Christmas With The Kranks (DVD) Review

Based on the best-selling John Grisham novel titled Skipping Christmas, Christmas With The Kranks resembles the book in almost every facet save for the title. Starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, Christmas With The Kranks is an instant Christmas holiday classic. Although not in the same league of Yule tide comedy gems Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story, this film ranks high on my list of holiday laughers. The supporting cast (led by perpetual funnyman Dan Aykroyd) turns in a superb performance, making Christmas With The Kranks an easy film to relate to and one you'll want to see many times in the years to come…

When the college-age daughter of the Kranks joins the Peace Corps and flies to South America for Christmas, her mother battles with a case of the empty nest blues. But her father, accountant Luther Krank (Tim Allen), takes advantage of the opportunity to shake things up a bit. Tallying all the money he and his wife Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) spend on Christmas, he determines that if they skip Christmas this year, they can afford to go on a week-long cruise instead and still pocket three thousand dollars in savings at the end of the trip.

But skipping Christmas turns out to be more difficult than they thought - especially when it comes to participating in neighborhood traditions such as the mounting of the roof-bound 'Frosties' (giant snowmen all the neighbors plant on their roofs). The neighborhood struggle over the Kranks' reluctance to put up their Frosty leads to some memorable and quite funny scenes where the couple encounters Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Aykroyd), the de facto leader of the neighborhood Christmas celebration. The Kranks continue to avoid all things Christmas related, and having visiting the tanning salon, they're prepared to go on their cruise Christmas Eve

But when their daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo) calls with the announcement that she's getting married, and more importantly, that she's on a plane bound for home - the Kranks are forced to miss their cruise and recreate all the festivities of Christmas Past for Blair and her fiancée. But attempting to do a whole month's preparation in one evening proves to be a monumental task, and one filled with hilarious pitfalls and obstacles…

Offering hilarious scene after hilarious scene, Christmas With The Kranks is one of the funniest comedies in years, and certainly one of the top ten Christmas comedies of all time. At no time does the humor become outlandish or utterly ridiculous as so many such films tend to do. Overall, one of the more lovable aspects of this film is its ability to relate to so many American families. In fact, you might see a bit of your own family in Christmas With The Kranks… The fact that it's one of those rare holiday classics with the potential to be seen year after year makes Christmas With The Kranks a definite must-see movie…

A Guide To Advertising In The Media

The media is a powerful thing -- the average person spends an enormous amount of their life consuming it in one form or another, and will spend a significant percentage of that time looking at, listening to or watching advertisements. If you want to use the power of the media, though, you need to know what you're doing.

Advertising in Newspapers and Magazines.

There are two kinds of advertising you can get in newspapers and magazines: classified and display. Classifieds are the small ads towards the back of the publication, while display ads can be almost any size, from a small corner of a page to a massive double-page spread.

If there's a publication you're interested in advertising in, either go to its website (the rate card section) or call its advertising department to find out the rates it charges. Now pick your jaw up off the floor. Yes, advertising in the print media really is that expensive, and for most home businesses it probably just won't be that economical.

There is, however, an exception: niche and trade magazines. If you've ever looked around in a newsagent, you will have seen just how many magazines there are out there, filling every conceivable gap in the market. You need to find the magazine that people who are interested in your services might read. For example, if you're a wedding photographer, look for a magazine called 'Your Wedding', 'Bride', or something similar. Advertising in these magazines will be far cheaper than placing an ad in a general-audience publication, and far more likely to actually get some responses.

Advertising on the Radio.

Wherever you are, the chances are that there's a local radio station. Once your home business grows to a decent size, you might consider buying some time on it.

Really, though, the only kind of home business that can benefit enough from radio ads to justify the cost is one that does anything to do with cars. Since radio is almost entirely limited to use as in-car entertainment now, you know that almost everyone your ad reaches will be a car-owner, and so might be interested in what you're offering. If you offer something that people need cheaply or even for free, you can get a big response

Unfortunately, that response could be a little too big -- thanks to the time-sensitivity of radio, you'll get mobbed the next day, and then everyone will forget you again. Radio advertising offers the listener no opportunity to keep your ad and refer to it later, or to find it again in the future. You will find that any ads involving a phone number are spectacularly useless.

Advertising on the Television.

Unless your business is getting pretty big, this would be quite a bad idea. You'd have trouble producing and airing an ad even on local cable channels for less than $10,000. Of course, if there's a market for your product and you've got the budget for this, you could take a gamble and make a mint. The home businesses that tend to do best out of TV ads are ones that have a 'unique and useful invention' product with easy-to-demonstrate benefits -- think infomercial. Research shows that you can sell almost anything given a 60-second ad, a free phone number and a price point of $19.95.

Advertising on Billboards.

Here's one that gets overlooked pretty often, but can be very effective if you do it right. Billboard ads are relatively expensive, but they do generally stay up for a long time, and they can be very specifically targeted to an area -- the one where they're physically located. You'll have the best results with this if you can put one near enough to your business that it could say 'turn left at the next junction', or something like that. Phone numbers are, again, pretty useless, although you could have some luck putting a website address up there.

Advertising at the Movies.

Finally, here's one that often gets overlooked. If you turn up to the cinema early, you might have seen that before the big-budget ads, ads for local businesses are run. This can be a great place to advertise relatively inexpensively in quite a high-profile way, and it works especially well for takeaway food businesses.

How to DeaI with Dealers

Photo dealers, like cameras, come in a staggering variety of sizes, types, and quality grades. Whether they're found in small, local camera stores, big department-store chains, discount houses, or mail-order companies, they all have one thing in common-they'd like to make a sale.

At the elite end of the dealer spectrum are salespeople who know what they're talking about, honestly want to help you get the best equipment for your purpose, take time explaining features and options, and have competitive prices. At the other end are quick-buck artists who are simply out to make the most profit in the least amount of time and could hardly care less about your long-term satisfaction or repeat business. Many dealers, especially those with the lowest prices, fall somewhere in between these two extremes.

What constitutes an ideal dealer? It really depends on you. If you're generally in the market for new equipment and know exactly what you want before walking into the store, your most important criteria may be low prices, reliability and liberal return policies. If you expect your dealer to take time providing information and guidance, it may be well worth spending a few bucks extra to go to a full-service dealer.

Whatever type of dealer you choose, when you find a good, honest one who steers you right, stick with him-a photo enthusiast can have no better ally. And if you do encounter one of the dishonest, discourteous bad apples, run for the nearest exit or hang up the phone. The following tips should help you to figure out which dealers are which.

1. Do your homework. Dealing with salespeople is a lot easier if you know what equipment you want and have a good idea of what it should cost. To narrow down your selection, mull over your photographic needs and wants, then read test reports, news reports, brochures, and ads on equipment that interests you. To check prices, look them up in newspaper or other print ads or scan the mail-order ads in this publication. Once you cull your choices, examine the products in person.

2. Ask questions. The quickest way to find out whether a dealer knows what he's talking about and is honest is to ask a lot of questions. A good dealer will know the features of the equipment he's selling and be will to explain differences between competing brands. His opinions will be presented in a reasonable manner. Beware of dealers who disparage major brands with strong language or try to foist off little-known brands. Be suspicious of dealers who are loath to sell you what you want, refuse to honor their advertised prices, or charge extra for normally included items like lens caps and battery covers.

