My God My Dog Has Bad Breath

Brushing your dogs teeth on a daily basis would be great to get rid of his bad breath but twice a week is fine too. It does sound like a lot of work and a nightmare to do but if you start your dog at and early age and get your dog use to it it won't be as hard and it can turn into a pleasant undertaking and good hygiene for your dog.

You can start by holding your dogs mouth and start rubbing it gently for a few minutes a day and afterwords always give your dog plenty of love or even a treat. Then move uo toLlfting up the lip and gently start brushing the out part of the teeth with your finger in a circular of a back and forth motion. You can also put on your finger tip a gauze pad to help. Start out slowly and eventually you will be able to do more teeth. In time you can graduate to a mini dog toothbrush and be able to use dog toothpaste. In various pat stores you can get flavored types to tooth paste.

One that your dog will like for example, meat flavored or what other flavors he may like. If your dog really doesn't like his teeth brushed then get a rubber toy of some type with some sort of groves on it that he would like and put some meat flavored dog toothpaste on and let him chew it and he could brush his own teeth It is important that you do not use people type of toothpaste but it is recommend that you don't. First of all most dogs don't like mint flavor and the second things is that people type foams up and since a dog can not spit out the toothpaste he most likely will swallow it and get an upset stomach.

Another thing you can do to try to get rid of your dogs bad breath is give your friend a carrot to chew on as a snack. Carrots act like little scrappers and will help remove the plaque. Check his diet. This could be giving him his bad breath. If he is eating a lot of canned foods then try to mix it up with dry food. The dry food will help remove some of the plaque off his teeth. Also add some rice to the dogs diet. Brown rice will help move things along.

The last thing is to give Fido a raw hide bone which will help remove plaque and help reduce his bad breath because of the constant chewing the dog does with it.

Mr. Baker loves to write on various topics and if you found this information then please go to; http://www.squidoo.com/MyGodMyDogHasBadBreath for more information on your dogs health.

Prepare A Meal At Home For Weight Loss

Several people believe making nutritionally sound foods within their house is tough and time consuming. But, a person will find creating healthy foods to lose weight which every person will like generally will not have to take a long time to cook. There are several easy recipes as well as guidelines on ways a person can include a lot more flavor along with nutrition within a meal and making meal prep stress-free plus amusing for everybody.

One strategy will be to keep a person's pantry loaded with nutritionally sound items for instance canned vegetables and whole wheat pasta. Cooking nutritionally sound foods at home tends to be simple if all the items are on hand. As for instance, a pasta meal typically will take no more than half an hour to create. A lot of pasta sauces now have thicker, new recipes having a couple servings of vegetables within every cup. Add a few frozen, canned or pre-cut fresh vegetables for a side and then an excellent meal loaded with veggies is ready in less than half an hour. Nevertheless, individuals must be cautious concerning pasta sauces. Numerous sauces have processed sugar and are loaded with sodium. Dieters may want to search for sauces for pasta with nutritious ingredients which people can say. Also, people might want to keep in mind to run water over canned vegetables since these products usually contain large amounts of salt.

One more recommendation will be consuming extra foods for lunch. Preparing adequate amounts of pasta for two meals will be simple. All a person will have to complete is warm their pasta and then one more nutritionally sound dish will be prepared.

A final tip will be involving kids within the cooking procedure. That strategy will be a terrific technique for spending enjoyable time along with the family. Additionally parents can educate kids about all the skills required for making healthy foods to lose weight so children are not as inclined to gain excessive weight once they are adults.

Whenever children assist in the meal prep procedure he or she feels useful. Children love to feel like she or he is contributing. In addition, lots of kids will usually consume foods they assist in preparing. Hence, dependent on a kid's level of responsibility and age let kids help with preparing meals. Many older kids can assist with cutting up vegetables and boiling pasta whereas younger children might stir cookie mixes, rinse vegetables or toss salads.

Dieters should experiment with a couple of these strategies for making nutritious foods in the home. A person may notice these tips help to make cooking a meal easier. In addition, once the above recommendations are used, a dieter will find out healthy foods to lose weight will not involve several hours to cook.

Some Important Keys That Will Result in a Successful Job Interview - Part 1 - Tips For the Employer

Regardless of your perspective.., potential employee, or employer, the purpose of a job interview should be the same.

The similarity is that both the potential employee and the employer need to make an initial assessment (in a very brief amount of time) as to whether the candidate is a good fit for the open position.

Both the candidate and the employee will base their decisions on observations and shared information.

We can talk about the "proper" answers to the canned questions - many articles have already been written pertaining to that subject - so let's not get side-tracked by politically correct canned minutiae.

Actually, on both sides of the desk the interview often degenerates into a canned go by the numbers routine of "where do you see yourself in five years" and "what is your weakest trait" type drivel, and "I'll do anything required" and "I am sure I would have no problem with ..." type of innocuous responses.

Please, people, let's get real.

First, a few ideas for the employer. Please do not treat the interviewing process as an inconvenience or formality. Take a thorough and genuine interest in the candidate with the goal of envisioning him/her within the organization, while at the same time keeping in mind that this is an investigation - not a coronation. It's ok to ask canned questions - but try to do it in a way that does not make you sound like an automaton. Instead of "where do you see yourself in 5 years" ask "what are your thoughts on career advancement."

Also, please devote the time to the interviewee. If at all possible, meet with the candidate away from your office, phone, curious co-workers, and info-seeking superiors.

Try to be pleasant and not haughty. You may feel that your company is the greatest place on Earth to work and that it would be an ultimate privilege to work there, but in reality, not every one would agree. You are an employee trying to hire another employee for the purpose of making the Company stronger - that's all. Being down to earth will allow the candidate to loosen up and lead to a clearer picture of the person. He/she will be much more likely to share views and ask questions (which will also be revealing) if they are relaxed and not uptight.

Please do not be long-winded. The idea is to exchange information. You will not be able to draw information from the candidate if you spend 20 minutes of the 30 minute session pointing out the long history of the Company, a detailed explanation of the benefits package, and a detailed rundown of your work history and accomplishments.

When you talk about the history of the Company, be brief and concise. Ask the candidate what they know about the Company - this will tell you if the candidate has done any homework, but more importantly it will also create a dialogue.

