Cafe Hemingway

latest books published

2008-05-20T14:56:00.000-05:00

JOURNEYS TO BAGDAD: But the goer afoot must not be conceived as primarily an engine of muscle. He is the best walker who keeps most widely awake in his five senses. Some men might as well walk through a railway tunnel. They are so concerned with the getting there that a black night hangs over them. They plunge forward with their heads down as though they came of an antique race of road builders. Should there be mileposts they are busied with them only, and they will draw dials from their pokes to time themselves. I fell into this iniquity on a walk in Wales from Bala to Dolgelley. Although I set out leisurely enough, with an eye for the lake and hills, before many hours 14had elapsed I had acquired the milepost habit and walked as if for a wager. I covered the last twenty miles in less than five hours, and when the brown stone village came in sight and I had thumped down the last hill and over the peaked bridge, I was a dilapidated and foot-sore vagrant and nothing more. To this day Wales for me is the land where one�s feet have the ugly habit of foregathering in the end of the shoes.

Of every 100 people who are hospitalized for a stroke, 15-40 will return home someday, but they will require home care services for rehabilitation. Stroke rehabilitation is one of the key components of stroke care. The goal of rehabilitation is to assist stroke survivors to reach his or her optimal level of physical, social, and emotional function.

Is it possible to bring dead limbs back to life by having someone move them around? You betchum, and the good news is a full and complete recovery can happen at any time, just as suddenly as when you lost everything.

Jack and Jill was written for the youth of our time, but if you have EVER enjoyed any of the books written by Louisa May Alcott you are bound to fall in love with this one too. Click the book cover to download the complete, page-turning book. Or, Click HERE to read it on the web.

An Enemy To The King
A Derring Do Romance from France.

The Softer Side of Sizzles

2007-11-15T10:48:00.000-06:00

How to Make Your Name Memorable By Michel Fortin

Part of my job as a copywriter includes, from time to time, creating names for businesses, products, and services. Choosing a name may be the single, most important business decision you will ever make.

We are constantly bombarded with marketing messages. Limited by people?s very short attention span, your marketing message has to be effective to the degree that it must communicate its essence and create top-of-mind awareness within an extremely short amount of time.

Names are often the best tools ? and sometimes the only ones ? for accomplishing this efficiently.

In the game of positioning, your name has to stick firmly in the mind of the marketplace and must do so instantly. While uniqueness is an important factor, there are many other elements that can help the anchoring process ? elements that help a name become memorable as well as chosen when a customer experiences a specific need or desire.

So, here are some simple rules to follow when choosing a name for your company or product.

What Does it Do?

To make a company or product name truly memorable, it should convey its main feature or benefit. It should be suggestive. Even if it?s unique, it should, in some way, communicate what it is or does in one fell swoop.

If I give you the word ?Die Hard? for instance, you will think of a battery that dies hard. If I tell you ?Jiffy Lube,? you will naturally assume that it?s a garage offering oil changes in a jiffy. If I tell you ?Band-Aid,? you will picture an adhesive bandage that comes to your aid. If I said ?Minute Rice,? you will assume it?s rice that cooks in minutes.

Suggestive names don?t have to be genetic, either. You can easily create a unique name, which somehow communicates its core benefit, its purpose, or at least its nature.

Think of names like ?Kleenex? (cleanliness), ?Windex,? (windows), ?Duracell? (durable battery cell), ?Nicoderm? (nicotine skin patches), ?Cusinart? (kitchen accessories), ?Pine-Sol? (pine solvent or cleaner), ?Travelocity? (travel), etc.

Names that do not convey at least the basic nature of a company will be easily forgotten. This includes hard-to-pronounce words, abbreviations, and acronyms such as ?MGF Holdings LLC.?

It also includes self-titled companies such as ?Michel Fortin International? (which was, believe it or not, the name of my original company close to 20 years ago ? one that nonetheless failed ? and later changed to The Success Doctor, Inc.).

Benefits are particularly effective because such a name would make a company or product instantly appear as if it had some added value. When placed alongside a competitor offering an identical product, a benefit-based name positions itself above the competition in the mind.

As a result, the name will thus be quickly remembered when people make their decision to buy.

Rhymes Move Minds Since the invention of the printing press, the written word has made it easy for us to forget names. Consequently, the process of rhyming has in the same way gradually fallen out of favor.

But strangely, what we remember the most are, for example, the nursery rhymes that we were told as children. In today?s memory management courses, people are told to use rhymes and word association in order to improve their memory.

Rhyming is therefore effective because it is pleasing to the ear and helps to hook words easily in the mind. Beyond ease-of-recall, rhyming also tends to add credibility.

Psychology professor Dr. Matthew McGlone, in his article ?The Keats Heuristic: Rhyme as Reason in Aphorism Interpretation,? has found that rhymes not only make a phrase more memorable, they also make it more believable. According to his research, people preferred ?woes unite foes? over ?misfortune unite foes? or ?woes unite enemies.?

We are a beauty-driven culture, and words are not excluded. The esthetically pleasing sound of a rhyme makes it cognitively easier to assign greater perceived value, accuracy, and believability. In other words, rhymes confer a greater sense of credibility.

As Dr. McGlone points out, ?People often attribute the aesthetic quality of a rhyme to the statement?s validity, which suggests that people may unknowingly equate beauty (a rhyme?s singsong quality) with truth.?

(According to his research, while it may not be the only reason, a major factor that played in O.J. Simpson?s acquittal during his murder trial was certainly Johnny Cochrane?s incessant claim, ?If the glove don?t fit, you must acquit!?)

While some names can easily rhyme since they use multiple words (e.g., ?Blinds of All Kinds,? ?Lean Cuisine,? ?Reese?s Pieces,? or ?Ronald McDonald?), most names are made up of only one word.

If they can not rhyme at least within themselves (e.g., ?Rodeo,? ?YouTube,? or ?Coca-Cola?), then the job would be conferred unto their taglines ? those small sentences that follow and complement names.

For example, if I said ?It takes a licking but keeps on ticking,? you will probably remember this phrase if not instantly recognize the product with which this tagline is associated. And if the tagline rhymes with the name (such as ?Uh, Oh! Better get Maaco!? or ?When you need an edge, use Pledge?), the name will stick even more effectively as a result.

(For instance, a more recent example is Windows® Vista?s ?The Wow Starts Now.?)

Repetition Resonates

What do ?Saran-Wrap,? ?Coca-Cola,? ?Krispy Kreme,? ?Chucky Cheese,? ?Willy Wonka,? ?Barbie,? ?Google,? ?Hamburger Helper,? ?Crispy Crunch,? ?Blockbuster,? and ?Pipeline Profits? all have in common?

Rhymes are not limited to vowels (often called ?foot rhymes?). Sometimes, head rhymes (or ?alliteration?) can create the same effect as the other. Why? It is because they all do the same thing. It contains repetition.

The repetition of consonants give a name that pleasant and obviously effective singsong quality. Repetition makes a name memorable by making the pronunciation more simple. In other words, it is definitely easier to remember a string of similar sounds than it is to remember a combination of totally different sounding words.

(Did you ?see the softer side of Sear?s? lately?)

In fact, consonants are great for many other reasons. Studies show that strong-sounding or ?choppy? consonants (like the sound of ?P,? ?D,? ?T? and ?K?), used particularly at the beginning, help recall by adding emphasis.

They are called plosives. And according to naming guru Steve Rivkin, who co-wrote ?The New Positioning? with Jack Trout, ?It makes linguistic sense to start a brand name with a strong-sounding consonant or plosive.?

Plosives, and rhymes and alliteration specifically, help to make a name more memorable. These are called mnemonics. Mnemonics are not only useful but also effective, particularly in the branding process.

Bottom line, from the simplest product to the most abstract or complex technical service, a memorable name helps to make the company or product memorable as well. In fact, it may even become genericized and used as the term that defines all others in its category.

(By the way, can you Xerox that document and FedEx it, please? If you don?t know how, just Google it.)

--- About the Author ---Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter, marketing strategy consultant, and instrumental in some of the most lucrative online businesses and wildly successful marketing campaigns to ever hit the web. For more articles like this one, please visit his blog at http://www.michelfortin.com/ and subscribe to his RSS feed.

Self Defense is Defensible

2007-09-19T13:43:00.000-05:00

We haven’t had any more prowler alarms. I went home and combed the woods. Found a few items that appeared to be a little weathered. So, I left them there. And now focus my attention on the spots where I found the foot prints, etc. Pepper hasn’t barked or chased anything other than the deer and the cats in the last couple nights, so I’m going to say we’re ok for now. And as I feared, the kids used some of the self-defense stuff on each other.

Jessie and Jonathan got into a knockdown, drag-out this morning. Jessie won. And Jessie was justified in her reasoning too. Our newfound burglar alarm (Drake, the dog) was outside this morning to use the bathroom. He barks at the door when he’s done and wants back in. Jonathan became annoyed that he was barking and decided to hit the dog (rather than just let him in) to make him shutup.

Jessie witnessed it and went to just beating the hell out of him. The whole time screaming, you don’t hit my dog!!!!!! So, I had to pull them off of each other. Jonathan was getting his licks in when he could, but they were few and far between. I asked what had happened and Jon went on about how he was right for hitting the dog because his barking was annoying him. So, I asked him if I could just knock the crap out of HIM everytime he opened his mouth and it was annoying to me? He said, no that’s different. And I said, NO, THAT’S FAIR.

And then I yelled at him for hitting Jessie, because he is supposed to be a man, and real men don’t hit women. And he told me that she hit him first. And I told him that he needed to learn how to remove himself from the situation without using force if at all possible, and that a real man would exercise restraint because his opposition was female and predominantly weaker. He got mad, because of course, Jessie had just kicked his butt good -- and not the other way around.

Then I had a talk with Jessie and told her that she’d better be careful when fighting, especially with someone of the opposite sex. Because, even if it’s not right for a man to hit a woman, it’s not right for a woman to hit a man either unless it is in self-defense. And that the next time she walks up and hits a man like she IS a man, that she always need be prepared to get hit back like she was a man. Because most of them, WON’T exercise restraint just because she’s a girl. And that she couldn’t rely on the fact that she is a female to get special treatment.

That’s not right and it doesn’t always work.

But, oh she was so upset about him hitting that dog. And I don’t blame her. He had no right to and no reason to. The dog was doing as he’s been trained to do: bark when he’s ready to come back in. All Jon had to do was open the door and let him in. So, anyway…it was just a big mess this morning. I pulled them both together and told them that if I EVER caught them fighting with each other that way again, that they’d both see just how tough they really were because they’d have to deal with me. It was a big long lecture.

On another subject. I went to see Bo off yesterday afternoon. It was a tearful event. He introduced me to all the people in his flight. He was a nervous wreck, and really second guessing himself on whether or not he should go or run like crazy. And the closer it came to time for him to leave me, the more I questioned if it was right of me to let him go.

He is my oldest son, and it hurt me terribly to watch him go. He’s not old enough to go. He’s not mature enough to make the decision to go. This poor kid is only 21 years old. And he’s still MY baby that I carried around on my hip until he was bigger than I was.

He hugged me and told me he loved me and told me thank you for everything I’ve done for him. And that he was proud to call me his mom, and that he’d be home for Christmas. He said he’d call me within the next two days to give me the address of where I could write to him. And asked me to please write. And as I watched him walk through all the levels of security at the air port, my heart just crawled up my throat and broke into a million pieces every time he turned to make sure I was still there.

He’d give a brave little smile and wave and nervously turn back around to walk a little further. It took every ounce of courage I had to watch him walk away and not break through all the security gates and bring him back home with me. That was by far, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I hope he calls soon.

Danger For Kids At Home Alone

2007-09-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

Apparently while RJ and I were gone to work this weekend, someone wanted in our house. Cheryl was there with the kids. She sent me a text message at about midnight Saturday night. But I didn’t wake up to receive it until after breakfast the next morning. She said someone was standing out in the woods smoking a cigarette and the dog was barking at him. It was after dark, so all she could make out was a shadow of a figure and the lit cigarette. So, she gathered up the kids and moved everyone into our bedroom and started looking for a gun…which she found, Thank God. Cheryl heard the man whistle for the dog to come over and of course, because Pepper is a kind dog…he went. And after he made friends with Pepper, he quit barking. A few minutes later, the man came on the porch and tried to open the storm door. After his attempt to open the door failed, he left. (thank God I had told Cheryl to bolt lock that door or he would have gotten in no problems at all). So, she was pretty freaked out. As was I. So, when I got home yesterday, I showed her where all our guns were and the ammo for them all. And I got a new dog.

And because I heard something last night, and RJ is still gone for work…I broke my rule of no pets in the house and brought my new dog in for the night. I figured that HE’d hear anything rustling long before I would and it made me FEEL safer anyway.

RJ was so upset. He wanted to drive home last night. But, I told him to stay, because I didn’t want him on the road for 3 ½ hours after only 2 hours of sleep and all just to keep me company. And told him not to worry, I was a pretty good shot with that 45, and that if something happened I wouldn’t stop shooting until the clip was empty.

I am debating on whether or not I should show Jessie how to shoot a pistol. She’s a pretty good marksman with a rifle, but she’s never shot a pistol. Those kids have to stay there by themselves after school for about an hour until before I get home. It worries me. And Jessie is the most safety conscious of them all. I don’t know.

If something happens tonight or if I hear something, I think I’m going to call the neighbor, Steve and ask him to come have a look. It bothers me that the house was empty all day long yesterday and remained so up until I got home last night after 9:00 with all the kids. If they were after some THING in the house, that would have been ample opportunity for them to empty it out in its entirety. Which leads me to believe it’s not material things they’re after, in which case, I WILL shoot to kill and I WILL unload the gun. I refuse to feel unsafe in my own home any longer. I’ve done it before and it’s a very hard thing to deal with.

I’ve prayed and asked to keep all evil from our home. And asked for protection, for a steady hand, a steady mind and for our family’s safety. I don’t know what else to do, shy of setting bear traps all around the perimeter, which is starting to sound more appealing. I just want this stuff to stop and for him to disappear.

Anyway, I’m rambling I guess because I’m running on fumes today. And I need to get my head on straight and get some work done. I’ll talk to you later.

You've done the most important things. One thing I can suggest is to go out where you think he was waiting and see if any trace remains. Stop just as soon as you see any so that you won't muddle any evidence. If traces do remain visible call in the sheriff's deputies. Bloodhounds may track the man down if he is a local resident and that is probably the case.

You didn't mention motion detector lights so I would suggest putting these up near all exterior doors. If you come home and one is not working, call for the deputies before going in.

Instruct the children that when they come home only one child is to go into the house while the others remain a distance away. All of them go in only after that first child comes all the way out of the house and all the way over to where they are waiting. Just calling them from the door is DEFINITELY out as they could be coerced into doing that. Make sure the ones outside have a cell phone and know how to call for help. The same principle applies if you are bringing the children home. Remember it doesn't have to be dark for an intruder to be in the house.

One other thing, always make sure the lock on the door is really locked before you unlock it. Even here I always push against the door, then make sure the dead bolt is really locked before I turn it the other way and unlock it.

http://www.talewins.com/protectyourself/selfdefense.htm gives four self defense tips that can save your life.

http://www.talewins.com/protectyourself/safeathome.htm shows some of the ways children can be prepared against stealth abduction in the home.

Go through the index at the bottom of each page for even more articles that may be of use to you.

Make sure the kids know that if someone has gained entry into the house, ESPECIALLY if they know that person, do not go in. What I'm talking about is like if someone close by is already inside the house when they arrive it doesn't matter how friendly they think s/he is, call you, call their father, call the law.

When we had a ring of drug dealers set up shop in the neighborhood they would break in and wait for young girls. The police kept saying they couldn't do anything about their presence, but we did. That was the crookedest bunch of cops I have ever met. There were good ones on the force but they wouldn't "squeal" on their brother officers.

Giving a pistol to Jessica with instructions to shoot to kill could produce any number of adverse mental reactions. Alternatives might be pepper spray, loud whistles, and good precautions.

How To Write A Letter To Jesus

2007-01-28T22:46:00.000-06:00

Most of us will never know the thrill of hearing cheerleaders chanting our name in praise, never see the blaze of glory that erupts when our picture is posted on the front page. But all of us can share our triumphs with Jesus when they come and our frustrations when they don't.

