Monday, July 31, 2006

Hair Replacement Services – Things You Need to Know

Hair replacement is turning more popular these years especially among people suffering from severe hair loss problem. Because of advanced medical technology and a high success rate of hair replacement its cost has become more reasonable and its results has come out with less complications. If you are planning for hair replacement, please keep in mind the following tips:

1. The first hair replacement surgery was performed over 30 years ago. Therefore, it is not new now.

2. During the process of hair replacement, specialists only take your existing hair. That is why if you wish for a hair replacement you must have some hair in good condition at the back and sides of your head. This area is known as “The donor area.”

3. If you have lost almost all your hair then no hair replacement center could help you. You have to meet the ratio of minimum hair present in your head to be eligible for a hair transplant.

4. Hair replacement surgery is almost with out side effects and safe. However, in rare instances there could be infections during the surgical procedure.

5. Hair replacement surgery is generally performed under local anesthesia; you will not feel any pain or trouble.

Permanent hair replacement is a long process; it may need one to five sessions, with an interval of two to four months between them. The entire procedure can take 24 to 30 months.

Your physician might restrict you from sporting activities after each hair replacement session. Follow all medical recommendations.

Be confirmed that your surgeon has executed a lot of hair replacement processes successfully and has an experience in the application of all modern techniques.

Permanent hair replacement is a completely individual process and you must ask your specialist how your hair will look after the hair replacement process.

Hair replacement is a final solution to the problem of hair loss. However the result of permanent hair replacement varies from person to person so you have to take the risk of trying your luck out.

How Global Warming will Affect Us

Last year we saw how devastating Hurricane Katrina was, killing numerous people and wiping off the beautiful city of New Orleans. Couple of years ago we witnessed the same natural carnage in Caribbean islands, what is it that is making these hurricanes so frequent and extremely devastating.

Some environmentalists are blaming it on global warming. According to them we are closing to the tipping point of global warming and further warming will result in domino effect deluging thousands of low lying areas in the world, severe transformation in regional weather and subsequent changes in flora and fauna.

According to Chief scientist David King, only a 3C rise in temperature will mean half the world's wildlife reserves and corals will be endangered, the tropical forests will dry up, and perhaps a billion people will starve as the most fertile plains of India, China and Africa will die down in productivity due to rising temperature.

What it augurs for an average American

Unlike the other developed countries, the Bush Administration didn’t signed Kyoto Protocol to reduce green house gas emission in United States. If the biggest polluter of the world will not take a lead in adhering to environmental standards then it is unjust to ask that from the poor third countries.

The climate changes according to most scientists will be severe in United States. Our now productive wheat fields will slowly die down due to increasing heat. We will have lesser snowfalls in the northern region of the country leading to higher water problem in the area.

The rainfall will be infrequent but will be heavy, normally called flash rainfall in scientific terminology. One of the examples of such flash rainfall is Mumbai (India) 2005, it rained around 100 cm in one day and the coastal city became a floating bodies city as the infrastructure failed to cope with it.

Increasing temperature will put added pressure on our already fragile power infrastructure. As we have seen in the latest heat wave how thousands of people went without power for most part of two weeks in Queens New York.

The full effect is hard to predict but one thing is sure, we all have to take guard and pressurize government to follow the Kyoto Protocol otherwise our children will be deprived of seeing white Christmas here in New York.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

No Pain No Gain And Other Exercise Myths You Need To Know About Now

When I was bodybuilding years ago it used to amuse me when I would have kids come up to me with my twenty inch arms and say, "I just want to shape up a little, I don't want to have arms that big". As if they could! People mistakenly think that you if you just walk in the gym and smell the iron dust it is going to turn you into superman, (or woman). The truth is that that kind of muscle size takes work, lots of it and a specific diet. If you don't want big muscles, don't worry about it because it's not going to happen! No more than you are going to walk into an aerobics class and magically drop 50 pounds!
Let's look at some of the other myths perpetuated in the fitness world.
Back when I first started training with weights there was a common statement heard in the gym daily, "No Pain, No Gain!" This is probably one of the most widely spread myths in the exercise world. The truth of the matter is that if exercise is physically painful it is your body trying to tell you something is wrong! For most people you do not even want to go into severe lactic acid build up, which is painful. This is why many people never continue with their exercise regimens, they work out too hard and can't move for a week so they quit. Enjoy your exercise. Pushing beyond into the pain zone of lactic acid build up is for serious athletes, leave it to them.
Here's one that is in line with my introduction. If a woman lifts weights she will get too muscular. Not hardly. Again, large muscles take lots of work, plus women naturally do not have the abundance of testosterone required to build large muscles. What about those chicks I see on TV that have bigger arms than my legs? Remember, I said naturally. Those women are taking performance enhancing substances that help them to get that way, why they do it I have no clue. Weight training will just give you good tone, which by the way you will not even see if you are even moderately overweight.
If I work out before eating will it burn more calories? Actually, no it will not. You would think that scientifically this makes sense but the fact of the matter is that your body needs some energy to carry you through a workout and you should eat something beforehand. A small snack rich in carbohydrates is the best, like an apple or banana. If you are trying to lose weight make sure that you are taking in less calories than you burn on a daily basis.
Crunches will give you washboard abs. Nope, no way, not going to happen. The sharply defined abdominal muscles you see gracing magazine covers come from extensive strict dieting. For most people they muscle tone is already there it's just covered by a layer of fat. Exercise is good, but without a proper diet you will never see your stomach muscles.

Cash Out: Refi Your House

If you have been living in your house for a few years, chances are that you have built up some equity, or “ownership,” in your home. With this value in your home, it is possible to refinance (or refi) your house and do what is called a “cash out.” This can be a very helpful way to help you pay off some debts or get a little extra money in your pocket.
How it works
When you have paid some of your house off through mortgage payments, and when your home has appreciated in value, you have created a difference between how much you owe on your mortgage and how much the house is worth on the local real estate market. This difference is known as the equity. When you refi your house, you can usually borrow anywhere between 90% and 125% of the value of your home (although you should avoid borrowing more than your home is actually currently worth). What you borrow is used to pay off the original mortgage, and there is usually money left over. This is given to you either as cash, or directly used to pay off debts.
Using your “cash out” from your house refi
Your cash from your house refi can be used for a variety of things. Unless the lender has helped you stipulate a specific use for the money (such as home improvement or debt consolidation), you can use the cash out from your house refi for whatever you want. Here are some of the common things that people use their refi cash for:
· Taking a dream vacation or cruise · Consolidating debt into a single, lower monthly payment · Improving the property so it has greater value · Paying for a wedding · Covering the costs of a higher education · Making a large investment with the likelihood of a high return
Watching out for pitfalls
When you refi your house for a cash out, make sure that you go about it carefully. Figure out how much you need, and try not to go over that. Borrowing too much can mean losing your home when it becomes too difficult to pay back. Also, watch out for lenders who try to convince you to borrow more than your home is worth. The assumption is that your home will increase in value to cover the extra, but borrowing more than your asset can cover is not good asset management. Finally, make sure you watch out for possible prepayment penalties for your old mortgage upon refinancing.

Money Saving Benefits From Your Residential Mortgage Loan Refinance

When you refinance your residential mortgage loan you can enjoy a variety of money saving benefits. This is because there are several alternatives to your current mortgage. Refinancing your home loan gives you a chance to review the terms of your current mortgage and choose terms that can help you save money in the long run — often thousands of dollars.
Saving on interest
If you refinance your residential mortgage loan to a lower rate, you can save thousands of dollars on interest alone. If you have a high rate, you can refinance to a lower rate. If you have an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), you can refinance to a fixed rate. Changing your terms so that you pay less in interest is one of the most basic ways that people can save money on their home loans. Additionally, in most cases, the interest from your residential mortgage loan refinance is tax-deductible, meaning that you save money when it comes to paying Uncle Sam as well.
Getting a shorter term
One thing you can do to save quite a bit of money in the long run is to refinance your residential mortgage loan and change the term length so that it is shorter. The shorter the loan term, the less you pay in interest. You will, however, likely pay more money each month on your payment, since you are not spreading the loan payments out over 30 years. Many people, however, find that’s a small price to pay to save thousands by refinancing their mortgages to be paid off in 15 years.
Money in your pocket
If you refinance your residential mortgage loan to a lower rate, you will probably find that you have a lower monthly payment. This can be very beneficial in that it frees up some money each month for you to use on other things. So, not only do you save thousands in interest over the course of many years, but you also experience more money in your pocket in the here and now.
Getting rid of debt
If you have too much debt for an unsecured loan consolidation, you can still get a debt consolidation loan if you refinance your residential mortgage loan. Most people, when they refinance, have enough equity that after the old mortgage is paid off with the refi, there is money left over to pay off the bills and try to be in great shape.

