Coagulix

If there should be one lasting message that we should learn from the current economic dire straits , let it be that the health care industry in the United States is in need of help . Three of the most famous companies in our history, GM, Ford, and Chrysler, are on the verge of bankruptcy not because of Wall Street misbehavior but rather because they can no longer stay in business while meeting their duty towards their employees’ health care obligations .

In fact, for every automobile that GM sells, over $2000 goes straight to the endowment that the carmakers have created to deal with the ever-expanding expenses of providing health insurance to their workers , present and past . And you probably thought it was all about subprime loans .

As I type this, at the beginning of 2009 , the health care industry is the single largest industry in the country’s economy, as measured as a percentage of the GDP , or Gross National Product ; in fact, health care represents roughly 16% of our GDP, more than defense , more than automotive, more than IT , more than any other industry you can think of. And it’s not close.

Any policy that will revolutionize health care must make an allowance for the expansion of new industry jobs, which will have an impact on the whole economy, as more folks who find themselves unemployed or under-employed at the moment can be retrained to work the good, better-paying health care jobs of the future ; such moves would have long-lasting impact not only on the whole economy and the individual men and women who will take on those better-paying positions , but also on the treasury and our nation’s budget , as those new jobs will bring in tax revenue that will help reduce our astonishing deficit and lower the national debt.

And this is where universal health insurance comes into play . When you realize that over 46 million Americans lack medical insurance of any type today, it is easy to see that by bringing these folks into the system will only grow the size of the health care industry, an industry which, as I pointed out earlier, is almost entirely domestic. By giving these countless people a method to acquire their own health coverage , we can help create those better paying positions , while improving the quality of life of the currently uninsured , and eliminating the wasteful costs that we associate with caring for the ill indigent by hospital emergency rooms (the caregivers of last resort for millions) and other inefficiencies.

———-Jonathan Krakowski, the author, writes a regular column for Auto Insurance In-Depth and Life Insurance In-Depth.

We all know that selling eBooks is a fantastic way of making money online. It’s a business that seems to grow with every day that goes by. More and more eBooks are coming out all the time. Why? Simple. Because they work.

Think about it. They can all be sent via email or instant download, yet people still say anything from £5-£49 for them. It’s all about finding a hungry market, and then providing them with exactly what they want.

The question is how do you find that market? And once you’ve found them how do you know what exactly that market wants?

Well this is a simple answer. An answer that could potentially make you alot of money very quickly.

Newsgroups and forums.

Let me explain. The internet has a newsgroup and forum for literally every subject you can think of. If someone has an interest in it then there will be a forum or newsgroup on it.

Now here’s how this works:

You want to come up with a subject that interests you. You must have an interest in it or. This doesn’t mean you have to know anything about it, but the subject matter must to hold your interest.

Now you’ve got your subject write down ten or twenty questions, tell people to answer as many or all of them as they can.

If your subject matter was health (the hot topic of the moment) you could have questions such as “what is your main concern about your health?” etc.

You tell all the people who answer your questions that they will recieve a special mention or free copy of the book once it’s finished.

What your effectively doing is planting an internet ’seed’. You’ll go back to the site and find that dozens if not hundreds of people have answered your questions.

People will have told you which questions they desperately want the answer to.

Then all you do is research the info they want to know, write it all down, tidy it up a bit and hey presto you’ve got an eBook that the specific market has TOLD you they wanted created. They’ve told you the info they wanted to know and all you’ve done is put it all into a book.

You can research the questions they want the anwers to by just searching on google. There are answers to every question on the net you’ve just got to spend a bit of time looking for them.

It’s for this reason that people don’t search the net for themselves. Time. But they sure as hell would buy a book with all the information they wanted in it. They wouldn’t be able to get their credit card out quick enough if you provide them with the answrs they want to know.

This is where newgroups and forums can make you tons and tons of money. Step by step here’s a summary of how this works.

1) Decide on which niche market to sell to.

EG.Health, Golf, Making Money, Fishing etc.

2)Place a polite message on as many newsgroups and forums as you want to asking people what things they would desperately like to know about the category. Tell them that should they help you will provide them with a free copy of the book when it’s finished. This costs you nothing (remember eBooks are all sent via email or download) and convinces them to spend a little time on your project.

