No Spec Work - Rewarding Creativity Properly

Words seem inadequate to describe the beauty and abundance that surrounds us during the month of October in New England. It’s as if Mother Nature has taken her paintbrush and with broad
strokes has set the landscape ablaze in color.

There are only a few weeks when the maple trees are at their peaks of color. We soak this glorious time in, basking in the beauty around us. We stop to lie down in piles of just raked leaves and breathe in the musky smells of earth. Briefly we are
absorbed into the landscape. Our problems seem like small dramas in the grand scheme of things.

Like the majestic maples ablaze with color, we all have the innate ability to turn up the heat, live lives on fire and show our true colors. Each of us carries the fire within us. Our bodies create energy by burning the food we eat into calories that fuel our cells which sustains ourlife. We must burn to live.

Unfortunately, many of the messages we’ve been given about fire are negative. Instead of living our lives on fire, our passion for life gets doused with fear. We turn our backs
to the fire. We don’t tend our own fire or we are too busy tending the fires of others. Our passion for life thenbecomes a pile of smoldering embers that is eventually snuffed out.

To create a life on fire, you must kindle it with your focused attention. Begin by noticing the experiences in your life that fuel you and give you energy. Who in your life fills you with Joy? What captures your attention?

Remember, every fire needs oxygen and energy.

Breathe deeply. Feed your life fire with the highest sources of energy… love and compassion.

Only when your life becomes a torch can you light the way for others.

Nancy Bishop is a Mid-Life Coach and writer who inspires women at midlife to live on fire by rekindling their appetites for life and fueling their creative dreams. Visit her website at http://www.yourlifeyourway.com and sign up for her free monthly inspirational newsletter.

Have you ever had this happen - You decide to do something different and exciting for your lover, like completely shaving your pubic area, but end up with red blotches and so sore you don’t even want your lover to see or touch you? What a drag.

The thought was a good one - really - You just made the same mistake most people make, thinking you could use just anything for shaving the pubic area.

The pubic area is quite different and certainly more sensitive than other parts of the body you might already be shaving. For those of you who know, the closest comparison would be with shaving under your arms.

Whether you’re a male or female, if you try shaving your pubic area with the same device you use for shaving your face, under arms or legs, it’s most likely that you’re going to irritate the pubic area skin.

Tell the truth - You were shaving with a wet razor weren’t you? Or was it your favorite triple-headed shaver you usually use for shaving your face?

Whichever it was, it didn’t give you the results you had been hoping for.

This doesn’t mean you should give up the idea of shaving your pubic area, just that you need to find out about better shaving tools for this area.

Just like thousands of others who already have.

What? You think you’re the first to want to have a hairless pubic mound? You might be surprised … Just mention your shaving experience to one or two of your closest friends and see what happens. They may be thrilled to finally be able to talk to someone about their own experiences.

And know this - Learning how shaving is best done in the pubic area is also important to achieving that silky, smooth look and feel you’re wanting.

Your friends may be able to enlighten you to pubic shaving tricks and tips they’ve learned along the way.

Just remember that every body is different and/so what works for them might not be best for you. But at least you may hear some things to think about as you continue to explore shaving your pubic area.

Allow your pubic hair to grow back in some, which will allow your skin to settle down, before attempting shaving again.

But do try again - Those who are shaving their pubic area, and those who are benefiting from it say it’s amazing how much it adds to intimate interactions.

All you need to do now is your own research to find out about the shaving tools designed for safely shaving the pubic area.

Bodworx International presents hair removal articles, tips, tricks and resources for removal of hair from the entire body. Visit them at their personal shaving website at www.hair-removal-shaver.com for more information.

A professional looking brochure invites many customers to your
business. But a poor quality one invites criticism and ridicule.
Which would you rather have?

Your brochure has the opportunity at representing your interests
to the public. That is why it is so important to have them made
into something that not only attracts much attention but also
something that will make you proud.

What to do.

When preparing your brochure for printing, make certain that it
has a clear format, design, and layout. This will give the
printer a well-organized document for easy reproduction.

Write readable text, use an easy-to-read font style and size,
and provide generous margins. A careless print piece will be
difficult to manage. It may even require several layouts until
both you and printer are satisfied with the result.

