Emily’s Weblog

July 6, 2008

Music Studios Policies vs. Indiscipline Students – by: Sujanti Djuanda

Filed under: Uncategorized — Emily @ 7:24 pm
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Studio policies will make music studios run well. For example, the policy state that if students didn’t pay tuition fee at first lesson of the month, they must pay late fee. Then students will generally pay on time. Another policy, if students miss lesson without any notification, lesson can’t be made up. Then students will generally notify teachers if they can’t take lesson.

Unfortunately, it’s not always work well. The following examples show studio policies didn’t work for certain families. They decided to quit or didn’t mind to be penalized than followed the policies.

• Parents decided to quit than pay late fee although they have signed the agreement of studio policy.

• Parents didn’t mind to pay late fee so each month, their children still late in tuition payment.

• Parents asked their child to miss lessons without notifying teacher because they would go shopping and didn’t mind lessons couldn’t be made up.

• Student missed lessons without notifying teacher because traveled with friends and didn’t mind lessons couldn’t be made up.

As teachers, we have only two choices to overcome this problem, dismiss the indiscipline students or continue to teach them. If we have many good students with good parents, there will no problem to dismiss some bad. However, if have many indiscipline ones and need tuition fee, should we dismiss them? It will make teachers in a bad mood and the decision is in teachers.

As students/parents, we should care to our music teachers as we did to our best friends/families. The solution is only love and take care our teachers then we will appreciate and respect them automatically. Just do it from our heart!

About The Author

Yen Yen (Sujanti Djuanda) has been teaching piano about 14 years. Currently also learn and work on music composing. http://yen03.bizhat.com.

For Newer Sites, Web Marketing Depends On “Titles” & “Links”! – by: Martin Lemieux

Filed under: Uncategorized — Emily @ 7:24 pm
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We all start out the same. Some have budgets, some don’t. The one true factor out there is that we all want to expose our business. For 99% of us, starting out in the world of web marketing means a few things:

  • A huge learning curve
  • Endless nights working
  • Trial & Error
  • Learning the ropes

Compared to older more established sites out there, a brand new site without a network of well established web sites to back it up will need to depend on good quality links pointing to it. This will commence the search engine ranking strategy.

See most “grand father” sites out there have already gone through the trials and tribulations of getting recognized. Since this is true, they don’t always have to depend on the “Title” of the link pointing to their site, nor do they have to depend on the “Title” tag within their site.

Most older sites get ranked for search terms that don’t even show up on their listing, this is because search engines already know the content is there and is good.

For a newer web site, great search engine rankings rely on those “Titles”. This helps search engines to better determine the content of the site.

For Example: “Joe” has a site about “Web Marketing”. Joe knows that he needs to get his link on other quality sites and he also wants to get a good ranking for “Web Marketing”. So Joe creates a link exchange program on his site and submits his link titled “Web Marketing” to as many content related web sites as he can.

Joe also knows that if search engines find his link on other sites and it’s called “Web Marketing”, his site had better be about “Web Marketing”! So Joe adds “Web Marketing Services & Tips” as the title of his main page. He also adds specific content to match it.

Now here’s the [kicker]. Let’s say Joe has been doing this for 2 years now, 9 times out of 10, if Joe’s web site is still promoting content about “Web Marketing”, he probably doesn’t have to add “Web Marketing” to his main title anymore. He can now add it further down within another link on his site.

So the moral is???

If your site is new, you’ll need to depend on the “Titles” of many things to get your rankings up for something specific. If you’re site is more mature and has been established, you can work on other search terms you’ve been longing to get for your site.

Just keep plugging away and try to keep your “titles” the same for new sites and mix it up for older sites!

I hope you enjoyed the article!

For more of Martin’s articles go here: http://www.smartads.info/newsletter

About The Author

Martin Lemieux
President
Smartads – Affordable Web Solutions
http://www.smartads.info & http://www.smartads.ca
Eye Catching Print Design
http://www.3dimentionaldesign.com
Powerful Free Web Marketing Tools
http://www.thewebclinic.com

Mexico’s Mayan Riviera has something for everyone – by: Jolana Klobouk

Filed under: travel — Emily @ 7:22 pm
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Playa del Carmen and the Mayan Riviera have an exceptional array of attractions and activities from the Mayan ruins at Tulum to the Playa del Carmen nightlife, you will love your Mexico vacation. Here is a listing of some of the popular ones:

Beaches and sport activities

This area has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Most of the beaches have been manicured and have fine white sand. The water is a turquoise blue of the Caribbean Sea.

