The LuxMob Info Tags

As I was driving to a friend’s house, I passed the Dublin Pub, a local watering hole known for its live music. On the reader board, one band’s name caught my eye: Spontaneous Woo.

I did a little digging and learned that the band hails from Bay City, Michigan and offers a funk/jazz blend. The term “spontaneous woo” refers to an audience response often seen during concerts in which a rising tide of enthusiasm culminates in a distinctive eruption of happy exclamations.

Now, there’s a universal human experience. There is nothing quite like letting out a joyous, spontaneous “Woo!” when things are going our way. We might personalize our woo, making it come out as “Yesss!” or “Sweeeeeet” or even “Woo-HOO!”

There’s an appropriate word for this in every language. No matter what elicits this response, we know it means something good has happened. We recognize these woos, whether inspired by simple pleasures or major milestones, as a celebration of goodness. What makes us woo tells us a whole lot about what we value, and what we value is all that is “good”.

What is “good”? How do we define it?

The British poet, W.H. Auden, said: “Goodness is easier to recognize than to define.” Isn’t that the truth!

We know “good” when we see it, just like we know when something is woo-worthy. Putting this into words in a consistent way is tough. This is where your personal philosophy comes in. Realize that your ideas of what makes a life “good” come from the people you know, the books you’ve read, the movies you’ve seen, and a host of influences you can’t remember right now.

We use “good” to describe everything from a haircut to a mathematical theory. Essentially, something is “good” if it satisfies a certain expectation we have of it–it hits the target. A “good” cup of coffee could be strong, weak, bitter, sweet, milky, steaming hot, black, organic, shade-grown, or free, depending on what you value.

“Good” may be a moving target, but Aristotle happened to like the whole idea of targets. He used the Greek word “telos” which was the term used to describe an archery bulls-eye. It’s a simple mental image–a big circle with a dot in the middle.

Teleology refers to the study of the purpose of things. Aristotle believed that everything in nature has a purpose, or target. A thing is good if it serves its purpose, fulfills its mission, or hits its target. The whole world is made up of these interrelated purposes.

According to Aristotle, our purpose is to think in order to live a good life. We’re supposed to use our brains to contemplate, to appreciate the complexity of the universe, to attain greater understanding of our role as humans, and to be happy. By fulfilling our role as thinkers, we are living to purpose-we are living a good life.

What does that mean exactly? What do we use as guidelines or markers to help us determine if we are getting close to good?

If, as Aristotle says, our purpose is to live a good life and be happy, why isn’t there some simple formula we can apply to everyone? What’s the minimum woo-quotient of a good life? Can we be happy if we’re not living a good life? Can we live a good life if we’re not happy?

How much do we need to be happy? We all know plenty of people who never seem to be happy no matter how much they have. One of our greatest challenges as humans is figuring out how much is enough.

Aristotle believed that we need to use courage, honesty and moderation in pursuing pleasure. He considered moral goodness and enjoyment in life as the same thing. He believed it was okay to pursue anything you want, as long as you don’t go overboard. This concept of moderation became known as the “golden mean”.

Not surprisingly, this golden mean became a popular idea, especially among the rich. It was just what they wanted to hear! Remember that the majority of Aristotle’s students were wealthy–who else had the time to study philosophy all day? Aristotle himself ended up being handsomely paid–especially for a philosopher!

Aristotle had his work cut out for him trying to remain moral while becoming wealthy. His most famous student, the classic overachiever Alexander the Great, clearly never got the point about moderation. Aristotle’s emphasis on the golden mean got lost in all the excitement about pursuing whatever you like.

Hmmmm. Sounds a lot like modern life, doesn’t it?

What kind of life would Aristotle suggest we live in the midst of all the stuff of the 21st century? What does moderation mean now?

Wealthy people are not necessarily more or less moral than anyone else, but they ARE tested more than the rest of us. They have the means to live an excessive lifestyle if they choose to do so. If you live large, your morality–or lack thereof–is magnified for the world to see. Add a dash of celebrity and a stint on TV, and you start serving as some sort of example.

This is where we get confused between “a good life” and “the good life”.

