How to Find a Literary Agent - Without Getting Scammed

How to find a literary agency without getting scammed is a challenge for any new writer. Anyone can call themselves a literary agent or a publisher. The listings in the literary agency directories are not necessarily vetted, or checked by the publisher. Literary agents vary widely in ethics, dedication and competence.

Here's what to watch out for with literary agents:

o Charging the author a fee up front, to be accepted as a client. This fee can be called a reading fee, or a monthly "office expenses" charge. The best agents, and most successful ones, only charge a percentage fee of royalties the author earns, typically 15%. Suppose a realtor charged you a fee to come over and tour your house before getting the listing? How quickly would you show that realtor the door. . .

o Charging back unusually large "postage and copying fees" to send out an authors' work. One crooked agency accepts almost every client that contacts them, but in the fine print of the contract they charge "postage and handling" of up to $10 per submission they send out on your behalf. It doesn't cost $10 to send a letter and a sample chapter of a book to a publisher. This company makes a fortune from these fees whether or not they successfully market any of their clients work.

o Directing authors toward specific editing services or giving authors' names to these services. Sometimes they even own the editing service. Some agents make a significant portion of their income from referral fees from these services.

o Demanding that a critique be completed before the agency decides to offer representation. The fee for the critique may be minimal, perhaps even less than $100. But if the average agency is contacted by 90 writers a week that fee can add up.

o Terms in agency contracts with writers vary widely. The contract must be read carefully.

o The agent contacts publishers pretty much at random. The agent's value to you is in the relationships they have with publishers, so that if the publisher hears from them, they know the book is worth taking a look at. Ask to see copies of rejection letters that come back from publishers. If it looks like just a form letter response, rather than a letter you would send to an acquaintance, you can bet the agent may be just picking names out of a directory of publishers.

o The agent refuses to provide the names of clients or titles sold. Sales are an agent's life blood and reputation. If an agent won't name names it could be because there aren't any sales.

o Puts forth a weak effort or gives up on the client's project after a few months. You have a right to ask how active the agent is going to be. How many publishers are they going to contact, how will they follow up? You have a right to periodic reports as to whom they have contacted and the results. You must determine how much time and attention they are really going to give you.

A critical reason it is imperative to have a reputable agent is that the publishing house typically pays the agent, who deducts their "cut" and sends the remainder to the author. It's a frightening thought that a less than honest person gets their hands on the money you've earned from sweat, blood, and even tears.

Now you know how to find a literary agent without getting scammed. And remember:

A bad agent is worse than no agent.

What is Internet Phone Service and How Does VoIP Work

"VoIP" and "Internet Phone Service" are two terms that are used interchangeably, and both describe a relatively new method of making telephone calls - over the internet!

The VoIP technology has been around since the 1980's, but has only recently become a viable replacement for the traditional land line telephone service known as PSTN (public switched telephone network). This is in part due to the widespread availability of low cost broadband internet, and partly due to great improvements in VoIP technology over the years. Today, internet phone service is becoming very commonplace; with millions of people choosing this low cost method of making phone calls over the traditional "wired" telephone.

Internet phone service is cheap. This is because calls are transmitted over the freely available internet instead of the telephone company's expensive cabling. Internet phone service is also very reliable and the quality of audio is very good. Making and receiving calls over a VoIP service works the same as with a regular land line service. In most cases, you can use your existing "land line" telephone with VoIP. Most people who make calls over the internet using a VoIP service cannot tell they are talking over the internet.

With internet phone service (also known as VoIP), incoming and outgoing calls are routed over the internet instead of over traditional PSTN (public switched telephone network) "land lines". This is one reason Voip calling is so inexpensive - there are no fees that need to be paid to the owners of the telephone lines. You need to have a broadband ("high speed") internet connection in order to use VoIP service for two reasons: 1) You need an "always on" internet connection in order to make and receive calls anytime, and 2) You need to have enough consistent bandwidth to allow for clear transmission.

In order to use internet phone service, you have to choose a VoIP provider and subscribe to a calling plan. The most popular calling plans include unlimited local and long distance calling for a set monthly fee. The fee can vary depending on VoIP provider, but averages around $22. For those who have no need to make long distance calls, most VoIP providers offer a "limited" local plan for a reduced rate. If you have a need to make international calls, there are usually some good international plans available, including both limited and unlimited international calling.

Most cable television companies are now including VoIP internet phone service as a part of their offerings. Cable companies usually charge twice as much for VoIP service because they are reselling this product for a VoIP provider. Consumers can save a lot of money by purchasing internet phone service on their own from an online VoIP provider such as Vonage, Packet8, AT&T CallVantage or Sunrocket. VoIP is easy to install yourself and requires no tools. All that is needed is to connect a few cables and you're up and running.

Phone service is important, especially if it's your primary residential phone. For this reason, it's best to choose a VoIP provider that is well known and has a reputation for quality service. Some excellent internet phone service providers to consider are Vonage, Sunrocket, AT&T CallVantage and Packet8. All offer top quality service, and have different VoIP plans to choose from, depending on your needs.

Telemarketing: Accessible Way Of Reaching Your Customers

It may be tiresome to deal with people from far-off places. But telemarketing resolves this altogether. Telemarketing simply refers to a process that involves all marketing related functions using telephones. Telemarketing will connect you and your customers all the time of the day.

This is the most accessible way for you to have your business easier to manage. From the use of telemarketing, you can communicate with your clients anywhere you go.

