Scatter My Ashes Over Havana
by Olga Karman
Pureplay Press (2006)
ISBN 9780976509646
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (1/07)

Olga Karman knew that she and her family were rushing to leave Cuba. Was Cuba sinking? Why else would they leave their home? Olga describes her fright, unsure of her future. She describes how she was humiliated when she was forced to strip and be searched for hidden jewels.

What had begun as hope soon became turbulence. Olga remembers the fall of the evil dictator Fulgenico Batista. The citizens of Cuba had lived under his tyranny for seven years. Fidel Castro came riding in like a hero but “soon the Revolution’s glory days” faded. Fidel’s speeches moved people to tears but soon they realized that they promised nothing and demanded everything.

The Statue of Liberty towered over the ship that had brought Olga to safety. But was she truly safe? Olga attended school, married and had a child but she wasn’t truly happy. She made the decision to return to college against the approval of society. “A mother doesn’t run off and leave her child. No woman in this neighborhood abandons her children.”

This is a book of struggles. Olga shares the struggle that faced an immigrant, trying to make a home in a new land. Ms. Karman aptly describes the plight of women desiring to make a place in the world for themselves and their children. She illustrates the flight of the Hispanic community as they struggle equal rights. She tells of the triumph of returning home.

In “Scatter My Ashes over Havana” Olga Karman tells her poignant story. Her immense talent shines through in her writing. Written with great emotion it is easy to feel Olga’s pain. I enjoyed this book and couldn’t lay it down until I finished it. The words leap off the page to shape pictures of Olga’s life. I found her story fascinating. I highly recommend this book to all, those that enjoy autobiographies and those that enjoy a really good read.

http://www.readerviews.com/

Is having your own home based eBay business your goal? If so, you are in great company. In fact, many feel that being an eBay seller is all about the American dream. Successful entrepreneurs have the opportunity to work at home. They can make money on eBay, be their own boss, establish their business hours, and remove themselves from the hassles of an 8-to-5 J-O-B through their home-based eBay business.

However, a home-based eBay business offers even more. It is possible to start part time and make money on eBay without giving up a current job. A home-based eBay business can be started with little cash investment. There are excellent resources to help new sellers learn the tricks of the trade. All of this and it is possible to make money on eBay.

It is possible to start part time and not give up a current job. In fact many of today’s PowerSellers started exactly that way. Working full-time at a regular job and part-time at an eBay business is hard work. However the risks of a new business start-up are greatly reduced by using this strategy. It gives a new seller the opportunity to establish the business and to start to make money on eBay before the security of the full-time wages is lost.

A new seller can make money on eBay with little cash investment. While there are some basic tools and supplies, it doesn’t require that thousands and thousands be invested as is required by so many other businesses. Dropshipping companies even make it possible to save the investment in inventory that normally goes with resale companies.

There are excellent resources to help new sellers learn the tricks of the trade. New sellers aren’t stuck trying to make money on eBay without knowing what to do. The eBay site is full of helpful tools and resources. Many professionals who have successfully started and operated their own eBay businesses offer training and tools. There and many excellent e-books and e-courses to help new sellers.

Could eBay be the answer to the American dream for you? Can you make money on eBay from your home? Investigate this opportunity. It might be perfect for you.

To Your eBay Success!

To read my free e-report “Dropship Facts” check out http://www.onlineauctionsmadesimple.net
Bob Hamilton is an entrepreneur, writer and consultant. Bob sold his brick and mortar store to sell on eBay and has been helping others to get started on eBay ever since.
http://www.openingadollarstore.com

Press releases are a great way to let the entire internet world know about something big that just happened or something big that is about to happen. Maybe your organization has just won a major award for something. Or maybe you are about to launch a new product. Press releases get indexed by the search engines and help you to achieve your number one goal and that is to drive traffic to your site or sites. Personally I use press releases just before I am about to start a new article series. Many of my series are 10 to 20 articles long.

The Body

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE should always be your header. You need a headline. It should be in bold writing, it should be short but powerful. Never send a press release without a dateline. Now you have the body. It only needs to be a couple of paragraphs to be effective. First paragraph should answer who, what, where, when and why. The second should give a few more details. Your boilerplate should remain the same on all your press releases. It gives a brief description about who you are and what you do. Finally you should put your contact info in. This should include name address, phone number, email and website.

