Keeping a customer relationship scorecard

Keeping a customer relationship scorecard can help your business employees be aware of their duties and the way they are supposed to interact with customers on a regular basis. The customer relationship scorecard is a simple and effective way of keeping track of how well your business does in relationship with customers on an ongoing day to day basis. By providing a clear definition of what you expect and desire from employees and staff, the customer relationship scorecard can effect a communicating of desires to your customer relationship team in general.

Once the customer relationship staff is focused on following the customer relationship scorecard to a tee, it is amazing how much smoother that the organization flows and their relationship with their customers and the way that they handle customer service and customer related issues. Utilizing the customer relationship scorecard can bring staff members in line with the concept of making the customer feel as if they are the number one entity in the business chain of events. Thanks to the customer relationship scorecard, each and every individual employee and staff will have full knowledge of how to deal with customers on a day-to-day basis and what they expect to see from the customer relationship employees.

In the event that your business focus is on customer service and customer relationships, it is even more important that the customer relationship scorecard be adhered to and utilized as often as possible in the attempt to create the most customer friendly environment and a perfect relationship with available clientele. With this extremely high standard in mind, creation of the customer relationship scorecard should take into consideration all the different aspects of customer relationship management and other functions of customer relationship staff.

Maintaining a healthy and functional communication with staff and management employees is an important part of maintaining the customer relationship management oriented workforce and keeping them abreast of current and ongoing company policy. This method of maintaining a customer relationship scorecard and staying current with the needs and relationships of consumers and staff can bring a whole new aspect of customer service and customer relationship management to the company and its attempts to garner interest with their consumer and clientele base. Knowing that you are being cared for is a big part of making a customer comfortable, and this should be addressed on the customer relationship scorecard.

As employees and staff are hired on, the customer relationship scorecard can be explained to them in detail so that from day one, each and every employee and staff knows the entire routine of how to accommodate the customer relationship scorecard and the rules set down by staff management.

Once this information has been passed on, the new recruit can begin learning more and more about how to deal with customers and obey the customer relationship scorecard, which at this point should be a well thought out and robust instrument. Completing the customer relationship scorecard and ensuring that every employee and member of your staff is aware of the relationship scorecard is a critical element in effectively providing strong customer service.

Banking with bad credit

If you have bad credit, then banking and using financial products can be hard. However, there are ways that you can bank with bad credit and still get the features that you want. Also, if you have good credit there are some actions you can take that will easily ruin your credit score and reduce your ability to get the deals that you want. Here is some advice on banking with bad credit, and how to make sure your credit rating isn't affected by your banking decisions

Disputing your credit report

One way to ruin your credit rating is to dispute all of the items on your credit report. Although disputing items that you know to be wrong is a good idea, some people try and dispute all items because unless the agency responds within 30 days they have to remove it. The problem with this is that if all the items on your report are removed, a bank or lender doesn't know if you are a good or bad borrower. They will not take the risk and so you will be left unable to get the financial products that you want. To avoid this, only dispute items on your credit report that you know to be inaccurate or false.

Not paying bills on time

Another way to hurt your credit rating is to pay your bills or bank fees late. If you do this then your credit report will show that you are unreliable, and the interest rates and fees that you are charged are likely to increase. Although it isn't always possible, try and pay your bills on time. Using an online bill paying system can help you to keep track of when you need to pay.

Bad credit affects your banking

If you have bad credit, then it will affect all aspects of your banking. Your bank is likely to be much tougher on you if they know that you are unreliable or have bad credit. You will be charged higher rates, and you will have limited access to features. Having bad credit will reduce the chances that you can get a competitive credit card and loan from your bank. Although you can still use a bank, having bad credit will harm your ability to use your bank to the fullest.

Improving your credit

There is no easy way to improve your credit, and the best thing to do is to simply pay your bills on time and then when you have the opportunity to borrow, do so cautiously and make sure you borrow only enough to show the bank you can be relied upon to pay the money back. If you are with a bank a long time and show them you are reliable, then you are more likely to get a better deal.

Switching banks

If your credit problems are behind you but you still think that your current bank is giving you a poor deal, then maybe it is time to switch banks. If your current bank won't reward you for your loyalty, then a new bank might reward you for switching over to them. Even people with bad credit are welcomed by banks as new customers, and so it pays to regularly shop around for the best deals. Although banking with bad credit can be tricky, if you stay financially stable and are willing to look around for a good deal then you will get the level of service that you require.

17 tips to write a killer personal ad

Online dating websites offer the easier and

quicker way for single guys to meet women. The

use of online personal ads to get the audience

you desire is quite different that picking up a

girl in the real life situations. When you meet

her at a bar, party or disco it might be

difficult for you to approach her, you may feel

embarrassed, but with online dating, it is easier

and less stressful.

Therefore, you have made up your mind to put a

personal ad, but you are getting none or few

responses to your request and no girl is

approaching you. Remember that you have to

attract women with your online ad. These days

very sophisticated personal ads are appearing in

top quality dating sites.

In today's world of online dating personal ads,

have to be witty, informative, and hopefully

effective. If you want to get the best personal

ad, you must to present the right image, get

people to interact you by being friendly and

chatting every day. You should try in every

single way possible to prove and show that you

are as you have said, including your own

personality and characteristics. Writing a

personal ad is like writing a love letter, a poem

dedicated to your future partner.

For to increase your success in online dating you

have to make your personal ad to be the best.

Here are some tips that might help you.

- first and the most important is that you must

complete your personal profile fully, to be

informative, complete, to make the woman

interested

- run spell-check - a profile full of mistakes

shows that you are a sloppy, careless type

- add a photograph; ensure that the photo is

bright, clear and recent; a perfect picture with

the right clothing and a smiled face will have a

big effect recording to the visitors of your

personal ad; many people don't add a profile

photo because they think that they aren't

photogenic; but this is a wrong idea because the

profiles that haven't a photo is much less viewed

like the other

- be yourself, be sincere and say what you like

and looking for; be honest, if you are looking

just for a casual date because you already have a

wife, say it, don't imply that you are looking

for marriage just to get more details, because

this is a waste of time for everyone

- avoid major disclosures - you don't have to

tell everything about yourself in the first

paragraph, this will not be interesting anymore

- splatter your profile with humor, drama, funky

metaphors, they will draw instant attention and

interested

- don't be aggressive or rude in your personal ad,

because this will show that you are not friendly

and open for new friends

- communicate - it is important to communicate if

you want to make friends and to know better the

possible partners

- keep your profile positive and update, so don't

use words like ''desperate'' , hurry to meet

someone

- don't use swear words because are generally

offensive and turn people off

- list all the things you like can be a handful;

choose one good example and talk about why you

like it

- don't make list of your accomplishments; avoid

using personals adjectives like: I'm a

spontaneous, creative, honest person

- you can include the things that make up your

good points like the fact that you like kids, or

you are told that you are funny

- ask questions to them to answer via email

- also try to response at people messages in a

reasonable amount of time, not after a month

- be positive , show that you love life and know

how to live it

- be patient; it is true that it takes a time

until you meet somebody and get to know her

better, but it works

Also in your personal ad, you can include some

action phrases, which will express your

personality and characteristics. Some of this

action phrases are:

- long term relationship - shows the fact that

you have the sense of commitment, you are ready

for a long relationship

- great personality - express the fact that you

have a truly magnificent personality and it's

worth meeting you

- no baggage - means that you are completely

free of attachments such as a spouse or child

- active and adventurous - means that you are in

a really good shape, physically fit

- ask me anything - shows that you are honest,

adventurous and open to sharing details about

yourself

Now that you know how to make your personal ad to

be the best, I wish you good luck in finding the

perfect partner.

7 secrets of an opt-in list building strategy

Want to develop a direct communication line with your web site visitors without spamming? Develop an opt-in list with a large subscribers' base. You will be able to send personalized emails to your subscribers who have expressed their willingness to receive informative as well as commercial offerings from you. However, you have to tread a fine line between annoying your visitors and making them volunteer the information you need. Knowing the right strategy and implementing it correctly will decide whether your offerings end up in spamboxes or inboxes. These seven steps will guide you in the right direction.

1. Decide what information you need to collect. Names and email addresses are the minimum. Do you need their home address, their gender, or their age group? Don't collect information that you don't have any plan to use. Don't collect information for any anticipated future use. You may get plenty of chances to collect those information from a revised list of prospects. Keep the information collection to the absolute minimum.

2. Publish a privacy policy and provide a link at the point in the web page where you collect users' information. Mention in bold letters that you don't sell their emails to others and practice the same. Your opt-in list is very valuable and don't sell it to others for a few bucks. Don't violate the trust of your visitors and ruin your reputation.

3. Provide instant incentives for subscribing to your offerings. Free e-books, report, software, video tutorials, etc. that interest to your target audience are very effective incentives. If you have a paid member's only area, you can provide time limited access to that section of your web site in exchange for their subscriptions.

