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2009年9月23日星期三
2009年8月30日星期日
golf pro~~
Today we will see a blog with a golf pro
.
Direct from Indonesia Bandung West Java - I'm not a golfer. So, this is also a challenge for you golfers out there: what looks like this website to you, from the perspective of someone who really knows about this noble sport?
Welcome to Golfversand This is where we index our latest golf equipment reviews, plus the latest post updates about the club, equipment, accessories and other golf items
Professional golf world is full of great stories, from the interesting players to major championships, the tournament the team competition, from the origins of the game through the present day. Explore the world of professional golf with Golfversand
In the world of professional golf, there are some tournaments that stand out above the interests of others. We call this event as a "major championships," and the big win is what is most important for a pro golfer? The most important for pro golfers are sophisticated equipment and easy to use and how to find that sophisticated equipment such as for example in trusted hardware store ...
I'll see it from the perspective of potential clients, who may want to get his feet wet with some golf lessons. What Golfversand offer me?
Golfversand
provides golf equipment is very good and cheaper than starting a shoe, pants, shirts, bags all in just Golfversand wait to visit there soon let alone ..!!!!
In addition to providing golf equipment in Golfversand also provides various accessories that are complete and cool cool
Golfversand the store's most trusted golf equipment in the world and you can also use the facility to stay online stores just order the goods you want directly on your location between secured ..!!!
And you can also join in the Chiemsee Golfclubs
pretty to add your insights about golf
.
Direct from Indonesia Bandung West Java - I'm not a golfer. So, this is also a challenge for you golfers out there: what looks like this website to you, from the perspective of someone who really knows about this noble sport?
Welcome to Golfversand This is where we index our latest golf equipment reviews, plus the latest post updates about the club, equipment, accessories and other golf items
Professional golf world is full of great stories, from the interesting players to major championships, the tournament the team competition, from the origins of the game through the present day. Explore the world of professional golf with Golfversand
In the world of professional golf, there are some tournaments that stand out above the interests of others. We call this event as a "major championships," and the big win is what is most important for a pro golfer? The most important for pro golfers are sophisticated equipment and easy to use and how to find that sophisticated equipment such as for example in trusted hardware store ...
I'll see it from the perspective of potential clients, who may want to get his feet wet with some golf lessons. What Golfversand offer me?
Golfversand
provides golf equipment is very good and cheaper than starting a shoe, pants, shirts, bags all in just Golfversand wait to visit there soon let alone ..!!!!
In addition to providing golf equipment in Golfversand also provides various accessories that are complete and cool cool
Golfversand the store's most trusted golf equipment in the world and you can also use the facility to stay online stores just order the goods you want directly on your location between secured ..!!!
And you can also join in the Chiemsee Golfclubs
pretty to add your insights about golf
2009年8月20日星期四
Printable cards categories
Children are such bundles of joy, aren’t they? Our kids are precious to us, and we’d like to give them all the love and affection that they need as much as we can. Kids change our lives so much that we can’t help but be thankful for them. That’s why when it’s our kid’s birthday, we’d like as much as possible to express our gratitude and to celebrate the moment when our kids were born into our lives. When looking for the right birthday card that expresses all that you feel towards your child, then let one of our childrens birthday cards take care of it.
Just see our online card gallery of children birthday cards. With all of the cards’ colourful and eye-catching designs, surely there’d be birthday cards for kids that your son and daughter would like and appreciate. We have kids birthday cards that are made for both boys and girls. Not only that, our site also features cards that use humor and laughter in the greeting. And as you know, funny and kids always mix. A little fun, especially in a kid birthday card is sure to make your child love our birthday cards. Our cards are perfect complements to a gift or a party that you’re giving for your child.
To get one of our cards, simply register with our site and create an account. Once you have your account activated, just log in to start your downloads. And once you have one of our cards filed, you can then start printing our birthday cards children are sure to like.
And so, for a birthday card children would certainly like, get one here from our site. And by the way, if you’re planning to have a birthday party, you can also use the printable invitation cards offered here in our site. Just look through our online card gallery.
Just see our online card gallery of children birthday cards. With all of the cards’ colourful and eye-catching designs, surely there’d be birthday cards for kids that your son and daughter would like and appreciate. We have kids birthday cards that are made for both boys and girls. Not only that, our site also features cards that use humor and laughter in the greeting. And as you know, funny and kids always mix. A little fun, especially in a kid birthday card is sure to make your child love our birthday cards. Our cards are perfect complements to a gift or a party that you’re giving for your child.
To get one of our cards, simply register with our site and create an account. Once you have your account activated, just log in to start your downloads. And once you have one of our cards filed, you can then start printing our birthday cards children are sure to like.
And so, for a birthday card children would certainly like, get one here from our site. And by the way, if you’re planning to have a birthday party, you can also use the printable invitation cards offered here in our site. Just look through our online card gallery.
2009年8月16日星期日
Advantages of Virtual Private Server Hosting
The term virtual is becoming redundant. The World Wide Web is no longer virtual; it has invaded our lives and become a real part of our existence. Now every time, a ‘virtual’ something comes up, one wonders how it compares with the existing system. The Virtual Private Server (VPS) is one technology that becomes virtual even with respect to the web.
VPS hosting is chosen by companies that are not satisfied by the performance of shared hosting but don’t want to invest in dedicated server hosting. Let us look at core benefits of this hosting service.
Control
Unlike a shared server, VPS allows you the control of the server. You can choose the software you want to install. Keeping many such servers lets you install different operating systems on each and maintain separate applications in isolation from one another. You can host as many websites as you want through these virtual servers.
You are also allowed the flexibility of customizing the servers according to your specifications. VPS hosting lets you use additional services any time with the flexibility of removing and changing them anytime.
Cost
The VPS hosting model suits small and medium companies that are looking for performance better than that offered by shared hosting. With it being less expensive than dedicated hosting, it definitely works out in favor of such companies.
Security
Since your website is isolated with VPS hosting, it has no threat by the attacks on other websites. Moreover, VPS hosting providers offer additional security features, saving your website of hackers and other malicious factors.
While VPS has a lot of benefits, it has its limitations for websites of large companies that have more needs. Such companies should look at dedicated hosting or managed hosting.
VPS hosting is chosen by companies that are not satisfied by the performance of shared hosting but don’t want to invest in dedicated server hosting. Let us look at core benefits of this hosting service.
Control
Unlike a shared server, VPS allows you the control of the server. You can choose the software you want to install. Keeping many such servers lets you install different operating systems on each and maintain separate applications in isolation from one another. You can host as many websites as you want through these virtual servers.
You are also allowed the flexibility of customizing the servers according to your specifications. VPS hosting lets you use additional services any time with the flexibility of removing and changing them anytime.
Cost
The VPS hosting model suits small and medium companies that are looking for performance better than that offered by shared hosting. With it being less expensive than dedicated hosting, it definitely works out in favor of such companies.
Security
Since your website is isolated with VPS hosting, it has no threat by the attacks on other websites. Moreover, VPS hosting providers offer additional security features, saving your website of hackers and other malicious factors.
While VPS has a lot of benefits, it has its limitations for websites of large companies that have more needs. Such companies should look at dedicated hosting or managed hosting.
golfkurse
People if you are looking forward to know about golfkurs, please tale a look at this site golfkurse In this site you will get to know everything that you want to know about golfkurs platzreife. There may be many a sites in the Internet to know about it, but most of the sites do not provide the right information. When it comes to this site you do not have to worry about anything, as this site provides you the complete information about golfkurs. This is certainly one of the best site to know about golf in Germany. In this site you will get to know about platzreife, golfkurs, DGV platzreife, handicapkurs, golfakademie, golfkurs osterreich, golfkurs Italien, golfreisen and many more. This would certainly be the best place to get your preparation for golf. Golf trip is really the best way get the wonderful experience playing golf in wonderful place with beautiful atmosphere. Chiemsee is a very good golf and it has spread all over the world. This is certainly the right place to get maturity about golf and to learn about it. With the help of golf academy you can gain many things. To know more about this site please visit this site Golfreisen In this site you will get to know about uber golfkurse, einzel- order gruppenunterricht, golfkurse im urlaub, golfkurse in deutschland, golfakademie Ising, platzreife tipps and tricks, golfshops, bewertung and many more. Also try visiting this site Golf to get a clear picture of what this site all about. In this site you will get to know everything about golfshop. Some of the golfshop available in this site which includes golfballe, golfbags, golf trollies, golfschuhe, golfschlager and many more. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the support available in this site.
2009年6月10日星期三
personalized children's plates
Tired for looking undurable product ? here are the solution you can get more exciting product for your houseware. so that try to read this article closely. below you can get further information.
These adorable melamine personalized children's plates and personalized laminated placemats from Lipstick Shades are a great gift for children. The melamine plates are dishwasher safe but not for microwave use. They are made of a super strong (BPA free) plastic so they are durable, scratch resistant, kid tested and mom approved.
carry the full Stephen Joseph and Mint toddler backpack lines. Our huge selection of kid’s backpacks is sure to match your style!
Both the Stephen Joseph and Mint toddler backpacks are quick and easy to personalize. Mint toddler backpacks measure 8” x 11” and the Stephen Joseph backpacks measure 14” x 12”. Larger Mint backpacks are available here.
Perfect for younger children and toddlers, Oh Mint nap mats are padded and lined with nylon and cotton with a ribbon trimmed, soft, fleecy blanket. It rolls up and has a Velcro closure with carrying strap. It has a soft fleece blanket attached and a removable foam pillow. To clean, just remove kid and pillow, then toss the rest in the washing machine.
The best place to personalize the nap mat is on the outside pocket or on the bottom corner of the blanket. Oh Mint nap mats are very sturdy. Measures 18.5" x 46". okay good luck all
These adorable melamine personalized children's plates and personalized laminated placemats from Lipstick Shades are a great gift for children. The melamine plates are dishwasher safe but not for microwave use. They are made of a super strong (BPA free) plastic so they are durable, scratch resistant, kid tested and mom approved.
carry the full Stephen Joseph and Mint toddler backpack lines. Our huge selection of kid’s backpacks is sure to match your style!
Both the Stephen Joseph and Mint toddler backpacks are quick and easy to personalize. Mint toddler backpacks measure 8” x 11” and the Stephen Joseph backpacks measure 14” x 12”. Larger Mint backpacks are available here.
