Monday, December 31, 2007

Ten Secrets to Planning a Successful Wedding Your Friends Will Envy

By Terrica Skaggs Youve got the dress. Youve got the man. The caterers booked, along with the photographer and the D.J. Are you still worried about your wedding day? Will your guests enjoy themselves? Most importantly, will you enjoy yourself? After all, it is your day! Whether you have the next year or a limited time for your wedding, your event can still be just as spectacular as those seen in the magazines and TV Shows. Yes, you can impress your family and friends with your celebrity-style wedding. I am going to show you how. 1.) Remember Your Guests. Your family and friends will have gone to some expense to enjoy your nuptials with you. Make sure that you show your appreciation and include themguests like to feel like they belong. If you have a lot of out-of-town guests, be sure to provide them with a welcome basket in their rooms. This can be done on your own (or you can buy pre-made) by adding inexpensive staples and mementos of your host city. If you opt not to provide a basket or gift for your guests, at least supply them with an itinerary. Guests who come to another city for a weekend for only one event will want to see more of you and share in your wedding events. Inviting them to your rehearsal dinner or a post-wedding brunch is a very kind and generous gesture. 2.) Get a Theme. When a bride comes to me, one of the first questions I ask is What is your theme? When they say they dont have one, I must admit, part of me knows this will be an uphill battle. Ever heard of the saying, If you stand for nothing youll fall for anything? The same is true with themes. If you dont have one, you will find yourself (subconsciously) with five different unrelated things in your wedding. Its horrid. Pick a theme. The theme doesnt have to be biglook at who you and your fianc are. What are your hobbies? What do you do for a living? Golden Age of Hollywood, Mardi Gras Masquerade, Country, Mediterranean, etc. The possibilities are endless! And just to simplify it, yes, your colors can be a theme. However, you must consistent. If your theme is going to be green and pink, decide on what shades and stick to itno forest, chartreuse, lime and mint all over the place. Were at a wedding, not a kaleidoscope. Should you pick colors, try to pick a maximum of three and make sure that they complement each other. Try to pick in-season colors as wellpastel pink at a November/December wedding is a bit odd. Your theme will pull your whole event togetherfrom food to favors, everything will coordinate in style. 3.) Dcor. Even if your place is low on the totem pole of venues, you can still make it look like a million bucks. Are you wishing that Christopher Lowell or Martha Stewart could come in and work their magic? They canpick up an interior decorating book at your local bookstore or library. Pay attention to lines, textures and silhouettes. How do they make you feel? Is that what you want to convey at your wedding? Implement things like flowers, candles, sashes, seashells, etc. into your dcor. You will save money but also give your theme some authenticity. Find out from your venue what type of restrictions you are working under (i.e., no open flame, etc.). If you have some money to play around with, invest in some props to go with your theme or a lighting and staging company to help bring it all together. 4.) Get Personal. Being unique definitely sets you apart in the minds of your guests. Step out of the ordinary with personal vows and toasts. Share your relationship with your guestsname your assigned tables after places that you and your fianc have traveled, favorite foods, movies, etc. Display pictures as centerpieces and to spruce up a cake or gift table. Celebrate who you both are by incorporating ethnic and family traditions. For example, if you have a very close relationship with your extended family, and your guest list is small, opt for the American/Family style dinnerswhere the dishes are sat in the middle of the table and guests serve themselves. If your culture calls for a special wedding dress, have the best of both worlds and wear your gown to your ceremony and your traditional dress to your reception. Include your guests in ethnic rituals like jumping the broom, the Hindu vermillion powder ritual, etc. Guests love to see picture shows! These are very easy to do, and give your guests an opportunity to get to know you. 5.) Dont Skip the Cocktail Hour. While you are off being in love and grasping the concept that you are a Mrs., your guests are left at your reception site awaiting your arrival. Be generous and have sumptuous treats to