How can the ancient art of Feng Shui be helpful to Real Estate Agents? With the diversity of the market, you will want to know what your clients may be looking for in their new homes and addressing these issues ahead of time will put you ahead of the competition.

A basic knowledge of Feng Shui is important for all real estate agents. Feng Shui is a widely held belief of many cultures where potential homeowners will look to see if a home will “support” them in all the areas of their lives. For example, the front door is very important as many consider this area the “Mouth of Chi,” a place where all good energy enters. Checking to see that the pathway leading up to the front door is clean and unbroken as well as having an immaculate front door will help a sale right from the beginning. In Black Sect Feng Shui, all doors are considered the “voices” of the occupants. They should all be able to open freely without squeaking or knocking into each other.

What other things will your clientele be likely to be looking into? They are very aware of what we call “missing pieces:” When a home is not in a square shape, depending on where the area is, they will determine this is a missing piece and will affect a certain area of their life depending on where it is missing. For real estate agents, having a simple understanding of The Bagua can help you to understand why they believe this. Feng Shui consultants who are trained in Western method as well as some of the other forms can make all corrections simply and inexpensively; they never believe a home won’t support the new occupants.

New homeowners are also looking at the new home in relation to the street or outside energies that are surrounding it. They are unfavorable to homes in Courts (where energy can sometimes pool) or T-Junctions where streets will cross-sect into their homes. Again, using Western methods these are relatively simple issues to address.

The number “Four” on a home is probably the least likely of all of the other areas that will deter a potential buyer. For many, the number “Four” sounds like “death” much as like the number 13 is considered here to be unlucky. This is a difficult area to address though some have suggested painting the house numbers in a circle to “contain” this energy.

They may well want to know a history of the home and something about the previous owners, so you may want to prepare for that was well. It is important for them to dispel the “predecessor” energy of those that have lived there before.

These are just a few of the ideas you can arm yourself with when selling a home in today’s market. It might be wise to enlist the aid of a Feng Shui consultant who is familiar with various methods of Feng Shui including Western methods to dispel their fears and help you, as their real estate agent, sell the homes, knowing that someone who practices from a positive perspective will not deter the sale of a home.

Feng Shui Expert Carole Provenzale has been a Certified Feng Shui Consultant since 1997 and is the Founder of Feng Shui Long Island, providing quality consultations for all of Long Island, Queens, New York City and Online for those at a distance for Homes, Businesses, Offices, Renovations, New Construction and Corporations. She also works closely with Real Estate Agents to help support sales of homes. Carole is a keynote speaker for large and small corporations including Fox 5, Nordstroms, The Long Island Board of Realtors and is a published author. She seeks to make consultations affordable to all. Please visit her website at http://www.FengShuiLI.com or email her at FengShuiLI.com

While we all want to increase our profits, one of the most important things to remember is that to build a business that will stand the test of time, you MUST have a strong and loyal customer base. But how do you get loyalty out of a customer, especially in today’s business world? I have outlined a few things that I have helped others implement that have strengthened your customer base. Most of the tips apply to those who have been in business less than 3 years, but if you are a business veteran feel free to “double-check” to see how many of these you do regularly:

* You must research your target audience’s needs and wants. Anticipate any objections your visitors may have about your product offer. Remember, its your business, but you must appeal to your customer’s needs and wants.

* Remember not to use outrageous or unbelievable claims in your ad copy. Don’t say “Biggest or Best” if you are not. People are too savvy online and won’t believe you. Instead of outrageous claims, use testimonials.

* If you are just starting out, pick a good name for your business and product. Your names should be memorable and describe the kind of product your offering. Many people have business titles that are a play on something else, such as the barber who called his shop “The Golden Shears” or “Central Perk” from the TV show Friends.

* Solve your customer complaints by being quick and friendly. The faster you respond, the more your customers feel you care about them. This can almost always bring the customer back to you, and is more valuable than a lower price.

* Never think your customers are satisfied with their purchase. You should be constantly finding new ways to better your products and services.

