Beauty should be in the eyes of the beholder

By : Jan brunkco
Marilyn Monroe had six toes. Connie stiler also has six toes ... Which fact do you find more interesting? My guess is it's Marilyn, and thats mostly because she was packaged (and still is) as a model of stunning beauty, desire and perfection. Yet, the truth is that Marilyn was not perfect by the very standards of the business that convinced everyone that she was the woman men wanted or that women had to look like to BE wanted. Still, most believed it then, and continue to believe this fantasy today.

Ever heard the old saying "If I want your opinion I'll give it to you"? Well, the fashion, beauty and Ad media industries are constantly presenting appealing ads to every man, woman and child hoping to giving us our opinion of what beauty is. And the truly sad thing is most people accept this lofy standard, putting an incredible amount of pressure on people to be "perfect" and "desirable" 24/7.

Remember this commercial? Mabey you don't remember this one in particular, but they all pretty much follow the same format ... A very pretty woman smiles at a man, obviously interested in him, and he smiles back only to realize she has a flake of dandruff on her shoulder! He walks away totally turned off now. Why? Because she didn't meet the advertiser's (and yours, if you buy it) standards for beauty. Does this seem reasonable to you? Or does it seem like a snobbish, self-centered and "holier-than-thou" attitude for a person to have?

Consider this ... If you accept big business's standards of beauty created to sell thier products, then you are isolating yourself from most of the population of the world. If you try to live up to a profit generated opinion of what is beautiful, then you have set yourself up to fail. For proof of this, just check out the tragic lives and failed relationships of the world's most beautiful, admired entertainers and models.


Here is something else to think about ... Do you know the definition of brainwashing? No, it's not a new surgical procedure! Brainwashing means: "Inducing a person to modify his or her beliefs, attitudes, or behavior by conditioning through various forms of pressure."

So, how does the ad agencies and big business pressure us into modifying our beliefs, attitudes or behavior? Lets say ads start coming out on tv, radio, print all over the world, and these ads are constantly implying that if you do not own this product, you can't be popular, desired or accepted. As more and more people accept the ad's conditioning, the pressure builds for the rest of us to conform or be isolated from the crowd.

I'm sure as a child, and growing into adulthood, you've experienced some conditioning to modify your beliefs, attitudes, or behavior because of this kind of peer pressure. We all want to fit in and be accepted, so we may change our beliefs to conform to the majority despite that it may be uncomfortable. Even when it's uncomfortable in a physical way! Females can understand this ... extremely tight clothes, high heels, bras, makeup and the incredible pressure to always be "beautiful".


Reality ... What a concept: The truth is, Nobody on this planet has ever been, nor ever will attain big business's standard of what is beautiful, and trying to live up to someone else's standards of beauty causes far more problems for generations to come than it is worth. The simple fact that you are alive, and able to think makes you a beautiful and interesting person, not what you wear. And all of the things that make someone beautiful are the things that come from within a person. Big business and the ad agencies cannot create and sell love, kindness, understanding or attractive personalities. Only you can, and it doesn't cost you a dime.

It comes down to this .. Enhance, decorate and discover what makes you beautiful as a person from within and then your REAL beauty will shine in the eyes of ALL beholders.

Author Resource:- Jan Michaels is truly in love with the truth. When not writing myth busting articles, he doesn't do much of anything really important, unless feeding the cat counts.
You can see more of his musings or various and sundry humorous items at: http://www.brunkc.com

How-To Choose and Use an Online Homeschool Curriculum

By : Amy Wells
As a parent who has chosen homeschooling as the best educational option for your child, online curriculum resources can be an important component of your children's education. If you have an Internet connection and consistent access to a computer, there are many online tools that will help you provide your child with the skills they need. An online homeschool curriculum can work to supplement your own individualized curriculum, and can also provide a complete learning solution for a variety of subjects. While homeschooling can sometimes feel like a lonely endeavor, online homeschooling resources provide plenty of ways to feel connected.

In order to work with these resources effectively, you should have a clear role in mind for using online curriculum resources. If they are a secondary tool, it's a great place to find reading materials, individual activities, or worksheets which can be downloaded directly from a website. Often, a variety of sample materials will be available, which gives you the opportunity to review the material first. If you like the material, you will then have the ability to place an additional order.

However, online homeschooling curriculum has evolved and can be a much more sophisticated tool than just providing worksheets. Your child can attend an online school, plug into specific courses, and complete learning modules and activities at their own pace. This option can be a better choice if you would like to spend less time planning their lessons, or if you have specific learning outcomes that may be easier met by a more structured curriculum, such as higher level math skills, or practicing a foreign language.

Before purchasing a curriculum, it's a good idea to spend sometime looking at homeschool curriculum reviews. You can find many review sites online, and in addition to finding reviews on particular programs you are already interested in, you will also find up-to-date reviews on a variety on new programs as well. You will also find helpful tips and techniques from other parents. If you do a search online for 'homeschool curriculum review,' you are sure to find plenty of choices available.

Online homeschool curriculum programs can play a an important primary or a secondary role in your children's education. The internet is a vast learning resource, and it shouldn't be neglected as a valuable tool for homeschooling. With its ease of use, and adaptability, there is room for online resources in any educational plan.

Author Resource:- Amy Wells is an educational and homeschooling
expert. Looking for Homeschool information? Find up-to-date homeschooling resources, methods, and curriculum ideas at:
www.homeschooling.yourtechtool.com

Essential Tips for Choosing Homeschooling Programs

By : Amy Wells
With the rising popularity of homeschooling, parents have many choices when selecting commercially provided homeschooling programs. Having a balance of structure and spontaneity is important when designing a homeschool curriculum, and like a restaurant menu, many homeschooling programs provide both a full course or an a la carte option. Parents will need to make some decisions about which type of program to pursue.

Curriculum material can often purchased separately and then combined to create a cohesive program. Usually, the more curriculum materials that are included, the more expensive it will be. Many homeschooling programs will include weekly lesson plans, grade record sheets, an attendance log, an activities agenda, reading list forms, and other tools, such as awards or certificates. Many programs also come with an online interactive element, where the child can do many of their lessons online, or use as a basis for further exploration in their subject area. A successful homeschooling program combines elements of a traditional education with other types of unstructured learning exercises, and hands-on activities, such as field trips.

Specific learning objectives for a particular unit or subject are also an important consideration in choosing a homeschooling program. It is usually best to define specific learning objectives for each subject or topic being covered. This allows children to learn at their own pace, and even excel at a subject at a more rapid rate than they might in a traditional school setting. Having learning objectives also allows for creativity in meeting the objectives with different materials and learning experiences.

In addition to specific educational content, homeschooling programs may also emphasize certain values in their curriculum. Many homeschool programs are based on the Christian faith, which is often incorporated into the material, but there are also many programs that convey a humanist or non-religious perspective. It is important that parents review the underlying messages in any program or curriculum they choose, and make sure it is agrees with the values they want to impart to their children.

When choosing a homeschooling program, a parent will have many resources available, and by being clear about their intended outcome, will find the material that best serves their child. They can commit wholeheartedly to a since program, or pick and choose out of many models that will meet their children's educational needs. With so many resources available, they will have assistance every step of the way.

Author Resource:- Amy Wells is an educational and homeschooling
expert. Looking for Homeschool information? Find up-to-date homeschooling resources, methods, and curriculum ideas at: www.homeschooling.yourtechtool.com

Gearing Up For a High Tech Homeschool

By : Kris Koonar
Homeschools are capable of delivering impressive results and are better than public schools. In the sense that while educational organizations spend huge amounts on expensive computer networks and get stuck with outdated and obsolete PCs, homeschoolers can easily acquire the latest in computer technology. In order to stay abreast with the latest developments and educational programs, parents of homeshoolers can also take advantage of the versions designed specifically to suit the needs of homeschooling by the same companies that also market their products to schools. These educational programs are not only easy to use but are also affordable, and definitely yield equally effective results as the ones used in school classrooms.

As more and more educational organizations are resorting to online resources and adopting electronic mediums like CD-ROMs to impart knowledge and education. It has become all the more simpler for homeschools not only to keep pace with the syllabus, but also surpass the teaching standards of schools. With the advent of computers and advances in technology, it has become easier for homeschools to duplicate the school classroom experience for effective tutoring. While generally schools waste their time on irrelevant and pointless projects, homeschools usually concentrate on dedicating their time and energy to developing and streamlining innovative methods and tools of education. Homeschools are increasingly focusing on effective and efficient educational programs so that their wards deliver outstanding performance in life, while schools appear to be diverting away from their main purpose.

Unlike educational organizations, which cater to a wide range of disparate children, parents that homeschool their children concentrate on infusing values along with the curriculum. Parents diligently make the effort to maximize the utilization of the educational tools and resources. Since parents are usually more committed than teachers, rather than just adapting to what seems appealing. They make it a point to first research and then verify how a particular educational theory or philosophy works.

Parents of homeschooling children can always take advantage of the online resources and specialists in homeschooling. They provide vast information and knowledge about the methods and tools that can be implemented, to execute homeschooling successfully. This way, parents can benefit from the educational programs that suit their needs and preferences, and avoid wasting time surfing on the Internet for related issues. Instead, they can utilize this time for mentoring their children.

