The Allure of Ancient Greece

With civilized cities, rich cultures, powerful armies, and abundant mythologies involving the lives of gods and humanity, the ancient Greek culture continues to fascinate us. The influence of Ancient Greek culture can still be felt in every facet of our modern society today. The Olympics Games, music, philosophy, art, theatrical productions and many other recreational activities and hobbies we partake in today were without question pioneered by the Ancient Greek civilization. We must also note that modern democracy was developed from the Athenian government. Although there were limitations based on social status, it was still one of the world's earliest well-developed democracies which allowed majority of the citizens to participate in politics through voting. To sum it all up, it is safe to say that Ancient Greece birthed western civilization.

Collection of ancient artifacts has always been something we as humans have always been drawn to. There's no better feeling in the world than holding a piece of artifact, feeling it crumbling slightly with age, and wondering what the circumstances were at the time it was made. For instance, take one look at the unearthed weapons of ancient Greece and one cannot help but marvel at the scope and brutality of the war fare at that period. One can also deduce that the Greeks were a military might and a force to reckon with. Their armies developed a tight formation with warriors armed to the teeth with sturdy body armor, helmets, long shields, and destructive weapons including swords, spears and dagger blades. These single-bladed swords feature downward cut and were no doubt designed to maximize the force of the blow. Macedonian army also used wide range of projectile tools such as arrows. Judging from the wide range of military tools that have been discovered, it is no wonder the Greeks were considered to be the world's greatest conqueror, even expanding their power to Asia Minor. Greek influence and their military prowess can be clearly seen on the artifacts unearthed from the countries which once were conquered by them.

Other great varieties of Greek artifacts feature the scenes of Greek gods and show us of how the ancient Greek people thought highly of their mythologies. Similar to ancient Egyptian Gods, Greek gods are known for personalities that are similar to that of humans. While they lived in the world separated from the lands of people, they would occasionally interact with people in military affairs, love, and many other aspects of everyday life. The ancient Greeks honored these Gods and their stories by artistically presenting them on their everyday items such as oil lamps and pottery. Majority of Greek pottery feature mythological scenes of Greek Gods and other mythological animals. Battle and hunting scenes were also popular, since they allowed the depiction of the horse, which the Greeks held in high esteem. This form of representation of mythology and culture later on influenced Roman culture greatly, until the spread of Christianity.

With all this said and done, ancient Greek artifacts should be at the top of every serious collector's list. Not only are they aesthetically appealing, they are also highly educational as they give insight into the fascinating world of ancient Greece. A world that gave birth to what we generally refer to as the Western Civilization.

How Do You Know When You've Met the One?

This particular question, that is finding your ideal mate is applicable to both genders, and I suspect is very much an individual thing. Is it that you've been in a relationship with someone for a long period of time and think okay it's time to get married and have children? It's the right thing to do; I'm of the right age, and ready to settle down. S/he has certain qualities which I admire, a certain frankness and brute honesty that is a rare quality these days. We've lived together for some time and there aren't too many surprises left. Is this a rationale or basis for a marriage?

I suppose I'm being something of a devil's advocate, I am certainly posing certain questions tongue in cheek. The one is a consideration of the person with whom you would like to spend the rest of your life with. I presume it's not an outmoded thought and that modern day young people are still searching for their lifetime partner. You will note that so far the article isn't telling you where to look, as this is very much a case of what you're like as an individual. It depends on the things you like doing, and the mate that you would choose. For instance if you're a fan of music and enjoy playing an instrument yourself, you may find an ideal mate by attending concerts, joining a choir, or even some sort of group.

Having spotted someone you think might fit the bill you then need to check if that person is interested in you. It's no use getting proverbial goose bumps and planning your wedding if the person of your affection is not checking for you. You need to ensure that its mutual, which is where dating, comes in. If you ask the person out on a date, and they make excuses they are not interested. If they accept the date, but have an ulterior motive, i.e. a free meal, wanted to see a particular film, etc. I would not pursue it any further. If you are already friends with the person, be careful they may simply accept as a friend.

Taking all of the above into consideration once the date goes well, and the attraction is mutual, you seriously need to consider if there is a possibility that this could be a possible romance and ultimately be the one. You should take into account physical compatibility, emotional compatibility, geographical compatibility, shared interests, mutual friends. In addition you should consider career aims and objectives, and if they have a similar sense of humour. It is vital that you both laugh at the same things.

Finally, and believe you me the list is not exhaustive there is communication. How well do you communicate with each other and how comfortable are you with the things they say to and about you. These are some of the things to consider, but essentially I believe you will know when you've found the one and it's not just the vibes!

Veronica Williams

Evaluate Carefully When Choosing An Online MBA Program

Are you thinking about going back to university to engage in a stage, but not sure if it is the right decision or not? Like many on the internet institutions are providing on the internet stage programs, then the first to get engaged, create sure to select approved on the internet institutions for seeking greater education and learning. Learners in the top on the internet institutions take part and understand practically that will help them to improve their knowledge and accomplish educational goals. I've collected some tips to consider before deciding upon up for the top on the internet institutions.

Arrange a suitable study place for maximum attention. Ensure that that the environment is favorable for learning. Although there are many advantages of the gap university programs, its efficiency depends on the individual. Determining own needs is a good way to select a system or expertise. Ensure that that the stage giving institution is approved by the training and learning power.

A lot of programs and areas of expertise are offered through on the internet bachelor-degree programs. Information is available on the internet in case a person is interested in any of the programs. Digital programs are becoming easier to use while providing on the internet learning. There are no boundaries to what one can understand from lap top, cell phone programs. Online learning can be used to understand facts about company, lifestyle, social issues, education and learning, enjoyment and more. Therefore the concept of Distance University has developed fast and is becoming popular with all age groups.

One of the most key elements to consider when getting engaged in an on the internet greater education and learning is their certification. Everything is not always as it appears in the real world and there is some fraudster. When you research on the internet greater education and learning or stage, create sure they are approved. Searching for top on the internet institutions will guarantee you that the extent to which you are getting is approved and your prospective company will accept your stage.

There could also be a variety of aspects that would affect the ultimate decision to select a Range Studying MBA. Qualification and system quality if it offers you access to instructors and academic setting encounter is all factors you need to consider recognize and evaluate carefully when choosing an MBA system. You should also try to explore details such as scientific data, the variety of divisions, as well as the base organization before entrance. The option distance learning applications and chairs for candidates is also excellent to know first if satisfies most world-class distance learning education and learning academic dreams of the candidates.

Be the cooking arts and sciences, bookkeeping, company, Office applications, drugstore, law, biomedical, farming, kindness and travel and leisure, science, music and any course name may be, are applications available on the internet for nearly all the sources. These is much affordable than similar full-time higher education applications and levels provided through such applications on the internet colleges are similarly legitimate and approved by the industry.

Break Into The Acting Biz

There are many actors who may only do TV commercials or soaps or radio spots. It is entirely possible to make a comfortable living doing so. While being relatively lucrative, there is also a lot of competition. Because of the advancement of technology, it's easy to that camera and voice presentations can be made almost anywhere, and the ad agencies, independent film and video production houses are still employing thousands of actors annually.

The majority of actors are employed in television commercials, which makes the landscape even more competitive. Luckily, media companies are continually casting for new talent to fill the hundreds of available roles for its productions.

The roles needed vary widely from stunt people, actors and actresses to people who can do voice-over for animated films and commercials. The process of getting an audition is a simple as searching, finding and applying for the role. It now appears that in many of the cases, the use of high priced agents may no longer be necessary. With casting calls being held nationally and internationally, you can easily submit yourself for any role that you desire and you will be contacted with further instructions.

A winning audition will require some preparation on your part. Almost all areas of life retains a competitive spirit, and much will depend on self-confidence, the assertiveness and the ability to express yourself in a public context. The experience of an audition can also be valuable throughout a lifetime, regardless of,or independent of any career choice. Avoid approaching the audition with an attitude of desperation. Most successful actors can learn to relax, in whatever apparent state or situation. It is a needed skill that should be practiced and developed throughout your career. It should be fun and the experience should be cherished.

Depending on the role, and the type of audition, there may be different approaches and requirements. Here a some rules that should be followed.

  • Be on time and bring along a headshot and a resume.
  • Singers should be prepared to sing contrasting vocal styles, and do the very best in telling a story through the words and music. You may also be asked to learn additional material.
  • Actors can be given one minute to do a comedy monologue. They may also be asked to improvise, or read additional material.
  • Musicians should bring their own instruments, and demonstrate technical, lyrical, and improvisational skills in three short selections. The opportunity is provided to display showmanship in addition to your proficiency. Remember, this is show business.
  • Dancers, character performers and look-alikes are also asked to demonstrate proficiency in specific skills.
  • To be credible as a performer requires that you develop some discipline in your preparations. A lot of time and investment of your self in practice routines will more than likely result in your audition reflecting the best of your abilities. Your approach of self-confidence and purpose can result in a call-back than can possibly launch your career as an actor.

Thinking of the audition as a chance to show your skills can increase your chance of success.

Video Promotions for Your Product Increase Sales

In today's world of advanced digital media, there is absolutely no need to overemphasize upon the fact that visual media has an impounding effect on human brains. Shrewd marketers have woven upon this fact and have already capitalized on this universal fact.

About two or three decades ago, written text was the primary means of advertisement and humans had not developed much in the field of visual media. For the advertisement of an engineering college at a remote place, written ad text in the newspaper which described the entire college, the fee structure and other facilities offered by the college, were considered the choicest. People were not aware of the drastic impact that a simple two-minute video of the same college would have had on the public minds, and also the visual medium of advertisement was not rampant at that point of time, so advertisers resorted mostly to written advertisements.