Grow a Healthy Lawn - You Can Do That

Do you desire a perfect lawn? Are you frustrated that your neighbor always seems to have a greener, fuller lawn than yours? If so read on, this article will help you achieve a beautiful, healthy lawn in no time. Below are tips on how to go about realizing your dream.
Fertilizing
You have to fertilize. Fertilizing your yard will do several things 1) it will make it greener, 2) will make it grow and 3) will cause new seed to germinate. Many people are confused about how often to fertilize, a good rule is to apply fertilizer at least four times a year. Every 60 days, first during the spring 30 days before the growing season then late summer, late fall and then during the winter months. Lastly, don't apply to much fertilizer this will cause excess growth and lead to fungus growth which will weaken your grass.
Weed Control
You have to control the weeds. Controlling weeds in a new or existing lawn is essential to the health and overall aspect of the lawn. A beautiful level lawn gets most of it's good looks from the fact that it is smooth where weeds are not prominent and standing above the turf. You have probably mowed your lawn just to have dandelions popping up over the grass a day later making it look like you need to mow again. A weedless lawn holds it's good looks for several days if the grass is at a uniform growing height.
Proper Mowing
Remember to properly mow. Mowing is the most confusing part of lawn care, and the most often incorrectly done part of lawn care. Far too many people will set their mowers too low or "scalp" the lawn. This leads to thin and dying out grass, shallow root systems, and in the long run, NO GRASS.
Thatching
You have to thatch. Thatching by using a rack will remove dead grass that will smother and prevent new growth. It may seem at first you are doing more harm than not but if you don't break the thatch barrier new grass will not grow.
Watering
Your grass needs watering. Water should be done everyday during the hot months and rule of thumb is that it is better to water deeply one in a while then to water shallow daily. Also remember that you must water right after you lay down fertilizer.
Conclusion:
Follow these simple actions and you will have a lawn the whole neighborhood will envy. Good luck.

Monday, July 10, 2006

7 Business Growth Wow Tactics for Increased Market Share

Here are Seven Business Growth W.O.W. tactics for increased market share that you can deploy now:

1. Rule 1-12-50 - The first portion of every month (hence the number 1), consistently every month (hence the number 12), identify a population index upwards of fifty (hence the number 50) key customers or emerging customers and provide them a value added communication.

2. eSignature Line – Consider adding into your standard email auto signature line any updates on products or services you provide to all recipients of your communication exchanges. This also serves as a powerful standardization for ensuring customers receive advance notices for deadlines, product or service announcements, changes and discontinuations, etc.

3. eAuto Responder - Consider adding into your standard email auto responder (if you don’t engage it routinely, especially engage it when you will be away from email receiving) any updates on products or services you provide to all recipients of your communication exchanges. This is also a great way to promote and advertise to those people that initiate sending email traffic to you first, as now you can instantly bounce back a message to them.

4. Hotel Letters – Realize that in most all hotels there seems to be at least pieces of stationary and envelopes in the desk drawer. Consider a hand written note to three “Vital Fews” about something that is top of mind to you and of value to them.

5. “Advocate” Maintenance – Ensure that you never let an advocate get more than 30 days out from hearing from or seeing you. Plan regular communications and/or “thank you” events to draw from them ways to continue to enhance the service you provide to them.

6. Newsletter – Design a high impact, value rich content based print newsletter for your core customers (the Vital Few) and send routinely to them as a way to enrich their value proposition in their market. Then, soft communicate a product/service from you to them at the end of each newsletter. This vehicle can be distributed to customers as statement-stuffers, attachments with invoices and contracts, attached to proposals and general correspondence from customer service contact professionals and the sales team alike. This can serve as a source for the Rule 1-12-50© campaign.

7. Fax Alerts – Consider a Friday afternoon fax blast to your customers with any products/services that can impact their bottom line, send announcements and press releases, etc. If these contact names are in your data base as clients and or contacts that you have a pre existing relationship with and/or have established a relationship with whereby they want communication offers from you, than a Fax alert or blast is a smart, fast, economical and acceptable contact means. Conversely, if you don’t have this rapport or permission then a fax blast may be seen as spam and be illegal in some non business growth oriented communities!

Deploy these field-tested and proven strategies now and watch your business flourish.

The Fastest Way To Secure A Loan

If you need to get hold of money fast, then you might think that getting a loan is not a good option. However, you can secure and get hold of loan money in a very short time if you know how to speed up the process and satisfy the lender’s expectations. If time is the main factor in getting a loan, then you should follow these steps to help you get hold of the money in the quickest time possible:

Get together your paperwork

Before you apply for a loan, you should get together any relevant paperwork that you think the lender might require. This includes bank statements, employment records, housing documents and tax records. Make sure that you have both photocopies and the originals nearby so that anything the lender requires you can provide promptly. It pays to have more documents than you might need because this will help satisfy the lender more quickly and so speed up the application process.

Compare lenders

The next step is to compare lenders. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to use the Internet. There are web sites that have tools that allow you to compare rates and terms of various loan companies in a matter of minutes. Although you may not be find the best deal if you do not take the time to search all possible lenders, you can search a wide variety in a short space of time. This will allow you to find a good deal in less than a few hours.

Applying for the loan

Once you have found a lender you like, you need to apply for the loan. When filling out the form, make sure that you check and double-check that all the details are correct, as any problems on the form will delay the application process. If your form is filled in correctly then you will get a decision more quickly.

Collateral

The quickest way to get approved for a loan is to secure the loan using collateral, usually in the form of property. If you have property then the lender is more likely to give you a quick decision on the loan, as the conditions of the loan do not depend on your wages or financial status as much. However, you need to remember that using collateral is risky, and that if you do not keep up with repayments you could lose your home.

Pre-approval

One way to speed up the loan process is to ask for pre-approval. If you need to buy something quickly, then getting pre-approval can help. This basically means that the lender will quickly check your information and credit history to let you know if you are eligible for the loan. If you have pre-approval then many firms will take this as the loan itself, allowing you to use the money before you actually receive it. Although this does not always work, it is worth trying if you are in a hurry to get a loan.

However quickly you need a loan, it is still possible to get a good deal with the terms you want. You should not have to pay very high rates simply because you need the money immediately. Many loan companies can give you a decision and have the money sent to you within a few days if you have everything ready beforehand.

How To Avoid Hidden Loan Charges

Taking out a loan is extremely simple nowadays, with so many companies offering loans to more people and at excellent rates. However, some of the deals that seem to good to be true often have hidden charges that can make the loan costs much higher than you might have known. If you know about the dangers of these hidden charges, then you can easily avoid them and get a loan that is cheap and fair.

More than just APR

When you are shopping for a loan, you need to remember that the costs involved in repayment are more than just the advertised APR or Annual Percentage Rates. There are many other charges that you need to take into consideration, many of which the lender will not clearly point out. It pays to know about these extra charges, so that you can get a loan that suits your needs and doesn’t put you under financial pressure.

Redemption fees

Most lenders do not talk about redemption fees when you make your application, but they are something that you should know about if you want to pay back your loan early, which many people do. When paying back your loan early, many lenders will charge you up to two month’s interest for doing so. These penalties are usually the same whether you pay back your loan straight away or a month before it finishes. However, more and more lenders are starting to reduce or scrap these penalties, as borrowers become more aware of their implications. Before taking out a loan, find out whether or not the lender charges redemption fees, especially if you are taking out a loan that you will repay early.

Rule of 78

Redemption fees are not the only thing you should look out for if you are going to repay your loan early. There is also a charge called the rule of 78. This rule is quite complex, but lenders rarely mention it. Basically, if you repay your loan early, then you have to pay extra interest. This interest is calculated on a sliding scale, and is so called because it originally came from adding together the interest from the first 12 numbers of a 12-month loan. So, the earlier you pay back your loan then the more interest you will pay. Although this charged has now been scrapped for all new loans, if you already have a loan then you should check to see if this rule applies to you.

Loan insurance

Perhaps the biggest trick that lenders play on unknowing borrowers is to simply include the cost of loan protection within your payment. Many lenders will simply give you a quote that includes the loan protection cover, which can often cost you a lot of money. Also, the lender might include the full cost of the cover at the beginning, meaning any interest or penalties are paid on a higher amount than just the loan amount. You should always ask a lender whether the quote they have given you includes protection or not. If it does, then think about how much you could save without the protection.

Of course, protection can be useful if you think you will need it, but there are cheaper options. Your current employer may cover you for some of the protection clauses, or you can get similar loan protection from other companies at much lower rates than the primary lender. Making sure you have the right loan insurance for your needs can save you literally hundreds of pounds in charges. Just remember that once you know about these hidden charges, it is easy to avoid them and find a great loan deal.

When the Cardiologist Says You Have Heart Disease - Part-2

So angiogram was in my immediate future. I'm told this is a safe and relatively painless procedure and not to worry. There were plenty of things to worry about however. They don't want to shove a camera up through my body and into my heart because of no reason. Still, an angiogram is an outpatient procedure where the cardiologist opens an artery in your leg and works a camera into the heart muscle arteries. It sounds a lot worse than it is but the benefit is that you know exactly what the status of your heart and arteries are at that point in time. So I'm ready!

At least this will finally answer how serious a problem, if any, I truly had. The Cardiologist however must have been concerned because he scheduled the angiogram 4 days later.

On the day of this adventure, I checked into the Cardiology center at a local hospital and prepared to undergo the angiogram. An IV was inserted and I was ready to go. Once in the angiogram theater, I was given sedatives that although kept me conscious, there was no pain, nor did I hear anyone working as they sent through me to check out the problem. When the nurses and technicians talked directly to me in a loud enough voice however, I was able to respond.

The good thing about an angiogram is that if blockages are found, the cardiologist can usually place metal stents or pipe like devices in the arteries to maintain blood flow if needed. This is a far cry from the open heart, crack your chest type of surgery that would have been required just a few years ago. After about an hour, the doctor apparently lowered the dosage of sedative as I remember him giving me a status on my condition.

