The Secret by Rhonda Byrne - Have You Read It?

When I first started to get involved with Internet Marketing, I was told about some books I should read and one of those was The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

Well I found The Secret in my local book shop and bought it. I have to admit that once I started reading it I couldn't put it down, and as this was a low period for me it filled me with inspiration.

The scholar's from times gone by and all the successful businessman, and personal coaches from today are using The Secret in their lives now. I mean, if some of the greatest people in history believed in it then who am I to disagree. People like Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Beethoven, Lincoln, Einstein and the list goes on.

It is all based around the Law of Attraction, which states that if you always have bad thoughts then that's what you will always attract, if you always feel depressed then that's what you will attract, and if you only think about debt then that's what you will attract. Think and believe about wealth and you will attract it, don't question how, the Universe will find a way - Hard to believe for the skeptics among us.

OK yes we all know the benefits of positive thinking but unless you have inspiration from somewhere, it's so hard to do especially as we all know in this day and age it is gloom and despair; the world recession, etcetera. It's easy to sit and hold your head in your hands, but will that help? Not one little bit.

So lets tell you about what has happened to me since I started reading The Secret:

The first time I read it I was on cloud nine, full of positive thoughts and I even tried the car parking space trick - yes it did work, coincidence? Maybe, but it happened almost every time. But then I had some serious money and personal issues and I forgot about The Secret until recently.

To supplement my income, as yet I do not earn enough money from my Internet Marketing endeavors, I do cabbing and that has been very slow. So as I was waiting around for jobs I started reading The Secret again and on this particular occasion I had been waiting 2 hours and still no job. So I closed the book and kept saying to myself "You will get a good job now", I kept saying it to myself, "The Secret will take care of me", stupid you might think, but what did I have to lose.

I left the area I was parked in, now do I turn left or right, do I stop here, all these questions but I trusted my instincts and then, beep beep beep my on board computer had received a job, and as I opened it....wow a 50 job.

I was thrilled and another strange coincidence, or not? Was it as the last passenger reached their destination we somehow mentioned The Secret and he said that since he has read and believed he has had a 3,000 Tax rebate, and as an actor has just won a new contract for a TV series.

Well after this job straight away another job came down 30 and this happened 3 more times in the space of 2 hours. Is this just a coincidence or something deeper?

I have been trying this since last Friday night and you know what instead of sitting there thinking the next job will be a bad one, because remember think a bad job and the Genie say's "your wish is my command" and a bad job you will receive.

Now I visualise the on board computer, and in my mind imagine seeing a good job on the screen, it work's, but you have to believe.

All I need now is to work harder at the Internet Marketing Business and believe it will all come to me.

This is my Internet Marketing for Newbies product a Home Study Course where you get full video tuition for every strategy you will ever need to be a success at working from home. This comes with a full no questions asked money back guarantee so you really have nothing to lose.

Proper Considerations When Selecting Vertical Blinds

Home improvement or decorating projects can come to a sudden stop when it comes time to choose the vertical blinds or window treatments. It can be a chore choosing between the wide variety of colors, fabrics, and other options available. In some cases, finding the right vertical blind can seem almost impossible. Fortunately, there are four easy-to-learn principals to help you select your blinds. Apply these principals, and you are likely to find just the right vertical blinds to fit your needs.

When buying vertical blinds, privacy is a very important element to consider. You may want more privacy in some rooms than you do in others. Kitchens, dens, and living rooms do not require nearly as much privacy as bathrooms and bedrooms do. This desire for privacy can, and should, be reflected by your vertical blinds. It is important to keep in mind that no matter how fantastic you may think the vertical blinds look on your bathroom window, if they aren't the right blinds, your neighbors may be the ones with the great view!

You need to know that many suppliers of vertical blinds charge extra for a valance to go with the blinds they supply. It is possible that when the supplier sends the blinds to you, these will arrive without anything to cover the control system or the plastic slat carriers. You will have little to no recourse if you are demanding a valance, since the product is technically functional. Make sure that you are looking at the complete vertical blinds, and ensure that they include a finishing valance, when selecting your vertical blinds.

While choosing your vertical blinds, another important thing to keep in mind is control of light. Most likely you would prefer to have various light control options for each room in your house. Additionally, you may desire more control of the lighting during various times of the day. An essential element for living rooms is light control. Over time, the sun's rays can cause considerable fading and damage to your furniture and upholstery. Reading and watching television can also become difficult when the sunlight is streaming into the room. So make sure you think about how much light control you require when choosing your vertical blinds.

Another thing to keep in mind while choosing your vertical blinds is how they function. You should be considering safety, among other things. Cords may create a safety hazard if you have children. Also, how will you get to those difficult to reach areas? Can you manually operate these vertical blinds or is a remote control required to operate them? Being safe and happy with your vertical blinds relies heavily on their functionality. Through normal use, expensive and high quality blinds can still break. You can experience some loss of function, whether from normal wear and tear or from the effects of weathering.

Lastly, there is the question of attractiveness. Indeed, you want the blinds to blend well with your overall home decor. The blinds you choose ought to accentuate your own style and taste, not look as if they don't belong. These four things should always be kept in mind while choosing your vertical blinds. Undoubtedly, you can make a choice that meets all of the desired qualifications. Do not just choose the cheapest option; you can find many high quality blinds online.

Judith Persit is certified as an interior decorator and gets her vertical blinds from blindsfactorydirect.com at blinds.

The Power of Subliminal Suggestion

Are you looking for a technique that will help you influence others' opinions and actions? Many people believe subliminal suggestion is a method that will work to manipulate others' minds. For the last hundred years, governments and advertisers have tried to use subliminal suggestions to persuade people.

Perhaps you are not interested in persuading others, but you are intrigued by the idea of increasing your own satisfaction in life. Many experts believe subliminal suggestions can be used to enhance performance at work, help you quit smoking, or build your self-assurance.

While there is no concrete evidence that subliminal suggestion works, many people have been convinced of the power of subliminal messages. Subliminal communications supposedly bypass the thinking, conscious brain. Instead, they pass directly into the subconscious part of the mind and influence a person's belief and knowledge structures.

It has been proven that the subconscious mind picks up messages throughout your daily life experience. The subconscious does use that information to change behavior in the conscious mind; examples include instinctual reactions to stimuli. Those who believe in the power of subliminal suggestion believe that the subconscious mind is very powerful, and that it exerts a lot of control over conscious decisions.

Many celebrities like Anthony Robbins and Tiger Woods claim that subliminal suggestions are a key to their success. These celebrities use books, videos, and other forms of subliminal control to influence their performance and concentration. Like these well-known stars, many people attempt to harness the power of their subconscious by subjecting their mind to rapidly flashing images or subtle auditory suggestions hidden behind music.

Proponents say that subliminal suggestion can be used to improve your life in many areas. Subliminal messages can help you achieve goals like losing weight or gaining self-confidence. By influencing the conscious mind through imprinting messages onto the subconscious mind, perhaps you can improve your life as well!

To find out more about how to use subliminal suggestion, just click here

Vedic Deities and Their Connection With Semitic Deities

One of the most interesting and impressive of Vedic deities is VaruGa, often invoked with a more shadowy double called Mitra. No myths or exploits are related of him but he is the omnipotent and omniscient upholder of moral and physical law. He established earth and sky: he set the sun in heaven and ordained the movements of the moon and stars: the wind is his breath and by his law the heavens and earth are kept apart. He perceives all that exists in heaven and earth or beyond, nor could a man escape him though he fled beyond the sky. The winkings of men's eyes are all numbered by him: he knows all that man does or thinks.

Sin is the infringement of his ordinances and he binds sinners in fetters. Hence they pray to him for release from sin and he is gracious to the penitent. Whereas the other deities are mainly asked to bestow material boons, the hymns addressed to VaruGa contain petitions for forgiveness. He dwells in heaven in a golden mansion. His throne is great and lofty with a thousand columns and his abode has a thousand doors. From it he looks down on the doings of men and the all-seeing sun comes to his courts to report.

There is much in these descriptions which is unlike the attributes ascribed to any other member of the Vedic pantheon. No proof of foreign influence is forthcoming, but the opinion of some scholars that the figure of VaruGa somehow reflects Semitic ideas is plausible. It has been suggested that he was originally a lunar deity, which explains his association with Mitra (the Persian Mithra) who was a sun god, and that the group of deities called dityas and including Mitra and VaruGa were the sun, moon and the five planets known to the ancients.

Yet VaruGa is not the centre of a monotheistic religion any more than Indra, and in later times he becomes a water god of no marked importance. The Aryans and Semites, while both dissatisfied with polytheism and seeking the one among the many, moved along different paths and did not reach exactly the same goal.

