Barcelona. the modern european city. cool tips from a travel juinkie

To date, I already visited the city of Barcelona on 2 occasion (both were 1 week stays), and I still believe that there are many attractions which are yet to be explored. I will definitely revisit soon, since I simply fell in love with the place. If you are planning to visit Barcelona (or thinking about it) here are some cool tips from a travel junkie. Highlights: Visiting the old part (Barri Gothic Area) of the city is a must-see, yet in my opinion, the best parts of Barcelona are its contributions to 20th Century architecture. One must definitely visit all monuments left by famous 20th-century architect Antonio Gaudi; Parc Guell, Casa Miro, Casa Batlo, and most of all, the famous, unfinished Sagrada Famiglia Cathedral. Other definite monuments to be seen are the Palau de la Musica, The Maritime Museum, Picasso Museum, The Olympic Complex, and for the best nightlife of all, the Olympic Village. Day Trip Suggestions: I would typically suggest a trip to Salou, where one finds the magical theme park of Port Aventura. We spent 2 nights in the resort which adjoins the park, and booked this directly via the Internet . When I tried booking via my agent it was going to cost me 15% more. Hence, simply book this yourself since its very easy to do so. Arriving to the destination, is very easy since the resort and the theme park has a station located only 100m away from it. Whilst, Port Aventura may not be as large as DisneyLand Paris in size, I personally feel that it has a certain atmosphere of adventure which the Parisian park lacks. Other day trips worth considering are a visit to the wonderful Montserrat Mountains, as well as a visit to beautiful seaside resort of Stiges. You may acquire very advantageous day trip packages which include transportation, museum entrances, and lunch at the Tourist Information Office. Obtaining Literature Besides buying a good guide book (DK has a very colorful and informative guide), I would suggest that you would log onto the Barcelona Tourist Information office website, and contact them asking for some literature. For a very small charge (probably less than 3 Euros), they will send you very useful maps and guides which will definitely help you in planning your trip.

Winning video poker hands

Video Poker combines both the luck of the draw and the skill of the player. Luck comes into play when the video poker machine randomly deals out the player’s cards. Skill on the part of the player is needed to know which cards to keep and which cards to discard. Although luck is a big factor in the game, the likelihood of winning increases based on the amount of skill the player possesses. No matter what the skill level the player has, it’s important to know what to keep and what to discard if you want to end up with a winning hand. It’s essential to know the types of winning hands that are available in video poker if the player is playing to win. The smart player knows the patterns to look for, which will make the difference between them winning big and losing it all. Here is a listing of the most common combination of video poker hands ranked from the highest possible to the lowest. Sequential Royal Flush: This is a hand which occurs when the cards fall in exact order and suit, like 10 Spades, J Spades, Q Spades, K Spades, and A Spades. Remember this is video poker, and that the Sequential Royal Flush is different from the Royal Flush. Royal Flush: This is when you get a same suit flush with the cards 10 Hearts, Q Hearts, J Hearts, A Hearts, and K Hearts in any order. As long as all the cards are there, the order is not an issue. Straight Flush: The Straight Flush occurs when all five cards are in sequence, and all five cards are of the same suit 4 Spades, 5 Spades, 6 Spades, 7 Spades, and 8 Spades. Four of a Kind: Four of a Kind is when there are four cards which all possess the same rank 5 Diamonds, 5 Spades, 5 Clubs, and 5 Hearts. Full House: The Full House is three of a kind plus a pair. Suit does not come into play with a Full House. A good example of a Full house would be 5 Diamonds, 5 Clubs, 5 Hearts, 7 Clubs, and 7 Spades. Flush: The Flush is when the player gets five cards with all having the same suit. Rank makes no difference with this hand. It’s the suit that is featured in the Flush. For an example; 2 Hearts, 4 Hearts, 5 Hearts, 7 Hearts, 10 Hearts. Straight: A player holds a Straight when all five cards held are in rank sequence. With the following hand, the player would have a Straight; 2 Hearts, 3 Clubs, 4 Spades, 5 Hearts, 6 Diamonds. Three of a Kind: When a player is dealt three cards all of which have the same rank, they have Three of a Kind. The remaining two cards do not count as anything in the hand. The suit of the cards does not matter with this hand. An example of this hand is 4 Hearts, 4 Clubs, and 4 Spades. Two Pair: Two Pair is when the player has two pairs of cards, each set of a different rank. An example of this hand is 3 Diamonds, 3 Clubs, 5 Hearts and 5 Spades. One Pair: One Pair is two cards of the same rank, regardless of the suit. An example of this hand is 7 Diamonds and 7 Hearts.

Submitting your website to directories for free

What is the one thing webmasters the world over wants for their websites? They want their websites to be visible on the net! And what better way to do this than to have their websites included in site listings and search engines. Most search engines only list websites depending on the key words or Meta tags you put on your site. But then there are sites that go further and categorize the listings that make it easy for most to find the sites they are looking for, if the site is list within the site listing or search engine. With a category listing, imagine how much easier it is to find what you want and other sites of similar categories. You could be looking for PDA (personal digital assistant) and click on the category PDA and instantly get a listing of websites that sell, review, or support personal digital assistants. Or how about when you want to have a few laughs? There are thousands upon thousands of joke and comedy sites out there but how do you find them? This is where site listings and search engines come in handy. Site listing is mostly a free service offered by many search engines. Most sites ask you to fill in a form, asks you for Meta tags for easy searching, and you will be required to wait for at least 24 hours for your site to appear in their search engine. However, there is also such a thing as a “premiere listing”. This means that the webmaster will be charged a fee (anywhere from $2 up) to have his website listed on the first page when the searcher inputs his keywords. One premiere feature is called “feature listing”. A featured site appears not only in the regular listing, but also in a special section, often at the top or the right margin of the screen. For example, you might type “spam blockers” and when you look at the listed results, you may see recipes for Spam luncheon meat in the feature boxes. This means SPAM paid for this feature listing. Oftentimes, these websites ask for a feature called a “link exchange”. As you submit your site to them for inclusion in their website, a script is provided to you for inclusion in your site. This often manifests as either a text link or a banner or button, which, upon clicking, will bring you to their website. This link exchange also helps them in monitoring the incoming traffic of your website. Some sites offer daily web statistics, while others only give them to you upon your request. Don’t just sit on your hands and hope someone finds your website. Submit the URL of your website to site listing and be seen. Key in the appropriate key words and Meta tags or categorize your website properly to increase your visibility on the net. Site listings and search engines work. Do a “web search” on anything, test their features, and be one of many who has submitted their websites for inclusion. I know I have.

5 Tips for successful bird watching

Can you name the number one spectator sport in North America? It’s not baseball, figure skating or racing. It’s bird watching. That’s right, more people are watching birds than football and hockey combined. With so many people hoping to see a bird they’ve never seen before, it’s not surprising to see a clamoring for the latest tips and tools to get the job done. Here are my top five tips for getting the most out of your birding experience. #1. Get to Where the Birds Are! This sounds obvious, but many birders spend the majority of their bird watching time and energy on poor locations. Some folk have the advantage of looking out of their windows into the back yard to observe nature’s best. The rest of us need to get moving. I would highly recommend visiting a National Wildlife Refuge. There are over 500 of them across the United States. To find one near you, visit refuges. fws. gov/ #2. Know What Species to Expect. There are approximately 900 species of birds in the United States and recognizing each of them is nearly impossible. So when you visit an area, do a little research first. You may find that perhaps only a few species actually inhabit that particular area. With a little preparation, you will be able to more readily identify bird species from each other. Keep a list of successfully viewed species – we’ll call this tip number two and a half. #3. Get a Great Pair of Binoculars. Spending time and money to get to the right place can be totally wasted when your binoculars are inadequate. If you have an inexpensive pair of binoculars you are not getting the most out of your viewing. Today’s technologies come at a price and they provide crucial benefits in wildlife viewing. For instance, image stabilization will keep your view from shaking-very important when watching from a long distance. Other cool features include anti-fogging, low-light viewing and wide-view characteristics. Additionally, binoculars with built-in digital cameras enable you to identify birds once you get home. These benefits will definitely enhance your bird watching. A great pair of binoculars will turn a mediocre experience into a great one. You can count on it! #4. Practice Before You Go. A key to viewing wildlife, and especially birds, is to have the ability to very quickly put your binoculars on target. Many people have difficulty finding a full moon in a pair of binoculars-but alas-learning to focus on a bird in a bush or track a bird in flight is easy for someone who has practiced prior to their outing. Try this before you go; lower your binoculars to your side and very quickly raise them to find and follow a jet airliner across the sky. After only a few attempts, you’ll get good at quickly acquiring your target. Quite often, birds are visible for only a few seconds, practice to become proficient. #5. Take Someone with You. Life is always better when shared. Not only do you get to spend time out of doors with someone you like, but they might alert you to the “Number One Sight of the Day.” Share your birding experiences with your friends and family. Pass the birding excitement to a child. The best part about wildlife viewing is that you the viewer, control almost every aspect of the experience. The more you are prepared, the more rewarding your time in our backcountry will be. Use this information and you’ll Get It Right The First Time. Get Outdoors!

