Can you get paid for taking Online Surveys? The answer is yes, but the
real question is how long will it take for you to be successful. Many
web site owners offer free surveys in hopes of creating a large down
line of people. They will then cash in when you take these. Now there is
nothing wrong with that as long as you know the whole truth. It's a
great business strategy, but I believe in giving you the knowledge to
make the decision.
What most web site owners don't want to tell you is you can spend
weeks finding, researching, weeding out the Scams and still be trying to
figure out where and how to even begin properly.
You need to give yourself a chance for success. In my previous
articles and I will do the same in this one, I talk about using Paid
Survey Directory companies. Surely weeks of your time are worth $50.00
or less, not to mention the frustration of spending all this time and
feeling helpless, defeated, scammed and money less.
There much demand out there for this market place. It can be seen by
the searches done on a daily basis for keywords. A lot of people are
looking and most are getting tired, frustrated and eventually quit. Many
people have lost money on one program or the other and are afraid to
throw good money after bad. Here is the thing, behind every successful
person is allot of failures. You can't go into an online endeavor being
afraid. Can you make it without a Survey Directory? Yes with some help,
much time, luck and a lot of patience.
Why not spend a few dollars on a Paid Survey Directory Company that has
done a lot of the work for you. Here are just a few things they offer.
* Training
* Customer Support so you have someone to help you
* A large Database of Survey Companies
* Database, whereby they have removed of known Scam or non paying Companies
* Step-by-Step instructions on how to be successful
If you are online and reading this article you more than likely have
most or all of the requirement necessary to work from home taking
surveys.
Now you will need to evaluate the Online Paid Survey Directory
Companies and pick the best ones for you. After much research and
feedback from my customers I narrowed down the list from hundreds to
just six. Yes, that's correct I found only six companies that I felt
comfortable putting on my website. Now that may change as time goes on. I
may add or remove companies depending on our research and feedback from
folks like you, but as I write that articles that is where I stand.
Please feel free to read more of this article by visiting my link in
the resource box below. I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my
articles or my site. Your feedback is important to me.
Sabtu, 12 November 2011
British Gardens during the Roman Years
To get a good picture of Romano-British gardens of antiquity, we must
consider their prototypes in Italy. Horticulture in primitive Italy, as
in other countries, was at its beginning merely intended for practical
purposes. Gradually the Latin word hortus, applied in the days of
republican simplicity to a field of vegetables, was stretched, at the
time of the luxurious emperors, to denote pleasure gardens of the utmost
magnificence. In this latter period, the source of every new form of
Roman art, including garden architecture, was Greece, which in its turn
had received inspiration from Egypt, Persia, and Assyria.
Egyptian gardens are the earliest of which definite records still exist. Pictures and inscriptions, dating far back into the centuries before Christ, show that most Egyptian dwellings were built around a series of courtyards containing vegetation both useful and ornamental. Originally, a row of trees along the inner wall of the building shaded it and the enclosed quadrangle. Later, the tree trunks gave place to solid columns, and the overhanging branches to projecting rafters, which resulted in a general effect foreshadowing the Greek peristyle (columned porch or colonnade) and monastic cloisters.
Religious significance was attached to almost every feature in pre-Christian gardens, and tree worship was observed in all ancient countries. Among the favorites were the pine, the emblem of Cybele, the oak of Jupiter, the laurel of Apollo, the myrtle of Venus, the poplar of Hercules, and the olive of Minerva. The cypress was also grown in many places. Yew, although common, was not much esteemed; instead, juniper and rosemary were often employed for topiary work. Box, too, was frequently clipped, and then, as now, considered the best shrub for edgings.
The rose, the lily, and the violet were among the most distinguished flowers of antiquity, but the narcissus, anemone, gladiolus, iris, poppy, amaranth, immortelle, verbena, periwinkle, and crocus were also cultivated and admired. Many flowerless plants like basil, sweet marjoram, and thyme were grown for their fragrance, while the acanthus was welcome on account of its beautiful foliage. Ivy covered the walls or was trained to form garlands between trees and columns.
Egyptian gardens are the earliest of which definite records still exist. Pictures and inscriptions, dating far back into the centuries before Christ, show that most Egyptian dwellings were built around a series of courtyards containing vegetation both useful and ornamental. Originally, a row of trees along the inner wall of the building shaded it and the enclosed quadrangle. Later, the tree trunks gave place to solid columns, and the overhanging branches to projecting rafters, which resulted in a general effect foreshadowing the Greek peristyle (columned porch or colonnade) and monastic cloisters.
Religious significance was attached to almost every feature in pre-Christian gardens, and tree worship was observed in all ancient countries. Among the favorites were the pine, the emblem of Cybele, the oak of Jupiter, the laurel of Apollo, the myrtle of Venus, the poplar of Hercules, and the olive of Minerva. The cypress was also grown in many places. Yew, although common, was not much esteemed; instead, juniper and rosemary were often employed for topiary work. Box, too, was frequently clipped, and then, as now, considered the best shrub for edgings.
The rose, the lily, and the violet were among the most distinguished flowers of antiquity, but the narcissus, anemone, gladiolus, iris, poppy, amaranth, immortelle, verbena, periwinkle, and crocus were also cultivated and admired. Many flowerless plants like basil, sweet marjoram, and thyme were grown for their fragrance, while the acanthus was welcome on account of its beautiful foliage. Ivy covered the walls or was trained to form garlands between trees and columns.
The Revolution Of High-Tech Recording Industry
Today, music is one of the biggest entertainment industries in the
world. This market is hotter for many reasons. First of all, customers'
demands and tastes are higher and more diversified than ever. Second,
the number of people and companies working in this field are increasing
at such a dizzy speed that it creates a very large pool of tough
competition, and of course, to survive, they have to be unique and
distinguished.
We can list out herewith some relevant industry jobs such as Recording, Radio, Television and other Media, Working live shows and tours, Music Retailing and Instrument Repairing, Education and Instruction and many more. Among them, the recording industry is one that has been applying high-end technologies for many years.
The recording industry commenced at the start of the 20th century, when publishers of sheet music dominated the music business. With a quick development pace, recording industry gradually dominated and controlled the music industry. This is the kind of mass-production copies' business that can fix the price in the market.
To be the priority in the effervescent market of recording, what can they do? - Reducing the price? - Noisy brand-name advertising? - Or investing in technological upgrading of products and services? Of course, though technologies change very fast every day, people still make the choice of high-tech applications as the best way to affirm their positions in the music market.
Regarding recording industry, we consider that this is not only a technical but also a creative career. High-end technology is useful for both sides of this job. Recording engineer definitely must be technically skilled with the equipment. They must manipulate skillfully with all the buttons or knobs to get the correct sound that the artist or the producer want to have. A good microphone is necessary in the first step to begin with the recording process. And then, with the instruments, they find out the expected sounds - not music. The recording engineer, finally, will make the adjustments to enhance the music, morph, add effects… Some years ago, in order to do these steps, they had to resort to many equipment. In this case, the results obtained take a lot of the engineers' time and labor. However, today, thanks to the development of high-end technologies, recording engineer can apply modern equipment to make their work easier and more professional. One simple example, with a PC and some installed music morpher, music editor softwares, they can mix and edit music like a skilled recording engineer.