For your letter to Jesus to provide you with the most benefits it must be a stand-alone project. Your objective must be to let Jesus know why what you are telling him is important to you. This letter is not supposed to be about "Johnny" or "My JOB" or even about "LIFE!" No, No, NO.

It is YOUR feelings, your thoughts and your plans that are important in this project. This is YOUR letter to Jesus. Let "them" get their own press agent.

When we write a letter to Jesus we don't have to hold anything back. We can tell him exactly how we feel about anything that matters to us.

We will want to tell Jesus about all the bruises that have come our way, all the battering we are going through, and all the barriers we can see in our future and want to avoid.

Eloquence is not essential in our first attempts. What matters most is getting the facts out there on paper. Let the anguish of your soul penetrate your message and eloquence will be your natural derivative.

Never Clean Up Your Mess

2007-01-15T08:49:00.000-06:00

Writers are especially prone to making the big mistake of cleaning up a mess that has piled up in our lives. Anyone repeatedly confronted with a mess in their lives will reach a boiling point sooner or later and begin hauling tras hout, filing, throwint it into a box, shoveling it aside until later, and just putting stuff back where it is supposed to be.
With great satisfaction we then resolve to keep the mess out of our lives from then on. Before we know it another mess has creeped upo9n us again. With a scowl we wonder, "Where did this mess come from?"
When I first began searching for practical ways of eliminating the autogenesis of clutter on my desk the stacks were three feet high before I noticed them. Back then I would tell others, and worst of all I would tell myself, "Don't touch anything on my desk; I know where everything is." And yes, actually I did know where everything was right then, everything that was still fresh in my memory anyway.
What we must first admit is that the clutter in front of us today came from the same place as the first mess did, and the one before it too. It takes more than a generic resolve to keep our lives clean. Simple ratiocination tells us we need to determine how we make a mess so that we can turn our lives around and remove the sources of mess in our lives.
In the same way, telling our children to clean up their mess doesn't change their natures which are causing the mess. Telling ourselves not to mess things up won't help either. At all costs we have got to find out where they are coming from.
"I know where my messes are coming from," you are probably muttering. Oh, but do you? Then why are messes still happening in your life? If you really knew why the situation was happening you would at least be able to diminish it. Consequently, if clutter isn't diminishing then you are on a false trail that can only lead to more messes down the line.
The quickest and surest way to determine where our mess comes from is by analyzing a mess we have. As I said, don't clean up your mess. Find out where it came from and discover the reasons behind the decisions you made that culminated in a mess. I could shovel stacks of paper that weighed two and three pounds into one trash can. Since I have quit the practice of dusting my hands off and saying that was out of the way, I have slowly gained control over the origination of clutter until it now takes weeks and months for the top of my desk to be obscured from view.
When I sit down at my desk now I scan the desktop for signs of clutter. What is this? Where did it come from? Why did I set it aside? Why didn't I come back to it? Did I make the right decision? Is it still pertinent? Where SHOULD I have put it?
Most of the time the clutter in my life appears simply because I set work aside in order to do something else that is only incidental. As I analyzed this tendency I realized that it was the incidental work that needed to be set aside. Once I recognized this tendency it was easier to recognize similar patterns in other areas BEFORE they develop into clutter.
Once I understood the problem I bought a three ring binder (with pockets) and a three hole punch. When something incidental comes up to distract me I put it inside the three ring binder. This is NOT a scratch pad. It is not a TO DO list. It is a reservoir.
A scratch pad is for temporary use and is to be thrown away just minutes later or filed immediately. A TO DO list are notes to myself that something important MUST BE DONE. A reservoir may be an actual document from some other company that I am keeping because it prompts a line of thought, or it may be a article that came to me fresh and hot and be three or even four pages long. There will also be instances where a few sentences are thrown in, but the idea remains the same. The only reason that reservoir is kept is so it can feed me and my mind later.
I set the reservoir aside and I will work on it when I can't afford to get caught up in more serious work. For example, when I HAVE to be at an appointment at a specific time and I have a short time buffer of from ten to fifty minutes I will bring it out and begin working on one or two short term projects. After this began producing undesirable results, not getting ready to leave on time -- which resulted in more clutter, which I analyzed the reason for it appearing, led me to a wholesome NEW approach; now I get ready to go FIRST. THEN I sit down at my desk and open up the reservoir. When the last minute approaches I can then snap it shut, stand up AND LEAVE a clean desk behind me as I hurry off. Every last second has been used up, clutter has been eliminated and I made it to my appointment on time too.
So, when you notice clutter cluttering up your life, DON'T CLEAN IT UP. Ask yourself these questions before you move a thing. What is this? Where did it come from? Why did I set it aside? Why didn't I come back to it? Did I make the right decision at that time? How could I have avoided the need for that decision and all the decisions similar in purpose? And only then do you ask yourself: Is this clutter still pertinent? Where SHOULD I have put it? Where should it go to now.
You have the power to take your life apart and put it back together again so that YOU are the kind of person that does not create clutter, you control it.

Take A Hike In Another Man's Shoes

2007-01-03T20:18:00.000-06:00

One way to make your stories more real is by describing your scenes as if you were really there.
What I suggest to young writers is that they take a hike in another man's shoes. This is that man's turf so he probably doesn't notice anything. But YOU have never been there before. So, as you walk along in his shoes you want to be asking yourself some questions..
What kind of trees are these?
What kind of birds do I see?
What kind of animals are about here?
What kind of tracks am I looking at?
How old are the tracks?
Where do animals cross the trail?
Why are they crossing here?
Which way does the wind blow most often?
Are these trees, or shrubs, or a mix? Are they stunted?
Are there any vines? How big are they? How long did it take for them to grow this big?
Where is the nearest water?
How thick is the underbrush?
What sounds am I hearing?
As there are almost as many sounds of silence as there are sounds of water, what silences are you hearing?
What smells are coming your way?
What is the weather doing?
How does the weather affect what you are wearing, doing, thinking?
Are there any vibrations to your feet?
What kind of terrain are you moving through?
What are you not seeing? Not hearing? Not smelling?
If you see no birds, why not?
What is the purpose of your walk?
What signs are there that others have passed this way as well? What do those signs tell you about those others? For example, limbs that swing at your face are often snapped back, broken. This tells you how tall the person is.
Tale Wins has hundreds of exercises that will improve the way you write, and throw a spotlight on what you should be writing about. Be sure to visit.

First Tips
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Do you hate being swindled?
Dealing with thieves on the internet
How to Sell a FREE ebook
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Tracking Down Indian Joe

2006-11-25T16:28:00.000-06:00

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

2006-07-06T07:42:00.000-05:00

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

Free Software for Authors, writers and web masters

2006-07-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

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 Name Click 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 Profits Are 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

2006-06-04T19:39:00.000-05:00

Camping Tips
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

2006-05-28T23:36:00.000-05:00

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.

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.

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.

Live Better and Spend LESS will help you substantially reduce your health insurance premiums.

***

There is a certain fellow in our little Branch, or maybe it is two or three
who gives the whole world a wonderful testimony.

I'm sure s/he is a jolly old soul with a girth to match his mirth
and none but me to know his worth. But who can tell?
S/he hides his mien beneath a common shell.

At Christmas was s/he wont to strike.
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."

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.

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.

^{^{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.

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

2006-05-20T13:03:00.000-05:00

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.

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Writers Must Retreat?

2006-05-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

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

Lessons I have learned from life

2006-04-29T16:25:00.000-05:00

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 Depth Study of Cocoa

2006-04-19T11:54:00.000-05:00

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/

What is the Meaning of a Single Rose?

2006-04-19T09:32:00.000-05:00

Have You Ever Wondered about the meaning of a single rose? Learn 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.

A Writing Look at Africa

2006-04-09T22:12:00.000-05:00

Snow-capped Kilimanjaro, floating above the clouds is no doubt one of the most beautiful and impressive sights in the natural world. Even hard-boiled non-believers, in their unguarded moments, empathise with the Maasai who call it the “House of God”. The mountain is one of the Seven Top Summits of the world –it has the highest point on the African continent. Though there are higher mountains, they form part of mountain ranges, Everest for example. But Kili, as it is popularly known, is the highest freestanding mountain in the world. It rises gently from 3,000 feet, reaches for the heavens and only halts after a 16,000 feet ascent. The diameter at the base is an amazing 64 kilometres.
***
Bill Clinton, together with his wife went on safari in Botswana in 1998. The power couple was greatly fascinated by the wildlife, and the serious games of life and death they play. Affirming his position on top of the food chain, the president ate for dinner some of the animal species he had watched earlier. His evening buffet included zebra, crocodile, impala in monkey sauce, and giraffe. "I tried it all", he declared with satisfaction. But the former American president is only one in a long line of heavy hitters to enjoy the wildlife havens of Botswana. Hollywood legends, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor chose to remarry here, for example.
***
Namibia's top draw is the Etosha National Park, rated as one of Africa's finest game sanctuaries. The birding experience in the country is truly superior. The range of activities you can indulge in the unsurpassable physical environment is truly impressive. Ballooning over the desert, skydiving over land and sea, paragliding, whitewater rafting and sand skiing along coastal dunes are good activities for starters. More fun games to pick from include abseiling - that most spectacular of rock sports, coastal and fresh water angling, desert camel riding, scuba diving, 4x4 desert runs, hiking and mountaineering.
***
Zanzibar is referred to as the Spice Islands with good reason. The fragrant scents of cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and vanilla hung in the warm tropical air. To this day sailors claim that they can recognise the aroma of the islands even when far out at sea. Surely, not even die-hard fans of the Spice Girls can claim anything similar. But the spice business is relatively recent, less than 200 years old. It is the fascinating history of the islands that evokes the image of magic and romance in the minds of visitors.
***
Almost every description of the Seychelles appears to be a bit over the top. Is it only the easily impressed who get to visit and write about the Seychelles? The magic of these islands is however real. Impressions gained of this dream island paradise will be your refuge when you return to those long working hours. Just like everybody imagines paradise, the Seychelles islands are far away, peaceful and stunningly beautiful. It is the peace and quiet that attracted the writer Somerset Maugham when he sought to work on a novel without interruption. Most visitors do not however come here to work. The main draw of the islands has always been the beaches, snorkeling and diving. The attractions of the natural world particularly the birdlife, tropical fish and the unique physical environment are a bonus.
***
Egypt is one of the most fascinating destinations on the world tourist map. This extra ordinary country is today the favourite vacation spot for many, just like it was in the days of the early Greeks and Romans. The thoroughly cultured Greeks, in particular, were fascinated by this civilization that predated theirs by at least 2000 years. The biggest draw continues to be the amazing abundance of historical treasures- temples, pyramids and museums -contained in this one country. But the destination offers more than just the wonders of antiquity. Your visit to Egypt can be rounded off by a cruise down the Nile and a beach vacation at the top notch Red Sea and Sinai resorts.
***
The wildlife safari is a key item on the South Africa tourist menu. Those who chose to see Africa's wildlife here will not be disappointed. The game viewing experience is excellent at the top rated Kruger National Park and at other well-regarded game parks in the country. Wildlife is protected in over 300 public and private game and nature reserves. SANParks (South African National Parks) manages 20 national parks spread throughout the country.
***Kenya's 480 km coast is one of the principal attractions for visitors to the country. Every year, hundreds of thousands of sun lovers find their way here. Many are returning pilgrims who truly know that the sun here is ever faithful. Unlike other beach destinations, the visitor is served with much more than just sun and sand but is delighted to discover ancient coastal forests and historical sites and a people with a fascinating history and culture. The casual visitor impressed by the tranquil beaches and gentle people will not suspect the colourful and eventful history of these realms.
For the tourist, the Kenya coast can be seen as five regions. These are: the town and island of Mombasa; the south coast -stretching from Mombasa to the Tanzanian border 135 km away: the north coast- covering the beaches from Mombasa upto Kilifi, 60 km away: Malindi and Watamu about 130 km to the northeast of Mombasa and Lamu island and archipelago, 225 km further up from Malindi. Each of these regions has similarities in terms of history, culture, natural attractions and beach experience. But as sports fans will understand, it is the differences that matter to the dedicated fans of each region.
***
As winter approaches in the northern hemisphere, the earth’s rotation round the sun means that summer beckons in the south. I admonish you- take a few days off and follow the sun! The best place to catch the Town’s claim to being the most beautiful city in South Africa is undisputed. And seasoned travel writers readily accept the merit of Cape Town’s claim that is indeed one of the most beautiful cities in the world.The city is blessed with unrivalled gifts of nature. The mighty kilometer high flat top Table Mountain dwarfs even the most ambitious skyscrapers in the business district. The city is surrounded by glorious landscapes, stunning beaches and a bounty of unique vegetation. Where else do you have a choice of the cool Atlantic Ocean and the warmer Indian Ocean?
***
Africa is a treasure house for birding. The continent has over 2,050 bird species recorded, two thirds of which are found nowhere else. East Africa, in particular, has an amazing variety of birds, perhaps due to a mild climate devoid of extremes. The region has 4 of the Top Ten Birding Sites in Africa as rated by the African Bird Club - an international organisation devoted to the study of Africa's birds. These sites are: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda), Bale Mountains (Ethiopia), the Rift Valley Lakes (Kenya) and Murchison Falls Park (Uganda). This is an amazing article of almost 2500 words. Click HERE to read it all.
***
Uganda is a beautiful country with an impressive people. This is one of my favourite countries in all of Africa. The people of Uganda have survived the troubles of 1967-86 period and emerged standing upright and wearing a smile. In that short period, the country suffered under the caprice of two despicable despots. One was the indisputably insane Idi Amin and the other, the arguably insane Milton Obote. This is now history - a testament of the dignity and endurance of this people. The transformation of the country in the period since normalcy returned is nothing short of astounding. And it shows in the faces of the people you meet. That the graceful beauties of Uganda have not received the recognition they deserve in international beauty pageants is for me incontrovertible proof that most of these events are really fixed.
***
Tanzania's natural endowment as a wildlife safari destination is unrivalled. Wild animals roam in vast areas as God intended on that sixth day of the creation. These areas are designated as national parks and game reserves and have a high reputation for being uncrowded and unspoilt. The magnificent collection of game sanctuaries to the north of the country, near the border with Kenya, is referred to as The Northern Circuit. This is the most popular and accessible wildlife safari route in Tanzania. I can positively say that this is one of the finest game viewing areas anywhere in the world. The game aside, the spectacularly diverse cluster of eco-systems and habitats is a dazzling experience for many a visitor. The stars of the Northern Circuit are the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, very dear to the hearts of nature lovers. But no less sparkling and indeed complementing the two are the other members of the circuit: Arusha, Tarangire and Lake Manyara. In terms of wildlife, the abundance and diversity of the wildlife here is difficult to imagine. On top of the heap are the highly regarded "big five": elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard and lion. And then a wild array of plain animals: wildebeest, zebra, eland, hartebeest, oryx, reedbuck, giraffe, Thompson gazelle, and many more of the same genre. But do not forget the merciless predators:

Work at Home Career Ideas for Writers

2006-03-29T03:36:00.000-06:00

Here are 26 enterprises I entertained serious thoughts of creating when I sat down in January of 1997 to carve out my living from home..
Hero Travel tour,, create tours, go along on the tour and write about the people taking them, create a book with pictures for them to buy.
Sell real estate with videos.
Seminar promoting.. do this for businesses -- in house.. bring the experts to them.
Screen printing. I have dibs on one shirt, can flesh out 2 dozen more hot sellers in a matter of weeks. You don't need your own equipment.
Make envelopes special for each area... Arkansas envelopes, Lonoke envelopes, etc. Also, witty sayings envelopes. One I made up said: This warm, personal letter has been cleverly disguised as a bill.
Word processing, typesetting
Writing Assistance...
Cookie celebrations. Instead of flowers send bouquets of cookies that make the heart smile and mouth water. Special cards included.
Pick up and delivery service, laundry, shoes, whatever customer wants picked up and delivered somewhere. Use written cards to prosper.
printing broker, printers earn up to $40,000 a year, brokers earn up to $150,000 I can help buyers to improve their works.
Graphic Design Mobile billboards. Find a sponsor, put a bill board on back of a truck and haul.
Photo inventory, VHS inventory.
Event Planning How strange. There are actually people (with money) who can't plan an event.
videotaping service
photography
cell phone Vacation Guide. If you know your Region well enough to guide people to its best attractions by cell phone you're in.
Do INTERNET newsletter publishing, do one for restaurants, one for taxis, etc. Change the name to protect the innocent.
Promote a business, everywhere, ask for a share of the profits.
Custom Photo birth, wedding announcement cards
Public Relations Agency, requires special talents already mine.
Resume counseling. I can do the work, but selling the service was beyond me. What I needed was a partner with sales ability.
Sign making service
Writing articles for local businesses that will get them FREE exposure.
You can be a Disability Specialist , and use your writing skills to get applicants on disability. Surprisingly enough, the hardest part of this work is keeping the applicant from fainting by the wayside.
Start Your Own Information Web Site. http://www.talewins.com/busbot.htm
Rack up a Real Estate Fortune. This was a natural for me since I was already doing just that, for OTHER people. Here's a library.