It is the use of telephone to communicate with your clients the goods and services that your company is offering. You can directly connect with your prospective customers and receive their orders and inquiries from advertising and promotions direct to your phones.

Since you will be transacting business with your clients using phones, telephone therefore is the most important tool needed in telemarketing. It is where you are going to solicit potential customers and sell your products.

How are you going to determine whether you get a potential customer?

It is important for you to know your customer's past records when dealing with them through phone so that the chances that you will see them in person in order to assess their status as customers will lessen.

Processes such as the detection of their history of past purchase, information requests, credit limit entry and competition forms are necessary basis for you to know their standing in your business whether they will be a good and credible clients or not.

It has been very common also for telemarketers that they often solicit funds from the different institutions particularly the business organizations and alumni associations. These organizations offer them special contributions that help in improving the service to their clients.

However, some of the conservatives arrive at a certain analysis that the business of telemarketing is an unprincipled and unethical practice of business. Since it is just an interaction from telephone to telephone, the system sometimes abuses the privacy of an individual.

Due to the said fact, they find it necessary to make a legislative policy in order to pacify the matter. A regulation is set up as to protect and uphold the rights of customers. There arises the policy known as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act formulated in the year 1991. This pertains to a restriction to the Telemarketing business in the United States. As an alternative, the companies just use a business code of ethics for them to continue with the business.

After that, the most recent move done took place in the year 2004. Then, another restriction policy paved way for implementation by the telemarketing companies. The new rule stated the major and the minor rights of the clients engaging in telemarketing. This secures the fact that in spite of the intention of the company to gain more clients, if the client does not tolerate them, the telemarketing companies can do nothing about it.

The new policy ensures the full protection and the privacy of the customers. If found any violation with the policy, there is always a corresponding penalty to the telemarketing company.

There is nothing wrong to aim for high profits when you have a business but make sure also that you are not affecting the lives of other people already.

Outlasting a Survival Situation in the City

All people who care for loved ones should learn to outlast the storms in an emergency and survivalist situation, especially if you are stuck in the city. For example, when the power goes out for just a couple hours, you merely feel the pinch of a minor discomfort from your modern day amenities. Yet, when hours turn into days of rolling blackouts through town, like in California just awhile back, you realize just how thin the boundary is between today and a hundred years ago. Now take a major national emergency, and see how much chaos could ensue. That is why those with the correct skills will outlive their neighbors who rely on the GPS. Here we will touch on the field methods for survival in a hostile urban situation.

When you are stuck in the city or a suburb and there is no water, food, or electricity, what is the difference between that urban situation and a wilderness situation? The answer is they are actually very similar. Perhaps you have a short stock of food that remains. You will also have to deal with predators, but of a different kind-- mobs, criminals, and murderers. It may be harder to live off the land. How will you be safe from scavengers, intruders and protect your loved ones? The answer is the training that you can do today. It's just like when the military does mock war games- the reason is to be ready at a moment's notice, and not to be asleep on the watchtower. However, you don't have to have military training to live through Urban and Emergency Survival Food situations. You just need a book or a guide, and some practice. For instance, Damian Campbell has many tips that you can put into practice and implement right away. You should also do mock runs of these techniques, in order to truly master the methods that may save you later.

Securing Your Safety in Urban Riots

As relevant as ever for our times, 2011 was a year filled with riots in many nations all across the globe. These riots give survivalists a small sample of what could be to come when food, water, and shelter become sparse in a national emergency. From our TV screens, we could sense the panic and hysteria of those cities in riot. In Cairo, the Egyptians swarmed into the town squares, threatening the safety of everyone living in the vicinity. In Russia, organized mass riots occurred everywhere as people felt threatened by political instability. Even here in the United States, we had the Occupy Wall Street movement. Riots of modern times are controlled and quarantined by police, but when violence breaks loose you will be able to see video clips of mob violence on YouTube. In an urban emergency, security is a pleasure that is not taken for granted.

You can try to learn some self-defense skills if you ever have to do close quarters fighting. Thus, you can protect yourself against burglars, and muggings, which are bound to increase as police and social order go away. Some people would like to stock guns or learn self-defense to keep themselves safe from rioters. Sadly, most self-defense will only work for defending against 1-10 people at most, not entire mobs. If you have ever seen police clashing with protesters, you know that a couple guns against hundreds and thousands in a mob are no match. That is why the best strategy is to literally hide and make yourself nondescript. You may make it seem like your shelter is uninhabited or better yet; you camouflage your shelter so people don't even know where you live. As impractical as this may sound at first, this is where cellars and backyard bomb shelters may come in handy. If you live in a nondescript apartment building, perhaps it may be safe to stay there, as long as looters don't target your building complex. The most important catch is that looters don't steal your emergency survival food supply. If you have young children, don't let them play outside, because that will signal that vulnerable people live in the vicinity and hungry rioters may begin looting. At night, you may want to keep the lights off, so no one can tell that you are still living there. Don't go out at night- pretend like you're in a dangerous neighborhood of LA, and the last thing you need is the attention of local criminals. You will want to make your shelter like a small, but hidden fortress. In Damian Campbell's materials, he actually tells you to get out of the city as a preferred option. However, when you cannot, he also includes other tips on city survival as well. Below are some tips about food and water rations.

Stocking food and provisions

If you cannot evacuate from the city when a crippling disaster strikes, hopefully you have stored up provisions that will help you avoid going outside. People will rush to the supermarkets, and supplies will run out in a matter of hours. Potable water will be scarce as well.

