Special Speech

Affiliate marketing has become increasingly popular in recent
years. Affiliate programs offer merchants the opportunity to
employ vast armies of sales people who only get paid for the
results they achieve. The rewards for affiliates are high too,
and the skilled affiliate marketer can make many thousands of
dollars a month. This win- win situation has lead to an
explosion in the number of affiliate programs that are available
to the would-be marketer. With this proliferation of
opportunities comes the question, how do you go about choosing
the right one for you? What qualities should you look for in a
program? How do you go about choosing a program that is right
for you, and which gives you a good chance of providing a
sustainable income? In this article I will give you some tips
that will help you to evaluate merchants and their programs and
hopefully help you avoid wasting time and money. Here are some
common questions that you should ask:

1.How Much Commission Does the Merchant Pay?

I know this seems obvious, but it is important to determine
that amount that you can expect to make from a sale. There is no
point in spending time and money on promoting a product that
doesn’t pay well. It is probably best to stick with products
that have a high commission value, unless you have found a niche
market where you can sell vast quantities of product, and make
substantial commissions on your volume of sales.

2. How Much Traffic is The Merchant Getting To His Site?

Try to find out the volume of traffic that the merchant’s site
is already receiving. Alexa.com may be useful in doing this
research. If the site is ranked in the top 100,000 the merchant
is getting a good amount of daily traffic, and there might
already be too many affiliates. If the site is ranked below
500,000 it is either no good and not worth bothering with or it
might just be a golden opportunity to make some real money.
Always research a merchant’s product if the site has a low
traffic ranking. If all is well, you could have found a goldmine!

3. How Often Do They Pay Their Affiliates?

Some merchants pay as often as every week; some once a month,
others only pay every quarter. It is important that you know how
often you can expect a pay check if you are going to have
financial control over your business. Do you have the financial
resources to continue to market the product if you have to wait
a long time before you get paid? It may also be wise to find out
the minimum that you need to earn in order to get paid.

4. Does The Company Use Tracking Cookies?

Many customers don’t buy straight away. It is therefore
important that the merchant uses cookies on their site, so that
you get credit if a customer returns and buys at a later date.
Check out how long they last. The longer the cookie lasts; the
better the chances are of getting paid!

5. Does The Merchant Pay on Subsequent Sales?

Some merchants will only pay commission on sales that come
through directly from your link. If the customer returns again
via another route you will not get paid. It is important that
you get paid no matter what route the customer returns by if you
are to build a sustainable business.

6. What Promotional Resources Does The Merchant Offer?

Look at the type of promotional material that they provide. Do
they provide articles or content that you can use to promote
them on your site or free guides, offers or samples? If the
promotional materials are good it is likely that the merchant
will work with you as their affiliate to promote their business.

Conclusion

Finding the right merchant can be a tricky business. The best
advice is to do your own research. Use the above questions as an
aid in finding a merchant that will enable you to reach your
financial goals. You never know-you could strike gold!

Cellular phones and pagers are part of the “now” generation, instant contact, anywhere at any time. People are looking for convenience, comfort and security. The question is how instantaneous and reliable is the contact?

Talking with someone is the main use for a cell phone, yet due to poor reception how often do calls not go through, or important calls “dropped” due to flaky coverage? Let us not forget, that in a time of tragedy, lines were congested and the resounding “all circuits busy” messages were heard from coast to coast. There is certainly room for improvement if you want to reach out and touch someone.

The alternative to voice communication is traditional text messaging, enjoyed by the young as SMS, a ‘hip’ communication method, and the older as the tried and true paging, a trustworthy means of communication. A carrier receives pages or text messages via a traditional dial up modem or Internet connection to their terminal, and then broadcasts the messages over their network to the appropriate wireless device. How instant is sending a text message? The answer might surprise you…it depends.

Traditional means of sending text messages is surprisingly reliable and fast. However, many cellular carriers, wishing to merge technologies while keeping costs down, have opted to utilize email technology to send text messages. Why not, an email is nothing more than a text message, using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). On the surface this sounds like a great idea, nearly everyone has email access, and the use of the Internet streamlines the sending of messages.

