Friday, October 5, 2007

1st Class on the TITANIC

***365 of the planet's richest people, (including Bill Gates), have as
much
$$$ as 2.6 BILLION of the poorest [which is totally obscene!!!]. That
is
only 43 more people than were in 1st Class on the TITANIC! [There were
322
of them] In order for these greedy rich to be so wealthy, they have to
keep
billions poor, many homeless! In this ordered Universe, there are
specific
blessings distributed by the 'Maker of All Things' to each of us; but
the
obscene rich have played the game of MONOPOLY for real and stolen away
the
opportunities of billions of people! They were initially given wealth
as a
shared trust, to see that all have some share in humanity {"Love your
neighbor as yourself" means that you see to it that your neighbor has
it
just as good as you do; all 6 billion of us on this "blue marble" are
neighbors & at least 33rd cousins--->Genesis 6:9 We ALL come from
Noah's 3
sons!}.....We should ALL have a share in humanity, but the rich hoard
instead of sharing, which was part of their deal that they ignore. In
the
USA, everyone (300 million) could be a millionaire if the rich were
JUST
millionaires (1 million $$ each). 'No poor, no homeless, no
dis-enfranchised' is the possibility when opportunities are equal for
all;
the economy would be 90% better because everyone is a participating
member,
and there would be no theft [99% gone]! It is time to start the
MONOPOLY
game all over again!!! In the opening part of the original film,
"Planet of
the Apes", actor Charlton Heston states the reason why he left modern
Earth
in a spaceship, never to return..."Because brother goes to war with
brother,
and men do nothing while their neighbor's children starve". We didn't
come
from animals, but began our existence as human; should we now act like
the
instinctual animals that live by "the survival of the fittest", where
there
is no love? Love is only something you can spend on God and other
humans...you cannot spend it on yourself, or anything lower....that is
not
love; that is "self"! SEE--->"LOVE is the Real Thing" on
http://excoboard.com/exco/index.php?boardid=1979 or http://keeperofflame.proboards24.com/. "Poverty is the worst form of violence." Mahatma Gandhi [The father of India's
freedom].....The 1st Class rich on the TITANIC learned the lesson of
equality too late: when the ship went down, they all went down
together, no
matter where you were on the boat! Will the rich learn now, before it
is too
late....when the poor of the planet sink the ship by burning the
loveless
world down, each city, in one night....the fuse lit and the chaos
spread by
instant planet-wide communication of the beginning event??----------[From: "The Life of Emile Zola".........."You know that people don't want to see the starved face of truth; they would much prefer perfumed lies".]----------The conscience of man must have another moment in time; in OUR time!

Ladies, show off your Hair with cute Hair accessories!

Hair accessories offer an easy way of showing off your hair. Choose from a host of hair clips, scrunches, trendy scarves, bandanas and what have you. A well-chosen and well-coordinated hair accessory goes a long way in giving you and your hair a unique look. Hair accessories are almost a must-have in one’s fashion repertoire. So much so, that some celebrities are even identified by their trademark hair accessories.

There is a hair accessory for every occasion.

There is a hair accessory for every occasion, need or situation. And we virtually have a barrage of "specialized" hair accessories. Take for example children’s hair accessories which are designed for their special hair needs. Or for that matter, wedding hair accessories for that all-important event in your life, with different but coordinated hair accessories for the bridesmaids, the bridal party and a regal one for the all-important bride! Delve into a choice of tiaras, hair sticks, headpieces, halos and combs made from a wide variety of materials including pearl and crystal! Hair fashion has indeed come a long way! Bridal hair accessories come in the widest varieties, limited only by one’s imagination. Yesterday’s ponytail tied in ribbon are passé – today, headgear is in. To make that small but significant fashion statement!

Do you want to be thinner, healthy and fit?

While we offer an effective and natural fat loss product – the Jen Fe Next Fat Loss Patch and the Power Patch, we also know that without a commitment from you to bring about some lifestyle changes, you won’t reach optimal fat loss. There is no product in the world that can produce fat loss while we are eating and drinking excessively, and moving only slowly from couch to car to office chair. We need a program of sensible diet and exercise that will support the products we utilize to help our weight loss.

Here’s what to eat:

1. Lots of vegetables and fruits

2. Increase healthy protein intake. This is how you build lean muscle tissue, which in turn speeds up your metabolism. Examples are fish, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, beans, and soy products.

3. Fiber-Rich foods. They will fill up and they make they are satisfying. In this category are: peas, beans, bran cereals, potato skins, nuts and seeds, oatmeal, bulger wheat, 100% whole wheat baked goods, fruits and vegetables.

4. Minerals. Calcium and other minerals are you “secret weapons” against body fat. They are found in low-fat dairy products, small or canned fish, soy tofu, green vegetables, nuts, seeds, bran cereals, and calcium fortified orange juice, and avoid processed, salt-loaded foods.

5. Eat fish and beneficial fats. Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid in some fish, oils and nuts is a good fat. Eat moderate amounts of salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and other oily fish. Soybeans, nuts, pumpkin seed are also excellent sources for Omega-3.

6. Reduce harmful fats – saturated and trans fats. These are not only high in calories; they are also loaded with harmful fatty acids that cause disease.

7. Always eat an adequate breakfast for several reasons: it will speed up your metabolism earlier in the day and when you skip breakfast, it makes it harder to control your appetite later in the day.

8. Cut back or eliminate alcohol. It is high in non-filling calories. Ideal consumption is one glass of beer or wine a day.

9. Stay away from junk carbohydrates – sugar and white flour are diet killers in all but the smallest amounts.

10. Gradually reduce your calorie intake because extreme and sudden dieting causes your body to conserve, not burn calories, and it slows fat loss.

11. Snack instead of eating large meals – larger, higher calorie meals tend to be stored as fat, instead of burned for energy. Ideally, you should eat five or six smaller, nutritious snacks each day instead of large meals.

12. Move! You must exercise to build lean tissue that burns fat. As little as two to three hours per week of brisk walking at minimum, and you will notice a major impact on your weight loss.

13. Reduce stress. It produces adverse fat-producing chemistry in your body. Try warm baths, meditation, deep breathing, stretching, massage, prayer and rest.

14. Get outside into the sunshine at lest 20 minutes per day – the vitamin D you get from sunshine works with calcium for health and body fat control.

Tips for Winning at Custody

Winning at Custody is one of the most difficult issues parents confront in divorce. In many cases, both parents want custody and are willing to spend whatever it takes to win. Custody is all about what is best for the children - and that involves proving that you are the best parent - i.e. that the other parent is not as good a parent as you and/or that the other parent is just simply a bad parent.

My recommended tips for winning at custody are:

1. If you are not involved in your children's lives now, you are not getting custody from a judge. If you are a working parent who lets your spouse handle all of the details of parenting, you are not prepared to win at custody. You must either change your objectives or change your parenting. If you really want custody, get involved now - in all aspects of your children's lives. Get involved in your children's schooling. Attend their extra curricular events. Take them to the doctor and dentist. Get to know what professionals your children see and be involved with them?

2. Make sure that you are not exposing your children to unsafe or unhealthy environments when they are with you. Are you involved in another relationship? Has there been more than one? Be very careful about exposing your children to your companion(s). Many judges, professionals, and other parents object to the children being subjected to other relationships too early in that process. More important, if you really want to win at custody, it should be because you want to spend time with your children parenting them. Spending time with someone else when you have the children is a recipe for losing at custody in court.

3. Do you put down your children's other parent when the children are with you - either consciously or subconsciously? If you do, stop. One sure way to lose at custody is to hurt the children's relationship with the other parent. A judge will consider whether a parent promotes or prevents the other parent's access to and relationship with the children when seeking custody.

