Using POP Displays to Enhance Your Sales

Many businesses are learning about the enormous impact of display on revenue. A well-organized setup with good display signage and attractive items can pull in new customers, sell new products, and generate valuable new leads. But a badly organized display, or one that looks amateurish, can turn even the most dedicated old customers away from a store. Your store's appearance is as important as the quality of your products.

But once you have good window graphics, visual displays, and interior graphics, what more can you do to enhance your company's image? The answer is to look within, considering not just the whole interior of your retail space, but each individual retail area. By isolating different sale spaces and organizing each one, you can further enhance your visual displays and attract more revenue.

What Are POP Displays?

POP displays are more formally known as point of purchase displays. They are the displays arranged for individual products within a store or other retail space; rather than being visual displays in a store window, they are the actual arrangement where the product is available. They are literally situated at the point of purchase where the customer decides whether or not to buy.

When you create good custom displays at this point, you will present your products in a more positive light. Your customers will see the excellence of what you are offering and be inspired to buy.

As with all visual displays, there is a wide variety of techniques that can be employed to create the display. Some companies prefer a simple aesthetic, using the equivalent of a wire potato chip holder to display items. On the other hand, some companies choose POP displays that really pop, with unique elements and custom displays organized to really catch the customer's eye.

Creating Custom Displays At The Point of Purchase

But which method of creation is better? In the end, it depends on you company's goals, and on what you are selling. If your clientele expects your store to be cutting-edge, then you need to consider POP displays that are more flashy and engineered. However, if your customers just want to see the product easily and be able to decide quickly whether or not they want to purchase it, your visual displays can be much less extravagant.

In fact, if your customers typically come to you with a purchase item already in mind, complicated custom displays can detract from their experience: they want to get their item quickly and be able to examine it easily, without any complicated additions.

Uniting Different Visual Displays

Although using POP displays is an excellent way to boost your store's professional appearance and appeal, be careful that each display still fits into a cohesive theme that continues throughout the store. If the custom displays don't interrelate, their effect will be greatly diminished. No matter how professional and attractive each looks on its own, unless they all look nice together, customers will not be inspired to buy. But when all your POP displays work together and unite seamlessly with your visual displays, your store will be optimized for your clients.

Choosing the Right Direct Mail Product For Your Hospital's Advertising Campaign

Direct mail campaigns have been used successfully by hospitals and other medical facilities for many years. The fact that hundreds and thousands of potential patients and customers can be reached for just pennies per household makes it easy on your advertising budget. Compare your Return On Investment for direct mail and alternative advertising vehicles and you will be pleasantly surprised.

It takes thousands of dollars a month for a radio ad campaign. Television ads are even more cost prohibitive. The print media is losing readers daily, so I wouldn't recommend spending part of your budget on a decreasingly effective type of advertising campaign. It just makes sense to stick with a tried and true method, doesn't it?

Something New Has Been Added

Historically, direct mail products were paper advertisements like postcards or flyers. As effective as they were, a percentage of them weren't read. Some people saw them as "just another piece of junk mail" and tossed them into the trash. With the advent of a relatively new innovation in direct mail products, that percentage has been pared down to a minimum. More people than ever will read your hospital's advertisement with these new magnetic postcard direct mail products.

Why The Magnetic Mailers Work So Well

As mentioned above, recipients often considered old paper mailers to be mere junk. These new mailers have a quality refrigerator style magnet attached, which is easily peeled off. Seeing a magnet attached intrigues the person. They peel it off out of curiosity, if nothing else. Now they have in their hand something that has value instead of just a piece of cardboard or paper. No one likes throwing away something that has value, and a refrigerator magnet is so easily stuck on the fridge, so they give it a fling and the magnet is fastened to the door.

Aha!

Now your advertisement is in a prominent spot in the home or workplace. The idea behind any advertising campaign is to get the attention of as many folks as possible. A magnetic product like this does just that. Everyone in the home, at the shop, in the office or at the store will see it on a regular basis. Advertising magnets are not "in you face" like radio and TV ads, which play over and over until you are sick of them. Magnets are much more passive, but studies indicate that the subtle exposures are still very effective. When someone needs medical treatment or services, they will recall your magnetic advertisement and call you.

Networking Gold Diggers

Contrary to popular belief, this article is not about money hungry women or the gold rush in California during the late 1800's. As a matter of fact, professionals, students and entrepreneurs can search for gold when they are networking. The term: search for gold can definitely take on a personality of its own. In this unique case, professionals, students and entrepreneurs can focus on the quality characteristics, details or importance of building relationships and connect with colleagues and professionals at events, meetings, conferences, etc. There are ways to scope out important elements for obtaining the desired objectives for reaching various business and social goals in networking.

Listed below are helpful tips which professionals can use to attract that perfect opportunity!

Friendship is Golden

This is probably the most important yet the most overlooked aspect in doing business today. Friendships are very essential and much needed in any industry, profession or career. It is a good platform for developing relationships, building loyalty and gaining trust. Many business people are more focused on friendship and good relations than they are in market price, service quality or location of their customer/clients. Having a common connection or link with individuals or companies creates streams of support and understanding which can not reflect a price tag. Professionals should learn to seek out worthwhile and lasting friendships in their networking endeavors.

Silence is Golden

It is written that it is better to give than to receive. But in this article it is suggested that it is better to listen than to speak. Listening is a skill that can be made perfect and when mastered, the results are just outstanding. Listening to the needs, concerns or comments of others is one of the best action points for building relationships and gaining new business. Hearing and understanding can bridge gaps and create solutions to age old problems. Lending an ear and focusing your attention can also foster friendships and relationships in networking.

Respect is Golden

Treat others the way you would like to be treated. This is probably number one on the totem pole for relating and connecting with individuals. It is not just a word but an active verb. Professionals can speak, show and give respect. They can express it in the ways in which they communicate with others verbally and in written forms of correspondence. Respect channels growth, development and opportunities.

Secrets to Small Business Success - Network Your Butt Off

Networking is the most cost effective way to promote your business.  It's the perfect combination of marketing and testimonial endorsement.  And most people know that networking can lead to more sales. When someone refers you to a friend or colleague, you arrive with their endorsement and they marketed you for free.  Which is one of the best reasons to network your butt off, especially in the beginning of a new enterprise.

When you begin your networking efforts, be certain to try several different venues and groups before you join any group.  Only after you have evaluated the potential connection value from each group should you decide to choose one over another.  Be certain to join at least one chamber of commerce and one other business networking organization and attend regularly.

Begin building a reputation as someone who is known, liked, and trusted by giving leads and referrals to the people you meet.  In time they will reciprocate.  Be patient but persistent in your participation.  Attend regularly and bring plenty of leads and referrals from your network.  It will pay off in new business and greater connections.  And while the new business is essential to your livelihood, what most people fail to realize is that networking is the best way solve business problems as well.

Consider your new business.  You have grown to the point of needing someone to answer the phones and do some clerical work for you.  Through networking you can eliminate all the screening of potential new hires and interview just a few pre-qualified candidates. 

Perhaps you are facing a challenge with an employee.  You could ask the Department of Labor or other governmental agency for help or you could seek advice from your trusted network of peers.   Chances are one of your peers has been through what you are going through and you can save yourself countless hours and dollars by learning from their experience.

Maybe you are considering launching an advertising campaign.  You could sit through hours of advertising sales presentations or you could lean on the experience of your network to lead you to the right decision. 

These are just a few of the valuable benefits you will gain by networking your butt off.  Develop this discipline now and you will always have plenty of trusted resources and pipeline filling referrals.

How to Get Lean Muscle - 3 Ways to Force a Skinny Body to Grow Lean Muscle

Are you one of the skinny men who's thrown in the towel with trying to build lean muscle? Have you tried supplements, weights and diets? How frustrated and disappointed were you when the advice you followed didn't pay off? Here are three simple tips that are tried and true. Doing these, in no particular order, will cause your body to develop lean muscle.

1. Consume 50-60 grams of protein per day

This is a generally easy change to incorporate into a daily routine. You can mix 10-20 grams in a home made protein shake or even a millk shake and drink it in the morning, noon and evening. Alternatively, you could also drink it right after a work out to immediately make your muscles start recovering more quickly.

2. Lift heavy weights at low volume and high intensity

This is the backbone of all good lean muscle literature. Lifting heavy weights will make your body adapt to greater amounts of physical stress. If you go out into the sun, you tan to protect yourself from UV rays. If you go out into the cold, your body will shiver to try and keep your body warm. If you lift heavy weights, your body will get bigger to better resist the pain from lifting. So to keep growing, keep lifting heavier weights! Of course, your muscle will only notice the heavy weights when you lift many times. Push your muscle and lift until you can't lift any more. Keep it to one set and your muscle will grow.

3. Keep a log book.

A less technical piece of advice, keeping a log book will allow you to track whether your workout's have been more or less intense. Keep everything in it, your meals, how much you've lifted and when you've lifted it, even feelings you encountered while lifting. Make it a bit more creative and turn it into a journal/diary as well. Who says men don't have feelings? A quick tip: an easy way to tell if a workout has been more and less intense than a previous one is by multiplying the mass of the weight by how many times you lifted it, eg. 20 lbs x 10 time = 200 lb is more intense than 30 lbs x 5 reps = 150 lbs, even though it might have felt harder for you.

