quadcitiesmyrealteam.com

If you just started out as an Internet Marketer you might be a little overwhelmed by everything there is to know about Internet Marketing. Wanting to succeed online is one thing, knowing how and what to avoid is another. If you want to succeed online, know these top 5 Internet Marketing Mistakes newbies make and never forget them. I guarantee you will be miles ahead of your competition.

Internet Marketing Mistake #1: NOT TAKING ACTION

The number one reason new Internet Marketers fail to succeed online is that they never get started. In order to make a sale you have to take action and get the product you are promoting in front of your audience.

It doesn’t matter how much you know about Internet Marketing, product creation, customer service or any other aspect. If you do not have a product to sell and do not put a product on a website for your audience to find, you will never make a sale – no matter what. My point is if you do nothing, you’ll gain nothing. Take action!

Internet Marketing Mistake #2: WANTING TO BE PERFECT

Another major mistake Internet marketing newbies make is they want to be perfect. Just another adjustment here, and another tweak there. If you always wait for your products and website pages to be perfect, you will always be waiting.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. Ask yourself; Does the page serve its purpose? Does it look like the product and web page could sell? Then, it doesn’t need any adjustments.

Avoid the Mistake in Marketing of wanting to be prefect and you will double, if not triple, your year income!

Internet Marketing Mistake #3: AFRAID YOU DO NOT KNOW ENOUGH

This marketing mistake frequently goes hand in hand with Internet Marketing Mistake #1. Many new Internet Marketers are afraid they don’t know enough yet to be successful. So, they don’t take action yet.

Don’t be afraid! If it is any reassurance, you will never know all there is to know about Internet Marketing. Knowing and learning more about Internet Marketing is an ongoing process. You learn more as you go along. The best tactic is to apply what you already know. Learn from your mistakes and improve on that the next time.

This brings us to mistake number 4…

Internet Marketing Mistake #4: FEAR OF FAILURE

This may be one of the Biggest Marketing Mistakes that holds newbie Internet Marketers back more then any other mistake. They are afraid that if they market a product, it will fail. How could you possible know something will fail when you have not tried to market it yet?

If – and only if – you don’t try, it’s guaranteed to fail.

Actually, there is no such thing as failure. If something fails it means you have to make minor changes next time. Failure is the one thing that thought all great Internet Marketers how NOT to promote. There is not one successful Internet Marketer that hasn’t failed promoting a product or service at least once. New Internet Marketers, and even great Internet Marketers, fail a lot. It’s part of the process.

Try – take a risk – and if it doesn’t stick, ‘pick up’ and move on.

Internet Marketing Mistake #5: IMPERSONAL MARKETING

I see many, many Internet Marketing newbies launching a website (sometimes full of products and sales pitches) missing a privacy policy, contact form and, most important of all, a personal reference and introduction of who you are and why you can help others as an “expert” in your field.

People tend to buy more easily when they trust who they are buying from. Building trust is key to online success as an Internet Marketer. Get yourself known as the expert in your niche/target market. People trust experts. People believe (rightly or wrongly) that you would not have reached “expert” status unless you know what you’re doing. If you’re serious about building your business, build on trust with your audience by making a personal connection with them. Adding a picture of yourself, and a small description of who you are, to some or all your website pages, is the least you should do!

Now that you know the 5 Biggest Mistakes in Internet Marketing, I advise you to act accordingly. You will be miles ahead of your competition and well on your way to online success. I guarantee!

Getting started and taking action are your first priorities. Don’t try to be perfect. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but try and learn from them and improve on them later. And most advisable, build trust with your customers. You’ll get more repeat visitors and thus more sales.

Yves Barneveld wants you to learn how to successfully market your business online, and follow highly profitable advice shared by 100s of other authors on http://SmallArticles.com – With over 800 articles in the Internet Marketing Articles Category alone, there’s a strong chance they have an answer to what you want to know about Internet Marketing right now. Welcome to SmallArticles Article Directory!

In today’s economy, dining out can still be accomplished with the right choices and research beforehand. Paramount to dining experience is choosing a place that appeals to both your sense of taste, and sense of atmosphere. A good establishment will work hard to both feed you well, as well as your comfort and ease levels. Great service, combined with great food and a great atmosphere are all equally important in deciding on what restaurant to dine out at. Your money is valuable, and hard earned, and should be spent in a place that will return the investment well.

When choosing a restaurant for dining out, many things are to be considered. In a good establishment, someone will be readily available to greet and seat you quickly. Your seating needs and requests should be fulfilled considerately. Extremely important to a good Dining Out experience is an establishment with knowledgeable and friendly servers. Specials and deals should be pointed out by the servers, and any questions that the guest has should be accurately answered. The server should be attentive to a guest’s needs, and never let the guest have to vie for the notice of the server.

Another piece of information that must be considered before dining out at a specific place is the actual establishment itself. Any health inspections must have been passed, and the place should be noted to be clean overall. The guest bathrooms should be readily available, clean, and well lit as well. If music is played, it should fit the theme or decor of the place, and not be so loud as to extinguish conversation.

Last, but perhaps the most important, research food quality and prices before dining out. Although individual’s tastes can differ greatly, checking reviews of specific places is a great way to scope the quality of the food. Seek reviewers with similar tastes as yours by finding reviews you would have given an establishment you have previously visited. And never forget to check the prices of courses at specific places! In this day and age, many places have their menu listed online, and this can be a great way to plan out a meal before leaving your own home to dine out. Though all of these great tips for dining out seem tedious, they are much less time consuming than going to an unfamiliar establishment that you end up greatly disliking. These tips can save you both your money, and time!

For Singapore dining guide, visit JP Pepperdine now.

Feel free to publish this article on your website, or send it to your friends, as long as you keep the resource box and the content of the article intact.

Our celebrity culture is incredibly pervasive. The media is dominated by coverage featuring celebrities and their controversial lives. They’re already some of the highest paid people in the world, so why would it make sense to send your product or service to a celebrity – for free? The answer is simple, really. Get your product or service used by a celebrity – and therefore create the perception of an endorsement – by someone famous, and you’re in big business.

How big, you ask?

Well, even very famous people eat, drink, travel, go shopping and generally behave like normal consumers, albeit ones with much greater spending power and the ability to influence the buying decisions of others simply by what they choose to buy for themselves. This aspirational effect, whereby people seek to emulate their favorite celebrities, presents a golden opportunity for brands.

Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Eva Longoria and Tony Parker are photographed vacationing at the St. Regis Bora Bora within days of each other and the resort is booked for months afterwards. Gwyneth Paltrow wears her favorite pair of Blue Cult jeans with front pockets and it sells out of every store from NYC to LA, causing retailers and buyers to name the style “The Gwyneth.” Jennifer Aniston cuts her hair while starring in the television sitcom “Friends” and thousands of women run to their hairstylists with tearsheets from magazines, requesting “The Rachel” cut.

In fact, some of the biggest brands with the biggest budgets already understand the power of celebrity. Penelope Cruz and Cindy Crawford sell lipstick for Revlon, Ellen Degeneres sells membership to American Express, Kate Walsh sells Cadillacs, and Tiger Woods used to sell numerous brand names before the public became privy to his salacious affairs.

Having a celebrity associated with your product or service provides two very important things to your brand: aspiration and credibility. Many people aspire to “live like a celebrity” and pour over publications such as People and USWeekly that provide them with countless bits of information about what celebrities are wearing, what products they are using, where they are traveling, eating, shopping etc. This makes it very easy for the general public to mimic the lives of celebrities – and patronize the very same brands that celebrities are using.

There also seems to be a universal belief that “if Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are using this product, then it must be good.” The cache and credibility of having the “right” celebrities associated with your brand is priceless.

Here are the main credibility enhancers of having a celebrity associated with your brand and how it can take your business to the next level:

• An A-list star wearing or using your product or service gives your brand immediate credibility in the eyes of the consumer and can immediately stimulate sales
• A celebrity name associated with your brand earns the respect of the media and almost always guarantees media coverage
• Retail stores and buyers are much more likely to sit up and take notice and take you more seriously when you have a celebrity clientele
• From a style and design standpoint, celebrities give trends (and the products and services they use) validation.
• In our celebrity-obsessed culture, celebrities grab attention-getting headlines more than anything else

The bottom line: celebrities sell. When a star wears it, uses it or promotes it, the world follows. Nothing creates more excitement and desire than the aspirational lives that celebrities lead. If a fan can wear exactly the same dress that Halle Berry wore, eat at the restaurant that she frequents, take a yoga class at the same studio or use the same color lipstick, then she is able to recreate a little bit of that perceived glamour and inspiration for herself.

In today’s cluttered and competitive marketplace, a perceived celebrity endorsement can give your product or service the instant recognition and legitimacy that would normally take years to earn. From a marketing perspective, it remains one of the best ways to build name recognition, get publicity and skyrocket sales.

© Liz Dennery Sanders 2010

Liz Dennery Sanders is the CEO of Dennery Marks Inc., a nationally acclaimed brand strategy and celebrity outreach firm that has helped clients get their products and services directly into the hands of top Hollywood celebrities for over a decade. For her FREE report, “How To Get Free Celebrity Endorsements, Testimonials and Press Coverage to Skyrocket Your Sales,” visit http://www.celebrity411.com.

Not just horses like to “giddeeyup”. Fledgling riders at kids horse camps get the hands-on experience of true horseback riding. The new age of experience-it-all growing up runs the gamut of choice…now includes skill and fun-intensive horse riding camp choices that offer western style riding and animal care skills to competition oriented rodeo riding along with dressage and equestrian summer camps. Kids from ages 4 to 16+ can ride and gain skills and confidence.

Overnight Horseback Riding Camps. A multi-day teen horseback riding summer camp gives kids the sort of time and location necessary to acquire all the horse back riding fundamentals. Think of it as an entry into the world of riding, but also learning how saddles are designed and fitted on each horse…what sort of food and water and grooming a horse needs…learning how to control a horse’s direction, going forwards or backwards, or how to canter or go to a full-gallop while staying in control.

Girls Horse Camps. Horseback riding camps for girls are located around the country…from Maine and New Hampshire in the Northeast to Virginia, Texas, or out West in Montana, California and elsewhere. Young girl teens…or even younger girls from age 5 to age 16+ can select from a range of girls horse camp skills curricula…from ranch style pony riding focused on work-riding for managing cattle and property…to rodeo event-riding skills that eventually could lead to full-fledged competition riding, cattle roping, obstacle course riding…onto jumping competition and dressage associated with Olympic event riding. Most horseback riding camps for girls are 5 to 7-day programs.

