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An unusual way of getting a cheap cellular phone is by using a free line rental deal. Free line rental deals are still the hidden bargain of all of the deals being sold currently.

Without question the most competitively priced method of purchasing a free line rental deal is on the web. As free line rental products are a little obscure package it is worth trying to use a mobile phone comparison site to find the most competitive products on the day.

Theoretically a 12 month free line rental phone contract wont cost any money to own. Assuming of course the person concerned is successful in making a claim for cashback by redemption. Often this is not quite as easy as retailers say it is because mobile phone sellers build in a number of sneaky pitfalls within the agreement of free line rental offers to cut back the amount of successful consumers.

A free line rental deal is a form of 100% cashback deal. With these deals you must remember to pay the bill as usual for the first months. At a later point in time in the mobile phone contract you have the opportunity to to claim all of the costs of the phone back from the vendor that first sold you the phone.

In spite of the complications of free line rental deals they are completely legitimate and it is possible for potential buyers to find a absolutely free cellular phone for 12 months.

Free line rental is unnavoidably going to be a compromise, as they are can only be obtained with older cell phones. A serious problem of free line rental bargains is the fact that if ever the vendor becomes bankrupt you cannot get your refund.

Through my slow lethargic daughter, I learned that things were not always the way they appeared. Instead of turning my head, I learned to embrace the possibility that endless capabilities were sometimes stored up in people and things that we sometimes misjudge. Now ever time Lee runs, I see hope in the form of a child who has blessed me in many ways.

My Husband Bill and I have seven children; four adopted daughters and three birth children. It was Labor Day weekend: the entire family went to a bible camp weekend getaway. Of the seven, it was my daughter Lee who would laugh as I ran around trying to catch them. I could hear her laughter every time I picked up my feet and placed them down.

She thought it was funny simply to watch me as I ran. The smile I was getting from my daughter’s face gave me the energy to embrace her like I was one of her peers. When we decided to go horse back riding, it was Lee’s horse that I trailed behind. All this was not intentional. If I were to choose one of my children to run and play with, it would have been one of the others. I thought any of the others were a whole lot more fun. Yet, it was this child who was brightening my day. She was doing so in what I would call an unusual way.

I always enjoyed hearing the laughter of my children and seeing their faces light up as they ran, played, or dazzled me with their competitive spirits. Our oldest girl, Amanda, was blossoming into a beautiful singer. She always coveted and aimed to have the leading part in most of her performances. She was on the track team in her school and took advanced classes.

Our second daughter Alexis was extremely athletic and ran like the wind. She also had a lovely voice and was on the school track team. Our third daughter Amber was very active and wanted to be a part of everything. Our youngest and only biological daughter, Andrea, was very charming and knew how to get her own way. Our sons Alexander and Ren were overwhelmed by having five sisters who waited on them day after day.

Lee was daughter number four. She too had her own talents. Nevertheless, of all of my children, she was the slowest in every way. She had a beautiful singing voice, but I was convinced that she was not going to become a soloist. She was just too bashful. Even though she sang with her siblings, she would never take the lead whenever they participated in anything.

From the first time we met, as the others sparkled and shined, I was captivated by her beautiful, quiet smile. Even when she would perform with a sea of people, I thought her individual performance was worth all of my attention. However, if you would meet this child today, she probably would not impress you in any way. She may not glance your way, but if she did, not a single word she would say, but to give a little smile.

Lee was the youngest of the four daughters we adopted. Bill was a little taken aback by her lack of energy: “Is there something wrong with that baby?” he asked me.

I smiled and replied, “No she is just a quiet little one.”

“Why is her tongue always sticking out of her head?” He asked.

“She sucks her tongue,” I returned, not revealing to him that I too was a very quiet child who sucked her tongue.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am very sure,” I responded. My eyes followed her as she smiled and ran in the opposite direction. She had what appeared to me to be a bit of an unsteady gait. She was only fourteen months old when we first met, so I dismissed her unsteadiness as age appropriate. Her two year old sister was full of energy and in my opinion, bouncing off the walls. Bill was drawn to her. I kept my eyes on the little one whose smile I could see, but there weren’t any words to go along with it.

One summer, to nurture our children’s athletic ability, we signed them all up for a track team. The children competed very well during the track and field season, winning numerous ribbons and medals. One of the goals of the track team was to go to the junior Olympics. The final event that was chosen for the children to compete in, in order to qualify, was the one they did well in all season.

Lee had won a couple of medals and ribbons during the season. The coach however, wanted to ensure that she had a spot in the state finals, so right at the last minute he placed her in the high jump. She qualified. Four of my other children also qualified to go to state finals. Based on their performance all year, I had my presumptions of which of the children would make it to the junior Olympics. I was very wrong; only one of my children made it. It was Bailee.