3. Stand your ground. Once you've come to an informed decision on buying a particular piece of equipment, stick with it. Don't let yourself be switched to something else because the item you want isn't in stock or you can get a "great deal." And don't settle for the salesman's demonstrator-you want a fresh camera in a box.

4. Keep your cool. If a dealer says something outrageous, has an obvious hidden agenda, is impolite, ignores you, or takes you for a fool, don't get mad or waste your time arguing with him. Just depart gracefully. Don't go back. And warn all your friends about his business. If you're actually cheated, report it to the Better Business Bureau and local or state consumer-protection agencies.

5. Check the record. Before you make a large purchase from a store unknown to you or in a strange city call the local Better Business Bureau, consumer-protection agency, or the consumer advocate of the local newspaper. Even good stores may have a few complaints on file, but if you find that a store has records of excessive problems, steer clear of it.

6. Expect the expected. Don't expect the harried clerk at a discount store to debate the fine points of four different point-and-shoots in the midst of the lunch-hour crunch. Don't exprect the mail-order phone salesperson to be a technical whiz who knows exactly which autofocus system does what. In short, be reasonable. Don't pay more than you have to, but don't expect the local camera store that lets you browse to meet the low discount price to the penny.

7. Be fair. Don't spend 45 minutes picking a dealer's brain and then buy the camera down the street for $10 less. If his price is way out of line, tell him so and give him a chance to make the sale. Not only will this assuage your conscience, it will encourage good dealers to stay that way.

How to Visualize the Things You Want

Visualization is by far one of the most powerful tools for good setting and attracting what you want. Yet few people know how to properly visualize. With the right technique you can begin to see outstanding results in successfully attracting what you want, granted you full apply what you learn.

First you are visualizing all the time. You may not be aware of it but you are always conjuring up images in your mind. When you are speaking on the telephone to someone you are most of ten times trying to see in your mind what they are telling you. You also visualize when you are deep in thought. When you are worrying about paying your debt or worrying about the way you would really like to live your life you are also visualizing what you want.

The hard part however is to use that creative force to actually attract the things you want. This is where many people go terribly wrong.

Here is a great test to help you understand the most effective way visualize. Think of the last time you were deep in thought. Now try to remember what that felt like. If you can recall that time, you will notice that you were deep inside of yourself. You were unaware of anyone or anything and as you were allowing yourself to visualize you could feel clearly that you were having the experience as if it were real. That is the power of visualization.

When people ask all the time How do I visualize the things I want, I tell them the same way you visualize the things that you don't want. You see when you are feeling anxious and fearful you lock yourself away in your inner mind with those images. You loose sight of other possibilities and if it is something that happened to you, then you recreate it in its full detail with all your emotions all over again.

Try to immerse yourself with full emotions when you are trying to create the things you want. Many thoughts may come to distract you but if you will redirect your mind to what you do want your mind will be trained to hold that thought.

There are many tools and techniques that can greatly empower your ability to visualize if you really have a hard time. You can add extreme magnetism to any mental image you want to create as long as you apply the right technique.

Online Courses Will Help You Understand The Basics Of Music Theory For Beginner Players

For anyone just starting out playing music, it is important to have a good solid basis of theory behind you. Many beginners overlook theory in favor of just sitting down and playing. But this can be a mistake for the person who is serious about learning to play and understand music. Music theory for beginner players is a vital part of learning how to play any instrument.

Knowing theory concepts like chords, scales, and notes is one way you can understand more about learning to play the piano with confidence. Chords and scales are the backbone behind learning how to play any type of music on a variety of instruments. The more you know about music theory, the better able you'll be able to learn how to play the piano in the comfort of your own home.

Once you know your theory, including the basic piano chord chart, you will be ready to play all types of music including jazz, gospel, rock, and classical. No matter the style of music you want to play, you will have the tools to play with a high level of success. The key is to start with something simple that you like to listen to and learn how to play it well. Include a course specifically designed as a music theory for beginner players program, and you will be well on your way to learning any of your favourite tunes. You can then work your way up to more complicated styles of music until you have a small grouping of musical selections to play for yourself and for others.

Learning online is a great alternative when starting out on the piano. You can learn at your own pace without having to plan around the schedule of another teacher. Online lessons will comfortably challenge you and keep you progressing at a steady rate. Incorporating theory lessons with your piano practice will also help you achieve better results over time, as you will have a solid understanding of the basic components that make up any song or musical piece.

Online courses will help you understand the basics of music theory for beginner players. Courses are designed so that you decide how fast you learn and how much time you spend daily or weekly learning and practicing.

Purpose Of Fishing Rod Holders

Fishing is a sport designed for relaxation. It is where fish lovers pride themselves of the fish caught while celebrating it with friends and family.

The rod holder is a fishing tool that allows fishermen to multi-task easily. It was invented because fishing requires the use of both hands in the whole process of luring, hook clearing and removing the fish from the hooks. With all these tasks, letting go of the pole is difficult. The fishing rod holder was intended for anglers to be able to make use of both hands.

The first design of fishing rod holders had two parts. The first is a pole-binding device with a strap placed on the railing to tie up to the fishing pole. The second part is a Velcro strap that could be tied on your limb, arms or waist.

The first designs needed improvement because when the straps were placed on the waist, it is wedged into anything you hit. Therefore, a new design of rod holder was invented which has four parts – two pole clips and two straps.

Depending on what fishing position you are in, the short strap is used to be wrapped around your wrist or forearm and the long strap is wrapped around your ankle or leg.

There are also rod holders which come with a remedial solution for seasickness. This curative fishing rod is capable of providing the user with an acupressure stimulator. Providing that the strap of the holder be worn all throughout the trip, it would remain efficient since the pressure is exerted continuously.

The rod holder is best for fly-fishing. Fly fishing is done in locations with rocky rivers and it is impossible to use your other hand for any purpose other than the fishing tasks. Because of the clips wrapped around your lower leg, you have a choice of putting the rear of the fishing pole into the clip so that no water could go inside it.

The upper pole clips could rotate to 360 degrees. It allows the user to do any movement since the pole is more flexible. The fishing rod holder could be used in any location whether in boats, on land, or at the dock. It prevents the fishing rod to slip from your hands and it allows you to release the rod easily.

The best fishing rod holders are those done homemade. However, many fishing stores offer high quality rod holders that would best suit your kind of fishing.

Digitalization of Entertainment

Consumers have moved rapidly to adopting digital formats for consuming entertainment-related content. The most obvious example of this is music and video downloads, with Apple's iTunes and YouTube as leading examples. Apple has sold more than one billion songs via its iTunes music store and it continues to demonstrate a spectacular rate of growth. Over 30,000,000 individuals have purchased an iPod portable music device, and tens of millions of other consumers use one of dozens of other portable devices to listen to music. Other platforms for listening to music are equally successful, and in the case of Microsoft's Windows Media Player even more dominant with over 90,000,000 systems running the software globally. Real Networks Rhapsody, and Yahoo! Music represent other major entrants in this space. In addition to those companies selling licensed music downloads for a fee, peer-to-peer networks such as Limewire and Morpheus claim to have tens of millions of users sharing music and other files on a continual basis.

