golden ground

I will be back.

2011-12-17T15:20:00.002+05:30

I will be back shortly friends.

King of Pop World Michael Jackson 1958-2009-25 june

2009-06-26T22:38:00.006+05:30

This is a day the Music is silent again it’s Michael who took his soul to Lower Paradise and left his Music for us, also kept a rest note for his music.

Who changed the Music world in Early 80’s with a new style and it’s a challenge that no one can Beat it.

Beat it is a song which makes me feel something different whenever I listen and watch it. I had a dream to meet him at least ones in my lifetime.

Now ?

No words

By
Santhosh P Kumar

Hieronymus Aleander

2009-05-29T22:33:00.001+05:30

Hieronymus Aleander
born Feb. 13, 1480, Motta di Treviso, near Venice
died Feb. 1, 1542, Rome
Dutch Hieronymus Aleander cardinal and Humanist who was an important opponent of the Lutheran Reformation.

A remarkable scholar, particularly of classical languages, Aleandro was in his youth closely associated with the Dutch Humanist Erasmus. He lectured at Venice, Orléans (France), and Paris, where he was appointed rector of the university.

In 1520 Pope Leo X sent him to Germany to lead the opposition against Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms, an effort that brought about his break with Erasmus. The law against Luther, which was adopted by the Diet, was drawn up and proposed by Aleandro, and in Brussels it was Aleandro who was responsible forthe death of the first martyrs of the Reformation. In 1523 Clement VII sent him as nuncio to the court of Francis I of France,with whom he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Pavia (1525). He was later employed on various papal missions, especially to Germany, but was unable to check the progress of the new doctrines. He was created cardinal in 1538 by Paul III.

Aleandro's chief work is his unfinished treatise De habendo Concilio, setting forth his views on the Council of Trent, of which he was an ardent supporter. This and other documents of Aleandro in the Vatican Library, relating to his opposition to Luther, were used in Sforza Pallavicino's Istoria del Concilio Tridentino (1656; “History of the Council of Trent”).

Author
Innovator K.BALAKRISHNA [K.G.F]
MEMBER: NIF, CIIE

HOLY MEN WHO BROUGHT CHANGES IN EUROP

2009-05-29T22:17:00.003+05:30

Original name Fabio Chigi pope from 1655 to 1667.
Born Feb. 13, 1599, Siena, Republic of Florence
died May 22, 1667, Rome

Grandnephew of Pope Paul V, Chigi served the church as vice legate at Ferrara and as nuncio at Cologne (1639–51). During the negotiations leading to the Peace of Westphalia (1648), he refused to deliberate with the Protestant heretics and urged the Catholic princes not to sacrifice the rights of the church. The princes, however, were tired of war and, despite his admonition, yielded to France and the Protestants. Secretary of state to Pope Innocent X in 1651 and made cardinal in 1652, Chigi was elected pope on April 7. His pontificate was marked by several disputes.

Author
Innovator K.BALAKRISHNA [K.G.F]
MEMBER: NIF, CIIE

Happy Pongal

2009-01-13T23:27:00.002+05:30

Wishing You a Happy pongal

Santhosh P kumar

Happy Pongal

2009-01-13T23:16:00.004+05:30

Gladwin 8 Standara 'D' section from St Mary's High School has sent a Computer paint and Pongal wishes .

Wish you a Happy Pongal.

Click the image to view bigger.

Gladwin

8std 'D' sec

st Marys high school

champion reef

K.G.F.

santhosh P kumar

History of Pongal

2009-01-13T22:16:00.004+05:30

Pongal is an ancient festival of people in South India particularly Tamils. The history of the festival can be traced back to the Sangam Age i.e. 200 B.C. To 300 A.D. Although, Pongal originated as a Dravidian Harvest festival and has a mention in Sanskrit Puranas, historians identify the festival with the Thai Un and Thai Niradal which are believed to have been celebrated during the Sangam Age.

Observance of Pongal During the Sangam Era (Thai Niradal)The celebrations of Sangam Era led to today's Pongal celebrations.

As part of the festivities, maidens of the Sangam era observed 'Pavai Nonbu' at the time of Thai Niradal which was a major festival during the reign of the Pallavas (4th to 8th Century AD). It was observed during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December-January). During this festival young girls prayed for rain and prosperity of the country. Throughout the month, they avoided milk and milk products. They would not oil their hair and refrained from using harsh words while speaking. Women used to bath early in the morning. They worshiped the idol of Goddess Katyayani, which would be carved out of wet sand. They ended their penance on the first day of the month of Thai (January-February). This penance was to bring abundant rains to flourish the paddy. These traditions and customs of ancient times gave rise to Pongal celebrations. Andal's Tiruppavai and Manickavachakar's Tiruvembavai vividly describe the festival of Thai Niradal and the ritual of observing Pavai Nonbu. According to an inscription found in the Veeraraghava temple at Tiruvallur, the Chola King Kiluttunga used to gift lands to the temple specially for the Pongal celebrations.

Legends of Pongal

Some legendary stories are also associated with Pongal festival celebrations. The two most popular legends of Pongal are stories related to Lord Shiva and Lord Indra. According to a legend, once Shiva asked his bull, Basava, to go to the earth and ask the mortals to have an oil massage and bath every day and to eat once a month. Inadvertently, Basava announced that everyone should eat daily and have an oil bath once a month. This mistake enraged Shiva who then cursed Basava, banishing him to live on the earth forever. He would have to plough the fields and help people produce more food. Thus the association of this day with cattle. Another legend of Lord Indra and Lord Krishna also led to Pongal celebrations. It is said when Lord Krishna were in his childhood, he decided to teach a lesson to Lord Indra who became arrogant after becoming the king of all deities. Lord Krishna asked all the cowherds to stop worshiping Lord Indra. This angered Lord Indra and sent forth his clouds for thunder-storms and 3 days continuous rains. Lord Krishna lifted Mount Govardhan to save all the humans. Later, Lord Indra realized his mistake and divine power of Krishna.

Pongal Celebrations

According to Hindu mythology, this is when the day of the gods begins, after a six-month long night. The festival is spread over three days and is the most important and most fervently-celebrated harvest festival of South India. A special puja is performed on the first day of Pongal before the cutting of the paddy. Farmers worship the sun and the earth by anointing their ploughs and sickles with sandal wood paste. It is with these consecrated tools that the newly-harvested rice is cut. Each of the three days are marked by different festivities. The first day, Bhogi Pongal, is a day for the family. Surya Pongal, the second day, is dedicated to the worship of Surya, the Sun God. Boiled milk and jaggery is offered to the Sun God. The third day of Pongal, Mattu Pongal, is for worship of the cattle known as Mattu. Cattle are bathed, their horns polished and painted in bright colors, and garlands of flowers placed around their necks. The Pongal that has been offered to the Gods is then given to cattle and birds to eat.

Pongal in Tamil Nadu

Pongal in Tamil Nadu is celebrated to mark the withdrawal of the southeast monsoons as well as the reaping of the harvest. Pongal is strictly a rural festival. The Sun is worshiped for its rays are responsible for life on earth. It is the biggest harvest festival, spread over four days. The name of the festival is derived from Pongal, a rice pudding made from freshly harvested rice, milk and jaggery. The first day, Bhogi Pongal, is a day for the family. Surya Pongal, the second day, is dedicated to the worship of Surya, the Sun God. The third day, Mattupongal is for worship of the cattle. In Chennai (Madras), a rath yatra procession is taken out from the Kandaswamy Temple. In Madurai, Tanjore and Tiruchirrapalli, where Pongal is known as Jellikattu, bundles of money are tied to the horns of bulls and villagers try and wrest the bundles from them. Community meals are made from the freshly gathered harvest and enjoyed by the entire village.
Pongal in KarnatakaIn Karnataka, the festival is called 'Sankranti', and cows and bullocks are gaily decorated and fed 'Pongal'- a sweet preparation of rice. Special prayers are offered in the temples and houses. In the evening, the cattle are led out in procession to the beat of drums and music. In the night a bonfire is lit and the animals are made to jump over the fire.Makar Sankranti is marked by men, women and children wearing colorful clothing; visiting near and dear ones; and exchanging pieces of sugarcane, a mixture of fried til, molasses, pieces of dry coconut, peanuts and fried gram. The significance of this exchange is that sweetness should prevail in all the dealings. In Karnataka, an interesting tradition is followed. After the pujas, white sesame (ellu) mixed with pieces of jaggery, peanuts, dry coconut and sugar blocks (shakkare achchu) are exchanged. At Gavi Gangadhareshwara (Siva) temple in Bangalore's Gavipuram, a rare phenomenon is witnessed in the evening. The Sun's rays pass through the horns of the Nandi briefly to fall on the Lingam in the sanctum. It is an architectural marvel.

Traditions & Customs

Inspite of immense urbanization, the traditions and customs attached to the harvest festival of Pongal has not diminished. Though the nature of these tradition and customs has changed, the glitter of this festival has not dimmed. The fast changing times notwithstanding, certain things do not change. The way we celebrate the festivals, for instance. The festival of Pongal captures the quintessence of south Indian culture in all its entirety and traditional practices and customs continue to hold their own even today. The spirit is alive and Pongal is still treated as a time to discard the old and welcome the new. The new crop that is harvested is cooked and offered to the Almighty. Celebrated for four days, the various traditions and customs of this harvest festival are:

Bhogi Pongal

The first day of Pongal known as 'Bhogi Pongal' is a day for family gathering and is dedicated to Lord Indra, the king of the deities and God of the Clouds and Rains. Offerings are made to him to please him so that he blesses us for the plentiful harvest. It is also the beginning of the New Year according to the Malayalam calendar and before sunrise, a huge bonfire of useless things in home is lit that is kept burning throughout the night. All the time, boys beat little buffalo-hide drums known as 'Bhogi Kottus'. The houses are then cleaned till they shine and are decorated with Kolams painted using rice four. There are yellow pumpkin flowers are set in cow-dung balls in the middle of these designs.

Surya Pongal

The second day of Pongal known as 'Surya Pongal' is dedicated to the Sun God. The granaries are kept full on this day and Sun God with his rays are painted on a plank as he is worshiped with the birth of the new auspicious month of Thai. Since the word 'Ponga' means 'to boil' representing plentiful and excess yield, a special dish is cooked on this day in a new mud-pot that comes in innovative shapes and have artistic designs on them called 'Pongapani'. The special dish is called 'Sarkkarai Pongal' and is offered to Sun God with sugarcane sticks. It is said that Lord Sundareshwar performed a miracle on this day in the Madurai temple and breathed life into a stone elephant who ate sugarcanes. One can see the depiction of the event in the Meenakshi temple.

Mattu Pongal

The third day known as 'Mattu Pongal' is dedicated to the cattle as cowherds and shepherds pay thanks to their cows and bulls, paint their horns and cover them with shining metal caps. They are fed 'Pongal' and tinkling bells are tied around their neck. Cattle races are conducted and in the game called 'Manji Virattu' groups of young men chase running bulls. Bull fights called 'Jallikattu' are also arranged at some places where young men have to take the money bags tied to the horns of ferocious bulls single-handedly and without the use of arms. Lord Ganesha and Goddess Parvati are also worshiped on this day. At some other places, this day is celebrated as Kanu Pongal when girls feed colored balls of cooked rice to the birds and crows and pray for their brothers' happiness and that they always remember them.

Kaanum Pongal

The fourth day is termed as Kaanum Pongal. On this day, people travel to see other family members. On this day, the younger members of the family pay homage to the elders, and the elders thank them by giving token money. Another thing many do is leave food out on banana leaves for birds to take. Many South Indian people will take the first bit of rice cooked in any given day and set it outside for the crows to take, so this is not necessarily a habit only for Pongal.

Four Days of Pongal

Lasting for over four days Pongal, a harvest festival is celebrated in the month of Shravan. Pongal literally means, "boiling over". The Tamil harvest festival is celebrated with decorated cows, processions and decorative Rangoli. Pongal is a sweet porridge made from newly harvested rice and eaten by all, even the animals. Each day of this festival has a special significance, however, it is celebrated more grandly in the villages, while the city folk mainly celebrate on the second day only. It is widely celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.The festival is celebrated for four days. On, the first day, Bhogi, the old clothes and materials are thrown away and fired, marking the beginning of a new life. The second day, the Pongal day, is celebrated by boiling fresh milk early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel - a tradition that is the literal translation for Pongal (in Tamil). People also prepare savories and sweets, visit each other's homes, and exchange greetings. The third day, Mattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cows and buffaloes, as they are used to plough the lands. Jallikattu, a violent taming the bull contest, marks this day. On the last day, Kanum Pongal, people go out to picnic. During the Pongal season, people eat sugar canes and decorate the houses with Kolam.Even though Pongal was originally a festival for the farming community, today it is celebrated by all. Coinciding with Makara Sankranti and Lohri of the north, it is also called Pongal Sankranti and thus celebrated in some form in various parts of India

Wishing you a Happy pongal

by

santhosh P kumar

Mysskin to release Nandhalala original Track!

2009-01-12T23:04:00.000+05:30

After a long time, an original sound track of a Tamil film will be available in the market in the CD format. The film is none other than Nandhalala with the magical music score of Maestro Ilayaraja. Director Mysskin revealed this in an interview recently. The director is joining hands with the maestro for the first time and says, "working with Ilayaraja is a totally different experience." He further says, "When I worked for my first two films, I was very interactive with my music director. But with him, as he knew everything, there was not much for me to explain. So I gave suggestions only in areas where I felt like having something different. Once Ilayaraja saw the film, he suggested the idea of using musicians from abroad for the score." "So we flew in symphony musicians from the Budapest orchestra and we've introduced rarely-used instruments like Oboe for the score. The last 50 minutes of the film will have no dialogue and it is only the score that'll carry the film forward."

"We do have a plan of releasing the OST (original soundtrack) as an album but we'll wait till the film's release. There are three songs in the film and I believe that at least two will turn out to be even greater hits than my previous film songs."

By
Santhosh P Kumar

Nan Kadaval

2009-01-12T22:56:00.002+05:30

The Movie Nan kadaval is yet to relies on The Pongal day (14-jan-2009) after three years of magical creations in Tamilnadu and kasi
The movie is expected for many National awards. This is directed by Bala starring by Arya and Pooja.
Music by The Great Maestro Isaighani Dr Illayaraja , the music is creating waves in music stores, for some background scores Illayaraja has joined hands with Music composer Uttam Singh he has composed music for a block buster Dil to pagal hai.

We wish the Nan Kadaval team the Best wishes.
Happy Pongal.

By
Santhosh P Kumar.

36th Foot (2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment) - Short History in India

2009-01-07T22:16:00.011+05:30

The flag of the 2nd Battalion colours in 1930.

The WR Badge

The 36th Regiment Belt plate.

Lord William, Viscount Charlemont.

Officer of the 36th Foot (1792)
36th John Bryant grave.

Whiting Hip Flask Thumb.

ww1 postcard Thumb.
Rawalpindi India in 1939. x-mas menu in India 1943.

7th battalion c company visit at x-mas in India (1943).

C company x-mas dinner in India 1943.

Sialkot 1940 lieut col Deakin India.

Waziristan 1940 lieut peter roose.

The 36th Regiment

When I came across for search British forces on India and especially searching about old news of kgf, I came across to this “The 36th Regiment” I felt very interesting about this so I started to collect information about The 36th Regiment in India, They have ruled the whole World by I want to publish some incident which took placed in India.

The History begins now.

The 36th Regiment bore on the Regimental Colour and appointments The word "Firm" also the word "Hindoostan" (Hindustan) in commemoration of its distinguished services in the several actions in which it was engaged in India from 1790 to 1798, and The words "ROLEIA," "VIMIERA," "CORUNNA," "SALAMANCA," "PYRENEES, "NIVELLE," "NIVE," "ORTHES," "TOULOUSE" and "PENINSULA" in testimony of its gallantry in the several actions fought during the war in Portugal, Spain and the South of France from 1808 to 1814.

Towards the end of his troubled reign William of Orange was forced to raise more regiments to support the cause of his Dutch subjects. War was brought nearer when on the death of James II in France, Louis immediately proclaimed his son, James III. War was on the eve of being declared when " the little gentleman in black velvet " brought about the accident that led to the death of William on 8th March, 1702.In the previous year a Royal Warrant had been issued to William, Viscount Charlemont to raise a regiment in Ireland. Charlemont's original service was in The Earl of Kingston's Foot, a regiment raised in March, 1689, in Warwickshire though most of the officers were Irish. It served throughout the Irish Campaign and lost heavily at the Siege of Limerick, and was disbanded at the Peace of Ryswick. The only definite record we have of Charlemont's service is from a List of Infantry reviewed at Dundalk Camp, 18/28 October, 1689. Charlemont, Captain of the 13th Company, is shown as absent—no doubt with leave.For his services on behalf of William, Charlemont was appointed Colonel of a newly raised regiment of foot in Ireland, 23rd April, 1694. The regiment was disbanded in 1697 and Charlemont and his officers were placed on half pay. When he was given a Royal Warrant to raise another regiment he soon gathered his officers from those who had been placed on half pay at the same time in his own regiment and others. The men mostly came from the Northern Irish counties of Armagh and Tyrone, in which counties he was well known and respected.

INDIA

The regiment embarked in three freight ships at Queenstown in August. Two ships arrived in Calcutta in November and the third a month later. The regiment was to relieve the 48th in Lucknow where they arrived, after several stops, in January, 1864. An epidemic of cholera attacked the regiment during the hot weather and 28 men died. The number would no doubt have been greater but for the care taken to isolate and move the companies as and when they were attacked. In consequence of this epidemic the regiment moved by wings to Moradabad and Shahjehanpore. In 1867 cholera again broke out in both places. The wings marched out into camp, frequently moving the sites and the epidemic subsided. When the 36th left Shahjehanpore for Peshawar in October some friends presented a silver cup to the Officers' Mess. In 1948 this cup was handed over on loan to the Herefordshire Regiment T.A. until such time as the 36th should be raised again.The regiment arrived at Meean Meer on 22nd December where they were inspected by the Commander of the Lahore Division. He commented very favourably on the smart appearance of the regiment after nearly two months marching. Christmas was spent on the march and the regiment arrived at Peshawar on January 23rd, 1868. The regiment remained here throughout the year. During this year the Colonel, General Scott died and was succeeded by Major General Basil Brooke. General Brooke died after only one month as Colonel and was succeeded by Major General A. A. T. Cunynghame, C.B. who had been A.Q.M.G. to the 1st Division in the Crimea. He was now commanding a Brigade in Dublin. In 1896 a detachment of 200 men under Lt. Colonel Hunter took part in an expedition towards Kohat Pass to punish some troublesome tribes who disappeared into the hills and the expedition returned. However, the tribesmen were driven into the arms of another force advancing from Kohat and severely handled. In September cholera again broke out seriously. The regiment moved into camp but it was some time before the scourge abated. To the great sorrow of the regiment Surgeon Hill was among the victims, along with one sergeant and 115 rank and file. In November the 36th moved to Rawalpindi

In 1870 a Regimental Dinner Club was established with Captain Carr, commanding the Depot, as honorary secretary. Sixty-four retired officers joined and at the first dinner held on the Wednesday of Ascot Week, twenty-four Officers attended. In December, 1872 the regiment left Rawalpindi for a camp of exercise at Hassan Abdul. After the manoeuvres the regiment returned to Rawalpindi until relieved in 1875, when they marched to Meean Meer. They left behind in the churchyard the graves of one officer, Quarter Master John Bryant, and 28 other ranks. The Q.M.'s tombstone and those of five other ranks were still standing and recognisable in 1938. In October, 1875 the regiment marched for Bombay where on November 13th they sailed for home in H.M.S. Euphrates. They landed at Devonport, after trans-shipping at Portsmouth, in December

The Worcestershire Regiment dates back to 1694 when Colonel Thomas Farrington, an officer of the Coldstream Guards raised a new regiment in London. It was then the custom for Regiments to be named after their Colonels, and this new Regiment was named Farrington’s Regiment of Foot. This method of naming regiments led to confusion, as regiments were re-named with each Colonel, and it was possible for more than one Colonel, and therefore more than one regiment, to have the same name. Until 1751, the Regiment had eight different Colonels, and therefore eight different names. In 1751 regiments were given numbers, and the Regiment was numbered 29.