Make perfect copies of all your disks

DVD and CD disks became a part of our lifestyle, most of us have a significant collection of movies, audio CDs, photos, games, office documents and other disks. And it's very often that you need to make a copy of that disks, for backup purposes or simply to make a couple of copies of your wedding video for your friends. There are many programs that can copy your DVD movies, but very few of those which can copy all your disks, both CD and DVD. Here we'll test a program called Clone My DVD, which claims copying any kind of DVD and CD disks. "Clone My DVD - a universal DVD and CD copier" is what we see on product's website, and we'd like to check is it really can copy any kind of disk? Installation takes several seconds, the program is designed as a classic step-by-step wizard, it looks slick and clear. Choose disk to copy, it's a DVD movie now, and press "Next" button to go further. We've got two DVD drives on our test computer so the program asks do we want to copy directly from drive to drive? Yes we do! Press "Next" again and it started to copy. By default it makes one copy, but you can set number of copies as you like. Come again, now with an audio CD. Clone My DVD does the job perfectly, we've got exactly the same CD, no quality loss at all! We did the same with a couple of game CDs, CD with photos, MP3 music DVD, another DVD movie, and one more DVD movie. All attempts were successfull, no hassles. Then we tested how it works with a single CD/DVD drive. First it copies from disk to computer, then asks to insert a blank disk and writes a copy. It takes additional time, but the result is also perfect. What we also noticed is Clone My DVD doesn't reduce the quality of DVD movies and audio CDs, which is good. In fact, you get a true copy, exactly the same as original. Clone My DVD is really able to copy any CDs and DVDs, and it doesn't matter what disk is in your drive, you get a proper copy with Clone My DVD anyway. We succesfully copied over ten disks, both CD and DVD, which contained video, MP3 music, CD audio tracks, photos, documents, free software and other stuff. It successfully recognizes various CDR/RW, DVD+/-R/RW disks and double-layer DVD movies. There is only one feature missed in Clone My DVD. Regrettably it cannot encode 9Gb double-layer DVD to the 4.7Gb single layer, so those who're looking for this feature will be frustrated. But anyway Clone My DVD is still one of the best copying software we ever seen. Free trial version allows you to copy up to three whole disks, the only limitation is copying protected DVD movies, which is available only in full version. Free download from clonemydvdmovies/clonemydvd11.exe Conclusion Clone My DVD is awesome, it can make a copy of all DVD and CD disks, even those are region-protected. You just insert a disk, press couple of buttons and get a carbon copy. It can copy to blank disk, make multiple copies if you want, and it allows to copy directly from drive to drive. All these functions are wrapped into a very clear and simple nterface, not overloaded with too many buttons and menus. If you're looking for all-in-one disk copier try Clone My DVD, which is like a swiss knife - easy to handle and universal at the same time. You can find more information on Clone My DVD and download free trial version at clonemydvdmovies Get full version without limitations at clonemydvdmovies/Order

Golf workouts can transform your game

I’m sure by now you’ve heard most of the professional players; both men and women actively participate in golf workouts. It’s no secret. But why then do most amateur golfers ignore this? Is it because it seems like work? Or, does the thought of actually breaking a sweat get you tired already? Either way…the proof is in the bag. The number one player in the world, Vijay Singh, does his golf workouts all the way through Sunday of each tournament. Does it look like it’s hurting his game? I don’t think so. Back in 1997, a young, very athletic golfer came on the professional scene and blew everyone away. I think you know who I’m talking about. Tiger took golf to another level. A real eye-opener for the veteran players who were hitting the 19th hole after every round…and the last thought on their mind was “exercise”. What a wake-up call to be totally dominated by a player who was only 20 years old at the time. How about the year Annika Sorenstam shot a 59 and totally dominated the LPGA? Do you know what she attributes it to? Golf workouts! She hired a trainer and got serious about her fitness. And look what happened? She hasn’t looked back since. She just recently came out with an instruction book and devoted a chapter to golf workouts. To my recollection, that’s the first women’s instruction book to include golf workouts. Working out to playing better golf isn’t just for the guys; Annika has proved that. Now more LPGA players are working out to try and catch her, just like the guys did with Tiger. How about the senior tour? Now players are realizing they can still make good money, even after they’ve turned 50 and can’t really compete with the young guys anymore. With the money at stake, they too are all working out. This group of players both amateur and pro is the biggest demographic that needs it the most. With age comes a decline in both flexibility and strength. When the body declines, the swing goes right along with it. The result is a big loss in yardage, more mishits, and ballooning scores. The end result…frustration! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played with and received phone calls from older golfers who are just about ready to quit the game. They are SO frustrated at this rapid decline, that golf’s not fun anymore. But there is hope. The answer? Get your body moving just a little better. How? By participating in golf workouts that focus on golf-specific strength AND flexibility. It’s amazing to see golfers in this age bracket dramatically improve their driving distance, accuracy and scores. You don’t have to accept that with age, your body declines. No way! You’ve got to fight it all the way! I’m dead serious. The ones who do, are the ones who are enjoying the game again and taking all the money in their foursome. What is a golf workout anyways? Is there such a thing? You bet there is. The golf swing is an awkward movement that puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body. To prevent injury and improve swing speed and distance requires your body to be both strong and flexible specific to the swing. I could spend dozens of pages describing what this entails, but for the sake of this concise article, let’s keep it simple. The golf swing is a rotational movement, with your body in golf posture. Slight flex of the knees and a bending forward at the hips. Since the golf swing is primarily rotational, wouldn’t it make sense to focus on rotational strength and flexibility? That is improving your turning ability related to range of motion and speed. So anything involving twisting with resistance such as a medicine ball, a dumbbell, or even a weighted club would work. You need to have a resistance to take your body beyond where it normally goes. For instance, if you took a club and placed it behind your neck, got in your golf posture and rotated back and forth; do you think that by itself would improve your range of motion or power? No, you need to add resistance to accomplish this. Take a weighted club and make golf swings. Now you’ll be making a bigger turn AND improving your power. Same thing with a medicine ball. Make turns back and through holding a 4 to 6 pound ball and you’ll see a BIG improvement. In fact, most of your abdominal work should be rotational. Doing straight crunches won’t improve your driving distance. Doing rotational movements with added weight will. This is where I could go on and on, but I won’t overload you. I hope I’ve convinced you to take a real serious look at what all the other successful professional players are doing to stay at the top of their game. Doing golf workouts can and will dramatically change your game forever. Now get out there and get it started. No procrastinating. Do it right now!

Nurse assistant training

Nurse Assistant Training Nurse Assistants play a vital role in our healthcare facilities. They provide patients with assistance in regard to their basic needs including bathing, feeding, and dressing them. The level of assistance depends on the individual needs of each patient. They also are an invaluable resource for the Nursing staff. Becoming a Nurse Assistant requires completion of a certificate program. Such programs are available at several medical facilities and college campuses. The programs can be completed in as little as four weeks. Others run as long as twelve weeks. It depends on the curriculum, the requirements of the state the program is taking place in, and how many hours per day the course is conducted. All Nurse Assistance courses will teach you the basic fundamentals of taking care of those under your care in a safe and professional manner. Your work will be supervised by licensed Nurses both during your training and regular employment. The training program will teach you to care for both the physical and psychological needs of each patient. Since you must successfully pass the Certified Nursing Assistant exam, the course will help you prepare for the information on that exam. During the Nurse Assistant course, you will be involved in learning textbook materials as well as hands on training. The textbook material cover all the terminology and information you need to lay a solid foundation to build on. This information will also cover items that are likely to be found on the Certified Nursing Assistant exam. You will also learn ways to improve your communication skillsmunication is key to being a great Nurse Assistant. You will need to be effective at communicating with patients, their family, and the other medical staff. The hands on portion of the training will give you the opportunity to practice the concepts you are learning in the classroom. Most training programs have special medical maniquins that you work with. You will practice proper bathing and lifting on them. You may also practice taking their vital signs as some are designed for that purpose. The majority of Nurse Assistant programs work with in conjunction with the medical facilities in the area. This often means a large portion of your hands on training will take place as such a facility. This portion of the curriculum is called clinicals. During this process, you will tend to real patients with the close supervision of licensed medical staff. You will begin applying your knowledge in this setting. Clinicals can be intimidating to some students. However, they are designed to give you the best opportunity to fully understand and learn your role as a Nurse Assistant. Generally, these clinicals are conducted with a very small group of students. Your class will be broke up into groups of at least two but no more than six. They take place in the actual medical facility. It is important to understand that you will not be paid for the work you do during these clinical hours of training. During clinicals, the Nursing staff is fully aware of your inexperience. They will attempt to explain what is taking place as it happens to improve your ability to look for key factors in a medical setting. It is very important that if you do not fully understand something, that you discuss it with those training you. They are there for that purpose during the training portions of the Nurse Assistant program. Completing your Nurse Assistant training at a medical facility not only gives you hands on experience, it may lead to a job offer at the end of your training program. Many medical facilities that host the clinical training are watching out for students who show potential. They are looking for punctuality, attendance, attention to detail, a willingness to learn, and a positive attitude. On advantage of accepting a job offer at the facility you completed your clinical training at is that you will know their policies and procedures. It is important to keep in mind that every facility has variations of how you were training. The basics will be the same, but you will need to be willing to adjust to what is expected at the particular facility you accept employment with. Keeping that in mind, you will want to ask questions of that nature during job interviews if a complete job description is not given to you. Word Count 730