As consumers have become comfortable purchasing (and stealing) music online, they are now beginning to download other digital forms of entertainment, including music videos, short-subject films, television shows, and even full-length Hollywood pictures. Traditional media companies have recognized the opportunity to establish new revenue streams and leverage old assets by enabling consumers to download television programming for a fee, and the adoption rate appears to match the early days of music downloading. The increasing penetration of broadband connections (over 50 million homes in the US), advances in software that enables high-quality downloads, and content companies recognizing an enormous opportunity to distribute directly and inexpensively to consumers has created a tidal shift in the number of digital media assets available for download to computers, handheld devices, and even cell phones.

Companies such as YouTube are at the forefront of the intersection of video entertainment and the fragmentation of media due to the empowerment of the consumer. Hundreds of millions of videos are downloaded weekly from YouTube (as well as dozens of competitors), and a significant portion of those videos are not "professionally" produced. More importantly, new talent in various entertainment fields are being discovered through these distribution platforms and forever changing how entertainment is conceived, produced, distributed, and valued.

New Inventions I Would Like To See

Do you want to create money-making new inventions? Not me. I just like to dream them up. Here are some of the new ideas I would love to see created in reality. I hope a reader or two will do something with them.

New Inventions For Outdoors

Free-standing tents without poles: The idea here is to have two inflatable sleeves that criss-cross over the top of a dome-style tent. Perhaps the rigidity would be insufficient for windy nights, but it's worth a try. Make them inflatable from inside, and you could quickly crawl inside and out of the rain to inflate it.

Rail-runner bicycle attachment: This is a new invention I want to try, but one that will not be popular with the railroad companies. Wouldn't it be great to be able to bike along train tracks? They go many places that roads don't go. The idea here is a device that holds the bicycle wheels on the track as you pedal along. Easy removal would be necessary, of course, for the occasional passing of a train.

Kites inflated with helium: If its been done, I haven't seen them yet. With some lift from the helium, these kites could be flown in any amount of wind. Designed right, they would still fly something like a kite, and with more maneuverability if designed like a stunt kite, with two strings. The first prototype might be a kite with a small helium balloon attached. If somebody makes this, I'll buy one.

Other New Inventions

Disposable t-shirts: Dollar stores have t-shirts on the shelves, so we know they're getting cheap. Why not invented a line of shirts that are low-quality, but good enough, and cost very little to manufacture? Sell them in boxes of 12, as "disposable clothing." Where's the market? Those who want less laundry to do on long trips, or those who want to have some cheap things to wear while doing dirty jobs.

Fast-food tube: These could be like the tubes at bank drive-throughs, but they would have to stay level for the sake of the drinks. Using these, one slow person won't hold up the whole line at the drive-through, because there can be several lines. The customers send money in through this conveyor system, and get food back the same way. Just pull up to whichever lane is empty. I'm waiting to see this invention.

Magnetic painting kits: This new novelty invention would consist of a flat "canvas" of magnetic material (steel?), and an assortment of many colors of iron dust or small shavings. Just apply the metal dust carefully to create any "painting" you can imagine. It would be something like a Buddhist sand mandala, but slightly more permanent. Spray the finished painting with a "fixer," and you could even hang it on the wall.

Invisible walls: This is a new invention that would be just plain fun. Make a wall with properly placed cameras, using the other side of the wall was the projection screen for these cameras, and the effect would be that of looking right into the other room - an invisible wall. I'm not sure about the practical applications, but an "invisible ceiling" would provide a nice view at night.

Magnetic signs for windows: Thousands of businesses use large magnetic signs for their vehicles, with their company name and logo on them. Of course these can only be used on metallic surfaces. To stick to car or building windows, they need a similar flat magnet or steel mesh material that is placed on the other side of the glass, to hold them in place. This may be one of those "unpatentable" ideas, but the first to trademark a catchy name and market them widely might do well with new inventions like these.

Annual Forecasts & Fengshui Remedies for 2006 : Year of the Yang Red Fire Dog - for Monkey Sign

The ancient Chinese Astrology is not only fascinating but also quite accurate. It's Zodiac is based on 12 signs, a cycle of 12 years and are named after 12 symbolic animals : Rat (or Mouse), Ox (or Buffalo or Bull or Cow), Tiger, Rabbit (or Hare or Cat), Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or Sheep or Ram), Monkey, Rooster (or Hen or Cock or Chicken or Phoenix), Dog and Pig (or Boar or Hog).

Your Chinese Astrological Zodiac Animal Sign is based on your Chinese Lunar Year of Birth. The Chinese New Year is movable and could start anywhere between 21st January and 20th February, depending upon the year.

If your Date of Birth falls into any of these below listed Chinese Lunar Years, then, because you are born in the Year of the Monkey, you are symbolically identified as a "Monkey" :

In Chinese Hsia Calender, 2006 is the 4703rd year and is also the third year of the New Fengshui Land Luck Period 8. The new Chinese Lunar Year is from 29.01.2006 to 17.02.2007. Here are the Annual Forecasts and suggested Fengshui & Crystal Remedies that you may need for the coming "New Year 2006 : Bing Xu, the Year of the Yang Red Fire Dog" :

From 02 Feb 1908 to 21 Jan 1909

From 20 Feb 1920 to 07 Feb 1921

From 06 Feb 1932 to 25 Jan 1933

From 25 Jan 1944 to 12 Feb 1945

From 12 Feb 1956 to 30 Jan 1957

From 30 Jan 1968 to 16 Feb 1969

From 16 Feb 1980 to 04 Feb 1981

From 04 Feb 1992 to 22 Jan 1993

From 22 Jan 2004 to 08 Feb 2005

CAREER :

An year full of confusions, travels and troubles, mostly. This year, the Stars will force a lot of productive and unproductive travels on you. Avoid travelling North East. Your hard work and efforts will go unrecognised. And if you fight, you will lose. There will be many despairing situations where you will feel like crying. Cry and get it over. And wait for better times. Chances of losing official properties like important documents is quite high. Much as you would like to be your own master, the unfolding situations will demand your total co-operation with others. Exercise care and caution when getting into any agreements. If you are a journalist, author, copy writer, script writer, designer, academic researcher or an artist, you will do well. Any opportunity coming out of overseas connections will click. If you are offered a posting abroad, accept it willingly. If you are a student or you are writing a competetive exam, you will excel. Install the image or icon of Green Tara to help tide over obstacles. Wear a Black Tourmalene Crystal Pendant to balance your emotions

MONEY :

A very average moneyluck. Put a Reality Check on your expenses, as you are a natural spender. Save every penny. Cut down on socialising and over spending on friends. Do not lend money to anybody, unless you are prepared to write it off. Spend more on travel insurance and health insurance. You are a fit case for carrying a set of PaKua Horoscope Coins and keeping a set of Dragon & Phoenix Coins at home.

HEALTH :

Beware of infections when travelling. There could be some minor accidents too. Always carry an emergency medical kit. Check for problems related to blood. Body pain and eye diseases will be a matter of concern. Be careful with fire as you could suffer fire burns this year. Accidents while driving is a reality. Avoid visiting hospitals and graveyards. Hang a natural, original Chinese Wou-Lou in your bedroom and carry a golden metal Wou-Lou with you, always.