We’re fascinated by the choices people make when they have the ability to live any way they choose. We read magazines featuring photographs of celebrities in their homes. We watch television shows that give us tours of the properties owned by billionaires. We’re both fascinated and repelled by reality shows that offer riches to those who manipulate others.

Why? It’s because we’re curious about the choices made, and we wonder what we would do given the same set of circumstances.

Seeing the homes, the furnishings, and the cars gives us an idea of what is valued by the individual. We watch because we wonder what choices we would make if we had the same bank account. Would we be extravagant? Would we live simply? Would we be tacky or tasteful? Would we horrify the neighbors or build a better community? Would our children be kind, compassionate, and generous, or would they be self-centered brats with a huge sense of entitlement?

Would we be like Sting–or Ozzy Osbourne? Would we have daughters like Sofia Coppola–or Paris Hilton?

Most of us have the, uh, good fortune of not being tempted to live without limits. Without being fully tested, we don’t really know how we’d fare in a world of big money and bigger visibility.

The wonderful thing about living a good life is that it is possible to do it at any economic level. You can live a good life in poverty or wealth. Though we tend to think it’s a lot easier to be an excellent human when we have sufficient funds in the bank, both versions–rich and poor–come with plenty of challenges.

It’s tempting to put off becoming your best self until you believe you have the financial support to do it. “I’ll be generous once I get to the top,” you think. “I’ll be kinder when I’m not so stressed.” “I’ll give back to the community when I retire.”

There’s no dollar amount that precludes or guarantees a good life, and there’s no reason to postpone your own greatness. You may win the lottery tomorrow, or you may lose everything. Despite any dramatic shifts in your personal fortune, you can live a good life today.

Note and relish your own spontaneous woos on a daily basis, and look for ways to increase and deepen them. Think, be happy, and share that wealth in words, wit, and warmth.

The good life never felt so good.

About The Author

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 70 countries. She serves up a satisfying blend of clarity, comfort and comic relief in her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage. To subscribe, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com.

maya@massageyourmind.com

Picking the parts for your computer is one of the most important things in building a computer, because you cant assemble a computer without the parts! Picking parts for computers has become much easier than before, because things have been standardized, however, you need to make sure everything will fit. The first thing to think about when choosing the components for your computer is what you are going to be using it for. If you are creating a computer for just checking your eMail and using word, you are going to need much diffrent parts than a computer that you are going to be using for gaming.

CPU
The first thing you should pick out about your computer is what CPU you are going to use, because it determines what motherboard you are going to get, which determines what other components you get. There are two main CPU manufactruers, Intel and AMD. Both have their Pros and Cons, but they are pretty similar. I would suggest using AMD, because they give you a little more bang for the buck.

Here is a brief overview of the diffrent Intel and AMD CPUs:
Budget: AMD: Sempron
Intel: Celeron D

Midrange: AMD: Athlon 64
Intel: Pentium 4

High End: AMD: Athlon64 X2
Intel: Pentium D

If you are spending below $500, I would suggest a budget proccesor, Between $500 and $1000, midrange and $1000 and above I would suggest a high end proccessor.

Motherboard
Choosing the right motherboard is vital to building your computer. First, make sure you find a motherboard that has the right socket type for your CPU. Then, check the diffrent features of the motherboards you are looking at. If you arent going to buy a video or sound card, make sure your motherboard has onboard video and/or sound. Other things to check for on your motherboard are the hard drive interface, graphics card interface, expansion slots, the memory size and speed. Also, check for the chipset. There are too many to talk about, but generally Intel and nVidia chipsets are better than the other ones. Now that you picked out your motherboard, you know what to look for in your other components.

RAM
Getting the right speed and amount of RAM is vital to the speed and stability of your system. If you are running XP, you will probably need at least 256 or 512Mb of RAM. If you are going to be doing anything memory intensive, gaming, rendering or just want a faster computer, you should get 1Gb. Make sure your motherboard has enough DIMMs and the right type of DIMMs for your RAM. Also, be sure to check the speed and CAS Latency.

