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I remember my mother telling me about the times when she was pregnant. She was wearing nothing more than my father’s jeans and his working shirts throughout her pregnancy. No maternity clothes for her because she was too poor to buy them at that time. Remember, in her time, which was about 30 years back, maternity clothes used to cost a bomb.

And yet, if you walk along any shopping center these days, you’ll notice at least three or four maternity clothes fashion houses catering to the specifically ‘large’ needs of a pregnant mother. And since the web and the Internet is such a magnanimous thing these days, what about online maternity stores? I’d safely say there are just about half a million legitimate maternity stores right now flailing around the Internet wires for business.

And the amazing thing is that…YES, they make money! And why, I was wondering.

Because of one simple thing….even though my mother (like your mother) and my grandmother (and your grandmother) didn’t need maternity clothes when they were pregnant, the modern generation of pregnant women really, truly DO need maternity clothes. We’re living in an era that is completely different from their time and we cannot compare our pregnancy needs with their needs. The same rules no longer apply.

If you’re pregnant right now and am sitting around here wondering if you should get yourself a whole new wardrobe of maternity clothes, you’re in luck. I have some tips about buying maternity clothes for you.

Buy good-looking maternity clothes that can last at least 3 pregnancies

Like I said, maternity clothes are not cheap these days and maternity clothes are only wearable for the nine months that you’re pregnant and maybe another month or two after that. And when you get back in shape, you’re going to have to shelve those expensive maternity clothes or put the maternity clothes in sad boxes with the edges stuck together with cellophane tape.

So, buy only maternity clothes that are classy and of exceptional quality. You wear maternity clothes only when you plan to go out. For casual outings and at home, stick to your extra large clothes or perhaps, you can buy some large sweaters, t-shirts, overalls, or raglan to wear when you’re not required to look all-that-presentable. It works!

You won’t need CASUAL maternity clothes. In my books, that’s an oxymoron.

Maternity clothes that can double up as breastfeeding clothes later on would be good too

If you intend to breastfeed your baby after the whole pregnancy is over, you would have to think about buying MORE clothes…breastfeeding/nursing clothes. Now, as with maternity clothes, nursing clothes don’t come cheap either. And do we NEED nursing clothes as much as we need maternity clothes? Yes, sometimes we do. I have quite a few fashionable looking nursing clothes that I wear whenever I go out shopping or meeting up with friends. Other times, I wear my t-shirts with holes cut out for easy access to the breast! Yeah, it’s funny, but at home, who’s going to care?

And if you can get your hands on some good maternity clothes that can double up as nursing clothes later on, GO FOR IT! You will get your money’s worth that way.

Style of maternity clothes

Many maternity clothes designers are asleep when they’re designing maternity clothes – the selection is bad. Most of them are nothing but flower after flower, spiral after spiral, safety pins or perhaps some form of teddy bear or another. Forget about them! If you were to buy maternity clothes, invest one that makes you look good. If the maternity clothes are plain, that’s fine, it’s better than making you look like Bozo – most of them do, by the way.

The point is that you want to look CLASSY and DIGNIFIED even though you’re sort of….BIG. and wearing maternity clothes with large orange and yellow flower prints is NOT going to help you do that!

That’s just my opinion, of course, and you’re entitled to have your own opinion about maternity clothes that looks good.

Good luck!

Reprint Notice

Copyright 2005 Marsha Maung

Please feel free to reprint this article in your newsletter, website, magazine or other forms of publication freely. The only requirement is that the following biodata is included and the links remains intact. Apart from editorial or grammatical editing, other form of editing that may impair, change, or alter the context of the article is NOT permitted. If so, please contact the writer for written consent.

Marsha Maung is a freelance writer and designer. She designs apparel, household and premium items for http://www.allmomstuff.com Marsha MaungÂ’s personal website is http://www.marshamaung.com

For the movie fanatics out there that have to have all the latest movies or the oldest of classics, is finding the movies you want hard to find and is it getting downright expensive to build your DVD collection? Is there an alternative way of buying movies without having to search all over the Internet or having to break into the piggy bank to get your next movie DVD? The good news is, yes, there is a way of finding those movies that you gotta have and movies that you were not sure of but didn’t want to go over your monthly budget to risk buying a dud of a movie. You can now Download Full Version Movies without breaking the bank and you have thousands of titles to choose from.

The old way of renting a movie at the local movie store or even the new ways of buying DVDs directly off the Internet still has its drawbacks. You still have to return the movies once you are done and also if you buy a DVD you have to wait for that DVD to be mailed to you before you can enjoy it. Either way you have to wait before you can get the satisfaction of knowing if the movie was worth the trip to the store (twice) or just waiting for it to come in the mail. All this waiting is a bummer when all you want to do is watch a movie. So what alternatives are out there to satisfy your movies needs?

The latest trend in watching movies is the movie download business. This market beats renting and purchasing movies by giving you the ability to Download Full Version Movies directly to your computer. This has all been made possible with the increase in technology in computers and high speed Internet connections. Movie downloading sites offers unlimited access to thousands of Hollywood movies titles which you can download anytime you want. It is as easy as picking a title, downloading the movie, then you can watch and burn the movie to a DVD in minutes, all from you home computer.

You have to ability to Download Full Version Movies without limitations on how many movie downloads you get. That is right, unlimited movie downloads is the newest trend in watching movies. Plus the quality of the movies are as good as the DVDs you rent or buy from the store. Typically each movie has a quality from 700kps (kilobits per second) to 6000kps (DVD quality). Most of the download sites offer DVD quality downloads which when transfer ed to the your TV or portable movie player still looks crisp and sharp.

When you Download Full Version Movies over the Internet, times can vary with each Internet connection. Typically for a regular sized movie it will take anywhere between 1 hour to 4 hours depending on how fast your connection is. Each site comes with its own downloading software to help ease the problems of finding or downloading files over the Internet. This software is linked to a large network to help you enjoy unlimited movie downloads anytime you want.

Not only is this new trend in the movie download market becoming more popular everyday, it is becoming easier and more convenient to download movies rather than buy or rent them. If you want an alternative to renting or buying movies then find out more about what each downloading service offers and how they can help you find the right movies for one low price.

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If you have ever driven through a campground and seen families having great fun camping together and thought, “that looks that a great family activity”, you are right! Camping is one of the most wholesome, fun, affordable and bonding experiences a family can get into. But if you have driven along looking at all the equipment and skills needed to learn camp and thought, “I can never learn to do all of that”, you are wrong. It really isn’t that hard to learn to camp and every step along the way is lots of fun for everyone.

So how do you get started learning to camp? There is no question that there is some equipment involved and learning to set up a camp, use your gear to enjoy a night of eating and sleeping in the open spaces and then get home safe and sound requires a bit of a learning curve. For many parents that want to start camping to give their children those experiences, the idea of buying all that equipment is intimidating. And you don’t want to get the wrong equipment and then have to buy it all over again. Those kinds of mistakes can kill your enthusiasm for expanding your camping hobby into a passion for camping.

So one of the best ways to learn to camp and to try out camping equipment is to camp with someone who is good at it. Many experienced camping families have excess equipment or know other families who will loan you equipment to try out on your first camp out. If one of your friends or friends of your children are experienced campers, you will find them to probably be evangelistic about it and happy to let you tag along on their next camp out to show you the ropes. If they can help you borrow some equipment, you can learn to use it and try out different camping options so when you are ready to buy your own equipment you already know what you like and don’t like.

Another great way to get some camping experience without buying a thing is to get involved in camping organization. If you have children, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are organizations geared for building life skills in children and who are heavily dedicated to camping. Most scout troops have an extensive arsenal of camping gear and the leadership are almost always seasoned campers with a flair for teaching.

It is the mission of the scouts to train new recruits in the fine points of camping so you can tag along on some camp outs and learn some great camping skills. Also scouts actively encourages parent involvement so dad and mom can learn to camp right along with their children. Who knows but you may get involved with the scouts just to harvest some camping skills and find yourself hooked and becoming life long Boy or Girl Scout enthusiasts. There are worse things children or a whole family can be involved in for sure.

After getting some exposure, you will want to think through what kind of tents, sleeping bags and other camping gear you will want to buy as you launch your family camping hobby. Many two-man tents are economical and easy to transport, put up and break down. But if you are going to have the entire family in one tent, you may want to look into a larger family tent that mom and dad can stand up in and that provides plenty of room for gear and children as well. But look ahead in your camping life. As the children grow older, they may want to move out into their own tents to think of how your first starter tent will fit into the larger scheme of camping as you grow in your camping ambitions.

Another consideration is whether you will need electricity and water facilities at the camp grounds you visit or if you will provide for those things yourself. Many beginning campers prefer to use electricity and water hook ups to make it easier on parents who are learning the tricks of the trade of camping. But remember to take extension cords and water hoses so you can bring those resources into camp and even right into the tent with you.

Also think about the space in your vehicle for camping gear and how you will transport your new gear to and from camp. You probably don’t want to buy a vehicle just for camping at first so learning to pack light and only take what is needed will be an important skill for you throughout your camping career.

Take it slow as you learn each new method of camping and begin to use new tools that you see other campers use. One way to slowly expand your camping gear is to plan to buy one new piece of camping equipment each season so you find your knowledge and skills at using that new gear grow at a steady pace as well.

Take it slow in how ambitious you get in your camping plans. Don’t drive two days to the deep mountains and take on a primitive camping adventure if you are new to the sport. Start out with one night camp outs close to home. Yes, your first camp out may even be in your back yard so you can do a trial run with your equipment but be close enough to run inside if things go wrong. Then slowly expand the number of nights you are out and how far away from home you get.

You will find camping to be an addictive passion and it’s an addiction that you will be glad your family got hooked on. By using some common sense and developing your skills steadily, you can expand your vision and take on more and more aggressive and ambitious camping adventures over time. Then when you have graduated from beginner camper to seasoned old pro, you will look back at your progress and get some real gratification that you took on something new and made it your own. You will be proud of yourself and your kids will be proud too because they will have a love of camping that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

Gray Rollins is a featured writer for CampingEarth.com – your complete resource to camping. If you’d like to learn more camping basics, please visit us. Also, be sure to check out our comprehensive guides such as the complete guide to popup campers.

Marketing strategies are applicable to all types of investment, with an emphasis on Internet marketing. This is because the Internet has become a highly successful marketplace, filled with endless opportunities of creating each individual’s niche, while maximizing any profit that can be earned from it. However, to achieve this successful niche, individuals need to have effective marketing strategies that will help achieve their successful goal of earning more and staying there. Also, always keep in mind there are millions of websites in the world who are competing for success in the same marketing area as we are. To stay successful and to grow, Internet marketing businesses must each stay afloat amidst this tight competition on a continuous basis.

In order to create well-sound internet marketing strategies, we do not build it without a strong basis to develop it from. Internet marketing strategies need to be integrated with a corporation’s marketing objectives, policies, and tactics into a cohesive whole. Keep in mind that formulating internet marketing strategies need to effectively carry out the corporation’s mission, such as providing high-quality products or services at the lowest possible cost, and at the same time not sacrificing the profitability of the investment.

In a board of directors’ meeting, it was stated that the revenues, as well as the volume of sales made during the previous month was comparatively lower compared to the revenues and volume of sales made several months ago. This decrease was more than what was expected, and present statistics show that the decreasing trend might continue due to uncontrollable market conditions. Once the problem was not addressed, the revenue of the corporation would suffer, resulting to streamlining the corporate organization, which would affect most of the employees.

As a corporate executive, what can be done to contribute to solve the problem of the corporation? It is a serious responsibility to get the business back on track, as well as ensuring the employees that they still have their job. At this point, what we need is to formulate effective internet marketing strategies that will address the problem of decreasing revenue and sales volume of the corporation.

