a lot of buzz about them?” There are several reasons to that too, and it's really scaring the banks right now. That means it is time for you to cash IN -- by asking for SHORT SALES. *** Aberdeen, in the heart of Scotland’s Grampian Highlands, is an ideal destination for art, history and culture that is slightly off the beaten track. Scotland’s third largest city was inspiration for the well known Scottish folk song The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen which portrays a well worn Scottish theme: that of extreme homesickness when away from my “home native land” and celebrates the spectacular phenomenon of Aurora Borealis. *** Imagine finding a planet where robots are programmed so that they can make other robots just like themselves from raw materials. The great British scientist Sir Frederick Hoyle has said that the probability of the sequence of molecules in the simplest cell coming into existence by chance is equivalent to a tornado going through a junk yard of airplane parts and assembling a 747 Jumbo Jet! Click HERE for a scientific refutation of scientific dogma.
It gets better though. Choosing a better lifestyle will lower insurance costs. If you don't believe it, fill out one application for a free quote as if you were not a smoker, and fill out another application at the same company as if you were still smoking and just look at the hefty chunk of change spilling out of your hands like your piggy bank had been hit with a ten pound sledge hammer.
who gives the whole world a wonderful testimony.
and none but me to know his worth. But who can tell?
S/he hides his mien beneath a common shell.
I can imagine the giggle that shook his hand
as s/he stuft a tithing envelope with an old bill
and wrote out the slip that said, "Give this to Mary,"
or maybe to Jack, and sometimes Jill.
"You know s/he's having a spot of trouble now
and maybe this nonymous gif will put a smile upon her brow."
Now, imagine an alien visitor coming to the planet and, after many years of studying these robots, coming to the conclusion that since science can explain how these robots work, function, and reproduce there's no reason to believe that there was an ultimate intelligent designer behind them.
Immigrants aren't wanted by employers who hire illegal aliens; they want workers who will look the other way when our laws are violated, chemicals dumped and construction is substandard. Give Americans a Chance; Send illegal aliens home.
Google Sitemaps
Google Sitemaps
By: Philip Nicosia
Google has announced the addition of some truly useful features to make Google Sitemaps an even better tool for the web. They’ve given their site a facelift and made it easier to navigate. They asked for feedback and they listened. Hopefully, the result is something everyone will love.
A feature that many webmasters will be happy to know about is the notification of violations. No longer will they be left in the dark about what is happening. They will know if they have violated the webmaster guidelines and why.
The rules are pretty simple. Create your site that is truly helpful to your users and avoid doing naughty things just to increase your ranking. Linking to bad sites, hidden texts or links, installing viruses, trojans or other “badware” are just a few of the reasons why your URL will not be included in any Google index.
You don’t even need to look far to know if you have a violation. Google notifies you directly on the summary page of your account. They also place a link to webmaster’s guidelines so you can double check that your site is once again in proper form to be included in Google’s index – this is the second new feature.
Google does not want to exclude any sites that are good. It is possible that the violations were unintentional. It may even be that the webmasters truly have overlooked some items on their site. Google says clean it up and get the chance to be re-included.
Re-inclusion is absolutely simple and easy. Once you see the violation notification, check what needs to be fixed. Correct the item that Google felt is a violation of their rules. Now all you need to do is click on the request reinclusion link on your summary page, or the link at the Google Sitemap home page, and fill out the form. Just don’t forget that you don’t need to request reinclusion if you haven’t received a violation.
If you’re a new webmaster and need a helping hand, Google has a help center for webmasters. It has all the information you need to know about Google Sitemaps. If you have questions about Googlebot, crawling, indexing, ranking and the like, this is the place to go. If the answer you’re looking for isn’t there, no worries; the Google Sitemaps community is there to interact with as well.
By the way, not everybody by the way receives a notification of violation. Google has chosen not to notify certain webmasters of their penalty in certain cases. For example, they will not notify a spammer that he’s been caught. Doing so will only alert him that they have caught on to his game and possibly trigger his making even sneakier ways to get in.
On the whole, these improvements are wonderful additions and long overdue. Google really wants to improve their services and the best way is for people to keep using their products and giving feedback. The team behind Google is definitely listening.
XML-Sitemaps.com provides a free Google site map generator which will also produce a Yahoo site map and HTML site map for webmasters.
***
Article Directory Website Design: Clean Up Your Content!
By: John McQueen
Article directories have taken the internet by storm. That is a good thing, as it allows authors to distribute their content and allows publishers to grab content for their website, but unfortunately, many article directories are offering a huge disservice to authors and publishers due to poorly designed directories. Listen up article directory owners; let’s think about some ways to serve our visitors in our article directory designing!
Style Elements
I have stumbled across many article directory websites where there are a number of mixed alignings, ten different color combinations, excessive bold and italicized fonts, and numerous style “enhancements”. While these different design elements can be good, there comes a time when, as the webmaster, we need to be okay with simplifying the visual end. When a visitor enters your directory, or website for that matter, their eyes cannot help but to expect unity and clarity. If they are presented with a jumbled, disorganized mess, they will do one of two things. They will either (1) quickly jerk the mouse to the back button or (2) continue to browse your site but grow frustrated from the chaotic presentation and then eventually leave. You obviously want to prevent both of those things from happening.
When applying style elements such as colors, size, and images, we need to make sure these things help bring the visitor in contact with the content and message of the website. There comes a time when a line is crossed between beneficial and distracting. I have visited some article directories in which images and graphics push the navigation bar down the page. You do not want to have your visitor scroll down the page to have to find where click to other portions of your site. Make it easy on your visitor to get around your directory. Keep your navigation bar towards the top of your site. If your visitor does not know how to get around your article directory they will get frustrated and leave. Bring your visitor in contact with the content!
To expound more on the use of font colors and styling, remember to maintain consistency. Choose three or four colors to create a color scheme for your article directory. Stick with this color scheme. This provides unity in your content and makes the visitors viewing experience a lot more pleasurable. Continually ask yourself the question, “Is my article directory home page easy to read? Is it organized? Is the directory inviting?”
Advertisements and Images
As the webmaster of your article directory or web content site, it is obvious and understandable that it is a must to push your ads and affiliate programs so you can generate income. However, do keep in mind while placing your ads that you want your visitor to receive your web site’s content. Your visitor wants to find valuable information. That is why they visit your website. They do not come for the ads! Understanding that, make sure your ads relate and apply to your directory’s content. It is vital that your ads do not block your website’s content. Integrate your ads so they do not intrude on your website content.
Before you start plastering your article directory with ads and “cool” styling, keep it mind that your website’s content is first and for most. Overall, people are coming for your content—they could care less if you used pastel pink or neon green!
Brett McQueen is freelance author, web designer and programmer and the administrator for the Article Cat article directory at www.ArticleCat.com.
***
How To Make Your Own Video Podcasting
By: Philip Nicosia
Although Apple had nothing to do with the podcasting technology, the iPod and podcasting quickly became linked. With the advent of the iPod Video, podcasting entered a whole new level. Now, more than the usual audio broadcasts, aspiring film makers can also share their work with the world.So how do you go about making your own video podcast? To make it easier on you, use a digital video camera. If you have an analog video camera, it is still possible to convert the footage to digital format but it adds another step to the process. So assuming you have a digital video camera, what do you do?First, take great footage. Of course, making a film is not simply shooting. Create a concept and make it good. When you have finalized your ideas, it is time to shoot. When taking your shots, bear in mind your target media – the iPod. The small screen will not be able to display too many details so it is a good idea to get close when shooting. Do not use the wide-screen mode but use the standard mode instead. Optimize bandwidth and battery power by shooting several short segments instead of one full-length film. Edit! Small screen viewing will not show text clearly unless they are large enough. Also bear in mind that fast motion and high contrast might not show very clearly on the small screen.Now that you have your video, it's time to compress it. This needs to be done so that the video will be optimized for web and iPod viewing. There are different ways you can do this. If you have a MAC, it’s no big deal. You can compress and export your video using iMovie HD6 simply by clicking the following: FILE>Export>iPod>Share. It's as easy as that – the software automatically converts the file and shares it on iTunes. For PC users, you can also use QuickTime Pro, version 7.0.3 or higher. Again, simply click Export > Using Quick Time Conversion. The resulting *.m4v file is the one you will upload to your web server. Other options are Sorenson Squeeze and Spasm Software's Podner.Describe or tag your movie. This is very important as all the information you supply will be the basis of searching later on. This is how your movie can be found and singled out, out of all the video podcasts out there. If you’re using the latest iMovie version, all you need to do is drag the file onto iTunes and click the Info Tab. Then enter the necessary information. You can also change the filename. For PC users, create an XML document. You can find a sample XML file at http://playlistmag.com/features/200...dcast/index.php. Just change the details to suit your movie. When this is done, all you need to do it upload your file to your web server.Now what? Distribute! Let people know that your video podcast exists. You can do this in a variety of ways. To reach as many people as possible, submit your podcast to iTunes. You can also provide a URL for your podcast by including it in your blog. First create an RSS feed (www.feedburner.com is a good one) so that you can attach your video to your blog. Then create an entry in your blog and then place a link to your video. Of course, if you really want people to notice your work, you have to promote it. Go to websites such as www.podcastalley.com. Now wait for the world to discover the budding film maker in you.
Podcastblaster.com supplies podcasting software and provides information all about podcasting including podcasting for profit.
Podcast Learning - By : Philip Nicosia
AdSense Ready Receives Highest Rating - By : Andy West
To See is to Believe: The rise of video Podcasts - By : Philip Nicosia
Data Recovery- Retrieve What you Thought was Gone Forever - By : Tyler J Stevenson
Photo Software for Digital Camera - How to make a choice? - By : Mahesh Mhatre
List of 100 article directories -1 - By : Wendy
Business Plan Software: Do You Need It? - By : Christopher Enders
Old Time Westerns is now open. Download your novels and read them at home, or read them on the web.
Good Health is better than Great Health Insurance. Get Both from AmericanInsuranceDepot.com and SAVE MONEY.
By: Philip Nicosia
Google has announced the addition of some truly useful features to make Google Sitemaps an even better tool for the web. They’ve given their site a facelift and made it easier to navigate. They asked for feedback and they listened. Hopefully, the result is something everyone will love.
A feature that many webmasters will be happy to know about is the notification of violations. No longer will they be left in the dark about what is happening. They will know if they have violated the webmaster guidelines and why.
The rules are pretty simple. Create your site that is truly helpful to your users and avoid doing naughty things just to increase your ranking. Linking to bad sites, hidden texts or links, installing viruses, trojans or other “badware” are just a few of the reasons why your URL will not be included in any Google index.
You don’t even need to look far to know if you have a violation. Google notifies you directly on the summary page of your account. They also place a link to webmaster’s guidelines so you can double check that your site is once again in proper form to be included in Google’s index – this is the second new feature.
Google does not want to exclude any sites that are good. It is possible that the violations were unintentional. It may even be that the webmasters truly have overlooked some items on their site. Google says clean it up and get the chance to be re-included.
Re-inclusion is absolutely simple and easy. Once you see the violation notification, check what needs to be fixed. Correct the item that Google felt is a violation of their rules. Now all you need to do is click on the request reinclusion link on your summary page, or the link at the Google Sitemap home page, and fill out the form. Just don’t forget that you don’t need to request reinclusion if you haven’t received a violation.
