Different gambling arenas for people at different income levels

Everybody is trying to get more money, keep more of the money they have, and, at the very least, pile a little up for retirement. But lower income, middle income, and upper income groups have a different approach to multiply their money. Casino patrons visit in order to quickly turn a tiny amount of money into a large amount of money. People from every economic level visit casinos, for most people it is short-lived entertainment. When it comes to getting more serious about an ongoing way to make a little money into a lot of money, most people do their gambling in three other arenas.

You want the big money right now, so why wait? Buy a lottery ticket today and find out the result tonight. This is the first gambling arena that people frequent to try to end their money troubles. People earning under $100,000 are 2.5 times more likely to frequently buy lottery tickets as people that earn more than $100,000. No big surprise here, middle to low income earners find lottery tickets a cheap and easy way to hit big money on the way home from work. This is not a form of gambling that I would recommend as your chances of winning have been equated to being struck by lightning 25 times.

Only half of the American population has ever tried their hand at the next gambling arena: the stock market or mutual funds. You might have a retirement account with a couple mutual funds, or you could be trading in and out of stocks every few days. But this is where middle income earners go to gamble and try to get rich. The average stock portfolio is a whopping $34,300. Any stockbroker will tell you that if you are lucky and have 50 years, you may be able to own a portfolio worth a million dollars. When there is a sharp increase in the stock market, the amateurs rush in and try to make it a profession; but get financially hurt in the end. In the late 1990’s it was day-trading. I personally know successful short-term traders, but 97% of them quit after losing most/all of their trading account in a short amount of time. This is not a gambling arena that I’d recommend to build your wealth: whether short-term or long-term stock investing. (The high income earners have an extra flavor of this type of investment called a hedge fund, but these funds offer a few spectacular gains but more frequent financial implosions.)

People in the high income bracket have two gambling arenas that they employ to get richer: real estate and private placement memorandums. The beauty of investment real estate is that it can lower your taxes by taking a deduction for depreciation. This feature is not available to lottery tickets, slot machines, or mutual funds. In this gambling arena, there is land development, residential rentals, apartments, and commercial property of various types. The high income earners buy properties with a high monthly income, reduce their taxes with its depreciation, and hope for a large rise in the property value over time. But as I said before, when there is a price run-up, the amateurs rush in and ultimately get financially hurt. In 2002-2005, the rage caught on in preconstruction condominiums (the cheapest way to get into real estate). The term “flipping condos” became prevalent and masses of beginning investors have lost a lot of money because they weren’t educated about real estate investing. But professionals in the industry continue to earn money because they buy based upon monthly income, and speculative gains are just the extra icing for the investment. The second casino that high income earners use is PPM’s (private placement memorandums). These are investments that are illegal for people earning under $200,000, or have a net worth under $1 million. (The government only wants sophisticated investors who can afford to lose their money entering these unregulated investments.) These investments are normally created by small business owners that need more money to expand, so they are offering part of the ownership of their company with a higher than average rate of return. Conservative real estate offer the best odds of success for any of the gambling arenas; and then when you have built up enough money, you can begin with some conservative PPM’s.

Where do you want to focus your ‘getting richer’ effort? There is no risk free path to follow, but maybe this will help you decide: What is the probability that you will successfully pick the winning lottery numbers today? The joke you’ll hear is that “losing money on lottery tickets is a tax on the mathematically challenged.” What is the probability that you’ll buy the stock of a runaway company before the professionals run the price up? What is the probability that you can find a valuable real estate transaction? It is my opinion that educating yourself about real estate offers the best chance for sharply increasing your financial fortune.

[There is one more popular gambling arena available to people with internet/computer/technical skills, and that is joining a start-up company that is eventually taken public. The odds of success are only 7 times better than the lottery, about 1 in 6 million.]

San diego schools choice program means more opportunities for students but more work for parents

More than one-third of the students in the San Diego schools were enrolled in the Choice Program for the 2005-2006 school year. The program gives parents the ability to transfer their children from their assigned school to one that offers more academic opportunities or specific school attributes. The program offers six methods of eligibility.

Program Improvement School Choice. Children assigned to San Diego schools that have failed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) academic standards may apply to better-ranked San Diego schools. Students applying for transfer under this program generally receive a higher priority than others and receive free transportation. If in the future the assigned San Diego schools pass the NCLB standards, parents may choose to move their children back to the assigned schools or continue in the new schools.

Magnet Schools Program. These San Diego schools are each based upon a theme, such as performing arts, with the curriculum centered around it. Though they provide all the state required basics, students can immerse themselves in the particular subject; whereas in other schools, the theme may only be offered as an elective class or two. Magnet schools are designed to attract a diverse cross section of students from throughout the city. Free transportation is provided to students who live outside a specific mileage range. Acceptance priority is given based upon:

• Demographics — they encourage San Diego schools students living in demographic areas different from where the Magnet School is located to apply,

• Continuity — San Diego schools students in a performing arts elementary school, for example, would be given acceptance priority when applying to a performing arts middle and high school,

• Siblings — San Diego schools students with brothers or sisters already enrolled in the school are given priority,

• Program Improvement — receives a lower priority than the others listed above, and

• General Applications — receives the lowest priority.

Voluntary Ethnic Enrollment Program (VEEP). VEEP was designed to provide a better racial and cultural integrated, educational experience in the San Diego schools. Predominantly Caucasian-populated schools are paired with minority schools for the program. Most transfer students receive free transportation.

Choice Program. Any San Diego schools student is eligible to apply to any school not in the Magnet program. Acceptance is based solely on the space available, and transportation is the parents’ responsibility.

Inter-District Transfer Program. Any student with the state may apply to any school within the San Diego schools. Like the Choice Program, acceptance is based solely on the space available, and transportation is the parents’ responsibility.

Charter Schools Program. These independent schools within the San Diego schools are on space available only and often use a random lottery for application acceptance. Some require that the students applying meet specific criteria. If you are interested in transferring your child to a Charter School, inquire early — they set their own application deadlines.

If you find that your child does not meet any of these criteria or their acceptance priority would be low, there are two other methods of gaining transfer acceptance that are not part of the overall Choice Program. They are through special request and the Gifted and Talented Education Program (GATE). You may submit a special request to the San Diego schools, when your child’s assigned school does not offer specific coursework. These requests are handled on a case-by-case basis. If the GATE program is not offered in your child’s assigned school and your child qualifies, again you may request a transfer to a school that does.

Other than in the Charter Schools, applications to San Diego schools by March 15th for the following school year are given priority.

Though the Choice Program offers a great opportunity to all San Diego schools students, there are a lot of choices. With 212 public schools, including the 31 Magnet Schools and 35 Charter Schools, investigating the schools and their offerings can be overwhelming and time consuming for the parents.

San Diego schools officials offer the following advice:

• All schools offer the required basic coursework, so do not get caught up in “only one school will do” — look at the many other schools, too;

• Look beyond test scores — schools have a lot more to offer, such as specialized education programs;

• Visit the school campus — what looks good on paper may be different in reality, sometimes better and sometimes worse;

• Talk to parents and educators at the school, find out first-hand; and

• Ask if they offer parent seminars and tours before the application deadline.

If you are interested in applying for a transfer to any of the San Diego schools, begin early, list the criteria you wish to be provided by the school, look at all the available schools, choose those that seem to fit your requirements, and then thoroughly investigate each one. It is a lot of homework for the parents, but it can be the best foundation they can give their children.

This information on San Diego schools is brought to you by schoolsk-12.com.

Video streaming programming to portadestrians

More than ever before in the history of the world we are a mobile society. Sadly, the dinner table has often been abandoned in favor of a drive-thru as we try to take in as much as we can in what little time we may have available.

While dad watches his son play baseball he can take phone calls, send and receive messages and event conduct a business transaction or two. Meanwhile, ‘Slugger’s” sister can be text messaging friends and watching video clips on her cell phone or sending pictures of her brother’s game to grandma.

I was on the phone once with a salesman for a product I really needed. As it turns out he was on a freeway in Dallas faxing me the specifications while emailing the parent company in Virginia – and passing a few cars.

While I don’t recommend his approach to highway safety I do understand that the delivery methods consumers expect have changed dramatically.

Video streaming is one of the most dramatic changes in content delivery. Where once you were tied to your home television, now many vehicles come equipped with DVD players. Many laptop computers also come with DVD players and burners. A Blackberry can allow you to do multiple tasks including making and receiving calls as well as Internet functionality. This makes it possible to watch video via a highly portable device.

New deals are routinely inked that allow video content to be delivered through sites like YouTube. A world that’s on the go can now go and still have access to what they want to see.

As a business owner you should work to harness this portability with content that can be consumed on the go. Video streaming is much more acceptable in the world of portadestrians (my name for them) than static text.