The object in mind is to keep focus on the purpose of internet marketing strategies — helping get more potential customers, more earnings out of sales that can be made, and declaring an Internet marketing career to be a successful one. Listed are tips on how these internet marketing strategies will affect an internet marketing business, with emphasis in a positive point of view.

Begin with what is available now, without spending a lot of extra money. What are the possible edges of the marketing product or business as a whole, compared to others? Does it stand out among other businesses with similar products? Being unique is one of the internet marketing strategies that will help get potential clients, eventually making the new business a success. Nothing will beat the expertise of developing a product, safely satisfying the needs of the target market.

Take the product to the internet, giving it a unique image over the web. Use the power of words and images in expressing what the new product offers to the public. Make the description of the product as simple as possible, yet straight to the point.

One of the keys to internet marketing success is the “click through” strategy, where a product’s attraction to the customer will cause them to click on the product’s new ad, getting them to “find and go to the product”. This new product that is being offered must be significant to what the customer is looking for, thus the use of online surveys will help determine the products that are “in” and “out”. The utilization of online surveys is one of the most important internet marketing strategies.

These are just a few of the internet marketing strategies that can be used for any new online business. Of course, there are still many internet marketing strategies that are available. Try to stay with the most basic ones at the beginning. All complex internet marketing strategies take their start from the basic, making basic internet marketing strategies just as effective as the complex ones.

Keep in mind the purpose of marketing — getting close or going beyond the return of investment within the least amount of time – is using the least financial spending possible at all times. These internet marketing strategies will help to achieve the purpose of marketing, as well as address any future problems that may be encountered along the internet marketing career. Such internet marketing strategies will serve as the main foundation of any marketing plan — it must contain definite actions that will be implemented, addressing the problem of the corporation. For instance, an individual may use the strategy of offering low-cost yet high quality products or services to attract more consumers or convince potential clients to patronize your new product. By using such strategy, there is a high chance that the business can be compensated for any previous losses, getting the online business onto a profitable level.

Melvin Perry is an internet entreprenuer that specializes in building large email lists within a matter of weeks. He curently teaches marketers via free step by step video how to earn thousands monthly through the list building model. You can snatch this report at no cost by visiting FREE Internet Marketing Videos

Decorating a childs room can be quite a stressful time and trying to keep to a budget can also be quite hard. You may also be slightly over whelmed by the massive choice of childrens furniture available online and from furniture stores.

The main tip to remember is to keep things simple. Some childrens furniture sets, childrens wardrobes, childrens beds can cost from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand pounds for a childrens room set. The key thing to remember is to shop around and make sure you find a great deal and stick to a budget.

A childrens wardrobe is probably the most versatile piece of furniture you can buy. If you can find a decent sized childrens wardrobe at a good price they will last a long time, and will provide a good storage space as your child grows. The only real decision you would have to make is whether a single or double childrens wardrobe is best for your childs room. Obviously if you do not have the room space to have a double childrens wardrobe a single wardrobe is perfect. A single wardrobe usually consists of either a hanging rail, a top shelf and a storage draw at the bottom of the wardrobe. Or can be up to three shelves all the way up the height of the wardrobe, with a single draw at the bottom.

Trying to find a good childs bed is probably the hardest piece of furniture to get right. If you have a young child a cot bed is probably your best bet. A lot of childrens cot beds can be easily converted into a junior bed which when your child reaches that certain age, not only is this a good money saver but when you think about you are getting two beds for the price of one.

There are also many different types of beds available for slightly older children. There are animated beds such as car shaped beds brightly decorated to appeal to toddlers. Bunk beds are a great idea for children sharing a bedroom and it also saves tremendously on space. Another great feature of a childrens bunk bed is you choose a single bunk bed they come with a desk underneath which not only saves of space but some come with extra storage as well helping to keep you childs room tidy.

Another piece of childrens furniture to consider is a desk. As your child gets older whether they like it or not they will get home work so having a desk or a childrens table and chair set is a great idea for a childs bedroom. Enabling them to go somewhere quite to colour, play or do homework.

For younger children and one of the main pieces of childrens furniture in a room sets is a chest of draws with a baby changing facility located at the top, which is a removable top part of the chest of draws doubling up as a baby changer.

There are many different online stores that supply childrens bedroom furniture at some great prices. It can take time to plan and stick to a budget to find the best prices for that perfect piece of childrens furniture for your kids room.

We hope you have found this childrens furniture article useful. There are many different styles of childrens wardobes available, so we hope this has helped you to make a decision.

Failure and mistakes should not make you quit Do-It-Yourself auto repairs. Learn how to

turn them to success.

Failures And Mistakes Are Inevitable:

Everybody makes mistakes, everybody fail in one way or the other. Thus, you should expect some level of failure in your Do-it-Yourself auto repairs, prepare for it and get over it.

Know that all successful Do-It-Yourselfers today have failed at one time or the other in their life.

So don’t be afraid of failing in your own.

You Can Prevent Or Reduce Failures:

Yes, you can reduce failure or mistakes in your Do-it-yourself auto repairs by following the right guides, by obeying Do-it-yourself auto repair instructions to the letter. These instructions you can get in your auto repair manuals.

Get a good auto repair manual, study it and familiarize yourself with the details of the auto repairs you want to carry out. You can use the steps below to learn from your mistakes and turn them to success by asking yourself the following questions.

1. What Caused The Failure:

Failure In Do-it-yourself auto repair often occur as a result of inadequate preparation, lack of adequate knowledge of the job, lack of confidence or outright over confidence and any other remote causes.

Think and evaluate the situation, isolate the problem and asses it and know exactly where the fault is from. Get the specific answer to what caused the failure.

2. What Can I Learn From What Happened:

Another question to answer in case of Do-It-Yourself auto repairs failure. You can learn a lot; maybe that you didn’t get the right auto parts, tools, accessories, you don’t have enough confidence in yourself to carry out Do-It-Yourself auto repairs, you don’t have enough time, etc.

Your answer(s) to this question will determine the action (solution) you are to take.

3. How Can I Turn This Into A Success:

Once you have been able to identify the problem(s), in your DIY auto repairs, you can then look for solution. A problem is not a problem it depends on the way you look at it.

If you lack confidence, try and build it by affirming to yourself that you can do it. Read the testimonies of starters in Do-It-Yourself auto repairs to further still your nerves. If you are always over confident try to cool your nerves by writing down the steps you want to take, go over them several times and follow them to the letter.

If you lack adequate preparation, prepare your list of tools, auto parts, etc days before you carry out Do-it-yourself auto repairs, use your manual as a guide to know what you want to do and what you would need in order to get them ready.

4. Who Can Help Me With This Issue:

For speedy and effective solutions to Do-it-yourself auto repairs problems, you can get help from your manuals or better still from auto repair sites.

The Bottom Line start turning all your DIY auto repairs failures and mistakes into success, it all depends on you.

Tope Olawumi is a seasoned auto infopreneur his site at http://www.all-about-auto-part.com/Do-It-Yourself-Auto-Repair.html show you how to carry out successful Do-it-yourself auto repairs, quality auto repair site and auto manual sites.

You can also subscribe to his blog at http://www.all-about-auto-part.com/Auto-part-blog.html

You’ve probably read the previous piece on North Indian breads. This article focuses on North Indian cooking, which includes cooking style, spices used, terminology and some common foods.

North Indian cooking is nearly always quite spicy and uses a large number of spices in any given dish. The terms used for various dishes are normally descriptive of the food itself like Jeera Aloo for instance, which literally translates to ‘Cumin seed Potatoes’. Like most cultures there are also some misleading names like ‘Butter Chicken’, which is actually marinated chicken cooked in a tandoor and served in smooth, tomato gravy and doesn’t contain any butter. There are also terms which aren’t related to the food in question, like Pulao, which is rice cooked with spices and vegetables. The term sabzi (sub-zee) is used quite liberally when describing nearly any dry, vegetable preparation. The same applies to the term dal, which is used for most types of lentils. The term tari (tuh-ree) denotes gravy and is suffixed to the name of a dish when it has gravy.

In these days of fusion food, it is difficult to pin down a set of spices that a given region can claim. However, traditionally, north Indian cooking uses the following spices and herbs:

• Cumin seed (Jeera)
• Ajowan or (Ajwain)
• Red Chili Powder I – Flavor over color (Lal Mirch)
• Red Chili Powder II – Color over flavor (Degi Mirch or Kashmiri Mirch)
• Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
• Dried Mango Powder (Aamchur)
• Coriander Seeds (Sabat Dhania)
• Coriander Powder (Dhania)
• Fresh Coriander Leaves (Hara Dhania)
• Green Cardamom (Choti Elaichi)
• Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
• Cinnamon (Dalchini)
• Garam Masala – A set mixture of spices – roasted cumin, cinnamon, cloves, caraway seeds, nutmeg (and/or mace) and green cardamom seed or black cardamom pods. The composition of Garam Masala changes from region to region.
• Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi)
• Black Mustard Seeds (Rai)

This list is by no means complete – there are many more spices used in every day North Indian cooking – the purpose of this article however is to provide a feel for North Indian cooking.

Different spices are used in different situations, in different ways. The flavor and characteristics of spices change if you’re dry roasting them, frying them, adding them before simmering to cook or after cooking.

Our first foray into traditional North Indian cooking could start with a simple vegetable preparation, which we could either call Aloo ki Sabzi (‘Vegetable Preparation of Potatoes’) or Jeera Aloo (Cumin seed Flavored Potatoes).

Cumin Seed Potatoes / Jeera Aloo

Ingredients

- 3 Large Baking Potatoes

-One onion, chopped fine

-1 tsp Cumin seed

-1 tsp Turmeric Powder

-1 tsp Chili Powder

-1 tsp Coriander Powder

-1 tsp Dried Mango Powder

-Salt to taste

-Chopped fresh coriander for garnishing

-Oil for frying

Method

First peel your potatoes, dice and then boil in lightly salted water. Then drain and let cool. Heat oil in your pan and add the cumin seed. After 2 – 3 seconds of crackling, add the onions and fry, stirring lightly for about a minute on low heat. Now add all the spices, except the dried mango powder and mix well. Throw in the potatoes, which should be nice and firm now and toss well, so the onion-spice mixture coats the potatoes all over. Simmer for about 5 – 7 minutes. Finally, add the dried mango powder and toss the potatoes on high heat, till there’s a thick, spicy sludge adhering to the potatoes. Garnish with the fresh, chopped coriander prior to serving.

These can be served with Rotis, filled in toasted sandwiches or just eaten as is for a snack.

As you can see, this everyday dish uses 5 different spices and one herb. There are some traditional dishes that use up to 30 different spices! These are now (in most part) a thing of the past and cooked only on very special occasions.

As an example, let’s say we’d like to try our hand at cooking a simple north Indian dish without a recipe, simply going by the style. Obviously we’ll need some north Indian spices, the most common of which are Jeera (cumin seed), Haldi (turmeric powder), Namak (salt) and Mirch (chili powder). The first step, in nearly every dish is to fry onions as it is a staple in north Indian cooking. When pink/transparent, we add some spices and fry some more. This gives us a thick sauce to which we can add a little water if we wish. This sauce will coat the vegetables or meat we’ll add later. Here’s a simple example.

Onion and Tomato Sabzi / Pyaaz Tamatar ki Sabzi

Ingredients

-3 Large tomatoes, chopped roughly

-Two Onions, chopped roughly

-2 large cloves of garlic, finely sliced

-1 tsp Cumin seed

-1 tsp Turmeric Powder

-1 tsp Dried Mango Powder

-1 tsp Chili Powder

-Salt to taste

-Oil for frying

Method

The process is really quite simple – we heat a little oil, add the onions, fry a little, add the garlic and continue frying till the onions are pink or translucent. Then we add the rest of the spices except the dried mango powder, mix well and finally toss in the tomatoes. The dried mango powder goes in at the end.

