4 Effective Content Writing Tips

Writing for websites -- content, as it is called -- is an important task for webmasters. Your site must be current, relevant, and interesting in order to attract and retain visitors. The following are some tips I have successfully employed in order to keep my websites relevant:

1. Write with Passion. There is nothing worse than reading a dull article! If you aren't interested in what you are writing about, then please don't! Better yet: Join one of the excellent content producting sites on the internet. Ezinearticles is a leader in this category.

2. Write with Clarity and Brevity. Do your articles make sense? Are you using too many complicated and arcane terms? Remember, the internet is visited by people for whom English is not their primary language. In addition, our attention spans online are very short. Needlessly long, verbose articles will lose your reader's attention. If you lose your readers, you will lose readership [members]!

3. Write with Purpose. If you are trying to sell a product, then sell it. Stay focused on the subject at hand and do not go off into tangents. If there is something else you want to mention unrelated to the subject, then write another article. Link it to the primary article if they are related. Never confuse or frustrate your readers!

4. Write with Style. Everyone has their own style of writing. Effective content writing engages the reader and piques their interest. Write as if you are having a conversation with your readers. Why do you think blogs are so successful?

Every successful writer knows when to quit... writing that is. Your point[s] have been made and it is now time to come to a conclusion and allow your readers to absorb what was written. Just like I am doing now!

Matt writes on a variety of topics including, aviation related issues, business, travel, health, and finances. His two top performing websites are: Corporate Flight Attendant Community at http://www.corporateflyer.net and http://www.cabinmanagers.com and Aviation Employment Board at http://www.aviationemploymentboard.com

Beyond Time Management ? Seven Ways to Leverage Your Time for Greater Results

Most of us have a to-do list ? some of us have a very long one! While a to-do list is a valuable tool to help us stay on track for the urgent tasks of the day (and while there are many ways to improve your production and use of this list), that isn't the focus of this article.

This article isn't about managing your time. It is about taking the limited time resources we have and determining how to leverage that time for greater results in our lives. When we use a lever we use specific, correct actions to create great results. That is what we all want to do with our time --find the activities that will create greater results -- personal, professional, business, financial, or others in our lives.

To use this lever we have to go beyond our daily to-do list. This lever will require 30 or preferably 60 minutes of your time each day. Considering the returns (leverage) you will get on this investment, it will be time well spent.

Exercise. We all know it is important for our health. Exercise, whether it is walking, running, weights, or some other regimen, makes us more fit, creates energy, gives us time to be with our thoughts, and releases valuable enzymes into our bloodstream. This is a highly leveraged activity. We all know its benefits, but do we do it?

Engage in your hobby. Hobbies are opportunities to learn. They keep our minds, and in many cases our bodies, active. Hobbies allow us to divert our attention from the workings of our day and allow us practice focus on a single task. Most of all, hobbies create joy. Do you have a hobby that could be your greatest time lever?

Develop a new skill. Learn how to juggle. Play a new game. Pick up a musical instrument. Or paint landscapes. Perhaps this skill is related to your hobby (or will become your hobby), or is work related, it doesn't matter. Developing new skills keeps us learning, keeps our minds active and allows us to learn other things faster. What you learn about yourself and how to learn better is the great by-product of this activity.

Work on a goal. Do your short or long term goals get enough attention on your to-do list each day? How much progress would you make towards any goal in your life if you spent 30 ? 60 minutes on it each day? Invest the time, and see the power of leverage in action.

Read. Read for learning or read for pleasure. Read relating to your hobby, or your goal. Just read. Reading will provide opportunities to learn and see things in a new light. Reading keeps your mind active. Reading gives you new ideas and information to when solving problems. Reading gives your subconscious mind time to relax while you engage in a useful and enjoyable activity.

Think and write. Many of us don't take time to think. To think about our values, our beliefs, the challenges we face, the events of our day, or just to think.. Take time to reflect on your behavior, your results, your challenges ? take time to think so that you can go through your day in a more proactive, thought-filled way. Consider using a journal or your computer as a way to stimulate and help your thinking. What you write may be designed to be shared, or just designed for you. Thinking and writing go hand in hand. If no one ever reads what you write, the process of writing has clarified and strengthened your thinking.

Be present with your family or friends. This doesn't mean sitting in the same room watching television (or at least not only this!). Listen to them. Learn about their day. Show your caring through your actions. Use this time to get out of yourself and into the lives of others you care about.

Each of the suggestions above can be a lever to catapult us forward. Each will help you think clearer, plan better, learn more, create energy and generate greater focus. These are the reasons they are such highly leveraged activities!

You may be reading and saying, I wish I could do all of those things each day ? but that would be seven hours a day ? I wouldn't get anything else done! Drop that thought and focus. Let your intuition guide you to the one or two of these that you will do each day, or alternate days, that will have the greatest impact for you. Don't let the fact that you can't do them all keep you from doing the one or two that will be the greatest lever for you.

These are powerful levers to help you achieve greater joy satisfaction and results in your life. I wish you great success in applying them ? starting today.

Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. Kevin publishes Unleash Your Potential, a free weekly ezine designed to provide ideas, tools, techniques and inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp to learn more and subscribe.

Cisco Certification: Introduction To ISDN, Part V

The major reason I recommend getting your hands on real Cisco equipment rather than a simulator is that real Cisco routers give you the chance to practice and learn show and debug commands.

The knowledge you acquire from debugs is invaluable. Frankly, it???s this knowledge that puts you above the ???average??? CCNA who doesn???t have that hands-on experience. Watching debugs in action also gives you a head start on the CCNP. Since 90 ??" 95% of CCNAs go on to pursue the CCNP, it???s a great idea to get started with debugs now.

Don???t make the mistake of waiting until you???re studying for your CCNP and CCIE to start learning debugs and shows. The work you do for the CCNA is the foundation for everything you???ll do in the future.

Never, ever, ever practice debugs on a production network. There are debugs that will give you so much information that the router actually becomes overloaded and then locks up. Never practice debugs on a production network.

It???s important to know the proper show and debug commands for ISDN for several reasons. First, by watching ISDN in operation, you can see its processes and better understand what???s going on. Secondly, it???s difficult if not impossible to properly troubleshoot ISDN without knowing the proper show and debug commands. (It???s easy to overlook an ISDN authentication error just by looking at the configuration, but running debug ppp negotiation will quickly show you where the problem lies.)

Let???s take a look at the ISDN show and debug commands that every CCNA and CCNP should know.

Show ISDN Status

If you only know one ISDN show command, it???s got to be this one. Always use this command after configuring your ISDN switch type and any necessary SPIDs. The command will show you the switch type (and will also show you if you did not configure a switch type), and whether the SPIDs you entered are valid:

R1#show isdn status Global ISDN Switchtype = basic-ni < ISDN switch type is correctly configured.> ISDN BRI0 interface

dsl 0, interface ISDN Switchtype = basic-ni

Layer 1 Status:

ACTIVE

Layer 2 Status:

TEI = 91, Ces = 1, SAPI = 0, State = MULTIPLE_FRAME_ESTABLISHED

TEI = 92, Ces = 2, SAPI = 0, State = MULTIPLE_FRAME_ESTABLISHED

Spid Status:

TEI 91, ces = 1, state = 5(init)

spid1 configured, no LDN, spid1 sent, spid1 valid < SPID 1 is good.>

Endpoint ID Info: epsf = 0, usid = 1, tid = 1

TEI 92, ces = 2, state = 5(init)

spid2 configured, no LDN, spid2 sent, spid2 valid

Endpoint ID Info: epsf = 0, usid = 3, tid = 1

Layer 3 Status:

0 Active Layer 3 Call(s)

Activated dsl 0 CCBs = 0

The Free Channel Mask: 0x80000003

Once in a while, you???ll get this output from show isdn status:

R2#show isdn status The current ISDN Switchtype = basic-ni1 ISDN BRI0 interface

Layer 1 Status:

ACTIVE

Layer 2 Status:

Layer 2 NOT Activated

Spid Status:

TEI Not Assigned, ces = 1, state = 3(await establishment)

spid1 configured, no LDN, spid1 NOT sent, spid1 NOT valid

TEI Not Assigned, ces = 2, state = 1(terminal down)

spid2 configured, no LDN, spid2 NOT sent, spid2 NOT valid

Check your running configuration, and if the SPIDs look good, simply close the BRI interface and open it again. Then run show ISDN status again. If you then see ???spids are valid???, you???re ready to proceed. If you still see a message that the spids are invalid, you???ve most likely mistyped the SPID.

Show Access-List

What???s this command got to do with ISDN? Everything.

Remember how the ISDN link comes up in the first place? Interesting traffic. By default, there is no interesting traffic. You define interesting traffic with the dialer-list and dialer-group commands, AND the access-list command. If you have a problem with your link never coming up or with it coming up and staying up, use this command to see what traffic has been defined as interesting.

Show Dialer

Another helpful command to determine why an ISDN link is coming up and staying up. This command shows you how many successful calls and failed calls have taken place, what the current idle-timer value is (by default, it???s 120 seconds), and most importantly, what the source and destination was for the current interesting traffic:

R1#show dialer
BRI0 - dialer type = ISDN
Dial String Successes Failures Last called Last status
8358662 1 0 00:00:59
successful
0 incoming call(s) have been screened.
0 incoming call(s) rejected for callback.

BRI0:1 - dialer type = ISDN
Idle timer (120 secs), Fast idle timer (20 secs)
Wait for carrier (30 secs), Re-enable (15 secs)
Dialer state is data link layer up
Dial reason: ip (s=172.12.21.1, d=172.12.21.2) < s=Source, d=Destination >
Time until disconnect 62 secs
< Idle timer, reset by interesting traffic only >
Connected to 8358662 (R2)

Here, you can see that the idle-timer value is at its default, that there are 62 seconds left until the link comes down (unless interesting traffic resets the timer), and that the source of the interesting traffic was 172.12.21.1 and the destination is 172.12.21.2. If that destination is the multicast address of a routing protocol ??" say, 224.0.0.5 for OSPF ??" you know what traffic is keeping the line up.