You will need to find a dependable printer before the project is
ready for duplication. Check out the yellow pages. Look for
various ads, and call for estimates.

You might want to visit the print shop personally to have an
idea of how organized, clean, and busy it is. Ask to see samples
of print jobs or obtain contact information for references.

If you know some printers in the neighborhood, stop for a visit
and introduce yourself. You also can get recommendation from
someone who has received satisfactory or excellent print work.

You can also search the Internet for quality print work. You may
have to email or fax a master copy for duplication, but copies
can be returned by mail, saving you transportation costs and
time.

You probably will have to pay mailing costs, but these may be
cheaper than fuel expenses. Give the printer enough time to
prepare the order and make any necessary adjustments before the
final deadline of your brochure project.

Try to get a written estimate, keeping in mind that slight
adjustments may be necessary, depending on how the job goes.

After the brochures have been printed, count them to be sure you
get the correct number. Examine print type to check for smudges
or fading. Look at the margins on each one, unless you have a
huge order, to ensure that they are even and consistent. If the
printer also folded or trimmed your brochures, look for uneven
edges.

If the job comes back in acceptable format, keep the printer’s
contact information on hand for future jobs or referrals.

But if you encounter problems with the way your brochures turns
out, and if the printer does not work willingly with you to
resolve these problems, start looking for another one.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit
http://www.losangelesprintingservice.com

Term life insurance quotes are rarely a concern of single people, but they should be. Unfortunately, there is a misconception that term life is something owned only by families in the event that the chief breadwinner dies.

Term life insurance quotes and policies should be on the minds of everyone, not just parents and families, for a couple of reasons.

Mortgage Life Insurance

While people are still getting married and buying homes, the same is true of many single people. For single individuals who own a home, getting life insurance through comparison shopping is important.

If a property owner dies without insurance, the bank who handles the mortgage, would take back the home and sell it as quickly as possible in order to recoup their loss. Imagine how heartbreaking that could be for the person’s family.

However, if the owner had simply investigated the cost of a term life policy, he or she could have found an affordable policy that would have allowed their loved ones to pay off the mortgage and to keep the property. Even if they chose not to live in the home, it could have been sold at a higher price or turned into rental property to provide income for the beneficiaries. No matter how the property is used, at least the deceased’s investment would not have been wasted.

Term Life Insurance for Other Singles

Of course, not all singles own a home but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be considering a term life policy as well.

They may not need mortgage life insurance, but they certainly need term life insurance to cover the expenses of their funeral, burial plot, and possible medical bills. Most singles don’t plan for these expenses in advance and without a life insurance policy, loved ones would be left with a potentially large financial burden.

Additionally, investigating prices of term insurance and making a decision can also prevent family members from being left to cover other types of debt, such as car loans and credit card bills which don’t simply disappear when a person, whether single or married, dies.

Ivon T. Hughes, The Hughes Trustco Group Ltd.
Online Insurance Broker - Get a FREE Quote TODAY!
Tel: (514) 842-9001
Email: info@trustco.ca
Web: http://www.hughestrustco.com

Parents find it hard teaching their kids how to drive. Also, a lot of parents cannot afford to put money out for driving lessons, so they have no choice, but to teach their kids how to drive. Sometimes it’s hard for the friend or family member to teach a new driver, because of the lack of patience. Most people should refrain from yelling at their new student. Driving lessons from a recognized school will help calm the nerves.

A lot of parents and or family member pass on bad driving habits. You have take in consideration that your parent or older brother or sister have been driving for quite sometime and may be a safe driver, but have picked up bad driving habits over the years, and is not in tune with the way the examiner has to consider giving you a new drivers license. Rolling stops at stop signs, backing up and looking forward, and not signaling at turns is not going to win you brownie points with your examiner, when you decide to take the road test. The marking may be pretty stern if you have picked up habits that have little or no consideration for pedestrians, or other drivers. Also having too much consideration could be equally as bad to.

Can you picture stopping on a roadway where there is no crosswalk, and you wave a pedestrian across. Now picture this. The car behind you does not realize why you are stopping, and decides to go around you. Can you imagine the potential danger the pedestrian can be in? Do not give the right of way, if it’s your right of way! If you do decide to stop and wave anybody across your path, make sure you know what is going on behind and around you. Just remember when you do something out of the ordinary, its for a good reason only.