4. Winning at custody requires that you keep a calendar for everything. You need to be able to look back and remember details when it comes time to litigage custody. If you do not know when you had the children, what events you attended, where they were or you were or allof the times your spouse was not timely for a pick up or drop off, you will only hurt your own case. You can keep track on your own calendar, with your own journal, or with a professionally managed calendaring system. We do provide access to a professional calendaring system for custody cases on our web site at http://www.millenniumdivorce.com/custody-planner.asp.

5. Be on time...Be on time....Be on time. Few issues cause as much conflict as a parent who is persistently late in picking up or dropping off children. It irks the judges, it creates arguments with your ex or soon to be ex, and it stresses out the children. So, Be on time.

6. Be flexible. If the other parent wants to switch weekends or weekdays, do it if you can manage your schedule. When the time comes to tell the judge why you should have custody, you can tell the judge that you are the parent who makes sure that the schedule works. In a close case, this issue makes a difference.

7. Do not involve your children in the issues that are pending in court or with attorneys. Courts generally are very opposed to the children knowing the details of what are essentially adult issues. Children should be told that both parents love them and want to see them - that's it. The children may see a psychologist and/or an attorney or other professional if the court directs that. The children can talk to those people about your case - you should not be giving them the details, especially if giving the details involves denigrating the other parent.

8. Winning at custody requires considering one other very important factor: where do the children want to live. It is not a good idea to coach your children on this issue. They will have an opportunity to tell what they want to either the court, their attorney or a psychologist. However, it is a good idea to know what they want. If they want to live with their other parent, you should not spend all of your time and money pursuing custody, unless you believe that it is unsafe or inappopriate for the children to live with that parent.

9. You do have to be willing to show why your children's other parent should not have custody. So, you need to keep track of whether that parent is on time, involved, and flexible with the schedule. If that parent has any issues that affect custody, such as a history of mental health issues which impact his or her ability to care for the children or alcohol or drug addictions, you need to let the court know. Other issues that can and do affect custody determinations include the number and frequency of romantic relationships and the epxosure of the children to those relationship, the proper supervision of the children, and ensuring that the children attend school and see professionals such as a doctor and dentist when necessary.

10. Above all else, hire a good attorney and be open and honest with your attorney. Listen to your attorney, not some friend or relative who is sure about what you should do because they had a friend or a relative who got a better deal. If you are paying your attorney, listen to what he or she has to say.

5 Quick Tips for Great Holiday Hair and Makeup

This holiday season you might say that old fashioned glitter and glamour is back. We have snooped out what’s hot this season: a modernized version of the old Hollywood glamour look.

Holiday Hair and Makeup Trend #1: Healthy Bronzed Skin
It may be cold and snowy out but you’ll look like you just flew in from sunny California. Achieve the look with a tinted moisturizer or bronzing powder.

Holiday Hair and Makeup Trend #2: Sparkling Eyes
Forget twinkle toes. Make your eyes the center of attention with a little sparkle. Achieve the look with glitter eye shadow and eye liner, optional: apply jeweled false eyelashes.

Holiday Hair and Makeup Trend #3: Glossy Lips
Plain lips become beautiful lips that look moist and dreamy with the right shade and lots of shine. Achieve the look with shiny lipstick in shades of pink or plum, or use a non-color gloss over a subtle shade of lipstick.

Holiday Hair and Makeup Trend #4: Upswept Hair and Loose Waves
A casual upswept do adds a bit of sophistication to your holiday look. Achieve the look by sectioning hair into two parts--below and above the ear. Twist and pin the bottom section into a tight bun. Sweep the top half back and tease out individual strands of hair. Loose waves bring back the 1930s era with style. Achieve the look with a large barrel curling iron.

Holiday Hair and Makeup Trend #5: Glitter Nails
All that glitters is golden for nails this season. Glitter adds the perfect finishing touch to beautifully manicured hands. Achieve the look with tinted or clear glitter nail polish. Or, add jeweled rhinestones to polished nails.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

A Look at Laser Acne Treatment

Laser acne treatment has been around for a few years now, and it is quickly replacing more traditional forms of acne removal and prevention. As antibiotics become increasingly ineffective due to overuse, more and more people are opting for this new technique. During laser resurfacing, a doctor holds a laser pen just above the acne or acne scar tissue and waves the concentrated beam of light back and forth, vaporizing only the unwanted tissue and creating a new surface for skin cell growth. Thus the term “laser resurfacing”. New collagen actually forms after laser treatment. (Collagen is a protein in the skin's connective tissue that helps give the skin its texture.)

Although laser resurfacing is safe and painless in almost all cases, some post-procedural bruising and swelling are normal. In most cases, these side effects persist for seven to ten days. Wait until this passes before applying make-up.

Currently there are no
federal restrictions on who can perform laser resurfacing; regulations only affect the laser manufacturers themselves. There are many types of lasers for many different purposes, so be sure to use a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Be sure to ask where your doctor was trained to use the laser equipment and whether your doctor rents or owns his or her laser equipment. Ask to see before and after pictures of the doctor's cases, and find out how many different types of lasers the doctor owns and how often each piece of equipment is used.

Many doctors feel that laser resurfacing isn’t meant for dark skin because it alters the color of skin too dramatically and unpredictably. Others believe that in the hands of a very experienced surgeon, people with darker skin tones can benefit.

Lasers acne treatment is much more invasive than non-ablative lasers. They remove by erosion, melting, evaporation, or vaporization. Ablative lasers are not recommended for use on darker skin colors.

Laser resurfacing costs upwards of $2,500 for a full face, versus $1,000 for other types of scar and acne removal. Consult with an experienced aesthetic dermatologist and laser surgeon to determine what it best for you.

About Thai Girls,Why Western Girls loosing ground !

Maron is living in Thailand and writes. Read his story. Why Western Girls hate Thailand !

Have you ever seen an ex-pat with a farang (in Thai language= foreigner/westerner) girlfriend? Me neither. Throughout Thailand, farang girls have been swapped for Thais in a manner reminiscent of the 1950’s science fiction classic Invasion of the body snatchers - "it’s some kind of pod... aaagh!" Why does this happen?

Loads of farang girls enjoy holidaying in Thailand with their boyfriends. It’s the ones who come with their girlie mates who discover that the fortnight is not as fun-filled as they had hoped. Just like the rest of humanity, western girls relish the chance to meet new people and get fucked rotten. It’s the second part of the equation that Thailand often fails to deliver – for girls, anyway.

I visited the island of Koh Samed a few months ago and noticed a group of pretty English girls who were out looking for a good time. In Ibiza, these provocatively dressed minxes would’ve had to beat the fellas off with a shitty stick. On Koh Samed, however, they partied alone. There are no girlie bars on the island, so the western guys had all played it safe and brought their Thai sweethearts along.

As the girls’ frustration mounted, one of them copped-off with a Thai waiter. There was no age gap but the height gap was a bit noticeable. She popped him into her pocket and took him back for a night of fun in her bungalow.

Next day, I was lucky enough to overhear part of the post-mortem. Apparently he was quite sweet but had burst into tears when she asked him to use a condom. His English was quite basic but he was able to explain his family problems and financial difficulties.

The topic was dropped when her new boyfriend arrived with a couple of his little mates. He was wearing her T-shirt. Food and drink was ordered and the girls footed the bill. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, although the other girls weren’t giving out any fuck-me vibes to his mates.

Their patience was rewarded when a couple of days later a group of good looking English lads turned up unaccompanied. The two groups soon became one. The new Thai boyfriend went into limpet-mode and showered his girl with pub-2403258503801684lic displays of affection. Her discomfort was obvious. Even after she dumped him, he hovered around like a bad fart.

