Making money in the stock market has always seemed too hard for most people looking at it from the outside. I remeber feeling the same way like, everyone is saying if you invest this way or that way you are going to lose money. I finally had enough with it and tried everything from penny stocks to mutual funds. In the process I learned a lot. I found out you can make money in everything from penny stocks to mutual funds, and beyond. Most of you have probably heard that the stock market is controlled by fear and greed right? I heard that before also it didn’t mean much to me until I actually saw it in the stock market. I mean looking at the stock market the way most people don’t I was whatching real-time level 2 quotes and charts and it finally clicked. It doesn’t matter what you invest in or what it is you buy just as so you buy when people are fearful and sell when people are greedy.

You are probably like ya right easier said then done. Well after I saw this take place in the market and how easier the fear and greed was to spot in the stock market I spent the next six years of my life addicted to market. I knew I could find a way with this information to make huge returns on my that time small porfolio and I finally did. I didn’t just find one way I found several. Before I get into exact ways of making money exploiting this method you have to ask yourself what are you buying when you buy a stock. Most sophisticated investors come up with some response saying “I’m buying a piece of the company” In a sense you are but whats the difference between owning a share of a company that is private compared to a company that is public. I would say ALOT. First when you own a share of a company that is private you get a piece of the profits. In the stock market a few companies have dividend that allow you to share in the profits but for the most part most company keep all the profit to themselves. So after I figured out I really wasn’t owning a piece of the company then what was I buying. You are buying a piece of paper backed by the financial sheets, news about the company, and lastly the company itself. With that piece of paper all you are doing when you are buying is looking at the current state of the company and saying will this company make my piece of paper look more valueable to other people that want to buy this piece of paper in the future. Know this fundamental fact I set out to exploit the markets.

First I looked at short-term moves in the stock market and found that they are somewhat easy to spot but come around rarely. The best short term indiciator for a short term move in a stock hands down is indexes firstly the dow and nasdaq index, and second sector indexes. How many times do the major and sector indexes trend in a steady direction together? On occasion when this happends you want to be in that sector. Well how do you know what stock to buy in this sector? Easy the stock that went down the most the day before. Now this isn’t 100% but if you run this stategy against back testing software you will see that this is fairly profitable if the stock hasn’t already gapped up in over night trading. Can computers predict this? Absolutly, now before you go on thinking that I think I have discovered the golden key to the market I know I have’nt. Some go down for fundemental reasons but a lot of the times they go down for dumb reasons and using a techniques that interpretes fear and greed like the technique above allow you to easily profit in the market.

How well do computers interperte short-term fear and greed I have personally seen systems go years predicting hundreads of 98% accurate trades for years. I have heard of fellow traders of systems they have programmed making 100% accurate trades for years. If I believe so must in trading systems why don’t I keep all my money in a system? Well I do keep large amounts of my portfolio in systems highily leveraged. But I also blieve a balance between system and human trading can produce optium results. For more info on how to profit on your own account please check out my eBook.

www.intelligentmarketinvestor.com

The Problem: Most expired listing letters sound too stuffy, too professional, too much like a loud and cheap radio commercial. They say the same thing without any personality. No wonder they don’t work for most real estate agents.

The Alternative: Write your own expired listing letter. But it may be a little intimidating to come up with a fresh, interesting letter that would get the seller’s attention and persuade them to call.

The solution: Here is a method that has helped me come up with some compelling writing. I use a small Sony digital recorder, but a mike and a computer would do just fine. First I come up with a list of seller’s questions I’d like to address in the letter. Here is an example:

• What are the tree biggest problems most sellers face?
• How can I solve those problems?
• What makes me a unique and different real estate agent?
• Why should home owners list their home with me?
• Why should they believe me?

I think about the questions a bit, maybe jot down an idea or two on how to answer them. Then I turn on the recorder and pretend I have a pleasant conversation with a nice home owner on the porch of their house. I answer each question in a few sentences. No stopping, no editing, I just let the ideas flow.

Next, I listen to the recording and write down ideas and thoughts that stand out; first in just a skeleton outline, then in a letter form. Then I take a break, get a cup of tea, and let it go for a while.

There is no great writing, only great rewriting. My final step is to go over the text, rework what doesn’t make sense, polish some ideas, discard others, change and edit. Does the letter flow? Does it make sense? Is it interesting? Is it compelling? Would I call if I was selling my house?

