My Husband Is Always Compare Me To Other Women - This Hurts Me - What Can I Do? Insights To Help

I recently heard from a wife who was being hurt by her husband's constant comparisons between her and other women. Sometimes, he compared her to her sisters, friends, coworkers, or acquaints. Other times, he compared her to complete strangers. She had been trying to ignore this for a while, but laately, it had been angering and grating on her so badly that it was very negatively affecting her marriage.

The wife said in part: "My husband compares me to everyone. And the comparisons are never favorable. I'm not as thin as my sister. A mom as our neighbor. I'm not as good a cook as his best friend's wife. I'm not as good as a lover as his old girlfriend. goes to open his mouth. At first, I used to ignore him, but this is starting to happen all of the time and become much more hurtful. with something equally as nasty. How would he like it if I compared him to other men? I would never do this because it would hurt his feelings and he's my husband. him on this, he says I'm too sensitive. It's gotten to a point where he will openly stare at other women right in front of me. uch longer I can take this. What do I do? "

After a little more clarification, it became apparent to me that the husband would make these comments and the wife would withdraw and give him the cold shoulder for a short period of time afterwards. Over time, she had learned that bringing this up would only make her husband accuse her of being over sensitive. And if she tried to snap back at him, then he would become angry and things would just get worse. So instead, she would say nothing and she would stew. This caused resentment and deteriorated their marriage. More and more, she was being avoiding spending time with her husband because of this and other problems. So this was something that I felt had to be addressed and could not be left in the hopes that it would just work itself out. In the following article, I'll offer some tips on understanding why a husband may regularly compare you to other women and how to best deal with it.

Why A Husband Might Compare His Wife To Other Women: The wife could not understand why her husband would be doing this. He did not act this way when they were dating. It was only within the past five years or so that he had begun this type of behavior. There are various reasons that a husband might act this way. Sometimes, this is their passive aggressive way of drawing your attention to something they wish was so. And, they may be saying it's about your parenting skills or your work ethic, but it is usually about something else completely.

Many men criticize you for reasons that have nothing whatsever to do with you. They are often trying to get your attention in the hopes that you will pay more attention to them or to things at home (as illegally that this sound sound.) So they will often hit you with very low blows in an attempt to push your buttons just to get a reaction.

Other times, a man will point out your perceived flaws because he is very aware of his own. Sometimes, a man's comparison of you is really driven by his own lack of self esteem or because of his own worries. Sometimes, when I speak with the men on the other side of this situation it's clear that they try to pull their wife down because they deserve her. They secretly worry that if she knew how special she really was, she would leave him so one way to make sure that this never happens is to point out her shortcomings. And sometimes men react to stress by being critical of who is most convenient.

I am not defending this behavior. I am just trying to let you know that if you are in this situation, you can be assured that these comparisons are not reflective on you. They are reflective of him and you have to decide if you want to change it, continue to live with it, or remove yourself from it. (My recommendation is to attempt to change it if you can.)

How To Handle It When Your Husband Always Compares You To Other Women: The wife in this situation did not want to walk away. She asserted that there were other redeeming qualities in her husband. But she did not want to continue to live this way either, nor did she deserve to. And each time her husband did this, it deteriorated her marriage even more. I know that she dared to confront this because it appeared to only make things worse, but ignoring it just ensures that it keeps happening.

I suggested that the next time her husband compared her to someone else, she should make a note of it and vow to bring it up at a time when things were calm. If you try to address it when you are hurting or angry, you run the risk it becoming even worse. So, when things are going well and you are calm, that is the time to address it.

I would suggest saying something to the effect of: "I need to discuss something with you that has been weighing on me. Yesterday, you compared me to (fill in the blank.) This was hurtful and unnecessary. Honestly, this happens a lot. this makes me feel like I'm not making you happy or that you wish I was different. I worry that over time, it will make me resentful. And I know that you do not mean to hurt me. So, from now on, when it happens again, I'm going to draw your attention to it and ask you what is really bothering you. "

This is just a suggestion. You can use the words that are most appropriate to your husband and your situation. But the point is to address it in a constructive way, to open the door for him to tell you what is really bothering him, and to let him know that in the future, you will address it each time it happens. This lets him know that he can no longer have a free pass to keep up the comparisons.

Sometimes, just approaching it when you are both calm can inspire open communication that allow you to get to the real root of the problem. Because the comparisons are often a good indicator that your husband is trying very hard to get your attention and this can sometimes indicate some issues in your marriage that should not be ignored.

Advertising Network Marketing

Advertising is essential for any business to succeed. This is also true for a network marketing business. Have you run out of leads for your personal business? Have all your friends, family and co-workers finished looking at your advertising? Are you tired of wasting money on pamphlets, magazines, business cards and other advertising methods such as expensive advertising in newspapers and mail?

In network marketing it is about reaching large numbers of people since only 1 to 3 % will join your downline. To reach a large number of people this way of advertising becomes very expensive. By the way, not many people read newspapers anymore. Newspapers are closing all the time or they are not printing a paper anymore but they are charging a fee to read it on the internet.

There are literally thousands of people looking for what you have available by using different tools on the internet. You have a way to increase advertising their network marketing business. All business owners know that an effective advertising method is the key to success. That is why companies spend a lot of money advertising on television, the radio, flyers mailed, and by making phone calls. Without advertising businesses fail. Whether it is a business with a store front, an internet based business, a health care business, or a construction business, they will fail without advertising.

After many years of minimal success in network marketing businesses many network marketers are finding these features offered on the internet to increase advertising results in their business beyond their wildest imaginations.

The largest audience to advertise to is on the internet and there are many new ways to expand advertising and automatically build relationships with those who are looking at network marketing. Some of these advertising tools available are: banners, personal websites, capture pages, blogs, email and autoresponders. You have the power of the internet at your finger tips to grow leads by using these advertising techniques.

These advertising tolls are very self explanatory. They provide easy to follow simple steps to create these advertisements for your business that will work for you while you sleep. The internet never sleeps so neither do your advertising tools you set up for your personal business. The autoresponder will send emails to your leads automatically when they hit your link on your capture page or blog.

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Cool DIY Wheel Alignment Tips!

Getting car wheels aligned looks like a real pain from both time and money standpoint. This is why, most of the car owners think of wheel alignment as a rocket science and keep on paying hefty amounts of money to professional shops and work stations. However things are not as complicated as they seem.

If not a perfect alternative against going for traditional wheel alignment checks at repair stores; at least knowing how to DIY, can add a lot of value to your routine drives and help you keep a check on the quality of the work delivered by the technicians. From the concept and logical perspective, alignment is a pretty simple and straight-forward process, which can certainly be turned into an expertise with timely practice.

The part that tests your patience, the most, is that of setting up your alignment structure to get precisely consistent accuracy. Finding a perfectly flat surface to work from is also very critical. However these things get a lot easy if you plan to set it all up in your own garage or shop.

Aspects such as measuring and adjusting bump-steer, scaling and corner-weighinging in order to enhance the performance of your car may cost a bit more than a regular wheel alignment setup. So, if you do not mind shelling out a little more, you could as well go for a proper hi-tech setup and get more control over your car's health and performance.

Alignment of wheels not only helps improve the vehicle's performance over the streets, but also helps reduce accidental risks and improvements the lifespan of tires.

Here's a quick guide for how to do wheel alignment on a car and become an alignment-pro in no time.

Terms:

Before undertaking an actual alignment in hands, it makes a lot of sense to have basic information of some key terms associated with the wheel alignment process.

Toe:

Just as a pigeon-toe acts as a fulcrum and helps the pigeon get more flexibility and shock absorption features; car's wheels also rest on toes that have two main sub-components, Camber and Caster.

Camber:

The vertical toe-in. If it points slightly inwards from the top to bottom, it is called 'negative' camber and if it points slightly outwards, it is considered 'positive' camber. Positive or negative camber adjustments help in fine-tuning wheel movements as per driver's expectations.

Caster:

The angle on which the wheel pivots, when handled with the camber. 'Positive' caster facilitates wheels in being centered in orientation during the drives.

Adjusting camber and caster with basic tools in your garage might not be an easy thing to do. Here, taking assistance from the repair shops is a better choice here.

However, most frequently needed alignments are to do with the toe, which can easily be managed with the basic tool-kits having jacks, open-end wrenches, measuring tape and pocket knife.

Toe Alignment Figures

Getting the right numbers in hand, in order to address the toe alignment is very important. This numeric data is easily available at some library of motor manuals or popular repair guides. Since these measurements are car-specific, there is no universally applicable combination towards getting the best result. Reaching out to an official factory workshops is also another option, if you do not mind getting extra-technical and spending a little more. Toe alignment settings are often expressed in inches, millimeters or angular minutes. Based on these figures, you can get a clear picture of what to aim at during the alignment process.

Health analysis

Before starting the alignment process, you must make sure that the front wheel components are in good condition. After jacking the front wheels over the jack stand, check the following:

- Wheel bearings are properly placed
- Ball joints are healthy enough
- Steering gear box is in place

If there is no feeling of looseness in the wheels, both vertically and horizontally, they are good to go for the actual alignment process.

