Times square new york city

Times Square, one of New York City’s premier tourist destinations, is located on a major intersection in Midtown Manhattan--at the junction of Broadway and 27th Street and from West 42nd Street to West 47th Street. It occupies the blocks between 6th and 8th Avenues from east to west, and West 40th and West 53rd Streets from north to south. Times Square was “christened” in 1904; not coincidentally, so were neon lights and the city’s first subway line. New Yorkers wasted no time in starting the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration tradition: they began ringing in the new year at Times Square in 1904 as well. Previously, the area that has been called “Times Square” for over 100 years was known as The Longacre. On April 8, 1904, the name was changed to Times Square to commemorate the official opening of the brand new New York Times Building located on the triangle of land at the intersection of Broadway, 42nd Street, and 7th Avenue. The building was the tallest in Manhattan at the time. In 1913, the New York Times moved to a larger facility across Broadway and the New York Times Building was renamed the Allied Chemical Building. Today, it is known simply as One Times Square. During the First World War, Broadway became known as one of the world’s premier theatre districts. The Great Depression hit New York City hard, and many theatres had to close or offer less discriminating fare to attract more theatre-goers. Thus began a slow decline that reached its lowest point in the 1960s and 1970s. At this time, Times Square had become (in)famous for erotic bookstores, live nude shows, X-rated movies, and other adult fare. By 1975, many people considered Times Square to be the epitome of urban and moral decay. In the 1980s and early 1990s, city and state officials began serious efforts to reverse the decline of Times Square. Today, Times Square has been restored to its former glory and boasts over 27,000 residents and over 26 million visitors each year, and makes a serious contribution to New York City’s economy—the annual total output is comparable to the economies of Bolivia and Panama, and far exceeds that of small countries. New Year’s Eve at Times Square is now a global tradition. Approximately 1 million people gather there each year; additionally, millions across the United States and about 1 billion people all over the world tune into the New Year’s Eve celebration. The famous ball (currently made of Waterford Crystal) drops from One Times Square, a tradition that began on December 31, 1907 and has continued ever since, except during World War Two when a moment of silence was observed followed by the tolling of church bells, as the blackout restrictions prevented excessive New Year’s Eve festivities. Times Square has cemented its place in American popular culture. It has been featured in movies such as Vanilla Sky, King Kong, and Spider-Man. ABC’s Good Morning America and MTV’s Total Request Live are broadcast live from their studios at Times Square. Additionally, many exclusive, popular, and specialty retailers and restaurants have locations at Times Square, such as the Hard Rock Cafй, Virgin Records, Toys R Us, ESPN Zone, Sketchers, Planet Hollywood, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, Ruby Foo’s, and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. Today’s Times Square is a perfect family destination.

A walk in the clouds of multi functional posters

As you walk by a bookstore faзade, you can see a lot of things. Some are worthy of your stare but some are worthy of your time. Between the two, dwell on the latter. They can make you better. Look around. Does it have your most wanted books? Does it have your favorite novelist? s paperbacks? Does it have catchy and priceless posters? Isn? t it beautiful to stare and reckon how these precious things build foundation, character and wisdom? Yes, these things have somehow contributed to your becoming YOU. Let's take posters as an example. When I was still a baby (as supported by the photos taken), I am surrounded by playful, informative and colorful. These posters include the alphabet, cartoons, numbers, animals and the likes. My mom's habit of having them around continues until I became a teen. From then, I noticed that I have adopted the same scheme. I keep on placing posters to continue being updated, to keep me reminded and to be inspired and entertained. Those reminders and fact have been made part and parcel of who I am today. You may take for granted materials like posters but they do have a large-scale impact to all of us. Posters have many faces. And that faces can yield different emotions. It can make you laugh with grace. It can turn your laugh into tears. Or pinch your heart in sorrow. It can make you sigh in relief or grimace in dismay. It can inspire you to do something hard and unusual. Nevertheless, it can calm your shattered mind and soul. Poster is everywhere. And in every piece of it is a multi-functional mentor. They are not just a piece of crap hanging around your room. In fact, they are so priceless that they can move people to action. In connection to the marketing world, poster is one of the effective marketing tools for movies, events, products and services. With a short span of time, posters can make a great percentage of populace informed and updated. That? s how powerful poster can be. It can drive just anybody to watch a show, make a purchase or subscribe to a service. Moreover, poster printing must be quality and free from any flaw. To ensure this, poster manufacturers must choose expert and reliable printers. The outcome of your masterpieces depends on the printers. The choice is critical. Thus, be cautious in choosing...