What provisions will you need? A complete list can be found from a survival expert named Damian Campbell, but for starters, you can build your emergency survival food situation with canned goods, and plenty of water. You will also need a method for cooking these foods, such as lots of matches (unless you like canned carrots cold). However, it may be a challenge to cook these foods while remaining hidden. If the disaster happens during wintertime and you need to hide, cooking will release steam, which may give away your position. The solution may be to cook in an enclosed area, and have a ventilation shaft that leads away from your shelter. You should also have vitamins stocked up; since chances are your diet will still be malnourished.

Emergency survival food should also account for a basic supply of water, or a method to replenish your water supply once you run out. If you go camping, perhaps you have a basic water filter left over. However, the carbon filters that you use for tap water now will not be sufficient, and you will want to boil any water you drink. In fact, in my opinion water is more important than food, since you will usually need water in order to even cook your foods. If you want to read Damian's opinion on what is important, you can also check out his books.

Damian Campbell helps you to practically learn some survival techniques, as well as important things like packing short-term and longer term emergency field supplies. One of the key benefits of this program is the emergency food supply list. If you read through his materials, you will already be more prepared than most people in your neighborhood. You will be able to survive even as the "urban jungle" and all of its predators close in around you. He teaches you to stay calm, assess, and always have a backup plan, as well as the essential items you need to survive urban disaster scenarios.

Inline Skate Bearings and the ABEC Scale

If you think you need new bearings for your inline skates, it's best to check your bearings for wear using the tests provided in this article. Your bearings are at the core of your wheels and reduce friction so you can skate smoothly and efficiently. Hence, they need to be maintained properly from season to season.

Checking for Wear

The following are indications of major, bearing wear from a no-load, finger-flick, spin test:

One or more of your wheels stick(s) periodically One or more of your wheels (is) are seized One or more or your wheels require(s) a lot of force to spin One or more of your wheels spin(s) freely for only a second or two

In addition, the following are signs of major, bearing wear from a spin test with the skater as the load:

While out skating you hear a loud, grinding noise from your bearings It takes a lot of effort to pick up and maintain speed when you skate Your bearings are hot to the touch after a roll

You may also want to replace your inline skate bearings if you decide to switch to a different type of bearing. You may want to change from shielded bearings to sealed or racing bearings.

Learning the ABEC Scale

Bearings are rated on the Annular Bearing Engineering Council (ABEC) scale. Ratings are numbered 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 on the ABEC scale. The higher the number is, the greater the manufactured precision of the bearing.

However, there are no required materials to meet the ABEC specifications. The bearings only have to be made to a certain precision. That's all!

Servicing your Bearings

Inline skate bearings usually come in sets of four to eight. Before you head out to your favorite sporting goods store, write down the information that's shown on the outer shields of your bearings. Don't forget to flip the bearing over and include the text that's inscribed on the other side.

If you're happy with the original bearings that came with your skates or the last set you installed, by all means buy the same bearings. If you have serviceable bearings like TwinCams or YAKs and you don't mind doing your own cleaning and lubrication than you may want to stick with the double-shielded type, especially if they are the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) that your skate manufacturer recommends.

On the other hand, if you have non-serviceable or sealed bearings and are squeamish about doing your own cleaning and lubrication, even periodically, you may want to stick with this type of bearing and just replace them when they need to be changed.

In addition, if you have shielded bearings with pop-out caps, like Powell Swiss or Black Hole brands, and like them for their ease of maintenance, it's probably best to go with this kind of bearing again.

Buying new Bearings

My K2 skates have 8-mm, TwinCam, ABEC-1, double-shielded bearings with the following inscribed on the casings:

TwinCam

ABEC-1

608 ZZ

Normally, the manufacturer or brand doesn't make a lot of difference within the three categories of shielded, serviceable bearings, shielded, serviceable bearings with pop-up caps, and sealed, non-serviceable bearings. A bearing size of 8 mm and the 608 designation are fine for recreational, inline skaters. The ABEC rating is another story!

ABEC-1, 3, and 5 are the most common bearings that come with inline skates, as well as the newer ABEC-7s, which are gaining in popularity. Whether a skater can go faster with ABEC-5 bearings versus ABEC-1 bearings has never been proven, scientifically or otherwise.

Furthermore, the higher precision may not make a significant difference for the recreational skater who travels in the 10 to 20 mph range. The average skater doesn't require a higher-rated bearing because the difference in performance is so minimal that it would only become apparent at speeds an inline skater never attains.

In addition, the higher precision eventually deteriorates down to ABEC-3 or 1 due to dust, dirt, and regular wear and tear. To increase your skating speed, you'd be better off to improve your technique and learn how to cut down on wind resistance. These are proven ways to make you a faster and more efficient skater.

So, get the most affordable ABEC-1 or ABEC-3 inline skate bearings you can find, clean and lube them with oil or grease on an annual basis, and you'll be just fine.

Summing Up

When it comes time to purchase new bearings for your inline skates, make sure you write down the information that's inscribed on the outer casing of your bearings before you head to your local, skating shop. In addition, beware that an ABEC rating is nothing more than a bearing precision. If you find a set of bearings at the right price that are suited for your skates, but they have a lower ABEC rating, go for it anyway! You'll probably never notice the difference.

A Practical Guide to Buying Used Garage Doors

Used garage doors are practical alternatives to buying or building new ones. While these save you the time and money, they can also fit aesthetically into any home. The vast range of designs on the market offers multiple choices.

