Jane says…..

Preface: I’ve never done this before, and i’m totally inexperienced about brewing. I did a little bit of research online and found this was the easiest and cheapest way to brew wine, which seems like the easiest of all alcoholic drinks to make. Follow these directions at your own risk

Like the title says, this method of brewing is not expensive (cost me roughly $12. This will make me 2-3 gallons of wine. maybe more), but the returns aren’t for connoisseurs. This is for cheap-asses, college kids, and 15 yr olds who can’t buy anything themselves. If you do it right, it’s enjoyable, cheap, easy to do, and most importantly, alcoholic. Plus, it only takes a maximum of 2 weeks to fully ferment!!!

Step 1:

Buy ingredients. Get the cheap stuff. It doesn’t matter what quality it is because it’s hobo-wine.

I made a gallon jug of this. The recipe calls for:

2 cans of juice concentrate (room temp) I chose welch’s concorde grape. You should be able to use any type of concentrate like strawberry, kiwi-whatever etc. Two juice concentrates makes 1 gallon.

2-3 cups of sugar
water
water container (I used a water jug that was 60 cents at the store, plus I got to use the water)
Active Dry yeast
bleach
funnel
rubber band
balloon

Step 2:

Sterilize everything you’re going to use to keep the fermenting wine in. You don’t want unwanted bacteria growing in your wine, it ruins it. Bleach out your funnel and your jug. Rinse well, and wash with dish soap. Air dry.

Step 3:

Go ahead and bring your water to a near boil. What I did was let the water boil just for a bit to kill anything in it (just in case), and then I took it off the heat and let it cool. I heated mine in separate pots because I didn’t have any large enough to hold it all.

Step 4:

While you’re waiting for your water to heat, go ahead and add your room temperature juice concentrate to the clean, dry jug. Use the funnel if you need it.

Step 5:

As the hot water cools, dissolve 2-3 cups of sugar in the water. Most recipies I’ve read say 2 is fine, but i added 3 so the yeast had enough nutrients and so that the wine would be sweeter. Stir while pouring.

Step 6:

Activate the yeast. Follow the instructions on the back of the packet. For me, I added 1 teaspoon of sugar into a separate bowl along with 1/4 cup of water at 100-110 degrees Farenheit. Add the yeast to the concoction and stir briefly. Let sit for 10 minutes. The yeast should be very frothy now.

Step 7:

Pour the dissolved sugar-water into the jug that’s holding the juice concentrate. Your juice/sugarwater might be warm. Cool it off a little by placing the jug in the sink and fill the sink with cool water. When you introduce your yeast to their syrupy mix, it can’t be too hot or it will kill the yeast and ruin your project. I waited until the jug was just warm to the touch. 80-90 degrees i estimate.

Step 8:

When the mix is cooled enough, add the yeast to the mix.

Step 9:

Cap the jug containing your sugar water, juice concentrate, and yeast and shake violently. Try not to spill. Do it enough just to mix everything up.

Step 10:

Remove the cap, place a balloon over the top to allow for expansion. The yeasties produce CO2, and it’s got to go somewhere. You cannot introduce air to the mix or it will ruin it/make vinegar. Bad bad bad! Some people use valves, some make tubing that runs from the jug to a glass of water so air cannot get in, but it allows the CO2 to escape. I use a balloon.

Note: when using a balloon, make sure it doesn’t over inflate and pop. Again, this will ruin your batch.

If you want you can put a rubber band over the ballon to further secure it. If you really want to i suppose you can tape it as well. I didn’t.

Step 11:

Keep your jug in a relatively warm place (room temp). The yeast can handle 60 degrees, but i wouldn’t want to chance it. Also, i wouldn’t expose it to direct sunlight.

There it is! I just brewed it up tonight, now I just wait 10-14 days and then i can…

Step 12:

ENJOY!

When you’re done fermenting, you can siphon the good stuff out while leaving the clumpy yeast in the jug. To repeat, just make sure to sterilize again and you’re good to go.

Again, i’m way not a pro at this. I just thought some of you might want to try this with me and we can help eachother along. If you know what you’re doing, post in here and give advice. I’d love to hear it.

Pictures and conversations can be found here: http://www.leftofme.com/how-to-brew-cheap-wine/

Thomas Barrett runs http://www.leftofme.com - The best source for pictures of Thai girls.

Blog college, girl, love, recipe, wine

Making its debut in the fall of 1985, The Golden Girls quickly established itself as a fixture of Saturday night prime time television. Following the lives of four older women living together as roommates in Miami, the show displayed a raw wit and a biting humor. The women live in the house of Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), a Southern belle who loves men of every kind and has dated every eligible bachelor in the Miami area. Her roommates are former high school teacher Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) and St. Olaff housewife and widower Rose Nylund (Betty White). Rose loves to tell stories about her former hometown, much to the chagrin of the other girls. The three are joined by Dorothy’s mother, the firebrand Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), a spunky Italian immigrant who always speaks her mind. In her early 80’s, Sophia may walk at a measured pace, but the velocity of her sarcasm only increases with age.

