Tips for a Peaceful Holiday Season

Christmas is often the best time of year, but it can also be one of the most stressful. All of the family functions, driving from house to house, and baking dozens of Christmas cookies often wear us down, but I think we can all agree that the most stressful part of Christmas is shopping for all the presents.

So what is the solution? To give up the commercialism of the holiday and just enjoy it as the day of Christs birth? Tell that one to the kids! The key of a successful holiday season could be somewhere in the middle. Instead of worrying so much, you could leave yourself more time to appreciate the holiness of the holiday by being clever about your gift giving.

Basically, that means knowing how to give the perfect Christmas gift with the least amount of stress. Sounds like a Christmas miracle right? Not necessarily. First and foremost, you must remember not to wait until Christmas Eve to do your shopping. Even waiting to the last-month rush to shop can be a big mistake. Thats when youre most likely to bump into other angry, miserable, and worried shoppers, just like you who are out there trying to find the best deal on the perfect present for each and every family member.

Instead, start shopping as soon as you have an inkling of what your loved ones wants. The key to knowing what a perfect present would be for somebody is to listen to them. Over the course of the year, when shopping with them, or going out to lunch, listen for clues to things that they really wantbut would never buy for themselves. Keep an eye out for these things and buy them, even if its May and Christmas presents are the absolute last thing on your To-Do list. Or, start a Christmas list with all the names of your friends and family and ideas about what they may love. Since we are now in the age of the internet, you may even find it helpful to start a Favorites folder of gift ideas that you find throughout the year while searching the web.

By buying gifts throughout the year, youll be nearly finished in December and able to spend more quality holiday time with your friends and family, without the worry of your entire shopping list. Another good thing to keep in mind is that someone might be at your Christmas party or holiday get-together that was not on your original shopping list. Avoid feeling uncomfortable by buying extra presents, like candles, Christmas decorations, or DVDs for just this situation. That way everyone has a present to open from Santa.

The perfect gift doesnt have to be an object, and it doesnt necessarily have to be for a close loved one. Another way to give the perfect presentand regain some of your lost Christmas spiritis to volunteer during the holidays. You could do something as simple as wrap gifts for people at your local shopping mall, or you could volunteer to dole out food at a soup kitchen. Whatever it is, volunteering can help you remember the truly important gifts in life.

Last but not least, whether youre volunteering or shopping, remember that money isnt everythingbut its pretty important for your general welfare, so dont overspend at the holidays. You dont want Christmas to be forever known in your heart as the time you go into debt. Spend within your limits and within reason.

Thomas Easterday is the Director of Marketing for Letter By Santa. Letter by Santa offers memorable letters and phone calls from Santa Claus that help keep the Christmas spirit alive. For more information about Letter by Santa and to purchase Calls from Santa please visit http://www.letterbysanta.com/.Harper Blog89296
Han Blog10833

Wicker Bedroom Furniture

Theres a new generation of wicker furniture and its a far cry from that white painted chair that lives for grandmas garden parties. Wickers rebirth into contemporary home furnishings is just now starting to gain the popularity it deserves. Wicker bedroom furniture specifically has been getting the most attention.

Wicker furniture, in case youve forgotten, is made out of thin, flexible twigs, branches or reeds. The branches are woven among others in a pattern thats both strong and aesthetically appealing in the same sort of fashion as old, woven picnic baskets. While this natural looking furniture would seem to be more at home on a patio or porch, more and more pieces are being appropriately painted and upholstered in such a way that theyre perfect for a master bedroom.

Wicker bedroom furniture is perfect for setting an intimate, comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. Many designer pieces are being painted in warm, natural colors like chocolate and cherry wood. Upholstery choices are endless when the base color is warm and on the neutral side. Simply choose something that matches your current dcor and your wicker bedroom furniture will fit in perfectly.

The clean lines and ornate but subtle weaves of wicker bedroom furniture make it a great pick. Indeed, choosing wicker for your bedroom will give the whole room a unique and appealing look. Wicker bedroom furniture is a great way to shake up the normal, conventional, dime-a-dozen look of your bedroom and catapult it into a designers dream space.

If youre interested in taking the next step and pricing some wicker bedroom furniture, youll be pleased to know that because of the growing demand and relatively inexpensive material, wicker bedroom furniture is actually quite cost-effective. As with all furniture, the design will cost more than anything else, so if youre looking to buy something endorsed or created by a well-known designer, be prepared to pay for it. A designer wicker loveseat thats attractively upholstered will cost you around $400 and about half of that for a matching chair.

You may have some reservations about buying wicker bedroom furniture because youre not sure how durable wicker is. While wicker can rot and mildew, these are problems only associated with outdoor use. Wicker bedroom furniture is as durable as anything else you have in your home, though it must be treated with a little more care than solid wood pieces.

While all wicker bedroom furniture has a protective coating and usually a coat or two of paint as well, its wise to keep it out of direct sunlight to protect it from drying out and becoming brittle. Pets, both dogs and cats, believe it or not, sometimes have an affinity for chewing on this type of furniture more than other type, presumably because its much easier to chew through than solid wood.

That being said, youd be wise to just keep an eye on things the first few days after youve brought a piece of wicker bedroom furniture home. Indeed, so long as you treat this beautiful type of furniture with common sense and care, it will enhance your bedrooms appearance for years to come.

Daniel Roshard is a designer fascinated by garden architecture, Wicker Furniture and Wicker art has long been a subject of his interest, he know writes wicker furniture tips and advice at http://outdoorwicker.zupatips.comHenrik Blog81099
Harriette Blog60172

About Drupal

The Onion
The Spread Firefox
Ourmedia
KernelTrap
The Defective by Design campaign

Do these above mentioned names make any sense for you? Well, they are all the names of high-traffic websites.but apart from that?

Well, they are all bound by a common threadthey all use Drupal as their web application framework or blogging engine.

So what Drupal actually is?
Drupal is a software package that is

* Free o download and use
* Written in PHP
* Open-source system
* Distributed under the GPL
* Maintained and developed by a community of thousands of users and developers across the globe.
* Allows an individual or an online community to publish, manage and organize a content rich website.

The background

The credit for writing this software---todays most popular tool for building online communities goes to Dries Buytaert. The name of the software has significance; the word Drupal has its origin in the Dutch word, druppel or Drop. Now Drop in Dutch also stands for Village or community. So the community aspect of the software has always been emphasized. However, others try to establish a link with the name of now defunct Drop.org website---the codes of which had a direct influence on the coding of Drupal.

What it can do for you

The latest version (Drupal 5.1) released in the early 2007 comes with the enhanced feature of easy-to-use web installer. The moment your web host adds this script to your web host account, it is all geared up to help you in your variety of content management and blogging tasks such as: Forums, Peer-to-peer networking , Newsletters, Podcasting, Picture galleries, File uploads and downloads and many more.

The wide ranging Drupal websites

Powered with a wide range of features, Drupal can support different types of website ranging from traditional blogs to Social Networking sites and Intranet applications to E-commerce applications.

If you want to have a glimpse of notable sites using Drupal, refer to this URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drupal

On your way to create a community based website or a community driven portal?

Or are you up to introducing a resource directory or an Aficionado site?

Whatever may be your website requirements, Drupal can handle them all. So start your warming up from today; but before that make sure you find an efficient web host who can offer you Drupal webhosting.

Fat Jack Hosting is the Internet Marketers Dream when it comes to hosting. Not only do we have great ongoing 24/7 support, but we understand the small business owner, entrepreneur and internet marketer because we are owned and operated by an extremely successful one. Thats why you get great customer service, tips, strategies and support. Go here right now to get your hosting account>> http://www.fatjackhosting.comGustavo Blog92658
Giuseppina Blog64508

Business: 8 Experts Tips To Start An Online Business

The start up costs for an internet home business are next to nothing compared to the offline world of business start ups.

In fact it is a lot more simple to start and grow a business on the internet.

Of course you need some knowledge to begin your internet home business enterprise. But you don't need a "Bacc" to do business on the web.

All you need is some computer knowledge and some internet marketing basis and a good dose of determination.

Here is some basic tips on how to start an internet home business.

== 1.Write Your Business Goals ==

It is important to set goals and objectives and then take action to accomplish them. This will be your Business Plan.

Here Are Some questions you should ask yourself:

- Why do I want to start up an Internet Home Business?

- What product or service can I provide?

- Do I have the knowledge and expertise to provide this service?

- Do I know enough about the competition?

- Where will my customers come from?

Take the time to write down your questions and answers and thoroughly research your chosen market.

== 2. Choose A Product or Service To Sell ==

On the internet you can find houndreds of product or services to sell.

You can sell your own product by creating your own, or purchasing resale rights or being an affiliate with a good internet company.

Don't put your personal gains first. Make sure that the product will deliver what it promises. When you promote a product that leaves the buyer dissatisfied, you' ll only be ruining your business. So sell solutions and the money will come.

== 3. Business Domain Name ==

One important first step is to choose the best domain name you can. Keep it as short and simple as possible.

Think of domain name like " Google " or " Yahoo ". They are short and easy to remember.

I know that some people say to use keyword in youre domain name. But if you choose " Internet Business " there is million of site with this term.

So are you going to use for example "AprofitableInternethomebusiness.com" it might be a nice name but it is too long and not simple.

== 4. Web Site ==

Having A good business website is essential to succeed with an internet home business.