Garage doors require huge investments especially if you have a large space to fill. When there is lack of resources, turn to used garage doors instead. There are several online sites that could help you find the perfect one for you. But it helps if you already have an idea on what design you want.

As a consumer, you will always set your sights on items that give value for money. Initially, those that fall within your price range count the most. Ultimately, regardless of how much you spent on one product, the return in terms of satisfaction and long-term solution weigh more than the money you shelled out.

General Tips On Used Garage Doors

a. Over-all design of your garage

First off, you do not want your garage to look way different from the rest of the house. This creates an awkward visual impact and does not say much about your personal style. Normally, your garage has to look as part and parcel of the whole structure.

This is where finding a suitable used garage doors become a challenge. Although you would want the same style, there is that possibility that you will not find a match. When this happens, you can take the closest design that will go well with the whole house.

b. Particulars.

Size. They come in all shapes and sizes. To make sure you bring home the right one, measure the size of the door space that you need to fill. This is one aspect of the specifications that you should not forget.

Style. You may not get the same style as the rest of the house but you can make your garage door blend in with the whole concept. Choose a color that matches that of your house or better yet, have it painted the same after you buy it.

Materials. The type of material you choose can determine how long it will last. Sturdier stuff may cost more but think of the long-term savings that you will get.

Purpose. Garages are not simply for docking cars. A space is often turned into a working station or a storage area. If your garage plays versatile roles, your garage door should reflect it, too.

c. How much can you go for?

Now comes the important part. Used doors are cheaper but deliver the same results. However, the style and other details to the construction could add up to a cost that may be at par with new ones.

Saving for used garage doors, however, takes less time. But you can already shop for one while you are stacking on those pennies. Put a ceiling on your budget to create a shortlist. Consider the style and other factors that should make up your very own garage door. Just increase your budget cap if you feel you need more time to go over your choices.

Why the Pause Is Invaluable in Public Speaking and When to Do It

I recently worked with a woman who spoke at 100 mph and seldom paused to take a breath - even in normal conversation. Most people, yes, the majority of the population, pause while talking to friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances and even the clerk in the grocery store. Unfortunately, the one time the pause is often missing is when addressing an audience.

The pause is invaluable for several reasons:

1. It allows you to take a breath, thereby supplementing your air supply, instead of waiting until you are totally spent of oxygen. Remember, without air, there is no voice. 2. It gives you more control over what is coming out of your mouth, allowing you to better organize your thoughts. (American Vice President Joe Biden would do well to heed this advice.) 3. It also allows your audience to categorize your words. 4. It helps relax your body. Lack of air stresses the body which in turn increases your nervousness. Often this breathlessness makes you speak faster and faster as the pitch of your voice continues to rise uncontrollably.

The interesting thing about the pause is that you can do it almost anywhere in a sentence. Next time you are in conversation, take note of when you pause. [Even better? Record yourself while talking to friends and/or family.] You will probably notice that you pause to take a breath in the midst of your sentences. Sadly, many who are addressing an audience wrongly believe that they are not allowed to breathe until they come to some form of punctuation. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Just as there is a writer's license, so too is there a speaker's license which means you can breathe almost anywhere in any sentence.

The two times I suggest you do not pause are when you say your first and last name and when you say the name of your business if it is more than one word. For example, let's say your name is Joe Smith. You would not say Joe- pause - Smith. It is unnatural and unnecessary.

Additionally, you do not want to pause in rhythm; i.e. pausing after every 4th word. When this happens your voice becomes sing-song. Certainly one of the best means of putting your audience to sleep is to lull their ears with an anticipated rhythm.

Often neglected, the pause is one of the most valuable things you should do when delivering a speech or presentation. If you treat your audience like you were having a conversation in your living room, you will find it that much easier to pause naturally. I guarantee that your body will thank you for that briefest moment of silence.

Top Situations Why You Need Personal Injury Insurance

In our daily lives, we are faced with many risks. Some of these risks are avoided while most of them are not avoidable and all one can do is take out an insurance cover to allow for compensation in case the unavoidable risks take place. Personal injury is the most common risk since it arises from situations we find ourselves in daily. The best thing one can do to mitigate losses arising from personal injury is to take up personal injury insurance. This guarantees compensation for losses arising from the injury caused. There are a number of injuries covered by the personal injury insurance cover. Some of these injuries are harm caused by use of defective products, personal injuries caused by others, invasion of privacy, wrongful arrests.

Every day, we consume manufactured products, both goods and services. We consume the products with a belief that they are up to standards and they are safe for consumption. What happens when you consume a product and it turns out to be harmful for your health? You need money to pay the hospital bills, if you are hospitalized, after using such products. Personal injury insurance comes in to help you clear the medical bills. It acts as a link between you and the manufacturer of the product. The insurance will compensate you all the losses incurred and then follow up the product manufacturer. This saves you the financial burden that comes with this risk.

You also need to cover yourself against negligent acts of other people. In our day-to-day activities, we come across different people and this puts us at a risk of being harmed by intentional or unintentional acts of these people. Whether intentional or not, the harm brings with it costs and this is what personal injury insurance comes to cover you against.

Another situation why you need personal insurance is to cover yourself against invasion of privacy. Your privacy is very important and one should do all they can to protect it. Such insurance also helps you to get compensation when your privacy has been invaded. The insurance will compensate you and then follow up on the party who invaded your privacy.

Yet another situation when you need personal injury insurance is when you are wrongfully arrested. This is bound to happen when you are attending to your day-to-day activities. When it happens, it costs you a lot of time and money in terms of lost opportunities that you would have grabbed if you were not in police custody. The insurance company will compensate these losses relieving you off this burden.