If you’re a new webmaster and need a helping hand, Google has a help center for webmasters. It has all the information you need to know about Google Sitemaps. If you have questions about Googlebot, crawling, indexing, ranking and the like, this is the place to go. If the answer you’re looking for isn’t there, no worries; the Google Sitemaps community is there to interact with as well.
By the way, not everybody by the way receives a notification of violation. Google has chosen not to notify certain webmasters of their penalty in certain cases. For example, they will not notify a spammer that he’s been caught. Doing so will only alert him that they have caught on to his game and possibly trigger his making even sneakier ways to get in.
On the whole, these improvements are wonderful additions and long overdue. Google really wants to improve their services and the best way is for people to keep using their products and giving feedback. The team behind Google is definitely listening.
XML-Sitemaps.com provides a free Google site map generator which will also produce a Yahoo site map and HTML site map for webmasters.
***
Article Directory Website Design: Clean Up Your Content!
By: John McQueen
Article directories have taken the internet by storm. That is a good thing, as it allows authors to distribute their content and allows publishers to grab content for their website, but unfortunately, many article directories are offering a huge disservice to authors and publishers due to poorly designed directories. Listen up article directory owners; let’s think about some ways to serve our visitors in our article directory designing!
Style Elements
I have stumbled across many article directory websites where there are a number of mixed alignings, ten different color combinations, excessive bold and italicized fonts, and numerous style “enhancements”. While these different design elements can be good, there comes a time when, as the webmaster, we need to be okay with simplifying the visual end. When a visitor enters your directory, or website for that matter, their eyes cannot help but to expect unity and clarity. If they are presented with a jumbled, disorganized mess, they will do one of two things. They will either (1) quickly jerk the mouse to the back button or (2) continue to browse your site but grow frustrated from the chaotic presentation and then eventually leave. You obviously want to prevent both of those things from happening.
When applying style elements such as colors, size, and images, we need to make sure these things help bring the visitor in contact with the content and message of the website. There comes a time when a line is crossed between beneficial and distracting. I have visited some article directories in which images and graphics push the navigation bar down the page. You do not want to have your visitor scroll down the page to have to find where click to other portions of your site. Make it easy on your visitor to get around your directory. Keep your navigation bar towards the top of your site. If your visitor does not know how to get around your article directory they will get frustrated and leave. Bring your visitor in contact with the content!
To expound more on the use of font colors and styling, remember to maintain consistency. Choose three or four colors to create a color scheme for your article directory. Stick with this color scheme. This provides unity in your content and makes the visitors viewing experience a lot more pleasurable. Continually ask yourself the question, “Is my article directory home page easy to read? Is it organized? Is the directory inviting?”
Advertisements and Images
As the webmaster of your article directory or web content site, it is obvious and understandable that it is a must to push your ads and affiliate programs so you can generate income. However, do keep in mind while placing your ads that you want your visitor to receive your web site’s content. Your visitor wants to find valuable information. That is why they visit your website. They do not come for the ads! Understanding that, make sure your ads relate and apply to your directory’s content. It is vital that your ads do not block your website’s content. Integrate your ads so they do not intrude on your website content.
Before you start plastering your article directory with ads and “cool” styling, keep it mind that your website’s content is first and for most. Overall, people are coming for your content—they could care less if you used pastel pink or neon green!
Brett McQueen is freelance author, web designer and programmer and the administrator for the Article Cat article directory at www.ArticleCat.com.
***
How To Make Your Own Video Podcasting
By: Philip Nicosia
Although Apple had nothing to do with the podcasting technology, the iPod and podcasting quickly became linked. With the advent of the iPod Video, podcasting entered a whole new level. Now, more than the usual audio broadcasts, aspiring film makers can also share their work with the world.So how do you go about making your own video podcast? To make it easier on you, use a digital video camera. If you have an analog video camera, it is still possible to convert the footage to digital format but it adds another step to the process. So assuming you have a digital video camera, what do you do?First, take great footage. Of course, making a film is not simply shooting. Create a concept and make it good. When you have finalized your ideas, it is time to shoot. When taking your shots, bear in mind your target media – the iPod. The small screen will not be able to display too many details so it is a good idea to get close when shooting. Do not use the wide-screen mode but use the standard mode instead. Optimize bandwidth and battery power by shooting several short segments instead of one full-length film. Edit! Small screen viewing will not show text clearly unless they are large enough. Also bear in mind that fast motion and high contrast might not show very clearly on the small screen.Now that you have your video, it's time to compress it. This needs to be done so that the video will be optimized for web and iPod viewing. There are different ways you can do this. If you have a MAC, it’s no big deal. You can compress and export your video using iMovie HD6 simply by clicking the following: FILE>Export>iPod>Share. It's as easy as that – the software automatically converts the file and shares it on iTunes. For PC users, you can also use QuickTime Pro, version 7.0.3 or higher. Again, simply click Export > Using Quick Time Conversion. The resulting *.m4v file is the one you will upload to your web server. Other options are Sorenson Squeeze and Spasm Software's Podner.Describe or tag your movie. This is very important as all the information you supply will be the basis of searching later on. This is how your movie can be found and singled out, out of all the video podcasts out there. If you’re using the latest iMovie version, all you need to do is drag the file onto iTunes and click the Info Tab. Then enter the necessary information. You can also change the filename. For PC users, create an XML document. You can find a sample XML file at http://playlistmag.com/features/200...dcast/index.php. Just change the details to suit your movie. When this is done, all you need to do it upload your file to your web server.Now what? Distribute! Let people know that your video podcast exists. You can do this in a variety of ways. To reach as many people as possible, submit your podcast to iTunes. You can also provide a URL for your podcast by including it in your blog. First create an RSS feed (www.feedburner.com is a good one) so that you can attach your video to your blog. Then create an entry in your blog and then place a link to your video. Of course, if you really want people to notice your work, you have to promote it. Go to websites such as www.podcastalley.com. Now wait for the world to discover the budding film maker in you.
Podcastblaster.com supplies podcasting software and provides information all about podcasting including podcasting for profit.
Podcast Learning - By : Philip Nicosia
AdSense Ready Receives Highest Rating - By : Andy West
To See is to Believe: The rise of video Podcasts - By : Philip Nicosia
Data Recovery- Retrieve What you Thought was Gone Forever - By : Tyler J Stevenson
Photo Software for Digital Camera - How to make a choice? - By : Mahesh Mhatre
List of 100 article directories -1 - By : Wendy
Business Plan Software: Do You Need It? - By : Christopher Enders
Old Time Westerns is now open. Download your novels and read them at home, or read them on the web.
Good Health is better than Great Health Insurance. Get Both from AmericanInsuranceDepot.com and SAVE MONEY.
Writers Must Retreat?
The New Dark Ages By Sam Vaknin Author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited"
When I was growing up in a slum in Israel, I devoutly believed that knowledge and education will set me free and catapult me from my miserable circumstances into a glamorous world of happy learning. But now, as an adult, I find myself in an alien universe where functional literacy is non-existent even in developed countries, where "culture" means merely sports and music, where science is decried as evil and feared by increasingly hostile and aggressive masses, and where irrationality in all its forms (religiosity, the occult, conspiracy theories) flourishes.
The few real scholars and intellectuals left are on the retreat, back into the ivory towers of a century ago. Increasingly, their place is taken by self-taught "experts", narcissistic bloggers, wannabe "authors" and "auteurs", and partisan promoters of (often self-beneficial) "causes".
Dismal results ensue: the Wikipedia "encyclopedia" is "edited" by anonymous users with unlimited access to its contents and no credentials; fads like environmentalism and alternative "medicine" spread malignantly and seek to silence dissidents, sometimes by violent means; the fare served by the media now consists exclusively of soap operas and reality TV shows; Reading is on terminal decline; with few exceptions, the "new media" are a hodgepodge of sectarian view and fabricated "news"; the few credible sources of reliable information have long been drowned in a cacophony of fakes and phonies.
It is a sad mockery of the idea of progress. The more texts we make available online, the more research is published, the more books are written - the less educated people are, the more they rely on visuals and sounds rather than the written word, the more they seek to escape and be anesthetized rather than be challenged and provoked.
Even the ever-sliming minority who do wish to be enlightened are inundated by a suffocating and unmanageable avalanche of indiscriminate data, comprised of both real and pseudo-science. There is no way to tell the two apart, so a "democracy of knowledge" reins where everyone is equally qualified and everything goes and is equally merited. This relativism is dooming the twenty-first century to become the beginning of a new "Dark Age", hopefully a mere interregnum between two periods of genuine enlightenment.
Sam Vaknin ( http://samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant SelfLove - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East.He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review,PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI)Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and CentralEast Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government ofMacedonia.Visit Sam's Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com
***
Why I killed My Muse
Last night, in the dark following midnight I killed my muse (suffocating her quietly with a pillow) and buried her in my back garden. Today I will plant a roses to hide the grave. No one will ever know and I will be free at last of her insidious hold and I will be able to write what I want.
Why did I resort to this deed? After all my muse was lovely and gave me many gifts over the years. She saw me through dark times and helped mark the joyous ones. Many times she inspired me to reach for more and push myself beyond what I thought I could achieve. Knowing all this why would I kill the very source of my inspiration?
Oh, I had my reasons...
It started out quietly. As I would sit at my keyboard or curl up with a notebook, she would perch on my shoulder as was her wont to do. "I don't think you meant to write that sentence," she would whisper in my ear. "That doesn't sound like the best description," she would snipe. "Is that the best you can do?" she would sneer.
I took to sneaking my writing in when I knew she was occupied elsewhere. She never could resist critiquing the writing in the morning paper if it was left spread on the kitchen table. That way I could sometimes write several pages before she began her commentary. "Surely you can find a better way to approach this topic," her mocking voice would interrupt. "That has been so done."
Soon I was spending more time arguing with her, defending my words, than I was writing. Then my production slowed to a crawl as I would overanalyze each word choice and sentence formation before committing it to screen or paper. All that did was give her more time to find fault with the few words I did write.
Despite urgent deadlines and simmering ideas, I started avoiding the computer and all writing materials. I cleaned my house. I read for hours on end. I made plans for a new garden. The need the write built within me but always my muse was watching me with those eyes -- so judgmental, so critical. I would turn away from my office with a sigh and find some other project.
When I could no longer suppress the urge to write I locked her in a closet and had a wonderfully productive morning. I was so happy with my work that I let her out as I went out the door to run some errands. That just made her mean.
She was waiting for me at the door when I came home. Her glasses had slid nearly to the tip of her nose and somehow she'd found a red pencil (I certainly never brought any such thing into the house). I shuddered at the sight of my happy morning's labor marred by vicious slashes of red. The red blurred before my eyes into a crimson haze and then...
Perhaps it is better that you don't know the details. Suffice it to say that I have selected several old-fashioned roses with luscious aroma and delicate coloring. I am sure they will provide both inspiration and comfort.
Despite my late hours and the physical toil involved, this morning I awoke early and have already logged in several hours at the keyboard. My fingers flew across the keys and after completing several long-stagnant projects I outlined notes for some new. Writing is joyful and rewarding again.
I think I might dedicate this next book to the memory of my muse. Perhaps it will serve as a warning to those other muses out there who are on the verge of going over the edge. Perhaps it will inspire those other writers out there who have let their muse stifle their creativity and shove them right into writer's block. Maybe my warning will mean those other muses and their writers will find a way to work things out.
