When you were just a young and precocious student of marketing, someone explained to you how to market to humans. “Know your target audience!” said the experts. “AIDA method!” they pressed on.
“Attention. Interest. Desire. Action.” You know this old drill. “Make it happen in the minds of your hungry buying prospects!”
Then you went to the web. Ah, web marketing… a horse of a different color. Now it’s all about the Engines. What do the search engines want? What are those crawlers looking for?
So you switched gears, forgot about your old friend Aida, and started shelling out bucks for SEO experts to tweak your website. You signed another fat check over for a long list of email addresses. You paid for expensive programs so that you could slut your company name and logo around the net! You even dished some dollars for that danged popup campaign… something you swore you’d never do…
All of this SEO stuff can’t be a bad thing. But did you forget about your target customer? He’s still a HUMAN. So as much as you want to leverage your search engine strategy for the most exposure, don’t forget to send some marketing love to the human beings who are seeing your ads all over the place.
Have you heard about the latest marketer’s ace in the hole, the web article? If not, it’s time to get in the know. The web articles is the IDEAL way to get your message to the brains of human beings. How’s it work?
There are websites out there that want you to submit articles to them, so that they can distribute them to other websites. Every web article you write will have your URL attached.
Therefore, the web article is the perfect way to improve your search engine rank while simultaneously building a strong case for your product with your key customer.
Web articles do a fine job of marketing to both humans and search engines. Web articles afford amazing backlinking potential for your website, plus a targeted message for your key prospects… and the best part is, they don’t cost a dime to write or distribute.
If you submit articles to a site like EzineArticles.com, you can potentially have your articles picked up by thousands of websites. And that’s an awful lot of free links back to you! While your links are working to your benefit, those folks on the web are soaking up what you have to say and deciding that you are A-OK. Then, they’re clicking your link. What other linking opportunity has ever afforded you such a golden chance to build your brand and speak to your customer face to face? None!
Let me put it to you this way. If you suddenly cut off all of your web marketing tricks, like those banner ads, popups and linking strategies, the “engines” would move on to whoever else was dinging those keywords, and quickly forget all about you.
But if you manage to reach a HUMAN BEING, and impress an idea into their head with an article while delivering information they can use… you will have a fan for life.
Remember the AIDA method from your early advertising days? It’s still alive and well and can be applied to your Article Marketing Power Campaign to leverage the strength of your brand.
Start marketing to Search Engines and humans. Develop your Article Marketing campaign today!
Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.
Dina Giolitto is the author of ARTICLE POWER: Create Dynamite Web Articles and Watch Your Sales Explode… a 49-page manual covering every aspect of article marketing on the web. Learn about article marketing, copywriting and more at http://www.wordfeeder.com
Category: Uncategorized
Everyone who has ever had a boss has probably had at least one moment that they thought “I could do better than THIS!” A fraction of those people set out to do exactly that - improve their work life, build a better widget, or do something as it has never been done before. Suddenly thrust into the role of boss, and employee, it is very easy to find yourself being the worst boss you ever had. And so I share a few entrepreneur-at-home lessons I’ve learned through experience.
1. Pay yourself
This seems so simple, doesn’t it? But anyone who has freelanced or run their own business knows it is not. Clients sometimes don’t pay on time - sometimes there aren’t even any clients - and it takes some practice to learn how to juggle the unsteady income you might generate, especially at first. When money comes in, chances are there are a whole pile of bills waiting to be paid, and more than a few things you need to get the work done. If you immediately start paying the bills, it’s a good bet you won’t pay yourself and you definitely won’t save. So, I present to you my fool-proof routine, which has worked for me for the last 7 years and made my accountant oh, so proud.
First, make sure you have at least 4 bank accounts - personal checking, personal savings, and business checking and business savings. When money comes in, deposit it into business checking. Then immediately calculate what 30% of that deposit was, and transfer that amount into business savings. DO NOT touch that money, until I tell you to! Twice a month, pay yourself a salary (this will probably fluctuate, of course!) by transferring money from business checking into personal checking, and pay your personal bills from that account. At the end of every quarter, calculate how much gross income your business took in that quarter. Using the percentage your accountant tells you is appropriate, figure out what part of that amount will need to be paid to the tax department. My percentage is usually between 20-23% of every dollar. Transfer that amount from business savings to business checking and write that check to the tax man. Next, calculate what 3-5% of the total income was, and send that to whatever you have set up for a retirement fund, for yourself. And finally, most importantly, take the same amount, another 3-5% and transfer it to your personal savings account.