The whole episode was priceless entertainment and it illustrates well the sexual politics that make farang girls hate Thailand. It seems that the dating strategies employed by some Thai men are not far removed from those of their fun-loving sisters. The sickly confection of charm and freeloading is served up with a large dollop of jealousy.

Men can never resist second helpings but why do women find this dish so unpalatable? It’s because they want their men to be strong, dependable, generous, respectful, kind, high-status, intelligent, hard working, sincere etc. The list just goes on and on. If you fall short of their ideal, they won’t hold back in telling you about it either – in endless detail.

Men value these things too, but they don’t bang on about it so much. If she’s cute and funny, a man can generally forgive a girl her shortcomings. The western girl in our story was turned-off by the waiter’s whining. As men, we are used to sharing our lives with women who whine and it’s just water off a duck’s back. What we are not used to, however, are women who restrict their whining merely to asking for pocket money. It’s a breath of fresh air.

When it comes to snaring a man, Thai girls leave their western sisters at the starting gate. It’s not just their cheeky charm and good looks. The killer punch is how they make a man feel valued. To do this, they give him their undivided attention and refrain from hurtful criticism. In other words, they show him that they value him warts and all (even if they don’t). They may only be after his money but, if a guy is happy, he probably doesn’t care.

Western women just can’t stomach the indignity of lowering themselves to this level. That’s why in Bangkok they are generally seen out alone. Their chances of finding a boyfriend are slim and of keeping one slimmer. Some are reduced to paying Thai men for sex. It doesn’t take long for them to become bitter and unhappy. They could do with losing a few pounds too.

There is, however, some hope for our sex-starved farang chicks with attitude. A few thrifty guys have plugged into this niche market to save themselves 1,000 baht a night. Reportedly, it’s like shooting blonde pussy in a barrel. The wise swordsman will go back to her place, boot the soft toys off the bed and quickly dump his load before getting back to join the lads for last orders.

5 Heart Healthy Exercises You Can Do During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time of celebration, love, and unwanted but necessary weight gain. However, being pregnant doesn’t mean that your health and figure has to suffer permanent damage. You can gain weight in a healthy fashion while doing some very easy and safe heart healthy pregnancy exercise routines.

One of the simplest and most effective pregnancy exercises you can do is walking. Not only is walking one of the best cardiovascular exercises, it is also one of the safest pregnancy exercises you can engage in. Walking is one of the few pregnancy exercises that you can do for the complete duration of your pregnancy.

Another extremely beneficial heart healthy pregnancy exercise is swimming. Countless doctors and pregnant women have attested to the wonderful benefits of swimming during pregnancy. A weekly pregnancy exercise routine of swimming gives both the arms and legs a great workout while promoting cardiovascular health. Because of the nature of being subdued in water, swimming will also remind expectant mothers what it felt like before the pounds were added on. This is definitely a welcome change every now and then.

The third pregnancy exercise routine you can start doing to keep your body healthy is enrolling in an aerobics class. Many fitness centers and community centers offer low impact aerobics classes for pregnant women. One of the nicer benefits of this pregnancy exercise is that it is done in the company of other pregnant women under the watchful eye of a professional aerobics instructor. This means you are going to get a safe workout catered to the special needs of pregnancy.

Weight training is also a very beneficial pregnancy routine to keep your body healthy. Although you must only use very light weights when engaging in this pregnancy exercise, weight training is an excellent way of toning your body and increasing muscular strength.

The last heart healthy pregnancy exercise you can do to stay fit is Pilates/yoga. Both of these body conditioning exercises promote stretching and flexibility within the muscles. Yoga is also a nice accompaniment to walking. By doing a combination of these pregnancy exercises, you can have a healthy balanced cardiovascular routine.

Being pregnant doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice exercise and health. By walking, swimming, doing aerobics, weight training, and engaging in a Pilates/yoga routine, you can have a healthy and fit pregnancy. To learn more about how a pregnancy exercise routine can benefit you during your pregnancy, check out the resources at http://www.pregnancy-without-pounds.info

2-Minute Fitness

Why would I want to write about yet another fitness program? There are so many out there. There is no escape from fitness programs whether you watch TV or read a magazine or newspaper.

The reality is that most of us are not happy with our physical state and we are looking for solutions. We are not only looking for solutions, we are actually paying for them. This creates the natural demand for physical fitness programs.

The variety of physical fitness programs does not indicate that one method is better than the other. Like neither is Coke better than Sprite nor Sprite better than Coke. It's a matter of preference and either one of them could quench your thirst. Variety is good. It gives us the freedom to choose.

In spite of having a good supply of effective fitness programs and variety, I think the failure to benefit from such programs lie in us. We are not organized enough or do not have the time to practice them. Because of our work and careers the time investment becomes difficult.

I remember the last time I enrolled in a Martial Arts course. After a few weeks I could not keep up with it because it required 2 hours of classes, 3 days a week. That's only 6 hours a week. Yet I could not find time for Martial Arts from my daily work schedule.

That is the reason why the 2-minute fitness program caught my attention. Anyone can afford to spend 2 minutes. Tony Bahu founder of the 2-minute fitness program provides a full workout composed of minutes only.

If you failed earlier in elaborate fitness programs, the 2-minute fitness program may be the right program for you. As you don't have to invest large amounts of time in the program, you will probably not give up so easily.

3 Easy Ways to Treat Body Acne

Are you suffering from Body acne? or Zits below the neckline? Don't worry. You are not alone! Lot's of teen get body acne. It is common in the winter months, when you are wearing piles of heavy clothing.
Sweat can clog skin pores and lead to breakouts all over. Other things that can cause body acne are tight fitting clothing ( It traps sweat against the skin, leading to clogged pores and blemishes) stress and hormones. Body acne commonly pops up on the chest and back.

Ø To zap body acne and prevent it from coming back, you can wash your body daily with a salicylic acid based cleanser. Look for this ingredient on product labels.

Ø Shower daily and be sure to shower as soon as possible anytime you have been sweating - such as after playing sports, working outside or just being in the sun. After your shower, you can follow up by a body moisturizer that contains Alfa Hydroxy acid. This will exfoliate skin and help prevent breakouts, without drying skin out.

Ø At Nighttime you can treat body acne just like facial acne, by applying an acne zapping gel or cream at the effected parts.

Ø If your body acne is particularly bad and wont respond to this treatment after about a month, you will probably need to see a dermatologist.

3 Things You should Know Before You Go Into Any Type of Relationship!

If you are in a relationship right now, or are thinking ofgoing into one, there are 3 very important tips you shouldknow and questions you should ask yourself before you everget yourself into a relationship. This could save you from alot of heartache and pain when you are involved in a loverelationship.
(1) Your lover does not owe you your happiness, peace orjoy.Happiness is a state of mind we choose to have. All of yourhappiness, and all of your suffering, are created by you andthey do not come from outside of you, or from others. Beforeyou go into any type of relationship, ask yourself thesequestions: "Do I really, really, really know how to walkaway from disappointment and fear? Will I be able to findthe person that I am now even after I go into thisrelationship and begin a new way of life?" In short, youshould not be dependent on your partner on your emotionalneeds. You yourself are responsible for your own feelingsand creating positive experiences for both your partner andyou whenever you are together.
(2) Love your partner for who they are.No one in this world is perfect. One day you will find yourpartner doing certain things or saying certain things thatwill hurt you, disappoint you or anger you. Before you gointo any type of relationship, you have to ask yourself:"Will I be able to love my partner for who they are. If I amunhappy or angry with something they have said or done, willI be able to recognize my unhappiness or anger as againsttheir speech, actions and behavior, and not against theirpersons?"
(3) Will I be able to love myself as much as I love mypartner?If you cannot love yourself, how are you going to give loveto another? This is a mistake most people make when they gointo a relationship. They become over-obsessive with whatthey can give to their partners and what they can do fortheir partners. To ensure a fulfilling relationship, youhave to learn to take care of your own needs as well. A truepartner or lover is one who will make sure that you do notbecome too dependent on them. You are responsible for yourown feelings and your own emotional needs too. You are abeautiful being. So, take care of yourself, love yourself,treat yourself to all the good things in life too, and dothe same to your partner. Very soon you will find true lovealways coming your way without any effort on your part!
As always, if you are encountering problems in yourrelationship, try to dissolve all of your problems in love.And you'll be sure you are on your way to a peaceful andfulfilling relationship!

