Students Of Success

If you are planning to go on vacation, there are some
important tasks that you really must undertake to ensure
that your garden continues to maintain that well cared
for condition which you constantly strive for.

After all, because you have spent so much of your time
during the rest of the year trying to achieve perfection,
it would be a great pity if some of that good work were
to be undone.

You do deserve that well earned vacation however, so I put
it to you that you will enjoy the break even more, in the
knowledge that you will not be returning home to any
unpleasant surprises.

Here are a few simple steps that I would advise you to take
to help to make sure that all remains well.

Just how much you need to plan in advance depends entirely
on how long that you intend to be away from home.

Even if you are only going away for a week or just over it,
I strongly recommend that you make the time to attend to
those basic garden chores the day before you leave.

For example, I always mow the lawn, deadhead all my flowers,
and I make a point of moving any house plants that I might
have temporarily placed outdoors to blossom, back indoors.

Naturally I make sure that they are watered thoroughly.

If you intend to be away from home for two consecutive weeks
or longer, I suggest that you make some provision well ahead
of the time, especially for the care of the lawn.

Perhaps you know a reliable teenager looking for some extra
money in your neighborhood. If you do, strike a deal with him
to cut the lawn once a week during your absence.

Whether he uses his lawn mower or yours though, do make sure
that he knows to cut the lawn at the highest setting on the
mower, which will usually be about three inches or so.

If you have an exceptionally large area of lawn however, or
you intend to be away from home for a much longer period, you
would probably be best to hire a professional Gardener, or a
Garden Maintenance Company to attend to this. (funds
permitting of course)

The day before you leave, preferably in the late morning,
prune just recently opened blossoms, taking long stems with
the cut flowers.
I suggest that you also carry a container of water and water
thoroughly.

On the same day prune flower buds also, as the blossoms will
have most likely have opened and wilted during your absence.

Check your annuals and perennials for blighted foliage,
removing any discolored leaves.

Your house plants will also need to be cared for as well while you are away. If you intend a long break, then you really
should arrange for someone to attend to their needs if at all
possible.

A good friend or neighbor will most likely be more than willing
to oblige, especially if you offer to return the favor.

Your plants should be fine though, if you are only going away for a few days or so.

However if you have a situation where you simply cannot call on
anybody to assist, or perhaps you do not want to impose on
anybody, then I have outlined a few useful steps that you can
take, particularly if you are intending to be absent for an
extended time.

Move all those plants that are summering outdoors back inside,
but place them in a shaded area first.
Do this during the week before you leave, so as to let them
acclimatize to the change in conditions.

Then bring them indoors, and place them in a spot where they
will be most likely to get the benefit of indirect sunshine.
In the morning before you depart, spread sheets of newspaper
on the floor of the room where your plants are situated.

Water all your plants thoroughly, (whether they need it or not),
and then place them on the newspaper sheets.

Place four large bowls of water around the plants, and cover
them with a large white sheet.
Make sure that the sheet drapes down beyond the plants onto
the newspaper.

This will help to keep your plants moist and healthy.

Remember that the first priority is to have a fantastic
vacation.

If you are like me however, you will enjoy it all the more,
because you know that you have taken the time to make sure
that your cherished garden and house plants have been well
looked after.

Marie K Fisher is an avid gardening enthusiast with a passion
for exotic flowers and wonderful colors. She is a regular
contributor to Garden Center Showplace a leading online Garden
Center.
For more details of the superb range of products offered, and
also more Featured Articles And Tips on Gardening visit
http://www.gardencentershowplace.com

Has this ever happened to you? Your cat’s peeing outside the litter box, and you’re desperately trying to clean up after your cat, wondering if you’re actually doing anything to stop it from happening in the first place!

Well, if you’re like me, you probably want some quick solutions to the problem, or at least a list of checkpoints that you know you must, like a detective on a trail, work through, to get the litter box behavior problem under control.

By the time you finish this article, you will have learnt the 7 most important steps you must know, when it comes to this problem of the cat peeing outside the litter box.

