For the Smart Money Cookie

More than ever, readers are turning to used books. The increased popularity of online shopping venues such as Amazon.com and eBay is fueling the boom in used book sales.

Convenience is another reason why consumers are turning to online bookstores. Special orders produce just 1 percent of sales at brick-and-mortar bookstores, due to the inconvenient, time-consuming ordering process. For example, economics researchers from MIT ordered the same book at a Barnes & Noble superstore and through its online store, bn.com. The purchase at the brick-and-mortar store took nearly an hour to place, cost $37.45, and took eight days to arrive. By contrast, the online required just three minute to place, was delivered in three days, and was $5.46 cheaper. And don’t forget the travel time required in visiting a store, that took 21 minutes of round trip driving.

Internet customers now have easy access to more than 2.5 million unique titles, while the regular mall-sized bookstore carries just 20,000 and the chain superstores carry about 100,000 titles.

Selection is better online, and the better online stores such as Amazon use several “product recommenders” to advise customers on what additional books they might be interested in. Already, 55 percent of used book sales take place on the Internet. Internet sales account for just 9 percent of new book sales, although the share is growing.

The efficiency of buying online has increased overall demand for more obscure titles not usually stocked by brick-and-mortar retailers. A 12-percent boost in backlist sales is directed attributed to increased availability of these scarcer titles by small online vendors, according to the MIT researchers. They estimated that about a third of the volume of Internet book sales involved sales of those titles not normally carried by a typical mall bookstore. All of this bodes well for the online used bookseller.

On top of the price savings and convenience factor for buyers, bookstores are just a horrible place to try to find a book. They might be great for browsing, but there is no easier way of finding a specific title than typing it into a search box on your PC.

See a real-time list of the most highly sought after used and collectible books.

Read more free articles on selling used books profitably online: http://www.weberbooks.com/selling/selling.htm

Steve Weber is author of “The Home-Based Bookstore: Start Your Own Business Selling Used Books on Amazon, eBay or Your Own Web Site” (ISBN 0977240606). Got a question for Steve? Send to: steve_weber@yahoo.com

In “Become the Squeaky Wheel” a book recently published, Michelle Dunn demonstrates the major areas a business should focus on to ensure a satisfactory customer experience.

One mistake business owners make is not having a credit policy in place when they open their business. This can be easily corrected by implementing one at any time. “At the very least, every business should have every customer fill out a credit application,” says Dunn.

“In the businesses view, it seems easier to just process the order without obtaining any or limited information on the customer. Most new business are so excited to make the sale they don’t want to offend the customer by asking them to fill out a credit application,” explains Michelle Dunn.

Another mistake business owners make is not to ask for the money once it is due. They were so happy to make the sale, and now don’t want to make the customer mad by asking for the money, even if it is past due.

Show potential customers that you are proud of what you do and that you are serious, and have a sound credit policy in place. The customer that is offended or doesn’t want to fill out the credit application is probably not someone you want as a customer anyway.

Michelle Dunn has over 17 years experience in credit and debt collection. She is the founder of Never Dunn Publishing, LLC, is a writer, consultant and the Editorial Advisor for Eli Financial Debt Collection Compliance Alert Newsletter. Michelle started M.A.D. Collection Agency and ran is successfully for 7 years. She also owns and runs Credit & Collections.com an online community for credit and business professionals.

She has written 5 books in her Collecting Money Series She is currently writing a book for the Streetwise Series, part of the Adams Media Corporation. In addition to writing and marketing her books, Michelle moderates and runs Credit & Collections.com and was a member of The American Collectors Association for 9 years.

Using Mechanical Fish as Repeater Stations and Data Storage for information to complete OODA Loop and eliminate the issues of bandwidth problems in net-centric warfare. Mechanical fish are easy enough to build;

http://www.egr.msu.edu/~mcmaste7/proto1.htm

http://www.egr.msu.edu/~mcmaste7/fish.htm

http://web.mit.edu/towtank/www/pike/

http://robotics.caltech.edu/~kristi/

We can use these devises to assist us in data collection and since it is mechanical it will not bite on any fishing lines and be equipped with a cutter device to go throw local fishing nets. Provided the fish is large enough no few bigger fish will try to eat it and with razor fins, god help them if they try. The Net-centric component of the robotic fish can surface to receive data from UGV and Troops, Equipment maintenance data to be retrieved during non-peak usage times. Since we are building mobile cell sites for cellular phones in trucks, on boats and in spherical balloons, putting one inside a mechanical fish, but it would only receive the data and store it in a water proof, terabyte, underwater, fully operational swimming robotic mechanical fish.