Keywords

Remember that its not only humans but machines reading your press release as well so your going to want to make it compatible to both. Keywords are the key. Make sure there relevant to your press release and remember no more than 5 percent of your writing should be key words. Also make sure you know how to place your keywords into header tags.

Now You Want To Promote

The most effective way to promote your press releases is through on line press release services. There are many out there. Go ahead and search “press release submission”. Another way is that you can send them to your editors by email or just create links off of your site to them.

For me press releases have become a great source of traffic. Especially when I am about to start a new article series. Anyone who has read my prior series usually watch for the next one to come out and with the right keywords anyone looking for something in particular might come along my release thus adding another potential client.

Thanks Dale Mazurek

Dale is an expert author with EzineArticles with more than 60 articles published. http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dale_Mazurek You can also check out two of his up and coming interactive blogs at http://fishingtutor.blogspot.com/ and http://relationshiptidbits.blogspot.com/

Search engine linking strategies are an important part of the search engine optimization, or SEO, of any web site. Google, especially, has made clear in statements that a major aspect of their listing algorithm is the number of links that a web page has back from other quality sites. According to Google “In general, webmasters can improve the rank of their sites by increasing the number of high-quality sites that link to their pages”. That comes straight from the lion’s mouth.

There are a number of ways of setting up these links. When working on your linking strategy keep in mind that while a one way link away from your website can bleed relevance away from your site, this is not always the case. Sometimes a one way link to another site regarded by Google as being expert in your field can help your listings. Frequently, however, this is not the case and few sites will provide you with a link without one back. This is called reciprocal linking.

One way, then, of getting a link back to your site is to request one from websites with a good page ranking. The page ranking, or PR, of a site is indicated by the Page Rank bar on the Google Toolbar. This shows a green line that indicates the PR in figures on mouse-over. This is an indication of the link popularity of a specific web page. The higher the PR of a web page you are linked from, the better it is for your page rank and your listing in the search engine index for the specific keyword your page is optimized to.

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

Download it free here: Internet Article Marketing

Do you want to learn how to build a massive list fast? Click here: Email List Building

Most webmasters will provide you with a reciprocal link if they think it to their advantage. You can also achieve these links by registering with a reciprocal linking site that automates the procedure for you. These link sites send you details of other websites that are registered with them, and that you can request reciprocal links from. The software provided sets up the initial link with the requesting party, and when both parties agree, the reciprocation is finalized.

However, so many sites are now setting up these automated links that it is suspected that Google might be starting to provide less importance to reciprocal links than to one way links. In any case, as webmasters become more savvy about linking strategies, they are noticing a growing tendency for their own page ranking to be helped only if they link with pages that have a higher page ranking than their own. Additionally, many of these reciprocal links might be to sites with a high page ranking on their home page, but the link is provided from an internal ‘links’ page with no page ranking.

There is no doubt that one way links are far superior to reciprocal links. One way links back to your website will benefit you even if the other site has a low page ranking, but it is better if it is high! It is better than a reciprocal link with a site of lower page ranking than yours. If a PR 6 site has a reciprocal link with a PR 2 site, who benefits?

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

Download it free here: Internet Article Marketing

Do you want to learn how to build a massive list fast? Click here: Email List Building

One way links back to your site can be achieved in a number of ways. You could request one. However, a high ranking site is not going to provide you with a link free of charge, so you could either pay a monthly fee for it, or provide some other service in return. Another way is to submit your website to site directories: as many as you can. Most directories have free submissions that can take a long time to set up, and might require a reciprocal link, and also paid submissions that promise fast-tracked submission, but that require a regular subscription payment. The paid subscriptions, however, do not insist on a reciprocal link. Each submission provides you with a link back to your home page.

Article marketing is another way of securing one way back links. For every directory your article is submitted to and accepted, you receive one back link. These can number several hundred. In addition, visitors to the article directories are permitted to copy your article to their own web site as long as the also include your author bio that includes a link back to your site.

