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.

Casino en ligne en toute securite

: Tout le monde souhaite кtre rassurй lorsqu'il commence а jouer sur un site de < a href=" casino-en-ligne-3.com">casino en ligne pour le fun ou pour de l'argent. En effet, qui ne s'est jamais posй les questions suivantes: " en ouvrant un compte sur ce casino, que va-t-il m'arriver? Les systиmes de paiements et les transactions via ma carte de crйdit sont ils fiables? Comment m'en assurer?" La sйcuritй reste donc l'йlйment essentiel а prendre en compte par le joueur avant d'effectuer quelque pari que ce soit. Comment donc pouvoir jouer en toute tranquillitй? Les casinos virtuels ont donc mis en place des logiciels de cryptage afin de prйserver la confidentialitй de vos donnйes bancaires personnelles. Les numйros de cartes de crйdit Les casinos en ligne sйcurisйs prennent des mesures pour protйger leurs joueurs. Certains sites Web utilisent des logiciels de cryptage pour protйger vos informations financiиres et ont pour йthique de prйserver vos donnйes personnelles. Assurez vous donc de la fiabilitй du site! Pour cela, vйrifiez que le site dispose d'une charte de prйsentation, gйnйralement connue sous la dйnomination " Qui sommes nous?" et contrфlez son йvaluation par des sites professionnels. Prenez le temps de lire chaque page du site concernant les moyens de paiement mis en place, les logiciels utilisйs mais aussi la disponibilitй de leur service client, que vous pouvez йgalement testez au prйalable en les contactant pour un problиme fictif et dйterminer ainsi leur temps de rйaction sur le casino dans lequel vous voulez vous inscrire. Les casinos en ligne les plus sйcurisйs sont les sites les mieux йtablis et reconnus par une instance officielle. Consultez la frйquentation d'un site donnй et vйrifiez les affiliations du site. Les sites rйputйs sont plus populaires et plus sыrs. Aprиs ce premier contrфle, vйrifiez que le site dispose de services non proposйs par des casinos en ligne de mauvaise rйputation. Assurez-vous que le casino propose une assistance client par chat, email ou tйlйphone non facturй. Dans le cas contraire, rendez vous sur un autre site. Vйrifiez aussi que ce casino dispose d'un contrфle et d'une politique а l'encontre de joueurs frauduleux. Certains sites dispose d'un systиme йvaluant le nombre de fois oщ deux joueurs jouent au mкme jeu. En cas de suspicion de tricherie, le site interdit la prйsence de ces derniers а vie. Si vous suspectez une tricherie, contactez le site web immйdiatement. Dans le cas oщ un site ne vous indique pas clairement quel logiciel est utilisй pour prйserver vos informations personnelles ou n'offre pas d'assistance, sortez immйdiatement. Inutile de prendre des risques inutiles. En cas de problиmes de dйconnexion rйpйtйes ou vous semblant suspectes, renseignez vous d'avantage. Inutile de se presser, beaucoup d'informations sont а votre disposition mais prenez surtout le temps de les lire toutes. Pour cela, commencer en simultanй de votre lecture а jouer en parties gratuites, le temps pour vous d'effectuer tous les contrфles nйcessaires et de vous familiariser avec le site en question.

Finding clients for your freelance business

Once you have a little experience you can show your potential clients its time to start looking for them. The simplest way to to this is to create and maintain a client list. To get your client list started, research what companies you would like to work for. Check out their websites, especially any employment section they may have, as they may have freelance opportunities listed. If they already use freelancers you'll have a much easier time getting them to consider you than if they are unfamiliar with freelancers. Study their needs. Even if they don't have any job listings on their website or don't have a website, you can research what the company does to determine where you could help them. You need to know how to present yourself and your skills when you write your query letter. Showing that you understand what their business does shows that you are a professional. Expect rejection. It's simply a fact of life as a freelancer. Maybe they just don't need you at the moment or maybe your style doesn't appeal to them. Whatever the reason there are plenty of other things you can do. Do not pester companies to hire you, but don't give up too quickly either. Monthly is about right when it comes to checking to see if their needs have changed. Even though you now have experience, don't neglect the online resources mentioned before. Now is the time to start going for the higher paying assignments and more challenging employers. Clients who appreciate professional work don't mind paying for a good job. They may not always be easy to find but they are out there. If writing articles is your style, don't forget to buy Writer's Market. It's one of the best resources out there for freelance writers. There are similar resources for other freelance careers. If you aren't getting enough work, just use the time you would like to spend working for pay practicing your skills. Pretend you have an assignment. Interview family members, write articles, reports, instruction manuals for software you own, whatever you hope to do for an employer do on your own. Above all else, keep your habits professional. Maintain a solid work schedule and don't treat your business as a hobby or that is all it will be.