What is often overlooked, is the fact that email was not designed to be time sensitive. There can be significant delays and an instantaneous receipt can be lost when sending email to a pager or cell phone. Text messages sent via the email protocol SMTP could take a more scenic delivery route. While in many cases, receiving messages in a timely fashion is not critical; some industries require and benefit from the receipt of urgent messages. It is therefore important to realize and make a distinction between the protocols that are designed for instantaneous communication and those that are not.

If sending messages immediately to a cell phone or pager is required, more reliable protocols are available. When sending text messages, via a modem, the Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol (TAP) is extremely dependable, albeit slower due to the modem dialing. If sending messages with a high-speed Internet connection use the newer time sensitive Internet protocols: Simple Network Paging Protocol (SNPP) and Wireless Communication Transfer Protocol (WCTP). If your carrier supports these protocols they are the better options for sending important messages.

If carriers understand the “now” generation is about speed and reliability, customer satisfaction will improve. Text messaging is a reliable and useful communication method, especially since voice is not always convenient or possible. With public awareness and urging, carriers will increase their offerings of text messaging protocols. Carriers should offer email or SMTP, but they must also support time sensitive protocols, regardless, of whether the protocols are older such as TAP or newer such as WCTP.

Resources -

Carriers supporting SNPP - http://www.notepage.net/snpp.htm

Carriers supporting WCTP - http://www.notepage.net/wctp.htm

About The Author

Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.small-business-software.net

Copyright © 2005 http://TastesOfTheWorld.net

A researcher has stirred up the commuter coffee mug with the
suggestion that morning rush hour traffic is worsened by stops
for daily morning gourmet coffee at Starbucks and other premium
coffee houses. Nancy McGuckin, a travel behavior analyst,
studied a report called “National Household Travel Survey” by
the U.S. Department of Transportation as the basis for her
provocative conclusions.

It has long been known that frequent starting and stopping
during a commute drastically reduces fuel economy due to the
need to rev up the car engine to accelerate to traffic speeds
and then stop for traffic lights and accelerate once again. This
is the reason why manufacturers estimaged “city” mileage is
always significantly lower than the estimated “highway” mileage.
In addition, if the engine is turned off and restarted, mileage
is decreased significantly, because it is at startup of the car
engine that the most fuel is wasted.

This behavior is exactly what is required when visiting
congested shopping areas on the way to work, find a parking
space, (where gourmet coffee shops are often located) stop the
engine, return to the car with coffee in hand, restart the
engine and make your way back to the highway and finally to work.

McGuckin, the travel analyst, dubbed her discovery, “The
Starbucks Effect” because during the period she studied,
Starbucks added over 4000 new locations (1995 - 2001). Although
not limiting this research finding only to trips to coffee
houses, the research suggests that running additional errands in
the morning on the way to work has contributed to traffic
congestion and increased gridlock. This is because people divert
from the shortest and fastest route, to one that leads them past
the coffee house or dry cleaners.

The shorter route between home and business office would be much
more direct and require fewer bursts of acceleration, engine
starts and stops and less frequent visits to crowded shopping
areas, which require commuters to search for parking, with trips
around the block to find spaces or idling the engine waiting for
others to leave spaces nearer the coffee house.

Burning small amounts of extra fuel during those waits over and
over each day adds up to very significant wasted fuel and
lowered mileage over time. Wear and tear on engines increases as
this behavior continues, and becomes habitual.

The cost of gourmet coffee at premium coffee houses is also as
much as six or seven times the cost of home brewed coffee from
premium fresh ground whole bean blends. Coffee houses have
either a “house blend” or “featured” blend on brew and you get
whatever they have chosen for you. Then your only choice is to
elbow your way through the crowds and merge back into the city
gridlock to get to work, further slowing traffic and decreasing
gas mileage.

A Washington Post article by Catherine Shaver, discusses the
commuter study and quotes Alan E. Pisarsky, Author of “Commuting
in America” as saying, “It’s more of a problem from a traffic
point of view than from anything else.”

