Archive for February, 2008

How a Trip to the Salon Makes Every Girl Beautiful

Friday, February 29th, 2008

By Brian McDonald They say girls go to a salon after a breakup, and theyre right that is, in addition to a regular trim, an occasional treatment, and a drastic, once-in-a-lifetime makeover. And who can blame girls for seeking refuge in a salon? In there, they make girls beautiful; out in the world boyfriends tell them that their hair is a mess, theyre too fat, and so on. That is, in addition to countless shows and ads that glorify the perfect face and the stick figure. On the other hand, beauty parlors work with what you have: they cut layers to enhance the volume of your hair and frame your roundish face, paint your nails to beautify them, and so on. After a breakup it is when a beauty treat is highly recommended. No matter how much time she spends crying inside her room, typhoon hair will never be the fashion when she comes out. And hairdressers never go wrong in blow drying hair. Still, a makeover is also recommended when one has spent enough time lurking the sidelines of dating. Or when one has had enough of being in the sidelines. Girls who havent ventured into the dating scene often hesitate to enter it because they think theyre not pretty or skinny enough. Well thats what these miracle workers are getting bucks for. It only takes a refreshing new hairstyle for a girl to look and feel beautiful. These parlor guys should be given credit for taking care of our physical, and not to mention psychological, well-being. This is perhaps the reason salons cater to pre-daters and post-breakup survivors: aside from gorgeous hair, they give girls what they need the most in the world at some point in time confidence. Every girl yearns to be assured that she is in fact attractive. She needs this to be confident to start dating. She also needs this to finally come out from a weeks hiding under the closet and eating all the chocolates. When the devil said that vanity is his favorite sin, he must have just had his layers updated, his legs waxed, and his nails polished. Brian McDonald writes for DrDating.com a site filled with dating advice and tips about dating, love and relationships. DrDating.com has a huge library of articles about internet dating. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_McDonald http://EzineArticles.com/?How-a-Trip-to-the-Salon-Makes-Every-Girl-Beautiful&id=258100 zolpidem ambien online europe cialis ambien zolpidem targrate ambien over dose

Pizza, French Fries, Beer and Other Diet Foods

Friday, February 29th, 2008

By Nick Nilsson Now this is the real American Dream! Im here to let you know that it is totally possible to lose all the fat you want while eating nothing but junk food. The only hitch is that all the fat you want to lose is going to have to be zero! Here are some tongue-in-cheek (or burger-in-belly) suggestions for how you can turn even the greasiest, sugariest, most overprocessed calorie bomb into lean, mean diet food. How is this done? Heres a hint: its all in how you choose to look at the food… Eat donuts instead of solid pastries. You will be saving a tremendous number of calories by eating something with a hole in the middle. You can save upwards of 3 to 5 calories per pastry by doing this. That means if you eat 10 donuts, youve saved yourself almost 50 calories! Besides, everyone knows nuts are good for you… French fries can help prevent heart attacks. It is a fact that French people suffer fewer heart attacks and have lower rates of heart disease. French fries are obviously from France, therefore it naturally follows that French fries can prevent heart disease. Pizza is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. There are many reasons for this: The bleached flour in the crust sucks up all the grease that drips down from the toppings, trapping it so you dont see it while youre eating. If you dont see it when you eat it, it has no calories. Its round (stay with me here). Because square-shaped foods have corners, they contain a lot more calories than round foods. To save even more calories, cut a hole in the center of the pizza (refer back to #1 for full details). The cheese on the pizza is loaded with calcium - even more than the Tums youre going to need after eating the whole thing. You can easily reduce your servings without sacrificing enjoyment. Instead of cutting the pizza into 8 slices, try cutting it into only 4. Youve just eaten HALF the number of slices you ate before! Imagine how many calories youll save by doing that! Vegetables covered in grease are still vegetables. Never mind that all the nutrition has been baked out of them, youre still getting youre recommended daily servings of veggies. There is plenty of fiber in the paper thats stuck to the bottom of the pizza. Dont be afraid of it. Beer is the absolute best beverage you can drink when youre watching your waistline. It helps to put it right out there in front you where you can see it. Look for foods that have air bubbles in them. Examples include chocolate bars, Twinkies (after you suck the cream filling out), soda pop, sponge cake, and cheese puffs. As you know, air has no calories. Look at these foods as the wrapping for a low-calorie, low-fat serving of air. Putting ketchup on anything makes it healthy. Think about it. Youre getting your vegetables in a concentrated paste. Its like stepping into the future… today!! Here are a number of delicious, zero-calorie foods you may not be aware of: Anything eaten while standing has zero calories. Anything eaten off somebody elses plate has zero calories. Food sampled for “tasting” purposes during preparation has no calories. Food sneaked from someone after you distract them is also calorie-free. Anything eaten after the expiration date contains no calories. Eating ice cream can actually help you burn an enormous amount of calories. The key to this lies in its temperature. Ice cream is very cold. When you eat ice cream, your body must expend energy (a.k.a. calories) to warm it up to your internal body temperature. When you work through the scientific formulas for heat conversion, you can see you will end up expending approximately 6,000 calories to heat up a small dish of ice cream to body temperature. Drinking ice cold beer with your ice cream amplifies this effect. These diet tips should have you well on your way towards effectively peeling off pounds of unsightly fat. Think of me next time youre eating a pizza with french fries and ketchup on top, dunking your donuts in a glass of cold beer, and shoving down Twinkies (with the filling sucked out) mashed into a dish of nice cold ice cream! DISCLAIMER: The preceding information is not medical advice and should not be taken as such. If you feel the urge to take any of this “information” seriously, please lie down until the feeling goes away. Thank you. About The Author Nick Nilsson is Vice President of BetterU, Inc., an online exercise, fitness, and personal training company. Check out his latest eBook “The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of” at http://www.thebestexercises.com or visit http://www.fitstep.com. You can contact him at betteru@fitstep.com or subscribe to BetterU News, his fitness newsletter at betterunews@fitstep.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Nilsson http://EzineArticles.com/?Pizza,-French-Fries,-Beer-and-Other-Diet-Foods&id=32607 veterinary use of ambien ambien drug effect side buy both ambien and phentermine no rx buying ambien online