One major feature of Indian cooking is that vegetables are rarely left crisp or crunchy. They’re nearly always cooked till they’re very soft. This isn’t very good for the nutrition content of the veggies and I’d recommend cooking them till they’re just done and still have a bit of bite left.

The pan will be kept on a simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, till the tomatoes are cooked through. Finally we stir in the dried mango powder and it’s ready to eat! This dish is usually eaten with Rotis.

As you can see, the pattern is similar – fry onions (if using), spices, toss in vegetables, nuke them (or not) and serve. Now that we have an idea of the basics involved, let’s get on to the secrets!

The Cooking Methods (by Naheed)

Secret 1: Bhuno well.

This is an extremely important process and involves frying spices to extract most of their flavor. Remember not to overheat the oil (unless it is mustard oil, which has to be heated till it emits some smoke & does not froth when something is put in it). If dry powdered masala is being used, the oil should not be hot as the dry spices will burn. Some amount of water must be added if you feel the spices may burn. When making the masala, use onion paste along with ginger & garlic to which you will add other spices as required.

For meat however, the method is quite different. This is the last process for cooking meat in quite a few cases, or the process just before adding water to make the gravy. It is believed the real flavor of meat develops only if you devote upward of 10 minutes to this process. Meat releases some of its own fat which mixes with the spices and then the oil cooks the meat and helps the meat absorb the mixed flavors of the spices. How long to do so, is a question that has no fixed answer. As a guideline, stop when either the meat becomes too tender or the gravy becomes completely dry, or your guests start to get very restless. You will also notice that the meat & gravy tend to stick to the vessel if you do not stir them constantly. If they do, scrape it off; and if the gravy gets too dry, add yoghurt or water.

Secret 2: Bagharna

This is a simple process and is called Chaukna in Hindi. Here dry spices are added to hot oil and this concoction is added to a dish (e.g. Dal). Although a simple process, do not burn the spices. In fact it is advised that once you have added the spices, remove the vessel from the fire.

Secret 3: Dum Cooking

This is the art of slow cooking. It enables individual flavors to intermingle properly. This is also the method used for the last few minutes when cooking rice or biryani. In the old days, when food was cooked on coal or wood, the only way was to raise the distance between the flame & the vessel, or put the vessel in the dying embers, seal the lid of the dish with flour & put a few embers of coal on top of the lid. In dum cooking, it is essential the fire be at its lowest and the food will therefore take a while before it’s done. Rest assured that your patience will be amply rewarded. Thankfully modern cooking presents us with newer methods and one of the easiest is to put the whole vessel in an oven. If you do not have one, put a griddle (tawa) on the flame & then put the vessel on it. Also note that dum cooking meat will make the ingredients (meat, vegetables) exude the moisture or water within. A word of caution here: Try not to use a pressure cooker or the meat will not turn out right.

Secret 4: Frying

Simple you’d say. Well, yes it is. However, there are two types of frying. One is frying to cook and the other one to brown. For deep frying it is essential that there be sufficient oil to cover the item. For browning, the oil can be less but must be at a low temperature.

Secret 5: Using earthenware

Not only is earthenware cheap in India but it was also the first form of disposable crockery. Most desserts in India were traditionally served either on banana leaves or in earthenware crockery. Some of the better known five star restaurants in India still use earthenware. If you’ve noticed, tea at Indian railway stations is still served in earthenware glasses. Not only is it environmentally friendly, a special earthy flavor permeates the tea, which no cooking method can simulate.

Secret 6: Kewda Water

Kewda is the derivative of a desert plant with very fragrant leaves. The essential oil of this is heavily diluted in water which is used as a perfuming agent for food. Typically used in Firni and Zarda among other desserts and has no parallel.

The Ingredients

Secret 1: Dahi or Yoghurt

This is a wonder ingredient. Yoghurt lends a light buttery flavor to the creation as well as a light creamy consistency. For example, it is the base for some dishes like Rizala where the original flavor of yoghurt is completely transformed. Yoghurt when cooked transforms in taste to lightly sour and gives the gravy a creamy texture. All in all, it is an essential item. In a few dishes, it may be substituted by tomato puree but then the final result will be slightly different. Did you know vegetables cooked in yoghurt retain their shape? In fact in Dumpukth Fish, it is the yoghurt that preserves the shape of the fish. Also, at times if you have mistakenly added extra salt, add a splash of whisked yoghurt and cook for a while.

Secret 2: Onions

This is an essential ingredient in a lot of dishes and is commonly used for salads. A handy tip on handling onions is to remove the outer dry skin, cut in half and wash thoroughly to prevent your eyes from watering. Onions lend a sweetish flavor to cooking and are a common masala base. However when fried then mixed, the taste is totally different. So when the recipe says “fry onions”, you’d better fry them.

Secret 3: Cumin

There are two types of cumin seeds. The common white cumin seeds which are cheap are used mainly in vegetarian dishes. They are more often than not fried to get their flavor out. Sometimes as in a raita, they are dry roasted on a tawa and then ground. However, the more expensive black cumin seeds or Shah Jeera as they are commonly known as, are quite different in taste and flavor. The two are rarely substituted. Most restaurants substitute them in rice preparations, but then, what you get is something totally different.

Final Recipe

Now that we have quite a good idea of what’s involved in North Indian cooking, perhaps a slightly complex recipe is in order – Nihari. This is definitely not one of the dishes that one finds on the menu of five star restaurants. This is one of the dishes eaten with a lot of passion by all. In fact to have Nihari one must have the zest to wake up before dawn because it is a very hot meal and in most places where it is served, the service is over by 9am. It is a delectable broth of meat, cooked over a slow fire, mostly overnight and eaten in the early hours of the morning with a tandoori roti and an assortment of fresh herbs accompanied by loads of lemon. The meat is fulfilling and the broth is had as a refreshing and a rather hot soup. The other reason why one has it as a breakfast meal and that too only in winter is because it makes you feel very thirsty and rather warm. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.

Nihari

Ingredients

• 1 kg Nihari meat (or any other meat that’s available)
• 250 grams Onions, sliced
• 3/4 cup Ghee
• 2 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tbsp dry roasted chickpea flour
• 1/2 – 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/4tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

Spice mixture

Grind together the following:1/4 tsp. dried ginger, 1/4 tsp. mace, 1/2 tsp. fennel, 1/2 tsp. white cumin seeds, 2 large cardamom, 4 small cardamoms, 4 cloves, 6 black pepper seeds

Preparation

Preparation time 30 minutes | Cooking time 2-3 hours

• Add 2/3rd of the onions in moderately hot oil and when the onion goes soft add ginger & garlic paste along with ground coriander and turmeric powder and let it fry for about 3-4 minutes or until the oil comes on top again.
• Add the meat and cook over slow fire. The meat will let out its own water.
• When it is semi cooked, add the chick pea flour to 2 cups of water and leave the broth to cook over very slow fire for at least 45 minutes.
• The slower you cook the more flavors you will draw out.
• Keep the pot covered but no pressure cookers please.
• When the meat is as tender as it can get, add the spice mixture along with the leftover onions.

On a parting note, while cooking methods remain largely consistent and typical, knowing the spices will help tremendously. So while you’re cooking go on and add that sprinkle of black mustard seeds to hot oil and watch them crackle or throw in some curry leaves and savor the change in flavors!

Sid Khullar has written nearly 400 articles on food, cooking and other related subjects on Chef at Large. He welcomes recipe and photo contributions and is always looking to meet people passionate about the culinary arts.

While in school we are taught a for apple, b for ball and such stuff, the school of politics of India has entirely different teaching. Here is how it looks like:

A for Aam Aadmi: India is very diverse country with all major religions, various languages, caste living in one country. But chiefly there are only two set of people. Aam and Khaas. aam includes 99% of people of India while khaas includes top business and corporate heads, IAS, IPS and political brass. Of course with their families. So since aam aadmi is majority, Indian politics runs of claims of doing wonders for aam aadmi and ending up doing wonders for khaas!

B for Babri Mashjid:

It is very sensitive issue involving two major religions in India. Hinduism and Islam. But for Indian politics babri is important issue to divide and get votes. Secular takaat is defined by those who didnt participate in babri and communal are those who did participate.

While this is fading into being no issue with urban masses but it still continues to form psychic of people who actually vote.

C for Caste:

Not important factor is metros and mega cities, caste is still a very important social issue and form basis of votes. Mayawati’s social engineering concept and her massive victory showed how caste matters in politics.

D for Delhi:

Its dream of all political parties. Har karam apna karenge ae kurshi tere liye is slogan of all. Now just Indian politicians, a defense expert according to pakistanis and comedian according to Indian, Zaid Hamid also dreams of ruling delhi someday!

E for Election Commissioner:

A person who is not liked by all political parties but are left with no option but to obey his orders!!!!!

F for Farmers:

Farmers committing suicide is blamed on previous government,farmer loan waver is taken credit by all. Sugar cane price becomes issue for which all political parties try to take credit

G for Gandhi:

No. Its not mahatma gandhi. Mahatma gandhi is for 2nd october and international branding. For Indian politics gandhi is indira gandhi, rajeev gandhi, sonia gandhi and rahul gandhi. Ohh i forgot priyanka gandhi, varun gandhi and ofcourse menka gandhi.

If its congress politicians, pledge loyalty to sonia gandhi and rahul gandhi is obligatory. If politician is from other party opposing this Gandhi family is number one thing.

H for Hindi:

Ask raj thakeray and abu azmi, how a language can be made into issue and score political points using that.

I for Industrialization:

For details ask communist on singur issue!

J for Junta:

Faceless community which can be manipulated, divided and used for political mileage.

K for Karunanidhi:

One cannot make government in delhi without his support. UPA has it, NDA had it. Karunanidhi is ingredient without which no political collation recipe seems complete.

L for Lal Krishna Advani:

He dreamt of becoming prime minister but that dream was never realized. Lal krishna advani would be judged in history of modern India who practically polarised the votes by his babri campaign.

Lately he tried to correct his image but he could never succeed in it.But even after retirement he would be part of indian politics being in psychic of Indian voters, specially right wings and minorities.

M for Madam/Mamta/Maya:

Dial M for Indian Politics. Indira gandhi was one big madam of Indian politics and now we have mayawati, mamta and madam sonia gandhi. Indian politics has had femine power which has potential to rule. They can be bully at times, they can be ruthless at times but largely they are good for running their parties giving one success after another.

N for Naxals:

Naxals is said to be biggest threat to country. But for political reasons effective counter naxal strategy becomes difficult to be formed. Lalu blames communist who blame mamta who blames again communist. So its merry go round and naxals keep on striking.

They are india’s taliban. While taliban of pakistan want to implement their version of a holy book, naxals want to implement their version of holy book called mao, marx and lenin theories.

O is For Opposition:

A position in parliament which gives license to go for rampage. A position which is not liked to be held by any party and goal remains to get out of this position at any cost.

P is For paisa, power and parliament:

While goal is to reach parliament, the other two Ps are side product of reaching parliament and for some main goal.

Q is For Quitting Party:

Ability to quit party and forming own party is key to political success. But it can back fire too. Famous and successful quitters are sharad pawar, mamta banerjee, chandra shekhar and upcoming is raj thackeray.

R is For Regionalization:

Divide and divide and divide. Golden mantra of Indian Politics since eternity. Why only maharathi manoos?. Manoos for every state and win state election, send one or two mps to center, support center government and get job done.