Intertwine your work record with questions about the candidates' experiences. It will be easier to consider and compare similarities and contrasts. More relevant details and a better understanding may be extracted if you can discuss similar prior experiences. Again, be conversational.

By the end of the interview, you want to have a good understanding of 1) why the candidate thought they would be a good fit for the position, 2) the overall capabilities of the candidate, 3) a feel for whether the candidate would be a good fit into the organization, 4) the likelihood of the candidate being successful (also if additional training would be required, or if he/she could hit the ground running).

These factors can all be evaluated with open and frank conversational discussion.

These are just a few of the things to keep in mind when interviewing prospective employees.

In my next article, I will address some of the factors the prospective employee should keep in mind during an interview.

Rick Caciale is an Engineer with 15 years experience as a supervisor and 35 years experience as an employee. For more Job Interviewing tips, please visit my Blog at http://job-interview-tips-useful.blogspot.com

Make Your Pet Feel Special!

You can find an increasing number of supplement products for your pet now available in the marketplace. The business of providing supplies and supplements for pets is continuously growing with the introduction of new and innovative products. More than hundred brands of food supplements for pets are now available, packed fresh with the nutrients essential for the health and well-being of your dog or cat.

So, what all does a pets food include?

Generally, pet food contains a blend of meats, fresh grains and nutrients. Known brands focus on providing genuine food materials, and their food labels are written to explain what is in the food. Unfortunately not all pets food is nutritionally balanced, and using it can cause certain deficiencies. Food labeling should contain a guarantee analysis that indicates the food composition, including protein, fat and fibers in the food along with taurine, omega fatty acids and magnesium if used.

As there is a considerable rise in the demand for high quality meat products for dogs and cats, and some pet owners think they are really helping their pets by giving them canned meats. Although this may sound like a good thing for your pet, it is not necessarily so. Many homemade diets contain too much protein and phosphorous but not enough calories, calcium, vitamins, micro minerals and fiber that pets need.

Dry food for pet - Dry food is a mixture of meat bone, poultry meal, grains, flour and so on, mixed and blended according to the amount of each material included. It is recommended that you should not blend the dry food with liquefied material like water or milk.

Wet food for pet - In wet food there are a mixture of ground ingredients and additives, and of course water. The mixture is then cooked, canned and put into containers.

You should carefully read the label before purchasing food for pet, and consider supplementing the pet food with high quality supplements.

Dan Keenan has written numerous articles on dog supplements, puppy food and pet nutrition.

Tele-Sales 4 Reasons to Hate Scripts and 5 Reasons to Love Them

To borrow from Shakespeare: to script or not to script, that is the question.

In the world of B to B tele-sales, minor wars have been raged on whether or not to script the call. There are those who love scripts and they have some compelling arguments to support their claim. Others would rather chew off a body part than script a call and they have some rather convincing reasons in their favor.

The truth is scripts can work for and against you. Knowing how and when to use them or avoid them is the key to better sales results. Regardless of where you sit on the scripting fence, here is a definitive look at scripts and the ultimate solution to help you maximize your calling opportunities.

The Case Against the Script

1. Scripts Lack Flexibility

Because scripts are highly structured, it assumes your client based is a homogenous mass that thinks, acts and responds in the same manner. You know and I know that just isn't true. Certainly in a B to B setting, a script tends to lack the flexibility that is needed in a client dialog. A sales rep has to be able to react and respond to the client depending on the situation and circumstances. Scripts don't allow that and that severely limits their effectiveness.

2. Scripts Sound Canned

For the most part, scripts tend to sound 'canned:' awkward, stiff, stilted, insincere, mechanical, belabored, rote, bored, lacking conviction and the list goes on. Unless your sales rep is a particularly good actor who can call effectively delivery his lines, the script rarely comes off as natural. Your clients pick this up immediately. They don't have the time or the inclination to suffer through a droning pitch. Put more simply, prospect know when a script is being read and don't like it. And rarely do they buy.

3. Scripts Burns Out Reps

Look at a script from your sales rep's perspective. In fact, why not give it a try yourself. Recite a script thirty or forty times a day, five days a week and four weeks a month and you'll clearly understand the impact it has on your rep. Mind numbing repetition will frustrate your reps in record time which leads to burnout which leads to turnover. And that costs you money.

4. Scripts Create Dependency

Once a script is in place and up and running, sales reps become hooked or dependent on them. It becomes difficult if not impossible for them to think out of the box when the client doesn't follow the script you've set. They recite; they don't think. Of course what this really means is that you can and will lose selling opportunities.

The Case for a Script

1. Scripts Creates Consistency

A script ensures that "everyone is singing from the same hymn book." In turn, consistency helps ensure call quality. This gives you peace of mind that your client base is hearing the same thing from all reps all of the time.

2. Scripts Shortens the Learning Curve

A script is easy to learn. Plunk it down on paper and you have a training document. In short order, your rep can be on the phone making calls and making money.

3. Scripts Reduce Call Lengths and Increases Productivity

A well written script gets rid of useless clutter that often accompanies a sales call. Because it is focused and structured, it gets to the point more quickly; messages are more succinct and better understood. This efficiency can carve seconds or even minutes off a call. Multiple those by the volume of calls and the number of reps and you have economies of scale.

4. Scripts Provides a Standard for Coaching

But perhaps one of the most significant benefits of a script is that it creates a standard by which a manager can coach. A standard is specific way something should be said or delivered. If a rep knows precisely what is expected, it becomes easier to support it through coaching and coaching is the key to sustained sales results.

5. Scripts Allows Testing

Finally, one of the strongest features of scripting is that it allows you to test various components of a call. For example, you could create two or three opening statements and test one against the other to determine which gets the higher response rate. You can do the same thing with offers. Does offer A out pull offer B? Because you can control the variables of a call, you can isolate and test one component at a time. In this manner you can determine the best mix of words to get the highest return on investment.

The Solution?

It's simple. Create a hybrid. Take the best of both worlds. Combine the good of a script and toss out the bad.

The trick is to use "scripts' in certain key parts of the call. For example, the opening statement should be scripted. Think about it: your reps are making sixty cold calls per day to the same target market. This part of the call should never have to change because your initial message should be the same from call to call. Scripting the opening statement creates a call standard. It creates a consistent message that can be coached and supported by you. Best of all, if your reps are using the same opener you can start to test variations and figure out what works best in garnering the client's attention.