Overall, this is a charming situation comedy with likeable characters who have certainly developed their own unique identities. Although some of the same aspects of the show tend to be used over and over again (such as the St. Olaff stories and Dorothy’s reaction to them), The Golden Girls never seems to grow tiresome. With powerful performances from each of the cast members, viewers will find that Sophia steals the show…

The Golden Girls DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes including the series premiere “The Engagement” in which Sophia Petrillo moves in with her daughter Dorothy and her two roommates, Blanche and Rose, after a fire destroys her retirement home, Shady Pines. Meanwhile, Rose develops a bad feeling when Blanche’s boyfriend Harry proposes… Other notable episodes include “The Competition” in which Dorothy and Blanche enter into a heated bowling competition with Rose and Sophia, and “The Operation” in which Dorothy is forced to undergo surgery on her foot. Feeling scared and sorry for herself, she develops a new outlook on life after her encounter with an inspirational hospital roommate…

Below is a list of episodes included on The Golden Girls (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (The Engagement) Air Date: 09-14-1985
Episode 2 (Guess Who’s Coming To The Wedding?) Air Date: 09-21-1985
Episode 3 (Rose The Prude) Air Date: 09-28-1985
Episode 4 (Transplant) Air Date: 10-05-1985
Episode 5 (The Triangle) Air Date: 10-19-1985
Episode 6 (On Golden Girls) Air Date: 10-26-1985
Episode 7 (The Competition) Air Date: 11-02-1985
Episode 8 (Break-In) Air Date: 11-09-1985
Episode 9 (Blanche And The Younger Man) Air Date: 11-16-1985
Episode 10 (Heart Attack): Air Date: 11-23-1985
Episode 11 (The Return Of Dorothy’s Ex) Air Date: 11-30-1985
Episode 12 (The Custody Battle) Air Date: 12-07-1985
Episode 13 (A Little Romance) Air Date: 12-14-1985
Episode 14 (That Was No Lady) Air Date: 12-21-1985
Episode 15 (In A Bed Of Rose’s) Air Date: 01-11-1986
Episode 16 (The Truth Will Out) Air Date: 01-18-1986
Episode 17 (Nice And Easy) Air Date: 02-01-1986
Episode 18 (The Operation) Air Date: 02-08-1986
Episode 19 (Second Motherhood) Air Date: 02-15-1986
Episode 20 (Adult Education) Air Date: 02-22-1986
Episode 21 (Flu Attack) Air Date: 03-01-1986
Episode 22 (Job Hunting) Air Date: 03-08-1986
Episode 23 (Blind Ambitions) Air Date: 03-29-1986
Episode 24 (Big Daddy) Air Date: 05-03-1986
Episode 25 (The Way We Met) Air Date: 05-10-1986

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find where you can find more reviews of movies and TV series. Source: http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/golden-girls-dvd.html

Blog Blog, car, care, education, girl, home, house, humor, hunting, inspiration, love, movie, review, school, time, women

Have you ever considered what it means to be an intentional parent? Have you thought about what hangs in the balance? Fourteen years of parenting, reading countless books and listening to the sage of advice of many who walked the parenting path before me has taught me much. Ironically, what stands out the most is how much there is left to learn about being an effective parent and how often I still miss the mark. Hitting the mark is tough even in the best of circumstances; with work, after-school activities, help with homework and other personal demands the bulls eye looks awfully small and so far away. Maybe you can relate. One thing is clear to me - effective parenting is not something that easily comes. It takes great effort and it takes intentionality. The effort part is for another discussion, but what about intentionality?

An intentional parent is not a perfect parent (none of us fall into that category); rather, it is a parent who has “mentally determined upon some action or result related to parenting.” The key is “mentally determined” since every good habit starts with a mental decision. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a single good habit I have that just happened. An intentional parent is an “on purpose” parent.

As parents, our greatest tendency is to react to our children rather than plan in advance. To complicate it even further, we acknowledge this tendency yet do little about it. What does this say about us as parents? The question we need to grapple with is why do we tend to continue down the same unintentional path? There are at least three practical reasons I have identified in my own life that make it difficult for me to be an intentional parent: vision, know-how and accountability. See if you can identify with any of them.

Our biggest obstacle starts in the mind - we simply don’t take the time to contemplate what hangs in the balance. To state it another way, we really have not taken the time to understand and embrace what is gained and what is lost by investing in our children as intentional parents. Most of us would agree, upon reflection, more is to be gained by taking an intentional approach to parenting our children. So, action step number one for becoming an intentional parent is to imagine what you want your relationship to be like with your child and what his or her relationships will be like with others once your child has reached adulthood. Add to that the legacy you want to leave and you start to catch a glimpse of what hangs in the balance.

I imagine my children growing up one day and investing their lives in their own family and those around them. Can that happen if I never invest time with them? Of course, but chances are they will be more apt to do it and more effective at it if I invest in them as young children. When Emily, our now 11 year old, was younger and wanted to play Old Maid when the football game was on, my first thought was “not during the game.” As I look back now, I can say some of my funniest and fondest memories were playing a simple card game like Old Maid with our girls. It is amazing what you can teach a child about life during a basic game of Old Maid.

Our next challenge is lack of know-how. We have very little idea of what an intentional parent looks or acts like. In short, we are missing a plan. It is a bit like driving in a foreign country without a map or directions of any sort. You may eventually reach the destination but the frustration and loss of time makes the journey miserable and it is rarely worth the price. The solution is easy but it takes time. Research, read, utilize resources like Focus on the Family and survey your friends, especially those with grown children. One good resource can launch your journey to becoming an intentional parent. For me, it was a book by Tim Kimmel entitled Legacy of Love.

