The Refresh Orlando Heirs

We all know about the benefits of training. To get better at anything we need to train. There’s weight training, basketball training, football training, net-ball training, hockey training, cross training - training for everything.

At some stage all of us have trained in something. Many of us jog, pump weights, perform aerobic exercises, walk and do all sorts of things to train the muscles of the body to become bigger, stronger, fitter and more capable for a chosen sport or pursuit.

We all know about the value of exercising our bodies. But how many of us train our brains? Hmm. Brain training. Interesting. “What’s that?” I hear you ask.

Let me start by saying that your mind manifests what comes to pass in your life. Put simply - we are what we dwell upon most of the time. You have probably heard such famous sayings as:

“As a man thinketh so is he” and “What the mind can conceive and believe the body will achieve” and “Whether you think you can or whether you think you cannot, either way you are right”. It’s a very complex thing this organ we call our brain.

So, back to the subject at hand - how do you train your brain? You can’t take it for a walk. It cannot pump weights. You can’t take a pill or a potion to make yourself instantly smarter. What can you do?

First, understand this - your brain is THE most powerful muscle in your body. Unfortunately, for most, it is also the most neglected muscle in the body.

Your brain directs everything that you do - physical, mental and spiritual. You want to walk - the brain makes this possible. You want to talk - the brain makes that possible too. You want to engage in sport - the brain synchronizes all the muscles to allow you to do so. You want to do a crossword puzzle - the brain caters for that too. It also allows multiple actions. For example your brain makes it easy for you to walk, swing your arms, hum a tune and chew gum all at the same time. The brain is indeed all-powerful.

Training the brain requires thinking about your life and being determined to make the necessary changes to make things better for yourself. I prefer to think of the brain as a super computer. If you are not achieving the results that you want you always have the option of “re-programming” your “on-board computer.”

If you want to re-program your brain you will need the correct software for the task. Like a regular computer it would be pointless to expect a word processing program to perform a particular mathematical function. For that you would need a spreadsheet program. Your brain is the same. When you know how to do this you will be amazed at how easy and powerful it is. Let me give you some examples:

Let’s say you want more discipline in your life - enter the discipline disk. You want more success? Easy - enter the success disk. What about your weight? Have you ever wanted to reduce your weight? Most people have. Plug in the weight disk. Whatever area of your life needs improvement you can re-program your brain to do it.

Brain training is like body training - it will improve whatever outcome you desire. Try it. You can learn much more about this at my website.

This article comes with reprint rights providing no changes are made and the resource box below accompanies it.

About the author: Gary Simpson is the author of eight books covering a diverse range of subjects such as self esteem, affirmations, self defense, finance and much more. His articles appear all over the web. Gary’s email address is budo@iinet.net.au. Click here to go to his
Motivation & Self Esteem for Success website where you can receive his “Zenspirational Thoughts” plus an immediate FREE copy of his highly acclaimed, life-changing e-book “The Power of Choice.” If you would like to view his “Brain Training” manual you can see it here.

HTML Tips : Easy Ways to Make Your Website Sizzle

HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is the first building block of
the Web. Learn everything you need to know with these resources.

Beginner’s Guide to HTML

>From Webdeveloper.com, an introductory tutorial that walks you
through the creation of your first Web site.

Dmitry Kirsanov’s Top Ten Web Design Tips

A collection of tutorials, Web page design and layout, and
general advice distilled from Dmitry’s experience as a Web site
designer. Though written some years back, his advice is still
on-point and insightful.

HTML: An Interactive Tutorial for Beginners

Tutorial designed mainly for beginners who know little about how
a Web page is made. Teaches all basic HTML tags with plenty of
examples. HTML code box allows user to try out their new skills
and view them as they learn them.

Idocs Guide to HTML

A very complete guide to HTML. Includes explanations and
examples. Wonderful tutorials on frames and tables.

So You Want to Make a Web Page?

Tutorial aimed at “all wet behinda ears” Newbies. Includes Table
Tutor, Forms Tutor and Frames Tutor. Also has a downloadable zip
version for fast offline reference.