How much does it mean to get lean muscle to you? These tips will help you gain lean muscle. It's time to start doing some work and start lifting instead of searching for the perfect work out. Everyone's body is different and a good program will adapt to the man. If it doesn't recommend the top three pieces of information, it's not a good work program. Take control of your skinny body and start building lean muscle now!

Why Skinny Guys Always Struggle to Build Muscle

Unfortunate but true, most really skinny guys will always struggle to gain any decent amount of muscle without the use of steroids. That's not to say it isn't possible to build muscle if you're a little skinny, because it definitely is, it just takes a lot of dedication and persistence.
 
Why Is This? There are a number of reasons why this is the case, but the following are the most common:

 

• Lack of knowledge -This is major problem with anyone who chooses to build muscle. There are many ways to achieve great muscle growth and you will have no shortage of friends and fellow exercisers giving you the benefits of their knowledge of exactly how to do it. How often should you train, which exercises should you do, how hard should it feel, which way will give you the best results in the shortest time. Don't listen to everyone who gives you advice as there are many conflicting opinions within the bodybuilding world. What works for your much bigger friend won't necessarily work the same for you. Your shape means you are different and therefore need to use a system that is designed just for you, so get in touch with a qualified personal trainer or buy a program specifically designed for someone with your shape so you can follow professional advice on the best approach to take to get you to your goals.
• Not Enough Calories -Another of the biggest problems facing skinny men is the ability to store and consume enough calories each day. When you are training with weights you not only need enough calories to fuel your everyday activities, but also enough to help with the recovery and repair of the muscles you have been exercising. Ideally you should be in a positive calorie balance, which means eating more each day than you will actually need. You can work out the amount of calories you need each day quite basically by weighing yourself in KG and then multiplying that by 30 to give you an approximate daily guideline amount. I would recommend an extra 500 calories over and above this total each day to ensure that you are eating enough to help build muscle.
• Your Metabolism is Too Fast - One of the drawbacks to being skinny and wanting to gain muscle is having a faster metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns through food). The faster you burn through the calories you ingest then the less there are available for repair of muscle tissue and storage for future energy needs. If you seem to burn through your foods at an alarming rate and really struggle to gain weight then you need to increase the amount of meals you have each day and take more time to eat each one. Slowing down your pace of life or reducing the amount of time you spend moving around each day may also help.

 

Certainly if you are naturally skinny you will always find it difficult to build muscle quickly. If you do stick it out and persevere however, you will end up with probably the most enviable body of anyone you know. You will have definition, shape and low body fat levels which will give you a honed and toned body the envy of every fitness model. So stick at it and be patient!

Tips on Creating a Controversial Press Release

When you submit a press release to the newswire you want it to get picked up by the most (and hopefully on-target) publications as possible. You want to spread the news, right? Isn't that what a press release is all about? You want to spread the news to as many people as possible in a short amount of time. You want them to know about your new product or service. You want them to know about the cool award you garnered from some website or organization. Time and again you hear that you need a press release to be "newsworthy." Why would anyone pick up your story if it's really not new anyone wants to read about? And one of the best ways to make your release newsworthy is to make it controversial!

If you have a controversial press release, you're taking a chance at offending a segment of the population. Ideally, the offended parties are 1) not mortally wounded emotionally or mentally and 2) not your target market. Here are some tips to create a controversial press release that walks the fine line of being newsworthy and debatable enough to be picked up by the various publications and sites, but not to the point of disgusting the larger population of the world wide web.

1 - Look at current news topics. What is going on in the news currently that you can take and apply to your press release? If so, don't go with the popular opinion. Go against the flow and position your press release in a way that it challenges the current stance. Trying to sell your step by step guide to becoming a loan officer? State your case for why NOW is the best time to become a mortgage broker.

2 - Create a controversy when there isn't one. Say you are promoting your "Doggie DNA" service. Maybe you don't have any good stories to tell. But what would be a controversial reason that a person would use your service? The title "Did Your Dog Breeder Sell You A Lie?" comes to mind...with the slant that a dog owner should double-check their pedigreed pooches.

3 - Listen to the boneheads in your life. You know, those people who talk and you wonder how few brain cells they actually have? Or, maybe they're smart but just really, really quirky? Well, sometimes their logic is just off-kilter enough to make a great twist to your press release. Because sometimes even wacky people have some good thoughts...

4 - Use pop culture. Was Britney the inspiration behind your fatbusting exercise ebook? Did the ol' Justin Timberlake-Janet Jackson debacle at that Superbowl a few years back spark your invention of a heavy-duty fabric fastener? Make it relevant to today (that means no references to people or television shows so old that your target market will be scratching their heads in wonder) and then have at it.

5 - Don't be offensive. Obviously, the number one rule with controversial press releases is to be interesting/controversial, not offensive/controversial. You don't want to anger the ACLU or get people staking out your home and picketing. But then again, maybe the publicity is worth it...

How to Personalise an Engraved Executive Gift

If you have read my articles on how to personalise an executive gift you will have seen that there are many ways to achieve the perfect results.

In this article I want to explore further the options you have when choosing an engraved executive gift to give to your valued clients, suppliers or colleagues.

The most obvious way is to add the person's initials; this makes the gift highly personal, and can show that you really have thought about them and the process.

As an example, imagine someone gave you or one of your friends some elegant cuff links that had been engraved with a company logo, you might imagine that apart from when the are visiting that particular company, they might not choose to wear what it clearly an advertisement on a normal day at the office.

Contrast that with the thought of a beautiful pair of silver plated cufflinks, with each one discreetly engraved with initials and the whole gift giving experience moves to a new level. The lucky recipient views the engraved executive gift as a highly personal gift, and one that will be treasured, and of course always remembered will be who and when gave them such a beautiful gift.

There are many times though when the gift needs more words than just simple initials, perhaps you are commemorating a product launch, an anniversary, or even a promotion or retirement, and as such elegant corporate gifts are perfect for awards or recognition gifts, and it is when the gift is for one of these purposes that it makes sense to try and add a longer message.

Most good online engraved executive gift stores will give you the option to usually select three lines of about 15 letters that can be engraved on the item where space allows, or if it is a smaller item, perhaps just one line.

Some online stores charge just a modest extra amount for engraving, so there is no need to worry about huge charges for making the gift perfect for your purpose, and the best sites will arrange for delivery to be made to you in as little as two or three days, saving you time and money.

Lets imagine that you have a company anniversary, and you want to give your top 25 clients an engraved executive gift as a lasting reminder of such a momentous occasion.

My recommendation is that you come up with a standard message for each one, but take the trouble to add their name to the product as well, making it personal to them, and reminding them at the same time how much you value the relationship.

A typical message might be " Presented to (insert name) on the occasion of the 25 year anniversary of (insert your company name) on (insert the date)

Now, there are a few simple steps to make sure that when you have say selected an elegant silver plated and engraved item that is suitable for a 25th anniversary, you get as much goodwill as possible.

There is probably no bigger faux pas than having a spelling mistake of a name or company on any personalised gift, so please take your time to proof read the names and spellings, and always ask a colleague to double check what you are about to order.

When you receive the delivery, always check every single one and then if you have used one of the excellent gift sites that give you gift boxes, gift tags and gifts bags, you should hand write a simple but personal message to each person, add their name to the gift card envelope, and then staple or attach the card to the gift bag to make it easy to see who gets each gift.

Remember also that you do not need to select the same engraved executive gift for everyone, you can, if you use a good online engraved executive gift web site, choose a different gift for everyone.

Giving a well thought out personalised gift to a key client, an important supplier or a valued colleague is will make a huge positive impact on your relationship, so take your time and enjoy the process of selecting the perfect personalised gift.

Low Budget PP - Why Pay Them When You Can Do it Yourself

Time and again I've run into entrepreneurs who are avidly seeking representation for publicity. These savvy entrepreneurs realize that exposure to the masses is a necessity for success in business but have convinced themselves that they require the services of a skilled professional -ergo a publicist, to get the job done effectively. Two publicity campaigns and thousands of dollars later a little light bulb goes off in their head bringing them to the realization, with all things considered (regarding the unsavory results of their pr campaigns), that they could've done the pr strong-arming on their own. And you know what -- they are absolutely right!

Which brings me to the question at hand - why pay someone to get publicity for you when you can get it on your own? Let me further add to the question, the following phrase : yielding similar or better results. So the publicity issue on the table now reads as follows - why should you hire a publicist when you can get similar or better results by putting together your own publicity campaign?

A publicist is a well paid middleman. I call 'em as I see 'em! Honestly speaking, I can make this assessment because I am a former publicist. Every client that I'd ever worked for in the past wanted the same thing - instant notoriety in the public eye. That kind of overnight, any-publicity-is-good-publicity crackerjack-fame-in-a-box campaign should be avoided at all costs because the first rule of thumb in publicity is that nothing is guaranteed. Additionally, the end result of a crackerjack pr campaign is damaged credibility for the publicity seeker. Ethically a publicist should never condone such a service but you'd be surprised what people will say or do when money is involved.