Assuming you are bringing in money in the first place, if you follow this plan strictly, you will always have the money to pay your taxes, save for the future and cut yourself a nice bonus every quarter that is based on how well you did.
2. Go home
When you’re the only employee of your company, you will undoubtedly find yourself doing nearly everything there is to do. If you’re successful, you will often have more work than you can handle. And if your work is in your home, you will find it extremely hard to “go home.” While, its part of the entrepreneurial expectation that you will have to work overtime fairly often, you have to discipline yourself to make it the exception and not the rule. There is no faster route to burnout, than to work 16 hours a day, for weeks - trust me! Set office hours for yourself, even if the office is in your bedroom and the hours are all in your head.
For example, I set a basic work day that runs between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. That’s a reasonably long day - in which I do take a break to eat lunch, maybe another break to walk on the treadmill and read for a while. Occasionally, I bargain with myself - work until 7, and you can have that cat nap in the afternoon. But for the most part, I have learned that it is critical that you set a boundary on your work time - and walk away from it, just like you did when you had a regular job elsewhere. Otherwise, you never can find the boundary between work and home, personal and business life, and that’s just not good for you in the long run.
3. Don’t skimp
When you were an employee, you probably had to beg and plead to get the equipment, software, or tools you needed to do your work, right? You might need to budget for it, or save for a while but if the means are there, don’t skimp - if you really need something, get it. Ergonomics are extremely high on my priority list - so I didn’t think twice about indulging myself in a good mouse and keyboard, since I tend to type for hours and hours, days on end. Invest in a really comfortable chair; if you are going to be parking your tail in one all day you’ll be glad you did! The key, of course, is to be honest with your boss - if it really will make you more comfortable, healthy, productive or able to do your work, put it on your approved list. Research what you need online, search for the best price, save for it, and get it.
Just be sure to revel in the fact that you don’t need to justify yourself to anyone else, wade through red tape or sell your first born to get what you need - that’s half the fun!
4. Train yourself
If your business does take off and you’re suddenly busier than you have ever been in your life, it is hard to justify the “down time” necessary to learn new things. After all, you’re learning by doing, and if you’re like me, you learn well that way, so why do anything else? There are a number of different types of learning that take place in a business - I strongly advocate that you step away from the work at least periodically and invest time and money in one of them. For example, if you learn well by reading books, be sure to budget in your business for a book allowance. Perhaps once a month, you treat yourself to a new book that will teach you something you can apply to the business. But be sure to budget TIME for reading it! Make a commitment to yourself that you will stop working early one night a week, to give yourself a couple hours to read. Turn off the phone, step away from the computer, go in another room or out of the house and do it. If you work on computers, grant yourself two hours at the end of every Wednesday for play time - no work, just time to teach yourself a new trick or read a tutorial and see if you can do it. The same idea applies to seminars, or training classes - figure out what applies to your line of work, and budget the time and money for it.
You have to really discipline yourself but the rewards are bountiful. You don’t want to be the kind of boss that only gives lip service to employee development, now do you?
5. Take time to smell the roses
When you work for someone else, you are probably chained to a desk or a cube for most of the day, looking longingly out the window, wishing you were a squirrel, right? Maybe thats just me. Still, for most employees, on those afternoons when your brain just doesn’t want to punch back in from lunch, you are stuck, sitting there, waiting for something to change. But if you’re the boss, you have an option - so exercise it!
Take a walk or a run. Get your grocery shopping out of the way. Nap a little. Putter in the garden. Or just go sit in the park and throw bread at those squirrels. It doesn’t matter what you do - as long as its NOT work, and assuming you’re disciplined enough to not make a habit out of it, and reel yourself back in eventually. You might even consider scheduling a weekly or biweekly outing for lunch with friends or old coworkers, to get you out of the house and socialized every so often! The best part of allowing yourself this time is that when you do come back, you’re going to be fresher, sharper, and more ready to work than if you had sat there the whole day, waiting for the dryer lint to clear itself from your head.
I was recently working on a tough logo design project, and after getting up at 7 a.m., sketching all morning and coming up with 1-2 good ideas, I was stuck… I needed 4-5 thumbnail ideas, and I had NO ideas. So, my inner boss gave me permission to check out. I went shopping. Left the house, to go buy paper, and pens, and a few other things I needed at Office Max. I had to do these things eventually anyway and by going for a drive, and giving myself a break from logo conceptualization, I was being a good boss to myself. When I got home, I didn’t even go right back to work - I fixed dinner, watched TV for a while and then BAM! Suddenly, it hit me… I had an awesome idea… wonderful ideas… and I went back in my office after dinner, to jot them down. Being somewhat self disciplined (see 2) I didn’t work on them then - but sprang out of bed the next morning, and in a few hours, had a whole set of great concepts to show my client.
