Summary: Flubalub - it's an age Thing
A regular comment about many of those things I don't understand... The anomalies of modern life ..
Seven Ways To Increase Your Traffic
Every article you find about making your site or company
successful will always include the importance of generating
traffic. So, we all know that traffic is essential to a
successful internet based business company. Aside from ensuring
that you have a great product to sell, and you and having your
marketing partly organised, you must find ways of generating
traffic.

If you already have a site and you think that
you're not getting the traffic that you're supposed to be
getting, then it’s time to plan a campaign. If you are competing
in a very competitive business, you should always be a step ahead
of your competition, increasing your traffic flow should
always be a priority. Timing is essential, that’s an old adage
known to everyone. But with generating traffic, you should always
be one step ahead of everyone.
Here are seven ways to increase
your traffic.
1) Invest in good advertising with search engines
Google’s Adwords provides a great advertising tool that is very
truly popular and can help with traffic, although this way to
increase your traffic can cost money. While some would shy away
from spending money to increase traffic, it is sometimes best to
do so because using Adwords can have such a beneficial effect.
You can see how successful this search engine advertising method
has been for so many companies. Lots of sites feature this
advertising system and many have signed up to reap the benefits.
(Not for everyone)
2) Exchange or Trade Links with other sites
With exchanging links with other sites, both will benefit and
enhance your site's traffic. When one site features another sites
link, they can provide each other with the traffic each site
generates. The efforts are doubly beneficial because both of you
are working to generate more traffic. The more links traded with
more sites the more traffic can be expected.
3) Use Viral Marketing
Viral marketing allows you to spread the word about your company
and product without any costs or low costs only. This is a
marketing method that can be quite sneaky; you can attach your
company’s name, product or link to a certain media such as a
funny video, entertaining game, an interesting article or a
gossip or buzz. With this method, people get so hooked on the
creativity and entertainment of the medium that they will pass it
on to many people.
4) Search for and use proper keywords or keyword phrases for your
sites content
Search engines look for certain keywords that they would show in
their results page. In doing so, having the right keyword and
keyword phrase is a high requirement in ranking in high in search
engine results. You could write your own content or you could pay
to have it done for you.
5) Writing Articles can lead traffic to your site
Submit articles to sites that contain the same subject that your
site deals in. If you sell car parts write press releases and
articles about cars and car parts. Attach your sites description
and services at the end of the article as well as the link.
Submit these articles to the main Ezine article marketing sites
again along with your links.
6) Join forums and form online communities
Capture a market and show your expertise and credibility. When
you share your knowledge and know how, people will trust you and
your site and will pass recommendations on to other people.
Traffic will certainly increase because they know that you can
provide what they need.
7) Lastly, Offer newsletters.
If people know what you are about and your existence is shared
with many others, you will find a loyal following that can
provide you with more traffic. If you arouse the curiosity of
your customers they will be happy to publicise the existence of
your newsletter and in so doing provide you with additions to
your list.
Date Published: Apr 04, 2011 - 1:45 pm
Top 3 Ways To Boost Your Affiliate Commissions
Overnight
The ideal world of affiliate marketing does not require having your
won website, dealing with customers, refunds, product development
and maintenance. This is one of the easiest ways of launching into
an online business and earning more profits.
Assuming you are already into an affiliate program, what would be
the next thing you would want to do? Double, or even triple, your
commissions, right? How do you do that?
Here are some powerful tips on how to boost your affiliate program
commissions overnight.
1. Know the best program and products to promote. Obviously, you
would want to promote a program that will enable you to achieve the
greatest profits in the shortest possible time.

There are several factors to consider in selecting such a program.
Choose the ones that have a generous commission structure. Have
products that fit in with your target audience. And that has a
solid track record of paying their affiliate easily and on time. If
you cannot seem to increase your investments, dump that program and
keep looking for better ones.
There are thousands of affiliate programs online which gives you
the reason to be picky.
Write free reports or short ebooks to distribute from your site or
use one that you can pick up for peanuts on a PLR site. There is a
great possibility that you are competing with other affiliates that
are promoting the same program. If you start writing short report
related to the product you are promoting or offer a free ebook, you
will be able to distinguish yourself from the other affiliates.
In the reports, provide some valuable information for free. If
possible, add some recommendations about the products. With ebooks,
you get credibility. Customers will see that in you and they will
be enticed to try out what you are offering.
2. Collect and save the email addresses of those who download your
free ebooks. It is a known fact that people do not make a purchase
on the first solicitation. You may want to send out your message
more than six times to make a sale.
This is the simple reason why you should collect the contact
information of those who downloaded your reports and ebooks. You
can make follow-ups on these contacts to remind them to make a
purchase from you.
Get the contact information of a prospect before sending them to
the vendor’s website. Keep in mind that you are providing free
advertisement for the product owners. You get paid only when you
make a sale. If you send prospects directly to the vendors, chances
are they would be lost to you forever.
When you get their names, you can always send other marketing
messages to them to be able to earn an ongoing commission instead
of a one-time sale only.
