It’s starting to feel like spring in the Northern Hemisphere. After a long winter this year, it feels so good. Along with spring comes the beginning of ant season. Many people will be asking the question: How to get rid of ants? And quickly!

Most people don’t have to know how to get rid of ants during the cold winter months. In winter, ants retreat underground and are dormant. As the ground warms up in the spring, they wake up and come to the surface.

Soon queen ants emerge and fly off to start new nests. Ants begin to crawl around again and people start to ask how to get rid of ants again.

Tip: One way to get rid of ants is squashing any flying queen ants you see in the spring around your yard.

Ants play an important roll in the ecosystem, but it’s no picnic when they become pests in our world. That is when people want to know how to get rid of ants pronto! But it’s important to know how to get rid of ants without poisoning yourself and your kids, pets and the planet.

Too often, when people find they have to get rid of ants, they run off to the store for a can of toxic pesticide, come home and spray the ant.

Whoa! Let’s step back a minute and take a look at learning how to get rid of ants using a least toxic approach.

What is a “least toxic approach?” It means you start trying to get rid of ants with the least toxic substance first. If that doesn’t get rid of the ants, then you try something a little more toxic but not as bad as insecticide. You keep trying to get rid of the ants using progressively more toxic substances until you find something that gets rid of ants. The strategy that works to get rid of ants can range from doing nothing to spraying toxic insect killer.

Why should we bother with a least toxic approach to get rid of ants? For one thing, studies are beginning to reveal the serious consequences of the overuse of toxic pesticides in our environment.

Did you know that evidence suggests even genetic damage from exposure to pesticides?

Worst of all, children are especially at risk!

Why wait until science confirms a direct link to damaged genes from pesticides? By that time, the damage could already be done to you and your children.

Adapt a least toxic approach to get rid of ants. If someone asks you how to get rid of ants, suggest a least toxic approach.

Chris Wells Chandler is the author of
How to Get Rid of Ants: 137 Non-Toxic Ways to Get Rid of Ants Using Common Household Items and Products. This 88-page book is chock full of non-toxic ways to get rid of ants. Go to
http://www.howtogetridofants.com/ for more information.

It’s that time of year again. Are you one of the lucky ones that are expecting a refund this year? What will you do with all that extra money?

Most people that get a refund from their income taxes spend it right away with out thinking about how far it can actually go. Using your refund wisely this year could even save you thousands of dollars in the future.

If you were to take that refund and put it to your mortgage payment and it was equal to one additional payment per year, you could easily shave off several years of your mortgage. By apply one single additional payment per year to your principle, you can cut your mortgage down by three to five years. By doing this, you can save several thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars in the long run by paying just one additional mortgage payment a year.

If you have a credit card that is burning a hole in your pocket, take your refund and pay it towards this card. Who knows, you might even be able to pay it off with your refund. By doing this, you can save several dollars in interest charges.

You do need to do something for yourself. Take A LITTLE and spend it on yourself. You don’t need to go to the Bahamas or to Cancun. Treat yourself to a movie or dinner at a nice restaurant. There is no need to go crazy.

You say you’ve been wanting a new car? Don’t fall into the “Lease Trap” If a new car is still out of reach, don’t panic. Since more than 60% of our trips are within 5 miles of our residents, why not think about an alternative form of transportation. You don’t need to spend all that money on a car right now, do you? Think outside the box and with your tax refund, you can get yourself some reliable transportation that won’t break the bank.

Electric scooters are gaining popularity. They are not just for kids anymore, more and more adults are seeing the benefits of having electric scooters. Scooters are perfect for those short trips to the local grocery. Electric scooters are quiet, good for the environment and easy to maintain.

Electric scooters are not just for kids. In days past, a kids electric scooter was all the rage. Everyone had them, but you would not see adults on them much. Today, adults are buying them for themselves and their parents as well as their kids. You can find people of all ages riding their scooters to work, school, or just tooling around the neighborhoods.

Today’s scooters are perfect for those short trips. Electric scooters these days can go as far 10-25, even up to 30 miles on a single charge. So for those short trips, you don’t have to worry about running out of juice until you get back.

Whatever you decide to do with your tax return, make sure it does not put you further in the hole or is not spent on something that won’t benefit you in the long run.