To learn more about Hinduism and Hindu beliefs, practices, rituals and theology; visit my new site. There you will find many free articles

Hinduism Beliefs

Introduction to Hinduism

The Real Meaning of Easter and Springtime

In nature and inside ourselves are energy patterns and dynamics that activate. Humanity evolved over a million years or more responding to the seasons of the year. Thus we have built into our genes, our psyches, a natural energy rhythm that we would do well to acknowledge and not avoid.

- finding Easter Eggs in an Easter egg hunt

- going to Easter Sunday church service when you don't go other times of the year

- getting in a car accident you never intended to happen, or did you?

- starting a love affair, whether married or not

- buying new clothes for yourself to go into summer with

- marrying the wrong person, and so later you have to get a divorce

- wanting to take a week's vacation instead of work at your job

- reading the latest mystery novels just out this year at this time

- going into nature with your friends and doing at least a walk there

- feeling depressed because you have nobody to love

THE ARCHETYPE OF EASTER-SPRINGTIME

What does the above list have in common?

- Why must you watch out for its effects?

- Why do certain celebrations occur traditionally at this transition from winter into springtime that is the 21st of March and the month of April?

In Jungian terms the archetype of Death-Rebirth becomes most active at springtime.

Death-Rebirth? What is that?

In nature and inside ourselves are energy patterns and dynamics that activate. Humanity evolved over a million years or more responding to the seasons of the year. Thus we have built into our genes, our psyches, a natural energy rhythm that we would do well to acknowledge and not avoid.

For what is not faced consciously in our awareness gets acted out anyway unconsciously.

Why do Norwegians every springtime take a week or more vacation at their summer cottages by the sea or in the mountains?

It's a wonderful thing to do. After the long Northern winter of more darkness than light, of more cold than warmth, the Norwegians are used to the seasonal shifts.

The spring equinox is the transition point when the hours of night equal the hours of day. We can imagine the long winter nights of the Northern countries, such as Norway. When spring finally arrives a sense of happiness comes with it, or so we think.

What about the dark side, the people who commit suicide when the spring comes, the people who have accidents?

One strange custom that has developed in Norway is that Norwegians when they go in the spring to their cottages also take along this year's published thrillers and mysteries. This type of genre is all about being killed and finding the killer. Why should a strong people who have just survived the winter then want to read fiction about death?

Well, don't think everything is just fine in the springtime. Norway has other forms of death for you, like quicksand in the forest because the ground is no longer frozen. Or how about you are hiking up the big mountain in Norway and suddenly the ground under you on the path just collapses into running water and mud and you are swept off the mountain to your death?

Yes, things like this happen every year in Norway. Several deaths occur to hikers in the Norway mountains when the springtime is arriving. Death is not over. Springtime is also the time they find the thawed-out bodies of those Norwegians who have chosen to commit suicide in the past winter by going into the forest and sitting under a favorite tree and freezing to death.

Deaths like this are no stranger to the Norway clime.

What is going on?

Since Death-Rebirth is the archetype of springtime this means that one must experience death first and then rebirth, then new life. The religion knows this with its Black Friday and then its Easter Sunrise service.

You don't have to go to an actual church service to feel the effects of Death-Rebirth. But the archetype is there.

Part of the monastic service is to have a midnight service and the lighting of the new pascal candle which has nails in it representing the crucifixion.

Thus built into our psychology is the recognition that we have to acknowledge our suffering and hurt and go through a letting go process to release ourselves into new birth.

The beauty of doing a sunrise experience is that you experience in nature Death-Rebirth, and this experience becomes a conscious part of you for as long as you live.

I went with some friends years ago and drove to the top of the local mountain, Mt. Diablo, in Northern California. There in the darkness we waiting all night looking out over the near and distant cities that kept their street lights on, the energy of humanity. We talked. We meditated. We knew the significance for us in our own lives of the Death-Rebirth experiences we were going through. Finally from the stone-walled walkway we saw the dawn breaking in the far distance. We had stayed up all night in our vigil and sharing together.

Here was our reward: the new dawn to a special day of rebirth. It is never to be forgotten.

Of course, the important level is to also take such things inside.

As a dreamwork psychologist, I wanted to figure our why when I lived and taught in Norway that the Norwegians read the new mystery novels at springtime. They did not know consciously themselves. It was a fad that most of them did.

Could it be that the Norwegians had waited out the long winter cold and at last when they did not have to be so strong any longer they could indulge in reading about surviving death?

What is the essence of these death-defying thrillers if not to catch the murderer before he or she catches you.

We all know we are under sentence of death but with indefinite reprieve, as Victor Hugo, the French writer, put it, but we don't know when our death will come. Will it be this year or the next, or after that? But it will come.

It's great in reading a thriller to realize that though there are deaths in the story, none of those victims are you. You are alive one more year, or so you hope.

Thus for me in the Norway sun and rains, and the new leaves on the branches of the trees, I felt a certain sadness. I was so glad to be alive still another year, and always planned to make good use of my "luck." But I also knew that one of these years the spring would come and I would not be there to marvel in its new life. The very wooden Norway house I lived in could have been built by those no longer alive. I lived in a dead man's house. And if not the house being there after me, at least the other houses of our community in the country of Norway, beloved land of all the seasons, would surely outlive me.

Whether by the sea in spring in California, or high atop the mountain elsewhere, it is a time to go adventuring and meditate on all your life is now.

What must you lose and give up? What must you sacrifice so you don't have to sacrifice life itself, even gruesomely as recounted here?

Better to realize the death part of your life now, the letting go of what can never more be. This is the base, the preparation to look forward to, and to experience through choice the new life you will dedicate yourself to with passion and awareness, as you live further your existence purposefully on this earth.

View Drs Kaplan-Williams' extraordinary blog at: http://strephonsays.com/blog/2008/11/hello-potential-members

Weight Loss Motivation - The 7 Pillars of Self-Belief

It is not hard to understand why so many of us find it hard to believe that we are special, unique and very much loved. In a culture where there are little or no positive affirmations for people with weight and size issues it can be hard to muster the self-belief we need to lose weight permanently.

In fact, our whole lives may have revolved around the absorption of messages that we are 'Not Good Enough', so much so that self-belief can be completely smothered. These are the messages that destroy the motivation of self-belief - you are not 'good enough' if...

You are over a certain weight or size;

Not on a diet and losing weight;

You regularly eat food consider a 'sin' or 'bad'

The great thing is that we can turn this around and see our motivation for permanent weight loss soar, though the development of our own motivational self-belief. All it takes is an understanding and actions to live by the 7 Pillars of Self-Belief...

1. Stop believing that you're 'Not Good Enough'. The fact is you generate and hold on to your own negative beliefs, so the great news is you can also turn them around!

2. Accept 'What is' i.e., "I am overweight" and add a codicil "And I am gradually discovering the weight I was born to be" The more you fight 'What is' the more your stress rises and your comfort eating increases.

3. Start identifying your negative beliefs and replace them with positive ones i.e., "I am fat and ugly" can be replaced with "I am a wonderful and lovable person." You don't have to fully believe it at first. Just keep telling yourself the positive.

4. Start noticing the positive messages that come your way that tell you how good other people think you are. Start believing them!

5. Look into your eyes, in a mirror, at least once a day and tell yourself how beautiful you are. Even if you don't believe it to begin with, you will see the truth in it eventually.

6. Visualise yourself as a slim trim you. Make it picture clear in your mind and focus on it several times a day.

7. Tell yourself, on waking and before you go to sleep, just how wonderful you are and how much you are loved by yourself and others. Believe that you deserve all this love and more. Feel its glow and the happiness it makes you feel inside.

The more you work on your self-belief, through loving thoughts and actions, the more your motivation rises. By taking the focus off food and onto self- love, the remarkable happens - you stop your struggle with food and fear and begin a love affair with yourself and life.

Chrissie Webber is a published author and weight management motivation coach. Through her online company http://www.lifeshapers.co.uk/ she offers support, motivation and re-parenting to the 95% - 97% of dieters who are still struggling to find the weight they were born to be. Her web site and blog http://www.chrissiewebber.co.uk/ offer motivation 'Keys' that help children, parents and adults discover a life without guilt, shame and self-loathing. To learn/relearn the skills of 'Conscious Eating' and how to live in harmony with food and nature become an online member today: http://www.lifeshapers.co.uk/

The Host With the Most

You strive to produce the best meetings possible. You plan ahead, prepare, and work hard to make sure everything runs smoothly. There are many tips, ideas, and techniques that you have heard or read about to ensure a good conference, but what if there was one that ensures a unique meeting that you don't have to run yourself?