Firstly, let’s have a look at the reasons why this happens. The reasons for peeing outside the litter box are:

1. A medical problem.

2. The cat that has never been properly house trained to use the litter box in the first place.

3. Problems with the litter tray itself.

4. An unpleasant event that occurred while the cat was at the litter box.

5. A temporary physical or emotional stress, or change in the household causing the cat to urinate in an area outside the box, which is perpetuated by the urine smell reminding the cat to return to the same area over and over again.

6. Old age causing a cat to not be easily able to get to the litter box.

Now, keep these causes in mind, when checking out the 7 action steps:

1. If there’s a change in toilet behavior with no obvious cause, it may be caused by illnesses such as urinary tract infections, blocked anal glands, worms and parasites, diabetes and tumors. These illnesses may have no other obvious signs, apart from this urination problem. So you must consider a visit to the vet. In other cases you may see symptoms such as lethargy, blood in the urine, diarrhea, or constant licking in the anal area. If you see this, then your first stop is the vet!

2. Look at the litter box itself. Ensure you’re cleaning out the waste once or twice a day, and changing the litter every 3-4 days for non-clumping litter (2-3 weeks for clumping litter). Clean the tray with hot water and mild detergent, without any strong odors such as citrus or ammonia, which will repel the cat from the box. If you have multiple cats, remember - the number of trays should equal number of cats, plus one or two. If you’ve changed brands of litter, this may have caused the problem as many cats dislike this change, especially to scented litter. Return to the older litter. If you want to change, introduce unscented litter gradually by mixing the old with the new over 2 weeks. And ensure that the location of the box is acceptable: no loud noises, has some privacy, and is not in view of other cats.

3. Consider adding in 1 more litter box to another suitable private location of the house. This is because sometimes it’s not the litter box that’s the problem, but a negative experience there. For example, if your kids played with the cat while she was on the litter box, or if the cat had pain when urinating, such as during a urine infection, after having kittens, or had a procedure done on the bladder or urethra at the vet, then the cat would associate pain with that litter box. Even if the pain is gone, the association and is still there.

4. Thoroughly clean the area that has been peed on. This is important because no matter what the cause, the fact that the urine remains on the bed, carpet, or sofa is a reminder for the cat to return to pee there. The cat’s sense of smell is more acute than ours, so ensure you clean with a solution such as Brampton’s Simple Solution. If you have remaining urine smell together with a bad association at the box, then you have 2 forces causing the problem to continue. So get rid of both!

5. Next, if possible, deny the cat access to the area that is peed on, especially if it’s an area that is repeatedly used. Many people forget to do this, and their problem is prolonged. By stopping access, the cycle of repeated urination is stopped. Will the cat pee somewhere else? Possible, though less likely if you provide a second litter box, show him where it is a few times, and also do the step 7 below.

6. If you can’t stop the cat from accessing the area, make the area less attractive for peeing instead. You can do this by either placing a scent, or, by placing a bowl of dried cat food there. If using a scent, try citrus or eucalyptus. If using dried food, which often works better, ensure that you top up the food bowl during the day. Either way, once you have success, continue for another 1-2 weeks to ensure it stays that way.

7. If you’re at home when the cat is, then you have this step up your sleeve as well: the startle technique. Only do this method if you actually catch the cat about to urinate because if you do it at any other time, that cat will not be able to associate that urinating in the area with the unpleasant startle. Startle the cat with a loud “No!” or clap of the hands. Wait 5 minutes, then bring the cat to the litter tray, and if she toilets at the tray, reward her with praise and a food treat. As long as the length and enjoyment of the reward if far greater than the startle, this will be unlikely to cause stress. Use this method carefully as some cats may experience stress with it. Make sure that the cat seems relaxed after the food treat, and that it’s actually improving the situation.

If you follow the above steps, most problems of peeing outside the litter box will be solved within days or gradually improve over 1-2 weeks.

Remember in all cases, you’ll be even more effective if you reduce stress at the same time. This means more play time and attention.