The Verdict! The bad news was that I did have calcium deposits on the inside walls of my arteries. This was what they had seen with the other tests. The good news however was that my arteries or pipes were absolutely smooth on the inside and were considered very large. Big pipes with a thin smooth coating of calcium equaled a potential problem only.

Being a big person from a family of big people for many generations, the fact that my arteries were considered "big" didn't surprise me. I can't prove it but have to think that the vitamins and minerals I've been taking for over a decade have protected me from developing a life threatening heart disease at this point in my life. The cardiologist however continued to be concerned for long term survivability given the high calcium scores from the blood tests.

Where we go from here! So it's changes in lifestyle for me. I've gone from a relatively sedentary person to one who rides an exercise bike almost 7 miles a day, everyday. I continue although now on doctors orders, to take an adult aspirin daily and have changed my eating habits. It's a process so there's some good days and some worse but I'm now sensitive to how much and what I eat. Although my bad cholesterol is at 90 (anything under 110 is considered good) the Cardiologist has prescribed statins to lower the bad cholesterol even more. Once again I can't prove it but I do believe that statins will soon be considered a critical part of living a long healthy life.

So that's my story. Exercise and an aspirin a day to thin out the blood. Statins to lower bad cholesterol even more and daily vitamins just because I've done so well with them up to this point. With any luck, I'll live long without having to deal with the debilitating effects of serious heart disease.

What You Need to Know About Search Engine Optimization and Spam

There is a fine line between proper search engine optimization, and what a search engine will consider to be spam. As we all know, not all search engine optimization methods are ethical. Search engines, such as Google, are making every effort to try to differentiate between ethical internet marketers and those who are simply taking the “easy” way out with spam.

The definition of spam, however, has been something of a debatable topic for many search engine optimization experts. The reason that everybody is working so hard to define it is because when it comes time to search engine optimize, there is a grey area between what is spam, and what is not. What is ethical marketing, and what is not. For a word that is so commonly utilized, spam is a very difficult thing to pinpoint and around which to place boundaries. An internet marketer would not want to inadvertently have their site penalized after all of the time and effort they have put toward making the site as search engine optimized as possible.

In theory, the difference is that a “non-spam” website that is truly meant for content, selling a product or service, and is optimized so that its content – which has value to the reader – is most attractive among search engines. On the other hand, a “spam” website is created for marketing purposes only. It has no real informational value and its content is worthless except for its attempts to achieve a search engine ranking.

Such spam sites can include those that have pages copied directly from other websites that are not of public domain. They might also include pages that are simply lists of keywords, instead of articles that happen to use the keywords among their information. Another kind of spam site is one that appears to either be blank or have text or images on it, but it also has hidden text in the background that has keywords repeated over and over, or simply in lists. This is done by making the text color and the background color the same color so that it is not visible to the reader.

However, some would argue that creating a site, such as one with keywords hidden in the background, is not unethical at all. The reason they argue for its validity is that it does not try to fool the search engine in any way, and it is unobtrusive to the viewer. Computers can see the text in plain sight, it is only the human eye that does not detect it.

However, by doing this, it reduces the chances of sites that are based on legitimate information and keywording techniques. These have been carefully created to include the right words, without taking away from the information and appearance of the site. It means that the sites for whom the keywords are truly relevant have a lower chance at achieving proper search engine ranking.

To prevent such efforts, search engines have employed such techniques as penalizing web sites and web pages that include information that has been copied directly from other sites. They also penalize pages and sites that have the same word repeated too many times in its content. There are other rules that are utilized as well, but they differ from search engine to search engine.

Penalization from a search engine can mean anything from assigning a very low rank, to blocking it from being indexed altogether. Naturally, when you are a legitimate site, you will want to avoid such punishment at all costs. Therefore, when you are performing your search engine optimization, it is important that you take care not to break the “spam” rules of the search engines. This includes one very important technique: when in doubt, err to the side of safety. It’s much better to achieve rank number two instead of number one, when you risk being kicked out altogether.

It is not difficult to search engine optimize legitimately. Simply create your own original copy, and write naturally, refraining from repeating your keywords so many times that things look a little bit “fishy”. The same thing goes for repeating the same website under a number of different domain names. Just keep yourself unique and natural, and all will work out in your favor with the search engines.

Can Fast Food Be Healthy?

It is possible for people to make health food choices if they only have a short time in which to prepare their meals. The first thing to realize is that it is often the case that healthy choices do not always mean a need for two-hour meals. A person can choose healthy foods that are quick and easy to prepare at home or to pickup from a takeout place. Cities often provide restaurant guides in their telephone books that display full-page menus indicating what a particular restaurant or drive-thru offers. Many of these food vendors now include healthy alternatives to their usual fast-food selection.

At places like McDonald’s and Hardee’s, it is possible to find consumers who are concerned about their carbohydrate consumption. This has prompted the restaurants to provide other options in their hamburger choices. Hamburgers can be ordered without the bun, for example, and fruit and yogurt are included on the menu along with fresh salads. Many restaurants provide salad choices either as side orders or as complete meals. Often, a salad of fresh vegetables with chopped ham, roast beef or chicken is more attractive than regular menu items. Salads are especially appealing in the summer months because they are lighter on the digestive system.

Restaurants that feature foods in season cultivated by local farmers offer very healthy and affordable choices. Some of these kinds of restaurants will create their own recipes for healthy food options. This provides the consumer with a totally new choice and encourages them to visit the restaurant again.

If home preparation of food is preferred, the options for healthy choices increase. Visiting a local grocery store or supermarket emphasizes the number of healthy choices that are available. Fresh fruits and vegetables are more varied that ever before, due to improvements in transportation and preservation methods. All types of cuisine can be prepared quickly because of the choices of fresh goods rather than frozen foods. There are numerous choices among frozen foods as well. The demand for healthy frozen dinners and other meals has increased along with demands for more variety in frozen food offerings. Any frozen food aisle in any supermarket will show as many healthy food options and poor choices. The decision is up to the individual.

People can either choose to eat a healthy diet or an unhealthy one. Time and availability of healthy choices are no longer problems for a person who is trying to eat better and healthier foods.

Credit Repair-Using the One-Two Punch For Collection Accounts

Quite often collection agencies will just place an item on one or many credit files. This item will lay dormant until you decide to apply for credit and it becomes known.

The law states the collection agency must send you notification of your rights to dispute. You have 30 days to dispute the account or they can assume it is accurate. Once they are able to make this assumption they can legally report it.

Unfortunately for consumers, collection agencies often fail to comply with the laws regulating their business. They report the account and lay in wait for you to notice it and find them.

Many times the victims of these tactics will just pay the account. Then it is legally reported for the next seven years.

When you notice that collection account on your file, here is how to proceed.

1) Send off a DV request to the collection agency. Always include a statement of first contact when you send the initial communication to them.

2) Wait five days, or until you can verify the receipt of the letter by the collection agency.

3) Send in a dispute to the credit reporting agency for the account.

4) Wait for the response from both.

Odds are you will never hear anything from the collection agency involved. The odds are also that the credit reporting agency will verify the account, even though it is a violation of the law for the collection agency to respond to the verification request before validating it to you.

How can this happen? Well, the credit reporting agency doesn't actually contact the furnisher in most cases. Instead, they run a cursory check of their own, or a third party computer system for verification. If the account is in more than one computer it must be accurate, right?

If an account has been verified using the one-two punch, it is a certainty that the law has been violated. These violations are the weapons you need to force these entries off your file.

If your one two punch comes back verified, here's what to do.

1) Send the credit reporting agency a letter asking how they verified it. Tell them the collection agency couldn't verify it for you so you want to know how they were able to verify it.

2) Send a followup to the collection agency asking why they verified the account when they have failed to validate it first.

3) Wait for the response.

In many cases the result will be a deletion and you are done. In others, they will continue to fight. Each swing they take is a violation once you have started the one-two punch tactic.

Keep very good records of all of their violations for use later if needed.

If they continue to fight, here is what to do.

1) Inform the credit reporting agency in a letter of the fact that they are in violtion of the law by failing to do a legitimate dispute and ignoring the evidence you have presented. Parroting a furnisher is not enough to satisfy their legal obligation.

2) Inform the collection agency that they are in violation of the law by continuing to report the unvalidated account.

3) wait for the response.

If they have still not deleted it, you will have to write an Intent to Sue letter and a complaint suitable for filing in court. Ask them for the damages you are owed, and outline their violations.

Give them 10 days to respond. In most cases, a deletion will occur within a short time. In others, you will have to file the papers.

If they push you all the way to filing, a deletion is no longer suitable and you must make them pay for their acts. If you have a good case (and you will), you can usually get them to pay you a few hundred dollars. It is far cheaper than it would be to fight the case.

Putting Reading First

It’s well documented that when children develop good reading skills early on, they are much more likely to be better learners and better educated. Reading is the foundation for success for all other subject matter and the level of success throughout life for the child.

Learning to read isn’t an easy task for a child. This is why it is so very important that you as the parent is a model for reading and work with and encourage your child to read each and every day.

As a parent or homeschooling parent, you should help insure that your child develops essential skills associated with reading such as:

> Use of language and vocabulary.

