January 30, 2009
More than 860 non-commercial public radio stations in America rely on NPR, or National Public Radio, which is a privately supported nonprofit programming distributor. Founded in 1970, NPR caters to at least 26 million Americans and supplies more than 130 hours of original programming on a weekly basis.
To keep up with the ongoing heat generated by the 2008 Presidential Elections, NPR announced during the first week of August that they will extensively cover the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado which will run from August 25 to 28, 2008. The coverage provided an in-depth coverage of the Republican National Convention scheduled for September 01-04, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
NPR fielded more than 60 journalists to make sure that the two most important political events of the year will be properly documented on all NPR-member stations in the United States. News, interviews, and analysis were also made available through NPR’s news magazines.
On the internet, free live streaming from the twin conventions were offered to the public.
To get hold of local broadcast schedules, followers can check out the details via on NPR’s website.
Check out the profile of Courtney Ross on the Faces of Philanthropy website.
Courtney Ross is the founder of the remarkable Ross School.
To learn more about Courtney Ross, check out Interview Nation.
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January 26, 2009
“People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.”
- Andrew Carnegie, Industrialist
When we are tired, it is hard to communicate. Our thinking cells don’t function and even if we try to continue, the effort and results will be mediocre at best.
It is important to realize that our energy levels are affected by the state of our emotions. And our emotions are a result of our perceptions on our outlook on the events of our lives. (Reread that if needed and let it sink in)
Emotional energy is the preconception we have for everything. You see we can get into assumptions on how thing are going and how they will turn out. If we believe that things will turn out badly, we act in accordance to that belief. The reverse is also true.
Author Mira Kirshenbaum, author of THE EMOTIONAL ENERGY FACTOR wrote about how our emotions dictate our energy level.
“It is estimated that a whopping 70% of our energy comes from our emotional state of mind as apposed to the food we eat or the exercise that we do.”
Our positive emotions of love, joy, excitement, compassion, create energy within us. These are the driving forces that can help us excel in our accomplishments. They enable us to create and implement more ideas and inspire us to do more. They attract other successful people to us and radiate potential.
Whereas negative emotions such as anger, hatred, fear, worry anxiety etc. drain us of our energy. They literately zap and drain us of our abilities to change whatever we do not like. They can stop us in our tracks from moving forward. They leave us with little more energy then to just sit and complain about the world rather than being part of the change. AND, this attracts other complainers with little or no energy.
To increase your emotional energy, you need to look at two things.
Several authors from different backgrounds have written on the benefits of prayer and meditation. They have pointed out how tests have shown that people who take care of their souls have found the secret of high voltage people.
This does not mean attending church once a week and believing that, that is all there is. It is about connecting at the level of your being, living your truth and connecting with your higher power.
They state that there is a positive cycle that goes like this:
Prayer gives emotional energy = Emotional energy helps you take action
= Actions makes good things happen
Greg Braden explains that scientific experiments show that time is not linear (From the Isaiah Effect), that besides past, present, & future, it also has depth. The depth consists of all possible prayers. Essentially, all of our prayers have been answered and we activate the ones that we live through our feelings. Through this, we create our reality; the choice through feelings connects the web of creation with all of the energy and matter of the Universe.
This message is being repeated over and over by countless authours, speakers, philosophers and quantum physicists that feelings and emotions have been the missing key ingredient in achieving what we desire. In past, we have become good at getting what we don’t want, because many people only use feelings when it comes to be angry, fearful, mad or anxious.
Where as if we can use positive emotion energy when thinking about what we do want, we will attract the life we desire. Moreover, we will have the energy to go after it.
So ask yourself, where is my emotional energy, and what is it doing to me?
“Your thoughts are like a boomerang. Your judgments and unforgiving thoughts will most certainly return and whack you in the back of the head.”
From, Smile for No Good Reason
by Lee L. Jampolsky, Ph.D.
P.S. If you like what you’re reading in this
newsletter, you’ll love the book,“Perceptions”-”Dare to discover what is beyond your filters.”
It’s an interactive manual that takes you through the steps to help you overcome challenges in communicating and connecting with others.
Click Here for Perceptions!
All the Best!