A cruise ship as rental property

When it comes to booking a vacation, some people are reluctant to travel by ship out of fear they will be bored while sailing at sea. These people obviously have not checked out today’s cruise ships. In many heads are the images of old where a person would sit on the deck of a cruise ship and read a book by the pool all day as they waited for the ship to get to the next destination. Sure, you can chose to spend your time that way if you want to, but there are plenty of other, active things to do aboard the ship as well. Never fear, even if you were planning weeks of cruise travel you would not get board on the ship. Think of your stay onboard as a rental property in a floating city. It has all the great things that a city will have - entertainment, restaurants, and your lodging. But, unlike a rental property, this place to say keeps taking you to new places for adventures and memories that will last a lifetime. If you have not been on a cruise ship, or floating city, in a while, consider this one. The Carnival Cruise Ship Elation is 885 feet long. In that space are a number of restaurants, three swimming pools, a theater, a gym, and a series of other venues for shows and entertainment offerings. That is a lot of entertainment space to cover in just a few days aboard. Chances are you will not be able to experience all of it. Even if you manage to see all the major venues during your travel, there are also a number of minor venues that will be dotted across the ship. If you are the type that likes the bright lights at night in the big city, make sure to check out the nightlife aboard the ship as well. Most evenings will find you a seat at a theatrical or musical performance, Broadway style. Alternatively, you may get a chance to see a stand-up comedian who will keep you chucking well into the night. And don’t forget to check out the ships clubs and other nightspots for the rest of the nightlife offerings. For daytime activities, you will not get bored either. If swimming some laps or playing a pool game is not enough for you, never fear. There are often volleyball games, racquetball courts, even putting or driving ranges on many cruise ships. If you are worried about bringing the kids on a cruise because you think they’ll get bored, think again. On today’s ships are arcades, computer rooms, rock-climbing walls, and kids-only facilities that will keep them occupied throughout the travel time. By the time you just start to be able to take in all the entertainment opportunities available aboard the ship, you’ll likely be arriving at your first destination and preparing to go ashore. The good news is that once you get back on the ship and head to your next travel spot, you’ll have plenty more onboard exploring to do.

Where should you buy steroids

Anabolic steroids, also known as anabolic androgenic steroids, are natural and synthetic drugs that are derived from testosterone. Often, people use anabolic steroids to encourage cell growth that helps in the development of tissues of muscles. There are stacks of anabolic steroids available on the market, each having varying anabolic and androgenic properties. But, do you know, where should you buy steroids? Actually, you have only two choices to buy steroids; from a medical doctor or the black market. In earlier time, it wasn’t that difficult to find out a sympathetic physician who would easily prescribe you anabolic steroids. But, with the categorization of anabolic steroids as a ‘controlled substance’ in the early 1990’s, the majority of physicians are now avoiding to prescribe anabolic steroids even for genuine medical reasons, as the punishments and penalties are just too harsh. However, it is not illegal when people buy steroids for legitimate purposes. In such state, many muscle builders have turned their faces towards steroid dealers on the black market, to buy steroids in order to fulfill their needs. This industry has always been surviving for muscle-builders, and it has always been the favorite place for bodybuilders to buy steroids and other drugs. Some people buy steroids through Internet (online). Most of the steroids available on the black market are developed in Mexico. First, they are smuggled illicitly into the United States (U. S.), from where they are circularized all over the North American continent. This is not surprising that California is the major center of this black market. From California, the steroids are generally supplied through mail orders or by couriers to steroid suppliers in other U. S. states or Canada. So before buying, it is important for you to know ‘where are you buying steroids from?’ Is it legitimate or illegitimate source or way? Keep in mind that illegitimate ways to buy steroids can definitely get you into trouble. So think deeply, before you buy steroids for an illegal source. You should always buy steroids legally from legitimate sources. Of course, you can buy steroids legally, consulting with your physicians, getting these prescribed, if you really need these drugs.

Aromatherapy more than just hot air

Many people have found aromatherapy very helpful in terms of their general feelings of psychological and physical wellness. Aromatherapy uses volatile plant oils in a natural form in massage, candles and other delivery methods. Aromatherapy uses "Essential Oils". The vapors from these oils benefit many people when they are absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream, giving physical benefit. The aroma of the inhaled oils stimulates certain receptors in the brain, giving psychological benefits. The benefits of alternative therapies like aromatherapy are difficult to prove or disprove, but millions of people spend millions of dollars on these products and do so again and again, so they must be feeling better. Essential oils are different from perfumes and commercial fragrances in that essential oils are 100% natural and contain no man-made chemicals, as so many perfumes do. Many people use a special burner to heat their oils to vaporize them using a tea-light candle underneath. It is important to take advice only from an experienced and qualified aromatherapist because too high a concentration of some oils can be harmful, especially if applied to the skin. Be sure to get expert advice because some essential oils can cause sensitization or allergic reactions. Sensitization means that you will have little reaction on the first exposure, but subsequent use will cause a massive adverse reaction. Penicillin has this sensitisation effect on some people, a mild reaction the first time, but a second dose can be fatal if you are allergic to the antibiotic. In aromatherapy massage essential oils, well diluted with "carrier oils" are rubbed into the skin. The diluted essential oils are absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. Use of "Carrier Oils" is essential for safe application of "Essential oils" to the skin without very serious adverse reactions. "Essential Oils" are often blended to give a greater effect than one could expect from the amounts of the separate oils.