We need to understand why video of a product/service is the best option for the boost of its sales. According to comScore, an Internet marketing research company, 80 percent of the worldwide internet users watch online videos. Near about 85 percent of the U.S internet audience viewed online video the previous month, with the duration of the average online content being 6.1 minutes, while the average online video ad was forty seconds. YouTube ranks first with 152 million views followed by rest of the companies like Facebook, Yahoo and Viacom. Old Spice body wash sales have shooted up by 107 percent due to YouTube videos and Twitter responses by fans. So visual marketing materializes on the fact of availability of a giant audience for response. So visualization becomes the biggest promoter of any product or service.

It is as simple as thinking that a pictorial image appeals more to the mind than an essay written on the same subject. Surveys say that humans remember about 15 percent of what they hear, 30 percent of what they read, but about 80 percent of what they see. So visualization is the most impactful mean to drill through a human brain. That's why the world is being taken by 3D animation. We see a fizzy 'Appy Fizz' dancing to the tunes of cool music, or an MRF wheel outdoing a group of wheels in an animated race. Animation has grown to such an extent that an entire industry has formed working on this area. Advertisements have formed where an entire hospital or a park is animated and 3D advertisements are formed. The promotion of all the spheres has increased since animation has ushered in. The sales of Cadbury DairyMilk almost doubled after the release of its animated advertisement. Because of this animation effect, the product itself enchants the audience. The drive to buy the product will increase since the mind will be caught in the dance moves of the product itself.

Thus a video for any product brings in the pinnacle of its sales because we have entered into a world of visualization and having understood that, the world has already begun to capitalize on that.

Best Effective Dog Training Tips

This article will provide you with the essentials of effective dog training with helpful information on behavior modification, overcoming dog fears and phobias, desensitization and mental stimulation, dog owners and dog trainers will certainly find this a helpful guide.

Just like humans, dogs can learn to fear and hate something or somebody to a great extent. The stimulus that induces the fear or phobia may vary from one dog to another but the most common stimuli are those that produce sudden and loud noises. Some fears may also sound irrational and illogical such as phobia of brooms.

It is certainly advisable to adopt a puppy while young so you will be able to condition your dogs not to be afraid of certain items or objects. Greater challenges will confront you if you deal with dogs coming from rescue homes due to their previous traumatic experiences. At the same time, you have known them only for a short period so you may have difficulty understanding the issues they are going through.

A growing puppy is expected to encounter situations that may be more threatening and frightening to your pet. Your growing puppy will start learning encountering these situations calmly and bravely, with the loving assurance and presence of the mother and of the dog owner. A dog's early experiences play a crucial role on how the dog deals with potentially threatening and frightening situations.

How the dog has been raised up to be and whether it has had any effective dog training will play a crucial role on how or what kind of adult dog your pet will turn up to be. The type of adult dog your pet will turn out to be will be a reflection of the type of environment the dog grew up to be around with. A puppy raised in a peaceful environment may elicit adverse reactions to noise and chaos. Most puppies and even adult dogs express their fear and suspicion by litter. Thus, dog owners and dog trainers are advised to expose the dog to the usual noises and places so that your pet will no longer be shocked when faced with these situations or stimuli. By exposing your pet to a variety of situations, you help in minimizing the possibility of phobias and fears. If you spot some signs of fear and anxiety in your dog, you need not lose hope. You can still do a remedy to counterattack the fears and anxieties your dog has learned.

There are also stimuli that can cause fear and anxiety in your pet dog that are beyond your control such as thunderstorms. Changes in the weather condition, humidity and atmospheric pressure cannot be changed or manipulated by an individual. Dogs are far more sensitive to weather changes and disturbances than humans. Dogs are also sensitive to light conditions such as darkening of the sky and flashes of lightning. Another weather-related stimulus that induces fear and anxiety to dogs is heavy rainfall followed by loud claps of thunder. Since it is impossible for an individual to stop these situations from happening, the best thing a dog owner versed in Effective Dog Training can do is to teach his or her pet to overcome the fear of these situations.

One of the strategies commonly used by dog owners and dog trainers is desensitization. Imitate a certain sound that frightens your dog at a low volume. Then, gradually increase the volume and intensity of the sound. Later, distract the dog's attention from the frightening sound by providing a threat or playing a game with your pet. Repeat the strategy every time your pet experiences the phobia. If done successfully, this technique will help your pet be more relaxed and be desensitized. Your pet will learn to be calm, even when faced with previously threatening and frightening situations. You can use a number of soundtracks for this purpose. A variety of sounds are available such as cries of babies, fireworks, gunshots and thunder sounds. You can check out the music stores near you or you can also record these own sounds by yourself.

Another important phase of Effective Dog Training is the physical stimulation. Playing or doing exercise with your dog is not only important in terms of the physical benefits of walking or playing but also provides an opportunity for you to build a relationship with your pet. By doing exercise with your pet, you get the chance to interact with your pet and your pet will also become more comfortable with you. There may be limitations and restrictions as to how far and where you can walk around with your dog but you should not take this responsibility for granted. In addition, walking may seem like a physical activity but it also has numerous mental benefits. Walking helps make your pet become more alert and focused. You also have to take into consideration the breed and nature of your dog. Daily walks may not be enough for some breeds that are highly intellectual. Because of their high intellectual level, more stimuli are needed to keep them learning and active. For breeds like Border Collie, you need to provide stimuli even when they are just staying or resting at home.

To make sure your dog gets to enjoy your physical and mental exercises, there are certain effective dog training tips and guidelines you need to consider. You can start by teaching your dog to fetch a certain object. Throw a certain object such as a twig or a piece of wood or a toy. Naturally, the dog will run after it to catch it or to get it. You can gradually increase the distance. You can also play a give-and-take game. When your dog gets the object you have thrown, start running away in the opposite direction. As soon as your dog catches up with you, face your pet and put your hand out. Ask your pet to give you the toy. If your dog gives you the toy, you can give your pet a treat hidden in your other hand. If you feel that your dog has already started to get bored with the game, you can also upgrade the mechanics. You can teach your pet to distinguish between different items. You can teach your pet to understand what a 'shoe', 'shovel' or 'towel' means.

another important guideline you should not miss in effective dog training is food. Food should be made an integral part of your dog training. However, you have to be creative and imaginative on how to make your dog even more interested in food treats. Avoid feeding your dog from the bowl since it seems to be so ordinary and routine. Make your dog want to have that food treat by hiding it or dividing it into smaller portions. You can also let your dog search for its food through sniffing or by following a track. One way of encouraging your dog to hunt for food treats is through kongs or hollow toys. The hollow toy can contain the food treats until your dog is able to find it.

You can also complement food treats by providing toys such as balls. You can place small dry food treats on a bag with these activity balls. In that way, your dog can still enjoy while staying at home. Try to look for ways your dog can experience physical activities and try to spend as much time with your pet as you can. This will make your dog happy with the feeling that you are giving your pet attention, affection and time.

While showering your pet with loving affection, you should also bear in mind that you need to assert the hierarchy. Make your pet feel that you are superior. When your pet respects your authoritative and dominating nature, your dog will follow what you want your pet to do. If you feel you are unequipped to deal with certain situations, you can always refer to effective dog training manuals and guides. Whether you are an expert or a beginner in owning and training a dog, you will find their practical instructions and suggestions a big help. With these effective dog training guides and manuals, you can become an efficient and effective dog owner and dog trainer. You do not even have to spend a lot to raise your dog to be a responsible member of the canine society. All it takes is discipline and patience on your own part.

The Science of Self-Care

Defining the field

If you Google it "self-care" appears to connote either diet, exercise and other medical attention, or massage, manicures and spa treatments. Self-care in these senses serves to keep us in the kind of physical shape and mood we want to be in to put in a productive day and perform our duties in the world. Is this all there is to the "self" of which we are charged with taking care? Clearly we not merely bodies, but creatures with minds that we 'feed and exercise' as well, namely with the literature we read, the work we do, the television programs we watch, and the conversations we engage in. As creatures requiring mental treatment and rest, too, taking care of ourselves is not just about diet and exercise, but also about time- and life-management, communication and relationships, and perhaps even enriching ourselves psychologically, intellectually and spiritually.

This somewhat broader science of self-care is in recent times often called "self-improvement." Witness some of the most burgeoning shelves of your local bookstore. The people who write these books, make these CDs or give these talks generally call themselves coaches. Many coaches specify an area of expertise, like relationship coach or business coach, as do coaches in other fields, like vocal coach in music, or tennis coach in sports.

What goes on in coaching?

What you find out fast when you hire a coach, or listen to a self-improvement CD, is that, regardless of how specialized the domain, the guidance received in that domain impacts many other aspects of life. Whether I hire a swim coach, an executive management coach or a violin coach, I can count on changing my eating and sleeping patterns, budgeting differently, and shifting the people with whom I hang out. It is for this reason, and to distinguish themselves from advisors of one sort or another, that many generalist practitioners especially call themselves "life-coaches."

Not since the Ancient Greek and Roman doctor-philosophers has there been so much attention on self-care as we are witnessing today. It would appear that somewhere in The Enlightenment and The Industrial (not to mention The Corporate) Revolution, Western Culture generally lost track of the need that productive citizens seem to have to be mentored, and-if the individual means to excel in a particular field--to apprentice under a master.

This rise in the practice of the science of self-care would not be occurring were it not for the fact that companies that have used professional coaching for business reasons have seen a median return on their investment of seven times their initial investment, according to the International Coaching Federation's Global Coaching Client Study (available at CoachFederation.org), conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Association Resource Centre Inc in 2009.