Three Things You Can Do Right Now to Learn How to Play Racquetball

Racquetball is a sport that is second to none as a cardiovascular fitness exercise. It is a way to exercise and have fun playing it as well as make new friends. What sport or game can you play, laugh, have fun, and burn maybe 600 or more calories in an hour's time while toning your muscles and fighting heart disease? If you haven't tried racquetball, you owe it to yourself to learn about it.

Here are three ways you can get into racquetball right away:

1. Find the nearest racquetball courts in your area. You can look in your local phone book for telephone numbers to health clubs in your area. You can do a Google or Bing search for health clubs or courts in your areas. You can call or email me at Lawler Sports, and I will help you search for racquetball courts in your area. You can call them and ask if they have racquetball courts available.

2. Get eyewear, balls, and racquet and get ready for an amazing workout and fun.

To experience racquetball by yourself until you get a partner you can hit the ball to the front wall over and over and experience a great cardio workout. You don't need a partner and you don't even need to know the rules. Get in and hit the ball and try to hit it as much as possible back to yourself. You can let the ball bounce as many times as you want during your one-on-one play. Make it a fun situation and enjoy the great workout. Take your water breaks and enjoy.

Challenge yourself in different ways that cause more cardio workout if you really want to push yourself. Do not play racquetball without eyewear specific to the sport. Many bad accidents have occurred while not playing with eyewear. Think about this: the ball acts like a suction cup on contact. You can contact me as well and get a big beginner discount to help you get going as inexpensively as possible.

3. Find a racquetball coach in your area or virtually. When you find racquetball courts in your area you can generally find out if racquetball lessons or a way to learn racquetball is available. You can call or email me if you don't find someone locally to help you along.

The Essentials You Should Know To Help You Get Pregnant

Getting pregnant is a serious thing for every woman. Aside that the process is complicated; such entails a lot of prerequisites with regards of stability in emotions, physical, and financial aspect in life.

This is the reason why for most couples pregnancy must be well planned. However, not at all times can this happen to everyone. The truth is, other pregnancy comes unplanned especially on adolescents.

When can you get pregnant? The question can actually be answered with a right time or an instance when one can get pregnant. The usual child bearing years for women range from age 20 to 35 years. When a woman does not have any fertility issues, having sex with a male partner throughout these years make one prone to conception.

Conception happens when the sperms after ejaculation reaches the cervix of the woman. Although one can only get through the uterus, when the woman is fertile, the egg stays ready to be fertilized by the sperm. Once united both implant themselves in the uterine lining and starts growing as embryo as weeks pass by. The pregnancy cycle then runs for nine months.

On the other hand, as per advice from experts, although getting pregnant is easy to achieve and understand given the above instance, getting pregnant on the right time also means complying with the requirements. This is when you are ready physically, emotionally, and financially.

According to American studies, pregnancy needs emotional readiness to face the various effects of pregnancy to person's emotion. Pregnant women usually experience mood swings when pregnant and if the partner is not so emotionally stable to handle such situation, the instance might end up to quarrel and hurting. Likewise, getting pregnant also means saying good-bye to single life and saying "Hi" to the mother world. It is surely a big change to every woman's everyday life especially that, after pregnancy a new baby would spring up needing as much attention as mother could give.

Likewise, getting pregnant also means being fit to carry a baby inside the womb for nine months. This means maintaining a healthy body through a healthy diet or going out to physicians to seek advices or medications if having some issues such as PCOS or hereditary diseases that might delay or complicate the pregnancy. The financial aspect actually connects to this. To maintain physical fitness, one may need to spend money for regular check-up and medications and most especially right after giving birth, on which more money is needed for well baby care and well child care.

Having met the criteria above, you are probably ready to get pregnant. The next question that pops in mind then would be, "how can you get pregnant?" The answer is you can actually get pregnant by following some healthy pro-pregnancy tips and guidelines. With this, medical doctors have suggested some tips to help you out. These are the following.

- The most basic technique to achieve pregnancy as experts say is perfect timing. In order to get pregnant, you must have sex on the ovulation day when the surge of luteinizing hormone is high giving to the sperm the most perfect aid and easiest way to reach the cervix.

- To predict the ovulation day, usage of some ovulation predictor tools such as the ovulation calendar, Basal Body Thermometer, or Ovulation Predictor Kit is a wise idea. Aside that such technique assures one of higher accuracy of predicting the ovulation day; the male partner is given the chance to save sperm for the next sexual intercourse.

- Although not actually proven by medical science, some sexual routines help achieve conception faster and easier. The concept can be explained by the effect of gravity during ejaculation. The best sexual position then should include, spoon position and man-on-top position.

- Conception can occur immediately; however, it can also be delayed. Couple can wait six months after trying different techniques. However, after a year of trying to conceive but still having zero results, visiting the most trusted doctor or ob/gyn is a good option for further diagnosis and treatment for possible fertility issues.

First Successor Trustee of a Family Trust

My experience of just recently going through the steps of being the 1st successor trustee of our family trust is nearly complete. Being fresh on my mind, I am taking this opportunity to help the next person who has been appointed in this capacity.

Are you the 1st successor trustee on someone's family trust? When the trust is initiated, be sure you are aware and have a list of the investment assets the primary trustee owns. You should also be presented a full copy of the trust agreement.

On the date of death, go online and record the closing prices of any investments they may hold.