Quick Cash Loans

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Bailey]Jennifer Bailey Are you in need of emergency cash? Whatever reason you may have for the need, you can avail yourself of quick cash loans. Quick cash loans are paperless and applications can be approved and deposited into your account the next banking day, just in time for your need. Quick cash loans are available paperless and anytime. With the online availability of these types of loans, there is no need to fax in application forms, or to be physically present to sign any documents. Applications can be processed anytime, even during weekends or holidays, and the money can be made available at your convenience. Preparations Before applying for a quick cash loan, prepare the following information to save yourself the time and the trouble: personal information including employment records; recent bank statement or recent check stub; routing number of your bank, usually included in paper checks. The routing number is necessary before the money can be deposited to your account. Requirements To qualify for a loan, you would need to be at least 18 years old, employed for at least working for 6 months and receiving a certain amount for your monthly salary, the usual minimum amount is $ 1,000, and have an existing checking account for at least 90 days. Approval Submitting these requirements, approval can be processed within minutes, and loan is not dependent on your financial history. As long as you can prove your capacity to repay the loan, approval is almost guaranteed. Especially for amounts between $ 500 and $ 1,000, application tends to be easy. Once approved, the money would be transferred electronically within the next banking day. Payments Payments are handled automatically as per your instructions. It can be deducted directly from your account, for the whole amount, part of the principal amount or pay only the charges. Flexible and affordable payment plans are available for your convenience. [http://www.i-CashLoans.com]Cash Loans provides detailed information on Cash Loans, No Credit Check Cash Loans, Quick Cash Loans, Payday Cash Loans and more. Cash Loans is affiliated with [http://www.i-CashAdvanceLoans.com]Quick Cash Advance Loans. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Bailey http://EzineArticles.com/?Quick-Cash-Loans&id=251529 ativan 2 mg ativan generic ambien or lunestarozerem zolpidem

2 Ways to Start Burning fat Quickly

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

By Adrian Bryant 1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning. As soon as you wake up in the morning workout for at least 30min to an hour. Studies show that working out in the morning has been shown to burn up to 3x as more fat as opposed to working out at any other time during the day. Heres Why: During the day your bodys main source of energy is the carbohydrates that you get from eating your meals. As you sleep at night for 6+ hours your body uses up all those carbohydrates as energy for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning your body doesnt have any carbohydrates as energy to use and it will look to burn body fat instead for energy. For you to take advantage of this morning fat burning opportunity you have to exercise first thing in the morning. Dont eat breakfast because if you do youll just give your body some carbohydrates as a source of energy instead of the body fat that you want to burn for energy. Another great thing about working out first thing in the morning is that your metabolism gets revved up after your morning workout. Morning workouts keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day. An elevated metabolism throughout the day only means that youll burn more calories and lose more weight. If you workout at night you may still burn fat while you workout but as soon as you go to sleep your metabolism will slow down and youll miss out on all the extra fat that you can burn during the day if you had exercised in the morning. When you sleep your metabolic rate is always at its slowest. Other reasons why its good to exercise first thing in the morning is that you get the workout out of the way, and working out in the morning will also reduce your level of stress throughout the day. Advanced Tip: Want to burn even more fat? Add another workout to your daily routine 4-6 hours after your morning workout. Keep your already high metabolism higher by adding a 2nd workout during the day. If you’re seriously thinking about adding a 2nd workout to your daily routine then try to do your cardio workouts in the morning. Mostly fat calories are burned doing cardio at a moderate intensities. Make your 2nd workout of the day a workout with weights. Mostly carbohydrate is burned doing weight-training workouts. The muscle that you build from weight training will also help you burn fat. 1lb of Muscle burns 50 calories a day or 1lb of fat every 70 days. Not only will you be burning more calories, youll look better whatever your weight is. 2. Eat Breakfast Another way to keep your metabolism revved up all day long is to eat breakfast. After you workout in the morning as discussed earlier, just have breakfast and youll give your body the perfect 1-2 combination to jump start your metabolism. Eating breakfast in the morning is what gets your metabolism started. Dont skip breakfast and wait until mid-morning or afternoon to eat, your metabolism will run slower causing you not burn any extra fat. Think about this way-Your metabolism is a fireplace thatll burn fat all day long for you if you operate it correctly. When you eat breakfast you are basically throwing a log onto that fireplace to get it started burning fat. Eating breakfast will help stop those cravings you may have later on in the day and along with working out in the morning, eating breakfast will also keep you energized throughout the day and lower stress levels. Advanced Tip: Instead of eating only 2 more meals during the day like lunch & dinner, try to eat 4-5 more small mini-meals spaced 2-3 hours apart during the day. Remember the fireplace? By eating these mini-meals you’ll be throwing just the right amount of “wood” on the fireplace to keep your metabolism burning calories throughout the day. Don’t shut down your metabolism by eating big lunches or dinners, keep that metabolism of yours burning fat all day long. Morning Checklist 1. Workout for at least 30min after waking up in the morning 2. Eat a healthy breakfast 3. Burn fat & lose more weight during the day Use these 2 tips to reveal that six-pack, fit into that dress for an upcoming event like a wedding or reunion, or to impress that special someone. Whatever your fitness goal is these 2 tips above will surely help you reach them. Adrian Bryant is a Personal Trainer and creator of NowLoss: The World’s Best Weight Loss Program. Be sure to check out his web site at http://www.nowloss.com. Adrian Bryant has helped many people reach their fitness goals in his 10+ years of personal training. Adrian holds a B.S. degree in Exercise science from Longwood University. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adrian_Bryant http://EzineArticles.com/?2-Ways-to-Start-Burning-fat-Quickly&id=5761 dnipnet online online ambien zolpidem drug interaction lorazepam buy ambien cod accepted ambien for coma

