A simple business you can run in your spare time to generate residual income even while you sleep

If you're trying to decide on a business to join then why don't you consider joining an mlm program? Multi-level-marketing programs are also known simply as mlm programs and they can be joined whenever you're ready. A home based mlm business opportunity is perfect for anyone who stays at home, like a stay at home mom or dad, college student, or other business professional that would like to expand who they work for. Actually, if you join a home based mlm business opportunity then you are essentially in business for yourself and you'll have no boss to report to. This is what many people love about the mlm business programs, among the many other reasons that are usually cited to join multi-level-marketing programs. But you should definitely consider joining an mlm business program simply because they are easy to join and easy to run.

The first thing that you should know about home based mlm business opportunities is that they are very simple to join and run by yourself. Creating your own opportunity by joining mlm business programs is a great way to generate thousands of dollars per month for yourself without relying on your boss for your weekly and monthly income. If you want to join one of these multi-level-marketing programs then all you would need to do is seek out a program through one of the many home based websites on the internet, add your name to the list and start your own mlm business. For example, one of the places to find a home based mlm business opportunity is on a work-at-home website, like the Work At Home Moms website.

Of course, many other places on the internet can be found that contain advertisements for practically any type of mlm business program that you want to join. After you've joined the mlm program then the very next thing that you need to do is to promote your business. This is a very simple thing to do and there are many ways in which you can go about promoting your very own mlm business. In fact, the revenue that you generate in your home based mlm business opportunity is very simple to obtain through the participants that you recruit. Recruiting is an easy task also because you simply need to recruit three to five participants in your mlm business to have a solid residual income every month! If you are having trouble building your downline, though, all the training and support that you need should come directly from the person who recruited you.

Of course, the more participants you recruit the better your income will be! But the fact that all of your income comes mainly from the downline you recruit should be an indication of just how very simple it is to win with mlm business programs. All things considered, if you are able to generate thousands per month in your spare time promoting your mlm business opportunity then it would be truly worthwhile to join this type of business. Whoever you are - college student, work at home parent, or business professional - a home based mlm business opportunity is just what you're looking for!

What are the order types used by forex traders

During the last decade, Forex trading has become one of the most attractive business opportunities to ever hit people's interest around the world. Every day people from many walks in life is actively considering entering the profitable world of the currency markets due to its accessibility and trading characteristics.

One of the first things you will do once you decide you want to enter and learn about the forex markets will be to choose your forex broker and then download the free trading platform software from your broker website.

When you first open your trading station software, you will find that there are a number of ways to enter the market or, said in another way, there are a number of ways to place an initial order to buy or sell any currency pair.

One of these types of orders is what is called a “Market order”; this is an order to buy or sell a currency pair at the market price considering the instant that the order is received and processed (which is usually within seconds of hitting the "OK" button on your trading platform). When a market order is placed, you are simply saying "I'll buy or sell the currency pair at whatever price it is at when my order gets processed."

There is a different way to enter the market that is called an “Entry order”; this is an order to buy or sell a currency pair when it reaches a certain price target; which you should determine by using your knowledge of technical and fundamental indicators. In theory this can be any price. You could set an entry order for the low price of a time period, or the high price of the same time period'; it all depends on your intentions, to sell or to buy. As an example, one usual recommendation is that you should always set an entry order to be the same price as the 'open price” of the time period. When you place an “entry order” to buy, for example, you are simply saying "I want to buy this currency pair at a given future price and if it never reaches that price, I won't purchase the pair."

Stop and Limit orders are two different ways to exit a trade, automatically (i. e., without closing out your position via the click of your mouse or manually), after the trade is entered. And they are widely used as safety locks so you won't end losing everything in a bad trade. In short, you must always use stops and limits when trading the forex markets.

A “stop order” is used to stop losses. A “limit order” (recommended if you can't monitor your open trade) is used to redeem profits. Where these orders are placed, in relation to your open trade, depends on the direction of the entry order, this is; if you buy or sell.

Remember; a “stop order” is always placed below the current market value of that currency pair when you are in a long (buy) trade. And a “limit order” is always placed above the current market value of that currency pair when you are in a long (buy) trade.

The secret components of cigars

Cigars are comprised of surprisingly few component parts. Unlike cigarettes, which usually have filters, two different kinds and colors of paper, and filler ingredients other than tobacco, cigars are all tobacco. What makes one cigar so different from another is the type of tobacco, where it’s grown, when the leaves are picked, how the picked leaves are cured and fermented, and how the finished leaves are cut and rolled. Because cigars are made in so many parts of the world, there is a diverse range of product, as you’d expect.

Wrappers

The outermost layer of cigars is called the wrapper. It is made from the widest part of the tobacco leaves, and it has a big impact on the cigar’s flavor and aroma. Cigar wrappers vary in color, and because the wrapper color is what is most visible, cigars are often described by the wrapper color. Here is a list, from lightest to darkest:

* Double Claro: very light color (sometimes with a green tinge); color comes from leaves that are picked while still immature and cured quickly.

* Claro: light-brown or yellowish-brown color, which is the result of tobacco plants grown predominantly in shade.

* Natural: light-brown or brown.

* Colorado Claro: medium-brown; most often associated with Cuban or Dominican Republic tobacco.

* Colorado (or Rosado): reddish-brown.

* Maduro: dark-brown; very popular color among serious connoisseurs of cigars.

* Oscuro: very dark-brown to oily black; typically exudes a pungent aroma and deeper flavor.

Fillers

Cigars are composed mostly of whats known as filler tobacco. Cigars can have filler comprised of three basic types: Seco, Volado, and Ligero. Cigars with Seco filler are drier and have a lighter flavor. Volado filler produces a mid-range of flavor. Ligero is the darkest, oiliest filler, producing cigars with lots of bold flavors and aromatic smoke.

One reason to choose thicker cigars (Churchills or Double Coronas, for example) is that these cigars obviously have more room for filler tobacco. This gives the cigar maker the ability to add blends of Seco, Volado, and Ligero varieties. You will find that these bigger cigars generally produce more varied and complex flavor combinations.

Filler is either whats known as long or short. Long filler in cigars is comprised of whole tobacco leaves, whereas short filler contains a chopped mixture of leaves (sometimes just the leaves), stems, and other plant materials. In most cases, cigars with long filler are of superior quality.

Binders

Many low-end cigars only use wrappers and fillers. But the better quality cigars youll find on the market use another component binders. Binders are an intermediate layer of more elastic tobacco leaves that help cigars hold the filler material together in a more cohesive manner. The best cigars have binders that also add another complementary flavor to enhance the overall smoking experience.

Cosmetic procedures in thailand

Thailand is called the land of smiles and for a good reason. Like all medical care, cosmetic surgery in Thailand is inexpensive and of a high quality.

Cosmetic Procedures in Thailand

Cosmetic surgery can be an expensive and time consuming experience. When choosing to have a cosmetic procedure, you need to weigh all of your options carefully before committing to having the procedure done. While many people will save their money for years in order to get their cosmetic surgery done by the most trendy doctors in places like New York City and Los Angeles, other patients have found a way around this long wait and expense. More and more, people are taking vacation trips to other countries and combining these trips with cosmetic surgery procedures.

When it comes to taking trips for cosmetic surgery Thailand has been at the forefront of this trend. Since the early 1990's, tourists have been flocking to Thailand for the care of their cosmetic surgeons, clinics, and posh recovery sites. The favorable exchange rate with Thailand combined with less expenses incurred by the surgeons means that patients who choose to have their procedures done here will pay far less than what they would in the United States. Phuket, an island resort in Thailand, has been offering their special brand of cosmetic surgery and vacation atmosphere to patients for years.

When choosing cosmetic surgery, Thailand offers a lot more than just a cheaper place to have your procedure done. Surgeons at the Phuket Cosmetic Surgery Clinic are also world-renowned for a special type of cosmetic surgery – sex reassignment, or sex change, surgery. They are one of the few clinics in the world that offer this type of surgery, but they are certain not to take such a change in their patients' appearance lightly. Anyone who wants sex reassignment surgery performed here must pass rigorous psychological studies and medical testing before the surgeons will consent to the procedure. Of course, the doctors of Phuket and other cities in Thailand perform many other types of cosmetic surgery, and the country also offers some of the best spa retreats in the world where you can relax and recover from your surgery in style.

You can also entertain yourself with the many cultural activities that Thailand has to offer, but you must remember some items before planning your trip. There is always some risk to cosmetic surgery, whether you choose to have it performed in the US or Thailand, so be careful to research your doctor and clinics thoroughly before leaving for your trip. Another issue may arise in the language barrier – be sure that you will have a translator available to help you communicate with medical staff, or that they speak English. Almost all of them speak great English, but we are talking about surgery here. If you keep in mind these few precautions, you can be sure your trip will be a successful one.

Truth be told, I have never had cosmetic surgery in Thailand. When I go every few years, however, I do have a checkup, get my teeth cleaned and so on. The medical care is excellent and inexpensive. Oh, the beaches aren’t to bad either!