Family the basic social unit

Family is the basic social unit. Family represents people living together by ties of marriage, blood or adaptation, thus representing a single household. According to sociology, the family has the primary function of reproducing society; biologically, socially, or both. There are various structures of a family based on the relationship shared between the parent and the children. The different types of family are patrifocal, where the family consists of a father and his child; matrifocal, where the family consists of a mother and her child. Consanguineal family is one which consists of the mother, the child and other people, mainly belonging to the family of the mother. The conjugal family consists of one or more mothers and their children, with other people and one or more spouses. The parent-child relationship varies due to different cultures. One of the prominent forms is the nuclear family. It consists of the marital pair living with their offspring separately. The joint family is an extension of the nuclear family. Joint family occurs when children of one sex live at their parents’ house. In a joint family, the children bring along their spouse to live with them at their parents’ house after marriage. A joint family usually consists of an older man and his wife, his sons and unmarried daughters, his sons’ wives and children. Members of a joint family share all the task of trade, food gathering and preparation and child rearing. Children who share one parent but not another are called “half–brothers” or “half–sisters”. Children who do not share parents, but whose parents are married, are called “step-brothers” or “step-sisters”. Similarly, if a person is married to the parent of a child, but is not the parent of the child themselves; they are called “stepfather” or “stepmother”. A complex family involves more than two adults. It refers to any extended family or to polygamy of any type. A joint family is also known as a complex family. The parents and their children in a joint family live together under a single roof. In a joint family setup, the womenfolk are often housewives and cook for the entire family. The patriarch of the family is usually the oldest male member, who lays down the rules of the family. This kind of setup is fast eroding in many parts of the world. Almost all the urban families are switching over to the nuclear family society.

Parents kids and time alone

“What are some of the ways in which you explain to kids that mom and dad need time alone, without feeling guilty about it?” A journalist, writing an article on having time alone and couple time when you have kids, asked me this question. Parents will feel guilty only when they believe that they are doing something wrong by spending time alone and couple time without their children. This is a false belief. The truth is that children grow up far healthier emotionally when their parents are happy and fulfilled, even if it means that their parents spend less time with them. When parents understand that they are being good parents by talking loving care of themselves and their relationship, their children will understand this. One way of helping children understand this is to introduce the concept of “time alone” very early in a child’s life. By the time a child is three, he or she can easily understand the concept of time alone. If, each time you spend time alone with your child, you say, “This is our time alone,” your child will begin to understand the concept. When you have time to yourself, you can say, “This is my time alone with myself.” When you spend time with your partner, you can say, “This is Mom and Dad’s time alone together.” Parents can tell their children, as soon as they are capable of understanding the words, “We need time alone with you, with each other, and with ourselves. All of us need to respect this about each other.” Our three children fully understood the concept of “time alone” because we spent time alone with each them. They came to understand and respect at a very young age the need for time alone. If you put yourself aside and don’t spend time with yourself and with your partner, you are giving your children unhealthy role modeling. You are teaching them that others are always responsible for meeting their needs. You are teaching them to feel entitled to your time and attention rather than helping them learn to respect others’ time. You are teaching them that it is okay to demand that others put themselves aside for them, which may create narcissistic behavior. Healthy parenting means finding a balance between being with your children, being with your partner, and being with yourself. For your children to grow up taking responsibility for their own needs and feelings, they need to see you taking responsibility for your needs and feelings. Constantly sacrificing yourself for your children does not role model personal responsibility. Children need to experience you and your spouse enjoying your time with each other, as well as with yourselves. They need to see you pursuing your work, hobbies, creativity and passions in order to understand that they also need to find their passions. If you are always there to meet your children’s needs, how can they discover who they are and what brings them joy? Always being there to meet your children’s needs for entertainment creates a dependency on others rather than finding these resources within themselves. Many people grow up not knowing how to be alone with themselves. Because they were either always in front of a TV or being entertained by their parents, they never discovered how to “play by themselves.” Of course it is very important to have enough time alone with your children. But it is equally important to have enough time alone with your spouse and with yourself. When you understand this, you will stop feeling guilty about taking your time alone. When you no longer feel guilty, your children will learn to stop guilting you and respect your needs.

Identity theft what to do

Get Copies of Your Credit Report Send for your credit reports following the instructions from the credit bureaus. Review the reports carefully. Look for creditor’s names that you did not request credit from. Also check your personal information; SSN, address, name, initials and employer information. Order your credit report at least every three months for the first year of the fraud. Some areas provide a free report every 12 months. Other areas will give you several free reports for the year you report an identity theft. Some will charge for each report. Tell them you are an identity theft victim and ask for a free report. File a Police Report Keep records of the fraudulent activity as proof for your report. Blackout unrelated activity and give copies to the police. Give them any new evidence as it turns up and keep a copy of the report as proof for creditors and the credit bureaus. Collect Account Information Contact the creditors who issued accounts to the identity thief. The Police may give you a form to request the information. Send a copy of the police report and the account statements to the creditor. Pass any new information over to the police. Close the Accounts For NEW Accounts created by the thief: Call the creditors (including credit cards, department stores and cell phone accounts) and ask for their security or fraud department. Tell them you are an identity theft victim and ask them to close the accounts and report the closing to the credit bureau. If the account has already been used by the thief ask them not to hold you responsible for the debt. For EXISTING Accounts used fraudulently by a thief: Close the accounts and ask the creditors to report the closing to the credit bureaus. What can you do to prevent identity theft? Get free adware download and protect your online privacy. Request that they declare the account “closed at consumer’s request”. If you open a new account don’t use personal information like your mother’s maiden name or your SSN for a password. If those are the only options request to use a different password. Get your free $97 PC Security book at pc-tool. info/

Bona fide history about steroids

Testosterone Propionate was the first anabolic steroid in the history about steroids in the United States. The anabolic steroid was mentioned in a U. S. weightlifting/bodybuilding magazine, in a letter to the editor of Strength and Health magazine in 1938. Dianabol (Methandrostenolone) was developed by Dr. John Ziegler with the help of Ciba pharmaceutical company, and was first marketed in the United States in 1956. Dianabol was approved for use in the United States by the federal Food and Drug Administration in 1958. According to the later 20th Century history about steroids, the US Congress began considering placing anabolic steroids under the Controlled Substances Act after Ben Johnson controversy at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. However, during deliberations the AMA (American Medical Association), DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), FDA (Food and Drug Administration), and NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) all opposed listing anabolic steroids as controlled substances citing the fact that use of these hormones simply doesn't lead to the physical or psychological dependence required for scheduling under the controlled substance act. The history about steroids further articulates that anabolic steroids were put under the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 placed anabolic steroids into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, and Congress enacted a rigorous legislation that had higher criminal penalties for the illegal distributors of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. According to the Controlled Substances Act, anabolic steroids are the drugs or hormonal substances that are chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone (other than estrogens, progestins, and corticosteroids) that promote muscle growth. Several US pharmaceutical companies, such as Ciba, Searle, Syntex and others, stopped manufacturing or marketing anabolic steroids by the early 1990s. According to the recent history about steroids, the 1990s was the time when the market of counterfeit anabolic steroids emerged, and the drug markets were flooded with fake anabolic steroids. This resulted in the amendment of the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990. Taking effect on Jan 20, 2005, the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 placed both anabolic steroids and prohormones on a list of controlled substances, making possession of the banned substances without a prescription a federal crime.

Lakeycia jefferson on wealth masters

Prior to becoming a consultant with Wealth Masters International, Lakeycia Jefferson, a consultant with Wealth Masters International ( wmitoday/wealthtransfer) was a network marketer who experienced firsthand the limitations of a traditional mindset. "I never went beyond my inner circle of family, friends, and acquaintances," she says. "I simply didn't have access to a marketing system that would enable me to reach the numbers of people necessary to truly create wealth." Regardless of how hard she worked, Jefferson was never able to generate the massive downline necessary to succeed with traditional network marketing paradigms – which is one of the reasons that she switched to Carbon Copy Pro ( wealthtransfernow). Whichever way you look at it, American families are suffering unprecedented financial hardships. The collapse of the subprime mortgage market is forcing homeowners into foreclosure and is having a ripple effect on other borrowers, who are finding themselves in dire straits or in bankruptcy court. "Although people desperately want to gain control of their finances and build wealth, there has been an overwhelming trend in the opposite direction," says Jefferson. The numbers bear out Jefferson's assertions. According to the U. S. Federal Reserve Board, 58 percent of families with credit cards have an average outstanding balance of $5,100. Between 2001 and 2004 (the last year for which statistics are available), household debt increased a whopping 26.3 percent. During the same time period, the median income fell almost a full percentage point, to $37,800. Furthermore, nine percent of families surveyed by the Fed reported that they had been at least 60 days late with a payment in the previous year. "Unless and until Americans adopt the practices of the wealthy, they will continue to spend more money than they earn, and have nothing to show for a lifetime of hard work," says Jefferson. Moreover, she witnessed the mistakes of those who did experience success. "Oftentimes, people who made a considerable amount of money would simply blow through it, because the companies they were affiliated with didn't offer direction and guidance to help them achieve their long-term goals," Jefferson says. In contrast, she has found Wealth Masters International's commitment to personal and financial growth a refreshing change. "The company offers a free analysis of a member's credit situation and helps them get on track to pay down their personal debt and step on the road to financial freedom," Jefferson says. "The company has alliances with experts in everything from credit repair and financial goal-setting to investments and wealth accumulation strategies." Jefferson notes that the company's "Six Steps to Freedom" resources have not only assisted her in her consultancy, but have helped her develop skills that she routinely uses in her other business ventures. The six steps involve analyzing your personal finances, minimizing your tax obligations, creating a savings fund, ensuring that you are legally protected, building a legacy through wealth creation, and creating a lifestyle that achieves your personal goals. "Wealth Masters International has enabled me to create a life where I can achieve my income potential and spend more time with my family. But the most rewarding part is being able to help other people stop the downward spiral and not only live, but also thrive," Jefferson concludes. Considering the state of our nation's collective financial trouble, that's refreshing news indeed.

