Give Your Booklets That Extra Flair

November 19th, 2008 by stantheman

When people think booklets they always focus on the subject matter and the prose. I understand why, obviously, given the importance of the writing for booklets.

Quite often booklets Washington truck accident lawyers also very technical. They deal with a lot of the specific details of your industry, and this can sometimes lead to dry text if you are not careful. The dryer your text the greater the odds of a booklet that no one really cares about reading. Why else would you write a booklet other than to have people read through them?

The best way to avoid this is by adding some additional style to your booklet printing. Too often people do not associate these kinds of details with effective booklets. They think that a booklet simply has to be dry and boring for it to be a true booklet, and this is simply not the case.

I think a good way to approach the subject is by telling yourself that what you are going to be doing is designing a much longer than normal brochure. Most people are fully aware of the strong design element that goes into good brochures. Take that same mentality and apply it to your booklets.

Try to think of different images you could use with each of the subjects you are discussing. Doing so leads to a wide variety of different improvements for your booklets. The first is that you can actually help emphasize each point that you are trying to make.

Have an image with a caption below it that details exactly what you are talking about. Good images can help bring a greater level of reality to the subject matter being discussed.

The second thing is that when a person first picks up your booklets and flips through it you are giving them something to latch onto. They will not just see pages and pages of words, but various images. This makes your booklet appear more interesting, and it also helps give them a better idea of what they are going to be reading when they do decide to check it out.

Even a booklet needs to be able to encourage someone to read it. Just like any other form of marketing, your booklet printing needs to be able to give people a reason to pick it up. I would suggest you put a good amount of thought to what the cover of your booklet is going to be as well.

People will judge a book by its cover no matter what you want to think, so you need to be Idaho truck accident lawyers the cover you are handing them is an effective one. If you are going to go to the effort of writing your booklet, you might as well take the extra time to ensure that people read what you wrote. In the end I think you will be much happier.

Janice Jenkins is a writer for a marketing company in Chicago, IL. Mostly into marketing research, Janice started writing articles early 2007 to impart her knowledge to individuals new to the marketing industry.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit: Booklet Printing

The History of CRM — Moving Beyond the Customer Database

November 18th, 2008 by stantheman

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is one of those magnificent concepts
that swept the business world in the 1990??s with the promise of forever changing
the way businesses small and large interacted with their customer bases. In the
short term, however, it proved to be an unwieldy process that was better in
theory than in practice for a variety of reasons. First among these was that it
was simply so difficult and expensive to track and keep the high volume of
records needed accurately and constantly update them.

In the last several years, however, newer software systems and advanced
tracking features have vastly improved CRM capabilities and the real promise of
CRM is becoming a reality. school loans consolidation the price of newer, more customizable Internet
solutions have hit the marketplace; competition has driven the prices down so
that even relatively small businesses are reaping the benefits of some custom
CRM programs.

In the beginning?

The 1980??s saw the emergence of database marketing, which was simply a catch
phrase to define the practice of setting up customer service groups to speak
individually to all of a company??s customers.

In the case of larger, key clients it was a valuable tool for keeping the
lines of communication open and tailoring service to the clients needs. In the
case of smaller clients, however, it tended to provide repetitive, survey-like
information that cluttered databases and didn??t provide much insight. As
companies began tracking database information, they realized that the bare bones
were all that was needed in most cases: what they buy regularly, what they
spend, what they do.

Advances in the 1990??s

In the 1990??s companies began to improve on Customer Relationship Management
by making it more of a two-way street. Instead of simply gathering data for
their own use, they began giving back to their customers not only in terms of
the obvious goal of improved customer service, but in incentives, gifts and
other perks for customer loyalty.

This was the beginning of the now familiar frequent flyer programs, bonus
points on credit cards and a host of other resources that are based on CRM
tracking of customer activity and spending patterns. CRM was now being used as a
way to increase sales passively as well as through active improvement of
customer service.

True CRM comes of age

Real Customer Relationship Management as it??s thought of today really began
in earnest in the early years of this century. As software companies began
releasing newer, more advanced solutions that were customizable across
industries, it became feasible to really use the information in a dynamic way.

Instead of feeding information into a static database for future reference,
CRM became a way to continuously update understanding of customer needs and
behavior. Branching of information, sub-folders, and custom tailored features
enabled companies to break down information into smaller subsets so that they
could evaluate not only concrete statistics, but information on the motivation
and reactions of customers.

The Internet provided a huge boon to the development of these huge databases
by enabling offsite information storage. Where before companies had difficulty
supporting the enormous amounts of information, the Internet provided new
possibilities and CRM took off as providers began moving toward Internet
solutions.

With the increased fluidity of these programs came a less rigid relationship
between sales, customer service and marketing. CRM enabled the development of
new strategies for more cooperative work between these different divisions
through shared information and understanding, leading to increased customer
satisfaction from order to end product.