In a nutshell, the job of a publicist is to get you (the entrepreneur) exposure in the right places so that you can reach your niche consumer. They do this by going through their handy dandy rolodex of editors, journalists, photographers and ghost writers and draft up an enticing press kit in which they use to sell you, your product, service or company to editors of publications that reach your desired audience. You are charged a sizable fee up front to retain publicity services which never guarantee mass exposure to your niche. Throughout the pr campaign a la carte publicity services may be offered to you such as writing or editing (tweaking) your press materials. Your company profile, one page personal biography, and fact sheet will be refurbished, and you will be charged for that service. Additionally, as the client you will be highly encouraged to partake in media training (which is when your publicist preps you on how to present and handle yourself while being interviewed - this training also shows you how to maintain control over the scope of the interview.) You will be charged for this service as well. Mailing press kits, phone calls with editors, lunch meetings with journalists, sending emails and faxes, yes you will be charged for all of this as well - it comes out of your retainer and it's done to ensure that a few articles - notice the word few - will be written about you, your product, company and/or service.

The volume of publicity is dependent upon two things: first, are you sellable. This simply means can the publicist pitch you effectively to the media and will they be interested in what you have to offer. Second is the network of editors, and journalists (which includes print, online, TV and radio mediums) that the publicist has access to. You can sell just about anything to anyone, the same goes with pitching a story idea, which is why you can do your own publicity. Additionally, your publicist may be able to get you into certain publications because of the relationship that they've built with an editor, but you can build your own relationships with the media based on your expertise in your field. If you decide to save a little money and do your own publicity, you could probably make more noise than a publicist because the passion that you have for your endeavors will shine through in your press materials and pitch letters/phone calls. As long as you handle your publicity campaign with tact and integrity everything will fall into place. So do yourself a favor and save your money because with all things considered initially you can handle publicity effectively on your own.

Warning - The Following 9 Points May Turn You Into a Pitching Pro!

1. Pitch on topic. Don't waste people's time. They're busy enough; they don't need more email plugging up their inbox or other correspondence that is off-base and off-topic. And they'll black list you. And they'll tell their friends. Trust me.

2. K.I.S.S. Yes, it should go without saying, except it never does. Keep It Simple Stupid. End of story. Don't drone on and on. Write a nice and precise paragraph on why your concept/idea/product is bang on with what they're looking for. Or with what they don't know they're looking for yet! A few sentences on what your brainwave is. A few sentences on why they need it, or better yet, why they will WANT it and why they must HAVE it.

3. Talk the Talk. Speak their language. Don't go overboard with industry acronyms and jargon, that's just plain ridiculous. But do get to know them before pitching. Know their market. Know what they're after, or, what they don't know they're after yet. I was pitching a hot PR firm out of LA not long ago. I used totally different languaging than when I pitch corporations. More relaxed. More funky. More targeted. And it worked. It was a smashing success.

4. Play nice. Get a rapport going with the firm or reporter you're pitching to. I'm not talking about buttering them up - they'll see right through that - but be nice. Be professional. If you see something that will fit with what they're looking for (even if it's not you!), send it along! They'll remember you. Don't inundate, but you can send along a lead or two.

5. Jump in, the water's fine! In other words, don't be afraid to pitch. You've got nothing to lose. This is your business, your marketing initiative, your concept, whathaveyou. So pitch away! Pitch with confidence, pitch often and pitch well.

6. Don't assume anything. You might think it's pretty obvious that everyone under the sun has an email signature that includes their contact information. (Because, well, it is pretty obvious. And everyone does have an email signature that includes their contact information.) But email programs are laid out differently (ie: Gmail piles them up at the bottom of all emails - very annoying when you've got a long string of messages going), and people are laid out differently. People simply may not scroll down to find your contact info, especially if it's lost in a long string of messages! Have it clearly in the body of the message somewhere. Clearly. Link to your website, link to your email, have your name standing out. Don't forget this. Introduce yourself properly.

7. Make it personal. How are you different - what can you do differently to grab their attention. To get their interest? I had an opportunity to pitch Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, at an event earlier this year. What got her interested was the fact that I was a female with a new start up, heading down the entrepreneurial road. Make sure you know who you're dealing with, what their interests are, and off you go!

8. Network, Network and more... Social Network. Do you follow the key players on Twitter? Are the hot PR folks in your Biznik network? Do you get urgent queries fast, like, yesterday? Get to know these people, see what they're about. Connect with them. Get going!

9. Keep On Keepin' On! In other words? Don't give up. Ever. This is your business, your baby, you've got to shop it! Work it! Own it! Remember, it's rumoured that JK Rowlings pitched Harry Potter over 100 times before it was finally signed. Consider your product your own personal masterpiece and keep on pitching! Keep On Keepin' On.

Basics and Benefits of Yoga

Can the power of yoga really cure us? Is it true that if you have a medical ailment, yoga could be the answer to your prayers? Have you heard about the story of Sue Cohen? She is an accountant, 54 years old who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She claims that after her surgery, she could not lift her arm at all. That was around 5 years ago. Today, Sue Cohen is cancer-free and can move freely. In fact she can even stand on her head! Sue Cohen believes that what cured her was yoga. She was encouraged through yoga to do things she never thought she could, and she did!

Many more have come forward claiming that the power of yoga brought them back to form. They feel lighter in spirit, less to no stress, and many, many more positive changes in their perspective and physical aspect. Some have even reported having been able to lose weight, quit smoking, conquer fears, and improve overall performance.

So, what's the actual power of yoga that can effect these changes? Or are they just mere assumptions that have no basis or scientific logic behind it? Technically, the power of yoga is in the mind because there have been no substantive study that will back up any of these claims. While they may be true, they are not confirmed by science, Western science.

There is a huge difference between the Western and Eastern ways. In India, yoga is encouraged because they believe that it is a holistic way of approaching life. Yoga tries to blend all aspects of your life. It is a way of seeing the world. Through meditation, discipline, and a philosophical way of looking at you in conjunction with the world around you, yoga tries to take you to higher levels of "maturity."

The power of yoga lies in you. You have to practice and learn how to look beyond what is materialistic and earthly, to see a world that can be peaceful and stress-free. Many celebrities endorse yoga as a means of getting in touch with their inner self. It is also considered by them as a form of mental and physical exercise. These celebrities have made yoga a byword in our society. By practicing it and talking about it, people have come to know, try and appreciate yoga as a form of release.

The power of yoga is not in the postures and poses, but in the meditative breathing techniques that will teach you to develop mental clarity, get you to be happier with life and more relaxed.
The reason many famous people have been doing yoga is probably because they are in very stressful surroundings. They needed a release, and they have found it in yoga. That is the power of yoga.

It brings inner peace which is seen in the faces and attitudes of the yoga advocates. So many have come to be a part of the yoga trend, the figures doubling in the last 5 years alone. If you step into a health club, the probability that you will find a yoga class is pretty high. You should try it because it can change your life. The power of yoga have worked on millions of people worldwide, why won't it work on you?
More interesting and valuable information on the basics.

what is yoga?

In India, yoga is practiced as a way of understanding life and all its glory. It’s main goal is to transcend what is earthly and find true peace and happiness. Although it started in India, it has reached into the far recesses of every corner of the globe to become a means to an end. When translated, yoga means “to unite” in Sanskrit.

The first known yoga institute was established in 1918 in Mumbai, the Yoga Institute of Santa Cruz. Here was revealed the ancient art of mental health interspersed with moral consciousness.

Yoga has been made commercially popular in the United States and other westernized countries, but what you see there is really not what the true yoga is all about. The Hollywood version of yoga is twisted poses combined with intense meditation and humming.

In reality, yoga is an attempt to be one with the Supreme Being. It’s like having levels of realization. In yoga, these levels are jnanayoga, dhyana yoga, and bhaktiyoga. As a beginner, you start at the lowest level which is the yoga aruruksa stage. You are expected to practice your craft and try to attain the top level of yoga arudha.

While there is nothing wrong with the yoga poses and postures, what one must remember is that yoga is not about the postures. The postures are a means to attain a desired level of mental maturity. Anyone can start yoga regardless of age because it does not discriminate a person because of gender, age, moral or mental health.

Yoga tries to teach detachment from all things material. This is why it focuses on meditation as its method. The different positions are really exercises that should help you control your senses in order to achieve a desired mental state of pure equilibrium.

There are different yoga systems like Hatha, Ashtanga, Kriya, and Pantanjali to name just some. In the Pantanjali system, the aim is to stop self gratification and avoid falling into that trap ever again. The Hatha system promotes the use of the body poses and postures as a means to be fit in order to be in sync with your spiritual side.

Raja or Ashtanga yoga is considered the highest form of yoga wherein one tries to be in tune with his human and divine consciousness by using meditation.

All yoga systems try to teach one that it is important to understand about cause and effect. For example, when you get sick, the effect is your mind is not as sharp. Your actions are compromised and you are not the same person you normally are.

Yoga is an art that is embraces anyone willing to learn how to enjoy life in the real sense. Many westerners have come to enjoy yoga as a form of relaxation, away from the inner struggles and demands of living in a materialistic world.

Eventually most of them find themselves looking for that moment when they can feel an inner peace, and leave every yoga session feeling totally rejuvenated.

Hatha Yoga For Good Health

Hatha Yoga - An Ancient Program of Balance, Harmony and Purification

Hatha Yoga originated in the 15th century in India as part of a program of purification of the body incorporated along with meditation. Hatha is the Hindu word for "sun and , while "Yoga" is the word for "yoke" or uniting of body, mind and environment. Hatha Yoga places great significance on achieving balance between physical, mental, spiritual and emotional states in harmony with earth, water, sun and moon.