About The Author: Deanna Mascle has been teaching and writingprofessionally for more than 20 years. Find more articles aboutwriting at http://Word-Craft.info
***
When you are looking for someone to build a website for you, you have many different options. One of the first things you will have to do is decide is whether you want to use a freelancer or a web design agency to design your website for you. Each option has its own unique set of pros and cons that need to be carefully considered so that you get the web design professional that meets your specific wants and needs.
Freelancers can be a great option. One of the great things about a freelancer is that they have more freedom and flexibility to take on a variety of projects. Some of the most creative people in web design work strictly on a contract or freelance basis. Another great thing about using a freelance web designer is that you may be able to negotiate a great deal. Freelancers often work from their homes, so there are myriad expenses that are spared. While it is true that freelancing has its own expenses associated with it, freelancers certainly have a greater range to negotiate a price. Lastly, you may find a great talent at a bargain. Many new freelancers are eager for work and sites that they can use in their portfolio to command higher-paying jobs. These people are very talented; they are just not as experienced. If you can find one of these gems, and don't mind being a bit patient while they get the hang of freelance work, you can get a great deal on top of the line web design service and also help a deserving person launch his or her career.
Although there are many good reasons to go with a freelancer, there are some drawbacks. If a freelancer gets in over his or her head, it might be hard for him or her to find someone to help him out. Also, there is a great potential for miscommunication and other project-killing incidents to happen with a freelancer. Lastly, with a freelancer, the price may be more variable. You may not know exactly how much the project will cost until it is already over.
If the drawbacks of hiring a freelance professional for your web design project outweigh the benefits, you may want to consider using a web design agency. Web design agencies are usually more established. It is easier to get references as well as a look at portfolio material. Furthermore, a web design agency will have a wide variety of people to work on a project, so that if there is a function that you want, there will be someone in the agency who knows how to do it. Web design agencies also have the benefit of experience. They can accurately estimate the cost of a job, so there are no surprises for you. Finally, most web design agencies are members of their local commerce chambers or some other authoritative organization. If you have a hard time with a freelancer, you don't have very many avenues for recourse. However, with a web design agency, you are more likely to have any dispute you may have resolved to your satisfaction.
Web design agencies and freelance web design professionals both have solid good points and a couple bad points. In order to figure out which is right for you, you need to do an honest assessment of what you are looking for and what risk you are willing to tolerate for what benefits. Each project has its own needs and at any given time a freelancer might be more desirable than a web design agency or vice versa.
Author: Tanya Swithins Website:http://www.pecdesigns.com Bio: Tanya writes for PEC Designs, amanchester web design agency.
***
Are you on First, or Third?
Early in the process of writing, every writer will need to make a decision -- what person to write in?
Traditionally, English grammar has divided references to people into three categories, to refer to I, you, and he or she. The first person is I, me, my, we, our, and so on. The second person is you and your. The third person is he, she, they, their, his, hers, him, her, and so on.
However, most writing tasks are written in either first or third person. Instructional and how-to type writing can be written in second person and some fiction -- although rarely.
How does a writer decide which person is right for their writing task?
For many writers, the first and only criteria used is comfort and experience. As most of our oral communication takes place in the first person and much informal written communication is in first person, many people are just more comfortable writing in first person.
However that doesn't mean that first person is the ideal choice for that particular writing task.
First person is a great choice when you intend to write informally or casually. Even if the task itself is actually for a formal or professional purpose, you may deliberately choose a casual tone. Then first person is the right choice.
First person is also a wonderful choice when writing about personal experience. If you are sharing a story about your life or an event that you witnessed then many times it is more powerful written in first person. The writer is a part of the story and it is important for the reader to know that so first person is the right choice here as well.
There are many times, though, when third person really is the better choice. In fact, many academic and professional situations require it as first person is more casual and informal.
The biggest reason to move from first to third person is simply that third person takes the writer (the "I") out of the writing which places the emphasis on what is being said rather than who is saying it.
It creates a sense of more objectivity and distance?the writer?s feelings and personality are peripheral to an argument?s validity?the facts are allowed to speak for themselves.
Writing in third person is also stronger and more forceful therefore is often more convincing. Often the ?I? statement weakens an argument or statement.
Often first person is unnecessary ie. I think [most students do not need algebra]. Many of the first-person elements (I think, I believe,I know, etc.) often simply weaken or bog down the writing for no purpose. Taking those out to make the switch to third person can make the writing stronger and more powerful.
If you want to learn and grow as a writer then you must experiment and gain experience using both first and third person. That way you will make the choice based on the purpose of your writing not simply your comfort level.
About The Author: Deanna Mascle is the publisher ofhttp://wordcraftonline.com . You can read more athttp://word-craft.info .
Simple Copywriting For Beginners
By Ken Leonard Jr.
© KLJ Online
So you want to sell online... You have a product ready to go, but how are you supposed to write a sales letter like the ones used by the biggest names in internet marketing? A sales letter that attracts prospects and makes sales?
It's no secret that the biggest names in online marketing have been studying the art of writing sales copy for the web for many years. If they haven't, they hire someone who has.
Just having a product to sell online is not going to make you sales. Unless you have the budget to hire a pro copywriter for the web (which will cost you as much as $15,000 for one sales letter, possibly plus 10% of the gross sales), you had better start learning how to write a sales letter that will bring you sales.
The key to a winning sales page for your web site is crafting a great offer. Your offer must be so irresistible, that it almost looks like you are getting the short end of the deal. Like the customer is taking advantage of YOU!
Your irresistible offer must also stand out from the crowd. Develop your own USP (unique selling proposition) and wave it around like a flag. This is why they should buy from YOU, instead of somebody else.
One more thing your offer must do is solve a pressing concern or problem that your prospect is AGONIZING over. Your sales letter must clearly state their biggest problem. Prove how bad this problem really is to your reader. Then give them the clear solution to their problem available only from YOU!
Lead off your sales letter with the offer's biggest benefit to your potential customer. Then lead them into an interesting story dealing with their situation. Capture their attention and hold it, by inserting subtle "teases" that tell them what's to come further on in your letter. This creates curiosity, and if done well, will keep them GLUED to your web page.
To build value for your product from their perspective, educate your reader and inform them of what your product will do for them (always keeping "What's In It For Me" in mind). Make sure any strong statements are backed up with a "reason why" so they are more believable. This does wonders for your credibility in their eyes. If price is a major objection use a strong reason why to make the prospect understand your product's real value to them.
As your offer develops use a limited time or limited quantity deal to create a sense of scarcity and fear of loss. Spell out your bonuses clearly and recap the benefits they will get (and WHY they are important). Then go over everything they will get WHEN (not IF) they buy from you.
Some sales people would call your next step closing the deal, but you should really look at it as a "call to action". Tell your reader EXACTLY what you want them to do NOW, then tell them WHY.
Sign your sales letter as you would normally, with a pleasant goodbye and your signature or initials (a scanned or hand drawn signature works well). Include a P.S. where the first paragraph is another recap of what they will get, and in the second paragraph nicely question their commitment and attitude concerning the biggest benefit, ending with another strong call to action. (The second paragraph can be a P.P.S.)
The more your practice, the better you will become at writing sales letters for the web that sell.
Studying "The Masters" helps a lot, too. It is common practice in the world of copywriting for the web to collect a "swipe file" of sales letter examples from various copywriters and marketers. Use the examples in your swipe file to build (also known as modeling) your own successful sales letter, written mostly in your own words. Be sure you customize the examples for your market and offer, and don't copy anything word for word or you may be facing copyright infringement troubles later on.
New To Selling Online?Let Ken Leonard Jr. helpyou cut through the noiseof your Information Overload.http://InternetHomeBusinessBlog.com
When I was growing up in a slum in Israel, I devoutly believed that knowledge and education will set me free and catapult me from my miserable circumstances into a glamorous world of happy learning. But now, as an adult, I find myself in an alien universe where functional literacy is non-existent even in developed countries, where "culture" means merely sports and music, where science is decried as evil and feared by increasingly hostile and aggressive masses, and where irrationality in all its forms (religiosity, the occult, conspiracy theories) flourishes.
The few real scholars and intellectuals left are on the retreat, back into the ivory towers of a century ago. Increasingly, their place is taken by self-taught "experts", narcissistic bloggers, wannabe "authors" and "auteurs", and partisan promoters of (often self-beneficial) "causes".
Dismal results ensue: the Wikipedia "encyclopedia" is "edited" by anonymous users with unlimited access to its contents and no credentials; fads like environmentalism and alternative "medicine" spread malignantly and seek to silence dissidents, sometimes by violent means; the fare served by the media now consists exclusively of soap operas and reality TV shows; Reading is on terminal decline; with few exceptions, the "new media" are a hodgepodge of sectarian view and fabricated "news"; the few credible sources of reliable information have long been drowned in a cacophony of fakes and phonies.
It is a sad mockery of the idea of progress. The more texts we make available online, the more research is published, the more books are written - the less educated people are, the more they rely on visuals and sounds rather than the written word, the more they seek to escape and be anesthetized rather than be challenged and provoked.
Even the ever-sliming minority who do wish to be enlightened are inundated by a suffocating and unmanageable avalanche of indiscriminate data, comprised of both real and pseudo-science. There is no way to tell the two apart, so a "democracy of knowledge" reins where everyone is equally qualified and everything goes and is equally merited. This relativism is dooming the twenty-first century to become the beginning of a new "Dark Age", hopefully a mere interregnum between two periods of genuine enlightenment.
Sam Vaknin ( http://samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant SelfLove - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East.He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review,PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI)Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and CentralEast Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government ofMacedonia.Visit Sam's Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com
***
Why I killed My Muse
Last night, in the dark following midnight I killed my muse (suffocating her quietly with a pillow) and buried her in my back garden. Today I will plant a roses to hide the grave. No one will ever know and I will be free at last of her insidious hold and I will be able to write what I want.
Why did I resort to this deed? After all my muse was lovely and gave me many gifts over the years. She saw me through dark times and helped mark the joyous ones. Many times she inspired me to reach for more and push myself beyond what I thought I could achieve. Knowing all this why would I kill the very source of my inspiration?
Oh, I had my reasons...
It started out quietly. As I would sit at my keyboard or curl up with a notebook, she would perch on my shoulder as was her wont to do. "I don't think you meant to write that sentence," she would whisper in my ear. "That doesn't sound like the best description," she would snipe. "Is that the best you can do?" she would sneer.
I took to sneaking my writing in when I knew she was occupied elsewhere. She never could resist critiquing the writing in the morning paper if it was left spread on the kitchen table. That way I could sometimes write several pages before she began her commentary. "Surely you can find a better way to approach this topic," her mocking voice would interrupt. "That has been so done."
Soon I was spending more time arguing with her, defending my words, than I was writing. Then my production slowed to a crawl as I would overanalyze each word choice and sentence formation before committing it to screen or paper. All that did was give her more time to find fault with the few words I did write.
Despite urgent deadlines and simmering ideas, I started avoiding the computer and all writing materials. I cleaned my house. I read for hours on end. I made plans for a new garden. The need the write built within me but always my muse was watching me with those eyes -- so judgmental, so critical. I would turn away from my office with a sigh and find some other project.