Alignment Process

Once all the other prerequisites are sorted out, take the following 5 steps:

Step 1

Spin each tyre and mark a line along the center of the tread with a pocketknife. If the circumference is all covered with tread block, make a support for the marking device in order to avoid the undesired loading effect.

Step 2

Set the car on ground and push a few times on each fender to move the suspension and allow the car to rest on its springs.

Step 3

Free the steering wheel and move the car forward by 10 feet or so, letting the steering wheel go on its own.

Step 4

With the help from a friend, measure the length between the lines in the front of the tires, at points in line with the spindles. Then measure the distance between the lines on the backs of tires for the same height. The difference in the two measurements is called toe-in or toe-out. Smaller number in front indicates toe-in and larger indications toe-out.

Step 5

Release the lock nuts on the tie-rod ends, next to both spindles and adjust it equally on each side to keep the steering wheel centered.

Finally, after you lock it all down, you may repeat this process to get double sure of the adjustments made in the car wheel alignments.

How to Get More Members in Mafia Wars! The Best Tactics For Mafia Minions Recruitment Revealed!

What makes Mafia Wars so popular? Well, it's the mafia lifestyle that you can get to experience through this game. You can earn easy money, gain respect as well as power and break the law without getting caught and feeling guilty through this game. In Mafia Wars, you can build your own mafia family where you can expand it to a larger scale and make your way to the top mafia list. That's achievable if you are determined and self-motivated. I have personally joined the list multiple times, and it is not hard to realize that if you know the dirty little secrets that I know, which I plan to let you in on.

If you are a Mafia Wars gamer and you realized how important it is to have a strong mafia organization, and you want to start growing your mafia family, here are some tips and tricks that you can utilize to get more members. And not just any member, but gamers who are active, serious and strong in the game and will definitely improve your strength and power ten fold.

Invite Your Circle of Friends

This is the easiest thing you can do to grow your mafia family. You can either use the built-in feature of the application that allows you to invite the entire network of friends just with one click. This is very easy to do. You can also get a link for recruiting and inviting your friends one by one. This method actually gets a higher response rate from your friends. You can also send your friends a personalized message which includes a recruiting link and a fact that they do not have to play the game to help you out but accept the invitation only. You should send this message to friends that are interested in having fun playing Mafia Wars.

Based on my personal experience, it's very hard to get strong and powerful members through this method, but it gets results so it should definitely get mentioned here.

Find Ultra Strong Players on Forums

This is one of the key and ultimate secrets that me and my partners have been using to join the ranks of the top godfather in the game. You should go to places online where gamers gather and discuss about Mafia Wars or any other related games and request them to join your group of mafia. By doing so, you will be able to get plenty of power players to join your team.

Having a strong and powerful team of top mafia players is very essential as they can help you to become successful in this game. You may get friends to join your mafia family but you can also find some super players who spend a lot of time leveling up and building their mafia family to join your mafia family. It's easy to get these players to partner wit you. You can send request to them and ask them to join force with you. Also make sure you try to convince them that you are a serious player. Utilize the search engines to find such boards and forums. Be sure to go to the many fanpages made by the die-hard fans.

Recruit Members through Blogs

Because the Mafia Wars application is by Zynga on multiple sites, you can use all the sites (Myspace, Facebook, and Yahoo) to look for new team members. If you happen to have a blog, you can also post the recruiting members link in your blog as well. The visitors who are viewing your blog may get interested and join your mafia family. Try to make your blog as interesting as possible to attract more people to view and join. You can also join in the conversations started on various blog as a means of recruiting players.

Inflation and Your Money - What Is Its Real Value?

We held a Retirement Seminar for dentists at our office recently. This being part of an ongoing series of educational talks and workshops to several groups of scholars in the north, and which also takes us to North Wales next year.

It was good to see familiar faces in attendance, as well as new, with specialist dental accountant Alan Suggett also chipping in with a slot on the value of Practices and the complexity of Incorporation.

Part of what we covered was how volatile the markets have been this year, and also how inflation can play havoc with your wealth over time.

It is sometimes not appreciated how, over time, inflation can really damage wealth creation and preservation, and with inflation very high at present it is worth looking at this in more detail.

Of course, the context here is the real value of money. When we talk about the 'real return' on your money, it means the return that you get (or do not get) over inflation.

So if inflation is, say, 5% pa, and you are getting a return in the bank of 3% pa ​​before tax, and 2.4% pa after basic rate tax, then you are not getting anywhere near a real return on your money.

If this were to happen over many years, then the real value of your money would reduce markedly. In fact, with present rates at around the 5% mark and with many experiencing a salary freeze, some people will be seeing a fall in their standard of living.

Let's take a look at the impact of inflation on some consumer items, as well as salaries, pensions and debt over a recent 10 year period.

PRICE COMPARISON 1999 - 2009

Price in 1999 Price in 2009% change Source

Milk (pint) 34p 45p 32.30% ONS

White Loaf 51p 1.26 147% ONS

Sugar (kg) 61p 88p 44.20% ONS

Pint lager 1.93 2.79 44.50% ONS

20 Cigs 3.37 5.39 60% ONS

Petrol / l 63.6p 90.4p 42% Petrol Prices

Ave salary 18,396 20,900 13.60% ONS

Weekly state pension 66.75 95.25 42.70% PAS

Level of UK consumer debt 565.4 1457.4 158% BOES

billions

Price of oil per barrel 8.80 28.70 226% WTRG

Bottle of wine 3.55 4.18 18% W & STA

Ford Focus 15,500 16,095 4% Ford

McDonald's Big Mac 1.90 1.99 4.70% McDonald's

Source: This is Money

So those of you who like a pint and a fag while munching on a white bread sandwich will have reasons to moan!

Whilst the wine loving burger fans may well have a smile on their face!

For a bit of fun (answers below), have a guess at the price of these items in 1960 compared to the 2009 prices below:

1. Fish N Chips - 4.50

2. A Mini - 12,345

3. Petrol - 86p (was it ?!)

So we can see that just 10 years can seriously erode the value of money, never mind 20, 30 or 50 years!

So what is the best way to combat inflation with your savings and investments?

The first thing to say is that there is no magic answer, and that there are 3 rules to investment return:

1. Risk and return are related

2. Risk and return are related

and yes

3. Risk and return are related

Other factors are accessibility, tax and the time period you have to invest.

Of course, in our opinion, the only reliable way in which you can find out what rate of return you NEED longer term so that you can be on track to achieve your goals in life is to devise a proper strategy, and have your own financial map called a cash flow forecast.

This will be able to calculate what returns (and there before risk) you need to take, with the aim to minimize any risk due to a possible option. What such a plan will give you is how much to invest in the various asset classes, with each having their own expected rate of return & risk (standard deviation). So getting the right mix is ​​vital.

We covered some of this at the seminar, and using figures from a Scottish Widows UK Financial History graph (Barclays Index data), we could see that returns from some major asset classes made interesting reading.

What one pound invested in 1950 to 2010 would be worth:

Building Society (Cash) - 1,560

Gilts (Government loans) - 6,146

Equities (Stocks & Shares) - 117,500 (dividends reinvested)

Retail Prices Index - 2,680

Other methods would be to utilize products that give a return over a period that is guaranteed to be above inflation. Even Tesco had launched such a bond a little while ago - but as is the case with ANY investments / savings accounts, watch out for the small print.

Of course, the past is no guarantee of the future, but what do these figures tell us?

Well, the most important one we feel is that in the longer term, say 10 years plus, it is important that any investments you have show a real return. That is a return that is higher than inflation.

To give you the best chance of this, having a relevant risk assessed investment portfolio that has the right 'blend' of asset classes that lets you sleep at night on the one hand, and yet give you the return you need on the other, is a tried and proven route.

Talking about inflation, we came across a couple of quotes to share with you:

By a continuing process of inflation, government can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens.

- John Maynard Keynes

And on a less serious note:

"Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair."

- Sam Ewing

Mini Quiz answers:

1. 6p - a 7,400% rise

2. 496 - a 2389% rise

3. 5p - a 1620% rise

Source: National Statistics.

The first one really is a surprise. The chip shop owners must have been salting their profit away for years! (sorry)

The Financial Tips Bottom Line

Really think about what you want in life and by when. Then measure the cost of this, and compare it to what assets you have.

If you do not know where you are going, how do you know when you'll get there ?!

Use cash flow forecasts - how does it look for you?

ACTION POINT

If you have an advisor, ask them to create you own cash flow forecast. If they do not know how to do this, then maybe it's time to find a financial planner that does!

7 Tips for Learner Drivers

What is the most important thing that any learner driver should have in him / her: It is very much expected that if you are beginning to give your best because like anyone else, you also believe that driving your own car yourself gives a sense of independence and freedom. But, what most people forget that driving lessons are at the very least, humanly daunting and can break or shatter your confidence level in no time. Here, self-confidence is the most important attribute.