M.S. owns TM-MotorWorks Scooter Store and has been servicing electric scooters for several years. While featuring electric scooters he also offers top of the line Gas Scooters. You can find out more about a kids electric scooter and see the new X-Treme X-560 Electric Scooter by scooting over to ScooterHaven.

Medical Billing has turned around in a big way nowadays. There was a time when the patient used to go to doctor, get the treatment for any ailment and pay the doctor’s bill. Until few years back, medical insurance was significantly complicated; it was a rare event, the doctor had to raise the paper bill towards his treatment charges and submit it to the private, Medicare or Medicaid insurance provider. We are much aware of the fact that such paper bills could get lost very easily. Anyways, those days are history now, yet there are a few doctors who still believe in the orthodox procedures and use paper bills for their treatment charges. Most of the doctors have today started using the latest technologies and begun raising electronic Medical Bills to their patients for the treatments provided by them.

Electronic Medical Billing is a paperless billing process; wherein the bill is printed out after making the entries related to the patient’s treatment in the computer system and handed over to the patient by his doctor. Such electronic Medical Billing incorporates all the related information like, the insurance provider’s data, your detailed treatment charges, medicines and other incidental expenses incurred by the clinic while extending your treatments. All these information are essential for claiming the medical expenses incurred by the clinic, from the patient’s medical insurance providers.

The electronic Medical Billing is usually prepared by entering all the necessary data in the computer system with the help of the specialized Medical Billing software program and the fed information is then electronically submitted to the carrier by means of a device called a modem. The modem is such an electronic device that uses the telephone line for transmitting the received information just like that of a fax machine. In the fax machine, a piece of prepared document or the Medical Bill is inserted in the unit. Its copy is electronically prepared and transmitted through the connected telephone line to the remote fax machine held by the insurance provider and prints out the identical copy of the document at that end. But in case of the electronic Medical Billing, there is no requirement of paper at all. The particular information is typed out into the computer system and thereafter the installed software takes those data itself for transmitting them over to the carrier via modem.

Such data are mostly sent in some specific format so that the carrier is able to read the data properly. This sort of typical format is known as NSF format that has been standardized by all such carriers. However, specific computer program is required to be made for each individual carrier as in spite of the standards formats, its not necessary that every carrier uses every field in the format. Due to this when specific fields are transmitted which the carrier is not using, the claim may get rejected by the carrier.

Medical Billing Services: In reality, the Medical Billing Service has to be far more competent and effectual when compared with your own office system. The Medical Billing Services providers should let you and your people highlight on practicing medicines. In Medical Billing Service providing companies like Preferred Health Resources, account executives have the average of 8 years experience in Medical Billing sectors. Due to their knowledge, ability as well as the devoted follow-up, the company has resulted in their adjustment ratios every time as low as merely 12% with the Medicare.

Medical Billing System: There are very few genuinely organized companies providing Medical Billing System service in the United States; like the American Billing Systems. This company in particular is said to have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for developing and building the latest technology which permits you to process all your medical claims online over the internet through any computers at any time literally 24×7. this is the company holding national license and offers the complete business system to the entrepreneurs. With the help of such license one can really operate his business literally from home offering professional Medical Billing Systems and automated cash-flow management services to the medical providers and general businessmen.

Medical Billing Education: In the common definition, it could be defined that the Medical Billing is the process of sending detailed accounts to the customers or clients for the goods consumed and the medical services provided to him. The document having all such data is better known as the Invoice. The invoices in general describes the accounted amount is receivable or already received by the drawer. Proper education for preparing the Medical Billing is necessary for getting the insurance claim processed well in time.

Medical Billing Companies: There are many companies having specialization in the fields of Medical Billings. Such companies usually offer their valued services for getting you the detailed Medical Billing towards the medical services taken by you during your ailment at a particular clinic or with the doctor. There are some companies like Vision Healthcare who have been serving as much as 38 medical specialties in 40 different states and having expertise in over 15 hospitals as well as Medical Billing systems.

