Archive for July, 2008

British Citizens Dictating US Iraq Policies on the Blogs?

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

What gives when foreign citizens attempt to bad-mouth other countries on international news blogs? Why is it okay for a British Citizen to dictate US Policy? Recently a few foreign citizens have been condemning the United States Military who will not yield to International Terrorism or quit against the insurgents. One of the British Citizens and a pro-US Military man go at it. Listen to this exchange of verbal gun fire;

“And tell me oh wise one…who WINS a war? When a bomb rips a baby to pieces and a mother is screaming with misery”

“Oh I see you are denying our precision munitions now? You may as well be a bleeding heart liberal from NY? Listen to you talk.”

You state; “It seems to me that American answer to everything is either BULLY, KILL, BE VIOLENT or LIE.”

“Do I feel an inferiority complex from the UK? That great nation which we kicked your butts? That nation who wanted to rule the world and could not even take back the Falkland Islands, as some old vintage A-4s fired right thru your mighty warships? We have individual citizens giving more to help those needy Africans than your whole country has set aside. Do not diminish my great nation and do not mistake our acts of kindness as weakness? Who is lying? The former Middle East Dictator or you want to blame the US for everything, even GB backslide into the foot notes of great civilizations which once were. Check the name. My ancestors built the Plymouth Colony, while your good for nothing King tried to rule as a dictator.”

The British subject had no further comment once again beaten into oblivion by logic and American Resolve. So the pro-US Military man stated in closing;

“I support fully the US Military, President of the United States of America, the war in Iraq, disarming Iran by any and all means possible, collapsing Hamas government, killing and removing all insurgents and international terrorism World Wide. So tell us what do you support? Namecalling, weakness, usury and quitting; well no thanks.”

Lance Winslow - EzineArticles Expert Author

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

How Most Business Owners Sabotage Their Success

Monday, July 7th, 2008

Owning a business is a challenging endeavor. If you’re like many novice small business owners, you’ve taken numerous risks with your time and your money, only to see all of your efforts producing little or no result. This can leave you frustrated and ready to give up. That’s no surprise. The more we focus on the negative parts of owning a small business the more negative results we will attract. Learning how to deal with obstacles is the key to avoiding failure. Those small business owners who never learn to deal with obstacles will often become overwhelmed and end their business. Negative thinking is the center of the small business failure scenario.

So how do you stop being so negative? By consistently staying focused on
success you can start attracting in your life the results you desire. Now if you’ve ever read a self-help book or watched a talk show you’ve heard all this before. And you probably feel like it’s all talk. But there’s a reason why you have heard so much about changing your outlook. Quite simply, there’s truth to how our own thinking impacts our environment.

It’s often difficult to hear super-successful individuals talk about thinking positive. Inside you feel like it’s easy for them to say because they’re successful. But many successful business owners today have built their businesses from the ground up. Many of them started with little or no money, which may be your situation as well. What makes them different from the countless number of entrepreneurs that try and fail each year is one thing. Their belief in themselves. So take some time evaluating that inner-voice that’s always telling you that you’re not going to make it. If you tell your self you won’t make a successful business, you’re absolutely right. If you tell yourself there is no way you will fail, you’re still absolutely right. Below is a quick guide to changing your outlook and which will help you change your results.

  1. Take note of any negative thinking and immediately correct yourself.
  2. Focus on all you’ve managed to accomplish:Write a daily to do list and continuously praise yourself every time you’ve managed to check something off. Think about other accomplishments as well such as obtaining a new customer or creating a new product.
  3. Create a new set of realistic goals: Re-write your business plan based on solid research. For example, the average click through rate for a banner is 1% - 2%. So you wouldn’t want to set a goal of receiving 10% from your banner campaign.
  4. Visualize your success daily:See yourself as having reached your goals. How does it feel? What would you do? How would you treat yourself? Keep this in mind every time you feel self-doubt emerging.
  5. Retreat from negative people and surroundings: Log on to small business forums and talk with people who share your struggle. Offer and accept suggestion on time management, working with family, and minimizing costs.

Consistency is the key. Don’t let a day go by when you don’t put in practice the things listed above. Better yet, try adding things to the list above that you know will keep you in a good mood such as exercise, daily walks, and time with your family. You’ll be able to change your business and see results immediately.

Copyright © 2005 Rhonda Winn - All Rights Reserved. Rhonda Winn has been helping small business owners since 2000. She is the author of the popular eBook, “How to Live Your Dreams and Achieve Unlimited Wealth in Small Business” Receive the first chapter free, when you join her bi-monthly newsletter today: SmallBizStartupKit.com.

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Success Coaching - What Bill Gates and You Should Have In Common

Sunday, July 6th, 2008

He was just a teenager, but he was already displaying the powerful habits that would one day make him a billionaire.

I had to dart down to Atlanta on Monday for a business meeting with a partner of mine and grabbed a new book to read on the plane.

I really get supercharged for a good autobiography and I had one in my mist(you know that feeling?).