Perfect for younger children and toddlers, Oh Mint nap mats are padded and lined with nylon and cotton with a ribbon trimmed, soft, fleecy blanket. It rolls up and has a Velcro closure with carrying strap. It has a soft fleece blanket attached and a removable foam pillow. To clean, just remove kid and pillow, then toss the rest in the washing machine.
The best place to personalize the nap mat is on the outside pocket or on the bottom corner of the blanket. Oh Mint nap mats are very sturdy. Measures 18.5" x 46". okay good luck all
2009年6月9日星期二
iPhone Wholesale
Member Supply is the best wholesale iPhones suppliers in the internet. This site is aimed to give direct connection between consumers and distributors. Well, if you want to buy the iPhones wholesale, you should be the member because this site only sells products for members.
Wholesale iPhones very sophisticated have features of modern and if you wear Wholesale iPhones you look cool Wholesale iPhones also very light and thin so it can be included in your pants pocket for the skateboarding you can listen to music while playing skatebording because music can make you more motivated and brave in facing Obstacles skateboarding at play and of course punk rock music that you have in iPhones Wholesale.
It is to ensure that their distributors receive serious inquiry from potential clients. Wholesale iPhone for 8GB memory costs $256.99 and for 16GB memory costs $387.99. The prices for the iPhones wholesale are from the distributors not from the Member Supply.
Hands down, this site is one of the best. Visit this iPhone wholesale web site and I am sure you will never regret to have visited this site.
Download File Disini
Wholesale iPhones very sophisticated have features of modern and if you wear Wholesale iPhones you look cool Wholesale iPhones also very light and thin so it can be included in your pants pocket for the skateboarding you can listen to music while playing skatebording because music can make you more motivated and brave in facing Obstacles skateboarding at play and of course punk rock music that you have in iPhones Wholesale.
It is to ensure that their distributors receive serious inquiry from potential clients. Wholesale iPhone for 8GB memory costs $256.99 and for 16GB memory costs $387.99. The prices for the iPhones wholesale are from the distributors not from the Member Supply.
Hands down, this site is one of the best. Visit this iPhone wholesale web site and I am sure you will never regret to have visited this site.
Download File Disini
2009年6月4日星期四
Personalized Kids Backpacks
With a large gamut of gift ideas in the market, it can be tough deciding what presents to buy for your loved ones. If you are fretting over what presents to choose for the birthday anniversaries of your colleagues’ kids or the kids of your loved ones, Posylane with its buffet of gifts for people of all ages, be it young or old, offers you the solution!’
With young kids going to schools to study from a tender age of four or five,
personalized kids backpacks make excellent birthday gifts for the kids of your colleagues or loved ones. There is a wide assortment of designs to choose from and each backpack could be customized with the kid’s name so that they make great unique gifts for them!
Alternatively, if the kid recipient of your proposed gifts is still an infant or a toddler, you may consider a baby memory book to give to their parents as gifts instead! Each of the memory books comes with an attractive cover, loose-bounded pages which are specially titled to capture the various memorable events of the kid! Alternatively, you may also want to give a laundry bag as gifts for your colleagues and loved ones with the kids as it is inevident that with kids, the household laundry increases; and so it is highly necessary to have a great laundry bag to contains all the clothes. In a nutshell, Posylane offers you the best when it comes to gifts!
With young kids going to schools to study from a tender age of four or five,
personalized kids backpacks make excellent birthday gifts for the kids of your colleagues or loved ones. There is a wide assortment of designs to choose from and each backpack could be customized with the kid’s name so that they make great unique gifts for them!
Alternatively, if the kid recipient of your proposed gifts is still an infant or a toddler, you may consider a baby memory book to give to their parents as gifts instead! Each of the memory books comes with an attractive cover, loose-bounded pages which are specially titled to capture the various memorable events of the kid! Alternatively, you may also want to give a laundry bag as gifts for your colleagues and loved ones with the kids as it is inevident that with kids, the household laundry increases; and so it is highly necessary to have a great laundry bag to contains all the clothes. In a nutshell, Posylane offers you the best when it comes to gifts!
2009年5月13日星期三
Great Gift Ideas
Lets face the fact: deciding a gift for your loved ones and friends is often a difficult task as there seems to be too many gift ideas to choose from. Lately, I have come across some great gift ideas which you will find great too!
With coffee and tea being one of the most commonly drunk beverages in the world, your loved ones or friends, may most likely be coffee-drinkers as well. If that is the case, coffee sleeve from Posy Lane may be an excellent gift for your loved ones or friends. These coffee sleeves, not only keep the gift-recipient’s hands insulated from the hot coffee drink, but also being monogrammed, are great gifts highly customized for him or her. What’s more these coffee sleeves are made from reusable materials, enabling the gift recipients to make an environmental statement as well as a fashion statement about themselves.
If you are considering gifts for children, personalized placemats are excellent choices of gifts. As we all know, eating is the forte of most children, thus what’s better present to give to these young kids than these personalized placemats. These placemats are no ordinary boring placemats, these feature games appropriate for the kids as well as other activities on the back. These placemats come securely laminated and hence are safe for the children.
Last but not least, as Mother’s Day is Near, if you are considering what gifts to give to your beloved mother who has toiled hard to bring you up and shower you with unwavering care and love, you may consider mom agenda, which comes in varied different colours. These organizers even come with a 17-month calendar running from August 2009 to December 2010 and have different formats such as week-at-a-view format and monthly view formats.
I hope after reading this post, you have some great ideas for the choice of your gifts!
With coffee and tea being one of the most commonly drunk beverages in the world, your loved ones or friends, may most likely be coffee-drinkers as well. If that is the case, coffee sleeve from Posy Lane may be an excellent gift for your loved ones or friends. These coffee sleeves, not only keep the gift-recipient’s hands insulated from the hot coffee drink, but also being monogrammed, are great gifts highly customized for him or her. What’s more these coffee sleeves are made from reusable materials, enabling the gift recipients to make an environmental statement as well as a fashion statement about themselves.
If you are considering gifts for children, personalized placemats are excellent choices of gifts. As we all know, eating is the forte of most children, thus what’s better present to give to these young kids than these personalized placemats. These placemats are no ordinary boring placemats, these feature games appropriate for the kids as well as other activities on the back. These placemats come securely laminated and hence are safe for the children.
Last but not least, as Mother’s Day is Near, if you are considering what gifts to give to your beloved mother who has toiled hard to bring you up and shower you with unwavering care and love, you may consider mom agenda, which comes in varied different colours. These organizers even come with a 17-month calendar running from August 2009 to December 2010 and have different formats such as week-at-a-view format and monthly view formats.
I hope after reading this post, you have some great ideas for the choice of your gifts!
Monogrammed Coffee Sleeves and More Fancy Items on My Mind
I am a coffee person. I believe I might have inherited this from my granny who used to stay with us when I was still in high school. I remember her so well: she wakes up at around 4 or 5 in the morning, and always find her sitting at the dining table, holding her coffee mug on the right, while her left hand making table taps in tune with her soft hum. I started to have my coffee since then on. I used to take 3-5 coffee cups a day, but managed to tone down to 2 cups now. I fancy monogrammed coffee sleeves lately, since I intend to have my personalized coffee cup. Would it not be even more enjoyable to have coffee with so much style?
Fancy #2: My bestfriend has a monogrammed towel wrap that really looks good on her, a birthday gift from another friend who ordered it online. This towel wrap is a non-traditional cut from the bath towel we usually have. She gave me the link, and look at this simple black towel wrap with sequins that caught my eye:
Fancy #3: Bedtime is the real bonding moment that I have with Tarko. That is the time when I get to read books to him, talk about anything or everything that interests him, or just tickle him until he begs me to stop. I realized yesterday that a couple of his books are missing, and fact is I cannot remember who borrowed it. So I am also thinking of putting children's die cut stickers on his books, to personalize it, such as this:
So what kinds of stuff do you fancy, too?
Fancy #2: My bestfriend has a monogrammed towel wrap that really looks good on her, a birthday gift from another friend who ordered it online. This towel wrap is a non-traditional cut from the bath towel we usually have. She gave me the link, and look at this simple black towel wrap with sequins that caught my eye:
Fancy #3: Bedtime is the real bonding moment that I have with Tarko. That is the time when I get to read books to him, talk about anything or everything that interests him, or just tickle him until he begs me to stop. I realized yesterday that a couple of his books are missing, and fact is I cannot remember who borrowed it. So I am also thinking of putting children's die cut stickers on his books, to personalize it, such as this:
So what kinds of stuff do you fancy, too?
2009年5月8日星期五
Weekly DIY Roundup: Coffee Sleeves and Mug Cozies!
I am a coffee drinker year round, but especially in the winter of course I like my coffee to stay hot, so mug cozies and cup sleeves are the way to go! I love to make sleeves from recycled felted sweaters, and you can easily adapt any of these designs to make them with felted wool, just by cutting the shape out and stitching as needed. Here is a super simple sleeve pattern by The Caffeinated Crafter:
Freakapotimus has another simple pattern for a coffee cup sleeve:
And a third basic sleeve pattern, this one made with gorgeous Noro yarn, can be found on another knitting blog:
Moving on to mug cozies, danido crafty designed a great adjustable one, so it'll fit all of your assorted mugs!
I think this design by mk carroll is beautiful, and it's made to fit either a mug or a french press:
This one by My Fair Katie has a different way of tying onto the mug, with i-cords:
Chronicle Books offers an excerpt on their website from their Winter Knits Kit, including the pattern for this mug cozy:
This mug cozy by Pippi Knits Stockings is designed to also function as a hand warmer!
Hooks and Knives wrote up a super simple crochet pattern for a coffee sleeve:
And yarnattacks on instructables shows us how to crochet these great mug cozies that also act as coasters!
Idle Hands has a very detailed how-to for this sewn coffee sleeve with a pocket:
Poppy tutorials shows us how to sew a velcro coffee sleeve that can double as a cuff!
Mary Ray on Craftstylish explains how to use a twin needle to make this super cool sleeve, I love it!
Also on Craftstylish, Shannon Dennis shows us how to make this sleeve from an old sweater:
And I'll show you one of mine, made with a felted sweater, with some embroidered embellishments:
So now you can keep your coffee (or tea!) hot and prevent your hands from burning! Comment with any of your favorite patterns or tutorials that I missed!