Today, CRM is still utilized most frequently by companies that rely heavily
on two distinct features: customer service or technology. The three sectors of
business that rely most heavily on CRM — and use it to great advantage — are
financial services, a variety of high tech corporations and the
telecommunications industry.

The financial services industry in particular tracks the level of client
satisfaction and what customers are looking for in terms of changes and
personalized features. They also track changes in investment habits and spending
patterns as the economy shifts. Software specific to the industry can give
financial service providers truly impressive feedback in these areas.

Who??s in the CRM game?

About 50% of the CRM market is currently divided between five major players
in the industry: PeopleSoft, Oracle, data recovery raid Siebel and relative newcomer
Telemation, based on Linux and developed by an old standard, Database Solutions,
Inc.

The other half of the market falls to a variety of other players, although
Microsoft??s new emergence in the CRM market may cause a shift soon. Whether
Microsoft can capture a share of the market remains to be seen. However, their
brand-name familiarity may give them an edge with small businesses considering a
first-time CRM package.

PeopleSoft was founded in the mid-1980??s by Ken Morris and Dave
Duffield as a client-server based human resources application. In 1998,
PeopleSoft had evolved into a purely Internet based system, PeopleSoft 8.
There??s no client software to maintain and it supports over 150 applications.
PeopleSoft 8 is the brainchild of over 2,000 dedicated developers and $500
million in research and development.

PeopleSoft branched out from their original human resources platform in the
1990??s and now supports everything from customer service to supply chain
management. Its user-friendly system required minimal training is relatively
inexpensive to deploy. .

One of PeopleSoft??s major contributions to CRM was their detailed analytic
program that identifies and ranks the importance of customers based on numerous
criteria, including amount of purchase, cost of supplying them, and frequency of
service.

Oracle built a solid base of high-end customers in the late 1980??s,
then burst into national attention around 1990 when, under Tom Siebel, the
company aggressively marketed a small-to-medium business CRM solution.
Unfortunately they couldn??t follow up themselves on the incredible sales they
garnered and ran into a few years of real problems.

Oracle landed on its feet after a restructuring and their own refocusing on
customer needs and by the mid-1990??s the company was once again a leader in CRM
technologies. They continue to be one of the leaders in the enterprise
marketplace with the Oracle Customer Data Management System.

Telemation??s CRM solution is flexible and user-friendly, with a
toolkit that makes changing features and settings relatively easy. The system
also provides a quick learning environment that newcomers will appreciate. Its
uniqueness lies in that, although compatible with Windows, it was developed as a
Linux program. Will Linux be the wave of the future? We don??t know, but if it
is, Telemation??s ahead of the game.

The last few years?

In 2002, Oracle released their Global CRM in 90 Days package that promised
quick implementation of CRM throughout company offices. Offered with the package
was a set fee service for set-up and training for core business needs. .

Also in 2002 (a stellar year for CRM), SAP America??s mySAP began using a
??middleware? hub that was capable of connecting SAP systems to externals and
front and back office systems for a unified operation that links partners,
employees, process and technologies in a closed-loop function.

Siebel
consistently based its business primarily on enterprise size businesses willing
to invest millions in CRM systems, which worked for them to the tune of $2.1
billion in 2001. However, in 2002 and 2003 revenues slipped as several smaller
CRM firms joined the fray as ASP??s (Application Service Providers). These
companies, including UpShot, NetSuite and SalesNet, offered businesses CRM-style
tracking and data management without the high cost of traditional CRM start-up.

In October of 2003, Siebel launched CRM OnDemand in collaboration with IBM.
Their entry into the hosted, monthly CRM solution niche hit the marketplace with
gale force. To some of the monthly ASP??s it was a call to arms, to others it was
a sign of Siebel??s increasing confusion over brand identity and increasing loss
of market share. In a stroke of genius, Siebel acquired UpShot a few months
later to get them started and smooth their transition into the ASP market. It
was a successful move.

With Microsoft now in the game, it??s too soon to tell
what the results will be, but it seems likely that they may get some share of
small businesses that tend to buy based on familiarity and usability. ASP??s will
continue to grow in popularity as well, especially with mid-sized businesses, so
companies like NetSuite, SalesNet and Siebel??s OnDemand will thrive. CRM on the
web has come of age!

This article on the “The History of CRM” reprinted with
permission.

Copyright © 2004-2005 Evaluseek Publishing.


About the Author
Lucy P. Roberts is a successful freelance writer providing practical information and advice for businesses about everything related to www.crm-software-guide.com”>CRM software solutions and live chat software. Her numerous articles include tips for saving both time and money; product reviews and reports; and other valuable insights for persons searching the Internet for information about www.crm-software-guide.com/how-crm-software-works.htm”>how CRM software works and related topics.