WDVL’s Introduction to Web Design

>From one of our sister sites, this thorough course ranges from
the basics of HTML to advanced formatting topics. Also, don’t
miss WDVL’s Intro to HTML.

Writing HTML

A tutorial to creating your own home page from the Maricopa
Center for Learning and Instruction. Designed to help
instructors create HTML learning resources.

Work smarter, not harder

What is one of the best ways to work smarter without working harder? The answer is outsourcing. Whether you need occasional or ongoing assistance, outsourcing can save you money and time. Graphic designers, copywriters, bookkeepers, website programmers, office assistants, and other types of professionals are all readily available.

And, there’s a new way of hiring people – the World Wide Web connects independent professionals and small businesses that don’t need or want full-time help. Try typing “Virtual Assistant” into a search engine. You will find a vast array of online resources. According to the International Virtual Assistants Association,

“A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative, and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis.”

This means you can find a virtual assistant for almost any type of work. Are you a plumber who needs accounting? Or a professional speaker who needs help arranging your appointments? Perhaps you would like some help writing proposals, designing a new website, or sending out press releases. You can find someone online for all of these services.

For many “around the office” types of jobs, virtual assistants get paid $20 to $50 an hour. More specialized services such as programming, legal assistance, graphic design, or coaching can cost $75 to $125 an hour. This may sound expensive at first. However, if you are not in need of a person in your office 40 hours every week, it becomes a very cost-effective solution.

While I realize, costs fluctuate widely, let’s look at some sample numbers to compare the typical costs of maintaining an employee versus outsourcing:

Sample costs of a full-time employee
Employee Salary: $36,000/ $17.31/hr.

·Two-week paid vacation: $1,385 to cover your employee’s role (more if a temp is hired)

·Health Insurance (employer portion for 12 mos.@$150): $1,800

·FICA Taxes (7.65%): $2,754

·Worker’s Comp. (.61%): $220

·Unemployment (State & Fed): $309

·Misc. costs (Vision, Dental, Disability & 401K Matching, Profit Sharing & Stock Options): >$3,000

·Office Space, Equipment, and Software (100 sq. Ft. @ applicable rate): $2500 ($25/sq. ft. is conservative)

·Annual Bonus (1 mo. salary): $3000

·Sick Time (10 days/year): $1385

·Other intangible costs (furniture, testing, training & fees, sick children, etc.): $1200

Total Typical Costs: $53,553/ $25.75/hr. total effective hourly rate at 100% productivity

At a 75% productivity level, this employee’s cost for actual work becomes $34.33/hour and at a 50% productivity level, it’s $51.50/hour. A full-time staff person is very unlikely to be 100% productive because of idle time, errands, tasks, personal matters, and a learning curve for certain functions. This is combined with an employer’s inability to generate work due to distractions, staff meetings, company functions, lack of time to delegate or supervise, and sales fluctuations.

So, depending on the productivity level of a full-time employee, you may be paying up to 3 times his or her actual salary! You do the math! What’s the wise choice? Does an in-house employee save money? In most small businesses, this method simply is not the most cost effective.

Entreprenuer, get your life back!

Outsourcing will save you money, time, and energy. Virtual assistants and other out-of-office professionals own their own equipment with the latest software, they pay their own taxes and benefits, they are experts in their field, they don’t require morale building or training, and they aren’t going to bring their personal problems into your work space. Virtual assistants and outsourced professionals offer even more advantages: they are loyal to their client companies and will support your goals – they will help you generate ideas and allow you more time to make your business more profitable.

So, if you have employees that you are happy with, then of course that’s perfect for your business. Don’t fix what ain’t broke. However, if you find you are paying too much overhead or spending too much time managing, try a virtual assistant. If you need a new type of service, but don’t have the in-house expertise, outsourcing is a great option. There’s a world of online help available at your fingertips.