Show ISDN History

Want to see what calls have been made in the last 15 minutes? Just run this command. It???s helpful if you???re walking in to an ISDN troubleshooting situation and want to see what calls have been made.

R1#show isdn
history-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ISDN CALL HISTORY--------------------------------------------------------------------------------History table has a maximum of 100 entries.History table data is retained for a maximum of 15 Minutes.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Call Calling Called Remote Seconds Seconds Seconds ChargesType Number .Number Name Used Left Idle Units/Currency-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Out 8358662 R2 121 0Out 8358662 R2 121 0-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Debug PPP Negotiation

Not only do you need to know this command for your CCNA and CCNP exams, you MUST know it to be an effective ISDN troubleshooter.

When PPP authentication is first configured, it???s simple to mistype a password, or forget to configure a ???username / password??? combination. Instead of continually reading your running configuration to see what the problem is, run debug ppp negotiation and send a ping to bring the line up. You???ll quickly see where the problem is.

R2#debug ppp negotiation PPP protocol negotiation debugging is on R2#ping 172.12.21.1

BR0:1 PPP: Phase is AUTHENTICATING, by both < Both routers are authenticating the other with CHAP. > BR0:1 CHAP: O CHALLENGE id 1 len 23 from "R2" < R2 is sending a challenge to the remote router. O = ???outgoing???. > BR0:1 CHAP: I CHALLENGE id 1 len 23 from "R1" < A CHAP challenge has come in from R1. I = ???incoming???> BR0:1 CHAP: O RESPONSE id 1 len 23 from "R2" < R2 is sending a response to the challenge. > BR0:1 CHAP: I SUCCESS id 1 len 4 < A success message has come in , indicating the challenge was successfully met. > BR0:1 CHAP: I RESPONSE id 1 len 23 from "R1" < A response to the challenge sent to R1 is now coming in. > BR0:1 CHAP: O SUCCESS id 1 len 4 < The challenge was successfully met by R1, and a success message is sent. >

By mastering these simple ISDN show and debug commands, you increase your chances of passing the CCNA and CCNP exams greatly, and vastly improve your on-the-job skills.

I recommend you visit www.cisco.com/univercd for more show and debug commands. Learning to negotiate this valuable online resource will truly help you become more valuable on the job. Every Cisco router and switch command, along with default and usage guidelines, can be found on this site. I???ll have an article posted soon to help you learn your way around the site; in the meantime, I urge you to begin adding this website to your troubleshooting toolkit.

Chris Bryant, CCIE (TM) #12933, has been active in the Cisco certification community for years. He has written several books that have helped CCNA candidates around the world achieve the coveted CCNA certification, including several concentrating on binary math conversions and subnetting questions that the average CCNA candidate will need to answer on their CCNA exams.

He is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (http://www.thebryantadvantage.com) where he teaches affordable world-class CCNA courses via the Internet, and sells his popular Cisco certification books. He???s proud to have helped CCNA candidates around the world achieve their career goals. Mr. Bryant???s books and courses are sold on his site, on eBay, and on several other major Cisco certification sites.

Jesus Christ, King of the Jews

In 132 CE, Simon Bar Kosiba organized and led a large guerilla army in revolt against Roman occupation. He succeeded in actually throwing the Romans out of Jerusalem and Israel and establishing, although for only a brief period, an independent Jewish state.

Jewish accounts describe Simon Bar Kosiba as being a man of superior intelligence who possessed tremendous leadership abilities and incredible physical strength. His success caused many to believe that he came from the line of David. He was nicknamed "Bar Kochba" or "Son of Star," an allusion to the Book of Numbers (24:17). In fact, he was actually proclaimed the long awaited Messiah of Israel by the Sanhedrin. Strangely, very few people know of him or have even heard of him today.

But there is another Jewish son we have heard of. He was born poor and, like Kosiba, was also of the family of David. He, however, fought no battles, was not known for His strength, and virtually ignored the politics of His times. He never attended college, starred in any movies, or won any awards. Yet, His personality has somehow been fused into the very soul and consciousness of humanity. More books have been written about Him, more changes have resulted because of Him, more conversation and controversy has taken place because of Him than any other figure in human history. In His name, the apostles conquered the world. For His sake, martyrs sacrificed their lives. He is like a portent moving through two thousand years of history touching lives. Jesus Christ, King of the Jews!

The Teacher

He was an exceptional teacher,
Had received the highest degree.
From the College of Life Experience
He earned his Ph.D.

He taught what it meant to live
A life of self-sacrifice.
He was totally devoted to others,
Though He paid an exorbitant price.

He was one solitary life who
From a grace procured from above,
Sacrificed so much of Himself
Motivated by nothing but love.

He was wholly and solely committed,
Honor bond to set men free.
So He died on Calvary's cross that day,
To redeem all humanity.