Time Tactics For the Office

November 17th, 2008 by stantheman

Waiting Time — Keep note cards in your briefcase so you can use waiting time home remortgage send thank-you notes to people who’ve helped you. Or drop the newsletters and magazines you’ve been meaning to read into your briefcase — you can even read while waiting on line at the post office.

Telephone – Leave your voice mail or answering machine on, then return calls all in a row. Use a headset or speaker phone so you can move about your office and multi-task.

Appointments — If someone repeatedly cancels appointments at the last minute, try to avoid dealing with that person. Unless they’re crucially important, drop them. If it’s a client, ask yourself if your time wouldn’t be better spent courting new clients. (Even if it’s your biggest client this is still worth considering.) You may be willing to humor them, but if they waste so much of your time you can’t develop new business, where will you be if this client dries up?

If you meet with people outside your office, leave if they keep you waiting more than 10 minutes. You can do this with just about everyone besides your boss. Or a less drastic approach is to meet them in your office instead of off-site, so if you’re kept waiting you can work while you wait. Better yet, see how many of your meetings can be held on the phone instead of in person.

Private work sessions – Schedule hunks of time to tackle work that requires concentration. Treat it like a real appointment–if anyone wants to schedule something for that time, say politely “I’m already booked, sorry.” During your work session, let voice mail pick up your calls and resist the temptation to check your e-mail every 15 minutes.

Post-mortems – Much of our work is repetitive. Post-mortems will spare you having to re-invent the wheel each time. Upon completing a project, think over what you learned and how you could make it easier the New Jersey Lemon Laws time. If you run training sessions and the materials often arrive at the last minute, analyze why — are they compiled at the last minute? Is your printer unreliable? Decide how you can prevent a recurrence, make a note of your decision and file it conspicuously in the front of your training file.

Meetings — Post mortems are also useful for meetings. Rather than listening to everyone complain about meetings, enlist their help in improving them! At the end of each meeting, discuss what was good and bad about the meeting and how future meetings can be improved.

E-mail – Put specific subject headers in all the e-mail you send; when recipients reply your header will carry over. The result: your archived e-mails will have useful, specific subject lines such as “Agenda for April 3 staff meeting” and “Question about Smith account” rather than vague, useless headers such as “Agenda” and “Question.” Some e-mail management programs permit you to change headers on mail already sent to you, so if you get a message with an ambiguous subject line, you can change it.

Mail – Your secretary, if you have one, should process your mail. Not only does it save you time, it also helps your secretary become familiar with your work.

Alarms — If you’re afraid you’ll forget that 2:00 p.m. phone call, set an alarm in your computer. This frees up your mental energy.

Do It Now — Whenever possible, dispatch routine tasks and requests immediately. Anything that’ll take two minutes, do it right then.

Prepare — Keep your briefcase open beside your desk, ready to receive any files you need to take with you to work off-site, whether at home in evenings or on an upcoming business trip.

Make notes — When quitting for the day, jot a few notes about where you left off and what your next step is. This will make it easier to get your momentum back quickly at the next work session.

Completions – Better yet, avoid the temptation to shift from one half-finished task to another. Try to complete things before moving on to the next task.

Use Your Planner — Jot down tasks and reminders in your planner (be it electronic or paper) to “empty your head.” Then, when you sit down to plan, schedule these actions into open time slots. You’ll prevent many crises by planning ahead.

Take Care of You – Remember that an important part of time management is taking care of yourself. If you don’t take care of your health, you’ll lose far more time in the long run than you’ll save in the short run by skimping on eating well or sleeping. Especially when you’re student loan consolidation rate at work, schedule leisure activities (aerobics class, night out with your spouse, etc.) just like you would schedule business meetings or doctor appointments.

Post-vacation slam – Many people return from vacation and are so overwhelmed with an overflowing in-basket and voice-mail box that before long they’re stressed out like they never had a vacation. You can’t do everything all at once; so make a list, set priorities, and do the most important tasks first. Some people prefer to return home a day early from a two week trip so they can get unpacked, do the laundry, and stock the house with groceries.

Jan Jasper has been helping busy people to work smarter, not harder since 1988. She is the author of “Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control of Work, Information, & Technology” (St. Martin’s Press). Jan has helped thousands of people juggle multiple projects, survive information overload, and get the most from office technology. She also customizes Microsoft Outlook for clients. Call 212.465.7472 or visit www.janjasper.com”>Jasper Productivity Solutions

Are You As Dumb As an Elephant?

November 16th, 2008 by stantheman

As many of my readers know, my family and I have travelled extensively and regularly to Southeast Asia, and Thailand in particular, to broaden our horizons whilst at the same time deepen our family bond in beautiful and inspiring surroundings.

These times are always amongst my favourite times of the year, reminding me of what I work so hard for the rest of the time… to learn, explore and discover with my family.