* Market yourself, as well as your product. Remember products come and go, but you need to promote yourself and your services. Your products are secondary. To promote yourself, you could write articles, ebooks, do free consulting, do speaking engagements, etc.

* Find new target audiences for your products or services. For example, if you’re selling coffee to stores try to also sell it to coffee shops. See if they will let you advertise this in their menu, with a little sticker (reprinting the menus are too expensive).

* Use logos and slogans for your business. They make it easier for people to remember and identify your business. Think of Nike and their “swoosh”. It doesn’t even have to say Nike and you know what it is.

* Try to get a story written in the local paper about your business every 5 years or so. If the “main” paper won’t do it, there are probably a few local papers that you can get to write a story. This keeps you in the public eye & it is free. I have gone to many restaurants, shops, etc, because of what I had read in the paper.

* Offer free samples or trials of your product. This will let people experience your product and attract people to your business. If your in the restaurant business, make a large serving of a new dish and offer your guest samples while they wait for their main order.

* Get involved with the community. Donating your products/services to schools, churches, or sponsor kids soccer or little league teams is a good way to get involved & getting your name out there.

Hopefully these have helped you at least a little bit. Whether you are in a small town or a large metropolitan area, people feel more comfortable if they know who they are buying from and support. Good luck!

Jeff Bunnell is a part-time marketer and full-time Dad. He has worked as a Realtor, Concert Promoter, Computer Tech, Salesman, Manager, etc. Now he is using his experience to help others make additional income on the internet.

For more information go to http://www.easybigmoneymaker.com

Waking up to an iPod alarm clock doesn’t get any easier – you choose the music, you choose the time! Compared to a traditional clock radio, the iPod alarm clock is a breath of fresh air with clear, crisp sounds that you have pre-selected.

Rather than waking up to the sound of a hyped-up DJ, the boring news, or that song that just makes you want to scream, you can select the music and songs that will help start your day on the right foot. So, if you still own that old alarm clock radio, don’t you think it’s about time you stepped up and entered the 21st Century with an iPod alarm clock?

Why Use an iPod Alarm Clock

The iPod alarm clock is not an iPod itself, but an alarm clock that is made specifically to work with your mini music player. Most of these clocks are built with two or more speakers to provide much better sound reproduction than can be attained with a regular alarm clock radio. You can expect superior sound with richer midrange and full bass sound in a desktop model.

The Benefits of Waking Up on Your Own Terms

The beauty of these alarm clocks is that you can program your favorite morning tunes to play at a certain time to nudge you awake from your deep slumber. To help, these clocks also have the classic alarm buzzer in case you need a little extra incentive to get up in the morning. Of course, if you are not quite ready to face the day’s challenges, it has a snooze button that let’s you finish that dream that was just getting exciting!

Another benefit is that the iPod alarm clock is not restricted to just your iPod tunes, but incorporates an AM/FM radio in case you want to catch your favorite morning DJ show. The radio station will also play through the same sound system as the iPod and provide you with outstanding quality sound.

The iPod clock has an automatic reset feature that sets the alarm, and wake up music, to the same time every day until changed. So, if waking to a particular favorite tune and set time every day is good for you, this clock can make it happen. If you finally get bored of the same old music, changing the setting is as easy as a click of a button.

This is truly one of the coolest clocks for waking you in the morning that is available today. The iPod alarm clock combines the unruly task of waking you each day with the high quality sound of your favorite songs. If you need to be up and out the door by a certain time every morning, this alarm clock is the only way to do it!

Bill Wilson is a professional researcher and freelance writer for many popular home designer publications. To learn more about an iPod alarm clock, visit Crazy for Clocks where you will find the latest trends in great sounding hi-tech alarm clocks.

Let me put myself in your shoes for just one second. If you are reading this right now you are probably worried. You probably recently learned that you have contracted the herpes virus. Chances are its probably genital herpes and you feel terrible about it. I should know because I have been there. You probably feel embarrassed about it and wish you had never been so careless. I am not going to tell you not to feel this way because I felt that way and no matter what you read out there your inner judgement will try and envelope you with a feeling of guilt. Here are a few things I will tell you though:

• One in five Americans (20% of the population) is infected with genital herpes; and
• 20% of people infected with HSV-2 have no symptoms at all; 20% of people infected with HSV-2 have symptoms and know they are infected and 60% of people infected with the virus have symptoms but do not know they are infected with the virus.