In conclusion, it does take some effort and detective work to see what has caused the litter box behavior problem in the first place. And you now know how to apply 7 essential steps to help you solve this issue, as quickly and effectively as possible.

If you’d like to learn more advanced tips on solving your cat’s litter box behavior problem, go to the website described in the resource box below.

Cassandra Mandello helps you to go from cat novice, to successfully training your cat in no time. To learn more valuable cat training techniques, visit this site to learn more tips on understanding cat behavior, and lots more!

The sign that your Mercury was in at the time you were born
shows how you take in information and how you communicate with
others. This is the thinking, logical mind, not the subconscious
or super-conscious mind.

Here is an example: At the time Joe was born his Mercury was
passing through the zodiac sign of Taurus. This simply means
that his thinking mind is strongly influenced by the tendencies
of Taurus. This reveals that he is attached to money, food, sex,
going slowly, taking it easy, keeping things the way they are,
and resisting sudden ideas and sudden changes. This is why
astrologers call Taurus a “fixed” sign. People with Mercury in
Taurus have great resistance to changing their mind. They
process information slowly and do not want to be rushed.

One of the primary desires of Taurus is to produce
results. This is why Joe will always tend to think about how
to make money in very specific ways. To him, receiving money for
what he has created is a true validation that he has produced
something of value. It would be very important for Joe to know
that he filters information through a Taurus attitude. This
means that he needs time to think about the information he
receives. He cannot be pushed into a decision.

It is important to understand that there are twelve signs of
the zodiac. Your Mercury could be in an entirely different sign
than Taurus. And since some signs are not in harmony with each
other, it is very helpful to know if it will be easy or
difficult for you to communicate with another person. You can
save yourself a lot of trouble by doing a little research.

You will quickly discover that by knowing what sign a person’s
Mercury is in, you will be able you to communicate much better
with them. Even though it may not be your style to think the way
they do, because your Mercury may be in a different sign, you
will certainly understand how to present your ideas in such a
way that they will be more open to them.

I am always astounded how little this knowledge is used by most
people. It is no surprise why most people don’t really
understand how another person thinks. They have no effective
method for determining what’s going on inside of another
person’s head and how they are processing information.

If you follow the normal route of learning how to communicate
with another person, it will usually take a long time. Most
people say, “You simply have to get to know them.” But if you
can learn how to check out the zodiac position of their Mercury,
this time-wasting path is really unnecessary.

Maybe it time for you to learn where your own Mercury is
located. You can find detailed information on the signs at this
location a>.

Just like everyone knows how it feels to be happy or sad, everyone knows how it feels to be stressed. People encounter and experience stress at home, at work, at school - anywhere opportunities to react to internal or external stimulation exist.

That stimulation can come from an argument with a spouse, a conflict with a co-worker, an assignment from a teacher, bad news from a doctor, and so on. And the stimulation doesn’t have to be negative; people often become stressed when they start new jobs or enter into promising new relationships. Even an experience so commonly desired as hitting the jackpot in a lottery or at a casino can cause stress.

A little stress can be a good thing. Stress during a job interview can help you stay on your toes to answer the tough questions. Stress on a date can help ensure the person you’re trying to impress sees you at your best behavior. Stress is, after all, the body’s way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina and/or heightened alertness. Working properly, stress can enhance a person’s ability to perform under pressure.

Working improperly, however, stress can have devastating effects on the human body.

When you are stressed, your brain signals your adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into your bloodstream. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. In moderate amounts, these hormones are not harmful, but cortisol is secreted excessively in response to chronic stress. In these larger amounts, cortisol is extremely toxic.

According to Dr. Al Sears, founder and director of The Wellness Research Foundation, “Cortisol actually kills and disables your brain cells. Over your lifespan, cortisol ruins your brain’s biochemical integrity. Chronic exposure to cortisol causes the mental haziness, forgetfulness and confusion that is associated with aging.”