Click HERE for FREE help in promoting ANY work at home program you decide to work with.
Some of the biggest names from the online world have shared their stories of their FIRST SUCCESS. Find out who:
got so excited over a $19 commission check, that he jumped around the room hugging everything in sight.
Ran off to Mexico while his business collapsed beneath him.
Started his Internet career peddling porn!
Made their early money with Internet dating.
Dropped out of high school for the Internet.
Became the first ever Internet Marketer in Indonesia!
Started online and became an eBay Yo-yo tycoon!
and much, much more...
Click HERE for the Rest of the Stories!
The Money Train Principle,, This Paint-by-Numbers Action Guide Shows You How to Multiply Your Profits by Up to 400%… Without having to drive another dozen truckloads of visitors to your website.

Reminders: A Gradual Evolution

2006-03-27T12:12:00.000-06:00

One of the most vivid symbols of modern man is the image of finger with a ribbon tied around it. That image symbolizes a reminder, of not forgetting a chore, a task or an event.One of the dilemmas of modern man is the need for reminders. We are faced with so many responsibilities, chores and roles that sometimes we forget the details. But it is precisely this failure to remember that could bring a negative consequence to the many responsibilities that we have to juggle around. We have to be effective in our responsibilities and forgetting is not an option. It is because of this that we have a strong need to look for various ways to remind us of the details. The evolution of instruments and strategies for reminders has gone a long way. During the more low-tech years, one of the more effective methods used was by either circling important events in our calendars at home or taking note of the reminder in a small notebook. These are good instruments but it also had its limitations, most especially with the calendar-at-home method because you obviously cannot bring it with you. Busy mothers as well as working professionals are not always in one place so there was a gradual but increased emphasis on mobility and mobile solutions for reminders.Because of the new mobility factor, diaries and filofaxes became in vogue. The added benefit of a filofax system is that you not only get to bring the reminders with you, important data like addresses and contact details of clients, friends and family members. For a long time, the filofax system and other variants like the Franklin Planner became the standard for effective time management and reminders. The fact that this system became firmly entrenched not only in corporate culture but also among home-bound but still busy family members say a lot about its effectiveness. But it was only a matter of time before technology would bring about another shift in the time management and reminder systems. The advent of personal computers had a lot to do with this gradual shift to electronic equipment for the task of giving people reminders. Operating systems gradually included alarm, appointment and reminder functions that are easy to use and operate. For the more mobile solutions, one of the earliest progenitors was the Apple Newton, Apple’s doomed foray into mobile computing. The first really successful electronic-based time management and reminder system were the Palm handhelds. The easy to use interface, the portability, and the mobility were the qualities that made it an overwhelming success. It’s all in one functions (address book, reminders, appointments, word processing, games) made it very attractive to many people especially those who need the power of a computer in a form factor that would allow them to bring it on the field. The introduction of Pocket PC’s The internet age has now brought another significant change. The desire of mobile solutions has taken a different road with online reminder services that can be found on the internet. This is a more pervasive form of reminding because not only can it be accessed anywhere there is an internet connection (which is practically everywhere because of WiFi and internet hotspots), these online reminder services have a unique feature in that it can send email reminders to a person’s mailbox on a daily basis. The reminder function now has a level of interactivity and pro-activeness that was missing from other previous solutions.

Philip Nicosia is the webmaster of Onlinereminders.net, a free online reminder service

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World of the Geisha

2006-03-23T08:13:00.000-06:00

Yasunari Kawabata's crystalline novel Snow Country relates a love affair between an aloof dilettante and what is known as an onsen, or "hot-spring", geisha; and much of the novel's relentless melancholy arises from the onsen geisha's low place on the geisha totem pole. The dilettante is slumming, in other words, and his girl, though adept at the typical and treasured art of shamisen-playing, drinks and talks too boldly for a woman of her station.
The phenomenal success of Arthur Golden's novel Memoirs of a Geisha and now the recent movie release- has rekindled the public's interest in these secretive and seductive creatures, just as their species seem destined to receive the coup de grace suffered by so many things traditionally Japanese. No ear is so trained as that hoping to hear dying words.
For their part, some Japanese are not so keen on being identified with their wobbly, porcelain quasi-prostitutes. They would prefer to stand for artistic virtuosity or technical mastery. Yet there is no reason for Japan to be ashamed of this unique contribution to international culture. Where would the world be without The Mikado or Madame Butterfly?
Like many Asian countries, Japan has imported two extraordinarily unsuccessful ideas from the West. First, that marriage should be based on romantic love. Second, that marital infidelity is grounds for divorce if not damnation. Marriage, when it was not purely an economic contract between families, was based upon the necessity of producing and supporting children. The husband won the bread that the wife then distributed; and the husband was expected and even encouraged to seek amour and more elsewhere. According to the system's logic, no one woman can be an angel with the children, a maid in the kitchen, a whore in the bedroom, and a wit in the salon.
No doubt the system has its faults as a solution to the problem of the sexes. It scoffs at gender equality and tends to fester with ugly jealousies. But it also has its virtues. It accounts for the fact that men and women, for the time being anyway, are endowed with markedly different equipment and instructions for its proper use. And Asia has a far lower rate of divorce than the West.
The function of the geisha is to provide men with learned but carefree conversation, song and dance, and cup after cup of sake. Unlike the common lot of prostitutes, they are expected to receive rigorous training in their gei, or "art". Their dress is elaborate and expensive, and thus their services do not come cheap. And sex is not a service, or at any rate not the foremost service, that they offer. Though Western civilization has occasionally seen figures similar to the geisha - the Greek hetaerae and the French femmes savantes -- there is no modern Western equivalent.
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The History of London Bridge: London Bridge today is not the same London Bridge that crossed the Thames when it was first built. Peter, a priest and chaplain of St. Mary's of Colechurch, began the foundation of the original bridge in 1176 to replace a wooden bridge (expensive to maintain and repeatedly burned down) that had first been built by the Romans.
Southend-on-Sea is Essex’s largest town and its close proximity to London makes it a popular tourist destination year after year. Better still, it is located in the south east of the country in an area widely regarded as the driest part of Britain.
Southampton -- Set on the coast of Hampshire, south of Winchester, this is a place that abounds with a fascinating heritage. The Romans, who established it as a seaport, founded Southampton approximately 2,000 years ago. This was the port from which the ill-fated Titanic had set sail on her maiden voyage in 1912. Even though the place was affected during the Second World War, Southampton has grown sturdy with huge docks built for the cruise industry. The core of the modern city is now based around the City Centre.
Introducing Australia Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere and it is over twenty times the size of the United Kingdom has the lowest population density in the world, with only two people per square kilometre, has more than seven thousand beaches (more than any other country) and covers three time zones. It is also the sixth largest country and smallest continent on the planet. The Gold Coast of Australia features 40km of sandy immaculate beaches and is located 70kms south of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane, and 947kms North the capital of New south Wales, Sydney. It has an estimated population of 480,000 and is Australia's sixth largest city.Stunning Katherine Gorge, the major attraction of Nitmiluk National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia, is an absolute must see. Katherine Gorge shows that the most impressive experiences in the Australian Outback don't cost an arm and a leg, don't have to be shared with a kazillion other tourists, and they don't require any special preparations.
New Zealand is a country comprised of two large islands and many smaller islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and is noted for its geographic isolation. The Tasman Sea separates Australia to the northwest; to north are Fiji and Tonga. The total area of New Zealand is 268670 sq. km, which is slightly less than Japan but a little more than the United Kingdom. The country has extensive marine resources and the fifth largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world. Meaning New Zealand can claim over four million km2 or more than 15 times its land area for exploration and use of marine resources.

Creating Great Catalogs

2006-03-22T17:07:00.000-06:00

There are still times when ink on paper is essential. Many of the so-called "professions" (legal, accountancy, etc) in the UK at least still insist on correspondence being done via printed letters. They have a deep mistrust of email and for good reason, as its confidentiality can never be guaranteed. Business letters are at least fairly private - you have to assume it's easier and faster to snoop on email than it is to steam envelopes open over boiling water.In other instances, too, printed letters provide a more tamper-proof formal record of business arrangements, complaints, employee warnings/terminations and other issues that need to be carved into tablets of stone. (Well, paper, anyway.) Click HERE and discover how to make your business letters more powerful.
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Writing articles on your topic (or your business’s topic) is usually a useful PR opportunity a) because it publicizes you/your organization and b) because it can raise your profile as an expert on the topic concerned.Articles are different from press releases because they’re usually longer and in “feature” style, i.e. not using the hard-nosed news approach of most press releases. Articles in this context are usually more relaxed and more detailed, taking a more in-depth look at the subject matter.So what are the key issues to bear in mind? Click HERE.
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Creating Great Catalogs: Many people fail to realize that catalogues should be written. Often their objective in creating a catalogue is to cram in as many products as they can with descriptive copy kept to a few mis-spelled words in tiny type squashed into a corner. These people are the on-paper equivalent of the "stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap" species you encounter in retailing.However in a retail environment customers can usually pick up the products, have a good look at them, read the on-pack copy and find out all they need to know, so the fact that they're in a no-frills environment doesn't matter too much. When a product is pictured in the small, two-dimensional environment of the printed page it's not only no-frills but also very lonely, unless the product has the support of some well-chosen words to inform readers and encourage them to buy it.Considering that for many businesses and other organizations their catalogue is their only shop window - or at least represents, potentially, a very significant revenue stream - you would think that everyone's attention and skill would be focused on its written content as much as its other elements. But no. All too often catalogues look as though their copy has been written by a well-meaning high school pupil who can look forward to a glorious future as a street sweeper.

Probably the most interesting thing about brochures and leaflets is that they're seldom read in what we've come to know as the right order - as you would read a book. Rather in the same way that many people read magazines in dentists' waiting rooms, they will flick through brochures and leaflets and stop to take a longer look at bits that grab their attention.Alternatively they'll flick all the way through and then go back to bits they've noticed and that have interested them. They're just as likely to flick through from back to front as they are from front to back.What all this teaches us is that despite seeming logical, writing for brochures and leaflets in the form of a story that starts at the beginning, goes through the middle and finishes at the end, is not necessarily the best way forward.

Obviously you can't make every page stand alone with a message on it that says "in case you're flicking through backwards or only want to read this page, here's a summary of our corporate profile again."
But there are some tricks you can use to get this random reading pattern to work a bit more effectively for you, rather than against you.A lot depends on the type and style of brochure or leaflet you want to write, of course. In my experience, generally speaking the more specific the purpose of a brochure or leaflet the more likely readers are to read it properly and thoroughly.If a leaflet contains assembly instructions, or a brochure contains technical specifications of equipment, there's a good chance that readers will start at least near the beginning and then work through towards the end. Once again, that's because readers will only get their full value from the leaflet or brochure - the "what's in it for them" - by reading it properly. Where you get the worst random grasshopper reading, however, is with the less specific documents like "welcome" leaflets or "corporate" brochures. So let's look at how we can minimize the problems with those.Despite all of the above, often it is still worthwhile to organize your content in a reasonably logical order. Many people do absorb brochures in the usual order, and even if they don't they still expect to find the introduction at the beginning, the substantiations in the middle and the conclusion at the end. This approach is useful for the moderately subject-specific document, like a leaflet about a new service or a brochure about a new line of garden furniture.
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Instructions should never be written by experts, because they know too much. What this means is that they are very prone to making the mistake of assuming the reader knows a little bit about the subject matter already. To an expert, the fact that before you begin assembling the bookcase you need to align sections A, B and C with each other may be so blindingly obvious it's not even worth mentioning. To someone like me it's not just worth mentioning, it's absolutely essential if I'm not to spend the next three hours wondering why on earth I can't find any bolt holes that line up.Wherever practical, instructions should be written by someone who knows as much as, but no more than, the audience. For any form of instructions to be followed by non-technical users, the writer should assume zero prior knowledge and the best way to ensure s/he does that, is if s/he doesn't have any prior knowledge her/himself. Provided that the writer has a logical mind and the ability to write clearly and simply, s/he can't fail to work out and then write good, usable instructions - because if s/he understands them so will everyone else.

Make sure your instructions are written for your audience, not your organization. People who buy products need to know how to assemble/install/use the product as easily as possible. And because many people are technodorks like me, instructions need to be understood by the lowest common denominator. Logically, then, you might think the best person to write instructions for technodorks like me is someone who knows every last detail about the product, how it was made, how it works, what it does, and what its inside leg measurement is. In other words, an expert. This could not be further from the truth. Instructions should never be written by experts. Click HERE to learn how to write instructions.

How to Start and Run your own Firewood Supply Business.
Health Insurance for the Self-Employed.
Providing affordable health insurance for your employees
The Pet Sitting Business is BOOMING. By Ian White.
Understand the various forms of intellectual properties.
Earning money from your car or truck
Here is a sample partnership contract for you to study.
How to Write a Scorching Letter of Complaint, an actual sample.
The Candy Wrapping Business

How To Write Powerful Presentations, Speeches, And Talks

2006-03-22T15:05:00.000-06:00

Most of us get nervous about making a speech, whether it's to 2000 convention delegates or a PTA meeting at our child's school. Often, though, people find that's the worst part of the whole process - the anticipation. The reality is often a lot easier to handle and can even be quite enjoyable, provided that you take the necessary precaution of doing your homework beforehand - preparation.There are very, very few people who can get up at a moment's notice and give a good speech totally impromptu and on the spur of the moment. There are plenty of people who think they can and/or who will tell you they can, but the truth is most of them are deluding themselves and boring their audiences to tears.
There are also plenty of speakers who get up and present and make it look easy, as though they hadn't prepared anything beforehand. These are the real experts who, despite having years of speaking experience under their belts, if anything put more effort into preparation than people who speak for ten minutes once a year at the Golf Club dinner dance.So, what about that preparation? Really, it's about remembering those key golden rules that apply to all good business writing and they are:1. Define exactly not so much what you want to say, as what you want your speech or talk to achieve - ask yourself, "what do I want the audience to be thinking as I come to the end of my speech?"2. Find out as much as you can about your audience and ensure your content is very, very relevant to them and their needs.3. Use language and tone of voice that the audience will understand and identify with - and blend that in with your own natural style of speaking.4. By all means use a bit of jargon and a few "in" phrases as long as you're certain the audience understands them, but never use jargon others may not know.The only extra point I would make here is, remember that people can't rewind/replay or re-read you. For that reason you can't expect them to absorb as much detailed information as they would if you were to write it in a document or CD-ROM, which allow them to refer back to details as often as they want.
Knowing your audience is also unusually important here - you'll find out very quickly if you've got it wrong, because you'll see it in their faces and their body language.
Cut the clutter
Depending on the nature of the presentation you're making, sometimes you will be giving out delegate packs or some other form of permanent record of your material, so details, expansions, etc can go in there. Whether you're doing this or not, though, what you say must be clear and uncluttered.With live speeches, your success is almost entirely dependent on what your audience remembers of what you say. People have very bad memories, and if a speech has been boring or complicated or both, they will remember even less of its content and only recall how terrible it was.Often senior managers are called upon to give speeches - usually to internal audiences - which cover a wide range of topics, for example a review of the company's performance over the past year, announcements about new developments, etc. These presentations sometimes last for nearly an hour and attempt to cover more topics than a fat Sunday newspaper. At the end of it the audiences have absorbed very little, having been mesmerized by the drone of the boss's voice and an increasingly urgent desire to leave the meeting and go to the washroom.Yet, argue the senior managers, we have to get all this information over to them at our conference. The answer? Split a one-hour speech down into four fifteen-minuters, interspersed with the other presentations throughout the day or half-day session. (Or if you can't do that, split the one-hour presentation across four different speakers.) Fifteen minutes is much more comfortable for the audience's attention span. And the fact that there are more, shorter presentations creates variety which, to totally misquote an old saying is the spice of live communication.Start by writing yourself a list of points - a structure. This should cover the usual story-telling technique of a beginning, a middle and an end, although the old soap-box principle of "tell 'em what you're going to say, say it, then tell 'em what you just said" is a bit repetitive. Try if you can to keep the main issues in your presentation to fewer than five, no matter how long your speech is. If you can't actually put it together as a traditional story, what you must do is ensure that one topic leads logically on to the next using some good, workable links.