S is For Secularism:

A term which is undefined in Indian politics. While official definition means position that religious belief should not influence public and governmental decisions; The related political belief in the separation of religion and state but largely secularism in India is used as term to keep right wing out of government. Often countered by right wing by word calle pseudo secularism.

T is For Terrorism:

Terrorism is not modern phenomena but lately this has seen rise in leaps and bounds. Weak government, strong government, terrorism and religion etc are important political issues.

U is for Unity under Obligation:

Other name is coalition which is practice of current Indian politics.

V is for Votes:

Vote ka mamla hai dilbar, khalbhali hai brain ke andar. Votes is right given to people to pass verdict about who would rule them. Votes designed to give power to people has been nicely used by politicians. Those who understand are lazy enough to vote and others who vote are lazy enough to understand!

W is for Wealth:

No need to elaborate. In time of recession one business strives.

X is for X-Factor:

This x-factor is unseen factor which has largely remained undefined. Is it charisma or is it in born?. Good speakers but bad implementers or ability to loose memory once elected. Its something in politicians that make them impossible to be ignored, impossible to give up and impossible to remember their election promises.

Y is for Yes Sir/Madam:

The ability to re assure leaders of respective parties about loyalty, about their way of thinking and in turn being able to survive in highly lucrative career.

Z is for Zero Hour:

An hour designed to raise questions to government and not infamous for absenteeism in parliament.

Link: A To Z Of Indian Politics

Indian Sawaal Is Blog Dedicated to bring into light all that is important for India. It would discuss Indian politics, terrorism in India, war on terror, indo-pak ties, social issues, crime, demographic dividends.

Experts say that a strong business plan is one sure step in the direction of success. So, what is a business plan in the first place? It is defined as a document that outlines the functional and financial objectives of a business. It also contains details of the budget involved and the goals to be achieved.

Everything on earth is tending to become compact. Gone are those days when a sea beach was described in a thousand words. Today, a similar description is possible with a powerful visual and a string of strong adjectives in only a few words. A mobile phone today is slightly bigger than your thumb. Similarly, a business plan is no longer a document of a hundred pages. Nobody wants to know your business. They want to know your views, your goals, your objectives and your plan of action.

How Well Can A Business Plan Be Implemented?

o Simplicity of a business plan – is it understood by one and all? Are its views and objectives clear?

o Specificity of a business plan – are the contents measurable? Are all the activities dated (initiation to completion)? Are all the actions distributed among personnel clearly?

o Real nature of a business plan – are the objectives and targets real? Are the goals set within a specified time achievable?

o Totality of a business plan – is the plan complete? Does it have all the necessary elements to outline your business goals?

A business plan has multiple uses. It can be used to start a new business enterprise, take a loan or to find good investors. There are many other reasons for which you need a business plan. You should first find out why you need a business plan.

Why Do You Need A Business Plan?

o Outline objectives and set goals to achieve them

o Prepare regular business review outlines

o Start a new business enterprise

o Decide on a value on a business for sale and legal issues

o Outline agreements between business partners

If business plans are conceived for different purposes, there must be different business plans for different kinds of ventures. Business plans are also known as growth plans, internal plans, investment plans and so on and so forth.

If your business plan is for internal study and revision, there is no need of background details of your organization because you are already aware of them. You need to add that only if your business plans are meant for banks and other institutions.

What Are The Different Types Of Business Plans?

- The most basic of business plans are the start-up plans that clearly outline the steps for a new business venture. They include details of service provided or product offered, market value of the same, implementation strategies, market and financial analysis. The basic structure consists of a summary of the company, ending with details of financial transactions and expectations for the first year.

- An operational business plan contains details of dates, deadlines and milestones. It is often referred to as an internal business plan.

- A strategic business plan aims at higher levels of target and does not deal much with dates and deadlines. This business plan is more of future and growth oriented and focuses less on facts of the company.

- A growth or expansion business plan focuses more on one or more subset of the business. There are variations of this kind of business plan. If it is meant for a new investment, it will obviously include the background of the company.

- A feasibility business plan is your entire business in bulleted form. It includes the summary, the mission and the vision of the company, the USP of the business enterprise, expected financial outcomes etc. The main purpose of this business plan is to test whether this business is worth a venture at all.

The Seven Points Of Business Plans

Business plans usually cover the following 7 points. Of course, they will vary in detail, depending on the purpose of the business plan.

- Mission Statement – your business plan must explain clearly why you want to start a particular kind of business in the first place. It doesn’t have to be long, but it needs to convey the message clearly.

- Business Description – this is the place where you talk about your business. What is it that you are trying to sell or provide? What is the USP of your business?

- Goals in view – here, you describe both your short term and long term goals. Short term goals may include your plan to acquire office space, provide a proper business name, apply for a business license etc. Long term goals include answers to where you see your business ten years down the line, opening new stores etc.

- Prospective Customers – who is your target audience? Why will they need your service or product? How well do you understand their needs?

- Competition Analysis – this helps you rank your business venture in the market. Who are your competitors? If their focus area is too competitive, try for a niche market that is comparatively less competitive.

- Financial Considerations – be realistic and optimistic about your finances. Make sure to spend only that much with which you are sure to receive returns. Or else, go in for a small business loan till your business can take care of its own expenses.

- Marketing – sell your ideas before you sell your products. Advertise your products everywhere you can think of. Don’t miss out on both offline and online publicity. If you get a chance, exhibit your product or service at local communities and organizations.

Do’s And Don’ts Of Business Plans

Your business plan should:

a) Set concrete goals and deadlines

b) Distribute work among people and departments and set deadlines to achieve the goals

c) Maintain a steady ratio of implementation to strategy to 10:1

d) Provide a platform for regular review and discussion

Your business plan should not:

a) Display your knowledge about your field of expertise

b) Be too lengthy – people lose interest easily

Not all businessmen and women are good planners. It has often been seen that a business fails because of the lack of a good business plan. That is one of the cardinal mistakes for an entrepreneur.

Business Plan Mistakes

Experts have identified some common mistakes regarding business plans. They are:

- No business plan – many business ventures begin without any plan. Plans are written out in a rush only if the clients or banks or investors ask for the same. It is often seen as unnecessary because the business is more important. Imagine the condition of a house without a plan. You will get lost midway in heaps of concrete and steel. Similarly, you will get lost in ideas and desire to implement them.

- Cash is more important than profits – business is not the same as profits. Cash is the main player. Only if you have cash to spend in the beginning, will you get profits at the end of the day.

- Ideas don’t sell – your business sells because of hard work, perseverance, cash and a lot of common sense. Your idea does not have to brand new. Old wine is better than new ones. Why? People trust age and experience.

- Fear factor – a business plan is as necessary and as routine as making a travel plan. You don’t need to be Einstein to chalk out a business plan. You just need to think straight and pen your thoughts.

- Specificity wins – focus on tangible results, instead of trying to be the best. Results matter and they tell you everything.

- Fit all business plans – your business plan should work for bankers and investors as well as internal review and corrections. Don’t make individual business plans for individual purposes. Rather, concentrate on your business.

- Everything cannot be important – you can have only a few priorities. 20 priorities are vague and they clearly show lack of strategy and of goals.

A business plan is the first step of starting a business. It is neither easy nor difficult. What is a business plan about? How do you implement a business plan? What do you include in a business plan? What are the ‘must have’s’ and ‘have not’s’ of business plans?

Whether it is travel, study, cooking or any other activity involving a process, planning is usually the first step. The same holds true for business. Business plans are probably more important than the business itself. For example, the plan for a house is more important than the house itself, though it is the house that people remember and not the plan. But the house wouldn’t stand without the plan, would it?

Swati Banerjee is the owner of Writing Ink, a web content management firm based out of India, that services clients from across the globe. Please take a minute to visit http://www.writing-ink.com to experience how the bright young minds here make magic with words!

Are you thinking about buying a plasma television for your home? As you may already know, Plasma televisions are becoming increasingly popular as of late, as the prices of Plasma Televisions are becoming more and more affordable each passing year. Plasma televisions can provide excellent viewing experience, and are perfect for those who want to enjoy a high quality home theater.

As with most technology purchases, there are advantages and drawbacks associated with this type of television as well. If you are new to Plasma TV, making a purchasing decision can be a little difficult. So before you rush out to buy your new Plasma television set, it’s important to at least understand the basics of plasma television first.

Image Quality

One of the primary reasons that plasma televisions are so popular is their high quality image displays. Plasma television displays are bright and crystal clear, have a very wide color gamut, and also available in fairly large sizes. The large size is actually very interesting because it is something that a typical television sets could not be made without affecting the quality of the screen. These types of televisions (Plasma) offer very high resolution images with sharp details and true to life color.

Convenient

Plasma television sets can easily blend into the design of just about any room. These television sets are very thin in design when compared with other television, and can allow you to better utilize the square footage of your home. So instead of taking up a significant amount of floor space, plasma televisions can be hung directly on the wall or placed on a compact stand.

Longevity

Plasma televisions are not the most durable or long lasting television sets available. These types of television sets are difficult, if not impossible to repair. They generally last about seven years with normal usage. However, they are fragile and subject to irreparable damage when being moved from one location to another.

Pricing

Plasma televisions are priced at the mid range of television technology. They are less expensive than LCD television sets, but cost significantly more than analog sets.

Is a Plasma Television Right for You?

If you want to enjoy an affordable, high quality television viewing experience, a plasma television set can be a good choice for you. However, if you’re looking for a set that will last for a decade or more, and can stand up to the rigors of frequently moves, you may want to choose a different types of television set.

Buying a Plasma Television

When you are in a store comparing with different plasma TV sets, remember that the employees there can be very helpful to you, especially since plasma TV is such a large ticket item for them. Therefore it is more likely that they are going to be more than willing to let you do or ask things that you normally would not be able to. And in terms of testing out the product, make sure you like it before you make your final purchase decision.

Learn more about Plasma Televisions at http://www.e-plasma-tv.com You’ll find informative articles, reviews, manuals, shopping guide and more about Plasma TV.

Increase your profit potential by identifying – and avoiding – these 11 marketing mistakes.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 1: Sinking a Fortune Into an Unproven Product

Is your business idea built on market research or a hunch?

Entrepreneurs often fall in love with their products or services before they determine if there’s a real market, and they throw fistfuls of money into the venture. If you, your spouse, your uncle, and your neighbor think you’ve got a winning idea, that’s simply not enough qualified input to run to the bank and drain your savings account!

Avoid this mistake by:

• Conducting your detective work (research).
• Testing your business idea with the real marketplace.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 2: Believing That “If You Build It, They Will Come”

Do you think you have a product or service that will practically sell itself?

Trust me – you don’t.

There is a misconception among small business owners that, with the right product or service, your customers will simply “find” you when you open your doors for business. Whether you have a physical storefront on a corner lot in the busiest part of downtown, or a graphically pleasing online storefront offering easy access to your hot products and services, your customers will not find you if you do not market to them.

The day you open for business is the day you put on your “marketer’s hat” and never take it off. You must consistently move product, or schedule service time.

To stay in business you must profit.

To profit you must sell.

To sell you must market.