Western Horse Camps. California horse camps compete with Texas horse camps as popular destinations for a full range of riding skills. Most programs offer coed horseback instruction. Kids learn how to mount and dismount a pony…how to size a saddle to the right horse, and tie down the straps and horse blanket…how to move forward, canter, ride open ground pastures, how to ride in singles or pairs. Most Western horse camps breaks up the day, in order to include “play time”, swimming, hiking, simple chores and things to keep kids’ minds stimulated. Horseback riding might occur on alternate days, unless a boy or girl is competition oriented, and then daily riding instruction is offered…obstacle course riding, jumping, onto dressage.

States Offering The Best Kids Horse Camps. If a boy or girl wants to do a mixed-bag of cool “stuff” during the summer, then the best camps will be those overnight horse camps offering riding, hiking, swimming, arts and crafts, games and practically any conceivable fun activity in a structured program of events. In addition to Texas and California locations, families in other regions can get outstanding programs with Michigan horse camps along with horseback riding camps in Virginia, Maine, Montana and even New York and New Jersey.

Enrollment Tips And Cost Estimates For Teen Summer Horse Back Riding Camps. Adventure…fun…new skills in riding, camping, hiking, fishing, swimming are part of the “package”. The rest? Families sorting out “what to do this summer” need to qualify the horse camp in terms of quality of instruction, years of operation, whether the camp has been involved in any civil litigation suits alleging misconduct or accidental liability, and assess the quality of their insurance protection covering potential accident or illness of campers.

* Costs? There’s no one set fee or pricing formula for horse back riding summer camps, but as a financial guide consider a budget of $150/day as “base costs”…next add your transportation costs including time away from work, gas, hotels both to and returning from camp…throw-in “incidentals” or pocket money for food, soda and entertainment and you’ll get near to the actual costs for a typical horseback riding camp program.

Bottom Line. What could be cooler, and offer more adventure that’s completely out-of-the-ordinary than a horse back riding camp? Kids get hands-on skills, learn about animal ecology and care, plus reach out to connected outdoors activities during this special time in their life.

Learn More About Horseback Riding Camps.
Please go to the following links for additional details on teen horseback riding summer camps for your familyÂ’s needs.

Horeseriding Camp Information: http://www.wise4living.com/kidsport/horse.htm

Summer Camps for Teens: http://www.wise4living.com/kidcamp/

Author Robin Derry is publisher for http://www.wise4living.com/ a specialty knowledge site that gives insights and solutions into specialty summer camps programs, auto tire and wheels technology trends, medical spas, home and gardening projects such as decks and deer fencing, technology trends, unique gift designs, HDTV and home entertainment systems, technology gifts, tips for families committed to youth summer camps, body health, household, sport, travel, footwear, education, spendthrift trusts and family law legal needs, and much more.

If your cat has started refusing to use the litter box, she is not the only one! This is arguably the biggest problem faced by cat owners everywhere. It means your cat is trying to tell you that something isn’t right. Its up to us as cat lovers to determine what that is!

What you definitely do NOT want to do is punish your cat. This will not make the issue go away, and may even make it worse. If your cat is punished she will learn to fear and avoid you. It can lead to increased stress for your cat, which in turn can lead to an increased problem.

Do take some time to consider each of these possible causes. You may find that there are more than one, and that you will need to address each of them separately. These are the most common reasons why your cat may not be using the litter box.

- Medical Problems

The first thing you must do when your cat starts to eliminate away from the litter box is to have your veterinarian examine him or her for any signs of medical problems. There are some very serious medical conditions that can lead to inappropriate elimination, and we want to be sure that this is not happening with your cat before we start looking at other possible causes.

If your cat appears to be straining to urinate, but he is producing only a tiny amount of urine, take him to the veterinarian IMMEDIATELY. This is a very serious and life-threatening condition.

Once your vet has ruled out any medical causes, let’s take a look around your home and around your cat’s daily environment to determine what the other reasons may be.

- Litter Box Cleanliness

Be sure to keep your cat’s litter box sparkling clean. Your cat has a natural sense of cleanliness and order, and is upset by a dirty litter box. If the box seems dirty and/or smelly to you, it is even more so to your cat, because a cat’s sense of smell is approximately 40 times stronger than a human’s. Imagine how an unclean litter box smells to him!

There are also other instinctual reasons why a cat may avoid a dirty box. In nature, a predator would find a cat through its sense of smell. Outdoor cats thoroughly cover up their waste after elimination so that any predators in the area will not be able to find them. Even a domestic indoor cat will have their sense of security disrupted if the smell of their own waste is in the air. This may drive your cat to find new places to pee and poop, so that he feels less vulnerable.

Be sure that you clean the litter box at least once a day. Wash the box with mild soap and water when needed, but don’t use strong smelling soaps or cleaners, as these will also irritate your cat’s sense of smell. If your cat is still not using the litter box regularly you may need to do more frequent cleanings, at least until the problem has been resolved.

- Type of Litter Box

The actual box that you use can also matter to your cat. If she doesn’t like the size or shape of her box she may refuse to use it. Many cats dislike litter boxes with covers, because they can trap any smells inside the box. Or the cat may feel trapped himself! If your cat is overweight or especially large, the opening may be too small for him to use, or the inside of the covered box may be too small for him to move around in.

If your cat is older or arthritic, or if you have a very small cat or kitten, you should check the height of the entrance to the box. If it is too high and your cat has difficulty getting in and out, this could be another reason for avoidance. Be sure the box is easy for your cat to access. You can install a ramp to the entrance if needed.

Other cats might not like boxes with liners. You should take off the liner if you observe your cat scratching it or trying to pull it off. Giving your cat a choice about the type of box he uses may help the problem. Try using different styles until you find one she likes and will use.

- Type of Litter

Many cats show a preference for a particular type of litter. If he has stopped using the little box after you changed the litter you use, your cat is telling you that he liked the old one better. Try changing back to your previous brand, it may be just that simple!

Every type of litter feels different, and some are more pleasant to your cat’s paws. Some litters are sandy, some gravelly, some are more like dirt, and others like shredded paper. What appeals to one cat may not always appeal to another. Another thing to consider is that most cats dislike the smell of scented litter. Although this may be a nice thing for humans, to mask the smell of the cat’s waste, this goes back to the cat’s strong sense of smell, and the fact that the perfume in scented litter smells extremely strong to him.

Since cats evolved from desert animals, the texture of sand is usually acceptable. However, each cat is unique, and you may need to try different types to find one that your furry friend will use. You can try putting several different types of litter in individual boxes to see which one he uses. And if you have a need to change to a new type of litter, do it gradually over time so that your cat can get accustomed to the new smell and texture.

- Location of Litter Box

The location of your cat’s litter box is very important to her. She needs first to know where the box is, and also to feel good about the spot. If you have a new cat, or if you have moved the litter box, show your cat where the box is (she will remember!)

Be sure to put your cat’s litter box in an area that is quiet and private, and where she will feel comfortable and safe. Also be sure that it is in a place that is convenient, both for your cat’s use and for cleaning. A spare room that is not frequently used can be ideal. You might also consider putting the box in a closet or porch that is easily accessible. Be sure there is nothing difficult or stressful for your cat about getting to the box (noise, closed doors, etc.) or she may refuse to keep trying. It may take trying a few different spots before you find one that is acceptable to your cat.

Your cat will dislike have her box too close to her food and water. Cats don’t like to “do their business” near the same area where they eat. If this is the case, try moving either the box or the food to another location.

- Multiple Cats

Cats are very territorial by nature, and they often dislike sharing their private space, especially with another cat! If you have more than one cat in your family, arguments may arise over the litter box, particularly if the cats must share it. In an ideal situation you would have separate litter boxes for each cat, plus one more just for good measure. If you have one cat that is the “dominant” one, he may leave his own feces uncovered as a way of marking his territory and discouraging other cats from using the box. Your other cat or cats may then feel they should not use the same box.

Do your best to provide separate, personal space for each cat in your household. Along with separate litter boxes, it is best if each cat can claim a little of their own territory. This might be cat trees or window perches, or even as simple as cardboard boxes that each cat can call their own. This way, he or she has a place where they can feel secure, and where they can go to get away from the other cats.

- Too Much Change

Sometimes a change in your household can encourage a cat to avoid the litter box. This could be anything from a move, to a new family member, whether it’s a new pet or a new baby. Moving, remodeling the house, or even moving the box to a new location could be especially disruptive to your cat’s sense of daily routine.

If changes like this are happening in your home, make sure that you give your cat lots of love, affection, and treats. This will remind him that he is still safe and secure, and he will be able to adjust to the changes more easily. Keep the litter box particularly clean during this time, and do what you can to minimize the change and disruption for your cat.

Once you have identified the cause or causes that lead your cat away from using the litter box, make sure that you apply these techniques consistently for best result. And always remember to praise your cat each time she does the right thing!

best of luck to you and your feline companions!

Beth

I love cats and I believe that every cat and cat lover deserves a happy and harmonious home together. I am always seeking out information about cats and I enjoy sharing it with other people who enjoy them as much as I do. Please visit my blog at http://www.ourcatsplace.com/ for my latest updates!

I love to cook over real fire! Whether on a gas grill, charcoal grill, smoker grill, fire pit or even in my fireplace, cooking with fire is fun and creates unique and delicious aromas and flavors that enhance many foods greatly. But by far my very favorite way to cook is over a real hardwood firewood fire. While good charcoal and smoker cooking can certainly give you some nice char-broiled wood flavors, there is nothing quite like a real wood fire. There is something very primitive and romantic about it, harking back to pre-modern times when food was all cooked over an open wood fire.

Most people do not take advantage of real wood to cook anymore because technology has made things easier for us. Between gas stoves and grills and easy to light charcoal, cooking with fire is quick, easy and pretty much hassle free nowadays. However, there is something to be said for a leisurely afternoon, building a real fire and then using that fire to perfectly cook your grilled meal. Sometimes I don’t want “quick”, “easy” or the bare minimum.

So for all those like-minded grillers out there, those who want to get a little more primitive and a lot more delicious, here are some tips for how to cook with real firewood on your grill, fire pit or even in your fireplace. It takes some time and it take some practice to get right, but I think you will love the results!

Choose Good Hardwoods

At the heart of great wood cooking is good firewood which burns long, hot and gives off savory aromas. Don’t skimp in this department! All of the smoky, grilled flavor that you get in your food comes from your wood so if you use bad wood, your results will be bad. So what is bad? First of all, avoid softwoods in general.