4. Publish your past offerings in your website. Each offering should be in the form of a newsletter with quality contents that improve your readers' quality of life. Conclude your contents with your commercials that explain the benefits of products or services you are selling.

5. Set up a discussion board (forum) at your site and make it available to registered members only. The discussion board should focus on your target market. By scanning the posts and their threads, you will be able to identify problems your visitors are trying to solve. Do your research and find solutions to those problems, organize them and publish those solutions your newsletter.

6. Use Co-registration. This will build your list rapidly in a short amount of time. What is co-registration? It refers to the practice of referring subscriptions or leads for memberships with another registration process. There are several ways of doing this.

When a visitor signs up for a free subscription or other service, give them the chance on the thank-you page to opt-in to another offer. Another way is give the visitors to a website the opportunity to sign up for another opt-in list. These do not need to be your thank-you pages or websites. You need to partner up with another web marketer.

The goal here is to find other website owners who you can joint venture with you to offer your newsletter along with theirs. Do a search via your favorite search engine and directories for similar offers and contact the people to set up your joint venture.

Two additional secrets to this co-registration process. First, make sure you offer more value than the other party involved in your joint venture. Second, offer your leads you get from this process more value than you usually offer by giving them a huge giveaway only available to them.

7. Use Squidoo, a social media website, to create lenses. A lens is a web page on any idea. Provide a RSS feed of your website on your lens. Embellish your lens with YouTube videos and Flickr photos related to your target market. Squidoo splits its revenue with lens creators (or lensmasters). Sign up to donate all your revenue from Squidoo lenses to a non-religious charity. Call for action by announcing that subscribers are helping a charity by joining your list.

The wonders and horrors of compounding

Google Price Target: $16,578.90

Some of you will immediately recognize this headline is a joke. For the rest of you, I was kind of hoping the ninety cents part would give it away.

If you’re reading this because you’re interested in what I have to say about Google (GOOG), you can stop now. I’m not going to say anything interesting about Google. Rather, I’m going to say something (that I hope is) very interesting about the wonders of compounding.

Warren Buffett’s annual letter to shareholders was released on Saturday. For now, I’m just going to pull out one little nugget:

“Between December 31, 1899 and December 31, 1999, to give a really long-term example, the Dow rose from 66 to 11,497 (Guess what annual growth rate is required to produce this result; the surprising answer is at the end of this section.)”

I knew what Warren was up to, and had some idea of the historical growth rate for the Dow, so I guessed 6%.

“Here’s the answer to the question posted at the beginning of this section: To get very specific the Dow increased from 65.73 to 11,497.12 in the 20th century, and that amounts to a gain of 5.3% compounded annually. (Investors would also have received dividends, of course). To achieve an equal rate of gain in the 21st century, the Dow will have to rise by December 31, 2099 to – brace yourself – precisely 2,011,011.23. But I’m willing to settle for 2,000,000; six years into this century, the Dow has gained not at all.”

I wish I could tell you that my guess was close. But, it wasn’t even in the right ballpark. The difference between a 5.3% annual gain and a 6% annual gain may look relatively small. In fact, the difference is not small. If, during the 20th century, the Dow had achieved a gain of 6% compounded annually rather than a gain of 5.3% compounded annually, on the eve of Y2K, the index would have been sitting at 22,302.33.

The rallying cry of the bubble years would have been Dow 20,000. And what of Dow 10,000? The index would have added its fifth figure in 1987. That’s right, if the Dow had achieved a gain of 6% compounded annually during the 20th century, the index would have broken the 10,000 mark while the Berlin Wall was still standing.

Over a century, that extra 0.7% really adds up. I recently wrote an email to a member of my family who had just had her first child. You would think that blathering on as I do here each day, I would have a sea of investing advice to offer. In fact, I provided only a single drop: Time trumps money.

If you want to have more money than you will ever need, your best bet is to find a few places where you can deploy large sums of money that will earn good returns for a great many years, and will not require you to share any of the spoils with Uncle Sam until you are done accumulating said spoils. To do this, you will have to own a business either in part or in whole. I’m an investor, not an entrepreneur; so, let’s stick to the economics of becoming part owner of a business.

It’s time to discuss Google. I have a price target of $16,578.90 on Google. Does that sound reasonable? No. Well, I may have forgotten to mention this is a 50-year price target? So, does it sound reasonable now?

Don’t answer. First, we need to see what it would take for Google’s share price to reach $16,578.90. Last I checked, each share of Google had a book value of $31.87. Everyone says Google’s a great business. They may be right. But, I like all my surprises to be of the pleasant variety. So, I’m going to start by chucking the idea of Google being an extraordinary business. For now, let’s just call it average.

Who would want stock options in an average business? Let’s pretend no one would. Since there's no downside, I think everyone would; but, let’s just ignore that inconvenient fact. We’re going to pretend Google won’t be diluting its shares at all. For the next fifty years, there will be no new shares and no stock splits.

As a public company, Google has earned an above average return on equity. It hasn’t been an earth shattering return on equity (it’s no Timberland), but it’s been better than most. Of course, with Google, you’re not paying up for the current return on equity – you’re paying up for all the ridiculously profitable growth to come. I’m willing to meet the Google bulls halfway on this one. I’ll give you growth, but no unusual profitability. You’re going to get a 12% return on equity, but there will be no limit to your growth.

In my model, Google can literally conquer the world.

With something like $9 billion in equity to start with, a 12% return on equity, and the reinvestment of all earnings in the business, Google would get awfully big.

Don’t believe me? I know a 12% return on equity looks ridiculously low, but watch what happens. In 2056, Google will be a $312 billion company. Of course, the big question is: do I mean market cap or revenue?

I mean profits! At a P/E of 15, Google would have a market cap of $4.68 trillion. Yes, with a “t”. That same Google share that was quoted on Friday at $378.18 would be worth $16,578.90. Google’s EPS would be $1,105.26. You read that last part right. Each Google share would be earning three times its current (lofty) price.

So, what’s the catch? There are two problems with this scenario. One, in 2056, it’s more likely Britney Spears and Kevin Federline will be celebrating 50+ years of marital bliss together than it is that Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be celebrating 50+ years of 100% retained earnings at Google. For that matter, I’d say it’s more likely Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be celebrating 50 years of marital bliss together in 2056 – which is to say it isn’t very likely Google will be able to retain all of its earnings for the next half century (unless you know something about Larry and Sergey that I don’t).

The second problem is much less amusing. You see, if on Monday, you were to shell out the $378.18 for a share of Google, when the stock reached $16,578.90 in 2056, you’d be able to brag to Britney and K-Fed about your annual compound gain of…drum roll please…7.85%. And that’s before taxes and inflation.

Google would have a $4.68 trillion empire, and you’d have an annual return of 7.85% - how can that be?

Time turns molehills into mountains and mountains into molehills. In the very long-term, growth that only earns ordinary profits leads to stocks that only yield ordinary gains. But, isn’t Google’s (lofty) price the problem? It’s part of the problem.

However, it’s probably a smaller part than you think. Right now, Google is trading at about twelve times book. What would your return be if you bought Google at book value? 13.32%. That’s a good return (fifty years from now, it’ll probably be considered a great return). Still, it’s somewhat unsatisfying. I mean, if you had the prescience to buy a $4.68 trillion behemoth when it was just a $10 billion company (remember, you’re paying book this time) all you’d get for your trouble is 13.32%.

Think of it this way. At $31.87 a share, 85% of your purchase price would be backed by cold, hard cash and you’d be buying a stock with a P/E of 6.3. A P/E of 6.3 is insanely cheap. So, why would buying a stock trading at a P/E of 6.3 and growing earnings per share at 11.4% a year for fifty years only yield a 13.32% return? Where are the insane gains?

Return on equity is the puppet master here. Take another look at the numbers. They’re doing something strange; they’re converging. Everything is getting closer and closer to 12%. Why? Because that’s your destiny. If you buy a business that earns 12% a year and you hold it long enough, guess where your returns are headed?

Here’s one last excerpt from Buffett’s letter. He’s writing about all businesses, but a long-term holding in a single business works in much the same way:

”True, by buying and selling that is clever or lucky, investor A may take more than his share of the pie at the expense of investor B. And, yes, all investors feel richer when stocks soar. But an owner can exit only by having someone take his place. If one investor sells high, another must buy high. For owners as a whole, there is simply no magic – no shower of money from outer space – that will enable them to extract wealth from their companies beyond that created by the companies themselves.”

It is now obvious I picked Google just to get your attention. Google may very well earn a return on equity much greater than 12% for the next fifty years. It has already earned “extraordinary profits”.

Even if it does grow at a phenomenal rate, it will, during the next half century, likely shed excess equity by paying dividends, buying back stock, or transforming itself into a holding company. I don’t see a way the company could possibly put more than $2.5 trillion in equity to good use in search and related businesses. In nominal terms, that’s well more than California’s GSP (Gross State Product). In 2006 dollars, it would still be something like $600 billion. Armies have been raised for less. So, if Google really does want to conquer the world, it could just try doing it the old fashioned way.