Several others from the track team qualified in various events and we flew to Detroit, Michigan. During the competition, I held my breath every time it was Lee’s turn to jump. I would breathe a sigh of relief whenever she landed on the mat. Again, we had our preconceived ideas of how the team was going to do and the medals we were going to walk away with. Wrong again. Lee won! The fact was she placed sixth. That day sixth was the same as number one to me. As she stood on the podium and received her medal, it was one of the only days I did not see her smile. She kept her hands on her medal as it hung from the ribbon around her neck.

Another family pass-time of ours was to attend every picnic or family event that was available to us. This gave us an opportunity to socialize and bond with all of our children. It was a hot humid summer day and we attended Bill’s company’s picnic. Our youngest daughter kept asking to go on an Indian swing. Finally, Bill conceded and decided to go with several of our children.

He was needed in order to pull them so they could ride the swing. He ran around and played with them for about half an hour or more. When the children had enough of the swing, they all jumped off and headed for the pavilion under which I sat waiting for them. I saw my oldest, then my youngest daughter running by. Several minutes passed by and Bill did not return. I called the children and asked them for their dad. We do not know where he is, was the response.

“How could you not know?” I probed. “He was playing with you.” The oldest child looked over in the direction of the Indian swing.

“There he is sitting under that tree with Lee.” I saw them but some how I sensed that something was wrong. I got up and started to walk in their direction. As I approached, Lee stood up.

“I tried to wake him up,” she said. “I tried but I just could not.”

I could see his chest moving but his tongue was hanging out his mouth. I placed my hand on his shoulders and shook him.

“Bill, are you ok?” His eyes fluttered opened. He had a rather confused look on his face.

“What happened?” he asked.

“You tell me”, I replied.

“Well, I was swinging the children and the next thing I knew, I was very exhausted, so I came and sat here.”

He had a history of high blood pressure and had not taken his medication that morning. The heat and all of the running and playing with the children proved to be a bit much for him that day.

So this weekend, as Bill, Lee and I walked towards the horse stable; I slowly turned my head and looked over at her. She was the only one of our seven children who chose to accompany us. All the memories of this child filled my head. I remembered Bill words.

“Why is her tongue hanging out her head?” I pondered; she was the only one who sat rubbing his head.

“You are running too slowly Lee.” Yet it was only her who had a medal, not one of the children I would have expected instead.

Through my personal experience with my seven children, I’ve learned to cherish the simple things that may seem unimportant. Lee does many things very well and most of all she gives a radiant smile that I very often need.

Ruth Garnes is an author/poet and mother of seven. Her poetry book Fantasy/Controversy or My Reality is dedicated to hurting children everywhere and several of the poems gives voice to some of their struggles. It is her belief that we all have some kind of struggles. Instead of being embarrassed about them, we should express how we benefited from those struggles. By so doing others coming up behind us may realize that there is a light at the end of their difficult path.

Like the Internet itself, online marketing resources such as blogs, chat rooms, and user groups are vast and puzzling. On one hand they offer that elusive “promise land” of free and effective marketing. On the other, they embody a “time sink” of astronomical proportions. They have addictive qualities and their effectiveness is measured only by your own self-control.

That said, let’s briefly describe each opportunity and explore their potential.

“Blog” is short for “web log” – an online diary of sorts that is relatively user-friendly, at least by Internet standards. Through free services such as Blogger.com, an author (or “blogger” as they have come to be known) can compose content and then, with the click of a button, become “published” online within a matter of seconds for the world to see.

Whether or not the world actually does see it, however, is a matter of distribution. The topic of distributing blogs is outside the scope of this article, but may be one I tackle in an upcoming newsletter. Suffice it to say, it’s a little more technical, requiring techno-babble references to jargon-esque acronyms and geek-speak like .xml, atom, and RSS.

In the meantime, let’s discuss the other two Internet venues. Online chat rooms and user groups also provide a forum for the self-promoter. While they share similarities with blogs they lack some of the distribution possibilities. Yahoo offers both chat rooms and use groups/bulletin boards organized by subject, and you can find similarly themed groups on Google.

I briefly discuss blogs, chat rooms, and user groups in my book Publishing Gems: Insider Information for the Self-Publishing Writer when covering ways in which to establish yourself as an expert.

Here are six steps for establishing yourself as an expert:

1 Write a book

You’ve done this already, right? If you haven’t, consider it. You may find yourself closer to a finished manuscript than you realize. Writing a publishable book from your knowledge or experience is often a matter of simply putting your expertise on paper.