Socializing will help improve your personal life

Socializing Will Help Improve your Personal Life Studies have shown that people that are more actively involved with positive influences can live longer. These people also feel healthier. Studies shows that people who socialize do not get as sick often as those who do not. People who are active, do not have time to worry about tomorrow, or yesterday. they live for the day that they are in now and that’s it. Worrying too much is not good for the soul or mind. We have many problems in life that we cannot change, therefore we need to learn how to change what we can and leave the rest alone. Depression is one of the leading problems today and mostly because of the reasons named. To live for a better tomorrow you have to first learn how to live for today. What are some of the ways I can get active? There are many ways to become active instead of sitting in the house go out and make new friends. Maybe visit your local coffee shops. You may want to visit old friends you haven’t seen in a while. there are many ways to get active. We have gyms, which you can find reasonable sales. Visit the gym start working out and intermingle with people. The idea of socializing is to met new people and do things that you normally wouldn’t do normally. How would I make new friends? You can go anywhere to met new friends. You can meet new friends at stores. You can visit a religious sector and make new acquaintances. In time, they may become your best friend. there you can meet new people get involved with people and then you will have plenty of things to keep you busy. Perhaps you can volunteer at your library, hospital, or other area around town. Here you will become actively involved with your community as you meet new people. How will becoming more actively help me to improve my personal life? When you are more active you always feel better because your doing something good. You are not wasting time harboring over mistakes, or other things that stress you. Instead of worrying about tomorrow or yesterday, you are spending your time wisely. Many people sit around all day sweating bills. If you are late with your bills, set up a budget, get on track and stop allowing bills take over your life. You will benefit from becoming active, since the bills will not be on your mind until they arrive in the mail. The more active that you are you will feel the difference, since you start to feel better about you. You will notice that you are needed in this day and time for whatever the reason is. No one what’s to see anyone be total alone and just sit and think about the unknown that will make someone sick and feeling hopeless. So no matter how you are feeling you need to get out and enjoy life while you can. It’s easy to pick up the phone and call a friend. Call someone and invite him or her to shop with you. Invite them to come have coffee with you. Better yet, invite them to walk in the park with you. It’s your call. You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. Sitting down on life is the process of heading to the grave. Take action now and socialize today. Be sure to keep your social friends on a positive note. In short, only choose people who will build you up instead of tearing you down.

Now is the time for learning

Have you always wanted to grow a vegetable garden but just haven't gotten around to it? Or perhaps you have always hoped to knit a blanket but you still have not learned how to knit. It is not to late to do the things you have always wanted to do. Regardless of your age or current skills, now can be the time to begin learning new things. Learning is an amazing ability that all humans have. No matter how little or how much we know now, there is always more to learn. There is no limit to the skills and knowledge that we can gain by learning. Take a new hobby for instance. Learning to do something productive like sew, knit, or plant a vegetable garden is a great way to spend time. While learning you are using your mind and filling time with things that are active and important. Learning is a much better way to pass idle time than to do passive things like watch television or play video games. Your life will be richer and more fun as you spend hours learning new skills. You will have a great sense of accomplishment when the thing you have been hoping to do for years becomes easy and natural for you. Learning new things is also a great way to expand your knowledge and keep your mind sharp. Time spent learning by reading, for instance, is a great mind exercise and it can be enjoyable and beneficial. Consider children. From the time they are born they are learning new things day by day. They learn to recognize the voices and faces of their family, and eventually they learn to sit up and then crawl and then walk. If children were not constantly learning they would stay children forever. At a young age children begin going to school for the purpose of learning even more new things. They learn to count, to read, to play with others and to read. Adults can learn something from children about the importance of learning. If, once our years in school were complete, adults continued to learn new things and gain new hobbies at the rate that children learn just think about how much more we would know today. Our lives would be filled with an incredible wealth of knowledge and with a variety of skills and hobbies that keep our lives full and satisfied. Take a close look at your life. Make a list of things you have always wanted to learn or be able to do. And then commit yourself to learning something new starting today.

