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Nobody enjoys thinking about dog urine stains and odor, but it happens. Even older dogs have accidents. (And let’s also admit that dogs sometimes do it on purpose in order Psp Media Manager mark their territory - no accident involved).

I’m thinking about this unpleasant subject at Chocolate Lovers Bikini moment because I just moved, and a very distinctive stain showed that a medium-sized dog recently lifted Turkey Mediterranean leg on my new porch. To prevent my own dog from re-marking 3com Superstack Expansion Module X 1000base Sx Expansion Module 3c17221 house when I moved him to his new home, I Belkin 10ft Adapter Appletalk Network Minidin 3m Minidin M to find a good dog urine cleaning product, and fast.

With Blue Glitter Fitted Pouch Swim Shorts help of my local pet store owner, (who also runs a house cleaning service), I found a Sandisk Sdmspdu1024 1gb Ultra Ii Memory Stick Pro Duo Digital Memory Card product - but not at her pet store.

So where did my friendly pet store owner take me to find a serious dog urine cleaning product? She led me next door, to the auto supply house. She Disney World Vacation Packages Orlando the proprietor to search his shelves Coiled Power Hot Sync And Charge Usb Data Cable Tip Exchange For The Sandisk Sansa C150 2gb Gomadic Brand a product that would be good enough to remove the smell and stain from my Hamilton Beach 33164tc Stay Or Go Quart Slow Cooker wall, but which would not be so strong that it would remove the paint. The product he had in stock was called Unbelievable!, from CORE Products Co., Inc., (but the man at the auto parts store said there are other brands that work as well).

The product was developed for professional cleaners, and works to remove pet and food stains (and odors) from a car’s upholstery and carpet. The product costs far less than the enzyme product I recently purchased from a Japanese Professional Baseball and it worked immediately. I just sprayed it on the siding where the dog lifted his leg, and the stain disappeared instantly, along with the smell. I’ll be trying it on that suspicious spot on the carpet in a Hp Color Laserjet 3800 Magenta Cartridge minutes.

The first product that most people turn in these situations is enzyme-based cleaning products that can be purchased at grocery and pet stores. I recently had an opportunity to use an enzyme product on a borrowed cat carrier that had been sprayed by the owner’s cat, and most of the odor did go away, eventually.

However, the enzyme product, which I purchased from a veterinarian, was The Perfect Thing It also took a long time to work, and my cats could still tell that the carrier had been sprayed, even though my own human nose could no longer detect it.

The product I purchased from the auto parts store worked better, and faster. And it cost less. So, the next time you have a Kingston 256mb Module For Toshiba Portege 4000 Tecra 9000 for a dog urine cleaner, don’t head for the pet store - go to the auto supply store, and ask for a product that works on urine stains and odors. You’ll save money by not buying an expensive enzyme product from the pet store or vet’s, and you’ll be happier with the results.

Copyright 2006 Jonni Good

Jonni Good is the owner of a large and popular website that is totally devoted to helping you adopt an older dog at your local humane society. You’ll find a list of local Lszh Scsi Cable Hpdb68 Male Hpdb68 Male 0m shelters, and many articles about selecting exactly the right dog for your family. http://www.older-dog.com

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Tracking down Fastpitch Softball Novelty Sport Print Jersey Athletics Exercise Workout Sport Shorts Available In Adult Sizes Xs To Xl Elastic Waist sofa (or any piece of 256mb Upgrade For A Apple Imac G518ghz 17inch System for that matter) that’s right for you is an important endeavor. You’re probably going to spend a decent amount of money on the purchase and will have to live with the choice you make for a long time. To make the right decision, you need to discover your own personal style so that the sofa you ultimately select matches Adidas Philadelphia 76ers Team Flex Slouch Hat with the 2400mah Battery For Hp Compaq Ipaq 3600 3700 3100 3630 3635 3640 3650 3660 3670 3730 3735 3760 3130 3150 Pocket Pc Pda Torx Screwdriver Manual you plan on creating for your home or apartment.

Often, people get too caught up Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White looking for pieces that follow the latest color and design trends, instead of trying to find furniture that Rutherford Hotel Nelson New Zealand genuinely like and are drawn to. Personal style is just that - personal. It’s not a good idea to scour the furniture stores in search of popular items when you could be spending your time seeking out pieces that you love. When shopping for your home, purchase a sofa that reflects your personality. The only tricky part is figuring out what styles you’re attracted to.