2 Publish your book

A published book becomes a calling card to line-up speaking engagements, freelance writing gigs, and other opportunities. Once your book is published, the Catch-22 kicks in: You are an expert because you have published a book, and your published book proves your expertise. Get your book published at OutskirtsPress.com.

3 Promote your expertise

Two good places to begin are AOL and ABOUT.COM. Both have category-specific forums in which you can participate. By mentioning that you are the “author of such-and-such” or the “vice president of so-and-so” within the scope of your communication, you begin to label yourself as an expert.

Web-logs, or “blogs” are also a cost effective, efficient way to promote your expertise. Blogs utilize .xml and RSS feeds to provide dynamic, up-to-the minute publication across a variety of searchable platforms. The integration between blogs and contextual search engines becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy toward recognition. If you write about something, people searching for the topic will invariably find you, and that makes you an expert!

4 Overcome the hurdles

Being recognized as an expert in a technical category is admittedly easier than other subjective categories. Even so, it is important to do whatever is necessary to establish your expertise. Let’s take the example of fiction authors — not exactly an easy sell, right? But becoming a recognized expert is not only possible, but mandatory. Just look at Clancy, Rowling, and Robbins.

5 Explore the possibilities

Whether you’ve penned a techno-thriller, children’s fantasy, or romance, (or exist in the more technical fields where your education and/or publishing credits alone might be enough) there is a forum in which to voice your expertise. The Internet is full of chat rooms, writing groups, genre-sites, and more. They’re all thirsty for content from published authors and knowledgeable people. You just have to know where to look. Conducting a Google search is a good place to start.

6 Join, participate, schmooze

Seek out conferences, associations, and other experts to help you. Find forums, websites, and ezines in which to promote yourself.

Brent Sampson is the President & CEO of Outskirts Press Publishing at OutskirtsPress.com and author of Publishing Gems: Insider Information for the Self-Publishing Writer. Information at http://outskirtspress.com/publishinggems

Copyright 2005 Wayne McDonald

Practically every business article I come across talks about number crunching. Everything is broken down into ROI (rate of return), the value of each customer and the number of customers per month.

Unfortunately, the most important factor left out of all these formulas is you — the business person. If you have a poverty mentality or a fear of not having enough, then you will restrict the flow of income.

As my friend Ida says, “Money is Easy.” Creating more income or abundance in our lives is that simple, but most of us try to make it harder or more complicated than it is.

The hardest thing about our relationship with money is giving up our idea of what that income is or where it will come from. We must focus on what it CAN BE. For example, most business people see a limited market filled with a lot of competition. Another example, a business person might say he only earns five thousand dollars per month selling products.

In the first example above, the business person is allowing the fear of competition to restrict the flow of good to them. In the second example the person has defined a limited channel of how and where the money is to appear. To create more income we must be willing to let go of our limited thinking, remove the boundaries around our abundance and stop outlining how it is to appear in our life

You’ll notice that I am interchanging the word money, income and abundance. The first step of unlocking hidden profits in your business is to see your world as unlimited abundance. You must know deep down inside that there are plenty of customers that want your services and competition will become a non-issue. Focus FIRST to being in Service To Your Customers and allow the income to flow to you naturally without any restrictions or expectations. Sometimes abundance appears as money that you can spend. Sometimes abundance is someone taking you to lunch or getting an unexpected rebate or discount on a purchase you made.

The following rules will help you expand your thinking and break down any boundaries that you have about money or abundance.

RULE#1

Money is energy. It follows the Laws of Nature and like the tides of the ocean it has a natural rhythm of flowing in and out. When we allow money to flow to us and not restrict or define how it is to come to us then we become the masters of abundance. We restrict the flow of abundance when we do not allow someone to take us out to lunch… “Oh no, you shouldn’t pay for lunch.” We restrict the flow of abundance when we don’t pick-up the penny that we find on the street. You ask the Universe for more abundance and it is given to you at your feet but it is beneath you to pick-up change that you find lying on the ground. [Note: When I started picking up money on the street the denomination and amount increased!] Or we restrict the flow of abundance with limited thinking. Every time you say I only earn XYZ dollars you are defining a boundary and limiting more abundance to flow.

RULE#2

Money is impersonal. Money is not good or evil. It has no values or beliefs except what we put on it. Money does NOT care who you are or what your background is or what your past family history was. This follows Rule#1 because money is energy and only that. It can be used for any purpose that we want. Money can be used to help people and it can be used to harm people. But how we use it or what we think about money does not change the nature of money, which is energy.