Wendy Maynard, your friendly marketing maven, is the owner of Kinesis (http://www.kinesisinc.com). Kinesis specializes in marketing, graphic and website design, and business writing. You can visit her marketing blog, Kinetic Ideas at: http://www.wendy.kinesisinc.com

Want to harness the power of kinetic marketing? Sign up for Kinesis Quickies, a free bi-monthly marketing e-newsletter: http://www.news.kinesisinc.com

Window pinning can be an effective way of securing double-hung windows (and some sliding windows). I run into a lot of double-hung windows, usually in older homes, that could use this type of protection. Many have locks/latches that are broken or the two window sections don’t line up preventing the window from being secured.

Best Application: On older double-hung windows that have wooden frames and require extra protection. It is not recommended for use on the newer vinyl windows – it may even void their warranty.
NOTE: using this window pinning procedure still allows someone in the home to escape through the window should that become necessary. Never use any method of securing windows that would violate any codes or prevent someone from escaping in an emergency situation.

Tools Needed: Hand or electric drill; 5/32” drill bit; ruler or tape measure. Each window will also require two 16-penny nails.

Procedure:

1. Close the window and, if possible, secure it using the existing lock/latch. If you can’t secure the window, make sure both the upper and lower sections are shut tight as they must overlap (in the middle) as much as possible.

2. You will want to drill a hole through the inside sash and three-quarters of the way through the outside sash in the two corners where the two window sections overlap (the window’s mid-section). Measure this distance(depth). Once you have the depth to drill, you can place a piece of masking tape on the drill bit at the same distance. This will be your drill depth guide.

3. Starting on the left side, carefully drill the hole at a slightly downward angle but no deeper than the depth you measured in step 2 (or the start of the masking tape on the drill bit).

4. Repeat Step 3 on the right side and insert a 16-penny nail into each hole. For appearance sake, you may want to use a bolt cutter or hack saw to shorten the nail ends so just the nail heads are visible and sticking out. Test the security by trying to open the unlocked window with just the nails in place.

If you want the option of leaving one or more windows open (4” to 6”) and still remain secure, you may drill two additional holes as follows: Open the window the desired height (but no more than 6”); Using the original holes on the inside sash, drill a second set of holes three-quarters of the way through the outside sash; Insert nails through the inner sash and into these “ventilation” holes and test by trying to open the window wider.

DISCLAIMER: If you do not understand this Pinning Window procedure or its suitability for your specific situation or purpose do not attempt to perform it. I will not be held responsible for any accidents or damage resulting from your use of this procedure.

Roger J. Fischer is a security professional with over 25 years
of experience in providing security solutions for his customers.
For more articles related to security, safety and a variety of
other topics visit http://www.GoldKeySelect.com

Most of us who have been intimately involved with someone beyond the infatuation stage know that relationships are like a rollercoaster ride. When things are good, they are very, very good. When things are bad, they are very, very bad. As a relationship coach, I have developed Top 10 Lists—one for men and one for women on 10 things to do and not to do in relationships.

MEN

DO

1. Just listen to your partner without offering advice.
2. Trust and respect her.
3. Treat her as an equal partner in your relationship.
4. Stay and support her when she gets emotional. She is looking for understanding, not solutions.
5. Continue your courtship even after she’s committed to you. Continue to create romance in your relationship.
6. Do little things on a regular basis. A woman doesn’t care if you call her at work to say, “I love you” or if you buy a new TV for the living room. The small things are worth just as much as the big ones.
7. Honor any agreements you have made with her.
8. Encourage her goals and direction.
9. Find out what your partner would like to do and then do it with her.
10. Say, “I’m sorry” when you’ve done something you regret or that was hurtful to your partner, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

DON’T

1. Go to bed angry with your partner.
2. Try to offer advice or solutions when your partner just needs you to listen to her without comment.
3. Pretend to listen to her when you really aren’t.
4. Shut your partner out when you need to sort things out in your head. Just explain you need space, you aren’t angry with your partner and that you’ll be back.
5. Criticize your partner, especially her appearance.
6. Yell at your partner as if you were her father.
7. Take every word she says literally. Women, when upset, tend to speak in absolutes, such as “You NEVER listen to me;” when what she really means is that you aren’t listening to her at that time.
8. Allow jealousy to erode the trust, love and respect of your relationship.
9. Violate her privacy.
10. Forget special occasions.

