A Glance or Maybe a Stare at Olympic Beijing

Weather.

The daily weather in Beijing is referred to as being “overcast” with a one to two kilometer thick by several hundred kilometer wide pall of smog. You hardly see the tops of buildings, or clearly across the wide boulevards. You can feel the smog on your skin, in your nostrils and taste it in your mouth. A haze usually hangs over the city for the early part of the day. Anyone with breathing or respiratory problems must have a hard time with it. Or you better not come.

The temperature is rather warm. At street level with the crowds, the temperature must be about 95 F. Everyone is sweaty, and when greetings are exchanged, the hugs and handshakes are slick.

People

The people of Beijing are wonderful. They are promptly hospitable, friendly and helpful. They love to have pictures with foreigners for posterity perhaps.. Everyone you’d have any interaction with would bring you joy from to waiters to taxi drivers. Just get prepared to be swarmed and run over on the sidewalks. There are literally hundreds of thousands of others sharing the sidewalks and boulevards with you, but they move deftly around you. There is no rudeness or pushiness. Yes, they are among the friendliest people in the world.

It will really surprise you and impress you mainly with the people and the energy you’d feel from the people. They're just pretty happy people and a great sense of humor and they really are welcoming the world there and that's what you’d feel like. They're really fun people. They're really serious and really intense and you have to be also to get ahead and to be competitive in anything with 1.3 billion people. But they also have a really funny side and you’d see just how proud these people are and how much it means for the local Olympic volunteers to be part of the great event.

Food

At a Chinese restaurant you’d be served very large dishes of fresh, hot steaming food, plus a couple of large beers and sodas worth a whopping 137 yuan ($23) – that’s for eight people. And no tips for such gracious and prompt service. Speaking of sense of humor, there was some pretty good Chinglish on the menu when you’d go to a restaurant to enjoy a traditional Chinese hot pot. Among the items was "obese beef," "aftertaste sausage," and "cube roll of moo cow." Doesn't matter what they call it; it was awesome.

There would always be a 24-hour lounge somewhere where those working on the 24-hour clock could stay and relax with a cold beverage whenever the day is done. Here’s an account from a pal: As I’m picking up a tray or two for the crowd, I need to ask the comely young barkeep how late the joint may be open, trying to figure out how early I’d have to get there. She goes, confers with some supervisor ‘cause I don’t think she quite understands my English and comes back to report: "Sir, we are open all the hours.” A local with some knowledge of the place looks at me like I’ve got three heads and says, “Don’t worry, you can smoke in restaurants here. I think you can smoke in hospitals if you want.”

Streets & Suburbs

Hutongs are the narrow streets or alleys that are formed by the traditional courtyard residences all over Beijing. The neighborhoods where these alley ways exist are usually referred to as hutongs. You’d have a lot of offers from the bicycle rickshaw drivers to take you around, but you can stay on foot and maybe much more exciting. Taxi cabs, so far, represent the only element of this Olympic experience that needs a serious upgrade. The drivers seem to be from anywhere except this city, for some reason, and don’t know their way around town, or how to find anything. That’s even with the little specialized maps that Olympic organizers have printed out. Sometimes a cab driver misses the mark, but still does you a favor. Even when they’re lost and clueless, though, the drivers are polite and friendly and provide stories for the telling. If you miss the mark a mile away, a local would insist on escorting you for a walk of the entire distance and he wouldn’t even accept beer money in return. What a walk, though. But you could have beautiful grounds, with lakes, giant trees, gardens, temples, fine old buildings, groups of people doing the Tai Chi thing on flawless green lawns. Well, if you get on the right place…

You see a lot of things in the first class lounges of various train stations and airports – and you can go there very often in these budget-conscious times. Things like famous people sometimes. Free food. The odd drink. Comfortable chairs. And, apparently, bugs. Big, stinking scorpion-like bugs.

Pay Everyone Cash Advance Loans

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House Insurance Rates

Homeowner insurance is one of the basic needs if you have a house in which this will take away the risk that you may face. This will give you the assurance that you will get something if unwanted events take place.

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• - Allstate
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Personal Cash Advance

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Get a loan in those days had become so easy. One of the latest and probably the best is a personalcashadvance.com. These guys, these are the loans at a high level and payment of cash advances manufacturer.

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Get The Best Auto Loan Review

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You Can Reduce Your Contracting Risks

One frustration all risk managers experience is being brought into the contract process when it is too late to reduce the risk. Only yesterday, I was asked to review a contract for the acquisition of health equipment. When I sent my recommendations back to our contract negotiator I was told “But it’s too late – we already told the supplier that the draft they approved was the final version.”

The best time to negotiate contract terms and conditions is before the contract is signed!

Contract law is complicated, involving numerous federal, state and municipal laws (not to mention internal policies, procedures and protocols!) that apply different conditions depending upon the type and cost of the item under consideration.

Terms in the tender document or request for proposal are the starting point for most acquisition processes. The language of the tender or RFP is critical to successfully achieving a satisfactory relationship with the supplier of goods or services. The terms of the tender document, with the terms of the successful bidder’s response, are substantially the terms that will be included in the final contract. Procurement officers need to know the extent of negotiating ability they have upon receipt of bids or proposals. The variety in responses possible from bidders can often lead to very good reasons for going off in a new direction. But, straying too far from the tender specifications can quickly lead to multiple claims from unsuccessful bidders.

Purchasing and Risk Management Departments must work closely with other corporate colleagues to review or create business contracts that limit the organization’s liability exposure. Well-drafted, the indemnification and insurance clauses ensure that if something goes wrong it is clear who will bear financial responsibility.

The Risk Manager’s Role

The importance of risk transfer requires Involving risk management early in the process. The risk manager can help examine the purpose of the contract from an ‘outsider’s perspective. Specifically - what could go wrong with the work (or product/service)? If something were to go wrong – what are the implications of that problem? “Implications” can be financial cost, a delay in using the end result (e.g. a building), negative publicity or any combination of these three outcomes.

Risk manager can provide advice and consultation in structuring tender or RFP, assist colleagues in properly drafting contracts consistent with corporate policies and minimize financial risk by identifying and dealing with possible contingencies. They do this because they know that poorly prepared contracts can lead to nasty surprises. You want to enter into contracts with some assurance that the end result will satisfactorily meet your expectations.

The classic risk management process is helpful in conducting a review of any proposed transaction. To avoid surprises, you need to identify risks by considering what potential downsides can arise from the project. Once this step is complete, assess the risk by determining how likely it is that something will go wrong and if it does, how expensive the problem is likely to be.

The contribution of the risk manager to the contract language is central to successfully achieving risk transfer. Clearly define the circumstances under which the contractor will hold harmless and indemnify the municipality for losses arising from the supply of goods or services. If a serious loss occurs, these clauses can be analyzed word-by-word. Any ambiguity is likely to be held against you. Review and revise both the hold harmless and indemnify clauses until it is absolutely clear to you and to your procurement officer.

The term “Contractual Risk Transfer” is used by risk managers to avoid saying ‘passing the buck’. The goal is to always make the party who has control over the products or services accept financial responsibility.

Usually insurance does not cover problems arising from poorly-drafted contracts, negligence in the procurement process or poor performance of the work described by a contract. For example, there is usually no coverage for situations where unauthorized employees engage in work under an unapproved contract or for breach of contract claims. Poor business judgments and financial mistakes are also the responsibility of the organization. Claims arising from these errors typically must be paid by the municipality as those costs are rarely transferable to insurers or anyone else. The municipality is likely to incur all of their own costs arising from problems, plus any award to the claimant.

Always use written contracts and state terms and conditions clearly. In many situations verbal agreements are legally permissible. Properly drafted written contracts, however, reduce the chance of misunderstandings in the future. Documented business transactions protect the rights of all parties to the contract. The written contract provides an audit trail and authorizes the use of funds when paying invoices. Further, if the subject of the contract becomes an adversarial issue due to a lawsuit, the contract can show the intent of both parties at the outset of the work.

Written agreements ensure both parties have an opportunity to clear up at the negotiation stage any confusion or differing interpretations. The main purpose of written contracts is to prevent conflicts or litigation caused by inadequate documentation of crucial points. It is time-consuming and expensive to take issues to court for interpretation. Judges may interpret the contract differently than either party intended. The courts do not usually consider very great weight to verbal evidence as verbal statements are considered unreliable once a dispute has arisen. When contracts are vague or indefinite, or the intended performance cannot be determined, the court may rule the contract unenforceable - to the disappointment of both parties.

Power does not always prevail – when one party is larger than the other it may make them feel that they can dictate contract terms and conditions. Remember that you want a contract that is enforceable. When unfair bargaining strength is used, it can become contentious later if other problems arise. It is in all parties’ best interest to avoid ambiguous language and unreasonable or unlawful conditions. Always be prepared to be flexible and to take the time required for a good result!

Remember, it is important to note that any language showing a clear intention to negotiate cannot defeat an inherent duty of fairness with which the municipality must conduct themselves at all times. The trade-off is clear: the more extensive the negotiations, the more stress it puts on the municipality’s duty to be fair to all bidders.

To ensure changes are binding make them in writing and have the amendments signed by duly authorized representatives of both parties. This documents the change, provides clarity and binds both parties should problems arise later.

Three clauses complement and support the risk management process. They are hold harmless, indemnification and insurance. I recommend that these clauses be written separately.

In most vendor-provided contract documents, the Indemnification/Hold Harmless provision is far broader than what your organization would want to accept. Many vendor-provided indemnification and hold harmless clauses are limitless. If you accept these clauses you may be accepting responsibilities that your organization never wanted nor intended to assume and may not be able to insure. Usually you want to only sign contracts where the language limits your liability to acts over which the municipality has control and to the extent that it exercises that control. Assuming liability for independent contractors and consultants who are not under the municipality’s control is unwise.

The intention of the hold harmless clause is to describe exactly what type of circumstances the supplier accepts responsibility for. In particular, they specify who will pay for loss or damage arising out of the performance of the work contemplated by the contract. Most corporations will only enter into contracts in which the indemnification language limits their liability to acts over which they have control and to the extent that they exercise control. The hold harmless clause however, is only one clause of the trio needed to adequately protect the parties.

The second clause used is an ‘indemnity clause’. It will state that if something does occur leading to a loss, of a type that I/we have held you harmless for – then we will pay on your behalf (or reimburse you) any costs arising from our negligence. In other words, ‘the buck stops here’.

The final clause of the trio is the insurance clause. The insurance clause promises that the party performing the work (e.g. builder, supplier, etc.) will obtain and maintain the type and amount of insurance that you have stipulated to pay for any claims, losses and related expenses that may arise out of their negligence in performing the work planned in the contract. The intention is to ensure that the contractor has sufficient financial resources to support the indemnification provision in the contract.

With these three clauses, you have obtained a promise from your supplier or contractor to:
1. accept responsibility for their own errors or negligence,
2. pay any costs arising from those errors or negligence, and
3. carry insurance evidencing sufficient resources to keep their promises.

Often, I find that contract document presented by contractors have been written by lawyers or other ‘non-insurance’ professionals. In these cases, the language used may be out-of-date or simply not reflective of terminology used by insurance professionals. When this occurs, it is prudent to revise or replace those clauses with descriptions and phrases commonly used in the insurance industry today. This reduces the chance of ambiguity and difficulty in obtaining evidence of the type of insurance you want the contractor to carry. The most common example I see is the phrase “Additional Insured’ VS ‘Additional Named Insured’.

It is important that this phrase be limited to ‘Additional Insured’. Additional Named Insureds have at least two disadvantages: only Named Insureds are responsible for paying premiums and some policy exclusions apply only to Named Insureds. Benefits to your municipality of being an additional insured are:

 Coverage remains in force for Additional Insureds if a Named Insured breaches a policy condition,
 Reinforces risk transfer agreements in the contract,
 The Additional Insured has a right to claim defense from the insurer, and
 It usually prevents the insurer from subrogating from the Additional Insured.

Certificates of Insurance:

There is much debate amongst the risk management and insurance community about the value of obtaining and maintaining evidence of insurance on contracts. Certificates of Insurance verify the type of insurance that the Named Insured on the policy has purchased and specifies the coverage levels under that policy at the point in time that the certificate is issued. I firmly believe that certificates are of limited value – but they are the best and only evidence available at this time providing some level of comfort that contractors have a source of funds for defined claims situations.

There are two broad categories of certificates, those that you receive coming in and those that your send out to other parties. Municipalities usually receive certificates and infrequently send them to others.

Incoming certificates of Insurance are commonly issued by the contractor’s insurer or insurance broker. To be valid, I want to see the ‘live’ signature of a person authorized by the insurer to issue the certificate. Before issuing a certificate, the insurer wants some information describing reason for the certificate, the length of the subject of the certificate (e.g. a multi-year contract) and specific details of the name of the contact person/mailing address of their and at your organization.

Upon receipt of a certificate in your office, you will want to see at least the following information:

• name and address of the organization to whom the Certificate is being issued,
• brief description of planned activities/work,
• name and address of the Named Insured, (who must match the name on the contract)
• amount and type of insurance in force,
• effective dates of coverage, and
• a statement that your municipality is included as an ‘additional insured’.


When you are asked to issue certificates of insurance you should review the contract to be sure that you provide evidence of the proper type and amount of coverage required. Under no circumstances should you issue a certificate on behalf of any party or other organizations independent of your municipality, no matter how close a working relationship you may have with it.

When reviewing tender or RFP documents and the contracts that arise from them you can effectively use the risk management process to review the proposal and draft appropriate language. Manage exposure in any contract situation by ensuring conformity with generally accepted ‘due diligence’ practices from the very beginning. Be sure that appropriate risk transfer provisions are included at the tender or RFP stage. Finally, once the contract draft is agreed upon, ensure that evidence of insurance (and bonding, if required) is obtained and maintained throughout the life of the contract. As a risk management professional, remember that your training and experience makes YOU an expert who can protect your municipality.

7 Easy Business Optimization Solutions for Your Web Site

7 Easy Business Optimization Solutions You Can Apply to Your Web Site Today

Finding affordable business optimization solutions for your Web site can some time be a challenge. Many of the Web site owners I talk to on a daily bases are small business owners that have a limited budget when it comes to advertising and even smaller when they talk about their Web site. One general consensus is that they all know they need to beef up their Internet presence but they all believe the only way to do that is by hiring a company who specialized in Internet Marketing or Search Engine Optimization. What many don’t realize is that with a little time and effort they can apply some basic optimization solutions to their site themselves and usually for free if they are dedicated to making their Web site succeed.

Being a small business owner myself I know how hard it is to juggle advertising dollars and get the most advertising for my money is important. I am going to share with you a few tips on how you can have a sucsesful on-line presence by just putting a little time and effort into your site.

#1 - For Your Visitor

Lets start by taking a good look at your Web site. We all look at our site so many times often we overlook the obvious. Pick up the phone or drop an email to some of your most loyal customers and ask them what they would want to see on your site to help them be better informed about your product or services. Ask them their thoughts and comments on your site. Ask them to give you their honest opinion. Do they see anything that they could suggest to make it better for potential customers? Is there any specific information they fell would benefit a new visitor? It is amazing how getting the prospective of your customer will often open some windows you may have never thought of before and the greatest thing is it does not cost a dime.

Another great way to see how your visitors are using your site you may want to apply some click tracking software to your Web site so you can see how people are navigating through your site. It may be a real eye opener to how you have your pages set up. It will tell you just where and what your visitors are clicking on. Visit http://www.Crazyegg.com and apply a small piece of code to your Web site and start tracking your visitor’s clicks you’ll be surprised at what you discover.

#2 – For Your Visitor

While you are taking a look at your Web site have you given your customers easy access to your contact information on each and every page? Many Web site owners overlook this important aspect. You need to make it easy for potential customers to contact you. You want them to be able to find a way to contact you on each and every page and not just on a contact page. You’re working with split seconds every time someone lands on your page. Make it easy for them tell them exactly what you want them to do. Rather then just saying Call Now! Give them specific instructions.

For Example:

Go pick up your phone and call us now to hear more about this special rate. Time is limited so call now at 800-555-1234

Buy today to take advantage of free shipping ... delivered right to your front door in 48 hours!