In the zone or out of sync

Ask any athlete after a loss and they'll tell you that they did better during their training. Many athletes perform well in training only to lose composure in the end. What's the cause? Fatigue? Over-training? Or choking? Specialists say that athlete's poor performance is sometimes caused by performance anxiety. This stigma is experienced by most athletes—they are normal and are accepted. Sports specialists call this choking which according to them is drop off of performance because of too much stress. Many athletes choke in one way or another. Coaches and players are having a hard time finding out where it all began. Sports specialists and some psychologists claim that this event is something that occurs within and not because of an external factor. Thoughts of doubt and failure may take a toll in one's game plan. These kinds of negative thinking often lead to anxiety and stress and eventually losing a match. This is the moment where butterflies in the stomach becomes common.

Anxiety comes from a matter over lack of control over circumstances. It usually leads to pessimistic thinking. Too much stress and anxiety can seriously affect an athlete's ability to focus and may have an effect on their performance. This may cause them the game or lead to injuries. Specialists advise that it is best to determine one's own anxiety levels. More often than not, they are products of our thinking. Experts believe that a certain amount of arousal is needed in order to perform competitively. Arousal according to researchers is a physiological and psychological state of being awake. It leads to increased heart rate and blood pressure conditions of sensory alertness, mobility, and readiness to respond. Too much or too little of it will probably be an advantage. Athletes who have the right amount of arousal is said to be “in the zone”. Every move seems to be perfect and seems to complement the game plan. One of the main causes why there is an imbalance because some fighters are overcome by pre-game jitters that may lead to loss of composure in the game or sport. This disturbance may also cause them to get tired more quickly and commit more mistakes.

Before the competition

Every athlete should understand that choking and pre-game jitters are normal and that they should learn to accept them. The pre-game nervousness shouldn't be misinterpreted as a negative thing and that their jitters need not cause panic. Specialists say that it is just adrenaline rush and that it is but a normal phase or process. The “butterflies” are part of the body's way of preparing for a competition or strenuous activity. Being prepared physically and mentally is crucial in a competitive event. Proper warm ups, stretching, and visualization is needed to execute the game plan.

During the competition

“I have no future, i have no past, my goal is to make the present last,” is a warrior mantra. An athlete should focus on the task at hand rather than the outcome. When athletes find themselves thinking of negative thoughts, they should stop and focus. If they perform like they don't care about the outcome, they may feel relaxed and excel in that particular event and avoid choking.

After the competition

Athletes should review an event and recall the things that were done right. They should focus on the actions, thoughts, and behaviors that would help them perform well. The factors that hindered one's performance should also be considered so that ways and means can be employed to increase the level of performance and “winnability” of a player or team. Athletes who train alone should also consider joining a group to familiarize themselves with a “competitive unknown.”

Home mortgage and our age

Home mortgage refers to the document borrower signs that gives the lender a right to take possession of the property if the borrower fails to pay off the loan.

We, the people, and they, the people also, love to own things. Some important, some trivial. From small things with great sentimental values to large things that everyone envies. Owning a home for most is a dream come through and again for most owning a home is a dream most will never truly realize.

Yes, most live in a home but as long as you make payment on the home mortgage, in my opinion you do not own it. It does not diminish the pleasure you or I drive from living in a home that is not a rental nor do we take less pride in the fact that we actually live in a property that to most people can call it ours.

After all, we pay property tax, the insurance and the homeowner dues. We mow the lawn even when we rather watch football and repair the roof when needed even if we have to borrow some more money to pay for it. We furnish the home, buy indoor plants. We landscape the yard and we throw parties in the back yard and play tag with our rottweiler.

For all practical purposes except one, we own the home. So why am I making a big deal out of this thing called home mortgage. May be I shouldn’t since over the last twenty some years of home ownership, home mortgage, home equity line of credit and second mortgage has helped me out of so many financial troubles that I can hardly count.

As my wife and I get older we also realize that every time we traded our home up we moved to a bigger and more beautiful home which also meant a bigger home mortgage. We realize that we cherish freedom more and more and home mortgage obligation is something that we love to have paid off. We like to truly own the home.

As you look at various lenders looking for a new home mortgage loans or refinance your existing home, you may also consider that you, at some point, may want to own your home. Perhaps, the lowest interest rate home mortgage is not the best way to go but the one that with a little hardship helps you own your home a little earlier.

I think one of the greatest financial securities in life is not owning a home but having the home mortgage paid off. What do you think?

Which golf tips should you listen to

There are good golf tips and bad golf tips. The question is, “how do you decide which golf tips to listen to?”

This question has been brought home to me recently because a good friend took up golf about two years ago. He has really caught the bug and plays several times a week. He also has lessons and practices frequently. Whenever we play together he is constantly asking for tips and advice about his swing.

It is my belief that you should only give a player a golf tip if you are sure that it will fit in with the rest of his swing. I have seen far too many players lose their swings when trying to adopt a golf tip which simply does not fit in with everything else that goes on when they swing the club.

OK, I know, there are certain golf tips which are universally sound, like, “keep your head still.” But equally there are plenty of other golf tips that can be ruinous even when given with the best of intentions.

In particular I recall a good player with whom I'd played many rounds who always drew the ball right to left, usually with good control. One day when his draw was a bit exaggerated, his partner suggested this perfectly sound golf tip: “You know, if you were to keep your right elbow well tucked in on the downswing you would lose that nasty hook.”

The suggestion was well meant. However, for a player who had a well grooved habit of swinging slightly over the top of the ball, as Arnold Palmer was wont to do, it proved to be one golf tip too much. He became so conscious of his right elbow that it threw the whole of the rest of his swing out of shape and it took him months to get it back again.

The point is that the golf tip didn't fit in with the rest of his swing.

This is a mistake that many golfers make. They listen to all the golf tips out there and try to adopt them all in their desperate search for a good swing. It is my belief that your aim should be to groove a golf swing that will give you streams of straight and long golf shots by modelling your swing on one set of advice. Then you should develop a mind movie of that swing so that you can reproduce it whenever you play a shot.

Think how long some of the most famous partnerships between players and their swing coaches have lasted. Think of Jack Nicklaus and Jack Grout, Tiger Woods and Butch Harmon, Nick Faldo and David Leadbetter to name but a few. All these great players relied on one coach's vision of their swing to keep their mind movie in shape. They did not go asking for golf tips from other players.

Designer dressing on a bargain basement budget

Let’s face it—most of our tastes in fashion far exceed the depth of our purses. If you find yourself living on ramen noodles and beans just so that you can afford that Prada bag or the hottest new designer coat of the season, you may need to readdress your priorities. Instead of falling deep into debt by adding designer dream duds to your closet, be smart about shopping! There are deals to be found around every corner on authentic, quality designer merchandise. They key to finding awesome deals when it comes to purchasing items for a fraction of their mind blowing price tag is to do your research! By being able to identify designer items by their look, feel, and materials, you will be less likely to be ripped off by buying a clever fake.

By far, the best source of this season’s hottest designer clothing is the bargain basement. This secret shopping extravaganza has been carefully guarded by fashionistas all over the world. There are a variety of bargain basement stores that specialize in a variety of different items. Some stores are strictly fashion outlets that supply the fabulous on a budget with quality designer items that look like they came straight off the runway. Other basement stores specialize in accessories or sporting apparel, so you can hit the mall or hit the slopes looking as gorgeous as you deserve! The most popular of these bargain basement stores is Filene’s Basement, with locations all over the country. Filene’s is most well known for their annual wedding dress extravaganza that draws brides to be from near and far!

Get with the trend of online shopping and use the World Wide Web to find excellent designer deals. Websites that specialize in liquidating stock provide a fabulous way to find those must have items ranging from shoes to accessories to clothing. Overstock. com is a great example of a liquidation website, but keep in mind their stock is extremely limited—often only a couple pieces. The motto of “you see it, you like it, you buy it” comes into play, since you may miss out on that great designer deal if you wait. Furthermore, online auction sites have proved to be the next best thing in finding designer items at a bargain basement price. The popularity of Ebay and Yahoo! Auctions has made shopping for anything under the sun—including designer shades, bags, shoes, and clothing—a great deal easier.

Using dvd and video in your esl class - part one

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Have you ever wondered how to use movies in your ESL classes, without just sitting your students down in front of the screen, hitting 'Play' and sitting back to watch?

Here are a few ideas to get you started, using very short movie extracts to present and practise new language and develop communicative skills.

1 No picture

Choose a short extract (2 or 3 minutes) with plenty of sound effects. Play it with the screen covered or turned away from the students, and ask them to write down what they hear. If two of the sound effects are birds singing and a baby crying, you could use the extract to present or practice any of these language points (and I'm sure you can think of more):

Some birds are singing / A baby is crying
Some birds were singing / A baby was crying
It must / might / can't be birds singing or It must / might / can't have been birds singing
I heard some birds singing / I heard a baby crying

After playing the extract, have students compare what they heard in pairs, and then elicit the language from them. Remember to show the extract with both picture and sound at the end of the activity to satisfy the students' curiosity!

2 No sound

Here's the opposite idea. Show a short extract (again, 2 or 3 minutes is enough) with a lot going on, or where the characters convey a lot of emotion in their expressions, but play it with the volume off. Students can then do one of the activities below without having to worry about understanding dialogue:

Describe what happened using narrative tenses
Describe the scene
Anticipate dialogue or reactions
Arrange a cut up dialogue which you have given them.

