Friday, October 28, 2005

Getting The Golf Ball In The Air With Physics. Love, Appreciation, and the Heart.

Sir Issac Newton was one of the world's most influential thinkers. He tackled what most people would consider to be complicated topics. But most things when explained in layman's terms become a slot simpler.

For example one of Sir Issac Newton's Laws of Physics states, 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction'. In simpler terms, if you run at a brick wall at full speed, what do you think the equal and opposite reaction will be?

In golf we can apply this theory very easily in regards to your golf swing. If you are having difficulty in getting the ball in the air, or you hit "worm burners", or low shots you may be using his theory backwards without knowing it.

What some people may think about how to get a golf ball off the ground, by swinging up on the ball, or trying to lift it off the ground, actually produces the opposite result desired. Remember the law, an equal and opposite reaction. Swinging up produces an opposite reaction, a downward reaction of the ball. In contrast, swinging down on a ball, or hitting the ball on the downswing, produces the opposite reaction, the upward reaction of the ball.

The other factor that comes into play here is the golf club. The clubs are designed to achieve a degree of lift according to the loft of the club. The loft on a four iron is less than the loft of a nine iron. The four iron will get the ball in the air enough to allow it to go longer where the nine iron will get the ball a lot higher for closer shots you want to land softer.

Read more articles by this author, about this and other subjects, here.

About The Author

Bob Power has been an Internet entrepreneur for longer than he would like to remember. He is currently on a voyage of learning, thanks to his readers, who have asked him to answer questions about topics they want more information on. You can see some of the surprising, and at times exciting results, and variety of topics and paths this has taken him on, or to contact Bob Power please click here.

These articles may be reproduced exactly as shown above. No revisions or changes are permitted.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



As I started to write this article a few words from a song kept running through my head "all you need is love..." This month we will be bombarded with ads for cards and gifts and urgings to show others that we love them. Many religions and traditions exhort us to "love one another," to care about others and to appreciate the gifts of life. In both advertising and tradition the heart is the symbol of love.

Recent scientific discoveries have found that the heart is actually involved in emotional processing. Messages are sent both ways between brain and heart.

The new science of called Neurocardiology has shown that the heart is actually a sensory organ and a sophisticated encoding and processing center. The heart can learn, remember and even make decisions independent of the brain.

The emotional processing of the heart operates much more quickly than the linear reasoning process of the mind. This emotional processing can bias or color the cognitive processes. Stress caused by unmanaged emotions can affect the entire body.

The research conducted at the Institute of HeartMath has consistently demonstrated that positive emotions such as love and appreciation are the key to optimal functioning. The use of heart rate variability (HRV) measurement equipment provides information on the beat-to-beat changes in heart rate. HRV is very sensitive to changes in emotional state. When people think angry, frustrated, or anxious thoughts an erratic and disordered pattern is shown.

When people experience positive emotions like appreciation, love or compassion a much more ordered or coherent pattern is displayed. Obviously it is much healthier for the heart and body to have a coherent heart rate. Fortunately there are easy to learn techniques that can be put into use during stressful times that can help change our habitual responses to stress.

Simply remembering to feel appreciation for short periods of time every day can be a first step. The holidays shouldn't be the only time we remember to express our love for others. Tapping into that "loving feeling" can be good for our hearts as well as for our relationships.

Lorna Minewiser, Ph.D has been helping people reduce their stress for more than 15 years.

She offers individual and group coaching, workshops, CDs, e-books and Stress Reduction and Relaxation kits. She is available for presentations on the power of beliefs and on Stress Reduction. For more information you can reach her at http://www.thestressreductioncoach.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



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12:44 AM |

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Mortgage Broker Training: How to Secure Loyalty From Realtors. The Symbolism Behind an Anchor Tattoo and Anchor Tattoo Design.

So you've just returned to your office after delivering an Oscar worthy presentation to a real estate agent. They're impressed and ready to do business with you. In fact, they promised to refer their next buyer to you. Good job, now you can kick your feet up on your desk and wait and wait and wait....

Does this sound familiar? Have you had agents promise you deals that never appear? So what happens after the first meeting? Why do Agents have such short -lived memories of promises they've made to you? Has it reached the boiling point - the point of giving up on Agents altogether? If so, keep reading because you'll find the mistake you've been making that by correcting it could dramatically turn things around.

Practice Like a Trial Attorney

If you consider it for a moment, trial attorneys are one of the great persuaders among professions. They spend their careers in courtrooms convincing juries if someone should be deemed guilty or not. So why not take a few cues from them and adapt as part of your strategy for building loyalty with agents.

Like an attorney's opening argument expresses his point of view, in your first meeting with an Agent, you share compelling reasons for doing business together.