I will attempt to provide some semblance of sobriety by letting Ovid express in three words what has taken me more than sixteen hundred.

TEMPUS EDAX RERUM

Worried about your future

Today we are happy healthy individuals; we are able to do the necessary tasks without any extra help. Life would be pleasant if it could continue just the way it is now, but then we have a future the most unpredictable aspect in the whole cosmos.

Some may argue that future is filled with suspense and we cannot control it, true but then we have to put in a small amount of effort to safe guard our future, equipping our lives with suitable amenities is no crime.

So to avoid late realizations, it is better to grasp the situation and thus equip one’s self. One way to accomplish this task is by taking insurance, the word insurance is certainly a golden one as it can be a source of consolation if we are stuck in the middle of any tribulation. Assuming that you know a lot about insurances, we are going stipulate one aspect of the insurance - long term care.

Long term care, every individual requires ample amount of care when he reaches a stage of not being able to take care of himself. The long term care provides such assistance for the individual for performing his daily activities such as bathing, dressing, commuting and other indispensable activities.

Why do I need long term care?

Some people or perhaps many consider that long term care is just not for them, they hate the idea of being a burden to others and they don’t want to lose their independence, so they fail to take up the long term care. This is the biggest mistake a person can make. Long term care is necessary because we may be affected by any of these ailments-

• Arthritis

• Cancer

• Heart disease

• Diabetes

• Strokes

• Alzheimer’s disease

• Depression

Do not panic, these are the various possible ailments one can face when they enter an old age, this may happen to anyone and wouldn’t it be better if every one takes up the precautionary measure.

Long term insurance is actually a very helpful feature, avoiding this will not make any sense later in life. The long term insurance provides a lot of benefits like home health care, where you will be provided with good personal care while you are at home.

Community care or adult day care, as the name suggests you can get care from a community care center, if a person is seriously ill or if he needs regular hospital care he can obtain the nursing home care. The hospice care, caregiver training and care coordination services are the other benefits for which the long term care would pay for.

There are two kinds of long term care insurances the individual long term care and the group long term care, as the names suggest the individual long term care insurance involves the insurer and the insured person. These kind of individual health policies need to be approved by the California department of insurance.

Where as group health policy involves a group and the insurer. Normally group insurances are always priced less than the individual policies. The same applies here too.

Thus we have to develop a positive attitude towards the future, this does not mean that you have to frighten yourselves and thus panic about your future. Careful planning and implementation of those plans would prove to be very helpful. It is better not to complicate matters just by saying that these ailments will not affect you. All these decisions of not taking up the long health care may seem to be convincing now, but the future awaits and it might offer anything so isn’t it better to prepare ourselves for the worst and thus lead our lives peacefully.

Tips to win online casino games

Casino is that position at where you are all the sports. In Online casino, the most way of your balance of winning on slot machines is to be well-informed about how’s slot job everything.

(1)The paramount task of the slot zombie is RNG. RNG generates the endlessly. During the starting of the game at what time the player , chief of all he has to selects combination of numbers that correspond to symbols and that is come into view on the pay line. There is no meaning how the play-actor plays the in casinos. RNG generates the numbers nonstop till the instrument is not off.

(2) In the Online Casino Slot game the percentage payoff chip is signify the charge fraction is greater than long-run time spell of pulls. This preoccupation is determines the outfit obtain.

(3) Sometimes throughout the UK high cash machines are occasional but it’s not located in one apartment.

After accepting the all documentation management and all the functionality of the slot robot that the entertainer healthier opportunities in winning the game because they know the all tradition and of the relating to slot machines so that’s why the of winning will rise for the performer.

In this type of game any you can pull the slot handle hard or you use the spin button that’s incident is not imperative. Same as you can choose whichever use a credit card or fit to the slot club that it doesn’t worry.

In casino if competitor gets past at once that is the false impression of the game, so the trouper try to concentrate on other aspects of slot site to improve his chances of winning. Player doesn’t want to surplus his time or currency upon the systems for the logic that participant knows very well that all equipment are a excess of time.

To win the game after actor will think on his hard work on searching a saggy engine. After the entire thingamajig team member expound his personal method for doing thus and bare his time on that, and not chasing lore and difference of opinion.

Home inspections getting your home ready for the inspection

Many times I go to do a home to complete an inspection for a potential buyer, only to find the home not ready for an inspection. The home not being prepared then makes the buyer suspicious that there are areas that the inspector could not access causing them to back out of the deal. Completing a few routine maintenance items and having the home prepared for the inspection will avoid those long lists of misc. defects on a home inspection report that can scare a potential buyer.

Here are some tips to get your home ready for a home inspection.

1. Make sure the electric is on in the home and to all circuits. A home inspector will not flip breakers “on” or “off” during an inspection.

2. Make sure the gas or fuel is on to all the appliances and that all pilot lights are lit. Inspectors will not light pilot lights or turn on valves.

3. Make sure water is on and functional to all fixtures. Inspectors will not turn any valves to get water to any fixture.

4. If there are any light bulbs burned out, replace them.

5. Clear out stored items under the sinks.

6. If the attic access is located in a closet or other area where your personal effects are in the way, remove all of your personal items from under the access hole and remove any shelving that may be in the way of getting a ladder to the attic. Inspectors will not move any personal items or shelving to access an attic.

7. Grab a screwdriver and check all doors and windows for loose hardware, and make sure they all open/close properly.

8. Clean off the roof and/or gutters from debris, etc.

9. Check for any minor leaks under sinks or drains under the floor in the basement, etc., and have them repaired prior to the inspection.

10. Have your heating and A/C equipment serviced and have record of the last servicing available for proof.

Taking care of these items will not only reduce the laundry list of defects found on a home inspection report, but it will also help secure the deal to sell your home.

Here are a few sources to locate a home inspector in your area.

In Wisconsin:

wisconsin-home-inspectors. com

National

findaninspector. us

homeinspections-usa. com

Used car buying tips for dummies

It’s just one of those mornings. As the rain pours down and I’m trying to start my mini (yes those old small ones) I decide it’s time to buy a new car.

Now, before I embark on this wonderful journey - there are a few stumble blocks I need to sort out. Firstly, I can’t afford a new car, but I’m sure I can find a nice, affordable second hand car somewhere. Secondly, I have no idea what to look for in a car.

For me it’s all about how cute I will look in it and that it will take me from point A to point B. I know nothing more than the absolute necessary. The engine is in the front under the hood, the spare wheel is somewhere in the back and I know where the exhaust is. Furthermore, my knowledge is very limited.

With my boyfriend out of town and my time relatively limited, I need to find some or other guide to help me. A guide for people who knows nothing about cars, something written for dummies, a buyers guide for second hand cars.

Obviously, the best and first place I look for this ‘Used car buyers guide for dummies’ is on the Internet. I, of course, find quite a few irrelevant results that just show me lists of car dealers.

Eventually I stumble across a very in-depth used car buyers guide that gives you twelve different things to look out for when buying a car. I had to read it twice to understand everything, but eventually I got the hang of it.

Firstly, they give some helpful advice regarding the purchase of the used car. Then they chat about registration and documentation and give some useful information - mentioning things like the “Vehicle Identification Number” and where you need to look for it!

Furthermore the buyers guide supply the reader with tips on what to look out for when they are viewing a second hand or used car. They even mention the appearance of the car - and no this is not just the outside of the car!

They give little tidbits to look out for when you start-up the engine. Apparently, when you test-drive the car, you should drive it at various speeds - this will give you an indication of the condition of the engine.

The bodywork of the used car must be inspected and you should look out for any accident damage to the car. Make sure to check out the interior and the upholstery - lift seat covers to see if the seller isn’t just hiding damaged seats!

Half of these things I would have never even thought to look at! Other tips include information about the gearbox and clutch, brakes and suspension, radiator and cooling system, as well as more general things like steering and tyres.

Must say, after reading this guide, I will definitely be able to pick out my new second hand used car with more confidence! For those women and other dummies out there that know nothing about what to look out for when buying a second hand or used car - get yourself a buyers guide! It really does help.

Inexpensive area rugs give your home the facelift it needs

:
Most of the time when you move into a new home or decide to remodel, you forget one of the most important decorating rules. Decorate from the ground up. Since what sits on the floor is most important, then maybe you should consider inexpensive area rugs.

What is so great about inexpensive area rugs?

Inexpensive area rugs allow you to have the styles, designs, patterns, and colors of the more expensive rugs without having to pay the price. If you don't care that you don't own the 'real thing' and would rather have a cheaper flooring solution, the inexpensive area rug should be your first choice.

Many inexpensive or wholesale rugs are cheaper because of the fibers they are made of. Many cheaper rugs are not made of New Zealand's finest 100% wool but rather made with synthetic fibers such as olefin, polypropyline, and nylon. What's really great is that these fibers can last just as long and don't cost as much.