Homeschools can prove to be more competent than schools, and efficacious in improving the personal as well as academic performance of children. In order to implement homeschooling satisfactorily, you need to merely follow a few simple guidelines. Although technology is meant to improve our lives, do not totally depend on homeschooling aids like the Internet and videos to educate your child. Modern technology is designed to supplement our teaching abilities and knowledge. Undoubtedly, computer technology and educational programs available on the Internet serve the purpose of education satisfactorily, yet they cannot replace parents as mentors. Unlike teachers in a school, who merely tutor their pupils, parents act as mentors and role models for their children.

In order to make the task of homeschooling easier, parents can conduct a detailed research on the numerous websites that feature articles and content on educational programs. Also various tried-and-tested homeschooling methods embraced by homeschools. However, remember that one does not achieve successful homeschooling by merely utilizing these modern and sophisticated electronic tools. Active participation of the parents is what determines effective homeschooling and yields desired results.

Author Resource: http://www.citizenschool.com.

Practical Homeschooling Methods

By : Kris Koonar
There are various methods of teaching that are employed the world over. Usually, both private and public schools concentrate on textual content. As the guardian or parent, you have the right to choose the teaching method based on your philosophy or religious belief. According to various studies conducted on this issue, a single method may not be applicable for all. The teaching style, belief systems, and the learning and grasping ability of the child plays a major role in their learning and development.

Tutors or parents should check out the current syllabus followed in schools and other homeschooling institutions. Support groups, which have homeschoolers as members, usually provide assistance to new homeschoolers.

After you decide upon homeschooling your children, the next question that arises is what method you should choose to teach. The following are certain guidelines you can use to ensure you make the right decision.

. Read everything possible on homeschooling. It will not only give you a general idea about the present homeschooling scenario, but also inform you about the teaching methods you could opt for.

. Join a support group to get a better understanding of the minute details you may have missed in your background research. Support groups also give out study material according to the syllabus of the student. These support groups can be on the neighborhood level or state level, depending on the geographical and educational rules.

Practical Homeschooling

Children are by nature very curious about many things. It is their tendency to ask questions and say things out of turn. Usually, parents tend to discourage this, which stifles the childs natural curiosity and urge to learn. Although a childs questions may seem irrelevant, or make no sense, if parents continue to be discouraging, it may hamper a childs educational and intellectual growth.

Parents are sometimes overzealous about their child. They often force their children to focus on certain subjects, because those are what they consider important, or have an interest in. Parents should not forget that it is the childs education, and it is their interest that should be determined and followed up upon.

Home schooling is a broad term, and there are many techniques that fit under the term. There are many different styles of homeschooling that you can choose from. Or, you could devise your own using the broad principles of several methods.

The following are some of the common methods of homeschooling:

Scheduled and Structured- According to this, the parent devises a subject wise schedule, like a regular school, which is complied with through the day.

Interest- This is based on the events occurring at each moment. For example, if it is the winter, you could devise the curriculum around the season, or if a friend drops by from abroad, the days curriculum could be a geography lesson. These can be either structured or unstructured, according to your requirement.

Learning- This is based on the learning style of the child.

Philosophical- Implementing educational philosophies and studies to create a curriculum is the basis of this method.

Accommodating- Families with special needs use this approach.

Community- Using outside groups and learning areas as teaching methods.

By utilizing available resources and learning material, the tutor and student should work as a team for the latter to excel in education. This can create deep bonds, and keep the environment at a friendly and open level.

Author Resource: http://www.citizenschool.com.

The Importance Of Mentoring In Homeschooling

By : Kris Koonar
If you decide to try the option of homeschooling your child within the safe and secure environment of your home. So that you can inculcate in him all those personal values that you believe an educational organization fails to impart. Then you should also realize the importance of mentoring in homeschooling. Rather than just tutoring your child, you need to act as his mentor.

While a tutor and a mentor have the same responsibility of imparting knowledge, each is a distinctive role. A tutor merely shares a one-on-one, teacher-student relationship with his disciple, but a mentor shares a bond at a more personal level. A tutor educates and communicates through a question and answer series. A mentor on the other hand aspires to contribute by building an intimate relationship and instilling skills and values by becoming a role model. Besides providing aid on educational subjects, a mentor guides and counsels on other issues in life as well. Hence, a tutor differs a great deal from a mentor, in the sense that they use and implement different methods of teaching. Unlike teachers, mentors encourage logical reasoning with practical thinking and not just memorization.

Parents are the first mentors of their children and thus natural role models. Parents not only nurture their children but also play a key role in molding their character. Children are greatly influenced by their parents and thus it becomes all the more necessary to play your part as a mentor responsibly. Parents as mentors, inevitably share a very close and intimate relationship with their children. It is easy for parents to gain the trust and confidence of their children easily, and it is important to be careful not to lose it due to carelessness or negligence. As parents and mentors it is important to help the homeschooling children to develop skills and attributes that will help them to achieve their professional and personal goals. By sharing our experiences with our children, we can prepare them to face the challenges in life ahead.

Parents can perform a satisfactory job of mentoring only if they succeed in building a strong bond with their children. There should be a secure comfort level between the both, so that both of them can communicate their problems and solve them together. This way, parents can provide their children valuable lessons of life. Children look up to their parents for everything. In the present fast- paced world, while parents struggle to make ends meet, children thirst to spend quality time with their parents. Parents can quench their childs thirst and satisfy their hunger for a relationship with them, simply by being a friend to their children instead of a dictating parent. This is also useful for strengthening family ties.

As mentors, parents should also provide their children correct guidelines and appropriate directions in life. Wise counseling and continuous advice from time to time is essential to keep your child from going astray in life. Mentors infuse personal values and skills by challenging the mental and physical capabilities of their wards. Parents can boost the morale of their children by appreciating and applauding their childs accomplishments. They can not only shape the character of their child, but also encourage them to form personal views and frame opinions of their own.

Homeschooling aids should only be used as supplements because they cannot replace mentoring. Homeschooling provides parents the perfect opportunity to guide and counsel their children successfully.Hence parents should not rely solely on the Internet, videos and tutors as tools of homeschooling.

Author Resource:http://www.citizenschool.com.

What Is Homeschooling Online

By : Kris Koonar
Home schooling online is a new approach to schooling, in line with the advantages offered by the latest developments in information technology. It offers the convenience of learning from the comfort of ones home at ones own pace, without any pressure. The teaching methods are designed to be fun, with educational games that the student thoroughly enjoys. Online home schooling is available for learners at preschool, elementary school and middle school level. Kids enjoy using their computers for learning language arts and maths, and their pace of learning is observed to be much faster, as compared to their learning in traditional schools. This is because they are relaxed and enjoy participating in the learning process. Parents are satisfied because it offers them the opportunity to monitor the progress their child makes in upgrading knowledge and skill. Through the tailored programs, the child is helped to master the skills and knowledge required to move on to the next level. Even if the child is at a different level, in mathematics or reading, the program is tailored to fit his need.

However, there are some points that need to be noted with respect to online home schooling. One of the biggest challenges is the selection of the right curriculum. What may work well for one student may not be adequate for another. Even for the same student, as he progresses to the next semester, the earlier chosen program may appear stale and repetitive. So the best way suggested is by opting for a mix of the different online home school programs, to enable optimum progress of your child.

Online homeschooling curriculums are designed for imparting instructions, to keep the interest of the child alive and to keep him engaged. The variety of teaching methods that can be adopted keep the child engaged, by which he remains attentive and motivated all through the day. Online homeschool curriculums have combined interactive lessons, printable worksheets, learning games, multimedia reinforcement activities and assessments, with reports.

Online home schooling programs are created to help the child learn the concepts that are otherwise boring to learn. Many times, the children at school are thought to be difficult and challenging learners. They may be diagnosed for developmental delays, difficult behavior and are even detained. But when they are put through online homeschooling programs, which are computer based, there is a dramatic improvement in their performance that indicates progress and sheds a different light altogether.

Online homeschooling offers different learning methods. For example, in online homeschooling, math skills are inculcated via skip counting. It is proven that if a student can master the skip count by two, three and so on, he will learn a great deal about addition. This in turn helps a lot when he starts with multiplication. There is extensive use of visuals in teaching. While teaching fractions, the pictures of pies are used to illustrate the concept. The child finds all this very interesting and learns very fast. The use of the computer in the process of learning is a big attraction for the child and keeps him interested and busy. He can concentrate on the lessons and learn while he enjoys the whole experience.

Online homeschooling is the latest concept in education, aimed at making the learning experience better and enjoyable for the young students. It is a very convenient method of learning and a number of students are opting for this novel system.

Author Resource: http://www.citizenschool.com/

Six Sigma And Finance

By : Tony Jacowski
The success of Six Sigma implementations depends on the ability of the implementation teams to identify and alter systems that are responsible for the efficiency of a business process. For successful implementation of 6 Sigma concepts and methodologies, organizations need to increase coordination between all the teams involved in the implementations. Consistent support and guidance from senior management is also necessary for ensuring the success of Six Sigma initiatives.

Six Sigma Implementations And The Finance Department

6 Sigma implementations do help in reducing operational costs, but an organization cannot afford to make strategic decisions based on vague assumptions. Organizations need to measure the monetary value of benefits that is being derived through the implementations. The task of assessing the financial spin-offs of the implementations is often entrusted to the finance department that assesses the improvements in relation to the organization's bottom line.