Good memory by keeping your mind busy

Memorization problems such as forgetting simple errands your Mom asked you to do this morning or scribbling on a paper, recalling what you were just about to write down are both serious signs that you need to pay extra attention to your memory and your ability of doing it, which is memorizing. But you must realize that these simple acts of forgetfulness do happen to anybody of any age range. Due to the various and hundreds of things which a person needs to think about in a day, naturally, omitting one or two things from your To-do list could happen. There are cases though, when these incidents happen almost too often. Like for example, a friend tells you something about what you will be doing after two weeks and you end up forgetting it or a lesson you just studied two nights ago simply slipped off of your mind as if you never have read any details of it. These are serious symptoms that show your memory could be dwindling slowly and that despite your age, because memory problems can affect anyone, the activities are exposed to could be the culprit as to how you retain important information. Aside from what you do daily, the food you eat could cause memory problems too. The brain nutrients and for you to be able to think clearly, vitamin B and amino acids should be taken properly through the food you eat. As for other things, if you have been depressed lately or under stress for some time now, better check on what you can do to keep your mind away from these unhealthy and unfriendly memory-causing factors. Be mentally and physically active. A good oxygen supply to the brain also helps a person in thinking clearly and logically. You can do this by leading an active lifestyle. Mental exercises keep your mind agile to the information you need to keep solely for the brain. These could be the things that your need to remember for school. Exercising your mind with memory exercises help make it a lot easier to condition it and maintain its basic function – to maintain proper thinking. Do what it takes to keep your mind busy. It’s the most natural and healthy way of keeping it stagnant which causes memory problems.

Keep your life on track by giving yourself a little space

Copyright 2006 Cari Vollmer My daughter's 4th grade basketball team has a problem. Their problem isn’t a lack of desire to win the game, or even a lack of talent. Actually, they’re GUNG HO to do whatever it takes to score. So, what’s the problem? When they get the ball, they often find themselves in a big huddle with the other team. Before they know what hit them, they find themselves in cramped quarters, unable to think clearly, pass the ball, set up a play, or take a shot. And so it goes for many of us. We dream of a life that feels better than the one we have, so we set goals to get us where we want to go. Our desire for a better life leads the way. And then it happens. Life gets in the way. Other people, events and situations seem to pop out of nowhere - challenging us, questioning us and leading us to doubt our best intentions. Before we know it, we can’t think straight or hear our own thoughts. We lose our desire. We may even forget we once had a goal we cared about. For example: Perhaps you’ve tried to lose weight in the past. You set a goal to lose 10 pounds. Your goal makes you feel in control of your life and that makes you feel great. You exercise more, eat less and your jeans start feeling a little looser, until….you go to that wedding! Or, you get invited to a party. Or, your friends ask you to lunch, where low-fat, low-carb isn’t on the menu. Suddenly, there is very little space between you, your goal to lose weight and the outside world. And before you know it, the outside world dictates your next move and that leads you to eat the cake you’re desperately trying to stay away from. What’s the solution? How can you stay on track, no matter what the outside world dishes out? In the case of my daughter’s team, they’re learning to spread out. By putting more space between each other and the other team, they create an environment in which they can succeed. This one simple strategy gives them the space they need to think clearly, set up their play and take the shot. You can create the space you need to succeed too, with these 5 tips. 1. Set GOALS that EXCITE you and then take action. Setting goals that excite you give you the energy boost and focus you need to see them through to the end. Don’t even think of taking action on a goal that feels ho-hum. When you find a goal that excites you, then, and only then, take action. 2. Every so often, PAUSE and get a view of what’s going on around you. Starting out GUNG HO is great, but don’t forget to pause every so often to regain your perspective. Pay attention to what’s going on in the world around you. By doing so, you’ll notice upcoming challenges that could derail your best intentions. 3. Re-CENTER yourself. Re-centering yourself requires a re-balancing of where you are in relationship to what’s happening in the world around you. Re-centering allows you to notice what’s happening, as an observer, before you become a participant in something that doesn’t serve your higher purpose. 4. CHOOSE your next best move. When you react to the world around you, you’ve thrown your ability to choose right out the window. By taking the steps above you’ll give yourself more time to think, plan and take action on the next best move you can take to keep yourself on track. 5. REPEAT 1-4, as needed. Have you heard the term “zig zag” your way to success? Said in a different way, the road to success is never a straight line. You will encounter obstacles along the way. But as they say in sports, the best defense is a great offense, so repeat steps 1-4 often.