Amateur video still finds great favor with portadestrians if the content is compelling.

Pike’s Fish Market in Seattle is a fun place to visit, however, if you simply want to view the fun they are having at any given moment you can tap into their live web cam and experience a few minutes with flying fish.

The Internet has allowed the consumer to be in total control of what they want to see, when they want to see it and how they will download it.

If you’ve never considered video streaming the concept can seem a little overwhelming, but using video streaming can be a solid marketing tool used to entertain and inform potential customers.

Home schooling online - is it right for your family

Home schooling online requires a lot of dedication and strict scheduling to ensure that the required work gets done. Internet classes, which are often scheduled at specific times during the day, must be attended regularly. In addition, tests are generally taken online and grades posted or delivered via e-mail.

Some of the most popular reasons to enroll in home schooling online is scheduling, childhood development or simply the desire to learn at home. For adults who enroll in home schooling online, they often do so in order to be able to earn their degree while working full time. In this scenario, it would be very difficult to attend regular classes. For children, the decision to enroll in home schooling online is much different. If you feel that your child needs to learn at his/her own pace and you want to make sure that he/she receives personal attention to their education, home schooling online may be the answer. If your child has a difficult time socializing with other children and a physician feels that home schooling online would be better for your child's well-being, then you may want to consider online enrollment.

It's important to realize that home schooling online will not permit your child with the same socializing skills that are acquired while attending regular classes. Therefore, your child must find other ways to meet new people and adopt good social skills. This may include being a part of theatrical productions, field trips, library readings and other gatherings. One of the many benefits to home schooling, on the other hand, is being active in who your child socializes with and ensuring that the influences are acceptable.

Before making the final decision to enroll your child in home schooling online, make sure that he/she is in agreement. Many parents forget to include the child in such an important decision, but his/her opinion cannot be overlooked. In order for a child to learn well, the environment must be one that is desired. Many children want to attend regular school because, with home schooling online, they may feel that they are missing an important aspect of their childhood. This is why developing social activities is so important and is critical to your child's growth and development.

As a final thought, home schooling online is not expensive in and of itself. However, if your child enrolls in home schooling online, one parent will have to stay at home while the other works. If your home can handle one income, home schooling online may work perfectly. If not, you will have to work out a strict schedule so that someone is always at home to ensure the child's learning is not compromised while adjusting your work schedule around his/her education.

Cold calling strategies for business newcomers

In running a business most of us at some point have to do some cold calling. Just these two words "cold calling" can strike fear into the heart of even the most determined entrepreneur.

So how can we make cold calling easier? Here are some tips that might help:

1. Who are you going to ask for?

Try and find out the name of the person you want to speak to before you pick up the phone. There is nothing worse than saying "Can I speak to the manager?" Immediately the secretary knows that this might be sales call.

How do you do this? There are many websites and publications that actually tell you the size of the company and who the boss is. Your local chamber of commerce might be able to help with this regard. Attending networking meetings is another way to find out who the decision makers are.

2. Learn more about your target.

Get to know a little bit about the business before you call them. This way when you speak for the first time with somebody new you have some common ground.

3. Talk to your existing customer base

Talk to your customers and any business people you are friends and ask for help. Many will be happy to give you referrals and a few might even make the initial call for you!

4. Make friends with other sales people

Make friends with sales people and share information and contacts. This will work great as long you are not selling identical products and competing with each other! You can make the initial introduction call for your friend and they can do the same for you.

5. Make friends with other business owners

Especially with businesses that have a lot of sales people. This works on the basis "I scratch your back, you scratch mine." You can share referrals and help each other.

6. Practise makes perfect…

The more calls you do the better you will become. Reward yourself with a point every time someone says "no" to you. Once you hit ten points it is time to stop for a break.

7. I do not care how good you are...

Nobody can cold call for a full 8 hours without getting absolutely shattered. It is far better to spend say three hours every day cold calling than to dedicate one day a week to this task. Choose the time of the day you are at your best. Some people are great in the mornings whilst others perform better in the afternoons.

8. Buy a decent headset.

This will enable you to make notes whilst you are the phone, stop your neck getting sore and even allow you to carry on a little longer when you are on a roll. Work like a pro and get professional results.

9. Send a thank you note.

Building relationships with existing customers and people who did give you the time of day is what it is all about.

10. Change anxiety into something positive.

Learn to turn your feelings of dread into something more powerful. Actors can turn stage fright into something positive that makes them perform better on a live stage and so can you.

11. If all else fails…

Then employ someone else to do it for you. If your time is better spent converting people who have already agreed to meet you then pay a telemarketing company to make your cold calls.

If you can start enjoying talking to new people and stop taking "no" as a personal insult then you are on your way. Tell little jokes and one liners and have a laugh at the same time as trying to make that appointment. You are allowed to have fun when you are cold calling!

A more convenient approach to heart health

Here's news many Americans can take to heart. In addition to diet and exercise, there is a new heart health product with aspirin available to help reduce heart disease risk factors.

Cardiovascular disease poses a major health threat to both men and women in the U. S. According to the American Heart Association, more than 71 million adults in the U. S. have at least one type of cardiovascular disease. These include dysfunctional conditions of the heart, arteries and veins that supply oxygen to life-sustaining areas of the body such as the brain, the heart itself and other vital organs.

These conditions can be caused by a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure and poor circulation. Patients with cardiovascular disease are at increased risk for heart attacks, strokes and death.

A healthy diet and regular exercise are important steps in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. In addition, a new and complete heart health product has been developed that combines the known benefits of doctor-recommended, low-dose aspirin with heart health vitamins and other supplements. These ingredients have been clinically shown to reduce the chances of heart attack and stroke, and may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and help manage other cardio risk factors.

Called CardioEA™ Enhanced with Aspirin, each safety-coated caplet contains 81 mg of doctor-recommended, low-dose aspirin plus a complex of vitamins B6, B12, Folic Acid, L-Arginine and Aged Garlic Extract™ (AGE). It provides heart health-conscious consumers with the opportunity to help manage many of the risk factors that contribute to heart disease with a single daily caplet instead of taking various supplements and aspirin every day.

This is the first in a new category of preventive and wellness products called OTCeuticals™, manufactured by the Alan James Group, a health care-focused consumer products company based in Boca Raton, Florida. OTCeuticals are vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements that are combined with FDA-monographed, Category 1 USP-grade ingredients in rational, safe, effective and convenient combinations.

In addition to CardioEA Enhanced with Aspirin, the Alan James Group's OTCeuticals pipeline includes products for bone & joint and gastrointestinal health, among others.

CardioEA Enhanced with Aspirin is available in the vitamin section at most major supermarkets, chain drug and discount retailers.

Add a personal flair with wedding favors to any wedding

Celebrating the unity of two people for eternity is the foremost purpose of a Wedding Ceremony. It has been this way and will continue to be this way for as long as the tradition lives. Wedding Guests are invited to share not only in the joyous occasion but also to bear witness to the union. There is something spiritual about standing before all those who are special to you and make a lifelong commitment to someone for others to hear, which is what really transforms two people into a married couple.

To show an appreciation for their guests, for the time they have taken out of their busy lives to be part of the Wedding, the bride and groom shower their guests with Wedding Favors. These Wedding Gifts or Wedding Favors have been the tradition to thank the wedding guests for their thoughtfulness, their gifts and help in any way given to the couple in making the wedding a special occasion.

Wedding favors traditionally are given to all of the guests that have been invited to the wedding reception, of course, more expensive wedding favors are available and there are many weddings for which these higher-priced wedding favors are appropriate, but . these are typically inexpensive gifts, averaging in the $1 - $2 price range. Numerous wedding favors are available in just about any category one could imagine, from sterling silver picture frames, to personalized edible chocolates, and even fragrant bath soaps.

Selecting wedding favors is not that difficult at all, nor is it necessary to purchase these well in advance of the wedding date. Most are readily available at online and retail outlets that specialize in these kind of wedding accessories. You don't want to wait until the last minute however, as that is a particularly hectic time, and you will need to allow ample time for personalization, or if you select an item that requires special ordering, for example, an unusually large quantity, or an exclusive item. To be on the safe side, two to three months prior to the wedding date is a good time to make your wedding favor selections. Once you have them in your possession, the only other thing you need to worry about is getting them to the reception before the guests arrive and presenting them in a unique and beautiful manner appropriate for the occasion

Online shopping has made finding appropriate wedding favors very easy. Type 'wedding favors' into your search engine and you'll get pages of web sites offering every type of wedding favor you could ever want. So where do you begin? It's definitely a good idea to consult your budget worksheet first so you know the price range to focus on. From there, think about what makes you and your partner unique. Do you both love golf? Are you wine connoisseurs? What about a theme? If your wedding has one, there's sure to be a favor to complement that theme. Do you want the favor to be the place holder? If so, select one that allows you to write the person's name and table number. Creating your own wedding favors is another option and can end up being the most unique wedding favor of all and one that your guests are sure to treasure!