Finally, play the extract again with sound. Having done one of these tasks, your students will be able to fit what they hear into a context much more effectively than if they had viewed the extract initially with picture and sound.

3 Jigsaw viewing

You may have done jigsaw reading activities in your class, where students have half the information, and share what they have read with another student to recreate the whole story. You can also do this with short video sequences in a number of ways:

Half the class watches with no picture, then the other half with no sound (you'll have to take half the students out of the class in each case). In pairs they then question each other to recreate the scene.
Half the class have picture and sound, the other half just have sound. You can do this by sitting students in two rows, back to back, so that only one row can see the screen. The half who only had sound then question the other half.
One student listens with headphones, while all the others view without sound. The student with headphones questions the others to recreate the scene.

4 Viewing on rewind

Choose a short sequence with a lot of action. For example, a woman enters an apartment, picks up the telephone, listens, looks terrified, runs out of her apartment and down the stairs, and runs off down the street. Movies are, of course, a great source for this sort of material. Play the scene backwards to the students (DVD gives more flexibility than video with the speed of playback) then have them reconstruct the story in chronological order, using narrative tenses, or future tenses, or whatever you want the linguistic focus to be. Finally, play the sequence normally so students can compare it with their version.

5 Pause / Freeze Frame

If you use pictures in your classroom for introducing new vocabulary, or for describing people and scenes, you can add a new dimension to this with the pause/freeze frame button of your video or DVD player. Hit pause when a character has an interesting expression on his or her face, is about to react to something or answer a question, or when there is a lot of colourful new vocabulary on the screen. Have students describe the character/scene, or anticipate what the character will say or do next. Release the pause button to allow students to compare their ideas with what actually happens.

Video is a motivating and effective way to bring variety to your ESL classes. Using short, sharp sequences with a clear linguistic focus, your students will go away from your class with much more than if you sit them down in front of the screen and hit 'play'.

Road trip guidelines

Adventure awaits those who would opt to travel on the road. What is great about any road trip is the various cities and towns that you will be passing by along the way. You get to visit more places while you are on your way to your destination. You also get to see not only the beautiful scenery but meet new people as well. You could even make a stop if you want to. But like any other trip, you can’t expect it to be smooth sailing all the way. One way or another, problems are likely to occur so it is important that you are on your guard and be prepared for whatever may happen along the way.

If you are going on a road trip the first thing that you would need to check would be the vehicle that you will be driving. It is essential to have it evaluated by the mechanic if it is in good running condition to bring you to your destination. Do a routine check on the tires, oil, engine, etc. Don’t forget to bring along a spare tire and some tools just in case you may encounter some mechanical problems along the way. Always have some gas in the tank. You may never know where the next gas stop would be along the way.

If you will be traveling with other people, take turns to drive so that the other person would get to rest especially if it is a very long drive. Driving can be tiring especially if you plan on driving non-stop. If the driver feels sleepy and no one can take his place it is advisable to take a stop to avoid accidents on the road. It is imperative also that the driver is not drunk when driving.

To avoid interruptions, stick to a travel plan. If you want to arrive on time in your destination, map out how frequent you will be stopping and on what points you will be making a stop. If you don’t want the trip to be delayed, avoid making unnecessary stops.

Bring an emergency kit along with you. Have with you medicines, extra food, a blanket, and a whistle to alert others in case of emergencies. It is ideal also to bring scissors. You never know you may need to cut something like maybe breaking free from your seatbelt when you get stuck. A hammer would also be useful in breaking the glass in case you get trapped inside the vehicle.

Lastly, to ensure everybody’s safety avoid giving rides to hitchhikers. You may never know if you are giving a ride to a serial killer or a maniac. It is best to be on the safe side so that you will reach your destination safely and securely.

Window treatments help homeowners save money

You might not think twice about how much energy you are conserving or wasting in your home - until you get your gas or electric bill.

With energy prices continuing to skyrocket from year to year, and utility companies passing along the costs to their customers, many homeowners are starting to take a harder look at ways to protect their pocketbooks.

A few simple steps now can go a long way toward reducing your energy costs and keeping them low for the foreseeable future. The following tips provided by Comfortex BlindCrafter Centers will help you conserve energy in your home and save money on your heating and cooling bills.

* Install insulating window treatments like Comfortex Cellular Shades. These innovative window treatments trap air between the shade and window, which in turn keeps warm air from escaping through your windows during the winter, and keeps hot air from entering your home during the summer.

* Caulk cracks and holes in your windows or install weather stripping to ensure that no cold or hot air escapes.

* During the winter, allow those rare sunny days to warm your house by opening window shades and blinds, but remember to close them at night.

* Install storm windows. According to the U. S. Department of Energy, storm windows can reduce heat loss through your windows by up to 50 percent.

* Move furniture away from the heat source. Blocking a vent makes the system work harder.

* Keep your fireplace damper closed when not in use.

Stu unger rise and fall of a poker genius

Stu Unger is one of the biggest superstars to have immerged from the professional poker world. Besides being a true poker genius and a three time World Series of Poker champion, Stu Unger had a fascinating life story. It was not surprising that after his death Stu was the subject of a biography and a biopic.

Stu Unger lived the life of a rock star including the quick rise to fame, the drugs, the comeback and the unavoidable death at an early age. Here you can read about the life story of the legendary poker player Stu Unger.

The Beginning

Stuart Errol Ungar was born in 1953 to a Jewish family who lived in Manhattan on the Lower East Side. Stus father was a well known bookmaker and his mother was too ill to fight against her sons fascination with gambling. After the death of his father, 13 years old Stu had found a father figure at his neighbor Victor Romano, one of the infamous Genovese family soldiers.

Stu and Romano had at least one thing in common: they both had an incredibly sharp memory, which was mainly used in poker and gin games. By that time, Stu was already an accomplished gin player who had gained vast experience in winning gin tournaments. Stu dropped out of school to become a full time gin rummy player. The Genovese family had benefited from Stus talent. In return, they provided him protection from other gamblers who found themselves offended by his harsh and arrogant playing style.

The Rise

As a professional gin player, Stu had managed to beat all the professional gin poker players around. According to the rumors, Stu caused Harry Yonkie Stein, one of the best players around to stop playing gin completely after beating him in a gin match. Since he was out of proper competition, Stu decided to focus on playing poker professionally. In 1976, he and his girlfriend relocated to Las Vegas where they got married and had a girl, Stephanie.

In 1980, Stu won the World Series of Poker Main Event after beating experienced poker pros such as Doyle Bronson. Stu was the youngest WSOP champion in history and was nicknamed The Kid. Even though Stu won the 1981 WSOP Main Event, he still considered himself more a gin and rummy player than a poker player. After winning his first WSOP championship title, he was quoted saying that the poker world would meet better no limit players than him, but no one will ever be able to play gin rummy better than he does.

At the same time, Stu had tried to use his skill to grab money at the blackjack table. Nevertheless, the casinos were not happy with Stus presence around the blackjack tables and he was constantly barred. In 1982, he was fined by the New Jersey Gaming Commission for cheating, although Stu has not done anything illegal but using his natural skill and phenomenal memory.

The Fall

In 1990, Stu made another appearance to the WSOP. This time, he was heavily into drugs. He was a chip leader for the first three days of the event and then disappeared. He was found lying at his hotel room, unconscious from a drug overdose. However, it did not stop him from finishing ninth and earning enough money for his future cocaine supply.

The Comeback

After seven years of disappearing from the professional poker circle, Stu had returned to the WSOP. In 1997, he was broke, with damaged nostrils from cocaine abuse, addicted to horseracing and sports gambling, but still in shape to beat all the new contestants and gain back his WSOP Championship title. The local media was happy to embrace The Comeback Kid, but his success did not last long.

The Death

Stu Unger did not attend the 1998 World Series of Poker since he could not get the money to pay the entry fee. Seven months after Scotty Nguyen won the 1998 WSOP, Stu Ungar was found dead at his motel room in Las Vegas with 800 dollars in his pocket. Apparently, he died of a heart condition caused by years of drug abuse.

The Biography

Read: One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey The Kid Ungar, The Worlds Greatest Poker Player written by Nolan Dalla, Peter Alson, Mike Sexton.

Watch: High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story directed by A. W. Vidmer and starring Michael Imperioli, Christopher Moltisanti of The Sopranos, as Stu Unger

Does green tea taste like grass

According to Chinese legend, green tea was invented by an emperor who was out in the forest, and had just boiled a kettle of water on his campfire. Suddenly, a freak gust of wind put out his fire and blew leaves from a nearby tree into the emperor’s hot water. When he came back, the emperor was upset, but still decided to drink the water – only to find that it now tasted excellent. Realising what had happened, he took some of the leaves from the tree home with him, and so invented tea.

Whether that’s true or not, there is no doubting that tea has a long and noble history in China and many other Asian countries, and most of the tea they consume has long been either white or green tea. It is known to have been consumed as long ago as the 9th century in Japan, and has long been a social drink and a status symbol, as well as a drink that is considered to have a wide variety of health benefits.