Increasing the number of stops in the trip decreases gas mileage
and stress levels, while brewing coffee at home can actually
save you gas over a relatively short period of time. Taking
fresh brewed coffee from home could actually reduce stress and
wear and tear on the car. When brewing your own gourmet coffee
blend at home, you have a choice of fresh ground coffee beans
from fine Italian Espressos to the rare and exotic Indonesian
Kopi Luwak.

Commuters can consider making gourmet coffee drinks at home
before departing for work and enjoy it at home while spending
quality time with the family or take it along in a commuter
coffee travel mug. You’ll save money by paying less than .30
cents per cup for your favorite gourmet coffee made from fresh
ground beans, as well as help to reduce gridlock and increase
mileage by taking the fastest route to work instead of detouring
to the coffee shop.

The quintessential Christmas classic, It’s A Wonderful Life has dominated the holiday TV landscape with its timeless story of love, friendship, and a kind man’s exceedingly relevant life. Filmed in 1947, this Frank Capra masterpiece debuted in theaters to what could best be described as a lukewarm reception. Yet it quickly rose in stature following repeated annual television airings in the 1960s, a Christmas tradition that continues to this day. Centered around the life of George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), a likeable, ambitious resident of Bedford Falls who harbors dreams of grandeur, the film sets out to portray a viewpoint of a world in which the divine’s ultimate plan may be far different from our own. Yet the result of that plan is far better than we could ever imagine…

As the film begins, we gain a glimpse into the life and times of a young George Bailey, an upstanding and studious fellow who manages to avert two potential disasters by the age of ten. Under the employ of neighborhood druggist Mr. Gower, Bailey prevents the delivery of a poison prescription, and while enjoying the boyhood wonders of the local ice pond, he rescues his younger brother from certain death by pulling him from a patch of broken ice.

From these early years, the story jumps several years into the future, where a grown up and infectiously optimistic George harbors wild dreams of world travel, exploration, and the construction of large buildings. But inevitably, he stays in Bedford Falls in order to carry on the family business, the small yet popular Bailey Savings & Loan (the only financial institution in Bedford Falls not owned by the unmerciful tycoon Mr. Potter). As the years pass, Bailey must deal with his own family problems, his unfulfilled dreams, and the burdens of the Great Depression. Along the way, he’s tempted with offers of vast wealth and travel opportunities by the conniving Potter, but he always turns him down, opting to work for the benefit of the community instead.

However when a seemingly innocent snafu threatens to bring down Bailey Savings & Loan, George ponders the unthinkable. He questions his very existence and the true worth of his life. Disillusioned by feelings of failure and a pessimistic outlook for the future, he fails to see the true value of his life. In the end, only divine intervention and the warm hearts of the people of Bedford Falls can transform George’s outlook and force to him to recognize the extraordinary life he’s lived…

The innate power of It’s A Wonderful Life stems from the strength of numerous performances, most notably that of Jimmy Stewart. Much like Tom Hanks today, Stewart played the role of the everyman during his long tenure in Hollywood. He may have lacked the sex appeal of Clark Gabel or the cowboy virility of John Wayne, but he fit perfectly in the mold of best friend and loveable guy. In a feel-good, fairy tale film like this one, Stewart is cast perfectly, and he’s well complemented by a host of others… Who else could play the role of the grumpy miser any better than Lionel Barrymore? All in all, it’s a recipe for silver screen excellence.

It’s A Wonderful Life illuminates an almost magical setting with its idyllic portrayal of Depression-era, small-town America. Each character (with the exception of Mr. Potter), harkens back to a simpler time when public attitudes toward morality prevailed, where neighbors knew each other by name, and where communities helped each other out. Further strengthening the allure of the film, George Bailey and his friends are likeable characters who develop a strong rapport with the audience, forcing the viewer to actively root for the desired outcome. It’s this personal connection with the audience (and an audience ability to relate to the overriding themes) which is the key to the enduring success of this film. Having spent over five decades as America’s most popular Christmas movie, It’s A Wonderful Life deserves mention among the ranks of the all-time classics of cinema.