After your opening argument is often the place loan officers make their mistake. Once they've heard the Agent remark, "I'll send you my next piece of business," they think their job is done, when in actuality, it's just begun. What the Agent has really said is, "I like you and you're a swell person." Not exactly the sound of commitment, is it? Solidifying a relationship with an Agent comes from building your case, just like an attorney convinces the jury, it happens over the course of the trial.

To Build Your Case, Document Your Performance

Too often, loan officers have a tendency to make lots of promises, like:

  • Closing loans on time
  • Being available 24/7
  • Returning calls promptly
  • Having doc's early to Title
  • Providing leads to Agents

Instead of making promises, learn how to document your performance. Documenting your performance means that you've specifically accounted for your actions and quantified results you've helped achieve with the Agent - your client. It communicates how you've solved a problem for them. Nothing ever speaks louder to a prospect than your track record.

Look at the two examples to demonstrate the point:

Example A: "I can close your loans on time."

Example B: "Over the past 2 years, 99.3% of loan doc's have arrived to Title 5 days prior to close of escrow."

Example B uses the S.M.A.R.T. method. The results are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-phased. This method will help shape your documentation so it's powerful in the written form.

By reviewing your performance regularly with Agents to document results, not only do you uncover quantifiable intangibles, but also it helps to positively remind the Agent why they chose you instead of your competitor. So the next time your competitor solicits your client, they'll be confronted with some tough-to-answer questions on how they've solved problems for other Agents.

With a track record in tow, you can use it to build your case by dripping it to your prospects after the first meeting. As long as you document, you'll always have fresh and continuous results to build your case with a prospect.

To Build Your Case, Use Variety of Packaging

Why do people believe what they see in writing before they believe what they hear? Because words published in black and white text are considered trustworthy compared to the spoken word.

Once you've documented your track record, package it in varieties. This includes, but isn't limited to:

  • Articles
  • Case Studies
  • Audio CD's
  • Newsletters
  • Flyers
  • Postcards

Gift wrap your documentation in varieties because people gather information differently. Some prospects want information in small doses. Sending postcards with pint size content can be easily digested. Then there are prospects that need to know everything. They'll appreciate reading a newsletter or lengthy article.

Having variety gives you the chance to build your case by dripping over time. Just because you send a prospect a flyer after a first meeting is no guarantee that they'll read it.

It's like a Grammy Award Winner. A musician doesn't win an award after someone has heard his or her song one time. They win because listeners hear the song repeatedly.

Send the same information repeatedly, just change the packaging. If your first piece is an article, let your second piece be an audio CD of the article. Or send information at different lengths. A postcard communicates a different message than a newsletter, yet both can include the same message.

To Build Your Case, Communicate Single Messages

My last trip to the grocery store turned out poorly. My wife called and asked me to pick up some things, she gave me the dreaded grocery list. Upon returning, she graciously informed me that I didn't get half the things she requested. It wasn't my fault - but that's another story.

When you communicate a list of things, nothing gets communicated. Agents are more likely to read or listen to information that communicates a single message. Remember, you're competing in a communications jungle that's overcrowded and most messages get lost in the noise. It's easier to get noticed by sending one message than by sending too much information that ends up diluting your case.

Besides if you tell the prospect everything there is to know, there's nothing left to anticipate. That's like getting the same prize every time in the Cracker Jack box. After a while, it becomes anti-climatic.

As you drip one message at a time, you'll stay in sight and in mind! This establishes familiarity, which breeds attraction. After meeting with an Agent, building your case is the key to solidifying the relationship. A documented track record gives you persuasive material that can be packaged in varieties and dripped to your prospect. It becomes only a matter of time before they are convinced that you're their preferred loan officer.

Jeff Nelson helps mortgage companies and individual loan officers increase loan originations by attracting quality relationships with real estate agents from the development of customized relationship-building strategies.

Click here to get a free copy of the Marketing Planning Guide, a 20-page workbook designed to help you outline a strategy to becoming an Agent Magnet.

Visit us at http://www.loan-officer-marketing.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



Anchor tattoos were all the rage for sailors. It was often the symbol of a very experienced sailor. Anchor tattoo designs are one of the oldest types of tattoos. However with an interest in all things retro and chic these have come back into fashion. In fact in the tattoo field as a whole retro tattoo designs have been experiencing a resurgence. These retro tattoo designs have come back to life with new more vibrant tattoo colors, designs and placements on the body. This trend originated on the west coast mostly and has even become known as west coast tattoo style.

Retro themes in tattoo designs are especially popular with the rockabilly group.

So what is the symbolism behind the anchor tattoo design? While the earliest forms of an anchor being used as a symbol harkens all the way back to the early Christians. They would often use the anchor as a hidden symbol for the cross. This was often used to show that they were Christian while escaping persecution from the Greeks.