When I could no longer suppress the urge to write I locked her in a closet and had a wonderfully productive morning. I was so happy with my work that I let her out as I went out the door to run some errands. That just made her mean.
She was waiting for me at the door when I came home. Her glasses had slid nearly to the tip of her nose and somehow she'd found a red pencil (I certainly never brought any such thing into the house). I shuddered at the sight of my happy morning's labor marred by vicious slashes of red. The red blurred before my eyes into a crimson haze and then...
Perhaps it is better that you don't know the details. Suffice it to say that I have selected several old-fashioned roses with luscious aroma and delicate coloring. I am sure they will provide both inspiration and comfort.
Despite my late hours and the physical toil involved, this morning I awoke early and have already logged in several hours at the keyboard. My fingers flew across the keys and after completing several long-stagnant projects I outlined notes for some new. Writing is joyful and rewarding again.
I think I might dedicate this next book to the memory of my muse. Perhaps it will serve as a warning to those other muses out there who are on the verge of going over the edge. Perhaps it will inspire those other writers out there who have let their muse stifle their creativity and shove them right into writer's block. Maybe my warning will mean those other muses and their writers will find a way to work things out.
About The Author: Deanna Mascle has been teaching and writingprofessionally for more than 20 years. Find more articles aboutwriting at http://Word-Craft.info
***
When you are looking for someone to build a website for you, you have many different options. One of the first things you will have to do is decide is whether you want to use a freelancer or a web design agency to design your website for you. Each option has its own unique set of pros and cons that need to be carefully considered so that you get the web design professional that meets your specific wants and needs.
Freelancers can be a great option. One of the great things about a freelancer is that they have more freedom and flexibility to take on a variety of projects. Some of the most creative people in web design work strictly on a contract or freelance basis. Another great thing about using a freelance web designer is that you may be able to negotiate a great deal. Freelancers often work from their homes, so there are myriad expenses that are spared. While it is true that freelancing has its own expenses associated with it, freelancers certainly have a greater range to negotiate a price. Lastly, you may find a great talent at a bargain. Many new freelancers are eager for work and sites that they can use in their portfolio to command higher-paying jobs. These people are very talented; they are just not as experienced. If you can find one of these gems, and don't mind being a bit patient while they get the hang of freelance work, you can get a great deal on top of the line web design service and also help a deserving person launch his or her career.
Although there are many good reasons to go with a freelancer, there are some drawbacks. If a freelancer gets in over his or her head, it might be hard for him or her to find someone to help him out. Also, there is a great potential for miscommunication and other project-killing incidents to happen with a freelancer. Lastly, with a freelancer, the price may be more variable. You may not know exactly how much the project will cost until it is already over.
If the drawbacks of hiring a freelance professional for your web design project outweigh the benefits, you may want to consider using a web design agency. Web design agencies are usually more established. It is easier to get references as well as a look at portfolio material. Furthermore, a web design agency will have a wide variety of people to work on a project, so that if there is a function that you want, there will be someone in the agency who knows how to do it. Web design agencies also have the benefit of experience. They can accurately estimate the cost of a job, so there are no surprises for you. Finally, most web design agencies are members of their local commerce chambers or some other authoritative organization. If you have a hard time with a freelancer, you don't have very many avenues for recourse. However, with a web design agency, you are more likely to have any dispute you may have resolved to your satisfaction.
Web design agencies and freelance web design professionals both have solid good points and a couple bad points. In order to figure out which is right for you, you need to do an honest assessment of what you are looking for and what risk you are willing to tolerate for what benefits. Each project has its own needs and at any given time a freelancer might be more desirable than a web design agency or vice versa.
Author: Tanya Swithins Website:http://www.pecdesigns.com Bio: Tanya writes for PEC Designs, amanchester web design agency.
***
Are you on First, or Third?
Early in the process of writing, every writer will need to make a decision -- what person to write in?
Traditionally, English grammar has divided references to people into three categories, to refer to I, you, and he or she. The first person is I, me, my, we, our, and so on. The second person is you and your. The third person is he, she, they, their, his, hers, him, her, and so on.
However, most writing tasks are written in either first or third person. Instructional and how-to type writing can be written in second person and some fiction -- although rarely.
How does a writer decide which person is right for their writing task?
For many writers, the first and only criteria used is comfort and experience. As most of our oral communication takes place in the first person and much informal written communication is in first person, many people are just more comfortable writing in first person.
However that doesn't mean that first person is the ideal choice for that particular writing task.
First person is a great choice when you intend to write informally or casually. Even if the task itself is actually for a formal or professional purpose, you may deliberately choose a casual tone. Then first person is the right choice.
First person is also a wonderful choice when writing about personal experience. If you are sharing a story about your life or an event that you witnessed then many times it is more powerful written in first person. The writer is a part of the story and it is important for the reader to know that so first person is the right choice here as well.
There are many times, though, when third person really is the better choice. In fact, many academic and professional situations require it as first person is more casual and informal.
The biggest reason to move from first to third person is simply that third person takes the writer (the "I") out of the writing which places the emphasis on what is being said rather than who is saying it.
It creates a sense of more objectivity and distance?the writer?s feelings and personality are peripheral to an argument?s validity?the facts are allowed to speak for themselves.
Writing in third person is also stronger and more forceful therefore is often more convincing. Often the ?I? statement weakens an argument or statement.
Often first person is unnecessary ie. I think [most students do not need algebra]. Many of the first-person elements (I think, I believe,I know, etc.) often simply weaken or bog down the writing for no purpose. Taking those out to make the switch to third person can make the writing stronger and more powerful.
If you want to learn and grow as a writer then you must experiment and gain experience using both first and third person. That way you will make the choice based on the purpose of your writing not simply your comfort level.
About The Author: Deanna Mascle is the publisher ofhttp://wordcraftonline.com . You can read more athttp://word-craft.info .
Simple Copywriting For Beginners
By Ken Leonard Jr.
© KLJ Online
So you want to sell online... You have a product ready to go, but how are you supposed to write a sales letter like the ones used by the biggest names in internet marketing? A sales letter that attracts prospects and makes sales?
It's no secret that the biggest names in online marketing have been studying the art of writing sales copy for the web for many years. If they haven't, they hire someone who has.
Just having a product to sell online is not going to make you sales. Unless you have the budget to hire a pro copywriter for the web (which will cost you as much as $15,000 for one sales letter, possibly plus 10% of the gross sales), you had better start learning how to write a sales letter that will bring you sales.
The key to a winning sales page for your web site is crafting a great offer. Your offer must be so irresistible, that it almost looks like you are getting the short end of the deal. Like the customer is taking advantage of YOU!
Your irresistible offer must also stand out from the crowd. Develop your own USP (unique selling proposition) and wave it around like a flag. This is why they should buy from YOU, instead of somebody else.
One more thing your offer must do is solve a pressing concern or problem that your prospect is AGONIZING over. Your sales letter must clearly state their biggest problem. Prove how bad this problem really is to your reader. Then give them the clear solution to their problem available only from YOU!
Lead off your sales letter with the offer's biggest benefit to your potential customer. Then lead them into an interesting story dealing with their situation. Capture their attention and hold it, by inserting subtle "teases" that tell them what's to come further on in your letter. This creates curiosity, and if done well, will keep them GLUED to your web page.
To build value for your product from their perspective, educate your reader and inform them of what your product will do for them (always keeping "What's In It For Me" in mind). Make sure any strong statements are backed up with a "reason why" so they are more believable. This does wonders for your credibility in their eyes. If price is a major objection use a strong reason why to make the prospect understand your product's real value to them.
As your offer develops use a limited time or limited quantity deal to create a sense of scarcity and fear of loss. Spell out your bonuses clearly and recap the benefits they will get (and WHY they are important). Then go over everything they will get WHEN (not IF) they buy from you.
Some sales people would call your next step closing the deal, but you should really look at it as a "call to action". Tell your reader EXACTLY what you want them to do NOW, then tell them WHY.
Sign your sales letter as you would normally, with a pleasant goodbye and your signature or initials (a scanned or hand drawn signature works well). Include a P.S. where the first paragraph is another recap of what they will get, and in the second paragraph nicely question their commitment and attitude concerning the biggest benefit, ending with another strong call to action. (The second paragraph can be a P.P.S.)
The more your practice, the better you will become at writing sales letters for the web that sell.
Studying "The Masters" helps a lot, too. It is common practice in the world of copywriting for the web to collect a "swipe file" of sales letter examples from various copywriters and marketers. Use the examples in your swipe file to build (also known as modeling) your own successful sales letter, written mostly in your own words. Be sure you customize the examples for your market and offer, and don't copy anything word for word or you may be facing copyright infringement troubles later on.
New To Selling Online?Let Ken Leonard Jr. helpyou cut through the noiseof your Information Overload.http://InternetHomeBusinessBlog.com
Lessons I have learned from life
I've not had the best time of my life! But, I have learned to accept the bad with the good. You do not know what your life will bring tomorrow, so enjoy all that you've been given today.
In 1992, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, five weeks later I was attending her funeral. My daughter Katie was taken from this earth before her life ever really began. Since her death, I learned many hard lessons. The most important being that life can change in a matter of seconds.
Always, live each day as if it were your last." I know this is an overused cliché, but it's true. You should try to live the most fulfilling life you can and never be afraid to take chances. What is life without chances?
One thing that I have learned is that you should never miss a chance to tell people that you love them. They can be taken from you in a blink of an eye. Don't put off until tomorrow what you do today. Don't wait until you are standing at the foot of their grave to honor them. Pick up the phone today and call them, just to say, "I love you."
Know who your good friends are and work hard at maintaining those friendships. It's true what they say, "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" Over the past year I've learned that when the going gets tough, some of your so called friends are the ones who get going. They turn their back and walk away. What happened to being there for someone in good times and bad?
I asked a panel of men, women, and children between the ages of 11 and 60 to finish the following sentence. " I've learned..."
Lets look at how they replied.
I've learned- that no matter how much you try to prepare yourself for the death of a loved one you are never truly prepared. Rose DesRochers - Age 36
I've learned that life is not always easy but you have to bear with it for your own sake. -Simon Erif - age 21
I've learned that I must follow my own heart. - Sally - age 47
I have learned that whatever road of your life gets broken you can carry on, whatever bridge is shattered the river still flows, whatever dream is destroyed you can make a new one and as long as your children are ok nothing else really matters. Bryan -age 46
I have learned in life is never give up on yourself in whatever you pursue. Monica E- age 43
About the Author: Rose DesRochers is a published poet and freelance writer. Rose has been writing poetry for more than 20 years. She is also the founder of http://www.todays-woman.net, a supportive online writing community for men and women over 18. She is also the Assistant Administrator of http://www.invision-graphics.com. Rose DesRochers's blog : Nurturing the family in these times, by Earl H. Roberts.
Some of J. T. Hale's ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence. Nathan Hale is counted as one of his relatives. (They come from the same Hale family) These are parts of his own personal heritage but ALL the signers of the Declaration are part of every American's heritage. That means Nathan Hale can be a hero to all of us. After all, if you go back far enough all of us are related to kings, queens, and all the other rapscallions too.
The recipe for keeping the modern family together still begins in the kitchen.
Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day Proclamation
I've learned, I have! I've not had the best time of my life! But, I have learned to accept the bad with the good. You do not know what your life will bring tomorrow, so enjoy all that you've been given today.