EAST INDIES. "MYSORE", "HINDOSTAN." (Hindustan)

The 36th now had their first taste of service in India. Their first campaign was against Tippoo (Tippu), the Muslim King of Mysore, who was put in order and made to stop imprisoning British subjects. From 1785 to 1788 the 36th occupied cantonments keeping the peace much as their descendants did in later years. In 1789 Tippoo (Tippu) again started to make trouble trying to expand his boundaries at the expense of his neighbours who were under British protection. In March, 1799 a large force, including the 36th, assembled at Trichinoply (Trichinapally) and in May proceeded to advance into enemy territory. The 36th had the privilege of serving under that great soldier Colonel Floyd of the 19th Light Dragoons. Several skirmishes took place between the opposing cavalry. The 36th came under fire at Sattimungulum and played a decisive part in breaking through Tippoo's (Tippu’s) forces. It is recorded that the 36th, which bore the brunt of the battle, were without food for two days "excepting a supply of tobacco found by one of the officers in a native tent." It was said that the enemy excused their defeat by saying that they could not stand up to a regiment wearing the colour of the Prophet, green, that being the facings of the 36th. No doubt it was a good excuse and saved them being dealt with harshly. The army chased the enemy who were a little too swift for them.In March, 1791 the fortress of Bangalore was stormed. The 36th led the way and received a number of casualties. It was after the taking of the fort that Lord Cornwallis referred in a general order to the firmness of the 36th. Some people have thought this to be the origin of the regimental motto but from other evidence it seems to have been merely a reference to the motto already held. His Lordship spoke very highly of 36th and the troops who led the assault. Tippoo was now forced back on his fortress of Seringapatam. It was too near the rains in the year to start a siege so the Army returned to Bangalore. In August the army marched again. The flank companies of the 36th and 71st (H.L.I.) were detached for the siege of Nundydroog, which having been accomplished, not without loss, they rejoined the main body.

SERINGAPATAM

In January, 1792 the army commenced its advance against Setingapatam which was assaulted on February 6th and 7th. The 36th took a leading part in this rather bloody assault. The final victory did not come until February when peace was signed. Tippoo (Tippu) had to hand over his two young sons to Cornwallis as hostages for his good behavior.In 1793 the Revolutionary element in France had declared war on Great Britain, and so in June the 36th took part in the siege of the French possession of Pond cherry. The fort surrendered after the French troops had shown strong republican sentiments, rioting and threatening to hang the Governor, who sent for help to the British. From 1794 to 1798 the 36th were in cantonment in the neighborhood of Trichinopoly (Trichinapally). Towards the end of 1798 the fit men were drafted into the 74th and 76th regiments and the rest sailed for home from Madras. So the 36th missed the final, and more famous, assault on Seringapatam in 1799 when Tippoo (Tippu) was killed.

The Details of photographs

The 1st photo is The flag of the 2nd Battalion colours in 1930.
The 2nd photo is the WR Badge
The 3rd photo is The 36th Regiment Belt plate.
The 4th photo is Lord William, Viscount Charlemont.
The 5th photo is Officer of the 36th Foot (1792)
The 6th photo is 36th John Bryant grave.
The 7th photo is Whiting Hip Flask Thumb.
The 8th photo is ww1 postcard Thumb.
The 9th photo is Rawalpindi India in 1939.
The 10th photo is x-mas menu in India 1943.
The 11th photo is 7th battalion c company visit at x-mas in India (1943).
The 12th photo is C company x-mas dinner in India 1943.
The 13th photo is Sialkot 1940 lieut col Deakin India.
The 14th photo is Waziristan 1940 lieut peter roose.

By
Santhosh P Kumar

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T00:04:00.001+05:30

I wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year

santhosh

The origin of the Christmas Tree

2008-12-23T23:25:00.003+05:30

Christmas tree is that which is very important in Christmas celebrations and all over world it is been followed.

Once upon a time, in a country far away to the north, there lived two little children who wear good, obedient and kind.

On cold winter night they were sitting close by the fire in their cozy house when they heard a timid knock. The little boy ran to open the door , and his little sister followed. There upon the steps , in the snow and the wind and the darkness, they saw a child, no older then themselves. He had no shoes on his feet , and his garments was thin and ragged.

‘Please, may I come in to your house and sit a while by your fire?’ He asked.

‘Yes, Yes’ exclaimed both children, ‘Come into our cozy house , and sit beside the fire?’

The children took the hands of the little stranger, and led him in their own seat by the fire place. They heaped more wood on the fire, and bought a warm blanket to put about his thin, shivering body. They gave him their supper of bread and milk, and he ate it all; for he was very hungry. Then the little boy bought his own new pair of shoes, and gave them to the stranger , saying:

‘My old shoes are strong and comfortable. They are quite good enough for me. You must journey in the snow and ice. Take my shoes and welcome.’

The little girl looked at the stranger’s thin ragged garments. Then she took her own new red coat from the peg where it hunt, and gave it to the visitor saying:

‘Take my warm coat. I have a cozy home, and a warm fire to sit beside, while you must wander in the snow and ice with only thin ragged garments.’

Soon the stranger grew drowsy. His eyes closed and his head nodded. Then the children said:

‘Here is our nice, soft, warm bed. Sleep here and may God give you sweet dreams.’

That night the boy and the girl slept on the hard floor of the house. They were cold, but their hearts were warm, for they could hear the little stranger berating evenly, and they knew he was sleeping in warmth and comfort.

Early the next morning, before it was light, the little boy and the girl heard the sweet music. They looked about to see from whence it came and saw to their surprise that the little stranger’s bed was empty.

The sweet music grew louder and nearer, and they ran to the door to see what they could see. There in the darkness they saw a group of little children, dressed in glimmering garments of light, approaching dressed in glimmering garments of light, approaching the house. The little ones were dancing and singing and playing on golden harps; and their leader was the strange child, but now different! He was no longer barefoot and clad in a thin, ragged garments. Nor was he wearing the little girls red coat and the little boy’s new shoes. He was dressed in shining garments, and about his head glowed a heavenly light.

He advanced to the door, and with a sweet, soft voice said to the astonished children:

‘I was cold and you gave me shelter, and your own place by the warm fire. I was hungry and you gave all your own supper; I was almost naked, and you gave me your best garments, I was weary, and you gave me your own soft bed, while you slept on the hard floor.’

‘I am the Christ- child. I wander about the world, testing children to see who are worthy. To those who are kind and good and unselfish, I bring peace and happiness.’

The children could not take their eyes off the shining Christ-child. While they stared, the child broke a branch from a fir-tree and planted it in the snow, saying:

‘You have shared with me all that you have. So this tree, each year will bear precious fruit for you.’

Thus the Christ-child spoke and vanished with the group of children who were singing heavenly music. The boy and the girl looked and listened until they had disappeared, and when they turned again to look at the fir-tree, behold! It has borne fruit: sparking candles, bright garlands and beautiful gifts.

And so from that day to this, the Christmas tree has blossomed and borne rich fruit at Christmas time for all children who are good, kind and unselfish.

By
Santhosh P kumar.

A Carol story

2008-12-23T06:08:00.003+05:30

O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

Scenes from the warring countries, and acts terrorism, appearing on our television screens are repeatedly horrific and sickening. Soldiers firing on one another, and at civilians, Children with hate-filled faces hurling rocks and shouting defiance. Men and women weeping over the slain. Destruction, blood, and death. It is appalling, Because of that, the Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem during some years were subdued, and attendance restricted. The site of a famous birth became a scene of danger and of carnage.

It has not always been that way as, years by years; tourists have flocked to the town to commemorate Christ’s birth. In 1865, a pastor named Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)
Spent the seasons in the Holy Land. While there, he attended the Christmas Eve service in the church of the nativity, believed to be built over the site of Jesus’ birth. The quite reverence of that sacred time made a deep impression on Brooks. And that striking difference between a peaceful Bethlehem and today’s bloody battleground, might well cause us to ponder the broader contrast between life and death.

It is contrast that is central to the Christian gospel. Why does the cross, an instrument of cruelty and death, decorate our churches, and often find use as a personal ornament? For many it is because their God reached down to save lot of fallen mankind. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us ….God sent His only begotten son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1Jn -3:16; 4:9). Calvary, “the place of a skull” (Jn 19:17) because the arena where eternal life was purchased by the blood of Christ. There is life out of death.

Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) believed that, and taught it in his Church. He was known in his day as the “Prince of the Pulpit.” One of America’s greatest preachers, his sermons are still read and studies today. At six foot six, his presence in the pulpit was impressive-as was his machine-gun delivery, at a rate of 250 words per minute! But Pastor Brooks was a man of deep devotion as well. He served his congregation for twenty- two years, and thought a life-long bachelor; he had a great affection for the children.

When his church planned a Christmas program, in 1868, he thought back to the blessing he had received in that memorable service in Bethlehem. With that in mind, Brooks wrote a song for the children to sing. His Sunday school superintendent (and church Organist) Lewis Render, provided the music. The resulting creation is the now familiar carol, “O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.”

It Begins, “O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, how still we see thee lie! / Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.” In contrast to the violence of the ongoing conflict, the songs picture a scene of tranquility and peace. Even so, in the calm of that first Christmas night, something awesome and life transforming occurred. The saviour was born; the “everlasting Light” was given.

Our attitude towards Christmas is colored by our response to the one whose name it bears. Consider the closing verse of the carol:

“O Holy child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today.”

That is a prayer, and a poetic description of God’s plan of salvation.

It is by trusting in Christ’s Calvary work, we can be saved. Through personal faith in Him, we are born again, born into the family of God. The Bible says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: Who wear born ….of God” (Jn 1:12-13). And the offer still stands. In the words of Phillips Brooks, “Where meek souls will receive Him still, / the dear Christ enter in.”

By
S. John Barathi.

Source : CSI Life
December 2008 Edition.

Christmas Celebration around the world

2008-12-18T23:12:00.007+05:30

Kolar Gold Fields (K.G.F) . INDIA "christmas Celebration"

All over the World the Christmas is celebrated on 25th of December this is Beautiful day all over the Earth , every were the lights and decorate lights , crib , stars, cakes and gifts will be the Christmas. Christmas is celebrated by all the Christians and other religions too. In India too Christmas is celebrate very grand and at KGF ( Kolar Gold Field ) too in the beginning of December the Christmas flag is hoisted all over KGF and the Christmas carol is been started from 2nd of December and all over KGF will be in Christmas dream and the markets will be full in this month and the cloths shops will jam packed, Tailors will work in night shifts to stitch the new cloths and the sweets like Galagala, Adarsam, Ravaladu, Sweet puffs, Rose Cookeis and Muruku are very famous in Christmas celebration.

On the Christmas Eve every were people will be in the forest to bring manjupill (forest grass) to build a crib and to bring a Christmas tree and Dances, party, Church mid- night services will be a part of celebration. And on Christmas day flowers and Morning Church Services, Christmas plum cakes, Beef and chicken plays a vital role in K.G.F and chicken Briyani , Mutton Briyani, and Beef Briyani will be prepared in each and every House and friends and family member will be presented in the celebration. In K.G.F. all the religion will celebrate the Birth of Christ.

Merry Christmas.

Belgium

On the 6th of December sinterklaas or Saint-Nicholas is celebrated, which is an entirely different holiday for Christmas. Santa Claus in Belgium is called de Kerstman or le Pere Noel and he do come around on Christmas day to bring children presents. Small family presents are given at Christmas too, under the tree, or in stockings near the fire-place, to be found in the morning. Christmas breakfast is a special sweet bread called ‘cougnou’ or ‘cougnolle’ the shape is supposed to be like baby Jesus. Some families will have another big meal on Christmas day.

Portugal

People adhere to the tradition that Father Christmas brings presents to children on Christmas Eve. The presents are left under the Christmas tree or in shoes by the fireplace. A special Christmas meal of salted dry cod-fish with boiled potatoes is eaten at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Russia

In the days of Soviet Union, Christmas was not celebrated very much. New Year was the important time –when ‘Father Frost’ brought presents to children. With the fall of Communism, Christmas can be openly celebrated – either on December 25th ; or more often on January 7th . This unusual date is because the Russian Orthodox Church uses the old ‘Julian’ calendar for religious celebration days. Special Christmas food includes cakes, pies and ‘meat dumplings’.

Sweden

The most important day is Christmas Eve. A special Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve – ham (Pork), Herring fish and Brown Beans. This is the time when families give presents to each other . Many people attend a church meeting early on Christmas Day.

santhosh P kumar

CHRISTMAS

2008-12-18T22:30:00.004+05:30

C is the Christ child and the child in all of us.
H is for Heart of God, in whom we place our trust.
R is our Redeemer, who is finished with His chore.
I is for Isaiah, Who had told it all before.
S is for shepherd lowly shepherds came to see.
T is for three wise men, who were wise beyond degree.
M is for a Manger, where He lay.
A is for bright Angels who were standing by that day.
S is for the Star that shone and still shines out today.

by

John Clifton Costner.

Who invented the fountain pen?

2008-12-17T23:09:00.002+05:30

The earliest surviving fountain pens date to the early 18th
(Or possibly later 17th) century; they are made of metal, and most
Used cut quills as nibs, although gold-nibbed examples are also known.
These are often called "Bion" pens, after the French royal instrument
Maker Nicolas Bion (1652-1733) who described them in a
Treatise first published in 1709. Bion made no claim to be their inventor,
Nor is there any evidence that he ever made such pens himself -- let alone, held a patent on them.

Notable players of the era included Mabie Todd, John Holland, Wirt, and
Waterman; New York City was the main center of activity, having long
Been the center of the gold nib trade.

Lewis Edson Waterman's first pens were conventional in design,
And while his original patented feed was undoubtedly effective,
It was by no means the first designed to harness the principle of capillary attraction.
To the extent it represented an advance, it was incremental – not a true breakthrough
Of the sort that turns an unworkable idea into a useful application.
The popularity of the instruments produced by Waterman's precursors is
Evidence enough that they were eminently practical, even if they weren't the
Equal of instruments to come, and it is surely no accident that the Waterman
Company’s claim of having made the first practical fountain pen was not
Trumpeted until well after its founder's death -- indeed, after virtually all the
Pioneers of the 1870s and 1880s were safely off the scene.

INFO COLLECTOR
INNOVATOR: K.BALAKRISHNA. (Kolar gold fields)
MEMBER: NIF & CIIE

Photo by santhosh P kumar

THE HISTORY OF GAS MASK

2008-12-17T19:37:00.002+05:30

Lewis Haslett's "Inhaler or Lung Protector," 1847
Among the early forerunners of the gas mask was a device invented in 1847 by
Lewis P. Haslett of Louisville, KY. It allowed breathing through a nose or mouth piece fitted with two one-way clapper

valves: one to permit the inhalation of air through a bulb-shaped filter, and the other to vent exhaled air directly into the atmosphere.
Similar use of valves became common in later masks. The filter material — wool or other porous substance moistened with water —
was suited to keeping out dust or other solid particulates, but would not have been effective against poison gas.

In 1849, Haslett's Lung Protector was granted the first US patent for an air-purifying respirator.

John Tyndall - Fireman's Respirator, 1871

In 1871, the prominent British physicist John Tyndall wrote about his new invention: a "fireman's respirator"
that combined the protective features of the Stenhouse mask and other breathing devices. After continued development,
he exhibited this early form of gas mask at a meeting of the Royal Society in London in 1874. The July 1875 issue
of Manufacturer and Builder described it as follows:

Prof. Tyndall's fireman's hood ... is supplied with a respirator, consisting of a valve chamber and filter-tube
about four inches long, screwed on outside, with access to it from the inside by a wooden mouthpiece.
The respiratory agency consists of cotton wool saturated with glycerin, lime, and charcoal; the lime absorbs
the carbonic acid, (one of the products of combustion,) the glycerin acts on the smoke particles, and the charcoal
on the hydro-carbon developed in vapors, and Prof. Tyndall declared that after protecting himself with a hood thus
prepared he could go into an atmosphere of the most atrocious character and live for a half an hour where he could not,
unprotected, have existed for a single minute.

Info collector
Author : Innovator K.BALAKRISHNA. (Kolar gold field)
MEMBER : CIIE & NIF

Happy Birthday to Padmasree Kamal Hassan

2008-11-07T11:37:00.007+05:30

Wishing A Very Happy Birthday to Kamal Hassan.

But wat kamal says about his Birthday.

Die hard fans of kamal Hassan like me What to da ?

Click the Image to view Large.

Check Dasaavatharam 100 days poster

santhosh

Indian mission to Moon.

2008-11-01T22:35:00.004+05:30

The 1st Photo is The image of Earth as viewed by Chandrayaan, Chandrayaan is a satelite.

Indian mission to Moon called Chandrayaan which was Launched from Sri harikota ,Andra Pradesh State India.

Santhosh

First Indian to Compose a Symphony

2008-09-27T22:38:00.001+05:30

Illayaraja is the first Indian to compose a symphony. Illayaraja composed a full-length western classical symphony in July 1993. The hour long symphony was composed by him in one month. Illayaraja is the first Asian whose symphony was performed by John Scott of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra which is patronized by Queen Elizabeth and whose president is Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Illayaraja is also a famous film composer, singer, and lyricist. He has composed over 4,000 songs and provided background music for more than 800 Indian films in various languages. He has thrice won the National Film Award for Best Music Director.

by

santhosh

Illayaraja about A R Rahman

2008-09-27T22:18:00.004+05:30

Dr Illayaraja is Guru to A R Rahman, Ilaiyaraaja says he always knew Rahman was a bright spark. “That's why I took him into my troupe! My keyboard player was drunk so I told my team to get me a player from somewhere. They came back saying a little boy was there - I was okay with the 11-year-old!” he smiles. From placing his fingers on the keyboard to helping him play, he's proud of his ‘little spark' who has sure has gone places.

The 1st photo is Dr Illayaraja

The 2nd photo is A.R.Rahaman

santhosh

Robot

2008-09-27T00:08:00.006+05:30

The most expensive in India are Robot ( Eantheram) star by super star Rajanikanth and Aishwarya Rai Directed by Shankar and Music by A. R. Rahman.

Catch the still of Robot. Machu Pachhu, Peru.

I will be back soon with Marmayogi star by Kamal Hassan, Trisha and Shriya Music by A.R. Rahman. the another expensive movie of india.

Both the Movie are budget of more then 150 cr INR

santhoah

“Thiruvasagam” “Medical Miracle”

2008-09-26T22:55:00.002+05:30

It is surprising to hear the word “Medical Miracle” with Maestro Music Director “Illayaraja” Confusing!!! It was a Tamil couple who lives in Germany came and thanked Maestro Illayaraj which makes him stunned for this great miracle incident. A few months ago a young couple was informed by the doctors in Germany that the baby in the mother’s womb showing no movements which is critical in situation this makes the couples worried and went back to their home and turns Legend Maestro’s music “Thiruvasagam”after this the lady experience the baby kicking surprisingly and then they repeated the same music continuously and they got the same results. The Doctors were stunned and surprised when the lady delivered a baby child some months ago through normal delivery.

santhosh

875 Films for maestro Illayaraja

2008-09-26T22:28:00.004+05:30

Illayaraja is one music wizard who has had a mighty eventful career that has spanned decades. His is now getting ready to compose music for his 875th film 'Vilayadu Raja Vilayadu'. The film is to be directed by Illayaraja's elder brother Pavalar Varadharajan's son Jo Varadharajan.
Zakir of Friends Future Films is producing the venture. Prabha of 'Pirappu' fame acts as the hero and the heroine would be a debutante from Kerala. Manorama, Nalini and a prominent hero from Malayalam films are also part of the cast.
Natianjali is a dance festival that takes place regularly in Chidambaram and the filmmakers would be shooting the event for showcasing it in the film. This is expected to be a major highlight of 'Vilayadu Raja Vilayadu'.
Illayaraja has millions of fans and most definitely they would want to see the maestro compose music for his 1000th film. Now, wouldn't that be a great achievement?

santhosh

Illayaraja brings out "Manikantan Geet Mala"

2008-09-24T22:50:00.004+05:30

Illayaraja brings out "Manikantan Geet Mala"
IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, September 24, 2008]

Innumerable music albums praising the lord Ayyappa who resides in Sabarimala in Kerala has been made over the years.