Maria Boomhower
The Master Communicator
To sign up for a free report on “The 7 Secrets to Communication Mastery”
or to sign up for my newsletters, go to:
www.falconfreedom.com
Check out my Communicatin Blog at:
Master Communicator Blog
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January 26, 2009
It’s safe to say that of all the important events in your lifetime, your wedding day is certain to be right up there with those that are the most meaningful. And throughout the entire wedding day - the preparations, the ceremony, the reception, and the wedding night - the moment when you recite your wedding vows to each other is the most meaningful. It is a time that you will remember forever, exactly as it felt: a sublime, dreamlike fantastical moment, when everyone significant to you is watching as you join in wedlock with the most important individual in your life.
Conquering Your Fears
Since this is such a unique and central moment to your romantic life, you’re probably wondering how it is that you’ll make the experience better than that 10th grade public-speaking assignment where you blanked out halfway through and fainted in front of all of your peers. Begin by telling yourself that it is perfectly natural to feel nervous when speaking in public. Moreover, not everyone is born with perfect public-speaking skills that accurately demonstrate what they feel in their hearts. However, fortunately for the majority of us, these things can be learned.
Of course, being well-prepared and armed with wedding vows you know are the absolute best they could possibly be is one of the easiest ways to overcome these fears. How do I know? Because the home-study course I put together, The Ultimate Wedding Vow Toolkit, has helped hundreds of couples take the fear out of their wedding ceremony by giving them the tools they need to write truly amazing wedding vows. You can find out more about the kit at http://www.weddingvowtoolkit.com.
But beyond that, when you think logically about each of these fears, you’ll realize there is nothing that cannot be overcome with a bit of care, technique, and practice. Let’s take a realistic look at these five incredibly common worries. In a few minutes, you’ll see that none of them are likely to spoil your ceremony.
Common Fear #1: Freezing Up
This is a direct result of being excessively nervous. Therefore, it’s important to come up with some calming techniques that will help you to keep cool. It’s only natural to be a bit nervous. In fact, the added rush from being a little on the anxious side can actually help you to speak better and with added feeling. The best technique that you can give yourself is breathing. Most often, when we are overly frightened, we either breathe much too quickly or we hold our breath. Therefore, as you’re keeping yourself calm, concentrate on breathing smoothly, neither too fast or too slow, but regularly, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Practice a few times in advance, especially in other situations that you’ve found a bit stressful in the past. You’ll be surprised at what an enormous difference something as simple as breathing can do for you.
Common Fear #2: Going Blank
This is another trick played by your overly-nervous brain. To stop yourself from becoming so nervous that you go blank, or even to remove any fear that you may go blank, bring a “backup” copy of your wedding vows on cue cards that you can slip into your pocket. Make sure they are very crisp and neat looking so that you won’t hesitate to use them if you have to, and write clearly on them so that you won’t get stuck due to sloppiness.
Common Fear #3: Blushing, Dry Mouth, and Shaking.
These are extremely common physical responses to being nervous and having to perform in front of others. However, even if they do begin to occur, you can bring yourself to a calmer state where these physical symptoms will begin to fade. Try to ignore blushing and shaking as much as possible and just concentrate on your vows and how much you love the person to whom you are making those vows. With regards to dry mouth, drink lots of water beforehand, and try not to think about it. As long as you concentrate on what you’re doing, instead of the fact that you are blushing, shaking, or have a dry mouth, they will actually begin to resolve themselves quite quickly.
Common Fear #4: Having Someone Heckle
This is a common fear, but it simply doesn’t happen at weddings. Remind yourself that everyone there with you is hoping the very best for you and your future spouse. They are all nervous right along with you and wouldn’t dream of saying anything but best wishes for your future together. The closest they will come to “heckling” is sending a mental prayer to provide you the strength and the courage to continue so that you may enjoy long and happy lives together.
Common Fear #5: Being Judged
The people attending your wedding are all people who know you, like or love you, and who wish you the very best. They know how much adrenaline is running through your system as you say your wedding vows, and wouldn’t judge you at a time like that; except to think about how well suited you are to the love of your life.
Chris Simeral’s Ultimate Wedding Vow Toolkit has helped hundreds of people across the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain compose completely personalized and ultra-romantic wedding vows. Find out more at http://www.WeddingVowToolkit.com.