How much does plastic surgery cost breaking it down

Plastic surgery costs can vary widely from one surgeon to another. Several factors govern the cost of a particular plastic surgery procedure. A couple of major factors include the surgeon’s expertise and experience, and the length and complexity of the procedure. Moreover, the cost may vary from one clinical setting to another. A surgeon owning a state of the art clinic and wielding advanced equipment would charge more for a particular procedure, in order to cover the cost of his/her investments. The same procedure if carried out at a fairly average clinical facility might incur a significantly lower expense. Whatever the cost, it should be disclosed and settled upon prior to the surgery. Some medical facilities tout attractive bargains, concealing certain costs in order to dupe prospective clients. Therefore, the patient must ensure that the cost agreed to covers the surgery, anesthesia, post-operative exams, and corrective procedures if required. The patient must also make sure that the surgeon has a provision for post-operative care. Plastic surgery costs are typically not covered by insurance unless the surgical procedure is regarded as a reconstructive procedure. However, several finance schemes are available, which allow the patient to pay the costs in easy installments. At the advent of plastic surgery, the procedure was the preserve of the affluent few, since the costs were simply overwhelming. However, with advances in technology, plastic surgery procedures are now almost ubiquitous. This has significantly reduced the expenses, and made plastic surgery accessible to the populace. The costs depend on the particular plastic surgery procedure performed, and may vary between $1,500 and $8,000. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s most recent (2003) estimates, average expense incurred for a few major procedures is as follows:- - Breast Augmentation - $3,360 - Breast Lift - $3,965 - Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) - $4,827 - Breast Reduction (women) - $5,351 - Facelift - $5,966 - Lower Body Lift - $7,874 - Rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) - $3,869

Web design guide to creating better links

Needless to say, links are one of the most vital parts of a web page. Your web design company will definitely require you to come up with links in the sites you make to please your clients better. When people think of site contents, what generally comes to mind is the text that is written on a page. However, know that the page content also includes images and everything else relevant that is included in the page's web design. In Web Design Links Reinforce Scannability It is a proven fact that online visitors who view a page are generally drawn to images. But aside from that, it is also proven that their attention is also immediately caught by links because they are underlined and set in a different colour from the rest of the text. Your web design company will strictly advice you to make your links stand out in order for them to catch the eye of your readers. Of course, your text content or web copy must able to reinforce scannability of your page. Fortunately, the addition of links that stand out well make the content even more scannable. Bear in mind during web design though that these links will only be effective if they are related to the site content and the linked text. Your web design company should know better. Web design Tip #1: Links on Your Home Page Unless you are web designing a site that is only made of 1 page, your home page should have links to all the other parts of your website. Bear in mind too that most online readers will scan through your home page much more than they are likely to read it, so you need to make sure that your links speak for themselves and are self-explanatory. However, avoid a home page that is made up only of links, and nothing. Doing this will defeat the purpose of scannability; the links will no longer stand out. Also, never make your link title fancy or make your readers guess where the link will lead to. Your web design company will also be pleased if you put in links to the other general pages of your site. Web design Tip #2: General to Specific is the Way to Go When online users search for information, they usually start from the general and eventually get more specific as they try to narrow down their search. Using the same logic, try to think of those links in your site as a funnel. You have to start with a general category at your top page and narrow it down further as your readers search for what they want. Web design Tip #3: How to Write Links and Setting Them Here are some tips to come up with better and more clickable links: • Check your log files and look for a trend of what people are mostly searching your site for. Use the most commonly used words as your links to other parts of your site. • You should also verify that your links actually go to where you have implied for them to go. Do not take the risk of ruining your client's image (and that of your web design company) by links that lie. When readers find that the information they are searching for is not there, they will leave and will not likely return. • Write your links as clearly as possible. If you are linking to an e-book, your text should read something like "this e-Book..." Moreover, the link should actually go to a page with an e-Book in it, and not an online store or a biography of an author. • When web designing, never make the mistake of playing games with your links. Do not put those links just for the sake of putting them. Your web design company will surely require you to put links that are as straightforward as possible. Remember that your web design company wants to be of service to readers and to the clients to whom you are making the page for. Therefore, make sure that you only put in useful links. Create links that are incorporated into significant content. Your links should be more than just a list of links that will not make sense on the part of online users. Make sure that the links contain explanations on what it contains. If you are presenting a link that leads to more links, you need to make sure that you add in an explanation of what the readers should expect so that they will not be surprised to see a list of links. Your web design company will indeed appreciate such efforts.