greet them. Create an environment conducive to mingling and conversation with soft music playing in the background. You do want people to get to know each other and talkso dont blast it. Opt for Jazz classics, songs that make people feel like they are at something important. Another thing you should definitely consider springing for is extra wait staff. It is quite a hassle to have to repeatedly go to the bar, and once there wait in line. It also adds a sense of refinement to your event with butlered drinks being passedit makes your guests feel important. Here is a chance to incorporate your personality by having a signature drink passed and available at the bar. Put up a little sign in a silver plated frame explaining the significance. Your guests will feel included and also get the chance to try something new! 6.) Dont Skimp on the Food! Food and drink make the event. Good food and drinks make the party! I understand that budgets are limited, but there is no need to have your 300 guests fighting over Ritz crackers and spray cheese at your 7:00 p.m. reception. The reception (including food) should take a big chunk out of your budgetand it should show. If it doesnt what it will show is that you are cheap, and your guests will leave to find food elsewhere mid-reception. Who wants to stay at a party hungry? If your choices and funds are tight, ask your caterer what they can do to help you out. Ask if you can provide your own recipes (pick up a nice cocktail book. I personally love Cocktail Food by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford with Lori Lyn Narlock). Bulk up on the presentationthat may mean for you, no ice sculpture or five foot eagle made out of lox, but you could add fresh flowers and candles. Add variety with themed stations, convenience with buffets and elegance with plated dinners. 7.) Have Assigned Seating. I know a lot of planners are against this, but it does work out better for your guests. Of course keep your couples together, but do encourage single guests to get to know others at the reception. I have seen where there has not been assigned seating, a single guest finds his/her way back to their seat to find someones coat or purse in their seat with five people talking that all know each other. A bit intimidating. 8.) Thats Entertainment. Whatever you choosea band or a DJ, make sure that they mesh with you and your personality. You also want them to reflect the overall theme and formality of the group (for example, no harpist at a country western wedding). When interviewing a DJ, ask to see pictures from prior events, if available. What does their guest pool look like? Is it similar to the one that will be at your own wedding? What does their selection and library consist of? You will need someone who is not too low-key that they put everyone to sleep, and not so over-the-top that they want to rush to the nearest exit. You need a professional to gauge and tempt the crowd. Definitely make sure that you keep music playing through their breaks. The dead silence will definitely murder the fun at your party. 9.) Get the Party Started. Nobody likes to be the first on the dance floor. But it is your party! You will be the center of attention, as you should be, and everyone will follow your lead. If you get up and dance, your guests will too. While your DJ maybe fantastic, your guests know youyour excitement will be contagious and they will not be able to resist joining in. Make sure that you are social. Instead of the boring receiving line, you and your new husband can go from table to table to say your hellos and thank yous. 10.) Get Help. It is always fun to meet someone who wants to hear about your weddingall the time. Get your creative juices flowing, take advantage of vendor discounts and learn secrets of the industry by enlisting the help of a professional wedding planner. Everyone will have a job to do at your wedding. Yours will be to be the bride and to enjoy the first few hours of married life with your family and friends. While you may think you can handle an emergency during your wedding, more likely you cannot. Definitely enlist the help of a wedding planner to do your Day Of coordination. Terrica Skaggs is the Senior Wedding Consultant for Once Upon Your Wedding, a event planning company in the Golden Isles of Georgia. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terrica_Skaggs http://EzineArticles.com/?Ten-Secrets-to-Planning-a-Successful-Wedding-Your-Friends-Will-Envy&id=163530 phentermine 37.5 no prescription required phentermine com online order phentermine 37.5 mg phentermine usa pharmacy
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Sunday, December 30, 2007