Many times I end up with material for more than one letter. Try this method and you’ll discover that your expired letter is better than 99% of the recycled “professional” sales letters out there. After just a little practice you can be writing great letters, and most importantly, taking more expired listings.

Expired Plus is the fastest, easiest, and the most profitable way to list expired listings published by Borino. It includes expired letters, postcards, plus a step-by-step course on how to find, approach, and list expired listings, and much more. Visit http://www.ExpiredPlus.com for details.

As an online bookseller, I have personally received some obnoxious emails from customers that have purchased used books from me in the past few years. Fortunately, there were few of them, and their numbers were dwarfed by the absolutely thoughtful emails sent by other customers. Most people are genuinely grateful that I take the time to adequately describe the book they bought and that I ship their orders in a timely manner, but there is the occasional delay by the post office for which a customer assumes I am responsible. It does not matter how well you pack a book, or how clearly you label your packages, the post office will inevitably lose one or destroy it with one of their book munching machines.

From the customer’s perspective, they do not care why they did not get their book or whatever product you are selling, they only care that they paid for it and you did not deliver it. Sometimes they even get irate when they pay you to ship it to them via Media Mail (which is stated to be 4-14 business days) and it takes a week for them to get it. I guess they expect you make sure the post office knows they are special and should receive preferential treatment, even though they are not willing to spend a couple extra bucks for priority service.

It does not really matter what the reason is, why your customer is irate, or how stupid or petty you think their gripe is, do not even imply that they might be wrong. It is not going to help your business to put your customers down, make them feel as stupid as you might think they are, or prove to them that they are wrong. Reply courteously, professionally, and respectfully. Try to put yourself in their position and explain what the probable cause of the problem is without being defensive.

I have had a couple negative feedback comments left by buyers that were disappointed by the delivery times of their books. Both were unjustified, and when I explained the situation to these customers, both removed their negative feedback comments. In one case, the buyer was outraged that they had not received their book after five days because they paid for Priority Mail. I reviewed their purchase notification and indeed they had paid for Priority Mail. It turns out I shipped the book to them via Priority Mail, but when they looked at the shipping information I sent them, they noticed that they had provided me with an incorrect address because they moved a few months earlier and had forgotten to update their Amazon account information.

The other buyer was annoyed because their international delivery had taken more than four weeks to arrive in Brazil. I reviewed their order and replied, letting them know the exact date I had shipped their book, the day after they ordered it. I gave them the US Customs tracking number, I pointed out that the book ($3.99) was over six pounds and had to be shipped via M-Bag delivery ($11.00+ for shipping) and that the $9.98 they had paid for shipping was for a 6 - 8 week delivery. I also told them that I appreciated their patience and if the book did not arrive within the eight-week delivery time, I would gladly refund their entire purchase. This particular buyer was not content to wait the eight weeks, so I went ahead and refunded them. A week later, their book arrived, they were very apologetic, they removed the negative feedback, and they wanted to know how they could send me the money for the book and shipping I had refunded. I told them not to bother, just to enjoy the book. A year later, this customer was in the U.S. (New York) and they mailed me a USPS money order for $20 with a note explaining that they did not feel right about accepting the book and getting a refund. They also said that I had been very helpful and responsive, and they did not want me to be apprehensive about selling books internationally. I was surprised to get this payment after so long, but I was not surprised to see how far common decency, courteous customer care, and a professional response would go.

It is inevitable; you will get some kind of feedback from a sour customer with few if any manners. What will determine your character and the image that your business is perceived, will be the manner in which you decide to respond. The “Soup Nazi” approach to customer communication does not work for most. In fact, it only works if it is a theme that the customer expects before participating in a transaction with your company.

I want to take this one step further because I can already anticipate someone responding with, “Why does it matter if I will never be doing business with this customer ever again?” Well, if you handle their complaint wrong, you can be assured of never doing business with them again, but handled properly, they just might seek you out the next time they are looking for a product you sell. In either case, like most people, they are likely to vent their frustration with other people, e.g., friends, co-workers, peers, family, etc., and word of mouth, despite who may be right or wrong, can have a damaging effect on your business. Similarly, most people, even if they are still upset about something you may have sold them, will go out of their way to tell others about how you went out of your way to make sure they were satisfied in the end, or the admirable way you handled the situation. This can have a very profound effect on your business because no amount of advertising will substitute for good word-of-mouth advertising by satisfied customers.