Free Scholarships for your young scholar. It takes hours online every day to update, research and verify all four thousand of the Scholarship offerings available. YOU can get all that information for FREE. The Scholarship Directory contains textually enhanced links to over 4,000 websites where you can register for all types of Scholarships and Grants for your children. Download the Directory for free, and while you're at it, take the time to register for a FREE Scholarship worth $10,000.00
They sat around moping when Daddy died because he had not left them any legacy. They were so down in the mouth that I stood up and volunteered to pay Daddy back for that time he drove 350 miles to get me when my car blowed up and my whole family was stranded on the road. "I figure that kind of service call is worth a thousand dollars because he kind of done it on credit and I never paid the bill. I'll put that in the pot for yawl a legacy to divide up."
Down with the Willow... Daddy always was a better man than I; How do you deal with that? The Willow was bigger than both of us.
Pray for your spouse because in these treacherous times there are forces threatening us in the workplace as never before.
Whistle -- an inspirational Father's Day Story because the promises we forget are usually the ones never forgot.
The First Day of School is always the toughest, by Lin Stone
There Are Gypsies In My Dreams
Pretty Pictures taken by a father who might could have been something. If only, if only.
Smiles, by Filomena Borsellino. A smile is the sweetest Treasure on Earth.
Michael was not my problem. When he first came to us he was a bundle of boyish energy, too large for his age and too bright for his years. It was said that he ran his poor grandmother to death, and having seen them together I believed it. It’s strange. All of us believed it, but none of us helped, not like we should have. Oh, we hoped she could hold out, and some of us probably prayed God would give her more strength. But somehow we all felt Michael was HER problem, and not ours.
The Ice Cream "Comb" by Rick Beneteau because Quitting is never an option.
In 1992, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, five weeks later I was attending her funeral. My daughter Katie was taken from this earth before her life ever really began. Since her death, I learned many hard lessons. The most important being that life can change in a matter of seconds.
Always, live each day as if it were your last." I know this is an overused cliché, but it's true. You should try to live the most fulfilling life you can and never be afraid to take chances. What is life without chances?
One thing that I have learned is that you should never miss a chance to tell people that you love them. They can be taken from you in a blink of an eye. Don't put off until tomorrow what you do today. Don't wait until you are standing at the foot of their grave to honor them. Pick up the phone today and call them, just to say, "I love you."
Know who your good friends are and work hard at maintaining those friendships. It's true what they say, "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" Over the past year I've learned that when the going gets tough, some of your so called friends are the ones who get going. They turn their back and walk away. What happened to being there for someone in good times and bad?
I asked a panel of men, women, and children between the ages of 11 and 60 to finish the following sentence. " I've learned..."
Lets look at how they replied.
I've learned- that no matter how much you try to prepare yourself for the death of a loved one you are never truly prepared. Rose DesRochers - Age 36
I've learned that life is not always easy but you have to bear with it for your own sake. -Simon Erif - age 21
I've learned that I must follow my own heart. - Sally - age 47
I have learned that whatever road of your life gets broken you can carry on, whatever bridge is shattered the river still flows, whatever dream is destroyed you can make a new one and as long as your children are ok nothing else really matters. Bryan -age 46
I have learned in life is never give up on yourself in whatever you pursue. Monica E- age 43
About the Author: Rose DesRochers is a published poet and freelance writer. Rose has been writing poetry for more than 20 years. She is also the founder of http://www.todays-woman.net, a supportive online writing community for men and women over 18. She is also the Assistant Administrator of http://www.invision-graphics.com. Rose DesRochers's blog : Nurturing the family in these times, by Earl H. Roberts.
Some of J. T. Hale's ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence. Nathan Hale is counted as one of his relatives. (They come from the same Hale family) These are parts of his own personal heritage but ALL the signers of the Declaration are part of every American's heritage. That means Nathan Hale can be a hero to all of us. After all, if you go back far enough all of us are related to kings, queens, and all the other rapscallions too.
The recipe for keeping the modern family together still begins in the kitchen.
Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day Proclamation
I've learned, I have! I've not had the best time of my life! But, I have learned to accept the bad with the good. You do not know what your life will bring tomorrow, so enjoy all that you've been given today.
Free Scholarships for your young scholar. It takes hours online every day to update, research and verify all four thousand of the Scholarship offerings available. YOU can get all that information for FREE. The Scholarship Directory contains textually enhanced links to over 4,000 websites where you can register for all types of Scholarships and Grants for your children. Download the Directory for free, and while you're at it, take the time to register for a FREE Scholarship worth $10,000.00
They sat around moping when Daddy died because he had not left them any legacy. They were so down in the mouth that I stood up and volunteered to pay Daddy back for that time he drove 350 miles to get me when my car blowed up and my whole family was stranded on the road. "I figure that kind of service call is worth a thousand dollars because he kind of done it on credit and I never paid the bill. I'll put that in the pot for yawl a legacy to divide up."
Down with the Willow... Daddy always was a better man than I; How do you deal with that? The Willow was bigger than both of us.
Pray for your spouse because in these treacherous times there are forces threatening us in the workplace as never before.
Whistle -- an inspirational Father's Day Story because the promises we forget are usually the ones never forgot.
The First Day of School is always the toughest, by Lin Stone
There Are Gypsies In My Dreams
Pretty Pictures taken by a father who might could have been something. If only, if only.
Smiles, by Filomena Borsellino. A smile is the sweetest Treasure on Earth.
Michael was not my problem. When he first came to us he was a bundle of boyish energy, too large for his age and too bright for his years. It was said that he ran his poor grandmother to death, and having seen them together I believed it. It’s strange. All of us believed it, but none of us helped, not like we should have. Oh, we hoped she could hold out, and some of us probably prayed God would give her more strength. But somehow we all felt Michael was HER problem, and not ours.
The Ice Cream "Comb" by Rick Beneteau because Quitting is never an option.
In Depth Study of Cocoa
Cocoa, a far better cry than coffee, delivers that same warm, fuzzy feeling and gives the mind time to pause, and think. Cocoa is better for a writer than coffee. Here is an in depth study of the subject.
Hot Chocolate - Gourmet
By George Murray
Hot chocolate, the real stuff, doesn’t come in a powder. Instead, it’s a rich, creamy drink made to be savored and served with elegance. You can make a big splash at your next dinner party or gathering by serving up this ancient treat in style, dazzling guests with its decadent flavor.
The gourmet variety chocolate drink is one that’s been perfected over the course of literally hundreds of years. The drinking of chocolate, in fact, dates back to ancient central and south Americans. To get the real deal in a drink for that’s gourmet, you’ll need to purchase the best in chocolates. Take care in choosing the chocolate for your drink. French or other imported dark or even unsweetened chocolate work well. The best chocolate, of course, makes the best drinks.
Once you’ve decided upon your chocolate base, you’ll need fresh heavy cream, sugar if you’ve gone the unsweetened chocolate route and vanilla, real vanilla, not the fake stuff. Anything but the best will not do if you’re trying to make gourmet drinking chocolate.
Now, get a double boiler and carefully melt about one ounce of the chocolate. You’ll want to take care in this process to make sure you don’t burn the chocolate. If using a sweetened gourmet type of chocolate, you won’t need to add any sugar. If not, add a few tablespoons to flavor. Once that’s done, mix the chocolate with about two cups of heavy cream. If the cream overpowers the chocolate, melt a little more and whisk the combination together.
With the chocolate and cream carefully blended, serve in delicate cups. A chocolate pot can be used for serving to add a flair for the dramatic, and even traditional.
The drinking of gourmet chocolates is an art form in Europe where fine porcelain makers specialize in creating pots and cups to add elegance to the tradition.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with the types of chocolate in your drink or flavorful additives. Mint, for example, can be a refreshing addition to this gourmet drink as can fresh whipped cream, cinnamon sticks and other side touches.
Want to learn more about the fascinating history of chocolate? Visit us at http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
George Murray is the President of Centric Promotions, Inc. Learn more about the history of chocolate and view an assortment of luxury chocolates and chocolate gifts by visiting us at: http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
Fine Chocolates - Working The Bean
When it comes to making fine chocolates, the makers of the best know it all starts with a simple bean. But, how does chocolate go from a bean to what is considered one of the best dessert confections in the world?
It starts with the cacao. The seed, or bean, from this fruit bearing tree must undergo some serious processing to become chocolate. The trick in making fine chocolate is proper processing of cacao’s beans from the very start.
Cacaos are harvested by hand. Growers hand cut the fruit, generally using machetes in the process. This is the very first step in creating the finest of chocolates. Once the fruits of cacaos are gathered, it is opened and the beans and the cacaos pulp is removed.
The next step in the creation of finer chocolates is the fermentation process. This can take five to six days during which time the fruit’s natural sugars create an alcohol. Cacao’s pulp turns to a liquid during this process and drains away. Chocolate’s deep brown color is generated during this process.
Once fermentation is completed on cacaos, the beans must be dried to continue the chocolate making process. Considering the climes in which cacaos grow, it should be of no surprise the drying method of choice is the sun for natural chocolate creation. Drying of cacaos takes about two weeks. In come cases, high volume producers use hot air to dry chocolate beans, but this is not the best method for creating a fine end product.
With drying completed, the chocolate creation process continues with roasting. This step, much like it is in the creation of coffee, is vital. For a finer chocolate to be created, roasting must take place around 210 degrees Fahrenheit. This step can take a few minutes or just over an hour. It gives cacaos a rich aroma and adds to the chocolate flavor. Roasting is critical and requires constant supervision for a fine outcome. Low temperature roasting will net a chocolate bean that’s fruity. Longer roasting of cacaos increases bitterness.
Tedious filtering is the next step in chocolate creation. Called winnowing, this is when cacaos are shelled and made ready for grinding, which is another essential step in the chocolate creation process.
Creating the finest in chocolates, is a lot harder than it seems. From bean to bar, each step along the way requires patience and expertise.
Want to learn more about the fascinating history of chocolate? Visit us at http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
George Murray is the President of Centric Promotions, Inc. Learn more about the history of chocolate and view an assortment of luxury chocolates and chocolate gifts by visiting us at: http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
Cacao Beans - Three Types
Much like the different varieties of coffee, cacao beans come in varying types. Three kinds of beans dominate the world market, serving as the base for most fine chocolates.
Each of the three main beans grown from cacao trees serves as the prime base in chocolates. Without the bean there would be no chocolates and without the finer beans gourmet confections would be bland indeed.
Grown in different parts of the world, the three beans used in most chocolate production today are the Criollo, Forasteros and Trinitario. Each of these beans has its own properties that result in slightly different tastes in the chocolate end product.
The Criollo beans are the ones that started it all. Europeans first stumbled across them in 1502 when Christopher Columbus came in contact with them. Grown in South America, these beans are known for producing the finest in chocolates. They grow in South America’s milder climates and require very rich soil. The beans themselves are considered the best for making chocolates because they are highly aromatic and have low acid levels, which helps create fine chocolate end products.
Forasteros come from the Amazon region of South America. These beans are thought to account for about 80 percent of the world’s cacao production. Not considered as fine as the Criollo, these beans produce a weak aroma and have a bitter taste although they can be processed to create fine products.