Medical Electronic Billing: The Medical Electronic Billing is widely prepared by entering all the required information to the computer system that has the software program for preparing such Electronic Medical Billings. The latest software developed for such Electronic Medical Billing generally incorporates various features of functions like: tracking the demographics, doctor’s visits and diagnoses of the patients; collecting – transmitting as well as tracking all the billing information and insurance payments; managing the appointment schedules and generating the varieties of detailed reports.

Medical Electronic Specialists: We may find many Medical Electronic Specialists for providing different medical services. The various services offered by such specialists usually include: the fastest reimbursements of your medical claims, billing to the government carriers and inquire for its details, the claims edited for better quality, quality customer services, reduction of the current internal billing costing, complete insurance follow-up, specialty report for doctor’s practice and follow through collection for them who want such services.

There are some more features worth considering in the Medical Billing features like: the Medical Billing Codes, Medical Billing Business and Medical Billing Processes.

About the author:
The author is webmaster of http://www.medibil.com which is an information portal. medibil.com offers quality information on topics like medical billing, medical coding, medical claims, medical transcription and Insurance.

Sometimes, all that glitters is gold. What a great trading market! Here’s some valuable hints and kinks taken from actual trading experiences.

Gold is a great commodity futures market for trading. As of January, 2007, $3,375 of account margin controls $61,300 of gold. (100 ounces valued at $613 /oz.) That’s about 5.5% money down, giving tremendous leverage. A $1 move in gold futures equals $100. Thus, a gold futures contract move from $400 to $500/oz equates to a $10,000 profit or loss.

Within the last year, gold has become more liquid for trading. The CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) has begun electronic metals trading and is now the preferred way to trade gold FUTURES. In the past, using the Comex exchange in New York was difficult at best. The price slippage was extensive and fills were slow during active markets. But all that has changed. However, the Comex still serves a purpose. At the present time, gold OPTION executions are best at the Comex. It pays to know WHERE to trade as well as what and when.

When trading gold options, use a broker who can call the floor directly to get bids-offers and fills. Many times a good broker can give you an immediate fill from the floor. This can be a great advantage during very volatile times to know your exact position. Not all brokers are able to do this for you.

Gold is a market known for its large price swings. When there’s crisis in the news, gold is one of the more sensitive commodities. I’ve known gold day traders who trade for small one to two dollar swings. They love the daily moves. While others hold for longer term price swings of $20 - $100 per ounce. Gold is one of those markets that usually has enough action for any form of trading.

Gold is also known for false breakouts and triangle patterns. The breakouts are especially prone to breaking above an old high and then moving back into the middle of the range. Triangles in gold can be seen quite often over the last 40 years or more. A good example is to look at the 1979-1981 gold bull market. You’ll see many triangles (on daily bar charts) that are textbook perfect. There’s many ways to trade triangles once they are identified as such.

Buying options on gold is best executed when the market is quiet. Waiting for counter-trend advances and declines can also result in great fills. Gold has a tendency to trade counter-trend overnight. In a bullish market, buying calls or futures early in the morning after an overnight decline may result in a profitable trade later in the day. Selling a big up move is often best done in the morning after a series of strong upside moves. A wide range day out of the ordinary many times signals a turning point. All these technical techniques can give you good entries and exits. In addition, go AGAINST the news for buying and selling into price spikes. The gold futures market swims in seas of fear and greed. Keep this in mind when looking for the price turns.

When trading gold, watch a few other markets for clues. Although nothing is in concrete, the U.S. Dollar is probably the best reverse indicator of gold. Like all other U.S. markets, gold is traded in dollars, though gold seems especially sensitive to this relationship. When the dollar drops you need more dollars to buy the same amount of gold. When the dollar starts rising it may be the beginning of a drop in gold. Careful, there could be a lag until this actually occurs. This lag could give you time to position, but if it doesn’t happen, the subsequent reversal could be sharp and fast.

Watching the other metals like silver, platinum and copper may give you clues as to the direction and magnitude of gold futures and options. At times silver can go counter to gold in certain types of cross-market activities. However, this trend-bucking usually doesn’t last long.