Wedding Favors most suited to the occasion are the ones that reflect your personal style and personality. So select something that you personally enjoy and that your guests will appreciate and remember your wedding and you for a long time to come.

Website advertising advertise your website effectively

Promoting a website is just like selling a product, and advertising is the key to its success. The need to drive traffic and lure visitors to a website caused an onslaught of promotional efforts from webmasters.

These days, people are learning how to overcome the biggest challenge in the world of providing goods or services to customers. Store owners in the real world, and website owners in the cyber world are both learning that to get sales or results, the real challenge is how to get people into their stores or websites, respectively. This is where advertising comes in, and takes the world, especially the cyber counterpart, by storm.

Website advertising has branched out a lot since webmasters first discovered the need to apply certain tricks and techniques to make their sites grow. Now, website advertising comes in many different forms, resulting to various techniques, tricks, and tools. Not only are there plenty of website advertising techniques, but each new technique is becoming more creative than the last. To give you an idea of what these website advertising tools are, and how they help, here’s a run-through of the most widely used website advertising techniques.

The first well-known web advertising technique is to use the free advertising sites and classified ads sites. These websites are where webmasters can post ads and links to their sites. Online classified ads work just like the newspaper classified ads. People who are specifically looking for something, especially in terms of products or services, usually go to these sites to search. Thus, this technique brings, not just traffic, but targeted traffic to your site. Another website advertising technique is listing your site up in web and directory listings. This will also help generate more targeted traffic to your site, the same way that classified ad sites do.

Website advertising also requires creativity. You can post your ads everywhere on the Internet, as long as you think it will be seen by your target audience. You can submit articles to e-zines and article directories, especially if you are selling or providing information. You can also post ads in forums, which hits two birds with one stone. This drives more direct traffic to your site, but also increases your page ranking since search engines also use forums and discussion boards in their results.

Aside from posting in forums, people who seem to have dedicated their time to website advertising have found more creative and unique ways to further promote their sites. They make use of practically all available resources, even Spam mail, to distribute the link to their website to as many people as possible.

However, no matter where you place the links or the ads, how you compose and create them is still a determining factor whether they will get noticed or ignored. There are different types of web ads such as banners, icons, and the like. The secret is to create ads that attracts attention, but in a good way. In creating an ad, think about the people you are trying to reach. Links, on the other hand, are effectively backed up by a well-written resource box.

Website advertising is not limited to the techniques and tools mentioned here. It can well pass for a world of its own. The boundaries in website advertising is very vague, so this means that as a website owner, the opportunities, techniques, and tools to advertise your site and drive traffic to it are endless.

Cyber bingo

There is a game taking the gaming world by storm and it is called cyber bingo. Cyber bingo is an online representation of the old classic called bingo.

Bingo originated in the 1500's as a form of lottery in Italy where people could win money. The game made the trip across the Atlantic in the early 1900's when it was called Beano. The game changed its name when a player accidentally called out "Bingo" instead of Beano. The new name stuck, and has remained the same ever since.

With the advent of the internet and online gaming, the obvious next step of the game is cyber bingo. The word "cyber" refers to the bingo game being online or rather played in 'cyberspace'. Instead of the old method of playing that is in halls.

The basics of cyber bingo is the same as its land based counterpart in that a player hopes to fill a card made up of random numbers between 1 and 75. As the numbers are called out, the player ticks off the numbers she has. This process continues until the he or she has ticked off all the numbers required to win. Cyber bingo games usually have the required winning numbers to make up a special shape. The participant of the game will then need to get the required numbers in the same shape that was chosen before the game starts. The shape changes at the beginning of each new game.

The other great feature of cyber bingo is the chat facility that allows players to chat with other players during the game. Most reputable cyber bingo games automatically check to see if you have won, thus allowing you to chat while playing.

A great site called Bingodrome even has small chat games where you can win extra credits to spend at their site.

Low credit score mortgage refinance refinance loans for all credit types

Having bad credit may seem like the end of the world. Because of a negative credit rating, you may be turned down for personal loans, credit cards, auto loans, and mortgages. Those unfamiliar with bad credit lenders may attempt to obtain financing through a bank or credit union. However, these financial institutions rarely offer bad credit loans. To get approved for financing with bad credit, you must select lenders that specialize in all credit types.

What are Bad Credit Refinancing Lenders?

Declining interest rates have many homeowners contemplating refinancing. Years ago, the average home interest rate was about 9 percent. Today, rates are as low as 5 percent. Those who refinance will receive a significantly lower rate. Hence, their monthly mortgage payment will also decrease. The extra money could be used to start a savings accounts or payoff bills.

Low credit score individuals can greatly benefit from a refinancing. Lenders that specialize in bad credit refinancing are called sub prime lenders or high risk lenders. Their objective is to help bad credit homebuyers acquire a mortgage or loan at reasonable rates. If you were to apply for a loan with a prime lender, the rates quoted will be much higher, which defeats the purpose of refinancing.

Advantages of Low Credit Score Refinance Mortgages

Even though bad credit mortgages may include additional fees, these loans are perfect for rebuilding your credit. Furthermore, you have the option of a cash-out refinancing. This involves refinancing your mortgage and borrowing some of your home's equity. This is great for people hoping to improve their low credit score. The funds can be used to consolidate and eliminate debt, which will greatly increase your credit rating.

Locating Bad Credit Refinance Lenders Online

Applying for a bad credit refinancing online is quick and convenient. Many sub prime and high risk lenders have online application forms. You must supply information concerning income, employment, credit rating, and desired loan amount. After submitting information, the lender will review your application and remit a quote. The quote will consist of offered rate, terms, mortgage payment, and estimated closing costs. Applicants may accept or decline the offer. Before accepting an offer, request quotes from at least four bad credit lenders.

Adwords killer review my adwords killer case study

Adwords Killer is another very popular Adwords guide that hit the market recently. This is my unbiased and critical Adwords Killer Review that will tell you exactly what you will find inside - and what you won't.

Unless you have been living under a rock you know that there are dozes of Adwords Guides out there. All of them promise you that you can make a fortune. What I don't like is that you keep reading the same stuff over and over - sometimes basics that you could get for free on the tutorial pages of Google Adwords.

Other Adwords books that I had previously bought include Google Cash, Adwords Miracle, Affiliate Project X, Day job killer, Adwordelite and The Definitive Guide to Google Adwords by Perry Marshall. If you add up the price for all of them you know I spent a lot of money.

So my million dollar question really is: Does Adwords Killer offer any new tricks or strategies that you haven't seen yet in any other guides or is it just the usual stuff (Split-testing ads, Tight ad-grouping etc.)?

Adwords Killer has 81 pages and it does cover some of the basics, but the major part of the guide consists of new and innovative tactics that cannot be found in other books. Maybe that's because the other authors preferred to keep those tricks for themselves – maybe it is because they were not aware of them. I don't know.

So what does Adwords Killer cover what other Adwords Guides don't?

Negative Keywords

This is one of the highlights of the book. Everybody tells you to include the negative keyword – free in your ads. Adwords Killer goes far beyond that. The author gives you a comprehensive list of 47 negative keywords that have statistically proven to make campaigns unprofitable. Most of them I had never considered. But once you think about it – it seems so obvious. He also tells you exactly when and how to use negative keywords and how to avoid a common mistake many people make when using negative keyword phrases consisting of more than one word.

Campaign Tuning

Campaign Tuning means you constantly improve your campaigns to make them better and more profitable over time. This is something that others don't mention at all – although the very popular Adwords Miracle does tell you a little about campaign tuning but not enough.

Adwords Killer tells you how to use advanced keyword tracking using log files – which only applies if you have your own landing page - and how to know if a campaign has reached its maximum profit potential. This is something that really made me totally turn around some of my campaigns. One of my campaigns that was losing money before now makes $25 each and every day.

CPC Kill Technique for Campaign Defense

Recently certain Adwords products have started to show you how to nuke or steal other people's campaigns. Adwords Killer is the first guide to show you how to protect an evil advertiser from stealing your keywords and attacking your campaign. This will become more and more important since too many advertisers out there just try to spot a profitable niche and then just copy your ad. The CPC Kill Technique tells you exactly how to keep other advertisers out of a niche that you have occupied and that you want to keep it for yourself.

Site Targeting Secrets

This was completely new for me. I must admit that I had always switched off the content network, like most of the other gurus said and focused only on keyword targeting. This section alone for me was worth the price of Adwords Killer many times over since it tells you exactly how to use the site targeting feature to make a $10 per day campaign into a 50$ per day campaign. The good thing: As with site targeting there is almost no competition out there yet, so up to this point this is easy money.