CV Writing - Write a Perfect CV

By Sally Griffiths Your CV is a gateway to getting an interview for that ideal job. It is your opportunity to provide a good first impression but you only have two sides of A4 paper in which to do it. It is not surprising then that most people have trouble getting started. Firstly, you need to know what the employer is thinking. The employer suddenly has a vacancy. Filling the vacancy is going to take up valuable time that he would rather spend doing his normal job. He would love to find the perfect person immediately rather than plough through hundreds of CVs. It is often a dull, thankless task. The employer has a job description in front of him. It includes experience or qualifications that are essential for the job and some attributes that are desirable but not absolutely necessary. He starts going through the pile of CVs on his desk. He scans each one for about 30 seconds and makes a judgement. He simply hasnt got time to read the CV that is more than two pages and all the relevant information is hidden in long paragraphs. - He files it in the bin. Fancy formatting, coloured text or multiple fonts do not impress him. Is this person trying to hide their lack of experience for the job behind an artistic CV? He files it in the bin. He notices spelling mistakes and poor punctuation. This person is just sloppy! He files the CV in the bin. He breaths a sigh of relief, the pile on his desk is smaller already. He makes another coffee and then starts reading. This should tell you a few things about writing your CV. Keep it concise and to the point. The employer needs to see your work experience, skills and achievements in the first 30 seconds of scanning your CV. He knows what he is looking for. You have what he is looking for. Dont distract him from your relevant skills by adding in lots of unnecessary information. Keep it simple. Plain formatting, simply laid out under headings. The employer wants to see exactly when, where and what you have done. Fancy formatting makes your CV difficult to read. It may make your CV stand out from the rest but for the wrong reasons. Keep checking your english. Good spelling, punctuation and grammar are essential. It is the first step in your personal presentation to an employer. It says a lot about you. Also, poor english distracts the employer from reading the content of your CV. Now the content: Contact details should be displayed on the first page. When he decides to invite you to interview you want him to see immediately how to contact you before he changes his mind! Personal details should be limited to those that are absolutely necessary. Most employers expect to see your nationality and date of birth but you can choose to leave these out if you think they may go against you. Other personal details such as number of dependents, driving license and marital status can be included if it is not going to make your CV too long by including them. These can help employers to get a rounded picture of the person they are going to interview. Do not include names and ages of children or name of spouse. The employer is not interested at this stage. Interests can be included but only in one or two lines. It may provide a starting point at interview for general conversation before getting down to serious questions about your work experience. It also gives a rounded picture of you without taking up too much space on the CV. Profile is positioned prominently in your CV and should be used to sell yourself in one paragraph. It is an opportunity to sum up your skills, experience and general suitability for the job for which you are applying. Career History or Work Experience. The heading you use depends on the length of time you have been in fulltime employment. If you have recently left school or university you should use the heading Work Experience and include all placements, paid and unpaid work. If you have been in fulltime employment for the last two jobs this should be under the heading of Career History. Do not use both headings in the CV. Whichever heading you use you must include dates, name and location of company and a brief description of what your job entailed including all the positive contributions you made to the company. Education should be described in terms of selling yourself to the employer. Include all relevant courses, dates passed and name of school or college. But, leave out poor grades and failures. These will not help you get invited for interview. If you have a university degree you can leave out all of your lower qualifications. Mature applicants may want to leave out Education altogether, as your career history and skills are probably more important. Skills can be described under three headings: Technical Skills, Professional Courses and Additional Skills. Technical skills are those related to a technical, mechanical or engineering job. You need to list your skills and how recently you have used them e.g. Java Programming used in the last 3 years. Professional Courses are those that you have attended specifically for a particular job e.g. sales courses, hairdressing. Additional skills are anything else that may be relevant e.g. languages, keyboard skills, health and safety courses. Finally: Make it easy for him! Remember, the employer has very little time. He doesnt know you yet and is only interested in what you can offer him and his company. Make it easy for him to: Scan your CV, Identify that you have the skills he is looking for. Pick up the phone to invite you in for an interview. E & O E - Copyright 2005 CVwriting.net CV Writing - How to Write a CV - We show you how to write a CV in minutes. Professional CV writing at a fraction of the price. Full instructions and helpful tips. Telephone support and Web CV options for your complete CV writing solution Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sally_Griffiths http://EzineArticles.com/?CV-Writing—Write-a-Perfect-CV&id=77607 buying phentermine online phentermine with online doctor buy phentermine by cod buy phentermine online saturday delivery
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Saturday, December 29, 2007

The Power of Stories

By Maggie Dennison One of the most engaging ways to talk about your business is by telling stories about your clients and how you helped them. Most of us love to tell and hear stories. When you describe how you helped a client, you are planting seeds in the mind of your listener or reader about what is possible. As your tale unfolds, she may start thinking “Wow, that’s just the situation I’m in” or “I could use that kind of help.” Your stories dont have to portray large-scale or dramatic turnarounds. If youve had those kind of results by all means use them but a short, simple tale can also get your message across. Here are a couple of tips to help you come up with some stories. 1. Pick one of your best clients or most successful projects. 2. Define the problem the client had or the situation she was in when she came to you for help. 3. Talk about the solution you offered to solve her problem. 4. Then let the reader know the outcome you achieved for your client. Be very specific at each stage so that the reader knows exactly what you do and how you can help her. Describe concrete events and actions, rather than talking about concepts. People dont buy concepts, they buy results, so be careful not to get too eloquent about the philosophy of why you did what you did. Theres a time and place for that and this is not it because it will take away from the impact of your accomplishments. There are many ways to use these kinds of stories in your marketing. As case studies on your website. In any of your marketing materials. When talking to potential clients at networking meetings. Any time you’re tempted to use the boring old “I do xyz” line. Go through this process for a number of clients or projects. Then when youre writing or talking to a potential client, you can pull out the story thats most relevant to her situation so that she begins to see herself in your story and knows that she needs to hire you. Maggie Dennison provides marketing and writing solutions for sole entrepreneurs and small businesses. She helps them streamline and simplify their marketing and find hidden profits in their businesses, and she writes compelling marketing materials that have clients clamoring to know more. She is the author of “11 Steps To Marketing Materials That Get You Clients NOW!” (available on her website). Maggie holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Psychology, and is fascinated with what triggers people to do the things they do. Pick up a free report at her website http://www.MyMarketingMessage.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maggie_Dennison http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Power-of-Stories&id=578738 buy phentermine ship cod phentermine no doctor prescription pharmacy phentermine 37.5 where to buy phentermine without a prescription
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Friday, December 28, 2007

