The Super Connection!

Have you gained a few extra pounds during the winter that you’d like to get rid of before summer?

Spring is the perfect time to detoxify and rejuvenate your body, get rid of some extra pounds, increase your energy, improve your complexion, boost your immunity, and fight fatigue.

Mom always told us to eat our fruits and vegetables in order to be healthy. It turns out she was right and now science agrees. Fruits, vegetables, and berries are important sources of antioxidants, which show great potential in the battle against aging and age-related diseases. As our bodies age, they no longer heal and repair as well as they once did.

Our bodies protect themselves with the antioxidants that we get from food and supplements by neutralizing free radicals. As these antioxidants are used up in the neutralizing process, there is a constant need to replenish the body’s antioxidant resources.

The highest concentrations of antioxidants are found in berries, fruits and vegetables. A great majority of people don’t consume nearly enough of these foods to adequately replenish their antioxidant resources.

There may be no fountain of youth to halt the effects of aging. However, antioxidants and negative calorie foods may hold the key to solving some of the health and weight problems associated with aging and help us maintain youth and vitality.

Foods in “The Negative Calorie Diet” are great antioxidants and help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

Common ‘Negative Calorie’ Fruits can also help:

Apricots - protect the eyes
Blackberries - prevent cataracts and constipation
Blackcurrants - reduce cholesterol and prevent constipation
Cantaloupe - lower blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent cataracts
Grapefruit - relieve cold symptoms, reduce bruising, prevent stroke
Guava - aid in digestion
Honeydew Melons - keep blood pressure low
Lemons - heal cuts and bruises
Mandarin oranges - stop inflammation
Peaches - protect the eyes
Plums - very high in antioxidants
Raspberries - prevent cataracts and constipation
Rhubarb - lower cholesterol, boost immunity, ease digestive problems
Strawberries - very high in antioxidants
Tomatoes - prevent cataracts, keep older people active
Watermelon - keep blood pressure low

Common ‘Negative Calorie’ Vegetables can also help:

Asparagus - prevent anemia and maintain new cells
Broccoli- boost immunity
Cabbage - prevent cataracts
Carrots - improve night vision
Cauliflower - inhibit tumor growth and boost immune system
Celery - reduce high blood pressure
Chicory - very high in vitamin C
Cress - prevent cataracts and wrinkles
Fennel - ease hot flashes and settle the stomach
Peppers - prevent cataracts
Spinach - control blood pressure and protect against vision loss

Summer is on the way. If you want to get rid of those extra pounds and perform a spring clean of your body’s internal organs, “The Negative Calorie Diet” is a great way to start.
See for yourself at: AntiAgeCenter.

Sue Brubaker is the creator of http://www.AntiAgeCenter.com
where she shares resources & information gathered from years of study & research on anti-aging & self-improvement.

Every leader of organizational change has a timeline. The Big Kahuna wants it done by such and such a date and that date becomes the gospel. There is just no changing it. Let me take you on a trip and show you why that is often fatal, for the project, the organization and mostly the people involved.

Go back with me to the summer of 1967. It was in the northern provinces of South Vietnam and I was a sniper team leader with the U.S. Marines. It was my second consecutive year in country and we were assigned to go with a Marine infantry unit to a nasty place called the Street Without Joy located in Quang Tri Province. It was an area in the sand dunes with tree lines and hedge rows and villages.

You have to know that at that time the Marines carried the M-14 rifle. Twice each year we had to do what they called ‘field strip’ the rifle. This meant taking it apart and putting it back together, blindfolded in sixty seconds. The reason for the test was in case the rifle jammed at night, you could fix it quickly. In the case of the M-14, it was a little heavy but incredibly reliable so jamming was rare at best.

Enter our illustrious Defense Secretary, Mr. McNamara who was pushing all kinds of new stuff to publicly show his strong support for the U.S. troops fighting there. This is all well written about today, at the time it was much like what you hear in today’s media regarding Iraq. Long story short, the M-16 rifle was forced down the military’s throat with a rollout timeline that was nearly immediate.