The good news is that, with a marketing strategy, you take the control out of your potential customers’ hands and put it into your own. If you have a product that will “practically sell itself,” then your marketing job will be easy. Just remember that the job must still be done.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Defining your niche market and USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that differentiates you from your competition.
• Developing a marketing action plan and strategy to reach your niche market with your USP message.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 3: Trying to Reinvent the Wheel

Marketing is an age-old practice with some very basic principles. Yet, I’m sure you’ve read many marketing information products that stress the importance of being innovative and creative with your marketing efforts. It’s easy to get caught up in the innovation process and forget that the REAL focus should be on results.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Emulating success instead of trying to create something completely new. Please note that I am not saying, “copy” what others are doing. Look at the basic structure of a tactic, campaign, advertisement, or event and use the same formula as a basis for developing your own tactics.
• Realizing great marketing ideas are used over and over again with just the right twist to make them fit a specific business. Focus on results, and choose imitation over innovation to create your own twist on a proven, winning technique.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 4: Over-Preparing and Doing Nothing

The fear of failure can be powerful. So powerful that we do everything we can think of to prevent it. Yet, there is a point at which we are so busy preparing, organizing, and researching to prevent failure that we never get around to the actual marketing of the business. Here are two things to remember:

1. Activity is not productivity.
2. In order to sell a million of something, you have to sell the first ONE.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Doing something! If you believe in your business and have done your detective work, it’s time to dive into the marketing pool. Start small, track results and build from there.
• Not being afraid to make a mistake. Mistakes are the entry to success. At the very least, a failed promotion means you have SUCCESSFULLY determined what promotion does not work. And, to learn what does NOT work is a valuable tool in getting you closer to discovering what WILL work.

So, go ahead. Fail a little. It will make your eventual successes even sweeter.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 5: Boredom

When I was working for an ad agency many years ago, I had one client that was running an extremely successful ad campaign. After about six months, I received a phone call from the client. He wanted to develop an entirely new campaign. When I asked, “why?” he simply said, “I’m bored with the one we have.”

What?

That client may have had the money to spend on a new campaign due to “boredom” but you and I usually don’t. Yet, I’ve often seen my small business clients switch promotions for the same reason. This is detrimental to your business!

“Losing money” is a reason.

“Boredom” is not.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Remembering that, what is old to you, is new to an untapped target market. If you have a promotion that is consistently getting you results, stick with it until results show you its time for change.
• Testing new promotions without abandoning the current one. Then track results. Never swap a current promotion with a new one that hasn’t been tested.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 6: Relying on Networking to Generate Sales Leads

Joining the Chamber of Commerce and schmoozing at association meetings can put you in contact with vendors and possible joint venture partners, and will be invaluable exposure for you as a community supporter – but it will rarely generate substantial sales leads.

Everyone else who attends these “meet and greet” assemblies is there to do the same thing you are. You may be able to make some valuable contacts for future ventures and promotions, but one-on-one networking is time-consuming and results are unpredictable.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Treating networking opportunities the same as any other marketing tactic. Track results by determining your costs and measuring your payback.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 7: Doing What Your Competitors Do

It’s important to be aware of what your competitors are offering, but do not let it dictate the strategy you use for your own business.

If your competitor wants to be the low price leader, let him. Don’t try to become the “lower price” leader. Chances are this will lead you to financial problems because it will thrust you into an ugly price war.

If your competitor wants to tout low prices, then you focus on value. Bargain hunters don’t necessarily want the lowest price. They want the best VALUE. Make what you have to offer something of value.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Finding an unmet need or want of your target market, and fill it to differentiate your products and services from your competitors.
• Giving customers a reason to choose you over your competitors. Define your USP, and identify your niche market.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 8: Not Targeting a Specific Market

If you believe your market is “everybody,” you will struggle to attract people who will buy from you. The value of target (niche) marketing is one of the toughest sells I make to my clients. They understand the logic of it, but the “fear of losing a potential customer” gets the best of them.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Viewing the practice of niche marketing as inclusive, not exclusive.

Think of your business as part of a person’s support group. It’s logical to say, “Everybody needs a support group so my business should attract everyone.” But, will it? People – your customers – want to go to a support business that understands their specific concerns, needs, and wants. Make sure you ARE that business by targeting a niche market.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 9: Targeting a Market You Can’t Reach or One That Can’t Afford You

Targeting a niche market is the smartest way to market. Yet, targeting a market that is too specific will limit your ability to succeed long term. For example, a market that might be too specific would be: female pilots under the age of 35 who fly ONLY New York to London flights. That’s a pretty narrow market to sustain your business in the long term unless you can capture the ENTIRE market with a product or service that has a high profit point and customers need to use or replace it often.

In that same vein, a market that is begging for the service or product you have but cannot afford it will also be a business impossible to sustain. Never compete for someone’s rent money. Your target market must have the means to buy your products and services.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Creating your customer profile to identify characteristics of your potential buyers,
• Identifying a niche market,
• Examining the long term potential for new and repeat sales.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 10: Focusing On Acquiring New Customers Instead of Promoting to Current or Previous Customers

When you first start a business you have little choice but to focus on gaining new customers. The cost of finding those new customers can be expensive, which is one reason it is so important to really target a specific niche. However, once you’ve made just one sale, you’re ready to start looking at other marketing options.

Wouldn’t you like to:

… slash your marketing costs by half or more?

… reach proven buyers for your service or products?

That little goldmine of proven buyers available to you “on the cheap” is already yours in the form of current and previous customers.

Any respected marketing guru, past or present, online or offline, will tell you that the biggest asset your company has is your customer base.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Realizing that, when a sale is finalized, it is the beginning of your relationship with that customer, not the end.
• Offering additional products or services to current customers. If you don’t have your own to offer them, then develop a referral, joint venture or product bundling program so you can reap profits from your already-interested (and buying) customers.

MONSTROUS Marketing Mistake Number 11: Not Systematically Following Up on Leads

The least expensive part of business is making the sale. The most expensive is generating leads – finding the people who are interested in what you have.

Once you find people who express an interest in what you have to offer – whether they buy from you or not – you MUST develop a follow up system that will keep marketing to those interested prospects. A person who has expressed interest in your products and services is far more likely to eventually buy from you than someone who did not respond at all!

Avoid this mistake by:

• Curbing the tendency to become obsessed with generating more leads until you have exhausted the ones you already have.
• Developing an easy, systematic follow up for leads, designed to convert a “maybe” into a “yes.”

About The Author

Susan Carter helps business owners “do more with less” to operate and market their small and growing businesses. She is the author of How To Make Your Business Run Without You, and SPLASH Marketing for Overworked Small Business Owners. Carter offers FREE book chapters, and distributes free business-building advice in her twice-monthly ezine, SuccessExpress Press, available at http://www.successideas.com susancarter@successideas.com

Are you unsatisfied with your career and want to make a change? Do you feel like you are not achieving your full career potential? Do you want to make a change, but want to make sure it is the right career this time? Don’t know what you want to do, but know its not what you do now?

People are most fulfilled and successful when they find work they love to do and that suits their talents and abilities. This article shares five important keys to making a successful career change. Some concepts may be new to you, some may not. I encourage you to read through them either way, and let them stimulate your thinking. The exercises included are optional, but you are invited to reap

the full benefits by participating in them.

Key #1: Establish a career direction based on excellent self-understanding.

The first stages of a career change involve thinking, self-assessment, exploring, and planning. You can embark on these steps now–without disrupting your current employment situation. After you know more about your new direction, you can decide when to make your move. A career-direction goal should always aim for the ideal career and job fit for yourself. The first steps to identifying the ideal career involve self-assessment and generating insights into what career will make you most satisfied while meeting your needs. Research shows that people who are most satisfied and motivated in their careers are people who have a career that reflects their values, interests, skills, and talents plus their ideal work environment.

How can you clarify these kinds of self-understanding insights? You can do this first of all through a process of reflection on your favorite passions, skills, and interests as well as preferences. Career tests or assessments can also provide help here, and lend some objectivity to the exploration. There are a number of reliable and valid career-oriented tests that are widely available through career counselors and coaches.

Career counseling is geared exactly for this purpose. You may enjoy and benefit from the guidance of a counselor or coach to facilitate the development of a career direction based on who you are. This kind of self-understanding then translates into identifying specific careers that match up with who you are, and are likely to bring you the most satisfaction and motivation.

Here are some tips:

* Think ideally. What do you really want?

* Listen to your longings and desires.

* Pay attention to what attracts you.

* Stay away from things that repel you.

* Understand fully your unique style.

As you go about a career change, it is important to realize you cannot do everything well. You must choose a career direction and a job based on your best abilities and strengths. There are businesses that very much need the capabilities that you are able to provide.

Key #2 to a successful career change is to take stock of your skills, natural talents, competencies, and strengths, and to be able to articulate these well to potential employers as well as others.

Go with your strengths, and be able to communicate them impressively.If you think you have already identified your skills, talents, and strengths, and are looking for work that emphasizes these, great.

Take this opportunity to ask yourself, “Am I successfully saying no to careers and jobs that do not focus on my favorite skills, talents, and strengths?”

Focus your career direction into a career and job for which you are especially equipped. Each person has natural talent and intelligence in one or more areas. The idea is to be very clear on what you are naturally gifted at and let your talents guide you to your next career.

To further discover or clarify where your strengths and talents fall, think back on your life and previous work experience. What tasks and projects came easiest to you? What were the most important accomplishments in your life? What have you received the most recognition for?

You may want to ask several friends what they see as your greatest professional strengths. Career assessment can also yield good information. Take stock. Write down a list now. What themes emerge as you reflect on this?

This is a valuable exercise for self-understanding and career direction, but also when it comes to getting a job. The better you can articulate who you are and the talents and skills you bring to a business, the better impression you make on a potential employer.

There are a number of variables to consider in choosing a career or a job, including the market realities. This brings us to another concept that is necessary to be successful in your transition.

Key #3 is to identify a career that involves what you love to do, can be the best at, and for which you can be well compensated.

Imagine a Ven diagram consisting of three overlapping circles. One circle represents those activities, tasks, functions, and roles that you love to do. All of us at one time or another have experienced doing work that really did not seem like work because we enjoyed doing it. That’s what I mean by work that you love to do.

The second circle represents work that you have the potential to be best at–work that you can do better than most others. This means tasks and projects that you have the right skills and natural talent for, and excel at. Work that you will be highly competitive at and perhaps (potentially) better than anyone else.

The third circle represents work that you will be paid well for. If there is work that you love to do and are great at, it will not matter unless someone will compensate you what you need. It is important to understand and take into account the realities of the job market.

Now, in this Ven diagram, the three circles overlap with each other equally. In the center is an area where the three circles converge and all three circles are overlapping. This is the area that represents the right career(s) for you. You want to consider careers or jobs that align with these three areas–work that you love to do, can do best, and will be well- compensated for.

By the way, if this sounds similar to Jim Collin’s Hedgehog Concept in his book “Good to Great”, it is. It is an adaptation of his model for business success applied to career success. I highly recommend his book.

So now, I suggest you take a few minutes and apply this to yourself. Where is the convergence of these three circles for you? If you cannot discover this, how will you find out? When all is said and done, one of the biggest factors in a career transition is money. Although you may love the idea of quitting your job and jumping into your next career, financial realities are in play.

Key #4: To transition smoothly into your next career, plan the best

way to juggle the finances to support you along the way.

I know from my work as a career counselor and coach that the money issue can cause significant angst and difficulty. Here are some ideas for managing it well.

1. Use your current income wisely. If you have a job, keep it. There’s a saying that its easier to get a job when you have one. Before initiating a move: increase your savings, reduce your expenses, live within, or better, below your means for a while.

2. Build cash reserves through supplementing your full-time job with other work. You can get a part-time job, do contract work, etc.

3. Add a part-time business to your full-time job. If you must let go of your full-time job, then do what you can to produce an income while you are in transition.

4. Get an interim full-time or part-time job.

5. Do contract or freelance work.

6. Have a well-paying part-time job while you work on starting a business, if that will be your next career.

7. Use consulting gigs to generate income. Put your key strengths and capabilities to good use to generate income as a consultant while in transition.

