March 24th, 2010 by sugig

“I can resist anything, except temptation.”

So wrote Oscar Wilde hundreds of years ago, during the repressive Victorian era.
If there’s one thing that time hasn’t altered, it is human beings’ desire for the unattainable and the forbidden.
Eve herself made that clear, when she reached out to grasp that luscious and oh-so-sinful piece of fruit hanging in the Garden of Eden.

So, how many of us suffer from the Eve complex?
We all begin our diets full of the best intentions, preparing ourselves for the dark, lonely road of pious self-denial, when suddenly, we have a crisis of conscience.

Picture the scene.

You stroll casually into your local supermarket, armed with a mental list of spinach, quinoa and water chestnuts, when you hit the confectionery aisle.

Rows upon rows of gaudy, shiny wrappers seem to call out to you softly,
hypnotising you with their multicoloured designs.
You fall helplessly under their spell, you are intoxicated and before you know it, you’re crouched in aisle seven in the foetal position, scoffing yourself with more indecent enthusiasm than Augustus Gloop, while the shambles of failure tumble all around you in it’s many glittering paper forms.

The sad truth is that as soon as we decide we have to deny ourselves something, we start to crave it desperately.

The reason diets don’t work is because they are initiated with a feeling of ‘loss’ in mind. When we feel we are losing something, we feel the need to compensate by defying ourselves, by rebelling against our healthy decisions and destroying our well-laid plans.

What we need to do to make a diet successful, is not to think of it as a diet at all. Choose another phrase. “Making better food choices” isn’t quite as catchy, but it comes from a more positive base. Or if someone asks you why you’re not opting for your customary lump of Death by Chocolate cake, you could respond with “I’m on a do-it” and a complacent smile at their bemused countenance.

When it comes to exercise, set yourself realistic goals. Setting the alarm at 5am to stagger down the road in a wild attempt to emulate Linford Christie will do you no favours. Instead find something fun you actually enjoy doing, something that can preferably done with a friendly volunteer, so that even if you do look like a berk trying to stay in step with the Tango King of Argentina, you’ll have somebody sympathetic to laugh along with.

So the next time your thinking of fitting into that cocktail dress for the work do, think not of dieting as a dreaded chore, but as a wonderful opportunity for gain.

Gaining in confidence, gaining in self-worth, anything but gaining in inches.

March 23rd, 2010 by sugig

Lifestyle changes can help you eliminate stress, but how to go about changing your routine that you have led probably for several years. First of all let me say that your overall attitude on how well you let stress bother you will be the first determined factor on what needs to be eliminated. How you let others affect you and how you affect others will be one solution on ending your stress problems. Changing your attitude yes your attitude, even if you think your not in the wrong still change your attitude about it. We live in a negative world so its so easy to stay negative but try finding the positive about any situation and see how what once caused you stress has no meaning now. Remember you choose what and who you let affect you.

Can you just quit your job? Probably not recommended. Stress in the work place seems to be the most stressor out there and sometimes you bring that stress home. Do your job and do it well and when you walk out the door to go home leave all that work day stress there. Get in your car and have a favorite Cd waiting for you. Listen to something up beat or self calming relaxing music,let this be your unwind time.

Organize, thats an understatement.Being organized in itself will eliminate a lot of worries from your day.The night before make a list of to dos, then delegate. Start with the most important and work your way down and check of to see your accomplishments. Preparing meals ahead of time so a child or spouse can simply take them out of the freezer or better yet let someone else be in charge of meals a few days a week.

Talk to your spouse and children about upcoming events so no one is caught of guard and if your a parent you know what i mean by that statement” I told you that last week and i need it tomorrow”. As you all are speaking over dinner at the dinner table,which is also a positive moment, write it out. Make sure everyone is on the same page.

Praying can eliminate stress, ask for help.Read spiritual up lifting material.Go to church. Working all week can be stressful on everyone but it is amazing how one day (Sunday) can lift you up.

Get out of bed thirty minutes early. Not having to rush in the morning can eliminate stress, take your time. Instead of reaching for that tall cup of Java in the mornings, have some green tea. Eliminate most of your sugars, white flours, caffeinne and processed food from your diet alone will help. Ingesting these foods can cause anywhere from anxiety to heart palpation’s, shakiness, feeling of uneasiness and many more symptoms that we relate to as stress throughout your whole day.

Finding time for yourself, relax, breath slowly for even five to ten minutes throughout the day can help you cope with life stresses.

March 21st, 2010 by sugig

Identity theft occurs when someone uses personally identifying information, such as Social Security numbers or credit card numbers, without permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. Thieves obtain this personally identifiable information by going through business trash, intercepting credit card information, “pretexting” or “phishing” to obtain personal information under false pretenses, or hacking into vulnerable computer systems.