3)You go back to the news groups/forums a week or so later and jot down all the questions they want answered.

4)Search for the answers to the questions and copy and paste them onto a word document.

5)Tidy it up, put it into a PDF format and your ready to go!

OR

5b)Give a ghostwriter all of the notes and ask them to make it into a book for you.

You don’t just have to limit yourself to an eBook either. If the people are snapping up your eBook product then chances are they’ll love it as a paper and ink product to so think about advertising it through direct mail/mail order and bringing in even more profits.

This really is the easiest way to create a hot selling internet product that your market will love in the fastest possible time.

All the best in your new venture.

Jonathan Street

J.S.T Information

About the Author

Jonathan Streets money making weekly eZine “21st Century Entrepreneur” is one of the hottest money making newsletters in the world today.
He’s also the author of “How To Make £5,000 - £10,000 A Month From Home”. He invites you to get both for free from his ever popular web site.
www.millionaire-enterprises.com

Most of us have a lifetime of responding to the signals of others without regard for who we are or what we need or want. The “art of being” is the order of the day; the art of knowing and accepting yourself, living in passion and joy; embracing and valuing fun and leisure.

Every day we are bombarded by erroneous and damaging messages in the culture that tell us that personal happiness, having fun, and self interest are bad and wrong, evil in some way, and not worthy or valuable pursuits.

There must be a balance of work and play, seriousness and fun, activity and rest. Being in harmony with your true nature and living the life you were meant to live, means you must reconnect with that natural self and honor and affirm that self on an on-going basis. It means cherish your own desires, formulate your own values, and remain true to them.

Begin to take time for yourself without deciding that each moment has to be spent productively. In the beginning you may have to schedule this time to insure that you take it. Many adults never become completely comfortable playing or even with the idea of having fun or spending leisure time.

Here is an exercise you can use to help you uncover and discover underlying beliefs about fun, deserving to have fun, spending money to create the opportunity to have fun, and wanting to be with others or by yourself when you have fun.

Write each of the following partial sentences at the top of a blank page, then write at least ten different endings as quickly as you can.

When l used to have fun my mother…

When I used to have fun my father…

When I was a kid I always wanted to…

As an adult I feel silly or foolish…

When I see other people having fun I feel…

I can remember playing…

If I ever did decide to play or create the opportunity to have fun I think I would…

Valuing the time and being willing to spend the money for fun would mean…

Breaking free of other people’s limiting beliefs and values, exploring family dynamics, and challenging cultural models that may keep you stuck is life-long work. Ironically, part of the work is learning how to create and enjoy leisure time; recognizing and acknowledging the value of fun (play) and bringing balance into your life.

Learning to have fun, and enjoy yourself and others, affirms a vital part of all of us and is necessary to build and maintain good self-esteem.

Remember, only YOU can make it happen!

Copyright Dr. Jackie Black 1999-2005

If you like this article, please read more about
Dr. Jackie’s relationship dating advice and help for issues and problems.

This article may be re-published with appropriate attribution to the author including name, web site, email address and telephone number.

Dr. Jackie is an internationally recognized relationship expert, educator and coach. Advice and coaching about personal relationships is Dr. Jackie’s passion. Her goal is to inspire and support single men, single women and couples through the challenges and pitfalls of dating, loving and building lasting, committed relationships in today’s fast-paced world. Dr. Jackie’s Relationship Coaching Programs and Groups, her Blog, downloadable PodCasts and her Internet streaming radio show are jam-packed with valuable dating tips and strategies.

http://www.DrJackieBlack.com

DrJackie@DrJackieBlack.com

1.888.792.6224

So just what is creativity?

Here’s my definition:

“Creativity is simply looking at something that has always been there and seeing something that has never been seen before”

That’s really all there is to it.

But I’m not creative…….

I hear people tell me all the time that they cannot do something because they are not creative. I respond by asking them if they ever worry. Then they answer that of course they worry.

My point is that if you worry then you are creative. Because what is worrying? All worrying is, is going into the future to some fearful or unwanted event, feeling the emotions as if it has really happened, and then dragging those emotions back into the present time.

Now if that is not creative, I don’t know what is.