Balance transfer of credit cards

Transferring Credit card balance is a good way of minimizing credit card debt, and can also be a way out of the burden of debt. Credit card issuers, realizing the demand of balance transfers among customers, bring about good offers on balance transfers. With plenty of credit card companies around, the card issuers are facing stiff competition. The following points should be kept in mind while going ahead for a balance transfer. It is important to ensure that the balance transfers are done on time, without overlapping offer periods from one card to other, which could cost you high interest rates. Please note that each bank will move at different speeds in responding to customer requests. Ensure that the credit card offers with zero balance transfer are always immediate and are applicable at the time of your application. There is no point in applying for a transfer when the offer period is about to end. While opting for a balance transfer that is free of interest, watch out for any charges hidden in small print. An offer of 0 APR (Zero Annual Percentage Rate) should exactly mean what it conveys. The kind of card from which balance transfers are made is also crucial. The rate of APR in Store cards is greater than regular credit cards, so all balances can be transferred to a single card with low interest rate. A solid amount of money can be saved this way. Keep track of the correct date of end of zero interest offer period and apply for anew credit balance transfer credit card at least fifteen days prior to the last date. The source which provides you with information regarding interest rates on balance transfer offer on your card should not provide any biased information over a particular bank or credit card. Also the source should provide information with comparative charts that are easy to understand without any unnecessary pressure or misguidance. Lastly try to make sure that the facility of interest free balance transfer on your card is quick and flexible. These days, while giving application, you may be asked for the details of balance transfers of your credit cards in writing. Always keep in mind that both parties should be aware of the proceedings simultaneously. The right usage of balance transfer of credit cards could be a convenient way of avoiding a credit card debt.

Client holidays taking care of clients and you at the holidays

As the end of the year approaches, you may find yourself rushing around, feeling you’ll never get everything done in time. That often happens around the holidays, and even when it’s not holiday season. We live in a world in which there never seems to be enough hours in the day. Even with a “to-do” list, it’s difficult to be organized and get it all done. Particularly around this time of the year, our stress level increases with the added responsibility of buying gifts for clients, attending holiday parties and unrealistic expectations of the holidays. We tend to put a lot more on our plate trying to do it all and do it well. What happens is we get overwhelmed and maybe even sick…Ughh! Imagine getting everything done that needs to be done, being in control of your time, and enjoying the holidays! After all, at the end of your life, would you look back and say, “I wish I had spent more time at the office?” It’s more likely you’d be saying, “I wish I had more time to do the things I love the most.” Here are 6 tips to help you take care of clients, reduce holiday stress and open up more time for you to enjoy the things that matter most. 1. Make a list of client gifts. Make a list of all the clients you need to buy gifts for. Look for gifts you can buy for multiple people and one store where you can buy these gifts. If you don’t like shopping, plan a single gift shopping day and do it sooner than later to avoid the holiday shopping craze. Or, do all your holiday shopping from home. Thanks to the Internet and catalogs, you can order gifts from the comfort of your office. 2. Target a client’s interests. The gift you give is a direct reflection of your business. Try to find gifts that fit your clients’ interests. Do they follow certain sport teams? Like a specific kind of music? Have a special hobby? Make it a point to learn your clients’ interests over the course of doing business together. If you don’t know what your client enjoys, ask. You can also contact the assistant to find out what they like or dislike. 3. Reach out to clients. Give the gift of a phone call or note. Let your clients know how much you appreciate their business and say it with words. A little customer appreciation goes a long way and has you stand out from the crowd. Although the holidays may seem like the perfect time to give a gift, a phone call or note letting them know they are remembered during the holidays may be the best gift they get. 4. Refuse invitations. You don’t have to go to every party just because you’re invited. If party going becomes a chore or too exhausting, step back and slow down the pace. Attending a party you really don’t want to be at will feel more like an obligation than a choice. Put yourself first by setting boundaries for yourself by saying “no thanks.” 5. Adjust your expectations. Be realistic. Just because it’s the holiday season, issues with clients and family may not always be joyous. Everything will not be perfect. The holidays bring up many different emotions for people and even for you. Expect a few bumps in the road and you’ll be able to better deal with whatever comes your way. 6. Take time for yourself. With so much emphasis on spending time with family and friends, many people feel guilty taking time for themselves. Take it! When you consciously plan to have alone time, it keeps you centered and balanced. For the holidays, give yourself the gift of time. When you take care of yourself, you’ll have more to give to your clients, your family, and your own life. ASSIGNMENT: Your assignment is simple. Block time on your calendar to rest, relax, and do the things that bring you the most joy at this time of year. The more you take care of yourself, the more you’ll have to give to others in the coming year. Happy Holidays! (c) All Rights Reserved.