The teenager I was talking about was none other than the world’s richest man, Bill Gates.

It was 7am, we were about to depart to Atlanta, and I dove into ‘Hard Drive: Bill Gates And The Making Of The Microsoft Empire.’

I want to share with you 2 success insights and strategies that Bill Gates used to create his fortune which you can use to change your life.

You ready?

Let’s go (buckle up).

(deep breath)

1) Success Environment - Out of the many themes in Bill Gates’
life, the one success insight that always reveals itself, is that he managed to get himself around, positive, action-minded people.

The consistancy of this habit for him was incredible.

Starting when he was just a teenager, up to working with Paul Allen, who he met in college, and then Steve Ballmer, who is now CEO of Microsoft, Bill Gates was also seeking out WINNERS.

Yes, winners, people that were determined to supercharge their lives and ‘crack the code’ to achieve their dreams.

How many people are in your ‘inner circle’ right now that are ‘ahead of you?’

I’m always looking for people that are doing better than I am in areas that I’m looking to improve in and there are many.

You need to do the same, hear me?

It’s so important. Join a local business group, find a coach, and there are a bunch of other ways.

One of the many reasons that I put together ‘Success Mania 2005′, this coming September in Atlanta, Georgia, is because I want to be around 400 winners and 9 speakers who I can learn from. A full weekend of breathtaking life changes, that’s what everyone there is going to experience.

Just by getting around the right people, I’ve been able to create monster increases in my in.come, just like Bill Gates has done.

Onward.

2) Wealth Confidence - Never underestimate the power of your commitments and decisions.

Let me explain.

When Bill Gates was a teenager, he told anyone who would listen that he’d be a millionaire by 25 years old.

Yes, his parents thought he was crazy, as well as many friends.

(we know how that is, right?)

But, Bill Gates had what I call ‘Wealth Confidence’.

Like Bill, you want to take the shortcut to success and that means you need to believe in yourself and your talents. The long, hard road to your dreams appears when you trap yourself by limited, “I’m no good” thinking.

I’ve been there, done that.

It’s not fun.

It’s really not fun.

Listen, there’a hidden fortune inside of you ready to be released if you will just believe in yourself enough to take the NEXT STEP.

We all live at a fraction of what’s possible for ourselves and we HAVE TO change that and never be satified on our personal development.

You in?

You ready to push yourself? (ask yourself this again)

I’m asking you, because that’s what I’m demanding of myself.

That’s what my goal is and I want to know if you’re ready to join me.

You and I can create stunning results in our lives and you can give fear and doubt the ‘one-two knockout punch’ immediately and leap to your dreams. You really can.

If you’re eager for help in developing the ‘Wealth Confidence’
because you’re commited to raising your income this year, look at the P.S below.

Listen, let’s make today ‘jaw-dropping’ through the simple steps we can take to move our lives forward. Simple steps lead to huge results.

Start putting yourself in a ’success environment’ and do whatever you can to start building your ‘wealth confidence’.

Because you’re reading this, I know you’re serious about your future and I’m excited to help you every step of the way.

Make your move.

Talk to you soon.

Mike Litman’s Success Secrets
Mike Litman is the co-author of the #1 Best-selling book Conversations with Millionaires. Over the last 3 years, Mike has unleashed the greatness of tens of thousands of people worldwide. Networking Times Magazine called Mike Litman ‘a modern day Napoleon Hill’ and at the age of 30 he’s already shared the stage with well-known speakers such as Jim Rohn, Mark Victor Hansen and Bob Proctor
http://www.successmania2005.com
http://www.mikelitman.com/

Concerts - Live vs Studio

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

In this article we’re going to indulge in a debate on concert performances versus studio recordings.

It should be pointed out that there are no personal views in this article. The following is a composition of arguments made by critics and fans of music since the early days of both live and studio recordings.

Let’s first cut to the question we ultimately want to get answered in this article. Which is better, seeing a group live or listening to one of their studio albums?

Well, to answer that it first needs to be pointed out that the question of better in itself may not even be the definitive answer. A live performance may be better than a studio album, worse than one or simply a different experience depending on what you are trying to get out of it.

If you’re a purest who wants to hear your favorite group’s songs done exactly as they were done on record then more likely than not you will probably be disappointed. Why? Well, there are several things that factor into that equation.

For starters, a studio recording is done in an environment that is totally different from a concert hall. The acoustics are manufactured as opposed to natural. Also, in a studio, you have millions of dollars in equipment that you just can’t lug to a live performance, no matter how hard you try.

Then there is the recording process itself. Anyone who thinks that a group records each song they do in one take has an unrealistic view of studio recordings. Songs take multiple takes. Also, many parts are overdubbed and even triple dubbed. In a live performance there is no dubbing. Everything is done there on the spot. No chance to take back a wrong note. If the lead singer has a sore throat you can’t skip over his parts and do them another day, as can be done in a studio. It is do or die at a live performance. Therefore, a live performance is going to be different from a studio recording.