Being an intentional parent requires changing your strategy and approach as your child changes. If you are like I was early in my parenting I wanted to discover the know-how or “program” that worked, implement it and expect everything to fall neatly into place. I soon discovered the “neatly into place” part was a hurdle. I remember one particular airplane ride before we had our first daughter, Nicole. I was stuck next to a screaming child; you know, the one who never stops screaming the entire flight. I still hear myself saying, “I can’t believe they are not able to control their child. My child will never act like that in public.” Famous last words, right? Fast forward to my first airplane ride with Nicole when she was about six months old. It was a piece of cake - not a peep out of her the entire time. Everyone was so complimentary and a proud Dad I was. I had the program figured out or so I thought until my second airplane ride with Nicole near her one year birthday. To say it was miserable and embarrassing would be an understatement. From the time the plane took off she started screaming and I was reduced to a helpless Dad - duped by a one year old. Some program on “how you should act in public” I had! My child had changed - it was time for a new strategy.

Once you have your vision and plan in place you are faced with implementation. Every parent understands the daily challenges of raising a child as life speeds by us like a NASCAR race. In my own life it is here in the daily battle that I have discovered the importance of accountability. My wife is the best intentional parent I know. She made a decision early in the lives of our children (Nicole is 14 and Emily is 11) to empower her friends to hold her accountable in her role as an intentional mother. As a result, when inertia begins to pull her away from intentional parenting her friends remind her of the vision, the plan and of what hangs in the balance. This accountability enables her to course correct and to escape falling “out of the habit” of intentional parenting. Who have you allowed into the center of your life to ask you the difficult questions and to challenge you to be an intentional parent?

Having a vision with know-how and even accountability means nothing unless and until we act. Actions require energy and time which, for busy people, always feels in short supply. If you are like me, fear and self-centeredness are oftentimes a big hindrance to being an intentional parent. A sense of scarcity and the lack of understanding of the consequences of inaction allow fear and self-centeredness to rule and block our otherwise good intentions. What will I need to give up in the way of time and energy to deliver in this area of my life? What will it cost me personally? It takes courage to be an intentional parent. So, what do you think - is it worth your child’s future and your legacy to become an intentional parent? Will you muster the courage it takes to impact a life?

I know what you are thinking - where are all of the action steps, the secrets, the plan? Well, right now Emily needs help with her homework so more on the know-how will need to wait. Keep your eye out for the next article at www.CourageTheMonkey.com. Intentional parenting calls.

Copyright © 2006, Mark T. Jordan. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reprint this article without alteration if you include the bio and copyright.

Mark Jordan is the author of several books including his most recent children’s book http://www.CourageTheMonkey.com. He holds an MBA from Baylor University and a BSBA from the University of Arkansas. He can be reached at mark@CourageTheMonkey.com.

Blog arts, car, cream, family, girl, home, invest, love, parenting, personal, plane, public, relationship, school, time

We often see “top lists” of baby names — top ten names of 2005, the trendiest, the coolest, the most popular names of the decade — and so on. Readers find these lists endlessly fascinating, often using such lists to help them choose a name for their own offspring. But now, in what is most likely the first appearance of this set of data, comes the mother of all names lists: The Top Ten Baby Names Of The 20th Century (USA). For parents who want to know what the really enduring names are, at least in the United States, this is the list to beat all lists.

This definitive compilation of data, spanning the years from 1900 to 1999, is based on my original analysis of birth data. This “best of the century” list, based on Social Security Card applications for births in the United States, determines and ranks the top 10 boys’ names and the top 10 girls’ names spanning the entire 20th century. It was compiled using the same methodology as used by the Social Security Administration in compiling their most popular names of the decade lists, i.e. by totaling the raw numbers. But in this case, the time period studied is the entire 20th Century.

There are plenty of surprises: Donald in the # 13 all time spot; Dorothy in the # 9 spot for girls, followed by Betty at # 10, to name a few. It may surprise people to see Patricia at the # 2 all-time girl’s spot. Plus, there are some fascinating trends revealed by the data, such as the top 10 boys’ names accounting for nearly 35 million names over the century, while the top 10 girls’ account for only about 15 million names, clearly demonstrating the huge variety of girls’ names versus boys’ names, going back to 1900.

Just as they do today, Biblical names make a strong showing on the list. On the boy’s side, no fewer than six biblical names appear in the all-time top ten; on the girl’s side, two names have biblical roots. This discrepancy between boys’ and girls’ biblical names, with boys’ always being more popular, holds true today.

Given the greater volatility over time of girls’ names, it is not surprising to see that some superstars of the 20th Century, such as Linda, which ranks # 3 in the century, has fallen precipitously — all the way to # 416 by 2005. Poor Betty, # 10 in the 20th Century, has fared even worse — the name has not ranked in the top 1000 since squeaking onto the list at # 918 in 1996.

What names are still hot? Amazingly, five boys’ names from the top dozen of the 20th Century - Michael, Daniel, Christopher, Joseph and William - are still in the top twelve today. For girls, only Elizabeth (#12 in 2005) shows that kind of endurance. For more than 100 years, parents have been very traditional in picking boys’ names but ready to take a chance on something new when it comes to girls’ names.

So what were the Top Baby Names of 20th Century? Here are the top ten for each gender:

Boys:
1 James
2 John
3 Robert
4 Michael
5 William
6 David
7 Richard
8 Joseph
9 Charles
10 Thomas

Girls:
1 Mary
2 Patricia
3 Linda
4 Barbara
5 Jennifer
6 Elizabeth
7 Margaret
8 Susan
9 Dorothy
10 Betty

How are the superstars of the 20th Century, James and Mary, performing today? True to form, the boy’s name, James, is still not far from the top. It ranked # 17 in 2005. Mary, while not slumping like some of her sister names, is not doing so well. In 2005, she was # 73. More ominous for Mary, she has been trending downward since she last held the # 1 spot back in 1961. But even if Mary falls out of the top 100, it may only be temporary. Consider the name Emily, the hottest girl’s name for the last ten years. 45 years ago, when Mary was # 1, Emily was # 265. Names, like most fashions, ebb and flow with the tastes of the day.