Basic Tenets of Hatha Yoga Program

The basic tenets of the Hatha Yoga Program is comprised of several aspects:

Asana which focuses on posture similar to the postures of T'ai Chi and Chi Gong
Prayanamas where subtle energy control is the focus, a very important aspect of Hatha Yoga
Chakras which are the centers of energy
Kundalini which encompasses muscle force
Kryas which promotes the mastering of kundalini techniques
Shakti, the sacred force
Nadis which are channels
Mudras, which are symbolic gestures similar to those in T'ai Chi.

Shatkarma, purification, begins with freeing up the mind by freeing up the body through holistic lifestyle, yoga practice daily and metaphysical re-adaptation.

Self-Improvement Through Hatha Yoga

Within asanas, also known as "sun signs", movements are performed and practiced that rely on focused mental concentration in order to achieve maximum benefits. Practitioners of Hatha Yoga find a new sense of physical balance and strength as a result of consistent use of asanas. Thus, Hatha Yoga retards the aging process by infusing mind and body with continual renewal of strength and balance. Most people who practice Hatha Yoga find that it's necessary to also take inventory of their dietary and lifestyle predilections. This is a very natural emanation of alterations to a less healthy lifestyle.

Benefits of Hatha Yoga

The benefits of Hatha Yoga are a sense of wholeness and overall good health. Through the balance of mind and body effected by Hatha Yoga, a new harmony evolves from within and allows the individual to experience less stress and tension as a result. Yet, the adaptability to Hatha Yoga lifestyle is relatively easy because of the simplicity of its core fundamentals.

Meditation and Hatha Yoga

Meditation is an element of nearly all religions, holistic programs and cultural lifestyles. Meditation is also one of the oldest forms of self-recognition. Discovering the wealth of knowledge, ideas and inspirations within the unconscious mind is often obliterated by details stored in the conscious mind. This creates a conflict in the body when conscious messages block out unconscious messages intended as metaphysical protection from conscious deliberate negative actions. Quieting the mind sufficiently in meditation also requires the body to be receptively postured for best results. This is the basis of Hatha Yoga.

Lessons of Hatha Yoga for All Ages

Teaching children from young ages to adapt to the holistic program of Hatha Yoga creates a permanent direction for mental stability and good physical health. It is also the very best time for the practice of Hatha Yoga to begin. Those who choose Hatha Yoga in their senior years may find several of the asanas, i.e., the candle, the Lotus Position, physically challenging. For this age group, modified asanas are taught.

How to Choose the Perfect Yoga Class For Your Type

With seemingly endless choices available - how will you know which yoga class suits you best? Here are a few general principles which will help.

What's the right style for you? You need to be honest about your fitness level, commitment and intentions in starting a yoga class. Is it to reduce stress? Get super-fit? Reduce your back pain? Calm your thoughts? Get in touch with your inner wisdom? Each yoga school has a different focus - some are more physically demanding, others focus more on meditation and chanting. See our guide to the some of the most popular styles available in the UK today.

Yoga style guide

Astanga vinyasa yoga

This is potentially very energetic and physically strong. It involves a lot of movement, a fair amount of upper body work and you will get hot and sweaty!

Ideal - if you are fit and want to be physically challenged

Sweat rating - 5

Peace of mind rating - 3

Bikram

Created by Bikram Choudhury in Los Angeles, this style is performed in a heated room to allow the muscles to relax. A bikram class usually consists of twenty six asanas (yoga postures) and two breathing exercises, which maximises oxygenation and detoxification of the entire body.

Ideal - if you are very fit and want a vigorous workout

Sweat rating - 5

Peace of mind rating - 2

Dru Yoga

Dru Yoga, one of the largest yoga training schools in the UK, offers a graceful yet potent form of therapeutic yoga. Based on soft flowing movements, the emphasis is upon creating a supple spine, to free the energy within the body.

Ideal - for all levels of fitness, if you want a deeper approach to health and happiness

Sweat rating - 2

Peace of mind rating - 5

Dru Yoga Dance

This is a more upbeat and physically demanding form of Dru Yoga. It takes flowing Dru Yoga sequences and puts them to great music creating a great sense of wellbeing, and a good physical workout.

Ideal - if you like Dru's heart based flow but want to be more challenged physically

Sweat rating - 4

Peace of mind rating - 4

Hatha

Hatha yoga is the generic term for any sort of yoga practise which involves a combination of postures, controlled breathing, and some kind of concentration and relaxation.

Ideal - if you want a safe local yoga class

Sweat rating - 2

Peace of mind rating - 5

Iyengar

Iyengar yoga originates from B.K.S. Iyengar. 3 elements distinguish Iyengar from other styles, namely technique (getting the alignment right), sequence (varying the order in which asanas are performed) and timing (holding the postures).

Ideal - if you want to strengthen your body and mind and love attention to detail

Sweat rating - 3

Peace of mind rating - 3

Kundalini

Kundalini Yoga includes a series of classic poses done repeatedly, kriyas, meditation and chanting. Spiritual transformation is the main aim of practice.

Ideal - if you want spiritual development and love singing

Sweat rating - 2

Peace of mind rating - 5

Sivananda

Sivananda Yoga is a style of traditional yoga practice formulated by yoga masters Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnu-Devananda. Sivananda classes use a set sequence of exercises, always in the same pattern.

Ideal - if you're interested in learning about a disciplined, yogic lifestyle

Sweat rating - 2

Peace of mind rating - 5

The four questions you must ask your yoga teacher

Are you qualified? Make sure that your teacher has a current qualification, and is registered with the Yoga Alliance, Independent Yoga Network or the British Wheel of Yoga. This may seem obvious, but some teachers out there have bogus qualifications. Also ask if they do regular training to keep their yoga education up to date. Good yoga teachers will do a couple of continued training courses a year to keep their knowledge current.

Is there an emphasis on safety? Safety is crucial - many people get injured every year from over stretching when they haven't adequately prepared. Does your teacher offer modifications and contra-indications to each posture? Do they do enough warm-ups and cool-downs? Is there an adequate period of relaxation at the end of the class?

Does your teacher walk their talk? Yoga is more than an occasional hobby. It's a way to unite body, mind and soul. To be a good yoga teacher, daily practice is crucial - your teacher should enjoy what they teach - or else you won't! They should also be approachable and get on well with their students. In the ancient tradition of yoga, the relationship between teacher and student was one of the most important - and it's true today as well.

Is the class conveniently located? If you're going to get to your class, rain or shine, then choose a location that's realistic. I've seen so many students attending classes enthusiastically at the beginning of September, only to decide that it's just too far when the cold, dark nights set in.

To conclude, I suggest that you try different styles of yoga until you find one that suits you. The benefits of attending a regular class are enormous - for example:

'I've lost over a stone in the last 6 weeks through doing Dru Yoga. I do the flowing, graceful Sun Sequence at a Dru Yoga class and at home, and it seems to balance my body and take away the edge of my hunger. When I do Dru Yoga I can feel my body's natural intelligence kicking in.' Helena Davey, Lecturer, North Wales.

Top Yoga Cures For Winter Blues

Just in case all the rain and cold are getting to you - fear not. Yoga still works even if you're having to battle with torrential rain, gales and storms. Believe me - all of us at the Dru Yoga centre in Snowdonia have been practising in the last few weeks! We've come up with our top 10 things which keep us happy even when it's raining. We hope you like them too.

1. Warm pyjamas. On a cold winter's night there's really nothing like putting your nightwear on a radiator before you slip into bed with your hot water bottle. Some luxuries are quite simple!

2. A favourite here is Dru Meditation. Just a few minutes of silent sitting daily, using Dru meditation techniques, makes us feel glad to be alive. Take a meditation retreat, or create one in your home. Clear a space, light a candle and gaze at the flame without blinking for as long as possible. Then close your eyes and focus on your breathing for five minutes. Stretch gently and open to eyes to a brighter day!

3. Visualise being Australian. Out in Aus, rain is seen in quite a different way than it is here. That's pretty understandable as they hardly get any! When I was out there teaching Dru Meditation holidays last spring, much of the country was in severe drought, and any drops of rain were greeting with celebration. I've found that just changing my attitude to the wet stuff can make life a little brighter.

4. Surya namaskar. The ancient yogis really knew a thing or two about winter. We find that a good flowing Dru yoga sun sequence blows away all those winter cobwebs, brings a wonderful sense of energy and positivity to even the darkest morning. If you don't know all the movements, get to a Dru Yoga class near you! And fast!

5. Do a Cleopatra. Nourish your skin and your soul with a warm milky bath. Add 1 tablespoon runny honey and a cup of milk to a running bath then lie back and listen to some relaxing music. Simple, cheap and just so effective!

6. Laughter. Get the endorphins flowing with our favourite funny movies - here at Dru we're still debating the best list, but it must include The Man Who Knew Too Little, Groundhog Day, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Airplane. And it tones up the abdominal muscles better than sit-ups!

7. Barley grass smoothie. Sometimes a boost of nutrients can really help our mood - try our favourite: blend one banana, 3 tablespoons organic bio yogurt, ½ glass fruit juice, 1 teaspoon dru barley grass powder, 1 teaspoon omega oils. This also is great for the skin, fantastic for improving mood and contains nearly 3 portions of fruit and vegetables!

8. Plan an uplifting retreat. In the dark, cold winter months, somehow just planning such a holiday can be an uplifting experience. Make a list of what's important to you in your perfect yoga or meditation break - and affirm that you'll find the perfect environment for you. Then get googling!

