Knowing the Market

Speculation continues about the break-up of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, and what role Angelina Jolie may have played. At least three different rumors are circulating as to what may have been the cause.

Rumors of an Extramarital Affair

One rumor has it that Pitt and co-star Angelina Jolie were having an affair. This rumor began circulating last May, when Pitt was photographed holding Jolie’s hand on the set while filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith. They both denied there was any romance.

A Recipe for Emotional Infidelity

“Even if the rumors of an extramarital affair are untrue,” says author and infidelity expert Ruth Houston, “it highlights the danger of inappropriate friendships with members of the opposite sex. This can lead to emotional infidelity, which is often a precursor to sexual infidelity”. Problems can develop if the friendship is conducted away from the view or without the knowledge of the other person’s marriage mate. Affairs usually start with someone the wayward spouse knows and comes in contact with on a regular basis.

Workplace Affairs

According to one study, 73% of infidelity begins in the workplace. Friendships that start out innocently enough progress to emotional infidelity and eventually escalate to extramarital affairs. Says Houston, “This holds true whether the workplace is a movie set or an office environment. And workplace affairs are on the rise.” Anytime two people of the opposite sex are in close proximity on a regular basis for extended periods of time, the potential for emotional infidelity exists. All that’s needed to take it to the next level is sexual chemistry and opportunity. “Even if the intense year-long friendship between Pitt and Jolie did not take a sexual turn,” says Houston, “they were treading on dangerous ground.”

When Opposite Sex Friendships Become a Problem

Time spent by a husband with a “friend” of the opposite sex is time spent away from his wife, unless they include her in the activities taking place “Even if there’s no sex involved,” explains Houston, ” emotional bonding occurs, and before you know it, infidelity is rearing its ugly head.” Opposite sex friendships become a problem when they become a replacement for the marriage. When one marriage mate starts sharing hopes, dreams, special moments and intimate information with an opposite sex “friend” instead of their spouse, a bond develops which has infidelity potential. Houston warns, “All it takes for the situation to spiral out of control and infidelity to occur is an air of secrecy, sexual chemistry, and the opportunity factor. Even if an affair was not the original intent.”

Arguments Over Starting a Family

Another rumor has it that constant arguments between Pitt and Anniston over the issue of starting a family were a contributing factor to the split. Pitt, 41, is anxious to start a family, while Aniston, 35, is reluctant to do so at the expense of her acting career. During the filming of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Angelina Jolie brought her 3-year-old adopted son, Maddox to the set every day and Pitt enjoyed spending time with the little boy. Their closeness caused him to compare Aniston unfavorably with Jolie, by pointing out to her that Jolie, who is 6 years younger, has successfully combined motherhood with her acting career.

A Marriage “Ripe” for An Affair

Regarding the friendship that developed between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - if there were problems in the marriage, however minor, it was a bad time to form a close relationship with someone of the opposite sex - even if that friendship was platonic. It doesn’t take much for such a friendship to make the transition from emotional to sexual infidelity. Houston observes, “If there are major problems between husband and wife, that marriage is ‘ripe’ for an affair. Given the right (or wrong) set of circumstances, infidelity could be just a ‘friendship’ away.”

Telephone Sex

Still a third rumor has it that Pitt and Jolie, called each other constantly on the phone. Supposedly Jennifer Aniston listened in on one conversation (either accidentally or deliberately) and heard Pitt and Jolie having telephone sex. “If the rumor about phone sex is true,” says Houston, then Pitt’s friendship with Jolie had already crossed the line - even if phone sex was as far as it went.” Frequent lunches, dinners, meetings, or phone calls with the “friend” that a spouse “forgets” or neglects to mention, have a way of alienating one’s marriage mate.

Denials All Around

Angelina Jolie has denied any responsibility for the Pitt - Aniston split. Both Pitt and Aniston themselves have publicly denied that a third party was involved. Even People magazine said the friendship between Pitt and Jolie never reached the point of an affair. In “Jennifer’s My Space Blog” Aniston said, “The tabloid stories weren’t true, no one was cheating, no one was carousing around town, it just didn’t work out.”

Jolie Directly or Indirectly Responsible

Says Ruth Houston, “The bottom line to all the rumors and speculation is this: It appears that either directly or indirectly, Angelina Jolie, contributed to the break-up of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. Even if her only role was to prompt Pitt to make unfavorable comparisons between Aniston and Jolie.”

The Lesson

Whatever the truth is concerning Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie, the lesson is clear: Avoid opposite sex friendships that become very close and exclude your partner or marriage mate. They can lead to emotional infidelity. Houston cautions “If sexual chemistry and the opportunity factor are also part of the mix, sexual infidelity may not be far behind.”

ATTENTION: Editors, Reporters, Staff Writers, Producers, Talk Show Hosts

If you would like a copy of the Inappropriate Friendship Quiz or “13 Tips on How to Keep Opposite Sex Friendships from Becoming Infidelity” to use as a sidebar or as part of your coverage of this story, please send an e-mail to InfidelityExpert@gmail.com with “friendships” in the subject line. Please include your name and the name of your publication or show.