Each robotic repeater fish will swim around in a grid pattern to the other repeaters laying down a perfect coverage pattern for marine communication. The military applications are obvious, but also consider the concept for marine environmental issues, marine communication, oil spill and dumping control and defense of our shore lines?

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

We need to think of stress as our personal fuel supply. This means that, like a car, we need to fuel our body with positive energy. How we fill up our “car” with this positive energy is crucial to our wellbeing.

Stress is really about balance. Life is full of challenges. These challenges can either be dealt with by us in a strong, balanced, relaxed way or we can allow them to overpower us and have an adverse effect on our lives.

Think of a set of old fashioned scales. One side has your coping life skills and on the side, where you would put the weights, are your life challenges/stressors.

If your life skills are healthy, then you can achieve a balance and the challenges, even if in the short term are really quite severe, can be dealt with by you. If your life skills are not as strong as they need to be, and the life challenges are too powerful, then you will experience stress controlling your life.

Over the last 4 years I have had to deal with bereavement, house move, debt, dreadful relationships with children and unemployment - to name but a few.

During this time of extreme angst I had some stressful reactions to my life challenges. These included a few heart palpitations, a bit of nervy tummy for a few days and the odd panic attack. But I was able to deal with them!Considering the pressures I was under I really was quite proud of myself. When I think of how many years I took to try to find out how to deal with stress in my life I really felt I had cracked it!!

I hope this doesn’t sound too arrogant. Because I feel I have achieved something, I tend to get a bit passionate about controlling our lives and making them far more pleasurable.

Stress can be controlled, providing we have the appropriate life skills

So, if it was possible for me what did I do?

Firstly, I dealt with the main stressor that was having the most effect on my life. I accepted that change was necessary, and changed my job. That took a large amount of stress from my life. Amazingly enough my life didn’t crumble without my job, incidently I had been in this job for 21 years -so quite a lifestyle change!

The new job was totally different and didn’t really challenge me, however it paid me and allowed me to live, but without encroaching on what I was trying to sort out in my head.

During this time I took up exercise again. Although I was quite fit because of walking the dog, I decided that I would take up power walking again. The advantage of exercise in dealing with stress is that as bad stress causes you to produce bad chemicals in what is called the Flight or Fight response, your body becomes ready for action. If you have a drink and slump down on the sofa, you are not dealing with these chemicals. They will stay in your body until the next stress surge, and eventually start to build up.

Brisk walking disperses the chemicals, and so your body and mind become less toxic. Exercise can also help you mentally. As you choose your route, which will hopefully include some interesting scenery, with practise you should start to clear your mind of your latest stressors. Even walking around a London park will involve some lovely scenes - even if it’s only the odd squirrel or pigeon!

The last part of this mini stress plan involves relaxation. If you can find a good way to relax both your body and your mind you will find that if a wobbly moment looks like kicking in, you should be able to gain control over the situation or perception of stress because you can relax your mind.

A very easy but effective way to start relaxing is to take a warm, relaxing bath. This may sound too simple - a bath is she kidding?

We all (hopefully) take baths regularly but this is a special time for you. You are saying to everyone else in your house that this is your special time and you must not be disturbed! Light some scented candles, lavender is great for relaxation, and lie in the soothing suds, breathing with long relaxing breaths and try to empty your mind.

A word of warning: Make sure you don’t relax too much and ask someone to listen out for you - you don’t want to slip under the water!

So this is a very simple insight into stress and what you can do. Stress affects us all differently, but we all need to deal with it so that we are in control of it.

I hope these tips have helped you. I will be adding more articles soon.