The symbol much later became popular with sailors. This is a pretty obvious connection here being that sailor use anchors constantly in their work.

The anchor tattoo design has become a symbol for stability and a strong foundation. It can also mean a boyfriend, girlfriend or significant other in someone's life. You see a man might get an anchor tattoo to show that his girlfriend is the stability in his life.

These have become increasingly popular for women to get and they often place them just below their collar bone on the right of left side.

So the anchor tattoo is a great tattoo with lots of symbolism and history behind it. If you are looking for something to remind you to stay grounded or want to symbolism a particularly stable or grounding relationship that you have then an anchor tattoo design might be something to look into.

Chris has been running Design My Tattoos website for the last three months. He likes helping people find the custom tattoo designs and where to get them done by professional tattoo artists. Check out the site and post a job to get your own custom tattoo design. If you are a tattoo artist and would like to earn some extra income go ahead and sign up as an artists and make some money in your spare time. Check out this article on the symbolism of anchor tattoos on the site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



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9:45 AM |

Monday, October 24, 2005

Ten Things Medical Doctors Are Not Good At. The Next Generation IBT TOEFL.

Of course, I'm not referring to your doctor who, like Mary Poppins, is practically perfect in every way. But let's just say that the rest of us physicians have things we could do better...

1. Taking time to actually stop and get to know the patient.

I know one lady who says she has a better relationship with the checkout clerk at the grocery store than with her physician. It's true that doctors have a legitimate need to see a certain volume of patients in order to cover practice-expenses and still have money to take home. This translates into a limited amount of time per patient. However, some of the time-pressure doctors feel they are under is of their own making, and even the same amount of time might be better spent.

How is this any different from what a restaurant owner has to do? The restauranteur has to supervise employees, handle deliveries, and oversee the preparation and serving of food, yet still finds time somehow to chat with the customers.

2. Sticking to appointment schedules.

Yes, medicine is unpredictable and doctors must meet the medical needs of the patients in front of them before moving on to others. Patients understand this. But scheduling ten different patients for a 1:00 p.m. appointment is inexcusable.

3. Remembering what happened at the last visit, what test they asked for and why they asked for it.

Need I say more?

4. Dealing with more than one chief complaint per visit.

This is a variant of the time-pressure issue. With the allotted time being only just adequate to cover one problem, woe to the patient who has two or three. There is no easy solution apart from scheduling another visit to handle an additional problem. But if you're the patient, it's in your best interest to prioritize your problems and take control of the agenda. Get the most important issue out on the table first thing and before the doctor launches into an unrelated and time-consuming tangent.

5. Diagnosing conditions for which "objective" tests are not available.

Even modern medicine doesn't have good tests that show every condition as an abnormal blood-level or as a spot on a scan. But that doesn't mean that the untestable conditions don't exist or are somehow less credible. For example, there is no confirmatory medical test for migraine, but unless the 12% of the population experiencing this problem is lying, there are a lot of folks out there for whom the tests might be normal, but they aren't.

6. Staying interested in you when there are no more tests to order or procedures to do.

This is not a good time to drop the ball. Regardless of the outcome of a test or procedure, there is still some unmet need to be addressed.

7. Delivering on promises.

This one seems so needless. For example, why would a doctor promise that records and films will go to a specialist and then not follow through? Better not to make such promises in the first place.

8. Picking up a telephone to call another doctor.

I don't understand why this occurs, but physicians often seem incredibly reluctant to phone another doctor to sort out a question concerning their shared patient. Sometimes they order a nurse or clerk to do it instead, or leave the issue unresolved.

9. Respecting boundaries.

This bears explaining. Boundaries refer to the lines at which one person's rights and responsibilities end and another person's rights and responsibilities begin. Crossing a boundary without permission usually leads to grief and resentment. An example of one doctor not respecting a boundary with another doctor is when doctor #1 tells the patient to change the dose of a medicine prescribed by doctor #2. This leaves the patient caught in the middle.

10. Calling you back with results of procedures and tests.

Once patients have had, say, a scan, a colonoscopy or a blood-test, they start worrying about all the most dangerous things that might turn up. A simple phone call to the patient that nothing bad turned up on the tests and that the details can be discussed at the next visit--even if it comes from staff--prevents a lot of worry and sleeplessness.

There seems to be a recurring theme here. Perhaps I'm revealing my age when I say I am reminded of the chain-gang boss in Paul Newman's "Cool Hand Luke" movie who drawled, "What we have here is a failure to communicate!"