The finance department utilizes project tracking software that measures the improvements being made and generates reports showing the financial payoff. The software is used all throughout the implementation process and the data collected is stored for future referrals. This is important because 6 Sigma programs aim at continuous quality improvements, normally a 30%-60% improvement in around 6 months. Data available from past implementations makes it easier to deploy new Six Sigma concepts and methodologies in an organization.

Selecting The Most Suitable Finance Personnel

For ensuring that the financial functions are successfully carried out, organizations need to select only the most experienced employees. Outsiders can also be hired for this purpose but it is always better to opt for existing employees as they have a better understanding about the organization's business processes.

If the selected employees are new to the concept of Six Sigma, it is necessary to provide adequate training before allocating them the responsibilities that they are supposed to shoulder. Finance personnel selected by an organization, act as the official scorekeepers and report any deviations that might affect the organization's bottom line.

Finance And Quality Issues

Quality improvements are one of the main objectives of 6 Sigma implementations. However, for producing high-quality goods or services that satisfy customer needs, it is necessary to deploy the financial measurement tools and systems at all stages of the implementation process. At the start of the implementation process, a financial impact analysis is conducted to identify the derivable monetary benefits. During the implementations, the actual monetary value of benefits is assessed and reported to the senior management. During the final stages of the implementations, the actual and planned results are compared to provide the necessary feedback to the quality department.

The success of any quality improvement technique such as Six Sigma can be ensured if the implementations are done in accordance with quantifiable financial results. The financial skills of selected personnel also go a long way in ensuring the success of 6 Sigma implementation programs.

Author Resource:- Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online http://www.sixsigmaonline.org and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Travel Tips to European Countries: Spain

About The Country

Spain is famous world wide for its flamenco dancers and bullfights. The architecture reflects the Moroccan style. Cave paintings, renaissance cathedrals, Moorish palaces prove the diversity of the country. Spring, fall and early summer are very pleasant here, though summers are hot.

Culture

Spanish is the regional language of Spain. English is also widely spoken here. Over the period of time, Spanish people have become modern in order to gel with the changing times and are no longer conservative. But that hasn’t changed the values, traditions, manners and customs of the locals. People here have two surnames; the first surname can be used to refer to the person. To greet someone, a handshake will do the job. Take a small gift along when visiting someone’s house. Save the flowers for special occasions. Dinner is generally taken very late in the night. People wear casuals most of the time. Men are expected to wear jackets at some restaurants. Swimsuits should be confined to the pools and beaches. Recently a ban has been applied on smoking in public places.

Shopping

Shops open quite early in the morning and stay open late in the evening. In the afternoon, they are closed for lunch or siesta. Porcelain and leather goods are famous and they will be good gifts for friends and family members back home. Bills are to be paid along with the service charges, so tipping is a matter of gratitude.

Electricity

Voltage is 220 volts and frequency is 50 Hz

Getting There

IBERIA is the national airline of Spain. Many other low-cost airlines offer services in the country. There are nearly thirty international airports in Spain, out of which Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Malaga are famous.
Madrid located at 13km away from the city has a good bus service every fifteen minutes. Underground service also works to transport passengers to their destinations. Other facilities offered at this airport are duty free shops, bank, restaurant, tourism information, and hotel reservations.

Barcelona is very close to the city, situated at a distance of 3 km only. Buses are available every 15 minutes and trains are available every 20 minutes. Taxis are available throughout the day. Duty free shops, restaurants, bank, car hire and tourism information are available here.

There is a good network of roads connecting Spain north to south. Toll booths are installed in some parts of the country. Carrying few Euros will help smooth sailing at the toll booths. If driving one’s private car, it would be better if the travel insurance covers medical costs too. Carrying a medical kit can prove to be of some help.

Duty Free Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos 50 cigars or 250g tobacco (300 cigarettes, 150 cigarillos, 70 cigars and 400g of tobacco for EU nationals)
2. 1 litre of spirits if exceeding 22 per cent volume or 2 litres of alcoholic beverage not exceeding 22 per cent volume and 2 litres of wine (1.5 litre exceeding 22 per cent and 3 litres of up to 22 per cent and 5 litres of wine for EU nationals)
3. 250ml eau de toilette and 50g of perfume
4. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract (1000g of coffee and 4000g of coffee extract for EU nationals)
5. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract
6. Gifts up to the value of approximately €37.26.

Travel Tips to European Countries: Albania

Albania is a mountainous country and the one of the smallest countries of Europe. The residents supposedly descended from ancient Illyrians.

Culture

The culture of Albania is majorly influenced by that of the mainland Greeks especially in the urban locality; nodding one’s head means ‘no’ where as shaking the head means ‘yes’. To greet someone, handshaking is preferred, though Shoku (Comrade) was used before, which has been long forgotten now. People dress informally here. Swim suits are meant for the beaches, otherwise women are expected not to dress in a revealing outfit. When addressing someone prefix Zoti(Mr) or Zonja(Mrs) before the name and always remember to carry some gifts when visiting someone, although flowers aren’t much acceptable. The guests are served with coffee, raki or sweets. Smokers don’t have to worry much, but they should avoid it where they see a sign of Ndalohet Duhani or Ndalohet pirja e duhanit.

Travelling within the country

Buses with relatively cheap fares operate in the main cities of the country or taxis are another choice which provided service for some main hotels.
Visit Dajti Mountain and experience Dajti Ekspres Cable car for an unforgettable 15 minute ride passing through Dajt Oark to reach Tirana. The route is about 4.2 km long and the ride costs €6.5.Alpha Yachting provides crewed yacht which is a luxury in itself. Tirana Bank is the best place for withdrawing money as it allows access to Visa cards.

Eating Out

Restaurants are not always sufficiently heated, so always wear warm clothes if out in the night during winters. Foreigners are charged more than the locals. Both the entry fees as well as any merchandise will be on a higher scale, so it’s better not to reveal the fact that you are a foreigner when out on the streets.

Site Seeing

If you enjoy canoeing, this is the right place to be. There are places right outside Tirana which is an amazing site for not just canoeing, but also rock climbing, hiking, and camping.

Accommodation

If you want a 5-Star ambience, try The Sheraton Tirana Hotel and Towers, which is situated in the middle of a shopping and entertainment center. There are about 151 rooms and 56 suites. So, along with the comfort, one can shop at once convenience here. Another hotel which provides all modern facilities is Hotel Mondial. It is located 1000 m away from the city and is also a good example of traditional architecture.

Getting There

One of the best and the easiest means is to go by air. Albanian Airlines is the national airline which works in collaboration with Tyrolean Airways, and provides service to almost all the big European cities. The airport, Mother Teresa, is 16 miles or 26 km away from the capital. A tourist bus is available every 3 hrs to get to the city center and takes about 30 minutes to get there. Taxis are available round the clock. While waiting for any transport service, tourists can check out the duty free shops, bank, eateries and car hire at the airport. A departure tax of $10 USD is imposed on all foreign nationals. Check out www.flyalbanian .com for flight times and offers.

If trying to get there by sea, try the ferry services which are provided by Adriatic Line and Agoudimos. The main ports are Durres (has ferry connection to Italy, Bari, Brindisi, Trieste, and Ancona), Vlora (has ferry connection to Bari, and Brindisi), Saranda (has connection to Corfu), Shen Gjini (has ferry connection to Bari). Check out www.adriatica.it and www.aqoudimos-lines.com for more information.

Bus is another option. Buses start from Istanbul, Athens and Sofia. Internal passengers have lots of options with bus services provided. If traveling by road in a private car, there is road network to the Kosovo region, but they are too dangerous to use because of the political tensions within the region. Crossings at Hani I Hotit, Bllata, Oafa e Thaes, Tushemisht, Gorica, Kapshtica, and kakavija can be taken. If tired one can take halts at hotels or other designated areas. There is a network of 18,000 km, out of which only 7450 km are main roads, for local travelers. About 2138km stretch of these roads is in poor condition and has pot holes, and utmost safety precautions should be taken when driving on such roads. Speed limit should be strictly followed on highways as well as within towns. Driving at night should be better avoided because of the absence of street lights on the road except for urban areas. Traffic should drive on the right-hand. There is a shortage of gas stations in the countryside, so filling the gas tank completely when passing through urban area is recommended and since there is lack of national recovery system; travelers should be prepared for an emergency or breakdown before hand. One should carry necessary documents like International Driving Permit and national driving license.

Duty Free Items

Following are the items that can be carried without customs duty being levied on them:
1. 1liter of spirits or 2liter of wine
2. 250ml of eau de toilette
3. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
4. 50ml of perfume.

Prohibited Items

Things that are prohibited to carry are firearms, narcotics and ammunitions. Special export permission should be taken for precious metals, books, antiques, work of art, or material of national or historic value.

How to Lose 10 Pounds Or More Quickly and Safely

By : Ken Black
As reported in the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations recently published Calories Count - Report of the Working Group on Obesity, people who are overweight is a serious public health problem in the United States. Since the late 1980s, adult obesity has steadily and substantially increased in the United States. Today, 64 percent of all Americans weigh too much and over 30 percent are obese; in 1988 through 1992, fewer than 56 percent were overweight and fewer than 23 percent of American adults were obese.

The trends for children are even more worrisome. Recent research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 15 percent of children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 are overweight - double the rate of two decades ago. As Americans get heavier, their health suffers. Overweight and obesity increase the risk for coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. According to some estimates, at least 400,000 deaths each year may be attributed to obesity.