Here is the thing you have to plan to build your website

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

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

1 Products And Services
2. Contact Information
3. Pricing
4. Testimonials
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Resources & Articles
7. Refund Policy
8. Privacy Policy
9. About Us
10. Site Map
11. Useful Links
12. On-line store

== 5. Choose a Web Hosting Company ==

What is a Web hosting Company?

A Web host is a company that provides server space for your website. You can think of a web host as a commercial building. The web host provides space for your website just as a commercial building provides space for your shop or office.

What are some of the things you should look for when choosing a web host? The criteria for choosing a free web host and a commercial web hosting solution are slightly different although they do overlap.

A) Web Space

Does it have enough space for your needs? If you envisage that you will expand your site eventually, you might want to cater for future expansion. Most sites use less than 5MB of web space. Indeed, at one time, one of my other web sites, thefreecountry.com, used less than 5MB of space although it had about 150 pages on the site. Your needs will vary, depending on how many pictures your pages use, whether you need sound files, video clips, etc.

B) Bandwidth allotment

Nowadays, many free web hosts impose a limit on the amount of traffic your website can use per day and per month. This means that if the pages (and graphic images) on your site is loaded by visitors beyond a certain number of times per day (or per month), the web host will disable your web site (or perhaps send you a bill).

It is difficult to recommend a specific minimum amount of bandwidth, since it depends on how you design your site, your target audience, and the number of visitors you're able to attract to your site. In general, 100MB traffic per month is too little for anything other than your personal home page and 1-3GB traffic per month is usually adequate for a simple site just starting out. Your mileage, however, will vary.

C) Reliability and speed of access

This is extremely important. A site that is frequently down will lose a lot of visitors. If someone finds your site on the search engine, and he tries to access it but find that it is down, he'll simply go down the list to find another site. Slow access is also very frustrating for visitors (and for you too, when you upload your site).

How do you know if a host is reliable or fast? If you can't get feedback from anyone, one way is to try it out yourself over a period of time, both during peak as well as non-peak hours. After all, it is free, so you can always experiment with it.

== 6. Shopping Cart ==

No e-commerce website is complete without a secure shopping cart. There are many shopping cart options. Many e-commerce business owners make the mistake of using Pay Pal to accept payments, which immediately tells visitors that their company is very small and not professional.

A good alternative to Pay Pal is a remotely hosted shopping cart. Remote shopping carts take the burden of maintaining security and credit card numbers off your shoulder and places the responsibility on another company. Remote shopping carts can usually be configured to look similar to your website.

In fact, your customers may not realize that they have left your website to place an order. The remote shopping cart provider will give you the HTML to add to your website. When your potential customer clicks on the Buy Now button, he or she is taken to the remote shopping cart to enter the personal information and payment details.

Depending on your choice of a shopping cart, you may or may not need a merchant account to process transactions. Some shopping cart services allow you to use their merchant accounts for a slightly higher fee.

== 7. How To Promote Your Business Website ==

Write An Article: Write an article promoting your site or product. Write an article on a hot topic many people would like more information on and submit it to various e-zines. How do you find out what's hot? Visit a few of the message boards and see what questions are raised often.

Search Engines: Thousands of search engines exist on the Internet. But, you should only be concerned with the top eight or ten. You should manually submit to the top eight: Alta Vista, Excite, Yahoo, Hotbot, Lycos, Northern Light, Infoseek, Webcrawler, and use one of the FREE automatic submission services like *SubmitPlus* to handle the smaller search engines.

Directories: List your site here too. Directories organize sites into categories. Good examples of Directories: Yahoo, Magellan.

Ezine Listings: If you have an e-zine to promote along with your site. Why not list it with one of the many e-zine services on the Internet. E-zine Library is a good one to start with.

Free Classifieds: You will have to submit to a ton of FREE classifieds to get any significant traffic. Why? You are competing with thousands of other Ads. Remember to work on your Ad copy and make it attention grabbing. Go to one of the popular search engines, type in Free Classifieds, and surf to the top 20 classified sites for beginners.

Often, these sites will lead you to several other Free Classified Sites. In response you'll get a stack of e-mail thanking you for listing your site while barking their promo. Best to get one of those free email accounts. Hot mail is a good one. So is Yahoo mail.

FFA Pages. Free For All's are worth a try. Be prepared for a avalanche of e-mails from FFA web site owners. If your title is attention grabbing you will get a few clicks. Good Attention grabbing headlines, FREE, Limited Time, Limited Offer, Proven, Secrets, and many more if you brainstorm. Check out the sales literature delivered to you by regular mail. Check and see what headlines grab your attention. And why? Incorporate them into your Online Ads.

Tell Friends And Family: If your friends, family, acquaintances, have an Internet Connection, e-mail them telling them about your new website, and ask them to visit often. Offer a FREE incentive if they tell a few friends to surf over. Perhaps, a FREE Ad in your e-zine.

Leave Business Cards or Flyers: Leave these promo pieces with small businesses in your community. All relevant contact information; email address, URL, telephone number, should be included. Offer a freebie to anyone who visits your site. A free e-book, report.

== 8. IN CONCLUSION ==

Think of your first six months primarily as a training period. Don't expect large earnings until after you've educated yourself.

Even the most dynamic, highest-earning entrepreneurs in the industry took MONTHS to begin seeing an income of any real significance with their internet home business.

Don't be a negative thinker and don't let the negative attitudes of others (even if they're family members, friends, or peers) influence you.

All the great men and women in history had to overcome the naysayers who said it couldn't be doneand then went out and did it. Think for yourself!

As long as you think positive and focused on your internet home business target youre on the right way to a rich life, which is directed by you and it will lead you to tremendous success and personnal satisfaction.

Copyright © Michel Richer, The Internet Home Business Specialist

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PERMISSIONS TO REPUBLISH: This business article may be republished in its entirety free of charge, electronically or in print, provided it appears with the included copyright and authors resource box with live website link.

Courtesy of: http://hombyz.com : For All Your Internet Business Needs
Michel Richer, The Internet Home Business Specialist Can Help You Build A Successfull Internet Business That Can Generate Massive Profit !!! So Start Your Own Internet Business for FREE >> Visit Now :: http://hombyz.com/homebusiness.htmHedy Blog21735
Girish Blog24997

Traits of a Work At Home Online Entrepreneur

Passion, Passion, Passion, every motivational instructor and books will tell you that you can only excel in whatever you do ONLY if you have the passion within you. This is a MUST have fundamental requirement for every Entrepreneur.

- When you make the decision to start an online business, make sure you create a burning passion for it.

An Entrepreneur MUST have a strong believe in himself and in the things he does. He must not be easily swayed by the opinions and comments of others. As long as your conscience is clear and believe that it can be done, you need not seek the approval and nasty comments of others. Your ability to make independent decision will be your MOST valuable asset.

- Many people may tell you that online business doesn't work, there are scams all around. Of course, any business have it failures and success, same goes for online business. If you believe online business is for you, go all the way to learn more about it and find ways to do it. Your mind is your only limitation. If the Wright brothers did not believe that one day humans can fly in the sky like the birds, then Aeroplanes will not exists today.

Entrepreneurs need to be flexible with their time. Every entrepreneurs need to commit a great deal of energy and time to their business in order for it to succeed. Sometime, it might threaten the balance of your family life. Therefore, plan your time wisely with your family as well as your business. As long you don't lose your business focus, a balance family and business life will help you to de-stress when necessary.

- When you start your venture into your online business, plan your time probably and once it is up you must disciple yourself to STOP. Plan your time to surf for information per day, if you are submitting free articles to ezine, article directory, allocate an amount of time daily and once it is use up, STOP. Many entrepreneurs got burn out as they just keep going on and on without STOPPING.

Don't just work for money. To succeed and survive as an entrepreneurs, you must treat your business as your hobby and learn to enjoy the process of building the business and growing it. Always asked yourself, will you do it for the sake of knowledge accumulation and enjoyment even if you are not paid a single cents.

- Treat your online business as a hobby you enjoy. You are curious on how it work, how online marketing is done, you want to learn more about search engine optimization etc. Assume that you are attending your dream course, a Degree in Work At Home Online Business. Once you loved what you do, success will soon follows.

Finally, you must not FEAR failure. Without failure there are no success. Many entrepreneur experience many failures before they succeeded. They learn to take failures as part of their life as an entrepreneur.

- Assuming that you are operating an affiliate online business, if things doesn't work out, find out the reasons, find another affiliate to join. Learn from your previous mistakes and keep learning and improving your knowledge on how to succeed in affiliate marketing.

Wishing all of you fulfill your dreams as an Entrepreneur.

By © Arthur, The Online Biz Home

© Arthur Wang, The Online Biz Home Herrick Blog48607
Giovanni Blog44848

Want To Start A Website? The Basics...

In this day and age, possessing a presence on the Internet is a common approach to the ever-changing trends regarding personal, social, and business ventures. For some, one can navigate the ins and outs of the World Wide Web in their sleep, while others need to familiarize themselves with the basics. When it comes to starting your own website, there are certain fundamental aspects of the process that are necessary for anyone to know. Below you will find the building blocks that will help you create your own site on the Web:

Domain Name

After you have decided the purpose of your website, you will need to come up with a domain name. This is the identity that people will encounter when searching for or visiting your site. As you think long and hard about what to call your site, you should know that many domain names are already taken. Depending on your website aim, you may be able to tweak letters, use numbers, or change the spelling in order to distinguish yourself from other websites. The domain name should also be easy to spell and remember. Before you fall in love with the name of your choice, you may check to see if it is taken by sneaking a peak at a "whois" Internet directory.