When gold is very active, it’s a good idea to place your protective stop loss orders at the farthest pivot point you can withstand…still staying within your risk parameters of 5%-7.5% per trade. The gold market loves to spike and take out the maximum amount of players before a big move. Gold also tends to trend well since it is based on large geopolitical factors that are hard to turn around. Keep your eyes on the break-outs to higher and lower levels. They are very telltale as to what news the global community is responding to. Watch gold’s price action as related to news. In other words, if the news is very bullish and gold cannot rally strongly, then the next move will probably be down, and fast!

Here’s how I look for opportunities in the metals markets: First I generate a TimeLine forecast that shows a strong move up or down in a particular metal. The TimeLine is based on time cycles and other preprogrammed patterns. I then determine if the move is expected to be choppy, trending, and for how long. This helps us focus on possible directional futures/option positions or writing options in a range, or even writing options with the trend.

Next I use automated option software to search for the best of 1600 strategies based on the expected market move. I compare these option to option combinations against futures to options combinations. At some point I will find a compromise between risk, profit and simplicity in one or two strategies. In hindsight there’s always a best strategy we could have used. Keep this is mind when narrowing down the choices. When finished, we want to have one or two potential trades to work with. We call the selected few, “high probability, low risk trades.”

Remember there is more to planning a trade than just coming up with a forecast. The market may move as predicted but we can still lose by choosing the wrong trading vehicles. Pick the right vehicles and strategies that will allow us to stay in the market without excessive fear, but still carrying calculated risk.

We NEED to take on calculated risk or the market will not pay us for our services. In addition, the vehicle has to move far enough to make a profit without letting the expense of protection eat us up. Excessive protection (risk avoidance) can come in the form of option premiums, too close-in stop loss orders - and overdone, complex spread strategies. Matching a forecast to a strategy is an important skill to succeed in commodity trading.

Good Trading!

There is substantial risk of loss trading futures and options and may not be suitable for all types of investors. Only risk capital should be used.

Thomas Cathey - 27-year trading veteran heads the managed futures division of Thomas Capital Management, LLC. Get FREE, his complete 44+ lesson, “Thomas Commodity Trading Course” and free weekly TimeLine Alert Forecasts. http://www.thomascapitalmanagement.com/commodity/welcome.htm Main site: http://www.ThomasCapitalManagement.com

As Team Leader, you should hold regular group meetings to educate, inform, and motivate your team. Meetings provide an opportunity for your team to get together, learn new techniques, be recognized for achievements, and become more successful Consultants.

As a Leader, you must realize the importance of education every time you bring your Consultants together.

Try using the following guidelines to enhance the effectiveness of your meetings:

- Hold a business meeting at least once a month.
- Be sure the time, date, and place of the meeting are listed accurately in your team correspondence.
- Plan meetings to last approximately one hour.
- Start on time and stay on task.

The following is a possible agenda with suggestions:

Opening.
Welcome everyone.
Introduce Consultants and visitors, and in particular, make all new Consultants and visitors feel welcome.
Ask visitors what inspired them to attend. With this information, you can direct comments and conversation to them when appropriate.
Recognize Consultants who have brought guests and encourage them all to bring guests to future meetings.

Update.
Brief everyone on new and up-coming events, both locally and company-wide, such as contests and trainings.

Recognition.
Review the results of the previous meeting’s challenge.
Offer congratulations, applause, or small gifts to those who have met the challenge.
Also recognize other successes, outstanding sales, sponsoring of new Consultants, or meeting quarterly projections.

Education.
Include tips on how to improve bookings, show sales, sponsoring, and business management.
Ask Consultants in advance to prepare a tip or idea for the meeting.
While you may be delegating the education portions, keep in mind that it is still your responsibility to ensure the contributions are appropriate.

Sharing.
Encourage Consultants to share a new business tip that has worked for them.
Thank them for sharing.
Congratulate Consultants on their successes and create a supportive spirit. Consultants will continue to contribute when they know their suggestions are appreciated.

Challenges.
Offer a challenge to all Consultants (i.e., talk with three new people each week about the business opportunity).
Make the challenge attainable and be sure to recognize those who completed the challenge the next time you meet.
Motivate all attendees with your enthusiasm, organization, and challenges.

Other suggestions:

. Prepare a handout for each person.
. Everyone likes to go home with something.
. Keep your handouts simple.
. Usually you should limit the handout to one page.
. Be available to meet with people after the meeting.
. Use this time to your advantage by talking with guests and answering questions.
. Be sure to talk to each person individually, even if it is just to say hello.
. Involve all the Consultants in your area.
. Any Consultants from other teams should be made to feel welcome.