Do u like online dating? then you have reasons.

There are many more reasons than just ten that I would like to mention, but in this article I have focussed on the primary ten reasons why I believe on-line dating is here to stay. It is now understood that the industry has even further to grow as more and more service suppliers in this segment realize the many niches yet to be serviced and explored. If you are concerned about your time, privacy or safety, while using On-line Dating, then this is a 'must read'.

1.Most people are pretty busy these days. You can imagine how many times you would have to go out and socialize before finding the right partner. Then consider how much you end up spending week after week. You may meet the right person the first time you go out, but you and I know that this is highly unlikely. This procedure more often than not ends up in a lot of wasted time and a lot of wasted money too. However, dating sites(in general) cost nothing to register and or search.

2.Dating sites (the good ones) are in the main, free to join. Only costing you money when you have linked up with someone and intend on meeting with them or communicating further. This is a great feature because it means you will be aware of the basic geography, the hobbies, nuances, hobbies, and other interests before you meet. This is so much less time consuming than dating different people over and over before you find that 'right' person or even just the essential pieces of information.

3.From time to time you can also place advertisements on these sites which stimulates response and gives you a wider field to choose from.

4.You can remain anonymous (recommended) and protect your identity until you're ready and comfortable enough to disclose who you reallly are. If you decide the other person is not for you, you can easily and tactfully end communication without any animosity or even further contact.

5.Some people moving to a new location like to establish relationships and friend before they arrive at their new abode, allowing settling in to be that much easier. This is very often relevant to single parents. There are sites out there that are specific to single parents dating which make the job of meeting that much easier.

6.You may be having difficulty meeting people of the same faith or religion. In this case, there are niche dating sites that service this need in almost every major religion or faith.

7.Equally important is the need to service alternative dating requirements for those who seek pursuits outside the mainstream world of dating. There are many sites to choose from in this category to a point where choosing a good alternative dating service can become confusing and almost frustrating. Look for a Dating Site Review Service to assist you with this. Most of these service sites will have carried out some reviews in addition to weeding out the good from the not so good. If you don't find a particular site on a dating site review service it usually means the owners were uncomfortable with the site and will not include it in their pages or they haven't got around to reviewing it as yet - If the latter is the case, send them an email asking them to review that particular site. Most will follow through and you will find a review in as little as a few days in some cases. If it does not turn up on their pages, there could be something wrong with it.

8.Adult dating also falls into the above category due to its large following. Fortunately, the same solution applies. Just find a dating site review service that has done the 'hard yards' on your behalf and click away. The good review sites are free and will guide you to the better service suppliers.

9.On the subject of Dating Site Review Services, some of them supply newsletters which keep you informed and up to date on new services, promotions (ie.Romance Tours, Dating Events and Speed Dating etc.) and of course other exciting freebies. It is always worth subscribing because you can always unsubscribe if you want to. Just make sure they mention that in their 'sign up box'. Some independent sites have their own newsletters but common sense tells you that you are more likely to receive a more diverse range of information and promotions from the Dating Site Review Service than from just one independent dating site. This occurs because they will screen a whole swag of offers from a host of sites rather than just one before they onsend them to you.

10.Another cool free service from responsible dating sites and review services are the articles which frequently guide you in the right direction with dating trends and tips for successful dating and romance.I hope this article has opened you eyes to just a few of the many benefits and features that can be obtained when using dating sites to help you.Enjoy!

Ladies...........10 things you should never say to a guy !

Ladies, if you want to have a successful dating life, certain phrases should never come out of your glossy lips. Here they are:

1. WHEN WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN? You’ll see him when you see him. If he wants to see you again, he’ll call. If not, next. You don’t have time for anyone that doesn’t have time for you.

2. WHY DIDN’T YOU CALL? There’s only one answer to this question: Because he didn’t want to!!! What you’re really asking is, “Why didn’t you want to call me?” Who knows!! There could be a lot of reasons, but you shouldn’t be sitting around wondering why. You should be out dating lots of different guys and not worrying about ONE guy. Don’t be so quick to put all your eggs into one basket, because if they break, it’s a big mess!

3. WHERE WERE YOU? If he wanted you to know where he was, he’d tell you. What you’re really asking is, “Where you with another female that you like better than me?” Your insecurity is showing, my dear. If anything, he should be wondering where you were.

4. I LOVE YOU (FIRST) - You’re saying it in the hopes that he’ll say it back, but what if he doesn’t? You’ll be devastated and probably feel foolish. Saying “I love you” is not going to speed things up if he’s not ready to say it back. So just cool it, and let him be the first to say it when he’s ready.

5. DID YOU SLEEP WITH HER? As long as he’s not sleeping with her now, who cares? The past is gone. Don’t torture yourself (and him) with these thoughts. In this case, ignorance really is bliss.

6. I’M PREGNANT. In 2005, with all the birth control choices available, there is no excuse for becoming pregnant, unless you want to be. You should be using something and he should use a condom, every time.

7. WHERE IS THIS GOING? Nowhere fast if that’s your attitude. Guys want someone fun and easy to be with, not someone that’s constantly worrying about the future. His actions or non-actions will tell you where it’s going. If it’s going somewhere, you’ll know it. If it’s not, you’ll know it too.

8. WE NEED TO TALK. This is the equivalent of, “Go to the principal’s office”. Guys know it’s not going to be a fun conversation, so they’re already on the defense. If you need to discuss something, just casually bring it up when the both of you are relaxed. Don’t try to talk to him when he’s tired, stressed or trying to watch tv!

9. I HATE YOU! Even if you do, it’s totally uncalled for and un-lady like. If there’s an issue, be mature enough to discuss it when you’re calm. If he’s breaking up with you, reacting with anger may make you feel better temporarily, but it’s best to remain calm and act unfazed. He’ll wonder why you’re so cool about it and that may make him re-think his decision. Always be pleasant during a break up. Do you want to be known as the girl that goes psycho if someone breaks up with her?? I didn’t think so.

10. I DON’T TRUST YOU. What you’re actually saying is, “You need to step up your game, because I can see you’re up to something.” If he is up to something, he’ll just become even sneakier. Better to think smart and act dumb-it’ll be easier to get the evidence you need to confirm your suspicions.

Lucia is a dating and relationship expert, columnist, lecturer and host of the TV Show "The Art of Love".

With over 20 years experience on the relationship market, Lucia has dated men of all nationalities in six cities, four countries and two continents. Her practical know-how makes her the perfect candidate to dispense relationship advice – after all, in almost every dating dilemma she has been there, done that and lived to tell about it.

Are you pregnant? Then you should be aware of these 10 steps !