My article is just a small example of some of the helpful tips I share with you on my website. The site is based on my own experience of stress and how these tips have worked for me.
If you would like to learn more info please link on my site
http://www.stress-anxieties-solutions.com
I look forward to you visiting the site and hopefully picking up some great tips.
My plans for the future are for many of us to share our experiences and tips we have found work for us. By sharing our experiences I really believe we can help one another to move our lives out of the stress zones and into a more healthy and happy life.
Why not visit now?
http://www.stress-anxieties-solutions.com

All of us want to help, protect, and shield our children from life’s daily disappointments. How can we give constructive advice, to a child, without being remembered as one of their worst critics? Any negative comment we make has a “ripple effect” and can turn into long-term hostility.

Unfortunately, some adults will criticize a child far too often and any “good intentions,” are turned into a variety of bad feelings, within the child’s mind. So, giving advice is a very precise skill.

If your child is sensitive, and most people are, the criticism of today will shape his or her perception of situations for life. Parents and teachers have to use negative reinforcement rarely and carefully.

After all, we cannot reward children for bad behavior. This is a form of “inconsistent reinforcement.” This can “backfire”, and you can eventually have a situation where any reaction you have doesn’t matter.

So where do you start? Firstly, realize that any time you spend with your child is valuable. The younger a child is, the more your words will have an effect. So, you can salvage a relationship at any age, but it is better to start now.

If you must give advice, there is a technique called “sandwiching,” which will keep your relationship intact. If you see where you could be of help, but want to retain a relationship of trust, you should try this method.

Here is an example of how you could use sandwiching to give a suggestion, without having your intentions misinterpreted. Let’s say your daughter finishes her book report; you have time to read it, and it has more than a few typos. You know she could get a better grade with a little improvement. So what do you do?

Compliment her about the fact that she finished her project on time. Then, gently point her toward a word processing program and the many functions that will make written work look much better. Finally, praise her for the content of her report. Notice that the formula: “Praise-advise-praise,” will work every time.

Children love recognition from adults, and with this simple formula, you can gently guide most children toward success. Due to overzealous criticism, some parents and teachers, who are insensitive, and too frank, often experience rebellion from children. Therefore, giving advice is a diplomatic skill that needs constant improvement. If you take the time to do this, your success rate will be extraordinary.

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

How much weight gain is normal during pregnancy, and will you continue to have weight gain after pregnancy?

How will the link between pregnancy and metabolism affect how you’ll be losing weight after pregnancy?

Understand what causes excessive weight gain during pregnancy, and…

You won’t have any problems with excessive weight gain while you’ve been pregnant.

Will you get fat by having children?

Whether you’ll have weight gain during and after pregnancy is a choice, because it’s totally within your control once you understand what’s really going on, however…

Most women do have weight problems because of bearing children, and the reason is simply malnutrition. Strange but True!

The first thing you have to understand about pregnancy, is that the baby comes first. That’s a “Survival Issue”. Once you get pregnant, everything is geared for the survival and health of the baby.

If it wasn’t that way, we would not have survived as a Species!

What does the Baby Need?

In order to grow properly and be born healthy the baby is going to need lots of Nutrients, Vitamins, Minerals, Enzymes, etc…

If you provide these nutrients in order to grow a Healthy Baby, no problems, but if you don’t…

The baby will take what it needs from the mother’s body, and if that happens, you’re going to have “Two Problems”:

1. You’re going to be hungry all the time if you don’t provide the baby with what Nutrients it needs, so you’re going to overeat and have much more weight gain during pregnancy than you need to.

2. The baby is going to extract whatever Nutrients it can from your body, which is going to do a real number on your metabolism.

Now you have Two Problems!

First of all, you’re going to have excessive weight gain during pregnancy, which means that instead of gaining the normal 25 to 30 Lbs, you could gain up to 50 Lbs or more, and…

The extra weight, is weight which will be very hard to get rid of after pregnancy, because…

Secondly, your body has been drained of stored nutrients, which means that now, you probably have a slow metabolism, so instead of easily losing the weight after pregnancy…

You’ll probably continue to have weight gain after pregnancy also.

Heaven forbid if you get pregnant again.

The answer is very simple!

Just eat only healthy food so that you provide all the nutrients which your baby needs and you’ll have no problems.