Little things that you may not think are important usually are the things that result in making a sale or not. One important factor in advertising is trying to find ways to make what you say different then everyone else. Those that stand out in a crowd are usually the ones that are making the sale.

What can you do to make your information different? Think of your competitors and what they are doing then you do the complete opposite.

These are just a couple of Web design and layout tips to help with your business optimization solutions that will mostly benefit your visitor. Now lets concentrate on a few that the search engines will favor


#3 – For Your Visitor & Search Engines

You only have 3 seconds to capture someone’s attention so start your business optimization solutions right at your title tag. Go to your home page and make a mental note of your title tag (look in the upper left hand corner of your browser the words listed there are what it says in your title tag.) Now go do a search using your most relevant keyword phrase (what you want your visitors to find you on when doing a search) and look at the results that come up.

Look at the title of each result on the first couple pages. How compelling are they? Do they intrigue you to click on them by reading what is listed there? People are looking for instant gratification and they will read the results and normally will click on those that compel them to do so. For example let’s take a look at these results for coffeehouse:

Out of the following results which would you be more inclined to click on?

• Depot Coffee House
• Discover a Cup of Europe at Eurotazza® Coffeehouse
• DJ’s Coffeehouse
• Coffeehouse – Savor the Flavor of Brazilian Coffee

By addressing the instant reaction of your potential visitor you’re compelling them to click on your ad by writing a good title but you’re also creating a keyword rich
title tag that the search engines will favor.

The first impression most Internet users get of your company is the way you describe your site so use your title tag as the most part of your Web site.


#4 – For the Search Engines

Is your Web site compliant? A quick check of your HTML code will reveal if your site is complying with the W3C. I would recommend running your site through http://validator.w3.org/ to test your website for compliance issues with W3C.

Here is a short definition of what W3C compliance is;
The W3C is the World Wide Web Consortium and basically, since 1994 the W3C has provided the guidelines by which websites and web pages should be structured and created.
• Compliance help insure accessibility
• Compliance helps insure that your website is accessible from a number of different devices; from different browsers to the growing number of surfers using PDA?s and cellular phones.
• Compliance will also help insure that regardless of the browser, resolution, device, etc. that your website will look and function in the same or at least a very similar fashion.

Being compliant doesn’t necessary benefit you in terms of SEO at this point, however many of the processes you go through to get compliant code will automatically improve your “on page” factors and it will rule out a lot of crawling/indexing issues.

#5 – For Your Visitor

Pre-qualification of your visitors is one of the biggest problems many companies make when developing a Web site. Say your Web site is about “cell phones” and you’ve set up your site only for the keyword phrase “cell phones.” Do you know the competing pages for the terms “cell phones” is over 246 million?

Even as a Professional SEO I know it’s going to be pretty hard to compete with those kinds of numbers. Let’s say we break the keyword phrase “cell phones” down to the lowest and most detailed search giving your visitors exactly what they are looking for.

If I was working on this site I would be working on pages that are more concentrated around detailed keyword phrases.

• cell phone – competing pages – 246,000,000
• cell phone ring tones - competing pages 494,000
• custom cell phone ring tones – competing pages 225,000
• make custom cell phone ring tones – competing pages 177,000
• make free ring tones – competing pages – 31,700
• star trek ring tones – competing pages – 5,110
• family guy ring tones – competing pages - 1,950
• like to make my own ring tones – competing pages – 3

By spending just a little research time I was able to find some valuable keyword phrases that could be used to open additional windows into a cell phone site. The key is opening as many windows into your site as possible. Once you have given your visitor exactly what they’re looking for you have already earned their creditability and they most likely will spend additional time on your site looking at what else you have to offer.

Take a look at your site. Do you have a separate page for each of your products or services? Are you breaking it down in the smallest lowest detailed search?

Think of it this way …the search engines goals are to return the most relevant results to its users so break down your keyword phrases into the most detailed result and you are bringing very happy visitor to your site.

#6 – For Web Site Exposure

No one knows more about your product or service than you do so take your knowledge and put it down in writing. Nothing will give you more creditability then having a visitor reading something you have written about your industry. Still the power of the written word is priceless.

There are a number of Web sites on the Internet you can submit your articles to along with posting them on your own Web site. Most Web site owners think their Web site is just a place just to list services and company info. What some forget is most Internet surfers do much research before deciding to hire someone for a service or buying a product. Normally when someone is searching for they are gathering as much information they can about the product first. If they’re coming to your Web site reading valuable information about your industry and products they are immediately going to feel you are an expert in your field.

We are in a world laden with advertising so when writing about a particular product or service by-past the industry hype and stick to the facts. If your readers think you’re writing sales pitches they will instantly hit the back button. Give them detailed information or how to properly use your products something that will be of value to them.

Here is my top list of article marketing Web sites that you can submit your articles and remember the most important place for them is on your own site.

• www.BusinessKnowHow.com
• www.ArticleDashboard.com
• www.Buzzle.com
• www.ArticleBiz.com
• www.EzineArticles.com
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#7 For YOU!

Learn learn and learn some more!

One of the best things you can do for your site is to learn as much about search engine optimization and internet marketing as you can. There are a number of free and affordable resources you can use to learn exactly what it takes to perform better in the search engines.

To start with here is a list of Blogs you can subscribe to so you can keep up to date with the latest changes on the Internet:

Angling in Paradise (May 2nd of the Kalum River)

My guests are ready and eager to go. The day before they had a count of four to three each. We make one stop at a convenience store to pick up last minute items and a quick coffee to go. We drive up the Kalum Lake road for five miles, stop at our shop and pick up the 19-foot drift boat then drive the nine miles to the launch site. Everyone’s in great spirits, laughing and joking all the way and only serious topic is sportfishing. What a great way to make a living.

I back the boat to the edge of the river and within 10 minutes we’re drifting. The drift is five miles long. Lines are made ready. Today we’re pulling plugs or using jet planers to pull spin & glow and eggs. The plug we’re using is a #20 hot-shot. Any color is fine as long as they shine and look new. Hook size is a #3 Gamakatsu. I use a size “0” jet planer. Spin & Glow #4 combined with #4 Gamakatsu hook. A little bigger hook is used with spin & glow so that an egg bag can be added, if desired. All hooks are tied with the “egg loop” knot and a four or five foot leader is tied between the jet planer and spin & glow. Reels are usually filled to capacity with quality 20-pound test line.

To keep track of our daily catches when pulling plugs I have devised the following system: If we had an eight to six day, it would mean that we hooked a total of 14 fish and landed six. The number eight on the left is the fish we hooked but lost and the number six on the right is the fish that we landed.

Time 9:20 AM. Three bank fishermen were plunked-out at the put-in, so we floated down to an area we call the pensioners hole, a distance of 100 yards and started fishing there. I told them to let out 60-feet of line. All three rods had hot-shots on. Lines went out quickly and I started to work the hole. As I started my swing to the right - POW - the rod on the left doubled over and we were into our first fish after only 10 minutes. The two other rods were pulled in, clearing the way for Les to play the fish.

Within seconds we all realized we had a powerful Chinook hooked. I slipped the boat down-stream and hit the beach approximately 200 yards from where the fish was first hooked. Les jumped out of the boat onto the shore and continued to fight the fish. Cameras were clicking and videos rolling.

The fish seemed to stop fighting but there was still a lot of pressure on the line as if it has sat on the bottom and decided not to move. This is a common Chinook trait. After 10 minutes we realized it was tangled with some line that had previously been broken off. The only thing we could do was get back in the boat, row out and hope we could get the mess off. Les pulled on the line to its breaking point and to our amazement and delight the other line broke and Les still had the fish. Back to shore we go, Les continued to play this fish and within another 10 minutes he had landed a 30-pound doe Chinook, bright silver, fresh from the ocean 114 miles away. So now our count was zero to one.

We celebrated as I pushed the drift-boat back into the stream and drifted to the next hole. This is a slow moving pool with a rocky tail-out. We started letting the plugs out high in the pool as not to spook the holding fish.

When all three lines are out 100 feet and in the center of the pool, I pull on the oars and they dive under. I start to sweep the pool. After four or five passes we are almost ready to give up and float onto the next pool when rod one doubles over. Instantly the line goes slack. When Les reels in the slack line a powerful Chinook rips off 50-yards of line and goes streaking through the tail-out. In a scramble, the other two lines are cleared out of the way. This fish, landed at the top of the next pool, weighed approximately 35-pounds and since Les already had taken his Chinook for the day, this fish was released, but not before pictures and videos were taken. Time 10:30 AM. The count is now zero to two and off we go.

Since this fish was landed at the top of this pool I decided to fish the lower end. Lines are stripped out on the fast side, and when all were out, I slipped down 50 feet to position the plugs just above the large rocky tail-out and started sweeping to the left. The plugs only fish effectively for one or two minutes because the back-eddy catches them and moves them upstream. After one sweep and no hits, I decide to try one more time. Lines are brought in and let out again. I make the sweep again. The plugs are coming into the slot when line one doubles over with a fish. Seconds later rod three does the same. At first we think its the same fish but we soon realize we have a double-header. We landed two very nice Steelhead weighing about 12 to 14-pounds each. Both were released. What a great day, we had not been fishing for more than two hours and we landed two chinook and two steelhead. The count is zero to four. Time is 11 AM.

We float down a mile passing over a long stretch of low, fast water and around a corner to the kiss hole. While approaching it we can see Chinook rolling on the right side. The kiss hole is a large deep run so I instruct my guests to snap on the jet planers and hook on egg bags. Eggs work well on spawning salmon. We let out 100 feet of line at the top of the run. I start working oars, moving the drift boat to the right, making sure the bait is presented where we’ve seen the rolling fish. It didn’t take long, two sweeps and a very large Chinook took the bait. Rod two was into his first fish. I stayed high in the pool, right side, moved very close to shore and dropped anchor in two feet of water. My guests played the fish from the boat while I went to shore to get some good camera angles. After 30 minutes of pumping Dave finally lands a 50-pound doe.

Score zero to five. Time 12:10 PM. It’s lunch time and I offer my guests the choice of a nice shore lunch complete with camp fire, which takes time, or we all can make a sandwich on board and keep fishing. It was unanimous - keep fishing!

I float down to the next run and keep the planers on because this is a long run too. I started at the very top and worked down. Twenty minutes had passed since I started fishing this run. When were almost ready to reel in, rod two buckles over and we’re into another fish. The fish goes streaking through the tail-out and managed to wrap itself around a rock and broke off. Score one to five. Time 12:45 PM.

We float down through the shoot and slowly I row a long calm stretch. The sun is shining, the fishing so far has been excellent and everyone is in good spirits. As we approach the tail-out we notice Chinook rolling on the left side in a deep slot just above the tail-out. I know from experience that the Steelhead hold on the right side on a gravel bar we call the reds. Planers are taken off in favor of #20 Special Edition (SE) hot-shots. One hundred feet of line is reeled out for all three rods and I start sweeping between rolling chinook and spawning steelhead. Rod three jumps and immediately goes slack. We realize the fish had spit the hook. The hot-shot of rod three starts to shake again. I row the drift-boat to the left and before I get to the middle of the pool rod three rips over, just like the fish had been following it, and almost breaks the rod in half as line goes screaming out. We’re sure that this fish is hooked well but our luck is running out - within seconds the line goes slack, another fish lost and we’re not even sure if it was a chinook or steelhead. Score three to five.

By now we must have spooked the fish so we decide to move on. Everyone is feeling down a bit from losing the last three fish, but we all agreed with the old say, “that’s fishing.”

As we float out of the run I navigate the drift-boat through a shallow rocky section into the next pool called the Jones’s hole. As we float around the corner we observe two bald eagles that I see almost every drift. Hot-shots are left on. We spend another 30 minutes sweeping back and forth fishing but couldn’t raise a bite. Off we go through more shallow water, bumping rocks, trying to avoid getting hung-up.

The next pool is called the double-header and is the half-way point on the drift. The pool got its name from the fact that on one drift we had hooked and landed two chinook at the same time.

The plugs are unsnapped and replaced by the jet planer. This is a short, deep pool whose water circles to the left. Lines have to be kept short to 50 feet and the jet planer is set for the deepest dive. We usually see Chinook rolling here, but didn’t observe any today. After 20 minutes of no hits, we decide to move on in favor of a run that has better conditions for plugging. We kept the jet planers on and adjusted them for shallow dive for the next run. Hooks are checked and sharpened. Fresh egg bags are put on. All this extra attention and good fishing habits didn’t do us any good because we didn’t get a bit after 20 minutes. I float down to the next run and lines are set out again. Ten minutes pass when rod three buckles over just as I was pulling hard on the right oar. Rod three nearly touches the bow of the boat. Panic is on again! After a 30 minute battle a bright silver 65-pound doe chinook is landed on the left shore. The party is on, especially after John released this big fish. Score now is three to six. Time 2:30 PM.

We float a half mile down a stretch of shallow, fast water to a big pool and holding area called the horseshoe. We see chinook rolling everywhere. All tackle is checked and 100 feet of line is fed out. After 10 minutes rod three rips over. John in ecstatic! This is his second fish in 20 minutes. After a short fight he lands a nice 15-pound doe steelhead that also was released. Count three to seven. We normally would spend more time at the horseshoe but since we’ve spent so much time landing fish we had to keep moving.

The next run is usually a very good run and sure enough we had two good rips, one on rod one and the other on rod three - John almost jumped out of his skin! Both fish were lost after a few seconds. Score five to seven. Time 3:30 PM. We’re on the move again to a run called lower rock alley. Once again, we had a good rip on rod three but the fish got off. Count six to seven. We float into a good pool we call the loser hole for the time we lost six chinook in this hole before landing the seventh.

Planers are removed in favor of hot-shots. After three sweeps rod one gets a good hit and the line goes slack. Les winds the reel like crazy but the fish has gotten off. Count seven to seven. Time 4:45 PM.

We make two more sweeps before we pull out of this hole. No more hits. We’re plugging the last hole called last chance. Everyone agreed they didn’t care if they had anymore hits because already the day was fabulous. They no sooner said this when rod two doubles over and the line goes screaming out. Another large chinook is on the hook. I beach the drift-boat and chase the fish. Dave ends up landed it at the drift-boat take-out. A few young kids were there watching the show and were amazed when Dave finally beached this 50-pound doe chinook - and released it. Count five to eight. Time 5:30 PM. My guests all laughed when I said, “Are we all done at five to eight?”

My guests gave me a hearty, “yes, we’re done for today - but there’s still tomorrow.”

We had a pretty good day. We hooked 13 fish and landed three steelhead and five chinook.

Reaching The Top of Page One In Google In As Little As One Week

When you have the right information, climbing to the top of Google in a very short period of time is entirely within your reach. I am living proof. Two weeks ago, I launched my new website, and now I have multiple listings on page one of the Google search results.

An Empirical Truth

Scientists make their way in the world relying upon empirical truths. For those who are unaware, an empirical truth can be defined as, "verifiable or provable by means of repeatable observation or experiment."

In essence, if you can observe it once, then it is interesting. But, when you can repeat the experiment and achieve the same observations multiple times, then you have evidence of an empirical truth.

>From my own observations, what I am about to tell you is an empirical truth, because I have observed it happen again and again.

The Challenge In Exposing The Truth

Anytime someone writes about how to influence placement in the search engines, the writer faces a difficult choice.

In order to light the path of those who come after the writer, the writer must provide some kind of proof as to how the methods work and what kinds of results the writer was able to achieve using the methods.

Introducing The Quandary

In order to believe my story, many people want to see my keywords so they can personally verify my story by reviewing the Google search results. Although you may not be competing directly with my website and the keywords on which I rank, one can almost guarantee that my competitors may stumble over my tutorial at some point in the future.

In other words, if I told you that I was trying to rank for the keyword "cock-a-doodle-doo", then you (the reader) could validate my results. At the same time, my competitor might discover this article and decide to use my methods and my keywords to outrank my own website in the search engines.