The difference between green tea and Western black tea isn’t that they are different plants – they are both made from camellia sinesis, the tea plant – but that the leaves are treated differently after they are picked. Black tea is first dried out and then fermented so that it will last longer, while green tea’s treatment stops after the drying stage, while the green colour of the leaves is still present. While this means that green tea doesn’t stay fresh for very long, it also means that it has a much fresher taste than black tea, and many believe that it is much better for you.

The first time you taste green tea you will probably think that it somehow tastes ‘green’, or grass-like, but it is hard to describe. The best way to figure out whether you’ll like it or not is to just give it a go.

A new idea for barcelona hotels

Choosing a hotel, especially in a large city like Barcelona can be a gigantic headache. But if you read on, this article can give you a wonderful solution for flights, transport, hotel and a marvellous stay at the leading theme park from the time you step foot off the plane at the Barcelona airport. There are many kinds of accomodations for everyone’s holiday stay in Barcelona, Spain like hotels ranging from five to three stars, hostels, youth hostels, campings and apartments. But what I really understand for the word ‘holiday’ is having everything at a snap of your fingers and here is how you can get it.

Barcelona Hotels at a snap of your fingers

Your holiday plans are set on Barcelona, and before heading into the busy city to enjoy all the cultural and architectural delights it has to offer, I recommend the following itinerary which I have personally done twice ( and hope to do a few more times). When arriving at the ‘El Prat’ Barcelona Airport, you can get a special transfer which will take you directly to your Barcelona hotel at the fantastic theme park called Port Aventura. If you are planning to travel to other places and have decided on a car hire, remember that Europcar has special prices for vacationers staying at Port Aventura. You will have previously chosen one of these wonderful four star hotels, each uniquely decorated and offering a package deal of hotel lodging and breakfast, entrance tickets to Port Aventura and also to the Carribbean Water Park ( Caribe Aquatic Park ).

The Portaventura Hotel is nicely decorated in a Mediterranean colonial style, The El Paso Hotel intricately shows the pre-Colombian and Mexican decor and the Caribe Port hotel is the biggest swimming pool with white sand in the world. You are not going to get this type of Barcelona Hotels even booking the best ones right on the waterfront. At the highest season which is categorized as ‘A’, one night with two days in the park could cost about 218 euros single and 136 double with a child for 68 euros. There are combinations of 4 people in one room including child and longer stay offers. At the El Paso Hotel, in the lowest season, still being able to enjoy very favourable Barcelonian weather, 2 people would be about 84 euros and a child 42. Can’t beat that! Enjoy the parks fully and snoop around and relax completely at these magnificent hotels in Barcelona.

Other Barcelona Hotels Options

When my piggy bank exploded, or did I explode it, it doesn’t matter, I went mad and stayed at the Arts Hotel in Barcelona. I wanted to have a perfect view of the marina port area and was told that any of the suites, splendid double rooms or luminous duplex apartments would give me that pleasure. I wanted to be catered to as I was, with its friendly, well-trained staff and incredible facilities. As a last effort to ‘live it up’, I had my taste buds tickled at the Goyescas restaurant. Everything on the menu was teasing so I tried the house specialty and was recommended an exquisite wine to accompany it.

After working hard on a few projects, I was tempted to go back to visit the new port area in Barcelona, and as I wanted to get more details on the Barcelona hotels I went straight for the three star Montecarlo hotel located on the Ramblas Promenade, well known for being lined with flower stands. This medieval 14th century building has been newly renovated and decorated but always respecting the original architectural features. This time I concentrated on the complete buffet breakfast and its centrical location to be able to walk into the centre, to the port area and to get a glimpse at the crazy nightlife in the Exaimple area.

Barcelona has been recognized as one of the most vanguard places for hotels and gastronomy. Therefore, the tourist bureau and town hall of Barcelona has decided to make the period from March 2005 to March 2006 a national and international promotion of Catalunya and its rich fresh products. Some of the restaurants promoting these products like the shop Can Ravell ( an excellent delicatessen ) or Club del Gourmet ( coffee, tea and sweets) are near the two Barcelona hotels I have mentioned.

Heart diseases new guidelines for detection and treatment of arterial disease

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association launched different guidelines related to peripheral arterial disease in order to help doctors and all healthcare professionals to treat in a better way this common condition. According to statistics, more than 12 million people suffer from Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) in the United States.

PAD is a really serious illness, since it can cause amputation of the extremities, rupture of an aortic aneurysm, severe hypertension, kidney failure, but also heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death.

It is a disease in which arteries supply blood to the arteries outside the heart, to parts such as legs, feet, kidneys, and intestines. This arterial disease can cause damages to physical health of people, by diminishing for instance their ability to walk.

According to experts, the new guidelines supply a succinct diagnostic and treatment guidebook for patients suffering from PAD and for physicians, doctors' assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses who are now offering care to treat them.

“A key source of the power of these recommendations is that they are so broad-based in their origin from every vascular specialty, as they attempt to reach a broad-based audience of clinicians. Everyone can use these Guidelines and a large segment of the public can benefit from them,” said Alan T. Hirsch, chairman of the writing committee.

Some highlights of the guidelines include recommended questions and observations that can uncover hidden signs of peripheral arterial disease; recommendations on when an aneurysm should be treated with surgery or catheter-based therapy, as well as when “watchful waiting” is the best way; among other things.

The challenges of single parenting

Having worked with parents for the last 35 years and written books on parenting and relationships, I’ve discovered that one of the greatest challenges for us as parents is to be loving role-models for our children, showing our children through our behavior how to take personal responsibility for their own feelings and needs. Our children need to learn from our role-modeling how to nurture themselves within and how to create a sense of safety in the world. In families where both a mother and father are present, both parents can participate in nurturing the child emotionally and taking care of the child in the world, and both parents can role-model what it looks like to do this for themselves.

Single parents have a far greater challenge - they have to be both mother and father to the child. Mothering energy is that energy that nurtures while fathering energy is that energy that protects in the world - that is, earning money, setting boundaries with others, speaking up for oneself. While our society often defines women as the nurturers and men as the protectors, both men and women are capable of both nurturing and protecting in the world.

In order for a single parent to successfully be both mother and father, he or she must have learned how to be both mother and father to the Child within. In other words, we have to have learned how to nurture our own Inner Child - how to take responsibility for our own fears, pain, anger, hurt, and disappointment, and how to take care of our Inner Child in the world - earn money, set boundaries, and so on. There is no way to successfully teach our children these skills until we are doing them ourselves, which means that each of us needs to be in a process of learning how to do this.

We have developed a process that teaches us how to care for and nurture ourselves, while also loving others. This process, called Inner Bonding, teaches us how to become a loving Adult to our own Inner Child and to our actual children. Inner Bonding is a six-step psychospiritual process that can be learned and practiced daily, and that leads to the development of a spiritually-connected loving inner Adult.

Inner Bonding defines the Inner Child as our core self, who we are when we are born - our natural creativity, intuition, playfulness, imagination, talents, feelings, and ability to love. Our Child is our inner experience. Our Adult is everything we learn after we are born. It is our thoughts, beliefs, and ability to take action. We start learning how to be an Adult from the moment we are born through watching our parents and other caregivers. The Adult we learn to be is a child-adult, the part of us that learned many fears and false beliefs and learned addictive ways, such as using substances, TV, spending, anger, or compliance to avoid pain. A true loving Adult is that part of us that is spiritually connected to a Higher Source of truth and love and is able to bring that truth and love down into the Child and share it with others. The adult many of us operate from most of the time is really a wounded child masquerading as an adult. It is our unhealed wounded self that causes us problems with ourselves and our children. Inner Bonding is a process for healing the wounded self and developing a spiritually-connected loving Adult.

In Inner Bonding, there are only two possible intents at any given moment: the intent to learn about love and the intent to protect against and avoid pain. The intent to learn says that we want to learn about our own pain in order to understand what we need to do to be loving to our Inner Child and others; The intent to protect says that we want to avoid experiencing our pain at all cost. The child-adult is always in the intent to protect and the loving Adult is always in the intent to learn.

The six-steps of Inner Bonding are:

1. The willingness to become aware of our pain rather than protect against it with our various addictions.

2. The conscious decision to move into the intent to learn.

3. Dialoguing with our wounded self to discover the false beliefs and resulting behavior behind the pain. Releasing anger and pain in appropriate ways.

4. Dialoguing with our Higher Power to learn about truth and loving behavior.

5. Taking loving action in behalf or our Inner Child.

6. Evaluating the action.

All parents needs to be in a process of healing themselves. It is particularly important for single parents to be in this process since they are the primary role-models for their children. The more you heal the fears and false beliefs of your wounded self, the more loving you will naturally be with yourself and your children. Learning to utilize these six step throughout the day, especially in times of anger, fear, anxiety and stress, will eventually heal the false beliefs leading to these difficult feelings.