Softwoods burn easily and hot but don’t burn as long and don’t tend to develop long-lasting hot embers at their core. Softwoods, like pine for example, also tend to be fairly resinous and many give off piney or other sharp smells which, while not unpleasant, do not pair well with food. You can use softwoods to help get your fire started, but what you really want for the majority of your firewood is good, seasoned hardwoods.

Hardwoods are denser and will burn longer and hotter. They take longer to get started, but the extra work is worth it. There are dozens of hardwoods that make great fuel for cooking, some of which have very distinct and delicious aromas and flavors. Oak is very common, which gives off a rich, smokey aroma. I prefer fruit and nut woods as they tend to have a milder, almost sweet, aroma. Some excellent choices are almond wood, apple wood, pear wood, and pecan wood, if you can find them. Most people know about mesquite and hickory for smoking, but they are also hardwoods which make excellent fuel. If you happen to live on a vineyard, old grape vine cuttings make great wood for quick fires!

Build Your Fire Ahead

As I mentioned above, starting a hardwood fire can take some time to really get going. In addition, because you want to cook with embers as much as possible, you want to give your fire a chance to burn down as much as possible before you throw food on top. This can take quite a long time and depending on how much you are planning to cook and how big your fire pit or grill is, this can take literally several hours to build the fire, keep feeding it to build up a core of embers, and then let the large flames die down before starting to cook. Of note, while I generally prefer to do this type of wood fire cooking on an outdoor fire pit with a grill grate, most people don’t realize that you can burn a wood fire in most heavy duty charcoal grills as long as it is big enough. I have used the large Weber 22-1/2″ charcoal kettle grills to good effect as well as some Char-Broil charcoal grills.

Cook with Embers

As mentioned above, when cooking with real firewood, cooking over the hot embers is ideal. Why? A new fire, which has just been started does not give off much heat. Additionally, there are large flames coming up from the wood. If you lay a grill grate across this young fire, you will not get much radiant heat and instead will have big open flames lapping up around your food. This spells disaster for grill cooking! Your food will not cook on the inside very fast and the outside will catch fire and get burned to a crisp in no time!

To avoid this and to get the most of your firewood, take your time and start early. Red glowing embers give off tons of heat and don’t have big flames. If cooking in a fire pit or large grill, start your fire early and keep adding wood for a while to build up a deep core of hot, glowing red embers at the bottom. Then let the top wood burn down until you barely have any flames left, just a big, deep pile of red embers. These embers give off a lot of heat and because they don’t have large flames, they are less likely to char your food to a crisp. Only then should you lay your grill grate across and add your food. If you are cooking a lot and the heat starts to die down, stirring the embers with a poker helps to get more oxygen to the wood and will increase the heat for a while. If you really need more fuel, you can add firewood to the side and only push it over, under the cooking area, when it has burned down and no longer has large flames.

Rotisserie Cooking

One way to get a lot out of your wood fire cooking is to use a rotisserie. There are various rotisserie contraptions that can be purchased at grilling and camping supply stores. These are basically a large motorized or hand-turned spit that rotates over your fire pit. This is advantages for several reasons. First of all, for large roasts, such as whole poultry, pigs, and other large roasts, it gives you a very even, consistent cooking heat throughout the meat so that your food stays succulent and evenly done.

Also, for these larger roasts, laying them directly over hot embers can burn the surface long before the interior is even warm. Finally, the rotisserie can hold your food a considerable distance above your wood fire so that you can even cook over open flames without your food burning. If high enough, only the rising heat, not the actual flames, reaches your food, which is perfectly rotated in the aromatic smoke. Therefore, prep time is reduced as you don’t have to burn your wood down to embers first, although some embers help to supply adequate heat. For grilled leg of lamb and whole chicken and game birds, rotisserie cooking over a fire pit is one of my favorites!

Fireplace Cooking

In the winter it is often too cold outside to cook outdoors. However, many of us have a wonderful real wood cooking area right in our homes, although some of us don’t realize it. Most fireplaces are used exclusively for heat and ambiance these days, but years ago it was the primary cooking area in many houses. I love hearth cooking and it is not as difficult as most people think. For most types of fireplace cooking, special equipment is needed. There are fireplace cranes available which hold a handled Dutch oven pot or kettle over your fire to cook stews, soups or coffee. Fireplace grills are available which is basically a grill grate that sits over your firewood grate in the fireplace and allows you to grill any number of foods.

Even fireplace rotisseries are available which sit just in front of the fireplace and slowly turn your roast meats. But if you don’t want to invest in any extra equipment, there is always string-turned fireplace cooking. Traditionally a way to roast a leg of lamb in front of the fire, I have adapted string-turning to roast a number of different types of roasts, from whole poultry to tri-tip. All you need is a long piece of kitchen twine and a screw or hook installed in your mantle above your fireplace. The weight of the roast slowly spins it on the string so that you have a poor man’s rotisserie without a lot of extra equipment!

An Alternative

Finally, if all of the above seems like too much work and too much hassle there are easier alternatives to infuse wood smoke flavor into your food. Using smoking wood chips or chunks in either a barbecue or dedicated smoker grill is an option. Smoker cooking can really give you rich, aromatic smoke flavors in your foods. However, because you are using standard charcoal or gas as a fuel source, you avoid much of the hassle of cooking with real firewood.

I hope these tips help to get you started cooking with real firewood to bring your grill cooking to a new level of fun and flavor. Remember to always be safe when using fire of any type! Follow all basic fire safety rules so that only your food gets cooked!

Josh Dusick is the editor of the Fire Pit and Grilling Guru website at http://www.firepit-and-grilling-guru.com where you can get information about grills, barbecues, fire pits, indoor grills, firewood, charcoal, grill and fire pit cooking, cooking in your fireplace, grill food and wine pairing and even how to build an outdoor fire pit. Take your cooking with fire to the next level!

The old myths are shattered. You’ll be introduced to fly fishing in an entirely different way. Fly fishing is no longer considered difficult to learn or expensive to participate in. You’ll soon come to realize that this sport is easy to learn, and will reward your efforts with many fantastic days on the water!

Learning to fly fish is an excellent way to utilize all of the natural resources that are available to everyone — world-wide. Oceans, streams, lakes, bays and estuary’s literally teem with game fish, and are easily accessible . By learning to fly fish, you will enjoy the natural world around you, get some easy exercise, relieve the strain of everyday life, and even better, there are no greens fees or country club dues – no membership tab, and no lines to wait on!

Here’s the list of myths:

1. Fly Fishing is difficult

Fly casting will take a few practice sessions to become proficient enough to hit the water — but that’s all you’ll need to get started. Why not take a look at some online fly fishing lessons (see the resources section at the end of this article) — then practice in a park, your backyard or another private place. Hit a lake or pond, where you won’t find many obstructions behind you to get in the way. Catch a few pan-fish, learn to land fish – now you’re ready for the stream, ocean or wherever you’d like to fly fish!

2. Fly Fishing is expensive

It simply is not. Fly fishing can be expensive if you spend a lot of your hard earned mullah on premier, top of the line (dare say – overpriced?) fly gear. Don’t go bottom of the line either – inexpensive equipment is hard to use because inexpensive materials are heavier and not as stiff as quality graphite. Very inexpensive gear simply does not hold up to rugged fishing use – and we are rugged, aren’t we?

So — look around. There are some great deals on beginner fly fishing outfits — don’t let the word “beginner” scare you away. This gear is not only fairly priced, but the rods are specifically designed to be easier to cast and will last a long time if you take care of them. Take this from a fly fisher that broke his very first (and precious!) fly rod in the hatchback of a Toyota Celica! Some fly rod outfits even come complete with a protective rod & reel traveling case!

3. You can only Fly Fish for Trout

You get the picture. Trout stream, pipe in mouth, tweed jacket, leather patches, wicker creel…

Wrong. Today’s fly fishing is so much more exciting than that (but if the above excites you – by all means – knock yourself out!).

I took up fly fishing in my early twenties as the result of a childhood memory of my father and other fly fishers on the famous Beaverkill in Roscoe, NY. Let’s just suffice to say that there was a lot of tweed and wicker in the ’60′s. Today the world has changed! Now — picture this forty-something year old with his wife on the flats in the Florida Keys hunting down barracuda, bonefish and permit. All tropical, all cool, all hot, we were fishing machines — it was everything you’d ask for in the excitement department!

Species: so many – let’s see, OK – trout, bass (large-mouth and small-mouth), carp, pike, pickerel, perch, sunnies, crappies, steelhead, salmon (many varieties – and Lox is not a variety of salmon!), then there’s striped bass, bluefish, false albacore, bonito, weakfish, bonefish, barracuda, permit, mangrove snapper, snook, Spanish mackerel , jack crevalle. Oh the list goes on! But I’ll stop.

4. Fly Fishing has to be done in Exotic Locations

Although the Florida Keys are very nice, as well as New Zealand, Christmas Island, Belize and the like…

There are so many places close to home that can and will provide you with the total fly fishing experience. Your local park probably may have a stocked pond. That pretty little stream with the bridge that you cross every day — may be a trout stream. The beach that you take the dog to for a run — there are fish to catch there! Fly fishing is a great sport in that it enables you to open your eyes and enjoy the world around you.

Then again, a vacation sounds nice too!

Places: rivers, streams, creeks, brooks, tributaries, lakes, ponds, farm ponds, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, bays, estuaries, jetties, flats, reefs…

5. You need a PhD in Biology to Succeed

You won’t need a PhD in any subject to succeed in fly fishing! You might think so after conversing with some fly fishers. The reality is that you can over-complicate this sport as much as you’d like. Yes, here are times that fish are selective (won’t take the fly you’re fishing) — but in most cases you can dupe them with a selection of about two or three flies properly fished.

6. You have to be an Olympic Athlete to Fly Fish

Just as in any other sport, you can participate to the level of your physical abilities and derive complete enjoyment! Groups continue to build handicap access sites on streams and lakes — all over the US (and worldwide), and you can find a location to fly fish right outside your car!

7. You can’t learn to Fly Fish on your own

Many have, and many will. Guides, fly shops, fly fishing schools and the like will try to convince you that you’ll need those expensive lessons to get started. We disagree. And here are the key words — “to get started”. There are so many great resources for the beginner fly fisher — just read a little, online or off, and get out on the water and fly fish!

8. I thought you had to attach a real live fly to the end of the line

Negative. Fly Fishing is all about imitating fish food with a hand-made “fly”, often constructed of fur and feathers, but can also be constructed from man-made materials. The key here is imitating the natural food of the species of fish your are fly fishing for. For instance, saltwater species often feed on small minnows — and saltwater “flies” often imitate small fish or minnows.