Scuba diving and snorkelling

Just off the coast is the world’s fifth-longest barrier reef. The reef, home to hundreds of species of marine life, is perfect for snorkelling. Scuba dive and snorkel in the magnificent Caribbean waters. Scuba lessons for beginners and diving tours for the pros are available. Most resorts offer scuba/snorkel tours and/or lessons. Most of the ecological parks have great areas for snorkelling.

For more information: www.sealifedivers.com

Cozumel

Only 45 mins from Playa del Carmen by ferry, this diver’s haven is well worth the trip across the ocean. Considered among the best snorkelling and diving spots in the world, Cozumel offers magnificent coral reefs, underwater caves, and shipwrecks sites to explore. There are over 30 kilometres of coral reef, including the world’s second largest reef called the Gama Reef.

Golf Courses

Playacar Golf Club – This is an 18 hole, par 72 championship golf course designed by Robert Von Hagge. This course is carved through the lush Mayan jungle where it awaits any golfer to come and tame it. Driving range and putting green. Playacar, Playa del Carmen, Q. Roo. Tel.: +52(984)873-0624

Puerto Aventuras – Marina, Tennis / Golf Club. Features a par 36, 9 hole course designed by Thomas Leeman. Maximum length 3,236 yards. Also features a putting green. Rental clubs / carts are available. – Located on the Cancun to Chetumal highway at km. 90 Puerto Aventuras, Playa del Carmen, Q.ROO. Tel.: 52-(987) 3-5109. Puerto Aventuras also has swimming with dolphins, relax and watch the dolphin show while having lunch. Puerto Aventuras also has a marina and restaurants.

For more information: www.dolphindiscovery.com

Mayan Jungle

Take a trip out of time and trek through the wild exotic jungles of the Mexican Riviera, ATV Explorer Jungle Tours is the original Playa del Carmen jungle tour. Ride an ATV through jungle paths, swim in a clear 60 foot deep cenote, explore caves, climb ancient Mayan ruins on this 2 hour tour. Right next to Playa del Carmen and Playacar, Mexico, just an hour south of Cancun.

For more information: www.atvexplorer.com

Mayan Ruins

Tulum

The smallest Mayan ruin site among the three, Tulum only needs a ? day. These ruins overlook the ocean and are right on a beautiful beach. This is a perfect spot for a picnic, a short swim and sun bathing. Take lots of pictures.

Coba

Wear comfortable clothing and shoes and prepare for an hour and a half drive into the jungle before reaching these ruins. Well worth the drive as there are beautiful temples and pyramids to see.

Chichen Itza

This is the most famous and grandiose pyramid of them all. Bring plenty of film and marvel at the beautifully kept grounds and the new restoration work on the pyramid. A must see Mayan ruin for culture enthusiasts. Restaurants, small museum, and tourist shops abound.

Eco-Parks

Xcaret

An eco-Mayan theme park for the whole family. A must see if you visit the Mayan Riviera. Prepare to spend your entire day at Xcaret as there are a million and one things to do and see. An excellent light and sound show, swim with the dolphins, snorkelling, underground river runs, sea trekking, butterfly park, a Mayan village, and much more.

For more information: www.xcaret.net

Xel-Ha

Xel Ha is a eco-park with a large lagoon for snorkelling. It is a great place for first time snorkellers. Inner tubes and life vests are free, and you can rent snorkel gear or bring your own. Amazing cave system, cenotes, lagoon and snorkelling with thousands of tropical fish.

For more information: www.xel-ha.com

Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve

The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, one of Mexico’s largest parks, covers more than 1 million acres of coastal jungle or about 20 percent of the state of Quintana Roo’s land. This virgin wilderness is home and sanctuary to innumerable species of tropical flora and fauna, of which, the jaguar found here is counted as one of the many protected species. Offers eco-trekking through mangroves, lagoons and rivers. Get a close-up look of the wildlife in the reserve in their natural habitat.