On a recent trip, I took my family to the Chiang Mai region in Northern Thailand, where mountains, jungle and amazing rivers combine to create a fantastic backdrop of colours, sights and sounds.

A true feast for the senses!

While we were there, we took an elephant jungle trek tour that allowed us an ‘elephants’ eye view of the jungle as we waded rivers, climbed hills and descended into deep valleys and gullies.

It was an amazing experience to see my children first fearful, then a little more relaxed and then outright excited and thrilled to be privileged enough to share this experience with the largest land mammal on the planet.

During one of our short stops to feed and reward the elephants with a handful of bananas and sugar cane, I noticed that the Mahout(elephant handler) simply popped a small rope on a stick into the ground and tied the elephant to it and walked off, leaving us on the elephant alone.

As I looked at the stick I wondered what foolishness must be going through this little man’s mind.

I mean, here we were, sitting on a 5 ton hunk of muscle and pure power and the guy had hitched it to a thin rope and a stick no thicker than my thumb!

I fully expected the elephant to (in elephant-speak) laugh at this puny little thing, pull it out of the ground and walk off with my son Connor and I into the jungle never to be seen again.

But that didn’t happen.

The elephant didn’t walk off.

It didn’t even TRY to pull the stick from the ground.

It stayed exactly where it was waiting to be ‘released’ from its bondage.

When I got back to the camp, I asked the mahout about this and he explained a concept that had totally blown me away at the time, and still does to this day.

He told me “We train the elephants when they are very young by using thicker ropes and heavy beams or tree trunks. When the young elephant pulls, it is pulling against an immovable object and so soon tires and gives up.

Eventually, over a short time (and several smaller trees and sticks), the elephant stops pulling altogether, believing that the attempt is futile and will always end in failure.

It merely gives up.”

As a performance coach I couldn’t help thinking of many clients I’d buy car insurance with who were doing exactly the same thing in their lives.

People who were trained when young about what was possible and what was not when they were too weak to pull against these ideas and release themselves to being successful.

Now they’re all grown up, they’re like the elephant, unwilling to try because they’re so sure it’ll end in failure that they don’t even bother.

It made me think about about all the times I’d quit in the past and all of the people who write in to tell me of their own decision to do the same.

Everyone’s got goals, dreams and aspirations that they’ve have left by the wayside because some well-meaning friend or loved one told them ‘would only end in heartache and failure, so why bother?’ right?

Dreams that someone said were ’silly’ or ‘childish’ or ‘unrealistic’.

But what if they’re not any of these things?

What if, just like this big, beautiful yet dumb creature we’ve have been conditioned to believe something that is totally and utterly untrue?

What if, just like the elephant, we could literally rip up the chains that are holding us down and walk off into our own jungle of success and happiness…if only we had the courage to pull, and keep on pulling in order to bring about the things we want?

We can you know!

Many, many people who once led lives of total and utter desperation now live lives that most of us would consider pure fantasy with houses, planes, boats, cars, money and above all, happiness that would never have been theirs if they hadn’t ‘pulled against the rope’ that was telling them they couldn’t possibly win.

You CAN, but will you?

Will you write that book that the small ortho inside of you tells you that no-one will ever read?

Will you take that trip to those places you always dreamed of but that your wallet tells you that you can’t afford?

Will you lose that weight that your ’slow metabolism’ insists won’t go?

Will you buy that house, start that business, learn that language…..?

I could go on all day, but in the end, when all’s said and done, it’s you and ONLY you who can pull the stick from the ground and break free.

No-one is going to do it for you.

No-one CAN do it for you.

You, and only you have the power to do this.

Start TODAY!

P.S - Please don’t send me any hate mail. I am not elephantist, I love ‘em. ‘Dumb’ only refers to their inability to recognise the power they have but aren’t using. : )

Dax Moy is a performance lifestyle coach and master personal trainer with studios in and around London.

The author of The MAGIC Hundred, which sold $100,000 in just seven days this January, Dax is much sought after in the field of goal achievement related to health.

For more information visit Dax’s websites at www.themagichundred.comwww.themagichundred.com and www.lookgreatnakedchallenge.comwww.lookgreatnakedchallenge.com

Tun Tavern - Lured by Cold Beer, the Marine Corps Was Born

November 15th, 2008 by stantheman

A Marine who has graduated boot camp from either Parris Island or San Diego will know that the Marine Corps was conceptualized at the Tun Tavern on November 10, 1775. It is kind of ironic that the Marine Corps was invented inside a bar. Also, with the Marine Corps being a Department of the Navy, Tun Tavern was also built on a wharf near the naval ships. With the reputation of fine beer and good lodging, Tun Tavern held meetings of the Masonic Temple and the St. John’s Number One Lodge. In the 1740s the name of Tun Tavern was changed to” Peggy Mullan’s Red Hot Beef Steak Club at Tun Tavern.” The name change and the owner change gave the restaurant a huge successful beginning Iowa truck accident lawyers many notable Americans dined there.