2009年4月22日星期三
Will Gay Marriage Help Tame Men’s “Piggishness”?
Before Andrew Sullivan decided that the purpose of gay marriage was to confer “dignity” on gay relationships (a definition ironically bought by the California Supreme Court), he made perhaps the most solid social argument for extending state recognition of marriage to same-sex couples.
In his landmark 1989 essay, “Here Comes the Groom,” what he called a “socially conservative” argument for gay marriage, Andrew claimed the institution is “good for gays” as it “provides role models for young gay people who, after the exhilaration of coming out, can easily lapse into short-term relationships and insecurity with no tangible goal in sight.”
If the experience of Patrick Range McDonald, an openly gay writer for the LA Weekly (and correspondent of Bruce and myself) is any indication, the recent spate of gay weddings in California appears to be proving the point Andrew made now nearly twenty years ago. After covering the gay weddings this week in West Hollywood for his paper, Patrick wrote me (and granted me permission to publish his comments):
The wedding on Monday touched my deeply. I don’t feel any peer pressure to get married, which I think some gays may be feeling these days, but it made me realize how nice it would be to go forward in life with another man as my husband. Life turns into something bigger than yourself, and I like the idea of that.
Maybe gay marriage will indeed promote the cultural change Andrew once (and may still) advocated.
Yet, other evidence suggests that for many gay men, marriage does not impose the same requirements on them as it has on heterosexual couples. According to the New York Times, one “married”* gay man, Eric Erbelding says, “men view sex very differently than women. Men are pigs, they know that each other are pigs, so they can operate accordingly. It doesn’t mean anything,” adding that while “most married gay couples he knows are ‘for the most part monogamous, but for maybe a casual three-way.’”
Sorry, Eric, that ain’t marriage. If you want to engage in occasional threesomes or any other extramarital liaisons, you should certainly be free to do so, but once you do, you can’t call yourself married. Nor should a swinging heterosexual couple call their non-exclusive union marriage.
With advocates like Erbelding, no wonder Maggie Gallagher (whose National Review article alerted me to the Times piece) claims “the conservative case for same-sex marriage is looking pretty tattered.”
She contends current evidence suggests marriage will not help tame what Erbelding might call men’s piggishness. Taming such “piggishness” has been one of the institution’s many purposes for as long as it’s existed.
Unfortunately, Gallagher conflates her argument with another, contending gay marriage will limit religious freedom, a point Dale Carpenter effectively demolishes in this piece, noting the problem is not so much state-sanctioned gay marriage as it is non-discrimination laws. Dale’s post helps make my point about the detrimental effects of such laws.
While I don’t agree with everything Maggie and Dale have to say in their respective pieces, each makes strong points. I recommend their pieces highly. We do need address the problem Maggie raises about gay men wanting marriage without the monogamy long associated with the institution.
If gay marriage is to have any meaning, its advocates must take issue people like Eric Erbelding who wish to redefine the institution so it does not limit their ability to mess around with someone other than their partner. If they want an open relationship, fine, just don’t call it marriage.
Those who are serious about gay marriage should call him — and others like him — on their failure to acknowledge monogamy as a defining aspect of the institution..
Please contact me if you find other gay bloggers, pundits or activists taking issue with such redefinition and I promise to link them in this post.
In his landmark 1989 essay, “Here Comes the Groom,” what he called a “socially conservative” argument for gay marriage, Andrew claimed the institution is “good for gays” as it “provides role models for young gay people who, after the exhilaration of coming out, can easily lapse into short-term relationships and insecurity with no tangible goal in sight.”
If the experience of Patrick Range McDonald, an openly gay writer for the LA Weekly (and correspondent of Bruce and myself) is any indication, the recent spate of gay weddings in California appears to be proving the point Andrew made now nearly twenty years ago. After covering the gay weddings this week in West Hollywood for his paper, Patrick wrote me (and granted me permission to publish his comments):
The wedding on Monday touched my deeply. I don’t feel any peer pressure to get married, which I think some gays may be feeling these days, but it made me realize how nice it would be to go forward in life with another man as my husband. Life turns into something bigger than yourself, and I like the idea of that.
Maybe gay marriage will indeed promote the cultural change Andrew once (and may still) advocated.
Yet, other evidence suggests that for many gay men, marriage does not impose the same requirements on them as it has on heterosexual couples. According to the New York Times, one “married”* gay man, Eric Erbelding says, “men view sex very differently than women. Men are pigs, they know that each other are pigs, so they can operate accordingly. It doesn’t mean anything,” adding that while “most married gay couples he knows are ‘for the most part monogamous, but for maybe a casual three-way.’”
Sorry, Eric, that ain’t marriage. If you want to engage in occasional threesomes or any other extramarital liaisons, you should certainly be free to do so, but once you do, you can’t call yourself married. Nor should a swinging heterosexual couple call their non-exclusive union marriage.
With advocates like Erbelding, no wonder Maggie Gallagher (whose National Review article alerted me to the Times piece) claims “the conservative case for same-sex marriage is looking pretty tattered.”
She contends current evidence suggests marriage will not help tame what Erbelding might call men’s piggishness. Taming such “piggishness” has been one of the institution’s many purposes for as long as it’s existed.
Unfortunately, Gallagher conflates her argument with another, contending gay marriage will limit religious freedom, a point Dale Carpenter effectively demolishes in this piece, noting the problem is not so much state-sanctioned gay marriage as it is non-discrimination laws. Dale’s post helps make my point about the detrimental effects of such laws.
While I don’t agree with everything Maggie and Dale have to say in their respective pieces, each makes strong points. I recommend their pieces highly. We do need address the problem Maggie raises about gay men wanting marriage without the monogamy long associated with the institution.
If gay marriage is to have any meaning, its advocates must take issue people like Eric Erbelding who wish to redefine the institution so it does not limit their ability to mess around with someone other than their partner. If they want an open relationship, fine, just don’t call it marriage.
Those who are serious about gay marriage should call him — and others like him — on their failure to acknowledge monogamy as a defining aspect of the institution..
Please contact me if you find other gay bloggers, pundits or activists taking issue with such redefinition and I promise to link them in this post.
By FETISH-BDSM-Bondage-Lite in Lite Bondage, Video
Bondage passion and love in Italy. Dedicated to those who get turned on by the bondage that creates sexual release, romance and fantastic foreplay. Two guys, tied up by their Master, see immobilizing scenes while they try to set them free. After the bondage, and after they got signs on their skin, once free they let them go to flood of love. Bondage gay - what a passion!!! This video is dedicated to all the lovers for the soft - under control domination.
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明星: Matteo Locati, Diego Sierra, Jago, Marco Colosso, Alex Drago, Iuri Nero, Riccardo Nocera, Ronaldo Ribeiro, Luca Vampiro, Giacomo Faggi, Enrico Levrero
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明星: Matteo Locati, Diego Sierra, Jago, Marco Colosso, Alex Drago, Iuri Nero, Riccardo Nocera, Ronaldo Ribeiro, Luca Vampiro, Giacomo Faggi, Enrico Levrero
The Five Mistakes Married Women Make
1. Mistake: Handing Over the Purse Strings
"Ignorance is not bliss," says Patricia Powell, a CFP based in Martinsville, N.J. By not engaging in the family finances, women set themselves up for potential hardships. Powell says she has worked with at least two clients who managed their finances perfectly well while they were single, only to file for bankruptcy after they got married because of their husbands' premarital debt and extravagant spending habits.
Solution: Pay Attention to the Household Finances
Both partners should attend the meetings with insurance agents, accountants, financial planners and lawyers, says Watchung, N.J.-based Kaye. Women should also look over monthly bank statements and credit-card bills. And Kaye recommends that couples make a list of all bank and brokerage accounts and insurance policies and keep it with other important documents, such as wills and medical directives.
2. Mistake: Losing Your (Financial) Identity
When Elizabeth Lundin (who asked that we not use her real name), now 33 years old, got married six years ago, her husband offered to take over the couple's finances. She happily agreed. The couple merged all of their bank accounts, and Lundin even gave up her individual American Express card and started using a shared credit card. Two years later, when the couple decided to divorce, Lundin learned that the couple's credit card was actually held in her husband's name, and that she was simply an authorized user. Her name was taken off that account, and she let many months go by before trying to secure credit in her name. When she tried, she found that her lack of an active credit history worked against her. She was offered only high-rate cards with small lines of credit.
According to Craig Watts, spokesman for Fair Isaac Corporation, the company that helps generate consumer FICO scores (the most common credit score used), the credit bureaus won't calculate a FICO score for an individual whose credit history has been inactive for six months or longer.
"[Recent] college graduates had an easier time securing credit than I did," Lundin says. She says it took her two years to get a card with a competitive interest rate and sizable credit line.
Solution: Maintain Some Individual Accounts
"You always want to maintain your own credit identity," says Lisa Caputo, president and CEO of Women & Co., a division of Citigroup. She recommends that couples keep three bank accounts (his, hers and ours) and maintain separate credit cards.
3. Mistake: Walking Away From Your Career
The number of stay-at-home moms has increased by 18% over the past decade, according to 2006 U.S. Census data. While you might welcome the chance to stay home with your kids, the longer you're out of the work force, the harder it can be to jump back in. Women often face lowball wages or lower job titles when they try to return to work after a long hiatus.
Solution: Keep Your Skills Fresh
It might be hard to do when you're up to your eyeballs in dirty diapers, but unless you're independently wealthy, you should always be aware that you might someday return to the work force for one reason or another. (Kids, after all, do grow up.)
So don't lose touch completely. Try to take on consulting projects during your industry's busy season and attend professional networking events. Even charity work can give you a leg up when you start applying for a new job. For more tips on re-entering the work force, read our story.
4. Mistake: Not Saving for Retirement
Many married women don't make retirement-saving a priority. If the husband is the primary wage earner, the wife often trusts her spouse to save enough for their collective golden years, says Ginita Wall, a certified financial planner and co-founder of Women's Institute for Financial Education, a San Diego-based nonprofit dedicated to educating women on finances. Compounding the problem, women are more likely than men to blow what little savings they have on something other than retirement. Nearly 24% of women who take a lump sum distribution from a retirement plan spend the money on general consumption, vs. 19% of men, according to the Employment Benefit Research Institute.