Aktun Chen

Witness spectacular geological formations and swim in crystal clear fresh water in the underground caves. Spider monkeys and a serpentarium (snakes) can be seen.

For more information: www.aktunchen.com

Xaman-Ha Aviary

Located in Playacar, this exotic bird sanctuary is a wonderful natural habitat for some 60 species of tropical birds that populate the jungles of the Yucatan peninsula. Scarlet macaws, flamingos, herons and may other beautiful feathered creatures can be found here.

Jardin Botanico del Dr. Alfredo Barrera

Beautiful botanical gardens sprawling with exotic species of tropical fauna in the lush Mayan rainforest. The gardens sit on 60 hectares of jungle and mangrove. A groomed loop trail provides easy walking to various collections of plants, all beautifully displayed in their natural environment. A scenic lookout tower is a bit of a challenge to climb but rewards the brave with a panoramic view from the mangrove to the sea, and out over the jungle.

Shopping

Playa del Carmen Shopping

The pedestrian street 5th Avenida in the heart of Playa del Carmen is lined with boutiques filled with goods from all over Mexico and the world. With handicrafts such as fine silver jewellery to hammocks there are shops that cater to every budget.

The stores that cater to tourists typically carry items such as carved wood and stone, hammocks, leather goods, paintings and sculptures. However, there are also high-end galleries featuring artworks from San Cristobal and Oaxaca for the serious Mexican art collector.

If you’d prefer to venture off the main strip, there are funky little treasures to be found in the small plaza between 6th and 8th ave.

About The Author

Jolana Klobouk is the webmaster of www.best-family-beach-vacations.com. A parent and former travel agent, she has travelled extensively for work and vacations with her family.

Jolana@best-family-beach-vacations.com

Writing as a Gift – by: Jenna Glatzer

Filed under: writing — Emily @ 7:22 pm
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What am I supposed to give Anthony as a wedding gift? I asked Kristin, my bridesmaid and person-who-was-married. I mean, what kinds of things do brides give their grooms? I was thinking of hiring someone to clean the house before we left for the honeymoon so wed come back to a spotless house. Is that a good wedding gift?

Um, no, she said gently, so as not to make me feel like an idiot. It should be something personal. Like, you could paint him a picture, or make a scrapbook, or write him a poem…

A poem? Why, I had at least a dozen poems Id written about him that hed never seen. And if I wrote a few more, Id have a whole chapbook!

Thats exactly what I did. Over the next couple of months, I wrote more poems. I wrote the final one the day before our wedding, capturing my feelings on the eve of our marriage. Then I printed them out, three-hole-punched them, made a cardstock cover, and tied the pages together with ribbon.

On our wedding day, I took him aside after our ceremony and read him the last poem. It was a perfect gift.

But you dont have to wait for such a monumental occasion to use writing as a gift. One of my friends writes childrens books and illustrates them, then gives them to her grandkids on their birthdays. A successful greeting card publisher started out her business because she used to write original cards for all of her family and friendsthey loved them so much that they encouraged her to offer her sentiments to the masses.

Ive also donated personal essays to anthologies, just so I could give the book as a gift to the person the essay was about. I wrote a love letter to Anthony and sent it off to be published in the anthology Love Letters of a Lifetime, then gave it to him for Valentines Day.

A poem I wrote for my grandmother was made into a plaque by the James Lawrence Company. A poem to my mother was made into a plaque as well, which I gave her for Mothers Day.

For my bridal shower, a family friend gave me two journals: one for Anthony, one for me. On the card, she wrote her instructions: We were to write in our journals every day, and exchange them on our first anniversary.

Your words dont have to be published to be gifts. You can design your own prints, cards, banners, and books on your computer, or go truly hand-made and pick up a pack of construction paper and markers.

If you want to get fancy, you can hire an artist to make you a cover or design your work for you. Finding them couldnt be simpler: try Googling illustrators, graphic designers, or artists and see for yourself!

You may write and self-publish your family history as a gift for all your relatives and future generations. Print-on-demand companies make this an affordable option if you shop around and do away with the extras.

You may use a program like Greetings Workshop to design a calendar. You can insert your own photos and poems or short sentiments, and even write in your own imaginative holidays.

