Buildings Insurance and the Threat of Floods

What is the impact of increased flooding risk in the UK? What happens if your home becomes effected by floods?

Flood is an increased problem in the UK. Buildings insurance companies are concerned about the rising risk of flood. Claims to settle flooded properties are by nature quite expensive. Flood also tends to be a recurring threat at properties which means that once effected a home could suffer more than one flood in a short period of time.

This makes accepting flood risk properties difficult for UK insurance companies as there is almost an inevitability that the property will once again face flood damage. In recent years, flooding has become an even higher risk for UK insurers and there is an ongoing debate between insurer representative bodies and the government regarding the level of cover available to flood risk properties and the amount of taxpayer investment in flood defence.

The general rule amongst house insurance companies is that if a building suffers flood, the present insurer will continue to cover it at renewal of the policy. However you will be unable to switch insurer at this stage. Whilst this may mean you are stuck with a limited choice of insurers willing to cover the property, at least you are offered protection.

If you move into a property that is liable to flooding, you should investigate who previously insured the home. this might be your only chance of getting proper buildings cover for the property.

There are some flood specialists on the market who may be able to offer cover.

Yourhomeinsurance.co.uk, a site dedicated to house insurance in the UK does not accept flood risk properties.

Finding The Information You Need With Clear Affiliate Marketing Advice

Many people have made a good amount of cash through affiliate marketing. If you learn the ins and outs of the industry, you can make money too. This article was written to help you make the most out of your affiliate marketing business.

Do not put an excessive amount of banners on your site. Banners can make your site look less appealing, and visitors may find the approach unprofessional and pushy. Make sure that you have a lot of other things on your site that go with the banners you have in place.

Selling a very popular product may actually mar your status as an affiliate. "Popular" and "good" don't always line up perfectly. Choosing very popular products means you will be in fierce competition with other affiliates. You might not make any profit.

Many of the people who sign up will unsubscribe, and you'll need to track down new customers. In order to secure new clients, make certain you use just your most effective messages as a way of attracting their attention.

You should realize that using a pay-per-sale affiliate marketing strategy can be a bit risky. If you are successful, however, it can lead to massive profits. Before using the affiliate, research them and determine if they will work well with your site.

If a person is visiting a sports oriented website, their attention will be on sports and sports alone. The affiliate links you include need to be sports related as well. Visitors are much more likely to click on links that have something to do with your site's content and theme.

Have an accountant. Use an accounting software program to make it easier. Being able to keep up with your finances will make it easier to track your invoices and payments. Do this before you start working, so the support is there when you need it.

When beginning affiliate marketing, you probably have realized that in order to make money, you must first spend it. Do invest money back into your affiliate marketing campaigns by advertising with various websites and services. Google, Facebook and Yahoo will allow you to yield good results if you use them properly.

Pass over any affiliate that appears stingy or shady. A twenty percent profit sharing split is a good threshold for deciding which affiliate companies you should work with. Good affiliate companies realize that good efforts deserve higher commission which will motivate you to do more for their business.

You should avoid using pop-ups in favor of pop-under advertising on your website. Many people also set their computers so that pop-ups are blocked, and if this is the case, they will never even notice your adds. Studies have concluded that ads that pop up behind the webpage have a better track record.

This article provides you with tips and advice that you can use to help you establish and improve your affiliate marketing endeavor. The know-how of others who have gone before you will always be of great benefit to others, including you.

Here's a Convenient Technique to End Stuttering

In a single term, pausing.

While common fluency shaping tactics concentrate on pace reduction by prolonging speech, pausing decreases the incidence of stuttering by inserting room amongst phrases without slowing or distorting articulation. When utilizing pausing, the frequency of pauses (the "silent time" or space among phrases) is higher to lower the frequency of stuttering. Pausing deliberately is commonly far more regular sounding than within-word prolongations (classic fluency shaping) and actual moments of stuttering.

Inserting pauses into conversation can help the speaker to decrease muscle stress, mirror on moments of stuttering, and mentally prepare for the upcoming word or phrase, and also to prepare listeners for the duration of speaking scenarios. Employing lengthy and exaggerated pauses also resists time strain, may help the speaker keep grounded during the instant, and counteracts the urge to hasten his pace of talking in response to moments of stuttering.