Diet and Exercise - And a Whole Lot of Confusion

By Vickie Adair In 1962, 13.4 percent of American adults were classified as obese, but by 2000, 30.5 percent were in that fat group, me included. There were few diet books in the sixties and even fewer exercise books. It was, however, in the sixties that the diet craze began, and I went on my first fad diet at 115 pounds. I was so much fatter than Twiggy! I lost 10 pounds after a month of eating nothing but meat, eggs, and cheese. The curious thing was that when I went off the diet my weight went up to 125 pounds within a month. But, I was not without hope because the number of books and fad diets available were growing exponentially. Today, I went to Amazon.com and did three topic searches (books only): the word “diet” generated 8,013 book titles, “Exercise” generated 21,371, and “Fitness” generated 7,699. Then, I went to Google and searched for “Overweight America;” this search returned 12,600,000 web sites in 0.19 seconds. Obviously, lots of writers have jumped on the diet and exercise bandwagon, and I have a myriad of diets and exercise plans to choose from for my next diet and fitness program. Maybe, there’s a real need for such a variety, since every year more that 50 million Americans go on a diet, possibly for the first time, possibly just a different one from last year. All this dieting generates somewhere around $40 billion dollars for the diet industry through money spent on diet food, books, videos, fitness clubs, etc. With this kind of money at stake, we are all hearing fantastic claims about every new diet book that hits the market, but how do we evaluate all the hype and the underlying principles of the various diet plan which range from high-carb to low-carb, from vegetarian to strictly protein, from unique combinations of foods to calorie counting. And, the advice out there on exercise and fitness has just as much variety and contradictory claims. So, how can I possibly sort out the right information and pick the diet and exercise program that is finally going to make me thin, limber, strong, and twenty years younger? I have some ideas about this that I have been incorporating into my own life. First, I had some criteria for personal success: Any diet that would work for me for a life time would have to include all the food groups; the meals would need to be quick and easy; one shopping trip a week to one store would have to be adequate for all food purchases. Any exercise program would have to fit into my already very limited spare time and be physically possible for a sedentary senior citizen. Heres what I came up with: I researched for a well balanced diet that utilized all food groups; I choose a lot of ideas and foods from the Sonoma Diet then made my own modifications for less preparation and cook time and for my personal taste preferences some food substitutions. I calculated how many calories I would burn on an average day at my weight and level of activity I assumed I would live with; then made sure my consumption of calories was lower than my average burn rate. I consulted with a personal trainer about incorporating exercise into my daily life: exercises I could do at my desk at work, exercises I could perform while shopping, and movements I could make while doing housework, laundry, cooking, etc. (I personally dont have time to set aside an hour or so a day for an exercise program.) I started reading all labels to make sure I was not eating trans fats or harmful chemicals, dyes, etc. that is added to a number of packaged foods. I have made this my permanent lifestyle not a diet or program to lose weight. This means if Im not 100% for a meal or a daythat was just a special occasion. I added an all natural liquid vitamin. I have been following my new lifestyle for a couple of months now, so I can safely say that this is a lifestyle that I can make permanent, and it seems to be working great. I feel better than I have felt in decades. Ive lost about thirty pounds and three clothes sizes, and I can move better than I have been able to since high school. What I suggest for everyone is that each individual read up on eating and foodswhats healthy and whats not. Modify whatever diet best fits a total lifestyle change. Now, its not a diet, its just what you eat all the time, except special occasions. Adjust the calorie count by how much energy your body uses, calculated by weight and level of activity. Find someway to increase your activity. If youre one of those people who can go to a gym everyday, then more power to you: thats what you should do. Some people like to go for an hour walk everyday, just for the purpose of walking, and others like to swim everyday. I think most people may be like me, however, and need to simply incorporate exercise into the things that already fill their days. Whatever your fitness needs and goals, start with knowledge, then take charge of your own lifestyle changes that fit youthat way it lasts a lifetime. Vickie Adair is the senior technical writer at Media A-Team (http://www.mediaateam.com) and also publishes as a freelance writer. She writes for several websites such as http://www.booksisters.com, a website for readers of self-help books, and http://www.natural-products-directory.com, a directory of online business that sell or manufacture organic and/or natural products. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vickie_Adair http://EzineArticles.com/?Diet-and-Exercise—And-a-Whole-Lot-of-Confusion&id=505272 canadian pharmacy phentermine cheap phentermine com phentermine for sale without prescription online pharmacy phentermine no prescription
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Thursday, December 27, 2007