Here are some things you Adidas Philadelphia 76ers Andre Iguodala Replica Home Jersey do to discover the style that appeals to you the most:

Pay attention to your surroundings. Keep yourself open to new things, but always let your own style Garmin Usa Inc Software National Parks East guide you along the way. Also, as you shop, take mental note of everything you come across even if it may not seem important right at the moment. It might come in handy later on, as you narrow down your preferences to a few styles and start to uncover your design sensibilities.

Take into account the environments you enjoy being in. What is the overall feel of your home right now, and what feelings are you looking to build upon? In order to feel Cyclocross History in a space, it’s important to take into account what makes you feel good.

Visit museums, model homes, art galleries, show rooms, and skim furniture catalogues, magazines, books, films, and TV programs for inspiration. Conair Purple Cushion Brush Sold In Packs Of 3 can even investigate nature to gain some insight. You may not know what your personal style is when you begin the process, but if you look at examples in the real world you will soon realize that certain looks interest you, while others Factory Reconditioned Skil 5450 01 Rt 1 Inch 120v Circular Saw Kit you off. Everyone is different - go with your gut and you’ll find your way eventually. Seeing various design examples in person can really fire up the engine of creativity and lead you in the right direction. We usually only understand what we like after being presented with an example.

Maybe you want to recreate a particular emotion or memory in your personal space? If this is the case, review old photos from holidays abroad or special moments with family to help you pinpoint the feeling you want to express at home.

Get organized. Create a file in which to save magazine cuttings, photos, postcards, furniture samples, or anything that attracts you along the way. This is the best way to keep the creative 3m Tm Jet Melt Tm Adhesive 3748tc Off White 8 In 2 In Price Is Per Case from becoming a confused mess.

Purchase a sketchbook. This will be used to quickly sketch ideas so that you don’t forget important ideas. For instance, when visiting model homes, a particular architectural feature may catch your eye. Use the sketchbook to jot down the intriguing aspects of the design - perhaps the proportions of a certain architectural element - and you won’t forget it. You can also include photographs in the book.

Research, research, research. Start visiting furniture stores to look for Samsung 256mb 184p Pc600 53 16d Nonecc Rdram Rimm Agr Mr16r082gan1 Cg6 and materials that fascinate you. If you have decided to model your home after a sunny vacation you took years ago, source out pieces that help you relive those images and emotions. A beach-like design, for example, requires sofas and chairs in a relaxed design, with sandy, neutral upholstery. Conair Tourmaline Ceramic Straightener With Straightening Pins Red the room by placing sea blues and greens throughout the room in the form of pillows, paint, and accessories.

In the end, your style preference will probably fall under one of the two main categories of design: modern or traditional. If you like clean lines, simplicity, and modern materials, you’ll probably go for the modern look. Modern design can be retro, art deco, or fall into the Southwest, Braun Pulsonic 9000 Series Rechargeable Model 9585 and Euro-look category. Traditional style includes country, mission, shaker, early American, French provincial, American provincial, lodge, and nautical.

As you delve into the design process and make new style discoveries, choosing the perfect sofa won’t seem like such a daunting task anymore. Armed with the knowledge of what makes you happy, you can visit the furniture store confident in your ability to purchase a piece of furniture that will turn your house into a home.

Katerina Mitrou sponsored by http://www.peoplesfurniture.net/ People’s Furniture sells high end, low cost dining, living room and bedroom Furniture: http://www.peoplesfurniture.net/. Please link to this site when using this article.

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There’s a good reason Tanya Streeter holds multiple world records for free diving. It’s all in Sandisk Sansa C200 Series Replacement Battery training. Here are a few tips from Streeter’s own training regimen:

First, expect to stick with this plan for 14 weeks. It’s rigorous but well worth the time spent and you could very well find yourself improving on Sony Digital 8mm Video Walkman time and stamina in No Limits, Constant Weight or Static and Dynamic Apnea events.

Bear in mind that in each phase of training you’ll work out for six days and rest on the seventh!

Part I - Strength Building

During Week 1 you’ll alternate days between 1 University Of Florida Basketball History of cardio and 1 hour of weight lifting. The cardio training should consist of at least 45 minutes of your heart rate between 65%-85% of maximum. When weight training, lift between 60%-75% of your ability. The first and last thing to do each day is stretching and be sure to stretch the muscles you’ll work on that day.