You’re written exam was not to see how good your memory is, but to be able to apply that memory on the road with knowledge of what street signs mean.

Yellow signs are warnings; white and black signs are regulation signs. Green signs are for tourist, or directional signs. You should always be glancing for these signs at all times. The signs are located on the right side of the roadway. Check for them on every turn and before every curve. You’re chances of you getting caught in a bad situation will escalate if your not paying attention to these signs. Paying attention to these signs will forewarn you of a dangerous curve ahead or a pedestrian crosswalk. Quick glances for signs on the right side of the roadway will increase you’re good driving habits. Glancing from side to side and in your mirrors is very important.

Now how many times did I repeat the word glancing? The most common excuse for a driver in an accident, but officer it happened so fast! The second you turn you’re head to look, is the second the vehicle stops in front of you!

Equally important is being able to register everything and make a decisive decision before you get there. Paying attention to what is happening directly in front of you’re vehicle is of most importance, and knowing what is happening behind you is equally important.

Knowing that driving is a privilege, and can be taken away at any time, is half the battle. I like to think of driving as a long-term game. There are rules and regulations in every game. If you abide by them, driving can be quite enjoyable. The idea of the game is to not hit anybody! Do not let anybody hit you! Defensive driving is what it is called.

The deadliest player in this game is the drinking driver! So report anyone that you see getting in a vehicle intoxicated or weaving in his or her lane. You may save a life or two.

Owned and operated a driving school for several years. Taught over 2000 kids and older people how to drive. Now operating a golf tee time site at www.golfanchor.net

Oh, Boy! Did Roy Orbison get it wrong? Buddy Holly would have rolled over in his grave while Beethoven, contrary to the lyrics of Chuck Berry’s classic song, rests peacefully in his, secure in the knowledge that his music has withstood the test of time. Rock ‘n’ Roll die? That’ll be the day!

In the late nineteen sixties Roy Orbison, on a concert tour of Australia, arrived in Adelaide on the same flight as the Walker Brothers. I recall watching on television the airport interview in which Roy, always the nice guy, explained how much he loved the music of Scott Walker and his fellow band members. He went on to explain that he believed Rock ‘n’ Roll was a passing craze which would soon die out, but that the wonderful music of the Walker Brothers would live on forever.

Sadly, it was the loveable Roy himself who would soon die after such a tragic life, leaving behind a rich legacy of music that remains very popular so many years later. As for the music of the Walker Brothers, they certainly left the world with some memorable hits. “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Any More”, “My Ship Is Coming In” and “Make It Easy On Yourself” were all Walker Brothers originals that come instantly to mind, but you can’t dance Rock ‘n’ Roll to them.

Roy’s gaff can be forgiven. Its true that the production of music in the original Rock ‘n’ Roll style didn’t continue, although artists like Shakin’ Stevens did release some pretty good tracks in the old style during the ’seventies and when Jackie Wilson’s Reet Petite was re-released after his death it soared up the charts. In Australia, even Gene Chandler’s Duke of Earl enjoyed a revival in the ‘eighties after it was featured in a television commercial. The expected death of Rock ‘n’ Roll wasn’t happening.

This also brings to mind a song released by one of the most successful Australian groups of the ’sixties, The Master’s Apprentices. The lyrics say “Rockin’, Rollin’ we’re still doing it now, 15 years today and we remember how.” When that song was released in 1970 it was apparently remarkable that we “remembered how” after an eon of 15 years. Its now 50 years since Rock ‘n’ Roll first appeared and we still remember how.

Its a fair bet that Roy Orbison’s early songs are played a lot more often around the world nowadays than the Walker Brothers records are. The main reason for that is simply that you can Rock ‘n’ Roll to them. It can have little to do with the quality of the music, since those of us who were teenagers back then have forgotten so many excellent recordings from when we were young.

Simply put, the dance preserved the music rather than vice versa. Without the lasting popularity of the energetic, versatile and easily learned dance style, the music would probably have died long ago. Perhaps not all of it, at least initially. Elvis fans will no doubt testify to the immortality of The King’s music, but reality will triumph. Elvis fans are no more immortal in the flesh than he was. They too will eventually die out.