Men and women have different communication styles, different needs and desires, and different relationship challenges. Learning these differences can assist us in strengthening the relationships we have now and in the future. John Gray began this revolutionary discovery in his book, Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus. The Women’s List follows:

WOMEN

DO

1. When you want more quality time with your man, make the time you do have as positive as possible.
2. Trust and respect him.
3. Stop nagging.
4. Allow your partner time away from you without giving him the third degree.
5. Appreciate the little things he does for you and tell him so.
6. Make love creatively and often. Don’t be afraid to initiate lovemaking.
7. Honor any agreements you have made with him.
8. Support his goals and direction.
9. Ask for what you want! (Believe it or not, no matter how much he loves you, he really can’t read your mind.)
10. Accept his “No” gracefully, trusting that he would if he could.

DON’T

1. Go to bed angry with your partner.
2. Insist he always share his feelings with you. Talking about feelings is more what women need.
3. Attempt to converse with your partner during a good movie or sporting event.
4. Continue to “give” in what you perceive is a lopsided relationship when you are at a point of resentment.
5. Criticize him or put him down, especially the things he does.
6. Scold your partner as if he were a child.
7. Use sex as a prize for good behavior or the withholding of sex as punishment for “bad” behavior.
8. Compare him to a fictional character in a book, movie or soap drama and find him lacking.
9. Violate his privacy.
10. Try to change him. Appreciate the man he is right now.

There is so much to learn about satisfying relationships that your parents never showed you. Please don’t become one of the statistics of divorce or perhaps worse, stay in a miserable relationship to honor your marriage vows while having so many regrets about your life as the time ticks away.

Kim Olver has a degree in counseling, is a certified and licensed counselor. She is a certified reality therapy instructor. Kim is an expert in relationship, parenting and personal empowerment, working with individuals who want to gain more effective control of their lives and relationships. www.therelationshipcenter.biz/FreeTeleclass.htm

We don’t use E-gold very often since most of our online business and customer sales are conducted through our online merchant account. However, we occasionally have someone who will request paying by E-gold so we keep an account there for this reason. Once a month or so we withdraw the funds and decided to do so yesterday. Imagine our dismay when we logged into our E-gold account yesterday and found our balance to be a big fat ZERO! We had checked the balance just a few days ago so we knew this was not correct. After investigating the history of the account, we found that a spend had been made to another e-gold account user WITHOUT our knowledge or authorization. We had been hacked!

Since we have up to date anti-virus and firewall software on our computer, we assumed we were safe. Not so! It seems this is not enough to keep away the hackers as the software does not prevent “Spyware” from being installed on your computer.

“Spyware” is software that gets onto your computer and literally “spies” on your activities. The spying can range from relatively harmless use of cookies tracking you across multiple websites… to extremely dangerous “keystroke loggers” which record passwords, credit cards, and other personal data. That data then gets relayed to the person who put the software on your computer.

Spyware gets on your computer in one of several different ways.

First, it rides along with software you download from the ‘Net and install on your system.

Second, they come as email attachments (much like viruses) and automatically install themselves on your computer when you open the email message.

Third, hackers find an open port on your computer and use the “back door” to install basically anything they want.

And fourth, the more malicious types, like keystroke loggers, can even get installed by someone with direct physical access to your computer such as an employer, suspicious spouse, business competitor, or someone who wants to know exactly what you’re doing.

So how do you protect yourself against these malicious hackers? You need a program that specifically scans your system for the tens-of-thousands of existing spyware programs along with the new ones appearing daily.

Below are two programs which specifically check for and remove spyware from your system:

“Spybot Search & Destroy” - http://www.safer-networking.org/
“Ad Aware” - http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/

You may have spyware lurking on your computer right now so protect yourself today by downloading one of the above programs!

As a point of reference, we contacted E-gold and informed them that we had been hacked. We provided them with the account number of the person who received the funds and asked for a contact e-mail address on the person. E-gold informed us that they could not provide that information without a “court order” and that basically there was no way of getting the money back!

Take action today to protect yourself from this growing threat! The bottom line is: - Keep your anti-virus program current

- Install a firewall
- Carefully screen software before installing it
- Scan specifically for spyware weekly
- Stay current on this growing threat.