Publish an online newsletter or Ezine. It is always best to
recommend a product to someone you know than to sell to a stranger.
This is the purpose behind publishing your own newsletter. This
also allows you to develop a relationship based on trust with your
subscribers.
This strategy is a delicate balance between providing useful
information with a sales pitch. If you continue to write
informative editorials you will be able to build a sense of
reciprocity in your readers that may lead them to support you by
buying your products.
3. Ask for higher than normal commission from merchants. If you are
already successful with a particular promotion, you should try and
approach the merchant and negotiate a percentage commission for
your sales.
If the merchant is smart, he or she will likely grant your request
rather than lose a valuable asset in you. Keep in mind that you are
a zero-risk investment to your merchant; so do not be shy about
requesting for addition in your commissions. Just try to be
reasonable about it.
If you can afford it, write strong pay Per Click ads. PPC search
engine is the most effective means of advertising online. As an
affiliate, you can make a small income just by managing PPC
campaigns such as Google AdWords and Overture. Then you should try
and monitor them to see which ads are more effective and which ones
to dispose of.
Try out these strategies and see the difference it may make to your
commission checks.
Date Published: Mar 31, 2011 - 1:46 am
Getting the Most
From Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is nothing new on the
internet. When you are looking to start your own website or blog
and add some affiliate marketing links to it, there are some
things that you should know. Affiliate marketing is not for
everyone. It is not for anyone that is looking to make money
fast, nor is it for the impatient. You have to have two things in
order to be successful with affiliate marketing, patience, and
determination. When you put those two together, there is no
stopping you or what you can do with your affiliate marketing
business.
Affiliate marketing can be done a few ways; it
can be done through email, newsletters, websites, article
marketing or blogs. By using any of these things, you can be
successful if you are marketing to the right audience. Finding
your readership, and catching them with good content is what it
is all about. To do so, you need to know where they go and what
they look for. Try starting with message boards to begin with.
However, use some patience and don’t come off as the newbie know
it all. Add the link to your website or blog in your signature
line at the message board that you are visiting, and most
importantly, make sure that the message board is relevant to your
market. If you have a website that pertains to a market that has
to do with gardening, you will not want to be visiting a message
board that is all about pregnancy. It is really quite simple to
understand how these two things must be relevant to get
results.
So, once you have found a busy message board
that will allow you to include your link to your website in the
signature of your posts, you are in business. Just start off by
posting and chatting, and when someone asks a question that you
know all about and answer to, answer it. This will peak their
interest and before you know it, they will be clicking on the
link in your signature and checking out your site. While doing
this can be quite time consuming, it will pay off. Gain the other
members trust, and you cannot go wrong.
The next thing that you should know about
getting the most from affiliate marketing is that you should be
writing articles. Writing articles on the market that you are
promoting and then submitting them to article directories or
ezines is a great way to get the most from your affiliate links
and programs that you are a part of. Be sure that you include a
link in the articles that you are submitting that will lead the
readers back to your website. Doing so will get your site more
traffic, and will pay off in the end. However, you will not want
to submit the same articles that you have on your site to these
directories. You will want different variations of the articles
to be used in the directories. This is because when you submit
these articles to the directories, you are going to see that by
checking your back links, there are other webmasters using your
articles. Which is also great because they will in return give
you a back link to your site. However, they are depending on you
to have a different article on your site than the one that you
are submitting.
Affiliate marketing is something that takes
work. You can not just set up your site and let it go. You have
to work on it consistently to see a good amount of revenue come
from it. Make sure that you are doing everything that you can to
get it seen. Use the best free tools that there are available to
you, and pay for the ones that really work. You will find that
you can get the most from the resources that are available out
there.
Date Published: Mar 30, 2011 - 1:15 am
Affiliate Marketing Resources
Many of us would love to venture out on our
own and work for ourselves. However, two major factors tend to
get in the way. The fist being money and the second being risk.
These two factors should not be taken lightly. Even small
businesses need a substantial amount of capital to get them
started. The risk factor is even scarier. Up to 90% of all small
businesses fail within the first year.
Affiliate marketing takes the
risk away. It can also be started with next to no money.
Affiliate marketing can be quite a lucrative venture. If you have
a natural knack for sales or marketing and are self motivated and
prepared to work hard then an affiliate marketing scheme could be
a wise move for you.
Almost daily, you see advertised, courses and
seminars that claim to hold the secret of instant wealth. By
attending this course you will have all of the tools you need to
get your business off the ground and become a millionaire. Those
who want to start their own affiliate marketing business often
attend these thinking that they will help their business
thrive.
Courses and seminars more often then not,
disappoint. First, these courses and seminars are usually quite
expensive. You have the course or seminar fee. Plus any travel
and hotel costs. Most of these are held in heavy tourist
destinations around the country. Secondly, the person giving the
seminar or course is usually on some kind of a promotional tour.
while they do give out information at the course or seminar,
their true goal is to sell you their latest book or software. If
the truth be told, everything you learned from that seminar was
probably written in their book. You could have saved thousands if
you had just bough their book and read it rather than shelling
out for this course.