What people must know is that you can improve your health quickly with just a small amount of weight loss. We know that physical activity along with reduced calorie consumption can lead to the 5 to 10 percent weight loss necessary to achieve remission of the obesity-associated complications, says William Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Most doctors agree, losing one to two pounds a week is safe and recommended by most doctors for most people. This breaks down to 250 to 1,000 calories per day. You can achieve this easily if you follow some or all of the following guidelines :

1. Use skim milk instead of whole milk or cream in your coffee.
2. Eat low fat yogurt instead of ice cream.
3. Eat more bright colored (green, yellow, orange, red) fruits and vegetables.
4. Eat more lean fish, chicken, or turkey and cut down on red meats.
5. Eat whole wheat or multigrain bread, instead of white bread.
6. Use a sugar replacement instead of sugar (avoid Aspartame).
7. Drink water instead of soft drinks.
8. When you eat out, avoid fried foods.
9. Walk or do similar exercises (e.g. Golf, Tennis) at least 20 minutes a day.

If you do even just a couple of these every day for the next month, you will feel much better and you will lose weight.

And if you are concerned about getting hungry all the time, or losing your energy, try taking a safe appetite suppressant, like Hoodia Balance. This supplement is South African Hoodia from the Kalahari Desert, which makes it more effective. This type is a non-prescription medication and has been tested for years to be safe for most people. It can control your appetite, yet increase your metabolism and energy.

However, do not take any herbal supplement without checking with your Doctor first, if you are on any prescription medications, due to possible interactions between the two, or if you have a special medical condition.

If you follow these simple steps, you will surely reach your weight loss goals and become a much happier, healthier, and oh yes, lighter person.

Author Resource:- Ken Black is the founder of Weight Loss Discovery, a site all about http://www.weight-loss-discovery.com.

Habits Can Build You, or Kill You

by: Jorge Fernandez de Cordova

Habits are the most overlooked thing about life. One of my mentors taught me that "People Form Habits, and Habits Form Futures." MAN!!! What a POWERFUL statement.

We go through our life creating sets of habits that in the end will create the life we want to live. We create this habits unconsciously. You might don't know but these habits are the things that are holding you back in life, so STOP blaming others for your failures.

I wll give you few bad habits that you are probably conscious of right away.

-Not returning phone calls on time.
-Being late for meetings and appointments.
-Having your cellphone ON all the time.
-Answering the telephone during family mealtimes.
-Handling the mail more than once, etc, etc.

These are just few of many others.

Check yourself out by making a list of all the habits that keep you unproductive and not moving towards your goals. Take an hour or more so you can really think through this process, and plan it so you won't be interrupted.

You can also ask for feedback. Talk to people you respect and admire, who knows you well. Ask them what they observe about your bad habits. What you are looking for here, is consistency. What do I mean by that, if you talk to 10 people and 8 of them tell you that you are always late to meetings, pay attention.

THE OUTWARD BEHAVIOR IS THE TRUTH, WHEREAS YOUR INNER PERCEPTION OF YOUR BEHAVIOR IS OFTEN AN ILLUSION.

For your Success,
Jorge Fernandez de Cordova
Success Coach
www.successismylife.com.

About The Author
Jorge Fernandez de Cordova

My Mission is to give those that truly desire it; the tools and the knowledge to get the most out of life helping you achieve your goals and dreams.

Memory Techniques

Silly Stories For Memorization
by: Shareen Aguilar


You’ve heard about several memory enhancing techniques. Linking and associating, creating a story out of several items you need to remember. There are in fact, many ways how you can remember important information such as numbers, events, errands and names. The challenge is how to make all the information easy to retrieve, out of the top of your head in a random situation.

Memory techniques work on anything that you like to master. There are things you may need to work on in memorizing something for the first time but all information has techniques on how they can all be memorized. It just takes a lot of interest and enthusiasm to be able to absorb all the information we want to understand and remember.

Creating an absurd and outrageous story from a list of non-related items will do well enough to stick in your head. What else is that it stays there in your memory the way the story is created, the chronological order and even the positioning of the character! The fun part about this technique is that there’s no limit to how you want to create the story and the sillier it is; the easier for you to remember it and the keywords that comprise it.

Now you’ll say what if you need to memorize an entire chapter of items and information; surely you can’t create a novel out of this. True. But in fact, what you can do to get around this problem is to break down all the information you need to remember. Try to put the related or similar items in one cluster and name it. Do the same with the rest. You can also create acronyms out of the clusters you have made and then, create a silly story using the acronyms or the cluster of words you’ve created.

Once you have this ready, you can then associate mental images with the story and each key word you’ve made. It has been proven that the imagination, especially when there’s clear images associated with it work efficiently – efficient enough to be remembered.

Following these techniques for the first time may come a bit slower and difficult but practicing them can gradually increase your expertise over any memorization tasks. You can learn more important details regarding memorization improvement techniques at http://memory-improvement-techniques.com.


About The Author
Shareen Aguilar is a writer for Memory Improvement Techniques which has Memory Improvement Books and Memory Game Software.http://memory-improvement-techniques.com

Use Self Belief To Shape Your Own Destiny

by: Elaine Currie

Of all the things that go towards shaping our destiny, it is our belief in our own abilities which has the greatest influence. Our level of self belief determines whether we succeed or fail to achieve our dreams and ambitions. As Henry Ford said "If you think you can, you're right. If you think you can't, you're right."

I was watching a program on the Biography Channel the other day which illustrated the truth of Henry Ford's words and highlighted the importance of self-belief. The subject of this program dropped out of the educational system without a degree, in fact, he quit school before he even reached college age and left school with woefully inadequate qualifications. The reason for this academic failure was a combination of dyslexia and general lack of interest in school work.

Sadly, the lack of academic achievement was accompanied by a complete lack of prowess on the sports field. To top it all off, as well as being a dunce and a sporting failure, the poor kid was not even good looking. He did not have rich parents to give him financial support . His parents were not business owners, so there was no chance of a career via nepotism. He had no obvious skills or talent, so a career as an artist or musician was not an option.

This sounded like the stereotypical beginning for a person who will at best survive by taking low-paid employment and, at worst, will drift into a life of crime as a way of snatching what he is incapable of earning. His school headmaster is credited with saying on his premature departure from the education system, ‘I feel sure you will either end up in prison or become a millionaire'. To entertain the idea that this person had any prospect of becoming a millionaire, you would have to know his character. We can only see the external disadvantages, the headmaster was aware of the strength of character and depth of self belief existing within this person. That self-belief more than made up for any lack of education and academic qualifications.

One thing the prospective jailbird/millionaire had was the ability to spot a niche for a new business. No, this is not a story of luck bringing an instant rags to riches transformation. Unfortunately his first two business ventures failed miserably. Did this set him on a path of serial business failures? Not at all, the failures probably taught him valuable lessons. He started the first business at the age of seven, so the chances of real success were pretty remote! The fact that he had sufficient self-belief to start his first business before he even reached his teenage years gives us a clue as to his character.

The condensed version of the rest of this biography is that the "hero" of the story built a successful business before he reached his twenties, was a millionaire by the age of 25 and was the owner of a Caribbean island before he was thirty. He did not stop working then, he went on from flamboyant success to even bigger flamboyant success, setting records and achieving the apparently impossible.

The subject of the TV program was Sir Richard Branson who is, at the time of writing, a billionaire several times over. He has attributed his success to hard work, belief in his business ventures and a willingness to take risks. These risks have included the well publicised (and life threatening) hot-air balloon journeys, starting a business on borrowed capital and taking risks in business where the potential losses were huge.

It is self-belief which made it possible to take those risks. Without belief in himself, Richard Branson would not have dared to borrow the money to start his first business as a magazine publisher after leaving school. Without self-belief the balloon challenges would not have been contemplated. Without self-belief the ambition to own an airline would have remained just a dream.

"It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself". Those words were said by Muhammad Ali but they sum up the essence of what makes any person able to reach his goals in life. We must learn to sow and cultivate self-belief if we wish to achieve the harvest of our dreams.


About The Author
For more about self motivation in business visit Elaine Currie's Work At Home Website: www.huntingvenus.com , Find more information and articles at www.elainecurri.com

Advanced Uses For Myspace

by: David Riewe

MySpace members can generate a website quickly through templates. These templates enable users to create a generic website in very little time. For those who are just interested in making new friends or keeping in touch with old friends, this may be all the member needs. However, those who want to offer more on their website or those who simply want to create a more detailed website may require some more advanced knowledge to achieve the desired effects.

Adding Background Music in MySpace

The majority of websites on the Internet do not have background music. This may lead many novice MySpace members to believe adding music to the background is a difficult process but it really isn’t. In fact MySpace makes it incredibly simple for members to add music to their profiles. The steps to add music to a MySpace profile are as follows:

* Log into your MySpace account
* While logged in visit this web address: http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music
* Listen to the music available and select a suitable song for your profile
* Click on the link that says “Add” below the song title
* The music is then automatically added to your profile

It is important to note that users can only add one song at a time to their profile. Clicking the “Add” link on a second song will result in the original song being replaced on the profile by the new song. Songs can be removed from a profile at any time by going to the “Edit profile” section of your account and entering the “Profile songs” subcategory. Here you have the option to remove your chosen song.