To interview Ruth Houston, please call 718 592-6039 or email her at InfidelityExpert@gmail.com

# # #

About Ruth Houston

Author and infidelity expert Ruth Houston is the nation’s leading authority on signs of infidelity. Her book Is He Cheating on You - 829 Telltale Signs documents practically every known sign of infidelity, making it the most comprehensive infidelity reference of its kind. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Ruth’s articles have appeared in publications in the US and abroad for the past 20 years. Ruth’s 10 years of in-depth research on infidelity began when she accidentally discovered her now ex-husband’s affair. Ruth has been quoted in such publications as the New York Times, and Cosmopolitan, and has been a guest on Good Day New York, Telemundo, 1010WINS and over 100 other radio and TV talk shows nationwide.

To receive a copy of the Inappropriate Friendship Quiz and a free tip sheet on “How to Keep Opposite Sex Friendships from Becoming Infidelity” send an e-mail to InfidelityAdvice@gmail.com with “friendships” in the subject line or visit http://www.InfidelityAdvice.com.

Free offline slots are great if you don’t have continuous Internet access. Just download them, install them in your computer, and voila! You are ready to play. In most cases, you don’t even need complicated java consoles or Flash players. With free offline slots, you can enjoy an exciting game of slots whenever you want to.

Kinds of offline slots

Free offline slots are getting better and better these days. Different versions are now available for different kinds of online gamblers. Take your pick from any of these:

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Multi-line offline slots. This kind of free offline slots have high ‘hit rates’ because they have only three reels and numerous pay lines, meaning there are more ways to win in each spin.

Progressive offline slots. Want to win big jackpots? This free offline slot is perfect for you. Practice before you bet real money in real online casinos. Remember that real progressive slots often give out jackpots well over a hundred grand so practice, practice, practice.

Offline slots with extra features. Many offline slots are now packed with extra features to improve your gaming experience. These bonus features may include bonus spins, the right to hold the reels and free sessions that give you the extra opportunity to win even more.

Some reminders

When you are ready to play real online slots, remember not to be too greedy. The best way to win is to end your session as soon as your bankroll is 20 or 25 percent bigger than the amount you started with. That ‘return of investment’ is reasonable. If you bet $100 on slots, for example, do not aim at a $10,000 prize. Your goal should be $125that’s more realistic and achievable. After all, how else can you get 25 percent return on your money that quickly?

Know when to quit. Many players do win big amounts in free online slots, but their discontent makes them lose everything they win. They tend to keep playing until all of their money is all gone. Don’t fall into the same trap.

Recently yet another super-heavyweight Iron Immortal died from a heart attack at age forty-five or thereabouts. Typically, when I read of these tragedies I search my memory banks and then write some sort of tribute. Rather than eulogize yet another fallen warrior, for whom it’s too late, and at the risk of sounding presumptuous, I thought a slightly different approach might be appropriate and perhaps even helpful in preventing a future tragedy. It is my contention that a shockingly large percentage of retired national and international-level powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters eat too much, do nothing insofar as cardiovascular training and as a direct result unnecessarily risk premature death.

Retired super heavyweight lifters are particularly susceptible to this fatal phenomenon. Typically, the ‘at risk’ big-man lifter reduces or quits weight training - but doesn’t quit the enormous eating habits that got him big enough and dense enough to handle world record poundage. Super-heavyweight powerlifters consume too many calories and in particular they eat way too much saturated fat.

Food is broken down for energy within the body. A gram of fat contains nine calories. A gram of protein or carbohydrate contains four calories per gram. For a man intent on bulking-up as large as possible as fast as possible, fat calories, dense and compact, are the ticket. Fat calories pack twice the caloric bounce-per-ounce as protein or carb calories and boy do they ever taste good! Allowing taste to dictate our diet can be fatal. High fat food is delicious and it gives food a wonderful, seductive flavor. The bulking lifter can eat twice as many calories when they choose fat over protein or carbohydrates.

The problem is that dietary fat is easily converted to body fat. To use an automobile analogy, the big lifter develops a body akin to that of a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado - but the heart muscle of the lifter does not enlarge to accommodate the increased bulk. Metaphorically, the lifter has a heart designed to power a 1967 VW Beetle but his 65-horsepower heart motor now motivates a 5000-pound Cadillac body: what an incredible strain on his little blood-pump. For a few short years, hugeness is okay: the human body is incredibly resilient, but if the lifter doesn’t pare the pounds eventually the little heart muscle can suffer a blowout. Or will wear out from overuse.

The miraculous heart muscle pulsates 60-90 times a minute, sending blood coursing through the veins and capillaries to receptive muscles and organs with the precision and regularity of a fine Swiss watch. A hundred pounds (or more) of extra bodyweight will stress the tiny heart to the breaking point. It’s a hell-of-a dilemma; to reach the top of the powerlifting game the lifter needs density in relation to their height.

Ever notice how few tall Powerlifters reach the international level? To achieve the requisite density a tall lifter (over six-foot) would need weigh 400-pounds to match the density-per-inch the typical under-six foot super heavyweight achieves. Most people who meet top powerlifter are amazed at how short they are in relation to their weight. To maximize leverage, lifters need density-per-inch-of-height and super heavyweights, unencumbered by weight divisions, always have an effective avenue available to increase their density-per-inch: eat more food and get bigger.

Big men feel they need dietary fat, ‘dirty’ calories, in order to gain the sheer bulk necessary to compete at the national and international level. As my old coach Hugh Cassidy used to preach, a serious super-heavyweight lifter can always “eat his way through a sticking point”. Of course when Hugh retired he dropped from 300-pounds to 190-pounds bodyweight inside a year. Cassidy was no dummy (a powerlifting genius) and had the sense to reduce his caloric intake when the whistle sounded and the game was over. A lot don’t and the consequences are apparently disastrous.