The justification was that it was much lighter (think plastic), the ammunition was lighter (and smaller) and it would shoot much faster. If all that was true, and that was a stretch, it would have been okay except for the fact that it was barely tested. The thing was surely in what they call today ‘beta’ and not ready for prime time.

The Marines my snipers and I were with had M-14’s until three or four hours before the operation we were going on when Marine leadership, under the direction of those fine leaders we had in Washington, came by to rollout the new M-16. The Marines gave up their trusted M-14 and were handed the new toy M-16 with an hours training and wished well – we headed out at the sign of darkness and headed for the Street Without Joy.

We arrived at near midnight and the plan was to ‘sit in’ until first light and sweep the local villages. We were ambushed and fought all night, at one point being overrun by the bad guys. It was an awful night. At first light the North Vietnamese broke off the fight and we were left to gather up the carnage. As the choppers came in for the severely wounded first, the Lieutenant asked me to get my snipers and gather the dead for their flight out after the wounded. It was pretty grim duty.

We gathered up nearly three dozen dead Marines and zipped them in body bags, and half of the dead had their M-16 rifles apart in their hands. They had jammed in the sand. This scene was relived across Vietnam for the next couple years at least. Why? Because some tin soldier leader way back in headquarters made a macho decision to rollout an unproven and untested weapon that cost the lives of many great young Marines. Our leaders dutifully followed orders and their troops died with weapons that didn’t work. That is a scene I relive time and again. It’s happening today in organizations across America and the World.

In the past eight years while consulting on change projects I have seen this same thing happen in organizations large and small. It is a leadership issue. In business and other peacetime organizations these actions don’t kill people, they just kill careers. When leaders blindly think they can ‘drive’ the timelines they don’t find success, it is an illusion they support by failing to ask the right questions.

I was involved in a Peoplesoft implementation for a $1.3 billion company. The consulting house told them they could design and implement in two years. We came in at the site of the train wreck two and a half years later when all they had implemented was the system in headquarters finance. Or how about an Oracle implementation, it was in a technology company doing around $500 million in sales and a year behind on their timeline with nothing on the street. We were called to get it on track. When we discuss the timeline all heads bow and silence enters the room.

Another fun time was with a company formed by several mergers and the new CEO, a fine GE Capital man, decided to implement the infamous SAP as his first project. He demanded it be done in under a year. Keep in mind that the company was formed with 11 other companies they purchased and were bringing together. They would have done $600 million had they survived. But the lights dimmed when they turned on SAP, they couldn’t ship for a week or bill for three weeks and they died. It is split up and sold off and many careers went down the drain.

People on high, dictating timelines disguised as leadership, are killing companies and careers today at an alarming rate. It is the same as my experience in Vietnam forty years ago. McNamara demanded certain things like Rumsfeld today. You can demand all you want but the reality is that based on the resources you commit and the scope of the change, times the quality of the work, will equal the time it takes to complete. You can edict all you want and it will bring you fatal results if you aren’t connected to the people doing the work.

Ed Kugler

Ed Kugler has been living change since the jungles of Vietnam where he was a Marine Sniper for two-years in the Vietnam War. He came home to a country he hadn’t left and began work as a mechanic and truck driver. Since then he has worked his way into the executive suite of Frito Lay, Pepsi Cola and Compaq Computer where he was Vice President of Worldwide Logistics, a position he achieved with no college degree. Ed left in 1997 to consult and write. He is the author of Dead Center - A Marine Sniper’s Two Year Odyssey in the Vietnam War and five other books and counting. He regularly consults with some o the nations leading companies on organizational change and coaches individuals to make the most of their lives. Ed is the father of three, grandfather to three and has been married to the same woman for 38 years and counting. http://www.nomorebs.com http://www.edkugler.com

If you are visiting the city of El Paso chances are good that you plan on doing something outdoors. El Paso has a number of famous outdoor destinations for you to enjoy and can be a dream for anyone who loves nature. If you have done the nature thing and would like something else to do, I have just the ticket. Why not visit the El Paso Museum of Art. It is a great place to visit where you can both learn and be entertained.