Bidding Secrets and Position Preference

Adwords Killer shows you a method to outbid any competitor only spending the minimum amount of cash. More important it shows you how to use the position preference feature from Adwords (rarely used by anyone) to maximize your conversions. Yes, I knew that it was no good to be in the number one position for a keyword, because you get too many people who click out of curiosity but don't buy. What surprised me was the exact position your ad should be in to get fewer clicks but much higher conversions.

I would recommend Adwords Killer if you are already a little familiar with Google Adwords and are looking for more powerful tactics to boost your profits or if you currently have some Adwords campaigns running that are unprofitable. If you are a total newbie, don't buy this book – if you are already familiar with Adwords – Adwords Killer will turn you into an experienced Adwords advertiser that 99% of other advertisers cannot compete with. Even if you are very experienced like I am Adwords Killer will have some tricks that you didn't know. Applying only one of them can pay the price of the book many times over.

The use of these advanced tactics is what can separate a winning campaign from a losing one and an affiliate marketer who makes some money from an Adwords Pro who makes a killing.

Honestly I would not want to compete in a niche with another advertiser who uses the tricks laid out in Adwords Killer. Get it here: adwordkiller. com

Nuclear energy - the green solution

The United States with less than 5% of the world's population consumes roughly 25% of the world's energy. Some might argue that this is egregious, while others would say that it is simply a yardstick by which the world's largest economy is measured. But for whatever the reason for our vast consumption of energy, the fact remains that in order to consume you first have to produce. And as most of our energy comes from burning fossil fuels - which wouldn't be too bad except that:

(1) burning vast amounts of fossil fuels in this county alone dumps millions of pounds of earth warming greenhouse gasses into, what appears, is a fragile atmosphere, every day. Just warming up the atmosphere a couple of degrees on average has significant impact. Look no further than last year's hurricane season. The worst on record. And...

(2) let's not forget its close cousin; smog pollution, which adds to respiratory problems and other health conditions, not to mention the visual blight hanging over our cities as well. In addition...

(3) have you filled your tank recently? Paid the heating bill? The cost of all fossil fuels, even coal has increased significantly. As other emerging economies such as China and India vie for ever more limited resources, all bets are that the costs will continue to climb over the long haul. Moreover...

(4) as we import most of our oil nowadays - we are increasingly held hostage to an unstable supply from a number of countries that we, for whatever reasons, are increasingly unpopular with. The end game? If our supply of oil is not first arbitrarily cut off, as it becomes increasingly scarce the price will rise until our growth is strangled. In either case we will feel impelled to engage in war with other rising powers to secure our supplies.

The bottom line: Fossil fuels are not only hazardous to our health (and the planet's) but may in fact be hazardous to the American way of life.

But if energy is the lifeblood of our economy what are we to do? Wind? Solar? While anything we can do other than consume fossil fuels will help, these sources of energy are relatively diffuse and inconsistent. In other words, their "cost to calorie" ratios are not efficient and they are not always dependable. As James Kunstler points out in his intriguing book The Long Emergency, one of our best options out of these dilemmas is to do an "Apollo Project" type effort to develop additional, new nuclear energy capability. As it turns out, it just may be the greenest, viable alternate we have.

The U. S. currently produces about 20% of its electrical power from nuclear power. The advantages are; that there are no greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere, no visual pollution, it is cost relatively cost effective, quiet and we have sufficient supply of uranium here at home for the foreseeable future to provide for a major portion of our energy needs. Historically, at least, the problem with nuclear energy has been primarily two fold. First, the "China Syndrome" problem of a meltdown of a reactor which could release a large amount of radioactivity and second, what do we do with nuclear waste material that has a half-life of over 25,000 years! The perception of these two significant obstacles might doom a new nuclear drive and stand in the way of an energy-independent United States.

However, there are new technologies in this field that, like the cavalry, have come to our rescue - and none too soon. First, there is a new class of nuclear reactors that have their nuclear fuel so structured that they cannot do a melt down. Turn off the cooling to this new nuclear reactor and it only gets a bit hotter. No big deal. Turn the cooling back on and it runs more efficiently. Okay, one down. But what about all that radioactive spent reactor fuel? Let's see if we can put some perspective on it. If you gathered all the spent nuclear fuel in this country under one roof it would fill a typical high school gym. Not too unmanageable. Moreover, the spent fuel is encapsulated in super strong glass beads, which in turn are embedded into hardened concrete inside steel drums. This makes the waste product "transportable" and is designed to withstand the elements for 10,000 years. Nevertheless, even in it's tomb it is still relativity radioactive. Most of these drums are stored in water as radiation cannot penetrate more than about 3 feet of water. However, no one seems anxious to have it in their back yards. A political hot potato to be sure.

But while our politicians don't have the answer, the earth does. The answer lies in the bottom of the Marianas Trench in the Pacific. It is the deepest place in the ocean (over seven miles) and one of the fastest moving subduction plates on earth. If the drums of waste were placed in the bottom of the trench, they would, within a few hundred years, be swallowed up into the bowels of the earth and blend into the earth's core where heat and pressure (caused in part by radioactive substances contained within the earth) rendered insignificant.

Given the current geopolitical situation, which only seems to be working to our disadvantage, limited resources for cheap fossil fuels, not to mention the environmental impacts we are starting to experience, it is time we take drastic measures to get us off our fossil fuel addition. Let's hope we are not too late.

Teenage anger. parenting tips

I am commonly asked questions like "Why is my teenager always angry with me?" Parents DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY! Teenagers are generally not angry with you they are just plain angry. This anger can vary from resentment right through to actual rage. What you are seeing is not the anger itself but a behavior.

The emotion is the anger, but what we see is the reaction to the anger that is the behavior.

Some Teens withdraw and repress their anger whilst others may become violent and destroy property or physically aggressive to other people.

You, the adult need to understand that teenage anger is an emotion not a behavior. So, the teen doesn't have to act out their behaviors in the way they do. The anger is frequently triggered by something going on in their life and this may be as simple as being unable to do a math problem. They may get up and walk along the corridor and punch the wall or kick a trash can, but they are NOT ANGRY WITH YOU.

This anger is usually with themselves and some perceived inadequacy. They are fearful and in this case it is the fear of failure. Your teen is on an emotional roller coaster dealing with issues of identity, relationships, the future, and all their hormones are going crazy at the same time. Understand this and you are able to accept that when your teen is angry it is generally not aimed at you. Regularly your teen is frustrated and angry with themselves. It's really important that you the parent, don't react to the teen with your own anger - because this just sets up a pattern of reactive behavior from parent to teen, going back and forth and ultimately achieving nothing positive. This is the time that people say things that they don't mean and the situation gets out of control. In this situation it is essential to remember you are the adult, so stop reacting. You need to focus on what your teen is feeling, and this is a way of defusing their anger. At this time your teen needs some acknowledgement of their feelings. So what I want you to do when this occurs is respond starting with the word "you". It is very easy for us to fall into the pattern of "I can't stand it when you.. " , "I told you to...". These are both statements in which you are responding with anger, so i want you to focus on them and their needs and commence with "you". For example, "you sound really frustrated", "you seem really distressed" or "you seem really angry today". We all know how much better we feel when someone else acknowledges our feelings. "You're really sad today". After you have acknowledged their feelings it is important that you let go of the situation and at another time when the teen is not highly emotive address the issues. For example; ask them if they had any warning signs that they were getting angry and could soon lose self control. Often before a teen (or adult for that matter) loses control and the anger escalated into something quite ferocious, they usually find that they are clenching their fists, shaking their legs, tapping their foot or possibly they develop sweaty palms. of course each person has a different sign. If your teen acknowledges for instance that they get sweaty palms just prior to an angry outburst you can assist them in finding a less destructive activity to do when their palms sweat. Relieving the pent up emotion for example with a run around the block, a swim, a shower, reciting a poem etc. They can now identify when their anger is escalating from the emotion into an unacceptable behavior. To learn more about coping or communicating with your teen visit inspireuonline. com/ or directly ask Fiona a question go to justaskfiona. com/

Dealing with depression grief support for depression

Depression is a status of mind which can bring serious altercation with human behavior which ultimately upsets even the harmony of stability, in a broad sense. An uncontrolled state of depression seriously affects all the activities of a man and brings far reaching biological and metabolic disfunctionalities in his day today life.

Mental depression is a phenomenon to which man has been battling hard over the time to smoothen his journey through the road of life. The amazing and most intimidating aspect of depression, when the matter concerns to the context of treatment is the consistently inconsistent identification of deep routed reasons behind the very mental peregrination. Here, the categorization of reasons becomes ever so impractical. It could not necessarily be attributed to the lean and rough patches in life. It could not significantly be supplemented only with his or her living circumstances. Instead, it is absolutely true to state that even a blank minded state could bring depression to a person.