Before you can act as successor trustee, you must obtain a death certificate. This is of primary importance. The next step, generally performed by the trust attorney, is a letter to your county probate court, advising them of the death and that no probate will be necessary because the estate is in trust. To give you the authority to sign the decedent's checks (pay bills, make deposits), you must present a death certificate accompanied with a copy of the trust agreement to the financial institution backing the checking account. The trust agreement gives you the right to handle the decedent's financial affairs and more.

You will now be responsible for arranging the funeral/memorial service of the descendant and paying the descendant's expenses. You should also notify Social Security if the trustee was receiving social security income. However, the Social Security Administration has many other avenues to learn about the death; hospital, coroner, financial institution, funeral home.

Next, you will need to notify the companies in which the decedent has investments informing them that the primary trustee has passed and asking that they forward the paper work necessary to record you as the successor trustee. Filing these forms/papers with your signature will give you the right to conduct business with the investment companies without any tax implications. The decedent's trust attorney should be handling this paperwork. When this paperwork is handled properly, you will receive the death certificate back by way of postal mail. Receipt ensures that the trust company attorney has completed the task of putting you on all the investments of each particular company as "successor trustee". You are now authorized to conduct business on behalf of the decedent in respect to their investments.

You will also have the responsibility to see that the decedent's last will and testament is carried out. This means you will collect any funds received into the trustee's bank account and supervise the disposal and distribution of all assets, property. This includes real estate, personal (car, investments, clothing, jewelry, papers, appliances, etc.) Obviously, no distributions of the estate should occur until all the trustee's financial obligations are resolved.

Some other notes of interest are, a Homestead refund is not allowable for the year of death. If the trustee had ample income, a federal and state tax return may be required, another responsibility of the successor trustee. You will experience serious delay in obtaining the death certificate if the decedent trustee donated their body to research. It will be your responsibility to initiate all calls to the county of death checking to see if the death certificate has been received. You will need to purchase certified copies of the death certificate. You will need one each for probate, bank(s), investments company and extra for family members.

With the above information, carrying out your responsibilities as 1st successor trustee should be less cumbersome.

Building The Classic Physique The Natural Way by Steve Reeves

"Building The Classic Physique The Natural Way" by Steve Reeves with John Little and Bob Wolff is a special book for me for several reasons. Steve Reeves was an idol of mine, and I've always admired his physique. If one could be called the most perfectly developed and muscular man, Reeves has to be on top of the list, or near the top on anyone's poll. Another reason I like this book is because he mentions the Deaconess School in Helena, Montana. My grandmother worked at that school when Reeves attended. He was "one of her boys" as she tells it. I have a picture of her with "her boys" and Reeves is one of them. While we lost Reeves in 2000, she lived to be 98 and died in 2010. And the final reason the book is special to me is that it reminds me of our telephone conversations at times in the 1990s. If you want a motivating book on health and fitness, with a lot of great photos of the god like Steve Reeves and some biography about him, this is a great book to have in your library.

The first part of the book is called "My Life In Bodybuilding" and details a brief sketch of the bodybuilder turned actor's life. In a few short chapters you learn a bit about his parents, his early life in Montana, and yes, my grandmother also remembered the earthquake of 1935, his move to California, how he discovered bodybuilding, early training, his time in the Army, and his bodybuilding career. Unfortunately, the book does not go into his movie career, but is it primarily a book on fitness, not just on Reeves.

Part two of the book, which starts on page 45, is on the science of bodybuilding. The chapters are short, and like the early part of the book, there are ample photographs of Reeves that if nothing else, should motivate anyone to get exercising. Chapters focus on topics such as preliminary considerations, metal aspects of training, training logic, classic physique, and routines for various body parts.

Part three contains additional training considerations such as super high intensity training, pyramid system, exercising in opposition, muscle control and posing, the power of walking (When he got older, Reeves focused a lot on his Power Walking), nutrition, and losing body fat.

Part Four is titled "Questions & Answers" and if full of advice and more motivating photographs. The questions about steroids remind me of when I asked him about steroids for a research paper I was writing during my undergraduate studies in the early 90s. He was against steroid use, and is one of the influences that kept me from ever trying them. The book concludes with several appendixes that share information exercises, bodybuilding principles, awards and titles, one of his first routines that was discovered, what the press said about Steve Reeves, and some impressions from mentors and friends.

Again, I don't know how anyone could not be motivated to work out when looking at the pictures in this book. It is full of sound basic workout advice and some history on one of the world's most perfectly symmetrical and classic physiques ever. If you are interested in Reeves or natural bodybuilding, this book should be on your shelf to be read and used in your own pursuit of health and fitness.

Sewing Binding on a Purse

Sewing binding on a purse is easy when your instructions are clear. The most difficult project can become a cinch with good directives. One issue that many budding purse designers face is sewing binding to a firm bodied handbag.

While this is not a difficult task, many handbag designers trip up in this area because they do not have clear instructions on how to attach the binding. This method of attaching the binding is used in making traditional straw bags in the Bahamas as well as the Teri Monique hand painted handbags.

To attach the binding one has to first determine what kind of binding is going to be used. While some purse makers use straw or leather, a favorite binding for handbags is webbing; a thick ribbon-like material which comes in a variety of colors and sizes. Webbing is also commonly used for creating straps for handbags. So in addition to having the handbag bound with the webbing, coordinating straps can also be used to further accentuate a bag.