Hard Drive
Now its time to pick your hard drive. There are few variables in picking a hard drive. The first, and most important is size, 120Gb is usually enough for most people unless, you are going to be storing alot of pictures and video. Also, make sure you get an HD with the right interace that fits your motherboard. Almost all motherboards have IDE, but some have SATA (Serial ATA) Which is a much faster hard drive interface and uses a thinner cable which helps with airflow in your case. There is even SATAII now, which is twice as fast. Also look at speed, almost all desktop HDs are 7200RPM and Cache, most are 8Mb, dont buy a HD below those standards. If you want to spend some money, you can get 2 HDs and run them in RAID which increases performance.

Video Cards
If you are going to be doing any gaming, be sure to buy a video card, if youre not, onboard video is fine. The first thing to check for is the interface, most are AGP or PCI-E. I personally like nVidia cards better. If you are going to be doing graphic intensive games, I would suggest at least a 6600. If you have alot to spend, go with a 7800.

Optical/Floppy drives
Another thing you are going to is a CD drive, most are IDE. Get a DVD Burner if you are going to use it. Also, you should get a floppy drive, they are only $10ish and you might need it to install drivers when building your computer.

Case and Power Supply
Make sure you have a sufficient power supply!! If you have a high end computer, you should get a 450W PSU. Otherwise, 350W should be fine for most people. Most cases are ATX, but make sure it is the same type as your motherboard (ATX, MicroATX, BTX, etc…).

Be sure to make sure all your components are compatible!

Chris Silop, owner and admin of
SysChat.Com Computer Forum
Go there for more articles and forums on computer hardware!

Ask any professional speaker how an industry newbie should go about securing public speaking jobs, and the response frequently sounds something like…

• Attend Toastmasters meetings and practice your skills.
• Join the National Speakers Association to learn more about the industry.
• Do talks at Chambers of Commerce and Rotary Clubs.

But what if you know you’re a good speaker… you understand the intricacies of the speaking industry… and you’ve done your share of gratuitious freebie presentations. Where do you head then? How do you go about looking for public speaking jobs?

Here are 4 tips to help you locate seemingly elusive public speaking jobs online.

1. Go to Google and Yahoo, and search for the following phrases ‘calls for speakers’ and ’speakers wanted.’ (Without the quotes.)

   In the results you’ll instantly find links to organizations and conferences that are looking for public speakers.

   While many different topics are covered under these searches, you’ll find there are frequently a lot of technology speakers wanted. So if this is your niche, it’s a good possibility you could get lucky.

2. Check out the Speakers Forum sponsored by Speakers Platform.

   Honestly this forum isn’t teeming with public speaking jobs. But on occasion you will find a golden nugget.

   In fact, this is where I found my first public speaking job many years ago. The meeting planner just happened to be hiring several different speakers, and I was one of them.

   You can check it out at: (http://www.speaking.com/educationforum/index.cgi)

3. Follow the conference schedules for targeted associations.

   Most associations hold some type of yearly or semiannual conference. Speakers are frequently sought after, so this is an ideal place to locate a public speaking job.

   They will typically begin searching for speakers 6-8 months ahead of time. Sometimes less, sometimes more.

   You should find out when their next conference is held, and begin checking back to the association web site 6-7 months ahead of time. Calls for speakers sometimes don’t get picked up in the search engines right away.

   The American Society of Association Executives has an extensive directory of associations at (http://www.asaenet.org/AssociationSearch.cfm?requesttimeout=240&sn.ItemNumber=7333).

4. Apply to training companies.

   Fred Pryor/CareerTracks is frequently hiring contract speakers on a variety of topics. The job does require traveling and the ability to sell their products to attendees. According to the the Pryor web site, top contract trainers earn in excess of $75,000 (USD) a year.

   You’ll be very busy. But it’s great experience, especially for budding speakers.

   Contract training opportunities can be found at (http://www.pryor.com/career/seminar_leader.asp)

Alexis Dawes is the author of “Speaking For Profit: How To Profitably Use The Platform To Make $200-$10,000 a Night Giving 3-Hour Seminars.” This 115 page e-book explains how to get public speaking jobs at seminar centers in the US, as well as what it takes to sell information products to attendees. You can get more informatin at (http://www.Speaking-For-Profit.com).