In face-to-face meetings and conference rooms, organizers have brought in guest speakers, lecturers, and MCs for a long time. The fresh face and different outlook of a professional speaker can not only greatly add to the point of the conference, but also makes it a unique experience for all attendees. Teleconferences have the same dynamic as these meetings - barring actually being there - and there's no reason that the same experience could not be brought to an audio or video conference.

Users of teleconferences may protest here by saying that they already have guest speakers and lecturers attending their meetings. While this is one of the best ways to improve a meeting, these guests are either part of the organization, an affiliate organization, or the industry. Their contributions are valid and vital, but you can take the guest aspect a step further by including a Master of Ceremonies.

A compere, or Master of Ceremonies, can really enhance your conferences. You tell them what you want, when you want it, and they take care of the rest. They can start your conference off with a bang, and keep the energy high. They can introduce you or your speakers. The compere can keep track of time and deftly cut off a speaker that has gone on too long. If there is a time gap somewhere, they can fill it with their own material, specially tailored to the occasion.

If you are having a long conference that straddles a break or even lunch, a compere is the perfect speaker for when you reconvene. After a lunch break, your participants are at their most unresponsive. It's up to the MC, not only to take the brunt of this lethargy, but to get the meeting flying again.

Towards the end of your conference, a MC will run your Q&A session, keeping it on track and on schedule. They can also wrap up the meeting with inspiring observations or witty remarks. Not only does this end your meetings on a high note, but it also gets your participants looking forward to the next meeting.

That is what a Master of Ceremonies can do for your meeting, but think of what they can do for you personally. Let's face it; even the best laid plans can have a bobble or two. If you have ever done a teleconference, you know that it sometimes takes a bit of juggling to get the conference started right while dealing with any issues that might crop up. If you have a compere working for you, they can get things moving while you are free to manage those last minute details.

Another benefit of a compere is greatly evident if you have any public speaking anxieties. They can project your professionalism and management skills, all while you are safely behind the scenes. Delicate situations arise in conferences with long-winded speakers, but the MC can help there too. They will do their best, but if the compere cannot cut them off without any hurt feelings, the situation can be blamed on the MC. You get to remain neutral while playing the diplomat and problem solver.

Looking past the advantages of hiring a professional, a Master of Ceremonies doesn't always have to be an outsider. There may be a particularly outgoing employee or member of your team that would make a perfect MC. With a little coaching and orientation, you could use your in-house compere with all of your meetings. Your conferences will become known as professionally run, if not efficient and entertaining. More importantly, they will have the same standard of quality time after time.

The use of an employee-compere doesn't have to be confined to just your meetings. As their popularity grows, the MC could be used at other company meetings and conferences, with just employees or with clients as well. Over time, your compere could become the voice of your company, not only in conferences, but also on the company voicemail or podcasts. Your logo is seen by all, but now your company can be identified by a voice-brand as well.

While it is debatable that running your own teleconference is easier than hiring out, the additional benefits of a Master of Ceremonies are pretty plain. Your meetings can improve and there could be a bonus to your company as a whole.

David Byrd is the conference call expert at TalkPath LLC.
Read more from David or find out about video conferencing services at http://www.TalkPathConferencing.com

Tax Cuts Are Good For Everyone

For some reason there is a movement out there of people that are opposed to tax cuts. I believe they make up a small minority, but they tend us up a lot of air time with their ignorant ideas. They believe that the rich need to pay their fair share, however that is determined. I think they lack a basic understanding of economics.

Do Tax Cuts Benefit The Rich?

Yes of course, but we're talking about people that own businesses and create jobs here. When rich people are allowed to have more of their money, they use it to make more money. The process of making more money, means they have to invest it. This process of investing, creates news jobs. We'll have the next revolutionary product out there and it will be financed by such a person. It will grow and create jobs. It will be sold to the consumers and raise their standard of living. I think that is a significant benefit to everyone in society.

Don't tax cuts for the rich hurt the middle class?

Absolutely not. I'm not sure where these myths come from, but I suspect it comes from this idea that there is only so much wealth that exists and the rich will have more of it. It's completely untrue. The middle class has a great benefit. The first is that they have access to all these new exciting products. These products are bought for one reason and one reason only, to improve their standard of living. It could be a product that makes them happy, it could be a product that makes life easier. The point is that it improves their standard of living. The next reason is that these new jobs are available to them. Not to mention existing businesses are left with profit themselves, so they can pay more to their employees. Lastly, the middle class pay less tax as well. Anytime you finish off a month and you have more money to spend than you did the previous month, you're doing better. This means you have extra money to buy something or save to improve your standard of living.

I think it is an undisputed fact that tax cuts are in the best interest of everyone. The only people that disagree with tax cuts are usually ignorant people that don't understand basic economics. I also feel that they don't speak for the vast majority of people that hate to see a huge chunk of their pay check disappear to the government.

For more information on the greatness of capitalism and individual freedom, check out Capitalist Shrugged.

Six Habits of Highly Effective Teams

Anyone who has spent time in software development organizations knows that some teams seem to achieve superhuman productivity, and some teams just cant seem to get anything done. I think that the ratio of productivity can be hundreds to one, no matter how you measure it. What is it about Highly Effective Teams that lets them make so much progress with so little effort? Here are some the characteristics of these super-teams.

1. Highly Effective Teams have effective leaders and followers
   
   Leaders of Highly Effective Teams know their team members well, and how to give their teams direction and get compliance by motivating each individual in his or her most effective way. Leaders may step aside to let a team member with more experience take the lead for a particular task. Team members are comfortable taking direction from more than one source at a time, sorting out the priorities and contradictions, and doing the right thing with a minimum of supervision.
   
2. Highly Effective Teams share an explicit goal
   
   Each team member may have his or her own personal goals, but all the team members understand the common goal, because they all helped to define it. Team members are willing to temporarily set aside their own goals to help the team meet its overarching goal.
   
3. Highly Effective Teams are always learning
   
   Highly Effective Teams never assume that their way of working is the only effective way: they are constantly learning new techniques from each other, from other teams, and from books and experts. Highly Effective Teams even learn from their own mistakes when something goes wrong they figure out what happened and make sure never to repeat it.
   
4. Highly Effective Teams arent afraid of conflict
   
   Members of Highly Effective Teams have learned that they are all responsible for the quality of the teams work, so they are not afraid to challenge design assumptions, or to point out programming errors, or to suggest better processes. But they know how to disagree with respect, and to receive suggestions in the spirit they were offered, and to compromise when necessary.
   
5. Highly Effective Teams are always innovating
   
   Team leaders and members are always looking for a better, more efficient way to get the job done, and they are willing to experiment with new techniques and processes. Even when the new technique is no improvement, the team learns something that they can apply later.
   
6. Highly Effective Teams celebrate early and often
   
   Members of Highly Effective Teams know that developing software is akin to running a marathon, and requires patience and endurance, so they get in the habit of celebrating small forward steps. Getting the first clean build, or solving a nasty bug, or getting a 10% performance boost might be an occasion for pizza and beer after work.

   About the Author
   Bruce Taylor is the owner and principal of WorkingInUnison, an Organizational Development consulting firm located near Boston, Massachusetts. Bruce helps software organizations of all sizes to create low-stress, supportive, adaptable working environments, so that the engineers, leaders, and managers can work as effectively as possible. He provides executive coaching for senior managers who are creating superior organizations, management coaching for technical leaders who are adapting to new agile practices, and individual coaching for engineers who are upgrading their skills. Bruce has a Masters in Computer Science from Duke University, a Masters in Community Psychology, and a Certificate in Job Stress and Healthy Workplace Design, both from the University of Massachusetts. He can be reached at http://www.workinginunison.com or at brucetaylor@workinginunison.com.

What's so Important about Learning - Zig Ziglar Video

Zig Ziglar explains how the learned will inherit the earth.

Greg is currently working on a self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

Home Construction With Steel Framing

Home building with light gauge steel framing is a recent development in the history of construction. The use of light gauge steel framing is very nearly identical to framing a home with wood. The main difference is in the way the steel is fastened together. The majority of steel framing is screwed together with specially hardened screws that are engineered to handle the different stresses that joining steel framing together produces. Some training is required to understand the importance of how the steel is put together to get the structural integrity necessary for a sturdy structure.