Coaches distinguish what they do from advising or consulting. An advisor or consultant has a particular expertise that the client lacks, the implementation of which leads directly to change. A coach's expertise is at helping people understand themselves and work through obstacles (internal and otherwise) to accomplish things themselves: goals or projects the client cannot yet see herself fulfilling on. Tom Landry, the famous Dallas Cowboys Football coach is supposed to have said: "A coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear, so you can see what you don't want to see, so you can be what you've always wanted to be."

What Landry was pointing to is that coaching is effective when it gives us a perspective on ourselves that we would not have otherwise. There are many things we cannot see about ourselves. In the same way that we cannot see the way we look from certain angles, we often cannot see why the people around us are affected by us the way they are. It also usually takes someone else's pointing out how differently we spend our time, for us stop and realize what we are doing with our life. Every one of us exhibits certain behaviors or patterns of thinking that most other people readily recognize, but that we cannot see about ourselves.

"Seems like you always take the underdog's side, Martha."

"I do?"

Or, "Why do you constantly wring your hands, Fred?"

"I do what?"

Or, "Do you realize you're a contrarian, George?"

"I am NOT."

The Value of Coaching

Although we each have our personal versions of them, blindspots are inherent to being human. Apprenticing with a mentor gives us access to recognizing these blindspots, and thereby to know ourselves more fully. Allowing another pair of eyes to observe us, we avail ourselves of a view of ourselves we could not have had otherwise, and thereby acquire more understanding of what is and is not working for us vis-a-vis the life we want. The process of discovering who we are, and taking a broader view of what we're doing with the time of our life, clearly impacts not only the care of our physical self, but moreover the care of our emotional, mental and spiritual self.

Accordingly the science of self-care is not only an inquiry into what is to be included in a regimen for taking care of oneself, but also a question as to what The Self is, and how best to approach taking care of it. Coaching ultimately boils down to the age-old directive to "Know Thyself" and lead "The Examined Life."

The human being's generic blindspots arise out of conditions on all experience acknowledged by philosophers since ancient times. In any given phenomenal experience, there are three elements: a quality, a subject, and the interpretant in virtue of which the quality and the subject relate. Let's say black is the quality; kettle is the subject; and in a well-lit kitchen I notice, "This kettle is black." In synthesizing the quality and the subject of an experience in a given context, we create our experience. These elements of the phenomenon also correspond to the levels of knowledge Plato describes in the "divided line" passage of The Republic (509d): Eikasia (image-making), Pistis (belief; based in the predictable occurrence of an object of perception), and Dianoia (thought). A fourth and last level of knowledge is Noesis (intuition).

Like Pythagoras before him and Aristotle after, Plato also suggests that the whole of society is divided into i) people who are predominantly body- or image-oriented, ii) laborers working with established technology, iii) professionals generating and moving information, and iv) the "philosopher-kings" (the wise ones who head the community). In like manner, our experience (as individuals) of a given phenomenon in a given instant is usually dominated by one of the three elements involved, while we are blind to the others. For instance, I'm so shaken by the loudness of the bang that I don't yet recognize that it was the door that slammed shut. Or, I don't know exactly what it is about what you said, but it inspired me. The demonstration that a straight line bisects parallel lines at equal angles is so compelling, that I fail to appreciate that this will only hold true as long as space itself is flat.

In a coaching conversation, the person being coached might come to countenance a) that the real subject of her daughter's not calling home at the appointed time last night was not her daughter's irresponsibility but her own (since the phone she gave her daughter needed recharging); b) that it wasn't the content of the revenue-generation plan she presented at work that had it not go over well, but the fact that she presented it with a tone of fear and hopelessness; c) that there are several other ways she could make a living, and these lie in areas of life where she feels confident and hopeful; and d) that she had been pursuing a career in social services because that's what people in her family had always done, even though her "heart" (her intuitive self!) is really in engineering.

The science of coaching can be divided into four main subjects corresponding to the four major potential blindspots we all share. As long as we are living life as mind and or body exclusively (and self-care is left to imply merely dietetics and physical training), we can't see all the dimensions of our potentially fully-conscious Self. Because they bring to light those aspects of phenomena of which we are not aware, these four are the domains in which we can broaden our experience, or to which we need to bring attention, if we are to become fully conscious and thereby 'know ourselves.'

The Blindspots

The first blindspot is to the basic character containing the phenomenal event, its quality. For example, 'Why am I having so much trouble concentrating on what she's saying? Oh, it's because she's saying it in such a panicky way that I feel nervous, scared and want to do something to fix the situation, before even coming to understand what is wrong.' Another example: Gerry can't figure out why his projects keep failing. He doesn't notice that what he's paying attention to is how he might fail, as opposed to focusing on how to succeed. Very often we don't realize that the quality or image that the mind assigns the experience is not necessary, and can be altered. In such cases, we are blind to our power of autopoiesis, i.e. that we create the quality of the reality we experience, and we have the capacity to change it. We are blind to the fact that we are both cause & effect of our life.

This self-creative power lies largely in where we put our attention. It's common to hear people say, "I see the glass as half-full where you see it as half-empty," or vice versa. However, attention to body-image / quality actually cuts very deep. If the presenter (example above) focused her presentation on avoiding dangers, saving face, surviving upsets, it would not have nearly the appeal as one accounting for the same facts, but creating a vision of possibility, ingenuity and success. A friend of mine's mother just passed away; he noticed he could focus on her final illness, his missing her, and the complexity of handling her estate, or he could take care of all of the above whilst enjoying the great spirit his mothers was and is, the wonderful things she accomplished in life, and the awesome legacy of charity everyone at the wake acknowledged that she left behind.

Second Blindspot

The second element of all phenomena, to which we can be blind at times, is the dynamism of its object, the Newtonian mechanics of it. It is very easy for us to lose sight of the real statistics and the true probability of our beliefs proving true, when we allow our desire, our attachment, or our ego to sway our thinking. Imagine, for instance, that you're trying to give up smoking. Now someone offers you a cigarette. It doesn't matter how you feel or what you think about lighting up, what makes a difference is that you not smoke a cigarette this time, or the next, or the next. This is how you become a non-smoker.

Consider how the following example is similar. You might feel like, or even believe, that your best friend has just abandoned you by not showing up at your birthday party. The fact of the matter is that she is not here at the party right now. However, the fact that she is not here at the party now probably does not mean you've been abandoned, given the commitment to your relationship that she's demonstrated many times over. It may even be cause for concern about her safety and welfare. In both these examples, what is hidden from view is the indeterminacy of the phenomenon we're experiencing, the difference between what is fact versus what is interpretation. When either of the other elements of the phenomenon dominate our attention (i.e. when we are more taken by the quality or the interpretation of the experience), then we are blind to the believability/habituated nature of the reality we're experiencing.

So, if the person who is endeavoring to give up smoking simply goes by the feeling that it'd be nice to have a cigarette, or the interpretation "One cigarette never killed anyone" (say), then she will fail to heed the fact that she just needs to say "no" if she is going to establish a new habit of not smoking. Or, take the case of the birthday celebrant who is upset that her friend is not present at the party. If she allows her personal feelings to rule, and leaps at the interpretation that she's been abandoned, she overlooks the fact that her friend's not showing up most probably signals an extenuating circumstance, especially given the general rule, according to which, as friends, they attend each other's parties.

Third Blindspot

The third aspect of the phenomenon, our third potential blindspot, is the interpretant in virtue of which the quality and the subject relate. We usually assume ourselves to be the interpretant, and we cling to "our" interpretation of the phenomenon precisely because we think it is ours. In fact we hold it as part of our identity. In reality, we are largely not responsible for our interpretations; they are imprinted upon us by our parents and upbringing, the culture and media in which we live, the developmental age of our science and technology, et al outside forces.

Most of the time, we assume and behave as though we are our mind. This is egoism. If you have a thought that is clear and powerful, you think, "Boy, am I smart." Actually you possess a mind, like you possess a foot. It is more accurate to say, "The mind is free and functioning well." Likewise, if you experience challenges thinking (because of fatigue or insufficient nutrition, e.g.), rather than jumping to the conclusion, "I'm such a dummy; I don't know what's wrong with me," you might simply observe, "The mind needs rest." Who or what you are is really something much more than that albeit powerful neurological organ you've got between your ears. To identify with the mind is to set yourself up for a constant cycle of self-negation and pride, of egoistic death and resurrection. By contrast, when you identify with the purpose of the task or project at hand, then rather than taking them personally, you can navigate mitigating circumstances in a detached, powerful, creative and free way that better ensures success.

For instance, if I allow myself to be personally affected by a decision, then the whole process is misdirected. I might push and manipulate the situation such that my great and trusted friend becomes our business' strategic partner, but he doesn't really bring to the table the resources needed to further our company's growth. If, instead, I dedicate my thinking and actions to the health and success of our business, I put my personal preferences to the side for the sake of a sound choice for the business.

One of the most potent techniques for discovering blindspots is to request that a committed listener or coach reflect back at us what we are saying. "So," using the example above, "What you're saying is that, because he's a good and trusted friend, he's the right strategic partner for the new venture. Is that right?" Suddenly, I am shown the faultiness of my thinking, and without anyone having to say, "Your reasoning is faulty." This is important because hearing that would only cause me to dig my egoistic heals in deeper, and push my agenda even harder. This is the key contributor to our blindspots around dianoia, the third potential blindspot: because we so narrowly associate our identity with our thoughts, we fight to the death to avoid blame, pain, responsibility or looking bad. Likewise we let it "go to our head" when our thinking is praised.