Write your own romance, starring you and your significant other, as an anniversary gift. (Could be a short story, or a novella if youre feeling ambitious!)

Write a story to be read every Christmas as a new family tradition.

Write an inspirational poem for a relative whos in the hospital.

Write a limerick to stick in your daughters lunchbox.

At the local printer, a personalization shop, or several places online, you can have your words made up into a t-shirt, mug, poster, bumper sticker, magnet, or plaque. Its wonderful to find that strangers enjoy your published words, but it can be even nicer to find that your words can light up your childrens eyes, or your spouses, or your parents. A gift of your talent and your heart is generous, and more meaningful than anything you could get at the local mega-mall. Spend some time today writing for someone you love.

About The Author

Jenna Glatzer is the editor-in-chief of Absolute Write (www.absolutewrite.com). She has written for hundreds of national and online magazines, and her latest book is MAKE A REAL LIVING AS A FREELANCE WRITER, which you can find at www.jennaglatzer.com. Find out how to get a FREE editors’ cheat sheet with this book!

Copyright 2004 Jenna Glatzer. All rights reserved.

This article may be freely reprinted as long as my bio and copyright remain in tact.

101 Gift Ideas For All Occasions – by: H Porter

Filed under: parenting — Emily @ 7:21 pm
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People have forgotton about the meaning behind gifting, in a consumer driven society we are often pushed towards competing e.g. upstaing gifts and my gifts better than yours. Lets go back to basics, giving is far more rewarding then receiving its much better for your Karma. If someone gives you a list ignore it, the only time a list is applicable is for Weddings where this is a tradition. Gifting is all about imagination, and a little thinking time. For big events like Christmas buy people things they would never buy themselves.

Here are some top ideas of adults:

More and more adults are cooking as a hobby and for enjoyment therefore consider some of the following; spaghetti measurer, Griddle pan, pancake maker, panini press, Knife set, Chefs blow torch, Cook books – check out SorryDarling.com

Relaxation is often overlooked in our busy lives how about some of the following;

Bath Salts, Beauty products, we recommed brands like Bathina, Dermologica, Foot Doctor & sanctuary. Best to go to a beauty store where there are gift packs. Electronic massager,

Cuddly hot water bottle, A good novel, lots to choose from here best to go for your books stores recommended list

Gadgets are great fun here are some ideas; USB computer lights, Screen cleaing kit

Games, Board games and other season toys are great entertainment best to check out Amazon, Firebox and other large toy retailers for top best selling games. REmember gifts are about things you would rarely buy yourself.

For Car fanatics how about:

Some designer interior mats and seat covers, Car Cleaning kit, personalised number plates, Mini car racers, Ferrari or porche and other miniture car collectables, for new drivers fluffy dice are fun and well appreciated.

Heath & Fitness. Some top ideas include; detox kit, hand weights, mini trampoline, exercise mat, execercise ball, Bag with towel & water bottle, execercise video, exercise

DVD’s are always a simple stocking filler or gift. There are a variety of genres to choose from action, adventure, romantic, horror & documentary. Amazon is the most famous online DVD retailer and has great suggestions and best seller lists to help you along.

Travel Enthusiasts; guide books, travel vouchers, spa vouchers, hand luggage, wash bags, travel accessories or perhaps a good novel.

If you are buying for adults who have just had children how about; a hand/foot casting kit, photo album or photo frames with perhaps a photo in.

Higher price items for all the family are new TV, video camera, DVD player, Games Console

Now onto children, this may be your own, grandchildren or perhaps your godparents or a close friend. For the best ideas simply walk into your largest toy store and ask whats selling for your age group. These are usually trend toys such as the latest lego product or film toys like Harry Potter, power rangers or Incredibles.

For creative kids, visit a craft centre either online or on the high street, how about buying some materials and let the kids get creative? You can buy thin leather and beads so they can make their own jewellery or perhaps card and other craft items to make their own art.

If you want to buy something different why not buy a classi corgi toy or perhaps some jewellery like a charm braclett which you can buy charms for at other gifting times. Computer games are normally a must have for kids but can be pricey, if these are out of your budget perhaps outdoor games would be a better choice.