Much more. Click on the title.

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VoIP Tech Basics

2006-02-24T22:46:00.000-06:00

We love VoIP because it is cheaper than standard landline telephones. It doesn't hurt a bit that there are currently no tax charges involved with VoIP services. Furthermore, we are thrilled that so many of the features that are normally charged for by the regular phone company are Quite often included, free of charge with our VoIP services. Just these features alone are enough to endear us to VoIP. These are great benefits for both residential and business users alike. As homeowners we appreciate the fact that we can have inexpensive phone service with all of the bells and whistles we've grown to love over the years.. On top of that, we can pick up on added features such as Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, and Call transfer -- at no additional cost. When the unlimited local and long distance calling plans are thrown in, home users can rejoice even more with their VoIP service.
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The potential headset buyer first needs to recognize the difference between two distinct grades of headsets. Local office supply stores stock and sell telephone headsets priced from $50-100. These are consumer grade headsets which are considered entry level headsets. These headsets supply hands free communication and provide an excellent solution for 15-20 minute calls while talking to friends and family. The units usually include a single ear headband or an ear model headset with an amplifier. The amplifier is required to make the headset compatible with most telephones. Speaker/microphone volume controls are limited and the headset plugs into a telephone’s handset port. There is typically no compatibility settings on the amplifier, therefore the system may or may not function properly depending on the telephone it is connected to. The quality is typically equal to or below that of your telephone handset.
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Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is quite possibly the supplement of choice when looking for that weight-loss miracle pill. One group of overweight women lost 9% body fat in one year's time even though they didn't change their lifestyle or eating habits in any way.This is the first time CLA has been researched for it's effects on body composition and the results are clearly remarkable.Never heard of CLA? Click HERE
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The whole world is buzzing with the word “VoIP” This esoteric terminology is an acronym that stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. Therefore, VoIP is the mechanism that provides the ability to transmit voice over the Internet and find its way to either a receiving computer or to a telephone. One thing that makes it extra valuable is that both the receiving and the sending stations can move from one location to another and still find each other.
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When I was a kid my favorite sport was to take off across the wilderness for weeks at a time with nothing on me but what just happened to be in my pocket at that second when the urge to go struck me. After I had proven to myself that I could survive anywhere and after I grew older and wiser I decided that backpacking is even more fun. Backpacking is a way of combining hiking and camping. You carry your supplies and equipment for all of your expected eating and sleeping needs. The gear will include food, water, and shelter. Backpacking allows you to penetrate deeper into remote areas to get entirely away from modern civilization. Backpacking requires you carry your supplies with you and will reduce your speed and less ground can be covered in one day but you see a thousand times more detail. Backpacking trips are usually a weekend or sometimes longer. If it is longer, planned food and supply drops should be worked out in advance so you won’t be weighted down with a heavy backpack.

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information issue

2006-02-14T08:17:00.000-06:00

HELLO FROM CHICAGO is a FREE TRAVEL BOOK written by Susanne Pacher. It is available in pdf format, which means that you need to RIGHT CLICK on the title and download it to your computer.

Blog and Ping Uncovered.
The simplest way to put it is with a step-by-step example:1. Collect links from your website(s) that have not yet been indexed by the search engines.2. Post those links to your blogs.3. Ping your blog.4. When your blog is pinged, search engine spiders come running to it, and in turn follow the links that youposted to the blog.5. Now the spiders will start to crawl your un-indexed website and start to index it at record speed.So the whole blog and ping process will help your websites because they are most likely not receiving any traffic unless they are in the search engines. If you blog and ping them you can get them indexed in record time, which will in turn start to send you traffic.Sounds easy, doesn't it? It is also FREE.

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I'll never forget the look on the face of that Colombian campesino man. My wife just explained to him in Spanish that what I am holding under my arm is indeed a surfboard, despite the fact that we were standing in a Colombian village that was located somewhere in the middle of the Andes Mountains, hundreds of miles away from any ocean. After hearing this news the man made a joke about us getting bad directions. Crossing the Andes with a surfboard.

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One night as I sat before the computer burning the midnight oil a man named Lewis sent a letter complimenting me on how well my site was doing. At the end of his letter he asked how HE could make a similar site. Now I'm sure that he expected only one or two words of advice at the most, but the timing was right. My mind kicked into high gear and out popped an extensive answer, which follows -- word for word. All you have to do is pretend for a moment that your name is Lewis, and here's the mechanics of how I did it.

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The Little Mustang has been the icon of American vehicles and performance. It holds a bold style, a brawny and strong engine, and excitement that finds its source from its rear wheel drive. The 2006 Ford Mustang has a V6 engine that the company dubbed as the “Pony Package”. It holds 18 inch wheels, new colors, a custom grille with fog lamps, and an interior upgrade.

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The Saturn is one of General Motors’ brands. It was launched in 1990 largely due to the success of Japanese small-car imports in the United States, and this brand was the company’s response. It is popularly known for its “no-haggle” sale policy. And it is very commonly known to have customer satisfaction with its dealer service that is among the highest of any car brand in the United States. It has also received praise for its environmentally-conscious manufacturing processes and for its innovations such as using flexible plastic side panels on its cars to avoid minor dents, as well.

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One of the vehicles that are running under this brand is the Saturn Relay. It is a minivan that is the first in its brand not to have a polymer side paneling. The Saturn Relay uses a 3.5 liter High Value 3500 LX9 V6 that has the capability to generate 200 horsepower and 220 ft-lb. torque. From 1928 to present, the Dodge is a brand name of automobiles and light to heavy-duty trucks that is marketed by the Germany-based DaimlerChrysler AG. Although, by looking at the brand’s history, it was named Dodge Brother Motor Vehicle Company back in 1914 up to 1927. Come the year 1998, the Dodge was then acquired by Daimler-Benz, along with all other Chrysler subsidiaries. Now part of the DaimlerChrysler company, the Dodge, as of 2005, has become primarily known for its trucks. The trucks manufactured by the company account for a whopping 78 per cent of the division’s sales. However, the company is trying to change this status by introducing the new Dodge Charger.

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It is the world’s oldest automobile manufacturer and primarily competes with the BMW, the Cadillac, the Jaguar, the Audi, the Volvo, the Lexus, the Acura, the Infiniti, and the Lincoln. The Mercedes Benz is a German brand of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks which is under the umbrella of the DaimlerChrysler company. This automobile manufacturer started out its humble beginnings back to the 1880s. It happened around when Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz invented the internal combustion engine-powered automobile.

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General Motors Corporation, which is also commonly known as GM, is an automobile maker that is based in the United States. However, this company has a wide scope and reach for it has operations worldwide and has a line up of brands under its name. GM automobiles are high ranking in terms of its overall capability for it has an outstanding commitment to give the automobile industry only the best kind of vehicles. And this commitment is very strictly incorporated with equally excellent quality auto parts. Its headquarters is found in the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan. Currently, the company is one of the world’s largest vehicle manufacturers.

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The Facts about Martial Arts, for Kids has been published by Browzer Books in pdf format for your immediate download and reading pleasure. Written by Paul Jerard it contains five chapters that introduce you to all the pros and cons you should consider before letting your child storm into training somewhere. Please, RIGHT CLICK HERE to download The Facts about Martial Arts, for Kids

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Studies have shown that less than half of the victims of sexual assault treated in emergency rooms get basic help with information about the risk of pregnancy or emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy. They have to wait for sometimes up to six hours for treatment, and during this wait, they’re told not to eat, drink, or even use the bathroom before they’re examined because it might destroy evidence.

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What does the Phantom of the Opera and Cats have in common? Answer: They are the longest running plays in the history of Broadway. Phantom is currently still performing its spectacular production and nearing its 7,500th performance. Cats closed on September 10th, 2000 after 7,486 shows. What is the allure of Broadway and these two plays?

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Rome is the bustling heart of Italy. A modern capital in every sense of the word yet steeped in history, with a wealth of art, architecture and religion to suit every holidaymaker, traveler, academic or pilgrim.
Over 2,000 years of history have left their mark in all parts of this stylish metropolis. Tradition has it that the city was founded by Romulus on Palatino one of the 7 hills on which Rome is built near the Tevere river, which guarantees that wherever you are you are never far from a stunning view of the city.

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Long gone are the days when an airline passenger is able to go straight to the gate and catch their flight. As you all know, the way we think about travel has been profoundly changed by the events of Sept. 11 and their aftermath. These shifts have had a practical and psychological impact on all of us.
Most of these changes have taken place in the airline industry although other parts of the travel industry and the nation as a whole have been forced to adjust also. Immediately after Sept. 11, as you know, travel was drastically reduced virtually across the planet. In the past year, it has been steadily picking up. However, in most cases, it has not reached pre-September 11 levels. Click HERE to learn more about security changes since 911.

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The Complete Classic of The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells is now available as a PAGE-TURNING production by Browzer Books. Click HERE to download your free copy.

New Insight Articles

2006-02-08T01:49:00.000-06:00

Writing For Weight Loss Success
By: Anne Baugh

Weight loss really does begin in your head. Every successful athlete understands that his thinking process is either working for him or against him. The same holds true with weight loss. If your internal dialogue is negative, your results will eventually manifest the same result! You can't degrade yourself to a healthy new you! You must change your thinking to work for you, to build your resolve, and to maintain that all important motivational factor.

Writing is an exercise that will help your mind change its thinking! It allows you to process the negative emotions and helps to instill the positive changes. Start with these simple exercises:

1. The Negative Emotions Daily Dump: Many success coaches advocate writing out your negative thinking on a daily basis. Simply spend approximately 15 minutes writing out all the frustrations, bad feelings, and discouragement. This helps you to process these bad feelings out of your system so that you can make room for positive affirmations. Do not reread the entries and do not keep them. Write it out, and then throw it out.We call this the Negative Emotions Daily Dump.

2. Affirm Your Goals: Prepare a list of affirmations that will help your subconscious work with your conscious brain to make those all important behavioral changes. Then write your affirmations at least twice a day. Write them once after you have written your Negative Emotions Daily Dump.

Don't do the Negative Dump without filling it with the positive affirmations. You should always end with this. Write the second set of affirmations either right before you go to bed or first thing in the morning. Read your affirmations several times a day.

3. Understand your Motivations: In order to stay motivated you must understand your real reasons for losing weight. In other words, understand why YOU want to lose weight. Not why your spouse or friends want you to lose weight but why losing the weight is important to you. Do you really want more energy? Do you just love skinny clothes? Do you want to participate in an activity that would be easier if you were slim and healthy? Write these motivations out in detail so that you can solidify them in your head and they can continue to motivate you through the entire weight loss journey.

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7 Positive Ways to Turn Complaints into Assets
By: Allyn

1. Be Prepared...Let's face it...you can please some of the people all the time, but you'll never manage to please all of the people all the time. There will be unhappy customers...that's the way life is. There's not a lot you can do about it...or is there? Being prepared to take a loss to keep a customer happy may seem like poor business sense at first glance, but think of it this way...if you make him happy today, he'll reward your efforts by returning to your store time and time again. Yep, taking a loss today, will pay off in the long run.

2. Be Ready with a "Quick Fix"...Dissatisfaction multiplies at a rapid rate! Have you ever complained and waited...and waited...and waited for someone to get back to you? Yeah, the whole time you're impatient and disgruntled the problem seems to grow bigger. Let your unhappy customer know that you are getting right on the problem. Even if it can't be fixed immediately, he'll know that it's important and a high priority.

3. Be Professional...One angry customer plus one angry salesman doesn't add up to a great solution. Forget about the mannerisms of the ticked customer, and keep your cool. Often a professional and calm response will in turn calm and quiet the tirade of the unhappy customer. And that my friend, is much more likely to get the results you are looking for.

4. Be Responsible...Go ahead...take the responsibility for the problem...even if it wasn't your fault. Hey, an "I'm sorry," goes a long way toward fixing the problem. Once you've apologized for the inconvenience your customer has experienced, you can get down to the dirty business of fixing the problem. It never pays to fix the blame or make excuses.

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Inviting Children to a Wedding
By: Lee Asher

If you wish to include children in your wedding as either a ring bearer, a flower girl or by assigning them a task that helps them to feel included. Children can make a wonderful addition to any wedding but they also have the potential for livening up the wedding with unexpected antics. It is important to consider the age, maturity level and predictability of the child before deciding to include them in the wedding. Take care to follow these tips to help things run as smooth as possible and to make participating in your wedding a pleasurable experience for the child.

Let’s be honest about this. To the average small child, weddings can be a complete bore. They have to spend hours hanging around in formal clothes. All this makes them very receptive to the general air of excitement around them – and this is when high spirits can take over. Certainly, inviting children to a wedding can cause problems. After all, a church service is not exactly designed as children’s entertainment. The events of the day hardly fit in with their usual routine, their demands for attention are ignored and they’re meeting strangers and people they haven’t seen in years.

If you choose a very young child or a child that is particularly shy you may want to consider having their parent accompany them down the aisle so that they are not overwhelmed on the day of the wedding. Also, be prepared for the child to completely forget what they are supposed to do and don't allow their mistakes to put a damper on your wedding day. The odds are that if the child does not perform well, the other guests will simply laugh so feel free to laugh along with them and enjoy the pleasure that comes with including a child in your wedding.

paternity testing

2006-02-03T14:08:00.000-06:00

Paternity testing - How? Why? Where? Who?By: Ventura
All cells contain DNA. This includes the sex cells; sperm and egg cells. When a sperm and egg cell combine the new cell formed contains DNA from both parents. This single cell then divides on its way down the fallopian tube to the uterus. It implants into the uterus wall and grows into a foetus, and eventually a baby. If a couple have more than one child, they will each have different DNA, because the sperm and egg combine differently each time.
DNA analysis in a specialist laboratory can work out which parts came from the sperm (the father) and which from the egg (the mother). The results of this DNA analysis can be used as evidence about the likelihood of 2 individuals being related.
There is only a tiny chance of 2 individuals having identical DNA, unless they are identical twins. Identical twins will have the same DNA because the fertilized egg that split to give the 2 foetuses came from the same sperm and the same egg. It only split after the DNA from the two sex cells had already combined.
DNA analysis can be used to prove or disprove paternity. This is commonly used in cases where the mother is trying to claim maintenance payments from an absent father.
In cases of adoptees who are looking for their natural parents, DNA analysis is also being used.
Several companies have extensive DNA databases. These companies will analyse your DNA, look for a match and inform you discreetly of the results. The process is very simple; you pay your 50 dollars, you get a swab kit, you use the swab kit to wipe the inside of your cheek, you send off the swabs, the company analyses your DNA and sends you the results. They tell you if there is a match to any of the samples in their database. A
People can trace their relatives, including those in the country from which they emigrated.
Where paternity of a child is disputed, a DNA test can be used to convince a court to order a blood DNA test and make a maintenance order on the father. DNA tests are also used where there is a suspicion that the hospital has mixed up babies.
Your birth parents do not need to have registered to get a result. If ANY person related to you is in the database, a positive result will show. You may find grandparents, siblings or more distant relatives, all of which will lead to more information on your heritage.
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
You will find www.fast-paternity-testing.info/ "> more paternity testing resources here, if you want to look further into the issue. Check out topnotch-health.info/">this health resources site for more general health information.
Online Degrees - Points to watch out forBy: Ventura
Many reputable universities offer online degree courses. An online degree offers students many advantages, especially older students, who may have childcare commitments that need to be accommodated into a study regime. Given that students on a traditional course spend the greater part of their time partying, it is certainly possible to pack the study part of a university education into one or two years.
Employers are naturally suspicious of anything new in the way of qualifications, and there will be a certain reluctance, on the part of some, to accept an online degree as equivalent to a traditional one. This arises because of the wealth of worthless “life experience” degrees that can be obtained for $200 or less from universities that no-one has ever heard of.
An online degree from a traditional and respected university will get you over this hurdle. You should avoid lesser known universities offering these courses, even if they are accredited institutions. Employers do not have the resources to keep track of which institutions are reputable this year, and which were reputable in the year your degree was awarded. They will play safe and only interview candidates with qualifications from universities they recognize.
School principals and governors are some of the most conservative people on the planet. If you apply for a teaching job with a qualification from some unheard of university, they will assume your hard-earned qualification is an online degree and worthless.
If you are looking into an online education degree, then you need to be particularly careful that it includes some teaching experience in a school situation. Teachers want to be working alongside other teachers who have been through a similar system of training that they went through themselves.
The general perception amongst teachers is that online degree qualifications do not include teaching practice in the classroom. They want to know that you have some teaching experience in the classroom and to see reports relating to that.
These reports are the only relevant reference you have as far as most teachers are concerned. The extent of your knowledge, as measured by your degree is much less important than is your ability to communicate that knowledge to a group of students.
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
Pete Gallagher, taught Chemistry for 28 years. He has now left teaching to concentrate on writing. These articles are based on an expensive photocopiable resource that he sold to schools to use in staff training. Find more of Pete’s work at his EduBackup website. Another source of information on education degrees can be found at www.only-education-degree.info/online-education-degree.html ">this specialist resource site.