RULE#3

Money is unlimited. When we understand Rules One and Two, then money or abundance can freely flow to us as much as we will allow it. For example, in this past year there have been several natural disasters where thousands of people have lost their homes and needed help to rebuild their lives. People rallied together to help those displaced and said we need XYZ dollars. Within hours, millions of dollars poured in from all sources. Imagine and KNOW that you too can do the same. Create the need, open the energy and let the Universe provide all the good into your life.

OPENING THE FLOW

I know you can create more abundance in your life because your Being is Energy and Money is Energy. The first step is developing a relationship with money. Each night before you go to bed write in your journal at least ten things that you are grateful for. Recognize, write and give thanks for all the monies that you have. Give thanks for all your customers. Give thanks for Spirit, God or Universe for the money that you found on the street. Give thanks for that person that smiled at you on the bus. This simple exercise takes only ten or fifteen minutes to do. Give yourself permission to try this and see what opens and flows into your life. If you forget to write in your journal for a couple of days or week, take notice how the flow may have slowed up or stopped. Pick-up the pen and start writing again in your journal and develop a habit.

YOUR JOURNAL

As you develop this new fun habit you can begin creating new sources of income to appear. TRUST ME THIS WORKS. I found $640 in cash on the street last year! You can create what you want to appear in the future, but always write in the present tense. Remember NOT to create boundaries and remember NOT to define the outcome.

Here are examples of phrases you can write in your journal even BEFORE they appear:

I give thanks for all the unlimited income that flows in my life.

I give thanks for all my repeat customers.

I give thanks for all the monies I have.

I give thanks for the overflowing financial abundance in my life.

I am grateful to receive abundance and all the good in my life.

I am grateful for my all paid vacation to Hawaii.

I give thanks for my affiliate income of two-thousand dollars or more per month.

I give thanks for the opportunity to be open to receive all the good in my life.

I am grateful for my health.

I am grateful for my business.

I am grateful for my wonderful body that functions healthy and perfectly.

I am healthy whole and complete

I am grateful for right and perfect health.

I am grateful for the positive cash flow in my life.

Creating more income or abundance in our life is easy. Let go of boundaries and limiting thoughts and allow all the good to flow into your life. Soon you will be telling others how to create money out of thin air. Namaste

Wayne McDonald is the TRAFFIC KING! Get Quality, Targeted Visitors To Your Website Again And Again Without Your Constant Effort. Get Results today at http://increase-your-website-traffic.holisticwebdirectory.com and for web hosting solutions visit http://webhosting.holisticwebdirectory.com

The spectacular area of Africa known as South Luangwa has been named the very best place to safari in Africa. The region has been acclaimed in numerous years by the Uks very best wildlife experts. UK travellers might be able to admire big groups of lions as well as incredible zebras. Visit the same place Frans Lanting takes his photography.

The region is well regarded for its great night safaris and is a hit with all curious tourists. The changing seasons makes the safari park irrestible with a desert season from winter and a green pleasant jungle feel over summer. During the changes in season the game might well change giving tourists a different aspect.

Locate the attraction of South Africa with a photographic safari vacation and be at one with the gorgeous nature. The incredible rivers and tigers and zebras can often make folk feel alive with energy. Couples will be able to take lots of photos and take back the best memories.

South Africa has countless animals in its regions and tourists will easily get the perfect photograph of a giraffe. If you are not used to a walking holiday you might go on a driving safari and admire huge amounts of the country within a short amount of time. When you have finished your safari by day you can then go back to your resort to chill out. Loads of hotels are three star and beautiful.

If, like many others, you are looking for an exceptional and distinctive holiday in the USA that will give you and your family unforgettable memories, Yosemite National Park should be high on your list of destinations. An area of protected natural beauty since 1890, Yosemite National park is situated in the dramatic mountain area of the Sierra Nevada, California.

Yosemite National park is one of the most exciting ways to experience America, with year round activities and an abundant variety of scenery, giving visitors an immense amount of choice and convenience.

Key attractions include Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point, which at certain times of the year gives tremendous views of the area; Tuolumne Meadows, a sub alpine meadow surrounded on all sides by mountains; a museum at Wawona and the Mariposa Grove, famous for its Giant Sequoia trees – the largest and oldest living things on earth.

The variety of things to do at Yosemite National park is also huge: from taking a drive or coach trip up to Glacier Point to see the awe-inspiring panoramic views of Yosemite National Park, to serious hiking, biking and mountain climbing.

The accommodation you choose will naturally depend on what your plans are, so thinking ahead is vital. Day-trippers are welcomed, and Yosemite National Park is accessible from other parts of California. Entrance fees range from free to 20 dollars for a vehicle. You should expect to spend at least four hours in the park.

