Archive for December, 2007

Marriage and A Ring

Monday, December 31st, 2007

By Derek Belay At some point we have all considered the possibility of marriage. Many of us have already engaged ourselves legally to the institution of the wedded, as it were. The idea of marriage transcends culture and history as a necessary organization of a successful society. Although marriage is interpreted in different ways across the globe, it is usually defined as a union to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. Marriage is advertised as being the foundation of family and crucial to the healthy nurturing of our future generations. This is all well and good as marriage is not only morally advantageous to society but financially beneficial as well. Marriage, however, is also an industry. The feature event, of course, is the wedding ceremony. Every tradition involved from the clothing, the bouquets, the cake and the jewelry can end up costing a small fortune. Spare no expense seems to be the attitude of the parties involved as they begin their trek down the road of matrimony. But is the traditional part really important? After all, the ceremony itself is not required in the eyes of the law and certainly all of the pomp and circumstance is not necessarily required by the religious institutions. So why dont we just pile into a church, temple or masque, say our I dos and get on with our lives? Opinions vary, from the idea that the ceremony is a symbol of the start of a presumably lasting bond and deserves to be celebrated as such, to the stricter view of an automated adherence to precedent in an attempt to honor and carry on the traditions of our ancestors. But there is another less intrinsic reason based solely on the financial health of the wedding industry. Consider the engagement ring. It will put a dent in your wallet. Whatever you have to do, sell some of your belongings, get a loan, youre going to get that ring. Why? Because it is as traditional as the recurring commercials for engagement rings reminding you both that a diamond ring is the very symbol of your marriage. Diamonds have cornered the market in the billion dollar wedding industry as far as engagement rings go. The diamond industry has created an atmosphere of pressure with their slick ads promoting the idea that a diamond ring is the means by which the true expression of love and sacrifice are delivered, materially. To be sure, the rise in the value of diamonds can be directly related to the commercialization of marriage. As divorce rates rise, the frivolousness with which marriage is being treated can be directly related to a grand marketing campaign which really should say, Get married! So YOU can have a wedding too. Author: Derek Belay holds a BA in English Literature from Cal State Pomona. He writes part time primarily as a hobby. He currently works for Jewelry Payless.com as a marketing manager. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Derek_Belay http://EzineArticles.com/?Marriage-and-A-Ring&id=159201 phentermine diet pills buy phentermine without a perscription cheapest phentermine pharmacy net phentermine without a prescription