Adding Videos to MySpace

Adding videos to MySpace is also not as difficult as it seems. Even those with no HTML skills can add videos produced by other members or even their own videos to their MySpace profile. The steps to add a video to your MySpace profile are as follows:

* Log into your MySpace Account
* From your MySpace homepage, click on the “Add/Change Videos” link
* You are then taken to another webpage where you can either search through a database of previously uploaded videos or upload your own video
* To search the database, click on the search videos button and browse through the available videos
* After watching a video you can add the video to your profile in a couple of ways. First you can click on the “Add to my profile” button or you can copy the source code provided and paste this code into the desired location on your profile.

Alternately you can add your own videos to your MySpace profile by first uploading them to MySpace and then adding them to your profile. When uploading a video care should be taken to ensure the video does not violate the terms of service.

Creating Interactive Features on MySpace

Creating interactive features on MySpace is a bit more involved. Members can create features which allow visitor interaction but these features require more extensive HTML knowledge. The best way to acquire the information necessary to design these types of features is to research the subject of HTML code in books or on the Internet. However, if you find a feature on another MySpace website you would like to include in your own profile you can contact the member and ask them how to add this feature.

Your Fastest Easiest Weight Loss Ever!

by Brian Bonito

These days everyone wants to lose weight in a hurry, without any pain. No struggles, just a quick zap and bang, and presto: weight loss magic occurs. Of course that’s not very realistic, but there is a way to lose weight fairly simply and keep it off. I call it the fastest easiest weight loss plan ever.

Weight loss always begins on the inside. You need to make a mental shift in order to be able to create a physical shift. So here’s weight loss rule number one: if you think about taking a short cut, in the long run you will have wasted time.

Simply don’t do it! The back-end result of a shortcut is very often the yo-yo dieting syndrome so many people face. A person will think he can cut corners with diet and exercise, but in the end the weight is back on, and usually more than before.

That’s an ugly thought. And you know you’re better than that, anyway. So what you do is gear up for proper weight loss from the beginning. How? By shifting mental gears and realizing an important point: you will probably be alive four months from now, so if you look your best ever in four months, as opposed to trying to manipulate your body in 4 weeks, you will be much happier with your results.

The fastest easiest weight loss plan ever should yield permanent results, not temporary fixes. Here are 5 steps for your best body ever. Follow these steps and you will lose weight.

Step 1. Assess yourself. Start a journal and take measure of your beginnings. Write down your starting weight, your end weight, and all the things you think you might need to accomplish your weight loss goals. Make a list.

Step 2. Work from that list daily. Things on the list might include beginning daily walks, reducing late night snacks, eating less sugary foods and foods with saturated fat. Increase your water 10-12 cups a day. Cut out sodas, etc. Good diet habits.

Make a daily diet checklist and cross things off as you go.

Step 3. Change your perception. It’s not what you do that makes you overweight. It’s what you’re not doing. What I mean is, the bad foods, although they’re bad, if you added a brisk 20-30 minute walk after your last meal you would help that food digest and filter through your system faster.

You would lose weight, where right now, you are actually gaining it.

Step 4. Stick and move. Most people have a resistance to beginning any activity that might be hard. Stepping out of a comfort zone can be tough. So whether its exercise or diet, or something you’re not comfortable with, get into it slowly, be gradual, warm up to it. This way you can get your weight loss efforts on track in increments.

This takes the pressure of you, and any time limits you set for yourself.

Step 5. Understand progression. Your body is an adaptive mechanism. You may not be efficient at exercise at the beginning, but if you can leverage yourself to take action it gets easier.

Once it does get easier, you must push a little harder, and then a little harder. And you keep going from there. Losing weight gets easier as you progress. You can do more, have more energy, and shrink your waistline very quickly once you get moving.

The fastest easiest weight loss plan ever, starts out slowly and then revs up like a high performance engine in the race of your lifetime. Are you ready take it to the next level?

How to Start Video Blogging?

by: Kanicen Nichathavan

Videoblogging is the next generation of posting ideas and products over the internet. Everybody knows about textblogging. Now they use videos for a better way of expression. This form of communication may entail a lot of resources, but it is all worth it. If pictures say a thousand words, videoblogging exceeds that by far.

A videoblog requires larger disk spaces on websites, a faster server, and a whole new set of programs to support it. Videoblogs can be fed through RSS. This is technology of syndicating your website to other RSS aggregators.

Videoblogging works with people on the internet expressing their selves. Now if you put this on a business prospective, you are up to a lot of benefits. Think of it as a powerful tool in making showing your prospective customers your line of products or your services. It’s just like showing a commercial all for free. And if you videoblog through RSS, then most probably you are getting your target market.

People like to see what they are going to buy. Some would like to see proof and be sure that they are getting their money’s worth before shelving their dimes on it. All of us know the influence of a thirty second commercial. The effect of videoblogging is similar to that. You show your product, people watch it. If they like it, they buy it. If you present it good enough, they’ll buy the product even if they don’t need it.

Now on the web, things are pretty much static, unlike in television in which all are moving. If you post something that is mobile, it would most likely catch attention. Now imaging your product parading in all it’s royalty through videoblog. You’ll get phone call orders in no time.

If your business is just starting up, you can create a videoblog right at your own home. All you need is your web camera, microphone, video software, and lights. For as long as you know how to use your camera, then you can create a videoblog.

Invest in a good web camera. The higher its resolution is the better the output. And you like to present your goods in the optimum way so get the best one possible. Make a short story, or just capture your goods in one go. Just make sure you are getting the best profile for each. Get those creativity juices flowing.

Lights are important in a production. Make sure you illuminate entirely the area you are going to use to create videoblog. The brighter the area, the crispier the images will be. You can also use lighting effects for added appeal to the presentation.

Should you require sounds for your videoblog, you need a microphone. Record you voice as a voice over for promoting the product and its benefit to consumers. Sounds are as important as videos on a videoblog. It is advisable to make your sound effects as enticing as the video.

Your video editing software can be any program. You need this to finalize your work. You can add sounds, delete some bad angles, or insert some still pictures in there too. Some programs are user-friendly and can be used even with zero knowledge on video editing. Even simple video editing programs should do the trick. Select your background carefully too. The light affects the presentation so make sure that the background and the light complements each other.

Videoblogging is a great tool but it also has it downside. It may slow down the computer so other may steer clear of it. Download time may also be time consuming especially if customer is still on a dial- up connection.

But don’t let those stop you. Let videoblogging be an alternative for you, though it is best to still keep the text and pictures present in your presentation to accommodate all possible viewers of your site.

Nowadays, the more creative you are in presenting your product to the market, they more you are likely to succeed. Videoblogging offers an interactive way of selling. You involve the customers. You instill in them the advantage of your goods. And at times, those are enough to make a sale.

About The Author

Kanicen Nichathavan is the owner of Kanicen's Blog, Kanicen's Blog welcomes everyone who intends to share knowledge, interesting products, ideas and those who want to start Internet Online Business. You will find all kind of Internet Marketing Tools and resources. For Newbie and Internet Marketers this blog will be the best option for lowest prices of all kind of Internet Marketing Tools at www.Kanicen.com

Can You Work for You?

by: Holly Burnham

So you want to start your own business? Well, why don't you? This is not a hard question. I'm certain you have barriers to following your dream or you would have done it already. We need to examine what is standing in your way and coax you into dipping your toe into your dream water. Most of the time, keeping you from doing your own thing is fear. Well, fear is good. It keeps you real, but don't let it plan your life or paralyze you.

I have enjoyed owning several different businesses in my life time and hope to develop and run many more. I love the excitement of building a dream into a reality. It can be challenging, frustrating, time consuming, moneymaking or a dismal failure. You learn from each experience.

I have so many little ventures in my head to try in the future. You need to acknowledge the creativity in yourself, decide what interests you and how you want to spend your time. I read one time that if you do what you love, success will follow. I'm not sure that success is always measured in dollars... we can weigh happiness and contentment also.

I want to assure you there are issues to worry about. If you are half of a two-paycheck family and your regular earnings are needed to keep your family comfortable, you do have to recognize the risk to venturing out on your own. If you are a stay at home Mom and want to contribute to the household but have short human beings to care for, you need to plan carefully so you don't end up burning the candle at both ends, therefore jeopardizing the reason you wanted to stay home with your children.

Let's explore a few ideas and you will see that it is possible to work for yourself if that is what to really want to do.

Think of something you do you enjoy. Can everyone do this thing as well as you can? Do they have time? Perhaps you can do it for them.

I love to knit. I REALLY love to knit. Once I made flyer type posters and hung them all over town wherever I could. Grocery stores, yarn shops, Laundromats, etc. On the poster I offered to give knitting lessons in my home at the client's convenience. I waited and because I am not a patient person, when I didn't get any calls I decided this was one of the ideas I wasn't going to brag to my friends about...and then...when I had given up hope, (two days after hanging the posters, I told you I was devoid of patience), I started getting calls. I got so many calls I had to go out and purchase a scheduling calendar. I scheduled the lessons when they were convenient for both the client and me. I scheduled hour-long sessions and charged $25.00 for the first session, $10.00 for each lesson after that. No one questioned the fee and several said they were relieved it was so reasonable. I had no overhead and only profit in my pocket from showing other people how to do something I enjoyed!

doing so much. Word of mouth soon made it unnecessary to put up any more posters and I can be as busy or not as I choose. Although my husband is always supportive of my entrepreneurial endeavors, even he was surprised on a day I had three new students and two return students and made $95.00 sitting on my couch knitting.