Many factors affect the development of a fetus into a healthy child, some which are beyond your control and others that are within your control. Here are ten of the most common pregnancy risk factors that can be controlled or influenced:

1. Smoking - Smoking is not only bad for you, but bad for your baby as well. Smoking during pregnancy reduces the amount of oxygen that the baby receives and increases the risk of miscarriage, bleeding, and morning sickness. Chemicals inhaled while smoking may lead to other health problems with the baby. Reduced birth weight, premature birth, increased risk of SIDS, and stillbirth are other possible consequences. Pregnant women should also avoid second hand smoke.

2. Alcohol - Drinking can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, including symptoms like low birth weight, medical problems, and behavior abnormalities. As soon as you know you are pregnant, stop drinking. For more detailed information on problems that can be caused by alcohol, visit http://www.nofas.org.

3. Caffeine - There are many conflicting studies about caffeine and pregnancy and some believe that caffeine is not as harmful as it was once thought to be. Nevertheless, the FDA warns against caffeine consumption during pregnancy and suggests quitting or reducing consumption at the very least. Caffeine has been shown to affect fetal heart rates and awake time (fetuses grow when sleeping). Decaffeinated coffee can also be harmful since producers often add additional chemicals to remove the caffeine. Caffeine can also increase risk of stretch marks. Suddenly quitting coffee intake can cause headaches; so most experts recommend gradually reducing the amount consumed.

4. Drugs and Herbal Remedies - Always be careful about drugs or herbal remedies that are not prescribed by a doctor. These substances may affect the development of your unborn child.

5. Nutrition - Good nutrition is crucial to a developing child, particularly getting enough folic acid. Lack of folic acid can cause birth defects. At least 400-1000 micrograms of this B vitamin is suggested (about ten times more if you've already had a child with neural tube birth defects) starting one month before pregnant and throughout the entire pregnancy. Leafy vegetables, orange juice, and beans are some natural sources of folic acid. Many stores sell vitamins with folic acid.

6. Exercise - Moderate exercise is helpful as it improves the mother's mental state and can increase oxygen flow to the fetus. However, over-exertion can be dangerous. Most experts recommend reducing your exercise intensity during pregnancy. Activities like walking, swimming, and yoga are popular for pregnant women.

7. Prenatal Care - Regular doctor visits are important to your baby's development. The body undergoes many changes during pregnancy. Some side effects may be completely normal, whereas other may not. Regular monitoring by a professional will help ensure that your baby will be born healthy.

8. Multiple sex partners - Multiple sex partners can increase risk of STD's, which in turn may lead to birth and pregnancy complications, like low birth weight or premature birth.

9. Exposure to chemicals - During pregnancy, reduce exposure to unnatural chemicals, particularly pesticides in food. Many people now eat organic produce, which is grown without chemicals. The simplest precaution to take before consuming vegetables or fruits is to wash them thoroughly. Also, removing the outer surface of vegetables can be helpful since most pesticides will rest on the outside of the vegetable or fruit.

10. Other factors - Many other factors can affect fetal development, including heart disease, the mother's age (before 15 years and after 35 years is riskier), asthma, excessive stress or depression, diseases, and bleeding. Consult your physician if you are affected by any of these conditions.

Want to build trust in your relationship? Then follow these 10 surprising steps

1. Be predictable.

When do seeds of suspicion emerge? When one begins to think, What's up? Why is he doing that? He's never done that before. That is so unlike him. He loses 30 pounds, buys a new wardrobe and comes home late from work. He changes his patterns. His behavior becomes unpredictable. You get the picture? Any movement away from predictable behavior can become suspect and trust can deteriorate.Focus on acting predictably if you need to build trust. Be consistent in what you do.This doesn't mean you must be boring. If there is a twinkle in your eye and a dose of spontaneity every so often, for goodness sakes be spontaneous and fun loving. But, be spontaneous consistently! Be true to who you have always been and be that consistently, whoever you tend to be!

2. Inform your significant other when you become "unpredictable".

No one goes through life the same person. We all make shifts and changes. Frankly sometimes we may be fairly clueless about what is happening and where we are going. Those times may be very intense and we do some silly things or make some downright dumb decisions. Life can get very squirrelly and unpredictable. (I have a favorite phrase: Gold is refined through intense heat.) Growth in an individual, marriage or family often is accompanied by a little chaos.Welcome these shifts, for there is a part of you searching for something better/different/richer/deeper, but for heaven's sake, inform your partner of what you are experiencing. Say, "I really don't know what is going on in me right now, but I'm moving in a different direction. Be a little patient with me while I figure this out. I might do some silly things, but my intent is not to harm you or scare you. Accept some of my wondering and wandering and please be there for me? I may need to run some of this by you every so often!"

3. Make sure your words match the message.

Mean what you say and say what you mean. When your partner hears one thing in your words but your tone of voice, body language and facial expressions are really saying something else, you open the relationship to some crazy making days. Which message is she to believe? This can waste a tremendous amount of energy and she learns not to trust part of what you are saying.Here's a very simple but common example. You are getting ready to go to a formal dinner. Your wife comes to you and says, "How do I look?" (And she's wearing a dress you don't particularly like and her hair is pulled back in a way that turns you off.)Not to spoil the evening you enthusiastically say, "You look great." You don't really mean it and a part of her knows you really don't mean it. But, you leave it at that.This might not seem like a big deal - we all have done something similar - but if trust is shaky to begin with, it is even shakier now.Here's how to match the words with the nonverbal: "I think you are a beautiful person. I want you to know that. I love you dearly and it will be wonderful to have you by my side tonight. Others will see your beauty. (As you say this, you look into her eyes as you put your hands around her waist.)She's not concerned so much with how she looks but is expressing a need for affirmation. She's not talking about her dress or hair, but about wanting to know the evening is going to go just fine. You respond to the real message.You can take this one step further, if you like. At some point you might bring up her need for affirmation and talk about that. Ask her is there is anything you can say or do so that need is met.Trust is awareness of the intent beneath the obvious message and responding to that!

4. Believe the other person is competent.

I hear this phrase very often."But, I don't want to hurt him." A couple things are at play here. First, she may not have the skill of confronting the other with the truth in a way that brings reconciliation and understanding. She believes truth telling is destructive or entails some sort of drama. Neither is true. The truth is never destructive and can be conveyed in loving ways. (With that said, what we believe to be the truth may indeed be a distorted perception that fits our personal needs.)Or, she may see the other person as a wimp; someone she believes cannot handle rigorous personal confrontation. She doesn't trust that the other person has the internal strength or stamina or skills to be in a relationship of mutual respect and equality. The other person picks up on this mistrust and does what he does (feigns inadequacy and incompetence) to avoid the personal confrontation as well. A dance is acted out.Believe and know in your heart that the other person, somewhere and somehow, beneath the games, has the internal strength and capacity to handle anything. Such trust builds trust in the other person and begins to pervade the relationship. "Hey, she thinks I can handle this! Hmmmm, this is mighty good! I CAN engage her and be truly intimate!"

5. Be very very careful of keeping secrets.

If he knows there is an elephant in the room and doesn't talk about it, the elephant takes up tremendous space in the relationship. It takes energy for him to walk around it. She may not see the elephant but knows he is bending his neck to look around something. She will be curious, mildly disturbed, have feelings but no words to wrap around them, might wonder if something is wrong with her or struggle with trusting her intuition (her intuition KNOWS an elephant is there.) And, when we can't trust the messages that come from within us, we find it very difficult to trust the messages of the other person.Secrets demand tremendous energy and erode trust. The relationship is doomed never to experience wall-banging intimacy. This is why extramarital affairs are so damaging. She is not so much concerned about him having sex with someone else as she is about the betrayal, lack of trust, the secrets and deception that are crazy making and energy draining.Now, please. I'm not saying that you sit your partner down and divulge the 23 secrets of your illicit past behaviors. If you have resolved those, i.e. forgiven yourself, understand those behaviors, learned from them and were able to use them to make the internal shifts necessary for your personal development, they do not qualify as an elephant. Hopefully, in the course of growing intimacy in your relationship you may want to share some of those events as you disclose to your partner where you were and where you are now. You do so without emotional charge.However, if a secret takes up room, i.e. still has an emotional charge and holds you back from disclosing more and more of yourself in the growing stages of intimacy, you have a problem that needs to be addressed with your partner.