This actually happened to one of my mentors. In a public discussion of these same methods, he had given a bone to the readers of the forum where he was participating in a discussion. Within eight weeks, two of his top competitors held the top two spots for his keyword phrase, and after a five-year run at number one in Google, he suddenly found himself sitting in the number three spot.

So, the question is how I tell my story in a way that will help you to also see the light, without giving away the light bulb...

Have A Little Faith In Those Who Are Looking Out For You

Some of you may choose to have faith in the story that I tell. Others will choose to deny my methods, on the principle that they cannot see my results for themselves.

All I ask is that you have a little faith in my story. Then run your own test. Your test will not require a major investment, but when you see your website climbing from nowhere to somewhere in the Google results, you will be glad that you took my story on a little bit of faith.

Some Background

One of my mentors, Bill Platt, has been telling me about these methods for years. But to be honest, the picture just was not clear in my brain, for longer than I would care to admit.

Now and again, I would read something by one of the Internet gurus, and they would tell that they used these methods themselves. When the really rich people on the Internet tell you something about how to perform well on the Internet, it has always been my position that you should listen. I listened; well, I mostly listened anyway.

I hooked up with Bill shortly after having been told the importance of article marketing. Bill seemed to have the answers concerning the article-marketing model, having been in the business himself for a number of years, through his website (http://www.thephantomwriters.com).

Bill always told me that writing articles was about generating traffic and sales from the placement of my articles in ezines. He had also told me that if I played the game right, I could even benefit the rankings of my website in the search engines.

I started using Bill's article distribution service to put my articles into circulation.

Bill had also advised that his clients, who get the greatest benefit from article marketing, use multiple systems to distribute their articles. He advised that Willie Crawford (http://www.gitofftheporch.com) was one of the Internet guru's who used more than one distribution service to put his articles into the wild.

Bill said that using more than one service was a good thing, because most article distribution services have their own unique reach, enabling the writer to get published in more ezines and on more websites. He emphasized that the goal should be to get as many people to your website as possible, using your articles as a method for introducing the reader to your website.

Beware Of Your Own Smartness

After using Bill's article distribution services for a few months, I had the privilege of reading John Reese's Traffic Secrets (http://www.trafficsecrets.com). John offered many useful tips for a successful online business, but one piece of advice he offered I implemented immediately.

John emphasized the importance of tracking our results. He said that in order to see what is successful, we must have a method in place to enable us to track where our traffic came from. Suddenly, I realized that although I knew that my website had been driving a lot of traffic, I had really no idea where that traffic was coming from or its cause.

Let me clarify that a bit. I knew that most of my traffic was coming from the large numbers of articles that I had distributed through Bill's service and the service of one of his competitors (http://www.isnare.com). But, I did not know which articles were generating the bulk of my traffic.

So, I followed John's advice and bought a software package designed to help me track my results (http://www.dynatracker.com). Then, I told Bill that from that day forward, we would need to use tracking URL's with all of the articles I distributed through his service.

Bill agreed that tracking was important, but he suggested that there are better ways to track results than the one I was proposing. I listened to John, but I did not fully listen to Bill's advice. Looking back, I kick myself daily for not listening to Bill in that one moment.

Tracking Your Article Results

Bill had always told me that using the Dyna Tracker was a good product for tracking my results, but it had an inherent problem. That problem is that I would be passing the search engine Link Value from my articles to my tracking software and not to the individual pages of my website.

If only I would have listened... I ran a full-year worth of articles with the Dyna Tracker links in my resource boxes. While Bill was telling me to dump the Dyna Tracker links, I was busy praising the value of the data I collected from the software.

One Test Blew My Mind

On one of my regular phone calls with Bill, I told him that I was launching a new website to complement what I was already doing. I asked Bill if he had any recommendations that he would give me on the new site.

Bill told me that I would not like his answer, but if I wanted to hear it, he would tell me.

I have to be honest, a knot formed in the pit of my stomach as I braced for his comments.

He told me that I should get back to basics. He told me that I already knew from experience that articles would help me to drive traffic to my website. I did know that. Bill recommended that I do two articles per week for twelve weeks. I have done that before, so I knew that I could get good results from that advice. He told me to use more than one article distribution service to put those articles in the wild. I followed that advice as well.

Then Bill got to the stomach punch. Bill told me to throw away my Dyna Tracker and provide direct URL links to my website. He also told me to keyword some of those links to my website, for the purpose of influencing my search placement for those keywords.

He told me to test the idea and to measure my results in just a few weeks. He told me if the methodology did not work for me, then I could start using my Dyna Tracker again.

He also suggested that I should use his Link Building system to develop 100 inbound links to my website, targeting the keywords that I felt would be important to my business. (http://www.linksandtraffic.com) I figured it was worth a try. Bill had never led me astray before, and I did not expect he was doing so then.

The Results

Within just a few weeks, I was getting a good amount of traffic to my new website. Strangely, I found that I was getting far more traffic from the search engines than I ever had before, yet the website was almost brand new! That just flew in the face of that sandbox theory we all hear about.

So, I started testing the keywords that Bill targeted in his linking job on my behalf. Wow. I found my brand new website sitting in the #12 spot in the Google search results on a two-word keyword that is actually pretty competitive. I also found the keywords we targeted in the campaign sitting in the #1, #1, and the #3 spot in the Google search results. I also found many page one results in the Yahoo search results as well.

Cock-a-doodle-doo! The light bulb went on, finally.

Then two weeks ago, I started another new campaign for my newest website. Within 24 hours of completing that website, I had distributed my first article promoting the website. Within 8 days of releasing that site to the public, I also had page one and page two listings for a wide range of keywords that I have so far targeted for my new website.

When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do

I mentioned three of my favorite teachers in this article: Bill Platt, Willy Crawford, and John Reese. I felt all three needed a mention, because all three have taught me things that have helped me to make money online. If you would like to learn from their expertise yourself, just Google their names.

The most important thing that I have learned since starting my website is that if I want to get rich online, I need to listen to those who are already making money online.

My hope is that you will listen to them too, so you can join us at the top.

How To Get Started In Spirituality - Part 5

Things are a little bit crazy out here. 1386 messages in my inbox as of writing this email to you . Few are happy that I am not going to write back again and they do not have to read my long emails. But for every one who felt uncomfortable being on my list there were ten who wanted me to continue writing forever. I wish I could cut paste each and every one of those emails both good and bad so you can see for yourself. I might do that in the near future…

My strength lies in transparency. Not of the body, not even of the mind but of the thoughts which collide within my being. I spend a lot of time in cleansing my thoughts, the lens through which I see the universe. The more I cleanse it the more I feel at peace with myself. I do not sit at a place with eyes closed and pray to God or the higher force to come down and bless me. I have done that and I know nothing happens… There are people who have done that for five decades and still nothing has happened and they are the same guys who run many world famous meditation centers all across the world. Meditation has become more of a lifestyle than a life force.

John once told me that the longest conversations we have is the conversation we have with ourselves. The tiny mind producing a million thoughts. Strange but true …. One of the guys called me last week and told me “Vish I have practiced TM (Transcendental Meditation ) for fifteen years so what is this thing you are talking about. What is it going to do that TM cannot do”

And you know I was wondering in my mind without any offence to this guy because I too have gone through all is ” Look at the damage that TM has done to him. If he really had known everything he would never have called and asked such a stupid question. 15yrs of meditation he should have been a power house by now and look what has happened to him. The Sun has lifted its hands from this child….”

Why am I telling you all this? To caution you that meditation is not a lifestyle it is a life force. That reading a book or attending a seminar is not a style statement . Did you know that only 5% of the people who buy books actually open the book and read a few pages. Did you know that only 2% of the people infact read the book cover to cover? Why because carrying the book has become a life style like carrying empty minds. The same happens with seminar. The same happens with our life once we wake up in the morning.

Everyone around me ran for a lifestyle running after money, health and relationships. I too did that for a while but then I stopped still for a while and said to myself ” All that I want is I want my thoughts to be rich, healthy and to form a great relationship with my body and mind and together we will work in unity and conquer the hearts of all beings interested in a similar line of thought”

And so my work began. With a four year old son(who is now seven, I am blessed to be his dad), with my wife who never understood anything of what I was doing, with my parents who were concerned as to what this guy is upto(remember I was working for top Fortune 500 companies) I began my journey into this world of thoughts.

My thoughts were my company. Good, bad, ugly, dead, weird thoughts became my closest friends. I would sit with them talk to them sometimes they would be harsh sometimes good . I was like a kid who wanted to see what actually happened inside of me. Many times I got hurt and few times comforted but I carried on with the heart of a lion. I had no choice you see I had to make headway, discover a beautiful island in the midst of this desert storm.. My thoughts would take me for a ride they would fool me on most occasions but I braved the storm. I was not too concerned about my failures about my thoughts fooling me for I figured out that it is much better that my own thoughts fool me than to be fooled by life.. There was work to be done a battle to be won. I had only one thing in my mind to get in touch with the life force, the vibrant energy which the great masters speak about.

There are very few masters existing in this universe who have come in contact with this life force and of the few who exist they prefer to remain silent for reasons unknown or they refer to take a backseat like John Harricharan. He is a master I can with absolute certainty say that .Only two or three people really know the depths of his spiritual strength…Many are not aware that the who’s who of United States beg to consult with him and he avoids them on most occasions. They offer him large sums of money and he declines it not that he his allergic to money but he entertains them when he wants to not when they want him.. He feels they can wait….

So did I come in contact with the life force? I will prefer not to answer that question. It might sound very childish like saying “Yes I infact trapped the moonlight in a bowl of water” I love writing but I write only when something within me tells me to write. Sometimes I open the word document and stare at the blank page for two hours and then close the document and go for a walk. The last two years every decision that I have taken has come from my heart the heart bleeds but it is right I tell you that ! and it takes guts to listen to the heart . We have not come here to wake up in the morning, read the newspapers make other peoples life’s interesting by talking about them and then like a load runner carry life’s responsibility ! No ! I am certain we had not been dispatched into this planet to carry problems. Does not make any sense brooding over them. You got to break the shackles, take a deep breath and say ” ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ! I am not going to take it anymore ! Write it in a piece of paper burn it and then go for a walk, a long walk so long that it never ends where you come across a road which says “Welcome to Paradise , What can I do for you Today” And you stand there wondering whether all this is a dream !

Remember I told you about my dream,my mission: Just repeat that

“All that I want is, I want my thoughts to be rich and , healthy and to form a great relationship with my body and mind and together we will work in unity and conquer the hearts of all beings interested in a similar line of thought. Today is the day when the great work will begin ,where the sun will give me company and follow me at every step , where the footprints of time will stand still and watch as I build a brand new world within myself which the universe , the God and every other human being will be proud to be in”

This is a rewarding universe and it rewards transparency. It gives the highest recommendation for transparency of thoughts. Clear Crisp light and powerful these thoughts travel a great distance and today you have one last chance to set the stage on fire… Today at 12 pm Midnight the price for the teleseminar goes up to $197. All the bonuses have gone. They went like fast food within couple of hours but there were many who wrote back saying I should have given advance intimation. Well I cannot extend the deadline of 12 pm midnight today but what I am going to do is to give you all the bonuses which we gave to all the people who enrolled yesterday. And for all those who enrolled yesterday and who missed out on the first 50 don’t worry you still get all the bonuses

So only 18 hours remain. Remember a clear crisp thought is like the diamond which is hidden beneath the rubbles of ordinary thought. You can go ahead and execute a massive search operation many have done that and have failed miserably because only light can attract light and today you have a great chance to touch that life force a teleseminar you would remember for a long time to come

So what do you pay ?

Only $97 . Yes all internet marketers think I am crazy because they have already started sending emails for $497 and the cash counters have began to roll but I had no hesitation in reserving this special price for you. Only $97 and in return you get

1) To attend the live teleseminar on October 25th details of which will be given to you shortly. In case you miss this don’t worry you will be provided the download link for the audio and the complete transcript of it.

2) The Complete downloadable kit of “The 12 Power Principles” which sells currently for $397. This includes the step by step audio and the transcript. You don’t need anything more once you lay your hands on this telseminar and John’s 12 Power Principle. It is that powerful… You will get all the downloadable audio and transcript links 36 hours after you join for the teleseminar

3) This third bonus is sold out but I am extending it and making it available to everyone who enrolls for the telseminar by midnight today ie Wednesday E.S.T . This is a biggie. Complete access to 36 stunning videos of Power Principle and more. You get access to Spiritual simplicity membership site where current members are paying more than $97 per month. You don’t pay anything not a single dime.
Bring someone whom you dearly love with you on the call. It could be your son, your daughter, your friend, your partner, your father, your mother, or whoever it is but someone whom you dearly love…. This is very important and if you cannot find anyone that is still ok but I am sure you will…

Also ensure that you have a blank notepad and a blue and red pen with you on the call

So, here is your first take to grab the magical tool with both hands.

The Ethnicity of the Antichrist

One of the great mysteries concerning bible prophecy and the end times is the national identity of the Antichrist. This is an important topic because it will eventually aid the last days generation of Christians in the correct identification of the Antichrist. Fortunately, the Bible provides us with several details regarding the nationalistic origins of this sinister personality.

His Roman Nationality

Although much debate surrounds his national identity, the Book of Daniel clearly states that the Antichrist will come from among the people whose armies destroy the Temple.

“A ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple.” Daniel 9:26 (NLT)

The City and the Temple referenced in this passage were destroyed in A.D. 70 by Titus and the Roman legions, but Titus was not the ruler referenced in this verse. Daniel 9:27 describes the ruler as one who will make a seven-year treaty with Israel, put an end to the sacrifices and offerings, and set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration. These are events that will be fulfilled in the life of the Antichrist. According to Daniel, the Antichrist will come from among the people who destroyed the Temple. Therefore, we can be certain that the Antichrist will come from among the Roman people.

However, coming from among the Roman people does not automatically mean that the Antichrist will be of Italian heritage or Roman ethnicity. It simply means he must come from among those people who were part of the Roman Empire at that time. From an ethnic standpoint, this leaves the door open to countless possibilities. The Roman Empire covered most of the known world in its day, and Roman citizenship was extended to many non-Italian peoples. So how do we interpret this passage?

Most likely, Daniel 9:26 is a reference to the power base from which the Antichrist will operate. The Book of Daniel clearly states that the final world empire before the establishment of Christ’s Millennial Kingdom will be a resurrected form of the Roman Empire. In all likelihood, the Antichrist will be the ruler of this revived Roman Empire which will “devour the whole earth,” and in this way, Christians will be able to identify him as the Antichrist.

Is the Antichrist Syrian?

Daniel Chapter 8 provides us with further clues in regard to the life and times of the Antichrist. In it, the angel Gabriel explains Daniel’s vision of a Ram and Goat as events relating to the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great. In a claim verified by history, Gabriel states that following the death of Alexander, the empire will be divided into four parts. From one of those four parts, the Antichrist will arise:

“The shaggy male goat represents the king of the Greek Empire. The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four sections with four kings, none of them as great as the first. At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people.” Daniel 8:21-24 (NLT)

Daniel Chapter 11 provides an in-depth examination of the history of the breakup Alexander’s empire, describing historical events relating to the King of the North and the King of the South. The latter part of the chapter describes the Antichrist, identifying him with other historical figures who have held the title “King of the North.” This, along with the passage cited above, clearly links the Antichrist to the Northern Kingdom of the divided Greek Empire. This kingdom was ruled by one of Alexander’s generals, Seleucus, who ruled the areas of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the Antichrist will in some way be linked to this geographic area of the Middle East.

Isaiah Chapter 10

In addition to Daniel 8, the prophet Isaiah also offers some interesting insight concerning a “king of Assyria”:

“After the Lord has used the king of Assyria to accomplish his purposes in Jerusalem, he will turn against the king of Assyria and punish him – for he is proud and arrogant. He boasts, ‘By my own power and wisdom I have won these wars. By my own strength I have captured many lands, destroyed their kings, and carried off their treasures. By my greatness I have robbed their nests of riches and gathered up kingdoms as a farmer gathers eggs. No one can even flap a wing against me or utter a peep of protest.” Isaiah 10:12-14 (NLT)

Although not directly identified by Isaiah, this king of Assyria bears a striking resemblance to the Antichrist. Both the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation describe the Antichrist as proud and arrogant, boasting arrogantly and blaspheming God Himself. His boast that “no one can even flap a wing against me or utter a peep of protest” also fits the description of the Antichrist as given in the Book of Revelation:

“They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they worshiped the beast. ‘Is there anyone as great as the beast?’ they exclaimed. ‘Who is able to fight against him?’” Revelation 13:4 (NLT)

Isaiah 10, coupled with Daniel 8, lends support to the idea that the Antichrist will somehow be connected to political power in this region of the world.