There are a few items to consider when buying an area rug for your floors. What are you going to use the rug for? Is it going in the kitchen, living room, outside, dining room, bedroom, or maybe even the playroom? This is something you need to decide. Obviously, if you are going to buy a rug that will endure much use, such as in a playroom, you don't need the world's finest.

Secondly, how big does the rug need to be? Most rugs don't need to cover the entire floor to add to the look of the room. Most of the time a simple 4' x 6' rug will do great. If you do want to cover the entire floor, be sure to leave at least one to two feet between the rug and the wall. This look much better.

Thirdly, what colors or patterns do you want in the rug? You might want to get a rug that draws attention to itself. These rugs need to have sophisticated patterns and bright colors. On the other hand you might want a rug to draw attention towards another piece of furniture or object in the room. These rugs need to be simpler and match the room's overall look. Don't be afraid though to mix and match rug styles with the rest of the room. For example, modern rugs with their bright colors and outrageous designs can go well with a traditional look. All in all make sure that the colors and patterns match and you will be fine.

Last of all, don't forget the rug pad. Rug pads will add a bit of cushion while holding the rug in place so it won't slip beneath you. The best part about the rug pad is that it makes the rug easier to vacuum.

Remember, inexpensive area rugs are a great solution to give your rooms a new look. Look for them the next time you are shopping or surfing the net and will be surprised at the amazing rugs you can buy for such cheap prices.

Dating test - how romantic you are

Most of the people on the dating scene are looking for great partners. Someone who will fulfill the vacuum in their life and heart. Someone very smart, intelligent and loving. In the age of competition it is not easy unless you show innovative approach. Don't take me wrong. I am not asking you to create a drama or anything of that type, but creating mood that will get you your heart's desire.

How romantic are you? Have you tested yourself on that? Let me ask you a simple question. Does a rainbow look romantic to you? What does a butterfly make you think of? What happens when you walk on the fallen flowers in a garden? Does watching sunset make you think of a poetry? Do you read poetry? Do you enjoy it? Have you ever stared at the eyes of anyone of opposite sex without uttering a word for a minute? If you have done any of these , you are a romantic at heart. You will win the game.

Most of us believe that dating means expensive dinners, visiting theatres, watching movie and so on. You can never create romance at any of these places. For making your partner feel romantic and passionate, you have to go to a location where nature dances with joy. You have to feel part of that nature and enjoy the love that nature gives without asking anything in return. Sing a small poem to your date and you make your day.

Successful investors have learned to talk their walk

Today, English is the most widely spoken and written language on the planet. English was first spoken in Britain by Germanic tribes in the Fifth Century AD. At that time it was known as the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) period. During the Middle English period (1150-1500 AD), many Old English word endings were replaced by prepositions like by, with, and from. We are currently in the Modern English period which started in the Sixteenth Century.

The number of words in English has grown from 50,000 to 60,000 words in Old English to about a million today; the largest of all languages by far. An average educated person knows about 20,000 words and uses only about 2,000 words in a week. Despite its widespread use, there are only about 350 million people who use it as their mother tongue.

It is the official language of the Olympics. More than half of the world's technical and scientific periodicals as well three quarters of the world's mail, and its telexes and cables are in English. About 80% of the information stored in the world's computers (like this text) are also in English. English is transmitted to more than 100 million people everyday by 5 of the largest broadcasting companies (CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC, CBC). It seems like English will remain the most widely used language for some time.

The field of finance was pioneered by the United States of America as an extension of mercantilism. This was at a time when study of anything but economics was considered unworthy as compared to hard sciences like math, chemistry and physic and kissing up in the king’s court was highly regarded. The first business schools were established in the United States for this reason and still maintain their dominance. Finance has many words such as “put” and “call” for which there are no translations in other languages.

It is critical that you develop your financial vocabulary. My understanding of the financial vocabulary is vast compared to the average person because of my Ph. D. that I hold in the field as well as my investing experience as a futures and options trader and long term stock investor.

Many years of study at the doctoral level combined with direct practice in investments has allowed me to develop a vast financial vocabulary. This allows me to capture the essence of investment readings and conversations that the average person does not understand. Many investors fail not for lack of intelligence (I am of average intelligence) but lack of comprehension of what makes the stock market tick. This is due, in great part, to a lack of vocabulary that the common man on the street has not developed. Take the time to develop your financial vocabulary and you will excel over time as an investor!

Live roulette strategy

If it's not your lucky night at the live roulette table then perhaps trying a different roulette strategy might be worthwhile. You will find there are a few different roulette strategies to choose from and if you don't want to loose any money finding out if they are worth it, try to find a free roulette game and give it a go first.

Sometimes players steer clear of the same numbers that have previously come up earlier thinking that they are unlikely to show up again for some time. Also it is a good live roulette strategy to observe the run of numbers then you can bring into play a live roulette strategy such as the Martingale system. Whilst playing with a strategy you should remember that live roulette is a true game of luck, so there are no guarantees.

The "Martingale" strategy is the most common live roulette strategy as it can be used on most of the table games, not just roulette. The "Martingale" betting system works as follows; you start with a fixed bet; for example two or three dollars and you keep betting with this amount until you loose a bet. Once you loose you then continuously double the amount you bet until you win, once you win you get back all of your money plus the original amount you bet. The down side is that if you double your bets to early and the ball never rolls in you could rapidly reach the betting limit and won't be able to continue, in which case you will end up loosing your money. Another bet people enjoy using a progressive bet, progressive bets increase or decrease progressively by a fixed amount each time you win or loose.

Many people say that the martingale system is the better one but you can also make up your own system when you are playing live roulette and don't need to simply follow someone else's roulette strategies or systems, some people even follow the bets of their friends or others who are on a lucky run. There are a variety of roulette strategies so research a few, extensively before you decide to put one to the test with real money. Remember live roulette is just a game and if it is not your day then just stop playing and try again another day. When playing it's a good idea to set yourself a few limits, a time limit and a loss or winning limit.

Ergonomics pattern

The pattern of the human body is an amazing and often times taken for granted accomplishment of muscular coordination, blood flow and synapse communication. Most of those patterns we take for granted are small miracles of physical collaboration for which most of us have little of the necessary education to understand or fully appreciate. The mechanization of society has decreased many of the physical activities that used to be associated with a day of work (even typing has become less strenuous on the fingers!) but despite this, other strains have emerged that have to do with repetitive action and the modern tendency to not move for long periods of time.

Repetitive strain injuries are an alarming problem in our increasingly mechanized society. The study of ergonomics is as important as ever. Many companies have created “ergonomic” office furniture to increase the comfort of office workers. Many of these products, however, are unregulated by a centralized system and can therefore make the claim “ergonomic” without referring to any standardized or centralized concept of what that claim actually means in relation to the product. Also, many customers do not know how to properly use the “ergonomic” products that they buy, so even if they are using something that would otherwise be extremely effective in minimizing discomfort, their misuse of the product might make its effects minimal or, at worst, increase the discomfort that existed in the first place.

Unlike animals, our patterns are not hardwired into us. We have choices about the way we stand, sit and sleep that are not based on instinct or any kind of predetermination. There are many reasons why one person might choose to stand or walk one way and one person might choose styles of these same activities that are utterly different. However interesting these differences are, it is important to note that our choices of stature and posture may not be the best choices for our bodies, creating uncomfortable strains and even risks of permanent bodily injury.

To control and improve our patterns it is important to first realize what patterns are actually occurring. Do you hold your head to one side while you type? Should you get a phone cradle or a head-set to prevent long phone conversations from having an adverse affect on your neck? It is vital to ask these questions in order to embark on a journey towards making office and home life as Ergonomically comfortable as possible.

Goji capsules

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Goji is also known as wolfberry, happy berry, matrimony vine and boxthorn. Probably you may you have noticed this new health supplement on the market. Its Latin name is Lycium barbarum fruit.

It is believed that the Himalayas were home to the world’s first natural healers. Among the most valued Himalayan secrets was the tiny red berry Goji which became so popular that visitors brought them home and propagated them around the region. Since then, Goji has become a staple of Asian medicinal foods.

Goji berries contain polysaccharides which strengthen the immune system. A polysaccharide found in this fruit has been found to be a powerful secretagogue (a substance that stimulates the secretion of rejuvenative human growth hormone by the pituitary gland).

Goji berries have been traditionally considered as a longevity, strength-building, and sexual potency food of the highest order. In several research groups with elderly people the berry was given once a day for 3 weeks, many beneficial results were experienced and 67% of the patients T cell transformation functions tripled and the activity of the patients white cell interleukin-2 doubled. In addition, the results revealed that all the patients’ spirit and optimism increased significantly, appetite improved in 95% of the patients, 95% of the patients slept better, and 35% of the patients partially enhanced their sexual function.

Goji’s Protective Properties

Goji offers a wide variety of nutrients, from vitamins and minerals to more complex molecules and amino acids. Goji contains 18 different amino acids including all 8 that are regarded as the essential amino acids.