In the other side of this job, creativity is also very important. Music industry is a very specific one that requires creativity. The recording engineer must have the feeling, the sense of music that can create different and unique sounds that express music in the best way. With the same song recorded by two engineers, we have two ways to express the music which depend on the creativity of the recording workers. The recording engineer can apply some intelligent softwares specialized to perform a good job. Sometimes, just by adding a wave sound, increasing the frequency or reducing the noise of the music, we have colored up the recordings.
More and more recording engineers believe in the important role of high-end technologies for their career. They are willing to spend money on equipment, modern music editor or music morpher softwares to support their work. Some people pay up to thousands of dollars for their recording studios, but some know how to save money. They find out the efficient softwares that can work properly as a mixer, an editor with very competitive price from $30 to $100. They know how to update their "companion" by frequently downloading the latest effects or supporting programs. By this way, high-tech supports for both professional recording studios and some home recording studios.
"A war is happening, not the Iraq war, but the high-tech war". However, we will not perish in this war if we know how to use and control technologies for our purposes. Holding in hand the weapons of music softwares, we will be the unique winner, the best one in the running of entertainment industry, especially recording industry.
We can list out herewith some relevant industry jobs such as Recording, Radio, Television and other Media, Working live shows and tours, Music Retailing and Instrument Repairing, Education and Instruction and many more. Among them, the recording industry is one that has been applying high-end technologies for many years.
The recording industry commenced at the start of the 20th century, when publishers of sheet music dominated the music business. With a quick development pace, recording industry gradually dominated and controlled the music industry. This is the kind of mass-production copies' business that can fix the price in the market.
To be the priority in the effervescent market of recording, what can they do? - Reducing the price? - Noisy brand-name advertising? - Or investing in technological upgrading of products and services? Of course, though technologies change very fast every day, people still make the choice of high-tech applications as the best way to affirm their positions in the music market.
Regarding recording industry, we consider that this is not only a technical but also a creative career. High-end technology is useful for both sides of this job. Recording engineer definitely must be technically skilled with the equipment. They must manipulate skillfully with all the buttons or knobs to get the correct sound that the artist or the producer want to have. A good microphone is necessary in the first step to begin with the recording process. And then, with the instruments, they find out the expected sounds - not music. The recording engineer, finally, will make the adjustments to enhance the music, morph, add effects… Some years ago, in order to do these steps, they had to resort to many equipment. In this case, the results obtained take a lot of the engineers' time and labor. However, today, thanks to the development of high-end technologies, recording engineer can apply modern equipment to make their work easier and more professional. One simple example, with a PC and some installed music morpher, music editor softwares, they can mix and edit music like a skilled recording engineer.
In the other side of this job, creativity is also very important. Music industry is a very specific one that requires creativity. The recording engineer must have the feeling, the sense of music that can create different and unique sounds that express music in the best way. With the same song recorded by two engineers, we have two ways to express the music which depend on the creativity of the recording workers. The recording engineer can apply some intelligent softwares specialized to perform a good job. Sometimes, just by adding a wave sound, increasing the frequency or reducing the noise of the music, we have colored up the recordings.
More and more recording engineers believe in the important role of high-end technologies for their career. They are willing to spend money on equipment, modern music editor or music morpher softwares to support their work. Some people pay up to thousands of dollars for their recording studios, but some know how to save money. They find out the efficient softwares that can work properly as a mixer, an editor with very competitive price from $30 to $100. They know how to update their "companion" by frequently downloading the latest effects or supporting programs. By this way, high-tech supports for both professional recording studios and some home recording studios.
"A war is happening, not the Iraq war, but the high-tech war". However, we will not perish in this war if we know how to use and control technologies for our purposes. Holding in hand the weapons of music softwares, we will be the unique winner, the best one in the running of entertainment industry, especially recording industry.
Gas Scooters Safety Rules For Staying Alive!
Gas motor scooters are often thought of as toys, innocent and cheap fun.
But it's exactly that type of thinking that can get a gas scooter
driver into deep trouble. First and foremost scooters are motor vehicles
just like motorcycles and automobiles. They share the road with other
cars and trucks and are subject to similar laws and regulations. And
although they are an object of desire for many they can be dangerous for
the unexperienced or unprepared.
As a general rule gas powered scooters are regulated by state laws as either motorcycles or mopeds and are subject to similar regulations as these other motor vehicles. By staying alert and using caution many accidents can be avoided. Most accidents arise due to carelessness. By paying attention to what is going on around you and what other drivers are doing you can feel relatively safe out on the highway.
There are two things that cause the majority of accidents, speeding and following too closely to the vehicle ahead. Driving safely is all about giving other drivers enough reaction time. If another driver wants to change into your lane directly in front of you it may cause you to lose control if you are speeding and haven't enough time to react. Without enough time to slow down this maneuver by the other driver may require you to move into another lane to avoid him. This can affect other drivers in other lanes which is the beginning of many accidents.
Another major mistake that many gas scooter drivers make is following too closely. When the person ahead of you suddenly slams on the brakes you need enough time to slow down comfortably. Ramming into the back of someone's car is not what you want to do, especially when you are driving a small scooter without any protection around you. By following the speed limits and giving yourself enough room to slow down if something unexpected should happen in front of you most accidents can be prevented.
The third problem arises when gas powered scooters are purchased for use by children and teenagers who do not even possess a valid driver's license. Drivers with licenses may not be any safer on the road than unlicensed drivers, but at least they have had some training and experience behind the wheel of a car. Children and teenagers without any training can be an accident waiting to happen when it comes to motor scooters. Without any experience or training children and young teenagers can quickly find themselves in positions that experienced drivers normally would not.
Kids have been known to throw caution into the wind, darting in and out of traffic without a clue as to the dangers. On gas scooters that are so small they can't be seen well by other drivers, and without much driving experience or training, kids will pose a hazard to both themselves and the other motorists they come in contact with.
Parents should be strongly cautioned to have their children receive the proper amount of training on their gas power scooters before they are allowed onto the busy city streets. Find a deserted road and put them through a training session. The life a parent saves may be his own children's. Only after a parent feels comfortable with his child's driving skills should they allow the child onto the busier streets. By making sure that our children know the safety rules of the road we are decreasing their chances of being involved in a serious accident. Before we can legally drive a car on the highway we must all pass certain tests. Why should it be any different for younger kids?
Gas or electric scooters are wonderful little vehicles that are fun to drive, cheap to buy and are very handy for traveling short distances around the neighborhood to perform errands. They usually have larger storage room than a motorcycle and are very inexpensive to operate. There are many reasons for owning a gas scooter, but in the hands of the untrained and inexperienced they can be deadly.
The ATV, go carts, dirt bikes and mini bikes are other vehicles that are often owned and operated by younger drivers. But they are usually not seen on the city streets as scooters are. Go karts are typically driven on tracks specifically designed for the go cart. And the mini bike, dirt bike or ATVs are typically driven off road. These other vehicles avoid many of the dangers that scooter drivers must face, namely traffic on the busy highway.