That giant lifter who happily scarfs down saturated fat, motivating that Eldorado body around with that VW engine, eventually has a second deadly complication rear its ugly head. Saturated fat produces plaque and as it floats through the bloodstream plaque adheres to the arterial walls leading to and from the heart. Over time the tube diameter becomes constricted with plaque buildup and when it clogs completely (assuming you don’t die from heart spasms) a roto-rooter (angeoplastsy) balloon procedure or by-pass surgery is required to open constricted passageways.

It’s a dastardly double whammy: the lifter’s diet adds bodyweight - creating a stress-load on the over-taxed heart pump and the fat in the lifter’s diet reduces the efficiency of the already taxed heart by constricting the blood flow. It’s a deadly one-two combination. Often the whole situation is further complicated when the lifter ceases hard training. Now sedentary, his high caloric intake accelerates body fat accumulation at an astonishingly fast rate. If left unchecked this scenario will lead to health problems as surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

I once helped a 350-pound super heavyweight take second place at the USPF Nationals and thereby secure a slot on the IPF world championship team. He was elated and afterwards we decided to have room service send up victory pizza. I was staying on the second floor and the elevators were acting up so we decided to walk the four mini-flights to the second floor. It was an easy climb but our IPF-destined lifter was gassed like he’d just climbed Mount Everest without using an oxygen tank. He was far more blasted from the 22-step walk-up than his 881-squat or 750-deadlift. He heaved and gasped like a coal miner with black lung after smoking a Camel and took a full thirty minutes before he recovered.

I remember how when the Pizzas came he knelt down on the floor at the foot of the bed. He took his Pizza Hut extra-large, set it on the bed, opened the box, still kneeing, placed his elbows on the bed and commenced to chow-down. His huge distended stomach hung all the way to the floor and there was no daylight showing between his gut and the sunlight shining in the open window behind him. Looking like a pregnant rhino, his face hovered a scant six-inches above the pizza box as he devoured the entire thing in 10-minutes flat, steam shovel style, like he was strip mining a hill for coal. He gobbled his pepperoni and sausage and then went scavenging for leftovers from the other three boxes. Feeling better he took a nap.

I once asked George Hector how it felt to be able to squat 975 and deadlift 840 weighing 360. “For two days a year, at the National and World championships, it’s great - the other 363 days a year it sucks!” George ran into health problems (phlebitis) reduced down to 242 and set a slew of world records. But wise men like George and Hugh and John Kuc are the exceptions, not the rule. Too many huge guys are attached to their ’sea food’ diet and it comes back to bite ‘em at some point.
And it needn’t be that way. Incorporating two lifestyle changes, substitution dieting and light cardiovascular training, can spell the difference, literally, between life and death.

DIET: Rather than try and get a red-blooded powerlifter on a fancy-dan bodybuilder diet - one which they won’t adhere to anyway - we offer the substitution diet for your consideration. All of us have bad foods we naturally gravitate towards (those high in fat and sugar) and we all have some good foods (high in protein) that we like. The idea is to identify the ‘good’ foods and substitute them for the ‘bad foods’ you currently consume in quantity. The beauty of this approach is that you never feel hungry because anytime you have a craving for bad food you eat a substantial amount of good food in its place. You smother the hunger and satiate the desire.

Plus, every time you replace a fat food with a protein or carb food, you can eat the same volume of food while cutting your calories in half (9 calories per gram of fat versus only 4 calories per gram for protein). A gram is a gram and if you previously ate a quart of Ben & Jerry’s or a sixteen-ounce pizza, you now may eat an equal volume of protein or carbohydrates and eliminate artery-clogging saturated fat while simultaneously cutting your calories in half. It is a good deal: you reduce the deadly saturated fat with muscle-building protein or natural carbohydrates and still reduce overall calories. Don’t eat flour carbs like cakes, bread or pastry. Stick to grains, rice, vegetables and potatoes.

Clean protein actually stimulates the basal metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories as it gears up to meet the challenge of digesting protein. Dietary fat, on the other hand, is easily compartmentalized into fat storage. A note of caution: avoid protein foods that are loaded with saturated fat. Fish, chicken (minus the skin), lean beef, goat, turkey, organ meats, egg whites, skim milk and protein powder are great sources of clean protein.

Man-made carbohydrates like bread, pasta and pastries will cause the body to secrete insulin. Insulin spikes cause carb calories to be converted and compartmentalized into fat storage instead of being used for energy. Avoid them. Natural carbohydrates have a far lesser impact on insulin and are recommended as the preferred carb sources. Fiber carbs actually dampen insulin spikes and a diet high in clean protein and fiber, low in refined carbs and moderate in starchy carbs, is the fastest way to lose lard.

CARDIO CONDITIONING FOR POWERLIFTERS: Powerlifters take a dim view of cardio training - aerobics - and contemptuously consider cardiovascular training effete, irrelevant and at odds to their stated purpose: maximizing size and strength. And there is a good case to support that viewpoint. But we are talking aerobics for health, not strength.

Aerobics, it is widely felt, weakens a competitive powerlifter and any benefits are offset with negatives. Few hard core lifters would be caught dead riding an exer-cycle, walking a treadmill or jumping up and down on a stair-stepper. The broad consensus among the power elite is that cardio is counterproductive to the stated goal. Yet, it has been scientifically and medically proven that three to five, twenty-minute sessions at 60% (or more) of age-related heart rate maximum per week will perform miracles for the heart, lungs, internal organs and glands.