Goji is an important source of Beta carotene, much better than even carrots. Beta Carotene is provitamin A and a powerful antioxidant. Goji also provides some complex molecules called polysaccharides which the body uses to calm nervousness, enhance muscle growth, protect against infection, strengthen memory, and protect the heart. Among these is Beta sitosterol, which is an anti-inflammatory and lowers cholesterol.

The ORAC scale measures a food’s ability to absorb free radical oxygen molecules, and a 3.5 ounce serving of Goji has an ORAC rating of 23,500. To put this into perspective, prunes also rank extremely high, but have an ORAC rating of just over 5,000 for the same sized serving, while oranges score 750.
Originating from one of the most remote, mountainous regions on earth, the Goji berry is most famously associated with extraordinary longevity. In places where the Goji berry is a dietary staple, life spans of over 100 years are not uncommon.

The Goji berry’s nutritional profile is both unique and intricate, leading to its reputation as one of the greatest nutritional plants on earth. As the subject of meticulous scientific research, with many studies still ongoing, Goji has been shown to contain some very interesting nutrients. Goji contains the polysaccharide “Master Molecules” named LBP1, LBP2, LBP3, and LBP4. Goji contains the highest levels of these 4 molecules, plus essential amino acids, several vitamins, 21 trace minerals. Among the trace minerals found in Goji berries are some very rare trace nutrients such as germanium, uncommonly found in foods.

Today, Goji is known for:

- Intensifying resistance to microorganisms by boosting the immune system
-Assisting in protecting against macular degeneration, cataracts and dry eyes (goji contains the world’s richest source of carotenoids, even more than lutein!)
-Boosting energy by improving blood circulation, which warms the body
-Reducing the symptoms of diabetes and hypertension
-Protecting the liver and providing nutrition to the kidneys

Goji (wolf berry) from the Himalayans is known for its antioxidant and immune support. Goji capsules are manufactured from the whole fruit and extracted to a 4:1 ratio. In contrast to liquid products, which are mostly water, a gram of goji capsule product has the actives of 4,000mg of the Gogi berry powder. Note this is 4 times the actives of the dried powder.

Goji capsules are more absorbable and convenient than powdered, dried fruit or liquids. It is the most potent goji supplement available, offering a 125-time concentration of the goji berry and its active ingredient, polysaccharides.

If you are truly interested in the health benefits of the Goji Wolfberry fruit then a concentrated capsule is a better way to receive the benefits.

Should i hire a caterer

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So you have decided to throw a party. Great, now its time to consider all of the things you must do to make it a success. You need to make a guest list, plan decorations, arrange for a DJ, etc, etc. The list goes on and on but one of the most important tasks is arranging for the food. Food and drink will make or break your party. The question you must decide is are you going to hire a caterer or are you going to handle the food yourself. There are pluses and minuses to both.

Catering Yourself

If you decide to cater the party yourself, you will of course save money. Caterers can be expensive and they make up a considerable portion of a parties budget. If you are having a relatively small gathering, it is probably not worth hiring one. You might be better off just buying a few party trays from your grocery store or a favorite restaurant.

Another reason to not hire a caterer is that you will be able to serve exactly what you want, not just what the caterer has to offer. You can have the exact foods that you and your guests like in the amounts that you want.

Hiring A Caterer

Hiring a caterer does have advantages however. Sure they can cost you money but their expertise can come in handy. If you order the food yourself you might over order, wasting money. Even worse you could end up ordering too little and run out of food or drink. That would be a party nightmare, quickly putting an end to the festivities. You want to see a crowded room empty quick, just tell your guests that there is no more food or drink.

Another advantage of hiring a caterer is that it will allow you to completely enjoy your party. No running back and forth to the kitchen or checking to make sure your appetizer tray is full. You can spend your time mingling with your friends or business associates. What good is throwing a party that you cannot enjoy.

Lastly, honestly answer this question. Do you have the expertise to pull it off? Caterers have the experience necessary to make sure that your party goes off smoothly. The food will be ready on time. The drinks will flow smoothly. They have thrown hundreds or even thousands of parties and they will make yours run like clockwork.

Hopefully this article has helped you decide on the direction you want to take your party. Decide carefully, it is an important decision that could make or break your event.

Family health insurance plan - saving money is becoming easier

Every once in awhile there will be front page news about the health care crisis. The escalating costs for hospital and physician services are making it more difficult for the insurance companies to stay competitive and at the same time take care of the needs of their policyholders. A family health insurance plan in today’s marketplace is evolving into something quite different from years past. The employer group health insurance insures the majority of Americans but there is a trend developing. There are more folks leaving their employer to start their own business. When you add that group of people to the folks that leave their employer because of lay-offs, illness, and terminations then you are creating a great demand for family health insurance.

Insurance companies are working hard to develop new solutions. The federal government has great interest in health care insurance. The hospitals and physicians are deeply affected by the insurance industry.

There has been a major shift in thinking about health insurance. It has become increasingly clear that higher deductible health insurance plans are much more cost efficient in the long run compared to the low deductible plans of years past. The higher deductibles reduce the cost of health insurance dramatically. The lower deductibles are no longer in vogue. The high premiums for the low deductible no longer justify the premiums.

Today’s Trends

1. High Deductible Major Med – The insurance professionals are encouraging people to take the higher deductible major medical policies. You are well protected for a major illness or injury in exchange for self-insuring the smaller claims.

2. Health Savings Accounts – This is the federal government’s contribution to the health insurance dilemma. These savings accounts are established by the individual for medical expenses only. They are tax deductible similar to an IRA and are great vehicles to use for the out of pocket expense from the higher deductible.

The great joys of shopping in france

Shopping In France

France is the ultimate shopping destination for the sophisticated consumer. It offers everything from the ultimate in haute couture to perfumes to wines and cheeses. And shopping in France is not the

utilitarian experience it can be elsewhere. Rather it's a serious activity that demands attention and a certain flair.

First we look at Paris where the shops make up an important part of the fabric of the city's cultural identity. Then we'll head to Bordeaux which offers more than just its famous wines.

Shopping In Paris

Think of Paris and you think of designer fashions, perfumes, and accessories with brand names famous for their chic the world over. But of course they come with hefty price tags. Here's a tip. Bargain seekers should do their window shopping at the grand fashion houses to get a feel of what's in vogue. Then head to the budget shops and markets to get similar items at pennies on the dollar.

If you're short on time you can get all your designer labels under one roof at one of the large French department stores. The two queens, les grands magasins Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, sit side-by-side on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement. Fully exploring them could take days.

If you want the real Paris shopping experience, head for one of the unique wonders of the city – the galleries or passages. These are glass-roofed shopping arcades that date back to the 19th century. They ooze charm and transform rainy days into episodes of romance and discovery.

Don't' forget that Sundays are closing days for most stores in Paris. But fear not, one of the city’s many flea markets will provide a great alternative shopping experience.

Shopping In Bordeaux

Bordeaux is truly one of Europe's best kept shopping secrets. In the scenic charm of the city you'll find the world's most popular brand names: Cartier and Rolex for watches, Hermes and Christian Lacroix for fabrics and clothes, Louis Vuitton for luggage, Mont Blanc for pens, the list is endless.

Bordeaux is home to the longest pedestrianised street in Europe. Rue St. Catherine runs from the stately Place de la Comedie to the student district near the place de la Victoire. And its entire length is graced with some of the country's premier shopping outlets.

Bordeaux's epicenter for shopping is known fittingly as the Golden Triangle. This triangle contains the prime shopping zones of the Allйes de Tourny, the Cours de l'Intendance and the Cours Clemenceau. In its heart is the Place des Grands-Hommes, where you'll find Bordeaux's most prestigious outlets.

If such luxury doesn't tempt you, don't worry. Bordeaux is home to a plethora of chain stores that offer good value purchases. And the local boutiques offer distinctive items without the brand name mark ups.

And of course don't forget the wine. The Bordeaux region is France's premier wine making area and you can get sublime local vintages by the bottle or by the case.

Information about credit cards

Credit cards are convenient, but unless you are careful about your spending, you may be shocked when you get your monthly bill. Keep all of your receipts in order to keep track of what you have spent. Credit cards are convenient for consumers. Cards are easy to get. Credit cards are a privilege that offers many advantages. Having a student credit card allows you to pay bills and make purchases online or over the telephone with great convenience.

Credit cards are widely used. Shops and restaurants that accept credit cards have stickers at the entrance or signs posted elsewhere to designate which cards are accepted. Credit cards are only one means of stealing your identity. They are surely the most convenient form. Credit cards are one of the financial staples of modern society and with them come the additional necessity of credit debt management. Credit cards allow anyone who qualifies to purchase things that they may not be able to purchase with cash and then pay it off in smaller payments.