9. Have a good breakfast. It might sound like something your Mum might say, but having a substantial meal first thing really does make life seem much better. Our favourite is millet or oat porridge with tahini and honey. Put one handfulls of porridge oats to soak with a cup of water the night before and it'll cook really quickly in the morning. Sultanas and honey are optional!

10. Buy yourself flowers. I've got a small bunch of tulips in my living room and the whole atmosphere feels so much brighter. If you want an added feel-good factor - give some flowers to a friend - for no good reason. The inner glow you'll get will warm the cockles of your heart.

Hearing Loss - Causes and Symptoms You Should Know

Hearing Loss, also known as Hearing Impairment is described as the decrease in the ability of the ears and its other parts to perceive as well as detect sounds. It can happen either suddenly or gradually.

Hearing loss is commonly observed in older adults but it can happen to anyone regardless of race, age or sex. It can range from being a mild to a severe hearing impairment and it can also be temporary, permanent or reversible.

There are different causes of hearing impairment each with its own different symptoms. It all depends on what type and what part or parts of the auditory system are affected.

1) Conductive Hearing Loss

One type of hearing loss is called conductive hearing loss. This usually happens when sound is not conducted normally through the external ear (either outer ear or middle ear). This type, however, is considered as a mild type of hearing impairment since the inner ear will be able to compensate for the loss. With this type, there will be no apparent problems in hearing as long as the sound is loud enough and audible enough to be heard.

Conductive hearing loss can be the result of ear canal obstruction, abnormalities in the ossicles, tympanic membrane and the superior canal dehiscence syndrome.

2) Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Another type of hearing loss is called sensorineural hearing loss. Unlike conductive type, the affected part is that of the inner ear specifically the cochlea. In the cochlea, there's what we call the organ of Corti that has hair cells. Abnormalities in these hair cells can lead to sensorineural hearing impairment.

Another not-so-common cause of sensorineural is damage in the auditory nerve system. The 8th cranial nerve, also known as the vestibulocochular nerve, is responsible for receiving and interpreting sounds. In very rare cases, this nerve gets damaged which leads to the impairment of the sense of hearing.

In terms of severity, sensorineural type can be classified as mild, moderate or severe. Most often than not, this type can become severe to a point where impairment can lead to total deafness.

3) Environmental Noise

Environmental Noise is one of the leading causes of hearing loss and is known as Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. It has been observed that long-term exposure to environmental noise can be detrimental to the auditory ability of a person. In fact, according to some research, people who live near freeways and airports are more prone to have their ability to hear impaired.

Multimedia devices such as mp3 players are also known to cause Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. It is because headphones and earphones are nearer to the eardrums compared to the standard speakers. If exposed to these kinds of devices for a long time there is a good chance that hearing loss can occur.

4) Genetic

Some people may not know, hearing loss is genetic which means that it can be inherited. This illness is passed through the descendants either through a dominant or a recessive gene. If it involves the dominant gene, deafness can likely happen to at least one relative every generation. If it involves the recessive gene, then it may skip generations but definitely, the risk of acquiring it is still there.

Hearing loss caused by genetics is usually apparent by the time the baby is born. One type of congenital hearing defect is known as Connexin 26 deafness. Other common hearing impairments caused by the dominant gene are Waardenburg syndrome and Stickler syndrome. Hearing impairments caused by the recessive gene are Usher syndrome and Pendred Syndrome.

5) Illnesses

There is also a possibility that it can be caused by the current health condition of a person. It has been noted that measles can cause damage to the auditory nerve that could lead to hearing loss. Another illness that can cause hearing impairment is meningitis that, just like measles, can also damage the auditory nerve.

Illnesses that involve the immune system are also candidates. These illnesses include HIV and AIDS.

6) Medications

Some medications can cause permanent damage to the ears. This is called ototoxicity. The most common group that is known to do this is the aminoglycosides like gentamicin.

There are, however, other medications that may cause temporary hearing loss. This includes NSAIDs, diuretics and even aspirin.

7) Physical Trauma

Physical injury to the ear, especially if some parts of it get damaged, can cause it. However, physical trauma does not only pertain to the ear but also to the whole head. If the head gets hit and the vestibulocochular (auditory nerve system) gets damaged, then hearing impairment is imminent.

Ear Pain and the Best Means For Treatment

Many people, young and old can suffer from ear pain. After all, it is rather a common condition. There are many known causes of ear pain- diseases, conditions, trauma and infections among others. There are direct and indirect causes for the condition. When the cause is direct, it primarily has something to do with the ears. As for indirect causes, the source could be another illness or ailment in which pain in the ears are merely radiated. To determine the best means for treatment, the cause ought to be initially identified. That's often how it is in most cases. So a thorough look on the possible causes of ear pain may be helpful.

For one thing there is trauma such as slapping or the impact of a blunt force on the exterior. The same can be said with excessive picking or loud blast of sounds. As they can possibly cause detriments to the ears, they are best avoided. In this sense, ear care is essential. One must be mindful to stay away from loud and noisy environments, especially when they have no protection. Objects, including cotton swabs should be kept away from the ear canal as well. Certain conditions such as infections, wax build-up and swimmer's ear can cause pain, too. A swimmer's ear is actually when water becomes trapped in the ear thereby causing pain.

As for infections, they may be caused by bacteria. And a foreign object being stuck, cold sores or ulcers, a boil in the canal, a tympanic membrane perforation, they can all lead to ear pain. There is actually a long list of such conditions, and all these mentioned merely scratch the surface. As for underlying conditions or illnesses which lead to ear pain, there is also a long list. They may be periodontal abscess, or perhaps having undergone some dental work. And so it is with other dental disorders. Included in the long list are infections of the throat or the sinus passage way.

And tonsillitis, cancer of the tongue, pharyngitis tumors, and cancer of the larynx or spine. Add among them two skeletal disorders - jaw arthritis and TMJ disorder. Ear popping, also called barotrauma can also instigate referred pain. This can happen when a person goes scuba diving or is involved in air travel. Certain sorts of nerve disorders, they can also cause the condition. And various skin disorders as well, such as dermatitis and eczema. And fluid accumulation, this can lead to the problem. It is often that treatment is dependent on the underlying cause. That's how it often goes with many conditions.

There are cases however when the source cannot be determined, and treatment has to be applied anyway. But as said, all these mentioned about ear pain barely scratch the surface. So when one suffers from it, or when there is ringing in the ears, medical attention should be sought. That way, early treatment can be implemented. And it is best to consult a health professional for such matters. Through this, the most suitable treatment measure can be applied, too. It's all about precaution and care and consulting those who are most knowledgeable when it comes to ailments and diseases. One can then be spared from a whole lot of discomfort, health havoc and trouble.

Stop Mumbling!

There is a potentially devastating part of hearing loss that no one is talking about. Current thinking among an estimated 28 million of the hearing impaired is that hearing loss can be corrected fully and completely at any time. I can't tell you how wrong that thinking is.

If you don't feed the brain the correct stimulus with good clear sound because there is hearing loss, then the brain becomes weaker and weaker in its ability to understand sound. This is called auditory deprivation. Eventually no matter how much sound amplification you get, your brain is not able to make sense of it.

Can you imagine how awful that would be?? You hear the sound but can't understand the words. All of a sudden the whole world is mumbling!

This happened to my granddad. He always thought he would get hearing aids later. Unfortunately when later came he had not only lost his eyesight but there was nothing that could be done to correct his hearing loss because he had deprived his brain of good clear sound for so many years. It was like being buried alive for the last 7 years of his life because he couldn't see or hear. He was isolated and very lonely. It was awful. Don't let this happen to you!

Teri James Bellis PH.D. put it very well in her excellent book 'When The Brain Can't Hear.' She states "As sound travels through an imperfect auditory pathway, words spoken become jumbled and unintelligible. One of the most common complaints is that although speech may sound loud enough the hearing impaired still have a difficult time actually understanding what is said. Everyone seems to be mumbling." Dr Bellis goes on to describe how frustrating it is for the listener because family often end up yelling at them to try to communicate. It is equally frustrating for the family because they think that they are being ignored when in fact their loved one simply can't hear them.

The damage that has occurred is usually a result of damaged hair cells in the cochlea in the inner ear. The sound that is given to the brain to process is incomplete or distorted.

Just like any other health problem if you catch the problem and correct it in the early stages you will have better results than if you wait. Each year that you ignore your hearing loss you are losing more and more of your ability to process sound because of auditory deprivation.

Popular Special Effects Lenses

While many people wear contact lenses to correct vision problems, that's not the only reason to wear them. Special effects lenses were originally made popular in movies, but are now available to the everyday consumer.

Which lenses are the most popular? Let's take a look.

Colored Contacts
Without a doubt, the most popular special effects lenses are also the simplest. These contacts just change the color of your eyes and are tremendously popular among young people in particular who enjoy testing new eye colors.

These colored contacts tend to work best with light colored eyes (blue, grey, green, etc.) but there are also versions created specifically for darker eyes that need more pigment. You can use common eye colors, like blue or green or you can try something a little creepier, perhaps red or yellow. A fun way to use colored lenses is to wear just one at a time, leaving the other eye natural.

Evil Eyes
If you want something a little more sinister than just the eye color change, look for lenses that change the shape of your pupil. This can be a fun way to amp up the fear factor. These types of contacts come with vertical slit pupils, like a cat eye. You can usually buy them in a variety of colors, with red and yellow being the most common. These lenses need to be put in just so, however, to ensure that the pupil is facing the right way.