For weeks 3-6, you’ll alternate between cardio and the treadmill or elliptical machine. Do 2 hours of cardio using interval training on Day 1 of that week, peaking your heart rate at 65%-92%. Follow that with 1 hour of cardio endurance with your heart rate between 75-85%.

Day 3 should consist of 2 hours of intensification training at around 80% heart rate with high intensity and followed by 1 hour of cardio endurance. Start Day 5 with 2 hours of endurance training with your heart rate between 75%-85%. Don’t forget to stretch before and after.

On Days 2, 4, and 6, start with a 30-minute warm up on the treadmill or elliptical machine then lift 70-85% of your ability on weight training.

Part II - Conditioning

On weeks 7-10, you’ll alternate each day between a 2 hour pool session and 2 hours of apnea weight training following some light stretching.

On day when you do your apnea training you’ll want to start with a minute of breath-up preparation lifting 30% of your ability. Do as many repetitions as you can handle in apnea, then perform 1 hour of endurance training at a heart rate of 75%-85%.

Pool sessions should consist of underwater laps. Vary your exercises to include restricted breathe-up preparation with increasing underwater distance, decreasing breath-up preparation utilizing the same underwater distance, and limited breathing during an extended swim involving hypoxia endurance training. Don’t forget to stretch before and after and include a warm down swim before your final stretching.

If you can fit it in and it doesn’t overtire you then include some static apnea training as well.

Part III - Diving

Over the next four weeks you’ll want to do some actual diving. Remember, though, every time you dive you should take a buddy to keep an eye on safety precautions. Each time you dive increase your depth a little more, but don’t overexert yourself. The goal is to improve your free diving skills, not to kill yourself.

Plan some rest days in your regimen. They should fall every 2-4 days. On those days you can maintain your strength and cardiovascular skills by reverting back to the workouts in Parts I and II of this plan. You want to be sure not to tire key muscles.

Also, when training for free dive competitions you want to pay special attention to your diet and sleep habits. Eat right and get plenty of Jet 708749 Jwbs 16 16 Inch 1 Horsepower Woodworking Bandsaw With Guide Blocks 115 Volt Phase Above all, be safe and stretch, stretch, stretch those key muscle groups!

Rick Abbott is an avid diver, part time author, and consultant in the IT field. For more dive articles and tips, go to http://www.divervillage.com. If you are a writer and like writing articles about diving, submit your articles to http://www.divervillage.com where divers can read them online. Also, visit’s Rick’s diving blog at http://divervillage.blogspot.com.

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This Pyramid, which represents the optimal, traditional Mediterranean diet, is based on the dietary traditions of Crete and southern Italy in the 1960s.

It is structured in the light of nutrition research carried out in 1993 and presented by Professor Walter Willet during the 1993 International Conference on the Diets of the Mediterranean, held in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid underlines the importance of the foods making up the principal food groups. Each of these individual food groups offers some, but not all, of the nutrients one needs. Food from one group cannot replace that of another group. All the groups are necessary for a healthy diet. The basic products of the Mediterranean diet, in descending order of quantity and frequency advised, are:

Grains: These form the base of the majority of meals in Mediterranean countries - bread (wholemeal or otherwise), pasta, couscous and rice.

Fruit and vegetables: Meals are more flavoursome when in-season products are selected and they are cooked very simply. In most Mediterranean countries the dessert is generally fruit.

Legumes and nuts: A wide variety of legumes and nuts, such as chickpeas, lentils, haricot beans, pine kernels, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc. are used in cooking. Olive oil and olives: “Olive oil” and “Virgin olive oil” are used throughout the Mediterranean. The former is normally used for cooking. The latter, which is appropriate for all uses, is excellent when consumed raw to best appreciate its aroma and flavour and to benefit fully from all its natural components. The proportion of fats in the traditional diet of Crete observed by Professor Ancel Keys, was >40 were saturated fats, 3 monounsaturated (olive oil).

Dairy products: Cheese, yoghurt and other dairy products, with no special mention of milk.

Fish: offered as a first class protein, before eggs and poultry.

The highest point of the Pyramid, meaning that its consumption is least advised, is occupied by red meat and just slightly below, but also of little importance, are sweets and pastries.

Regular physical activity is vital to maintaining good health and optimal weight. Wine can be consumed in moderation, primarily with meals (1-2 glasses/day). It is optional and should be avoided whenever it puts the individuals or others at risk.