Cardiovascular training flushes the human plumbing system: capillaries, veins, tubes, heart and lungs all benefit from regular aerobic exercise. Internal organs strengthen and improve function when subjected to regular, systematic doses of aerobic exercise. There is a compromise solution for the lifter intent on losing lard. There is a type of aerobic exercise that provides great cardio stimulation without being so intense as to interfere with strength building - walking.

LOW STRESS AEROBIC ACTIVITY: A big man with little or no background in cardio training can hit 70% of their age-related heart rate maximum with a brisk walk around the block. And that’s all that’s needed. No need to join a health spa, no need to purchase an expensive exercise bike or treadmill, forget all that stuff and get outdoors and take a brisk walk. Walk outside for ten minutes as quick as you can then put a forefinger on your carotid artery or wrist pulse and count the beats for six seconds. Multiply this number by 10 to determine how fast your heart is beating. Then compare this to your age-related heart rate maximum to determine your aerobic intensity. What’s the formula? Simple: 220 minus your age are your 100% heart rate maximum. Then determine 70% of this number.

AGE		30		40		50
100%		190		180		170
70%		133		126		119
60%		114		108		102

Start with a ten-minute walk at 60%. Put on a WalkMan, get outside and take a good fast walk. Do this three of four times a week on days that you don’t lift. If you no longer lift, get back in the saddle. Add a few minutes per walking session until you are hitting twenty minutes per session. When you can walk for twenty minutes at 60% try to bump that up to 65% and eventually 70% or more. Increase the intensity by walking faster and swinging your arms a little more. Suck in that good outdoor oxygen and push a little. 3-4 sessions a week at 60-70% of age related heart rate maximum would do wonders for the internal plumbing of a cardio-challenged lifter. Walking avoids the bone-jarring pain of jogging or running - no rips or tears from walking. Don’t po-pah walking - I have had occasion to interview bodybuilding dominator Dorian Yates for Muscle & Fitness and one thing struck me : Yates’ aerobic program often consisted of a brisk walk around his posh neighborhood with his dogs. In the off-season Yates would walk for thirty minutes three or four times a week. Weighing 300, he had no problem hitting 70% of age related heart rate maximum using a brisk walking pace. Unlike his American competitors, many of whom spent two hours a day on bikes and stair-steppers, the bull-strong Yates felt that too much cardio affected his weight training and he preferred to confine his aerobics to off-day walks. Wise advice that is applicable to the massive powerlifter who wants to incorporate some health-preserving cardio into their training.

Lifters who walk in conjunction with powerlifting report improved recovery and better digestion along with a nice increase in appetite. The metabolism kicks up when you undertake a brisk walk as this stimulates the digestive process. Food is processed better and when saturated fat is cutback the athlete sees an almost over-night improvement in the way they look and feel. If fat calories are replaced with ‘clean’ calories muscle is retained while the life threatening effects of body fat and artery constriction are improved. Confine cardio training to low-impact walking done on off-days and no strength loss should occur: on the contrary, the lifter will be able to train harder and longer as a result of their new-found endurance and improved nutrient assimilation. All around it’s a good deal - particularly when the alternative is so dire and bleak. So take a chance and take a walk. Hell, no one even need know you’re doing ‘aerobics’ or going on a diet: as far as anyone is concerned, you’re just taking a walk. You can literally walk away from death if you just get off the strata-lounger, exchange that cheeseburger with Mayo on Wonder bread for a lean steak and a salad and then go outside and take a walk!

Marty Gallagher is a former fitness columnist for washingtonpost.com. He is also a former world champion powerlifting coach. Marty’s work has been featured in magazines such as Muscle & Fitness, Muscle Media, and Powerlifting USA. His website, http://www.martygallagher.com, assimilates years of accumulated knowledge from the athletic elite and makes them accessible to the common person. The “Purposeful Primitive” methodology has been proven effective time after time after time for complete physical transformation, losing fat, building muscle, and getting stronger.

It’s a difficult task creating a website that brings you business. It’s a full-time job where things seem easy at first but as soon as you start to explore the possibilities and appreciate the complexity of the task at hand it can soon start taking up ever increasing amounts of your time.

There is a plethora of people out there offering you conflicting advice and it’s often difficult to know what to focus on.

This article cuts through all that and reveals to you the two most important things you need to know about creating a website that brings more profit to your business..

Secret Number 1 - Information

Yes - that’s all it is - information. Just think about this for a minute - what is the sole reason for anyone surfing any website anywhere across the world? Every single one of them is looking for just one thing - information.

The information might take the form of text, an image, a sound file or whatever but at the end of the day it is information. This is the first biggest and best-kept secret of success on the internet and now you know it!

What do you mean ‘So what?’. The sole purpose of your website is to provide its visitors with information - think about this the next time some combat-trousered graphic designer tells you a big Flash graphic would be a good thing to have instead of a homepage..

People are looking for information - don’t put anything in the way of them getting this. Make sure the information you have on your site is easy to find, worthwhile reading and ideally easy for your visitors to disseminate onto their friends and colleagues.

Information is also essential if you are going to gain any influence with the search engines. They might only be computer programs but those search engine critters can be quite clever at discerning a website that contains nothing of any use and one that has useful information relevant to its target audience.