Few non-theoretic and experimental guides for any learner driver:

• Take it at a pace you can adapt to : There is no rush to get your driving license; rather you should take it one at a time. So why hassle yourself to get to the test stage faster than your friend and extremely fail miserably because in this chaotic hurry to learn fast, you forgot to pay attention to minute details.


• Practice, as much as it is possible for any human being : Do not push yourself to read the facts more and more, but push yourself to go out and actually become adept at small and easy drives on the road, be it a highway or near your colony. All you need is someone from your friend circle or family who holds a driving license to sit around you and guide you so that before taking the driving test and trying your level best to ace it, you actually have experienced real life driving lessons and boosted up your trust in yourself which will come handy in your foreseeable driving temperament.


• Stick to an instructor what you can respect: It is universally accepted that get an instructor who teaching style does not bust up your confidence. If you feel that the rapport you share with your driving instructor is not building up your self-reliance and fortitude, then do not hesitate to hire another someone. If your assertive and positive feelings about your driving skills are crumpled down before taking the test, then rest assured, not only you will fail, but that feeling of being a failure will stick around for years.


• Find out the way you learn better : Everyone is a different kind of learner. Someone is methodical; someone learns better when the tricks and tips are explained theoretically while someone might be the hippy who wants to just hit the road and experience bit by bit slowly. So it is your duty to find out how you will work out the steps that need to be learnt.


• Insurance coverage is essential : Advice is to avoid the big-budgeted premiums and opt for the learner driver insurance policy so that you stay protected and yet you do not have to spend a huge amount during the learning phase.


• Ignore the drivers who are nothing but impatient : When you are driving on a busier road, the most important thing that you have to teach yourself is not to get controlled by drivers who for no cause are determined to bother you inconveniently.


• Save yourself from unnecessary anxiety and be aware of traffic rules : This is something very basic and yet very much because because if and when people do not follow the traffic rules, the risks of occurrence of unwanted and unintentional accidents get up a notch.

Top 10 Garage Organizing Tips - Just in Time For Spring

As the temperatures are finally creeping up, it's time to take our spring cleaning and organizing campaign outside ... to the garage. Make the most of this underappreciated space in your home and get it ready for smart storage and for working on your favorite projects. Even if you just want to just make room to finally move your car inside, remember these top tips for your best organizing results:

1. Designate separate spaces or zones in which to group like items together, such as sports gear, garden tools, automotive supplies, house repair, etc. It makes finding things easy, clean up is simple, and overall a more functional workspace.

2. When it comes to storing off-season or occasional items in the garage, nothing beats stackable, clear plastic bins. Make sure they have tight sealing lids like the Rubbermaid Roughneck line, to protect your beloveds from moisture and critters. Not everything needs to be in a bin with a lid, especially if you're accessing the items regularly.

3. Pegboards are terrific for vertical storage and they come in a variety of sizes and materials. Useful for hanging everything from gardening tools or hand tools, pegboards are also versatile, so you can adjust them as your needs change. Choose a system that is sturdy enough to carry the weight you need. For a dressed-up look, check out this pegboard system.

4. Give yourself some room. If lack of space is keeping you from your list of DIY projects, make your garage more functional by adding the right workbench. Wall mounted versions like this fold-down model give you the surface you need without taking up any floor space. Add casters to any table to make your workstation mobile, and when you're done, tuck it neatly out of the way again. Gladiator Garage works makes a handy, adjustable leg workbench I plan to have in my next garage.

5. Whenever possible, use open shelving instead of cabinets. Not only are they easier to install and less expensive, they also take up less room because you do not need to allow for swinging doors. They also let you see everything you've got, increasing the space's functionality. One exception would be a cabinet with doors that can be locked to store hazardous chemicals if you have small children, especially if the chemicals can not be stored high out of reach.

6. The only way to keep organized is to keep an eye on what you have. One idea is to store the tiny tidbits on your tool shelves in clear spice jars, so you will not have to hunt them down when you need them, or mount the jars under a shelf. I use a parts organizer like this for my spare hardware. If you have drawers, try painting them with chalkboard paint, so you can clearly label - and re-label - what's inside.

7. Not everything is appropriate to store in your garage. If you think you're saving money buying paper goods in bulk, you'll be throwing that money away if you leave them out to become insect bait. Paint should also be moved inside, as it will be ruined by extreme weather if your garage is not climate controlled.

8. It may be easy to just lean a ladder up against the wall when not in use, but that can be an accident waiting to happen. Avoid having it tip over onto your car - or worse, on a person - by laying it down horizontally and pushing it against the wall. If possible, keep it off the floor entirely by storing your ladder on hooks.

9. Repurpose wire closet shelving by screwing them into the ceiling joists in your garage. It creates a huge amount of storage for things you do not need to get to regularly, and you can always see what's overhead.

10. Once your garage is organized, for an even more streamlined look, install moisture resistant curtains to hide your storage and work spaces. You can also use it as an opportunity to add a pop of color to the typically stark surfaces of a garage. You could even consider laminating posters or your kids' artwork to create some visual interest in the garage.

Interview With a Network Marketing Master

Christopher Terry. By day, stocks trader. By night, network marketing genius. Because of his second "night" job, Terry will be resigning from his primary day job. The really amazing part of that is he will have done this within 5 short months of joining his network marketing company.

Within the network marketing company itself, Terry is a leader and a mentor. He does not abandon his downline members. He keeps us informed of company events and policies on an almost daily basis. He lets us know he is here to support us; as long as we are willing to do the work, he will do anything within his power to help us succeed. He is a network marketer's dream upline sponsor.

How did he do it? What is his secret? I sat down with him to find out and share with you his ideas for success.

Denise: Thank you for granting me this interview, Chris.

Christopher: Thank you, Denise!

D: How long have you been working at your career as a stocks trader?

C: I have been a Stock and Futures trader since the mid 1990's. I owned a construction business prior to that. I wanted to be able work and make money from home. Although I started trading in 1995, it was not until 1998 when I was able to walk away from my construction business and trade full time.

D: How successful were you at doing that?

C: I have done very well. I find it fascinating that I can create wealth from home. I love the fact that a person can take a relatively small amount of money and create a growing stream of income; however, it's all based on your own efforts. For example, in my business if I don't trade, I do not earn income. Also, trading takes years of dedication, time and effort to become successful; in other words, there is no such thing as an overnight success.

D: I understand you became a leader and motivational speaker in your industry. Share with me how you rose to that level.

C: I was actually in Amway for several years in the 1990s. I was fortunate to hit levels of success here in the United States in that company. I then went overseas as Amway opened up new markets, which gave me the opportunity to have an international business. I owe my "positive thinking" to that network marketing experience, since the leaders in Amway always recommended we read positive thinking books and listen to positive thinking tapes. At the time many considered it "brain washing." Today it is called "Laws of Attraction." So, l was into positive thinking and Laws of Attraction before it was a cool thing to do. That time period in my life gave me the foundation to grow both mentally and financially. I started a business outside of Amway, and then I went into the trading business.

D: What qualities do you see within you that helped you achieve success in your trading career?

C: I would have to say vision and foresight. I look at the future of what things can be, not as they are, and then I take action. I have always taken action, I am not afraid of whether that action turns out right or wrong. The worst thing to do is to have an idea and a plan but never actually do anything to put that plan into action. It is better to do something and fail than to never have done anything at all. I have always had a drive for success once I realized I have the power and the ability to become whomever and whatever I want. There is a four-letter word to success, and its spelled W-O-R-K; the reality is anything worthwhile takes work, trading and network marketing included!

D: Do you think those same qualities helped you build your network marketing business?

C: Those, and also reading positive thinking books and books on success, as well as overcoming my fear to speak to people. I was very shy growing up, so I learned to say "Hi" and start a conversation, to truly become interested in other people and what they had to say. I also am not afraid to work; if I had to dig ditches for a living, I would be the best ditch digger I could possibly be. I believe once you get your mindset right and you learn to ask the right questions, the game is 90% won, and success will be yours.

D: Tell me how you got involved in network marketing.

C: Interesting story! I was dating a girl and she was bragging about how her boss was making $5,000 a month in some business and that I should talk to him, so I did. He signed me up, and then my girlfriend, the very one who told me to speak to him, wanted me to quit because it was Amway! I told my sponsor that I had some problems and I had to quit. He told me, "Get rid of the problems." So, I broke up with my girlfriend and built Amway, and as you already know, I became very successful in that business!

D: Were you familiar with network marketing before that?

C: No, I was not.

D: What were your thoughts and, perhaps, preconceived notions, about network marketing in general, prior to joining your first network marketing company?

C: I had no idea what it was, all I knew was I had to bring people in the business with me, sell some products and I would get rich. Unfortunately, though, it does not work that way!

D: Could you elaborate on that idea? Most of us are brought into this industry with that same notion, and we all eventually experience the same rude awakening that you just described, that it is not as easy as they make it sound. So please, for the people reading this who are not yet in network marketing and are considering it, as well as for those who have started and perhaps are failing, explain what you mean.