Party On
If you hit the dance floor on a regular basis, then black light eyes are a must have. They glow in the black light and create a very interesting effect for parties and raves. These are still fairly new, but already extremely popular and in demand.

Movie Effects
With movies like Twilight being so popular, vampire contacts and wolf lenses are all the rage. Vampire contacts are usually red, but allow for the pupil in the center, while a wolf eye is animal like and brown with streaks.
These aren't the only movie effect lenses you can get, though. Look for your favorite horror movie brought to life in your eyes with contacts that mimic the effects from movies like Hellraiser, Tempest and Jeepers Creepers.

There are plenty of options to turn you into the monster of your dreams.

White
While these could technically be labeled as colored lenses, the fact is that white contact lenses actually cover up any existing color and make your eyes a fun white color, essentially eliminating the color. This type of contact lens is particularly popular if you are into zombies and want the blank, undead look.

Pictures
While not quite as common as colored contact lenses, these fun lenses are found everywhere just the same. They come with images of everything from spiders, roaches or skulls on them to flowers, smiley faces and swirls. Having a picture in your eye can be a fun way to grab people`s attention and the variety of images available means that each person can choose the style that suits their personality.

Special effects contact lenses can be a fun way to change your look . . . subtly or in a rather obvious manner. They are also ideal for costume parties and Halloween when you need those special vampire eyes. The price tag can be a little high, especially if you are going for hand painted, so keep that in mind when buying for a special occasion.

These contact lenses aren't meant for long term use usually, so you'll need to take them out and clean them as you would with regular contacts before using again. With proper care, specialty lenses can last up to 4-5 months.

What is the Difference Between Monthly Contacts and Continuous Wear Contact Lenses?

Contact lenses are a great thing to have. That is because those who are able to wear them are not under the restrictions that eyeglasses put upon them. However, in recent years the entire world has changed for the contact lens wearer and that is the fact that new types of contacts have come out. Amongst these new types of contacts are those that you can wear for an extended period of time. They are monthly wear and continuous wear.

Both monthly and continuous wear contacts are called extended wear contacts. This is because they are able to be worn longer than your traditional contact lens. Traditional lenses come in daily wear, weekly wear, and bi-weekly wear. This means they have to be disposed of daily, weekly, or every two weeks. What you wear is up to you and what your tolerance is.

What are extended wear?

With the development of extended wear contacts, people don't have to change their contact lenses daily, weekly, or every two weeks. They can wear them for approximately 30 days before they have to throw them away. It may seem that they are more expensive, but it all reality you do save money.

However, not everyone can wear extended wear contacts and, if they are able to, they may find that one kind of extended wear does better for them than another. For example, some may want a monthly contact lens and another may want a continuous contact lens. But what's the difference?

Monthly vs. continuous

The difference between monthly contacts and continues wear contacts is not really all that different. The only difference is that monthly contacts need to be taken out every night. This is more or less the same as your traditional contact lens. You take them out and let them soak overnight so that they're clean the next morning.

Continuous wear contacts allow you to wear your contact lenses for 30 days straight without having to take them out. This means that you can sleep in them without having to worry about anything. After the 30 days is over, you simply throw them away. There is no having to clean and soak them every night like with monthly contact lenses.

However, there are some individuals unable to wear continuous wear. Some people have eyes that are more sensitive than others. Some individuals may also have issues with calcium buildup on the contact lens. This can cause issues such as Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis. This is when bacteria become trapped and an infection occurs. Those susceptible to this may not be able to wear continuous wear. They will be better off with the monthly contact that requires them to take the lenses out every night.

Which is best?

Which contact lenses are best for you depends on what your eyes want. There are risks associated with all contact lenses. Infection is the main issue, so most people decide to try out the different types of contacts before committing. This is why your optometrist may find giving you trials before actually ordering is a good idea. That gives you the opportunity to figure out what is comfortable for you.

Besides, your eyes are very important. Without them, functioning would be very difficult. That's why it is very important for you to be able to find the contact lens that is right for you. Talk to your eye doctor about monthly contacts and continuous wear contacts. Let them tell you what risks exist for you and what your options may be for your particular situation. You might be quite pleased with the results that you receive.

Apple files Swipe Gestures patent for iPhone keyboard

Apple has already earned itself a name in the mobile phone industry with multi-touch gestures on the iPhone and iPod touch. This time, a new patent application from Apple called Swipe Gestures for Touch Screen Keyboards has been spotted at the U.S. Patent Office. So, it means users will be able to perform functions by swiping across the key area instead of tapping them. Apple cites that the use of swipe gestures on the iPhone’s on-screen keyboard will enrich the user with quick access to common keys. Let’s take a close look at this new patent application. It says that swiping leftward, rightward, upward and downward could be used for inserting a space, backspace, shifting, and inserting a carriage return.

NASA Awards Cargo Contracts

There was some good news this week regarding cargo transportation to the International Space Station after the Space Shuttles are retired in 2010.

Orbital Sciences Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies - SpaceX - today won NASA contracts valued at up to $1.9 billion and $1.6 billion respectively for 20 unmanned space station cargo flights to deliver experiment hardware, crew supplies and replacement components after the space shuttle is retired.

This will greatly reduce our need to rely on Russian or European transports to send our supply obligations up to the ISS. And, if SpaceX is successful with their DragonX manned capability, we may also be able to avoid using any non-US transport for crew rotations as well. This is wonderful news.

Post-holiday sales bring in shoppers, but they may not be buying

Shoppers returned to the malls Friday to take in post-holiday sales, but reports were mixed about how much they actually spent.

By noon, there was hardly an empty parking space or food court seat at Great Northern Shopping Center in North Olmsted.

Stores offered rock-bottom prices and extended return policies, but many shoppers were on the hunt for big bargains on specific items, hoping to return unwanted gifts or just browsing on a day off work -- not looking to splurge.

Janice Goetz of Olmsted Falls went to Great Northern to exchange a sweater and check out promotions she had seen advertised.

But, she said, she wasn't impressed. Some stores offered $10 or $20 coupons in their advertisements, but the fine print excluded so many products that she wasn't able to use the coupons. Goetz said she picked up a few items for herself but was in no hurry to buy everything she needed.

The sales will be around for a while, she figures.

"They've got so much stuff they're not going to sell it all today," Goetz said.


Many shoppers around the country appeared to be searching for deals unlike any they had seen this year.

Brenda Peterson was looking for "flat-out bargains" after driving 35 miles to arrive at a J.C. Penney in Raleigh, N.C., at 5 a.m., a half-hour before the store opened.

But she left empty-handed. A toy that she had spotted before Christmas -- a stuffed dog that rolls over and shakes its paw -- was gone. And even sales of up to 60 percent off clothing and other items weren't too enticing. After all, she had seen those sales before Christmas, too.

Quinton Cunningham, 20, of Cleveland went to Great Northern with girlfriend Kashuna. The couple decided to buy gifts for each other on Friday rather than exchange gifts on Christmas to save money.

Cunningham said they were able to find some steals, and pulled out a box of designer cologne from a Macy's bag. He said it usually sells for $118.

"I got it for 37 bucks," he said.

Such frugality could spell deep trouble for the nation's stores, which are facing the worst holiday shopping season in decades.

Holiday sales -- which typically account for 30 percent to 50 percent of a retailer's annual total -- have been less than jolly. Job cuts, portfolio losses and other economic woes have led many Americans to cut back on spending. Meanwhile, strong winter storms kept some would-be shoppers at home.

According to preliminary data from SpendingPulse, which tracks purchases paid for by credit card, checks or cash, retail sales fell between 5.5 percent and 8 percent during the holiday season compared with last year. Excluding auto and gas sales, they fell 2 percent to 4 percent, according to SpendingPulse.

More people did appear to shop online, particularly in the last two weeks of the season, when storms hit. Online sales dipped just 2.3 percent, SpendingPulse said.

A fuller indicator of how retailers fared will arrive Jan. 8, when major stores report same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, for December.

Many stores are likely to report a loss for the fourth quarter, said NPD senior retail analyst Marshal Cohen.

Stores hoped that big discounts the day after Christmas could lure people out.

At Great Northern, you wouldn't know that retailers were hurting. Linda Siple of Rochester, N.Y., said she hadn't had big shopping goals. But, after a few hours of shopping, her arms were filled with clothing-filled bags.

She said she couldn't resist some of the bargains she found at J.C. Penny, which had items marked down as much as 60 percent.

"I ended up with more than I planned," she said.

But while many malls appeared to be busy, analysts said traffic seemed to be lighter than in years past.

The parking lot of a Wal-Mart in Milwaukee was less than one-third full Friday morning, with many shoppers appearing to stock up on groceries and small household items.

Gigi Johnson, a special needs teacher, bought laundry detergent and clothes for her twin 14-year-old daughters. But she said she did not plan any large purchases for the next few months and would put the money she received from Christmas in the bank.

"Maybe I'll wait until tax time and get a computer or TV," Johnson said. "But until then, I'm resisting the temptation to buy anything else."

What's to Love About a Lima Bean?

The green, moon-shaped lima bean, also known as butterbean, is a staple of Southern kitchens. Available fresh in states in the South of the United States and canned or frozen elsewhere, lima beans are served as an accompaniment to rice or stirred in with corn to make succotash, although more complex presentations are possible.