“The trick to developing a product that is guaranteed to sell like crazy is to offer a solution to a problem. If you can save people time, money, or hassle, they’ll be willing to pay for your solution!” - Corey Rudl

If someone offered to help you make a million dollars, why would you say, “no?” This very thing goes on all the time to thousands of people all over the world. You may have never imagined you could make a six-seven figure income, yet it’s happening all the time on the internet. This is the result of internet marketing. It is a viable business and has made many millionaires. Even 19-year-old billionaires!

On the internet, millions upon millions of transactions take place every day, every hour, every minute and every second. This was not possible fifteen to twenty years ago. Now, with access to the internet, you have the capability of reaching many thousands of potential customers at the touch of a button. And - you are only limited by your imagination.

Internet marketing sounds easy to do, yet most businesses that currently use the internet to market their business lose money. When marketing your business online, there are three important steps that will make you feel confident. They include:

1. Targeting your audience.
2. Automating your business, and
3. Testing and adjusting your offer.

Your target audience depends upon the type of service or product you are offering. A little homework is required here. If you wish to sell hair and beauty products, you wouldn’t send your announcements to farmers. Find out where your customers are by searching the web. Track what they are interested in when they visit other websites. Find out by asking. Do market surveys. Send out questionnaires. Query friends, acquaintances, neighbors and find out what interests them.

You can easily find out what your customers want by testing your products and services. Then if it doesn’t sell, you can make adjustments before spending lots of money on a product or service that the market won’t support. Testing new products, ideas, or your advertising message on a small target audience first, saves you time, effort, and money. Doing a small test, first, also allows you time to make adjustments to your website or your advertisement to meet the needs of your customer.

Automate your online business so that your valuable time and attention is directed to creating more products or services. There are now hundreds of web sources that offer business automation services. They can send out your advertisements, business cards, flyers, press releases, and post cards to thousands of potential buyers at a time. They can notify your customers when their order is ready to ship. They can do your bookkeeping and track of your customer’s order.

Internet marketing can be as easy as you make it, and it can be fun. Thinking up products and services that meet the needs of customers and getting them to the customer in a manner that is convenient and appropriate is rewarding in itself. And when your product or service is something you love creating, and when it helps others save time, money, feel and look good, this is a great benefit.

Three other benefits of selling your product or service online are:

1. You have access to a global market at the touch of a finger.
2. Your investment of time is small.
3. You can start an online business with little cost.

Compared to the cost of offline marketing - newspaper, radio, and TV ads, and the cost of postage with direct mailing, you can set up a website at a low cost and start offering your product or service and even see the results in a matter of days. With internet marketing you can test your ads, sales offers, website design, and notify thousands of potential customers - and sometimes receive an order within hours - and almost at no cost.

The internet allows you to reach a global market and the cost is much less than using the traditional methods. You can quickly change your marketing plan and send out your marketing message multiple times. Whereas, with the old way of selecting the media and waiting for your ad to be scheduled, printed, and then distributed, the comparison in cost and in time is monumental.

For internet marketing to work for you, you must set your business to run on automatic so you can put your attention on developing more products and better services. You must target your advertising message, consistently get it out to as many potential buyers as possible, and be ready to test, test, and test again to make certain your offer is what your customers wish to buy. These key secrets are a small part of what makes for a successful online business. It’s up to you to find your passion, your faith, and your will to increase your sales, and - to give back.

Gerri D Smith publishes an inspirational newsletter for women business owners and individuals eager to improve, and willing to learn more. And it’s Free! Well-written articles, business offers, and more for your business and personal image improvement. Go to: http://www.distinctivebusinesswomen.com

There are many refreshing iced coffee recipes available, and we have selected some of the most interesting for you. However, my favorite of all it the traditional Italian iced coffee recipe which uses freshly made espresso, a cocktail shaker and ice cubes. In fact, if you ask for an iced coffee in Italy this is the only recipe they will serve. Poured into a cocktail glass, the chilled Italian espresso is second to none.

When the heat is on try this traditional Italian iced coffee recipe …

So, how is the Italian iced coffee recipe actually made? Simple, like all good things. Use your espresso machine, if you have one, to make a normal shot for one, two or more servings. Pour the freshly made espresso coffee into the cocktail shaker, add ice cubes (the ice doesn’t get poured into the glasses with the coffee, so the flavor isn’t diluted), close the shaker and shake like crazy! Pour into cocktail glasses and enjoy. Surprisingly, the iced coffee will not be a dark espresso brown color, but a creamy beige .