Less common for chocolate making than the Forasteros and not as fine in quality as the Criollo, the Trinitario is considered a hybrid bean from the cacao tree. This bean combines the taste of the Criollo with the higher yields of the Forasteros and is grown in South America, various Caribbean islands and a few other locals.
To take any of the beans and process it into a fine product of chocolate takes skill, and expertise. Not naturally sweet, the cacao resulting from the bean must be specially worked to create the chocolate flavor so many around the world crave.
Want to learn more about the fascinating history of chocolate? Visit us at http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
George Murray is the President of Centric Promotions, Inc. Learn more about the history of chocolate and view an assortment of luxury chocolates and chocolate gifts by visiting us at: http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
Cacao Beans - Conching
Cacao beans are the most important ingredient in finished fine chocolates. Without a high quality bean, the process is for naught. Staring with the bean and working through all the steps to transform it from seed to chocolate requires precision. Failure along the way means the difference between mediocre confections and chocolate perfection.
During the start of the chocolate making process, beans are treated somewhat like coffee. They’re harvested, fermented and then roasted. For excellent chocolates, this part of the making process is vital, but the making of chocolate doesn’t truly get interesting until the roasting is complete.
After roasting, the making process continues with grinding. The beans of the cacao must be basically shelled and then ground before they can be used in most chocolate recipes. During the grinding stage, the beans give off a liquid. Called cacao liquor, this liquid can be turned into three different products – all valuable to makers of fine chocolate. The cacao can also be processed into cacao butter or cacao powder, but this is generally done with lower quality beans. It can also be turned into chocolate.
To actually make chocolate from the chocolate liquor, fine crafters add sugar. The mixture is ground again, generally, to get rid of any “grainy” taste. It’s then “conched.” This means the chocolate in its liquid form is mixed at a temperature of about 180 degrees Fahrenheit. It is during conching that chocolate begins to gain its smooth, finished taste. Fine end product chocolates can be conched for an hour to a full day or more, depending on the maker’s individual preference.
With conching done, the finished chocolate can be further processed into milk chocolate, dark chocolate, ganache and other products. From bean to conching, each step in the making process is important, any wavering can harm the quality of the finished chocolate.
Conching itself is vital and often sets one chocolate maker’s work apart from another’s. From bean to chocolate base, the art of making chocolate is more complex than many likely suspect.
Want to learn more about the fascinating history of chocolate? Visit us at http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
George Murray is the President of Centric Promotions, Inc. Learn more about the history of chocolate and view an assortment of luxury chocolates and chocolate gifts by visiting us at: http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
White Chocolate
- The Not-So-Chocolate Chocolate
Although it’s called chocolate, white chocolate isn’t really chocolate at all. A hybrid that does derive its roots from the same cacao plant, the white version involves a different process for creation. Be this as it may, those who crave the creamy vanilla taste of the white version of chocolate will probably not care about the semantics involved.
Chocolate making involves first the extraction of useable items from the ancient cacao bean. While dark chocolates use the cocoa powder ground from the seeds, the versions of white use only the butter. When chocolate making experts create a white blend, the butter is the only items used from the bean itself to create the end product.
Making chocolate of the white persuasion involves a process not dissimilar to making darks. Despite the similarity, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will even deem white chocolates as chocolates at all since chocolate liquor isn’t used in their creation.
Instead, makers of white varieties of chocolates use the cocoa butter, milk solids, vanilla, sugar and lecithin to make this creation. Those that use true cocoa butter create a higher-quality chocolate than those who don’t. Other makers will save money by substituting vegetable fat for the cocoa butter, but don’t be fooled, it’s not the same.
True white chocolates are ivory in color when they’re made. The taste screams of cream and vanilla and it simply cannot be matched with the white, white creations that come from vegetable fat. The consistency, taste and ability to store is vastly different between the two versions of whites made by chocolate manufacturers.
Delicate by nature, white chocolates melt quite easily and scorch even easier. Take care when melting for things like ganache or chocolate fondue. Also, due to the use of real cocoa butter in the creation of top quality whites, this chocolate can store for months without spoilage.
Want to learn more about the fascinating history of chocolate? Visit us at http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
George Murray is the President of Centric Promotions, Inc. Learn more about the history of chocolate and view an assortment of luxury chocolates and chocolate gifts by visiting us at: http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
We are all connected.
We breathe the same air.
We drink the same water.
We live on the same earth.
So in all the ways possible, writers and artists share with us the rainbow circle of their love, life and their understanding thereof.
Every breath we take should be a ceremony of appreciation.
Every step is sacred in its eternal consequences.
Each thought is a balance of universal law.
We walk at our own pace.
We see with our own eyes.
With each author here we sit on Mother Earth, connected for time and eternity. With the eye of the artist we see the spirits dancing in the fire. In our hearts we hear the rustling of night winds. and we feel the warmth of the morning sun as the morning breaks
Always be ready to Share the Best that is in you
With a World that is eager to Share. http://www.talewins.com/
Hot Chocolate - Gourmet
By George Murray
Hot chocolate, the real stuff, doesn’t come in a powder. Instead, it’s a rich, creamy drink made to be savored and served with elegance. You can make a big splash at your next dinner party or gathering by serving up this ancient treat in style, dazzling guests with its decadent flavor.
The gourmet variety chocolate drink is one that’s been perfected over the course of literally hundreds of years. The drinking of chocolate, in fact, dates back to ancient central and south Americans. To get the real deal in a drink for that’s gourmet, you’ll need to purchase the best in chocolates. Take care in choosing the chocolate for your drink. French or other imported dark or even unsweetened chocolate work well. The best chocolate, of course, makes the best drinks.
Once you’ve decided upon your chocolate base, you’ll need fresh heavy cream, sugar if you’ve gone the unsweetened chocolate route and vanilla, real vanilla, not the fake stuff. Anything but the best will not do if you’re trying to make gourmet drinking chocolate.
Now, get a double boiler and carefully melt about one ounce of the chocolate. You’ll want to take care in this process to make sure you don’t burn the chocolate. If using a sweetened gourmet type of chocolate, you won’t need to add any sugar. If not, add a few tablespoons to flavor. Once that’s done, mix the chocolate with about two cups of heavy cream. If the cream overpowers the chocolate, melt a little more and whisk the combination together.
With the chocolate and cream carefully blended, serve in delicate cups. A chocolate pot can be used for serving to add a flair for the dramatic, and even traditional.
The drinking of gourmet chocolates is an art form in Europe where fine porcelain makers specialize in creating pots and cups to add elegance to the tradition.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with the types of chocolate in your drink or flavorful additives. Mint, for example, can be a refreshing addition to this gourmet drink as can fresh whipped cream, cinnamon sticks and other side touches.
Want to learn more about the fascinating history of chocolate? Visit us at http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
George Murray is the President of Centric Promotions, Inc. Learn more about the history of chocolate and view an assortment of luxury chocolates and chocolate gifts by visiting us at: http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
Fine Chocolates - Working The Bean
When it comes to making fine chocolates, the makers of the best know it all starts with a simple bean. But, how does chocolate go from a bean to what is considered one of the best dessert confections in the world?
It starts with the cacao. The seed, or bean, from this fruit bearing tree must undergo some serious processing to become chocolate. The trick in making fine chocolate is proper processing of cacao’s beans from the very start.
Cacaos are harvested by hand. Growers hand cut the fruit, generally using machetes in the process. This is the very first step in creating the finest of chocolates. Once the fruits of cacaos are gathered, it is opened and the beans and the cacaos pulp is removed.
The next step in the creation of finer chocolates is the fermentation process. This can take five to six days during which time the fruit’s natural sugars create an alcohol. Cacao’s pulp turns to a liquid during this process and drains away. Chocolate’s deep brown color is generated during this process.
Once fermentation is completed on cacaos, the beans must be dried to continue the chocolate making process. Considering the climes in which cacaos grow, it should be of no surprise the drying method of choice is the sun for natural chocolate creation. Drying of cacaos takes about two weeks. In come cases, high volume producers use hot air to dry chocolate beans, but this is not the best method for creating a fine end product.
With drying completed, the chocolate creation process continues with roasting. This step, much like it is in the creation of coffee, is vital. For a finer chocolate to be created, roasting must take place around 210 degrees Fahrenheit. This step can take a few minutes or just over an hour. It gives cacaos a rich aroma and adds to the chocolate flavor. Roasting is critical and requires constant supervision for a fine outcome. Low temperature roasting will net a chocolate bean that’s fruity. Longer roasting of cacaos increases bitterness.
Tedious filtering is the next step in chocolate creation. Called winnowing, this is when cacaos are shelled and made ready for grinding, which is another essential step in the chocolate creation process.
Creating the finest in chocolates, is a lot harder than it seems. From bean to bar, each step along the way requires patience and expertise.
Want to learn more about the fascinating history of chocolate? Visit us at http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
George Murray is the President of Centric Promotions, Inc. Learn more about the history of chocolate and view an assortment of luxury chocolates and chocolate gifts by visiting us at: http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
Cacao Beans - Three Types
Much like the different varieties of coffee, cacao beans come in varying types. Three kinds of beans dominate the world market, serving as the base for most fine chocolates.
Each of the three main beans grown from cacao trees serves as the prime base in chocolates. Without the bean there would be no chocolates and without the finer beans gourmet confections would be bland indeed.
Grown in different parts of the world, the three beans used in most chocolate production today are the Criollo, Forasteros and Trinitario. Each of these beans has its own properties that result in slightly different tastes in the chocolate end product.
The Criollo beans are the ones that started it all. Europeans first stumbled across them in 1502 when Christopher Columbus came in contact with them. Grown in South America, these beans are known for producing the finest in chocolates. They grow in South America’s milder climates and require very rich soil. The beans themselves are considered the best for making chocolates because they are highly aromatic and have low acid levels, which helps create fine chocolate end products.
Forasteros come from the Amazon region of South America. These beans are thought to account for about 80 percent of the world’s cacao production. Not considered as fine as the Criollo, these beans produce a weak aroma and have a bitter taste although they can be processed to create fine products.
Less common for chocolate making than the Forasteros and not as fine in quality as the Criollo, the Trinitario is considered a hybrid bean from the cacao tree. This bean combines the taste of the Criollo with the higher yields of the Forasteros and is grown in South America, various Caribbean islands and a few other locals.
To take any of the beans and process it into a fine product of chocolate takes skill, and expertise. Not naturally sweet, the cacao resulting from the bean must be specially worked to create the chocolate flavor so many around the world crave.
Want to learn more about the fascinating history of chocolate? Visit us at http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
George Murray is the President of Centric Promotions, Inc. Learn more about the history of chocolate and view an assortment of luxury chocolates and chocolate gifts by visiting us at: http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
Cacao Beans - Conching
Cacao beans are the most important ingredient in finished fine chocolates. Without a high quality bean, the process is for naught. Staring with the bean and working through all the steps to transform it from seed to chocolate requires precision. Failure along the way means the difference between mediocre confections and chocolate perfection.
During the start of the chocolate making process, beans are treated somewhat like coffee. They’re harvested, fermented and then roasted. For excellent chocolates, this part of the making process is vital, but the making of chocolate doesn’t truly get interesting until the roasting is complete.