Unique Groomsmen Gifts

By Damian Sofsian The rendering of groomsmen gifts is an acknowledged ceremony that forms part of the wedding etiquette, particularly in Western culture. Literally, groomsmen gifts are those gifts that serve as tokens of the groom’s appreciation of his groomsmen. Traditionally, groomsmen gifts are intended for every single man that has taken part in the wedding entourage. Even the youngest ring, coin, or bible bearers are remembered. Appropriate groomsmen gifts for different persons matter. What are their likes? In what activities are they usually engaged? What is his lifestyle? The answers to these key questions help the groom decide on what particular groomsmen gift he should bestow upon a certain individual. Groomsmen gifts must match the personality of the person. It is, however, a major concern that the groomsmen gift resembles at the appreciation that the groom would like to express to his groomsmen. The giving of the unique groomsmen gifts is best done in private as each male friend or each male person who has taken part in the wedding entourage will receive something which is unlike the other. Groomsmen gift ideas may include a classic straight razor for a male friend who fondly attends to his grooming, a set of knives for someone who likes to do kitchen chores, a set of pans or barbecuing tools for someone who loves to cook, manicure kits for a male friend who makes maintaining clean nails a business, leather-bound stainless steel flasks and other items with the recipient’s name engraved on it are great. There are so many unique groomsmen gifts that the groom can opt for, and the groomsmen will surely remember it forever. Saying “thank you” to male friends can be done in various ways. The channeling of one’s appreciation always finds a way. Groomsmen Gifts provides detailed information on Groomsmen Gifts, Unique Groomsmen Gifts, Groomsmen Gift Ideas, Best Groomsmen Gifts and more. Groomsmen Gifts is affiliated with Wedding Gift Ideas. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Damian_Sofsian http://EzineArticles.com/?Unique-Groomsmen-Gifts&id=278215 phentermine prescription purchase phentermine with mastercard purchase phentermine without a prescription is it legal to buy phentermine online
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Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Phone Cards - Reading the Fine Print

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Christine_Peppler]Christine Peppler Although traditional cell phone plans offer the most economical calling for most cell phone users based on their lower per minute cost, there are certainly other options. Prepaid phone cards are one of the alternatives. By eliminating any deposits, credit checks, commitments, and monthly fees, prepaid cards can be a good choice for international travelers, infrequent users, and those with poor or no credit history. Anyone purchasing a phone card might also want to be aware of some of their quirkier characteristics as well. To understand charges and how things will be billed, buyers need to be sure to read the fine print on the card and its packaging. Within this text should be an explanation of a few of the little extras and surprises that can crop up unexpectedly if buyers don’t study these details regarding a prospective prepaid phone card. What does a minute cost? Certainly the first question is the per minute cost of calling. Rates tend to be higher outside of traditional cell phone plans. This is the cost of avoiding commitments, deposits, monthly fees, and credit checks. Is a minute really a minute? Obviously, the per minute rate is a primary consideration just as with any cell phone plan. But knowing how a minute is billed is important also. Some cards will round billing out in 2 or 3 minute increments; thus, although a given call might only last 1 minute, that very call may consume 3 minutes of calling time. Without being aware of the strange math behind the billing of a particular phone card, a user would be unable to solve the mystery of evaporating talk time. Connection fees, maintenance fees, and taxes oh my! Reading further, users may discover that not only is there the per minute rate to consider but also a handy connection fee which is charged every time they hook up with someone. The amount varies from card to card, but can be significant. Other cards tack on a maintenance fee; these are often added on monthly throughout the active life of the card. The description on the card may also explain any applicable tax or additional fees that may come up. Your time is up! One final thing to be aware of is the time limit on using the minutes on a card. Many cards have a set period of time in which minutes are to be used; after this point in time the minutes are forfeited. Being aware of these time limits can assure users don’t find themselves without calling time when they least expect it. Prepaid phone cards are certainly a convenience and an appropriate choice in a number of situations. However, cell phone users need to become acquainted with the details outlined on the card and packaging to assure they understand the true cost of using them. Christine Peppler is the webmaster of [http://www.homemedias.info]http://www.homemedias.info, a site dedicated to assisting consumers in evaluating and finding products and services which will best meet their needs. Learn more about [http://www.homemedias.info]cell phone plans by visiting her site. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Peppler http://EzineArticles.com/?Phone-Cards—Reading-the-Fine-Print&id=509533 no prescription saturdaydelivery tramadol generic order ultram cheap tramadol buy buy cheap ultram
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Sunday, December 23, 2007