How to find the best rates on health insurance in washington

When a resident of Washington State is deciding where to turn for health insurance coverage all the information out there can be confusing. Trying to find a plan that provides all the coverage needed at the best rate is challenging. If you are not one of the individuals who qualify for the Washington State Health Insurance Pool, you need to know a few basic facts to help you in your quest for affordable health care coverage:

• Many health insurance plans offer a discount if the individual seeking coverage has a gym membership or is active in exercise classes or regularly gets massages. Any of these can make a difference in the cost of premiums.

• Ask several different health care insurance companies for a quote on exactly the type of coverage you need. Once you have those quotes you can compare them with one another to see exactly which one really does offer the best rates. When you take this approach ensure that the quotes are reflective of the same coverage options.

• Certain pre-existing conditions can raise the cost of your health insurance premiums. These include being overweight, smoking and having high cholesterol. Being active in changing those things can really put a dent in the cost of premiums.

• Remove any children who have coverage at their own jobs or schools. Many college age students have health coverage either through school or a part-time job. If this is the case, have them taken off your policy. Your premiums will reflect this.

It’s imperative to have ample coverage to protect you in the event that someone in the family becomes ill. Although you’ll probably be tempted to cut corners when it comes to health insurance costs, don’t. You can find the coverage you need at a price you can afford. The trick is knowing what to look for.

Hot topic evangelicals debate global warming

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The atmosphere within the evangelical community has been heating up since the Evangelical Climate Initiativewas introduced in early February.

The statement, which is endorsed by more than 80 prominent evangelical leaders, asserts that climate change is an urgent problem and that the Christian faith mandates a strong response to global warming. Evangelicals have been reluctant to embrace environmental activism because of its connections with liberal agendas. The group as a whole has had a general tendency to prioritize spiritual rather than social and physical concerns. As scientific data increasingly supports observations of human-induced climate change, however, many are now taking action.

“It is a very appropriate move in terms of a biblical basis and, in fact, long overdue,” said Fred Van Dyke, who teaches environmental ethics at Wheaton College. “The evangelical community has long associated the environmental agenda with a liberal agenda, but they are getting over it.”

Roy Spencer, principal research scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and former senior climate scientist with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, said he is concerned that the initiative focuses too strongly on activism and not enough on science. He helped the Interfaith Stewardship Alliancedraft a 19-page monograph on global warming called “An Examination of the Scientific, Ethical and Theological Implications of Climate Change Policy.”

The alliance is a coalition of religious leaders, scientists, academics and policy experts committed to applying a biblical view of stewardship to environmental issues. In the monograph, the alliance said that climate change science remains inconclusive.

“We cannot say for certain how much the planet may be warming, how much is due to human activities versus natural cycles, or whether these changes in global temperature would be mostly good or mostly bad for the majority of people,” Spencer wrote in the monograph.

Other prominent evangelical figures — such as Focus on the Family chairman James Dobson, and Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries — have also said they are concerned about the Evangelical Climate Initiative’s stance on environmental policy.

The media, in particular, has misrepresented the effort as the majority opinion among evangelicals, said Cal Beisner, an associate professor of historical theology and social ethics at Knox Theological Seminary and an adviser for the initiative. Because of this, he worked hard to discourage the 30-million member National Association of Evangelicals — which has refrained from establishing an official statement on climate change — from endorsing the initiative.

“What I would caution against is equating fidelity to the gospel of Jesus Christ with endorsement of a particular environmental scenario or policy response to it,” said Beisner. “I am concerned that the ECI’s call to action hazards crossing the line in that regard.”

Despite their differences, ECI and the alliance both state that global warming is a problem that must be addressed, and both are motivated by a concern for those living in poverty. The tension is over the appropriate policy response. ECI urges preventative action and argues mandatory emissions reduction policy is necessary to combat the progress of global warming, which will have the most impact on the poor living in low-lying coastal regions.

The alliance argues it is more prudent to invest in technology that will allow humanity to cope with a changed global climate. It also says mandatory emissions reduction policy will force a general increase in the prices of all goods and services that depend on energy as a production factor – therefore, having the largest negative impact on the world’s poor

“Right now we have a government that has done nothing effective about global warming and doesn’t listen to people like me — scientists,” said Mark Cane, professor of earth and climate science, and academic board member of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. “They do listen to evangelicals, however, so [the Evangelical Climate Initiative] plays an important saving role.”

Laying rubber on the georgia asphalt by kelley thompson

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The state of Georgia cannot be defined by one of its cities or by a unifying history or even by a globalized present. Its regions are uniquely particular, separated by more than just miles.

Atlanta Metro and North

Atlanta is Georgia hub, and one of the few capitals which can boast that distinction. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site is a beautiful educational facility dedicated to educating the youth of today about the reality of MLKs time as a civil rights activist. With movies, exhibits and Kings Nobel Peace Prize on display, the center is more a sanctuary dedicated to the energy and friction of the time than merely the resting site of a great man. Next door is the historic Ebenezer Baptist Churh, where King co-pastored.

The new Georgia Aquarium opened in November 2005, the gift to the city from Bernie Marcus, one of the cofounders of Home Depot. It holds more than eight million gallons of water, and houses more than 100,000 marine and freshwater animals which represent 500 different species around the world.

One of the great exhibits in the aquarium allows groups to touch stingrays, horseshoe crabs, hammerhead sharks and starfish. All stations feature an on-site expert to guide groups through the experience, and to provide information about the creatures that alleviates much of the fears people may have of interacting with them.

Moving up in latitude, groups will find more mountainous terrain in Northern Georgia, a great spot for enjoying some truly unspoilt landscape. The area is becoming increasingly well-known for its vineyards and wineries. The Nacoochee Village offers a unique setting for wine tasting at Habersham Winery, as well as flyfishing, touring Nora Mill, a working grist mill, antiquing and horseback riding. For a nominal fee that includes a wine tasting coupled with samples of cheeses, fruit and chocolates, you have a perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

The Kangaroo Conservation Center in Dawsonville offers the largest collection of kangaroos outside of Australia and can accommodate groups as large as ninety through its 87 acres. The center has a large variety of native Australian critters besides kangaroos, including kookaburras, wallabies and bettongs.

Historic Georgia and the Antebellum Trail

The Antebellum Trail runs from Athens south to Macon. Athens is home to Americas first garden club in 1891. Groups can visit Founders Memorial Garden, which was created to commemorate the women who formed that club. Its two-and-a-half acres include a formal, picket-fenced boxwood garden, two courtyards, a retrace, a perennial garden, and an arboretum.

The Civil War Reenactment in Old Clinton, also called the town that time forgot, happens every year in May. The Old Clinton Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 to help preserve and restore what was once one of the fastest-growing centers of trade and culture in Georgia.

The Coast

Steeped in the past and described by some as untouched, one Savannah transplant warned, if you do not want to move to Savannah, do not visit. Savannah offers groups an endless sampling of history and beautiful architecture. Walking Magazine named the city one of the top ten walking cities in the United States and 40% of Savannahs 2,500 buildings have some sort of historical or architectural significance.

Source: leisuregrouptravel. com

other links:

grouptravelblog. com


grouptraveldirectory. com

War

War, what is it good for? Absolute fun and profit, that's what it's good for! If your childhood was anything like mine, you played the card game War often. One day the casino execs woke up and decided to bring this popular card game to the casino.

In Las Vegas, War was a side game. If a casino had it, the game was given one table spot in the pit. Thankfully, online casinos aren't limited to floor space and that's why most online casinos have War.

Okay, I'm not going to assume you know how to play, so I'll start at the beginning.

War is played against the dealer. If you're playing it online, it will just be you at the table. In real life, there could be other players, but everyone is playing against the dealer.

War is played with one deck of cards and the deck is shuffled after every hand. Your goal is to beat the dealer. It's a simple game. You get one card and the dealer gets one card. You want your card to be higher than the dealer's card.

In War, the cards rank like this: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace.

Okay, it's called War and war is what we want. If your card matches (in rank) the card the dealer gets, you've got a potential war. I say potential, because you can fold if you feel nervous.

I don't recommend folding. Why? Well, if you're not going to war, why play the game. Honestly, the fold option makes no sense. It's just there to take advantage of the suckers. I mean think about it. The deck is fresh. Two cards are out. You and the dealer have the same cards. Why on earth would you fold?

Instead, your move is to double your wager (required to stay in the hand) and see what happens. It's just like the classic game. Three cards are placed face down on each hand and a fourth card is placed face up. If your fourth card is higher than the dealer's fourth card, you win. If not, you lose. It's as simple as that.

There's no thinking in this game. It's a fun game to kick back to. You place your wager, get a card and win, lose or go to war. The payout is always even money no matter how you win.

Actually, war can be a blessing. It's the only way you can increase your original wager.

Example Hand:

You place a $5 bet. The dealer gets a 7 and you get a 7. You decide to stay in and go to war, so you place an additional $5 wager-$10 total now. You and the dealer get three down cards and a fourth up card. The dealer shows a 6 and you show a 10. You win and are promptly paid $10.

Antibiotics i think not

Have you noticed that doctors are now being much more reluctant to give you a prescription for antibiotics unless it's proven that you are indeed suffering from a bacterial infection? Well, I wish I could say better late than never, but in the case of antibiotics, we're far too late.