8. Work full-time or part-time while attending school to prepare for your next career, if that is your plan.

A number of these options also have fringe benefits. While providing income, you can hopefully put yourself in positions where you can develop skills, experience, or contacts for your next career. How will you make the finances work during your career transition? Take a few minutes and jot down your thoughts.

Key #5: Network, network, network.

People who are most successful at career change and job-hunting use methods that require more effort. People who are less successful do the usual: passive methods such as sending out resumes, going through agencies, looking at the ads, and using the Internet. There is nothing wrong with these methods; in a strong job market they may be sufficient.

More active approaches include researching organizations in detail, doing informational interviewing, and building a network of contacts. These methods involve more work, but they are also the most effective.

Despite the fact that we are in the age of the Internet (it is estimated that about 5 to 10% of jobs are filled by on-line job boards–not bad, but what about the other 90%?), networking is still the best strategy.

So, to be successful in making a career change, it really pays to build a strong list of contacts and reconnect with them. If you don’t know how to network effectively or your skills could be better, it is a good time to work on this. Consider utilizing the help of a career counselor or coach.

Never underestimate who your friends and associates know. Keep track of your contacts as your list grows, and revitalize old relationships.

Your contacts may be the key to getting job leads, crucial inside information, getting the attention of whoever is hiring for the position you want, and many other valuable benefits. Many, many people have a job they love because they knew someone who knew someone.

Now comes the end of this article on keys to a successful career change.

Review:

Key #1: Establish a career direction based on excellent self-understanding.

Key #2: Take stock of your skills, natural talents, competencies, and strengths, and be able to articulate these well.

Key #3: Identify a career that involves what you love to do, can be the best at, and for which you can be well compensated.

Key #4 Plan the best way to juggle the finances to support you along the way.

Key #5: Network, network, network.

I hope you have enjoyed this article and are now taking steps to make a great career change. What was the biggest thing you will take away from this? What questions remain unanswered? Where will you go from here? Write out your thoughts.

William Morgan, Psy.D. is a career counselor and coach in the greater Philadelphia area serving clients nationwide. For more information on his career transition and development services and helpful resources visit his website at http://www.Counseling4Careers.com

When we hear the words ‘automotive reviews’ we think of comparative tests, investigations, technical details, advantages and disadvantages of a particular car model. People are most interested in automotive reviews when they are about to purchase a vehicle. This is an important decision for the potential buyer since the car may remain in his/her possession for many years. Actually, statistics say that the purchase of a car is the second largest expense for many people. In developing countries, the situation is even worse than that, as choosing a certain car is sometimes a life commitment for those people. Under these circumstances, automotive reviews are a must. No automobile is to be purchased without having consulted its review.

Automotive reviews are useful for all kinds of customers, from those are simply interested in buying a cheap car with good gas mileage to those who are mostly interested in design and comfort. To all these people the purchase of a car may appear as a very challenging experience, since the auto market is vast and the lack of experience can prove to be a serious drawback. Needless to say all those interested in purchasing a car should follow the latest automotive news in order to keep up with what is new in this vast and complicated area. However, automotive reviews cannot be found on television every day, nor do they appear in newspapers. Moreover, specialized media, such as auto magazines, which are issued weekly or monthly, may not give the automotive reviews you need when you need them. Therefore, a good source of accurate and reliable automotive reviews is the Internet. Automotive blogs are full of information with and about cars and many related topics. In addition, you get more than statistics or official figures, because people like you have posted their comments or facts from personal experience on those car blogs. Sometimes this beats all automotive reviews.

As we have stated before, there are many sources of automotive news and reviews. The problem is that some of them may not be as reliable as we think and this can be damaging to the consumer. There are times when the interests of certain companies stand in the way of giving consumers honest advice. A good share of criticism is not a must have for automotive reviews. However, skeptical journalism is proof that the consumer’ s best interest is at the top of the priority list. Auto magazines present a lot of automotive reviews because that’s their line of work, but they will rarely point out possible flaws of automobiles.

Everyone will agree that in the auto magazines or TV shows, the automotive reviews sound a little too good to be true. You can check out the latest automotive news in magazines and on TV shows, but as far as the reviews are concerned, you should only trust what you see with your own eyes. This may turn out to be a little difficult at times, but fortunately we live in the technology era, and seeing it for yourself is now possible on the internet. If a car reviewer speaks of some less appealing features of a certain automobile, there’s the chance of actually seeing them by means of multimedia. Criticism equals bad publicity, so when it comes to magazines or television shows, there’s a good chance that the consumer will be deprived of his right to be honestly and correctly informed. Therefore, the internet remains the most reliable source of both automotive news and automotive reviews.

For more resources about automotive news and especially about automotive reviews please review this website http://www.car-spin.com

Celebrities make up a great part of pop culture today. They are people who we can fixate on and enjoy for their popularity and success. They can amaze us with their beauty, enthrall us with their knowledge, or make us laugh with their gift of comedy. Whatever the reason, everyone enjoys a story about someone meeting a celebrity, even if it isn’t an eventful one. Meeting these celebrities often isn’t the pinnacle, however. Even better than simply meeting a celebrity is obtaining an autograph from them. Celebrity autographs have come to be one of the most exciting forms of collectibles which people seek today.

Getting a celebrity autograph doesn’t have to be difficult, however. Often, people hope to randomly meet a celebrity and hope that they can convince that celebrity to grace them with an autograph. This can be somewhat difficult, for these people need to always carry around something special for that celebrity to sign. This can be a burden for if this person wants the celebrity autograph to become a collectible, the item being signed must be kept in top condition at all times. This means that carrying the item everywhere with them will be quite a hassle, always making sure that the item is safe and protected.

The easier way to get the desired autograph is simply to keep one’s attention tuned in for hearing about celebrity autograph signings. Often, especially when promoting a new film or television show, these celebrities will travel around the country, doing publicity events to raise interest and awareness in the project. These events will often include a question and answer session with the audience and very frequently, a chance to have autographs given. The celebrities will often sit at a table, giving fans a chance to meet them and have something special signed.

These celebrity publicity events are some of the best places to get autographs of celebrities which have been long desired. They can happen on promotional tours or by special events. Frequently, conventions will host a number of celebrities and very often, these celebrities will set up tables which allow interaction with the fans. Sometimes the celebrity will charge a fee for the autograph and sometimes not, but when the autograph is something which has been sought after, the fee will usually be worth it.

Celebrity autograph signings can happen nearly anywhere, from these special conventions to local record or movie stores. The studios marketing the films, shows, or albums will often arrange for the celebrity in question to go on a national tour, promoting the event and raising interest with the fans. These tours are some of the best places to gain these celebrity autographs without having to travel too far a distance. The only thing that one needs to be careful of in this scenario is ensuring that they allocate themselves enough time to get to meet the celebrity. Often, these events can be very packed and the celebrity in question will only have a certain amount of time available to meet the fans. When the time is up, the celebrity must move on and anyone who didn’t get the chance to meet the celebrity is out of luck. Therefore, when trying to meet a celebrity, one should always make sure they arrive to the event early enough to be one of the first people, ensuring that they get a good place in line.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for autographed celebrity photos, celebrity collectibles, and autographed art. You will find it all at these sites for getting autographed celebrity photos, celebrity collectibles.

We’ve noticed that on a well known marketing web site, there is an article with a similar title – just what is marketing? This is a very good question and the answer typically ends up (as it is in the aforementioned article) being a lot of tactics, like advertising, brand management, sales, service, pricing, email marketing, etc. That’s a good start, but far from complete.

And that’s one of the problems with the web. There are lots of web sites out there with people claiming to be knowledgeable about marketing. In fact, if you go to search engines like Google and type in marketing, you’ll come up with over 16,000,000 web pages! By the time you’ve got that many people claiming to be experts in marketing, it’s difficult to even know what marketing means.

Marketing Is Not Tactics

When most people think of marketing, they think of marketing tactics. People associate marketing with tactics, partly because they’re fun. Advertising is fun, promotions are fun, and so is sending out email campaigns and every other similar tactic. But tactics, while the most salient aspects of marketing, are similar to the tactics of sport. They’re very important, but useless without having a sound basis of knowledge.

And so it is with marketing. Marketing is far more than tactics. Marketing is analysis, and a sound marketing strategy is based on this analysis.

Marketing Is All About Customers

What type of analysis are we talking about? Well, analysis about customers, for example. Having a solid understanding of customers means having a solid understanding about how customers behave, their motivations, their perceptions and preferences. It means segmenting the market correctly and not in the way that most companies think about segmentation (if they ever do).

It means having a profound understanding of their attitudes, their knowledge and their emotions. Without having this knowledge, the tactics of marketing are just blowing in the wind. You’ll hope that the tactics work, but be blissfully unaware about whether anyone would want to pay attention or listen.

Adding Competitive Analysis

Rarely do we see marketing sites deal with competitive analysis (we do!). Marketing is also about understanding competition. But not just listing off who the competitors are. It means thinking about their competitive reactions, their objectives and capabilities. It means understanding competitive forces in an industry as well.

Too often I see firms acting as though they were monopolists, as though their competitors were unlikely to react or had little interest in capturing a market. The Internet is a good example of this. How many Internet companies really seriously thought about the potential competitive reactions of the entrenched players? Did any of them consider long term competitive reactions? What about putting together plans that were robust to future competitive reactions?

No, marketing is also about competitive analysis, not just the “interesting and fun” tactics that permeate the web.

What About Capabilities

Once again, to think about marketing you need to also think about a company’s abilities to actually survive in the market. I’m not talking about financial abilities, although that is part of the story. What about a culture, the salesforce compensation, the relationships with distributors, suppliers, etc?

Some companies focus squarely on customers and even think about competitors. But these same companies often forget about their ability to provide what customers need, or the incentives in their distribution system to actually get the job done.

No, marketing is not just about tactics, it’s also about understanding your own company and it’s abilities and weaknesses.

So, What Is Marketing?

Marketing is, in fact, the analysis of customers, competitors, and a company, combining this understanding into an overall understanding of what segments exist, deciding on targeting the most profitable segments, positioning your products, and then doing what’s necessary to deliver on that positioning.

How to do deliver on a positioning? Well, this is where the tactics come in. By branding correctly, by advertising correctly, by communicating via email, letters, or whatever, but all done in a way that is consistent with the analysis that marketing is really responsible for.

If you want to get involved in tactics, that’s fine. But just think about artists, sports figures, doctors and scientists, and ask yourself whether in these other areas (which all, by the way, are as creative as marketing), it is just necessary to understand tactics. I think what you’ll find is that tactics alone won’t get you very far, but tactics along with a strategy based on great analysis will get you exactly where you want to go.

So before you go hiring consultants and network with other marketers (as suggested in this “other article”), make sure you understand what is marketing so you don’t just become a tactical pawn, but someone who can ultimately direct the entire marketing campaign.

Happy Marketing!

Tony Marino is not only the CEO of America Web Works, LLC., he is also host of the Marketing Antics LIVE Radio.He is also the author of the ePublishing Master’s Course. Additionally, he holds Email Compliance Officer status for many of today’s leading Network Marketing companies.

He has also worked with the likes of legendary Direct Marketers Ted Nicholas and Gary Halbert. Best-Selling Authors, Harvey McKay, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. ABC Television’s, Jimmy Kimmel and NBC’s, Carson Daly. Online Marketers, Dale Calvert and Jay Abraham just to name a few. His offices are located in Portland and Los Angeles and he’d love to hear from you anytime!

Obviously, any bowling rules will be relevant and important, but keeping score? You have to learn all of the bowling rules there are, but before I tried my first game my father showed me how. You will learn many bowling rules as you continue bowling–from your very first day!