C: Well, of course you do not just get in and get rich, this is the most common misconception about network marketing. There are people who enter the business and think everybody they know will get in with them. Then there are people who come in saying they have this "one guy that if he gets in, he will make us all rich, he knows everybody!" and it is the furthest thing from the truth. This business is a numbers game. To be successful, you must expose people to the business every single day, to be consistently meeting new people and telling others about our dynamic opportunity. The more people you come in contact with, the more likely you will find people who want to become a part of your team and earn an income with you. This is true from day one; even though you may have a list of 100 or 500 people that you know, you still want to always be in the creative mode and working what I like to call the ABC's - Always Be Contacting. You do not know where the next million dollar earner will come from.

The hardest thing for me is I cannot take the feelings inside my heart and mind that motivate me and give them to someone else, although I wish I could. The truth is, everybody has to find their own will, desire, and hunger to succeed; without them, they will end up like the rest, having some success, but not truly creating wealth. We all know or have heard the hard, cold fact that 98% of the people in this great country are broke and do not have a backup plan; if they lose their job or business, they will be 90-120 days away from poverty. People can blame it on the government, but the responsibility ultimately falls on each one of us. We should be proactive when we do not actually need to be and start our own home based businesses, which will get us out of that 98% and into the 2% income earners.

One final thought on this topic: I think the reason most people fail in the network marketing industry is that they treat it like a job and not like their own business. When you act as if it is just another job, you do the least amount of work possible for whatever pay you can get. These people want to work very few hours and get rich right away. Unfortunately, this does not happen in network marketing. Those who invest their time and effort into growing the business, even if there is no income at first, can see the vision of the future. At the beginning they will work 20 hours a day for zero pay, because they see that putting in 20 hours will pay the equivalent of 2,000 hours' worth of work one day, and eventually zero hours will pay 10,000 hours. Fortunately, in our business the compensation for our work is amazing, but if you do not expand with people, you will not take advantage of the true income potential of network marketing.

D: Thorough and well said. I would like to add that when you said one should always be in the creative mode, in addition to working the ABC's, I think the creativity part should apply to marketing your business. Be creative in your marketing efforts. Think outside of the box and create many different marketing campaigns. Utilize technology and the internet. The more you put yourself out there, the more you achieve exactly what you are saying, Chris, which is maximum exposure of the business to as many people as possible so you can increase your odds of signing up significant numbers new members into your downline. I do this on a daily basis myself, and I also make it a point to talk to people every day to make new contacts, as you have recommended.

Getting back to my questions, what were your first thoughts when you were introduced to the specific business we are in together?

C: I was actively looking for an online business to get into. I was not looking for network marketing/multi-level marketing, I was searching for an online business that was cutting edge and in which I could earn a residual income. When I saw this business it was in a cutting edge industry, doing business in 170 countries, it offered a strong income opportunity without having to sponsor people, yet by sponsoring people, it offered the ability to create wealth and long term residual income. They say to be successful you need a product that people want, need and can afford, that will be used over and over and is desired in the market place. I found it!

D: As we already know, this is not the only network marketing business you have ever been involved in. Were there any others besides Amway and ours?

C: I looked at a few others along the way, but I did not join any.

D: Why not?

C: Well, I am a high income earner in the trading world, both as a trader and an educator. I have been doing this for 17 years, and nothing really struck me as good enough for me to give it my full attention. I have seen MANY companies, products and services. When I saw the opportunity in the industry you and I are in together, I saw an industry that was young, dynamic, and that people loved. It has a place in the market because it meets people's desires to find a bargain and/or make a deal. Also, it is VERY profitable, so I wanted to be a part of it. I got in first, and then I learned about it as I grew with it. I have not looked back. I have built an incredible team that's growing in leaps and bounds. You are a part of that team, Denise, an amazing student and downline member.

D: Thank you, Chris! How do the other network marketing companies you've analyzed compare to the one you and I are in together?

C: They cannot compare.

D: Besides what you have already stated about our company when you actually found it, what made you think that this was the company to join?

C: I have no products to carry around, no juices or vitamins to purchase or sell, I did not have to sneak up on my family and friends, and I do not have to sell expensive products that I can buy in the store cheaper. We get paid to advertise. Period.

D: Now, I would like to share with our reading audience your own personal tips for network marketing success. Please tell me, what works for you?

C: Relationships are everything; your network is your net worth. I am always in the creative process and always opening doors to new people, saying hello and breaking the ice to get a conversation going. In network marketing, our job is to leverage time and money; without people on your team it becomes impossible. I would suggest genuinely becoming interested in others, going to events, whether it is a show or a business event, or any gathering where good quality people who you may want to work with will attend. I also suggest speaking to people who you would not normally speak to and might even make you feel a little uncomfortable; those are often your best prospects. We tend to feel heroic because we got the number of the drive-through window guy at Mc Donalds; meanwhile, we get false impressions of success when we see somebody dressed in a nice suit and tie and just assume they are already successful, so we say nothing to them because we think they've got it all already and don't need a change in their lives. Both of these people may be your best prospect, or your worst, but you will never know unless you open up the door and say something to break the ice. With the "successful business man" (or so we assume) who we are often afraid to approach, you can start with something as simple as, "Hey, nice tie, where did you get it?" Then see where the conversation leads.

D: Is there anything that you've done that didn't work so well?

C: Yes. As I've mentioned before, it takes years to become an "overnight success." I have made, will make, and will continue to make mistakes. It is okay to fail; the more you fail the closer you will get to winning. Becoming immune to failing is the key to success. You may wonder why I say this. Well, if you have somebody who is not used to failing and thinks failing is bad, then when he/she hears "No" enough times, it damages his/her confidence, and that person is afraid to keep trying. However, if you are not afraid to fail, you will not let those "No's" stop you. Instead, you will become more motivated to find the people who will say "YES" to your opportunity or presentation. Become a failure to become a success. This goes for ANY business!

D: What is the ONE business building idea you can share that you think is the MAIN reason you are where you are today, about to retire from trading, and about to embark on some major journeys in life, both literally and figuratively?

C: First, let me clarify something very important. The word "retire" is loosely used in the network marketing industry. I have been trading for 17 years and it is time for me to take a break. Do I think I will stay out of it for long period of time? No, it has always has been and will always be a passion of mine. I have built my name and reputation as a trader and educator, so I will most definitely return to the industry; however, I welcome a break in the action right now.

I love to help and give to others, so this is my current mission. There is nothing better than creating a profit in network marketing and helping others create wealth in the same fashion. Then, bringing my profession back into the mix, profiting on those profits as a trader too is a home run! However, I really do have the freedom to either work or not work; that is how large the income that I have created in our network marketing business is already. The MAIN reason I am where I am today is I will do whatever it takes; I will work 100 hours in a 24 hour day until I make it. As I said earlier, the main ingredient for me is that four-letter curse word, W O R K... and I have a LOW "IQ" ("I QUIT") level!

D: Lastly, you are extremely jazzed about the network marketing company we are in together. What are the defining qualities of this company that makes it so good? Based on that, what should people look for in their own network marketing company or when deciding to actually join one?

C: Well, it seems lately I am sleeping no more than 3 hours per night! The energy of the team, of the company, and of the industry has taken the world by storm, and this keeps me "jazzed" as you say! I believe I had already mentioned earlier the reasons why I like our company, because there are no products to lug around and there is no trying to sell to friends and family a product or service they do not want. I have been approached by other network marketing companies that involve selling legal insurance, utility companies, juice companies, vitamin companies, weight loss companies, you name it! I have found that ours is so simple; our work is to advertise and it takes no more than two minutes per day. I am from the Amway world. I got my PhD in network marketing. In my opinion, the most ideal situation is the one that does not require a person to sponsor people to become successful, yet offers the opportunity to earn larger income because you do sponsor, train, and motivate others, and once you help them earn income, you earn additional bonuses. I come from a world where, when you help enough people get what you want, you in turn will get what you want. Everybody has their own version of what is best for them. Some may like a particular industry. My advice? Do your due diligence, figure out what you are passionate about, and run with it. That's all.

I want to thank Mr. Terry for taking the time to answer these questions so thoughtfully and thoroughly.

On a side note, Christopher Terry is one of the most benevolent and philanthropic men I've ever met, and he does it without creating great publicity or accolades for his generosity. He believes very strongly in the idea that "it is in giving that you shall receive." I am honored to know him and very glad we have gone into business together.

So there you have it. Christopher Terry's story and his tips for helping you create success in your own network marketing company. If you want have any questions or want to learn more, please email me at denise@bettermlmsuccess.com.

Tips For Good Money Management

Learning how to effectively manage your money enables people to live comfortably within their means. Money management tips also allow people to increase their wealth, and the following money management tips can allow you to stay steadily in control of your finances!