You need to have good variety in your diet, and just get the healthiest food that you can buy. That’s a Win-Win situation, for both you and your baby, otherwise you both suffer, because…

Your baby could be unhealthy, and you could get fat for the rest of your life, or at least have a real hard time getting rid of the excess fat.

What’s Normal Weight Gain During Pregnancy?

In a normal pregnancy, you should have a weight gain during pregnancy of about 25 to 30 Lbs or a little more depending on the situation.

Lets say that you give birth to a baby that’s about 7 to 8 Lbs. Increased blood volume can be another 3 to 4 Lbs, and increased fluid volume can be another 2 to 3 Lbs.

Then the Amniotic fluid and a larger uterus can add an extra couple of Lbs each, plus larger breasts can weigh an extra 1 to 3 Lbs and the Placenta can weigh 1 to 2 Lbs.

On top of that, your body could store away anywhere from 6 to 8 Lbs of fat. (That’s a survival feature in case of famine).

Add it all up and you could have a weight gain during pregnancy of anywhere from 24 to 32 Lbs, but that’s nothing to fear, because very little of that is fat, and…

If you nourish both you and the baby during pregnancy, then your metabolism will remain normal, and you’ll have no problems with weight loss after pregnancy.

What’s Healthy Eating During Pregnancy?

This subject could cover many Volumes all by itself, but to keep it simple…

Eating healthy during pregnancy is no different than when you’re not pregnant, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (organic if possible), and stay off the “Junk Foods”.

It’s not Rocket Science!

Go easy on the meats, and especially stay away from the cultured meats because most of them contain lots of Sulfites and Nitrites as preservatives and these are very unhealthy for adults let alone your baby.

Read the ingredients in all processed foods for these preservatives also, because they are very pervasive.

Take Top Quality Supplements

Since most of the foods available in the supermarkets today, are very deficient in nutrients, it’s important to take top quality supplements which your body can absorb.

However…

Only about 3 to 5% of most Vitamin and Mineral Supplements available on the market today are absorbed by the body and are a total waste of money.

The same Super Supplements which we recommend to our weight loss students are great for when you’re pregnant, because these are not weight loss products, but general Supplements, which…

Help people to become more nutritionally satisfied. If you’re more nutritionally satisfied, you’ll eat less automatically, and that’s why people lose weight while becoming healthier.

By giving better nutrition to you and your baby, you won’t have nearly as many cravings, and you’ll eat a lot less junk. This way, not only is it better for your baby, but you won’t have so much excess weight gain during pregnancy.

Don’t Diet Whatsoever

We don’t recommend dieting whatsoever, even for weight loss, but it’s especially important that you don’t go on a diet to try and prevent weight gain during pregnancy, because…

Your baby needs all the nutrients it can get in order to develop a healthy body.

Even if you’re overweight, when you’re pregnant is not the time to try to lose weight. Losing weight after pregnancy is the best.

Eating healthy and taking top quality supplements during pregnancy will help to keep your metabolism normal so that you won’t have abnormal weight gain while pregnant.

Register for the Slim America Project!

Even if weight loss is not an issue for you right now, do register for the Slim America Project, because you’ll learn how to eat healthier, what supplements to take, and just as important…

How to have your baby, without excess weight gain during pregnancy. That way, you won’t have a problem with weight loss after pregnancy.

Your baby deserves the very best that you can give it, and you are the only one that is in total control of its Future Life.

Armand Dupuis is a Personal Trainer, Lecturer, Teacher, &
Permanent Weight Loss Specialist, who has been a Serious
Researcher into Human Consciousness for 5 Decades.

Mr. Dupuis has presently specialized his Teachings, into
a powerful permanent and “free” Weight Loss System, and
Information is available on his Web Site.
http://www.slimamericaweightlossproject.com/ea

I am always amazed when I see marketers advertising new products. From products touting various skin creams and anti-aging creams to the latest and greatest weight management program, the campaigns are larger than life. When will they understand that I want to look good for MY age and not the age I was 20 years ago?