· Bowling Scores:

There are 10 “frames”, (i.e. turns you get) in a bowling game. A score of about 120 in the 9th frame the absolute most points this person could get would add up to 150–however, the player would have to roll three strikes in a row when he or she plays the 10th frame, if this happens the player continues rolling the ball–achieving 30 pins for each strike he or she makes. The basic notion of this bowling rule is also recognized by other players, but by adding only 10-pins to the score.

· Bowling rules for bowling attire:

a) There really is one essential kind of bowling attire is that the players wear bowling shoes when they play. This is why having the appropriate shoes is up on the top of the list of bowling rules.

When someone does not follow basic bowling rules and wears their street shoes on the floor. If a ball drops on his or her foot, well it is likely that he or she will never make that mistake again. Seriously, a heavy bowling ball can fracture your toes–and sometimes people drop things.

· Another one of the most important bowling rules is to use the proper technique for bowling.

a) Bowling rules about technique:

Primarily there are a couple of simple, physical moves that will improve your bowling skills. They are different depending on whether the person is right-handed or left-handed–but quite basically the same bowling rules of posture, pressure and release.

b) Bowling rules about mental preparation:

Perhaps it sounds pretty ridiculous, but concentration on your bowling can really help when you are trying to get that high score. Re-think the physical bowling rules, and then envision your ball rolling down the lane towards a perfect strike.

The saddest bowlers are the ones who toss the ball carelessly and have poor technique. Usually, in such circumstances, the bowling ball will end up in the gutter–so knowing the basic bowling rules is very important.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, recreation, education and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles about bowling and bowling merchandise, please visit Bowling Rules

Choosing a child care center is one of the most important decisions that a working parent will make to help ensure the health, safety, and overall well being of their child while they must be away from them. Thousands of children are treated in emergency rooms for injuries sustained at child care centers or childcare homes each year in addition to those instances of abuse or neglect. Sadly, some of those children will lose their lives.

There are precautions that can be taken t help ensure that a child will be properly cared for while a parent is at work. The first question a parent should ask is whether the childcare center or childcare home has an open door policy. If the answer is no, that provider should not be selected. Next, a parent should ask the potential provider whether they have been licensed by the state’s childcare licensing department to operate a childcare center or home and whether the certification is current.

Check to see that staff has been trained on blood borne pathogens. With diseases like AIDS, Hepatitis B, etc., and anti-biotic resistant strains of various infections, make sure childcare staff always wear plastic gloves when changing diapers and administering first aid, and that gloves and diapers are disposed of in a separate trash container labeled bodily fluids’. All trash cans should have plastic bags inside and locking lids. All trash should be taken out at the end of every day.

Parents should not be afraid to ask to see the license and most recent inspection date. Find out how many infants, toddlers, and older children they are licensed for and how many children are currently being cared for. Make sure staff has had a background check by the local police department and the state investigative agency. Health and Human Service agencies and local police departments will usually submit a request for a background check on a parent’s behalf for a nominal fee.

Parents should also find out if childcare staff has been trained on child abuse and neglect and the state reporting requirements for suspected child abuse. With an increasing number of incidents of domestic violence and kidnapping by non-custodial parents and other caregivers, parents should find out if doors are kept locked during the hours the center is open for operation and how the childcare provider ascertains that only approved persons are picking up a child and if they have a form that can be signed designating who can and cannot pick a child up?

Other training staff should have had is on positive discipline, nutrition, child development, how to prepare and store food, food allergies and food borne illnesses and the proper storage and handling of food, etc. Staff should be re-certification annually on administering infant CPR, other CPR, choking, and the care of infants, toddlers and pre-school age children by the local American Red Cross, hospital, or other person or agency that have staff certified to be trainers. Make sure there is enough staff to care for the number of children in the center or private childcare home.

Take a walk through the childcare center or childcare home, including outdoor play areas, and the kitchen where food is prepared. Make sure cleaning supplies and other hazardous materials are stored in containers with tight fitting lids and that spray bottles are turned off and everything placed in a locked cabinet well out the reach of children, and that surfaces are clean. Many accidents in childcare centers occur when children accidentally come into contact with toxic materials because someone forgot to properly store cleaning supplies or failed to return them to a locked cabinet.

To ensure their child’s safety parents should make sure that tables are wiped down with warm soapy water after meals and that other cleaning materials that may be more toxic are only used to wipe down tables, cupboards, and bathrooms after the child care center or home is closed for the day and is followed up with a secondary wipe down with just hot water. Also look around and make sure electrical outlets that have safety covers in place to keep children from sticking things into the sockets and getting shocked.

Outdoor play areas should contain equipment that is of a proper height for younger children to minimize the danger of getting injured by a fall. Check to see that there is ample room between pieces of equipment, that the play area is completely enclosed with a locking gate and that there are no splinters, jagged wires, etc. children could get hurt on.

Find out if staff goes outside with the children to supervise and oversee their safety and wellbeing. If possible outdoor play areas should have a thick covering of wood chips or soft rubber matting under equipment to soften a fall. (The wood chips or rubber matting is helpful but not required as they can be an expensive purchase, especially for a private childcare home). Large childcare centers should keep playground equipment and things like trikes that are used by older children separated from equipment for children under five.

A fire and evacuation contingency plan, a floor plan and emergency contact numbers should be posted on a wall or a bulletin board where the can be easily seen if needed. Depending on the area of the country a parent lives in, providers should have a plan for tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Ask staff if children are talked to about what to do if there is a fire on-site and if fire drills are scheduled regularly.

How a childcare provider stores medication is also important for the health of all children. Parents need to ask the provider how they store medication that has to be kept cold, if there is a first aid kit that includes ipecac, and if medication is kept in a locked cabinet or box and stored out of the reach of children. Ask to see the dates on first aid supplies and where the medication is stored.

In order to assure there will not be any risk from medications children have been prescribed, parents should try and schedule their child’s medicine to be administered at home. Of course, if a child has a medical condition like diabetes or asthma, this will not be possible. Make sure the childcare provider stores each child’s medication in a separate zip loc bag with the child’s name on the bag as an extra precaution. Parents should also look to see if a provider posts any allergies a child may have to a medication, food, etc. where other parents cannot see the names of the children while making sure that staff have easy access to the list.

With the increase in unsafe toys and in light of the recent recalls of hundreds of toys made overseas because of lead paint, choking hazards, etc. a parent should ask the childcare provider if they have a current and updated list of recalled products as a visible reminder to not purchase potentially dangerous children’s toys and other products, including infant formula. If the provider does not have a list, parents can ask them to get one as a list can be downloaded and printed off the internet.

Safety gates should be placed tightly in front of stairs, kitchen and laundry doorways, basements, porches, utility areas, or other places that are open. Ensure that basement doors have safety locks that are high enough children cannot reach them and that there are child safety locks on cupboards, refrigerators, oven doors and microwaves. Check to make sure cords are not looped, so there is no potential for hanging.

For infants, childcare providers should have cribs with a certification safety seal, slats should be no more than two and three eighths inches apart and mattresses should fit snugly. Ask providers how infants are placed in a crib to sleep, making sure they are put down on their backs without pillows or comforters.

Once a childcare center or home has been selected and a child is in attendance, parents need to be sensitive to any changes in their child’s behavior. If the child develops a fear of the provider, a staff person, or going to the childcare center parents should follow up by asking heir child questions and by scheduling a meeting with the center or home operator to discuss any concerns. If a child continues to exhibit fear, cries or screams and clings to their parent or other caregiver, parents might want to consider finding another childcare home or center.

Parents can never do too much to make sure that their child, or the child of a friend or relative, will be cared for in a healthy and safe childcare environment. These guidelines will help in selecting the best provider and help a parent be less stressed at work. A checklist could be made to help with inspecting the childcare setting a child will exposed to.

As an early childhood education consultant I have, at times, had to inspect a childcare center or private childcare home. The guidelines set down in this article are things that I have looked at and received training for. When choosing a childcare provider a parent can never be too careful.

copyright 2009 by Jerrie DeRose

Jerrie DeRose – Early Childhood Education Consultant

Here is a wet fly-fishing tip that many fly fishermen overlook when nymph fishing lakes and deep pools of rivers and streams using a sinking tip fly line or a sinking fly line. In this example we are fishing a #6 black bunny leech. Because of the way it is tied, like most good wet flies these days, it requires a precise stop and start action to really be effective. The fly must stripped and paused, or what I call the “stop and go” method of nymph fly fishing. For example, cast out your fly and line, and use the fly line sink rate and the count down method (1001,1002…etc) to let the fly sink into the strike zone. Then make one pull in (or strip in) and stop. This allows the material on the fly to open while the fly sinks for two or three seconds then strip again closing the fly, pause, and strip again. This will cause the fly to rise, fall, open, close, rise, fall, and look alive as you strip in the fly line. To really get the proper action from the bunny leech or any wet fly, you must point the rod and rod tip right at the fly line where it goes into the water while you are stripping in the fly line, otherwise, you don’t get the desired stop and start action. Visualize this, if your fly rod is parallel to the water during the strip, the rod will flex down, and during the pause the rod will flex back up, resulting in the fly just moving along at a study pace without any stop or start action. Again, point the rod down and right at the fly line where it goes into the water.

When using larger wet fly or nymph patterns, make longer strips with a longer pause, and when using small fly patterns, try to make a short strip in and a short pause between strips. Try different combinations of strips and pauses until you find a combination that works for the fish and water conditions that are present where you are fishing. Remember that the strip and pause must represent the type of fly that you are using. For example a sculpin fly will require a longer, quick start and longer pause, than a small nymph that slowly travels only a few inches at a time. This method of wet fly fishing works with the muddler minnow, wooly buggers, leeches, streamers and all types of large and small nymphs.

This method of nymph and wet fly fishing will produce violent strikes, and works on all game fish so be prepared to “up size” your tippet leader material. Refer to my web site for the fly fishing tip: “Fluorocarbon leader and the fly fishing knots to make it work”

Good luck, good fishing and please take care of our wonderful lands.

Stanley Stanton: Oregon Fly Fishing Guide and McKenzie River fishing guide, Visit: http://www.oregon-fly-fishing-with-stan.com For trout fly fishing tips, how to fly fish information, plus guided Rainbow Trout Fly Fishing, Steelhead Fly Fishing, classes for beginners and advanced fly fishing and Oregon Salmon Fishing.

Grab Your Hiking Boots and Let’s Go!

Hiking is perhaps the most popular activity in the Catskills.

The origin of many hiking trails in New York State have their roots in the Native American-made paths to various seasonal hunting grounds. Later, loggers with ponies pulled hemlocks out the Catskill forests to make tanning solution and bluestone quarriers dragged out huge slabs of this dense blue-grey rock to pave New York City. The intrepid artists of the Hudson River School used these trails to find beautiful panoramas to sketch and later paint in their studios. Naturalists such as John Burroughs recorded the variety of flora and fauna unique to the Catskill High Peaks while Ralph Waldo Emerson is inspired to write his groundbreaking essay Nature by the very same Catskills.

Fortunately for today’s Catskill hiker, there is a wide variety of hiking trails ranging from the most easy such as the paved and flat like the path along the Ashokan Reservoir. to extremely difficult three mountain loop of Devil’s Path or the ascent to Slide Mountain. Whatever the hiking level you desire, we have chosen the best of Catskills hiking that gives beautiful views; the payoff for what can be a most vigorous exercise!

How to Plan for a Catskill Mountain Hike

There are a few sensible precautions that need to be considered before embarking on a hike whether in New York or anywhere else. While the Catskills can be easily traveled to and are close to New York City, knowing your terrain is guaranteed to make for a more pleasant day. Not sure about hiking in the mountains on your own? Add some luxury and amenities to your New York getaway; look for local area resorts such as the Emerson that offer hiking packages with guided hikes and lodging.

