Imprisoned

Lessons From a Prison Visit

"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty" ~Albert Einstein

Recently I somewhat reluctantly gave into a voice I had been hearing for several months. The first time I heard the voice, I thought I had misunderstood. I had heard, “Prison…go and do this work at the men’s prison.” Certainly, mind was playing its game. I watched the thought, expecting it to come and go. It was a persistent, nagging thought so I offered token acceptance to the Universe. You pave the way and I will go. I didn’t expect heaven and earth to move quite so quickly but as I learned, when something is intended, our ‘Yes’, even when given with half-hearted acquiescence, sets this physical plane into motion. Just a few days later, without a shred of effort, a door opened and the pieces began to fall into place.

As my date at the prison approached I had just a little anxiety. What would it be like? What would they be like? I was concerned about connecting with the men and a thought flashed through my mind that my life hadn’t prepared me to connect with men in prison. What did I have to say that would make any difference to them? Even as I questioned my usefulness, I knew I wouldn’t have been led here if there wasn’t a reason, so I slipped rather effortlessly into surrender.

When I walked in the door, I didn't have any anxiety, just a desire to bring something of value to the men. Originally, I was supposed to join Blaze, the gentleman who started the prison program, for my first session. A few days earlier I had found out he would not be in attendance and I was on my own. The door slammed behind me as I entered into the population and I felt a dense energy that for a moment was a bit unsettling. For that second, I wished I had company, someone who had walked this path before. The guard escorted me to the chaplain's office and after we completed a few details, the chaplain walked me down the hall to academics where I would meet with the men. He needed to chaperone the Native American drumming circle so he left me in the room and I waited for the first of the men to appear.

Blaze had told me that the men had big hearts and an amazing openness to Oneness. They were captive, with no where to go. I wondered if surrender to God is easier when you have already surrendered your life’s dream. The words flowed through me. I was merely the channel—like heaven’s radio station. The teachings encompassed both beginner and advanced material. I had never felt it come through me in quite that way. One moment I would be talking about basic concepts and in the next moment, quite advanced teaching would come through. As I engaged with the men, it seemed to be perfect for that moment.

We talked about Oneness and whether they were really a part of this Oneness. They were so honest. Yes, they had heard about Oneness. Yes, they intellectually got it. Yes, they hoped it was true, but, it was not a true knowing. With their permission I did a little energy work with each man and held my hands a few inches in front of their heart chakras and in back of the chair at heart level. After a few moments I was led to hold my hands above their Crown chakras. To a man, albeit to varying degrees, they each felt the energy. One in particular, a tall Irish man, asked if I had my hands on his head. My hands were 4 inches above his head. That observation gave us lots to talk about. If I end at my fingertips and you at the top of your head, how can you feel this energy? Is it possible that we really are One?

Blaze was right. They were so amazingly open. Their hearts were somewhat hidden, but willing…wanting. They could have been any group of men. They could have been friends, brothers, husbands, sons…sitting around the table at the holidays. Not one would have looked out of place.

Sounds like enough of a tale...but for me, only the beginning. As I drove home, I began to realize a new appreciation for freedom and in the same breath, I was also given a new appreciation for incarceration. Each thing I did for the balance of the next two days took on a beauty of appreciation and gratitude that was exceedingly deep—things as simple as opening the door to my car, my house, being able to close the door to the bathroom, being surrounded by flowers in my gardens, or my dog laying her head in my lap. As I write about this now, I feel my heart cracking open again, even more fully, yet another level of love revealed. After the visit I felt unable to get my balance, unable to integrate the time at the prison, like I was standing on the groundless, untethered to earth. I felt myself becoming each person who had ever been locked inside a prison...then each soul embroiled in war or hopelessly lost in poverty. The brightness of compassion was my saving grace. It could have been a deep hole, a desperation created by mind, as I also felt a small daemon—separateness—clinging to me, something that I hadn't felt for quite a while. That evening in meditation, in an effort to befriend it, there was awareness of the crusader within, wanting to change the world, a part of the whole that had stepped out of Now and into should, into past and future. It took several days to integrate all the energy and information but slowly, with the help of friends, a context of five levels of imprisonment took form.

As I write, two additional levels became clear.

1) Unaware of imprisonment (mental and emotional) and physically free

2) Aware of imprisonment (mental and emotional) and physically free

3) Unaware of imprisonment (mental and emotional) and incarcerated

4) Aware of imprisonment (mental and emotional) and incarcerated

5) Aware of imprisonment and consciously incarcerated, choosing to retreat to a cave or to sit under the Bodhi tree in one's commitment to find freedom

6) Free mentally, emotionally (spiritual freedom) and incarcerated

7) Free mentally, emotionally (spiritual freedom) and physically free—not imprisoned or incarcerated

Looking at the list, I know where I sit. I sit under the Bodhi tree with the Buddha. I walk beside Jesus in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights. These articles are my incarceration, locked in step with the process of attaining freedom. I do not sit within a physical cave, but I clearly see the cave of mind, and shall remain dug in ‘til the last daemon is fully returned to the Whole. These words are evidence of commitment to freedom, of dedication to making the last thoughts and beliefs so transparent as to remove their ability to hide. In awe of the power of forgiveness, willing to release all I have created in my ignorance against This that pervades all, I stand naked before God with nothing but Love.

Physical freedom is merely another proving ground without spiritual freedom. It doesn’t matter where we find ourselves when we are imprisoned, when we see ourselves as separate from God. What does matter is what we do with our knowledge of imprisonment. What matters is that we begin walking towards freedom. Start walking and God’s pull will turn even the smallest steps into winged flight.

Alcohol and weight loss

When trying to lose weight, it is highly recommended that you refrain from drinking alcohol. This reasoning is based both in the fact that alcohol has a high concentration of unhealthy sugars and empty calories as well as the knowledge that alcohol generally drives you compromise your habits, which might make you eat the wrong foods if they are available.

However, if you do wish to have a night cap, it is recommended that you drink alcohol in moderation and opt for a low-sugar red wine as opposed to a carbohydrate-dense beer.

Alcohol is generally consumed in social situations, such as at a meal or party. Generally, when drinking one glass, an additional glass or two are offered. Because you are in a social situation, it can be difficult to refrain from over-indulging, at least as far as the parameters of your diet are concerned.

If you do have a weight loss partner and are in a situation involving alcohol together, you two can share the responsibility of helping each other avoid unwanted glasses. Each additional alcoholic beverage boosts the number of calories you consume per day as well as the amount of sugar running through your blood stream.

Many people feel uncomfortable rejecting a drink in a social situation. They do not want to be party poopers by reminding friends of their diet or they do not want to seem to stiff in front of others. If you find yourself in a situation where it is tough to avoid consuming a beverage, then consider ordering a diet coke on ice. A diet coke has no calories or fat grams, but will come in a nice glass that will appear to be an alcoholic beverage.

If you must consume wine, then opt for a deep red wine. Red wines are wines that are generally lower in sugar than a white wine or a beer. Red wines are made keeping the skin of the grapes on, which also makes the wine more rich in minerals than the white wine counterpart, which is made from only the core of the grape.

Also keep in minds that beverages such as beer have yeast, fat and sugar. There is a reason that frequent beer drinkers develop a beer belly – they consume vast amounts of beer but do not work it off right away.

Like fruit, it is also a good idea to consume wine when you are also eating a meal. The meal will help to regulate the spike in your blood sugar level so that your body is not shocked by the addition of new alcohol calories or sugars.

Keep in mind that while alcohol consumption might not be avoidable for you, the munchies and desire to consume high-fat and high-grease foods needs to be controlled. If you do find yourself in a situation where you have consumed too much wine, it is important for you to avoid tacking on additional calories from food. Moderation and education are the two keys to effective weight loss when it comes to wine consumption and the hunger that follows.

Understanding benefits and dangers of a student credit card

The very idea of having a credit card yourself is enough a reason for sending shivers up you spine, let alone the thought of handing one over to your new college going son or daughter! You must have heard a lot from one group stating how beneficial having a credit card might prove to you and another group discouraging you to avail a credit card and stating its evils. The world of credit cards is undoubtedly filled with several hearsays and, to be honest, several may turn true. However, you can reap only the benefits of a credit card if you are equipped with the knowledge of how a credit card can harm your finance, by checking them at the very grass root level.

This becomes even more difficult while you are trying to decide on or not to give your ward a credit card guardian, and if yes, which one should be the best suited. Whichever you take and whatever you intend to do with your credit card, make sure you keep certain very crucial aspects in mind regarding the management of your credit card, especially when it concerns a new college goer. Know and understand the various benefits and dangers of student credit cards and the ways you can use it judiciously, in order to avoid any bad credit reputation, various hassles aside.

Being a high school or a college student is not easy. Especially with the increasing pace of extra curricular activities and various fees for additional curricular support needs a lot of resource for your behalf as well as your child’s behalf. These are only obvious for any student’s growth and for the successful completion of studies. Moreover, you cannot prepare yourself beforehand for these little expenses. Here the validity of having a credit card for students is nothing less than obvious. If your daughter or son has a credit card, these last minute problems will cease to be problems altogether.