Creative Tips for Container Gardening

2006-02-02T10:57:00.000-06:00

Creative Tips for Container Gardening

By: Paul Winter

Container gardens can create a natural sanctuary in a busy city street, along rooftops or on balconies. You can easily accentuate the welcoming look of a deck or patio with colorful pots of annuals, or fill your window boxes with beautiful shrub roses or any number of small perennials.

Whether you arrange your pots in a group for a massed effect or highlight a smaller space with a single specimen, you'll be delighted with this simple way to create a garden. Container gardening enables you to easily vary your color scheme, and as each plant finishes flowering, it can be replaced with another. Whether you choose to harmonize or contrast your colors, make sure there is variety in the height of each plant. Think also of the shape and texture of the leaves.

Tall strap-like leaves will give a good vertical background to low-growing, wide-leafed plants.

Choose plants with a long flowering season, or have others of a different type ready to replace them as they finish blooming. Experiment with creative containers. You might have an old porcelain bowl or copper urn you can use, or perhaps you'd rather make something really modern with timber or tiles. If you decide to buy your containers ready-made, terracotta pots look wonderful, but tend to absorb water. You don't want your plants to dry out, so paint the interior of these pots with a special sealer available from hardware stores.

Cheaper plastic pots can also be painted on the outside with water-based paints for good effect. When purchasing pots, don't forget to buy matching saucers to catch the drips. This will save cement floors getting stained, or timber floors rotting. Always use a good quality potting mix in your containers. This will ensure the best performance possible from your plants. If you have steps leading up to your front door, an attractive pot plant on each one will delight your visitors.

Indoors, pots of plants or flowers help to create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. Decide ahead of time where you want your pots to be positioned, and then buy plants that suit the situation. There is no point buying sun lovers for a shady position, for they will not do well.

Some plants also have really large roots, so they are best kept for the open garden. If you have plenty of space at your front door, a group of potted plants off to one side will be more visually appealing than two similar plants placed each side. Unless they are spectacular, they will look rather boring.

Group the pots in odd numbers rather than even, and vary the height and type. To tie the group together, add large rocks that are similar in appearance and just slightly different in size. Three or five pots of the same type and color, but in different sizes also look affective. With a creative mind and some determination, you will soon have a container garden that will be the envy of friends and strangers alike.

Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar

Looking for more gardening tips? Why not visit my website at gardeningtips.800amonth.co.uk and ArticlesRus.Net

The Science Behind the Dimples

2006-02-02T10:43:00.000-06:00

The Science Behind The Dimples

By: Susan Chiang

The dynamics behind the flight of the golf ball offers a fascinating insight into the physical interworkings of air pressure, turbulence, and aerodynamics. When golf was first played in Scotland, most players played using clumsy golf apparatus, with the first golf clubs and golf balls made of wood.

In 1618 the “Featherie” was introduced. It was a golf ball made of feather. This feather golf ball was handcrafted from goose feathers tightly pressed into a horse or cowhide sphere while still wet. After drying, the leather shrank and the feathers expanded, creating a hardened golf ball.

As this type of golf ball was specially handcrafted, it was usually more expensive than golf clubs, so that only a few privileged people could afford to play golf back then.

After the Featherie golf ball came the Guttie golf ball. This type of golf ball was made from the rubber-like sap of the Gutta tree found in the tropics, and was shaped into a sphere when hot and eventually into a golf ball. As it was made of rubber, the Guttie golf ball could be cheaply produced and easily repaired by reheating and reshaping.

Comparing the two types of golf balls, the Featherie golf ball was said to travel farther than the Guttie golf ball because the Guttie golf ball’s smooth surface prevented it from covering more distance.

With this discovery, the developers of golf balls came up with the “dimpled” golf balls that are so predominant in modern golf nowadays.The dimples on the golf balls help reduce the aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag normally affects smooth golf balls and slows them down, because when they sail through the air, they leave a pocket of low-pressure air in its stir thus creating a drag. By applying dimples to the golf ball surface, the pressure differential goes down and the drag force is reduced.

These dimples create turbulence in the air surrounding the golf ball, which, in turn, forces the air to clasp the golf ball more closely. By doing so, the air trails the warp created by the golf ball towards the back instead of flowing past it. This results in a smaller wake and lesser drag.

Dimples were first added onto golf ball surfaces back during the gutta percha phase. Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored golf ball encased in a gutta percha sphere. Then in 1905 William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell golf ball, thus giving rise to the modern golf ball as we know it today.

After its beginning, dimpled golf balls were officially used in every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf ball took its current form with standard size and weight. Nowadays there is a wide range of golf balls to fit every style, game and condition, with some golf balls offering control, and other golf balls offering distance. Though a common sight nowadays, the dimpled golf ball is not just a mere element of the sports arena; it is a showcase of physics at work.

Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar

For a more comprehensive look at golf and golf equipment, drop by Susan's sites Golf Ball Central. Other informative sports related articles are available at Shopping Palace and Niche Weblog.

Put Streaming Video on All Your Web Sites

2006-01-26T06:25:00.000-06:00

It came as a complete shock to me how easily I could put video on my web site. It took about seven minutes for me to understand how to use the software that made it possible. My very first attempt can be seen and heard on
http://www.talewins.com/travelwrite/test.swf.html

Just the day before I bought this software I had paid $37 for a program that only did audio, and not streaming audio either. Then yesterday I found this software which does streaming audio, streaming video, and finds free pictures for me to use on the web too.

Naturally I snapped it up and got started early this morning.
Sure I made some false starts, and next time I'll have a script in front of meso I don't stumble over any words, but the possibilites now open to me are awesome.

Click on the title to get complete information on this offer.

Four Valentine's Cards

2006-01-11T23:58:00.000-06:00

Four Homemade Valentine's Day Cards to Make by Rachel Paxton - rachel@creativehomemaking.com
There is nothing as special or personal as a homemade Valentine's Day card. Surprise your friends and family with your handmade creations. Here are some ideas to get you started. The link at the end of the article shows photographs of the finished cards.
Materials:
Four blank greeting cards (available at craft stores), dark red piece of scrapbooking paper, white piece of cardstock, cream colored piece of cardstock, red and white gingham piece of scrapbooking paper, paper cutter, scissors, glue stick, computer, printer, sewing machine.
Card #1
For this card you will need a dark red piece of scrapbooking paper, a red and white gingham piece of scrapbooking paper (or other coordinating piece of paper), and a piece of white cardstock. Cut a piece of the dark red paper to fit the front of the greeting card and glue it in place. The dark red is the background of the card. Cut two strips of the gingham paper, approximately an inch and a half wide. Cut them to the width of the card (this card will open horizontally). Tear a freehand heart from the gingham paper, large enough to fill up approximately three quarters of the entire card. Next glue the strips of gingham paper to the front of the card with space in between them. The idea is that there is a "strip" of gingham, a strip of red, a strip of gingham, and then a strip of red. Use your sewing machine to stitch* along the edges of the strips of gingham paper, and then stitch around the edge of the card. Glue the heart in the middle of the card. Type "Happy Valentine's Day" on your computer and print out on white cardstock. Cut out the phrase (narrow strip) and glue to the center of the heart.
* Stitching tips: If you have never used your sewing machine to make cards, it is easy! Just sew on the paper like you would on fabric. You might want to reserve a needle just for paper so you don't dull the needle for your fabric projects. There are two ways you can include stitching in your card making projects. You can either stitch directly on the card, or you can stitch on a separate piece of paper and then glue that piece to the card (then the stitching won't show through the card).
Card #2:
This Valentine's Day card is quick and easy. Cut a piece of dark red paper to fit the front of your blank card and glue it in place. Type "Happy Valentine's Day" on your computer and print it on the cream colored paper. Mat the cut-out phrase first on a dark red piece of paper, and then mat that piece on another piece of cream colored cardstock to create a layered look. This card will open horizontally, so turn it in that direction and glue the Valentine's sentiment to the top third of the card. For the bottom portion of the card cut three small freehand hearts from the dark red paper. Glue these hearts to three torn scraps (in the shapes of squares) of cream colored paper. Space these pieces across the bottom of the card and glue in place. Stitch around the outside of the card and around the "Happy Valentine's Day" if you wish, but it isn't necessary.
Card #3:
This card is made from a dark red piece of paper and a cream colored piece of paper. Cut a piece of the dark red paper to fit the front of your blank card and glue it in place. Cut a large square from the cream colored paper and glue it just above the center of the card. Glue the piece of paper in place. Tear a large heart from the dark red paper and glue it in the center of the cream colored square. Type "Happy Valentine's Day" on your computer. Print on cream colored paper and glue in the center of the heart. Stitch around the cream colored square and the edge of the card, if you wish.
Card #4:
This card is made from a dark red piece of paper, the gingham paper, and white card stock. This card will open horizontally. Cut a piece of the dark red paper to fit the front of your pre-made card and glue it in place. Cut two strips of gingham paper and glue them to the top and bottom of the card so that there is a red strip in between. Cut three freehand hearts from the gingham paper and space them out in the red portion of the card. Glue them in place. Type "Happy Valentine's Day" on your computer and print on white paper. Cut out into a narrow strip (narrower than hearts) and glue in the center of the card on top of the hearts.
Notes: - The terms "card stock" and "paper" are used interchangably here, but it is up to you which kind of paper you use, depending on the look you are trying to achieve - A sewing machine isn't necessary for this project, it is just a nice added touch - You don't have to use your computer for this project, you can handwrite the words if you wish.
Photos of finished cards: http://www.crafty-moms.com/valentines-day-cards.shtml
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com.

Shopping For Murder

2005-12-13T00:57:00.000-06:00

Shopping For Murder is a great way to bring your POV to life.

In downtown Detroit a flashing green light alerts the curious passersby that The Little Murder Shop accepts Master Card and Visa. Most of its traffic comes in after midnight, some to creep in with the flickering shadows so they can't be seen, and some rush in anxious to relieve the tossing and turning of yet another sleepless night.

At this point your POV may be just weighing the options but as s/he pauses in the doorway the smell of blood reaches out like the chains of hell. They are feverish with desire to get the foul deed done, and concerned with eliminating the certainty of getting caught. You have brought your POV to this doorway to capture (on paper) the thoughts and passions that boil in the cauldron of murder.

Your POV glances quickly over the aisles, wondering where to start -- Weapons? Or Opportunity? What motive drives him to be here? What strengths tempt her? What weakness must be guarded against at all costs? Guttering candles beckon your POV move deeper into the shadows of black commerce. S/He pushes a spider web aside and hurries down the aisle marked only by a grinning skull.

The hairs on the back of your neck stand up as you click on the title and follow your POV into the Little Murder Shop.

Is Psychology a Science?

2005-12-02T09:02:00.000-06:00

Is Psychology a Science?

By Sam Vaknin
Author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited"

All theories - scientific or not - start with a problem. They aim to solve it by proving that what appears to be "problematic" is not. They re-state the conundrum, or introduce new data, new variables, a new classification, or new organizing principles. They incorporate the problem in a larger body of knowledge, or in a conjecture ("solution"). They explain why we thought we had an issue on our hands - and how it can be avoided, vitiated, or resolved.

Scientific theories invite constant criticism and revision. They yield new problems. They are proven erroneous and are replaced by new models which offer better explanations and a more profound sense of understanding - often by solving these new problems. From time to time, the successor theories constitute a break with everything known and done till then. These seismic convulsions are known as "paradigm shifts".

Contrary to widespread opinion - even among scientists - science is not only about "facts". It is not merely about quantifying, measuring, describing, classifying, and organizing "things" (entities). It is not even concerned with finding out the "truth".

Science is about providing us with concepts, explanations, and predictions (collectively known as "theories") and thus endowing us with a sense of understanding of our world.

Scientific theories are allegorical or metaphoric. They revolve around symbols and theoretical constructs, concepts and substantive assumptions, axioms and hypotheses - most of which can never, even in principle, be computed, observed, quantified, measured, or correlated with the world "out there".

By appealing to our imagination, scientific theories reveal what David Deutsch calls "the fabric of reality".

Like any other system of knowledge, science has its fanatics, heretics, and deviants.

Instrumentalists, for instance, insist that scientific theories should be concerned exclusively with predicting the outcomes of appropriately designed experiments. Their explanatory powers are of no consequence. Positivists ascribe meaning only to statements that deal with observables and observations.

Instrumentalists and positivists ignore the fact that predictions are derived from models, narratives, and organizing principles. In short: it is the theory's explanatory dimensions that determine which experiments are relevant and which are not. Forecasts - and experiments - that are not embedded in an understanding of the world (in an explanation) do not constitute science.

Granted, predictions and experiments are crucial to the growth of scientific knowledge and the winnowing out of erroneous or inadequate theories. But they are not the only mechanisms of natural selection. There are other criteria that help us decide whether to adopt and place confidence in a scientific theory or not. Is the theory aesthetic (parsimonious), logical, does it provide a reasonable explanation and, thus, does it further our understanding of the world?
David Deutsch in "The Fabric of Reality" (p. 11):

"... (I)t is hard to give a precise definition of 'explanation' or 'understanding'. Roughly speaking, they are about 'why' rather than 'what'; about the inner workings of things; about how things really are, not just how they appear to be; about what must be so, rather than what merely happens to be so; about laws of nature rather than rules of thumb. They are also about coherence, elegance, and simplicity, as opposed to arbitrariness and complexity ..."

Reductionists and emergentists ignore the existence of a hierarchy of scientific theories and meta-languages. They believe - and it is an article of faith, not of science - that complex phenomena (such as the human mind) can be reduced to simple ones (such as the physics and chemistry of the brain). Furthermore, to them the act of reduction is, in itself, an explanation and a form of pertinent understanding. Human thought, fantasy, imagination, and emotions are nothing but electric currents and spurts of chemicals in the brain, they say.

Holists, on the other hand, refuse to consider the possibility that some higher-level phenomena can, indeed, be fully reduced to base components and primitive interactions. They ignore the fact that reductionism sometimes does provide explanations and understanding. The properties of water, for instance, do spring forth from its chemical and physical composition and from the interactions between its constituent atoms and subatomic particles.

Still, there is a general agreement that scientific theories must be abstract (independent of specific time or place), intersubjectively explicit (contain detailed descriptions of the subject matter in unambiguous terms), logically rigorous (make use of logical systems shared and accepted by the practitioners in the field), empirically relevant (correspond to results of empirical research), useful (in describing and/or explaining the world), and provide typologies and predictions.