First of all, you should set yourself a money management goal. A good money management tip like this is a means to an end. You must make your goal practically, however, and ensure that the end something that is in clear sight. Whilst your money management goal could be the prospect of having a comfortable retirement - you should begin with smaller objectives, like paying off a debt within a certain amount of months, or saving a particular amount of money within a chosen period of time. The satisfaction that comes with achieving a money management goal, motivates you to do more and more, possibly allowing yourself to have a comfortable retirement - and that's what makes this money management tip such a good one.

Secondly, it can be wise for you to know precisely what you have. You need to live within your means, and you must also understand exactly what your means are! Out of all the money management tips, this tip allows you to steadily monitor your cash flow, and allow you to see exactly how rich you actually are.

You should look specifically at any disposable income you have, in your pocket or wallet, or in any bank accounts. You must not include any sources of finance like overdrafts or loans, as extremely, that money is always owed to a creditor! Sometimes you have old bank accounts you have not used, or stashes of money left for a rainy day. Find these sums of money and include them in your calculations of how much money you really do have available to spend.

The third tip in a long line of money management tips would be to track any arm of income that you have. If there is at least one month's worth of old cheque stubs - you should add them up and divide them to see what your average incomes accounts to.

Even better, you could add them for a quarter of the year and divide this amount by the number of weeks in a quarter (13) - giving you a completely accurate view of your perception power. Perhaps you have not saved cheque stubs - so try it for four weeks. And do not just multiply your weekly wage by four, as you could well be forgetting sick days, or any other days you have not been able to make it to work, and even omitting extra income from any holidays.

Another in the long line of money management tips would be to track your overall spending. As soon as you know what money you have and what income you should expect you should be looking at where exactly your money goes. You could take one month as an example, and watch what you spend down to the very last penny. After a few weeks of doing this, you could well find yourself reconsidering some purchases, and wondering whether or not you actually need to waste your money on such things!

Seller's Guide For Junk Cars

So, you have a junk car in your backyard and you want to get rid of it as soon as possible, but you do not know where, when and how to sell a junk car? Let me tell you one thing, you are not alone, as there are thousands of other people facing the same situation. This article will give you all the information you require for selling a car.

When it comes to selling junk cars, then there are two choices. You may either place your quote online or you sell it using traditional means. I am talking about placing ads in newspapers and contacting car dismanting companies. I personally suggest using online means for selling your old car, as online car dealers offer better prices.

You should sell your old car as soon as possible, as delay of even a single day will decrease the value of your old car. Some people keep on waiting for the right time to come, expecting that they will get more money. Although, it is good to be optimistic yet we must also accept reality and the reality is that your car is becoming older day by day.

There are a few pitfalls to avoid while selling junk cars. Firstly, you should be very careful while selling your old car. Prefer dealing with the car dealer who is reliable and who is authorized buyer of junk cars. In addition, he should have a good track record. Another important thing is to call your mechanic. Your mechanic will tell you the exact worth of your car after inspecting it properly. It is highly recommended talking with several car dealers at a time so that you can sell to one who is paying you maximum amount of cash.

Following are some of the tips for selling your old car at higher price.

• Get the body of your car painted or apply a new spray on it
• If there are any minor repairs, get them repaired as soon as possible
• Keep the car service records with you

You can get a minimum of $ 1,000 for your car even if its engine is not working. If luckily, the model of your car is relatively new and its age is also less, then you can get several thousand dollars. Just the metal costs $ 200 per ton these days. So, if there is any junk car at your home which belong to your parents or grandparents, then feel free to sell it as old cars are in great demand these days. I hope this guide will be helpful in selling old vehicles.

How to Clean a Motorcycle Carburetor, The Right Way

I get asked about Carburetor Cleaning regularly both from readers and from friends offline. So I've decided to write a definitive guide for cleaning carbs the RIGHT way. So put your tools down for a minute, grab a beer, and give this a read. You might just save yourself a lot of headache and sweat.

Carbs come in many shapes and sizes. Single carbs, dual carbs, racks of 3, 4 or 6, V racks, carbs with ticklers, carbs with accelerators, carbs with asynchronous designs, and carbs that operate vertically. While working on some carburetors is more difficult (due to design) than others, they all share the same basic components, and the process of cleaning those components is generally identical.

BEFORE YOU START

Make sure that dirty carbs are actually your problem. Lots of things can make a bike run poor or not start. Weak battery, corroded electrics, old spark plugs, bad timing, low compression, mis-adjusted valves, dirty air filter, and plugged exhausts can all cause poor running. I'll write an article periodically on how to diagnose poor running conditions shortly, but for now - lets just deal with the carbs.

OK, SO YOUR CARBS ARE DIRTY

Once it has been determined that the carbs are the problem it's time to get to it. Some racks of carbs are easier to remove than others. If you're working on a newer model bike the rubber boots from the airbox to the carbs and the manifold boots from the carbs to the motor should be reliably soft and pliable. On older bikes however this is rarely the case.

First remove the fuel tank, seat, and side covers. Depending on your model of bike other parts may need to be removed too. For many single cylinder bikes the carb can often be removed without removing any body work at all.

The bike below is a 1983 Yamaha XJ750 Seca with 4 inline Hitachi carburetors

You'll want to loosen the circle clamps on all of the rubber boots. Sometimes I'll even take them all right off (carefully, without bending them too badly) so that they are not in the way.

Inspect the airbox. On many bikes it is bolted in place to tabs on the frame. Remove those bolts and try to create as much space as possible for the airbox to pull backwards.

Next, put the bike on it's centerstand and straddle it facing forward. Put your right hand on the right-most carburetor and your left hand on the left-most carburetor and get ready to sweat. Sometimes you'll be able to pull the carbs straight backwards nice and easy, but that is pretty rare. I usually end up rotating them up then rotating them down as best I can while pulling backwards furiously. This can really take some work and time, especially if you've never done it before. In real extreme cases where you just can not get the carbs to pull back out of the manifold boots I have a couple tips. These tips should only be used in extremely difficult cases when you have been struggling for an hour and simple can not get the carbs to pull back out of the manifold boots.

Tip 1: Ratchet Straps - This is sort of a last resort, but it has worked without fail for me when I'm pooling sweat on the garage floor and the carbs are not budging. Wrap a ratchet strap around one of the outer carbs and put the hooks somewhere on the rear of the frame. Then slowly ratchet the carbs right out of the boots. Be careful not to pull them too cockeye'd or you could damage the boots. Attach a second ratchet strap to the other side if necessary. (Note: you can do this in the opposite direction to force carbs back into the boots once they are clean.)

Tip 2: Full Pull! - You should do this before you do the ratchet strap method above. Sit down on your butt along one side of the bike. Wedge one of your feet up between the forks and the front fender, then put both hands on the same outermost carb and PULL PULL PULL! This might not work so well if you're short! Ha.

Ok, So The Carbs are rolled back

Chances are the airbox boots are all crammed up now. Do your best to rotate the carbs up and out from the boots and pull them out one side of the bike. Sometimes it's easier to pull the carbs out one side than the other, so have a look to see if there are frame elements, motor elements, or hoses that may block the carbs from coming out on one side.

Also keep note of the throttle cable (s) and choke cable (if there is one). Now may be a good time to loosen the nuts that hold them in place and disconnect them.

Struggle just a couple more minutes wriggling the carbs out the side.

Ok, You have the carbs off the bike

Make sure you brush off any loose dirt or grime, then flip the carbs over and remove the screws from the corners of the carburetor. Some carbs will not have bolts in the corner and instead have a wire latch over top which can just be forced over.

Remove the bowls.

If the carbs are real gummed up the insides might look like this:

It's obvious that these carbs are all clogged up. Some carbs might not look so bad, some might be a lot worse. It's always a mystery what will be inside the bowls.

Now it's time to remove the floats. It's generally a good idea to drench everything in carb cleaner (available at any autoparts store). Sometimes the pins will practically fall right out, sometimes they'll be so stubborn you will not think they'll ever come free. But they will! Carefully push on the pin from either side. Sometimes a nail and a gentle tap from a hammer is helpful. ** BE CAREFUL **, using force to remove a stuck float pin can break off the pin tower. If they are really stuck and you can not seem to work them free here are a couple tips.

Tip 1: Heat - Adding a little flame to the float pin towers can help. ** Do not Burn Down Your Garage !! **

Tip 2: Pliers - Using pliers to gently clamp the end of the pin and push it through has worked well for me in the past. ** Do not break the towers !! **

Once the float pin is out you can remove the floats, the float needle, and unscrew the float jet screen.

Set everything aside. Next remove the main jet, pilot jet, and idle jet (if there is one). They should come out easily with a flathead screw driver.

Set them aside.

Next flip the carburetors back over and remove the caps. Underneath the caps is a rubber diaphram with a spring. Sometimes the caps have a tendency to shoot off the top, so be very methodical when removing the screws. Other times the cap tends to stick down until you start to pry at it, then it shoots off, again, just be careful and do not loose any parts.

Next you'll want to gently pull the slides up out of the carburetor body. You can gently pull on the rubber diaphrams, but be very careful not to tear them. If they do not come up easily stick your finger into the carb intake and push the slide up with your finger. You can also gently pry it with a screw driver (gently). If it does not want to budge do not force it. Instead finish reading this article and pay attention to the boiling tips further down.