The emotional symptoms of depression are as diverse as it can be. In a depressed state, one would have least interest to do even his routine activities. He would find himself tied up by some unknown force. He would not have any interest to engage himself in anything. Also, a depressed state of mind disturbs even his sleep. Sleepless nights, attributed by depressed state can even compound the problems. His thoughts wander like anything as if he has encountered the biggest of blocks in life. He loses his ability of concentration, which seriously shift the track of his professional and personal life, where his life goes for a toss. He seem to have no energy whatsoever in any activity he involves and gives even well built a man, an impression that he is too weak to deal, even the simplest of things. Ultimately, a depressed mind provokes him to question, even the purpose of his existence. Numerous cases of suicides have been reported because of this mental handicap.

It is highly important to note that the age is no longer a constraint for mental depression. Revolutionary changes and rapid transformation of life styles have helped depression to get cultivated even among younger generation. Among these people, bitter experiences in life, desperation incidents which stood worthy to twist his deep rooted mind set etc could be counted as primary reasons. If not identified and controlled in the initial stage, this mental status can evolve as serious disorder. Emphasizing on the point that, when due care has to be paid for this intricate issue, the role of family, friends and society is so critical to bring back, the ever so needed normalcy.

Friends and relatives must try to convince the depressed, about the purpose and meaning of life, and should try to make them understand the need of overcoming the state of mind to face the challenges of tomorrow. Council ling has proved to be effective over the time and will be good enough to retain the peace and harmony of mind. Relaxation exercises are the best medicine to cure mind diseases and the near and dear ones have the responsibility to inculcate a habit in them. They can even seek the assistance of technology to overcome this mental illness. Hypnosis cd s are available in the market that are developed by experts in this arena.

Hence, depression is a product of mental wanderings, and is too intricate to deal in an advanced stage; simply because, the intricacy of depression has to be dealt with the delicacy of mind.

Under their thumb

Some of my clients have come to me feeling like their worlds were not under their own control. They felt as though everyone else ran their lives and had some aspect of control in everything that they did. I asked them to note some specific situations in which they felt this way and how they felt "out of control" of the situation. It's interesting to note that in every circumstance, there was some aspect of "guilt" or "second-guessing" involved. Indeed, these are the purest signs of self-relinquished control.

There are many ways that people can feel "loss of control" in their lives. We can lose control through frustration and burn-out, living in a rut, stagnation, illness, change, and trauma. However, one of the most common is unconsciously giving up control to others. This is an unconscious act involving two or more parties where party "A" literally hands over the reins to party "B".

At one time, "parental voices" controlled and molded our lives. These are the voices and rules provided by authority, family, and friends from whom our core belief systems evolved. However, some external influences and people can re-engage that basic instinct for seeking parental acceptance simply by imposing doubt into your world. By accepting the guilt or self-doubt imposed by others, you begin to live in someone else's "context". You surrender your own belief systems and adopt those of the other party. In doing so, you begin to live by the rules and controls of the other person.

One of the more common areas in which this occurs is in a professional or group setting where power and control are part of the environment. Many politically savvy individuals ("A") will take control of others ("B") simply by learning their ways, gaining their trust, and then embedding doubt or a feeling of non-acceptance. In this way, "A" is now subconsciously seen as the parental figure and "B" requires acceptance from "A". "A" is now in control of "B". Over time, "B" grows to feel animosity towards "A", but is usually unsure why except for the fact that "B" doesn't like the way that "A" treats them.

Once you fall into this situation, it is difficult to break free. You have to go through and undo the web of emotions and doubt that now clouds your thinking. However, you have to realize that it's not so much how "A" treats you as it is how you feel about your view of their treatment. By separating your ego and emotions from the situation, you are better able to break free from the reins of self-relinquished control. But, it's not so much that they have explicit control over you as it is that you are merely seeking their acceptance. It's an interesting situation to observe!

The best way to prevent such situations from occurring is to go through your own psyche and find out which "parental voices" are still present and dislodge them. You need to replace the old, worn out parental triggers with your own rules for your evolving belief systems. Of course, we usually just leave these voices where they are out of comfort and because they seem to work. However, these are triggers that can be tripped to cause us to fall into this loss-of-control scenario.

I recall one young man who, once he finished college, simply hung out in a local pub. He could not figure out what to do with his life. His parents had passed on, he had no other relatives around, so he just "waited" for anyone and anything that tripped his triggers. Because of this, he ended up in trouble from time to time because he was easily misled by people who gave him what he wanted --- acceptance and direction. After much work and planning, he began to move forward in his life and is slowly becoming a success in his own right. But, as you can see, these types of situations are very common and can occur just about anytime to anyone. I've also seen such issues occur with abused women, corporations, and myriad other inter-personal situations. People tend to sit and wait for acceptance and guidance from others because they relinquished control.

Live your own life by replacing these triggers with your own rules for living. You will never obtain acceptance from everyone as the rest of the world is out seeking acceptance as well. It's a never-ending cycle! Learn to accept yourself as, in the long run, you are the only person who has a stake in your own decisions and endeavors for a self-fulfilling life.

The san jose unified school district wins honors for its board of education driven public engagement model

The San Jose Unified School District has enacted a unique plan to build relationships with the local community in order to overcome an old negative image.

The Past Negative Image of the San Jose Schools

A series of teacher strikes, bankruptcy, and changes in leadership gave the San Jose Unified School District a bad reputation among the local community. Students weren’t achieving state standards and many parents and teachers didn’t know what to do to fix the situations. The San Jose Unified School District faced the daunting task of regaining public trust and integrating itself into the needs of the community.

The Board of Education Driven Public Engagement Model

The solution that San Jose came up with was not an easy one, nor a quick one. It involved finding new ways to communicate with parents and other area residents in a way that allowed all voices to be heard and real data to be collected about the school district’s problems.

Focus Groups

The San Jose Unified School District organized a series of focus groups to identify what needed to be done. These focus groups were able to pinpoint the factors that bred mistrust and disinterest in the community. Eventually, the school district was able to say that the basic factors contributing to the problems in the district came from three sources: lack of school – community interaction, low student expectations, and uninvolved or uninformed parents. With this information, the Board of Education turned to business and civic groups to try to find ways to eliminate these factors.

The Goal

The Board of Education Driven Public Engagement Model has both short and long term goals. In the short term, the San Jose Unified School district sought to create a plan that would make the local community want to send their children there. In the long term, the school district hopes to engage the community in order to accomplish their goals of improving student performance while building up a network of tools and strategies for communication with the public. Superintendent Don Iglesias explained: “The program was developed to increase parent and community participation and understanding within our school district.”

Successful Components of the Model

District communications are at the center of the Public Engagement Model and conferences between school and community members are held on a yearly basis. Called “community conversations,” these conferences have allowed the school district to hear the thoughts and opinions of over 6000 people. In addition, annual surveys for parents, teachers, and students help identify the issues to be resolved and help all members of the community feel a commitment to the success of the San Jose Unified School District.

Evidence That It’s Working

Improvements in student achievement across the board are clear in the 30 California Distinguished Schools and 11 National Blue Ribbon Schools in the district. In addition, the new relationship with the community has also had its rewards. First a $165 million bond issue and then a $429 million one have shown overwhelming public support for the San Jose Unified School District, as the local community shows the new found trust and high expectations it has for area schools. As Superintendent Iglesias puts it, “Through this project, we have learned what strategies work from a public standpoint, and parents feel heard and respected.”

The art of scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is one of the most popular hobbies in America and is done in recognition of special occasions, including anniversaries, graduation, birthdays, weddings, new births and as a memoir of precious moments. The possibilities are limited by the owner’s imagination and may even include such things as building your first house or as a journal used to document a dream vacation.

There are several products needed for scrapbooking, which includes an album that can easily have pages added or removed, photos, magic markers in a rainbow of colors, glue, stickers, confetti-like embellishments. These products are readily found in any craft store or the craft section of most retail stores, but are also commonly found online. Many online specialty stores carry a broad range of crafting supplies and embellishments that are designed to make the scrapbooking experience a terrific one.

An example of a quality scrapbooking project may be a high school or college graduation. Photos of the graduate, along with special moments with his/her friends at college, could be added onto various scrapbooking pages. For each page, perhaps the graduate could share some thoughts in writing about the image that was captured on film and what he/she was feeling at that moment. Perhaps it was a big win for the football team or a special dance but, whatever the case, it is nice to have a written sentiment to go along with the photo. Once the picture is applied and a few words are written, it’s time to add the embellishments. It’s fun to add a catchy title to the top of the page, which can be written, printed from a computer or found on stickers. Once the title is added, some ribbon or confetti-like additions can be placed sporadically throughout the page.