Neil Street is co-publisher of Baby Names Garden , a leading baby names website, where you can read more of his work on the Top Baby Names of the 20th Century at http://www.babynamesgarden.com/Decade.aspx.

Blog baby, car, fashion, girl, security, time

Exposure could mean a lot for different firms, organizations or groups seeking a wider venue to make their views heard, accepted, and patronized. The main term used for this web-positioning method is the seo, or the Search Engine Optimization.

—-

What exactly is Search Engine Optimization?

The Internet age has spawned a phenomenon of new terms, new jobs, and new career paths. The growth of the Worldwide Web is creating a new realm, where new types of internet-savvy folks engage in careers that require the skills of an intrepid explorer, searching for new worlds to discover. Among these new tasks are those that require the faster, more strategic placement or positioning of company adverts, documents, products or issues, in order for these entities to have the most maximum level of exposure in the web.

Exposure could mean a lot for different firms, organizations or groups seeking a wider venue to make their views heard, accepted, and patronized. The main term used for this web-positioning method is the seo, or the Search Engine Optimization.

Search Engine Optimization is the terminology used to define, or describe the action of gaining a better position within a search engine or internet directory system based upon a selected key word or a group of key words. With well over 4 billion documents already on the internet, the prominent search engines are all flaunting that they can locate most of them and show you a link from within their systems, and each of the search engines or directory providers have different guidelines by which a listing within their system is accomplished.

* Achieving Maximum exposure

As web-updated consumers, we are constantly on the lookout for sites that address our specific interests, goals, or products at a specified time and day. Most of us do not always know the URL (Universal Resource Locator) for all the types of businesses that can fulfill that interest, so we use a search engine or directory service to find them for us.

For example, I plan to go out and take my girlfriend with me to a bar, but I haven’t got an idea of which place to go to that I haven’t already been to yet. The next most probable step for me would be to go to a search engine and type in something like: “bars and restaurants pasadena ca”; I put in the quotation marks to make the search more specific, to get me closer to what I am looking for. The phrase I wrote, “bars and restaurants pasadena ca” will be used represent my main key word phrase.

Once I write those key words, I am, hopefully, going to get back a list of the restaurants within the greater Pasadena area, and I indeed got well over 500 or so choices too. What makes it more helpful is that I could find those assorted choices in the local phonebook listings. However, if I wish to make my list of choices much shorter, I would type in, or enter a new search maybe like: “jazz bar pasadena ca”.

Once the search engine has done its job, then I probably will get a shorter list with these new, more precise characteristics. However, the list created will be made in an order that is determined by the search engine. The first one may or may not be starting with the letter A or a number like the one on the phone directory.

From the bar and restaurant viewpoint, if they could be in the top 10 or 20 and get a lot of “hits” or visits by web users, they will have a chance of being seen by the searcher. This is what Search Engine Optimization is all about: gaining a position as close to #1 as possible and then staying there on top, and to achieve maximum exposure.

* It’s all about location

For those who own businesses, then the primary name of the game is profits. Revenue of course, comes from people who spend their incomes with you. The more people spend their money with you, the richer and more successful you become.

In today’s business environment, it is all about LOCATION, and the next important word that comes is “ADVERTISE”.

The way the worldwide web works is the same as in the world of advertising or the directories: It’s about location in the search engines and directory systems, and advertising. If your listing is something less than the top 100, you stand an excellent chance of never being seen, or viewed. Most people are notoriously impatient, and they do not wish to wade through tons of listings. This simply means that you really need to be near, or on the top of the lists for the key words that you feel your prospective customers are, or will be using to find you.

* How Search Engine Optimizers Do This

Improving your position on the web could be done through a wide variety of methods. An easy way for this is to hire a professional Search Engine Optimization firm that can do the job for you. You could check their fees and price ranges on the web or the phone book. The process is definitely a labor-intensive one, and definitely doesn’t come cheap.

But anyway, you too can do it yourself. All you need to do is to get the rules for listing within each of the engines and directory systems where you wish to be listed, the register with them. If they allow you to point to secondary pages that also discuss specific topics, then be sure to do that by pointing to the pages within your site that cover that topic. You may also need to check on your position every month within each of the engines and directories to see how you are stacking up, and sometimes you may need to modify your site to improve your position, as well as your exposure.

Vanessa Arellano Doctor

Blog advertising, car, care, career, customer, doctor, ebook, environment, girl, internet, profit, success, time

Women, no matter what type, have a tendency to unintentionally push a man’s buttons in the beginning of a relationship. This usually leads to the “Where did I go wrong?”, and by this time, he’s most likely to avoid any questions you insist on asking him about it. There are ways to avoid this, and there are ways to get your questions answered without having him realize he’s opening up. Which is a subject in itself. I am going to keep this as short, and sweet as possible.

These are 10 mistakes women tend to make with their beaus in the beginning, or start of a relationship, that usually get the break-up ball rolling. These are in no particular order, as they can vary in damage from each man. Just try to make a little note of them, and if you catch yourself in the process of making one, step back and ask yourself if you might regret your actions later on.

