For the Smart Money Cookie

There are some new bankruptcy laws going into effect before long and many think they are much needed. Of course, that depends on which side of the bankruptcy you are a part of. Creditors are going to be the ones to benefit from the new laws, but there may be some helpful regulations for those filing for bankruptcy as well.

The new bankruptcy code requires certain filing procedures that do seem beneficial for the consumer. For instance under the new bankruptcy code, a consumer is required to take a financial counseling course within the 6 months prior to filing for bankruptcy. Financial counseling may lend to a person deciding that bankruptcy is not actually the best option for them. Most people don’t even take this step before heading straight for the bankruptcy lawyer. This requirement may save many consumers from making a rash decision.

If your current monthly income is more than the median in your state then there are other factors to consider before you can file for bankruptcy. By multiplying your current monthly income, minus expenses, by 60, you get what is referred to as the result. If the result is less than $6000 or 25% or less of your unsecured debt amount, then you can file for chapter 7 bankruptcy. If it is 25% or more of your unsecured debt, or $10,000 or more, then you are required to file for chapter 13 bankruptcy.

A financial management course is required after you have filed for bankruptcy and prior to the bankruptcy discharge. There are financial management tools that can help you to avoid landing yourself in bankruptcy court a second time.

Obviously, bankruptcy reform is intended to cut down on the number of bankruptcies. This is a realistic goal when you put these factors into play. It may not make for very happy consumers, but the creditors are certainly going to be in a much better position.

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Debt-Relief-Solutions.com. He provides more debt relief, consolidation and bankruptcy as an option information that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Turnarounds are chord progressions with the last chord taking you back to the first chord thus making it possible to play these progressions over and over again as an intro to a song, an ending or between verses. Here are some nice sounding but easy turnarounds for you!

In order not to mess up the layout with the guitar tab staff I will not include left hand fingerings but I suggest that you choose left hand fingers carefully so you don’t get into trouble!

However, in order to learn to play these guitar chord progressions as intended I will say something about your right hand fingerings.

When you play these progressions on your guitar I suggest that you play the bass notes with your thumb and the first three guitar strings with you first finger, middle finger and ring finger.

Of course you can use a pick if you hate picking with you right hand fingers. If you strum the chords you will have to mute unused strings with your left hand fingers or otherwise you can pluck the strings with your pick using different patterns.

The first chord progression includes the guitar chords A F#m7 Bm11 and E7. You can use any right hand pattern you like as you play the chords.

1. —0—0—0—0—
2. —2—2—3—3—
3. —2—2—2—1—
4. ——————-
5. —0——-2——-
6. ——-2——-0—

Our second turnaround consists of the guitar chords Amaj7, F#7, Bm11 and E7. When you learn to play these turnarounds I strongly suggest that you follow my advice above about left hand fingerings.

When you have found the most effective fingerings for the guitar chords it is important that you stick to the fingerings so that you can learn the progressions by heart and be able to move between chords fluently.

1. —0—0—0—0—
2. —2—2—3—3—
3. —1—3—2—1—
4. ——————-
5. —0——-2——-
6. ——-2——-0—

Turnaround number three is a bit harder to play, at least the last chord which requires a bit of stretching. The chords are A, F#7+, Bm11 and Bb7add+11.

Try to move your fingers as little as possible when changing chords. To keep the fingers close to the fretboard will help you change chords smoothly. Here is the guitar tab:

1. —0—0—0—0—
2. —2—3—3—3—
3. —2—3—2—1—
4. ——————-
5. —0——-2—1—
6. ——-2———–

The last guitar tab turnaround consists of the chords Aadd9, C9, Fmaj and Bb9+11.

The most difficult and most important thing when playing chord progressions on your guitar isn’t to hold a chord but to change between chords.

To practice really effectively you can choose two consecutive chords and practice changing between them in a slow tempo.

1. —0—0—0—0—
2. —2—3—1—1—
3. —4—3—2—1—
4. ———–3——-
5. —0—3——-1—
6. ——————-

Now you can play four guitar progressions that of course can be mixed. You can replace the second chord in a progression with a second chord from another progression and so on.

I will end this learn to play guitar article by showing you a right hand pattern you can use with the chords. Use the pattern once for every chord in the progression. The thumb will of course be on different bass strings depending on the chord.

1. —a—a—
2. —m—m—
3. —i—i—
4. ———–
5. —p——-
6. ———–

There are many common turnarounds that are used frequently in pop songs like the old pop song Diana, Last Christmas and many more. To practice the common progression C, Am, Dm, G7 in different keys is a good way to learn how chords are related and also a good way to practice the art of changing between chords in a smooth way.