Gas scooters are quite popular these days, especially among the younger market who are too young to drive cars yet. Without proper training for these kids it opens the door to possible serious accidents. As the worldwide popularity of gas scooters grows we need to make sure that people's awareness of driving and safety regulations keeps pace, especially among the kids that have no previous drivers experience.
Kids often think of gas scooters as toys, not as potentially dangerous vehicles. But a scooter is not a toy. It is a motor vehicle that is subject to certain laws and regulations. People need to be aware of the potential scooter dangers and remain alert while driving at all times. They should not drive erratically, but be predictable and courteous to other drivers on the road. They should follow the speed limits and remain a safe distance behind other vehicles. Kids should receive proper training before being allowed on the busier streets. By taking these few safety precautions we can help ensure a fun safe driving experience for all.
As a general rule gas powered scooters are regulated by state laws as either motorcycles or mopeds and are subject to similar regulations as these other motor vehicles. By staying alert and using caution many accidents can be avoided. Most accidents arise due to carelessness. By paying attention to what is going on around you and what other drivers are doing you can feel relatively safe out on the highway.
There are two things that cause the majority of accidents, speeding and following too closely to the vehicle ahead. Driving safely is all about giving other drivers enough reaction time. If another driver wants to change into your lane directly in front of you it may cause you to lose control if you are speeding and haven't enough time to react. Without enough time to slow down this maneuver by the other driver may require you to move into another lane to avoid him. This can affect other drivers in other lanes which is the beginning of many accidents.
Another major mistake that many gas scooter drivers make is following too closely. When the person ahead of you suddenly slams on the brakes you need enough time to slow down comfortably. Ramming into the back of someone's car is not what you want to do, especially when you are driving a small scooter without any protection around you. By following the speed limits and giving yourself enough room to slow down if something unexpected should happen in front of you most accidents can be prevented.
The third problem arises when gas powered scooters are purchased for use by children and teenagers who do not even possess a valid driver's license. Drivers with licenses may not be any safer on the road than unlicensed drivers, but at least they have had some training and experience behind the wheel of a car. Children and teenagers without any training can be an accident waiting to happen when it comes to motor scooters. Without any experience or training children and young teenagers can quickly find themselves in positions that experienced drivers normally would not.
Kids have been known to throw caution into the wind, darting in and out of traffic without a clue as to the dangers. On gas scooters that are so small they can't be seen well by other drivers, and without much driving experience or training, kids will pose a hazard to both themselves and the other motorists they come in contact with.
Parents should be strongly cautioned to have their children receive the proper amount of training on their gas power scooters before they are allowed onto the busy city streets. Find a deserted road and put them through a training session. The life a parent saves may be his own children's. Only after a parent feels comfortable with his child's driving skills should they allow the child onto the busier streets. By making sure that our children know the safety rules of the road we are decreasing their chances of being involved in a serious accident. Before we can legally drive a car on the highway we must all pass certain tests. Why should it be any different for younger kids?
Gas or electric scooters are wonderful little vehicles that are fun to drive, cheap to buy and are very handy for traveling short distances around the neighborhood to perform errands. They usually have larger storage room than a motorcycle and are very inexpensive to operate. There are many reasons for owning a gas scooter, but in the hands of the untrained and inexperienced they can be deadly.
The ATV, go carts, dirt bikes and mini bikes are other vehicles that are often owned and operated by younger drivers. But they are usually not seen on the city streets as scooters are. Go karts are typically driven on tracks specifically designed for the go cart. And the mini bike, dirt bike or ATVs are typically driven off road. These other vehicles avoid many of the dangers that scooter drivers must face, namely traffic on the busy highway.
Gas scooters are quite popular these days, especially among the younger market who are too young to drive cars yet. Without proper training for these kids it opens the door to possible serious accidents. As the worldwide popularity of gas scooters grows we need to make sure that people's awareness of driving and safety regulations keeps pace, especially among the kids that have no previous drivers experience.
Kids often think of gas scooters as toys, not as potentially dangerous vehicles. But a scooter is not a toy. It is a motor vehicle that is subject to certain laws and regulations. People need to be aware of the potential scooter dangers and remain alert while driving at all times. They should not drive erratically, but be predictable and courteous to other drivers on the road. They should follow the speed limits and remain a safe distance behind other vehicles. Kids should receive proper training before being allowed on the busier streets. By taking these few safety precautions we can help ensure a fun safe driving experience for all.
Why You Lose Your Youthful Skin Appearance
if you want to keep your youthful skin appearance, you need to know why
your skin starts to change as you age. I have listed some of the most
important things that affect skin appearance and some of the ways to
prevent the skin from aging too fast. The sooner you start applying
these ideas the longer you will keep your youthful appearance.
As you age here are some of the changes that will occur:
* Your top skin layer, epidermis, becomes thinner and more fragile
* Your skin becomes drier, since oil glands produce less oil
* The number of blood vessels decreases in your face and throughout your body. Blood brings nutrients to your skin cells, giving your skin a healthy and rosy look
* Less skin cells are repaired or replace quickly
* The sun and pollution start to show their effects on your skin by breaking down collagen and elastin, which give your skin its elasticity.
* Your good or bad diet starts to show it effects on your skin. Your bad diet did not provide the nutrients your skin needed to be flexibly, hydrated, oxygenated, and healthy.
* The un-healthy skin products you have been using start to show their bad effects on your skin.
Now, you can see that skin beauty is dependent on what kind of food you eat, how you have exposed yourself to the sun and pollution, and what chemicals your facial and skin products have. Excessive exposure to the sun and pollution will damage your skin and accelerate its aging appearance - age spots, blotches, wrinkles, roughness, sagging.
Here are some things you can do to slow down the aging skin.
* Use sunscreen every day - You can slow down wrinkle formation and even prevent it, if you use sunscreen early in your life. Use sunscreen that contains Zinc Oxide. It is better then those that have Titanium Dioxide. Daily, use a broadband SPF 15 and for heavy out door sun activities use SPF 30. If you wear makeup, put your sunscreen on first
* On hot days and even when it is overcast use your sunscreen and a hat. Stay in the shade when possible.
* Keep away from highly polluted areas and don't smoke. Smoking changes the elasticity of the skin fibers leading to rough and wrinkled skin.
* Get enough sleep. Your skin repairs itself when you sleep.
* When you sleep, don't sleep with you face into the pillow.
* Drink plenty of water. Your skin loses water during hot days and needs plenty of water to keep hydrated. Water is found in raw fruits and vegetables. Sodas, sugar drinks, tea, (except herbal teas) coffee, or milk are not water. Rotate between buying and drinking Reverse Osmosis and Distilled water.
* Minimize drinking alcohol. Alcohol can lead to spider veins and broken capillaries. It also causes your skin to become dehydrated.
* Eat more fruits and vegetables. They provide plenty of antioxidants, which protect you from sun and pollution damage.
* Take an antioxidant supplement, which should include up to 2000 mg of vitamin C. You may have to take the Vitamin C separate.
Start using these ideas and you will see improvement on your skin. This improvement may take a few months to appear on your skin. Be patient and persistent and you will be rewarded with good skin appearance.