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January 26, 2009
1. Be predictable. When do seeds of suspicion emerge? When one begins to think, What’s up? Why is he doing that? He’s never done that before. That is so unlike him. He loses 30 pounds, buys a new wardrobe and comes home late from work. He changes his patterns. His behavior becomes unpredictable. You get the picture? Any movement away from predictable behavior can become suspect and trust can deteriorate. Focus on acting predictably if you need to build trust. Be consistent in what you do. This doesn’t mean you must be boring. If there is a twinkle in your eye and a dose of spontaneity every so often, for goodness sakes be spontaneous and fun loving. But, be spontaneous consistently! Be true to who you have always been and be that consistently, whoever you tend to be!
2. Inform your significant other when you become “unpredictable.” No one goes through life the same person. We all make shifts and changes. Frankly sometimes we may be fairly clueless about what is happening and where we are going. Those times may be very intense and we do some silly things or make some downright dumb decisions. Life can get very squirrelly and unpredictable. (I have a favorite phrase: Gold is refined through intense heat.) Growth in an individual, marriage or family often is accompanied by a little chaos. Welcome these shifts, for there is a part of you searching for something better/different/richer/deeper, but for heaven’s sake, inform your partner of what you are experiencing. Say, “I really don’t know what is going on in me right now, but I’m moving in a different direction. Be a little patient with me while I figure this out. I might do some silly things, but my intent is not to harm you or scare you. Accept some of my wondering and wandering and please be there for me? I may need to run some of this by you every so often!”
3. Make sure your words match the message. Mean what you say and say what you mean. When your partner hears one thing in your words but your tone of voice, body language and facial expressions are really saying something else, you open the relationship to some crazy making days. Which message is she to believe? This can waste a tremendous amount of energy and she learns not to trust part of what you are saying. Here’s a very simple but common example. You are getting ready to go to a formal dinner. Your wife comes to you and says, “How do I look?” (And she’s wearing a dress you don’t particularly like and her hair is pulled back in a way that turns you off.) Not to spoil the evening you enthusiastically say, “You look great.” You don’t really mean it and a part of her knows you really don’t mean it. But, you leave it at that. This might not seem like a big deal - we all have done something similar - but if trust is shaky to begin with, it is even shakier now. Here’s how to match the words with the nonverbal: “I think you are a beautiful person. I want you to know that. I love you dearly and it will be wonderful to have you by my side tonight. Others will see your beauty. (As you say this, you look into her eyes as you put your hands around her waist.) She’s not concerned so much with how she looks but is expressing a need for affirmation. She’s not talking about her dress or hair, but about wanting to know the evening is going to go just fine. You respond to the real message. You can take this one step further, if you like. At some point you might bring up her need for affirmation and talk about that. Ask her is there is anything you can say or do so that need is met. Trust is awareness of the intent beneath the obvious message and responding to that!
4. Believe the other person is competent. I hear this phrase very often: “But, I don’t want to hurt him.” A couple things are at play here. First, she may not have the skill of confronting the other with the truth in a way that brings reconciliation and understanding. She believes truth telling is destructive or entails some sort of drama. Neither is true. The truth is never destructive and can be conveyed in loving ways. (With that said, what we believe to be the truth may indeed be a distorted perception that fits our personal needs.) Or, she may see the other person as a wimp; someone she believes cannot handle rigorous personal confrontation. She doesn’t trust that the other person has the internal strength or stamina or skills to be in a relationship of mutual respect and equality. The other person picks up on this mistrust and does what he does (feigns inadequacy and incompetence) to avoid the personal confrontation as well. A dance is acted out. Believe and know in your heart that the other person, somewhere and somehow, beneath the games, has the internal strength and capacity to handle anything. Such trust builds trust in the other person and begins to pervade the relationship. “Hey, she thinks I can handle this! Hmmmm, this is mighty good! I CAN engage her and be truly intimate!”