9. I can’t do it, I tried once

Here’s the thing about fly casting: You are not casting any weight at the end of the line as with a spin rod. You are casting the fly line itself. Here’s a simple analogy: pretend that you are holding a stick with an apple pushed onto the top. You want to toss the apple across the room to your friend. You would have to swing the stick and abruptly stop the swing to let the apple fly off the top of the stick and hurl across the room to your waiting friend. Just imagine now that the stick is your fly rod, and the apple is actually your fly line. Fly casting is much the same as the analogy: your forward cast will start, just as when you swung the stick, and then stop abruptly to allow the fly line to hurl forward. See the resources at the end of this article for a cool animation that you can view, explaining the basics of fly casting.

10. You have to cast really far to catch fish

Most fish are you’ll be targeting are within 30 ft — or, you can get to within 30 ft of them. To cast to a fish this far away, you only have to be able to cast 21 – 23 ft of fly line, taking into consideration that most leaders (your terminal tackle) are 7.5 to 9 ft. We know, for certain, that with one or two practice sessions — you’ll be casting at least that far!

AnglerUniversity.com [http://www.angleruniversity.com] is an online resource for beginner fly fishers that combines online fly fishing lessons (with animations, video, and photos) with a fly shop that offers fly fishing combos, fly rods, fly reels, and accessories. Check out a couple of the resources below for fly fishing information and gear. When you’re ready to fly fish — make AnglerUniversity.com your first stop on the Internet!

I’ve included a couple of resources for you to check out:

Online Fly Fishing Lessons [http://www.angleruniversity.com/enroll3.asp]

Basic Casting Animation/Lesson [http://www.angleruniversity.com/lessons_intro.asp]

Showing love for your pet does not mean going overboard with pet supplies. Buying too much will not only drain your wallet, but also clutter your home with pet supplies you pet will never use. Buy wisely – get only the pet supplies your pet truly needs. Here are ideas.

Food and water bowls. Your pet will be using this for years, so do not scrimp. Plastic may be cheap, but remember that it can get quite difficult to clean as it ages and tends to be discolored. Go for stainless steel if you can. They last longer and are easier to scrub spotless. They are also safer, as they don’t react to pet food chemicals. If you have extra money, you can have your pet’s name engraved on the bowls to make them more personalized.

Grooming supplies. If you have a dog, buy a coat brush, nail clippers and good shampoo. Used properly and regularly, these can help you keep your beloved canine clean and huggable.

Traveling supplies. If you often travel with your pet, you need special supplies such as harnesses and well-ventilated, hard-sided kennels, for example. You also need a bag for bringing your pet’s grooming supplies and meds with you wherever you go. If you are traveling by car, it’s a good idea to get an adjustable pet car seat that can grow with your pet.

A few toys. Expensive pet toys are not necessarily the best pet toys. Your dog or cat can enjoy even the simplest playthings, such as old socks. But if you have extra money, treat your pet to a fancy toy or two. It will keep him or her busy so that you can attend to other important things. Active toys also let your pets exercise while having fun. But before you buy pet toys, read the label first – be sure to choose only toys that pass safety tests.

Pet Supplies provides detailed information on Pet Supplies, Pet Supply Stores, Discount Pet Supplies, Online Pet Supplies and more. Pet Supplies is affiliated with Wholesale Pet Products [http://www.i-PetProducts.com].

The Invention of Cable Television & Alternatives to Cable TV

There are many claims to the first CATV system, but only one thing is for certain; it originated in the United States and, according to one famous recollection, cable television had its beginning in 1948 in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania. Community antenna television, as it was then called, was invented by John and Margaret Walson out of a necessity to bring television to their customers. They owned The Service Electric Company, a company designed to sell, install, and repair appliances. When they started selling television sets in 1947 their Mahanoy City customers were reluctant to buy because of reception issues. This particular region of Pennsylvania had difficulties picking up the stations in nearby Philadelphia due to the mountains that surrounded them.

To solve this problem, Walson installed an antenna on a utility pole that he placed on a local mountain top. It allowed him to demonstrate that the televisions could pick up good broadcasts coming from some of the Philadelphia stations using modified signal boosters and cable to connect the antenna to his store. So, in 1948, he charged a small fee and connected the antenna to several of his customers’ homes as well, marking the beginning of the cable television business.

The early 1950s saw further development of the cable system. By then, the FCC had released its hold on a three year long freezing of new television station construction and had “assigned a nationwide television broadcasting plan”, leading to the fairly rapid development of new television stations. Department stores began to encourage television viewing by displaying several different models for sale. Of course, this meant that television antennas had to also be sold. At the time, each home or apartment required its own antenna, creating a somewhat unsightly “forest of antennas” on the roofs of some apartment buildings.

This prompted Milton Jerrold Shapp to create a system that used only one master antenna for an entire building. He did so using coaxial cable and signal boosters, enabling the cable to carry several signals at once. Not too long after that, another appliance store owner experiencing the same problem as that of the Walsons read about Mr Shapp’s system. Figuring that, if it could work for apartments and department stores, it could work for an entire town as well and he set up the first cable television system similar to how we know it today.

Because of Mr Shapp’s innovative new system, television spread like wild fire throughout the country, enabling remote and rural areas to receive a signal and “by 1952, 70 ‘cable’ systems served 14,000 subscribers nationwide”. But, of course, people would not remain content with allowing the cable system simply to be used as a means of providing better signal strength to rural areas.

Toward the end of the decade, cable operators began using technologies to pick up signals from stations hundreds of miles away, irreversibly changing the way the cable and television industry operated. This new found ability to import more signals from distant stations also allowed for more programming choices. Now, the cable systems that only allowed for three channels (one for each network) soon changed, allowing room for seven or more channels due to the fact that they could pick up programs from distant independent stations (2). This created more interest in cable as a provider for city television as well because of the variety in choices it allowed.

By the early 1960s there were nearly 800 cable network systems in business. Many of these cable network companies started expanding into multiple cities, causing the beginning of the multiple system operator (MSO). Yet, the local broadcasters were afraid of the competition that cable companies were creating so they asked the government to stop the importation of signals by cable companies. The freeze that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) placed on the importation of cable signals lasted until 1972.

In 1972 the service channels that people pay an extra premium for were started when Service Electric began to bill for Home Box Office (HBO). It had a minimal beginning with about a few hundred viewers the first night. However, it has become one of the largest pay cable services around. It is because of its success that so many others have followed.

In addition, the craving for more channels led the FCC to issue a rule in 1969 that required “all CATV systems with over 3500 subscribers to have facilities for local origination of programming by April 1, 1971″. Furthermore, in 1976, the FCC decided to require that new systems must have more than 20 channels to choose from and that cable providers that had more than 3500 must provide public channels for education as well as government access.

Thus, cable television has been divided into two different services: basic service and premium services. Basic cable generally includes the local television networks and a few other common channels that are not transmitted with any type of encryption method while premium channels scramble their signals. They include channels such as HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz and are generally paid for in various extra packages in addition to the basic service.

The fees for service, whether basic or premium, did not defer customers and by the 1980s the major three television networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) had all but lost their monopoly on viewers. “The era of network television” was coming to an end. Even other news networks began to emerge. “By 1985, 68% of all American households (60 million) had cable television service” . Cable News Network (CNN) first appeared on the scene in 1980.

With the emergence of all the new cable networks, cable television revolutionized the way Americans viewed television, and inspired many more changes yet to come. The invention of the VCR and, still later, the DVR would follow suit, yet again changing how American’s use their televisions.

In recent years technology has begun to produce alternatives to cable television. As internet content grows to out weigh what cable TV services can offer. Many people have begun to migrate from cable television to Internet television. (24% in the US, 40% either use Internet TV alone, or a combination of Cable and Internet TV together) Internet TV provides the user with an opportunity to view all their favorite programming, most commercial free, in High Definition and directly to the users television. Internet TV. Internet TV has the potential to replace cable television as the preferred method of home entertainment delivery.

Savings and selection are mentioned as the primary reasons to switch to a Cable TV alternative. The average monthly cable bill in the US is between one-hundred fifty and two-hundred dollars per month. Internet TV in comparison has a one time fee for the home component and no additional monthly viewing fees. Users who wish to use services like Netflix and Blockbuster online may now watch movies directly on their HD television. Internet TV does not bypass legal means of content delivery, you must still pay the fees associated licensing fee for movie rental sites like Netflix and Blockbuster.

Free Internet TV content currently licensed for viewing online in high definition. (Short list) All programming from the major television networks; ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, most cable networks (CNN, E!, etc) also broadcast their programming online for free. Some advance the broadcasts online before airing on their cable networks. Hulu, Fancast and Spreety are among a few providers available who collect all the legal content in one place for easy viewing by the user.

Join the Internet TV Revolution.
What is WhiteHatt?

Every January it’s the same. ‘New Year, New me’ we say, but by Valentine’s day all our best intentions have fallen by the wayside. But this year I’m going to stick to my regime by participating in team sports, as they give you a great work out, allow you to socialise, and appeal to your competitive streak.

Another motivating thing about team sports is that if you don’t go, unlike the gym, it’s not just yourself your letting down but also the team. This really makes me want to go, as although i think nothing of letting myself or my ftness down, my dedication to those around me guilts me into it!

So, now your thinking ‘hmmm, maybe team sports are for me after all’, which team sport should you do? Well here are my top 5:

Basketball: Very popular across the pond, but gaining a real following here in the UK, basketball is a fast paced game, and the time seems to fly by when ever i play. Speed and co-ordination are vital!

Netball: We all remember netball from our school days, but in recent years more and more adults are choosing to revisit it. It’s a great way to get fit with like minded women, and even make some friends along the way.

Football: The classic British team game, football is not just for watching. There are leagues everywhere, for both men and women and if you’re not keen for the full match then indoor or 5 a side is just as good for you. I’m really getting into football at the moment- something i thought I’d never say.

Ice Hockey: Not for the faint-hearted, but seriously good fun! if your balance is ok, and you’ve nerves of steel then I would definitely recommend ice hockey, for its fast pace and sheer enjoyment.

Volleyball: We’ve all played it on the beach in our time (even if its just between pina coladas), but have you ever thought of taking it up regularly. There are quite a few indoor and outdoor leagues around, but if there isn’t one near you then why not grab a few mates and set up a game.

Those are my favourite team games, but there are plenty more out there, and I’d really recommend them, so find a league or team near you and have fun.

Awards and Trophies are online suppliers of a range of trophies and medals, from football trophies to trophy cups for basketball or ice hockey. So whatever your league or event we have a trophy for you.