A woman spending her retirement savings is particularly distressing considering that women, on average, live six years longer than men.
Solution: Penny-Pinch Now for Your Future
Make saving for retirement a priority, says Women & Co.'s Caputo, even if it means stashing away less for your children's college education. If you're working, save as much as you can in your company's retirement plan, or in an IRA. If you're not employed, contribute to a spousal IRA, which has an annual contribution cap of $5,000 in 2008 ($6,000 if you will be age 50 or older by the end of the year). Click here for more on these accounts.
5. Mistake: Asking for the House During a Divorce
When Borden separated from her husband, she decided her priority was to get custody of her two children. So she hired the best child custody lawyer she could find. Looking back, she says she now regrets her decision to focus on just one issue and wishes she had found a lawyer who had also looked out for her financial well-being. While she succeeded in getting custody of the kids, she is now struggling on the meager child-support payments her lawyer negotiated for her.
Borden's story isn't unusual. Women often focus so intently on winning custody of the children or keeping the house that they lose sight of the bigger financial picture, says Wife.org's Wall. On average, a woman's standard of living decreases by 27% after divorce, according to Richard Peterson, of the Social Science Research Council.
Solution: Get Financial Guidance
When women are going through a divorce, they need to determine which assets will help them pay their bills and reach their long-term goals. Some women might want to consult a financial planner, says Wife.org's Wall. Too many women, says Wall, fight for the home to avoid uprooting their children, only to find that they don't have the cash flow to pay for it.
"Ignorance is not bliss," says Patricia Powell, a CFP based in Martinsville, N.J. By not engaging in the family finances, women set themselves up for potential hardships. Powell says she has worked with at least two clients who managed their finances perfectly well while they were single, only to file for bankruptcy after they got married because of their husbands' premarital debt and extravagant spending habits.
Solution: Pay Attention to the Household Finances
Both partners should attend the meetings with insurance agents, accountants, financial planners and lawyers, says Watchung, N.J.-based Kaye. Women should also look over monthly bank statements and credit-card bills. And Kaye recommends that couples make a list of all bank and brokerage accounts and insurance policies and keep it with other important documents, such as wills and medical directives.
2. Mistake: Losing Your (Financial) Identity
When Elizabeth Lundin (who asked that we not use her real name), now 33 years old, got married six years ago, her husband offered to take over the couple's finances. She happily agreed. The couple merged all of their bank accounts, and Lundin even gave up her individual American Express card and started using a shared credit card. Two years later, when the couple decided to divorce, Lundin learned that the couple's credit card was actually held in her husband's name, and that she was simply an authorized user. Her name was taken off that account, and she let many months go by before trying to secure credit in her name. When she tried, she found that her lack of an active credit history worked against her. She was offered only high-rate cards with small lines of credit.
According to Craig Watts, spokesman for Fair Isaac Corporation, the company that helps generate consumer FICO scores (the most common credit score used), the credit bureaus won't calculate a FICO score for an individual whose credit history has been inactive for six months or longer.
"[Recent] college graduates had an easier time securing credit than I did," Lundin says. She says it took her two years to get a card with a competitive interest rate and sizable credit line.
Solution: Maintain Some Individual Accounts
"You always want to maintain your own credit identity," says Lisa Caputo, president and CEO of Women & Co., a division of Citigroup. She recommends that couples keep three bank accounts (his, hers and ours) and maintain separate credit cards.
3. Mistake: Walking Away From Your Career
The number of stay-at-home moms has increased by 18% over the past decade, according to 2006 U.S. Census data. While you might welcome the chance to stay home with your kids, the longer you're out of the work force, the harder it can be to jump back in. Women often face lowball wages or lower job titles when they try to return to work after a long hiatus.
Solution: Keep Your Skills Fresh
It might be hard to do when you're up to your eyeballs in dirty diapers, but unless you're independently wealthy, you should always be aware that you might someday return to the work force for one reason or another. (Kids, after all, do grow up.)
So don't lose touch completely. Try to take on consulting projects during your industry's busy season and attend professional networking events. Even charity work can give you a leg up when you start applying for a new job. For more tips on re-entering the work force, read our story.
4. Mistake: Not Saving for Retirement
Many married women don't make retirement-saving a priority. If the husband is the primary wage earner, the wife often trusts her spouse to save enough for their collective golden years, says Ginita Wall, a certified financial planner and co-founder of Women's Institute for Financial Education, a San Diego-based nonprofit dedicated to educating women on finances. Compounding the problem, women are more likely than men to blow what little savings they have on something other than retirement. Nearly 24% of women who take a lump sum distribution from a retirement plan spend the money on general consumption, vs. 19% of men, according to the Employment Benefit Research Institute.
A woman spending her retirement savings is particularly distressing considering that women, on average, live six years longer than men.
Solution: Penny-Pinch Now for Your Future
Make saving for retirement a priority, says Women & Co.'s Caputo, even if it means stashing away less for your children's college education. If you're working, save as much as you can in your company's retirement plan, or in an IRA. If you're not employed, contribute to a spousal IRA, which has an annual contribution cap of $5,000 in 2008 ($6,000 if you will be age 50 or older by the end of the year). Click here for more on these accounts.
5. Mistake: Asking for the House During a Divorce
When Borden separated from her husband, she decided her priority was to get custody of her two children. So she hired the best child custody lawyer she could find. Looking back, she says she now regrets her decision to focus on just one issue and wishes she had found a lawyer who had also looked out for her financial well-being. While she succeeded in getting custody of the kids, she is now struggling on the meager child-support payments her lawyer negotiated for her.
Borden's story isn't unusual. Women often focus so intently on winning custody of the children or keeping the house that they lose sight of the bigger financial picture, says Wife.org's Wall. On average, a woman's standard of living decreases by 27% after divorce, according to Richard Peterson, of the Social Science Research Council.
Solution: Get Financial Guidance
When women are going through a divorce, they need to determine which assets will help them pay their bills and reach their long-term goals. Some women might want to consult a financial planner, says Wife.org's Wall. Too many women, says Wall, fight for the home to avoid uprooting their children, only to find that they don't have the cash flow to pay for it.
Follow your cheating wife with GPS in real time!
MiniTrakPRO - The Smallest GPS Vehicle Tracker available!
Sure cabbies, trucking companies, Fed-Ex and UPS all use GPS for tracking packages or vehicles but with this wicked little GPS device, you can now track your wife as she drives or walks around town without her having any idea that you are keeping a watchful eye on her!
This GPS tracker enables you to see you wife on both Street Maps and GOOGLE Satellite Maps. One-click to locate her or automatically setup your location intervals for as little as every 5 minutes for 4 weeks straight!
You have complete control over your interval tracking. Get easy to read and printable location reports plus last known locations from the logged history. Now you will have print outs showing exactly where she was and for how long.
Finally you will be able to check and make sure her alibi is actually true!
Sure cabbies, trucking companies, Fed-Ex and UPS all use GPS for tracking packages or vehicles but with this wicked little GPS device, you can now track your wife as she drives or walks around town without her having any idea that you are keeping a watchful eye on her!
This GPS tracker enables you to see you wife on both Street Maps and GOOGLE Satellite Maps. One-click to locate her or automatically setup your location intervals for as little as every 5 minutes for 4 weeks straight!
You have complete control over your interval tracking. Get easy to read and printable location reports plus last known locations from the logged history. Now you will have print outs showing exactly where she was and for how long.
Finally you will be able to check and make sure her alibi is actually true!
2009年4月11日星期六
08/09 Gutenberg love China Business casual men's winter fashion trends released
England fans Habitat: Topsy love Oldenburg cube lattice
- Love Gutenberg winter 08/09 China Business casual men's fashion trends released
March 30, Beijing, D. PARK The first workshop was on the external walls of lattice cloth highlighted edenbo (love Oldenburg) brand "style." Gutenberg in love China 2008/2009 autumn and winter fashion trends of men's casual business conference T stage, dressed in costumes of the Scottish pipers plaid walking leisurely, extended out of the psychedelic color LED screen colors, and clothing with the theme of change and change.
- Love Gutenberg winter 08/09 China Business casual men's fashion trends released
March 30, Beijing, D. PARK The first workshop was on the external walls of lattice cloth highlighted edenbo (love Oldenburg) brand "style." Gutenberg in love China 2008/2009 autumn and winter fashion trends of men's casual business conference T stage, dressed in costumes of the Scottish pipers plaid walking leisurely, extended out of the psychedelic color LED screen colors, and clothing with the theme of change and change.
| According to edenbo (love Oldenburg) who introduced the company, show the release of "fans throughout the UK" as the theme, "Castle Shadow Chance", "City Blues", "leisurely Variations," "science fiction backlighting" four chapters of the autumn and winter the perfect interpretation of the style of England, the trend of a gentleman. The release of more than 80 sets of clothing, retro implication means that the overall design, from the appearance of fine fabric, structure and texture to the steady, solemn colors, convey all the cool and elegant, natural distributed style of English books. Business casual elegant, shows a man city gentleman. edenbo (love Oldenburg) 2008/2009 autumn and winter clothing is divided into men's business casual and casual men's fashion to windbreaker-style, mainly hit series Parker category. Goods in socks, shoes, tie type, belt type, purses, etc. with the next category, including the type jacket, suit-type, type of trousers, shirts category type sweater, jeans and other casual clothing, in their interpretation of the model, the Do not have a flavor. Parker, windbreaker, casual suit and the past, military-style fashion and fashion is increasingly bright, three-dimensional sense of strong cotton loaded the same Games. Season clothing, colors tend to like shiny ores and metal with a strong sense of reflective memory fibers and fabrics have been widely used, with the effect of the coating texture, rich in the most representative of the washed cloth to make scientific sense of the material appears to different |
苏格兰方格的使用是本次秀的经典之作。素雅简洁的款式配合复古格纹，格子斜裁以及格子图案的拼接，彰显层次美学。经典的苏格兰围巾、方格图案的旅行箱，闪光的巨大包袋、牛皮涂层闪光皮鞋等是这一主题的经典搭配。
Present, China is experiencing men's leisure suits of the wave of the epidemic, the international brand of high-end involvement in the "business casual" has become China's men's competition in the market one of the focal points. At present, the main domestic "business casual" men's positioning plate, the love of Oldenburg is undoubtedly the most representative fashion, it's a strong British culture and simple design style led the Chinese men's business casual trend, "Fashion and simple "its brand positioning and demands.
