Chisa Fujioka
FUKUI, Japan, April 11 (Reuters) - Stepping into her neighbour's house for green tea and red bean cake, Ikuko Juryopulls out a photograph of a young bachelor."He's a good marriage prospect," she says. "Works for the local government. His family might own a house." Proud to be a busybody matchmaker, Juryo belongs to a 200-member women's group in Fukui which makes door-to-door visits to single people's homes in a bid to marry them off and raise the birth rate of the sleepy prefecture in western Japan.
Subsidised by the local government, the matchmakers have helped around 50 couples tie the knot in the past year.They are also credited with helping Fukui become the only one of Japan's 47 prefectures to raise its fertility rate --the average number of children a woman has in her lifetime --in 2005, just as the nationwide count hit a record-low of 1.26. By contrast, Fukui's fertility rate was 1.47 in 2005. Juryo's travails -- from knocking on doors to organising matchmaking parties -- reflect the hurdles Japan faces turning its birth rate around in the face of a rapidly ageing population.
Japan's population of around 128 million is set to decline in coming years as the number of elderly far exceed the number of births. Japan is home to the world's highest proportion of old people, with 20 percent of the total population aged 65 or older.
Shoko Mitsunari, the group's octogenarian head, says getting people to marry and have children is no easy task, an unthinkable situation when she was young and most women married by age 20. "People need to know that if you don't marry and have kids, the country will simply die away," she said, tagging along on the matchmaking visits. "It's not just a problem for theindividual."
WORK AND FAMILY
Academics trace the root of Japan's falling birth rate to the economy's rapid growth in the 1970s, when more women went to universities and began to work full-time. Since then, an increasing number of women have delayed having babies or opted out of marriage and child-bearing altogether.
The phenomenon is not unique to Japan. But the country has lagged behind other nations such as Sweden, the United States and France in finding ways to help parents balance work and family, said Makoto Atoh, a professor at Waseda University in Tokyo."The government is often blamed for not doing enough, but that's not necessarily the case, when you look at how it has shortened work days and built day-care centres," Atoh said."It's more an issue of people not making use of the measures in place."
Long working hours for ambitious career men and women as well as late-night business meetings put a damper on family life. The high prices of child care services is also a disincentive."The problem of long working hours has been overlooked in the past because labour unions are weak, but this needs to change if people are to be encouraged to have babies," Atoh said.
MONEY FOR KIDS
But that may change as big companies start to dole out more child support and time off for employees with children. Internet conglomerate Softbank Corp. plans to award employees 50,000 yen ($425) when they have their first child,100,000 yen for their second and more for bigger families. Employees who have a fifth child will receive 5 million yen.
The hope is that steps like these will help Japan overcome its skewed demography with the proportion of people aged 14 or under projected to drop to eight percent of the population in 2055 -- from a current 14 percent -- raising concerns of a pensions crisis, a labour crunch and damage to the country's long-term economic growth potential.
Softbank Corp. will also allow staff to work shorter hours and take more days off while their children are growing up."It will benefit our company in the long run," said spokeswoman Makiko Ariyama. "We want to prevent women from wanting to leave the company once they have children."At electronics maker Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.Ltd., nearly half of the company's 76,000 employees will begiven the option of working from home once or twice a week starting in April.
In regional areas, however, where child care is a less urgent matter as couples tend to live near their families, the focus is on matchmaking. Hiroe Takaoka is one of the single women the matchmaking group is determined to marry off. But so far the 23-year-old city hall clerk is holding out, even after being handed a photograph of an eligible bachelor several months ago by a matchmaker.
"Any nice-looking man would be fine, but when I saw the picture, he seemed so old. Maybe he was in his early 30s," she said. "I'm still young. I don't have to marry any time soon."
http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/lifestyle/in-japan-marriage-is-delivered-to-doorstep/275892
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Ramleela dons the role of matchmaker
New Delhi: Ramleela's are a great way for the young and old to learn about traditions and mythology. But now there's something that the Ramleela of the Sri Dharmic Leela Committee has something exciting for singles who are ready to mingle.
Dressed in traditional fineries Shilpa Agarwal came with her family to meet Mr Right, in the backdrop of Ramleela festivities. After glances were exchanged and assurances given, Atul, the suitable boy decided to marry Shilpa.
The families were satisfied after the mission was accomplished and the matchmaking over.
"I was quite worried for my sister's marriage," said Shilpa's brother, Manish Agarwal.
Her father, Brijmohan Agarwal added, "It's good for our children as they are blessed by the Gods on stage."
The matchmaking takes place away from the public eye, in one of the private enclosures. And people pay anything from Rs 3,000 upto a lakh for booking the space - for a very special occasion.
"We allot permanent spaces and there have been15 -20 successful meetings," said Chairman Sri Dharmic Leela Committee, Bansidhar Gupta.
If you think marriages are made in heaven think twice because the reel life on the Ramleela stage can make the real life also thrilling and its possible you might end up meeting your soulmate.
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/ramleela-dons-the-role-of-matchmaker/22897-3.html
Dressed in traditional fineries Shilpa Agarwal came with her family to meet Mr Right, in the backdrop of Ramleela festivities. After glances were exchanged and assurances given, Atul, the suitable boy decided to marry Shilpa.
The families were satisfied after the mission was accomplished and the matchmaking over.
"I was quite worried for my sister's marriage," said Shilpa's brother, Manish Agarwal.
Her father, Brijmohan Agarwal added, "It's good for our children as they are blessed by the Gods on stage."
The matchmaking takes place away from the public eye, in one of the private enclosures. And people pay anything from Rs 3,000 upto a lakh for booking the space - for a very special occasion.
"We allot permanent spaces and there have been15 -20 successful meetings," said Chairman Sri Dharmic Leela Committee, Bansidhar Gupta.
If you think marriages are made in heaven think twice because the reel life on the Ramleela stage can make the real life also thrilling and its possible you might end up meeting your soulmate.
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/ramleela-dons-the-role-of-matchmaker/22897-3.html
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Flirting Tips for Men: Mastering the Art of Online Flirting
Flirting online can be difficult. This mainly is because flirting has always been physical, involving body language such as eye-contact, smiling etc. Flirting through a modem therefore poses a certain challenge. But it can be done.
Flirting is an art that requires oozing confidence without being OTT (Over The Top). Many of the same things work for online flirting as in "brick and mortar" flirting. A delicate balance born of insight as well as experience is still required. Why?
Well, go too far and she will label you "slimy". Don't go far enough and she will label you "wimpy". So how do you achieve that point half way between slimy and wimpy and do it online without using eye contact or body language?
1. Have fun! Flirting is playful. Be light-hearted, funny and entertaining. But, don't go too far with humor at the beginning. Try to gauge what kind of humor you can get away with.
2. Keep it simple. Use short emails or messages, and day to day conversational language.
3. Ooze confidence. Successful flirts have a positive outlook on life, which is often infectious. You need to transmit the "feel good" factor. Women have always been attracted to confident, optimistic men.
4. Listen to her. Pay attention to what she says and ask appropriate questions. Successful flirts often use their "third ear". What is that? It is listening beyond what is spoken, or in our case, reading between the lines of her messages. Make her feel like she is interesting and that you are interested in her.
5. Compliment her. And be sincere. Nothing opens doors like making her feel good about herself. Look for something unique or subtle to compliment her about. Beautiful women often grow tired of being told they are beautiful.
6. Avoid sexual overtones. Flirting does not have to include being sexual suggestions and innuendos: this might actually turn her.
7. Send an email after you chat. This ranks right up there with sending a thank you note for a gift and it is vital to successful online flirting.
Take it slow. Don't try to go too fast. Remember you are only a click away from being shut out. Done right, online flirting can be the first step to a successful and long-lasting relationship.
About the author:
David Kamau is webmaster of http://e-datecentral.com, which reviews websites. Get best-selling dating, romance and relationships ebooks free at: http://e-datecentral.com/subscribe.htm
Flirting is an art that requires oozing confidence without being OTT (Over The Top). Many of the same things work for online flirting as in "brick and mortar" flirting. A delicate balance born of insight as well as experience is still required. Why?
Well, go too far and she will label you "slimy". Don't go far enough and she will label you "wimpy". So how do you achieve that point half way between slimy and wimpy and do it online without using eye contact or body language?
1. Have fun! Flirting is playful. Be light-hearted, funny and entertaining. But, don't go too far with humor at the beginning. Try to gauge what kind of humor you can get away with.
2. Keep it simple. Use short emails or messages, and day to day conversational language.
3. Ooze confidence. Successful flirts have a positive outlook on life, which is often infectious. You need to transmit the "feel good" factor. Women have always been attracted to confident, optimistic men.
4. Listen to her. Pay attention to what she says and ask appropriate questions. Successful flirts often use their "third ear". What is that? It is listening beyond what is spoken, or in our case, reading between the lines of her messages. Make her feel like she is interesting and that you are interested in her.
5. Compliment her. And be sincere. Nothing opens doors like making her feel good about herself. Look for something unique or subtle to compliment her about. Beautiful women often grow tired of being told they are beautiful.
6. Avoid sexual overtones. Flirting does not have to include being sexual suggestions and innuendos: this might actually turn her.
7. Send an email after you chat. This ranks right up there with sending a thank you note for a gift and it is vital to successful online flirting.
Take it slow. Don't try to go too fast. Remember you are only a click away from being shut out. Done right, online flirting can be the first step to a successful and long-lasting relationship.
About the author:
David Kamau is webmaster of http://e-datecentral.com, which reviews websites. Get best-selling dating, romance and relationships ebooks free at: http://e-datecentral.com/subscribe.htm
Establishing Internet Relationships: Safety First
Online dating can be fun. But while establishing internet relationships, don't neglect safety and common sense when you try to hook up with a mate. At minimum, take caution in the following areas.
Protect Your Computer
This is one which we tend to forget. Your personal safety comes first, but when dating online, there is a chance that someone could grab at you through the computer screen. How?
Spy-ware, Trojan horses and other malicious software could sneak into your computer without your knowledge. Before long, some stranger might know more about and your surfing habits than you would dare to think.
Not only that but, your computer could experience a system crash or start acting funny (and not in a humorous way).
Take care of your equipment and systems before you head out into the Internet realm. You need to have a firewall and anti-virus protection for your email and for when you search websites and interact online.
At the bare minimum, you need two forms of protective software:
1. A Firewall: Helps keep destructive or malicious wares from entering your system or network
2. Anti-Virus: Helps to stop and/or clean computer viruses
Protect Yourself
Next, you need to take care of yourself. Your personal safety is the most important aspect in establishing internet relationships. After all, you are dealing with strangers. So, how do you protect yourself?
Begin by choosing appropriate dating sites. Seek and choose a reputable online dating service.
You could start by asking around with friends and relatives neighbors, co-workers and others you may know who have tried internet relationships for recommendations. But be aware that dating sites tend to be tailored to meet specific needs, and what may be right for your friend may not necessarily be so for you.
Alternatively, you could do your own research. Do a search for "online dating services" with your favorite search engine. And take notes.
Among the things to look for are addresses or website links, the fees, rules and regulations, complete contact information of each and any other useful information that spikes your interest. Then compare each site. This could be tedious and time-consuming work.
An easier way around is to read objective dating site reviews on the internet. These will give you, at least, a summary of what to expect.
Success in internet relationships should never be left to chance. Neither should your personal safety. Try only those places where you feel safe. Avoid the others. So take care. Arm your computer - and yourself- with the correct tools and knowledge!
About the author:
David Kamau is webmaster of: http://e-datecentral.com which reviews dating sites. Receive free online dating, relationships, and romance ebooks at http://www.e-datecentral.com/subscribe2.htm
Protect Your Computer
This is one which we tend to forget. Your personal safety comes first, but when dating online, there is a chance that someone could grab at you through the computer screen. How?
Spy-ware, Trojan horses and other malicious software could sneak into your computer without your knowledge. Before long, some stranger might know more about and your surfing habits than you would dare to think.
Not only that but, your computer could experience a system crash or start acting funny (and not in a humorous way).
Take care of your equipment and systems before you head out into the Internet realm. You need to have a firewall and anti-virus protection for your email and for when you search websites and interact online.
At the bare minimum, you need two forms of protective software:
1. A Firewall: Helps keep destructive or malicious wares from entering your system or network
2. Anti-Virus: Helps to stop and/or clean computer viruses
Protect Yourself
Next, you need to take care of yourself. Your personal safety is the most important aspect in establishing internet relationships. After all, you are dealing with strangers. So, how do you protect yourself?
Begin by choosing appropriate dating sites. Seek and choose a reputable online dating service.
You could start by asking around with friends and relatives neighbors, co-workers and others you may know who have tried internet relationships for recommendations. But be aware that dating sites tend to be tailored to meet specific needs, and what may be right for your friend may not necessarily be so for you.
Alternatively, you could do your own research. Do a search for "online dating services" with your favorite search engine. And take notes.
Among the things to look for are addresses or website links, the fees, rules and regulations, complete contact information of each and any other useful information that spikes your interest. Then compare each site. This could be tedious and time-consuming work.
An easier way around is to read objective dating site reviews on the internet. These will give you, at least, a summary of what to expect.
Success in internet relationships should never be left to chance. Neither should your personal safety. Try only those places where you feel safe. Avoid the others. So take care. Arm your computer - and yourself- with the correct tools and knowledge!
About the author:
David Kamau is webmaster of: http://e-datecentral.com which reviews dating sites. Receive free online dating, relationships, and romance ebooks at http://www.e-datecentral.com/subscribe2.htm
The Essential Element In Friendship and Sex
Hollywood has encouraged the public to become more curious about the relationship between friendship and sex. Where does one stop, and where does the other begin? The following article does not answer that question. The following article focuses on one element that is an essential part of both sex and friendship. The following article underscores the benefits of good communications.
Both friendship and sex rely on the adept use of communication. A friend or sexual partner often serves as a “listening post,” a person who will lend an ear to the woes and boasts of a close friend or lover. During both friendship and sex, two driving forces motivate such all-important communication.
One of those forces arises from the desire by two people to know information. One friend, for example, wants to learn as much information as possible about a second friend. Someone in love hopes to know more about the cause of his or her heartthrob. Communication offers a tool by which to obtain a few desired facts.
The second force that encourages communication during both friendship and sex is the decision to talk. To be truly effective, communication should take the form of a two-way communication. Both friends and both sex partners must demonstrate a willingness to share information with another person.
The communication that takes place during either a friendship or a sex driven relationship seldom focuses on tangibles. Friends and lovers do not spend many hours discussing facts. Instead, they concentrate on sharing emotions. If a friend or lover does decide to discuss facts, then the cited facts frequently betray the friend or lover’s emotions.
For example, a friend might say, “I appreciate your help.” A lover might say, “I care about you.” Both of those phrases convey an emotional attachment—an attachment that can pave the way for friendship and sex.
Friendship and sex lay the groundwork for a long-term relationship. Yet in neither case is that relationship one that frees either party from responsibility. Two people who care about each other should feel obligated to carry-out valuable communications.