Is the Antichrist Jewish?

Is the Antichrist Jewish? Although there is no definitive answer, two Bible verses provide us with good reason to believe he will be. The first appears in the Book of Genesis when God prophesies the coming of Israel’s Messiah and Satan’s Antichrist.

“From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NLT)

Later on, when Jacob is blessing his sons, he makes this prophecy about Dan:

“Dan will govern his people like any other tribe in Israel. He will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so the rider is thrown off.” Genesis 49:16-17 (NLT)

This reference to a serpent striking a heel may indicate that the Antichrist will be a Jew from the tribe of Dan, but it isn’t certain and many reasonable people are divided on this issue.

In addition to this reference to the tribe of Dan, the Book of Daniel points out that the Antichrist will worship himself above all else:

“Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.” Daniel 11:37 (KJV)

This passage is often referenced by those who believe the Antichrist will be of Jewish heritage. The fact that he will have no regard “for the God of his fathers” is viewed as a reference to the monotheistic God of the Jews.

Adding further fuel to speculation that the Antichrist might be Jewish is the following passage from the Book of Revelation:

“Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, and he spoke with the voice of a dragon.” Revelation 13:11 (NLT)

This verse states that the Antichrist will “come up out of the earth,” a biblical phrase often associated with the promised land and the Jewish people. Throughout the Old Testament, the earth is used as a symbol for Israel, while the sea is used as a symbol for the Gentile peoples:

“And now in my vision I saw beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God.” Revelation 13:1 (NLT)

The verse above is a reference to the Antichrist’s kingdom, which as stated before, will be a revived form of the Roman Empire – thus emerging from among the Gentile people. But all the authority of this kingdom will be exercised by “the beast from the earth” referenced in Revelation 13:11:

“He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and those who belong to this world to worship the first beast, who death-wound had been healed.” Revelation 13:12 (NLT)

The first beast, whose “death-wound had been healed,” is the revived Roman Empire. The Book of Daniel clearly states that this world empire will re-emerge in the last days, thus becoming healed of its mortal wound. But the one who rules it will “come up out of the earth.” Could this be a reference to the Antichrist’s Jewish heritage?

Will the Jews Accept the Antichrist as Messiah?

All the speculation surrounding the Antichrist’s possible Jewish heritage lends itself to another question: Will the Jews accept the Antichrist as their Messiah? Many believe that the following statement by Jesus is really a prophecy that the Jewish people will accept the Antichrist as their Messiah:

“I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” John 5:43 (KJV)

The Antichrist would have to be Jewish in order to be accepted by Israel as the Messiah. Many believe this scripture points to a specific person in the future who will “come in his own name” and be accepted as the Redeemer of Israel.

Conclusion

It is an absolute certainty that the Antichrist will arrive on the world scene as the ruler of a revived Roman empire. However, it is less certain whether or not he will be of actual Italian descent or some other ethnic background. Several scriptures offer the possibility that he could be Assyrian, Greek, or Jewish. But none of them offer us the definitive statement contained in Daniel 9:26.

So how do we rectify these seemingly contradictory prophecies concerning the Antichrist’s nationality? Is he Roman? Italian? Jewish? Assyrian? Greek? He doesn’t necessarily have to be exclusively one or another. He could be an Assyrian Jew born and raised in Italy, or any number of possible combinations. We don’t know for certain, but history indicates that each of these prophecies will be harmonized when the Antichrist finally appears.

Two thousand years ago, the seemingly contradictory prophecies of the first coming of the Messiah were all harmonized in the life of Jesus Christ who was a Nazarene born in Bethlehem who came out of Egypt. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see how this was possible, but for the Jewish scholars who lived before the birth and ministry of Jesus, these prophecies were a topic of intense debate. Would the Messiah come from Nazareth, Bethlehem, or Egypt? The answer, of course, was all three.

In similar fashion, a debate continues today in regard to the prophecies of the Antichrist and his national identity. But no matter how much we speculate on the ultimate meaning of the scriptures, we won’t know the absolute truth until God’s appointed time. As such, it is wise to study these prophecies and teach them to others, so that Christians of the Antichrist’s generation will be able to positively identify him based on sound Scriptural evidence.

May the Lord Jesus Christ, upon His Return, find us actively engaged in teaching these truths to others. Until then, live with a patient and enduring faith that His Return is soon upon us.

Carp Fishing Tactics For Wary Fish - Hiding Your Line!

On many carp waters the fish are well aware of fishermen’s lines passing through the water. This can impact so much on fish that in some swims fish will not feed until the swim appears safe and clear of lines. They have associated lines with danger often from many years of angling pressure. But what can you do about it?

Seeing your line passing through water can really hit your confidence. If you can see it, the fish certainly can. Carp eyesight is not to be underestimated! How often have you observed fish heading for your swim, only to see your line and turn around? Heavy lines are often required in many situations, so trying to use ‘invisible’ like very fine ones or certain ones with less abrasion resistance makes things hard. There are a couple of new lines that claim to be invisible in water. The trouble is that even these can go along the lake bed and form a barrier of line across the water, where the bottom dips and rises, or where going over weed beds.

The last 5 metres of line to your hook rig is the area that usually matters the most. Here fish often bump into lines in their search for food or bait and the first obvious mistake many anglers make is ensuring fish get spooked by their lines by baiting-up between their hook and rig and their rod, the very side where line is most apparent. Only baiting-up the opposite side can make a dramatic difference!

Of course, lots of methods have evolved to try to avoid spooking fish out of your swim or even stop them from stopping feeding in the possible case of some line shy fish, and having them leave your swim. Your line also helps fish to locate your hook rig which is not favourable for bites! The days when fish feed avidly while navigating a network of lines stretched across the water in full view are fading on so many waters these days. The use of back leads and flying back leads to pin the line to the lake bed are good. But on weedy waters and those with lots of rises and falls as in gravel pits for example, they are not really the solution.

Lead core spiced to the line and heavy dense tubing on the line helps to some degree with this problem, but are not perfect, no matter if their colour matches the lake bed or has been marked so that it forms a ‘broken disjointed line’ or a ‘camouflaged’ one. Often the fish just learn that these are extra thick lines which are also dangerous. Ordinary plastic tubing is still sold for use as anti-tangle tubing but often is used fresh from the packet which means it still forms bends and loops on the lake bed!

The best way I found to use heavy dense tubing like the ‘ESP’ range, was to find the thinnest one possible I could fit over my line, slide it onto the line and then stretch it out as long as possible. I even used multiple lengths of it as I found multiple lengths hugged the bottom even better than just using the thinner more flexible stretched tube. Gluing tiny pieces of shot or lead putty materials to these really made a massive difference to results. If I could, I’d use a 4 metre length of tubing to pin the line down; combined with as many back leads I could add practically along the length of the line. Pressured smaller water fish are often even more spooked by lines and these tricks have proven the difference between catching nothing at all and catching forties with regularity.

Not many anglers realise that if you fish a tight line pinned very effectively to the lake bed with multiple back leads on the line as far down as possible teamed with a heavy sinker lead on the line, your initial deep hooking potential can be hugely improved. Your combined resistance of weight on the line might be nearer 6 ounces often tripping-up and converting a single bleep on the alarm to full blooded runs or at least a couple more tell-tale bleeps as fish struggled to rid the hook. I sharpen my hooks literally beyond needle sharp spending hours on this task. A few times I lost some very big fish as the points bent out with the pressure, but I’m certain these might not have been hooked without this preparation anyway.

I also choose the longest point hooks from a packet because these gain the fast deepest hook-hold initially. Those hooks with a long straight point, in turned eye and a penetration angle of 26 degrees have been exceptionally effective for gaining good deep very reliable hook holds anywhere in the mouth. I have used heavy wire Kamasan models of this type in size 4 for years with great success. (I subsequently discovered another angler found the same positive results with hooks with these characteristics as was written in the spring 2007 B.C.S.G. magazine.

I always scrap off all the golden covering and soak hooks in water in advance. I’m sure this helps not just visually, but help the hook ‘blend’ in the water electrically better... (Covering the hook in paste is an accidental edge which is great for wary fish; most anglers coat the bait only.) Some Ashima hooks have virtually identical characteristics in a thinner wire but are much harder to sharpen and tend to be brittle.

Years ago, before lines like “Big Game” became fashionable I remember fishing using sea line as leaders. The logic was that if fish spooked off the slim 8 pound German line I was using at the time because they could feel it but not see it so well, then why not use a thick line they can see? The point is that no-one else was doing this on waters I fished, so the fish had no reason to fear a thick 60 pound line passing through the water! It really multiplied catches over-night too! I made sure the fish could see this line which was brown.

It was a method which worked well wherever I fished at that time in the late eighties. I went onto using heavy braid as leaders as I noticed that some thicker cheaper ones absorbed the silt of the bottom and ‘disappeared’ as it were. On clearer weedy lakes, using braid which was marked in browns, greens, and black to break up its appearance worked very well, when everyone else was using that horrible shocking white “Big Game” line, usually in 15 pound strength. A tight line was used with my very heavy monofilament leaders and a slack line approach with braid leaders.

Braid worked even better with shot pinched onto the line at 6 inch intervals for a distance of at least 8 feet from the rig. Fixed leads were used and 2 ounce leads were tied to a rig swivel using 2 pound line and round eyed bombs and Arlesey leads were used. Results noticeably improved using leads which were flattened with a hammer to make them grip the bottom better to secure a better hook hold. This was prior to the square leads becoming popular.

Often a spot in a swim is the only place that fish will feed and take a bait, but fish may not feed or spook out if lines are detected. Often changing the angle and direction your line enters the swim can make all the difference. Sometimes it even means using a float to get your line right out of the water a few feet from your rig. Even a stick with float rubbers to attach the line can be used. Sometimes free-lining with nothing but a hook on your line is very useful too. A very light running link ledger is an almost forgotten method in these days of so-called wonder ‘anti-eject, self-hooking’ rigs, but can produce extremely satisfying confident takes where heavy 4 or even 5 ounce leads are being used by carp as the pivot or fulcrum to rid themselves of hooks repeatedly every day!

Carp may or may not have long memories or attention spans but they can certainly learn fast. I’ve done well at long range using a 3 foot long ‘confidence rig’ on a light running lead with a short back-stop. The 6 or 8 inch standard rig is so often used by the average angler that it can becomes anti-productive, especially for the warier fish, especially where an angler is using a popular commercial boilie or pellet bait they have been hooked on previously. It so pays to be different and work at it.

I tried soaking my leads and tubing in attractors which helped results. I’m sure tubing has negative chemicals it gives off when first used, so why not do something to make it attractive instead. Tying flavour capsules full of attractors to your leads works too. I started doing this in the winter especially, but carried on doing it regardless of season. Using a large PVA bag of baits to gain distance when fishing very light leads works well too. The use of method mixes and floats to hold and deposit attractive ground bait which accurately feeds your bait from above is a very effective one but not just limited to fishing ‘zig-rig’ style either. How many anglers have tried fishing a sinking ground bait and a buoyant ground bait rising from below simultaneously with a buoyant paste hook bait?

As an aside, small PVA net stockings with micro pellets and crumbled baits soaked in oil based attractors are plastered all over the magazines and this now an old method on many pressured waters. But how many anglers tie up multiple bags and tie them 2 or 3 to the hook and lead? You can even do this with solid bags and exploit more buoyant ingredients like prawn and krill meal to produce a surface baiting effect as you bags rise in the water and melt so releasing their ground bait type contents in a more scattered way over your rig... (The possibilities and potential here are rarely used!)

Tubing often has the added benefit of protecting your line against snags and abrasive things like sharp gravel bars, mussels and any rough branches or any nasty surprises like metal snags in the water etc. Sometimes rope is what is really needed, so why not use it.

I saw an article recently where someone was using thick string or thin rope as a leader specifically because it was supple and absorbed the materials and sediments of the lake bed, so rendering the ‘line’ far less likely to be associated with a rig and danger by fish. Of course, soaking your ‘rope leader’ preferably in amino acid based additives, betaine and salt before casting, makes it sink immediately and actually helps draw fish to your hook bait. There are other very exciting options for hiding your line which involve line absorbing the materials on the bottom and doing this is extremely effective. See if you can think of some; you might want to keep them to yourself!

The author has many more fishing and bait ‘edges’ any of which can have a huge impact on your catches.

By Tim Richardson.

Tumours in Rats - what to do when your pet rat has lumps and bumps

If you find a bump on your female rat, don't fret. It is usually a benign tumour. You should of course, still get it checked out by the vet. Female rats are very prone to lumps and bumps, especially around the mammary glands. Rats have nipples in odd places. There are a pair right behind their front legs, so this is a common place for a lump.

Benign tumours can grow very fast. They have been known to be the size of the rat itself. It is possible to have the lump surgically removed. If you catch the lump early, this is probably a good idea, as when it gets bigger it will make it difficult for your rat to groom herself and move around properly.

My beautiful rat Ginger has developed a benign tumour. Unfortunately the vet felt she was too old to operate on. There was too much risk involved. He also felt the lump would probably grow back elsewhere. The lump has grown over the last 4 months, but Ginger still seems happy. Sometimes she goes onto a course of antibiotics to help her feel better and she is more tired these days, but she still loves her cuddles and her best friend Mr T.

I have been giving her the following mixture to help her body fight:

Mix together the following ingredients:

3 capsules of CLA (Tonalin) (1000mg)
1 capsule Co-enzyme Q10 (10mg)
10 drops of echinacea/goldenseal liquid herbal extract
1ml of sublingual B vitamin complex liquid
1 capsule Super antioxidant formula (has vit C, E, beta-carotene and selenium - do not give this if Enervite or any other vitamin supplements are being given)
3 capsule Pau d'arco (500mg)
1 capsule Flaxseed oil (1000mg)
1" square of miso paste (pure organic, not flavored)

Divide into 14 parts and keep them in the fridge. If your ratty has a fast growing tumour give this twice a day, otherwise give it once.

You can mix it with yogurt or something else yummy that your rat loves, so as to disguise the taste.

If your male rat gets a lump, there is more chance it could be cancerous. Either way please take your rat to the vets straight away and be prepared for some nursing.

Should you Limit Your Kids Time Playing Video Games?

Whether to limit the time that a child plays video games is a question that almost every parent has battled over at least once and often many times. However, just because one parent has a specific opinion about it does not mean that another parent holds the same opinion. In other words, whether a parent should limit his or her childs time playing video games is a largely subjective, opinion question. There are, though, some signs that a parent should look for when trying to make a determination as to whether the time that his or her kid is spending on video games is too much.

If a kid who is playing video games is paying so much attention to them that his or her schoolwork is suffering, a parent might want to limit the video game time that child has. In addition, if relationships are suffering because of video games, this might also be another reason to limit the amount of time spent playing them. Video games are supposed to be for fun and enjoyment only. Unfortunately, they can actually become addictive. When someone is addicted to video games, the rest of that persons life suffers. He or she will generally not do well at all with school or work, and the relationships that have been built with others will be ignored, at least to some extent.

The person may also lose sleep, not eat well, and exhibit other behaviors consistent with focusing too much on video games and not enough on reality. This is, of course, very detrimental, especially for a child who is just developing habits. Because this is such a serious issue and can lead to many problems in the future, any parent who is concerned about how much time his or her kid is spending playing video games or any parent who sees a change in his or her child because of video game playing should limit the time each day that the child is allowed to play the video game.

How Do I Get My Business On The Internet?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions by small business owners. They are feeling the pressure from their customers and competitors, yet for many business people it is a daunting task, as they don't understand the whole process.