Light gauge steel framing consists mainly of two kinds of pre-bent steel pieces. One kind is used to be the upright piece that is the replacement for the traditional wood stud. The other one is designed to be the horizontal piece that holds the stud in place. There are other kinds of steel, such as flat pieces, that are used for bracing and stiffening the wall structure, but the two pieces used as stud and track are the most prevalent. The stud is pre-bent into a shape that, if looked at in section, would resemble the letter "c". The two opposing sides of the "c" hold the drywall and sheathing of the wall structure. The other piece is called the track. It's purpose is to hold the stud in place at the proper intervals to distribute the load placed on top of the wall. It is also bent, but in the shape of a "u". The opposing sides of the "u" are used to steady the stud which is inserted in the track. When the proper spacing is achieved, the stud is clamped in place and screwed to the track on both sides. When the upper and lower track hold all the studs in position, the basic wall is complete. Then, a decision is made, whether any further bracing is required. Depending on the amount of load-bearing the wall was designed to support, long, flat pieces of steel may be installed on the surface of the wall to keep it square and rigid. There is another kind of steel that is designed to fit inside pre-cut holes in the studs that will lend rigidity. It is a narrow channel of steel inserted in the pre-cut holes to keep the studs aligned in a flat plane. The variety of different ways these pieces can go together is not the subject of this article. Suffice to say that just about every way to make a frame structure of wood for home construction can be duplicated with steel framing.

There are advantages to using steel framing that make it more attractive as a building material. It will not burn like wood. There is no danger of termite damage. The structure is stronger and more resistant to destructive forces such as high winds and impacts from various sources. The pre-punched holes save a lot of time with plumbing and wiring concerns.

There is one slight disadvantage of using this structural material. It is a little more expensive when compared to the equivalent wood framing. However, as more people choose this material, that price will come down to a competitive level. Also, the use of steel will significantly reduce the large demand on our national forests for building materials. These advantages, in my view, far outweigh the disadvantages. It is the material of choice for our future homes.

Damaged Ceiling Paint

The Benefits of Mulch For Gardens

In gardening, a lot of attention is given to improving soil conditions because this will result in healthier plants. One way to improve your soil is to use mulch. It helps to keep your garden healthy for many reasons, such as keeping soil cool and moist, controlling weeds, adding nutrients, reducing soil temperature fluctuations and preventing soil erosion. Who knew that mulch could do so much?

Before we get into the benefits of mulch, let's first discuss what mulch is. Mulch is made from organic, biodegradable material, such as shredded bark, leaves, wood chips or shredded newspaper. Mulch can be made from other sources, including those that aren't biodegradable, but organic sources of mulch are the best. This organic material is then spread directly on top of the soil and around the plants you are trying to grow. You should use 2-3 inches of mulch for it to be effective and gain the benefits listed below.

With mulch that is made from natural sources, such as shredded bark, leaves or straw, it will decompose over time. As the mulch decomposes, it will add nutrients to the soil. It also helps to keep the soil loose so that roots can easily grow and spread out. As well, up until the time the mulch has fully decomposed, it can still retain moisture and release it slowly into the soil.

A second benefit, mentioned above, is that mulch retains moisture. This helps to keep the soil underneath it moist and cool. Moist soil means less watering for you. Cool soil means that the roots of your plants are protected from extreme heat, which causes plants to wither and become vulnerable to disease and rot. One thing to keep in mind is that since the mulch retains so much moisture, you will need to keep it away from the stems of your plants so that they won't rot.

Another benefit of mulch is that it helps to prevent soil erosion by reducing the velocity of the rainwater. However, heavy rainfalls can wash away the mulch, so inspect your garden periodically and replace mulch where it is required. As well, if you are using mulch on a steep slope or hill, you can use netting to hold the mulch in place.

As well, mulch helps to control weeds. It does this by preventing sunlight from getting through. The thicker the layer, the less sunlight that can penetrate down into the soil, but even a thin layer of mulch can be effective. The key is to reduce the amount of sunlight. If the weeds don't get enough sun, they can't grow.

A fifth benefit is reducing temperature fluctuations in the soil itself. Add mulch to your garden after the ground has frozen to reduce the effect of freezing and thawing on the soil in the spring. Roots that are near the surface, particularly young roots, can become exposed to the elements as the soil around them freezes at night and thaws during the day. This exposure can weaken and damage roots. By adding mulch, the soil will stay warm and not freeze. Straw or hay bales are the best for winter mulching, as it won't become compacted over the winter from the weight of repeated snowfalls.

Adding mulch to your garden is quick and easy. While you will need to add new mulch every season, it is well worth it.

Please visit The Gardener's Escape and let us help you plan your escape today! Check us out at http://www.thegardenersescape.com/Articles/Articles.htm for more helpful gardening tips. While you are there, check out our Gardening Solutions page at http://www.thegardenersescape.com/Shopping/Shopping.htm for more ideas and methods on how to improve soil conditions.

Misquoted Bible Verses or Misused Bible Verses Which is Worse

A clich is a trite expression or idea conveyed so often it becomes common. Clichs usually lack interest or originality but their real failing is that they are rarely ever questioned or investigated. They have a way of creeping undetected into the everyday language of the people. The sheer force of repetition establishes a clich until it is held as something sacred or immutable. For example take the common saying "God helps those who help themselves." This saying is repeated by thousands of people the world over and most of them think it is taken from the Bible. It is not a Bible verse but it has taken on almost as much authority as one. This clich is not just a few degrees off the mark but it is diametrically opposite the Bible teaching. God is a helper especially to those who cannot help themselves. The simple, the fatherless, the widows are all promised special help from God because of their helplessness. Christians have their share of unquestioned clichs. While many of them have some measure of truth in them they beg to be more meticulously scrutinized. Here is one very important example.

"Never Take a Scripture Verse Out Of Context"

This clich is often used when we are trying to establish whether a teaching or doctrine we've heard is true. It is often used to pinpoint the errors of the cults and the so-called pseudo-Christian religions.

The truth is that it is often necessary to take a verse out of its context to convey its most basic meaning. To include the verse preceding or following some verses would tend to cloud their truest meaning in literally hundreds of instances. The scriptures for the most part are not written in a narrative form. This is especially true of the New Testament epistles. A few examples are as follows... In Proverbs 11: 28-30 are three verses that are totally unrelated. If we were to be emphasizing the necessity of keeping peace in the home verse twenty-nine would be a good verse to use.

He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart. (Proverbs 11:29)

Verses twenty-eight and thirty have absolutely nothing to do with keeping peace in the home. We are forced to extricate or disengage the verse from its context to gain the fullest use of it. We can carry our example still a step further to illustrate the weakness of the clich. The first sentence of verse twenty-nine is separated from the second by a colon. The second sentence is in no way thematically connected to the first. In order to get the greatest impact from this verse if we were stressing the idea of peace in the home it would be necessary not only to remove the verse from the context of the passage but we would be forced to split up the verse and leave part of it out altogether. Hundreds of Bible verses are found in similar complexity

Subject matter changes so frequently in the New Testament that it becomes necessary to remove a whole passage from its context to gain the full meaning of it. The weakness of this clich is perhaps best seen in the sayings of the Lord himself. He was notorious for dangling quoted verses in mid air without supportive contextual inclusions.

Many times Jesus would say, "It is written" or "Have ye never read" and quote a single verse taken right out of its context. He made no apologies for not including the preceding or following verses and the effect of his single verse sayings often stopped the mouths of his enemies or illustrated a great principle to his followers. Sometimes the verses he quoted were taken from texts that originally had nothing to do with the subject he was dealing with. Such is the case where Jesus was criticized by the Pharisees for accepting the praise of the little children in the temple...

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased... (Matthew 21:15)

Jesus answered with a single verse taken from Psalm 8:2 that in its original context had nothing to do with establishing the inspiration or accuracy of a child's spontaneous praises. Psalm eight is a song of recognition of God's glory because of His wonderful creation and a query of the invested powers given to man by God. Yet out of this seemingly unrelated passage Jesus extracted and wielded a single verse to the shame of his enemies, the Pharisees.

...And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? (Matthew 21:16)

If he had included the preceding and following verses of the passage it would have made absolutely no sense. Jesus in fact quoted verses taken out of context over twenty times as recorded in the four gospels. While some are repeated in the parallel gospels this only serves to verify that he did make a general practice of it. Even more amazing is the fact that unlike the apostles, Jesus never quoted more than one verse of scripture at a time. The apostles quoted two or three but never more than four at a time.