Kids also love DVD’s so movies are a simple gift idea, some of our top tips are look out for these film distributors:

Disney who produced Micky Mouse & friends, Winnie the pooh

Disney Pixar who produced Finding Nemo, Brother Bear & The incredibles

Dreamworks who produced Shrek

Disney Film also produce some good teen movies like Freaky Friday or Confessions of a teenage Dram Queen

Warner Bros are famous for Harry Potter & Xmas 2004 classic The Polar Express

Fox is another who have produced Power ranges and some other TV classics.

Remember that your childhood favourites may be loved by your kids too, such as Transformers, He-Man, thunderbirds, captain scarlet & Thundercats

Last of all our much loved pets are a big part of our lives, which is why you will often find gifts under the Chrsitmas tree for them. Our top suggestions are; cat nip ( a herb which makes them go wild), new colar or lead, blackets, toys, new bowls, a grooming session at your pet store or why not for dogs especially a nice juicy bone.

Remember the final step for gifting is the wrapping so spend as much time on the wrapping as you did on buying the gift.

About The Author

H Porter writes for www.sorrydarling.com the web’s premier Gift destination.

What is Blooms Taxonomy? – by: Adam Waxler

Filed under: education — Emily @ 7:20 pm
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What is Bloom’s taxonomy and how can a teacher apply Bloom’s taxonomy to classroom lesson plans?

Bloom’s taxonomy was originally created Benjamin Bloom for categorizing and classifying levels of intellectual learning that commonly occur in the classroom setting. Bloom’s taxonomy contains three overlapping domains: the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. Within the cognitive domain Benjamin Bloom identified six levels that have become commonly known as Blooms Taxonomy.  

The six levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, from lowest to highest, are: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. These different levels of Bloom’s taxonomy have become an extremely useful guide for teachers in planning classroom lesson plans and classroom objectives. You can even find a list of verbs to help teachers design lesson plans in the Bloom’s Taxonomy Verb Chart located on this web site: http://www.teaching-tips-machine.com/blooms_taxonomy.htm.

It is vitally important that teachers do not just teach lower order thinking skills at the bottom of Bloom’s taxonomy such as knowledge and comprehension, but also teach higher order thinking skills at the top of Bloom’s taxonomy such as evaluation. When students are evaluating and judging and using the higher order thinking skills they are more likely to retain information, perform better on standardized tests, and most importantly, achieve the ultimate goal of becoming lifelong learners.

There are many ways in which teachers can use blooms taxonomy to help create more focused lesson plans and help students use higher order thinking skills. By following the Bloom’s taxonomy chart teachers can pinpoint what they will teach and how they will go about teaching it. For example, take a social studies lesson plan on the use of the atomic bomb to end WWII. A teacher could teach this lesson by having students read and memorize important key terms and facts. However, even if the teacher uses a variety of teaching strategies to help increase reading comprehension, the problem is the teacher is only focusing on the lower order thinking skills. The students may be able to regurgitate the information back on the test, but the student is not using the higher order thinking skills that will help that student retain the information for the long-term and, more importantly, help the student learn to think for himself.

A simply way to teach the same lesson, but also address the higher order thinking skills is to simply have the students write a paragraph “evaluating/judging” Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb. The teacher can still have the students include the key terms from the lesson in the paragraph, but by having the students also make an argument and support that argument the students are also addressing the higher order thinking skills of Bloom’s taxonomy.

Copyright 2005 Adam Waxler

About The Author

Adam Waxler is a middle school social studies teacher, teacher mentor, and author of “eTeach: A Teacher Resource for Learning the Strategies of Master Teachers”. Find out more about his book here: http://www.teaching-teacher.com and check out his blog for free teaching tips here: http://www.teaching-tips-machine.com/blog.

A Look In The Mirror – by: Selena Richardson

Filed under: personal — Emily @ 7:19 pm
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That’s all it takes to change the world. Take a long hard look in the mirror and really notice who you are.

We’re all screaming for peace right now – not just world peace – but peace in our cities, in our workplaces, in our homes and in our minds. There has to be a better way to end this madness.