After roasting, the making process continues with grinding. The beans of the cacao must be basically shelled and then ground before they can be used in most chocolate recipes. During the grinding stage, the beans give off a liquid. Called cacao liquor, this liquid can be turned into three different products – all valuable to makers of fine chocolate. The cacao can also be processed into cacao butter or cacao powder, but this is generally done with lower quality beans. It can also be turned into chocolate.
To actually make chocolate from the chocolate liquor, fine crafters add sugar. The mixture is ground again, generally, to get rid of any “grainy” taste. It’s then “conched.” This means the chocolate in its liquid form is mixed at a temperature of about 180 degrees Fahrenheit. It is during conching that chocolate begins to gain its smooth, finished taste. Fine end product chocolates can be conched for an hour to a full day or more, depending on the maker’s individual preference.
With conching done, the finished chocolate can be further processed into milk chocolate, dark chocolate, ganache and other products. From bean to conching, each step in the making process is important, any wavering can harm the quality of the finished chocolate.
Conching itself is vital and often sets one chocolate maker’s work apart from another’s. From bean to chocolate base, the art of making chocolate is more complex than many likely suspect.
Want to learn more about the fascinating history of chocolate? Visit us at http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
George Murray is the President of Centric Promotions, Inc. Learn more about the history of chocolate and view an assortment of luxury chocolates and chocolate gifts by visiting us at: http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
White Chocolate
- The Not-So-Chocolate Chocolate
Although it’s called chocolate, white chocolate isn’t really chocolate at all. A hybrid that does derive its roots from the same cacao plant, the white version involves a different process for creation. Be this as it may, those who crave the creamy vanilla taste of the white version of chocolate will probably not care about the semantics involved.
Chocolate making involves first the extraction of useable items from the ancient cacao bean. While dark chocolates use the cocoa powder ground from the seeds, the versions of white use only the butter. When chocolate making experts create a white blend, the butter is the only items used from the bean itself to create the end product.
Making chocolate of the white persuasion involves a process not dissimilar to making darks. Despite the similarity, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will even deem white chocolates as chocolates at all since chocolate liquor isn’t used in their creation.
Instead, makers of white varieties of chocolates use the cocoa butter, milk solids, vanilla, sugar and lecithin to make this creation. Those that use true cocoa butter create a higher-quality chocolate than those who don’t. Other makers will save money by substituting vegetable fat for the cocoa butter, but don’t be fooled, it’s not the same.
True white chocolates are ivory in color when they’re made. The taste screams of cream and vanilla and it simply cannot be matched with the white, white creations that come from vegetable fat. The consistency, taste and ability to store is vastly different between the two versions of whites made by chocolate manufacturers.
Delicate by nature, white chocolates melt quite easily and scorch even easier. Take care when melting for things like ganache or chocolate fondue. Also, due to the use of real cocoa butter in the creation of top quality whites, this chocolate can store for months without spoilage.
Want to learn more about the fascinating history of chocolate? Visit us at http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
George Murray is the President of Centric Promotions, Inc. Learn more about the history of chocolate and view an assortment of luxury chocolates and chocolate gifts by visiting us at: http://www.chocolate-gourmet-gifts.com
We are all connected.
We breathe the same air.
We drink the same water.
We live on the same earth.
So in all the ways possible, writers and artists share with us the rainbow circle of their love, life and their understanding thereof.
Every breath we take should be a ceremony of appreciation.
Every step is sacred in its eternal consequences.
Each thought is a balance of universal law.
We walk at our own pace.
We see with our own eyes.
With each author here we sit on Mother Earth, connected for time and eternity. With the eye of the artist we see the spirits dancing in the fire. In our hearts we hear the rustling of night winds. and we feel the warmth of the morning sun as the morning breaks
Always be ready to Share the Best that is in you
With a World that is eager to Share. http://www.talewins.com/
What is the Meaning of a Single Rose?
Have You Ever Wondered about the meaning of a single rose?
Learn more about this gesture of pure love.
The Meaning of a Single Rose By: Groshan Fabiola
Many feelings can be expressed by flowers, and this non-verbal language is very popular nowadays. Each one of us has sent at least one message to someone with the help of a flower. Sometimes whole conversations between two lovers are spoken through flowers.
The most meaningful flower of all is considered to be the red rose. A single red rose is now usually used to send a message of love. There are also many messages that can be sent through single roses, like :-a single white rose is used by someone that wants to say 'I'm sorry' to his/her significant other. It also has some other meanings. Since medieval times white roses are considered to be a symbol of light, purity and innocence, so sending a single white rose may also mean that you consider that person to be pure, or that your love is very pure.-a single yellow rose expresses happiness and love. Sending a single yellow rose to your half means that you are happy with your love and relationship.
But be careful because single white roses have two meanings! They can also express jealousy, so sending someone one can mean that you are jealous. The best thing to do is to attach a note to the rose, explaining exactly what you mean.-a single peach rose is used to send a message of friendship to a best friend or even to a lover.-a single purple rose expresses beauty. So if you want to tell someone he/she is beautiful send him/her a single purple rose.-a single pink rose is an elegant way of thanking someone because this is what pink roses transmit: gratitude. Finally, a single black rose says 'it is over'.
This is a way of ending a relationship - sending a single black rose together with a note. But, as mentioned before, the single red rose is considered to be the most beautiful and romantic. Even from the ancient roman times lovers give each other red roses. In those times, roses were the symbol of the roman goddess Venus, the goddess of love, so ever since then a single red rose clearly states 'I love you'.
Also the red rose petals are used to symbolize love, and to create a romantic atmosphere. They can be left to float in the bath tub, or simply spread throughout the house or near the fireplace. If your lover is away you can add some rose petals to your letters.Red roses have been a continuos source of inspiration for artists everywhere and thousands of paintings and poems have been written inspired by roses or by a single red rose. It has been said that a single red rose speaks volumes, so choose the fines rose and send it to someone you love now.
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
If you want to surprise the ones you love or simply make a very nice gift check out these links for more information about a single rose and especially about a single red rose .
The Posture of your protagonist says a lot to your readers, but before you can tell your readers about a character with good posture you really do need to understand what GIVES a body good posture...
Core Muscles Effect PostureBy: Linda Geyer
We spend most of our lives doing three things: sitting, standing or sleeping which involves three different postures, 1) on our feet 2) on our butts 3) lying down. Many new clients over 40 years old complain of lower back pain and weak back muscles. In their health history questionnaire, I will ask if they sit or stand at work most of the day. Their response is mixed between sitting and standing. While lower back pain may be caused by an injury, it is usually aggravated by sitting, standing or sleeping. Poor posture, muscle imbalance and weak abdominal muscles contribute to back pain. Tight hamstrings and quadriceps (leg muscles), and lack of flexibility can add to lower back pain. Exercise to strengthen the core muscles (abs and lower back) and a good stretching routine can help eliminate back pain. Being consciously awareness of your posture and making necessary corrections when you notice it’s not good also helps. Sitting: Did you know sitting increases the pressure on the lower back by two times your body weight? When fatigue sets in, more pressure is added as the body naturally tends to round or, hunch forward. Relieve this stress by taking standing breaks or if you are at home lie down and stretch. Concentrate on keeping your shoulders back and your abdominal muscles tightened. The abs provides 50% of the support for your lower back, so allow these muscles to assist in the sitting positions.Standing: Did you know shifting weight from leg to leg while standing creates an uneven bending of the spine and loads the joints of the spine? Always try to keep equal balance between your feet. By keeping your shoulders back, feet apart and pressing forward with an arch in your back you can achieve that balance. If you are holding groceries, a heavy bag, or a baby and you find the only way you can support the weight is on your hip, make sure you don’t push out your stomach to compensate for the added weight. This will lead to an arched small of the back and a strain on your lower back. A cushioned sole shoe should be worn and will help absorb the shock of walking on hard surfaces or standing on hard surfaces for long periods of time.Sleeping: Did you know that sleeping on your stomach causes low back joints to jam together and can cause back pain? A great sleeping position is to sleep with your spine horizontal to the mattress. You can achieve this position by sleeping on your back with your knees at a slight bend or by sleeping on your side with pillows supporting your body in that position. Besides sleeping positions, flipping your mattress biannually will help deter back pain and discomfort.The Abs and Back: As I stated earlier, the abs support 50% of your lower back. Strong abdominal muscles will assist in deterring a backache caused by sitting, standing or sleeping. As you go through your daily routine, keep your abs tightened. You can do this at your desk, in your car, or on your couch while watching television. This is a simple exercise that will benefit you in the long run, won’t take any time out of your day and will lead to good posture as well!For more information and tips on exercise, go to http://www.easyexercisetips.com
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
Linda Geyer, entrepreneur, speaker and author has spent her entire career in health related businesses helping clients and audiences make health a priority. She is Founder and CEO of Vitality Management and owner of Peak Physique Fitness Training in Michigan. Linda inspires, motivates and educates on health prevention through exercise, healthy eating and positive attitude. For FREE tips go to www.easyexercisetips.com To contact Linda Geyer, email linda@peakphysiquefitness.com
Negotiating strategies can make or break a good story. Here are some highlights to help you make you book or story read a lot better..
Effective Negotiating - The Key To Sales SuccessBy: Sachin A
No two persons agree on all things. When people come together to work out a deal, they try to maximize their benefits and minimize their costs. Each person places a different value on individual elements of the deal.An effective negotiation is not just about making people see things from your point of view, but it is also about converging two different views to a point that is perceived by both parties as mutually beneficial. The art of negotiating is the backbone of a successful sales campaign.Focus On The Customer - Show Him The Money: The customer is not bothered about how badly you need to make the sale to meet your monthly target. He is more bothered about fulfillment of his needs and getting value for his money. Talk about the customer's benefit. Don't tell your customer about the latest technology in the car's engine - tell him how this new engine saves him fuel and time. Know Your Competition: Knowing your product is not enough. You must know what your competition is offering. You don't want to end up staring at the customer, when he says your competitors are 20% cheaper. Have your answers ready. Give him valid reasons for your higher price.Don't Waste Your Time With People Who Don't Matter: When dealing with an organization, learn to prioritize. Don't waste your time explaining the secretary why your power tools are good. Save your time and energy for the decision maker. Try to get an appointment with "the boss". If you can't get one immediately, try for a later one, else move on. The secretary is not going to buy your tools. Exploit The Copycat Mentality:Humans have a mentality to copy what others are doing successfully. If a person's competitor or acquaintance is using a product, he may be tempted to use the product too. Keep your references ready and tell him how others have greatly benefited from your product or service.Get Them To Agree:When a person agrees to something you are saying, he subconsciously creates a positive frame of mind towards your offer. Getting the other person to say "Yes" on various occasions brings both of you on the same side - with the same goal. Your Negotiating Strength Lies In Your Uniqueness:If it is easy to find someone providing the same service or product that you provide, your negotiating potential is reduced. The more unique your offer, the greater negotiating powers you have. Always make a list of points which differentiate you from your rivals. Sometimes people buy things just because they are different from what most other people are using.Use Time To Your Advantage:Every one of us has been to a stock clearance sale. When the merchant runs out of time to sell his stock, his loses his pricing power. Customers use this tactic on sellers and give a deadline to make a decision on price and terms. The person who is short of time is always at a disadvantage. Never allow yourself to be trapped in a "time limit" trap. Even when you are short of time, don't let it be known to the other person. On the other hand, a person's urgency to get something done can work in your favor. If the other person is in a hurry to get things done, you can be assured that he will be more willing to bend than he would in a normal situation.A word of caution - never exploit the other person's urgency to such an extent that it makes the deal grossly one sided. You may get what you want one time, but such deals have a negative impact on your reputation and future business. A win-win situation is always desired.Price Is Not Everything - Terms Matter Too:Terms of service are as important as the price itself. An example could be the loans and mortgage industry. Companies are able to charge higher interests rates than competitors by allowing flexible repayment options. Companies offering freebies with their products are compensating a higher price with friendlier terms. Create a balance between the price and the terms - when price is your weak point, offset it with better terms. "The Policy" Tactic:Since childhood, people are taught that rules are not to be broken. At subconscious level most of the people carry a perception that it is their duty to follow all rules. You will be surprised how easily people give in when they are told that the terms which they expecting are against the company policy. Salespersons always keep a printed price list with themselves. Those few black words printed on a white paper add authority to the salesperson's arguments and send the message that it is not within their power to alter the terms. Keep Your Last Price For The Last:Most buyers have a tendency to ask for a lower price than offered. If asked for "the last price", quote something more than the actual "last price" which you are willing to give. It doesn't matter if initially you offer a price 2% lower or 20% lower - buyers will ask for a further lower price in both cases. The Final Gambit - Say "No":Risk taking is an essential ingredient of success. Agreeing to customers' terms all the time weakens your image in the market. Walk out of the deal if it doesn't seem profitable. If the customer gives in to your terms, you win a profitable deal. If you lose the customer, why repent? He wasn't a profitable customer anyway.