Here are a few more iced coffee recipes for you to try
Bermuda Iced Coffee

For this recipe, you’ll need coffee, cream, sugar and coffee flavor ice-cream. Pour the coffee, cream, sugar and 1 or 2 scoops of ice-cream into a blender. Blend, and serve cold in glasses or mugs. Tastes great, but if you’re on a diet beware.

Fresh Lemon Cafe

Here you’ll need 1/4 cup of coffee to which you add 2 oz of lemon sherbet, 1/2 tsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp of grated lemon rind and 1 tsp of sugar. Place the contents to your blender and blend until smooth. Serve in chilled glasses.

Cinnamon Caramel

This recipe has an interesting taste. You’ll need about 6 tsp of ground coffee, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup caramel syrup. Prepare a pot of coffee in the usual way, but add the cinnamon to the ground coffee. Add the syrup to the hot coffee and stir until dissolved. Chill the coffee and serve over ice with milk, cream or sugar. For an interesting variation, you could also use this coffee, but chill it in the way of the traditional Italian iced coffee recipe above.

Thai Iced Coffee

Here’s another interesting variation. You’ll need strong ground coffee for brewing 4 cups, 4 tsp sugar, 4 tsp heavy cream, 2 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp almond flavoring, crushed ice. Add the cardamom to the ground coffee and brew, when ready add the sugar and almond flavoring, mix well and leave to cool or chill in fridge. Fill four glasses half way with the crushed ice, then add the coffee leaving about an inch or a little more from the rim of the glass. Hold a spoon over the coffee and gently pour the cream over the spoon so that the cream floats on the top of your iced coffee.

Well, that’s it. These are just a few of the many iced coffee recipes that are available today. Part of the fun is also experimenting. Enjoy.

This article was prepared by Nicholas Webb who writes for http://www.Allabout-Coffee-Beans.com Coffee is more than just a passion. For many articles from coffee beans to coffee making machines, click over to this site.

Taking family trips, going shopping, and dining out is all a part of life. The idea of credit education is to help consumers understand the importance of credit card offers that provide frequent rewards or point systems for redemptions associated with purchases made from a reward credit card.

Your Needs Defined

If you enjoy traveling, shopping, dining out, etc, and you plan on utilizing a credit card on a regular basis, then a reward credit card may be a valuable asset in helping you gain some added benefit from your purchase activity.

Having a handle on your credit rating, is one key to consider while choosing which credit card to apply for, since many credit cards available with rewards programs will require at least good credit.

A “general-use” credit card is a great way to keep track of expenses and manage your overall expenses and having a reward credit card can be an advantage since you can maximize the benefits of your spending. For every meal, car rental, hotel stay, clothing purchase or gas refueling, potential rewards can be available from the use of a reward credit card, including travel rewards, retailer discounts or even cash back.

Determining Value
One key consideration while selecting a reward credit card is checking the annual percentage rate (APR). This has a great deal to do with future payments, should you fail to pay off the card each month. Rates are varied and can be as little as 7.99% to as much as 19.99%, and many others carry a floating variable APR that is based on the prime lending rate.

If you are a business owner looking for the best long term APR, you might consider several of the Platinum credit card offers which often times feature free accessibility to many of the best reward programs online. Be aware, however, that most of the zero percent APR promotional offers for these cars are for a very short time. Cardholders can however take advantage of these promotional offers and get the dual benefit of a rewards program with some of the very best reward credit cards that are currently available.

One such example would be the Citi® Dividend Platinum Select Reward Credit Card. Offering 5% back on purchases made at supermarkets, gas stations, and drugs stores, this card also gives cardholders an additional percentage on all other purchases made on the card. The APR is 0% for up to 12 months and also includes 0% on balance transfers. Be advised, however, that this does not take into account other factors to consider before applying for such a card, not the least of which is the credit that will be required to get approval.

The benefits of a reward credit card are easy to understand but should be weighed with an eye toward need, benefit, and credit worthiness.