While it is true that you should educate
yourself in affiliate marketing, the best resources are not
courses. However, books are. By simply reading up on affiliate
marketing, you can gain wonderful insights and save loads of
money. By simply looking on retail sites such as Amazon or EBay,
you can get hundred of titles on the subject. There are loads of
step by step guides available on how to get your affiliate
marketing business going and how to build it up.
Another great resource for affiliate marketing
is the internet. Simply by typing affiliate marketing into any
major search engine, loads of information comes up. There are
plenty of free courses online that you can take on the subject if
you are determined. Read through the information available to you
for nothing. Chances are a course or a seminar won’t teach you
anymore than what you can learn online for free. Be aware that
many of the courses available online are not the instant fix they
claim to be.
Magazines and news letters are fantastic
resources for affiliate marketing. Newsletters are generally free
and contain good, valuable information about particular programs.
You’ll hear account from people who are working in affiliate
marketing. Their advice is worth having being that they are doing
now what you want to be doing in the near future.
Finally, one of the advantages of joining an
affiliate marketing program is the support that you receive. Any
legitimate company should want you to succeed. The more profit
you make, they better for them. They should have their own advice
and support network that is available to you. This could be in
the form of an agent whom you can contact or advertising
materials. They may offer a wide variety of things to help you
build your business. They can be one of the most important
resources for you to rely on.
If you are considering a career in affiliate
marketing, then you should find out what you are getting yourself
into. Don’t waste money on expensive seminars and courses. Look
for books, newsletters, online information and the companies
themselves. Some of the best information is available to you for
free. But beware of information overload. There is so much
information out there on the web, that you can become confused
and end up going round in circles. Be selective and choose
carefully.
Date Published: Mar 27, 2011 - 9:51 am
Affiliate
marketing can be a great way to make money. Finding a niche
market with products and services you trust and believe in is the
first step to success. There are tremendous affiliate
programs which offer you an abundance of tools and materials to
promote and market their products. However, what you do with those
tools and materials is entirely up to you. You can be just
another affiliate or a super affiliate.
What
Is A Super Affiliate?
Technically
speaking a super affiliate is someone who generates a significant
amount of profits for the products or services they represent.
A super affiliate can make a healthy living from their
affiliate business alone while a standard every day affiliate may
need to supplement their affiliate income with, gasp…a 9-5 job!
Benefits
To Being A Super Affiliate
The
most significant benefit to being a super affiliate is the income.
Many super affiliates make six figures simply promoting the
products and services of others.
Additionally,
if you’re one of the main contributors to a company’s affiliate
program they’re going to pay attention to you and your needs.
You may receive a higher percentage of sales you may receive
first shot with new marketing materials and programs and you’ll get
the support you need when you need it.
Here
Are A Few Steps To Become A Super Affiliate:
Step
One – Commit to publishing content every single day. Content
has proven time and again to be the best sales tool available to
affiliate marketers. Nothing, not even strategically placed
ad copy works as well as providing quality content that pre-sells
any product that you’re promoting on your website.
Possible
content includes:
*
Autoresponders.
*
E-newsletters.
*
Blogs posts
*
Social networking via forums, social networking sites, and chat
rooms
*
Articles
*
Press releases
Step
Two – Track and test. Make sure you know where your prospects
are coming from, what motivates them to click through and what
information they read and respond to – then give them what they
need. Tracking and testing is the only way to hone your
affiliate program into a smooth running, money making
machine.
Step
Three – Use the provided marketing materials and be willing to take
it a step further. Many affiliate programs do a great job of
providing their affiliate with ready to marketing materials
including:
1.
Banner ads
2.
Buttons
3.
Email copy
4.
Articles
5.
Free promotional reports
Use
the materials your affiliate manager has provided. It’s been
tested and developed for results. That being said, be sure to
create your own content too. Even as an affiliate you are
your own company and your website needs to reflect your personality
and brand. Building a community around your website and
providing valuable content is a sure way to create a following that
trusts you and your credibility – which will result in click
throughs and affiliate sales.
Step
Four – Pre-sell. The good news is that your job as an
affiliate is to pre-sell products and services. Pre-selling
means your content, whether it is a review, article, tutorial,
course, or blog post, speaks honestly about the products and
services you promote. Pre-selling is about providing value to
your website visitors and prospects, making them comfortable with
you and your authority to generate interest and a click through to
the company website, where the selling happens.
Step
Five – Follow up. Just like your affiliate manager follows up
with you to see how you’re doing and what you need, follow up with
your prospects. A great way to do this unobtrusively is to
create a lead list by providing a newsletter visitors can
subscribe, a free report, or any number of products in exchange for
an email address and the permission to contact them with valuable
information and special promotions.