Shopping for wedding favors with your fiance

Shopping for Wedding Favors with Your Fiancй For many couples shopping for wedding favors can be a difficult task especially when they are doing this together. This may sound strange but shopping for wedding favors is actually one activity which may cause a great deal of disagreements during the wedding planning process. It may sound like such a trivial detail but in reality shopping for wedding favors can actually be quite stressful and involved. There are a number of reasons for this. One of the main reasons is the large number of options available. There is such a wide range of wedding favors available that selecting just one can be an incredibly daunting task. Furthermore having two people agree on the same favor out of the many options available can be even more difficult. This article will provide some information on how couples can reduce the stress involved with shopping for wedding favors together. One of the easiest ways to avoid the stress and arguments which are likely to ensue while shopping for wedding favors with your fiancй is to simply avoid the situation altogether. You and your fiancй can discuss the situation beforehand and if he is not very interested in helping to select the wedding favors he may be more than willing to give you free reign to select the wedding favors. If you have similar tastes he will likely be confident that you will select something great and will be more than happy to allow you to do so. This makes the shopping process incredibly easier because you simply have to choose something you like and will be confident your fiancй will be happy with the favor as well. However, if you want your fiancй to feel included in the shopping process you can do the shopping beforehand and then have him take a look at the favors before you make your purchase just to be sure you both love the favors you have selected. Another way to eliminate a great deal of stress related to shopping with wedding favors with your fiancй is to discuss the budget carefully before you begin shopping. You should have a good idea of how many guests you are expecting as well as how much you can afford to spend on each favor how much you can afford to spend on wedding favors overall. This is very important because it will help to ensure you and your fiancй are both looking at wedding favors which are priced appropriately for your budget. Having this discussion beforehand will be very helpful because if you start looking at wedding favors first you will likely be drawn to more expensive items. However, once you realize these are out of your price range you may be disappointed. This can make selecting a wedding favor more difficult because you will likely compare the other favors to the ones you cannot afford to purchase. Finally, if you and your fiancй are having a difficult time shopping for wedding favors because you cannot reach an agreement on which favor to select it might be a good idea to seek an outside opinion. One way to do this is to have each of you select a wedding favor and to ask another person to choose between the two final choices. You can either have a sales associate choose between the two or you can bring along a trusted family member or friend who can be objective to help you make the decision. You and your fiancй should agree ahead of time that you are going to accept the decision of the other person. Word count 603

Work experience degree get what you deserve

I lost track of how many bags of Doritos I’ve eaten this week. If I sat up and looked underneath me, I bet I could get a lot better of an idea. Ah, but I don’t really want to do that. I’m really comfortable. In fact, I’ve been comfortable for…god, I guess four or five years now. Its not that bad, sometimes friends come by and my mom has called me before too. Although I do have one regret. Probably my only issue with my life dedicated to the ultimate acquisition of sloth (really I like to think of myself as a Western monk), is that I’ve acquired virtually no skills or experiences whatsoever, work or life derived. Normally I wouldn’t consider this a problem. That drastically changed when I heard about work experience degrees. A work experience degree is a college degree that you can earn by using your knowledge and skills and experience instead of going to the classroom and laboratory and learning these things by experts, academics, professors and intellectuals. You may be thinking that even having a degree is something that wouldn’t appeal to me. Normally, you’d be right. But, through the work experience degree method, obtaining a degree is completely congruent with my life philosophy. For those of you who are crying, “FOUL!” Quiet yourselves. This isn’t one of those “diploma mills” that just doles out undeserving degrees to any fool that fills out the online application. I’m talking about utilizing your native understanding of Spanish to pick up a Spanish 101 course credit. I’m talking about bring using a painting you did to grab yourself a little intro to art credit. Get the picture? That boring seminar on new methods in bookkeeping that your job sent you to just earned you credits in accounting. This is legitimate, is reasonable and its respectable. The more knowledge you have gained in your jobs, travels and general life, the more college credits you’ll have with the work experience degree. There are several institutions that can help you with this, but the Thomas Edison State College is one of the best. This is because it has no restrictions on the number of credits you can acquire through work experience. So, for those of you that have done more in your lives than me (which should be just about all of you…if not call me, we’ll hang out), start making your experience work for you. Go get started on your work experience degree.

Pick up trucks the symbol of today s middle america

Middle America geographically refers to the area of land between the east coast states and the west coast states, but the term is more often used as a cultural label rather than a geographical one. It tends to suggest a suburb or small town where most of the residents are middle class (households earning approximately between $19,000 annually – considered lower middle class – and those earning up to about $55,000 per year – upper middle class). The paradigm of "Middle America" often includes a highly Protestant, highly Caucasian concentration of Americans, but both the religious makeup and ethnicity of those groups are evolving to a more diversified composition. What isn't changing about "Middle America," is its economy. Traditionally, those living in "Middle America" work in some type of agricultural field with the exception of those living in suburban locals. Housing prices tend to be lower there, home prices tend to appreciate much more slowly, and the people living there tend to be less affected by urban sprawl, traffic, and the other social ills that come with major industrial and residential growth associated with bigger cities. Politically, "Middle America" tends to encompass the "battleground states," in which no candidate of either party has overwhelming political support. Despite the clichй that Middle America supports "traditional family values" (which tend to learn toward the more conservative political positions), voters there have been known to vote for whichever candidate supports the hot button issues that affect those living in the region, since many of the issues that affect city-dwellers do not affect them. So what does this mean for pickup trucks? Interestingly, quite a lot. Pickup trucks, such as the extended cab Isuzu i-370 and others like it, are popular vehicles in "Middle America." Their versatility is a key factor; they make hauling farm equipment and supplies easy, able to fit much more in their open beds than could be wedged into an SUV, while also providing an ideal vehicle for family outings most seating up to five or more people comfortably. They fare well in adverse weather conditions as well. Because much of "Middle America" deals with constantly changing seasons, from harsh rains in the summer months to blizzards in winter, pickup trucks can usually press on where smaller vehicles equipped with a lower wheel base, cannot. Because of their power and versatility, the pickup truck is more than just the preferred vehicle for Middle Americans. Over the years, it has become a symbol of hard work, of perseverance, of longevity. For manufacturers and distributors of pickups, this is a good thing. Sales of pickups don't rise and fall the way they do for other types of vehicles. While trends for city drivers can change dramatically based on which models have the best safety features, which are friendlier to the environment, which are most attractive, pickup trucks appear to be exempt from such peaks and valleys. People who drive pickups continue to drive pickups. They know what they want and pickup trucks meet their needs as well as support their identity and beliefs as a symbol of the working class. Pickups are, in short, as American as baseball and apple pie.

Joining college scholarship contest

For some, joining college scholarship contest is the best way to get free money fast and easy. However, many are intimidated when hearing the term “contest”. And when term is added to the phrase “college scholarship”, the contest would sound very tough to get through with. Yes, it can be affirmed that when you “college scholarship contest” there is a little intimidation created. This is especially true to those who have yet to join contests. And if they are scared enough to join any type of contest, what more with college scholarship contest? On the other point, college scholarship contest should not be intimidating. Since you can never know if you will win or not until you have joined the content, there is no reason for you to become hesitant in trying this out. Well, before we conclude on things; let us know what is college scholarship content is all about. College scholarship contests are designed to open up opportunities to students (either high school or presently enrolled in college) to win cash price to finance their education. However, when we say “to win cash price to finance their college education”, it will not limit on giving money on the winner after the competition. There are those contests that give the price money won directly to the school recipient. There are contests that also give the student and the school the price money. Mostly, the college scholarship contests come in essay-writing format while other contests concentrate on the arts, sports, science or math research projects, geography and more. Either way, the contest aims to give students the chance to study without worrying too much about the finances. Depending on the sponsor, the price of college scholarship contest could be as low as $1,000 and as high as $50,000. Now, who would not want that? Imagine this: one win in a college scholarship contest could mean free college education. And one win from a college scholarship contest could mean freedom on problems brought about by college education. Going back, if college scholarship contents intimate you, then, it is about time to do research on them and you will know what help they could give to you. Joining a college scholarship contest may not give you ease. But who knows? You might have hidden talents that are enough win the contest and enough to assure your good future.

