Enjoy professional asset management invest in a mutual fund

Haven’t you become a member of the large family of mutual fund investors yet? If you keep waiting you may never be able to feel the positive effects mutual funds have on your account. However, you are not the only one who has not managed to overcome some of the basic mental barriers that come in your way toward mutual fund investing.

First of all you may think that you don’t have enough money to invest in a mutual fund. However, as little as $100 can get you started in your trip to a rich mutual fund account, which will provide you with financially secure retirement. No trading costs exist when you invest in the majority of mutual funds, which allows you to invest small amounts of money. As compared to stock investing, the latter eats up a big portion of your money in terms of broker commissions and you end up with less money for investing.

On the other hand, you may be reluctant to invest in a mutual fund, because you find it non-guaranteed or non-insured. However, you should not be worried about the security of a mutual fund because it cannot go bankrupt. A mutual fund usually holds shares of a large number of companies and in order to go bankrupt all of these companies should altogether become insolvent. On the other hand, the insurance companies or bank accounts that are generally viewed as safer can easily go bankrupt and you will end up losing your hard-earned money. What is more, inflation tends to eat up the money you accumulate in your savings account, whereas your mutual fund account enjoys compounding interest.

You may also prefer not to invest in a mutual fund, because you believe you are better at selecting individual stocks. We don’t want to undervalue you stock picking skills, but by purchasing shares of a mutual fund, you immediately enjoy the professional management of your assets by experts that have been in this field for many years. You may really have success at times, but it is equal to your chances of winning in the lottery.

Additionally, many investors make the mistake to invest in the company they work for. This is totally wrong tactic, unless you include in your portfolio other stocks to diversify it. Mutual funds include stocks and bonds of many different companies, which is extremely beneficial in restful economic times.

Finally, most investors don’t want to invest in a mutual fund, because they are worried they don’t understand how it functions. The first step is to browse through our website and get all the information you need to get you started. We have made it easy to use and full of different articles on the subject so that we turn you into an educated and successful mutual fund investor.

Learn the essential skill set for understanding the techniques of wing chun

I mentioned recently that I'm teaching an introductory Wudan Kung Fu class, with a lot of Wing Chun influences. Some of my students have asked for some exercises they can do at home to learn Wing Chun techniques.

First, we'll focus on stance. I want you to stand with your feet roughly shoulder width apart. Your knees should be slightly bent, and your butt should be tucked under your spine. Now, hold that stance for a moment; you'll feel a bit of a burn in your quadriceps and hamstrings when you're holding it. The important thing to keep in mind when holding your stance is breathing. It's not moving, it's not remaining perfectly still, it's understanding how your body dynamically balances. Breath in, feel the breath go straight to the soles of your feet, and exhale. Repeat, and let your shoulders relax, until your hands are resting open by the sides of your hips.

Learn to stay in this stance for a good long time. You'll know you're doing it right when you're no longer aware of the fact that you're standing in it. If you notice that you automatically slide into Wing Chun stance when waiting for the bus, or standing in line at the post office, you're probably about there.

Now, the next thing to do is to throw a punch. Wing Chun uses the (oft maligned) short punch. It does NOT generate as much power as a boxing jab, but then, Wing Chun isn't a hard style; it focuses on economy of motion and speed over power. You don't need to be able to punch through a steel plate – you do need to punch someone hard enough and fast enough to win a fight.

Like most martial arts, your punch actually starts with your feet. Remember how we have you holding your stance with your feet shoulder width apart? This is why – when you throw your punch off of those bent legs, you are naturally going to straighten up a bit when you move your arm forward, which is going to put the kinematics of your quadriceps and hipbones into your punch. When you throw a cross punch, you want to keep your elbow in line with your body, which is an unnatural motion. The punch will develop power from your thighs, transmitted through your core, and into the target. Visualize, when you punch, that you're putting your knuckles through a point three inches behind the target.

Now, remember when we had you relax? This is for speed – relaxed muscles react faster than tense muscles. This becomes important when doing blocks, inside and outside. The basic inside block moves your forearm across your body; you want to use the shortest distance possible, and you want to learn to coordinate your off hand and your on hand to make a fluid motion – blocking across your body. An outside block is the reverse motion – your hand moves from inside your centerline to the outside, directing the force of the blow to the outside.

Practice the punch and these two blocks in combination in front of a mirror, and we'll walk you through learning more Wing Chun techniques in a future article.

Nada used car prices edmunds used car prices and kelly blue book used car prices whose prices are right

The Internet has been touted as the greatest resource for the used car buyer. Prospective buyers can find trade-in, private party, and retail values in a heartbeat. The question to consider, however, is what Internet source is right? The three major sites: NADA, Edmunds, and Kelly Blue Book are clamoring to be the Trusted Authority on used car values. Yet price discrepancies are frequently in the $1000’s from site to site. Which web site, if any, is the most accurate source for the used car buyer?

To illustrate the discrepancies, here’s an everyday example: NADA may retail a 2003 SAAB 9-5 Linear at $15,996, Kelly Blue Book prices it at $17,456, and Edmunds prices it at $14,800. These are all retail values, assuming excellent or clean condition. $17,456 minus $14,800 is a $2,656 difference. That’s a huge price difference in the highly competitive used car market.

The retail values placed on many vehicles by these web sites can have even larger price differences - some as high as $4000 to $8000 dollars. These gigantic price fluctuations can leave a used car buyer spending $1000’s extra, depending on which guide he or she used. Moreover, private party and trade-in sale prices do not accurately account for vehicle condition, and less than 5% qualify as excellent.

Vehicle condition is a critical variable. An owner might think his trade-in is in stunning condition and thus worth X, based on his Internet research. An expert may know it needs $1000’s in repairs and reconditioning costs.

The answer to “whose prices are right” is that none of the big three web sites reflect used car prices accurately. Most often, the prices are too high on the retail side, questionable on the trade-in side, and confusing on the private side.

So what or who is the real authority? The answer is the Market! The market (i. e., the folks grinding it out everyday in the used car market place – sellers and buyers) reflect true market value. Web sites are guides only. The used car prices from these sources need to be measured against the reality of the market.

Here’s a scenario to illustrate the importance the market plays on used car values. In the Northeast, the banks rely on NADA, used car dealers prefer to use Kelly Blue Book, and used car buyers are turning more and more to Edmunds. Now the dealer will likely want to use the inflated (Excellent condition) Kelly Blue Book value. The buyer wants an unrealistic Edmunds price, and the bank wants to use an under-valued NADA price. In other words, the three primary people in the car buying process – the buyer, the seller, and the lender, are all on different pages. Each player wants the most advantageous price based on the part he or she is playing. The market is the only element that evens the playing field. The point here is to demonstrate that the market is the true source to determine a REAL and FAIR used car value.

In order to get a fair price, according to the market, a used car buyer should aim for the middle. Avoid the highest prices and be realistic and flexible about the lowest. Stay somewhere in the middle to get a fair deal.

If you want a great deal, follow the market closely. If buying from a retailer, eBay and auction prices don’t count, as these are wholesale venues. Check out Cars. com, AutoTrader. com, and some of the other Used Car Sources. See what the vehicle you want (including miles, equipment and accessories) is being advertised for. Again, shoot for the middle!

Use the popular Internet resources, but don’t follow them blindly. You may actually pay significantly more than market value.

Having said all this, this doesn’t mean that used car dealers are going to stop trying to low ball trade-in offers. And of course every dealer wants to sell its vehicles for a maximum. But remember, the same goes for car owners, but in reverse. They want the highest price for a trade and the lowest retail price on a vehicle.

When using Internet sources to determine a used car value, be sure to enter the correct information. This may sound elementary, but option packages, models, miles, color, equipment, engine, transmission, gear ratios…etc, can be confusing. Yet these are important variables that will affect prices dramatically. In short, the wrong information skews the numbers.

Finally, what really needs to be highlighted with NADA, Edmunds, and Kelly, as well as other Internet sources, is that they are GUIDES. They are excellent resources for vehicle information, but weak resources for prices. This is not to bad mouth any of these sites – they are great starting points. Remember, however, that these guides may or may not be in the car buyer’s favor. Fair used cars prices are dictated by the market. Yes, do your research on the Net, but don’t cling to it. Use the Internet only to find the used car market’s middle ground.

Tips to avoid car insurance premium increases becoming assigned risk

Below are some tips to reduce your auto insurance bill, prevent substantial premium increases and avoid becoming assigned risk.

Claim Reports: You know about credit reports, you should also know about claim reports. C. L.U. E.® (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange), is a claim report service provided by ChoicePoint, Inc. ChoicePoint, Inc. states on their web site "C. L.U. E. is a claim history information exchange that enables insurance companies to access prior claim information in the underwriting and rating process. C. L.U. E. Personal Property reports contain up to five years of personal property claims matching the search criteria submitted by the inquiring insurance company. Data provided in C. L.U. E. reports includes policy information such as name, date of birth and policy number, and claim information such as date of loss, type of loss and amounts paid."

