What Do You Invest in When the Dow Jones Really Stinks?

Today's economic outlook seems no better than the current headlines. The "mortgage crunch" is rippling through the banking industry like locusts. Interest rates are uncertain and energy costs are rising. Sounds depressing doesn't it?

However, those feelings could have been expressed by the citizens of England in the 30's, Germany or Italy in the 40's and the Americans in the 50's, 60's and 70's. You could also track similar or worse attitudes from much of the world at one point or another. Almost all of those economies recovered and many grew significantly.

As an investor, you need to take one of two positions:

Do you think we are on the brink of global economic and political collapse?

If yes, buy gold coins, canned food and a big gun.

Or do you think that the world economies will continue in some form or fashion similar to the way they are now?

If yes, then you need to make a plan that is REASONABLE, FLEXIBLE and as LIQUID as possible.

It is important that you understand the terms in the way I will be using them. Reasonable means that you write out a plan that is not based upon "hot tips" or emotional "cliches". It does mean that your plan uses sound financial principles that are consistent with your goals.

The first step is to complete a review of your current assets and compare that "allocation" with your goals. If it is out of balance, develop a plan that converts your current portfolio to one that meets your goals. Putting this plan into writing helps you to remove the emotional factor. This plan should include a schedule for reviews. A plan that is reasonable is one that makes sense for YOU!

Flexible means that you consider as many options as possible for meeting your goals without too much risk. Risk is usually the defining issue. It is very hard to even beat taxes and inflation without some risk. However, proper asset allocation will help to manage and reduce the risk in a portfolio. Every investment has some type of risk. Risk can NOT be eliminated but it can be managed.

Liquidity is the ability to move from one type of investment to another. Typically, the more 'liquid" the investment, the easier it is to move. In general, it also means the investment will be less volatile. This will usually mean a lower rate of return.

Most successful investors use a series of planned steps tied to objectives and goals. This can help you get through the times when the market stinks.

Dwight Declet is the owner of Pacific Retirement Planning. As a registered representative (stock broker) he works with business owners and their employees in planning for retirement. If you have specific questions or would like more information, he can be contacted at: http://prp401k.com

General Insurance Agencies - Campus Recruiters Destroy Insurance Sales Jobs

Too bad that career general insurance agencies hire campus recruiters to deceptively persuade students to enter insurance sales jobs. The recruiters scouting the college campus are ignorant of the reality that awaits people they lure in. The general insurance agencies managers carry the blame and the hefty profits. Find out more.

College campuses are the biggest moneymakers that career general insurance agencies could have nearby. The agency goes out of its way to target students soon to become college graduates. This is where the use of insurance campus recruiters comes into effect.

The career life agency hires in a few Ken and Barbie looking people with no insurance experience background to be their campus recruiters. These are people that can memorize a canned script and make it sound oh so real, truthful, and enticing. Plus since they themselves never know how hard insurance sales jobs really are, they are unable to distinguish between truth and fantasy. Insurance campus recruiters are also hired on the basis on how well they can smile and sell prospective agents on the extremely exceptional benefits only their general insurance agencies can provide.

The campus recruiter attends every campus recruiting day, job fair, business expo, they can find. The general insurance agencies also sponsor lavish recruiting events. The goal is to make career insurance sales jobs appear far superior to any offer by any other company in the area could offer. Lies and deceit are the 2 main ways to fight off their competitors' guaranteed benefits and incomes. Since bonuses figure into recruiting, the insurance company campus recruiters start stretching the truth as far as they need.

The term "life insurance agent sales job" quickly turns into "fast advancing financial planner". As far as initial income, the career agency is able to pay an income subsidy of say $3,000 monthly. This is almost presented as a short term base salary without little or no mention of production requirements.

At an interview appointment, Ken or Barbie pumps hefty doses of sweet visions though the student's mind until the sweet aroma of money is tickling the nostrils. Once the student is mesmerized enough, the campus insurance recruiter goes in for the kill. Where else can the student lock in a position, and pass the state insurance licensed before graduating?

QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES: Why did the college campus recruiter usually have 100% authority to hire the student to become an agent?. Why was the prospect's financial history not looked into before hiring? Are there any study loans to pay off?. Can the student feel comfortable to sell financial wealthy business people? How does the campus recruiter even know if the prospect can actually sell?

THE RESULTS. 70% of campus recruited agents are working elsewhere after only 12 months. This zooms to 84% at 18 months, and crashes at 90% around the fourth year mark. THE ONLY WINNER, and a big time winner at that are the career life general insurance agencies and company headquarters. When an agent leaves, usually due to not making enough money, the hawks swoop in. Automatically all remainder first learn premiums plus all future renewal payments are locked into the insurance company hands. Just for a dose of injustice, take the profits off one agent and multiply it by 50. So what if the insurance campus recruiters did not do well for the agents hired in... the insurance agency is thrilled if the agent writes enough policies before moving on.

Well published author, Don Yerke likes to concentrate on what you don't know or what no one else dares to print. Tell it like it is.

Watch for his new paperback book debuting on Amazon early this summer. It is loaded with great insurance marketing and recruiting information.

Come and get your FREE "Think and Grow Rich" Ebook by Napoleon Hill instantly. The website address is http://www.agentsinsurancemarketing.com

How to Can Tomatoes the Easy Way

Why can your own tomatoes?

Well, there are many reasons. First, why let them to go to waste. The biggest reason you want to can your tomatoes is that you will be able to enjoy them, the year round. Remember you grew those tomatoes with your blood sweat and tears. Why not enjoy the fruits of your labor year round.

For example, if you live in an area of the world that has multiple seasons, especially cold weather and snow, then there is nothing better than using your own canned tomatoes, to make a big pot of chili on a cold and miserable day.

If you follow my method of canning you will be hooked for life on canning tomatoes, especially when you are enjoying them in your chili, lasagna, spaghetti, goulash, and many other favorite dishes.

First step to canning tomatoes is to purchase wide mouth canning jars, these come 12 jars to a case. Make sure the jars you purchase come with the lids and rings.

Place the jars in a large pot of water and bring them to a boil. After the canning jars start boiling turn the heat off and cover them. Let them stand in the hot water until they come back to room temperature.

As your jars are cooling down, you will want to use this time to prepare your tomatoes for canning. Rinse and clean the tomatoes in cool water cool water, place them on a cutting board and remove the imperfections, then cut the tomatoes into about 6 to 8 pieces, place those cut pieces in a large bowl. It takes about 3 pounds of tomatoes to fill one canning jar.

By the way, did you notice there was no mention of removing the skins from your tomatoes. The skins contain all the nutrients; they also add great texture to your meals. Removing the skins is the time consuming part of canning tomatoes. So we will not be doing that.

Now, once you have cut your tomatoes into pieces. They are ready to place in your canning jars. Here is when you will place the jar lids, into very hot water for about 5 minutes; this will soften the seal on the lids.

You are now ready to start canning. Remove the canning jar from the pot and empty the water from the jar. Now place the empty jar on your cutting board, add to the jar, 1 ounce of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt, then start packing in your tomatoes. Pack the jar tightly, leaving a 2 inch gap at the top of the jar for expansion. Take 1 lid out of the hot water, dry the lid off with a towel, make sure you dry the red area of the lid off very well. Also wipe the very top of the canning jar off as well. Place the lid on the jar, then place the jar ring on and tighten it on top of the jar, not to tight, snug will work.

Now, place your full jar of canned tomatoes back into the pot of water. Repeat these steps until you have filled the pot with jars of canned tomatoes. Once the pot is full turn the heat on high and when it begins to boil, set your timer for 45 minutes. Once the timer has gone off, remove the jars and set them on your kitchen counter to cool down and seal.

You will know when they have sealed, because you will hear a small popping sound from each jar. Another way to check if they have sealed, is to push in the center of the lid if it does not move, your jar has sealed. Congratulations you did it!

There you go, now start canning those tomatoes and you will be able to enjoy them for years to come.

Mika Powers is a successful on-line entrepreneur and gardening fanatic. He is here to help anyone who desires to live a better life both financially and physically. See his websites as they will change your life for the better in both areas http://www.besttomatoes.info

Preparing For A Hurricane - What Are The Effects And Aftermath Of A Hurricane?

Nature's fury is mankind's nemesis. Natural disasters may be one of the only challenges planet Earth has left for us. We've learned to shape the land, modify crops, create new breeds of animals, and tame the wild beasts. But we haven't learned how to stop a natural disaster like a hurricane. There's little we can do when nature decides to release its fury on us. We can't stop it, but we can try to protect ourselves and our property.

The words "hurricane" and "typhoon" describe a meteorological event known as a tropical cyclone. These storm systems are characterized by a zone of low pressure at the center and large thunderstorms that produce high winds and floods of rain.

These systems form almost exclusively in the earth's tropical regions, spinning in a counterclockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Scientists have identified seven major basins where these tropical storm typically form. Four major basins are in the Pacific (North Central, Northeastern, Northwestern, and South/Southwestern), three are in the Indian Ocean (Northern, Southwestern, and Southeastern), and one is in the Atlantic (Northern). In 2004, the first documented tropical storm formed in the Southern Atlantic, striking Brazil.