1. Ladies, men generally know it is their “responsibility” to make the phone calls. Unless they are extremely insecure, in which case why would you bother anyway, they will call you if they want to talk to you. They will also return your calls to them, if they want to talk to you. Trust in this, if he is into you, he WILL call. If he doesn’t, then be over it. You will only annoy him, and there is no turning back from being annoying. This has never failed, and it never will. I know it’s hard to fight the urge, but this is worth it in the end.

2. I know it’s tempting when your snuggled close together to want to talk about your relationship, and find out where you stand in all this madness. First off, men are more action oriented when it comes to love, the fact he is snuggling with you is his way of showing you he cares about you. Don’t ruin it by trying to analyze things. You’ll find him scooting over and bringing that arm back from around your shoulders real quick. Talking about feelings makes it all too much a reality for a man, and he will close up. You might find a sensitive one here and there, but better safe than sorry.

3. Stop asking questions about his past girlfriends. A question or two about why they broke up is fine, you have a right to know if she tried to kill him. But, too many questions about them can lead to all sorts of problems, that is including a reconciliation. You get him thinking about those good old days, and she might be the one he’s calling tomorrow.

4. Make it a habit of stepping outside yourself if you find that you have been babbling on and on. Most men will listen for a while, but when you start going into how you like to dress your cat for the fall season, you might want to just show him Fluffy’s wardrobe instead of describing it for two hours.

5. Here’s an important one, at least in the beginning, don’t shed any tears. If you’ve caught a sad movie, he’ll find it endearing, but if your sobbing because he forgot to hold your hand or kiss you goodbye, you are turning him off for sure.

6. This is an oldie, but a goodie. Don’t be so available. If you have been out a few times, the next time he asks, say you have plans. He’s not going to give up asking you out because you have a life. Also, if he says he is going out with the boys tell him how cute you think it is, and that you hope they tear it up and have a wild time. You will score points with this, and he’ll be thinking about you while he’s out. I guess you could say you’re putting a little reverse psychology at work here, but this is almost always a fail proof tactic.

7. Okay Ladies, let’s talk about Hallmark cards, greeting cards, and just about any card you can think of. (Handmade Included) Unless it’s a birthday, in which case, you should get something funny and just sign your name, don’t give your guy cards with a short novel written in them, or your latest poetry. This is also including those long drawn out letters, and if your far away a letter is okay, but stay away from the hand to hand kind. Every man I know cringes at the thought of these. I know you want to pour your heart out, but it’s too much for a man to swallow when your first starting out. If he sends them to you, then you can send them back to him with no worries. But, this is highly unlikely, I’m afraid.

8. Most men know that the “I forgot my (fill in the blank )at your place” trick, is a sham. Unless he’s never had any dealings with women, he knows what your trying to do here. If he wants you to leave your things at his place, he’ll say ” Why don’t you just leave that here?” This can really creep some men out. If it really is an accident, they will know you didn’t mean it. It’s a good idea, though, to check and make sure you have everything to avoid him mistakenly thinking you did it on purpose.

9. Unless he asks you, DON’T show up at his work. This should be pretty self explanatory. It’s a bad idea on so many levels.

10. And last but not least, do not bring up marriage, and all your hopes for a huge family. If he asks, trust that he’s not looking for all the dreams you had when you were 12 years old about your wedding day, and the gown you designed. Do not talk about what your kids would look like, and how you would raise them together to be good caring citizens. If he initiates this kind of talk, then you can play around with the topic, but keep it a fun conversation, or he will be dreading he ever brought it up. Unless your a mail order bride, and going over your arrangements, this is something you should avoid drumming up a conversation about.

These are 10 mistakes I see over, and over again. They are made in many different ways, but almost always have the same negative result. The most important thing to remember is that men are different, and they just don’t move to the same beat as our drum. It’s always the best attack to not be like all the other girls who made him uncomfortable, and just let him have a good time. In the beginning, let him hold the keys to all the doors that lead to the “feeling” rooms. He will open them when he’s ready, and lock them for good if you constantly knock on them.

Ray Astralis is at http://www.astralis-horoscopes.com/. There’s info on just about everything New Age. Tap into your psychic ability, or see who your love matches are.

Blog car, care, design, family, girl, love, marriage, movie, psychic, psychology, relationship, skin, time, women

It’s interesting what story the top 100 baby names have to tell. Every few years you hear that new name popping up and you immediately know what everyone was watching on TV or who the nation’s hero was in sport a few years back.

Then you look at those names that remain constant, those that never get knocked off the winning post no matter what’s going on below. Take for instance, Jack has remained in top position (boys, UK) for 11 years, Jacob (boys, US) for seven years and Emily (girls, US) for 10 years.

I do wonder why people just follow a trend and go for the #1 in the top 100 it’s just like a best seller where the more people read something the more other people want to read the same book. Yet, for baby names, following the common line takes away an element of individuality, sometimes making one child feel the same as the next and taking away that little element that makes a child feel special.

Then there’s the really weird names which make you wonder how on earth so many people decided it was a good name for their baby. I was looking through the top 100 baby names (US) the other day and noticed Angel as #32, now Angel to me is a really weird name for a boy that I would detest being called as a lad but them obviously I’m well off the mark given it’s popularity.

At the end of the day people tend to have very differing opinions as to the best baby names and whether they should be common, unusual or down right weird. For me, a child should love their name it should make a statement and make them feel special. For me baby names should be chosen with care, not to popular, with an element of originality but never weird. Your baby has to live through life from childhood to grave and should love and be proud of the name they have been given and not made to feel one of a crowd or mocked and abused.