Domain Name Registration

To lay your claim on an available domain name, you must pay a fee to have it registered. Depending on the extension you choose or who you pay to register your domain, you could disburse varying costs from $9.99 to more than $500 per year. Some of the domain extensions to consider include .com, .net, or. org.

Web Hosting

After your domain name becomes registered, you will need to find a web host. A host is a server that allows you to store the data of your website so you may access it whenever you wish. Comparison shopping will prove beneficial in locating the best price for you. There are tons of web hosts looking to take advantage of unsuspecting, new web owners.

Website Publishing

In order to publish your site, you may need the help of tutorials and website wizards to assist you in creating your online presence. While some people spend time learning HTML or CSS, others turn to the ease of ready-made templates that allow consumers to simply type in their own information while enjoying a pre-scripted visual arrangement. Major businesses and those who desire a unique look for their site will hire a professional to generate their website. A variety of applications are used in this process, including Adobe GoLive, Macromedia Flash, and Dreamweaver. Some people may also create a simple page through Microsoft Word.

While the above concepts are quite basic when starting a website, others will prove more challenging. Promoting a site and generating traffic now becomes a common issue. Your next step will be to learn the ropes of getting your site listed with major search engines; marketing; and driving traffic to your site.

Gabriel AdamsHema Blog68642
Giambattista Blog11773

7 Steps to Turn a Blank Page into a Blank Cheque

Copywriting can be a lucrative business if youve got the right skills. And writing of any kind can be a great way to make a living, but how do you get from that intimidating first page, to that very rewarding first pay cheque. Before becoming a freelance copywriter I set down 7 steps that would help me on the road to success.

Step 1. Defeating the Blank Page

Surprise, surprise, you need to be able to write, to be a copywriter or other professional writer. Many would-be writers are put off by the blank page. They sit there eager to type something, knowing what they want to say but not knowing how to write it; they want to write something great but cant find the right words. This is where they make their mistake, instead of trying to get it right first time, just write what you need to say. Forget grammar, style, clever words, even punctuation if you want. This way you can start writing straight away, the blank page is defeated and now all you have to do is go back and polish what you wrote. The important thing is that the key message is there and improving a bad piece of writing is far easier than trying to write it right from the start.

Step 2. Perfecting

Now you have a reasonable piece, you need to perfect. Take out any unnecessary words, add in words that lift the meaning and enhance descriptions and exchange dull, overused words with exciting ones. Read the piece again and again; hone it down until it is perfect.

Step 3. The Power of Limitation

Are you sure it is perfect, because Im not? I suggest that you limit the number of words you allow yourself. It will help you practice improving the article, so that you choose and use only the best, most necessary words. If you are to become a writer, you must recognise the value of words, so use them sparingly.

Step 4. Getting Published

Before anyone will hire you to write for them, youll need to have something published to show as an example. Seasoned and experienced copywriters will have a full portfolio of work, selective examples of copy they have written across multiple formats. But if youre just starting out, you wont. Heres what you do, get published anyway you can. Write letters to local and trade newspapers or magazines, offer to write free articles for them too, write articles for article submission sites, offer to write for free for a friend or a member of your family that has a business. You could write them some press releases, website content or sales letters. None of these cost very much to produce, so the commitment from them is minimal; theres no reason not to give you a go.

Step 5. Create Your Book

Your book is the name used for your portfolio, it is unlikely to be very big at first, but dont worry, itll grow. Youll need to take your published work and arrange it in a professional and impressive style, if you're going to convince anyone that you're worth hiring; a trustworthy freelance copywriter. Keep building it and changing as you go along; always ensure it is the best demonstration of youre writing skills.

Step 6. Getting a Foot in the Door

This is probably the hardest part. You need to find contacts that are interested in hiring you. The web can help, build a website promoting your services and get listed on directories. If youre really good you could get yourself ranked high in the search engines using copywriter or freelance copywriter as the search term. Or you could go to your local library and make a list of all the companies you want to target and start calling them. Youll want to speak with the person in charge of PR, marketing, sales or all three. Often it will be the same person; generally this depends on the size of the company. Dont call companies that are very small, they wont have the budget and dont be put off when someones not interested, just dial the next number.

Step 7. The Blank Cheque

Call, email or write to enough people and you will eventually get hired to write something. Youll usually be asked to meet and show samples of your work or sometimes to send them over email. Dont charge too much at first, you are after all, just a novice. Build your skills, build your contacts, build your reputation and you can build your rates. Congratulations, you are a freelance copywriter, a professional writer; a person in charge of their own career.

To discuss this topic further, contact me. you can find my details on http://www.wordsthat-work.co.uk.

Richard Jebb is a Freelance Writer who specialises in writing for business. Marketing literature, Public Relations, Award Entry Submissions and Website Content are just some of the business tools he can make work for you. You can contact Richard Jebb by emailing him at richard@wordsthat-work.co.ukHedy Blog21735
Harley Blog94779

Volvo Wraps Safety And Vitality In A Startling Car

Volvo flaunts its all-new sport sedan with a groundbreaking interior design, excellent safety, plus powertrains that include five-cylinder engines, all-wheel drive and a six-speed transmission. Those are the reasons why Volvo S40 is seizing attention and commendations from experts and enthusiasts alike. Said car was launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

All-new Volvo S40 is the replacement of the current S40 which was launched in Europe in the year 1995. The latest addition is made up of enhanced Volvo S40 parts to improve its look, feel and performance.

"The center console is a design icon for the new Volvo S40," says Henrik Otto, Design Director at Volvo Cars. Otto further added, "We intend to pursue our position as inaugurators in the car design world, not looking at what our competitors are doing. It is therefore far more valuable to keep an eye on what they're not doing." From its exterior to its interior, Volvo S40 is unmistakably an evolved version of Volvo. Said evolution of design and performance it attributed to the extraordinary design language which creates an aura of simplicity, space and exclusivity.

S40 uses high-tensile steel to suit its structure and built and to promote safety of the passengers. It also uses Volvo's Intelligent Vehicle Architecture (VIVA), which represents a new approach to vehicle safety design. "Naturally, our goal is that the new Volvo S40 should be the safest car in its class," says Volvo Cars President & CEO Hans-Olov Olsson.

Volvo S40 is primarily aimed to expand the car’s appeal so as to cater to the demands of the young generation of buyers not just the customary vehicle buyers. "We want to attract customers into the Volvo family as early as possible, and the new Volvo S40 will definitely appeal to younger buyers. With the new Volvo S40, we now offer our customers large-car benefits across the entire line. This, combined with an exciting design and exceptional road manners, makes the new S40 a highly potent challenger in this segment," explains Olsson.

Kenneth McKinley is a 35-year old marketing specialist of voparts.com, a leading Volvo parts dealer in the country today. Working in the car parts industry for a long time now and being a car enthusiast himself gives him a wealth of knowledge on anything automotive. Gayle Blog54557
Gualtiero Blog20013

Troubleshoot Before Microwave Repairs

Microwave ovens never fail to satisfy daily needs of an efficient kitchen. But just like any other appliance in the house, there comes a point in time when there is unavoidable trouble. It is quite hard to distinguish a problem if you are clueless on the symptom of the problem. Therefore, buying anything requires the owner to get educated on the potential troubles in the future.

Microwave oven repair should only happen reasonably in a worst condition. Since it is not like the conventional oven radiated by heat, all precautionary measures could only be based from the product manual itself. Varying in brands, microwaves have general guidelines to consider. Sometimes proper know-how and common sense could save any costly major repair. Know the symptoms of a microwave trouble through observation:

1. Microwave is not functioning.

- Plug the wire to the outlet properly and check for loose connections
- Door must be closed properly or it will not run. Microwaves have this auto-detect function to avoid hazard
- Check and change exploded fuse

2. Sparks are visible inside

- Remove aluminum items in the microwave prior to cooking
- Utensil with metallic trims can cause sparks
- Check if the microwave paint chipped off, repaint it with anti-heat resistant epoxy or a substitute recommended paint
- Burned residues should be scraped at once

3. Turntable is not functioning

- Check if the rollers and tracks are aligned and properly assembled in place
- The glass tray must fit perfectly to the guide
- Check out oversized cookers touching the walls of the oven, hampering the movement
- Broken mechanism needs immediate repair

4. Microwave is active but does not generate heat to cook the food

- Wipe the all walls clean with mild detergent, water and sponge for clear induction of waves
- Listen and observe sounds and distinct buzz of the magnetron, which is the main microwave generator. If this is broken, it will need professional repair.

5. Touch pads do not respond smoothly or simply malfunctioning

- If it happens after cleaning, water could have penetrated through. It will need several days to dry it before using
- Check if insects thrived inside each buttons
- Protect microwave from insects by keeping it clean without residues and smell

The last thing to do is bring the whole unit to a service center. It means you have done all the efforts of careful maintenance of the microwave and you are confident about the trouble.

Sometimes, problems happen out of repeated wrong use of the microwave, which has special instructions different from any conventional cooking appliance. If this happens at once, check out the warranties to save money.