Yes, He was indeed "The Teacher,"
And "The Teacher" He will forever be;
For none who lives or has died
Can compare to such as He.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available in July.

You are welcome to visit AMEN Ministries: Your Soul's Service Station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification or to browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall.

Blessings to all!

Affecting Positive Results Through Affirmations

Last time we talked about how to begin building the mind's powerful framework for success. The lesson we needed to learn was that self-talk has a powerful affect on the results we achieve. We learned that the mind will manifest whatever we dwell on, be it negative or positive.

This week, I would like to continue with our discussion of self-talk and suggest how you may supercharge your self-talk and the results you achieve through the use of affirmations.

Affirmations are a powerful mental programming technique that are underutilized and laughed at by many. You may remember the Saturday Night Live skit with Stuart Smiley sitting in front of the mirror saying "I'm good enough; I'm smart enough and doggone-it, people like me!" The image of this character makes one laugh, however when understood in the context of how powerful Stuart's technique really is, it shouldn't!

Affirm means to "make firm." So affirmation simply means to make a strong statement that something is already so. We know that we will eventually reap whatever our conscious mind sows onto the field of the subconscious. So through affirmations we will develop into whatever image of ourselves we create, be it good or bad. I suggest using positive affirmations to develop into all that you desire to be!

One of the most poignant examples of the power of affirmations comes from the boxing legend Muhammed Ali. When you think of Muhammed Ali, what vision comes to mind? Actually, two visions come to my mind:

The first is of Ali standing in the ring over a defeated opponent with a sweat covered face, surrounded by his trainers. Ali yells, "I'm the king of the world, I am the greatest, I'm Muhammed Ali. I shook up the world, I am the greatest, I'm king of the world. I'm pretty, I'm pretty, I'm a baaaad man, you heard me, I'm a baaad man."

The second is of Ali wrapped in his boxing robe, dancing from side to side before a bout. He exclaims, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Is this simply brash talk from yet another cocky athlete? I don't believe so. I believe that Muhammed Ali knew the power of affirmations. He spoke what he wanted to be, and as a result became it.

For the purposes of improving yourself and achieving the successes you've always desired, I want you to take it on faith that affirmations DO work. Give it a try, if only for a couple months and then make up your mind whether to keep using them.

In order to do this, you will need to know some basics about how to get the most out of affirmations. First, the subconscious mind does not understand the future tense. When you use affirmations, you should always speak of the present. The past does work but not nearly as well. Speak as if the things you want are happening in your life right now. For example, if your goal is to become the manager of a division you currently work in, you need to picture it now:

"I am enjoying the title and responsibility of being manager for the ABC Division of XYZ Company and am doing successful and important work. I am being recognized by my peers and my employer for my good and honorable efforts."

The affirmations need to be positive and personal! You should usually start your statement with "I." The affirmation should be specific. Tell your mind exactly what it is that you want and you will get better results.

The affirmation should also be short, easy to remember, and easy to apply.

Finally, your affirmation should be emotionally intense! Don't just say it, BELIEVE IT. Shout it at the top of your lungs if you must, but convince your mind, no matter how hard, that it is actually true. This is so important! Your success in using affirmations will live or die on how intensely you can get your mind to buy into your spoken words.

I believe that you should write down and repeat your affirmations at least twice a day. I recommend that you do it as soon as you wake up and right before you go to bed. Your assignment for the next two weeks is to write down five affirmations that you want in your life. Repeat them, at least twice a day, for two weeks. If you do so, I believe that you will be quickly on the path to achieving the success you desire.

To Your Success,
Joel

______________________________________________________________

Joel S. Nelson operates Harvest Mind Enterprises, an operation targeted to individuals interested in developing personally by harvesting the power of the subconscious mind. For more articles on the topic, go to http://www.harvestyourmind.com/newsletter.html

? 2004 Joel S. Nelson

Joel S. Nelson has spent years studying the power of the subconscious mind and the science behind success. He believes that growing up we were all taught the wrong things about success and personal achievement by our parents, in school, and on T.V. and that society perpetuates those misconceptions. Joel's goal is to reverse the damage done by bringing the science of achievement to one million people by the year 2020.

Good Fat Diet or How to Choose the Best Foods for Your Family?

Some fats are good for you. Your body can't function without them. Those fats help you to absorb nutrients. You can even have a fat-intake deficiency, when you are not getting enough of them. Your skin will get dry and your hair will get brittle.

Other fats can be also bad for you. They increase the level of cholesterol in your blood, which clogs your arteries and can lead to a heart attack. Those fats also have a natural tendency to be easily transformed into a body fat, which tends to blow up your hips and totally eliminates your waist line.

The good news are - those two groups are not the same types of fats. So by cleverly picking fats from the first group for your diet, and by avoiding fats from the second group, you can stay healthy, slim, and enjoy your life to the tilt.

Well, easier said than done. When you are facing those endless product labels on shelves in a supermarket, no manufacturer will tell you that they are selling a bad type of fat. On the contrary, they all claim that their product is the most healthy and good for your body. They claim that they used good natural ingredients to make them.