Terry Ross is the author for and the creator of: http://www.1st-4-baby.com/Baby_Names.html , a site dedicated to pregnancy, baby names and baby care.

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You’ll get a kick out of this - watching me in my own arena, sweating bullets.

You see, my big sister, Wendy (okay, not really bigger anymore, but older - once a big sister, always a big sister to a little sister), and I were recently visiting our parents.

We both eat the same crazy way - like rabbits. So we get the stuff out for our first, second, and main course - a huge, hunkin’ salad for two - and she says to me, “Okay, Leslie, I want to see you do what you claim. Make this salad in 10 minutes.”

The challenge was on, and I was the one on the hot seat. (Big sisters are such a pain sometimes and forever bossy!)

How could I refuse? I looked at the clock and jumped into the game.

I started washing the Romaine and butter lettuce. Oh dear, where was my mother’s salad spinner. Stop the clock. Search for the spinner. I finally find it tucked away, out of reach, and lo and behold, it is a baby one. Oh, no, I’d be all day a spinnin’ those green leaves.

Start the clock. Wash, wash, wash, spin, spin, spin, and spin some more. Okay, whew, the minutes are ticking away, but the lettuce is washed and spun dry.

Next: chop the lettuce. Wait a sec. Stop the clock! I can’t find a knife with a large enough blade to quickly chop vegetables and, oh, yeah, I had forgotten - my mother doesn’t like sharp knives. Greeeeat - my only choice of weapon is a dull, kindergarten knife.

I take a deep breath. Start the clock….oh, no, is this the only cutting board my mom has - it’s too small - okay, Leslie, quit moaning (and big sister, QUIT gloating) and get to chopping - chop, chop, chop, chop, chop, chop.

Finally…the greens are washed, spun dry, and chopped. Now to find a large enough trough for the green bounty. Oh, dear. The frantic hunt through the cupboards is on - where, oh, where is there a bowl big enough for this gigantic salad for two. Stop the clock!

“Moooooooommmmmmyyyyyy, where is your largest bowl?”

And yes, at that point, my mother’s name went from a middle-aged woman’s “Mom” to a whiney little girl’s “Mommy.”

My mommy comes to my rescue. I smile sweetly. Glare at my sister with that big “I told you so” grin on her face. I grit my teeth on my tongue to prevent spillage of words. Start the clock.

Now to wash and chop the raw vegetables to add to the greens - darn this knife - chop, chop, chop, chop, and chop some more. Okay, whew, I throw the veggies into the lettuce to make my signature salad with 10 different vegetables, including the two kinds of lettuce and sprouts.

Voila! Done. Oh, no, I’m not - I have to find a lemon and some kind of vinegar for the dressing. Don’t bother stopping the clock - 10 minutes is long gone.

At least 45 minutes from start to finish, my smirking big sister and ever-so-humbled me sit down to a feast - we feast our bodies with the best food and feast our spirits with each other’s love, companionship, and the fun of keeping little sister in her proper place.

Okay, I totally get it. Now I know why so many of you complain about how long it takes to make a salad. Wash your greens and veggies ahead of time and keep them together in the refrigerator. Make sure you have the right tools and they are strategically located.

The recipe and instructions below were birthed from two sources: sheer exasperation and my sister’s strong “suggestion” to write down what I do to make my 10+10 signature salad.

I pass the challenge on to you. After you have practiced with all the right tools, see if you can make a 10+10 salad in 10 minutes? I promise, cross my heart, when I am home, I can and do every day.

Let me know how you do. And I would love your suggestions, helpful hints, and additions that you have incorporated into your own healthy salad-making.

Happy creating and happy eating to make your body a happy body!

Dr. Leslie’s 10-Minute 10+10 Rainbow Chopped Salad

Ingredients (Dr. Leslie’s favorites-choose 10 favorite vegetables to build your own salad)

• Lettuce (2 lettuces=2 different vegetables for “10″ count): 2 kinds equivalent to 1 head (Romaine, green-leafy or red-leafy, bib, and/or butter-NOT iceberg)
• Spinach: couple of handfuls
• Sprouts (3 different sprouts=3 vegetables): alfalfa, mung bean, or mixed bean
• Red vegetables: 1 tomato, ½ red bell pepper, ¼ cup radishes, ¼ cup red onion
• Green vegetables: ½ cucumber, ½ cup green cabbage
• Purple vegetable: ½ cup purple cabbage
• White vegetable: ¼ cup cauliflower
• 1 avocado (yes! actually a fruit!)
• Other options: broccoli, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, green or orange pepper, snap peas, yellow onions

II. The “Must” Tools

• Large salad spinner-10¼” in diameter (Note: no holes in the bottom)
• Large cutting board-20¾” x 15″
• Chef’s knife (sharp) with 8″ blade
• Boning knife (sharp) with straight, narrow 6″ blade
• Peeler
• Large bowl (the largest of the 4 stacked Pyrex glass bowls)
• Two oversized spoons or fork and spoon for tossing

III. Directions

1. Take all ingredients out of refrigerator and wash. If possible, wash vegetables for 2 salads ahead of time so they are ready to go.

2. Using salad spinner, spin the lettuce and spinach until very dry

3. Finely chop lettuce and spinach-it’s easier to chew-and fill up a bowl large enough to contain a salad that will fill you up. (It takes time to learn how much salad is the right amount for you.)