Using your creativity in the best way

The task then becomes to stop using your creativity in a way that harms you and begin to use your creativity in a way that supports you.

Creativity questions

Get in mind your area of expertise.

Here are two of the questions I frequently use to spark my creativity:

1. In how many ways can I make what I am currently doing even better?

2. In how many ways can I look at something I do all the time and do it in ways that have never been done before?

Remember the definition of creativity with which we started this article:

“Creativity is simply looking at something that has always been there and seeing something that has never been seen before.”

Visit The Article Guy for more leading edge tips and tools for writing articles that bring you prospects, publicity and profits. You can also subscirbe to our monthly Article Empire Tips Newsletter. You are also invited to visit my Express-Start Article Writing Program for more information on the next article writing tele-seminar.

DVD-R or the digital versatile disk recorders can be ideally used for storing still pictures, digital audios, graphics, and data sharing. The mini DVD-R is the perfect option for sharing data, and comes in handy at business presentations and conventions. The compact disc size of 3 1/8 inches has a storing capacity of about 1.46 G B. This roughly translates to 30 minutes of audio or video recording.

These write-once discs are highly popular with consumers and have high compatibility with all major DVD-R brands of recorders, DVD Rom drives, DVD players and DVD-R camcorders. Downloads from the Internet can also be stored.

These mini DVD-Rs are easy to transport and are ideal for archiving. They have a shelf capacity ranging from 30 to 100 years and are a trusted way of storing valuable data. This feature gains all the more importance once you realize no matter how efficient the computer, there is always a risk of things going awry. If your system crashes, you will end up losing all precious data and records. Therefore, it is always best to keep DVD-Rs handy because of their large storage capacity, their compactness, easy mobility and high shelf life. Using a high quality organic dye, the mini DVD-R ensures highly reliable audio and video quality and is readily available in the market.

If you are interested in buying a mini DVD-R, the best place to start searching is the web. You will come across innumerable companies offering attractive discounts and bargains.

Do remember to check out the quality of the DVD-Rs, especially in terms of their resistance to heat and ultra-violet rays. Most DVD-Rs have a high shelf life and come with a limited lifetime warranty.

Do a comparative study of a few websites and see what they are offering. This way you will be able to buy a mini DVD-R at a competitive rate.

DVDR provides detailed information about DVD Rs, DVDRs, DVD R discs, and more. DVDR is affiliated with Mini DV Tapes.

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead.
Yesterday is a promise that you’ve broken.
Don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes,
This is your life.
And today is all you’ve got now,
And today is all you’ve ever had.
Don’t close your eyes.

Yesterday is a kid in the corner.
Yesterday is dead and over.

The preceding lyrics were written by singer/songwriter Jonathan Foreman and performed by his band Switchfoot. I’ve heard hundreds of songs over the years with relatable lyrics, but this one really caught my ear as if it had been written by me, about me. With a sense of regret and dreams unfulfilled, this song hit a tender spot for me; like a three-minute recap of my life had been set to music.

I just turned 36-years-old last summer (shout-out to all my fellow Cancerians). While I have developed feelings of dread associated with growing older, I don’t view birthdays with the usual negativity most people experience merely because they are aging and getting one step closer to the grave. I don’t mind getting older, as I think one is only as old as he or she feels. I eat (generally) well and exercise with great frequency and have been rewarded with being in the best shape of my life. Though I may feel like I’m 26, I cannot ignore the fact that I am actually ten years older than that and have yet to do anything meaningful with my life. Whether it’s logical or not, I painstakingly measure the passing years based on my accomplishments, or lack there of.

Eighteen years ago when I graduated from high school and embarked on my college tenure, I never would have imagined that my life would be where it stands today. I figured by my mid-30s I would be living the picture-perfect life with a successful career, residing in a nice house with my beautiful wife and adoring children (insert white picket fence and frolicking pets, if you like). Instead, I am still trying to find my niche in the economic world (after a series of McJobs and a layoff); I’m relegated to living in apartments; I have been unable to sustain a serious relationship longer than six months (can it really be constituted as ’serious’ when it only lasts half a year?); and children bug the crap out of me. That’s a far cry from the idyllic images I had floating around in my nave head.