Start A Collection

Sunday, December 30th, 2007

By Lisa Lambson A couple of years ago, I was just at the point of exploding. I had been taking care of everyone but me, and one Saturday afternoon when I couldnt take it anymore, I laid the kids down for naps and woke my husband up from his, and told him I would be back in a couple of hours and asked him to keep the laundry going if you wanted clothes to wear to work on Monday. I jumped in the car and off I went. I got about two blocks before I pulled over and turned off the car. I looked at myself in the rearview mirror and said, Where are you going? I had no idea what I wanted to do. I hadnt done anything just for pleasure in so long, I couldnt remember what I really enjoyed. As I sat there thinking, I remembered all the time my mother spent cleaning and rearranging her antique dishes collection. She loved those dishes, and whenever she needed her space you would find her with them or out scouring for more. I started my car and headed for the nearest flea market. As I was driving, I thought about different things that I might like to collect. Now, just a couple of years later, I have quite a few collections of my own, including antique dishes, and I have my own peace and happiness from something I created just for me. Choosing What You Want To Collect To begin your collection, thing about some of the things that interest you. Decide if you want to collect items just for the enjoyment of collecting or if you would be more interested in collecting items that may become valuable investments. For example, if you are doing it strictly for your enjoyment, you may think about a specific animal you like. I have a very large cow collection taking over my kitchen. My sister redecorated a room in her house in the trendy fruit motifs, and she now has quite a collection of fruit dcor items. Other ideas are teapots, hats, movie memorabilia, buttons, pens, angels, fairies, t-shirts, or candles. Anything that captures your fancy can get you started. My husband has a matchbook collection that he takes great enjoyment from. He just gets a kick out of unusual matchbooks from different locations. If you would prefer something that will increase in value, you may be more inclined to collect items such as antique dishes, comic books, Disney memorabilia, stamps, coins, or any of the collectible lines that are available today, for example, Boyds Bears, Precious Moments, SnowBabies or Dea Capodimonte of Naples, Italy. Chasing Down Great Deals Once you have decided what to collect, the joy of the hunt begins. My favorite places to go for my treasures are always the places where I can find the ultimate deals. Yard sales, flea markets, consignment shops and thrift stores are always my first stops. It is amazing what wonderful things you can find for next to nothing. In recent years, collectors have had the joy of a whole new market opening up to them via the Internet. With the Internet, you have access to the entire world rather than just your local area. Online auctions are an incredible resource for finding items to add to your collection and getting some great deals. Researching Your Collectibles There are quite a few good collectibles shows on television, such as Flea Market Finds on HGTV, The Incurable Collector on A&E, and of course, The Antiques Roadshow. If your hobby becomes a passion, you will want to invest in a good price guide. There are specialized guides for specific items and general guides that cover a wide range of objects. It is important to look for a guide that gives you product background, company information and a history of the item. I always look for the price guides that provide detailed pictures and information about markings, number produced and year of production. Also, make sure to buy the most current guide available. Browse some guides at your local library first, to get a feel for what youre looking for before you choose which one to buy. Lisa Lambson is a married, mother of four that recently left the workforce to freelance. “I made this choice to show my children that there are ways to support your family independently and maintain your family presence the way that you choose. I want my children to understand that they do not have to be caught in a job they don’t like waiting to be downsized. I choose to use my passion for writing to teach them to never give up on their passions.” Lisa has been published in print in a magazine named Balance that, unfortunately, is no longer published and in a newspaper for work at home moms called Connecting At Home. She also has numerous articles published and circulating on the internet on hundreds of websites. She can write about any topic and there is nothing she loves more than to learn something new or meet someone new to get to know. Her work stands for itself as she works carefully, quickly and pays great attention to detail.http://216.147.57.116/index.shtml Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Lambson http://EzineArticles.com/?Start-A-Collection&id=196546 phetermine diet pills buy phentermine 37.5 cheap phentermine with no prescription cheap phentermine no prescription free shipping

Hoodia Diet Pills - Tremendous Product and Excellent Fraud!