Meet The New Minister: It’s You

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

By Michael Tummillo What do you think of when you hear the word “minister”? Many will think of a man standing behind a pulpit, preaching, stomping, shouting or droning on and on in hopes that somebody in the congregation is actually “getting it.” Part of man’s Adamic nature is our human need to follow someone we can see, hear, and touch. In 1 Samuel 8:1-9, we read how the elders of Israel desired to have a king like all the other nations. They already had a King - God Himself -and were the only theocratic nation in world history. But they wanted a man that they could elect and un-elect, impeach, maybe even assassinate, who knows? They were forgetting that kings aren’t elected, they are born from the lineage of other kings. Samuel spoke to God about what is was they wanted and God agreed, telling Samuel to warn them that their king would take their sons and daughters and servants and tax them silly. Despite this, they still chose to go with an earthly king and wound up with Saul, one of the worst kings anybody could have asked for. Fast forward to the city of Corinth where those who were supposedly now followers of Jesus Christ received a letter from an apostle named Paul. These Corinthians, when they heard the word “minister,” probably envisioned a bigshot traveling preacher, an eloquent speaker whose knowledge of Scripture was most impressive. Division had come to the Church in Corinth and had some saying, “I am of Paul; I am of Apollos; I am of Cephas.” Men were, once again, bowing to their Adamic nature, giving in to their carnality and allowing dissension to set in as quarreling factions gathered around mere men. Paul attempted to point out the danger and the overall weakness of their actions, and now he tries to correct their perspective by writing: “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy [or faithful]. (1 Cor 4:1-2) RENEWING OUR MINDS TO THE TRUTH Paul saw the importance of the Church viewing God’s ministers in the right light. PLEASE! When you hear the term “minister,” abandon the notion of the traditional concept of a full-time paid spiritual employee who is kept around to do the preaching, the teaching, the counseling and manage the spiritual corporations we call “church.” Unfortunately, this is the widespread concept of what a minister is. This modern was, of course, totally unknown to the early Church and is not represented anywhere in the Bible. The concept of a Lone Pastor is an unbiblical imposition that has only come into the Church within the past 250 years. On the other hand, a minister of Christ in the New Testament Church was ANYONE who by virtue of a gift of the Spirit was a preacher or a teacher of the Word of God. That is what Paul is referring to. The Bible teaches that every child of God is a priest and there is but one high priest, Jesus Christ. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, and a people claimed by God for his own, to proclaim the triumphs of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. You are now the people of God, who once were not his people; outside his mercy once, you have now received his mercy” (1 Peter 2:9,10). The word “people” is actually a translation of “laos” from which we get the word “laity” All of God’s laity are priests. In other words, the royal priesthood is composed entirely of the laity of God. Let’s go a step further in stating that God’s laity IS His clergy. The word “clergy” is from “kleros” which means “heritage.” This is the word used in 1 Peter 5:3 where the elders are instructed not to lord it over God’s heritage (kleros). This heritage is equated with the Body of Christ. Scripture knows nothing of either clergymen or laymen. In fact, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans was mentioned in the Apocalypse of John to the churches of Pergamos and Ephasus in Revelation 2. It is a symbolic name of a party that represents the hierarchy of a ruling class over the rest of the people, developing a pecking order of fleshly leadership. Jesus hates this and warns the people to repent or else “I will come upon you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” the word “Nicolaitans is made up of Nikao, meaning “to conquer,” and Laos, meaning “the people.” The Lord was not impressed. Often, when I minister to different denominations and groups of The Church, I try to get the listeners to embrace this concept. After all, it’s critical; we’re talking about THEM, the Priesthood of Believers. I might say something like, “I may have a license to marry and bury, but that is the ONLY difference between us.” In the eyes of God, THEY are every bit the minister that I am. It grieves my Spirit when I hear of things like “Monday is Pastor Appreciation Day” or attend a function where special reverence is paid to the attending ministers. If we only realized what we are doing to those whom we exalt as “Pastor” of the flock. Following are some statistics about pastors. These statistics came from across denominational lines, and have been gleaned from various reliable sources such as Pastor to Pastor, Focus on the Family, Ministries Today, Charisma Magazine, TNT Ministries, Campus Crusade for Christ and the Global Pastors Network. WARNING: It isn’t pretty so hang on to your pews! Regarding Pastors… Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout or contention in their churches. Four thousand new churches begin each year, but over seven thousand churches close. Fifty percent of pastors’ marriages will end in divorce. Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors. Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living. Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years. Ninety percent of pastors said their seminary or Bible school training did only a fair to poor job preparing them for ministry. Eighty-five percent of pastors said their greatest problem is they are sick and tired of dealing with problem people, such as disgruntled elders, deacons, worship leaders, worship teams, board members, and associate pastors. Ninety percent said the hardest thing about ministry is dealing with uncooperative people. Seventy percent of pastors feel grossly underpaid. Ninety percent said the ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be before they entered the ministry. Seventy percent felt God called them to pastoral ministry before their ministry began, but after three years of ministry, only fifty percent still felt called. Regarding Pastors’ Wives… Eighty percent of pastors’ spouses feel their spouse is overworked. Eighty percent of pastor’ wives feel left out and unappreciated by the church members. Eighty percent of pastors’ spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession. Eighty percent of pastors’ wives feel pressured to do things and be something in the church that they are really not. The majority of pastor’s wives surveyed said that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry. Regarding Pastors’ Marriages… Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression. Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry. Regarding Pastors’ Children… Eighty percent of adult children of pastors surveyed have had to seek professional help for depression. Folks, we’re killing these people, destroying lives, insisting that they fit a mold for which no human being was EVER intended. Just as the Children of Israel waited for Moses to descend from the mountain with God’s Word, we, too, expect our “pastor” to give us this week’s Word from the Lord - and we pay him to do so - when each of us is a part of this Kingdom of priests and kings. ARE YOU A MINISTER, OR NOT? Yes, every Christian is a minister. As with anything else, some of us take this responsibility more seriously than others. How is the Church to view these people? Do we refer to them by special, unbiblical titles? The apostle says, “We want you to look at us as servants of Christ.” The word for servant is the Greek word huperetes. This literally means “an under-rower.” What’s that? The Corinthians knew. Their city was where the warships of Rome sailed through en route to the sea. The Corinthians knew that the lowest deck of these boats was made of single rows of benches on both sides of the ship. That’s where the rowers sat. On a little deck raised up ABOVE them all, so that each rower could see him, was the captain of the ship. The rowers - or under-rowers - would row according to his orders. That explains why Paul chose that word to describe those who are teachers, preachers and ministers of the Word of God within the Body of Christ. Maybe that’s why an old-time preacher I knew said, “If you are rowing the boat, you won’t be rocking it.” When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, and Pilate asked him if he were a king, Jesus said, “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants [huperetes, or under-rowers] would fight,” (John 18:36). In other words, “If My kingdom were of this world, I’d tell my subjects to fight you and they would obey Me.” This same word is used again in the account of Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. They took with them a young man named John Mark to be their “minister” (huperetes, or under-rower). Did that mean that he was to be in charge of prayer meetings and Bible studies? Actually, it meant that he was the one who would carry their bags, run errands, and do what they required of him for the sake of the Kingdom. Paul was essentially saying to the Corinthians, “Here is what we want you to think about us as ministers; We are not seeking followers but are making disciples. We are not big-shots but humble servants of Christ, “under-rowers” with our eyes fixed on Him, our Captain. We try to say and do what He commands us to say and do by His Spirit that dwells within us. THAT is all we what we want you to think about us as we minister here.” They weren’t Board members, nor were they servants of a congregation, any single member of the Church, or any denomination. They were servants of Christ. In fact, Paul says in Galatians, 1:10, “If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ.” Instead, they would say and do what the Father told them to say and do, just as Jesus did - the One who declared “I do as the Father has commanded Me,” (John 14:31) and “By myself I can do nothing,” (John 5:30). This is what a servant of Christ - an under-rower - must do, also. My responsibility, and yours, as priests and kings, is to say and do what God says and tells us to do. ALL of us. As Karl Ketcherside wrote in his book “Let My People Go:” “Our greatest source of power is not in the pulpit but in the lives of those in the pews. We must meet the challenge of making every man of God a man of might. We must use our meetinghouses, not for parading profound pulpiteers, but for training soldiers in spiritual combat. We have moved the battlefield into the mess hall and our brethren spend their time fighting each other. Let us discover and utilize the tremendous power in the priesthood of all believers, a power that is all too often siphoned off down the drain of disuse and discouragement.” —————————————————————- Every blessing, Michael Tummillo A servant of God www.YourTown4Jesus.org REMEMBER…the deadline for REGISTRATION for the North Central Texas House Church Conference is THIS SATURDAY, JAN 20th at 5PM!!! Hit REPLY and type “CONF” in your Subject bar. Please provide the full names of all who will attend with you as well as the ages of any children. SEATING IS LIMITED! Registrations are REQUIRED! ABOUT THE AUTHOR His mission is to bring Discipleship and Encouragement to the Body of Christ. Since ‘99, he has broadcast over 600 inspirational articles and a dozen booklets on subjects sure to interest the thinking Christian and accelerate the process of spiritual development. He is the founder of t.e.a.m. ministries. An Author, Pastoral Counselor and Teacher, his eMail broadcasts, known as “Your Town for Jesus” are read around the globe. Subscribe at team1min@our-town.com.comA licensed/ordained minister, a Certified Workplace Chaplain, and a Professional Member of NIBIC, he has ministered in Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Baptist, Disciples of Christ, College and Cowboy churches. He is the Workplace Chaplain for a Texas firm, overseeing the Spiritual Development of over 500 employees at ten facilities throughout the state. He is a strong advocate for the House Church Movement, readily available to assist Christians feeling that same inclination. A Speaker on the Christian Speaker Network, he may be available to speak to your church or Christian group. 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Revolt of the Scholars