Now your carbs should be pretty well emptied out. If the throttle on the bike moved fluidly and smooth there is little reason to do much to the carb bodies themselves. However, if the trottle was real sticky or frozen there are a few things you can do to free it up. Sometimes just drenching all the throttle components on the carbs and letting it soak is enough, other times it is not. I generally try to break racks of carbs apart. It is not often necessary and can be confusing to put everything back together in the right places. Also, the little rubber connector hoses and o-rings have a tendency to crack or leak if you mess with them. If you can not work the throttle back and forth until its smooth have a look at the boiling tips further down.

Keep it Neat

Organization pays off.

Clean the Main, Idle and Pilot Jets

Hold each jet up to the light and see if you can look through it. The idle and / or pilot jets have extremely small holes so make sure you are looking through them straight. If you can see through the jet it is not clogged. There could be a little gunk built up around the edges so spray them down with carb cleaner and let them sit a bit.

If you can not see through the jet it is clogged and needs to be cleaned. Always try the easiest things first. Here's an ordered list of a few things you can do to clean the jet.
Blow through it. - Rarely works, but hey, who knows.
Compressed air. - Force 100 pounds into it. Works incidentally. Make sure to hold the jet tightly so it does not go flying across the garage. You may put the jet back into the body body to hold it in place for this.
Soak it in cleaner. - When I first started cleaning carbs I thought carb cleaner would be the magic answer. It is not. In fact, I hardly ever use carb cleaner any more, because it simply does not do very good job of anything but removing varnish from the bowl and slide. But try this.
Poking it through. - Collect a few different diameters of needle like objects. A wire from a steel bristle brush works well, a bristle from a broom works well, a baby pin, small sewing needle, etc. Very gently try to poke it through the jet. If you are using a metal needle use caution, brass jets can scratch and deform easily.
Boiling! - This works better than anything. Toss the jets into a pot of boiling water and let them bounce around for a couple minutes. When you pull them out blow some compressed air through them and you'll most likely be good to go.

Some idle jets can be real tricky and never seem like they'll be cleaned out. . . Just keep working at it, I've never met a jet that could not be cleaned.

Cleaning the Choke and Air Mixture Screw

Air mixture screws have a tendency to strip or break. If the carbs were real gummed up you might find that the air screws are stuck. Do not force them, if they do not want to come out, just leave them for now. It is fairly rare that these screws will need to be cleaned because they are above the float level. If you can get them out just wipe them with carb cleaner and spray some through the jet.

Cleaning the Slide and Needle

These are easy to clean. Squirt them with a bit of carb cleaner, wd-40, or anything similar, then wipe them down with a rag. Once the varnish is gone they're good to go. Sometimes they get heavy varnish on them which I will scratch off carefully with a piece of plastic. Scratching the slide and needle is a BAD thing, use caution.

Cleaning the Carb Bodies

Use the same squirt and wipe method noted above. Most of the time the other press jets and passes in the carburetors will not be clogged. But if the bike has been sitting a real long time with squirrels in the airbox it is certainly possible. Us a compressor to blow some air into every passage you can see. Listen for the air coming out the other side. If no air compressor is available use a can of WD-40 with a straw attachment.

If some of the press jets are clogged it can be difficult to open them up. There are a few things you can do.
Carb Dip - Most autoparts stores sell carb dip. It comes in a can similar to a paint can and is a VERY harsh cleaning agent. Soak the entire carbs in this dip. This dip can eat at rubber and plastics if they are submerged for too long, so try and remove everything you can from the carb bodies before soaking them. Once you pull them out swish the carbs around in a bucket of water to clean off the excess dip, then hose them down with WD-40 to get rid of the water.
Boiling in Water - Not many people do this but it is by far the best way of cleaning carburetors. Dropping the carbs into a pot of boiling water will instantly free up stuck slides, throttle plates, and other frozen parts. It will also loosen the dirt and crime clogging up pressed jets and other passes. Just make sure to dry the carbs thoroughly with compressed air or the sun afterwards.
Boiling in Lemon Juice - There is NOTHING BETTER at cleaning carbs than a huge pot of boiling lemon juice. The acidity from the lemons eats through everything; gas varnish, oil build up, dirt, grime, etc. Sometimes I will not even bother doing anything but this - I'll just remove the bowls, remove the caps, then drop everything into the pot and let it sit for 20 minutes (rotate them a few times). The one caveat to doing this is that you'll want to wash the lemon juice off the carbs as soon as you pull them out. So have a bucket of water ready, or a can of WD-40 to hose them down. Also note that the acidity has a tendency to put a dull finish on the aluminum bodies of the carbs. This is not a problem in most cases, but if you must have everything shiny be prepared to do a little scrubbing and polishing afterwards. It may sound weird, but trust me, I just saved you LOTS of time. (Most dollar stores sell 1/2 gallon jugs of lemon juice, so buying a few gallons will only cost you $ 6.

Cleaning the Bowls

This is pretty straight forward. Use any of the methods above to transform your varnished bowls.

Most carb bowls are simple, just clean them up and they are good to go. But I picked this Hitachi's for photos because they have a jet built into the bowl. You can see the 'fifth' hole along the edge of the bowl, that is actually a thin passage that extends to the bottom of the bowl. This is for the idle jet and is extremely important. If these passage are clogged, the bike will not stay running, period. Use the same poke, soak, and boiling methods issued elsewhere in this article. Not all bowls have these passes, only some, if your's do not - good for you!

Once Everything is Clean

Now that everything is clean it's time to put it all back together. Take your time and make sure you put everything back where it came from. WD-40 is your friend. When screwing in the jets do not over do it, they only need to be fired and snug, do NOT use any force putting the carbs back together.

If the bowl gaskets got goobered up you can put a little RVT on them. So long as the float needles are still in good condition leaky gaskets should not be an issue. However, prudent carb tinkerers may want to order replacements if necessary.

Once the carbs are back together stuff them back into the bike!

Extra Notes
Rebuild Kits - This guide didnt mention rebuild kits until now. Rebuild kits (consisting of new gaskets, jets, needles, etc) can be purchased for almost any bike, both old and new. 95% of the time these are NOT needed. I have rebuilt enough carbs to block off main street, and only once have I used new parts. ONCE!
Carburetor Adjustment - Carburetor adjustment, setup, jetting, and synchronizing is a whole encyclopedia waiting to happen. Those topics are not covered in this article, but I will address them in future articles.
Carburetor Polishing - External carb asthetics will be important to some, and not to others. Cleaning is all I am covering here, this will be addressed in the future.
Work Space - Make sure you have lots of space to keep organized. I also like to work on a wooden surface because it absorbs the spilled gas and cleaners rather than pooling.

That's it! You're Done!

I'll continue to write a couple more related articles about diagnosing carburetion issues as well as the proper way to adjust, jet, and tune your carbs.

How To Get Better Lyrics

Whether you're an advanced artist, or just starting out in the game, the one thing that all rappers and singers need is ... LYRICS! If you're a more advanced artist, this is sure to help further you in your journey to the top. However, if you're a beginner, this guide will catapult you to the next level in virtually NO TIME! You can pick and choose which methods to try freely, but for the ABSOLUTE BEST results follow this guide EXACTLY!

Step 1. Read Daily.

Reading is the NUMBER ONE pathway to gaining better lyrics. Not only does it increase your Rap skills, reading also expands your vocabulary. When the vocabulary is expanded, YOU, the rapper, singer, or songwriter is able to express himself much more freely, fluently, and accurately. Most people only use a certain amount of words per day, even in a lifetime. Just imagine if you learned 20 or more new words, and could use them correctly in a sentence ... The next time you hit the studio to record your one of your songs, you'll sound like a much more advanced artist! This is the first and most important step to winning better lyrics. With that being said, pick up some books that interest you, as well as some magazines, more web articles like these and be sure to READ EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Step 2. Write Daily.

Just as reading is fundamental to winning better lyrics, writing is also an essential part of your journey. Wether it's a full song, a verse, or a few punch-lines, if you want to have the BEST rapper or singer, you have to write EVERY SINGLE DAY! Even if it seems like you're not getting better. The more you work at writing, the tighter your rhymes will become. Just throw on your favorite instrumentals, vibe to them, and write whatever comes to you. It does'nt really matter what you're writing, just be sure to do it as much as possible. It's also good to write about different subjects. Challenge yourself, get out of your comfort zone, and every now and then, try different styles of writing. Remember ... whenever you write, you're increasing the quality of your lyrics ... Be sure to WRITE EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Step 3. Freestyling.

Although you may not know this, but freestyling can help you achieve better lyrics. Freestyling is an art form that requires one to think on His / her feet, have fluidity, and constantly be creative. It does not matter if you're a beginner or an expert ... Everyone should try freestyling. You'd be amazed at what you'll come up with on the fly! If you are a beginner, do not worry about sounding SO good at first, you will get better. Just practice with the ultimate goal of being the best you possibly can be at your craft. Some of the best rappers can freestyle. It also makes coming up with songs a lot easier. With regular practice, you'll start to notice your skills getting sharp as a razor blade!