But why would those manufacturers want to sell you bad fats in the first place? Don't they want to benefit their prospective consumers? That is precisely the point. They are first and foremost business people. They need to turn a profit, to benefit themselves before they can benefit their consumers. They can't do that, if their products will not have a long shelf life.

The basic facts are beyond arguments - all natural fats and oils, which are in the good group of fats, will get rancid in a short time without proper refrigeration. The manufacturers increase their product's shelf life tenfold and even hundredfold by putting them through a process called hydrogenation.

This is a process in which hydrogen is added to vegetable oils in order to turn those oils into a more solid fat. Such solid fats are used in vegetable shortening, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, salad dressings, and many other processed foods.

The hydrogenation process produces saturated fats, which are known to increase risks of heart disease. The manufacturers are required now to disclose all saturated fats in their products. Since awareness of the risks associated with saturate fats consumption is wide spread lately, they know that such labeling will spell a kiss of death for their products.

Most manufacturers came up with a different solution - they subject their oils to a partially hydrogenating process. Such process produces only partially hydrogenated fats. The new term they label such products with - Trans Fat, which stands for trans fatty acid.

The new studies show that trans fat is actually worse for your heart than saturated fat. It raises the levels of bad cholesterol and lowers the levels of good cholesterol. Under the new FDA regulations, from the beginning of 2006 all food manufacturers will be required to list percentages of trans fats used in their products. Consumers will be able to find this information on food nutrition labels directly under the line for saturated fat.

How to know which fats to avoid ?

The good rule of thumb in deciding which processed foods you should avoid - if they can stay on a shelf for many months, their nutrition value is questionable. Check their expiration dates. Their long shelf life comes only after extensive processing, which limits their ability to interact with anything, including the elements within your own body.

Buy fresh natural fats and cold-pressed oils. Eat more fat fish and lean red meat. Cook your own food. That way you don't have to eat something that was prepared many months ago. This is not the healthy way nature intended your nourishment to be. So called "convenience" of deep-fried fast foods or preprocessed foods comes with a heavy price. Don't pay it.

To learn more about how to acquire better health, lose weight and save money visit Wise-Consumer.net

Sending Out Your Wedding Invitations

It really doesn't matter if you are planning to have a large or a small wedding; you still have to send out invitations. For larger wedding parties, you should buy your invitations at bulk party stores, or wedding warehouses in order to get the best buy for your money. Of course, you can always choose to make your own invitations which is also nice and unique.

Common homemade invitations are often made up of tissue paper over white regular paper, and decorated colored paper. When it comes to wedding invitations, some people even use calligraphy to hand craft their invitations and it adds a nice elegant touch to your invitations.

When you make your invitations by hand, you can address each one individually so that you can add unique invitations to your guests that are addressed specifically to them.

When you hand make your invitations, there are no limits to what you can do to them or what add-ons that you can use. The most popular additions to hand made invitations are:

? Photos of the happy couple

? Artful calligraphy accents

? Paper flowers

? Poems, verse and prose

? Rhinestones and/or sequins

? Gold or silver model car paint for accents

Not everyone has the know how to create hand made specialty invitations, and if you would prefer to buy yours, you can easily find good bargains on them if you go to a wedding warehouse or a party warehouse.

Most places offer discounts when you buy items in bulk and this is great if you are planning to have a larger wedding of 50 or more guests. Invitations do not have to break your bank account, but they do have to be there.

You can also save money on invitations if you personally deliver as many of them as possible rather than sending them through the mail.

You can also hand certain invitations to friends and family members to pass along for you to those who they see more often than you do.

You can also post your wedding date and guest list on your family website if you have one or in the newspaper and only send invitations to those who do not have access to the internet.

Mia LaCron is the founder of Cut-Wedding-Costs.info - http://www.cut-wedding-costs.info - devoted to helping individuals live out the wedding of their dreams on a realistic budget they can afford.

How to Grow Asparagus

Asparagus is a perennial plant with erect, edible stems and tiny branches that bear even tinier flowers that become red berries that contain the black Asparagus seed. Formerly in the Liliaceae family, botanists have realized that Asparagus is in a class by itself and have repositioned its 120 species in the Asparagaceae genus. Asparagus is a high-end gourmet food item, but if you know how to grow asparagus, it becomes an inexpensive way to add a delicate flavor to your meals.

Knowing how to grow asparagus dates back 2500 years ago when it was first cultivated in Greece. In fact, asparagus is from the Greek word for stalk or shoot. Long before it was used as a food item, asparagus was lauded for its medicinal properties. There are many reasons to grow asparagus. Once an asparagus bed is established, asparagus is the first vegetable that is table ready in the springtime and will provide your family with a firm and fresh vegetable treat for up to 20 years, each crown in your bed producing up to ? pound of spears per year. Although supermarkets stock both canned and frozen asparagus, neither compares to the unique flavor you get from freshly harvested and picked asparagus.