The apostles and the writers of the New Testament epistles far exceed the Lord's proclivity for taking verses out of context. Over ninety times from the book of Acts to Revelation verses are pulled out of context and used as proof texts. Less than ten times do they include more than one verse of scripture. The closest some of them come to even identifying their source is with such phrases as "David saith" or "Isaiah saith it" The rest of the quotes begin with such phrases as "he saith also in another place," "Wherefore he saith," "What saith the scriptures," "Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith," "The prophets saith," "wot ye not what the scripture saith," "The scripture saith" and "What saith it." Thirty-eight times the above sayings were used to quote a verse out of context. Only a well studied student with an excellent memory could even hope to guess at where such scriptures might be located. Keep in mind also that they were quoted over thirteen centuries before the printing press was invented. The hearers had to depend largely on the integrity of the speaker or writers for the accuracy of the quote. They couldn't whiz through the pages of their Bibles and read verses preceding or following the quoted verse. If taking a verse out of context is the crime we hold it to be then not naming the source of our quotation must be a cardinal crime and all the writers and figures of the New Testament were guilty of it.

The term used most profusely in the New Testament in connection with a verse taken out of context is "It is written." Every verse Jesus quoted was preceded by it and the apostles used it over fifty times themselves. It is the equivalent of a more modern saying that we are all familiar with, "The bible says." We have all heard preachers who warn that a verse should never be taken out of context and then we hear them say, "The Bible says," literally thousands of times in their teachings This is one inconsistency we should be thankful for because without it teaching would often be incomprehensible and quite dull.

It has become an accepted fact among believers that the enemies or false teachers are the ones who make the habit of taking verses out of context. But by contrast we can see that it is in fact the believer or the Lord himself who have exercised this practice most often A few times the Pharisees said, "Why did Moses write..." or a similar expression and it is recorded twice that the devil said, "It is written." Beyond doubt we can see that the opposing forces of the kingdom rarely practice this most dreaded habit. The reason for this is plain. Paul once said that some men were preaching the Gospel out of envy hoping to add further affliction to him by stirring up the anti-Christian forces. He concluded that it didn't matter why they were doing it. The effect was the same. Souls were saved. (Phil. 1:15-19) Satan doesn't like to quote any scripture even if it is out of context.

For this very reason, in many of the cults the scripture quotes are reduced and often not quoted at all. Another authority or special spiritual experiences often replace them. In reality false teachers do no more than the true teachers when they take a verse out of context. The difference is in the intention. Where there is an evil intention even verses quoted in context can be twisted and misused. We should be far more involved in discerning the spirit in which we are taught rather than the letter. If our teachers have a history of giving sound teaching, and have recognized and certified ministries shouldn't we allow them reasonable latitudes? We should give them the freedom to extract verses for our learning even if they must occasionally resort to the dastardly Practice of "taking a verse out of context."

Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote Hook Line and Sinker or what has Your Church Been Teaching You, publisher, PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book published by Xulon Press entitled An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ. His book is now being heralded as the clearest book on the subject of the second coming of Christ since Hal Lindsey's "Late Great Planet Earth" Rev Brescianis website is,

http://americanprophet.org

Essentials of an SEO Strategy

Search Engine Optimization is the most talked about topic today and there is a significant factor supporting it: the key to earn dollars on the internet is traffic and search engine optimization can get you huge traffic if done properly. Pay per Click may give you instant traffic but it's very expensive and generally not affordable for many people. This makes search engine optimization an effective and affordable option. looking at search engine optimization with a broader perspective, we can see that there two classes of search engine optimization techniques: on-page and off-page optimization. All existing search engine optimization techniques which are used can assort in to these two categories.

The first category is on-page optimization. As its name suggests, on-page optimization is carried out on the pages of the website. It involves laying out the web pages in such a manner that they become search-engine friendly. The fact that here we are dealing with our own site makes it a safer option to carry out. Every factor involved in on-page optimization is under our control. We can manipulate them according to our needs and test various combinations and then choose the best strategy which works the best for us.

There are many things you can do for on-page optimization. The first one is to use good titles for the pages. The inclusion of the targeted keywords in a title makes the title a good title. Secondly, the keywords should be placed inside H1 tags. Search Engines always give higher importance to text placed within H1 tags. Another important thing that should be taken care of is the internal linking of the website. The relevant pages in the website should be interlinked to each other as it makes the site more search-engine friendly.

The second category is off-page optimization. As its name suggests, this category involves all activities which are performed off-line i.e. other than the pages of the website. This fact makes it a difficult technique as here we don't have control over the factors and the application becomes more difficult.

"More pain more gain". The difficulty attached to off-page optimization makes it more important. Mostly off-page optimization determines the success of the search engine optimization activities undertaken. As many people are expert in on-page optimization it is the art of off-page optimization which differentiates us from others. The higher the knowledge of off-page optimization higher is the chances of beating the competitors.

There are many things which come under off-page optimization like article writing and submission, directory submission etc. But the most important thing is link building. Links are always beneficial for any site till they are relevant. There is a myth that links on pages with high Page rank are more helpful in achieving high ranking in search engines. The fact is that any page with links relevant to the theme of your website will help in achieving high search engine result pages. Obtain as many links as you can, but only from relevant websites.

Guneet Singh is a highly experienced web optimizer with total experience of 6 years in Search engine optimization SEO. Many clients worldwide have benefited from his experience and have been highly satisfied by the results.

How to Make a Living With Article Writing

Every ebusiness owner dreams of achieving more traffic and higher page ranking for their website. These are the two elements that can dramatically help these people in growing their ebusiness in terms of financial gain and establishing a positive reputation in the online arena. You can easily achieve these through article writing. You can distribute keyword-focused and informative articles so you can showcase your expertise online and give people the kind of information they need. In return, you'll generate more inbound links for your website that can lead to improved page ranking and more qualified traffic.

Here's how you can explode your article writing:

1. Understand your readers. This is one of the best things that you can do in order to make sure that your content is highly relevant and targeted to the needs and demands of your potential clients. Get to know these people, learn the things that they require from you, things that they would like to learn about, their pressing issues, and other elements that put them in a position of needing your expertise. The more you know about your readers, the more effective writer you will become.

2. Do a keyword research. It is very important that only write about topics that can help you drive interested parties to your website. Get to know the kind of information that your readers would like to know about by doing a keyword research. Through this, you'll easily determine the search terms that these people are using when they are going online to look for information. You need to create topics that revolve around these search terms so you can easily give your potential clients the kind of information they really want.

3. Make it personal. It is not enough that you offer your readers with valuable content. You must also know how to build rapport with them so you can get them to like you and eventually trust you. You can do this by simply making your articles sound more personal. Write using conversational tone, strive to sound genuinely concern over their welfare, use "you" and "your" instead of using the third person, and be always enthusiastic.

4. Distribute your articles. When posting your articles online, I suggest that you prioritize those article submission sites that have great page ranking and steady traffic like EzineArticles.com. These kinds of sites will surely give your articles enough exposure that can help you better connect with your potential clients.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article writing success, 'Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide'

Download it free here: Secrets of Article Writing

Do you want to learn how to build a big online subscriber list fast? Click here: Secrets of List Building

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 9034 articles in print and 14 published ebooks.

Setting Business and Personal Goals

Setting goals is a very vital, yet simple step in achieving your dreams of wealth. Don't do this and you might as well quit while you are ahead. Yes, it's that important. What you'll need to get started setting goals is a pen/pencil and some paper.

Short-Term Goals
We are going to start with short-term goals. These are things that you'd like to accomplish within the next 6 months to a year.

On your paper, write down everything you can think of that you'd like to have accomplished during this time period. Would you like to have that credit card paid off? Perhaps take up martial arts or speaking a foreign language? Maybe you'd like to meet a someone special or take your family on a trip. Write those thoughts down.

Now that you have those short-term goals specified, you can go over your list and put dates by them, but that is not important. What is important is that you do something every single day that gets you closer to marking those goals off of your page. You do this, and I guarantee you'll accomplish those goals. If you find that you have more goals than you think you could accomplish in 6 months, pick your top 5. Do something every single day that will get you closer to accomplishing those 5. You'll find that as you do this, the other goals will get closer too!

Long-Term Goals
Long-term are goals that you want to accomplish over a period of 1-5 years. You'll create them the same way that you did the short-term goals, but you'll be looking at a longer period of time. Usually, you'll find that your long-term goals are related to your short-term goals. For example, paying off your house might be a long-term goal. Well, that would be related to your short-term goal of paying off the credit card or starting a home business. Why? Well, if you found the means to pay off the credit card (like running your own home-based business), then you could use the same solution to paying off your house.