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music guitar tab and learn to play guitar resources at http://www.capotastomusic.com

It doesn’t matter how old you are, have a look through your old photographs.

I mention age simply because many of you reading this will still be relatively new to photography. You may even be very young and have taken charge of your first, or one of your first, cameras. For those in this category you may not have many “old” photographs. In fact you may not have any at all.

For the older ones amongst us we will still remember the times when film was the only medium. If you are like me, you will have stacks of old photographs lying around the house.

They are valuable not just in a sentimental way, but in an educational respect also. If you look through them you will gain a sense of how you have progressed through the years (or months).

You may find images that you thought were perfectly acceptable then but which, on hindsight, are less than spectacular. Blown highlights. Blocked in shadows. Poor focussing and unsatisfactory depth of field.

You may notice incorrect composition, adverse lighting and camera shake. In fact you might notice a whole range of negative factors.

None of this should worry you! In fact, you can be congratulated for noticing these faults. It means that, however long you photographic career has been, you have progressed to the extent that you can recognise now what you couldn’t then. This is education.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

Most of these companies offer you points on every dollar you spend on all your general purchases and more when you buy products from certain affiliated stores or when you spend money to stay at hotel. These points can be redeemed for stay in their hotels or other travel expenses. You should check with each company to learn what your points can be redeemed for and what expenditures will give you points. Not all hotel rewards credit cards offer the same exact program.

With the points that you have earned with your hotel rewards credit card you can stay in hotels such as the Marriott, the Hilton, Embassy Suites, Conrad Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, Fairfield Inn, Wyndham Hotel and Resorts, Comfort Inn and Suites, Quality Inn, Clarion, Starwood, St. Regis, Sheraton, Westin and Four Points. Each one of these has their own hotel rewards credit cards that will enable you to earn points for various travel related expenses including free stays in their luxurious hotels.

Before you just run and apply, you should learn exactly what they are offering and it would be best to apply for one that you normally visit when you take your trips. This will ensure that you are earning points for a free stay or other incentives that they offer.

Remember also to pay attention to the limit of points you can earn in a year and if they have an expiration. It would be terrible to earn points for a wonderful stay and then when you are ready to redeem them learn that they have expired and you can not stay for free.

Copyright Attila Z Jancsina Hotel Rewards Credit Card

Some people say beauty is only skin deep, others say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like to wonder who proclaim beauty and who decided what is or what is not beauty. Let’s see what the Bible says. Look at Eccclesiastes 3:11 it says He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his tollthis is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

Now look at Isaiah 61:2 it says to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. What a blessing to receive the crown of beauty from God himself!! Look at Job 28:23 it says God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

Take a look at Romans 11:33 it says Oh, depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

To conclude who decides what it beauty? My guess would be the God, for is written he has made everything beautiful in its time.

Love Always,
Your Sister in Christ,
Mellody Davis

Enjoy more reading at http://www.hostinghelps.com/allaboutjesus/aboutjesus

Before choosing a particular diet pattern, there are two main factors, which need to be considered. The food items that you select should be nutritious to increase your overall stamina and also the food should be good to taste. If you want to continue your diet pattern for a longer time, you need to enjoy your eatables.

It is truly possible to meet both these demands by consuming the food containing high quality of vitamins. You can follow the guidelines as suggested by your family doctor who can prepare a list of items that need to be consumed.

There are five main items that are considered to be the mixture of both taste and nutrition. They are the tomatoes, garlic, basil, strawberries and the spinach, which are richly vitamin contained as well as yummy to the tongue.

Tomatoes opulently contain lycopene, plus vitamins A and C. The lycopene has a special characteristic to reduce the chance of cell damage because it neutralizes the radicals. It is available in various processed forms such as ketchups, sauces, canned tomatoes and many more. It can be simply cooked during meals and the soup is a common form of preparation from tomatoes that is really tasty. Besides garlic is an all time favorite spice that is added in almost worldwide popular recipes. It comprises of many nutrients such as calcium, vitamin C and vitamin B6, phosphorus and selenium, plus antibiotic properties. Even basil is filled with the same nutrients like the garlic.

A strawberry since ages has drawn attention among people due to its sparkling scarlet appearance. Some of the special nutrients present in it are the potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. Spinach adds an excellent taste to soups, curries etc.

All the above foods will keep you healthy forever.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://www.askaquery.com/Answers/qn1604.html

You are welcome to republish the above article only if you add our hyperlinked URL.