A guide to men s sexual health

Most information available on sexual health are primarily geared towards women. However, men, particularly those who are sexually active are also at risk for sexual problems. Whether gay or straight, sexual health is an important aspect of a man's life and must be paid particular attention to. Threats on men's sexual health must be prevented and diminished, not only for their safety but also for that of their partners. Parameters of Male Sexual Health Men's sexual health is usually determined by several factors. These factors include the following: * Physical Health Men who are physically fit and healthy generally have better sexual health than men who do not look after their diet or practice regular physical activity. Weak cardiovascular constitution, underdeveloped muscles, and poor blood circulation also contribute to poor sexual health. A weak body is also more prone and susceptible to infections which can weaken a man's resistance to sexually transmitted diseases and infections. * Psychological Health Contrary to popular belief, a man's physical constitution is not the sole determinant of sexual health. Often, some sexual problems are direct effects of a man's emotional problems. For example, it is commonly observed that physically healthy men who suffer for erectile dysfunction have a serious lack of confidence or are riddled with anxiety performance disorders. * Social Activities Men who are in monogamous sexual relationships are at lesser risks for sexual problems compared to men who enter polygamous relationships. Drug addiction also puts a man at a greater risk for infection especially if he uses intravenous drugs. Risks to Men's Sexual Health Male sexual health can be threatened by several diseases and disorders. Some of these risks include: * Ejaculation Disorders There are three common forms of ejaculation disorder in men. These are premature ejaculation, retarded ejaculation, and retrograde ejaculation. Premature ejaculation happens when due to an excess of sexual arousal, anxiety, or loss of control, a man ejaculates before or soon after penetration. Retarded ejaculation occurs when an ejaculation comes too slow that prevents orgasm. Retrograde ejaculation happens when the ejaculate is forced back into the bladder instead of being released at orgasm. * Erectile Dysfunction Another term for this disorder is impotence. This happens when a man is unable to have or sustain an erection long enough for sexual intercourse and ejaculation. As such, he is unable to introduce his semen into his partner reproductive system to induce a pregnancy. This is often caused by psychological trauma or an effect of certain medications. * Inhibited Sexual Desire This can be loosely translated to a loss or decrease in a man's libido levels. Often associated with low testosterone levels, inhibited sexual desire may also be triggered by medications, psychological problems, and some illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure. * Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Infections Men usually get infected with STIs and STDs following unhealthy and unprotected sexual relationships with an infected partner. Usual signs of STDs and STIs include: difficulty in urinating, bloody urine, foul penile discharge, sores, lesions, and excessive itching in the genitalia. Immediate medical assistance must be sought when it comes to problems concerning male sexual health. Diagnosis is usually done through physical and psychological exams, as well as a thorough evaluation of medical history. Treatment usually comes in two phases: medical treatment for physical symptoms and psychological therapy for mental and social factors.