Creative people need this more than anyone but anyone who needs ideas, inspiration or clarity can benefit. The brain works best if it is given a rest, and allowed to go ponder other things. Have you ever tried to remember something, and couldn’t - until you stopped trying to remember? It’s the same idea. I’ve found that making the outing or the experience new or different can benefit even more - just people watching or wandering through the museum down the street provides enough stimulous to kick my brain back into gear.
Looking back across my five pieces of advice, I must admit that I know all of these are easier said than done. Be gentle with yourself and only try to force one new good boss behavior on yourself at a time. Really work at it because if you apply all of them, at least half the time, you won’t wonder at times if a rotten boss that comes with a steady paycheck is a better option. Good luck and let me know if these tips work for you!
About the author:
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Category: Uncategorized
Liquid vitamin mineral
The liquid vitamin mineral dietary supplement is a must have for maximum vitality and health. In today’s fast food environment most of us do not get the proper balance of food for the necessary for optimal health Unfortunately the body only absorbs 10 to 20 percent of the nutrients found in traditional pills and capsules. Thus the case for the liquid vitamin mineral.
Some simple research will that a deficiency in nutrients can cause us suffering and may even shorten our lives. Can you even begin to imagine what this maybe doing to our children and grandchildren as their bodies and minds are trying to develop? Crazy behavior, inattentiveness, bad grades, ancy-pants, hyper? Humm…?
After snooping around a little we also learned that four to five crop rotations were planted each year on a single plot of land, intense farming practices have depleted vital nutrients from the soil. 99% of us are deficient in minerals…The alarming fact is that foods, fruits, vegetables, and grains now being raised on millions of acres of land no longer contain enough certain needed minerals and are starving us, no matter how much of them we eat.
Take a peek at the U.S. Senate Document 264 and the 1992 Earth Summit Report support these findings and suggest that 99 percent of Americans are mineral deficient.
We have a serious malnutrition problem here in the USA but its not for the lack of food. Thus the obvious need for the liquid vitamin mineral.
Review the nutritional deficiencies
chart and learn about the Senate document 264,
earth summit report liquid vitamin mineral supplement
Category: Uncategorized
Vitamin E is a family of eight related molecules known as tocopherols. Alpha-tocopherol is the most biologically active form and therefore the most useful to the human body. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, which protects the body against chronic diseases.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. This not only means that our bodies store the vitamin in our fat reserves. It also means that our bodies are only able to break down the vitamin’s potency and nutrients in fat, not in water. This explains why unlike Vitamin C, Vitamin E is more stable in composition and does not evaporate just as easily when the food that contains it is cooked.
Experts concur that 1,000 milligrams should be the upper limit for daily intake. Meanwhile , the U.S. RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for Vitamin E is set at 8-10 milligrams per day (or about 15 IUs). Most Americans get close to this amount in their diets.
In Search of Vitamin E
Voted the best source for Vitamin E is the oil familywheat germ, safflower, sunflower, corn, and soy oils. The nuts family is a close second. Turnip and dandelion greens, as well as broccoli, are third; while mangoes, egg yolks, spinach, and whole grains are fourth.
Vitamin E Deficiencies
Vitamin E deficiencies are rare. They occur mostly in premature babies, people who cannot absorb dietary fats, and people with rare fat metabolism disorders. Why? Again, because the vitamin is only able to spread its values in fat centers of the human bodythe so-called oil wells. The main symptoms of a Vitamin E deficiency are neurological problems, or nerve-related disorders.
Find out more about Vitamins at http://www.123-nutrition.com
Category: Uncategorized
The importance of protein in a healthy diet is well known to nutritional scientists, and widely understood by the general population. Indeed, every bodily system is directly or indirectly supported by protein. For example, protein supports the structural development of cells, helps ensure the integrity of tissue, aids digestion, carries hormones, and strengthens the immune system[i].
More recently, however, the motivation for people to choose protein-rich foods has been fueled by carbohydrate-free and carbohydrate-reduced diets, such as the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet and Isometric Diet. Via each of these diet programs, millions of people are vigilantly scanning food labels, and asking pertinent health questions when eating out. Added to this growing number of protein-aware people are, of course, the millions of bodybuilders, powerlifters and athletes who have demonstrated for centuries the irreplaceable value of protein in building and maintaining muscle.