4. Finely chop vegetables and place on top of large bed of lettuce and spinach.

5. Squeeze ½ a lemon over salad, along with a couple of shakes of balsamic vinegar (or any vinegar of choice).

6. Mix salad until the avocado coats the lettuce and vegetables very well. The salad will shrink down about 1/3.

IV. Helpful hints

Wash all green-leafy vegetables ahead of time so they are ready to go when you are ready to eat a salad.

Spin lettuce and spinach as dry as possible-they store better-and store in air-tight container.

Store all vegetables in the same area or same bag in your refrigerator so they are very accessible.

Chop green-leafy vegetables and other vegetables very finely to make chewing easier.

Dr. Leslie’s 10-Second Secret
Salad Dressing

I. Ingredients

1 huge green-leafy salad with 10 different vegetables
½ of a fresh lemon or lime
Organic balsamic vinegar (or any favorite vinegar)

(BONUS: Almost no calories in dressing and extra nutrients from the lemon or lime)

II. Directions

1. Cut one lemon or lime in half and use fingers to squeeze the juice out of the lemon or lime onto the salad.

2. Give the bottle of balsamic vinegar a few shakes over the salad for desired amount.

3. Mix very well. If an avocado has been added to the salad, the avocado coats the salad, giving it a wonderful flavor and texture.

4. Stick fork into the vegetables, insert vegetables into mouth, bite down, and chew!

5. Stop eating when your brain tells you to stop. Throw the rest away. It is more of a waste to eat more food than you need than it is to feed the garbage disposal. Garbage disposals are cheaper and easier to replace than your body-a little different perspective than the “lick-your-plate” mentality that most of us were raised with.

After eating a large salad for lunch, you will get hungry in a couple of hours because raw vegetables digest quickly. That’s what’s supposed to happen-good food goes in, moves through you relatively quickly, the nutrients become a part of you, and the waste comes out. Very simple and normal process.

After eating a large salad for lunch, I get hungry within about 2½ hours. Very easy solution to hunger…EAT!

Simple rule: eat when hungry; stop eating when your brain tells you that you are satisfied.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a motivational health speaker, writer and lifestyle coach. Visit Dr. Leslie at Http://DrLeslieVanRomer.com for practical direction, hope and inspiration.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a motivational health speaker, writer and lifestyle coach.

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You might want to say to the bride, “Congratulations on Your Wedding. I Hate You!” Good news for single women who are invited to the friend’s or relative’s wedding on the “lucky” date of 7-7-07! If you think the wedding is all about the bride, then you are wrong! The wedding and reception are all about you meeting men in a “marriage” type of situation.

The very biggest mistake that a single woman makes about going to a wedding and reception is that she does not realize that this is the best possible high-quality singles event in the entire world!”

If you want to meet a Good Man and get married, there is no better place to start than at the wedding, particularly at the wedding reception. You should plan accordingly for the wedding. Don’t forget that you are in a marriage event surrounded by lots of appropriate single men who have come alone and who are in a relaxed and party mood by the time the band starts playing at the reception.

According to theknot.com, about 38,000 couples are planning to get married on that date. This number is triple the usual number of July 4th weekend weddings. As much as couples getting married on 7-7-07 are looking for extra luck for their “jackpot” marriage, just as that triple number “7″ lining up on a Las Vegas slot machine gets the couples a jackpot payoff, you as a single woman will also win a jackpot if you avoid the top 10 mistakes single women make at weddings. You may have a chance to meet a Good Man you can marry to on 8-8-08, which is the luckiest date for a wedding in Asia.

Here are Top 10 mistakes you make that will leave you alone and single if you don’t change your ways:

1. You can’t beat the singles blues so you are a bit depressed. Why a mistake? You should be happy and optimistic to have such a great opportunity to meet men.

2. You don’t come alone to the wedding and you talk to other girls at the wedding and reception. Why a mistake? Single guys can’t approach you. Guys can approach you more easily if you are alone, so talk to men or be alone.

3. You wear a bra. You don’t dress sexy. Why a mistake? Guys are sexual so you should be sexy to attract attention. Men love to look at and are attracted to nipples and jiggling breasts (also; it’s sexy).

4. When guests have a chance to say something to the couple at the reception, you pass. Why a mistake? Speak and show how funny and beautiful you are.

5. You don’t drink at the reception. Why a mistake? It’s okay to be a bit tipsy at the reception (be careful: just a “bit”), then to be a little flamboyant while dancing.

6. You drink too much, get drunk, and start a striptease on the dance floor. Why a mistake? You don’t act with a sense of class and femininity. You attract plenty of men, but no Good Men. Good Men are attracted to classy and feminine women.

7. You eat like a pig at the reception (wrong animal). Why a mistake? Always eat like a bird (right animal) when you want men to notice you.

8. You sit at a table at the reception and you dance infrequently at the reception. Why a mistake? Men can get to you more easily and you re more visible if you stand, preferably near the dance floor. Dance with anyone who asks you, so that all the men see you out on the dance floor, laughing, having fun, and being happy with all of the men you dance with.

9. You drive your car to the wedding, instead of getting a ride. Why a mistake? You can’t accept a ride home with some hot-looking Good Man.

10. You get in an argument with your boyfriend who hasn’t proposed yet, asking him when he will be ready to commit. Why a mistake? You should have come alone to the wedding. Your boyfriend you think is the love of your life is not in love with you enough to marry you.

Py Kim Conant is Hollywood newest celebrity sex and relationship guru and the author of “Sex Secrets of an American Geisha: How to Attract, Satisfy, and Keep Your Man” (Hunter House). Want free chapters of her book? Sign up for Py’s American Geisha Sex and Relationship newsletter to at http://www.AmericanGeishaHouse.com

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So you just went through a rough divorce and are back on the single scene. What do you do?