For a longer trip, Yosemite National Park provides a variety of lodging and camping. Official discounted Yosemite National Park lodging ranges from basic tent cabins with nearby toilet facilities to the more luxurious lodging in The Ahwahnee, a distinctive hotel that is the pride of Yosemite National Park.

You can examine the variety of Yosemite National Park lodging online, and it may be possible to make reservations. Additionally you can find the essentials for your trip: such as Yosemite National Park maps, camping equipment and crucial information on Yosemite National Park’s weather.

Yosemite National Park is an inspiring and unique place, so be prepared to find that one visit is nowhere near enough!

Ciara McGrath is a full time mother to four teenage daughters. She travels widely in the US and abroad. For more information for US visitors check out Yosemite Services or Chicago Information.

Back “in the day” when I used to be a full time personal trainer and I met with clients in person at my New Jersey Health Club, the first thing I would always ask my clients during the initial consultation was:

“Tell me exactly what you want… and I’ll show you how to get it.”

Typical reply from client:

“I want to lose 20 pounds fast.”

My reply:

“Are you SURE that’s what you want? If I can show you how to lose 20 pounds REALLY, REALLY fast, will that make you happy?”

They nodded their head affirmatively as their eyes lit up in anticipation of the quick weight loss secrets I was about to reveal…

Their face went white when – with a totally straight face – I pulled out a hacksaw and started walking towards them…. menacingly.

Not sure whether to laugh or to run away in sheer terror, they said,

“What the heck are you doing?”

“You said you wanted to lose 20 pounds fast. This is the easiest, surest, most effective way I know to take 20 pounds off you FAST! In fact, I figure that right leg of yours might even weigh 25 pounds!”

I kept walking closer and started to get into sawing position, wielding my fast, effective and guaranteed weight loss tool…

“Bear with me because this IS quick, but sometimes it takes a few minutes for me to cut through the bone.”

By this time, my client and I are either completely cracking up, or I have seriously scared the living you know what out of them, or they just think I’m a complete lunatic… (it depends on whether I was able to keep a straight face or not).

Finally, the light bulb goes on, and my client would see where I was going with this:

“Okay, smart alec,” I get it… I don’t want to lose WEIGHT, I want to lose FAT.”

Sometimes I would be having so much fun, I would just keep on playin’…

“But why not? This is easy, fast and guaranteed – just what everyone wants these days… it’s even better than taking a pill! Come on… let me hack it off! You’ll be my next testimonial: ‘I lost 20 pounds in 5 minutes!’ Imagine what that will do for my business!”

“Very funny. I told you, I get it, I get it! I want to lose FAT, not muscles and bones. I need my leg!

Naturally, of course, I didn’t always have to pull out my trusty blade. Every once in a while… about as often as a total solar eclipse… a client answers my question like this:

“What do I want? Tom, I want to lose 20 pounds of body fat in the next 12 weeks. I want to do it slowly, safely and healthfully and then keep it off permanently. I want all the fat around my hips and thighs completely gone and I want a firm flat stomach. I want muscle all over my body while still looking feminine. I’d like to see myself at about 16% body fat and maintain all my muscle or gain a few pounds of lean mass if I can, especially in my arms. This is important to me because I want to set a good example for my kids, I want to be healthy and live to at least 90 and I want my husband to look at me and say, “I love your body, honey,” and I want to be able to *honestly* say back to him, “me too!”

It is on these rare occasions that I know there is still intelligent life on this planet.

If you could answer the question, “What do you want” with the degree of clarity that this woman did, I don’t think you would ever have any difficulty reaching your health and fitness goals… or any other goal in your life, for that matter.

This answer is what you call a very “well-formed” goal, backed up with lots of emotional motivation-inducing “reasons why.”

“I want to lose weight” is a poorly-formed goal.

“Weight” is not the same as “fat.” Weight includes muscle, bone, internal organs as well as lots and lots of water.

If you only get ONE thing from this article, get this:

WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IS TO BURN THE FAT, WHILE KEEPING THE MUSCLE!!!!

FAT LOSS is what you want, not weight loss.

If your body was 100% rock-solid muscle, with absolutely nothing that jiggled (unless it was supposed to), would you care how much you weighed?

I bet you wouldn’t!

SO STOP WORSHIPPING THE SCALE AND START MEASURING YOUR BODY COMPOSITION!

By measuring your body fat, you take the guesswork out of your health and fitness plan and you get an accurate picture of what’s really happening in your body as a result of your diet and exercise program.

Instead of worrying about whether you are losing muscle, or wondering if you are losing fat, you can measure it and KNOW for sure. (I always get a good chuckle when someone tells me they’re worried about losing muscle when they don’t even measure how much muscle they have!)