What to Look For in a Saltwater Fish Tank

The decision to purchase a saltwater or marine fish tank for your home or office should not be taken lightly. Marine fish will have requirements far greater than freshwater fish. However, once you’ve decided to purchase a saltwater aquarium you’ll be rewarded with a stunning range of tropical and reef fish to choose from.

But first you’ll need to purchase your tank. The selection process can be time consuming and confusing because the range of tanks available is large. The best advice is usually to purchase the largest tank you can afford and that will fit in the available space. There are numerous stories of people starting out their fish tank hobby with a small fish tank only to find in a short space of time that they wish they had purchased a larger tank!

A 30-gallon saltwater aquarium is probably the smallest tank you should consider. A fish tank of this size will provide sufficient surface area to allow adequate exchange of oxygen into the water and to provide a comfortable swimming environment for your fish.

The oxygen supply in the water together with the water temperature will determine the success or otherwise of your fish keeping hobby. Tropical saltwater fish require a water temperature of about 75 degrees F. The warmer water in the saltwater aquarium will tend to deplete the oxygen in the water which means that the surface area becomes important. The addition of aeration equipment is usually desirable to increase the oxygen concentration. Aeration can usually be provided in conjunction with your filtration equipment.

Saltwater fish tanks are available in both acrylic and glass. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Some of the advantages of glass aquariums are

o Glass fish tanks are usually cheaper than acrylic tanks

o Glass fish tanks are more scratch resistant than acrylic tanks

o Glass fish tanks won’t discolor with age

o Glass fish tanks won’t require as much brace support as acrylic tanks although the stand needs to be able to support a great weight

Advantages of acrylic fish tanks

o Acrylic fish tanks are lighter in weight than glass fish tanks

o Acrylic fish tanks can be custom made in a shape to suit your home

o Acrylic fish tanks are less likely to break

o Acrylic fish tanks can be purchased online

Setting Up Your Saltwater Fish Tank

Bringing your new saltwater fish tank home from the store is only the first step. Never be tempted to purchase fish at the same time that you acquire your aquarium. There are many steps to complete prior to introducing fish to their new home.

First, you need to install your tank in its desired location. Avoid locating your saltwater fish tank in any spot that receives sunlight. Sunlight will cause algae to grow in your tank and whilst this will not usually harm the fish it is unsightly and spoils the appearance of your aquarium. Also avoid any locations close to room heaters or where the tank will be exposed to drafts.

Many acrylic fish tanks come with a built-in stand. Glass tanks will require a sturdy stand and should have a layer of polystyrene or rubber placed between the tank and the stand to absorb any unevenness. If the tank is unbalanced it will eventually crack.

Check your new tank for leaks. Fill it with water and let is stand for a day or two. Once you have confirmed that it is water tight you will need to thoroughly clean the tank and all equipment. Rinse thoroughly. Do not skip the cleaning and rinsing step just because you’ve purchased a new tank and it appears sparkling clean. Your fish will die if there are any contaminants left in the tank! Don’t forget to wash the gravel before adding it the tank. Add all your other equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions. Your pet store will have provided advice on how to set up your saltwater fish tank.

After you have added your salt water and confirmed that the salt and chemical levels are correct you’ll need to run all your equipment for at least 72 hours to filter and heat your water and stabilize your tank. Let the aquarium cycle to build up the correct biological levels.

The hardest part of setting up your saltwater fish tank is now complete and now you’ll be able to go and select your colorful fish!

Alison Stevens is an online author and writes about fresh and saltwater fish tanks to assist anyone who wants to get started with setting up an aquarium fish tank and gain an understanding of fresh or saltwater fish tank maintenance.

Finding the best tractor that suits your needs can be easier than you might think. Here are a few simple steps to follow as you look at tractors

You first need to determine your needs and figure out what you need your tractor to do. Do you have an acre or two that needs mowed once or twice a week, or do you need a tractor for mowing, towing, snow plowing, carrying items, gardening or harvesting fields? Be sure to get enough tractor so that it will be able handle the attachments you are going to use

Diesel or Gas?

Do you need a gasoline or diesel powered tractor? For most residential, mowing applications gasoline powered tractors are the way to go. If you have more than five acres and plan on doing some plowing, hauling, heavier mowing and adding any attachments then diesel is probably the tractor of choice.

Lawn Tractors

Lets look first at your average lawn mower. Something that will be pretty much be used for mowing and nothing else. Your average “lawn tractor” can range anywhere from $1500 – $4500 and range from 15HP- 25HP with gasoline engines. Good reliable used lawn mowers can be purchase from a few hundred dollars up to $3000 depending on age and condition. Some of the higher HP model lawn tractors can also be used for occasional snow plowing and other heavier tasks but are best suited for mowing with or without a grass catcher and pulling a cart. Most all lawn tractors are belt driven with limited parts availability and are designed to last a short period of time.

Garden Tractors & Compact Tractors

Next lets look at property owners that have 3 – 15 acres and the need for plowing, gardening, mowing, cutting and loading. In my opinion we have two classes of tractor we can look at here. You can consider a “garden tractor” or a “compact tractor”. A garden tractor is a tractor that is really a lawn tractor with a heavier built to it and with the capability of some attachments like a tiller, a blade, snowblower and larger mower decks (usually 54in – 60in decks). Most garden tractors are also shaft driven and can last for many years if properly maintained and not pushed beyond their limits. They can be gasoline or diesel. They usually sell new for $6000 – $10000 with a mowing deck,and can be purchased used for $2500 – $6000 depending on condition.

My personal recommendation for this scenario would be a “compact tractor”. A compact tractor is basically a miniature tractor with full size tractor capabilities such as mowing, cutting, loading, digging, tilling, plowing and hauling. They have diesel engines ranging in size from 15HP – 30HP. Most of them have full hydraulics, 4WD, mid and rear PTO’s, high and low range, roll over protection and are built to work. They have a life expectancy of up to 30 plus years if properly maintained. Parts are readily available. These compact tractors can handle many implements like large belly mowers up to 72in., rear mowers, tillers, blades, loaders, plows, backhoes, sweepers and more. The reliability of these tractors makes for a great used tractor. A new compact tractor with a mower can range from $10000 – $20000, depending on the size and model. Great used compact tractors can be found for as low as $5000.

Farm Tractors

If farming is in your future and you have many acres to tend to, you are best advised to consult with a dealer or fellow farmer before making a purchase. There are many, many choices when it comes to large tractors and farming equipment and it is best to make sure you get the right equipment the first time as these tractors can be a very large investment. Once you have the specifics you need, then search for a new or used tractor that will meet your exact needs for HP, and capabilities.

Pricing

Before you get sticker shock, realize that tractor purchases are long term commitments and that with proper maintenance and use they can last for 30 years or more. When you consider the life span and work they do, the prices will seem reasonable.

Attachments can also seem expensive as well. A loader for example will cost $3000 – $5000. A simple blade can run $300 – $500.

Once you have a tractor and some attachments, you’ll wonder how you ever did without them. I remember when I purchased my compact Kubota several years ago. I took my wife with me and I bought a 60in mower and a loader with it. When my wife saw the price she about died! Since we’ve owned it, she has on many occasion told me that it has been such a great thing to have. We only have 5 acres but get so much use from the loader. I don’t know what we ever did without it!

Gray Market Tractors

Because good used tractors are so reliable, there is a high demand and a relatively low supply of them and good used tractors sell very quickly. A tempting way of saving money is buying an “off-brand” tractor or a gray market tractor. These are usually imported machines designed for use in other markets, being sold semi-legally here. While they can be much cheaper than standard tractors, there are a couple of significant drawbacks.

One is that the PTO systems are not always compatible with US standards. Many of them do not have a mid PTO which is needed if you want a belly mower. A second issue is parts availability. It can be difficult or impossible to find replacement parts here if it’s a model designed for use in other markets.

What ever you do, make sure you buy a tractor that will do what you need it to. The worst thing you can do is to push the equipment beyond it capabilities. It not only significantly shortens the life span but can be dangerous as well.

Before making your purchase, do your research. Check with other owners, dealers, web forums and manufactures sites for information. When your ready to make the purchase be sure to check here with Tractor Shopper for deals on your next new or used tractor!

If you’re in the market for a used tractor, tractor parts or attachments then stop by http://www.TractorShopper.com for great prices and selection.

Indie film financing and movie distribution reminds of what it would feel like dancing nude on stage (much respect for exotic dancers at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club!). You show up to pitch your movie project and need to be able to dance to a film investor’s music. It’s their stage and not yours as an indie filmmaker seeking film funding. They want you to make a sellable movie which appeals to movie distributors so the production can make money.

Most investors I’ve met with are not interested in putting hard money into indie art house films because those are tough sells to movie distributors and overseas film buyers aren’t usually interested in seeing them. The dialogue and scenes of certain art house type films don’t translate well to foreign buyers and movie viewers. Action, horror and skin does not need subtitles for people to follow the story is what I’ve been told by distributors. Talking head movies can make no sense to viewers that don’t understand subtle lines spoken in a foreign language.

Independent film financing continues to change as indie movie distribution gets more financially shaky. The place it’s hitting indie movie producers hardest is right at the source – film financing. Film investors right now aren’t feeling excited about putting money into movies that do not have bankable name actors. This is not like so-called indie movies that have A-list actors or are produced for millions of dollars. Those type of indie film passion projects you can make once you’ve made it in the entertainment business at the studio level.

Indie film investors and movie distributors won’t expect you to have an A-list actor, but they do want producers to have actors (B-list or C-list or D-list) with some name recognition or celebrity. The first question film investors and movie distributors ask is who the cast is. This is where most indie movie producers are blown out of the water because they have an unknown cast of actors. Plus there is a glut of indie movies being made because technology has made it more affordable to make movies.

The bright side is that entertaining indie movies are being made that might not otherwise ever have seen light of day before. The downside is meaningful movie distribution (getting paid) for indie produced films continues to shrink as indie films being made rises (supply and demand 101). I talked to one movie distributor that caters to releasing independent films and they told me they receive new film submissions daily.

They were honest saying they get very sellable movies and ones that are less than appealing, but with so many movies out there they no longer offer a majority of producers advance money against film royalties or pay a lump cash “buy-out” to secure distribution rights. Their business viewpoint is most indie filmmakers are just happy seeing their movie released. The term they used was “glorified showreel” for an indie filmmaker to display they can make a feature film. So, they acquire many of their movie releases without paying an advance or offering a “buy-out” agreement.

Not making a profit from a movie does not make financial sense for film investors that expect to see money made. When people put up money to produce a movie they want a return on their investment. Otherwise it’s no longer a movie investment. It becomes a film donation of money they’re giving away with no expectations. I’ve been on the “dog and pony show” circuit meeting with potential film investors and learning invaluable lessons.