A scientific theory should resort to primitive (atomic) terminology and all its complex (derived) terms and concepts should be defined in these indivisible terms. It should offer a map unequivocally and consistently connecting operational definitions to theoretical concepts.
Operational definitions that connect to the same theoretical concept should not contradict each other (be negatively correlated). They should yield agreement on measurement conducted independently by trained experimenters. But investigation of the theory of its implication can proceed even without quantification.

Theoretical concepts need not necessarily be measurable or quantifiable or observable. But a scientific theory should afford at least four levels of quantification of its operational and theoretical definitions of concepts: nominal (labeling), ordinal (ranking), interval and ratio.
As we said, scientific theories are not confined to quantified definitions or to a classificatory apparatus. To qualify as scientific they must contain statements about relationships (mostly causal) between concepts - empirically-supported laws and/or propositions (statements derived from axioms).

Philosophers like Carl Hempel and Ernest Nagel regard a theory as scientific if it is hypothetico-deductive. To them, scientific theories are sets of inter-related laws. We know that they are inter-related because a minimum number of axioms and hypotheses yield, in an inexorable deductive sequence, everything else known in the field the theory pertains to.

Explanation is about retrodiction - using the laws to show how things happened. Prediction is using the laws to show how things will happen. Understanding is explanation and prediction combined.

William Whewell augmented this somewhat simplistic point of view with his principle of "consilience of inductions". Often, he observed, inductive explanations of disparate phenomena are unexpectedly traced to one underlying cause. This is what scientific theorizing is about - finding the common source of the apparently separate.

This omnipotent view of the scientific endeavor competes with a more modest, semantic school of philosophy of science.

Many theories - especially ones with breadth, width, and profundity, such as Darwin's theory of evolution - are not deductively integrated and are very difficult to test (falsify) conclusively. Their predictions are either scant or ambiguous.

Scientific theories, goes the semantic view, are amalgams of models of reality. These are empirically meaningful only inasmuch as they are empirically (directly and therefore semantically) applicable to a limited area. A typical scientific theory is not constructed with explanatory and predictive aims in mind. Quite the opposite: the choice of models incorporated in it dictates its ultimate success in explaining the Universe and predicting the outcomes of experiments.

Are psychological theories scientific theories by any definition (prescriptive or descriptive)?

Hardly.

First, we must distinguish between psychological theories and the way that some of them are applied (psychotherapy and psychological plots). Psychological plots are the narratives co-authored by the therapist and the patient during psychotherapy. These narratives are the outcomes of applying psychological theories and models to the patient's specific circumstances.
Psychological plots amount to storytelling - but they are still instances of the psychological theories used. The instances of theoretical concepts in concrete situations form part of every theory. Actually, the only way to test psychological theories - with their dearth of measurable entities and concepts - is by examining such instances (plots).

Storytelling has been with us since the days of campfire and besieging wild animals. It serves a number of important functions: amelioration of fears, communication of vital information (regarding survival tactics and the characteristics of animals, for instance), the satisfaction of a sense of order (predictability and justice), the development of the ability to hypothesize, predict and introduce new or additional theories and so on.

We are all endowed with a sense of wonder. The world around us in inexplicable, baffling in its diversity and myriad forms. We experience an urge to organize it, to "explain the wonder away", to order it so that we know what to expect next (predict). These are the essentials of survival. But while we have been successful at imposing our mind on the outside world - we have been much less successful when we tried to explain and comprehend our internal universe and our behavior.

Psychology is not an exact science, nor can it ever be. This is because its "raw material" (humans and their behavior as individuals and en masse) is not exact. It will never yield natural laws or universal constants (like in physics). Experimentation in the field is constrained by legal and ethical rules. Humans tend to be opinionated, develop resistance, and become self-conscious when observed.

The relationship between the structure and functioning of our (ephemeral) mind, the structure and modes of operation of our (physical) brain, and the structure and conduct of the outside world have been a matter for heated debate for millennia.

Broadly speaking, there are two schools of thought:
One camp identify the substrate (brain) with its product (mind). Some of these scholars postulate the existence of a lattice of preconceived, born, categorical knowledge about the universe - the vessels into which we pour our experience and which mould it.

Others within this group regard the mind as a black box. While it is possible in principle to know its input and output, it is impossible, again in principle, to understand its internal functioning and management of information. To describe this input-output mechanism, Pavlov coined the word "conditioning", Watson adopted it and invented "behaviorism", Skinner came up with "reinforcement".

Epiphenomenologists (proponents of theories of emergent phenomena) regard the mind as the by-product of the complexity of the brain's "hardware" and "wiring". But all of them ignore the psychophysical question: what IS the mind and HOW is it linked to the brain?

The other camp assumes the airs of "scientific" and "positivist" thinking. It speculates that the mind (whether a physical entity, an epiphenomenon, a non-physical principle of organization, or the result of introspection) has a structure and a limited set of functions. It is argued that a "mind owner's manual" could be composed, replete with engineering and maintenance instructions. It proffers a dynamics of the psyche.

The most prominent of these "psychodynamists" was, of course, Freud. Though his disciples (Adler, Horney, the object-relations lot) diverged wildly from his initial theories, they all shared his belief in the need to "scientify" and objectify psychology.

Freud, a medical doctor by profession (neurologist) - preceded by another M.D., Josef Breuer - put forth a theory regarding the structure of the mind and its mechanics: (suppressed) energies and (reactive) forces. Flow charts were provided together with a method of analysis, a mathematical physics of the mind.

Many hold all psychodynamic theories to be a mirage. An essential part is missing, they observe: the ability to test the hypotheses, which derive from these "theories". Though very convincing and, surprisingly, possessed of great explanatory powers, being non-verifiable and non-falsifiable as they are - psychodynamic models of the mind cannot be deemed to possess the redeeming features of scientific theories.

Deciding between the two camps was and is a crucial matter. Consider the clash - however repressed - between psychiatry and psychology. The former regards "mental disorders" as euphemisms - it acknowledges only the reality of brain dysfunctions (such as biochemical or electric imbalances) and of hereditary factors. The latter (psychology) implicitly assumes that something exists (the "mind", the "psyche") which cannot be reduced to hardware or to wiring diagrams. Talk therapy is aimed at that something and supposedly interacts with it.

But perhaps the distinction is artificial.

Perhaps the mind is simply the way we experience our brains. Endowed with the gift (or curse) of introspection, we experience a duality, a split, constantly being both observer and observed. Moreover, talk therapy involves TALKING - which is the transfer of energy from one brain to another through the air. This is a directed, specifically formed energy, intended to trigger certain circuits in the recipient brain. It should come as no surprise if it were to be discovered that talk therapy has clear physiological effects upon the brain of the patient (blood volume, electrical activity, discharge and absorption of hormones, etc.).

All this would be doubly true if the mind were, indeed, only an emergent phenomenon of the complex brain - two sides of the same coin.

Psychological theories of the mind are metaphors of the mind. They are fables and myths, narratives, stories, hypotheses, conjunctures. They play (exceedingly) important roles in the psychotherapeutic setting - but not in the laboratory. Their form is artistic, not rigorous, not testable, less structured than theories in the natural sciences. The language used is polyvalent, rich, effusive, ambiguous, evocative, and fuzzy - in short, metaphorical. These theories are suffused with value judgments, preferences, fears, post facto and ad hoc constructions. None of this has methodological, systematic, analytic and predictive merits.

Still, the theories in psychology are powerful instruments, admirable constructs, and they satisfy important needs to explain and understand ourselves, our interactions with others, and with our environment.

The attainment of peace of mind is a need, which was neglected by Maslow in his famous hierarchy. People sometimes sacrifice material wealth and welfare, resist temptations, forgo opportunities, and risk their lives - in order to secure it. There is, in other words, a preference of inner equilibrium over homeostasis. It is the fulfillment of this overwhelming need that psychological theories cater to. In this, they are no different to other collective narratives (myths, for instance).

Still, psychology is desperately trying to maintain contact with reality and to be thought of as a scientific discipline. It employs observation and measurement and organizes the results, often presenting them in the language of mathematics. In some quarters, these practices lends it an air of credibility and rigorousness. Others snidely regard the as an elaborate camouflage and a sham. Psychology, they insist, is a pseudo-science. It has the trappings of science but not its substance.

Worse still, while historical narratives are rigid and immutable, the application of psychological theories (in the form of psychotherapy) is "tailored" and "customized" to the circumstances of each and every patient (client). The user or consumer is incorporated in the resulting narrative as the main hero (or anti-hero). This flexible "production line" seems to be the result of an age of increasing individualism.

True, the "language units" (large chunks of denotates and connotates) used in psychology and psychotherapy are one and the same, regardless of the identity of the patient and his therapist. In psychoanalysis, the analyst is likely to always employ the tripartite structure (Id, Ego, Superego). But these are merely the language elements and need not be confused with the idiosyncratic plots that are weaved in every encounter. Each client, each person, and his own, unique, irreplicable, plot.

To qualify as a "psychological" (both meaningful and instrumental) plot, the narrative, offered to the patient by the therapist, must be:
1.. All-inclusive (anamnetic) - It must encompass, integrate and incorporate all the facts known about the protagonist. 2.. Coherent - It must be chronological, structured and causal. 3.. Consistent - Self-consistent (its subplots cannot contradict one another or go against the grain of the main plot) and consistent with the observed phenomena (both those related to the protagonist and those pertaining to the rest of the universe). 4.. Logically compatible - It must not violate the laws of logic both internally (the plot must abide by some internally imposed logic) and externally (the Aristotelian logic which is applicable to the observable world). 5.. Insightful (diagnostic) - It must inspire in the client a sense of awe and astonishment which is the result of seeing something familiar in a new light or the result of seeing a pattern emerging out of a big body of data. The insights must constitute the inevitable conclusion of the logic, the language, and of the unfolding of the plot. 6.. Aesthetic - The plot must be both plausible and "right", beautiful, not cumbersome, not awkward, not discontinuous, smooth, parsimonious, simple, and so on. 7.. Parsimonious - The plot must employ the minimum numbers of assumptions and entities in order to satisfy all the above conditions. 8.. Explanatory - The plot must explain the behavior of other characters in the plot, the hero's decisions and behavior, why events developed the way they did. 9.. Predictive (prognostic) - The plot must possess the ability to predict future events, the future behavior of the hero and of other meaningful figures and the inner emotional and cognitive dynamics. 10.. Therapeutic - With the power to induce change, encourage functionality, make the patient happier and more content with himself (ego-syntony), with others, and with his circumstances. 11.. Imposing - The plot must be regarded by the client as the preferable organizing principle of his life's events and a torch to guide him in the dark (vade mecum). 12.. Elastic - The plot must possess the intrinsic abilities to self organize, reorganize, give room to emerging order, accommodate new data comfortably, and react flexibly to attacks from within and from without.

In all these respects, a psychological plot is a theory in disguise. Scientific theories satisfy most of the above conditions as well. But this apparent identity is flawed. The important elements of testability, verifiability, refutability, falsifiability, and repeatability - are all largely missing from psychological theories and plots. No experiment could be designed to test the statements within the plot, to establish their truth-value and, thus, to convert them to theorems or hypotheses in a theory.

There are four reasons to account for this inability to test and prove (or falsify) psychological theories:
1.. Ethical - Experiments would have to be conducted, involving the patient and others. To achieve the necessary result, the subjects will have to be ignorant of the reasons for the experiments and their aims. Sometimes even the very performance of an experiment will have to remain a secret (double blind experiments). Some experiments may involve unpleasant or even traumatic experiences. This is ethically unacceptable. 2.. The Psychological Uncertainty Principle - The initial state of a human subject in an experiment is usually fully established. But both treatment and experimentation influence the subject and render this knowledge irrelevant. The very processes of measurement and observation influence the human subject and transform him or her - as do life's circumstances and vicissitudes. 3.. Uniqueness - Psychological experiments are, therefore, bound to be unique, unrepeatable, cannot be replicated elsewhere and at other times even when they are conducted with the SAME subjects. This is because the subjects are never the same due to the aforementioned psychological uncertainty principle. Repeating the experiments with other subjects adversely affects the scientific value of the results. 4.. The undergeneration of testable hypotheses - Psychology does not generate a sufficient number of hypotheses, which can be subjected to scientific testing. This has to do with the fabulous (=storytelling) nature of psychology.

In a way, psychology has affinity with some private languages. It is a form of art and, as such, is self-sufficient and self-contained. If structural, internal constraints are met - a statement is deemed true even if it does not satisfy external scientific requirements. So, what are psychological theories and plots good for? They are the instruments used in the procedures which induce peace of mind (even happiness) in the client. This is done with the help of a few embedded mechanisms:
1.. The Organizing Principle - Psychological plots offer the client an organizing principle, a sense of order, meaningfulness, and justice, an inexorable drive toward well defined (though, perhaps, hidden) goals, the feeling of being part of a whole. They strive to answer the "why's" and "how's" of life. They are dialogic. The client asks: "why am I (suffering from a syndrome) and how (can I successfully tackle it)". Then, the plot is spun: "you are like this not because the world is whimsically cruel but because your parents mistreated you when you were very young, or because a person important to you died, or was taken away from you when you were still impressionable, or because you were sexually abused and so on". The client is becalmed by the very fact that there is an explanation to that which until now monstrously taunted and haunted him, that he is not the plaything of vicious Gods, that there is a culprit (focusing his diffuse anger). His belief in the existence of order and justice and their administration by some supreme, transcendental principle is restored. This sense of "law and order" is further enhanced when the plot yields predictions which come true (either because they are self-fulfilling or because some real, underlying "law" has been discovered).
2.. The Integrative Principle - The client is offered, through the plot, access to the innermost, hitherto inaccessible, recesses of his mind. He feels that he is being reintegrated, that "things fall into place". In psychodynamic terms, the energy is released to do productive and positive work, rather than to induce distorted and destructive forces.
3.. The Purgatory Principle - In most cases, the client feels sinful, debased, inhuman, decrepit, corrupting, guilty, punishable, hateful, alienated, strange, mocked and so on. The plot offers him absolution. The client's suffering expurgates, cleanses, absolves, and atones for his sins and handicaps. A feeling of hard won achievement accompanies a successful plot. The client sheds layers of functional, adaptive stratagems rendered dysfunctional and maladaptive. This is inordinately painful. The client feels dangerously naked, precariously exposed. He then assimilates the plot offered to him, thus enjoying the benefits emanating from the previous two principles and only then does he develop new mechanisms of coping. Therapy is a mental crucifixion and resurrection and atonement for the patient's sins. It is a religious experience. Psychological theories and plots are in the role of the scriptures from which solace and consolation can be always gleaned.

***

Sam Vaknin ( http://samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - 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 Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.
Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.
Visit Sam's Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com

Apostrophes, a gentle introduction

2005-11-23T15:12:00.000-06:00

Apostrophes are a common source of confusion for many writers. They needn't be, though, and this easy-to-follow article will help you to use them properly. Let's start with a very simple explanation of what a noun is. (Don't worry, this will be the only jargon in the entire article. I promise.)

A NOUN is a word that stands for a person or thing. Examples include "dog", "Tim", "love", "house" and "Ireland".

SINGULAR NOUNS stand for a single person or thing; for example, "chair".

PLURAL NOUNS stand for several people or things; for example, "chairs".