I am not trying to recapture my youth or be razor thin like a
model. Today, most products’ packaging simply does not identify
with whom I am, how I see myself or embody the person I would
like to be. Packages with 30-year-old models try to convince me
that if I use their cream the reflection in my mirror will roll
back 20 years. Get real, as if this would compel me to purchase
this product.

I’m sure that out there somewhere is that perfect “niche” to
which they are marketing AND selling. The question in my mind is
who in the world is this? It certainly doesn’t relate to me - an
over 50 female who represents 50% of the world’s population
that is soon to be the largest demographic marketing segment.
This market also has the money to spend and is willing to spend
it for the right products.

Just who is it I represent?
Women over 50 years of age are an underserved, unknown, and
obviously underrated segment of the purchasing population. When
was the last time an advertisement truly captured that
demographic segment with compelling graphics and images it can
relate too?

Marketers just don’t get it. A daily dose of TV advertising will convince you that you are fat (seriously), your skin is wrinkled, you have yellow teeth, and you need a push-up bra. Where is the reality in that? I’ve been there and loved every minute of it, but now I am at an age in my life when much of that “hype” really doesn’t matter to me. I am comfortable with who I am. I don’t think I am fat, my laugh lines show character, my teeth shine when I smile and just give me a comfortable bra!

Recent ads from Dove and Nike are coming close to getting the
marketing message about 50+ women. I loved the thunder thighs and big butts connotations because they are getting closer to our reality. The truth is the images and marketing messages on most packaged products fall short of attracting the female +50
market’s attention. The packages don’t drive the market to
connect with the product and compel them to buy it.

I’m ready to spend money, so where are the products that I crave? I can’t buy clothes without looking like Little Bo Peep or worse, Cher. I can’t buy cosmetics without outlandish colors. I don’t want to be reminded every five seconds that I’m not the slim 25 year old I used to be. It is as if they think we are no longer attractive since we have passed the big 50.

I don’t need a push up bra. I need things that make me feel good, applaud me for my success in life, and keep me grounded to the fact that I’m not old, senior, golden, aged or any other similar nomenclature. I’m at the half way point in my life with lots of dynamic years left.

Give me products that support that vision. Put them in packages
that I can read the type and actually open without assistance and you got me hooked. So get real marketers. I have money to spend. Create something that resonates with me that and I will buy it.

Got packaging problems? I can help. I teach people how to package products consumers will buy. I make it easy to answer your problems with email and voice consultation. Get advice from the top expert in consumer packaging. Email the packaging Diva @ PackagingDiva@aol.com

When you are in a bind and have a financial emergency a payday loan can be a real help in these situations. However, you should be extremely careful when taking out any type of payday loans as the fees that you will be charge can become extremely large. The whole purpose of a payday loan is to help you when you need money fast and right away. Many people use a payday loan to help them with unforeseen car repairs, bounced checks, pay off a utility bill that is threatening disconnection, emergency trips, or even to pay rent. In general, those who use a payday loan company are generally having a rough go about life and in financial pitfalls.

The bad thing about payday loans that even though they are there for the short term loans and for emergencies, they can become pains in the rear. If you need emergency cash for any reason they are there to “help” however they will charge you an arm and a leg for that help. The fees charged by a payday loan company can become extremely high and if you do not pay it off right away, you run the risk of having even more money added. How a payday loan works is that you place an application with the company and tell them you need money. You will be required to have a checking account with proof of it (like a statement), proof of income, address, and show some photo identification.

There are no credit checks with a payday loan; you are just simply required to provide information about yourself, your checking account, and the company you work for. You will then write them a post dated check for your next payday and for the amount they have loaned you, in addition to the fees and interests they will charge. When your next payday arrives, you will have three options. You can either opt to allow them to deposit your check into your checking account for payment, go there is person and pay off the loan and receive your post dated check in return, or rollover the loan with a payment on the interest and fees.

It is important you fully investigate all of your options and sound advice would be to only use a payday loan service as a very last resort, because this could end up causing more problems than necessary if you are not careful.

Jeff Lakie is a contributing author at our website where
You can get a free
Consolidation Loan right now. Take a moment and see
for yourself.

A common gripe in a stepfamily is that people feel they’re not being listened to.