Something else worth mentioning is the use of the Internet. Now days, a dissatisfied customer can post their gripes about you on any number of message boards and potential customers can find these gripes by doing a Google search of you or your business. As a consumer myself, I tend to associate customer complaints aired out on the Internet as being those of customers that were not treated very well or a poor customer service ethic on the part of the company. If customers are outraged enough to go out of their way like that, I have to think twice about doing business with the company they are complaining about myself. On the other hand, a very satisfied customer can post positive things on the Internet that will steer more customers your way.

A good reputation in business is a lot like the building of trust in a relationship. You can spend years building trust in a relationship and a single indiscretion can destroy it almost instantly. In business if you handle one situation wrong, it can come back to blemish your reputation severely and take a lot longer and more effort to recover from than treating your customer properly in the first place.

Michael E. Mould is the author of “Online Bookselling: A Practical Guide with Detailed Explanations and Insightful Tips,” [Paperback ISBN 1427600708, CD-ROM ISBN 1599714876] and the developer of “Bookkeeping for Booksellers” [CD ISBN 1427600694], you can learn more about online bookselling at: http://www.online-bookselling.com, or by emailing mike@online-bookselling.com

Duplicate content penalties have become a real big talking point in the Internet marketing community in recent months. Some say that duplicate content hurts your rankings badly in the search engines, while others say it dosen’t. Search engine companies do not reveal all their secrets, so it is only by experimentation by some hardcore search engine optimization specialists that we are able to at least find some answers, no matter how inconclusive they are.

There are many theories on the duplicate content penalty and whether it exists. One theory is that search engines will look at which website first published the article or content. The website which published it first will be attributed with the content and hence not punished if another site publishes the same content.

Another theory is that search engines use the site’s reputation to judge whether it is using duplicate content. In this case, the site with the lower reputation will get punished. The site with the higher reputation will receive the search engine’s attention.

Yet another hypothesis suggests that no penalty exists at all. Many websites for many search terms contain the same content, and most of them exist on the same page, or just a few pages apart. Many news sites, some argue, contain virtually similar content, yet are not ‘punished’ by the search engines.

The bottomline: it is probably better to play safe. Search engines are designed to give users a better search experience, so try to use unique and useful content wherever possible!

Fabian Tan is an established Internet entrepreneur who has built many online businesses. Find out how he used a popular Search Engine Optimization tool called SEO Elite to boost his search engine rankings almost overnight at his SEO Elite review site.

The popularity of social video sites like YouTube, Yahoo Video, iFilm, blinkx is undeniable. YouTube alone receives more than 65,000 video uploads and plays 100 million clips every day. By 2010, video enthusiasts will consume 44 billion user generated video clips. This represents 55% of all the video content viewed by US consumers.

In the future, user generated videos may even end up on your television screen through the cables and satellites. YouTube has already announced incorporating the revenue sharing possibility with the creators of these video streams. Other sites may follow soon. You will be able to monetize your video contents and allow others to discover your skills and talents for better jobs or other lucrative offerings. To maximize the impact of your creativity, you need to know the kind of contents you have to produce and effectively present those contents in the video sharing sites.

The social video optimization is not about optimizing your videos for high search engine ranking (SEO). It is about making your videos for others to enjoy and learn from (providing benefits to people) and publishing those videos in social video and social media websites for viewers to easily discover, bookmark, and share for a viral effect.

1. Provide benefits. Offer something that will benefit others. It may be funny video clips, a series of “how-to” videos, an unusual moment, etc. Don’t upload any violent clips. Though these clips are popular in video sharing sites, most of the time they don’t provide any real value to the society. Unless the violence has journalistic value, don’t embrace it for amusement.

Funny clips are popular. Kids and pets provide plenty of opportunities to capture hilarious moments. If you have plumbing skills, offer a series of short “how to” videos on fixing things around the house. A computer geek can channel her skills in developing short videos on how to setup a home network. Plenty of opportunities are available. Find your niches and work in those areas. If you are comedian, create short stand-up comedy routine videos. The bottom line is to create themes and produce a series of videos based on each theme.