Antibiotics were once touted as a modern miracle and they did indeed save lives, once upon a time. The problem has been that they have been so widely overused and not just for bacterial infections, but for every single thing doctors didn't know how to treat. In fact, even if the illness was viral, we were routinely given a prescription for antibiotics so we would happily go home and feel as though the doctor helped us get well.

The truth is, we would've been far better off NOT getting those antibiotics for every single illness we encountered. Our immune systems would've been much more helped if we'd stayed home and rested, drank lots of fluids, and boosted our immune system with natural herbal and homeopathic remedies and whole food supplements.

The reason is, since antibiotics have been so widely overused, superbugs have emerged that are leaving us vulnerable with no recourse - UNLESS your immune system is strong because you and your pets have been eating natural diets, using whole food and natural supplements, and exercising, so that your body is protected naturally.

By relying so heavily upon antibiotics to be our cure-all, along with steroids (a subsequent article will elaborate on this horrible drug) we've compromised our and our pets immune systems and left them wide open and susceptible to these superbugs that are continuing to emerge all the time.

"Our society has been conditioned with quick-fix and band-aid medicine. We know from experience that this, often times, only gives temporary relief and in fact can generate a rebound effect of symptoms or undesirable side effects. Complimentary medicine, in particular Homeopathy and Herbs, can play a very large part in the successful rearing of our animals. Homeopathy and Herbs are essentially, natural healing processes, providing remedies to assist the patient to regain health by stimulating the body's natural forces of recovery. They concentrate on treating the patient, rather than the disease." Marina Zacharias, author of Healthy Breeding with Herbs and Homeopathy. naturalrearing. com

The good news is there are alternatives we can use that will give us healthy, strong pets that can resist these superbugs. First, by using a homeopathic or holistic veterinarian, you can talk to them about what your options are for helping keep your pet at their optimal health. Each animal is as different as each of us. If you care for your pets in a holistic way, meaning for the entire animal rather than waiting to treat a specific ailment, you will already be ahead of the game.

By feeding food natural to your pet's species, such as a raw food diet for cats and dogs, and incorporating whole food supplements, prebiotics and probiotics, you won't need to concern yourselves about antibiotics and their detrimental side effects.

Something that is also happening is not just superbugs that can be transmitted from animals to humans, but one I know of that can only be transmitted from HUMANS to ANIMALS, and this superbug is called MRSA. While it isn't as evident in the USA, it is rapidly becoming a problem in the UK. It is a superbug, bacterial infection that has developed as a result of overusing antibiotics. I have a dear new friend who lost her companion and friend, Bella, a beautiful Samoyed dog, to this dreaded bacteria. thebellamossfoundation. com

Jesse Dallas, author of Are Antibiotics Making Your Pet Sick? writes "The body should have 80% friendly bacteria and about 20% bad bacteria inside the intestinal tract. After the use of antibiotics, the body will have no more than 20% friendly bacteria and 80% bad bacteria if not more.

-Most illness, disease and problems begin in the intestinal tract. Thus, antibiotics create the potential for serious illness to begin.

-You may not be giving your pet antibiotics, but if it has ever eaten foods with preservatives, you have been giving your pet what I call 'hidden antibiotics'. The job of preservatives is to control bacteria and once your pet eats food with preservatives, it will ultimately have an effect inside the intestinal tract too and kill the friendly bacteria.

-You should expect it will take at the least 1 year to recolonize the intestinal tract with friendly bacteria after the use of antibiotics.

-Recolonize the intestinal tract with friendly bacteria by using supplements and feeding natural foods." pet-grub. com

Now is the time to be proactive and change this. By not remaining apathetic, but by taking action in your life and the lives of your pets, we can and will make a difference.

One more thing that is giving us much hope and one that has me jumping for joy are therapeutic grade essential oils. In 1985 Dr. Jean Claude Lapraz, MD did a study using the therapeutic grade essential oils Oregano and Cinnamon in testing their "antibiotic" like qualities. What he found was that not one single bacteria or virus can live in the presence of these oils!

That is the direction I've taken for myself, family and pets and I hope you'll consider doing the same.

Originally published for the Holistic Pet Care topic on Suite101.com

The write way to better website traffic results

When you are trying to develop a successful website, you soon realize that your website content is very important. Websites with great content are more likely to have great traffic results than those with lousy articles and headings. The more interesting and diverse your content, the better traffic results you will have. When trying to get the right mixture of content, you may become frustrated. This is especially true if you are not a strong writer. Use these tips to help you find out more about website content and the decisions you can make to create the best text on the web.

Care about Content

Many times, website operators don’t give content much thought. This happens more frequently than one might expect and the repercussions are immediate. If you want better website traffic results, you should always be sure that you make content a priority. Whether you write the content yourself, or hire professional writers to develop it for you, it should be quality writing. Someone who has passion for the subject should write it. The more passion the writer has, the better the writing will likely be. Usually, this is the website owner and operator, because no one will want the site to succeed as much as this individual. However, if you are not a great writer, you can always hire professionals to help you with the task.

Quality over Quantity

When it comes to website content, there are obviously guidelines. When trying to fill up a specific amount of area on a website, it may be necessary to set limits on word count. As a whole however, you should always strive for quality over quantity. Having too much content can drive viewers away because they are likely to get bored. Knowing exactly how much content you need for your site can also be a challenge. You should always view your site like a potential visitor would, which means that many of your decisions may be made by instinct. You will know when you have too much content on your site. The main goal is to have specific and direct content that is not too “wordy”. When there are excessive words in the content, you will quickly lose your audience. Be direct and to the point with your writing and you will be more efficient overall.

Natural Flow

Like discussed before, much of the content decisions for your website will be done with instinct. You need to be sure the content flows naturally. Natural flowing content leads easily to other issues. One subject should flow into the other seamlessly. The same is true with the placement of other website functions. When you are writing, consider the placement of “submit” buttons or other links on the page. This can help you develop content that looks great on the page as well as sounds great to the reader. If a piece feels unnatural when it’s being written, it will likely look uncomfortable to the reader and will be a disaster on your website.

Proofread

Some of the most unnecessary mistakes made with website content writing are grammatical. Websites that contain articles with spelling and grammar mistakes come can look ridiculous. If you want your site to be taken seriously, you should always be sure that your articles are proofread many times. This will help ensure you are delivering information that is intelligent and complete. It may help you to read your text out loud, in order to hear what it actually sounds like. Although it may seem unnecessary, you will find that the response will be greater when your text is without mistake.

As you can see, there are several important aspects to developing website content that will boost and maintain your website traffic. You should focus on passion, quality, and flow of your content. If you would rather not worry about these issues, hiring a professional is the way to go. However, if you are up to the challenge, try it yourself. Just relax and begin writing. Let the content come to you without effort. Try different approaches with your writing and you will quickly learn what works best for your site and its traffic. As long as it feels right to you when you read it on the site, it will likely look great to your site’s visitors as well.

Affiliate criteria 3 things to examine before signing up

Affiliate marketing can prove a very profitable online venture – you’re basically promoting someone else’s product, for a percentage of every sale you generate. You can endorse products complementary to your own, or just find a niche you’re interested in promoting. But according to Wade Schlosser, of AffiliatePrograms. com, you need to be discriminating with your endorsements. Warns Schlosser, “If you push poor-quality products or lousy services, you’ll quickly gain a bad reputation on the Internet.”

Signs of a Good Program

Before you sign any affiliate agreements, explore different programs and find the ones that you feel comfortable supporting. Consider the following factors when researching a program:

Affiliate Training and Support

Look for programs that have a dedicated affiliate manager to provide you with the support and materials you need in a timely fashion. Ask questions, and notice how quickly and thoroughly they answer your emails and phone calls.

Different affiliate sites convert differently, so ask the affiliate manager which of their materials convert most effectively with your site type and traffic demographics. Make sure they offer the kind of content you need to effectively pitch their products to your consumers:

• Keyword research for content creation

• Coupons, sweepstakes, and discounts

• Text links and banner ads

• Dynamic data feeds (ex: articles, blogs, podcasts, RSS feeds, etc.) to ensure the product information you’re publishing is up-to-date and accurate

• A private or “white” label – this is a domain name that provides all the content info you need, as well as pictures, forms, etc., for you to cut and paste to your web site

• A dedicated 800-number with affiliate tracking

Payment and Commission Plan

Note what actions you get paid for – per lead, per sale, per click, etc. Make sure your consumers won’t have to fill out endless forms that will likely discourage them and cost you sales. Look to see the frequency with which you get paid – you want that money funneling back into your marketing campaign as quickly as possible. Also find out the method with which you get paid – do they have an online payment solution that moves your money into your account as soon as the numbers are finalized? Will you have to wait for a check?

Take a close look at the affiliate percentage, and make sure it’s comparable with similar programs in the same industry. An absurdly high commission, like 75%, may be a red flag that the program is merely a lead-generation scam, taking the targeted leads you send them and reselling their contact information to other companies in similar industries.

Acceptable Traffic

Certain industries don’t do well with certain types of marketing, like incentive marketing; and not all affiliate programs accept all kinds of traffic. You don’t want to rack up $5,000 in sales for a program via email marketing, only to learn they don’t accept email sales. That’s why you need to read and understand a program’s policies before you sign up. The affiliate manager can help you determine if your type of traffic and marketing techniques are a good match for their company.