How can a friend or sex partner increase the value of his or her communications? He or she must learn how to make a non-intrusive inquiry. He or she must ask gently how a friend or lover feels. He or she must then become a receptive listener.
Most importantly, the friend or lover who has been provided with personal information must hold such information in strictest confidence. Both friendship and sex lead to the sharing of personal information between two people. Neither friendship nor sex gives those who hear such information the right to share it freely with others.
One friend should not have to spy on a second friend. A lover should not feel compelled to spy on a sex partner. Each should feel comfortable with the provided information. When one friend or one lover feels compelled to spy on the other then that can bespeak the end of the relationship.
Friendship can sometimes lead to sex. Friendship can also have other ramifications. For that reason, it is always good to keep in mind this phrase: “Show me your friends, and I will tell you who you are.” It is a phrase that many teens would like their parents to discount, but it is a phrase well worth recalling.
Time has proven the value of that simple phrase—a phrase that can serve as a guide for both friendship and sex.
http://articles.syl.com/theessentialelementinfriendshipandsex.html
Both friendship and sex rely on the adept use of communication. A friend or sexual partner often serves as a “listening post,” a person who will lend an ear to the woes and boasts of a close friend or lover. During both friendship and sex, two driving forces motivate such all-important communication.
One of those forces arises from the desire by two people to know information. One friend, for example, wants to learn as much information as possible about a second friend. Someone in love hopes to know more about the cause of his or her heartthrob. Communication offers a tool by which to obtain a few desired facts.
The second force that encourages communication during both friendship and sex is the decision to talk. To be truly effective, communication should take the form of a two-way communication. Both friends and both sex partners must demonstrate a willingness to share information with another person.
The communication that takes place during either a friendship or a sex driven relationship seldom focuses on tangibles. Friends and lovers do not spend many hours discussing facts. Instead, they concentrate on sharing emotions. If a friend or lover does decide to discuss facts, then the cited facts frequently betray the friend or lover’s emotions.
For example, a friend might say, “I appreciate your help.” A lover might say, “I care about you.” Both of those phrases convey an emotional attachment—an attachment that can pave the way for friendship and sex.
Friendship and sex lay the groundwork for a long-term relationship. Yet in neither case is that relationship one that frees either party from responsibility. Two people who care about each other should feel obligated to carry-out valuable communications.
How can a friend or sex partner increase the value of his or her communications? He or she must learn how to make a non-intrusive inquiry. He or she must ask gently how a friend or lover feels. He or she must then become a receptive listener.
Most importantly, the friend or lover who has been provided with personal information must hold such information in strictest confidence. Both friendship and sex lead to the sharing of personal information between two people. Neither friendship nor sex gives those who hear such information the right to share it freely with others.
One friend should not have to spy on a second friend. A lover should not feel compelled to spy on a sex partner. Each should feel comfortable with the provided information. When one friend or one lover feels compelled to spy on the other then that can bespeak the end of the relationship.
Friendship can sometimes lead to sex. Friendship can also have other ramifications. For that reason, it is always good to keep in mind this phrase: “Show me your friends, and I will tell you who you are.” It is a phrase that many teens would like their parents to discount, but it is a phrase well worth recalling.
Time has proven the value of that simple phrase—a phrase that can serve as a guide for both friendship and sex.
http://articles.syl.com/theessentialelementinfriendshipandsex.html
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Must Love Wing Tips
Executives tend to list eyes as their best feature
We figured that asking single executives to talk about their love lives would be a frustrating, probably futile pursuit. We might as well be inquiring about their mental health. So we turned to several online matchmaking sites to get the lowdown on what the lonely hearts in the executive suite secretly yearn for.
To start with, more than a third of all online daters are over 45, and 19% make more than $100,000 a year, says Web tracking firm Hitwise. Industry pioneer Match.com reports that 7% of its 8 million U.S. members call themselves executives (while the government classifies 4% of the workforce as managers).
They're more likely to be divorced (36%), have dogs (30%), and enjoy wine tastings (20%) than other singles. They tend to list their eyes as their best feature -- in marked contrast to, say, the nonexecutive singles of Grand Rapids, Mich., where the largest group (5.8%) cites their butts. Manhattan has the highest percentage of execs (29%) who find power a turn-on; Las Vegas has the biggest share (22%) who say money is. Colorado Springs has the most who are turned off by power and money.
In Washington, D.C., the women have high financial expectations: 44.3% of female executives want a match who makes more than $150,000. In Raleigh, N.C., it's the men who do: 37.2% of the male executives there want a date who rakes in that much.
Executives are sexually adventurous. True.com, a fast-growing matchmaking site, offers a sexual compatibility quiz that puts people into one of eight categories, from "traditionalists" to "mavericks." Sixteen percent of executive members are mavericks, vs. 12% overall. "They're willing to do just about anything," says True.com founder Herb Vest, "within the normal parameters."
And yes, older men want younger women. Match.com says male execs in L.A. typically seek women 13 years younger. About 25% of eHarmony.com's men over 55 are interested in women 40 or younger. That can put founder Dr. Neil Clark Warren in the awkward spot of having to explain to some men that younger women just aren't into them. "I've had men ask: 'Do they know what I'm worth?"' he says.
They can take heart: Palm Bay, Fla., has the highest percentage (7%) of women seeking bald men.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_08/b3972114.htm
We figured that asking single executives to talk about their love lives would be a frustrating, probably futile pursuit. We might as well be inquiring about their mental health. So we turned to several online matchmaking sites to get the lowdown on what the lonely hearts in the executive suite secretly yearn for.
To start with, more than a third of all online daters are over 45, and 19% make more than $100,000 a year, says Web tracking firm Hitwise. Industry pioneer Match.com reports that 7% of its 8 million U.S. members call themselves executives (while the government classifies 4% of the workforce as managers).
They're more likely to be divorced (36%), have dogs (30%), and enjoy wine tastings (20%) than other singles. They tend to list their eyes as their best feature -- in marked contrast to, say, the nonexecutive singles of Grand Rapids, Mich., where the largest group (5.8%) cites their butts. Manhattan has the highest percentage of execs (29%) who find power a turn-on; Las Vegas has the biggest share (22%) who say money is. Colorado Springs has the most who are turned off by power and money.
In Washington, D.C., the women have high financial expectations: 44.3% of female executives want a match who makes more than $150,000. In Raleigh, N.C., it's the men who do: 37.2% of the male executives there want a date who rakes in that much.
Executives are sexually adventurous. True.com, a fast-growing matchmaking site, offers a sexual compatibility quiz that puts people into one of eight categories, from "traditionalists" to "mavericks." Sixteen percent of executive members are mavericks, vs. 12% overall. "They're willing to do just about anything," says True.com founder Herb Vest, "within the normal parameters."
And yes, older men want younger women. Match.com says male execs in L.A. typically seek women 13 years younger. About 25% of eHarmony.com's men over 55 are interested in women 40 or younger. That can put founder Dr. Neil Clark Warren in the awkward spot of having to explain to some men that younger women just aren't into them. "I've had men ask: 'Do they know what I'm worth?"' he says.
They can take heart: Palm Bay, Fla., has the highest percentage (7%) of women seeking bald men.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_08/b3972114.htm
Get linked to love in cyberspace
Everybody has a hungry heart; everybody needs a hand to hold onto. The Boss knew it, and Johnny Cougar knew it, too. But, as Tom Petty reminded us, good love is hard to find. Especially if you are a single Gen-Xer.
In 1956, the median age for tying the knot was 22.5 for men and 20.1 for women. In 2003, those numbers were 27.1 and 25.3, respectively. Factor in today's significantly higher divorce rate, and you end up with a lot of single Gen-Xers who no longer enjoy the large social circles they were a part of in high school and college. And we are often restricted -- if not by rules, then by common sense and good taste -- from dating our co-workers.
Consequently, we look for love in all the wrong places. We date co-workers despite our better judgment. We go to clubs, where, after sufficiently clouding our judgment, we take part in ill-advised, superficial flings.
Or, if the increasingly large advertising budgets of Match.com and eHarmony are any indication, we reach across wires and cables in search of a warm, comforting embrace.
Wookin' pah nub
I'll be the first to admit I was desperate.
I was nearly a year removed from a soul-rocking breakup, and was ready to put myself back on the market. I began a campaign of self-improvement. I took up jogging. I started using moisturizer. I got myself one of those intentionally messy haircuts.
But I lived in Muncie at the time, where single, reasonably attractive and well-educated 20-something women were in shorter supply than decent record stores. I had solved the record store problem by shopping online. I reasoned that the same solution should work for my woman dilemma.
In those days, like every irony-loving wannabe writer, I read The Onion every week. I had recently noticed a new feature on the site called the "Personal of the Day." It invariably featured an aggressively hip-looking, attractive 20-something, whose picture was always accompanied with a snarky, suggestive personal quote.
So one day, despite reservations about endangering my street cred, I clicked on the link.
I quickly learned that the Onion Personals were actually owned by Spring Street Networks, and were also accessible from Nerve.com, Salon.com and a number of other Web sites widely read by the college-educated 18-35 demographic.
The site allows users to create a personal profile and browse profiles of others for free. But to initiate contact, one must buy "points."
After purchasing my points, I developed a four-point criteria my prospects had to meet before I would spend my points on them:
1. Must post a picture.
2. Must exhibit reasonably good grammar skills.
3. Must live no farther than 150 miles from me.
4. Must be between the ages of 22 and 33.
I depleted my points quickly, sending what I imagined to be cleverly self-aware e-flirtations to seven or eight women. I anxiously awaited responses. I checked my profile page obsessively. I soon struck up correspondences with three women kind enough to share their personal e-mail addresses. There was one in Cincinnati; two in Indianapolis.
A few weeks later, one of the Indianapolis prospects suggested I call her. I rushed home after work and nervously dialed her number.
Forty-eight hours later, we were eating dinner together at Mikado. Fifty hours later, we were drinking cheap wine and listening to Jim O'Rourke in her Irvington apartment. Sixty hours later, I was waking up on her living room floor after having fallen asleep watching Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Red."
The relationship lasted only two months, but it confirmed, for me, that the Internet is a viable venue for courtship.
The winds of change
When I introduced my "Internet girlfriend" to my mom, I told her we met "through a friend." I didn't think she could handle the truth. That was in 2002. But in 2006, more and more people view online courtship as a perfectly acceptable way of meeting potential mates.
"In my brief career, I have seen many changes, and that is one of the things I have seen change," said Susan Herring, a scholar of computer-mediated communication at Indiana University.
"Even among the older generation, there are a number of people who are doing it. Yeah, they're a little bit embarrassed by it, but it is going to be a continuing trend."
Indianapolis postal worker Jonathan Harp is an example of the trend. When his divorce was finalized in 2004, Harp, then 35, was ready to test the waters of the singles world. But he found scant options in his real-life social circle.
"In the group I was in, I just wasn't meeting anybody," Harp said. "Either I could drastically change my life, which wasn't realistic, or I could change my method."
Harp decided to try several different online dating sites, including eHarmony, Match. com and ChristianMingle.
"It was a little odd, to be honest," he said. "At my age, it kind of felt a little desperate to be doing that, which really isn't the case."
Harp's online excursions led to dating stints with four different women.
"When somebody would ask where I met the person I was going out with, I would sometimes say through a friend. Sometimes, I would get teased about it."
But Nicole Ellison, an assistant professor at Michigan State University who recently co-authored a study of a popular online dating site, said Harp had nothing to be ashamed of.
"Internet dating sites provide you with access to a whole new pool of people," she said. "With individuals who have exhausted their circle of friends, it's a lifesaver."
When asked if his journey into the online dating world was a success, Harp was ambivalent.
"It depends on how you view success," he said. "It's a shaky thing. I'm not convinced it's the best way to meet people. I think it's easy to misrepresent yourself, or fudge the facts, and that makes it difficult to find the right person."
In her study of online dating, Ellison found that people do tend to misrepresent themselves on the Internet. But she said the same thing happens in real life, too.
"We all have a tendency to present ourselves as positively as possible," she said. "This is fairly universal in a face-to-face setting as well. That's why we aren't all walking around in our jammies all day, even though it would be more comfortable. Of course, in computer-mediated communication, there are more opportunities for selective self-presentation."
Harp experienced this "selective self-presentation" firsthand.
"I had a date with one person where the picture she used was not a particularly recent one," he said. "And she was significantly different in person than what she had put online. But she had had a child in between the time, so to some extent I understand, but at the same time you're thinking 'This isn't exactly what I bargained for.' "
Herring said that Harp's experience is typical of online dating participants.
"People who use (online dating sites) often feel like they have to lie a little bit, because if they didn't, they wouldn't be competitive," she said.
As a result, many savvy users have learned to adjust their expectations.
"If someone says he's 44, other users might assume he's 48 or 50," she said. "It's a kind of adjustment for inflation. A lot of research has found that it's OK ethically to exaggerate a little bit, but if you stray too far from the truth, it becomes problematic."
And despite the occasional embellishment, Ellison said it's inaccurate to regard online prospects as more dishonest than real life ones.
"My sense is that we have these tendencies, and they play out differently online," she said. "But I think if we were to look at face-to-face settings, we'd see a lot of the same tendencies. For example, when you are filling out a résumé, you might think, 'I don't know this software package, but if I get this job I have two weeks to learn it, so I'll put it down.' "
Handcuffed by love
Annie Hood, 21, of Indianapolis, has tried online dating at both Match.com and Yahoo Personals. She isn't afraid to admit that she fudged the truth a bit to get results.
"I think everybody lies a little bit," she said. "Even I lie a little bit. It is kind of like your résumé for dating. You want to make yourself look as good as possible to potential daters."
Like Jonathan Harp, Hood didn't find a good match through the services.
"Nobody was really freaky," she said. "I had good experiences with them. It just didn't work out. Most of them lived so far away."
Still, it was the Internet that brought Hood together with her current boyfriend, Scott Proctor, 31, in 2003.
"I'd been kicking around the music scene for quite awhile and I started to get interested in doing more with the scene than just attending shows," she said. "A friend of mine had pointed out the Indianapolis music.net message board to me, so I got on and started posting regularly."
It was at a barbecue held by another Indianapolis music.net message board user where Hood met Proctor, who she said "had sort of stuck out to me on the message board.
"But I wasn't going to the barbecue specifically to meet him," she said.
Romance didn't spark immediately. But the two continued to communicate over the Internet over the following weeks, mostly through Yahoo Instant Messenger.
"We kept talking back and forth over the Internet, and then I saw him on Halloween at Punk Rock Night at the Melody Inn," she said. "He handcuffed me, and I've been stuck with him ever since."
Hood, unlike yours truly, had the guts to tell her mom how she met Proctor.
"She flipped out a little bit. She was like, 'You had no idea what he was going to be like -- he could have been a rapist!' "
But Hood believes that the Internet is a perfectly safe venue to get to know someone if you're smart about it.
"I think honestly, it's almost better than real life because you learn to love someone, or like someone, for who they really are instead of just what they look like," she said. "It is a little geeky. But that's OK. I am a geek."
Luck o' the Irish
It's unlikely that Sean O'Neil ever imagined that nearly 15 years after he graduated college, he would stumble upon a computer-mediated conversation between two women discussing a concert he hosted in his basement while a student at Ball State University.