Sometimes my heart Breathes on Paper

2005-11-20T18:01:00.000-06:00

Sometimes My Heart Breathes on Paper © 2004 Julie Jordan Scott"Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."Charles DickensSometimes my heart breathes on paper.It pours stuff out that I didn't even know was there, way deep down in the bottom of the well, feelings and colors and sounds and tastes and wretched memories tumble forth.I sometimes get embarrassed by the volume or the pitch or the vulnerable place I put myself -apparently voluntarily only it doesn't feel like I am the one doing the volunteering."Why did you have to go and do that!" my inner critic mocks. "You went and made a fool of yourself again. Why can't you just be satisfied with being like everyone else?"Sometimes my inner critic looks remarkably like my eldest brother. Sometimes my inner critic looks like Miss Pizarro, my third grade teacher. Sometimes my inner critic looks exactly like my reflection in the mirror when I wake up after an unsatisfying sleep.I have learned to gently hush the harshness of my critic because when my heart breathes on the paper, magic happens. I connect to the divine. I move effortlessly through history, space and time by listening to the rhythmic pulses of my heart, the responding woooosh of the blood through my veins as it celebrates, rejoicing "I will keep beating, yes, I will take care of you, yes - I love you."Long ago William Woodsworth wrote the words, "Fill the paper with the breathings of your heart" and his breathings have now reached across the ages to your breathings and your heart. He climbed over and past his critic, through his failures and successes, celebrated the rhythmic pulses and responding wooosh to be a part of your life today. His legacy remains beyond the words alone.Maxwell Anderson wrote: "If you practice an art, be proud of it and make it proud of you. It will fill your heart. "Yes, Mr. Anderson, it will fill your heart. And if we are especially blessed, it will fill the hearts of others as well.Pulse by pulse, breath by breath, yes by yes, word by word.
Article Source: Spin a Silver Dollar
Writer and Success Coach Julie Jordan Scott announces a new way for you to inspire, encourage, nourish, applaud, energize and activate your writing muse.... 42 Days of Writing Passionately -The Fr*e*e International Writing Workshop: Register now www.5passions.com/42daysofwritingpassionately.html

How To Write An Article for the Web

2005-11-17T19:14:00.000-06:00

Most web-marketing experts tout the power of articles for their ability to create inbound links and enhanced credibility for websites.

But what they don't tell you is... how the heck do you write an article? You need two important elements for a great article: something to say and the means to say it. First let's discuss "something to say", otherwise known as content.

It is impossible to write something of interest to others without good, meaty content. Content comes from your interests and experiences. To generate content you need to look at yourself and your life in a new way. Look for situations in your day which "hit home" in some way.

If you are intrigued, frustrated, thrilled, challenged or otherwise awakened, then pursue the topic in greater depth. As you work and play, have an extra mental circuit running which observes your life. Let's pretend this circuit is a separate person, the Observer.

Now when you go along your way, occasionally become the Observer and try to cultivate a new point of view. The Observer is not mired in your day-to-day struggles. Instead, the Observer watches you struggling, with clear unemotional vision yet with humor and an interest in patterns and themes. Becoming the Observer will help you discover the interesting parts of your life which you can then bring to your reader. You can develop your golden nuggets of experience further by expressing them aloud to others (or even just to yourself). Through verbalization, you will find additional points of view and experiences of others to enrich your topic. Then, research your topic by word-searching on your favorite search engine.

Click the Title for the full, complete article.

Know the Cocoa Tree

2005-11-06T23:51:00.000-06:00

If the day ever comes you want to include a cocoa tree in one of your books or stories, here is the information you need to make you knowledge look real.

Cocoa trees can grow as tall as fifty feet although they are usually kept pruned and kept much shorter to make it easier to harvest the cocoa bean pods.
The trees reach their maximum productivity when they are thirty to forty years old. A cocoa tree will live approximately sixty years.
The bean pods grow directly off the trunk and thicker main branches of the tree, not off the leaves as many people think. This is because the pods are heavy. The fragile leaf systems of the tree couldn’t support the weight of the pods.
A cocoa tree can have up to one hundred thousand baby-pink and white blossoms every year. The blossoms have no scent. The leaves of the tree vary in color. Young leaves can be pale green, lavender, or purple in color. Mature leaves are dark green. The pods start out green but turn yellow or red when ripe, depending on what type of cocoa tree it is.
There are two main types of cocoa trees. There is the native Central American cocoa tree called the Criollo, and a type called Forastero which is grown mostly in West Africa and Brazil. The Forastero trees produces approximately ninety percent of the world’s crop of cocoa beans. The beans from the Criollo are more expensive and are used in high quality chocolate.
Cocoa trees like shade so other tropical trees such as banana trees are planted right next to the cocoa trees. These larger trees that provide shade for the cocoa trees are often called “cocoa mother trees.”
The cocoa trees start producing cocoa bean pods after three or four years and continue producing pods for approximately another thirty five years. In most areas, harvesting of the cocoa pods is done twice a year. Ripe pods are approximately eight inches long and three to four inches in diameter. The ripe pods are cut by hand in order to protect the younger pods that are still ripening.
After the pods are cut from the tree they are taken to a fermenting area. There the pods are split open to reveal the pulp and cocoa beans. There are up to forty cocoa beans in every pod. The pulp and beans are scooped out of the pod, placed on banana leaves that are usually laid on the ground (fermenting is also done in baskets and also in large sloping boxes), and then covered with more banana leaves. The pods are left to ferment for several days.
As the beans ferment they lose some of their bitterness and change from a lavender or white color to brown. The fermenting process is important because that is when the beans take on the chocolate taste we are accustomed to. During the fermenting process the beans lose some of their moisture. By the time the beans are ready to be packed in bags for shipping, the moisture content in them is somewhere around five to seven percent.
Dorrie Ruplinger is the publisher of http://www.chocolateistheanswer.com which provides information and resources about Door County Wisconsin parks.

The Published Novelist, Nine Essential Qualities

2005-11-06T11:47:00.000-06:00

So what does it actually take to make it as a selling writer? And beyond that, what does it take to ride out the tough spots in a highly competitive field?
These are questions I get asked on a regular basis from readers, as well as people who are just plain curious about someone who chooses to sit alone for hours at a time, creating characters and whole lives out of thin air. Admittedly, they’re good questions. Following are nine qualities I believe are important in someone who wants to write novels for a living and make it a lasting career.
1. An absolute, bordering on abnormal, love of books.
We book fiends are easy to spot. We’re the ones who make several trips a week to Barnes & Noble --yes, we like the coffee, but we’re really there for the books. We peruse the new fiction titles with the same gleam in our eyes miners must have had when sifting for gold. Panning our findings for new authors whose stories might, just might, live up to those we’ve labeled our favorites. There’s always the possibility we’ll find a diamond somewhere in there. And when we do, it reinforces our determination to find another.
2. An absolute love of writing.
That is, a true appreciation for the stringing together of individual words to paint a picture for a reader, a picture that conveys our vision of the world as it is or as we would like it to be.
I wrote my first story at age nine on my mama’s old manual typewriter. I still remember how it felt to finish it, the thrill of stacking up the pages that were visible evidence of the mini-world I had created.
>From my earliest memories, I wanted to write stories that did for someone else what my favorites did for me. Show me another world. Bring to life people I’d be thrilled to know.
But how could someone like me be a writer? In my mind, writers were on par with neurosurgeons and physics professors, something way beyond reach for a small-town girl like me.
It wasn’t until I was a junior at Virginia Tech majoring in English that I admitted to myself this was what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to write books. Farfetched as it sounded. I think for a long time I didn’t tell anyone. It just seemed too preposterous, as if they would laugh at the idea, and with good reason. I started my first manuscript while I was in college, longhand in a dark blue spiral ring notebook. It was set on an island somewhere, and I’m sure I would now find it all but unreadable, even though at the time, it was invaluable to me, proof that I could put a story on paper.
3. The desire to be the best writer you can be.
If you’re just starting out, give yourself permission to learn how to write without the pressure of thinking about getting published. When I wrote that first manuscript in college, my goal was to get published. I not only wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be a published writer. From where I stand now, I wish I had approached the whole process from the angle of doing whatever I could to learn how to tell the best story I possibly could. I felt I had to prove myself, and it seemed to me then that publication was the ultimate proof that I could write.
If I could start over again, I would take a step back from the pressure I put on myself to sell and concentrate solely on learning how to tell my story in a way that would make it hard for a reader to put it down.
4. A need to surround yourself with positive writers and lovers of books.
If you get involved in a critique group, make sure it is one where the objective is to encourage and improve. Not tear down and belittle. There are people out there who are not careful with their words, who in a two minute diatribe can rip apart months and months of work and completely deflate a writer of all confidence.
Can you tell I’m speaking from experience?
It is so very important to make sure you are on the same page with your critique partners. Maybe even come up with a list of guidelines for the group. Discuss the things you are looking for in a critique.
If you’re in a writing class, make sure it is one where the above objectives are primary.
This is not to say that you only want to show your work to people who will tell you you’re the best thing since Fitzgerald and Faulkner. It is to say that there is constructive criticism, which we should all be willing and eager to seek out. And there is destructive criticism, which can completely destroy a writer’s vision and belief in herself.
5. The will to make a place in your life for writing.
This sounds obvious enough. But there are all sorts of reasons not to write. The mortgage needs to be paid. The children need to eat. Pesky little everyday responsibilities like these.
Seriously, I’ve gone through all sorts of changes in my life, but the one thing I’ve always done is find a time to write that works for me, regardless of what else is going on. When I was in college, I wrote after classes for a certain amount of time each day. When I got out of college and went to work for a law firm, I got up at four a.m. and wrote before going to the office. When I became a mother, I started writing before my children got up in the morning and also during their nap. The point is to give your writing a regular time slot. It’s the every day exercising of your writing muscle that will develop your skills and define your voice.
6. The determination to never let yourself believe you’re there.
Once you’ve sold that first novel, it’s tempting to tell yourself you’ve arrived, that it will be clear sailing from here on. Not quite how it worked for me. There is always room to grow. I try with every book to do something different than I’ve done before. Force myself to stretch in some way. Try something I previously thought was beyond my ability. It’s amazing what we can dredge up from inside ourselves if we make our goal being the best we can be with every book.
7. The commitment to figure out what your process is.
After selling my first book, I went through a period of not being able to sell a second. I sold my first novel as a complete manuscript. That book was a story of my heart, and I wrote it as I saw it. When my publisher asked to see something else, I submitted a couple of proposals that were rejected. And I figured out somewhere along the way that I needed to get a good portion of the story down before I let someone else see it.
I do sell on proposal now. But I write a chunk of the book before I write the synopsis. This is how I learn what is going to happen in the story. This is my process. I know this about myself now, and while it is tempting to show my editor something at a much earlier stage, I try very hard to refrain from doing so.
Figure out what your process is and don’t veer from it.
8. The ability to protect your gift.
Publishing is a tough business. An incredible number of people want to be writers. The competition to sell is intense.
When I had difficulty selling my second and third books, I began to wonder if I had what it took. I realize now how fragile my confidence was then and that I took those rejections as validation that I didn’t really have what it took to be a writer. By the time I finally sold that second book, I was experiencing all the symptoms of burnout. It was an extremely dark time in my life, and I walked away from writing under the assumption that it would never again be a part of me.
I didn’t write for two years. The desire to do so began to trickle back eventually, until I finally got up the courage to pull out my laptop and begin a story. I wrote the complete book the same way I had written my first published novel. Told the story as I saw it without letting anyone else inside my vision. I sold that book, John Riley’s Girl, and it won the 2005 Rita Award for best long contemporary. This award was more meaningful to me than I can say. I wrote this book because I love to write. After a two-year period of burnout, I was given another chance. I no longer see the well of creativity inside me as an infinite thing that I can draw and draw from, but, instead, as something that can and will dry up and go away if I am not careful to protect it.
9. The ability to step back and refill the well.
Find things that replenish your spirit. Take a vacation and do not allow yourself to write, but simply to absorb the world around you.
Read, read, read. Read great books. Don’t read mediocre books unless you want to be a mediocre writer. Strive for excellence and seek out excellence. And hopefully, your love affair with writing books will be a long and lasting one.
Inglath Cooper is the RITA Award-winning author of six published novels. Her books focus on the dynamics of relationships, those between a man and a woman, mother and daughter, sisters, friends. Her stories are often peopled with characters who reflect the values and traditions of the small Virginia town where she grew up. To read about her latest release, please visit her website at http://www.inglathcooper.com.

Many Writers, One Clear Voice

2005-11-05T20:22:00.000-06:00

Imagine creating your first book, one on which hangs the future of your company-and maybe even the industry you love. Imagine you have a publishing contract, five editors, a eighty contributing authors, hundreds of draft pages, a deadline in five weeks and a growing fear that the book you intended to create is nowhere in sight!
Such was the plight of Jane Deuber, one of the founders of the Direct Selling Women's Alliance, in May 2004. She had described her vision for the book to all the authors and editors, but the content they were sending her was consistent in only one way: it didn't measure up!
She gave me a chance to edit one of the submissions. When she read my version, she gasped, "Why, this is easy to read!" Yes, I had designed a style that delivered the value of her vision. But the more impressive trick was yet to come: describing that style to the other editors in enough detail that they could duplicate it.
To do this, I wrote a style guide.
Guardian of the Brand Voice
Cruising around the Internet, perhaps you've noticed that different sites convey different attitudes: Yahoo is rambunctious, Google is quirky, and Microsoft is all buttoned up. With hundreds of writers producing tens of thousands of pages online, how does a corporation ensure that its brand voice permeates every paragraph?
It writes a style guide.
Do you need a style guide?
I think so.
Before you write any content, you need to design a style that delivers the value of your vision in a way that helps your audience achieve its goals as quickly (or as entertainingly) as possible within its limitations. Even when you are working by yourself, writing is easier when you design the style first instead of working it out as you go along.
When you're working with other writers, the style guide is an indispensable tool for discussing options and achieving consensus before anyone writes anything-giving everyone the chance to write it right the first time, which is always the cheapest way.
When you're working with subject matter experts who may or may not know how to write, a good style guide is your ticket to delegating the entire cleanup to a contract editor. Describe your style design in detail, and you'll find the editors at E-Lance in heartfelt competition for your business because you've clearly defined what they need to do to be successful.
So What's In a Style Guide?
For every information product, my style guide covers these topics:
Information Architecture. This lays out the highways and byways the reader can follow to get to the information she's looking for. When you're designing a book, it's the table of contents, index, and cross-references. When you're designing a Web site, it's the navigation bars, buttons, links, and search function. When you're designing something really big like an enterprise product rollout, it's the kinds of documents (quick start guide, handbook, training workbook, frequently-asked questions) and the order in which the customer encounters and reads them for the most productive experience.
Information Design. This determines what the reader experiences when she finds what she's looking for: how the headings are formatted, how the paragraphs are structured, how lists and tables fit in. In the corporate world, the heading and body fonts are typically decided by marketing department as part of the brand image. When you're working solo, you can further your own image by choosing your own fonts.
Editorial Design. This describes the elements that give your style its attitude: the preferred voice, word choices, punctuation, and capitalization-potentially an immense domain! So start by citing authorities you trust, like the Chicago Manual of Style and the Merriam Webster Collegiate dictionary. Then your style guide only has to cover where your style varies from these standards.
Exceptions. No matter how carefully I plan my guides, at least one corner case always pops up to defy me. Make a list of exceptions so that all contributors can handle them correctly. You'll need the reminders yourself if you have to take a break from the project long enough to cloud your memory.
Getting Started with Style
* If you're a young writer, start looking for these style elements in the content you read. Notice how they affect your reading experience.
* If you're an intermediate writer, improve your productivity by designing an appropriate style before you start writing.
* If you're a senior writer, start discussing these topics with your clients and coworkers, build some consensus, and document the results. Then take advantage by using it either as a teaching tool for young writers or as a job description for contract editors. Either way, you'll find it easier and more cost-effective to delegate and share the load.
* If you're a marketer determined to convey the unique qualities of your brand, endorse the creation of a company style guide and support the effort needed to enforce it in all communications. Stop missing all those little chances to convey your brand's values and to create the unique feelings you want your customer to have about your brand-they add up to a big opportunity!
Copyright: © 2005 Susan Raab, Content Wheel

Award-winning writer Susan Raab is the creative force behind hundreds of business titles, bringing the Power of Clear to corporations and small publishers. For FR*EE articles and writing tips, visit http://www.ContentWheel.com.

Writing a KNOCKOUT Query Letter

2005-10-11T15:52:00.000-05:00

A query letter is one or two pages written in the format of a formal business letter. It should be brief, and it should pique the interest of any publishing executive who reads it.

After all, if you can't sell a single individual on the merits of your book, why should a publishing house believe you can sell to an audience of thousands or millions? If you want some inside secrets to crafting a perfect, attention-grabbing query letter, then you've come to the right place.

The Right Approach
Point #1: Approach The Right Publisher: This seems obvious, but you wouldn't believe the number of writers who make this mistake. Be certain that the publisher you choose to contact is in the business of publishing your genre. If you write fantasy novels, then don't send a query letter to the editor of a computer manual publisher. It will be thrown in the trash without a second look. The best way to find the right publisher is to find books similar to your own and open them. Who is the publisher of each book? Does one particular publisher's name keep turning up? If so, that's the one you want to contact.