All materials should be distributed in the same way as to your own Consultants. Leaders should present information with energy, enthusiasm, and promote participation amongst the Consultants. This creates a desire to attend future meetings and rejuvenates the business savvy spirit.

Jane Deuber is a Co-Founder of http://www.DSWA.org (the only association dedicated to the needs of the independent party plan and network marketing professionals). Discover what makes the DSWA so unique. Listen to three motivating and informative free teleseminars by visiting http://www.mydswa.org/tele_class.asp

Microgaming (MG) is the most popular online gaming software that is offered by dozens online casinos today.
It’s likely that the top end quad core machines will shortly become the MINIMUM requirement to
have an all round fun experience at MG casinos. You can simultaneously update three MG casinos, four causes problems… My Dual Core machine has far less trouble running a game while updating, indeed it can handle three simultaneously playing MicroGaming casinos, with slight wobbles evident at four. Once updated,
MG casino software tend to run OK because the PC is doing only the one thing, running the games.

Multiple casinos on a single PC

I’ve always been of the mind that you should find one good casino per software type and be loyal to it, and it will be loyal to you!
Assume you have ten MG casinos loaded.. That’s why you’re running out of disc space! And downloading the casino the “normal way” can
take two to four hours! Somebody can download a full install for an MG casino in 15 to 20 minutes, with a further 10 mins for the
whole install process. The full install insists on loading itself
entirely into RAM to self extract, far too big a mouthful when it gets to around 300+ MB. The CD does the same, but is even more out
of date and requires updates.

Heavy Updates

Unfortunately, they don’t keep it up to date, and it often lags several months behind on the update cycle. A few groups provide a
download for the full install. And when when it comes to updates, download and install a couple of games can take 2 (or more)
hours on 1.5 mbp DSL. Everything else on the net zooms along, but the MG casino downloads still chug along, spitting and sputtering
and grinding…

I presumed casino downloads would then be a breeze. Only the new games will not be available, everything else will work in the state
it was in the month prior. In such a case, the casino behaves as though it has yet to be issued, no spluttery games etc. It’s not possible
to alter the system environment to prevent an MG casino from “seeing” the monthly update.

Slow downloads

The common package PKZIP extracts files and puts them in a tree of directories beneath the main directory,
which can be chosen by the player. What is wrong with being able to download the entire compressed 350Mbyte casino package in a single
go (a download manager would be useful here), and install everything locally in one operation.
However, the download managers cause problems in themselves on many systems, as they attempt to manage the download as though the system was
on dial-up. As to speed, the full casino
is 600+ MB, large, but not 4 hours worth! Many have fast broadband, and it would be simpler to directly download the casino file.

Software bugs

There is also an old bug in the AutoPlay of Thunderstruck slots, another where the first two reels stop and 3-5 just keep on spinning away,
until you crash out of the game. It has nothing to do with connections, as the result has reached the client and displayed on first
two reels. Although online casino where I played are looking into this, it seems they are getting nowhere once they have to refer
the problem onwards, presumably to MG. Even a complete clean out and reinstall from scratch has not helped, despite taking nearly
10 hours in total for the pair. What on Earth, Harvey’s and some of the other variable multiplier slots have software bugs too.

New games
What do we have now – something like 200 games? With about 50-60 games released each year?

I would recommend that Microgaming developers take a month or two off from churning out yet more new games which players are hardly
crying out for, and spend it
reviewing and finding ways to improve the overall software package to make it more user-friendly. Either give players the choice to only
download the games they want, or download just one “package” of games per computer which can be accessed
and used by ALL Microgaming casinos.

Monthly Upgrades
When Microgaming releases new games each month, it seems they update all
the existing games also. Why do they do this? When players download a casino for the first time it takes 3-4 hours for the full package to install.
Imagine a new online gambler downloading a MG casino for the first ever
time to try it in practice mode – what is their initial impression going to be? Moreover, during this time the games are subject to slow
play and long connection delays, particularly noticeable on slots when the reels can spin for up to a minute or even more!