But when the living legend of music Illayaraja makes a devotional album, just like his heart touching film music it will be indeed a work which will set a new benchmark of standard for others to follow.

For the first time themusic maestro has brought out a devotional album dedicated to Swami Ayyappa also known as Manikantan.
The album has eight songs created with great care and devotion.
The album will be available in all the four South Indian languages.
For the Tamil version Illayaraja has given his voice for six songs.
For Telugu and Kannada, S.P.Balasubramanyam has given life to 6 songs.
In Malayalam, Vijay Yesudas and Madhu Balakrishnan has sung 6 songs
In all the four languages, Shankaran Namoodiri has sung one song while a male group has given voice for a chorus song.

Leading lyric writers of all the four states have associated with the music director for bringing out this music album.
For Tamil, Vaali did the duties. K.Kalyan wrote the words for Kannada. Vennela Kanti wrote the Telugu lyrics while Anil Kumar created the Malayalam lyrics.
"Manikantan Geet Mala' is the debut project of IndiaTales Media Private Limited which is a new entertainment company started with a mission to take the culture and folklore of India to a global audience.

IndiaTales comprises of a dedicated team of experienced Indian executives and global directors fully devoted to get the Indian culture its deserved and rightful place in the world using mediums like animation, theatre, music, books and visual art.

A full length animated feature film titled as 'Manikantan' will be brought out soon by the company to be released allover India in Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.
The music album "Manikantan Geet Mala" was launched as an exclusive online pre-order on August 22, 2008 and the website has already generated over 75,000 hits since its online release.
The Album will remain on Online Pre-Order till October 12, 2008 and the album will be simultaneously be shipped to customers Worldwide in the 2nd week of October in an effort to eliminate Piracy.

Manikantan Geet Mala is currently available in 2 versions – Gold and Platinum.
The Gold Version is available in each of the 4 recorded languages while the Limited Platinum Edition has all 4 Versions in One Special Package which includes a Bonus CD as well as a Free Copy of the Coffee Table Book entitled Manikantan: A Mural Journey.

Only 999 Copies of the Platinum Edition are available for sale and customers purchasing the Box Set will enter into a draw to spend an hour with the Legendary Ilaiyaraaja in person.

Check out the complete information about 'Manikantan Geet Mala'.

santhosh

Drop and crystals that split rock.

2008-09-06T22:52:00.004+05:30

Some of the most dramatic changes effected by water are accomplished by processes too minute to be seen with the unaided eye. A drop of rain may pound the soil with a force of 2.3 pounds per square inch or 16 kpa (in a average downpour, some five million drops fall on every acer [0.4ha] every second). A crystal of ice lodged in a rock pore, formed as moisture is frozen, expands with a pressure of 400 pounds per square inch (2,76- kpa );
Multiplied by many crystals, this is enough to split the rock.

A crystal of salt left behind by evaporating water grows in crevices of rock, expanding unit the rock is fractured. Water also exerts a profound chemical force on the earth. Certain elements abundant in groundwater, rain and dew on minerals in rock, dissolving it into the soil, and in some cases creating plant foods.

If water can destroy rock in many ways, it can also rebuild it. Three fourths of the surface of the earth is now covered with layer of sedimentary rock, which are built out of compressed material washed away from one place and re-deposited in another.

This details was collected from the Book WATER.
Published by life science library.

By
Santhosh.

2008-08-13T10:57:00.005+05:30

Disco Bus

Chck out this Bus which has great look and Disco Lighting.

santhosh

WORLD CLASS PEN

2008-08-12T02:21:00.002+05:30

BRAUSE CALLIGRAPHY GIFT SET This Brause Calligraphy Gift Set is presented in an attractive gift box. CONTAINS: 6 nibs for script and calligraphy 1 natural wood nib holder 1 bottle of Black . . .

Roads

2008-08-11T22:59:00.001+05:30

While looking up stuff on banglore’s history, I bumped into a nice tidbit on Mr. Lavelle who got the rights to mine gold in Kolar. This link is a book written in 1898 by ROBERT H. ELLIOT. Makes for an amazing reading. This is a blog from the past !

1. Lavelle Road was named after Michael Lavelle, an Irish soldier who made his money in the Kolar Gold Fields.

2. Langford Town/Road was named after Col.Pierce Leslie Langford whose residence was located on that road once.

3. Mayo Hall is supposed to remind you of Richard South Bourke, the then Viceroy, who was the Earl of Mayo.

4. Meanee avenue road gets its name after the battle of Meeanee (Miani) where Charles Napier defeated a Baluchi army (1843)

5. The house of the British resident of Mysore was located on Residency Road - it is currently the residence of the Chief General manager of The S.B.I.

6. The names given to the roads in the Cantonment were according to the military arrangement and campus. Thus, there was Artillery Rd., Brigade Rd., Infantry Rd., Cavalry Rd., etc. The South Parade (presently Mahatma Gandhi Road) was to the south of the Parade Ground. St.Mark’s Road gets its name from the St.Mark’s Cathedral.

7. Kumara Park takes its name after the residence of Dewan Seshadri Iyer which he called Kumara Krupa after his family deity.

8. Austin Town is now Kittel nagar after Ferdinand Kittel who compiled the first Kannada dictionary and Thomas Town is B.I.Rice nagar after the archaeologist.

9. Ali Asker was the grand father of Dewan Mirza Ismail who imported horses from iran - remember Ali Asker Road?

10.Jayanagar came into existence in 1948 and has been named after Maharajah Jayachamrajendra Wodeyar.

11.Tata Silk farm gets its name from the silk business that flourished in that area from once called Blackpally 1896.

12.Did you know that the shopping area around South Parade ground (Now M.G.Road) was? (after the Black death in 1898-99)

It’s always clever

2008-08-07T22:21:00.003+05:30

Hello many of you have heard about the story of a clever Crow which puts some small pieces of stone in a pot to drink water. But this is Crow with a stick.

On August 6th of 2008 around 04:00 PM. I was waiting for Kochivali Express in Bangalore City Railway station a Crow which was in Platform with a 2 feet long stick in his mouth, more then 3 minutes passed suddenly it begins to fly with that stick , while it was flying it started to balance with that stick to fly perfect , it was using many techniques with that small and thin stick like a circus person on a rope it was amazing to see that crow and it went to the roof of the railway platform and started to built his nest .

This shows the confident of that crow while flying, when ever we start something to do we should not drop it unless until we reach the goal, this was a lesson from crow .

Watch the activities of the crow if you get a chance. It will be really interesting.

Crow is always Clever.

By
santhosh

How To Be A Newsletter Writer For Hire?

2008-08-03T22:34:00.003+05:30

Some weeks back, a business owner approached me to ask if I'd consider writing for his newsletter. I'm an infopreneur, and turning words into wealth in any form sounds attractive to me. I decided to try it out and found it interesting enough to keep doing it.

How can you be a newsletter writer for hire too? It's easy if you consider two things.

First, business owners are too busy doing things and often don't have the time or energy to manage their newsletter. Second, if you have knowledge or expertise in an area, and are familiar with newsletter writing, it becomes more attractive for business owners to outsource the work to you than trying to do it on their own.

So the best way to become a newsletter writer for hire is to develop expertise in an area and find business owners in the niche to write for.

Become Expert in a Niche

If you are already an expert or specialist in a popular niche, good for you. If you are not already a specialist, you can become one by studying the available resources - websites, forums, newsletters, books and courses - until you are reasonably familiar with the niche.

Wait until you can confidently present yourself as a newsletter writer with some competence and knowledge.

Develop Expertise as a Newsletter Writer

The best way to learn the intricacies of publishing a newsletter is to do it yourself. Pick a subject you have skills, knowledge or experience with. Then start becoming a newsletter writer for real.

Create complete issues. Publish them electronically, or even in print. Offer them to your own audience. Gain experience in the various steps of the process. Figure out how to overcome hurdles and solve problems.

Find Business Owners To Contact

Search for relevant businesses that may be able to use your newsletter writing skills to add value to their customers and prospects. If you have gained expert status in dog training, look for businesses that sell things to dog owners like dog food, dog collars, dog kennels and more.

Once you have a list of potential businesses that may find your skills as a newsletter writer of value, approach them to discuss a proposal where you manage their newsletter for them in return for a payment.

Make an Irresistible Offer

When you contact the business owner, remember to focus on the right 'angle' - what's in it fo them. Don't harp about your knowledge, expertise and skills at writing. Instead, sell them on the value of having a newsletter.

Teach them how it opens up a line of communication with their prospects and customers. Show them how they can run product endorsements and special offers within the content of their newsletter and generate more sales. Explain how their newsletter will brand their business and attract buyers more frequently to their store.

Once they are convinced that publishing a newsletter is in the best intersts of their business, you can start positioning yourself as the best person to be their newsletter writer and create a newsletter for their business.

Run projections about how much extra profit you will help generate for their business, and then show how the rates you charge will come out of added profits, making it a zero cost venture for their business, one with infinite upside potential to grow their business massively.

By becoming expert at a niche topic, learning the intricacies of being a newsletter writer, and identifying a target market of related businesses to write for, and then convincing them to let you write for their newsletter, you can take advantage of this overlooked infopreneur opportunity and profit in a big way - easily.

by: Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian

Improve The Quality Of Your Writing In Less Than 60 Seconds

2008-08-03T22:18:00.003+05:30

Writing is not really an art. It is a craft – and you can learn a craft. Follow these four techniques to improve the quality of your writing, no matter what type of writing you do.

Writing Tip #1: After you run your spell checking software, go back and re-read your writing. Few people are good spellers, which is why so many of us rely on spell checking software. Unfortunately, spell checkers have their own flaws and sometimes flag silly errors. For example, the words "form" and "from" are both good, legitimate words. But if you wrote a business letter that said, "We took $200 form your checking account to cover the payment," most spell checkers won't catch that oversight. Yet this simple typo changed the meaning of the sentence. Spell checkers are a convenience; they are neither authoritative nor foolproof, so don’t rely on them. Always read through your writing at least once after you spell check -- and keep a dictionary handy.

Writing Tip #2: Use that famous "KISS" principle for your punctuation. You know the rule, don't you? "Keep It Simple, Stupid." Apply this rule to punctuation. If you don't know how or when to use a semicolon, then avoid semicolons; you'll only display ignorance if you get it wrong. In keeping with that KISS principle, limit your use of commas. Far too many people use far too many commas. Just because a sentence is long does not mean it needs a comma. Well-placed commas make reading easier. Commas thrown in simply to break up words are incorrect and distracting. Another important rule of punctuation is to avoid using exclamation marks, almost always. If your choice of words, sentence structure, and overall prose don't convey the sense of excitement you are seeking, then using an exclamation mark won't do it. If your writing conveys your sense of excitement, an exclamation point is, well, pointless.

Writing Tip #3: Make sure your writing is grammatically correct. You don't need the skills of an English teacher to use correct grammar. You simply need to learn the basics -- verbs and subjects agree in number, for example. That is, "he was" is correct; "they were" is correct. To say "they was" is incorrect. If you are not sure about using grammar, especially if English isn't your "first" language, go to some good reference sites for fundamental English grammar and usage. (If you are writing in another language, the same advice holds true for that language.) Invest in a good, basic grammar book or style manual. Check with any bookstore, online or offline, and you can find one.

4. When you finish some writing, put it aside for a couple of hours or days (if possible), then re-read it before you let go of it. Of course, if you're writing or dictating a business letter or other "time-sensitive" document, this may not be possible. If you set your article or story aside for a day, then re-read it, you may notice glaring errors or want to make significant changes. And you thought before you had finished. Many writers and teachers have commented that all true writing is done in the rewriting. Take that advice to heart and you will significantly improve your writing.

These four steps, rechecking your spelling, taking care with punctuation, watching for fundamental grammar errors, and rewriting, will improve your writing. They are proven tools used by every wordsmith.

by: Jesse Dawson

Rock Pop Music

2008-07-27T08:24:00.001+05:30

Rock pop music is a style of popular music with an outstanding vocal melody accompanied by guitar, drums, and bass. Many forms of rock music also use keyboard instruments such as organ, piano, mellotron, and synthesizers. Other instruments sometimes employed in rock include harmonica, violin, flute, banjo, melodica, and timpani. Besides, rare stringed instruments such as mandolin and sitar are used. Rock pop music normally has a strong back beat, and often revolves around the guitar, either solid electric, hollow electric, or acoustic.

Rock pop music has its origin in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly, which developed from blues, country music and other influences. The All Music Guide opines that rock and roll in its purest form has three chords, a strong, insistent back beat, and a catchy melody. Initially,rock & roll took from a variety of sources, mainly blues, R&B, and country, but also gospel, traditional pop, jazz, and folk. All of these impact combined in a simple, blues-based song structure that was not only fast and catchy but also foot tapping.

In the late 1960s, rock pop music was combined with folk music ,blues and jazz to create folk rock, blues-rock and jazz-rock fusion respectively.It created psychedelic rock music irrespective of the time. In the 1970s, rock incorporated influences from soul, funk, and latin music. During the 1970s, a number of subgenres of rock, such as soft rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock was created. Synth-rock, hardcore punk and alternative rock were the sub genres of rock pop music that was developed in the 1980s whereas, rock subgenres in the 1990s included grunge, Britpop, indie rock, and nu metal.

A rock band or rock group is a group of musicians specializing in rock pop music . Most of the rock groups consist of a guitarist, lead singer, bass guitarist, and drummer, forming a quartet. Few groups may skip one or more of these roles and make use of a lead singer who can play an instrument while singing, forming a trio or duo; others include additional musicians such as one or two rhythm guitarists and/or a keyboardist. Seldom, groups also employ stringed instruments such as violins or cellos, or horns like trumpets or trombones.

by: Mary Rose

Musical Entertainment With Out The Stress

2008-07-27T08:18:00.001+05:30

If you are looking for an easier and less confusing or time consuming way of providing the entertainment for your church, business, or friends these are some ways to find some of the best performers, musicians, or actors. Why spend your valuable time searching for something that a few people are able to give you lists at a moments notice. These are trained individuals that specialize in these particular departments to better assist you and people from both ends of the music industry spectrum. Whether you are searching for the talent to hire, or buy or whether you are the talent looking for a job, these are the people to see:

A music industry consultant can be found in most cities listed under music or business music in the yellow pages. These companies specialize in providing services to you as either a performer or someone searching for a performer. If you are trying to find the next best number one singer, consulting them can get you some of the best musicians or performers either local or long distance. They are able to give you the latest information about the industry and what is new, old, hot, or not worth your time. Saving you time is their main purpose and doing it professionally is their main asset.

Hiring a music business consultant to give you a fresh perspective on your business end of the music industry can end up saving you money in the long run. By making yourself and your company or office aware of the competition, the requirements, and the over all normal procedures of your business, you are preparing for your future success. Hiring a professional to help you achieve order and success is a good idea to implement in your company as well as keeping you updated on what to expect business wise in the future.

A music consultant is the person to see for information on the latest and greatest music, performers, etc. If you are searching for a specific type of music or certain performer, they will assist you in locating what it is you are searching for, and teaching you how to navigate in the music industry without causing yourself a big headache. By hiring a professional to handle your business portions of the music side to your business, you will see excellent results as well as lessen your stress and work load.

Keeping in the loop on the music industry can be difficult and nearly impossible depending on the number of musicians or performers you are attempting to handle. Seeking the aid of these professional individuals can be the determining factor in whether or not you fail or succeed.

by

Ty Cohen

Rock Pop Music

2008-07-27T08:04:00.002+05:30

Rock pop music is a style of popular music with an outstanding vocal melody accompanied by guitar, drums, and bass. Many forms of rock music also use keyboard instruments such as organ, piano, mellotron, and synthesizers. Other instruments sometimes employed in rock include harmonica, violin, flute, banjo, melodica, and timpani. Besides, rare stringed instruments such as mandolin and sitar are used. Rock pop music normally has a strong back beat, and often revolves around the guitar, either solid electric, hollow electric, or acoustic.

Rock pop music has its origin in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly, which developed from blues, country music and other influences. The All Music Guide opines that rock and roll in its purest form has three chords, a strong, insistent back beat, and a catchy melody. Initially,rock & roll took from a variety of sources, mainly blues, R&B, and country, but also gospel, traditional pop, jazz, and folk. All of these impact combined in a simple, blues-based song structure that was not only fast and catchy but also foot tapping.

In the late 1960s, rock pop music was combined with folk music ,blues and jazz to create folk rock, blues-rock and jazz-rock fusion respectively.It created psychedelic rock music irrespective of the time. In the 1970s, rock incorporated influences from soul, funk, and latin music. During the 1970s, a number of subgenres of rock, such as soft rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock was created. Synth-rock, hardcore punk and alternative rock were the sub genres of rock pop music that was developed in the 1980s whereas, rock subgenres in the 1990s included grunge, Britpop, indie rock, and nu metal.

In the late 1960s, rock pop music was combined with folk music ,blues and jazz to create folk rock, blues-rock and jazz-rock fusion respectively.It created psychedelic rock music irrespective of the time. In the 1970s, rock incorporated influences from soul, funk, and latin music. During the 1970s, a number of subgenres of rock, such as soft rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock was created. Synth-rock, hardcore punk and alternative rock were the sub genres of rock pop music that was developed in the 1980s whereas, rock subgenres in the 1990s included grunge, Britpop, indie rock, and nu metal.

A rock band or rock group is a group of musicians specializing in rock pop music . Most of the rock groups consist of a guitarist, lead singer, bass guitarist, and drummer, forming a quartet. Few groups may skip one or more of these roles and make use of a lead singer who can play an instrument while singing, forming a trio or duo; others include additional musicians such as one or two rhythm guitarists and/or a keyboardist. Seldom, groups also employ stringed instruments such as violins or cellos, or horns like trumpets or trombones.

by: Mary Rose

Pop Music

2008-07-27T07:44:00.001+05:30

Pop music is a liberal and vague category of modern music not marked by artistic considerations but by its promising audience or future market. Pop is music composed with calculated objective to influence the majority of its contemporaries.

In contrast to music that calls for education or arrangement to appreciate, a significant characteristic of pop music is that anyone is able to enjoy it. Artistic concepts such as complex musical form and aesthetics are not a matter in the writing of pop songs, the key aim being audience satisfaction and commercial triumph. Although the aim of pop music is to sell records and do really well in the charts, it does not require wide acclaim or commercial success. There are bad or unsuccessful pop songs.

Originally the term was an abbreviation of, and synonymous to, popular music, but developed around 1954 to express a particular musical category. The stylistic origins of pop music is folk,jazz,R&B,rock and roll,traditional pop music.The typical instruments are electric guitar,bass guitar,drum kit and keyboard.The cultural origins date back to 1950's in the United States.It is popular worldwide since 1960s.

The standard format of pop music is the song, usually less than five minutes in length. The instrumentation can range from an orchestra to a lone singer. In spite of this wide choice, a standard lineup in a pop band includes a lead guitarist, a bassist, a drummer (or an electronic drum machine), a keyboardist and one or more singers, generally not themselves instumentalists.

Pop songs are generally conspicuous by a heavy rhythmic element, a mainstream style and traditional structure. The most common modification is strophic in form and focuses on memorable melodies, catchy hooks and the appeal of the verse-chorus-verse arrangement, with the chorus sharply contrasting the verse melodically, rhythmically and harmonically.

Lyrics in pop compositions are usually simple and speak of universal experiences and feelings, moving away from incomprehensible or debatable issues.The international appeal of pop was evident in the new millennium, with artists from around the world influencing the genre and local variants merging with the mainstream. As of 2008, pop music is now currently the most popular style of music of youth culture, making competition with hip hop, dance and country.