Hurricane seasons vary geographically, appearing in a region's late summer, where the difference in temperatures between the air and sea are at their greatest. The most deadly hurricane on record struck the Ganges Delta in Bangladesh, killing from 300,000 to a million people. The Northern Indian basin has, since the early 1900s, been victim to the most and the most deadly hurricanes. Hurricanes are highly destructive of property. The recent Hurricane Katrina in the United States caused over $80 billion in property damages.

Local governments tend to take most preventive measures to limit the loss of life and property. Most towns and cities create emergency plans, using sirens to alert citizens of coming danger. Emergency broadcast systems are in place to keep people informed. And many communities store food, water, and medicines in case of power or water system breakdowns.

Most people who live on or near coastlines will experience a hurricane at least once during their lifetime. For some, it is a frequent occurrence, and they are prepared to board up windows and doors and evacuate almost out of habit. But many of us need to know what to do in the event of a hurricane.

What Can I Expect if a Hurricane is Near my Area?

* Luckily, hurricanes are easier to spot and prepare for than other natural disasters. With the advent of modern satellites, scientists are able to observe cloud formations and movement and reliably predict the direction and timing of the storm.

* As the hurricane nears landfall and it is spotted on radar, meteorologists will let the public know it's coming. At this early stage, many things could change. The storm can change in intensity and direction fairly quickly, so the local weather service can keep tabs and inform the community as the storm moves. During this period, local governments and emergency services begin to activate emergency plans and procedures.

* When the know the storm is coming their way, homeowners should begin to board up windows and doors and secure outdoor lawn furniture and equipment. As the storm nears, you and your family should evacuate the area. No sense taking needless chances.

* If you can't leave the storm, you should have stocked up on emergency supplies like plenty of fresh water, canned foods, candles and batteries, a battery-operated radio, and fuel for the generator. Water shortages can become life-threatening after a hurricane strikes, so it's a good idea to fill up every container you have - including your bathtub - with safe drinking water.

* The single most important item you will need during and after a major hurricane is a medical kit containing bandages, medical tape, antibiotics, and scissors. This may save your life by preventing serious infections if you or your family are injured.

* Long before the storm ever forms, you and your family should work out an emergency plan. Decide where to meet if people aren't home. Store essential supplies that can be used or easily moved to the car. Decide in advance where you will take shelter, and who will be responsible for helping family members unable to care for themselves. Establish clear roles and responsibilities for shutting up the house and securing outdoor items. The better prepared your family is, the less likely they are to be overwhelmed by the hurricane, and the more likely you will all survive with minimal injury or property damage.

What Will Happen During a Hurricane?

* When it hits land, the hurricane can bring winds over 100 miles per hour that can pick up and throw objects around as if they were toys. Cars, roofs, large pieces of metal or wood, and other flying debris can smash into homes. There is little one can do in this situation, but finding the safest shelter is the best bet. You may not be able to prevent serious damage to your home, but you can protect your life.

* Should the incoming hurricane grow a category 4 or 5, you will be advised to seek evacuate or, at the least, seek higher ground. Avoid trying to sit it out in your basement, as you might be trapped in a flood situation.

* If you can or must evacuate your community, travel light. Take only those items that you will need over a 24-48 hour period. A change of clothes, drinking water, and food should be included in your evacuation gear.

* As you drive to the nearest mass transportation outlet or in your own automobile, drive slowly and carefully. High winds and whipping rains will make it difficult to see, and accidents become very likely. Do NOT panic. This could also cause needless accidents and spread fearful behavior to other people in the same situation.

* The hurricane will pass in a few hours, and you will mostly likely be allowed to return to your home. Don't worry: the terrible flooding that kept people from returning to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina was not the norm. Levees broke down, creating an abnormal situation.

What about After the Hurricane?

* After a hurricane has happened, review your family's actions to see if your plan was reasonable and effective. Hurricanes are a fact of life in coastal areas, and you can benefit from your experience by preparing a better plan for the next time.

* Communities can only decide AFTER the hurricane whether their emergency plan and procedures were adequate. One good indicator is low loss of life or injuries being reported. The level of property damage will also be a sign of how effective emergency procedures were.

* State, city, and local governments who go through a hurricane should take stock after the event to do what they can to improve their plan and procedures. Citizens should ask government representatives about the results of their performance reviews and insist on necessary improvements.

Emergency preparedness for hurricanes is everyone's business and everyone's responsibilities. While governments are preparing to protect citizens' lives and property, individuals and families must plan their own solutions for personal health and safety and for protecting private property.

Abhishek has got some great Disaster Management Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 68 Page Ebook, "How To Survive Any Natural Calamity!" from his website http://www.Survival-Today.com/606/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Seduction Guide For Men

You may not be the greatest with women. Whether you just got out of a relationship or just never had a good track record, the end result is apparent: you don't feel comfortable when you are trying to attract a beautiful woman. And unfortunately, the burden is almost always on the man to make the first move, which puts you in a difficult position. Luckily there a few things you can do that tip things back into your favor. Some of the strategies below can help you in your endeavors.

One of the best things that you can do is have a wingman. A wingman is a friend who's willing to help you meet someone, usually at the expense of his own luck that evening, and if you find someone who's willing to do this for you and is good at it to boot, don't let him go! A wingman can do things for you like walk over and say, "My buddy's been watching you all evening." Essentially, it's his job to talk you up and make you look good and it can make a huge difference.

You will also want to learn a little about body language. Once you know a little bit, the rest tends to come naturally. When a girl is interested in you, she will turn her whole body towards you. If you are chatting a woman up and she's only turning her head to hear what you have to say, you might have found someone who's just not interested. Conversely, if she's into you, you'll find that she turns her back on the rest of the gathering and gives you her full attention. Try speaking a little more softly; if she's into you, she'll lean closer instead of just asking "What?"

When you are looking to start a conversation, a compliment is a great way to do it, but be sincere. Every girl has heard the full gamut of pick up lines, and while there's nothing wrong with them exactly, there is the fact that they sound canned. Women like to be thought of as special, and it especially helps if you can target something that you think she's put some time and effort into. Everyone likes to be recognized for their efforts, and with a little bit of luck, you'll be able to show her this.

Remember that whether you've spent the last hour flattering her, or you've bought her plenty of drinks that this does not entitle you to a single thing. You can ask whatever you like, but it's important not to sound whiny or desperate; this is simply a sign for her to take off... or call over her big, protective male friends! If someone says she's not interested, shrug, smile, and say that you just wanted her to know that she was beautiful, or that she should enjoy the drink. There's a better than average chance that this will make her reconsider, and even if she doesn't, one of her friends might be picking up the ball where she dropped it!

If the situation moves on to kissing, there are a lot of ways to get a girl to kiss you when you first meet. Be careful though. Surprise kisses can lead to some trouble, including slaps to your face and pissed off male friends. Instead, ask her "May I kiss you?" If she asks why, you can tell her that you think she'd be a great kisser. This works quite well. When you do kiss her, let her dictate where things go. Show some restraint, let her lead, but don't be afraid to let her know you are open to more. She'll appreciate this and will be impressed by your restraint.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to seduce women; just work with the technique that makes it your own and go into it with some confidence. In a lot of ways, confidence is the name of the game, and you're not going anywhere without it!

Joseph Matthews has been teaching guys how to meet women since 2004, and is widely recognized as an authority in the field of confidence building and dating advice. If you want to learn more about how to meet women, check out his complimentary newsletter.

Five Link Building Sins to Avoid

If you've done any research into search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, you know that one of the most important keys to getting good placement in search engines is to get other websites to link to your site.   And, if you've ever tried getting other sites to link to yours, you know it's a whole lot easier to talk about the importance of link building than it is to acquire relevant, high-quality inbound links.

In fact, looking for appropriate sites to ask for links, trying to convince them to link to you, and tracking the whole process,  is a tedious, time-consuming task.

Not surprisingly, many small business owners look for ways to save time or cut corners in their link building campaign. But doing so, in most cases, is counterproductive. Instead of building links and online relationships, some of the techniques being used by online marketers and unscrupulous link-building "businesses" will build nothing but animosity for your business. And since many of the lazy link-building techniques use spam to solicit links, poorly planned and executed link-building campaigns could get you pegged as a spammer.

Whether you do your own link-building, have one of your employees do it, or outsource it to a link-building or SEO firm, make sure your link-building campaign steers clear of these  five deadly link-building sins.

Using form letters to solicit links. Whether you write your form letter yourself or copy someone else's, it's still going to sound like a form letter - especially when you send the same letter to multiple sites managed by the same webmaster.  One dead giveaway that the email is a form letter: using a trite opening such as "Warm Greetings" (Hey, would you send cold greetings?) Another: gushing with non-specific praise for a site. Don't waste anyone's time or internet bandwidth by sending link requests that start off like these:

"Today I visited your site and found it to be really informative. I'm highly pleased to see the comprehensive resources being offered by your site."

"Out of all of these sites I came across, yours really stood out to me."

Buying links from any company that spams publishers with canned pitches telling them they'll make thousands of dollars by placing paid links on their website.  No one likes a canned pitch. More importantly, selling links is something search engines don't like.  Here's an example of one spammy pitch that regularly drops into my inbox (and just as regularly gets deleted):

"I've visited your website (url here)

We see that your traffic rank is xxxxx

and your link popularity is xxxx.