> Having your child respond after listening to stories – read short paragraphs and have your child tell you about what they just heard.

> Lean and recognize the alphabet and letters – use everyday items around your house to use as examples. For example, cut out big letters and have your child find items around the house that begin with that letter and stick the letter to them.

> Work with your child to connect the sound the letters make to the spoken language.

> Read… and read often to your child so they know that reading is a daily activity.

> Work daily with your child to add a new word to their vocabulary.

> Discuss with your child what was just read. This helps you monitor their level of comprehension.

These skills are vitally important for the pre-first grade level reader. Once you child gets to the first grade level the focus becomes building upon these skills that the will set the stage for the child essentially for the rest of their lives. As a parent it’s not enough to merely incorporate these skills into your child’s daily activities, you keep your fingers on the pulse of your child’s progress and understanding. At this early age, it is critical to get the reading journey off on the right foot.

At its simplest form, reading is a skill. Just like any other skill, it takes practice to become proficient at it. In fact, reading is such an important skill… it takes more practice than a child will receive if they attend a traditional school. As a parent you need to augment the school’s reading program with daily reading time at home. If you are homeschooling, make reading a daily top priority type of activity.

Introduce your child to your local library as soon as you can. Get them signed up for summer reading programs. Set aside an area in your home where your child can have and develop a library all their own. Put their favorite chair in their library or where they like to read and have you read to them.

Reading truly is fundamental to education and successes. Without good reading skills, much of life will always be a struggle. Build a sound and solid foundation for your child by ensuring early on that you help establish a love for reading in your child and success will follow.

What Is The Greenhouse Effect?

There has been much discussion, both among experts and lay people, about the ‘greenhouse effect.’ The greenhouse effect is a term that refers to changes in the Earth’s atmospheric composition, which have been related to the warming of our planet. There is a growing amount of evidence that human activities, particularly those relating to the burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal, are major contributors to the greenhouse effect. The predicted consequences for the planet as a result of the greenhouse effect are extremely serious. They include major changes in the climate that will have an impact on food production and rising sea levels, which will put many coastal and other low-lying communities under water.

Additional information that we have learned about the planet Venus provide a frightening example of the greenhouse effect. Venus has a very dense atmosphere made up of gases. The planet has what has been described as a ‘runaway greenhouse effect.’ It has surface temperature of about 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Experts generally point to gases like carbon dioxide as the main contributors to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide, which is a gas that is exhaled by everyone, can absorb infrared radiation. This type of radiation is heat that is radiating away from a warm object. During the day, the Earth is warmed by sunlight, and at night, the Earth cools off by radiating the heat back into space in the form of infrared radiation. Carbon dioxide, and other gases to some extent, absorb this radiation and limit its exit into space. Therefore, the natural cooling mechanism is thwarted.

While it may seem that eliminating the greenhouse effect would be the best strategy, this is not what we want to do. Water vapor represents another element in the heat-absorbing process. There is a great amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at all times. This is why we experience rain. We need the water vapor in the atmosphere to keep the Earth at its normal, comfortable temperature. Without the warmth created by water vapor, the planet would freeze, and that would be the end of life as we know it. Therefore, we need to have some degree of the ‘greenhouse effect’ in order to maintain life on Earth.

We need to strike a balance. Mother Nature is telling us, again, what we should already have learned by now – in any situation, extremes of any kind cause harm.

Starting A Home Sewing Business - Take It One Stitch At A Time

If you want to work from home, you will soon find out that paid home employment is very hard to find. How about starting your own business from home? If you are good at sewing, you could use your skills to start your own home based sewing business. There are all kinds of sewing from tailoring to delicate embroidery and most of them can be used as the basis for an enjoyable and profitable home based business.

In the past, home sewing work consisted mainly of women at home working on industrial sewing machines assembling ready cut garments as outworkers for local factories. This was "piece work" ie the woman was paid per finished piece of work. The big sewing machines were noisy monsters, so it was impossible for a woman to sew and listen to music or carry on a conversation at the same time. It was hard work but quite well paid if you could work fast. This type of working at home job is less common nowadays because it is cheaper for factory owners to send the work abroad where wages are lower.

Doing sewing as a home business, does not involve a return to monotonous, noisy piece work; there are far more pleasant and creative ways to earn a living with needle and thread where you can be your own boss and not a wage slave for a factory owner.

The first thing that springs to my mind when anyone mentions sewing as a home based business, is dressmaking and wedding dresses obviously take top place. The vast majority of brides planning a white wedding want a dress (and bridesmaid dresses) specially made for their big day. If you have a talent for dressmaking, bridal outfits will certainly offer a good way of earning a substantial income.

A less glamorous but equally necessary service is in garment alterations. Shops used to offer this service, but nowadays it is usually only possible to find someone to alter or repair a garment by making enquiries of local dry-cleaners. It is a sad truth that we live in a wasteful society where perfectly serviceable garments will be thrown away because of a broken zip. However, there are still people around who will want to have a zip replaced in a favourite garment, so a business in repairs and alterations can be profitable, if your local dry cleaners do not offer this service they might be prepared to send customers to you.

Making soft furnishings to order is a good money earner. The people who can't even sew on a button far outnumber the people who are good at sewing and enjoy it. The people in the former group will be eager customers for someone who can make cushions and covers and curtains in exactly the right colours and styles. The ability to design, make and hang fashionable window dressing is practically a licence to print money - at least it will seem that way if you ever receive a bill for this service!

One of the nicest ways to earn money from sewing is by making soft toys. Somehow cuddly creatures have always managed to stay in fashion and there is a market for everything from stuffed rats to dinosaurs to floppy rag dolls. It must be very satisfying to earn money at home from making items that will be cherished by a child, from infancy into the teenage years.

Starting a home based sewing business requires little in the way of financial investment. If you intend to do dressmaking, you will need a robust sewing machine and an overlocking machine. Don't let anyone try to convince you a pressing machine is essential, it won't do anything you can't do with an iron and a damp cloth. These tools of your trade should last for many years and will earn what they cost you many times over. If you have a room that can be dedicated to sewing, that is great but in reality, you can run a sewing business from your kitchen table. If you want to build up a stock, for example of toys for a Christmas fete, you will need some storage space but the stock is not perishable so any dry clean garage or shed space would be fine.

Apart from the obvious tools and accessories, your expenses will be for materials and advertising. Always take a deposit to cover the cost of materials before beginning work on anything made to order so you won't risk being left out of pocket. Advertising is essential to any business that is just starting up. You can circulate fliers, buy advertising space in local newspapers, put up a website and all sorts of other things which are fairly low cost. A good way of becoming known is by advertising in targeted magazines, eg if you are making toys, place your ads in mother and baby magazines and advertise a local play groups. If you are making wedding dresses, advertise in bride oriented publications and try to do some sort of joint venture or reciprocal recommending with the local florist or wedding planner. Once you have a few satisfied customers you will benefit from repeat orders and your reputation will become known via the all important word of mouth. When this starts to happen you are well on the way to having your home business all sewn up.

How To Find a Profitable Niche Market

For home based business opportunity seekers looking to choosing the right work at home business, there is a important step to take after figuring out what a niche market is (see previous article "What Is a Niche Market Anyway?"). This step is finding a niche that is profitable. With a niche that is not profitable, a home based business will not last long. Let's discover how to find a profitable niche.

Step #1: Take a trip to your local library, Books A Million, Borders, or the like.

Step #2: Jot down topics that you observe with "How To" books like the "For Dummies" series.

Step#3: Look for books that are bestsellers year in and year out. Examples include job hunting books, sales letter books, self-improvement books, etc. Write down potential niche markets based on your research. For example, maybe you could write an ebook about tips on writing a business plan for real estate investors.

Step #4: Browse the magazine racks and take note of hobby related magazines.

Keep in mind that you are looking for a niche market that is:

1) Easily reached (if they have a magazine you can reach them)
2) Isn't so large that the field is crammed with competitors
3) Willing to spend money. You can check out the ads in hobby and trade magazines to discover the prices of objects of interests for a particular niche market.
4) Crazy and passionate about their hobby or interest. If someome actually creates a magazine, they typically are passionate!

Niche markets that I've seen by looking at the magazine racks are scrapbookers, quilting, collectibles collectors, and boat owners.

Always remember, you are building a foundation by looking for a market that is trying to buy a product or service. A way to check out how many people are actually searching for a item or activity is to use keyword tools such as the Overture Suggestion tool at http://www.inventory.overture.com, nichebot.com, Wordtracker.com. and Good Keywords.

Once you are in one of these sites, type in the following word "tutorial" and then copy and paste the results on a Excel spreadsheet.

Then, type in "guide" and copy and paste the results on a Excel spreadsheet as well.

There will be a huge amount of results which will show you exactly what people are trying to find related to "guides", "how to", and "tutorials"; in other words, you will see the exact information they are seeking. Once you know this, your job simply is then to offer them a product or service that will meet their need.

When the lists are developed, make note of potential products such as a guide on "how to plan a vacation". Other great words to use are "buy", "purchase", "learn", "problem", "want", etc. You will be amazed at the results.

Follow the above tips and be well on your way to targeting a highly profitable niche market.

Motivational Speaker Says To Beat The Blues: Get A Haircut & Clean The Windshield!

Watching my dad get a haircut was quite an event.