Step 4. Listen to other Artists with Lyrics.

One of the most important things to do on top of the prior tips is to listen to artists with great lyrics. Just as the old saying goes, "You are what you eat," I also believe that "You are what you listened to". A lot of times when you first start writing, you tend to sound a lot like the artists that you listened to the most. An example of artists with good lyrics would be Jay-Z, Nas, 2Pac, Biggie, Common, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, The Game, Jadakiss, Cam'ron, TI, Outkast, 8Ball & MJG, and many others! You should also listen to artists that are considered to be from the "Golden Era" of Hip-Hop. These are some of those artists: Eric B. Rakim, EPMD, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, KRS-One, Public Enemy, NWA, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah and more! Jamming other artists with unpredictable lyrics on the regular will inspire you and drive you to work harder to enhance your lyrics.

Step 5. Get Better Beats!

Last but not least, you need HOT BEATS! Ideas can come from anywhere, but most of the time our main source of inspiration is a dope instrumental. How can you make an epic song or the next club banger if the beats are not helping to motivate you to go as hard as possible with your rhymes ?! You can not! Well ... you can, but things will go a lot smoother for you when you're able to vibe to a beat that you're feeling, versus some whack sorry excuse for a beat. If you're featuring on someone else's song, you might not be able to help the whackness ... However on your own projects, be sure to get the toughest production possible. It will inspire you to bring your "A" game every time, then once again, helping you achieve better lyrics!

So, lets review what you've learned! If you want better lyrics, there's five things you should try to do daily. Read, write, freestyle, Listen to lyrical artists, and get better beats!

Some of the Best Ideas On Making Money Through Affiliate Marketing

If you are not sure what direction to go in with affiliate marketing, then you want to start learning as many tips as possible. People seem to become more focused and have an idea with what they want on their sites when they understand ways they can succeed in affiliate marketing. So take a look at this article and see what inspires you.

Consider weekly or monthly prizes. Visitors will keep coming back to your site to see what the prize is. Do not forget to keep their interest by providing relevant information that they want to learn about. This is also a good way to get sign-ups to your newsletter; tell them you will notify them about the prize through e-mail.

If you have a website for your business, your domain name should be on everything that you own. Use your own personal vehicle, t-shirts, stationary, email signature and more, to permanently put the name of your website out there. Constant reminders will stick in people's heads and make them want to look it up.

Look for easy to sell products when you first start out. In the beginning, you do not want to be advertising for something no one has ever heard of. It puts pressure on both you and the consumer. The best way to go is to look at what products are currently "hot" and start with those. Once you have established a base, you can move to more challenging sales.

Stick with an affiliate marketer that consistently churns out products. If you want reliable contracts and new product promotion opportunities from a reputable, solid affiliate company, look for one that continually produces new products for you to promote. Fad products tend to work well for only a short period of time. Therefore, they are not good for a stable income.

To get a wider range of visitors to click through to your merchants, give them choices. Rather than sell just one hairdresser, sell five hairdryers and let them choose them favorite. Giving your visitors options makes them feel in control of the situation. Providing choices also increases your chance of appealing to visitors with specific criteria in mind.

In order to make money through affiliate marketing, you need to have an understanding of the basics. You should do all you can to make sure that your website or blog is ranked as high as possible with the search engines. This will earn you better affiliates, which leads to additional money.

A great affiliate marketing tip is to promote good products on your web site. By promoting good products, your customers will trust you even more. On the other hand, if you promote an inferior product, you may lose the trust of your customers, which is definitely bad for business.

Hopefully you have a better understanding of the direction you want to go in when it comes to affiliate marketing. Just remember to pick a topic you know about and continue to expand your knowledge on it as well as learning new tips on how to succeed with affiliate marketing.

Are Your Managers Ready for Generation Y Employees?

Generation Y or the "Internet Generation" will dramatically change every aspect of your business in the next five years!

Change will be constant, rapid and revolutionary. Want proof?

First, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is putting all of their 1,500 courses on the Internet. MIT believes that the "disclosure of knowledge and information can open new doors to the powerful benefits of education for humanity around the world." That means students, educators and self-learners will be able to audit these courses when and where they want.

Second, Bob Lutz, General Motors Vice Chairman, has a blog to communicate directly with his customers. It is an invaluable way to get important information out to the market. It is also a vehicle for timely and accurate feedback. Other GM executives are setting up blogs to talk directly to and get information from their employees. By comparison, Microsoft has over 1,500 customer and employee blogs.

Third, YouTube is an Internet overnight success story. It allows people to upload and share videos over the Internet. To date they have 100 million videos on their site and receive another 65,000 per day. The company was founded in February 2005, and was never profitable. Yet, Google understands the potential of their technology and purchased the company nineteen months later for $ 1.65 billion.

While Gen X employees understand Internet, multitasking and instant communications, Generation Y members excels at use of these three tools, and they will use them to transform business. They will challenge every aspect of the workplace.

How do the different generational employees look managers?

B oomers: The boss is not always right, but the boss is always the boss. I will put in long hours to get ahead. If necessary, I will do so at the expense of my family.

Generation X: The boss is not always right, but I'm not going to be here very long. I watched my parent's jobs being downsized or outsourced so I do not have the same loyalty to a company they did. I'm not married to the company; I value my life outside of work.

Generation Y: The boss is not always right, but are they open to new ways to do business? Events like 9/11 and the Columbine High School shooting have taught us that life can be fleeting. The Internet as exposed us to new ways of approaching life and work. I want to flexibility, to be valued for my ideas and my work and I want time off to volunteer.

They are called Generation Y, as in "why," because they are constantly questioning the status quo. They are almost as large as the Boomer generation and are over 65% larger than the Generation X group. In the next twenty-five years 80 million Boomers will be retiring. As the Boomers retire, the Gen X employees will become the Gen Y's managers. However, because of their sheer size Generation Y will be the overwhelming influence in the workplace for the next fifty years.

Generation Y fully embraces technology. Today's twenty-year-old college graduate was only five years old when the Internet was developed in 1992. They have always had the world at their finger tips. They grow up with instant messaging, text messaging, cell phones, iPods, PDAs, MySpace, YouTube, multitasking and blogging. They think, and act, in terms of instant communications. While Gen X employees understand and used these vehicles, Generation Y is totally immersed in them.

Baby Boomers changed the culture on civil rights, woman's rights, and gay rights. Their world was shaped by the Cold War. The members of Generation Y were born after the Civil Rights Act was passed (1964), the gay rights movement started (1969), the first woman sat on the US Supreme Court (1975), and the Berlin Wall came down (1990). The struggles many of us remember are accepted facts in their world. Generation Y individuals overlap diversity as an accepted norm and until recently knew nothing about war. Their world has always included diversity.

Each of us has memories of some recent tragic events: the Oklahoma bombing, the Columbine High school shooting, the World Trade Center bombing, and three wars-Iraq, Afghanistan and the War on Terror. If you were a thirteen to fifteen year old, how would these events shape your thoughts about the future? In a practical way These Generation Y's remain optimistic.

Generation Y members are group-oriented, confident, goal-oriented and civic-minded. They have a more worldly view than Generation X'ers. These new employees have been coddled by their parents. As children they received trophies for simply participating on a team. Parents told them were special and capable of doing anything. Their non-school activities were scheduled (eg, karate, soccer, etc.), and their parents were not afraid to call a teacher, coach or boy Scout leader if they did not think their child was being treated fairly.

Generation Y kids have been raised with instant communication, unrealistic feedback and rapid decision making as the norm. They believe they have the world in the palm of their hand. And, with their knowledge of today's technology they do.

So what can your managers do to get ready for Generation Y employees? Generation Y employees want to be heard and valued by their company when they start with your company. They place a high value on family and flexibility and will volunteer their time to cause them feel are important. They are fearless and not intimidated by titles or corporate organizational charts.

They love variety and are not afraid of change. If they think they have a good suggestion they will take ownership of the idea. And, they will not be afraid to take the idea up the corporate ladder to be heard.

Successful companies must find ways to harness the new employee's talents, integrate them into the company and turn ideas into a competitive advantage. Progressive companies understand that learning is a two-way street. Generation Y employees will revolutionize internal and external communications. Companies have a lot to teach the Gen Y's, but they have a lot to learn from them also. That will be difficult in rigid, highly structured companies.

Jack Welsh, former CEO of General Electric, stated that "... ebusiness knowledge is usually inversely proportional to age and rank." Hiring, challenging and retaining good employees have always been the hallmark of successful companies.

Successful companies today must develop a culture of learning, sharing and embracing change. They will employ two-way mentoring, blogging, new training platforms, and new ways of hiring and promoting people.

Training Generation Y employees will change. Boring, all-day seminars will become less frequent. Generation Y employees will text message their friends during those seminars. They need the information in the seminar, but companies will have the training available in different platforms and in smaller "bite-sized" portions. These training modules will be downloadable to an employees' Blackberry, iPod or computer. The employee will view the sessions at home, or on a plane or listen to them in the car driving to an appointment.