Also, you have been online since 8/18/xxxx.

With that kind of traffic, we will pay you up to $x,xxx

to advertise our links on your website."

Trying to "sell" your page rank in a link swap request. Yes, links from sites with page rank are important, but trying to leverage your own page rank to encourage someone you don't know to swap links is a bad idea. While you might get some takers, link swapping for the sake of link swapping is yet another type of manipulations search engines don't like.  Pitches like this that claim you will soon have a high page rank are just laughable:

"I've got several PR6 and 7 websites, so I expect this site to become at least a PR5 within 1 month and will eventually become a 6 or 7 in 2-3 months."

Soliciting links from sites that have nothing in common with yours. Business Know-How won't link to your gambling site, and won't link to the website for your bicycle repair shop just because it's a small business and wants inbound links.

Soliciting links from sites that are in a different country, and then asking them to run a geographically specific text ad with your link. It's pointless, for instance, to ask a US-based site like Business Know-How's to link to your personal trainer business with a text ad telling readers, "We are easily commutable from Battersea, Chelsea and Clapham."

2008 Attard Communications, Inc. Janet Attard is a small and home business expert, author and founder and CEO of Business Know-How small business website. For more tips and hints on building profitable websites see http://www.businessknowhow.com/internet.

Janet Attard is a small business expert and the the founder and president of BusinessKnowHow.com, a leading small business information and ecommerce site. The site offers business ideas, marketing ideas, customer service tips, human resources management tips, and also sells labor law posters and training materials.

The Best Pick-Up Lines Don't Work! Learn 4 Sure-Fire Approach Strategies to Meet Women

I want to draw a distinction between an "opener" and a "pick up line". An opener is any kind of question or statement used to introduce yourself, spark curiosity / interest, and bridge into a conversation. Pick-up lines are a sub-category of openers; they're scripted, greasy, stale attempts to get a reaction. The idea that you can win a woman over with the right pick-up line is a widely held misconception. The classic pick-up line opener has been out of style for decades and attempting one will mark you as hopelessly out of touch. Lines fail miserably. Here's why

* They sound canned. Because they are. She thinks: "..., and now that line has failed 1,347 consecutive times"

* She's heard them all before. Pretty girls get hit on a lot- they've heard every line there is. After a while, the same routine goes from boring to aggravating. She'll take great joy in shooting you down and then laugh at you with all of her friends.

* Lines are demeaning. Hit her with your best line and she's going to think, "Really? I look like someone that's going to fall for that? You think so little of me that you assume I might appreciate that old cheese?"

* They don't offer a segue to further conversation. "Yes, my daddy was a thief. Yes, his biggest heist was stealing the stars from the heavens and putting their twinkle in my eyes. You think I have nice eyes. Thanks. You must be going now."

* Chances are, if you're relying on a line, you have doubts. Those insecurities are magnified and projected. Not cool.

What kind of openers DO work? I'm not offering any surefire brand-new relationship ignition technology (although I do like the ring of that, and should trademark it before some PUA pirate steals it). Men and women have been fucking for milennia, so there's nothing new under the sun. But the following opening strategies have a considerably higher success rate than 'lines'.

* Say something about the situation or environment. Note anything interesting, unusual or funny. (Dull: "I hate standing in lines. What about you?" Engaging: "Third time today I've picked the wrong line - but I have a feeling my luck's about to turn around")

* Pay her a SMALL but sincere compliment on something specific. (Bad: "Hey, great cans... are they natural?" Good: "The design on your jacket is wild- is it hand painted?")

* Make a statement. Most women are fed-up with the 'interrogation mode' most guys get stuck in, and they don't want to answer the same string of boring questions. A statement opens the door for her to agree or disagree. (Weak: "I see you have the new WhizBang phone" Better: "The waitress is missing in action. We should send out a rescue team.")

* Ask her opinion. This is also an excellent way to approach a group of women. Remember, when relating to a group, address everyone and keep your head on a swivel. In no time, you'll ascertain who's interested, and who's a snarky c*ck-blocker so you can focus your attention on high-probability targets. (Horrific: "Ladies, let me get your opinion... can a man with a small penis please a woman?" Smooth: "Can I trouble you ladies for your opinion? It'll take a second... my friend over there hasn't heard from his girlfriend for three days. They've only been dating for a month or so. He's already tried to call her a bunch of times... he's worried. I say stop worrying and stop trying to contact her- this is her way of blowing you off. What do you think?"

These are just a few ideas. Remember, the opener is just one piece of the puzzle, and even the best opener won't make up for a bad game. Men, to be successful, you've also got to consider:
* Your mindset
* The right timing
* Angle of approach
* The attitude you project
* Your attire and accouterments
* Personal space / proximity
* Vocal tone and volume
* Body language & eye contact
* Grooming
* How you smell
* Ability to read and respond to social cues
* Conversational fluency
* How to 'close'
* When to exit *.

Become an Alpha Male. Attract Beautiful Women. Overcome Approach Anxiety. Get a Young Girlfriend

Recipes For Under a Dollar

Believe it or not, by becoming conscious of the cost per serving of various grocery items, it is possible to create delicious, healthy meals for under a dollar per person.

Learn to build meals that take advantage of low cost staples such as beans, rice, potatoes and pasta. For example, one of our favorite lunch or dinner main courses is a Fettuccine with Lentils Alfredo sauce. Sound different? It is, and it's absolutely wonderful.

1 cup lentils, 8 ounces fettuccine, onion, garlic powder, oregano, 4 tbsp butter, 4 tbsp Parmesan. Serves four. Outstanding, and only about 60 cents per serving. Add a side of canned vegetables for 17.1 cents and brown rice at a 4.5 cents: 81.6 cents a person.

Needless to say, beans are an incredibly rich source of protein and cheap, cheap, cheap. Pinto beans, at about 5.6 cents per serving, and brown rice, at 4.5 cents a serving, give you a head start to a cheap and nutritious meal at just 10.1 cents. Add a side of canned mixed vegetables at 17.1 cents and you're up to 27.2 cents. With London Broil on sale for $ 1.69 a pound, add 42.2 cents for a 4 ounce serving, bringing our total to 69.4 cents, and add a dollar for a homemade marinade makings and come in under the wire for 94.4 cents a serving. Healthy, nutritious, and less than a buck.

Splurge if you want to on the rice. Store brand white rice store brand can be had for a full nickel a serving, but brown rice is slightly cheaper and is better for you.

Contrary to popular belief you DON'T have to buy 50 pound sacks of rice, beans and potatoes to eat more economically. Just lose any brand loyalties you might have and go for the store brands, they're just as good. Also, skip the instant rice and bite the bullet and take the time to cook it. It tastes better anyway.

Cut down on your red meat portion sizes. The recommended serving size of beef is just four ounces, and most of us go way overboard on that. Learn to stretch meat dishes with one pot wonders like stews, soups and chili, though a hamburger now and then is okay, too.

Bill's love for cooking on a shoestring budget stems from his experiences as having been Mr. Mom to three teenagers and one day finding himself having gone to millionaire status on paper to suddenly having 19 cents in the bank. An empty nester now, he misses cooking for others and somewhat satisfies his urges by being the chief advisory cheapskate at Dollar a Day Gourmet where he writes on cooking and saving money on food in general.

Top Ten Reasons to Get Fired

Have you ever been fired before? Chances are, you had it coming. Here are the most common reasons why somebody gets canned.

1. Stealing merchandise: This is a rookie mistake. The biggest downfall in working for a company that has piles and piles of merchandise you favor, is the temptation. Sure, there is a room in the back where all the stained and returned products sit, collecting dust. That doesn't mean they're waiting for you to take them whenever you want.

2. Being an illegal immigrant: Sometimes your time in America expires. Having to deport employees is actually a prevalent problem in some southern states.

3. Telling off your boss: If you happen to curse your boss to hell one day expect nothing less than an early termination.

4. Not being a team player: If you show up crabby, snappy, and you just don't want to work respectively with the rest of the employees, then you will definitely be replaced. Every company wants a people person.

5. Having a raunchy affair: It is never a good idea to have an affair with somebody in the office. And if it just so happens to be your superior, that's a no-no for sure. Not only are you going to get fired, but you put somebody else in a trying situation as well.

6. Not calling, not showing: If you can't wake up, don't show up, and never call, you were fired a long time ago.

7. Failing or refusing to take a drug test: Some places just don't want to gamble on their reputation. There is plenty of people who will replace you if you won't pee in a cup.

8. Competition or old age: If you are pushing sixty, don't be upset when you are replaced with somebody a lot younger, fresh out of grad school. It's called "Keepin up with the Jones."

9. Working hard or hardly working: If you are not being productive you will be let go. Especially if you have high expectations and you have not once achieved the minimum, it's time to start looking for a new job.

10. Destroying company property: Even if you were just having a bad week throwing computers out windows and punching through doors at work will definitely result in termination.

If you can't hold a steady job and some of these behaviors sound like you. Get your act together. You'll never be able to replace those motorcycle parts with an attitude like this. It is time to start being responsible and respectful and gracious of having a job right now. Some people do not have the luxury. Avoid any one of the points above if you want to protect yourself against getting canned.