About The Author
Mary Rose has authored several books including books related to music and harmony

Shopping for a Piano: Acoustic vs. Digital

2008-07-27T07:33:00.000+05:30

The most serious piano teachers will adamantly point their students in the direction of an acoustic piano. For serious piano studying, I agree with this completely for reasons I will discuss shortly. But for many reasons, a genuine handcrafted instrument may not be the best choice for you. With the affordability, portability, and the many features that come with digital pianos, you may wish to head the other way. Summarily, the question of acoustic versus digital boils down to a matter of authenticity versus everything else.

Mostly, the drawbacks of an acoustic piano are matters of practicality, such as price. For what you could get a new, decent quality digital piano with, you’ll be dealing with a rather meager acoustic. This can encompass a number of problems. For instance, aside from any tuning it might need, the overall sound quality of a cheap acoustic piano can be quite poor. This may not just be an issue of old strings, but can result from an infinite number of possible factors arising from any of the complex mechanics of the piano being in disrepair. Other common problems of old pianos are broken keys and sticky keys, which is when the keys fail to spring up the way they should. There may also be faults with the framework that can range from nuisances to impending hazards. The trouble of a bad acoustic continues indefinitely, and the piano may need a decent amount of initial maintenance, in addition to periodic maintenance, which is likely to pull a few additional large bills out of your wallet right way.

Also, because of its bulk and weight, an acoustic may be a very difficult accommodation for people living in tight or elevated spaces, such as dorm rooms and certain city apartments. Some buildings may even prohibit pianos, particularly on floors above the ground level because the weight and bulk of pianos make them quite cumbersome and possibly hazardous to either the tenants or the buildings themselves. This raises the issue of portability as well. Do you gig? Do you relocate frequently? Toting a 500 pound upright piano isn’t possible for most people; moving one across the room is a challenge for most people. If your music needs to be ready to go, your hulking wooden companion is not going to be sympathetic.

Acoustic pianos also lack the many features present in digital pianos nowadays that may be valuable tools to you. For example, volume control may be necessary in dormitory, or close living, situations. Newer digitals also come with a suite of onboard functions, including on-the-fly recording, voice customization, electronic metronome, and even music mixing features, which you won’t have. You will also lack the benefit of porting your music to your PC; a simple MIDI connector would feed your performance directly into your computer’s audio card without any ambient noise or loss of sound quality, which will probably beat any recording made with an acoustic piano and consumer grade recording hardware available at a neighborhood electronics store.

With an acoustic, you will surely be at, at least, some degree of inconvenience. Still, despite the great deal of effort digital piano makers have put into their product, none have been able to truly reproduce the sound and feel of a good acoustic piano. First, lets talk about the piano sound. To most people, casual or occasional listeners of piano music, the resulting sounds between an acoustic piano and a digital piano are quite identical and equally satisfactory musically. But listen closely, because there is an important difference.

A digital piano outputs high quality recordings of the sounds that were made by a real piano at one time. During the process of making a digital piano, each key of a real concert grand piano is struck a number of times at varying velocities and recorded with sophisticated equipment to be used as the digital voice. This will give the digital piano a sufficient range of tonality and an overall likeness to the sound of an acoustic piano in varying music dynamics. But once the notes have been recorded and finally integrated with the digital piano’s voicing mechanism, they are never going to be changed. Even though the aesthetic quality of the sound is state of the art, it is the way the sounds should behave but cannot because they are fixed recordings that is the fundamental problem of digital pianos.

An acoustic piano uses a complex array of hammers, strings, a soundboard, and other moving parts that function in collaboration. This means that when any note is played, it is not played with entire independence, but is highly affected by the current state of the surrounding components of the piano. For example, playing a chord on a digital piano will simply result in three notes being played, as they were recorded individually, at the same time, whereas with an acoustic piano, the three notes will interact with each other through the soundboard and become a stew of vibrations, producing a different, more complex, and ultimately richer sound. Lacking this quality, what comes out of digital speakers will typically be quite boring and unsatisfactory to aficionados of the true piano tone.

An acoustic piano is also an analog instrument, which means is has virtually infinite range. For example, there is no limit to the loudness or softness a note may be played on an acoustic piano. With digital pianos, there is a point at which a minimum or maximum will be achieved. This means there will be occasions when you will not be able to play a note as softly or as loudly as you wish. In order words, true pppp or ffff are probably beyond the reach of digital pianos without you resorting to adjusting the volume dial while you’re performing. Even if you were to do that, the tonal quality of the notes would remain static from that point on, when it would further continue to dull or brighten on an acoustic piano.

Another problem of digital devices is the matter of intervals. In photography, for example, pixels are the intervals. With a traditional film camera, the amount of detail you are able to capture is theoretically unlimited because film is a single and continuous malleable body. The “film” of a digital camera is not single or continuous but is a multitude of pixels, each of which is only able to record a solid block of color. The amount of detail a digital camera is able to capture will depend on the how small the pixels are and how tightly they’re packed together. If the pixels, or intervals, are small enough and packed tight enough, the amalgam of the blocks of color they record will appear to be smooth curves and gradients to the human eye.

There is a similar issue of intervals with digital pianos, which is mainly the issue of touch sensitivity. Digital pianos have a finite number of intervals when it comes to key pressure. The more intervals there are and the closer they are to each other, the more realistically the piano will respond to your dynamics. High end digital pianos will have quite a lot of them. But digital pianos within the means of average shoppers may not have sufficient sensitivity. This means that while the vast difference between piano and forte may be noticeable, the most intricate variances of touch pressure may be disregarded. This will be quite a nuisance to pianists seeking a highly responsive instrument, particularly when it comes to meticulous classical music.

It also manifests in pedaling. Piano pedals are ranged. Between simple on and off, or up and down, there are degrees. Half-pedaling and quarter-pedaling are crude terms describing the manner of pedaling in which the pedal is only pressed partially down in order to create an intermediate effect. For instance, rather than completely depressing the pedal so that the full brilliance of a note is sustained, you may wish to depress it only half way to dampen about half of the note and let only the remainder of it sustain for a subtler, suppressed quality. Certainly a scrupulous pianist will wish to employ the complete range of pedaling available to him, which may not be represented entirely accurately in a digital piano.

Aside from sound, as mentioned previously, key touch is also an important issue. Digital piano makers these days have gone to great lengths to reproduce the feel of acoustic pianos. For the most part, they’ve done a good job. They’ve even gone as far as implementing graded hammer action, which is in line with the hammers of acoustic pianos gradually becoming lighter from left to right. As a matter of fact, if you could take a look at the inner workings of a digital piano, you would be quite surprised and impressed with the complexity of the hammer mechanics. However, as long as digital pianos look the way they do, being the shape and size they are, there is going to be a limit as to how authentically the key feel can be made.

The hammers on a digital piano are simply extensions of the pianist’s fingers. When the pianist presses a key down, it will raise the opposing lever, which touches the electronic pad inside the piano that serves as the string. The hammers on an acoustic piano do not behave this way. Instead of being extensions of the pianist’s fingers, they are rather like projectiles that are sprung toward the strings high above them. Imagine the carnival game where you must hit a pad on the ground with a mallet, which flings a projectile up the meter towards the bell at the very top. The finger is the mallet, the visible piano key is the pad, the hammer inside the piano is the projectile, and the string is the bell. First of all, this means if you press a key all the way down but not with the minimum amount of force needed, the projectile hammer will never leave its seating and the string will actually never be struck. Secondly, this launch-pad-like action feels quite different than the seesaw-like action of digital piano hammers.

The only way this can truly be reproduced in a digital piano is by the use of bona-fide acoustic hammers. And there’s nothing wrong with doing that. But the problem is there isn’t enough room for them inside the compact size of most of the digital pianos today. That’s why as long as they look the way they do, the action of digital pianos will not feel completely akin to that of acoustic pianos. Larger, higher end models do integrate the acoustic hammer action simply to recreate the key feel. Even higher end models, which are called “silent pianos,” integrate strings as well and are bona-fide acoustic pianos with the added ability to remove the strings from the action and toggle on digital mode in order to provide volume control! But these tend to be even more expensive than acoustic pianos.

These are the basic points to think about when shopping for your piano. To restate what I said at the beginning of the article, it really boils down to the authenticity versus everything else. And the authenticity is usually going to cost you more to get. What you should think about is how important it is to you that the piano truly resembles an acoustic. Are you a classical piano student looking at a long road of perfection and possibly a career as a concert performer? Then a digital piano is probably not what you want to be practicing on, even as a temporary substitution. I would suggest taking financing an acoustic and using your relatively small budget of cash as the down payment. If this is not necessarily what you’re going for, then perhaps a digital reduction is all you really need. For most people, it is.

About The Author
Eugene Chung is a student of classical piano and webmaster of Piano Lessons with Master Teachers

For Romance Without Any Stress, "Sleepless in Seattle" Is the Cure

2008-07-23T22:40:00.001+05:30

If you were celebrating Valentines Day with a candlelight dinner for two at home and settled in to watch a movie, "Sleepless in Seattle" would be a great choice because it provides a pleasant experience and is already becoming a romantic comedy classic.

Your parents or grandparents experienced a similar story line in the now classic "An Affair to Remember" that was released in 1957 and paired Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Their characters fall in love and agree to meet in 6 months at the Empire State Building in New York.

Sleepless in Seattle, released 36 years later in 1993, pairs Tom Hanks as Sam Baldwin and Meg Ryan as Annie Reed. Sam is the recently-widowed father of 8-year-old Jonah Baldwin (Ross Malinger), who calls a nationally-broadcast radio talk show in an attempt to find his lonely father a partner.

A somewhat reluctant Sam talks to host Marcia Fieldstone and thousands of single women across America are suddenly drawn in to Sam's sense of love for his former wife, each wishing she could be as cherished as Sam's next special person. To wit:

Doctor Marcia Fieldstone: Tell me what was so special about your wife?

Sam Baldwin: Well, how long is your program? Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together . . .and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home . . . only to no home I'd ever known . . .I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like . . . magic.

If that dialog does not melt every woman's heart she would need to go straight to "The Wizard of Oz" and receive a new transplant. Soon Sam is getting thousands of letters from wannabe partners, all of which are read by his son Jonah, who decides that "Annie" is the best choice.

Annie is engaged to marry Walter (Bill Pullman). Should she do so she would be making the first great mistake of her life. Walter is a decent enough chap, but Annie is missing any sparks in their relationship because Walter has the personality of an ashtray

Annie goes to great lengths to meet Sam, flying from New York to Seattle only to discover Sam with another woman, whom she mistakes for a love interest. She never mails a letter she has written to Sam, but her friend does. In it she proposes to meet Sam on top of the Empire State Building.

Sam is not interested in going, but his son Jonah is, so, with the help of his new friend whose parents own a travel agency, he is able to book a flight to the Big Apple and ends up on the observation deck of the Empire State Building looking for Annie. Sam, in a panic, to find his son, follows him to New York. The rest you will have to see.

Hanks is very convincing as a forlorn widower and Ryan was at her peak of being cute and innocent. The chemistry between the two, who only share approximately 2 minutes of screen time together, is great.

The role of Annie was originally offered to Julia Roberts but she turned it town. Kim Basinger, who was also offered the part, turned it down because she thought the premise was ridiculous. Just recently in the news, a youngster in Jonah's peer group did exactly what Jonah did, managed to book flight on a major airline and fly undetected. Life is indeed stranger than fiction.

The screenplay for Sleepless in Seattle was written in part by Nora Ephron, who also wrote "When Harry Met Sally" (another great romantic comedy with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal). Ephron directed the film.

Ephron, David S. Ward and Jeff Arch (who did write the story) were nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay, and the film received another nomination for Best Original Song ("A Wink and a Smile"). Sleepless in Seattle also got Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Tom Hanks) and Best Actress (Meg Ryan).

Sleepless in Seattle cost $21 million to film and grossed $227 million worldwide at the box office, adding another $65+ million in rentals.

Tom Hanks is the gold standard in acting. He has been nominated for 5 Best Actor Oscars (Big, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan and Cast Away) and won twice for "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump". Hanks also has won 4 Best Actor Golden Globes for Big, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump and Cast Away.

His films have grossed more than $3.3 billion. He remains only 1 of 3 actors to have 7 consecutive $100 million domestic blockbusters; the other two are Tom Cruise and Will Smith.

Sleepless in Seattle is viewed by many guys as a "chick flick" but not by me. I consider it an outstanding relationship film with a great story line that proves to be a pleasant viewing experience every time I see it again. If a guy has ever been in love and felt the magic, he will appreciate this film a lot more.

About The Author
Ed Bagley Read my articles on "Want a Six-Figure Income Without Getting a College Degree of Any Kind? Here Is How", "The Biggest Mistake Potential Hires Make While Interviewing for a Job" and "Before You Interview, Learn and Practice Ed's "Zip a Lip" Theory".

Kids and Money - Why Is It So Hard?

2008-07-22T11:57:00.001+05:30

We learn so many things as we grow up. We learn how to walk, talk, and get away with not doing our homework. We learn how to play complicated games, many of them involving pretend money.

So, why is it so hard for us to learn how to manage money?

Why do so many people struggle to make ends meet, even on reasonably high incomes?

Why do so few people manage to provide sufficiently for themselves in retirement?

It’s not rocket science. We know what it takes. And there are some people doing it. So why isn’t basic money management as widely understood as basic geometry?

Imagine what life would be like if making money came as easily and naturally as riding a bike or tying your shoelaces. Imagine graduating high school with a permanent, secure, passive income already in place. You wake each the morning to find more money has appeared in your account overnight! If you want to travel, you do. If you want to paint, write, or do any other creative activity, you do. You choose your occupation based on what you love to do, not the burden of having to pay the bills. You have all the time you need to socialise with your family and friends, to stay in shape, and to practice your spirituality.

This world is not a pipe-dream. It’s not unrealistic. The world is alive with opportunity, more so now than ever before, and the opportunity is expanding exponentially.

With the right knowledge and attitudes, today’s kids can capture their share of that opportunity, and set themselves up for life.

So, why isn’t everyone doing it?

Because not everyone’s parents have the right knowledge and attitudes to pass along to their kids. Some of those who have the knowledge and attitudes are still setting themselves up in life, working long hours, and find it difficult to break the knowledge down into terms their kids can understand.

What can we do about it?

As parents, we need to be conscious that financial education ranks up there with education about nutrition, health, and communication. We must educate ourselves, so that we can educate our children.

There are many places to go on the web to get that vital financial education.

The Cash Smart Kids program (http://www.cash-smart-kids.com) provides lessons for the kids, plus additional reference material for their parents.

The Rich Dad website (http://www.richdad.com) is rich in content, and contains information about the Cashflow series of educational board games

There are numerous e-Books, ezine articles, and offline financial publications with an online presence

And, of course, there are dozens of relevant books in your local book store

About The Author
Jenny Ford is an expert in educating children about business and wealth creation. She is one of the founders of http://www.Cash-Smart-Kids.com, and her blog can be seen at www.RaisingEntrepreneurs.org. She holds an Honours degree in Psychology, a Diploma in Training and Assessment Systems, and an Advanced Diploma in Business Management. She is the mother of three young entrepreneurs, all of whom started successful businesses when they were nine to twelve years old.

18 PR Tips for Startups

2008-07-21T20:45:00.001+05:30

PR is one of the most misunderstood disciplines in the marketing department and many startup entrepreneurs and even veteran executives are quick to under estimate and under value it, or on the contrary, expect PR to solve all of their marketing needs all with just one email or press release.

In order to be successful in Public Relations, you need to grasp what it is, what it isn’t, and how it works and why. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to build the right team, determine the best strategies to amplify visibility and gain traction, or have the ability to effectively measure it.

And, for disclosure purposes, the following points are based on good PR and are highly summarized and simplified to get you thinking. As in anything, there’s more to the story. And, there are always those that do not represent PR in the best possible light. Keep in mind that those who do not practice PR effective are obvious when you know what to look for, and thankfully, they do not represent the entire industry.

1 . Understand what PR is and isn't. All too often, businesses expect PR to perform miracles simply because they confuse it with advertising, online marketing, media buying, search marketing, etc. PR can't guarantee legitimate coverage in industry publications - no matter how tight the relationship. If PR promises it, then they're lying. I leverage relationships daily to consider stories that I package in a way that's most relevant to them. Most of the time it works because I take the time to make it valuable to respective markets. If I took advantage of my contacts to force coverage whenever I needed to deliver on a promise, then it would mark the beginning of the end of my relationships.

While I won't compare PR to each branch of marketing, I will say that PR IS NOT ADVERTISING. Reporters and bloggers don't stop what they're doing to write about your company, just because we send them a press release. They're bombarded by PR people all over the world. Stories are cultivated. If we respect them, do our homework, and help highlight the value of a story, coverage is imminent. If you want guaranteed exposure, buy an ad.

2. Don't undervalue PR. PR, when done right, is extremely valuable to company branding, which has immeasurable benefits in the long haul. Customers have choices and if you're not consistently vying for their attention, it's pretty easy to fall off their radar screen when they evaluate options. Too many companies nickel and dime PR to the point of absurdity. Don't get me wrong. Expensive PR doesn't equal success. But short changing PR is usually a first step in the wrong direction.

3. PR is not a switch. It doesn't go off and on whenever you have the time or budget to throw at it. The market moves too quickly, and if you're not actively participating in it, you'll quickly find that company sales and site traffic will begin a downward spiral that may or may not recover. Embrace it. Nurture it. Stick with it. PR is an inexpensive solution for gaining visibility within the market segments that matter to your business.

Don’t fool yourself. As a company executive, you can not and should not run PR yourself. You have more important things to do, like say, run a company.

If you turn off the PR switch, your competitors will steal your thunder, and, your customers.

4. Initial and consistent coverage takes time. In most cases, coverage doesn't just happen. PR is like farming. The more seeds you plant, along with the time you spend watering, caring for, and feeding them, your crops will grow in the form of coverage over time. While some things such as news, etc., force information out quickly, other stories take time. And when they appear, they help raise brand visibility, drive some people to buy, and they also spark others to consider writing about it - which in turn also influences the cycle to replicate. Don't assume all of this coverage happens simply because you are a popular company.

Also, realize that there are different forms of media and they each react to different stories in their own way. Trades (whether traditional media or blogs) will cover certain things that relate to your industry whereas mainstream media will need the story presented in a way that has broader appeal.

5. Get a spokesperson. Just because you created the product doesn't mean you're the best person to sell it. I've worked with some of the most passionate executives that just don't click with the people they're trying to engage - no matter how hard they try. This has negative impact that lasts and is tough to overcome.

Suck it up and get a spokesperson who can help tell the story to the people that will help grow your business.

6. PR is not the only tool in the shed. Understand that PR is only an umbrella for the specific communications initiatives that will help you achieve complementary, simultaneous goals. For example, corporate branding and product marketing require different campaigns. Don’t put all of your eggs in the PR basket. Run SEO campaigns. Look at online ads and promotions. Run contests. Attend events.

PR can not be the only thing you rely on in order to build and sustain a successful business.

7. PR at the Head, Across Chasms, and in the Long Tail.

No matter what industry you're in, realize that the most popular blogs, newspapers, or magazines are only one part of the process. Your market is divided by adoption and buying behavior and documented through a bell curve rich with chasms , pyramids that further divide and classify them, quadrants that demonstrate competitive advantages, ladders that represent the technology that people can use to reach customers in different ways, a cluetrain that shows how people carry it through the long tail , and hopefully reflected by a hockey stick that forces you to evaluate what to do from Inside the Tornado. Yes, of course this was meant to be funny...but it does show that one program no longer serves the masses when you deconstruct it by the markets and the people that comprise it.

This means that you have to embrace both new media and traditional media in PR. For example, in the tech space, TechCrunch, Mashable, Venture Beat, Read/Write Web, et al, will yield measurable traffic so great that most of the time it will knock out company servers. Every executive wants them. CEOs cry if they can't get coverage on them. But, by no means, do they carry your value proposition to the entire collective of people that will embrace your product and help sustain your business for the whole game.