Saturday, December 29th, 2007

By Mahesh Bhat When it comes to the matter of weight loss, peoples always prefer tricky methods. Peoples dont want to learn Diet Basics; they dont want to follow healthy food habit; they hate to exercise. In fact many peoples are still looking for overnight results! And that is the reason for 100s of diet pills and weight loss supplements on the market. For decades, the diet industry has been an all natural appetite suppressant with no side effects other than the intended weight loss! However diet pills became very popular within shot period of time. While many of these worked, they often came with a heavy list of side effects. After an initial flurry of excitement and sales, most were knocked off due to dangers associated with their use, and some were even banned. The latest arrival on the Weight Loss circuit is an unprepossessing African succulent known as Hoodia Gordonii. Hoodia was cleared for sale in the U.S. in early 2004; it has been steadily making a name for itself as a powerful appetite suppressant that can help you lose weight. Its popularity was significantly boosted by reports on 60 Minutes, ABC News and BBC News. As part of the BBC report, BBCs correspondent Tom Mangold, actually traveled to Africa to sample the hoodia in situation. He and his cameraman, who also tested the plant, both reported feeling pleasantly full for nearly 48 hours after eating a piece of hoodia gordonii. Modern research has isolated an ‘active ingredient’ known as P57 in hoodia. Though the research is still scanty, it works by fooling the hypothalamus into thinking that there is more sugar in the blood than there actually is. Does Hoodia actually work? According to Phytopharm, the company that holds the patent on the process to extract P57 from hoodia, human subjects taking hoodia reduced their caloric intake by as much as 2000 calories a day. So figures are impressive. And so far the overall result is fine. Is Hoodia Safe? There again, the research is far too scant to make a reasonable decision on it. There are no known side effects - but it also hasn’t been used outside one small tribe in Africa until the past two years. It’s possible that there are side effects to long-term use. Since Hoodia is endorsed by major News resources like ABC News and BBC News, scammers found its extremely easy to sell junks in the name of Hoodia. Most of the hoodia supplements available on the market do not contain hoodia gordonii at all! Some contains dangerous chemicals. Obviously its hard to tell which Company sells genuine products and who dont. However here are some tips to protect you from Hoodia Scammers. 1) Consult Physician: Consult your doctor before taking hoodia diet supplements (Or any other supplements). This is particularly important for those who’ve been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes. 2) Dont be fooled with cheap gimmick! Hoodia is very expensive to plant. So its virtually impossible to sell for peanut price. Be very cautious if you are purchasing from Online Auction sites. 3) Check Certificate: Only few companies have the right to sell hoodia products. Although certificate can be faked, its important to check it out. 4) Contact Company: If you are planning to purchase hoodia from a well established website contact their customer care with some questions about hoodia. Your seller should be able answer your hoodia question if they are selling genuine products. 5) Money back guarantee: Genuine Hoodia Companys should offer at least 30 days of money back guarantee. 6) The Exercise factor: Genuine Companys must say that, basic exercise is important while taking hoodia. Dont be fooled with ads like Take hoodia; eat whatever you want and lose 50 pounds within 30 days! 7) Ask your contacts: For your satisfaction, enquire with your friends, colleagues and contacts (if they are overweight taken hoodia.) My final words are; hoodia isnt a magic pill. It should not necessarily work for everyone. The effects of hoodia will vary from person to person depends on various factors. Like any other diet pills, hoodia should be used for short term treatment of obesity. Again basic exercise and healthy food habit is must. Some peoples love to eat just about anything even if they arent hungry! If you are an emotional eater, dont use hoodia; it simply wont work. And diet pills are not permanent weight loss solution. Electronic reprint right has been granted to distribute this report for free of cost as long as the content and author bio is remain unchanged. For print publication written consent must be obtained from the author. Mahesh Bhat is Weight Loss Mentor and Web Master of Diet Pills site. Go to Hoodia diet pills site to learn more about hoodia diet supplements. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mahesh_Bhat http://EzineArticles.com/?Hoodia-Diet-Pills—Tremendous-Product-and-Excellent-Fraud!&id=58643 phentermine online overnight purchase phentermine without prescription buy phentermine cod phentermine to buy

Have You Ever Considered To Try a Diet Patch?

Friday, December 28th, 2007

By Terje Ellingsen What is a diet patch actually? It is a weight loss medicine which utilizes a naturally-based system to modify the appetite feeling of the brain. Products, like Dietrine, Le Patch and Zyapex will lower your body’s urge to overeat as well as allowing a normal indulgence of food to take place. We can see a trend all over the western world that people that want to lose weight are using these slimming patches. Is it just another weight loss mania that doesn’t work in a sustainable way, or is it a device that can really help overweight people? The answer is that these diet patches have significantly proven to aid in weight loss relatively quickly. However, the expectation many dieters of to these patches, are that they alone shall give a significant and sustainable weight loss by itself, and that their effort should be nothing but adhering the slimming patch to their skin and remain doing what they already have done too much of; eat and not exercise. Though these diets patches can represent an important part of a weight loss plan, this is not the way they are supposed to be used. To achieve a healthy and sustainable weight loss for overweight people, fast weight loss is not recommended at all. Loosing 1 to 3 pounds in weight per week is the safest, healthiest and most sustainable way to shed weight. Diet patches are meant to aid you in losing weight. You can use the patch as often as you want and when your food cravings or your access to food is especially high. Situations like holidays and vacations, parties, when you are stressful are well fit for using diet patches. Used this way you can expect to lose 2 to 6 pound weight loss in just a few weeks. How do you use this patch? Actually it’s very easy; You just peel off the back of the patch, place it somewere on your body, and after a while you’ll notice that you crave less food throughout the day. Where can you find diet patches? You can perform a search online for “diet patches+reviews”. Then you’ll get a list of the most searched websites that offer diet patches as well as a review of the various brands. It is important to know that the internet is a huge market place and there will always be some less than reputable actors there with a sole purpose of earning money. Stay away from those and keep to recommended sites and products with a great reputation. If you want to take advantage of the many benefits of weighing less and looking great, diet patches can help you a lot when used the right way. Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet marketer. He runs the website 11-Weight-Loss.net. Terje enjoys to give advice and help people with online workout programs and diets for overweight people. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terje_Ellingsen http://EzineArticles.com/?Have-You-Ever-Considered-To-Try-a-Diet-Patch?&id=84815 cheap phentermine without prescription buy phentermine by cod buy phentermine without doctor approval phentermine money order