You will also receive a statement for credit card, with which you will be able to assess the expenditure of your ward and check for yourself for what and when your ward is spending money. This is only possible with plastic and not otherwise. The plastic will also help you teach your daughter or son that there is nothing called free money, and that the money they spend needs to be repaid.

There will be many a companies offering you a student credit card for your ward. Their interest rates are likely to be higher than what your credit card claims. Do not be alarmed, but be assured that the card issuer is undertaking huge risks at allowing your ward hold plastic money. Besides the issuer’s risk, it also involves you. Be very vocal and clear about explaining what the card is for to your ward. Explicate to them what they should do with the card and what not, or it will be you who will have to suffer for the previous night’s hangout, which your son or daughter had financed.

Make them learn to save money and keep the card reserve for emergency uses. Teach them to pay their bills regularly and acquaint them with how the credit industry works, all about bad credit histories and how these can harm them in the future. Judicious use of credit cards is always recommendable. Provided the same, a student credit card is no lee than a blessing in plastic form. Manage your money well and teach your son or daughter money values. Remember, education does not cease at college – it is way beyond!

Borrow money from those you know in order to start up your internet business

Borrow money for your start up from friends, relatives, or life long associates. Don’t be shy to borrow money from family and friends. Did you know that the founder of Wal-Mart, Sam Walton borrowed $20,000 from his father-in-law?

How about Fred Deluca? A friend of the family loaned Fred $1,000. He started Subway with the money. Today there are almost 22,000 Subway Restaurants Worldwide. Mega corporations and small mom and pop stores have used this method. Don’t be shy, you’ll lose out.

First impressions are key to being successful in borrowing money from those you know. Make your initial approach a pleasantly surprising experience for the intended lender. Be business-like but warm in your dealings. Above all, be yourself, the person they know.

Your Initial Approach

Write down a list of people you think are potential lenders. Go through all of your various address lists. Think of very close relatives. Then list your distant relatives. You know, the ones you call twice a year, but hardly see. Yeah, Cousin Ethel.

You’ll have better success with the following types:

1. Those that have money. The more, the better.

2. Do you have past issues with rich Uncle Harold? Don’t go there! Go where warmth and mutual respect for each other reigns supreme. Uncle Harold may treat your approach with disdain. Then he’ll talk about you to other relatives.

3. Business experience? Does your intended lender have any? This is not a requirement, but it would be good if they did. People who have been there understand what you’re going through when the pickings are lean.

4. There has to be some degree of trust between you and your intended lender. This may be last on the list but it certainly isn’t least. In order of importance, it should be at the top.

When your prospects have been whittled down to the top two or three, make the approach. Chose a mutually comfortable place. Have your plans written down. The business-minded lender will ask for that. Clearly record the amount you wish to borrow.

The closer your relationship, the more tentative your potential lender may be. Their primary concern is that the loan would hurt your relationship. Sure loosing the money is always in their thoughts. But I believe a money-damaged relationship is tops.

When you borrow money from friends you must consider a future money-damaged relationship. Take positive steps to allay their fears. Show them a solid all round business plan. Convince them that you have considerably lowered the risk of failure because your relationship with them is important to you also.

The patient and the unusual phobia

Fear, along with death, is one of the great equalizers of human existence. Everyone is afraid of something, just as everybody is eventually going to die, which puts everyone on a level footing. However, the same can't be said for someone who has to endure a phobia, fear is less of an equalizer and more of an inhibitor, taking away a person's ability to function. For some people, their phobia is perfectly reasonable and may appear to be little more than a magnified manifestation of a natural fear. Examples of this can include a phobia that is directed towards snakes, or other similarly dangerous natural occurrences and creatures. However, some people can suffer from a phobia that is utterly ridiculous, by most standards.

One of the more unusual fears out there is hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, which is the fear of long words. There is a certain degree of irony involved in having an unusually long word represent the fear of long words. As with any other phobia, the trigger causes an unnaturally strong fear response in the person. In most cases, people with this problem will actively go out of their way to avoid reading anything that might contain a long word, even if what defines a “long word” can be subjective from patient to patient. Patients with this problem tend to avoid having to read any sort of legal or medical document or anything that might contain legal or medical terms, due to the popular perception that says those types of documents contain an unusually large concentration of long Latin terms. They also tend to show a degree of discomfort upon hearing long words.

Another unusual phobia is emetophobia, the fear of vomiting. Even more unusual is nephophobia, which is the fear of clouds. There are other conditions out there that are actual phobias and are not made-up, such as hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, the fear of the number 666. There are times when it becomes difficult to discern a legitimate and recognized phobia from something that is merely a product of pop culture and a little knowledge of Latin. Although, some experts believe that since people can and will be afraid of anything and everything, even “pop culture” phobias now might be recognized as legitimate psychological fears in the future. While they may not be considered as serious problems now, even the most unusual and obscure phobia still requires some level of treatment.

Counter-conditioning is a popular method for helping someone deal with phobias, even if it is not always as fast a process as some people would like. This process involves gradually training a person to develop a relaxation response to the trigger of the irrational fear, as opposed to, or at the same time, as a fear response. In the latter case, the irrational and unreasonable fear is balanced out by a sense of calm and harmony, which eventually reduces the crippling effects of a phobia.

Another approach that is similar to this is known as systematic desensitization. However, while counter-conditioning focuses on helping a person develop a response that counters the fear response, systematic desensitization techniques involve the slow, gradual removal of the fear response itself. Theoretically, the end result should be someone who reacts to a potential trigger in the same way a normal person does, with no exaggerated reactions or active desire to avoid encountering it.

Six important managerial skills for leadership

A mark of a good leader is to provide constant motivation to his team to maintain an excellence and quality in results. A good leader is always looking for ways to improve production and standards. Here are six skills you can develop in working to attain quality in the team.

1. Observation

This is an important aspect that often gets neglected due the demands on a leader’s time and schedule. Observation and regular visits to the work environment needs to be scheduled into the calendar. Observing employees work procedures and the work flow is foundational to implementing adjustments to improve results. To have credibility, a leader needs to be seen and be known to be up to date with what is happening in the work place.

2. Monitor Employee Performance

Employee performance needs to be monitored in mutually accepted ways. Policies and procedures need to be clear. Conferencing should be on a regular basis and not just when there is a problem. Assessments and evaluations should not be merely all formality or paperwork to be done. Individual and group conferencing should be undertaken with the expectation of on going professional development. There should be frequent encouragement and clear criteria for on going goals both for the group and individual.

3. Implementation of Professional Development Programs

A good leader evaluates weaknesses and provides training and development strategies to strengthen the weaker skills in the team.

4. Demonstrates Working Knowledge and Expertise

Good leadership comes from a place of strong knowledge and experience of the production and process leading to results. If a leader does not posses all the expertise and knowledge personally he should then hold regular consultations with experts. This is important in order to maintain an accurate and informed overall picture.

5. Good Decision Making

Good leadership is characterized by the ability to make good decisions. A leader considers all the different factors before making a decision. A clear decision creates confidence in the leadership.

6. Ability to Conduct and Evaluate Research

On going review and research is vital in order to keep on the cutting edge in business. While managing the present to ensure on going excellence in performance and product, a good leader is also able to look towards the future. Conducting and evaluating research is an important way of planning and being prepared for the future.

Excellent leadership is always pro active rather than reactive. By developing these six managerial skills a good leader is on the journey to becoming a great leader.

By Barbara White

Creating the all-american hamburger

Each year, Americans consume about 38 billion hamburgers. An enduring favorite, hamburgers are an iconic American food.

But what do Americans define as the classic American hamburger?

According to the recent survey conducted by the Caravan Opinion Research Corporation for The Johnny Rockets Group restaurant chain, Americans still prefer the classics.

Despite the advent of gourmet hamburgers, 74 percent of Americans believe the cheeseburger best embodies the classic American hamburger.

Eighty-six percent of Americans also prefer beef hamburgers over turkey or veggie patties.

When it comes to toppings, most respondents agree simplicity is key, with 40 percent choosing raw onions over grilled.

What is the secret to cooking your own classic cheeseburger?

"From my personal experience, the best way to create that mouthwatering balance of beef and cheese is to grill the meat with the cheese on top," says Mike Shumsky, Johnny Rockets chairman and chief executive officer. "A true cheeseburger connoisseur will wait until the meat is fully cooked, then add a slice of cheese and cover for 30 seconds so that the cheese melts perfectly."

Here's a recipe for the restaurant's classic cheeseburger, the Rocket Single:

Rocket Single

Hamburger bun

Special sauce (mix Thousand Island dressing, Dijon mustard and hot sauce to taste)

1 slice of cheddar cheese

1/3 lb. fresh ground beef, seasoned, hand-pressed and grilled

Fresh lettuce

Ripe tomato

Onion (sliced)

Grill the hamburger, according to preference, until its internal temperature reaches 160є F. Place cheese on top and cover for another 30 seconds. Place in a bun. Mix dressing and spread it on the bun. Layer on tomato, lettuce and onion.