In fact, many people are even asking the question whether they should have a website. Whether you are a consultant, florist, designer, builder, architect or a doctor, consider the many advantages a website provides:

1. Make money - Set up an on-line store or get paid for advertising from other companies

2. Save money on advertising - Instead of paying for large ads, simply advertise your website

3. Be flexible in your message - Change the content as your business changes. No need to re-print expensive brochures.

4. Exposure to new customers - You will reach more local clients as well as interstate and global markets

5. Having more professional image - Keep up with the times and your competitors

6. Save time - Don’t spend hours on the phone, direct customers to your website

7. Keep your business open 24/7 - Provide customers information when THEY need it. If you don’t, someone else will.

So what does it really take to get your website set up?

Step 1 - Register your domain name OR not.

The big question is whether you need to register a domain name or not. The simple answer is NO, but a better answer is YES it is a good idea.

What is a domain name?

The purpose of a domain name is similar to that of a street address or telephone number. The domain name directs customers to you on the Internet. The domain by itself is not your email or web address. The domain does form the base from which these addresses are derived.

For example: Company Name: QikPhone Domain Name: qikphone.com.au Web Address: www.qikphone.com.au Email Address: sales@qikphone.com

Do I need to register a domain name to have a website?

NO, you don't need to have your own domain name. Your website can be created and hosted without it. Your website address will look something like this: www.web4business.com.au/JBCleaning OR www.ozemail.com.au/~JBCleaning

The only advantage of not registering a domain name is that you will save yourself a few dollars.

The disadvantages of NOT having your domain name include:

1. If you decide to change your Webhosting company or if that company goes out of business, you will lose your website address. Your website can be transferred to a new company, but your address will change. And that means re-printing stationery and re-doing all your advertising, notifying all your customers etc.

2. Website addresses that contain information other than your company name are long and hard to remember and do not appear as professional. Compare these two and see which one you are more likely to remember: www.ozemail.com.au/~JBCleaning OR www.JBCleaning.com.au

So it is a good idea to register a domain name, even if it is just to protect yourself for the future. Say for example, your business name is JB Cleaning and you decide not to register your domain name for now. Along comes Joe Bloggs who opens his own cleaning business and registers JBCleaning.com.au domain name. After a year you decide you want to have your own domain name, but since Joe Bloggs already owns it, you won't be able to register it. Not to mention your customers who know your business as JB Cleaning may visit his website, thinking it's your web address and instead hire Joe Bloggs Cleaning.

Step 2 - Plan your website.

Planning your website is a two part process:

(a) Decide on the website design (colour schemes, buttons, special effects etc). This is your website designer's job. However, you may have a preference for a certain colour or look. To help you choose a design, you may wish to check out other people's websites or work with your web designer's pre-set templates.

(b) The content. There are many items you may wish to include on your website. The most common ones include:

1 Product/Service Details
2. Contact Information
3. Pricing
4. Testimonials
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Response Form, such as "Join Mailing List"
7. On-line Magazine or Newsletter
8. Resources & Articles
9. Guarantee
10. Survey
11. Events Calender
12. Search My Website Form
13. Refund Policy
14. Privacy Policy
15. About Us Information
16. Site Map
17. Copyright information
18. Useful Links
19. Media Information
20. On-line store
21. News
22. Directions to Your Bricks & Mortar Premises

Step 3 - Choose a Web Hosting Company.

What is a Web hosting Company?

A webhost is a company that provides server space for your website. You can think of a web host as a commercial building. The web host provides space for your website just as a commercial building provides space for your shop or office. You can build your own building and you can host your own website, but because of the cost and expertise required it is easier to rent the space.

Which Company Should I Choose?

Webhosting companies are not created equal so you need to take a number of things into account when selecting one. A proven track record, experience and reliability form the foundation of any successful business partnership.

Some of the issues you should consider when choosing a webhosting company include:

1. Support - Does it provide comprehensive Technical Support - 24 hours a day, seven days a week?

2. Reliability - Does it have multiple large-scale links to the internet to provide a fail-safe path to your customers from anywhere in the world?

3. Security - Does it have a robust security system that minimises risk of web site intrusion?

4. State-of-the-art - Does the company utilises leading edge technology and is supported by a large-scale uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system.

5. Scalability - Does the product range and services offered allow your business to grow without impediment by making it easy to upgrade and add components to existing product levels.


Step 4 - Getting people to your site.

The marketing of your website is important if you want to draw visitors to your site. If you don't promote your website no-one will ever see it. There are a number of different ways of advertising your website. The best strategy is one, which integrates your existing promotion methods with your website.

1. Office Stationery - Including your web address and email address on your stationery is probably the easiest way to draw attention to your site. It's cost effective and gets your Internet presence out there in the market place.

2. Business Cards - When printing business cards you should include the individual's email address and main address of your website.

3. Radio Advertising - Radio Advertising should include your web address. Don't include the http://, try "Visit us on the internet at w-w-w-dot-qikphone-dot-com-dot-au". If your budget is limited, you may wish to consider community radios.

4. Email and Mail-Outs - Let your current customers know the details of your website. You can either send them an email or a letter/postcard. Keep your website's content up-to-date and they will keep coming back!

5. Print Media - Print advertising should include a generic email address for the company and include your website address. Normally positioned at the bottom right or bottom centre of your advertisement.

6. Search Engines & Directories - People looking for your website who don't know the URL are most likely to use an on-line search engine to look for your organisation or the kind of products and services you offer. There are over 300 major search engines and directories, but you should concentrate on the larger, more commonly used ones. These include: Google, Yahoo, Altavista, Anzwers, Inktomi, Infoseek, Lycos, Excite, HotBot, MSN, Dogpile, AllTheWeb etc.

7. Links from other websites - A good way to attract visitors to your site is through the use of hyperlinks placed on other sites. If you know of another site which has a list of links and you think your website would be a good addition, let the website owner know. You might also offer to provide a link from your site back to the other site. This will encourage the webmaster to include your site. You should also seek out partners for trading links including vendors, suppliers and providers of complimentary products.

8. Link Exchange - Another way to getting a link is through a system called Link Exchange, a free public service designed to help websites advertise each other. With Link Exchange, you agree to display advertising banners for other Link Exchange members and they agree to display banners for you. The System is automatic, you simply add a piece of HTML code to your web page and Link Exchange will display an advertisement for another website. The disadvantage with Link Exchange is that you don't get any control as to where your banner ad appears or the type of banner ads that will appear on your website. It is not possible to guarantee that a competitor of yours may have their banner ad displayed on your site.

9. Paid Banner Advertising/Affiliate Marketing Programs - Various sites give you the opportunity to purchase banner advertising on their site. Some sites will charge you a flat monthly fee while other sites will charge you based on the number of people who see your ad.

For more information about marketing your website read "30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget"
http://www.websites4smallbusiness.com.au/ArticlesIK30waystopromote.htm

Step 5 - Monitor your site's statistics

Your website's statistics should show who visits your website, where in the world they come from, how they are finding your site and what pages are being viewed. Knowing your customers is the first step in effective marketing. Most webhosting companies will provide access to this information free of charge.

Step 6 - Maintaining your website

It is important to update your website regularly to keep your customers interested. One of the great advantages of having a website is that you can change its content virtually overnight at minimal cost (unlike re-printing brochures and flyers).

This is just a brief overview of the process involved in getting your website up and running. In future articles we will cover each step in more detail.

For more information about getting your business on the internet you may also wish to check out:

Arundo Donax - How to turn a bog plant into a serenade

I began playing the clarinet when I was 11 years old, back in 1984, after many months of pestering my parents. Although I wasn't particularly good when I started, I loved the look and feel of the instrument and I persevered, and I finally ended up as a music student at Leeds University with the clarinet as my first instrument. I didn't find the notes that hard when I was a kid; I could produce a tune without too many tears, but my tunes just didn't sound very nice until I'd got to about grade 6. A lot of young players experience the same problem, and the problem is really twofold- 1) producing a beautiful sound takes lots of practice, and 2) producing a really beautiful sound depends on your reed.

What a Reed is All About

If you don't play a reed instrument you may well be wondering what I'm talking about, so I'll explain a little bit here. (For the already initiated, feel free to skip this bit!)

A clarinet is fundamentally a tube which is approximately 2 feet long; in fact it's the same length as a flute or an oboe. The flute has a small hole which you blow across. This makes the air inside the tube start vibrating, (like if you blow across the top of a bottle and hear a note). The oboe and the clarinet, however, use reeds. These are small bits of cane, (or sometimes plastic), which are attached to the top of the instrument. The cane goes in your mouth and you make it vibrate with your lips and jaw; this sets the column of air vibrating, and hey presto a note sounds. (It's very hard to describe how you actually do this because it all happens inside your closed mouth!) You can't play the clarinet (or the oboe or bassoon) unless you have a reed attached to the top, and these essential bits of kit have, unfortunately, quite a short life span. How long a reed lasts depends on lots of things, like how often you play, what brand you're using, and even what the weather's like. (It's a natural material so it's affected by the humidity of the atmosphere).

The Reed you really Need

So now you know you need a reed, off you pop down to your local music shop, or find one online. The first question they'll ask you is what kind of reed do you need? Narrowing it down to just "a clarinet reed" won't get you very far. You have to specify the strength of your reed. And choose a brand. And choose one of a range of reeds within that brand. And how many do you need to buy?

So how can a little bit of cane be so diverse and complicated? How can you possibly choose?! Let's take a look at the first dilemma: Strength.

Reeds are categorised by their thickness, and given a grading from 1 to 5, including half grades. Basically speaking, the thicker the reed, the more difficult it is to produce a note, but the nicer the note will sound. So, if you are a beginner, (and therefore in possession of relatively weak jaw muscles compared to a veteran), you should choose a low number, known as a "soft" reed. Around 1.5 would be good, but go for a 1 if the 1.5 is too difficult to blow on. As you get better, you'll gradually be able to progress to thicker reeds (known as "hard"). To get a decent sound, you need to be playing on a minimum 3.5, and most professionals will be playing on 4.5 to 5s. Personally, I play on a 3.5. OK, let's move on to brand and product:

In the UK there are mainly 2 companies battling it out in the clarinet reed field, and they are Vandoren and Rico. I'll try to make a comparison between them, since your basic purchasing decision will be between these two brands. Here's what Vandoren say about their standard B flat clarinet reeds:

"The most widely played reeds in the professional world."

And here's what Rico claim about their most similar product:

"The world's most popular reed." One thing you may be able to deduce from this is that Vandoren reeds are better and also more expensive. They produce a better tone for professionals, who are more picky about these things than amateurs. However, there are many more amateurs piping away in their bedrooms on a Sunday afternoon than there are professionals, and they tend to choose Rico, so they can't be all bad.

Here's how the prices compare from 2 reputable online firms, for a box of 10, (the normal number you get in a box).

>From www.myatt.co.uk Rico Reeds cost £8.50 and Vandoren cost £11.00

>From www.dawkes.co.uk Rico cost £6.25 and Vandoren cost £10.25

Rico are well ahead in the tasty price league, so why is it that all these professionals are choosing Vandoren? It really boils down to the sound that comes out when you blow, which to the professional is the only major issue. For us mere mortals though, there are another couple of points to consider- how many of these 10 newly purchased reeds actually work properly, and how long will one last before I have to change it? I've played on both these brands of reeds over the 20 and a bit years I've been playing this instrument, and I believe that Rico are more consistent in the strength grades they put in the box, and they last for the same length of time as Vandoren's, but whereas a box of Vandoren sometimes produces a really stunning beautiful reed, a box of Rico never does.

When you buy a box of reeds, it is quite normal to find that some of them just won't work. This is rather annoying, (especially if you're paying more than a pound a piece), but it's a fact of life. The cane is rigorously tested by both companies, and left to mature for a considerable time, but nothing can stop the cane from becoming slightly modified once it's been packaged up in its box. My personal average from Vandoren is 50% usable reeds per box, while Rico usually gives me 7 or 8 that are playable. So, in effect, they work out even cheaper than you'd bargained for. I think that Rico's testing technology is perhaps superior to Vandoren's, to produce these results. They are more effective at eliminating inferior cane earlier in the process, before it actually gets in the box. In my mind there is no doubt that Vandoren Reeds sound better, but the large difference in price is not justified by the small difference in sound. Going back to my earlier point about the quality of!

my early attempts at the clarinet, I should point out that playing on the correct strength of reed, (and one that isn't too old), will ensure an acceptable sound from anyone. So how to find the correct strength? Read on!


How Strong is your Jaw?

Rico Reeds come in strengths 1-5 (not all brands do). If you're a complete beginner, buy a 1, a 1.5 and a 2. (You can buy reeds singly, both online and in shops. Some shops let you try the reed out before you buy it just in case it's a duffer (see above), but not all of them.) Try the 2 first. If you produce a sound quite easily and without pain, congratulations! You've found the right strength. If you find it takes lots of breath to get a note and you can hear air escaping from the side of your mouth as you blow, the reed is too hard. Try the 1.5, and repeat the process. Remember that with clarinet reeds, the only way is up! When you have been playing on your 1.5 for some time, try the 2 from time to time. Don't play for too long, as your jaw will tire easily and you may bite into your bottom lip. If this happens, your mouth will be too sore to play until it's healed, and you'll have to start with a softer reed again. Gradually increase your playing time, until you can play on the 2 with no problems. Then move on to the 2.5, and repeat the process.

If you stick with a softer reed once your jaw muscles have become stronger, your sound will deteriorate. Playing on a soft reed produces a buzzy kind of tone and can sound flat. Higher notes on the instrument are more difficult to reach with a softer reed, which is another reason why you need to climb that reed ladder! Sometimes reeds are a little bit too hard or a little bit too soft, without being impossible to play on. You don't have to chuck them away in cases like this, you can "doctor" them slightly to make them more playable: if the reed is too soft, trim a VERY narrow (hair's breadth) strip from the tip of the reed with a sharp knife. Or push another reed between it and the mouthpiece of the instrument, pushing it away from the rectangular hole in the mouthpiece slightly. If the reed is too hard, you can sand it a little. Use a piece of 220-grain sandpaper. Rub just a little, then test the reed- a tiny rub can produce a large difference (which is why they don't always get it right in the factory- it's a precision art!)

Breaking in Reeds

All new reeds need to be "broken in". They won't produce a consistent sound until they've been used a few times. Rico reeds are faster to break in than Vandoren. You need to wet the reed (in your mouth or with water- I prefer my mouth, but Rico advise water, as some people have very acidic saliva apparently, eeww), then play on it for just a few minutes each day, until the sound becomes consistent. It's good to have a few reeds "breaking" as you never know when you'll need a new one.


Replacing Reeds

It's easy to tell when your reed needs replacing- after serving you well for a week or 3 (depends how much you play), one day it'll just sound rubbish, completely different to the last time you used it. Every time it goes in your mouth the reed is getting attacked by various germs and other organisms, and your saliva begins the process of breaking down organic matter ready for your tummy, so it's no wonder that they don't last forever! Another obvious sign that you need a new reed is when you accidentally slice it in half while attaching it to the instrument, a tragically common event. (It's held onto your plastic mouthpiece by metal band called a ligature. This has quite sharp sides and if you're not careful it'll cut right through in one go. Don't worry though, I've never heard of anyone cutting their finger on one!)

Arundo Donax

This is the technical name for the reed plant which Rico and Vandoren use to make their reeds. It grows in India and the Mediterranean, and can get as high as 6 metres tall. If you live in the right climate you can grow it in your garden, but I wouldn't suggest trying to grow and make reeds yourself from scratch, although some fanatics do.....

Other Types of Reed

For the standard clarinet, you will be buying B♭ clarinet reeds. It's unlikely that you would buy the wrong reed size, as this is what 99% of people play on, but just for the record, there are also E♭ and bass clarinet reeds. E♭ reeds are for a smaller instrument, and bass clarinet reeds for a beast of an instrument, so neither will fit. The A clarinet takes the B♭ reed, as it is only very fractionally bigger than the B♭ instrument. (Orchestral players need two instruments, an "A" and a "B♭"; see for more on transposing instruments).