Being
a Super Affiliate is the only way to go if you want to build a
successful affiliate marketing business. Find products and
services you trust and believe in and then create a strategy to
share information to your target audience. Test and track
your efforts, focus on providing value to your prospects and leave
the selling to the companies you represent. Helping others
live better lives, without having to provide the products or
services personally, is a great way to make a living.
Date Published: Mar 26, 2011 - 2:56 am
The Age-Old Question Do You
Need a Website?
Do you need a website? The answer to that is yes and no. You can
set up marketing a product without actually having a website.
Sometimes it is easier to use social bookmarking sites and links
to promote your product because driving traffic to a new site can
be very difficult to do. But setting up your own website with
your own keyword rich domain name can be very rewarding.
Some people would say the most important and indispensable thing
to assure your success in affiliate marketing is your own
website; a good, credible and professional looking website. Your
website is the jump off point of all your marketing efforts.
Therefore, you must first build a user-friendly website, which
will attract your prospects and motivate them to click on the
links to the products and services you are promoting and make a
purchase. You must
focus your efforts in building a website that will cater to what
your prospects need.
Above all else, make your website full of original, relevant and
useful content. The most important thing you should consider is
that almost all web users go online to look for information, not
necessarily to go and buy something. People will love articles
that are appealing and helpful. Keep in mind that, in the
internet, content is still king and good quality keyword rich
content will not only build your credibility, it can also help
you achieve a higher search engine ranking. By posting relevant
and useful articles, you establish yourself as a credible expert
in the field, making you a more dependable endorser of the
product or service you promote. Establishing a good name is a
good step in building up a dedicated consumer base. Dedicated
customer bases are the life blood of affiliate marketers.
You must use every possible means on your website to motivate
prospects not only to visit your site, but also to click and
proceed to the websites of the products and services you are
promoting and to come back again.
When you are creating your website, the possibilities are endless
and are limited only by your imagination, originality,
resourcefulness and resolve. You can always explore other ideas
and adapt other strategies, which you think might help you become
a high rolling affiliate marketer. More about these other
strategies later.
Date Published: Mar 24, 2011 - 5:58 am
Spring is in the
Air
We have moved into spring. There’s no guarantee that there won’t
be any more snow etc but the days are brighter we have longer
daylight once more. I am watching a series on TV by Brian Cox
about the universe and its vastness. It’s quite amazing how our
planet is a tiny speck among billions of others. The mind cannot
comprehend the scale involved. But isn’t it reassuring that the
seasons arrive on time and we can look forward to summer. The
pictures show the buds on the trees and the beginning of new
life.
We’ve done a variety of alterations this winter. There is now a
wood burning stove in the living room and a completely new
bathroom. The walls in various room have been refreshed and even
outside I have finished the dog run and tidied up some of the
fencing. Next on the agenda is to plant the potatoes and dig and
weed the borders.
I’ve set up three new websites; one focusing on Psoriasis, and
the other two promoting Affiliate Products. I’ve been blasting
them on Twitter much to my granddaughters’ surprise. I’m getting
an average of 70 hits per day. While that’s still not enough,
it’s better than the 6 or 7 I’ve been getting on my product site.
I’m going to revert to the free site there as I’m not selling
enough to cover the monthly charges.
As far as affiliate marketing is concerned, there seems to be too
much information out there. I have looked at an amazing number of
sites but really they mostly end up saying the same things. I
need time to absorb all the details and set up the sites to
attract visitors. The main thing is to have a list and that’s
something I don’t have and am still not sure how to get. You
can’t email contacts you don’t have. I need to set up a squeeze
page so that prospective customers can sign up and receive
details of new products etc. haven’t figured out how to do this
yet. Next challenge.
Well must go and send my latest batch of tweets. Bye for now.
Date Published: Mar 21, 2011 - 2:38 am
When Will We Ever
Learn?
Here we go again ... Do the politicians never learn from their
mistakes? Why should we get involved in the problems in Libya? We
have enough to contend with in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s time
other countries took the lead and responsibility. When will we
realise that we’re no longer the global power we once were?
Germany, Brazil, China, India and Russia all decided to abstain.
Look at Switzerland. It never becomes involved in disputes. Maybe
that’s why many rich people believe their money is safer in a
Swiss bank account.
Japanese stoicism ...
After all that the Japanese people have gone through, you might
expect some anger and disharmony. But no: when waiting for food
the queues were orderly and calm. There has been no panic the
Japanese remain dignified and realistic. They seem to draw
strength from disaster.
SHORTS :_
The Royal Wedding
A perk of joining the FIRM ... (Royal Family) ... you don’t get
parking tickets as Kate Middleton found out this week. A quick
explanation by the bodyguard sorted out any confusion.
A commemorative mug brought out to celebrate the Royal wedding
has one slight flaw - the wrong Prince. Beaming out from the side
of the mug, alongside Kate Middleton, is her future
brother-in-law Prince Harry. On the back, an inscription reads:
"The fairytale romantic union of all the centuries. 29th April
2011."