2. Provide enhanced viewing experience. People do not want to watch a full-length movie in a video-sharing site. A clip should not be more than 10 minutes long. Buy a cell phone with a good quality camera for capturing those unexpected moments. Otherwise, use a digital video camera for making your clips. Use a free online video editing sites like cuts.com for cutting video scenes, inserting title and sound effects, etc.

3. Create your brand. Companies spend millions to establish and promote brands. Why should not you? Brand recognition is very powerful and it may set you apart from others. Insert a few frames at the start and end of every video you create to introduce yourself, your skills and talents.

People like to associate with real persons rather than some unknown entities. Tell them what this video is all about. Make it short. Setup a blog and provide your blog URL in the introductory and conclusionary frames. Make the blog URL short for people to remember it easily.

4. Make it discoverable. This is like marketing your video on the video sharing sites. If you don’t do it properly, your contribution will be lost in the sea of video clips. Provide a short and catchy title with keywords related to your video. Relevant keywords will help locate your clips when people do a search. A catchy title in the search results will draw viewers’ attention.

Learn from the titles others are using by doing a search using your keywords in YouTube and other similar sites. The same goes for the description. Use relevant keywords but make it interesting to arouse curiosity. Write in the natural language and avoid adjectives. Let the users decide the quality of your presentation.

Tags are everywhere now a day. It is a keyword, not a keyword phrase. You should provide tags for your uploaded contents. If your titles and descriptions are relevant to your videos, you already have a few tags.

Besides the tags you have already collected from your title and description use one or more tags to closely identify your content to the categories available in the site. For example, on YouTube you have categories like “autos and vehicles”, “comedy”, “howto” etc.

If your video is about how to fix a flat tire, use additional tags like “tire”, “car”, etc. Add a few additional tags to describe the least important thing in your video. In the “fix a flat tire” video example, you can add tags like “stems”, “valve”, etc. Use as many tags as you can accommodate in the tag text box.

5. Relax and enjoy. You may be wondering why this is a rule. This is a rule because you do not want to feel the burnout. Enjoy what you are doing. Have a passion for your creative works. Don’t think about how much money you are going to make by producing these videos.

This is not going to make you rich overnight or within a very short time span. What is important is that you are pursuing something that you like. If the society is benefiting from your creative works, you will get adequate monetary rewards.

Dr. Deepak Dutta is the creator of semanticbay.com - an interactive social network website based on user shared text and picture. His other website classifiedsforfree.com - is one of the oldest free online classifieds site where users can post ads in more than 600 US cities and 60 countries.

I have done my fair share of street drugs, prescription drugs, and alcohol during my teen years through my thirties. Quite frankly, I am very surprised I lived through it all to confess all this. I was very fortunate. Several times I came very close to killing myself from an accidental drug overdose. The negligent factor about all this is that I drank heavily while taking a variety of these drugs–a very potent lifestyle.

My eldest brother, Donald, introduced me to Valium when I was twenty-two. He was taking it for his nerves. He would demonstrate to me the benefit it gave him by relieving the sweat from his clammy hands. He also drank heavy during his use of prescribed drugs.

I ingested Valium many times as a recreational drug, but it was not prescribed to me until I was twenty-six. I bought it off the street years before. I was prescribed Valium and a variety of muscle relaxants after I had an industrial accident. My doctor prescribed these drugs for four years during my disability.

I had a friend who suffered from epilepsy. He was prescribed drugs heavily for his ailment. I would not think twice by taking my friend’s prescribed drugs. Many times, I would wash down Phenobarbitals and Dilantin in a sea of alcohol. It would hit me like a load of bricks and I would pass out for hours. My friend died from epilepsy at age twenty-eight.

I continued my life in a purple haze. One night of heavy partying I was terrified of the feeling I got off on angel dust (PCP). I thought I was having a stroke. I was trying desperately to climb a terraced-lawn. It was not too steep, but it had an incline. My legs gave out under me. Then I got back on my feet. It felt like my legs turned to rubber. My legs and feet felt like I was walking into another life. It is hard to describe. I thought for sure I was dying or I would never come out of this in a normal state–physically or mentally.

I somehow recovered. It seemed it took hours, but in reality it probably was just a few minutes. I completely lost perspective of time. I was so grateful I felt normal again. I never ever returned to that drug again. That was it. I was finished. I swore off angel dust. It did not surprise me when I learned it was a horse tranquilizer.