(C) 2005 by Gary Cordingley

Gary Cordingley, MD, PhD, is a clinical neurologist, teacher and researcher who works in Athens, Ohio. For more health-related articles see his website at: http://www.cordingleyneurology.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



A number of years ago Educational Testing Services (ETS), the people responsible for the TOEFL test, brought the test into the computer age by transitioning it from a paper-based test to a computer-based test. This allowed them to stop the practice of previewing

questions and answers while listening to material, and it allowed them to add some unique testing questions, such as matching up items and placing a sentence within a paragraph. It also allowed them to individualize the listening and grammar sections of the test by catering items to the ability of the student. A student's score was no longer dependent on the number of correct answer he or she gave but the degree of difficulty of questions he or she was able to answer correctly.

However, the computer-based TOEFL was an assembly of separate skills - reading, listening, grammar, and writing. In this format it was possible for students to learn tricks to increase their performance in each of these areas, a practice that did not reflect their true ability to handle the language. Students could demonstrate their reading skills separate from their listening skills and writing skills, but true language is seldom so fragmented. This weakness in the test was made worse by the absence of a speaking component. If a student wanted to demonstrate a competency in this skill, he or she had to take a separate speaking test such as the TSE, the Test of Spoken English, also produced by ETS. It became obvious that a change in the TOEFL was necessary to reflect the true nature of English to see whether a testtaker could handle the language in more true-to-life situations. Enter the Internet, the ultimate medium.

With the Next Generation iBT TOEFL, students go on-line and take the test directly from ETS at test centers throughout the world. There are roughly forty-five sessions a year, all on Fridays or Saturdays. Details can be found on the ETS web site at http://www.ets.org. The iBT, Internet-based

test, is an integration of all four language skills - reading, listening, speaking, and writing - in which grammar plays a more minor but still a necessary component. In other words, there is no longer a grammar section on the TOEFL, but grammar is taken into consideration in the evaluation of both the speaking and writing sections. Another change is in the scoring. Whereas the computer-based TOEFL was scored out of 300, the iBT is scored out of 120, 30 in each of the four skills. To succeed in this new format, students need to be good note takers as they will be required to read passages and then listen to lectures or long conversations in order to respond either orally or by writing to questions, usually about how the written material relates to the listening material. The language skills of gist, details, inferences, vocabulary, reference, and insertion are still tested along with the new skills of paraphrasing and determining overall organization and purpose. The addition of these new skills, along with the integration of the sections, makes the Next Generation iBT TOEFL a more valid evaluation of a student's real-life language skills and his or her ability to succeed in a real academic setting.

Since preparing for

the Next Generation iBT TOEFL is challenging, a student is well advised to take a class or join a study group to develop the necessary skills to pass. Also, it is essential that a student get a good preparation textbook, but there are only a few that have kept up with the changes in the test, such as Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test , Next Generation iBT and Delta's Key to the Next Generation TOEFL Test. Many private and community colleges offer one- or two-term preparation courses, but there may be prerequisites a student must satisfy before being admitted to these classes. There is an alternative, however, for people who want to bypass prerequisites or are unable to invest three to six months preparation time. The TEST PREP Team offers a 45-hour intensive TOEFL Preparation Course over ten Saturdays. This course is available only in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Information on this course, as well as a number of learning tools to help students prepare by themselves, is available at http://study4toefl.com, but hurry - the next class starts on October 8th.

Ambien has been teaching ESL at the college level since 1989 and, as a TOEFL specialist, has been helping students get high TOEFL scores since 1997. He is friendly, personable, kind, patient, supportive and motivating. Ambien is certified as a specialist in the Next Generation iBT TOEFL.

Ambien Malecot, BA, MA
Instructor / Program Developer

The TEST PREP Team
TOEFL Course
#206 - 3280 West Broadway
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6K 2H4 CANADA
Telephone: 604-738-0077
Fax: 604-739-3777
E-mail: info@study4toefl.com
Web Address: http://www.study4toefl.com

When one teaches, two learn - Robert Half

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



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1:36 PM |

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Are You Flushing Your Money Down The Toilet...Literally?. Guidelines For Conducting A Good Meeting.

Many of you are probably aware that The American Medical Association has officially declared that all adults should be taking food supplements. Taking a multivitamin/mineral and an antioxidant every day is now doctor-recommended.

Like most people, you probably buy your multi-vitamin from your local drug store or GNC. You've looked at the label to see what's in those little pills and, assuming it passes the test, you purchase it.

What if you knew that the money you were spending on vitamins was literally being flushed down the toilet? Would you continue to spend your hard-earned cash on something that was doing absolutely nothing for you?

Millions of Americans are trying to lead healthier lives by taking vitamin and mineral supplements. The problem is that MOST vitamin supplements have less than a 20% absorption rate. The remaining 80% is going down the toilet...that is why you don't FEEL any different when you take your vitamins.