You would not consider purchasing a car without knowing everything possible about the make, model, history, and available features, so why settle for the first credit card offer to make its way to your mailbox. An online comparison can provide peace of mind and due consideration in the decision making process.

For more information on how to decide which reward credit card is right for you, Bert Roberts recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com.

We got friends to make up for our relatives

– Anonymous

A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway.

– Fr. Jerome Cummings

Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but
in the hearts of true friends.

– Cindy Lew

Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure.

– Jewish Saying

What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. — Aristotle

“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.

– Abraham Lincoln

“A faithful friend is the medicine of life.”

– Apocrypha

“The best mirror is an old friend.”

–George Herbert

One who looks for a friend without faults will have none.

– Hasidic Saying

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.

– Walter Winchell

Friends are needed both for joy and for sorrow.

– Samuel Paterson

Friendship is the golden thread that ties the heart of all the world.

– John Evelyn

A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory
fails.

– Anonymous

“The rain may be falling hard outside,

But your smile makes it all alright.

I’m so glad that you’re my friend.

I know our friendship will never end.”

– Robert Alan

“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening
fruit.”

– Aristotle (4th century B.C.)

“Friendship is essentially a partnership.”

– Aristotle (4th century B.C.)

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe unto him
that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”

– The Bible: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.

“A friend loves at all times.”

– The Bible: Proverbs 17, 17.

“A companion loves some agreeable qualities which a man may possess, but a
friend loves the man himself.”

– James Boswell (1763)

“Friendship is a strong and habitual inclination in two persons to promote
the good and happiness of one another.”

– Eustace Budgell (1711)

“Friendship is Love without his wings!”

– Lord Byron (1806)

“Friendship makes prosperity more brilliant, and lightens adversity by
dividing and sharing it.”

– Cicero (44 B.C.)

“True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known
until it be lost”

– Charles Caleb Colton (1825)

“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We do not so much need the help of our friends as the confidence of their
help in need.”

– Epicurus (3rd century B.C.)

“Friends show their love in times of trouble…”

– Euripides (408 B.C.)

“One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.”

– Euripides (408 B.C.)

“A good friend is my nearest relation.”

– Thomas Fuller (1732)

“My friend is he who will tell me my faults in private.”

– Solomon Ibn Gabirol

“Your friend is your needs answered.”

– Kahil Gibran

“Let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.”

– Kahil Gibran.

“Let your best be for your friend…”

– Kahil Gibran

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of
pleasures.”

– Kahil Gibran

“A sympathetic friend can be quite as dear as a brother.”

– Homer (9th century B.C.)

“We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling
a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over;
so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart
run over.”

– Samuel Johnson

“However rare true love may be, it is less so than true friendship.”

– La Rochefoucauld (1665)

“A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the
least care to acquire.”

– La Rochefoucauld (1665)

“I shot an arrow into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For so swiftly it flew, the sight

Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For, who has sight so keen and strong

That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak

I found the arrow, still unbroke;

And the song, from beginning to end,

I found again in the heart of a friend.”

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in
other people, than you can in two years by trying to get other people
interested in you.”

– Bernard Meltzer

“Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil.”

– Baltasar Gracian (1647)

“Friendship needs no words…”

– Dag Hammarskjold.

“Friends are the sunshine of life.”

– John Hay (1871)

Good friends are like stars….You don’t always see them, but you know they
are always there.

– Anonymous

Jane Opal

Online & Inspirational Consultant
http://geocities.com/bluelantern77

Highly Recommended Sites:
http://maitr.com|http://bluewonders.com

Many people want a miracle method of obtaining good health and
peace of mind. However, there isn’t one!

Having said that there are protocols that if followed on a daily
basis will give you the best possible chance of having and
keeping robust health in all seasons.

———————————- 1. Physical Movement
———————————-

Get that body moving!

This is SO important. It can help rid the body of unwanted
pounds, boost self-esteem, prolong life, and provide greater
energy in daily activities.

Use methods and movements that are holistic in nature,
emphasising internal and external health, and that promote
energy as opposed to sapping it!

Activities such as Yoga and some of the most recent exercise
classes (that focus on martial arts movements for example) are
great ways to to use your body in a total manner.