Tip: C. L.U. E. reports contain information on claims history by a residence address. Just like credit reports, a C. L.U. E. report may have errors. It is advisable to obtain a copy of your C. L.U. E. report at ChoiceTrust. com to check your report for errors.

Credit reports: Insurance companies are now looking at credit reports to determine future premiums. They have determined that people with better credit scores have fewer claims. Consequently, if you have a poor credit report you may find yourself paying more for car insurance.

Tip: Always make at least the minimum payment for your bills on time, particularly your insurance bill.

Glass Coverage: Most auto insurance salespeople recommend "full" glass coverage for an additional premium, when you purchase collision coverage for your car. They remind you how much it costs to replace all your windows if broken by a vandal. What they do not tell you, and it is unlikely that they would even know (I would only trust the answer from an underwriter, not a sales representative), is whether your insurance company will use a previous glass claim to increase your future premium and whether they will report your glass claims to C. L.U. E.

Some insurance companies will report glass claims to C. L.U. E. and then use these claims to raise your premium or even worse, cancel your car insurance policy making you assigned risk with a substantial premium increase. Allstate notified me that after four claims in less than five years, they terminated my auto insurance policy and then offered to sell me coverage in their Indemnity Company with a shocking premium increase. These claims consisted of two claims for a broken windshield, one for a stolen and recovered car and one accident.

I had a sports car and had to endure a total premium increase over a period of four years of approximately $12,000 and remain claim free before I became eligible for coverage outside of the assigned risk pool. I wrote a letter to the president of Allstate complaining that they should not have considered my glass claims when canceling my car insurance because the glass claims were made under a separate part of the policy for which I paid a separate and additional premium. Allstate responded in a letter stating "Although this claim activity does not indicate that you were directly at fault in each loss, the frequency and severity of the above losses was not within our range of acceptability. After careful review, I regret to inform you that we cannot reverse our original decision regarding the above policy. We have however continued to offer coverage in our Indemnity Company."

Tip: Check with the underwriting department of your insurance company to see if they will consider glass claims when assessing premiums or if they report glass claims to C. L.U. E. If yes, do not make a glass claim. The two windshields which Allstate provided me with were aftermarket windshields which would have cost me less than $300 each. During the last 30 years of my driving history, I have experienced two broken front windshields, one broken rear windshield and two broken side windows. While the financial risk of totaling a car can be substantial, the financial risk of replacing a windshield is comparatively insignificant. It does not make sense to file a glass claim if it will increase your premium. You may even want to decline this coverage altogether and save the premium.

Tip for leased vehicles: Some lease agreements require that the car be returned with an OEM windshield. If you lease a car and replace a front windshield using your "full" glass coverage, insist that the insurance company provide you with an OEM windshield from the manufacturer. If you pay for the windshield yourself, check your lease agreement carefully to see if you must use an OEM windshield from the manufacturer or if you can use an aftermarket windshield. Some people with leased cars who have replaced a windshield with an aftermarket windshield are shocked, when they return their car, to find that the leasing company is charging them $800 for a new OEM windshield, even though the aftermarket windshield is in perfect condition.

Car Rental & Towing Coverage: While it may be a good idea to have this coverage, it is not always a good idea to use it. Some people have realized that this coverage is not just available when an accident has occurred. For instance, some people have used the car rental coverage when their car was in a repair shop or the towing coverage when their car broke down on the road. As with glass coverage, using this coverage may be the same as filing a claim.

Tip: Check with the underwriting department of your insurance company to see if they will consider rental or towing claims when assessing premiums or if they report these claims to C. L.U. E. If yes, do not use car rental or towing coverage unless you have had an accident, in which case it will be part of the accident claim. If you are concerned about towing costs when your car breaks down, you can buy one of the roadside assistance memberships such as the one available from AAA which provides additional benefits not provided by your automobile insurance policy.

Whitewater rafting provides thrills for the whole family

Try whitewater rafting for your next vacation. You can take a whole family along, go with a big group, or you can do alone. There are many different trips you can take, to many different locations. There are many advanced sites for the more experienced, as well as many places to whitewater raft that have easier water to negotiate.

Choosing whitewater rafting opens up a world of opportunity for you. First of all, there are many different places to go on a whitewater rafting, so wherever you are in the country you will be able to find a site near you where there is some level of whitewater rafting, even if it means driving several hours.

Secondly, it is important to remember that while whitewater rafting can be dangerous as well as fun, there are several different levels of experience and danger built into each whitewater rafting package.

And What Might This Be?

Although a new sport to some, but has been around for a long time, whitewater rafting is becoming very popular. Often, there will be a group of people who go on the whitewater rafting together. Depending on the type of trip you have chosen, it might last one day, or several. On the trips that last for several days, there will either be accommodations along the river, or the group leaders will aide the group in setting up a campsite each night. Your family or group might go along with several others.

There are usually group leaders, probably several, depending on the size of the group, who work for the tour company, who will guide the raft and follow a preset course. These leaders will help to insure the safety of the people who are whitewater rafting. These excursions can be a wonderful way for a family or group to take a great vacation.

What Are Some Ways To Find Whitewater Rafting?

If you are interested in a whitewater rafting, you can contact your travel agent, or you can look on the internet. A simple search will return many different online sites which feature whitewater raftings. It is very easy to search for pictures, adventure descriptions, and adventure packages. Many times, you can find travel and accommodations included in packages. There are many places to book a great adventure, and many great adventures to be had!

Weight training for golf - in your own home

Weight training for golf is viewed by golfers as a lot of work, time-consuming, boring and you need a gym membership to do it. None of the above is true, and if you read this article, I’ll explain why.

You see…weight training for golf isn’t on machines anyways…so that eliminates the requirement of a gym. It’s not a lot of work, if you pick and choose the area you want to focus on. It’s not time-consuming if you do it in the convenience of your home, and have a plan of action. And lastly, it can be a lot of fun, when you use bands, exercise balls and training equipment specific to golf.

There many “so-called” weight training for golf programs, but when you take a look at them, you’ll see pictures of golfers sitting on their butts in a machine. I don’t know about you, but I think golf is done “on your feet”, right?

Weight training for golf is close to becoming “mainstream” with the golfing community. We see and hear all the pros doing it and playing their best golf; so why wouldn’t we amateurs do it also?

There are so many reasons why to participate in a weight training for golf program, that you can’t overlook it and say you don’t need it.

Lacking power in your swing? It’s because your body can’t produce any stored energy from a full backswing with torque in your core. That’s a ‘physical’ issue, not mechanical.

Is your golf swing inconsistent from one swing to the next? Swing faults originate from some deeper physical limitation that’s not allowing you to make a mechanically sound and repeatable swing. How many times have you taken a lesson and heard your pro say, “you need to make a full backswing”, but you just can’t physically do it? That’s a ‘physical’ issue, not mechanical.

How about injuries? Do you have one at the moment? The golf swing is physically damaging to the body if you don’t have enough strength and flexibility to withstand the force the golf swing puts on it. Swinging a 3 foot long lever (club) at up to 90 mph is unbelievably stressful on the joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles of the body. That’s a ‘physical’ issue, not mechanical.

I could go on and on, but I think you might get the idea by now.

Weight training for golf may be your “missing link” to your best game ever! If you’ve tried all the ‘other’ methods, this is the ONLY one left. Why wouldn’t you explore the possibilities a little more?

If you’re looking to add power to your golf swing; improve your consistency; and prevent golf injuries, then you’ve got to consider weight training for golf.

The mystery behind enthusiasm

There has been so much written on the subject of enthusiasm that it could probably fit a volume of an encyclopedia. Every great man or woman that has spoken on the subject has recognized the magical power of enthusiasm. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved." That is a pretty powerful statement! Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Enthusiasm is a volcano on whose top never grows the grass of hesitation.” Denis Waitley said, “Get excited and enthusiastic about your own dream. This excitement is like a forest fire - you can smell it, taste it, and see it from a mile away.” Norman Vincent Peale wrote, “Enthusiasm … spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” The list goes on and on.

What is this magical power that everyone talks about? Where does it come from? How can you get it if you don’t have it? Those are important questions. What I find interesting is that out of all that has been written about enthusiasm, very little attention is given to these questions. Let’s look at the word a bit closer. The English word “enthusiasm” comes from two Greek terms, “En” and “Theos”. Most of our English language is taken from both Greek and Latin since these languages existed before English. The Greek word “En” means “in”, and the Greek word “Theos” means “God”. So the translation literally means “In God”. I have always found that interesting. Yet very little is said about this in the literature I have read on the subject of enthusiasm. Everyone that has written anything on enthusiasm will tell you it is something that comes from deep inside us. When we are enthusiastic, we are at our very best. We are the most sincere when we are enthused. We can win arguments, we can sell anything to anybody, and we can win at a job interview and get that job we have always wanted. We can achieve fantastic things when we are enthusiastic. We feel great when we are enthusiastic don’t we? I am convinced that enthusiasm is the power of God within us. En-Theos means in God. When we are enthused we exhibit that power; people can see it and feel it; but few are willing to admit what it really is because of the religious overtones that are associated with this line of thought.