Monday, February 25th, 2008

By Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. http://www.realsci.com/ Scindex’s Instant Publishing Service is about empowerment. The price of scholarly, peer-reviewed journals has skyrocketed in the last few years, often way out of the limited means of libraries, universities, individual scientists and scholars. A “scholarly divide” has opened between the haves (academic institutions with rich endowments and well-heeled corporations) and the haves not (all the others). Paradoxically, access to authoritative and authenticated knowledge has declined as the number of professional journals has proliferated. This is not to mention the long (and often crucial) delays in publishing research results and the shoddy work of many under-paid and over-worked peer reviewers. The Internet was suppose to change all that. Originally, a computer network for the exchange of (restricted and open) research results among scientists and academics in participating institutions - it was supposed to provide instant publishing, instant access and instant gratification. It has delivered only partially. Preprints of academic papers are often placed online by their eager authors and subjected to peer scrutiny. But this haphazard publishing cottage industry did nothing to dethrone the print incumbents and their avaricious pricing. The major missing element is, of course, respectability. But there are others. No agreed upon content or knowledge classification method has emerged. Some web sites (such as Suite101) use the Dewey decimal system. Others invented and implemented systems of their making. Additionally, one click publishing technology (such as Webseed’s or Blogger’s) came to be identified strictly to non-scholarly material: personal reminiscences, correspondence, articles and news. Enter Scindex and its Academic Resource Channel. Established by academics and software experts from Bulgaria, it epitomizes the tearing down of geographical barriers heralded by the Internet. But it does much more than that. Scindex is a whole, self-contained, stand-alone, instant self-publishing and self-assembly system. Self-publishing systems do exist (for instance, Purdue University’s) - but they incorporate only certain components. Scindex covers the whole range. Having (freely) registered as a member, a scientist or a scholar can publish their papers, essays, research results, articles and comments online. They have to submit an abstract and use Sciendex’s classification (”call”) numbers and science descriptors, arranged in a massive directory available in the “RealSci Locator”. The Locator can be also downloaded and used off-line and its is surprisingly user-friendly. The submission process itself is totally automated and very short. The system includes a long series of thematic journals. These journals self-assemble, in accordance with the call numbers selected by the submitters. An article submitted with certain call numbers will automatically be included in the relevant journals. The fly in the ointment is the absence of peer review. As the system moves from beta to commercialization, Scindex intends to address this issue by introducing a system of incentives and inducements. Reviewers will be granted “credit points” to be applied against the (paid) publication of their own papers, for instance. Scindex is the model of things to come. Publishing becomes more and more automated and knowledge-orientated. Peer reviewed papers become more outlandishly expensive and irrelevant. Scientists and scholars are getting impatient and rebellious. The confluence of these three trends spells - at the least - the creation of a web based universe of parallel and alternative scholarly publishing. About The Author Sam Vaknin is the author of “Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited” and “After the Rain - How the West Lost the East”. He is a columnist in “Central Europe Review”, United Press International (UPI) and ebookweb.org and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory, Suite101 and searcheurope.com. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia. His web site: http://samvak.tripod.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Vaknin,_Ph.D. http://EzineArticles.com/?Revolt-of-the-Scholars&id=29177 ambien dosage lethal cialis ambien lorazepam 1mg tablets ambien qoclick shop

Entrepreneurs - What Can You Learn From Dolly About Managing Your Customers?

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

By Lee Lister Dolly Parton is a very recognizable business women. She has built an international multi dollar business from her great singing voice. As she is so popular her entertainment shows get popular but she still manages to get everyone in happy! What can we learn from the way she does business? Well let’s have a look at the Dolly Parton Dinner Show experience and my visit there one Christmas. The dinner show is based in Orlando, Florida on the major junction before you turn off for Disney and as close to Disney property as possible. * The excellent positioning of the very large show building (in the shape of a large barn) on the main highway and major Orlando Vacation area junction, complete with large flashing signs, show times and telephone number that you can see from a long way away and as you line up to exit for Disney. * There were two shows that evening and as people flowed out clutching their souvenirs (glasses, flag etc.), we flowed in. The car park was large enough to manage cars, vans, taxies and coaches without getting choked up and the shows swapped over quickly and efficiently. Well if we translate this into business marketing terms we learn: * Positioning is always important - brick or click put yourself in the best possible position that you can afford. If you have a store or office - establish yourself where you can be found and are visible by the passerby. If you have a web site then make sure that you have good prominent links on as many major web sites as you can afford/get. This includes Google, Yahoo, MSN etc, but also look around for directories etc. * Make sure that your contact details are easily found in your store or office, your marketing materials, your letters, your email and your web site. People feel more confident in dealing with you, they can order easily and can ask any questions that are stopping them from currently ordering. * Make sure that visiting your store or site and purchasing is an efficient, comfortable and quick experience. No waiting in long lines, no insecure payment areas, no waiting to get the product or service and definitely no surprising extra costs as you get to the check out counter. * If you have a web site make sure that you have enough bandwidth to handle your customers and answer your emails within a few hours. * If you have a retail or office environment - ensure that you have sufficient parking and a large enough office or store that can be easily found from the car park. Hope that the above has given you plenty to think about. Good Luck. ————————————————- Copyright 2007 Biz Guru Services Ltd Lee Lister, writes as The Biz Guru, for a number of web sites including http://www.clikks.com where she sells her informational products. With over 20 years management and business consultancy experience with businesses large and small as well as being a serial entrepreneur, she now helps others set up, develop and market their businesses. If you want to learn more about Successfully Branding your business: http://www.brandusp.com This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached. ————————————————- Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Lister http://EzineArticles.com/?Entrepreneurs—What-Can-You-Learn-From-Dolly-About-Managing-Your-Customers?&id=477573 gebruik zolpidem 10 ambien mg international no script ambien buy lorazepam online