Final Verdict

The Rico clarinet reed is a great choice for the amateur player. They are reasonably priced, reasonably consistent within the box, and produce a nice sound. They are easy to get hold of and excellent value for money, especially if you frequently slice them in half! If you want to get serious on the instrument, you should probably move on to more expensive reeds from Vandoren.

Web-Programming: An Alternative To Unproductive Advertising

As of this writing the television writers in Hollywood are on strike. The significance of this strike will be felt far beyond the current television season and impact what and where people will get their entertainment in the future. People are now not only embracing the Web for their information needs but are also increasingly turning to it for their entertainment needs as well.

The Web will soon be 'the place' that fills the programming vacuum that network broadcasters have been unwilling and/or unable to fulfill. People were prepared to tolerate constant reruns, dreadful programming, and incessant repetitive ads as long as there was no alternative, but that is no loner the case. Viewers now have an option to bad television and it's the Web, but why should you care and more importantly how can you take advantage of the opportunity it creates?

Why Should You Care?

Information and entertainment have melded in recent years creating what has been dubbed 'infotainment.' It can be argued that the evening news has become more entertainment than hard news and let's not even get into venues like the History Channel where fact and fiction seem to be presented in equal and indistinguishable doses. So what does all this have to do with you and how you deliver your marketing message?

The time is coming, if it is not here already, that companies will not be able to get away with merely uploading online brochures and catalogues, or even extensive screeds singing the praises of every feature and benefit associated with their offering. People demand more, they insist your website be interesting, informative, and entertaining; and it is this aspect of entertainment that potentially makes your marketing presentation memorable.

What Is Web-Programming?

Web-programming takes the creative Web-video campaign concept and pushes it one step further up the evolutionary marketing scale by integrating the message into a programming environment.

This concept is not an entirely new idea, in fact one of the most noted television commercial campaigns of 1991 was the Taster's Choice soap opera-like series of spots that wove the marketing message into a courtship relationship between two apartment neighbors. In an environment where information and entertainment blur, it seems like an ideal solution to capturing an audience's attention and interest, and creating a viral buzz that few products or services can generate by presenting a bulleted list of features.

Build Brand Relationships

James E. Aisner, in his article 'More Than A Name: The Role of Brands in People's Lives' (HBS Working Knowledge For Business Leaders) references the research of Harvard Business School Professor, Susan M. Fournier, "Fournier has created a typology of fifteen different types of relationships between consumers and their brands." These brand relationships include the secret affair, the best friend, kinship, the fling, courtship, the marriage-of-convenience, casual friendship, childhood friendship, mother and child, and master-slave.

What kind of relationship does your brand have with your audience? Is it a short-term fling that starts with a lot of heat and passion and then quickly cools-off, or is it a long-term marriage that will last a lifetime? Finding, and promoting the most appropriate and beneficial brand relationship is the marketing goal of your Web-programming marketing initiative.

Part of the problem many smaller organizations have in developing successful marketing campaigns is that they think in terms of products and services rather than brands; features and benefits rather than relationships. Almost every product or service on the market can be replaced with a competitive substitute, but brands are much harder to replace; brands create a competitive barrier through the development of relationships based on prototypical psychological and emotional factors, the same kinds of factors that govern your personal relationships.

Generate Trust, Confidence, Loyalty and Passion

In his article, "A Brand New You," (Psychology Today), W. Eric Martin tells us that brands came into vogue in the post Civil War era as a response to an increasing mobile population that began to lose touch with local merchants and shopkeepers. Brands became a substitute for the personal relationships that people had with their suppliers. This seemingly minor historic fact helps us understand the significance of brands in today's Web-centric marketplace.

Today's consumer-client, whether retail or business-to-business is more remote, more isolated from the supplier than ever before. The Web allows us to market our products and services anywhere in the world, but in order to actually make a sale, we must establish a relationship that generates a sufficient level of trust, confidence, loyalty and passion. Sneer if you will at the passion and loyalty most Macintosh users have for their computers, but what other computer company can claim such brand allegiance?

Relationships Are Based On Psychological Needs

At the heart of any relationship is the emotional or psychological need that that relationship fulfills. If you haven't found that connection in what you do then you are at a definite competitive disadvantage; and you are competing on the most fickle and transient of factors: price and features. In business, there will always be someone who is prepared to sell a substitute product or service for less, or with more bells and whistles. So why would you ever want to compete on that basis?

It really doesn't matter what business you're in, there is always some emotional or psychological component to what you do. The iPod is the market leader in its category despite numerous competitors; it holds that position not because it's the cheapest, which it definitely isn't, or the product with the most features, which it probably is, but because it's an iPod - not a tool but a status symbol, a badge of intelligence and taste, a brand relationship akin to being a member of the coolest club in town.

Web-programming Development

In short, Web-programming is a marketing campaign based on a series of episodic Web-videos tied together by plotline and character development; an ongoing initiative that weaves into its storyline the marketing pitch. The integration of the marketing pitch can be done subtly using product placement techniques or overtly making the pitch part of the story arc.

This marketing technique is not for everyone; it is certainly not for the unsophisticated or for the marketer who is afraid to experiment or to take a chance.

If you are looking for an instant direct financial return like a big sale sign in your storefront window then you are not looking for marketing, you're looking for promotions. Marketing is all about building a brand relationship with your audience. The more time and effort you invest in marketing, the more solid your brand relationship will be, and the more appropriate the clients you'll attract and keep.

Web-programming - Where To Begin

There are four minimal requirements needed to create an episodic Web-video marketing campaign: need identification, point-of-view, attitude, and transformation. These are the same elements defined by Syd Field, the well-respected author, producer, screenwriter, and lecturer, in his book, "The Screenwriter's Workbook;" and they are the same elements that all top-notch salesmen use to build client-relationships - ask yourself - have you ever met a top salesman who wasn't a great storyteller?

Need Identification

Like all episodic series yours will need a hero or protagonist; this is the person your audience will identify with and who will act as their surrogate.

Your protagonist must be searching for something that relates to the emotional or psychological need fulfilled by your product or service. Anyone who has ever had to deal with an insurance company certainly understands the Geico caveman's need for respect. His frustration is the perfect foil for the company's marketing message, 'it's so easy a caveman can do it.' We are all cavemen at heart, seeking respect from big business bureaucracies that make us jump through hoops just to place an order.

Point-of-View

You must present your material from a particular point-of-view. Is your presentation told from the protagonist's point-of-view or is it told from an objective observer's, perhaps through voice-over. It can even be counter-intuitive and be told from an antagonist's point-of-view.

If your scenario is more procedural based, you can even present it from different points-of-view each delivering alternative perspectives, each highlighting different aspects of the emotional fulfillment.

Attitude

Attitude is especially important for Web-based presentations, but it is also one of the scariest aspects of marketing for the faint-of-heart. All too often businesses shy away from bold statements, or extreme displays for fear of alienating some segment of the audience, but it's attitude that grabs people's attention, makes the presentation memorable, and qualifies leads and inquiries.

Transformation

One of the hardest things a commercial-based episodic series has to deal with is story arc. What change takes place over the life of the series and is the campaign concept strong enough to sustain itself? What transformation takes place? Does your protagonist find fulfillment or does he fail to find the emotional or psychological answer he's looking for. If you're not sure what deep-seated need your product or service satisfies, find the conflict.

All stories are based on conflict, frustration, and desire, whether it's the search for 'whiter whites' or better insurance. If your concept is without conflict, you are not illustrating the need for your solution.

You can show successful transformation based on the adoption of your solution or you can show failure whichever works best for what you're marketing and the audience you are trying to attract.

Conclusion

The Web has from its infancy provided business with enormous marketing opportunities. As the Web's capabilities increase over time, these opportunities increase as well. As much as other media tries to adapt to the competitive pressures created by the Web, old methods and attitudes die-hard; the writer's strike being just one example of a group trying to maintain dominance in an environment they cannot control. The opportunities are there to make your marketing mark if you have the courage to act.

Sex Crimes and Their Defense in Minnesota

Under Minnesota law, criminal sexual conduct or sex crimes may include: rape, statutory rape, unwanted sexual contact, criminal sexual assault, child pornography, child solicitation or child enticement, solicitation of mentally impaired persons, sodomy, incest, fornication, pimping, and prostitution. Some prohibitions, like those against sodomy and fornication, are technically still on the books, but rarely enforced.

The Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor has the following statistics on sexual conduct and sexual assault crimes:

The number of reported sex offenses in Minnesota increased almost threefold between 1971 and 1984, but has remained relatively constant since then.

The number of sex offenses (sexual assault, rape, sexual conduct) reported to the police increased from 2,303 offenses in 1971 to 6,589 offenses in 1984. In 1993, 6,439 sex offenses were reported, of which 49 percent resulted in an arrest.

Between 1981 and 1992, adult convictions for sex offenses involving force remained at the level of 145 to 190 each year, but convictions for child sexual abuse nearly tripled, rising from 160 to 461, and convictions for interfamilial sex abuse increasing from 3 to 154.

Reflecting these trends, about 90 percent of the victims of convicted sex offenders were children or adolescents. Nearly all of the victims of adjudicated juvenile offenders were under 18 years old, as were 84 percent of the victims of adult offenders (with 46 percent under age 13). Nearly all convicted sex offenders (97 percent) were male and most of their victims were female, although 18 percent of the victims of juvenile offenders and 13 percent of the victims of adult offenders were male.

Criminal sexual conduct is divided into four degrees depending upon the age of the victim, age of the accused, whether force is used, and the existence of any special relationship between the parties, such as parent-child or physician-patient. In Minnesota, judges are required to double the punishment imposed on a pattern sex offender, which is someone who repeats or is likely to repeat a sex crime, or someone who plans the crime. Moreover, if convicted of a sex crime, offenders must register with police departments across the state.

FIRST DEGREE. First Degree sexual conduct/assault requires sexual penetration with another person. Remember - A mistake regarding the complainant's age or consent by the underage person is not a defense to a sexual conduct crime.

Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant; or the complainant is at least 13 years of age but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority.

Fear of Great Harm. Circumstances existing at the time of the act cause the complainant to have a reasonable fear of imminent great bodily harm to the complainant or another;

Armed with Weapon. The actor is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit;

Personal Injury. The actor causes personal injury to the complainant, and either of the following circumstances exist:

The actor uses force or coercion to accomplish sexual penetration; or

The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;

The actor is aided or abetted by one or more accomplices and force or coercion is used or the accomplice is armed with a dangerous weapon.

Significant Relationship. A significant relationship generally means that the parties live together. It is a crime if the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and the complainant was under 16 years of age at the time of the sexual penetration.

Penalty. Not more than 30 years and a fine of not more than $40,000. There is a presumptive executed sentence of 144 months.

SECOND DEGREE. Second degree criminal sexual conduct/assault does not require penetration. Instead, it involves "sexual contact." Sexual contact has been defined by case law to mean touching of the genital area, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks with a sexual intent. The sexual touching may occur on the flesh or through the clothing.

Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant; or the complainant is at least 13 years of age but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority.

Fear of Great Harm. Circumstances existing at the time of the act cause the complainant to have a reasonable fear of imminent great bodily harm to the complainant or another;

Armed with Weapon. The actor is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit;

Personal Injury. The actor causes personal injury to the complainant, and either of the following circumstances exist:

The actor uses force or coercion to accomplish sexual penetration; or

The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;

The actor is aided or abetted by one or more accomplices and force or coercion is used or the accomplice is armed with a dangerous weapon.

Significant Relationship. A significant relationship generally means that the parties live together. It is a crime if the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and the complainant was under 16 years of age at the time of the sexual penetration.

Penalty. Not more than 25 years and payment of a fine of not more than $35,000.

THIRD DEGREE. Third degree criminal sexual conduct is similar to first degree in that it requires sexual penetration. Penetration is liberally construed to included penetration of the anal or genital openings and specifically includes digital and oral penetration. Third degree sexual conduct is generally charged for behavior that is not as extreme as first degree sexual assault.

Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant; or the complainant is at least 13 but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 24 months older than the complainant. In any such case it shall be an affirmative defense, which must be proved by a preponderance of the evidence, that the actor believes the complainant to be 16 years of age or older. Consent by the complainant is not a defense.

Force or Coercion. the actor uses force or coercion to accomplish the penetration

Mental & Physical Infirmity of Victim. The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless.

Position of Authority. The complainant is at least 16 but less than 18 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority over the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant's age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense.

Penalty. If the actor in such a case is no more than 48 months but more than 24 months older than the complainant, the actor may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years. Otherwise a person convicted may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 15 years and a payment of not more than $30,000.

FOURTH DEGREE. A person who engages in sexual contact with another person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree if any of the following circumstances exists:

Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is no more than 36 months older than the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant's age or consent to the act by the complainant is a defense. In a prosecution under this clause, the state is not required to prove that the sexual contact was coerced. Additionally, if the complainant is at least 13 but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant or in a position of authority over the complainant fourth degree sexual conduct may be charged. Consent by the complainant to the act is not a defense. In any such case, it shall be an affirmative defense which must be proved by a preponderance of the evidence that the actor believes the complainant to be 16 years of age or older.

Force or Coercion. The actor uses force or coercion to accomplish the sexual contact.

Mental & Physical Infirmity of Victim. The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless.

Position of Authority. The complainant is at least 16 but less than 18 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority over the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant's age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense.

Significant Relationship. The actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and the complainant was at least 16 but under 18 years of age at the time of the sexual contact.

Penalty. A person convicted may be sentenced to not more than ten years and a payment of a fine of not more than $20,000.

FIFTH DEGREE. A person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the fifth degree:

(1) if the person engages in nonconsensual sexual contact; or

(2) the person engages in masturbation or lewd exhibition of the genitals in the presence of a minor under the age of 16, knowing or having reason to know the minor is present.

"Sexual contact" does not include the intentional touching of the clothing covering the immediate area of the buttocks. Sexual contact does includes the intentional removal or attempted removal of clothing covering the complainant's intimate parts or undergarments, and the nonconsensual touching by the complainant of the actor's intimate parts, effected by the actor, if the action is performed with sexual or aggressive intent.

. Penalty. A person convicted may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year and payment of a fine of not more than $3,000. The charge may be increased to a felony with imprisonment for not more than five years and payment of $10,000, if the person has prior violations.

AGGRESSIVE DEFENSE

In today's world much hysteria and controversy swirls around sexual abuse. A person accused may find that even if acquitted they are looked upon with suspicion and fear. The allegation itself can carry with significant stigma and social repercussions. Too often, prosecutors charge out criminal sexual conduct cases based solely on an allegation. There is often little physical evidence. Though it may seem the case is weak, an aggressive and proactive defense is necessary. That may include hiring experts to review witness interviews for suggestive language and improper techniques.

If you are accused take these steps:

Do not give any statements to law enforcement and do not discuss the case with any other people until you have retained legal counsel;

Hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer;

Write down the names of potential helpful witnesses;

Only after retaining a lawyer should you make written notes regarding the allegations. these should be provided to your lawyer.

Getting The Right Vacuum Cleaner For Your Home

Buying a vacuum cleaner might seem easy, but there are important issues to consider. These include price, features, and what type and size of house a person has. A large house needs a stronger vacuum if the house is carpeted. In addition, pets or children can affect how often a home is vacuumed and how hard a vacuum cleaner will need to work to ensure cleanliness. People with hardwood floors may also want vacuum cleaners, but they will likely be more interested in a canister vacuum as opposed to an upright. A canister vacuum is better designed to handle rugs and draperies, as well as upholstery. These kinds of vacuums do not do well, however, for individuals with wall to wall carpet, because their cleaning power is not the same.

The price of a vacuum cleaner is very important, but not to everyone. Some people have more money than others, and those who are rich simply buy what they want. For the majority of individuals, however, how much a vacuum cleaner costs affects whether a person buys it or not. In addition, many people look at the price of a vacuum cleaner based on several factors, such as the width of the cleaning path, the size of the motor, and what kinds of attachments come along with it. A vacuum with a stronger motor and more attachments should generally cost more. However, there are some discrepancies in price in almost any category of vacuum cleaner, and taking one’s time to find the best deal is often worth it.