I am sure you heard it said that enthusiasm is catchy. There is no secret there. If you are in God when you are enthusiastic, and people catch your enthusiasm, it’s not “your” enthusiasm they are catching; it is the power of God that is within the both of you. When two people are enthused about the same thing at the same time they are in God, or God is in them. This is no mystery to me and it shouldn’t shock anyone who is reading this unless you are touchy about religious overtones. I think there is a world of difference between religion and spirituality and what I am talking about here is pure spirituality not religion. In fact, I personally can vouch for the fact that I have never heard a discussion about enthusiasm like this in a church. The sooner you can get over the prejudice you may have about religious overtones the sooner you can begin accepting what true enthusiasm is.

Once we cross that bridge many things become possible. For example, we can answer such questions as were posed at the beginning of this article. The first was, “What is this magical power that everyone talks about?” It is now obvious that it is the spark of life within us all, the burning fire of God’s power within us. The second question was, “Where does it come from?” The power comes from within but it originates from God. The third question was,” How do you get it if you don’t have it?” The simple answer is you already have it inside you; we all do! If you feel you don’t have it, it’d because something is preventing that power from coming out. Shyness can stop it. Insecurity or low self-esteem can stop it. Fear can stop it. Your belief system can stop it.

If you want to get it back, there is no mystery about that. We can all get our enthusiasm going by getting in touch with ourselves. That of course is the simple answer because time does not allow us to elaborate here. However, I would recommend attending a self-empowerment seminar, or read a good book that moves you. Everyone is different and you need to find what moves you. When you do you will have accomplished much. Most people don’t know what motivates them. I could find that out about you in a one hour workshop.

As you go out into the world today feel that power that is within you. Understand that you have it just as much as everyone else does. God was not exclusive when he handed out enthusiasm. In fact it may surprise you to learn that your enthusiasm existed right along with His from a long time ago. Remember you have the spark of life within you. You can do anything you put your mind to. That is self-empowerment!

Can exercise harm you

When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals called endorphins that produce a feeling of euphoria - the so called “runner’s high” that people can become chemically addicted to.

Without it, you feel irritable and out of sorts till you exercise again. So you go on exercising, never stopping to listen to what you body is saying. And what its saying is, “Stop.”

The reason exercise addicts keep pushing themselves probably lies in what happens when they don’t work out. Psychologists at the University of Massachusetts at Boston studied the psychological consequences of being unable to exercise. They compared 30 male and female runners who had been laid low by minor injuries for at least two weeks, with a similar group who continued to run. Those who could not run displayed more signs of depression, anxiety and confusion, and they were far less happy with themselves and their bodies. Like other addictions, exercise, they say, appears to have withdrawal symptoms.

Of aches and pains

Over indulgence doesn’t harm only the mind, but the body as well. Initially, the exercise will do what it’s supposed to, give you a fit body but once you cross the line, it can get lethal. Muscle damage, osteoarthritis, heart problems they’re all waiting to make an appearance.

The body has its limitations and if you push it beyond that limit, you will harm yourself.

Obsessive exercise tends to happen among new exercisers, people who have only just started working out. So keen are they to get fit that they overstep the limits.

The initial signs of unaccustomed exercise can be exhaustion, but that leads to a build up of fatigue. This can do “irreparable harm to the body.”

It isn’t only muscles that are at risk, so are bones. Some “recreational” athletes push themselves to the point of injuries such as shin splints or stress fractures, and then refuse to rest, causing greater and perhaps permanent damage.

Even a morning walk is not without risk. Too much walking can lead to osteoarthritis.

When you’re walking, you are working against gravity. So more than exercising your muscles, you are harming your knee joint. A lot of patients who walk up to an hour everyday come up with complaints of aches in the knee. In fact, jogging also harms the knees. Too many sit-ups can also hurt. More than 10 a day can weaken the spine. Moderation, as usual, is the key.

You should begin gradually, and combine different types of workouts, something that obsessive exercisers forget. A complication factor with people who get hooked to exercise is that they tend to perform the same workouts day after day, further increasing the chances of permanent damage.

Thinking right

Never work out so much that you feel completely exhausted at the end of it. About 45 minutes to and hour, four to five days a week, should be your limit. Your workout should leave you feeling fresh and energetic. And make it a pint to take a day’s break every week. This is important because your body needs to relax and rejuvenate.

The key to achieving this lies in your attitude. Exercising is the way to healthy life. So if you do it only to please yourself when you stand on the weighing machine, you defeat the whole purpose of the exercise. Felling healthy should be the priority. So stop fighting with your own body and you’ll be a happier person.

Make your accountant your best friend

Many people just assume their accountant will cut their taxes as much as possible. To get the biggest benefit from them, you need to be a bit more proactive.

Make Your Accountant Your Best Friend

Accountants tend to come in two types. The first is a reactive accountant, one that waits for you to send in your financial information and then prepares your taxes. The second asks you to come in and fill in annoying questionnaires about your life and so on. You want to go with this second accountant.

To truly save money on your taxes, you want a proactive accountant. A proactive accountant recognizes that the best way to cut tax bills is to plan ahead. They do not want to see you in April when it is time to prepare last years taxes. Instead, they want to see you in January every year to have a lengthy discussion about your finances, changes you foresee in your life that year and your plans for the future. Once they have this information, they can give you definitive direction on steps to take to cut down on your taxes.

Despite what you may have heard, accountants are just as human as you and I. If you don’t make any effort to get your tax strategy sorted out, they probably will not either. If they give you advice and you don’t follow it, you have no one to blame but yourself. To get the biggest benefit you must avoid procrastination. They are going to save you thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars, so do your part.

So, how do you find a proactive accountant? You can look around the net or ask friends. You will never really know what you have, however, until you meet with one. When you do, you need to ask them what steps they will take to handle your taxes. If they make no mention of a review of your finances for the purpose of making recommendations, it is time to move to the next one.

To get the biggest benefit from your tax professional, you need two things. First, find a proactive one. Second, follow their directives immediately.

3 free and effective methods to generate more site traffic

There are countless websites in the net. Competition is tough and it can be quite difficult to drive traffic to your site. Traffic generation is crucial to your e-business marketing campaign. To survive, you need to generate more traffic and interest to your website. Here are three effective methods for doing just that.

Your traffic represents your prospective customers. The more traffic you generate, the more chance there is for people to buy your product or your service. You need to create an effective marketing plan in order to create interest among people.

There are many ways to generate traffic to your site. However, you don’t want to generate just any traffic, your aim should be to generate free targeted traffic. You should consider employing different methods for generating targeted website traffic. Do not limit yourself to just one method. The following are three free site traffic generation methods that you can try.

--- Step 1: Write and submit articles

Everyday, people would visit Google to look for information they need. By writing highly informative, unique and interesting articles and submitting these to high-traffic article directories, you will be read and your articles will become your website’s advertisement.

People who found your articles informative and helpful would go to your website for more information. If you continue along this vein – writing and submitting more articles – more people would trust you and your business over time. Your articles would generate much interest that it would be difficult for search engines to ignore them and your website.

In time, your website will appear in search engine results every time a prospective customer searches for a product or a service that you could provide. At the very least, your articles will appear in these search results and they will lead search engine users to your site.

When you submit articles to different websites, make sure that your articles are fresh and interesting. Add a link to your website as well. Remember that your purpose is to generate traffic to your website. Be mindful of keywords that most people would use when searching for a product, service or any information when you write these articles.

--- Step 2: Use viral marketing techniques

This type of marketing, if employed effectively, would generate more targeted traffic than you thought possible. Viral marketing involves using viral videos which are very effective forms of advertisement. People just love passing on videos to others. If you can just make videos that people find worthy of forwarding to their friends (maybe because they’re hilarious, or super silly or wonderfully odd), then your company can become known to a lot of people. Of course, your videos must have your company information so people will know where to find your site.

Viral marketing can also take occur through viral e-books and viral software. Viral e-books are informative guides that people find good enough to forward to their friends. Viral software refers simply to applications that people find useful enough to refer to their friends.

People generally pass on by mouth their positive reaction to any business, product or service. This is how the viral aspect of this type of marketing takes effect.

--- Step 3: Optimize your site for search engine queries

You must endeavor to make your site get recognized by prominent search engines to be relevant in your keyword category. The more relevant your site is (according to the search engine ranking algorithms), the better your search engine ranking will be and the easier you will be to find through search engine queries. Therefore, make sure to undertake search engine optimization.