It wasn’t that it was an irregular thing. Actually, he got it cut every two weeks, and only if a holiday intruded did he make that three.

Dad’s barbershop was located in the back of a Beverly Hills haberdashery, called Drucker’s, after the name of its proprietor, Harry Drucker. (Harry was President Reagan's personal barber.)

Harry and his elite team of manicurists, barbers, stylists, and gofers put on quite a customer service show, but it was understated. He knew us all by name and made sure to ask about my Little League exploits, which were carried in stories and box scores in the local paper.

Dad always declined manicures, though they were perennially offered by ever flirting ladies who looked about twenty years beyond what could have been their Playboy centerfold modeling days.

Still, they had the moves, and even I knew there was chemistry in the air.

My dad diligently kept his appointments and I could see why. Haircuts were the closest he got to being pampered, and while he eschewed some of the fancier offerings, he got his fill of feeling important.

Even if he could stretch another week between cuttings, why deprive yourself of the regal treatment?

And dad always emerged feeling like a star, and he looked pretty good, too.

I think he used these events as perks, little motivators, especially if things weren’t soaring in business. He knew exactly what he needed to pick himself up.

And if he couldn’t get the car to the car wash, he made sure his windows were spotless.

I asked him why and he said, “Gary, a clean windshield changes your entire outlook on life!” appreciating his own pun.

So, if you want to beat the blues, you know what to do!

Memory Foam Mattress Helps Pagets Disease

Sufferers from Pagets disease, arthritis or other conditions that cause chronic pain often find that they have trouble sleeping at night. Painful joint and back problems can often prevent you from sleeping properly simply because it's painful to rest in one position for very long with uneven pressure on parts of the body from your mattress.

Pain can get worse at night

Chronic pain is also amplified at nighttime when everything is quiet and the only thing that your brain has to concentrate on is the pain making it seem even worse than it actually is.

How can a memory foam mattress help?

A memory foam mattress can help you to sleep by reducing the pressure points on your body while you sleep. Memory foam is able to do this because it moulds itself to the shape of your body by becoming soft when your body heats it. The more pressure that you body places on the memory foam the hotter and softer it gets allowing that part of your body to sink further into the foam.

By allowing the parts of your body with the greatest pressure on them to sink further into the foam it eventually equalises the pressure on the whole of your body making your mattress a snug and comfortable supportive surface.

When the pressure is equalised over your whole body there are no high pressure points left to cause and aggravate your pain. This is what allows you to get a comfortable and high quality nights sleep.

A case study

My next-door neighbour suffers from Pagets disease and he used to have a lot of trouble getting a quality nights sleep. He said that he found it very difficult to get off to sleep and when he did he would wake up an hour later with the pain. This would continue all night long leaving him feeling exhausted during the day.

My neighbour now uses a high-density polyurethane foam mattress topper, which is designed to relieve pressure points in the same way that a memory foam mattress does. He has not looked back since the first time he used this topper because it allows him to get a quality night sleep. He gets to sleep quicker and he doesn't wake until the next morning.

Consider the cheaper alternatives

Memory foam mattresses are expensive so while they do seem to work effectively it is worth looking at the alternatives if you feel that you can't afford it. Memory foam also gives off a slight odour, which some people don't like so it isn't right for everyone.

Amazing Support for Brain Research for World Peace

Just as millions of home computers throughout the world are tuned into outer space, listening as combined ears to whatever they might hear that they couldn’t hear individually, Pat McGovern, the chairman of International Data Group, is providing brain-money for cooperative research on the organization and processes of the human brain.

This is a wonderful story by Dyke Hendrickson

IDG founder’s funds follow his fondness for gray matter

One resolution of most professionals in the tech space is how to make better use of their brain.

Communications mogul Pat McGovern has had this thought since he was a post-tyke.

And he has done something about it.

Has he ever.

The McGovern family committed $350 million for the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, which is on its way to developing 18 separate labs employing 500 researchers and support staff.

McGovern, of course, is founder and chairman of International Data Group, the Framingham technology publishing, research and event management company with annual revenue of $2.5 billion.

He has overseen IDG’s launch of more than 300 magazines and newspapers in 85 countries, including Computerworld, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, and PC World.

Its IDC subsidiary provides market research to nearly 4,000 clients in more than 50 countries.

So the guy deserves a listen.

McGovern says understanding the brain is the first step in using it more effectively. And down the road — way down the road — such understanding could lead to effective drugs and behavior-altering stratagems as well as more efficient performances at work.

Maybe even world peace.

“We’ve always wanted to know how the brain works,” said McGovern, a 1959 biophysics graduate of MIT, “and with 100 billion neurons and trillions of connections among them, that’s been a great challenge.

“With greater tools now, we feel we can learn more about how perception is occurring, how the brain processes information and how it organizes thoughts. Progress is being made.”

One goal of the McGovern Institute’s research is to seek answers to neurological conditions in the hope of developing preclinical targets to treat such conditions as autism, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease.

The center receives grants from federal sources ranging from the National Institutes of Health to the Department of Defense. Institute leaders say that in coming years they might be collaborating with private drug-discovery companies if commercialization looks feasible.

Another area of research focuses on functions of the brain, including perception, organization and memory.

“If you look at the theory of the optical illusion, you know the brain can assume things that aren’t necessarily so,” said McGovern. “Perhaps lessons can be learned in societal situations like conflict. Maybe a situation appears threatening but really isn’t. Or that at one time in man’s evolution, it was necessary to kill first so you weren’t attacked. But today, with nuclear weapons and the like, maybe we can learn methods of trust and cooperation rather can aggression.”

McGovern was asked what he learned during the process for developing the institute, which is projected to hit its full employment peak at the end of 2007.

“One lesson is the value of collaboration,” he said. “The best results come from getting people together and having them exchange ideas.

“People who plan institutes told us not to build monastic space. Have a (physical) structure where people meet and talk, and have the opportunity for something serendipitous to happen. Encourage the exchange of ideas.”

He said another lesson was picking good people and letting them do what they want to do.

“Find a good person and let them do what interests them,” said McGovern. “People are more effective in doing what they want to do. This works better than developing a plan and then finding people to carry it out.”