As you age here are some of the changes that will occur:
* Your top skin layer, epidermis, becomes thinner and more fragile
* Your skin becomes drier, since oil glands produce less oil
* The number of blood vessels decreases in your face and throughout your body. Blood brings nutrients to your skin cells, giving your skin a healthy and rosy look
* Less skin cells are repaired or replace quickly
* The sun and pollution start to show their effects on your skin by breaking down collagen and elastin, which give your skin its elasticity.
* Your good or bad diet starts to show it effects on your skin. Your bad diet did not provide the nutrients your skin needed to be flexibly, hydrated, oxygenated, and healthy.
* The un-healthy skin products you have been using start to show their bad effects on your skin.
Now, you can see that skin beauty is dependent on what kind of food you eat, how you have exposed yourself to the sun and pollution, and what chemicals your facial and skin products have. Excessive exposure to the sun and pollution will damage your skin and accelerate its aging appearance - age spots, blotches, wrinkles, roughness, sagging.
Here are some things you can do to slow down the aging skin.
* Use sunscreen every day - You can slow down wrinkle formation and even prevent it, if you use sunscreen early in your life. Use sunscreen that contains Zinc Oxide. It is better then those that have Titanium Dioxide. Daily, use a broadband SPF 15 and for heavy out door sun activities use SPF 30. If you wear makeup, put your sunscreen on first
* On hot days and even when it is overcast use your sunscreen and a hat. Stay in the shade when possible.
* Keep away from highly polluted areas and don't smoke. Smoking changes the elasticity of the skin fibers leading to rough and wrinkled skin.
* Get enough sleep. Your skin repairs itself when you sleep.
* When you sleep, don't sleep with you face into the pillow.
* Drink plenty of water. Your skin loses water during hot days and needs plenty of water to keep hydrated. Water is found in raw fruits and vegetables. Sodas, sugar drinks, tea, (except herbal teas) coffee, or milk are not water. Rotate between buying and drinking Reverse Osmosis and Distilled water.
* Minimize drinking alcohol. Alcohol can lead to spider veins and broken capillaries. It also causes your skin to become dehydrated.
* Eat more fruits and vegetables. They provide plenty of antioxidants, which protect you from sun and pollution damage.
* Take an antioxidant supplement, which should include up to 2000 mg of vitamin C. You may have to take the Vitamin C separate.
Start using these ideas and you will see improvement on your skin. This improvement may take a few months to appear on your skin. Be patient and persistent and you will be rewarded with good skin appearance.
A Price-Value Matrix - A Cool Tool for Finding Your Just Right Pricing Strategy
While developing your pricing strategy, it is important to remember that
there is an implicit relationship between price and value. We expect to
pay more for gourmet food than for fast food and for a luxury car than
for an economy model. At the same time, value is a matter of opinion,
not fact. I prefer a new Subaru to a '95 Cadillac; my husband prefers
the opposite. His wardrobe is built around Dickies; my taste runs to
rather more eclectic (and non-synthetic) clothing. Given that there is a
relationship between price and value and that value is a matter of
opinion, I had always priced my products and services by triangulating
three factors: what I wanted or needed to earn, my costs, and what the
market would bear. That's what I had taught countless other people to
do, and it worked fine. All else being equal, quality, price, and market
generally reached a dynamic balance where prosperity and service
overlapped.
But, once came the day when something felt out of synch in the way I used that marketing strategy, and I felt some gritchiness around the prices of products I recommended. I kept examining my assumptions, and everything seemed right. Still, the feeling that something wasn't quite right persisted.
Never one to ignore an itch, I kept scratching until this week I realized what the problem is. I had been using quite different "markets" to assess what the market would bear. That is, I'd been looking at markets that had different values from the values of many of the people I attract. I based my pricing strategy and marketing on the proven best practices of other respected "info product" gurus, but those practices were designed to address the values of people who didn't, and probably never would, be attracted to my e-zine.
Readers of my e-zine were a special case. From their emails and phone calls, I knew that they placed a high value on authenticity, intelligence, and creativity. I knew they had high standards for courtesy, honesty, and what I might call "finish." They were tolerant of mistakes (assuming they were acknowledged). They had a sense of humor, a hunger for spirit, and a fundamental commitment to growth. At the same time they tended to be a frugal lot, willing to pay for high quality, but unmoved by hype and positively turned off by pressure tactics.
The generic information marketing model is designed to address the needs of people for whom profit is an over-riding value. These folks -- many of them good souls indeed -- thrive in the hyper-stimulating atmosphere of the motivational circuit: loud, upbeat music, extravagant challenges to dare to be great and simple formulas for achieving success. The more costly the package, the more this customer tends to believe in its value. And I'm willing to suppose that for the right person, that value can be substantial.
But this model didn't fit me and it probably didn't fit my e-zine readers, either. More than likely, they were past believing in "7 Steps to Instant Gratification." They probably didn't believe in easy answers, however much they might sometimes long for them. (Me, too.)
The bottom line is that, in that case, so-called "best practices" just didn't apply. The sophistication, values, and life experience of this community constituted a different market, and we would just have to develop our own best practices.
What would those practices look like? My hunch was:
Transparency: No fake sales; any specials should be clearly linked to a business purpose, and the regular retail price should always be fair so if you miss a sale you can feel good about buying at another time for full price.
-- Clarity: Accurate, no-hype descriptions of products and services.
-- Simplicity: Prices expressed in whole dollar amounts. Forget the "95 cents" gimmicks. We can round up!
-- Trust: Simple returns and exchanges.
I evaluated the marketing and pricing strategy for my products and those of affiliates, keeping asking the questions that gave birth to "Authentic Promotion" in the first place: "What's bugging me about the way I do (or think I have to do) business? What am I assuming? What is the truth of this? What if the truth were not a problem?"
Goldilocks tried three chairs, three bowls of porridge, and three beds before finding the ones that were "just right." In much the same way, your working toward "just right" prices and marketing methods will definitely pay off, as it did for me. I believe this price-value matrix will help you to find your "just right" price!
For example, my client sells a course which is a comprehensive self-guided seminar that transforms fears and resistance to marketing into grounded advocacy for good work. It's a high value, if she does say so herself. Still, it has a medium price because she is still working on way to convey to potential purchasers the potency and efficacy of this course. One way she is doing that is to develop a series of follow up emails that remind buyers of key practices and principles, that ask powerful questions to help them move forward, and that suggest specific sections of the program that solve specific challenges. As she develops this support, she will be able to charge -- and receive -- a higher price.
PRICE-VALUE MATRIX
HIGH VALUE -- LOW PRICE
Underpriced: value undercut by price. "What's wrong with this picture" pricing strategy.
HIGH VALUE -- MEDIUM PRICE
Attractive pricing: ideal for market penetration. "More for your money" pricing strategy.
HIGH VALUE -- HIGH PRICE
Premium pricing: prestige, prominence. "Connoisseur" pricing strategy.
MEDIUM VALUE -- LOW PRICE
True bargain: may be a temporary special to raise revenue or to move discontinued items. "Inventory sale" strategy.
MEDIUM VALUE -- MEDIUM PRICE
Price and value are in balance, exclusive of other factors. "Square deal" pricing strategy.
MEDIUM VALUE -- HIGH PRICE
Overpriced: informed buyers will stay away; sales may be made to unsophisticated market. "Infomercial" pricing strategy.