Where did it all go wrong (I’m sure my parents ask themselves that on a regular basis)? It would be far too easy to place all fault on the current volatile state of the economy, and while the jobs are slim pickin’s right now, I have to take the brunt of the blame upon myself. It all comes down to a lack of ambition. Aside from when I was a typical, perverted 16-year-old boy and wanted to be a gynecologist, I cannot recall a time in my youth when I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. That led to an undeclared major in college, which eventually became Communications when I discovered I could learn more about the mass media. It seemed like a logical step to take since I was an entertainment junkie, but I still didn’t know what I was going to do with the degree once I had earned it. I erroneously figured that everything would somehow fall into place. Thus began the meandering I have since done throughout my life.

I won’t pretend to be a qualified shrink, but I honestly feel that most of the issues (I prefer that term over problems - it just sounds better to me, so go with it) invading my life stem from my lack of direction and the unstable foundation that has created. I just seem to lack the confidence necessary to cruise through life because I know that I really haven’t ‘made it’ yet. I still don’t know exactly what I would like to do (other than write), and the current shaky job market is playing a role in my inability to find a gig that makes me happy. If I had dared to dream a bit higher in my youth (instead of dreaming about getting high), navigating through the meager employment listings probably wouldn’t be an issue at this point. Is it fair to blame everything on the past? Maybe not, but I’ve been struggling to find answers to my issues (not problems) and grasp a hold of a sliver of contentment, and finding the root of the source is a great start, as far as I’m concerned.

You might think I have no right to complain since I have my health and I have been able to make ends meet financially, but I think I deserve more (why? - just because). It’s hard to make sacrifices when I see friends and acquaintances enjoying the spoils of their efforts (i.e. youthful dreams coming to fruition). Many times I have reluctantly declined invitations to go out socially with my more-successful friends because I cannot keep up with their free-spending ways. I just can’t afford to hit the finer restaurants and pay an equal share of the bill. You see, they always order a slew of appetizers and numerous bottles of wine, in addition to the entrees, and find it easier to divide the bill into uniform portions instead of calculating what each person owes based on what they ordered. Rather than draw attention to the fact that I am not on equal ground with them by consuming less and demanding to only pay for what crosses my lips, I devise a litany of excuses as to why I cannot join them. Call it jealousy or a desire to avoid embarrassment, I’m not proud of the dishonesty, and the resulting night at home alone can be mind numbing, but it’s just something I have become adept at doing.

And oh how I long for the day when I can finally set up residency in a place of my own and give a not-so-fond farewell to overpriced apartments with paper-thin walls and little by means of insulation from the cold and heat. Being a finicky sleeper who needs ideal conditions for a nightly slumber, I am at my wit’s end over noisy neighbors who don’t have a penchant for going to bed early and rising early, like myself. That hasn’t been the case in all my living arrangements, but I am currently revisiting my days of insomnia and the loud-mouthed bitch next door with poor taste in music is not helping matters one bit. I have been tempted to retaliate in a passive-aggressive manner and make a clamor of my own when I get up at 4:30 a.m., but I have thus far relented in fear of spurring a vicious cycle I want no part of. Instead, I accept where I am, experiment with different types of earplugs, and continue to dream of a living space with no shared walls.

I am determined to make some changes in the next 365 days so I can celebrate turning 37 with a big blowout instead of a personal pity party. I’ve got some irons in the fire that won’t immediately lead to great wealth or more peaceful living quarters, but it will be a step in the right direction towards getting my life back on track (if I can even say it was ever on track). Life is too short to dwell on the past, even if it has a direct correlation to the present.

About the Author: Brian Kohlmeier is a co-founder of SwapThing.com, which changes the way people exchange goods and services through the Internet. SwapThing http://www.swapthing.com is a site focused on building a strong swap community online. The ShareThing http://www.swapthing.com/user/Nonprofit.jsp program helps non-profits get access to item & cash donations as well as volunteers and professional services.

This article comes with reprint rights. You are free to reprint and distribute it, as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is included, and that the links above is intact.

This month I said, “NO, I’m not going to write a feature article this month, I want to work on my book instead.” As soon as I said that, I realized that there might be some learning (AND an article!) in that decision. Here are the top 10 reasons to say “NO,” in service of your creativity and self-care.