This is an exciting and dynamic time for business! Change will be constant, rapid and revolutionary.

Generation Y employees will change how we look at hiring, turnover, mentoring, performance reviews, employee orientation, retention issues, and how we communicate with our employees and customers. Are your managers ready for this new employee?

Questions for Discussion:

1. A new employee takes approximately six months to "learn the routes," and they will probably leave the company within four years. How will your managers take full advantage of the Generation Y employee's creative energies?

1. What systems within your company need to be reviewed to take advantage of these upcoming changes?

1. How can you dramatically change the way you communicate with your customers and your employees?

Flow Experience - A Key To Happiness

What is flow experience?

Flow experience is a concept defined by Csikszentmihalyi to describe those moments when you are completely and collectively absorbed in an activity. As such, everything else is forgotten. You have total concentration and nothing else matters. You are no longer aware of what is going on around you. The rest of the world is forgotten.

When you are in a flow experience, your focus is so complete that you forget about sleeping and eating. You are not even aware of yourself; you are immersed in the activity you are engaged in.

Sincemore, since you are so engrossed in the activity, your experience of time changes. You are so absorbed that the past and future are forgotten. Time absolutely flies by, although you are not aware of this at the time. It is only when you come out of the activity that you notice how much time has passed.

You can have a flow experience with any activity that is mindful and requires you to actively participate in it. As such, good conversation, reading a novel, playing sport, working on your hobby, letter writing, gardening, even cleaning the house are examples where you can experience flow. Passive activities such as watching television and sport are not conducive to a flow experience. You will probably know when you have had a flow experience as you will get that feel-good buzz afterwards of having engaged in something engrossing.

Whilst you are engaged in your activity, you will feel completely in control and are not worried about success or failure. The activity fees effortless but engaging. To the objective observer the activity may look risky and demanding (for example, surfing), but not to you, the participant.

We all possess the ability to engage in flow experiences and the more we have, the happier we are.

Why is it important?

• Flow enables you to focus and have total control and concentration during a particular experience.
• Understanding flow enables you to focus your attention at will, rather than waiting for something to come and grab your attention.
• Your skills are being used at their very best - you are giving your all.
• It can help you achieve your goals, since you are free from intrusive thoughts and events.
• It will enhance your well-being and happiness.
• Understanding flow can help you understand why you are procrastinating on a particular issue. Have a look at the conditions needed for a flow experience and reflect on them in terms of the task you are struggling to stay.

The three conditions to a flow experience

Csikszentmihalyi stipulates three conditions that must be met in order to have a flow experience:

1. Your chosen activity should have a clearly defined set of goals. This will help you focus your energy and give you direction.
2. You want a good balance between your perceived skills and perceived challenges. The important point here is 'perceived' rather than actual. It is a mind-state. If you believe your skills far surpass the challenge, you will become bored as it will be too easy for you. Whereas, if you perceive the challenge as being too hard for you, you will become frustrated.
3. Feedback is essential. It will enable you to modify your actions if necessary, to keep you in the flow. The feedback can be negative as well as positive. It can enable you to move on and progress (providing you have the skills to do so).
How to have more flow experiences Flow can occur with any activity, provided it is mindful. What is important is how the activity is carried out. Take a look at the following tips to help you towards engaging in regular flow experiences:

• Avoid multi-tasking. Trying to do two (or more) things at once is no way to achieve flow. It is not possible to give your all to two tasks at the same time. This will reduce your enjoyment and quite possibly the outcome may be compromised. Try to cut down on multi-tasking even for the most everyday chores.
• Try not to check your email every five minutes if you are working on a computer. Choose a time to read it and give it your full attention.
• Limit your distractions. Is there anything in your environment that is preventing you from achieving flow? Temperature, noise, layout, objects, other people, level of light can make a difference.
• Determine your goals and break them down into achievable chunks. Make sure these chunks are adequately challenging to keep your interest.
• Try new activities and develop new skills. The more your skills develop, the more pleasure you will receive. You may experience boredom or frustration early on. So take care to monitor your progress to check the activity is interesting enough and within your capability. Modify your goals if you need to.
• To keep experiencing flow with a particular activity you will need to increase the challenge - one that you believe you can meet. As your skills develop, the activity can become boring as it no longer requires as much attention. A new challenge will not only up your interest but enhance your expertise.
• How is your job? You spend a great chunk of your life in work, so you really want to obtain as many flow experiences as possible. If you are feeling bored, is there anything you can do to make it more challenging?
• Try to obtain regular feedback on what you are doing. It could be from yourself or another person.
• Avoid mindless activities which you do not actively get involved in - for example, watching television.

Read more

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1991) Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience.

Christmas Wedding Flowers

The Christmas holidays are a joyful and festive season of the year. Christmas weddings can be just as exciting as the season itself by using beautiful silk Christmas flowers in your bouquets and decorations.

The Poinsettia is the most popular Christmas flower. They can be used in bouquets or as potted plants to decorate the ceremony and reception areas. They come in colors of red, white, pink and sometimes blue.

The Poinsettia plant is a symbol of purity and their star shaped petals symbolize The Star of Bethlehem.

The Red rose symbolizes love and makes beautiful hand tied bouquets, especially when wrapping the stems with silver ribbons adorned with pearls. Small silver bells can be added to carry out a Silver Bells wedding theme. When carried down the aisle by a bridesmaid, their sounds add excitement and ambiance to the wedding theme.

The white Christmas rose with its pink tips also known as the Snow Rose or Winter Rose blooms only in winter.

A story about the Christmas rose is linked to the birth of Christ. A poor shepherd girl named Madelon was tending her sheep on the night Christ was born. The wise men and other shepherds were giving gifts of gold, myrrh, frankincense, fruit and honey to the Christ child. Madelon had nothing to give and began to cry. As she wept an angel passed by seeing her and stooped down brushing away snow at her feet to unforgettable the most beautiful Christmas rose which she presented as her gift of love for the new baby.

When choosing Christmas wedding bouquets, remember to keep size in mind. Especially the brides bouquet. An oversized bouquet can distract from the brides wedding gown. The wedding bouquet should compliment the wedding gown and help show off the bride and her beauty. After all she is the main attraction of the day.

Items of lace, fur, feathers, pearls etc can be incorporated into the bridal bouquet to enhance the brides gown.

Christmas wedding bouquets can be adorned with brightly colored Holly berries with their beautiful green foliage. Mistletoe is greenery popular during the holidays. Mistletoe has been used for more than two hundred years before the birth of Christ in Christmas celebrations. Use them to adorn the wedding altar so when the minister, priest, rabbi etc announces you as husband and wife, you will be ready to keep within the Christmas tradition of kissing under the Mistletoe.

When it comes to decking the halls at your Christmas wedding, the use of garlands designed from evergreens of Balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser Fir, White Pine or Scotch Pine, will give off a wonderful fragrance that reminds us of the holiday season. Embellishing bouquets with these evergreens also make fragrant bouquets.

For a bride on a low budget, Christmas time is the perfect time to get married and save money. Most churches are already decorated for the season with beautiful red Poinsettia, Christmas trees, Garlands of Holly and evergreens. The windows may already be decorated with candles and greenery. The only flowers the bride may need to furnish are the bridal party bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres.

Hanging Christmas cactus that blooms during December can be used to hang around the room in the reception area. After the wedding reception they can be used as gifts to your bridesmaids, parents or any one who helped with your special day. After all Christmas is the time for giving.

Dumbest Ways Internet Marketers Lose Money

I've made some stupid Internet marketing sales mistakes in my day. Some real bad ones, too.

The kind that, when thinking back, make me wince at the sheer idiocy of it all (this includes selling online, offline, belly-to-belly, by phone ... the whole ball of wax - but especially on the Internet).

Below are a FEW of those mistakes. If you find yourself making any of them, fear not.

Even though almost everyone does at least 1 or 2 (probably more) of these at some time in their lives, they are quickly and easily fixed. In some cases, even immediately fixed.

Ready?

Okay then, here goes ...

* Using pressure (or worse, intimidation)
* Waiting too long to take action (this has gotten me WAY too many times, and I shudder to think of all the sales I've flushed down the toilet because of this ...)
* Using "frothing at the mouth" claims
* Not respecting the customer's intelligence
* Selling a weak product
* Bad customer service
* Stealing (or excessively swiping) ads and sales letters
* Not collecting mailing list info (I'm still amazed how few websites do this every time someone visits their site - it's like stealing from themselves)
* Bragging without proof
* And last (but certainly not least) ... Using manipulative "tricks and tips" ... instead of proven psychological principles that are in perfect harmony with the way people think, buy and actually LIKE being sold by.

Anyway, here's the bottom line:

Methinks the black hat Internet marketers using all the head games and so-called "mind control" techniques (right ...) have no idea how much that nonsense turns people off.

Sometimes it's actually kind of amusing.