As impressive and inspiring as it is to see that more people than ever before are “protein-conscious”, there is still more useful protein information to learn. It is well past time to add an understanding of amino acids to this protein knowledge base.
Many people - understandably — do not recognize that amino acids are not acids as they are conventionally understood. Rather, they are the molecular units that comprise protein. They are, quite simply, the very building blocks of protein.
Amino acids are organic compounds that contain two groups of molecules: amino (-NH2) and carboxyl (-COOH). There are a total of 19 amino acids in the human diet, of which 11 are non-essential, and the remaining 8 are essential. It is this critically important fact - that there are 2 kinds of amino acids — that should be well understood and acted upon by eaters everywhere.
If the term “amino acid” does not readily suggest the link to protein, the terms “non-essential” amino acids and “essential” amino acids can be sources of even greater confusion. The nutritional world is fond of the word “essential”, and uses it often to describe something that is important, or critical, or irreplaceable. For example, a nutritionist may rationally inform her patient that eating 50 grams of protein per day is essential; and by this she means “very important”.
This same application of the term does now, however, flow to the “essential” and “non essential” amino acid vocabulary.
Non-essential amino acids are those that the body is able to synthesize itself. This does not mean, of course, that the body can create these non-essential amino acids out of nothing. Rather, it means that the body’s own internal laboratory can create these 11 non-essential amino acids from raw materials. It is for this reason that these 11 amino acids are called non-essential; it has nothing to do with the term “important” or “unimportant”. These 11 non-essential amino acids include, in alphabetical order:[ii]
- Alanine
- Arginine
- Asparagine
- Aspartic Acid
- Cysteine
- Glutamic Acid
- Glutamine
- Glycine
- Histidine
- Proline
- Tyrosine
The remaining 8 amino acids are called essential; and this refers to the fact that they cannot be synthesized. The body can only receive them exogenously (eg. through food). These essential amino acids include, in alphabetical order:[iii]
- Isoleucine
- Leucine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Serine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Valine
Understanding the importance of amino acids is critical, because a failure to eat foods that contain these essential amino acids can lead to deficiency and adverse health effects. These effects can include - but are not limited to — fatigue, allergies, loss of memory, and even heart disease[iv]. When one considers the pain and suffering caused by any of these four ill health effects, and the myriad of subsequent ailments that they can provoke, it becomes readily apparent that a knowledge of amino acids, and especially “essential” amino acids, must be a part of an intelligent eater’s knowledge base.
While there has been some movement on the part of nutritional supplement companies to provide eaters with convenient and palatable sources of protein, many of them have put their marketing needs first and ignored amino acids altogether. As a consequence of this omission, some eaters are actually suffering from an “overdose” of incomplete protein. This is because what they are eating may not provide them with the total, essential protein that they need. The only complete proteins on the planet are derived from dairy, meat, fish, poultry and soy, and these foods are not present in our most common foods. There are, however, protein supplements that also offer proteins with the full spectrum of amino acids.
The solution here is uncomplicated and accessible. Eaters must simply choose to eat foods and nutritional supplements that offer a “complete” source of protein. This means that all 19 essential amino acids must be present including, of course, the “essential 8″ amino acids that the body cannot synthesize.
There are some companies - though still clearly in the minority - that create nutritional supplements that carefully ensure that all of the amino acids are present. It is notable that these companies do not necessarily have to do this, since neither the Food and Drug Administration nor many consumers are demanding this from their food labeling; at least, not yet. This is all the more reason to laud those companies that are putting people and nutrition first, and marketing a distant second.
ABOUT PROTICA
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com
You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com
REFERENCES
[i] Source: “Amino Acids. Diet-and-health-net.
http://www.diet-and-health.net/Nutrients/AminoAcids.html
[ii] Source: “Amino Acids”. About.com.
http://exercise.about.com/library/Glossary/bldef-amino_acids.htm
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Source: “What are Amino Acids?”. Vanderbilt University.
http://vanderbiltowc.wellsource.com/dh/content.asp?ID=759
Copyright 2004 - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
Making the most of your money
In the current economic climate, it’s more important than ever to use your money wisely and secure your financial future. A recent study by Bankrate suggested that only 28% of Americans will retire comfortably, while 33% will only just get by financially.
Experts tend to agree that it’s advisable to have the equivalent of at least three months salary in savings - which should be enough to cover any gaps in employment or other unexpected events. However, it’s an advantage to save more than this if you can. The more you save, the better prepared you are for the future.