Bad Credit Cell Phone Plans

Friday, December 28th, 2007

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy]Max Bellamy There are mainly two types of cell phone plans, pre-paid plans and billing plans. To put it simply, pre-paid plans are like debit cards that you can use only while you have money in your account, which you have paid in advance. Billing is more like a credit card given to you by the cellular phone provider, who takes the risk of letting you use the phone services for the month and collects payment later. Hence, credit checks are a very important part for any service provider that provides billing plans. The company will want to check your credit history so it can know whether you have a good history of paying on time to your various lenders. If you have a good credit history, cellular phone companies do not have any objection regarding billing you for their service. For those with bad credit history it’s an uphill task. However, there are a few options available. In case of people with a bad credit history, cellular phone companies demand a hefty deposit from them before they give them a billing plan. This is to ensure that the company’s money is safeguarded. Another option they provide is to have partial billing facility and to set a credit limit. For instance, if a person with a bad credit history is to receive cellular phone service, he will have to make interim payments to the provider to continue using the service. If a person with a bad credit history has a problem getting a cell phone plan, he or she can opt for pre-paid plans. With pre-paid plans, no credit history check is required since the payment is already made. What is also important in such a plan is that for such people who have bad credit history, managing their finances is difficult. But with a pre-paid plan, they can monitor and manage their expenditure on mobile phones quite well. [http://www.e-CellPhonePlans.com]Cell Phone Plans provides detailed information on Cell Phone Plans, Cell Phone Family Plans, Compare Cell Phone Plans, Prepaid Cell Phone Plans and more. Cell Phone Plans is affiliated with [http://www.e-CellPhoneDeals.com]Free Cell Phone Deals. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy http://EzineArticles.com/?Bad-Credit-Cell-Phone-Plans&id=304164 cheap phentermine 30mg phentermine with no prescription required phentermine for cheap buy phentermine no rx

Why Are America’s Small Businesses Failing at Such Alarming Rates?