I once decided our area could use a cleaning service for residential homes at a reasonable price. Now, previously when I said do what you love and you will be successful, I certainly don't want you to think I love to clean...quite the contrary, however, I do like to make money. I put two ads in our local newspaper. One ad advertised for someone to clean houses. The second ad offered reasonable fees to clean your home. The calls started coming in. When an applicant who wanted to clean called I would interview them, make sure I felt very comfortable with them and told them I would get back to them in a week. When folks called who wanted their home cleaned I would go to their home, see what they wanted done and gave them a price to do it. I left them a contract and asked them to think about my offer and call me back. The first week was a little disorganized and I questioned why I just didn't get a paper route. But, the second week things really began to smooth out and it just g!

ot busier and better from there. I soon had three ladies cleaning three houses a day. I could have even let this venture grow, as it wanted to take on a life of its own once it started. My part was to carry liability insurance (not expensive at all), advertise in the paper if I lost either a worker or a house and be certain that I always gave the customer a charge that would cover my expenses and pay my ladies with a little left over for me. I never cleaned a house. When I felt I had done this long enough and wanted to go on to something else, I offered the business to the first woman I had hired. She was one of my best and most dependable workers and the customers loved her. I knew she could keep things running and I could walk away from this baby feeling secure it was in good hands. My mistake, (I told you that you would learn even from your blunders), was that two years after I gave her the little cleaning business she sold it for $35,000. Hummmm, it never dawned on me I!

could have sold it. Duh…..

Can you install perennials and/or maintain them for folks. Everyone appreciates their yard looking well but few folks like getting dirt under their finger nails while swatting black flies.

Working moms stress over having to take time off for routine dental and doctor appointments. Are you in a position to do this for them? Can they call you if their child needs to be transported to a sitter because of illness during the day?

Can you bake? Well, get out that mixing bowl and stand back! People will pay you for making birthday cakes, cookies for school functions that need to look home made, and desserts for their parties. Word of mouth and return customers can keep you hopping.

Can you devote a Saturday morning to watching children while their mom, who has worked all week, does errands? Advertise yourself available to sit, on short notice from 9AM to 11:00AM on Saturday mornings. I'll bet you will make enough during those two hours a week to keep you free to spend time with your own children the rest of the week. Most working moms have sitters who don't do weekends.

Do you enjoy cleaning? I have found that even people who don't mind doing their day to day house work really dislike cleaning their bathrooms. Specialize in bathrooms. Yes, people will call on that ad. They will happily pay to have you shine their bathroom while they work. (And, Mom, you can usually take your baby with you to do this.)

The key is to think about what you love to do. If you're going to do something you don't enjoy just for the money you might as well work for someone else. Then test it. Is anyone interested in paying you to do this thing? Next, visualize how to make it happen. Can you do it during the day with children or in the evening when re-enforcements are home? Don't be afraid to try several things and fail. Eventually you will find a niche if you stay focused and realistic.

Dream a little and control the magic in your life.

About The Author
Holly Burnham is a self admitted yarn addict. The addiction will be life long and there is no hope of remission. Her constant knitting has put the cleanliness of her home in peril. Her yarn stashes are havens for generations of moths. At the risk of contracting this affliction, visit her at www.KnittingHaven.com

What Is RSS?

by: Madison Lockwood

RSS is technology - a simple software program - that allows you to access web and blog content automatically. The acronym's most popular translation is "Really Simple Syndication. Once your browser or computer has an RSS reader on board, you can subscribe to any number of RSS "feeds." A feed is simply a way in which a reader may subscribe to website content - most commonly blogs or news sites. A news site, for example, may list their latest headlines or entire articles in their feed every time a new article is published. A blog would publish this feed as a series of recent posts.

Feeds are published by millions of publishers, from small individuals to large organizations like Newsweek. The value of a feed is that it brings the most current site content to you in a format that is easily scanned; further, you are spared the task of visiting each source site each day. This is typically done through the use of what is called an 'aggregator' or 'feed reader'.

Feed readers or RSS readers, are software programs that run on your computer (or PDA or phone); let you easily subscribe to feeds, and allow you to read through them efficiently. Some are relatively simple, showing the headline and summary. The fancier ones often work with (or in) your browser to make viewing the material look much like the source page. Once you have a reader on your computer, subscribing to a feed with is an easy click or drag from your browser. Sites that provide RSS feeds will usually have a button for that purpose.

There are several RSS feed formats as well as one with an entirely different methodology called Atom. Atom has become popular with some bloggers and blogging tools. Some aggregators can read both. The other acronyms you will see in "feedspeak" are XML, which stands for 'extensible markup language' and is the code standard for these simple text feeds. An 'OPML" file is a format for indexing hierarchical feed lists. If you dive into this web habit in a big way, your aggregator or reader may keep your subscription list in an OPML file.

An RSS feed is a great method for staying abreast of issues and topics that interest you. There are a number of feed "libraries," so to speak, from which you can learn what's out there in your areas of interest. Google has a built-in reader that makes the subscription process easy, as does Yahoo. Firefox has a downloadable extension for the purpose of aggregating RSS feeds, as well as a default ability to save RSS feeds as "live bookmarks" that update via the RSS feed. You can download a number of stand alone readers and aggregators; you can find them through a simple web search.

The whole RSS "movement" is a step towards utilizing the Internet more efficiently. The trick is to avoid overloading your email inbox with daily reports that you end up ignoring most of the time. For that purpose, there are sites like Feedster that will search millions of RSS feeds for articles that are relevant to your interests. Like any search tool, however, these services are hit and miss. They are still working off keywords and sometimes what they find is relevant, sometimes not. But if you want daily news broken into categories, it's great technology once you learn how to make it work for you.

About The Author
Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for Apollo Hosting. She helps clients understand how a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, & VPS hosting to a wide range of customers.

Vision

by: Robert Boucher

I’ve been exploring why vision is so important to being successful. Can an organization survive and do well without a vision? I don’t believe it can. Organizations need a vision to find direction, to move into the future. They need a vision to give people in the organization something to strive for, to believe in, to belong to.

While exploring these ideas I came across an article that supports my belief in the relation of vision to success. Mark Lipton in the Ivey Business Journal Online titles his article “Walking the Talk: Why Visions Fail.” Lipton says there’s a lot of talk about needing a vision and a lot of talk about having a vision, but are the people in charge actually following through? His conclusion is that when the people at the helm do not follow through, it is because a vision evokes a lot of emotion.

Lipton sees a gap often between what the people believe in and what they are doing. It is about believing but not having the faith to carry it on. Or maybe it is just leaders being embarrassed about having to talk about their emotions about what they do and want to do. A vision is about personal passion. We are a lot more comfortable talking about process and productions, about developing plans and objectives. It is easier to leave passion out of the discussion.

Mark Lipton describes a vision as successful when it speaks to a wide audience, tells an engaging story that people want to be part of, challenges people, and creates a sense of urgency. This type of vision becomes part of the everyday actions of the people who belong to the organization. It gives a basis for making decisions and the growth of the organization. It is the building block of success.

There are challenges, and one is to get the whole organization to know and understand the vision. As a leader in an organization, you need to believe in the vision and talk about it constantly. Mark Lipton found that vision-driven firms earned their investors 17.69 percent more than the S&P 500 overall.

Why such success? It is because clear future targets drive the people in this type of organization. They have a greater level of commitment and loyalty, along with pride in what they are doing.

If you want to be successful, you need to develop a passion for what you are doing, based on the vision of where you want to be. People respond to passion, to a direction for the future. If you are a leader in a non-profit or profit organization, remember that it is all about people and the vision – the passion that you give them.

About The Author
Robert Boucher
President
Cirrus Management Training & Sailing
1286 Rockwood Dr.
Kingston, Ont. K7P 2M7
1 613 634-0696
robert@cirrusleadership.com

Defining the Traits of a Successful Leader

by: Archie R. Lawhorne

What makes a good leader? For starters, leaders don't wait for other people to give them permission to do something. They just do it. Leaders accept responsibility for the choices they make in life. They don't get sucked into the "victim mentality" syndrome, which is characterized by a persistent desire for people to blame others for their poor choices. Bottom line: Leaders realize that the decisions they make are all theirs, and thus take full responsibility for any resulting failures.

In the world of business - especially network marketing and direct sales - leadership is the defining ingredient that separates the mediocre from the superstars. It's the act of persuasion. It's getting people to see new perspectives and do things they normally wouldn't do. It's about setting your ego aside and having the passion and charisma to get people to follow you. Leaders don't follow. They just do.

Can an average person become a leader? Yes, most certainly.

People can transform themselves and make huge strides in leadership abilities just as they do in other areas of personal development. It starts with inner self-leadership and expands outward to influence and move others around you.

Leadership is about self-direction and self-control and shows in what "we do." Become the right kind of person (passionate, responsible, doer, believer) and others will flock right into your lap, and not until.

But, like other areas of self improvement, it's no easy task, because man's natural instinct is mediocrity. Yes, mediocrity. It would be nice if we could all become leaders by simply following a few simple steps. But the path to leadership requires finding our own way. The direction we take will differ for each of us. However, there are a few key traits we can focus on.