Narcissism is your child in a path to self destruction

Do you look in the mirror to admire yourself more often that normal people would? Do you believe that you're more important person than everybody else? Do people say that you're self-centered and you believe that it's okay to be like that? Once there was a boy named Narcissus In Greek mythology, there was a boy named Narcissus. He was a very handsome young man. He was so beautiful that women and nymphs swooned over his striking appearance. Even the goddess Echo had fallen prey to his charms and was helplessly in love with the young man. Unfortunately, he was full of himself and rudely shunned the goddess Echo and the other nymphs and ladies that were in love with him. One day, a young woman who tried wooing Narcissus prayed that he be taught a lesson on unrequited love. Echo, hurt and vengeful, granted the woman's prayer and punished Narcissus to fall in love and receive no reciprocation. Narcissus fell in love with himself, watching his own image day and night over the lake's reflection, losing thought of eating and resting. He did this until he lost his old beauty which had charmed Echo and the other nymphs in the beginning. He wilted away loving himself and was changed into a flower that later on bore his name. Narcissism Simply put, this condition relates to self love. Sigmund Freud said that self love is an essential part of all men since birth. Andrew Morrison said that, in adults, an adequate amount of healthy self love allows a person's perception of his needs to be balanced in relation to others. Pathological narcissism is a life-long pattern of traits and behaviors which signify love and obsession with one's self shutting out everybody else and the egotistic and ruthless pursuit of one's gratification, dominance and ambition. Compared to having a healthy amount of self love which we all have during childhood and even now, pathological narcissism is maladaptive, rigid, persisting, and causes significant distress, and functional impairment. It manifests in the chronic pursuit of personal gratification and attention (narcissistic supply), in social dominance and personal ambition, bragging, insensitivity to others, lack of empathy and/or excessive dependence on others to meet his/her responsibilities in daily living and thinking. Pathological narcissism has been debated to have rooted from: genetic programming; faulty upbringing and/or growing up in a dysfunctional family; or reclusive societies and disruptive socialization processes. It has been said that pathological narcissism is a defense mechanism. Certain medical conditions, chronic ailments and brain trauma may induce a pathologic narcissistic tendency. However this kind of narcissism disappear once the underlying medical condition or trauma is cured. As mentioned earlier, as toddlers, we were all narcissistic. Babies think they are the center of everybody's universe, and that parents are there solely to protect them and cater to their needs. But eventually, as babies grow old, these idealizations are disillusioned by the difficult conflicts that life throws them. If these conflicts occur abruptly, inconsistently, unpredictably, capriciously, arbitrarily and intensely, then the injuries sustained by the infant's self-esteem are severe and often irreversible. Coupled with the parents’ lack of support to the child, these conflicts cause the child's sense of self-worth and self-esteem to fluctuates between over-evaluation and devaluation of both himself and the other people surrounding him. When a child is faced with a difficult obstacle, he regresses back to his infantile narcissistic phase rather than work around the hindrance. If the same obstacle comes up and continues to fail in it, the child might continually regress. And while in that regression stage, a child starts acting up: displays childish and immature behavior, feels omnipotent and pretends to know everything. His sensitivity to the needs of others will drastically deteriorate and becomes intolerably haughty and arrogant, with sadistic and paranoid tendencies. To top it all, he will then expect unconditional admiration from the people around him, even if he doesn't deserve it. This is the start of a self-destructive behavior cycle as the child engages in fantastic, magical thinking and daydreams. In this mode he tends to exploit others, to envy them, and to be explosive. A personality disorder arises only when repeated attacks on the obstacle continue to fail -- especially if this recurrent failure happens during the formative stages (0-6 years of age). The contrast between the make-believe world occupied by the individual and the real world in which he keeps being frustrated (the grandiosity gap) is too acute to countenance for long. The dissonance gives rise to the unconscious decision to continue living in the world of fantasy, grandiosity and entitlement. Healthy adults would normally accept their limitations and eventually cope with disappointments and failures that come their way. The opposite may be said for narcissistic adults. So it is best to watch your child closely during his growing years. Provide your child with sufficient support and teach him how to cope. This will help lead him to a better path in life, away from malignant narcissism.

History of sports memorabilia

THE HISTORY OF SPORTS MEMORABILIA The other day I was cataloguing three boxes of baseball cards for a friend of mine and I began to think about how this entire card collecting and sports memorabilia phenomenon began. If you are a closet fan (as I am) of shows on television that travel from city to city checking out and pricing antiques for the general public, you’d be aware of the fact that often sports memorabilia is brought to the shows for assessment. So this tells me that a lot of people out there have sports memorabilia that they consider to be antiques, so collecting of sports memorabilia has been around for a long time. WHEN DID SPORTS MEMORABILIA COLLECTING BEGIN? If it’s true that nothing says “USA” like baseball does, then it’s natural that sports memorabilia collecting in this country began with a connection to the American pastime of baseball. Tobacco Companies introduced baseball cards to Americans in the late 1800’s in an attempt to sell their products. When I was younger I had always thought that the Bubble Gum Companies such as Topps first introduced baseball cards, but bubble gum baseball cards were really a product of the fifties and sixties. These days Tobacco Companies are finding it next to impossible to have their names advertised any where near sports and sporting events, but in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, cigarette and cigar smoking was the norm. The Goodwin Company of New York put out the first real numbered collection of baseball cards in the 1870’s. The American Tobacco Company produced the most famous and therefore, today, the most valuable baseball card, the Honus Wagner T206 in 1909. It has been estimated that only around fifty of these cards exist today. Wagner was said to be not happy having his name connected to tobacco sales and production of his card was therefore limited. In the early 1900’s baseball card collecting began in earnest and spawned the hobby and business of sports memorabilia collecting, as we know it today. Tobacco Companies continued to produce baseball cards through to the 1920’s and in the 1930’s Bubble Gum Companies began putting collection cards in their packages in an attempt to increase sales of their product. These sales were halted during the Second World War and in the 1950’s production began again with the first color photograph cards being offered. Baseball card production continues to this day in a highly competitive business although no longer are card sales inter-connected to sales of gum. IT’S NOT JUST A HOBBY Of course, sports memorabilia collecting today has gone well beyond just the hobby of the collecting of baseball cards and today it is a full fledged industry on it’s own accord. Collectors today are not only sports buffs; they are also interested in the investment aspect of their collections. Probably the most famous of all baseball memorabilia collectors, Barry Halper who recently passed away at the age of sixty-six at one time owned over 80,000 baseball related items. He began his lifetime of collecting at the age of eight and collected over thirty thousand baseball cards along with many signed baseballs and other assorted baseball memorabilia. Around twenty percent of his collection is now displayed at the Baseball Hall of Fame with the balance having been sold at auction for approximately twenty-two million dollars after Halper found himself in failing health.