The Sound of Music - One of Broadway's Finest

As new producers and writers are constantly trying to create the latest and greatest Broadway productions, some musicals continue to inspire audiences across the globe. The Sound of Music is one such musical. This story, which was the last collaboration between Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein, is a timeless tale of love, courage, and sacrifice in a time of war. Add to these plot elements several adorable children, and you have a story that is sure to please.

The Sound of Music is based on a real story of a real family, the von Trapps, who lived during World War II. Maria von Trapp, the mother of the family, wrote The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. The courage of the family inspired the musical that has won the hearts of audiences since its opening in 1959.

The story begins as a young postulant is found missing at required prayer time. She is actually dancing through the hills of her beloved Austria. She is called back to the abbey, where she faces a reprimand for singing in the halls of the abbey during prayers. The Mother Abbess suggests that the abbey is probably not the right place for Maria at this time in her life, and sends her to be the governess of seven children in the home of Captain Georg Ritter von Trapp.

Von Trapp runs his family as he would his ship. The children rarely play, are always dressed perfectly, and are expected to act perfectly as well. The free-spirited Maria disagrees with this parenting model, and when the Captain is sent away she allow the children to explore their creative sides, which leads them to discover that they sing beautifully together.

As Marie wins the hearts of the children, she also wins the heart of the Captain. They are soon married, and the Captain is given orders to serve in Hitler's army. They plan a daring escape that will keep him from this terrible fate and allow them to live together as a family in relative freedom.

Part of the reason for the longevity of The Sound of Music is the fact that its songs have become part of mainstream culture. "My Favorite Things" is often sung around the holiday season, and several musicians have made their own renditions of this lighthearted tune. Even in parody, songs from The Sound of Music make their way into mainstream television on many occasions.

The Sound of Music has won eight Tony Awards, including awards for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score. Part of its popularity is the fact that it is the last time the famous team of Rogers and Hammerstein worked together. Sadly, Hammerstein lost his battle to cancer just nine months after the show first premiered on Broadway. It was made into a movie staring Julie Andrews in 1965. While the story does not remain true to the real-life account of the von Trapps, it is nonetheless endearing and timeless, and The Sound of Music will continue to inspire audiences for many years to come.

If you fancy buying The Sound of Music tickets or any other theatre tickets visit our website.

Shopping For Investments

When you do your weekly shopping at the supermarket, do you keep your eye out for bargains to fill your pantry? If canned spaghetti is half price this week, do you buy a couple of extra tins? Shopping for investments is just the same as buying spaghetti. We store investments to create wealth which can be spent in the future just as we store spaghetti in our pantry to be eaten later.

When is the best time to buy investments? When they are cheap. So when the price of shares drops, the logical thing to do is to buy more - right? Well, logical it may be, but human beings are strange creatures. When it comes to buying investments we seem to apply a perverse logic. Instead of celebrating the fact that there are bargains to be had, we complain that the value of the "spaghetti" we have in the "pantry" has fallen. This would of course be a problem if we had intended to sell the spaghetti this week, but it is reasonable to assume that this is not the case. What is evident throughout the history of sharemarkets is that investors buy more as prices go up, then panic and sell when prices drop. Yet logic tells us we should do exactly the opposite. The secrets of creating wealth through investing in shares are to be able to resist the emotional effects of price changes, to make sound investments at the right price and to take a long term view.

By nature, shares are volatile. Those investors who have the emotional strength to stick with the market through its troughs are rewarded with higher returns over the long term than are achievable through investments in fixed interest or property. Declines in the sharemarket are always temporary and should be seen as opportunities to buy.

One of the realities of share investing is that it is never possible to get your timing exactly right. Spaghetti might be half price this week, but next week it could be discounted by 60%, or it might be back up to full price. However, the longer the shares are held, the less important the initial purchase price becomes. If spaghetti increases in price to $5.00 a can in 10 years time, does it really matter if you paid $1.50 for it last week when you could have bought it for $1.25 this week?

If you are retired, you might argue that you won't be around in 10 years time and that shares are therefore not an appropriate investment. This is not true. The biggest investment risk retired investors face is that they will outlive their investment funds. If you need $5,000 a year to supplement your pension and you live for less than 10 years, then you will require a maximum of $50,000 to be invested in short term, stable investments. Any investment funds over this amount could be invested long term (i.e. for 10 years or more) in shares for a higher return, thus reducing the risk of outliving investment funds and increasing the value of your estate.

Liz Koh is a financial planner and the author of the best selling book - Your Money Personality: Unlock the Secret to a Rich and Happy Life, Awa Press, 2008, available from http://www.awapress.com

For Liz's best tips for financial security, visit her website http://www.moneymaxcoach.com to receive your free e-book "8 Steps to Financial Freedom".

The Noble Virtues - 9 Principles for Self-Improvement

In a world of overly marketed quick fixes, self-improvement audio series, books, seminars and miracle products galore, it's little wonder that the majority of those in search of real self-improvement become quickly overwhelmed amid the sheer volume of choices available to them. And yet, a practical, time-tested guide for self-improvement may be closer, less expensive and much more easy to apply than you may think.

As is often the case in our fast paced, modern society of thirty second sound bites and thirty millions dollar advertising campaigns, the proven, often perennial wisdom of our past is overshadowed and down trodden under the fanfare surrounding the next world-shattering self-improvement craze. However contrary to what advertisers and gurus alike will tell you about the paths and products they pitch, real self-improvement does not have to be cut, canned, critiqued and categorically commercialized to be truly effective. For generations and indeed for millennia, the essence of self-improvement was to be found within the Noble Virtues.

Self-improvement is the result of work you, the individual (not some other person, product or thing) put into or apply to yourself to increase your individual value. This may include but is certainly not limited to improving your health, character, communication skills, work ethic, coping mechanisms, memory or self awareness. The result of which can be an increase in self-perception, self-esteem, attitude and/or an overall feeling of accomplishment and personal satisfaction.

Within the Noble Virtues one will not find the often black and white, fly or die advise of profit-motivated professionals and fast talking fad consultants, but more of a tool for individual interpretation and application. And although this may at first seem a bit counter intuitive for someone in search of some solid advise or a definitive direction with which to begin their transformation, in the end, as with so many modifications we attempt to make in our individual lives, the information we learn, incorporate and make our own is much better served and more effective than the rules and recommendations we force upon ourselves that in the end, often result in frustration, disappointment or failure.

Allow me to give you a few examples of how you can incorporate the Noble Virtues into an action plan for self-improvement. First example. We all know what is required to loose excess body weight. Eat less food and get more exercise. Applying the virtues of Courage to take a stand for your health and really begin a weight loss plan coupled with Discipline, to cut out the snacks, reduce the serving sizes you eat and get out and walk briskly 4 times a week, you can empower the information you already have and successfully loose weight. Second example. If you would like to increase your work performance, you can put Industriousness to work in focusing on processes to make your work more efficient for your employer or yourself if you are self-employed, and Self-reliance to stop relying on other persons around you for solutions that you may be better equipped to create and share with coworkers. So as you can see, the applications of the Noble Virtues are only limited by your knowledge of them and what you choose to apply them too. And the more familiar you become with the virtues, the more quickly you will make gains in any area of self-improvement you choose to take on.

So without any further introduction, here are the Nine Noble Virtues for your review:

1 Honor - a feeling of inner value derived from a noble sense of character and the desire to show respect for that quality when found in another. Honor is the highest standard of behavior and the mark of integrity.

2 Truth - to be forthcoming and honest with others at all times despite retribution or reprisal; to say what one knows to be true and right. It is better to say nothing, if one cannot speak the truth.

3 Courage - the capacity to confront fear, pain, danger, intimidation and uncertainty in the face of failure, discouragement or death, and to do what must be done. Courage separates the worthy from the unwilling. Without courage, nothing great can be accomplished.

4 Fidelity - to be loyal to your source and true to your values without limitation. To express an unwavering devotion and a clear commitment to your duty, family, leader and god. Fidelity is the foundation of faith and the cornerstone of trust.

5 Discipline - the ability to be hard on oneself first, and then on others if need be, in order that a greater purpose may be achieved. An orderly pattern of self-control, discipline corrects, molds and perfects the body and the mind. There is no substitute for leading by example.

6 Hospitality - the willingness to share what one has with others and to graciously receive guests, visitors and strangers with kindness and goodwill. Hospitality strengthens the bonds of friendship and nurtures community.

7 Industriousness - the capacity to work hard towards your goals, characterized by a steadfast, energetic effort to be productive without waste. Efficiency is the life-blood of innovation. Hard work is the harbinger of success.

8 Self-reliance - the true spirit of independence, relying on one's own efforts and abilities to achieve what is good not only for the individual but also for the group. Trust in yourself, for god will not have his work done by cowards.

9 Perseverance - the ability to stay the course and pursue your dream with dogged conviction in spite of setback, opposition, discouragement or defeat. The hero will prevail despite failure; the road to success was not paved by the weak.

You can achieve continual self-improvement utilizing the Noble Virtues. You can set the course for your individual development with this resource in hand and put the "self," back into self-improvement without purchasing a shelf full of books or a closet full of products. Apply the Noble Virtues in your quest for personal development and you shall find the rewards of self-improvement rightfully yours.