How do you make a hamburger a classic? Grill the meat with the cheese on the top, says one popular hamburger chain. Cover for 30 seconds to make the cheese melt perfectly.

Vc casino is a class act

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When you register with VC Casino you can try out all the games before you commit any cash. The sign-up procedure involves sharing a few personal details including your name, address, and age. With this done, you can start playing immediately.

The “play for fun” mode is an exact copy of the “play for real”, so you can enjoy a no-risk practice. The games are listed under the six categories of: card games, table games, 3 reel slots, 5 reel slots, Video poker and Numbers Games making the site navigation really straightforward. Once you’re ready for the added rush of gambling real money, it’s a simple matter of filling in a few card details, buying some chips and clicking on the tables!

When you want to try out a new online gambling experience, VC Casino makes it easy. Each game is accompanied by a “how to play” guide and they even offer advice on winning strategy! All the games have clearly defined betting limits spanning from 1 to 2,500 chips so you can choose how much you want to win.

VC Casino stands out from its competitors because of its contemporary look. The design of the games with their black and gold livery, make it one of the most stylish online casinos around. They’ve also made the games incredibly intuitive to play and with a great reputation for customer service and fairness, players keep coming back.

Each month VC Casino has new promotions – currently it’s “Royal Windsor Monday Nights” promising to give away Ј50,000 during May. They’re also offering a new customer bonus of Ј50, Ј100 or Ј250 – but you have to stake 20 times the amount to claim the bonus.

VC Casino has a noble pedigree. Powered by the UK’s leading independent bookmaker, Victor Chandler, with 60 years experience in the UK gaming industry, VC is a safe place to gamble. They pride themselves on the highest levels of customer service and all transactions take place using the latest secure technology.

So what’s good and bad about VC Casino? We’re impressed with the no download that works so well. There’s no loss of speed and the graphics are pretty sexy. It’s nice to get on with the games quickly, and without any clog up on your computer’s hard drive. The helpful instructions on each game make it easy for novices to get going and feel confident about what they’re doing. On the other hand, bonus hunters have to work hard for their money here. The pre-staking for the bonus is a real negative, particularly when many other online casinos give it to customers up front. Overall, VC’s a good UK online casino with a good look and a reliable reputation. We like to take our money here.

Grief may not always be about the death of a loved one

I have seen grief at its worse. A friend of mine lost her husband at sea, and the body was never found. She did not know whether to let go or continue to cling to her hope that someday they would meet again. With no body to bury, she hanged onto hope and despair. After three years, she started to realize she would never see her husband again. Her bereavement took a toll on her work, relationships with friends and family. Her family got professional help for her. When her bereavement was over, she got on with her life.

Grief may not always be about the death of a loved one, it may also be the loss of things people value or care for deeply. This is a natural reaction to a loss. Although painful, grief or bereavement is normal and necessary to expunge all the negative feelings associated with loss. People react to a deep loss differently. Others can cry. This is cathartic. But there are others who stoically bear the sorrow of bereavement. It may take months or years before they can come to grips with themselves. There are several reactions to the death of a loved one. They may be shocked or disbelieving, harbor a sense of deep loss, and feel guilt and regret.

Other people are not aware that bereavement may prod feelings of injustice, envy, anger, and relief. They nurture this nagging suspicion that they should not feel this way. When others wallow in loneliness and depression this is also normal. The process of grief does not follow a formula. Some may need professional help, and others may get back on with their routines in a snap.

Bereavement is also painful for children and adolescents. Very young children may understand the extent of the loss but they feel the pain as much as adults do. They may not share their grief, for they see that the adults are grieving. Sometimes when young adolescents feel they are to blame for the death of a loved one. This can do great harm to the mind of a young child.

It is advisable to get professional help when someone cannot get over bereavement. The family doctor can provide medical prescription for help people going into depressions. Some can get also get help from religious or voluntary organizations. Others may have to see a psychotherapist or a bereavement counselor.

Internet marketing do you believe

Do you believe in the product you’re selling? Do you?

In face to face marketing it is imperative to be so completely sold on the product you are ‘direct marketing’ that you can explain what the product is best used for and you can explain how you use the product.

When interfacing with online customers you actually have the same opportunity through Internet marketing. In this case you can provide personal information and unique uses for the product through knowledge-based articles.

I suppose it is possible to sell a product online for which you may not have a great interest. However, the truth is when you are committed to a product and believe in its ability to assist your customers you will find Internet marketing much easier.

There are plenty of entrepreneurs who will latch onto whatever they view as the next ‘hot’ item and then switch product when the next trend strikes. The game of hopscotch may have been fun in elementary school, but it does very little to help you in long-term Internet marketing of your site and product lines.

One of the best ways to get on board in the sale of a product for your online store is to research the product first. This is typically followed by a purchase of the product for testing. In the testing phase you should be convinced that the product has a high standard of quality, return on investment and will have a price that will make for a happy customer.

Far too often business owners will purchase a product in bulk for sale only to discover that the product does not meet customer expectations. This often leaves the online business owner lamenting the fact that they did not take the time to personally evaluate the product before determining their willingness to sell the product.

Some companies will provide a sample of the product for business owners to try, but even if this is not available the product should be acquired prior to opening the line through your ecommerce site.

If you can go into the search for a product line the same way you would shop for a similar product for yourself in a brick and mortar store you may find that you are more apt to select a product that is in keeping with your own high standards and personal taste. Remember less expensive may not translate to a better selling product. If you can explain in a content rich site why the product is superior from a personal standpoint you are likely to discover your prospective customers might just agree with you.

The advance of algorithms new keyword optimization rules

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Major search engines like Google are constantly striving to ensure that sites at the top of their result pages offer invaluable information or service to their visitors. However, webmasters who are looking to make quick money while offering very little quality content are always finding new ways to beat the search engines at their own game. For this reason, search engines regularly change the methods they use to determine relevancy and importance of your site.

Evolving Search Engines

The first step you should take is to ensure that your website will do an effective job of turning visitors into money. The content needs to be optimized so that both search engine visitors and human visitors both deem it to be a useful website. Once upon a time, effective optimization entailed cramming content with as many keywords as possible and while this once generated good search engine results it invariably put visitors off. It is also now frowned upon and penalized as being spam by all of the major search engines.

The Evolution And Improvement Of Algorithms

Search engines use specific algorithms to determine the relevance of your website. The calculations from these algorithms determine where on the search engine result pages your website will appear. In order to keep the unscrupulous webmasters guessing and ensuring that results are always up to date, major search engines regularly update their algorithms.

Recent Advances

The result of some of the most recent changes has seen the impetus move away from optimizing websites for search engines and instead the algorithms are now geared to promote websites that give true value to visitors. They’re not only changing, they are evolving into more intelligent and accurate algorithms. While the use of keywords based around the relevant topic is still important, it is also important to ensure that visitors are your main priority.

Keyword Optimization

Keyword optimization is now more heavily guarded. Those who include keywords too often will have their sites labeled as spam, whereas not enough instances of the appropriate keyword means you won’t receive the desired results. However, the algorithms have become particularly smart and as well as the keywords you want to target you should include other relevant keywords. Including inflexions of keywords is one excellent way to ensure that your site is deemed to be relevant. Inflexions are slight changes to your keyword. For example, inflexions of the keyword “advertising” include advertise, advertised, advertisement, etc…

Keyword Inclusion

Weight is also given to keywords that are included in certain sections of a page. These sections include the title tag, meta tags (only relevant to smaller search engines now), header tags, image alt tags and formatting tags (e. g. keywords in bold or italicized) of your text. With image alt tags and hyperlink title tags it is important that you don’t simply fill these with keywords because this will be ignored at best, and penalized at worst.

Natural Content Writing

One of the most effective ways to ensure that your site is keyword optimized properly is to write the content naturally first. Once you have done this, go through and ensure that any relevant keywords are included throughout the text. Only place them where they would appear naturally and remove them from anywhere where they appear awkward. Once you’ve written the content you should also check the remaining factors to ensure everything is ok.

SEO Keyword Checklist

Below is a keyword checklist to ensure that you have fully optimized your web pages to the current, generally accepted search engine algorithm rules.

URL
Get your primary keyword as close to the beginning of the URL as possible.

Title Tag
The title should be between 10 and 50 characters and include one or more keywords while still being descriptive.

Description Meta Tag
The description meta tag should be insightful and useful but it should also contain one or two of your more important keywords.

Keyword Meta Tag
It makes sense that you should include all of your keywords in the keyword meta tag. Do not include any words that don’t appear in the body of your text.

Keyword Density
Your content should be made up of all of your keywords and other text. A total keyword density (all keywords) of around 15% to 20% is the maximum you should aim for and anything less than 5% is unlikely to yield good results. Density for a single keyword should be between 1% and 7%. 1% seems too low, and 7% a little too high. Wherever possible aim for approx 5% with the primary keyword and 3% with secondary and subsequent keywords.