I’m in the habit now of talking to indie movie distributors before writing a screenplay to see what types of films are selling and what actors or celebrity names attached to a potential project appeal to them. This is not like chasing trends, but it gives producers a sharper picture of the sales climate for indie films. Sometimes distributors will give me a short list of actors or celebrities to consider that fit an independent movie budget. Movie sales outside of the U.S. are where a bulk of the money is made for indie filmmakers.

Movie distributors and film sales agents can tell you what actors and celebrity talent is translating to movie sales overseas at the indie level. These won’t be A-list names, but having someone with some kind of name is a great selling point to help your movie standout from others. Brief cameos of known actors or celebrities used to be a good way to keep talent cost down and add a bankable name to your cast.

That has changed lately from my conversations with distribution companies. Movie distributors now expect any name talent attached to have a meaningful part in the movie instead of a few minutes in a cameo role. Cameo scenes can still work if there is a visual hook that grabs the attention of viewers in some way. But having name talent say a couple of lines with no special hook won’t fly anymore.

Another way to make an indie film in need of funding more attractive to investors is to attach talent that has been in a movie or TV show of note. Their name as an actor might not be that well-known yet, but rising stars that have appeared in a popular movie or TV show can give your movie broader appeal. If you cast them in a supporting role keep working days on the set down to a minimum to save your budget. Try to write their scenes so they can be shot in one or two days.

When you’re pitching to serious film investors they will want to be given a detailed movie budget and distribution plan on how you plan on making money from the film’s release. The Catch-22 that happens a lot is that most movie distributors that cater to releasing indie films won’t commit to any deal until they’ve screened the movie.

There is not built-in distribution like with studio budget films. Film investors that are not traditionally part of the entertainment business can get turned off when a producer does not have a distribution deal already in place. They don’t understand the Catch-22 of indie filmmaking and distribution. This is where a movie producer really needs to have a solid pitch that explains the financial dynamics of indie film distribution.

Most film investors will pass on an indie movie producer’s financing pitch that mentions self-distribution in it. From a movie investor’s business perspective it takes entirely too long for an indie movie to generate money going the self-distribution route. It’s like the old school way of selling your movie out of the trunk of your car at places, but now it’s done online using digital distribution and direct sales via a blog. That’s a long grind that most investors will not be interested in waiting around for. Moving one unit of a movie at a time is too slow of trickle for investors.

A possible way around the Catch-22 is to reach out to movie distributors while you are pitching to film investors. With a firm budget number and possible cast attached you can gauge to see if there is any meaningful distribution interest in the movie. It’s always possible a distributor will tell you that they would offer an advance or “buy-out” deal. They usually won’t give you a hard number, but even a ballpark figure of what they might offer can let you know if your budget makes financial sense to approach movie investors with.

I know one savvy indie movie producer that makes 4-6 movies a year on very reasonable budgets and knows they’re already making a profit from the advance money alone. The film royalty payments are a bonus. The producer keeps budgets extremely affordable and streamlined at every phase of production. Once you have a track record with a distribution company you know what you can expect to be paid. Then you can offer film investors a percent on their money invested into the production that makes sense.

Social networking with other indie filmmakers lets you hear what’s happening with movie distribution from other people’s real life experiences. A cool thing I’ve been hearing about is that there are film investors that won’t put up money to make movie that is going to be self-distributed, but they will roll the dice on a feature that is going to specific film festivals. Not the art house film festivals. The ones that are very genre specific like for horror or action films. Like Screamfest Horror Film Festival or Action on Film (AOF). Film buyers attend these events and meaningful distribution deals are made.

Independent film financing and movie distribution are areas of the entertainment business all filmmakers will have to deal with and learn from each experience. I was in the hot seat today pitching to a film investor. I’ve streamlined the budget as much as I can without making the plot lose steam.

The jam I’m in as a producer is there are hard costs that cannot be avoided that include lots of gun play including two rigging shots where baddies get shot and are blown backwards off their feet. Badass action films need experienced and seasoned film crews to pull-off hardcore action shots off clean and safe. The cast I want to hire has the perfect appeal and name recognition for this indie action movie to rock viewers. There is nothing that can get lost in the translation in this film for foreign film buyers and movie viewers.

What I think got lost in the translation with the potential film investor today is if I keep taking out below-the-line crew to save money I’m going to have to do rewrites to the screenplay to take out action scenes. These are selling points that will hurt sales if they are written out. But it’s my job as an indie filmmaker to balance a budget that appeals to film investors. We’ll see how this goes. This is indie filmmaker Sid Kali typing fade out.

Get the inside scoop on writing, producing, directing, and movie distribution at Slice Of Americana Films. Check out the life and times of filmmaker Sid Kali.

PHP is a general purpose scripting language that is well suited for server-side web development. It was created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1995 and has been developing ever since. PHP originally stood for “Personal Home Page”. He used the sets of Perl scripts he called PHP to maintain his resume and keep track of how much traffic his page was getting. He wrote these as “C programming language common Gateway Interface” which allowed the ability to work with web forms and databases. It also enabled users to start developing dynamic web application. He revealed and released PHP/FI or “Personal Home Page/Forms Interpreter Version 1.0″ in June 8th 1995 to locate bugs and code improvement faster. This release had the functionality that PHP has today. The syntax was similar to Perl but more limiting and simpler.

PHP 2.0

A development team began to form. They spent months working and beta testing and released PHP/FI 2 in November 1997. Short after, the alphas of PHP 3 were released.

PHP 3.0

PHP 3.0 syntax to closely resemble of today’s PHP, created by Andi Gutmans and Zeev Suraski in 1997. After finding out that PHP 2.0 was way underpowered for eCommerce application. Andi, Rasmus and Zeev decided to work together and announced PHP 3 as the successor of PHP/FI 2.0 and development of it was stopped soon after. The strength of PHP 3 was strong extensibility features. It also provided end users a solid infrastructure for lots of different databases, protocols and API. Another feature was the introduction of object-oriented syntax support. Approximately 10% of web servers on the internet had PHP 3 installed by the end of 1998. PHP 3 was released in June of 1998.

PHP 4.0

By winter of 1998, Andi and Zeev started working on rewriting the PHP’s core. They goals were to improve the performance of complex application and modularity of PHP’s code base. This new engine called “Zend Engine”, met those goals and was announced in middle of 1999. PHP 4 was based on this engine. Additional features were added and were officially released in May 2000. PHP 4.0 included features such as support for many more Web servers, HTTP sessions, output buffering, more secure ways of handling user input and several new language constructs.

PHP 5.0

Today, PHP is being used by developers all over the world and installed on 20% of domains on the internet. The latest release PHP 5 was released in July 2004 and is driven by the Zend Engine 2.0 with new object model and tons of new features.

If your wanting to start learning PHP programming, come check us out at www.phpprogrammingforbeginners.com.

Myth 1: Marketing is a cost, not an investment

When you spend time and money randomly on marketing, then it probably is an expense because you’re not generating a return on the resources invested in it. Many people make the mistake of emulating the marketing tactics of large companies (such as image advertising) that just don’t produce good returns for small businesses. The fact of the matter is that small businesses have to produce BETTER marketing than large businesses because they can’t afford to make mistakes by dropping hundreds or even thousands of pounds/dollars onto campaigns that don’t work. What often happens is that business owners spend lots of money on ineffective campaigns, then erroneously conclude that marketing is an expense, or not worth doing at all.

However, the secret to marketing success is to create a marketing system. A system of activities, strategies, tactics and automation that reliably and predictably create measurable results and positive ROI. I call this the “marketing slot machine”. It’s a slot machine that for every £1/$1 you put in, you get £1.50, or £2 or £5 or more back out. Once you’ve created this system (which requires a small amount of experimentation and testing), you should be able to turn it on and off at will, and invest as much as you can to gain maximum returns.

Myth 2: Marketing is expensive

Marketing is only expensive (and therefore an expense rather than an investment) when it is either unaccountable or ineffective. There are myriad ways to market you business inexpensively that are highly effective, once you know how. The key is to understand the elements or variables that go into each activity or campaign, and how they affect the ultimate outcome. This is where most people go wrong, and that’s why their marketing fails to produce the results that they’d hoped for. Often the message is weak or confusing, it’s being sent to the wrong people, or they fail to follow up. Get the formula right, and marketing can be very inexpensive – I spend less than £100 per month on marketing and I’m getting great results.

Myth 3: Marketing means I have to be pushy and salesy

Good marketing, done the right way is neither pushy nor salesy. It’s a complete myth that pushy, “gift of the gab” people make the best sales people. Why? Because they spend most of the time talking about themselves or their products and then manipulating people into buying from them. Whilst this used to work, and still does occasionally, it often results in buyers remorse and a general sense of uneasiness on the part of the buyer. Much of the time it creates resistance and a feeling of wanting to run for the hills – have you ever felt like that?

Ironically, the best marketers and salespeople are those who listen. They listen to what potential clients are saying and see if there’s a match between what they offer and what the buyer needs. They build relationships and educate their prospects about how they can help them. The art is to get in front of people who have demonstrated a need or want for what you offer, and who will gladly learn more about what you do and how you can help them.

Myth 4: Marketing produces instant results

Some people believe that if they keep running their adverts/campaigns that they’ll “increase their profile”, and somehow, magically one day, a stampede of clients will come rushing to their door. I don’t subscribe to that theory, because I believe that all marketing should produce a measurable result that can be observed in a fairly short time frame. If you’re marketing efforts are not producing obvious, tangible results then you need to look at the elements that aren’t working.

Having said that, marketing is not something you can usually achieve overnight success in. It’s somewhat like rolling a snowball down a hill – there’s a cumulative effect and momentum increases over time. To create the cumulative effect and momentum requires sustained and consistent effort. Marketing isn’t something you do occasionally, and then put on the back burner. It’s something that you need to do constantly, bit by bit, in the same way that a sportsperson needs to train every day to be good enough for the Olympics.

Myth 5: Once my diary is full, I can stop marketing

It’s human nature that once you’ve got some well-paying work you feel rather pleased with yourself, and focus most of your time on servicing your new clients. However, if you have a sales cycle that’s usually more than a couple of weeks long, then you’re going to come a cropper once the project finishes. Because if you don’t continue to do your marketing whilst you’re working on the project, then at the end of the project you may find that your sales pipeline is empty and you have to start up your marketing all over again. It may then be a number of weeks before people start to progress down your sales pipeline towards actually doing business with you. This is what is commonly referred to as the “feast and famine” syndrome.