What You Will Need To Hike the Catskill Mountains:

1) Water: Bring plenty of it as natural sources can be contaminated with giardia- unless it is marked as a natural spring.

2) Bugs: The hiking trails of the Catskills are cool and damp, so expect mosquitoes. And while lymes-disease carrying ticks generally prefer hot and dry conditions, its good practice to tuck pants into socks and use a strong insect repellent.

3) Gear: Do wear good hiking shoes with sturdy socks to prevent blisters. Dress light but carry a sweatshirt and rain poncho in your pack as the weather can change suddenly. A walking stick can be an excellent stabilizer if the terrain should get rough.

4) Animals: The Catskills are full of wildlife and none are dangerous as long as you respect their space. Bears are only a nuisance if you are camping with lots of unprotected food. Bears tend to be shy but if encountered; make some gentle noise and they should run off. Another concern can be snakes but if you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you. If you should see a rattler, admire it from a distance. Snakes are most often found on the sunny side of cliffs among large rocks and boulders.

5) Plan: Make sure you let someone know before you go off into the wilds. Take a map and don’t expect to rely on your cell phone GPS.

6) Respect: Lastly, bring out what you bring in. Paper and plastic have no place in nature.

Where to Hike: Choosing the Perfect New York Getaway in Nature

Very Easy Trails: Ashokan Reservoir & Colgate Lake

These hiking trails are good for families from grandparents to kids who need a level walking surface without dips or climbs.

• Ashokan Reservoir:

The Ashokan Reservoir’s two long walkways, one an actual promenade and the other a closed road the public now uses, provide a panorama of the Catskill Mountains and the pristine Ashokan Reservoir that serves as the drinking water for New York City.

Great for bicycles, walkers and wheelchairs, the two paths are beautiful stretches of wide paved paths that curve for 3 miles along the Ashokan Reservoir. To get to this wide mountain vista, travel to Winchell’s Corners on Route 28, turn onto Reservoir Road. At the junction of “BWS road” make a left and at 28A, make another left. Travel ¼ mile and make the next left and at the end of the road is a roundabout parking area for both paths.

• Colgate Lake:

A magical hidden gem off of Route 23A near Tannersville, this pristine, man-made lake is open for swimming, although there are no lifeguards or roped in areas so visitors need to take appropriate precautions. There is a small trail that circumnavigates the entire lake that is bowled in by mountains. Caution must be used around Colgate Lake as there can be poison ivy.

Easy NY Hiking Trails: Kaaterskill Falls, North-South Lake, and Diamond Notch Falls

• Kaaterskill Falls:

The two tiered falls of 175 and 85 feet are the highest waterfalls in New York State. The lower Kaaterskill Falls is reached by a trail beginning on Route 23A. Driving east from Tannersville and Haines Falls, park on the area to the right before the highway makes its steep descent down the mountain. Then, walk carefully along the road until you reach a hairpin turn and the falls are seen on your left. To reach Kaaterskill Falls from the top, travel east on 23A and make a left onto Country Rd 18 by the Twilight Deli and then, about a mile later, a right onto Laurel House Road. Park at the end of the road and follow the trail 1/5 of a mile to a worn bank supported by wooden beams.

This is the top of Kaaterskill Falls and extreme caution must be used to descend onto the huge boulders to get a look at the valley below. We do not recommend a descent as the ground is slippery and there are many injuries, but there is a small short trail that runs to the right. Walking with care, you can get a nice side view of the falls and the natural amphitheater it has carved out over the centuries.

• Escarpment trail North-South Lake:

The short hike to the site of the Catskill Mountain House provides the reward of incredible vistas of the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires beyond. Longer and more strenuous hikes can bring you to such spots as Artist’s Rock, Sunset Rock, Newman’s Ledge, Boulder Rock, and the Kaaterskill Hotel and Laurel House sites. Follow the well-marked trails and maps to lead you where you want to go. Swimming is permitted at North-South Lake, but only when there is a lifeguard present.

• Diamond Notch Falls:

This hike has an amazing variety of indigenous, native plants and flowers that grow along the path. Please note that any digging or picking of greenery is strictly prohibited. The walk is steep in places, but not difficult to navigate. The waterfalls add a special interest and there is a wooden bridge above the falls that offers a different view of the cascade. Travel up Route 214 to Lanesville, turn left onto Diamond Notch Road and park at the very end. The trail starts at the far right corner of the lot.

Moderate NY Hiking Trails: Hunter Mountain, Overlook Mountain & Giant Ledge-Panther Mt. Trail

• Hunter Mountain:

For a unique experience, take the Sky Ride from the Hunter Mountain Ski Center. The lift will take you up a 1600 foot vertical from the valley floor. A 2 mile hike from there will take you to the fire tower with beautiful views of the Catskill High Peaks, but this is a steep challenge. Less active hikers may want to enjoy the view from where the Hunter Sky Ride leaves you off and just hike back down to the base.

• Overlook Mountain:

This popular hike is located a couple of miles north of the Village of Woodstock. Take Rock City Road north from the Village Green all the way to the top of Overlook Mountain where it will change its name to Mead’s Mt. Road. Parking is on the right and the trail is to the left. The climb is steep and uphill for 2.5 miles but the 360 degree view from the fire tower at the mountaintop is the best in the Catskills! Also note an abandoned ruin of a stone hotel from the 1930s about 2 miles up. Great for dramatic photographs or an eerie romantic picnic!

• Giant Ledge-Panther Mt. Trail:

This trail starts out easy with yellow markers and then switches to the more challenging blue markers after the spectacular view of Giant Ledge. Giant Ledge is located roughly 1.6 miles up the trail and afterwards, the trail follows a North-South Ridge for another mile that offers more lovely Catskill Mountain vistas.

Difficult NY Hiking Trails: Slide Mountain & Devil’s Tombstone

• Slide Mountain

Another tough hike, but the Slide Mountain Hiking Trail is also the most rewarding! With an elevation of 1780 feet and a 5.4 mile round trip, you will need lots of water and good hiking boots. Slide Mountain is the highest peak in the Catskills, so the view from the summit is unparalleled. To get there, drive to the end of Woodland Valley Road off Route 28 near Phoenicia and travel to the very end to the Woodland Valley Campground. The trail head will be on the left with parking on the right.

• Devil’s Path:

Also known as Devil’s Tombstone, this trail is known as the toughest hiking path in the Eastern United States. Nonetheless, hikers are drawn to it as it allows them to cover 5 mountain peaks in one excursion. The Devil’s Path is a self guided trail that can be done in three sections or combined. The first section, Plateau Mountain, is 8 miles roundtrip and it culminates in a nice view over to Hunter Mountain. Then the trail levels out (hence the plateau) and the highest point is at the far eastern end about 2 miles away. Continue on a short distance from the summit and a view of Sugarloaf Mountain opens up. The Hunter Mountain Section is 4.15 miles and the West Kill Mountain Section is 7 miles for a total of 24.20 miles of hiking. The best access is to drive from Phoenicia 8 miles north on Route 214 and park at the Devils Tombstone day use parking area on the left. The trail head starts on the right after the enormous rock that purports to be the actual Devil’s Tombstone.

Whatever your chosen skill level, it will be easy to find just the right hike in New York’s Catskills. Make it a weekend getaway and enjoy all the Catskill have to offer.

Jen Dragon
http://www.emersonresort.com

Emerson Resort and Spa, an extraordinary destination offering the reassuring sense that one is no longer part of the outside world. Make yourself at home in one of our 53 exceptional guestrooms and suites. Enjoy comfort food favorites at the Catamount Restaurant. Or indulge in one of the soothing treatments at our Forbes Four-Star Spa. Outside, the picturesque Hudson Valley will complete this perfect environment of total harmony.

It’s a fashionista’s worst experience, even worse than looking oversize buddy, more degrading than wearing the same dress in another party — it’s the fear of symbolizing looking yesteryear fashion trend model.

Sometimes, fashion trends is considered as fads, are disreputably erratic. The fashion industry players are always on the quest to bring up something “NEW” & “HOT”.

What is Fashion Trend?

Trend is the lead in which something new evolving, mostly leaning, penchant and line of growth. Hence, fashion trend is the latest evolvement of the fashion industry.

What is Fashion Trend Really About?

Your closet can give the answer. If you don’t want to look at it, well.well. this resembles that you are matching your steps with the latest fashion trends. What it’s relation to fashion? People stick rigidly to the rules – okay, maybe not ‘YOU’. You may be one of those who walk their own way and dress as they like. When it comes to the fashion industry, it’s a continuously changing world. Even though some trends are considered as ludicrous and outdated, many other comebacks with innovative ideas.

Pace and Re-emergence of Latest Fashion Trends

Now its new millennium, but most of fashion things like the pegged pant legs, jelly bracelets, and finally the denim jeans, seem to be returning in trends again. It comes out that the latest fashion trends are simply have nothing new at all. Almost everything re-emerged in fashion trend. You can virtually find torn jeans in every clothing retail store.

Who decides What’s ‘Hot’ and ‘Not’ in Fashion Trends

There is no existence of specific group who declares what is hot fashion trend or not. In fact, the fashion designers and consumers who buys-out the fashion merchandise make their judgment and throw several opinions out there and observe what is grabbed.

Basically, ‘WE’, the consumer decide which merchandise is hot by making our minds what to purchase and wear.

The Fashion Trend Cycle

First part of the cycle, where the trend is highly hunted immediately after seeing that great fashionable hat, dress or shoe on the runway, red carpet or music video. Next, comes the emulation phase, where everyone wants a piece of the trend. Only big shots, celebrities and fashion industry players have approach to latest fashion right off the runway, which yet not showed up in retail stores.

During second phase, this newbie will appear in news papers, fashion magazines, TV and internet. At last, the trend will be soaked in the market, commonly at bit lower cost.

In the second phase new merchandise is available in bit expensive designer collections. It is only the third phase, where the merchandise is available to the mass market at affordable cost for most buyers.

The major part of over all mass will purchase it somewhere between second and third phase.

Before two or three decades it might have taken a some rears to make it from runway to mass market, however, nowadays producers have put the fashion cycle into rapid speed. Now, a hot trend often makes it appearance in low cost or discount retail store in as little as a few days or months.

In & Out of Fashion Trend

Reasonably priced fashionable clothing is a double-edged sword that make possible to buy fashionable looks at real-life budgets, at the same time leads to abolish the trend rapidly. However, when the market is completely saturated with a same monotonous trend it loses its appeal.

So how we can assume that how long a fashion trend will last? Let us find out:

Generally, most fashion trends last nearly one year, but some trends, usually the acceptable, last much longer. It is considered that normally fashion trends re-emerge nearly every twenty years. Hence, the minis skirts of the 80s are back in trends again.

The key to assume that how long a trend will last depends on from when you bought the collection. If you bought when the knock-off or discounts are going at retail store, then the count for the trend last not more one or two seasons. Fashion industry normally dumps together two seasons together, Spring and Summer, Fall and Winter, which provides you about six months to wear before it seems looks outdated.

In fact it is not specified that how long a fashion trend will last, you can put money on the just fads such as jeans, Uggs, hats etc… It doesn’t signify that you might not get fun in purchasing them. They are the evergreen items you would like to purchase any time.

Purchasing power can keep a trend on oxygen. In some cases people love particular trends so much they wouldn’t let it die.

The safeguard against rapidly changing fashion trends is to have a clothing line stocked with more traditional looks: T-shirts, jeans, and black dresses.

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