But he did. Such are the wonders of MySpace, the rapidly growing social networking Web site where a personal Web page is as easy as filling out an online form, and making new "friends" is just a matter of a couple of mouse clicks. O'Neil signed up for the site shortly after he and his wife separated last year.
"I didn't have any intention of finding women or anything like that," O'Neil said." I just wanted to connect with different people, some of whom I knew were on MySpace."
One evening, while reading another MySpace user's profile, O'Neil came upon a comment that referred to a concert in his Muncie basement in 1992. He decided to use MySpace's internal messaging system to send the woman who had made the comment a message.
"Normally I would never contact a stranger," O'Neil said. "Had it been anything less immediately connected to me, I wouldn't have done it. But I sent her a message saying 'Hey, that was the house I lived in.' Next thing you know, we started talking about all of these people that we knew in common, who were at all these shows and parties when I was at Ball State."
The chance online encounter culminated in a face-to-face meeting with Liz Burnes, now a happily married consultant in DeKalb, Ill.
"Liz called after a couple of months saying she was going to be in Indiana, and she gave me her number and told me to call her," O'Neil said. "We made plans to meet, and she also asked if I minded if she brought a friend along."
When O'Neil and Burnes met for the first time a couple of weeks later, O'Neil said it "was like we were old friends."
And while meeting Burnes was immediately comfortable for O'Neil, meeting her friend, Kara Rager of Clarksville, Ind., was immediately something else entirely.
"It's hard to explain," O'Neil said. "It's like I didn't know exactly what, but I knew something good was going to come out of meeting her. I'm not saying it was love at first sight. But I know I never felt that way about anyone right away before."
Within weeks, O'Neil and Rager were taking turns making the 110-mile drive to see one another on a weekly basis.
Friends were able to keep up with their relationship by viewing the comments section of their MySpace pages, where the two often exchanged affectionate words.
"It's a kind of fun, slightly exhibitionist way to indirectly let people know how things are going," O'Neil said. "You kind of know people are looking."
While the Internet facilitated Rager and O'Neil's meeting, it wasn't the setting for the relationship's genesis. Herring suggested that this could work out to their advantage, because they were able to see the whole person, warts and all, immediately.
"A colleague of mine a few years ago had an online romance where she eventually met the person and they had a relationship offline," Herring said. "Her take was interesting. She said that when you meet somebody online, you feel like you know them.
"But really, they are just representing a narrow spectrum of what they are," she said. "When you meet them, you see that yes, they are that person, but they are also many other things. If you are looking to date someone, your imagination fills in the gaps and paints a rosy picture."
But, Herring noted, history has proven love to work in mysterious ways.
"We know that long-distance relationships were popular in the Victorian era, and those were very passionate," she said. "And during wartime, after all of the letters, people would finally come home and get married, and it would work out just fine. So I think the written word can be extremely powerful."
So while the Internet is better than ever at providing us with options, it ultimately won't help us seal the deal. You can e-mail that cute girl in Cleveland until your fingers bleed, but if you can't craft a good sentence, it most likely won't do any good.
Take our advice and read some Shakespearian sonnets before you log onto Match.com. Because there hasn't been a technology developed that will turn an unimaginative hack into a poetic genius -- yet.
http://www.intakeweekly.com/articles/8/023969-8568-160.html
In 1956, the median age for tying the knot was 22.5 for men and 20.1 for women. In 2003, those numbers were 27.1 and 25.3, respectively. Factor in today's significantly higher divorce rate, and you end up with a lot of single Gen-Xers who no longer enjoy the large social circles they were a part of in high school and college. And we are often restricted -- if not by rules, then by common sense and good taste -- from dating our co-workers.
Consequently, we look for love in all the wrong places. We date co-workers despite our better judgment. We go to clubs, where, after sufficiently clouding our judgment, we take part in ill-advised, superficial flings.
Or, if the increasingly large advertising budgets of Match.com and eHarmony are any indication, we reach across wires and cables in search of a warm, comforting embrace.
Wookin' pah nub
I'll be the first to admit I was desperate.
I was nearly a year removed from a soul-rocking breakup, and was ready to put myself back on the market. I began a campaign of self-improvement. I took up jogging. I started using moisturizer. I got myself one of those intentionally messy haircuts.
But I lived in Muncie at the time, where single, reasonably attractive and well-educated 20-something women were in shorter supply than decent record stores. I had solved the record store problem by shopping online. I reasoned that the same solution should work for my woman dilemma.
In those days, like every irony-loving wannabe writer, I read The Onion every week. I had recently noticed a new feature on the site called the "Personal of the Day." It invariably featured an aggressively hip-looking, attractive 20-something, whose picture was always accompanied with a snarky, suggestive personal quote.
So one day, despite reservations about endangering my street cred, I clicked on the link.
I quickly learned that the Onion Personals were actually owned by Spring Street Networks, and were also accessible from Nerve.com, Salon.com and a number of other Web sites widely read by the college-educated 18-35 demographic.
The site allows users to create a personal profile and browse profiles of others for free. But to initiate contact, one must buy "points."
After purchasing my points, I developed a four-point criteria my prospects had to meet before I would spend my points on them:
1. Must post a picture.
2. Must exhibit reasonably good grammar skills.
3. Must live no farther than 150 miles from me.
4. Must be between the ages of 22 and 33.
I depleted my points quickly, sending what I imagined to be cleverly self-aware e-flirtations to seven or eight women. I anxiously awaited responses. I checked my profile page obsessively. I soon struck up correspondences with three women kind enough to share their personal e-mail addresses. There was one in Cincinnati; two in Indianapolis.
A few weeks later, one of the Indianapolis prospects suggested I call her. I rushed home after work and nervously dialed her number.
Forty-eight hours later, we were eating dinner together at Mikado. Fifty hours later, we were drinking cheap wine and listening to Jim O'Rourke in her Irvington apartment. Sixty hours later, I was waking up on her living room floor after having fallen asleep watching Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Red."
The relationship lasted only two months, but it confirmed, for me, that the Internet is a viable venue for courtship.
The winds of change
When I introduced my "Internet girlfriend" to my mom, I told her we met "through a friend." I didn't think she could handle the truth. That was in 2002. But in 2006, more and more people view online courtship as a perfectly acceptable way of meeting potential mates.
"In my brief career, I have seen many changes, and that is one of the things I have seen change," said Susan Herring, a scholar of computer-mediated communication at Indiana University.
"Even among the older generation, there are a number of people who are doing it. Yeah, they're a little bit embarrassed by it, but it is going to be a continuing trend."
Indianapolis postal worker Jonathan Harp is an example of the trend. When his divorce was finalized in 2004, Harp, then 35, was ready to test the waters of the singles world. But he found scant options in his real-life social circle.
"In the group I was in, I just wasn't meeting anybody," Harp said. "Either I could drastically change my life, which wasn't realistic, or I could change my method."
Harp decided to try several different online dating sites, including eHarmony, Match. com and ChristianMingle.
"It was a little odd, to be honest," he said. "At my age, it kind of felt a little desperate to be doing that, which really isn't the case."
Harp's online excursions led to dating stints with four different women.
"When somebody would ask where I met the person I was going out with, I would sometimes say through a friend. Sometimes, I would get teased about it."
But Nicole Ellison, an assistant professor at Michigan State University who recently co-authored a study of a popular online dating site, said Harp had nothing to be ashamed of.
"Internet dating sites provide you with access to a whole new pool of people," she said. "With individuals who have exhausted their circle of friends, it's a lifesaver."
When asked if his journey into the online dating world was a success, Harp was ambivalent.
"It depends on how you view success," he said. "It's a shaky thing. I'm not convinced it's the best way to meet people. I think it's easy to misrepresent yourself, or fudge the facts, and that makes it difficult to find the right person."
In her study of online dating, Ellison found that people do tend to misrepresent themselves on the Internet. But she said the same thing happens in real life, too.
"We all have a tendency to present ourselves as positively as possible," she said. "This is fairly universal in a face-to-face setting as well. That's why we aren't all walking around in our jammies all day, even though it would be more comfortable. Of course, in computer-mediated communication, there are more opportunities for selective self-presentation."
Harp experienced this "selective self-presentation" firsthand.
"I had a date with one person where the picture she used was not a particularly recent one," he said. "And she was significantly different in person than what she had put online. But she had had a child in between the time, so to some extent I understand, but at the same time you're thinking 'This isn't exactly what I bargained for.' "
Herring said that Harp's experience is typical of online dating participants.
"People who use (online dating sites) often feel like they have to lie a little bit, because if they didn't, they wouldn't be competitive," she said.
As a result, many savvy users have learned to adjust their expectations.
"If someone says he's 44, other users might assume he's 48 or 50," she said. "It's a kind of adjustment for inflation. A lot of research has found that it's OK ethically to exaggerate a little bit, but if you stray too far from the truth, it becomes problematic."
And despite the occasional embellishment, Ellison said it's inaccurate to regard online prospects as more dishonest than real life ones.
"My sense is that we have these tendencies, and they play out differently online," she said. "But I think if we were to look at face-to-face settings, we'd see a lot of the same tendencies. For example, when you are filling out a résumé, you might think, 'I don't know this software package, but if I get this job I have two weeks to learn it, so I'll put it down.' "
Handcuffed by love
Annie Hood, 21, of Indianapolis, has tried online dating at both Match.com and Yahoo Personals. She isn't afraid to admit that she fudged the truth a bit to get results.
"I think everybody lies a little bit," she said. "Even I lie a little bit. It is kind of like your résumé for dating. You want to make yourself look as good as possible to potential daters."
Like Jonathan Harp, Hood didn't find a good match through the services.
"Nobody was really freaky," she said. "I had good experiences with them. It just didn't work out. Most of them lived so far away."
Still, it was the Internet that brought Hood together with her current boyfriend, Scott Proctor, 31, in 2003.
"I'd been kicking around the music scene for quite awhile and I started to get interested in doing more with the scene than just attending shows," she said. "A friend of mine had pointed out the Indianapolis music.net message board to me, so I got on and started posting regularly."
It was at a barbecue held by another Indianapolis music.net message board user where Hood met Proctor, who she said "had sort of stuck out to me on the message board.
"But I wasn't going to the barbecue specifically to meet him," she said.
Romance didn't spark immediately. But the two continued to communicate over the Internet over the following weeks, mostly through Yahoo Instant Messenger.
"We kept talking back and forth over the Internet, and then I saw him on Halloween at Punk Rock Night at the Melody Inn," she said. "He handcuffed me, and I've been stuck with him ever since."
Hood, unlike yours truly, had the guts to tell her mom how she met Proctor.
"She flipped out a little bit. She was like, 'You had no idea what he was going to be like -- he could have been a rapist!' "
But Hood believes that the Internet is a perfectly safe venue to get to know someone if you're smart about it.
"I think honestly, it's almost better than real life because you learn to love someone, or like someone, for who they really are instead of just what they look like," she said. "It is a little geeky. But that's OK. I am a geek."
Luck o' the Irish
It's unlikely that Sean O'Neil ever imagined that nearly 15 years after he graduated college, he would stumble upon a computer-mediated conversation between two women discussing a concert he hosted in his basement while a student at Ball State University.
But he did. Such are the wonders of MySpace, the rapidly growing social networking Web site where a personal Web page is as easy as filling out an online form, and making new "friends" is just a matter of a couple of mouse clicks. O'Neil signed up for the site shortly after he and his wife separated last year.
"I didn't have any intention of finding women or anything like that," O'Neil said." I just wanted to connect with different people, some of whom I knew were on MySpace."
One evening, while reading another MySpace user's profile, O'Neil came upon a comment that referred to a concert in his Muncie basement in 1992. He decided to use MySpace's internal messaging system to send the woman who had made the comment a message.
"Normally I would never contact a stranger," O'Neil said. "Had it been anything less immediately connected to me, I wouldn't have done it. But I sent her a message saying 'Hey, that was the house I lived in.' Next thing you know, we started talking about all of these people that we knew in common, who were at all these shows and parties when I was at Ball State."
The chance online encounter culminated in a face-to-face meeting with Liz Burnes, now a happily married consultant in DeKalb, Ill.
"Liz called after a couple of months saying she was going to be in Indiana, and she gave me her number and told me to call her," O'Neil said. "We made plans to meet, and she also asked if I minded if she brought a friend along."
When O'Neil and Burnes met for the first time a couple of weeks later, O'Neil said it "was like we were old friends."
And while meeting Burnes was immediately comfortable for O'Neil, meeting her friend, Kara Rager of Clarksville, Ind., was immediately something else entirely.
"It's hard to explain," O'Neil said. "It's like I didn't know exactly what, but I knew something good was going to come out of meeting her. I'm not saying it was love at first sight. But I know I never felt that way about anyone right away before."
Within weeks, O'Neil and Rager were taking turns making the 110-mile drive to see one another on a weekly basis.
Friends were able to keep up with their relationship by viewing the comments section of their MySpace pages, where the two often exchanged affectionate words.
"It's a kind of fun, slightly exhibitionist way to indirectly let people know how things are going," O'Neil said. "You kind of know people are looking."
While the Internet facilitated Rager and O'Neil's meeting, it wasn't the setting for the relationship's genesis. Herring suggested that this could work out to their advantage, because they were able to see the whole person, warts and all, immediately.
"A colleague of mine a few years ago had an online romance where she eventually met the person and they had a relationship offline," Herring said. "Her take was interesting. She said that when you meet somebody online, you feel like you know them.
"But really, they are just representing a narrow spectrum of what they are," she said. "When you meet them, you see that yes, they are that person, but they are also many other things. If you are looking to date someone, your imagination fills in the gaps and paints a rosy picture."
But, Herring noted, history has proven love to work in mysterious ways.
"We know that long-distance relationships were popular in the Victorian era, and those were very passionate," she said. "And during wartime, after all of the letters, people would finally come home and get married, and it would work out just fine. So I think the written word can be extremely powerful."
So while the Internet is better than ever at providing us with options, it ultimately won't help us seal the deal. You can e-mail that cute girl in Cleveland until your fingers bleed, but if you can't craft a good sentence, it most likely won't do any good.
Take our advice and read some Shakespearian sonnets before you log onto Match.com. Because there hasn't been a technology developed that will turn an unimaginative hack into a poetic genius -- yet.
http://www.intakeweekly.com/articles/8/023969-8568-160.html
Friday, May 25, 2007
Assessing the Consequences of Sickle Cell Anemia
Medical advances will not doubt help present-day children and teens with sickle cell anemia to have a greater chance for enjoyment of an adult life. Such children will then become adults with a chronic medical condition. The writer of the following article wants to emphasize the degree to which life with any chronic condition can affect multiple body organs.
Every chronic medical condition puts a toll on the body of the person who must live with that condition. Sickle cell anemia, the most significant symptom associated with sickle cell disease, presents a decided challenge to a number of body organs. That challenge can, over time, result in severe damage to those same organs.