The Noble Virtues presented above are reprinted with permission from The Corpus Illuminata. http://www.corpusilluminata.com

Mark Sampson is a Son of the American Revolution and a writer. He lives with his wife and 2 year-old daughter in Los Angeles California. This and other works of inspiration including The Principles of Success and The Principles of Leadership can be found at http://www.corpusilluminata.com

Starting a Healthy Diet

A healthy diet may sound simple but there are many rules and regulations. When done right, a well balanced and nutritionally satisfying diet will help in maintaining a healthy weight, protecting the body from chronic illnesses and provide the body with enough energy to meet life's daily demands. Aside from quick weight loss, a healthy diet can improve our mood, sleep, energy levels, and overall well being. Here are a few steps to help you get started.

The first step towards improving the diet you are currently on is the elimination of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium. This means that you should no longer consume any fried foods as well as certain healthy sounding foods (surprisingly!). Some foods which contain trans fat and a high number of sodium include crackers, cereals, and canned soups (to name a few). It is always wise to check the Nutrition Facts prior to purchasing any product. A healthy diet should consist of more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean poultry and fat-free dairy. By consuming more fresh products we provide our bodies with all natural vitamins and minerals; therefore, we no longer have to rely upon synthetically created products. Aside from vitamins and minerals, raw fruit and veggies are also rich in fiber. This particular compound is very beneficial for those of us who are trying to lose weight.

Eating foods which are rich in fiber improves our metabolism and helps us feel full much longer. This in return will lead to less snacking in-between meals and smaller food portions during lunch and dinner. The same is true for protein rich foods. That is why it is greatly recommended to consume both fiber and protein with every meal. These are just a few steps towards starting a healthy diet.

Lauren S. Johnson writes health articles about fitness and nutrition.

Some of her favorite passions include studying the medicinal benefits of herbal remedies, diet pills, and hoodia gordonii.

5 Reasons Most Scripts Suck

There is a perennial objection trainees raise against using scripts when cold calling, prospecting, setting appointments, and doing customer service, technical support, and telephone sales.

They say: "I don't want to sound phony!"

Fair enough, no one does.

But why is it that there is the very real tendency to sound canned, un-fresh, contrived, and artificial when using scripts?

There are 5 reasons most scripts suck:

(1) Most people who write scripts are not gifted writers. Gifted writers can bring words to life, making them sound REAL and vital. The great majority who write anything in business, from an email to a brochure to a thank-you note, sound stiff, as if they have ammonia running through their veins.

(2) Most people who write scripts aren't gifted speakers, either. Even if they are, they don't record themselves and TRANSCRIBE EXACTLY what they've uttered, which, with all of its imperfections, would actually sound REAL over the phone.

(3) Most scripts are written from the SPEAKER'S VIEWPOINT, and sound like an announcement, a spray-and-pray attempt to shower the prospect with so may features and benefits that the poor listener will drown in good reasons to buy.

(4) When scripts try to be LISTENER ORIENTED they err by expecting the prospect to do too much work, to answer endless questions. If you're a stranger to them, their self-preservation instincts will erect a barrier to responding to your probes, no matter how clever you think they are.

(5) Written scripts place PUNCTUATION in all the wrong places. They make you breathe at the end of sentences, causing you to sound like you're reading from a manuscript. That's precisely when most people will object, when you come up for air. When we engage in spontaneous talk, we run right through the punctuation, breaking many rules of the written page.

These drawbacks are not immutable. We can devise scripts that sound genuine, that create predictable and reliable outcomes that you can take to the bank.

But we really have to know what we're doing. Like successful Hollywood screenwriters, we have to make mere words on a page seem like real life unfolding before us.

For every excellent scriptwriter, in the movies or in sales, customer service, technical support, or negotiations, there are zillions of hopeless hacks, wannabes who think "A script is just a script."

If you would like help with your script, or you'd like to attend or sponsor a speech or seminar or find great audios or videos, contact us.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a top trainer, conference and convention speaker, and sales, customer service, and negotiation consultant. A frequent expert commentator on radio and TV, he is also the best-selling author of 12 books, more than 1,000 articles and several popular audio and video programs. His seminars are sponsored internationally and he is a faculty member at more than 40 universities, including UC Berkeley and UCLA. Gary brings over two decades of sales, management and consulting experience to the table, with impressive academic credentials: A Ph.D. from USC, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management, and a J.D. degree from Loyola Law School, his clients include several Fortune 1000 companies..

His web site is: http://www.customersatisfaction.com and he can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com. His blogs include: YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS! and ALWAYS COLD CALL! at: http://www.alwayscoldcall.blogspot.com

Job Interviews - Identifying the "Ideal" Candidate

Organizations often struggle with a difficult dilemma when targeting college graduates for hire. Do you place greater credence in academic excellence, or look for the well-rounded mediocre student? Do you hire the 4.0 GPA candidate who served as student body president or the 2.9 student who carried a full-time job as a retail manager to subsidize tuition? Do you hire the dedicated research assistant or the fraternity president who organizes the keg parties and knows everyone on campus? The answer is balance.

Success in the 21st century will increasingly demand a greater mix of skills and the ability to think and react independently to respond to market challenges. In conducting interviews and assembling staff members, I've tried to look beyond the obvious credentials and to look for unique perspectives and experiences.

Originality

The assemblage of a melting pot gives access to a broader pool of ideas in a business world that increasingly demands creativity and innovative solutions. Our diminutive office consists of expertise in swing dancing, triathlons, independent film, and jazz guitar, in an industry typically characterized by "left-brain" or analytical thinkers.

It is said that you'll get nothing original from an echo. If you ask only standard interview questions that solicit canned responses, you'll likely assemble a team adept at implementing prescriptive plans by the book, lacking independent thought and seeking constant guidance from above.

One question I ask is, "If you could have dinner with any person living or dead, who would it be and why?" I also ask questions like, "What do you do when you're not working?" and, "What are your hobbies and interests and what appeals to you about them?" There are no right answers.

Balance

I'm only seeking to fill in gaps in the resume. For instance, if you interview a 4.0 student, you have a pretty good sense that they are diligent, intelligent and hard-working. Your concern is that they might be more comfortable hitting the books than interacting with people. I'd prefer to find that they played guitar in a reggae band, enjoyed surfing off the coast of Maui, acted as a volunteer for Junior Achievement, coached the intramural softball team, or organized a campus fund-raiser to get wireless internet service and a new sound system for the university center on campus. I'm looking for something that demonstrates social skills or runs counter to the overly conservative nature of the stereotypical serious student. I prefer to hear that they would like to have dinner with Jimmy Buffett or Jerry Seinfeld rather than Albert Einstein or Sir Isaac Newton.

The reverse scenario requires the same attention to balance. With the marginal student who is the campus socialite, you'll want to look for dissimilar responses. Interests such as volunteering as a counselor for a Special Olympics camp, an internship with a professional service firm, reading books on leaders such as Winston Churchill or Mahatma Gandhi, or an active role in a church or civic group are appropriate. A hobby that reveals diligence, organization, or a serious side of their personality is preferable.

These questions aren't deal breakers, but rather additional data points beyond the standard, "What are your goals, strengths and weaknesses, and reasons for wanting to work for our firm" queries. They can act as differentiators when you have difficulty separating candidates. You might also consider the current makeup of your staff. If you feel as though your office is getting conservative or "stuffy" based on the personalities of your employees, you might look for candidates that can lighten things up, or vice-versa.

Some interviewers intentionally present an intimidating facade, in order to see how a candidate handles a stressful situation. Interviews are awkward enough, however, and not at all indicative of the true work environment. Once a candidate becomes guarded during the interview, it becomes more difficult to get an authentic assessment.

I prefer to put the candidate at ease, allowing them to show their true personality. I find that I also get more revealing and honest answers when a candidate lets their guard down, allowing me to truly assess what makes them tick and whether or not they would be a good fit for our firm.

Skillsets for the 21st Century

As we develop educational curriculum to prepare students for success in the 21st century, we must resist the temptation to identify them as either left-brain or right-brain students and to polarize them. We must rather move toward more balanced programs that integrate elements of each, in an effort to produce more complete or "whole-brained" professionals. And we must assemble balanced workplaces as well.

Craig Cortello is the President and founder of La Dolce Vita Enterprises, a consulting and training firm that assists companies in creating productive and imaginative work environments that encourage innovative business solutions. He is also the National Sales Manager of Trinity Consultants, a nationwide environmental consulting firm and an accomplished musician. He credits much of his success in the business world to his creative spirit that was cultivated through exposure to music and the arts.

Craig is a proud resident and native of the New Orleans metropolitan area, and a Hurricane Katrina survivor!

He can be reached at ccortello@ldv-enterprises.com.

Scripts Are Essential, But You Need The Three T's to Bring Them to Life

When I write scripts for customer service and for selling, I test them, tweak them here and there, and then I deploy them at my clients' sites.

Minimally, it's a systematic process of validation, and once my scripts have been proven in dozens, hundreds, thousands and even millions of conversations, I can say, very authoritatively, that they work.

From my standpoint it is important to be as scientific as possible, not only to be dispensing solutions that are assured of producing sales and customer satisfaction, but to overcome the perennial cynicism that salespeople, customer service reps, and their managers bring to scripts.