In conclusion I would say that although MG online casinos offer the largest number of top-quality, feature-rich state-of-the-art games,
the players have to either play at only a few MG casinos (loosing exciting bonus opportunities) or play reduced no-download Flash version
of the casino software. Moreover, modern MG games are only suitable for those who have broadband Internet connection.

Kevin Osvald is an independent professional online gambler living in Florida, USA. He wrote hundreds of strategy, review and gambling news articles and online casino reviews. See the list of reputable eCOGRA-approved Microgaming online casinos.

Concrete Coating and concrete painting

Many home improvement projects will require you using a concrete coating. Concrete is used for a wide variety of purposes in building and construction. Concrete is made up of a mixture of different substances such as cement, gravel, sand and other aggregates, mixed with water. Special caution should be taken to prevent the water in the mixture from evaporating because if this happens, gaps and voids may be left behind which can cause the concrete to weaken and create small holes and cracks in the concrete. Further exposure to water and the harsh elements of the weather may erode the concrete, reducing its strength greatly. Concrete coating is beneficial to homeowners and construction workers alike because it protects concrete from such structural problems.

Where should you use concrete coating?

If you have never used a concrete coating before, you may wonder exactly how it works.
Concrete coatings are special chemical solutions that create an impenetrable coating, or layer on the concrete preventing the transmission of water molecules while at the same time keeping the structure safe. Concrete coating is typically used in filling the voids left from water drying up in the concrete, strengthening the surface due to a coating effective.
Concrete coating is also used on pre-cast concrete used in parking areas, protecting the structural steel body from the effects of water transmission. Salt and other corrosive elements can cause damage to concrete structures, especially in high traffic areas. Concrete coating can be used to prevent and reduce damages in such areas.

What are the advantages of using concrete coating?

There are several advantages of using concrete coating. As discussed above, the biggest advantage is providing protection from water transmission. Another advantage is concrete coatings is also an excellent acrylic crack resistant. Concrete coating conveniently adheres to most kinds of construction materials such as block, concrete, polystyrene, SIPs and ICFs. Concrete coatings are available under different brands and two or three coats should be applied depending upon the kind of construction material used and to the extent of which it needs protection.

Where to buy concrete coating products?

Concrete coating products are available at most home improvement material suppliers. However, for larger projects, it’s advisable to directly contact dealers to purchase such products. Concrete coating products suppliers can be easily located through concrete contractors as well as home building associations. The Internet is also a valuable resource, especially with its multiple websites on such products and applications. The Internet is not only a good source of information on the various concrete coating products and brands available, but also a good way to compare prices. Concrete coating projects are best handled by professional concrete coating contractors because they have the ability to correctly determine the specific kind of pressure withstood by concrete in a particular construction project.

Trevor is a leading home improvement author and writes often for http://www.homearticle.info. There are also more concrete care ideas on that site.

“No Petals. Now what?”
A list of alternatives to dropping or throwing flower petals.

I have recently noticed an increase in brides searching for alternatives, when their ceremony site will not allow them to drop or throw petals, among other things. In the past year we are begun to see a trend in ceremony venues discouraging couples from dropping or throwing rose petals during the processional and recessional, as well as outlawing bird seed, bubbles, silly string, and the like. These items can be damaging to the carpet, flooring and stain sidewalks or concrete; not to mention they pose clean-up problems for the venue.

So, what does this leave a bride to do? There are several alternatives to consider. In this article I will outline what those alternatives are and the pro’s/con’s of each.

Instead of dropping petals down the aisle-
Colored Runner /Artistic Runner
- Pro – The runner no longer has to be white. They come in a variety of widths and colors, or opt to have a designer runner made. (Perhaps with your monogram, logo or wedding date.) This color will take the place of the colored petals you would have chosen. It will also create a dramatic backdrop for your photographs. Ideally, select a color that is slightly different than the bridesmaid dresses or choose a complimentary accent color.
- Con’s -Some ceremony venues consider them to pose a tripping hazard and therefore not allowed. Also, colored runners are typically more expensive than traditional white runners. Consider using plastic colored tablecloths purchased on rolls from your local party store.
Pew Flowers
- Pro’s - This is any easy and effective way to add color to the aisle. Pew flowers designs can be almost anything. Choose the more dominate color of your wedding scheme and add trailing greenery or ribbon. If you plan ahead, select a design that can serve a double purpose; after the ceremony use at the reception. (Click here to see a picture)
- Con’s - Depending upon your wedding budget, these may not be cost effective. Consider doing them your self using quality silk flowers. Don’t forget, that once the ceremony is over someone will need to remove them from the ceremony site.