Credit cards are the most commonly used medium of making purchases and paying-off debts. People believe that those who have bad credit history can never get a credit card. Credit cards are everywhere and it’s important for you to be a part of it. Credit cards are best to use if you want to borrow a small amount of money for a short time. They are best for people who have the means to pay the money off quickly, and who are good at budgeting.

Crucial factors in seo

There's no shortage on advice regarding what people should do to improve a web site's position in the search engine listings. It is easy to become confused when you consume all the information that is available, because some folks agree with others while some totally disagree and offer dissimilar advice.

You should be extremely suspicious of any advice given by someone that tells you to use search engine submissions, employ traffic exchanges, or use FFA sites. That is so out of date it's not funny.

What is pertinent for excellent rankings in the search engines was highlighted not too long ago via a survey done by SEOmoz of a collection of SEO professionals.

In short, below are the 4 most important search engine optimization ranking factors, in accordance with the experts' consensus views.

Keywords that Appear in the Title

Using the correct keywords when crafting the title tag of a page is of extreme importance. It does not only promote higher rankings, it also helps with the click-through from the SE listings to the destination page. It is of lesser value to be listed high in the results without receiving that many clicks. The ultimate purpose is to gain as many targeted visitors to your site as possible.

The keywords that were used by the searcher are bolded in the results of the search. When the right keyphrase of the page title is bolded, it gives the listing a higher opportunity of being seen and receiving a click. Nevertheless, highlighted keywords are not the only thing to think about when writing the page title tag.

Lots of additional clicks can be attained from a smartly written page title tag, especially when it invites the searcher to click. It is better to attract a hundred clicks from position number five with an eye-catching title tag than fifty clicks from position number three with a badly written title tag, correct?

Anchor Text used by Inbound Links

The anchor text that is employed in the link that points to your web site from an external site counts a lot in the search engine algorithms to figure out what your site is all about. Additionally, what your site is all about defines to a large extent what keywords it will rank for in the search results.

If at all you can influence in any way the anchor text that other web sites employ when they link to you, then it's an extremely prudent way of investing your time.

A larger number of external sites that have links to your site employing a certain set of keywords, or alternate versions of that keyword, will prompt the SE's to more readily compute that your site is all about that specific keyphrase.

It's far more advantageous if the content of the destination page on your site contains that particular keyword and phrases similar in meaning.

The Universal Link Popularity of Your Site

Search engines figure out the relative importance of a site from the volume of hyperlinks that point to the web site. They include both quality of hyperlinks and quantity of the hyperlinks.

The more different web sites that have links to your web site, the higher the SE's will calculate the deemed importance of your site.

Link building is a never-ending process. One can never have a sufficient number of backlinks pointing to your site. It's true that it is possible to build links too fast and that can raise some alerts in the algorithms of the search engines. But, if it's done as an ongoing effort with a long-term outlook, every backlink deserves the resources spent in acquiring it. They all add up to an improved deemed importance of your web site.

Link Popularity in the Site's Internal Link Structure

The fact is that some of your web pages will get more external links than others. Those that do not get a lot of external links could be the actual money pages that you would wish to rank well in the SE indexes.

The internal linking structure, in addition to the anchor text employed in the internal links, is the way to disperse PageRank inside your own site.

Some search engine optimization professionals say that an internal link to a page has the same value as a link from an external page. That doesn't mean the site will rank with nothing more than internal links. What it means is that you could cause a page to be ranked by having internal links pointing to it even though it does not have lots of external links, on the condition that the remainder of the web site has acquired enough trust from external links.

Conclusion

SEO might appear daunting when one views it as a whole. However, when viewed as individual focus areas, there are a select number of relatively easy areas one can concentrate on and make the largest benefits.

How to protest the online gambling ban

Protesting the government is not a cast of protesting a company because you do not like a product, this is a case of you trying to change the mind of the government and this can be hard to do, but it can be done.

Before you can even have a chance at holding a successful protest the first thing you should do is to circulate an online petition, this will give you an idea of how many people support your cause and gives you a list of names with phone numbers that you can call to get people to come to your protest.

The next step is to go online and find other groups protesting the new internet gambling act, and see if that group would be willing to join your protest, the more people protesting the online gambling ban the better the chances are of getting the law reversed.

After this you should start a letter writing campaign not only to your local congressmen but to all the Congressmen and see where they stand. Some of them will not be in support of the online gambling ban and will be willing to not only sign your petition but will be hey may be even willing to speak at your protest.

The next step is to plane your protest. The timing of your protest is important if you choose to protest at the Whitehouse you do not want to do it when the president is not there or if you choose to make your stand at congress do not do it at a time they are on a brake, this can make a big difference in the effectiveness of your protest.

Make sure to have a well written press release to the press at least 2 days before the protest to ensure that you will get press coverage. The more people who hear about your protest the more names you can get on your petition.

The point of a petition is to basically let someone know that people are not happy with what they are doing, and if enough people protest the government you can get them to change their decision. This is especially true with a politician. They know thee job depends on votes and if they are going to gain enough votes to secure their job they will do it even if they truly do not agree with it.

You must apply for a permit to protest at least 30 days in advance, or if there are delays you may not have a permit on the day you have told your protesters to show up, to truly insure you have time, apply for the permits at least 60 days in advance.

When applying for the permits you should be able to find out about the rules for setting up any sound equipment you will need so you can make the arrangements for them.

The only thing left to do for your online gambling ban protest is to wait for the big day.

Cheap poker chips getting the most for your money

So you have decided that you want to buy a new set of poker chips but you don’t have a lot of money to spend, what you really need are cheap poker chips. There are two types of cheap poker chips – cheap in quality and cheap in price. Let’s talk about what the difference is, because you really can get a decent quality poker chip for not a lot of money, if you are careful with your purchase.

If you can go into your local drugstore or discount store and buy poker chips, they are probably cheap poker chips, and not in the good way. So what do these cheap-o poker chips look like? They usually come in three colors: red, blue and black. They come in sets of 200 or 250 for only a dollar or two. The problem with these is that they are flimsy, and you won’t get any respect from your friends when you do play. Why don’t you want cheap quality poker chips? Because they don’t play well, they don’t sound real, and they don’t the feel good either. Why aren’t they going to play well? When you throw them down, they aren’t going to have the same Las Vegas sound; they aren’t going to clink and clank. They won’t remind you of your last gambling vacation. They’ll do the job, but it won’t be the same amount of fun.

What you might want to do is think about spending a bit more money, and get a better quality (but still cheap) set. You want something that you can be proud to take with you to the next poker game. Something you won’t have to be embarrassed about when it is your turn to host the next poker night at your house. So how do I buy cheap poker chips that aren’t cheap poker chips? Well, the answer is simple really: do a little research first. And then take the plunge and buy a set.

Now, I won’t lie, there are certain types of poker chips that aren’t cheap. For example, you probably won’t find clay poker chips that are cheap. However, there are some resin poker chips or some composite poker chips that may be in your budget.

One thing to look for in your new cheap poker chips is weight. How heavy do you want them to be? Something between nine and thirteen grams is about average for a poker chip. Don’t skimp out on weight.

Another thing to consider is how many colors you want. Don’t just initially buy two or three colors of poker chips to represent the denominations of your bet, because if you end up expanding the number of players you play with, or changing the minimum bet, you’ll end up paying twice for shipping and handling. This will increase the price of the cheap poker chips, and make them not so inexpensive.

The third thing you want to consider is how many you want? The more you buy, the cheaper it’s going to be, so why not just start off with a set of 500 right away, instead of buying a bit at a time? Again, if you can buy what you want the first time around, you will save money on shipping and handling.

You can definitely buy cheap poker chips that look and play great, if you try. You will have to research to find a style that suits you. If you follow this guide, and resist buying the cheap poker chips that I’ve warned you about, you no longer have to go to your game night in shame.

6 tips for 6-pack abs

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No matter if you are a teen trying to get into shape or a grown woman returning to the world of fitness, a harder and flatter stomach is the final goal for many a person. Because of this, this topic is covered in plenty of fitness myths and revolutionary ideas and is especially susceptible to fancy machines and ideas that claim to give a rock hard 6-pack in weeks, yet do absolutely nothing. This article does not claim to give "rock hard abs" in a week, but instead serves to try to change the views some people have gotten from watching too many infomercials at 2AM.

1. You Can't Spot-Reduce

This means that you can't burn fat only from a specific spot on your body. All the sit-ups in the world will not burn the fat on your gut. Bodyfat is lost from all over your body and is caused by a caloric deficit, not from activating a certain muscle group.

2. Cardio is Important

The key to getting a 6-pack is not in building up the abdominals, but in burning the fat that is covering them. The way to achieve this is is to have a caloric deficit, which can be achieved by both taking in less calories and using up more calories. A form of cardio that is very effective for burning fat and boosting your metabolism is HIIT. HIIT is exercising in short bursts of intense cardio followed by a short cooldown. An example of a session would be a 30 second run, followed by a 30 second jog, followed by another sprint, and so on for 4 to 15 minutes depending on the fitness of person.