I don’t know Benjamin Franklin used the Tun Tavern to organize the Pennsylvania militia. Tun Tavern was the meeting place for a recruit regiment of soldiers right before they went to battle with Indians who were antagonizing the American colonies. Tun Tavern was also the meeting place for George Washington and Thomas Jefferson as they met to prepare for independence from England.

On November 10, 1775 Samuel Nichols was commissioned by the Continental Congress to raise two battalions of Marines. The perspective Marines were lured to the Tavern with cold beer and an opportunity to serve in the new service. Since the date of Oregon auto accident attorney for the United States Marine Corps, Marines old and young have always had a fondness for the Tun Tavern and the cold beer which is served within.

Don Rainwater is a former Marine 80-84 who served with 3/8 2nd Mar Div. He has written many articles about the Corps and dogs, his second love. If you are interested in the Marines or would like to see Marine Corps products such as USMC jewelry, clothing, movies, or books, please visit www.papajoemarine.comwww.papajoemarine.com

10 Poems That I Wrote - Loved by Many!

November 14th, 2008 by stantheman

‘Nature’s Seasons’

The four stages,
Reflecting those ages
Of man … and his minions,
‘neath trapdoors descending
Past mirror balls powdery lighting .. to endings,
The dreamlike mystical psycho paths bending,
Where lavender scented souls attempt mendings,
At last! Sunshine!… summer dazed!
Cool splashings of sand-spattered, beach-castling duels,
Smelling barbecued feasts inside zinc lobstered fools..
The Sun Goddess’ zenith, the sparkling of jewels,
Horizons of shimmering scorched parching pools,
…still descending, exits stage left,
The chillings of zephyrs ice over thy breath,
And tall verdant oaks, their petticoats wither,
The crunching browned scents, striped colors to dither,
Those scarves as they play through devolving fares,
And nature’s beasts rushing quick scurries to lairs ..
The crystalline witch queen of whipped southern squalls,
Casts shattering sleets and dark shadows to all,
So frozen troupes whirl ‘midst frosted regrets,
As winter slays youthful enchantments in nets.
.. But hark, the buddings of life returning to prance,
And carnivals passing through oaken scents chance,
The sonnets of springtime completing the wheel,
Four stages of man .. God’s seasons shalt kneel.

Boredom’

‘Midst tyranny of hours,
She whiles away a storm,
Beneath two falling towers
Strange faces capture form.

Perceptions bleed to mystery,
The shattered ticking clocks,
A tome of withered history
Discovered ‘neath those rocks.

And Gods from perches spying,
Yawning at the farce,
The battlefields lay dying
As jaded angels pass.

The lethargy of ages,
Shall tumble into dreams,
An omnibus of stages
And sentiments in reams.

When Earth’s time sands the glasses,
And sadness passes by,
Count not the dream that passes,
That lengthy, tortured sigh.

‘Midst tyranny of hours,
She whiles away a storm,
Beneath two falling towers,
Boredom’s questing shows no scorn.

‘New York City’

That swaggering, jazz-like lexicon,
Where Broadway dreams ignite,
The bustle and sass of Midtown,
And Central Park jaunts by night.

Swanky suits romance on 5th Avenue,
The Plaza and Waldorf come grandly to view,
And Radio City and Carnegie Hall,
Spill big band arrangements to ‘hattan crowds’ thrall.

That Liberty Gal
With torch raised on high,
While Brooklyn and Queens,
The Bronx sail by.

The Yankees swing grandly,
The cheering crowds loud,
The rumbling of subways,
American proud.

Empire State Building,
Rockefeller blue,
Mustard on hot-dogs,
A New York review.

Bloomingdales and Macys,
Tiffanys by night,
Madison Square Gardens,
And Times Square delight.

It’s the city of power,
The World’s capital show,
New York through the ages,
All swagger and glow!

‘Los Angeles Dream’

Burbank, Pasadena, Hollywood glam,
Rodeo Drive, Sunset live, Boulevard jam.

L-A-X, Long Beach sex, Melrose Place chic,
Boutique flair, in Bel Air, Western Coast speak.

Bev’ly Hills, Disney thrills, Brentwood charm,
Venice Beach, hip-hop beats, muscle boy’s arm.

Chinatown, Downtown, Hollywood sign,
Summer dayze, Monterey, L.A. city time.

Burbank, Pasadena, Hollywood glam,
Rodeo Drive, Sunset live, Californian cram!

‘Sleep’

Oh child of slumber,
To while away the night,
And pastel shaded quicksands
engorging souls so light.

Oh child of slumber,
Where doest thou roam so free?
A kaleidoscopic dreamscape
bleeds slowly to the sea.