Lots and lots of high quality relevant content on your website will do more for your website’s overall success than a fancy graphic or rotating picture of your head on the homepage.

Secret Number 2 - Interaction

Goto your website. Just look at it. Go through a few pages. Imagine that you had hit ‘Print’ on each of those pages. Would the experience of reading the pages in hardcopy be exactly the same as reading them on the screen? If it would you don’t own a website - you own an expensive brochure.

Interaction is why the internet was born - it is the one attribute and opportunity that sets the medium apart from print and anything else. Your website needs to be littered with things that enable interaction between you and your visitors. Feedback forms, downloads, bookmarking tools, contact options, newsletters etc.

Information and interaction - together these are the only things that matter when it comes to the internet. Now go back, look at your site and appraise it honestly in terms of how well it addresses each of the two facets.

Is it full of interactive features that enable people to get closer to your business and control their browsing experience? Does it provide lots of valuable information that is easy to find? Armed with these two secrets you can start to truly harness the real power of the internet. Good luck!

Michael Cheney is Author of The Website Marketing BibleTM. Take the Free 7-Part Course “Internet Marketing Made Easy” and get your free sampler of ‘The Bible’ here: http://www.websitemarketingbible.com/marketing/

When you think of kayaks you most likely picture a kayak
constructed from plastic or a composite of fiberglass and
Kevlar. However, kayaks have been available in inflatable form
for several decades. These kayaks are not like the simple
inflatable water toys in your swimming pool. Inflatable kayaks
provide durability and stay afloat easily. Plus, inflatable
kayaks have superior tracking abilities compared to inflatable
boats. These are just a snippet of the countless features that
bring confidence and interest to many kayakers.

Inflatable kayaks have several advantages. They weigh less then
their plastic and composite counter parts. They are easily
mobile and can be carried by one person versus the need for
several people to move a hard-hull kayak. Inflatable kayaks can
be used on day tours, camping trips, and sea kayaking. If you
have little storage space available, then an inflatable kayak
will suit your needs. It can be quickly stored in a compact area.

Experienced kayakers may doubt the durability of inflatable
kayaks, especially with regards to sea kayaking. Inflatable
kayaks bode quite well on the sea. In fact, inflatable kayaks
are puncture resistant. If a puncture does occur, then it can be
patched up quickly. A puncture will not lead to a sinking kayak
because of the structure of the inflatable kayak.

What type of inflatable kayak will best suit your kayaking
needs? There are several brands and models of inflatable kayaks
to choose from. Do you want speed or stability in your kayak? If
you desire speed then a long, slender kayak will be a good
option. If stability weighs on your decision then a short, wide
kayak will be an effective match. There are more detailed
factors to consider such as payload capacity. Consult an
inflatable kayak specialist before purchasing your kayak.

Do kayaking techniques differ for inflatable kayaks? Since
inflatable kayaks are lightweight they can fall prey to windy
conditions and rough waters. One way to remedy this situation is
to sit forward and paddle close to the kayak. Additional
equipment can also alleviate adverse side effects of rough
waters. Confer with a kayaking professional before using an
inflatable kayak. They can tailor their advice to your kayaking
experience level.

How much does an inflatable kayak cost? You may have local
brick-and-mortar kayaking and hiking stores in your town where
you can buy a kayak. However, the Internet offers a bevy of
choices. Many inflatable kayak manufacturers have company
websites where you can order your kayak. You can also do
comparison price research by going to such websites as
http://www.nexttag.com. Prices can range from twenty dollars to
several hundred dollars. With a little research you can find an
inflatable kayak that has the features you want at a price you
can afford.

Websites are large Internet information sites, which limit category site owners with the number of category submissions that they want to list in a particular Internet web directory. Most Internet web directory sites will keep the number low, and let a whole web site place itself in two categories that are contained in their particular Internet web directory, but only if editors believe the web site is fit to be placed in those particular categories.

One of the requirements that must exist before an Internet website will qualify to be listed on an Internet web directory is that the website must contain a link on their web pages that would bring people back to the Internet web directory page. These Internet web directory sites are not found by keywords that are located on the information pages within the category, but are found by searching for the category by itself through Internet search engines.

An Internet web directory, however, is not a search engine. The information for a specific Internet web directory will be contained on a search engine. The linking back to that search engine, is one requirement that websites in the Internet web directory rarely uphold, because some of those websites will use a search engines content in their website.

Home gyms - Your home fitness solution solved

You wanted to do bench press and see that huge guy doing 20 sets
non-stop.

You wanted to do squats and see that old guy you see everyday do
the same exercise squats.

You wanted to do triceps extension and so were you trying to
since 1 week but never seeing it free.

Finally you get that hamstring machine free and voila you get
happy, finally the trip to gym is not a waste {again}. But not
for long as there are 7 guys already waiting in line for you to
finish and your next set will be in your next life.

Is that you? If yes then home gyms are the best investments you
can ever make to have a complete workout {I mean you finally can
workout}.

Home gyms today are not that costly. You can buy a home gym and
it will pay the gym fee for a long time to come. And you can get
your investment back in a few months.

Home gyms today are available in various price ranges with
different options available.

You can have a home gym somewhere between 500-2000$ although
some range over 3000$. But don’t get taken over by the great
sales letter for those high priced gyms.