A new retailer asked over 150 UK shoppers in September what their very favourite sexy toy was along with other personal questions.

It was that the most very favourite sexy toy for UK shoppers was the vibrator, and they just loved it! UK shoppers were so excited by the idea of a massive vibrator that many of them would use it straight after coming home from work. The best kinds of vibrator were the bunny vibrators as they help to stimulate the clitoris as well as inserting into the flower.

The other find the new retailer found out was that the sex toy users just loved using their sexy toy on a daily basis by themselves. If the ladies were in a good relationship they would use it with their loving men.

The other most popular sexy toy was the exciting dildo. Dildo dongs are similar to vibrators except they don?t have batteries or vibrate. Dildo dongs come in all shapes and sizes from 6 inches to twelve inches. They can come with sucker cups to have a brilliant experience hands free and can easily attach to a bath or toilet set. Dildo dongs have been a firm fav since the 1970?s and looks like they will be around for a long time.

If you enjoy sexy toys you should try it with your favourite Sex Toys for Her

A new retailer found the best way to pleasure a women is to buy them both a vibrator and a dildo.

You pick up the phone, the decision maker is on the line, countless letters and attempts have been made to get to this point, your great benefit line comes out, response; “not interested, click”.

Want to be able to “engage” customers with out creating resistance? Here are 2 vital elements everyone needs to be influential and persuasive.

Now it does not matter if we are using the phone, walking in cold or in a retail setting. We need to avoid adding any additional resistance in the other persons mind. There is this avoidance of “sales people” in 80% of our population including other sales people. This is mainly because of product pushing, “I don’t want to be sold something”.

Here is the key; do I understand what the other person really wants? Do I have an idea of how to talk in their “language”? Can I ask a question that will drop resistance and engage them in conversation?

It has been proven time and time again that shoving your product in front of someone will create resistance to you and your product. Review the first and second key from the last article (4 Keys to Selling), your customer buys the “results” of your product/service/idea because it fixes, fills or satisfies their perceived needs or wants. This means your product/service/idea is just a means to and end, not the main issue.

1. Our first action is to take the time and determine just what is it that our product/service/idea does for the other person. Determine what the real results are from using your product/service/idea. Here are some examples.

A business owner might be looking for more time, better productivity, reducing hassle in some area, freeing up capital for something else.

A young mother with 3 toddlers might be looking for best value, more time, better direction, safety, even just a listening ear.

A plant manager might be looking for ways to get better compliance, reduce down time and get his numbers up, keeping his boss off his back.

Think of your past and current customers, what is it your product/service/idea did for them? What did it reduce, take away, eliminate or create? Also keep in mind that people have a tendency to avoid loss more than obtain gain. This means if you can provide a better “today”, it generally has more power than a better “tomorrow”.

In a recent training program we worked with a real conflict situation a participant was involved with. We ended up with over 50 “what’s in it for the other party” points that could be used to engage the other party in a positive way! It took 5 minutes!

2. Second you want to “engage” your prospect or customer in a positive way. The best way is to develop questions that can “engage” rather than repel.

Before we start, we have to understand what results your product can potentially provide for your customer. Here are some examples.

Office equipment: Reduce work load, eliminate paper, eliminate errors, streamline process, reduce labor expense, free up time, create in-house opportunities, and eliminate daily frustrations.

Real Estate Agent: Eliminate wasted time, reduce the stress of selling/buying, assure legalities are covered, target the market, professional image, experienced input, negotiations services, and eliminate the hassles.

Now there are many more and I suggest you create at least 20 for your product. Here is a hint, list the facts about your product, then all the benefits related to that fact and then ask, “What are the results to my customer/other party because of these benefits”.

Let’s now apply these to questions that “engage” our customers. We want to use “open” type questions that get people talking. If we don not have them talking we have only partial engagement. Open questions use what, why, how in their structure.
“Mr. Jones, what effect would a reduced work load have on your staff?”
“If you could eliminate both paper and errors in your current procedures, what would happen for you?”
“Just suppose the frustrations you face on a daily basis were gone, how would it change things for you?”

Now put yourself in the customer’s shoes, how would you react to the previous questions versus this?

“We sell copiers and office machines of the highest quality with excellent service, when could we meet to determine your needs?”

How many words are in this question that create resistance or could be rejected by the customer? Compare that to the three questions above, which ones “engage” and which question repels.

Now if your customer is a “D-I”* type you usually can ask for appointments or get quickly to the point. If you have an “S-C”* type they may want more info which you can give in the form of a quick example of another application you have done, not a litany of your products facts and benefits.