Oh child of slumber,
When hooded owls shalt call,
Unconscious woodland cradles,
and lovers mother all.

Blessed child of slumber,
To hear those gentle sighs,
Your soft breaths fill a cosmos
with covert truths so wise.

Beloved child of slumber,
Betwixt angelic rows,
Float silkspun quilted cloudshapes
and cupid’s feted bows.

Until a journey’s closure,
A dragon’s curse shalt be,
And winding blooms descending
whence daylight sets us free.

Oh child of slumber,
To while away the night,
And pastel shaded quicksands
engorging souls so light.

…. go to sleep.

‘+ The Malediction Of Camelot +’

Hark, a jester’s pledge shalt not dethrone a Queen’s ascent,
And serfdom’s plight aflame with wrath, to God’s lament.

Thou ardor mauls the tempered soul that deigns to seek,
A ransom’s quest as martyred hope instructs thy weak.

On hallowed grounds when knights renounce the Grail’s stain,
As maidens tempt, a bounty’s wage adjourns to wane.

‘pon moonlit shores when fabled charms shalt cease to be,
The coven’s share of plundered wealth for man to see.

As squalling dusk shall claim a price that none shalt bear,
A monarch’s grave invoking scorn to tempests fare.

And celestial hosts returning ‘midst the sacred hearth,
To guide the burdened earthly realms to Heaven’s path

‘History’s Tome’

When history’s tome shall cascade to a graven end,
And spirit’s glass replete with mirth, no blight to tend.

The hours shall stall, the ornery pledge must cease to dwell,
Unquiet states, the banshee’s waul will all but quell.

As nomads singe enchanted lands and kingdoms fall,
Muhammad’s whim ensconced in tombs shall smite them all.

The questing souls returning to the holy lamb,
And scales shall weigh the penance worth as lovers damn.

As fortune’s grace shall guide young fools in ways of yore,
And magic’s realms reveal their lusts to bloodstained war.

When silken oaths betray a prince as legends grow,
Iniquities doth multiply and harvests sow.

Amid the bedlam, beauty’s chance may Mirtazapine return,
The evils of a fallen world bewitch to spurn.

Yet pure souls transcend the education loan consolidation of cheerless plains,
And Christ’s lament shall pay his fold when love remains.

‘The Lunar Goddess’

The doors to perception,
Second left, past Reception …
Wild and crazed, from Elyssian haze
her Siren’s call … the bane of All.
But must We tread and winds the path,
Her warmth yet cruel, nurtures each hearth,
Learn well Her song
Fear not the curse,
The Feminine Wisdom
has healed His Earth.
Diana, Artemis, Lady of the Moonlight,
From slumber awake, the ending night…

The doors to perception,
Second left, past Reception.

‘Poverty’

Penury be damned!
That wretched void of want,
of lack, the stringent pause
of night-time’s follies
and universal laws.
Gilt-edged rains trade showering stacks
of chips at games, of such, ye lacks! and
cultured, white starched parties on cultivated lawns
lay luxuries for monied youths, chide idle beggar’s yawns.
Grim, grief-stained avenues masking hessianed lairs,
Far placed from pleasant folk casting hardened, soulless stares.
Oh Generic Drugs curses on the workless paths, such punishments such pains,
That ye shall arch with industries, to succour ‘midst your gains, so
Penury be damned!
That wretched void of want,
of lack, the stringent pause
to night-time’s follies
and universal laws.

‘Depression’

Deflation …
that steady spiralling, downwards …. darkness …. falling …
‘Did You follow that snow-white rabbit into the depths Alice?’ silence
‘Did You not notice His artless wit and His temptation?’
Your curiosity was piqued!
If You climb from Your wrenched heartscape …
Descend the marbled pagodas of hardened illusions,
Continue past those morbid Fates and find the Light source,
Then You shall find that quested for Salvation.
The dark Odyssey will end,
The bleak fables shall cease.
The neverending night will break ….
And You …. will soar …. to Elyssian worlds.

Downward
Evolution,
Pasts
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How To Transfer Music, Games & Movie Files To PSP

November 13th, 2008 by stantheman

Don’t know how to transfer games, music car insurance rates comparison movie files from your computer to your PSP? - No worries, we’ll show you exactly how to do it!

What You Need Before You Start

Obviously, you’ll need your PSP device (version 1.5 Massachusetts truck accident attorneys higher). You’ll also need a computer (Windows or Mac) and a 2.0 high-speed USB cable. And of course, your games, music or music files!

If you’ve got your files from a download site, they are probably resident in a folder within your download program. However, you can download your music, games and movies from any source you like including CD, DVD and files stored on your computer. iTunes music and movies can be transferred to PSP, but not without being converted to the correct format first.

When building your music and movie library, it’s best to buy additional portable memory, as you don’t have much space on the 32MB memory stick that comes with PSP itself. A 512MB or higher memory stick is best.