So there you are — Ready to make better use of your brain?

~~~

Repeat: “Perhaps lessons can be learned in societal situations like conflict. Maybe a situation appears threatening but really isn’t."

Yes, indeed. We can learn to control our reptilian responses. We must if we want our species to survive.

Repeat: "People are more effective in doing what they want to do!"

Yes, indeed. Next, make sure you try enough things to find out what you want to do. Then write your long and short term goals, adjusting as you go along.

And then let the world be your oyster instead of your battlefield.

The Earth's Total Destruction [and War on Humanity]

The scientists are saying an asteroid around the year 2019, twice the size of earth, might hit us. Carl Sagan had mentioned something like that in one of his books if I recall right. They say it is going to be a monstrously big one, actually larger than the earth: if indeed, this were the case, there of course would be no more earth. After looking at this subject closer, I had come to the conclusion they are all full of gobbolygook; another way of saying ‘full of shit.’ Let me explain my position.

In 1984, I saw in one of my 60+ visions [please review my book “The Last Trumpet, and the Woodbridge Demon” which I explain about seeing the asteroid], an asteroid zooming through two great bodies, such as, -- possible two planets; one planet smaller than the other one. The asteroid looked rocky and big, but not that big. If I recall right I would say it was 1/16 the size of the smaller planet to the left of my vision, which I thought was a moon of sorts, compared to the larger planet on the right side of my vision.

And now that I think of it, if the asteroid did not hit the earth, it could possible zoom by it; as a result, causing friction on the earth like the moon does, and an earth-crust movement, which would alter our poles, the North and South Poles; the Poles were in a different location 12,000 years ago the North Pole being more in the Hudson Bay area? We may find another such movement.

And so for the most part I agree with the scientist and Mr. Sagan with the highly, and likely possibility of a worldwide disaster in the waiting [or in the making]; although I never thought much of Sagon’s out look on things, and books, yet this concept does have a reality to it.

But what I am driving at is this. I did not see the world destroyed, nor do I believe it will be; and I do not see any data to support this idea of total destruction.

In many of my visions I have seen certain locations, like Washington DC, New York City, Florida, San Francisco, Paris, Egypt, and a few more locations and cities under duress. But the asteroid they are talking about I do believe in, is not only in my visions, but the scientist believe it, so does The New Testament Bible, in Revelation 6 [please review this in the bible if you are a believer in the NT], so check it out; the scientific concept is just an oversized one I believe. And as I have mentioned in my books and other articles, seeing is believes. And so you young readers will find out. I perhaps will not.

War on Humanity

I also believe we are facing–along with the above disaster— What I call, or it has been called—for I’ve heard about it or perhaps read it somewhere—a “War on Humanity,” is in the makings, this is so true. Just look at the Islamic-community, for over 200-years they have become a radical entity in the religion environment; and the unprecedented natural disasters, pestilence, terrorism, disease, food shortages; insects infecting nations; floods all around the world [Europe, Asia, and America]. I think we are not safe wherever we may go, nowadays. There is really no place to hide—we are on a suicide earth.

The Mixed View

But even with all this I do not believe we are going to be a world not completely destroyed, and I think it is biblical. Plus, having seen so many disasters in my visions, and they have all come true (so far), I am led to believe this one will be also. Meaning, the asteroid will come but it will not end of world, although it may seem like it at the time. It is not the will of God.

Should we live to see this asteroid hit the earth or should we not and we simply get a giant earthquake, or maybe both, the world would be darkened for three to four months at least with the fallout? And again this is not only scientific data, but biblical as well, of such a possibility. And should we start a nuclear war, this could trigger the earth’s axis to wobble more, or stretch too far, and who knows, here comes the asteroid and the earthquakes all at once. But this old world will go on.

To make thinks even look a little bleaker or bleeder, the unemployment rate is quite low worldwide since 9/11; it has picked up here and there, but things are not the same. And the bankruptcies are doubled if not worse, in many countries. Whole countries are becoming bankrupt. Inflation is South American currencies are next to good. They are all crying for US support, when the US is going bankrupt with all its natural disasters and its continued war in Iraq. There are so many foreclosures, especially in Minnesota that it has caused more people to run to places they would never have gone to; many are running back home to live with mother; others to shelters.

Many people are going to mission houses to eat. Borrowing money on top of old re-financing debts, to keep their houses, which would be paid back when the house is sold, the American dream is slowly evaporating. But again, let me remind you, it does not mean the end of the world, it maybe the end for a lot of people, a lot of filled pockets with dollars; but not for the world in general.

We have a global civilization today that depends on technology so much; that it very well could be a prescription for disaster should something recoil on any given day in any worldwide country.

As time goes by, we will witness also the demon world becoming more profound, more noticeable. I have written about these areas in other books of mine, should you become more interested in the demonic subject.

Translation for De-abstraction

The purpose of my research into this problem is to find a way of translating the conceptual model as defined by a visual and human language representation into a structured representation that can be made use of by computers in order to generate program code. This involves the use of model-driven programming as a technique to assist this.

Model-Driven Programming

Model-Driven Programming involves two transformation techniques Model Transformation and Program Transformation. Model Transformation can be used to translate a model with a representation of the problem that a user would be familiar with, into a model with a representation that can be more directly translated into program code. Model Transformation can be applied to problems involving design models e.g., UML (Unified Modeling Language) diagrams, architectural descriptions, and requirements specifications. A fuller explanation is available at Program-Transformation.org http://www.program-transformation.org/Transform/ModelTransformation.

Program transformation is the act of changing one program into another. The languages in which the program being transformed and the resulting program are written are called the source and target languages, respectively. A fuller explanation is available at Program-Transformation.org http://www.program-transformation.org/Transform/ProgramTransformation.

Model-Driven Programming can be an important technique for dealing with complexity. [Gray et al, 2004] explains how this technique can assist in the development of software for a large avionics system.

Translation Steps

As far as possible the tools and techniques used should be open standard for ease of use, re-use or transformation on other hardware or software systems. The user should not have to type any computer code. Instead diagrams, natural language, and formulae would be used to define the source model.

A model as defined by the user could be translated to a model that is more suitable for a computer to interpret. The computer can interpret this model, and follow any relationships defined in it, make any calculations or decisions, and so provide the results. Recursion can be used to enable the computer to follow a diagrammatic representation of the problem without having to care about the names of objects. This is particularly tree for tree representations. Trees are defined recursively because their structure is recursive so it is natural to traverse them recursively. This deal with hierarchies and relationships, but for requirements outside this scope Aspect Oriented Programming [Elrad et al., 2001] could be used to capture and translate these requirements. Aspect Oriented Programming can be used where software functions can't be neatly attached to particular objects or nodes in a hierarchy. These are known as cross-cutting concerns as they may affect several nodes. A diagrammatic representation of the cross-cutting concerns can then be translated into a computer language representation such as AspectJ for Java [Kiczales et al, 2001] and AspectXML for XML (eXtensible Markup Language) http://www.oreillynet.com/xml/blog/2005/09/part_3_assets_atom_feeds_and_a.html.

A further translation is likely to be necessary from the program to a result model that should be created to express the results to a user. This model would be a categorized full description of all the results from the program. This should be represented using open standard information languages such as XML or languages derived from this. This enables the widest possible re-use of the information on different hardware and software systems. The result model could be represented diagrammatically or as categorized and linked web pages. The full translation may be as below

Source Model (Human Friendly Representation) - Source Model (Computer Friendly Representation) - Computer Program - Result Model - (Human Friendly Representation)

If the user can define the source model, remain largely unaware of how the result model is produced, can understand the Result Model, and this meets the expectations of the user, the translation is successful.

If the user can define the source model, remain largely unaware of how the result model is produced, can understand the Result Model, and this meets the expectations of the user, the translation is successful.

The figure explains the concept for a simple example of the representation of the equation E=MC2. This relationship can be defined by the user. Here this is achieved using an ontology tool (Protégé), and this definition can be read directly by Decision support software (Vanguard Studio) that can visualise the information and colour code it. For a more complex example a higher level user interface would be required to enable a user to define the problem, and a translation step to the computer readable model. Units have been left out as the type of equation used and values in it are not important to the concept. The software can translate the source model into a program and calculate results. The result program is then translated again into a result model defined using open standard languages such as XML and Java for human friendly visualisations of viewable as web pages/diagrams.

Article Marketing - A Free Advertising Method That Can Skyrocket Your Income

How would you like to use free articles to generate free advertising?

You don't have to spend a fortune in order to bring thousands of new visitors to your website. You can get instant website traffic for free.

One of the best and most powerful ways to drive targeted traffic to your website and to make sales is through Article Marketing. This is a very effective way to build trust and credibility and establish yourself as an expert. Prospects who trust you are more likely to make a purchase.

Ezine publishers and website owners are always looking for content that they can publish. You can give them that content by writing an article that pertains to the topic of their website or newsletter.

When you include a resource box at the end of your article, you're getting free advertising.

When you write an article and allow it to be published for free, it will begin to circulate around the Internet. Make sure you add a resource box at the end of your article. Your resource box is a short biography at the end of the article that promotes your business or website. It should include your name, a small description of you, and a link to your website or email address. This can be, of course, great free advertising.

Your article containing your resource box will ultimately be seen by thousands, maybe even millions, of people. These people are interested prospects. If people enjoyed your article they are also very likely to click on your website link in your resource box.

When writing out your articles keep the following important elements in mind:

Use catchy title. Think of your article as you would your sales page. You have to make people read the article. Make sure you use an attention grabbing header.

Make sure your resource box contains a link to your website URL and/or email address. When someone finishes the article, they know where to go to get more information.

Write in simple, easy-to-understand language. Use words that most people will understand. So, use everyday conversational, but correct English.

Get the reader involved with the use of the words "you," "your," "yourself," and "you too." Although you may reach thousands of people with your article, write as if you are talking to only one person.

Get to the point quickly, otherwise the reader will move on. Sharpen and compress the copy by squeezing out every nonessential word. Always proofread your article. Have it checked for grammatical and typographical errors.