Floor Garland
- Pro’s – Using garland is very easy, just set along the aisle floor. Garland comes in a variety of lengths, widths, and styles. You will want to ensure the garland is full looking, or you may want to embellish them with flowers, pearls or fabric.
- Con’s - Quality garland will be more expensive, and make sure you double the order for both sides of the aisle.

Floor Pots
- Pro’s - Using taller floor arrangements and/or small trees will add significant color and definition to your aisle. You will want to ensure that arrangements are 24-36 inches tall. (Just make sure you don’t block your guest’s view.)
- Con’s - Some aisle may not be wide enough for this technique. Remember, the aisle has to accommodate two people. Another problem may be seating entries and exits are not wide enough and you will be blocking them. (Make sure to check with the venue, some local municipalities have strong fire safety laws concerning this issue.)

Instead of throwing petals while leaving the ceremony……
Dove Release
- Pro’s – This type of release can add another symbolic meaning to your event. Such as a new beginning, peace, love, serenity and the Holy Spirit, while also providing a breathtaking view as they circle the sky.
- Con’s – If you are not used to have animals circling your head, this situation may be uncomfortable; and no matter how well they are trained there can always be room for an error, they are animals.

Butterfly Release
- Pro’s – This type of release will create a colorful ensemble, flying through the skies. Butterflies will also act as natural accent jewelry to your bouquets, as they are drawn to certain colors and floral scents. This release is generally inexpensive to conduct with most prices under $100 per dozen.
- Con’s – Some guests may not feel comfortable with a “bug”, regardless that they are harmless, flying or landing on them.

Sparklers
- Pro’s – Using sparklers as you make your exit will create a festive atmosphere. This technique works best for evening ceremonies or for events surrounding the 4th of July holiday. Sparklers come in a variety of lengths to ensure adequate burn time. This option is very affordable at just $0.25-$0.95 a piece.(Check out these from Moments of Elegance)
- Con’s – As your parents always told you, be careful! Sparklers are more dangerous than other options and can burn clothing or a guest. Make sure to purchase the proper length, you don’t want to make your exit and the sparklers have already fizzled out. To adequately estimate burn time, include how long you think it will take to light them, plus how long to exit the ceremony.

Bells
- Pros – Miniature wedding bells are inexpensive to purchase and make a visual and audible addition to your grand exit. If you want to enhance the look, group them together and create a wand. (Click Here to see a picture)
- Con’s – I see no drawbacks to this option.

Balloon Release
- Pro’s – This release will provide enormous amounts of color and will require involvement from guests. Balloons are fairly inexpensive and come in almost any color imaginable.
- Con’s – There are a few environmental concerns, once balloons have landed. Make sure you choose biodegradable latex and use cotton strings or crape paper.
Streamer Wands
- Pro’s – This option has a double purpose; you will be able to use for your exit and give guests something to play with. Streamer wands are inexpensive to make and can be designed in an array of colors.
- Con’s – These wands are created using a dowel rod and if not careful could poke a guest or be used, by children, as a fighting stick.

Prophecy Guarded

The silence inside the soul, behind
Old, very old stone walls,
Protected by God, Himself—
Is prophecy given to man:
To deliver to humankind

It would be better to die, than
Try, to wound that wall…,
(taunting with death, as in

a bullfighters dance…

is what it is!)

#1727 3-10-2007

Iguazu Falls
(and, Devil’s Throat)

This is the way the falls fall down
From under the shinning plummeting sun:
First comes the roar of a hundred lions,
Where the thundering thrust of water seals

Her eternal beauty down;

And yes, where deep mist flashes a brim,
You can see her pounding and roaring
From the loss of breath…,
As every eye opens wide and dim—;

I call this life, at it its best.