First make of list of your requirements, the space you have and
the exercises you perform. Now do an online survey to learn what
the best gyms available are, which will fulfill your
requirements.

Finally read all the online reviews available at the consumer
reviews sites. You may find different comments about same home
gym from different people. When confused always ask for a
long-term warranty. Recently epinions.com displayed reviews from
customers who were utterly unhappy with the home gyms they
bought but at the other end of the spectrum there were happy
faces yelling the great home gyms.

For more information on home gyms, what to look for and where to
buy visit our home gyms site www.homegymsforyou.com

Visit our site www.homegymsforyou.com to learn all about home
gyms. http://www.homegymsforyou.com
http://www.exercise-equipments101.com
http://www.nutritioninfopage.com

Every now and then something happens in our lives that make’s us feel very unique within ourselves, in my case this was watching a football match. This was a very important game for me to watch as it was the team that I have supported for so long! In fact all my life I have been a Liverpool FC supporter, I have seen some great times and not so great times especially in the last few years. Yes! We won three trophies in one particular season and that was great but even then there was still something missing. With the history of this great football club Liverpool FC has the best record when it comes to winning the English League. They have won the European Cup more times than any other British Football team and on this day May 25th 2005 they would find themselves with another golden opportunity of clinching this wonderful Cup with the big ears, now called the Champions League trophy.

So there I was anticipating this match which had the elements of being a classic football spectacular. In one corner you had the mighty team from Italy, AC MILAN. With a star studied team of great soccer professionals from Paolo Maldini, Andriy Shevchenko and the talented new Brazilian play maker Kaka. In the other corner you had my team Liverpool, who somehow with an awful Premiership league campaign behind them where they could only finish fifth behind their city rivals Everton and miss out on an Automatic Champions League place for the following season but Inspired by two scousers, club captain Steven Gerrard and the irrepressible Jamie Carragher through out the season, found themselves in the most lucrative football match in world football. It was a dream not only for the players but for all the Liverpool fans all around the world to see this great football club back where it belonged, at the top of the ladder in world football. So on this night two great teams steeped in history battled for a place in history.

Going back to my day I rang a very good friend of mine and asked her if she wanted to watch the game with me at a local bar…she said, yes! It was to be her first time watching a game like this and she was very excited by it all because everyone was talking about it…so we met up the and walked down to the bar. As we entered we could see that the place was streaming with Liverpool fans but you did have the odd Milan fan or two hiding and keeping a low profile in the corner of the bar.

So we found a nice spot to get a good view of the game and ordered some beers. You could feel the
Anticipation of it all by the look of the Liverpool fans in the bar, some where very cheerful!

Others looked just happy to be there. I was calm from the outside but on the inside I was a mess.
The big screens on the walls which seemed bigger than they actually were had everyone’s attention, even some of the bar staff would have a little peak at the screens, the place was buzzing.

My friend took out her cigarettes and lit up one, she was lucky to have that comfort, all I wanted at that moment was my beer to arrive and the game to start. Then as we watched the Players came out, there was a loud cheer from the bar crowd and one set of lads starting to sing ‘You’ll never walk alone’. I started to feel a little better and starting to sing along with them but only in my head. Then the game started and all I was thinking was that we must try to put as much pressure on the Milan players from the get go. Then we gave away an early free-kick but at that moment our beers arrived and the girl who brought it to us took my attention for a second or two and in that moment Milan had scored a goal…There was a hush of silence now from the bar and as I looked around I could see people in total shock at what had just happened. Me I was thinking that stupid left back of ours Djimi Traore is an awful player and not fit to wear the Liverpool shirt but he would later prove me and everyone wrong. My friend tried to give me some moral support by smiling and saying, don’t worry I still think Liverpool will win…I just looked sternly towards the screen with distain.

The game was all Milan’s; they were winning all the tackles, getting free-kicks in dangerous places. The Liverpool players look tired, unsure and beaten almost, it was not a pretty sight; they were chasing shadows it seemed. I just kept looking around the bar trying to ignore just what was happening and then it got worst. What looked like a penalty to Liverpool was denied and within seconds Milan broke away and scored. Then just before the half time break Milan broke away once more and scored a third, by now everyone in the bar was silent and stunned but the odd Milan fans I mentioned earlier were singing away happily in the corner. I was gutted! I look at my friend and said, lets go… She looked at me and said, Ok! And as we walked out I looked back and glanced at my fellow supporters and hoped that Liverpool would not be embarrassed and come out in the second half and show some heart. As we walked home to my house I told my friend that I would cook for her and that we could watch the rest of the game at my place.

We arrived at my home just as the second half was about to start, I turned on the TV and then took out a bottle of red wine, opened it and poured two large glasses and gave one to my friend.

She sat down and suddenly said, you know what Mark, ‘It’s never over until the fat lady sings’.