Savings tips
If you want to put your money into a savings account, it’s important to make sure your account is the right one for you. You can do this by following these tips:
1) Shop around. Like any business, banks and other providers are competitive, and they aim to give you a higher savings rate than you’d get elsewhere. The higher the interest rate, the more your savings will grow.
2) Pay attention to the terms. Banks and other providers may advertise high interest rates, but often these rates are only available to the highest savers, or they may be time limited. Many people prefer the peace of mind of a fixed-rate account, but you may end up losing out if other interest rates go up - so consider your options.
3) Save as much as you can. It sounds like a no-brainer, but a lot of people compromise on what they save to make room for non-essentials. Life would be boring if we only ever bought what we needed, but consider whether you could afford to save just that little bit more - later on, you will be glad you did.
4) Keep an eye on the market. So long as your savings account doesn’t tie you down to the same provider, it pays to shift your savings to another account with a better rate from time to time. Even if you do have a fixed deal, you should always look at what else is available when you come to the end of your terms.
Save or invest?
If you have a large amount of money and you’re wondering what to do with it, it’s worth considering investment as an alternative to savings. But both saving and investment have their advantages and disadvantages.
Saving is the safe option. You put the money into account, you earn interest, and your money grows. It’s that simple. However, the interest is limited to a certain amount, and it can often be years before you see real rewards.
Investment is risky, but potentially lucrative. Buying shares, for example, can yield massive returns if the company is successful. However, if the company struggles and share prices fall, you could lose some or even all of your investment - so do your research beforehand.
Original article by www.debtadvisersdirect.co.uk
Category: Uncategorized
Because all of us have been brought up eating junk food, well most of us, it is not easy to change our eating habits. Your eating habits have developed since childhood based on what your mothers or fathers cooked and what your psychological make-up was during that time.
The foods you eat and crave help keep pass trauma and present anxiety in check. Food helps make you feel good when you start to feel bad. Eating is a natural defense mechanism that the brain-body uses to keep you from going crazy.
So, you see, it is very difficult to change our eating habits. When we do, we start to feel bad. We start to feel uncomfortable, we feel pain, we have withdrawal symptoms, and we may feel sick. Is it any wonder that any of us ever succeed in changing our eating habits.
I consider every thing that has been packaged to be junk food. There are a few exception and you need to read ingredient labels carefully. Very few food manufacturers and even restaurants prepare food with your health in mind. Of course, they want to satisfy you, but they don’t use foods that are in your best interest.
Most people eat junk food 85% of the time and then eat good food the other 15%. It should be the reverse of this - eat good food 85% and junk food 15% of the time.
To have better health, here are some foods to stop eating. Eliminate these foods over the next two to three weeks.
* Milk (non-fat or no-fat also) - is a mucus and acid forming food. Milk creates mucus in the body and makes the lymph liquid (we will talk about lymph later) in your body acidic, which attracts parasites and other pathogens.(In the place of milk almond milk or goats milk)
Cancer thrives in a body that is acidic.
* Bread - white bread is also acid and mucus forming. It is also more difficult to pass through the colon and gives rise to constipation.
Sugar the #1 food additive. Sugar is in most of all the products that you buy.
* Sodas (regular or diet)- are extremely high in sugar or artificial sugar - 7 teaspoons per can. Most people drink over 35 gallons per year. Sugar is a body poison and leads to many disease - diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and osteoarthirtis and so on.
* Sugar, also, depletes your B-vitamins and calcium and magnesium from your bones and teeth.
* In addition, since sodas are in aluminum cans, aluminum can go into the soda because most sodas contain phosphoric acid. Aluminum has been associated with senility and Alzheimer disease.
* Calcium is also leached from your body to neutralize the phosphoric acid.(its healthier to drink juices of all kinds)
There is just no way around it. Sodas suck health right out of your body.
* Regular salt (NaCl) - excessive salt intake is related to high blood pressure, edema, and imbalances in the minerals in your lymph liquid. Sodium, Na, in salt attracts water so the more sodium you eat that more water your body will hold. (use sea salt, it has 25% less sodium, use low salt soy sauce, and herbs to flavor your food)
* Most people eat too much salt - over 10,000 milligrams per day. We only need around 200-300 mg per day.
* Excess salt is also in involved with kidney problems, cardiovascular disease, stomach cancer, and excess sensitive to stress.