In Salt Lake City, for instance, over 150 gallons of undigested vitamin and mineral pills show up in their filters every month. In Tacoma, Washington 25,000 pounds of undigested vitamin and mineral pills (some with their brand names still legible) are pulled out of the sewers every 6 weeks!

What is the solution, you ask? Scientists have developed a way to increase your body's absorption of certain vitamins and minerals. Your body naturally absorbs the sugar fructose (a fruit sugar) so, they bound the vitamins and minerals to the fructose. This is called fructose compounding and it increases your body's absorption rate to 98%.

Imagine taking a vitamin every day and reaping the benefits of balanced nutrition. The key is in taking a supplement that your body can USE.

What can you do about it? Do some research on companies that use this patented delivery system. There are a few reputable companies that sell vitamins your body can use. Some are more expensive than others, so look around. They can be found in liquid or pill form (both work equally well with this delivery system).

Switching to a vitamin that you can actually use can have tremendous effects on your energy level and sense of well-being. If you are already spending your money on a supplement to improve your health, why not try one that can make a difference!

Jennifer Smith is a dentist and also works from home with a wellness company to promote health and safety in homes across North America. To receive free information on how to improve your family's health and safety, send a request via email to smith_jendr@yahoo.ca.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



Okay, so

you've figured out what kind of meeting is needed, you've planned well and you have all the right materials. How about the meeting itself? How can you be sure the meeting you've so carefully planned and prepared actually comes off as expected?

The checklist below can help you through the process.

- Begin on time, clearly stating the meeting objective and your intentions to stick to type, time, topic, agenda

- Obtain agreement on the agenda items and times for each item

- Agenda changes must be consistent with meeting objective, type, time limits

- Consider having a time keeper, rather than letting topics exceed time limits

- Use action language to assign responsibilities -- What will be accomplished, who will accomplish it, time frames and deliverables (when and how to be accomplished)

- Appoint a scribe to document meeting results

- Have a "parking lot" for topics not on the agenda - at end of meeting - Review parking lot, decide resolution, assign follow-up, if appropriate

- Anyone who feels the process is not supporting the objectives of the meeting should speak up and share this observation

- Decide date and time for next meeting, if needed

- Debrief the meeting (should take less than 5 minutes). Ask questions like Was the meeting necessary? Did the meeting begin and end on time? Was the agenda adhered to? Were participants objective, and all viewpoints heard? Were outside interruptions avoided? Did all participants have an opportunity to contribute? Were digressions and repetitions avoided? Were win/win solutions achieved? Was feedback offered and accepted?

- End on time

Denise O'Berry - aka 'Team Doc' - is the founder of http://www.teambuildingtips.com Visit our site for helpful team building tips and tools and advice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



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12:42 PM |

Friday, October 21, 2005

A Fundraising Road Trip: Planning & Achieving Your Goals. What Answers To Questions For A Home Insurance Price Quote Will I Need To Know?.

Do you ever daydream about going on a great vacation? It's fun to think of all of the great sights and things to do once you get to the destination. But usually there's lots of planning involved, such as planning around schedules, getting tickets and placing reservations. It can be quite an ordeal. But once you're on your dream vacation, boy is it worth it.

Oddly enough, creating fundraising goals is itself a little like going on a trip.

Here's how...

The Destination: Long Term & Yearly Goals

What's the first thing you do when you decide to go on a trip? Yes, that's right - choose the destination. Is it Disneyworld or New York City? Will you camp at the local state park or Yellowstone? Starting a fundraising program without a predefined goal is like getting in your car at the beginning of a vacation and saying, "I don't know where we're going, but I hope we get there!" (Doesn't make much sense, does it?)

Your yearly goal is the final destination that your group should be striving for all year long. Whether your organization follows the calendar year, school year, fiscal year, or whatever the case may be, you still need to set this long term destination goal.

Budgetary requirements generally guide the financial goals that are needed for your organization. What are the total expenses for the year, and how much of those expenses need to be covered by fundraising efforts? Write down this "big target" number that needs to be reached by the end of the year.

The Roadmap: Project Goals

Now that you've decided on a fundraising destination, the next step is to break down that number into smaller, more manageable goals.

Imagine your organization's individual fundraisers such as events, raffles, or candy sales as the highways you will take to get to your final destination. Therefore, each individual campaign or event has its own fundraising goals. The combined goal amount should equal or be greater than the yearly goal.

Having too many fundraisers that appeal to the same audience can become burdensome and reduces the effectiveness of your efforts. By forecasting the amount of funds needed, you'll be able to plan the right amount of individual fundraisers.

The Pit-Stops: Fine Tuning Your Fundraising Goals

During the course of the year, periodically review your fundraising goals. Have your fundraisers met their individual targets? If not, the "pit-stops" are times when you can do some fine tuning to your list of goals and objectives.