The meaning of diamond promise rings

Diamond promise rings have increased in popularity in recent years. Everyone from celebrity couples to young couples in middle America seems to have them. Promise rings come in a variety of styles and center stones. They can be given for a variety of reasons, but are mostly used by couples intending to marry sometime in the future. The Meaning of Diamond Promise Rings Promise rings are usually given as a symbol of love and commitment. They are often given with the intent of becoming engaged at some point in the future. When the intent is commitment and ultimately, marriage, the ring is worn on the left hand. After the engagement, the ring is often switched to the right hand. This allows the couple to test their commitment to each other prior to making the larger commitment of becoming engaged and getting married. Couples can show their commitment to each other without rushing into an early marriage, which too often ends in divorce. With the high divorce rates, taking it slow is a good idea. Settings and stones range from simple to extravagant. In general, these are smaller and less expensive than engagement rings. The most common stone used is a diamond in a silver or gold setting, but just about any gemstone can be used. Some use another stone in the center with small diamonds as accents. Some couples use the birthstones of the couple for a more personal statement. While they are most often given to the woman in the relationship, they are available in your local jewelry store for men as well. This is not a common tradition, but some modern, younger couples are doing this. These rings often carry the birthstones of the couple and are often engraved with initials or a line from a favourite song. Early Diamond Promise Rings The Scribbler ring was seen several hundred years ago in Europe. The diamonds in the ring were used to etch messages of love on windows. The diamonds were generally small in terms of carat, but were set in a way that made them sharp and easy to use to scribble on the glass. French and English Poesy rings date back to Shakespearean times. These were inscribed with either a line from poetry, music or other messages of love. This tradition continues in promise and wedding jewelry, which are sometimes inscribed with initials, the wedding date or other messages. Other Reasons for Diamond Promise Rings By far, these rings are most often given as a promise of love and commitment between a man and a woman. However, promise rings can be given for other reasons. One less common reason is in exchange for a promise to remain drug and alcohol free during the teenage years. These pledges are often sought during the spring Prom season. In some families, they are given from parent to child in exchange for a vow of chastity. This is often seen in Christian families. The child is promising to remain chaste and to not engage in sexual activity prior to marriage. A ring is given by the parent to symbolize this promise.

Wood baseball bats versus aluminum baseball bats

Whether you are part of the Little Leaguers, Senior Leaguers, college student’s league or professionals, when it comes to baseball, the big questions that pops up is what kind of baseball bat you will use. And, if you really are a baseball player, you definitely know that the discussion is between aluminum bats and wood baseball bats. One important piece of information you should know is that, in softball, little and senior league and college baseball, most of the bats are made up of aluminum. And yet, when it comes to professional baseball, players say that wood baseball bats are a must. You are now probably wondering what you should choose between these two baseball bat types. And that is why we are here, to discuss the pros and the cons of each type. Nowadays, baseball bats can be purchased for as low as $25, but you can also buy more expensive $500 bats. A professional player will not choose a bat according to its price, and it all boils down to how he “feels” it. In the professional league, only wood bats are used, and Major League Baseball does not even allow corked bats. Most of the bats are made of ash, but maple, bamboo and hickory are also choices for baseball bats. Lately, more and more players gave up to hickory bats, as they are much heavier than the rest of the woods. Many are now opting for maple bats. Maple baseball bats are increasingly more popular because of its hardness and durability. Some players also say that they prefer wood baseball bats because of the traditional look and feel. The sound made when the bat hits the ball is vastly different. They say a “crack” sounds way better than the “ping” sound of an aluminum bats hitting the ball. But aluminum baseball bats are very popular too. They are often seen in all the different baseball leagues, except the professional ones. Why is this? Well, simply because a ball hit with an aluminum bat gets more speed. But this is a positive thing you might say. In fact things are not exactly like that. Due to the fact that they are lighter, a greater distance of the ball can now be achieved with less batter strength. And due to that, several players were injured. Due to the fierceness of the rebound of the aluminum bat, the reaction time of the pitchers is smaller. To prove this, in 1970, when aluminum baseball bats were firstly introduced, the batting average rose 30 points, and home run hits doubled. The game is simply not the same with lighter bats made from aluminum or other materials. Overall though, buying a baseball bat is a personal decision. You'll definitely want to go with a baseball bat manufacturer that offers lots of customization so you can build the baseball bat most suitable to your size, weight, height and strength. Many also prefer to choose their colors and add a signature but few bat manufacturers allow such customization and personalization due to manufacturing cost factors. So if you are not a professional baseball player, you simply choose the baseball bat that suits you best.

What s your passion

Okay, you've decided you want to make money with Affiliate Marketing. So, you join some affiliate programs and start submitting free ads to newsletters and free advertising classifieds sites. You're going to make BIG money now -- right? Nope! Sorry! Just sending out a few ads is not going to do it. Not if you want to be a real success. You must first determine your passion. I mean other than making the money! What is your hobby? What do you know how to do REALLY well? What is your job? Everyone has something that is their own special talent. Find yours. You probably have more than one thing that you are very interested in and do well. See if you can find five (ten if you're really ambitious). Write them down in a list. Remember, you are going to be spending a lot of time working with this subject. Make sure you enjoy it! Go down each item on your list. Start writing a rough outline of everything you know about the topic. It doesn't have to be elaborate. This is just to give you an idea of how much information is available for a given subject. Try mind mapping. Write down the main subject of your idea. Draw a circle around it. Now, start thinking of sub-categories that are related to your main category. Draw a line from your main category and end it with a circle. Put the sub-category title inside this circle. Find as many sub-categories (and sub-sub-categories) as you can. Go through each of your interests with this procedure. Choose the one that you know the most about and that you can write about comfortably. What if you "think" you don't know enough about your topic? Then, do some research. Read books and magazines. Do some searches on the Internet. Who knows? You might find an area, a niche, that is just waiting for you to fill it with useful information. There's a lot more to affiliate marketing, of course. But the first step is to find your passion. Your "passion" doesn't have to be making money on the Internet. It can be cooking, sewing, billiards, or whatever. In fact, it's better if you find a niche that isn't in the online marketing arena because that's what nearly everyone else is doing. Make your topic unique. Make it yours. And make it your passion. It will pay you well.