Identity theft is serious. While some identity theft victims can resolve their problems quickly, others spend thousands of dollars and countless hours repairing damage to their good name and credit record. Some victims may lose out on jobs, or be denied loans because of negative information on their credit reports. In rare cases, they may even be arrested for crimes they did not commit. And the business that allows customer information to be compromised faces a significant customer relations problem.

Many companies collect personal information from their customers, including names, addresses, and phone numbers; bank and credit card account numbers; income and credit histories; and Social Security numbers. In addition, businesses collect and store a multitude of personal information from their employees as well. It is essential that businesses take adequate steps to safeguard this data, and to prevent identify theft.

Employers should keep employee personnel records under lock and key. These records contain names, addresses and Social Security numbers, as well as performance information and salary history. Stored separately, and also under lock and key, should be information relating to employee health information, including workers comp information, doctors’ notes, and leave requests.

These records should be taken out only when needed, and otherwise locked. Employees should not leave this information lying around. Rather, employees should secure such information if they need a bathroom break or are needed on the sales floor.

Protecting customer information is just as important.

First, be conservative in what information is collected in the first place. What is the minimum amount of information needed on each customer? Social Security numbers should be used only for reporting employee taxes and not as customer identification numbers.

Think about whether you should keep customer credit card numbers and expiration dates on file at all. Does it serve an important business function? Is the convenience to your customers of having this information on file important enough to justify the potential risks? Full credit card numbers should not be printed on receipts - use the last four digits only. Expiration dates should not be stored. Check the default settings on credit card processing machines and make sure they are not set to store this information permanently and are printing only the last four digits of the credit card number.

If you do need to keep private customer information for business reasons or to comply with the law, we recommend having a written document retention policy that sets forth how long you will keep the information, and how you will destroy it.

Paper records should be shredded so that they can’t be reconstructed. Media containing electronic records should be erased or destroyed so that records cannot be recovered or reconstructed.

Many of these records will be kept electronically. It is imperative that your computer have adequate firewalls and anti-virus protection. These programs should be updated regularly. Sensitive information should be kept in password protected files.

Sensitive information may also be stored in cash registers, inventory scanners or cell phones, and the security of these devices should be assessed as well. If possible, store sensitive information on a computer that does not have an Internet connection. Web applications, including those where you send information to vendors, are particularly vulnerable to hackers or security breaches.

If a computer is compromised, disconnect it immediately from Internet access. Investigate incidents immediately. You may be required by law to make certain notifications to customers, law enforcement, credit bureaus or your business partners (banks, credit card processors, etc). It is important to have a security plan in place.

March 16th, 2010 by sugig

Here’s the question for the day. If you managed a business and needed to hire people you could depend on to help make you successful, would you prefer someone with a poor education who demanded a high salary, or would you prefer someone with a better education who would work for a lower wage? A question similar to this was posed to me (as part of a group discussion) by John Sculley, past CEO of PepsiCo and Apple Computer.

We were sailing on the same ship together with a final destination of Bombay, India. From Bombay, my wife and I were flying back to the U.S., and Sculley was going on to Bangalore to have a firsthand look at the outsource-phone-center capital of the world. He explained that there were five reasons why American companies should outsource to India, and low wages was down at the bottom on that list. Here’s Sculley’s five reasons to outsource.

1. A better educated pool of people from which to hire. This is especially true for engineering and technical jobs since five of the six best scientific schools on earth are in India.

2. Eliminates office politics. There seems to be something in the culture of India, probably related to Hinduism, that inhibits people from the backstabbing ploys like credit stealing and rumor mongering which you see so often in the American workplace.

3. Outsourcing breaks the tyranny of the Human Resource department. (I loved this reason in particular. You’d need to have firsthand experience in an American corporation to fully appreciate this).

4. Prevents union and other organized labor problems.

5. Low wages. Scully said that this advantage is only temporary. With American wages declining and Indian wages rising rapidly, wage parity will be achieved, probably within ten years.

John Sculley was of the opinion that outsourcing to India is so beneficial to the productivity of an American company that any CEO would be remiss for not, at least, considering this option. And in his book, “The Earth is Flat,” writer and thinker, Thomas Friedman, claimed that the Intel Corporation has positioned itself to thrive for another 50 years without hiring any American workers. That’s not to say that Intel won’t hire Americans if they have the education and work ethic, but Intel is not willing to tie itself down to an all-American workforce. I know that other major corporations have a similar mind-set, even though they want to stay under the radar for PR reasons.