Geraniums Galore - A Container Garden Delight

By Mary Hanna All over the country, geraniums flaunt their red and scarlet, rose, pink, and white blooms with a gay abandon that few other plants can rival. In boxes on city fire escapes and rooftops, in window boxes on suburban and country houses, in tubs and pots on terraces and patios, and in hanging baskets of the porches of summer cottages, they are beloved and cherished plants It needs sun to bloom; it tolerates shade, where it is usually handled as a foliage plant. What it resents is too much moisture and a rich diet. Kept too wet, the leaves turn yellow; given a heavy soil, one high in nitrogen plants go to foliage and flower sparingly. Even if you choose no other plants, you could have a varied potted garden of single and double zonal, fancy-leaved or variegated, scented-leaved, ivy and Lady or Martha Washington geraniums (also called show or fancy geraniums), not to mention a few oddities of cactus and climbing types. The zonal geranium is characterized by dark circular markings on the rounded green leaves. Double types dominate the trade and are offered by florists in the spring for planting in gardens and window boxes. Variegated geraniums, with leaves that are often brilliantly colored, are attractive even out of bloom. Set among green-leaved geraniums and other foliage plants, pots of the variegated plants add color and pattern. The trailing, ivy-leaved geraniums are among the most profuse flowering when grown under favorable conditions. They dislike shade and high humidity and thrive best in climates with warm days and cool nights, as in California. Lady Washingtons, considered the handsomest of geraniums, are not so easy to grow. Like the ivy-leaved, they prefer cool nights and warm, sunny days, preferring shelter from wind and all-day sun. If you are a geranium gardener, you may want to spark your pot plant collection with some cactus and climbing geraniums. They will give you bizarre and fascinating forms and flowers and are certain to arouse comment. Geraniums flourish and look well in pots, boxes, and planters. They thrive in various soil mixtures if drainage is good. For abundant bloom, however, supply a special preparation, not high in nitrogen, or lush foliage and few blooms will result. I have success with good garden soil and a sprinkling of a 5-10-5 fertilizer and bone meal. During the growing season, plants respond to a low-nitrogen fertilizer in liquid form. When potting, be generous with drainage material to insure free passage of water. As with any plant, always water with care, since too much or not enough can be harmful. The best rule is to water when the surface of the soil feels dry. Then soak the soil well and do not water again until plants need it. If soil is kept too wet, leaves will turn yellow; if too dry they wilt and discolor. To maintain even plant growth, turn containers from time to time. Remove yellow leaves and faded blossoms which are especially distracting on plants at doorways or any other key spots. If rain rots and disfigures the center florets of the heads, pull them off with your fingers, leaving the unmarred outer florets and buds. If you want plants for next spring, take two- to four-inch cuttings in August or early September. Look for mature stems (with leaves spaced close together) that break easily like a snap bean. Woody growth is hard to root and succulent tips tend to rot. Before planting spread out cuttings in a shady place for several hours so leaves will lose excess moisture. When ready to plant, cut off the lower leaves, allowing but two or three to each cutting. Also pull off the little wings on the stem, since they are inclined to rot. Dip stem ends in hydrated lime to prevent decay and then insert about halfway, in a flat or large pot of pure sand or a mixture of sand and peat moss. With geraniums, rooting powders are hardly necessary. When cuttings develop inch-long roots, they are ready for spacing out in another flat or for separate planting in 2-inch pots. Fill with a mixture of three parts sandy loam and one part peat moss or leaf mold. After planting, keep in the shade for the first few days, and bring indoors before cold weather. When the separated cuttings have developed strong root systems, shift to 3- or 4-inch pots. Use the same potting mixture as before, with bone meal added. Later as established plants begin to grow, feed periodically with a high phosphorous fertilizer, as 5-10-5 or 4-12-8. To keep plants bushy and to encourage branching, pinch while small, starting when they are three to four inches high. Provide sunny windows, and keep turning pots to prevent lopsided growth. Water regularly, but allow soil to dry out just a little between applications Plants may be wintered in cool cellars with little light. Remember only that the less light, the cooler the temperatures should be. This is because too much warmth and insufficient light cause lanky growth that undermines a healthy plant. Gardeners with cellars or sheds when temperatures remain above freezing, can winter geraniums hanging upside down from the ceiling. The dead-looking sticks, set out in pots or in the garden in warm weather, will astound you when they develop into glorious flowering plants. Copyright 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved. This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged. Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow her Container Gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Gardening and Cooking. You can contact her at mary@containergardeningsecrets.com Visit Marys websites at http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com, http://www.GardeningLandscapingTips.com, and http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Hanna http://EzineArticles.com/?Geraniums-Galore—A-Container-Garden-Delight&id=149586 order pharmacy tramadol buy ultram online can i buy ultram online buy online pain relief ultram
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Saturday, December 22, 2007