Pausing is suggested following the initial phrase of a sentence and then one to five words thereafter, or after the 1st word of the sentence and then at linguistically acceptable boundaries. By pausing early in the sentence, for example at the initial phrase, the speaker may perhaps lessen the "domino effect" of stuttering by which just one stuttering second potential customers to extra stutters. Pausing after the initially term of a sentence also allows the speaker to instantly assert command about the rate of his / her speech.

A closer investigation shows that talking with pauses amongst words generally does reduce the frequency of stuttering. Research discovered that those who stutter who appeared fluent when reading had been observed to use a notably larger frequency of quick pauses when reading through than a group of people who didn't stutter. The analysis indicates that many people who stutter can combine pauses into speech in "normal" or "natural" sounding strategies.

Here is a simple practice routine to stop stuttering by applying pauses.

To practice an example of pausing, say the following sentence aloud to someone "Using pausing helps the speaker to reduce the frequency of stuttering by slowing the rate of speech. Pausing is a tool to help people stutter less often". Now say the same sentence to someone but while stopping or pausing briefly, at each comma: "Using, pausing, helps the speaker, to reduce, the frequency of stuttering, by slowing, the rate of speech. Pausing, is a tool, to help people, stutter, less often." People who stutter generally report a lower incidence of stuttering using pauses.

Why does pausing help to stop stuttering? Although the use of pausing usually decreases the frequency of stuttering, it is not acknowledged by the scientific community as to why this happens. Proposed reasons concerning why pausing stops stuttering include

• facilitation of regular airflow • promote a feeling of management about speech • reduce time pressure • enhance the all-natural rate of speech whilst decreasing the 'fright and flight' reaction related with stuttering • allow speech encoding to occur over smaller linguistic units, therefore minimizing possibilities for stuttering.

Are Web Directories Useful for Link Building?

Webmasters have been back and forth with this question: are directories as useful as they were in the beginning of link building. Be your own judge after this article.

I want to start by saying; it's not wise to submit to every free web directory you come across. Always pay attention to web directories you submit to. If your websites goal is to be indexed in search results, websites you link to is more important than the quantity.

Search engines need websites to present in front of their web searchers, quality websites like yours need to be noticed.

A few suggestions to help you find quality web directories:

A directory should not be filled with ads all over the homepage or any page in the domain. Quality listing, with good written titles and descriptions will always display on their website. The directories you submit to must be human edited. This means the directory editor reviews your listing carefully before adding your website. Indexed pages are important. The more indexed pages the better it is for your website.

Web directories are not useful to you, if the directory is not useful to search engines. A few suggestions to pay attention to:

Make sure the web directory is not full of advertised links. Most likely this website is full of spam and low quality listings. (I believe I repeated myself on this point, something to keep in mind) Instant approval directories should be a red flag for you. This proves the theory of low quality listings, as well categories will have irrelevant link resources. Search engines frown upon these directories and will not index them, this means you will not benefit from a directory like this. Low indexed pages means, no value or new website. Do your research on any website you wish to link to. Check the history when checking how many pages are indexed.

Keep these tips in mind when you look for quality websites. I suggest that you submit to a handful of useful free web directories that manually review your each listing submitted. As well all content should be updated daily and dead links should be removed from the website.

When link building the option is yours to choose from. A great option is to pay attention to directory lists created by webmasters for webmasters. This way you have a better chance of being indexed by web directories of value. Follow these simple to tips when you start link building.

Using Film Speed Effectively (Black & White Film Thoughts)

It's hard to find sometimes but it's making a resurgence, black and white film. If you've never used this film now is the time to try it out. Here are some tips to using b&w film and what you can expect from the results.

1. Forget color. This is the hardest thing to do and the number one reason that you will not get good results with b&w film.

2. Look for contrast. Once you can ignore color look for contrast. You will want your image to have a bit more contrast than you would normally want in a color image.

3. Consider shooting situations that are more formal. Black and white film gives such a wonderful timelessness to an image and it's perfect for formal situations.

4. Keep your photos simple. Black and white film simplifies so don't fight it. Keep the images simple by keeping close to your subject or place your subject against a simple back drop.

5. Babies and pets look great on b&w film. Place the pet or baby on a white background and you'll be stunned at the beautiful results.

Black and white film creates a timeless simple look. It's wonderful for portraits and formal events. After shooting a few rolls of b&w you'll notice that you start to pay attention to composition of your image more, since you don't have to worry about color. If you're just learned photography try using b&w film for awhile it will help you teach yourself good composition. Think of light and dark, black and white, and good composition and you'll find that b&w film could be a whole new hobby for you.