LOVE :

Good relationship luck. Most of you will get a sympathetic ear and comfort at home. When you travel, always find time to talk to your spouse and family members, to avoid possible communication gaps. Most importantly, married monkeys should strictly resist temptations when they are abroad or when socialising with overseas friends of opposite sex.

Beneficial Crystal : Orange Cornelian, for 2006

Good Relationship with : Dragon & Rat, for 2006

Conflict with : Tiger & Horse, for 2006

Yin/Yang : Yang

A NOTE ABOUT REMEDIES : The above analysis has suggested some remedies/cures for reducing the impact of negative energy and has recommended certain enhancers for increasing and improving upon the beneficial energy. For the remedies/enhancers to be effective, they should be cleansed, energised, blessed and programmed not only for the particular individual/family but also for the specific purpose/problem. They should also be placed in the indicated location. Any or all of these remedies can be reused for the coming new years, the only thing is that some of them may have to be repositioned according to the specific new year.

The Simplest Way to Get Online Passive Income

Based on my research, this seems to be the basic principle that website owners have been following to get passive income online:

* Get many people to come to your website
* Get them to click on your Adsense links

Sounds simple enough. Get people into your website from Google search, then link out to an Adsense Ad. Search In – Adsense Out.

Practically applying it to get sufficient commendable income, however, can be quite a challenge.

The first problem is how to get many visitors to your website.

That's where Search Engine Optimization comes in. However, this is really easier said that done. It's a bit of an artwork. You basically have to read the mind of an Internet user. What keywords would he use? Why would he visit your website? Do you have the content go get people interested enough to get to your website?

Basically, your goal is visibility. You have to be seen. You can do this using SEO or using traditional brand-building methods. Tell your friends, family and colleagues. If they have websites, politely ask if you could link with each other.

For those lucky few that are already on top of the search engines, this is not a problem. Others (including myself) would have to work hard at it. Look at FilipinoLinks.com. It's been around for a very long time and has made quite a foundation. It would not be too difficult for its owners to tweak the website for SEO.

Experts have varied opinions on what to put in a website. Some say, put relevant important content – with around 500-1000 words on each of your website. Some say provide simple 300 word news posts.

Another option to get clicks would be to advertise online for keywords. Adwords is an example of a tool that can allow you to do this. There will be marketing expenses in this scenario. The goal here is to get more Adsense income than Adwords Expenses – which is really basic business sense. This is easier said than done, I tried it and got dismal results.

The next problem would be how to get visitors to click on Adsense links.

Well, the first thing that needs to be done is to get an Adsense account. It's pretty easy to setup. After that, you need to put the Adsense links on your website. There are people who say make it blend it when the rest of your pages. Here, on my website, you can see my Adsense Ads that seem to be part of the overall theme.

Other experts say the more noticeable the advertisements, the more they will be clicked. In this case, the Ads stand out prominently – with a different, and sometimes contrasting color scheme. One tip given was actually position the Google Ad right next to an image/picture. Viewers tend to click on picture links, so more income potential income there.
What does this all mean for a Filipino Entrepreneur?

In my point of view, it means opportunities. Although I have just started experimenting on all of this myself, there seems to be a real possibility of gaining a little revenue. For example, I started this website (last January) and have,in my first month I gained US$7 from Adsense. It's not much but consider this:

* My expenses so far have been the webhosting (US$4 monthly), and domain name (US$3 for one year – got it at a discount).
* If I continue getting US$7 a month, that would be, US$84 a year.
* My year's hosting would be US$48
* My theoretical income for one year would be US$33.

There are other costs, of course, from writing the content for this website – electricity, less time to do other things, etc… I didn't include it yet. If you had pre-existing content, this wouldn't matter to you. Just upload it and you should be ready.

For example, if you had a song lyrics database, you could find a pretty reliable web developer, have him upload your database, and include AdSense. Optimize it for search and you should soon get some revenue. It will probably not be big, but enough to get you interested.

I remember on my last test with the wordtracker application, "Pinoy Ako Lyrics" were some of the top keywords I found. People were actually looking for lyrics of Filipino songs. Since new songs come out every month, whoever gets the lyrics out soonest would be found earlier.

If you had a database of all Philippine Lotto Results ever since it began, you could probably have a statistics analyzer custom-made from your website. It could give suggested lotto numbers based on historical info. That would be something a lot of people would go to.

There are probably other more interesting opportunities for the web-savvy Pinoy entrepreneur. As long as you get people to your website, and get them to click on an advertisement, there will be revenue.

How do you move from a rut to a groove?

A rut and a groove are both furrows. But a rut is boring, uninteresting and can be depressing. Whereas being in the groove is good fun and energising. And being in the groove is a getting the best out of yourself.

Where are you at the moment?

In a Rut or a Groove?

A rut is caused by having your foot firmly on the accelerator. You're pressing it down for all you are worth but you're not going anywhere. Absolutely no where!
You are, most probably, covering all the people standing behind you with earth, grass, rubbish and waste etc, but you're not moving.
In fact you're getting deeper and deeper in trouble until finally you are up to the axle and not going anywhere. So stuck that you will need a spade, a fork, a tow truck, anything to get you going again.


How did you get there?

Doing the same thing day after day. Following the same routine over and over again. Following those wonderful phrases in your head;

It was good enough for …. It will be good enough for me

It worked for. It will work for me.

You always did it this way…………..

Before you have a go at us we are not knocking tradition. Tradition has a place but not at the expense of happiness and excitement.
In our book, if it makes you unhappy, bored and pessimistic why are you doing it?

How do you get out of it?

Simple.

Change your habits.

It's your habits that got you into the rut and it's your habits that will get you out

But FIRST.

You have to accept that you are in a rut.
You have to admit that you have been taking the easy option for a long time.
You have to accept that at a certain point in time you made a mistake.
You have to accept that time and money are not going to get you out of this mess.

You have to change.
You must initiate the action. No one else. Just YOU. No one can get you out of a rut only you.

NOW STOP.

Sit down for a moment. Think.
• What's the real problem?
• What's behind your going deeper and deeper into a rut?
• What's the fear here?
• What are you trying to avoid?

DON'T rush it. Stay with it.

Do whatever you need to do to bottom it and find the way forward.


NOW.

Gradually write down the way out. Don't take the first answer. Make effort to write down 30 ideas of the way out. Gradually you will become more and more creative. Then one idea will stick. It will come equipped with fairy lights, spot light and if you are really lucky a full orchestra.

That's the way forward.

Now you have a way forward that feels comfortable. Now you are moving into the groove. You feel happy, energised, focussed. You are in the flow. The passion is aroused. Everything is in synch. Everything you do works.
You are off.

Go on try.

You owe it to yourself.

Good Luck

Graham and Julie
www.desktop-meditation.com

Experience The Hospitality Of A Caribbean Villa

You've seen the brochures and the commercials on TV, so you undoubtedly know that the Caribbean islands offer an irresistible variety of beautiful islands, delicious dishes, pulsating musical rhythms and breath-taking views. But that's not all! For the ultimate in accommodations, a Caribbean Villa is the only real choice. Here are some options.