Header Tags (e. g. H1 and H2 tags)
More weight is given to keywords that appear within H1 tags, then H2 tags and so on.

Text Formatting Fonts (e. g. strong, bold and underline)
This may not offer much weight in algorithms, but generally if you bold the first instance of your keywords and the last instance of your primary keyword you should see some positive results.

Beginning Of Text
The closer you can get your keywords to the beginning of your page content the better. Try to include your primary keyword within the first sentence or two and also within the last paragraph.

Key-Phrases As Whole Phrases
If you are targeting Internet Marketing as a key phrase then do not split the words up if possible. Some effect is noticed if the words are split, but much more benefit is received by including the phrase as a whole.

Alt Text
Include your keyword at least once in the Alt tag of any images. Ensure that the text is relevant to the image and gives some information.

How to choose a reliable life insurance company - which companies are the best

There are a number of reliable life insurance companies, so it wouldn’t be fair to name a mere few as being the best life insurance companies. The trick is to find the best and most reliable life insurance company for you. Here are some tips.

• Decide the type of life insurance policy you want. Do you want term life insurance, which offers life insurance coverage for a certain amount of time, or do you want whole life insurance, which offers coverage for the rest of your life? The reliable life insurance company you choose needs to offer the kind of life insurance policy you want.

• Compile a list of life insurance companies in which you’re interested. Ask family members and friends about the life insurance companies they use, and pay attention to commercials and other advertisements. If someone you know has had a positive or negative experience with a particular company, they’re sure to let you know.

• Contact your state’s insurance department to find out if the life insurance companies in which you’re interested are actually licensed to sell life insurance in your state. The most reliable life insurance companies are those that are licensed to do business in your state. If you purchase life insurance from a company that’s not, you won’t have the help of the state’s insurance department should things take a wrong turn.

• Finally, find out the financial ratings of the life insurance companies you’re considering. These ratings are given by independent research companies, and you can access them by contacting the companies. A company with a good financial rating is likely a reliable bet.

By choosing a life insurance company that offers the kind of policy you want, is in good standing with people you know, is licensed to do business in your state, and has a high financial rating, you will find the most reliable life insurance company for you.

Never shovel snow snow again

A heated driveway is a type of system that clears the snow and ice from a driveway or walkway so people who are moving across it will be safe from slipping, falling and possibly injuring themselves on dangerous surfaces. This type of system has many benefits including time, money and liability considerations. It can be used for both residential and commercial applications and is becoming a very popular choice for home owners and business owners alike. A heated driveway is easy to install and can also be retro fitted on existing surfaces for home owners or business owners who are considering this type of solution for their surfaces that are already built.

A heated driveway can be used for residential areas. Homeowners spend a lot of money each year on costs associated with clearing their driveways and walkways. If a homeowner wants to do it as inexpensively as possible, they will purchase shovels. Most heavy duty shovels are not cheap to begin with and they often need to be replaced with time. Some homeowners opt for more elaborate systems using snow blowers designed for residential purposes. A snow blower for residential can be purchased for several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. They are very expensive and also need to be maintained similarly to a lawn mower or other type of home maintenance machinery. The expense of this can add up substantially over the years.

Regardless of whether you choose a snow blower or a shovel, you will still have to use the device. This generally means donning all our winter clothes including hat, goulashes, thick socks, scarf, and gloves and layered clothing. When going out to clear the snow, it will take some time to complete it and because you will be trudging through the snow you are still in danger of slipping in falling yourself. If you are clearing the snow to be able to go to work in the morning, you will have to wake up a lot earlier and work first thing in the morning to ensure you can easily and safely get your car down the driveway and into the street. The effort taken is highly inconvenient. Imagine, instead, getting up in the morning, having a cup of coffee and driving out of your perfectly clear driveway with no worries or effort on your part. Does this sound too good to be true? It is not. You can get this by adding a heated driveway to your home.

Businesses can also benefit from a heated driveway system. These can be installed in stores, hotels, train stations, bus stations and airports. Any business that has foot or vehicle traffic can benefit from a heated driveway system. If there are loading docks or wheelchair access ramps, the heated driveway can benefit these areas as well. In order for a business to make money it needs customers. If a customer is unable to access the location, they will not be able to patronize the business. This will reduce profits and leave a negative impression on the business for customers, possibly affecting repeat business. To further reduce profits, many businesses have to either hire a service or a work crew to monitor areas for snow and ice. The costs associated with this can be very expensive and might not keep the areas as free as necessary in a timely manner. Some places will use services that come in the morning but that does not account for snow fall that may occur throughout the day. In essence, the money that was spent was wasted since there is still snow on the ground.

Liability is also a consideration for businesses when thinking about the option of a heated driveway. People will tend to sue businesses before individuals because they feel a business has deeper pockets. If a court awards punitive damages because they feel the business was negligent in providing a safe environment, this can cause thousands and even millions of dollars to the company. It will also increase the rates of liability insurance and may possibly prevent that insurance from being renewed. If you own a business, you are aware of this and probably try to do everything possible to minimize this risk. A heated driveway system will allow your areas to be clear from ice and snow twenty four hours per day, seven days per week. The snow will melt as soon as it falls.

A heated driveway can be installed on new surfaces or existing surfaces. It is automatic and will shut itself off and turn itself on based on the temperature and moisture levels that are detected. A heated driveway will add convenience, reduce liability and save on labor costs. The initial investment will be paid off and pay for itself in a matter of a few years.

Night in satun - adventures in southern thailand

My Mercedes is waiting. The sun beams diffusely down through the moisture laden air causing beads of sweat to drip continuously on my already drenched t-shirt. I am going to Satun and the Mercedes is a classic well kept 1962 model. In fact there is a whole fleet of Mercedes waiting to take tourist to Satun from Hai Jai in Southern Thailand. They are all black with an exaggerated curved body indicative of automobiles of the late 50’s. And believe it or not, they still retain the comfort that Mercedes is famous for.

The year is 1998 and I am going to the Andaman Sea in the Straits of Malacca. There I will plant myself for two weeks on one of the many somewhat deserted islands that dot this reclusive part of the world. A world inhabited by pirates and honeymooners in the Koh Tarutao National Park system in the very south of Southern Thailand.

Which island I am going to, I don’t know, but I am not the only one. Sharing my taxi ride is a young couple in love from Germany and a family from Thailand, husband and wife with their 5 year old son.

It takes about twenty minutes for the taxi driver to stuff everyone’s belongings into the trunk. I have made substantial purchases of deliciously fresh dried fruits and filled my water container with pomegranate juice from one of the ‘made for tourist’ vendors surrounding the taxi. We squeeze into tightly together; the family and myself in the rear of the taxi and the couple from Germany in the front and prepare for a long and fascinating journey.

“Are you comfortable” the driver asks in broken English.

I answer like an excited kid, “Let’s get this rocket rolling.”

My feelings were of excitement and anticipation and I don’t know why I said such a strange thing. No one else said anything and I felt as if my words were still echoing in the silence minutes later. But no matter, here I am in the middle of the world, on an adventure that relatively few have gone before.

The journey takes 3 hours of driving through exotic and undeveloped country side; incidentally through a warm and friendly Islamic side of Thailand. At one point we passed two foreigners on bicycles pedaling in racing uniforms. Later they caught up to us in some remote village on the way as we were stopping for refreshment. They came up next to our taxi and said with a heavy European accent “hello?” I answered, “Wow! I can’t believe this! What are you doing way out here in the middle of nowhere on bicycles?”

The young man in his twenties answered, “We are traveling around the world. We are on our way to Indonesia.” The other couple traveling in the taxi with me immediately took notice and a very long and interesting conversation ensues between all of us.

It turns out that the bicyclists are a married couple and the last county they pedaled through was Myanmar. After Indonesia, they planned to cycle the islands of Hawaii and then to Mainland USA.

To this day I still have dreams of that encounter and the miraculous and dangerous journey they were taking. I have never heard of them since and have no idea what became of them.

Before we know it, the taxi driver is honking his horn for us to return and we are saying our goodbyes to this marvelous couple. We pile into the taxi for the last leg of our journey. Looking out the window we pass fields of coconut palms, women balancing wood or foods in baskets on their heads wearing colorful loose clothing down to their feet. The homes we pass by are often made of palm frawns or a patchwork of wood and debris. And in the fields are men and women, young and old with their ox and children tilling vegetables in the same way at their ancestors have done for thousands of years.

Finally we reach Satun. I don’t know what to expect. The town is about two blocks long; a fishing village whose main street leads right to the ocean. There fishing boats made of old rotting lumber wait to take us to one of the many islands we will now select in the many makeshift tourist offices that line the street.

Each old rickety tourist office has pictures of the islands they offer and provide for a fee, the means to get their. And if you are uninformed, you will pay in advance for you accommodations. Something better to do when you arrive on the island. Occasionally an owner of one of these offices tries to get us inside by enticing us with words like ‘beautiful, exotic, cheap…’ We all walk down the main avenue looking and asking questions until each of us select our travel destination destiny.