A young child with sickle cell anemia can not give each cell in his or her body an adequate amount of oxygen. In such a child, a hemoglobin S type of protein has replaced the body’s normal hemoglobin. That hemoglobin has given the child crescent-shaped red blood cells and it has prevented delivery of an optimal amount of oxygen to every cell in the child’s body.
The decreased delivery of oxygen slowly diminishes the functionality of certain cells. The child’s lungs, kidneys, bones, eyes and central nervous system gradually demonstrate a declining level of performance. Over time, such a decline can lead to one of three catastrophic series of changes. A body in the throes of such changes is said to be in a crisis.
Sometimes repeated episodes of sickle cell anemia can lead to a hemolytic crisis. Such a crisis results from a breakdown of the crescent-shaped red blood cells. The broken cells do not flow easily through the blood vessels. They form clots and thus inflict severe damage on a child’s or a teen’s kidneys, lungs, and eyes.
Sometimes repeated episodes of sickle cell anemia can lead to something called a splenic sequestration. That too signals that the body is in a crisis situation. A child or teen suffers a splenic sequestration when his or her spleen enlarges and traps red blood cells. That then causes the cells in the body to receive an even lower level of oxygen.
A third type of crisis can result from an infection. It is called an aplastic crisis. A child or teen hit with such a crisis lacks the ability to produce red blood cells. An infection has managed to damage the functionality of the bone marrow.
The parents of a child who suffers repeated bouts of sickle cell anemia must make every effort to become aware of how the child’s body changes, as a result of that anemia. The parent should note, for example, that a child with sickle cell anemia will have a higher than normal white blood cell count.
A parent should not allow such a child to use medications or supplements that could raise even further the child’s white blood cell count. Those substances would not benefit the child. They would only hasten the expected damage to a number of the child’s most vital organs.
Physicians want patients with sickle cell anemia to prepare themselves for a full and useful life. Medicine does help a person with the sickle cell trait to become a productive member of society. Still, such a person must realize the toll that any chronic condition places on far more than one body organ.
A patient who understands the extent to which sickle cell anemia can affect multiple body organs has the ability to foresee potential medical problems, problems that could be life-changing.
http://articles.syl.com/assessingtheconsequencesofsicklecellanemia.html
Every chronic medical condition puts a toll on the body of the person who must live with that condition. Sickle cell anemia, the most significant symptom associated with sickle cell disease, presents a decided challenge to a number of body organs. That challenge can, over time, result in severe damage to those same organs.
A young child with sickle cell anemia can not give each cell in his or her body an adequate amount of oxygen. In such a child, a hemoglobin S type of protein has replaced the body’s normal hemoglobin. That hemoglobin has given the child crescent-shaped red blood cells and it has prevented delivery of an optimal amount of oxygen to every cell in the child’s body.
The decreased delivery of oxygen slowly diminishes the functionality of certain cells. The child’s lungs, kidneys, bones, eyes and central nervous system gradually demonstrate a declining level of performance. Over time, such a decline can lead to one of three catastrophic series of changes. A body in the throes of such changes is said to be in a crisis.
Sometimes repeated episodes of sickle cell anemia can lead to a hemolytic crisis. Such a crisis results from a breakdown of the crescent-shaped red blood cells. The broken cells do not flow easily through the blood vessels. They form clots and thus inflict severe damage on a child’s or a teen’s kidneys, lungs, and eyes.
Sometimes repeated episodes of sickle cell anemia can lead to something called a splenic sequestration. That too signals that the body is in a crisis situation. A child or teen suffers a splenic sequestration when his or her spleen enlarges and traps red blood cells. That then causes the cells in the body to receive an even lower level of oxygen.
A third type of crisis can result from an infection. It is called an aplastic crisis. A child or teen hit with such a crisis lacks the ability to produce red blood cells. An infection has managed to damage the functionality of the bone marrow.
The parents of a child who suffers repeated bouts of sickle cell anemia must make every effort to become aware of how the child’s body changes, as a result of that anemia. The parent should note, for example, that a child with sickle cell anemia will have a higher than normal white blood cell count.
A parent should not allow such a child to use medications or supplements that could raise even further the child’s white blood cell count. Those substances would not benefit the child. They would only hasten the expected damage to a number of the child’s most vital organs.
Physicians want patients with sickle cell anemia to prepare themselves for a full and useful life. Medicine does help a person with the sickle cell trait to become a productive member of society. Still, such a person must realize the toll that any chronic condition places on far more than one body organ.
A patient who understands the extent to which sickle cell anemia can affect multiple body organs has the ability to foresee potential medical problems, problems that could be life-changing.
http://articles.syl.com/assessingtheconsequencesofsicklecellanemia.html
Words From The Leader Of An Earlier Feminist Organization
In the following article, the writer focuses on the goals of a feminist organization. She has given readers few details about the gentleman who spoke with a staunch female supporter of that organization. Readers who want to learn more about that visitor to New York City might consider entering this phrase in a search engine: an anthology from Just Say It Publishing.
Back in the year of 1912, New York City’s active feminist organization focused on getting suffrage for American women. The members of that organization designed various ways to make known their desire for another Constitutional amendment—one that would give women the right to vote. That desire had been fueled by the laws created in some of the newest states within the Continental U.S.
A small group from one feminist organization wanted to highlight those new state laws. That group organized a small “parade” of female suffragists. That group walked down the streets of New York City, bearing a sign that read as follows: “We Were Voters Out West! Why Deny Our Rights In The East?”
Now it so happened that a man intent on spreading teachings that supported the equality of men and women visited the U.S. in 1912. He arrived in New York City in the early spring of that year. One day that visitor, a man named Abdu’l-Baha, met with Annie Besant, President of the Theosophical Society.
Abdu’l-Baha knew that Annie Besant supported the sign-carrying members of the City’s feminist organization. He wanted to learn why she supported that group of female protesters. He said to Ms. Besant, “Give me your reasons for believing that women should have the vote.”
Ms. Besant, aware that she spoke on behalf of all the women in the City’s feminist organization, said, “I believe that humanity is a divine humanity and that it must rise higher and higher, but it cannot soar with only one wing.”
Abdu’l-Baha liked that answer, but he also realized that someone opposed to giving women the vote could find a weakness in Ms. Besant’s argument. Abdu’l-Baha therefore wanted the Society’s President to be aware of the weak link in her chain of support for woman’s suffrage. The visitor asked, “But what will you do if one wing is stronger than the other?”
Annie’s answer suggested that she had heard at least one other question of the same nature. She seemed quite ready to continue her defense of the goals proclaimed by the City’s feminist organization. This is the answer that Annie Besant gave to Abdu’l-Baha: “…we must strengthen the weaker wing; otherwise the flight will always be hampered.”
Annie Besant gave to Abdu’l-Baha and to future feminist organizations a very useful allegory. It was an allegory that could facilitate the promotion of equal status for both sexes. Ms. Besant’s reference to the two wings of a bird could be used to introduce the concept of gender equality in the classrooms of young school children.
Perhaps the membership in a present-day feminist organization could undertake to develop materials that encouraged young children to design paper models of birds. Perhaps they could find a poet who had expressed a willingness to compose short poems about birds. Young children could be shown such poems and then provided with the materials needed for creating illustrations for those same poems.
While working on those illustrations, the children might be told the comments made by Annie Besant almost a century ago.
http://articles.syl.com/wordsfromtheleaderofanearlierfeministorganization.html
Back in the year of 1912, New York City’s active feminist organization focused on getting suffrage for American women. The members of that organization designed various ways to make known their desire for another Constitutional amendment—one that would give women the right to vote. That desire had been fueled by the laws created in some of the newest states within the Continental U.S.
A small group from one feminist organization wanted to highlight those new state laws. That group organized a small “parade” of female suffragists. That group walked down the streets of New York City, bearing a sign that read as follows: “We Were Voters Out West! Why Deny Our Rights In The East?”
Now it so happened that a man intent on spreading teachings that supported the equality of men and women visited the U.S. in 1912. He arrived in New York City in the early spring of that year. One day that visitor, a man named Abdu’l-Baha, met with Annie Besant, President of the Theosophical Society.
Abdu’l-Baha knew that Annie Besant supported the sign-carrying members of the City’s feminist organization. He wanted to learn why she supported that group of female protesters. He said to Ms. Besant, “Give me your reasons for believing that women should have the vote.”
Ms. Besant, aware that she spoke on behalf of all the women in the City’s feminist organization, said, “I believe that humanity is a divine humanity and that it must rise higher and higher, but it cannot soar with only one wing.”
Abdu’l-Baha liked that answer, but he also realized that someone opposed to giving women the vote could find a weakness in Ms. Besant’s argument. Abdu’l-Baha therefore wanted the Society’s President to be aware of the weak link in her chain of support for woman’s suffrage. The visitor asked, “But what will you do if one wing is stronger than the other?”
Annie’s answer suggested that she had heard at least one other question of the same nature. She seemed quite ready to continue her defense of the goals proclaimed by the City’s feminist organization. This is the answer that Annie Besant gave to Abdu’l-Baha: “…we must strengthen the weaker wing; otherwise the flight will always be hampered.”
Annie Besant gave to Abdu’l-Baha and to future feminist organizations a very useful allegory. It was an allegory that could facilitate the promotion of equal status for both sexes. Ms. Besant’s reference to the two wings of a bird could be used to introduce the concept of gender equality in the classrooms of young school children.
Perhaps the membership in a present-day feminist organization could undertake to develop materials that encouraged young children to design paper models of birds. Perhaps they could find a poet who had expressed a willingness to compose short poems about birds. Young children could be shown such poems and then provided with the materials needed for creating illustrations for those same poems.
While working on those illustrations, the children might be told the comments made by Annie Besant almost a century ago.
http://articles.syl.com/wordsfromtheleaderofanearlierfeministorganization.html
Changes Are Needed In Pet Air Travel.
What expectations should air travelers have for the pets that travel with them? Surely, we are not expected to allow mistreatment of our beloved cats and dogs. Stuffing them into the cargo hold of a plane for several hours of flying across the country or across an ocean is not acceptable. We pay extra for allowing our pets to fly with us. Thus, we should expect extra service for them.
As a member of the SPCA, I am definitely in favor of laws that protect animals that must travel by plane. It is not as though they have much choice in the treatment that they receive as they fly. It seems that pet air travel is not a high priority with some airlines.
The worldwide SPCA groups have been lobbying for decades to improve air travel for animals. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals does not simply report people for beating animals or starving them. We also endeavor to improve the treatment of animals that are not actually being mistreated. These pets are like members of our own families so it makes us angry when they endure any discomforts that are avoidable.
There has been some progress in the area of pet-friendly travel, especially among hotel owners. Now it is possible to find hotels which realize that travelers often travel with their pets, not wanting to leave them in dog pounds or with dog sitters or cat sitters at home. A few hotels now have areas outside where the pet can eliminate and areas where one can give the pet some exercise safely. We SPCA members applaud such hotels for their kindness to the four-footed members of our families. Some pet-friendly hotels have special rooms for use by travelers who have their pets with them. The rooms have pet beds inside the rooms and water bowls to quench the thirst of our beloved animals.
Pet air travel, however, is still lagging far behind the hotels in providing for the care and handling of pets that travel. To be fair, I must mention that I have been on a few planes in which the pets are allowed inside the cabin. They are usually inside carry-on cages which fit below the seat of the traveler. These airlines are few and far between, but they are appreciated. I try to choose one of these airlines whenever I take my feline friend on a cat vacation.
I have heard of airlines which make the pets stay in the cargo hold of the plane. They are treated like baggage. Little attention is given by the men who load the cargo holds. Sometimes the animal’s tight, little cage is surrounded by luggage, blocking any light and moving air from reaching the victim inside the cage. If the cargo hold is not air-conditioned, the pet becomes very cold and may die from lack of oxygen in the hold. I am aware of horror stories about precious pets’ cages being run over by the baggage carts or pets being abandoned all night among the luggage that is not claimed.
Pet air travel is becoming more popular. No doubt, this popularity will increase even more in the coming years. The world’s major airlines must focus on the needs of the pets if they intend to keep the faithfulness of their pet-loving customers.
I doubt that there will ever be airlines which cater only to pets and their owners. It would be quite favorable to pet air travel, and there would be people who would choose such airlines. In fact, for some of us who travel with our pets often, I would even suggest frequent flyer programs for pets. On international flights, my cat could accumulate a lot of miles on such a program.
For now, I simply ask major airlines to become more aware of the needs of our flying pets, to treat them with respect.
http://articles.syl.com/changesareneededinpetairtravel.html
As a member of the SPCA, I am definitely in favor of laws that protect animals that must travel by plane. It is not as though they have much choice in the treatment that they receive as they fly. It seems that pet air travel is not a high priority with some airlines.
The worldwide SPCA groups have been lobbying for decades to improve air travel for animals. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals does not simply report people for beating animals or starving them. We also endeavor to improve the treatment of animals that are not actually being mistreated. These pets are like members of our own families so it makes us angry when they endure any discomforts that are avoidable.
There has been some progress in the area of pet-friendly travel, especially among hotel owners. Now it is possible to find hotels which realize that travelers often travel with their pets, not wanting to leave them in dog pounds or with dog sitters or cat sitters at home. A few hotels now have areas outside where the pet can eliminate and areas where one can give the pet some exercise safely. We SPCA members applaud such hotels for their kindness to the four-footed members of our families. Some pet-friendly hotels have special rooms for use by travelers who have their pets with them. The rooms have pet beds inside the rooms and water bowls to quench the thirst of our beloved animals.
Pet air travel, however, is still lagging far behind the hotels in providing for the care and handling of pets that travel. To be fair, I must mention that I have been on a few planes in which the pets are allowed inside the cabin. They are usually inside carry-on cages which fit below the seat of the traveler. These airlines are few and far between, but they are appreciated. I try to choose one of these airlines whenever I take my feline friend on a cat vacation.
I have heard of airlines which make the pets stay in the cargo hold of the plane. They are treated like baggage. Little attention is given by the men who load the cargo holds. Sometimes the animal’s tight, little cage is surrounded by luggage, blocking any light and moving air from reaching the victim inside the cage. If the cargo hold is not air-conditioned, the pet becomes very cold and may die from lack of oxygen in the hold. I am aware of horror stories about precious pets’ cages being run over by the baggage carts or pets being abandoned all night among the luggage that is not claimed.
Pet air travel is becoming more popular. No doubt, this popularity will increase even more in the coming years. The world’s major airlines must focus on the needs of the pets if they intend to keep the faithfulness of their pet-loving customers.
I doubt that there will ever be airlines which cater only to pets and their owners. It would be quite favorable to pet air travel, and there would be people who would choose such airlines. In fact, for some of us who travel with our pets often, I would even suggest frequent flyer programs for pets. On international flights, my cat could accumulate a lot of miles on such a program.
For now, I simply ask major airlines to become more aware of the needs of our flying pets, to treat them with respect.
http://articles.syl.com/changesareneededinpetairtravel.html
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Diagnosing The Tourette Syndrome
A child or teenager blinks often. He jerks his head frequently. He sniffles every few seconds. One wonders if he is sick or nervous. Should the child's family be concerned about these symptoms? Maybe Doctor Tourette, after whom this disease is named, can give us some answers to the questions we have about these actions or vocalizations referred to as tics. He noticed them a century ago in France. They are still prevalent today.