Instead of being confused by all the “opinions” from weight loss and exercise “experts” who are all telling you something different, you can MEASURE your body composition and based on the results, you can KNOW for sure whether your program is working.

A very wise man once said,

“A single measurement is worth a thousand opinions.”

So, how do you measure body fat?

There are many methods. Thanks to technology, there are some methods today that are so accurate, they can tell you whether your left pinky has more fat than your right pinky! Unfortunately, many of them are either too expensive or they are inaccessible, being found only in hospitals or research facilities.

Instead of boring you with a lecture about all the various body fat testing methods, let me give you three quick and easy, practical suggestions:

Suggestion 1: Have a trainer or fitness professional measure your body fat if this service is available at your local health club. Sometimes, there’s a charge – usually $15 – $25, although some clubs offer the service for free to all their members.

Suggestion 2: Purchase an Accu-measure skinfold caliper. The Accumeasure was designed to allow you to measure your own body fat in the privacy of your own home (you don’t need someone else to measure you). Do a google or yahoo search to find a reseller.

Some people wonder if this is really accurate. Truth is, it’s not quite as accurate as a multi site skinfold test from an experienced tester, but it’s better than nothing. Besides, what’s most important is not the “accuracy” per se, but the reliability and consistency of your measurements so you can track your progress. Skinfold calipers in general are not accurate or inaccurate, it’s the person doing the test that is accurate or inaccurate.

Suggestion 3: If you have a spouse, roommate, or friend who can measure your body fat, you can purchase a “Slim Guide” body fat caliper. The Slimguide is the best inexpensive (about $20), caliper available for multi-site testing, but it wasn’t designed for you to measure your own body fat like the Accu Measure. Other models of body fat calipers (if you want to splurge), range from $150 to $450. (At our health clubs, I use the electronic “SKYNDEX” caliper with the 4-site “Durnin formula.”)

The calipers come with instructions, or you can use these formulas, which I have used and found to be very accurate:

4 Site formula for men (abdomen, suprailiac, thigh, tricep)

% fat = .29288(sum of 4 skinfolds) – 0.0005(sum of four skinfolds squared) + 0.15845(age) – 5.76377

4-Site Formula for women (abdomen, suprailiac, thigh, tricep)

% Fat = (.29669)(sum of 4 skinfolds) – (.00043)(Sum of four skinfolds squared) + .02963(age) + 1.4072

Source: Jackson A S, Pollock, M (1985) Practical assessment of body composition. Physician Sport Med. 13: 76-90.

Body fat percentages vary based on age and gender, but 20-25% body fat is average for women (15-19% is ideal), while 15-20% is average for men (10-14% is ideal).

Once you know your body fat percentage, then weigh yourself and record your weight and body fat on a progress chart. You can also calculate your lean body mass (muscle and other fat free tissue) very easily just by crunching some numbers:

For example, if you weigh 200 pounds and you have 10% body fat then you have 20 pounds of fat (10% of 200 = 20). That means you have a lean body mass (LBM) of 180 pounds. Now we’re talking! With this data, you can get a really clear picture of how your exercise and nutrition program are affecting your physique.

Losing weight is very easy. Losing fat – and keeping it off without losing muscle – is a much bigger challenge. If you simply wanted to lose weight, we could just chop off your leg. Or, (slightly less painful), I could show you how to drop 10 – 15 pounds over the weekend just by dehydrating yourself and using natural herbal diuretics. Bodybuilders and wrestlers do it all the time to make a weight class. But what good would that do if it’s almost all water and you’re just going to gain it all back within days?

You don’t have to “throw away your scale” like many “experts” tell you to. By all means, keep using the scale, the tape measure and even photographs and the mirror – the more feedback the better, but body fat is where it’s at.

By the way, I recently bought a chain saw and a shiny new axe from Home Depot, and I’ve been practicing my “American Psycho” and Jack Nicholson, “The Shining” impersonations… so if you want to come to my office any time soon for personal consultation, you’d better have the right answer to my question, “What do you want?”

Copyright 2005 Tom Venuto

Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle. You can get info on Tom’s e-book at http://www.burnthefat.com. To get Tom’s free monthly e-zine, visit http://www.fitren.com

What state Incorporates more than a half-million business entities, including more than half of the Fortune 500 companies? New York? California? Illinois? No. No. No. That state is Delaware. With a population smaller than 88% of all states, this business-friendly state attracts more corporations than any of the major cities. Businesses choose Delaware simply because of their flexible corporate laws, highly respected Court of Chancery, a business-friendly State Government, and a customer service oriented Staff of the Delaware Division of Corporations.