Mountain lovers are in for a treat on the islands of St. Lucia and Dominica. If you enjoy mountainous regions then a villa on the St. Lucia hills or the island of Dominica would be perfect for you. St. Lucia has stunning hillside views by the day, and Dominica's mountain views are enthralling by the night. You may
sacrifice beach facilities in exchange for these great mountain villa's, but they have luxurious pools as substitute.

If you are looking villas that are staffed, then consider Jamaica, Barbados, Anguilla or ST. Thomas. When you plan a trip to the islands of the Barbados, Jamaica or St. Thomas, find out about the villa's with staff. Villa's on these islands usually come fully staffed with a butler, chef, laundress, maid & gardener. The staff is carefully selected and trained to cater to your every demand. Their primary goal is to make sure that you feel at home away from home.

And what about those discerning culinary travelers who are looking to have their taste buds pampered? If you are looking for exclusive world-class cuisines then the Caribbean villas on St Barts, St Martin or Barbados should would be your ideal destinations. The French islands of St Barts & St Martin offer unrivaled French delicacies with over 100 restaurants at your service. Barbados is well-known for dining par excellence. You can expect to be treated to the best selection of diverse menus. And that's not all.

Discerning vacationers in search of a luxury and intimate getaway should head for Virgin Gorda or Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. The villas at Virgin Gorda provide excellent beach access along with memorable boat and diving excursions. You should be convinced by now that spending your vacation in a Caribbean Villa is the way to have an unforgettable Caribbean vacation.

If you are not convinced, then just remember this! Caribbean Villa rentals are no longer an indulgence exclusively reserved for the wealthy. Renting a Caribbean villa is an alternative you should seriously consider. Most villa owners retain premier management companies to market their properties and travel professionals work personally with these management companies to ensure that each detail is taken care of.

Staying in a Caribbean Villa really is the BEST way to enjoy the Caribbean!

ESCAPE the Holiday Productivity Blahs

It's that time of year again: the time of holiday parties, Christmas cards to write, shopping to do (even online…at work!), vacations, family commitments, and more stress. It is no wonder that a recent survey by Accountemps found that 44% of executives feel employees are less productive the week before a major holiday.

While this may be true, there are ways that we as leaders can counteract all of the distractions and stress and help people be as productive now as at any time of the year. Following are some suggestions to keep the focus and results high as the bells ring louder and the shopping days disappear. Rather than avoiding the challenges or denying the distractions the season offers, ESCAPE the problems by applying the suggestions below.

Expect good results. Set high expectations and you will typically get great results. Set low ones and you'll get the matching results too. As a leader, one of your responsibilities is to set clear expectations and goals for others. However successful you have been at communicating and gaining understanding on these expectations, the holidays require some additional expectation setting. Give people a sense of where they are on their annual goals, and encourage them to finish the year strong. As you set and reinforce these expectations, remember to give people the support and resources they need to succeed. And of course, lead by example. Have high expectations of yourself to finish the year strong.

Share spirit. While some people have a bit of a cynical, stressed out, scrooge attitude towards the holidays, most find their spirits lifted and thoughtfulness is at an annual high. Encourage people to show their spirit and sense of goodwill when communicating with others inside the organization. Even more importantly, encourage those sales people, Customer Service professionals and others who communicate with Customers to use that holiday good cheer in their interactions. Customers will notice and everyone wins.

Celebrate! You probably have a holiday party at a restaurant or hotel, which is great. But consider doing an on-site workday event too. There are many options -"Secret Santa", a white elephant gift exchange, or daily afternoon holiday snack break with different people bringing things each day are just three suggestions. A little time spent here can help build relationships, bring people closer together and focus them on their work for the rest of the day and week. Make sure to let people who are interested in these kinds of events plan them – don't delegate it to the unwilling or overworked because it won't have the same results

Acknowledge the challenges and distractions. Let people know that you realize the holidays are a tough time of year to stay focused. Share your shopping and social calendar with them, so they understand that you feel the seasonal stress that they feel too. When people know you understand their situation, you gain credibility when talking about expectations and year end goals.

Present positive anticipation for the New Year. Give people something to look forward to. Get them excited about a target or project that will make a real difference early in the New Year. Giving people this forward focus will help the focus now, but will really help people past the doldrums that can come after January 1.

Engage outside your organization. Take the lead by organizing a group to lead a toy campaign, contribute to a food drive, or better yet, do something as a team in the community. Your group will feel proud of their efforts, pleased that their organization supported and encouraged the activity, and the team will improve their relationships which has a long term impact on team health and productivity.

These suggestions individually can help you navigate the holiday season more effectively. Taken together, however, they will help you ESCAPE the pitfalls and make December a valuable and productive close to the year and a jump start to the new one.

Becoming An Efficient Wild Duck Caller

There is no such thing as a born wild duck caller because it takes lots of practice in order to become an efficient caller. Fortunately, anybody from any location can become a good wild duck caller with the proper training and patience. Calling wild duck is a very important aspect for wild duck hunting because if properly done, it can greatly improve the overall hunting efficiency of the hunter. Of course, in order to become a good wild duck caller, every hunter needs to follow some basic wild duck hunting tips:

• Purchasing a high quality call – it doesn't matter how well prepared is the hunter or how skillful he is regarding the procedure of calling wild ducks, without using a good call all the efforts are useless and the wild duck hunting experience won't be fruitful at all. As far as wild duck calls is concerned the expression : " you get what you pay for " is entirely true. A high quality wild duck call will allow the hunter to produce the entire range of sounds that a hen mallard produces. These calls will also allow the hunter to make these sounds time after time and also year after year that is why experienced hunter recommend future wild duck hunters not to get cheap when it comes down to purchasing a call.

• Imitating the wild duck sound ( duck call operation ) – the next order of business is about the ability of the hunter to sound just like the wild duck which means that the hunter needs to learn how exactly he can operate a wild duck call so that he will sound just like one. The key elements in this step are practice and patience because without these two parts, nothing noticeable will be accomplished. The very first thing to do is to start with the basics and get the hang of them before moving to more complex operations. Speaking of the basics, the first things to learn are the quack and the feeder chuckle and these two are considered the foundation for the rest of the calls done with the wild duck caller. A very important advice that is brought by experienced hunters and wild duck callers is to practice the entire year, not just before the wild duck hunting season starts.
• Observing the birds and adapting the calling style – the last important step to becoming an efficient wild duck caller is to learn how to read the birds. The hunter will be chasing these animals in many different conditions which means that the hunting style needs to adapt to the hunting environment. After learning all the basics, what the hunter needs to do is to master call cadences and tempos. This will help the hunter to sound more like a wild duck ( instead of sounding like a person that is using a wild duck call ). Due to the fact that not all wild ducks sound exactly the same and they also don't have the same tempo or volume, the goal is to sound like a lot of different wild ducks. This is possible only if the hunter masters cadence, volume variations and the tempo.

All things considered, learning how to be an efficient wild duck caller isn't a very hard thing to do but it requires a lot of practice, patience and a good call. Besides all these, searching for some wild duck hunting tips will surely increase the chances of becoming an efficient wild duck hunter/caller.