I think Liverpool can still make a come back and win she added. I just looked at her again thinking this girl knows nothing about football because if she did she would know that Milan would never give away three goals to a team that they have just outplayed for 45 minutes and with their defensive nature it would be totally impossible for Liverpool to make a comeback. So I smiled at her and told her to drink her wine while I prepared the dinner. As I was cutting vegetables in my kitchen, I could hear her shouting at the TV, which was strange because she did not do this in the Bar. So I took a little peak for myself and noticed that Liverpool had made some changes, The German midfielder Dietmar Hamann was now on the pitch and this gave me some hope that Liverpool could keep the score decent at least. But what it also did as well was make Steven Gerrard free to roam and move forward.
Then there was another scream from my living room, my friend was jumping around I came in quietly and Liverpool had scored. It was Steven Gerrard, the change in tactic had worked, Liverpool seemed more up for this game now and the players looked different somehow but Milan remained confident then two minutes later the game turned on its head, the ball was played to Vladimir Smicer and he drilled the ball home from 20 yards and Liverpool where back in the game, I came running into the room screaming with joy at what had just happen. The air was electric once more, I could not leave the living room and all of a sudden the game changed again. The Milan players looked shell shocked because within a few minutes Liverpool was on level terms. Gerrard dashed into the Milan’s penalty box and was fouled. It was a certain penalty, at this point I was on my knees yelling at the ceiling. I am sure my neighbours could hear everything. Even my friend was jumping for joy shouting, I told you, I told you!!!

She was right! She proved one thing to me and that was all the Soccer Pundits and I knew nothing about Football! Could they do it, could they actually win this match? No team had ever come back from three goals down to win a Champions League Final. I had to stop cooking at that point and told her that dinner will just have to wait and so we drank more wine and watched the rest of the match with our hearts in our mouths. It seemed that both of us had turns in screaming at the TV and this would continue right up until that now famous Jerzy Dudek ‘Hand of God’ save which denied Shevchenko the winner for Milan in the dying seconds of extra time. We were both quiet and I had my head in my hands at that moment…The referee blew for full time and the game was over. At that point I had to get up and walk around the house, nervous like hell! I walked back into the living room, listening to the commentator remarking about how Liverpool had won on a penalty shoot out against Roma in 1984 and our goalkeeper at the time Bruce Grobballar saved two penalties by putting off the Roma players as much as he could and now it had almost seemed like deja vous.

Who would be the villain and who would be the hero, it was now a lottery!
I needed more wine so I opened up another bottle, my friend could not drink no more she was just adamant that Liverpool would win. She remarked, look at the Milan Players they don’t look happy!

I had a look and noticed the same thing! They seem beaten before the first spot kick.

She was right, our goalkeeper did everything he could to put off Milan’s first spot kick taker Serginho and it worked! He missed, blazing the ball high over the bar. It was our turn next and I was not worried because it was our Germany International Dietmar Hamann and as predicted he scored. I was calm but still nervous, it was their turn once more, surely they would score but once again Jerzy Dudek’s antics on the goal line did the job and he saved very easily. We would be now 2-0 up if French International Striker Djibril Cisse would score and after suffering a broken Leg and missing most of the season he shows his class and calmly placed the ball to the right of Milan’s Goalkeeper Dida’s goal giving him no chance. It was in our hands now, just two more spots kicks and we would be Champions of Europe. Kaka would score from his spot kick…then our hearts were in our mouths when our left mid-fielder John Arne Riise missed his spot kick, it was now 2-1 but still in our favour and before we knew it, Danish international Jon Dahl Tomasson made it 2-2.

So up stepped the Czech Striker Vladimir Smicer, playing probably his last game for Liverpool FC and his best game ever in my mind for the team, he calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 3-2 to us…My friend and I was so tense, the room was silent apart from the TV. Then Milan’s leading goal scorer stepped up to the plate, Andriy Shevchenko, the man who was denied the winner before the end of extra time. As he approached Dudek threw him the ball, he look anxious and nervous and did not look confident. Somehow I knew he would miss and he did…For a split second my heart had stopped and I sanked to my knees and just started to scream with ecstasy, my dream had come true, the Players dreams were for filled! My football team had won. Life could not be any better…I was emotionally drained by it all and was sure all the people in the stadium, the viewers and all the millions of people around the world were too. My friend and I were just hugging each other and kissing. I kept saying, that its time to get drunk and forgetting that I was suppose to be cooking dinner for the both of us! So we continued to watch the rest of the coverage on the box and as Steven Gerrard lifted the trophy and the commentator shouted out ‘Liverpool Are Kings of Europe’ a tear came to my eyes. In that moment I was in wonderland just like those players. As far as I was concerned they were Legends now no matter what they did for the rest of their lives, from this moment on they would always remember and treasure.

I started to also think about all those who had lost their lives going to see Liverpool play, all the disasters that had occurred during football matches. My heart went out to them…its moments like this that makes it possible to see just why football is so important to the man and woman on the street. We relate to it in so many ways. We support our teams because we choose to and win, lose or draw all the emotions that this sport and all the other sports may muster are worth it for moments like these. So when it was all over and as I tried to figure out what had just happened, one thing dawned on me and that was it’s the Simple things in Life that I cherish the most and watching my team play is one of them.

2005-06-04
By Mark J Stevens©

28 years old Singer/Songwriter Mark.J.Stevens is slowly making a name for himself as one of the best new music talents coming out of the UK! Mark is currently putting the final touches to his debut recording Album. But in his spare time he writes articles and is also currently writing a play. Mark says, ‘Writing is a great way to release your emotions, sitting down at my PC and writing is one of my favourite things I like to do’. Watch out for this New Music Artist, we think he has a great future as a writer.

A reader of my e-zine in the UK (let’s call her Sally) e-mailed me with a seemingly desperate plea for help.

“For the past few months, I have been attending a course in communicating,” she began.

“We learned some techniques for assertiveness, and with strangers they work. But the husband - well, he’s not so easy to sort out!