What I am trying to get at is quite simple. You are not alone. Don’t feel like there is this cross that you have to bear and that you are any less than any other person out there. The fact that you carry the virus does not define who you are. What it does mean however, is that you are going to have to be very careful when you engage in intimate relations with your partner.

In studies of transmission of genital herpes in couples, the annual risk of transmission averaged 5 to 10% per year for those abstaining from sex during outbreaks. What this means, is that if you protect yourself and abstain from sex during outbreaks, you have a 90% to a 95% chance of having a normal relationship. I am not going to get into the moral argument of whether you should tell your partner or not (for the record I think you should) because that is frankly not the objective of this review.

I tried a product called Choraphor. It claims to kill the herpes virus on contact. Medical studies and doctors claim that this is not possible. I am no expert on the topic, but after visiting several forums and reading the comments of people living with the virus, I decided to give it a shot. It comes in a little transparent bottle containing a blue liquid. As soon as I would feel an outbreak I diluted a q-tip with water and poured three or four drops directly on the q-tip. I would then apply it directly on the area where I would feel the outbreak coming up and place the q-tip firmly over it. When I had outbreaks, I would apply directly on the lesion. A word of warning for the faint of heart - this stuff stings. I mean it actually burns for a few seconds before the feeling subsides. Did it eliminate my outbreaks immediately? I would be lying if I told you it did. Here is what it did do:

• Choraphor reduced the recovery time between outbreaks from two weeks to about two to three days;
• Choraphor reduced the frequency of outbreaks with every application.

I have gone for approximately 6 months without having an outbreak and have been under prolonged periods of stress and lack of sleep on several occasions. I am not sure if the effects will be long lasting or if Choraphor has eliminated the virus from my system. What I am sure of is that it has made dealing with this virus A LOT EASIER. I have actually been able to have a normal relationship without transmitting the virus to my partner.

Noah Rider frequently writes on health related issues and natural remedies to common conditions.

To learn more about Choraphor visit Genital Herpes Cure.

It should come no surprise that you should stop smoking. Smoking introduces nicotine and other compounds into your body. They result in a high toxin level in your body. Over a period in time and with increased frequency, the toxins accumulate in your body, posing tremendous danger to its vital organs and the functioning of your lungs, in particular.

The main harmful agents in cigarettes are nicotine and the carbon monoxide inhaled from the smoke. There is actually a cocktail of lethal gases emitted from smoking. These lethal gases include carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, together with oxides of nitrogen and sulfur. Carbon monoxide causes the oxygen levels inside your body to drop drastically. Oxygen is needed by your cells for proper functioning. Currently, more chemicals than ever are found in cigarettes due in part to the way they are produced, making them even more harmful.

If you wish to detoxify and cleanse yourself of these toxins, then you would have to stop smoking. This is the only way to guarantee a healthy future. Stopping smoking is the start of a program that can help cleanse your body through the many years of toxin build up. Regaining health will take a lot more time and effort. It is possible to obtain an optimal performance from your body by adopting a new diet and exercise routine.

A healthy diet that can aid in nicotine and carbon monoxide detox should be followed for the duration of life even after quitting smoking. You should include an abundance of fruits and vegetables in your new diet. Also, drink plenty of water to help flush out toxins and to soothe your dry throat from years of smoking. Whole grains are helpful as they provide antioxidant benefits to your detox program. Most of the fats consumed should come from seeds and nuts; healthy legumes provide healthy protein essential in maintaining the body.

Since smoking wreaks havoc on the excretory system, your bowels need special care during this time. Consuming high amounts of fiber can aid in this process; maintaining regular bowel function is essential in eliminating all toxins from the body. While on the program, optimizing intake of wholesome foods should be compounded by the steady decrease in those that are unhealthy. You would need to cut down the fats, fried foods, and alcohol previously consumed while smoking. These are also the same foods that reduce proper bowel activity, resulting in sluggish elimination.