We need a new way of doing things. Yet we seem to be stuck in outdated modes of thought that have not been working. For if they did, we wouldn’t be in the predicaments we are in now. The past will keep repeating itself until we make a conscious choice to go in a new direction.

Going in a new direction begins inside of you, of me, and of us as individuals. Until we change as individuals, only then can the world change.

One of my favorite quotes is from Mahatma Gandhi – ‘You must be the change you want to see in the world.’ So to have world peace we have to look in the mirror. Take a look and try to find the peace you’re searching for in your heart.

If you can’t find it ask yourself why. It’s not missing – it’s been there with you all along waiting for you to begin your search within. Peace isn’t hard to find at all. You just have to dig from underneath all of the rubble – fear and anger. Once you push the fear and anger to the side peace will be in plain view.

When you find the peace in your heart you start to exude it. It becomes infectious. Joy soon follows and a sense of calm is not too far behind. All of this from one good look in the mirror. One hard look at who you really are. That’s all it takes to get the ball rolling.

And it’s easy to pass it on. Remind your loved ones to find their peace within. They’ll know it can be done because they would have seen the transformation in you. Be a walking example of peace and watch how it spreads.

When others come to you full of fear and anger remember the peace within yourself and gently remind them that no matter how bad it gets it will eventually work itself out for the best.

We get what we dwell upon so if we keep our thoughts based on fear and anger that’s what we’ll continue to get. Instead let’s focus on peace – peace within ourselves and let these thoughts multiply. Remember, be the change you want to see – so be peaceful within your heart and watch your world begin to mirror that.

About The Author

Selena Richardson believes in following your dreams and creating the life you want. To receive more articles like this and a free ebook, subscribe to Creative Possibilities by sending a blank email to mailto:subscribe@creationjourneys.com or visit the site: http://www.creationjourneys.com
selena@creationjourneys.com

The Essence of Infidelity – by: Susan Sheppard

Filed under: women — Emily @ 7:19 pm
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Infidelity affects 8 out of 10 marriages in this country. This is a shocking statistic! What happens between the time the marriage vows are spoken and that first episode of cheating? It’s an assumption, of course, but I don’t think that 80% of the people who get married intend to cheat or be part of a love triangle.

I decided to tackle unearthing the real truth about how and why this happens. On one very popular web site there were 260 posts from both sexes commenting about forgiving and forgetting infidelities. I read every one of them. With one exception, the perception conveyed was that one party was an innocent victim of the other’s philandering. It seemed to me that everyone was looking at adultery as a cause of marital discord. From my perspective, there are only rare exceptions to the fact that adultery, cheating, or affairs are SYMPTOMS of long standing marital problems. The cause occurred possibly even before the marriage vows were uttered.

Let’s go back to the beginning of a relationship. What really happens before two people decide to get married? They have been dating and checking each other out. You all know that women do the choosing. Men respond to a woman’s signals and a relationship moves forward at a pace governed by the woman’s appetite. So how does a couple who is totally in love and committed to each other end up in the predicament dictated by an affair?

I think the predicament results from the general consensus of opinions and expectations generated by a marriage. In all of the posts that I read it seemed that “being married” automatically presupposed that fidelity is the most precious aspect of the marriage. It appears that everything that could go wrong would be tolerated, everything except infidelity. I do not support tolerating infidelity. What I’m wondering is what are the reasons that people actually get married? Do they get married because they are in love? Want to have sex? Want exclusivity? Want emotional, financial, sexual security? Want to have children? It seems like the thing to do? Or do they get married because they have found someone with whom they are career compatible, financially balanced, sexually attracted, intellectually well-matched, culturally congenial, religiously aligned, madly in love, with whom they want to procreate and raise children according to mutually agreeable standards? Do all people get married for the same reasons? I don’t think so.

I believe that some people get married for love, some for lust, some for status, some for money, some for security, some for convenience, some to have children, some looking for parental guidance, some for business reasons etc. etc. And if that is true, why is it that everyone who gets married expects adherence to the same standards as far as fidelity is concerned? The expectation seems to be that everyone gets married for passionate, romantic love and fidelity is the highest value of marriage.