Thinking is Believing
One more weapon to add to your arsenal of success is daily affirmations. "Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve." - Napoleon Hill

Let's take a brief look at these definitions:

Belief: a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed

Believe: to accept as true, genuine, or real

What affirmations do is create belief; you will believe you can and will accomplish all that you desire to. How does this happen? Every action that you take starts with a thought. You don't even realize that you are doing it. This is because of your subconscious mind. The subconscious is what really processes our thoughts that come into our conscious mind. The power of your subconscious mind takes those thoughts and processes them for us to act on. The final process is delivered to our conscious mind in the form of feedback that we interpret as our thoughts.

Our subconscious is programmed from the day we are born. We learn to act a certain way, we learn what to think of ourselves, we learn "what we are capable of". Sadly, most of the programming we receive is invalid. Daily affirmations reprogram your subconscious. How long does it take? As long as it takes to form a habit. Well, how long is that? Anywhere from 15-28 days.

If you were to faithfully practice your affirmations, you will see results in 15-28 days. Affirmations re-program your subconscious to believing. I've seen people with NO self confidence religiously practice their affirmations and within a month, they were able to look people in the eyes, have small talk with strangers...even get a date! Why? Because they now BELIEVED that they could!

Create Your Affirmations
Here is the basic format for an affirmation: "I am/have blank blankity blank."

Here are several examples for you to consider:

I am driven and goal oriented. I take steps every day to accomplish my goals.
I am healthy and thin. I eat to nourish my body and mind.
I am successful. I am a go-getter and I am pleased with my life.

As you can see, one affirmation has two sentences and is always phrased positively. Also, they are stated as if the desired effect has already taken place. This is part of the re-programming. When your subconscious believes (there's that key \word!) the affirmation, your thoughts will guide you there. Your subconscious will not allow for anything else but to make things level with its belief.

On a different sheet of paper, write down affirmations that follow your short term goals. Yeah, they may seem silly, but it works.

Put Them to Use
All you have to do to make the affirmations work for you is to read each of them aloud twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. When you read them, say them with conviction; feel how you would feel had you already have possession of these characteristics. You'll be amazed how they will make you feel in the morning and how suddenly things will start changing! You'll start acting according to the affirmations!

Visit my site at http://bizlearners.com to get more valuable business ideas, info and resources!

Brynn Yardley

Honest Opinion on the Existence God

Finding A Mentor
Why I Built Spiritualbooks4u

Is Guilt Feeding on Your Conscience, Affecting Your Subconscious Mind Negatively?

Guilt is one of the largest causes of stress in your life. Stop reading this article for a second and think about the people in your lives that often make you feel guilty.

Now did you really stop reading the article and think about the people in your life who make you feel guilty? Okay well if you did this get back to the guilty feelings so many of us have. Guilt goes all the way back to your childhood, your parents, teachers, friends and relatives have gotten to be pretty good at it over the years, often learning from the same group of people when they were children.

Guilt is definitely a big part of our society and can be found almost everywhere you turn. Have you ever turned the television on to notice a commercial about weight loss. A large majority of Americans are overweight and are targets for a guilt creating society.

I was reading a book on writing magazine articles, when they mentioned a fact that I never thought of, most women's magazines run articles on dieting in every issue. Guilt sells magazines.

Do you think weight loss, dieting or nutritional eating habits, sell magazines? If your answer is no, you should check the financial statements of these companies. They know what sells magazines and guilt or fear is one of their best friends. If you answered yes to the question, you won't have to suffer from the guilt of not knowing the answer.

Guilt seems to work on our subconscious mind in negative ways, often producing harmful thoughts that create stressful feelings in our lives. The longer these negative thoughts are held as truths, the harder it's going to be on our self esteem.

If you find yourself around people that make you feel guilty for something you do or don't do on a regular basis, I would suggest finding new people to hang around with. Gathering negative information from people you consider your friends can only create more damage to your conscience.

If you truly and sincerely do not like something about yourself, tell your friends in a nice way, that you would rather talk about your problems in a negative way. If they have constructive and helpful comments, you would love to hear them. Guilt causes stress and stress can lead to death. If you don't believe that, do some research on stress related illnesses.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, The Intuitive Way

Greg is currently working on a personal development library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Powerful Media Influence

Remodel Your Kitchen - Great Remodeling Tips to Remember

If you are planning to remodel your kitchen, there are so many things to consider. After all, you want to make sure that your kitchen turns out beautiful and functioning. Remodeling can be a pretty huge task, and you may be wondering where you should even begin. Well, when you are planning out your kitchen remodel, here are some great tips to remember that can make the whole process much easier for you.

Tip #1 - Get Inspired - One of the first tips to remember when it comes to remodeling your kitchen, is to get inspired. Finding some great inspiration to get you started is an excellent idea. Perhaps one of the best and easiest ways that you can get your start is to start looking around at how professionals remodel their kitchens. Take a look online at kitchen designs, look at beautiful photos, or even collect brochures. Even home dcor magazines can provide you with some inspiration for remodeling your kitchen.

Tip #2 - Start Planning - After you have some inspiration, it's a good idea to start planning your remodel for the kitchen. Trying to remodel your kitchen without a good plan is a bad idea. Your plans can help you to make sure you go with a good layout for the kitchen as well as with quality materials. So, sit down and do some planning before you start doing anything.

Tip #3 - Keep Your Budget in Mind - Another tip for remodeling your kitchen is to keep your budget in mind. More than likely you don't have unlimited resources for remodeling your kitchen. Figure out what kind of a budget you are dealing with. How much can you afford to spend on the entire project? Once you know your total budget, you'll be able to go from there and make good choices based on the budget that you have for the entire remodel.

Tip #4 - Choose Great Counters - There are a variety of different types of counters to choose from. When it comes to remodeling your kitchen, it's important that you go with top quality counters. Today there are more options than ever for counters. Kitchen counters come in so many different colors and textures available. From granite and marble choices to wood choices, you have much to consider. Just make sure the counters you choose are going to go along with the rest of your dcor.

Tip #5 - Consider Some New Paint - Sometimes you'll find that just some new paint in the kitchen can do a whole lot. You don't always have to go with expensive kitchen remodels. Just repainting can make a huge difference and give your kitchen a whole new like that you'll enjoy. A fresh coat of paint can make the kitchen look new and fresh, and there are so many great colors to choose from. So, if you are a really tight budget, start out with some paint and you'll be surprised at the difference that it makes.

For more information on the best ways to Remodels Kitchen
visit our new website http://www.dreamhomeimprovementguide.com

Strap Garage Headers

Stop! - Garden Slugs Persecuted Here

Slugs have really ugly mugs.

Perhaps you've not yet had the pleasure to look one of these slimy little hosta destroyers over at eye level. If you're lucky to only have smallish examples of these garden pests it may not have occurred to you to investigate their gooey faces. It isn't that I went out of my way to study them. When faced with offing one as big as a man's thumb, the rubbery things tend to get your attention. When they're this big, you can't squash those big Gray Slugs! Common Garden Slugs are brown and are easy to do away with under your shoe. Not the thick skinned and much larger Grey Slugs, those you need to cut with a knife to murder them with your bare hands. In the Northwestern region of the US and in parts of Europe you'll find absolutely gargantuan Black Slugs that mature at 6-inches long. I, for one am thankful to live on the other side of the states. How many Hostas can a Black Slug eat in one night?

Slugs are nocturnal diners and prefer cool shady areas.

During the warmer daylight hours, you'll usually have to hunt under plants, pots and other shade providers to find these magnificent munching mollusks. If you're wondering why they are so besotted with your hosta garden, it's not just the moist, cool conditions. Slugs adore eating all kinds of broadleaf perennial leaves. Even without a hosta in the yard, you can have problems with slug damage to your landscape and garden plants. Slugs will quickly get out of control in a season with unusually wet, cloudy weather. Many is the home gardener and even those who maintain great landscape appeal, that is hungry for the secrets to keeping slugs from ruining their plants. Some old fashioned methods of control are really quite gross and others could have a bad effect on your plants.

What works best to stop slugs from devouring your foliage?

You'll see some people say to keep your hostas in pots with the bottom couple of inches submerged. This is not a wise thing to do. Hostas need some drainage and no pot can get rid of water if the drainage holes are below water level. With constant over watering, a fungus can attack hosta leaves or you can start having problems with root rot. The fungus is difficult to get under control and will spread like wildfire. Root rot is not desirable; it can kill your hosta plants. Placing gravel around your hostas and other plants is not effective in battling slugs. Nor is the notion of growing them in raised containers. Slugs crawl right up the sides of pots and planters. Sharp sand can be effective, but it will wash away in a heavy rain and blow off in stiff wind.