Workouts that travel

A vacation can do wonders for reducing stress levels, but it can derail a healthy fitness regimen. Even some of the most die-hard exercisers find it difficult to stick with a workout program when away from home. Sure, many have good intentions. They may even pack their workout attire. Unfortunately, their gear never makes it out of the suitcase until they're back home. But travel from home doesn't have to result in an interruption or complete abandonment of your healthy habits. You can still fit in exercise time when away from home, regardless of whether you find yourself in a warm or a cold climate. Even if bad weather forces you into seclusion in your hotel room, there are exercises you can complete without a single piece of equipment. Below are some tips to help you stay fit while traveling and avoid coming home with unwanted extra baggage. . Be realistic. You probably won't be able to fit in your normal weekly workouts and that's okay. Shoot for completing at least 50% of your normal regimen. . Plan ahead. Before leaving town, find out what type of workout facilities your accommodations will have or if there is a nearby park or jogging track (weather permitting, of course). . Scope out local gyms. If you are staying somewhere that doesn't provide a workout area then inquire at the nearby local fitness centers for their rates. Often they offer day passes for minimal fees. . Pack a resistance band in your suitcase. The band takes up very little space, yet can provide you with an entire upper and lower body workout routine. . Don't deprive yourself of all local delicacies. You can enjoy some special meals without going overboard. Ask the restaurants to prepare your favorite dishes with a few lower fat ingredients. . Be creative. Find unique, fun ways to exercise instead of doing the same routine you do when you are at home. Try biking, hiking, a pedal boat excursion, water-skiing, beach volleyball, etc. Effective workouts aren't limited to the standard fares of walking, jogging and fitness machines. . Try out your travel routine at least once at home. A new workout that you've never done before will require more time and preparation. This type of frustration just makes for an easy excuse to skip the workout. . Prepare snacks. If your journey includes a lot of time in the car, be sure to pack some healthy snacks so you aren't forced to eat at all the fast food and convenience shops along the way. . Play in the pool. If lounging poolside is part of your vacation plans, then hop in the pool every 20 minutes for 5-10 minutes of pool walking (try it in waist-deep or higher water for a really challenging workout). . Get comfortable. Don't forget to pack comfortable workout attire that fits your destination's climate. Here is a quick, simple circuit workout that only requires a resistance band and can be done anywhereplete at least one set of 8-12 reps of each exercise. . Bicep Curl . Tricep Dip . Lat Pull Down . Front Raise . Push-Up . Squat . Abductor lifts . Adductor splits . Hamstring Kicks For detailed instructions for each of the above exercises, visit workoutsforyou/travel_plan. htm