This could be a valuable link since it can be to a page deep within your web site, rather than just to your home page as most links are. Google sets more store by internal links than home page links. Using article marketing you get thousands of links to your web site from the directories and from people who like your articles, and it is one of the most profitable ways of marketing your website.

Whatever method it is that you use, search engine linking strategies are without a doubt a major SEO technique, and content-free websites have been known to reach the number 1 spot for their keyword on the basis on linking strategy alone.

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

Download it free here: Internet Article Marketing

Do you want to learn how to build a massive list fast? Click here: Email List Building

This easy to build solar panel is available in all the states across US. If you can connect your washing machine, build your own bookcase and install your sink unit then this is a very simple job.

The flat photovoltaic cells are easy to transport and are quite light in weight. All you have to do is identify the place in your garden or backyard or on the roof as to where you wish to build a solar panel. This place should receive maximum sun’s rays and heat and should be exposed to the sun directly.

Place the photovoltaic cells flatly on the ground or roof one after the other and arrange them horizontally. The sun’s rays falls on the solar panel and is collected and stored in it. These panels convert the heat into electricity and it’s ready for use. In the nights or on a cloudy day when there is no sunlight the solar panel has storage facilities built in to store for a couple of days. This easy to build solar panel is also easy on the pocket and light to transport from place to place.

There is a toolkit along with every pack which is used to build solar panel. There is also a CD-rom along with every pack where there is video demonstration of how to build solar panel. A layman can assemble and start using it right from day one. There is no noise or dust or smoke that is emitted and it lies quietly in a corner of your home.

The cost on building a solar panel is cheaper than buying readymade. Since the sun’s energy is free, the cost is only for the photovoltaic cells and the panels. It’s negligible compared to the load it will save on your fuel bill. There are many websites with instructions on how to build a solar panel.

Once the cost to build a solar panel is dealt with the durability comes in question. Since the material involved is glass and wood there is not much wear and tear for the panel. Moreover it has been tested that the glass also doesn’t spoil with the dust and exposure to sun. Copper is the metal which is used to build solar panel. Since water is used copper is the metal preferred to use even for domestic plumbing purposes.

Depending upon the usage of power according to an individual’s need one can build a solar panel. The main items used to build a solar panel are Panel tray and frame absorber plate, copper tubing, insulation and glazing.

With many charity organizations, the government of Africa encourages villagers to build and use solar panel for power generation and agriculture. This way plenty of opportunities are created to unemployed youth and the desert regions make use of the raw material i.e. sun’s heat to make life more easy and livable in these areas.

Imagine a world where everyone has access to affordable, clean, renewable power. If all the streets are lit, the forests green and not destroyed, with less noise, no fumes and plenty of clean air to breathe, then our earth will be a peaceful place to live in.

Chad Hartman is a solar power supporter and a staff writer for Go-Solar.org. To learn more about solar energy and how you can benifit from it, please visit our site at:
http://Go-Solar.org

If you are involved in internet marketing, there is nothing more important to your business than traffic, and how successful you are in the promotion of web site traffic could determine the success of your internet business.

There are major ways in which you can promote traffic to your website, though which are the more important methods is very much a matter of personal preference and experience. However, the following are certainly among the major techniques, and there is no doubt that if you are able to use all of them then any lack of success will be due to shortcomings in your product rather than your marketing techniques. These will provide traffic. It will be up to your website design and product to do the rest, though I will provide you with some tips on the former.

The best traffic is free traffic, and the best free traffic is from the search engines. If you can get your site on the first page of search engine listings then you will get traffic, though how much depends on the search engine. Since the biggest search engine is Google, and many of the others take their own listings from Google, then it is Google that will be referred to. There are two popular ways to get listed on Google for the search terms the Google user is using.

First, you can optimize your web page for that search term, otherwise known as a keyword. The objective in optimization is to persuade Google that your page (Google lists individual pages not complete websites) provides good content to the Google user. You do this by using the keyword in the title of the page and in the content, but not overusing it. You can tell Google that the keyword is the theme of your page by putting it in bold text (means ‘important’ to Google) and in H1 html tags (which means ‘very important’ to Google).