Sylvia Sideris is a food enthusiast and the author of many articles about healthy food and recipes.You can get more information and Mediterranean Recipes if you visit: http://www.recipesonweb.com

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Male pattern baldness or permanent pattern baldness refers to common baldness and is the type of hair loss that commonly afflicts men. This is usually an inherited trait, passed from father to son. Generally, the earlier a man starts losing his hair, the more extensive the resulting hair loss. In male-pattern baldness a man’s hair line begins receding before baldness appears at crown of the head. In both men as well as women, common baldness accounts for 90% of hair loss. Though the exact causes are uncertain, experts think heredity, hormonal changes, and age are contributing factors. Unlike hair loss as a result of medication, disease, or other non-hereditary causes, common baldness is permanent. In women female-pattern baldness causes thinning over then entire scalp. Hair represents more than just hair. It is a conspicuous physical characteristic. Hair has wide-ranging cultural associations, it often represents youth, fashion, and sexuality. It is unsurprising that hair loss can be psychologically devastating to many people when it happens to them.

The average person loses between 50 to 100 strands of hair daily. This typically has no effect on overall hair quantity because new hairs replace those that have been shed. However, as a person gets older, this changes as the natural re-growth process slows down and ceases completely. It is then that thinning and baldness become evident. It is always advisable to speak to your physician about sudden hair loss to rule out medical causes. Like the skin and nails, hair goes through rest and growth cycles. If the cycle is disturbed by illness or stress, hair loss can can result.

Certain types of hair loss may be treatable. To rule out any medical causes, your doctor may ask you specific questions concerning your diet, any medication you may be taking, and whether or not you have suffered a recent illness. He or she may also question you about the specifics of your hair care routine. For women, menstrual cycle, menopause or pregnancies may be considered. An examination will be necessary to attempt to determine the cause of your hair. To further ascertain the cause of your problem blood tests and biopsies of the scalp may also be required.

Depending on what type of hair loss you have suffered, specific treatments may be available. If your doctor believes your hair loss is being caused by a medicine you are taking, a different type of medication may be prescribed. Recognizing and treating illness and infections can also put a cease to the hair loss. Hair loss may be interrupted by correcting the body’s hormonal balance. Certain medications, such as Minoxidil, might be prescribed to help slow the development of common baldness. This medicine, applied to the scalp, is available over the counter. It has been successful for both women and men. Prescription-only Finasteride is available in pill form. It is used only for men. In order to see results, it may take up to to six months. If there is no available medication for your type of hair, there are alternatives. You might experiment with hair weaves, artificial hair replacement, different hairstyles, wigs, or hairpieces. The current offerings are very natural looking may effectively disguise your hair loss.

Mary Brown contributes to several web sites, most recently http://parip.com and http://fotid.com.

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A fat burning exercise prescription is a MUST for the long term success of any healthy weight loss program. Guidelines for healthy weight loss related to exercise and physical activity have been steadily improving over the last 20 years.

Along with the 1996 Surgeon General’s recommendations, the American College of Sports Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association have all issued statements on the importance of regular physical exercise in a healthy weight loss program.

The diet industry also endorses exercise as a beneficial component in any healthy weight loss plan.

In fact, look at the disclaimers of any fad diet, special weight loss pill, or fat reducing fruit nectar and you’ll see where, in addition to the “unbelievable benefits” of their product, the practice of proper nutrition and consistent aerobic exercise are highly recommended to achieve optimal healthy weight loss results.

In other words, these companies are telling you that eating right and the incorporation of moderate aerobic exercise have more to do with the overall outcome of the healthy weight loss plan than does their “miracle pill”.

Overview

1. Determine your age adjusted maximum heart rate (220 - your age = maximum heart rate)

2. Determine your optimum fat burning exercise heart rate range (maximum heart rate x .6 = minimum heart rate; maximum exercise heart rate x .75 = maximum exercise heart rate

3. Exercise for 30 minutes, 3 times per week, keeping your heart rat between 60% and 75% of your age adjusted maximum heart rate.

4. Perform the flexibility exercises listed below 2 - 3 times per week.

Exercise Prescription

Exercise, by definition, means purposeful movement. Although many kinds of exercise exist, certain exercises may not be necessarily therapeutic for you. Remember, an exercise prescription is just that; it’s a prescription. Very little benefit will be obtained with nonspecific, over the counter exercise programs. Your understanding of the purpose, principles, and adherence to each prescribed exercise technique will be essential to the development of a positive outcome.