I study all the pictures from all the offices of all the islands carefully and I choose Langkawi only 5 kilometers away from the southern tip of Tarutao Island. I pay the equivalent of approximately $7 for a round trip boat ticket and I am then led to one of the boats. The boat can fit about 4 people and sits low to the water. There is single engine propeller that is barely hangs attached to the rear of the craft. I wait about 15 minutes before we begin our three hour journey through rough and dangerous seas to the somewhat deserted and exotic island of Langkawi...

My days on the island with boa constrictors, pirates, a lost tribe of Islamic fishermen, my isolated beach cottage right on my own private beach, the couple isolated on the other side of the island studying esoteric Buddhism, the small exotic cafй serving daily fresh fish from the sea, the many tourist from Europe that came and went, lightening in the sky on a clear day and the marvelous skin diving in clear deep tropical sears are topics I will discuss in my next article. Stay turned.

An introduction to cosmetic dentistry

White, evenly shaped teeth enhance the beauty of your face. Cosmetic dentistry offers many treatment options for people who want to improve their teeth. The methods can be as simple as teeth whitening or as complex as bracing and bridging.

How do teeth whitening work?

Teeth whitening products uses materials consisting of peroxide to give the teeth a white and clean appearance. You can either visit the cosmetic dentist or use a home-based whitening system. Home-based systems use 20% peroxide but is a longer process, lasting for two weeks. Cosmetic dentists will start the process by removing all the cavities from the teeth and ensuring the gums are healthy. Then a dental system for protection of the gum is applied. Gels are then added on the teeth. At times, high intensity lights along with 35% peroxide can be used to start the whitening process. The light will oxidize the stains on the teeth, resulting in activation of peroxide. You will notice the stains fade after an hour, thus making your teeth appear lighter.

What is tooth-shaping?

Tooth-shaping is the most basic procedure and is an half an hour process. It reshapes the unwanted shape of the teeth. The cosmetic dentist can completely alter the shape of your teeth or the shape of the upper ones to match the lower ones. Even the removal of small amount of tooth enamel will not cause any damage in the long and short run.

What are Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers, also called veneers, are porcelain slices that improve the appearance of the front of the teeth. They also cover any damage caused to the teeth. They have the same effects as dentures or artificial teeth. A cosmetic dentist would be able to provide the pros and cons of this treatment.

What is Resin?

Resins are kept on the teeth for a short time to improve their appearance. It is used to treat chips and cavities. The chips and cavities are filled with white fillings. The disadvantage is that these resins may lose their color after some time, thus losing their natural look.

What is Bonded-Bridge?

Bonded-bridge is a porcelain or resin tooth with metal or resin wings on both the sides. It fills the gap left by the missing tooth. The cosmetic dentist removes a small amount of enamel from teeth on both the sides of the hole and then the bonded-bridge is clipped on the teeth to fill the hole.

What is Gum-lift?

Gum-lifting, or gingivectomy, involves removing some part of the gums to even them out and make the teeth appear longer. It cures gummy smiles. A cosmetic dentist would be able complete the process in one or two sittings.

What are Braces?

Braces or orthodontics rectifies the gaps between the teeth, giving them an even appearance. It is a two-year process to help children and young adults. A cosmetic dentist would add the braces in one session.

Submitting your website to the search engines

Proper website promotion is becoming increasingly important. There are literally billions of web pages on the Internet, which makes getting noticed online a very difficult task. The first step to getting your web page visited by your target audience is to submit the page to the search engines. You may think that the search engines, like Yahoo, Google, Altavista, or Excite, somehow search every document on every server to find a match, but that is not the case. In order for a website to be included in search results, the web crawler, or search engine, has to know that the site exists. This is where submitting your website to the search engines becomes important. This is your way of telling the search engines that you exist, so they can point potential viewers to your site. There are several ways to go about submitting your site to the various search engines. You can submit your site directly to each individual search engine, you can use an agent to submit your website for you, or you can use automated article submitters.

The first option is certainly the cheapest option, and you will know that the job is done because you will have done it yourself, but there are several important drawbacks to consider if you are thinking about submitting your website to search engines directly. While it is true that it only costs you your time and there will be no doubt in your mind that it has been done, there are some difficulties. The first one is that it can be a very time-consuming and tedious process. Secondly, submitting these forms is an art; you want to get it right so that you get the best page-ranking possible. If you have no or limited experience in this area, you may want to think twice before submitting articles to the search engines on your own. That being said, if you know what to do and how to do it, submitting on your own can save you money and maybe even a headache or two.

Another option is to use an agent. This is a real live person who will submit your website to all the search engines manually. This person will ensure that it is done properly, in a timely manner, and in such a way that will maximize your page views. Again, there are some things to consider when you are looking at this option. For starters, you need to make sure you are getting someone reputable who will actually do the job his or herself, and not delegate it to an online submission service, or else you could just be throwing your money away. Also, an agent can be very pricey, so you need to make sure that your website is sufficiently unique to call for such a specialized service.

Lastly, there are automated article submitters all over the World Wide Web. Finding one should not be difficult. Finding a reputable one that is worth the money is a different story. Most of these services come pretty cheap, but you don't get the high level of service you would get through an agent or by doing the job yourself. However, depending on what your specific needs are, the low price and the speed make these submission services an attractive option for many web site owners and webmasters. It is wise to check out your favorite online trade association to make sure that the site you are dealing with is legitimate. Look for things like physical addresses and phone numbers to help verify the legitimacy of any given website submission service.

Texas holdem 4 betting structures explained

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Even though the United States have made it illegal to gamble online, poker keeps on gaining popularity through the different tournaments that are shown on television such as the World Series of Poker by ESPN. This created a problematic situation: while players claim that poker is not a game of chance, the US government decided that it is.

For a few weeks, panic erupted in the poker world as rumors spread like bushfires that this ban would stop all tournaments. But this proved to be untrue. In fact, because of the online gambling ban, the popularity of tournaments only increased. And in most of these tournaments, the favored game is Texas Holdem.

This article focuses on those planning to take what was once their online casino pastime to a poker tournament close by. You will need to follow some basic betting structures, and we describe these for you. Even if they seem difficult to follow, don't worry. Just practice these at home with friends and you will soon learn the flow of these wagering structures.

Note: Remember that all the games rely on a basic maximum and minimum wager, and all the betting structures should be understood accordingly. Keep in mind that each game has a set limit that is fixed before the game commences. Once begun, the limit remains unchanged until the end. Note also that the tournament organizers or the casinos are those that decide these limits.

1) Structured Wagering Limit:
This means that there are two limits you play to. During the first two rounds, you place wagers according to the lower sum, and then you start betting according to the higher amount set. When you find a game called according to two amounts such as 4/8 dollar limit, then, it means that this game will be played according to the structured wager. Another thing to remember when entering such poker games is that you can only place four wagers each round and not one more.

2) Spread Limit Wager:
Here, you are free to place wagers in a pre-set range and you don't have to place fixed bets. When you find that the limit is within a range then it means that you have found a game that will be played according to the spread limit. Examples are games which can be played between a range of twenty to a hundred dollars. Note that such games do turn out to be expensive because some might bet according to the high limit. Another variation of the spread limit bet is to have a range of four wagers. What this means is that there is a certain amount you can bet for the round before the flop, for the round on the flop, and on the round after the flop and a certain amount for the river.

3) Basic Pot Limit Bet:
In such Texas Holdem games labeled as being played according to the basic pot limit, what it means is that you can place wagers anywhere between the amount that is the big blind and the total size of the game pot. Here too, take note that games such as these can result in high cash pots.

4) No Limit Betting:
This is the one version that pulls in the high rollers from all over. Here, there is not limit at all one how much you wager or raise. Note that unless you are a high-roller or unless you have a tremendous amount of experience playing Texas Holdem at tournaments, stay clear of such games.

Child safety tip for playing outdoors

What makes the “great outdoors” so great? The fresh air is great. The plants and animals are great. The sense of freedom is great. Even children at play can enjoy the great outdoors, but several measures, such as children at play signs can help to guarantee their safety.

Dangers to children at play outdoors can exist right outside a home’s front or back door. On porches, balconies and decks, railings should be close enough to prevent children from getting their head caught, or from them sliding through. Exits and stairs should be blocked off, to prevent falls. Next, when children play in the front or back yards, limit their play regions outdoors, and fence it in, if possible. Additionally, children should only ride toys in safe areas such as sidewalks, and under no circumstances in the street. Children at play signs can further protect kid drivers from adult drivers.

In addition to areas directly around the house, child safety should also be maintained in other locations. Inspect your child’s playground equipment, to ensure that repairs are not required. Furthermore, place woodchips, mulch, or sand underneath swing sets. Next, when at the pool, never leave a child unattended nearby water. Keep toys, chairs and tables far from the pool. Also, permanent pools can be fenced in, and gates with automatic locks and high latches, can be installed to protect children at play. Mastering CPR could also be useful, to prepare for any emergencies at the pool. Lastly, outside the pool near the street, children at play signs could be posted as well.