Fourth Blindspot

The fourth blindspot we can have is that of the most basic and enduring order from which we and our phenomenal experiences emerge. The ancient Greeks called this nous, often translated as "intuition." To "Know Thyself" ultimately is to eat, breathe and play on the basis of one's participation in the larger intelligence of the universe. To know ourselves must include experiencing ourselves as the universe. Our experience of intuition has a texture different from phenomenal experience; it is not conditioned by the mind. We can be blind to our power of intuition because mental activity, pistis (belief) and dianoia (thought) dominate our lives: opining, analyzing, judging, strategizing, cajoling, worrying, justifying, regretting, etc..

Notice that in all of these states of mind, we are seeking, stressing or striving to get somewhere, achieve something or accomplish something, if only to feel better about ourselves. In intuition what-is and the consciousness of what-is are one. There is no strife outside the mind in intuition. This is not a matter of mystical conjecture either. You can access intuition within yourself at any time by simply turning your attention inward, noticing sensations in the body and thoughts. Focus your awareness on that fundamental aliveness that you are, and that connects to the world around you. From this nonverbal awareness that we can access when we turn our attention within, we witness the "space" of consciousness, inside of which our own thinking, behavior and emotions arise and pass away.

Here is an example. I know from my own childhood how much it means to have your father at your baseball games. I've been at all of my son's games so far this season. He has a game Thursday evening. However, I've also promised to be the person on the church's steering committee who is accountable for the new windows project. Thursday evening is also the best night the steering committee could find to have its meeting regarding the new windows. I put down everything I'm doing, turn away from computer and phone, sit up straight but easely with feet planted flat on the floor, close my eyes and bring attention to my heart or intuition.

It takes a few moments to get out of my head, but then from the tranquility within the sense bubbles up that what I really want, both in following my son's baseball career and in serving the steering committee as head of the new windows project, is to empower everyone around me, as well as myself. I tell my son I want to spend more time one-on-one, and not just sitting in the bleachers watching him play baseball. I tell him I will not be at the game Thursday, and we schedule a hike to our favorite meadow in the mountains to have some good quality time together on Saturday. I talk to each of the other members of the steering committee at church about the role they each see themselves playing in the new windows project, and ask them to present their ideas at the upcoming meeting. I set it up so that, even if I were to not show up at the meeting (and I will), the project would be moving forward.

Close

When a coach points out any of the blindspots of our phenomenal experience, it is like we are given a fish; but learning to employ the enormous power of intuition is like learning to fish. Intuition illuminates all of our other blindspots. Understanding that coaching is a science offering valuable insight into those areas of potential experience where we are currently lacking awareness, helps bring some order to the stacks of self-improvement books gathering in our households. It also sheds light on why the coaching we may have received was, or was not, effective. It allows us to better know ourselves, and to take better care of our Whole Self.

Global Ground Breaking Presence Of iPhone Applications

Whether it was smartphones with full touch-screens, actually browsing the internet on a mobile device or a place from where you can download applications (app store) Apple initiated it all. The sheer number of innovations by Apple intimidates almost every mobile phone manufacturer today. In addition, it is not only the number of new things that Apple has come up with, but the excellence with which it has executed all the novelties is remarkable. However, we must not forget that a number of things have gone into making Apple what it is today. The sleek and sophisticated design, the smooth and flawless operating system and the overall feel-good factor of an Apple device is unparalleled.

The immense popularization of the iPhone and other Apple products has had direct and indirect impact on many other industries. The Apple application store is the biggest example of the magnitude of revolution that has been brought by Apple. Currently, millions of applications that are available on the iPhone App Store. There are applications for business, travel, sports and fitness, social networking, news, lifestyle, games, entertainment, education, family and kids, music and much more.

The way people welcomed, accepted and got addicted to these applications brought a multidimensional change in various businesses. First, the way businesses promoted themselves changed. Now, every business you name has an iPhone application. No matter what the scale of the business is, there is an application for it. With the help of the boom in the app world, many businesses are now able to reach a larger customer base and can also offer them better services than they could a decade earlier. iPhone applications have helped businesses of all scales and any nature to promote themselves and have a wider reach to their client base.

Another major impact of the phenomenal success of iPhone and iPhone apps has been on the iPhone app development companies. You have an idea; hire an iPhone app developer to convert it into an application. To hire an iPhone application programmer, all you have to do is to approach a legitimate iPhone app development company, convey them your idea, and bargain for the price and viola! Your application is ready. This has brought a major change in the world economy and especially for countries like India, China, and Korea etc. where iPhone app development projects are outsourced the most. What Apple does next to yet revolutionize the world of telecom is yet to be seen.

Soft Prodigy is creating waves in this domain and has excelled their expertise in iPhone Apps Programming. Their team of experts are equipped with the latest knowledge and technical know how of this domain. A mammoth growth has been seen in iPhone Application Development in last few years and we are excelling our services in a direct proportion with that.

Wedding Planning Advice for Shy Brides

The brides who get the most attention are the ones who go around screaming "It's MY day!" or who try to outdo the royal wedding (this means you, Kim Kardashian!). But for every woman who is dying to be the center of attention, there are probably just as many brides who cringe at the idea of having all eyes on them. This is some practical wedding planning advice for shy brides to make their day more enjoyable.

First and foremost, it is important to be true to yourself. If you know that you hate having the spotlight on you or feel nauseous at the thought of walking down a long aisle with everybody staring at you, plan your wedding accordingly. The best wedding planning advice for shy brides is to keep their wedding as small as possible. When you have only immediate family and dearest friends at your ceremony, you will hopefully feel supported, rather than overwhelmed.

In no way should you feel obligated to stick with wedding customs that will increase your anxiety. It all starts with the wedding ceremony. Consider having it in a location that will not require you to walk down a long aisle. Either choose a small chapel with a short aisle, or a site which will allow you to make a side entrance. One very shy bride that I knew opted to have her ceremony in her parents' living room in front of the fireplace. She entered the ceremony by coming down a set of stairs that led into the living room, and from there it was just a few short steps to her groom waiting by the fireplace. If you are having your ceremony in a place that will require you to walk down an aisle, consider asking both your mother and father to walk with you, so you will be flanked by them on either side. It can help you to feel more sheltered and less like the center of attention.

It is very important that a shy bride choose wedding attire that will make her feel very at ease. If you never wear sexy styles, avoid revealing bridal gowns with plunging necklines that will cause you discomfort. The fact of the matter is that a dramatic wedding dress will draw all eyes right to you, so if you prefer to blend in (admittedly hard for the bride to do), opt for a more understated wedding gown style. A classic A-line or a 1950s inspired gown will probably be more your cup of tea than a va-va-voom mermaid gown with a skin tight top and a cascade of ruffles at the bottom. A lot of brides feel particularly comfortable in wedding gowns with pockets, as it gives them something to do with their hands.

For women who are painfully shy, the first dance at the wedding reception can be a tremendous source of stress. The spotlight will quite literally be upon you, and all of your guests will be watching you. If this sounds like your worst nightmare, there are several options that may be helpful. One is to simply skip the spotlight dances. If you are having a very small wedding, you can opt not to have dancing at all. Just provide nice background music for dinner and cocktails, and leave it at that. It will seem less obvious if you host your reception in a place without a dance floor, such as a restaurant or a private dining room in a posh club. If you can't get out of the first dance entirely, instruct the bandleader to invite other couples onto the dance floor about a minute into it. You can plan this in advance with your parents and bridal party so they know to get out there and start dancing as soon as they are invited.

Always remember that it is your wedding, and you should be able to have the style of event that will make you feel the most at ease (even if your mom is pushing for a huge bash!). When planned carefully, even the most shy bride can have a wedding that she will enjoy. The wonderful memories of your perfect wedding will last you a lifetime.

A Brief History of Data Storage and Back Up

Magnetic Tape

In 1952, IBM introduced the IBM 726, a high speed magnetic tape system that would store large amounts of data at relatively low cost. At that point, it was sold with IBM's model 701 computer. It had the capacity to store 2 million digits per tape.

Since then, magnetic tape has continued to be the storage method of choice for inexpensive, mass data storage.

In 2010 IBM and Fujifilm launched a magnetic tape storage device with a capacity of 35TB, more than 40 times the capacity of existing cartridges.

Hard Drives

Hard disks enable large amounts of data to be randomly accessed.

The first hard drive in the form of magnetic disk storage, arrived in 1956 with the IBM 305 RAMAC (Random Access Method of Accounting and Control ), with 50 magnetic plates that could take 4.4MB of data.

Compact Cassettes

Philips introduced the compact cassette of magnetic tape in 1963, becoming popular in the 1970s until the 1980s. Compact cassettes were used in some computers, such as the Commodore 64 and the Amstrad CPC, storing 700kB to 1 MB of data on each side of tape.

Floppy Disks

The arrival of the IBM 8-inch floppy disk in 1971 had an advantage over the existing hard drives. It became popular as a portable means of program and data storage that you could move between drives. Initially the floppy disk had a storage capacity of 80kB.

Sony sold the first 3 ½" floppy disk drives in 1981 and with the commitment of Hewlett Packard to this format, the 3 ½ "came to dominate the market with capacity now around 1.44MB.

Compact Discs

Music compact discs (CDs) spawned CD-ROMs, launched by Philips and Sony in 1983 with a pre-recorded data capacity of 550 megabytes and companies collaborated to set a norm to allow the information to be accessed from any computer.

USB Flash Drives

The flash drive was introduced in 2000. They are smaller and faster and with a storage capacity nowadays of up to 256 GB, flash drives have replaced CD Roms and Floppy disks.

We have come a long way in terms of data storage; however, it is important to note that many of these forms are still in use today. Magnetic tape is still widely used for mass data storage as it is considered to be the most reliable and trustworthy. This proves that not all forms of technology are doomed to extinction.