5. Be very very careful of keeping secrets. If he knows there is an elephant in the room and doesn’t talk about it, the elephant takes up tremendous space in the relationship. It takes energy for him to walk around it. She may not see the elephant but knows he is bending his neck to look around something. She will be curious, mildly disturbed, have feelings but no words to wrap around them, might wonder if something is wrong with her or struggle with trusting her intuition (her intuition KNOWS an elephant is there.) And, when we can’t trust the messages that come from within us, we find it very difficult to trust the messages of the other person. Secrets demand tremendous energy and erode trust. The relationship is doomed never to experience wall-banging intimacy. This is why extramarital affairs are so damaging. She is not so much concerned about him having sex with someone else as she is about the betrayal, lack of trust, the secrets and deception that are crazy making and energy draining. Now, please. I’m not saying that you sit your partner down and divulge the 23 secrets of your illicit past behaviors. If you have resolved those, i.e. forgiven yourself, understand those behaviors, learned from them and were able to use them to make the internal shifts necessary for your personal development, they do not qualify as an elephant. Hopefully, in the course of growing intimacy in your relationship you may want to share some of those events as you disclose to your partner where you were and where you are now. You do so without emotional charge. However, if a secret takes up room, i.e. still has an emotional charge and holds you back from disclosing more and more of yourself in the growing stages of intimacy, you have a problem that needs to be addressed with your partner.
6. Let YOUR needs be known - loudly. Be a little - no, be a lot - self-centered. (Be self-centered, but not selfish!) Here’s a problem I run into almost every day. He is backing away (perhaps attached to work, another person, etc.). She feels the trust and intimacy eroding, is scared and wants to “win him back.” So she begins an all out effort to “work on the marriage.” She invites him to do so as well. He may reluctantly agree. She blasts full throttle ahead trying to “be nice” and meet every need he ever said he had. She’s going to “fill his tank with goodies.” Doesn’t work. Her eyes are riveted on him. He feels “smothered” or maybe even resentful: “Why is she doing this NOW!” She’s hopeful, but eventually that turns to resentment. Her underlying motive - if I meet his needs, he will feel good and meet mine - just doesn’t work. It’s perceived as manipulation, which it is. Of course, he doesn’t say anything. After all, how do you get angry with someone who is so “nice and caring?” Trust disintegrates under a blanket of quiet niceties. Start with your eyes focused on YOU. What do YOU need? Explore your personal need system. Dig beneath the surface. And then say to him: “I need…x, y and z. I would like to talk to you about them. I would like us to work out a way so my needs are met. Are you open to that?” He is empowered to say yes or no. Or, he may say, “What about my needs?” You respond, “I am very interested in hearing what is important to you, certainly.” Have you ever been around someone who stated clearly what they needed/wanted? Didn’t you respect that person? Because you knew where he stood, and therefore where you stood, didn’t that interaction move toward a trusting relationship?
7. State who YOU are - loudly. It is very sad to see those in relationships of emotional investment hold back from letting the other person know who they really are. You build trust in a relationship by entrusting your SELF to the other person. This sounds easy but I find it difficult for most to pull off. Most of us have a difficult time declaring our SELF. For one thing, if you’re like most of us, you haven’t given much thought to what it is that makes YOU truly YOU. Don’t you feel like you glide through life on autopilot, focusing on tasks, goals, accomplishments, problems and the external realities? Don’t you tend to focus on those things out there or that person out there? You’re concerned about what he is thinking, how he is responding to you, whether he likes you, whether he will be an obstacle and where he will fit in your life? Your conversations may be pleasant but fairly superficial and bluntly, boringly inane. You converse about things/relationships/events out there. You are reluctant to share your thoughts, values, and impressions or take a stand. This doesn’t destroy trust. But it doesn’t create it either. And, if you do take a stand it may serve the purpose of protecting you or entrenching you as you react against someone. This more often than not creates trust barriers. Take some time to reflect on your standards. What are your standards for a relationship? What standards do you hold for yourself? What do you order your life around? What are the 4 top values in your life? What are some themes that you live by? What are you known for? And then…begin letting significant people in your life know. They will respect you. They will know you more deeply. They will thank you for the opportunity to know you. They will see you as a person of character. They will trust you. They can count on you. They know exactly what is behind and within you.
8. Learn to say NO! Sometimes you need to say NO! Often it is crucial to say NO! Saying NO sets boundaries around you that protects you from being hurt or venturing into territory that will be destructive to your heart and soul. You draw a line. You stop tolerating that which drains energy and makes you less than YOU. You refuse to allow the destructive behaviors of others to destroy you. You build a moat around the core of your life. You do this by informing the other person of what they are doing. You request they stop. If they don’t stop, you demand they stop. If they don’t stop you walk away without a snide remark, eye-roll or comment. To some this seems harsh, but saying NO is RESPECTED. Fear is the basis of mistrust. If you fear that someone will hurt you and believe you have no recourse but to endure that hurt, fear will prevail. How can you trust when you are in fear? Saying NO, protecting yourself, sends a message to the other person that you will not live in fear. This usually triggers a response of respect from the other person. After all, if you can protect yourself and refuse subjugation to that which is destructive, will not the other person come to trust you and see you as a person who just might protect him/her from harm as well?