No Fear But Fear Itself
So what is it that keeps us from pursuing opportunities, leading others, taking action and doing what we really want to do? One word: FEAR. Fear of rejection. Fear of people.

Fear of trying new things. Fear of not being perfect. Enjoying our comfort zone (average).

It's almost as if the fears we have actually begin to become like bondage. Ever feel that way? You can usually tell who lives in fear. They usually wear them on their sleeves. Ever hear people say:

"I would try that but I just don't have time." "That program will never work. I already tried networking and it didn't work before." "I would listen to you, but that sounds like some pyramid scheme."

The list of the doubts and fears that roll off people's lips is endless. Stand in any line with people, on the bus or at work, and listen to the idle chatter. You'll hear people's fear in their everyday conversation. "Oh, I hate working here, but the job market is just too difficult to try and find something else." If you want to be a great leader, learn to conquer your fears.

Embrace Failure
Study the histories of all great leaders and you'll see lives littered with failures. It's called "failing forward fast." And it's one of the top traits of successful leaders. That's why it takes guts to be a leader. Many people are scared of failure and don't like to tackle the tough issues. (Then again, not everyone wants to be a leader, right.) It requires being decisive and a willingness to take chances. And yes, to FAIL - but to accept it, learn from it and move on.

Become A Believer
Children need to "see it" in order to believe it. Leaders believe it BEFORE they see it. Here's something to try: Try doing what you say you will do. (Remember, the odds are against you).

When faced with problems and obstacles, choose to learn from the experience and turn them into an opportunities. Don't whine and complain about yesterday's defeats. (It's counter-productive and you look like a fool next to Thomas Edison). Key: Until you're able to wipe out the past mistakes from the movie projector that keeps playing in your head, you'll never be able to move forward.

Leaders believe in themselves and believe in abundance.

Take Some Risks
Leaders are the ones willing to make huge sacrifices in time, money and family in order to achieve their goals. Risk is the price you pay for success. You must carry the burden and have the backbone to make decisions that are not popular. Be internally directed, not "socially fit." You'll never achieve wealth and success as long as you care what other people thing of you. Yes, leadership has a price, (risk) but it also offers tremendous rewards.

Don't Follow The Crowd
Here's a crucial defining trait of a leader: they don't follow the crowd. Nothing great was ever accomplished by a crowd. A crowd merely blows with the wind, like scattered leaves. Crowds have no purpose and end up nowhere. It takes courage to go against the crowd and be a true individual, but it's the most exciting, exhilarating thing we can do. It's also the most difficult and frightening. That's why success is so elusive and so rare.

Take Ted Turner of CNN fame, for instance. He said, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way!" Was Turner moving with the herd? No, he was the captain, not one of the deck hands.

Most people live in a state of self-consciousness. They go to work, support their families are active in their communities and are good citizens. Their egos are socially supported which means they go with the flow. Thus, because they are moving with the herd and moving with the group's collective consciousness, they struggle. It's never their goals, their vision or their choices. Most people rarely, if ever, move into the direction of freedom and true self expression.

The leaders are your freedom fighters. These are people like Winston Churchill, Henry Ford, Margaret Thatcher, Thomas Jefferson, Bill Gates. Leaders usually affect thousands of people. Anytime you share your energy with enough other people, BAM, success follows. The problem though is that the notion of prosperity scares many people because they were taught that money is evil, or are afraid of the responsibility that comes with success.

While the world continues to change, the traits of good leaders remain constant. The principles are timeless. Once you learn how to liberate the leader within you, extraordinary things happen.


About The Author
Archie R. Lawhorne is an accomplished writer, author and marketing consultant. To receive his free "Masters Series" 10-day marketing course that explains how to earn over $2,000 per month using a simple home-made post card and 4-page booklet, go to: www.Marketing-Funnel.com

Finding Ways To Save Time And Accomplish More Toward Goals

by: Connie Limon

A definition of time management might be a process of gaining flexibility and cutting back time. The advantage to having a time management plan is that we are loosing something that brings us reward and gaining something that brings us bigger rewards. We end up with a “no loosing” situation if our time management plan is right.

To develop a successful time management plan we must first evaluate our time. We must sit down and ask ourselves how long does it take us to eat? How long does it take us to get dressed and groom for work? How long does it take us to prepare the meals we have to eat? Everything we do takes a certain amount of time. You might start out by writing down just how much time it takes to do each of your very have to tasks each day.

Then sit back and evaluate your list. Are you wasting 10 minutes here and there on those have to items that could be used for something else?

Where our time goes is an essential element to determine for our entire time management plan if we want to begin spending more quality with the most important people of our lives and less wasted time on some routine task. This is the absolute first step of creating your own personalized time management plan, a time management plan that will allow your more time to do the things in life that are most important to you. You must determine where you are wasting time and then decide how to use that time more effectively. Once that time is lost, there is no calling it back.

Another important element of creating a successful time management plan is to be sure and finish tasks before moving onto another task, unless you are at work, in a job that requires doing multiple tasks at one time (multi-tasking). Once you finish one task, move onto the next task and follow in pursuit of finishing all tasks. Once you finish the last task, sit back for a moment in a comfortable position and think of what you accomplished. How much time did it take you to complete task? Don’t forget to be keeping down your start time and end time. Of course this type of listing time of tasks works best for those things you do as routine each day. You want to work on completing the tasks in as little time as possible so you that you have to add in the unexpected tasks of the day or…….much better…….so that you have time to do something you really, really want to do, something that is not routinely required of you to do. For example, like visit on the phone with a favorite friend, your daughter or mother, or whoever, read some in the books you want to complete at some point or another in your lifetime.

A successful time management plan provides us with a source for more flexible schedules. When we have flexibility we have more time for ourselves. Once you have determined your priorities for time usage, then you can start adding tasks that you been putting off because you just don’t have the time to do them.

So….you now need another list of goals and plans of tasks and things you want to do but never have the time to do. One of the best ways of keeping these lists is on your computer where you can quickly erase and add to. But then again, paper in a notebook is also good, perhaps a special book.

Time management is the process of working to succeed. When we work to succeed we reach our goals. We first have to decide what those goals are, of course, and then work toward them using our time management plan. You will probably have to sit down and really ponder on what is needed to reach each goal of set of goals, and of course, decide how much time each step of the way you will need. Some people like to set short term goals, reach that goal and then set a long term goal. It might be a better plan to try and set short and long-term goals in the same time management plan. Whichever way works best for you, however, is what you should do.

Time management is essential since it demands that a person plan, act on those plans and stay focused on those goals with motivation. You must also keep reality in mind, and plan for the things out of your control that could go wrong and therefore steal time from your time management plan. Some examples would be computer failures, family illness, personal illness, inches and inches of snow and ice, horrible sudden tornados and hurricanes. It is always wise to include elements of your time management plan in accordance to what could happen out of your control. You may want to have a plan ahead of time of using your time in some other manner if your computer fails. Catch up on your paper filing or something. Right now for me, I am experiencing an internet outage. I have groomed many more Shih Tzu than the usual today in the time I usually spend answering e-mails and working on my websites.

Time management is working to succeed. If you want to succeed then you must work hard every day to meet your goals. I recently cut down my preparing and eating breakfast time by about ten minutes. Instead of my usual meal, I now mix up a Zone Shake and drink it while doing some other chore like adding to or emptying out the dishwasher, or even while opening up my daily e-mails. In reality here I am using ten extra minutes to work on my goals, rather than preparing and eating a regular breakfast.

About The Author
Connie Limon. Visit us at http://www.selfimprovementbook1.com Self Improvement Book 1 and sign up for our newsletters. Self Improvement Book is a guide to information about self improvement, personal growth and self help tips. It is an organized directory referencing information in other websites on the World Wide Web.

Success Key - How ATTITUDE Plays a Huge Role

by: Phil Barnao

The first step in the road to success lies within the importance of our attitudes. Our Attitudes and thoughts dictate our future for better or worse. The wrong attitude is probably the cause of more failure then any other principle, philosophy or strategy.

So before you think about the secrets that will lead you down the road of prosperity, happiness and wealth, let me say this… You must first cover subject of attitude or face the fact that you will never have what you truly want. On that note; we all must make a choice to either go after the lifestyle we truly desire or remain were we are.

Attitude is a choice. It’s your choice. It is not based upon feelings it’s strictly a mental thing. Attitude is a mental position toward a particular fact, state or situation. Again that means that you have control over it. Sometimes you can’t change a situation, but you have control over how you react to it. We all do and there are no excuses with this.

The fact that you are happy, joyful and excited or sad, depressed and angry is a direct result of the attitude that YOU have chosen to take at that time. It’s not like you have to be in that mood. You really have just chosen to be.

It took me a long time to figure this out for myself that this is the way it really works. But know I can honestly say that it is 100% true. Every time I am in the state of having a bad attitude it’s because I choose to dwell on something that I should not have.

Now obviously there are some things that occur in life that will cause it to be more difficult to control but the key is not to stay there too long.

Here’s why…

"As a man (or person) thinketh in his heart so is he". Basically this means that our thoughts (or attitude) are what determine our future. You have the power to create or destroy your own future based upon your thoughts.

So have a great attitude and think big...

I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty score.

For life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial's hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have surely paid.