Questioning, on the other hand, is something that cannot be scripted. Oh sure, you can have a list of questions that should be asked but once questioning begins the client can take you all over the map. Your rep needs the flexibility to move where the conversation goes. He needs to "think out of the box." Don't script questioning.

Voice mails can and should be scripted. Why? Because you can see what works and what doesn't work in getting a client to respond. And dare I say it: test!

If you are using offers as part of the selling process, they can and should be scripted. The offer typically doesn't change so why change the words? If you allow too much flexibility and free form at this stage you'll discover that sometimes your reps are eloquent and sometimes they sound like the village idiot. Don't risk it. The offer is the ultimate hook. Make it a standard, coach to it and watch it work. Or test it. Get half your sales team to present the offer in one manner and get the other half to present the offer in another.

Objections are a more troublesome. The problem is smokescreens: i.e., false objections. For instance, you can have all the right words and phrases to deal with a price objection but if that's just an excuse to get rid of the rep, then a script doesn't help, it hinders. Instead, you can develop a 'call guide" for handling objections. A call guide is a process for a given situation. For example, you could teach your reps a 4 steps process to handling an objection (emphasize, verify/isolate, respond and confirm) which would give you structure of a script but the flexibility of free form.

When providing a solution in a complex sale, your rep will likely need to have the flexibility of tailoring the message to a particular client. This is hard to script. However, like objections, a call guide can be used to craft a message that provides the client with key features supported by clear explanations and topped off with a benefit or two.

Script the close. You can have 10 different scripted closing lines if you want but you must ensure that the sales rep uses ONE of them. If you do that, you increase the chances that the sale will close.

Summary

The fact of the matter is this: most B to B tele-sales departments typically don't use scripting in the management of their calls. They give their reps license to do as they please because of the negative perceptions about scripts. Rest assured, sales and opportunities are being lost because a modicum of structure is not being applied. Script certain key parts of your call and you'll have added a degree of 'science' to the 'art' of selling.

And if you're not a script writer, find one. (see article below) The reps will learn faster, apply the knowledge more consistently and sell more. Period.

Jim Domanski is president of Teleconcepts Consulting and works with companies and individuals who struggle to use the telephone more effectively. Author of four highly regarded books on tele-selling, Jim has provided training and consulting to audiences, universities, and clients through the US, Canada and Europe. Visit his website at http://www.teleconceptsconsulting.com and download your FREE Special Report, "The 9 Voice Mail Blunders and What You Can Do About Them."

Political Campaign Letter Writing Tips

Letters to the editor is a powerful way of getting your campaign message across and influencing public opinion. While you are likely get a few letters from close friends and supporters, it helps to have an organized letter-writing campaign to local newspapers and publications to help shape the issues and your public positions. A letter-writing campaign can be assigned to a volunteer to organize. All they need to do is to find volunteers willing to write pro-candidate letters.

Some campaign letter writing tips:

• Keep the letters to a single issue, if possible. When doing so, highlight differences between candidates.


• Not every letter has to be politically issued-based. Even letters that highlight the candidate's favorable personal traits are useful.


• Try to keep a list of the issues and the volunteers who will write about them. Provide a list of (email) addresses to the local publications.


• Do not supply your writers with a 'sample letter'. A few minor talking points of facts is fine, but the letters should be written in the supporter's voice, with their own spin on the topic. Canned letters sound phony, particularly if several are published at the same time on the same topic.


• 'Negative' letters can backfire. If writing about an opponent, encourage your letter writers to stick to facts and policy rather than personal attacks.


• Suggest that the writers to mention the campaign website, if they choose.


• Start sending letters as early as possible. Especially in local papers, a letter is very likely to be published during 'slow' news period.


• Many papers have a holding period where they will not publish letters from the same person within a certain period of time. If a volunteer is willing to write multiple letters, have them be staggered throughout the campaign.


• Don't have everyone wait until the week before the election to write in. Newspapers are typically flooded with letters right before the election, and it's very likely many will not get printed.


• If possible, reprint the best letters or quotes on your website. Only do this after the letter has been published.


• If someone you don't know writes a letter on the candidate's behalf, have someone from the campaign contact them, thank them, and see if they wouldn't be interested in further involvement with the campaign.

Letters can lead to positive write ups, which is good fodder for a newsletter email or social media post. This may bring them back to the site to read up on what is happening and, possibly, make a political donation.

An effective, long-term letter writing campaign is an excellent investment. In most cases, you'll see a flood of pro-candidate letters appear right before an election. Astute readers will see them for what they are. But when someone has been hearing good things about a candidate for months, they should be more readily influenced.

Online Candidate provides political website design for candidates running for local office. Once you have your campaign website up and running, add it to our free political candidate directory

Making a Camping Food List - How to Do It

Making a camping food list may sound pretty simple, but there is actually some important information that you should be aware of before getting started on this. If you want to have the most fun on your next camping trip and make sure that you have a variety of foods included on your camping food list, you are going to want to come up with some great camping food recipes.

Many people believe that they are only able to bring along canned foods and other non-perishable foods when they go camping, but this is actually not true, and in fact, as long as you use common sense, you can bring almost any food you want with you when you go camping.

Getting Started

To get started on your camping food list, you will first need to take note of any foods that you are allergic to, do not like, or are not able to purchase in your area for instance. This way you are narrowing down your options and will have less of a selection to work with here.

Now to make your camping food list, you want to meal plan. This means thinking of what you are going to be eating each meal while you are on your trip, which will end up saving you a great deal of time and effort in the long run. Make sure that you mix it up and have some variety, because you will get bored with the same meals over and over again.

Having the same meal twice in a week is not bad at all, and will ensure that you are not wasting food, but just make sure that you switch it up and space out the meals so you are not eating the same thing one night after another.

Specialty Foods

There are lots of different foods that you can choose from for your camping trip, but to make the best camping food list you may be interested in specialty foods that are available for camping and backpacking trips.

Adventure Foods is one great company offer these foods, and they carry a variety of foods for backpackers, such as deep dish pizza and Spanish rice with beef. You are never going to get bored when you bring these sorts of meals along, and of course you then just need to make sure that you have the proper cooking equipment with you so you can prepare the food.