Here are a few quick tips in applying your binding:

1. Select your binding material 2. Fold the end over & stitch down for a finished look and to reduce fraying 3. Fold binding in half lengthwise to form a channel 4. Slip channel over your fabric covered chipboard and sew 5. To complete the process, cut off excess binding 6. Turn the end of the binding under & stitch in place

Here's what you want to avoid when sewing your binding:

• Using a webbing that is too narrow to manage • Using binding materials that are thick and difficult to bend • Uneven sewing- keep presser foot at the edge of the webbing when stitching • Avoid puckering- pull webbing slightly while stitching

Now you can begin creating your fabulous firm bodied purses with a neatly applied binding.

My Chef

One industry that caters for the multiple needs of people and is very critical to macro-economic development is the hospitality industry. When we talk about the hospitality industry, food (preparation) is a major factor. Then we cannot talk about food preparation in the hospitality industry without discussing those responsible, that is, the chefs who operate in the kitchen. A kitchen chef is defined as somebody that cooks for people in a professional manner and has professional skills in all different segments of food preparation.

It is noteworthy that irrespective of how much one is busy daily and does not want to attend to any visitor, one visitor that one must accord attention willy-nilly is food. The importance of food and chefs must have informed Obasesam Omini Etimita's decision to spare time and write on the fundamentals of the culinary profession in this book entitled "My Chef", dedicated to Elder (Mrs.) Comfort Agbonibuan Imoke (nee Imoukhuede) FWCN, a Nigerian.

Etimita, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), is an associate member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Nigeria (ICPAN). A 1996 graduate of Accountancy from the former Polytechnic, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, Etimita also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. He is the auditor, Obudu Ranch Hotel & Resort, Obudu, Cross River State, Nigeria. Etimita has served in external and internal audit capacities.

According to the author, across the length and breadth of Nigeria, diverse in many ways and beautiful in different capacities, there exists a profession with no diversity, that is, the culinary profession. Etimita says surprisingly, he when asked 1000 students the question, "Who is a cook?", 95 per cent of them answered correctly. He adds that when he asked another question, "Who is a chef?", only two per cent answered correctly. The author asserts that the same trend manifested in an adult-class assessment. He says this ignorance about a chef has negatively influenced people's perception of the culinary profession. Etimita adds that parents should henceforth encourage their children to become chefs and ensure availability of basic infrastructure for the culinary practice.

The author reveals that the idea of this book came out of a long-standing concern about the way our society looks at the chef and the culinary profession. He says specifically, Nigerians view this important role with an old understanding of an ordinary cook. A Nigerian society that is very determined to be first in tourism and hospitality business must rejuvenate the appetite of its local chefs to be more committed through societal recognition, advises Etimita. The author adds that we must truly know about the chef and how important his skills are to our daily living.

This book is segmented into eight chapters. Chapter one is interrogatively entitled "Who is a chef?" Here, Etimita submits that rising to the peak of managing the kitchen is a chef. He says interestingly, men dominate in number what is traditionally meant for women.

Etimita educates that a chef is a person who cooks professionally. He adds that in a professional kitchen setting, the term is used only for the person in charge of everyone else in the kitchen, the executive chef. The author says according to wikipedia, the word "Chef", realised from the Latin word "Caput" is the abbreviated form of the French phrase "Chef de cuisine", which means the "Chief" or "Head" of a kitchen. Etimita adds that the title "Chef" in the culinary profession originated from the "Haute cuisine" in the 19th century. He discloses that the English use of the word "Chef" has become a term that is sometimes used to mean any professional cook.

Etimita says wikipedia further educates that specialised and hierarchal chef titles are usually found only in fine-dining, upscale restaurants; while kitchen staff members at casual restaurants such as diners are more often called "cook" or "short-order cook".

Chapter two has the subject matter of the kitchen and history. Here, Etimita illuminates that the chef's habitat is the domicile, a place where a chef is found or can be easily seen. It is the required input environment for the production of the specified chef's menu, says the author. Etimita adds that it is called "the kitchen" and often referred to as the "powerhouse". The author says without the kitchen, the chef may not exist or would never have been such a great captain in the noble profession.

Etimita says each kitchen staff member is delegated to perform a specific function with the head chef supervising. According to him, as against what obtains in the home kitchen or the traditional kitchen, the chef finds him- or herself in a complex, scientific and magnificent structure.

Chapter three is entitled "The unique role of a chef". Here, Etimita educates that somebody who holds the title of the chef has unique responsibilities. In his words, "An individual who is a chef will be responsible for planning the set menu items and any specials. In addition, the chef is usually responsible for placing food orders and necessary kitchen tool orders in order to enable the preparation of the meals." The author adds that the chef will also address complaints about his or her kitchen staff and resolve those issues.

Etimita stresses that along with planning the menu, the chef is also responsible for creating the recipes and may or may not allow input from the assistant chefs. He reveals that pursuing a career as a chef can be both challenging and rewarding.

Chapter four focuses on the concept of food as the way to a man's heart. The author says it is striking to note that everyone considers the services of a chef as fundamental to life. According to Etimita, food contains essential body nutrients. He says the nutrients consist of elements such as carbohydrates, fat, proteins, vitamins, minerals, etc. The author expatiates that these nutrients are ingested to produce energy, stimulate growth and maintain life. The chef romances with ingredients to produce food, says Etimita.

Chapter five examines the concept of balancing diet for digestion. According to the author, balancing one's diet for easy digestion is the main responsibility of a professional cook. Etimita says this ability is the signature of any chef for a healthy guest diet. The author expatiates that a healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve health. He adds that a healthy diet is important for prevention of many health problems such as obesity, heart failure, diabetes, cancer, etc.