There is always the question, "Will this work?" but an even more pertinent one is, "Will it work for me?"

And the answer is always the same: Unless you're an alien from a distant galaxy, of course it will work for you!

But this isn't the whole story, as you might imagine. As a trainer, manager, and consultant I've seen that scripts are only part of the answer. They're helpful and even necessary ingredients of success, but we need more to succeed.

Specifically, we need DIRECTION in bringing them to life.

This is where mere vendors of scripts miss the mark. They might advertise a script for getting insurance appointments, but without the appropriate instructions for breathing vitality into them, it's like showing words on a page to an 8 month old: they're gibberish.

Let me give you a quick example of a way of getting through call screening that I invented that should double the frequency with which you succeed.

Instead of asking, "Is Bill Smith in?" which launches secretarial countermeasures, starting with the universal, "May I tell him who's calling?" we shift the dynamics, entirely.

"Hello, Gary Goodman, Customersatisfaction.com, for Bill Smith please, thank you."

I invite you to reverse engineer this winning gambit at your leisure, and you'll see many fascinating, non-traditional facets to it. But for now, let me point out that a script needs 3 T's, and not one T, to succeed.

It needs the proper Text, Tone & Timing.

(If the Three T's are new sounding, I forgive you. I invented them, along with THE NEW TELEMARKETING (TM) that they are part of.)

Let's just look at how one of the T's--Timing--affects the delivery of the screening line I provided.

Purposely, I don't pause before uttering the words, "Thank you," because I want those words to be FINAL, for the screener to fetch the person I'm requesting. If I pause before saying thank you, the screener will interpret this as a relinquishing of the call to her, and will encourage her to ask another disqualifying question.

(You're unlikely to figure this out on your own because we normally pause at punctuation instead of talking through it.)

My first generation trainees, the ones whose companies bring me in to speak, to consult, and to write scripts, receive this instruction, but their imitators don't. That's why those I haven't directed sound canned and their scripts "aren't working," or so they claim.

To be accurate, they should say, the scripts aren't working FOR THEM.

Again, scripts are essential to success in selling and in providing top customer service, but they need to be accompanied by the proper direction and training so reps can use them, effectively.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a top trainer, conference and convention speaker, and sales, customer service, and negotiation consultant. A frequent expert commentator on radio and TV, he is also the best-selling author of 12 books, more than 1,000 articles and several popular audio and video programs. His seminars are sponsored internationally and he is a faculty member at more than 40 universities, including UC Berkeley and UCLA. Gary brings over two decades of sales, management and consulting experience to the table, with impressive academic credentials: A Ph.D. from USC, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management, and a J.D. degree from Loyola Law School, his clients include several Fortune 1000 companies..

His web site is: http://www.customersatisfaction.com and he can be seen on CNBC at: http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=417455932# and reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com His blogs include: YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS! and ALWAYS COLD CALL! At: http://www.alwayscoldcall.blogspot.com

Natural Dog Food Recipes - Does That Help With Oral Health?

Is it really important to provide natural dog food recipes or just buy commercial pet food?

Is this your dog? You walk through the door and your dog is so delighted to see you that he has a smile on his face and his tail is wagging so hard you think it is going to fly off? What about his smile? Are his teeth and gums healthy and pink or are they disgusting and smell foul?

If your dog is having challenges with fresh breath and a nice healthy mouth, then this is probably due to his diet. Natural dog food recipes and general diet can help improve it immensely.

Like humans, dogs too have similar problems with bad breath and unhealthy teeth and mouth. We clean our teeth and gums regularly and we need to pay special attention to our best friends mouth too.

Have good natural dog food recipes can relieve any problems that may otherwise mean have teeth extracted and the chore of physically cleaning his teeth all the time. You will find when your dog's diet is nutritionally sound and contains all the essential nutrients including enzymes, then your dog's health will be at its peak.

Dry dog foods like kibble is better than the canned moist varieties. The hard surface of the kibble rubs against the teeth and removes and reduces plaque and tartar.

Raw dog bones are essential for a healthy smile, teeth and gums of your best friends mouth. A bone will clean his teeth like nothing else and will improve oral health simply and easily resulting in a happier dog with nice breath and sparkling teeth.

Like humans, it is essential to pay particular attention to your dogs diet if you want him to live a long, healthy, vital life and to avoid the cancers and other health risks that our dogs are facing every day which is due mostly to the absolute junk they are fed.

Barbara Underdown is passionate about health and vitality and ensuring that for her pets is paramount also. She loves sharing her knowledge of pet nutrition and especially natural dog food recipes with everyone. Take a look at her informational website for details about natural dog food recipes and dog food nutrition.
Natural Dog Food Recipes
www.naturaldogfoodrecipes.info/category/dog-food-nutrition

Creating and Publishing Audio Information Products

Get Audio Capturing Software

First, if you don't already have it you'll need a way to capture your audio. If you're going to use audio often, I recommend Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio 10. The cost is around $60 but you may find it less expensive if you shop around. The scaled down version is excellent for producing vocal audio tracks, is very intuitive and allows you to make accurate recordings and edits. Audacity is a free audio audio capturing and editing software. You can also save your recorded audio files in several formats, such as.wav,.mp3, and a host of others.

Create Content

Once you have your software and are familiar with it, you'll want to write out your script. I suggest that you write an article of about 300 to 400 words. That will be about a page of double-spaced content using 12pt font with Microsoft Word, or any text editor.

The reason you want to write it out is two-fold. One you want to practice your script a few times to get the delivery smooth. However, don't overwork it doesn't sound until it sounds very canned. Work for a natural pace and delivery of the material so you're not stumbling through it. Some read and speak with more accuracy than others and will require less time to complete this step.

Repurpose Content

The next reason you'll want to have the script written as an article is because you will re-purpose that content. Some people like to read, others, like to listen and others prefer video. Some like a combination of formats while others like all of them.

You can submit it to an article site to create back-links and traffic to your audio product. Or you can post it to your website or blog. This allows you to get more mileage from your efforts so that each time you create content you're using it across several media.

Publish Content

Once, you've done that you're going to record and edit your audio and save it as a.mp3 file. Next, go to CreateSpace.Com and complete the sign-up application. Upload your mp3 file and it will be available for sale online after review and approval.

You will need to create a cover for your.mp3 audio file so that it is not marketed as a hard copy CD. To do this you'll need a.jpg file size of 1448 x 1448 pixels, but verify these specifications as they may be subject to change. You can create this in any photo editor at size 724 pix, then re-size and upload it. Make sure you follow all the steps. Once your product is approved, use your article to market your new recording.

William Bell is an information marketer, author and info-product coach for speakers and professionals. Share your information with a larger audience audience. For more information on creating info-products see List-Building

Food Colourings and What You Should Know About Them!

Hi Folks,

OK so I know that I am always encouraging you to make fresh healthy food yourselves, but let's face it, sometimes there isn't enough time in the day. I want to talk about things that you will commonly find in your ready made food; what they are, and what they means to your health; this way you can make an informed choice about what to pick up and more importantly what to put down.

So what is an additive? It is something added to your food to make it last longer, taste better, look palatable, make it easier to manufacture, or cheaper to produce. Within the European Union additives are labeled with an E number which means that the additive has been accepted by the European Community. Many of these officially sanctioned products are still banned in some EU countries, and also in Scandinavia, Russia and Australia. If a number appears without an E then it has not been cleared for use by the European Community, but may be used in the UK. In the US a different system is used which includes numbers instead, although the additives are the same. The food and governmental bodies have said for years that the range of additives are safe for human consumption, however, as you can see many countries cannot agree about what is and isn't safe.

Over the years some additives have been withdrawn due to health scares; 28 food additives (including the infamous Sudan 1) have been banned, mostly because they carry a cancer risk, or contribute to organ damage. 15 of the 28 banned were food colorings. Out of 45 current E-numbered colourings, 23 are banned in one or more countries, and yet available in the UK. A further 21 colourings are recommended to be avoided by the Hyperactive Children's Support Group, along with 49 other E-numbered food additives (including sweeteners) linked with behavioral problems in children- and also commonly found in children's foods.

We will start this week with food colourings; these are added to make our food look more interesting and palatable. Often these are added in large amounts to children's food, as they make the food look more exciting. Unfortunately, many colours are linked to hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children as well as a host of other problems such as eczema and asthma. E Numbers 100-181 are all colours. Often they will be given their number and name, which can make is easier for you to identify them. Some of these are made from natural plant products, for example E162 or Betanin is made from beetroot and has no known side-effects. Being vegetable in origin does not always make an additive safe; E123 (Amaranth) a red colour is derived from a small plant, and is banned in USA, Russia, Austria, Norway and other countries and found in jellies, sweets, cake mixes, and fruit fillings. It is known to provoke asthma, eczema, and hyperactivity, possibly to increase risk of certain cancers, and in animal experiments caused birth defects, and foetal deaths.

Others have names which sound natural but are not, for example E150 or Caramel; the most commonly used group of colours, found in a wide range of foods,; beer, sauces, puddings, sweets, kids food, chocolate, buns. This group comprises E150a, b, c, and d also named, plain caramel, Caustic Sulphite caramel, Ammonia Caramel and Sulphite Ammonia Caramel-( I am not sure I like the sound of 'caustic' or 'ammonia' in my food). The UK food guide and the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommend that these colours are not given to children, but you will find them in many kids' foods and drinks.