The El Paso Museum of Art is a great museum with a regional flair. It has a number of pieces of work on display that represent both the beauty of the local culture and natural environment present in El Paso. There are five permanent galleries located in the museum and a majority of those are dedicated to the cultures that have influenced the area. For example, one exhibit features work from thirteenth to the eighteenth century Europe, one represents early American works from the nineteenth and twentieth century and yet another features work from Mexican art from the seventeenth to nineteenth century. The museum also plays host to a number of other traveling exhibits. There is always something new on display which helps to keep the museum fresh and new. So even if you have been to the museum in the past you will find something new to see. If you have never been to the museum you will have even more to enjoy. The El Paso Museum of Art is truly a must see attraction.

If you would like to visit the museum you can find it at 1 Arts Festival Plaza in El Paso. For more information or to get current hours or learn about current exhibits you can call the museums information line at 915-532-1707. Have fun.

Learn about your El Paso upholstery services at the authors website on El Paso cleaning and maintenance.

eBay announced the arrival of one of their new features recently that has added some great new content to their ever growing online shopping site. eBay Guides and Reviews, this new feature, lets the average layperson or writer display their opinions, facts and any information they may have gathered on a subject and create an article to display for others. This huge database of consumer information on subjects ranging from the task office chair to the greatest new CD from Korn can help consumers find information and help them to better make educated purchases on the products they are interested in.

Recently when looking for a new duvet cover for my comforter, I was interested in a particular brand with a hefty price tag. Although I knew that this was the pattern and colors I wanted, it was not in my nature to just place the order for something with that big of a price tag without at least finding out more about the manufacturer. I decided to “google it” and find information on this brand. Clicking off of the eBay homesite and onto google’s home page, I was surprised to find that the first three pages to appear when typing in this brand name for a search on google, were on eBay.

I ended up clicking on the link and was directed back to eBay, where I just had left, and I was able to find a ton of information regarding the manufacturer, the materials used and even was able to find reviews of the exact comforter and pattern that I had been looking at. I had no idea that eBay offered such great content and information for free to anyone looking. I was able to make an educated decision on eBay’s site and find the absolutely lowest price anywhere online without having to click around all over the place.

As an owner of an eBay store myself, specializing in Office Chairs and Furniture, I had long been aware of all of the great deals that were available in eBay and always check eBay first when looking for the lowest online price. Now I am pleased to find that I can also access great product details, information and reviews to help me with my purchase. It made it simple to navigate and I feel better that I know I am getting the information from an old and trusted friend in eBay.

Author, Amy Pedersen is penned as Sit On This Ergonomics featured Ergonomic Insider. Having worked in the ergonomics and office industry for over 10 years now, she is currently co-founder of Sit On This Ergonomics, operating a number of Ergonomic Sites dedicated to office chairs and the practice of good workplace ergonomics for better seating and productivity.

Featuring a wide variety of executive, leather, mesh and task office chairs with an online sales catalog, their website also provides detailed ergonomic information on proper work chair positioning.

Office Chairs and Furniture:
Office Chair Catalog

Ergonomics Detailed:
More Ergonomic Info

Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Depression is much more common in children and adolescents than once believed. For reasons that are not well understood, there has been a trend toward an earlier age at onset of depression (and manic-depression) in people born since the 1940’s. Also, clinicians are doing a better job of looking for and recognizing depression in these age groups. Quite often, depression in young people consists of the same symptoms as found in adults. At times, however, the diagnoses may be more elusive. The youngsters may not recognize the discomfort that they are experiencing is an illness known as depression.

Although young children may not be able to express their sad mood in words, they often show it with persistent sad expressions. Other indications of depression in young people are loss of motivation and enthusiasm, fatigue, difficulty making decisions, social withdrawal, weight change (up or down), irritability and anger, deterioration of school performance, truancy, acting out and behavioral difficulties, and physical complaints.