Etimita says a healthy diet involves consumption of an appropriate amount of all nutrients, and an adequate amount of water. Nutrients can be obtained from different types of food, and there is a wide variety of healthy diets that can be selected from different food types, educates the author. He says an unhealthy diet is a major risk factor as regards health.

The World Health Organisation, according to Etimita, estimates that 2.7 million deaths are attributable to a diet low in fruits and vegetable every year. The author adds that globally, it is estimated that unhealthy diets will cause about 19 per cent of gastrointestinal cancer; 31 per cent of heart diseases and 11 per cent of strokes. Therefore, an unbalanced diet is one of the leading preventable causes of deaths worldwide, submits Etimita.

In chapters six to eight, he analytically X-rays concepts such as the eating etiquette and family values; divine blessing for the chef; and testimonies for lovers of chefs.

As regards mode of presentation, this text gets a pass mark. Etimita handles the subject matter in a brilliant way and amplifies his concepts with authoritative sources to achieve concrete conviction of the part of readers. He uses pictures and graphics on the inside pages for the purpose of visual reinforcement of readers' understanding especially that a visual communicates better than many words.

The book is also very logical and didactic, because the author is very elaborate in his discussion of the eight chapters. It is noteworthy that the language of this book also enhances its understanding given the simple choice of words. This is expected given that Etimita is an accountant/auditor who knows the importance of simplicity and accuracy to understanding. The author is also able to convey his passion for the culinary profession and stress the need to accord it proper recognition, especially in Nigeria, with his use of the possessive adjective "My" in the title "My Chef".

Also, the fact that the author decided to write on an area that is outside of his professional boundary underscores the concreteness of his self-development efforts and ability to exploit environmental opportunities because he is an auditor in the hospitality industry.

However, some areas look (conceptually) repetitive. Maybe Etimita deliberates uses this style for emphasis or constant reminder of readers. Also, the layout of the inside pages needs improvement to avoid textual congestion.

On the whole, this book is a compendium of irresistible tips on the culinary profession and healthy living. Specifically, it is a challenge to the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Nigeria to arouse the attention of the Nigerian universities to the need to introduce and promote culinary courses to help develop the hospitality industry in Nigeria through training of adequate skilled manpower. The book is revealing and interesting.

When Arm Wrestling Won't Solve Conflict - Part 1

Having been in a small but prestigious accounting firm for five years, CPA Sally had established herself as a savvy, responsible, dependable, conscientious, and profit-making employee. As a result, she received a managerial promotion which put her one rung below the firm's partners. Despite her having some anxiety about the company's expectations of her and her doing her best to match those expectations, she was confident and well-prepared to meet almost any business circumstance.

That is, with the exception of Martha, the Office Supervisor. Martha had overseen the company's secretaries and receptionist for seven years. Over this time she personally had taken on more and more managerial-type authority in spite of her supervisory job description. This was because a managerial-level void existed and she flowed into it, quietly seizing its associated power.

But now Sally who had been groomed by the organization to fill that void herself had appeared on the scene. While Sally's interactions with Martha in the past had been relatively infrequent and innocuous, they were now frequent and full of conflict.

One day when Sally had other auditors working on a report that had to be finished by the end of the week, Martha swooped in and declared that the offices were disorganized and unkempt. This "wretched state of affairs" had to be dealt with immediately. As a result, Martha began rounding up Sally's auditors, who while not under Martha's control, chose not to argue, to get them going on her task.

Sally was nonplussed and felt impotent except to shout at the disappearing bodies, "I need them now to get this report out." Martha waved a dismissive hand in her direction and stated, "They'll be back when I've finished with them."

While Sally was still angrily gnawing on this bone a few days later, Martha came by to address an expenditure Sally planned to make. Martha placed a maternal hand on Sally's shoulder and stated, "All the equipment and miscellany you want for doing webinars are too expensive and nonessential. We really can't afford to do this right now in our economic situation."

Sally, who was constantly doing presentations for potential clients, and didn't rely on in-person PowerPoint, was taken aback once again and blustered, "But we need it to make good presentations to clients." Martha knowingly shook her head, "We're doing fine as we are. We can't do this right now."

Besides getting medication for her high blood pressure what should Sally do?

Rather than simply going off half-cocked and demanding that Martha stop overstepping her bounds, Sally needed to generally understand both Martha and the circumstances surrounding her behavior. What was Martha's actual role and domain of authority as stated in her contract? Had she been granted other powers outside that or had she simply assumed them? What had been going on lately with Martha or in the office that might make her act more authoritarian and dogmatic?

Based upon her collected information, Sally had to decide the best way for her to address the problem so she could get what she wanted and not make a mortal enemy of Martha?

Sally determined that Martha's authority was over the secretaries only but because the firm has been without a line manager for awhile, Martha had informally taken on that role as well. But now that Sally had been elevated to that position, Martha was once again relegated to being office supervisor only - a step down in her eyes.

Having enjoyed this power, Martha now felt hurt and her ego was bruised. She saw the situation as unfair. She also felt less secure about her position and her value to the organization. Did she really want her old job back?

Since she never really had the management position, she couldn't fight with the partners to get it back. Being angry with them would only backfire so she was taking out her disappointment and displeasure on Sally who had "stolen" her job.

Resolving conflict is never easy especially when there are two perspectives on who has the authority and control in the situation. When you can't punch them out or get them cement booties, what can you do? What would you do in this case?