People under stress may also be at greater risk of developing coronary heart disease. Stress causes arteries to constrict and blood to become stickier, increasing the likelihood of an artery-clogging blood clot. As well, people who regularly experience sudden increases in blood pressure caused by stress may develop injuries in the inner lining of their blood vessels over time.

Studies suggest that chronic stress may increase a person’s chances for having strokes, developing infections, experiencing flare ups of multiple sclerosis, and suffering gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and peptic ulcers. Chronic stress has also been associated with the development of insulin resistance, a primary factor in diabetes. And ask anyone who has ever suffered from headaches, insomnia, sexual dysfunction or skin disorders if they think stress was at least partly to blame for their woes, and then form your own conclusions about how truly damaging stress can be to one’s health and well being.

If you believe you have a serious condition that has been caused or worsened by certain stressors in your life, you should discuss your concerns with a physician. If, however, you would like to improve the quality of your life by learning how to better cope with the irritating moments of stress in your life, numerous options exist. Perhaps your first focus should be on discovering the tremendous benefits of relaxation.

Relaxation lowers blood pressure, respiration and pulse rates, releases muscle tension, and eases emotional strains. In their quests for greater relaxation, some people choose massage therapy while others opt for biofeedback. Some folks rely on meditation, and others perform deep breathing exercises. Many people use a combination of different methods and aids.

One such aid that has been revered for many years as an effective stress-buster is the home sauna.

The list of health benefits associated with proper sauna bathing seems endless. Studies indicate that soaking in a hot sauna bath can help increase cardiovascular strength, improve lung function, reduce and remove body toxins, cleanse and beautify skin, relieve headaches, and strengthen the body’s immune system. Sauna bathing can also increase blood circulation, relaxing aching, tired or tight muscles by providing them with more oxygen.

If you’re looking for a healthy way to alleviate the stress in your life, why not consider buying a home sauna? Residential saunas come in many different styles and sizes – from pre-cut Finnish sauna kits to portable barrel saunas and far infrared heat therapy rooms. With such a multitude of options available, you’re sure to find the personal sauna that’s perfect for you.

With all the damage that stress can cause your mind and body, right now is the best time to learn how to relax, and inside a hot sauna room, away from all your life’s demands and distractions, may just be the best place to do it.

Pertti Olavi Jalasjaa is the Finnish-born author of “The Art of Sauna Building,” an acclaimed reference book on sauna construction. He is also the general manager of Great Saunas, which has been manufacturing and selling high-quality saunas and sauna kits to sauna enthusiasts around the world since 1974. Visit Great Saunas online at http://www.greatsaunas.com.

We now move into an area that is far too neglected by mainstream health and fitness professionals, the mind. Most books or courses concentrate on the physical side of weight gain and completely neglect the mental side of things.

Visualization can play an important part in gaining weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Gaining weight can be difficult for many people who don’t use their minds to help in the process.

Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you make lasting lifestyle changes. Just by “day dreaming”, you can significantly improve your chances in achieving your goals.

Visualization is a great weight gain tool and its as simple as visualizing your body as you want your body to look like. This mental image of yourself is then transferred to your subconscious mind, which in turn starts to work on your body, shaping it in accordance with your mental image.

This means that if you program your subconscious with a mental image of yourself as a more muscular person, through persistence your mind will accept this and aid your body to conform to this mental image.

Once your mind is programmed with the proper mental images, it will start to work in assisting you to gain weight. I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to believe in your visualization goals. You have to let go of your past failures and refuse to entertain any negative images that come into your mind.

If you can visualize your body at its perfect proportions, the subconscious mind will work to make it become a reality. It will then begin to positively reinforce your body into aiding the metabolism and eating habits.

Programming your mind into believing that you can gain weight, and to visualize yourself with your perfect proportions is of the greatest importance.

Try to think of a different image of yourself, then let your subconscious do the work for you. If you think of your body as being out of shape all the time, then the subconscious mind will find ways to make it so.

The sub-conscious looks after all of all your vital functions, it is the cause of all your good and bad habits, and also regulates the muscles of the body (The muscles are controlled by the sub-conscious) and body-fat composition on the body.