Scrapbooking is a fun hobby and is also a way to preserve the memories that we wish to keep in our life forever. As the years go by and memories slowly fade of how we felt on a particular day or at a particular time, it is wonderful to turn to a scrapbook and see what we were thinking at the big game or how we felt after being asked to a dance or after meeting our future spouse. Not only can scrapbooking be a wonderful way to pass the time, but it is also a treasure that we can share with our children and grandchildren through the years.

Lease option technique

Why do people sell properties using lease options? There is a reason that some of the most successful real estate investors use the lease option technique.

No Down Payment: I know what you're thinking, "I would never offer such a thing!" You don't have to. As a real estate investor rich in tools to find motivated sellers, you could get your next home using this lease option technique with no money down. You don't have to tell the seller that an option fee may be customary!

Principle Pay Down: If an option is accompanied by a lease the possibilities are greater for increased equity build up. By applying a portion of the monthly lease payment amount to the purchase price of the property one has the opportunity to widen the gap between the market value and the loan amount. Depending on whether the monthly rent amount is inline with market rates...this is free money! A 30-year amortized, $100,000 loan at 7% begins at approximately $82 per month of principle payments. A $100 per month rent credit beats that, dollar for dollar, every month for almost 3 years!

No New Loan: Possibly the most noteworthy advantage of using a lease option in the residential market is that when the optionee begins the purchase process no "new loan" is required. The prerequisite for this may be working with the right and informed mortgage broker but is usually easily accomplished through a refinance. This can mean no additional out-of-pocket money for closing.

Appreciation: One of the typical advantages of controlling a property using an option is that the buyer retains the right to capture some, if not all, appreciation during the term. The longer the term, the greater the appreciation can be. In the single-family arena, where terms are usually 12-24 months, even moderate amounts of property appreciation can add up. For the buyer, especially, every percentage point of appreciation counts. And, if you're nice enough to offer (or get) a 24-month term in a market increasing at 3% annually, $6,000 on a $100,000 property is significant.

It is better to use your own strategy against you, if you are in the market for new home.

Seeking a debt consolidation loan the importance of debt management as part of your plan

More and more people find themselves struggling with their finances all of the time. These are men and women who literally have a nearly impossible time keeping their heads above the financial waves that seem to be dragging them farther and farther out into a sea of debt. If this sounds like the situation you find yourself in today, you need to focus your attention on the importance of developing a financial plan for your future. As part of this plan, you may want to consider getting a debt consolidation loan. However, even if you elect to take the course of getting a debt consolidation loan, you must keep in mind that debt management needs to be an important tool in your ongoing efforts to bring financial order to your life, to pull yourself out of the swirling sea of debt.

When it comes to your debt consolidation loan options and debt management in this day and age, you might want to consider enrolling in a debt management course. There are a number of different options available to you today when it comes to debt management courses that are available in both the brick and mortar world and on the Internet and World Wide Web. In fact, your debt consolidation loan lender might be able to direct you to a helpful debt management course.

Local junior colleges, community colleges, colleges and universities offer continuing education programs that include debt management courses. A person normally can enroll in these debt management courses for a very reasonable cost.

When it comes to seeking debt management assistance as part of obtaining a debt consolidation loan, many not for profit debt counseling services in the brick and mortar world offer debt management courses. In fact, many not for profit debt counseling services can also assist you in preparing to submit an application for a debt consolidation loan.

If you are not inclined to participate in debt management courses there are many books on the subject of debt management available to you today. Any major bookseller will have different books on the subject of debt management. This includes booksellers both in the brick and mortar world and on the Internet and World Wide Web as well.

When it comes to obtaining debt management guidance along with a debt consolidation loan, there are videos and DVDs that provide helpful information pertaining to debt management. These videos and DVDs operate like mini-courses and offer some very helpful and useful information about debt management. Moreover, these videos and DVDs often times also provide suggestions that are useful to you in preparing to apply for a debt consolidation loan.

Once again, debt management is a vital part of your steps towards a healthy financial future. Obtaining a debt consolidation loan is good for your financial future. However, if you do not have a debt management plan, you very well may not be getting the full benefits of your debt reduction efforts.

At-home beauty treatments offer lower costs lower risks

There has been an increase recently in Americans' obsessions to look and feel better. Reality makeover programs such as "Extreme Makeover" use cosmetic surgery to erase signs of aging or to change the size and shape of specific body parts. However, for some people, invasive procedures are not an option.

Many are afraid to undergo surgery because of the risks or the expense that is often associated with these cosmetic procedures. Fortunately, there are now products that can be used in the privacy of your own home for a fraction of the cost, are more convenient and offer great results.

For years, those searching to get rid of fine lines and get that healthy glow went to a physician for microdermabrasion, a treatment where dead skin cells are removed with tiny silicon or aluminum-oxide crystals blown against the skin using a hand-held device and then sucked up with a small vacuum. Costing about $1,200 a visit, the procedure was not easy on the wallet. But there's a new generation of at-home alternatives that allows you to get similar results within weeks. Creams and serums that contain Retinol (pure vitamin A) exfoliate the skin, giving a more youthful appearance. Those who want to go a step further can now buy their own high-tech beauty treatment system, a microdermabrasion machine, at a cost of $79.95 ( sharperimage. com).

Some women are unhappy with the size or shape of their bust. They might have always wished they were a cup size larger so that their clothes fit them better, or they may have noticed changes in their shape after childbirth. Regardless of the reason, many of these women are afraid or unwilling to undergo the pain associated with implants. Others are simply not willing to fork over the average $5,000 cost for surgery. Now there is another option available, a system that is clinically proven to grow a woman's own natural breasts about a cup size without surgery, pills or creams.

These are just a few of the do-it-yourself at home beauty treatments that are easier on your wallet, provide you with more control of your looks and can be done on your own time. To find out more about these treatments, log on to their Web sites or try the procedures yourself for the ultimate proof. - NU

Psychology of the hero soul

“There is the known, and there is the unknown, and in between is the doors.” – Jim Morrison

“Break on through to the other side...Where the day destroys the night and night divides the day...Break on through to the other side.” These were the famous haunting words sung by the American poet, rock artist, Jim Morrison of The Doors. With these words, he electrified an entire generation. And with these words, he began his own destruction. Morrison was talking about the great hero quest that he longed to take: to break on through to the other side, the dark side, the spiritual side, the unknown, and beyond. To penetrate the deepest darkness of his soul, enter on to the other side of pure light, and return with a vision to heal himself and his people. But Jim Morrison never returned from the dark side.

Jim was not prepared to enter into the dark side. He did not understand the psychology of the hero soul, and did not have the capacity to deal with the horror of his inner demons. Instead of slaying the dragon, his ego, he fed his ego with more fire and hatred. He set out to kiss the serpent, to ride the snake to the end of time and beginning of eternity, but he was swallowed by it. He was consumed by his own darkness.

The same thing happened with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. They got stuck in the dark side. By using artificial means, massive quantities of drugs and alcohol, they were able to shut the spinning wheels of their mind and receive a small glimpse of the other side. In their drug-induced trances, they caught the occasional beams of light on ‘the other side’ that penetrated their darkness with visions of poetic expression.

But they did so at a great cost to themselves and people around them. These visions may have electrified their generation, but they did not heal. They simply entertained people, and at best, during their peak, may have satisfied a small yearning inside. But their music did not elevate people to a higher level of understanding like Mozart, Beethoven, or John Lennon.

Joseph Campbell, in his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, beautifully illustrates the path of the hero: “the birth, life, and death of the individual may be regarded as a descent into unconsciousness and return. The hero is the one who, while still alive, knows and represents the claims of the super consciousness which throughout creation is...unconscious. The adventure of the hero represents the moment when, while still alive, he found and opened the road to the light beyond the dark walls of our living death.”

The penultimate hero is able to enter into the unconscious realm and beyond, still awake, and bring back the boons that elevate entire civilizations and create the titan works that give birth to cultural enlightenment. He or she has the strength, will, courage, and inner capacity to defeat the dark demons of the other side. Heroes also survive the cruel impact of the world. They learn to effectively deal with the initial, furious scorn and ridicule from people that don’t understand them upon their return. They learn to shatter the ego, and return transformed, offering people the life elixir to renew and transform themselves as well. They cause the illumination of the collective soul and liberation of the mind. The highest purpose of the hero is to provide a vision that heals our tribe called humanity.

Can we all aspire to become like this in our lifetime? This is a question that I cannot answer, because I have no authority to decide what is possible and what is not. The important thing to remember is that this work is a composite of the universal hero in a state of perfection. We only need to access a small fraction of this power to experience a new life with new power and new blood." [Excerpted from "Psychology of the Hero Soul," by Sharif Khan, Chapter 1.]