The lima bean is protein-rich. This is both good and bad. One laboratory found that dried lima bean is up to 71 percent protein. The bean is rich in lecithin that lowers cholesterol in high-cholesterol diets. The simple lima bean is a source of protease inhibitors that inhibit HIV and possibly other viruses.

On the other hand, the lima bean, more than most other beans, has a defense mechanism that turns its proteins into poisons when the plant is threatened by insect predators. Raw lima beans contain haemagluttinins that interfere with blood clotting. They also contain trace amounts of cyanide, enough to interfere with the pancreas' release of the starch-dissolving enzyme amylase, and tannins that cause indigestion and gas, although these chemicals are removed by cooking (or, in the case of dried beans, soaking in water, draining off the soaking water, and cooking). Much of the bean that is not protein is phytate, a compound that blocks the absorption of iron from other foods, although this is partially removed by cooking. Lima beans are completely inappropriate for raw foods diets.

The bottom line is, you can eat lima beans every day and they will enhance your health, but you should take your cue from Southern cooking and "boil them to death." Ignore cookbook advice to cook limas until they are just tender. Mushy is better for you. Here are two preparations, however, that make the most out of "overcooked" limas.

Y'all can find Lima Bean Recipes and a serious article on Supplements for Alzheimer's at the author's site. Robert Rister is the author or co-author of nine books on natural health.

The Right Supplements for Alzheimer's

The balance of the scientific evidence at this time indicates it is more effective to treat Alzheimer’s with food rather than with supplements. Getting an Alzheimer’s patient to start eating rose hips and walnuts, however, may be impossible, and nutritional supplements may save caregivers precious time. Because single supplements are inherently unbalanced, however, it is essential that the person with AD take all the recommended supplements (caretaker counting pills if necessary), and it is also important to take the right supplements for the right stage of the disease.

Single antioxidants do not work. Precise adherence to this protocol is required for antioxidant supplementation to work. Here are some of the reasons why:

Beta-carotene is especially effective at capturing free radicals of oxygen, but it only works when there is adequate oxygen in the bloodstream. When oxygen concentrations are low, as in the case of vascular disease, vitamin E is a more effective antioxidant.

Beta-carotene and vitamin E protect the parts of the cell that contain cholesterol, such as the cell membrane (the lining of the cell has to be “fatty” to keep the contents of the cell from dissolving into the bloodstream), but vitamin C protects the water-soluble components of the cell inside. Too much vitamin C or vitamin E causes the vitamin to act as a pro-oxidant, that is, to become tissue-destructive, in the parts of the cell it does not usually protect. Too little vitamin C makes it difficult for the brain to use vitamin E, because vitamin C recycles vitamin E as it captures free radicals.

The mitochondria, or energy centers, in cells in the brains of people at high risk for AD often have a defect that can be compensated by additional coenzyme Q10 and NADH. Coenzyme Q10 neutralizes peroxide radicals better than vitamin E, but it is not as effective in quenching other kinds of radicals. Coenzyme Q10 also recharges vitamin E, but not as effectively as vitamin C.

In doses above 500 milligrams (mg) per day for more than two weeks, n-acetyl cysteine (NAC) acts as a chelator of zinc, that is, it removes zinc from circulation. After two weeks of taking 500 mg of NAC a day, it is necessary either to take supplemental zinc or to lower the dosage of NAC. Alpha-lipoic acid can also deplete zinc.

Vitamin E in megadoses can cause bleeding. Aspirin in high doses can cause bleeding. Vitamin E and aspirin together even in moderate doses can cause bleeding.

When vitamin E is accidentally dosed at a rate of more than 3,000 IU per day, it is necessary to take vitamin K to prevent bleeding (a single 5 mg tablet is sufficient).

The half- life of antioxidants in the human bloodstream is only 6 to 12 hours, so half of each dose of antioxidants has to be taken twice a day.

I leave for you to decide whether it is easier or harder to use supplements or foods. A whole foods is certainly less expensive, and there are fewer ways to create an antioxidant imbalance with whole foods than there are with overdosed or forgotten antioxidant supplements that have to be taken twice a day. If changes in diet are impossible, however, AD can be treated with supplementation.

Here's Ya'll Lima Bean Recipes

Lima Bean and Rosemary Risotto
We Southerners serve our limas with rice. This variation on butter beans and rice combines the completed proteins of legumes plus grains with the antioxidant power of rosemary. Note for cooks who use the metric system: For this recipe, measure ingredients by volume rather than weight.

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 teaspoon garlic
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup Arborio (or other risotto-style) rice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock, heated
1 cup cooked lima beans
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Salt to taste
Ground white pepper

1. Cook the onions, celery, carrots and garlic in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
2. Stir in the rice and rosemary and cook for 3 minutes, making sure the individual grains of rice are coated with melted butter. Pour in one cup of the heated stock and cook, stirring until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, about 10 minutes. Add another cup of stock and keep stirring, cooking until the rice absorbs the liquid. Add the last cup of the stock and continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed. The rice should be creamy, but at this point it should still have a slight “bite” when chewed.
3. Stir in the lima beans, the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, and the Parmesan. Make sure the beans are thoroughly warmed through. If y’all limas are not soft, heat the entire mixture until they are just barely mushy. Taste and add salt and white pepper as desired.

Succotash
I had never tried this dish until it was served to me by a Mennonite family in Pennsylvania Dutch country. The thrifty Mennonites use milk, but the phytate in the beans is less of a nutritional problem if you use cream.

1 pound (450 g) fresh or frozen lima beans
1-2 cups (125-250 g) fresh sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons (up to 25 g) butter
Minced chervil or parsley for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Put beans into a saucepan and add 1 cup (250 ml) of water. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until slightly mushy. Pour off any liquid
2. Pour in cream and corn kernels and bring to a boil, then allow to simmer for at least 5 minutes. Add butter, salt, and pepper to taste.
3. Garnish with minced chervil or parsley and serve warm.

Papaya As a Healing Food

The papaya is a tropical fruit that originated in Mexico and is now found in every tropical country. Also known as paw-paw (Australia), mamao (Brazil), and tree melon, the papaya is a fast-growing, short-lived, woody, "weed" that grows to perhaps 10 or 12 feet (3 or 4 meters) tall. This tropical fruit requires constant warmth for growth. Its flavor is similar to cantaloupe, with a musky smell. Papayas must be stored at temperatures above 45º F (7º C).

Papayas consumed in the United States are grown in Hawaii and Mexico. Hawaiian papayas are pear-shaped, show a yellow skin when they are ripe, and generally weight about 1 pound (450 g). The flesh inside Hawaiian papayas is pink or orange, with clusters of tiny black seeds in the center.

Mexican papayas mature to sizes much larger than their Hawaiian cousins, up to 2 feet (70 cm) long and weighing up to 15 pounds (7 kg). Their flesh may be orange, yellow, or pink. Hawaiian papayas tend to have a more concentrated flavor than papayas from Mexico.

The seeds of both varieties are edible and taste like black pepper. The digestive enzyme papain, associated with papaya, is extracted from the leaf, which is not edible, and is not found in the fruit.

Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and related chemicals are abundant in papayas. Community outreach programs in Indonesia have promoted regular consumption of the fruit as an inexpensive and successful means of preventing vitamin A deficiency symptoms, especially "dry eye," in children. Epidemiologists in the state of Kerala in India have found that regular consumption of papayas is associated with 56 percent reduction in the incidence of bladder cancer.

Fermented papaya preparation (FPP), which combines papayas with fermenting agents used to make miso, has become a popular health food in Japan, where it is used to prevent flu in the elderly and has recently been shown to prevent epileptic seizures in laboratory animals. In the United States, FPP has been FDA-approved under the label "Papaya Dietary Supplement."

Try a lutein-, lycopene, and beta-carotene rich Papaya Relish Recipe or read about Diet & Breast Cancer. Robert Rister is the author or co-author of nine books on natural health.

Papaya Relish Recipe

This carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin rich relish goes well seafood, hot or cold. It also contains compounds (see Ginger) that kill possible microbial and parasitic contaminants in fish. For a pretty presentation, use this relish with a cilantro garnish.

1 diced, ripe Hawaiian papaya or 1 1/4 cup diced ripe Mexican papaya
1/4 cup minced white onion
3/4 cup diced red and/or yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

Place ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times. This relish is at its most flavorful when it is served on warm plates.

Filipino Fish Dish (Buntot Ng Isda Na May Mani at Papaya)
If you’d like a milder version of “Szechuan” seasoning with added vitamin A, this Filipino recipe is a place to start. Substitute chicken or pork for the fish and enjoy the subtler flavors of papaya.

2 pounds white ocean fish
4 tablespoons peanut oil
1 pound papaya
1/4 cup peanuts
1/4 piece dried tangerine peel
Salt to taste (1/4 teaspoon is usually enough)

Soak dried tangerine peel (available in Asian markets, do not use fresh tangerine peel) in warm water for 15 minutes, then take the peel out of the water, pat dry, and set aside. Make sure your fish fillet is free of scale and bones, then pan fry in peanut oil until golden brown. Remove the fish and set aside. Peel and slice a small, Hawaiian papaya into 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide pieces. Put 2cups of water into a Dutch oven and bring to a boil, adding all ingredients, fish, papaya, peanuts, and tangerine peel. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Sprinkle with sea salt as desired, usually just enough to be visible, immediately before serving. Serves 6.