Families or teachers may recognize behavioral changes indicative of depression even though the youngster may deny being depressed. Whenever depression is suspected, the child should be evaluated by a doctor experienced in working with this age group. Just as in adults, depression in young people can have a number of causes, and recognizing these causes can lead to very effective treatments. Recognizing and treating depression in youngsters is especially important considering the critical stages of development they are passing through. Also, there has been a disturbing increase in suicide in adolescents over the last few decades, and although suicide is quite rare in children, it does occur.

Treatment for childhood and adolescent depression are the same as those used in adults and include psychotherapies, medications, and combinations of both.

By M Adley

M Adley is webmaster at stopdepressiontoday.com, an unbiased resource of information for those seeking a depression treatment, or those who wish to take a depression test to diagnose their condition.

Training your dog can be frustrating and overwhelming at first, but do not get discouraged. Remember you are the trainer and the dog is the trainee. There are some simple rules to follow that will help you get the training done and without the major problems. Remember to keep a level head, stay consistent and reward your dog for doing well. We will discuss these three basics in the following paragraphs.

In the daily lives of dogs the routine is everything as they are creatures of habit. They know when you are coming home and wait for you or they know when it time to eat. If you miss a feeding some dogs will bring you the empty food bowl or do something to alert you that something is wrong. New dog trainers can use this knowledge to their advantage and make their job easier. Dog training must involve repetition of actions as repetition becomes habit or routine. Having your dog respond with a certain action when you give a command is the goal you are trying to reach. To make use of dogs being creatures of habit, be sure to be consistent with your commands. Teach your commands the same way every time and keep at it until the dog responds the same way ever time before you move on to a new command. Consistency is the first basic of training a dog and will help you achieve what you want from your dog.

A very hard point in training is keeping a level head. When you have had a long day and you are tired it is very frustrating when the dog does not comply with your command and you become angry. This is the time when some dog owners say that the dog just can’t be trained or I am not good enough to train my dog. If this happens to you then don’t give up but wait until another time when you are more rested and can have more patience with your training. Keep in mind that your dog will not be trained in one day and that taking your time and having patience will get the job done in the end. Keeping a level head is a basic you don’t want to overlook.

A very important part of training your dog is giving a reward for following your commands. The reward part of training will help build a relationship between you and your dog. Now you don’t want to give your dog a treat or food on every command because this is unhealthy for the dog and will build a habit in the dog that you don’t want. When you are training, give the dog a “Good Boy” or “Good Girl” if they follow your command and remember to be consistent. You could even let the dog play with a favorite toy for doing well and you will always want to show affection for your dog. The reward you give will build a relationship and make other training much easier.

What you need to remember is consistency, patience and rewards as a way to start training your dog with success.

Thanks to a last minute effort by Congress in December, President Bush extended the Tuition and Fees Deduction for one more year. However, while the opportunity has been viewed as a yearlong Christmas present for some of the 4.7 million families with students in college, for many – all that glitter won’t produce any gold!

As luck would have it, the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, which revived the Tuition and Fees Deduction, has three roadblocks obstructing taxpayers:

1. For those who are eligible to take the deduction, there is nothing on the 1040 indicating how or where to take it;

2. Those unaware of it, and most families are, will miss the opportunity entirely; and

3. Hundreds of thousands of taxpayers who previously took or will take the deduction would save substantially more by taking an Education Credit instead!

For a taxpayer to actually take the deduction, they must physically write in a ‘T’ on Line 35 of the 1040, and if they are also claiming a deduction for ‘Domestic production activities,’ they must also write in a ‘B’ and “attach a breakdown showing the amounts claimed for each deduction.

According to an IRS spokesman, Publication 600, which explains in detail how to take the Sales Tax Deduction, will be mailed to the 3.5 million households who took it last year. However, this document makes no mention of how to take the deduction for educator expenses (on Line 23 write in ‘E’), and noticeably absent is any reference to the subject in question.

As usual, misinformation is rampant as demonstrated by this quote from an AP story: “The IRS said the deduction for tuition and fees can be claimed on Form 1040, line 35, ‘Domestic production activities deduction,’ by entering ‘T’ on the dotted line to the left of that line.”