Marketing - Building Client And Referral Communities

Wednesday, February 20th, 2008

By Alexander Gordon Most of the organizations spend colossal amount on getting business. Specialist marketers, professional spokesperson, excessive campaigning are just few of the ingredients deployed to earn those difficult clients. However what is ignored in the present stiff times of competition is the effort required to sustain them over a period of time. Marketing departments more than tend to underrate the importance of holding on to the existing client base. What is not understood here is the fact that service providers are many, products are endless it is the quality of product and the manner of providing the same that makes the difference. Perhaps this is a reason behind the presence of intermediaries in any deal. The actual producers at times are too nave to market and the professional who grasp the inside focus of attracting and retaining makes the buck in the deal. Just consider a scenario where youve paid double the price for the same food in a 5 star property as against a small restaurant nearby. The key difference is again inherent in the serving style and the courtesies extended by the staff. They lure you into sweet talks and ensure that you want to be back and relive the wonderful experience. This is the magic of client building! There is no point producing if you can not sell. The tagline for successful marketing is to build clients. Remember there is no 100 % solution yet there are some tips that could help: Few Tips at a Glance: Listen and do the spadework i.e. understand your clients requirements before pitching. Stay in touch i.e. makes sure that you do not lose your base. Send regular reminders, advertisement pamphlets, cards or mementos on special occasions to enable a top of the mind recall. Establish a relationship by imparting a customized product to the extent possible. Do not ignore older clients as new ones are added. Remember competitors are sitting to pounce as and when a situation permits. Satisfy a need or as goes sell moments and not a camera. Organize get together for your selected special clients and let them know that you care. Start special membership packages or discount schemes for older client base. Building Clients and Generating Referrals:You would be amazed to see the results of one loyal relationship towards your brand. One happy customer can do far more good for you than many new customers together can. It is better to heed the one in hand rather than two in bush. The kind of publicity as rendered by a happy customer can yield more foot fall than any other form of marketing. The entire concept of referral building and generating business through contacts is based upon the word of mouth, which if positive would certainly convert into fast returns. Getting a new client is a difficult task but even more tedious is the exercise required to sustain them which if done promises the desired growth. So while you invest so much in marketing, focus on the already existing clients and earn through positive referral communities. Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business. Business Owners all across the country are joining “The Community of Small Business Owners to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Gordon http://EzineArticles.com/?Marketing—Building-Client-And-Referral-Communities&id=389266 phentermine adipex pharmacy can i buy phentermine online where can you buy phentermine buy phentermine diet pill