Hair loss solution try aromatherapy

Our ancestors did not have the benefit of today’s scientifically researched drugs, but they often found natural remedies that worked just as well. Herbal remedies have been used for centuries to treat everything from premenstrual syndrome to high blood pressure. Men experiencing the first signs of baldness often looked to natural cures as well, and some of the herbal remedies have surprising results. A group of dermatologists in Scotland tested an herbal remedy with great success, helping over 40% of their patients with a mixture of essential oils containing cedarwood, lavender, rosemary and thyme. In this double blind study, the group using the essential oils showed improvement in 40 percent of the subjects, while only 15% of the control group noted an improvement. So, would you be interested in trying out aromatherapy as a hair loss solution? If you’d like to experiment with this, mix three drops each of lavender and rosemary oil with two drops each of cedarwood and thyme oils. Add this mixture to 4 teaspoons of grapeseed oil and one-quarter teaspoon of jojoba oil. Rub the mixture into your scalp for two minutes nightly, then use a warm towel to wrap your head. If you’re not experiencing baldness yet, but your hair doesn’t look healthy, you may want to try a mixture of lavender and bay essential oils to stimulate blood flow to the scalp and help circulation to the area. About six drops of each oil should be added to Ѕ cup of a good carrier oil, like almond or sesame oil. Warm the mixture slightly and rub into the scalp. After letting the mixture penetrate the scalp for 20 minutes, shampoo with your normal shampoo. For additional benefit, you may want to add up to 4 drops of bay oil to your normal shampoo. Of course, you won’t see a whole new head of hair after just one or two treatments. However, repeated use will most likely provide you with better looking, fuller hair. You’ll also experience the positive benefits of aromatherapy and scalp massage as well, feeling more relaxed and ready to face the day. Aromatherapy may just be the hair loss solution that you are looking for!

Private investigation techniques

We often see and hear of private investigators doing romantic and risky jobs in various forms of media. Well, nothing is far from the truth. In fact, their work is quite risky and should be taken as a serious one. When have you heard of a humorous private investigation case anyway? Central to this issue is the actual personality of the private investigation. There may be innate characteristics that are largely involved yet this does not negate the fact that training, classes and programs for developing private investigators play varied roles in the field of study. Private investigators should have a blend of creativity and excellent logic. This is rare though since most people who are creative don't normally have efficient logic. After all, these functions come from the different hemispheres of the brain. Private investigation uses various techniques that concern wide spectrum of methods to solve cases of cheating husbands and to finding missing individuals. To accomplish their investigations, they make use of techniques that would not only unbundled cues but would also resolve the case. From verifying calls to interviewing and tracking their subjects, private investigators have a technique or two in store. One common technique in investigation is physical surveillance. This normally involves the actuality of being in the very spot where people and events that might lead to the solution of the case move. Say, a persons' home or a specific spot in the city. And obviously, this is done secretly and out of anybody's observance. This may be a classic private investigation technique but as it is, it still works well. However, this also covers other techniques that can maximize the surveillance procedure. Investigators normally use devices such as binoculars, cell phones, video recorders, cameras and voice recorder, practically, everything that would preserve evidences. Surveillance can go on for several days or even weeks, until enough substantial evidences are gathered to support the case. Another commonly practiced technique in the trade is the use of computer searches via databases. However, with investigators who have lower proficiency in the field, they normally partner with firms that specialize in this area. Obviously, computers aid in the accumulation of details and information that could lead to the eventual solution of the specific case. Normally, vital information on the person's life is needed in investigations. Central to these are civil legal judgments, previous arrests and convictions, club memberships, telephone numbers and a number of other details. Basically, if it's an investigation on public record, any private investigator can surely obtain them. One main question with this job deals on its being exceptionally dangerous. Well, this doesn't normally have to be dangerous yet as we know it, danger can come in moments when we are not aware of. There are of course cases that are more dangerous than others like bounty hunting and similar stuffs. In general though, private investigation is not as dangerous as we were made to believe. Certainly, things happen that could bring scare to anyone yet such occasions are rare. Like most stories we hear of, the well-attended to are those that are more like fictions than truth. Remember that with private investigation techniques, safety is the forefront principle. Many can be caught into trouble but it must be understood that it is trouble that is basically dealt with in here. Nevertheless, any trained private investigation knows this one core fact.

How gambling horoscopes help you win

Many people believe that by using astrology you can tell your future, and maybe it can not, but by following the advice given in Horoscopes many people find great luck, so how else can it be explained. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that if you believe it is true that you will have good luck on a certain day you probably will. This does not mean that the prediction was right, but if you believe good things are going to happen to you at work, in your personal life or in a casino, you will give off a positive energy that attracts other positive energies and this will help good things happen. Some people do not believe this theory either. They feel that if you believe good things are going to happen and they do it is because you were in a better mood and making better decisions which will bring about better results. No one can tell how exactly gambling horoscopes help a person win in a casino, but the fact remains that they do help people win all the time. Studies have been done to try to show exactly how horoscopes work, but no one has ever been able to come up with an explanation that seems believable. All they have been able to show is that the more you believe the better and more accurate the predictions will be. This may be because if you really believe in the accuracy of the gambling Horoscope you will find things that you rationalize to make fit into the horoscopes prediction. No one has ever been able to find any reason any form of prognosticating works, but people do believe in it and it is that belief in it that seems to make the things come true. Studies have been done in the past and have proven beyond doubt that a person who has a more positive outlook will tend to have better luck and will generally be a happier person; where as a person with a negative outlook will constantly have negative events take place around them. The only explanation scientists have ever given for this is to say that the average human only uses 10% of the brain and that the explanation for these events is hidden in the 90% of the brain we do not use, and that maybe if and when we learn the secrete for unlocking these areas of the brain we will then be able to get a better understanding of how all types of psychic predictions work. But until then all I can tell you is that if you believe that the prediction will come true then it will come true. By reading your horoscope and waiting until it says you will have a good day, then going to the casino to do some gambling you will greatly increase your chances of having a winning day and the more you believe it will happen the more it increases your chances of being successful.