3. Abs are made in the kitchen

This is the least complex and yet the most difficult aspect in getting a 6-pack. The key to getting a 6-pack is to cut down on food and lose bodyfat. Here are some easily applicable tips:

* Stop drinking soda and start to drink only water. It can make a huge difference.

* Eat 5-6 small meals a day. This helps boost your metabolism and keeps your appetite in check.

* Try to find your calorie maintenance level and gradually decrease 100-200 calories per week until your are shedding about 1-2 pounds a week.

4. Sit-ups are useless

Sit-ups are supposed to target the abs but really the hip flexors and spinal erectors are doing the work in the movement. The abdominals are only used isometrically as stabilizers. This means that sit-ups are terrible for your back and do not benefit your abs anyway.

5. Other Exercises To Do

Now this would be the time for me to plug some new life-changing product or idea, but that is not the point of this article. Here are some ab exercises for beginners to do instead of the traditional sit-up:

* Crunches - There are many different types, but try to think of it as pulling your bottom rib directly to your hip

* Weighted crunches - Do normal crunches except hold a plate to your chest

* Hanging leg raises - hang from a bar and pull your knees directly to your chest

6. Don't Give Up!

While achieving your goal of a 6-pack may not be as painless and easy as infomercials may have you think, it is still a very realistic goal even for a beginner. All it takes hard work and determination. Giving up a week after you started will not help you get a six pack or help your your overall fitness.

Credit card goodies with affinity credit cards

Would you like to do something worthwhile with those cash back and reward points that you're earning on your rebate credit cards? Many major non-profit organizations would be delighted to help you do that. By making an affinity credit card your major credit card, you can donate hundreds of dollars to your favorite charity - just by using your credit card the way that you normally would.

Affinity credit cards have been around since the 1980s, but they've really taken off in the last four to five years. Among the non-profit organizations that have teamed up with major credit card issuers to offer affinity cards are the American Red Cross, the Humane Society of the United States and the Cancer Society. Add in the National Audubon Society and a wide variety of local police organizations, alumni associations, homeless shelters and labor unions.

Affinity cards, like co-branded cards, have both the credit card logo and the emblem of the charity that benefits when you use it on the front. Most affinity cards, however, don't offer special perks to the user, unless you count the knowledge that you're supporting a worthy cause that's important to you - and it's costing you nothing.

Just how much good do affinity credit cards do?

According to MBNA, about 35,000 people use a Humane Society of the United States affinity credit card. Over the last ten years, contributions through the affinity credit card have been 'well into six figures' annually. That's a lot of puppies and kittens being saved through people's credit spending.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. The World Wildlife Federation started issuing an affinity credit card in 1995. In the past ten years they've earned over $8 million in affinity credit card contributions.

Affinity cards work on the same principle as Earned Rewards cards. Whenever a holder of an affinity credit card makes a purchase using that card, they're credited with 1-1.5% back. The difference is that instead of receiving that reward themselves, it's contributed to the company that places its emblem on the card. It's a painless way to contribute to your favorite charity and let your spending habits do some good.

But how many people actually use affinity credit cards?

According to the Nilson Report, affinity credit cards make up almost 29% of all credit cards in use. That's nearly 1/3 of all active credit cards. That's a lot of charity going around for a country that supposedly has a heart of stone.

Should your non-profit agency consider issuing an affinity credit card? According to the experts, the standard rule of thumb is 'can you generate 50,000 credit card users in two years?'

What can you expect if you do decide to market an affinity card in conjunction with a credit card company?

Most companies - and they include local police unions, sports groups and philanthropic groups - get at least $1 per user that signs up for your affinity card, and a percentage of whatever is charged on those cards. Whether you're looking into applying for an affinity credit card or finding a bank that might be interested in sponsorship from your organization, be sure to shop carefully.

The better the deal you get on your affinity card, the more you'll be helping the people that are important to you.

The big fat juicer you can count on

The juicer has come a long way from the simple utensil that your parents used to squeeze orange juice from an orange when you were younger. In fact, it is now one of the most essential appliances for many kitchens across the country. We have learned so much in the way of why we need to consume juices of various types. Now, with technology, we have some of the best equipment to make drinking that juice easier, more flavorful, and even more cost effective. All this from a juicer? Count on it and so much more.

There are several brands of juicers on the market, but what you will find is excellent features in all of them. Many of them offer a wide range of essential settings in which to use them. And, they all have something else in common as well. They deliver high quality juice just the way you want them to.

A Closer Look At The Options

Taking a closer look at juicer options will tell you that there is much to consider in your purchase. Don’t just head to the local store to purchase whatever they have on their shelves. On the web, you will find a wide range of high quality products that really will knock your socks off in quality and cost. Some of these machines are so easy to use that it is no harder to squeeze a glass of juice as it is to open the carton to pour some pre made juice.

Some of the things that you will find useful in juicers are the following. Did you know that many of the juicers you can purchase can be purchased to allow different types of pulp settings? Some will allow you to add ice to them to create more of an iced treat than juice? Others will provide you with a quick glass of juice that really pulls as much juice out of the fruit that is possible. Still there are more features. Some of these will help you to allow for easy clean up. Others will help you to mix various fruits to create smoothies and shakes.

Why Purchase A Juicer?

Many people do not get it. Why purchase a juicer when you can purchase juice already squeezed? The simple fact of the matter is that juice is full of essential nutrients that your body needs. When it is stored, these products break down and offer less of a value to your diet. Likewise, they also lose their flavor the longer they sit. Freshly squeezed juice is tastier and healthier for you.

Take a few minutes to check out the options that are out there. Find those juicers that offer just what you want to gain from that orange this time. And, look for easy to use equipment that is also easy to clean and maintain. What a great way to start the day with a juicer to give you the best juice out there.

Home security systems - an insiders guide to saving you money

Monitoring your home security system has never been easier but there are several things you need to consider before committing yourself to a long term monitoring agreement with any alarm company

Alarm companies don’t make the majority of their profit from selling security systems, it comes from accumulating a large base of alarm-monitoring contracts. In fact these monitoring contracts are so profitable that they are frequently bought and sold like mortgage notes.

Tip #1 Ask if they are an authorized alarm dealer or a represent a marketing company.

Marketing companies have learned to flood a market with fantastic offers on security systems with the sole purpose of selling the contracts at a profit. They often use any sub-contractor available, which can lead to poor customer service once the marketing company leaves town.

Once you find a reputable alarm company ask them to come out to your home and give you a quote. You’ll find that most will quote you a basic security system at a reasonable price. These basic security systems generally include an control panel, keypad, motion detector, a couple of door contacts, inside siren, a yard sign and warning decals

Tip #2 Make sure the equipment can be monitored by any alarm company not by just the one selling it to you. If they use proprietary security equipment you could be left

in a bind should you become dissatisfied with their service for any reason. Ademco, DSC,& Caddx are well known manufacturers and can be monitored by any one.

Some companies offer low a low installation charge of $99.00 or will give you a “FREE” security system. Many do so if you put a security sign in your yard for advertising purposes and commit to a long-term alarm-monitoring contract.

Since the installation charge doesn't cover the true cost of the equipment and labor, you are charged a substantial monthly fee to recoup their investment. These “deals” or equipment leases aren't necessarily bad but make it hard to evaluate the true cost to you over time.

The best way to evaluate your contract is to ask the salesman to give you a quote to purchase the security system outright and show the home alarm-monitoring fee separately. Most of the time you are better off buying the alarm system because your monitoring fee will be much less.

For example. Say for $99 your monitoring fee is $35 per month for 3 years

you total cost for monitoring your home alarm is $1359.00 Your fee

will remain $35 per month or even increase.

On the other hand say you pay $599.00 installation and $20 dollars a month your total cost is $1319. Not only is your overall cost less but from year 3 on your will be saving $180 per year. This savings would be better spent on upgrading your alarm system to include fire monitoring and added perimeter protection

Tip #3 Don’t pay additional charges for medical or fire monitoring.

It’s ok to pay for the equipment needed but some companies charge $2-$5 extra for these services. These options are easily programmed into the alarm system and don’t require any additional effort to monitor.

Is A Basic Security System For You?

The answer is probably not. Basic systems only cover your doors and are supplemented by the use of a motion detector. This detector is usually mounted in the main hallway to catch a burglar crossing the center of the home. If they come through a bedroom window and never pass by the motion detector, the alarm system will never sound. Imagine being home at the time this happens. Basic security systems are best used as a deterrent to a break in and to notify the authorities an alarm condition exist.

Adding perimeter protection such as window contacts or glass break detectors should be high on the list of upgrades. These types of upgrades not only activate the alarm system instantly but also will give you piece of mind while you are home.

Protect Your Financial Interest Not Just Your Home

Get all quotes in writing and make sure the quote is a binding quote.

At a minimum the following should be included in your contract.

Length of contract and if / how it renews. Does it renew automatically?