Build a strong business with strong customer relationships

Most businesses spent time attracting customers to a product or service, trying to win their trust and then ending the whole process with a sale. That tactic seems obvious to most people. What often is neglected is the post-sale follow up with customers, particularly when it comes to online businesses. We should look at the time after a sale as an opportunity not only to improve our products but also to establish long-lasting relationships with our customers. It takes much more effort to win a new customer than to maintain a relationship with an existing customer. But maintaining current customer relationships is just as critical and I’d even dare to say, more important than gaining new customers. What can we do to keep our established customers feel appreciated? You need to follow up with your customers. Following up may be as simple as writing an email or giving a phone call to a customer a few weeks after a sale. At Screaming Bee, I make it a personal goal to contact every customer that buys our voice-changing software, MorphVOX, within 2-3 weeks after a sale. Does this take time? It sure does. Is it worth it? Absolutely! Not only does this allow us to get good feedback from customers in order to improve our software, but also it establishes a more solid, long-lasting relationship that goes beyond the point-of-sale. Most people were surprised that I would be willing spend the time to talk with them and were touched by the personal attention they received. And I was also surprised at how uncommon it was for online businesses to follow up on their customers. Some of the typical comments that I have received as the result of my efforts include: ”I really appreciate the personal touch, vs. the usual automated ‘we have received your email’ garbage, followed by... well, nothing usually...” ”Huh, never had customer support quite like this I appreciate it...” People don’t like being ignored and definitely like being heard. There are many businesses that are ignoring their customers and, as a result, losing them. Your current customers are the heart and core of your business. These customers provide return business and also provide the essential word-of-mouth promotion that no clever advertisement or marketing scheme will ever out-perform. Treat your customers like your own family. Go out of your way to communicate with them. If you neglect them, they will go elsewhere.

How garden art creates your personal idyll

: “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” Thomas Merton quotes. Gardening is of course commonly regarded as a hobby. A hobby which is no doubt, engaging, rewarding and soothing. But can one really go beyond the ordinary process of just taking care of and maintaining a garden and make it look like a work of art with garden art, alone? Why not? All that is needed is a few insightful tips to give it an artistic touch and the desire to see life blooming at your doorstep. Just by adding garden art here and there, your garden will become the very personal heaven you so wanted. Employing garden art doesn’t mean using all expensive materials or going beyond your means, after all, we don’t want to beautify the garden at the cost of the house! What are required are just the right touches such as appropriate garden art objects. Just little additions or modifications can turn a mere garden into an idyll which boasts of symphony between flora and garden art. Here is how you bring “garden art” in your garden. Theme – this is the first step to make your garden special. A garden art theme is what makes a garden stand apart from a traditional garden. You can have an all-green garden, a bright colorful garden, a desert themed garden or a Japanese garden. There are endless possibilities and promises – but all use garden art. You could even come up with some unique garden art theme which complements the overall schema. Colors – just like everything else in life, correct combination gives out the accurate effect. Have a good look at your garden and assess the need for adding the right combination or stone or metallic garden artbine bright orchids with pastel plants or arrange your pots and plants in around your garden art so that the overall picture that comes up is that of a beautifully arranged flower vase – but remember you first have to have the vase, i. e. – the garden art. Light – you will be surprised at how much of a difference the amount of light makes. Under the sun, all the flowers will look colorful and bright; it is only when you put on the lights after the sun sets that they show their hidden colors. It is as if plants have a separate nocturnal life of their own. Lighting should be arranged, as well, to highlight your garden art. Explore shades of light available and choose the one that best suits your collection in the garden. Water – cooling, soothing and colorless. Water is something which effortlessly blends in any background yet holds out on its own. Make space for a “wet” garden art such as a small pond and let the water gently flow down a delicate sculpture. This small addition of garden art in your garden will bring out the best of beauty around it. Accessories and art – the very meaning of accessorize is “to decorate or to beautify.” A garden these days is so much more than pots and plants, there is this whole market or garden art objects available to adorn it. Hanging lamps, wind chimes, painted pots, shades and lights, corner paintings, veils, sculptures, sand and stones; the variety of garden art is exhausting. Choose the garden art objects that fit within your budget and theme and change the way the world looks at your garden. The aim of all this effort is beyond mere beauty. The calming effect of joining nature and garden art has been known since forever but has now been proved, too. Being close to nature and beautiful garden art relieves us of everyday stress, adds an element of freshness and brightens to our day and approach to life. A healthy mindset resides in a healthy body. The impact of mental health on our body is far too much too ignore. In this fast paced life that we live, it may not be possible to take a break and go away for a breath of fresh air near nature and garden art at the slightest hint of stress, why not make it easier? Go home to a garden boasting Grande flora and bountiful garden art.

The shining light of hope

You will want to share something with someone today. Actually, with at least two people. One person that you know very well. And one person that you do not know well at all, and also needs to hear from you today. The one you know well needs to hear from you right now. The one you do not know at all will become evident to you when you meet them today for the first time as you go about your day. By sharing this message with both of them, you will also receive the message - which is exactly why you must share the message with them first. The message is one of HOPE. Hope is the feeling that what you want to happen... will happen. It's what keeps us going when we feel overwhelmed with problems, frustrations, and situations that seem insurmountable to us at the moment. And I am sharing HOPE with you right now. HOPE that what you want to happen... will happen. It's kind of like shining a flashlight on a dark and unknown path so you can more easily see the way to go. It's like opening the door that seems too heavy for you to open it alone. It's like giving a word of encouragement to someone who is having trouble solving a problem and under such stress they cannot see their situation clear enough to take that first step forward without your help. Right now, call that someone you know and give them HOPE. And throughout your day today, be on the lookout for that someone you don't know, who needs HOPE and shine a light on their path too. By shining a light of HOPE on their path, you will shine the light of HOPE on your own journey's path too. - - - Mark Hendricks is a business and marketing expert; sales copywriter; a joint venture specialist; software developer; and author, speaker, consultant, mentor, and success coach. You can visit his websites at: internet-success-system hunteridge market-soft swiftkickinthebutt

Benefits of pilates

Pilates is one of the most rewarding types of exercise because it encompasses stretch, strength and improves flexibility in the safest way while avoiding injury. Pilates started as a way of rehabilitating athletes and dancers but is now used by millions of people across the globe because it is one of the safest forms of exercise. Forget going for a run, pounding on pavement with the potential risk of getting shin splints, a knee injury or worse, falling and getting an even more severe injury. Pilates is one of the safest exercise systems in existence. The only equipment used is a floor mat. But for more advanced pilates exercise enthusiasts, other equipment can be added to simple routines. Nevertheless, once you begin this solid workout regimen, you will begin to notice healthy improvements in your body. Regardless of whether you are 20 or 60 years of age, Pilates can work for anyone – male or female, old or young. No matter what condition you’re in, the health and fitness benefits are endless. Pilates improves flexibility, core strength and range of motion. It is also known to help alleviate chronic health ailments as well as fight back pain. But the best part about Pilates is it’s fun! It’s an exercise that bonds the mind and body allowing them to work together to establish balance. But the biggest benefit is Pilates improves overall body alignment, making it less prone to injury. Here are some more benefits of Pilates: • Improves breathing • Corrects spinal and pelvic alignment through the concentration of slow, flowing, smooth movements with maximum power. • Builds long, lean muscles that are less prone to injury, while building strength - without the bulk. • Improves flexibility and range of motion. • Improves back and abdominal strength. • Creates balance between muscles - as weak muscles become stronger and the strong muscles also gain more strength never over training or under training any particular muscle group. This balance makes it easier to enjoy daily activities with less risk of injury. Pilates allows you to retrain your body to move in smoother safer, more efficient patterns of motion, which is essential in optimal performance and overall health. • There is no pounding or bouncing in Pilates. It is the safest form of exercise. This is why it began as a rehabilitation exercise system for sports athletes and dancers. It is an intense exercise system working all muscle groups but still sustaining and improving overall balance. If you are looking for a fitness routine that’s safe and easy to do - and that doesn’t involve a lot of heavy equipment, Pilates is an excellent choice. But best of all, with the popularity of this system, it can be performed in the comfort of your own home! Many videos and DVD’s are available for rent at your local video store as well as for sale at your local supermarket. Need the right exercise system? Pilates may be just the right thing for you. Fun, easy and relaxing exercise that strengthens and restores flexibility… Doesn’t get much better than this!

Seven steps for keeping teeth healthy for a lifetime

A smile can last a lifetime-if you take care of it. For that reason, it's important for parents to instill good oral health habits in children as early as possible. According to U. S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona's "National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health" report, children lose more than 51 million school hours and adults lose more than 164 million work hours each year due to dental disease or dental visits. The nation's total bill for dental services was estimated to be more than $70.1 billion in 2002. "Oral health disease is making disturbing inroads into communities across the country," Dr. Marsha Butler, Colgate-Palmolive's Vice President, Global Oral Health and Professional Relations, explains. "For children between the ages of 5 and 17 here in the U. S., tooth decay is more common than asthma, more common than hay fever, and it poses a significant threat to our children's overall health and well-being." Recently, during the celebration of National Children's Dental Health Month, Colgate and Dr. Carmona unveiled "The U. S. Surgeon General's Seven Steps to a Bright Smile," tips that were developed, with a grant from Colgate-Palmolive, to help keep teeth and gums strong and healthy: 1. Brush teeth and gums with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day, especially after eating breakfast and before bedtime. 2. Visit the dentist regularly. 3. Floss your teeth daily. 4. Use fluoride rinse for strong, healthy teeth and gums. 5. Limit the number of times you eat snacks each day-and remember to practice healthy eating and get plenty of calcium. 6. Wear a mouthguard when playing sports. 7. Ask your dental professional about dental sealants. Through its Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, Colgate has reached more than 50 million children with free dental screenings, treatment referrals and oral health education. The company is more than halfway to meeting a public commitment it made to reach 100 million children with these services by the year 2010. Bright Smiles, Bright Futures empowers children to take control of their oral health and helps to generate greater awareness about the importance of maintaining good dental hygiene.