We’re all busy and there is often a lot to be communicated in a stepfamily. It’s really important for everyone to have a say and be listened to. Equal amount of airtime can makes a huge difference too.

In our family, the after school, evening mealtime is the first time the four of us came together in the day. This means that we all have things to tell each other or ask and, in the past, it often resulted in everyone interrupting and bitty, unfinished conversations.

After eating we’d clear up and put away (our children have always been involved with this) and we’d all leave the kitchen. I often felt frustrated or fed-up at being interrupted and unheard. Most nights I also felt exhausted.

So my partner and I decided to make a few subtle changes. Rather than something that we just wanted to get done and out of the way we made our dinner a more social experience.

We asked them to lay the table, including glasses and a water jug and we decided to serve the food at the table.

To encourage a decent conversation we each wrote on a small piece of paper something that we wanted to talk about over dinner. The paper was folded and placed in a bowl.
Then one by one we pulled out a note and had a conversation about it. We decided we’d go around the table twice to see what everyone thought or felt about the subject then drew the next one out.

It worked wonderfully, having everyone focused on one topic at a time. We had a lovely time. Everyone engaged and felt listened too.

An amazing unexpected benefit also occurred. We found that at the end of clearing up everyone was in less of a rush to get away. We felt like we’d had a enjoyable social experience as a family and were all really contented.

Having the children be involved with things that are happening in the home is a great benefit. If you want to have your children be more involved than they have been be sure to make any changes subtly and gently.

Let them know it’s going to happen in advance and avoid dumping things on them last minute and show respect, by making them feel part of the process when you can, by discussing changes with them before they happen - if they are old enough.
Over to you - how could you use the information in the newsletter to benefit you and your family?

Want more help?

It doesn’t need to be hard going in a stepfamily. You don’t need to feel pulled in every direction or be confused over how to deal with issues that come up. I can help you build strong relationships and a happy home. To find out how visit ==>www.TheStepfamilyCoach.com

Wishing you a happy month,

Jo
www.TheStepfamilyCoach.com

The Stepfamily Coach offers support and guidance to divorced and separated parents who are blending their family to a new family. Grab your free report “7 Secrets For Blending A Family Without The Stress And Strain” from http://www.TheStepfamilyCoach.com

An all inclusive vacation not only saves you time; but also gives you every sort of comfort you could think of. This type of vacation package includes everything from itinerary planning to hotel bookings; site seeing packages and adventure sports trips. All inclusive vacations are enjoyed by everyone as they are so easy to book, saving you time by arranging all the different aspects of the trip in one easy step. These packages are designed for those people seeking comfort and ease from their holidays right from the word go.

The popularity of all inclusive vacations has seen large increases, due in part because of the busy lives that we lead. We often find that booking a much needed vacation gets pushed to the bottom of the list as it’s too time consuming to arrange. However, all inclusive packages are suitable for even the busiest person, as they are so straight forward to book.

The most important decision you need to make when booking an all inclusive vacation involves thinking carefully about what you wish to get from your holiday. Are you after a break that involves nothing more strenuous than walking from sun lounger to the bar and back or do you want to be involved in activities from 8am to 7pm? It is up to you to decide the exotic location that can give you all the comforts and amenities that you need.

You can choose from beach vacations that offer lots of water sports or breathtaking mountain views that give you opportunity for adventure sports. No matter what location you choose for your vacation, you can usually be happy that everything you need is included with the booking. Although, it is worth pointing out that not every vacation package is created equal. Read the small print carefully to help you come to a decision. Some holidays, for example, only offer local brand alcohol, or buffet style meals, whereas with others there are no such restrictions.

There are numerous travel agencies that offer all inclusive vacations, covering a wide range of budgets, destinations and levels of service. You can select from the available range according to your holiday budget. A good tip is: if you have left your booking to the last minute you can take advantage of discounts that the operators offer on unfilled vacations. If you are not worried about visiting a particular destination - and lets face it, most people on an all inclusive vacation rarely leave the hotel grounds - shop around for the best deal. This way you can get a really luxurious holiday for a modest amount.

Kirsten Whittaker offers readers the opportunity to read more articles on all inclusive vacations here or for further information and resources visit All Inclusive Guide