You then use it twice or thrice every 500 words or so. The rest of your text should be related to the keyword, such as using words like puppies, canine and pets if the theme of your web page is dogs. Google wants to see the type of words that people would use naturally when discussing the subject of dogs. No one, apart from the programmers, know how far this goes, and whether slang words such as curs or four legged friends would also be relevant.

However, do what you can in that respect. There are other aspects of SEO that can be of use to you, but that is a whole subject in itself.

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

Download it free here: Internet Article Marketing

Do you want to learn how to build a massive list fast? Click here: Email List Building

The second most important is probably submission of articles to directories. That provides you with the opportunity for traffic from direct clicks to your website from the link in the author’s resource box and also the extra SEO from the back links to your site from the directories, and any websites that use your article as content. In some ways this can be more important than SEO, since it can promote traffic to your web site without the need for any search engines to be involved.

You can also promote your web site by submitting the whole site to web site directories. However, it can take a long time to get listed in the free directories, and even the paid ones sometimes are not worth the money you pay. Web site directories no longer have the authority they once had due to article directories providing a far more useful service to webmasters seeking ways of promoting website traffic.

You can promote your web site and get increased traffic by the simple expediency of using your web site URL in the signature of your emails. You don’t have to advertise when you do it, just sign your name and add your URL beneath it. Very simple and very effective. Do the same thing with your forum posts, if the forum allows you. If not, you are generally allowed your URL somewhere. If not, then answer a few questions, get yourself known as an expert in your subject then offer your URL occasionally when people have problems they need solved. Forums rarely complain if you are genuinely helping forum members.

How you promote your web site could depend upon the reason for the promotion. If it is for search engine listings then anywhere on the internet whereby you can get a link from somewhere other than your own site can yield results. If it is to directly increase the possibility of potential customers coming to your website, then articles, adverts in ezines and even the local press and any other means of direct advertising, are best.

If you use the techniques best suited to the end result you are seeking, then promotion of web site traffic should come easy to you, and you could even make money by teaching others how to do it.

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

Download it free here: Internet Article Marketing

Do you want to learn how to build a massive list fast? Click here: Email List Building

These days whatever your business, as well as your online presence, capturing names and emails of potential customers and customers should be high on your list of priorities. It doesn’t matter what business you’re in, there’s likely to be a very good reason to build your business list.

Take for example a hairdressing salon. Probably not much requirement for an online presence is there? By capturing all of their customers’ names and email addresses over a period of time and sending a regular email newsletter the salon can dramatically improve its bottom line. How? If there were only a few bookings the following week, one quick personalised email through an autoresponder with a special discount to all their customers should get the phone ringing.

When conducting mailings to your email or business list it’s important to plan the email that you send meticulously. Each part of the email should have a specific goal. The goal of the subject line is to get the email opened. The goal of the first paragraph is to get the next one read and so on. The goal of the last paragraph is to get the email acted upon and get your click, call or whatever it is you want to achieve.

So what can you do to get your email opened? Quite simply this is completely dependent on your subject line. That’s it! That’s all you’ve got to help someone make the correct decision to open your email.

Some of you from big companies may be a little put off by what I’m about to say as it can go against your marketing training but I’ll draw a quick analogy to snail mail marketing. When you pick up your post can you tell which is junk mail and which looks like a personal letter? Of course you can and junk mail normally gets filed in the bin doesn’t it? Never even opened! (If companies could handwrite every letter and put a stamp on it they’d get a much better response!)

So what can you do with the subject line? Quite a lot really.

1.-Use the persons name in the subject line. We’re all interested in our name, whether it’s spoken or written. Your name seems to leap off the page and shout for your attention. Use this to your advantage, use their name.

2.-Use lowercase. That’s how friends write to each other. There’s much more chance of them opening your email if it might be from someone they know!

3.-Use the words you, your or you’ll. This speaks directly to the person and focuses their attention on your email!

4.-Use three dots as in … at the end of the subject line. This invites the person to read more.

5.-Be controversial. If you know your lists demographic and what they’re interested in you can play on this. Put a twist on a subject you know they’ll be interested in and watch your open rates skyrocket.

Do you want to learn more?

You can grab my ecourse and guide for free and learn how to set up and build a profitable list from day one list building

You can get both of these free here: Secret of Making Money Online