Most young people who learn Rock ‘n’ Roll dance nowadays have no more preference for the music of Elvis or The Beatles than they have for any of the obscure one-hit-wonders who contributed so many of the old hit records. They find Smashmouth more appealing as artists, but if an old song is good to dance to they like it no matter who recorded it. Its reasonable to assume they will preserve much of the music after we are gone, but mainly for dance purposes rather than for entertainment.

That is what has happened to other music styles. For example, the folk music that was so popular in the late ‘fifties and early ’sixties has died out because you can’t dance to it. On the other hand many old time tunes such as waltzes and marches remain popular today because ballroom dancing preserves them.

So, how long will Rock ‘n’ Roll last? No-one can tell, but the waltz dates back to 1780 and is still practiced, so our favourite dance and music style might have a couple of hundred years to live yet. Perhaps then a songwriter will compose a song in the popular style of the day entitled “Roll Over, Roy Orbison.”

Gareth Eastwood is a Rock ‘n’ Roll dance instructor and enthusiast in Adelaide, South Australia. He maintains a recently created website, http://www.rocknrolldance.com/ in which he repeatedly stresses the need for dancers to be gentle with each other rather than dancing roughly. When fully developed the site will feature articles by numerous authors detailing dance styles and reporting on events.

He also created and manages Going Places With Gareth, a gigantic singles social network revolving around a long-established website http://www.garethevents.info/ The network has been operating since May, 2000. Since then over three and a half thousand people have become involved in it to some degree.

Many people are unfamiliar with probiotics, but there are studies to show that these supplements may be beneficial in the treatment of various ailments. Probiotics are dietary supplements that contain possible beneficial bacteria. Certain types of yogurt, for example, contain probiotics in therapeutic quantities. This simply means that some foods contain enough of this supplement to be helpful and is measured in quantities where it cannot be overindulged.

Probiotics are believed to assist the body’s digestive system and are sometimes recommended by physicians. More frequently, however, probiotics are recommended by nutritionists as part of a healthy, well balanced diet program. Some theories even exist that suggest these dietary supplements may help to strengthen the immune system. While there is no recorded evidence to suggest that probiotics can replace damaged parts of the body’s digestive tracts, there is proof that it can form temporary associations that may help to produce the same functions while the damaged areas have additional time to recover. By allowing the body with additional recovery time, probiotics may offer both valuable and temporary assistance.

In addition to aiding in digestion and improving the immune system, probiotics are also thought to help prevent constipation, reduce the occurrence of insomnia and may help to reduce stress-related ailments. Stress is believed to be responsible for the onset of many illnesses, which is why research continues in an attempt to find ways to help reduce these ailments. What is one of the main illnesses related to stress? The answer is high blood pressure which, alone, can be extremely dangerous and may lead to other problems if not maintained.

Certain types of commercial products, namely health foods, contain a specific amount of probiotics. As mentioned previously in this article, such products may include yogurt or sauerkraut. Probiotic foods and dietary products are the most common forms of the dietary supplements, but tablets and capsules are also sometimes made available. Individuals may ask their physician about various types of foods and the amount of probiotics that each contains.

This article is to be used for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used as professional medical advice. The information contained herein should not be used in place of, or in conjunction with, a doctor’s recommendation . Prior to beginning any treatment regimen, including one that involves the use of probiotics, an individual who develops an illness of any type should consult a licensed physician for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Learn more about probiotics - visit our website at www.tlsdc.com for probiotics articles and reviews.

I can feel it. The googlebot is coming to get me. You might say I am insane, but I know for certain that Google is a strange company and that the founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, definitely have a master plan for the whole world.

Sure, you might say, “They are just a couple of innocuous geeks.” But you probably haven’t read as deeply into them or their company as much as I have. I can’t go into too many specific details here because Page & Brin’s googlebot records everything on the World Wide Web. All I can say for now is that there is more to that gaping white space on Page & Brin’s famous homepage, www.google.com, then almost anyone realizes.