American patriots want you to believe that all of this is driven by the rise of China and India as economic powers. What nobody talks about is the fact that for the first time in modern world history the next generation of Americans will NOT be better educated than the generation previous to them. Within the developed world, the unbroken record of each generation improving on what they inherited that record has now been broken in the United States of America. Corporation heads are not stupid. They know this and acknowledge it even if the politicians avoid it.

It’s another election year. Here’s a tip for evaluating candidates. If a politician tells us that they will keep American jobs from going overseas, he or she is delusional. And if a politician says that they will bring outsourced jobs back from overseas, they are telling you an outright lie.

March 14th, 2010 by sugig

Life insurance premiums don’t have to be expensive in relation to the coverage you receive. This misconception stems from many consumers’ poor experiences with life insurance agents who are more concerned with their commissions than their customers. The good news is that there are plenty of options for people who don’t have much disposable cash!

I recently had an opportunity to spend some time with Tom, a great life insurance agent who explained different types of policies, and gave me some insight as to how they fit various customers’ budgets. He says the best way to serve his customers is to realistically determine how much coverage is needed, then find a policy that doesn’t hurt the wallet.

Tom broke down the available policies into two main categories: term and permanent. Term policies allow consumers to purchase a large amount of coverage at lower prices for a specific period of time, while permanent plans provide a fixed payment over the policyholder’s entire life.

Most people managing a tight budget will find term life insurance to provide the most favorable premium-to-benefit ratio. Tom showed me that I could purchase a $50,000 policy with a 10-year term for less than $10 per month. The best part is that premiums don’t increase on a linear scale with coverage amounts; increasing the coverage to $500,000 would only add about $6 per month to my plan.

I asked Tom how this would suit one of my friends. My buddy is supporting a family of five, including himself, three small children, and his disabled wife. Tom says my friend should consider a term plan in the range of roughly $1 million, due to his limited monthly resources and the extra needs of his family, given his wife’s condition. For a young man in good health, such a plan could be as little as $25-30 per month.

Tom, on the other hand, is in a different financial boat. He has more money to spare for insurance, so he combines different types of policies for maximum benefit. In order to ensure the family’s needs are met, he has a term policy with a large payout. He also carries whole life insurance that builds cash value over the life of the policy. Tom’s children are covered by whole life or universal life policies, which locks them into a low rate for the rest of their lives while getting a head start on investing for their future.

Permanent policies - whole life, universal life, and variable universal life - offer more options for customers that can afford to put a bit of extra cash into their insurance. Generally, it is more expensive than purchasing comparable coverage under a term plan, but the policy premiums are invested to provide a cash value component. These options can be exercised as tax shelters, or they can diversify the portfolio of savvy investors who may have already utilized other retirement accounts to the maximum allowable limits.

At the end of my session with Tom, it was clear that I really have no immediate need for life insurance at all. I’m a young, single veteran, which leaves no one to care for in the event of my untimely demise, and no burial expenses due to my Veterans Administration benefits. If I happen to find some disposable cash, Tom said he’d steer me towards universal or variable universal policies as an investment that also insures any incidental needs are covered if necessary.

Your life insurance benefits could easily outweigh the premiums if you take the time to find an honest agent who will cater to your individual needs. Be wary of insurance representatives who immediately steer you toward high-dollar policies without taking a serious look at your circumstances, as they are likely looking out for their commissions, and you will end up paying more than necessary. The right agent offering you the right products at the right time could save you a small fortune and alleviate a lot of headaches.

March 8th, 2010 by sugig

When you’ve been injured in a car wreck that wasn’t your fault, you’ve got a lot of things on your mind, most of them unpleasant. Such as dealing with your pain, the hassle of missing work, the need for medical treatment. What happens to my damaged vehicle? Who’ll take my kids to school while I’m in the hospital?

It can be overwhelming. So the last thing you need to worry about is being grilled by an insurance adjustor. Unfortunately, it happens a lot. The more severe the wreck, the more urgently the insurance company wants to get a recorded statement. And here’s the kicker: The at-fault adjustor is not a neutral party. The adjustor is actively trying to trip you up, so that their insurance company will not have to pay!

Many times, an adjustor will imply or tell you outright that you must give a recorded statement. They’ll say that in order to “set up their file”, you’re required to talk to them. If you refuse, they threaten that you won’t be able to make a claim later!

This is not true! You are not required to talk to the insurance company for the driver who caused your wreck. Furthermore, it is a bad idea to do so, at least before you’ve talked with an attorney experienced at handling auto injury cases.

Remember, the insurance company for the driver who caused your injuries does not want to pay you anything. They are not in your corner. Talk to an experienced lawyer first, before you say anything to the other driver’s adjustor or investigator.