Charles & Susan Truett are experienced internet marketers who have built a successful online business and are now teaching others how to achieve the same success. For more more info on how to make money at home visit http://www.partnersinsuccess.net

Your computer’s data is at risk. Whether you use a Mac or a PC, viruses, power surges, hackers, human error, natural disasters, hardware failures, and more are real everyday threats. To keep your data safe and sound, you will first need to back up your files on a regular basis. Secondly, when hard drive failure does occur, data recovery is the only solution.

Of course it is ideal to back up data and avoid the complicated process that is data recovery altogether, but even when you take the necessary steps to prepare for hard drive damage, you might run into problems.

Here are some procedures to follow if you experience trouble.

If a program is not functioning well on your computer, turn the computer off! This may seem a simple task, but shutting down a computer at the moment you notice your hard drive to be working overtime – perhaps you hear unusual sounds (like “cleaning”) – can prevent damage to the disk and data loss. If you let a failed hard drive run, it will eventually self-destruct. Damage to your disk is inevitable in this scenario.

If this is the case, unless you know exactly what you’re doing, don’t fix your computer yourself. Professional expertise is not a luxury in this situation – it is a must. Data recovery is a difficult and sensitive process requiring special tools and a clean environment. Not only will it be tremendously challenging to repair a hard drive on your own, but you might actually make matters worse and ensure irreversible data loss.

There is “do-it-yourself” data recovery software, but be cautious of things like this. With most computer problems of this nature, at-home instructions can be more dangerous than useful. Even if a company boasts that its products and instructions will handle your vulnerable data properly, it is important to be a skeptical consumer.

A local service provider is the average solution. Repair can happen on your own premises and you can be assured that your computer is in good hands. However, there is always the possibility that your hard drive is beyond repair – even for expert technicians – so be prepared to buy a new hard drive altogether; data recovery may not be an option any more.

Stu Pearson has an interest in Business & Technology related topics. To access more information on data recovery services or on restore data, please click on the links.

With more and more business people taking their office on the road with them in the form of Smart phones, how does the new Motorola Q compare to the tried and true Treo 650 from PalmOne?

The advanced features of the Treo 650 include:

• A 640 x 480 resolution, 2x digital zoom digital camera.
  
• RealPlayer software that lets you listen to MP3 and RealAudio files.
  
• The ability to view Word, Excel and PowerPoint attachments.
  
• The ability to edit MS Word and Excel files.
  
• Bluetooth wireless technology.
  
• CIF-quality (352 x 288 pixels) resolution video capture / camcorder.
  
• A backlit QWERTY keyboard.
  
• One infrared port.
  
• When this phone is connected to your computer via USB,
• Bluetooth or infrared, you can use it as a modem.
  
• PC synchronization with Windows Sync Or Exchange Server ActiveSync.
  

The new Motorola Q offers all of the above features, plus a few more. The Q has a thumbwheel, for single-handed use, and it has something that none of the other smart phones in the world have: the thinness of a RAZR. That’s right, Motorola packed everything you’re used to seeing on a bulky handheld, like the Blackberry or PalmOne Treo, and put it in a package that is 50% thinner than other smart phones.

While the fact that the Motorola Q is thinner than other smart phones, shouldn’t be the deciding factor in selecting a smart phone. It is for me; because the Q offers everything else the other phones offer plus coolness, which is a commodity in which I am distinctly lacking.

If you would like to compare the PalmOne Treo 650 to the new Motorola Q, you can find the PalmOne at http://web.palm.com/products/smartphones/treo650/index.jhtml and the Motorola Q at http://www.motorola.com/mdirect/q/index.html. If you would like to compare them side by side, you can do so at http://www.cellchecker.com.

Greg Anliker
http://www.calling-plans.com

Have you ever thought how would our mobile phones work if our phone runs out of battery in the middle of the road? We’ll find no way to contact anyone or take anyone’s help. Having a standby battery is a solution to it. A spare battery is best if you simply cannot do without your mobile phone.