If you prefer to avoid these peaks and troughs of income producing activity, then you need to think about how you can do a little bit of marketing on a consistent basis. Even better – create a marketing system that easily and reliably entices prospects into your sales pipeline without huge amounts of effort from you.

Myth 6: My business is small, so I don’t need a marketing plan

I tried some marketing plan software once. It asked me a lot of questions about market share, mission statements plus product, price, promotion and place. Great fun, if your mind likes to chew on such imponderables. As a graduate of a business studies degree I knew exactly what it was referring to, but had no idea how that was useful to a small business. And guess what – that’s because it isn’t!

No wonder then, that most small businesses don’t have written marketing plans, when traditional style marketing plans seem convoluted and esoteric. However, this doesn’t mean that a marketing plan in your head is any better. The question is whether this results in any organised activity.

And to me, that’s the essence of a marketing plan – a blueprint for organising your marketing activities. It doesn’t have to be high-falutin’ or fancy, or be filled with marketing-jargon, but what it does need to do is focus resources on specific action steps that need to be taken to achieve specific goals. There’s a world of difference between carrying ideas around in your head, and writing them down into an organised plan of action.

If you don’t have a written marketing plan, then I urge you to consider this: research suggests that businesses that create a written marketing plan increase their revenue by about 30% after having created one.

Myth 7: External marketing help is expensive

If you enlist the help of what I refer to as “traditional” marketing consultants, then it probably is expensive. You’re probably looking at thousands down in one shot, rather than hundreds and probably no guarantees of success. It’s quite possibly a stark choice between taking the family on holiday, or paying for your PR or marketing consultant.

If giving up your family holiday doesn’t appeal, then you may choose to go down the route of taking training courses, reading books, attending seminars, enrolling on e-courses and all manner of other self-study options. The problem with all of this, is that there is rarely any hands-on, customised support for you and your business. And, there’s no accountability – or as I like to say – a friendly kick in the pants to keep you on track. It may also take you quite literally years of trial and error to find out what works for your business. And that’s assuming that you even implement what you’ve learnt, which, sadly, most people don’t.

However, a new alternative has emerged in recent years – marketing mentoring or coaching. Rather than paying thousands to have a marketing consultant do it all for you, or struggling up the learning curve by yourself, you now have the option to work with a coach or mentor who can advise you, guide you and show you how to do your marketing for yourself. Plus they’ll make sure you stay on track. If attracting more clients is important to you, and you haven’t yet created your own “marketing slot machine” then I highly recommend you find a marketing coach who will help you create a marketing system that works for you.

Copyright 2005 Attractioneering

Jane Hendry helps professionals, consultants and coaches to create marketing systems that easily and consistently attract their ideal clients. To get your free Attraction Marketing Starter Kit please visit [http://getclients.co/]

Fashion is a popular blogging topic. Fashion trends change in an instant and the blog platform is a great way to announce these trends because blogs can be easily updated and can be read by millions of people worldwide. By the time new trends are reported in television and the magazines, they may have already been reported in fashion blogs all over the world. This is why a lot of credible fashion blogs are religiously followed by the fashion industry generating thousands in advertising revenue. This makes fashion a lucrative blogging topic. Starting a fashion blog required first choosing the right WordPress fashion theme.

A fashion theme is a basic WordPress theme with added plugins and functionality that is relevant to fashion topics. The color scheme and layout is designed to appeal to demographics that are very interested in fashion. The theme uses light and elegant colors that are sometimes similar to the color trends in the fashion world. The theme is designed to properly display images, flash content and videos as most fashion blogs are picture and video heavy. The theme has also a lot of added widgets and plugins to add to the functionality of a fashion blog. Widgets like fashion tips, weight loss tips, fashion gossip, trend updates as well as mini dress up games to enhance the site experience of the blog visitors.

A commercial blog depends on advertising revenue to monetize their traffic. A WordPress fashion theme theme is optimized for all kinds of advertising platforms like google adsense and clickbank as well as affiliate programs for most popular programs and networks. Some blogs also do some direct product sales on their blogs using the high traffic of the blog to sell fashion products of their own design or as a special arrangement from a certain designer. This means using a fashion theme that has the capability to process most online payment channels.

Fashion blogging is not only a lucrative niche. The past few years has seen a trend in the fashion world where select fashion blogs have started to influence real world fashion trends. More and more people are going into fashion blogging hoping to build up their credibility and authority as effective and knowledgeable resource for fashion online. This credibility can translate to a lot of perks like being invited to exclusive fashion shows together with the mainstream media as well as be granted first access to the next season’s designs. Often some industry players go into fashion blogging as a way to showcase and relevance in order to generate contacts to other industry players they can do business with. Some fashion designers who are just starting out do fashion blogging to generate buzz for their own designs.

It is these diverse reasons for fashion blogging that has generated various designs of a WordPress fashion theme. People who are interested in fashion pretty much have a good taste for design and aesthetics and this taste is translated to the design of a WordPress fashion theme. Everything is well thought of. From the fonts used, the layout, the header, sidebar, footer as well as the colors every aspect of a fashion theme is designed to appeal to fashion insiders as well as followers. Once you pick theme that appeals to you, you can even further enhance this theme because a WordPress theme has powerful customization options so bloggers can create their own distinctive brand for their fashion blog.

Charles van Veen (CEO at NMO International) has setup several internet websites to help people starting a profitable online business, without the need to first invest substantial amounts of money. On his sites you will find countless invaluable sources of information related to Online Business in general and Internet Niche Marketing in particular. For more information please visit [http://www.internetmarketingwalhalla.com]. Learn everything about WordPress blogs and making money with them at: [http://wordpressthemesheaven.com].

Southern Vermont is the home of the superb Mount Snow, closest major ski area in the northeast to nearby metropolitan areas. Winter sport fans from the New York metropolitan area and the mid-Atlantic area, drive north to escape for alpine skiing, with a variety of novice and intermediate cruising trails on the main face or Carinthia, or for more challenging expert skiing, try the North Face. Located Featuring 26 lifts and more than 135 trails, the top elevation at Mount Snow is 3600 feet, with a vertical drop of 1700 feet. There are 20 chair lifts and six surface lifts available.

The Mount Snow Ski Club is an active member of two competition communities, the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA). They promote recreational and competitive winter sports, hosting major ski races for over 40 years. Their recent achievements have been “Snowboard Junior World Champions,” “US Champion”, and the “2002 Olympic Gold”, in addition to the “Freestyle Skiing Junior National Mogul Champion” and the “National Upright-Combined Champion”. Their Alpine Training Center at Mount Snow offers training to all young children interested in on-snow training and competitive skills.

To add to the skiing activities, snowboarders are welcome at Mount Snow, with a “kids only” terrain park as well as a special tubing park. The Grand Summit Hotel and Crown Club sits right off the slopes, and guests enjoy a heated outdoor pool and ski in/ski out accommodations. Different winter ski vacation packages are available with many great deals designed to save the families money. Child care is available at Mount Snow, and the youngsters will be well cared for, learning to ski as well. Mount Snow is very family oriented. They have a unique ‘back-to-base’ trail system used, that keeps everyone in the family from getting lost. Kids under six can ski and ride for free. When an adult buys a 3 to 5 day ticket during mid-week, their child receives a free ticket for that same time period as well. During January, the “Kids Ski & Learn Free” weeks seem to be the most popular family deals. Both group and private lessons are available for both adults and children.

For those sore muscles and tired bodies after a day on the slopes, Mount Snow features a full service health spa that you should take full advantage of. A variety of massages are offered, as well as various skin treatments. Spa packages are also available, and the spa caters to couples as well, with wedding parties welcome. There is also a fully-equipped health club and fitness class offered.

The total packages of winter activities at Mount Snow includes snowmobiling, snowshoeing, tubing, cross country skiing, and sleigh rides. There is a ski shop on the premises and rental equipment is available for those who do not have any. There are several restaurants and bars on the mountain to choose from as well. Again, Mount Snow is family oriented. You will find that this is a very safe environment for your entire family, where you can relax and have fun. Be sure to ask about the family deals when you call for reservations or information. There is always something for everybody!

Check out http://www.winter-sportz.com/ for more articles on lake tahoe ski vacations and colorado ski vacations.

Unlimited movie downloads are available to us nowadays through online movie stores. Being able to download movies at the click of a mouse has opened up our 17 inch monitor into a movie theater, one that never closes at night, and screens any movie we desire to watch at our beck and call. Such is how far our technology has advanced. We will see why unlimited movie downloads online stores have revolutionized the whole movie industry and what you are missing out if you are still stuck with your VCDs and DVDs.

It wasn’t so long ago when we were still relying on VCRs, acronym for video recorders to watch movies on tapes. If you are born after the 80′s, you probably might have a very vague idea or mental image about what those gadgets are. Perhaps you have sat beside your grandma on the couch watching a recorded TV show or movie from one of those little black boxes, or you have come across one of those in the junkyard or even museum. In the 90s, the arrival of those small little discs called video compact discs or VCDs took the movie industry by storm. Compact by the standards of those days, these still have its place in the home of many Americans. However, fast forward to today, downloading and watching movies online is gaining such great speeds that we simply cannot ignore.

You may wonder what’s the big deal about being able to access unlimited movie downloads. After-all, your VCD and DVDs are working well and not giving you problems right? Let’s see what you are missing out as your neighbor next door is quietly downloading his favorite TV show.

1. Convenience of Movie Downloads

Buying a VCD or DVD is easy if you know what title you are looking for. However, if you are like me who simply want to grab a good show so that you can relax and watch it during the weekend, imagine with me then that you could be doing a little searching at the movie store reading reviews and thinking which movie is good and worth your bucks. You cannot be buying everything you like because they are costly right? Next, you would be queuing with the rest of the folks for your turn to make your payment. Compress that image and envisage you sitting in front of the computer, and with a few clicks, the movie is ready for viewing. Isn’t that cool?

Whether you want to watch a movie or TV show at 4am, or on an off day, the movie sites are there round the clock, ready to serve you with unlimited movie downloads.

2. Cheaper Alternative

Movie VCD and DVD prices have dwindled over time owing to lower costs of production. If you have studied economics, you would understand about fixed capital costs and why mass manufacturing would eventually bring costs down. Nevertheless, to cough out $10 or more for a VCD/DVD is still too expensive to me. Well, after all, you probably would only watch it once and then chuck it aside to collect dust. Download sites however run on a lifetime membership model where you can gain access to virtually unlimited movie downloads. And the best part is you don’t pay for per movie download, but one low payment for lifetime access. We are not even talking about thousands or hundreds of dollars, but the cost of one or two good DVDs.