Being in the single pool once again can be a tough scanario for many divorced men. It’s unfamiliar territory and it’s a little frightening.

In part of 1 this article, I discussed the first 5 steps you must take in order to break through this mindset and start dating, and more importantly ENJOY being single once again.

here are the next 5 steps in the process:

***STEP 6- Have a game plan***

When you actually meet women that you find attractive, what will you do? What will you say and how will you behave? If you are one of the guys who is completely at a loss for words, you may want to invest in yourself by reading a couple of books, attending seminars or workshops.

This requires you to leave your ego at the door, as it’s no different than deciding to hire a personal fitness trainer at your gym. If you don’t know what you’re doing, find guys who are proficient at it, seek their advice, and model what they do.

In my seminars and workshops, I have encountered all sorts of men, single and divorced, from office workers to engineers to doctors. If you leave your ego at the door, you’ll start getting the results you want.

Make sure you seek advice that produces results, regardless of whom you go to for it. This leads me to a subsection of step 6.

Avoid poor advice. Please, stay away from the Dr. Phil and dear Abbey dating advice that will make you want to hang yourself. If that type of advice has ever worked for you, then please, by all means go for it. In my observation, guys often experience worse results due to that sort of advice. Enough said on this one.

***STEP 7-Excommunicate the ex***

Never ever complain about your marriage or your ex. I don’t care if your ex was a demon who crawled out of the depths of hell to torment you, do not mention her!

Do not talk about her. Please! See a professional therapist of some sort to work out your angry feeling towards her. She is not a conversational topic for the new women you’re dating. This is an often repeated costly mistake.

I know you’re upset and I know the temptation to badmouth here is great. However, you ought to realize that when you’re doing this, your ex-wife is still controlling your life as she is costing you dates, mates, and peace of mind, because you are allowing her to consume your thoughts.

STOP allowing her to run your life.

I feel silly for having to even write this, but I have come across such a plethora of men who seem determined to shoot themselves in the foot by discussing their ex too quickly.

Once you have been dating your new mate for some time, you can perhaps discuss a few things and share some funny battle stories if you really insist on doing so. (I said a few, like twice a year).

Focus on the positive! Do not dwell on the negative.

Most people understand that divorce is a bitter experience and there is no need for you to elaborate on this.

And seriously, how can you enjoy a GREAT time with this new person you’re spending time with, when you’re recalling bad memories and negative emotions from the last person you were with? Let her go out of your mind.

***STEP 8 *Do not jump into another relationship immediately***

At this point, full-fledged relationships may resonate with you because they present that sense of familiarity. Again, it’s like the old guy who wanted to go back to the Shawshank prison because as horrible as the situation was, it made sense. (note: I am not comparing marriage to a prison, even if some of my pals would like to make that claim.)

What I am saying is this: If you were divorced a few months ago after a lengthy marriage, you probably are not ready to jump into another super serious relationships. They say time wounds heals and you need the time to heal.

Go out and date a few different women. Don’t compare each woman to your ex. I don’t care if your ex-wife could convert water into wine; it’s over with. Apparently, it was really crappy wine, because you didn’t want to say.

Having fun ought to be part of your focus. Again, It is essential to start surrounding yourself with men who genuinely like to go out and have a good time. If you’re hanging out with guys who resemble the disheveled weatherbeaten looking members of Al Bundy’s no-mam club who like to bitch and snivel, you’re going to be surrounded in that negative energy. Befriend people who are positive.

***STEP 9- Fix up your pad, pal***

Create an environment that is conducive to entertaining female guests. It doesn’t matter if you lost the house in the settlement. Whatever! Your current place of residence should be presentable. I could easily write another lengthy article on what would create a home that is female-friendly.

For a start, make sure it’s clean, paying extra attention to the bathroom and the kitchen. If your bathroom looks like it’s hosting species of organisms not yet recognized by modern science, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Clean up the place even if it takes paying a housekeeper.

***STEP 10 *Be comfortable with the fact that you have kids***

Again, this goes back to attitude! I can’t tell you how many guys are so worried about the fact that they have kids.

Listen, will there be some women who won’t be interested in a relationship because of your kids? Yes, but there will be MANY who will be fine with it. I know guys who have girlfriend 10 year younger, who happen to have a few kids.

Is that weird? No.

In fact, I am now going to share something that is going to be some of the most invaluable dating advice you’ll ever receive in your life:

*It’s only weird if you think it’s weird*

If you think it’s weird, you will have created limiting beliefs that will control your behavior accordingly. If you let go of that belief, you will realize that there is no truth in it. You’ll realize it’s something that is a generalization that you created in your heard based upon unsound ideas

Destroy the limiting belief and create a new one, a new belief that says it’s possible to date attractive and interesting women regardless of if you have kids, and regardless of if you are divorced.

Whether you are divorced or are divorced with kids, there are plenty of single women who will date you. Many guys are already doing this. You can do it as well. It’s important to know what attract women and the responsibility falls on you to present your most attractive self.

I strongly recommend you read part 1 of this article. Implement the 10 steps and notice how your dating life and attitude will change.

Wishing you the best,

Cameron Teone

Copyright (c) 2007 Cameron Teone

Cameron Teone is a well known dating coach who teaches dating seminars & “Field-workshops” where he accompanies men to various social venues to demonstrate and provide live feedback on how to Meet, Approach, Attract, & date women. Author of Building Attraction Secrets.

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