Google prides itself on minimalism and speed. The perfect combination in an Information Age. That sparse page, www.google.com, has attracted over a billion people since its inception. That such a streamlined creation could change the world boggles the mind. All the big boys, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, desperately fill their portals with as much clutter as possible. Google stays primitive but holds fast to the most ass-kicking search algorithm(s) ever created.

Just think if one could steal Google’s search algorithm. The possibilities are intoxicating. A few pages of dense, arcane code might be worth over a billion dollars! Of course, I believe there already have been many attempts to steal their sacred algorithm, with a few half-successes. Yahoo, MSN and others probably have gleaned the minds of Google defectors for many years.

Yet Google, led by the mysterious geeks, Larry Page & Sergey Brin, always stays one-step ahead of the competition. They constantly tweak their algorithm to make it the purest, most fair, most thorough page-searching algorithm on the net. Google’s algorithm weeds out garbage more brilliantly then anyone else. It finds obscure sites quicker than anybody else. How do they do it? The only way to know for sure would be to steal their algorithm.

I am disturbed by Google’s all-encompassing influence, but I could never even consider the possibility of attempting to steal their sacred algorithm. It would probably be a sin to even recommend such an action. However, many others have penetrated Google’s recesses and a few have succeeded in doing diabolical tricks. What I am talking about here are individuals who secretly work for other internet portal companies and get hired at Google, posing as run-of-the-mill computer scientists. Google has an incredible vetting process, but a few bad apples get in.

These individuals, bad apples so to speak, lust for Google’s algorithm. According to strict protocol, only Page & Brin can see the entire algorithm at one time. However, bits & pieces of this crucial code are scattered about at Google headquarters, and the enterprising computer scientist, with enough cloak-and-dagger ingenuity, can sometimes steal a few code nuggets and take them home and then sell them to the competition. That’s how the world has partially caught-up to Google in page search speed.

Sacred Words by Geek Rulers
Christopher K Haan is a free-radical blogger and e-ranter who dreams of one day saving the world. He is not ashamed of such a wild dream because he knows that personal delusions sometimes actually affect outside reality. E-rants

Feed Your Blog Over the Web

Quality customer service is the lifeblood of any business.

If you understand that it costs more to find a customer
than it does to keep one then you will appreciate the
importance of good, quality customer service.

Unfortunately, with the rapid rise of online businesses it
has become apparent that the focus has turned to
pleasing the search engines as opposed to pleasing the
customer.

I’m not disregarding the importance of good search engine
optimization but what good is it if you can’t provide good
customer service? You may gave gained a visitor but did
you find a customer?

Your online business goals should be about out offering
quality information, speed, convenience and customer service.
Lose any one of those elements and you will lose potential
business. Your visitors want to find up-to-date information
fast, they want to immediately understand what your site is
offering them, they want fast solutions, easy navigation and
they want good service. You must be able to respond quickly
to questions, emails and put products in their hands fast.

Here are ten customer service tips that will impress any
customer and keep them coming back for more.

1. Build your site and services with your customer in mind.
Develop an “attitude” of good customer service by creating
a site that that has your visitor in mind.

To do this, be clear about what you’re offering and what your
site is about. Great content doesn’t mean much if your visitors
can’t find it, so strive to organize your site with titles and headings
that are clear and descriptive with information that is logically
organized and structured. If you have a call to action such as
a newsletter sign-up or special contest, don’t be afraid to instruct
your visitor to participate.

2. Keep the ordering process simple and straight forward.
Consider all possibilities of questions, problems and issues
that a customer might encounter. Eliminate all possibilities
of confusion.

3. Immediately following order placement, your customer should
receive a confirmation email thanking them for their order. When
the order has shipped, your customer should receive a second
e-mail stating that the product has shipped.

4. Exceed customer expectations.
If your policy states that orders are received with in 5-7 business
days, try to achieve deliveries in 3-4 business days. It’s always
pleasurable to receive something sooner than you had anticipated,
not to mention your reputation will have just jumped ten-fold.

5. State your guarantees, shipping and refund policies clearly.
If you work in a retail business make it easy for your
customers to return items. Simple things like including return
labels within the packaging helps tremendously. Provide
shipping costs prior to checkout instead of surprising them
with shipping costs upon payment.