This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on Microwave-Ovens & other information, please visit http://microwave-oven.articlekeep.com.Gayaura Blog17147
Henri Blog81986

The Sweet Melodies of a Nature Sounds Alarm Clock

What is the thing that wakes you up each morning? Is it the sun that blinds you? Or is it the brutal ringing of the alarm clock? It doesn't matter what makes your eyes open but you would certainly prefer to wake up gently without any brute force. Just imagine how much better it would be if a nature sounds alarm clock wakes you up each morning. This modern alarm clock wakes you up without the brutality factor. So consider how you'd like to wake up.

I remember that during my High school years none of the digital alarm clocks would wake me up. Maybe I needed an ACDC concert to be waken up. That's the reason why I ended up buying one of those old-fashioned wind-up alarm clocks. Have you seen these lovely items? They surely work, even though they are not exactly nature sounds alarm clocks. These old alarm clocks have a hammer between their little bells and that hammer smashes back and forth between them, so there is no way that you'll keep sleeping once it starts ringing. You will be so eager to turn that alarm off that you will get up in no time. However, nowadays there is even a better solution.

You can purchase a nature sounds alarm clock. I fell in love in these wonderful innovations the first time I saw them. Some of them have serene outdoor sounds; others offer you to listen to the ocean, rainforest or calm wind. If you are a thunderstorm or babbling brook lover, then you can purchase a nature sounds alarm clock with these sounds. I think this is really fantastic. The vast majority of people are keen on these lovely sounds anyway. It would be amazing to make them your alarm clock sound, wouldn't it? That way waking up would not so unpleasant.

Are you looking for the perfect alarm clock? You will not make a mistake if you try a nature sounds alarm clock. Frankly speaking, we all long for peaceful night's sleep. Let's not spoil it with brutally screaming alarm clock. Everyone would agree that this is not the right way to begin your day. You have another choice if you are ready for a change. You just have to get online and check out the new nature sounds alarm clocks. Now you can have that soft, pleasant awakening you've always dreamt of. Just purchase nature sounds alarm clock as soon as possible.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning music. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting http://www.mymusicreport.com/music--more/music/the-sweet-melodies-of-a-nature-sounds-alarm-clock.htmlHee Blog73037
Georgene Blog43327

Perfect New Baby Gifts - How To Pick Up Newborn Baby Gifts And Avoid Purchasing Duplicates

Often, people get frustrated by tons of new baby gifts and products sold through Walmart or K-mart.

But they absolutely have no idea how to pick up the right choice!

I sure understand that the birth of a new baby is an exciting time for any family.

But hey, people who are not parents usually have a more difficult time choosing new born baby gifts, right?

If you're one of them, you're not alone.

I have to tell you that knowing what to buy for a new baby does not have to be challenging. To give you a hand, I list 5 options below you can consider if you really want to avoid gift purchasing duplication.

1. Baby Swing

Once a baby is born, new moms have very little time for themselves.

The baby must come first. Diaper changes, feedings, playtime, and colic can eat up the majority of a day's hours. For some people, dinnertime became a nightmare. Their children would scream as soon as the scent of dinner filled the air. The infant swing is the only item in which you could place the screaming infant and manage to wolf down dinner.

2. Baby Books and Videos

Every new baby needs early education. If you still remember those chunky wooden blocks from yester-year we all played with, a "ABC" baby book would be a perfect choice for your baby. I know there are new baby gifts of 26 chunky board books, one for each letter of the alphabet, in their perfect carrying case. Each book introduces children through words and images, planting the seed for their first creative juices.

For video product, I suggest the Baby Shakespeare from the BabyEinstein Collection. It's an engaging exploration of vocabulary common to infants and toddlers through the words of twelve master poets and the vision of a master photographer.

3. Baby Toys

When looking for new baby gifts for any young child, you should not always get educational or fun toys. Some toys should stimulate their minds and help them develop their intellectual skills. The other toys should revolve around simply playing.

For example, my daughter's kitchen set has lots of food and dining items. She's grasped a concept of setting a table and what foods go with what foods. She's developed an imagination and likes to play "pretend" now as well. I adore watching her.

4. Baby Monitors

Do you know why baby monitors are great devices allowing you to keep an eye on the little one while he/she's sleeping? If you have a baby of your own, you know exactly what I mean. We have to say when it comes to our babies, we can never be too cautious in the home.

If you're shopping around for baby monitors as new baby gifts, it is wise to check online. Tons of reviews are offered on these new baby gifts. However, to find a good monitor, you don't have to break the bank. There are reasonably priced baby monitors found online and in baby stores as well. You want a product that will get the job done, but you needn't go overboard.

5. Baby Sling

The last item that you could not have lived without is a baby sling.

Many children are clingy infants who hate being put down. A baby sling can help your back out while carrying around an infant all day, and it keeps the baby happy and quiet. When shopping for new baby gifts, definitely look into baby slings with good shoulder padding.

Final suggestion: When it comes to new baby gifts, think outside of the traditional box. A unique and unusual gift for the parents will ensure you won't be copying someone else.

Copyright 2006 Qing Gu

Qing Gu is a party planning expert and professional writer for baby related websites. Sign up with the "Planning A Baby Shower with 5 Special Themes" FREE eCourse, you'll be mastering all the exciting, fun and innovative ways to make sure your baby shower a huge success. http://www.coolest-baby-shower-idea.com/ecourseHannah Blog29358
Gregory Blog32183

5 Ways To Reduce The Chances Your Pages Wont Get The Duplicate Content Penalty

If youve done any marketing in the last 6-12 months youve no doubt heard about the duplicate content penalty.

Web search engines (mainly google) have been slowing improving the technology they use to determine which pages get the penatly (if there really is a penalty).

So for starters lets remember that search engines index PAGES not websites. So when we are talking duplicate content penalty we are referring to pages that are getting penalized not sites.

However, if you have a site that is mainly duplicate content it may set off a red flag and get your site penalized or banned.

So, what has happened over the last 6-12 months in the online marketing world is people have come out with ways to create original content like

- Write the content yourself. You could do this if you had a blog or were pretty passionate about a topic but otherwise this would take you forever and cost vs return on invest this way isnt worth it if you want to really create a ton of useful content.

- Hire a ghost writer from sites like rentacoder.com to write new content (probably one of the best solutions if you can get a good writer who can meet deadlines, writes original content and doesnt borrow too much) the negative of this method is cost. You will pay $4-15 for a 400+ word article.

- Buy a Private Label Rights membership and get 100+ PLR articles a month. This is OK if you find a site like thisone.com or thisone.com where you can trust the creator of the site and its userbase (and they limit the number of articles).

- If you already have PLR articles or a membership you could get a article re-writer to re create the articles. These can be expensive and some dont work very well.

Sidenote: If you dont believe theres a duplicate content penalty then another reason to not have the exact same content would be because if 100 people before you put the content on their site they were indexed first and will most likely rank much higher then you for the same thing. No ones going to page 100 to find your copy of the same content.

Ok, so you can do the above but those arent the 5 ways I was refering to in the subject. In fact Im talking about going beyond this.

Why? Because, you may be thinking duplicate content is an apples to apples comparison of two websites for the same content and if theres enough percentage different then it wont be duplicate content.

This is NOT 100% true. In fact its not 50% true.

There is no percentage threshold to say what will be considered duplicate content.

Why? First remember these search engines index and crawl billions of PAGES. They arent comparing one or two pages to each other. They are taking a sampling of data from many many sites and comparing them all.

They check things like
1. File Name
2. Directory Name
3. Domain Name
4. IP Addresses
5. Incoming Link Text

You can see what the spider actually takes from your site by going to google and typing in site: www.mysite.com and then clicking on the cached link at the end of the listing and then click cached text at the top of the page that loads.

Google claims to do about 100 different things to determine a pages listing result (PageRank, Keyword Density, incoming links). So to end up with duplicate content youre going to have to set off more then one flag.

And there are a few other factors to consider. Such as the first part of the page as being more important than the lower content.

I feel this is one of the most overlooked aspects to duplicate content. The idea that whats near the top of the page is the most important to visitors and the search engines.

So what do I do to create a ton of content and feel confident Im not going to be the same as 1,000,000 other websites?

Do everything above!

- Create your own content
- Pay for ghostwriters
- Use PLR articles and use software to re-write them

And I go one step further by adding content to the begining of the content (which can be as simple a sentence or two pulled from an RSS feed or hand typed in for each page).

Get FREE access to an article re-writer at:
http://www.FreeContentWizard.com

Marty Fiegl is an Internet Marketer & Author of many books on Internet Marketing & eBay. http://www.MartyFiegl.com for more information.Heberto Blog75769
Hickey Blog72941

How To Achieve Maximum Fertility In Minimum Time

Copyright 2006 Power Marketing, Inc.

If you're thinking about getting pregnant, or trying to get pregnant already, taking care of your health is a top priority for your fertility. To help your body achieve its maximum fertility, take the following steps:

- Take 400 micrograms (or 0.4 mg) of folic acid daily. Focus on eating foods fortified with folic acid, take a multivitamin, or take a folic acid pill to get your daily dose. Taking a folic acid supplement is the best way to be sure you're getting enough. Including 0.4 mg of folic acid (or folate) in your diet before you get pregnant and in the first three months of pregnancy can help prevent some birth defects. If you don't get enough folic acid, your baby's spine may not form correctly. This is called spina bifida. Another thing your baby needs folic acid to develop a healthy brain. Many doctors will prescribe a multi-vitamin that contains folic acid. But the better thing to do is to buy folic acid pills at drug stores or supermarkets. Foods that are rich in folate include: leafy green vegetables, kidney beans, orange juice and other citrus fruits, peanuts, broccoli, asparagus, peas, lentils, and whole-grain products. Folic acid is also sometimes added to foods like enriched breads, pastas, rice and cereals. Its a good idea for you to find out more about folic acid.