It was only about three years prior to that that I was on angel dust when I found my eldest brother, Donald, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. It was the very first time I had taken the drug. After that horrific nightmare, any other normal human being with any degree of intelligence, would have never taken that drug again. I cannot describe that incident without getting sick. It was so unbelievable.

It was well past the midnight hour. I was on a hot date with a girl I was trying to get more acquainted with. Her name was Belinda. We partied and drank through the night. Later we tried some angel dust. It was both our first introduction to the drug. We stopped by my brother’s place to introduce Belinda to him. I was close to Donald. I knew he was feeling down in the dumps and depressed. His divorce was final and he was ordered not to visit his son. He lost his parental rights in court. I thought I would stop by to lift his spirits. That would be a tall order.

I knocked on the door. It was about 9 or 10 p.m. Nobody answered the door so we left. We returned about three hours later. I knocked on the door and there was still no answer. On my final knock the door came loose ajar. Cautiously I stepped in and I saw the shadow of my brother’s body. I could not find the light. A stray light found its way through the window from an outside light. I stumbled around for awhile. I tried to tickle him from the top of the bedding. Then I found his feet. They were cold and hard. I knew something was dreadfully wrong.

I asked Belinda to step outside. I finally found the light. There was my brother’s head blown off and his blood and brain matter splattered all over his walls. It was gruesome. Why I grabbed the gun from his frozen hand and took it outside and shot it in the ground and then hid it below a hedge and covered it under some leaves is unusually hard to explain. Maybe it was the influence of the drugs compounded by a difficult process to sort out in my mind. I knew I did not kill him. I was clearly in shock. Then the paramedics and the police came and questioned me. Later an autopsy was performed. He was dead for at least 24 hours. I was cleared. But my mind was not clear. It took years to overcome this incredible and traumatic experience. I fell deep in depression and my drug and alcohol problems only increased to a point of desperation.

A voluntary commtment to a mental hospital followed after a suicide attempt. In the hospital they medicated me with Thorazine. After looking at all the patients in there, I figured it was time for me to leave right away. My self-assessment concluded I really did not need the help like my fellow patients did. I begged for my release after 72 hours of observation. And it was granted. And the Thorazine the doctor prescribed for my condition went straight down the toilet. It made me feel like the patients I just left. I felt like a zombie. I wanted to act normal again.

As time passed, I knew I was addicted to Valium and other prescription drugs. After hitting rock bottom and a few suicide attempts later, I knew I was overdue for professional help again. Fast forward six years later, I checked myself into an inpatient chronic pain management clinic at a local hospital. There I participated in bio-feedback, psychological counseling, and occupational therapy. I was primed for a new lease on life. The therapy lasted three weeks in the clinic. The program saved me. My addictions were gone. In the beginning, I was scared to death to face my world without Valium and other drugs. It was the best thing I ever did for myself.

When I reached age thirty, street drugs and prescribed drugs were gone from any dependency I craved, but alcohol was a continuing habit that would always haunt me. And when alcohol was still my choice of intoxication, drugs were a follow up.

Sure enough, all these addicted habits followed me down to California, where I desperately sought a new life. It did not happen. Your old life travels with you everywhere. I had heard that advice so many times but ignored it.

In California, I had streaks and streaks of bad luck from the start. My delivery truck was stolen. I was out of work. My truck was later found stripped of its wheels. I wrecked my prize possession–a 1967 Jaguar. I was busted on two separate DUI charges. I was strung out on cocaine and booze. I was attacked by a street gang on my way home from a bar. L.A. was not my kind of town.

A few months later I moved down south 30 miles to Long Beach and settled down. I was hired at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. Things looked up for a couple months.

Then one morning as I was preparing to leave for my job, I was surprised to see that my truck was wiped out on the driver’s side–a hit and run. I arranged a ride to work. When I started my shift, the supervisor came down with a bunch of pink slip layoff orders. My temporary assignment had expired. I was stunned. The conditions of my employment had stated that my job could be eliminated within one year. Hundreds of people were laid off.

I could not bare any more bad news. I decided to make it back home a broken man. All my dreams were shattered. And I was a fugitive from the law escaping from two DUI charges. I wanted so much to write back home saying things were wonderful, but they were not. It was a nightmare I never wanted to revisit any time in my life. I wanted to go home to family and friends.