Some of the numbers have names which make them sound rather harmless; E155 or Chocolate Brown HT, sounds almost delicious until you discover that this colour, often found in chocolate cake, and chocolate cake mix, is derived from coal tar, is not recommended for consumption by children, and is banned in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. It is thought to cause allergic or intolerance problems, particularly in asthmatics; somehow it doesn't sound so harmless when you know the details.

Several colours are of animal origin, and vegetarians may wish to avoid them, such as E170 Calcium Carbonate, found in toothpaste, canned fruit, vegetables and wines, which can be sourced from animal bones (or rock minerals), or E120 Cochineal which rather charmingly is made from insects- yummy.

Out of the 45 E numbered colourings, only six have no reported side effects. Many of the side effects are anecdotal, although the sheer number of people reporting them is surely an indication that something is wrong. Many studies have linked colourings to health problems, particularly in children, although the findings are often rejected by the Food Agencies. One British study found that a quarter of toddlers suffered adverse effects after consuming foods containing 3 food colourings. Although these additives have been tested for 'safety', it is curious that many countries still do not think them safe enough to use in their food. The additives have also never been tested for safety in combination with other additives although they are rarely used alone.

Just for fun, here is the low-down on the colours inside a packet of a popular multi-coloured chocolate bean; a favorite children's treat;

o E110 (sunset Yellow), banned in Norway and widely found in sweets, pies, cakes, sauces, puddings, canned fish, ice cream, jelly, cheese sauce etc; urticaria (hives), runny nose, nasal congestion, allergies, hyperactivity, kidney tumors, chromosomal damage, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, increased incidence of tumors in animals.

o E171 Titanium dioxide a white colouring known to pollute waterways, but with no reported effects in humans.

o E104 Quinoline Yellow, can cause dermatitis; banned in USA and Norway. It is recommended by several organisations that this colour is avoided by children.

o E124 Ponceau a synthetic red colour derived from coal tar; carcinogenic (cancer-causing) in animals, also can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; banned in USA & Norway. It is recommended by several organisations that this colour is avoided by children.

o E122 Azorubine, Carmoisine a red colour derived from coal tar; can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; banned in Sweden, USA, Austria and Norway. It is recommended by several organisations that this colour is avoided by children.

o E133 Brilliant blue an aluminium or ammonium salt; banned in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Norway. It is recommended by several organisations that this colour is avoided by children.

o E120 Cochineal, a red colour; made from insects; the hyperactive children's support group recommends that this colour is avoided. It is recommended by several organisations that this colour is avoided by children.

The chances are that when you are buying sweets, cakes- any manner of ready made food, you will be buying products which contain colourings. You may decide that the evidence is unconvincing, or you may decide that it is not worth risking the harmful effects, especially with your family. There is little doubt now that many children are adversely affected by food colourings, and several Local Education Authorities in the UK are attempting to ban food colourings from their school meals and machines. The good news is that you can avoid them by selecting products marked 'no artificial colours,' by buying organic products, or by getting the raw ingredients and making things yourselves.

I do hope that this will encourage you to look on the backs of food packaging, and check what lies within. Even if you cannot avoid these nasties all of the time, it may be a good idea to steer clear of them where possible, especially in what you feed to children and teenagers.

For a full list of additives, colourings, sweeteners and flavourings write to:- Hyperactive Children's Support Group at 71 Whyke Lane, Chichester PO19 7PD or Telephone 01243 551313.

Stay healthy,

Vikki

Do you have any friends and family who could benefit from getting fitter and feeling better? If you do, then treat them to free copy of this newsletter, forward it to them, and get them to e-mail me with a request. E-mail getfitter@yahoo.co.uk subject: newsletter request. Would you like to bring health into the workplace? Get fitter now offers a corporate package, including yoga classes. Please visit http://www.corporatechill.com

Vikki Scovell BA(hons) PG DIP is a fully qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. She is a qualified Nutrition Adviser and runs successful Community Exercise classes. Vikki is a consultant in Healthy Eating and Exercise initiatives to schools in the independent sector and publishes School and General Healthy Living newsletters.

Elevator Pitches Are the Networking Equivalent of Email Spam

Let's say the you are at a business networking function and a salesperson walks up to you and says the following:

"Are you tired of the nitty-gritty chores involved with running your business? Need assistance with one of your projects? My company takes care of the work you would be so much better off delegating to the top business students in the country. Don't delay searching for answers when my company can be getting things done at no cost to you!"

If this line was emailed to you, you would delete it because it is spam. But, someone is now speaking it to you at a business networking meeting. How do you delete his mouth? You can't. So it goes in one ear and out the other. You walk away and try to avoid that person all night.

Believe it or not, this line is a "top-rated" elevator pitch at a popular elevator pitch website. It sounds like a canned sales pitch. For some reason, there are still sales consultants pushing business professionals and salespeople to develop elevator pitches because "you just never know when an opportunity will arise to pitch your business."

Aside from being so cheesey what benefit could elevator pitches really have? Nobody responds to spam email so why would anybody respond to spammy sounding canned sales pitches? It's no different than canned cold calling scripts or canned sales closing techniques. They just doesn't work.

Great food doesn't come from a can just as great salespeople are not opened with a can opener. Do us all a favor... Can the elevator pitch.

Check out the lotto winners website. It features big lotto jackpot winners and their stories.

Facts About Vinyl Discs

Vinyl Discs have their predecessors or what we called ancestors. It all started from a cylindrical disc that plays sound which looks like a canned sardines, because they are sold with cardboard tubes. These records are also known as Canned Music. Its popularity began from 1888-1915. The recordings were on the outside surface of a strip of tinfoil wrapped around a rotating metal cylinder.

These cylinders are like toys which you can replace over the machine which played them. Though the cylinders easily wear and tear following a number of times being played. The owner can go to stores and replaced the worn out records or trade it with other records.

In 1890 Carnauba Wax became as a replacement for the common mixture of paraffin and beeswax used on phonograph cylinders. Over the years the type of wax used in cylinders was improved and hardened. Thus, cylinder records could be played over a hundred times.

"Edison Gold Moulded Records" had been the top of the line of hard wax covered cylinder records introduced in 1902 by Edison Records.

Later on, hard plastic cylinders appeared before the public made of celluloid that can be played a thousand times. Moreover it will not break if drop. This high end plastic disc had been purchased by Columbia Phonograph Company.

The short live Amberolas, a type of cylindrical player which was introduced by the Edison Company to play cylindrical discs made of material called amberol. It doubles the playing time of ordinary cylinders and prolongs wear and tear.

During the early period of World War 1, Cylindrical Discs and Disc Records battled for supremacy. It's obvious who won the format war.

Vinyl Discs sprang up on the early 1900s. Many people are skeptic about what can it offer to the public. Undeniably speaking these vinyl discs are cheap to mass produce compared to cylindrical records. It doesn't break easily but is sensitive to scratches. Though they are bulky but they are appreciably great for sound fidelity.

About the Author

Jay Dy is a collector of rare vinyls or collectible records who owns a wide array of old vinyls and stuffs. As far as hard to find music records or simply rare records are your concern. It is best to recommend you to my rare vinyl records website.

Type 2 Diabetes - Will Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Help To Stabilize Your Diabetes?

Most people think the advice of "eat low GI and low GL foods, keep your insulin and blood sugar levels well known to you and your doctor, and exercise regularly" are all you can do to keep your Type 2 diabetes in check. And really, if those things were all you ever did, you would probably never experience any but the most mild symptoms of this problem. No longer is diabetes the terrible killer it once was, and hundreds of thousands of people will probably live to a reasonably healthy, ripe old age in spite of having it. However, there is one more thing you can do, that will actually have a seriously positive impact on your efforts to grow healthier.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Will Help Do The Trick: This thing (which is probably starting to sound like a big secret), is almost too easy. And while there have been few scientific studies proving it one way or the next, there is extensive anecdotal evidence that has come out of the middle-aged community (who frequently suffer from Type 2 diabetes), saying that it works. The trick is, buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and eat them as a normal part of your day. One way you can do this is to buy and use a pulverizer, then freeze the pulverized stuff that you aren't immediately going to use. While it might sound obvious that fresh fruits and vegetables keep you healthier than the canned stuff (to say nothing of all the synthetic garbage most people eat), too often knowing and doing are two different things.

Canned Vegetables: Believe it or not, there are tons of differences between canned vegetables and fresh ones. For one thing, the salt content of anything canned is likely to be far higher than that of fresh produce... cans are designed to last a long time if need be. But unless you're living in a fallout shelter in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, you really don't need to be indulging in (or maybe subjecting yourself to), the second-rate taste (and high levels of salt, lead and other impurities), which are common in canned veggies.

Fresh Is Best: You may have noticed lead made an appearance. It's just one of many things that tend to come out of countries with less stringent regulations on what can go in their gasoline. Keep in mind that what goes into the air eventually gets into the soil and plant life... and into you, if you eat it. You don't even need to buy "organic" produce, because there is no legal requirement for anything. Furthermore, there has never been a study saying that organic is better than normal growing techniques. But remember that fresh, properly washed fruits and veggies are the best for you and your Type 2 diabetes control.