- Be more aware of what you eat. Start stacking your diet with fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains (such as whole-wheat breads or crackers). Be sure to eat plenty of calcium-rich foods such as non-fat or low-fat yogurt, milk, and broccoli. Your baby needs a lot of calcium for strong bones and teeth. When fruits and vegetables aren't in season, frozen vegetables are a good option. Avoid eating a lot of fatty foods (such as butter and fatty meats). Choose leaner foods when you can (such as skim milk, chicken and turkey without the skin, and fish). However, avoid eating swordfish as they contain high levels of mercury.

- Bite the bullet. If you smoke or use alcohol or drugs you have to tell your doctor about it. Quitting is hard, but your fertility will suffer if you don't. You can do it. Ask your doctor for help.

- Get plenty of sleep. Try to get seven to nine hours every night.

- Do everything you can to control the stress in your life. When it comes to work and family, figure out what you can and can not do. Set firm limits with yourself and others. Don't be afraid to say NO to requests for your time and energy. You may not realize it, but high stress can lower your fertility more any other factor.

- Dont forget to move your body. Once you get pregnant, you can't increase your exercise routine by much. So it's best to start a routine before the baby is on its way.

- If you have existing health problems take steps to get them under control. Talk to your doctor about how your health problems might affect you and your baby. If you suffer from diabetes, monitor closely your blood sugar levels. If you have high blood pressure, monitor these levels as well. If you are overweight, set an appointment with your doctor and talk about how to reach a healthy weight.

- Find out what health problems run in your family. Tell these to your doctor. You can get tested for health problems that run in families before getting pregnant (genetic testing).

- Make sure you have had all of your immunization shots, especially for Rubella (German measles). If you haven't had chickenpox or rubella already, get the shots at least three months before getting pregnant. Having either of these diseases after childhood can render you infertile.

- Get checked for hepatitis B and C, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV. These infections can be harmful to you and your baby. Tell your doctor if you or your sex partners have ever had an STD or HIV.

- To protect your fertility go over all of the medicines you take with your doctor, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter, and herbal medicine. Make sure they are safe to take while you're trying to get pregnant or are pregnant.

Taking each of the steps will help you to get your body ready for maximum fertility, and eliminate things that could possibly cause infertility. Check them off one at a time and get ready for baby.

Helene Kvist makes it easy to understand what to do to make your body highly fertile and more likely to conceive and become pregnant. Learn the essential keys to a successful pregnancy. To receive the Powerful Pregnancy Report visit: http://www.my-fertility.com/Gerry Blog81167
Gerardo Blog48301

7 Ways To Guarantee Success For WAHM (Work At Home Moms)

Are you a WAHM (work at home mom)? Or maybe youd like to be one?

Youve made a great decision. As a work at home mom you get the best of both worlds. You are home with your kids so they are being raised by you instead of a daycare worker, and you also are making an income to support your family. Work at home moms have it all the joy of their children, the mental stimulation of a career, and a stress-free, comfortable work environment.

Wait! You say, WAHM jobs are not stress-free! Well ladies Im here to tell you it can be done. Consider me your personal WAHM resource for solutions to your work at home problems. Follow these simple steps to create an organized and effective work at home environment.

Key to Success #1: Create A Flexible Schedule

Babies need to be on a schedule right away. In fact they thrive and actually cry less knowing that they can count on their needs being met regularly.

For most babies you can follow a simple schedule of feeding time, followed by activity time, then sleep time. The length varies for each step depending on the age of your child.

Activities also vary according to age. Your baby could be staring at a mobile turning above her, playing with brightly colored toys, reading a book with you, or banging away on a drum and singing.

Heres the key your baby needs to learn how to play on their own as well. So during part of activity time you should allow your baby to enjoy playing alone. This will give you a little you time. You can keep a watchful eye on them from across the room, or depending on their age and if they are in a safe area, you can use a baby monitor.

Be sure to watch for signs of your baby getting tired. If you delay putting them to bed you can actually miss the window of opportunity and youll have a very fussy baby who wont go to sleep. At the first sign of a yawn or face and eye rubbing, its time to put them down for a nap.

Then you can knuckle down and accomplish your work tasks. Its very important for you to list your goals and action steps and do the most important tasks first. That way if baby wakes up early you have already done the most important thing for your day!

Repeat this schedule throughout your day so you and your baby know what to expect and when. They wont adapt to this overnight, be patient and keep at it. And remember that the length of each cycle will continually change as they grow. Stay flexible while still maintaining the cycle of feeding, activity then sleep.

Key to Success #2: You Can Only Do What You Can Do

This is so important for WAHM work at home moms. Think about it a second. You can only do what you can do. There is no sense in worrying that your day didnt go as planned and you didnt achieve this or that. Get used to it!

You have an important job here, and that is taking care of your little one. Work is important and has its place but you have a responsibility to keep yourself healthy and sane. If your baby has a meltdown and youre unable to get to your work for another hour, so be it. Dont waste energy worrying or fretting about it.

If youre going to be successful youll have to work at odd times and make sacrifices here and there. Maybe youll do a little work after baby is in bed for the night, maybe you skip some TV time. Do what you can, when you can, and feel proud that you are taking steps every single day towards your goal a happy baby and a successful mommy!

Also, consider working for yourself in a home business instead of working an at-home job. Youll have much less stress because youll answer to you, not your boss, and you wont feel like youre trying to compete with the others at the office. Plus, youll be earning money for yourself and growing your business instead of working to make your boss rich.

Key to Success #3: Practice Good Self-Care

During your babys alone activity time and his sleep time you can get a lot of work done. But dont forget that you need to take care of YOU! Without you at your emotional best even the smallest thing can turn you into a walking time bomb.

Take the time to relax in a hot bath, read an inspirational book, get a massage, take a walk alone, or whatever helps you to clear your mind and focus on you. You are the most important part of this equation!

Key to Success #4: Ask For Help

So often we think were alone, or that were weak if we ask for help. This is a time in our lives that we need help more than ever. We just cant possibly do it all.

So ask your family, friends and neighbors to assist your efforts. Whether its for babysitting (even if youre there at your desk working) or buying groceries, enlist the support of others so you can have a break or accomplish a task. You deserve it!

Key to Success #5: Exercise

It doesnt matter if you do yoga, go to the gym, walk the neighborhood, hike the trails or use a climbing wall. Be active every day. Exercise keeps you young, stimulates those feel good hormones in your body, refreshes you mentally, and helps get rid of those pregnancy pounds too.

Dont beat yourself up with an unrealistic exercise program. Just work it into your day. You can even space it out. Studies show that 10 minutes of exercise three times a day is just as beneficial as 30 minutes at one time. The important thing is to do it regularly, and preferably every day.

Key to Success #6: Be Grateful Every Day

This is so important. Do this in the morning while you brush your teeth, shower, or even while feeding baby. Run through in your mind everything you are grateful for.

You can begin thinking I am so happy and grateful thatmy family is healthy, we have this roof over our head, we are warm and safe, my parents live close by, we have food in the pantry, I have the ability to work from home, I have the skills I need to succeed, I have access to the internet to maintain a business etc

Dont skip this step. It will put you in the right frame of mind to accomplish your goals every day.

Key to Success #7: Maximize Your Work Time

As a work at home mom your attention is constantly being pulled in many directions. Its so important that the time you spend working is maximized.

What do I mean by maximizing your time? I mean be sure that your efforts have a clear and substantial reward. It makes no sense to take time away from your children if youre not well compensated. In my business I make at least $1000 per transaction, so I always know my time is well spent.

You also want to utilize the concept of leverage in your business. There should be a system in place so that you do the work once, but keep benefiting from those initial efforts later on, without more time or input from you.

Using these keys to success will create a happier and healthier you and baby, as well as a more productive business. As a work at home mom you need to be so careful to maintain balance in your life. Using a WAHM resource such as this, as well as other books or articles, can help you eliminate stress and accomplish more each day. For more information visit http://www.FollowALeader.com/wahm Remember these keys to success to protect your sanity and live at your best, and your personal and business success will grow every day.

Kara Jankowski is a WAHM who specializes in teaching others how to build a successful home business in their part time. If you would like to speak to Kara or learn more about her home business experience visit http://www.FollowALeader.com/wahm or call her directly at 603-664-3553. Hernan Blog38161
Hedy Blog21735

Dog Names: Finding Unique, Cool, And Funny Names For Your Dog

Congratulations! After searching long and hard at the shelters, thru the newspaper and even enlisting friends and family in your search, you've found the right dog! So whats next? Giving him/her a proper name of course!

So you think to yourself, just any ol name won't do. Its got to be unique, something different! Well, allow me to give you a few dog naming categories that will hopefully help you to come up with some really novel names for your four legged friend.

First though, when coming up with a name keep in mind a few things to watch out for.

1. Stay away from names that might be potentially embarrassing to both you AND your dog. The name "Stinky" might be cute at first, but once the joke gets old, think of how you'll feel a year from now when you have to call "Stinky" home at night. Embarrassing names could also apply to negative words that might rhyme with your dogs name.