Fast forward a dozen years and a few more DUI arrests. I was married now for the first time. My new bride was Bobbie. She was about seventeen years my senior. She was the lady I needed in my life. I felt a sense of belonging I needed desperately. She made me feel I could be myself. I knew it was real love. She had wisdom I wanted so badly. And she was smart and talented. We were so much in love.

The first two years were a struggle. Money was an issue. She was content, but I was not. I wanted to be the bread winner and provide her a good life. I failed several times.

My drinking resurfaced and I was busted again for a DUI. It would be twelve years until I got my final one. I kept my drinking in-check the entire time I was married. Sometimes I would quit and then go right back to it again. Bobbie did not drink. She was disgusted in people who drove under the influence.

At age forty-three, I had an accident at home while I was roofing my carport. A ladder I was on broke loose from under me and I twisted my back as I fell to the ground. It would be the beginning of another life of prescription drugs.

I hit my head pretty hard, as well as my back. I needed to have my doctor check me out. He recommended a thorough exam. It was years since I had a physical. It revealed I had high blood pressure and my bad cholesterol was too high and my good cholesterol was too low. My blood pressure was monitored regularly during the following months. I was prescribed a number of drugs to relieve these symptoms for these ailments.

As years passed, I was diagnosed with SAD (seasonal affected disorder). I noticed I was feeling so depressed during the winter months and not bothered by it when spring and summer arrived. I went through a number of prescribed drugs for my depression. Many gave me side effects. Some were tolerable. And some worked very well.

I also noticed how my sinuses would feel stuffed, causing headaches and other symptoms. Another group of prescribed drugs were recommended for this ailment. My symptoms found relief and I was not bothered by them as years passed.

In 1999, Bobbie was diagnosed with cancer. I was in deep denial. I could not bring this subject to the surface. How could this happen? The first time in my life I felt true happiness. Our world was shattered. I dared not want to talk about it, but I needed to be strong for her–and for myself.

Bobbie passed away sixteen months later. I felt like I died and gone to heaven with her. I was a lost soul. The worst thing I did was go back to drinking. And I drank hard. I would drink so heavy and I would not eat. I was sick for four days after each binder. I hit the bottom of the pit and there were no steps to climb out of it. I practically drowned myself in the nightlife of the bar scene.

This negligent behavior lasted two-and-half years after Bobbie passed away. Then I was busted again for another DUI–my eleventh one in my 35 year drinking career. Today I have not had a drink in almost four years. I am grateful for that. I have never accomplished anything so powerful as when I stopped drinking.

I am now fifty-four years of age, and many other ailments followed me through the years. Presently, I am ingesting nine different prescriptions. Mirtazapine and Wellbutrine XL for depression, Lisonopril and Verapamil for high blood pressure, Crestor and Omacor to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol, Nexium for acid reflux, Zyrtec for allergies, and Hydrocodon (generic for Vicodin) for chronic back pain.

Taking all these prescription medications at a moderately young age bothers me, but the alternative would bother me more. There is not much I can do about the side effects. Sad but true, all these prescriptions are probably keeping me alive. And I feel fortunate I have a good job with good medical and prescription coverage.

I realize that Vicodin is a controlled substance and an addictive narcotic. I also realize that without it my back pain is more than bothersome–it is debilitating. I would not be able to make it through the day or night without it. I have tried.

I began taking one tablet of Vicodin per day for several years. Then I began taking it twice per day. I have not increased it to three and it has been years. I must admit, once in a while, I probably have taken it three times when I forgot I had taken it.

My back problems are chronic. I have degenerate discs. I might be addicted to Vicodin. I would not doubt that. What these prescriptions will do to me in the end is hard to say. Every ninety days I take blood tests to determine if I have liver damage. So far I have had no problems,

Anti-depressant drugs have been a comfort in my life. My world does not appear like I am in a dark hole and afraid to come out. They may have saved me from suicide. I cannot say that for sure. Maybe if these miracle drugs were available when Donald committed suicide in 1975, it just may have saved him.

Drinking alcohol and taking prescription drugs are a deadly combination. Nothing other than the Lord saved me. I am grateful for that. I admit being sober for that long, play a positive role in the way prescription drugs work without alcohol. And they do what they are suppose to do. It is much safer. That is a fact.