6. Let YOUR needs be known - loudly.

Be a little - no, be a lot - self-centered. (Be self-centered, but not selfish!)Here's a problem I run into almost every day. He is backing away (perhaps attached to work, another person, etc.). She feels the trust and intimacy eroding, is scared and wants to "win him back." So she begins an all out effort to "work on the marriage." She invites him to do so as well. He may reluctantly agree. She blasts full throttle ahead trying to "be nice" and meet every need he ever said he had. She's going to "fill his tank with goodies."Doesn't work. Her eyes are riveted on him. He feels "smothered" or maybe even resentful: "Why is she doing this NOW!" She's hopeful, but eventually that turns to resentment. Her underlying motive - if I meet his needs, he will feel good and meet mine - just doesn't work. It's perceived as manipulation, which it is. Of course, he doesn't say anything. After all, how do you get angry with someone who is so "nice and caring?"Trust disintegrates under a blanket of quiet niceties.Start with your eyes focused on YOU. What do YOU need? Explore your personal need system. Dig beneath the surface. And then say to him: "I need…x, y and z. I would like to talk to you about them. I would like us to work out a way so my needs are met. Are you open to that?"He is empowered to say yes or no. Or, he may say, "What about my needs?" You respond, "I am very interested in hearing what is important to you, certainly."Have you ever been around someone who stated clearly what they needed/wanted?Didn't you respect that person?Because you knew where he stood, and therefore where you stood, didn't that interaction move toward a trusting relationship?

7. State who YOU are - loudly.

It is very sad to see those in relationships of emotional investment hold back from letting the other person know who they really are.You build trust in a relationship by entrusting your SELF to the other person.This sounds easy but I find it difficult for most to pull off. Most of us have a difficult time declaring our SELF. For one thing, if you're like most of us, you haven't given much thought to what it is that makes YOU truly YOU. Don't you feel like you glide through life on autopilot, focusing on tasks, goals, accomplishments, problems and the external realities?Don't you tend to focus on those things out there or that person out there? You're concerned about what he is thinking, how he is responding to you, whether he likes you, whether he will be an obstacle and where he will fit in your life?Your conversations may be pleasant but fairly superficial and bluntly, boringly inane. You converse about things/relationships/events out there. You are reluctant to share your thoughts, values, and impressions or take a stand. This doesn't destroy trust. But it doesn't create it either.And, if you do take a stand it may serve the purpose of protecting you or entrenching you as you react against someone. This more often than not creates trust barriers.Take some time to reflect on your standards. What are your standards for a relationship? What standards do you hold for yourself? What do you order your life around? What are the 4 top values in your life? What are some themes that you live by? What are you known for?And then…begin letting significant people in your life know.They will respect you. They will know you more deeply. They will thank you for the opportunity to know you. They will see you as a person of character.They will trust you. They can count on you. They know exactly what is behind and within you.

8. Learn to say NO!

Sometimes you need to say NO! Often it is crucial to say NO!Saying NO sets boundaries around you that protects you from being hurt or venturing into territory that will be destructive to your heart and soul. You draw a line. You stop tolerating that which drains energy and makes you less than YOU. You refuse to allow the destructive behaviors of others to destroy you. You build a moat around the core of your life.You do this by informing the other person of what they are doing. You request they stop. If they don't stop, you demand they stop. If they don't stop you walk away without a snide remark, eye-roll or comment.To some this seems harsh, but saying NO is RESPECTED.Fear is the basis of mistrust. If you fear that someone will hurt you and believe you have no recourse but to endure that hurt, fear will prevail. How can you trust when you are in fear?Saying NO, protecting yourself, sends a message to the other person that you will not live in fear. This usually triggers a response of respect from the other person. After all, if you can protect yourself and refuse subjugation to that which is destructive, will not the other person come to trust you and see you as a person who just might protect him/her from harm as well?

9. Charge Neutral.

When your significant other expresses something powerfully, charge neutral.Most of us are afraid of strong feelings or points of contention in a relationship. I commonly hear people respond by defending themselves (to a perceived attack), explaining themselves, counter-attacking, shutting down, or walking away. Of course, the relationship remains stuck in this quagmire of mistrust and fear.Rather than reacting and having your feelings flowing all over the place or shutting down, practice charging neutral.Communicate calmness, not only in your tone of voice but also in how you carry your body. Don't speak with a charge to your voice. Control your voice! Say what you must say, state the truth and do it directly and calmly.You can do this, once you master your fears. It will dramatically change the flow of the relationship.You will be able to point out something big, without making a big deal out of it. You will be in control of you. This not only feels great, but your partner trusts that you won't fly or fall apart.You will experience your personal power. This makes you very attractive. Don't people really trust someone who knows their personal power and how to use it for the welfare of themselves and others?Your partner will love the fact that she can trust you consistently to operate from your "quiet center," remain engaged, not back down and speak the truth with conviction and calmness.

10. Dig into the dirt.

Relationships of emotional investment, by their nature, bring trials, tribulations, fears, chaos, turmoil, change, stretching and growth. They become the grist from which your life is shaped and formed.Be fearless when faced with turmoil, upset, crisis, questions, and fears. When the time is right, seek them out. Move toward the frightening unknown. Dig into the dirt of your relationship and uncover the treasures. Do you really TRUST that this can happen?The purpose of your relationship is not to make you happy. Do you realize this? Happiness may be an outcome, but your other is given to you to move you to where you really want to be.Obstacles, trials and moments of pain are given as lessons on which you intentionally write the script of your life individually and together. Embrace the difficult. Trust that in this embracing you will find more of your true self.Trust that you are given the resources and capacity to face what you and your significant other are to face.Once you are able to believe and trust these ultimate purposes, trusting your significant other will be that much more easy.

7 ways to drive a man wild !

It's unbelievable the amount of bad advice there is out there on how to seduce a man or if they give you advice they forget to tell you how to use it properly. So here are a couple of tips on what to do and what not to do to drive a man wild and an instruction manual.

1) Dress in a way that makes you feel sexy and also flatters your figure. Let's face it some of us look ridiculous in stilettos. Red is almost always a good color. Try a red slinky dress and comfortable undergarments. Those torture devices they sell to suck in our guts look great under the dress but are not sexy at all when you are trying to yank them off for a wild night of pleasure.

2) Pay attention to what he has to say for a change. Yes you can talk about yourself but a man finds it really refreshing when a woman allows him to have his own time in the spotlight.

3) Don't talk about your ex. If he asks, keep it short and sweet. You are starting fresh with this guy. No need to bring in the ghost of past relationships. You are perfect to him in the beginning. There is no reason to make him wonder if the last guy who dumped you was right.

4)Wear a light attractive scent. This means layering scents. Bathe in scented bath oils first. Then apply a light powder in the same scent. Finally spray the same scented perfume in front of you and walk into the mist. Do this about 45 minutes before you see him. If you overpower him with your scent, instead of wanting to edge a bit closer he will be running for the nearest exit.

5) If you bring him back to your place make sure it is dimly lit. Soft lighting minimizes lines and wrinkles and gives your skin a bit of a glow. Keep candles handy or lamps that have adjustable lighting. In soft lighting you can be his dream woman and you can feel a thousand times better about undressing in front of him.