Gardening
Gardening makes you happy and healthy, a study found. The outdoor
life and the exercise plus a healthy diet combine for a better
lifestyle. I hope no-one paid for that survey. I’m sure the facts
are fairly evident to all.
Teeth Whitening
It appears that the current fad for teeth whitening is nothing
new. 500 years ago people strived for the same look. Their recipe
for success was slightly different. Vinegar with rock alum powder
and a little salt and honey, was what they used.
Sleep Easy
Losing a couple of hours sleep a night can take years off your
life. Seemingly one in eight people suffer from sleep
deprivation.
Date Published: Mar 19, 2011 - 5:08 pm
Affiliate Marketing Tips
Today, many of us want to pack up our jobs and
be our own bosses. The idea of working for you attracts many.
However, the reality of making it happen soon stops most. In fact
the vast majority of us cannot get a business off the ground due
to two main factors; the first being money and the second being
risk.
Starting even a small business takes a fair
amount of money. You need to buy or rent premises, purchase your
stock and equipment and pay staff if you have them. You will also
have other outside expenses such as advertising.
Risk is the factor that kills most businesses
off. Even if you’re lucky enough to get the capital to start,
nearly 90% of all small businesses fail in the first year. If
yours is one of the lucky ones, you have to keep reinvesting your
time and money to build up the businesses reputation. It could be
anywhere from 5-7 years before any significant profit is seen.
Most of us cannot wait that long which is what makes affiliate
marketing such an attractive offer.
Affiliate marketing involves you, working as
an affiliate for a merchant or company. You sell either goods or
services and you’re paid on how much you produce. There are no
costs and no risk. You put in what you choose and are rewarded
accordingly.
Running an affiliate marketing business is
challenging. You’ll have to work very hard to build it up.
However, you’ll be rewarded for your hard work not someone else.
Getting an affiliate marketing program going may seem difficult.
The truth is it is down to you and how much you want to put in.
There is no sure fire way to success but there are some good tips
that you can follow to make you affiliate marketing scheme as
successful as possible.
There are literally thousands of programs for
you to choose from. However, to get started you may want to
choose something that you are familiar with. This product or
service may not be the hottest thing on the current market or
make you a millionaire, but you will come off more confident and
sincere with something you know and believe in.
This will also help when it comes to creating
your site. Something familiar will allow you to be personal and
creative. Trying to create a site around something you know
little about will soon become boring and tedious.
Working with something familiar will also give
you the some experience in the program. You can always expand at
a latter time when you are more familiar with how things
work.
Another good piece of advice is to watch the
number of banners that you put up. A site full of banners will
make the site look ugly and put off potential buyers. Carefully
place your banners and use them to accent your site. Stuffing it
full will not help.
Remember, in the world of affiliate marketing
there is no such thing as the perfect program. Any particular
program will be stuffed full of varying testimonials. Some will
be great will others will have not done so well. You need to
decide for yourself and not be put of by a few bad experiences.
In the end it is down to you and how much you want to put
in.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to make
money and work for you. The risk to you is minimal and there is
no start up cost. There are many great affiliate marketing
programs out there and choosing the right one may seem like a
daunting task. When you first start out remember to stick to what
you know. Find something you know about and have an interest in.
Make your site attractive to others and resist the urge to fill
it with banners. This may end up having the opposite of your
desired effect. Finally remember, there is no perfect program.
Some will have success where others have failed. It is all down
to you. Don’t give up.
QUESTION >>>> Is it better to have
one website promoting many affiliate products ... OR ... is it
better to have many addon sites promoting one product each ???
HELP
Date Published: Mar 19, 2011 - 2:54 am
Saving Fuel ... Why It Will
Never Happen...
The Price of a Litre of
Petrol/Gas Reaches Record Levels.
We have all read headlines like that and watched as the price
continues to rise. A few years ago, in the UK prices were raise
and it sparked demonstrations and blockades of oil refineries.
Now the price has rocketed, but we don’t hear many protests. The
papers complain but other stories soon dominate and the reports
are hidden on the inside pages. How long can this go on? It may
surprise you but I think we won’t change until oil becomes
scarce, but by then we will have found alternative fuels and it
won’t matter so much. In the meantime the distribution costs will
rise; the price of ordinary commodities will rise and our wages
will hardly cover our everyday running costs.
So, can we save on fuel
costs? Do we want to?
The drivers who run big 4x4 cars, which mostly have a low MPG,
are usually those who have the money to buy these cars, earn
large salaries and won’t bother about saving a few
pounds/dollars.
Many people in many countries buy large roomy cars which are less
fuel efficient, they have got used to the luxury and won’t want
to be forced to crush into something smaller but more economical.
Boy racers will still be tearing around the block showing off to
their mates and trying to impress the girlfriends, so they won’t
change their habits. They want more power, not some economical
car which goes from 0 to 60 in ten minutes.
Pensioners usually don’t have to travel to work anymore and try
to walk to the shops for exercise. They do try to save money by
downsizing but many will have private and state pensions to get
them through. With the kids having left home and the mortgage
paid... they don’t really need to save on fuel.