This has proven to be a much more viable way to engage customers and people in general than talking about your “stuff”. People are concerned about their issues and problems, not your product or you. Engage them by asking about what a “result” might do to their concerns and issues. You will find them much more open and willing to talk.

One of our participants in the Internet Technologies asked only one of these type questions and 20 minutes later closed on a million dollar deal! Just one question! The customer did all the talking and sold themselves. The power of engagement!

For more on building these skills and thinking patterns, check out the Influence and Persuasion Program and Reverse Engineered Sales at our web site www.hgoergerassoc.com
* DISC Behavior Patterns, ask us about how this can help you sell, manage and engage people.

.

Harlan Goerger has been in the training, sales, management and self development field for over 25 years. Currently he is president of H. Goerger & Associates.
http://www.hgoergerassoc.com

Questions or comments:
Contact Harlan a tHarlan@itstartswithyou.net cell phone 701-799-1972

Got a website but no traffic? Is your small business internet marketing ineffective? Consider these small business internet marketing tips and tricks to help drive traffic to your website:

* Get an automated eCommerce system - These can be really good, very comprehensive and very inexpensive. The good ones can do everything from customer base management to product management to shopping cart to newsletter broadcasts.

* Get a cheap and reliable merchant account provider - You can get merchant account providers that do both the merchant account and internet gateway for you. Hint: your bank is probably more expensive than the discount providers out there.

* Put a link back to your website in your email autosignature - This doesn’t need to be obnoxious, just a simple link that email recipients can click on to see your website.

* Do selective link trading - Link trade, but make sure the content on the other website is similar to your own. Don’t touch “link farms” with a ten-foot pole; search engines hate them.

* Write articles and include your website address - There are a number of article databases out there. Find some article databases which house content similar to yours and write a few articles. You’d be amazed at where your articles show up!

* Write newsletters - Allow for customers and visitors to subscribe to a newsletter to get regular visibility to you and your company.

* Consider using a search engine submission services - These services submit your site to multiple search engines & directories. Can be helpful particularly if your website is new.

* Set up an affiliates program - Allow for others to promote your products on a commission basis. Again a good eCommerce system should already have this built in.

* Download the Google Toolbar - The Google Toolbar has a nifty feature which shows you the page rank (0-10 scale) of every site you visit. The higher your page ranking the higher your placement in search engines.

* Set up multiple websites - Got three services you perform? Set up three different websites with domain names that match your keywords. Super cheap to do and can be very effective.

* Consider setting up a Google AdWords account - You pay on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis to get your website advertised. Can be effective but also can get very expensive.

Lonnie Pacelli has over 20 years’ experience with Accenture and Microsoft and is currently president of Leading on the Edge International. Lonnie’s books include “The Project Management Advisor: 18 Major Project Screw-Ups and How to Cut Them Off at the Pass” and “The Truth About Getting Your Point Across”. Get the books, leadership products, other articles, MP3 seminars and a free email mini seminar at http://www.leadingonedge.com

Have you ever seen a commercial or an ad promising “free government grant money?” According to these ads, the government and other organizations give away nearly one half a trillion dollars each year, and all you need to do is apply! The ads go on to state that the money can be used for anything, including debt consolidation , student loans, a yacht or just about any frivolous thing you can imagine. All you need to do is call their toll free number, buy their book or enroll in their program and the details are soon on their way to you.

A half a trillion dollars is certainly enticing, but are organizations really just giving money away for the asking?

Not exactly. Grants are certainly available from the Federal Government and elsewhere, but it’s not as though the money is just handed out for the asking. Grants are usually given by organizations interested in achieving specific goals. If you’re interested in bringing water to the desert, you might find an organization that’s interested in global water distribution to aid you in your quest with a grant. It’s doubtful that you’ll find an organization that’s interested in helping you pay off your Mastercard bill or funding your dream vacation home in Sun Valley.

Some of these organizations that advertise grant information are running scams, and they’re just out to take your money and run. Others are fairly legitimate in that they will provide information to you for your fee, but the information they provide is readily available elsewhere for free

If you are really interested in grant money, there’s no reason to answer to the ads on TV promising “free grant money.” The term “free grant money” is a rather odd term, anyway, since the word “grant” means “bestow” - it’s a gift, and if it’s a gift, then of course it’s free!

You can find out about grants from the Federal Government by visiting the official Government grant Website - www.grants.gov. If you are in doubt about one of these organizations, it never hurts to check with your local Better Business Bureau.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.End-Your-Debt.com/ and http://www.HomeEquityHelp.net/