They represent the early adopters and pragmatists. However, there are other worlds of global microcommunities rich with horizontal and vertical publications and blogs that will carry your story to the more conservative groups of people that collectively converge as the primary base of recurring revenue.

In this case, it's less about traffic and hits as metrics for success and more about quality, registrations, purchases, referrals, e tc. that define business growth and sustenance.

8. Engage in social media.

We live in a "social" economy and the only way to succeed in it, is to participate. Participation is marketing. Community relations is marketing. Engagement builds trust, relationships and loyalty, but it requires a genuine, dedicated, proactive, and value-driven effort.

Blog about industry-relevant topics, not just company accomplishments. Provide tips and hints to help your customers make more informed decisions. It's not a new tool in the marketing belt. It is a new opportunity to engage customers and cultivate relationships. Simply put, be a resource for your community.

Embrace online video and watch how creative, genuine, and cool content becomes incredibly viral. Words can carry the message so far, but video is also an opportunity to showcase the product while entertaining viewers.

Podcast new updates, customer successes, ideas for new product uses, etc.

Bookmark and share relevant links using the popular social tools available.

Cultivate user generated content.

Write social media releases .

Write SEO press releases. However, write them well and strip out all of the bullshit.

If relevant, build transparent profiles i n the social networks where you can find and support customers.

Share images and behind the scenes footage using services such as flickr and YouTube.

Listen and engage in MicroMedia.

Hire a community manager. In the new world of social media, new PR can be complemented through the efforts of someone who can actively represent the company in all things social so that they can provide proactive information and support to people

looking for guidance in the communities they frequent. Don't market to them, have conversations.

Note, this is an ultra-simplified list of how to jump into the world of social media. Read the Social Media Manifesto and The Art and Science of Community Relations for additional suggestions and guidance.

9. Support and reward your PR program. Feed it as you do any other branch of the company. Respect it when it works and let your team share in the success. Don't focus on the shortcomings. Don’t take credit for coverage if you randomly sent someone an email a long time ago. Don’t tell your PR team that the coverage that’s happening is solely driven by the viral activities of users and other existing coverage. PR is designed to spark Word of Mouth and every time a new article appears, it’s because of something that PR did either recently or awhile ago. That’s the value of PR. It’s the program that keeps on giving! Bottom line, extend congratulations as goals are achieved and support PR in a way that keeps your team motivated to kick ass.

10. Keep good people. If you find a PR person or team that truly lives and breathes the company and the product, never let them go. They are a rare breed and deserve support and promotion.

11. Keep an open line of communication. Meet with your PR team regularly to communicate realistic goals and measure progress. Paint a real world picture of what success looks like each month and listen to the reports to see if they are indeed attainable. You get out of PR what you put into it.

12. Establish realistic metrics. PR isn’t a miracle solution to help you attain all business objectives. Agree upon realistic metrics in advance. All too often executives lose sight of what PR is designed to do. The right coverage is invaluable, even when it doesn't translate into visible hits, traffic spikes, or sales. Super Bowl ads, for example, rarely pay for themselves in the short run. Realize that a proactive, intelligent and consistent PR program will contribute to the bottom line. It shouldn't be solely responsible for company success or failure. Metrics can be in the form of specific targets every month, traffic, registrations, lead generation, links, and now, conversations.

13. Do not launch your company or product at a conference. Contrary to popular belief, do not attempt to launch your company at a tradeshow unless it is a venue specifically designed to make your launch successful. For example, in Tech, we have DEMO and TechCrunch40 , and each draw worldwide attention. But, the best PR is always done before the event. At conferences, companies kick and scream for attention and usually drown each other out. Tell your story before you have to compete to do so. However, go to conferences and events for lead generation and networking.

14. Do not start contacting people on your own. This is one of my personal favorites. Many executives believe that in order to get something done right, they have to do it on their own. So, they start emailing reporters and bloggers on a whim without regard for relationship, existing conversations, or their best interests. I have seen some pretty interesting ramifications for doing so. All I can say is this. Consult with PR before doing so. In fact, sometimes contact is best coming directly from an executive. It just needs to be planned and orchestrated in a way that is beneficial to reporter/blogger, the company, and the overall PR initiative.

15. Embargoes and Breaking News. The blogosphere and social media in general has created the need for new rules when breaking news. Determine who your news benefits, where they go for information, and what they’re looking for. Then reverse engineer the process and design everything around what you learned, from writing the release, what you say and how you say it, to whom and when. Do not rely on a wire service to get your news out. PR is best served by specifically working with the new and traditional influencers who can help get your story told, in advance, and usually under embargo . (Note: Most of the time, less is more. Do not try to take your news to anybody and everybody under embargo. Be smart about it. A few key places can carry your story farther, and, without ruining relationships with influencers along the way.) Exclusives are a rare practice these days and usually reserved for some pretty incredible and industry moving news.

16. Customer service is the new, new marketing. Customer service is no longer an inbound activity or viewed as a cost center. Social Media changed everything and it isn't a spectator sport. Marketing-savvy corporate executives are working with PR, Advertising, and Marcom teams to explore options and strategies on how to participate in relevant online conversations. This represents a shift in outbound marketing as it creates a direct channel between companies and customers, and ultimately people. Social Media is rooted in conversations between people and peers, regardless of the technology that facilitates them, and every day they take place across blogs, networks, forums, micromedia, and online groups. And, each day, with every new community and social tool that is introduced, brands, products and services are actively discussed, supported, and disassembled. Social Media represents an entirely new way to reach customers and connect with them directly. It adds an outbound channel that complements inbound customer service and traditional PR, direct marketing and advertising, placing companies and their customers on a level playing field to discuss things as peers. Most importantly, it transcends the process of simply answering inbound questions to creating a community of enthusiasts and evangelists.

17. PR isn’t charity. While many PR people and agencies demand unreasonable fortunes, remember that you’re a startup and solutions are abundant when you know what you’re looking for and value the engagement. In PR, you get what you pay for – well most of the time anyway. Don’t expect brilliant PR for pennies. Nor should you expect results by over paying for services. There are consultants, individuals, and agencies willing to work for reasonable cash and stock incentives. But, I can’t think of anyone, who’s good at what they do, that will work on a performance-based payment program. PR just doesn’t work that way. Think of it this way. Good sales people don’t work solely on commission. Most earn a salary on top of their commission to keep them active and successful. If PR people wanted to earn their income on a commission basis, they would get into sales where they can usually make a lot more money. They’re in PR because they prefer to “tell” a story instead of “selling” it.

18. You’re not the only company with a great story. Remember this. At any given moment, reporters and bloggers are getting bombarded with pitches, both good and bad, by companies that take the time to learn what they want in addition to those who simply spam them and hope for the best. It’s overwhelming to say the least. They have better things to do than stop everything that they’re working on just to read your press release. This is one of the reasons why you need PR. Well that, and the fact that you need someone who’s not drinking the bath water to tell you that your story needs help in how it’s told to the specific groups of people to whom it matters. Just because it’s new doesn’t make it newsworthy. You have to compete for attention and in order to do so effectively and genuinely, you need someone who can help tell your story, the right way, through the people who reach the customers that will impact your bottom line. It’s not an overnight process. It’s not a game. It’s a process of investing in building and leveraging relationships now and in the long term.

About The Author
Brian Solis is Principal of FutureWorks. Solis blogs at PR2.0, bub.blicio.us, and WebProNews. Solis is co-founder of the Social Media Club, an original member of the Media 2.0 Workgroup, and a contributor to the Social Media Collective and http://ConversationalMedia.org. In concert with Geoff Livingston, Solis released “Now is Gone” a new book that helps businesses learn how to engage in Social Media. He has also release a series of ebooks on new PR and blogger relations. Solis has been writing about new PR since the mid 90s discussing how Web has redefined the communications industry. Solis is considered an expert in traditional PR, media relations, and Social Media.

How to Turn Your Book Signing into a Sell-Out!

2008-07-21T20:34:00.001+05:30

Everyone loves a successful book signing! When I had my very first book signing it was a total flop! Well, maybe not totally, the book store did order six books and I did sell two of them! But success comes after failure only if you try again.

So what went wrong? I asked myself. Several things went wrong. First, I didn't invite anyone to come to the book signing; I didn't have any promotional material with me; I barely spoke to the customers because I "foolishly" thought they would all run up to my table to see what the book and author were all about, and the worst thing I did, was to stay sitting behind that little table for the whole two hours! Wrong -- wrong -- wrong.

Today, because of that failure, I have not had a book signing anywhere that has not been a complete sell-out!

So, how did I go from being a complete flop to becoming a complete success? Here's how!

Where I live, all of the Barnes and Noble Bookstores are independently run, whereas Border's Bookstores are centralized. That means that each Barnes and Noble bookstore decides independently on who, what, when and where and if they will authorize book signings. In this case, it is important to get to know the "store" and the manager at each store. Establish a rapport with him or her, and give them a little background about yourself and your book. Don't be afraid to ask if you can have a book signing at their store, or to emphasize the fact that you are a local author.

Because Border's Bookstores are centralized, that means that the Regional Manager decides on all of the book signings for all of the stores. Here is where you really want to establish a rapport. I made it a point to do so with our Regional Manager and since then, she willingly books me at any of the Border's bookstores that I want. One consideration in choosing a store is demographics. Apparently, each bookstore sells a particular type of genre more than others. For example, where I live, the community is very family-oriented, so books on fantasy, child-rearing, and especially children's books are hot items. A few miles further south, there is a university town... and believe it or not, romance books are a hot item at that store!

Although The Regional Manager books all of the book signings for all the stores, each Border's Bookstore handles the mechanics of the book signing independently. Here again, it is important to get to know the store and the Store Manager because that means they give you a better location, more traffic gets directed to you, and more announcements are made about you over their loudspeaker.

Next, prepare... prepare... prepare. I can't say enough about this. We are published authors, which connotes "professionals"... Prepare for your book signing just as a professional would:

•Always check with the store before contacting any media. It has been my experience that they do a great job with the media and advertisements. If you want to send a press release to a local paper, ask them who to contact. They are very nice about giving you that information, or they will tell you that they are going to do it.

•Make invitations and give them to all of your friends, acquaintances, and family members, and e-mail everyone you know who would be interested. I also give them to my dentist, doctor, people I know at the local grocery store, and people I know at church.

•Have a framed 8x11 or 11x17 picture of your cover on an easel for display.

•Prepare flyers... not just black and white blurbs about your book, but jazz it up and make it look professional. Include a short "eye-catcher" blurb about your book, a list of one liner endorsements, a short bio about yourself and the availability of your book. Be sure to always include your web page on every piece of paper that you have for handouts.

•Always have bookmarks to give the customer with every book you sign.

•Have a candy dish at your table filled with candy. However, always ask the store manager if it is alright. This is important because some store managers don't like food in their store. I've never been turned down; however, I do always buy the individually wrapped mints.

•People love "free-bies." Here is a list of what I take to every book signing:

1. Framed Book Cover on a stand. Not all bookstores have signs printed for your book signing.

2. A transparent bookstand to show off the books. They show off the book better as opposed to just having the books lying on the table.

3. Postcards to hand out -- with your book cover and a short blurb, availability and web page.

4. Flyers printed on colored stock so that they stand out. Ask the store manager if you can put a few up on their windows. I've never been turned down. After all, they want to sell books too.

5. Brochures. This is up to you. I have brochures with me, but I don't put them out because of the expense. However, every now and then I do run into a librarian or a school book buyer and I do give one to them.

6. Business Cards -- have them in a nice business card holder next to your book cover -- make sure your cards list your web page.

7. Pens with your book title and web page printed on them -- this tip I picked up at a book conference. When a customer buys my book, I sign it with one of my pens and then I give them the pen along with the book.

8. Bookmarks -- This is a must. Every book should include a bookmark. Have them made with a small picture of your book cover, a list of very short two or three word endorsements and your web page.

9. A table cloth -- It has been my experience that some book stores have already set the table with a table cloth and some don't.

I always carry one with me just in case.

This may seem like a lot, but believe me, when it is laid out on the table, it isn't much. Keep in mind we are professionals, so everything you do, think like a professional.

Last but certainly not least... never sit at your table. Don't be shy; greet the customers as they walk by, smile, introduce yourself, hand them a flyer, and tell them that you are a local author who is having a book signing today on behalf of (name of bookstore). Tell them a little about your book.

If you are like me, book signings are a lot of work, but they are also a lot of fun! You meet a lot of very interesting people, and even if they don't buy your book, they walk away with a flyer or a postcard and they will either read it or check your web page.

More importantly, when you are done, always thank the store manager and the staff who participated in your book signing. Never leave without a thank you and a hand shake.

Since I have practiced this... I have been invited back several times to most of the bookstores in my area, and now they order a minimum of about 25 books, and I always sell-out!

Good Luck and Happy Book Signing.

Copyright © 2007-2008 Judy Azar LeBlanc

About The Author
Award Winning Author, Judy Azar LeBlanc was born in Raton, New Mexico, and was raised and educated in Albuquerque, and is an Honored Member of the Cambridge Who's Who, Toastmasters International, and the Arizona Author's Association. She is a graduate of San Jose University, in San Jose, California, where she did graduate work in Industrial Psychology. An award-winning author, her fourth and favorite title "Many Faces to Many Places" is preceded by "Things My Father Never Taught Me", "The Compromise," and "The Unveiling." LeBlanc is internationally published in the FONATUR Tourist Magazine, sponsored by the federal government of Mexico. Visit her website at http://www.manyfacestomanyplaces.com

Starting A Musical Career

2008-07-21T19:54:00.003+05:30

Depending on what exactly you are searching for you should find an excellent music consultant. There are companies locally that are available to assist you in determining what music would best suit you, or how to best go about presenting your music you have either written or had written for you. Your performance is directly related to your ability and your presentation and if you have someone that is qualified in that aspect, it will help to move your career further ahead in the right direction that much faster

The ins and outs of the music industry can be extremely overwhelming to the layman and offers no respite to singers and performers alike, regardless of your talent. You need a music industry consultant to help you understand everything you will be involved in and help you keep a fresh perspective on what will be involved in your journey to the top. With their help and assistance you will be able to better understand everything surrounding your endeavors. Although they can only show you the way to a certain limit, their input will be helpful toward setting your goals and accomplishing them.

Looking at things from the other end of the business spectrum, engaging the assistance of a music business consultant is another excellent way of getting a handle on the music industry from a business perspective to better fulfill any goals you are trying to achieve. There are various fronts to the business aspect of music, and knowing the right people can raise your chances of succeeding. The business end of show business can be confusing, but hiring the right consultant can put you in a better place to understand and use the benefits to move up and forward toward the career you desire.

Keep these in mind when you are beginning your music, singing, or acting career. There will be many ups and downs during your journey, why make them any more difficult than necessary?

The Author

Ty Cohen

Ty Cohen Platinum Millennium Publishing PO Box 644 Garner, NC 27529 Ty@PlatinumMillennium.com 1-866-752-9968 Want Free Music Biz Advice? Who else wants to receive free advice from "Mr X", a man who has helped artist such as New Edition, Madonna, Quincy Jones, Puff Daddy, Prince and More, including up an comers just like you, to sell nearly 150 Gold & Platinum Albums Worldwide! Now he wants to help you, by offering you private consulting as well as giving you a free copy of his audio CD "7 Golden Secrets to Succeeding in the Music Industry" Visit http://www.MusicBizCenter.com/freecd1 to get your free CD mailed out to you right now.

Starting A Musical Career

2008-07-21T19:54:00.002+05:30

Beginning a musical career can be difficult if you do not know how to break into the mainstream industry. Everyone has dreams and yours are no less important, but unless you know the right people to contact or the best businesses to approach, you could be left floundering in one spot, unable to move forward and unable to go back. If you are looking to carry your singing, acting, performing, or unique career forward to the next level, you will need to know what kind of people to consult and where to go.

Depending on what exactly you are searching for you should find an excellent music consultant. There are companies locally that are available to assist you in determining what music would best suit you, or how to best go about presenting your music you have either written or had written for you. Your performance is directly related to your ability and your presentation and if you have someone that is qualified in that aspect, it will help to move your career further ahead in the right direction that much faster

The ins and outs of the music industry can be extremely overwhelming to the layman and offers no respite to singers and performers alike, regardless of your talent. You need a music industry consultant to help you understand everything you will be involved in and help you keep a fresh perspective on what will be involved in your journey to the top. With their help and assistance you will be able to better understand everything surrounding your endeavors. Although they can only show you the way to a certain limit, their input will be helpful toward setting your goals and accomplishing them.

Looking at things from the other end of the business spectrum, engaging the assistance of a music business consultant is another excellent way of getting a handle on the music industry from a business perspective to better fulfill any goals you are trying to achieve. There are various fronts to the business aspect of music, and knowing the right people can raise your chances of succeeding. The business end of show business can be confusing, but hiring the right consultant can put you in a better place to understand and use the benefits to move up and forward toward the career you desire.

Keep these in mind when you are beginning your music, singing, or acting career. There will be many ups and downs during your journey, why make them any more difficult than necessary?

The Author

Ty Cohen

Ty Cohen Platinum Millennium Publishing PO Box 644 Garner, NC 27529 Ty@PlatinumMillennium.com 1-866-752-9968 Want Free Music Biz Advice? Who else wants to receive free advice from "Mr X", a man who has helped artist such as New Edition, Madonna, Quincy Jones, Puff Daddy, Prince and More, including up an comers just like you, to sell nearly 150 Gold & Platinum Albums Worldwide! Now he wants to help you, by offering you private consulting as well as giving you a free copy of his audio CD "7 Golden Secrets to Succeeding in the Music Industry" Visit http://www.MusicBizCenter.com/freecd1 to get your free CD mailed out to you right now.

How To Write A Successful Business Plan

2008-07-21T18:48:00.002+05:30

Whether you are planning to start a brand-new business, expand an existing company, or get financing for a business venture, you will need to write a business plan. A business plan not only lends your business a sense of credibility, but also helps you to cover all your bases, increasing your chances of success.

Although writing a business plan can be a lengthy, intimidating project, it is not necessarily difficult. Here is an overview of how to write a successful business plan.

What to Include in Your Business Plan

Your business plan needs to demonstrate that you have thoroughly considered all aspects of running your business. To that end, the standard business plan has nine major sections, covering everything from your business’s mission statement to a detailed financial analysis.

Executive Summary

The first – and most important – section of your business plan is the executive summary. This section is so important that it should literally be the first thing the reader sees – even before the table of contents! However, it should also be written last, as you’ll have a better understanding of the overall message of your business plan after you’ve researched and written the other sections.

One of the most important parts of the executive summary is the mission statement. The mission statement is only three or four sentences long, but it should pack the most punch out of everything else in your business plan: Those four sentences are responsible for not only defining your business, but also capturing the interest of your reader.

The rest of your executive summary should fill in the important details that the mission statement glosses over. For instance, your executive summary should include a short history of the business, including founder profiles and start date; a current snapshot, listing locations, numbers of employees, and products or services offered; and a summary of future plans and goals.

This section is a candidate for a bulleted format, which allows you to list main points in a manner that is easy to scan. Avoid using too much detail – remember, this section is a summary. A page or two is usually sufficient for an executive summary.

Market Analysis

The next section of your business plan focuses on market analysis. In order to show that your business has a reasonable chance for success, you will need to thoroughly research the industry and the market you intend to sell to. No bank or investor is going to back a doomed venture, so this section is sure to fall under especially close scrutiny if you are looking for financing.

Your market analysis should describe your industry, including the size, growth rate, and trends that could affect the industry. This section should also describe your target market – that is, the type or group of customers that your company intends to serve. The description of your target market should include detail such as:

• Distinguishing characteristics
• The needs your company or product line will meet
• What media and/or marketing methods you’ll use to reach them
• What percentage of your target market you expect to be able to wrest away from your competitors

In addition, your market analysis should include the results of any market tests you have done, and an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors.