The bottom line is whether we believe we can or believe we can't, we're right. In order to receive we must first ask and then believe that it's possible. You must believe that you can have an abundance of money, have a great marriage, be the best parent or that you can actually create any lifestyle that you desire.

The truth is..."You are in control of your future the minute you choose to be and you can create absolutely anything you truly desire to and it all starts with attitude."

Attitude

by Chuck Swindoll
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.”
Do not allow what other people say or do to dictate your attitude. People will with out even realizing it try and bring you down. You have to fight against it. The statement that misery loves company is more often than not a true statement. It’s not always the person’s fault that they are disrupting you because they are not aware of it, but you need to be so that you can knowingly choose to remain in the right attitude.
A miserable person or even someone who just happens to be in a bad mood (we’re all guilty of this sometimes) will try to identify with you by bringing you into their negative mental state. They don’t purposely do it, it’s just a reflection of their inability to control their attitude at that time.

The Success Scoop is provided to You
by: Phil Barnao
…Author of the explosively powerful
free Success Scoop E-zine… Success Scoop (close new window to get back to this page).

About The Author
Phil Barnao had experienced a youth of bad programming and wrong choices that led him to a life of struggle, disappointment and utter dissatisfaction. In his early twenties by the grace of God he came to a turning point in his life and was then introduced to the industry of personal development.

Phil states that the information he learned completely changed his paradigm and the course of his life forever. “The way that it all went down during that time has left me so thankful and convinced it was a divine encounter.”

Motivated by his change, Phil is determined to empower others towards success and happiness. He holds a passion for assisting others in pursuing their dreams and ambitions. He says “by creating a balanced growth in their life, implementing success strategies and making the relationships anyone can achieve the lifestyle they desire and fulfill their divine purpose in life.”

Phil owns multiple businesses and is a true entrepreneur at heart. He is a student, author, motivator, speaker, coach and minister of personal development and freedom. His company Wealth Creations International (aka… W.C. Group) will empower you towards the character, lifestyle, relationships and finances you want.

The W.C. Group has a FREE newsletter called success scoop that is jam packed with nuggets of valuable life changing information. Phil’s philosophy is to completely over deliver in success scoop and make it the most valuable free e-zine in the industry. You deserve to have it. Go sign up for free right now! http://www.successscoop.com/ (close new window to get back to this page)

Business Failure? Don't Give Up.....

by: Tal Fighel

So you have a burning desire, the right motivation, the right attitude, and the right tools to make money with your business. That is great. But do you have one of the most important tools called the "never give up no matter what" state of mind?

There are plenty of people in the business world both online and offline who will tell you that no matter how successful you are or how well you are doing, there will always be times that your business will take a nose dive or have setbacks.

You have to be ready for this and you must know how to jump from one setback to another with enthusiasm. You will need to be like a ball and bounce back up. Get back on the horse even after you have been knocked off it for many times.

So, if you feel discouraged and you want to quit, you must exercise all or any of the following:

1. If you feel like quitting, step back and give yourself some breathing room. Don't spend too much time on your business through the day. Instead, spend shorter times going through your business (15 minutes each time).

2. When you do feel angry, frustrated, and about to quit, take some nice, deep cleansing breaths. This will relax your mind and body.

3. Exercise is one of the best stress relievers that you should do on a daily basis. Walking, running, dancing, or whatever form of exercise you choose has many benefits for a stress free mind while building your online business. Do this on a regular basis.

4. Instead of spending too much time on your business, turn your attention to other things in your life that make you feel absolutely great. Anything that takes your mind off your business can and will help.

5. Tell yourself that you are a winner. Winners like you never quit, and quitters never win. You are not like them. You have to know that you are a winner no matter what.

6. Don't give up and quit when you feel like it. Success could be just around the corner. Desperation has a way of getting your mental juices flowing and there just may be a solution in that flow.

Now, if you were just one step away from reaching your goal, would you take that step? What a shame it would be to stop making the effort, when just a little bit more would make it all worthwhile.

What a shame it would be to have taken all those steps, only to miss the very last one. The next step you take may very well be the one that makes all the others count. At some point success is just one step away. Keep going and you'll be there.

7. Reading motivational books and listening to tapes can be a great way to stay motivated. It has great powers to inspire people. Everyone does it and you should too.

8. Many successful people online today overcame many obstacles and road bumps along the way. Every time you feel like quitting, think about those people and know that they never quit when things were down for them.

9. Giving up is really NOT an option. Look for other ways to improve your business until you do find what works for you. Learn and see what other successful people do exactly on a daily basis and apply that to yourself and your business.

Copyright (c) 2006 Work-At-Home-Income-Directory.com

About The Author
Tal Fighel is the owner of http://www.work-at-home-income-directory.com/ (close new window to get back to this page). His website is geared for people who are interested in finding an online work at home opportunity or finding the perfect home based business.

How Can I Trust Anyone Again?

How Can I Trust Anyone Again?
by: Kelly Jones

Gail Asked:

I used to live on the streets and was taken advantage of in many ways. Now I am off the streets and doing much better. Trouble is, I don't trust people anymore. I always think they want something from me and consequently I can't get past a superficial relationship.

How do I deal with this? What is wrong with my thinking? I don't live on the streets anymore and don't live around those types of people. I can't make friends with this attitude. I don't want to be a loner all my life. What do you think?

Blushgirl Says:

I think you should be commended and feel proud of yourself for getting off the streets. That took courage and determination and is no small accomplishment. If you can do that, you can do anything you set your mind upon.

There is nothing wrong with your thinking. You are reacting to past experiences and feelings. This is natural. My goodness, how would anyone react after living on the streets? Any one of us would have issues to deal with after an experience like yours.

Like most things in life, trusting people comes with time and experience. There will be some people in this world that will break your trust. This is something you must accept and you probably have a head start on this one. When you encounter someone like this, don’t get discouraged, feel sorry for him or her and move on. That person will never find true happiness until they learn to treat people with respect.

Nobody is born mistrusting other people. You learned to hold back your complete trust the first time, or the second time, or the third time you got hurt for trusting someone who was less than honest with you. The situation you were in, living on the streets, was a terrible and frightening condition. People do things there which they would not normally do just to survive. So the first thing then, is to separate these things in your mind. The world you are in now is not the world you were in on the streets. They are completely different circumstances and you must try to separate them.

While on the streets, you learned that if you didn't trust, you wouldn't be blindsided when a relationship failed. Holding back, saving you the pain, protecting yourself, became very important and in some circumstances, vital. You knew no one could hurt you, really, really, badly, as long as you didn't put your trust in them. You felt secure in knowing no one could ever hurt you badly, as long as you made sure they were kept at a distance.

But the reality is, that was a different time, and a hostile environment that you are no longer a part of. Now, you must escape from it completely, and leave it behind for good. Do not however, try to erase it from your mind. Embrace the experience. Know that if it had to happen to you, maybe there was a reason, some higher calling, and it brought you where you are now.

Now you are safe, and back in the real world. Without placing faith in others, without trusting, even if it may cause you to ultimately get hurt, you'll never experience complete love.

Love and trust are partners; they work together. No matter how many times you may be hurt by people who trample the trust you place in them, you owe it to yourself to bestow the ultimate trust on the next person you choose to befriend. Choose wisely and placing trust will not be so difficult to do.

When there is trust…

1. You know he or she will be there for you no matter what happens.
2. If you start to fall, they will catch you.
3. If you are cold, they will warm you.
4. If you need a hug, their arms will enfold you.
5. If you need a soft word, theirs is the one you will hear.
6. If you need a laugh, they have a joke.
7. No matter what you need, you know they will be there, and they know the same about you.

I know it is hard to trust sometimes, but it is well worth the potential hurt, and yes, there may be some hurt. Trusting takes two and all you can ever do is hold up your side and trust the other person enough to do the same.

So how do you trust people? The bottom line is, trust is a decision. You must decide to let go of your fears and doubts, and trust other people. Henry Stimson once said, "The chief lesson I have learned in a long life is that the only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him; and the surest way to make him untrustworthy is to distrust him and show your distrust."

All things in life start with a decision. Once you decide to start trusting, it will get easier. Each time you trust another person, you will feel rewarded and warm inside. When someone breaks that trust, know in your heart that you did the right thing by giving that person the benefit of the doubt. We can’t control what others will do, but we can control how we react to it.

When you start thinking about those negative memories of the past, do something to change your focus, no matter what that might be. For me, I simply think of a memory, real or imagined that makes me smile. Try anything to jolt your mind off the bad images. Then fill your mind with pleasant thoughts and images, and before long, all the “bad stuff” will start to fade, but yes, it takes time. You will never forget it, but it won’t affect you like it does now. It will just pass away like a faded memory. I want to recommend you look into a technique called EFT. It is easy to do, and is free to learn. Go to this website to learn more: http://www.emofree.com/a/?2209/1

Do these things and I know you will see positive things begin to happen. But more importantly, know in your heart, that you are a greater person, because of what happened to you. Now the only question remains: will it defeat you, or will it make you stronger? Since you are questioning it, and reaching out to others for advice, I know it has already made you stronger. Remember, to trust is only a decision; to be free will be the result. - Kelly

About The Author
Kelly Jones, better known as blushgirl has been in the online dating scene since 1996. Her experience in the field helps her answer questions on romance and relationships for her site visitors, and allows her to meticulously review dating and matchmaking sites. If you would like to reach Kelly, please visit her at: Blush Personals.