How will does the year round calendar affect raleigh schools

Raleigh Schools, in the Wake County district of North Carolina, have been praised for doing a lot of things right. This is especially true in the area of diversity. In 2000 the Raleigh Schools’ goal has been to limit the number of students receiving reduced lunches to 40% per school. Many studies have shown that large amounts of poverty negatively affect all students, and Raleigh Schools were praised for this racially blind method of ensuring diversity. Organizations as diverse as the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, the Bush administration and many educational organizations commended the move.

That’s not to stay that Raleigh Schools have not had some struggles. 30 of the 143 Raleigh Schools currently exceed the 40% goal. Still, most board members and educators have been pleased with the results. Another initiative, which has garnered both praise and criticism, may put the diversity gains of Raleigh Schools at risk.

Back in 1989 Raleigh Schools first implemented voluntary year round schools. Year round schools make better use of facilities, and help students retain more knowledge by giving many shorter 3-week breaks as opposed to the traditional summer vacation. Mainly affluent families signed up for those voluntary schools, as childcare is hard to come by during those 3-week breaks for financially strapped working families. The Raleigh Schools’ Board responded by assigning specific neighborhoods to each year round school, and involuntarily assigning children to schools. Here’s the problem.

Some parents don’t want their children bussed to schools on the year round calendar, in neighborhoods where they were not comfortable socially, or that were too far from their homes. Recently, those parents of Raleigh Schools won a court ruling that requires parental consent to send children to year round and modified calendar schools. While parents may see this as a win, civil rights advocates and Raleigh Schools’ educators in favor of diversity are very concerned.

African American community leaders, including Raleigh School Board vice chairman Rosa Gill, are urging parents to consent to keep their children in the year round school to strengthen both diversity and academic strength. Many of the children opting out of the year round school option do so because their parents say that they don’t fit into that more affluent environment. On the reverse side, some better-off families want to opt out in order to attend traditional or more desirable schools as well. Either scenario threatens the balance of diversity for which Raleigh Schools have received great acclaim.

Do parents know what’s best, or are they unintentionally contributing to academic struggles at Raleigh Schools? The court has ruled, and the nation will watch Raleigh Schools closely for the outcome.

Total hardness and water quality

Most adults have learned that water can be soft or hard. They have learned, too, that there is a connection between total hardness and water quality. Hard water reduces the power of your soap. In fact, hard water is often detected by noting the amount of soap required to form lather. Hard water may build up in hot water pipes and appliances, producing scale.

Hard Water Defined

Hard water is water that contains high levels of dissolved calcium, magnesium, and other mineral salts such as iron. The greater the amount of dissolved minerals in the water, the harder it is.

Total hardness is measured in grains per gallon (gpg) or parts per million (ppm). If water contains less than 3.5 gpg, it is considered soft water. If it contains more than 7 gpg, it is considered hard water. The American Society of Engineers' water hardness classification table breaks it down this way.

* Soft: 0 to 3.5 gpg – 0 to 60 ppm

* Moderate: 3.6 to 7 gpg – 61 to 120 ppm

* Hard: 7.1 to 10.5 gpg – 121 to 180 ppm

* Very Hard: More than 10.5 gpg – more than 180 ppm

Making the Connection

Total hardness and water quality are connected. Hard water is safe for drinking, cooking, and other household uses, but it can cause problems.

One way in which total hardness and water quality are connected is the effect of such water on household plumbing. Total hardness means a build-up of scales inside pipes, especially those carrying hot water.

Total hardness and water quality are also connected in their effect on appliances that use water. Dishwashers and washing machines can decrease in cleaning and laundering ability. Water heaters can become less efficient. Refrigerators that dispense water can become clogged.

Aesthetically, total hardness and water quality are connected in those white, chalky deposits that accumulate on tubs, sinks, and cookware.

U. S. Water Quality

According to the 1997 National Water Quality Survey, 1 of 5 people surveyed in the U. S. is dissatisfied with the water quality in his or her home. This is related to the fact given by the U. S. Geological Survey: that 85 percent of the U. S. has hard water. Many people install water softeners in their homes to improve water quality.

Determining Water Quality

You can have your water quality tested if you are moving into a new area or a new home. If you have been living in the same home for a while, you will know if your water is hard by looking for these 7 signs:

1. You have difficulty working up lather from a bar of soap.

2. Your soaps and detergents don't seem to clean well – you have dingy laundry in spite of your efforts to get it clean.

3. In the shower or bath, your soap leaves a film on your body and hair – you have dry skin and dull, limp hair.

4. You have to battle soap scum on bathtubs, shower tiles and doors, basins, and fixtures.

5. You see an increasing buildup of scale on your cookware such as tea kettle, coffee maker, and pasta pot. Your plumbing also contains scale.

6. Clogged pipes or appliances mean that water flow is reduced.

7. Your water heating costs are increasing due to scale buildup and mineral deposits, and you have to replace hot water heating elements more often.

Improving Water Quality

Treatment can improve water quality. You may use electromagnetic water conditioners, water filters, or water softeners.

Electromagnetic water conditioners improve water quality by sending water through a magnetic field. As the water passes between the magnets, its calcium and magnesium ions lose their scale-causing properties. Studies show that this relatively new invention does not technically soften water, but water quality is improved in that it no longer causes buildup of scales. Clothing also lasts longer, which is a definite increase in water quality.

Water filters are a second option for improving water quality, especially drinking water. Water filters can provide healthy drinking water by removing chlorine and other contaminants contained in water. Water filters can soften water, but they will not prevent scale buildup in pipes and water heaters.

Water softeners are a common way of improving water quality, and come in two types: chemical and mechanical. The water produced by chemical water softeners is not acceptable drinking water. Packaged chemicals are added directly to improve water quality in laundering and bathing, and are effective both in protecting clothing and guarding against dry skin and hair. Mechanical water softeners installed in your home will replace dissolved calcium and magnesium salts with sodium. This water is also not acceptable for drinking, especially by those who have hypertension. The water quality is greatly improved, however, for other uses. Lime scale is prevented; water heaters function efficiently; and laundered clothing is both cleaner and longer-lasting.

Soft Water

On the other end of the spectrum, total hardness and water quality are a benefit when that hardness level is below 3.5 gpg or 60 ppm. Soft water allows you to use less shampoo and soap, yet have shinier hair and softer skin. Soft water requires less soap or detergent in shower, laundry, kitchen, and household cleaning chores. It helps close look cleaner and last longer. It keeps water-using appliances and plumbing from wearing out as fast. Soft water keeps dishes and eating utensils spot-free, and extends the life of tea kettles and other cookware. Soft water reduces cleaning time by eliminating soap scum and buildup of scales.

Total hardness and water quality are closely connected, and you may find it worthwhile to use a water treatment system to improve your water quality – especially your drinking water.

Tips about electric trolling motors

Electric trolling motors are being found more and more often onboard many fishing boats. Boaters are discovering the many benefits electric motors have to offer. Most notable the fact they operate in silence and that they are environmentally friendly. In addition, their popularity is not hurt by the rise in gas prices. These motors do require care that is different from the average gasoline powered motors.

Electric motors operate differently than gas motors, so it is no surprise that they need different care. Electric motors use batteries to supply them with power. This means they have a whole different way of powering up. Any fisherman that has or is buying an electric trolling motor needs to check out the follow list of tips.

- Charging replaces filling with fuel. It may be extremely simple to pour in a little gas to get the motor running, but with electric motors it does not work that way. Electric motors must be charged. They require a battery charger. This can be an onboard piece or a piece that is kept on shore. That is up to the individual fisherman. The batteries are made to be run down and charged often so there is no concern over ruining them. However, the manufactures directions should be followed to ensure the motor batteries are not ruined.

- Always check the motor out before use. Stray fishing lines can easily tangle in the motor and cause major damage. It only takes a brief moment for the damage to be done, but it also only takes a brief moment to look over the engine to prevent that from happening.

- Do routine maintenance. Like any type of motor an electric motor requires checks and routine maintenance. Parts should be checked to make sure they are secure and in good shape. Fisherman should not assume that electric means no worries. Maintenance is still important.

- The motor should always be monitored when charging. This prevents it from getting turned on accidentally. A motor that is left running can easily overheat and burn out.

- Be friendly to the motor. Electric motors have parts that are kept cool by being under water, so it is important that the fisherman does not run the motor out of the water. It is also important to keep general care in mind by not using the motor is weeds or mud.

These tips offer ways to prolong the life of and protect the electric trolling motor. Fisherman who are using an electric motor will benefit greatly from following these tips and any instructions offered by the manufacturer.

Futons and your bed buying journey

Many websites will have detailed categories targeted at beds, should a person require a full full bunk bed or a wood and iron canopy bed you just locate the most appropriate bed section.

For consumers searching for items such as single beds or twin full loft bunk beds, you would be wise speaking to a mixture of home improvement specialists in advance of your search, you might be searching for a special product like a wrought iron bed or even wood bed frame yet because of a lack of advice choose the wrong item.

A whole host of bed related searches could possibly have led you to a bed or home furnishing associated portal, searches such as "find heavy duty bed frames" or "guides on adjustable king size beds", the real trick with any interior design portal is to go immediately to the site menu, if you do this you should not be side tracked due to bed guides that are not connected to the bedding product you need.