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
Sachin A. is a freelance article writer and specializes in articles that require extensive research. Check out his work at www.rightarticle.com
Lin Stone continues to write the tour of the Arkansas Waterfowl Triangle. http://www.shareyourstate.com/arkansas/waterfowl3.htm Be sure to take at least two looks at this work as it really is a work in progress, improving with each revision.
Learn more about this gesture of pure love.
The Meaning of a Single Rose By: Groshan Fabiola
Many feelings can be expressed by flowers, and this non-verbal language is very popular nowadays. Each one of us has sent at least one message to someone with the help of a flower. Sometimes whole conversations between two lovers are spoken through flowers.
The most meaningful flower of all is considered to be the red rose. A single red rose is now usually used to send a message of love. There are also many messages that can be sent through single roses, like :-a single white rose is used by someone that wants to say 'I'm sorry' to his/her significant other. It also has some other meanings. Since medieval times white roses are considered to be a symbol of light, purity and innocence, so sending a single white rose may also mean that you consider that person to be pure, or that your love is very pure.-a single yellow rose expresses happiness and love. Sending a single yellow rose to your half means that you are happy with your love and relationship.
But be careful because single white roses have two meanings! They can also express jealousy, so sending someone one can mean that you are jealous. The best thing to do is to attach a note to the rose, explaining exactly what you mean.-a single peach rose is used to send a message of friendship to a best friend or even to a lover.-a single purple rose expresses beauty. So if you want to tell someone he/she is beautiful send him/her a single purple rose.-a single pink rose is an elegant way of thanking someone because this is what pink roses transmit: gratitude. Finally, a single black rose says 'it is over'.
This is a way of ending a relationship - sending a single black rose together with a note. But, as mentioned before, the single red rose is considered to be the most beautiful and romantic. Even from the ancient roman times lovers give each other red roses. In those times, roses were the symbol of the roman goddess Venus, the goddess of love, so ever since then a single red rose clearly states 'I love you'.
Also the red rose petals are used to symbolize love, and to create a romantic atmosphere. They can be left to float in the bath tub, or simply spread throughout the house or near the fireplace. If your lover is away you can add some rose petals to your letters.Red roses have been a continuos source of inspiration for artists everywhere and thousands of paintings and poems have been written inspired by roses or by a single red rose. It has been said that a single red rose speaks volumes, so choose the fines rose and send it to someone you love now.
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
If you want to surprise the ones you love or simply make a very nice gift check out these links for more information about a single rose and especially about a single red rose .
The Posture of your protagonist says a lot to your readers, but before you can tell your readers about a character with good posture you really do need to understand what GIVES a body good posture...
Core Muscles Effect PostureBy: Linda Geyer
We spend most of our lives doing three things: sitting, standing or sleeping which involves three different postures, 1) on our feet 2) on our butts 3) lying down. Many new clients over 40 years old complain of lower back pain and weak back muscles. In their health history questionnaire, I will ask if they sit or stand at work most of the day. Their response is mixed between sitting and standing. While lower back pain may be caused by an injury, it is usually aggravated by sitting, standing or sleeping. Poor posture, muscle imbalance and weak abdominal muscles contribute to back pain. Tight hamstrings and quadriceps (leg muscles), and lack of flexibility can add to lower back pain. Exercise to strengthen the core muscles (abs and lower back) and a good stretching routine can help eliminate back pain. Being consciously awareness of your posture and making necessary corrections when you notice it’s not good also helps. Sitting: Did you know sitting increases the pressure on the lower back by two times your body weight? When fatigue sets in, more pressure is added as the body naturally tends to round or, hunch forward. Relieve this stress by taking standing breaks or if you are at home lie down and stretch. Concentrate on keeping your shoulders back and your abdominal muscles tightened. The abs provides 50% of the support for your lower back, so allow these muscles to assist in the sitting positions.Standing: Did you know shifting weight from leg to leg while standing creates an uneven bending of the spine and loads the joints of the spine? Always try to keep equal balance between your feet. By keeping your shoulders back, feet apart and pressing forward with an arch in your back you can achieve that balance. If you are holding groceries, a heavy bag, or a baby and you find the only way you can support the weight is on your hip, make sure you don’t push out your stomach to compensate for the added weight. This will lead to an arched small of the back and a strain on your lower back. A cushioned sole shoe should be worn and will help absorb the shock of walking on hard surfaces or standing on hard surfaces for long periods of time.Sleeping: Did you know that sleeping on your stomach causes low back joints to jam together and can cause back pain? A great sleeping position is to sleep with your spine horizontal to the mattress. You can achieve this position by sleeping on your back with your knees at a slight bend or by sleeping on your side with pillows supporting your body in that position. Besides sleeping positions, flipping your mattress biannually will help deter back pain and discomfort.The Abs and Back: As I stated earlier, the abs support 50% of your lower back. Strong abdominal muscles will assist in deterring a backache caused by sitting, standing or sleeping. As you go through your daily routine, keep your abs tightened. You can do this at your desk, in your car, or on your couch while watching television. This is a simple exercise that will benefit you in the long run, won’t take any time out of your day and will lead to good posture as well!For more information and tips on exercise, go to http://www.easyexercisetips.com
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
Linda Geyer, entrepreneur, speaker and author has spent her entire career in health related businesses helping clients and audiences make health a priority. She is Founder and CEO of Vitality Management and owner of Peak Physique Fitness Training in Michigan. Linda inspires, motivates and educates on health prevention through exercise, healthy eating and positive attitude. For FREE tips go to www.easyexercisetips.com To contact Linda Geyer, email linda@peakphysiquefitness.com
Negotiating strategies can make or break a good story. Here are some highlights to help you make you book or story read a lot better..
Effective Negotiating - The Key To Sales SuccessBy: Sachin A
No two persons agree on all things. When people come together to work out a deal, they try to maximize their benefits and minimize their costs. Each person places a different value on individual elements of the deal.An effective negotiation is not just about making people see things from your point of view, but it is also about converging two different views to a point that is perceived by both parties as mutually beneficial. The art of negotiating is the backbone of a successful sales campaign.Focus On The Customer - Show Him The Money: The customer is not bothered about how badly you need to make the sale to meet your monthly target. He is more bothered about fulfillment of his needs and getting value for his money. Talk about the customer's benefit. Don't tell your customer about the latest technology in the car's engine - tell him how this new engine saves him fuel and time. Know Your Competition: Knowing your product is not enough. You must know what your competition is offering. You don't want to end up staring at the customer, when he says your competitors are 20% cheaper. Have your answers ready. Give him valid reasons for your higher price.Don't Waste Your Time With People Who Don't Matter: When dealing with an organization, learn to prioritize. Don't waste your time explaining the secretary why your power tools are good. Save your time and energy for the decision maker. Try to get an appointment with "the boss". If you can't get one immediately, try for a later one, else move on. The secretary is not going to buy your tools. Exploit The Copycat Mentality:Humans have a mentality to copy what others are doing successfully. If a person's competitor or acquaintance is using a product, he may be tempted to use the product too. Keep your references ready and tell him how others have greatly benefited from your product or service.Get Them To Agree:When a person agrees to something you are saying, he subconsciously creates a positive frame of mind towards your offer. Getting the other person to say "Yes" on various occasions brings both of you on the same side - with the same goal. Your Negotiating Strength Lies In Your Uniqueness:If it is easy to find someone providing the same service or product that you provide, your negotiating potential is reduced. The more unique your offer, the greater negotiating powers you have. Always make a list of points which differentiate you from your rivals. Sometimes people buy things just because they are different from what most other people are using.Use Time To Your Advantage:Every one of us has been to a stock clearance sale. When the merchant runs out of time to sell his stock, his loses his pricing power. Customers use this tactic on sellers and give a deadline to make a decision on price and terms. The person who is short of time is always at a disadvantage. Never allow yourself to be trapped in a "time limit" trap. Even when you are short of time, don't let it be known to the other person. On the other hand, a person's urgency to get something done can work in your favor. If the other person is in a hurry to get things done, you can be assured that he will be more willing to bend than he would in a normal situation.A word of caution - never exploit the other person's urgency to such an extent that it makes the deal grossly one sided. You may get what you want one time, but such deals have a negative impact on your reputation and future business. A win-win situation is always desired.Price Is Not Everything - Terms Matter Too:Terms of service are as important as the price itself. An example could be the loans and mortgage industry. Companies are able to charge higher interests rates than competitors by allowing flexible repayment options. Companies offering freebies with their products are compensating a higher price with friendlier terms. Create a balance between the price and the terms - when price is your weak point, offset it with better terms. "The Policy" Tactic:Since childhood, people are taught that rules are not to be broken. At subconscious level most of the people carry a perception that it is their duty to follow all rules. You will be surprised how easily people give in when they are told that the terms which they expecting are against the company policy. Salespersons always keep a printed price list with themselves. Those few black words printed on a white paper add authority to the salesperson's arguments and send the message that it is not within their power to alter the terms. Keep Your Last Price For The Last:Most buyers have a tendency to ask for a lower price than offered. If asked for "the last price", quote something more than the actual "last price" which you are willing to give. It doesn't matter if initially you offer a price 2% lower or 20% lower - buyers will ask for a further lower price in both cases. The Final Gambit - Say "No":Risk taking is an essential ingredient of success. Agreeing to customers' terms all the time weakens your image in the market. Walk out of the deal if it doesn't seem profitable. If the customer gives in to your terms, you win a profitable deal. If you lose the customer, why repent? He wasn't a profitable customer anyway.
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
Sachin A. is a freelance article writer and specializes in articles that require extensive research. Check out his work at www.rightarticle.com
Lin Stone continues to write the tour of the Arkansas Waterfowl Triangle. http://www.shareyourstate.com/arkansas/waterfowl3.htm Be sure to take at least two looks at this work as it really is a work in progress, improving with each revision.
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