Treatment for Stage 1 Invasive Breast Cancer: Fruit, Vegetables, Fat, Fiber, and the Prevention of Recurrent Breast Cancer in Women

You'd almost think that in their search for the latest breast cancer treatment, scientists recently discovered that fruit, vegetables, and fiber weren't good for women who have had breast cancer. But a closer reading of the findings of the breast cancer clinical trials sponsored by the Women's Healthy Eating and Living study shows that the scientists discovered no such thing.

The Journal of the American Medical Association reported last year that a seven-year study of 3,107 women who had had breast cancer (all of them under the age of 70, all of them having had tumors larger than 1 cm) found no cancer-protective benefit of increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables beyond 5 servings a day.

Very nearly half of the women in the Women's Healthy Eating and Living trial who had had breast cancer were just encouraged to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The rest of the women who had had breast cancer were coached to eat twelve servings of fruits and veggies every day, and to reduce their consumption of saturated fat.

The coaching worked. At the end of four years, the women who had received nutritional counseling were found to be consuming:

65 per cent more vegetables
25 per cent more fruit
30 per cent more fiber and
13 per cent less saturated fat.
But what was the effect on health?

Women who ate more fruits and vegetables consumed an average of 1538 calories a day and weighed an average of 163 pounds.
Women who ate fewer fruits and vegetables consumed an average of 1559 calories a day and weighed an average of 162 pounds.
256 out of 1537 women on the high fruit-and-vegetable diet had a recurrence of breast cancer.
262 out of 1551 on the Five-A-Day plan had a recurrence of breast cancer.
All other things held equal, women who got the very most servings of fruits and vegetables (more than 9 a day) and the very most fiber (more than 25 g a day) had measurably but not significantly lower rates of breast cancer return.

The lowest levels of saturated fat consumption were, as you might expect, linked to lower rates of breast cancer. However, it was impossible to determine whether additional fat really increased risk of cancer or not (a little more than the minimum fat seemed to, a little more seemed to reduce risk although not as low as the lowest-fat group, and still more raised risk again).

And among women who consumed the most calories, more than 1980 calories a day, eating more fruits and vegetables actually was associated with higher rates of recurrent cancer, although the differences were not statistically significant (there was a measurable probability that there was no real relationship between eating fruits and veggies and staying cancer-free in women who ate the most fruits and vegetables and the most calories).

So does this mean that fruits, vegetables, fiber, and lower fat aren't beneficial for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer?

Not at all. This study just finds that Five-A-Day may be enough, and more will not necessarily help.

Citation:

Pierce JP, Natarajan L, Caan BJ, Parker BA, Greenberg ER, Flatt SW, Rock CL, Kealey S, Al-Delaimy WK, Bardwell WA, Carlson RW, Emond JA, Faerber S, Gold EB, Hajek RA, Hollenbach K, Jones LA, Karanja N, Mad lensky L, Marshall J, Newman VA, Ritenbaugh C, Thomson CA, Wasserman L, Stefanick ML. Influence of a diet very high in vegetables, fruit, and fiber and low in fat on prognosis following treatment for breast cancer: the Women's Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) randomized trial. 1: JAMA. 2007 Jul 18;298(3):289-98.

Healthy, Tasty, American Treat

Pinones are the nuts of the pinon pine tree. Not the same as the stone pine nuts produced in Italy, China, and Spain, American pine nuts are harvested by hand every September and October in the northern New Mexico woodlands.

Once they are shelled and then roasted, piñon nuts make a tasty addition to candies, cookies, salads, sauces, and pesto, or they can be eaten as snack, especially, in New Mexico, as Christmastime snack food. These tiny nuts add New Mexican accent to winter cooking with their sweet and occasionally resinous flavor.

Piñones are produced mainly in southern Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado from locally native stone pine (piñon means pine) trees. Their shell is exceptionally hard to crack, making the nuts are usually expensive. They sell retail for about US $9 a pound ($20/kg).

Both European and Native American folk medicine have long used stone pine nuts as a folk remedy for nervous disturbances, tuberculosis, bladder infections, and upset stomach. Pine nuts are richer in protein than most other nuts, and the softer-shell varieties contain more primary amino acids (tryptophan, lysine, methionine) than equal weights of milk or beef. A 3-1/2 oz (100 g) serving of pine nuts provides a week's supply of iodine, manganese, copper, zinc, and cobalt, and it is a good source of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. Like most nuts, pine nuts are a good source of heart-healthy alpha-linolenic acid.

Eat piñon pine nuts raw or roasted. You can roast any kind of pine nut in a 350°F (180°C) oven or in a dry pan on top of the stove (tossing regularly) until golden brown. Be sure to roast be using in a pesto recipe.

Read Go Nuts & Stay Healthy. Robert Rister is the author or co-author of nine books on natural health.

Make Christmas different and healthy this year

To show your friends and family how conscious you are about your health; why not consider working at creating a different Christmas spread this year. Instead of the usual huge and heavy roasts, make more of light and healthy salads. And instead of drinks, organize some games or activities to enjoy with your friends. Here are some cooking tips to ensure you have a healthy Christmas this year.

Vegetables have to be as raw as possible. This retains the vitamins and minerals more, so avoid overcooking them. This is why salads are always better than baked in fat vegetables, which also has additional fat in it.

Herbs are a much better option than mayonnaise

Use more of herbs and spies for flavoring vegetables instead of butter and creamy sauces. Similarly, healthier vegetables are those that are steamed instead of boiled. I always prefer a spicy potato salad instead of a mayonnaise based potato salad. Use lemon or lime juice, fresh herbs or any form of vinegar for dressing your salad instead of other salad dressings that carry excess calories with it.

Make salads devoid of bacon crisps and salami, which are quite fattening. If you are bored of boiled or steamed vegetables, why not char grill them on the BBQ? This way the vegetables look more exotic and delicious to eat.

Why not try topping your baked potatoes using yoghurt or low fat cream cheese or sour cream instead of the all time, unhealthy favorite, butter. Follow these tips to make your vegetables more presentable and healthy this Christmas.

More tips for healthy meat and desserts coming up tomorrow….

More tips for lite Christmas cakes

Here are some tips to follow to cook healthy Christmas cakes that you can enjoy, and not worry about adding too many calories to your daily calorie intake. As whole-wheat flour is a more healthy flour option, replace all or at least some of your flour with it.

It is possible to reduce the fat content of your Christmas cake to make it healthier by replacing butter with a reduced fat. Try a reduced fat olive oil based spread that is not only lite, but is also much lower in saturated fats when compared to butter.

Sugar is a main ingredient for Christmas cakes; however you can reduce your sugar and calories by replacing sugar with fruit puree. Preferable fruit purees are apple, prunes and apricot fruit puree that is made by stewing the fruit in a bit of water till tender and then blended to a paste. Replace equal volumes of sugar with fruit puree in your Christmas cake recipe.

Use fruit puree instead of fat

Besides replacing sugar, this fruit puree can be used for replacing half the sugar and fat content of the cake. You will find that the resulting cake is very moist and soft, and has a fruity flavor.

Besides being healthy, healthy cake recipes are comparatively quicker to mix together and bake. The most you may need to mix a cake will be ten minutes, which is much faster than manufactured cakes. And as these cakes tend to disappear fast, it is better to cut them into squares so that they last longer.

Tips for making healthy Christmas cakes

Everyone knows that cakes are an important part of Christmas. So instead of indulging on heavy and unhealthy cakes from stores, why not make and eat healthy cakes this Christmas? You can make a healthy cake of whole-wheat flour, organic butter and sugar and free range eggs that are as tasty and soft as a cake from a store.

Moreover, all these ingredients are available in a supermarket and don’t take too long to do. And to make things easier, I advise you to double the quantities for the cakes so that you make two cakes, and then freeze one for future use.

Cakes that made at home are healthy cakes not because that have less sugar, but because they also have less food additives like unhealthy Trans fats than commercial cakes. Home made cakes are always sized rightly, and go a bit longer in the family.

Make cakes using more of nuts and fruits

When making Christmas cakes at home, choose recipes that use more of nuts, vegetables and fruits to get more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Even cakes made using dried fruits are excellent choices for Christmas, and perfect for lunch boxes.

While making healthy Christmas cakes at home, concentrate on using more good and wholesome ingredients in them like sugar, oats, candied and dried fruits, fresh fruits, flour, eggs, milk and butter.

Avoid using soft margarines while making cakes as most of them; especially cheaper versions have hydrogenated vegetable oils. If you use these oils in making your cakes, you defeat the purpose of making your own cakes this Christmas. Instead, you could use softened butter in your recipes instead of margarine.

Look out for more tips on healthy cake making this Christmas…….

Google Expands Parked Domain Ads Program

Google has a program that helps finance people who park domains; called Google AdSense for Domains, it’s a service sometimes connected to the more spammy and useless neighborhoods of the web. “AdSense for domains is scalable and easily implemented so that your network of sites can start earning revenue quickly and easily,” Google’s old page on this explained, continuing to say that “Powering millions of domain names” this “is the industry’s premier parked page service. Google is seeking new partnerships with large domain portfolios owners.” Now, Google announced they’re expanding this AdSense option for all publishers in the US (and possibly other countries in the future).

James Xuan’s comment in the forum: “Profit, Profit, Profit”.