9. Charge Neutral. When your significant other expresses something powerfully, charge neutral. Most of us are afraid of strong feelings or points of contention in a relationship. I commonly hear people respond by defending themselves (to a perceived attack), explaining themselves, counter-attacking, shutting down, or walking away. Of course, the relationship remains stuck in this quagmire of mistrust and fear. Rather than reacting and having your feelings flowing all over the place or shutting down, practice charging neutral. Communicate calmness, not only in your tone of voice but also in how you carry your body. Don’t speak with a charge to your voice. Control your voice! Say what you must say, state the truth and do it directly and calmly. You can do this, once you master your fears. It will dramatically change the flow of the relationship. You will be able to point out something big, without making a big deal out of it. You will be in control of you. This not only feels great, but your partner trusts that you won’t fly or fall apart. You will experience your personal power. This makes you very attractive. Don’t people really trust someone who knows their personal power and how to use it for the welfare of themselves and others? Your partner will love the fact that she can trust you consistently to operate from your “quiet center,” remain engaged, not back down and speak the truth with conviction and calmness.
10. Dig into the dirt. Relationships of emotional investment, by their nature, bring trials, tribulations, fears, chaos, turmoil, change, stretching and growth. They become the grist from which your life is shaped and formed. Be fearless when faced with turmoil, upset, crisis, questions, and fears. When the time is right, seek them out. Move toward the frightening unknown. Dig into the dirt of your relationship and uncover the treasures. Do you really TRUST that this can happen? The purpose of your relationship is not to make you happy. Do you realize this? Happiness may be an outcome, but your other is given to you to move you to where you really want to be. Obstacles, trials and moments of pain are given as lessons on which you intentionally write the script of your life individually and together. Embrace the difficult. Trust that in this embracing you will find more of your true self. Trust that you are given the resources and capacity to face what you and your significant other are to face. Once you are able to believe and trust these ultimate purposes, trusting your significant other will be that much more easy.
Dr. Robert Huizenga, The Infidelity Coach, has helped hundreds of couples over the past two decades heal from the agony of extramarital affairs and survive infidelity. Visit his website at: www.break-free-from-the-affair.com
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January 25, 2009
would you believe the pound is fetching a little less than the euro at at money changers, you would suppose there would be lots of brilliant ski deals to be booked in skiing resorts this ski season as potential snowboarders stick back home to beat the crisis. Initial numbers just now publicised highlight that skiing resorts are 81 % booked across the New year period. 15 % higher than the identical period last year.
One will have more chance in Jan that at the moment shows a 38 % reservation rate. Signs of a downturn is across the important school vacation month that has 64 % bookings, 3 % lower than last season. Information desks in the ski resorts of Le Grand-Bornand, Isola 2000, Plateau de Beille and Super Besse have noted strong demand in Nov advanced by the heavy early winter season snows. Chatel has stronger reservations in comparison to Chamonix, and Super Besse enjoyed a first-class Christmas.
There is substantial call for bigger chalets, 7 to 11 places, as folk group-up to save the pennies. Evidence highlights that do it yourself snowboarding trips are holding up, perhaps pointing to the fact that earnest boarders are not going to sacrifice their ski holiday. Inquiries for package holidays are down on last year.
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January 25, 2009
If you haven’t quite grasped gaming room wagering, then you’ll find more about this topic here — A running definition of a betting house is a construction that features games. Visitors will be encouraged to take a chance handling coin operated machines or trying out different games of luck. Betting hall games by and large have absolutely determined odds included which promise the gambling house retains its lead against the gaming fans.
Rather a lot of gambling saloon games can incite you into being habituated in no time. We can consider the famous 1-armed-bandit, a cash operated appliance with 3+ reels that gyrate once a bar latched onto it is pushed. The instrument generally pays according to a combination of pictograms presented on the front of the appliance. Sadly, betting house games furnish a false impression of manageability, thereby deluding the patron: the victim is granted choice, but actually these cannot truly remove the client’s long-term negative odds. This is precipitated by the gambling saloongambling house never paying the full stake as expected. This systematic arrangement is frequently noticeable in well-known casino games such as seven-card stud, dice games, roulette or blackjack.