Consider ways that you can earn more on the remaining fundraisers

1. Increase attendance at your event by adding something unusual, like a door prize drawing, a contest or a "celebrity" appearance

2. Place calls or send letters to get more prizes donated for your raffle or auction

3. Add an additional source of revenue to already planned

4. Add an easy fundraiser that doesn't require much time from volunteers, such as an online magazine fundraiser

Reaching Your Destination

Your group has worked hard to raise funds for your cause. Be sure to celebrate along the way, thanking donors and volunteers. Each year evaluate what programs worked best, how you can improve upon them, and ways that you can become more efficient in planning the fundraising programs.

About the Author: Sandra Sims has been raising money for non profit organizations for over 10 years. She is the publisher of Step By Step Fundraising e-zine and website, which will help you get maximum results from your fundraising campaigns. Get a free copy of the special report The 5 Keys to Successful Fundraising.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



Lets face it, finding the best home insurance price quote can be an aggravating task if you're not fully prepared with answers to the common questions that most insurance companies will ask. This article outlines the questions that an insurance agent will ask you when you're requesting quotes for home insurance. Having this information handy will make finding house insurance easier and save you valuable time.

The most obvious question that will be asked first deals with your address information. The home insurance agent will need your street address as well as the state, city and zip code. This information will be used as the starting point for all future questions.

A normal question deals with the approximate location of your home in relation to the nearest fire hydrant. You can also be expected to have to know how far the nearest fire department is from your house. The insurer will want to know if you have a fire alarm system and if so what type of system.

Additional questions will focus on whether or not anyone living in the house smokes and if your building has an internal sprinkler system. Make sure you know if you have a burglar alarm and what type of alarm it is because that question will come up. You might be asked if you live in a gated community and if you have a dog as a pet. If you do own a dog then the insurance provider will want to know the breed.

You can be assured that you will be asked how old you are and if the answer is over 55 expect a follow up question on whether or not you are retired. The insurance company will expect that you already have some form of homeowners insurance with another company so be prepared to answer that question along with if you have car insurance, if so - with what company and for how long. Don't be alarmed by such questions, as they are routine when trying to determine a home insurance price quote.

If you've made any insurance claims within the last 3 years then the home insurance provider will want to know the claim amount and the reason for initiating the insurance claim. You will also be expected to truthfully answer if you have ever had an insurance policy cancelled or non-renewed.

Questions that center on your home include, how many rooms in the house - without counting bathrooms, the number of people living in the house and a rating of your home from inexpensive to expensive. You will be asked if you own any property that is very valuable (such as: jewelry, antiques, home entertainment system, or a musical instrument)? You'll have to know what year the house was built, the type of residence it is, what building materials were used to construct the dwelling and if you rent or own the property.

As you can see although the list of questions is small having the necessary answers when you need them will save yourself as well as your insurance agent valuable time and eliminate unnecessary headaches. It may also help save money on your home insurance price quote.

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Best-Free-Insurance-Quotes.com. He provides more insurance information and offers discount auto, life and home insurance that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Other websites operated by Tim

Cellular-Phone-Solutions.com - Free information and resources regarding cell phones and cell phone plans.

Military-Loans-Online.com - Which provides free money saving loan quotes on all of your loan needs to include home equity loan information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



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Thursday, October 20, 2005

The Forgotten Advertising Tip. Home Field Advantage in the MLB (Part 1).

I'm

sure while you have seen many tips on advertising, many that talk about testing and tracking your ads, I'm sure that this one important tip is rarely mentioned: Running more than one ad at a time isn't the greatest idea.

While it seems like a good idea to spend your monthly advertising budget all at once at the first of the month, is it really gaining you the best exposure? Even if you are running ads on various websites and networks, there is a pretty good chance many of those that see your ad on one site are going to see them on another.

Rather than having several ads running at the same time, try to space out your ads a bit and run only one at a time. Why? Well think of it this way. Say a visitor seeing your ad on one site and thinking "interesting, I may have to buy something later". Later that same day if they are on another website I'm sure they'll think, "there it is again, but I'll buy later".

Now think if you would have waited a week or two before advertising at that second site in which this visitor comes to daily, and then seeing it saying, "oh wow that site! I forgot I was going to buy there last week, so I'd better do it now".

See the difference? Rather than one person seeing your site several times in one day or week and it still being the bad time, if you space your ads out you have a better chance of catching them when it IS a better time...or at least taking a closer look at your site and getting them subscribed to your newsletter or other free offers you have on your website.