There are people that swear they will never take prescribed drugs for one reason or another. I wish I did not have to. But is it so wrong if they preserve lives? Is it so wrong if they relieve pain and help other symptoms? Whether it is wrong or right, a big part of the population in America are finding relief and living longer. In my case, I cannot help but wonder if drugs are being prescribed forever. But maybe they are just another addiction to deal with.

My message is if a person must take prescribed drugs, please consider not drinking alcohol with them. And that goes for street drugs, too. It is only beneficial advice. Taking both is a negligent lifestyle and a deadly ambition.

Earl D. Erickson is a freelance writer. He enjoys writing articles for EzineArticles.com.
His articles can be found by going directly to his websites and logging onto the Ezine logo. You
may also go to EzineArticles.com and looking up his name under expert authors. He is also writing a book about his struggles with alcohol, drugs, depression, suicide, grief, bereavement and other struggles in his life. His book is entitled, Independence Day: An Alcoholic’s Journey To Recovery. He also owns and manages five websites. Two of them are http://SereneandSober.com
and http://ComfortandLoss.com. He encourages his readers to e-mail him with their comments.

Mr. Erickson also enjoys photography, reading, gardening, camping and the great outdoors.
He is a native and lifelong resident of Tacoma, Washington.

One must consider the value in writing for modern man, men of the 21st century, the new commentator-”Sweep the temple steps clean,” he says, “the tourist needs to see the shrine and get on back home,” to catch a plane here or there.

In each age there is a need to write, people want to see words daily, they want to know how to use them, and the why of them. I am no different; I’ve read the encyclopedia three times over. When I go to Peru, I don’t have one there, and I seem to be lost without it. I perhaps read and write five hours a day while traveling, and 10 or more when I am not traveling.

We simple do not seem to get enough out of words do we, and this essay is about words, plus we do not get enough of them, even though a simple book may have 30,000 to 130,000-words, depending. And the words don’t always justly satisfy ones reading, it is a task, but we do it, plus, everyone has his or her own versions do they not, of what they’ve read, and who knows, perhaps the write didn’t mean what you thought.

The mind of the East worries about the minds of the west, and the south is suspicious of all, and it all has to do with, words, all about words you see. And somewhere along the line we create our impressions from these words, perhaps some illusions along with them, we call the other guy with words, his opinions, he is hard-headed, or bone-headed, or a dead-head because his head doesn’t think like your head.

I am not suggesting what should be, nor what is concrete or simply exhausting for me or you, writing is simply communications service, a production of merchandise for the book trade, or paper, or magazine, and now the internet, it is most often the editor who determines what is important, this is what will be communicated. If indeed he says you’re not confining to this or that, he is perhaps waiting for a need for this or that.

Today the whole world is bathed in a struggle to get words out, knowledge of things come from words that define those things. And so the world begs for more words.

I prefer not to write to the new modern world, but in considering the value in my age-old thinking, perhaps each age has their needs, and my words have value. So, this aging poet writes.

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

News Headlines: “Cars run on water!”

Maybe in 2500 AD, but at least not in the next 50 years! Our most intelligent people are the leaders in wasting fuel like sunlight. The latter is free but the former being costly, still is misused. Leaving engines on for 10-15 minutes is a common site in almost every city. It seems that people have planted a tree in their backyard which vomits out crude oil. I wish even I had such an infamous tree.

People must understand the scarcity of fuel and it is growing at a very fast rate. Maybe in the next 30 years or so, we will simply run out of it. Scientists are taking measures to avoid bankruptcy of fuel but contemporarily people are watering it out.

Why not take example of our nation? Even if the President wants to go to the Parliament from Rashtrapati Bhawan , which is less than 2km., about 10 cars will accompany him as ’security’. That was just 1 minister of one country. There are more than 150 countries with more than 200 ministers. The use, or simply ‘wastage’ of fuel by the government itself is quite hilarious, leave aside the people of the country. They need to understand to use the fuel prudently.

It is high time that people understood scarcity of fuel. If this does not happen, then instead of a car we will be fortunate enough to have a bullock-cart. It will be ‘THE AGE OF ANIMAL POWER’.

SAVE FUEL TO SAVE THE FUTURE

Can you sense if your cat has ear mites? If you can spot the signs in its early stages, regardless of how minor an ailment it may be, then the chances of limiting any kind of long-term damage is increased greatly. This is very true of cat ear mites.