How to retain your current blog readers

In March of 2006 I started my own personal blog which talks about a mixture of personal events in my life as well as the other part of my life which involves internet marketing and creating online home study courses. It's been just over a year now while I'm writing this article, and my blog traffic has been steadily increasing. Until sometime at the end of last year, I noticed that I was leaving out one ultra important element on my blog that can increase the amount of traffic to my site in a large scale. My blog readers and friends know that I don't pay for the traffic coming to my blog. It's easy enough creating a community with other closely related blogs, forums, and websites. Doing so creates plenty of targeted visitors. The important element I left out for so long was a web form for my blog readers to give me their names and e-mail addresses so I could e-mail them each time I posted a new blog entry. How could I have ever have left this small but extremely valuable element out for so long? I had seen a similar form on other blogs for a while now, but just didn't think it could make such a huge difference. Of course, not every visitor or blog reader is going to want to just give you their name and e-mail address. There are still those who are afraid that someone might start spamming them. Then there are those who read your blog every day who can't wait until you publish your next post. When I finish creating a new course for a specific market, I'll release it as a 24 hours special, or similar timed release. I will offer the new course for about ten dollars. This is used to gather valuable feedback before it is released to anyone else. Creating such a benefit (like a special) gives an incentive for being on my blog announcement list. As soon as I'm done with a course, an instant notification is sent to all my readers. I may even offer an even lower price for people who are on the list already. Very few blog owners are doing anything like this. Why don't they see the benefit of e-mailing their visitors and getting them back to read the blog? The last course I created is just the course that these blog owners must get. It's named BlogCastCourse. You can learn step-by-step how you can create an announcement list, even if you don't have a blog yet, because it teach how to get a blog too. You can get started in just a few minutes from now if you'd like. You can be broadcasting messages to new readers in just hours from now, automatically. The course time is approximately 62 minutes long in online videos shot from my computer screen. It will show you how I set up a blog announcement list starting from scratch (without a website) and had it all completed with about 60 minutes worth of work, and broadcasted my first blog entry. The course can be accessed by going to: blogcastcourse

Traveling to the galapagos islands

Galapagos Islands are one of the most beautiful places to visit. The Galapagos Islands has some of the most stunning islands and so much wildlife that you will not be able to get enough of this great place. There are 15 islands to visit in this wonderful travel vacation. To explore these islands, you go by water. You can go on cruises or go by boat to different islands. The views you will see in the Galapagos Islands are something you will want to make sure you have a camera along. The different shapes of rocks and the terrain are unique. In addition the animals that call the Galapagos home include some very rare species that are not known to live any place else on earth, except for occasionally at a zoo. This is a chance to see this wildlife up close and personal in their habitat. Galapagos Islands have such wonderful views of different historical locations. As you travel from one island to another, you will learn about the history of each one since they are all different. In the Galapagos Islands, the wildlife is one of the most popular things to view on your trip. For reptiles, they have everything from land reptiles to water reptiles. They also have a variety of turtles and lizards. The most popular are the Galapagos Tortoises, which have been featured on television shows and magazine articles. For the mammals, they have everything that range from sea lions, humpback whales, sperm whales, killer whales, bottle nosed dolphins, and the common dolphin. The Galapagos Islands also have over a dozen different kinds of land and sea birds for you to enjoy on your visit as well. The most popular attraction while visiting the Galapagos Islands is the wildlife that calls this area home. The wildlife here is some of the most amazing wildlife you will ever see. So make sure to grab your camera to capture wonderful and amazing pictures of these fascinating creatures. Each island has a variety of different animals. There are some animals on the islands that are not afraid of humans and you do not need to be afraid of them either. You can enjoy sun tanning on any of the Galapagos Islands. Make sure to use good use sunscreen, as it can get pretty hot wherever you may be. The beaches sometimes might be covered in seals getting their sun bathing done for the day. So make sure to be nice and share with them. You can also enjoying a bit of snorkeling in the oceans and see more creatures under the sea. They also offer great hiking spots for you and the family to take and see more of the beautiful islands and of course more wildlife. The wonderful cruise ships you can take to these islands are serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily to their guests. So not only are you taking a cruise, but also visiting the wonderful Galapagos Islands and taking in everything it has to offer such as the animals, the history behind the islands and also the wonderful scenery. For your next family vacation, check out what the Galapagos Islands has to offer.