Free Online Games- Use Strategy Games To Develop Thinking

Most of the management courses have strategy game playing as a subject. I am a marketer. My product price is say - x. my competitor introduces his/her product at price - y. what should I do with my price that will increase my share. Because whatever I do, my competitor will manipulate their price. This becomes a game of strategy between my competitor and me. Who so ever devises a better strategy wins in the marketing competition. Free online games help in thinking development for such situations.

Our life is made of strategic steps. Can free online games help us develop our strategic thinking? Let me give one more example of games and strategy. I am an employer. I want to give only a small raise to my employees. But they want more or will leave the job. The risk faced by them is that of not getting another job. The risk for me is to lose my trained employees/. What should I do to retrain them even by giving only a small raise? This is another game that is played between an employer and an employee. Free online games can help us learn more about how to develop strategies for winning.

We all play roles and games with each other. Look at the discount sale announced by big shops. They want the customers to buy goods when the prices are high and the customers want to postpone their purchases till the sale is announced. This is another game playing. Every field of life involves game playing and strategy making. Who so ever has the winning strategy wins in the end. to think strategically is a very important quality of mind. free Online Games can help in developing that ability substantially.

Home-Improvement how to get it right?

Few people who have gone through a major home improvement project will tell you that the whole thing went smoothly and was finished on time and with no problems. There are just too many people involved and too many things that can go wrong. With a little advance preparation, though, hopefully you can avoid the worst home improvement nightmares.

The first thing to do is to put someone in charge, otherwise you'll end up doing it yourself – architects tend to be good at this, as once they've designed the improvement, they will have an idea of who is needed to make it happen.

The next thing you need to do is absolutely vital: budget, budget, budget. It's so easy to spend far more than you wanted to if you don't work everything out in advance and set a limit that you won't go over – a few extras here and there, and before you know it you can't afford it any more. If possible, negotiate fixed prices with the builders, so that however long the project takes they will get paid the same amount. This will encourage them to finish quickly, and remove the risk of you getting stuck with a large bill. You might need to phone around for a while before you can find someone who will accept the deal on these terms, but as long as you're offering a reasonable price, they are out there.

Avoid hiring too many specialists, as you don't need that many people working on a home project. Stick to more general professionals, who can call in people they know to do the parts that must be done by someone trained or registered in that area. Avoid hiring plumbers and electricians directly, for example, as they will just stretch out the work – leave it to the builder to bring in his own plumber or electrician instead.

How Nutrition is linked with Cancer Prevention

For many years it was assumed that what you ate each day had little or nothing to do with helping in the prevention of many of our deadliest cancers. However, recent research has proven that nutrition does indeed play a major role in the prevention and treatment of many types of cancer.

There are certain vitamins and minerals that are believed to enhance and spread malignancies through the bodies system, and this is needed to help prevent cancer. There are also vitamins and minerals that help to prevent the growth of tumors.

The National Cancer Institute has reported that one third of all cancer is diet related. They have also gone on to say that making changes in the diet can help to prevent most of the cancer that is related to nutrition.

Research has shown that diets that include fruits and vegetables eaten on a daily bases, according to the recommended daily allowance, give a reduced risk of the majority of the deadliest cancers. For a diet to provide a reduced risk, certain vitamins and minerals must be included. This means that foods that are rich in bioflavonoids, fiber, and vitamins A, C, and E must be consumed regularly. These all seem to help to slow, stop, and even reverse the process that leads to cancer.

Now, everyone knows that cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of cancer, particularly cancer of the lungs. But many of the cancers caused by smoking are related to a severe lack of vitamin C. Cigarette smoking depletes vitamin C in the body very quickly. It is highly recommended that smokers follow a diet with more fruits and vegetables that contain high amounts of vitamin C to replenish the bodies depleted supply

 Most cancer patients are referred to a registered dietitian to help promote a diet that will help aid in the bodies healing and recovery process. In the final stages of cancer, most patients do not feel like eating. In the past, many of these patients were force fed. However, recent research has shown that when a patient does not feel like eating, it is the body's way of trying to starve the cancer.

During the time that the body is trying to starve the cancer, doctors will go into action and bombard the cancer with treatments. When the cancer is destroyed, the patient's appetite will return back to normal and the body's recovery can take place.

While we have learned how certain nutrients included in the diet can help prevent, slow down and even reverse many forms of cancer, there are numerous forms of cancer most of which are very deadly and many people do not survive the ordeal.

If you are ever one of the unfortunate ones that acquire one of these deadly cancers, or someone you know does, always remember that proper nutrition will help through the process. Aside from your doctor and specialist, it will pay you ten fold to seek out the aid of a qualified registered dietitian who can put together a nutrition plan for you that will help you fight the cancer every step of the way. Your doctor may even refer you to a dietitian as part of your treatment.

Top Tips For Writing A Great How-To Article

If you are using article marketing to help drive traffic to your website you will need to come up with ideas for articles that people will want to publish and read. The quality of articles found on article directories can vary significantly so it is important that yours are among the best available for your article marketing campaign to be successful.

There is no end to the subjects you can write about and you can use any style you wish. However, it has to be something that people will want to read. "How to" articles are very popular with both website owners and readers and can be a great way to get your article marketing campaign underway. Basically, the purpose of a 'how to' article is to explain to a reader how to do something.

Of course, you will have to have a good knowledge of how to do the task yourself before you can think about instructing anyone else how to do it, so stick to what you know. There are many possibilities. If you have experience in networking you could write a 'how to' article on how to set up a router at home, or if you love cars you could write an article on 'how to service your car'. There are endless possibilities for 'how to' articles, in fact you are reading one right now.

So let's get started. When you are writing a "how to" article remember that you are the teacher so write in an authoritative tone. You are sharing your expertise with someone who may have little knowledge of the subject at hand. So keep your writing style simple and your instructions clear.

At the beginning of your article tell your reader what their goal is and summarize how it is going to be achieved. This will prepare them for the task ahead. You should also inform them of what, if anything, they will need to have to hand to complete the task. Going back to the setting up a router example, you would need to tell them that they will need their computer, router, instruction booklet and perhaps and ethernet cable to complete the task.

Also, you must start at the beginning and work through the task step by step. Sometimes it may be beneficial to use bullet points to help give the impression that it is a step by step process. Alternatively you can link the steps with words like 'next', 'and then' or 'now'. If you are new to writing the bullet points option might be best for you as it keeps things simple, and helps you avoid complex grammatical structures.

As you write, re-read your text every few paragraphs, and try to read it from the reader's point of view, assuming they know nothing about the task at hand. As an expert on the subject it can be too easy to make things over-complex because the task is second nature to you. Try to imagine you are doing it for the first time and instruct the reader accordingly. Going back to our previous example, will the reader actually know what an ethernet cable is, or what a router is for that matter?

If a particular stage in the task is complex you may want to repeat the instruction, or ask the reader to check their progress so they are sure they have followed your instructions successfully.

With longer articles it is important to do this regularly so the reader does not lose track. Summarize what they have done so far, tell them what should have already been achieved and ask them to check that everything is as it should be. If a reader finds that the project does not look like what you have described, they can then retrace the last few steps and see where they went wrong.