Always set yourself targets and work hard to achieve them

I was always told by parents to always work towards a future goal or target and to ensure that you reached that goal. This they told me would make me a success in life. This article describes about the importance of having a goal in life. I read many books and I recently read a book that described the importance of having a goal in life. In the books example, a survey had been carried out at a school. The people surveyed were students who had recently taken their final exams. They were asked to answer various questions, one of which asked, where would you like to be in five years time? Looking back I am sure that if you had asked me that question, when I was sixteen, I would have had to put down, that I had no idea, as it was not something I had ever had thought about, despite my parents advice to set targets. I wanted to be a snooker player when in reality I had no chance of making the grade. The people who carried out the survey reported that only five percent of the answers were accepted as having a goal. Five years later, the students were tracked down and the five percent of people who had had a goal, when their net asset worth's were added together, the total amount was higher than all of the other peoples added together. Now of course money is not everything in life, however to me this shows that people who have a goal in life are more likely to be more successful than people who haven't. I then looked at my life I was twenty two and had a net asset worth of zero! I had been working for six years and had nothing to show for it. I then started to think about the future and started setting some of my own goals. This has helped me in a very big way, to purchase for example my first house.

How meditation can change your life in 2006

: Are you stressed out? Do you worry about your physical health? Your mental health? Your spiritual health? Do you wish you had less stress and anxiety in your life and more peace and harmony? Well, I felt all of these things a few years ago and I thought I was going to go crazy or die. I was working 10-12 hours a day, 6 days a week at a very stressful job. I had a wife and two kids at home who wanted, and deserved, my time and attention. I had a mortgage, two car notes, tuition, medical bills, overdue taxes, and credit card debt coming out of my ears! I was running nonstop through my days trying to take care of everything and make everybody happy but I never had enough time to take care of myself. In bed at night, my heart would pound from stress and anxiety. I worried about my job, my marriage, the kids, the bills, the house, my heath, and even my sanity. My health was of particular concern. I felt tired all the time. I was gaining weight. My back was always hurting. Climbing even one flight of stairs left me breathless and dizzy. I felt like I was falling apart physically, mentally, and spiritually. I was really worried about myself but I didn’t know what to do. I tried the gym, several fad diets, home exercise machines, and even time management programs. I had about the same results with each new thing I tried. They all seemed to help at first, but I just couldn’t stick with any of them for very long. I now realize that they didn’t work because they were all short term fixes to a long term problem. I had to change my life. I knew I had a lot to learn, but I couldn’t afford to buy a bunch of books and everything at the library seemed to be outdated. So I made a habit of stopping at the local Barns and Noble on the way home from work each day. I read everything I could find on stress, anxiety, health, diet, and self-improvement. I felt like a cheat just sitting there reading the books without buying them but nobody seemed to mind. I usually bought a cup of coffee or tea just to ease my conscience a little. I read a lot of great books with wonderful insights on improving one’s life. Not surprisingly, one subject came up over and over; meditation. I had tried to meditate several years earlier but had gotten frustrated and quit before really giving it a chance. But, I was desperate and determined to try anything that might help. One book in particular said, “Start right now!” I was too embarrassed to sit in the book store and meditate, but I didn’t want to waste another moment. So I went out to my car, adjusted the seat into a comfortable position, set my watch alarm for 30 minutes, then closed my eyes and started counting my breaths. That turned out to be a defining moment in my life. Of course, I didn’t have instant success. Mediation takes practice and can be very difficult at times. But making the decision to incorporate meditation into my everyday life changed everything for me. I continued to stop at the book store each night for a while and split my time between reading and meditating. Nothing else had changed in my life. I still had a stressful job, my marriage, my kids, my house, and bills but, somehow, I was feeling better—less stressed—even more energetic! No, it didn’t magically solve all of the woes in my life. But once I started feeling more relaxed and less stressed, I was better able to focus on the other things I needed to do to become mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy. I soon started a daily meditation practice at home. I also began a reasonable exercise plan that included walking, a light workout, and yoga. These things combined with eating right (most of the time), have literally changed my life. I’m now happier, healthier, and at peace with the world around me. I hope this story inspires some of you to take that first step and begin incorporating meditation into your own life. This is the perfect time to make the decision. What better New Years resolution than to change your life for the better? There are numerous meditation methods and practices out there and a myriad of resources available to you in book stores and on the web. I’m sure you can find something that works for you. In fact, I’ve compiled a host of information on mediation, relaxation, yoga, and other related subjects at my website: imcalmer. I would also be very happy to share my own experience. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at mikes@imcalmer if you have any questions or comments. In peace, Mike Suzuki

Marketing handmade soap

Making handmade soap can be challenging and also very fulfilling. Marketing handmade soap can be down right daunting. After you sell a few bars to family and friends, where do go from there? Craft fairs and Christmas bazaars are a natural choice, though they both have very limited seasons. If you make a commitment to a retail space, then you are truly taking that next big step. That step however could be financially fatal. Many crafters are not in a position to make such large commitment, especially at the outset of their endeavor. This is why finding a viable alternative to renting retail space is the single most important task you will pursue in assuring your crafting hobby turns into a successful small business. The great equalizer in the world of small business is the internet, or so we were told. Yet there are thousands of small, and large businesses alike that have failed in the arena of ecommerce. Are there any lessons to learn from these failures? Is it possible for a small crafter to compete with the super retailers. The main advantage of being a crafter is that you posses a product that is truly unique and it has ongoing demand from a very loyal customer base. I have had soap buyers spend weeks to track me down, just to get a bar of my soap that another crafter was selling at a fair. These customers are committed to buying products from local crafters because it helps local communities and supports local economies. These are the types of customers that the crafter should be targeting. There are several outlets on the internet that target craft buyers. Some of these charge very nominal fees and are a great place to get your feet wet in craft marketing. You can list several items and let the market tell which products are likely to get the best response. One of the best sites is Etsy. If you haven’t tried them, you should. They have a very loyal following and their overall business is growing every month. Because they have a great feedback system you can also see what items other crafters are having success with. This is great way to get ideas or new products. Please do not blatantly copy other crafters works. Use these new ideas you see to integrate with your own products. The other site to get great ideas and market information from is Ebay. Their fees have gotten a bit outrageous lately so be careful as they can kill your marketing budget very quickly. For market research though, they can’t be beat. I have discovered many hot new fragrances for my handmade soap on Ebay. Stores start at $15.95. This is about as cheap as any ecommerce opportunity available today. Jeffrey Dorrian is the soap guy. Really, that is his website lye soap He has been making premium handmade soap for the past six years. "Handmade soap is a true inexpensive luxury anyone can enjoy." wholesale soap

How to start a for profit site content

When it comes to e-commerce, the time-tested clichй is, “Content is king.” In this case, the clichй is correct. Content For the purpose of this article, content is defined as pages of text on your site. Content is often broken down into two categories, primary pages and information pages. Primary pages are the core of a site, to wit, the home, FAQ, site map, about us, contact us and service or product pages. Information pages are additional pages that support the primary pages, explain your service or product and answer questions. Primary pages convert visitors while information pages generate traffic. Primary Pages Preparing content for your primary pages must be done carefully. You should have a list of keywords you want to highlight for each page. Using these keywords, content should be written clearly and concisely. Do not sacrifice the flow of your text in an effort to maximize the placement of keywords. While this common mistake can lead to quicker search engine rankings, it can damage your conversion rates and give visitors the wrong impression of your business. Traffic is useless if it can’t be converted to money. Focus on converting the visitor into a customer. Information Pages Information pages serve a number of functions. First, they explain and support your primary pages. Second, they build credibility by providing evidence of your extensive knowledge and expertise. Unlike primary pages, information pages can be written with more of an eye to keyword manipulation. Information pages also form a critical platform for promoting your site. The pages should be written in such a way as to be easily converted into articles. The articles should be submitted to directories for publication with a byline including a link to your site. As the articles are published, the byline will dramatically increase the link count of your site. The higher the number of links to your site, the higher you move in the rankings. Information Page Subjects If information pages are so important, how do you come up with topics? There are three methods. The first step is to review your product or service. Pages should be created providing explanations for the most simple to complex elements of whatever you are promoting. Make sure to cover basic items. For a real estate agent site, topics should include 1) how to buy a house, 2) how the process works from beginning to end; 3) how escrow works and so forth. Never assume your prospect understands some element of your product or service. Once these pages are created, the site should be significantly bigger and, thus, more attractive to search engines. The next step is to review the results of the keyword research conducted when you decided to build a site. Looking down the list of keywords, focus on keywords with less than 1,000 searches a month. Every one of these keywords is a potential topic. Because there are few monthly searches, competition for rankings under each keyword phrase is probably low. As you site gains links, the various information pages will move up into top rankings. If you have 50 information pages each producing 100 clicks a month, they will produce 5,000 free clicks a month. Assume a conversion rate of 1/100 and you have 50 sales. As more pages are added, the figures will continue to rise. Finally, forums are an excellent place to find topics. Forums are sites where people gather to discuss issues related to a particular subject. The discussions typically start when someone posts a question. Each question is a potential topic for a page on your site. Make sure to focus on posts with lots of replies, as the number of replies reflects the amount of interest in the topic. To find relevant forums, simply search for “forum + subject” on any search engine. In Closing Google, Yahoo and MSN frequently change the algorithms each uses to produce rankings. Such changes can blow holes in search engine optimization strategies. Continually adding relevant content to your site is just about the only method to smoothly ride these fluctuations. After all, content is king.