Author Promoted Sites: Vacation Tips, Resale Rights Products

Give Them A Choice And Close Them Into A Corner

There have been countless sales books written on the art of closing and all the different types of closes that you can use throughout your Timeshare sales presentation to close your clients into a corner and get the deal on they day.

A couple of weeks ago we looked at Tie-downs in their various forms, positive, negative, tag-on, inverted etc and how and where you should use them.

This week I want to look at one of the all time classic closes and a definite favourite of mine that has earned me a lot of money selling Timeshare on the Costa del Sol.

"The Alternative Choice Close"

The thing I like most about the alternative choice close is that you can start using it straight away. From the minute you pick up your clients in reception and take them through to the warm up area you can start getting them used to making simple choices like:

"Would you like to sit in the sun or the shade?"

"Would you like a warm drink or a cold one?"

"Would you prefer Orange or Lemon?"

The idea of the alternative choice close is that you get your clients used to making simple choices rather than decisions. Anybody will make a simple choice on the spur of the moment, but making a decision takes a little more thinking about and that's the last thing you want when you want to get the deal on the day.

More importantly if you narrow down the options you give your clients to just two, the quicker and easier your clients will make their choice without getting confused and need to think about it.

This is where you can get really clever and control the answer the clients give you by using a little bit of sales psychology.

It's a known fact in sales psychology that when you give someone an alternative choice they will tend to favour the second choice over the first choice as the last part of the sentence will always be fresher in their mind. Even more so if you have used a little voice inflection to slightly emphasise the second choice and made it sound more attractive.

For example, if you want your clients to sit in the shade rather than the sun, just word the alternative choice close: "Would you like to sit in the sun or the shade where it's much cooler?" and make sitting in the shade sound much more attractive than sitting in the sun.

If throughout your entire sales presentation your clients have got used to making simple choices. When it comes to the final close don't ask them to buy, assume that they will buy and don't give them the opportunity to say yes or no. Just ask them if they preferred the one bedroom apartment overlooking the pool, or the two bedroom apartment with the beautiful sea views.

Get the idea?

As always, practise your alternative choice closing on your friends or partner until it flows naturally and doesn't sound like a canned timeshare sales pitch before you start using it on a real client or they'll see right through you and you'll have lost a sale.

See you next week.

Alan reveals some of the most effective Timeshare Sales And Marketing Techniques used today and shares his simple but powerful closing skills gained from over 18 years personal experience of Selling Timeshare at: http://simplesalesandmarketing.blogspot.com A refreshing look at sales and marketing techniques for today's Sales Professionals who have already learned you can never stop learning.

Eating Tuna to Build Muscle

Tuna has always been a favourite food among athletes and bodybuilders. This food is high in protein yet is relatively inexpensive in comparison with other muscle building foods such as chicken, turkey or beef. The only problem you may encounter with eating tuna to build muscle is the taste. There are many ways you can incorporate tuna into your diet. Indeed, some people choose to include tuna in imaginative ways in their meals.

The hardcore bodybuilder usually favours the simple, quick and easy method. This involves opening the can and draining off the liquid. Then you simply eat the contents out of the tin with a fork. This can be unpalatable to some who find it difficult to consume tuna in such a basic form with no added flavouring.

For easier consumption, chew some tuna then wash the flakes down with a drink of water. It may sound unusual but this is a very healthy regime if you can maintain it. Not only are you eating a high protein food that does not contain any fat, you are also keeping your body hydrated by drinking a large amount of water. Another way to consume tuna is by mixing it in a blender with water or with other foods. This creates a liquid form of tuna which has been favoured by many famous bodybuilders. It may not be the tastiest protein drink but it is still highly nutritious.

Tuna contains minerals such as selenium, magnesium and potassium as well as several B vitamins. It is also an oily fish that is high in Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Tuna comes in water, brine and sunflower oil. The liquid in the can is down to personal preference and does not really have any bearing on nutritional value.

There are no side effects from consuming large amounts of tuna although there have been questions about the levels of mercury. Most tuna products contain very low levels of mercury so the nutrients far outweigh any real concerns. It is not uncommon for bodybuilders to consume up to four cans of tuna a day with no problems reported. If you are struggling to gain muscle this could be due to lack of protein. Eating tuna to build muscle is a proven way to increase your size and lean mass quickly and it does not cost the earth. Tuna works well alongside sports supplements and your normal diet.

The author has a wealth of experience in the fitness, bodybuilding and sports nutrition industry. Visit the popular Sports Nutrition Reviews where you will find some useful muscle building advice. On the other hand, if weight loss is your goal, then check out Slim Tea and discover some pain-free ways of losing weight.

What Most People Think About a Raw Food Diet

There are a lot of misconceptions about the raw foods diet. It sounds like such a radical departure from the average person's intake of food, that people make some crazy assumptions about what it means to eat raw. Here are some of the reactions you're likely to come across, and some information to counter that well-intentioned ignorance with.

"Nothing but raw foods? That must cost you a fortune!"

This is probably the reaction you're going to hear the most. There is this conception in our culture that you can eat for very little money, as long as your diet consists of nothing but foods with the words "nuggets" or "super sized" in them somewhere. And for the average sort who wants something a little healthier, you can throw a few of those expensive veggies on the side of the plate. But nothing but veggies must be expensive.

Ahh, but the raw foods diet is more than the sum of its parsley. Veggies and fruits alone do not a raw meal make and while fresh foods to tend to cost a little more than the canned and pre-cooked alternatives, it will actually be lower if you go with bulk produce, or about the same if you prefer higher end fresh food items. Oh, and don't forget to take into account the extra energy costs of running an oven!

"How do you ever find the time to do all of that prep work?"

Another common and frightening thought for most people. We are all so busy in our daily lives, that the idea of spending even one extra moment of our precious free time in the kitchen is abhorrent.

But when you stop to really think about it, how would a raw diet possibly mean more work in the kitchen? If you're not cooking anything, you have just dropped a very large step out of the preparation time of every single meal. The occasional blending and dehydration times will never compare to the cooking time on the stovetop or in the oven.

"That's fine for the short term, but you know you aren't getting all the nutrients you need, right? I mean, do you know about protein?"

It's amazing how many people, who know so little about good nutrition, will tell you so much about the unavoidable benefits of meat protein. Surely, a raw food diet will short-change you on a lot, right? Well, yes. A raw food diet means you will have a deficit of carcinogenic charring, fattening frying oils, and all the rich and varied sugars available in almost every single processed food item.