LOW VALUE -- LOW PRICE
Cheap stuff. Often sold with lots of "bonus" items or features. "Tourist trap" pricing strategy.
LOW VALUE -- MEDIUM PRICE
Turns sales into complaints. "Caveat emptor" pricing strategy. ("Let the buyer beware.")
LOW VALUE -- HIGH PRICE
Don't even think about it: the "Fleece 'em and run" pricing strategy.
But, once came the day when something felt out of synch in the way I used that marketing strategy, and I felt some gritchiness around the prices of products I recommended. I kept examining my assumptions, and everything seemed right. Still, the feeling that something wasn't quite right persisted.
Never one to ignore an itch, I kept scratching until this week I realized what the problem is. I had been using quite different "markets" to assess what the market would bear. That is, I'd been looking at markets that had different values from the values of many of the people I attract. I based my pricing strategy and marketing on the proven best practices of other respected "info product" gurus, but those practices were designed to address the values of people who didn't, and probably never would, be attracted to my e-zine.
Readers of my e-zine were a special case. From their emails and phone calls, I knew that they placed a high value on authenticity, intelligence, and creativity. I knew they had high standards for courtesy, honesty, and what I might call "finish." They were tolerant of mistakes (assuming they were acknowledged). They had a sense of humor, a hunger for spirit, and a fundamental commitment to growth. At the same time they tended to be a frugal lot, willing to pay for high quality, but unmoved by hype and positively turned off by pressure tactics.
The generic information marketing model is designed to address the needs of people for whom profit is an over-riding value. These folks -- many of them good souls indeed -- thrive in the hyper-stimulating atmosphere of the motivational circuit: loud, upbeat music, extravagant challenges to dare to be great and simple formulas for achieving success. The more costly the package, the more this customer tends to believe in its value. And I'm willing to suppose that for the right person, that value can be substantial.
But this model didn't fit me and it probably didn't fit my e-zine readers, either. More than likely, they were past believing in "7 Steps to Instant Gratification." They probably didn't believe in easy answers, however much they might sometimes long for them. (Me, too.)
The bottom line is that, in that case, so-called "best practices" just didn't apply. The sophistication, values, and life experience of this community constituted a different market, and we would just have to develop our own best practices.
What would those practices look like? My hunch was:
Transparency: No fake sales; any specials should be clearly linked to a business purpose, and the regular retail price should always be fair so if you miss a sale you can feel good about buying at another time for full price.
-- Clarity: Accurate, no-hype descriptions of products and services.
-- Simplicity: Prices expressed in whole dollar amounts. Forget the "95 cents" gimmicks. We can round up!
-- Trust: Simple returns and exchanges.
I evaluated the marketing and pricing strategy for my products and those of affiliates, keeping asking the questions that gave birth to "Authentic Promotion" in the first place: "What's bugging me about the way I do (or think I have to do) business? What am I assuming? What is the truth of this? What if the truth were not a problem?"
Goldilocks tried three chairs, three bowls of porridge, and three beds before finding the ones that were "just right." In much the same way, your working toward "just right" prices and marketing methods will definitely pay off, as it did for me. I believe this price-value matrix will help you to find your "just right" price!
For example, my client sells a course which is a comprehensive self-guided seminar that transforms fears and resistance to marketing into grounded advocacy for good work. It's a high value, if she does say so herself. Still, it has a medium price because she is still working on way to convey to potential purchasers the potency and efficacy of this course. One way she is doing that is to develop a series of follow up emails that remind buyers of key practices and principles, that ask powerful questions to help them move forward, and that suggest specific sections of the program that solve specific challenges. As she develops this support, she will be able to charge -- and receive -- a higher price.
PRICE-VALUE MATRIX
HIGH VALUE -- LOW PRICE
Underpriced: value undercut by price. "What's wrong with this picture" pricing strategy.
HIGH VALUE -- MEDIUM PRICE
Attractive pricing: ideal for market penetration. "More for your money" pricing strategy.
HIGH VALUE -- HIGH PRICE
Premium pricing: prestige, prominence. "Connoisseur" pricing strategy.
MEDIUM VALUE -- LOW PRICE
True bargain: may be a temporary special to raise revenue or to move discontinued items. "Inventory sale" strategy.
MEDIUM VALUE -- MEDIUM PRICE
Price and value are in balance, exclusive of other factors. "Square deal" pricing strategy.
MEDIUM VALUE -- HIGH PRICE
Overpriced: informed buyers will stay away; sales may be made to unsophisticated market. "Infomercial" pricing strategy.
LOW VALUE -- LOW PRICE
Cheap stuff. Often sold with lots of "bonus" items or features. "Tourist trap" pricing strategy.
LOW VALUE -- MEDIUM PRICE
Turns sales into complaints. "Caveat emptor" pricing strategy. ("Let the buyer beware.")
LOW VALUE -- HIGH PRICE
Don't even think about it: the "Fleece 'em and run" pricing strategy.
Tri Peaks Solitaire Strategy Guide
Tri Peaks Solitaire is a fun, and popular solitaire game, combining
elements of Golf Solitaire and Pyramid Solitaire. It has an interesting
scoring system, which can lead to much higher scores when you DON'T play
all the moves you can.
There are 2 keys to getting a high score in Tri Peaks Solitaire:
- Clear each Peak.
- Form long sequences.
You get quite a lot of points for clearing a peak. You get 15 points for clearing the first peak, 15 points for clearing the second peak, and then 30 points for clearing the last peak. Thats a total of 60 points, which shows that it is definitely worth while getting rid of all the peaks, and unless you can form an incredibly long sequence, it's always worth trying to clear the peaks.
The second key to doing well at Tri Peaks Solitaire is to form really long sequences, where you do not deal a card from the talon.
The Tri-Peaks scoring system will give you one additional point for every card you move in a sequence. So the first card you move gives you one point, the next card gives you two points, the next card gives you three points, and the next card gives you four points, etc. The sequence ends as soon as you deal from the talon, and the sequence begins at one point again.
This system is interesting because it often makes sense to not move cards as soon as you can.
There are 2 ways to illustrate this.
What do you think the difference in scoring would be between one 12-long sequence versus two 6-long sequences? Most people know the long sequence will outscore the shorter sequences, but not many people realise by how much!
The 12 long sequence gives us a score of 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10+11+12, which is 78.
Surely the two 6-long sequences won't be too far behind?
Well, we get 1+2+3+4+5+6 for the first sequence. And then we 1+2+3+4+5+6 for the second sequence.
The total is only 42! Even though the same number of cards were removed, the difference in scores is 36 points!
Another way to illustrate this is to see what would happen if we extend out a long sequence.
What if instead of 12 card in the sequence, we could somehow remove 14 cards in sequence instead? Well, that would give us an extra 13+14 points, which is 27 extra points.
Adding two cards extra on the 12 card sequence almost resulted in as many points as two 6-card sequences!
As you can see, it really pays to form one really long sequence. You need to make sure you form one sequence of atleast 10 cards before you start getting a reasonable score.
Now, when Tri-Peaks Solitaire starts, you normally find you can form a reasonably long sequence. But rarely is it more than 10 cards. Don't use that sequence until you have studied the tableau carefully!