To discover answers to questions you may be asking yourself about Type 2 Diabetes, click on this link... Answers to Your Questions.

Clicking on this link will help you to learn more about Type 2 Diabetes... Beverleigh Piepers RN... the Diabetes Detective.

Beverleigh Piepers is the author of this article. This article can be used for reprint on your website provided all the links in the article are complete and active. Copyright (c) 2010 - All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Chocolate Covered Food

Upon researching and asking friends and family on this on I found some pretty weird and frankly gross things people have covered with chocolate.

Forget the typical fruits and bugs, although the chocolate cover scorpion creeped me out. This is what I have found.

The strangest thing my dad who travel overseas a lot with the Navy, said was the grossest thing he tried covered in chocolate - chocolate covered squid.

My youngest daughter who loves both chocolate and Key Lime pie. She figured that if they tasted great separate they would be better together. The result was hilarious, I never saw her run for the bathroom faster.

My long time friend said that when she was pregnant it was pickles - just the pickles.

One time I went a Scottish relative wedding she served chocolate covered Haggis. And since I can't stand haggis (probably because I know what haggis is made of) I decided to try it to see if it tasted any better. It didn't. It was the grossest thing I had ever tried.

Here are some that I have uncovered in my search of the weird and strangest chocolate covered food.

The first four I think while qualify as strange, not too disgusting. I think most teenagers probably have or will try themselves.
Bacon
French Fries
Freshly fried potato chips
Skittles

The next two once again aren't too disgusting sounding but I am trying to imagine the taste combination. No I don't really think they will go over too well at Christmas.
chocolate covered lime rock candy
Green Tea Kitkats

Well I decided that since I had quite a few cucumbers in the refrigerator that the other half didn't make into pickles I thought I would try them as I worked. While they weren't too bad they were a bit runny.
cucumbers

This one I can't even begin to imagine this one. And my family thinks that it is strange that I put cheese on mine.
chile

This one I think is for those who really can't stand our scaly friends.
rattlesnake

In my daughters opinion not too imaginative. They tried them, themselves.
pop rocks

Now this one is just bizarre for me. I like shrimp and chocolate but together? I don't think I am all that eager to try this anytime soon.
shrimp

My other half said he might try this one.
fried eggs

This one sounds good to me. I think I may give it a whirl.
pasta

One word from my dad and I - Yuk! Remember he served in the Navy.
fish

My elderly neighbor was over for tea as I was working on this and she was kind enough to tell me of some of the things her sons tried growing up. Of course all on dares.
pumpkin
licorice
garlic
watermelon
peas
toothpaste
Twinkies
red hots
hot peppers including jalapenos
She said that the ones' that got her laughing at their responses were the garlic, pumpkin and the peppers.

This one I am not sure about either but someone was a bit strange for this one.
silver

All I can say one this one is, ouch.
cactus

And the list of the weird and strange chocolate covered food is endless.
Some were just too strange (or disgusting) to list.

Chris enjoys writing about all kinds of food but especially chocolates. For more information on chocolate covered food visit http://www.ultimatechocolateshoppe.com

The Barf Factor

During a recent presentation we were discussing the importance of being able to deliver a clear, concise message when you first meet with a prospect and we agreed that a quick, thirty second introduction would be an effective approach. A participant challenged me, saying that an introduction of this nature sounded canned and rehearsed. As he recited his opening message, I fully agreed with him--it did sound canned. Not to mention extremely difficult to understand.

Unfortunately, he made one of the fatal mistakes that many sales people make when they first introduce themselves to a potential customer or client. The mistake is to barf on them. Not figuratively of course. But verbally.
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Too many sales people mistakenly believe that they should open their conversation with a background and history of their company. Or, a complete description of their products, services, or solutions. It's seems like they can't control what comes out of their mouth once they open it. They puke. They barf. They spew all over themselves.

A great opening message or introduction follows a few key criteria.

-It focuses on the other person.

-It conveys how you help your clients and customers.

-It is easy to understand.

-It does not contain an excess of adverbs or adjectives.

-It intrigues the other person.

-It must be delivered in a conversational tone.

Most sales people start talking about their products or services instead of focusing their attention on the customer. The best way to do this is to state the benefit of your product or service and how it relates to your customer. Here is an example,

"Mr. Adams, I'm Pat from Geeks R Us. We specialize in helping small businesses like yours fix computer problems. The reason I'm calling is to see if you ever have experienced computer problems, and if so, how they have affected your business."

Notice that this introduction briefly describes the sales person's business while clearly describing the problems they solve. It is brief--forty-two words in total--and it takes less than fifteen seconds to state. That means it is very easy to understand.

Your introduction or opening should be scripted. However, one of the challenges of creating a script is that it must sound like something you would actually say. I don't know about you, but most of the people I know don't use many descriptive words when they speak. And, very few people write the same way they speak. The individual in my workshop had memorized a written statement that described the services he provided. He wrote something that he thought looked good on paper but it ended up sounding forced and stilted when it was spoken. Part of this was the number of adjectives and descriptive words he used. Limit your use of descriptive words. The shorter and more brief, the better.

While I believe in the use of scripts, they cannot and must not, sound like a script when you recite it. Your opening or introduction MUST be delivered in a conversational tone if you want it to achieve the intended results.

Consider the difference between a highly trained actor and a typical telemarketer who calls you in the evening. The actor portrays the emotion and feeling while the telemarketing simply reads the words. This means that you need to practise reciting your opening or introduction so it sounds natural. Relaxed. Conversational. If you're not sure how your message sounds, ask someone you trust to evaluate it for you.

The barf factor also applies when you are delivering a presentation about your products and services. Instead of talking without taking a breath during the presentation of your product, pause after a few moments and make sure that your customer is still following you AND paying attention. It never ceases to amaze me how often a sales person actually speeds up when they notice that their customer is tuning out or no longer paying attention. As if that's going to keep the other person's attention!

Lastly, be careful not to barf on your customer when he or she expresses an objection. It is far more effective to empathize with the customer and check to make sure that you fully understand their concern BEFORE you present a solution. I have watched hundreds, if not thousands, of sales people in my workshops barf on their customer as they try to overcome objections. They ramble on and on trying to convince the customer why they should make a buying decision instead of making one key point and checking to see if that makes sense to the customer.

Barfing shows a lack of control. I mean, you can't usually control this bodily function when you are sick. And when you barf on someone during a sales conversation, it shows the same lack of control. Demonstrate your superior skill and ability by controlling what you say and how you say it.

Kelley Robertson is a professional speaker and trainer on sales, negotiating, customer service, and employee motivation. Visit http://www.kelleyrobertson.com

He is also the author of “The Secrets of Power Selling” and “Stop, Ask & Listen-Proven Sales Techniques to turn Browsers into Buyers.” Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his free newsletter available at his website. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

© 2007 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.

Sounds-Gory-But-it-Works Fish Bait Recipes

When you start looking around for fish bait recipes you'll be amazed at - and often amused by - the assortment of "trusted" "secret" and "sounds-gory-but-it-works" fish bait recipes you will come across!

If you want to learn how to prepare your own recipes, then get ready for some often gruesome kitchen work... not to mention the aromas you will have to contend with.

Of course, if you want to avoid all of the preparation in the kitchen, you can buy commercially prepared fish bait recipes, but this can add quite a bit to your weekend fishing budget!

There is no shortage of advice available about fish bait recipes. First you have to decide what kind of fish you're aiming to catch, as they all have different tastes.

The smell of the bait is often very important. For instance, river salmon is known for a keen sense of smell to go with their eyesight, and you should try to take advantage of this when preparing your bait.

The smell of bait also fades in the water, so you should have enough bait to be able to change your bait often to keep that irresistable smell hanging and drifting around there in the water.

California salmon fishers recommend using tuna balls. Canned tuna in oil or water can be placed in a mesh bag and tied shut when used below a float. Chopped herring or sardines make great bagged baits too.

Some fish bait recipes are really very simple. For instance, if you're after bottom-feeding fish like carp and catfish, you can simply use bread, small pieces of cheese, and even canned corn.

However, the following doughballs recipe for carp is often used:

You start by mixing 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of yellow cornmeal, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. You then take a 1-quart container of water and pour just enough of it into the mixture to make a heavy dough. Then roll the dough into balls of 1/2 inch to 1 inch. Now you mix the rest of the water with 1 cup of molasses and pour it into a pan. Bring the molasses and water to a boil, and when the mixture is boiling, you drop in a couple of doughballs. Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes.

Many homemade fish bait recipes feature the use of marshmallows to assist in floating the bait, and some belive the color also helps to attract the fish.

Here follows a basic fish bait recipe using marshmallows:

Fill a bowl with 1/4 cup garlic powder and a small cup with water. Put about 5 miniature marshmallows in the water and make sure that they are soaked. Then put them in the bowl of garlic powder and stir them around so the powder coats them evenly. Put them in a jar for later use.

Many websites feature discussion forums where the detail of fish bait recipe preparation can be found. Here you will often find people who spill the beans about great family traditions and "secret" recipies that never fail...

For more information visit http://www.Fishing-Things.com Copyright of this article: Neels Theron. To republish this article please leave the links and resource box intact!