6) Do a strip tease for him. Now I am not talking about a ten dollar hooker strip tease. I mean a slow undressing. Have him lie on the bed to watch, as you slowly slip out of your dress, then your undies and finally your stockings and shoes. Make him wait a bit.

7)Explore his body in detail. Consider it a five course meal. Drive him absolutely wild by discovering all the hidden spots he didn't even know existed. Most women just lie there and let the guy do all the work. Participate and you have just blown past most of the women he has had sex with.

Want to get a great deal on catering?

When it comes to your catering services for your wedding, there are options to make it more affordable. Generally for larger receptions, catering companies will offer discounts on their own.

Saving money on your food and drink can be very easy, but it really depends on how large your reception party will be and what you are planning to serve. I will explain how you can save some money on the catering for your party.

1. You can serve basic entrees where the meals are all inclusive and forego the extras like salads, soups and breads and bring these items yourself.

2. You can choose to go with appetizers instead of full entrees. Many catering companies will offer a variety of appetizers at a special cost.

3. Skip out on the extra services that many catering companies offer such as place settings or servers.

4. Avoid going to a professional caterer and opt instead to use a small restaurants catering services instead.

5. Picking up the food for your reception instead of letting the catering company deliver it can save you a great deal of money.

6. You can always make the food yourself and experiment with many different tastes or prepare all of your best dishes.

7. Tips are generally included in catering packages so you do not have to provide extra tips during the reception unless someone goes out of their way and/or far over the duties.

8. Plan your wedding yourself instead of using a wedding planner.

9. Limit your transportation costs by booking the services on off seasons or shopping around for the cheapest costs.

10. The very last thing that you can do is elope!These tips can save you a lot of money on catering because when you skip the extras and forego the delivery charges and set up etc. catering companies will give you good prices.Of course, you can also opt out of full entrees and serve something altogether different. It can be very easy to get good prices on catering services. Perhaps the best way to do this is to simply limit the guests at your reception that you have to serve.By turning your full reception into a private and intimate celebration, you can limit the amount of guests without offending anyone. Unless you can afford to invite all of your co-workers that you get along with, don’t invite any. It is just good etiquette.

Tools that can help you in your way to be a successful baratender

"A man is only as good as his tools" is a phrase I'm sure you've heard before and it applies to bartending as much as anything else.

You'll only ever be as good as your tools, so make sure you're not without them. The quality of your tools can make or break your experience behind the bar so it's important you take this lesson seriously.

There are countless bartending tools out there. Will you use them all? No. But there are certain tools that every bartender must have. In this first lesson, we'll be taking a look at those 'must-have' tools so pay close attention.

Bottle Opener

Now whether you're working in a low or high volume bar, a bottle opener is not only crucial to your speed, but also your hands!

Imagine opening every bottle of beer ordered with your bare hands... you wouldn't last the night without seriously doing damage to your palms.

There are many different types of bottle openers out there on the market... everything from a simple 'key-chain opener' all the way to a 'butterfly bottle opener', you know, like a butterfly knife? Pretty cool.

Find out what works for you. I've used the same stainless steel 'speed opener' for years now, it does the job (with style) everytime so I've had no reason to switch.

Wine Opener/Corkscrew

The best, most versatile wine opener is known as the 'waiter's wine opener'. It'll always do the job, even on the most difficult and the most stubborn corks. Compare this to many others out there that often break the cork or have you struggling in front of the customer to get the damn thing open.

A waiter's wine opener includes a corkscrew (worm), a sharp blade to cut the seal of the wine and also a bottle opener device if you're desperate for one.

I recommend a 'two-level' lever on your opener as well, that's what I personally use. Mine has never failed me in opening a bottle of wine.

Cocktail Shaker

This is the stainless steel thingy you see bartenders pour ingredients into for a martini or shooter and shake vigorously. This is a must-have for all bartenders.

A good rule of thumb for cocktails is, the colder it is, the better it tastes. Why else would bartenders concoct a drink by pouring pre-chilled ingredients into a shaker with ice, shaking like crazy and then serving it in a chilled glass? Because you want every part of the process to be 'chilling' to prevent any 'warming' of the cocktail.

There are two types of shakers out there:

1) Standard Shaker
This is a three-piece stainless steel shaker that has the strainer built into it. I find the Standard Shaker is not as common among professional, working bartenders.It consists of the shaker tin, lid with strainer and cap. Perhaps it's more complicated design with smaller parts discourages working bartenders from using this more often. But it will do the job just as well as the...

2) Boston Shaker
From my experience, the Boston Shaker is actually more standard among professional bartenders. This one is simply a shaker tin with a separate mixing glass that's slightly smaller in size. It's a two-piece device that you simply seal together to shake the cocktail.

The tendency is seal it as tight as you can and proceed to shake, although this is not necessary as you can often seal it too tight, and then not be able to open it when you're done shaking and ready to pour the concoction.

If you're ever in this situation, use the edge of the bar and clip the overlapping metal lip (which will always be on the outside, as the glass is always smaller and fits inside) against the edge of the bar. You can also 'twist' them apart, that will often break the seal too.

But avoid all that by fitting them together nice and snug instead of as tight as you can.

You can purchase shaker sets in all types of different sizes and styles, but they pretty much fall into one of the two types listed above.

Strainer

Again, you'll find many different types of strainers on the market. But the only kind I've ever used and would want to use is the Hawthorn Strainer.

You know, it's that real funny looking stainless steel thing with the handle and the spring coil. The purpose behind the spring coil on the strainer is so you can fit it into all types of different shaped glasses. So it's a very versatile tool.

I should mention that when using a shaker I often do not use a strainer. I use the Boston Shaker and simply crack a tiny opening in the seal between the two and pour out the concoction 'cracked egg' style.

If you're more of a visual learner like me, Tom Cruise does this when pouring his 'Turquoise Blue' Martini for Gina Gershon in the two floor NYC nightclub in the movie Cocktail.

Coasters

Not every bar uses coasters. But it's a good thing to have. They'll prevent a lot of unnecessary wet spots or 'rings' on the bar from moisture off the side of the glass.

Bar Towel (Rag)

A fresh, clean set of bar towels is something every bartender needs. In high volume places, the bar is constantly needing a wipe down from spilt drinks, drink rings, sticky shooter glasses, etc.

I like to have a minimum of four, strategically placed wet bar towels in my working area at all times.

One thing I teach you in Bartending Secrets Exposed is to have everything systemized. You want things as seemingly insignificant as location of your bar rag to be the same every night. You don't want to think about where it is everytime you need it, you want it to be second nature, you want to be able to grab it without even looking!

The party can often get sloppy so you must have your bar rags close at hand.

Ice Scoop

Forcefully cutting through and scooping your ice with an actual glass is a very stupid thing to do. Yet I see bartenders do it all the time. I don't even recommend you 'gently and carefully' scoop the ice with the glass. There's just too much margin for error.

If you chip the glass, and you know it, you're spending the next ten minutes emptying and refilling your ice well. If you don't know it, and you happen to serve a customer a drink garnished with glass shavings you could be in some serious trouble.

Using a metal ice scoop is mandatory as a bartender. It really doesn't take more time to scoop ice with a separate scoop. You can also do some fancy tricks once you get good too.

Jigger/Measuring Glass

If you work in a bar that allows free pouring, you won't be needing this handy tool. But in most regions of North America free pouring is illegal and you're required to use some sort of measuring device, whether it's an automatic or manual device all depends on where you work.