The brand of vacuum cleaner that is purchased can also affect price and be very significant for many people. There are some people who swear by a particular brand and will not purchase anything else, just as there are some people who do not care what brand they buy, as long as it works well and is priced right. Most people fall somewhere in the middle. They have certain brands that they like, but they will pick from among those brands based on price and other factors. In addition, they might consider going outside of that group of brands if they find something that seems to be a particularly good deal, or if something else has been recommended to them from someone who they trust.

There are some vacuum choices that a lot of people do not consider, but which are still good options for many people. For those who have multi-story homes, having a vacuum cleaner on each floor is generally a good option, to avoid carrying a vacuum cleaner up and down stairs. Some of these individuals will opt to have a central vacuum cleaner installed in a home so that there is only a very lightweight hose to carry around when vacuuming. In addition, some people use a robotic vacuum if they have a small area of hard floor which they want to clean very easily. These are not designed for large areas, however, or for carpeted areas. There are so many choices for a vacuum cleaner today that people can generally find whatever it is that they are looking for, making their cleaning easier.

How to Make Warhammer Modeling Flock

Spending almost $200 of your budget for a modeling flock is too big just to produce a 4' x 4' grassland gaming board. Is always be a problem you will face in making a gaming terrain but this will not be a hindrance for you to experiment on what decision to undertake. Because you want to work on a small budget this is something you had get over.

Doing research on Yahoo or Google on how to create a modeling flock or by just simply asking a friend who knows how to create one. That can lower the $200 to a $10 or less. But be sure to watch and read on the instructions for they will cause you problems in the results of your modeling flock. You should admit that making your first modeling flock will not be that easy for it will not produce similar to the modeling flock that cost $200. You should not be afraid to try every thing every possible way to have your modeling flock be the flock you want.

Without further delay the content of this article is the detailed instruction on how to make a modeling flock.

Step 1 - Get Your Materials Ready

Here is what you’ll be needing:

-a container to mix it in (we use a gallon sized ice cream container)

-a cookie sheet to dry the modeling flock on (don’t use new ones, your mother / wife won’t be happy)

-a tube of green paint (in the picture it shows a tube of blue paint and a tube of yellow paint, but we found it easier to just get a tube of green paint)

-water

-a stirring stick

-sawdust (that’s right, modeling flock is just dyed sawdust!)

-a fine strainer

The tubes of paint that we use are 4 U.S. fl oz, or 118 mL. We buy them at the dollar store for $1.

You can get the sawdust from any lumber mill that near your place. They should be more than happy to hand over a garbage bag full free of charge. If not, then just find someone you know who is a carpenter.

Take note that the sawdust should have been made from sanding, not from cutting wood.

Step 2 - Dilute The Paint

First you will need to dilute the paint that you are going to use to dye the saw dust. The amount of paint that you water down will determine how much flock you will make.

You will discharge the entire 118 mL tube of green paint into the container and then fill the container 3cm (about 1 1/4 inches) full of water.

WARNING: If you water down the paint too much your flock will be brown.

This is the common mistake which will end up with ugly stuff and waste. Even though it started out a nice green it will end up an ugly brown, which was useful only to be used as dirt and not grass. But we are going to create a grassland so better careful.

Mix the water and paint with a stirring stick. You can use any typical stirring sticks that you get from the paint stores, but you can really use anything that you don’t care getting stained with green paint.

(Important Note: The colour of your flock will be slightly browner than the green paint that you mix, so choose a colour paint that is slightly brighter than your desired modeling flock colour.)

Step 3 - Add the Sawdust

The next procedure is to add the sawdust on the paint. First add a small amount just to turn the watered down paint mixture into a compact sludge. Then continue adding more and more sawdust until it is mixed in well with the paint.

The easiest way to tell when to stop adding sawdust is when you add a bit more and it is very hard to mix in (i.e. it is hard to get rid of the brown sawdust). This is the point where you should stop.

Warning: If you stop sooner your flock will not be fine enough.

However, don’t expect your flock to be as fine as the Games Workshop version at this point for they already perfected the mixing of the paint and the sawdust. That will come sooner or later.

Once you have finished mixing the flock you are ready to move to next step.

Step 4 - Spread Out Your Modeling Flock to Dry

You will now need to spread out the modeling flock to dry. You can use two cookie sheets to dry out the amount of flock made with your desired proportions.

In spreading out the damp modeling flock it should be evenly as possible, then put it in a cool dry place and not be hit by strong winds for 24-48 hours. Make sure it is completely dry before proceeding to the next step, or else you will not get the same quality results as what Games Workshop produces.

Step 5 - Screen the Modeling Flock To Make It Finer

A fine strainer with a small openings you will have in doing the last step and that is to screen the modeling flock through it. There may be bunches that are just too hard deal with. You should really work if this happen until you cannot screen a dust from it. This will not be garbage cause it can be use as a mossy rock on another models.

About Essential Fatty Acids and Fish Oil

By now, most of us have heard of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and their potential health benefits. They’re said to sustain cognitive function and memory, benefit the heart and immune system, aid in cell reproduction and repair, and even help balance hormones. Fish oil, duly noted by the medical community as having similar benefits, contains high levels of omega-3 essential fatty acids, thus establishing the link between a daily regimen of fish oil and good health. Fish oil is sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement and comes in both liquid and capsule form.

What are essential fatty acids?

Essential fatty acids are unsaturated fats typically found in the oils of vegetables, certain nuts and seeds and some fish. They’re said to benefit health more than the saturated fats found in meat and dairy products and may even have a positive impact on cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. Essential fatty acids are referred to as "essential" because they must be obtained through diet and are essential to the normal growth and function of muscles, nerves, cells and organs in humans. There are two families of essential fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids – the fatty acids found in fish oil

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat present in many coldwater fish including trout, salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, mackerel, tuna and cod. The two most potent forms of omega-3 fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), both known as "good fats" – unlike saturated fats, which when consumed in excess can lead to cardiovascular problems, neural and brain disorders.

EPA helps to produce the prostaglandins (hormone-like substances) which help control blood-clotting and arterial functions. EPAs may also help to lower serum triglyceride levels.

DHA is a major component of human brain and retinal tissue and aids the transmission of nerve impulses.

The term "omega-3 essential fatty acid" has become synonymous with "fish oil" in modern American marketing literature.

Sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids other than fish oil include, but are not limited to:

• Avocadoes (whole or oil)
• Brazil nuts
• Flaxseed
• Flaxseed oil
• Fortified milk products
• Hempseeds
• Hempseed oil
• Omega-3 eggs
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sesame seed
• Soybean oil
• Walnuts
• Wheat germ oil

Omega-6 fatty acids – not found in fish oil

Omega-6 EFAs are found in animal products such as dairy and meat and are common in cooking oils such as safflower, olive, sunflower, hemp, soybean, pumpkin, sesame, walnut and flaxseed oils. Too many omega-6 EFAs, say nutritionists, can throw off the balance of prostaglandins and lead to health problems. Experts recommend a ratio of three parts omega-3 essential fatty acids to every one part omega-6 fatty acid in the diet. Research indicates that Americans consume far more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 as a result of overindulging in fried foods, red meat and cheese.

Omega-6 fatty acids are dependent on interactions with omega-3 essential fatty acids in order to benefit good health, which is why a balance of the two is crucial in the diet. The American Heart Association cautions against a high dietary intake of omega-6 fatty acids as it can lead to the development of gallstones and promote tumors.

Prostaglandins

Prostaglandins encompass a number of hormone-like substances found in every cell in the body. They’re critical to the dilation and constriction of blood vessels, the contraction and relaxation of muscles, the regulation of blood pressure and the modulation of inflammation. Prostaglandins are needed for overall good health and maintenance and must be replenished constantly. It’s easy to understand why having a good balance of prostaglandins in the body is essential to well-being.

Where does fish oil come from?

Most fish oil is extracted from the fatty flesh of the fish, unless a product specifically states otherwise, as is the case with cod liver oil or shark liver oil – extracted from fish liver. Nutritious fish oil is usually derived from deep, coldwater fish and those swimming in the wild (wild fish eat other fish and marine animals and vegetation to survive, whereas farm-raised fish are typically fed some type of less nutritious, less expensive, commercial-grade pellet). Some experts say the best fish comes from the deep Atlantic of Norway and other Scandinavian countries: the deeper and colder the water, say experts, the less chance of toxins such as mercury, lead, dioxins, furans and PCBs occurring in the fish oil. Fish from eastern Pacific waters is known to contain elevated levels of mercury.

Fish oil supplements – good ones / bad ones

"Product disclosure" is the operable phrase when seeking out nutritious fish oil supplements. From what kind of fish is the oil extracted and from where is it extracted naturally through pressing or with a centrifuge; or are petrochemical solvents such as hexane used to extract the oil from the source? How is the fish oil refined? Is it molecularly distilled, which to date is the most reliable form of fish oil purification, or does the label read something like "extra-distilled" or "super-distilled?" Such terms have no bearing on quality or safety. Because the hundreds of thousands of fish oil supplements on the market remain unregulated by the FDA, the safety, consistency, efficacy and strength of these products varies immensely among brands.

When reading fish oil supplement labels:

• Make sure the type of fish from which the fish oil is extracted is listed.
• Look for terms "coldwater," "deep water" and "wild" as opposed to "farm-raised."
• In what ocean or hemisphere was the fish caught? North Atlantic, deep, coldwater is said to be the most nutritious.
• Make sure the fish oil is molecularly distilled, which better ensures the absence of PCBs, heavy metals and other contaminants.
• What parts of the fish were used? Fish oils extracted from fish liver may be higher in heavy metals and contaminants.
• What fish oil extraction method was used? Cold or modified expeller pressing means that the oil was produced without damaging temperatures or unnecessary pressure.

Marketing claims that have no defined meaning in relation to fish oil supplements, and which often mislead consumers, include:

• Ultra-pure
• Professional grade
• Pharmaceutical grade
• High-potency
• Super-distilled
• Natural
• Extra-distilled
• Best
• Finest
• Highest quality
• Pure
• Purest
• Purified

Essential fatty acid health benefits and risks

Few argue the benefits of fish oil and essential fatty acids in the diet. Clinical studies have demonstrated that the omega-3 fatty acids can benefit cardiovascular health and that "good unsaturated fats" derived from vegetables and fish are far more nutritious than "bad saturated fats" which come from red meat, animal products and dairy. The cardiovascular benefits to balancing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the diet include lowered serum cholesterol, decreased serum trigylcerides and reduced platelet aggregation. Although many fish oil supplement companies claim that fish oil supplementation may aid brain function and strengthen the immune system, a complete body of evidence has yet to be produced.

Along with the health benefits of fish oil come some risks, most associated with taking too high doses of fish oil or having dangerously high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids in the blood. Some of these risks can include:

• Thinning of the blood and reduced ability of the blood to clot.
• Increased risk of bleeding.
• Too large doses can increase glucose levels in persons with already elevated blood sugar levels.
• In excess, fish oil may suppress the immune system.
• Increase the occurrence of nosebleeds and easy bruising.
• Upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea and belching.
• Poisoning from heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins and pesticides.

Experts and nutritionists are convinced that the health benefits of fish oil far outweigh the risks. However, many warn that fish oil shouldn’t be taken with blood-thinning medication such as warfarin or aspirin and shouldn’t be taken by anyone with bleeding disorders or uncontrolled hypertension. It is highly advisable to consult a physician before supplementing a diet with fish oil.

EPAs, DHAs, efficacy and the FDA

In September of 2004, the FDA announced they would allow a qualified health claim for reduced risk of coronary heart disease for conventional foods that contain EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids as outlined in FDA’s "Interim Procedures for Qualified Health Claims in the Labeling of Conventional Human Food and Human Dietary Supplements." Notwithstanding inconclusive research at the time of release, the FDA said it would exercise its enforcement discretion with respect to the following qualified health claim:

"Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. One serving of [name of food] provides [x] grams of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. [See nutrition information for total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content.]"

In 2000, the FDA announced a similar qualified health claim for dietary supplements containing EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids and the reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). The FDA recommends that consumers not exceed more than a total of three grams per day of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids, with no more than two grams per day from a dietary supplement.

Be sure to shop at www.vitacost.com for all your essential fatty acid and fish oil needs!

References

1. Supplement from the sea: the fat from fish oil can benefit your heart, eyes, joints, and brain. Tom Weede. Natural Health. Oct 2007 v37 i9 p105 (2).

2. Omega medicine. Is fish oil good for what ails you? Bonnie Liebman. Nutrition Action Healthletter. Oct 2007 v34 i8 p1 (5).

3. The government’s big fish story: Pick the perfect fish oil supplement. Men's Health. July-August 2007 v22 i6 p158.

4. Fish oil and brain development. Alan R. Gaby. Townsend Letter: The Examiner of Alternative Medicine. Oct 2007 i291 p49 (2).

5. Effects of fish oil supplementation on myocardial fatty acids in humans. R.G. Metcalf, M.J. James, R.A. Gibson. Alternative Medicine Review. Sept 2007 v12 i3 p307 (1).

6. Essential fatty acids. Douglas Dupler and Teresa G. Odle. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 4 vols. Updated July 1, 2006.

7. Mighty omegas (ways to score more essential fats). Nancy Duncan. Women's Health. Dec 2006 v3 i10 p47.

8. Essential fatty acids and eicosanoids: their role in preventing inflammation, cardiovascular disease and cancer. James Meschino. Dynamic Chiropractic. Dec 3, 2007 v25 i25 p28(3).

9. Fish oil. Mai Tran and Teresa Odle. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 4 vols. Updated July 1, 2006.

10. On call: Fish oil revisited. Staying Healthy from the Faculty of Harvard Medical School. August 21, 2006 pNA.

11. By the way, doctor: How much fish oil should I be taking? Staying Healthy from the Faculty of Harvard Medical School. August 21, 2006 pNA.

Viva La Vegan - Why it's not hard to be a vegan

People are generally pretty shocked that I choose not to eat animal products of any kind. “Don’t you feel like you’re missing out?” they ask wide-eyed with their eyebrow raised. The answer is no. The only thing I feel I’m missing out on is contributing to the mass slaughter of farmed animals. Eating meat; fish and dairy causes environmental destruction, damages human health, contributes to global hunger and inflicts immense suffering on billions of animals across the world.

Sometimes they get the vegetarian thing. Most people have seen images of factory farming, which are pretty shocking. They push it to the back of their minds, but kind of understand vegetarians. Vegans on the other hand seem like freaks, after all what’s wrong with taking the cows excess milk right? Well the cow wouldn’t have had milk without a calf and what happens to the calf? They get ripped away from their mother within the first days, the males often going to veal crates, or being killed on the spot and the females enduring the same fate as their mother; Excessive milking, mastitis and slaughter when she gets worn out due to overwork.

Chickens bred for laying eggs are only useful if they are female. Thousands of male chicks (yes the cute yellow fluffy ones) are crushed alive or left to die in rubbish bags, suffocating and squashed by the other chicks. Therefore even free-range eggs raise ethical questions and as for battery cages, they are outdated and extremely cruel.

The hardest thing about being a vegan, isn’t resisting temptation to eat meat, but trying to avoid hidden animal products in everything from sweets and beer to bread and even soy products. The best thing to do is to get used to reading ingredients. If a product that you like contains an animal product that could be easily replaced, write the company a letter and explain why you won’t be using their product anymore and suggest a simple change they could make.

Playing Cornhole At A Tailgate Party

Cornhole is a very popular game in some areas of the country, and not so popular in others. For the areas of the country where the game has a following, however, it is often played at tailgate parties and other gatherings. One of the reasons that cornhole does so well at a tailgate party is because it is so easy to transport. The board that is traditionally used in the cornhole game is four feet by two feet, which fits in the bed of a truck, and it will also go in the trunk of a larger car. In addition, there are some smaller versions of the board made. These are three feet by two feet, and they are often called by the name of beanbag toss, instead of cornhole.