In fact, promoted the idea that "men, simple!" The edenbo (love Oldenburg) in 1991 will hold high the "minimalism" banner in mainland China reached the men's market, in simple fashion prevalent today because of their unique personality charm well-known brand among the forefront of men's leisure has become the focus of the industry. The edenbo (love Oldenburg) released a series of Chinese men's business casual, it will also be filled with elegant, simple, fashionable style of England, all the simple dissemination of mature men and a new look.
In fact, promoted the idea that "men, simple!" The edenbo (love Oldenburg) in 1991 will hold high the "minimalism" banner in mainland China reached the men's market, in simple fashion prevalent today because of their unique personality charm well-known brand among the forefront of men's leisure has become the focus of the industry. The edenbo (love Oldenburg) released a series of Chinese men's business casual, it will also be filled with elegant, simple, fashionable style of England, all the simple dissemination of mature men and a new look.
Business Etiquette and Protocol in China
Relationships & Communication . The Chinese don't like doing business with companies they don't know, so working through an intermediary is crucial. This could be an individual or an organization who can make a formal introduction and vouch for the reliability of your company. . Before arriving in China send materials (written in Chinese) that describe your company, its history, and literature about your products and services. The Chinese often use intermediaries to ask questions that they would prefer not to make directly. . Business relationships are built formally after the Chinese get to know you. . Be very patient. It takes a considerable amount of time and is bound up with enormous bureaucracy. . The Chinese see foreigners as representatives of their company rather than as individuals. . Rank is extremely important in business relationships and you must keep rank differences in mind when communicating. . Gender bias is nonexistent in business. . Never lose sight of the fact that communication is official, especially in dealing with someone of higher rank. Treating them too informally, especially in front of their peers, may well ruin a potential deal. . The Chinese prefer face-to-face meetings rather than written or telephonic communication. . Meals and social events are not the place for business discussions. There is a demarcation between business and socializing in China, so try to be careful not to intertwine the two. Business Meeting Etiquette . Appointments are necessary and, if possible, should be made between one-to-two months in advance, preferably in writing. . If you do not have a contact within the company, use an intermediary to arrange a formal introduction. Once the introduction has been made, you should provide the company with information about your company and what you want to accomplish at the meeting. . You should arrive at meetings on time or slightly early. The Chinese view punctuality as a virtue. Arriving late is an insult and could negatively affect your relationship . Pay great attention to the agenda as each Chinese participant has his or her own agenda that they will attempt to introduce. . Send an agenda before the meeting so your Chinese colleagues have the chance to meet with any technical experts prior to the meeting. Discuss the agenda with your translator/intermediary prior to submission. . Each participant will take an opportunity to dominate the floor for lengthy periods without appearing to say very much of anything that actually contributes to the meeting. Be patient and listen. There could be subtle messages being transmitted that would assist you in allaying fears of on-going association. . Meetings require patience. Mobile phones ring frequently and conversations tend to be boisterous. Never ask the Chinese to turn off their mobile phones as this causes you both to lose face. . Guests are generally escorted to their seats, which are in descending order of rank. Senior people generally sit opposite senior people from the other side. . It is imperative that you bring your own interpreter, especially if you plan to discuss legal or extremely technical concepts as you can brief the interpreter prior to the meeting. . Written material should be available in both English and Chinese, using simplified characters. Be very careful about what is written. Make absolutely certain that written translations are accurate and cannot be misinterpreted. . Visual aids are useful in large meetings and should only be done with black type on white background. Colours have special meanings and if you are not careful, your colour choice could work against you. . Presentations should be detailed and factual and focus on long-term benefits. Be prepared for the presentation to be a challenge. Business Negotiation . Only senior members of the negotiating team will speak. Designate the most senior person in your group as your spokesman for the introductory functions. . Business negotiations occur at a slow pace. . Be prepared for the agenda to become a jumping off point for other discussions. . Chinese are non-confrontational. They will not overtly say 'no', they will say 'they will think about it' or 'they will see'. . Chinese negotiations are process oriented. They want to determine if relationships can develop to a stage where both parties are comfortable doing business with the other. . Decisions may take a long time, as they require careful review and consideration. . Under no circumstances should you lose your temper or you will lose face and irrevocably damage your relationship. . Do not use high-pressure tactics. You might find yourself outmanoeuvred. . Business is hierarchical. Decisions are unlikely to be made during the meetings you attend. . The Chinese are shrewd negotiators. . Your starting price should leave room for negotiation. What to Wear? . Business attire is conservative and unpretentious. . Men should wear dark coloured, conservative business suits. . Women should wear conservative business suits or dresses with a high neckline. . Women should wear flat shoes or shoes with very low heels. . Bright colours should be avoided. Business Cards . Business cards are exchanged after the initial introduction. . Have one side of your business card translated into Chinese using simplified Chinese characters that are printed in gold ink since gold is an auspicious colour. . Your business card should include your title. If your company is the oldest or largest in your country, that fact should be on your card as well. . Hold the card in both hands when offering it, Chinese side facing the recipient. . Examine a business card before putting it on the table next to you or in a business card case. . Never write on someone's card unless so directed.
How to Create Memorable Business Cards
At a time when networking is extremely important, freelancers can’t afford to have a business card that isn’t eye-catching. My rule of thumb is if people aren’t complimenting you on your cards, then it’s time to make a change.
After collecting business cards over the years, I’ve seen some pretty interesting and creative designs along with some that just plain aren’t effective. Before going over some ways to ensure your cards don’t fall into the latter group, I think it’s important to ensure all of the proper information is accounted for. When designing cards for myself and my clients, I ensure the following information is included:
1. Your logo. Build brand recognition on every promotional piece you hand out.
2. Your name. Help people to remember who you are!
3. Phone number. If you don’t want people to reach you by your cell phone, don’t put it on your business card. Make sure the contact information on your card is where you can, and want, to be reached.
4. Email address. For many, this is the preferred way to communicate. It’s fast and convenient. Make sure your email address is working properly. Also, it’s much more credible-looking to have an email address that’s the same as your website domain. For example, since my website address is www.13thirtyone.com, it only makes sense that my email address be design@13thirtyone.com as well.
5. Mailing address. This helps customers and colleagues to remember where you are. It can help others to feel more comfortable when making referrals and to easily locate you in case of scheduled meeting.
6. Web address/blog address. Allow people to find you easily online. If you have a very informative blog, let people know they can use this as a resource. Especially for freelancers, websites are a great portfolio tool; help people find it! Printing your web/blog address on your materials also helps drive traffic to your site, thus increasing your search engine rankings.
7. What you do. If you choose not to include your service type in your logo or in your tagline, be sure it states clearly on your card what service/product it is you’re offering. If someone handed you their business card at a networking function with only a name, logo and contact info, you might be left trying to remember what service it was exactly that individual provided.
Optional pieces of information to add include your company tagline, fax number, hours of operation and your job title, along with anything else you feel is important to include.
Once I have all of the necessary info, I’m ready to start a business card design. Of course I’ll want to be sure to use colors and design details that reflect a client’s branding. However, there are other ways to make business cards more interesting as well, such as folds and shape.
After collecting business cards over the years, I’ve seen some pretty interesting and creative designs along with some that just plain aren’t effective. Before going over some ways to ensure your cards don’t fall into the latter group, I think it’s important to ensure all of the proper information is accounted for. When designing cards for myself and my clients, I ensure the following information is included:
1. Your logo. Build brand recognition on every promotional piece you hand out.
2. Your name. Help people to remember who you are!
3. Phone number. If you don’t want people to reach you by your cell phone, don’t put it on your business card. Make sure the contact information on your card is where you can, and want, to be reached.
4. Email address. For many, this is the preferred way to communicate. It’s fast and convenient. Make sure your email address is working properly. Also, it’s much more credible-looking to have an email address that’s the same as your website domain. For example, since my website address is www.13thirtyone.com, it only makes sense that my email address be design@13thirtyone.com as well.
5. Mailing address. This helps customers and colleagues to remember where you are. It can help others to feel more comfortable when making referrals and to easily locate you in case of scheduled meeting.
6. Web address/blog address. Allow people to find you easily online. If you have a very informative blog, let people know they can use this as a resource. Especially for freelancers, websites are a great portfolio tool; help people find it! Printing your web/blog address on your materials also helps drive traffic to your site, thus increasing your search engine rankings.
7. What you do. If you choose not to include your service type in your logo or in your tagline, be sure it states clearly on your card what service/product it is you’re offering. If someone handed you their business card at a networking function with only a name, logo and contact info, you might be left trying to remember what service it was exactly that individual provided.
Optional pieces of information to add include your company tagline, fax number, hours of operation and your job title, along with anything else you feel is important to include.
Once I have all of the necessary info, I’m ready to start a business card design. Of course I’ll want to be sure to use colors and design details that reflect a client’s branding. However, there are other ways to make business cards more interesting as well, such as folds and shape.
10 Business Words to Ban
As a follow up to my post on poor writing in business, I'd like to present a short list of the most pompous business words and phrases I'd most like to never see or hear again:
10. As well as The three word version of "and," which should always be replaced by it, unless you are MacGyver trying to delay a mad scientist from blowing up the world by speaking as much as possible.
9. And/or An editor once told me, "And-slash-or means 'and' or 'or,' so pick one, unless you have no idea what you're trying to say, in which case, by all means use it."
8. People manager As opposed to "Goldfish supervisor?" Seriously, this is a "try not to offend anyone term," that makes managers of people and non-people (whatever that is) feel less like managers or people and more like guppies.
7. Value, valued, valuing Like "bad" in the '70s, "value" now seems to connote its opposite. When someone says, "You and your ideas are valued," you know both you and your ideas are a step closer to the door.
6. Value Add Like value, "value add" doesn't mean "value" or "add." It is a substitute for the potentially embarrassing, "I don't understand." As in, "Yes, but what's the value add to take away from your presentation?"
5. Take Away You take away food in a paper bag with a clown on it. Period.
4. Net-net Like "irregardless," this phrase is meaningful when chopped in half, and meaningless in whole--except to indicate that the speaker doesn't know what "net" means.