Commercial Insurance For Plumbers

Any plumber working today without a comprehensive commercial insurance package is courting disaster. Times may be tough but working without adequate insurance is a recipe for bankruptcy.

As most plumbers are aware, site plans detailing where the gas and water pipes are located aren't always accurate. In fact, very few of them are so digging trenches to lay new pipes needs to be done with extreme caution. The number of times whole suburbs have had their power or water supplies interrupted due to backhoes and other mechanical equipment ripping through them is almost a daily occurrence. Most town councils in Australia have ads running advising plumbers and other people to "Dial before you Dig".

Today there are so many underground cables that digging new trenches to lay new water pipes has become a nightmare. Plans aren't accurate and it is too easy to rip one of them which can sometimes be a major cable and take down telephone and Internet access to major businesses with high usage. These cables often service adjoining suburbs and businesses that aren't immediately in the area in which the new pipes are being laid.

When these big businesses have their business interrupted, they often commence legal action against the service provider and town council for reparation if the outage is prolonged. The service provider that is being sued for the outage of services and the town council will then take legal action against the business that is responsible for the damage. Prolonged legal expenses will bankrupt most small to medium sized plumbing businesses.

Once legal action is commenced, the flow on effect is the damage done to a plumbing businesses reputation and bad word-of-mouth advertising. People talk, and if the talk centres on ineptitude or carelessness about your work, then business will dry-up and you won't be invited to quote on any larger projects until your reputation is cleared.

This is why it is essential that your Plumbing business has adequate commercial insurance to cover all eventualities when accidental damage occurs.

Commercial Insurance needs to include Tools and other Equipment.

Loss of tools is an expense that needs to be included in your commercial insurance policy. Plumbers are notorious for leaving tools behind on job completion. Theft is a known expense on a big job site but leaving tools behind happens a lot on small domestic repair jobs. Plumbers get talking to the householder and forget to pick up a wrench or hammer and walk out the door without it.

Just last week we had reason to call in a plumber and he asked me if he had left his expensive hammer on our roof from the last time I called him six months ago. He had at least marked it down that the next time he was called here to look for it. It wasn't there but he did have commercial insurance to cover the replacement cost.

How To Sell A Digital Information Product

If you want to know how to make money online, it's actually pretty simple. Everyone goes onto the internet because they need something solved or they need to find information.

We can call this a service or we can call it a product. For example, let's say that someone on the internet needs help fixing their back pain, they don't know what kind of back pain they have, maybe they've been to a doctor but they need some advice - not necessarily medical advice, but normal advice on how other's have fixed their back pain.

What they might do is go to Amazon.com and look for a book, they might look for a video course on eBay or they just might type their problems in the search engines. Maybe they know specifically what kind of back pain they have, or if they just search a generic term, but they will do a search in a search engine and end up on some kind of website. They might end up on a free blog or on a video site such as YouTube, but many people simply want to cut to the chase and pay $10 or $20 for a report they know will solve their problems.

Hopefully they end up on your site where you can show that you will solve their problems, but how do you get to that point where you're selling a digital information product online that solves problems? What you need to do is create your product, put it online and finally add a payment button.

Creating a digital product is actually very easy, open a word-processor such as Microsoft Word, type in 10 or 20 pages, you can add checklists, or bullet points, pictures, or hyperlinks to other resources, but create a simple 10 to 20 page report that explains some kind of how-to step by step system. Not just a list of tips or thoughts or advice or a journal, you're getting someone from page one where they have some kind of problem to the end where now they understand their problem, they know how to fix it and they have several tools and strategies provided by you on how to fix their back pain, how to repair house, how to make money on eBay, how to become a published author or any other number of problems.

Create that written product and save it from Microsoft Word to a PDF document. Then what you need to do is put it online, get what's called a web host at HostGator.com, get a domain name at NameCheap, and use their built-in file manager to upload your PDF document, and create two web pages. Create a web page where someone can click and download that PDF document and create another web page where you have a headline, perhaps a video, but some kind of a description of what they will get once they buy your report on whatever this how-to subject is.

Now the good news is that most of this can be accomplished with easy visual point and click tools where you don't have to learn programming, you don't have to learn a lot of software, install things or even hire someone to make the website. You can hire someone to make the website look better or prettier, but you have all the skills already to make a simple website and put it online.