3. Movie Downloads Are Safe & Legal

People are concerned about downloading movies online. That is totally understandable for two reasons. Downloading a file online can expose your computer to harmful adware or spyware. Worse still, if you are downloading a movie illegally, this could land you in big trouble with the law. But these two problems are well taken care of at these unlimited movie downloads sites. Firstly, they ensure secured downloading and protection against attacks of adware and spyware. Secondly, many of these sites have made agreements with the original producers of those movies such as studios, etc to release those movies online for downloading. With these two worries behind us, it becomes clear that having access to unlimited movie downloads is a strong proposition for us not to ignore these download sites.

These reasons are probably the push factors for more people flocking to their sites instead of heading to traditional movie stores or cinema theaters for a movie. Read a review about those unlimited movie downloads sites at my blog to find out which are the hot favorites among movie viewers nowadays.

Davion is a successful webmaster, author and a movie lover. Read a review of the best unlimited movie downloads sites that offer the latest TV shows, newly-released movies and more at unlimited–moviedownloads.blogspot.com.

To me, education is not just the matter of financial livelihood and social status, but why education is needed? Whether the provided education is authentic, what the lacks or loopholes of education are and to the final stage: would education make the absorbers immortal? These are some of the questions and rhetoric that make me view education very differently from those of my peers and even my parents and lecturers.

Law and Politics are usually confused with one another and cannot be meticulously separated from each other; as we usually hear the Faculty of Law and Politics, Center for Political and Legal Tuition, Professor of Law and Politics, etc. These are the facts that initiate me an idea to bring the core difference between Law and Politics and put it on a public display. The core difference would help the student to deeper understand the subject matters.

Do you have such the wonder? If no, start to make yourself curious about the core difference between Law and Politics to initiate your mental vocation and if yes, this is an article to unveil you a unique difference between Law and Politics to make you deeply understand.

As a student of Law, newspaper columnist, expert author, media liaison officer, legal and political assistant, I have found one complete differences between Law and Politics. This difference is “the interpretation.”

Most students of Law and Politics do not know that the most important theme of their education is “the interpretation.” Why I dare to say this? Up to the present, we have billions of sources ranking from books and international media publication to the abstract sources, but these so-called information will not make us a true political analyst or lawyer.

What we are seeing on these sources is just “plain information”, so what are these information are. If information is just all about information, University is not needed, because most of these sources are available everywhere and even free. The things that we have not found on these sources are “the interpretation” or the path to interpretational secretes. Let’s now jump up to the very core of our article.

Legal interpretation must be “within”: in interpreting the law, the lawyer of any party or the conflicting parties themselves cannot interpret the law out of the law being enforced in the country where the trial is being heard. This may seem very vague and let us bring an example to clarify. If you commit or are accused of committing a crime in the country in which you are residing in, you or your lawyer are not entitled to interpret the law out of the laws being enforced in your residing country. To a stricter extent, the laws being used for interpretation must circumnavigate the crime that you did or are accused of committing. This case is different from “political interpretation.”

Law and Politics may be equally broad, but interpretation in politics is much broader than in legal one. Have you ever noticed that a political analyst for a university in America would use approach in political interpretation by drawing examples from any country, any sources and any celebrities in the world. Political interpretation (analysis) is not as “within” as in law.

Politics is much more flexible and so much softer than law. Other merits why politics allow much broader interpretation, because we even see a huge similarities between socialist and capitalist states (similar political application), but the laws in these two separate kinds of state are totally different. I know the last one sentence is too vague for you, but let’s start the legal and political interpretation.

Lay Vicheka is a translator for the most celebrated translation agency in the Kingdom of Cambodia, Pyramid Translation Co.Ltd.. He is now hoding other two professions: freelance writer for Search Newspaper; focusing on social issues and students’ issues and Media Liaison Officer for Asia’s first free on-line IELTS consultation website. Lay Vicheka is the expert author for ezine and prolific article contributor to other websites around the world such as articlecity, 365articles, spiderden, talesofasia, etc (Just google him). He is also a volunteer Cambodian-newspapers columnist (Rasmey Kampuchea and Kampuchea Thmey). Lay Vicheka has great experience in law and politics, as he used to be legal and English-language assistant to a Cambodian member of parliament, migration experience (home-based business) and in writing. He is also member of a New York-based research company. Posting address: 221H Street 93, Tuol Sangke quarter, Russey Keo district, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel: 855 11 268 445, vichekalay@yahoo.com

As you and your children research, investigate and visit colleges that may be of interest, you will find that each college has a different look, feel and appeal. Some you will like. Others you won’t. That’s all part of the process for narrowing the field.

To help ensure that you and your children make clearly focused decisions, you can use the information that follows to rank your choices. Some of you may want to use a five point scale to rate each college on items 4 – 11. In that way, parents and students can more easily compare colleges on individual items and total scores. You can even add items, if that would be helpful. However, the first three items on this list should be fully discussed and agreed upon long before you begin to look at colleges.

1. Evaluate Your Financial Position – How many children do you have? How much money can you afford for each child’s college education? Is the student able and willing to obtain a part-time job? What is the likelihood that your student will receive a significant amount of grant and merit scholarship money? Is the student willing to take on one or more student loans? As parents, are you willing to take on one or more loans to help pay for college?

2. Consider Cost Reduction Alternatives – Since money is a concern for most parents, students should consider community colleges and lower cost four year colleges. However, be sure to check out the ratings and reputations of those colleges. It pays to attend a college that has a good reputation. Then, if you obtain good grades, you may be able to transfer to a higher ranked, four year college. Don’t ignore the savings that can be gained by attending a local college and living at home. Does the student need a car? Should the student attend college on a part-time, pay as you go basis? Explore the alternatives to determine which one is best for you.

3. Rate Your Student’s High School Performance – Be honest. What is the quality of the high school your child has attended? The best colleges will take this into consideration. Carefully evaluate your student’s high school performance, including the following: academic achievement, leadership roles, participation and performance in school activities, community involvement and service, part-time work, critical life experiences, obstacles that were overcome and outstanding achievements. In what areas has your student been recognized by others for having achieved excellence? What is the likelihood that your student will excel in college?

4. Financial Aid – First, you should be interested in Grants and Scholarships, not loans. How

much money is each college willing to offer your child? Is there enough difference between the offers to influence the student’s college choice? Qualified students should begin to investigate local and national scholarships and grant money early in their junior year of high school. After all possible grants and scholarships have been investigated, look at other options including work-study programs, part-time jobs and loans. Since student loans come in all shapes and sizes, both students and parents should carefully consider each loan option. Obviously, some loans are more repayment friendly than others. Make certain that you fully understand all loan requirements before you commit. Also understand that you may be repaying those college loans for more than twenty years.

5. College Ratings – Most colleges have an international, national, state or local reputation. What are the reputations of the colleges to which your student will be applying? Are any of the colleges known for the field that your student plans to enter? Colleges with a the best reputations can be helpful when it’s time to look for a job.

6. Career Services – Does the Career Services office have enough employees to provide personal assistance, classes and training for every student, or do they merely provide information on their web site? Do they provide students with assistance in every aspect of the job search: A Goal, A Plan, Assessment Instruments, Research, Networking, The Resume, Interviewing, References and more? Can they help students with internships, part-time and summer jobs? Can they steer students to alumni who are already working in their field of interest?

7. Job Placement Statistics – Colleges are very clever with the statistics they present. Many colleges state that 95% or more of their students are employed within six months of graduation. However, those numbers don’t tell you how many students are working in their field of interest and if they are earning a living wage. Are graduates forced to live at home because they can’t afford to live independently and still pay off their college loans? Before selecting a college, students should find out how many employers, in their field of interest, actually come to that campus to recruit students. How many students, in that field, received job offers as the result of campus interviews? What were the titles of the jobs they were offered? How much did they pay? Where were they located? Parents and students have a vested interest in these answers.

8. Campus Safety & Security – Every college has safety and security issues. What are the statistics for the past four years? Ask about Murders, Rapes, Assaults, Stalking, Thefts and Intruders. What prevention measures are in place? With regard to major security events, what is the college’s track record and ability to immediately communicate with students about lock downs? How does the college handle Contagious Health Issues – Meningitis, etc.? Are you satisfied with the way each college has handled such problems? Be sure to ask about and investigate dorm security. Talk with current students about these issues.

9. Counseling Services – What counseling services are offered? Which of the counseling services is your student most likely to need? Students often seek counseling for anxiety, depression, eating disorders, drugs, drinking, academic performance and career issues. How comprehensive are these services? How frequently has each service been used by students in past years? What are the success rates?

10. Parent Association – Which colleges have a Parent Association? If they have one, you will be able to talk with other parents about any issues that concern you. Make a judgment whether each college is parent and family friendly. You will find that some are interested in parent opinions, suggestions and involvement, while others are not. Some colleges only want your tuition payments and annual donations.

11. Campus Activities – When students have a special interest, make certain that the colleges under consideration provide the student with an opportunity to participate. Other students may prefer colleges with a broad array of activities, so they can explore their options and test their skills.

As you get down to the four or five colleges that hold the most interest, are appropriate for the student’s qualifications and meet your personal financial requirements, the application process can begin. Many students apply a strategy to help ensure acceptance at colleges that fit their needs and wants. They apply to one or two colleges they consider to be a stretch, two or three in which they are confident of acceptance and one or two that they consider to be a slam dunk. This is an excellent strategy to consider, since the competition at high quality, lower cost colleges will always be stiff. Keep in mind that some colleges accept as few as 20% of their applicants.

When parents perform well during this process, they will have helped their children to gather and evaluate important college information, explore the alternatives, focus on the things that will enable students to find success and teach their children how to make sound and informed decisions. However, once the choices are reduced to the two or three most suitable colleges, the final selection should be left to the student.

Visit Bob’s web site: http://www.The4Realities.com. Bob Roth is the author of The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College -and- The College Student’s Guide To Landing A Great Job.

Bob Roth is the author of The College Student’s Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College. He also write articles for more than 175 college career services offices and campus newspapers. Additionally, Bob has developed 15 self-scoring learning tool that help college students find success. http://www.The4Realities.com Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of The College Student’s Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College.

Known as The “College & Career Success” Coach, Bob also writes articles for more than 200 College Career Services Offices, Campus Newspapers, Parent Associations and Employment Web Sites. Additionally, Bob has developed 20 Self-Scoring Learning Tools that help college students find success. He has been interviewed on numerous radio programs across the country and also by many newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal. Lastly, Bob has served as an Adjunct at Marist College, teaching a course in Career Development. http://www.The4Realities.com