Market Research

Monday, February 18th, 2008

By Sandro Azzopardi What makes a market research survey a good survey? There is no simple answer to this question, and it is not one aspect, but various aspects together that make for a good piece of research. Indeed, market research is very much a balancing act where the researcher often has to deal with decisions that have conflicting consequences. The researcher needs to balance out the various elements to ensure that much of what is gained on the swings is not lost on the roundabouts. This, after all, is what the research process is all about, and involves a dedicated attempt at reducing error, in the knowledge that one can never eliminate error completely. Many devote much attention to sampling issues yet paper over questionnaire issues that are often a much larger source of error. This article starts by looking at two important sampling issues and then proceeds to consider two other issues in questionnaire design that often receive scant attention. Sampling Concerns Whenever one is asked to undertake research, one of the first issues that tends to crop up is that of sample size. At least two aspects need to be highlighted in sample size considerations. First, are the results of the sample to be generalised to an entire population? This sounds like a trivial question and a somewhat shocked ‘of course’ refrain is to be expected. However, the corollary to this is, with what degree of accuracy and confidence do you want this to happen? Here lies the rub because these are researcher or management decisions and on this basis one can justify a wide range of sample sizes! In fact, more often than not, statistical considerations for sample size determination are of secondary importance. A more relevant question to ask for sample size determination is perhaps what is the intended use of the findings? Will they be used to make a critical decision; as part of a PR exercise; or is it just a case of a ‘nice to know’ situation? Only the first objective is likely to require a representative sample. However, irrespective of sample size it is very desirable that a random sample is collected as this allows for statistical analysis of the data. Any random sample, even if the sample is not generalisable, can be analysed statistically. Moreover, there is nothing wrong with findings from a sample that are not generalisable as long as the conclusions are clearly bounded by the limitations of the sample. A second aspect concerning sample size that is useful to consider relates to what type of analysis it is intended to undertake with the data collected, so as to answer your research question or questions. The size of the sample may seriously limit what analysis is possible to undertake. Different research issues or models will demand different statistical analytical tools and different sample size requirements to ensure the robustness of the analysis. For example, a multiple stage model involving constructs or concepts affecting another concept or concepts that in tum affect some other concept would require a particular analytical technique like structural equation modelling. Such models are by no means far fetched and represent the type of situation encountered in trying to understand consumer decision making processes. Often they are best handled with structural equation modelling that has its own sample size requirement irrespective of generalisability issues. Indeed too large a sample may give a wrong answer because the statistical technique may be oversensitive with large samples. This may sound a little daunting if all the research that one has come across consists of percentages. But, there is more to good research than percentages. Indeed, percentage type analysis and results are often the outcomes of a decision the researcher would have made about the data collection employed in the questionnaire used. Pitfalls of Questionnaire Development There is no doubt that sample size has its importance in the research process but there is much more to be concerned about besides issues of sample size. Let me start by dispelling one myth that always sends a shiver up my spine. This is the idea that anybody can sit down and write a good questionnaire. Yes of course anybody can put together a questionnaire and there is nothing stopping anyone using it either. The emphasis in my statement is however is on a good questionnaire. Since this is not the place to go into the intricacies of questionnaire development, I will only underline two aspects to show how much is often overlooked. I will start by first highlighting how one goes about seeking to capture a concept when designing a questionnaire. What a researcher is often trying to do when conducting market or management research is to capture something that resides in the respondent’s mind or black box as it is sometimes called. It is by no means an easy feat and is often not likely to be achieved by simply asking a single question. A useful analogy is of the lecturer trying to capture student knowledge about a subject. A lecturer would normally seek to determine student knowledge by asking more than one question to capture the knowledge concept. If one asks a student just one question one may have hit the one area that the student just did not study. However, if one asks a couple of questions on different aspects of knowledge the student was supposed to have learned and it turns up dry then one is far safer in drawing conclusions about the student’s knowledge. An analogous multi-question procedure is similarly worthwhile to pursue in questionnaire development to capture concepts like service quality, loyalty, etc., that are similarly resident in the respondent’s black box. Therefore a basic principle in questionnaire design is for the researcher to ask a battery of questions to capture each of the intended concepts. A related issue concerns the type of data that is collected by each question in a questionnaire or research instrument, as it is often called. In simple terms it is often sensible to avoid the yes/no type of questions as these are generally simplistic, not good at capturing constructs and limit what statistical analysis and testing one can or cannot undertake. Wherever possible it is useful to use scales as these allow for more capture of variance, wider statistical analysis and testing and ultimately more useful conclusions. A second important aspect to do with questionnaires concerns issues of validity and reliability of the research instrument. This is one aspect that often receives limited attention, yet it is a major source of error. Throughout I have used the terms research instrument and questionnaires interchangeably because in the social sciences and in management research, questionnaires are our instruments and are equivalent to the thermometers, spectrometers and what have you that are used in the physical sciences. Like these instruments, our questionnaires must meet two basic requirements - they must be valid and reliable. Using the thermometer idea, the user of such an instrument would want to be confident that it provides the same reading when used among healthy individuals and therefore the instrument can be said to be reliable. In addition, you want to be sure that it is valid and is measuring what it is supposed to be measuring which in this example is clearly temperature. That a thermometer measures temperature is fairly self-evident but this aspect is not always so clear. Using the earlier example of testing student knowledge it could be argued that rather than capture knowledge, the instrument used in the form of tests and exams are really capturing the student’s recall ability. This is a legitimate validity concern. Validity and reliability appear trivial in the case of the thermometer but less so in the case of tests to capture student knowledge and far less so when the researcher is seeking to capture marketing or management constructs. Here, concepts like service quality, value, satisfaction, loyalty and so on, are demanding to conceptualise and to convert to questionnaires (termed operationalisation). Testing for validity and reliability is often limited in much of the commercial research that one encounters, however it is critical if worthwhile conclusions and directions for management decision making are to be indicated. Both validity and reliability can be tested statistically and supported if they are within established parameters of acceptance. Indeed validity is not an absolute but a question of degree. Some questionnaires are more valid than others. Yet, many are neither valid nor reliable, rendering any conclusions drawn from the data dubious. Developing a good questionnaire to capture a concept, be that concept brand personality, service quality or one of the many other concepts we use in marketing and management, is often a full Ph.D. dissertation. It requires pursuing a demanding process involving more than one data collection exercise allowing for the testing of the questions used to capture the concept of interest, as well as the testing and retesting of the instrument’s reliability and different aspects of its validity. I have seen too many questionnaires that seek to capture constructs by asking one or a few ‘off the head’ questions. Such an approach is hardly a solid basis for strong and meaningful data capture, analyses and recommendations for decision making by management. This article has sought to highlight some of the complexities that are papered over and that can introduce considerable error. Many show extreme concern over sample size issues and pay little attention to questionnaire issues that are often a much larger source of error. Rigorous research is undoubtedly challenging. Yet, faced with what at first hand may seem like insurmountable complexity, determination is required to avoid sliding back into doubtful past practices. If one is to spend time, money or both on research this is an appeal to use tried and tested instruments and invest some effort in undertaking analysis that goes beyond the provision of a few percentages. Done properly, survey research represents an indispensable tool that can provide useful inputs to management’s decision making process. Sandro Azzopardi is a professional author who writes several articles on various subjects on his web site and local newspapers and magazines. You can visit information about this article and others on: http://www.theinfopit.com/society/research/marketresearch-1.php Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandro_Azzopardi http://EzineArticles.com/?Market-Research&id=325604 buy phentermine with out a prescription direct pharmacy phentermine buy phentermine online with no prescription generic phentermine no prescription