Once you've written your article, you need to have it distributed to those ezines, article directories and article announcement lists.

Writing articles is a proven way to helping build your business. It helps you decrease advertising expenses while increasing sales. Many of the successful Internet marketers use articles to drive targeted traffic to their websites.

Now you know how article marketing can help promote your business, it's up to you. You can use this free advertising method to boost sales and profits in your own business.

Reasons For Financial Problems

Most of us know when we hit a financial disaster, usually we can even trace the beginning of the process that led to the financial failure, but the problem seems to be the fact that some people keep repeating the mistakes, or adapting new problematic methods of trying and solving problems.

The wise financial planner would first consider his own strong and weak points before making financial decisions and would draw conclusions for the experiences he had in the past, the few points that ultimately lead to financial disasters that I will discuss here are very basic and natural, yet many people do not practice the least amount of caution when making plans.

The first and most prominent problem with bad financial planning is that the planner has no financial education, in this case I would strongly advise seeking professional help. Most of do not have formal financial education, and many of us do not understand the financial basics that rule the markets, other do not want to go into these calculations, but all these groups should start by admitting that they do not have the knowledge of dealing with financial planning and look for someone who does. The great benefit of listening to advise of experts is that it teaches you things, the approach to financial planning, the basics of a new financial plan and much more, it is very possible that in a few months you will be much more educated and better informed in a way that will allow you to start making your own calls.

The second problem is making decisions and planes letting other people manage you finance for you, and I don’t mean letting you professional financial planner but friends, neighbors and family. Even though these people have the best intentions, it is very clearly your own responsibility to take care of your personal finance, and as much as it is unpleasant to make financial plans and take care of your personal finance it is a fact of life you must practice.

The third, and last mistake we are going to discuss is choosing the wrong kind of financial advisor, some people are tempted to let the wrong kind of people manage their finance situation, this includes insurance experts, tax experts and other financial experts of all sorts. It is important that you find a person that you have good communication with , that understands you and what financial help you are seeking, and that this expert be an expert on the issues you need help the most, do not let personal relationships, family connections and business relation dictate the financial expert you use, it is of extreme importance that this person is as close to being perfect for you as possible. The best thing to do is to look for a person that works in a financial office and makes his money by advising and managing personal financial accounts, someone that has been around for long and that will have the experience to guide you through the processes.

Heart Burn Symptoms

Spicy foods, large meals, sodas, coffee, citrus fruits, tomatoes and fried foods can all lead to heart burn symptoms. You can try a burn heart home remedy, but if you have not had these symptoms evaluated by a doctor, they could be related to a more serious condition. Common heart burn symptoms include a burning sensation in the throat or the chest. Non-burning chest pain, heaviness, pressure or nausea associated with chest pain should be checked out immediately by a physician.

If your heart burn symptoms are the more common type, you are not alone. Many people, particularly in the Western world suffer from heart burn symptoms everyday. Lifestyle, the foods we eat and obesity can all lead to heart burn symptoms. If you are looking for a burn heart home remedy other than the many over the counter antacids that are available, there are several botanicals that may be effective.

Gingerroot is a commonly available burn heart home remedy, as are peppermint and rhubarb. Some botanicals that may not be as easy to find, but that may relieve heart burn symptoms are bayberry, birch, dandelion, fennel, liverwort, pasture brake, pleurisy root, red clover and sweet rush root. These botanicals were all used by Native Americans to treat indigestion and heart burn symptoms. Consult an expert in herbs and natural remedies for usage instructions.

Sometimes the best burn heart home remedy is prevention. Once you experience heart burn symptoms, you can try a botanical or over the counter med, but evaluating the foods that you eat and your lifestyle may prevent the heart burn symptoms from recurring. I love tomatoes, but noticed that whenever I ate them, I experienced heart burn symptoms. All foods do not affect all people the same way, so it is necessary to evaluate your own diet personally. Heart burn symptoms that occur after a large meal may not be related to a specific food, but just to the fact that the stomach is overly full and acid has backed up into the lower throat or esophagus. It is the stomach acid that causes the burning sensation.

Lying down after a large meal can lead to heart burn symptoms. Proper digestion does not occur in this position, so another good burn heart home remedy is a leisurely walk after dinner. Other forms of exercise after a large meal may only increase the heart burn symptoms. Even repeatedly bending over to pick up the kids toys or loading the dishes in the dishwasher may cause the acid to rise up out of the stomach and lead to heart burn.

Smoking can cause heart burn symptoms. Smoking dries out the saliva in the mouth and throat that would normally neutralize stomach acid. If the other risks associated with smoking have not made you quit, maybe your heart burn symptoms will. Neutralizing the stomach acid is the goal of any burn heart home remedy as well as the over the counter and prescription meds. Sometimes a calcium supplement will work. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in many common antacids.

Another way to avoid heart burn symptoms is to drink water with your meals instead of soda, in fact drinking soda before bed can lead to night time heart burn symptoms. Night time heart burn can be particularly distressing and may lead to coughing fits and disturbed sleep. Drinking water is not a burn heart home remedy, but may prevent the heart burn symptoms form occurring in the first place.

Chronic heart burn symptoms should be reported to and evaluated by your doctor. Acid reflux disease is often first diagnosed after a person reports frequent heart burn symptoms. While occasional symptoms may be effectively treated with a burn heart home remedy, chronic heart burn symptoms may require additional treatment.

Save Money With A Tankless Hot Water System!

With the price of a kilowatt hour of electricity rising each and every year, becoming energy efficient has gone from being only a social consideration to a very serious budget consideration.

One way that a home owner can save money on their electric bill is to convert from a conventional tank style hot water system to an on demand or as they are sometimes called a tankless, hot water system.

An on demand hot water system works, just as its name implies, by heating water only when there is a demand, within the home for hot water. Incoming cold water is connected to the tankless system, which is a high efficiency heat exchanger. Electric heating elements wrapped around the piping within the tankless system transfer heat to the water at a very high efficiency. The only time the electric elements are turned on is when someone opens a hot water tap within the home. The system senses the reduction in pressure, water flows through the coils within the on demand system and heat is transferred from the elements to the coils and then to the water. The instant that the demand has stopped, the faucet, or tap is turned off, the elements are turned off.

In a conventional hot water tank system the water is heated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, whether there or not there is demand.

Conventional hot water tanks are prone to corrosion because they store water that has a mineral content. As the water is heated, the minerals settle to the bottom of the tank, creating heating inefficiencies and corrosion. Where a conventional hot water tank has a life expectancy of less than 10 years, the tankless systems have life expectancies of more than 25 years.

Retrofitting a tankless system is not a difficult project, as the on-demand systems are about the same size as a briefcase they will readily fit in any location where there is currently a hot water tank.

The on demand systems require a large amount of electricity for short periods of time, a unit for an average home will require 60 amps at 230VAC nominal. This means that the incoming electrical service to the home should be a minimum of 200 amps. The wiring that currently runs from the electrical panel to the hot water tank will most likely have to be upgraded, as most hot water tanks operate on a 30 amp to 40 amp circuit.

How to Stop Heart Burn

According to a recent survey, 25% of Americans and other Westerners experience the symptoms of heart burn at least once a month. So, it is no wonder that many people want to know how to stop heart burn. Interestingly, only 11% of people living in Asian countries suffer from the symptoms of heart burn on a monthly basis. Obviously, this has to do with the foods that many Americans prefer and the lifestyle they lead. If you want to learn how to stop heart burn or how to avoid the symptoms of heart burn completely, first look at your diet.

Common symptoms of heart burn include a burning sensation in the throat or chest. At times the symptoms of heart burn have been confused with other more serious conditions. If you experience non-burning chest pain, pressure or heaviness, it is important to seek medical attention right away. Nausea or sweating associated with chest pain can also be more serious than simple heart burn and should be reported. Whenever chest pain is involved it is best to err on the side of caution.

Before you can learn how to stop heart burn, you will probably want to learn what causes the symptoms of heart burn in the first place. The symptoms of heart burn are caused by stomach acid leaking into the lower throat or esophagus. Foods that are acidic then naturally will lead to more symptoms of heart burn. Tomatoes and tomato products are common culprits. Citrus fruits are also highly acidic. It may not be necessary to avoid the foods completely in order to learn how to stop heart burn, but if your diet is full of these foods, then you may have to cut back.

Learning how to stop heart burn requires learning what causes an increase in stomach acid or what causes the stomach acid to leak into the esophagus. If it is not acidic foods, it could just be overeating. Symptoms of heart burn following a large meal are very common. Napping or lying down after a large meal is not a good idea. Proper digestion does not occur in the prone position. A leisurely walk after a large meal may stop symptoms of heart burn from appearing. If you know that you often experience the symptoms of heart burn, then you may need to change what you do after eating, rather than what you eat. Eating small meals, as opposed to large ones has also helped many people learn how to stop heart burn symptoms from appearing.

Coffee, diet drinks and other carbonated beverages may lead to symptoms of heart burn. Learning how to stop heart burn symptoms from appearing is an individual thing. The symptoms of heart burn may not be related to what you eat, but to what you drink. Many dieticians suggest that you keep a food diary and note when the symptoms of heart burn occur. Is it following meals or after your morning cup of coffee? Is it after you drink a glass of orange juice or only after you eat pasta with red sauce? Is it spicy foods? Sometimes it is easy to identify the trigger and sometimes it is not, but your diet is the first place to look.

If you are a smoker, then learning how to stop heart burn symptoms may require you to learn how to stop smoking. Cigarette smoking dries out the saliva in the mouth and esophagus. Saliva would normally neutralize stomach acid. Therefore smoking can lead to symptoms of heart burn. If you did not have enough reasons to quit, then stopping the symptoms of heart burn is another one. There are several websites devoted to helping people quit smoking. The American Lung Association provides many resources as well.

In conclusion; to learn how to stop heart burn, look at your diet, look at your lifestyle and look at the beverages you choose to drink. Keep a diary if necessary to help you identify what is triggering your symptoms of heart burn.

Heart Burn and Indigestion

There are many people who suffer from the symptoms of heart burn and indigestion. These symptoms may result from the foods we eat, the beverages we drink or our lifestyles, but symptoms of burn heart indigestion may also be related to other medical conditions and chronic symptoms should be reported to your doctor. Choosing a burn heart medication is a choice to be made by you and your doctor. Here is a look at some of the common heart burn medications and the side effects associated with them.