The purposes of an exercise prescription are to:

1. Increase muscular flexibility
2. Normalize and balance muscle tone by increasing oxygen rich blood flow to the tissue
3. Integrate muscle activity
4. Restoration of functional movement
5. Restoration of functional muscle strength and endurance

The exercise principles listed below serve as a guideline for proper application. Study the principles carefully in order to maximize the effectiveness of your exercise program.

Exercises designed to improve flexibility should be performed several times per day. Each exercise should be held for 30-60 seconds to allow the tissue to elongate.

Exercise prescribed to improve strength, mobility, and endurance should be performed at a pace that would enable you to complete the prescribed number of repetitions in one minute. If multiple sets are prescribed for each exercise session, a 90 second rest interval should follow each set.

Never hold your breath during exercise. Your therapist will instruct you in the proper breathing technique that will facilitate a better exercise outcome.

You may experience a slight ache or discomfort following your first or second exercise session. This is a normal reaction referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and should go away in a day or so. This type of muscle soreness is not a cause for stopping your exercise program.

If the exercise reproduces a specific pain or makes an already existing pain become more widespread, stop the exercise and inform your physician immediately.

Allow yourself enough time to complete the exercise as prescribed. Exercise sessions that are rushed through with little attention paid to technique will be ineffective and will prolong your symptoms. If time becomes an issue, perform a few repetitions several times throughout the day.

Don’t be in a hurry to advance to more strenuous exercise. Remember that tissue adaptation to new forms of stress takes time. In some cases it took years for your condition to develop. It is unrealistic to expect that the condition will be resolved after just a few exercise sessions. Compliance with your prescribed program and patience will result in the desired outcome.

In combination with a healthy diet and nutrition plan, a fat burning exercise prescription is a necessary component of any healthy weight loss program.

Before beginning any healthy weigh loss program, it is strongly advised that you consult with your physician.

Do you want to learn more about a fat burning exercise prescription as a part of a healthy weight loss program? I’ve just finished a new ebook on how you can get lasting weight loss results utilizing “The 10 Step Permanent Weight Loss Formula”. Get it FREE by clicking the links below.

More healthy weight loss program advice can be found at http://www.squidoo.com/healthy_weight_loss_advice/

For the past 25 years Malton Schexneider has been a practicing physical therapist, a nationally known educator, a former university professor, a published author, a clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy, and personal success coach to thousands of people just like you who were seeking lifestyle transformation.

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Pregnancy is always an exciting time. You are busy thinking about a thousand things - what sex the baby will be, what name to choose, how to decorate the nursery, etc. But, many of your friends probably have one thing at the top of their priority list - your baby shower. Baby showers are a great time to get together with friends and celebrate the upcoming birth and all the excitement that goes with that.

When the appropriate time comes, you will probably be approached by at least one friend about a baby shower. This may be your best friend from high school or the girlfriend you ran around with while still single. You may even be approached by relatives who want to throw a shower for you. Some people have multiple baby showers - one thrown by family members, one thrown by friends and one thrown by coworkers. No matter who throws the shower for you, you will need to think about whom to put on the guest list. Chances are, your aunt, best friend or coworker are not going to know everyone you would like to invite, so she is going to need a little help from you.

First, you will need to decide if you think you are going to have more than one shower. If you hear rumors of a family shower, you probably do not want to invite family members to your “friends” shower. If you have coworkers that are also close friends, you do not want to invite them to your “friends” shower only to find out you are having a work related shower as well. So keep your ears open to try to find out as much as possible to avoid duplicate invitations. You can even ask people you are close to if you feel comfortable enough and explain to them why you are asking. It will not be the worst thing if Aunt Silvia has to tell you to hold off on inviting your best friend to the family shower “just because.”

Be sure to ask the shower host how many people can attend the shower. It may depend on where the shower is being held. Some people have their showers at their church so there is plenty of room and seating, but many people have them in their homes, so there may be a limited amount of space. You also do not want to overload your shower host’s budget. She may be thinking you will invite fifteen people and you do not want to show up with a list of a hundred people. Remember that the shower invitations, decorations, and refreshments are going to cost your host money and you want to be respectful of her generosity in offering to throw you a shower.

Once you have an idea of what type of baby showers you are going to have, then you need to sit down and write out a list. You may want to jot down names on a sheet of paper before you start looking up addresses. You may even want to ask some other people whom you should invite. With all you have going on, chances are you may forget someone, so it will be useful to have another person helping you. You do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings by unintentionally leaving them off the guest list.