While we might expect manmade objects and places to present dangers to children at play, ironically plants and plant-related materials can also create safety hazards for kids. Read literature to learn about which plants are poisonous. In the case that your child eats a poisonous plant, remove the bits from his mouth and then contact a poison control center, to get additional guidance. Next, keep pesticides and fertilizers stored in safe locations, and keep children away when these products are being used. Furthermore, keep lawnmowers and other garden and lawn equipment locked away in a shed. Finally, keep children at play at a distance when using these tools.

Children at play, like adults, enjoy all the benefits that the great outdoors has to offer. However, taking particular safety precautions, such as installing children at play signs, will ensure that the area remains great for them.

The down payment and mortgage relationship

Most people automatically look for the lowest down payment option on mortgages. This knee jerk reaction is not always the best way to go.

The Down Payment and Mortgage Relationship

A down payment is usually required when obtaining a mortgage. Although there are some down payment free mortgages available, these can generally tend to carry higher interest rates as well. When seeking to obtain the best terms, most options, and lowest interest rates, it is important to have some money set aside to make a down payment with. In general, the average down payment rate on mortgages currently varies from 0 to 20 percent of the mortgage value depending on the type of loan and if it is guaranteed.

Any time you are getting a loan, the more money you can put into it yourself the better off you will be later. The more money you have to borrow means that there will be greater amounts of interest that will have to be paid in the long run. Also, the more money you can put down on any loan, including a mortgage, generally will mean that the lender will be able to make a better offer with a better plan and a lower interest rate, saving you additional money in high interest costs.

When seeking the lowest interest rate possible, have at least twenty percent of the mortgage value on hand. By being able to put a 20 percent down payment on a mortgage, you will be able to save yourself a ton of money on private mortgage insurance and overall interest payments. You will also be able to secure a pretty sizeable portion of the homes equity for your own use. Obviously, equity is extremely important and the less money you put down on the mortgage, meaning more the bank supplies, also means that the bank will own more of the house and therefore more of the equity on the house. You will then have no options in the future when it comes to that equity and also will not be able to benefit from the increase in that equity.

So be prepared to have some money set aside when looking for a mortgage. For those with no other options, no down payment mortgages can easily be found, but just remember what you are sacrificing in the long run. Be smart and be prepared and seek out the best plan for you.

Free or paid web hosting

Just finished your first website? So it's the time to look for some hosting and make a choise. Your first qustion probably will be whether to choose free or paid hosting service. Let's have a look at some advantages and disadvantages of these solutions.

Free web hosting:

(+) It's for free. You don't need to pay for domain name.

(-) Your URL will be something like username. freehost. com or freehost. com/username. As I noticed above, the advantage is that you don't need to pay for domain. But note that if you move your website to another provider in the future you can loose some or all your traffic (there are some solutions how to solve this problem but it is not the point of this article).

(-) Your provider will probably include ads to your pages - usually 1 or 2 banners, sometimes popup windows. If you plan to use banner exchange on your site read carefully their Terms and conditions. Some free hosts doesn't allow it.

(-) Free hosts usually allow lower bandwidth then paid hosts and a lot of them don't offer futures like PHP and MySQL.

(-) A lot of free hosts change their Terms and conditions during some time. If your free host offers hosting wihtout ads now, don't be surprised when banner or popup appears on your site in the future.

(-) Sometimes happens that free hosts cancel their free service and longer offer paid hosting only. In this case you have only 2 choises - pay them or loose your website.

Paid web hosting:

(+) You can host your own domain. If you decide to change the web hosting provider in the future, you easily transfer the domain to the new provider and don't loose your traffic.

(+) Most paid hosts offer 24/7 support via email or live chat and some of them provide toll-free phone support.

(+) You can expect better uptime then on free host. Some paid hosts offer uptime guarantee.

(+) Paid hosts usually offer enough disk space and bandwidth. Futures like PHP and MySQL are standard. Even if you are not programmer you can download plenty of free PHP scripts from internet.

(-) Paid hosting cost money :o)

Before you make the decision if choose free or paid host you should answer this question: How big ambitions do I have with my website? If you are starting small personal page for your friends consist of a few *.html files then free host will be sufficient. In case you plan to run serious business website, need PHP, database and don't want ads on the site I recommend to look for quality paid host.

Alternative to the ipo

A few years ago, it seemed that nearly every company was going public with an IPO to gain capital investment, but now, with this route effectively blocked to smaller companies, entrepreneurs, angel investors and employees are increasingly looking at the opportunity of a reverse merger with a trading shell on the OTC Bulletin Board, the Pink Sheets or Form 10.

Through the reverse merger, your private company merges into a publicly listed company called a “shell” and gains control. This gives you listed stock that can be leveraged to raise capital.

This whole process might seem shady, but it is not, indeed many well-known companies have gone public through a reverse merger process including Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (berkshirehathaway. com/), Turner Broadcasting System, Occidental Petroleum, Blockbuster Entertainment and even American Idol ( americanidol. com)

Investor Peter Klamka of Ann Arbor, Michigan a stake holder in fast growing solar energy company Girasolar Inc (OTC: GRSR) stated that he thinks “the best way to go public in the current climate for most private companies, is with a Form 10 shell. It can be the least expensive method with the opportunity to avoid problems associated with most trading shells.”

At a purchase cost of approximately $50-100K, a Form 10 blank check shell company is an attractive vehicle for private companies searching for a route onto the public markets. But, under the purview of the Worm/Wulff Letters, blank check shares are prevented from instantaneously trading after Form 10-SB shells complete a reverse merger with a private firm, regardless of how long the shells have been reporting public companies.

The alternative is an already trading shell listed on the Pink Sheets or OTCBB, which, with acquisition costs ranging from $150K up to $1 Million is a much more expensive option.

The greatest benefit of using a Form 10 shell company as your route to public ownership is that the purchasing company will retain most if not all of the stock in the shell. Overall the process takes longer, but is ultimately a much better deal for shareholders and the company alike.

Releasing negative beliefs for empowerment

You are reading this because you want a change in your life. You believe that there

is something in your life that could make you happier, more satisfied, get a greater

sense of achievement, or even reduce the pain you might feel.

Whatever the case, I can assure you it boils down to your beliefs about what you can

and cannot do. It sounds simplistic, but this is the secret root cause that you've

not been able to decipher until now.

You see, when you were a little child, you might have picked up the telephone and

gotten scolded by your mother for doing it. Or any other behavior. Perhaps it was

your fault, perhaps it wasn't. That's not really the point. The idea is that you

learnt something that day, and it wasn't pleasant.

When you grew older, you had an ingrained emotional experience that was linked to

the phone. You later justified it as something that you didn't really want to do

anyway. The trouble is that now, you might be working in Customer Service, where you

have no choice but to pick up the phone.

Now, you start seeing patterns. You realize that your belief requires updating. So,

you turn to neurolinguistic programming. It's an art of investigating processes.

While I model powerful processes, I can also model limiting ones so as to figure out

what to do with it. If you're depressed, I can use NLP to figure out why you are

depressed and how you do it, so I can undo it. If you're unable to believe you can

achieve a $1m income within 2 years, I can use NLP to shift that belief.

Whatever the case, you grew up with a great deal of beliefs that you might never be

able to understand unless it causes you some pain. And it might be necessary for you

to be learn how to release this in order to generate massive change in your life

toward the results you want and the success you desire.

Join me as I run teleseminars worldwide. Neurolinguistic programming is a learnable

skill over the telephone, and I've taught many people about it over the years. With

my 14 years experience in training, and having certified so many people in NLP, I

believe that you can achieve whatever you want in life as long as you learn how to

use this skill.

Even those who want to develop the capabilities to help other people, NLP is a very

powerful skill that can shift lives in a way that might shock or surprise you. It

deals with the shifts in your mind and rewiring your old programming. All you need

to do to learn more is to go to NLPTeleseminars. com and find out more

about our upcoming NLP Teleseminars. Our introductory trainings are all for free, so

you should attend to discover the secrets behind the most coveted tool for your

mind.

How to choose right tents and heaters

Any experienced camper will attest to the truth that a camping trip’s success largely depends on the camping equipment. Now this does not mean that you have to spend a fortune or withdraw all your savings from the bank and get the most expensive camping gears there are. This will not ensure you of a great camping experience.

Knowing how to choose the right camping gear like tents and heaters does not only depend on the price but more importantly on the quality of the gear. It is therefore important that you are able to acquire the right kind of tent and heater to have an enjoyable camping trip.

For one, you have to look into the parts of a camping tent to see if it is made of sturdy and durable materials to provide you with safe shelter and protection. It is smart to invest in tents made of durable fabric, come with poles that are made of high-strength aluminum, carbon fiber or fibreglass, has securely fastened grommets, double sewn seams and heavy duty zippers.

Same goes for the heater, safety and high quality are also your topmost considerations. Coleman heaters for example operate on clean burning propane which means they are environment friendly and offer flameless warmth making them suitable and safe for indoor use and for use in enclosed areas such as tents. As for quality you don’t have to be wary because a name like Coleman has been in the camping manufacturing industry long enough to establish a reputation for producing camping gears of the highest standards.