Regrettably, there are no dotted lines for Line 35 – they’re on Line 34 and Line 36! And with 4.7 million families affected, there is no way to guarantee that everyone who is entitled to a deduction will actually receive it. Only time will tell, and families will have three years to amend returns if this information reaches them in time…

Reecy Aresty has been a financial advisor since 1977, and is founder and president of College Assistance, Inc., located in Boca Raton, Florida. He is the author of “How To Pay For College Without Going Broke,” an invaluable, critically acclaimed, parent/student manual, (updated from its previous edition, “Getting Into College And Paying for It!”). Arguably the most revealing book ever written on college admissions and financial aid, it is also the only book of its kind available in Spanish. For the past 28 years, Reecy has helped thousands of families send their kids to the college of their choice for less than they ever dreamed possible. For more information on admissions & financial aid, and to checkout the best college book on the market today, please visit: Paylessforcollege.com

One of my clients recently asked me the following question…

“So I have the new prospects and I send them ‘Good to meet you’ cards. In three months I send them another card … then what? How do I develop and build relationships with busy interior designers so they’ll think of me for decorative painting?

Building Relationships Takes Dedication and Frequency

In marketing, it’s all about frequency. Sending out a “good to meet you card” is great, but waiting three months is way too long. By that time, your prospect has probably already forgotten about you.

The 3-10x Rule

Did you know that you need to hit your prospects at least 3 to 10 times in order to get their attention and move them to action? Maybe even more. So, it’s crucial that you set up a marketing system that allows you to repeatedly follow-up with your prospects at least this many times.

There’s a reason when someone subscribes to my email list that they receive three email messages within the first 7 days. And, there’s a reason I take the time to write and distribute this Ezine every single week.

It’s because I know that even if my subscribers don’t read every issue, I am reminding them every single week that I am here, sharing valuable information and letting them know I am available to help them with their marketing, if they are ready for some help.

You Must Provide Value

In my experience, the best way to build relationships is by providing value. While sending the occasional postcard or promotional letter may serve to remind your prospects about your product or service, it won’t do much to build a relationship with them.

You must provide them with valuable information. Maybe my subscriber who wrote in with the question about following up could send out weekly, biweekly or monthly tips on decorating. Maybe it’s a quick painting or color tip or trend. Or, maybe it’s educational information about decorative painting.

Your Prospects Buy When They’re Ready, Not When You Are

It is important to remember that just because you are ready to sell your product or service, does not mean your prospect is ready to buy it. They’ll buy when THEY are ready or have an imminent need for what you are offering. Until that time, your job is to provide value, educate them and remind them you are there and available whenever they are ready.

Don’t Worry About Being A Pest

If you are providing value, you really don’t have to worry about following up too often. If however, you are only following up to ask for the sale, you’ll become a pest relatively quickly.

And regardless, you will lose some prospects along the way. People will no longer be interested in what you offer or they may not want to hear from you. But consider this … if they don’t want to hear from you, odds are they weren’t going to buy from you either. If they ask to be removed from your list, they’re just helping you out by improving the quality of your list.

So don’t take it personally. Remember it’s just business.

It Takes Time … Sometimes a LONG Time

I have had people on my list for over a year before they decide to purchase anything. And, I know that some people on my list may never make a purchase. That’s why having an automated way to follow up (like a weekly Ezine) is so important. Because it doesn’t take any more effort on my part to follow up with 10 people or 10,000 people.

Your Marketing Step

Take a look at your follow-up system this week. How often are you following up with your prospects? Do you have a system that ensures they hear from you repeatedly? Is that system automated? Are you providing value?

Make sure you are not stopping after one, two or even three contacts. Create a long-term follow-up system that provides lots of value to your prospects and start building relationships for the long haul.

It may take some time to “prime the pump” as they say, but before long this process will start delivering paying clients to you on a consistent basis.

Debbie LaChusa created
The 10stepmarketing System to make marketing your own business as simple as answering 10 questions. Learn more about this unique, step-by-step system and get a free
Marketing E-Course when you subscribe to the free, weekly 10stepmarketing Ezine at http://www.10stepmarketing.com

Your credit report can have a great deal of impact on your purchases and other financial transactions. Purchasing a new home, qualifying for loans, buying a car, applying for credit cards - even getting an education can be affected by your credit.