* Get your Sodium from eating vegetables that are high in sodium. When you get your salt from vegetables it is organic salt, which does not have the same effect in your body as inorganic salt from a shaker. You need a lot of organic salt or Na in your body. Your stomach is a Na organ. It needs organic salt, Na, to keep its lining from being eaten by the hydrochloric acid in your stomach - an ulcer.
* Foods high in organic sodium are apples, apricots, asparagus, greens, red cabbage, carrots, celery, dulse, egg yolks, figs, fish, raisins, prunes, and lentils.
For the next two weeks try adding the following foods to your eating habits.
* lecithin - is 30-40% choline which is used throughout your body. This is why you want to include it in your diet.
* choline is one of the main chemicals in our cell membrane.
* It is used in our brains to create the neurotransmitter acytlcholine which is required for thinking and memory. Consider lecithin brain food.
* It is used by the liver which helps to prevent a fatty liver. A fatty liver prevents you from losing weight around your belly.
* it helps to break up fats into tiny goblets so that they are easily digestible and will reduce your cholesterol.
* it helps to keep cholesterol from clinging to your artery walls.
* flax seed oil - is an essential oil, omega 3. This means your body does not make it and it is necessary for you to eat it so that you can live without illness or pain.
* it helps to detoxify the liver
* it stimulate the production of bile. Remember that bile helps to breakdown fat so that the liver can better metabolize it.
* stimulate the body to burn fat.
* apple juice and apples - are high in vitamin A, in Potassium and have other minerals that strengthen the blood. They contain malic and tartaric acids, which keep the liver healthy and promote good digestion. Apples help you to lose weight by providing fiber and keeping you regular.
* fiber - you need 30-35 grams of fiber every day. Most people only get up to 10-15 grams. Fiber is one foods that reduce your transient time in the colon. Fiber helps to keep your colon clean, reduce cholesterol, remove toxins from your body and eliminate constipation.
There you have it. If you can accomplish these changes in one year, you will notice a big difference in the way you feel and the health that you have.
Rudy Silva is a natural nutritionist. He writes a newsletter called “Natural Remedies That work.” You can subscribe to his newsletter and read some of the back issues, which give you information of how to have better health. Read his latest newsletter at: http://www.natural-remedies-thatwork.com/nl-111.html
Category: Uncategorized
Your path to the successful accomplishment of your goals can be very thorny. Ups and downs, hardships and difficulties are inevitable components of success. Besides, difficulties add some spice to the groove of our life.
Some people think that difficulties only harden our character and overcoming them makes people more mighty and strong. Other people, on contrary, think that difficulties bring only disappointment and distraction. I personally think that difficulties are good and finding way to solve them better and faster is even greater.
The things that can make your way to your goals less painful and more pleasant are subsidiary tools. These tools can be divided in two groups: mind tools and technical tools. The mind tools are formed in the process of reading books and acquiring the information that will help you in accomplishing your goals. The technical tools are worksheets, forms, techniques and methods that can be applied in the process.
Technical tools make your goal path easier and show you a clear-cut direction to your dreams.
The kit of tools is to the same extent indispensable for building your goal path as the roadmap in the hiking tour. Irrefutable facts and statistics show that 90 percents of people using goal setting tools succeed in reaching their goals. After taking advantage of these goal setting tools just once people return to this technique of goal setting again and again, conquering new peaks.
There are lots of tools and techniques for goal setting, including audio training, special software, books, CDs, etc. One of the goal setting tools, which enjoy a great popularity lately are the goal setting forms. Researching the market and comparing them with other techniques and methods, I’ve come to the conclusion that they really work.
Special forms for setting goals help your brainstorm your dreams, organize all the obscure thoughts and ideas into clear goals, and write them down on the paper. They provide you with the opportunity to see where you were some years ago, where you are now and where you’ll be in 2, 5, 10 years from now, hence to keep the track of every step you are taking. You can clearly see where you are now in the relation to the end goal of yours. Using goal setting forms you can set deadlines for reaching your goals, write specific action plans and record your progress.
Whether or not the goal setting forms are the right tool for you, make sure you take a closer look at tools and techniques available, as they can make a path to your goals much easier and more enjoyable! Good luck with your goals!
About the Author
Yuliya Muravey is a self-employed entrepreneur and co-owner of the www.GoalSettingForms.com She believes passionately in the enormous power of the goal setting and its impact on the short-term and long-term success in life. For more information, please go to: http://www.goalsettingforms.com
Category: Uncategorized
Writer/Director team David Zucker and Jim Abrahams, producers of cult comedy classics Airplane! and Top Secret, team up once again to bring audiences The Naked Gun. A full-length film based on their earlier collaboration on the short-lived television series Police Squad, the movie (just like the TV show) stars Leslie Nielsen in his breakout role. With a plot and scene sequences that are far less absurd than its two sequels, The Naked Gun is one of the best comedies ever produced for the big screen.