As asparagus plants grow, they produce a mat of long, tubular roots that spreads horizontally rather than vertically. This one-year-old root system is called the asparagus crown. Although asparagus can be started from seed, it's most often begun from transplanting crowns purchased from a reputable crown grower. Those who wish to learn how to grow Asparagus must have an abundance of patience, since it takes an asparagus bed three years to be established from crowns. The second year of growth, asparagus ferns emerge with a few spindly spears. At the third year, although your bed will produce thicker and more robust spears, they shouldn't be harvested for more than one month to allow roots and crowns to become further established.

Plant asparagus crowns in a trench that is one to two feet wide. Set the crowns up to six inches deep and nine to twelve inches apart. Asparagus grows easily in any well-drained soil. Found growing wild on English riverbanks, the delicate asparagus ferns were nicknamed "sparrow grass". However, asparagus allowed to stand in water develops root rot, which can quickly destroy a complete bed. Asparagus roots have a tendency to "rise" as the bed matures. Gardeners typically add soil to the rows of a mature asparagus bed to keep the crowns undercover. Asparagus is also susceptible to late spring frosts, which kill emerging spears Take care to keep your asparagus bed covered until frost danger is past.

About The Author

Hans is gardener and owner of Gardening-Guides.com and Patio-Furniture-Ideas.com.

The Truth About Honda Pressure Washers

"What they don't tell you about Honda Pressure Washers"

I recently received the following e-mail regarding honda pressure washers:

"I was unaware Honda made pressure washers. I can get one locally now that I have seen your web page".

Thank You

My response:

Thank you for visiting our website. I would like to point out that HONDA "does not" manufacture pressure washers. Honda makes Engines, Autos, Motorcycles etc. When Pressure washers are referred to as Honda it's industry shorthand for "Honda Powered" which means you still need to consider the manufacturer.

We distribute the "Pressure-Pro" line of pressure washers. Pressure-Pro is Floridas leading manufacturer of Pressure Washers.

Keep in mind that very little of a pressure washer is "manufactured", what the majority of manufacturers really are is "component" assemblers. This is no bad thing as long as they use quality components and have large purchasing power to deliver the final product at a value for the consumer.

Another e-mail I received was a flaming email from a woman lambasting me for selling Honda pressure washers. She told a story of how she and her husband had purchased a pressure washer from a local box store, she really didn't say which. At any rate, after using it 3 times over the course of a year it developed a serious problem with the pump.

She took it to the store authorized service center only to be notified that it was out of warranty and could not be repaired anyway. Needless to say she was furious,after all this was a Honda pressure washer!!

She went on to say that the only reason she purchased it was because it had a Honda engine which implied quality.

The name Honda does not imply a quality pressure washer, it only implies a quality engine. There are many ways a manufacturer can lessen quality to achieve a price point that the superstore will be willing to market. The good news is that "spotting the low cost throw away unit ploy is not rocket science" and you can get quality advice at our website.

I believe it's an excellent choice when you choose Honda, after all they are almost universally accepted as the very best, but please remember a pressure washer is far more than just the power source.

Article by Randall Madon President ATT Pressure Supply. Please visit our educational website http://www.The-Power-Washer-Advisor.com and learn to get the most from your investment in this amazingly versatile equipment.

The Danger Of Hate

As you have shown an interest in starting a business of your own it would be safe to assume that you want to change your life. You want more money - more control over your life - more respect. But just as we each have a dream, we also have a reality.

Unfortunately for most people, the reality bears no similarity whatsoever to the dream. In many cases, the dream exists as an escape from the reality.

Think now of YOUR reality - the life you lead every day. What do you do? How do you feel as you awake? Do you have any enthusiasm for your way of life? Do you enjoy your work, or are you on welfare? Then ask yourself this important question: Do you resent having to live this way?

If you answer 'yes' to that question, then you are in danger of succumbing to the most destructive human emotion - Hate.

If you hate the life you live, the people you deal with, the actions you are forced to take, then you will find yourself rapidly rushing toward disaster. When you hate, you may as well be drunk! You no longer function in a creative manner. Your mind is geared toward destruction. Instead of aiming to create a new life for yourself and those you love, you will become obsessed with the act of revenge.

The more that you hate the people and situations around you, the more your mind becomes poisoned with the purpose of getting even. Logical thought becomes impossible and hate then becomes a substitute for action. You must learn NOW, to resist the urge to hate. It achieves nothing constructive and it will destroy both you and your dreams of success. As Ghandi said..."An eye for an eye just makes the whole world go blind."

Take a good look at your way of life. Do you always have to make do with what you have got, because you can't afford a replacement? Are you always having to put off paying bills until next week? Have you never enough money to enjoy yourself? Are you unhappy with the area in which you live?

You may find that you are regularly having to write a check on Monday and hope that you will be able to cover it by Thursday. Or you may just be sick of the daily grind of early mornings, or the regular nightshift. If most of these apply to you, the you probably hate living this way. So now make a POSITIVE effort to achieve success. Only through positive endevour and thought will you achieve your goal.