Yuri Elkaim is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and author of the raw food diet book Eating for Energy. Visit http://www.eatingforenergy.ca to get started with his FREE "Energy Secrets" e-course and discover what your diet has been missing.

How to Improve Your Home Sound System

To improve home sound system you do not have to spend a lot of money. Just do simple maintenance to make the sound system work better. You only need to have DVD cleaning kits, speaker cables, duster, and compressed air. Here are tips to improve home sound system.

1. Clean laser lens of CD player periodically by spraying canned air. You can also use lens cleaner to clean the lens. Clean every connection points so they can work better. Clean the stylus so the player can play CD smoothly.

2. You can warm up the amplifier or receiver at least 1 hour before you listen to the sound.

3. Never let audio cables and power cables touch each other.

4. Reverse AC plugs.

5. Keep the player away from the analog equipment for at least 1 foot.

Here are the tweaks tips that you can do but you also have to clean the sound system by doing what I have listed before.

1. Get best recording only. You can enjoy the great sound if you get the best recording because the sound quality of best recording is very good. For example, choose FLAC or lossless songs rather than the common mp3 songs.

2. Place speakers in the right position to deliver great surround sound.

3. Select the lower compression option fro better quality of sound. You should not compress the music to small file because it can reduce the sound quality. High bit rate files will surely bring high quality sound.

4. Get powered sub woofer to bring bass effect to the sound. Make sure that you adjust the bass level correctly to bring lifelike music.

5. For better sound from music files or CD you can try outboard DAC. By connecting player to DAC you will get higher sound quality.

6. Get a Blu-ray player that has built-in Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio decoder. You will be able to get impressive full surround system.

Visit www.homestereoamplifiers.org if you want high quality sound. You will find information about stereo headphone amplifier in that website.

All Grown Up - Rihanna's New Album Set to Be "Legendary"

In any relationship, break-ups are often very tumultuous and a time for reflection in an individual's life. Imagine your break-up on the front page of every major paper for months? Well, poor Rihanna has had to endure a very public break-up with former long time boyfriend Chris Brown, and to make matters worse it was due to a domestic violence dispute.

The past few months have been quite difficult for Riri, however she has kept it very sexy and has big things in store for the rest of the '09! Sources say Rhianna has been busy working on her next album, which is set to feature an all star roster. Rihanna will be working with the big boys which include: Kanye West, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, and Pharrell Williams . No mention of any female cameos yet, but who needs to share the spotlight when you are the Sexy Rhianna?

This album will feature a more mature sound for Rhianna and will be more of a crossover into rock and pop than her previous albums.This will actually be the fourth album released for the singer. In addition, the pop sensation is said to have more input than ever on this production, giving her credits to lyrics and also a strong contribution to song choice and melodies.

And how about this for low blows? Chris Brown was set to be featured on a duet with Riri, but the song was quickly canned after the highly public altercation. Ouch!

The name of the album has been said to be a secret and will not be revealed until the album is about to be released. Sources at Def Jam say, "the album will highlight a more mature, original Rihanna than we've seen in the past" and that the album "mark the spirits forever."

Whoa! Sounds super sexy!

Capture Rihanna's style with some of our seductive looks.

Find the perfect costume with expert advice from a GuruBlogger article. Read our informative posts and visit http://www.hollywoodtoysandcostumes.com to choose an amazing disguise or outfit. We've got costumes for every occasion, holiday, and event. Let GuruBlogger help change the way you shop online, you'll find we have an incredibly keen eye for creative costumes.

Hands Free Can Opener Makes Canned Food Even More Convenient

When we consider that canned food was a revolutionary item in food preservation that enabled armies at war to keep battling on, it is amazing to think that we still use them today, and still view them as an everyday cooking essential.

You might think that this is exaggerating but I really don't think so. Canned foods form the basis of our store cupboard ingredients, and enable us to have quick, convenient and preserved foods. We all know how long it would take for fresh tomatoes to go off, but with tinned tomatoes they can literally stay in the cupboard waiting to be used, for years! Also, the cost involved in canned foods is minimal for the consumer. If you think again about the tinned tomatoes we use in a meal for example, like spaghetti Bolognese - you would have to spend a lot of money on fresh tomatoes for this dish, but with tinned tomatoes it really cuts the cost.

What makes them even handier and really suitable for our hectic lifestyles is that they provide a meal when 'we have no food in' - guaranteed you will always find a tin of beans or soup lurking at the back of the cupboard when you are in dire need of something to eat. It might have been there so long you have forgotten about it, but it will more than likely still be within its best before date!

The first tin cans that existed were so thick that they had to be hammered open - something that these days we could not contemplate doing! We like things to happen easily and without fuss or spillage. It's a good job that the can opener that we all recognise was invented in the 1870s. Of course since then there have been slight improvements to the design, most particularly with the invention of the electric opener in 1931.

Since 1931 there have been no major improvements in can openers, leaving some people in a bit of a pickle when it comes to opening cans. They prove difficult for those who are left-handed, or those who have limited hand movement, or diseases such as arthritis. Fortunately there has recently been a major development with the can opener - JML have manufactured a hands free one! Yes, you have read that correctly, and unbelievable as it sounds, it's very true. Due to the fact that it has automatic and electrical components, it works with a single touch action so you don't have to have a full range of hand movement or be super-strong to use it. It is so easy to use and produces no mess, spillage or sharp edges. It even has a magnet which enables you to dispose of the can lid mess free, and it won't take over your entire kitchen, as it has a sleek ergonomic design. You can have all this from JML online for the low price of just 14.99.

Why not find out what the amazing JML can opener can do for you. Lightweight and easy to operate this magic of the modern world will make opening tin cans a breeze. Just place it on top of a can and it automatically opens it without any help from you.

Working with Royalty Free Music

When creating Multi-Media Content, Flash or Video Clips for a client's web site or CD Rom Project, the last thing you want is to get him in trouble with the law. If there's a need for music in a project, using royalty free music is essential.