If your cat does pick up this irritable infection, the signs can be quite clear. Ear mites will most certainly cause your cat to shake its head quite often. As well as the usual more frequent scratching of the infected ear, you should also look for any blood or discharge coming from the ear. Since an infected area will tear due to constant scratching, there may also be a putrid smell. If your cat displays some of these signs, you can be fairly sure it has ear mites.

There are a variety of causes for cat ear mites. These include common bacteria, through to yeast infections and parasitical mites attaching themselves to your cat’s ear. Since they are attracted to wax, it is critical that keeping your cat’s ear clean is top on your list. If a cat is infected, there can be serious long term effects if a mite is left untreated, for example rupturing of the blood vessels around the ear, and disfigurement.

Thankfully, your cat has a wide range of treatments available, both traditional and alternative. Should you follow the traditional treatment, the first thing that will normally happen is for a vet to wash your cat’s ears via a method called flushing. This needs to be carried out by your vet, since there is the possibility you may harm your cat if not done properly.

After this process, your vet will place your cat on a treatment of drugs or antibiotics. As in treatments that are used against fleas, these courses may last up to 4 weeks, to ensure that both the original ear mites and any eggs that have been laid are destroyed. If the infection has spread, which commonly happens, then a specialist flea cure such as shampoo or powder must be used.

However, there are also less traditional methods of dealing with cat ear mites. Since antibiotics can actually decrease a cat’s immunity to certain ailments, they can be less beneficial ultimately. A natural alternative to antibiotics is Ear Dr., from PetAlive. This is a mixture of both natural and herbal treatments, and contains olive oil and tea tree oil, both of which has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents in it. Since they are natural products, the cat benefits from effective treatment and a greatly reduced possibility of future infections.

Although cat ear mites are extremely irritating for the pet involved, by looking out for and recognizing the signs, and keeping your cat’s ears clean, you can deal with this problem quickly and minimize the pain to your cat.

To get more recommendations for cat ear mite treatments, visit http://www.My-Pet-Cat.com

Parenting is the most challenging yet fulfilling role a person may take in life. Throughout time, the central goal of parenting has remained the same, that is, to raise children to become independent, productive and well-rounded individuals. Though parenting has its one constant goal, childrearing practices have evolved through time and are as diverse as people’s personalities.

Parenting is relatively simple during the first year after your child’s birth because it basically consists of the “at your service” approach. An infant’s needs should be met right away. As your child grows out of the baby stage, childrearing becomes more complex because you take the task of discipline, control and character building. You start to draw the line, set expectations and establish boundaries for your child.

The fear of being a control freak, alienating or making your child feels unloved hovers over every parent’s mind whenever discipline is imposed on the child. Just keep in mind that though your child initially reacts negatively to the limits you set for him, he really doesn’t want to overpower you. He wants his parents to be in charge, to impose order so he can feel safe because deep in his heart, he still feels small and vulnerable. Part of keeping your child protected is being able to direct his behavior, set regulations and enforce them. When you feel like giving in to your child’s whims, remind yourself you’re not there to be his best friend but to be a parent, and part of your task is to draw the lines and say no when it is necessary.

When in doubt about what behavior is appropriate to a specific situation, you can use your instincts. Just always make sure that your rules and expectations are apt for your kid’s age. It is crucial that you and your spouse stick to the came strategies and enforce them consistently in order to reinforce the behavior you want to cultivate in your child and not confuse him. Ultimately, a child who encounters firm, predictable boundaries won’t feel punished; rather he’ll feel safe, protected and loved.

When imposing punishment to your child because he broke the rules you’ve set, be sure not to thwart his self-esteem. Discipline is not all about restrictions but of modeling positive behavior, too, like the practice saying “please” and “thank you” to help your child learn the value of manners and how to socialize. Praising him when he’s cooperative and helpful is one way of reinforcing there good values I him. Gradually increasing the expanse of your child’s limits can boost his confidence about his rising autonomy and ability to handle responsibilities.

Make sure that when you set boundaries to your child, they are in line with his development and support his natural drive to explore, discover, learn and practice new skills. Being too strict will hold your child’s behavioral development while being too easy will deprive your child the opportunity to learn to act responsibility. Grant your child a voice in creating some house rules and the consequences when there rules is broken. This will foster cooperation and accountability in your child.

In the end, the ultimate purpose of discipline is not merely to gain proper control over your child but to teach him the value of cooperation, responsibility and accountability.