Unlike the children’s communicable diseases such as mumps, measles and pinkeye, Tourette’s Disorder is common but not well understood. It was named after a French doctor who noticed particular types of tics in some of his child patients over a century ago.
Although this disorder, or syndrome, was earlier considered to be rather rare, it is now considered quite common among young children. The multi-faceted condition can include such symptoms as tics (which are involuntary, rapid, sudden movements or sounds), compulsive rituals or behaviors, obsessions, mood problems and attention problems. These symptoms only suggest Tourette’s Syndrome. There are other similar conditions with similar symptoms. It is very important to not credit all of the symptoms to Tourette’s since several other disorders tend to mimic the symptoms. These can range from infections, head trauma situations, cerebral palsy or even stimulating medications.
Since the Tourette disease shares some symptoms with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, it is necessary for a physician to make the diagnosis as to which sickness a child may have.
Most children have tics at times in their lives. Most of these are not serious nor do they require a physician’s care. If they last a long time, a doctor should be consulted to be sure that they are temporary and non-threatening. If the tics are present in both motor and audible states, they should be considered important enough for a doctor’s examination.
Some tics cause body movement; these are referred to as “motor” ticks. Other tics produce sounds and are called “vocal” or “phonic” tics. Tics may be either simple or complex. The simple tics involve one muscle group or one sound. Examples could include simple head jerking movements or blinking of the eye or facial expressions repeated. Examples of phonic tics could include sniffing, clearing of the throat or coughing. Complex tics involve more than one muscle group or repetition of words or phrases in such as way as to be very noticeable.
A few people have unobserved tics which accompany the Tourette disorder. These involve internal organs of the body, parts that others are not aware of any movement taking place.
The symptoms of this disease are not completely controllable by the victim. They may be able to control some of the tics for a short time. Still, the tics must be allowed to release after a while.
The Tourette Syndrome is suggested if a person has frequent or recurring multiple tics for over a year. Any shorter amount of time suggests that the person is merely having some problems with tics, but the condition will clear up on its own.
At the present time, there is no scientific test to determine that the symptoms are from the Tourette disease. Diagnosis is done largely through study of a patient’s history and from having test results for other maladies with similar symptoms. Obviously, there is need for considerable research on this disease. Presently, many of the diagnostic tools are less than perfect.
http://articles.syl.com/diagnosingthetourettesyndrome.html
Unlike the children’s communicable diseases such as mumps, measles and pinkeye, Tourette’s Disorder is common but not well understood. It was named after a French doctor who noticed particular types of tics in some of his child patients over a century ago.
Although this disorder, or syndrome, was earlier considered to be rather rare, it is now considered quite common among young children. The multi-faceted condition can include such symptoms as tics (which are involuntary, rapid, sudden movements or sounds), compulsive rituals or behaviors, obsessions, mood problems and attention problems. These symptoms only suggest Tourette’s Syndrome. There are other similar conditions with similar symptoms. It is very important to not credit all of the symptoms to Tourette’s since several other disorders tend to mimic the symptoms. These can range from infections, head trauma situations, cerebral palsy or even stimulating medications.
Since the Tourette disease shares some symptoms with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, it is necessary for a physician to make the diagnosis as to which sickness a child may have.
Most children have tics at times in their lives. Most of these are not serious nor do they require a physician’s care. If they last a long time, a doctor should be consulted to be sure that they are temporary and non-threatening. If the tics are present in both motor and audible states, they should be considered important enough for a doctor’s examination.
Some tics cause body movement; these are referred to as “motor” ticks. Other tics produce sounds and are called “vocal” or “phonic” tics. Tics may be either simple or complex. The simple tics involve one muscle group or one sound. Examples could include simple head jerking movements or blinking of the eye or facial expressions repeated. Examples of phonic tics could include sniffing, clearing of the throat or coughing. Complex tics involve more than one muscle group or repetition of words or phrases in such as way as to be very noticeable.
A few people have unobserved tics which accompany the Tourette disorder. These involve internal organs of the body, parts that others are not aware of any movement taking place.
The symptoms of this disease are not completely controllable by the victim. They may be able to control some of the tics for a short time. Still, the tics must be allowed to release after a while.
The Tourette Syndrome is suggested if a person has frequent or recurring multiple tics for over a year. Any shorter amount of time suggests that the person is merely having some problems with tics, but the condition will clear up on its own.
At the present time, there is no scientific test to determine that the symptoms are from the Tourette disease. Diagnosis is done largely through study of a patient’s history and from having test results for other maladies with similar symptoms. Obviously, there is need for considerable research on this disease. Presently, many of the diagnostic tools are less than perfect.
http://articles.syl.com/diagnosingthetourettesyndrome.html
A Wave of the Future: Dedicated Videoconferencing
Once, the thought of video conferencing reminded us of George Orwell's Big Brother. Now it seems that dedicated systems are popping up all over the internet. From Matchmaking to Small Business, everyone has his or her hand in the pot. MSN, AIM, Yahoo! and many other internet providers also have messenger services that serve as dedicated video conferencing systems.
Dedicated videoconferencing once meant that you needed a system built specifically for video conferencing. Today, however, you can still get dedicated videoconferencing systems, but they will come in the form of a download. Dedicated videoconferencing technology has come a long way since its first concept in 1968. The first dedicated conferencing system was very slow to refresh and there were worries that it would actually be worse than taking a simple conference call. The idea of eye contact in the business world is an important one. The thought that if the dedicated videoconferencing system did not refresh fast enough could leave someone looking in the wrong direction worrisome.
Today we have almost perfected the art of dedicated video conferencing. The technology has been used in everything from matchmaking services to small business conferences. We think of it as common stream and it no longer needs anything more than a web cam and microphone to set on top of your computer. You simply download the software and the next thing you know you are having a conversation in your pajamas. This is the next concern that most people have with dedicated videoconferencing systems. When it comes to online dating and making friends the advantage that it gives you is that you do not have to rely on how you look. You can get to know a person before they see how you look. With matchmaking services all turning to dedicated video conferencing services there is no longer a safety barrier for people to hide behind. They are right out in the open for everyone to see. I guess, if you are good-looking, that might even be a benefit instead of a negative to the video dating world.
The upside of dedicated video conferencing is that there is no longer a barrier of distance to set people apart. It can bring soul mates from across the world together in the same room. People in two different countries can get to know each other in no time what so ever. They will be face-to-face with each other in a matter of moments. Dedicated video conferencing, in essence, has made the world a smaller place. Some might even consider it a benefit to be able to work from home in their pajama bottoms with the benefit of a dedicated video conferencing system. I know that if I did not have to leave the house I would not.
In the end, there may be a time that we no longer have to leave our house. Right now, we can shop and earn money from the comfort of our home. We do not even have to pick up the phone for most things anymore. Anything you want (and some things you do not want) in the world is available at the click of a mouse. Soon we will not even have to pick up the phone to speak to the grandkids. Every house will be equipped with its own dedicated video conferencing system. International business will boom. Children will attend school from home, parents will work from home, and there will be no reason to leave the house at all. Unless of course you work for a delivery service, then you will never be home at all! In a nutshell dedicated video conferencing systems will be the next wave of internet business.
http://articles.syl.com/awaveofthefuturededicatedvideoconferencing.html
Dedicated videoconferencing once meant that you needed a system built specifically for video conferencing. Today, however, you can still get dedicated videoconferencing systems, but they will come in the form of a download. Dedicated videoconferencing technology has come a long way since its first concept in 1968. The first dedicated conferencing system was very slow to refresh and there were worries that it would actually be worse than taking a simple conference call. The idea of eye contact in the business world is an important one. The thought that if the dedicated videoconferencing system did not refresh fast enough could leave someone looking in the wrong direction worrisome.
Today we have almost perfected the art of dedicated video conferencing. The technology has been used in everything from matchmaking services to small business conferences. We think of it as common stream and it no longer needs anything more than a web cam and microphone to set on top of your computer. You simply download the software and the next thing you know you are having a conversation in your pajamas. This is the next concern that most people have with dedicated videoconferencing systems. When it comes to online dating and making friends the advantage that it gives you is that you do not have to rely on how you look. You can get to know a person before they see how you look. With matchmaking services all turning to dedicated video conferencing services there is no longer a safety barrier for people to hide behind. They are right out in the open for everyone to see. I guess, if you are good-looking, that might even be a benefit instead of a negative to the video dating world.
The upside of dedicated video conferencing is that there is no longer a barrier of distance to set people apart. It can bring soul mates from across the world together in the same room. People in two different countries can get to know each other in no time what so ever. They will be face-to-face with each other in a matter of moments. Dedicated video conferencing, in essence, has made the world a smaller place. Some might even consider it a benefit to be able to work from home in their pajama bottoms with the benefit of a dedicated video conferencing system. I know that if I did not have to leave the house I would not.
In the end, there may be a time that we no longer have to leave our house. Right now, we can shop and earn money from the comfort of our home. We do not even have to pick up the phone for most things anymore. Anything you want (and some things you do not want) in the world is available at the click of a mouse. Soon we will not even have to pick up the phone to speak to the grandkids. Every house will be equipped with its own dedicated video conferencing system. International business will boom. Children will attend school from home, parents will work from home, and there will be no reason to leave the house at all. Unless of course you work for a delivery service, then you will never be home at all! In a nutshell dedicated video conferencing systems will be the next wave of internet business.
http://articles.syl.com/awaveofthefuturededicatedvideoconferencing.html
The 4 Basic Skills of Conferencing Consultants for Online Video Dating
Online dating is becoming more and more popular these days. Online matchmaking services that are jumping on board with the video conferencing revolution hire the best in conferencing consultants. They know that their users require the best and they are ready to give it to them. You don't need to be a consultant yourself to know how to use the system, they are well designed, easy to use and fully functional.
Online dating is becoming more and more popular these days. More singles are logging on, building profiles and finding dates through the Internet than ever before. Video conferencing is just one of the many growing additions to the world of online matchmaking. Conferencing consultants can assist with the development of your own video conferencing system if you are interested in becoming involved in the world of online video conferencing matchmaking.
No matter who you are it is easy to see the advantages of video conferencing for online matchmaking. Whether you are seeking to build your own matchmaking business or just want to know how to get in on the video conferencing revolution video conferencing consultants can help you. Conferencing consultants are educated, skilled individuals who know what they are doing when it comes to the world of video conferencing. No wonder video conferencing consultants are such sought after individuals these days.
Two specific benefits videoconferencing technology provides you the ability to connect directly with potential online matches in real time both through audio and visual means. One - videoconferencing provides participants a sharper focus and gives the discussion much greater impact. Two - the use of this technology accelerates the establishment of confidence and trust between potential matches.
But the truth is you won't need to hire expert conferencing consultants but you still won't have to worry about the details. Many online matchmaking companies offer great and easy to use software developed by their own conferencing consultants so you can get in on the fun quickly and easily.
If you are thinking about joining up with a system online that utilizes videoconferencing for their online dating services, you might be interested to learn just what sort of processes go through in developing these systems. Here are four critical skills that the conferencing consultants are able to provide when working for an online matchmaking company:
Highly competent video conferencing consultants must at the minimum possess 5 years extensive experiences in audio visual, videoconferencing, and networking, customizing these designs, implementing, configuring networks, software engineering, and physical construction. In practical terms, this just means that your conferencing consultants can create a plan in deploying video conferencing facilities in your company headquarters and the homes of your key personnel as needed.
Highly competent conferencing consultants have the ability to create customer specific applications using your company's available network resources. They should have the ability to determine what are the appropriate installations and configurations for your company considering such issues as ISDN, IP protocols, gateways, DNS or firewall ports options.
Highly competent video conferencing consultants have the ability to create a customized set of training programs tailored to your staff's needs. All with the aim of making them knowledgeable and comfortable in using these technologies.
Finally, your conferencing consultants should have the ability to install and fully test the systems so that the organization can immediately begin to receive the benefits of video conferencing. That is a whole lot of work going on in order to find the best videoconferencing consultants available! These companies only hire the best of the best, that is for sure.
That means you won't have anything to worry about when you first sign on to an online dating service that utilizes the newest in video conferencing technologies. The trend of the utilization of data, voice and video technologies is changing the way today's singles communicate to each other.
It has quickly been realized that being able to talk to people you meet online in real time is a great way to get to know each other before heading out on the all important first date. When you get to that point you won't need video conferencing consultants: it is all up to you.
http://articles.syl.com/the4basicskillsofconferencingconsultantsforonlinevideodating.html
Online dating is becoming more and more popular these days. More singles are logging on, building profiles and finding dates through the Internet than ever before. Video conferencing is just one of the many growing additions to the world of online matchmaking. Conferencing consultants can assist with the development of your own video conferencing system if you are interested in becoming involved in the world of online video conferencing matchmaking.
No matter who you are it is easy to see the advantages of video conferencing for online matchmaking. Whether you are seeking to build your own matchmaking business or just want to know how to get in on the video conferencing revolution video conferencing consultants can help you. Conferencing consultants are educated, skilled individuals who know what they are doing when it comes to the world of video conferencing. No wonder video conferencing consultants are such sought after individuals these days.
Two specific benefits videoconferencing technology provides you the ability to connect directly with potential online matches in real time both through audio and visual means. One - videoconferencing provides participants a sharper focus and gives the discussion much greater impact. Two - the use of this technology accelerates the establishment of confidence and trust between potential matches.
But the truth is you won't need to hire expert conferencing consultants but you still won't have to worry about the details. Many online matchmaking companies offer great and easy to use software developed by their own conferencing consultants so you can get in on the fun quickly and easily.
If you are thinking about joining up with a system online that utilizes videoconferencing for their online dating services, you might be interested to learn just what sort of processes go through in developing these systems. Here are four critical skills that the conferencing consultants are able to provide when working for an online matchmaking company:
Highly competent video conferencing consultants must at the minimum possess 5 years extensive experiences in audio visual, videoconferencing, and networking, customizing these designs, implementing, configuring networks, software engineering, and physical construction. In practical terms, this just means that your conferencing consultants can create a plan in deploying video conferencing facilities in your company headquarters and the homes of your key personnel as needed.
Highly competent conferencing consultants have the ability to create customer specific applications using your company's available network resources. They should have the ability to determine what are the appropriate installations and configurations for your company considering such issues as ISDN, IP protocols, gateways, DNS or firewall ports options.
Highly competent video conferencing consultants have the ability to create a customized set of training programs tailored to your staff's needs. All with the aim of making them knowledgeable and comfortable in using these technologies.
Finally, your conferencing consultants should have the ability to install and fully test the systems so that the organization can immediately begin to receive the benefits of video conferencing. That is a whole lot of work going on in order to find the best videoconferencing consultants available! These companies only hire the best of the best, that is for sure.
That means you won't have anything to worry about when you first sign on to an online dating service that utilizes the newest in video conferencing technologies. The trend of the utilization of data, voice and video technologies is changing the way today's singles communicate to each other.