Psychology of the Hero Soul is an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and rekindling people's passion for greatness. It is based on author, Sharif Khan's ten years research in the field of human development. The Hero Soul is availble to order in most major bookstores including Borders, Barnes and Noble, Chapters, Indigo, and Coles bookstores. To order online visit: herosoul. com

Psychology of the Hero Soul, by Sharif Khan, ISBN 0973192208, Diamond Mind Books, 160 pages, $14.95 US, trade-paperback, Self-help/Inspirational, distributed by Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and University of Toronto Press.

For more information on special quantity discounts call (416) 417-1259 or email: inspire@herosoul. com

How to put microsoft crm into place in your business

No matter how big or how small your firm is, Microsoft’s Dynamic CRM software is right for you and your customer relationship management, as long as you know how to get it integrated with your business. The technological integration in and of itself is easy, but you need a strategy that will work for you, too.

First off, step back a little define for yourself what CRM—customer relationship management—means for your business in particular. Get “deep” with thinking about how you interact with your clientele. In fact you might even want to write up and send a questionnaire to your client base, asking them how they feel about their business relationship with your organization. Ask your employees, too, about how they feel with regards to the client-worker relationships that they maintain. Use the information that you glean to put together a clear vision of CRM at your company. Once you have this, delineate the vital importance of CRM to your employees. Give your staff clearly defined objectives to be met by your business, so that they have something to work with in their minds. Additionally, communicate your expectations and the objectives that you want the new CRM program, including the Microsoft Dynamics CRM aspect, to meet. Make it abundantly clear to your employees just how important your new CRM initiative is to the growth and profitability of your business. The CRM initiative needs to be a high-profile vision within your company.

Next, consider that a successful implementation of Microsoft’s Dynamic CRM software will be able to define your company’s business processes. You need to select the right CRM platform to use, true; but then again that is only one piece of the puzzle. Focus on the overall vision, the entire process. Don’t let yourself get caught up in all of the specialized tools and modules that the software comes with. Don’t be the nail; be the hammer. The tool should not be driving your business; you and your employees should be doing that. What are the best ways that you have always been able to work with your clients? Keep to those ways and let the CRM technology enhance your efforts along those very same lines. And, don’t leave out any aspect or part of your business when it comes to implementation. Don’t give the CRM technology only to certain areas of your business. You want seamless integration and a holistic approach in order to make the initiative a success.

Becoming an ekg technician

EKG technicians assist physicians in diagnosing and treating heart disease, coronary artery disease and a multitude of other heart ailments. These technicians generally specialize in one of three cardiovascular fields: invasive cardiology, echocardiography, and vascular technology. EKG technicians are often referred to as electrocardiograph technicians.

While some, although few, electrocardiograph technicians are trained on the job, most health care facilities require specific training for this position. Most technicians complete a 2- or 4-year program in order to become an EKG specialist. Many people in this field attend a community college in which the first year of studies is general education followed by another year of intense training with internships at local hospitals. Some graduates, depending on the school attended, are able to receive professional certification in this field.

The EKG technician is a highly trained and skilled professional. He or she is trained in the points in which to place the electrodes. During the electrocardiogram, the technician will likely remain in the examination room to monitor the EKD readings. When the exam is complete, the technician can use his or her training to read and interpret the graphed results. Some technicians prefer to wait and allow the physician to relay results to the patient, while others will give the patient an immediate interpretation; this is especially true if no abnormalities are suspected.

Please Note: While the medical field is probably the fastest growing and most understaffed field in the United States and the greatest need in the U. S. medical field are nurses and nurse practitioners, this is not true for EKG technicians. EKG technicians are considered a specialty within the cardiovascular field. According to the U. S. Department of Labor, among all of the specialties in the medical field, the need for EKG technicians is the most slowly growing. With less demand in the field and more student choosing to this field of study, the need for qualified EKG technicians has not grown significantly.

What is blogging the new form of journalism

Ever wonder why most all of the teens today are addicted to the internet? Well it has everything a young exploring mind needs. From browsing the net for document researches, shopping, cooking, gaming, chat, and a whole bunch of stuff going inside a website’s offer.

Yep, all of these including one secluded part of a teen’s life which is their journal. Don’t believe me? Then try hooking up on the internet now and see how much there is that is available today.

Aside from being a window for the readers to see what’s on the author’s mind, a blog lets him elaborate on facts or scribble out whatever idea that pops out his head. A blog is a simplified term for “web blog”-a new generation medium for writing articles, essays, statements and the like.

It’s usually composed of texts or sometimes pictures and multimedia topics. If you’re tired of jotting down every single detail of your life’s worth on paper, why not try the new fad of journalism which is blogging. Blogging literally means sharing a comment of life through the internet.

It is an up-to-date source. A sequence of events. A timeless exhibit of creativity and style. An outlet for one’s self.

The popularity of blog comes in different areas. Anyone can write anything that comes out of his head. Whether a walk on a sunny day or a dip into California ’s wild waters, it serves as a diary and is readily updated. What’s good about blogging is that it is not bounded by editing and is cheap.

The commercial velocity of a blog depends on a writer’s instinct to create a worthy article. Either formative or informative, rational or irrational, for as long as the readers can visualize what the author has posted your blog’s a hit.

Technical specialties and skills, not necessary. Publishing freedom, an advantage. All that is needed is for you to have a witty mind, a desire to share ideas and part of your story, and a bit of knowledge to toggle into the internet. Grammatical errors are welcome. No editors and publishing companies to please. Journalism without rules or guidelines to follow and what’s best is that readers could post a comment or be inspired to write one too.

Blogging wouldn’t be difficult if you have the right recipes. Not just a simple-text article, a blog may be enhanced or converted into other types like an audio blog or a video blog. Nowadays, blogs are more sophisticated and advanced. Element of a blog starts from a good and captivating headline down to the author’s personal profile. Included herewith are the blog post, permalink (combined term for “permanent link”), and the reader’s comments.

A friend of mine is a blogger. She would entertain herself by posting blogs on her web page. She told me that blogging is an advantage for her to speak up to the world of the things that’s keeping her shut. And I quote, “I am an internet junkie. I am not a big fan of journalism or any kind of writing.

But it all changed when the blogging fever entered internet society. I appreciated it more when I felt everything that’s written are real and not just a compulsory decoy to deliver information. Right then, I became a part of a bigger picture.”

Trapped in a world of unwanted opinions, blogging is a benefit. But everything has its own consequences. Blogs are much harder to manage than that of the broadcast media. In politically sensitive issues, blogs can be considered as a political misfit. Results are triggered through suppression of bloggers and punishments were made. Another grave case is the issue of defamation and liability.

Nevertheless, blogging is still out there. So if you’re the type who has the snap for writing, give blogging a shot. You never know how much it would contribute to the society and to your pockets.

Know your dental plan and dental insurance options

There is no doubt that each of us needs dental care, that’s why we are making effort in hunting the best dental plan or deals out there. The teeth is a big contributor to our overall health, if we leave it uncared for due to reasons of costs then you are at the loosing end. We can have the best health insurance plan but without our pearly teeth in tip top condition our general health will fail as well.

If dental cost is you concern, not many of us know that there are actually several means to pay for our dental care services. This where I want to come in, I want to introduce to you the options that you have to consider. Read below.

Traditional Dental Insurance

This type of plan is very similar to any health insurance plans. You will be paying your weekly and monthly premium then you get 80-100% of the overall dental cost covered. Traditional dental insurance plan can be acquired through your employer or direct to an insurance agent. However, the only difference is that when you get a dental plan straight to the insurance agent and not through your employer, you will be paying higher premium since it is your employer who subsidizes part of the cost.

Voluntary Group Plans

If your company does not yet offer dental insurance plan but you and your co-workers want to have one, here’s what you can do. You can ask your employer to arrange for a group dental insurance plan. This type of plan will let you and your co-workers pay for your own dental plan premiums. This way your group can avail of a huge premium discount with better benefits. Remember there is strength in numbers!

Dental Reimbursement Plans

Dental reimbursement plan cannot be considered as insurance but rather, this is an agreement between an employer and employee. It works when you pay for your own dental care services and forward the receipt to your employer and they will reimburse your expenses within a specified amount. With this, both you and your employer will never again worry about paying dental plan premiums every month. Plus, you can have your own choice of dentist! So if you do like the idea, all you need to do is ask your employer, now!

Dental Discount Plans

From the word itself, dental discount plans will let you pay for your dental care services at discounted price. Moreover, this type of plan will sometimes require you to pay for an enrollment fee to your provider and you will be restricted to the dentists in your locale that admit dental insurance plan holder.