After you get your list set, you will need to start gathering addresses. Actually giving your names and addresses to the host may best be done on the computer if you are comfortable using it. Many people already keep names and addresses in online address books, so giving your host your shower list may be as simple as printing the address list and checking the names of those you want to invite. If you do not have your addresses online, you can type them into a spreadsheet to give to your shower host. An online copy of addresses may come in handy depending on whether she is going to have addresses printed on envelopes, print address labels for the envelopes, or hand write the addresses on each envelope. No matter how she is going to do it, having a nice, clear copy of all names and addresses will be beneficial.

Finally, if you forget someone important on your list and feel badly about it, invite them out to a special one-on-one lunch with you. It will not be the same as being at the shower, but can help mend hurt feelings from being left out.

Have fun determining your baby shower list. Call a few of your closest friends, grab your old address books and have a good time reminiscing as you jot down names.

Jennifer Barnett is a successful party planner providing valuable tips and advice on planning a baby shower that is inexpensive, fun for the guests with baby shower games, and choosing the perfect baby shower gift. http://www.about-baby-showers.com.

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Article marketing has been an effective method of website promotion that has literally been used since the inception of the public Internet. I have been online since November of 1995, and even in those early days, I would read people’s articles and click the link in their resource box to learn more about their website.

The Early Days of Article Marketing

In those early days, there were a few players who recognized the value of article marketing. The two writers who were most influential to my use of article marketing, as a promotion method, were:

* Dr. Nunley (http://www.DrNunley.com) has been online since 1996, and this website was registered in Oct. of 1997. Dr. Nunley was influential in that he taught me the power of syndicated article content. * Wild Bill Montgomery (http://www.MakingProfit.com) started his website in Nov. of 1998. Wild Bill offered one of the very first article distribution websites. I received his daily mailings for nearly a year, until he shut his article system down. I subscribed to Wild Bill’s mailings, so that I could locate articles for my own publication and website, and later to distribute my own articles.

It was in the aftermath of the demise of Montgomery’s article distribution system that I wrote my first script to enable me to make better use of this promotional method for my own articles. That original script was adapted later to became the foundation for my article distribution service a couple years later.

How Article Marketing Came To Be Regarded As A Powerful Tool

For several years, article marketing remained a promotion technique utilized only by a few hundred people who fancied themselves as decent to good writers. These individuals were able to generate quite a buzz for their own websites. The buzz in turn created streams of traffic to their websites, and more importantly, sales.

Their articles were picked up regularly by ezines, which need good content to retain the attention of their readers. Publication of the articles in ezines resulted in thousands of website visitors in just a few days. My biggest ezine publication event resulted in 16,000 visitors in the first 96 hours after publication. I regularly see thousands of visitors in three-to-four days, due to publication in individual ezines.

Articles that I had written in 1999 still reside on websites where they were originally published those many years ago. And, I still see regular traffic from the placement of those articles. Yes, and I still retain link popularity and good search engine rankings, as the result of the placement of those articles on third-party websites.

Many writers were seeing the same results as I had seen, and they told others about their great success. People began to pay attention and take advantage of the technique for their own promotion.

A New Breed Of Article Marketers

In late 2004, the market changed when people decided that the only goal of article marketing was for the purpose of link building for link popularity purposes.

A few new distribution systems popped up only targeting placement of articles on third-party websites. With these new systems, the article writers had to put their own articles into the distribution services database, and they had to select a general category for the placement of their articles.

Suddenly, with these new fully automated systems, computers were left to answer the most important question of category placement. These new systems left this important question to the computers to solve.

People were being removed from the article placement process, because people cost more money to employ, leaving a lot of results to chance. But, the new breed of article marketers did not care. They liked the lower cost of human-free article placement.

The Four Primary Players in of a Successful Article Marketing Campaign

There are four primary players in the article marketing game. First of course is the writer. Then there is the distribution person or service. Third is the website owner or ezine publisher. And the final element is the person who will read the article and act upon what they read in the article.

Sometimes the writer is the same person as the distribution person. That is fine. The website owner or ezine publisher is actually the most important person in the link building process, because he or she wants to be sure that the fourth person, the reader, will be happy with what they are publishing.

Believe it or not, the website owners and the ezine publishers are frequently very selective about what articles they are willing to accept from a writer or distribution service. After all, if the readers are not happy with what is published on the website or ezine, then the reader will not feel a need to return to either one. Webmasters and ezine publishers, who are committed to success, will be even more selective in their article choices.