3. At the End of the Day It's omnipresent. Google shows 15+ million hits. One source says it was the most written cliché of 2006. Otherwise respectable people use it like Sarah Palin used "ya know," and chances are you'll hear it several times per meeting--if you don't just run away to get to the end of your day without screaming.
2. Out of pocket This means you were on company business and using your own funds. But people increasingly use it when they are unreachable, on vacation, or even just in the restroom and away from their Blackberry (you don't email from there, right?). Instead, just say "away." Otherwise I will keep imagining a giant pocket somewhere that you couldn't get yourself back into.
1. Individual The five-syllable "Individual" reduces us to police speak, "The individual exited the vehicle" instead of "He got out of the car." Like the word "troop" for "soldier," it's a way to distance the speaker from actual people, which is potentially useful if you want to say "30,000 troops were lost," which sounds far less bloody than "30,000 soldiers died." In business, "individual" gives me a similar chill. Especially in the phrase that unites two words from this list: "We value the individual." We all know what that means.
What about you? What words and phrases make you want to lunge at the throat of the co-worker who utters them? Or do you think this is all too nitpicky, and that it is folks like me who make you crazy?
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10. As well as The three word version of "and," which should always be replaced by it, unless you are MacGyver trying to delay a mad scientist from blowing up the world by speaking as much as possible.
9. And/or An editor once told me, "And-slash-or means 'and' or 'or,' so pick one, unless you have no idea what you're trying to say, in which case, by all means use it."
8. People manager As opposed to "Goldfish supervisor?" Seriously, this is a "try not to offend anyone term," that makes managers of people and non-people (whatever that is) feel less like managers or people and more like guppies.
7. Value, valued, valuing Like "bad" in the '70s, "value" now seems to connote its opposite. When someone says, "You and your ideas are valued," you know both you and your ideas are a step closer to the door.
6. Value Add Like value, "value add" doesn't mean "value" or "add." It is a substitute for the potentially embarrassing, "I don't understand." As in, "Yes, but what's the value add to take away from your presentation?"
5. Take Away You take away food in a paper bag with a clown on it. Period.
4. Net-net Like "irregardless," this phrase is meaningful when chopped in half, and meaningless in whole--except to indicate that the speaker doesn't know what "net" means.
3. At the End of the Day It's omnipresent. Google shows 15+ million hits. One source says it was the most written cliché of 2006. Otherwise respectable people use it like Sarah Palin used "ya know," and chances are you'll hear it several times per meeting--if you don't just run away to get to the end of your day without screaming.
2. Out of pocket This means you were on company business and using your own funds. But people increasingly use it when they are unreachable, on vacation, or even just in the restroom and away from their Blackberry (you don't email from there, right?). Instead, just say "away." Otherwise I will keep imagining a giant pocket somewhere that you couldn't get yourself back into.
1. Individual The five-syllable "Individual" reduces us to police speak, "The individual exited the vehicle" instead of "He got out of the car." Like the word "troop" for "soldier," it's a way to distance the speaker from actual people, which is potentially useful if you want to say "30,000 troops were lost," which sounds far less bloody than "30,000 soldiers died." In business, "individual" gives me a similar chill. Especially in the phrase that unites two words from this list: "We value the individual." We all know what that means.
What about you? What words and phrases make you want to lunge at the throat of the co-worker who utters them? Or do you think this is all too nitpicky, and that it is folks like me who make you crazy?
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Setting up a fashion business 101..what do I need to know?
Whether you enter the fashion business as a bricks and mortar retailer, internet retailer or as a fashion designer, the rules are the same. Dedication and tenacity rule.
The only thing glamorous about fashion are the clothes themselves otherwise expect to spend a great part of your time unpacking boxes at 2 am, steaming clothes over and over again, and spending time pouring through receipts with an accountant will and must become part of your routine.
In order to be successful, you should think of yourself as a CEO first, fashion designer second.
A CEO is a manager of people, finances and processes. Therefore, you will have a great deal of responsibility and important business decisions will face you each and every day. The buck stops at you and the business should always be at the forefront of your mind, not just an afterthought.
For fashion designers, you will likely spend less than 10% of your time designing, while the rest of the time you will be managing production, sending clothes to magazines, dealing with suppliers who want their money yesterday.
Here are some question you must ask yourself.
“Do I really want to run a business?”
“Do I already have or can I find the necessary skills, contacts and funding to create a successful fashion company?”
“Do I have something unique to offer the market?”
Aside from these obvious questions, you must decise what your niche is. Who do you ideally want to sell to. The youth market?- very fickle or the older market - very staid and indecisive.
It’s worth pointing out now that not all fashion businesses have to operate at the high end of luxury, although it seems that that is where every designer wants to be.
Remember, your business concept needs to offer a clear proposition of value to your customer, and that value could be world-class design at more reasonable prices.
Look at Zara or H&M or Coach or American Apparel and how they have taken clear business ideas that allow them to deliver great fashion to the masses.
While it may seem ideal to be a “luxury” brand, also remember that some of the most influential fashion businesses are on the high street and in your neighbourhood mall, because they dress thousands of people around the world.
My opinion is that because you love Chanel does not necessarily mean you must sell Chanel. The whole point of being able to afford such luxuries is why you must become a successful fashion entrepreneur.
The only thing glamorous about fashion are the clothes themselves otherwise expect to spend a great part of your time unpacking boxes at 2 am, steaming clothes over and over again, and spending time pouring through receipts with an accountant will and must become part of your routine.
In order to be successful, you should think of yourself as a CEO first, fashion designer second.
A CEO is a manager of people, finances and processes. Therefore, you will have a great deal of responsibility and important business decisions will face you each and every day. The buck stops at you and the business should always be at the forefront of your mind, not just an afterthought.
For fashion designers, you will likely spend less than 10% of your time designing, while the rest of the time you will be managing production, sending clothes to magazines, dealing with suppliers who want their money yesterday.
Here are some question you must ask yourself.
“Do I really want to run a business?”
“Do I already have or can I find the necessary skills, contacts and funding to create a successful fashion company?”
“Do I have something unique to offer the market?”
Aside from these obvious questions, you must decise what your niche is. Who do you ideally want to sell to. The youth market?- very fickle or the older market - very staid and indecisive.
It’s worth pointing out now that not all fashion businesses have to operate at the high end of luxury, although it seems that that is where every designer wants to be.
Remember, your business concept needs to offer a clear proposition of value to your customer, and that value could be world-class design at more reasonable prices.
Look at Zara or H&M or Coach or American Apparel and how they have taken clear business ideas that allow them to deliver great fashion to the masses.
While it may seem ideal to be a “luxury” brand, also remember that some of the most influential fashion businesses are on the high street and in your neighbourhood mall, because they dress thousands of people around the world.
My opinion is that because you love Chanel does not necessarily mean you must sell Chanel. The whole point of being able to afford such luxuries is why you must become a successful fashion entrepreneur.
2009年3月31日星期二
Obama family chooses dog
From CNN's Lauren Kornreich
One of the most intense guessing games of President Obama’s new administration is finally over: the choice of first dog.
(CNN) – One of the most intense guessing games of President Obama’s new administration is finally over: the choice of first dog.
First Lady Michelle Obama told People magazine that her family has decided to adopt a Portuguese water dog, pointing to the breed’s medium-sized and good-natured reputation. The breed is also hypoallergenic — a must, given daughter Malia’s allergy to dogs.
The first lady said her daughters will have to wait until the end of April to get the dog, since her family is planning on going away for Spring Break.
The only thing left to pick is the name, and Mrs. Obama said she is not a fan of her daughters’ choices.
“There are names floating around and they're bad," Mrs. Obama said in the interview. "You listen and you go – like, I think, Frank was one of them. Frank! Moose was another one of them. Moose. I said, well, what if the dog isn't a moose? Moose. I'm like, no, come on, let's work with the names a little bit."
Since Obama announced on Election Night that his daughters had “earned” a dog, there has been a lot of speculation and input from dog-lovers around the country. The president has said for months that he was looking for a shelter dog that was hypoallergenic.
Mrs. Obama said she took some advice from Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, who owns two Portuguese water dogs and had lobbied the first family to choose the breed. But overall, she said found the level of excitement about the family’s dog “surprising.”
"It's all great and gracious attention,” Mrs. Obama said, in the edition of people that hits newsstands Friday. “People are just being as helpful as you can imagine. So I know that we will find the perfect breed. And we'll find people who are caring folks who will help us find the dog of our dreams.
One of the most intense guessing games of President Obama’s new administration is finally over: the choice of first dog.
(CNN) – One of the most intense guessing games of President Obama’s new administration is finally over: the choice of first dog.
First Lady Michelle Obama told People magazine that her family has decided to adopt a Portuguese water dog, pointing to the breed’s medium-sized and good-natured reputation. The breed is also hypoallergenic — a must, given daughter Malia’s allergy to dogs.
The first lady said her daughters will have to wait until the end of April to get the dog, since her family is planning on going away for Spring Break.
The only thing left to pick is the name, and Mrs. Obama said she is not a fan of her daughters’ choices.
“There are names floating around and they're bad," Mrs. Obama said in the interview. "You listen and you go – like, I think, Frank was one of them. Frank! Moose was another one of them. Moose. I said, well, what if the dog isn't a moose? Moose. I'm like, no, come on, let's work with the names a little bit."
Since Obama announced on Election Night that his daughters had “earned” a dog, there has been a lot of speculation and input from dog-lovers around the country. The president has said for months that he was looking for a shelter dog that was hypoallergenic.
Mrs. Obama said she took some advice from Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, who owns two Portuguese water dogs and had lobbied the first family to choose the breed. But overall, she said found the level of excitement about the family’s dog “surprising.”
"It's all great and gracious attention,” Mrs. Obama said, in the edition of people that hits newsstands Friday. “People are just being as helpful as you can imagine. So I know that we will find the perfect breed. And we'll find people who are caring folks who will help us find the dog of our dreams.
2009年3月25日星期三
When we lose weight, where does the lost weight go?
After weeks of trimming a few calories here, exercising a little more there, you put on a pair of jeans, and like magic, the waist has grown. You button them up to behold a welcome space between your belly and the fabric. How did that happen?
With 66 percent of the adult American population either overweight or obese [source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], a lot of people are trying to drop some pounds. Through dieting, exercise, surgery or a host of other alternatives, they hope to reach the goal of a smaller body. But to where does that weight disappear when the hard work pays off?