You might also consider that a town book store may possibly be an obvious place to obtain guidance aimed at bed items, internet availability might often cause us to ignore the numerous other bedding resources which are currently freely available to all of us, take advantage of such sources of good bed data, prime bed merchandise info might quite often be difficult to locate.

A significant amount of bed merchants may very well be decent and a small number somewhat poor, if somebody seeks local home furnishing info it might very well be better to send any local sources of bed guidance a brief email, make it as clear as you can and write something such as "I require some information on wood and iron beds or wrought iron bed frames", whats in your email will depend on what type of bed item you are mainly interested in.

Most online bedding research can uncover a vast number of products, although good bed portals will often have a ton of bed items, this might often be really overwhelming, heavy duty bed frames, antique bed frames, todays consumers have so many products to pick from nowdays, it may then be difficult to decide the appropriate item to order.

A large amount of directories will contain particular catalogues focusing on beds, if a consumer should need a full over twin loft bed or a wood working plan loft bed simply locate the most appropriate bed section.

The easiest way to tell if a bed website might be able to assist you with your specific bed search, lets say that a wood wrought iron bed is your particular item, is to learn if the site contains a targeted bed directory and a fair number of bed articles, provided it does supply these types of things then you are clearly in with a chance, if however the site is targeted at a general home furnishing subject you are perhaps less likely to get your required bed related guidance.

Mortgage refinancing in all its aspects

Mortgage refinance is an option that we have if we would like to get rid of our current secured loan and get a newer one in its place. The same assets act as collateral. This means that you take on another loan to replace the old one with the same property used as security against the new loan. Mortgage refinance is especially advantageous for people who would like a fresh loan with lesser interest costs by refinancing it at a marked down rate.

The great thing about mortgage refinancing is that it enables people to have a new source of funds while the repayment dues are a lot lower than before. Yet another reason for refinancing is in order to draw out the duration of the loan. The funds which may be acquired from refinancing is allowed to be used with almost any purpose, including the opportunity to pay off other debts.

Mortgage refinancing also helps if you are seeking to get rid of your adjustable rate mortgage and get a fixed rate mortgage instead. Since a variable-rate loan tends to shift its interest rate (depending on prime rates which in turn rely on a fluctuating economic index such as currency strength and economic growth), moving over to a fixed-rate mortgage is more beneficial in the long run. Even if the adjustable rate is somewhat lower, a fixed rate is often a better bet.

A shift to mortgage refinancing is a good decision, especially if the borrower is convinced that this will be a great way to save on a lot of expense. This could be either for the short term or for the long run, or if he needs an extension of the loan in order to compensate for unanticipated expenses such as medical and educational dues.

At the same time, one must bear in mind that refinancing may not always be a money-saver. This means loans with provisions incurring penalty on the borrower for an early repayment of the loan, either in its entirety or in part. It also costs money since it involves closing and transaction fees. Before you get the loan, ensure that you save enough despite these costs.

Some kinds of refinancing plans require that the borrower will pay a certain amount as initial fees in order to secure the loan. This is as long as the market rate is lower than your current rate by at least 1.5 percent. With cash-out refinancing, the borrower may refinance the existing loan for one with a higher amount and keep the cash difference for himself. But this might not lead to a lowering of the monthly installments or a shortening of the duration of the loan in question.

If you are looking at refinancing, you need to be prepared to be asked for a certain initial amount before you can be forwarded the refinance mortgage. This portion is commonly referred to in the industry as points or premiums, wherein every point equals to one percent of the total amount of the loan. The advantage of the point system is that the borrower has the option to pay more points in return for lowered interest rates on the loan. If the borrower is keen to lower the interest rates, he could pay off some additional points by utilizing the money that he saves through refinancing.

Don t let emotions ruin your purchase or sale of a home

Buying and selling real estate undisputedly has an emotional element. If you let emotions run you, there is a very good chance everything will fall apart.

Don’t Let Emotions Ruin Your Purchase or Sale of A Home

One of the biggest stumbling blocks in the sale of a home is the emotional reactions of the parties. It doesn’t matter if you are buying, selling, using a real estate agent or handling it on your own. If either party lets emotions rule the day, things will fall apart. If both parties let it happen, the transaction will get very ugly.

For sellers, emotions arise from the fact that they typically have lived in the home for some time. Major life events may have occurred in the property including raising a family, weddings and so on. In simple terms, sellers don’t view the home as a property to be sold. They view it as a part of themselves, which they are letting go like a child going off to college. This personal attachment leads to ruffled feelings when a buyer offers practically any criticism of the property.

For buyers, emotions arise from the conscious or subconscious nervousness about taking on such a big debt. Whether you like to admit it, committing to a ton of debt is a scary experience. Inevitably, this emotion is expressed as suspicion that the seller is trying to pull a fast one or there is something wrong with the property. Regardless of the manifestation, such emotions are the stuff of failed, nightmarish real estate transactions that often end up in court.

For example, a couple I am friends with recently sold a very pricey home they had lived in for over 14 years. Simply put, there were a lot of memories from that time period. On the other side, the buyers were making a major step up in price from their previous home. In fact, they were committing to well over seven figures of debt with their mortgage loan. Put in simple terms, both parties were keyed up and sparks eventually flew.

I will not get into the details in respect for their privacy, but the deal almost fell through over an argument about who got to keep three bar stools. Three…bar…stools. This was a million dollar home! In the end, the seller kept them and then realized they didn’t go with their new home. In retrospect, they now realize that the conflict with idiotic and really had nothing to do with the stools. Instead, it was emotions that almost ruined the day.

If you are going to buy or sell a home, make sure to control your emotions. The transaction is a business transaction, not a personal insult to your pride.

What is hypnosis

Before anyone experiences hypnosis and starts using it to make wonderful, beneficial changes in their life, this article is designed to perhaps to answer a few questions you may have and also to dispel a few myths and misconceptions about hypnosis.

You know, I still meet people that believe that experiencing hypnosis is like being unconscious. I always reply, “What would be the point of that? Spending money and time to be unconscious in someone else’s company?? If I wanted you to be unconscious we would simply bash you over the head!” So it is important that you also know that hypnosis is not about being unconscious and that you have the correct expectations about the hypnotic experience that you are going to have, should you choose to invest in one of our products or experience hypnosis for yourself with a hypnotist.

In order to understand hypnosis, it is important to understand and differentiate between our minds. By that I am referring to our conscious mind, where we are now and just below that level of awareness is our unconscious mind (also known as the subconscious mind, for the purpose of easy understanding they are the same thing).

The conscious mind is where we usually spend most of our waking time, you know that internal dialogue we have that thinks “hmmm, what shoes shall I wear today” that is your conscious mind. Your conscious mind basically does four things;

Firstly, your conscious mind analyses. What is that? Well that is the part of us that looks at problems, analyses them and tries to create solutions to those problems. It is that part of us that makes decisions all day every day “shall I open the door?”, “Shall I have something to eat”, even though they are automatic behaviours, we make a conscious decision about whether or not to do these things.

The second part of our conscious mind is our rationale, the part of us that, especially in western cultures, always has to know “Why” things happen and “Why” we behave in particular ways. This can cause us so many problems as we give any problems more and more credence and power. More conventional and traditional methods of counselling or psychotherapy are often very much concerned with looking at causes of our problems and it is my opinion that all this does is teaches us “why” they happen as opposed to giving us the skills required to changing unwanted habits and behaviours. The more we think about “why” we do things the more we seem to embed the unwanted behaviour into our psyches!

The third part of our conscious mind is will power, that teeth-gritted determination that so many of us are proud to demonstrate. How many times have we used our will power alone to make changes and found that our will power weakens and that change is temporary or non-existent.

The final part of our conscious mind is your short-term memory. By that I am referring to the things that you need to remember to function on a day-to-day basis, so that when your phone rings you know to answer it rather than stare at it wondering it is, or ensuring that you cross the road without being run over.

That is the conscious part of your mind, it is logical, rational and analytical, a bit like Mr Spock from the Start Trek series and as much as it pains me to say it, our conscious mind is frequently wrong about things.

Your conscious mind is wherever you happen to be pointing it at any given time. I am sure you have been in a busy, noisy environment, such as a restaurant or a bar and have been engaged in a conversation with another individual, and all the sounds going on around you just seem to blend into the background. Then someone else ten metres away can punctuate their sentence with your name and you pick it out as if it was being spoken to you. This illustrates that unconsciously, you are aware of many, many pieces of information every second of your life, sounds, colours, thoughts etc, yet your conscious mind allows you to focus upon what is pertinent or relevant to you at that moment.

If you take that conscious awareness and point it inside of yourself instead of outside into the world, you begin to become aware of your inner self, your unconscious self, which is the part of you that we work with in hypnosis.