Additionally, you can consider consuming an antioxidant supplement while detoxifying your body from smoke. An antioxidant supplement should help you reduce free radical production and lower your toxicity levels. Start to regain your health by kicking this harmful and addictive habit away!

Toxins can cause damage and plenty of harm to your body. Reap benefits from detox cleansing. Sign up to free research and special reports by Sandra Kim Leong on colon and liver cleansing, juice fasting and on detox diets here at http://www.Detox-Cleansing-Diet.com

Do you have a point on your driving record? Have you been fighting to keep your record clean since you got your license? There are many things you can do to keep your driving record free of points. Most states offer some kind of traffic school program which you can only take every so often to rid your record of an infraction or traffic violation. Each state has a different time allowance between every traffic school opportunity. In California, you must wait a minimum of 18 months between each traffic school completion to delete those points off your driving record.

Traffic accidents, misdemeanors and other circumstances also tack unwanted points onto your record as well. Not only is your DMV record affected by these points, but your car insurance company also raises your monthly premiums for every point you acquire. Needless to say, nobody desires a bad driving record. In fact, some insurance companies reward good drivers with an insurance discount called Accident Forgiveness. When this discount comes into play, drivers who have not been in a traffic accident in over 5 years are allowed a little slack.

This means that if you’ve been insured with a specific insurance company for 5 years without a lapse in coverage and without involvement in any traffic accidents and you happen to get into one after this 5 year period, your insurance rates will not be affected by this crash. Not every auto insurance company will offer this discount so make sure your insurance provider is a supporter of this specific discount if you’re shopping for a new plan.

You can use a list of discounts to help your search for a new car insurance company. Having a list of pre-qualified discounts for yourself is a very useful tool in saving cash on your monthly premiums if you’re in the market for a new plan.

You can print out a list of these various insurance plan discounts that have been compiled at www.autoinsurancequotes4free.com. And make sure you ask about the Accident Forgiveness discount as well. It may save you thousands in the long run.

I have written several articles here on the main subject “How to Develop Great Presentation Skills”. What I am trying to do is to provide quick implementable tips and methods for readers who are interested to boost their presentation skills. I have received some comments on the articles. The most common question asked is what do I consider as a great presentation. You might have already seen on the Internet, read in books or hear from “experts” that there are many definitions of great presentations. To me, a great presentation is one which completely holds an audience enthralled and at the end of the session achieve the goals and objectives which what you set out to in the beginning.

It is not entirely true that only great personalities can give great presentations. Hence before I write further or give more tips on how to develop great presentation skills, I would like to help you understand my view of the anatomy of a great presentation.

Unlike written reports where you have a chance to correct mistakes such as spelling, grammar, word structure etc, presentations are “Get it Right the First Time” kind of activity. You have no chance to hide your flaws, there are no computerized checks to cover your mistakes (unlike word processors which you have spell checks etc) and you have only one chance to impress and gain credibility. So, and I said this many many times before, PREPARATION is the key to make a presentation great. All said and done, lets discuss the 5 Aspects of a great presentation

1. All Great Presentations Are Well Researched and rehearsed in advance. You must determine how much information or statistics needs to be given in proportion to the time given for your presentation as well as the needs of your audience. Too much statistics or hard information defeats the purpose of your presentation and makes it boring.

2. Great presentations are able to capture their audiences and gain their confidence right in the beginning. Remember to the begin by “feeling them” (come to the presentation early to mingle with them and establish rapport before your presentation) greeting them, applying the various techniques I have written in my past articles to capture their attention.

3. Great Presentations are all about scoring points and winning over others to your opinions. Hence honing am authentic and unique delivery skill can enhance your ability of driving a point home. Statistical information should be presented in logical sequences and in the right doses.

4. Great Presentations are usually light-hearted at one point or another. However let me qualify here. The “light-heartedness” must not compromise on whatever the serious smatter that you are discussing. All great presentations are made in simple language using industry specific jargon, but not words that are too hard to understand.