1. To say YES to something better.

Right now I’m working on finishing my book, Ten Ways to Thrive as a Creative Artist. Every moment I free up is another moment I can use towards that!

2. Because it’s the truth.

Telling the truth to people in our lives - friends, family, colleagues - can be very difficult, especially if we think it’s not what they want to hear. But hiding the truth builds mistrust and resentment and clouds over true intimacy.

3. To stretch your “no” muscles.

Saying “no” gets a lot easier with practice. Each time you do it, you’re paving the way for the next time.

4. To create or reinforce boundaries.

At the end of the day, you are the only one who has to be pleased with what you’ve done. When you are, you’ll do your best work and be of the best service to others.

5. To break a habit.

Get out of autopilot and make a conscious choice. You don’t have to do what you always do.

6. To demonstrate your commitment.

Show the universe that you’re ready to receive new creative ideas and opportunities, by making it obvious that you’re honouring your creativity and practicing self-care.

7. To help others to do the same.

The dreaded peer pressure of adolescence and people pleasing of adulthood can both also be applied in positive ways. You can be a good influence on the people in your life.

8. To keep your focus strong and your vision clear.

Wallace Wattles, author of “The Science of Getting Rich”, says that when you’re clear about what you want and grateful that it’s already on it’s way to you, the universe will reward you with it. When you’re distracted by every new incoming possibility (described to me once as the “bright, shiny light syndrome”), it dilutes this scientific process.

9. Because you were wrong.

It’s taken many years of self-care practice for me to get to point where I will go back on something I agreed to if I realize it’s too much for me. Before, I would always push through no matter what the cost (most often burnout and resentment). Now, if I see that I was wrong, I respectfully renege on my plans by giving as much notice as possible, apologize WITHOUT over-explaining, and move on with a clear mind to what I’ve made room for. If thoughts of guilt or doubt creep in, I try to just notice them and let them go.

10. Because you’re not a perfect superwoman/superman.

Perfection is not required. If you show up and do your best, you’ve done your work for the day and you can be satisfied and proud.

Saying “NO” is something that’s worth practicing. Every time you do it, you’ll free up time, space, energy and focus for your creative dreams.

© Linda Dessau, 2006.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Feel like your creativity is blocked? Sign-up for your complimentary copy of the popular e-course, “Roadblocks to Creativity” by visiting http://www.genuinecoaching.com

All the famous writers I heard of could paper the walls of their offices with rejection notices.

Rejection slips are the bane of all writers, yet they are inevitable. The most successful of writers had their share of them, and even get them now that they are prosperous.
Although rejections are inescapable, they should not be considered maleficent; they should be considered helpful. Though when first received, they can be disheartening, they should be contemplated as a valuable learning experience. Even if they come as form letters, they can serve as valuable lesson in determination.

Look at it this way: One more “no” is that much closer to a “yes”. Each time a manuscript comes back, the quicker it should be sent to the next market prospect, and the writer should get on with the job of writing. Hesitating will only prolong the period of time before the piece is accepted for publication.

If the rejection notice has a personal message attached with a critique from the editor it should be studied carefully and heeded. If that happens, the writer knows that the composition had merit, and with a little more work can be placed.

Once the “work of art” is further improved, it is time to send it on its way again. When the writer is confident that it is the best that can be produced, then it is ready to return to the eyes of editors, whether it is an anecdote or a mammoth saga. It must be out there to be considered.

Perseverance is the writer’s best virtue. If at first you do not succeed, try and try again.

As Anas Nin says in her autobiography “Beware of allowing a tactless word, a rebuttal, a rejection to obliterate the whole sky” that should be a writer’s philosophy about rejection slips.

Charles O. Goulet has a BA in English literature. He published several novels that are available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and many other online bookstores.

His website is: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/go1c

While many companies establish new business promotions, few devote an equal amount of energy teaching employees techniques to do a better job of retaining customers.

Try this: Go back to your customer rank report from 1996, just ten years ago, and take a look at your top ten customers. How much does this top ten list differ from your top ten list in 2006? Odds are, few of these high volume customers are still on your top ten list, or for that matter, still doing business with your company. What happened to those that left? Where are they doing business now? If they left you for a competitor, do you know precisely why?