While I'm not a believer in the automatic devices you see nowadays, using a shot glass or jigger (manual device) to measure the amount of alcohol you pour into each drink is what I've always done as a bartender.

For those of you who work at places with extremely tight inventory control. I offer you an amazing 'overpour fake' technique in Bartending Secrets Exposed to keep the 'tip friendly' relationship with your customers while keeping your integrity with the boss. Click here to get it now!

Garnish Picks

Skewers, plastic swords picks, arrow picks... or whatever you want to call them... are for those exclusive garnishes like olives and cherries. They really add to the presentation of a drink and are a must-have for those customers you want to really impress.

Whether it's giving the customer three olives with their martini or an orange slice and a cherry with one of my seductive martinis, I always have a supply of garnish picks close at hand.

Pour Spouts

Whether you free pour or not, a bar that deals with any type of volume and has any interest in inventory control should have these on all of the high moving liquor bottles. There are many different styles of pour spouts out there:
-plastic
-metal
-neon
-glow in the dark
-slow pour (3 seconds per ounce)
-fast pour
-screened
-flapped
-measured

All have some associated benefit or gimmick. But I like things simple so I use the metal 'slow pour' spouts on all my liqueurs and the metal 'fast pour' spouts on all my well liquor which I'm using a shot glass for anyway. Why wait three seconds when you're measuring with a glass already?

Time truly is money in this industry.

Now at this point you might be thinking, "Jeremy, you're talking about the kind of tools and supplies the bar should be supplying, you're making it sound like I have a choice on what kind of pour spouts I use."

Realize I don't want you to go out and start buying pour spouts and garnish picks. Those expenses should be left to the bar you're working for. But remember that YOU'RE the one working the bar, not the manager. If the bar where you work has crappy pour spouts and doesn't even use garnish picks, it's up to you to suggest it!

I believe it's your choice. After all, you're the one using it, right? Managers will always be open to suggestions if it will improve your speed and performance, thus, increase sales.

Straws

This is obvious, but you should always have straws close at hand. The bigger or more you give the customer, the better. You control the speed at which your customers drink by how many straws you give them. Make 'em drink fast so you increase your sales (which equals more tips).

Lighter/Matches & Pens

Ask any bartender out there and they'll agree that besides 'a drink', you'll be asked for 'a light' or a pen more than anything else.

So what's the best thing you can do??? Have them close at hand!

Have a ton of pens to lend, because you may not always get them back and you always want to have enough. Also, always have a load of matchbooks to give to customers in need.

I also recommend you have a sleek butane lighter of your own for customers needing a light right at your bar and also when flaming drinks are necessary.

Tip Jar

Last, but certainly not least is to have your own tip jar.

While I go into extreme detail in Bartending Secrets Exposed on the true art and science of the tip jar, what I'll tell you here is that having one is a must! You're losing tips without one!

Have your own, preferably a wine carafe. The tapered neck of a wine carafe means once a tip is in the jar, it's in. You won't have any hands dipping in to swipe your hard earned tips, which can often happen in a busy nightclub.

Now you're a little more familiar with the tools you need to be an excellent bartender. Remember, you can always get all this information and tons more by getting started with the internet�s ultimate bartending success system, Bartending Secrets Exposed, 'How To Double Your Tips and Land Your Dream Job, 100% Guaranteed!'... at http://www.MakeMoneyBartending.com

10 Tips to reduce fat in diet

1. Steam, boil, broil, or microwave vegetables, or stir-fry them in a small amount of vegetable oil.

2. Season vegetables with herbs and spices rather than sauces, butter, or margarine.

3. Try lemon juice or fat-free dressing on salad, or use a yogurt based dressing instead of mayonnaise orsour cream dressing.

4. To reduce saturated fat, use vegetable oil or tub margarine instead of butter or stick margarine whenpossible.

5. Replace whole milk with skim or low-fat milk in puddings, soups, and baked products. Substitute plainnonfat yogurt, blender-whipped cottage cheese, low-fat sour cream, or buttermilk in recipes that call for sour cream.

6. Choose lean cuts of meat, and trim any visible fat from meat before and after cooking. Remove skin frompoultry before or after cooking. Monitor portion sizes. (Lean meats end in "loin".)

7. Roast, bake, or broil meat, poultry, or fish, so that fat drains away as the food cooks.

8. Use a nonstick pan for cooking so added fat will be unnecessary, use a vegetable spray for frying.

9. Chill broths from meat or poultry until the fat becomes solid. Spoon off the fat before using the broth.

10. Eat a low-fat vegetarian main dish at least once a week.

Situations where men and women differ so much from each other

Joke from a Woman to another Woman "Some husbands are living proof that a woman can take a joke!"

Joke from a Man to another Man; "Men are Vain, They will check themselves out in the mirror. However women are ridiculous; they will check their reflections in any shiny surface, mirrors, spoons, shop windows."

Then why do YOU think women misunderstand men and vice-versa? One basic fact of life. Women and men are different. I am not talking about their physical attributes, but in their attitudes to relationships.

I am a girl, writing this article. I have tried to be fair, but can I tell you ladies, I just can't understand you most of the time. But I am sure that most of you would answer, that you can't understand men.I have been guilty of most of the attitudes listed, especially the shopping. Therefore to go a little way in imparting some understanding, here are 10 situations where the thinking of men and women go in opposite directions;

1) ANGER: When Anger or another problem enters a relationship A woman will want to repair the situation or problem before any sex. A man will think that making love will make it all right again.

2) TOUCHING: For women touching without sex is comforting and very soothing. They find that the touching gives a warm feeling of security. However for men touching without sex can easily be misunderstood and he can even feel threatened.Please understand that when men touch each other, it is in a rough manner. They slap or punch each other on the back. Tender touching makes many men feel vulnerable and dependent. These have been seen by men to be un masculine. Men find it uncomfortable with so much closeness. It makes them feel vulnerable.However women are not comfortable without this type of intimacy.

3) TELEPHONE: Men use the telephone or mobile phone as a communication device. It is to send short messages to each other.However women see the telephone differently. They use it to keep in touch with their friends supporting, helping and growing relationships. They are more interested in people and feelings than objects such as telephones and the latest video games.

4) SEX: When it comes to foreplay, women prefer 40-45 minutes of foreplay. However men on the other hand prefer 40-45 seconds of foreplay before sex.

5) GOING OUT: When a man says he is ready to go out, it means he is ready to go out. However when a woman says she is ready to go out, it means she is ready, as soon as she finds her other piece of jewellery and makes just one more phone call.

6) SHOPPING: Women can shop all day and enjoy the whole experience. Its a chance to talk. They use talk to build and sustain connections with others. However men just want finish and close the situation. Its their nature. One can view this difference anytime with couples in shopping malls.

7) BATHROOMS: A man has on average around 5-6 items in his bathroom. A woman on the other hand has over 200 items in her bathroom. Make no attempt to ask a man to identify all these items.

8) DRESSING UP: A woman will dress up to go shopping, gardening, answer the phone, or get the post. A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

9) CHILDREN: A woman knows all about her children. She knows about doctors and dentists appointments. All their friends, their favorite and not so favorite foods, plus their secret fears and their hopes and dreams. Most men, though not as many as years ago, are aware of some short people sharing the home.

10) TOYS: Little girls love to play with toys. Then when they reach the age of approximately 12, they seem to lose the interest. However, men NEVER grow out of their obsession with toys. As they get older, the toys simply get more expensive. One shopping channel has a section called "Big Boys Toys."

In ending this article I would like to stress the points Not all women are alike - Not all men are alike.

There have been great men and great women who have made this world such a better place. No matter what sex you are I leave you with this quote that applies to all of us.

Design | Elque 2007