The Right Editor

Point #2: Selling To The Right Person: Never mail a query letter addressed to "Editor" or "To Whom It May Concern". Such a letter is destined for the "slush pile," and eventually, the trashcan. Once you've identified your ideal publisher, consult a book such as the latest edition of Jeff Herman's Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents (most libraries or large bookstores will have it). The book will provide a page or two of information on the publisher in question, including the name and contact information of the person to whom all queries should be directed. Usually, this is an executive or managing editor. Address the query letter to that specific person and make sure to use the correct gender and spelling when using their name.

Click on the title to read the other 1,214 word article.

It’s Good To Be A New Writer: Breaking The Myth That Experience Is Everything

2005-10-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

There’s a rumor out there in the publishing world that an editor won’t even look at the work of a new writer.

It might be true for certain types of writing, but after interviewing hundreds of editors, I’ve found that most are more open to new writers than you might think. And there are a few major benefits to being a new writer too. So before you spend too much time trying to work out how you can appear to be a published professional writer when you’re not, consider taking advantage of your current position as a newcomer.

What are the advantages?

Here are four positive points of being a new writer that will help you get work - and they all come direct from editors.

1. It’s Easier to Impress Editor says… “I really don’t mind new writers at all. If you’re new and act professionally, I’m usually willing to give you a go. I’d suggest that new writers just be honest about who they are. If I get a fairly good article by a new writer, I’ll be impressed. To me, that’s my chance to discover new talent. That’s when I’ll contact the writer and try to help them. If I get a fairly good article by a new writer pretending to be an experienced writer, I will probably just issue a standard rejection.” -Evelyn, Magazine Editor If you claim to be a professional and experienced writer, an editor is likely to expect a lot. That means it will take a lot to really impress them. Even a good article might not be enough to get their attention. But if you tell the truth and admit that you’re a new writer, it takes a lot less to impress. A new writer with a professional approach is something special – just sending a professional quality submission might even be enough to impress.

2. There’s Room to Grow Editor says… “When I get a good article from a new writer, I’m always very happy. Why? Because new writers with the right skills and attitude are wonderful for our magazine. They can be shaped to suit our style, they listen to instructions, they usually have a positive attitude. That’s the kind of writer I like to take on and mentor.” –Stephanie, Magazine Editor If an editor knows that you’re a new writer, you’re giving them the chance to spot new talent. If you’re new and right for their publication, you might be taken in and mentored until you suit their style. The same isn’t likely to happen if the editor thinks that you’re experienced. Instead of looking at your work and thinking that it shows potential, they’ll be assuming it’s the best that you can do.

3. Anything Else, And You Risk Losing Their Interest Editor says… “I would tell writers to be careful if they’re going to exaggerate. I know everyone does it on resumes. But if someone claims to have been a writer for twenty years and is pitching my low-paying mag, I’m going to wonder two things. First, I’m going to wonder if they’re lying. Second, I’m going to wonder why they’re not working for a higher paying magazine if they really have that much experience. If they’re not lying, then I have to assume that they’re just a bad writer. Either way, it doesn’t look good for them.” - Danielle, Magazine Editor If you’re a new writer, you need to be targeting the right kinds of markets. And if you are targeting small markets, claiming years of experience is only going to make editors suspicious.

4. Attitude Matters Editor says… “It’s simple. Many seasoned writers pitching me have a bit of an attitude, a hint of suspicion, and often a streak of boredom. Fresh writers pitching me tend to have nothing but positive energy and enthusiasm. I’ll take the enthusiastic writer, please.” –Sam, Editor

If you can’t go in with experience, go in with enthusiasm. That might be the big advantage that gets you the job.

About the Author: Shelley Ann Wake is the editor of 30 Clips in 30 Days: A Crash Course in Getting Published. This practical guide has successfully launched hundreds of freelance writing careers in record time. Link: http://www.writingstuff.com/books1.html

How To Get Your Book Reviewed by the RIGHT Magazine Editor

2005-10-08T12:36:00.000-05:00

In one of my past magazine jobs my office was next to that of the book editor. He would get boxes and boxes of books daily. There was a separate room devoted to storing these books, but that still didn't keep them from piling up in his office. Whenever he returned from vacation he practically had to use a bulldozer to get his door open!

You see the problem, right? How do you get your book noticed, let alone reviewed, when it is just one among stacks of books in an editor's office? Here are a few tips to help you map out a winning strategy.

1. Determine which magazines are the best for reaching your target market.

As you plan to market your book, decide first who your ideal reader is. Is it a 35-year-old urban professional man? Is it a stay-at-home mom who lives in the Midwest? Is it female college graduates who also happen to be sports fanatics?

Once you decide who you're targeting, ask yourself: What magazines does my ideal reader read? Those will be the magazines you'll focus on. That way, you won't waste time and money pursuing dozens of magazines which, even if they did review your book, wouldn't give you much in terms of gaining readership.

With my novel we focused on magazines with large female audiences. Ideally you should be doing this a few months before your book comes out because the goal here is to either write a story for the magazine or get interviewed in the magazine, and have the article appear before or just as your book is published.

2. Find out what the editors need.

When you have chosen the magazines, buy them and read them.

Do they have a certain writing style? What kinds of articles appear in the magazine again and again? If you can, write, email or call the features editor and find out what kinds of stories the magazine is looking for. You'll have more success if you can fill the editorial holes the magazine is already working on.

3. Let an editor know what you have to offer.Start sending query letters to get article assignments. If you have a particular expertise, you can let an editor know that you're available for interviews if they ever need an expert on a particular subject.

Often an editor will assign a story to a writer and give them a few possible interviewees to help them get started. I contacted editors at Essence a full year before my book came out to let them know that I was working as a personal and career coach. Within a few weeks I began getting calls from reporters to interview me for working mom stories for Essence.

4. Mention your book or get it mentioned.

When your article gets published, make sure you get the little italicized blurb at the end that says that you are "a writer whose next book, The Best Book in the World, will be published this month by Big Press, Inc." You get the idea. If you are being interviewed for an article, chances are they won't have room to mention your book but you should still tell the reporter about it anyway.

You can even ask them to put it in their notes.

As the story gets discussed in meetings, someone might say "Did you know she also wrote a book?" This builds awareness.

5. Check in with your contacts, but don't pester them.

Once your book is sent out for review, you can call or email to make sure that the editor got the book, but leave it at that. You've done all you can. I've never met the book editor at Essence, but when I heard that he was aware of my novel I was totally psyched. I kept my fingers crossed after that. You can see the review here.

One last note: Some magazines and newspapers don't review self published books. Find out beforehand so you can make your efforts elsewhere if that's necessary.

© 2005 Sophfronia Scott

Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM.

Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and publishing tips at www.TheBookSistah.com

Man-made diamonds sparkle with potential

2005-10-08T11:45:00.000-05:00

In technology, the diamond is a dream material. It can make computers run at speeds that would melt the innards of today's computers. Manufactured diamonds could help make lasers of extreme power. The material could allow a cellphone to fit into a watch and iPods to store 10,000 movies, not just 10,000 songs. Diamonds could mean frictionless medical replacement joints. Or coatings — perhaps for cars — that never scratch or wear out.

Scientists have known about the possibilities for years. But they've been held back because mined diamonds are too expensive and too rare. And they're hard to form into wafers and shapes that would be most useful in products.

Manufacturing changes that. It's like the difference between having to wait for lightning to start a fire vs. knowing how to start it by hand.

"I'm just so completely awed by this technology," says Sonia Arrisonof tech analysis group Pacific Research Institute. "Basically, anything that relies on computing power will accelerate."

Arno Penzias, a venture capitalist and Nobel Prize winner for physics, says, "This diamond-fabrication story marks a high-profile milestone on an amazing scientific journey."

"We can't begin to see all the things that can happen because single diamond crystals can be made," says Apollo co-founder Robert Linares, elegant and slim in a golf shirt, slacks and loafers as he sits at the two plastic folding tables that make up Apollo's low-budget conference room. "We are only at the beginning."

Click on the title to finish reading this absolutely fascinating story.

New Site Builder

2005-10-03T05:32:00.000-05:00

I've downloaded and tested a new site builder software package known as NVU. This is WYSIWYG quite similar to Front Page, Dreamweaver and others. The learning curve is excellent for me. The finished product is even better than I've been producing.

The price for Windows and Macs users is FREE, which impressed me most highly. Also, this is Open Source so you can (hopefully speaking) rebuild it to your own specifications.

CSS and Java comes with the package. Forms and tables are a snap. You can edit on the fly, or host your files on your computer. The fonts and format font tools are really neat.

Click on the title and get your own copy to evaluate.

Lin Stone
http://www.talewins.com/LinStone.htm
http://www.SpinaSilverDollar.com/

With All Due Respect

2005-09-15T20:34:00.000-05:00

There are two kinds of men in this world; men like my Dad and men like George W. Davis.

Daddy struggled for years for recognition. George has it thrust upon him almost daily.

Daddy 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. Daddy 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.

Daddy 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 Daddy. George had a wife that did Christmas charity work for six years and nobody ever said a word about it. George showed up for less than an hour of service, 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 my Dad did and what George did, with equally opposite results 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 ratiocinations with you.

Daddy had invented the dual headlight system and went down the road flashing them off and on -- just showing off to people in the car 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 ten miles. The officer began softly enough, but Daddy 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 could you 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 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 them up, mostly because he didn't think it was. But the reporter assured him it was a good story and set about to make something of the creation. Before you knew it, George was on television.

Is there a lesson to learn there in that comparison?

Yes.

To make Daddy'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?

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 perhaps 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 press. Daddy was in his tattered, greasy overalls, and George was in his Sunday-go-to-meeting suit and tie. Put these two side by side in an exhibition and which one are YOU going to listen to first? Now tell me it isn't fair! The world is generally fair; it usually treats those people it meets with the same respect that individual gives to the world.

You don't get on the good side of Highway Patrolmen OR reporters by denouncing them.
Editors are the same way. Handwritten story material is not going to grab the attention of editors anywhere. Type it out, block it up, and send it to them as if you respected their courteous expectations. Press releases should receive the same dedication to catering to expectations. Give it to them the way that makes them smile, not snarl. You'll find the world is a whole lot more fair when you meet the world on its terms.

the end

Lin Stone is an author, writer and photographer living in Mena Arkansas among the gentle mountains known as Ouachita. He writes about adventures and he writes about the peaceable things of this world for Share Your State. In his spare time Lin writes copy for American Insurance Depot. You can have immediate, and free, reading of many more pieces when you send your little surfer scooting to Lin's home page at http://www.talewins.com/StoneSoup.htm where he keeps stirring up more good things for the soul.

The Essays Now Depot

2005-09-08T12:55:00.000-05:00

The Essays Now Depot: "An essay is much like the traditional talking circle of the Navajo, but with only one speaker. An essay doesn't have to prove anything, it doesn't even have to be new; it does have to be honest. The object of an essay is to share, to share thought, feelings, observations with the reader. Essays as a genre have been with us for nearly 2 centuries. The essays of Francis Bacon are probably the most famous historic examples we have. Ralph Waldo Emerson perfected the elastic form and gave it life. "

Using Blogs To Make Money

2005-09-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

I remember that it was not that long ago that I did not know what a blog was or what one was for. Now blogs are everywhere and anyone with a computer and Internet access may be writing one. If you are new to this whole blog phenomenon let me explain a little about what a blog is.

Blog's got their name from combining two words Web log to make one word, "blog". For most people, blogs started out as something like an online diary for friends and relatives to read. Instead of going to the trouble of sending out individual emails to all of your friends and relatives to let them know how things are going in your life, you could simply write a blog for all of them to view. This way everyone could know all of the interesting developments in your personal life and you could save time and energy by not writing to everyone individually.

This was the origin of blogs. Oh how far we have come since then.

Blogs then grew into marketing devices, ways to get revenge, and methods of raising awareness on important issues. Some of the more famous blogs are ones written by current disgruntled employees of large corporations. These large corporations, such as Microsoft, have been scrambling to deal with the bad public relations created by these blogs written by angry employees.

There are many ways that you can set up a blog. Whether you want to use a blog for professional or personal reasons you can find a service to help you out. Many companies have been scrambling to create blogging software for consumers.

However, there are also many blogging sites that will let you use their software for free. Of course, the software that you have to pay for comes with many added features that the free blogging software does not include.

Online businesses are beginning to realize the impact that a blog can have on their business and the number of people that they can get visiting their websites. Blogs generate new text on a regular basis, depending on how often you update it, which helps in search engine rankings.

The major search engines such as Google and Yahoo give higher rankings to websites that have regularly updated content. Blogs make this happen in a very simple manner. The only trick to all of this is to make sure that your blog is directly accessible from your homepage. This is a rather simple process of changing some of the HTML coding.

By using a blog to add new content on a regular basis saves you the trouble of redesigning your entire website every time you want to add content. It would not be realistic to go in to your website a few times a week and change the content because it is so much work. However, a blog will accomplish this for you in a matter of minutes.

Some website owners have taken the blogs even further and incorporated keyword densities into their blogs. This further aids the websites search engine rankings and helps to drive more potential customers to the website.

As you can see, having a blog on your website can offer a great deal of benefits. In addition to the fact that you can increase your search engine rankings with a blog, many people may come back to visit your site on a regular basis just to see what new information you have to offer them by way of your blog.

For example, if your blog offers weekly updates on what is new in your product or service line, a potential customer may be interested but does not make a purchase today. Then this potential customer returns in a week to read your blog and continues to do so until he or she reads something in your blog that convinces he or she to go ahead and make the purchase.

Blogs are very versatile marketing tools. You can update your blog with industry news, news about your particular company, new product offerings, or new services that you are providing. Any of these methods, or a combination of them, can be extremely effective in closing a sale on a potential customer who is sitting on the fence.

No matter how you choose to employ blogs to improve your website, always be sure that you have connected your blog to your website in an easy to read and easy to find format. Link your blog to your homepage so that visitors do not have to search for it.

If you can customize your blog template to look just like the rest of your website, then your visitors can move between your blog and your website with the feeling that they have not left one to enter the other.

Blogs have grown enormously over the past year and all indications are that they will only continue to grow. Blogs are more than a passing Internet fad; they are successful business tools that are already being utilized by many successful webmasters.

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Trey Pennewell is part of the BloggerSupport.com/ technical team. If you need help configuring your blog or matching your blog design to your website's design, please review our programs.

Trey is also a ghost writer at ThePhantomWriters.com . On September 5, 2005, TPW had more than 50 Pre-Written ghosted articles available for purchase on a wide variety of topics.

Make Money with Your Short Stories

2005-09-05T11:15:00.000-05:00

That person apparently didn’t like the article. My guess is that he or she was turned off by the marketing angle. Writers write; they don’t sell. Some writers even view the concept of selling or marketing their work as somehow inherently wrong..

That’s fine. But unless you get a lucky break from a huge publishing house you will probably not go far with book sales unless you are willing to roll up your sleeves and do some serious marketing..

There are many ways you can market your writing and build a readership online. But you should also start thinking about your writing differently. For example, instead of trying to write and sell one book of short stories or one novel, why not break it into separate small books (each one a short story or two) or sell your novel as a serialized version—a new chapter or two every month? (Eventually you can sell this material in a physical book.).

The logic of my suggestion is this: Suppose you have a newsletter group of 7000 readers who love your writing. Each month you write a new short story set (including four stories), group of poems, or collection of essays that you sell as a PDF ebook. You publicize this to your newsletter group, including a free sample with your newsletter, and sell the set for $4 as an instant download..

Now, suppose only 10% of your readership buys your new ebook each month. 700 readers x $4 = $2800 each month! And don’t forget—you are constantly adding new readers to your group..

The secret to success here is to build a readership group through a free e-newsletter, and sell your writing to that group (your fan base) month after month. This is how you grow a strong, solid readership that will buy your books when you publish them in physical form, because they have bought your books when you sold them in digital form. And you made a decent living in the meantime..

Jeremy M. Hoover helps you market your books online. Contact him at jeremyhoover AT gmail.com or at hiswebsite, http://jhooverwebcopy.com/bookmarketing.htm .