A Guide to Cell Phone Deals

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eric_Morris]Eric Morris With the increase in competition, cell phone service providers nowadays offer more and more attractive cell phone deals. This means that selecting the best cell phone plan may need some serious searching. The Internet is an excellent information resource for all sorts of cell phone deals. Many online services detail all aspects involved and act as a guide to cell phone deals. First determine the network that suits your area - CDMA, GSM, UMTS or TDMA. Then list the companies that provide good coverage in your area by evaluating coverage maps. Determine the type of plan you want to have. The employed can select a standard plan with a one or two year service contract. If you have no steady income, it is better to go in for short term plans or prepaid plans. Estimate the minutes needed. Look for plans that contain cheaper rates for extra minutes. Compare as many plans as possible, and carefully evaluate the services offered by different companies. Many websites provide comparisons between mobile phones, service coverage and service costs. Read customer reviews and ask friends about different companies. Make sure that the deal contains all services needed, including video on demand, games, news, sports and Bluetooth technology. The usual free services and gifts must be noted. Enquire about comprehensive rate plans such as long distance plans, minutes-per-month, unlimited evenings and weekends, and over-usage minutes. If you already are a subscriber of a cell phone company, make frequent enquiries about their new plans. Most firms extend great discounts to regular customers who join new plans. If your profession needs traveling a lot, select a regional mobile phone plan. Dealing a lot with long distance persons necessitates a discount long distance plan. One who takes up a family cell phone deal must consider the number of phones used. Select deals that offer free cell phones and free calls between the phones. Read the fine print carefully, especially about upgrading features, payment methods and penalties, if any. Always go in for free trials to make sure that the mobile phone has all the facilities mentioned. A recent ruling in the U.S allows customers to keep the same phone number even when they approach another service provider. [http://www.e-CellPhoneDeals.com]Cell Phone Deals provides detailed information on Cell Phone Deals, Best Cell Phone Deals, Free Cell Phone Deals, Cheap Cell Phone Deals and more. Cell Phone Deals is affiliated with [http://www.e-CellPhonePlans.com]Compare Cell Phone Plans. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Morris http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Guide-to-Cell-Phone-Deals&id=408016 prescription tylenol ultram without buy cheap tramadol 120 cod prescription medications ultram check ultram buy
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Friday, December 21, 2007

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Career Opportunities for New Graduates

By Josh Greenberg Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Career Opportunities for New Graduates This article relates to the Career Opportunities competency and explores issues such as internal growth opportunities, potential for advancement, career development importance, and the relationship between job performance and career advancement. Evaluating the Career Opportunities competency in your organization will determine whether your employees believe they have a chance to grow within the organization. Studies show that lack of career opportunity is one of the top reasons why employees leave an organization. Also, continually hiring open positions from outside the organization can be detrimental to morale when a qualified candidate is available internally. Topics covered in this competency are: perceived opportunity for advancement, existence of a career development plan, and organizational commitment to staff development. This article, Career Opportunities for New Graduates, is part of AlphaMeasure’s compilation, Tales From the Corporate Frontlines. It tells how a group of HR employees tried a new twist on an annual event and discovered ways to improve their company’s strategy for career development. Anonymous Submission I have spent the past 25 years working in the HR department of a large financial services company. Every spring, our department gets buried in a barrage of resumes and cover letters from fresh, talented graduates eager to begin their careers with our company. Every year, our hiring execs choose those that fit the company’s needs best at that particular moment in time. Obviously, businesses are eager to hire new, young, fresh workers. They are enthusiastic, intelligent, and eager to work hard and establish their careers. They are also relatively cheap, as any honest hiring exec will admit. But once these grads are hired, and begin their careers—then what? After noticing that after five years or so, very few of these graduation season new hires were still working with our company, we set out to find out why. We decided to try something different during this year’s interview process. As a little experiment, we added questions about what these new grads expected in terms of career development and advancement, and got some surprising answers. Following are a few of their biggest concerns— * Availability of career development programs. They consider training and mentoring to be a top priority. Realizing that college is only the beginning of their learning process, our interviewees want to know that the resources they need for professional growth are readily available. * Internal promotion vs. external hiring. Candidates are eager to follow a career path inside the company, and concerned that their path may be blocked by external hiring for desirable positions. They are willing to work their way up-as long as it’s possible. * A reasonable chance for upward mobility. As long as they feel that the opportunity for career advancement is possible, they will remain. But a huge fear is to be pigeonholed in a dead end situation. Once that happens, they would rather move on. These kids have invested time and money in their educations, and they are serious about getting the most from that investment. We performed this little experiment in conjunction with data obtained from a recent employee satisfaction survey showing how our current employees perceive opportunities for growth and advancement within the company. We took that data and compared it with what these young career candidates expected from a potential employer. We were able to zero in on problem areas and develop effective solutions. They weren’t aware of it at the time, but this year’s new recruits helped to shape the future of the company where they hope to build their careers. We hope they stay around to do just that. 2005 AlphaMeasure, Inc. - All Rights Reserved This article may be reprinted, provided it is published in its entirety, includes the author bio information, and all links remain active. Measure. Report. Improve your organization with an AlphaMeasure employee satisfaction survey. Josh Greenberg is President of AlphaMeasure, Inc. AlphaMeasure provides organizations of all sizes a powerful web based method for measuring employee satisfaction, determining employee engagement, and increasing employee retention. Launch your employee surveys with AlphaMeasure. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_Greenberg http://EzineArticles.com/?Tales-from-the-Corporate-Frontlines:-Career-Opportunities-for-New-Graduates&id=43957 buy ultram online at lowest price prescription junction online pharmacies hydrocodone ultram no prescription 180 ultram tramadol without prescription
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Thursday, December 20, 2007