Thursday, December 27th, 2007

By Mary Eule The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths. William James Certainty versus Myth 84% of American companies have below average marketing programs, with the vast majority of these coming from the small and medium-sized business sectors. Although business pundits have a variety of theories on the root causes and the direct impacts, they usually agree on two important things: 1. Developing and utilizing sound marketing strategies and tactics (i.e. marketing programs) provides all businesses with the maximum leverage for attaining their objectives, and 2. Companies that execute marketing programs based on a written strategic plan are far more likely to be successful than those that do not. Why do Most Small Businesses Fail? This is a bit like asking a coroner why someone died While the short answer may be that their heart stopped beating or their brain stopped functioning, there are thousands of potential underlying contributors. It is much the same in this instance. However, a few things are certain when a company ceases to be unexpectedly Someone(s) made poor choices. The actual errors themselves are much less important than understanding why so many very intelligent people cannot build and sustain successful businesses. A companys failure can usually be traced directly back to its founders mindset. Ultimate success in anything has much more to do with your attitudes and beliefs than any one tactical error or overwhelming event even though this may be given as the official cause of death. Given this, it is logical to assume that small business owners/managers fall short of their goals because they do, in fact, commit serious blunders which produce poor, or devastating, results However, in order to at least stop the bleeding (hopefully theres still enough time to cure the patient) you must understand and address the root problem, not band aid on a malignant tumor! The obvious question then is: Why? Because their Actions are… based on Decisions… formed by Attitudes… supported by a philosophical belief in MYTHS We all make mistakes some of us more than others. But its the wise person who seeks counsel. So after many years in the strategic marketing profession, I have compiled my very own list of the four worst of the worst marketing myths and blunders they cause. They are: 1. Marketing is just another word for advertising This is perhaps the most common marketing myth and must be debunked right away if you have any hope of accomplishing your business goals. A belief in this myth necessitates a view of marketing as a tactical function rather than the series of cross-functional processes, approaches and activities that it really is. Yes, advertising (marketing communications) is an essential component of your overall marketing plan, but it is not THE plan and ideally should account for only1-2% of your entire marketing efforts. If you devote all of your attention and efforts on advertising activities (e.g. ad copy, sales channels; websites; media, etc.) youre putting the cart before the horse and are missing critical issues that may be having a negative impact on your business. Advertising should never be substituted for the marketing process as a whole. No amount of advertising is going to make up for shoddy workmanship; rude employees or an unpleasant customer experience. Its like building a house of cards it may hold up for a little while, but it most certainly will come tumbling down. 2. Perception is not reality This is one of the hardest concepts for business owners to accept. They waste countless hours trying to convince unyielding clients to accept their version of reality, which often prevents them from communicating their unique benefits; alleviating significant flaws and/or ignoring golden opportunities. It is vitally important that any one who has responsibility for growing a business or organization understand and embrace this critical tenet. It does not matter if outside perceptions are factual… because consumers behave based on decisions formed by attitudes founded on their beliefs, which are often subconscious. This has particularly dangerous consequences when companies are forced into an undesirable place primarily because they fail to communicate their unique benefits. Thus their inside reality is aware of their distinguishing qualities but outside perceptions are clueless. In other words, the public may look at your business; your competitors businesses; and/or completely unrelated businesses and view them identically, good or bad. This means that they base their purchase decision solely on price or convenience. Why? Because they dont have any other information! {pagebreak} 3. It is not important to know what you dont know This myth is the most pervasive, far-reaching and detrimental myth of them all! It is an equal-opportunity fantasy whose believers are corporate CEOs; entrepreneurs; male and female; young and old; rich and poor; tall and short; moms and pops; etc. It is also the most difficult one to correct because the patient doesnt know he/she is ill! It serves as the foundation for prejudice, ignorance and failure and influences all of the sufferers decisions and behaviors personally and professionally. Ironically, this myth often serves as the very basis for becoming an entrepreneur in the first place. Michael Gerber, in his classic book, The E-Myth, says that most small businesses are started by technicians (folks who are proficient at some skill) who have an entrepreneurial seizure. Just because they know how to do the work of the business does not mean that they know how to run a business that does that work. For example, just because a hair stylist knows how to cut hair, does not mean he/she can run a hair styling business. This is a classic case of not knowing what you dont know. For instance, any business run in the U.S. today has to understand how the following business requirements (just to name a few) impact them and how they must comply on a daily/monthly/yearly basis: Payroll taxes Workmens compensation Local and State Income Tax Laws Local and State Sales Tax Laws Business Licensing Profit and Loss Statements Overhead Expenses Financial Reporting Requirements Employee Management Human Resource Regulations OSHA Regulations Social Security, Medicare Benefits Withholding Taxes Actual costs of running a business Quarterly Tax Payments The problem arises when technicians assume that all they need to know is the work of the business, not how to run a business. The actual costs of owning and operating your own company are far greater than the expenses associated with your rent, office furniture, utilities, etc. Because of this many small business owners never earn a true profitone that allows their business to grow, and provide them sufficient income to enjoy the lifestyle they envisioned when they began. 4. The more you do, the better youll do By nature, entrepreneurs are more action-oriented and idea-rich than others. For the most part, these are good traits. However, they often act as a catalyst for crossing the line and heading straight for lack of focus, prioritization and the ever-common doing-it, doing-it, doing-it rut. Lets face it, most of us feel like we have way too many things to do every day a belief that is exacerbated by owning/operating a small business! Couple that with the pervading notions that If Im not working, Im not worthy and/or that rapid growth necessitates doing even more, youve got real problems. Why, I bet you even know of some people who think that if they just work harder and longer at anything, theyll eventually make it! This is hooey. In order to develop a sound strategy, which we all know is critical to the success of your business; you must learn whats important to do, and whats not. I love the analogy of a fire hose If you turn it on, full power water goes everywhere, and you wont even be able to get a small cup. However, if you turn it down to a trickle youll much more able to handle what you need. So, if you think youre going to fix your business in any meaningful way solely by employing the latest hot marketing gimmick or developing a web site, think again. Thats the easy stuff! Mary Eule specializes in helping small and medium-sized businesses get and keep profitable customers. Formerly a Fortune 500 marketing executive; founder of two successful small businesses and award-winning speaker, Ms. Eule is President of Strategic Marketing Advisors, LLC. and co-author of a new book, “Mandatory Marketing: Small Business Edition”. She is also a certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach. She has a BA in Journalism/English from the University of Maryland and earned her a masters degree in marketing from Johns Hopkins University. Log onto her website: http://www.StrategicMarketingAdvisors.com for free articles, newsletter and helpful marketing tools, tips and templates and/or to purchase the book. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Eule http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Are-Americas-Small-Businesses-Failing-at-Such-Alarming-Rates?&id=149705 buy phentermine for cheap pharmacy that sells phentermine buy phentermine free consultation buy cheap phentermine 37.5