Company Description

After your market analysis, your business plan will need to include a description of your company. This section should describe:

• The nature of your business
• The needs of the market
• How your business will meet these needs
• Your target market, including specific individuals and/or organizations
• The factors that set you apart from your competition and make you likely to succeed

Although some of these things overlap with the previous section, they are still necessary parts of your company description. Each section of your business plan should have the ability to stand on its own if need be. In other words, the company description should thoroughly describe your company, even if certain aspects are covered in other sections.

Organization and Management

Once you have described the nature and purpose of your company, you will need to explain your staff setup. This section should include:

• The division of labor – how company processes are divided among the staff
• The management hierarchy
• Profiles of the company’s owner(s), management personnel, and the Board of Directors
• Employee incentives, such as salary, benefits packages, and bonuses

This goal of this section is to demonstrate not only good organization within the company, but also the ability to create loyalty in your employees. Long-term employees minimize human resource costs and increase a business’s chances for success, so banks and investors will want to see that you have an effective system in place for maintaining your staff.

Marketing and Sales Management

The purpose of the marketing and sales section of your business plan is to outline your strategies for marketing your products or services. This section also plans for company growth by describing how the growth could take place.

The section should describe your company’s:

• Marketing methods
• Distributions methods
• Type of sales force
• Sales activities
• Growth strategies

Product or Services

Following the marketing section of your business plan, you will need a section focusing on the product or services your business offers. This is more than a simple description of your product or services, though. You will also need to include:

• The specific benefits your product or service offers customers
• The specific needs of the market, and how your product will meet them
• The advantages your product has over your competitors
• Any copyright, trade secret, or patent information pertaining to your product
• Where any new products or services are in the research and development process
• Current industry research that you could use in the development of products and services

Funding Request

Only once you have described your business from head to toe are you ready to detail your funding needs. This section should include everything a bank or investor needs in order to understand what type of funding you want:

• How much money you need now
• How much money you think you will need over the next five years
• How the money you borrow will be used
• How long you will need funding
• What type of funding you want (i.e. loans, investors, etc.)
• Any other terms you want the funding arrangement to include

Financials

The financials section in your business plan supports your request for outside funding. This section provides an analysis of your company’s prospective financial success. The section also details your company’s financial track record for the past three to five years, unless you are seeking financing for a startup business.

The financials section should include:

• Company income statements for prior years
• Balance sheets for prior years
• Cash flow statements for prior years
• Forecasted company income statements
• Forecasted balance sheets
• Forecasted cash flow statements
• Projections for the next five years – every month or quarter for the first year, with longer intervals for the remaining years

• Collateral you can use to secure a loan

The financials section is a great place to include visuals such as graphs, particularly if you predict a positive trend in your projected financials. A graph allows the reader to quickly take in this information, and may do a better job of encouraging a bank or investor to finance your business. However, be sure that the amount of financing you are requesting is in keeping with your projected financials – no matter how impressive your projections are, if you are asking for more money than is warranted, no bank or investor will give it to you.

Appendices

The appendix is the final section in your business plan. Essentially, this is where you put all of the information that doesn’t fit in the other eight sections, but that someone – particularly a bank or investor – might need to see.

For instance, the market analysis section of your business plan may list the results of market studies you have done as part of your market research. Rather than listing the details of the studies in that section, where they will appear cumbersome and detract from the flow of your business plan, you can provide this information in an appendix.

Other information that should be relegated to an appendix includes

• Credit histories for both you and your business
• Letters of reference
• References that have bearing on your company and your product or service, such as magazines or books on the topic
• Company licenses and patents
• Copies of contracts, leases, and other legal documents
• Resumes of your top managers
• Names of business consultants, such as your accountant and attorney

Writing a Successful Business Plan

Despite the quantity of information contained in your business plan, it should be laid out in a format that is easy to read. Just like with any piece of business writing, it is important to craft your business plan with your intended audience in mind – and the bankers, investors, and other busy professionals who will read your business plan almost certainly won’t have time to read a tedious document with long-winded paragraphs and large blocks of text.

Business plans for startup companies and company expansions are typically between twenty to forty pages long, but formatting actually accounts for a lot of this length. A strong business plan uses bullet points throughout to break up long sections and highlight its main points. Visuals such as tables and charts are also used to quickly relay specific information, such as trends in sales and other financial information. These techniques ensure that the reader can skim the business plan quickly and efficiently.

Think of your audience as only having fifteen minutes to spend on each business plan that comes across their desks. In that fifteen minutes, you not only have to relay your most important points, but also convince the reader that your business venture merits a financial investment. Your best bet is a well-researched business plan, with an organized, easy-to-read format and clear, confident prose.

About The Author
Jason Kay is a former professional business plan writer and provides business start up advice. He contributes to business magazines and websites such as http://BudgetBusinessPlans.com, which provides business plan writing services and business plan samples.

Superior Leader - Warren Buffet

2008-07-21T18:29:00.001+05:30

Superior business leader and American investor Warren Buffett is often called “Oracle of Omaha” or the “Sage of Omaha” and philanthropist. (Wikipedia, 2007) Buffett is the CEO, and the biggest shareholder of the Berkshire Hathaway Company. Buffett’s has an estimated current net worth of approximately $52 billion in US funds. Forbes Magazine ranks Buffett the third richest person in the world in September 2007 behind Carlos Slim and Bill Gates.

Warren Buffett is known for his economical and plain lifestyle. Buffett still lives in the same Omaha, Nebraska house that he purchased in 1958 for $31,500 with a current value of $700,000. In 1989, Buffett spent $9.7 million of the Berkshire’s funds on a corporate jet. He jokingly named it “The Indefensible” because of his past criticisms of such purchases by other CEOs. (Wikipedia, 2007)

Warren Buffett decided to make a commitment to give his fortune to charity back in June 2006. Buffett’s charity donation is approximately $30 billion, which is the largest donation in the history of the United States. The donation was enough to more than double the size of the foundation with 83% of it going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett believed that his family had enough money to get started in life so Buffett decided to give his fortune to charity. Buffett’s annual salary in 2006 was only $100,000. In 2007, Buffett was listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. (Wikipedia, 2007)

What makes Warren Buffett a good business leader? This is what everyone wants to know because Warren buffet is so successful. It all starts with leadership. Warren buffet is a true leader where his leadership makes a difference in the world. Leadership is very much related to change and Warren Buffett has the capabilities of leadership change to fit the changing world. Warren Buffett has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to map read in the irregular waters of change. Is Warren Buffett born a leader? The authors of this paper believe not. Experience and research has shown little evidence that an individual who comes to power is a “born leader.” Warren Buffett took the falls that any other leader has to take. Warren Buffett learned from his mistakes and turned his mistakes into a positive thing. Warren Buffett shares his leadership at all organizational levels and Buffett is empowered to share leadership responsibilities. In the world of business, many titles related to leadership roles are actively used in business and Warren Buffett wears those titles to make him effective in multiple leadership positions in business. Distinction between good leadership and good management is made often. Managers are made to be organizational, controllers and budgeters. Warren Buffett has leadership in all three departments and one must have these traits to be a good business leader.

Another important trait in Today’s business leadership is communication. Warren Buffet is a skilled communicator in all aspects of life. Communication is the real key of leadership. Skilled communicators have an appreciation for positioning in the business world. Warren Buffet is experienced at positioning himself at the right place at the right time. Warren Buffet has the understanding of the people he is trying to reach and what he can and cannot hear from the people. Knowledge of audiences’ needs and wants gives the orator the ability to listen. Warren Buffett is an excellent listener with the ability to convey his understanding.

When Warren Buffett talks, people listen. Warren Buffett can send a message through an open door and does not have to push the message through a wall.

Mr. Warren Buffett’s investment strategies and course of leadership are shining examples of characteristics shared by cognitive theorists. Cognitive theory is an approach of explaining behavior through perception, anticipation, and thinking. Mr. Buffett’s continual approach of analyzing both possible investment choices, market trends, and the ability to place management resources of the right caliber in the right position has consistently brought this investor to the forefront amongst peers and the marketplace. At the core of every sound investor is a creative innovator.

Innovation demands creativity. Creativity in turn draws on our cognitive faculties, across the full amplitude from emotion to reason. In the number-heavy world of global investing, innovative thinking is critical. Innovative investors decipher future trends, spot likely winners by combining science (financials) with art (acuity and perception) and continuously mitigate risk. They assess user needs, product features, the proper deployment of money, professional organizational structures and risk management. (Kore Kalibre, 2006)

Mr. Buffett’s instinct and ability to interpret market trends is also held by tight reigns. Despite over 50 years of growth, Mr. Buffett always adheres to one of the most basic business principles: “…only compete where you have a competitive advantage. Warren Buffett refers to staying within your circle of competence. Social psychologists tell us, though, that we are prone to overconfidence when it comes to assessing our abilities…” (Arthridge, 2006) A man of Warren Buffett’s position and track record could easily be derailed to a sense of over confidence. The principle of only competing within your range of competitive advantage is a principle that can be applied to many other areas in life, and Mr. Buffett’s ability to work and live by this idea has allowed him to continue forward with minimal bruising.

By establishing the previous examples, the authors can reinforce the principles of cognitive theory in that Mr. Buffett behavior patterns are clearly dictated by thought processes, which include interpretation, analysis, and foresight. “As experiences and events gain meaning and value, the process becomes increasingly top down as the mind in (a) attempt at an orderly process influences perception though beliefs, goals and external process” (Gardener, 2007)

Warren Buffett’s is a self empowered leader, because he is loyal, sets goals, plans a strategy for achievement, and stays committed until he accomplishes his purpose. Up to date, he is the greatest stockbroker of all-time. He is a very conservative investor that prefers to invest in companies that sell name brand products that he uses. For example, Coca-Cola, Gillette Razors, See’s Candy, Gulfstream Jet, and GEICO are the major companies he invested in. In the nineties his assets quadrupled in less than five years. He is a smart investor that usually does not take big investment risks. For example, he will not invest in internet stock, because the return is unpredictable. He likes to invest in companies that he is sure will be successful 20 years later. He buys the company with the intentions of keeping it forever. Usually, the management team of each company is the same staff that sold it Warren Buffett from the beginning. He stays loyal to his partners, and the team workstheir best to keep him happy.

After Warren Buffett’s wife died, he decided to donate 85% of his money to charity. However, “he wants his money to be used the same year he donates it”.(Harris, 2006) The requirement will accelerate the process to help the world. According to Fortune magazine, five-sixths of his money will go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This foundation which focus on finding cures for diseases that are common in poor nations. The rest of the money will be split among four other charities, that are each run by his three children and one that is in his late wife’s name.

Warren Buffett is not a huge spender. In fact, he still lives in the same house he bought 40 years ago. Warren “told ABC News “Nightline” that being born into wealth did not entitle his children”(Harris, 2006). In addition, he told Fortune magazine that, “A very rich person would leave his kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing.”(Harris, 2006) In other words, he wants his children to work earn their money and value hard work and smart choices.

In the year 2006, Warren’s first annual donation to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was $1.5 billion and the rest was divided among the four charities. He was the first person to make a donation better than Bill Gates, the richest man in the world. It seems as if Bill Gates and Warren Buffett set a good example and lead others to be more generous, because now the Barron Hilton has committed to donating half of his fortune to charity also. Barron Hilton is the founder of the Hilton Hotels and is worth $2.3 billion. Hopefully, a trend started among the fortunate to give to the less fortunate.

The personality of Warren Buffett ties to the Social Cognitive Level, because he tries to understand and make sense of other people. He observes the differences in social knowledge when dealing with people. Social cognition refers to making sense of ourselves, others, and how the information is used. In the sixties and seventies Albert Bandura and Walter Mischel were psychologists, studying personality development. They found that social learning and cognitive principles improve ones abilities to self-regulate and to follow goals. Warren investment choices were successful, because he conditioned his the way he processed information, choices, and expectations.

References - DO Not Strip References!

Gardener, J. (2007). Cognitive Behavior Theory. Retrieved December 26, 2007, from http://www.cognitivebehavior.com/theory/index.html Harris, D. (2006, June 26,). Warren Buffett's Unprecedented Generosity. Retrieved December 31, 2007, from http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=2118501 Kore Kalibre (2006, March-April 2006). Warren Buffett’s Innovation: Staying away from Rapid Product Innovation. Retrieved December 26, 2007, from http://www.korekalibre.com/index.php?option=com_magazine&task=show_magazine_article&magazine_id=26 Legg Mason Value Trust (2006, October 26). Legg Mason Value Trust (LMVTX) Letter to Shareholders. Retrieved December 26, 2007, from http://markets.kiplinger.com/kiplinger?GUID=323448&Page=MediaViewer&Ticker=LMVTX Wikipedia (2007, December 25). Warren Buffett. Retrieved December 18, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

About The Author
Michael J. Spindler - http://www.localmusichits.com/ - A Musicians Community for Fans and the Bands to promote hits in local music on a national stage.

Memory Improvement in a Nutshell

2008-07-21T08:29:00.001+05:30

Your mind is an amazing resource, and the first step towards utilizing this is to believe in the power of your mind. By doing so, you will be able to improve your memory, which is based on the power of your mind in processing and deducing. Why are some people able to have better memories than others? Studies have shown that 50% of brain power is nature, whilst the other 50% is nurture. Hence, memory techniques exist to assist us in improving our memory.

Everyone has greater memory capacity than they believe. Below, we bring you 3 quick ways to memory improvement in a nutshell, condensed for your convenience.

1) Primacy and Recency Effects

Changing tasks and taking strategic breaks in the middle of a task when you are studying is a great way to improve your memory of what you study. Taking breaks, especially in the middle of something might seem counterintuitive, but you will get exponentially better results from the time you put in. By studying smarter rather than harder, you can accomplish much more in much less time. Not only is it easier to remember something that you have left incomplete, it is also easier to remember what you do at the beginning and what you have done most recently.

2) Forgetting the Right Things

To develop your memory and increase efficiency, you must first choose the method of remembering that you want to focus on. For example, memorizing poetry will not help you to recall people’s names easily. In order to improve your memory, you must decide on the type of memory you want to achieve. Determine this based on your profession, or on your own specific requirements, questioning aspects such as “Is it necessary to have a good memory for names in my profession?” By analyzing your memory needs, you will have a more precise idea of what type of memory you should கில்டிவடே

3) Making use of your Subconscious Mind

Whatever your mind dwells on before you go to bed becomes fodder for your subconscious mind. In order to harness its power, make a quick review of the material that you want to recall in an easily accessible format such as mind maps. You will find that this will greatly improve your memory on that material, and for an additional you go to sleep can do a great deal to improve your memory of that material. For a heightened memory, go through the same material when you wake up the next day. You will experience a deeper understanding of the material, and this will make remembering it a breeze.

Try implementing these 3 quick and surefire ways in your everyday routine and memory work, and you will see them work for you. Not only will they assist you in recalling the material you need, you will find that with increased usage of these methods, your memory will become more alert and efficient as well.

About The Author
Greg Frost is an authority figure in the memory field and specializes in helping people deal with memory loss, improve their memory with memory techniques, and also develop their photographic memory. For more information on how you can improve your memory, visit this site: http://www.photographic-memory.org

Time Management: Who Needs It In Retirement?

2008-07-21T08:20:00.001+05:30

Time management tools, strategies and even software are useful to goal-oriented managers in the corporate environment, right? If you’re in your retirement planning years, isn’t it a waste of time (no pun intended) to focus even an ounce of energy on time management skills? After all, time is the one thing you’ll have plenty of, right?

Not exactly. Even in retirement, you’ll still want to get the most out of your day. Time management happens to be one of the most valuable skills with which you’ll leave the workforce in order have a successful retirement. If you haven’t mastered it yet, there are many benefits to getting started today.

Here’s why: The fear of no longer being needed, or the sense of not accomplishing anything can be stressful in retirement. To compensate, there may be a natural tendency to 'think' of a bunch of things you’d like to do. Without good time management skills, the majority of these things will never see the light of day. You’ll tend to procrastinate thinking that there’s tomorrow…until too many tasks build up and become overwhelming. This will inevitably lead to frustration, a sense of emptiness instead of accomplishment, and even missed appointments with friends and family.

However, your personal life in retirement can be as successful as your business life if you practice time management strategies. As such, it is highly beneficial to learn how to organize your day, how to schedule your time in order to accomplish more without feeling overwhelmed.

A daily or weekly ‘To-Do’ list is still as valuable in your retirement as it was in the office environment. The reason is you don’t want to trust your memory to keep track of things that should be committed to paper and ink. Further, your to-do list will always form a profile of tasks you need to keep track of in order to see where you’re spending the majority of your time.

Above all, you need to learn the importance of time. Although it may seem to be plentiful at first, it remains even more so a precious commodity. It is important to make your list and your schedule around your own concept of time.

Above all, you need to learn the importance of time. Although it may seem to be plentiful at first, it remains even more so a precious commodity. It is important to make your list and your schedule around your own concept of time.

Your mastery of this important skill will serve to put your own life in perspective as well as help you avoid the stress associated with the feeling of accomplishing little to nothing in retirement.

Notice you will not need much in terms of tools. Sophisticated software or bulky planners are not necessary. As long as your chosen tools work for you and you are comfortable using them, you’re all set. But at the bare minimum you should have:

•an activity log to track your activities (however frequently you wish to track them – daily or weekly)

•the habit of scheduling important events in your life (especially leisure time – because contrary to popular belief, all your time will not be leisure)and,

•a sense of your priorities so you can assign a time barrier to all the tasks you want to accomplish that are important to you.

Don’t forget to stay flexible. You’re no longer doing this to climb a corporate ladder or to prove your competence.

There’s no need to plan every minute of every day of your life. But at the same time be mindful that you are playing with the most precious of all commodities you’ve got left. Make it count.

About The Author
Windsor Augustin is a Financial Strategist and a Home Equity Management expert. His mortgage planning practice in Naples, Florida focuses on the needs of the entrepreneur, the small business owner and the soon-to-retire with strategies that allow them to retire earlier with zero mortgage debt. Visit him at http://www.trusted-retirement-planning-tips.com

How to Pass an Interview!

2008-07-21T08:05:00.001+05:30

Nine Steps to Interview Success

These days, the average person changes their career seven to ten times within their life span. This means that the average person is going to send out several hundred copies of their resumes in their lifetime…and yes, they’re going to have to go through several interviews in their lifetime.

Scary, huh?

If the interview process makes you nervous, well, you’re not alone. But right now, it’s time to stop worrying. You’re about to learn the nine vital steps for interview success…how to pass any interview you face!

Step 1: Research the Company that you are being interviewed for:

It’s a pretty obvious trick: research the company you’re interviewing for and be prepared to show off what you know about them. Way too many people show up for an interview without having the first idea about what the particular company stands for. The truth is that you should know at least something about the company’s mission, its general business process, and its particular needs. Know how long the company has been in business and whether they’re financially sound and profitable. Research the company with a view to determine what you can do to help them achieve their goals. Be prepared to say specifically how your personal goals and experience are going to be valuable to the company.

Step 2: Know your resume:

In virtually any interview situation, you’re interviewer is going to ask you questions about your resume, about your experiences and even about the quirky stuff you’ve listed to pad it out. You should read your resume over and over, and know the details of it because you never know when you’re going to be asked about your chess playing experience or your interest in literature. Make sure there’s nothing detailed on your resume that you’re uncomfortable talking about.

Step 3: Dress for Success:

Appearance can become nine-tenths of the law if you don’t pay attention to it. For every interview, make sure you wear garments that are professional and appropriate the position that you’re seeking. Your clothes should be comfortable, clean, and pressed. Don’t create a crisis for yourself on the morning of the interview when it comes to your clothes. Pick out your outfit and make sure it’s ready the night before your big interview.

Step 4: Make sure that you wake up early and are on time:

Just as you shouldn’t let your wardrobe run you down on the big day, you shouldn’t let traffic or public transport delays upset you either. It’s also crucial that you don’t get lost on the way so have directions –and confirm them if you have to – well before you set off. These days, with MapQuest, you have no excuses. Make sure you leave the house early, and plan to be at the interview at least ten minutes early.