Although your current way of life may be hard, think not how to get rid of it, but how to REPLACE it with a better way of life. Think SUCCESS - not revenge. Assess what you resent about your life now.

You may even resent the things that you would normally enjoy, were your circumstances different. Occassions like Christmas, birthdays, and Easter can can be trying times when you have no money to spend. Children don't understand the restrictions of a tight budget, and it can cause great distress to a parent who is unable to give his child the gift, or day out, that they would like. Now imagine the difference in these circumstances when you have achieved success and you are wealthy.

There is no harm in imagining the difference your wealth will make to your lifestyle - but approach it lightheartedly.

Say to yourself: I will work to be a success so that I can tell my boss where to stick his job! And so I can see the look on the Bank managers face when I tell him not to bother offering me overdraft facilities anymore! This attitude is positive, but don't hate the way things are, or the people it involves. That would only make things worse. You will have plenty of time to reflect on your past when you are wealthy!

These things that make you miserable and depressed will be all behind you when you put the secrets of success to work. Imagine life without all these trying times. You will be able to enjoy Christmas, and give your kids what they want. That squillion function, water-resistant, solar-powered gizmo (that they ALWAYS wanted) will be a drop in the ocean to you!

Many of the people who buy books on starting a business actually don't bother starting up. They can't imagine themselves ever running their own business and earning Unlimited amounts of money. They never see things how they CAN be - only how they are. Don't make this mistake! KNOW what you want, KNOW how to get it, SEE how it WILL be, and then go for it!!

Kevin Quigley is the Publisher/Editor of 'The Internet Affiliates Resources Directory' where subscribers have the opportunity to have their Affiliate programs promoted absolutely free and on a permanent basis. Details & Free sample subscription: Blank email to: bizzyman@auto-responder.co.uk Unsubscribe with one click.

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When Panic Attacks Writers

If you write for a living, you deal with deadlines. Sometimes you will have several jobs on your plate at the same time.

On top of that, your clients or editors don't coordinate their demands, so you might even have two or three deadlines all falling within the same day or two.

It happens.

And being the professional you are, if you think you can do the work well in the time provided, you'll tell each of them there's no problem meeting the deadline. After all, you don't want to let them down by declining the job. Nor do you wan to lose the income.

And when all goes well, you manage to organize your time to get each of the jobs written and delivered on time.

>> But what happens when things go badly?

What happens when one of your clients is three days late in delivering some of the necessary briefing information? What happens when one of them rings up and needs the work a day sooner, throwing all of your careful scheduling out of the window?

If you have a good relationship with your clients, you can usually work something out.

But still, there are times when everything conspires against you and it begins to feel like the task ahead is impossible.

And it may not be a client's fault at all. Maybe you have a burst water pipe to deal with at home. Maybe the kids are all off school for a day or two. Maybe you have a day or two or three when you feel sick.

>> Then the panic sets in.

Have you experienced this? The writer's panic attack? The sense that the task ahead is impossible and you'll never get everything done?

You feel it creeping up on you slowly. And then the real sense of panic sets in, and it makes everything a whole lot worse...because you freeze.

The sense of panic starts to take up all the space in your head. You can feel your back tightening. You're staring at the screen and you just can't write any more...because you are consumed by the knowledge that everything is coming unstuck...you won't meet the deadlines...you'll let down your clients...you won't get your pay check.

>> How to get rid of the panic attack.

Step one is the hardest. You have to get up and walk away.

Do anything. Take a walk. Go to a movie. Go visit some friends. Read a book. Take a snooze. For how long? That depends...but as a guideline, I would give yourself a good couple of hours.

Two hours? At this point the little voice in your head is saying, "Sure, brilliant idea. We're faced with this impossible set of deadlines and you think I should go watch a movie?"

Yes, I do. The longer you sit in front of the screen, the deeper the panic becomes and, at best, you'll move ahead at a snail's pace for the rest of the day. Worse still, your work probably won't be of a very good quality.

Far better to make a clean break and walk away. And walk right away. Get out of the room. Out of the house if you can. Cut yourself off from work completely. Don't compromise and decide to read through the client brief again until you get your head straight. Make a clean break.

>> Find the way that works best for you.

When it comes to taking that break, many writers have already found out what works best for them.

Some will go running or spend an hour at the gym. Some will do some stretching exercises, or yoga, or breathing exercises. And yes, others will just go out for a beer or watch a movie.

All of these activities achieve the same end. They change the focus of your mind. They prevent that panic from feeding on your insecurities and fears.

If you have been writing for a few years and have faced your fair share of deadlines, you probably already know what works best for you in these circumstances.

If you're relatively new to writing to deadlines, and have faced a panic attack or two, my two messages are:

1. You're not alone. It doesn't mean you're a bad writer or a bad scheduler. It happens to the best of us.

2. Step away from the computer. Whatever you choose to do, make sure it is something completely unrelated to the work you are doing.

When you sit back down, with that sense of panic behind you, the speed with which you work will more than compensate for the time lost when you stepped away.