Benefits of Becoming a Member of an Online Dating Community

Monday, December 24th, 2007

By L Ruppert If you are new to the online dating world then you are probably finding out that many sites offer a free introductory period where you can view the site, its features, and maybe even contact a member or two you are interested in. However, after the initial free period you will lose any of your privileges and must sign up for a small monthly fee to become a member. Your profile will often stay on the site and you might receive emails from members interested in you, but if you don’t become a member you won’t be able to respond. So, obviously, becoming a member of your favorite dating website has some great benefits. First, you need to do a little research and find out what dating websites you like best. You might want to sign up for several sites’ free memberships and then decide which site is best and then pay for your monthly membership. You will really benefit from this because you will have all of the features you love at your fingertips. If there is a potential man or woman you want to contact then all you have to do is simply send an email, wink, or other form of contact to get their attention. You will really love being in control and contacting the individuals you are most interested in rather than simply waiting for others to contact you. Also, when you have a full membership you can read other members full profiles. Sometimes sites will allow you to do this anyway, but many won’t. If you are trying to find a date then you will want to review the person’s full profile and learn all about them before contacting them. As a result, paying the monthly fee will be worthwhile because you will be able to do this. Another benefit is that you make a small investment in finding the man or woman of your dreams right from your home computer. You might not like the idea of paying $19.95 per month for a full membership, but this is probably less than you would spend on gas in a month’s time bar hopping trying to find a guy or girl, not to mention drinks and the like. So, it is really affordable to have a full membership. There are obviously other benefits to joining a dating website and upgrading to a full membership. The only drawbacks are to not doing it and never meeting that guy or girl you have been dreaming about. So, if you are considering online dating make sure you do a little research, find your favorite site, then upgrade to the full membership so you have the freedom and control over finding your soul mate. Laura Rupert writes for DrDating.com a site filled with dating advice and tips about dating, love and relationships. DrDating.com has a huge library of articles about online dating. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=L_Ruppert http://EzineArticles.com/?Benefits-of-Becoming-a-Member-of-an-Online-Dating-Community&id=258960 buy online pain ultram no prescription next day delivery tramadol tramadol no prescription buy ultram 50mg

Alfredo, And Who On Earth Was He?