The 1920s: A Decade of Change

Prohibition

At midnight January 16, 1920, the Volstead Act became law and banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors, but not personal possession or consumption. All breweries, distilleries, and saloons in the United States were forced to close.

Prohibition addressed a serious issue affecting a small fraction of the people and imposed a solution on the entire population. A colossal failure, it intended to lessen the evils associated with alcohol, but instead turned millions of law-abiding citizens into law breakers and gave rise to gangsters, rum runners, and speakeasies. With easy money to be made in illegal alcohol and gambling, Prohibition fostered corruption and contempt for the law. While authorities looked the other way, drinking, gambling, drugs, and prostitution flourished. To pass the law meant nothing if it wasn't enforced, and enforcement was nearly impossible.

For people who didn't buy cases of alcohol in advance or know an obliging doctor, there were many ways to drink illegally. In fact, the number of establishments offering alcohol and gambling doubled. Owners went to great lengths to conceal speakeasies, which included stores and secret rooms in basements of homes and buildings. People located the speakeasies by word of mouth, and to gain admittance, quietly whispered a password through a closed door, thus the term "speakeasy." The Feds raided them, often arresting both the owners and patrons, but it was common for owners to bribe the police to get advance notice about raids.

Corruption was rampant. President Harding's attorney general accepted bribes from bootleggers. A Cincinnati bootlegger had a thousand salesmen on his payroll-many of them were policemen. And in Chicago, Al Capone's organization had half the city's police on its payroll. Al Capone said:

"When I sell liquor, it's bootlegging. When my patrons serve it on silver trays, it's hospitality."

Advocates of Prohibition thought the law would also help immigrants assimilate better and become more Americanized.

By 1920, there were more people in Akron, Ohio born in other states or abroad than were born in Ohio. Akron's growing Tower of Babel overflowed with Austrians, Hungarians, Poles, Germans, Italians, and people from West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The number of West Virginians living in Akron reached almost nineteen thousand-close to ten percent of the population.

Because of the constant flow of immigrants coming to work in the factories, racial tensions were high, and quotas were set for immigrants coming into America. The Ku Klux Klan railed against Negroes, Jews, Catholics, and immigrants. Akron's chapter of the Klan was the biggest in the country, and members included many high-level political positions, including the mayor and several school board members. With factory workers making up a large part of the membership, the Klan movement was an expression of dissatisfaction with the high cost of living, perceived social injustices, and the bigotry that was so pervasive throughout the city.

During the early 1920s, the Klan helped elect sixteen senators and many representatives, as well as local officials. By 1924, the Klan controlled twenty-four state legislatures.

Nineteenth Amendment Gave Women the Right to Vote

For young women, the 1920s marked a break with traditions. The nineteenth amendment gave women the right to vote, and attitudes changed drastically. Long-standing social barriers began to crumble, virtually overnight. Women bobbed their hair and wore short skirts. They used cosmetics, drank alcohol, and smoked cigarettes in public. Nearly every article of clothing was trimmed down and lightened in order to make movement easier. Even the style of underwear changed. Women wanted to move freely for energetic dances like the Shimmy, the Black Bottom, and the Charleston-something corsets didn't allow.

Young women took part in the sexual liberation, and it was a time of great social change. From the world of fashion to the world of politics, forces clashed to produce the most explosive time in a generation.

The country became smaller. Railroads made long-distance travel possible and were now a central part of American life. Rail lines crisscrossed the country, carrying people, manufactured goods, food, and the mail. The popularity of automobiles and radios had exploded, and new machines such as the washing machine and vacuum helped eliminate some of the drudgery of women's housework. The stock market was poised to skyrocket, and you could buy a car for a little less than three hundred dollars.

Akron was an exciting, vibrant city teeming with people and money and would experience several years of unprecedented, almost giddy, prosperity. The number of employees in the rubber factories reached seventy thousand with some workers earning up to seven dollars a day, more than most industries paid in a week. People had money, and they were spending it in speakeasies and music halls and on expensive clothing.

3 Myths Regarding Internet Copyright Laws Revealed

"If there isn't any copyright notice, it's not copyrighted"

This is among the biggest myths in the field of internet copyright laws. While this was actually true in the past, most regions now follow what is known as the Berne copyright convention. For example, in the US almost everything which was created on or after April 1989 is copyrighted and subsequently under protection. Especially where internet copyright laws are concerned, it is safe to assume that anything you see online is protected by a copyright. While there are a few older works that have lost coverage over time, it is a good move to ask prior to using anything which you see online for your own projects. Though a lot of people make use of the letter "C" in parenthesis, i.e. (C) to show that their work is copyrighted, it has never been given any legal credence. Rather, look for and additionally use the written letter "C" inside of a circle to indicate copyrighted work.

"If I don't earn any money, it's not a violation of copyright"

Regretfully, this is wrong as well. While courts can order someone to pay a lot more money to the copyright holder if they have charged for their offense, the simple fact continues to be that it is completely wrong to take someone else's work and sell it. It should be understood that damages can be high if the commercial value of the property in question was impacted, regardless of whether or not the person who violated the copyright sold the content or gave it away at no cost. If the property has virtually no industrial value, a violation still exists but is less likely to result in legitimate action for the violator. Among the most common internet copyright laws you might know of, duplicating files like music and movies through file sharing or distributing physical copies on disc are some examples of this violation in action.

"If I create anything of my own from it, it now belongs to me"

Most fan works like written fiction and visual arts creations are technically derivatives of the original work, and subsequently belong to the holder of the original copyright. While numerous major media and publishing companies turn a blind eye to works produced by fans, it should be obvious to everyone that internet copyright laws allow them to take lawful action if they should choose to do so. Their lack of action is their preference. While this may not appear fair (because almost all of these derivative works require a good deal of time and effort to produce) the simple fact remains that the original tale / film / song / etc that the brand new work was based off of still belongs to the individual who created it in the first place.

Internet copyright laws are not excessively difficult to figure out; many of them are pretty cut and dry. If something appears to be copyrighted, it probably should be copyrighted and therefor likely is. Because of this, you should ask for the author's permission prior to utilizing the property in any of your projects whether or not it is for retail or personal use. If you are not able to come across the information for you to contact the initial owner, do not use the work! It is not worth the chance of discovering later on that you have committed a copyright laws violation!

Men's Trousers to Suit All Occasions

It can be hard to know what trousers to wear to certain occasions. Levels of formality vary a lot, and dress codes are easily misunderstood. Who knows how smart smart casual is? This is a guide to help men decide what can and can't be worn to occasions like job interviews, exhibition openings and more. It is meant to stop you from making major fashion misdemeanours, and causing yourself discomfort.

Chinos

Chinos are a comfortable style of trousers that are amazingly versatile. Depending on their fit and colour, they can be worn to occasions from casual to smart casual, including most jobs. Dress them down with a pair of trainers and a graphic T-shirt. Dress them up with a button-front shirt tucked into a leather belt, and a pair of leather shoes. Chinos were originally worn by soldiers so comfort and durability are obvious features.

Suitable for: most jobs, evening bar and club outings, exhibition openings, weekends, interviews for casual jobs or the creative industries.

Unsuitable for: offices that operate a strict business clothing policy, formal parties, balls.

Linen Trousers

Linen trousers are one of the most comfortable styles of clothing. They are light and breezy so are great for hot summer months, but not made for wearing in winter. They can be paired with classic T-shirts or polos for a smart casual look, or dressed up a bit with a button-front shirt.

Suitable for: museum visits, restaurants, office jobs, cruises.

Unsuitable for: formal parties, balls, winter, interviews.

Suit Trousers

In theory, you could wear suit trousers every day because they're such a fashion classic. But you might feel out of place in some settings, and it would be a shame to wear out such a nice pair of trousers that often don't come cheap. So avoid wearing them in the outdoors and to really casual events.

Suitable for: offices that operate strict business-only dress codes, balls, formal parties, interviews.

Unsuitable for: casual outings, the great outdoors.

Jeans

Denim comes in so many different shapes, sizes, colours and styles from mens skinny jeans to baggy trousers we associate with the rap music community.

The most classic dark tones and conservative fis without any bleach or rip effects can be worn to many office settings and evening events. Unfortunately, no jeans are suitable to be worn to formal occasions or office-based job interviews.

Denim as a material isn't the comfiest for wearing in the great outdoors.

Suitable for: most jobs, evenings out, weekends.

Unsuitable for: formal parties, balls, interviews, hikes.

Should You Add Media to Your eBooks?

On November 8, 2011, a question was asked on a LinkedIn writer's forum that merits consideration by any book author. "Is 'media-added' actually good for books?" The author of the question writes in his blog that he fears the media trend will turn the book market into a gaming venture and destroy the market for good books that depend only on the word power of their authors.

Anyone who loves to read knows that the movie never does justice to the book. Hollywood always has to "tweak" the story so it thinks it will have more appeal. If you've read the book, the movie is almost always disappointing. For this reason alone, the trend to add media to books needs to stop short of robbing readers of creating their own cinematic visions in their minds.

Generally, media won't enhance works of fiction very effectively unless the added media is there to create a visual or audio experience of a time in history. Just as artwork and photographs used to enhance the experience of many adult books before the advent of cinema, various media could enhance the experience of even the fiction reader. Imagine the Battle Hymn of the Republic or Dixie playing in a Civil War novel. It could add to the reader's experience without turning the book into a "game." There's nothing like music to take someone back in time. It's not intrusive to the reader's internal experience of the story. It makes it richer.