The cheapest car insurance for teens keep the rates down

We love them even though they are expensive – a fact that doesn’t change once they get older. They become extra costly once they become teens. Their taste in clothing becomes more expensive. Santa no longer brings stuffed animals; he’s hauling the newest Nintendo in his bag. They need money for proms, football camps, cheerleading uniforms, and band instruments. What happened to the days when peek-a-boo was enough to make them smile? Teens are also notorious for having more expensive car insurance rates than older drivers. This is mainly because car insurance companies view teens as less experienced drivers and more risky to insure. Since age is already working against them, teens must take extra care to make other factors car insurance companies look at work for them. Despite the rising costs of raising teens, there is a way to get cheap car insurance for teens – actually, it could be the most important way to get cheap car insurance for your teen. Buy your teen a practical, affordable, and safe car. Teens dream about the day they become old enough to drive, and many teens get their first car when that day comes; however, if it is a flashy, expensive, unsafe car the car insurance company will see it as likely to be stolen or robbed, costly to repair in the event it becomes damaged, and likely to not protect against accidents. On the other hand, if the car is modest in appearance and price, as well as equipped with safety features, the car insurance company will be more likely to offer a cheap car insurance quote for the teen. By purchasing your teen an affordable, practical car, not only are you helping to get cheap car insurance for your teen, you are also helping to keep your teen safe which makes buying your teen this kind of car the most important way to get cheap car insurance for your teen.

Rc nitro monster trucks

RC nitro monster trucks may very well be the fastest growing segment in the world of RC vehicles. The reason for the surge in popularity probably stems from the fact that RC nitro monster trucks have steadily improving in performance over the years. In fact, the latest models can actually outperform many RC cars. RC nitro monster trucks can be bought either ready to run or in a kit that allows you to actually build it yourself. Both types are quality vehicles, built for strength and durability. In fact, RC nitro monster trucks can handle an amazing amount of hard driving and even though they appear top-heavy and ready to roll over at any moment, the truth is that they rarely do roll over. This is because the wheels of RC nitro monster trucks are designed to provide a low center of gravity. For many people, the appeal of RC nitro monster trucks is that they mirror the abilities of their real-life counterparts. The enjoyment of watching monster trucks comes from watching them ride roughshod over any kind of surface, including other vehicles. Well, RC nitro monster trucks can be let loose on the kinds of terrain that would leave other RC vehicles spinning their wheels. And, yes, if you ever get the opportunity, you can drive your RC nitro monster trucks right over your friends’ little RC cars. Although you might think that all RC nitro monster trucks are 4-wheel drive, you’d be mistaken. There are 2-wheel drive RC nitro monster trucks available, and even some that give you the option of switching back and forth. Just as in real life, the 4-wheel drive model allows for driving over areas that are rougher or steeper than the 2-wheel drive model could handle. So why would anyone want 2-wheel drive RC nitro monster trucks then? Well, while the 4-wheel drive allows for more flexibility in where you can take it, the transmission system is also more sophisticated. Since engine maintenance is routinely required to keep any RC nitro vehicle running in peak condition, expect to spend more time and effort with a 4-wheel drive transmission. But this drawback shouldn’t be a deciding factor when choosing from among the various models of RC nitro monster trucks. Engine fine-tuning has never been easier for nitro RC vehicles. A bigger concern will probably be price. RC nitro monster trucks may have gotten their name from their appearance, but they could just as easily have earned it from the size of their prices. Here’s the skinny: don’t expect to purchase one of these babies for less than $300. And, frankly, only expect that price from an older brother looking to sell his RC vehicle so he can raise money to buy a real vehicle. Seriously though, although unexpected bargains have been lucked into on eBay or by someone listing one for sale on a message board, brand new RC nitro monster trucks typically list for well over $400.