Another reason it's good to spread your advertising dollars as far as they will go is for constant exposure. If you are seen constantly in several places at all times, the easier you are going to be remembered. Not to mention like we said before, always be seen by someone who IS ready to buy.

Now of course, when you do choose to advertise on several sites at the same time, there is the chance you will reach more of your target audience. Plus if you have the funds to constantly advertise on several sites at once, go for it! Just remember to keep the ads going, so you have a constant flow of visitors.

About the Authors: Kara Kelso & Anita DeFrank are two busy wahms, and the owners of Direct Sales Helpers. Learn how you can be successful in your company by visiting: http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



Of all the major sports, baseball is known for not having a great home field advantage. During the regular season, astute bettors will prey upon bookies by betting on teams that are in situations where the home field advantage is extreme.

Home teams win on average 53.6% of the time. This translates to a 7.2% advantage over road teams which is a smaller disparity compared to Basketball and Football.

Home teams in Football and Basketball feed off of their home town fans and are motivated. With baseball, it is most appropriate to try to find situations in which baseball teams will be more motivated.

Consider the Red Sox are 51-15 + 29 units the past 3 seasons at home off a home loss. Over the same span and angle, the Rangers are 47-33 +17 units and the Braves are 52-20 +20 units. These are 3 such teams that have a strong home field advantage given this situation. Because baseball is such an unpopular sport with bettors and this angle does not apply to all teams, the oddsmakers have not had to adjust on a situation as this.

Those 3 teams alone combined for 150-68, +66 units. This means that to even it out, the spread would have to be adjusted 30 points. So instead of being -130, the team would have to be -160. Instead of being +145, they would have to be +115. This is considerable in the eyes of most bettors. The normal home field advantage

is already taken into account in the spread but it is the handicapper's job to find profitable situations in which the home field advantage is higher and capitalize on it.

Chat about this article at the Sports Wagering Forums

By Proloy Bhattacharyya
NFLSystems.com
proloy@nflsystems.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



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Wednesday, October 19, 2005

In the Villa of the Sick Cat -- A Lesson in Customer Care. Habit Change--Six Steps to Success.

If you're a pet owner, you know the stress of having a sick pet and you know that having a great veterinarian is a wonderful thing. My cat, Zoe, came down with a nasty infection that had me racing off to the vet's office last week with an unhappy, howling kitty in tow. (She's doing much better now.)

This was my first visit to this vet's office, having just moved here last year. When I arrived, the building was under construction. Lots of hammering, sawing, and loud noises-not exactly the controlled, calm atmosphere preferred by a sick pet. But fortunately, Zoe lives in the House of Perpetual Construction Projects, so she did okay.

But, what really struck me was the construction project itself. The waiting room has been transformed into an Italian Villa with high ceilings, a graceful figure-eight-shaped pool in the center of the room, a decorative fountain, and "faux" plants. It is gorgeous and would make a great setting for a romantic Italian meal complete with fine wine and a strolling violinist.

My first reaction on walking in was "This is beautiful, I wonder how high my vet bill will be." As Zoe and I sat waiting (and waiting and waiting and waiting), I watched all the other customers coming through the door. Each one looked around at the beautiful setting and said "I wonder how much this is going to cost me."

The newly designed waiting rooms and exam rooms were not designed for the customers-dogs and cats. They weren't designed for the humans bringing in their pets for medical care. It's a total ego design. Impressive. Elegant. Grand.

And instead of all the customers (animal and human) being wowed by the design, they reacted negatively. You see, sick cats and dogs want quiet, dark spaces and they want their visit to the vet's office to be over quickly. Instead, the new design with its concrete floor (fashionably treated to look like a sun kissed rock patio) and its soaring ceilings means that every time the phone rings the noise reverberates throughout the waiting area. The poor scheduling means that a sick pet has to stay in that waiting room for what must seem an eternity. And of course, the humans immediately understand that the money to pay for this project has to come from somewhere...namely their wallets.

Fortunately, our new vet turned out to be competent and caring and Zoe is recovering nicely. But, the business lesson remains. Focus on what your customers care about and you'll never go wrong.

Caroline Jordan,

MBA helps self employed professionals build successful businesses, attract clients they enjoy working with, improve cash flow, and develop additional sources of revenue. To find out how visit: http://www.TheJordanResult.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



As every New Year approaches, many of us are doing the usual...thinking, "This year will be different. I'm going to change...(fill in the blanks)...my work habits, my attitudes. I'll lose those pounds; I'll make that difficult choice that's long overdue." We re-make these resolutions throughout the year.

But will really follow through until the goals are accomplished? Or will this new "determination" be like the others...lots of good intentions, plenty of wishes, but basically, life goes on as usual?