Here are some general music tips that you may find useful:

1) Finding the right kind of music

There are hundreds of choices when it comes to royalty free music and making the right decision can be hard. After all, most TV production companies have music supervisors on staff whose only job it is to select appropriate music for projects. Selecting music is an art in itself. In general, you will find that your clients would prefer to use something they heard on the radio, something from their favorite album etc. Unfortunately, that's copyrighted stuff and licensing an N Sync song for your next 'how to' video or CD-Rom may cost you a fortune. What you want to do is find buyout music that sounds similar to today's popular music. It's a little harder to find than your typical 'canned' music. A lot royalty free music may sound like music from a 70's sitcom or worse, a cheap porno flick.

A good place to check out is http://www.buyoutmusictracks.com All their tracks are created by established record producers with grammy and gold record credits so you get music that sounds as up-to-date as what you may hear on the radio.

Our tip: Always use music that sounds just a little more energetic than you think you may need. You may listen to the music over and over while you're putting together your project while the end user may only hear it a few times.

2) Less is not more in production music

When you are looking for background music for a project, choose music with some impact. I know it is supposed to be background music but if you choose high energy tracks, your whole project will leave more of an impression. Listen to a sampling of today's TV commercials and you'll find that most of them use very powerful music. You want your work to create an impact and keep viewer's attention and a strong, powerful soundtrack can do that.

3) When 'legal' music is not legal

The usage license on your buyout music CD may be very liberal but it is not a license to steal. You can use royalty free music on all of your projects and as you have the legal right to use the music, your customers can be assured not to get into legal troubles.

However, that license is only extended to you, the purchaser. You cannot transfer that license by copying your CD and giving it to somebody else or by selling the CD. This may be news to you but there's no such thing as a 'used buyout music CD' If you don't purchase the music from the producers of the music, it won't be legal still. So, next time you browse Ebay for royalty free music, make sure you are buying a new CD, not a used one or it will be useless to you.

4) You get what you pay for

While we're on the topic of Ebay: You may find offers for entire 4 or 6 CD libraries for $75 or other ridiculously low prices on Ebay. The truth is, these CDs may not even be worth that low price.

One good quality royalty free music CD will cost you between $29 and $69 (some even more) If it's less than that, here's what you are likely to get:

1. Discontinued titles that have been around for 10, 20 or more and not only sound dated but may also have already found its way unto hundreds or thousands of other projects during the years to make your own project sound dated.


2. Homegrown CDs that are created in somebody's bedroom studio. You can easily recognize these CDs as they usually don't have any 'real' instruments on it, only synthesized stuff. You can clearly hear the difference between those CDs and something produced in a real studio with real musicians. Our tip: Check out http://www.buyoutmusictracks.com for music. Each of their CDs is only $29.95 and each title contains between 30 and 48 real studio recorded tracks.

5) CD or Download?

With the event of high speed internet, you don't really have to wait anymore to receive your Royalty Free Music CD in the mail. If you need tracks fast, you can now download buyout music from the net. You can choose only the tracks you need and get to use them within minutes. Single downloadable tracks usually cost a little more money per track than buying a whole CD. On the other hand, you don't have to buy a whole CD if you only need one or two tracks.

My advice, if you are buying music to 'keep on the shelf' for future projects and for your customers to choose from, buy physical CDs. If you need just one or two 'perfect' tracks or if you are on a deadline, downloadable purchases may be perfect for you. I don't know if I have to mention it, but purchasing a Mariah Carey track from Itunes or Napster for a buck does not entitle you to use the music. You have to download your music from a buyout music company so the track is licensed to you.

6) Make your own

You may think, 'are you crazy? I'm not a musician' You don't have to be a music genius anymore these days. Programs like Acid and Apple's Garageband allow you to create original music by using 'loops' Loops are pre-made musical chunks of drums, bass, guitar, strings, whatever, that you can put together like a mosaic to create your own music soundtrack.

The advantage is clear. By creating your own music with a loops program you can make absolutely sure that nobody else is using the exact same music on their project. This will give you 'original' music at Buyout Music Prices. All you need is a good musical ear and a couple of loops CDs to get you started. You can find lots of loops CDs and more info at http://www.acidmusicloops.com Their Groove Construction Kits are a great way to get started with music loops. And here's the best news, you can download the Acid program for free. Just visit http://www.musicleads.net/articles/freestuff.html for free (and legal) downloads of Acid, Protools and many other great music and sound tools.

I hope that these tips were useful to you. You are free to use or re-print this article in your newsletter, ezine, or on your web site.

About The Author

Alan Steward - www.musicleads.net

Alan Steward is a producer and engineer with many credits in the Music, Video and Television production world.

Cooking Tips - How to Remove Corn Kernels From the Cob

Many recipes require that you strip corn kernels off the cob. You can sometimes substitute canned or frozen corn but you might want to use a freshly cooked corn on the cob, for a better flavor and texture. If you have grilled the corn on the cob, it will have a wonderful smoky aroma and flavor which you simply cannot achieve with canned or frozen corn.

Also, if you have braces, a loose tooth or braces, eating corn on the cob is not a good idea, so stripping the corn kernels off means that you can still enjoy this delicious food without worrying about your teeth.

Cooking corn on the cob is easy and you simply need to peel the husks and boil the ears of corn for five minutes. Set it aside and wait until it is cool enough to handle before attempting to remove the corn.

Recipes such as corn chowder, corn salad, and creamed corn call for the corn kernels to be stripped from the cob. You can also freeze the corn. Taking the kernels off the cob might sound easy but if the corn cob slips out of position, the kernels can fly all over the room!

Stand the ear of corn on its end with the widest part at the bottom. Using a sharp knife, cut straight down, and getting as near to the center of the cob as you can, since that is where the tastiest part of the kernel is.

Using a Bundt Pan to Strip the Corn Kernels

The best way to remove corn kernels from a cob is to use a bundt pan. This is good to steady the cob and also to catch the corn kernels as they are removed. If you are new to preparing corn and you have a bundt pan, you will find that this method simplifies things and corn kernels flying around the room can be a thing of the past!

A bundt pan is a round cake tin with small folds or curves. There is a hole right in the middle of the pan. These pans are used to make bundt cake but they are also handy for preparing fresh corn. Stand the corncob upright in the hole of the pan and hold it steady. With a sharp knife, make downward strokes. The corn kernels will come off the cob.