5. Great Presentations Use Audio-Visual Aids for greater impact. This is based on the principle that a picture speaks a thousand words. Even a budgetary speech or an accountant’s presentation can use slide pictures.

I hope the above gives you a better idea of what I consider as a great presentation. Do let me know if you have other ideas that you think makes a great presentation.

The Author of this article is an experienced presenter and a champion story teller. He has immense interest in topics on public speaking, leadership, the art of negotiation, internet marketing strategies, investing and personal success

This following article is adapted/extension from/of his new ebook: “How to Develop Great Presentation Skills”. If you like the tools to be able to improve your presentation skills by 100 times, yes 100 times please visit http://www.greatpresentationskills.com

Helping someone who is ill. Impatience, intolerance, anger, frustration, depression, regression, anxiety and recklessness, are all things you may witness in the lives of someone who is suffering from chronic illness. Moods change in a flash, love becomes attack, and attack becomes love, all facets of life in the day of someone facing circumstances beyond their control. Sometimes it’s the medications that bring on sudden mood swings, other times it’s just the simple mechanisms of the emotional upheaval of being confronted with ones own morbidity. Be the solid anchor in the storm.

So how can we help, how can we give support and love when often our love is rejected, or we become the focus of attack? The main resource we have within us is compassion, and tolerance beyond that the essential ingredient is “don’t take it personally.” It’s true that people generally strike out at the one they love when they are scared, ill or just plain unhappy. That is a fact of life I am afraid. The way to negotiate this passage is to stay out of your emotions, just don’t emotionally buy in, feeling guilty about what’s happening to someone close to you is unhealthy, very unhealthy for everyone involved. There is an old saying, “If you’re into guilt your playing God,” and that is also true, guilt never fixed anything, all it does is eat away at the very fabric of your being.

So how can you stay out of the emotions? It’s hard if someone is saying hurtful things, or behaving irrationally not to show emotional reactions, and at the end of the day, we are all human, we all look to that security of being linked firmly to another human being. Knowing in your heart what the truth of the situation is for one thing helps, and what I have always found is that to love someone else more than yourself, to give support unconditionally to the one in need is the one very thing that builds a firm anchor for the one in crisis to bounce around and then anchor back too when they are ready. Its sometimes like standing still in the centre of a hurricane and not blinking, just be still, stay strong, stay understanding, and provide the energy that is love. What ever you do don’t get angry back at the person, walk away cool down, take a deep breath and bring things back into perspective.

Be clear on what your personal boundaries are, by this I mean don’t over do things, make sure you take care of yourself in the process of taking care of the person who is ill. So many times I have seen the carer become the one who ends up seriously ill from the stress of the situation, good intentions often lead to overdoing things, so know what you can do and when to say enough. Have regular respite periods yourself, go for a walk, take time out for a coffee with friends, and take care of yourself. Dealing with the anger of feeling helpless This can be done in many simple ways, one way is to get an old phone book, and cut a piece of hose pipe 2 ft long of your garden hose, go into the garage close the door, sit on the floor and then beat the hell out of the phone book. Give yourself permission to get angry, and process that anger in a positive way; just let it all out on the phone book. Start hitting the phone book slowly and think about the issues at hand, then just keep hitting it, you will end up with a terrible mess but you will walk away feeling exhausted but lighter for the experience.

http://www.truityonline.com articles public - health and healing

Los Angeles, CA-Steven Dumphy, 24, an aspiring actor prepares for a role based on a 19th century Russian masterpiece predicting the rise of modern terrorism. He takes to the streets of Los Angeles and recites passages from his script. As he hollers that he killed a man in English and Spanish, Sonia, a beautiful illegal immigrant from Mexico, spots him and follows him. In her eyes, he’s a beauty…an angel. It seems to be love at first sight.

Steven hires Irina, a sexy Russian prostitute, to further prepare for his role. She moved to Los Angeles to become an actress, but works as a call girl to make ends meet. Her love for the movies is her motivation to stay in Hollywood working as she does. That’s what Irina tells Steven during their first meeting as the beautiful Sonia watches from outside.