Monday, December 24th, 2007

By Anna Maria Volpi Yes, Italians make a dish of pasta, fettuccine dressed with nothing else than good aged parmigiano cheese and a lot of butter, but is such a simple preparation that Italians dont even consider it a recipe. Waverly Root in his famous book The Food of Italy (New York, 1971) wrote: FETTUCCINE AL BURRO is associated in every tourists mind with Rome, possibly because the original Alfredo succeeded in making its serving a spectacle reminiscent of grand opera. It is the same ribbon shaped egg pasta tat is called tagliatelle in Bologna; but the al burro preparation is very Roman indeed in its rich simplicity. Nothing is added to the pasta except grated cheese and butter - lots of butter. The recipe calls for doppio burro, double butter, which gives it a golden color. Who was Alfredo then? Alfredo di Lelio, this was his full name, was an inspired cook who proposed this new exciting dish in the restaurant he opened in Rome in 1914. It was a high gourmet preparation in the Roman tradition of simplicity. Apparently he created his Fettuccine allAlfredo when his wife lost her appetite during her pregnancy. To bring back her appetite he prepared for her a nutritious dish of egg fettuccine with parmigiano cheese and butter. That probably gave him the idea for his triple butter fettuccine. He was an extravagant character who used to personally serve his paper-thin fettuccine with golden forks, apparently donated to him by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, the famous silent movie stars. In the fifties and sixties, Hollywood discovered Rome. Paparazzi photographers took photos of actors such as Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, or Sophia Loren in front of a plate of Fettuccine allAlfredo, making his restaurant famous all around the world. The restaurant is now run buy his grandson, and the golden forks are still used to serve this dish for special occasions. Samuel Chamberlain, journalist and food writer, met Alfredo in the late fifties and wrote in his book Italian Bouquet An Epicurean Tour of Italy (New York, 1958): Finally there is the great Alfredo, showman par excellence, who draws an endless file of amazed and hungry tourists to watch his calisthenics over a dish of hot noodles. The King of Noodles has come out of retirement, and now wields his golden fork and spoon at ALFREDO ALLAUGUSTEO, at number 31 on the Piazza Augusto Imperatore. His Maestosissime Fettuccine allAlfredo are most majestic, without a doubt. [] You have to visit this place at least once, we suppose, just to say you have seen this elderly, melodramatic good-hearted clown in action. So, forget the heavy cream, the parsley, the garlic, and all the other stuff suggested in the hundreds of Alfredo recipes that circulate around. Take down from the shelf that pasta machine, prepare your fresh fettuccine (you can substitute fresh fettuccine with excellent dry egg noodles), and enjoy the simple Maestosissime Fettuccine al Triplo Burro the way Alfredo himself would do them. Find the step-by-step illustrated recipe at this URL: http://www.annamariavolpi.com/pasta_alfredo_recipe.html Enjoy! Anna Maria Volpi, Copyright(C)2004 Anna Maria Volpi is a cooking instructor and personal chef in Los Angeles. Visit Anna Marias website www.annamariavolpi.com/page28.html for step-by-step illustrated Italian recipes, articles, pictures, and to enroll in her free newsletter.***************************************Permission is granted for this article to reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, as long as no changes are made and the copyright, resource box, and active link to her website are included. Please inform Anna Maria if you use of this article: anna@annamariavolpi.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anna_Maria_Volpi http://EzineArticles.com/?Alfredo,-And-Who-On-Earth-Was-He?&id=1539 tramadol buy on line ultram online order online tramadol without prescription buy ultram online without a prescription

Balloon Fun!

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007

By Leticia Mettarod Who got the idea to take a little bag of colored rubber and fill it with air so it floats? And then to use them to celebrate birthdays and garage sales and open houses? Balloons are sure a lot of fun. Fun seems to be the whole idea of balloons from the very beginning. I found a great resource on balloons at Balloonhq.com while I was wondering about where they came from. I admit that I was not quite ready for the answer I found. Apparently, animal bladders and intestines were the original material for balloons. I had no idea. They havent been around all that long, but they are mentioned in literature in the early 1800s. That site quotes a book called Great Balloons! The Complete Book of Balloon Sculpting by Jean Merlin, Kaufman and Greenberg, which tells how the Aztecs used balloons made of cat bowels as offerings to their gods. I had no idea balloons were ever used in religious ceremonies. Did you? Then some scientist named Michael Faraday made a rubber balloon for some kind of science experiments. The hot air balloon was born in the 1700s. Its a good story. Go read it on that site, Balloonhg.com It wasnt that long before we had balloons flying in parades, the Goodyear blimp and, of course, colored rubber balloons followed by intricately decorated foil balloons with words and pictures on them! Balloons, as you know, can be sculpted into various shapes. Weve all seen people make little dog shapes and hats at carnivals and fairs. But you wont believe the pictures on that web site! Balloons can really be molded into just about anything. There are pictures of some very realistic snails, rabbits and dogs. Different colors are used to add to the realism. I cant possibly go into all the fun that you can have with balloons. Youll have to go see for yourself. See what you can find. And definitely remember to have fun! About the writer Leticia Mettarod started doing balloon sculptures for her own children. Now she appears at local carnivals to create colorful balloon art. Sometimes her children help.You can read more articles about balloons at Balloony Fun Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leticia_Mettarod http://EzineArticles.com/?Balloon-Fun!&id=75565 buy tramadol online get ultram prescription ultram purchase tramadol ultram buy tramadol buy ultram