Conquer Depression by Taking Back Your Power

Saturday, February 16th, 2008

By Cathy Valone I want to share my story in the hope of saving others from going through what my family and I have endured. It is about giving people the knowledge they need to make the right choices in order to heal. In 1998 when I was 32, I was misdiagnosed with depression. I was going through a very rough time in my life and went to a therapist who I thought could help me work through this difficult time. This therapist told me I had depression, sent me to a psychiatrist, who prescribed the first of nine different antidepressants I would take from 1998 until October 2006, along with three different medications for insomnia. The problem (that too many people and even doctors are not aware of) is these drugs can cause and worsen depression. I went from doctor to doctor for years looking for help and was always told the same thing, Your depression is getting worse, you need to try or add another drug. After each antidepressant I tried, I kept feeling worse; I went from struggling through a rough time in my life to my body becoming so mentally and physically out of balance I experienced the following: overcome with a dreadful sense of doom, could not leave the house, unable to concentrate, no motivation, lack of contentment, couldnt function doing everyday tasks, insomnia, extremely sad (I cried all the time), everything was overwhelming, sick to my stomach (I had no appetite, nausea), digestive problems, very achy muscles, started waking up in the middle of the night and morning in a panic (sweating, my heart would be racing, I felt very scared). I didn’t want to try and get through one more day, the only reason I did not swallow a bunch of pills was because I truly feel God gave us all the gift of life and it is not up to us to take it away. I did go to bed praying I would not wake up the next day; the feelings were unbearable. My life became painful and empty of any pleasure. I did not want to live anymore. In August of 2006 I realized that I was misdiagnosed while reading a book by Dr. Peter Breggin The Antidepressant Fact Book. This book warned of the dangers of antidepressants. I showed the book to my M.D. and by October 2006 was weaned off the antidepressants. I was also seeing a natural doctor who helped me get my body back into balance which I feel is very important and highly recommend. I thought after weaning off the drugs and seeing my natural doctor I would gradually start to feel better, and I did, somewhat. But I was still crying myself to sleep many nights, still overcome with a feeling of doom, it was hard to function doing everyday tasks, I felt very overwhelmed by everything. I was hopeless, it seemed as though I would never find anyone who could help me. I realized I had a lot of anger inside me, at the doctors and at myself for believing them. I also had years and years of negative conditioning inside me. When you have experienced so much pain for so long, it becomes easier to focus on the negative than to be positive. You forget how to think and feel positive. In my case, that was only strengthened by the words the psychiatrist who misdiagnosed me said, You just may never be happy. My hope came when I found Patrick Wanis. I read one of his pocket books and decided to contact him. From the first time we spoke, Patrick had a profound effect on me. He did more for me in our first phone consultation then all the therapists/counselors I had previously been to combined. He helped me get rid of the anger and taught me how to become more positive by using the power we all have inside us. He not only gave me the tools to heal, he showed me how to use them. I still struggle with the affects of being misdiagnosed but Patrick Wanis gave me hope and showed me how to get my life back. The change in me was so noticeable, a friend of mine who was going through an extremely difficult time decided to have a phone consultation with Patrick. After her first consultation she called me and said, In six years of therapy nobody has helped me as much as Patrick Wanis. Most people are not given other options to heal, they are hastily given antidepressants drugs that can cause and worsen the symptoms they are seeking help for. I do not want to give the impression everyone who takes antidepressants is wrong, but I would like to know how many of them are aware antidepressants can cause depression, do they know how many people are misdiagnosed and do they know how many people there are like me, whose lives were devastated by these drugs. How many are aware of Patrick Wanis, who can get to the core issues and teach them how to get better by using the power we all have inside us. I want to share my story to give people the knowledge to make the right choice on the best way for them to heal. I did not have choices because I wasnt given the knowledge and had to live through years of pain and emptiness. I do not want someone else to go through the same thing. It scares and saddens me that in our society it is becoming more and more common for a doctor/therapist/counselor to tell us we need a pill to feel better. Sometimes life throws situations at us that are overwhelming, hard to deal with and we need help getting through them, thats ok. But we need to feel the grief, anger, frustration, sadness and work through them in order to truly heal and have the knowledge to make the right choice. If someone wants to hastily prescribe a pill, they cant help you find someone who can. Wishing you a life filled with Peace and Happiness, Cathy Valone cvglobal@yahoo.com Please visit Patrick Wanis website at http://patrickwanis.com/index.asp Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cathy_Valone http://EzineArticles.com/?Conquer-Depression-by-Taking-Back-Your-Power&id=504012 order phentermine online cod phentermine online physicians and pharmacy phentermine online no prior prescription phentermine no prescription next day