What type of notice do you have to give to terminate the monitoring agreement

Will your fee increase and is there a limit on the increase. If at all possible lock in your monitoring fee for the entire contract otherwise you could see an increase every year.

Don’t be afraid to walk away on this point alone.

Do you own the equipment or is it a lease? A lease means lower initial installation cost but high monitoring fees.

Warranty:

Most of the alarm equipment comes with it’s own warranty in addition to what is offered by your company. Specify the warranty for each item so that you aren’t charged if it fails.

Also specify how long the warranty on labor is. Expect to pay some labor cost for replacing under warranty items

Service Calls

Alarm technicians are usually well trained to diagnose and fix problems with your security system. Be prepared to pay in the neighborhood of $55 per hour. The fee can seem high when compared to your original installation cost but is not out of line. Think about how much you pay for your car or computer to be worked on.

How long is the response time to service your alarm system.

48 hours is a reasonable time.

Do they provide an installation certificate for your home owner’s insurance

Many insurance companies offer a discount for monitored home security systems.

Don’t Wait Until You Have A Break-In To Get An Alarm System!

You can replace most things but you may never replace your sense of security in your own home.

Too much stress

A new endorsement at work had been the most stimulating issue that had occurred to Aidan in a year. He was overjoyedand had redoubled his efforts in showing his capacity. He had been working a lot and was very, very weary . When he came back from the office, he often ate his dinner quietly, too exhausted to tell his wife about his day and then settled down at his his laptop to prepare some data for gatherings the next day. The responsibility assumed was really giving him constant worry to him and his wife advised him that he could take some hours to relax.

He immediately thought in the meeting for next week and that made him very edgy. His wife Kim was a kind and helpful person and he knew that he had not paid attention to her lately so he couldn’t decline but deep inside the anxiety niggled at him. He resolved to work even harder on Friday evening to get the lost time so he could take it easy. However, as he worked he noticed that he had a lot new projects to start and that made him even more nervous that taking a night off for pleasure starting being a problem.

When Saturday night rolled around he was felt very stressed with worry but when he saw the effort Kim had gone to and how beautiful she looked in her new suit he decided to forget any project for a few hours. They booked a table in a restaurant and had a romantic meal and an ideal walk along the harbour before getting home.

they decided to love each other to culminate the night with some tender sex but, to his surprise Aidan found that he had become impotent and, feeling down, he curled up and returned to the computer.

Kim knew that he was stressed, and understood that this difficulty would fade away when he was used to his new duty and had calmed down a bit, but she felt sad about the facts of the evening.

She decided to aid Aidan to recover his sex life and searched the Internet. Very quickly she found a site selling generic Viagra and generic Cialis, both of which were drugs that helped men to deal with stress-related erectile dysfunction. She ordered a trial sample of generic Cialis and began planning the next ardent night.

She asked for a special tablet in the best restaurant of the city and booked a suite in the hotel for the night. She wore, purchased, bought, dressed with telling him that he needed a relax and that she didn’t expect nothing else if he didn’t feel like it.

Unbeknown to him placed a pastille into his vegetables and while eating, she slipped her dress of her shoulders and flirted with him. Aidan really felt attracted by her but was worried that the night would end up like last week so he stalled and preferred staying in the restaurant. Eventually, Kim told him what she had done and even if he was unbelieving he understood that she had acted out of love... and also that that pill would make him recover his sexual happiness.

Without finishing the champagne, he kissed her in full view of the restaurant and carried her off to the bedroom.

as they checked out of the hotel late in the afternoon, there were a few sniggers and Kim was a little red-faced, but Aidan felt the best lover of the world and left with a spring in his step and a vow to do it again very soon!

Wachovia online banking

Wachovia online banking is fast becoming the banking method of choice for millions of customers looking to save time. In fact just recently the Wachovia online banking system landed in top place for customer satisfaction as gauged by Keynote System’s “Keynote Customer Experience and Service Level Rankings."

What features set Wachovia online banking apart from its competition? Ease of use is what put Wachovia ahead of the rest. Online banking benefits banks by giving customers a way to help themselves. But online banking also has to benefit customers, and if such a program isn’t intuitive and easy to navigate, customers won’t use it.

That’s not a problem at Wachovia. Its web site is uncluttered and neatly categorized which enables users to see at a glance exactly where to go to address their immediate needs. Another area in which Wachovia online banking excels is its access to customer service. Even though the site is easy to navigate, there are times when customers won’t know where to go or how to proceed. When that happens, all they need to do is click on the Customer Service link. There customers will find several FAQ’s that have been designed to answer the most common questions. There’s also a site map and a glossary of terms.

If that’s still not enough, customers need only click on the Contact Us link. Again, customers will find their banking needs listed by category. They need only click on the appropriate link and in a split second, they’ll have complete contact information including a toll-free telephone number in most cases.

So even though Wachovia online banking customers are dealing with a web site access to a human being is never more than a click away. Besides the ease of use and quick access to customer service, Wachovia online banking is offered absolutely free of charge. Better still, many prospective customers claim that the online banking web site is the feature that helped them choose Wachovia as their bank. No wonder Wachovia tops the list!

Chocolate rasperry cake

This is a moist chocolate cake recipe, it is a 3 layer cake with 2 layers of raspberry cream filling and topped with a chocolate raspberry butter cream icing. Are you salivating yet?

To make this cake use your favorite chocolate cake recipe or for the inexperienced baker just use 2 dark chocolate cake mixes.

Mix with

8 medium eggs

2 cups cold water

2/3 cup oil

Mix on medium speed until well blended, scrape bowl, mix for 1 more minute.

Pour in equal portions into 3 (10x2 inch baking pans).

Bake at 350 degree preheated oven for approximately 30 to 40 minutes or until done. Cool on rack, remove from pans, level cakes by cutting off rounded tops.

Purchase a good fruitful raspberry pastry filling (H&H) is the best, place about 1 pound of filling in a bowl and add whip cream to it (whip the cream first) now fold them together until you reach the desired flavor and thickness (don't make it too thin).

Use any chocolate butter cream recipe that you like and add to the icing (black raspberry extract) until you reach the desired flavor (if you make the icing too thin just add some more 10x sugar).

Assemble the cake:

On the bottom layer put a dam of icing around the edge and your filling in the center and smooth to level, repeat for 2nd and 3rd layer, decorate as in picture, use shaved chocolate or chocolate jimmies in center of the top.

Blackjack learn how to become a champion

:
Learn How to Play and Win Blackjack after practicing some basic steps that can be learn easily. Blackjack is one of the more easier card games that you will come across, and its basic concept is simple: get 21 as the sum of your cards or get as close to 21 but higher than the sum of your opponent's cards.

1) Do not try and reach 21.
Yes. Even though blackjack is also commonly called 21, trying to reach 21 with every hand is an amateurish move. You will, most certainly, lose the hand. Statistical research conducted has shown that the odds of reaching 21 is lesser than the odds of getting more than 21.

2) Try and Beat the Dealer.
Since blackjack is a one on one battle: you versus the dealer, focus on beating the dealer. Instead of trying to get 21, try to guess what hand the dealer will receive and accordingly play your hand. Remember that the dealer at a regular casino or even at an online casino has to stop taking more cards if the cards on the table add up to 17. But if their cards add up to 16 or any number less, they will have to take another card.

3) Look at the dealer's card facing up.
The only way to play is to look at the dealer's card facing up. If it is a low card like a two or anything up to a 6 or 7, try and get a high number combination. If it’s a 9 or 10, the odds are high that he has a 10 underneath or at least he will be forced to take another card. So, reach anything up to 20 or 21, but its better to even stop at a 18 or 19 and hope they will over-run the sum of 21.

How Blackjack is Played at a Casino:
1) Place your bet on the table.
Each blackjack table has a set beginning bet and this ranges from a dollar to ten or twenty for the high-rollers crowd. This is the amount of chips you will have to put down, and this signals to the dealer that you are taking part in the next round.

2) You will get a card.
The dealer then deals a card to you and all the other players who have also placed a bet down.

3) The dealer places a face-up card in front.
This is one of the cards of the dealer, and since its facing up, all the players have a chance to judge the outcome of his cards.

4) The dealer deals the second card.
The dealer, then, deals you and all the players an additional card. This is the time to have a look at them and at the dealer's card and decide whether you wish to get another card.

5) The dealer asks.
The dealer now turns to each player and asks them if they wish to receive another card. If you wish it, the dealer will give you a card. Then, the dealer will ask you again. Note that the dealer will be with you until you decide that you do not want to receive any more cards. Then, the dealer moves on to the next player, then, the next, and so on.

6) The dealer starts playing.
Only when all the players have said that they do not want any more cards, does the dealer start playing. He takes cards until he has reached 17 or above. Then, he has to stop.

7) The dealer opens the cards.
When he's done, the dealer first reveals all his cards. Then, he moves from one player to the other opening their cards. After revealing each player's hands, the dealer pays out the bet or takes the bet away according to who has won and who has lost.