And finally, to take payments, use a service called PayPal where you can get a button created. Someone can click the button and pay you $10 or $20 and after paying are sent to that download page where they can now download your report and consume it. And that's how you sell a digital information product. Create it, put it online and add a payment button.

Automated Stock Trading

This software is the first and only fully automated stock trading software in the world. It turns itself on in the morning, it trades and acquires profits throughout the day and then shuts off at close of business, all fully automated! Just follow the 3 Step process, all you do is download the software, you select the strategy and you walk away, it's that simple and easy to use.

We all know that besides our brain, the computer has the most powerful computing ability there is, so why not let them do what they do best. Let them do the stock trading for you so you're not stuck sitting in front of your computer trying to predict what and how the market is going to do and act.

Developed and created by a retired Microsoft programmer and a Navy Veteran. This software has been approved, endorsed and used by Ameritrade, E*TRADE and other major partnered brokerages in the industry. It's been tested and proven for 7 years in 40 countries and translated into 6 languages.

This is about to go viral as it transitions into the Direct Sales arena. Between 11/9/12 to 3/13/13 there's $24 Million up for grabs in compensation and commission. So not only will you have the ability to let your computer do all the trading but you can also be rewarded handsomely by promoting and sharing with others.

If you know anyone who is buying and selling stocks right now, this can really and truly change their financial future. This is a game changer as it gives the public and average individual the same tools that big institutions and brokers use to make more money for their company. We now all have the same ability and the same opportunity.

Did I mention the compensation plan for being an associate is awesome? Well between 11/9/12 to 3/13/13 you have an opportunity to become an international founder (only 100 positions), plus a cash bonus based on production of up to $100,000 and 1% of global sales commission pool. Other incentives include monthly car payment, cash bonuses, pink slip car program, monthly house payment program, monthly matching retirement program and vacations.

This is a short window of opportunity to be a part of the founders promotion and great incentives and benefits. When people say that opportunity never come their way, it's usually because they are not open to the opportunity when it comes their way or when it's in front of them!

Plastic Surgery - Where's The "Plastic"?

Don't be looking for the Dupont Company sales rep the next time you visit a Plastic Surgeon's office because, despite popular belief, there's no "Plastic" in Plastic Surgery. The name is taken from the Greek word "plastikos" which means to "mold or shape."

Initially plastic surgery procedures were limited to facial and body reconstruction caused by accidents, trauma, illness or birth defects.

As people began to see the purely cosmetic possibilities, many surgeons expanded their services to include facelifts, rhinoplasty (nose jobs), breast augmentation and liposuction.

Plastic Surgery Or Cosmetic Surgery?

It's important to know the difference between plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery, especially if you're planning on having your insurance company foot the bill for your procedure.

Cosmetic surgery is performed solely to improve a person's outward physical appearance and self-esteem by correcting naturally occurring conditions that the patient is unhappy with. Cosmetic surgery may be performed by either a Plastic Surgeon or a Cosmetic Surgeon.

Cosmetic surgery is generally not covered by health insurance.

Reconstructive plastic surgery is performed to correct or reduce the effects of congenital defects, accidental trauma injury, infections, tumors, and other health-related conditions.

It's primary purpose is rarely to simply improve appearance except for extreme cases involving major facial or bodily damage resulting from automobile accidents, etc. Plastic Surgery may only be performed by a Plastic Surgeon.

Insurance And The Reason

In most cases insurance does pay for plastic surgery although there are some cases where your claim may be reduced or denied completely. That's why it is always important to coordinate the planned procedure with your health insurance provider BEFORE you get the procedure.

Often times the difference between whether or not your insurance company will cover the bill is the REASON for the procedure. If, for example, you are having your nose reshaped because you're unhappy with your profile -- no deal. You're on your own.

However, get that same nose job because your doctor has diagnosed a chronic breathing problem that results in the potentially dangerous condition known as "Sleep Apnea" and you could end up with a new nose courtesy of your health insurance provider!

If you are planning to visit a Plastic Surgeon, keep the following items in mind:

Your plastic surgeon should be "Board Certified" by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

If your doctor will be using anesthesia then make sure that only a licensed Anesthesiologist administers the medicine and make sure that the facility where the procedure is being performed is accredited by at least one of the following organizations:

American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities(AAAASF) Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)

Although making sure that all of these certifications are present is no guarantee of a trouble-free experience , NOT having these certifications means that both the doctor performing plastic surgery, as well as the people who run the facility, have a serious lack of regard for your health and well being!