Your unconscious mind is tremendously powerful and automates as much behaviour as it possibly can so that we do not have to think about it. For example, there was a time in your life when you had to be shown how to tie your shoelaces, and you concentrated on doing this. I suspect that by this stage in your life you know how tie your shoelaces very well and you don’t even think about doing it, you just do it. I have a lonely Auntie who as a boy, my mother would ask me to phone on a weekly basis as she thought this would make her happy and I vividly remember hearing her lighting up a cigarette and heavily exhaling the smoke while on the phone, she didn’t even think about what she was doing, she just associated smoking with being on the phone.

We are amazing learning machines and we learn behaviours and habits and then our unconscious mind automates them and does them on auto pilot so that we do not have to think about doing them.

Your unconscious mind has within it all your long-term memory. Just about every blade of grass that you have seen in your entire lifetime is stored away in your long-term memory that serves as an amazing storage centre. These memories affect us in varying ways, some more than others. Sometimes our ability to remember them is not as fluid as we need, as it is often not necessary to have all our memory in the forefront of our minds. For example, right now you are unlikely to be thinking about everything that happened to you on your last birthday, however, me just mentioning it, you can dig into your unconscious, long-term memory and remember.

Another example is if you have ever seen a live stand up comedy show. You watch the comedian and laugh (or not as the case may be!) heartily as you listen to lots and lots of jokes. Then when you leave the venue, you can remember none of them, or one or two at best! Then, a week later, a friend that you were with can say to you “do you remember such and such a joke from last weeks comedian” and you think “oh yeeeaaah!” as you bring that information out from your long-term memory. You know that you know the joke, it was just not at the forefront of your conscious mind, it was tucked away in the deeper unconscious.

Your unconscious mind knows more about you than you consciously that you know. Sound confusing? Well, just think, you are currently breathing, your heart is beating (I do hope!) you are digesting, your body is regulating its body temperature, it is doing a range of wonderful things without you having to consciously think about it. You are not sat around thinking “I really must remember to breathe”. We are not machines, there is an intelligence within us that knows how to do these things, and it is that intelligence that we tap into with hypnosis.

Your unconscious mind is where you get your gut feelings, your instincts and intuition that communicates with you sporadically from time to time. Like when sometimes, someone can be saying all the right words to you, but you get a different feeling about them.

Your unconscious mind is a bit like a computer. Throughout your entire lifetime it has been programmed with all your experiences, relationships, interpretations of the world, influences and all this has culminated in your computer functioning with that programming. Hypnosis is simply a way of accessing that computer and updating that programming so that it becomes instinctive and intuitive for you to make the changes that please you.

Your unconscious mind is the seat of your emotions and where your behaviours exist and it is the part of you that we work with in hypnosis. Hypnosis is a way of us stepping over your conscious mind and accessing the unconscious mind to make powerful and profound changes.

Now, I am sure that you have experienced natural trance states many times before, in fact I know it. For example, when you have been driving in a car and thought to yourself “ooh, how did I get here?” or when you have been reading a book and you’ve turned the page and thought “I have no idea what I have just read, I am going to have to read it all again”. I can remember being at school watching my history teacher teach me, yet my mind was a million miles away wishing I was doing something else. All common experiences, daydream like states that we all experience, many times a day. The only difference between these naturally occurring states and those that we use in therapeutic hypnosis, is that with the hypnosis, you intend to enter the state, you are in control of it and it is just like a slightly amplified, deeper version of the state. That is it. Sometimes it is simply like sitting in a chair with your eyes closed, not the magical mystical or unusual experience that some people are led to believe it is.

It is important here to know that you cannot be made to do anything that you don’t want to do. Very important. I had a guy that a doctor referred to me, came to see me and said to me “my doctor told me come and see you as I have emphysema and am going to die of it unless I stop smoking”. I said to him, well I presume you want to stop, he said “oh, no, I love smoking, it is one of few remaining pleasures.” I had to send him away as I cannot make him do something that he does not want to. Can you imagine if I could do that!! Wow. I could go and see my bank manager and make him give me million pounds without returning it! You never read about “Baddy hypnotists” making people rob banks or anything else absurd, because it cannot be done.

People usually then say to me “ok Adam, I hear and understand what you are saying and it all makes sense”. However, I have seen stage hypnosis and seen people dancing like chickens, are you telling me that they want to do that?” I am saying that these people are not being made to do things that they don’t want to do.

When someone buys tickets to a stage hypnosis show, they are being permissive to the notion that they are going to see hypnosis for entertainment; they expect certain things to happen. Secondly, when the stage hypnotist asks the audience “who wants to come on stage” the people that agree to do so or put their hands up are saying “yes, I want to be hypnotised”, they are not being made to do anything they don’t want to do. The stage hypnotist ensures that the individuals on the show are receptive and follow a large number of compliance exercises and it begins to create the illusion that these people are doing things that they don’t want to do, when they are not. The hypnosis can step over the inhibitions of the conscious mind, so that the individuals behave with more openness, they just cannot be made to do things they don’t want to do.

Anyone can be hypnotised. I work with insomniacs, heroin addicts, schizophrenics, people experiencing chemotherapy, these are all people that are often convinced that they cannot relax or cannot be hypnotised, and as long as they want to, they all can and they all do.

All that is required is that you have an open mind, that you expect it to work and have progressive, motivated thoughts about the processes, follow the sessions and allow them to help you help yourself to make the changes you want and deserve.

Finally, at the beginning of the recorded hypnosis sessions and/or individual NLP or hypnosis sessions with me (I cannot speak for other therapists, we all do things differently) individually, you may be asked to do a number of different things with your mind and you can be forgiven for thinking, “well, he asked me to do this, and now something else, and now another thing, what exactly am I supposed to be listening to?” The simple answer is that you listen and follow as much or as little as you want to, remember that is your conscious mind thinking those thoughts and that is not the part of you that we are working with and making the change with. I am sure that there will also be times when you’ll be thinking “hmmm… am I in hypnosis, what am I supposed to be thinking or feeling.” Again that is your conscious mind thinking that thought and does not matter what it is thinking. It can be attempting to follow everything that I am saying or just wandering off and thinking about whatever you like, just trust that your unconscious mind is absorbing all that you want it to.

There will be times in the sessions when you may be asked to imagine things. Imagining things does not have to mean visualising. If I ask you to think of a favourite place, you can imagine what it would be like, you don’t have to be seeing a picture perfect cinema version of it in your mind. You can imagine, sense, think, or just know it without seeing it or picturing it in every detail. If I asked you to imagine the sound your feet make when you walk across gravel, you know the sound I am talking about and you can imagine it, but you are not necessarily hearing it in your ears, you can imagine it. That is all you'll need.

So, hypnosis is not like being unconscious, it is almost like having heightened awareness, it requires you to want the change, have an open, positive mind, as best as you can, and allow whatever happens to happen, without trying to grasp at what you think should happen, just letting it happen.

I wish you all the very best with whichever hypnosis product, or with any consultative sessions you are considering having with any qualified therapist or any training you plan to attend and I just know that having come this far, you really can do it, and make the changes that you want to make with hypnosis.

Cooking as a culinary art

Culinary arts is the art of cooking. Cooking is a way to prepare food that will be eaten or served to other people.

The culinary arts is comprised of many categories - some of which are tools, methods, combination of spices and ingredients that adds flavour to the food. It normally needs the right measurements, proper selection and accurate combination of ingredients involved to reach desired result.

The diversity of the Culinary arts around the world mirrors many considerations such as:

- Economic

- Aesthetic

- Nutritional

- Religious

- Cultural

1. The Dawn Of Fire

The culinary arts, if not always, is associated with fire. The heat generated by fire is oftentimes required to be applied to be able to change the food's texture, flavour, nutritional contents and even its appearance. Heating is important in the culinary arts because it disinfects the food and makes it softer. The food danger zone is between 4 to 60 degrees Celsius. Within these temperatures, the bacteria found in the found or even those that were transferred to the food can grow at a very alarming rate. Under ideal conditions bacteria can double their population every twenty minutes. Although at a glance, these foods may not appear harmful, when ingested they can be. Many people have the misconception that bacteria will die when we freeze our food or refrigerate them, but this actually does not rid the food of bacteria, merely it slows down their expansion.

2. Baking

Baking is probably the most famous department in the culinary arts. In the culinary arts, baking is the art of cooking food using an oven. The food is cooked through applying dry heat evenly through the oven and onto the food. It is used in producing pastry based goodies such as pies, tarts and cakes. The dry heat in the oven causes the starch to gelatinize and results to the browning or charring of the outside of the food. Some uneducated in the culinary arts might think that the charred part or the brown part is not as tasty as it sounds, but this part is actually what gives taste and flavour to the baked good, partly sealing the moisture of the food. The browning apparent in the baked good is caused by the sugar caramelizing and the chemical reaction that happens between the reduction of sugar and the amino acid (Maillard reaction). Moisture in the baked goody, on the other hand, is not really completely kept in, in time as the goody is being baked it will become drier and drier.