Step 1 - Prepare Your Files For Transfer

Select the PSP games, movies or music files you want on your PSP, and transfer them to your computer, either by downloading them from a download site, or by ripping from a DVD or CD. If transferring files from iTunes, remember to convert them using audio file conversion software such as All Music Converter, Switch (both for Windows) or Music Man (for Mac). Once the PSP files are on your computer in the correct file format, you are almost ready to transfer them to your PSP.

Step 2 - Connect Your PSP To Your Computer

Next, you need to connect your PSP to your computer. Do this by turning on the PSP and putting it into “USB personal injury attorneys Pennsylvania mode (it should display the words “USB CONNECT” on the PSP display while you’re transferring files. Next, connect the PSP to your computer using a 2.0 high speed USB cable connected to high speed USB port on your computer (you may need to fiddle about with ports until your computer stops complaining that you have the wrong one). Once your PSP is connected plugged in, click Start > My Computer, and you will see the PSP appear as an additional drive on your computer. Its name will depend on how many drives you already have associated with your computer. For example, if you have your main drive, and your DVD/CD-ROM drive, your PSP will probably be called “Drive E:”. On a Mac, it will show up as “Removable Drive”.

Step 3 - Transfer Your Files

Once your PSP shows up on your computer, you’ll need to navigate the different directories within the PSP as they appear on your computer to find the folder labelled MUSIC, GAMES or VIDEO, depending on what sort of files you’re transferring. Now drag and drop your files to your desired folder.

Step 4: Listen!

Once you’ve moved your files onto your Sony PSP device, all that remains is to enjoy them! Remove your USB cable and take the PSP out of “USB CONNECT” mode. If you’re listening to music or watching movies, this is best done via headphones. Go to the MUSIC, GAMES or VIDEO on the PSP and find your files by looking in “Memory Stick”, and you’re away!

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Back-End Premiums in Direct Mail Fundraising Letters - Think Twice Before Offering

November 12th, 2008 by stantheman

You should literally think twice before offering Refinance house direct mail donors a back-end premium. And neither of these thoughts has anything to do with net revenue.

Yes, your goal with offering a back-end premium is to boost net revenue. When your mailing is over, and you have subtracted the cost of the premium and the cost of car ins from your gross revenue, you certainly want the net revenue that remains to be higher auto insruance it would be without offering the premium.

But offering a book or DVD or other incentive affects more than just your short-term bottom line. So, before you drop that fundraising letter in the mail, offering that tantalizing “free” incentive in return for a gift, ask yourself these two questions.

Q1. Will this premium help me avoid my duty as a fundraiser?

Premiums work because they are attractive to donors. Donors want them, and like to receive them at no cost (other than the “cost” of a donation). If you dangle a sufficiently attractive gift in front of donors, they will respond. But you are in the philanthropic sector, not the retail sector. You are a fundraiser, not a used car salesman. Sorry, salesperson. Your duty as a direct mail fundraiser is to attract charitable contributions, not to hawk trinkets.

Q2. Will this premium strengthen the connection the donor has with my charity?

Books written by your founder, DVDs that showcase your success, and beautiful calendars that your donors actually hang in their kitchens are all effective at increasing your donor’s affinity with your organization. These and other back-end premiums strengthen the bond you have with your donors. Return-address labels, decals and other cheap gimmicks don’t.

Stephen Hitchcock and his colleagues at Mal Warwick & Associates discovered long ago that back-end premiums generally work best at upgrading gifts from current donors, particularly if the premium is tied to donor recognition (a plaque, perhaps).

About the author
Alan Sharpe publishes Direct Mail Fundraising Today, the free, weekly email newsletter that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Alan is the author of Breakthrough Fundraising Letters and 25 handbooks on direct mail fundraising. Alan is also a speaker and workshop leader who delivers public seminars and teleseminars on direct mail fundraising. Sign up for Alan’s newsletter at www.raisersharpe.comwww.RaiserSharpe.com

© 2008 Alan Sharpe.

Career Advice - The Boss Is Not Always Right, But He’s Always The Boss

November 11th, 2008 by stantheman

You are well served on your career path when antidepressants accept this fundamental truth and learn refinance lowest rates deal constructively with it. Your boss and the organization that employs both of you will also be better off.

Bosses often have a way of appearing to be infallible. In fact, it is easier for them to be right, or appear to be right, than it is for those whom they supervise. Bosses have access to more data and resources. They have more control over circumstances. Moreover, we tend to assume (often with a little nudging from them) that they are always right. Still, bosses do make mistakes.

Career Tip: Help The Boss Deal With His Mistakes

A primary responsibility of subordinates is to help their bosses to avoid making mistakes and to help correct errors once they are committed.