Try to avoid isolating each muscle group while training.

Use your body as a unit and feel your energy soar!

————————————- 2. A Little Each Day
————————————-

Try and do SOMETHING each day.

No, I’m not talking about intense sessions each day. Instead
stagger intensity levels throughout the week.

It is amazing how many people do NOT do this and simply ruin
their bodies!

Some days you might do a little light stretching and meditation,
while on another you might perform vigorous deep breathing
exercises and a gym session.

The point is this. The body was made to be used and moved. Keep
the below quote in mind.

“It is better to wear out than rust out”

————————— 3. Mix It Up
—————————

Don’t eat the same things each day.

Keep your diet full of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables,
lean protein sources, and plenty of carbohydrates if you are
exercising regularly.

Do NOT fall into the trap of the fad diets that are prevalent
nowadays.

To exclude, for however long, whole (and massively important)
parts of a well rounded diet is ludicrous and dangerous.

Try and eat every two to three hours (and eat within the first
hour after exercise) and you will be feeling awesome!

———————————- 4. Positive Thoughts
———————————-

Try this little test.

Monitor how many times in just three hours you are thinking in a
negative fashion. Try this today.

I expect the number of times is higher than it should be.

Yes, it takes effort to be positive! The mind will often take
the easy (and non productive) route of spiralling into
negativity and procrastination.

It requires effort but is the hallmark of successful people.
Take time for yourself each day and be goal focused and
forcefully positive!

Even if done for just five minutes each day this will make you a
happier, more fullfilled, person.

OK. There they are. Common sense points that can change you for
the better fast if applied.

Start applying today!

(c) Tim Webb 2005

A common complaint among gardener is that late in the summer,
before the fall foliage, there seems to be lull in garden color.
There is, however, no shortage of shrubs which bloom in later in
the season. Hydrangeas are one the most versatile. In fact, they
are indispensable in the garden for summer color and foliage
texture. No shrub border is complete without them.   

Hydrangeas prefer part shade and rich organic soil. They prefer
morning sun with afternoon shade; this will protect them from
the hottest part of the day. If they get shade in the morning
and sun in the afternoon they may look stressed due to the
sudden rise in temperature. Hydrangeas need lots of water
especially young plants since they tend to dry out quickly
during the hot weather. After planting be sure to mulch well,
this will help the soil retain moisture as well as help prevent
weeds from encroaching on your garden. Fertilize the shrubs in
the spring and then again in late summer. Adding compost to the
soil around the base of the hydrangea each spring will keep the
soil rich.

Lacecap and nikko blue hydrangeas are both cultivars of
(Hydrangea macrophyllla). Lacecaps are recognized by its ring of
flowers surrounding a center of florets and nikko blue by it
large pom-pom like flowers. You can change the color of the
blossoms of these varieties by changing the acidity of the soil.
 Add aluminum sulfate to make the soil acid. A pH level
somewhere between 5 and 5.5 will result in blue flowers.
Alternately, for pink flowers, make raise the pH level to 6.0 by
adding lime, making the soil alkaline. You will need to repeat
the this 2 or 3 times over the growing season and continue the
process for as long as you want the change to continue.

The large (up to 15″ long) white flowers of the PeeGee hydrangea
(Hydrangea paniculta) turn to a faded pink in the fall and are
great for cutting and taking indoors. Because their large
flowers often weigh down its stems, PeeGee hydrangeas require
staking. 

Oak Leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) has a much different
appearance than the other hydrangeas. Its foliage resembles that
of the American oak. Its white blooms fade to pink in fall.
  Oakleaf hydrangeas grow to about 6′ and can tolerate more
shade than other hydrangeas.

Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris) is a deciduous vine
which clings to garden structures, walls and fences with aerial
roots. Its flowers are white and have the characteristics of the
lacecap hydrangea.