Using rock salt as a barrier is effective in controlling slug damage.

Salt does burn plants though and it melts away in the rain as well as under normal daily watering of your garden and plantings. Too much salt in the soil is very damaging to plants, so use this trick with some caution of over doing it. Hosta leaves are very sensitive to salt and burn easily. Then there's the age-old favorite of placing shallow containers of beer beneath and between your hosta plants. If you head over to the "Secrets of a Slug-Free Garden" from the link at the bottom of this article, you might decide this is too gross for you as a method of halting unsightly holey hosta leaves.

There are other tactics you can use in your war on slugs.

There are chemical controls, copper rings and nematodes that do work in protecting your foliage from becoming dinner to marauding mollusk machines. Some of these are too expensive to be economical in a large garden or a lean economy year. Surprisingly, there are several types of plants that can be used to create natural, constantly present barriers. Yes, even slugs have distinct taste buds and will not pass through the right herbaceous defense line. Nature is really amazing when you start learning how the Earth polices her wild inhabitants.

Get more information on keeping slugs out of your garden... Read Secrets of a Slug-Free Garden.

T. S. Clayton is a garden writer and professional landscape designer with decades of experience as a contractor and nursery grower of fine ornamental plants. Now she concentrates on words and grows online in pots and her own plots. To read more from this author through the link listed above at LostInTheFlowers.

How to Get What You Really Want

I love Wayne Dyer and here's one of his great videos

What are you going to change today about your life? Make a list of things that you're not happy with about your life and start making the new habits that you need to create the life you deserve and desire.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a personal development article library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Stopped Losing Your Car Keys
30 Days To Creating Super Habits

Putting Up With Organized Religion - How Long Do We Follow Something That's Outdated

Let me explain where I'm coming from in my writing. Organized religion worked good 200 or maybe 500 years ago, but I really don't see a need for it today. We fight wars over religion and even kill people that speak out against organized religion. Religions and governments all over the world control people through fear and pleasure.

I'm tired of people fighting and killing all over the world in the name of some religion. I once heard an Iranian man, through a translator, on our local news say, "if he dies in the name of Allah, he gets to go to heaven." I don't know if I want to be signed up for that program but obviously he believes in it enough and is willing to die for what he believes in, right or wrong. Some people view this man is evil while others view him as a hero, how do you think you would do this person?

What the Romans did to people 2000 years ago is what I would consider a very bad. Was the devil actually providing an evil influence for Roman leaders back then. I've never heard anyone mention that but they did kill Jesus of Nazareth and he seemed like a pretty good person.

If Jesus would have kept his mouth shut, he could have lived to a ripe old age. He chose not to, because he believed in his cause. Some Jews believe that he was under the influence of evil, that's hard to imagine. He believed that some of the ideas and teaching of the Romans and Jews were wrong and he was going to make them better. These leaders were afraid of change and decided to eliminate what they view as they evil problem.

I started writing to influence and educate people in a positive way. I really don't want to upset religious followers, but I would like them to understand, a little more about their religion. What causes people to kill others in the name of their god? Is that evil or an evil influence from other religion's of the world.

I would imagine most of these people choose to accept words from their religious leaders as facts and will never question their faith. If religious followers could understand other religions, maybe they wouldn't persecute them or try to convert them into their own beliefs.

My influence will affect others and will provoke them to think, always question your religion and when they start thinking, this is when I've made a positive influence in a constructive way. If someone starts to think about their religion and it gives them stronger feelings and deeper beliefs, maybe they can answer some of my questions, instead of avoiding them with spiritual scripture or faith.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, The Power of Myth. If you've ever wondered, where religion has evolved from. Check this book out.

Advice To Jealous Partners

The Nephilim and the Roots of Civilization

We often take the roots of Western Civilization for granted. Yes, we are taught by convention that such roots find a strong hold in Mesopotamia around 3500 B.C. But, have you ever stopped to ask yourself how deep those roots go, and better yet, "who planted the tree?"

It is very likely that the key to understanding the founding of the world's great cities and civilizations rests on a fundamental understanding of giants, or as the Bible calls them, Nephilim. These creatures were the offspring of fallen angels and human females, and according to scripture, contributed to the very downfall of antediluvian society (Genesis 6). Some of them, it would seem, even survived the great deluge, cropping up in later millennia under various other names, such as the Old Testament's Rephaim and Anakim. The perseverance of their race could account for many of the world's great cities or monuments. If we broaden the Biblical interpretation of this colossal line of creatures to include world mythology, then possibilities emerge after the most cursory of glances at man's religions.

In extrabiblical sources, such as The Book of Enoch, one can find the very work of transforming hunter-gatherers into a more sophisticated society. The fallen angels waste no time in developing a scheme to influence man for their own ends. We are told that under the guidance of their leader Semyaza, the fallen angels trade knowledge and technology for access to human females for the purposes of breeding offspring. To the great misfortune of mankind, civilization was a high price to pay for what would soon become oppression and violence. At any rate, the fallen angels along with the Nephilim taught men metallurgy, war craft, farming, husbandry, and a host of other bodies of knowledge defining civilizations.

The great Mesopotamian hunter and king, Nimrod, is often regarded as a giant. We read clearly in Genesis of his renown, no doubt contributing to the memories preserved by Abraham, himself born of Sumeria. Consequently, Nimrod is also credited with having built the Tower of Babel, preserved to us in image as a ziggurat, one of the stepped temples of ancient Mesopotamian society. The very Cradle of Civilization provides an early example civilization and its connection to the giants of old.

Egypt, whose legends whisper to us in the present, was most likely not without its own giant origins. At least as much may be said about its monuments, and in particular the pyramids. Some scholars who entertain historical ideas outside of convention, such as Patrick Heron, posit that the antediluvian giants constructed the pyramids. This design spread with them as they spread to other lands east and west of the Holy Land.

In the Old Testament, we get a picture of the descendants of these giants. You may recall from Sunday School that the spies Moses sent into Canaan on the eve of its conquest were all terrified save Joshua and Caleb. They related that they were as "grasshoppers" compared to these enormous men. Jewish tradition tells us that one giant, Arba, built the great fortified city of Hebron. Another giant, Og, who allegedly had survived the great flood, ruled over Bashan, a vast kingdom northeast of the Sea of Galilee.

Moving away from the Near East leaves one with no fewer examples of giant-founded societies. Most of us remember to some extent the myths we were taught in grade school about the Greeks and the Romans. Scholars have long been aware of the influence of the Near East on Greek ideas and religion. Similar residues may be found in the pottery and art of ancient Greece, an indicator of trade with Phoenicians and other peoples of the Near East, and something known to scholars as "orientalizing." The very gods were all believed to hail from Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Egypt, and other lands to the east. As for feats of city-building, Poseidon and Apollo were believed to have built the great walls of Troy. The Greeks also contended that the Cyclopian giants had built the city of Mycenae.

In the case of the Romans, we learned that the twins Romulus and Remus, descendants of the great Trojan refugee Aeneas, founded Rome. For obvious reasons, teachers leave out the gory details which Roman historian Livy relates to us. Mars, god of war, raped the Vestal Virgin Rhea Sylvia, and the products of this violation were Romulus and Remus. The twins, as with other children sired by gods, were of great stature. Somewhere between myth and history, we learn that Romulus built the city of Rome in the eighth century AD, promptly after killing his brother. The conditions of their conception, their size, and their violence all smack of traits borne by the Nephilim.

Even beyond the scope of Western Civilization proper, evidence of giant engineering abounds, as do the legends pertaining to such structures. German mythology relates to us that the walls of Asgard were built by a frost giant to separate the realm of the gods from that of the giants, known as Niflheim (which is phonetically similar to Nephilim). Mesoamericans, likewise had firm ideas about the origins of their civilization and giants. The Maya believed their civilization to have been founded by giants. The Aztecs too, believed their cities and their society had been established by giants and gods. The great monuments of Machu Pichu, the earthen tombs of China, Angkor Wat, the great earthen pyramid of the ancient Indian city of Cahokia-they all speak to engineering feats that defy foundations in human sweat and toil alone.

If you look, you can see that our civilization bears the touch of humanity. A closer look still, reveals the possibility of deeper roots and gigantic origins. The next time you look at the photo album from your Egypt trip, watch a documentary on Mesopotamia, or thumb through that humanities text you just couldn't throw away, pause. Pause and ask yourself "what does the evidence say, and who founded these societies?" You just may find the maker's mark of the Nephilim in subtle imprint.