Five card stud poker is definitely a highly fashionable casino pastime. The gaming fans, playing with fully obscured hands, will wager in the pot which is granted to the winning punter possessing the highest set of cards. (And yes, the shameless bluffing hand may well prevail as well!) Much the same as five card stud, blackjack too is an incredibly popular casino pastime. A considerable portion of its acceptance is grounded in the mix of chance and craft & decision making, as well as a praxis dubbed card counting. The aforementioned is a craft in which betting devotees can significantly force the odds of the game for their own good by both betting and fundamental opetations corresponding with the cards shown.
“Craps” is another well known gambling hall pastime utilizing the throw of two dice. Customers are betting on the score of one roll, or on a string of cycles on two dice. Very much unlike blackjack, there is no viable sustainable killer strategy people could use to boost the odds. Roulette is another crowd pulling gambling pastime. A croupier twists a roulette wheel that encloses exactly thirty-seven (classical roulette) or, alternatively thirtyeight (American roulette) independently tagged places in which the pellet must come to settle, marking the winner and the other chances that will always come with it. Supposing that a gamer wagers on a specific number which is successful meaning they’ve got a lucky hand, the promised benefit will be thirty-five to 1, the initial pledge proper is repaid. Accordingly in total it is increased by thirty six.
Do your best to stay very on the alert because these gaming hall gambling pastimes should be rated extra addiction forming. Copious lives are known to have been wrecked as a result of addictive gambling + much as it can be entertaining, struggle to moderate oneself.
on line gambling
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January 25, 2009
“Go ahead, Judy, talk to your father. What do you want to say?” With these words offered by my favorite Aunt Mimi, I was given the greatest giftthe gift of myself.
Mimi and I had gone on an aunt-niece shopping adventure, and at age 15, I became the proud owner of my first mini-skirt. Upon seeing it, my dad hit the roof, and as usual, I was angry, scared, and tongue-tied. Years of admonitions to not “talk back,” had my voice stopped in my throat.
Before that moment, I believe I didn’t know that I could have wishes of my own, schooled as I was in pleasing others. How could I speak my thoughts if I didn’t know I had them? But with Mimi at my side, I was emboldened. I had an ally. And I found words.
I opened my mouth and talked to my father. I don’t remember exactly what I said - it’s not important anyway. What’s important is that I talked to him. I found my self - my sense of authority over what I wanted to wear and why, my feelings in that moment, and the quiet power that comes with the acknowledgment of these things.
Every time words get stuck in my throat, that moment comes to me, and I think: “Judy, what do you want to say?” And I find my self, and the words come.
This was the greatest gift I ever received from another human being. And it was a gift I could share with my father. As I found the weight of my own convictions, I was able to communicate with him in a new way - not to hurt, retaliate, prove a point, or to show him how wrong he was, but to remove a barrier and let him see a part of me I’d not ventured to show before. It was a gift to both of us.
In the spirit of giving, what will you give yourself and your relationships? Is there a “stuckness” somewhere that could be freed up by finding your center and communicating in a new way with someone you love? Are you hiding? Or are you expecting someone to guess your feelings? Give them and yourself the greatest gift.
© 2005 Judy Ringer, Power & Presence Training
About the Author: Judy Ringer is the author of Unlikely Teachers: Finding the Hidden Gifts in Daily Conflict, containing stories and practices on conflict, communication and living a more purposeful life. Judy is a black belt in aikido and nationally known presenter, specializing in unique workshops on creating a more positive life and work environment. She is the founder of Power & Presence Training, and chief instructor of Portsmouth Aikido, Portsmouth, NH, USA. To sign up for more free tips and articles like these, visit www.JudyRinger.com
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January 24, 2009
If you are in the process of design a wedding web site, you want to put some serious thought into the design of your site before actually building it. The reason you need a plan is so that you know where you are going and how to get there, the plan is a roadmap of sort for the success of your wedding web site. There are a variety of things you need to keep in mind when designing a wedding web site your friends, family, and visitors will rave about, so consider the following suggestions before you get going.
Tip #1 - Plan
You should first make a plan for your wedding website and address your different goals and what kind of audience you are trying to reach. Will this be a typical wedding site, one designed for outdoor weddings only, different faith marriages, will you include rings, dresses, invitations, and other information? Will you simply write stories about weddings? You must come up with a cumulative plan, one you can certainly modify as you go along. The more detailed and in depth your plan, the better. You need to have a vision of your site before you start building and designing it and a plan is the starting point.