2. There's been a tendency in recent years to give dogs human names. Though there's nothing wrong with this, be kind to your pooch and name him after someone you like. Also, if want to name him after someone you know, better check with that person first to see if it's alright. I'm not sure how much your human friend Max will like hearing, "Get off the couch Max!" or worse "We took Max to get fixed today."

3. If possible, keep the name to one or two syllables. Dogs not only learn it quicker, but it makes them easier to train as well.

On with the names!

In this article I've listed just 3 of the many dog name categories that might help you to think a bit outside the box when coming up with great puppy names. They are

Unique Dog Names: Have you ever considered naming your dog after something that you eat or drink? I'm serious. Allow me to give you just a few examples that will hopefully get your creative juices flowing.
Bon Bon: I can see this as a good name for a small black dog.
Caviar: For a dog with expensive tastes. Maybe a good Poodle name?
Jalapeno: A good name for a dog with a sometimes fiery disposition.
Crouton: Another good name for a small breed. Maybe a Chihuahua?
Latte: Possibly a good name for a black dog.
Kahlua: I can see this name on a brown dog.

As strange as it sounds, many more food and drink related dog names can be as close as your refrigerator, pantry or liquor cabinet!

Cool Dog Names: The dictionary defines the word "cool" as something that's fashionable, or hip. To me, when it comes to dog names, a name that's cool is a name that one doesn't normally hear. One that is creative enough to be memorable. And that perhaps matches that particular dogs appearance or disposition.

Here's just a few names from my site that I put into the "cool" dog name category for starters

Aspen, Azure, Capri, Charisma, Denali, Java, Mahala, Maui, Mignon, Nirvana, Pirouette, Rio, Sahara, Sierra, Taboo, Tiara

Funny Dog Names: By funny, I'm referring to cute dog names that will match it's physical appearance. Here's just a few ideas

Espresso: For an energetic black dog.
Kisses: For a small affectionate pup.
Brutus: For a BIG dog.
Putt-Putt: For a dog with short legs.

Here's some additional ideas

Big Dog Names: Barbarian, Big Foot, Butkus, Chewbacca, Genghis, Godzilla, Hummer, Terminator, T-Rex, Tsunami

Small Dog Names: Doodle, Gumball, Kewpie, Laptop, Nibbles, Widget

For additional funny ideas, think opposites! Peanut for a BIG dog, Moose for a small dog.

If you spent as much time as you did when finding the perfect dog, why not spend a little extra time in finding the perfect name? Your dog will thank you for it!

When Richard Livitski isn't busy running around after his own dogs, he's busy searching for more unique, cool and funny dog names for http://dog-names-and-more.com where dog names as well as other helpful dog related topics can be found.Granville Blog45735
Helmut Blog58567

The Changing Face Of Live Tournament Poker

An all-time record was established at the 2006 World Series of Poker when an impressive 8,773 players registered to compete in the $10,000 buy-in Texas hold em event. At the end of four days of intensive play, the field had been cut to nine remaining players who made it to the final table and would vie for the WSOP Championship. Who were these players? They were not the high profile players that were expected to be at that final table. In fact, four time bracelet winner Allen Cunningham of Las Vegas was probably the most recognizable face.

The eventual winner was a comparative neophyte, Jaime Gold, a former theatrical agent from Malibu, California. What happened to the battle-hardened old pros, the Doyle Brunsons, David Negreanu, Greg Raymer, Huck Seed and Joseph Hachem among so many others? None of them even came close to the final table this year.

Obviously, the face of tournament play is changing. At one time internet poker players and inexperienced face-to-face tournament players tended to become reckless and were quickly eliminated, not fully understanding the strategies and disciplines involved in so-called deep stack poker, which in effect means playing in a tournament that involves a lot of chips.

It now seems obvious that a new breed of newcomer to the world of tournament poker is emerging to challenge the seasoned professionals. Nolan Dalla, World Series of Poker Media Director, who co-authored a biography of the late and legendary poker star Stu Unger, is of the opinion that these new competitors with surprisingly high skill levels and sophistication of play are the result of professional poker wannabes taking full advantage of the countless poker teaching tools available in books, on the internet and various tutorials on DVD that can be purchased by mail. Besides, players can hone their skills playing for small stakes, or even with play money at the numerous online poker sites, gradually improving their skills without the pressures encountered in big-time poker tournaments.

If any further proof is needed that the playing level of these newcomers is strong, and that they have the know-how to compete at the highest rung of the tournament poker ladder, dealing with the pressures and exhibiting the discipline needed to win at deep stack play, take note of what the chip amounts were per player on the final tables next to last day.

Seat #1 Richard Lee $11,820,000
Seat #2 Erik Friberg $ 9,605,000
Seat #3 Paul Wasicka $7,970,000
Seat #4 Dan Nassif $2,600.000
Seat #5 - Allen Cunningham $17,770,000
Seat #6 - Michael Binger $3,140,000
Seat #7 - Doug Kim $6,770,000
Seat #8 - Jaime Gold $26,650,000
Seat #9 - Rhett Butler $4,815,000

Kenneth Bateman writes numerous articles on the subject of poker and its players. To read more player profiles, http://www.xlpoker.com.Henrik Blog89510
Giorgio Eduardo Blog12778

Hosting Geeklog Sites----Leading To a Booming Online Community

The weblogs are increasingly viewed as a cheaper alternative of expensive content management system. It makes no difference whether you are an entrepreneur or a man with opinions to share, the weblog system offers you the least complicated mode of reaching out to maximum number of audiences.

Today variety of Weblog-publishing systems are around, but only a few stands out in the crowd for their easy to set up and maintenance features and Geeklog is probably the most popular among them.

Todays user friendly weblog systems dont require that much of technical skill to operate them; you can acquire your personal Web space to publish your files, or you can also set up Weblog software on a server run by your ISP.

But availing the hosting service from a service provider like Frontier Power has its unique advantage:

* The Geeklog web hosting literally allows you to get up and running.
* Letting other host your Geeklog site saves your hassles with software, because a web host company has all the necessary software on its own server to host the files that make up a weblog.

Unique advantage of Geeklog websites

Although many are of the opinion that any kind of editing kills the very spirit of weblog, you some time need to regulate some aspects of contents of the site and for that multiple access to the content is required. The Geeklog application makes the multiple author entry possible by setting fine-grained permission levels for each individual user. This enables you to decide for your site whether an individual user can be allowed to take up such functions as posting, editing contents, uploading files or including more users to the site.

It is the interactive features of Geeklog like comments thread, reader polls, shared image galleries or mailing lists that can help you to build up a community of users with matching wave length.

Geeklog also boasts of an efficient calendar system; the system allows administrators and users alike to post information about upcoming activities.

Finally, Geeklog allows you to set up polls -- a great way to know what your audience is actually thinking. Geeklog also has the built in feature of offering your own RSS feed, as well as integrating another site's RSS headlines into your own page.

It is common to feel the need for more advanced features as you progress through your web community build up process. So it is always advisable to start with some advanced package as offered by the Geeklog, so that you do not need to make a mess in the midway by migrating from one system to another.

Among the feature packed weblog systems, Geeklog definitely stands out with its many unique features. True that it is easy to operate, but you can skip the technical hurdles altogether by assigning a web hosting company to do the job for you. The best web hosting service and Geeklog weblog---together they can make wonder for clicking it off with your online community.


Fat Jack Hosting is the Internet Marketers Dream when it comes to hosting. Not only do we have great ongoing 24/7 support, but we understand the small business owner, entrepreneur and internet marketer because we are owned and operated by an extremely successful one. Thats why you get great customer service, tips, strategies and support. Go here right now to get your hosting account>> http://www.fatjackhosting.comGregory Blog32183
Glenn Blog17945

About French And Belgian Comics

Comics And Comic Books - France and Belgium are two countries with a long history of comics and comic books. They are called Bande Dessine in French. Belgian comic books on the other hand were first printed in Dutch are greatly influenced by Francophone comics, but still have their very unique style.

La bande dessine comes from the sentence: art form as drawn strips which is literally translated as the drawn strip. It's English equivalent, the word "bande" can be both film and comics. It's not insignificant the French term comic contains no indication of subject matter, unlike the American term "comic," which implies a form of art not to be taken seriously.

For more information on comics visit:
http://www.mysecretsites.info

Relative to the size of their populations, the innumerable authors that are in France and Belgium publish a vary high number of Franco-Belgian comics. In North America, the Franco-Belgian comics are a lot more serious and are often seen to be graphic novels.

In France, comics are mostly published at the behest of the author, working in a self-appointed time frame. It's not uncommon for readers to wait as long as six months or two years between installments. In those countries comic books are first published as with hard covers, and typically with 48 or 64 pages.

Personally I would not want to wait that long for a comic book to see how the story will end. As a typical American I want it now, even my laughs.

~Anthony Benjamin~ http://www.mysecretsites.info

Anthony Benjamin is an avid world traveler, lover of nature and animals. He loves to write and share his wealth of information and adventures in his writings. His favorite place to retreat and write is his summer home, secluded high on a mountaintop in the Great Smoky Mountains. A visit to his website is a true delight: http://www.appalachian-treasures.comGinevra Blog54373
Gisela Blog11516

Putting Together A Baby Registry

Congratulations! Chances are if you are reading this, you are expecting a new addition to your family. This is such an exciting time, with lots of planning and preparing! One of the best gifts you can give to yourself (and your new little one) is to put together a baby registry. Having a registry lets your family and friends know what you would like to have on hand for baby without having to worry about receiving doubles or triples of certain items; or worse, receiving a green and yellow crocheted bottle cozy from Great Aunt Betsy!