I don’t presume to have all the answers, but possibly some suggestions as to the seeds of infidelity. Let’s start with a couple who declare that they are in love and want to commit to each other. They are starry eyed and the state of “in love” creates a certain blindness and denial especially when this person seems to be almost perfectly aligned with the important values you have designated to be essential in the person you are going to marry. So this person lies to you about something or breaks a promise to you, or does something that totally violates your ethics, but you love him/her and he/she is so perfect otherwise. It’s just a small thing and you can certainly tolerate a little thing like that. After all, you are getting married and that means you can work it out. Love conquers all. Here is the problem. Love doesn’t solve anything. People come to agreement or negotiate boundaries and decide to be together because they want to be together. They choose marriage. I think the rules of marriage and the boundaries that each couple wants to live by must be negotiated. Obviously each and every scenario cannot be discussed ahead of time, but the individual standards of each partner in each marriage must be decided prior to the vows. When a woman/man settles (that includes compromises, tolerates, sells out) on a value that is significant to her/him, the bond is compromised. It makes it okay to do it again, whatever “it” is.

According to the Man/Woman Strategy that I subscribe to, women have the power in relationship and their job is to provide appetite, which challenges the man who loves her to produce results. The man who wants to please his woman will produce those results as long as she believes in him and respects him as the producer. The other component in this neat little package is the sex. Men will do anything for sex. Women love sex as much as men do; it’s just not socially acceptable for them to say so. Men get their pleasure from a woman’s pleasure and “most women lie to men about their satisfaction” which leads to the giant gap in the presumption that marriage presumes passionate, romantic love and fidelity are the highest values. Women on the whole are not able to maintain the level of energy and self esteem necessary to always validate for a man what sexually satisfies her. Thus the communication regarding sex gets distorted. Men, unless someone instructs them, can not be expected to know what areas of a woman’s body are responsive to erotic touch. It’s different for every woman (man too). So here’s what happens. Women get pregnant. Pregnancy creates enormous changes in a woman’s body and physiology, which at times do not make sex appealing. Women become mothers. Parenting, especially mothering is a 24-hour job, which includes massive sleep deprivation, and instincts, which consume even the most, prepared. Generally, both men and women have jobs, which consume time and energy. Women also feel responsible for the upkeep of the home. Not that men do not, but somehow for a woman five million years of homemaking has become instinctual. So what does this entire story mean? It means life gets in the way of relationship and unless some time and energy is devoted to the relationship as an entity, that state of “in love” that everyone marries into will disintegrate.

There are exceptions, but generally speaking most people do not intend to cheat on their spouse after the wedding nor do they intentionally pursue an affair. So here is how an affair begins. One or the other partner is not getting his/her needs met for whatever reasons. That person encounters someone at work, or at a party, or in the neighborhood, who notices him/her and sees something that attracts. There is nothing like a flirtation to restore a sense of self-esteem. Initially, the married person resists but enjoys the attention. That person then goes home to his/her spouse and hints that he/she needs more attention. The spouse at home who assumes that because they are married, everything is great and there is always time for taking care of the spouse later, ignores the hint That, my friends, is the beginning of the affair. When one partner seeks emotional or physical or intellectual support from someone of the opposite sex outside of the marriage, the seeds have been sown.

The marriage is taken for granted. The almighty wedding ring is supposed to be able to bind people to their vows automatically. This is the false presumption that leads us to the incorrigible statistic that 80% of marriages are affected by infidelity. Marriage doesn’t work by itself. It takes two people who pay attention to each other’s needs. It takes two people who believe in each other and validate each other. It takes two people who want to love each other and who continually approve of each other which allows the vulnerability necessary to be honest about their personal needs.

What should be done about reversing this destructive trend? Marriage encounters? Premarital counseling? Relationship coaching? Pre-marital coaching would be best. Determine if the person you are marrying meets your standards and that you are not just settling because he/she is almost what you want and you might not find anyone better. Second best would be to stop an affair before it happens. This could be accomplished by paying attention to your relationship and not taking anything for granted. Decreasing the number of affairs would probably make a difference in the divorce rate. Preventative would seem to be preferable, but some people need to get hit by a board before they wake up and realize they are in jeopardy. Ideas are welcome. What do you think are the cause and effect of infidelity?