Nick Usborne is a freelance copywriter, author and speaker. For more articles and resources on making money as a freelance writer, visit his site, http://www.FreelanceWritingSuccess.com.

Makeup Tips for 40, 50, and Beyond

Growing older doesn't have to be a burden. Aging is a part of life and if we learn to appreciate our bodies and faces we will feel much more comfortable and live a much happier, stress-free life. It seems odd that some younger women are more concerned about how they look and dwell on flaws when they are at their physical best; when some older women, who are happy to be alive, feel good about themselves, accept their bodies and faces for what they are and rejoice in living.

If you are worried about getting lines and wrinkles and would like to feel better about how you look, the first step is to change your attitude toward yourself and aging. Start by evaluating the ideas and beliefs you have about aging and where you got them. If you see older women as unattractive then you are going to have a difficult time looking in the mirror at an aging face. Aging is the kind of thing that sneaks up on you and then one day ? boom, you're there. I have met women who are fifty and beyond who are very attractive and exude self-confidence (yes, they have lots of lines and wrinkles and a not-so-perfect body). Their attractiveness comes from feeling good about themselves and knowing they are more than the outside package. Self-confidence crosses all barriers, people notice and see the beauty.

Aging gracefully doesn't mean that you shouldn't take care of yourself. It means keeping fit, using skin care products regularly, watching your diet and living a balanced life. Develop your own beauty and accentuate your positive qualities.

As we age and our faces change, we must change the way we care for our skin and how we wear makeup. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Always use a moisturizer. A good moisturizer will help your foundation glide on and will keep your skin more healthy. Choose a foundation that is the same color as your skin, is moist, goes on evenly and is one you can see your skin through. Don't forget to blend around the jaw line.

2. If you have dark spots a good concealer and foundation will hide it. If you have a lot see a dermatologist who can lighten them.

3. Powder is used to absorb excess oil and reduce shine. If you have been plagued with oily skin all your life you might notice that as you get older your skin is less oily and you have fewer lines than your dry to normal-skin friends. Use powder sparingly since too much will accentuate lines.

4. Use eye shadows sparingly and only use shadows that have a matte finish. Iridescent or shadows with a shimmer attract the light and will make wrinkles more apparent. This is a time when less is more. Use earthy tones that create depth and apply the dark shadow to the outside of the lid making sure the lines move upward.

5. Eyebrows change as we age and become unruly and sparse. Use an eyebrow pencil and feather strokes to fill in the bare spots. Keep your eyebrows a lighter color than your hair and in good condition. Remember, eyebrows frame the eyes; so to open your eyes and keep them looking bright depends largely on how well you care for your eyebrows.

6. Use blush to create a soft look. Blush shouldn't stand out - use just enough to create a glow.

7. Use a lip liner to prevent your lipstick from bleeding into the fine lines around your mouth. Lip products that have an emollient that will keep your lips soft.

Use makeup to accentuate your positive qualities and make yourself feel great. Don't focus on covering lines and wrinkles but instead pay attention to your positive features. Let the beautiful you show through.

Sheila Dicks is an Image and Wardrobe consultant who helps women feel more confident by dressing to suit their body type. To get tips on how to dress slimmer and find your best styles get a copy of her ebook "Image Makeover" at http://www.how-to-dress.com or go to http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com to get the Free Report " 7 Things Your Girlfriends Won't Tell You About Beauty and Fashion".

Been in an Accident? Need a Maryland Accident Lawyer?

by: Dave Hoffman
Life can change in a blink of an eye. You've been in an accident and now
need a personal injury lawyer. But how do you know when to call one?
Here's what you should know about hiring a lawyer in Maryland, if you've
been in an automobile, motorcycle or liability accident.

Choosing a Maryland accident lawyer is an important decision and with so
many personal injury lawyers advertising their services, it can often seem
an impossible task. Before you consider hiring an attorney after an
accident, you should understand a little about personal injury law.
Personal injury law is usually defined as the area of law which seeks to
protect the rights of citizens after they have been injured, harmed or
hurt due to the negligence of others. In order to claim damages, you must
first prove that the other party was at fault. This is where your Maryland
accident lawyer will come in.

In the State of Maryland, there are two types of awards for injuries:
Negligence, which is often defined by the defendant's inability to prevent
an accident from occurring by not preventing it. For example, you own a
small business, and there is an ice storm. Your lease requires you to
deice the sidewalk before opening the shop, but you fail to do so. A
customer, slips and falls outside of the shop and is injured. You could be
sued for negligence by the customer, for failing to act, which led to the
accident. Likewise, there is intentional wrong, which is often defined by
the defendant outright causing the accident.

There are many types of personal injury claims: Slip and fall injury,
automobile accident, medical malpractice and job related injury are just a
few types of claims.

Choosing a lawyer for any type of accident claim is an important and
difficult decision and is one that should not be made lightly.

About the author:
Dave Hoffman is the founder of Personal Injury Atorneys a website
providing information on personal injury law