The sexy call girl brings with her trouble when she secretly hides an important package in Steven’s bathroom. Is it money? The secret contents of this package are of great desire to the mafia bosses. Steven is now connected with them.

Steven can’t keep away from the Mexican beauty. To communicate, Sonia must pantomime what she’s trying to say because she speaks only Spanish. She wants to be a part of Steven’s play and tries to convince him that she’s an actress. He grows to desire her as well as the sexy Russian actress. Steven seems to be falling in love with both women.

His finds himself in deeper trouble when he and Irina must hide the body of her Mafia boss after she accidentally killed him.

“Notes From the New World” is a feature film in the making. VM Productions is a group of dedicated filmmakers are working on bringing literature to the big screen. You’ll love the characters and the plot will keep you entrenched.

Based on F.M. Dostoevsky’s, “Notes From the Underground,” this production brings the story to modern day Los Angeles. This is the second movie in the collection of adaptations titled “Dostoevsky – LA Project” based on the masterpieces of the Russian novelist.

Auditions are underway and the search for the perfect cast is top priority. A few crew positions are still available and you’re encouraged to apply.

With the crew’s dedication to the production, this film will be a great success. A behind the scenes look at the filmmakers as they put together this movie will be available on the DVD.

For more information on VM Productions and to apply for positions please take a look at their website: http://www.shadesofday.com/VMP/mnthlynwsltter.htm

VM Productions is a group of filmmakers dedicated to bringing literature to the big screen.

Grooming your long coat dog is different from grooming a short or medium coat dog. It is important that you know how to properly groom your dog so that you enhance his natural look. There are a few things you need to keep in mind while grooming your dog.

If you are not comfortable grooming your dog at home, there is always the option of taking him to a professional. You may even want to go with to the grooming session to watch and see how they do it. After watching, you may feel confident enough to try it yourself next time. Another good idea is to get a picture of a professionally groomed dog to use as a reference. You can look at the picture while grooming your own dog, so that you have an idea of what look you are going for.

Bathing your dog is the first thing that needs to be done. Working with a clean dog is very beneficial. After the dog is bathed, he needs to be completely dry before attempting to cut or trim the hair. To dry the hair, use the pin brush and a blow dryer. Make sure the blow dryer has a low heat setting. A setting that is too hot will burn the dogs skin.

When drying the hair, start at the bottom and back of the dog and work upward and forward. Holding the hair outward from the body in addition to moving upward and forward when drying the dog will fluff the hair instead of making it lay flat. Remember to dry small sections at a time and keep the blow drying moving, so that it does not get too hot for the dog. Make sure that one section of hair is completely dry before moving onto the next section.

Preventing tangles is also important. Make sure you are combing the hair as you dry to keep the hair fluffy, full, and free of tangles. When the drying is finished, run the brush through the hair one last time to insure there are no tangles.

Now you are ready to begin the trimming part of the grooming. Get a #10 blade on your clippers and carefully shave the dogs anal area making sure not to touch the blade to the skin. Keeping the hair in this area is important to the dogs hygiene. If you prefer not to use the clippers, you can use scissors to trim this hair.

Some owners choose to trim their dogs underbelly as well. To do this, use the same blade as before and trim from the groin to the naval and also the inside of the thighs. Do make sure you are shaving with the hair to get a much nicer looking cut.

The feet are another important area that needs some attention. The hair between the pads of the paw need to be trimmed to prevent matting. Make sure to cut parallel with the paws as well, as you want them to look neat and even.

Now you will want to stand back and look at your dog and see if there are any stray or long hairs that need to be trimmed. You want your dog to have to blend well, so only cut a few hairs at a time, then step back and look again. This will prevent you from cutting too much hair.

To finish up use a conditioning spray to keep the coat looking great. Spray evenly over the coat, and follow up with a brush to fluff the coat, and set it.

Kelly Marshall is the head author at Oh My Dog Supplies - visit to compare dog beds and research dog feeders

For more pet articles, see Kelly’s latest article on training working and herding breeds