Remember the oft forgotten essentials when skiing or snowboarding

When you hit the mountain on your first skiing or snowboarding trip there are a lot of things on your mind. Are you going to embarrass yourself out there? Will you learn quickly enough? Most of all, you're likely excited over how much fun you're about to have. However, it's important to keep in mind that skiing and snowboarding are sports filled with equipment, starkly colder weather, and the spending of money. So, on your first trip up the mountain, be sure to have the right equipment with you to ensure you are ready. Everything you wear should be waterproof. You might have decided at the last minute to go on that ski weekend with your classmates, but you need to pick up or borrow something to wear other than your cotton sweater and long johns. If you don't wear the proper waterproofed gear you're going to be very cold, very wet, and very unhappy by the end of your first afternoon on the slopes. Don't get sick right away. It's not a good way to commemorate your first skiing trip. Food is very important when skiing or snowboarding. You'll be using a lot of energy up very quickly and you likely will not notice as you have the time of your life doing it. You should have energy bars or trail mix on you while out on the slopes and remember to feed yourself every couple of hours. It's likely that when you step out there, you won't be back inside for a few hours. In that case you shouldn't be starving when you return. Stay energized. Right along with forgetting to feed yourself, you might forget to hydrate yourself. While it's cold outside and you're wet, you are still exerting a lot of energy and in the process dehydrating yourself. It's good to have a source of hydration on you at all times when exercising and when on the slopes. It's even more important if only because you'll likely forget you need it. Bring along some cash and your ID. It might upset you to consider that you'll lose any of it while swapping clothes and sliding down a mountain. However, it's always good to be prepared and unless you live in the mountains, you're likely far from home. If anything goes wrong you should be ready to deal with it. The last thing you need is to get injured and not be identifiable because you left your ID back in the city. Have your cell phone neatly tucked away on your person if you can manage it. Preferably you will have a nice ski jacket with enough packets to hold all of your cash, ID, food, water, and cell phone. But if not, convince a friend to carry their or your phone on them. Once again, you don't want to think about it, but if something goes wrong it's best to be prepared. None of these things include the basic equipment you'll need when skiing or snowboarding. These are the essentials that everyone tends to forget, whether it's because they are too excited or simply because they were in a hurry. The important thing to remember is that when you step out on that mountain you need to be prepared for anything, including bad weather, hunger, and thirst. You'll be having too much fun to pay attention to the details, so thinking ahead will go a long way in making sure you're covered by the time the sun goes down.

Gift basket a great way to give that perfect gift

: Its party time for birthdays, functions and other occasions such as Christmas and you find it hard to find that perfect gift for your loved ones. In today’s world, when there is very little or no time to spend on deciding and making gift purchases, gift baskets really help you with a single gift that includes all fine things. Gift baskets are really awesome presents for anyone. Gift baskets are usually based on themes such as traditional fruit baskets, baskets containing bath products or any other products tailored as per the taste of the recipient. Here, gift basket doesn’t means that there should be a basket but any container can be used as a gift basket with many small items. Types of gift baskets 1. Pre made gift baskets that you can easily find on the shelf of the gift stores and are the easiest way to gift someone. 2. Created in store gift baskets whereby you can shop or select the gift items of your choice from the store or online websites to be included in the gift basket. Later, these are arranged and wrapped by the employees for you. 3. Home made gift baskets could be prepared by you where you can collect the entire gift items you want to give and wrap them as per your choice and manner. Gift baskets help you when you are far off from your dear ones and wish to send them a token of your love and feelings for them. You can give a gift basket not only on special occasions but also whenever you feel to gift a symbol of your feelings. Whether you are husband looking out to gift your wife with a special gift on the eve of your anniversary or one who wish to gift your special friend on your first date.

Even if you wish to gift your kids, relatives, friends, colleagues you can manage well with customized gift baskets. If you are gifting to someone who loves music you can easily wrap a collection of music CD’s or else if it is one who loves games you can include game CD’s, puzzles and much more as per your choice. You can also give gift basket according to seasons for example, if it is winter season you can gift skin care and moisturizing products along with warm clothes and accessories that will surely make a great gift.

A gift basket indeed adds to your gift if it is beautifully decorated and designed. To know more log on to customgiftbasket. info

State parks offer intriguing options for travelers

State Parks offer Intriguing Options for Travelers There are many things to do while visiting Seattle Washington that are either free or inexpensive. Many of the free things to do in and around Seattle are outdoor activities. Because of the incredible views and magnificent scenery in and around the area it makes perfect sense that several of these would be visiting the many state parks in the area. Keep in mind that not all state parks are free to visit but below you will find information on some that are. If you are a lover of nature and the outdoors then this should really get your blood pumping. Remember to bring along all the fun equipment that makes the outdoors fun. First of all there is Deception Pass State Park. This park has salt water, fresh water, camping, hiking, boating, spectacular views, and a few areas with playground equipment for the little ones. There are many activities available and appropriate for the island: hiking, horseback riding, boating, fishing, swimming, white water kayaking, diving, clamming, crabbing, bird watching, mountain biking, and simply viewing the wonderful scenery that nature provided. Next, there is Fort Worden State Park. Fort Worden was originally used to guard the entry into Puget Sound. Fort Warden became a state park in 1955 and remains a popular park and convention center. Convention and camping facilities are opened on the park year round and there is plenty to do to keep guests busy, happy, and entertained. In addition to the traditional hiking, biking, diving, water skiing, swimming, boating, and animal watching, Fort Worden offers baseball, basketball, softball, and volleyball facilities. If that isn't enough there is also a museum and incredible views that simply invite the photographer within to come out and play. Fort Flagler State Park Fort Flagler, like Fort Worden originally guarded the entryway into the Puget Sound. Also like Fort Worden, Fort Flagler became a state park in 1955. Fort Flagler still has some of the original military structures that tell the proud history of this island. It is also surrounded on three sides by salt water. While there are many similarities between Fort Worden and Fort Flagler, the latter is only open for campers for part of the year. Day visitors are allowed year round, however. It is the stunning view of the Sound and the surrounding mountains, however that makes this park so spectacular. I hope you have the chance to visit. Finally, there is Lime Kiln Point State Park. This park is a 36-acre park that is only for day use. The park is located on the western side of San Juan Island and is an excellent location from which to watch Orca whales from land. In addition to whale watching you can go hiking, tour the lighthouse, and enjoy viewing various other wildlife here as well. Diving is possible here but very dangerous as the currents are quite strong. The lighthouse here still serves as a navigational aid for ships in the Haro Strait. While this particular park offers less in way of amenities it remains my favorite simply because of the lighthouse and the possibility of seeing whales while visiting. The months of June and July are the best for whale watching but any time during the months of May throughout September, whale spotting remains a possibility. While not everyone is interested in nature or experiencing the great outdoors, state parks such as these mentioned above make it much more enjoyable-especially when you consider the fact that there is no admission fees for visiting these parks. If you love the outdoors and nature as much as I do then you would probably have been more than willing to pay for the privilege of visiting any one if not each and every one of these parks. It is my sincerest hope that you will find something that is fun, frivolous, and most importantly free to do while you are on vacation. You know how the saying goes, "the best things in life are free". (word count 673)

Luck and gambling lucky charms lucky numbers and superstitions

The connection between gambling and luck has always been strong. Many gamblers, usually recreational gamblers, attach their gambling success or failure to being lucky or unlucky, respectively. In order to improve their luck and maximize their winnings, they would, for example, play the same slot machine where they hit last time, place bets on roulette numbers which are considered lucky, ask the croupier to blow over their dice and many other such acts. Here you will not learn how to improve your luck. You can read here about the different approaches to the abstract concept of luck in general, and about its close partnership with gambling in particular. Before we go over to the meaning of luck in exotic cultures, here are some clarifications. Luck, whatever that means, can make you win in a roulette game, hit the slot machine jackpot or even beat your poker opponents or your blackjack dealer. However, in casino games such as blackjack, poker, and even sports betting, for example, if you rely strictly on waking up on your lucky day, you would end up losing eventually. Even in the casino games known as games of chance or luck games including bingo, slots and lottery it is important to be aware of the probabilities of winning rather than trustign intuitions and superstitions. According to the English dictionary, the term luck is defined as: 1) The chance happening of fortunate or adverse events; fortune. 2) Good fortune or prosperity; success. 3) Ones personal fate or lot. The different approaches towards the concept of luck and the impact it has on ones life are varied and can range from the rationalist claim, on one hand, which rejects any belief that cannot be supported by science, to the mystic approach, on the other hand, that uses certain rituals to avoid bad luck and to invite good fortune. Somewhere in the middle lies an approach that sees luck as an abstract idea that cannot be controlled or changed. Just like that faqct that you cannot pick or control the circumstances of your birth, you cannot control or choose other occurrences in your life such as selecting winning lottery numbers. Each culture has its unique list of superstitions, rituals and lucky charms. Some are old and carry on from one generation to another, while others, such as human sacrifice, for example, are long forgotten. Each culture also has its lucky and unlucky numbers. The number 7 is considered as a lucky number in many cultures including the Japanese and most of the Western cultures from ancient times until our days. Thirteen is considered the unlucky number. For that reason, people will usually mark seven in their lottery ticket and will try to avoid bingo cards with a 13 number printed on them. If you want to see contemporary luck rituals live, go to the closest bingo hall or visit a land based casino gambling area. You will see bingo fans wearing their lucky clothes and shoes, seating in their lucky seat, surrounded with family photos, cuddly toys, horseshoes or/and four leaf clovers and marking their bingo cards with their lucky daubers. You would see dressed up people gather around the roulette or the craps table carrying a rabbit foot in their pockets. The topic of luck is much more widespread than it can be reviewed in such a short article. There is nothing wrong with being superstitious and carrying your lucky charms with you, as long as you do not leave your common sense at home. Try remembering this the next time you visit Las Vegas for playing your favourite game such as poker at your favourite poker room or bingo at your favorite bingo room somewhere.