“When we arrive home after a day’s work, I might ask him: ‘Did you have a good day? Where did you go?’ I’m lucky if I get some sort of a grunt by way of reply, and then the onslaught begins: ‘What
on earth made you do such-and-such today? And if you insist on doing it, why did you do it in such-and-such a way?’”

Sally says that the conversation invariably ends with further biting criticism from her husband. He will berate her mercilessly for not doing what he told her to do, or for not doing it
properly.

“I know I should be doing what they told me to do in the course,” confesses Sally. “I should be telling him: ‘I feel hurt when you talk to me in this way,’ or, ‘I’m afraid I don’t agree with you.’
But I find it very difficult to do that. Instead, I remain silent and dumbstruck, and before long, my silence turns to frustration and anger.”

“Recently,” adds Sally, “I have been trying to apply another technique that I learned about at a web site. They said you should pretend that your lips are glued tightly together, so that your
personal quarrels don’t get out of hand. Then imagine you are covered in wax, and all the destructive criticism runs off the wax. You know something -this is working. But it’s being passive, rather
than assertive, isn’t it?”

“Can you help me with some suggestions on how to apply assertiveness skills in a marital relationship?” urges Sally.

I must make it clear that I’m neither an expert nor a professional in the area of human communication. I’m just a writer with a keen interest in the subject, which I’ve been studying for some
time. All I can do is make some observations that may have a bearing on Sally’s dilemma.

The glued-lips technique is excellent in the right circumstances. If we are tied into a relationship in which we are continually hurt, and there’s no way to get through to the other party, such a
strategy is be a lifesaver. There’s no sense in allowing yourself to be miserable. Indeed, I’ll go even further - silence in the face of provocation can be a great way of showing love and
concern.

Walking on a tightrope

But when you practice it, you are walking on a tightrope. You could just possibly be mistaking heroism for cowardice. If this is so, it could be downright dangerous. Many of us have heard of
reports like the following one:

“A neighbor of mine used to drop in whenever I was busy with all sorts of tasks. Without fail, she would find something to criticize in what I was doing. At first it drove me mad, even though I
knew she really meant well. But I decided to bear it in silence, and was determined not to let her behavior undermine my sense of self-worth..

“But inside, I still resented her. Then one day, she made
an innocent remark, and I exploded with all my suppressed rage. Yes, I thought I was humble, but in reality I was cowardly. There’s so much pain on both sides now, that I wonder if we can ever have a normal relationship again!”

Sally, I don’t want this to happen to you. Neither to your husband. You’re both the most important people in each other’s lives - or should be!

But if Sally has learned so much about assertiveness techniques, and has even successfully put them into practice, what are the roadblocks that prevent her from applying them with her own husband?
(And her problem is far from unique, by the way.)

Clearly, I know nothing about Sally’s background, her personality, and her fears (although in her message, she comes across as a warm and intelligent person). I can only suggest a few factors which, if they don’t apply in her situation, do in many similar ones.

Constructive, not destructive!

Assertiveness is often confused with impudence or aggression. Aggressive people seek conflict because they need to feel dominant or superior. Control of others gives them a sense of importance. By being assertive, on the other hand, your aim is not to feed your vanity or your ego.

Ideally, assertive people are motivated not by hate, but by love. When they fight, it’s only to protect ideals and values that they strongly believe in. When they try to protect their dignity as a
human being, not to mention their physical and mental health, they are simultaneously protecting their ability to give to those whom they love.

Aggressive people are destructive. Assertive people are constructive.

What stops you from being assertive, even when you want to be?

A major reason is fear. It seems to me that this fear often intensifies when the other party is someone very close to you.

You might be afraid of being condemned - as incompetent, stupid, lazy, inconsiderate, or whatever. When someone makes an unreasonable demand on you, you don’t want to be thought of as selfish. If
somebody calls you inefficient, you might fear being called something worse if you answer back.

In all these cases - or so you you think to yourself - you would end up feeling rejected and unloved. If the other person is a particularly significant one in your life, this is a situation you
would especially want to avoid. What will happen, you might reason subconsciously, if my husband or wife (or whoever) shuts me out of his or her life completely? Or does something even worse?

You might fear hurting the other person’s feelings, regardless of how he or she has hurt yours. People who are especially vulnerable and afraid of rejection, sometimes assume that others have the
same fears. “If I speak honestly, I’ll destroy him!” you might think.

Occasionally, these fears are justified. Let’s say you have a boss who abuses you, but if you speak up, there’s a real danger that he will fire you. In such a case, you have to decide: either
suffer in silence, or find another job.

But far more frequently, there’s no substantial basis for these fears. Usually, they wiggle their way in to your thought system through conditioning. And once they’re there, they can be pretty
hard to dislodge.

What’s the solution? I don’t know. Perhaps my readers can help. Most skills, however, are acquired by practice. Plenty of practice.

Sally, you know you can do it, and you will. You, too, are created in the image of G-d. Your sense of self-worth and your emotional stability are important to you. They cannot be negotiated
away.

Why? Precisely because you are not selfish! Like all people, you have so much to give - and you badly want to give.

But don’t make a mistake. Giving is not giving in.

But not giving in, you are
protecting and enhancing your ability to give of your self in the fullest sense.

Azriel Winnett is the creator of Hodu.com - Your Communication Skills Portal.This popular free website helps you to improve your communication and relationship skills in business and professional life, in the family unit and on the social scene. New material added almost daily.

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