3. Boiling

Another category is boiling. Boiling is when there is a rapid vaporization of any liquid when the liquid is heated. In cooking, boiling is divided into many other categories. Blanching, a cooking term used to describe the submersion of food into boiling water and removing it after a certain period of time and then throwing it into cold water or letting water run over it causing the firming of food. Pressure cooking is when food is cooked inside an enclosed cooking tool that would limit the air that's coming in or going out of that tool - this technique speeds up the pace of cooking. Stewing would probably be the most popular cooking technique in the culinary arts division. It is a method where meats are cut up into smaller pieces and along with some vegetables are simmered into a liquid. Simmering, then again is a cooking method where the liquid is barely kept away from its boiling point. Other boiling techniques are braising, codding, steaming, infusion, poaching, double steaming, steeping and vacuum flask cooking.

4. Other

To most Americans, microwaving and grilling are the most common forms of cooking. Microwaving is the easiest and simplest form of cooking; it is a technique used mostly to reheat sumptuous meals ready to be consumed. And for grilling, most Americans have a grill station in their backyard. Grilling is a roasting method that is cooking directly under a source of heat. Other roasting methods are Barbecuing, Searing and Rotisserie. A less common method is smoking meat, or even salting it.

What you need to know about vegetarianism

Living healthy requires maintaining a healthy diet. No diet may be healthier than meals dominated by fresh, all-natural vegetables and fruits.

Lately, more and more people have shifted to vegetarian meals because scientific research demonstrated the adverse effects of animal meat.

Nutritionists explain that the high amount of animal fat present in meat, dairy, and other animal products may be probable factors leading to the onset of diabetes mellitus, obesity, colorectal cancer, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease.

To avoid these diseases, nutritionists have long expounded on the health benefits of high intake of fruits and vegetables.

However, people generally have many misconceptions about vegetarianism or the practice of eating foods from the plant kingdom.

This article attempts to clear these misconceptions and bring to light what the said lifestyle is about.

Vegetarians may be classified into four groups. Vegans eat no animal foods, while semi-vegetarians generally avoid meat but consume poultry and selected animal foods.

Meanwhile, lacto-ovo-vegetarians avoid meat, poultry and fish, but take in milk and eggs. Finally, lacto-vegetarians consume milk products but not other animal foods. Some vegetarians also go as far as avoiding clothing made from animal products like fleece, fur, and leather.

More so, others avoid processed foods, alcoholic beverages, and foods bred with pesticides.

Historically, vegetarianism can be traced from philosophical beliefs, specifically religious traditions and teachings of Buddhism and Hinduism.

The said religions shun away from animal flesh due to their doctrine upholding self-denial, reincarnation, and the blessedness of all forms of life.

However, during the 19th century, the practice has transcended religious boundaries when the Vegetarian Society, a British non-religious organization, became famous in 1847.

Modern vegetarians uphold the rejection of meat in their campaign for animal welfare, labeling the killing of animals for consumption as a violation of their rights. The practice has already gained worldwide acceptance.

Some people contend that the vegetarian diet is insufficient in meeting the daily nutritional requirements. However, dieticians have explained that plant-based meals are low in cholesterol, saturated fat, and salt.

Likewise, plant-based meals may be planned in order to obtain the essential nutrients normally obtained from meat, fish, and poultry.

Vegetarians may consume diets dominated by fruits, vegetables, cereals and grains. In place of meat products, lacto-ovo-vegetarians may use nuts, lentils, eggs, nuts, peanut butter, dry beans, and peas. Vegetarians avoiding milk may find other sources of calcium and Vitamin D-enriched foods.

Also, vegans may have to take vitamin and mineral supplements to ensure adequate intakes of nutrients that may only be obtained from animal-based meals.

Consciousness on healthy living involves awareness on the different options and forms of vegetarianism. Here’s to a healthy lifestyle and well-being to all of us!

Bring home memories with safari photos

Any tourist knows that one of the more important parts of any trip is to bring back tangible memories in forms of souvenirs, tokens and photos. Well, among all these photos can evoke more memories since it lets you see the actual, present images while you were there.

In this article, we have prepared four tips to help you get the most from your African safari photos.

Know the locations of wonder

Too many of amateur photographers don't typically have enough knowledge on the perfect locations for safari photographs. Well, this time you will know some of them. The prime locations are Kruger National Park (South Africa), Masai Mara (Kenya), Moremi (Botswana), Serengeti (Tanzania) and Etosha (Namibia).

Bring the proper equipments

You may not have the talent for photography yet with the right equipments and devices, you are sure to bring out the best from even the worst photos you have taken.

Your best buddy for safari photos is the digital camera as it provides you countless advantages that you may never have from other camera units.

Be conscious of the composition

Most safari photos are spoiled because they do not have the right subjects in them or the subjects were not thoroughly and properly positioned in the image. You have more control on the composition using positioning principles. Make the most out of the latter though.

The main focus of the composition is how you frame your subjects.

When you choose the composition of the safari photos, you have to have quick decisions, as wild animals dont normally stay for long in single locations. Be extra careful of your movements as well to avoid distracting their attention.

And never forget…be patient

We have no control over the animals that pass our sights. They move at their own phase and at their own time. They simply behave in manners that they naturally do so you cant obviously expect them to move as you want. Be patient in waiting for subjects to come by. And once they do, use all your advantage to capture them in photos. Remember, the most beautiful safari photos are those that depict unusually beautiful movements.

You may not control luck, and that's for a fact. Luck or opportunity is one thing that determines the beauty if action is to be captured in photos. If you are patient, nature may help you see the marvel in each wildlife scene - a chase of preys and predators, lion clubs at play and solitary trees that reserves excellent elegance.

How to cope up with a business tycoon

At some point, we may all find ourselves at the forefront of a successful business venture. While all the praises may be expected, remember that you have to handle the pressure with dealing with daily business operations. Some may call it natural while others are too stiff to think about it. If you think about it, you really have to do a lot of adjustments just to be able to make your business sustainable.

To each his own, they say, but most working people would have pondered over the possibility of supplementing their existing salaries with an additional source of income at some point of time in their lives.

If you are an office-goer, but are yet mulling over adding the word self to the word employed in the professional section of your profile, you need to do your homework in order to find out whether you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Please make sure you gather all the information that is necessary to be your own boss before you decide to call it a day from your busy schedule at work and, as a result, bid goodbye to your cushy job, your air-conditioned office, your co-operative colleagues and, not to mention, a fixed paycheque at the end of each month of course!

One good solution to this labour intensive task is to purchase a good blog comment software. A typical software will trawl through Google listings for a supplied keyword search terms (e. g. small home business, work at home ideas, affiliate program etc), then lists out thousands of related blogs accepting comments. As there are 11 blog platforms including wordpress, blogspot, you can easily obtain a massive list of blog urls ready for you to post your comments to.

The software generates a listing of thousands of blog types by the selected page rank within a few minutes after you key in your keyword search terms. Simply clicking each link takes you to the page listed to do your blog comment posting. Just imagine the hours of time you actually gained back to really focus on your small home business.

If you do this diligently and consistently, you should see good results. If you have a new website, this could help you get indexed in search engines in a matter of days and for more seasoned internet marketers it could well mean better search engine ranking and a higher page rank on your sites. It is no big secret that having more one way links to your site from similarly themed websites will enable your websites attain better search engine ranking.

For those that prefer to work out of the home have the benefit of being away from the kids for a while and socialize with adults. Not being around other adults may negatively affect some people therefore it is a great solution to work outside the home. Some families may require the extra income that comes from the job outside the home and would rather not risk quitting that job in order to work at home.

Working at home may possibly be the solution to some peoples financial woes. If someone would like to earn some extra income that could potentially become a full time income starting a home business can be an easy way to do that. Using the internet can be very cost effective way to start. When starting an internet business all that is really required is a computer, internet connection and desire. For those that cannot afford to invest a lot of money, this may be the perfect solution.

Why i started snowboarding classes

Let me tell you all about the time that I went to snowboarding classes and why I absolutely think that you should go out there and do the same. When you learn something new it provides and excellent sense of well being and can result in many hours of fun and enjoyment that can come as a result of the new skill that you have attained.

When I was only 16 I really liked watching winter sports on television and although it may sound stupid, it was actually sledging that drove me to want to learn a winter sport. I always liked sledging and I even went sledging when it wasn't snowing. You see, where I live it is absolutely impossible to go sledging 11 months of the year, and if we are lucky enough to have as much as a month of snow then I am always sure to take advantage of it and go out their and sledge away! That is why, coupled with my love for watching snowboarding and sledging on television, that I decided that I would go out their and learn how to snowboard.