It has quickly been realized that being able to talk to people you meet online in real time is a great way to get to know each other before heading out on the all important first date. When you get to that point you won't need video conferencing consultants: it is all up to you.
http://articles.syl.com/the4basicskillsofconferencingconsultantsforonlinevideodating.html
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Four Essentials to Having an Effective Online Dating Web Conferencing Tool
The deployment of the appropriate web conferencing tool for you could spell the difference between you finding the person of your dreams or losing out. For today's singles know that web conferencing is one of the best ways going to hook up with online dates and find singles out there. In order for you to get started in the video conferencing revolution you are going to need the right web conferencing tool.
In today's fast paced environment, having the right web conferencing tool has become an essential. Knowledge is power in the world of online matchmaking as much as in the real world. Having a good web conferencing tool allows you to get connected with other singles in your area in real time with both audio and video data.
This is why a properly selected web conferencing tool is a valuable implement for your home computer as it bridges distances and enables you to participate in online dating video conferences so you can get to know other singles in your area before you even get to the first date.
However, choosing the right web conferencing tool to serve all your present needs and future requirements can be daunting. You'll need to know what kind of web conferencing software best suits your requirements. Examples of these programs are the following: Lotus web conferencing software, InTandem, Oracle InterOffice, and Microsoft Netmeeting.
Of these Lotus web conferencing software created by IBM is most popular. For aside from the web conferencing function, the software allows the participants know if the other parties or applications are available and it has the instant messaging option. Video conferencing combined with instant messaging provides the best of both worlds.
Here are four questions you'll need to ask yourself to find out which web conferencing tool to utilize.
Do you know the required number of people who are required to participate during a video conference? Oftentimes you'll want to be communicating 1 on 1 with potential dates, so you can't use software that has a required number of people communicating in the conference greater than too. There is more than one web conferencing tool designed specifically for companies who are seeking to run video conferences throughout the country with a number of different participants and chances are you are going to want to stay away from this sort of software.
Are computer based information exchanges needed during the web conferencing? Various web conferencing tools have different information requirements, and might require certain data to be passed back and forth between computers. For online dating purposes this sort of information transfer can usually be kept to a minimum, so you want to make sure your web conferencing tool is only doing what you want it to do. Lotus web conferencing software is a good example of a good web conferencing tool.
Will you want to use the web conferencing tool for anything else besides just talking? If you want to be able to use the software to share files, show other pictures or anything else, you'll want to make sure you check out whether or not the web conferencing tools you are looking at are able to adjust to these new requirements.
Will you and the other people you are talking to be using the same software, or utilizing different networks and ISPS? If yes you'll want to see if you can find a web conferencing tool that is adaptable and able to work with a number of other web conferencing utilities out there. You'll also want to make sure that you are on a good network with a strong Internet connection. Broadband connections are highly recommended, either DSL, cable or even satellite Internet. You will also want to look at the type of network: is it an IP Network? An ISDN network? Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
With an IP network, the problem centers on the need for consistency in the bandwidth as well as the quality of service to ensure the video conference does not suffer. The challenge is ensuring that your internal IP or data network can support the high bandwidth and quality of service required for video conferencing.
The web conferencing tool is proving to be a valuable tool for many singles today, as the technology and networks cost drops, and the systems quality continues to improve it becomes a more and more powerful tool for online dating.
http://articles.syl.com/thefouressentialstohavinganeffectiveonlinedatingwebconferencingtool.html
In today's fast paced environment, having the right web conferencing tool has become an essential. Knowledge is power in the world of online matchmaking as much as in the real world. Having a good web conferencing tool allows you to get connected with other singles in your area in real time with both audio and video data.
This is why a properly selected web conferencing tool is a valuable implement for your home computer as it bridges distances and enables you to participate in online dating video conferences so you can get to know other singles in your area before you even get to the first date.
However, choosing the right web conferencing tool to serve all your present needs and future requirements can be daunting. You'll need to know what kind of web conferencing software best suits your requirements. Examples of these programs are the following: Lotus web conferencing software, InTandem, Oracle InterOffice, and Microsoft Netmeeting.
Of these Lotus web conferencing software created by IBM is most popular. For aside from the web conferencing function, the software allows the participants know if the other parties or applications are available and it has the instant messaging option. Video conferencing combined with instant messaging provides the best of both worlds.
Here are four questions you'll need to ask yourself to find out which web conferencing tool to utilize.
Do you know the required number of people who are required to participate during a video conference? Oftentimes you'll want to be communicating 1 on 1 with potential dates, so you can't use software that has a required number of people communicating in the conference greater than too. There is more than one web conferencing tool designed specifically for companies who are seeking to run video conferences throughout the country with a number of different participants and chances are you are going to want to stay away from this sort of software.
Are computer based information exchanges needed during the web conferencing? Various web conferencing tools have different information requirements, and might require certain data to be passed back and forth between computers. For online dating purposes this sort of information transfer can usually be kept to a minimum, so you want to make sure your web conferencing tool is only doing what you want it to do. Lotus web conferencing software is a good example of a good web conferencing tool.
Will you want to use the web conferencing tool for anything else besides just talking? If you want to be able to use the software to share files, show other pictures or anything else, you'll want to make sure you check out whether or not the web conferencing tools you are looking at are able to adjust to these new requirements.
Will you and the other people you are talking to be using the same software, or utilizing different networks and ISPS? If yes you'll want to see if you can find a web conferencing tool that is adaptable and able to work with a number of other web conferencing utilities out there. You'll also want to make sure that you are on a good network with a strong Internet connection. Broadband connections are highly recommended, either DSL, cable or even satellite Internet. You will also want to look at the type of network: is it an IP Network? An ISDN network? Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
With an IP network, the problem centers on the need for consistency in the bandwidth as well as the quality of service to ensure the video conference does not suffer. The challenge is ensuring that your internal IP or data network can support the high bandwidth and quality of service required for video conferencing.
The web conferencing tool is proving to be a valuable tool for many singles today, as the technology and networks cost drops, and the systems quality continues to improve it becomes a more and more powerful tool for online dating.
http://articles.syl.com/thefouressentialstohavinganeffectiveonlinedatingwebconferencingtool.html
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
On-line Matchmaking Services: Will Webex Online Meetings enter this market?
Webex Communications, Inc., offers Webex online meetings. These meetings provide audio and video conferencing that allow groups of people to meet without gathering in a central location. Webex video conferencing is similar to traditional video conferencing; however, it does not require companies to purchase equipment such as a codec, camera, and compression software. Since it only requires a computer, web browser, and telephone, participants can join meetings from any place.
Webex online meetings include a number of features that help businesses improve communication among remote team members; complete projects more efficiently; strengthen communication with customers and clients; speed up decision making; and improve work flow and project procedures. One of its most useful features is screen sharing - the ability for meeting participants to see exactly what is on the presenter's screen. This makes it possible for participants to complete projects and accomplish goals without meeting face-to-face. Webex video conferencing also allows meeting participants to make presentations, annotate documents, review contracts, revise documents, share up to four web cams, and record meetings.
In January 2004, PC Magazine (pcmag.com) tested four of the top web conferencing services - Genesys Meeting Center, Microsoft Office Live Meeting, Raindance Web Conferencing Pro Seminar, and Webex Meeting Center (Webex online meetings). PC Magazine concluded that Webex Communications, Inc.'s online meeting service "stands above the pack." It went on to say that: "Its videoconferencing and extensive array of tools for meeting management and collaboration sweeten the package."
Although Webex online meetings are designed for the business market, industry leaders predict that more web conferencing products will be designed specifically for consumer markets such as on-line matchmaking services. This would certainly be an exciting feature for those who are interested in and enjoy the on-line matching making experience. In the past, the on-line dating scene consisted of posting a photo (that may or may not be a current or accurate image of the person) and profile (that probably contains only the most basic information), and then communicating with matches via e-mail (at least initially). However, web conferencing technology can be used to connect people in real-time, while maintaining their personal safety. It is a compromise between communicating via e-mail, which is relatively impersonal, and meeting face-to-face before individuals are ready to do so.
Because web conferencing is easy to use, becoming less expensive, and only requires a desktop, web browser, and telephone, it will most certainly gain wider use in the on-line matchmaking industry. It remains to be seen if web conferencing providers - like Webex online meetings - will enter the on-line matchmaking market.
In the meantime, Webex online meetings continue to help businesses both large and small take their remote meetings and trainings to the next level while saving money and improving productivity - thus increasing profit margins.
http://articles.syl.com/onlinematchmakingserviceswillwebexonlinemeetingsenterthismarket.html
Webex online meetings include a number of features that help businesses improve communication among remote team members; complete projects more efficiently; strengthen communication with customers and clients; speed up decision making; and improve work flow and project procedures. One of its most useful features is screen sharing - the ability for meeting participants to see exactly what is on the presenter's screen. This makes it possible for participants to complete projects and accomplish goals without meeting face-to-face. Webex video conferencing also allows meeting participants to make presentations, annotate documents, review contracts, revise documents, share up to four web cams, and record meetings.
In January 2004, PC Magazine (pcmag.com) tested four of the top web conferencing services - Genesys Meeting Center, Microsoft Office Live Meeting, Raindance Web Conferencing Pro Seminar, and Webex Meeting Center (Webex online meetings). PC Magazine concluded that Webex Communications, Inc.'s online meeting service "stands above the pack." It went on to say that: "Its videoconferencing and extensive array of tools for meeting management and collaboration sweeten the package."
Although Webex online meetings are designed for the business market, industry leaders predict that more web conferencing products will be designed specifically for consumer markets such as on-line matchmaking services. This would certainly be an exciting feature for those who are interested in and enjoy the on-line matching making experience. In the past, the on-line dating scene consisted of posting a photo (that may or may not be a current or accurate image of the person) and profile (that probably contains only the most basic information), and then communicating with matches via e-mail (at least initially). However, web conferencing technology can be used to connect people in real-time, while maintaining their personal safety. It is a compromise between communicating via e-mail, which is relatively impersonal, and meeting face-to-face before individuals are ready to do so.
Because web conferencing is easy to use, becoming less expensive, and only requires a desktop, web browser, and telephone, it will most certainly gain wider use in the on-line matchmaking industry. It remains to be seen if web conferencing providers - like Webex online meetings - will enter the on-line matchmaking market.
In the meantime, Webex online meetings continue to help businesses both large and small take their remote meetings and trainings to the next level while saving money and improving productivity - thus increasing profit margins.
http://articles.syl.com/onlinematchmakingserviceswillwebexonlinemeetingsenterthismarket.html
Meet People Online with Yahoo Chat
We live in a technological paradise of sorts, so it might be hard to believe that some people do not know that online meeting places like Yahoo chat exists. I still do most of my communicating through more conventional methods. At least 75% of my "chatting" takes place either by phone or in person, with the other 25% occurring through e-mail. However, the idea of using Yahoo chat is intriguing to me. So, I decided to explore the possibility.
I started with the obvious question: what is a chat room? It is an online site that allows people who are on the site at the same time to send messages to each other in real time. I thought that chat rooms were the same as discussion groups and on-line forums. In fact, when I went to the Yahoo directory, I almost signed up for Yahoo groups before I discovered the chat category. Unlike chat rooms, discussion groups and online forums do not take place in real time. In other words, chatting with a friend online is truly like talking with a friend by phone.
Yahoo chat is really quite easy to join. You can go to Yahoo's homepage and locate the chat category in the directory. The instructions are simple to follow and Yahoo provides a number of tutorials. You can download either Chat 2.0 or Yahoo Messenger with voice to enter chat rooms. Downloading Messenger with voice to access chat rooms is not a bad idea because Messenger has a lot of cool features including the ability to make free PC-to-PC calls. With a microphone and speakers or a headset you can make a Yahoo call to anyone, anywhere.
Yahoo has created nearly 20 chat categories including business and finance, family and home, music, religion and beliefs, games, and romance. Each category contains a number of chat rooms. Yahoo previously offered user-created chat rooms, but they closed them to make improvements to the service. Controversy and outrage surrounded these chat rooms because some of them had disturbing names, contained offensive content, and could possibly place children and teens in danger.
Another issue with Yahoo chat is the lack of moderators to oversee the chat rooms. Unfortunately, some chatters make rude, insulting, and downright abusive comments. Yahoo does offer several mechanisms for dealing with such chatters including filing formal complaints. In addition to using Yahoo's protections, chatters should use common sense, intuition, and basic safety measures like the following to remain safe while chatting.
1. Keep in mind that everything you type can be viewed by others, so be careful of what you say and how you say it.
2. Chose a username that does not identify you in anyway (i.e., name, gender, location, etc.).
3. Do not reveal any personal information such as your name, address, and phone number.
4. Always save your chat room conversations.
5. Do not meet with people that you know solely through chat rooms.
Yahoo chat provides an online community in which people can make new friends, share common interests, and learn new things. Taking simple precautions make it possible to have positive Yahoo chat and Yahoo call experiences.
http://articles.syl.com/meetpeopleonlinewithyahoochat.html
I started with the obvious question: what is a chat room? It is an online site that allows people who are on the site at the same time to send messages to each other in real time. I thought that chat rooms were the same as discussion groups and on-line forums. In fact, when I went to the Yahoo directory, I almost signed up for Yahoo groups before I discovered the chat category. Unlike chat rooms, discussion groups and online forums do not take place in real time. In other words, chatting with a friend online is truly like talking with a friend by phone.
Yahoo chat is really quite easy to join. You can go to Yahoo's homepage and locate the chat category in the directory. The instructions are simple to follow and Yahoo provides a number of tutorials. You can download either Chat 2.0 or Yahoo Messenger with voice to enter chat rooms. Downloading Messenger with voice to access chat rooms is not a bad idea because Messenger has a lot of cool features including the ability to make free PC-to-PC calls. With a microphone and speakers or a headset you can make a Yahoo call to anyone, anywhere.
Yahoo has created nearly 20 chat categories including business and finance, family and home, music, religion and beliefs, games, and romance. Each category contains a number of chat rooms. Yahoo previously offered user-created chat rooms, but they closed them to make improvements to the service. Controversy and outrage surrounded these chat rooms because some of them had disturbing names, contained offensive content, and could possibly place children and teens in danger.
Another issue with Yahoo chat is the lack of moderators to oversee the chat rooms. Unfortunately, some chatters make rude, insulting, and downright abusive comments. Yahoo does offer several mechanisms for dealing with such chatters including filing formal complaints. In addition to using Yahoo's protections, chatters should use common sense, intuition, and basic safety measures like the following to remain safe while chatting.
1. Keep in mind that everything you type can be viewed by others, so be careful of what you say and how you say it.
2. Chose a username that does not identify you in anyway (i.e., name, gender, location, etc.).
3. Do not reveal any personal information such as your name, address, and phone number.
4. Always save your chat room conversations.
5. Do not meet with people that you know solely through chat rooms.
Yahoo chat provides an online community in which people can make new friends, share common interests, and learn new things. Taking simple precautions make it possible to have positive Yahoo chat and Yahoo call experiences.
http://articles.syl.com/meetpeopleonlinewithyahoochat.html
Monday, May 21, 2007
Woodworking works its magic over the Web
Estimates vary widely, but from 9.6 million to 17 million people across the United States do woodworking as a hobby, and many more do the occasional project or strip an old table for refinishing. While even good newsstands carry only a handful of woodworking publications, the World Wide Web has blossomed into a rich collection of how-to articles, how-not-to articles, and advertisements and commentary on all manner of tools, schools, techniques, hardware and accessories.