The Naked Gun follows the exploits of Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen), a longtime member of Police Squad, a special division of Los Angeles County law enforcement. Fresh off his return from a much needed vacation to Beirut, Frank is informed by Capt. Ed Hocken (George Kennedy) that his partner and best friend Nordberg (O.J. Simpson) remains in critical condition after being shot on duty. Frank and Ed visit Nordberg in the hospital where they try to extract information about the shooter. Unsuccessful, they promise Nordberg’s wife Wilma (Susan Beaubian) that they will not rest for one second until they catch the man who did this to her husband, then they go off to grab a bite to eat…
Frank and Ed’s search for the shooter eventually leads them to the office of Vincent Ludwig (Ricardo Montalban), owner of I Love U a Panamanian ship anchored in the harbor where Nordberg was shot. Ludwig directs his Secretary, Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley), to give Lt. Drebin whatever files he’s looking for as well as to “get to know him and find out what he knows”.
Jane and Frank strike up a relationship and all is well until Frank discovers that Ludwig is involved in a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth on her impending visit to Los Angeles. Believing his relationship with Jane to be a sham constructed by Ludwig, Frank breaks things off with Jane. But when she reveals Ludwig’s plot is to have one of the ballplayers kill the Queen during the 7th inning stretch of the Angels/Mariners playoff game, she and Frank reconcile and two set off with the rest of Police Squad to foil Ludwig’s plan…
Some of the more hilarious scenes in cinema history can be found in The Naked Gun, most of them attributable to Leslie Nielsen’s perfect comedic delivery and the serious face he displays throughout. From the moment Frank Drebin steps onto the baseball field, you won’t be able to stop laughing. Whether he’s belting out the national anthem as Enrico Perlazzo or calling strikes and balls as the home plate umpire, the screenwriters manage a perfect storyboard sequence with this film. It’s the same old story. Boy finds girl, boy loses girl, girl finds boy, boy forgets girl, boy remembers girl, girls dies in a tragic blimp accident over the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day… Loaded with some of the best comedy dialogue in cinema history, The Naked Gun is 85 continuous minutes of outright hilarity. A definite must-see among comedies…
About the Author Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of The Naked Gun (DVD).
Category: Uncategorized
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Chinese herbs are an excellent source of modern drugs and treatment cosmetics, provided one knows where and how to look. To those who are not familiar with it, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is mysterious and full of “mumbo jumbo,” as its theory and practice are steeped in esoteric terminology. Terms such as qu feng (wind dispelling), qing re (heat removing or dispersing), xie (evil), and yi qi (replenishing vital energy) are certainly difficult to comprehend, though others such as jie du (removing toxins), sheng ji (growing muscles/flesh),ming mu(brightening vision), and an shen (calming the spirit) are more obvious. The terminology may seem archaic and sometimes downright superstitious, but the TCM system has evolved over many centuries in a logical way. One just hasto view it form another perspective. Then it will make sense.
Although I never had formal training in TCM, my research over the past 20 years has enabled me to figure out a few things, especially in the correlation between traditional properties and modern scientific findings, as well as in predicting an herb’s pharmacological activities by analyzing its traditional properties. Thus, an herb with qu feng properties most likely has anti-inflammatory activity, such as Job’s tear, wu jia pi (bark of several Eleutherococcus spp.), ginger, du huo (Angelica pubescens root), and many other less commonly known ones. Herbs with qing re jie du (heat dispersing and detoxifying) properties generally have antimicrobial and febrifuge effects. Examples include honeysuckle (flower and vine), forsythia fruit, purslane herb, chuan xin lian (Andrographis paniculata herb), yu xing cao(Houttuynia cordata herb), etc.
Herbs Beneficial to Skin
Many herbs are beneficial to the skin and are used both internally and externally for this purpose. They normally have one or more of the following traditional properties: benefits/improves complexion, removes heat, removes toxins, removes swelling, invigorates/nourishes blood, lightens skin, moistens the skin/removes dryness, prevents scar formation, promotes flesh growth, etc. The following are some common ones: lycium fruit, ligustrum, astragalus, licorice, Chinese hawthorn, sanqi (Panax notoginseng), reishi (ganoderma), common jujube, red and white peony root, luffa, safflower flower, Sichaun lovage (Ligusticum chuanxiong rhizome), gaoben (Ligusticum sinense root/rhizome), etc.