Instant messaging and p2p vulnerabilities for health organizations

: Because of HIPAA legislation, health organizations have to be particularly careful about the vulnerability of the patient data they maintain. Exposing patient data to the Internet through IM exchanges or P2P file sharing can jeopardize their compliance with a variety of state and federal regulations. The popularity of IM and P2P protocols has penetrated every aspect of our society including those organizations entrusted with sensitive data such as health records. The opportunity for data to be exposed to eyes outside an organization has increased whether such exposure is intentional or not and organizations bound by HIPAA regulations are required to protect their patient data or suffer the consequences. Often in hospital situations, employees on different shifts are sharing workstations. Many of them may be communicating with family and friends, outside the organization, via Instant Messaging or P2P and can unknowingly download a malicious agent that can damage not only individual workstations, but entire networks. Because many people may have access to the same computer, this activity is difficult to trace and can occur with alarming ease. When a malicious program is downloaded, it can exploit a back door in the system and proliferate across the network. Depending on the nature of the parasitic code, patient information may be accessed and transmitted from behind the firewall to a designated IP address or it may launch an attack against the host network. These types of attacks can bring the network down. Even short downtime can cause significant financial and data loss. Public Communications Adding more complexity to the situation, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Association of Securities Dealers Inc. (NASD) identify Instant Messaging traffic as communications with the public that companies must save and monitor. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires even those instant messages that are casual and personal to be saved and recorded as formal correspondence. Many companies capture and store the data as required by law. Because this information can be used as legal evidence, there are several instances where data contained on message boards and via IMs were submitted to support or defeat a case being adjudicated. Imagine if medical advice were contained in an IM, even something as innocuous as advising Tylenol for a feverish child. Such correspondence could be used to make a medical malpractice case against a nurse or physician. Network Security IM and P2P also expose end-user equipment to worms, viruses and other backdoor software that - once introduced, can infect a network and inflict damage on a wide scale. Employee abuse of their computer privileges can be the silent destroyer of networks. Whether it is a dramatic problem such as denial of service or the downloading of backdoor worms and viruses, the misuse can be dangerous and damaging and ultimately undermines network security. Managers of network security need to take advantage of hardware appliance solutions in order to fully protect their networks from employee abuse and misuse. The damage to productivity and profits of a company are only the tip of the iceberg. Introducing a filtering option that does not have a single point of failure, or cause latency in network traffic is critical. Equally important, a solution that doesn’t need to share memory or processing power with another device is the best choice to protect networks against security breaches and legal liability and to help preserve the corporation’s good reputation. Legal Liabilities P2P and IM file sharing can be dangerous applications that quickly devour bandwidth and jeopardize company finances because companies can be held liable for employee actions such as downloading copyrighted song material. In addition, P2P and IMs can contain malicious software that downloads and installs itself into the host network; a company’s computers and networks may be used to launch denial of service (DoS) attacks on other companies and networks. There is an established legal precedent that will hold a company liable in part for the damages inflicted on another company if their computers or networks were used to stage the attack. Because of this legal precedent, the danger to a host network is not just the loss of bandwidth and subsequent breakdown in communications, but also the legal liabilities involved can result in damage to a company or organization’s reputation, and even threaten its financial stability. It’s important to note that the damage to an organization’s reputation can be more costly in the long run, especially if the organization is supposed to be secure and web savvy or if security vulnerabilities can threaten to expose sensitive data such as health records. For hospitals, health insurance and dedicated health care providers, such damage can result in a loss of business over time that devastates their long term prospects and when combined with - short term fines, can even mean going out of business or experiencing a takeover by another health care company.

Treating duodenal ulcer

Duodenum is a small lining that connects the stomach to the small intestine. When this lining gets inflamed or eroded it causes the condition known as duodenal ulcer (DU). Duodenal Ulcers are located in the duodenum tract. This type of an ulcer is three times more frequent in comparison to gastric ulcer. It has been said that this ulcer is caused mainly due to too much acid from the stomach. But studies have shown that is not the case. Duodenum surface and tissue is protected by the use of chemicals and mucus produced by duodenum. Duodenum ulcer occurs when this protection breaks due to the acid. This ulcer is also caused by an infection with a bacterium called H. pylori. This bacterium affects the lining of the duodenum which makes way for the acid to cause inflammation and ulcers. The anti-inflammatory medicines also cause duodenal ulcers. Medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen and diclofenac including many others taken for arthritis, muscular pain are another reason for this problem. One of the rare causes is the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome which creates too much acid in the stomach causing duodenal ulcer. Some of the common symptoms of duodenal ulcers are pain caused in the upper abdomen, mostly occurring before the meals or if you are going through one of the hungry pangs. The pain subsides once you eat your food or take antacid medicines. Other signs are bloating, barfing and feeling sick. Over eating can complicate things further by causing more pain. This problem can take a turn for worse when there is bleeding from the ulcer or when the ulcer penetrates the duodenum wall causing pain and need for doctors help. - Home Remedies for Duodenal Ulcer • Mix one dessertspoon of slippery elm bark powder in cold chamomile tea. Drink this everyday for next 12 weeks. Slippery Elm provides a protective lining to the mucosal lining of the gastro intestinal system. This 12-week program would heal any kind of infection. • Make a mixture by using agrimony, chamomile, dandelion, gentian, rue, and uva ursi with Bach Flower Remedies Willow (found at your local chemist shop) and vine. One should have 20 drops of this mixture three times a day continuously followed by a cup of Dandelion Tea. • Quit smoking and drinking as it increases your chances to develop ulcers. • Avoid stress as it affects all parts of your life which in turn results in ulcers. • You can have a tablet form of licorice root which helps to remove acid but may raise your blood pressure. • Drink chamomile tea to minimize the duodenal ulcer effect. • Reduce your fatty food intake as well as caffeinated drinks like coke and coffee. • Foods which are high in soluble fiber such as oat bran, barely, seed husks, flaxseed, lentils, peas, soymilk, soy products, carrots, beans and many more are very effective in reducing the risk of duodenal ulcer. • Increase your vitamin A intake by consuming fruits and vegetables like Tomatoes, Cantaloupes, Watermelon, Peaches, Kiwi, Oranges, and Blackberries to lower the risk of duodenal ulcer. Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