If you work through your article in this manner you should be left with a clear, concise 'how to' article that takes the reader through each step of the project to completion. Read it again, at least twice, to make sure that it is well written and that instructions are clear. Wrap up with a concluding paragraph congratulating the reader for a job well done.

And finally, the icing on the cake, the headline. This does not necessarily have to be done at the end. It can be done before you write the article but you may find that headline ideas will come to you as you write your content. Be sure to spend some time perfecting your headline as this can be the difference between the success and failure of your article.

So that's it. If you have already written your first 'how to' article, well done. If not, try it now while the information is fresh in your mind.

Moving from the US to Toronto

My brothers wife is Canadian. They met in college and have never apart since. All of us went to college in New York, which has to be in the top for places to meet people from other countries.

The only place more international for students might be London, I do not know. It is funny how certain cities draw the different nationalities for studies.

Anyway, her parents are still in Toronto and have just retired. They sold the family home and are moving down to Florida to a condo that they bought years ago and now it is paid for. I think that is such a smart way to plan for retirement. Have a place to go that is paid for and then sell the house that has appreciated all these years and invest the proceeds so you have money to live on comfortably the rest of your life.

My brother and his wife are on their way to Toronto this week to help them pack up the house and get ready to move. Since they have lived in the same house for over 50 years, there is an awful lot of stuff to sort through and they will have to get rid of a lot of it.

That would be the most stressful part for me making the decisions to give away or throughout so many of the things that you have had around you for years. They have two weeks to get it all done, because they hired a moving company to come the second week of April and load up all their belongings.

That is another very stressful time, watching people walk around with boxes of your stuff and trampling through your home, dismantling everything that you have collected and crafted over the years. It can be a really sad time, but I hope they are looking at this as a great opportunity and the next big chapter of their lives starting to unfold.

My brother helped find the Toronto Movers by calling different companies and getting estimates from them. He used the internet to search for keywords like Moving Toronto and Moving Service Toronto and came up with a list of about a dozen companies. Imagine how much harder this would have been without the internet!

I do not know how you would get a list of all the moving companies in another country in the first place and then you have to make all those long distance calls to get information. Instead, it was all just a few clicks and a lot of emails, and then a few conversations using toll free numbers.

What a difference technology can make! He decided on a company called Miracle Movers. He said he liked their website and he even liked their company name, plus their estimate was reasonable. He did not want to take the cheapest quote and felt comfortable with the representative who talked him through the process. They charge hourly for loading and unloading the truck and you can save money for being well prepared, having everything packed and disassembled and ready for them when they get there.

Hugs and kudos to my brother and his wife for stepping up and helping her folks with this huge life changing task.

Learn To Meditate

In today's hectic world, learning to meditate can bring a sense of calm and inner satisfaction. The practice of meditation is a gateway into your inner consciousness, resulting in an enhanced awareness of your own existence and your overall relationship to the cosmos.

Whether you are looking to answer the age-old question, "Who am I and why am I here?" or simply to implement simple relaxation techniques meditation may just be the answer for you.

Although there are hundreds of established techniques how to meditate is really up to the individual. You can pick and choose amongst different schools of thought and find a technique that best suits your personality. However, although meditation has many different cultural contexts, there are certain general facets which transcend the bounds of any one specific culture.

According to Eastern philosophy, to meditate means to think on the eternal, or rather to expand your consciousness until you are at one with the cosmos as a whole. Transcendental emotions like grief, euphoria or even love can fade away, but the universe is forever. Eventually, with practice, learning to meditate can bring you in closer attunement with the very root and purpose of existence itself.

Even if you are not interested in the metaphysical implications of meditation, meditating has undeniable health benefits. Learning to meditate can have positive effects on stress induced illness such as heart disease and high blood pressure. In conjunction with traditional Western approaches to medicine, meditation can target the root causes behind stress-based conditions by calming and clearing the mind.

There are many relaxation techniques meditation incorporates. You can meditate sitting, standing or lying down, in a chair or on the floor. Learning how to meditate is not difficult. There are numerous programs online that can teach you the basics and help to get you started. These programs can guide you each step of the meditation process, provide tips on appropriate posture and teach you how to create the ideal setting for your meditation session.
http://www.meditation-techniques-and-alternative-healing.com

The 3 Secrets of Team Motivation

Do you want a highly motivated team who don't take time off
work, don't keep looking for other jobs and make a positive
contribution to your business?

If the answer is "yes," then there are three steps you need
to take with each member of your team.

Step 1 - Spend some quality time

I didn't say "quantity time" I said "quality time." One or
two minutes of quality time on a regular basis are far more
productive than a one hour review every year.

You need to get to know each member of your team better and
they need to get to know you.

This will help you build a positive relationship with each
team member. You'll gain a much better understanding of
them and how they're handling the job.

It will also give the impression that you care about the
individual and show that you're there to help with problems
both personal and business.

Spending quality time will encourage opinions and ideas to
flow from them and allows you to explain the company's
mission. It gives them a feeling of being in on things which
is a huge motivator.

It will also help you build an "early warning system" of any
problems both business and personal.
Finally, it builds team spirit and morale.

Step 2 - Give feedback and coach

You need to regularly tell each member of your team when
they're doing well and when not so well.

I read some recent research that suggested 65% of employees
in the US received no recognition at work in the past year.


My experience tells me that it's much the same throughout
the world and much worse in some countries.<

Some managers still believe - "why should I praise people
when they're only doing what they're paid to do."
If you want a happy and motivated team then you need to
tell them when they're doing well.

It's also important to tell people when they're not
performing well. There are too many managers who either
ignore poor behaviour or come down on the person like a
ton of bricks.

There are particular ways to give feedback and coach
and they're described in detail in the book - How to get
More Sales by Motivating Your Team.

Step 3 - Be a believer

We're now getting into the area of "Empowerment" which was
first introduced in the 1980's and became a bit of a
management buzzword. However, I believe that it's one of the
most promising but least understood concepts in team
motivation today.

I'm a fairly down to earth practical sort of person
(probably comes from my engineering background). I'm not big
into motivation theories unless I can see the benefits for
me - I see a great deal of benefit for managers and team
leaders in Empowerment.

Empowerment is about utilising the knowledge, skill,
experience and motivation power that's already within your
people.

The majority of people in teams and organisations
throughout the world are severely underutilised. Your team
have probably more to offer in terms of skill, knowledge and
experience.

Put this to the test right away - implement these steps,
motivate your team and achieve your business goals.

Getting The Most Out Of Digital Camera Memory Cards

Most photographers, whether amateur or professional, have a digital camera. While regular film cameras still exist and are quite popular, there is nothing like saving money on film developing and being able to see a live review of your photos at the moment you take them. These are the benefits of a digital camera but, in order to enjoy these perks, we have to understand the importance of memory cards.