Head tripping common psychoactive medications

Among the sub-disciplines under the fields of medicine and science, the most dynamic areas include the studies on “diseases of the mind.” This is not so much caused by neglect, but by a lack of true understanding of the basic goings-on of the brain and the central nervous system. Modern medical science has come a long way in this field, however, with the introduction of psychology and psychoactive medication. We now have a better understanding of how the mind works and what can happen when it doesn't. With scientific approaches, it is no longer acceptable to just thoughtlessly assume that people are possessed by demons or used as mouthpieces of the gods. At the moment, there are several common psychological problems that can be treated or alleviated by using the right psychoactive medication. Anxiety, for example, is often treated with a variety of medications available via prescription. Among the more prominent types are chemicals from the benzodiazepine family of compounds, which has also been used as components in the production of tranquilizers and muscle relaxants. They act by “depressing” the central nervous system, triggering a release of biochemicals that cause sedation and relaxation. This alleviates both the mental and physical symptoms of an anxiety attack. Aside from anxiety, benzodiazepine compounds can also be used to treat problems like insomnia. Serotonin, which is often linked to depression, has also been targeted by psychoactive drugs. Generally, serotonin uptake inhibitors are used to help alleviate clinical depression. Fluoxetine and setraline are widely used for this purpose, which are by no means the only ones that are available. Antidepressant drugs, regardless of the core ingredient, tend to be slow-acting. This is mainly because they need time to break down the chemicals being produced by the brain that cause the disorder. The process can often take hours, so antidepressants need to be taken during certain intervals, rather than being taken on an as-needed basis. It is not unusual for the initial dose to have appreciable and observable effects only after several days have passed, with the full brunt of the medication only being apparent after several weeks. Based on statistics, there has been a sharp rise in the number of cases of psychosis. The precise cause of this condition is currently unknown but stress, environmental factors, hereditary traits, and cranial injury have all been speculated. Phenothiazines are the class of medications often used as anti-psychotic drugs, with the “relief” the drugs are able to provide tending to vary. Unlike most of the other medications listed here, anti-psychotic medications focus more on blocking the receptors in the brain rather than breaking down or preventing the productions of the biochemical “messengers.” Generally, any medication that makes it to the market has been thoroughly tested and is unlikely to cause a large amount of dangerous effects. However, there will still be other things to be considered when dealing with drugs of this nature. Due to the effects they have on the brain and the lack of concrete knowledge on how some of them actually function, it is advisable to use them with caution. Most of these drugs would be prescribed with a specific schedule of when the doses should be taken. These schedules are made for a reason and should be followed near-religiously.

Lose belly fat now

The first thing that people, who wish to lose weight, think about is reducing their belly fat. It does not matter if you need to lose those extra 15 pounds or a whole lot more. And it is exactly where they all go wrong. This article will explain what the biggest mistake of flat belly seekers is, how to avoid it, and achieve your desirable flat belly. Belly muscles are designed to give balance and coordination for the body's movements. Constant movement keeps it in shape. People used to walk and move a lot just a few centuries ago. These days most of the people sit all day long at the office and as a result their muscles weaken. At this point they can't support the internal oranges, allowing the abdomen to bulge. The swelling causes people to seek some drastic action, in order to regain that nice flat belly they start to exercise. This is where people make the biggest mistake in flatting their stomach: they start to workout very hard on their belly muscles and develop nice firm muscles but no one can see them. They are all sunken under a layer of fat. People are walking around with nice strong belly muscles that are actually invisible. These people can not stop complaining about how hard they work, every day shaping their muscles but no visible results are shown. This is their mistake, their muscles are just fine. The problem is the layer of fat which covers them. The solution is working on both things at the same time: on one hand work on your belly muscles, in addition you must reduce your fat percentage, Lowering your fat percentage will eventually give you the affect you were looking for the "six-pack" look. It is very important to realize that lowering only belly fat is impossible. You must burn fat with by working and developing a higher muscles mass which will burn more calories even when you rest. Another important aspect is to reduce fattening food consumption. There is an argument regarding how much and how often should one work on his belly muscles. It depends on you, your time, and how quickly do you want to start shaping your belly. It is recommended to work once in two days for 15 minutes, work real hard the n rest the next day. It is possible to work every day on the belly muscles, contrary to other muscles, but its best to start in this moderate manner and move from there. This is it the big secret do not expect to find specific exercises, it is not the most important thing the key to win your fight for a flat belly is in the combination of low fat diet and exercises which will end up in a flat belly.

Resignation letters don t let yours backfire

Copyright © Shaun R. Fawcett It turns out that “tips and templates on how to write resignation letters” is among the most sought-after information at my Writing Help Central Web site. So, when I looked into the subject more closely, I was surprised to find that there is not a lot of guidance available in guide book form on how to write a proper and appropriate resignation letter. In fact, a recent visit to the world’s largest bookstore amazon revealed that there are no “how to” books available there that deal with the art of writing resignation letters. Surprising, but true. This is interesting, because when you really look into it, you realize that whether you leave a job gracefully and appropriately will almost certainly have career and personal implications, and can be almost as important as writing a resume/cv or a cover letter. THE EMOTIONS BEHIND RESIGNATION LETTERS A resignation letter will be one of the most emotionally - charged business letters that you will ever write. The sentiments behind it are invariably volatile because of what it represents. In fact, studies have found that leaving a job can be almost as stressful as the breakup of a marriage. Nevertheless, it is highly advisable that not too many of those emotions, especially any negative feelings, get transferred to the written page. As much as possible, a resignation letter should be treated as a business letter, just like any other business letter. There are a number of reasons why resignation letters have more emotional implications than most other personal or business letters. Here are the obvious ones: • They are highly personal because they normally mark the severance of both professional and personal relationships, sometimes of a long-term nature. • They typically signify the end of a period in a person’s professional and/or personal life. • They represent the beginning of a new period or phase in someone’s personal and professional life, conjuring up the fears that often arise with an uncertain future. KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF RESIGNATION LETTERS Following are a number of primary characteristics that are unique to resignation letters. Not Just Job-Related Mention “resignation letter” and 99 of 100 people will think exclusively about job-related situations. In reality, there are a number of areas and circumstances for which resignation letters can be required. For example, in addition to leaving jobs, resignation letters can be required for such situations as: stepping down from a committee, opting out of a course at school, leaving a club or fellowship, and others. Sensitive and Delicate When you submit your resignation letter it will have implications for you, the organization you are leaving, and the colleagues and friends you are leaving behind. You must realize that regardless of the real reasons behind your departure, the message received by many will be that you’re leaving because the organization and/or people just don’t measure up any more. This is a natural human reaction for many people and can’t be entirely avoided. Just be sensitive to it and don’t say, do, or write, anything that unnecessarily aggravates such feelings of abandonment. Simple Formality or Big Surprise A resignation letter can simply be the formalization of a conversation that already took place with your boss, or an announcement you made in a meeting. On the other hand, a resignation letter can be tendered completely unannounced, as a total surprise. In fact, this is often the case in the real world. If this latter case applies in your situation, you will have to be prepared to deal with any one of a number of possible reactions from the organization and your colleagues, ranging from total acceptance, to anger, bargaining, and resentment. Positive Beats Negative The way in which you resign from an organization can have significant implications, both career-wise, and personally. Regardless of the circumstances and/or atmosphere surrounding your departure, you will be well-advised to take whatever measures you can to neutralize any negative factors that may be in play. The approach and wording used in the resignation letter can go a long way towards achieving this aim. Always A Balancing Act Writing a letter of resignation can be a bit of a balancing act. You want to be honest, clear, and firm regarding your intentions to leave, while at the same time you don’t want to alienate the employer you are leaving. It would be nice for that door to remain open, or at least ajar, just in case you want to enter it in the future. After all, you never know what may happen down the road. For all you know, your current employer could end up buying the company you are moving to. So be careful about limiting your future options. Backlash Can Be Swift Negative impacts from a poorly written or inappropriately worded resignation letter can be almost immediate. For example, if you are hoping to get a good recommendation or reference from the employer you’re leaving, a negative resignation letter can only hurt your letter of recommendation/reference. Also, even if you don’t request a recommendation letter there is nothing to stop potential future employers from checking back with organizations you have previously worked for. So here's a word for the wise. Before you blindly jump into writing a resignation letter, you might want to spend some time thinking about it and finding out how to write one that is proper and appropriate -- so that it won't come back to haunt you.