Try to visualize your body as lean and as muscular as you would like, and your mind will work on that image. The mind can be a great partner in gaining weight.

Relaxation

Relaxation the best way to reach the sub-conscious and will slow down the mind, turn off the exterior world so as to tune in to one’s inner self. The best times for these sessions are in the morning and late at night right, just before going to sleep.

Perform two sessions, one in the afternoon (Primary) and the other before going to sleep (Secondary) but once a day is quite sufficient. Sessions usually last 20 minutes, which isn’t time consuming especially when taking in the benefits received.

It has been stated that one of these sessions is equivalent to 2 hours of deep sleep and upon waking you will feel revitalized and full of energy. Believe me instead of worrying about time constraints; you will be looking forward to the next session.

When you begin your relaxation sessions, make sure you won’t be disturbed - lock the door, take the phone off the hook and loosen all clothing. Now find a comfortable position, whether it is lying down or sitting in a comfortable chair.

Sitting may be preferable as you may fall asleep if you become too comfortable. You want to be conscious and not asleep in order to tap into your sub-conscious mind.

Try to exhale all the air from your lungs completely and then breathing in through the nose. Take ten seconds to fill the lungs with air (not to capacity, but comfortable) hold for ten seconds and then exhale slowly through the nose for another ten seconds.

Each one of these breathing cycles should last for 30 seconds, complete five cycles and after each cycle you will be feeling more and more relaxed.

Having reaching this calm relaxed state, start your visualizations. Put together images that power your emotions. Make them alive and colourful. Make the scenes as real as possible and imagine yourself as muscular and toned as possible.

Picture yourself ten weeks from now on the beach, walking briskly and confidently to your favourite spot, your breathing is normal and relaxed. You smile to yourself; you could keep walking like this for miles without feeling fatigued.

You lay your towel out and begin to take your clothes off revealing a muscular, toned, well conditioned body. You have just bought a brand new swimming suit which just weeks before would have been lying in your closet waiting to be used.

Glancing around you notice the beach is busy, you catch the eye of someone of the opposite sex, they smile at you and you smile back. You walk confidently to the water and swim a couple of hundred yards with no problem or fatigue.

Or try this:

Visualize your family and friends complimenting you about how good your body looks. Try to view the scene as it is happening this instant - in the present, not in the future.

Using these visualizations you can construct in your mind any scene that desire. See yourself exercising, socializing, in the company of friends. Try and hear people complimenting you about your new muscular body, and watch their admiring glances. Make the mental image as real as possible.

 Remember set a goal for your ideal weight

 You must want to gain weight

 Visualize yourself at your ideal weight

 Use positive images at every opportunity

Practice these sessions on a daily basis and over a period of ten weeks you’ll be on your way to become more fulfilled, happier and muscular.

Gary is the author of several e-books, including “Maximum Weight Loss in Ten Weeks” - the complete e-book and time-saving solution for burning away unwanted fat, and “Maximum Weight Gain in Ten Weeks” - easy-to-use and follow techniques that serve as a guide to muscle growth without having to “live in the gym”.

Visit Gary’s website at www.maximumfitness.com/

You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as long
as the bylines are included.

Original URL (The Web version of the article)

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http://www.defendingthenet.com/newsletters/HackingWithGoogl
e.htm

Title

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Hacking With The Google Search Engine

Google: Yes, You Can Find Just About Anything

————

Hackers and security experts use various custom and open source
tools to complete their tasks. In fact, one of the tools they
use you probably use every time you browse the web, the Google
Search Engine.

I remember the first time I used the Google Search Engine years
ago. I was amazed at how quickly it fulfilled my search request.
Google’s huge index of systems / information and it’s ability to
perform complex searches have evolved over the years. When we
performed security assessments and penetration test, we
regularly use Google to locate information that organizations
typically want to keep private and confidential.