The short answer is that our bodies convert molecules in fat cells to usable forms of energy, thus shrinking the cells. But getting this to happen isn't just about sweat bands and short shorts. Understanding how our bodies perform this tummy-trimming trick requires a little more detail.
We know that weight loss hinges on burning calories. Calories measure the potential energy in food you eat in the form of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
If our bodies were cars, energy would be the gas to keep everything running. Lounging in front of the television is like cruising the strip, while sprinting around a track is more like drag racing at maximum speeds. In short, more work means more energy.
The body uses some of those calories to digest food. Once the food is broken down into its respective parts of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, it either uses the remaining energy or converts it to fat for storage in fat cells. Fat cells live in adipose tissue, which basically acts like an internal gas station, storing away fuel reserves.
To lose weight, you must burn more calories, or energy, than you consume to start using up that fuel reserve. Essentially, you're not ingesting enough calories to fuel your additional exercise, so your body must pull from fat stores.
How? Go to the next page to get the skinny on the fat-burning process.What DO Women Want?
his Sunday’s New York Times Magazine featured a piece on recent research on female sexual desire conducted by what the Times describes as “post-feminist sexologists”. If you haven’t read the piece yet, I would suggest doing so before you read the rest of this post.
While I’m thrilled that the New York Times gave such a prominent place to the topic of female sexuality, there were several things that came to mind as I was reading the article that I would like to throw out there for general reflection and comment that I wished the article had addressed, or addressed more concretely.
First, much of this research is aimed at “fixing” female desire which is seen as being lower than it should be. Why? I think there are two main reasons. First, to what standard are we comparing female desire? Male desire. Men are the referent, the default as they have been for everything else throughout history. What if it’s actually the other way around and women have (in general) the right levels of desire while men are hyper-active? (Or what if neither is true and it’s all a big jumble?) We can’t even imagine this world where women’s desire is foremost because so many things would have to change for that world to exist. I therefore reject the idea of these researchers as “post-feminist”. Second, these women who are less desirous than they should be constitute fully one-third of the female population. The definition of a disorder is that it is irregular. Is something a disorder if one-third of people have it? Is blond hair a disorder? How about left-handedness?
Of course, one could say that if women feel their lack of desire is a problem, then it should be addressed. This may be the case, but how should it be addressed? I bet there isn’t one person out there who doesn’t have at least one thing about their sex life that they feel needs fixing. What does it do to those women with “low desire” if we take their particular problem and medicalize it, hooking them up to things and trying to develop drugs? Are these the fixes we’re hoping for or could we look outside of the medical establishment into people’s bedrooms and work from there? Perhaps the solutions we would find if we did this would be healthier, less stigmatizing and longer lasting.
At the very end of the article, this brief paragraph appears:
“So many cultures have quite strict codes governing female sexuality,” she said. “If that sexuality is relatively passive, then why so many rules to control it? Why is it so frightening?” There was the implication, in her words, that she might never illuminate her subject because she could not even see it, that the data she and her colleagues collect might be deceptive, might represent only the creations of culture, and that her interpretations might be leading away from underlying truth. There was the intimation that, at its core, women’s sexuality might not be passive at all. There was the chance that the long history of fear might have buried the nature of women’s lust too deeply to unearth, to view.
When I read this I thought to myself “start the article here!”. All research is embedded within culture. Gender and sexuality, being so fundamental to every culture are even more embedded. This means that assumptions we make about gender and sexuality can influence our thinking and research without us even being aware of them. They’re there in the questions we ask, the subjects we recruit, and how we interpret our data. We’re as mixed up in at as the people we want to research, so pulling back and looking at something with a completely objective eye can be impossible.
This cultural context also means that what research describes might not be how things actually are, but how the current culture is shaping them to be. Could past attitudes about sexuality and gender resulted in very different results? It’s entirely plausible. For me, this means that our sexuality is not set, it’s flexible and “fixing” something that is undesirable may be more about changing the culture than developing a drug or therapy. As someone always hoping for a bit of a revolution, this idea appeals to me.
First on my list of themes for the revolution would be something left entirely out of the discussion in this article: pleasure. In any discussion about sexuality in the United States, especially one that takes place in the mainstream media, pleasure is often the elephant in the room. The following scenarios seem entirely plausible: women in pleasure-less sexual relationships don’t want to have sex as often; women who are not having the kind of pleasure they were raised to think they should get feel inadequate and don’t want to have sex as often; women who were raised to think the kind of pleasure they do have is wrong or should not be expressed feel guilty and… you guessed it, have less desire. It could even be that what women were responding to in the porn films including the bonobos was pleasure.
In other words, maybe what women really want is true, uninhibited, guilt-free, glorious pleasure - be that by themselves or with a partner. It’s just a thought, but it’s certainly something worth researching. Or, we could start a pleasure revolution. I think I know the perfect spot for the headquarters.Fug Madness 2009, Round 2 continued: Madonna bracket
(4) JOAQUIN PHOENIX vs. (5) VICTORIA "POSH" BECKHAM
So, here's my question: Do you think Reese Witherspoon looks at Joaquin Phoenix today and thinks, "Damn, that dude was completely method-smitten with me while we shot Walk The Line. I could have tapped that. I TOTALLY dodged a bullet there"?
Because really, whether he's faking it or not, who among us saw THAT coming? He's turned into the love child of a Bee Gee and Bruce Vilanch.
However, JQ here might have stumbled upon a solution to his appearance problems:
Continue reading Fug Madness 2009, Round 2 continued: Madonna bracket.
Katie "Fugdan" Fugce
I don't know much about horses except how to bet on them, but I do know this:
If I ever decide to go riding, the FIRST things I'm going to don are my knee-socks, pumps, and velour hot pants with matching hoodie. Because open, oozing saddle sores are the new black.
If I ever decide to go riding, the FIRST things I'm going to don are my knee-socks, pumps, and velour hot pants with matching hoodie. Because open, oozing saddle sores are the new black.
2009年3月24日星期二
Zigga Zig Fug
Let's get one thing straight: Geri Halliwell is looking amazing: She deserves only props for how hot she is.
So why not leave SOMETHING to the imagination? Or, at the very least, go for something that doesn't so tragically mishandle her lovely lady lumps and/or makes her look a bit like the car hop at the world's fanciest drive-in burger joint? Not that she wouldn't make a cute car hop. I'm just wondering if the alternative wasn't considered...
So why not leave SOMETHING to the imagination? Or, at the very least, go for something that doesn't so tragically mishandle her lovely lady lumps and/or makes her look a bit like the car hop at the world's fanciest drive-in burger joint? Not that she wouldn't make a cute car hop. I'm just wondering if the alternative wasn't considered...
Random Fug
I don't know who this Tiana Silliphant is -- Google suggests she was married to the dude who wrote The Poseidon Adventure -- but she clearly WANTS people to know her.
Why else would she show up to a Broadway opening night dressed like she just broken into Bai Ling's closet? She looks like the bareback rider for an adults-only circus. For an extra $15, she'll twirl your baton.
Why else would she show up to a Broadway opening night dressed like she just broken into Bai Ling's closet? She looks like the bareback rider for an adults-only circus. For an extra $15, she'll twirl your baton.
Gifts - Personalized Childrens Plates
Gifts are always special things for childrens. Its the only way to make childrens more happier than ever. That too, when personalized gifts are presented to childrens, you will have a place in the childrens heart. Thats why, personalized gifts have a higher priority than ordinary gifts. Personalized childrens plates is of one type through which you can attract childrens. A site called Posylane offers you a wide range of personalized childrens plates. These plates offered by Posylane are made of super strong plastic, durable, scratch resistant, kid tested and mom approved. The plates are BPA free which means it does not contain Bisphenol A which affects our human health. The plates offered by them are securely laminated and feature age appropriate games and other activities on the back. There are three types of games which has been designed considering the childrens age. You can select any one from three according to your requirements.
Personalized Children's Plates For Your Little Ones
As a graphic designer, some clients approach me to ask if I do personalized invites. Yes, I do. One client asked me to design a birthday invite for her daughter. This client is meticulous and really likes to please her daughter’s classmates and even their parents!
On the course of our transaction, she then asked me and some of her friends to think of personalized memento to be given away to kids after the party. We suggested some things but she wasn’t satisfied with them. She surfed the net for unique give-aways but she didn’t find the right one.
Had she seen the personalized children’s plates on Posylane, she’d say she found the perfect after-party gift. I really believe these were what she was looking for all along! The plates are made of melamine so they are sturdy and safe for use by kids. The plates have matching placemats which have age-appropriate activity games at the back. So be it in a party or just for solo dining or family dinner, kids will surely enjoy dining in style!
On the course of our transaction, she then asked me and some of her friends to think of personalized memento to be given away to kids after the party. We suggested some things but she wasn’t satisfied with them. She surfed the net for unique give-aways but she didn’t find the right one.
Had she seen the personalized children’s plates on Posylane, she’d say she found the perfect after-party gift. I really believe these were what she was looking for all along! The plates are made of melamine so they are sturdy and safe for use by kids. The plates have matching placemats which have age-appropriate activity games at the back. So be it in a party or just for solo dining or family dinner, kids will surely enjoy dining in style!
Japan's HRP-4C 'fashion model robot' unveiled, already harassed (update: video!)
Update: Video posted after the break that's equal parts creepy and uh, creepy.
China Int'l Fashion Week kicks off
March 24, the China International Fashion Week (09/10 autumn and winter series) opened in Beijing, this Fashion Week will be at Club D. PARK Beijing, Beijing hotel, such as home to host a week-long special releases, special competitions, thematic Forum and other major activity near 40, Fashion Week will have from home and abroad during the near 20 famous brands organized fashion trends released.
Models present fashions during the China International Fashion Week (2009/2010 autumn/winter series) opened in Beijing, capital of China, March 24, 2009.
A model presents a fashion during the China International Fashion Week (2009/2010 autumn/winter series) opened in Beijing, capital of China, March 24, 2009.
A model presents a fashion during the China International Fashion Week (2009/2010 autumn/winter series) opened in Beijing, capital of China, March 24, 2009.
A model presents a fashion during the China International Fashion Week (2009/2010 autumn/winter series) opened in Beijing, capital of China, March 24, 2009.