Many of those in a job have to use their vehicle to get to work;
or they have a company car; so they won’t care too much about
saving fuel.
We are told to use public transport, but usually the times don’t
suit, the buses etc. are dirty and smell and there are not many
buses in rural areas.
So, who will try to save
fuel?
When you look at the above there aren’t many people left. Those
in rural areas perhaps suffer most and will try to use less fuel,
but they have to use their cars to get the shopping, go to work
etc. You and I might want to save the planet, but we are in the
minority and we don’t need convinced. We can spread the word, but
is anybody listening. We keep complaining about high fuel costs
and the tax goes up but, we keep filling up. So join the
argument... who will save fuel?
You can save energy if you build your own solar panels or
wind turbines ... See Link in Title....
The Benefits of Solar Energy
Utilizing solar energy or the power coming from the sun's rays
has many benefits. Let us take a closer look on each
of them.
•Solar energy saves money.
In 2006, we saw the highest jump on residential electric rate. In
some areas of the country, as much as 60% increase
was seen. Many experts agree that the trend will likely to
continue in the years to come. This means that you have to
pay larger sum of cash to sustain your monthly electric
consumption. But if you produce your own power, you can
prevent paying the high cost of energy - especially now when
energy prices are very unstable.
On a larger scale, if households switch to other types of
alternative energy including solar energy, the nation's
spending on imported oil might decrease.
•Solar energy is environment-friendly.
The issue of global warming will not go away. So if you want to
do your part to save this planet, drawing your
power requirement from the sun will make a great
difference. Solar energy is sustainable and renewable unlike
gas, coal and oil that most utility companies use. It does not
produce sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury or carbon
dioxide as by products so it doesn't pollute the air. Since it
doesn't emit greenhouse gases, it doesn't contribute to
global warming. Using solar energy reduces demand for fossil fuel
and reduces the nation's dependence on foreign energy
sources.
•Government gives incentives to those who use alternative form of
energy.
•Solar power systems are dependable and require little or no
maintenance.
Photovoltaic (PV) cells that are used in solar power systems are
capable of providing electricity for a very long
time. Originally developed for space use, PV cells require
little or no maintenance. The proof is, most satellites orbiting
earth use PV cells that are in harsh environment, not
maintained but are still working properly. The manufacturers of
solar panels can give as much as 25-years warranty. Talk
about quality and dependability.
•Solar energy helps improve the quality of life.
Saving the planet one watt at a time if done collectively will
help reduce the effects of global warming. It will
also reduce demand on coal, oil or gas power plants that
emit harmful gases. In turn, using solar power helps clean the
air and improves the quality of life of every individual.
•Solar energy can reduce demands for other non-biodegradable
materials.
For utility companies to distribute power to every home, they
need materials necessary in building these systems of power
lines like electric cable and steel. These require energy to
produce and contribute to greenhouse gases emissions. If we
can cut the demand for power plant and switch into alternative
energy, we can also reduce the demand for these materials
and help the environment.
Date Published: Mar 16, 2011 - 3:53 pm
The Japanese Red
Cross has agreed to accept donations from donors in the UK. Please
click on the link in the title to donate ...
A team of UK search and rescue specialists and medics are
flying to Japan as the death toll from the catastrophic
earthquake and tsunami that ripped through the country is
expected to soar.
At least 10,000 people are believed to have been killed by the
earthquake and wall of water, but thousands more are missing. The
magnitude 8.9 earthquake was 8,000 times more powerful than the
one which devastated Christchurch in New
Zealand last month, making it one of the
largest ever recorded.
It unleashed an unstoppable tsunami reaching heights of more than
20ft that swallowed everything in its path - from houses and cars
to trains and ships. Strong aftershocks continued to rock the
north-east area of the island nation, causing further panic and
damage.
With every hour that passes from the moment the quake struck on
Friday, the number of confirmed casualties rises, and the chance
of finding survivors slips away. A spokesman for the Foreign
Office said there were no reports of British casualties so far.
Friday was just a tiny bit shorter because of the giant
earthquake off the coast of Japan.
Nasa geophysicist
Richard Gross calculated that Earth's rotation sped up by 1.6
microseconds. That is because of the shift in Earth's mass caused
by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake. A microsecond is one-millionth
of a second. That change in rotation speed is slightly more than
the one caused by last year's larger Chile earthquake. But 2004's
bigger Sumatra earthquake caused a 6.8-microsecond shortening of
the day.
The Royal Wedding Update
When David Cameron gave the nation an extra day off in honour of
the wedding of a prince, he may not have reckoned on the impact.
Many British people plan to leave the country and abandon the
spectacle to the tourists.
Bookings for foreign breaks have shot up, while online holiday
companies are reporting that the number of people searching for
April getaways is double last year's. However there are many
towns and villages planning their own celebrations. There will be
street parties and other organised events.
It’s not all good news for other members of the Royal Family ...
Headlines ... "Seen
around town: Prince Andrew and Perv Billionaire," blared
the New York Post.