Of course, it is also very important to take into account your personal camping needs to be able to purchase the right kind of tent and heater. You need to ask yourself questions like: How many people are going to sleep in the tent? During what season is it going to be used? What kind of camping will I be doing? Doing so will enable you to narrow down your choices and to acquire a tent that will be suitable for your camping needs.

For the heater on the other hand, you also have to know when and where you’re going to use it. If you’re going to use it for a small tent, a battery-operated heater will do fine in providing comfortable warmth but if you need to heat up a bigger area, a propane-powered Coleman heater like the Coleman Propane Convection Heater is the better choice.

Always consider your budget when buying tents and heaters. Although a cheap price may look tempting, be careful because the product may not be high quality. On the other hand, a product with a skyrocket high price does not automatically mean that it’s the best there is. There are many durable high quality camping gears that come in reasonable prices. Just keep your eyes peeled and rely on trusted brand names in camping gear like Coleman.

Because a camping trip’s success depends on the quality of your camping gears, it is important that you know how to choose the right kind of tent and heater to satisfy your camping needs.

Hearing impaired hearing aids advice for deafies and those who put up with us

I have always had a hearing impairment. I was born with a 70% hearing loss in both ears. While I had a mother who was sensitive to my disability, I never believed there was anything wrong wth me. As a child, I refused to wear hearing aids.

When, at 19 years-of-age, I bought one hearing aid, it was as if someone turned the sound up. I felt even more invincible. By the time I was 30, I knew I needed aids in both ears. It was not for 25 more years that I would learn that hearing aids alone were not enough.

Granted, most persons who don’t hear very well do need hearing aids. If they think they will look stupid wearing aids, these people have no idea how stupid they appear to others without them. When one gives crazy answers to sane questions ~ and misunderstands what others say ~ they don’t appear to be very bright. Amplification normally helps a great deal, even if perfect hearing is not attainable for many of us.

Consider this: Use of hearing aids might prevent you from being diagnosed as senile when you get older or loose the understanding companion who has always made allowances for you.

Yet, even with good hearing aids, I have only now come come to understand that it is my responsibility to not do those things which irritate normal hearing people ~ when I can control those very things.

If I am in another room, I have no business asking questions ~ or initiating conversations ~ which I will likely not hear right. To do so can only cause a person with normal hearing to take on unearned aggravation.

If I wish to engage in a conversation, I should make certain that the other person is close enough for me to have the best chance of hearing. And when others speak to me, ask that they do so in a hearing environment where I will understand ~ “Because I don’t want to ask you repeat yourself.” I expect the same courtesy of others that they should reasonably expect of me.

When I enter a room and see some people cocking their heads, looking at the ceiling confused, I should be sensitive enough to realize that my hearing aids are probably on too loud without someone asking, “What’s that noise?” Yes, often in an effort to hear better, I have cranked my hearing aids up to a point of “Feedback” which ~ although I can not hear it ~ many people do. Frustrated, associates have screamed, “You’re beeping!” Perhaps, my right to hear should be restricted to the point where other people’s sanity endures?

I have great difficulty communicating on the telephone. It was not uncommon for me to already be on the phone and to request assistance of the closest person to me to be my ears ~ for just a moment. I expected that person to drop everything and help me. How unfair? I have sense learned to say, “In a few minutes, I need to make a call. When you are free, would you mind being my ears if I need some?” I no longer expect everyone to allow me to interrupt them just because ~ through my lack of planning ~ I need help “Now!”

While I am on the subject, we who require special effort on other’s part to engage in conversation with us, need to learn not to begin talking to them if they are engaged in an activity which will necessitate their relocation to accommodate us, allow us to see their lips, etc.

Hopefully, I’ve learned I don’t have to talk all of the time. All of my life, I had attempted to masquerade as a normal person. The fact is, if you can’t hear ~ you are not normal! While really not wanting my captive audience to talk ~ because I knew that I would not be able to hear what they said ~ it was much easier to talk than to listen.

Now, I tell the truth. “I can’t hear what you are saying. It is not your fault, but my poor hearing. Please speak more loudly to me. And if I give you an inappropriate response, I will not be offended if you tell me that you don’t think that I understood what you said. In fact, I’d really appreciate it.”

My best advice to persons who can’t hear: Don’t try to “Fake it.” Maybe, you will get away with making like you understand the conversations? Yet, more than likely ~ and more often than you will ever know ~ others will think that you really didn’t care what they had to say.

Being hearing impaired is hard ~ not just on we “Deafies” ~ but those who put up with us too.

Hate drugs try natural therapy

In alternative medicine, the term ‘Natural Therapy’ refers to an eclectic self-care system that is primarily concerned with building and restoring health through prevention techniques and healthy lifestyles. In natural therapy, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders is undertaken by the therapeutic use of natural methods and materials.

The philosophy underlying natural therapy is that all living things have an innate ability to heal. This innate ability flows through us as energy or ‘vital force’ and it promotes self-cleansing, self-repair and self-healing. If the path of this vital force is blocked, external symptoms appear and a ‘dis-ease’ is diagnosed. Once the flow of this energy is restored, good health too will be restored.

Natural therapy stipulates that the immune system, nervous system, hormonal system and detoxification pathways all work as a unit. This ensures our survival. If given proper support, care and nurture the body will find its sense of balance automatically, WITHOUT the use of medicine.

Natural therapy places a great deal of emphasis on a hands-free, non invasive approach to curing maladies. There are no magic bullets and quick fixes. Each individual will have his own unique set of symptoms. Depending upon the symptoms, the therapist decides his course of treatment. And each individual takes his own time to recover.

The goal of natural therapy is to develop optimal good health for all patients and to teach patients the principles of good health. Natural therapy is used as a complementary system of healing that adequately speeds up the body’s natural ability to heal. Prevention is the ultimate goal, though therapy also includes management of symptoms.

Natural therapy usually includes a wide variety of treatment systems. Some of them are:

Clinical nutrition: Nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. Many diseases and conditions can be improved through changes in diet alone.

Herbal Medicine or Phytotherapy: Natural therapy relies very heavily on the use of medicinal herbs. Herbs are characterized by their minimal toxicity and maximum effect. Since herbs do not accumulate in the body, they also do not have any lasting ramifications. When selected properly, herbs offer safe, powerful and effective healing.

Traditional Chinese medicine: Pulse diagnosis, herbs, acupuncture, acutouch are all included in this system of medicine. Dating back to almost 3,000 years ago, this stream of medicine has recently caught a lot of attention in the West.

Body manipulation: Used in conjunction with other therapies, this treatment uses a variety of systematic movements that help heal musculoskeletal and neurological problems.

Lifestyle modification: Natural therapy places full responsibility of one’s health on one’s own shoulders. Treatments are based on assessing risk factors connected to the lifestyle, diet and environment of each individual. Each of these factors is considered while developing a treatment plan.

Natural therapy can assist in curing a wide variety of clinical conditions.

- Acute conditions like headaches, sore throat, asthma and allergies

- Chronic illnesses like migraine, arthritis, heart diseases and gastrointestinal diseases.

- Stress related mental and emotional problems.

- Physical injury and trauma including post-operative pain.

Different kinds of natural therapies suffered a setback because results are slow in coming. What most people do not realize is that though results may take long, the effects last a lifetime. There is usually a complete recovery from symptoms because the physician tries to boost the body’s natural resistance to dis-ease and discomfort.

Using your home s equity to consolidate debt - home equity loans for debt consolidation

Before you take out a second mortgage or a home equity loan to consolidate your debt. Consider these points before you refinance or take out a home equity loan to pay off debt:

1. Are the credit cards you are refinancing low interest? - If they are, you might want to consider waiting and paying off the credit card debt separately. Mortgage debt is stretched out over many more years than some credit card payments would be. You could end up paying more over time for your credit card debt than if you moved it to your mortgage loan. If your credit cards interest rate is reasonable or low, consider keeping the debt on your credit card until it is payed off.

2. If you refinance your credit card debt into your mortgage loan, it can become tax deductible. - If you refinance high interest debt into your mortgage loan, the savings to you could come in the form of tax deductions. Calculate the numbers considering your tax savings and see if that tips the scales for you and makes it worth refinancing.

3. Are you going into debt to finance a home improvement that adds value to your home? - If you are, this is usually considered a justifiable reason to take out a home equity loan or a second mortgage. Investing in the overall value of your home with home improvements or add-ons can help you in the long run.

4. Can you resist the temptation to max out your credit cards again? - If you can't resist, then definitely don't refinance your debt into your mortgage. This will just enable you to get into much more debt and possibly end you up not only maxed out in credit card debt, but maxed out in your home's equity as well. Increasing your debt load may make it difficult for you to make your monthly payments and can put your home at risk.