Know Your Audience in Your Wedding Speech

By Alex Berez One of the most commonly overlooked aspects of wedding speech preparation is analyzing the audience. Professional speakers will tell you that they generally spend a good portion of their preparation time trying to understand who will be listening to them speak. The reason they do this is that having information about your audience is a valuable asset when you begin writing your speech. An audience analysis will tell you what to put in and what to leave out. Other factors related to the audience will give you an idea of how to effectively deliver your speech. In this chapter, we’ll explore why audience information is so important and how that information can help you create an excellent speech. Why Audience Information is Necessary for the Wedding Speech First, let me eliminate one misconception you might have about your audience. Some wedding speakers falsely believe that their main audience is just the bride and groom. That’s not the case. Your speech is actually being delivered to the entire wedding party and all of the wedding guests. You don’t want to forget those other people because their impression of your speech could also influence its reception by the bride and groom. For example, let’s say you chose to include an adult joke in the speech because you know the groom would find it funny. You’ve forgotten that his mother and grandmother are also in the audience and didn’t find it amusing at all, especially since many of their older friends were in attendance. Even though the groom may very well have loved your speech, he may not have liked the lecture he got from his mother because of it. You want to prevent problems that from arising. For that reason, you need to keep your speech audience-centered which means that as you are planning and preparing your speech, you are keeping the audience at the forefront of your mind. It means that when you make decisions related to your speech, you do so by thinking about how the audience would react, not just what you would prefer or what you think the newly married couple would prefer. Before you start throwing up your hands and saying the speech isn’t worth all this trouble, let me just remind you that this is nothing different than what you do in daily conversations already. When you talk to friends or co-workers, you do so by taking into consideration their beliefs and feelings. Unless you were extremely insensitive, you wouldn’t tell a friend who supports animal rights that you took a gun and killed a squirrel just for fun, for example. The reason is known as identification. Identification is a process in which speakers seek to create a bond with the audience by emphasizing common values, goals, and experiences. More simply put: when you are speaking to one or one hundred people you want to find some way of relating to them so that they’ll be more receptive to your speech. It also means that you’ll do your best not to say or do anything that would offend a large portion of your audience, unless your purpose is to shock them which is never a good idea in a wedding speech. As I explained already, you use identification every day as you communicate with the various people in your life. The only difference is that you normally aren’t even aware that you’re doing it. When you are planning the wedding speech, however, you have to be aware of it and focus on it. One last thing that you need to realize about audiences is that they are, by nature, egocentric. Egocentric simply means that they are focused on what concerns them most. Wedding Speeches bore them unless the content affects them directly. I’m telling you this not to scare you with the idea that all of your audience is going to be bored by your speech but to encourage you to include everyone in your speech in some way. Wedding guests are typically divided up into three main groups: family members, friends, and co-workers. If you include a mention of these groups in your speech, then you are more likely to keep their attention. You might say for example, Sherri and Kevin are blessed to be here in the presence of so many of their most treasured friends. I know I speak for them when I say we are thankful to have all of you here to help us celebrate this wonderful event. The audience’s egocentrism is also one reason why so many speakers resort to humor when it comes to wedding speeches. When you add jokes or tell funny stories about the bride and groom, the audience knows instinctively that you have put those elements into your speech for their benefit. You’re trying to entertain them and, if your humor is appropriate and effective, they will respond in a positive manner to your attempts. Keep in mind, however, that humor is not something everyone can do. Alex Berez is author of Wedding Speeches 101 http://www.TheWeddingSpeech.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Berez http://EzineArticles.com/?Know-Your-Audience-in-Your-Wedding-Speech&id=96120 prescription drug ultram information on order tramadol using cod buy ultram 120 pills buy prescription tramadol without
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