Woodworking has, after all, become a big business.
David Sloan, the editor and publisher of American Woodworker, a Rodale publication with a circulation of 300,000, puts the number of woodworkers at close to 17 million. Rodale estimates that these hobbyists spend about $7 billion a year on tools and supplies. Larry Clayton, the editor of Wood Magazine, the largest of the woodworking publications with a circulation of 600,000, leans toward the 9.6 million figure for the number of woodworking hobbyists in the country. But, he adds, "Interest in the hobby is increasing." A relatively small number of those millions of woodworkers are die-hard hand-tool buffs. A site called Old Tools is where these Neanderthals (a badge of honor) engage in tool drool ("rapturous description of a newly acquired tool"). They are tailless because they don't have power cords to drag around, and they are Galoots by definition because they are members of the Old Tools list. Not surprisingly, perhaps, those in the power-tool mode of Norm Abram, the star of PBS' television show, "The New Yankee Workshop," are called Normies. They have tails, often quite long ones. Now, with all these Neanderthals roaming the Net, the neophyte woodworker might be excused for thinking that the Stanley Bench Plane Dating Page was an electronic matchmaking service for those seeking romantic interludes around the shop and probably a site to be avoided. Not so. The site is a way of finding out when that old, say, Bedrock plane inherited from granddad was made. But if tracing the old plane's roots seems a waste of time, a new one modeled on older and better ones can be bought from a Maine plane maker, Lie-Nielsen Toolworks Inc., where the motto might be that they only build 'em the way they used to. While the traditionalists might spend their time at Old Tools or at The Electronic Neanderthal, an excellent staging area for links to a wide variety of other sites is through Woodworking Mega Links, run by the University of Georgia. Here are sites to see: Old Tools: www.pangea.com/%7Erock/oldtools The Electronic Neanderthal: www.cs.cmu.edu/alf/en/en.html Woodworking Mega Links: nespal.cpes.peachnet.edu/wood Fine Woodworking: www.taunton.com Wood: www.woodmagazine.com Highland Hardware: www.highland-hardware.com Woodcraft: www.woodcraft.com Lie-Nielsen Toolworks Inc.: www.lie-nielsen.com The Stanley Works: www.stanleyworks.com Good Wood Alliance: www.goodwood.org/goodwood
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_19971019/ai_n10373390
Woodworking has, after all, become a big business.
David Sloan, the editor and publisher of American Woodworker, a Rodale publication with a circulation of 300,000, puts the number of woodworkers at close to 17 million. Rodale estimates that these hobbyists spend about $7 billion a year on tools and supplies. Larry Clayton, the editor of Wood Magazine, the largest of the woodworking publications with a circulation of 600,000, leans toward the 9.6 million figure for the number of woodworking hobbyists in the country. But, he adds, "Interest in the hobby is increasing." A relatively small number of those millions of woodworkers are die-hard hand-tool buffs. A site called Old Tools is where these Neanderthals (a badge of honor) engage in tool drool ("rapturous description of a newly acquired tool"). They are tailless because they don't have power cords to drag around, and they are Galoots by definition because they are members of the Old Tools list. Not surprisingly, perhaps, those in the power-tool mode of Norm Abram, the star of PBS' television show, "The New Yankee Workshop," are called Normies. They have tails, often quite long ones. Now, with all these Neanderthals roaming the Net, the neophyte woodworker might be excused for thinking that the Stanley Bench Plane Dating Page was an electronic matchmaking service for those seeking romantic interludes around the shop and probably a site to be avoided. Not so. The site is a way of finding out when that old, say, Bedrock plane inherited from granddad was made. But if tracing the old plane's roots seems a waste of time, a new one modeled on older and better ones can be bought from a Maine plane maker, Lie-Nielsen Toolworks Inc., where the motto might be that they only build 'em the way they used to. While the traditionalists might spend their time at Old Tools or at The Electronic Neanderthal, an excellent staging area for links to a wide variety of other sites is through Woodworking Mega Links, run by the University of Georgia. Here are sites to see: Old Tools: www.pangea.com/%7Erock/oldtools The Electronic Neanderthal: www.cs.cmu.edu/alf/en/en.html Woodworking Mega Links: nespal.cpes.peachnet.edu/wood Fine Woodworking: www.taunton.com Wood: www.woodmagazine.com Highland Hardware: www.highland-hardware.com Woodcraft: www.woodcraft.com Lie-Nielsen Toolworks Inc.: www.lie-nielsen.com The Stanley Works: www.stanleyworks.com Good Wood Alliance: www.goodwood.org/goodwood
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_19971019/ai_n10373390
SCORE and HP Launch 2007 Business Matchmaking
Southeastern Regional Event Set For Atlanta
WASHINGTON -- SCORE-Counselors to America's Small Business and HP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced scheduled regional events for the continuation of their highly successful Business Matchmaking initiative for 2007.
Business Matchmaking is a public-private partnership sponsored by SCORE and HP in cooperation with other leading corporations. It brings together buyers from all federal agencies and many Fortune 500 companies to meet with small businesses offering various products and services. Business Matchmaking has, through regional events held all across the country and in online sessions, generated more than 50,000 one-on-one appointments resulting in more than $750 million in contracting opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Four regional Business Matchmaking events are planned for 2007: Atlanta on April 17, Chicago on Aug. 28, Dallas during October, and Little Rock, Ark. on Dec. 11.
Advertisement
This past year, Business Matchmaking added an online network. This dynamic online resource offers web-based educational tools including the Virtual Business Matchmaking Workshop, monthly "webinars" featuring procurement and supplier diversity experts, access to important downloads of articles and links to helpful resources.
"Business Matchmaking has been a remarkable success and continues to help thousands of small businesses with opportunities to sell to government agencies and major corporations. We are particularly pleased at our expanding relationship with HP in serving the small business community utilizing their outstanding technology and corporate resources," said SCORE CEO Ken Yancey. "Last year, SCORE provided expert business advice to clients through face-to-face meetings throughout the country and we look forward to continuing to provide this vital service to America's entrepreneurs."
"As a one of the largest procurers of goods and services from small businesses as well as a company that develops technology with small businesses in mind, we see great value in our work with SCORE to foster the small business community," said John Dayan, vice president of marketing and business development - Americas, Personal Systems Group, HP.
Complete details on Business Matchmaking, including the 2007 schedule and the new online network, may be found at www.businessmatchmaking.com.
About HP
HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers - from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world's largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $94.1 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended Jan. 31, 2007. More information about HP is available at www.hp.com.
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" has assisted more than 7.2 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners through counseling and business workshops. More than 10,500 volunteer business counselors in 389 chapters serve their communities through entrepreneur education dedicated to the formation, growth and success of small business. For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800-634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Or, visit SCORE on the Web at www.score.org.
Disclaimer: The SCORE Association is funded by the SBA (Cooperative Agreement No. SBAHQ-06-S-0001). Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested, at least two weeks in advance. Contact: information@businessmatchmaking.com. Cosponsorship Authorization Number: 06-6100-04.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2007_April_16/ai_n19003072
WASHINGTON -- SCORE-Counselors to America's Small Business and HP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced scheduled regional events for the continuation of their highly successful Business Matchmaking initiative for 2007.
Business Matchmaking is a public-private partnership sponsored by SCORE and HP in cooperation with other leading corporations. It brings together buyers from all federal agencies and many Fortune 500 companies to meet with small businesses offering various products and services. Business Matchmaking has, through regional events held all across the country and in online sessions, generated more than 50,000 one-on-one appointments resulting in more than $750 million in contracting opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Four regional Business Matchmaking events are planned for 2007: Atlanta on April 17, Chicago on Aug. 28, Dallas during October, and Little Rock, Ark. on Dec. 11.
Advertisement
This past year, Business Matchmaking added an online network. This dynamic online resource offers web-based educational tools including the Virtual Business Matchmaking Workshop, monthly "webinars" featuring procurement and supplier diversity experts, access to important downloads of articles and links to helpful resources.
"Business Matchmaking has been a remarkable success and continues to help thousands of small businesses with opportunities to sell to government agencies and major corporations. We are particularly pleased at our expanding relationship with HP in serving the small business community utilizing their outstanding technology and corporate resources," said SCORE CEO Ken Yancey. "Last year, SCORE provided expert business advice to clients through face-to-face meetings throughout the country and we look forward to continuing to provide this vital service to America's entrepreneurs."
"As a one of the largest procurers of goods and services from small businesses as well as a company that develops technology with small businesses in mind, we see great value in our work with SCORE to foster the small business community," said John Dayan, vice president of marketing and business development - Americas, Personal Systems Group, HP.
Complete details on Business Matchmaking, including the 2007 schedule and the new online network, may be found at www.businessmatchmaking.com.
About HP
HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers - from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world's largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $94.1 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended Jan. 31, 2007. More information about HP is available at www.hp.com.
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" has assisted more than 7.2 million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners through counseling and business workshops. More than 10,500 volunteer business counselors in 389 chapters serve their communities through entrepreneur education dedicated to the formation, growth and success of small business. For more information about starting or operating a small business, call 1-800-634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you. Or, visit SCORE on the Web at www.score.org.
Disclaimer: The SCORE Association is funded by the SBA (Cooperative Agreement No. SBAHQ-06-S-0001). Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested, at least two weeks in advance. Contact: information@businessmatchmaking.com. Cosponsorship Authorization Number: 06-6100-04.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2007_April_16/ai_n19003072
Dating - Are You Shy With Opposite Sex
Many of us are shy talking to the opposite sex. That takes us no where. We are scared of talking to any person of opposite sex. Something happens that stops us. Why do we get scared? We are not scared of talking to persons of our own sex. We are confident about ourselves. We have enough self-esteem, and we value ourselves as desirable. Then why? It is as if there is a switch in the mind that is switched off and says no when it comes to talking with persons of opposite sex.
What can be done about this? This problem has to do with our mind. Our mind tells us that we are not worthy. We may be rejected. We may be laughed at. Our mind warns us to defend ourselves from this and says no - you are not to approach anyone from the opposite sex. This is the mechanism of mind. Fight or flight. In this case, we resort to flight. But with this running away, we will never get a desirable partner. We will always remain alone and only wistfully watch other couples going around. So what should we do?
The very first step in such cases is to evaluate our self and compare ourselves with our friends. Are we as smart as they are? Are we as intelligent as they are? Are we as confident as they are? Are we as presentable as they are? Is our personality equally good? On most of these issues you may find that you are scoring more points than your friends. So one thing is established. You are a desirable person. If your friends are not shy, why are you? Gather the strength and approach persons of opposite sex with confidence. Don't worry about rejections. There can be many reasons for that. Approach smartly and you will surely get some one good to date. Good Luck.
To learn more about dating and relating to opposite sex, you can read - Dating Advice, Relationships Advice and Love Advice on http://www.yourromanceguide.com
About the Author
http://www.articletrader.com/society/dating/dating-are-you-shy-with-opposite-sex.html
What can be done about this? This problem has to do with our mind. Our mind tells us that we are not worthy. We may be rejected. We may be laughed at. Our mind warns us to defend ourselves from this and says no - you are not to approach anyone from the opposite sex. This is the mechanism of mind. Fight or flight. In this case, we resort to flight. But with this running away, we will never get a desirable partner. We will always remain alone and only wistfully watch other couples going around. So what should we do?
The very first step in such cases is to evaluate our self and compare ourselves with our friends. Are we as smart as they are? Are we as intelligent as they are? Are we as confident as they are? Are we as presentable as they are? Is our personality equally good? On most of these issues you may find that you are scoring more points than your friends. So one thing is established. You are a desirable person. If your friends are not shy, why are you? Gather the strength and approach persons of opposite sex with confidence. Don't worry about rejections. There can be many reasons for that. Approach smartly and you will surely get some one good to date. Good Luck.
To learn more about dating and relating to opposite sex, you can read - Dating Advice, Relationships Advice and Love Advice on http://www.yourromanceguide.com
About the Author
http://www.articletrader.com/society/dating/dating-are-you-shy-with-opposite-sex.html
Dating Online - The new way to meet people
A lot has changed since the days of matchmaking and escorted evenings out. Dating in the 21st century has taken many turns, among these the emerging popularity of meeting partners online.
Online dating has many benefits. The shy dater can open up and get to know a person without having to deal with first-date jitters that often come from fear of the unknown. By the time he or she meets the potential paramour, they have already established a comfort level that allows the date to flow much more smoothly.
At the other end of the spectrum, social butterflies love online dating because of the number of fish in the sea. With so many people to choose from, booking several dates in a short amount of time is easy. Online dating allows you to be discreet, and it also enables you to be choosy. You choose partners based on common interests gleaned from dating profiles. This is an attractive alternative to approaching a potential mate in a bar going on looks alone.
As the online dating community has grown, so too have the number of vendors willing to help you promote yourself. Professional writers and photographers offer services to assist you with your dating profile. They hawk services to help you attract more hits to your online profile, which obviously helps lead to more dating options.
Dating websites vary. Some require a fee to enjoy certain benefits, such as the ability to post a picture or short video. Other dating sites offer free private e-mail accounts and access to thousands of profiles without paying a dime. When engaging in online dating, however, it is important to exercise caution.
Remember that anyone with Internet access has access to these sites. It is virtually impossible for dating sites to weed out the bad seeds; the online dater must take care in setting up dates with strangers. When first meeting face-to-face, choose a public place. Don't divulge too much information until you have a good idea of the person's character. Be careful not to tell too much too soon. With a responsible attitude and an open mind, online dating can be fun, safe, and exciting.
About the Author
Jeff Lakie is the founder of Dating Resources a website providing information on Dating Online
Online dating has many benefits. The shy dater can open up and get to know a person without having to deal with first-date jitters that often come from fear of the unknown. By the time he or she meets the potential paramour, they have already established a comfort level that allows the date to flow much more smoothly.
At the other end of the spectrum, social butterflies love online dating because of the number of fish in the sea. With so many people to choose from, booking several dates in a short amount of time is easy. Online dating allows you to be discreet, and it also enables you to be choosy. You choose partners based on common interests gleaned from dating profiles. This is an attractive alternative to approaching a potential mate in a bar going on looks alone.
As the online dating community has grown, so too have the number of vendors willing to help you promote yourself. Professional writers and photographers offer services to assist you with your dating profile. They hawk services to help you attract more hits to your online profile, which obviously helps lead to more dating options.
Dating websites vary. Some require a fee to enjoy certain benefits, such as the ability to post a picture or short video. Other dating sites offer free private e-mail accounts and access to thousands of profiles without paying a dime. When engaging in online dating, however, it is important to exercise caution.
Remember that anyone with Internet access has access to these sites. It is virtually impossible for dating sites to weed out the bad seeds; the online dater must take care in setting up dates with strangers. When first meeting face-to-face, choose a public place. Don't divulge too much information until you have a good idea of the person's character. Be careful not to tell too much too soon. With a responsible attitude and an open mind, online dating can be fun, safe, and exciting.