The reason for me writing this article is to give you several
examples of basic and complex Google search terms and queries.
As a disclaimer, it is not my intention that you use this
information to invade the privacy of someone else or access data
and files on systems that do not belong to you. It is strictly
educational information and a way to make people more aware of
what kind of information they may be exposing to the rest of the
world.

Using Google To Locate Password Files

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One of the most common remote web authoring tools is Microsoft’s
Front Page. Front page extensions and WebDav, the services on
the web server that allow you to remotely connect and author web
pages, can be configured with a certain degree of security.
However, in certain configurations, the userID and password are
stored in local files on the server. Using a Google query, you
can easily locate thousands of these files and dump the
contents.

The query form is quite simple: “inurl:(filename).pwd”, where
(filename) is the name of the .pwd file. This query can be
expanded to be very specific and target a specific site by using
a command to search for a specific site or domain. The results
of a specific search like this would list hundreds if not
thousands of these files that would contain something like “#
-FrontPage- dmiller:I1KEaH1TZqxEw”. Basically dumping the userID
and password.

This type of basic query can be used to find all kinds of
interesting information such as using the “intitle:”index of”
(name of directory you want to locate)” which not only reveals
many web directory structures of “index of/”, it also reveals
how many web servers on the Internet do not have even the most
basic forms of permissions and directory security. You will find
that once you access a particular directory, that you can then
move up the directory tree and you never know what you may find.

More Complex Search Queries

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The Google Search Engine supports very complex query types. For
instance, if you were to construct a query like “”parent
directory ” Gamez -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5
-md5sums”, the query would result in lists upon list of systems
that have a /Gamez directory off the root of the “parent
directory” of the web server. Or, to locate music files of type
mp3 you could issue a query like “intitle:index.of mp3 (name of
band/song)”.

The bottom line here is that it is possible to locate very
specific types of files. It is also possible to perform queries
for inline passwords from various search engines by performing a
query similar to “http://*:*@www”.

What Else Can Be Found With Google Search Queries

————

One of the things we do when we are performing a security
assessment is perform a quick review of the various web servers
to determine what types of scripting is being used. For
instance, a lot of people use PHP code to create dynamic
content. Many people install PHP example code and administrative
tools to help them manage their site. Unfortunately, most of the
time these files are not secured and contain login ID’s and
passwords. We then use Google search queries to locate these
specific files on the servers in question. I’d say we are
successful in finding files like these that help us gain access
to systems approximately 60% of the time.

We recently learned of a financial institution that was taking
credit card information from one of their partners using a web
based upload service on their primary web server. The problem
was this file was being indexed by the Microsoft Index Service,
the information was being spidered by search engines, and the
file itself did not have effective security permissions on it.
The result, the file was indexed by Google and someone
performing a Google query found it and was able to open it in
the browser, revealing hundreds of credit card numbers, names,
and other personal information. This happens all the time.

Conclusion

————

The Google Search Engine is a powerful tool that can be used by
people with ill intentions just as it can be used for basic web
searching. If you are setting up a web server at home or the
office, you need to understand that you may be publishing
information on the web that no one but you should see. This
could include financial files, credit card information, and
other private / personal information. There is a lot more to
setting up a “secure” site than just following the Microsoft
setup wizards.

The human body benefits from sun exposure. And a little bit of tan protects you from the sun. Right? Wrong!

The body does indeed benefit from sun exposure. But a little bit of tan does not necessarily protect you from the sun. Let’s see why.

The sun’s rays are a major source of vitamin D and help the body’s systems acquire much needed calcium for building healthy bones. However, most people don’t need to spend large amounts of time exposed to the sun in order to get their required amount of vitamin D.

In fact, the body’s health can actually suffer negative effects when it’s exposed too long to the sun’s rays, especially if it’s unprotected. Results can vary from skin and eye damage to immune system suppression and ultimately cancer, even for the young.

So let’s look at the basic facts about sun exposure.

There are three kinds of invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays in the sun that reaches earth: UVA, UVB, and UVC. When these rays come in contact with our skin, affects of UVA and UVB can be - tans, burns and other reactions (e.g. like acne and cancer).