Research on personal change (Prochaska, Norcross, and Diclemente; "Changing for Good") has demonstrated that successful change comes in six well-defined stages. Perhaps the failure to recognize these stages has been responsible for your past frustrations and failures in following through on self improvements.

You see, each of these stages has a series of tasks that must be completed before you can progress to the next. You set yourself up for failure when you either try to accomplish changes you aren't ready for or when you stay so long on tasks you've mastered (such as understanding your problem) that you become stuck indefinitely.

Think about your past experiences as you read what happens in these six stages.

STAGE 1: PRECONTEMPLATION When you're at this stage, you aren't even admitting you have a problem. We've all seen unhealthy denial in others. We often have trouble seeing it in ourselves.

Writer G.K. Chesterton said, "It isn't that they can't see the solution. It's that they can't see the problem."

Precontemplators don't want to change themselves. They think others are to blame for their difficulties. Likely, others are experiencing the precontemplator's problem and may be applying pressure for him or her to change. The responses...denial and resistance.

Are you in this stage? Chances are, you are with at least one of the destructive and self-defeating behaviors you need to change.

STAGE 2: CONTEMPLATION When you move to the Contemplation stage, you acknowledge you have a problem, and you want to get unstuck. You begin to think seriously about solving your problem. You try to understand its causes, and you begin to investigate your options. At this point you have indefinite plans to take action within the next few months.

However, you can stay stuck in this stage for months or years. (Is this where you are now?) You know you need to change, and you intend to...someday...just as soon as...after...when the rush is over (when would that be?). You know your desire and your destination, but you're not quite ready to go.

Fear of failure can keep you searching for an easier, more dramatic, or more complete solution to your problem. The irony is, failure is guaranteed if you don't move on to the next stage.

STAGE 3: PREPARATION "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

You greatly reduce your success probability if you suddenly wake up one morning, say "This is the day," and dive headfirst into a change without realistically and specifically planning how you will make the change happen.

At Stage 3, you develop a detailed plan of action and you may announce your intentions publicly. Your awareness is high, and you may have already begun small behavioral changes. Before moving ahead, however, you need to know exactly how you will keep your awareness and commitment high throughout the struggles of the next stages.

STAGE 4: ACTION This stage is the one that requires the most commitment and energy. It's where you actually DO IT! You receive the most recognition and support during this stage, because others can see that you're working at it. You follow the plan you've made in Stage 3, make revisions as necessary, and "keep on keeping on" even when it's inconvenient or difficult.

Here's a caution: Action doesn't necessarily mean that lasting change has been made. It's an essential part of the process, but the failure to do what's necessary in the next stage, Maintenance, can sabotage the progress you've made so far.

STAGE 5: MAINTENANCE The maintenance stage is a long, ongoing process. From my experience, it's the most difficult. (How many times have I dieted, for example, only to gain the weight back?)

The Action stage must be followed by constant vigilance and a systematic plan for dealing with those temptations that can draw you back into the old, destructive pattern. It's hard work to consolidate the gains you've made during the first four stages and to prevent relapse.

Celebrate achieving your goals, but don't relax and tell yourself, "Whew! I'm glad that's over!" Develop a menu of mental and behavioral coping strategies that will take you through the times when your feet begin to slip. (More on that in the next article.)

STAGE 6: TERMINATION There is lively debate about whether this stage is possible when the behavior you've changed is an addictive habit. The ideal would be that you no longer feel tempted, and the habit is absolutely not a problem for you. Some say, however, that you must always maintain a life of vigilance.

I tend to agree. Some can progress to the point that they are not constantly tempted, nor do they think about it every day. However, I believe that once you've had a deeply ingrained habit or addiction, you are always more vulnerable than if you'd never had it. Keep a level of awareness, especially in times of stress. Studies show that in times of stress or conflict, people are most likely to slip.

NOT A LINEAR PROGRESSION

Wouldn't it be nice if we smoothly progressed from one stage to the next? It's possible, but not probable. Most people have episodes of backsliding into Contemplation or even Precontemplation before trying again. In fact, studies show that New Year's resolutions are made, on average, five times before the changer moves all the way to Maintenance! (That's average. You don't have to do it that many times if you know how to move more effectively through these six stages.)

Don't give up! If you have a setback, don't stay there. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again...this time with a revised and better plan.

Dr. Bev Smallwood is a psychologist who has worked with organizations across the globe for over 20 years. Her high-energy, high-content, high-involvement Magnetic Workplaces (r) programs provide dozens of practical strategies and skills that can be put to work immediately to:

  1. build strong leaders who influence and develop others through serving;

  3. energize, motivate, and retain team members;

  5. successfully accomplish important organizational transitions; and

  7. impress customers and build their loyalty.

Review a complete list of her programs available for your convention or corporate meeting at the website, www.MagneticWorkplaces.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



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