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the It’s A Wonderful Life (DVD).

If you’re looking to achieve all your fitness goals and get the
body you’ve always wanted, this article will drastically speed
up your results.

First, you need to know what it is you want to achieve:

My fitness goals are: ______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

What is necessary to achieve my goals are:

**Desire- desire is the force that drives you towards your
bodybuilding goals. It is what motivates you to endure those
intense, physical workouts. You have to want your goal badly. If
you don’t want it, believe me, nobody else wants it for you!

**Belief- You must believe, without a doubt, that you can
achieve your bodybuilding goals. Belief is the foundation of
success.

**Write it- your goals need to be written, or they are merely
wishes. If a goal is worth setting, then it is worth writing.
Write it in as much detail as possible.

**Determine the benefits- why do you want this goal so badly? If
you cannot think of a good enough reason, is it worth going
after? Make a list of all the benefits you will receive from
achieving your goal.

**Analyze your current status- where are you currently in your
bodybuilding endeavor? Until you know where you are now, you
will never know where you need to be. The most detailed map in
the world is useless if you do not know your current location.

**Set a deadline- when do you want to achieve your goal? On most
goals, you need a deadline, or you will not strive to achieve it
in a timely manner. Deadlines create a sense of urgency.

**Identify obstacles- be prepared to face hurdles along the way.
But if you are prepared to handle the worse, everything else
that comes your way is a walk in the park.

**Identify the knowledge you will need- we often must learn new
things to completely accomplish our goals. Whether it is a new
program or a textbook you are reading, identify the knowledge
you will need to know in order to reach your goals.

**Identify people or organizations to assist you- we often need
others to help us get what we want. And we should reciprocate
the process; help others get what they need and want. Don’t be
ashamed to admit you need help achieving your goal. Surround
yourself with people that have a positive impact on your life.
Get rid of those who don’t.

** Devise a plan- put down, on paper, and in detail, how you are
going to achieve your goal. Put down the activities you will
need to get involved in so that you reach your goal. Most people
do not have a fitness plan devised, they just wander from
machine to machine, exercise to exercise. Develop a plan to get
to where you want to be.

**Create a mental image- Imagine your goal already attained.
Create a crystal clear picture of you enjoying your goal. The
more you think about enjoying your goal, the more your
subconscious begins to work and move you closer to the
attainment of your goal.

**Resolve never to give up- finally, resolve to never, ever
quit. You must determine the price you have to pay to achieve
your fitness goals, and then resolve to pay that price. Be
persistent and determined to reach that finish line. You will be
a much stronger person for it in the end.

The more of these items you can include in your routine, the
closer you will be to success in your fitness endeavors.

Elliptical v Treadmill - Said The Salesman: I Peddle Pedals

When trying to decide between elliptical v treadmill fitness equipment, the only conclusion you can draw from your research is that they are largely doing the same job, building up cardiovascular conditioning.

But there is a significant difference that makes the decision much easier, the amount of impact on a user’s back, hips, knees and feet.

Both treadmills and ellipticals are the darlings of the exercise world. Treadmills have been around for quite a while and are the largest selling type of fitness equipment.

Ellipticals were introduced only a few years ago, but sales have more than tripled in the years since. Elliptical v treadmill–which is best for you?

Ellipticals Keep A Foot Up On Treadmills

Ellipticals greatly reduce the amount of impact on your back and joints because your feet ride on pedals following an elliptical reciprocating path, much the same as they would naturally.

Most ellipticals now incorporate reciprocating handlebars for a combined upper body workout. The resulting effort involved has been found to burn more calories over a shorter period.

That’s good news for those trying to lose weight but a caution to those who have health concerns and should not attempt more intense workouts.

Treadmills, on the other hand, do not support the runner or walker meaning with every step the body strikes the deck with the entire force of its own weight resulting in compressive impact on the back and joints.

They are, however, more versatile, depending on the size, power and training features available on the model, and running or walking follow a more natural path for those with a wider stance or unique stride.

Prices of the two machines are pretty much in line until you get to the high-end and club-quality level of treadmills where costs can be as high as several thousand dollars.