Your first item of business will be to choose one or two stores that specialize in baby gear and make sure they offer a baby registry. Now the fun begins! Whether you choose an online retailer or visit a store, you will get to browse, compare and then put together your wish list.

How do I know what to choose? you might ask. There are many books and websites available that will offer you a variety of lists that will help you pinpoint the items you may need. When you begin your browsing, you are going to want everything for your special little angel. The reality is that you really wont need everything that is offered. I am going to offer a few suggestion lists for items to help get you started

Nursery/Safety

Crib

Bassinette or Co-sleeper

Changing table

Bathtub

Health kit

Swing

Bouncy or vibrating seat

Car seats

Stroller

Monitor

Extras for Baby

Baby Einstein Videos

Nursing/Feeding Pillow

Crib Toy, Mobile

Diaper Wipe Warmer

Playmat /kick toy/ play saucer

Glider Rocker

Baby carrier

Baby Wedge

Fun Bedding Theme

Diaper Bag

Clothes

Onesies

Wearable Blanket

Winter Wear

Summer/Winter Hats

Diapers

More Diapers

and even more Diapers

These lists are only the tip of the iceberg. You will see when you are putting your wish list together, that there are tons of other items to choose. Be sure to put everything on your list that you would think you would like. Chances are if you leave something off the list, you may regret not having that item. On the other end of the spectrum, you may find that you have an item or two that you never even used. Whats great about this is you can save the unopened items for future gifts to pass onto your family or friends for their babies!

This is a special time in your life that will go by so quickly, so have fun with all the planning and dreaming while you prepare for you little bundle of joy! Do your research, choose your gift ideas wisely; so when baby arrives all you will have to worry about is showering your little bundle with love!

Lynn Marie is a manager for http://www.babyage.com/ which is one of the top online retailers of baby products, Check our great selection of Baby Shower Gifts on the web.Hildi Blog13658
Gustavo Blog61472

Work At Home Moms Should Consider Affiliate Programs

In my many years in the work at home industry, I have come across many work at home ideas, programs and opportunities both online and offline. However, it is affiliate programs that always get my vote for a number of reasons and I think that any mom looking to do some sort of work at home venture should seriously consider them.

As a simple explanation, affiliate marketing is a process whereby a person promotes the goods or services of a merchant by driving traffic of interested users to that merchant's website. The person that does these activities is called an affiliate' and the company/website that receives these services is referred to as the merchant'. Affiliates are either paid commission on a pay-per-click, pay-per-lead or pay-per-sale basis. The bulk of the affiliate's duties would be in marketing and advertising.

Affiliate programs have numerous advantages for anyone especially for moms wanting to do something from home in between taking care of the little darlings and keeping house. These are:

International Customers

As the internet is an international instrument, your potential customers will be from almost every country in the world. This is a huge market for you to tap into. Because more and more people are coming online everyday, your market is virtually unlimited.

All The Hard Work Has Been Done For You

The merchant has sourced, manufactured or made the product at his risk and expense. He has already tested the product and his sales pitch to sell his product. If he has been offering this product for quite some time now through the sales pitch on his website, you can be assured that the product is selling.

A Real Work At Home Opportunity

One of the greatest appeal of affiliate marketing is that it allows you to make money while based at home. It is such a flexible opportunity that even if you have a full-time job, you can still run this on the side. Most of the time, it takes an hour a day to administer, check, review, revise, etc - and all online.

No Stock To Carry, No Shipping, No Customer Headaches

Another cool thing about being an affiliate is that you don't have to worry about customer enquiries or customer complaints. You don't need to buy or keep stock, you don't have to ship anything to the customer - in fact you don't deal with the customer at all. The merchant does this. You just promote the website and it's products and get paid a commission on sale.

Easy To Start Up

You can literally become an affiliate in a few minutes. There are no lengthy applications to make or approval process to undergo. No other money-making opportunity can be started as quick as an affiliate program.

Unlimited Income Potential

The sky is the limit as far as your earnings go. You can make as much money as you want to. The only restrictions are your own effort.

Truly International Opportunity

Affiliate marketing is one of the very few opportunities that are not confined to a specific country. Anyone from anywhere in the world can participate in an affiliate program.

Affiliate Programs Are Free To Sign-Up

Almost all affiliate programs are free to sign up. You don't need to pay for starter-packs, advertising materials, sample products, membership fees, etc.

Huge Commissions

Commissions that are paid by merchants are huge and beat any other industry hands down. Commissions on offer can go up to as high as 75-80% of selling price.

Choose A Multitude Of Merchants To Work For

Affiliate marketing is flexible enough to allow you to represent many merchants at the same time. This increases your chances of success as you have an arsenal of products to promote. If you choose your products properly, you can be promoting a great deal of top selling items simultaneously.

Low Start Up Costs

Your only start up costs will be in advertising and promotion. This activity will represent the majority of your input in your business. There are a number of ways to minimize this cost but you'll have to do some research and test your methods.

However, as with any other opportunity, thoroughly research an affiliate program before actually participating in it. Here are some tips to help you:

1. Only choose top quality products that are in constant demand.

2. Only deal with reputable companies who have been in business for a reasonable period of time.

3. Monitor other affiliates to see what they are promoting. Check to see where they advertise and how long their adverts are up if an affiliate is continuously doing paid advertising in a certain place, then you can be assured that he/she is making money.

4. Email the companies concerned and ask questions about the product. Monitor how long they take to respond and how effective their response is. This will give you an idea on how solid they are and what sort of confidence they have in their product.

Affiliate programs are a great opportunity but only if done correctly. It is imperative that you do a certain amount of research and testing before you commit yourself, especially if you are going to be investing money in advertising. Good luck!

Copyright (c) 2006 Anwar Ahmed Ally

Anwar Ally has been in the work at home industry for over 18 years. He is the founder of: http://www.thehomeworker.org and blogs at: http://2work-at-home.blogspot.com.Hans Rudi Blog83469
Hatsumi Blog76289

American Roll Tonneau Cover Review

This tonneau cover was designed and built to fit your specific make, model and year pickup truck. Made in the USA by a man with a working mans PHD

Truck Covers USA boasts this retractable tonneau cover to have the smallest canister on the market sizing in at 8x 8.They say that this truck bed cover has double- walled panels and can support over 500 pounds. Thats a whopping quarter ton plus.

The American roll is tension driven and has stop and lock points at every 12 inches which comes in handy when carrying different loads. It has a textured black powder coat finish which is very tough and durable.

Dirt is kept out of the side rails and canister with the aid of high quality automotive grade wool and brushes. This is where some retractable tonneau covers have a problem.

This is a clamp on tonneau cover with a minimum drilling of holes for the drain tubes of the canister as is for other retractable tonneau covers. They say it can be installed within 2 hours. From what I read it can be any where from a half hour to three and a half hours. Truck covers USA designed and manufactured the clamps themselves especially for this cover. This cover is backed by a 2 year warranty which is a real plus for a retractable tonneau cover. I must say, this is a nice looking tonneau cover.

People who have installed this cover said they have done it quite easily. It only takes a few common tools. You may need some help lifting the canister into place but after that the rest should be a breeze. If you have a bed liner you will probably have to make some cuts in the liner where the clamps need to go and again at the tailgate where the lock of the tonneau cover ends up. No big problem though. If you open and close the cover a lot you may find having to unlock the cover a bit of a pain. This cover locks automatically. Its great for a fifth wheel. A quite of few people have commented on how strong the cover is.

As is with other retractable tonneau covers you may get slight leakage with a lot of water. I must say that this has to be my favorite manual retractable tonneau cover. Lets just go over some of the good points. It will save you gas - it will deter thieves by keeping things out of sight out of mind not to mention the added locking system which is one of the better locks on tonneau covers today the American roll will allow you to use your truck bed for tall loads without removing the cover Easy installation the cover will stop every twelve inches to accommodate your load - It comes with a 2 year warranty.

Now some of the negative points. May have slight leakage in heavy rain You need to unlock the cover every time you use it If you have a bed liner you may have to cut small sections of it for the clamps.

Now you decide if the American Roll tonneau cover is the cover you want for your truck bed and to protect your belongings.

Ken Bishop is the author of this article and permits the use of this article as long as this resource text remains with it and the links remain usable.Hedy Blog21735
Glenn Blog17945

The Simplest And Easiest Way To Position Your Business Ahead Of The Competition!

Heres a short marketing quiz thats a real eye-opener. Answer the following three questionsthe first answer that pops into your head.

1. Name a brand of blue jeans.

2. Name a hamburger fast food restaurant.

3. Name a car rental company.

Are you done? Heres what I think you answered:

1. Levis

2. McDonalds

3. Hertz Can I read your mind?

Am I a psychic?

Well, sorry to disappoint you - but Im not.

Im just demonstrating the power of the marketing strategy Im about to reveal.

ake a moment to imagine what kind of success your business would have if your product or service were similarly imprinted into your customers minds.