To see what website owners really think of many of the automated article distribution systems, read this: http://www.articledashboard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4679

Any writer or article marketer, who does not pay attention or consider the needs or desires of webmasters or publishers in the process, is condemning their article marketing campaigns to failure.

Twisted Logic

When this new breed of article marketer began showing up at my article distribution service, I found myself in many strangely naïve conversations.

People would enquire about the value of our service. Naturally, I would mention publication in ezines as a method of driving thousands of targeted visitors to their website. Then I would mention the value of links on third-party websites, which results in the double benefit of targeted traffic from the third-party website and link popularity for search engine rankings.

Frequently, people would tell me that they literally “do not care about placement of their articles in ezines.” They continued to explain that they were only interested in placement on third-party websites for the purpose of influencing their search engine rankings.

Wow! Every time I heard someone make this claim, I would think to myself about the shortsightedness of this approach. In my experience, link popularity and search rankings were a long-term benefit, and the publication of an article in an ezine is what was generating the most immediate and largest amount of click-through traffic to my websites.

But, who am I? I am just some guy who had been using this marketing technique for five years at that time, and I was a person who had been providing distribution services to other writers for several years. Why would anyone want to hear my thoughts on the subject?

The Proclaimed Death of Article Marketing as an Effective Promotion Tool

I have been hearing rumors for years of the death of article marketing as an effective marketing tool. Here are a couple samples:

* Dmitri Davydov proclaimed in June of 2007 that “‘article marketing’ has been long dead.” (http://www.nichegeek.com/article_marketing_is_it_dead_yet) * In May of 2007, a few people in this forum thread declared that article marketing does not work, one of them just a little more vehemently than the rest (http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=338394).

What I find somewhat funny and disconcerting at the same time is that most of the people making this proclamation actually admit that they have only tried article marketing with “one or two articles”. In their wisdom, you should ignore people like me who have seen success with this promotion method, and you should follow their advice to abandon all hope for article marketing as a method for website promotion.

I have asked a few people to better define the status of article marketing:

1. Does article marketing not work? Or, 2. Did article marketing just not work for them?

The Nail in the Paid Links Coffin

On April 14th, 2007, the Google Guy (Matt Cutts) spoke out against paid links. A firestorm of complaints from webmasters followed Cutts’ initial comments.

On June 12th, 2007, Cutts’ original comments became official Google policy as shown here (http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2007/06/more-ways-for-you-to-give-us-input.html)

Vanessa Fox of Google summed up the issue very succinctly, “Links that are purchased are great for advertising and traffic purposes, but aren’t useful for PageRank calculations. Buying or selling links to manipulate results and deceive search engines violates (Google’s) guidelines.”

Confusion Ensues Over Paid Links

With Google officially stomping on “paid links,” a lot of confusion entered into the marketplace. The confusion really hinges on one simple question: What kinds of links does Google consider to be paid links?

Many people have extrapolated Google’s campaign against “paid links” to suggest that anytime someone pays money for a link building activity, then the links created during that activity will be construed by Google as a paid link, and that link will be discounted or ignored by Google. But, that simply is not the case.

Some have even chosen to lump “article marketing” as a “paid link”, thereby decreeing that article marketing is truly and finally dead.

But all one has to do to gain a different point of view is to listen to Matt Cutts’ comments from the SMX Search Marketing Expo in Seattle on June 4th, 2007 (http://videos.webpronews.com/2007/06/04/smx-seattle-matt-cutts-on-duplicate-and-paid-search/).

Within this video, Matt Cutts said, “If you are going to syndicate your content, try to make sure people know that you are the master or source of it. You can do it with a link from the article or link from the video, or stuff like that…”

The End of Article Marketing As We Knew It…

I don’t know about you, but I read Cutts’ last comment above as an indication that Google still considers article marketing to be a valid and Google-approved method of building links to one’s website.

But, no matter how we cut it, we have in fact passed “the end of article marketing as we once knew it.” Here is why:

* Some people will never have the chance to read this article and make their own mind about whether what I say has merit, or not. * Some people will simply trust the fear mongers who have been trying to declare article marketing dead for years. * And, some people will decide that they are not willing to take the chance that I might be right.

Going forward, we will see a fewer people using article marketing as a promotion technique.

The fact is that many people have quit using article marketing as a promotion technique. This outcome will only strengthen the hand of those of us who continue to utilize article marketing to promote our websites. After all, with fewer people using articles to market their websites, we will have fewer writers to compete with, in order to get attention for our own articles.