It’s also notable that the effects of all UV rays are not the same. Depending upon the season, time of day and place on the planet in relation to the sun - (i.e. your altitude and latitude), the rays’ intensities vary. For example, during summertime, UV rays are at their strongest. Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the rays are strongest. And close to the equator and at high altitudes (where air and cloud cover are less, resulting in increased harmful penetration of UV rays into the environment), the rays are also strongest.

In order to protect ourselves from the harmful UV rays, let’s look at the skin’s first defense - melanin.

Melanin is a chemical present in a variety of colors and concentrations in most people’s skin that helps with defense from the sun. Melanin reacts with UV rays and absorbs them. Or rather, to be more specific, the rays act upon melanin, causing the melanin to spread out or grow, increasing its presence in response to the sun’s exposure. The result? A ‘sun tan’. The darker the skin color, the more melanin the skin has for protection. And ‘tanning’ for darker color is included here; ‘color’ does not have to refer to just the original skin color.

A word of caution…

Tanning may look great on the surface, - but the amount and length of time a person is exposed to the sun, determines the amount of possible damage. It also determines the future risk of damage that’s likely.

For example, people who are exposed to the sun in huge doses like ship crews, field workers and beach surfers, are at higher risks for skin damage than indoor workers. What happens is that when the amount of UV exposure is greater than what the skin’s melanin can handle, sunburn can result. And those with lighter, fairer skin, who have less melanin, absorb less UV, suffering less protection.

Since research has shown that UV damage from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer, (with as high as 20% of some populations developing skin cancer during their lifetime), we need to take a proactive approach in relation to sun exposure to avoid harmful skin damage.

As we say colloquially here in Australia - “Slip, Slop, Slap”. (I.e. ‘Slip’ on a shirt, ‘Slop’ on a hat, ‘Slap’ on a sunscreen). Look after the skin you’ve got, because you’re the one who will be living with it!

Angela Perin is editor of the ‘Safe Tan Ezine’, which features practical articles and tips on Beauty, Fitness, Nutrition and more. To discover the Ultimate Experience in Natural Sunless Tanning, visit www.safetan.com.au

My life has changed
in so so many ways
It seems to always be
in a state of disarray…

Without you here
by my side
to hold my hand
and be my guide…

I feel like I’m lost…
wandering through each day
waiting and hoping and praying
that you come to me in some way….

I need you to tell me
that it everything will be okay…
If anyone else is saying it
I never hear them on any day…

Nobody will ever be what
You were to me…
It breaks my heart to know
that I will never see…

Your tender face again
Or touch your fragile body
and feel your unconditional
love reserved only for me…

I would give 10 years
of my life to have you
here with me for just
a month or two…

My love for you began
more than 30 years ago
It grew into a kind of love
that few people ever know…

I know I was truly blessed
to have you as my best friend,
My Grannio and my sole supporter
until the bitter end…

I will never forget
how much you gave,
how much you loved,
or how often you saved…

Me - when I was a little girl
from my nightmares
and when I was grown up
from all the evil dares…

You always stood by me
Faithful, strong and true
Til the bitter end
I knew I could count on you…

Now that you’re gone
and I’m here alone
I realize more than ever
all that you’ve done…

To make my life better,
Safer and Secure
By giving me your love
So unmistakebly pure…

I miss everything about you
all that you were to me
every single day I think
of how my life used to be…

When you were here
with Jakob and me
Things were so different
that it’s hard to see…

Why God had to take you
away from me and my son
so much, much too soon
before your time had come…

I will never understand
and I will forever fear…
how much life hurts
without you here…

Resource Box - © Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine - A free newsletter for quote lovers featuring more than 10,000 quotations in dozens of categories like - love, friendship, children, inspiration, success, wisdom, family, life, and many more. Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp

Can a golf exercise routine be useful to a golfer who is happy
with the current quality of their game?

You bet it can. While there are many useful benefits of a golf
exercise routine to a person’s game even when they are happy
with their current form, exercises have many other benefits that
a golfer can enjoy and benefit from.