Each of these brands and businesses owns a unique position in your mind. They mean something special to you.

I can almost hear you protesting, But Dan, those companies spent millions of dollars to position themselves. I dont have a million-dollar marketing budget! How can I position my business, in my customers minds, with little or no marketing budget to work with?

The answer is to create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

The concept USP is the brainchild of Rosser Reeves, once the chairman and chief copywriter of the Ted Bates & Co. advertising agency. In the 1950s, their advertising agency single-handedly set the stage for creative television commercials, something that had never been done before.

Reeves was an outspoken and larger than life character with a passion for advertising. One of the reasons the company soared was because of his USP theory.

His definition of what makes a USP holds true today:

* All advertising must make a proposition to the customer: Buy this, and you will receive a specified benefit.

* The proposition must be unique; something competitors cannot claim, or have not chosen to emphasize in their promotions.

* The proposition must be so compelling that it motivates millions of people to act.

A USP is not just a slogan or a phrase that will appear in your advertising, although thats one potential use for it.

A USP is a concise and memorable phrase that answers your prospects implicit question: Why should I choose your business, product, or service versus any other?

You may have a hot product or service, but if you cannot powerfully describe its unique value to your prospects (and create some excitement among potential buyers), you may not truly have a basis for long-term success.

Copyright 2006 Quick Turn Marketing International, Ltd.

A former college dropout, Dan Lok transformed himself from a grocery bagger in a local supermarket to a multi-millionaire. Today, Dan is one of the most sought-after business mentors on the Web, as well as a best-selling author. His reputation includes his title as the World's #1 Website Conversion Expert. To find out what Dan is up to now, visit him at: http://www.WebsiteConversionExpert.comGermano Blog90682
Gregory Blog32183

Part-time Entrepreneurs

Todays economy is characterized by is a lot of insecurity in the workplace. People are becoming aware of the fact that job security is now really a thing of the past. Some have replaced job security with the idea of employment security. Employment security is a concept that states that if you concern yourself with being a valuable person and employee, someone that is of value to an employer, you may not be guaranteed to keep your job but you will most certainly be able to get another one. To a large extent this will probably hold up in many situations. However it still assumes an employer - employee relationship.

The original relationship between the employer and the employee will probably be around for a long time. However in the future it will not be as commonplace as it is today. People who used to work in a single department in a single function for most of their professional lives are now getting used to working more on a project by project basis. In most situations they are still on the same company's payroll, however this is already starting to change.

Many employers are starting to outsource some of the work that was traditionally performed by employees to freelancers and small businesses. The disadvantages of having people on the payroll are starting to weigh in on their hiring decisions. With today's high speed of technological change the necessary expertise to perform certain functions can literally change from year to year. In some areas it's even more extreme. In many of these cases it's simply easier and cheaper to hire different people on a limited time basis instead of continuously having one employee trying to keep up with all the different tricks of the trade.

This trend will have far reaching consequences for todays workforce. Even the more experienced employees will have to stay sharp. They can't sit on their laurels anymore because they will continuously have to prove their worth in new situations, more now than ever before.

Some consider this a huge threat to their career. The truth is, they probably should. Then again, some seem to be adapting to this phenomenon by looking at the opportunity that this brings them. More and more people today are starting their own part time businesses. Many do this while still working on their day job, either full- or part time. Scott Adams, author of the famous Dilbert comic, identifies this trend in his book "The Dilbert Future". He claims this trend will become more prevalent in the years to come. Many of these newborn entrepreneurs start businesses that perform a function that was formerly performed by an employee. Sometimes people even come back to their original employer who has now become their customer.

Everybody knows running your own business can make you more money. There are a number of reasons for this. Of course you are probably more motivated and more results oriented than you would be working for someone else. You can also control your overhead better. Larger companies are not as efficient as they should be in many areas. Company policy sometimes drives up operating costs significantly. Certain companies hand out cell phones and laptops to all employees without taking proper notice of the need for such items. Also employees are less aware of many costs and business expenses. The bottom line is simply not a priority for them. If they had to pay for everything out of their own pocket this would probably be very different. The fact is: when you are in you're own business you have to keep a very close eye on your bottom line or you'll probably be out of business in no time.

This raises questions for many people who currently hold a job as well as the people they work for. Which functions will continue to be performed by employees and which jobs will be outsourced? It would be hard if not impossible to make an easy distinction at this point. Some companies may choose to retain employees for the same jobs that are outsourced by other companies. Each may have their reasons and who's to say what's right. It will depend on many different factors like: the importance of the job for that particular business, the ability to attract the right people and the company's culture. Nobody could accurately predict what the situation will be ten to fifteen years from today.

One thing is for sure though: for many of us it will be vastly different than our current situation. The question is: Are you ready for it?

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of http://besuccessfulnews.com, a site that provides information and articles on how to succeed in your own home or small business.Hathaway Blog28994
Hedy Blog21735

Law Firm Internet Marketing An Executive Summary Using The Q&A Format Part III

Shouldnt the vendor I select for law firm Internet marketing have built lawyer websites before?

No. In fact some of these types of vendors that tell you how dozens, hundreds or thousands of lawyers have bought websites from them are probably the most expensive options in the marketplace for law firm Internet marketing with not nearly as much value delivered compared to what you can get from other vendors at a lower price. Remember that some of those high end vendors have high end overhead, stockholders, and come complete with sales reps that come to visit you in person even. That is all heavy overhead to bring to the law firm Internet marketing process. I have also found they want to sell you marketing packages (or tell you that you also need a blog with your website) that are pricy which usually include marketing on their heavily trafficked sites where they will list you with a group of your close competitors for the visitor to select from. I dont know about you, however, I want my prospective clients to come directly to me from the search engine. I want them to fall in love with me and not look at my competitors and hope they pick me out of the group on these sites. So I will spend my money getting the folks directly to my CTPM site thank you. Also remember the competition on the Internet is all about keywords and has little to nothing to do with if you are doctors, lawyers, plumbers, or roofers. Keywords are keywords, content is content and all of the other issues I wrote about are the same in Internet marketing in general as well as law firm Internet marketing in particular. I am more interested in if they know what I know as an educated consumer and how their own site ranks in Google Page Rank, how the sites they built look via Google Page Rank as well as how they look with Alexa before I spend my money. Having said all of the above if you think you need a vendor who has done a lot of lawyer sites I have found a vendor that is probably at the higher end of the price range that has done a lot of lawyer sites and has done them pretty well to very well in my opinion. This company is not of the types I spoke about at the very beginning which are parts of major corporations with stockholders and sales reps etc. It is http://ConsultWebs.com Inc. at http://www.consultwebs.com. If you use them do be sure once you negotiate your purchase from them that you ask them for a discount since I noticed they do give referral fees.

You keep talking about the number of pages on the site with respect to law firm Internet marketing. Why is that important?

One of the reasons I tell you that you need at least 20 keywords to write content to is because it is believed search engines consider 20 to 80 pages or so to be a medium size site. One of the more major factors search engines use to determine page ranking is the total number of pages on the site. Most attorneys have small sites (less then 20 pages). You will be out in front of the pack with law firm Internet marketing if you have a medium size site. Lastly, you want to have as part of your ongoing marketing plan of your site to add on average one new page per month to your site. Why? Because over time you would be adding 12 pages per year which will push you up the rankings each month and one day you will have a large size site which will make you virtually unassailable you your competitors. Finally, if you have selected your domain names correctly you will have a salable asset worth a large amount of money since it will be a mighty law firm Internet marketing machine for you by then.

Whoooo. You just said, selected you domain name correctly. Is YourLawFirmsNameLaw.com a good domain name for law firm Internet marketing?

Sorry to say no. Most lawyers have poor domain names on several counts for law firm Internet marketing purposes. Your domain name does affect your page ranking. First the name does not include one of your main keywords, which is the ideal or at least the domain name describes what you do. Second, using the name of the firm is often not a salable brand. Third it does not fit the psychographics of most prospective clients. Fourth often it is not easily memorable and often difficult to spell if you can remember the name. In fact, some attorneys dont even own the domain name they do have since the vendor registered it they may own it. Lastly, some firms will need more than one website since you may need to have a website for each of your top two or three practice areas.

Is there anything else of an intellectual property nature I need to be aware of in this law firm Internet marketing process?

Yes. First be sure that you indeed own the copyright to the entire website including the code, graphics, text and photographs that created the website. It is all yours. If not then I would not go with that vendor. Also be sure the vendor warrants that it owns or has all permissions to use any copyrighted material that they use in building the website. Also if the vendor is hosting your website be sure they have in place in the agreement what they are to do should the hosting equipment go down (like transfer your site to another server) and what are the remedies for interruption of service for more than short periods of time (short meaning hours at the most). Frequent loss of service should enable you to leave that service with no penalties. Some of the attorneys I have coached have said they had to buy their own website again when they wanted to move. A no fun situation so dont let that happen to you.

OK, we have completed part three of law firm Internet marketing and we are on to part four that will complete the series. In part four we will cover what your marketing budget might look like for your law firm Internet marketing, what you need to know about blogs and blawgs, pay per click, where to learn more should you want to dig deeper than this executive briefing and more so read on to part four.

Henry Harlow has individually coached well over 500 attorneys. You can get more free, in depth and objective information on increasing your revenue while reducing your work hours available now at http://www.law-firm-marketing-coach.comHildi Blog13658
Georgene Blog43327