What s the best way to book your hotel in thailand

Let’s look at the available options: Online with your airline reservation Online form directly with the hotel Phone call or email to the hotel Your local travel agent Online form with an in-country booking agent If you book your flight online with a company like Expedia or Travelocity, you will be given the option to add a hotel to your airfare. The prices are usually outrageous and the hotels listed are at the very high end. Booking directly from the hotel online is a good option if the hotel has an online booking form and it is secure. Check for the little lock at the bottom of your Internet browser. Phone calls to overseas locations can be expensive and there is no guarantee of an English-speaking receptionist. Even if you make the booking over the phone, there is no guarantee in writing that your room will be waiting for you. Booking via email can be dangerous if the hotel requires credit card information since your email is not secure. Your local travel agent may or may not know the current situation or prices in Thailand. Hotels in Thailand have different rates during different times of the year. Prices are greatly reduced during low season and can be much more expensive during high season. There may also be additional fees during Christmas and New Years. Your local agent may not know all of these details. Booking through an online agent actually located in Thailand is your best bet. They will have access to many more hotels in all price ranges and all locations. They will also be privy to specials and promotions that may not be published outside the country. Also, they will speak both Thai and English, have a secure server for orders, and respond promptly to your enquiries. Their web sites will also publish reviews of the hotels. Do your homework, check the prices directly at the hotel’s web site, and then visit one of the many in-country online hotel-booking sites. Ensure that the site is secure, find a hotel in your price range and vacation spot, and book your room the easy and safe way.

Cruise holidays to remember

Taking a cruise can be a “once in a lifetime” experience and capturing your memories will ensure enjoyment for years to come. Don’t think that mental pictures will last forever; reminiscing over a dream cruise vacation is so much more meaningful when you have something tangible. Bringing a camera with you is a given but don’t rely on your old 35mm or disposable cameras. These have unpredictable results. Invest in a nice digital camera that is lightweight and “point and shoot”. These not only take excellent pictures but you can view your photos right away and won’t have to wait to develop the film. You can also easily send your photos to your friends and relatives via the internet right when you return from your cruise. More expensive cameras also have a video option that can capture the action of your holiday. Bring at least one extra memory card since your sure to be taking many pictures. You can get the entire family involved in taking photos. If you’re kids are old enough, let them have the camera to take pictures. If they’re young, buy a few disposable cameras so they can enjoy in the fun of creating memories of their holiday. If you’ll be doing some snorkeling or fishing, consider buying a waterproof disposable camera that won’t get ruined if it gets wet. Many feel awkward about taking pictures since they feel like a silly tourist but if you’re on a cruise then everyone is a tourist. Feel free to ask others to take pictures of you and your family. Take pictures with the crew; they won’t mind since they’re used to it. Take candid pictures of your family enjoying themselves and enjoying the cruise. While pictures of landscapes and ocean views are beautiful, pictures with the family capture the best memories. A cruise is a perfect place to write in a journal. You can document your adventures and while it takes some effort, it will definitely be enjoyable reading for years to come. You can take excerpts from your cruise and blog at ports of call or when you return. Collect odds and ends from your cruise such as ticket stubs, matchbooks and menus. Though they may not be appreciated right away, they will provide for lasting memories. Making a scrapbook is very popular for keeping memories alive. You can print photos, add ticket stubs and include quotes from your journal entries. The scrapbook can be used for years to come to reflect on your exciting cruise. A cruise is sure to be an enjoyable and exciting vacation. Though it may not seem necessary while you’re on holiday, taking photos, keeping a journal, and keeping souvenirs will help preserve your wonderful memories for years to come.