Step 5: Review interview questions:

Interviews may be pretty scary but they’re also pretty predictable. It doesn’t take much to predict the basic questions you’re going to be asked. Here are some examples:

Tell me about yourself?

Tell me about a time you failed miserably in your career?

What is your greatest strength/weakness?

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

What are your salary expectations for this position?

Why should we hire YOU?

Prepare sample answers to these questions. Memorize a couple of key responses. Remember that no matter who you’re interviewing for or with, if it’s a job interview, the basic focus is going to be on your experience, your goals, and your potential to contribute to the company. Be sure you can argue a case for yourself on these key points.

Step 6: Let the interviewer lead you:

The interviewer is the one running the interview but you can set the pace. Wait for the interviewer to ask the questions. Take your time to listen to the questions. Give your answers carefully; make sure they are considered. That said, each of your answers should be given with an energetic and enthusiastic voice. Above all, smile and enjoy the interview. Be courteous and always thank the interviewer at the end of the interview. Tell them that you’re well qualified for the job, and that you will prove it to them upon being hired. Don’t be afraid to be confident in yourself and your abilities.

Step 7: Ask for the next step:

The interviewer will ask most of the questions but you will have a chance to get a word in shortly. Find out what will happen next, and what you should expect after the interview. When should you be hearing from them about the job? When will the hiring decision be made?

Step 8: Send a thank you note:

Manifestation Exercise # 11 - Discovering the Hidden Positives Behind The Negatives

2008-07-21T07:22:00.001+05:30

This is a good exercise to use when you want to discover what is really going on behind the scenes of your negative experiences. There is something positive beyond them - you just need to discover what it is.
You see, your higher self sees beyond time and current circumstances. It knows your “true intentions“, even if you are unaware of them consciously, and it will do everything in its power to match you vibrationally to that thing you are “truly” wanting.
For instance, if your higher intention is safety and security and something comes up that will jeopardize that safety and security (even if you are unaware that it will jeopardize it at the time) it is not at all surprising that obstacles will suddenly appear to prevent you from making a mistake.

Quite often we can misinterpret this obstacles as negative things happening to us or it is just us “not getting what we want when we want it” but there is a little more to it than that.

The following story is an example:

My husband and I were living in a house we bought in Staten Island when we first got married. At the time we bought it, we were both working full time in Manhattan, and while we were making just enough to afford it, there was no extra money.
After a couple of years we decided we wanted to have a baby, but realized that there was no way we could continue to pay for the house if I quit working to stay home to take care of the baby (which I really wanted to do) nor could we afford a full time sitter under the circumstances.

So we decided the only logical solution was to sell our house in New York and have a house built in Southern New Jersey about an hour and a half away. The houses there were much cheaper and we could afford to live there on one salary. We were leaving friends and family behind, but we couldn’t see any other choice.

This was when we ended up making one of the most ridiculous mistakes we could have ever made (or so we thought). Instead of taking the money from the sale of our Staten Island home and putting it into an escrow account to be used for the down payment on the new house we were having built, we made the mistake of giving the money directly to the builder. This builder then proceeded to skip town with it; leaving us with no house, no money to buy another one and no way to find him. By the time this all occurred I was already six months pregnant. Now to say I was despondent was putting it mildly!

We had no choice but to get ourselves an apartment in Staten Island and pray that we would hit some kind of lottery, because with only my husband working it would take years to save up enough money for another down payment. On top of that, the housing boom hit which put $200,000 homes into the half million dollar category! Talk about watching your dream get further and further away from you!

Now you see, I truly do believe that everything happens for a reason, but at the time, I truly couldn’t figure this one out. We were both good and honest people; we had worked hard and had saved every penny we could and now it was all gone in one fell swoop.

Even though I had already starting learning about the law of attraction, this was a really tough one for me to overcome. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t seem to get past the resentment I felt towards the whole situation. Which of coarse kept me in the situation even longer.

Eventually I started getting back into studying, meditating and looking forward instead of back. It was no easy climb, I assure you. But I started my own online business and put all my energy into focusing on bringing more money in as opposed to staying focused on what we had lost.

Now this is when things got interesting. During the time this was all happening, my mother met a really great guy she was getting serious with. He had his own house in Pennsylvania and she eventually found herself spending more time there then she was in her own house in Staten Island. She didn’t want to sell her house because she still wanted a place to be able to come back to when she visited us or my brother.

So she made us a deal. If my husband and I would take over all the expenses of the house (the mortgage was paid off years ago, so it was just taxes, insurance and the utilities), we could live there as long as we wanted. We only needed to leave the guest room open for her anytime she wanted to visit. Talk about a no-brainer!

The part that strikes me funny though (and what inspired this article, by the way) is that I just came across my old law of attraction journals and read what I had written years ago right before I had sold my own Staten Island home.

It is the list of intentions I wrote to Universe about what I was choosing to create for my future. This is what it said:

I choose to live in a beautiful house I can easily afford I choose it to be in a great neighborhood I choose to be surrounded by good friends and neighbors I choose it to be located in a great school zone

There were some other minor things, but that was the gist of it. What amazes me looking at it now is realizing that I never stated that I had to own the house, or that I was going to have the perfect house built, or even stated that it was going to be a beautiful house in New Jersey; though I know at the time that I wrote the list that that was the direction we were headed because we were already in the process.

All I know is, I am glad that Universe took me at my word and I am very happy that in this case I wasn‘t more specific, because I couldn’t have foreseen how much better this situation would work out for me.

You see, in the time that it took for all these things to occur, the property taxes in the area of New Jersey that I was going to move to has since tripled! If I was living there now it would be costing me more than I was originally paying for my first Staten Island house that I couldn’t afford. It would have been a constant financial struggle, even if I had found another full time job out of the house.

Not to mention how easily the other things on my list fell into place. I am living in a great neighborhood, I am already surrounded by good friends and neighbors because I have known them most of my life growing up here and my son is in the same excellent school zone I was in!

The point is, quite often we don’t realize when we are right in the thick of what we perceive to be a negative situation, that there is something for our greater good beyond it.

We get so focused on cursing the darkness in the tunnel that we forget to look for the light at the end of it.

So here is the exercise for you. It comes in two parts with a bonus at the end if you really want to get into it..

Part One

Think back and write down all the times when what you thought was a negative situation turned into a positive one.

For instance:

When you had to cancel vacation plans due to work or lack of money and found out later they had a hurricane that week. When you missed your flight due to bad weather and then found out the plane you were supposed to be on got stuck on the tarmac for 7 hours and you were at least in a comfortable airport with a bar and a bathroom! When you didn’t get a job you thought you wanted and ended up being available for a better one. When the person you wanted to call you never did, and you ended up meeting the “one” because you were single. When you missed making the perfect investment, only to find out the company tanked and you would have lost a ton of மோனே

You get the idea. These things happen all the time. Writing them down helps reaffirm to you that Universe (or your higher self, if you prefer) does in fact have your best interests at heart. If you have a hard time coming up with anything, think about every good thing in your life right now and backtrack. Believe me, you will start to see many ways these things couldn’t have come to you if you had indeed gotten what you originally asked for.

Part Two

Start looking for the light at the end of your tunnel by asking What If? What If The Reason I Haven’t Gotten What I Want Yet Is Because….? Start stretching your mind with ideas of what your higher self might have in store for you that you just haven’t realized yet.

For example:

What if (I didn’t get this position) because a better one is waiting for me. What if (the reason the deal on buying the house fell through) was because the roof is about to collapse this winter and it would have cost me a fortune I wouldn’t have. What if (the reason he/she hasn’t called me for another date) was because they are total psychos and my higher self knows better than for me to get involved with them. What if (the reason the car broke down today when I had somewhere really important to be) was because I would have been involved in a major accident if I had been on the highway today. What if (the reason I can’t afford the ski trip right now) is because I would have broken my leg on the slopes. What if (the reason I am stuck on the absolutely slowest line in the store) is because if I left earlier I would run into someone I really don’t want to see right now.

Really stretch your imagination. The fun part of this exercise is that it can help soothe you through disappointment. But the most important part happens later when you prove yourself to be right and you indeed confirm that your higher self has your best interests at heart. That’s when you begin to trust that everything is happening in exactly the right order.

Now for the Bonus Part if you really want to get into it.

Step Three

Try to find your true “hidden intention” as opposed to what you think that you want.

For instance, with my Jersey house. I originally thought my intention was to have this beautifully built house in New Jersey. But in truth my “hidden intention” was just to live in a beautiful house I could afford. This was obvious by how I wrote my intention on my list. After struggling financially in our first house, security was really all I was looking for and just hadn’t realized it. It wasn’t until after I received it that I noticed the blessing it really was.

Maybe in your case, your “hidden intention” was to find someone who really cared about you and was interested in the same things you are. You might have originally thought you were going to find this with a person of the opposite sex but instead you found it in the new best friend you made six months ago and you just haven‘t realized it yet.

So start enjoying and appreciating that friend that Universe sent you in answer to your request and watch how that higher vibration will automatically attract the opposite sex person you are also wanting. Heck! It might even be through that friend.

We are happily such complicated creatures. So much lies below the surface we aren‘t even aware of. But the daily discovery of these things is what makes life so fun and interesting.

Just the fact that you are reading these types of articles means you are already on your way to discovery.

So start looking for the positives that await you in your future. If something you are going through appears negative at the moment, it simply means you haven’t yet discovered the place your higher self is leading you to.

Don’t get discouraged, don’t give up and don’t curse the darkness. Start taking the first steps now to finding the light at the end of your tunnel.

Happy Creating!

About The Author
Janeen Clark is a Spiritual Life Coach who has been teaching, studying and applying the Law of Attraction for over 15 years. If you would like more fun ways to use LOA visit her website at http://www.theveryhappyhuman.com

An Overview of the Top iPod Classic Accessories

2008-07-18T19:53:00.001+05:30

The popularity of Apple's iPod has spawned a huge industry of iPod accessories. There is such a wide variety to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones are important to look at and which ones are pointless fluff. Here's a look at the five iPod classic accessories that every iPod owner needs to consider.

Case

The first iPod classic accessory that every owner should purchase is a protective case. A case is especially important if you travel with your iPod, and if you shove it in your pocket or purse with your keys you're just asking for trouble without a case. The finish of the iPod classic is especially vulnerable to the dings and dents of everyday life. A protective case will keep your iPod looking pristine, and helps keep dust and dirt away from the vulnerable electronics inside.

Screen Protector

Almost as important as a case is a screen protector. Most cases do not cover the screen, because users want to be able to see the screen without taking it out of the case. A screen protector will protect the screen, which is even more vulnerable to scratches than the metal body. And a scratch across the screen is even more annoying than a scratch across the body, because you'll be looking right at it every time you look at the screen. Like the case, if you move your iPod classic around a lot, a screen protector is a valuable iPod classic accessory that will keep your iPod looking good.

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An iPod with a dead battery is basically a paperweight. An extra charger or two is an iPod classic accessory worth having, both for convenience and to reduce the chance of running out of juice. Having an extra charger means you can charge your iPod at home and in the office, and you won't run out of power in the middle of the day. If you spend a lot of time in the car and listen to your iPod while driving (through speakers or an iTrip, please don't use headphones while driving), a car charger that plugs into the lighter jack will ensure that you have music the whole way.

Cables

Cables are another necessary iPod classic accessory. With just about every computer peripheral now using a USB connection, free USB ports may be at a premium on your computer. Fear not, because you can get a cable that lets you connect your iPod to your computer's FireWire port instead. Also, if you have iTunes installed on your computer at the office as well as your home computer, an extra sync cable will save you from having to transport the cable back and forth. There are also cables available that let you connect your iPod to your home stereo.

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Speakers are one of the most popular iPod classic accessories, and therefore come in a wide variety. Most speakers plug into the headphone jack, and are either battery powered or plugged into a wall outlet. There are also speakers that the iPod classic can dock with, which will have the added benefit of charging the unit while it's playing. Many of these speaker docking stations come with a remote, so you can skip songs and adjust the volume without going over to the unit. Speakers will generally give better sound than headphones, and will allow you to share your music with everyone in the room. If you're looking for portability, go with the battery-powered speakers. Otherwise, AC-powered speakers will sound better and can have the added functionality of being a docking station.

The wide variety of iPod classic accessories available can be overwhelming. Now, you've been given the information that should help you to decide on what accessories you need, and what ones you can avoid.

by: R James Cook

A Little Wine Goes A Long Way

2008-07-18T19:35:00.001+05:30

Changing to a healthier diet needn’t mean you miss out on the good things in life …

A question of balance:

You’ve embarked on a diet – and have even discovered some exciting new recipes – but what about wine? According to doctors, a little bit of what you fancy does you good, so much so that heart attack patients in one Wiltshire hospital were given two glasses a day during their stay. It’s also a great stress reliever, helping you unwind at the end of a busy day. The secret is moderation – but by drinking less you can afford a few special bottles and expand your wine horizons.

A world of choice:

Start by taking a grape variety you know, then work your way through different examples from around the world. Lovers of Aussie Chardonnay, for instance, might ring the changes with rich, barrel-matured white Burgundy. If you’ve already discovered fruit-filled Chilean Cabernet, then you really need to try the aristocratic reds of Bordeaux. Find out for yourself why the wines of New Zealand have become so popular, or experience the everlasting appeal of Burgundy. Just a few rungs up the price ladder, flavours become more intense – making it far easier to stick to a single glass!

When exploring, don’t be afraid to ask questions of waiters or shop staff – if properly trained they will be full of useful advice. The very cheapest wine is rarely the best value for money. Excise duty, VAT, transport and packaging are virtually the same whether it’s a basic vin de table or from a prestigious estate. By paying a little extra – say £5 to £7 – you get a big increase in wine quality.

The easy option:

More people are ordering their wine online thanks to the convenience and range of wines on offer. Online wine merchants invariably provide more information about their wines than you will find on the label when perusing the supermarket shelves. Laithwaites were voted UK Independent Wine Merchant of the Year 2007 and have seen their online orders increase rapidly in recent years. It isn’t hard to see why – a quick look at their website reveals a wide range of wines with helpful descriptions about each bottle. Ordering is simple, each selection is delivered direct to your door and every bottle is covered by a full money-back guarantee.

With expert wine merchants available at your fingertips it has become a whole lot easier to enjoy better wines at very competitive prices. Avoid cheap supermarket wine and you’ll discover a little good wine really does go a long way. You may find that you shed those unwanted pounds and your health, not to mention your palate, improves too! More information can be found at our site.

About The Author
Mark Hooson is a professional writer for the wine trade. The vineyard top-quality wine always available at Laithwaites and enjoy better wines very competitive prices at http://www.laithwaites.co.uk/

Why MLM?

2008-07-17T23:07:00.002+05:30

And BusinessMulti Level Marketing is a venerable and legitimate way of doing business in the modern world. Multi Level Marketing is a system which is slightly better than working for someone and being a salesman. This system uses independent distributors and allowing these distributors to build and manage their own sales force by recruiting, motivating, supplying, and training others to sell products. Essentially the concept of network marketing and multi level marketing is that you will have yourself, plus the people below you, plus several levels of the people below those people, hence the term, “multi-level” and there will essentially be multiple levels of commission coming from those people’s sales. MLM or Multi Level marketing is a way for the average person, who is teachable, and who has desire and perseverance, to earn extra income from the sanctuary of their home. In fact the concept of Multi level Marketing is no longer new and you can find the easiest and most convenient source to locating legal industry multi level marketing that is the Internet. Multi Multi-Level marketing is based on the downline(s) you have. Multi-level marketing, on the other hand, is a type of tiered system and it is a way to sell goods or services through distributors. This system is very attractive because it offers wealth and independence for a relatively small up front cost. Level In a multi-level structure, you can also build and manage your own sales force by recruiting, motivating, supplying and training others to sell those products. This opportunity has made multi-level marketing an attractive way of starting a business with comparatively little money. It actually just like other methods of retailing depends on selling to consumers and establishing a market for repeat business but the start-up cost in a multi-level is generally smaller than other businesses. Marketing Marketing is about getting paid for sending website traffic and referral customers. A legitimate multi-level marketing company emphasizes reliable products or services. This business type is a type of business where a distributor receives commissions on their own sales as well as the sales of people the distributor recruits. One way to quickly set up a new business is to market products and services from a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) or network marketing. I very much believe in Network Marketing, but only if you’ve got the mindset to succeed, and time to dedicate frequently to your business. For the people like you who are committed to living your dream Multi Level Marketing is a great way to make this possible. Even though the failure rate with multi level marketing is very high, but it does not mean that you cannot make it successful!!

About The Author
Tsuyoshi E. Suzuki is an Expert Internet Network Marketer. Discover How To Build Up 1,000+ Downline. Generate Your Own MLM lead for FREE! Find out the best MLM business opportunity. The Dirty Truth about MLM Marketing that You Don't Know. Get FREE Report Now! Go to ==> http://www.happymlm.com/

How To Apply A Wood Finish

2008-07-17T22:51:00.002+05:30

When you finish a woodworking project, you should try to stain your wood as soon as possible to get the best finish you can. If you wait, your piece has a larger chance to become damaged by scratches or stains, and it may accumulate dirt and oils. If you find that you do need to wait before applying a stain, re-sand your piece with some fine-grit sandpaper before you apply your finish. No matter whether your project is a frame or a chest of drawers, you use the same steps to apply the stain. Make sure the surface of your piece is clean and free of dust before you apply any stain. If you choose to finish the gluing after you finish the piece, be sure to use masking tape to cover all glue surfaces. When using any type of stain or finish, always do so in an area that is well ventilated, has plenty of light and space, and is clean. There are several different techniques you can use to apply stain to your project. You can use a brush or a rag with most stains on the market. Some even are packaged so you can spray them on. Absorbent rags made of natural fibers like cotton work really well to apply stain. Use a cut up old T-shirt or other piece of fabric. Alternatively, you can also use a heavy-duty paper towel. If you prefer to use a brush, it doesn't matter if you use a synthetic or a natural bristle brush. Foam brushes may not be your best choice... they can sometimes disintegrate from the solvents used in some stains. If you are spraying your stain onto your project, set the paint gun up for a light viscosity. If the stain you have chosen is a thick pigment type, you'll also need to thin it before putting it in the paint gun so it will spray properly. If you choose to use a pigment stain, make sure it is mixed thoroughly before you use it by shaking it vigorously or stirring it. Pigments tend to settle at the bottom of the container. If you are using a dye stain, while they don't need to be stirred, you may want to strain it first to remove any lumps of dye that did not fully dissolve. If you need a lot of stain, and you have several small cans of the same color, you may want to put them into one larger container and mix them up to make sure your color is uniform and not streaked. You may want to start by taking your project apart, so the stain covers every bit of the wood and doesn't gather around the hardware. Plan what pieces you're going to do first... and if you have a large piece, figure out ahead of time how you're going to approach it. You want to create small workable areas. Once this has been figured out, use your brush, your spray gun or your rag and apply the stain in the direction you want. If you have trouble getting the stain into small crevices, it pays to have a small brush handy to help force the stain in. If you are working on a piece of wood that is already installed in a high place over your head, say, like a piece of crown molding, you may have a more pleasant experience if you use a gel stain that won't drip on top of you. Apply the stain to small areas, allowing the stain to dry for a few moments before wiping the excess off with a clean rag. Be sure to wipe off the excess in the same direction as the grain of the wood.