You should NEVER use an uncertified plastic surgeon or uncertified plastic surgery facility. The risk is simply not worth it!

10 Best How-To Books Ever Written

Somebody once said there are more book titles beginning with the words "how to" than with anything else. Perhaps that's because we all want to learn to do things better.

I've spent hours combing library shelves for how-to titles. (I've also spent several minutes combing my hair, but that's another story.)

What follows is a completely subjective list of outstanding books that teach us how to improve ourselves. Warning: Some of these titles do NOT begin with the words "how to."

1. "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie - written in 1936 - offers great tips on "six ways of making people like you," "12 ways of winning people to your way of thinking," and much, much more. It's one of history's greatest guides.

2. "How to Make Your Advertising Make Money" by researcher John Caples provides great advice for just about anybody, especially those looking for ideas to help them write better.

3. "Simplify Your Life" by Elaine St. James offers "100 ways to slow down and enjoy the things that really matter."

4."The 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People" by David Niven, Ph.D. talks about the "traits, beliefs, and practices" successful people share.

5. "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom tells the true story of a dying professor who offers great lessons on living. It's a wonderful book for any reader.

6."Free Publicity" by Jeff Crilley. This "TV reporter shares the secrets of getting covered on the news."

7. "Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things" by Charles Panati discusses the origin of hundreds of "items, expressions, and customs," and offers fascinating facts.

8. "The Practical Guide to Practically Everything" by Peter Bernstein and Christopher Ma offers ideas and advice on many, many subjects.

9. "What Every American Should Know About American History" by Dr. Alan Axelrod and Charles Phillips discusses "200 events that shaped the nation."

10."Cracking the Network Code" by Dean Lindsay. This terrific book from Lindsay - a popular business speaker - offers ideas for "meeting, connecting, and developing long-term relationships with co-workers and others."

Tips For Creating Your Autoresponder Messages

There are many things people should consider before starting an autoresponder series. No matter if they are selling their own products or act as an affiliate: the focus should be on what potential customers want to read. This way the rate of cancelled subscriptions will be low and the conversions higher. It is a well-known fact that it usually takes about seven messages to be delivered to convince a customer to buy. This is an average figure; some take more and some less. Therefore, the messages have a great importance in an online business. Below the most important features of a well-converting autoresponder series will be detailed.

Initial Message

The initial message should be written in a friendly tone, thanking the subscriber for signing up. The most important part of this message should be the link for the information or product offered in exchange for the email address. If customers are unable to claim it they will be quick to click on the "unsubscribe" button. There should also be a promise regarding future emails, explaining exactly what they can expect. Answering the customer's question: "What is in it for me" in the beginning is key to building trust and commitment. Some marketers even tell subscribers initially how often they will send emails.

Personal Information

All messages should contain personal information, contact details and an introduction. This creates a level of connection between the reader and the sender. Some people always include a personal touch in their emails, such as interests, hobbies, achievements and build rapport that way. This element of autoresponder messages also enables people to stand out. All affiliates should avoid pre-written marketing messages provided by vendors, as they are the ones every other affiliate sends out.

More Free Information

Before starting the promotion, it is a good idea to send out more free information to build rapport and reciprocity. This way people would trust the sender more and look forward further messages. Even if it is only a video or article, if it contains new and additional information or solution for the problem of the subscriber, it will be highly valued by them.

Personal Tone Recommendation

When recommending products, most people make a mistake trying to create a flashy marketing pitch line. However, results show that a personal recommendation, with proof that the sender is using the same product or program, has a greater effect on conversions. In case of sending own product marketing messages, testimonials should be included. When marketing affiliate products, a copy of the sales invoice, personal account snapshots or complete reviews would be the best.

Ad and Information Ratio

Many marketers argue about the ratio between advertisement and information. However, today when people are used to getting offer after offer, it is nice to be different and maintain a 60 percent information and 40 percent marketing message ratio. This way the customer will know that they will get useful information out of the emails. Sending two promotions after each other is proven to increase the number of people unsubscribing, therefore, information is just as important as sales letters.

Build and Maintain Websites For Profit

Even with limited knowledge and experience, you can build and maintain websites for profit. Here are just some ways you can do so.