Look at the cards above the bottom layer. Look for a lot of cards all around the same rank. See if you can see any long sequences. When you do, see what cards are covering that sequence, and then work to remove those. DON'T remove cards that could make that sequence longer, even if you can play them in shorter sequences before hand. You want to aim for one sequence, as long as you can humanly make, to get really good scores in Tri Peaks Solitaire.
This has to be balanced against the first key though, which is to uncover the peaks. You don't want to hold on too long for that perfect sequence, because it may mean that you don't get to uncover the peaks.
Play a few games with the above in mind, and you're sure to see your Tri Peaks scores increase in no time!
There are 2 keys to getting a high score in Tri Peaks Solitaire:
- Clear each Peak.
- Form long sequences.
You get quite a lot of points for clearing a peak. You get 15 points for clearing the first peak, 15 points for clearing the second peak, and then 30 points for clearing the last peak. Thats a total of 60 points, which shows that it is definitely worth while getting rid of all the peaks, and unless you can form an incredibly long sequence, it's always worth trying to clear the peaks.
The second key to doing well at Tri Peaks Solitaire is to form really long sequences, where you do not deal a card from the talon.
The Tri-Peaks scoring system will give you one additional point for every card you move in a sequence. So the first card you move gives you one point, the next card gives you two points, the next card gives you three points, and the next card gives you four points, etc. The sequence ends as soon as you deal from the talon, and the sequence begins at one point again.
This system is interesting because it often makes sense to not move cards as soon as you can.
There are 2 ways to illustrate this.
What do you think the difference in scoring would be between one 12-long sequence versus two 6-long sequences? Most people know the long sequence will outscore the shorter sequences, but not many people realise by how much!
The 12 long sequence gives us a score of 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10+11+12, which is 78.
Surely the two 6-long sequences won't be too far behind?
Well, we get 1+2+3+4+5+6 for the first sequence. And then we 1+2+3+4+5+6 for the second sequence.
The total is only 42! Even though the same number of cards were removed, the difference in scores is 36 points!
Another way to illustrate this is to see what would happen if we extend out a long sequence.
What if instead of 12 card in the sequence, we could somehow remove 14 cards in sequence instead? Well, that would give us an extra 13+14 points, which is 27 extra points.
Adding two cards extra on the 12 card sequence almost resulted in as many points as two 6-card sequences!
As you can see, it really pays to form one really long sequence. You need to make sure you form one sequence of atleast 10 cards before you start getting a reasonable score.
Now, when Tri-Peaks Solitaire starts, you normally find you can form a reasonably long sequence. But rarely is it more than 10 cards. Don't use that sequence until you have studied the tableau carefully!
Look at the cards above the bottom layer. Look for a lot of cards all around the same rank. See if you can see any long sequences. When you do, see what cards are covering that sequence, and then work to remove those. DON'T remove cards that could make that sequence longer, even if you can play them in shorter sequences before hand. You want to aim for one sequence, as long as you can humanly make, to get really good scores in Tri Peaks Solitaire.
This has to be balanced against the first key though, which is to uncover the peaks. You don't want to hold on too long for that perfect sequence, because it may mean that you don't get to uncover the peaks.
Play a few games with the above in mind, and you're sure to see your Tri Peaks scores increase in no time!
Book Review: Now, Discover Your Strengths
There seems to be no lack of the number of books written about personality traits, talents and how to more effectively manage personnel to the advantage of the organization. However, Marcus Buckingham, coauthor of the book First, Break All the Rules, and Donald O. Clifton, Chair of the Gallup International Research & Education Center, now provide managers with a positive approach to help identify and utilize strengths of individuals to the benefit of the organization in their bestselling Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book maintains that this unique, positive approach of focusing on strengths is far more effective in achieving success than eliminating weaknesses, given that we all have inherent strengths and natural weaknesses no matter what positions we might have. For example, the book points out, it does not matter if you are Bill Gates or Tiger Woods. True, these are individuals with tremendous talents that have made them well known in their respective fields, but they also have weaknesses that play into the mix. It would seem our brains are programmed by nature from early childhood, no matter how good our nurture, to start being selective in a few key areas. It is as nature intended it to be. Without being selective, and allowing many of the billions of connections we are born with to lapse into disrepair, we would become dysfunctional with information overload. Therefore, it is understandable that with sufficient practice, while we might be able to learn different tasks well, we will never be great in these areas unless we have a natural innate talent for them.
Unfortunately, most of us do not have a good sense of our talents, let alone the ability to effectively use our strengths to our advantage. Rather, most of us spend our lives becoming all too aware of our weaknesses and spend our time trying to deal with our flaws, while neglecting our innate talents. However, most original and potentially most revealing, to address this problem, Now, Discover Your Strengths provides access to a web-based interactive questionnaire, developed by the Gallup Organization, that quickly identifies your top 5 (out of a total of 34) positive "personality themes", such as: Achiever, Deliberative, Harmony, Empathy and so forth that you might naturally posses. The book goes on to elaborate how each of the 34 unique themes can be identified, complete with individual profiles describing how each might act and what each might "sound like." As each sees the world through their own strengths filter, it is easy to have friction between different individuals within the same department or organization, because we all see the world, and how it should look, so differently. While one may hear what someone else is saying, they may not be able to assimilate it into their own world effectively. This is why partners or advisors are often so effective, as they ad balance to the limits of others. One word of caution however: do not buy this book used if you intend to take the preference test. There is a unique, one-time code that comes with each copy of Now, Discover Your Strengths, which is absolutely necessary in order to access the website's resources. The book has limited value without the ability to take the online test. However, the test alone is well worth the price of the entire book just by itself. With this resource, you will better understand how to build a "strengths-based organization" by capitalizing on the fact that such traits are already present among those within it.
With an estimated 8 out of 10 people in this country not really in a position to capitalize on their strengths and talents, chances are most of us could benefit from reading this book. As most of us fail to capitalize on our strengths, it is not surprising that most departments in any company, no matter the size of the organization, are not operating at even par performance. The risk doing nothing is costly- not only in lost productivity, but in job satisfaction, employee retention and absenteeism and so on. This groundbreaking, resourceful book is easy to read in short concise chapters. Along with the associated preference test, Now, Discover Your Strengths, is a positive cost effective solution in resolving problems, and helping each employee achieve his or her full potential. This is must read for managers and office teams who want a win-win solution in improving their own departments, as well as the lives of those who work for them.
Gardening Your Personality: The Greens Of Growth
Many gardeners are the nurturing type: just like Mother Nature. People say they have "green thumbs" because they can make anything grow. Is your personality the growth type? Are you the kind of person who wants to see others grow and develop? If so, you probably love to be around children and, though you are exhausted at the end of the day, you feel like it is all worth it if you have helped other people. So is there green in your garden?
It seems to be a silly question: is there green in the garden? Most people think that green automatically appears in the garden. Leaves and stems are almost always green. But green can also be used as an accent color itself, though it's often overlooked – just like the nurturing individual – a teacher, a preacher, a farmer. These nurturers are vital to the world, but often go overlooked.