How to Write Articles Quickly

2008-07-17T21:22:00.001+05:30

One of the best ways to promote your website or blog is through article marketing. Learning to write articles quickly is a skill you have to master to accomplish this. Many website owners make article writing a lot more complicated than it has to be. When writing for websites, remember first of all that people online are scanning web pages, not reading every word, so there is no need to spend hours making every word perfect. Your content isn’t going to be totally unique, no matter what you write about. Every topic you can think about has already been written about by someone else. Think about it – every newsworthy event is covered by CNN, NBC, ABC, etc. Every network and every newspaper are all covering the exact same event or topic, just in different words. The fact is, there are no new topics. Your job is to take what’s already been written and improve on it by injecting your own comments and personality. One way to do research quickly is by inputting the topic you want to write about into a search engine. Choose three or four matches and read these articles thoroughly, taking notes. Or, other places for quick research include article directories, forums and yahoo answers. By reading what people are asking in yahoo answers, you will learn what information people are looking for. Amazon.com provides some great tools for quick research. By choosing a few top-selling books on a given topic, you can research quickly by browsing a book’s table of contents, the back cover of the book and even an excerpt. Once you have taken sufficient notes, it’s time to put your article together. Write an outline of the important points you want to make in your article. Then write the article without looking back at the other articles. This is nothing more than the same work you did in high school writing book reports. Most of us have written quite a few book reports in our lifetime, and in those days many of us put ourselves through the unnecessary stress of cutting it too close to deadlines. That means we already know how to write and research quickly! Basically, we need to decide what we’re going to accomplish and when. If we intend to write an article a day, then we have to stay glued to our computer until we complete that task. If we want to get it done in half an hour or less, this is another goal to work toward. Practice will definitely lead to improvement. Article marketing is one of the best forms of free advertising there is. Learning to write articles quickly is an easily learned skill that will help us get the most out of article marketing.

by: Valerie Dansereau

Add Class and Style to Your Room with Chesterfield Furniture

2008-07-17T21:20:00.000+05:30

When attempting to bring class and style into your home, leather furniture is the way to go. While there are several different kinds of leather and companies to choose from, there is nothing quite like leather chesterfields. Chesterfield furniture has been around for quite some time and continues to bring wonderful furniture into people's homes worldwide. Adding Chesterfield furniture to your home gives you rich and world class feel to the living room. No longer do you have to settle for a mediocre sofa that disappears in the room. You can make a Chesterfield sofa the highlight of the room with the magnificent leather and beautiful colour. While this furniture used to be out of the price range for many, it has gradually become more affordable for everyone. But the status quo remains the same as this is high class furniture that can brighten up the room and bring your office or living room to another level. There is nothing better than being able to show off a fine piece of furniture to family and friends like Chesterfield furniture. Guests will have the luxury of sitting on pure, soft, and comfortable leather sofa. And unlike many sofas that require attention after a couple of years, you will have your Chesterfield sofa for years to come because of the high-class durability. Placing this luxury furniture in the living room is ideal to show it off, but it can also make for a fine piece of furniture in the office. There is nothing that says class and wealth in an office better than furniture like this. It will imply prosperity to those who enter your office and give your office a true working atmosphere. Although you may not be aware of it at the time, but image can mean everything in a home. Replacing ragged sofas with a Chesterfield sofa can do wonders for your home. It will liven the room up, give it character, and present wealth in a new manner. And because of the style, you can put virtually anything around the sofa and create a beautifully crafted room. It is hard to believe that one sofa could have such an impact on a room, but that is exactly what you are getting with leather chesterfields. It is the finest furniture around and can be purchased at a reasonable price. And with the durability it is built with, you can enjoy the comfort of fine leather for years to come.

Craig Miller

Mother Is Still Here: An Interview With Sister Nirmala

2008-07-17T21:10:00.000+05:30

It has been a decade since Kolkata's “Saint of Gutters”, Mother Teresa went home to God. But Missionaries of Charity, the order established by Mother in 1950, still continues to feel her divine presence around. The moment one enters the premises of Mother's House on AJC Bose Road in central Kolkata, one is overwhelmed by a feeling of warmth, peace and serenity like one has never experienced before. Two days before her tenth death anniversary, the spirit of Mother Teresa rests in peace in a white marble tomb, built in the middle of Mother's House, and is surrounded by devotees, who sit with their heads bowed, paying a silent tribute to the lady who gave up everything to serve the “poorest of the poor”. “Service to the poorest of the poor” still continues to be the fundamental article of faith in Missionaries of Charity. “Jesus is the bread of life” is written in flowers over Mother's tomb, and a soft fragrance of incense wafts through the air to create an aura of unmatched divinity. The room adjacent to Mother's tomb holds her possessions and pictures, and tells a tale of Mother's service to humankind. The pictures of Mother Teresa, along with her belongings displayed with care, make one feel a close proximity with the petite Mother. “She is everywhere in the House”, smiles Sister Nirmala, the Superior General of Missionaries of Charity, before settling down with HeadlinesIndia for an exclusive interview about life during Mother's time, and beyond. It has been ten years since Mother passed away. How has life been in Missionaries of Charity after Mother? Sister Nirmala: Missionaries of Charity, by the grace of God, and with the presence, prayers and blessings of Mother, is continuing with its work and is going on. It continues to be in the same spirit that it was in when it was founded by Mother. It has also been ten years of responsibility for you. How does it feel to be in Mother's place? Sister Nirmala: I would not say I am in Mother's place. I can never replace Mother. I have my own place. I cannot be Mother, I cannot live her life. I have my life, and I am living it the way Mother wanted me to. I think Mother is irreplaceable. No one can ever take her place. How far do you think you have lived up to Mother's expectations? Sister Nirmala: I am just continuing the work that she was doing. I try my best to live up to her expectations. I feel, may be Mother is happy with me (laughs). So, do you hear Mother's voice in your heart, saying she is happy with you? Do you feel her around you? Sister Nirmala: Yes, I feel her guiding me in everything I do. I never felt that she is not happy with me. I know she is there to look after everything. Apparently you shared a very close bond with Mother. Tell us something about your relationship with Mother Teresa. Sister Nirmala: See, we are sisters, but we are really her daughters. I was like her daughter too... And what kind of bonding did you share with her? Sister Nirmala: She was a real mother for my future direction. She guided me in a lot of things. As I grew up before her eyes, she taught me how to love, how to care selflessly. She guided me to spirituality, and she encouraged me in whatever I wanted to do (Mother Teresa had encouraged Sister Nirmala to study law). So I really shared a very special bond with her. With such special bond, do you miss her around? Sister Nirmala: It is only her physical being that is missing from here. Her spirit continues to be in every part of the order. We feel here presence everywhere. Coming back to the order, what changes has Missionaries of Charity seen over the past decade? Sister Nirmala: The changes have come in the form of expansion. We have expanded to 14 new countries, and we are striving hard to expand further. The Missionaries of Charity has set up 166 new homes across the world. The number of nuns has increased too. Everything else is the same (laughs)... It is often alleged that Missionaries of Charity follows a static and rudimentary style of functioning.... Sister Nirmala: It is our rule, you know. We follow our tradition, we follow our spirit... Don't you wish to modernise the Missionaries of Charity? Sister Nirmala: No. We prefer to keep it simple. That is the way Missionaries of Charity is (laughs). What about the funds and donations that are sent to Missionaries of Charity? Has there been any change in the amount of help you received during Mother's time?

About The Author
Divya Pathak is a reporter working with http://www.headlinesindia.com an upcoming news portal based out of New Delhi, India.

All About Pizza

2008-07-17T20:52:00.000+05:30

The term pizza covers a lot of territory. If you want to learn all about pizzas, then you should have a bit of a background on pizzas: specifically the history of pizza, pizza origin, pizza facts, and even pizza trivia such as who invented pizza. The subject also delves into the different types and styles of pizzas. The varieties currently existing defy any attempts at enumeration. Thus, most people who attempt such a task stop at a broad categorization of pizza types according to certain attributes such as crust thickness, crust elasticity, crust baking and cooking procedures, toppings, etc. Aside from general, historical or trivial information, other things are of interest to the pizza lovers. For instance, homemade pizza enthusiasts would like to know certain tips and tricks for making pizza. This includes pizza making techniques, the best pizza crust recipes, pizza toppings, homemade pizza sauce, etc. Some other interesting topics will be frozen pizza dough and where best to attain them, what are the criteria for choosing the, what are the methods for preparing them, etc.
It must be obvious that this article is a mite ambitious for wishing to tackle something entitled "all about pizza." However, an attempt is definitely warranted, so here goes.
Some pizza facts and ட்ரிவியா
Accounts of pizza history always begin with the origin of pizza. This one might as well follow the same tack. We have to thank any civilization or race that baked flat bread on hot stones or stone ovens for pizza, for almost certainly, bread like the focaccia was the "mother of the pizza crust." However, the invention of the pizza is more properly attributed to the Neapolitans - the people of Naples, Italy who were baking and making pizza crust topped with tomatoes, oil, and Italian herbs, and spices. This rudimentary and traditional Italian pizza was common peasant fare in Naples. If you want an individual originator and inventor of pizzas, however, then you won't be wrong if you cite Rafaelle Esposito - a native of Naples; he modified the basic Neapolitan pizza recipe and came up with three variants that added mozzarella cheese to the rudimentary Italian pizza toppings.
Now, if you are looking for some topics for small conversation, then you must remember the following trivia. One note of caution, though; you shouldn't blurt these out just to anybody or you'll sound decidedly corny and geeky. Make sure you're talking to someone interested in pizzas before you use the following trivia as conversational gambits.
" Most people in the United States love pepperoni; the least liked toppings are anchovies. " Pizza was called (and is still called) tomato pie and pizza pie in certain parts of the States. " The first pizzeria in the United States was opened in New York. " The pizza industry is worth more than 30 billion dollars in the United States alone and Americans consume around three billion units of pizza every year. " New York pizza is traditionally plain. Supposedly, New York pizza is unique because of the acidity and hardness of the water in New York. New Yorkers therefore claim that only in New York can you make real New York Pizza. (New Yorkers must admit, however, that if water is the unique characteristic of New York pizzas, one who uses water adjusted for hardness and acidity to reflect New York water conditions, adds all the usual New York pizza ingredients and toppings, follows all the procedures strictly but makes the pizza in New Jersey can conceivably make an authentic, New York style pizza. But such an assertion, some would say, is just plain cheek.)
Pizza types and pizza styles
Italian pizza is generally lean, although when you add cheese, its fat level generally rises in proportion. There are various kinds of Italian pizza, too. There are Neapolitan pizzas, of which there are two general types: the marinara and the Margherita. There are various combinations of these as well. Authentic Italian pizza, moreover, is supposedly baked on wood-fired or even coal-fired, stone ovens.
New York pizza, as abovementioned, is generally plain. The mainstay of New York pizza is mozzarella cheese - fresh mozzarella cheese to be precise. One can add garlic, different types of cheeses, anchovies, shrimp, etc but these are usually optional. The pizza dough recipe for traditional New York pizza, on the other hand, calls for high-gluten flour. The result is firm, usually thin, chewy pizza.
The California style pizza is generally known for gourmet flavors. You can say the California pizza has countless variations. The pizza crust, in this case, is light, crisp and generally well risen. The toppings can be out of this world - generally California pizza makers experiment a lot with all kinds of meat, sea food, breakfast dishes, and vegetable for the toppings.

The Chicago style pizza, on the other hand, is generally crusty and very filling. They are characterized by their raised edges; imagine a pre-baked apple pie crust where you can place the fillings on top. Chicago pizza is usually meaty (some variants come stuffed with cheeses and meat layers) and it is eaten with a knife and fork.

You can also start by deciding on the flavor you want. Do you want to make a cheese pizza, a vegetarian pizza or a fruit pizza? Perhaps you want to make a low fat pizza, a low carb pizza, a healthy pizza? Sourdough pizza is also another variant.
Take your pick among your many options. Once you have decided, choosing the recipe would be much easier. If you have decided on an Italian pizza, for instance, then find your Italian pizza crust recipe, your Italian pizza sauce recipe and the overall Italian pizza recipe that will give you a list of toppings and pizza preparation procedures for making an authentic Italian pizza. For an easier time of it, you can opt to use Italian-style frozen pizza dough then just follow the Italian pizza recipe that you've found.

Some pizza making tips and techniques
Hand tossing will help you minimize the lumps in your pizza dough. However, this should be done only after sufficient pizza dough kneading. This process lets your pizza dough develop into the right kind of consistency - that which is suitable for stretching and hand tossing. Hand tossing, however, is not advisable for thick pizza crust varieties.

If you want a crisp and firm pizza that retains its structure even when the moist toppings are added, you can bake the pizza crust before you add the toppings and the pizza sauce. However, for thin pizza crusts, baking the crust after the toppings and sauce have been added is sufficient. For uniform baking and crisping of the crust, use a pizza stone or a pizza screen.

Finally, remember that the protein content of your flour will influence the end product. High-gluten flour will lead to a crisp but chewy crust. Gluten-free flour, however, may lead to very soft dough; additives may have to be used to give the pizza dough strength.

Quick pizza crust recipes and easy homemade pizza recipes of all kinds and style are easily available online. There are tips for baking and preparing frozen pizza dough, making your own pizza dough, preparing the ingredients for the best pizza crust recipe, etc. All you need to start making your very own pizza recipe is an internet connection, a good source of basic pizza recipe, great pizza equipment, your imagination, and lots of time and resources for experimentation.

About The Author
Sean Lannin With more than 10 years experience both working and owning pizza restaurants. When he tried to find information about making pizza at home, he noticed that the information was either non-existent or lacked the information he felt was important. He now shares his passion for making pizza with readers of his website.

Why Do We Dream?”

2008-07-17T06:27:00.000+05:30

“Why do we dream?” Some theories state that dreams are a way in which we release stress. If this were true, then more people (especially those who are stressed-out) would remember their dreams. Remember that dreams come from the inner you, more specifically they are communications from your subconscious mind. All day long we are busy moving through our waking lives, taking in sensations from all around ourselves. During our nighttime slumber our conscious mind is stilled, providing us with the opportunity to receive communication from our subconscious mind.You might ask, “Why is it so important that we receive information from our subconscious mind?” Our subconscious mind holds all of our understandings which we have gained either through this lifetime or other lifetimes. It has messages to share with the outer self that are rich with knowledge and wisdom. Our inner mind is our best friend, revealing to us the truth of our present state of thinking and expression. Others have asked, “Do we dream every night, because I rarely remember my dreams?” Yes, we do dream every night. Actually we dream several times in one night. We dream in ninety minute cycles. Most people do not know how to release their attention from their day’s activities when they go to sleep. They find themselves restless, tossing and turning throughout the night. If continued this restlessness forces the person to remain in a shallow level of sleep. Dreams occur in the deeper stages of sleep which means that one needs to learn how to relax and remove attention from the worries and concerns of the day in order to receive from the subconscious mind.Some researchers suggest that dreams serve no real purpose, while other believe that dreaming is essential to mental, emotional and physical well-being. Ernest Hoffman, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Newton Wellesley Hospital in Boston, Mass., suggests that "...a possible (though certainly not proven) function of a dream to be weaving new material into the memory system in a way that both reduces emotional arousal and is adaptive in helping us cope with further trauma or stressful events.Sigmund Freud’s theory of dreams suggested that dreams were a representation of unconscious desires, thoughts and motivations. According to Freud’s psychoanalytic view of personality, people are driven by aggressive and sexual instincts that are repressed from conscious awareness. While these thoughts are not consciously expressed, Freud suggested that they find their way into our awareness via dreams.The activation-synthesis model of dreaming was first proposed by J. Allan Hobson and Robert McClarley in 1977. According to this theory, circuits in the brain become activated during REM sleep, which causes areas of the limbic system involved in emotions, sensations, and memories, including the amygdala and hippocampus, become active. The brain synthesizes and interprets this internal activity and attempts to find meaning in these signals, which results in dreaming. This model suggests that dreams are a subjective interpretation of signal generated by the brain during sleep.Many other theories have been suggested to account for the occurrence and meaning of dreams. The following are just of few of the proposed ideas:• One theory suggests that dreams are the result of our brain trying to interpret external stimuli during sleep. For example, the sound of the radio may be incorporated into the content of a dream.• Another theory uses a computer metaphor to account for dreams. According to this theory, dreams serve to ‘clean up’ clutter from the mind, much like clean-up operations in a computer, refreshing the mind to prepare for the next day.• Yet another model proposes that dreams function as a form of psychotherapy. In this theory, the dreamer is able to make connections between different thoughts and emotions in a safe environment.• A contemporary model of dreaming combines some elements of various theories. The activation of the brain creates loose connections between thoughts and ideas, which are then guided by the emotions of the dreamer. That’s it. “Sweet Dreams.”

What is Green Mountain Coffee ?

2008-07-16T01:53:00.000+05:30

Pick the best coffee beans available all over the world, roast them to perfection, season with an advanced social conscience and a mission to help change the world, flavor with a very savvy sense of marketing and business and you might end up with one of the most successful specialty coffee businesses in the world. Ask the founders of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, the specialty coffee business that started as a small café in Waterbury, Vermont back in 1981 and recorded nearly $350 million in sales in fiscal 2007. The road to success for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has been a series of excellent business decisions coupled with right-place-right-time social policies. The Green Mountain label stands for excellent coffee combined with a mission to make a difference in the world. That mission imbues everything that the company does, from sourcing their coffees to point of sale and beyond - the company even uses recycled/recyclable packaging materials. Mission and social responsibility aside, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters owes its success to one factor - the amazing flavor.The Green Mountain brand is built on high quality specialty coffees. The company began as a small café in Vermont, with a commitment to serving specialty coffees roasted on premises. It wasn't long before restaurants and shops in town started asking to serve Green Mountain's coffee. When skiers who had tried Green Mountain's specialty coffees while on vacation started asking if they could order coffee and have it sent to their homes, the company added its mail order business, and things just grew from there. These days, you can buy Green Mountain Roasters specialty coffees in your supermarket or order it online, sign up for Café Express to have Green Mountain coffee delivered to you automatically, drink Green Mountain coffee at many of your favorite restaurants, and buy Green Mountain coffee pre-packed into Keurig K-cups - Green Mountain sells the most varieties of coffees in K-cups of any of the Keurig partners. The connection with Keurig is not the first strategic market placement decision that's paid off for Green Mountain. Many avid fans got their first taste of Green Mountain's specialty roasts at a most unexpected place - local convenience stores like 7-11 and Store 24, Gas-n-Go shops and other on-the-run coffee pickup spots where the last thing you expect is excellent coffee. As the various convenience stores have expanded their repertoire to include self-service coffee bars - and the technology for making good coffee has improved - Green Mountain has often been the coffee served.Who Is Green Mountain Coffee Roasters?Why not ask the company themselves? According to their press releases: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters was ranked No. 1 on the list of "100 Best Corporate Citizens" in 2006 and 2007, and has been recognized repeatedly by Forbes, Fortune Small Business, and the Society of Human Resource Management as an innovative, high-growth, socially responsible company.Is the coffee really as good as all that? With the fastest growing sales in the industry, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters stands by quality as a watchword. They send coffee sourcers throughout the world to taste and test the crops at coffee plantations in Africa, Asia and South America, bringing back the best that they find. Unlike the biggest chains that must be able to buy in large enough volume to supply hundreds or thousands of stores with any variety they choose, Green Mountain has no issues with selling limited edition coffees, often as single origin coffees. Green Mountain Coffee SourcingGreen Mountain Coffee Roasters is also popular with "socially conscious" consumers who love the company's environmentally and community-friendly policies. The company makes every attempt to source directly from growers around the world, and is one of the leading buyers in the Fair Trade coffee market. Green Mountain buyers work directly with coffee growers whenever possible. It is their commitment to high quality coffee and improving the world that has spurred the roasting company's success. Favorite Green Mountain Coffee BlendsIf you've never tried Green Mountain Coffee, one of the best ways to get a real feel for the brand's variety of flavors is to order one of the company's variety samplers. If you'd rather pick and choose your own sampler pack, here's a list of all-time favorite Green Mountain Coffee Blends.Breakfast Blend - The #1 all time favorite and best seller, lighter roast, rich taste and medium acidityNantucket Blend - Exotic blend, full-bodied with a hint of floral and fruit, bright acidity and complex flavorDark Magic - An extra bold dark roast specially blended and roasted for espressoWild Mountain Blueberry - Seasonal flavored coffee that has become one of Green Mountain's most popular coffees ever.