When you purchase an additional mobile phone battery, you should select the battery from the manufacturer, as the battery types differ greatly by brand and model. Different mobile phones support differently designed and developed batteries. These days’ mobile phone batteries are constantly developed to have longer life and be more powerful. Mobile batteries will be introduced soon that charge to full capacity in minutes and last ten times longer than current batteries. This would be done to keep your phone working in case of any emergency. Here are a few suggestions or guidelines to make sure you make the most of your mobile phone batteries:

• If your mobile battery no longer provides acceptable performance, you should replace it.
• Never keep your mobile phones in your car during extreme weather conditions, both too hot and too cold.
• If you charge your phone daily, your battery will typically last between 12-14 months but if you charge your battery less at every 2-3 days, you maybe able to keep your battery for two years or more.
• Don’t use an unapproved mobile phone battery as your mobile phone could damage.
• A common reason for mobile phone batteries losing their energy too soon is that you often overcharge your phone.

These steps would definitely help you extend the life of your phone batteries, so take time follow these tips.

When we think of identity theft, children are probably not the first victims we might imagine. Unfortunately, more and more kids are being targeted for this crime, and the culprits may not be who you think. Right now, approximately 4% of all identity theft cases involve children, which means roughly 400,000 kids a year are having their futures ruined without their knowledge. 1

In an article on MSNBC.com, a 24-year old man explained that by the age of 10, his identity had been used to accumulate almost $250,000 in debt and to commit a felony. Another victim, a 9-year old boy, received a collection notice for a $2,000 debt.

Unlike most identity theft victims, however, these two individuals know exactly who was responsible for committing this crime: their fathers. According to the article, almost two-thirds of all child-related identity theft cases are committed by family members.

A child becomes a victim, in most cases, because someone else uses their social security number and name to open a credit card or to have utilities turned on. While the information can be used in other ways, those are two of the most common. And, because children aren’t interested in their credit history until they turn 18 or older, most never even realize the crime has been committed until years after the theft started.

There are some ways to protect your child against potential identity theft:

Keep their social security number locked up in a secure location – If criminals don’t have access to your child’s social security number, they can’t steal it. Never carry their card in your purse or wallet where it could easily be lost or stolen. Never share the number with another family member or anyone else who does not have a professional need to know.

Ask to not have their SSN listed on insurance cards – Many insurance companies list social security numbers on their cards. If yours does, then contact them and ask to use a different number.

Do not allow your child to know his or her SSN until its necessary – Young children have no reason to know their social security numbers or to have access to their SSN card. Keep those documents safe and private until your child needs them. Children are often tempted to reveal more than they should to friends, family members, even strangers.

Check their credit report – While a yearly check of their report may not be necessary unless you suspect a problem, it’s a good idea to periodically check your child’s credit reports for activity. Your child shouldn’t have anything listed at all, but if anything does show up contact the credit bureau and the listed creditors immediately.

Additionally, if you are a parent you should NEVER use your child’s social security number fraudulently. Not only are you committing a crime, but you are also making your child’s life more difficult. Furthermore, if you know or suspect that someone is wrongly using their child’s personal information, then you should contact the authorities. Don’t sit idly by while they ruin that child’s future.

If you want more information on preventing, detecting, or rectifying identity theft problems for children and adults, then you need to read Identity Theft: A Resource Guide from PCSecurityNews.com. The ebook is available at http://www.pcsecuritynews.com/identity_theft.html

1. Novotny, Monica. “Robbing the Cradle.” Countdown with Keith Olberman. MSNBC.com

Author Howard Goff teaches you how to reduce your risk of becoming an Identity Theft victim in his e-Book “Identity Theft, A Resource Guide”. This article is just part of the incredible content contained in this 50-page gold mine of information. Get your free copy of this guide today at: Identity Theft . Howard Goff has 3 years of specialized
experience in the security industry and has been involved in the internet for over 15 years. He founded www.PCSecurityNews.com in early 2003 where his company has offered advice and security products to hundreds of thousands of people. Visitors to this website have access to an extensive FAQ and free www.PCSecurityNews.com/spywareremover.html?ht=xada02″>Spyware Removal.