"Duchess of York
apologises for accepting money from sex offender," read
the New York Daily
Once the tabloids get hold of a sensational story, they flog it
to death. Sometimes they should just let it go.
SHORTS :-
The updated version of Apple's iPad tablet computer has gone on
sale in the US, and was greeted by the now-familiar queues of
buyers outside Apple stores. Apple fans were eager to get their
hands on the device as they waited at the company's Fifth Avenue
store in New York.The trendy device will not go on sale outside
the US for another two weeks.
For the first time in more than 25 years, three British acts
occupy the top places on the US albums chart.
Celebrity couple David and Victoria Beckham are expecting a baby
girl.
It seems that Abdul Megrahi is building a luxury mansion in
Tripoli. Our doctors should be asking the medics in Libya what
the miracle cure is for cancer now that he has survived for 18
months after his release from a Scottish prison.
The boss of the Royal Bank of Scotland (now owned by the British
public) is in line for a bonus 7.7 million share bonus even
though the bank still made a loss of £1 billion. Surely there
should be no bonuses for employees of companies which make a
loss...
Date Published: Mar 13, 2011 - 8:33 am
Emergency
response
Whether in the UK or
overseas, we respond to hundreds of disasters every year. From
floods to earthquakes, we're among the first to arrive, and we stay
long after the crisis is over.
A massive earthquake, the
seventh largest recorded in history, struck the east coast of Japan
on Friday 11 March.
The earthquake, measuring
8.8 on the Richter scale, triggered a tsunami which hit the east
coast of Japan with 7-metre-high waves, leaving a trail of
destruction.
More than 600 people have
died in the disaster, with hundreds more missing and many injured.
The earthquake triggered fires and caused severe damage to
buildings, leaving 4.4 million households without
electricity.
The Japanese Red Cross has
been working on the ground since the disaster began, mobilising
teams to provide first aid and healthcare, and to plan the relief
operation.
Fears of destructive waves
hitting other countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines and
the US, have eased, but the local Red Cross National Societies in
affected countries were ready to respond and were well prepared for
disasters. The Indonesian Red Cross, for example, helped the
authorities move people from the coast to higher ground.
The Japanese Red Cross has
agreed to accept donations from donors in the UK.
In the event that we
receive more donations to the Japan Tsunami Appeal than the
Japanese Red Cross and International Red Cross Red Crescent
Movement can reasonably and efficiently spend, any surplus funds
will be used to help us prepare for and respond to humanitarian
disasters both here in the UK and overseas.
Date Published: Mar 12, 2011 - 3:37 pm
People who suffer from arthritis are always looking for ways to
relieve their pain. One way to ease or even prevent it is
through an arthritis diet. There are some arthritis diets
that some people will swear by, but have never been proven to make
a difference. There are some diets that make a definite
difference according to health experts. First we’ll take a
look at some arthritis diets where there’s little or no evidence
that they actually make a difference.
One of the most common arthritis diets is to eliminate potatoes,
tomatoes, eggplants, and most peppers. While the diet won’t
do any harm, it hasn’t been proven to affect arthritis at all.
Another arthritis diet seeks to reduce the acids in one’s body
eliminating sugar, coffee, red meat, most grains, nuts, and citrus
fruits. It’s intended to be followed for just one month.
People may feel better because they lose weight which reduces
the stress on their joints, but again there is no evidence to
support this. It also excludes many sources of vitamin C
which is essential in fighting arthritis.
Drinking green tea has been shown to reduce the effects of
rheumatoid arthritis in mice, but there are no conclusive results
on human studies yet.
Shark cartilage is supposed to relieve arthritis. Animal and
lab studies show promise, but there are no human studies to support
this yet.
Now let’s take a look at some arthritis diets that have been
shown to work.
Switching fats can reduce inflammation. Eating fats found in
red meat and poultry have actually been shown to increase
inflammation. Switching to cold water fish can help reduce
the inflammation. Using corn, safflower, and sunflower oils
also helps.
Another arthritis diet is the ASU (avocado-soybean unsaponifiable).
It has been shown to relieve osteoarthritis, stimulate
cartilage repair, and lessen a patient’s need to NSAIDs to control
pain.
Ginger has been shown to ease pain and inflammation as well
as protect the stomach from gastrointestinal effects from taking
NSAIDs.
Glucosamine is a supplement that relieves pain in some patients
with osteoarthritis. It helps the body rebuild cartilage, but
can take up to two months to see the effects. If you are
allergic to shellfish, check with your doctor before taking this as
it is derived from crab, lobster, or shrimp shells.
Of course the best arthritis diet is a good old-fashioned well
balanced diet. Eat 5 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables,
and go easy on fats and cholesterol. A heart healthy diet is
especially important to patients with rheumatoid arthritis as
studies have shown a link between this disease and heart
failure.
Vitamin C is good for repairing body tissue. Vitamin D helps
absorb calcium, build bone mass, and prevents bone loss.