When you’re looking for any kind of loan or financing, your credit status will play a big part in how good (or bad) of a deal you’ll get. The better your credit report, the better rate you’ll get. Of course, the opposite is just as true - to the point where bad credit might prevent you from getting financing at all.

Your credit report includes a score that indicates how creditworthy you are - how much of a risk you’ll be, to look at it from the lender’s point of view. This score is determined by your financial history - do you make payments on time, have you missed payments, have you ever declared bankruptcy, etc.

The FTC mandates that all consumers are entitled to one free credit report each year. This gives you the opportunity to review your report for errors and correct any mistakes that you might find. This free credit report can be obtained online at no cost to you. There are many services and websites that offer credit reports, but often for a fee.

Your credit report includes information such as your place of employment, birthday, a list of all your creditors, credit applications (approved or not), foreclosures and bankruptcies.

This information comes from a variety of sources, so there is always a chance an error can find its way onto your report. Reviewing your report annually will help to ensure that these errors are caught and can be corrected to keep your credit report clean.

Find out more about your credit score and how to receive your free credit report on the Debtopedia website. Plus, sign up for our free newsletter and receive a free copy of our special report The Secrets of Credit Card Debt. Visit http://www.debtopedia.com to learn more.

Prolific and Prophetic Poems to Revolutionize Your World

The love of people must surpass our love of power. We must remember we are all interrelated and interconnected as one. None of us are as strong as all of us. Together we all accomplish more. Divided we fall apart and destroy ourselves.

There is nothing new under the sun. Wars have been fought throughout time. Peacemakers however who transcended the killing instinct and unified people have proven to be timeless. Their words still speak to us today providing wisdom and guidance.

Love for humanity moved great liberators, reformers, and pioneers throughout history. Much can be learned from them. In a world where competition and negativity thrive, we need fresh inspiration to empower us. Where consumerism, consumption, and corporation nation have captivated us, we need truth to cut us free.

Geopolitically the self-willed foreign policy of nations has caused much evil. The American way has led to unnecessary deaths throughout the globe. It is time politicians seek the global good rather than plundering the planet for petrodollars and arms contracts.

The power of disagreement provides enlightenment, while challenging our ideological orbit. When ultimatums replace options and alternatives, the power of diplomacy is severed along with our international influence. Constructive dialogue however paves the way for reconciliation and peaceable conflict resolution.

Military invasion and occupation creates rather than eliminates terrorism. Militaristic campaigns never win the battle for the hearts and minds of humanity, neither do they provide for posterity a meaningful legacy. Love, liberation, and reconciliation is what the world needs.

Paul Davis is a worldwide minister and peacemaker. Paul’s compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul builds dreams, breaks limitations, and reconciles nations.

Paul Davis is a masterful poet, prolific writer, prophetic speaker, and worldwide minister. His book Poems That Propel The Planet is about love, liberation, and reconciliation. His organization Dream-Maker Inc. is building dreams, breaking limitations, and reviving nations.

Paul Davis is a life purpose and love coach (professional & relational), worldwide minister, change master, and FL real estate agent.

Paul is the author of several books including Poems That Propel the Planet; Breakthrough for a Broken Heart; Adultery: 101 Reasons Not to Cheat; Are You Ready for True Love; ; Waves of God; Supernatural Fire; Poems that Propel the Planet; and God vs. Religion.

Paul’s compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul has served in many war-torn, impoverished and tsunami stricken regions of the earth. His Dream-Maker Inc. is building dreams, breaking limitations & reviving nations.

Paul’s Breakthrough Seminars inspire, revive, awaken, impregnate with purpose, impart the fire of desire, catapult people into a new level of self-awareness, facilitate destiny discovery and dream fulfillment.

Contact Paul to speak at your event or for life coaching:

RevivingNations@yahoo.com, 407-284-1705.

http://www.DreamMakerMinistries.com

http://www.CreativeCommunications.TV