A lot of bundt pans are non-stick so make sure you do not accidentally scratch the nonstick coating with your knife. It does not matter so much if you scratch the part around the hole with the knife because this area does not normally touch the cake batter when you make a bundt cake. If you want to protect the bundt pan, you can tuck a dishtowel or paper towel into the hole to protect it.

If you are looking for corn recipes, why not try a quick and simple recipe search by ingredient to find the perfect recipe? You can find everything from basic recipes and family recipes to spectacular holiday recipes by using a recipe search engine.

RecipeDirectory.org Where the Web Searches for Recipe Sites

How to Make Yourself Absolutely Irresistible to Women

The two factors that you really need to be extremely proficient in when trying to approach women is conversation and body language. If you can get these up to a really good level, then you will really stand out amongst other guys and be able to have a far higher chance of meeting women.

Keeping a woman's attention can be extremely hard so you need to keep are interested partly by keeping up the level of anticipation. A lot of women subconsciously wait for the next approach and really want you to go away sooner rather than later under most circumstances. This is where it can get complicated and then to awkward situations. Here are three tips to get you started...

How To Make Yourself Absolutely Irresistible To Women - 3 Killer Tips You Have Got To Know

Tip #1: "Use Canned Lines". Although you should be very careful with certain pick up lines because many of them sound incredibly cheesy, you should bear certain lines in mind in case you run out of things to say. Certain pick up lines can be a good backup plan so long as you add your own style to them to make sure that they sound original. There is nothing worse than using a cliché pickup line.

Tip #2: "The Barry White Tactic". Your voice is also important and you should make sure that you lower your voice to sound more domineering and masculine. There is nothing more likely to get you a rejection if you speak in a squeaky tone because you are lacking self confidence.

Tip #3: "Hypnosis". Finally, why not try hypnotizing her? This might sound as though belongs to the realms of fantasy at first, but in fact a type of hypnosis is one of the most effective methods of winning over a woman.

You can mesmerize her by getting emotionally in touch with her and using a method called fractionation. Women are very emotional beings so being able to get in touch with their emotions and basically hacking to their minds is a sure-fire way to succeed.

But before you use this technique, you must heed this warning...

Fractionation is considered as a 'dark art' tactic which is the basis of hypnosis-based seduction, and while controversial, it is known to be one of the most effective tactics ever invented by underground seductionists. It is described in a step-by-step system in the Deadly Seduction Manuscript (http://www.DeadlySeduction.com).

These psychology tactics are highly unconventional techniques that are used by the secret elite in the seduction community. Use at your own risk. I personally vouch for the effectiveness of these tactics, but care must be taken as they could be outright dangerous in the hands of the unscrupulous.

But if you're ready to get girls without breaking a sweat, then do this instead...

Bring the Family Back to the Table With Quick and Easy Meals

This may sound familiar. You arrive home after a long day. You realize that you did not plan what you were to have for dinner. You end up finding some canned vegetable and a few freezer burnt chicken tenders in the freezer. You serve it for dinner and endure the many complaints and jokes from the family. They end up eating junk food and you end up throwing the dinner away.

If this sounds like your family, you are not alone. This happens in many homes. The one solution that helps families take away the dinnertime stress and chaos is meal planning. Busy families can have the convenience of quick and easy meals by taking a few minutes and preparing a meal plan that suits their schedule.

Some families find eating out more convenient because it is late when they get home and it is just easier.

There are many benefits to meal planning:

1. Every member of the family can help in preparing the meal plan. Take a few minutes and go over everybody's schedule for the week and listen to any requests your family may have.


2. Menu planning will encourage a healthier lifestyle. By planning your meals ahead of time you can ensure the proper balance of nutrients. Eating at home means that you'll know what is in the food that you eat.


3. Meal planning helps save you money by providing you with an instant grocery list for the week. You will find yourself saving money by not buying items tht are not needed and avoiding extra trips to the grocery store.


4. If you find that you seem to run short of time when dinnertime rolls around, a meal plan will help. When you know what you are preparing for dinner you can plan accordingly. Schedule quick and easy meals for busy days and take advantage of doing prep work the day before when possible.

Meal planning will save a family time, money and provide an opportunity for quality family time.

Trish Holfelder is a busy mom of 5. Creating healthy family meal plans will save you time, money and bring the family together. Find free quick easy meal ideas to add to your meal plan.

Wakame is Fucoidan - Rich Brown Seaweed! Now That Sounds Yummy?

Wakame is brown seaweed that is rich in fucoidan. What a mouth full! Well, it should be. Basically, we should eat seaweed every day. Yummy! But even knowing all of the health benefits of brown seaweed does not mean you can get people you care about to eat it. But, if you could make it tasty... well it's well worth a try.

Why should anyone eat brown seaweed every day?

Because of the fucoidan. There are many reasons we should eat brown seaweed but just knowing the health benefits of fucoidan make it a must eat:)

If you eat nori sushi, you will be eating fucoidan. Sushi is yummy, at least it is to many people. But, can you eat several nori sushi rolls every single day?

Wakame, or fucoidan-rich brown seaweed, was a very popular veggie in ancient times. People did eat it every day. As far back as 300 B.C. people have understood that this ocean veggie is good for you. Some say as far back as 2700 B.C. people in China knew they needed their sea vegetables!

Have You Had Your Sea Veggies Today?

Here are just a few reasons that the health and wellness industry is desperately trying to make wakame tasty.

• If they can do it, it will sell like hot cakes!


• They know about fucoidan studies - fucoidan fights cancer - everyone wants that... (look up "apoptosis")


• They know that land vegetables are not nearly as beneficial as sea veggies!


• They know that most people do not like the taste of wakame (brown seaweed)


• This list goes on and on and on...

I eat brown seaweed every day. My particular taste buds actually like seaweed if it's naturally flavored in a gel that tastes like jolly rancher candy to me... the green apple flavor. It's called UMI.

UMI is Japanese for "ocean." I call my UMI (ocean) veggie supplement, "UMI Yummy!" Kids love it. I love it and I am quite motivated to take it daily.

As a cancer survivor, I want the fucoidan in UMI to get any cancer cells that might be lurking around in me to commit harakiri! That's the meaning of the word "apoptosis" that I mentioned earlier. Apoptosis basically means "cell suicide."

Somehow, without hurting healthy cells, fucoidan is known to influence cancer cells in such a way as to self-destruct. For that reason alone, please eat your ocean veggies every day!