Among the many business-friendly laws, Delaware does not require corporations to operate in the state, only to maintain a registered agent, who may be an individual resident, or an existing domestic corporation. Additionally, incorporations typically take 24 hours to process, however there are services that allow same day, and 2 hour filing. There is no corporate income tax for corporations incorporated in Delaware, but not transacting business in the state. Further, the cost to incorporate is one of the lowest in the country, and one person can hold all officer positions of the corporation. Officer names are not required to be listed in the articles of incorporation. Shares of stock owned by persons outside of Delaware are not subject to Delaware taxes.

Delaware maintains a separate corporate court system, called the Delaware Court of Chancery, that does not use juries, but only uses judges appointed for their expertise in corporate law. The Delaware Court of Chancery is a 210-year-old business court that has written most of the modern U.S. corporation case law. It is widely recognized as the nation’s most distinguished agency for dispute resolution involving corporate litigation. The state legislature takes seriously its role in keeping the corporation statute, and other business laws current. Their unique expertise in, and exposure to issues of business law are supreme. Currently the Court of Chancery has made docket information, and pleadings available over the Internet for civil actions filed in the Court.

Delaware’s State Government is business-friendly and accessible. The Division of Corporation is in the forefront of efficiency, and their professional staff provides prompt, friendly services to clients, attorneys, registered agents and others. The office of the Secretary of State operates more like a business rather than a government bureaucracy with its leading edge technology, and customer-service oriented staff.

Delaware may make sense for large corporations, however it may not be worth the effort for small, privately held corporation who do business in their home state. Although Delaware does not tax out of state businesses, taxes must be paid in the state the business is operating. While incorporating fees are lowest in Delaware, appointing a corporate agent to receive official notices in Delaware may negate any realized costs savings. All factors considered, Delaware is a premiere legal home to companies all around the world.

Jay B Stockman is a contributing editor for Online Small Business Consulting Visit http://small-business-usa.com/ for more information.

10 Ways to stay Healthier at Home

Many people spend all or part of the week working from home, caring for children, parents and relatives, or keeping house. All of these things can be just as demanding and stressful as going to work each day. And you may need strategies to make your experience of home life healthier.

1. Fill house with healthy food and snacks for adults and children. Avoid snacking on treats bought for the kids, making sure your children eat healthy snacks such as raisins, fruit, rice crackers etc rather than sugary, salty or fatty snacks. Fill a container with strips of cucumber, peppers, celery and carrot, grapes, blueberries and strawberries, maybe a little cold salmon or hard-boiled eggs, ensuring there is always something to snack on if you find yourself staring into the fridge without quite knowing how you got there.

2. Have a glass of water every hour. Often the body mistakes thirst for hunger- you may automatically reach for food when you need a drink. Buy a filter jug, or some mineral water, drink with a slice of orange or lime, and encourage children to drink water or dilute fresh fruit juice. Limit yourself to one of two coffees or teas, and stock up on interesting herbal teas for variety.

3. Beat Boredom; hunger may result from boredom- your body is telling you to get up and get a change of scene. Go for frequent little walks, take small children to post a letter, buy a newspaper, have a stroll around the block, or go outside and pull some weeds up. Small changes will keep your brain stimulated. If you are working from home, get up for a couple of minutes every half an hour to keep the body mobile (avoiding back pain) and to refresh your brain. If you cannot leave the house, do something different for five minutes, open a window and get some fresh air, or put some music on.

4. Treat housework as a work out. Turn on the stereo, and perform each task with energy. Vacuuming, floor scrubbing, cleaning windows, gardening and sweeping for 30 minutes each day will keep you healthier.

5. Protect your family from environmental toxins. Safely dispose of dangerous and unpleasant chemical cleaners, go for old-fashioned alternatives (such as vinegar and bicarbonate of soda) or eco-friendly brands, and use some elbow grease.

• Recent research has shown that household cleaning residues cross the placenta to your unborn baby (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4223984.stm).

• Cleaning products are linked to asthma in adults and children.

• The average household contains in excess of 20 gallons of hazardous chemicals- many in cleaning products.

• Most poisonings, particularly of children occur in the home. Children under the age of 6 are usually poisoned with cleaning products.

• Out of 70,000 synthetic chemicals in production, many are linked to cancer and other health problems, but only 600 have been adequately tested. (U.S. Office of Environmental Affairs).

• Many air fresheners contain chemicals harmful to your health, such as artificial musk. Avoid sprays, and swap for an oil burner and pure essential oils such as lavender- much cheaper in the long run.