March 8th, 2010 by sugig

It’s a fact of life that car insurance for students is expensive. That doesn’t mean that you can’t use the system to your advantage. Knowing what to look for when buying insurance can keep money in your pocket. Knowing what coverage you need, what discounts you can get, and how to compare insurance companies will definitely change what you pay in premiums.

Know what coverage you need.

Start by finding out what the required minimum coverage is in your state, think about your situation. Different states require different coverages. Now when you get a “minimum coverage” quote, from an insurance company, you have something to compare it to. A company’s “minimum coverage” can be quite different than a states minimum coverage, and cost you more money per month.

You always need liability coverage, but if your vehicle is only worth $1000 you may not need collision coverage. Every person’s situation is different, you have to look at what coverage you need, above and beyond the minimum coverage that you are required to have.

What kind of discounts, can you qualify for.

Every company has discounts that you can use to your advantage. Here are just a few examples for students:

1. Responsible student discount(having a 3.0 GPA), insurance companies feel that good students are good drivers.
2. Taking a defensive driving course. With some insurers that could save you up to $200 a year.
3. Having antilock brakes on your vehicle.
4. Having car insurance and renters insurance with the same company.
5. Keeping a good driving record.
Always ask about all the discounts the company offers, and how you can qualify for them. Sometimes, insurance companies need prodding to get them to the maximum number of discounts that you qualify for.

Compare apples to apples.

Student insurance is considered high risk insurance. Statistics show that a 17-year-old driver is five times more likely to have an auto accident then a 35-year-old driver, so the cost of insuring risk is also higher. Each insurance company has slightly different criteria and ways of analyzing risk. That means that prices vary between insurance companies for the same exact coverage. It can even vary up to double the price. You can use that to your advantage by comparing insurance companies and their policies.

Don’t just compare prices, but compare policies and benefits to find ways to save you money. A policy that is cheaper but doesn’t give you the coverage that you need is a waste of money.

The more companies that you compare, the better your chances are of saving money. Never compare less than three quotes from three different companies.

By knowing what coverage you need, getting all the discounts that you can, and comparing insurance companies to get the best possible deal, you can save money. Although car insurance for students will always be more expensive than standard rate insurance, by using these ideas you can make it more manageable for your budget.

March 5th, 2010 by sugig

An online affiliate marketing business is one of the best ways to start earning an income on the internet. In addition to the low startup costs this particular business model allows online entrepreneurs to focus exclusively on learning how to generate traffic. Another reason affiliate marketing is often considered the best business to start online is because most products you promote are already in demand.

With a vast selection of proven products to sell and having to focus only on traffic generation this allows the affiliate marketer the opportunity to promote many products simultaneously.

Now this leads us to the question: When you are marketing on the internet should you be promoting more than one product at a time? Are you diluting the marketing effectiveness you may otherwise experience if your efforts were focused on just one product?

Let’s examine the pros and cons of focusing all your marketing efforts on just one product.

The Pros

By concentrating your promotional efforts on just one product you can increase the intensity of your marketing blitz. It also allows you additional time to more closely watch and evaluate your advertising results so that necessary adjustments can be made. This would result in being able to more closely maximize the sales potential of the product

The Cons

By placing ‘all your eggs in one basket’ you risk losing all your income if and/or when the product fails to generate the needed demand for you to profit.

Too many things could go wrong that are out of your control such as a product recall, or discontinuation. Also a competitive product could be introduced that could quickly diminish demand for the existing product you are currently marketing on the internet.

The Conclusion

By diversifying you can minimize the negative impact you may experience when one product drops off in popularity. You (hopefully) still have other products experiencing strong demand/sales to pick up the slack.

On the other hand you may not be able to reap the full benefits of a hot product since your promotional efforts aren’t as intense as they may be if you focused solely on that particular product.

In the end diversification is probably more prudent due to the volatility and fickleness of consumer demand as it relates to any particular product. The inability to accurately predict market trends will always be a constant. That being said, in the long run, diversification would seem to be the better business decision in most cases. There is however no clear cut answer in this case.

One of the most compelling benefits of an online affiliate marketing business is that it allows for you to focus primarily on traffic generation. This gives most online entrepreneurs the opportunity to quickly sharpen their promotional skills since no time will be spent in the creation and shipping of products they are marketing on the internet. Now as a result the option of promoting many products simultaneously exists. When you also consider the low startup costs it is no wonder why many regard affiliate marketing as the best business to start online. The question as to whether promoting multiple products will negatively impact marketing efforts due to a lack of focus is a legitimate one. The final decision on that however should ultimately be made on an individual basis according to the motivational skills, promotional talents and experience of each marketer.