The companies you support can either enhance your e-business or damage it. That’s why you have to take the time to ensure that you want to be tied to the merchants you become an affiliate for. Says Schlosser, “Affiliate marketing can be a great source of online income. The key to using it successfully is doing your homework and finding programs that are well-suited to your business model and marketing techniques.”

Where should you buy steroids

Anabolic steroids, also known as anabolic androgenic steroids, are natural and synthetic drugs that are derived from testosterone. Often, people use anabolic steroids to encourage cell growth that helps in the development of tissues of muscles. There are stacks of anabolic steroids available on the market, each having varying anabolic and androgenic properties.

But, do you know, where should you buy steroids? Actually, you have only two choices to buy steroids; from a medical doctor or the black market. In earlier time, it wasn’t that difficult to find out a sympathetic physician who would easily prescribe you anabolic steroids.

But, with the categorization of anabolic steroids as a ‘controlled substance’ in the early 1990’s, the majority of physicians are now avoiding to prescribe anabolic steroids even for genuine medical reasons, as the punishments and penalties are just too harsh. However, it is not illegal when people buy steroids for legitimate purposes.

In such state, many muscle builders have turned their faces towards steroid dealers on the black market, to buy steroids in order to fulfill their needs. This industry has always been surviving for muscle-builders, and it has always been the favorite place for bodybuilders to buy steroids and other drugs. Some people buy steroids through Internet (online).

Most of the steroids available on the black market are developed in Mexico. First, they are smuggled illicitly into the United States (U. S.), from where they are circularized all over the North American continent. This is not surprising that California is the major center of this black market. From California, the steroids are generally supplied through mail orders or by couriers to steroid suppliers in other U. S. states or Canada.

So before buying, it is important for you to know ‘where are you buying steroids from?’ Is it legitimate or illegitimate source or way? Keep in mind that illegitimate ways to buy steroids can definitely get you into trouble. So think deeply, before you buy steroids for an illegal source. You should always buy steroids legally from legitimate sources. Of course, you can buy steroids legally, consulting with your physicians, getting these prescribed, if you really need these drugs.

Forex trading course primer

Forex trading refers to foreign exchange. Since the currencies of different countries themselves are the commodities involved, the market has a “pure” behavior that is driven by large economic forces. To master this art, one should do comprehensive study with the help of a Forex trading course.

Forex trading is a specialized form of trading with potential quick and hefty profit and higher leverage than other financial markets. But the leverages it offers can be a double edged sword due to the complex and unpredictable nature of the market. Taking advantage of the leverage at crucial times with responsible risk management is the secret of this trade. But this is easier said than done. A complete knowledge of the market is the essential requirement for success in this business.

The value of a currency in the Forex market very much depends upon the products and services the country offers for sale in the foreign market. So the study of the currency depends up on the study of the economy of that particular country. For example a tea-producing country suffers a great loss in the market if the production of the tea crop fails in that country because of a monsoon or other reasons. Similarly the same can be said of any type of commodity and for any reason that affects supply and demand. The political, natural and environmental changes influence the foreign exchange market significantly. So how can one understand the market in a way that will enable him to gain profit consistently?

Forex Trading Course

A Forex trading course offers comprehensive study of the economic markets all over the world. Many factors influence the economy of a country. The savvy trader will focus on the important factors that affect the economy and how they affect currency values. The training course should offer material that demonstrates the factors affecting the economic condition of a country.

A reputable course includes facts and figures explained in the form of charts and technical analysis. They explain the reasons for the sluggish or tremendous growth of an economy under given conditions and how long trends might be sustained. A big part of Forex training involves identifying entry and exit signals using technical indicators and patterns. Simulated trading on historical data as well as demo trading in real time is extremely helpful for enabling the Forex trading student to gain experience without risking real money.

What many people do not realize is that one of the largest forces that drives the foreign exchange market is large institutions that export products such as automobiles, electronics, and commodities. When these products are sold to another country it creates an immediate demand for the currency of the country which is exporting. This causes that currency to increase in value. Conversely when a country imports products from other countries it creates an outflow of currency that weakens the importing country’s currency. These large forces are constantly at play throughout the world creating an ebb and flow in the value of the major currencies throughout the world.

It is not necessary to fully understand and follow all the economic forces in the world in order to trade Forex successfully. Many traders rely solely on technical analysis to enter and exit trades. By observing the movements and patterns on charts profitable trades can be executed without having any idea what economic news is creating the movement. This is the subject of most Forex trading courses that are popular today and makes life much easier for those who want to easily profit from this vast and popular market.

Being slow it s a go

Brandon had always been thought of as “slow.” He talked slowly; he walked slowly; he read slowly and he ate slowly. He was a nine-year-old boy in fourth grade. Many of Brandon’s classmates made fun of him because he could not process information quickly.

“Mom, I don’t mean to be so slow,” he told his Mother. “I know, sweetheart,” she always replied to him. “You remember the story of The Tortoise and the Hare, don’t you?” “Yes. It’s one of my favorite stories because the tortoise reminds me of me.” “That’s right. Being slow and deliberate can have a tremendous advantage. Sweetheart, you’re gonna find something that you really like to do that suits you that other people will value. Mark my word.” “Are you sure, Mom? I’m tired of being thought of as ‘slo-mo.’” “Slo-mo is a no-go. That name will go away sooner than you think.” Brandon began to speak. “Just trust me on this, son,” his Mom interrupted. “Moms know these kinds of things.” “Alright, Mom.”

The next day, Brandon excitedly came home with a flyer about a soapbox derby event to be held at the local park. “Mom!” yelled Brandon. “What’s all the fuss about, honey?” she replied. “You were right!” “About what?” “The thing you said about something I really like to do.” Brandon showed his Mother the flyer. She read aloud, “1st annual soap-box derby. Prizes for the top three cars.” Brandon was too excited to let her finish. “Mom, you know how much I like to build things. Look at all those model cars in my room. I can design one of the cars for the race. Joey could drive it. He’s one of the best athletes in the school. And he’s my best friend.” “Okay. Here’s the deal,” she said seriously. “Dad and I will get you all of the parts you need. The only condition is that you tell no one – not even Joey – about your car-building, okay? The only one I AM gonna tell is Mr. Washington.” “The principal?” “Yes!” “Why, Mom?” “Just trust your Mom. Have I ever steered you wrong before? Pun intended,” Brandon’s Mom giggled. “Mom! Alright.”

Brandon worked tirelessly on the soapbox car while his Dad took many pictures of all the stages from Brandon designing the car to the finished product. Brandon basically did all of the designing and constructing. In spite of Brandon staying up past his bedtime during most of the schoolnights, his Mother was happy that he was doing something that her son loved. After about three to four weeks, Brandon was finished constructing the car.

On race day, Brandon’s friend, Joey, drove the car that Brandon built without knowing that Brandon himself built the car. It was an easy victory for Joey because of the car’s streamlining and precision. The race sponsors announced that Joey and Brandon were the championship team. Joey was not surprised because he knew Brandon’s capabilities. But the other kids were in shock.

“This is the best car in the school,” said one of the kids. “Yeah,” said another kid. “Look at all of the details and the contours. This car was made to be the fastest.” “How could Brandon Tyler have built this car?” asked another. “He couldn’t do anything quickly and finish by the end of the day to save his life.” “He didn’t finish by the end of the day,” interjected Mr. Washington. “It took him several weeks. Being slow and deliberate has its advantages. Could ANY of you have done all of the precision work and detailing of this car without going crazy?” “No,” the boys said in harmony. Mr. Washington had a photo album, which had the photos of all of the stages of Brandon’s car construction taken by his Father. He showed the boys, who were flabbergasted. Brandon’s Mother came up to her son and gave him a big kiss. “Aw, Mom!” said Brandon regretfully. “Never you mind, mister. I earned that kiss. What did your Mother tell you?” “Your Mother’s right, son,” said Brandon’s Dad. “Everyone has talents to offer the world.” “Well alright,” affirmed Mr. Washington. “’The slowest boy in the school’ created the fastest car in the school. How’s that for irony?”

Atlantic city casino resort

If you want great casino experiences without going to Las Vegas, considering Atlantic City Casino Resort might be the place for you. Here you'll get high class gambling entertainment as you elevate your game with the best table action around. This casino resort offers some of the highest limits in town, and very few - if any - can match their personalized service.

This casino entertainment hotel has a brand new poker room, where you can play your favorites - Texas Hold 'Em and 7-Card stud. You can also play baccarat, a really elegant game that's easy to play. If you want it really simple, nothing is more fun to play than the Big Six Wheel. Your only task is bet on the number or symbol of your choice, then the dealer will spin the wheel and the number it stops on is the number that wins. Can it get any easier?