Tip #2 - Evaluate
You should do some serious research on the Internet and check out as many wedding sites as possible. Make a checklist to go over while you are viewing each website that includes things like organization, colors, topics and themes, not to mention ease of navigation, URL formatting, speed, links, and other interesting information. By reviewing what works and what doesn’t work on other wedding websites, you will be able to avoid a lot of mistakes and mishaps of your own. Surfing the web is fast and easy and the perfect way to get some great design ideas as well as design inspiration. This part of your research will prove very successful for you.
Tip #3 - Focus
Your wedding website should have a clear focus starting with the very first page. Of course, you can focus on any specific part of a wedding, every aspect, a mixture of aspects, or anything you want. Make sure your focus is clearly stated on the first page so visitors know what is available on your site, where to go, and what to expect. You don’t want to make visitors have to guess or try and figure out what your site is about. Make it easy for your visitors and tell them. When people know what to expect, they are more likely to stay on your site instead of clicking away.
By following these suggestions you will be able to design an amazing wedding site that not only your friends and family rave about, but that web surfers love as well.
Michael Turner reveals his foolproof way to increase website traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it free right now at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/
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January 23, 2009
The wedding cake is the first thing your guests notice when they walk into the Reception hall. The cake sets the tone of the wedding as formal or informal. In ancient times weddings took place after the harvest and cakes were considered a symbol of good luck. Wedding cakes gave good luck to the newlyweds, and passing out pieces of cake was a way of sharing that luck with friends and neighbors.
The traditional wedding cake of three or more round stacked layers, is what comes to mind when most people think “wedding cake” However, your wedding cake can be any shape or style you wish. I have seen all kinds of cakes used for wedding cakes, from multi-tiered heart shaped cakes with several smaller hearts on pedestals attached to the main tower by cascading ribbons, and plastic bridges. It was really beautiful. I also know a couple who met at a hockey game. Their wedding cake was a sheet cake decorated to look like a hockey arena. Obviously it was a very informal wedding, and a second marriage for both. A sheet cake can be decorated with elegance, for an informal wedding. It is your wedding, you can have any kind of cake you want.
Most brides show up for the first meeting with a cake designer/decorator, with an image in her head of the perfect wedding cake, that she may have dreamed about since childhood. The designer will do everything in her power to bring that image into reality. Go to the meeting the approximate number of guests, your color scheme, a sketch however primitive of what you want your cake to look like and possibly a picture from a magazine that is close to what you want the cake to look like. The designer will also want to know what flavor you want the cake and icing to be. They may even have samples for you to taste.
If you want a formal wedding but still want to add a touch of whimsy have fun with the grooms cake. The wedding cake can be as elegant as you want, but have the groom’s cake reflect something about the groom, his hobbies, job etc. Does he like Nascar have a race car, the options are endless. If another special family occasion is the same day as your wedding, try to recognize it some way. A friend of mine got married on her father-in-law’s birthday, so she had the top layer of her wedding cake decorated as a birthday cake for him. He was so delighted. All of these kinds of things need to be discussed with the cake designer, well in advance of the big day. You can get wedding cakes at most bakeries, but I’d suggest looking for one whose specialty is wedding cakes. You don’t have to limit yourself to the traditional cake. I knew a bride whose wedding cake consisyed of hundreds of filled cupcakes, artfully arranged to resemble the traditional wedding cake, each of the five layers had a different type of filling. It was amazing!
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January 23, 2009
It’s really not difficult to ruin what could have been great sex. If that’s your goal, following these twelve suggestions will ensure that, over time, your spouse will become very creative in finding ways to avoid having sex with you.
Of course, I’m writing this article “tongue in cheek” to make a point. But I can assure you that these behaviors will detract from your sexual relationship with your partner. That’s because sexual feelings are vulnerable to being affected by so many other factors, such as self-esteem, expectations, criticism, emotional intimacy, and pressure.
So here are the behaviors guaranteed to be “turn offs” to your spouse. In quote marks is the faulty reasoning that gets marriages into trouble. In parentheses (…), I’ve added a counterweight to the faulty reasoning.