Because of this, the cornhole game is popular at many different gatherings, and the game is very often played at tailgating parties in the Northern part of the country. While the game does not seem to be as popular in the South, there are pockets of interest in it. In these areas, the individuals who like to play the cornhole game will bring their cornhole game boards and the bags to tailgate parties and other gatherings so that everyone has a chance to play. They organize tournaments, play the game at backyard barbecues, and predict that the game will one day be big enough to be televised like bowling and other activities that some people believe is a sport and others do not.

One of the best things about the cornhole game, however, is the ease with which it can be played. This is a great thing for any kind of party, because virtually anyone can play it without worrying about how to understand the rules. The game is not difficult, and the rules are not complex, making the game something that can be enjoyed by anyone, young or old, at any skill level. People can also make their own cornhole boards and cornhole sets. There are plans available on the Internet for almost everyone to use. The cornhole board can be made quite easily with a few simple tools by someone with only a moderate level of skill.

Even a beginner can make a cornhole board by following the instructions carefully. Most cornhole boards � either homemade or factory made � are made of wood. Some of them, however, are made of plastic, but they are often not as popular. For those who make their own boards for tailgate parties, however, there are also cornhole bags that need to be made. The older ones were made of a heavy cloth such as denim or burlap and stuffed with corn. Today�s cornhole bags are usually made of a somewhat softer cloth, and they are either stuffed with beans or with plastic pellets. Either way, however, they are easy to make and can last a long time when made correctly. They need to be sewn very tightly and they have to be the correct size and weight. By either buying or building a cornhole board the next tailgate party can be a huge success.

Common Mistakes In Business Plans

Your business plan is typically the first impression potential lenders of investors get about your business idea. Even with a great product, team, and customers, and you are unable to convey to properly convey your image, it could be the last impression if your plan has some of the following, common mistakes.

Lenders and investors review hundreds of business plan every year and with every plan, lenders and investors become more cynical because the same mistakes pop up with regular frequency. With so much competition for a limited amount of capital, it is imperative to not make these mistakes.

1. Financials

Unrealistic Financial Projections - Simply saying that you are going to do $100,000 in sales is not enough nor can you simply say there is no way of knowing. Everyone knows there is no way to accurately come up with financial projections over the next three years, especially in a start-up. But, what is required in your plan is that reasonable assumptions are made and supported with research. By incorporating a detailed list of assumptions and how you arrived at your numbers, the lender/investor can judge your analysis and decision making process. If you are projecting to generate high sales outside of industry norms, explaining how you arrived at this conclusion is a must. Lenders and investors have seen many, many plans that claim sales are going through the roof once funded and as a result are very jaded at statements like this. Financial data that is inconsistent with industry averages and overly aggressive sales figures will raise flags. Explain every number.

Confusing Cash with Profits - Revenues do not always equal cash. For example, suppose you make a sale this month for $100 that cost $50 to produce. Assuming your buyer doesn’t pay for 30-60 and even 90 days if dealing with state or federal sources (and assuming they all pay), the effect on your cash flow is significant. Suppliers and employees still have to be paid for their work while you are waiting on payment from the buyer.

While you may not have a significant portion of sales coming from receivables, the timing of cash flows is critical for developing a financial strategy as cash flow is much more important than profits. Profits are an accounting concept while cash is money in the bank. If you don’t believe me try paying your bills with profits.

No Adjustment for Seasonality - All businesses are seasonal to some extent, some more significant than others. Seasonality refers to the percentage of sales that are made in a month. For example, most retailers have huge November and December sales and lousy January and February sales. Did you make enough cash during the good months to cover the slow months to cover salaries, rents and lights?

If You Build It They Will Come - Be careful in assuming once your doors open people will be streaming in to buy. You have a new, relatively unheard of business. This is a time when your business is particularly vulnerable as most of new owner’s cash reserves have typically been used to open the store. If sales projections are off during the first couple of months and you don’t have enough working capital to keep the lights on, you may be quickly going out of business.

Insufficient financial projections - Basic financial projections consist of four elements: Income Statements, Profit & Loss, Balance Sheets, and Cash Flow Statements.

For most businesses a three-year projection is sufficient, but if yours is a capital intensive one and will take longer to show profitability then use five. Actual figures are a must if you can get them and any number in the projections needs to be in the business plan narrative. If you are purchasing an existing business use the historical financials to show support for your sales figures.

No Quotes - Any significant expenses should have a quote accompanied in the appendix, especially for construction or remodeling as this is an area where most entrepreneurs slip as they do it themselves and greatly underestimate the costs.

2. Marketing

Failing to relieve the customer’s pain - Businesses are rewarded to make consumer’s pain go away. Pain can include; my car stopped working, my doggie is sick or my tax returns are too hard to prepare.

If your business plan can’t show how you are relieving the customer’s pain, then the chances for success in the marketplace is extremely limited.

Remember pain equals market opportunity. The greater the pain, the greater number of customer’s with this pain and the better you can relieve the pain equals greater market potential.

One Billion Customers Served - Claiming everyone needs your product/service will send a strong message to the reviewer that you don’t know your market and remove any credibility to your plan. In the good old days the shotgun approach to marketing could work as there were limited channels for advertisement. Today with unlimited outlets and more narrowly defined markets, this approach does not fly.

While it’s true everyone eats, not everyone will eat at your restaurant, nor could you effectively advertise to everyone. By researching the segments that are most likely to use your product/service and showing how your message will get to them will ultimately make your endeavor more successful. Having clearly defined target markets will show you have done your homework and be the cornerstone of a marketing strategy that can succeed.

We have no competition - Use this statement if your want your plan rejected. Every business has competition. While there may not be a direct competitor, meaning one that offers the same or similar product, there is always an indirect competitor.

Saying there is no competition tells the reviewer that you have either not done any market research or there is not a market for your product.

3. Organization

Writing For The Wrong Audience - A plan for a lender should be written differently than one for an investor. Banks are interested in seeing the likelihood that debts be repaid and investors are interested in the upside profit potential. Be sure to write your plan to your audience. For both, keep to the facts, keep it clear and keep it simple. If you don’t feel you have the writing abilities to make your plan shine, then get help.

Poor spelling and grammar - Leaving spelling and grammatical errors in your plan only tells the reviewer that you are not paying attention to details and may not pay enough attention to the business. Use spelling and grammar checkers and let others review your plan to make sure there are no errors.

Too repetitive - Many times, plans will cover the same points over and over. A well-written plan should cover key points only twice: once in the executive summary then again in greater detail in the narrative of the plan.

Remove the Jargon - Using simple language is imperative to getting a technical business funded. Don’t think that by using complex terms that lenders/investors will be so impressed with your knowledge that they will whip open the checkbook. Businesses that can’t be understood don’t get funded. If you can’t explain your business to a sixth grader your chances of funding are in jeopardy.

Investors are really only interested in your technology if it solves a problem that people will pay for, is better than the competition, can be protected through patents and can reasonably go to market without spending a lot of money.

Keep the technical details out of the business plan and in the white papers.

Appearance matters - Make sure your plan looks professional. Use professional printing, binding, keeping fonts consistent and easy to read. The more money being requested means investing more time in making sure your plan will stand out from the crowd. Be careful that you don’t go overboard and give the impression that the plan is all style and no substance.

Length - A long business plan does not make a better business plan. All of the industry and marketing research won’t save a flawed plan. Too many plans have been immediately rejected because they are too long. Lenders and investors favor entrepreneurs who can efficiently demonstrate the ability to efficiently get to the point.

An executive summary should be no more than 1-3 pages. Ideally it should only be one page but some complex plans require more. An ideal business plan is 20-30 pages, including financials. Remember less is more!

Use operating plans, white papers and marketing plans for the in-depth details.

Fluffing - Using phrases like "unmatched in the industry;" "narrow window of opportunity;" or "ground floor" are empty phrases filled with hype. If anything, the cynical reviewer will be turned off by the hype and trash your plan. Stick with laying out the facts – what is the problem, how will you solve the problem, how big is the market, how will consumers buy it and what is your competitive advantage. If the opportunity is there the lender/investor will be able to make the decision for themselves.

Overvaluing the business idea - What gives a business value is not the idea but the execution of the idea. A great idea is a start, but almost everyone has had a great idea at some point in their lives. How you will execute this idea is what sets apart a real business from the dreamers.

4. Execution Mistakes

Waiting too long - Funding a business takes a long time. Expect three months at a minimum after finishing your business plan to get funding. Unless you have sufficient capital, other sources of income and can be funded in-house at a bank, this number may be reduced. Bank financing for business with less than two years of operating history are typically funded through an SBA guarantee, which requires additional time, patience and paperwork. Financing through investors is usually an even longer process as they have a lot of people competing for their money and they tend to do significant due diligence to secure their investment. Waiting until you need the money is a sure way to keep your business from launching.

Unreasonable time lines - Many business owners underestimate the timelines for completing milestones. Its human nature to think we can do things faster than is possible. When getting a business started there will be several tasks you could not have anticipated and the some tasks you think will be easy which will end up taking much longer. It is best to overestimate and finish early, rather than scramble and execute your opening poorly.

Failing to seek outside review - When preparing your plan, be sure that you have at least a few people review it before sending it out. Preferably look for people in your industry or who have a specialization in sales, distribution, etc that could lend a fresh set of eyes and find any flaws in the plan. Being so close to the action can keep you from being objective and this additional scrutiny may save you countless headaches and money down the road.

Perfecting - It can be easy to spend countless hours perfecting your plan and ultimately never launching. Remember, your plan will never be perfect and in practice should be continually updated as you learn more about the business, market and customers. Don’t make your plan an academic practice, finish it and get in front of investors and lenders. Use this feedback to see if your plan really needs the additional perfection.

10 Points To Check Before Buying A Motorcycle

Buying a new or used motorcycle is serious business. It needs thought and careful selection. A motorbike is sacred to many and just a vehicle to some. However no motorcycle buyer should be without a check list that will help him or her make a great selection.

10 musts before paying for a motorcycle:

1. Check it out and do so with a motorcyclist friend in tow. Check if the motorcycle is clean and straight down centerline and forks.

2. Take along a list of models and their pros and cons. Discuss the nuances with the friendly sales person.

3. Find out about gears, brakes, clutch, and all other mechanics.

4. Determine engine specifics and details of gas tank and wheels.

5. Ask about service and warranties.

6. Get details of accessories and other musts like helmets, rear view mirrors and so on.

7. Sit on a lot of bikes to get a feel of height and riding position.

8. Read up on bikes in discover Today’s Motorcycling. Get all the information on types of bikes, financing, bike care and more.

9. If you are new to motorcycles choose a light-weight bike rather than the coolest, sexiest bike that only pros can ride. New riders should aim for a four-cylinder of less than 600 cc or 75- cc for sports machines and 150cc for everyday use.

10. Ask about safety gear and budget for this too in the cost of the motorcycle. Use pants, helmet, gloves, and jacket meant for motorcycling.

All motorcyclists must consider safety and reliability. Get a valid motorcycling license and insurance too. Be wise and take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course see: http://www.msf-usa.org/ .

Refer to magazines like beginner Bikes magazine for recommendations on good starter bikes. According to dedicated bikers, a good choice of a motorcycle for a beginner would be Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Buell Blast.

Choose a bike that suits you and not one that looks good on the cover of a magazine. The rule of thumb is the motorcycle and its rider must fit like hand in glove. Test ride the motorcycle and get a feel. A large part of selecting a motorcycle is comfort and instinct. So choose a motorcycle with care so that you get long hours of riding as well as comfort and safety.

Never buy a bike on first sight or visit. Take your time in making a selection. Visit the many motorcycle websites on the internet and comparison shop. Find out what offline prices of motorcycles are and compare features as well as prices, service contracts, and warranties. Many people find that the best deals are available on the internet. Others feel a motorcycle must not be bought without viewing and test riding. So get all your thoughts and options in order before you make a choice.

Make Your Own Website

There are plenty of options to make your own website. I will cover a few no cost, easy to set up sites. I will also discuss registering a domain name and choosing a hosting service. A blog is essentially a website but with more functionality and there are quite a few sites that will allow you to set up a blog for free. Make your own website for free, it sounds to good to be true. The trade off with free sites is they will usually display ads on your site unless you upgrade to their paid account option. You can try out a blog host for a couple of weeks and if you like the service you can either live with the ads or pay to upgrade your account. Blogger is one exception they have done away with their ads and it is easy to use with a robust feature set for users of all levels. Another popular option is Wordpress it has a clear interface and powerful features and best of all it is free. Xanga which is also free is one of the most popular blog host providers for teenagers and young adults. Another interesting feature than you can use in conjunction with your Blogger or Wordpress account is Audio Blogger, you can find it at audioblog.com. It allows you to create an audio blog by either recording with your web browser or by calling in on a telephone. You can call from your cell phone from anywhere in the world and even interview someone on a conference call. A few years ago who would have have thought you could make your own website and call in audio from your cell phone, to create a podcast that could be heard by millions of people. Audio Blog also allows you to to upload videos to your blog. You can record digital video on your cell phone or webcam and upload it. The only drawback is it is 4.95 a month. If you would like to have more control over your blog you can chose your own domain name and web hosting service. I personally use business hosting from Yahoo! Web Hosting. I chose Yahoo because it is reliable and comes with a free domain name, all you have to do is pay the low monthly hosting fee. It also has one click installation of Wordpress. Hostgator is another affordable service and it is also easy to install Wordpress on their server as well. It has never been easier to make your own website. The reason I think blogs are better than a traditional website is that they have an RSS feed which stands for Really Simple Syndication. It allows readers to subscribe to your blog and easily keep track of new and updated content. Well there you go, I have given you a few options to make your own website. You should have one up and running in no time at all. Drop me a line and let me know how it works out for you.

More informative links here:

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A List of Reasons Why You Need to Start a Blog

Blogging is taking the world of journalism and marketing by storm and easily the most influential activity on the internet. A blog is allowing individuals and businesses to post the state of the world, upcoming business promotions and anything personal someone may feel is important.

Think of your blogs as an opinion piece on anything in particular that you may feel is important. Some people have blogs on specific topics or specific areas like a city or vacation spot. Some blogs are set up as a source for highly specialized topics in the news which are often ignored by the mainstream media. Blogs are also tools of internet marketers and business owners promoting a product or service.

It isn’t just computer savvy people either that are starting their own blogs. It’s people like you and me. If you're thinking of starting a blog for whatever reason you want, but aren't quite convinced, think about some of these following reasons why it is a great idea to start one.

• Simple as can be – If there ever was a better time to start a blog, then this is it. There are a plethora of free blog templates available which are extremely user friendly. The only work you need to do is register then follow a few simple instructions. Even if you have with little or no technical skills, you can still start a blog.
  
  
• Make some money with your blog - Pay-per-click advertising programs like Adsense, and affiliate programs available with Amazon.com and Commission Junction can produce a nice chunk of change in your pocket. The only requirement is you need to have a website or blog.
  
  
• Say something– Blogs are great way to state your point of view and possibly change someone point of view if you’re the kind of person who likes to talk about issues. It’s only a matter of time before you build up steady traffic, and more in-depth discussions among like-minded bloggers and blog readers will take place.
  
  
• Keep in touch – A great and cheap way to stay in touch is to start a family blog. Publish family related newsletters and have everyone can keep in touch via the comments.
  
  
• Make a difference – You have the ability to touch and reach people through your blog. While your traffic might be low at first, given a little bit of time and the right theme, your blog has the potential to reach thousands, even millions of people just like yourself. Blogs are quickly becoming a powerful medium.
  
  
• Express your creativity to the world – You’ll have an outlet for others to see your work if you are an up and coming poet, artist, comedian, or author. You’ll reach more people easier through a blog than normal channels and methods.
  
  
• You're the best – What are you good at? If you think you are the best at something such as model trains, darts, or marketing, don’t be afraid to show everyone. Start a blog for other experts like yourself or offer tips and advice to your readers.
  
  
• Promote your business - Blogging leads to new clients and business opportunities as well as keeps existing customers updated on company news. Promote your latest breakthrough; update existing products changes; and alert customers to future promotions. It will also allow you to receive important feedback on products and services through its comment section.

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