Astragalus, licorice, and sanqi are well known for their healing properties. Either alone, or in combination, they can be used in various forms (extracts, powder, etc.) for treating wounds, chapped skin, bruises, dry skin, skin peeling, and other minor skin irritations. You could also add to the formulation one or two of the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial herbs, such as xinyi (magnolia flower bud), purslane herb, honeysuckle flower, or forsythia fruit.
In TCM, Sichuan lovage, gaoben, ligustrum, and Chines hawthorn are used topically to treat brown patches on the skin. The former two have been demonstrated to have tyrosinase inhibitory activity, scientific evidence indicating that these herbs can block excessive pigmentation of the skin.
Studies of the Benefits of Herbs for the Skin
The following are derived from two short reports from my file describing results of using Chinese hawthorn and sanqi for treating brown patches and chapped skin, respectively.
Chinese hawthorn (sanzha) for treating facial brown patches (melasma) [Hubei Zhongyi Zazhi, 16(5): 47(1994)]. Results are described for shanzha treatment of 12 patients with melasma, afflicting mostly the forehead and cheeks, and less so the nose and upper lip. Patients’ ages ranged from 23 to 45 years. Shortest duration of illness was 5 months and longest 12 years. Method: Grind 300g of dried raw shanzha to fine powder and reserve for later use. Wash face with warm water and wipe dry with towel. Mix 5g of shanzha powder with an adequate amount of fresh egg white to form a paste and apply it to the face to form a thin film. Let it sit for 1 hour, during which time the face can be massaged to help the herb’s absorption. Do this once in the morning and once at night. Sixty (60) applications constituted one course of treatment. Results: After treatment, pigmentation disappeared in 6 patients, whose skin color had returned to normal; it turned lighter in 4 patients; and 2 did not respond. A case example was described for a 23-year-old single woman with melasma on her cheeks, which had been unsuccessfully treated for 6 months and had started to spread to her forehead and bridge of the nose. After 2 courses of shanzha treatment (120 applications; 2 months), the patient’s melasma was completely resolved.
In western medical practice, melasma is usually treated with bleaching agents such as hydroquinone, which is rather harsh. Chinese hawthorn fruit has never been known to be toxic and is a common food and medicine. If it doesn’t work, it certainly won’t hurt. You can buy shanzha from any Chinese herb shop and probably many food markets in Chinatown. But be sure to get the dried raw kind (usually in twisted slices of 1-2 cm in diameter and about 0.5 cm thick), and not the shanzha candy that comes in thin wafers stacked 3-4 cm high and wrapped in paper. If the raw shanzha is not dry enough for grinding, you can dry it in the oven at low heat until it is brittle.
Sanqi (Panax notoginseng) powder for treating severely chapped skin [Jiangxi Zhongyiyao, 23(1): 35(1992)]. In addition to other effects (immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, etc), sanqi is well known for its hemostatic and wound-healing properties. In this report, results of treating 68 patients with chapped skin are presented. Thirty-six patients were complicated with ringworm of the feet and 41 experienced different degrees of pain or bleeding. Duration of illness ranged form 6 months to 15 years. Method: Mix 30g of sanqi powder well with an adequate amount of sesame oil to form a uniform paste, place it in a sealed clean container, and reserve for later use. Soak the afflicted areas with hot but tolerable water for 10-20 minutes before applying the oily paste. Do this 3-4 times daily for 30 days. Results: After treatment, 45 patients were healed, with no recurrence after more than 1 year; and 23 showed improvements, with longer periods between recurrences, which again responded to the same treatment. The fastest response was 3 weeks and the longest 7 weeks, with an average of 3.7 weeks. It is recommended that the paste be also used as a preventive by applying it to affected areas once every 1 to 2 days.
Sanqi or tienchi ginseng is readily available in any Chinese herb shop. It comes in spindle-shaped whole roots, 2-4 cm long and 1-3 cm in diameter, and is very hard. Unless you have a Chinese bronze mortar and pestle with a lid, it is not easy to powder this herb. You may have to break it up witha hammer first and then grind it in a sturdy coffee mill.
copyright 2005
Albert Y. Leung PhD. - is an internationally renowned pharmacognosist (a scientist who specializes in botanical medicine) and author in Glen Rock, New Jersey. He is also the formulator of many popular herbal products such as PhytoChi. http://www.earthpower.com