So you are probably wondering why I made the choice of snowboarding over skiing as my choice for the winter sport that I would try. The main reason for this was because I have a lot of friends that do snowboarding but absolutely none that do skiing done at the local ski slope. Although they do snowboarding the slope caters for both and I suppose the decision really did come down to me. Anyway, in the end I decided to go out their and choose snowboarding and I would be lying if I said my friends were my only influence in my decision to choose the board over the ski's. You see I do not know if everyone will know what I am talking about but I feel that a snowboard just appears to be so much more responsive than ski's. Do you know what I mean?

At our local ski slope there is only 100M of run that is around 300 feet if you convert it. In that period on ski's what can you actually do? If it was some kind of complicated slalom then that would be different, but just going down a hill on ski's to me seems slightly boring compared to on a snowboard. A snowboard appears to be more of a white knuckle ride. That is why I decided to choose snowboarding, but don't get me wrong I still think that skiing looks fun, and as I now go down to the skiing slope every week or so I have actually started to do skiing some times for a bit of a change. You see, once I learned how to snow board I had some transferable skills, such as an ability to use the lift, how to handle speed, when to slow down etc. That is why I am glad that I learned how to snowboard first. If I had skied first, then I would probably have found it a lot more difficult to pick up snowboarding second. Anyway I went to snowboarding lessons and really enjoyed myself, I am not as good, nor as dedicated as some of my friends but I still really enjoy myself and that is what it is all about.

Working with your home not against it

The importance of an organized, well-run home can not be over-stressed. Your home, and thus your family, will run more efficiently, and with efficiency comes less stress and more joy. More time to enjoy the pleasures of life. The little time it takes to put the system into place will be given back to you many, many times over - you will reap what you sow.

There are a few things to consider when formulating your individual plan of attack. Where do you see the problem areas in your home and life? Are the keys always missing? The sports equipment strewn about? Bills going unpaid, perhaps piling up with junk mail? Have you tripped over that pile of shoes for the last time - again?

Sometimes the best way to “fix” these problems is to stop fighting them. At this point, you are inevitably saying to yourself “What in the world..” Stay with me, and I believe you will see the sense here. If your family continues to leave their shoes like landmines in the hallway or by the door instead of taking them to their rooms or the hall closet, perhaps you should consider placing an attractive basket there for people to kick their shoes into. Work with your family’s tendencies, and you will see more positive results with less headaches.

Some things require a bit more willpower, but once you incorporate them into your routine, you will wonder why you ever did otherwise. If you need a place to keep your keys or your badge for work, think of a bowl or hook by the door. Maybe a tray on your dresser, if you find yourself coming home and rushing to change into something comfortable. Work with what feels natural, then enforce it. If you sort the mail each day and promptly get rid of the ads and junk mail, you will save yourself a great deal of grief. No more desks or kitchen tables or catch-all baskets swimming in useless papers - you can see the few things that do need attending to with ease.

Consider storage solutions and shelving for every room of your house. Use baskets and bins to further corral items, and your solution can be as attractive as it is smart. In the kitchen and pantry you can contain plastic storage containers, spices, sauce packets, anything you see causing clutter. In the bathroom cabinet, sassy baskets can hold hair products, lotions, makeup - whatever you see jumbled there. In the den, look to rein in toys, blankets, books, music, etc, with a beautiful trunk or basket matched to your decor - a storage ottoman answers many needs at once!

If you set your mind to making your home function as easily as possible, every little step you take will get you closer. Soon you will be able to enjoy it and your family, and they will thank you for it.

Scansoft is now nuance - new name new products

Previously known as Scansoft, Nuance is rapidly becoming known as the leader in voice recognition software, offering a variety of business office solutions to more efficiently handle daily duties. From fast voice recognition and optical character recognition, Nuance is making life in the office world simpler.

Dictaphone healthcare products are becoming essential to hospitals, doctor offices and clinics by providing the option of eliminating transcription services. Medical professionals can eliminate this high cost as well as the time for turn around with the manual transcription of patient records. Better voice recognition means more accurate voice to text translation and the new dragon naturally speaking software is proving to be more accurate.

When voice recognition software first hit the market it had to be trained to understand the user’s voice pattern. Mistakes were common and the person dictating sat in front of the computer screen trying to make corrections as they went. Since people typically speak at about 120 words per minute and type, on average, 40 words per minute, an accurate speech recognition software can enable you to be far more productive.

Accuracy is especially important in medical transcription as many words may sound alike but have completely different meanings. Nuance speech recognition software can receive speech from different sources such as you voice, digital recorder or handheld device with voice recording capability. You will be able to record your comments at any time and then play them into your dragon speech recognition software for transcription.

Additionally, many versions of speech recognition software would recognize only one person’s voice when being used. While using dragon naturally speaking software, different people can use the same software without the need to retrain the software each time a different voice is heard by the dragon.

Working with Dragon speech recognition software and dictation software, the need for optical character recognition has continued to expand and become more inclusive to enable any image to be scanned into the application of your choice. Scansoft imaging software allows the input of charts and spreadsheets for editing and updating.

In addition to optical character recognition and speech recognition software, file conversion for PDF files makes Nuance products the complete business solutions package available. Being able to scan PDF documents into your favorite application software free to be edited and integrated into your presentation or simply saved in your favorite format, makes Scansoft-Nuance products more valuable in reducing the time and effort normally associated with file exchange.

Other products are available to enable the scanning of PDF documents into other software applications, maintaining formatting of columns and rows while placing them into your documents. The advance technology of optical character reading provides a more accurate rendering of letters and numbers.

Should i start a carpet cleaning franchise

If you have decided to start a carpet cleaning business you have one important question to ask yourself. Should I go with a franchise or remain independent? This is an important decision and depends on a number of different factors. Keep reading and get some tips that will hopefully help you make up your mind.

Franchises are great but they are not for everyone and they do have some drawbacks. For example, you will have to pay franchise fees for the life of your business. You will also have to purchase only the equipment and chemicals that they allow and usually you must buy it from the franchiser for a premium. This can grow old quickly, especially after you have become established. If you ever decide to drop the franchise you would basically have to start over from scratch as your customer list would belong to them. Sounds pretty bad, right. Well there are also some big advantages to choosing a franchise. You have a much higher success rate since the franchise has already learned how to market and run the business. You just have to follow their business model and you are almost guaranteed to be a success. Also, do not underestimate the power of a trusted name. Name recognition can mean everything. If you plan on entering the water damage restoration area this is also very important if you want to become a preferred vendor of the insurance companies.

So what about going the independent route. This has a number of advantages. For example, you can choose to use the equipment and supplies that you want and you can shop around for the best price. The biggest advantage though is the fact that you keep all of the profits. The disadvantage are numerous also however. You have to learn for yourself. All of the mistakes that a franchisor has already made are there for you to make. You might not think that you will make mistakes, but you will.

Obviously this is a big decision for you to make. Take the time to weigh all of the options and decide which way is the right one for you. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Does spot reduction work for abs or doesn t

Burning fat from the abdomen through exercises specially destined to the abdominal muscles was, is and will always be one of the most resistant myths.

Almost all the people with a big belly take up, with a lot of determination, sit-ups, crunches, side-bends, twists, etc., hoping that every new series or set of exercises, every session of repeating them, will help them get rid of the 'ring' of adipose tissue around their waist, also called 'the ring of death'.

Besides the fact that it is probably the most anesthetic 'deposit' of adipose tissue, abdominal fat involves many risks for the health of the person which possesses it (related to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardio-vascular diseases, cancer, impotence, etc.).

We must keep in mind, once and for all, that when we refer to the melting of the subcutaneous adipose tissue, there is no spot reduction. No matter how much we strive to locate effort in the areas we are focused on, we will only fortify the muscles under the fat, but the reduction of the fat itself will be insignificant. The explanation is simple and is connected to the energetic support of the anaerobic effort, which uses, for the exercises, muscular and hepatic glycogen, and not fat acids from the adipose tissue. For getting to the deposits of fat, what we need is cardio training (running, biking, fast walking, swimming, etc.).This type of exercises must be maintained for a long time (45-60 minutes) and they must be intense (60-70% from the maximum of heart rhythm).

An alternative is cardio training with periods when intensity varies, although the total volume is not smaller than in the case of uniformly cardio training.

A very important role in burning fat is held by the diet. It is said that the most effective of training can be sabotaged in the kitchen.

The nutritionists say that a diet which maintains caloric deficit, but keeps a balanced proportion of the basic principles (proteins, lipids, blood sugar), with a slight increase of the protein part, will always have as a consequence losing weight. Physical exercises like sit-ups, crunches, etc., without other exercises meant to involve bigger groups of muscles (thighs, chest, back) and to fortify the abdominal muscles, do not increase very much the basic metabolic rate.

As a consequence, indirect burning of calories (during breaks, post-training) is very small in comparison with the burning due to aerobic effort (especially the ones with alternative periods) – in their case, during effort taking more than 20 minutes, the energetic support is exactly the adipose tissue.

The magic formula for burning abdominal fat is a combination of hypo caloric diet and exercise – especially aerobic, but also anaerobic (focused on all the body, not only the abdominal muscles).