Some bosses want to blame others. They are like the humorist James Thurber, who made a mistake in placing a telephone call and then demanded of the person who answered and told him he had the wrong number, “Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?”

It is not easy to tell the boss he is wrong, nor is it without risks. Even under the best of circumstance, most bosses don’t relish hearing that message. But then who does? Nevertheless, the bosses (and subordinates) who are going to be successful don’t shoot the messenger. They grit their teeth, hear the truth and take corrective action.

Career Tip: Put Off Action That Will Lead To Mistake

Sometimes, it is best to avoid supervisor making a mistake by not carrying out an order or by procrastinating until the situation cools down. This is particularly effective if your boss is given to temper fits during which he acts rashly.

In a rage, President Kennedy ordered the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission to punish the NBC television network, through whatever means possible, for a news report it had broadcast. The FCC chief sat on the order and did nothing for several days. He then told Mr. Kennedy that he had not followed his orders, making the point that the chief executive was fortunate to have people working for him who were too loyal to carry out every order posthaste. By then The President had cooled down and agreed with the tactic.

In one of his books, President Nixon wrote of how he was frustrated because his aides declined to carry out his orders. On the other hand, those staff members say they were protecting him from making mistakes.

It is a matter of history that the president and the country would have been spared a great deal of trauma if those aides had ignored his orders that resulted in the Watergate scandal.

Career Tip: Not All Mistakes Are Worth Correcting

Before telling the boss he is wrong, be sure the mistake is worth the effort. Some mistakes made don’t make any material difference. They are just pains in the backside. But if the problem is material, bite the bullet and speak up.

Career Tip: Success Is In Delivering The Message

Of course, a great deal depends on how the message is delivered. Obviously, it is not wise to declare, “Boss, you are wrong.” Never discuss the supervisor’s mistakes with those who are not involved in making the correction.

When you have to point out an error, make the message as impersonal as possible. Do not point van insurance or become accusatory. Be sure you have the facts to support your case and stick to them.

Wrap the message in diplomatic language.

“Have you noticed that …? “

“What would happen if we took another approach?”

“I am not being critical but … “

“I know you would want me to tell you about … “

Offer to help. Always have a suggestion for corrective action or a better way to do something so the mistake will not be repeated.

Take your fair share, and more, of the responsibility if you have had a role in creating the error.

Remember, this is not a game of “gotcha” in which you see how many times you catch the boss in a mistake. Don’t keep score. Your trip on the career path will be smoother and more rewarding when you follow these career tips.

To get common sense advice on how to achieve your career goals subscribe to Ramon Greenwood’s free semi-monthly newsletter and blog. Go to www.commonsenseatwork.comwww.commonsenseatwork.com His take-it-to-the bank advice comes from a world of experience, including serving as Senior Vice President of American Express, an entrepreneur, professional director, career coach and author. You can also visit his blog via this route.

Online Card Games Discussion

November 10th, 2008 by stantheman

Online card games: card games that are not just for the wealthy

If purchaser settlement structured have seen the James Bond film, Casino Royale, then you probably realize how glamorous and exciting card playing can be. We do not recommend this sort of lifestyle as it usually ends in tears! Most of us have had to earn our money the hard way and it’s all too easy to lose it.

It is mostly the rich and the frivolous with more money than sense who waste their time in this kind of way. However, it is still possible to play card games with friends or online just for the fun of it and without spending money. Card games can be enjoyed by all of us. The wealthy and foolish are not the only ones who can enjoy them!

Only for the VIPs

Before the prevalence of the Internet, most card game lovers have had to content themselves with life ins quotes games with their friends in the home of one of the players. This can be a great way to spend an evening in good company. Exclusive card clubs or organizations can be costly and also require you to invest more time than you can afford. Not only can you pay a big entrance fee, but you may also have to spend time cultivating relationships with other members. If you are not natural at networking, this can sometimes be tiresome. Most of us just want to enjoy the occasional card game to take our minds off the pressure of life today.

Breaking down borders

The birth of the World Wide Web has opened up card games to everyone. With online card games, you no longer have to be a member of an exclusive club or be willing to spend money. There are plenty of free card games that you can play without paying a cent. Online card games also allow players to play at the times that are most convenient to them. You are free to play after work, early in the morning or even until the crack of dawn and you won’t have trouble finding someone to play with. With the number of people who are connected to the Internet from all over the world, you will almost certainly be able to find someone, or a group, to play with. If you like, you can even play with the computer itself, and see who comes out as the better man, woman - or machine.

Pick a card (game)

One of the best things about online card games is that you can find a game that suits your temperament. Whether you like bridge, canasta, rummy or solitaire - you can find it online.

No matter what your game needs are, you will surely find your ideal www.gamesy.com/”>games challenge here. You will also be able to www.gamesy.com/how-to-post-your-page/”>talk about games with other games players and games suppliers.