6. Use the stairs as exercise equipment! When you come to the bottom step, jump off with both feet, and land with slightly bent knees. The impact with strengthen the bones of your ankles, legs and hips, guarding against future risk of osteoporosis. (Do not do this if you have existing bone problems or injuries).

7. Mums of young children- get out with that push chair! Pushing a child around (especially with all those bags kid-stuff) can be challenging exercise. Choose a push chair which does not encourage you to stoop and round your shoulders- many now have adjustable handles. Get out to parks and shops, take the hilly route, stand tall, pulling in your tummy and power along with that pram. Some instructors run push-chair workouts in local parks for new mums- keep your eyes peeled, or invite some friends and do it yourself.

8. Take care whilst preparing food. It can become habitual to finish off children’s food and eat your own as well, or eat tea with kids and then later with a partner. This road leads to steady weight gain making many parents unhappy and unhealthy. Try to stay aware whilst preparing the endless drinks, meals and snacks demanded by children, that you are not falling into bad habits.

9. Stay organized. There is so much to do, and it can easily spiral into chaos, leaving you stressed and tired. Take a business-like overview of your week, making the most of your time and resources. For example, try to make several meals out of one cooking session. Prepare extra pasta, rice, green beans, roasted vegetables to be eaten cold as salads in lunchboxes or for snacks and meals, use the same ingredients for several meals- roast red peppers for sauces, soups, salads etc, if you are making one pie/lasagna/soup make two or three and freeze them, marking them with the date you made them. Prepare children’s lunch boxes while you are making their tea- using the same ingredients- rice, veggie sausages, cherry tomatoes….

10. Make some time to exercise- reducing stress, achieving personal goals, improving fitness, loosing baby weight, and having some time for yourself. If you have young children, look out for local health clubs with crche facilities or mother-and-baby classes (many council facilities are very affordable). Some clubs also provide classes for older children, and you can use the free time to go for a swim or to the gym. Alternately, buy an exercise or yoga video, or some hand weights and a gym ball. Just 15 minutes of toning exercise a day will make a difference.

I do hope that this has given you some ideas that you can work with.
Until next time,
Stay healthy,
Vikki.

Do you have any friends and family who could benefit from getting fitter and feeling better? If you do, then treat them to free copy of this newsletter, forward it to them, and get them to e-mail me with a request. E-mail getfitter@yahoo.co.uk subject: newsletter request. Would you like to bring health into the workplace? Get fitter now offers a corporate package, including yoga classes/courses, Nutrition seminars, conference breaks, Company Wellness days and Healthy Friday a monthly wellness event.

The information contained in the Get fitter Newsletter is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of or treatment that may be prescribed by your physician. Before adhering to any recommendations or undertaking any exercise program or diet regimen, you should consult your physician.

Vikki Scovell BA(hons) PG DIP is a fully qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. She is a qualified Nutrition Adviser and runs successful Community Exercise classes. Vikki is a consultant in Healthy Eating and Exercise initiatives to schools in the independent sector and publishes School and General Healthy Living newsletters.

Please visit www.corporatechill.com

When people want your advice for free, send
them a sample of the work you do; you
will be surprised at the relationships you form.

Almost everyone in business would like to have services and products for no cost to them. I work with all kinds of companies from large to small. Every single one of them wants my information and services for free. I only do pro bono work for non-profits and even then, if there is a cost to me, I generally try to pass that on. If you give away your time, then you will be valued at that same price.

I visited a client today that wanted help with some aspect of their website, and I gladly had my colleague come with me to give some instruction. When we arrived, the person needing help was the same one we had given the information to before. As we did not charge on the first occasion, they had not paid too much attention to the process and how to complete the work. The time spent with them today will be a billable item; I do not like to be taken advantage of in any respect.

A good way to get around such a thing happening to you is to produce a sample report that gives advice for free. The only cost to you is the printing and the time it takes to write the report. These reports can also be made available on the website for downloading. The report can be one or two pages of FAQ (frequently asked questions) or a step-by-step procedure that is common to most industries. The point is to make the information available and free up your time to sell and to do the work that helps you make an income.

Getting sample reports is often a misnomer. I have seen far too many of them end up being just a come on to buy a service. The word free is no longer free. There are many ads in Entrepreneurship and Start your Own Business type magazines that offer free reports. The problem is that there are really strings attached. For one, you need to send them your address for shipping. If you do that, the junk mail will start. They are more than likely selling the mailing list and making money from the report. You need to make a decision to truly offer something for free and respect other people’s time. If your materials are good and you do not pester them with other information, they will return to your site for more.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”. Blueprints for Success – Networking: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprints for Success Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2006. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com