About The Author

Susan Sheppard is the founder of Getting What You Want, a life and relationship coaching organization created for the purpose of promoting sacred intimacy in all personal relationships : romantic, parental, sibling, friendship and business. She is the author of the book “How to Get What You Want From Your Man Anytime”, a relationship book that tells everyone in romantic relationships how to be content and have more fun, more sex and less bickering.

Susan is a speaker, writer, trainer and coach who is passionate about sacred intimacy and her crusade against indifferent relationships. With an intense, straight-talking, compassionate manner, she targets the core issues and quickly moves you in the direction of getting what you want. She enrolls you in her passionate movement towards meaningful love.

I help people seeking sacred intimacy in a hot relationship, get what they want from each other so that they can experience more fun, more sex and less bickering.

Contact Susan for a free consultation susan@gettingwhatyouwant.com

Send West Nile Virus Packing – by: News Canada

Filed under: health — Emily @ 7:18 pm
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(NC)-West Nile Virus is carried by mosquitoes and can be fatal for humans. There have been 20 presumed cases of the virus in Canada including one death. In the U.S., over 1000 people have been hospitalized with more than 40 deaths to date.

Since its introduction in 1999, West Nile Virus has spread to Ontario, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. By next year, experts predict it will have spread to PEI, New Brunswick, Alberta and BC.

West Nile Virus effects all age groups. Its symptoms are flu-like with high temperatures, headache, blotchy skin, disorientation, stiff neck and loss of muscle control. In rare cases, it can lead to coma and even death.

How do you reduce the chances that a member of your family will contract West Nile Virus from mosquito bites? It’s simple: cut down on mosquitoes. Standing pools of water like garden ponds and birdbaths are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Change the water in these as often as possible. “Better yet,” advises Home Hardware’s Product Manager Derril Linseman, “treat all standing pools of water with a B.t. H-14 product like Aquabac.” B.t. is a naturally occurring substance that has been manufactured into a highly safe and effective commercial formulation that kills mosquito larvae.

The Mosquito/Blackfly Trap can also be effective, as can Mosquito repellent. The most effective personal repellants contain DEET as an active ingredient. DEET is believed to interfere with the sensory receptors of biting insects, making you “invisible” to them in a way.

If you’re averse to using DEET-based repellents, try an all-natural formula like OFF! Botanicals. It can repel mosquitoes for up to 2 hours per application. Visit your local Home Hardware or Home Hardware Building Centre for more detailed information on this or any other mosquito-reducing products.

About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Mysterious Tel Aviv Lifestyle 2004 – by: Liron Rose

Filed under: design — Emily @ 7:17 pm
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Israel. What do you think when your first hear this word? Right, like most people you imagine what you probably saw on CNN or NBC. Blown up buses, Suicide Bombers, Military Operations, Outright Violence – all over the place.

The only thing that probably cannot be imagined unless experienced first hand is – Day to day living. Hmmm….what does that mean? People like us just living their lives? Do people go out? Absolutely. Yes, in spite of all security issues, most people just seem to carry on with their lives, with their families, with their jobs.

Some figures: The average salary is in Israel about $US1800 per month, and the average monthly rent is $US600 for a 2-bedroom flat in a decent Tel Aviv Suburb. Yes, quite a few people don’t make that kind of money and cannot afford a $600 flat, but others, somehow, seem to make much more, and spend more too. Cars are taxed heavily – over half of their price is “sales tax” but, you see many brand new $50K European luxury models and new SUVs, some people seem to be able to pay for these.

People love to go out here. Hit a local popular bar. Imported beers don’t come cheap at $5 a bottle, and cocktails are more like $8-$9. There are scores of state-of-the-art well designed, well-stocked bars. This summer, many of them were packed even on weekdays.

Mostly a young well-dressed local crowd. Numerous restaurants and coffee shops – ditto.

Tourists, absent for the good part of the last 3 years, could also be spotted on the Beach Promenade.

Tel Aviv, Israel 2004. The place has many faces.

About The Author

Liron Rose (MBA) has been in the Internet Marketing scene since 1999. He served as the Business Development Manager of Suntrader Interactive, a full service interactive agency based in Canada, and as the Online Marketing Manager for Zootec Innovations, a start-up company in the gaming arena. http://www.rainbowmaster.com

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