Terri Stallcop enjoys Web 2.0 Marketing, building much of her health and wellness business online. To learn more about Web 2.0 and business building online, visit her website at http://www.terristallcop.com

Dogs - How to Cure Dog Breath

If you have a dog whose breath packs a powerful punch, chances are that plaque is the culprit. Plaque is the same bacteria film that covers our teeth if we don't brush for a while. It can also lead to smelly and sometimes dangerous gum infections. With a little bit of care you can help prevent your dog's breath form turning to stinky.

Just think on how your breath would smell is you didn't brush your teeth all week. Yuck. Brushing your pet's teeth as much as you brush yours would be ideal, but twice a week is okay for your dog.

Brushing your dog's teeth may sound like a horrifying event, but if you start brushing their teeth while they are young, your experience will soon turn into a pleasant one. Don't start brushing immediately or you will get a big protest. First start by handling and stroking your dog's mouth. Do this for a few minutes a day and reward them for good behavior. After a few days of handling your dog's mouth, you should begin lifting you dog's lip with a piece of gauze on your finger and begin brushing in circular motions. After a while you should be able to move on to more teeth after they get used to it. After a little longer you can graduate to a soft bristle brush designed for a dog.

They even have toothpastes for dogs. Some are flavored like chicken, beef or a malt. This will make their experience a lot more pleasurable. Don't use human toothpaste as it will foam and dogs can't spit and it will upset their stomachs.

Even after all that practice and your dog still doesn't like having their mouth handled, you can get a toy. There is a hard rubber toy that has grooves in. Vets recommend this particular toy for dogs who don't like having their teeth brushed. It is specially designed for your dog's teeth. You can put a little of your dog toothpaste in the grooves and your dog can brush their own teeth.

There are some people who make oxtail soup. For those very few, you can give your dog the cooked oxtail. The tail's tendons will help massage the teeth and gums. It will help clean those hard to reach places.

If you don't make oxtail soup, try a raw carrot. A little bit of carrot, that you can give as a snack, can act a tooth scraper. It will be pretty mild, but it will help scour away the stinky plaque. There is even dog mouth sprays and they do the same thing for dogs as they do for us.

You can stop giving your dog canned food. When you make the switch to dry food you will help to improve mouth odor. Dry dog food scrapes the surface of the teeth. Also, do not let your dog nibble throughout the day. The harmful bacteria in your dog's mouth are always active. Pick up the dog bowl if your pet doesn't finished within a half an hour. If you only feed your dog a couple of ,times a day then you only feed the bacteria a couple times a day.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Dogs

How Can I Convince My Sales Reps to Use Scripts?

I live within a few hundred yards of a legend in the advertising copywriting world.

This gent wrote the famous TV commercial: "This is your brain...And this is your brain on drugs."

The camera flashes to a frying egg.

It's a memorable ad, and it shows the power of simplicity in words and in imagery.

The same sort of economy and punch need to be written into phone scripts. Just as there are millions of forgettable ads, but few that stick with you forever, the odds are also stacked against someone who sets forth to ink a winning telemarketing script.

But I don't want to talk scriptmanship with you, which I do at length in my seminars, audios, videos and on-site training programs. I want to address another challenge that is even more daunting than developing a brilliant call path.

It is convincing your sales reps to use it.

Scripts are a lot like telephone headsets, which most people prefer not to wear, and then they end up a sunken cost, buried in a desk drawer. Given a choice, most sales reps will decline using a script.

But why, especially if scripts enable them to sound organized and credible, while saving time and engineering more yeses?

There are lots of reasons, besides ego, that voice inside a rep's mind that incessantly needles: "You don't want to sound canned, do you? You're a professional; you should be able to make it up as you go along!"

Simply put, most sales reps aren't sold on the necessity and inevitability of using scripts, and most managers are not prepared to make script compliance a part of the job, or else.

Plus, there are those "naturals" on sales teams that I've written about in my book, HOW TO SELL LIKE A NATURAL BORN SALESPERSON. They seem to wing-it in presentations all the time, yet their sales are first rate. No one can successfully imitate them, though everyone tries.

These champs and constant contest winners seem so spontaneous, so UNSCRIPTED!

"I want to grow up to be just like them!" your novices and laggards proclaim.

Most sellers take their cues from your naturals, your informal leaders. One frown from naturals and the script you just handed out will soon sleep with the headsets.

If you try to force your best salespeople to use a new script you risk having a showdown with them, and then losing them or firing them.

You need to introduce scripts with delicacy to say the least, and ideally, a new script should never simply be handed out without a thorough explanation of its mechanics, and necessity.

"Why does this beat what I'm using now?" is one of the key objections that must be overcome, and the answer isn't "Because I say it does!"

My preference is to train sales reps in a seminar setting, first. They learn various ways to penetrate screening and voice mail, how open calls smoothly, establish credibility, ask "perfect" questions inducing prospects to persuade themselves, along with closing tools and objection answering techniques.

Then, they get hands-on experience in a scripting workshop, putting together all of the pieces for themselves. Some do a great job, and emerge with a testable presentation.

Most do not, and they gladly embrace a script I've written for them, that I just happen to have at the ready. They hear me read it and then see, instantly, how I'm following all of the practices I've laid out in the seminar.

It's logical and suddenly, the whole idea of using a well crafted script becomes more acceptable, at least on a cognitive level.

"But will it work for me?" becomes the next and most critical question.

I stick around to find out, listening to reps implementing the script, and giving them real-time tips and coaching. Using tapes, they get to hear and rate themselves using my TEAMEASURES(TM) (Telephone Effectiveness Assessment Measures(TM)).

Knowing exactly how to bring the script to life, and when to improvise, and having already succeeded with the script before I leave, there is a strong chance they'll keep using it.

What if the script is rough in certain places or a phrase, a pause, or a question isn't working? By being on site I can detect and cure that, instantly.

This rollout sequence: (1) A seminar and scripting workshop; (2) Introduction of a customized script; and (3) One-on-one coaching and feedback represents the best way to bring structure and success to a telemarketing unit.

Above all, it addresses the universal question: How can I convince my sales reps to use scripts?

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a top trainer, conference and convention speaker, 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. Visit Gary's web site for product information: http://www.customersatisfaction.com, or contact him directly at: gary@customersatisfaction.com