Judd Burton is an historian, anthropologist, religious scholar, and teacher. He has taught from behind the podium and in the field on expeditions. Please visit his website at http://www.burtonbeyond.com for more information.

Achieving The Goals You Set

Anxiety Self Help - Methods That Can Work!

If you have had anxiety for any length of time you will have gone through all the doctors appointments and all the counselors and therapists and most likely taken all the medication that your body and mind can stand only to find your self at the same horrible place you started at!

Having anxiety and anxiety attacks is an emotionally traumatic experience that only those who have had it understand, all the drugs and medications in the world will not cure your anxiety problems either, because they do not treat the reason behind the anxiety, they just block the symptoms temporarily.

There are numerous natural methods that can help you get control of your anxiety from meditation, acupuncture, aromatherapy, as well as plenty of herbal remedies!

The problem lies in knowing which one is suitable for you, and that can take quite a bit of trial and error on your part! Anxiety can be with you in some form for the rest of your life, what really matters is how you deal with it so that it does not interfere with your daily life and activities. Once you have your anxiety under control although it will probably still be lurking there you can get on with your life and enjoy the things you like doing without fear or apprehension!

I have personally had anxiety problems for all my life, and although I feel fine now, I know that they are still there, but thankfully I am now easily able to control them so that I can get on with things and go places I never would have been able to go when I had anxiety problems!

If you are having severe anxiety attacks or you worry or panic unnecessarily, and you want to put an end to it for good then Click Here to find out how you can cure your anxiety attacks once and for all, so that you can live the life you deserve free from anxiety! http://www.anxiety-online.info

Sai Baba Spiritual Leader

Learn Something About Time Management From the American Indians Working Four Hours a Day

I don't consider myself an expert on the American Indians but I would like to share a thought about their lifestyle. I was listening to an audio book on the American Indians eating habits, when it got me thinking about something the author said. This might not be a topic of interest for most people but I found it fascinating.

While listening to the audio book, the author made a statement about the American Indians I will never forget. He said "American Indians spend about four hours each day working, gathering and preparing food." If you think about it, that's not too bad of a lifestyle.

I would imagine that we have a better selection and larger variety of food to choose from than they had. This of course would be a benefit to living in our society instead of theirs.

American Indians often spent a lot of time outdoors and for some reason, spending time in nature seems to be a good thing. I know a lot of people that would rather be outdoors than indoors, walking, jogging, hiking, camping and even gardening. It almost seems more natural for us to be outdoors than indoors.

Now with the Indians working about four hours each day, this is a little bit different then our standard workday. Most people spend at least 9 to 12 hours each day driving to and from work and actually working. I would imagine our standard workday would actually be easier than that of the American Indian. I can't imagine some of my friends or family members chasing after a Buffalo with a spear.

Does this mean the American Indians had it right, just because they worked four hours each day and spent more time in nature were doing what they truly wanted to. Know I can't truly say that they had it right, but I can say that they seem to do just fine living with nature.

Some of these civilizations lasted for centuries.

Something to think about, on your daily travels to and from work as you desire to be at the beach or hiking in the mountains. The philosophies we often associate with a good life, could actually be better instead of progressively adding unneeded stress and frustration to it.

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, You Can Have It All

Thinking Outside The Box

Use Religion Responsibly - Spiritual Humor

Well you probably heard of the problems that some people get into when they drink a little too much and start to drive their cars. This is known as drinking and driving irresponsibly and can be hazardous to your health but more hazardous to your pocketbook. Overdosing on drugs, spending too much money shopping, gambling excessively and last but not least, spending too much time at your place of worship can be hazardous to others. Over time, our loved ones seem to suffer the most from our excesses.

I suggest most people use religion responsibly and try not to overindulge in the excesses of your spiritual practice. Like an alcoholic drinking until they feel good, only to wake up feeling bad the next morning. And then starting the process all over the next day.

Now for the big question, "Are You a Religiousoholic?" Do you spend too much time at church? Do you surround yourself exclusively with people that share your same religious beliefs?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, there's a good chance you're a religiousoholic. Like alcoholics and drug addicts, there is help for you, once you've identified your problem, we can help. We call it our 5 step program. Alcoholics Anonymous has a 12 step program for recovery but we have eliminated a couple and rearranged others in hopes for a faster recovery.

Religionolism is no laughing matter and should be handled with the utmost delicacy. Start with the first step and work your way down the list and within a short period of time you should find yourself free from the religious tyranny of your institutionalized religion.

Step 1. The biggest problem you're going to happen during your recovery will be the temptation from religious followers, wanting you to come back. Like a drug addict, saying no to drugs,it's hard, you're going to have to be strong here. Learn to say no to organized religion and yes to religious freedom.

Step 2. Instead of reading Scripture, start reading about other religions around the world. You will find some weird things and new ideas, but the bottom line here is that you'll be able to see some similarities, and silliness between the religions.

Step 3. You can still spend time praying, just spend more time praying about how grateful you are, instead of praying for something you want, start spending a little more time thanking God for the things in your lives that you already have. I have spent a lot of time praying for things I never got. When I stopped praying for the things, I thought I needed, I started getting the things I really needed.

Step 4. Start spending a little more time believing in yourself, some religions seem to give all the glory and credit to their gods and very little to the people that are actually making the sacrifices. I have also noticed that when something goes wrong, some religious followers tend to punish themselves and it just doesn't seem fair. God gets all the credit when things are good and you blame yourself when things go wrong.

Step 5. Start showing a little more compassion towards people who don't think the same as you do or believe in your religion. Love and compassion are the true acts of a religious believer. I believe you'll find that in every religious scripture... somewhere.

Sometimes we get a little carried away in our beliefs and tend to beat up other people who don't share them with us. If you're part of a religion who discriminates, shows intolerance, bigotry or prejudice to other nonbelievers, maybe this isn't the religion you think it should be.

Dalai Lama - "All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness, the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives."

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. If we could communicate better and understand different religious philosophy and cultures.

Just how big of a deal is Money Organized Religion. Your money is used for various things and some of them, you might not really want to spend the money on. Something to think about.

If you want to read something funny and get your daily laugh in, you need to read this, it's funny Using Religion Responsibility. It's based on overindulgence.

Your Hardest Day In Life

Credit Report Repair

Credit report repair is commonly referred to as the process of disputing negative items in a credit report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumers have the right to request an investigation with the credit bureaus for any item on their credit report. The credit bureaus and the original furnisher of the information must investigate the claim within 30 days and report their results back to consumers.

It's important to point out that the credit bureaus are for-profit organizations and possess no government affiliation. They profit off the sale of your private information and from selling your information to you. Only after the Federal Trade Commission came up with a set of regulations passed in 2003 were consumers able to receive one free credit report a year.

The FCRA also had to regulate how long negative information, such as late payments, bankruptcies, tax liens or judgments may stay on a consumer's credit report. It's typically seven years from the date of the delinquency. The exceptions: bankruptcies (10 years) and tax liens (seven years from the time they are paid). Unpaid tax liens can remain for up to 15 years. Although, 7 to 10 years is a long time to stay on a report, the credit bureaus would report it for much longer, if not forever, if it weren't for the FTC stepping in.

When a consumer makes a dispute with the credit bureaus, the credit bureaus do not interact with information providers (typically creditors) directly. They use a system called E-Oscar. E-Oscar is an automated consumer dispute verification process. The credit bureaus demand that everyone who provides information to them be on this system. If you don't get on the system, you CAN NOT provide information to a credit bureau.

The E-Oscar system allows credit grantors to resolve disputes in a timely manner; however the results are commonly inaccurate. In fact, a study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found that 79% of all credit reports contained errors. With E-Oscar the credit bureaus NEVER send the original creditor the information you provide them. Instead, an employee scans your letter along with hundreds of others.

The employee is given a very short amount of time to figure out what you are trying to dispute and then gives your dispute a code. It is then verified with E-Oscar. Any documentation that you sent which proves the information is erroneous or any information that you provided simply gets filed away, incase you should sue them. It's rarely ever even looked at.

Under 602 of the Act, (15 U.S.C. 1681), a consumer may seek a maximum of $1000 in statutory damages, plus actual damages, punitive damages and reasonable attorney's fees and costs for willful noncompliance with the FCRA. Any consumer may file suit in state or federal court to enforce the FCRA. Consumer lawsuits against credit bureaus are becoming more and more common and most of the time the consumer wins. Unfortunately, a lawsuit is what it takes to get issues solved with the credit bureaus.

For information on credit report repair visit the credit repair forum

Was Jesus Real or A Myth - Video

Using Words In The Bible Effecti