Memory cards are small devices that fit inside the digital camera and store each photo that we take. It allows for us to review the images immediately and also permits us to make actual prints. If you have ever strolled by the express photo department in a local retail store, you are likely to see a large machine that resembles a copier. This is a unit that often provides actual photos, within minutes, from the use of memory cards and other digital media. Upon closer inspection, you may notice that the unit has a small slot for memory cards to be inserted. At that time, it then begins to read the contents and display the results on screen for photo selection. An individual can select which photos to print and what, if any, retouches are to be made. Upon completing the order, print photos are usually available within seconds and are disbursed in a tray beneath the unit

Because memory cards are so important to the operation of our digital camera, they must be kept as safe as possible. The best way to ensure the safety of memory cards is to keep them away from extreme heat or cold, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and keep them away from water at all times. It is best not to handle the cards excessively, but rather store them inside your digital camera for added security.

Memory cards are designed to hold a certain number of photos, which is determined based on the capacity of the card. If you plan to take a lot of photos or simply wish to have ample space without having to continually buy memory cards, consider a model that holds a lot of photos. For the occasional picture taker, basic memory cards will be ideal with a less than 100 image capacity.

When shopping for memory cards, make sure that the product you choose is compatible with your camera and is made by a well known manufacturer. Memory cards are readily available in the electronics section of most retail stores and online at any electronics or specialty retailer.

Selling in Today's Tough Market

In today's tough market with competition in every corner of the industry, it is important to improve your marketing strategy to keep your name and your business in the minds of the customers. But you also have to keep your costs down. Sure, internet marketing can allow you to reach a lot of people in just a few clicks of the mouse. But not all people visit the web 24/7. And this is a costly mistake that most business owners often make. They tend to overlook the marketing potential of offline advertising. But this is where you can take advantage of the situation. This oversight of other businessmen can be an opportunity for you to reach potential customers before your competitors does. For this reason, in order to get maximum return for your marketing dollar, you can consider including postcards in your marketing approach.

Postcards have several advantages over the other means of contacting customers. Whether you use them as announcements or reply cards, their size makes them more affordable, quick and easy to address and mail out. Likewise, they are more convenient to fill out and return. You don't have to depend upon your prospect opening an envelope or having the time to read through a lengthy brochure. Your prospects are given instant visibility to what you have to offer. Hence, many recipients are likely to read a postcard than an unsolicited letter. <

There are many ways that postcards can be used. They can spread about a handful of messages for just about any product, service or event. But before you get started with your postcard design and printing you'll want to take a look at your options and decide what works best for your business. If you don't have an in-house marketing department, you can find a postcard company to help you create your postcard. A postcard company can handle the design and printing process, assist with mailing and save you money.

But deciding how the postcard should look like can be a bit of a dilemma. But by and large, your budget will help you determine whether you should go for a full-color glossy postcard or a simple black and white card. Which ever style you use both can be designed to look chic with a classy design and a professional printing job. If you have a lot of different products, services and events to promote, you can order discounted bulk postcards with prints on one side only and still have the flexibility of changing your message on the other side.

So make your postcard fun, inviting and cordial. Your customers will think kindly of it and you'll have the opportunity to make that all-important sale again. Remember that there are big marketing results from these small pieces of paper.

How to End Clutter and Make Home Organization Easier

I've spoken to quite a few people over the years who say they have very nice clothes they love but the don't wear them anymore.

But my question is this: If you value something so much...then don't you think you should be wearing it?

The reality is we are a society who likes to accumulate and, dating back to the Great Depression, we tend to keep everything we believe has monetary value when, in reality, it really doesn't.

For example, a pretty dress or a nice suit you bought ten years ago went for what can be considered a lot of money.

And the problem is you haven't touched it in nine years because, as most clothes do, it went out of style.

Could it come back in style someday? Maybe. Styles do often return.

But this is not a reason to hold onto things you don't use..."just in case."

You feel like, because you spent "good" money on it, you are throwing money away. But ask yourself this... is it putting money in your pocket sitting there in the back of your closet with dust on the shoulders?

Is it giving you anything? Do you benefit at all from keeping outdated outfits?

Now ask yourself one more question... will you gain anything by getting rid of it and donating it to charity?

Of course you will!

The benefits?

More space to be able to keep the clothes you are going to wear (we only wear 50% of the clothes we own, by the way.)

I might even suggest buying a new outfit for every three to five you get rid of.

The purpose?

Because new clothes make people feel good. I don't recommend buying new clothes for the sake of buying new clothes and throwing away your money. But you've got to admit putting on a new pair of pants that make us look better is a nice, uplifting feeling.

The thing is the items taking up space, yes, you paid for them.

But by keeping something you no longer wear or use you are not getting anything in return but more clutter and a lack of storage space you could be using for something else.

Here is something you should do right now with items (they don't have to be clothes) you are holding onto because you paid good money for them.

1. Go find ten items you own for one reason and one reason only... because you paid for it.

2. Grab a piece of paper and make three columns.

3. Write the items you are having trouble getting rid of in the left column. In the middle column, write "why I am keeping this item" and in the third column write "what will I gain by getting rid of this item."

My guess is you will have a lot more in the right column than you will in the middle.

Be specific with both.

If you can honestly fill up the middle column with more reasons of why you should keep it, and they are good, legitimate reasons, then maybe you shouldn't get rid of it.

But I'm willing to bet that won't be the case.

The Lure Of The Nylon String Guitar

As a fan of the electric guitar and an enthusiastic player of acoustic music, I would like to share some of the most fascinating aspects of the nylon string guitar to give you an idea of the beauty of this instrument as a stepping stone for beginner guitarists or as the subject of a lifelong devotion. Although a nylon string guitar fan can go on and on about the wonderful mellow sound and the potential for extracting new meaning from music, maybe we can focus on the more practical aspects of the nylon string acoustic like the different styles of music played on it and the advantages it can hold for an amateur or professional guitarist.

First let's talk about the types of guitars using nylon strings. Many experts say the flamenco guitar with its dry sound is more typical of what a guitar was like before the emergence of the sonorous and lyrical sound of the classical guitar which evolved in the first half of the twentieth century. The flamenco guitar has always been common in some areas of Spain, and it is simply the musical instrument used by a family or group of friends to play the local folk music. The classical guitar was developed to play the classical style compositions which became popular in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A descendent of the classical guitar is the basic nylon string acoustic guitar you see in music stores today. It lends itself to the accompaniment of all types of songs and was made popular in the 1960's folk boom by artists like Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul And Mary. These artists captured the public's imagination with their songs and planted the sound of the nylon string guitar firmly in the realms of popular music.

The sound of the nylon string guitar is much more peaceful compared to the brighter sound of the steel string acoustic. Another major advantage of the nylon string guitar is that it provides musical accompaniment to songs without distracting attention from your vocals.

By the way - did you know that players of electric guitars or steel string acoustic instruments need to develop callouses on their left hand fingers? Nylon strings are generally a little kinder to your hands. You will find that your nylon string guitar is easy to tune and you can just pick your guitar up and play it at any time of day or night without disturbing anybody in the immediate environment. Also the wider fret board allows you to play chords and single notes without accidentally touching the wrong string.

Nylon string guitars are kinder to finger picking guitarists. Anybody can learn finger style guitar on nylon strings without running too much risk of breaking fingernails, plus you will be pleased at how your first finger picking efforts are rewarded by the more beginner-friendly tone of the nylon acoustic.

Now you have some idea of the attractive aspects of the nylon string acoustic guitar, I do hope you will find some time to devote to this beautiful and, in recent times, neglected instrument.