1. Develop Websites for Local Businesses

Approach local business persons and sell them on the necessity and financial benefits of having a professional website. Local advertising may get you started as well, but expect to get a large portion of your business from referrals.

Charge your clients for the initial design and setup of the website. Work with them to develop a theme for their site based on their unique advantages over the competition. Keep the site simple to start with so that the cost of producing it is not prohibitive to the business and you can complete it profitably in a short time.

In this business, you can also make money on the maintenance and ongoing support of the website. Charge recurring monthly fees for such services needed as web hosting, updates and improvements to the site`s content, search engine optimization and submission, increasing traffic, traffic analysis, mailing list production and maintenance, and much more.

You don`t have to be a master Internet programmer to provide needed, additional services. There are many free and low cost sources of scripts and other resources available to you on the Internet. Offer your clients (and charge extra for) flash introductions, animated graphics, syndicated content, traffic counters, submission forms, chat rooms, pop-up windows, autoresponders, and more.

2. Sell Websites on the Internet

Build web stores, search engines, shopping portals, and other websites and sell them on the Internet.

Some develop sites from templates sold by others. Others build websites from scratch. These websites have been sold on the Internet as turnkey businesses through eBay and other websites.

Another option is to take existing free services and resell them. For example, you could take advantage of free web stores available to you on the Internet. Register a suitable domain name, obtain free or low cost web space, and host that free store at your domain on your web space. Promote your website and increase traffic. Finally, sell your website to the highest bidder on eBay. Be sure that either your Reserve Price or Opening Bid is high enough to make it profitable to you. You will need to transfer the domain name to the buyer.

3. Become an Internet Marketer

Build your own unique website based on a niche theme that has a sufficient market. Then tie in your content with appropriate affiliate programs and your own as well as other peoples` products and services.

To increase commissions and sales, you will need to regularly maintain your site by updating content, increasing targeted traffic, adding appropriate products and services, et cetera.

These, then, are just a few ways that you can profit financially from building and maintaining websites.

For further information and resources about making money from building and maintaining websites, please visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/webmstrbus.html

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Inch by Inch

The three-year-olds were singing "up like a rocket, down like the rain, 'round and 'round like a choo-choo train" to demonstrate how well they could hold their bows to their pint-size violins. Staying home with Nick, it was my husband who enjoyed the distinct privilege of reveling, firsthand, in these toddler's first steps. I only got the post-recital smile--the one I always get when I think about the tiniest musicians among us--as I listened to the complete run-down of their afternoon in Westport. We'd been through that drill four times. The "taca-taca-stop-stop" rhythms on the A-and E-strings; the "Mississippi is a River"; and enough Twinkle Twinkle Little Star's to practically send us orbiting around them. I'm the first to admit: after the fourth kid got through the "twinkles" I honestly thought that if I never heard that song again, it would be just fine by me.

But then in talking about the recital over the first dinner we've shared alone during the past three weeks, I couldn't help but romanticize the whole process. As I reflected back on the past thirteen years of violin lessons, I thought about those first recital pieces, about dressing up Cristina in hand-smocked dresses with white tights and black patent leather shoes, and about the first time two of them played Bach's Concerto for Two Violins onstage one Mother's Day. Yesterday, just as my daughter got on stage to perform, the school director gave a couple minute speech of encouragement for the other parents. For those with babes barely "twinkling" needed to understand that, before long, they too would witness mastery up close and personal. If only they could stick with it long enough.....

Sticking with anything is hard enough. In this harried world of ours, where emails have replaced handwritten letters; "IM" has replaced leisurely phone chats; and digital pix sent over the internet have replaced personal visits: it's no wonder that few of us have the patience for mastery. For enduring the day-to-day until the picture is 100% complete. During this time in which we find ourselves, business--and life--moves at the speed of thought. And we can hardly wait for that thought to be finished so we can move on to the next one. (Ever catch yourself finishing someone else's sentence?)

We're great starters, each one of us. Because starting something only requires that we overcome the law of inertia, (and maybe a dollop of temptation, too). Getting our bottoms off the sofa and over to the art studio to paint or our legs off the footstool and over to the treadmill to run both require overcoming inertia and the temptation of relaxing with too much TV. Finishing the after-school cupcake so as to pull the violin out of the case not only requires overcoming inertia; it requires serious discipline as well. But each act is far easier than incorporating it into your everyday reality. Indeed, going from the first piece in a music book to a full-fledged concerto is a different thing entirely. (As is going from a beginning painter to one who exhibits at galleries or a soft, overweight couch-sitter to a hard-bodied athlete who enjoys both physical strength and aerobic endurance.)