Blackjack-fans can entertain themselves with "21", one of America's most popular casino games. Spanish 21 is the ultimate blackjack variation, where the blackjack game is combined with the multiple payoffs of a slot machine. This casino resort even has five spot tables exclusive to Resorts! And of course you can play poker in many variants like 5 card poker (Caribbean Stud Poker, Let It Ride), Three Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker and Texas Hold 'Em. It goes without saying that Craps and Roulette are amongst these exhilirating gambling games, not only of chance but which take knowledge of reasoning included in this, as within every great casino.

Another interesting and entertaining game this Casino hotel has included is Pai Gow. This dominoe game originated in ancient China and is played with 32 dominoes, 11 of which are identical pairs. The purpose is to make two ranking hands using 4 dominoes, a high hand and a low hand. If your rankings for both hands are higher than the dealer's, you win!

This casino resort gave me a comfortable, classy and entertaining experience and I highly recommend that you try it for a weekend. Always remember though, this excellent advice from the resort's staff: "Bet with your head, not over it."

Dear expats - are you ready to take up the challenge for the new year

It is that time of year again. Xmas is just around the corner and then a week later we will be toasting in the New Year. Streets, offices, and coffees shops are already buzzing with all the talk of the resolutions we plan to start on New Year’s Day. However, more often than not, the 1st of the year rolls around and we are still too full of the joys of the season to bother with our resolutions, but we resolve to start our plans in the new week. Unfortunately that date is often not adhered to either for a variety of legitimate or not so legitimate reasons.

What do we do? Well most of us almost literally take a club and beat ourselves up for our half-hearted attempts. We manage to pull off a few weeks or months during the year where we take some form of action in trying to reach our goals, but don’t really get anywhere and then all too soon New Year creeps up on us again.

It seems that the expectations we set ourselves up for at this time of year perpetuates yearly cycles of self-defeat, loss of self-esteem and entrenched beliefs that we are weak and cannot trust ourselves to make promises and goals and stick to them.

I feel that if approached differently we can turn this around and get to see the self-confident and goal-oriented individuals that we are. Why do we need to set ourselves up for failure? We know that more times than not most New Years’ resolutions are not adhered to. Lets face it, just how practical is it to start that diet on the 1st of January when all the delicious leftovers of the season still fills our fridges? Even more ridiculous is the idea of climbing on a treadmill when you are still full of the celebratory champagne of the New Year’s Eve function the night before.

I am going to suggest you be bold and step out of the self-defeating mould that we set ourselves up for around this time of year and TAKE ACTION NOW! Whatever it is you want to achieve, there is no time like the present to start making your dreams come true. If you are prepared to wait until after the new Year, maybe you need to rethink your goals and check if it is something you really want or not. What better motivation for the New Year than to already be 2 weeks into your New Year Resolution by the time the 1st January 2006 knocks at your door?

You have time now to ask yourself: “Is this really what I want?” Are you that interested in making your dreams become reality? Have you considered what a difference it might make to you if you not longer put off what you can start today?

I challenge you not to wait until the morning of the 1st January 2006 to start your list of resolutions. Take up the challenge and start today.

Don’t worry about doing whatever you want to do perfectly. Just start it! You can always make changes along the way. The idea is to take action. It is much easier to take action when you don’t expect precision. Then, obstacles will not frighten you. Being flexible is part of the learning process. Expect some hiccups, be prepared for them, and know that action, perfect or not will bring results.

Why wait until the New Year knocks at our door?

Quote of the week

“Action conquers fear.” Peter Nivio Zarlenga

Powerful question for the week

What New Year’s resolution are you considering that cannot be started tomorrow or the next day?

Microsoft to conquer localized media delivery problems

From the time that commercial paid advertisements and other media content came into being, it inadvertently led to an increase in the demand for more highly targeted and effective marketing campaigns on the Internet.

But the Internet is constantly evolving and with all the changes that went on, it is a wonder how the marketing industry is going to cope. Fortunately, most search giants are diligently working on ways to resolve that issue. Take for example Microsoft who recently expressed its hope to develop localized media directory. This is a system that advertisers can use in order to create a more localize content, which they can send to various websites.

Before, advertisers only used one approach in terms of providing advertisements on a website and this is to try to determine the subject matter of a page. After that they tried to provide advertising suitable to that content. However, most advertisers nowadays are more interested in sending advertising that will go to an audience in a certain area or region.

Advertisements that were subjected to content can be targeted to specific geographical locations by looking at the IP address of a visitor. However, this kind of approach more often than not results in serving the visitor with advertisements based upon the location of the owner of the IP address. One problem that may result from that is when a visitor uses a large ISP, which is actually located some distance away from where he or she is viewing a site from.

So a logical alternative would be to try to collect some geographical location information from the visitor themselves. Here you would have to rely upon a user of a personalized web service to provide you with that information. An example of this information is a phone number, zip code, or something else that can tell where they are located at.

But then not everyone feels comfortable providing that type of information of information online. What with all those horror stories about identity theft, which abounded the web? Chances are you will have a hard time fishing out information. Another drawback here is that the information might not be that credible? Why, well somebody might have supplied that information in order to get something like information about local weather and once they move they will not bother to change the information that they previously supplied.

So what do you do? Well, another to go about delivering ads based upon location would be to try to comprehend the location of the site. That is, if there is one associated with it and served yellow pages styled ads on that page. There is a patent application assigned to Microsoft, which was released recently. The said patent look at various ways to display ads related to what it believes is the location of a site.

The patent which was entitled, System and method for automatic presentation of locality-based content on network site was invented by Microsoft data mining analyst Li Li. It was filed on September 23, 2004 and was published March 23, 2006.

According to the patent’s abstract the invention is associated to the field of network services. To be more precise it is basically a proposal for automatically filtering and delivering locality-based advertisements or other media to Web or other networked sites that display a local nature or connection. An interesting aspect here is that it may allow the user to view ads and other content which may be similar to an online "yellow pages" experience, where advertisements and other content are automatically grouped according to region or area.

The type of information that may be looked for upon a site may include postal or zip codes, telephone numbers, town or state names, call out signs for radio or television stations, as well as other geographic indicators.

This type of information would be collected by program instead of being done manually as before. Also, this information would be accumulated in a content server. Then it would be matched with advertisements or other content, which will eventually be served to the visitor of a site.

Examples of some of the types of advertisements and content that may be served were described in the patent. Some of the examples cited may include listings of local television and radio programming, as well as advertisements or promotions for groceries, restaurants, flower shops, car dealerships, real estate services, and so on.

The location of a website can also be ascertained with the use of other techniques. This may include a look at the behavior of users, for instance the clicking of business name, telephone number or other links.

So is there really a need for this so-called Microsoft invention? Indeed there is. You see, although web pages or services that are capable of tracking user inputs in order to generate localized content still rely on detecting inputs or behavior from the user side. Due to that dependency, if a user chooses not to submit their ZIP code, telephone number or any identifying information, it will no longer be possible to generate localized ads or content to the user. Also, even if it did manage to generate localized ads or content there is no way to ensure their accuracy. And this is just one example of the various problems associated in localized media delivery.

If Microsoft will be able to successfully develop this patent then that would be another breakthrough under their belt. Just imagine a way to address all the ongoing issues and problems in localized media deliver, that one will be thoroughly appreciated by the marketing industry. If indeed there is a way then Microsoft will find it. After all, they did not gain the title of a worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for nothing.

Microsoft was founded way back in 1975. For more than three decades the company had consistently provided the public with a wide range of products and services. These products and services are especially designed to help people succeed in their respective businesses by providing innovative software and programs. Among the company’s famous trademarks are Windows Media, Windows and MSN.

Pay per click advertising know who views your ads

It is important when placing pay per click advertising on the internet that you understand who will be viewing your ads. What is the target market and demographic of the audience of the pay per click provider? Where will they be placing your ads? Will they place your ads on their own search engine site, on their partners search engine sites, or even other content based websites? All of these questions are important to minimize the risk of overspending. Remember your goal is not how many people see your ad or how many people click on your ad, but how many highly targeted consumers will click your ad and purchase from your website. The key is not getting the most clicks, but maximizing your conversions and your return on investment.

Let’s look at an example using Google Adwords, since Google is by far the leader in pay per click advertising. By default, when placing your pay per click ad with Google, your ad will appear on Google’s search engine, their partners search engines and their content network. Google’s partner sites include other search engines such as AOL. com, Shopping. com and Earthlink to name just a few. Both the Google search engine and the partner search engine site should provide good returns on your investment, given of course your bids are appropriate, your ads well written, your keywords are targeted and your sales page is optimized (all of these topics are points that should be researched prior to starting your campaign). If, however, you choose not to use the partner search engine sites, Google does provide an option to omit these sites from your campaign.

In our Google example above, the third place your pay per click ads will be shown are the content network. These are independent sites that have applied to Google to host Google ads on their websites. Content advertising can be challenging and can be turned off if you are not familiar with it. Again, the key is to know where your ads are going, and who will see them. In the Google example if you choose to use the content network, another option is to build a site-targeted campaign, and target only the specific sites (and even pages within the sites) where the demographics are appropriate for your ads.

This is just one example of knowing where your pay per click advertising is being displayed. Other popular pay per click choices have their own networks and sites. Highly targeting your ads by knowing where they will be displayed is just one more way of insuring that the traffic you receive from your campaigns will produce good results.