Why does the color of a garden even matter? Many psychologists have studied the effects of colors on the human psyche for years. Colors both reflect our current emotions and elicit certain emotions from us. In other words, if you feel happy, you may wear your yellow shirt to work. Yellow is a happy color. If you look on the walls in the doctor's office, they are most likely blue or some other calming color. Green is a color of growth and nurturing. Used in the garden, can give those feelings liberally.
Many people focus on the brightly colored flowers – the reds, yellows, and oranges, but they overlook what a simple green can do for the garden. The next time you go to the greenhouse to pick out flowers for your garden, take a moment and consider this. It's important because the garden – and your whole house – should reflect your personality. If you are the nurturer, let the green come out and show the neighborhood that this is your sanctuary.
When it comes to greenery, use it liberally in the garden. It's difficult to have too much green. Using green in the garden has a two-fold effect. First, by filling the garden with a green backdrop, the other colors will stand out more vibrantly. If you set off a firework in the middle of the day, it's rather unimpressive. But if you place it on a dark backdrop, it will light up the sky. Green in the garden helps to accomplish this. Green also has a second effect. It gives the appearance of a lush, healthy garden. It's nice to see the different flowers in a garden, but if you fill in the areas between them with some greenery it makes the entire landscape seem to jump to life.
So when it comes to your garden, does your loving and nurturing side come to the front? Can your neighbors see the effect of your green thumb? With the careful placement of some green plants, you can bring your garden to life and make it an extension of yourself. After all, you spend a great deal of time, effort, and money in the garden. Shouldn't it reflect part of you?
Celebrity Love
There is no doubt that love for some celebrity exists within us all.
This isn't the traditional definition of love but rather defined by an
excessive admiration for a famous person whom we will probably never
meet. The use of "love" is appropriate here as we who love celebrity
tend to exhibit signs of undue influence by those highly visible. Famous
people, the non-elected representatives of the human race, have always
held some influence over the masses. In the days before mass media,
television sets and computers fame was circulated orally, carried by the
gossipy nature of social beings. Today, we open our eyes and cannot
avoid these people. Of course, in a developed society entertainers are
necessary. We laugh and sometimes cry at a quality performance. Our
memories are seared with images, movies and songs which have touched us,
frightened us and stimulated us. They dramatize the political, the
romantic, the good and bad. We see in them the potential for perfection
of man or woman as an expression of utopian ideals of love and success.
Yet, have we gone too far? How much influence should they have over us? Our choice of clothes, jewelry and hairstyle, our languages and ideas are often areas that we look toward celebrities to define. If you deny this then you are exceptional; the rest of us are invariably, more susceptible. Our culture has become saturated with celebrity influence. We watch their every move including who they are with and what they do. We absorb their politics and gobble up their quotes. We think about what it may be like to be that beautiful, rich and powerful. Fame is an aphrodisiac or so it seems to the unrecognized. Today we have TomKat(Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes). Yesterday it was Bennifer(Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez). Public Interest in these people is frighteningly obsessive in nature. After all, their claim to fame is usually based on pretense or non reality. They are the constant pretenders, illusionists with screens as their canvas.
The entertainment value of a celebrity stretches beyond the screen or stage and they are wholly aware it. We are witness to carefully arranged relationships, sudden sightings in sports arenas and controversial quotes days before a new movie or show opens. They appear on your screen suddenly seemingly not to promote themselves but rather attempting to come across as natural, likable, smart and funny. Sometimes we get a glimpse into what certain celebrities are really like. Unfortunately, it is usually when they do something wrong. Drugs, infidelity and physical assaults are a few areas where celebrities have slipped in their public presentation. Mug shots and unflattering photos of famous people are the currency of entertainment news outlets. Being a celebrity has its drawback in this regard as they are monitored as closely as governmental heads of the biggest nations on earth. Alas, the power of celebrity is here with us to stay. Or is it? Can we teach our children who the chancellor of Germany is before we explain the history of Madonna? If we can't, America will become a nation of uninformed celebrity worshippers numb to the more important realities of the world.
Yet, have we gone too far? How much influence should they have over us? Our choice of clothes, jewelry and hairstyle, our languages and ideas are often areas that we look toward celebrities to define. If you deny this then you are exceptional; the rest of us are invariably, more susceptible. Our culture has become saturated with celebrity influence. We watch their every move including who they are with and what they do. We absorb their politics and gobble up their quotes. We think about what it may be like to be that beautiful, rich and powerful. Fame is an aphrodisiac or so it seems to the unrecognized. Today we have TomKat(Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes). Yesterday it was Bennifer(Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez). Public Interest in these people is frighteningly obsessive in nature. After all, their claim to fame is usually based on pretense or non reality. They are the constant pretenders, illusionists with screens as their canvas.
The entertainment value of a celebrity stretches beyond the screen or stage and they are wholly aware it. We are witness to carefully arranged relationships, sudden sightings in sports arenas and controversial quotes days before a new movie or show opens. They appear on your screen suddenly seemingly not to promote themselves but rather attempting to come across as natural, likable, smart and funny. Sometimes we get a glimpse into what certain celebrities are really like. Unfortunately, it is usually when they do something wrong. Drugs, infidelity and physical assaults are a few areas where celebrities have slipped in their public presentation. Mug shots and unflattering photos of famous people are the currency of entertainment news outlets. Being a celebrity has its drawback in this regard as they are monitored as closely as governmental heads of the biggest nations on earth. Alas, the power of celebrity is here with us to stay. Or is it? Can we teach our children who the chancellor of Germany is before we explain the history of Madonna? If we can't, America will become a nation of uninformed celebrity worshippers numb to the more important realities of the world.
Self Improvement Advice And Free Tips
am sure that I am not alone in the fact that I have a large army of
demons in my head. These demons are always talking to me and trying to
advise me about how to react to different situations. For many years I
listened and took their advice, these years were not exactly happy ones
and I have now come to realise that these demons are not my friends but
are actually my enemy.
I had many issues in my life that had a negative affect on my levels of self-esteem. The demons used these issues to get to me and to play their mind games. For this article, I am going to describe my stuttering demons and how I eventually destroyed them. The advice can be used for whatever type of demon you may have.
At the age of four, I developed a stutter which would continue to affect my speech for the next eighteen years of my life. I was aware of what I could and could not say and was also aware of the social situations in which I was more likely to stutter.
If I was asked a question by for example a friend, I would think of the answer but before I would have a chance to say it, a voice would appear. This voice or what I call my demons would advise me not to say that word and to substitute it for a different word.
If I was invited out to say a party, my demons would advise me not to go, as there would be a lot of people there that I did not know. They would remind me that I found it difficult talking to people which I did not know.
At one stage in my life, I decided that I wanted a career change as I was not happy in the role that I was in. My demons reminded me, that to find alternative employment meant going through the whole interview process again. They continued that I had always struggled to talk fluently at interviews, due to the pressure factor.
I would be able to speak quite well when I was drunk and this is when I would have the confidence to talk to the ladies. On several occasions a woman has given me their phone number and I would tell them that I would call them to arrange a night out. The next day though, when sober, the demons would remind me that making a phone call is what I find the hardest form of speech task and to simply not bother.
As previously stated, I used to listen to these demons and suffice it to say I did not go on my first date until I was eighteen years of age.