1. Develop a set routine for when you want to have sexthe same time and same place every week.
“That way, you don’t have to wonder when you’ll have sexSunday night at 9:00 p.m. in the bedroomjust like clock work. No use leaving it to chance, right?”
(How boring. Try adding excitement by surprising your mate with something slightly new and different.)
2. Follow exactly the same “plays” and “moves” each time.
“This way you both know what to expect each time. It’s just too much work to come up with different things to try, and after the honeymoon period, it’s not really necessary, is it?”
(Instead, remember a variation on the old saying that variety is the spice of life… and of sex).
3. Drink a lot first so that you’re loosened up.
“If your mate doesn’t like the smell or wishes you wouldn’t drink so much before sex, it’s just too bad. You can’t let your spouse tell you what to do, can you?”
(Consistent and excessive intoxication during sex is a big turn-off and could indicate deeper problems.)
4. Only touch your spouse when your goal is to have sex.
“Save your hugs, wet kisses, and holding hands until you’re ready to signal that you want sex. That way your partner will associate your touch with sex and know what to expect, get my drift? Cuts down on misunderstandings, doesn’t it?”
(Actually, the best sex can be the result of hours or even days of buildup with no obvious sign of sex on the horizon. During this time, any sign of affection - a touch, a hug, some compliments - can be powerful foreplay that builds to ignite passion.)
5. Expect your spouse to deliver the sexual goods because you’re married.
“Your mate knows that every ‘good’ marriage partner owes sex to the other partner as part of his or her ‘duties.’ After all, isn’t this supposed to be one of the benefits of being married?”
(When sex becomes an obligation, it becomes as appealing as paying taxes. Instead, if your goal is to make the experience breathtaking for your partner, you’ll never have to invoke guilt or obligation to get sex.)
6. Push for sex even if your spouse seems reluctant and uninterested as long as he or she says “okay.”
“If the verbal agreement is there, ignore the behavioral signals that indicate reluctance. If your spouse didn’t really want to have sex, he or she should have said so up front, right?”
(Pay close attention to your mate’s body language. That can be more revealing of true interest in sex than words alone. You’ll damage your relationship if you forge ahead when your partner only agrees just to get it over with.)
7. Skip foreplay and get to the major action immediately.
“It takes too much time to bother with all that extra stuff. Besides, both of you have to go to work in the morning and need your sleep. You can’t afford to waste time.”
(The truth is, there is often a direct correlation to the amount of foreplay with the quality of the sex. The better the buildup, the better the payoff.)
8. Criticize your spouse’s sexual performance.
“After all, you’re only trying to motivate your mate to be a better sexual partner. It’s not healthy to keep things in, so he or she will just have to listen to your critique.”
(You will get more satisfying performance out of your mate by praising what he or she does that you like, rather than the contrary.)
9. Criticize your spouse’s physical appearance.
“If your partner has developed a beer belly or gotten flabby, you’re doing him or her a favor to say how much that turns you off. It’ll motivate your spouse to lose weight and shape up, which will help him or her in the long run.”
(The rule is: use positive strokes to motivate your partner. Negative criticism will poison your sex life.)
10. Answer your cell phone during sex.
“You just never know; this call might be important. Anyway, what’s the big deal? It’s not like you’ll never have sex again. You’ve been having sex for years now, so why should your partner get upset with an occasional interruption?”
(Respect your partner with your undivided attention to get back the same. Minimize all distractions if possible.)
11. Get it over with as fast as possible as long as you’re satisfied.
“Don’t ask your partner if there’s anything you can do for him or her. Just assume that everything’s okay unless your mate says something.”
(If satisfaction is not mutual, your sex life will suffer. The simple question a couple can ask each other - “How can I please you?” - works wonders.)
12. Jump up immediately and make your get-away afterwards.
“The faster you get finished, the faster you’ll be able to get to sleep. There’s no time to waste just lying there talking. You can talk tomorrow over breakfast.”
(Emotional closeness is the currency of intimacy and you can achieve it by allowing each other to share honest feelings. Pillow talk after sex is one of the best times for this.)
Nancy J. Wasson, Ph.D., is co-author of Keep Your Marriage: What to Do When Your Spouse Says “I don’t love you anymore!” This is available at http://www.KeepYourMarriage.com, where you can also sign up for the free weekly Keep Your Marriage Internet Magazine to get ideas and support for improving your marriage.
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