One of the most highly advertised heart burn medications is Prevacid. Prevacid burn heart medication should not be used by persons with liver disease or certain allergies. You have probably seen the commercials and may have heard the side effects associated with this popular treatment for burn heart indigestion. If your heart burn symptoms are mild, the side effects may not seem worth it. Constipation or diarrhea may occur when using Prevacid.

Another common burn heart medication is Pepcid. It should not be used by persons with liver problems, kidney disease, stomach cancer or those with certain allergies. Side effects that may be experienced include headache, constipation, diarrhea or dizziness. There are serious side effects that are rare, but have occurred in persons using Pepcid to treat burn heart indigestion symptoms.

Prilosec is a prescription medication used to treat heart burn symptoms. Users of this burn heart medication may experience constipation, cough, dizziness or back pain.

Any over the counter or prescription burn heart medication may cause unwanted side effects. Only you and your doctor can decide if the benefits outweigh the possible risks. The symptoms of burn heart indigestion may be relieved by certain botanicals or health supplements and possibly prevented changing the diet and lifestyle.

Some people who experience chronic symptoms of burn heart indigestion have other more serious diseases which may not be relieved by changes in eating habits or lifestyle. These include acid reflux disease, hiatal hernia and diseases of the esophagus. In addition, any non-burning chest pain, pressure, heaviness or nausea associated with chest pain could be related to the heart, rather than the throat and stomach. It is important to err on the side of caution whenever chest pain is involved. It could be simple burn heart indigestion or something much more serious.

Natural Heart Burn Remedies

Although there are many over the counter and prescription medications available for burn heart relief, a natural burn heart remedy may be just as effective and cause fewer side effects. Most people experience heart burn occasionally, even those who have a healthy diet and active lifestyle.

One natural burn heart remedy is fennel seed. You probably have some in your spice rack. You can make a soothing tea using one or two teaspoons of fennel seeds in eight ounces of water. Drinking the tea may provide burn heart relief. Another natural heart burn remedy is peppermint. You will often see peppermint oil listed as an ingredient in over the counter medications. Peppermint oil may provide burn heart relief and relieve feelings associated with gas or bloating. Fennel seeds and peppermint have been used by Native Americans and Europeans as a burn heart remedy. Some people experience relief from a peppermint stick or candy, but these often contain sugar and may only contain peppermint “flavor” and not peppermint oil.

If you like rhubarb, chewing on a piece may provide burn heart relief. Rhubarb, when in season is available in many grocery stores. It is fairly easy to grow, as well if you have a garden, but it does not keep well and has a very short season. You could chop it and freeze it, but you will not get the quick relief that you can get from peppermint. Rhubarb was used by Native Americans as a burn heart remedy and for indigestion.

Heart burn occurs when stomach acids leak into the lower throat or esophagus causing a burning sensation in the throat or chest area. Chronic heart burn symptoms should be reported to your doctor as this could indicate more serious conditions. Occasional heart burn may be relieved by neutralizing the stomach acid. Water, a little milk or a calcium supplement may provide burn heart relief. Sometimes the best burn heart remedy is prevention. Overeating, spicy foods, caffeinated beverages, alcohol and even stress can lead to symptoms of heart burn. It is not always possible to avoid them all. You can choose a natural burn heart remedy mentioned here or one of the many other supplements on the market. Plant enzymes are particularly popular and work for many people to control and prevent heart burn and to provide burn heart relief.

Glycemic Index: Should GI Guide Your Food Choices?

Many popular diet books recommend avoiding foods with a high Glycemic Index. When you eat a food, your blood sugar level rises. The food that raises blood sugar the highest is pure table sugar. The Glycemic Index (GI) is a ratio of how high a food raises blood sugar in comparison to table sugar. Foods whose carbohydrates break down slowly release glucose into the bloodstream slowly, so blood sugar levels do not rise high and therefore these foods have low GI scores. Those that break down quickly cause a high rise in blood sugar and have a high GI. Most beans, whole grains and non-starchy vegetables have low GI; while sugars, refined grains, fruits and root vegetables have a high GI.

A carrot has almost the same GI as sugar, but common sense tells you that a carrot is more healthful than table sugar. Foods that are mostly water or air will not cause a steep rise in your blood sugar even if their GI is high. That's why a new measure, called Glycemic Load (GL), is more useful. This tells you how much sugar is in a portion of food as well as how high it raises blood sugar levels. GL is calculated by multiplying the grams of carbohydrate in a serving of food by that food's glycemic index. Carrots dropped from high GI of 131 to a GL of 10. Potatoes fall from a GI of 121 to a GL of 45. Air-popped popcorn, with a GI of 79, has a GL of 4.

GI and GL indexes are tools for research that will drive you crazy if you try to apply them to your daily selection of foods. Instead, use your own common sense and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other seeds. If you are diabetic, you can eat root vegetables and fruits with other foods to slow the rise in blood sugar they may cause.

For more on GL and sensible nutrition, read "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating" (Simon & Schuster, June 2001), by Harvard School of Public Health professor and researcher Walter Willett, M.D -- highly recommended.

The Amazing Power of Marketing to A List

You may think your biggest business assets are your equipment or your inventory. But, you have two assets even more important than these. One of these is your expertise...your brainpower and the specific manner in which you help your clients.

And, the other is your list of satisfied, loyal customers, as well as your pool of warm prospects with whom you are building a relationship of credibility and trust. Building this list of warm prospects and satisfied customers is your ticket to a steady stream of income.

Here are some tips to build your list:

1. If you have a website, make sure you have some kind of name capture mechanism. In exchange for people's contact information, offer a subscription to an ezine, a free report, an e-course, a free forum, or some other perk.

Make sure you have an effective online system to collect the names of your customers and prospects. It should be able to manage your lead generation and follow-up activities with the ability to create a name capture form for your website, as well as auto responders to automate the process of communicating with your list on a regular basis. Set it up and let it work for you as your online salesperson - 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

2. If you have a physical location, place a sign-up form in an obvious place for your visitors so you can stay in touch with them on an ongoing basis. You can offer an incentive to sign up such as special coupons, discounts, or a print newsletter with tips.

3. When you give speeches, presentations, and attend trade shows, collect the names of people you interact with! Offer a prize like a free product or a discount. You can do the same thing if you offer telephone seminars or online courses to your clients.

4. Grow your list by conducting a joint venture with a like-minded business. For example, a mortgage broker and realtor can offer a free seminar on home buying. Both businesses can collect the names of the attendees.

5. Submit articles to various websites and ezines. Make sure each article has a resource box with information about your business and a link to your name capture page.

6. Of course, anyone and everyone who has ever purchased from you should go on your list. It is much easier and cost effective to cross-sell and up-sell to past, satisfied customers than it is to convert a prospect into a customer. Regularly keep in touch to ensure your company stays in the forefront of their awareness.

Be sure to track your marketing activities with your customers and prospects. This includes direct mail, phone calls, estimates sent, and meetings. You can use something as simple as Microsoft Outlook, which has client relationship management (CRM) functions. You can also use software with more robust CRM capabilities such as ACT! Or Goldmine. If you don't need to have the latest version of these, look on the Ebay for great deals on an earlier release of the software.

Action Item: Take a look at your current system for collecting names and following up with prospects and customers? How do you store your contact data? What actions will you take in the next three months to improve these aspects of your marketing?

Top Speaker Says: Even A Broken Clock Is Right Twice A Day!

I just came across a poorly written article that turned me off from the very beginning.

The writer didn’t know a thing about crafting a good opening line and he even seemed to forget what they teach in English composition classes about starting with a thesis paragraph.

But I caught myself making these observations, no let’s call them what they are; I made these criticisms, and I was about to skip the rest of the article.

And I stopped myself, remembering a phrase I have offered on countless occasions to my seminar participants and speech audiences:

“Even a broken clock is right at least twice a day!”

We could be listening to people in whom we invest zero credibility, yet it’s possible they’ll say something that’s astonishingly insightful, or simply something that triggers a very important association in our minds.

For example, a teenager remarked that he was surprised his music teacher was going to play in a concert with so few rehearsals to her credit.

Then he said wih genuine admiration: “I didn’t know she had the courage to play so poorly!”

My jaw dropped.

What a great phrase, I thought, and instantly, I associated his idea with cold calling.

Lots of people don’t make cold calls in sales work because they don’t have “the courage to play poorly.”

This is also why so many procrastinate.

Anyway, this young man made quite a contribution to my thinking, though it was unexpected.

The lesson in all of this is the credibility of the speaker or writer may be irrelevant.

We can still learn a thing or two, from anyone at any time, providing we’re open to it!

Muscle-Moving Machines Won't Make You Fit

If you see ads for equipment that promises to make you fit by moving your muscles for you, save your money. Exercise strengthens your heart only when you do it vigorously enough to increase your heart rate at least 20 beats a minute above resting. A study done in 1998 showed why passive exercise won’t make you fit. Men were asked to sit on a stationary bicycle with their feet on motor-driven pedals. When their feet were driven slowly, their hearts did not beat faster, but when their feet were driven at a high speed, their hearts did beat faster (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, February 1998). However, this did not strengthen their hearts because the faster heart rate produced by the motor was due to hormones such as adrenalin, rather than increased circulation of blood. Only increased circulation of blood strengthens your heart. To become fit, you must move your own muscles. Machines that move your legs or arms for you can be helpful in physical therapy, but they will not make you fit.

Devices that send electric current to stimulate your muscles do not work, either. Several years ago the U.S. Federal Trade Commission charged marketers of widely advertised electronic abdominal exercise machinies with false advertising. The promoters claimed that that their devices would cause fat loss and inch loss, give users well-defined abdominal muscles, and were equivalent or superior to ordinary abdominal exercises, such as sit-ups or crunches. All of these statements were untrue. Your brain does send an electrical impulse along nerves that enter muscles to cause them to contract, but the electrical impulses generated by ab machines are so weak that they can't possibly cause contractions that strengthen muscles significantly. If they did give you enough electricity to strengthen your muscles, they would give you a very painful shock.

You CAN strengthen your abdominal muscles with devices that help you exercise them against resistance, but even this will not get rid of belly fat. When you take in more calories than your body burns, you store the extra calories as fat . Some people store fat primarily in their hips, while others store their fat primarily in their bellies. More than half of the fat in your body is stored underneath your skin and over your muscles. Exercising a specific muscle does not get rid of fat over that muscle. If it did, tennis players would have less fat in their tennis arms, but they don't. Ab exercises can strengthen weak belly muscles, but they will not remove extra fat from your belly. People who store their excess fat primarily in the belly are at increased risk for heart attacks and diabetes. You get rid of belly fat with any kind of vigorous exercise and a sensible weight loss diet.