DIY: How to Succeed in Business with Do-It-Yourself Marketing

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007

By Marv Lincoln Do-It-Yourself. It’s a concept that has been around since the Fifties, coming at the height of the post-war homebuilding boom in the U.S. Retail stores and marketing gurus convinced us that we could do our own home repairs and alterations in our homes — as a hobby, of course — rather than hiring expensive professionals to do the work. So all of the DIY dads in America went to their neighborhood hardware stores and bought the necessary tools to fix the plumbing, replace the roof, put up the aluminum siding, build a patio, or just pound in a nail or two. Some of us had trouble just changing a light bulb, but we soldiered on nevertheless. We are still buying the concept — and the tools, and the materials. Today we live in a different world, but the Do-It-Yourself model is bigger than ever. Now it is being applied in advertising and PR. You find it used primarily among small business owners, but even companies with annual grosses in the millions are getting on the DIY bandwagon. It’s the high cost of advertising, the multiple and confusing media possibilities, and the high cost of employing an advertising or PR firm ($10K to $25K per month on average) that has driven the move to DIY. Also, there is a steep learning curve when hiring an outside firm to understand your business and then do the job you are paying them to do. Doing your own advertising, publicity and promotion costs you a lot less money, and can also be more effective. You know your business; you know your markets. There is only one catch. Maybe two. One, to do the kind of work required — writing and placing press releases, writing and designing ads, staging promotions, etc. — takes time. Secondly, it takes skill. You have to know what you are doing if you tackle these jobs. You may have your own learning curve, which cuts into the time you need to keep your business going and profitable. So in a way it’s a toss-up: Hire a firm (or an inside person) to do your advertising and PR, and hope they get it right; or, DIY. Fortunately, if you choose the latter path, there are many tools available to help you succeed. On the Internet, there are many firms which can supply these tools. Look at them as guides. For a fixed fee, these Web gurus can supply you with templates, marketing tips and the basic outlines for a campaign. A press kit is an invaluable tool; all of the ingredients in template form can be sent to you via snail mail or as a pdf file. Also, Web industry leaders like Hewlett-Packard provide free templates for many of the elements required for successful marketing campaigns. Although these marketing kits are limited in scope, they provide a springboard for great ideas. Such things are not insider secrets. Specialty advertising, event marketing, word-of-mouth, sending out product samples — all of these are marketing activities which the DIY-inclined entrepreneur can do without becoming a slave to his or her business. Guidance helps — and that’s where many Web firms can be called in to provide the necessary expertise. For the last 25 years we have heard a lot about so-called guerrilla marketing and PR. Basically the same as Do-It-Yourself, it is defined by NetLingo.com as “Unconventional marketing programs designed to get maximum results out of minimal resources.” In other words, promoting your business with maximum effectiveness on a low budget. We will cover this aspect of Do-It-Yourself marketing in a future article. Look for a company that can create ideas and provide the tools for your Do-It-Yourself campaign: Call on Thunder Mountain Productions for all of your copywriting and marketing needs. Creative Director Marv Lincoln has years of experience as a writer, reporter, advertising and PR executive, book editor, and published book author. He has been published in many national periodicals, including Newsweek, Playboy and more. Visit www.sedonapr.com for more information. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marv_Lincoln http://EzineArticles.com/?DIY:-How-to-Succeed-in-Business-with-Do-It-Yourself-Marketing&id=371521 buy prescription tramadol without buy online prescription ultram without cheapest tramadol online without prescription buy cheap tramadol 120 cod