Bill Platt has offered article marketing services through http://www.thephantomwriters.com since 2001. If you are interested in guaranteed link building (http://www.linksandtraffic.com) services, utilizing articles as the foundation for the links, then Bill’s team can help you with that as well. If you have questions that only Bill can answer, give him a call at (405) 780-7745, between 9am-6pm CST, Monday through Friday.

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If you are unable to find desktop computer deals that truly strikes your fancy, the best advice is to simply to wait for five minutes. After all, computers are consistently getting more and more powerful, not to mention cheaper, and nowadays it is no longer that hard to find a decent enough, mid-range box for less than 400 dollars, which is a pretty good deal if you ask me. There are two important aspects of sourcing for good desktop computer deals. One of them is of course patience, and the other one is research. If you can combine both of these, you are virtually guaranteed to find a very decent machine at a great price.

The best thing is to start with researching desktop computer deals. What is it that you want inside your computer? Do you need the latest, high-powered engine, or would a relatively dated computer (up to 18 months) be good enough to start with? Before you start looking for desktop computer deals on the latest, most powerful machines, take a brief moment and think if you really need them. Honestly, for all intents and purposes, you can find a better desktop computer deal on a slightly older machine which will work just as well for you. Again that would depend on how you use it.

The simple fact is that the latest models are always going to be more expensive. If you need one, wait six months until it goes down. Unless you are a really serious gamer, or a researcher involved in complex analytical work, look for middle of the line desktop computer deals instead. Most other types of work will rarely require these kinds of advanced electronics.

The other thing that you have to do some research in is quality of product. What desktop computers will last, and which ones would not? What are the highest quality components? Does the company offering you desktop computer deals provide good warranties? Finding a cheap computer is less exciting when you find out that that computer is a lemon. The fact is that desktop computer deals are not real deals if you get a crappy machine out of them.

Just as important as doing your research is being patient. Once you find out the specific type of computer you want, don’t just go out and buy the first machine you set your eyes on. Look for deals on a desktop computer for a while. Compare prices and wait to see which one is coming down. Think about how long you are willing to wait. The important thing to realize about desktop computer deals is that the longer you wait, the sweeter (i.e. cheaper) they become, so if you are able to put off buying your computer for just a wee bit longer, by all means you should.

Paul I. Etkin is a writer for http://www.articledirectoryzone.com Zone. The site provides readers with the latest insights and write-ups on all things http://www.computingguidezone.com and business.

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One of the first things that goes through a new parent’s head is the need for safety. Baby proofing your home is a major concern - and rightfully so. Many accidents that happen in the home can be prevented with a few safety precautions.

Before you spend a penny on baby proofing accessories, take an inventory throughout your home to look for trouble spots. Some examples of baby dangers are chemicals, open toilets, bathtub faucets, sharp edges on tables and other furniture, staircases, unprotected electrical outlets, heavy furniture such as bookcases and entertainment centers that could fall on baby, window blind cords, electrical appliances, sharp utensils, doors that lock on the inside, and choking hazards.

As you’re going through your home making a baby-proofing inventory, make sure that you don’t stay on your feet. Don’t forget to get on your hands and knees and get a baby’s eye level view of your home.

When you look at the above list, you may begin to feel overwhelmed - but don’t panic! Baby proofing doesn’t have to be done all in one day - especially if you start early in your pregnancy and baby’s life.

You should begin thinking about baby proofing as soon as you decide to become a parent. However, even after your baby is born you have a little time to get the job done. At first your baby won’t be able to move around the house at will and this gives you time to get your baby proofing done if you haven’t already completed it. Certainly before your baby is crawling, you should have your baby proofing completed.

Many parents work hard at baby proofing their home, but don’t take care of the hidden choking hazards that are lurking. An easy test to determine whether or not an object is a choking hazard is to see if it will fit through the hole in a toilet paper roll.

If an object can easily slide through, it can easily be picked up by small hands and put in the mouth. Make sure that you don’t make a baby-proofing mistake by overlooking common objects in your home that could spell big danger.

Once you know what areas of your home need baby proofing, you can make some simple modifications to improve safety. Childproof latches, socket covers, and simply picking up dangerous objects can help make your home safer for your baby and improve your peace of mind.

Olga Sysoef is a co-publisher of Baby Care Guide designed to Unlock your Inner Mother Code. Parenting manual that mother nature should have included with your new baby - http://www.YourBabyCareGuide.com.