Though there are numerous choices when it comes to types of
hydrangeas, there are some general rules of thumb to follow when
planting and caring for them.   When planting new hydrangeas
you’ll need to add a mix of compost and peat moss to the
existing soil. This will give the plant plenty of nutrients and
the soil ability to retain water. Dig a hole approximately twice
as wide as the root ball and just as deep. Place the hydrangea
in the hole, making sure the top of the root ball matches the
existing grade of the garden. Never install any plant below
grade, its often detrimental to the health of the plant.
Backfill about half way and water to remove air pockets. Finish
filling the hole, water again and mulch. Planting in the spring
or fall is best as the hot summer weather can stress hydrangeas.

In the spring prune broken branches and old flower blooms from
the previous season. Don’t prune new shoots; they are where the
new blooms will be. Prune in late summer, after blooming.
Thinning the plant by reducing its number of stems by half will
yield larger flower clusters.

Noted for their long lasting, late blooming flowers and their
unique foliage, hydrangeas are one of the most versatile shrubs
in the garden. Whether among a shrub border, climbing a garden
structure or planted on its own as a specimen shrub hydrangeas
are a wonderful addition to any garden.

Online gaming opens up a new world for those who love competition. In most MMORPGs, you compete with people from all over the world. I have been able to play many online games throughout the years. Most article writers, gaming journalist, etc. don’t have the time to properly analyze online role playing games. In this article, I will tell you:

• What makes a good online game?
• What makes a BAD online game?
• How do I satisfy everyone as a developer and make money at the same time?
• The best individual aspects of each game I have played.
• Which games I couldn’t wait to be released, but didn’t play when they finally released (and why.. )
• Why no one has been able to get it right since Ultima Online…

*As you read this article, keep in mind that I am an avid pvp enthusiast.*

Many of the worlds are constantly changing. The sheer size of the monumental projects usually equals a horrible launch. Even the billion dollar company, Sony Online Entertainment, failed in this arena with SWG.

It’s impossible for a gaming journalist to critique an online game in 6 months. There are so many things that change within that time span. Some magazines have realized this and have made adjustments to properly review online games. With that said, everything I mention in this article is based on *AT LEAST* a year of playing in each game. I hate jumping from one game to the next…

“So Tay, What makes a good online game for player killers, and pvp enthusiasts?”

First off, the game needs to be skill based. It’s better if you are rewarded for strategic thinking over “twitch based” reactions. You should never have a game that rewards time over skill. Of course, there should always be a few rewards for playing longer than someone else, but those rewards shouldn’t make you impossible to kill.

Second, you need a large player base. If there aren’t enough people playing, then what’s the point?

Next, there needs to be a point to all of this effort. You should always have a measurable and easily defined goal to work towards. Sieging castles, acquiring kill points, reaching the top of the ladder, loot acquisition, etc. are all good ways to keep most pvpers busy.

An attentive and responsive development team is a MUST. You don’t want a community where player questions and concerns are ignored for the sake of stockholders. That simply doesn’t create a long lasting game. You definitely shouldn’t create a team of players to gather the concerns of the community then promptly ignore them. *cough SWG*

Finally, the game needs to be fun. Fun isn’t a quality that is easily defined. Many people find different things interesting. You already know that I am heavily biased towards pvp(player versus player), so I will continue to focus on that. In order for a pvp game to be fun, the classes need to be balanced. Nothing on the face of the earth is perfect, but the developers need to realize that group based pvp should have classes with defined roles. Games with a more individual approach should have balanced characters.

Speaking of fun, it amazes me that so many games regurgitate the same content over and over again. Developers usually use this lame excuse: “Our game is the perfect sandbox for the blah blah blah. You should entertain yourself.” Even if you place a child in a room with other kids (plenty of toys around), those children will get extremely bored if the items they have to play with don’t allow them to be creative or create new content. Most of these companies make millions of dollars a month, but can’t afford to hire staff to interact with the players? Imagine visiting a store with nothing but security guards (GMs) and no sales representatives.

I want you to imagine a completely static world. A world where you can complete many tasks, but no matter how hard you work, you can NEVER CHANGE A THING.

This is only part one of this series of articles. It’s definitely not a subject that should be rushed in my opinion. Until the next installment, keep killing, keep grinding, and don’t waste your time playing games that don’t truly reward your efforts.

Tayman is the webmaster of Karas Hur.net . If you would like to view more articles like these, find out the latest MMORPG news, or simply view tons of screenshots, visit: http://www.karashur.net.