When I reveled today in hearing my daughter perform a drop-dead gorgeous movement from a concerto by Handel (in a post-recital private concert just for me), I was caught off-guard by its parallel to the roughly three-year endurance battle that our son is facing now with leukemia. As my daughter is sailing through mastery, I couldn't help but think of all the violin battles we've had over the years when she was barely taking those first steps of musicianship. Of hating to practice, of hating to play scales, of hating those nasty etudes. The eyeball-rolling, the door-slamming, and the stomping of the feet on each step up the hardwood staircase. And yet here we were, enjoying the fruits of all of those days of practice. It was a goose bump moment that could not be denied. It was proof-positive that mastery comes in inches, and not in miles. And it was a lesson to me that battles of health, or catastrophe, or financial hardships are not fought three years out. They're fought inch by inch.

It was my girlfriend, Lisa, who sent me the "inch by inch is a cinch" line. She met me with it when I needed to hear it the most. She met me with it when I was trying to mush three years of chemotherapy treatments into one day. When I was trying to calculate the math of a three-year chemo roadmap with high school graduation and the first two years of college away from home. Of three years of immune suppression with three other kids and an airplane-traveling husband during flu season. And of six months of long drives to the out-of-town clinic with New England snowstorms.

Yet I must claim "inch by inch" these days. I claim it when Nick's hematologist lays out the day's plan. I claimed it on Friday when we were sent back to the hospital for the day and another overnight stay. And I even got Dr. Joe claiming it with me. Together, we agree to not worry about what next week--or next year--will bring; it's simply too much to think about. We agree to tackle the battle inch by inch.

Whatever your personal struggle or your present-day worry: adopt an "inch by inch is a cinch" plan of positive action. As I've said often: just ask yourself at the end of each day: "Did I move forward?" And if you did--even by an inch--you can sleep soundly in the assurance that you will triumph in this journey of life. One day not far from now, inch by inch, you'll celebrate mastery. You'll celebrate wholeness. You'll celebrate complete healing.

Why You Have the Right to Choose to Think

Sexuality is a fundamental part of being human and alive. It is powerful, even in its distortion it carves our lives in the same way that flowing water engraves the planet. As we struggle to harness hydropower for its best use, so it is with our sexuality (in the best cases). This is not a result of some philosophical hiatus; it is the effect of day-to-day choices. So is it really so arduous to accept that thinking humans should view their choices around sexuality in a larger context?

Take honor for instance. Honor and its sister Integrity are issues normally presented as side dishes on the buffet of religious dogma, untimely asides to the cornucopia associated with sexual bliss. I often wonder why this happens. Am I the only one who feels these issues are essential to an individual really being attractive enough to be considered sexy? To me, this means going beyond the (dehumanizing) objectification of persons towards (humanizing) evaluation, to place "sexiness" in a holistic framework. How can the presence or absence of the substances which make us really human be regarded as "irrelevant"?

In my own experience with human services, I have witnessed levels of denial that boggle the mind. For me, the cold water in the face has been to see actions, even among health educators specializing in STD/HIV prevention, that totally contradict the prevention-based behaviors they advocate publicly. If love is what you do not what you say, then I hold that the same applies to who you are...and who you will be. Who we are is the result of accumulated choices. The right to choose for women, however, is usually thought of in terms of termination of pregnancy. Yet, the power of freedom to choose can serve us as women, but only if we view it in extended terms. The right to choose needs to begin with a number of fundamental issues that we really think about. This should mean thinking in searching ways about partner selection and thinking about consequences, irrespective of the socially hyped up emphasis on sexuality as being only about "feeling", an emphasis that makes us ignore the effects of sexual stimulation and feeling with regard to, for example, integrity, procreation, or STD transmission.

The right to choose in the sexual arena begins with partner selection, and whether there will be one at all. The reality that between 34-46 million people are living with HIV/AIDS indicates the truth about people's choices, despite what many would claim about how they live and who they are. Globally there were between 4.2-5.8 million people newly infected in 2003, so there are definitely some people to whom what I am discussing here is very relevant.