Naturally, if you are going to see somebody who just plays guitar in the studio and is going to be playing that same guitar live, there is a better chance that what you will hear will more closely resemble what you’ll hear on record. But with a big ensemble rock group that uses twenty keyboards in the studio, the chances become quite slim.

However, if you are someone who is going to a concert to hear and see the energy that a group puts into something live, or even hope to hear something a little different from what you get on record, then most likely you live for live performances. Recordings to you are simply a matter of getting some idea of how good that group will sound at a live venue.

But disappointments happen. Many critics claimed how a band by the name of “Boston” from back in the late 70s sounded absolutely terrible in concert because the lead singer could not hit the same high notes that he hit in the studio and it was obvious that the musicianship was just not there. This is a group that most likely needed the studio to sound as good as they did.

And then there is the concert enthusiast who isn’t so much looking to hear the record duplicated or to hear energy or something different. They’re just going to the concert to hear a band they just happen to like. Their experience at the concert will most likely be a simple matter of “did it sound good”? Since sounding good is a relative term, we won’t try to answer how to qualify what “good” is. That is an individual’s taste. In most cases however, just to generalize, if the concert sound is of “professional” quality and the songs are recognizable as the “hits” from the record then most people will walk away from the experience saying that it was a “good” one. But again, that depends on what you’re hoping to get out of the experience itself.

Hopefully though, the above will serve as a guide of what to look for based on what type of person you are and what you are personally expecting. That way you can get a decent idea of what a concert experience will be like for you. If you need your music note for note to the record then most likely you will be disappointed by most concerts.

Notice we didn’t actually answer our question of which is better. As was stated, concerts may simply be different.

Michael Russell - EzineArticles Expert Author

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Concerts

Eating the Right Way

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

When you think about weight loss, what do you think of first? Which aspects of weight loss are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there’s more to weight loss than you may have first thought.

It probably comes to you as naturally as breathingthe art of eating. However, you might never have been taught to eat well. This is critically important because, unless you learn to eat well, you may never master the art of dieting. In our society, certain inappropriate eating habits have become routine. By attacking these habits, you can increase the likelihood that you will actually lose weight.

To begin with, it is important that you learn to eat slowly. At first, this might be quite a challenge. We have been conditioned to live in a fast food world. We rush meals in order to have time to run to soccer practice, to a piano recital, or to school and work. We think that rushing saves us timebut such a routine can easily backfire, leaving us with unwanted pounds. Studies have shown that at least 10 minutes is required before the brain receives the message that the stomach is full. This means that you could be eating long after you are actually satiated. Your mealwhether it’s in the morning, afternoon, or eveningshould last at least ten minutes. Train yourself to lengthen your meal by engaging in conversation, resting your fork between courses, chewing slowly, and drinking plenty of water between courses. You should also wait at least ten minutes after your main meal before deciding if you need dessert. Within that period of time, you may discover that you weren’t really hungry after all.

Another trick is to place serving dishes on the counter and leave them there. As a result, you’ll actually have to get up out of your seat in order to get more food. You may decide that it’s not worth the bother. Or you may find that you discover that you need no more food between courses. Also, do not eat directly from an ice cream carton, tortilla chip bag, or cracker box. Otherwise, you could find yourself easily overeating.

You should always eat at the table. This prevents you from trying to engage in multi-tasking, such as surfing the ‘Net, watching television, or flipping through magazines while you eat. At the table, you’ll be forced to concentrate on how much food you are putting into your mouth. If you eat anywhere else, you may lose track of how much food you’re consuming.

Abandon the idea that you must clean your plate. It is simply not true. Research has shown that more than half of adults insist on cleaning their plates, even when they are already full. This means that you are overeating simply out of politeness. Such a habit only serves to add unwanted pounds. Instead of cleaning your plate, try eating only that portion of food that makes you feel full. You’ll be healthier and happier that way.

Do not keep food in plain view during the day. If the cookie jar is open or the pretzel bag is out on the table, you’ll have a tremendous urge to eat, even if you are not hungry. After a meal, put your food away in the refrigerator, inside your cupboard, or in the Lazy Susan. This way, you’ll actually have to do some work to get at food before you consume it.

If you happen to overeat, don’t spend a great deal of time sulking. Accept your mistake and move on. If you’ve veered off course, take corrective action and forget about it. Otherwise, you could find yourself eating out of frustration, or going off your diet entirely. It’s better to sabotage a single meal than a lifetime’s worth of meals.

You may be self-conscious at first as you attempt to change your eating habits. Realize that your bad habits did not start overnight, so it will take some time to correct them. While it may seem an arduous task initially, it is well worth the effort. You’ll quickly find that your new eating habits have helped you to lose unwanted weight. Granted, such techniques as hiding your food and eating more slowly will not in themselves cause you to lose weight, but they will help you to curb your overeating over the long run. And you’ll be a better person for it.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

Author J. Brian Keith is a proud contributing author for
Weight Loss and Dieting and enjoys writing about
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