Things had to and were about to change. After reading many self-help books, I realised what I had been doing wrong. I should not be listening to these demons, in fact what I need to do is the opposite of what they tell me. Steve don't go to that party, OK then I will. Steve don't phone that lady up, OK I will, etc.
I am not trying to say that this is easy to do. I am happy to say that I have eradicated my speech demons and am now fluent, however I do still have demons in other areas of my life. There are not nearly as many as there have been in the past and I am slowly hopefully killing them all.
I treat it like a war. There are many battles and I have to say that I do not win them all. I talk to my demons all the time and especially when they win one of these type battles. I tell them that they may have won this particular battle but that I will win the overall war.
You may possibly think that I am a bit of a freak after reading this article. I frankly do not care, I am happier now than I have ever been.
Good luck in your quest to improve your own life.
I had many issues in my life that had a negative affect on my levels of self-esteem. The demons used these issues to get to me and to play their mind games. For this article, I am going to describe my stuttering demons and how I eventually destroyed them. The advice can be used for whatever type of demon you may have.
At the age of four, I developed a stutter which would continue to affect my speech for the next eighteen years of my life. I was aware of what I could and could not say and was also aware of the social situations in which I was more likely to stutter.
If I was asked a question by for example a friend, I would think of the answer but before I would have a chance to say it, a voice would appear. This voice or what I call my demons would advise me not to say that word and to substitute it for a different word.
If I was invited out to say a party, my demons would advise me not to go, as there would be a lot of people there that I did not know. They would remind me that I found it difficult talking to people which I did not know.
At one stage in my life, I decided that I wanted a career change as I was not happy in the role that I was in. My demons reminded me, that to find alternative employment meant going through the whole interview process again. They continued that I had always struggled to talk fluently at interviews, due to the pressure factor.
I would be able to speak quite well when I was drunk and this is when I would have the confidence to talk to the ladies. On several occasions a woman has given me their phone number and I would tell them that I would call them to arrange a night out. The next day though, when sober, the demons would remind me that making a phone call is what I find the hardest form of speech task and to simply not bother.
As previously stated, I used to listen to these demons and suffice it to say I did not go on my first date until I was eighteen years of age.
Things had to and were about to change. After reading many self-help books, I realised what I had been doing wrong. I should not be listening to these demons, in fact what I need to do is the opposite of what they tell me. Steve don't go to that party, OK then I will. Steve don't phone that lady up, OK I will, etc.
I am not trying to say that this is easy to do. I am happy to say that I have eradicated my speech demons and am now fluent, however I do still have demons in other areas of my life. There are not nearly as many as there have been in the past and I am slowly hopefully killing them all.
I treat it like a war. There are many battles and I have to say that I do not win them all. I talk to my demons all the time and especially when they win one of these type battles. I tell them that they may have won this particular battle but that I will win the overall war.
You may possibly think that I am a bit of a freak after reading this article. I frankly do not care, I am happier now than I have ever been.
Good luck in your quest to improve your own life.
Power Behind The Xbox360
Although Microsoft'sft's Xbox was able to sell millions and millions of units worldwide, it
was still considerably outsold by its competitor, Sony's PlayStation. In
this day, wherein another revolution in video and gaming technology is
at hand, the Xbox360 is more promising than ever.
What difference does the Xbox360 hold against its predecessor? Well, just like all gaming consoles, it is basically a computer that is designed to run video game programs. The difference is that they focus specifically on this function alone.
So how does the latest model from Microsoft differ from any other gaming console. As was mentioned earlier, the Xbox360 is a computer designed for playing video games. But aside from this, it was also designed to perform as a complete stand-alone entertainment system. To break it down, this new console can allow users to connect via a network, it can copy, stream, and download all sorts of media. This would, of course include in its arsenal, the ability to download and play HD movies, audio, as well as digital photos and games.
Now, since we know that all gaming consoles are simply computers designed for playing video games, let us take a look at the heart of all computers – the CPU. Just the same, video game consoles have a processor that would, of course, 'process' all the information being fed into the system. You could think of it as similar to a car's engine – it is the one that powers every function of the whole system. The latest innovation in the Xbox360 is that, they "modified the engine" to be able to deliver optimum performance for players.
Traditionally, CPUs process information via a single path. The more technical term for this is a thread. Now what the latest edition of the Xbox is bragging about is that under its hood, is a processor, or a core, that is able to process two threads simultaneously. This means that all the information that is being fed into it, is processed more effectively and efficiently because the "brain" is "multi-tasking". Meaning, information about sound could be processed via one path, the other for the video graphics, etc. If you've ever noticed, past video games would either pause a bit or stutter occasionally. This is because the system is being bombarded by too much information, and it takes time for their 'brains' to be able to cope with the demands.
In addition to this, Microsoft has incorporated with this technology, a multi-core system that allows them to integrate more than one processor into a single chip. This is by far the latest innovation by hardware manufacturers – and yes, Microsoft has included it in their new Xbox game console. Having the ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time, it allows the game developers to come with strategies on how to maximize the potential of the machine, to deliver optimum performance.
This is the heart of why the Xbox has evolved to become even more powerful. There are a lot of other features about the new Xbox360 that definitely boosts its performance. But the heart of all of this, is of course the core that runs everything in it.
What difference does the Xbox360 hold against its predecessor? Well, just like all gaming consoles, it is basically a computer that is designed to run video game programs. The difference is that they focus specifically on this function alone.
So how does the latest model from Microsoft differ from any other gaming console. As was mentioned earlier, the Xbox360 is a computer designed for playing video games. But aside from this, it was also designed to perform as a complete stand-alone entertainment system. To break it down, this new console can allow users to connect via a network, it can copy, stream, and download all sorts of media. This would, of course include in its arsenal, the ability to download and play HD movies, audio, as well as digital photos and games.
Now, since we know that all gaming consoles are simply computers designed for playing video games, let us take a look at the heart of all computers – the CPU. Just the same, video game consoles have a processor that would, of course, 'process' all the information being fed into the system. You could think of it as similar to a car's engine – it is the one that powers every function of the whole system. The latest innovation in the Xbox360 is that, they "modified the engine" to be able to deliver optimum performance for players.
Traditionally, CPUs process information via a single path. The more technical term for this is a thread. Now what the latest edition of the Xbox is bragging about is that under its hood, is a processor, or a core, that is able to process two threads simultaneously. This means that all the information that is being fed into it, is processed more effectively and efficiently because the "brain" is "multi-tasking". Meaning, information about sound could be processed via one path, the other for the video graphics, etc. If you've ever noticed, past video games would either pause a bit or stutter occasionally. This is because the system is being bombarded by too much information, and it takes time for their 'brains' to be able to cope with the demands.
In addition to this, Microsoft has incorporated with this technology, a multi-core system that allows them to integrate more than one processor into a single chip. This is by far the latest innovation by hardware manufacturers – and yes, Microsoft has included it in their new Xbox game console. Having the ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time, it allows the game developers to come with strategies on how to maximize the potential of the machine, to deliver optimum performance.
This is the heart of why the Xbox has evolved to become even more powerful. There are a lot of other features about the new Xbox360 that definitely boosts its performance. But the heart of all of this, is of course the core that runs everything in it.
Senin, 07 November 2011
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Minggu, 06 November 2011
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