Always provide addresses and working phone numbers of
your business on every page of your site. The worst thing
a customer can experience is to place an online order, have
a problem, then call a phone number and get no response
or call back. A sure way to create frustration and develop
a bad reputation.

6. Utilize live-help capabilities.
Not everyone will utilize the services of live help, however just the
ability to have a conversation with a live representative goes a long
way to make the shopping experience more satisfying and help the
customer feel more secure.

Even though credit card security has come a long way over the
past few years, many people still feel more comfortable
providing credit card information to a live person instead of an
online form. Also, human interaction can increase profits as well
because a live person can effectively cross-sell and up-sell to
your customer.

7. Check on your customers after placing an order.
Thank them a second time for ordering. Solicit your services
should they have questions or problems. Also keep your customers
aware of new offerings via e-mail (but only with their permission).
You’ll give them additional value without their having to return to
your site.

8. Provide a FAQ’s section on your website.
Did you know that more than 80% of all customer questions
are usually answered by just 20% of a support knowledge base.
A frequently asked questions page on your website will
answer their questions before they ask them by allowing your
customers to be self-serving while saving you time and money.

9. Provide a simple search engine on your site. Most internet
users prefer using a site search engine as opposed to
browsing through pages and links to find what they need.
A convenience web surfers always appreciate.

10. Let your customers rate you and your site.
Ask your customers to complete a simple customer service
survey. Keep the survey quick and simple and allow for comments.
Take careful note of what your customers say and work to make
improvements accordingly.

In case you haven’t heard it before, “Customers Make
Paydays Possible”. Provide what they’re looking for, keep
them happy and most importantly, learn from them.

About the Author:

Elizabeth McGee has spent 20 years in the service and support
industry with companies such as Hitachi and National Semiconductor.
Elizabeth has moved her expertise to internet marketing
helping businesses find trusted Marketing Tools, enhance customer service,
build a home business online. Sign up for Elizabeth’s free newsletter at:
http://www.homenotion.com

I recently had the pleasure of motorcycle riding instruction from a friend, Tony, a professional racer. He was an outstanding instructor and provided some great experience-based insight into the more intricate details of motorcycle riding. But, the one thing that stuck in my mind was his comment of “always look where you’re going.” I had always assumed that this is what I did, but I found out that there is a big difference between “watching” and “looking” where you’re going.

If you’re watching where you’re going, then you’re not actually picking a path, but are instead passively allowing the bike to go wherever it wants to go. However, if you look where you’re going along your desired path, then the bike magically follows right where your eyes aim. It you look at a path along the road, you will travel that path. If you look at a tree, then you will hit the tree. Although it seems like common sense, it was actually quite amazing when it was practiced.

It’s kind of funny how this simple instruction on the fundamentals of motorcycle riding actually propagated into life’s little travels as well. You will always go where you look! If you look ahead at a negative outcome then, indeed, you will encounter a negative outcome. However, if you look ahead at the ultimate Vision you desire, then, certainly, you will arrive safely.

Of course, you must always monitor “the other guy” while riding your motorcycle down the road. Indeed, someone won’t see you or, in many cases, won’t care, and simply dart out of nowhere and run you down. As in life, always be on the lookout for the odd little obstacles that appear as they will either stop you cold, or cause you to react and learn from the encounter. Always take each and every encounter, on your bike, and in life, as a lesson in becoming a better rider.

In all cases, it is better to actively look than to simply watch. Never take your eyes off the road, be alert at all times, ensure that your vehicle is in good shape, and take a break when you get tired. By looking, acting, and reacting appropriately, you can ensure your safe travels and a successful arrival at your destination.

About The Author

Edward B. Toupin is an author, publisher, life-strategy coach, counselor, Reiki Master, technical writer, and PhD Candidate living in Las Vegas, NV. Among other things, he authors books, articles, and screenplays on topics ranging from career success through life organization and fulfillment. Check out some of his recent print and electronic books as well as his articles covering various life-changing topics! For more information, and to find out about his upcoming title on book publishing, e-mail Edward at etoupin@toupin.com or visit his site at http://www.toupin.com!

Copyright (c) 2004 Edward B. Toupin