At the same time, there is a real place for adding media to non-fiction eBooks, especially how-to books. For years, I've had to read cookbooks and decipher what the instructions meant. Even with a Home Economics degree and training in all the different cooking techniques, it has often been difficult to picture what the author is describing. So many times I've wished there was a video clip to show me how to make the recipe up.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth 10 thousand. When you add words to the video, your message is far more likely to be delivered. Words and video complement each other. There are details that aren't apparent in a video that you can flesh out through well written copy. There are things that are far easier to demonstrate than to describe.

There are other non-fiction works that would benefit from the addition of video clips. Books involving history are a natural for this treatment. Slide shows, audio clips, videos, all give an opportunity to expose the reader to a broader experience.

Why not use media to complement your writing?

When it is used appropriately, added media is a wonderful enhancement that leverages the qualities eBooks enable. There's no reason to not harness the combined power of the written word with visual and audio experiences if you can do it in a way that brings more meaning to what you publish.

Leadership Games - Growing the Fun Way

Leadership games can be essential tools for an individual to develop leadership qualities. These skills are inherent to a person's character; however that doesn't mean that they don't need to be developed. Very few people in the present world possess this quality. Often, it has been said that these qualities can't be learned, but with the right approach and courage one can build this quality in oneself and excel in life. One has to train one's mind and body in the right direction to learn and adopt leadership skills. Training has proved that one can take up these skills and prove oneself at different levels. Various activities can be undertaken to build leadership skills among which one is leadership games for students which would overall help them to build confidence and progress in life.

Leadership Games - A Few Examples

These games, when introduced at the right time, can help students to become leaders and develop their mind to understand things in a different manner. They are not merely a source of entertainment but are means to teach them leadership skills in an effective manner. One among these games is the tallest paper cone tower. Teams are asked to make the tallest cone tower out of paper without any support. The right hand of one member is tied to the left hand of another, and their other two hands are left free to manage resources. The two members are blindfolded. They carry out instructions of the other two partners to build the paper tower cone. The team that makes the tallest tower wins. This game teaches teams to make use of their resources and skills with coordination and cooperation, irrespective of any shortcomings in the members.

Music games can be the next best alternative to build leadership skills among students. While learning new skills, they can build their confidence and work in coordination. Obstacle races help students right from their school to college level to understand their potential, and work with determination and confidence to win the situation. This game teaches them to build strength and determination in order to face the worst situation with confidence.

For small children, it becomes important to teach them leadership skills right from the beginning. This can be taught with the help of games. Computer games for kids can be one of the best means to build their confidence. With spelling games, they will not only build their memory but also would attain confidence to speak and pronounce words properly. They will also learn to build new spellings. This small practice right from the beginning will help them further.

Leadership Games - In Summary

Leadership games are unique ways of imparting leadership skills to the students and small kids. These games are important, and help them to build confidence in every small work in which they put their efforts. These games are exceptional in their concept. Overall, they help children and kids to grow and enhance their understanding. Everything has to be nurtured in them, and to make them strong, leadership skills are very important. By preparing them for tasks, these leadership games would overall instill courage and confidence in them.

Overcome Your Fear and Achieve Your Goals Now

Fear. Fear of failing. Fear of losing. Fear of being wrong. Fear of change. Fear is one obstacle that everyone encounters. You can see it coming toward you, or it can sneak up on you when you least expect it. It can slow you down, distract you, or stop you in your tracks. It can even cause you to run in the opposite direction. You can find yourself thinking "I would do thus and such - if only I wasn't afraid." Fear, if left to its own devices, can become all consuming.

Great, you're thinking. Now what? I admit it. I'm afraid. How do I stop? The truth is what you want to stop is being held back, impeded by your fear. It doesn't really matter if you feel fear, as long as you know how to manage it.

So what can you do, when you're afraid?

1. Step one is to admit it. Stop fighting it. Fighting it can make it stronger. Acknowledgement doesn't mean give in to it either. Just recognize you are afraid. Simply say, I am afraid.

2. Next, name your fears. Take a sheet of paper, and title it "Fears." Now, list your fears by name. Be specific. Give yourself time for this task. Write, "I am afraid that... " Take your time. Be gentle with yourself as you name your fears. Curl up with your dog, sip a cup of herbal tea, listen to music that soothes you. And name your fears. All ofthem. When you finish - standup, stretch, and take a few deep breaths.

3. Now, look at your list of fears. For each one, I want you to make a note, has this come to pass? Has this fear come true? Has it already happened in your life? A simple yes or no will suffice here. If the answer is yes, then that is no longer a fear, but a challenge for you to address. So take a separate sheet of paper, and title that "Challenges", and copy this fear there, so you can address it later.

4. Take a blank sheet of paper, and title it "Opposites." For each fear that remains, those that have not yet come to pass, I want you to write down the opposite of the fear. And when you write that opposite, write it in the present tense, e.g. I have, I am, I do.
For example:

Fear: "All my efforts will fail, I won't accomplish anything significant in my life."

Opposite: "All my efforts paid off in the end. I achieved great success and accomplished significant goals in my life and in the world."

Fear: "I will never get my book published."

Opposite: "I am a prolific writer and published author. I am a best-selling author."

5. Next, take another blank sheet of paper, and title it "Opportunities." Look in each Opposite for at least one Opportunity for you. You may find several Opportunities in a single Opposite. Great! Write them all down.
For example:

Opposite: "All my efforts paid off in the end. I achieved great success and accomplished significant goals in my life and in the world."

Opportunities: "I can check out some volunteer organizations and go give some time to something that resonates for me. I can review my business goals and make sure my values are reflected in those. I can find a life coach or mentor to help me make sure I stay on track."

Opposite: "I am a prolific writer and published author. I am a best-selling author."

Opportunities: "I can write another draft of my latest story. I can go find a critique group to get some constructive feedback on my latest novel. I can send out more letters to possible agents."

6. Look for one action you can take for each Opportunity. Write down the next tiny action you can take in the next 24 hours for each one.

7. Pick an action and commit to it today. Just one.

Now you have worked through your fears to get you to place of taking action. Taking action is the key to achieving your goals. It is also the key to managing or overcoming your fears. And the next time you feel afraid, use this process to manage it.

Exercising for The Weight Loss

Exercise is one of the most important elements of a weight loss plan. There are a number of ways to reduce weight but amongst them, taking up any form of exercise is essential for your fat loss plan to work out.

If you have chalked out a diet regime or have started to focus on a targeted number of kilos you so badly want to reach, you strongly need to put 'exercise' on the top of the list. The importance of exercise lies in the fact that it burns calories. The main aim of reducing weight is to cut down your calories, and to burn the ones you have already taken in, and those which have been stored as fat below the skin.

One mistake people tend to make is to stop eating food all of a sudden, in order to prevent calorie intake and fat deposits. What they do not realize is that they are affecting their overall health, because eating IS important for living, and studies have shown that to burn fat, you need more fat. Exercising does not mean indulging in some form of a punishment for your body. It means to burn out your calories, and it can be done in a fun way too. You can do fun workouts, with music on, and with a group of friends, if possible.

Exercising and cutting down the wrong foods are the healthiest ways of cutting down weight. If you can afford to do so, buy a treadmill or an exercise machine for the house, on which you perform your daily physical workouts. If you cannot afford to get any exercise equipment, you can opt for instructional DVDs, or online exercising classes. It is not necessary to go join a gym for your aerobics or similar workouts. You can perform all exercises in the comfort of your home, without neglecting the household or family.

The benefits of exercising are not only limited to your physical looks, or physique. In fact, exercising is important to keep you fit and healthy internally too. Exercising enhances the oxygen intake and distribution throughout the body cells, and also strengthens the heart, because of its raised pumping rate. You can adopt simple ways to keep your body physically active, for example, by walking short distances instead of taking a car, or by using the staircase instead of the elevator. You start your day with a ten-minute outdoor jogging trip daily so that your mind and body both keep afresh.

The incorporation of exercise is vital to the body and mind, and to shed off extra fat from the body, it is necessary to keep you body on the move, and to strictly discipline it to a fixed exercise program.

Data Recovery After Disaster Strikes Your iPhone

There is no doubt that iPhone is a extremely useful communication and entertainment tool. It can do everything that a standard mobile device does and doesn't as well. What if disaster happens when an iPhone fails. If you have synched your iPhone with your iTunes account before, iPhone data recovery is as simple as logging in to iTunes and "Restore". If not, iPhone data recovery is a little more complex, but still possible.

How to Perform Data Recovery for iPhone by Using iTunes

If you are used to log in your iTunes account to purchase music, TV shows, and ebooks from Apple store, you can automatically recover all your lost data as long as they are still available. If you have ever logged in Apple store with your iPhone, iTunes may also have made a backup file of all your files. Here I show you easy steps restore your iPhone lost data.

Step 1. Connect the iPhone to the same computer you used to sync your phone and log in your iTunes account.
Step 2. iTunes may ask if you want to restore your phone from a previous backup file. Confirm this action.
Step 3. If your iPhone restore from the backup file successful, it will restart.

How to Recover iPhone Lost Data by Using iPhone Data Recovery Software

Professional iPhone data recovery software for iPhones, iPads, iPod Touchs, and works even when your idevices are not functioning properly or were stolen. What's more, it not only works with Mac operating systems, but for those who are using Windows operating systems on their computer. It's worthwhile to give it a shot.

Step 1. Free Download the iPhone recovery software to your computer.
Step 2. Connect your iPhone to the same computer. Be careful, do not auto connect your phone with iTunes or even open iTunes.
Step 3. Launch the iPhone recovery software.
Step 4. Select on the device name that you desire to recover data from and click "Start Scan".
Step 5. It will show a list of your stuff on the iPhone device including SMS, contacts, notes, photos and so on. You are even able to preview all your photos before recovery. After making a selection, click "Recover".
Step 6. Set a target folder on your computer that you want to use for the recovered data.