For example, lower back pains are fairly common on the course.
And so is fatigue hence you will see some golfers form
deteriorate as the game proceeds.

They are simply getting more and more tired. The more tired they
get, the worse their game gets because they even start to lose
concentration at critical moments.

Did you know that just a single exercise within a good golf
exercise routine can greatly strengthen your back to the extent
where you will be able to play 18 holes without breaking a
sweat? Or even hit balls the whole day without feeling that
lower back pain.

This lower back pain could either be caused by strain and
fatigue as the golf swing usually utilizes the lower back
muscles to a great exetent.

Or it could easily be an injury. Golf exercise routines will
deal with both instances in that they greatly help a golfer
reduce on their risk of getting injured in the first place.

Many golf injuries are caused by the golfer over-straining
certain muscles as they desperately try to get the swing
technique right and improve their scores.

The muscles and body are not prepared to be stretched to the
limit and the result for a golfer not involved in any golf
exercise routine can be a nagging injury that will keep them off
the course for a long time. It could even be the dreaded injury
that will tend to recur the moment they think they are healed
and start to play the game again.

Golf exercise routines will help you avoid these situations.

“Come down on price on this one and there’ll be more work to
come.”

This come-on is a favorite of potential new clients who either
have no money, or are justifiably trying to keep costs down.

Either way it doesn’t matter to the copywriter because both
circumstances ask the copywriter to sacrifice his or her income
on the promise of more work.

Unfortunately, “more work” rarely materializes. In my opinion,
most of these people don’t lie with malice, they simply lack the
funds to pay a reasonable rate for copywriting.

One thing is clear: they do value copywriting and understand its
power to add to THEIR bottom line.

Why is this situation such a dilemma for the freelance
copywriter?

I think it’s safe to say that every copywriter has experienced
tight finances. And for this reason alone it’s tempting to talk
yourself into saying “yes” to a bad proposition.

In addition, the copywriter might see value in adding the
proposed project to his portfolio…and if it gets a great
response, add a powerful case study too.

Plus, the most trusting among us will believe there is more work
to come, and will be anxious to land the job and develop a new
copywriter/client relationship.

These and other realities of the copywriting life help us talk
ourselves into a situation we’ll regret…a pattern of accepting
low pay from clients we don’t want in the first place.

How to say “yes” the PROFITABLE way…

The good news is, you can say “yes” to new clients who promise
more work IF you protect yourself.

A couple of years ago a European software company came to me
with the intent of breaking into the U.S. market.

Phil, the CEO of this mid-size company, was a tough negotiator.
He wanted a ten percent price break for work he said would come
to me over the course of that year. When I priced the work, the
total came to about $12,000.

Obviously, this was a client I wanted to say “yes” to, but
knowing the “big lie,” I also realized I would be on the line
for lost income if he didn’t provide me with the promised work.

My solution was to work it into my Fee Agreement, which all
clients must sign, date, and fax back to me before work can
commence.

I stipulated a ten percent price break ($1,200) on the $12,000
job, listed all work to be performed and its respective dollar
value, and then added copy to this effect:

“In exchange for a ten percent discount of $1,200, all of the
above work must be assigned by December 31, 2004; if all of the
above work is not assigned by December 31, 2004, then the ten
percent discount becomes null and void and an invoice will be
submitted for immediate payment of $1,200.”

The strategy worked like a charm. In fact, in mid-2004 work
slowed from this client, but toward the end of 2004 there was a
flurry to complete his obligation for the amount of work
contracted for.

WITHOUT the Fee Agreement stipulation, it appears I would have
“bought into the lie,” cut my pricing by ten percent for the
work that I did do, and suffer the “lost income” of expected
work that never came.

WITH the Fee Agreement stipulation, I felt good about the ten
percent discount because it was a fair negotiation in which both
parties fulfilled their obligations. And it brought me a lot of
work toward the end of 2004 that may have come to me sometime in
2005…or quite possibly never.