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Hong Kong Film Festival Female Stars shining star with a Fashion show
March 22, thirty-third session of the Hong Kong International Film Festival. The Film Festival makes grand debut have many stars, the spotlight flashing female stars will undoubtedly become the focus of attention, the Hong Kong Film Festival Events at the scene is no doubt Fashion stars big show with a good opportunity
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Vermilion skirt and white high-profile in the end
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7 Reasons Every Woman Should Meditate Every Day
Meditation is very important to me. I like to spend at least 15 minutes a day on my meditation cushion focusing on my mind and breath. In this article I want to show you seven reasons why every woman should meditate every day.
7 reasons every woman should meditate every day
Have a read through these reasons and see if any of them make sense to you. If they do then I highly encourage you to start meditating on a regular basis - ideally first thing in the morning.
1. It makes you happier
The most important reason to start meditate every day is because it makes you happier. Meditation helps you to get in touch with your thoughts and emotions and work through a lot of crap that you might otherwise just let float around. It also helps you become more focused and mindful which leads to happiness because your actions will start to match your intentions.
2. It is good for you
Science has shown that meditation is extremely good for your health. It relaxes your heartbeat and lowers your blood pressure - extremely important for all you corporate women out there who are busy focusing on deadlines and due dates. Meditation also strengthens your internal energies which will make you less susceptible to colds and flus.
3. It gives you quiet time
These days there is almost no room for quiet time. You are either looking after the kids or your husband or work is riding you to meet with some client - there is no time for silence. But silence is extremely important. It can relax your mind and body and allow you to “process” all the things that are going on. Ten minutes of silent meditation everyday will go a long way to making you more sane.
4. You will become stronger
Meditation masters are always strong people who can deal with any situation that gets thrown at them. The reason for this is because they have become so accustomed and familiar with their own mind that they are able to see through all the trash and just remain calm. After a few months of regular meditation you will find that you don’t get blown around by all the little ups and downs that life throws at you.
5. You will be able to train harder
Along the same lines as the previous point, meditating regularly will allow you to train a lot harder. The reason is simple. When you begin looking at mind you start to see that your thoughts have no real power. They arise and dissolve but they never really have any inherent power to influence you. After a while you will be able to take this realization off the cushion and out into the world with you. For example, when you are running on the treadmill and your mind is telling you “stop” you will be able to see through that game and push on. This is a very valuable skill to have.
6. It removes stress from your body and mind
One of the most fundamental benefits of meditation is relaxation. Meditation allows you to process all the stress in your mind and sort it out. And once it is out of your mind it will soon be out of your body. Your muscles will relax and your joints will loosen. Daily meditation will make you a much more relaxed and easy going person.
7. Your sleep will be peaceful
Another major benefit that I have noticed is that my sleep has become a lot more peaceful. I fall asleep much faster and I am able to wake up fresh. This is extremely important if you have a training session to get to or you need to start work early.
Conclusion
The wonderful thing about meditation is that the more you do it, the more benefits you will get. If you can sneak in five minutes of meditation after work and ten minutes before you go to bed then you will be well on your way to better health and a lot happier living.
5 Common Foods That Are Making You Fat
Every time I sit down with friends I am shocked at how little they know about food. Last night I went out with a friend who said that she was on a weight loss diet but then proceeded to order a main size pasta because it was “low in fat”. Bad idea. In this post I am going to show you 5 common foods that are making you fat.
1. White bread
Of all the common foods out there it is white bread that is doing the most damage to your waistline. If you could cut out one food from your diet today and never eat it again this would be a good choice. White bread is full of refined sugar, preservatives and a lot of salt. All of these things slow down your metabolism and make you fat.
2. Pasta
As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, pasta is not great for your weight. It is extremely high in carbohydrates and as such it will fat you up. The other thing about pasta is that you usually add fatty foods to it as a topping. Cheese is one of them. Mixing fat and carbs is a surefire way to put on weight.
3. Coffee
Yep, that’s right. Coffee is making you fat. But not because of the coffee itself, because of all the sugar, cream and biscuits you add to it. Ask yourself how many sugars you have in your coffee and then times that amount by how many coffees you have in a day. Pour that amount on to the counter so you have a visual impression of what we are talking about. Do you realize that almost all of that will be stored as fat? Slow down on the coffee.
4. Beer
The older I get the more I realize how dependent many people are on alcohol. It seems as though no event is alcohol free. Even after sporting games people go and get drunk. But these nights out are making you fat. Beer has a lot of calories in it and it is also a massive metabolism depressant. The more you drink the less calories your body will burn.
5. Fat free meals
Fat free has to be one of the most misleading marketing schemes in the history of food. Fat free does not mean it will help you lose weight. In fact, fat free foods are some of the WORST foods you can eat if you are trying to burn fat. Why? Because they pack the food with preservatives, salt and especially sugar. None of these things are good for you. Next time you see a fat free item pick it up and look at the amount of sugar and salt in it. You’ll never buy it again.
Conclusion
If you can avoid these five foods your diet will be well on its way to becoming more healthy. How many of these foods do you eat?
11 Tactics to Get More from Your Gym Sessions
Life is busy. Work, family, cooking dinner. It doesn’t leave us with a lot of time to workout. So when we finally make it to the gym we need to make sure we are getting the most out of our workout sessions. In this post I am going to show you 11 ways to get more from your time at the gym.
11 tactics to get more from your gym session
These tips are designed to help make your gym workouts more efficient, effective and result producing. If you have anything else to add please head over to the forum and leave your tips. You never know, your knowledge might really help someone.
1. Have a coffee before hand
Studies have shown that coffee helps you workout. It keeps you more focused and alert and it can even help you perform better physically. This is particularly true if you are doing a weight loss workout as caffeine speeds up your heart rate and metabolism.
2. Warm up correctly
A lot of women fail to warm up correctly. If you are doing a weights session that involves a lot of upper body work you need to make sure you warm up that part of your body. Running on a treadmill is no good! If you are going to be doing upper body weights perhaps start with some rowing.
3. Keep hydrated
When you workout your body loses fluids. This can end your workout prematurely because it starts to make you feel sick and tired. Keeping hydrated is extremely important if you want to make sure you are getting the most from your time at the gym. Keep a water bottle with you or make sure you constantly visit the fountain.
4. Workout the big muscle groups
There are two types of weight lifting exercise - isolated and compound. Isolated exercises only work one muscle at a time and as such do not have a lot of full body benefits. Compound exercises, on the other hand, workout lots of muscles at once. This is a much better option for saving time, burning calories and getting a full body workout in a short space of time.
5. Use heavy weights
Whoever it was that first said that light weights tone your muscles was a fool. Light weights don’t do much at all to be honest. If you want to tone up and lose weight then you need to use heavy weights. Don’t worry, you won’t get bulky. All you will do is burn calories faster and make a lot more progress.
6. Workout with a partner
Sometimes we can be a little bit lazy when we workout by ourselves. We wander around looking at the televisions or taking big breaks in between sessions. However, if you workout with a partner a lot of that is cut out. Similarly, you will be more likely to work hard when your partner is pushing you to do better. Try it out.
7. Have a fixed routine
A few years ago I used to go to the gym and spend half of my time walking around wondering what to do next. This is a big waste of time. Plan your sessions before you go by creating a fixed routine. Stick to that routine and you will find that your sessions become a heck of a lot more productive.
8. Take some music
There is nothing like a good loud song to get you working out harder. I always seem to run a lot further when I have a good hip hop song in my ear. Try and put together a workout playlist and crank it on whenever you do your cardio sessions. The added emotion will really get you moving.
9. Have a set goal
One thing I noticed recently was that I worked a lot harder at the gym when I had a set goal. In previous years I would just go the gym out of some sense of needing to stay fit and slim but recently I decided that I wanted to lose 5 kilograms after spending too much time in the local cafe on an overseas trip. Once I had this set goal I did what I needed to do to achieve it and stayed on track. Find out what you want to achieve, write it down and go for it!
10. Cut your sessions to 45 minutes
Your gym sessions should not go for longer than 45 minutes. Any long than this and your body starts to produce a chemical that can actually hamper your progress. But that is not the only reason. If you cut your session times down you will be forced to fit more in and work harder. This is a fantastic way to work out - intensely.
11. Squat
The squat is the best wight lifting exercise there is. A good session of heavy weighted squats will burn more calories than any other exercise. But what is really cool about the squat is the fact that your body will continue to burn calories after you have finished the workout. If you really want to super charge your gym session you need to start squatting on a regular basis.
If you have any other suggestions please drop by our forum and let us know!
Leather vs Plastic: What is the Best Skipping Rope?
Last week I talked about how skipping is one of the best exercises for weight loss. Today I want to have a little chat about the different types of skipping ropes that are on the market and help you decide which one to buy. Your rope will make all the difference to your skipping experience.
Is the classic leather boxing rope the best?
The most popular form of skipping rope is the heavy leather rope that was popularized by boxing. For over a hundred years boxers have been using a leather jump rope to improve their cardiovascular ability, muscle fitness and endurance. When people saw how fit boxers were they wanted to copy their training regime and as such the leather rope was adopted into gyms and weight loss centers around the world.
But is it really the best choice?
I have been skipping for close to ten years now and in that time I have had over fifteen skipping ropes. Some of them were good. Some of them were terrible. And after all these years I can honestly say that the leather skipping rope is NOT the best choice for your skipping needs.
Plastic speed ropes: the better skipping choice
So what should you choose instead of the traditional boxing leather rope? A plastic speed rope. These new inventions are a much better option if you want to make your skipping sessions intense, furious and extremely good for calorie burning.
The weighted versions of these ropes are particularly good. They allow you to turn the rope a lot faster than normal and as such you get a more intense cardio workout as well as really pushing your muscle strength to the next level. The main problem with the leather ropes is that you simply cannot turn it very fast. The plastic weighted ropes completely overcome this problem.
The other major advantage of the plastic speed ropes is the ball bearing handles that allow you to turn the rope at high speed without any tension. The rope is not “fixed” to the handles as in a traditional skipping rope but instead rotates 360 degrees inside the handle. This is a fantastic feature that every serious skipper must look for.
Conclusion
If you are in the market for a new skipping rope I would bypass the leather rope altogether. Go for a modern weighted plastic skipping rope and watch how much better your skipping sessions will be. I am certain that you will find them a lot more challenging, entertaining and productive.
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