Whatever is your choice, it is important that you understand the facts about your chosen plan and make sure it suits well to your needs. There is no more reason for you to delay dental care, remember that we are required to have a dental check twice a year. Cavities and decay will not be apparent until it’s too late. The procedure to correct this will cost you much and it really makes more sense to act now.

The button accordion

Accordions come in a variety of forms and styles. There are the diatonic accordions, the chromatic accordions, the piano accordions and the button accordion among others. The button accordion was adapted from the simpler melodeon in the nineteenth century.

It has one more row of buttons than the melodeon and its pitch is set a half a tone below or above the melodeon. It is also possible on the accordion to get two notes out of one button by maneuvering the bellows a certain way. This helps the player use less finger movement and allows for more expression when playing.

There are many types of accordions under the button family. The differences range from the keyboard structures, the tuning and the construction of the instruments. A well know variety is the Diatonic button accordion.

It comes with a melody sized keyboard and the keys are the notes of diatonic scales. This can be just one. The bass of the Diatonic button accordion almost always has the principal chords not excluding the root notes of those chords.

Diatonic button accordions are usually bisonoric. This means that for every button used there is two sounds that come out: one when the bellows condensed and the other when they are expanded.

It is possible to get varieties that are unisonoric, like the garmon, which plays the same note, no matter if the bellows are expanded or contracted. Other varieties are able to function both as bisonoric or unisonoric instruments.

Another notable button accordion is the chromatic. It has a melody sized keyboard with rows of buttons that are arranged chromatically according to pitch.

The bass of the keyboard is usually the Stradella system. This is a converter system or a free bass system. Under the chromatic button accordians you will find the Russian Bayan.

The chromatic button accordion is sometimes simply referred to as the chromatic accordion. This is not technically the correct term because other accordions, like the piano accordion are chromatic too.

The chromatic button accordion is a more popular accordion among performers because the treble keyboard of the instrument is more dense. This gives the player a wider range.

In various cultures today there has been a number of developments and adaptations made to the button accordions. In Russia for example you have such accords as the Saratovskaya, the Garmonica, the Livenka, the Bayan , the Garmon to name a few.

Why learn to trade stocks

Stock trading has numerous benefits as a viable part time occupation.

In contrast to a second job, there are no special qualifications to begin. The stock market doesn’t care about your level of success, education, ethnic origin or any personal characteristics. Complex employers, office politics or difficult employees do not play a part in trading. Additionally you have the freedom to trade from any location. If you follow a few simple rules you can run your business on your own terms.

The most important factor is to be clear about why you want to trade stocks. What do you hope to gain financially from learning to trade?

Are you looking to:

1. Create an enhanced lifestyle with supplemental income?

2. Replace a full time income with a passive income stream?

3. Become independently wealthy by creating a financial base independent of other income sources?

What would being a successful trader mean you? Imagine yourself making successful trades and gaining financially. Think about what it would feel like to have extra money in your bank account and to achieve your targets. With a clear picture of what you want and how that would feel you will be able to remain focused and motivated.

Your first task.

Your first task is to put one primary goal for your trading plan in writing. Additional goals you set can then support your primary plan.

Know Yourself

As well as learning to trade stocks it is essential that you understand yow you react under stress. Being aware of your own behaviour patterns and common causes of and reactions to stress when trading will help you to master stock trading.

The reason that many people lose money in the stock market is because they lack the proper knowledge base. Independent of trading styles there is one thing common to all successful traders; the use of a tested and proven system.

In learing to trade you must be willing to let go of pre-formulated ideas and start fresh, develop new successful habits, and the discipline necessary to trade successfully over time.

Are you willing to do this?

Successful stock market trading eludes many people because they don’t have contact with an experienced, successful trader or trading system that actually works. Going it alone can be potentially expensive when learning by trial and error. Investing in a solid education and taking advantage of the insights and experience of successful trader makes a lot of sense when learning to trade successfully.

Do you need rental insurance

Many renters don’t stop to think about what happens if there is a fire, someone breaks in and steals their new TV or stereo, or a visitor slips and falls on their property. The sad truth is; you will be responsible! While your landlord has

insurance that covers the actual building, that coverage does not include your personal property or liability for injuries which occur in the space you rent ~ be it an apartment or a house and yard.

If a fire should destroy or damage your home, your landlord’s insurance will cover the structure. It won’t cover damage or loss of your belongings. Neither will it provide for the cost of temporary housing for you and your family.

You may think you don’t own enough personal property to make the cost of insurance worthwhile. You’re probably wrong! If you sit down and add up the cost of everything you own, you may be in for a big surprise. Consider what you have invested in such things as:

• Furniture and accessories

• Electronics like TV, stereo, computers

• Small appliances like microwaves, toaster ovens, etc.

• Clothing

• Art work like paintings or prints

• Dishes, silverware and cookware

• Sporting equipment

• Books

• Jewelry

Could you afford to replace all of these things?

Even worse, what would you do if a friend is injured on your property and decides to sue you for medical costs and more? It’s a scary thought, isn’t it?

Are you beginning to see why rental insurance may be a very wise investment?

The cost of rental insurance is based on several factors:

• The dollar amount of your coverage

• Deductibles

• Whether you choose to be reimbursed for Actual Cash Value or Replacement Costs (more about that in a minute)

• Where your rental property is located and the number of previous claims made, not only by you, but by others living in the same area.

Let me explain the difference between Actual Cash Value (ACV) and Replacement Costs. ACV is the value of your property at the time a loss takes place. For example, if your television set is five years old, it’s valued at much less than if it were brand new. The lesser amount is what you are reimbursed.

However, if you opt for Replacement Cost, you’re paid whatever it costs to go out and buy a new TV with similar features. Insuring for replacement cost raises the amount of your premium so it’s a good idea to get quotes for both ACV and Replacement Cost policies. Then you can decide which option fits your needs and budget.

Another thing to keep in mind is that jewelry, valuable collections, and guns are usually covered under a separate policy or “rider”. If you own these kinds of items, be sure to tell your insurance agent. You don’t want to find out after disaster strikes that they aren’t covered or that they aren’t covered for their true value.

One way you can reduce the cost of your rental insurance is to check with whichever company insures your car. If they provide rental insurance you may be eligible for a multi-line discount.

Rental insurance may be worth the investment just for the peace of mind it offers you.

Debt reduction is the best way to being debt-free

It does not matter how big your debt burden is. You can always find a way out. But in order for you to clear your debt once and for all you have to be in it for the long haul. If you have amassed a lot of debt, you have to be prepared to work at reducing it. Some quick fix measures at debt reduction are designed as damage-control measures which try to get around the problem without eliminating it.

Such quick fix methods do not get rid of the main problem though they appear to do so, and your troubles get multiplied. The point to remember is that debt does not get eliminated at one shot. Try reducing it bit by bit.

Of course, if you are much too deep in debt and bankruptcy is imminent, the last ditch effort to pay back your dues is through an aggressive form of debt reduction called debt settlement. In this case, you being the borrower take the help of a debt settlement agency to get your creditors to bring about a reduction in the amount of money that you owe.

In the meantime, you are obliged to save enough money for a bulk settlement payment. If the settlement is approved, you will receive a notice from the creditor that the debt has been settled or paid. After this, it will be left to your creditor to notify the credit bureau that you have managed to clear all the dues that you owed. Settlement is particularly appealing for creditors during times of tough financial situations for the debtor, when he is near to the point of filing bankruptcy; in which case the creditor is faced with the possibility of losing more money by getting only a trifle portion of the original.

Debt settlements are only applicable to unsecured debts such as those concerning credit cards and medical dues. Also, remember that this is an emergency measure. Once this is done, the consequences will have to be dealt with. This would include things like a damaged credit rating, an increase in collection calls, the possibility of lawsuits, tax obligations, and that all-too-familiar necessity of coming to a terms with your creditors.

If your debt situation is not quite as bad, you should be able to lift the yoke of death soon enough. All you need is determination, patience, and a willingness to try out the most recent of debt reduction methods: debt-snowballing or debt repayment. When it is credit card related debt or something similar, reducing debt by this method becomes increasingly simple.

In order to get your debt out of your way, first make a list of all your dues in ascending order from the smallest balance to the largest (notice that the order is not based on interest rate, but on the due amount). If it so happens that some of the debts are of a similar value, place the ones with higher rates of interest above the others. After that, promise yourself that you will at least make the minimum payment every month.

If surplus funds are left, add this to the dues on the smallest debt, and keep focusing on completing your dues on the smallest debt until it is paid off completely. As soon as the smallest debt is off the list, do the same steps for the next ranked spot, this time adding the previous minimum payment for the cleared debt onto the funds allocated for the next.

Follow this method over a longer period of time, and you will soon find a way to get out of debt.