Ellipticals do not have drive motors and that should mean fewer needs for repair and lower costs of maintenance down the road.

Steve Ecclestone is webmaster at Best Treadmill Guide

One Million-Dollar Texas Holdem Poker Tournament - How a Brit
Beat the Yanks at their Own Game!

Lee Biddulph a chef from Thornton Cleveleys near Blackpool, a
resort town on the north west coast of England, returned to
Manchester Airport from an amateur poker tournament in Costa
Rica almost $1m (£567,420) richer after beating nearly 4,000
other players in an amateur poker tournament.

Lee’s biggest win was only £28 before the tournament!

This is a striking example of how lucrative poker tournaments
can be for the huge number of players that have been created by
the online gaming revolution.

Poker Tournaments First 1 Million Win

Lee Biddulph has been playing Texas Holdem for three years, and
was one of 3,900 to enter an online contest.

Players were reduced during heats until nine remained who took a
seat at the $1m final.

Brit Lee Biddulph faced eight American players in the final.

He won the tournament when he beat Mike Darweesh, a software
engineer from Arizona for the main prize and won convincingly.

His success was even sweeter because he started the final with
fewer chips - $1.58m to Mike’s $2.72m.

Both players had a flush i.e five cards of the same suit, on
their final hand, but Lee took the pot with a higher card among
his five.

So, What do you need to Win Big Prize Money at Poker Tournaments?

As the above example has shown, anyone can win a poker
tournament so long as they have the right knowledge and attitude
and here are some tips to win big:

Tip 1. Get the Right Mindset:

Players who win at poker think they are going to win before they
start playing. They are prepared to put in whatever work is
necessary to achieve their goal, their attitude is - if you
think you can win, you will win, and you need the same attitude.

Tip 2. You Never Stop Learning:

Professional poker players know that they need to know the
basics of the game, but they also take the attitude that they
never stop learning and are constantly trying to sharpen their
playing skills.

You need to do the same, read a book a month and you will find
you pick up tips on playing you had never thought of before.

Tip 3. Poker Is a Game Of Psychology:

You need to understand that you are competing with other players
and need to have the right psychology to beat them. This
includes being cool, calm, and playing non-emotionally.

You need to play with courage when you have a good hand and you
should only play hands against opponents you think you can beat.

Never play hands for the sake of it, or because you’re chasing
losses.

Sometimes the cards just wont deal for you and you need to be
able to take short-term losses, to make long-term profits.

Tip 4. Practice Makes Perfect:

You won’t become a great poker player overnight.

You need to gain experience and this involves practice.

Most of the top poker players have been working on their skills
for years and their success is down to hard work and practice.

Start out playing at tables where you feel comfortable and
gradually take on harder opponents, as your skills increase.

Poker Tournaments - Getting Started

Not everyone can of course win a million, but the opportunity is
there for all, and even if you don’t win a million at poker
tournaments, there are still plenty of poker players out their
who make a living from the game and you can too!

10 RED FLAGS IN DATING RELATIONSHIPS

When starting a new relationship, many women (and men as well)
tend to overlook some behaviors in their new partner that do not
bode well for the future. Then, down the road, comes the
exclamation ‘If I had only known…’. As a Psychotherapist who
has worked with mostly women and a few men in the field of
Domestic Violence, during counseling sessions we can always
trace back unpleasant and also dangerous character traits to the
very start of the relationship.

Here are some ‘Red Flags’ to watch out for in a new partner.

1)He makes decisions about where to go with little or no input
from you.

2)He belittles your opinion when the two of you are alone and
may call you names.

3)He makes disparaging remarks about you in front of others and
may talk about you as if you were not there.

4)He may be rough during love-making and make you engage in acts
you do not like.

5)He does not want to spend time with your friends or family and
insists you socialize with his people.

6)He will not acknowledge your areas of expertise and may put
down what you do in the workplace - ignore any of your
accomplishments.

7)He may openly flirt with other women and then accuse you of
being jealous when you object.

8)He gets angry and loses his temper over trivialities. Stays
angry for a long time and attempts to blame all arguments on you.