Among my friends, one of the consistent patterns I have witnessed in their relationships is the total lack of thinking about partner selection, even when offspring was the result. It seems that time and again people settle for less and then wonder why they don't get more. The extreme consequences of disconnecting judgment from sexuality seem so obvious that I am amazed that the patriarchal myths still have so much influence. I blame this largely on the trend of making thinking "unsexy". Commercials, mainstream movies, television, music, and the deluge of input from the Internet are all mission-driven to titillate by employing the most superficial elucidation which, combined with the passive acceptance of the audience, almost invites the spoon feeding of skewed truths. It is an attempt to package sexuality in terms of everything that is superficial, involving only surface seeing, feeling, and experiences.

Ironically, many of the purveyors of pleasure and everything that's supposed to be hedonistic and liberating end up echoing the usual divisions between the "serious" and the non-serious, between thinking and feeling, between thought and pleasure. One of the most obvious manifestations of this has been the elevation of celebrities to demi-gods. Would everyone cease knowing how to dress themselves, without celebrity wardrobes to mimic? Would we stop knowing what it means to have fun, to find and achieve sexual pleasure, without advertising? Would we have no idea of how to relate to each other, or how to choose not to relate, if that is where our sense and instincts lead us? I for one, think we'd all manage just fine. Think how many emotional calamities (romantic and otherwise) could be avoided if issues that are so often defined as "non-sexual" (integrity, honor, political judgment) were a part of the sexual evaluation criteria.

It may seem like an unfashionable thing to talk about, but I will continue to point to this truth...Thinking is sexy. Which makes issues like honor, integrity, and politics sexy, too. All those repressive ideas that pigeonhole human experiences into what is fun and what is staid are actually the heart of the idea that thinking is "unsexy". Waking up to that may make us realize just how much the dominant myths about "pure feeling and pleasure" are based on distortions and disconnects that are far from fashionable.

Guide to Effective AdWords Management

Google AdWords is the biggest Internet advertising service in the world and mastering AdWords management is important if you want to succeed with your online marketing efforts. But its popularity and sophistication do not guarantee success. Try to implement some of the following tips in order to learn effective AdWords management.

Choose Keywords Wisely

Success with Pay per Click (PPC) advertising through AdWords depends largely on the successful selection of good keywords. You can't just guess and choose keywords that are related to your business or product at random. Here's how to pick keywords effectively:

1. Pick keywords that are actually related to what you are selling or discussing on your website. It doesn't do you any good to attract visitors to your website using keywords unrelated to your site's content. These visitors will be extremely unlikely to buy anything from you.

2. Look for keywords that are frequently used in Google searches but are not so competitive that you have to bid too much to use them.

3. Be willing to change what keywords are the focus of your marketing efforts as you learn more about effective SEO. Flexibility is key.

Split Test Split testing is a practice where two ads differ in only a single detail or two are compared with each other to find out which is more successful at attracting people. Split testing is absolutely essential to creating effective ads.

All the advertising theory in the world is not enough to enable you to create ads that attract a lot of clicks. You need to test out your ads in the real world carefully and see what works and what doesn't.

Consistent and methodical split testing is one of the things that separate struggling marketers from successful marketers. Make split testing a critical part of your marketing strategy, and you will greatly increase the odds of your achieving success.

Watch out for Click Fraud Click fraud is a problem in the PPC industry, despite Google's attempts to crack down on it. If you suspect that one of your competitors is engaging in click fraud to undermine your marketing efforts, start monitoring the clicks your ads are getting closely. If, after looking at the pattern of clicks you are receiving, you still believe someone is using click fraud, don't hesitate to contact a Google representative and make a complaint.

Reap More Rewards with Long Tail Keywords The technical definition of long tail keywords is that they are phrases that consist of between three and five words. As a consequence, they are usually used on search engines by people that know exactly what they are looking for.

Because visitors finding your site via searches with long tail keywords are fairly rare, you cannot use only long tail keywords with your PPC ads. But, if you want to get the most out of an existing ad campaign, using long tail keywords in addition to your other keywords can help your ads perform at higher levels.

Take some time to identify the long tail keywords you want to target and create a couple PPC ads for them. Use split testing to identity which ads are most successful.

Google AdWords is a complex advertising service. You will not learn all the details of AdWords management overnight. But by working with an AdWords expert and trying new things out, you will start to grasp how to use it to achieve your full advertising potential.