Here are 15 ideas for improving your customer retention rate:

• Measure customer retention by salesperson. This will give you a good idea of which salespeople are losing the most customers.

• Hire a professional to train not just your salespeople, but all customer contact personnel on how to deliver Level III customer care. Drivers, customer service personnel in the yard, credit personnel and inside salespeople interact with customers sometimes more often than outside salespeople do.

• Teach all employees how to most effectively deal with an irate customer.

• Set a standard within your company for customer response time and monitor how well your people are doing against these standards.

• Make it a policy to answer all phone calls by the third ring.

• Install a policy to under promise and over deliver when making promises to customers. Without training, conscientious employees who are trying to please the customer will often do just the reverse.

• When a customer complaint is unresolved, keep the customer informed. Call customers before they call you  even if you have nothing to report ― giving them an update on the status of the complaint.

• Give your people the flexibility to change the rules to serve the specific needs of individual customers.

• Measure service! Measure on time delivery, backorders/fill rate, accuracy of deliveries, accuracy of billing, etc. Improve your company’s credibility by using these numbers to support your service claims.

• Follow up with customers to check their satisfaction level, especially when a customer is new to your company. Ask customers questions. Don’t assume that they are happy with your quality and service.

• Invest in quality people. When it comes to people, you get what you pay for. Don’t pinch pennies when hiring customer contact personnel. The quality of your people equals the quality of your company.

• Empower your people to take whatever action is necessary to take care of a customer. If you are going to spend money, spend it to improve your rate of customer retention.

• Don’t solicit business from a customer until you are convinced that your company can meet his or her stated customer service expectations.

• Make a list of each of the value-added services your company offers. Ask each employee to commit it to memory.

• Show your customers that you care. Ideas: Incentive travel programs, educational contractor newsletters, thank-you notes, open house events, educational contractor seminars, etc.

It costs far more in marketing costs to have to replace customers you have lost, so it’s my suggestion that you invest heavily in training your people how to hold onto the customers you have NOW.

Bill Lee is author of 30 Ways Managers Shoot Themselves in the Foot. $21.95 + $6 S&H. http://www.BillLeeOnLine.com

Aside online games and static game devices like Playstation,
mobile games are the next most popular games around now. The
popularity has grown so big that mobile operators are competing
against each other by offering their subscribers loads of both
free and paid games for their pleasure. Not only mobile
operators, cell phone manufacturers are also pre-programming
their phones with a variety of games. The growing interest in
mobile gaming is producing a lot of benefits for the mobile
industry. The operators are deriving sizable revenue from
selling these games, software developers are regularly deriving
royalties from phone manufacturers and the manufacturers
themselves are cashing in heavily on revenue from subscribers.
You will appreciate the level of income in this are if you
consider the fact that by the year 2009, there would be 220
million mobile phone game fans in the world. Now lets delve into
the kinds of games we have around: We have the embedded games
that are factory coded into the phones, SMS games that operate
by interacting with a SMS server upon which the game resides and
browser games that are played online using the cell phones mini
browser. Of all these games the cheapest and most popular is the
inbuilt ones though the excitement offered by SMS and online
games are not a deterrent to people who would spend every dime
to get hooked on. The reason is browser games are of multi-media
origin and can be compared to the type experienced on
Playstation or xbox. There are several ways to develop mobile
games though the most popular language used are C++, Java and
Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) platform . Out of
these three, Java is the most popular method. The reason is
obvious - java is widely supported by the web and supported by
all the principal phone manufacturers. Again a medium like J2ME
is open source and thus cheap to use as a development medium.
Java as we know it is highly portable across platforms and
leaves developers with little worry that their program will not
work on certain phones. Programmers choose this language
platform because it does not interfere with programs running
natively on the phone. But in reality the future of mobile game
development is in MIDP 2.0 API which is a compilation of high
end applications that allow developers to come up with
sophiscated and highly interactive games for fans. It is fast to
use and ensures a stable program after compilation. It is
projected that this program, though futuristic, shall be the
standard for mobile game developers for a long time as it
exhibits versatility and the quick deployment - qualities
programmer love.