#1723 3-8-2007

Note: Iguazu Falls, is to me one of the great geological wonders of the world, it is as if God, Himself, fell on his elbow, and put a dent into the earth (if that was possible). Devil’s Throat is simple an area among the 270 or so falls that are connecting to one another to make this world wonder one site instead of many. It has something like 450,000-liters of water per second going over its falls, at any given time, and has around a 300 foot drop, and is close to two miles in circumference. The falls are on the Argentina and Brazilian soil, Brazil perhaps being the better view. And taking a bus from Concepcion, Paraguay, is not a hard task, if indeed you wished to see Paraguay, which goes into a three angel corner with Argentina, and Brazil, in one location, thus, being in three countries at one time.

See Dennis’ web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

E-mail is without a doubt the best business-building tool to hit the home-based business arena since the fax! Why? Because it is low cost, instantaneous, flexible and absolutely anyone who can type can learn how to use it to their advantage. But just because you know how to open, write and send an e-mail doesn’t mean you are making the most of this incredible tool. In fact direct sellers who fail to follow simple e-mail etiquette may be doing more harm than good.

Check these Ten Commandments of Proper E-mailing to see how you measure up.

1. E-mail netiquette:

* Thou shall not SHOUT (all caps)

* Thou shall not flame (profanity)

* Thou shall not SPAM (unsolicited junk e-mail)

* Thou shall not attach large files (or more than one at a time)

2. Be Brief And To The Point - Messages should be concise and to the point. Think of it as a telephone conversation, except you are typing instead of speaking. Nobody has ever won a Pulitzer Prize for a telephone conversation nor will they win one for an e-mail message.

3. Always Use The Subject Line – The subject line of your e-mail determines whether it will be read or not, so make it compelling. Including an appropriate description in the subject line is a courtesy that will be much appreciated by clients who need to store and easily reference previous e-mails.

4. Include a Signature – A custom signature, automatically added to your outgoing e-mail is one more opportunity to promote your business and invite people to your website. (In Outlook, you must first open a blank e-mail and then select Tools, Options and the General tab. At the bottom right corner you’ll see a button that will allow you to create as many signatures as you want).

5. BCC – (This stands for Blind Copy) Don’t expose your friends and relatives to the risk of receiving future unsolicited e-mails. When sending an e-mail to numerous contacts, place your name on the TO: line and the rest of the e-mail addresses in the BCC line. This way, your friends’ and family’s e-mail addresses are not distributed along with the message.

6. Be Pleasant! Nobody like to receive boring, curt or rude e-mails. Begin your e-mail by addressing the recipient in a friendly, positive manner. When a pleasant attitude is conveyed through your e-mail message you build rapport more quickly.

7. Always reply as quickly as possible - Develop a good impression by responding to business related e-mails. The more promptly you can write back the better. Start with the oldest e-mail first.

8. Avoid Over Punctuation- Don’t get caught up in grammar and punctuation, especially excessive punctuation. You’ll see lots of e-mail messages where people put a dozen exclamation points at the end of a sentence for added emphasis. If something is important it should be reflected in your text, not in your punctuation. Exclamation points are just another form of ending a sentence.

9. Back up your e-mail address book. – Windows-based users might try these steps to find the appropriate files on your hard drive. Using the “find” command type *.wab (Windows Address Book) and select the Find Now. Once you locate the file, copy it for safekeeping.

10. Use Plain Text Format - Formatting can be everything, but not in your e-mails. Plain text is best. Using HTML, or Rich Text Format is a bit risky because there are lot e-mail clients (and some servers) that can’t handle messages in these formats. The message will come in as utter gibberish or in the worst case, crash the e-mail client. I’ve seen it happen. (In Outlook go to Tools, Options, Mail Format and change to Plain Text. If you want to take the risk and use Word to format messages, click the box that says Use Microsoft Word.)

Taking time to learn the basics of e-mailing will greatly enhance your ability to build on-line relationships and work more effectively in less time. Make it a priority today!

Jane Deuber is a Co-Founder of http://www.DSWA.org (the only association dedicated to the needs of the independent party plan and network marketing professionals). Discover what makes the DSWA so unique. Listen to three motivating and informative free teleseminars by visiting http://www.mydswa.org/tele_class.asp