9)May hit walls when angry.

10)One of the main factors is that he comes on very strong in
the beginning of your relationship - sweeps you off your feet -
and wants an exclusive relationship too quickly. Many women feel
flattered at the intensity of the man’s seeming need for an
immediate connection and consequently overlook the
inappropriateness of it.

*This should not be confused with ‘love at first sight’ where
one or both parties feel an instant connection - without any of
the aforementioned behaviors.*

There are many other factors that could be listed - but if the
man in your life begins displaying the above qualities - realize
it will not get better, only worse. He will likely be unwilling
to discuss his emotions openly and feel that women are the
inferior sex.

If this describes your man, run - do not walk - out of his life.
The next step will likely be physical abuse.

A ghostwriter, as one may think is not a writer from another
dimension, but rather a well established writer who researches
and writes an article on an assigned topic under someone else’s
name. Not everybody has the luxury of time and space to write
their own content these days, thus giving the term ghostwriter a
whole brand new kick. Ghostwriters are no doubt the best
alternative to go with if you want to spend more of your time
promoting your products and trying to close the sales rather
than writing endless articles every now and then for promotional
purposes.

It is a very well known fact by every internet enthusiasts that
article marketing is by far one of the most effective and
affordable method to spread both your name and services around.
In order to maintain such success on a long run and on a greater
scale, you have to consistently pump out articles, on average of
at least 1 per week. However, for the more aggressive promoters,
it might go up to 3 or 4 articles per week. Some article
directories might restrict you to a certain predefined number of
articles per week or per month, but a huge majority welcomes any
number of contributions.

So the main question now is - How do I go about searching for a
ghostwriter? There are practically tens of thousands of such
services provided all over the internet. Maybe more. The charges
involved in such services vary greatly depending on the
ghostwriters themselves, as well as how long the articles will
be. On a very rough approximation, it might go as high as $50
per article to a low $10 per piece. Ghostwriters also generally
provide other writing services such as completing a whole brand
new ebook within a topic of your choice. Simply put, most
ghostwriters provide writing services for you as long as the
task primarily requires them to write.

Another point to evaluate when you choose a ghost writer is the
time of delivery. As busy as they can be, it’s pretty reasonable
to get a time of delivery of 5 - 14 days. This will vary greatly
as the basic initial requirements will no doubt influence on the
overall time taken to complete the given task. Not to mention
research time and data collection activities.

Almost all ghostwriting services will include samples of their
previous works for you to make your decision on which to choose.
This is the part which you will have the most difficult time as
most of the samples will depict high level of professionalism
and quality. If you can’t make your decision based on this
factor, perhaps the initial cost and time of delivery will help
you with your final choice.

Your home really needs to be childproofed from the moment you
bring baby home from the hospital. With just the blink of any
eye, baby will be rolling, crawling & then walking, and it’s
better to be prepared than finding out the hard way. So to help
you with this process, we’ve listed some ideas to prevent your
baby from being hurt at home.

-Fit gates to the top of stairs and any areas unsafe for baby
-Always open the gates to go through, don’t climb over them as
your child is sure to copy what you do -Move all poisons to high
positions. Items such as nail polish remover, deodorant,
make-up, vitamins, essential oils, alcohol and cleaning products
to name just a few -Attach child proof locks to all draws and
cupboards -Thoroughly rinse all cleaning products away from
surfaces after cleaning -Don’t leave pet food or accessories
lying around -Do not leave electrical appliances & cords near
the edge of the kitchen bench or on the floor. Make sure they
are all tucked away safely -Cover electrical sockets with
plastic covers Keep electrical sockets in off position when not
in use -Do not leave water in any type of vessel lying around. A
child can drown in as little as a few centimeters of liquid
-Secure blind cords and don’t position a bassinette or cot near
blinds where the cords are exposed -Make sure winter heaters &
fireplaces are safely concealed behind fire grates -Install a
lock onto the toilet lid -Keep First Aid supplies handy at all
times

This is by no means an exhaustive list and each family needs to
assess their home environment both inside & out.