It's a good idea to make use of this iPhone recovery software to avoid having to send the iPhone for professional data recovery service, and it also makes data recovery for iPhone easier next time. So, with such a recovery software for your iOS devices, you have no worry about losing all your data so that you can enjoy your digital life!

Tamworth - An Ideal Getaway

Imagine a cauldron of heritage and history, a stew of travel activities and festivities with a pinch of entertainment. That's Tamworth for you in a nutshell.

History is easily a foundation stone of Tamworth. Around the 6th century, Anglo Saxon tribes came together and formed the kingdom of Mercia. Tamworth was at the heart of this kingdom, and was the largest town in the Midlands. Situated at the confluence of the River Tame & Anker, it was a hub for trade and industry. In fact Tamworth derives its name from the River Tame. One of the oldest water mills in Britain was installed in Tamworth.

Tamworth Castle provides an excellent experience of the history and heritage. Step into the world of the royals, observe marvelous architecture, and enjoy the various articles and costumes on display. For those interested in Ghosts, there are options for staying in the castle and investigate and experience paranormal activity.

St Editha's Church is another excellent attraction. It's one of the oldest churches in the Midlands and has magnificent arcades and arches. An attraction though is the rare double spiraled staircase, spiraling one above the other around the same block. It is a spellbinding sight. The Town Hall and the Almshouses, both built by influential local Thomas Guy, are other attractions, rich in heritage and architectural value.

For the nature loving traveller, nature reserves of Hodge Lane and Kettlebrook provide an ideal getaway. Various varieties of flora and fauna adorn these reserves amidst quaint walkways and pools. One can also go canoeing on the River Tame and enjoy a nice paddle.

A must visit family attraction is Drayton Manor theme park. It is a very popular tourist destination and is home to some amazing rides. Noteworthy ones are Shockwave, Pandemonium and one of Britain's scariest rides Apocalypse. Shockwave is Europe's only stand roller coaster, featuring a lift to 120 ft and a 80 ft drop with a zero gravity roll, which is literally breathtaking. Pandemonium is a 360 degree swinging inverter ride. Apocalypse is a free fall tower ride, and the floorless stand up free fall is the scariest if not thrilling experience an adventure seeker can have. Thomas Land themed area within the park is great hit amongst the kids. With a nice walk beside the lake in the park is a good way to ease your senses after all the adventure.

There are some interesting events Tamworth offers its tourists or the wandering traveller. The Tamworth Gate Gallop consisting of a 10K race and various children runs and activities is a popular event in July. It's a fundraising event. The Fireworks Spectacular is hugely popular visual spectacle, held in November. The event signs off in style with half an hour of spectacular fireworks synced with music. One needs to be there to believe it. The Tamworth Heritage Festival is another hugely popular event taking one back to the regions unique heritage.

Tamworth offers a little bit of everything for all type of travellers. It's an ideal place to unwind for a week long holiday.

Content Management Systems

Chances are if you own a website, you have heard of Content Management Systems (CMS). CMS allows the business owner to modify and update his/her website whenever they wish. When a business owner has this ability, they can update new material on a more consistent basis, keeping the website current and delivering information to customers in a timely manner. An ever changing website tends to keep the customer coming back to check on updates and new material, thus increasing traffic to the site. Online shoppers get bored with the same old content and will look for more interesting websites. If you want to keep your clients interested in your website, you need to freshen your content. By doing this, you can stay ahead of your competition or at least give them a run for their money.

Without a content management system, you will be at the mercy of your web developer to make changes to your site. Depending upon their availability will determine when your changes can be made. Imagine the frustration of needing to make a change but having to wait for your web developer to access your site to make those changes. This is where a content management system will make your life easier and more efficient. Web developers are necessary to set up a productive and functional website but you should have access to your web content.

What is a Content Management System and how will it help your business?

CMS is software that holds all of your websites information. Once CMS is in place, the owner will be given access to an administrative panel which will allow them to control the content within the website. Documents, videos, text, photos and music are just a few items of content that can be accessed by the owner.

You don't have to be a computer guru to operate a CMS, with the right one, you can easily update, change and remove items from you site. A web design company like Flying Cow design can create a CMS based on your websites needs.

Listed below are 5 examples of the more popular CMS

* Pligg (social networking)

* WordPress (Blogging)

* Symphony CMS General

* Drupal General

* Joomla General

Benefits of having a Content Management System

Regardless of the area of Industry that your business caters to, there are many benefits to having a Content Management System. We have listed a few of the more popular reasons that business owners prefer having a CMS.

1. CMS is more efficient

In the early years of the internet you would have to read a manual just to enter the most basic content on your website. Aside from understanding the technical instructions, this was very time consuming. Today you can publish your web content in just a few short steps.

2. User friendly

You don't have to be a computer geek to manage this system. It is user friendly and almost anyone can maneuver it.

3. A more streamlined publishing process

Companies who have numerous Authors who publish a higher volume of content find the process more economic and efficient.

4. Creating, editing and publishing made easy

Makes even the most daunting task a breeze. No more endless sessions editing and publishing.

Always do your researches before you select a CMS shop around; there are many considerations to remember when shopping. If you are without tech support, consider hiring a web design company and you will be well on your way to gaining control of your website.

Beginner's Motivation on How to Play Acoustic Guitar

The acoustic guitar is one of the most versatile musical instruments, not to mention its ultra portability so you can play it whenever and wherever. That's why many people are scouring the internet for lessons on how to play acoustic guitar. If you follow the tips that I am about to show you, you will learn how to play the guitar in no time. You will even learn how to play blues guitar and even rock tunes with your guitar.

Whether you are looking to play ballad, pop, rock, blues or jazz, the acoustic guitar will never fail to help you play your favorite tune in almost all genres. However, many decided to pick up the instrument, but have been frustrated and never learned at all due to the lack of discipline to really learn the instrument.

To learn how to play acoustic guitar, you need to choose a system for learning, learn from reliable videos on guitar playing and learn from acoustic artists themselves. By following these tips, you'll be able to play the instrument with much expertise in no time.

Choosing a system for learning

It can never be understated. Learning anything, including how to play the guitar, needs discipline and a system for learning. You need to set up the right time and place for you to practice and learn as well as the needed time frame to complete your guitar courses. For example, you can set a timeframe of two weeks for learning lesson one, doing three days a week. That way, you get the friction out of learning the basics and you can learn with commitment.

Learning from reliable videos

Very often, as a beginner, you find yourself struggling with a note that you can't seem to play correctly. Fortunately, video sharing sites now offer videos showing hundreds of instructional videos on how to properly play an acoustic song. You can take advantage of these sites to properly learn a tune on a guitar.

Learning from acoustic artists

Who's your favorite artist? Do you know where you can learn from them? Do you know of someone who might have a tablature transcribed by your favorite artists themselves? More and more people are becoming fans of Andy McKee, the extremely talented acoustic guitar artist who have played excellent versions of hits on his acoustic guitar. Other artists also have some videos of their guitar playing up online so you can learn from their videos to watch them properly play the song that which you want to learn.

How to play acoustic guitar is easy if you commit to leaning it by following the tips that I have just presented here. With sheer determination and discipline, you will start playing the instrument with enough expertise to wow any crowd.

Trademark Basics

What is a trademark? Should you instead "get a copyright" or "get a patent"? Understanding the basic facts about trademarks can avoid misunderstanding and give you the knowledge to protect your hard work and grow your business or other activities.

A trademark is something that identifies the source of products and services. It may be one or more words, artwork, symbols, a sound, a color, or practically anything that differentiates a product or service from other companies. For example, the well-known Nike swoosh trademark, or the McDonald's golden arches.

You may have heard of a "service mark." For most purposes, just consider it to be the same as a "trademark" for a service instead of for a product. For simplification, you can just say "mark."

Usually, a mark for products appears on the product or on the product packaging. A service mark usually appears in advertising for the services. A copyright protects an original artistic or literary work (like a painting, a book, software code, a play, a movie, music, and such works). A patent protects an invention (like a gizmo or a method for doing something).

Essentially, if you want to have a mark, you just start using it. When people say that they want to "get a trademark," they usually mean that they want to register the mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

To register a mark, you must file a proper application to register the trademark with the Patent and Trademark Office. You application will state that you have a bona fide intent to use the mark in U.S. commerce. You may already have started using the mark in U.S. commerce before filing your application.

One common misperception is that one must wait until registering the mark before using the trademark or before asserting your rights in the trademark against others. While you may have strategic reasons for not asserting your mark until a later date, you should at least understand that registration is not required to begin using your trademark in your business activities. In fact, delaying using the trademark may erode your rights such that there is the concept of "use it or lose it."

The ability to sue an infringer is a major advantage to registration. If one company wants to sue another company over a trademark, getting an award of money damages is more likely if the trademark is registered with the Trademark Office. Filing a fictitious business name notice provides no trademark rights.

If you detect a conflict between your use of a trademark and someone else using the same or similar trademark, you need to note that generally the party that either uses the trademark first (and keeps using it) and files a registration application first usually will win a battle at the trademark office. Thus, file your trademark registration application as soon as you are ready.

Frederic M. Douglas is a solo practitioner specializing in litigation involving intellectual property (patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyright, and more).

By Frederic M. Douglas

© 2012, Frederic M. Douglas, All Rights Reserved.