Calcium helps strengthen your bones. If you are on
medication, ask your doctor if he/she recommends taking
vitamins. Before taking any supplements talk with your doctor
as some can interfere with or worsen side effects from your
medications. Some medications can create vitamin or mineral
deficiencies. When choosing your arthritis diet, be sure to
talk with your physician as different types of arthritis have
different needs.
DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical
practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes
only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek
the advice of your physician or other qualified health care
provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical
condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in
seeking it because of something you have read.
Since natural and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they
must be accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label:
that the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the
product is not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.”
Date Published: Mar 12, 2011 - 7:37 am
Beat
Psoriasis the Natural Way
Seeking
relief from psoriasis can be a lifelong quest. You can search
everywhere for the perfect cure and never quite find it. There
are plenty of medications, creams, pastes, gels, and lotions out
there, but they don’t always work and they can be pricy. It gets
time consuming and expensive to dab a lotion all over the body
two to three times a day or take a pill every day. Most people just want something
that is quick, simple, cheap, and works.
There are
actually some things you can start doing for yourself that might
help with psoriasis and slow down the onset of another outbreak.
Things you can change around the house or personally, that don’t
cost you an extra cent.
In your home,
try to find the perfect temperature. Flare-ups can be caused by
changes in the weather or temperatures in your own home. Going
from one extreme to the next is never a good thing. Slowly let
your body adjust to warmer temperatures or colder ones. Too much
sweat on the body, can lead to irritation and itching which leads
to scratching which can cause skin injuries which will lead to
flare ups. Most of the time is spent at home or in the office, so
make sure you have both places set at your perfect temperature.
It can take some time to find that temperature and other people
may have to adjust to it but it will help you in the long run.
Temperature control may be easier at home than it is at
work.
Apply
moisturizer often during the day. The moisturizer should be of
good quality and fragrance free. Smelly lotion, the good scents,
is a favorite among women, but it can actually irritate the skin.
Avoid the pricy fruit smelling lotions and opt for one that
offers a good amount of moisture. Always remember to lotion up
after you shower or bath to help keep that moisture locked
in.
Date Published: Mar 07, 2011 - 1:09 am
The best course of action to take sometimes isn't clear until
you've listed and considered ALL of your alternatives. The
following paragraphs should help clue you in to what changes the
experts think are significant when trying to control the pain of
Arthritis..
Arthritis is one of the most prevalent health problems facing
today's aging population. The most common form of arthritis is
osteoarthritis, which usually strikes weight-bearing joints such
as the ankles, knees and hips. Pain is caused by the gradual
breakdown of cartilage, the soft "padding" material that cushions
the joints. About 85% of adults who reach the age of 85 will have
osteoarthritis--unless they take a proactive approach to prevent
it. Exercise is very important, but what about diet?
For a long time, doctors doubted there could be any link between
diet and osteoarthritis. They saw the disease as a natural result
of wear and tear on the joints, something inevitable as we age,
but new research is making them reconsider that idea. It now
appears that nutrition plays a vital role in helping to prevent
or ease the effects of osteoarthritis.
One key element is vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful
antioxidant, and may protect the joints from the damaging effects
of free radicals (unstable molecules that can cause joint
inflammation). Recent research is showing that vitamin C can help
prevent bone loss and cartilage inadequacies associated with
aging. Specifically, when your joint has cartilage that needs to
be repaired, vitamin C is needed for such repairs. It helps to
keep your cartilage "young". The information about Arthritis
presented here will do one of two things: either it will
reinforce what you know about Arthritis or it will show you
something new. According to Dr. Timothy McAlindon of the Boston
University School of Medicine, "Vitamin C may also help generate
collagen, which enhances the body's ability to repair damage to
the cartilage." When scientists at the Boston University School
of Medicine studied the eating habits of people with
osteoarthritis of the knee, they found that those getting the
most vitamin C--more than 200 milligrams a day--were three times
less likely to have the disease get worse than those who got the
least vitamin C (less than 120 milligrams a day). Dr. McAlindon
recommends that people get a least 120 milligrams of vitamin C
every day. "That's the amount in a couple of oranges," he says.
Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, co-authors of "You:
The Owner's Manual", recommend even more. "Shoot for 1200
milligrams of vitamin C a day--spread between your diet and
supplements throughout the day." Be careful not to overdo it.
Some data suggest that more than 2,500 milligrams a day can have
the opposite effect and actually increase the risk of
osteoarthritis. Dr. Eve Campanelli, a holistic family
practitioner in Beverly Hills, CA, recommends black cherry juice.
She advises her patients to drink two glasses, twice a day; four
ounces of the juice diluted with four ounces of water.
Other fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C include oranges,
cantaloupe, broccoli, strawberries, peppers and cranberry juice.
A healthy diet, rich
in fruits and vegetables, has been recommended by nutritionists
for years. Now there's another reason to pay attention to that
advice, it can help your joints to stay young!
Date Published: Mar 06, 2011 - 8:48 am