0 apr credit cards explained

What Is A 0% APR Credit Card? Many of us have heard about them, but has anyone every explained 0% APR credit cards to you? Well, for starters, the APR or annual percentage rate is the rate of interest credit card companies charge on outstanding payments. The amount you are charged depends not only on the rate of interest, but also on the method of calculation of rates of interest. 0% APR credit cards are credit cards that charge you no interest on credit, for a specified period of time. The best 0% APR credit cards offer 0% APR’s to customers for up to 12 months. After 12 months the credit card issuer charges you at the normal rate. The card issuer assumes a risk by offering you interest free credit for such an extended period. They balance that risk by offering 0% APR credit cards to only customers with the best credit.

What Determines Your Credit?

Your credit depends on a number of factors. Your credit score, also known as the FICO score is widely used as a credit rating for Americans. Since your credit rating will determine whether you are issued a 0% APR credit card, knowing what goes into the score helps a great deal. Your credit score is determined based on five parameters. The most important among these parameters is your current debt and your history of repayment of debt.

The other three parameters for calculation of credit score are the length of your credit history, amount of new credit and types of credit used. Based on these five parameters, the individual is given a score ranging from 300 to 850. This is indicative of the credit worthiness of the person at a particular point of time. People with credit scores above 770 usually qualify for a 0% APR credit card. However scores above 700 are also considered good. 0% APR credit cards typically require, at a minimum, very good credit and often will require excellent credit.

One method used by customers to avoid interest is balance transfer credit cards. It is possible to shift from a credit card that charges interest to a 0% APR credit card using a balance transfer, provided you have the requisite credit. Once the introductory period of the card expires, people often shift to other 0% APR credit cards using the balance transfer method. Doing this however harms your credit rating and can hurt your prospects of receiving good credit in the future.

Prudence Pays

It is good to be informed of clauses like the universal default clause. This clause states that if you default on your payments to one creditor, for example a bank, it affects your credit rating and can increase the rate of interest you are charged elsewhere. Responsible vendors realize that informed customers make for the best customers in the long run.

0% APR credit cards sometimes come topped with other offers. You can find a variety credit card offers online that come at 0% APR from the best companies. Choose the 0% APR card that makes the most sense financially and functionally. And always try to maintain you good credit rating that got you your 0% APR credit card in the first place.

Baseball in the united states

Among the most popular sports in the United States is the baseball. The principal baseball of league attracts thousands of ventilators each summer and they just continue to want more. When the series of the world of the it time each fall, the million observes the plays on the TV and extremely encourages their preferred teams.

The baseball is known like national pastime, and it there has many ramifications of baseball including/understanding the baseball and slows down launching. While the majority of play of won't of people the true play of the baseball (it can be very difficult to make pitching) there are much of the baseball and the leagues slow-launch which are recreation to be taken part inside.

There are also many various leagues of baseball in America. There are the principal leagues, minor leagues, small leagues, and the list continues. Much relative likes to put their kids in the baseball rather than football or hockey since it is not relatively a any sport and hearths of contact on qualifications other than the way in which hard you can strike your adversary. The baseball takes patience, and the excellent hand with the coordination of eye. How much differently can you strike a ball coming to you with 50 miles per hour?

It is difficult to indicate the history of the baseball exactly since many forms of it appeared everywhere in the world, but in the USA, the first teams started to jump upwards in the 1800s early. The play was based mainly on an English play called the baseball. Towards the end of the century it was easily the most popular sport in the nation. As a Alexandre 1845 Cartwright had created the modern field of baseball like know we it. It is also credited with the supply the modern whole of rules of baseball.

The mania of baseball seized the totality of America, young person and old man, of the men and the of the same women. A reason of this could be that it is a competence directed rather than athletics making it possible all to take part. First recorded the play of baseball in its avtar modern was played by Cartwright and its team in 1946.

The players of baseball such as the Aaron hank, the Ruth baby, the Obligations of Barry, and marks it McGwire have become names of household. Idolise of young people higher players of the league and the hope principal to be next Willie May. Some simply like to go to the camps of wadding in sheet to try their hand to strike the ball.

The national baseball hall of re-elected and the museum has thousands of visitors every year. It places worked objects several of the players ahead in the American history of the baseball. There is of Jersey, the beaters, and much of other pieces of implements. The hall of famous is not located in Cooperstown New York, and if you're in the it of sector of an air causing in value a visit, even if you're not the largest ventilator of baseball. A fascinating voyage of It by the love of America with the baseball and its great names.

All kinds of people continue to like the baseball. They have pleasure to play it as well as to observe it. Proff of its popularity (were it required) is the fact that we can even listen to songs of baseball.

Ticks a very serious threat to your dogs health

Ticks are not insects like fleas, but arachnids like mites, spiders, and scorpions. A tick has a one piece body, harpoon like barbs around its mouth to attach to a host for feeding, crablike legs and a sticky secretion to help hold itself to the host. The United States has about 200 tick species whose habitats include woods, beach grass, lawns, forests, and even in some urban areas.

They have a four stage life cycle, egg, larvae, nymphs, and adult. Depending on its species, a tick may take less than a year or up to several years to go through its four stage life cycle. Adult females of some species lay about 100 eggs at a time. Others lay 3,000 to 6,000 eggs per batch.

Ticks can carry various infectious organisms that can transmit diseases to cats and dogs as well as humans. The four primary diseases and their symptoms are:

- Babesiosis – lethargy, loss of appetite, weakness, pale gums

- Ehrlichiosis – high fever, muscle aches

- Lyme disease – lameness, swollen joints, fever, poor appetite, fatigue, vomiting

- Tick paralysis in dogs – gradual paralysis and poor coordination

Of the four diseases, Lyme disease is the worst, as it can also infect humans. Studies indicate that dogs are 50 percent more susceptible to this disease than humans. Lyme disease is transmitted through the bite of the deer tick, also called the black-legged tick. Symptoms in humans include fatigue, chills and fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, and a red circular skin rash. In June 1992 the USDA licensed a vaccine to prevent Lyme disease in dogs. There is no vaccine for cats yet.

If your dog is outside regularly, ask the veterinarian about the Lyme disease vaccine. Watch for the symptoms mentioned earlier, and if you suspect a tick-borne disease get your dog to the vet immediately. With early diagnosis, antibiotics generally work. If possible, dogs should be kept out of tick-infested areas. In areas where ticks are prevalent, yards where dogs exercise should be treated with appropriate chemicals to kill adult and immature ticks.

Dogs should be examined frequently for the presence of ticks on their bodies. Ticks prefer sheltered locations, such as inside the ears and between the toes of the host, but a heavily infested dog may have ticks anywhere on its body. When a tick is found it should be removed immediately. The proper way to remove a tick is to use fine-point tweezers, grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull gently, if the ticks mouth parts remain embedded in the animals skin, you should try to remove them as you would a splinter. Alcohol or other disinfectants should be used on the bite site, the tweezers, and your hands if you do not wear gloves.

Tick can and will survive after they are removed from the host. You should flush the tick down the toilet or drown them in a small container of alcohol. You should never squeeze a tick as it will release toxins that may contain any of the diseases discussed earlier. Hundreds of pesticides and repellants are available to control ticks on dogs and cats. Products range from oral medications that are available only from your veterinarian, to collars, sprays, dips, shampoos, powders, and spot-ons.

The chemicals Chlorpyrifos and Amitraz are used in several types of products and are very effective against ticks. Amitraz should not be used on dogs that are sickly, pregnant, or nursing. However, no matter what type of medication you use, always check with your veterinarian first.

Why choose a gas credit card

It seems like every gas station in the nation now has applications on the counter for a gas credit card. While many people may think, "Why bother, I already have a credit card," gas cards today also frequently offer member bonus features like regular credit cards, including airline miles, cash rebate systems, discount offers with participating merchants and affordable roadside assistance programs. Often, gas card plans will approve accounts for individuals who don't qualify for a good deal on a regular credit card account, also making them a great option for people who need to build their credit rating.

If you're looking to build credit, your options may be somewhat more limited. But if you use your gas card regularly, and pay it off at the end of every month, you'll soon find that you're able to negotiate a better interest rate with your existing card, or even apply successfully for a card with a better benefits package. However, keep in mind that gas cards often have much higher interest rates than a regular credit card would, so you should always make sure you can afford to pay your balance on a monthly basis, to prevent exorbitant interest charges.

If you have driving-age children living at home, a gas card is a great way to ensure your kids don't end up stranded with an empty tank, while at the same time knowing that a regular credit card won't get taken on a "joy ride" by their friends. A roadside assistance benefit can give you extra peace of mind, knowing they won't have to rely on the assistance of strangers if the car breaks down or gets a flat tire.

If you have a particular gas station you visit regularly, getting a gas card from that company would be a good choice, particularly if it offers an incentive program based on frequency of use, such as airline miles per dollar spent, or a coupon or rebate program. If you travel a lot, choosing a gas card for a major nationwide chain of gas stations may be more useful than one that's branded for your neighborhood station.

A gas card with a roadside assistance option may be an affordable alternative to a premium roadside assistance plan such as AAA. There are as many options in gas cards today as there are reasons to apply for one, so don't hesitate to comparison shop to find the best benefits package for your needs!