What Is Tinnitus? Causes And Treatments

Though many may suffer with the symptoms, there are also many who do not know the medical term or wonder just what is tinnitus? In simple terms, this refers to the noise that can be heard inside the ear or head of the affected person. The sound is described as ringing, wheezing, buzzing, and other mostly high-pitched, shrill and repetitive notes. For some, the noise is heard periodically; for others, it is heard constantly without pause or cessation.

While there is no actual loss of hearing in tinnitus, the repetitive and constant sounds distracts the person from clearly perceiving or interpreting the sounds from his/her surroundings. For people with worst cases, tinnitus provides them virtually no quiet moment during all waking hours, and even cause them difficulty in getting a decent good night's sleep.

What is Tinnitus, and What Causes It?

Underlying conditions of tinnitus are difficult to diagnose, more so the exact cause of it. The sound can be a negative side effect of medications, such as aspirin and some antibiotics. Since most cases report that the sound is heard "all in the head," some experts believe it is caused by psychological conditions particularly depression.

On the other hand, in rare cases when the sound is also audible to other people and can be heard using a stethoscope, it can be an indication of serious medical conditions such as growth of tumor in a blood vessel, or aneurysm. It can be caused by ear conditions such muscle contractions in the middle ear, ear canal blockage or ear infections. Anemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, head trauma and injury are also possible causes of tinnitus.

Experts debate about the exact causes of tinnitus, and the techniques to identify and distinguish each possible answer. But one of the things they seem to agree upon is that knowing the underlying factor for the noise is an important step to treating the symptoms of tinnitus. However, connecting the direct cause with the symptom is almost unachievable. Thus, doctors, without a solution or real cure, usually just remedy the situation by helping the person manage the sound, such as masking unpleasant noises with more pleasant ones.

Effects of Tinnitus

Tinnitus can greatly affect the quality of life of the person suffering from it. Normal activities, even something as simple as walking on the street, can be severely limited and risky due to the difficulty in focusing and cognitive ability brought about by the distracting noises. On a day-to-day basis, tinnitus causes headaches, dizziness, lack of sleep, and plain hopelessness at having to endure such conditions that are seemingly without cure.

Likewise, the social, professional and personal relationships of a person with tinnitus is also limited, since interacting with other people requires clearly understanding and correctly interpreting nuances in verbal and interpersonal communications. Career choices can be extremely narrowed down, as important professional skills, such as ability to focus and to follow instructions, can be hindered by the auditory distractions caused by tinnitus. Working in the fields of construction and infrastructure, machinery operations, and occupations with hazardous environments are also often crossed out from workplace possibilities.

Managing Tinnitus

There are procedures, medications and surgery recommended by doctors, but these are often prescribed not to treat, but to simply relieve the symptoms of tinnitus. Usually, the temporary relief comes from drowning out the grating noises with what are presumed to be more pleasant sounds.

Masking the noise caused by tinnitus is commonly done by having the person wear a hearing aid that specifically emits pleasant background music, sounds of water, and other soothing acoustics. Some drugs offer short-term relief or solutions for certain facets of tinnitus, such as decreasing noise volume or relieving dizziness and headaches. For extremely intense noise, surgery is done, although there is no guarantee for success, and only a small number of specialists and medical centers have the proficiency to perform this.

How to Live with Tinnitus

Holistic methods of approaching tinnitus is said to help people manage daily activities, boost their health, and improve their quality of life. Meditation, acupuncture, yoga, biofeedback training and hypnosis can greatly induce relaxation, thereby relieving the stress and tensions brought about by tinnitus, and eventually make the noises subside. The wellness duo of eating well and regular exercise is also highly recommended, not just to ease tinnitus but to potentially fight the medical conditions that cause it. With a clear understanding of exactly what is tinnitus as well as its causes and effects, you can make informed choices when looking for ways to treat tinnitus.

What a Tour Broker Is and How to Become One

A person who operates a tour company is a broker. A broker is a middleman. Brokers buy or arrange items or services and sells these items or services to the end buyer. Some examples of brokers are:

Independent insurance agents. These agents do not provide insurance; they arrange insurance for you from an insurance company. Insurance agents usually get a commission from an insurance company.

Stock brokers. Like insurance agents, stock brokers help you buy and sell stock. They don't own the stock. These brokers also receive a commission based on the amount sold.

Real estate broker. Again, these brokers do not own the properties they sell and they get a commission based on the value of what they sell.

There are also tour brokers. Tour brokers serve a variety of customers. This article is about what a tour brokerage is and the basics of this business.

Here is a good description if what a tour is: A trip with visits to various places of interest for business, pleasure, or instruction.

Here travel is defined: To go from one place to another, as on a trip; journey.

A tour, then, is not only travel but it is travel with the purpose being pleasure or interest. You may think of a tour as extended travel with the object being to see and experience an area. Travel, on the other hand, is usually only about moving from one place to another.

A tour broker works with people on a continuous basis. If you are going to get involved in this type of business you should like working with people - you have to be a people person.

Tour brokers are not travel agents. Travel agents arrange for the travel needs of their customers. Usually a travel agent will only work with individuals or small groups (families, for example). Travel agents also always buy something that is already in place (air travel, car rentals, hotels, etc.), they do not originate anything.

Tour brokers originate - they arrange tours, they arrange the transportation, they arrange the lodging, they arrange the meals, and they arrange other services for their clients. A tour broker plans on what kind of tour he/she wants to operate.

Next, the tour broker makes arrangements for the various components of the tour - transportation, food, lodging, attractions, etc.

There are many types of tour companies. Some offer guided tours of a local area - tours of a city or an attraction, for example. Some offer tours in a natural setting - guided tours through the Grand Canyon fall into this category. Some offer tours to various national and state parks. Some offer tours through a large area, a multi-state tour is a good example.

IF YOU LIKE TO TRAVEL - FOR FREE - THIS IS A GREAT BUSINESS TO BE IN

You may have to do inspections of the hotels and attractions that you will be making a part of your tour. If you have been taught correctly you will know how to get "comp" (short for complimentary or Free) rooms and meals. If you will go along with the tour, you should expect to get comps again. How to set it up so that you get comps is something your mentor should teach .

NOTE THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE ONLY APPLIES TO THE US. OTHER COUNTRIES MAY HAVE DIFFERENT RULES

As I mentioned before, this is a people business. Liking to work with people and liking to solve problems is a prime requirement.

Like a church is a church because someone calls it a church, a tour broker is a tour broker because someone says that they are a tour broker. There is no requirement for a license. If you do operate a business there may be a need for you to get a federal tax number and your county or city may require you to get a business license. As far as needing a license to become a tour broker - there is no license required. From the mid 1930's until the 1980s transportation was strictly controlled by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). Under the Deregulation Act of 1982, competition was allowed and the need for federal authority became a thing of the past.

Depending on where you are you may need some sort of business license. Call your local county office and ask for the office in charge of business licenses. This should be easy as all they really want is for you to file some paperwork and pay them a small fee.

If you are going to be making money (and why else get in the business?) you are going to have to get a federal tax number. This number is called a Tax Identification Number (TIN) and is used in business much as your Social Security number is used for benefits.

I have looked at various sites on the Internet purporting to be concerned with how to become a tour operator. Most do not seem to understand what a tour operator is or does. Those which got close to the concept either offers to teach or provided links to sites which may prepare someone how to be a tour guide. A tour guide is not a tour operator - at best, a tour guide works for a tour operator.

A tour operator runs his/her own business

It's as simple as that - you own and run the business. If you plan to make a profit you follow this rule - buy low, sell high. People tend to make things too difficult. You buy at one price and sell at another price, easy, huh?

The real "trick" to making money in the tour business is to understand that concept of breaking even (BE). The break even point is where you don't lose money and where you don't make money. To help you understand this idea you have to understand that there are two types of costs in most businesses - fixed and variable. A fixed cost is one that will occur whether you have 10 clients or 46. Office rent is a fixed cost. You have to pay the rent whether or not you operate any tours. A variable cost is a cost that is dependent on something else. An example of a variable cost would be the cost an attraction (theme park). If you have 20 clients the total cost of the attraction is dependent (variable) on the number of clients you have.

The lack of good information on this business led me to believe that those in this business do not want competition or they don't have time to write about how they run their business. A well thought out tour, advertised correctly, can bring in thousands in revenue. For example, suppose that you operate a seven- day bus tour. The tour sells for $985.00 (per person, double occupancy) and you have 36 people go on your tour. The gross revenue on this tour will be over $35,000.00 and you should be able to retain at least $10,000.00 of that amount.

IS THIS THE SORT OF BUSINESS FOR YOU?

It is possible to may some serious money in this business - you could also lose money. Here are some basic requirements that you should have before starting such a business.

You should like working with people
You should not panic when things go from good to bad to even worse
You should be able to organize things easily
You should have at least a working knowledge of certain computer programs - word processing, spreadsheet, e-mail
You should have a copy machine and a fax machine
You should have at least one telephone
You should have at least one fairly up-to-date computer

What sort of tours and what do I do next?

The world is your oyster

This is really the fun part - you can go anywhere! Successful brokers operate three-day tours from Denver into the nearby Rocky Mountains and seven-day tours to Branson, Missouri. Brokers on the east coast offer tours into New England and parts of Eastern Canada as well as longer tours into the American southwest.

Brokers in Seattle do a good business operating tours into the Copper Canyon of Mexico. Some brokers offer tours to musical events, art showings, and short trips to New York City for Christmas shopping.

Where to go is up to you as long as you keep it reasonable. Going to Iraq now may not be the best choice but there is a company in the UK offering and operating tours into Iraq - make sure that your clients sign many disclosures stating that you are not at fault in case of your death. Given the current state of the economy it may be wise to limit your offerings to North America but tours to Costa Rica seem to sell very well.

To find out more about this exciting business click here.