About the Author
Jeff Lakie is the founder of Dating Resources a website providing information on Dating Online
JEWISH SINGLES MATCH JEWISH SINGLES THROUGH SAWYOUATSINAI'S "SUGGEST-A-MATCH"
A Jewish matchmaking revolution has just occurred – and now you can be a part of it. SawYouAtSinai.com, the largest Jewish Dating and Jewish matchmaking network in the world, has just got even bigger. Along with the Jewish Dating site’s current 300 professional Jewish matchmakers, the recent launch of Jewish Singles’ “Suggest-A-Match” means that all Jewish Singles on the site can now make matches for other Jewish Singles.
“Suggest-A-Match” is the latest SawYouAtSinai creation that is making setting up Jewish single friends simple and effective. With “Suggest-A-Match”, Jewish Singles can easily suggest matches through the system for their friends and previous match suggestions. Each match then gets reviewed by one of the SawYouAtSinai Jewish matchmakers who can then set up the match. And what’s even better, if a person is not on the site, they will be contacted about a suggestion too!
Whether members decide to do this anonymously or not, this new feature has already been satisfying Jewish singles around the world. Jeiwsh singles that get sent a match that they decided to decline, or even ended up dating, now have the option to suggest this to a friend instead. Members need not worry about getting hold of the both parties, answering questions, finding references, giving dating advice or doing follow up – once the match has been suggested, the SYAS Jewish matchmakers handle the rest.
The Jewish singles that are receiving these suggestions are now even happier - knowing that not only has the match been approved by a SYAS Jewish matchmaker, but also by a friend of theirs too! One recipient of a “Suggest-A-Match” says, “I thought it was great to receive a match from someone I previously dated through the site. It hadn’t worked out between us, but I was really flattered that he set me up with his friend. I hope to do the same for others!”
Danielle Jacobs, Director of Marketing for SYAS comments, “We are delighted by the Jewish singles’ response to this feature (and by the accuracy of the suggestions too!) It’s the perfect opportunity for people to be proactive without it consuming too much of their time. We look forward to hearing about the additional engagements that will result”
With hundreds of matches that have already been suggested, accepted and are currently dating, it seems this latest SawYouAtSinai feature is keeping everyone happy. One user of “Suggest-A-Match” responds, “It’s addictive!”
To use this new feature, singles should create a Jewish singles profile on SawYouAtSinai, go to the “Suggest-A-Match” section and suggest away! Its easy to use, and the results are changing Jewish singles’ lives. For more info, visit www.SawYouAtSinai.com
About Author
SawYouAtSinai was created in December 2003 to satisfy the need for a more private and personalized approach to online Jewish dating. This Rabbinic-endorsed site uniquely combines the power of technology, the accessibility of the internet, and the personal touch of a matchmaker to serve its 13000 members. SawYouAtSinai has over 300 experienced Jewish matchmakers from diverse backgrounds, focusing on its Jewish Singles’ various age ranges, religious levels, locations and personalities. With 190 members successfully matched, SawYouAtSinai continues to benefit Conservative, Modern Orthodox and Yeshivish/Black Hat Jewish singles from Jewish communities throughout the world.
“Suggest-A-Match” is the latest SawYouAtSinai creation that is making setting up Jewish single friends simple and effective. With “Suggest-A-Match”, Jewish Singles can easily suggest matches through the system for their friends and previous match suggestions. Each match then gets reviewed by one of the SawYouAtSinai Jewish matchmakers who can then set up the match. And what’s even better, if a person is not on the site, they will be contacted about a suggestion too!
Whether members decide to do this anonymously or not, this new feature has already been satisfying Jewish singles around the world. Jeiwsh singles that get sent a match that they decided to decline, or even ended up dating, now have the option to suggest this to a friend instead. Members need not worry about getting hold of the both parties, answering questions, finding references, giving dating advice or doing follow up – once the match has been suggested, the SYAS Jewish matchmakers handle the rest.
The Jewish singles that are receiving these suggestions are now even happier - knowing that not only has the match been approved by a SYAS Jewish matchmaker, but also by a friend of theirs too! One recipient of a “Suggest-A-Match” says, “I thought it was great to receive a match from someone I previously dated through the site. It hadn’t worked out between us, but I was really flattered that he set me up with his friend. I hope to do the same for others!”
Danielle Jacobs, Director of Marketing for SYAS comments, “We are delighted by the Jewish singles’ response to this feature (and by the accuracy of the suggestions too!) It’s the perfect opportunity for people to be proactive without it consuming too much of their time. We look forward to hearing about the additional engagements that will result”
With hundreds of matches that have already been suggested, accepted and are currently dating, it seems this latest SawYouAtSinai feature is keeping everyone happy. One user of “Suggest-A-Match” responds, “It’s addictive!”
To use this new feature, singles should create a Jewish singles profile on SawYouAtSinai, go to the “Suggest-A-Match” section and suggest away! Its easy to use, and the results are changing Jewish singles’ lives. For more info, visit www.SawYouAtSinai.com
About Author
SawYouAtSinai was created in December 2003 to satisfy the need for a more private and personalized approach to online Jewish dating. This Rabbinic-endorsed site uniquely combines the power of technology, the accessibility of the internet, and the personal touch of a matchmaker to serve its 13000 members. SawYouAtSinai has over 300 experienced Jewish matchmakers from diverse backgrounds, focusing on its Jewish Singles’ various age ranges, religious levels, locations and personalities. With 190 members successfully matched, SawYouAtSinai continues to benefit Conservative, Modern Orthodox and Yeshivish/Black Hat Jewish singles from Jewish communities throughout the world.
What To Do If Your Dating Partner Becomes Cold?
Have you ever had this experience? You have dated some body few times. Both of you had great time together. You are making plans for the future. Everything seems to go smoothly. And suddenly your dating partner goes cold. The phones are not answered. The mails are not responded. No meetings are discussed, as if past never existed. Why this happened?
This happens with many of us. Out of two partners, one takes a unilateral decision to break away and does not inform the other. There may be many reasons for going cold, including finding some body else. But is it worthwhile chasing the cold date any more?
No. But most of the break away partners don’t say so clearly and the change in relationship is not spelled out. That causes problem for a certain time. This is surely unethical. One should never behave like this. But you can do nothing about it.
You have no option but to wait for some time and then ask straight question. Are we separate now? Are you no longer interested in meeting me? After getting a clear yes, begin again. Don’t ponder and worry over why the earlier person behaved so strangely. Some people are like that. Imagine, if you had got married to somebody so unethical and unreliable?
This kind of behavior certainly shocks. But there is no use. Try to recover as soon as you can. This time, be more careful selecting your new dating partner and hope for the best. Despite many failures, success always comes. That is your right. Please claim it. You can find more resources on Relationships, Break-Ups and Dating advice here.
About the Author
Writing for romantic greeting cards, screensavers and desktop wallpapers is the hobby of CD Mohatta. You can download romantic screensavers and also solve fun quizzes on love & dating.
This happens with many of us. Out of two partners, one takes a unilateral decision to break away and does not inform the other. There may be many reasons for going cold, including finding some body else. But is it worthwhile chasing the cold date any more?
No. But most of the break away partners don’t say so clearly and the change in relationship is not spelled out. That causes problem for a certain time. This is surely unethical. One should never behave like this. But you can do nothing about it.
You have no option but to wait for some time and then ask straight question. Are we separate now? Are you no longer interested in meeting me? After getting a clear yes, begin again. Don’t ponder and worry over why the earlier person behaved so strangely. Some people are like that. Imagine, if you had got married to somebody so unethical and unreliable?
This kind of behavior certainly shocks. But there is no use. Try to recover as soon as you can. This time, be more careful selecting your new dating partner and hope for the best. Despite many failures, success always comes. That is your right. Please claim it. You can find more resources on Relationships, Break-Ups and Dating advice here.
About the Author
Writing for romantic greeting cards, screensavers and desktop wallpapers is the hobby of CD Mohatta. You can download romantic screensavers and also solve fun quizzes on love & dating.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Internet Dating Scams: Don't Be a Victim
The growing popularity of online dating coupled by the anonymity has led to an increase in Internet dating scams. It is terrible enough to rip an already lonely heart - but to rip the heart as well as owner’s bank account? Talk of extreme brutality, and yes, heartlessness.
Internet dating scams come in various forms and the perpetrators are always creating new ones. An obvious one is the scam dating site. This is simply a fly-by-night operation, out to sell as many memberships as possible and then disappear without offering service.
Such a scam site will almost certainly cost far less than a typical dating site, while promising to deliver similar offer better service. Well, if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
A variation of scam dating sites is the pornographic site disguised as a dating site or, more often, an adult dating site. Usually, such a site will use images of attractive “members” to lure you in.
Some knowledgeable prostitutes have discovered that it is more profitable - and much safer – to post a profile on an adult dating site than to work the streets. Better still for the prostitute, she (and in some cases he) has a global market.
International Internet Dating Scams
But Internet dating scams begin to get more complex when they go international. The most common one is Russian mail-order bride scam. This one targets people from first world countries (the USA being prime target).
Most Russian Internet dating scams start with the man being contacted by an attractive young woman. Often, but not always, the man is much older than the woman. The scammer is counting on such a man being gullible due to being flattered by the thought of a young attractive woman showing interest in him.
After a few emails, the woman claims to be in love with the man, and wants to join him in his country. She requests money for a passport, visa, air ticket and traveling expenses (at the same time or in stages). She suggests wire money transfer or other irreversible means of sending out money.
Once the man sends the money, two things may happen. The woman might simply disappear. Or there might be a family “tragedy” for which she needs extra cash from the hapless man. She might also claim to be held an airport happen for various reasons. The objective is to milk as much money as possible out of the poor guy.
This type of scam is typically carried out by Russian men or syndicates who hire women (for very minimal fees) to use there profiles and pick the money up for them.
Unfortunately, this scam is also helped by attitudes and stereotypes. The perception of Russian women as desperate to leave their country is one example. So is the assumption that everybody wants to immigrate to the west, especially the USA.
Nigerian Internet Dating Scams
There is also the Nigerian (and lately Ghanaian) scam. Nigerian scams are a little harder to detect in that most con-artists are usually well-learned people who usually do their homework; and they can be unusually patient.
You get contacted by a “US citizen” working in foreign country. Once the contact is and some level of trust established, the scam artist asks you to cash money orders for him/her. The money orders are fraudulent and you are left to pay your bank of the amounts paid.
Sometimes the scammer is not after money. They are after shipping help, for goods bought with stolen credit cards.
Most scams start at Internet chat rooms or free dating sites. Why? Because the scam artist wants to scam as many people as possible without spending money. Also, pay sites require the use a credit card, which can be traced back to the owner.
Protecting Yourself
How do you protect yourself from these or other types of Internet scams? There are no guarantees, just as you don’t have a guarantee of not getting in an accident because you are a careful driver. But you can minimize the risk, or become a hard target (scammers are lazy people and will go for the easiest target).
1. For starters, sign up with a reputable dating site. A paid site is always safer as one is required to use a credit card, which can be traced back to the owner. Of course there is the possibility of someone using a stolen credit card, but the risk is minimal compared to a free site or chat room.
2. Beware of someone who claims to fall in love with you after just a few emails. Start by being skeptical.
3. Never send money to a stranger in another country. Heck, never send money to a stranger in your own country (duh!).
4. Do not give out personal details such as home address, phone number, bank account, real email, or credit card number. Do not even give out your real name until you are sure the person is for real, and certainly not after two or three emails.
5. Do not deposit a money order from your “date” in your bank account. If you do, wait a couple of weeks to make sure it’s not counterfeit. Better still, wait for the money order to clear before forwarding the money.
6. Ask for more than one photograph. A scam artist from, say Nigeria, would usually have a difficult time faking more than one photograph. Also, ask lots of specific questions. If you sense discomfort or vagueness on the other end, cut the relationship.
7. Follow your guts. If something feels wrong, it probably is. If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.
Do not let bad apples stop you from finding love online. Many people have found happy, lasting relationships with local or foreign partners they met on the web. Just know that Internet dating scams are real, and keep alert for red flags.
About the authoer:
David Kamau is webmaster of a Dating Review Site. Now check out Top 10 Dating Sites and find the right one for you.
Internet dating scams come in various forms and the perpetrators are always creating new ones. An obvious one is the scam dating site. This is simply a fly-by-night operation, out to sell as many memberships as possible and then disappear without offering service.
Such a scam site will almost certainly cost far less than a typical dating site, while promising to deliver similar offer better service. Well, if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
A variation of scam dating sites is the pornographic site disguised as a dating site or, more often, an adult dating site. Usually, such a site will use images of attractive “members” to lure you in.
Some knowledgeable prostitutes have discovered that it is more profitable - and much safer – to post a profile on an adult dating site than to work the streets. Better still for the prostitute, she (and in some cases he) has a global market.
International Internet Dating Scams
But Internet dating scams begin to get more complex when they go international. The most common one is Russian mail-order bride scam. This one targets people from first world countries (the USA being prime target).
Most Russian Internet dating scams start with the man being contacted by an attractive young woman. Often, but not always, the man is much older than the woman. The scammer is counting on such a man being gullible due to being flattered by the thought of a young attractive woman showing interest in him.
After a few emails, the woman claims to be in love with the man, and wants to join him in his country. She requests money for a passport, visa, air ticket and traveling expenses (at the same time or in stages). She suggests wire money transfer or other irreversible means of sending out money.
Once the man sends the money, two things may happen. The woman might simply disappear. Or there might be a family “tragedy” for which she needs extra cash from the hapless man. She might also claim to be held an airport happen for various reasons. The objective is to milk as much money as possible out of the poor guy.
This type of scam is typically carried out by Russian men or syndicates who hire women (for very minimal fees) to use there profiles and pick the money up for them.
Unfortunately, this scam is also helped by attitudes and stereotypes. The perception of Russian women as desperate to leave their country is one example. So is the assumption that everybody wants to immigrate to the west, especially the USA.
Nigerian Internet Dating Scams
There is also the Nigerian (and lately Ghanaian) scam. Nigerian scams are a little harder to detect in that most con-artists are usually well-learned people who usually do their homework; and they can be unusually patient.
You get contacted by a “US citizen” working in foreign country. Once the contact is and some level of trust established, the scam artist asks you to cash money orders for him/her. The money orders are fraudulent and you are left to pay your bank of the amounts paid.
Sometimes the scammer is not after money. They are after shipping help, for goods bought with stolen credit cards.
Most scams start at Internet chat rooms or free dating sites. Why? Because the scam artist wants to scam as many people as possible without spending money. Also, pay sites require the use a credit card, which can be traced back to the owner.
Protecting Yourself
How do you protect yourself from these or other types of Internet scams? There are no guarantees, just as you don’t have a guarantee of not getting in an accident because you are a careful driver. But you can minimize the risk, or become a hard target (scammers are lazy people and will go for the easiest target).
1. For starters, sign up with a reputable dating site. A paid site is always safer as one is required to use a credit card, which can be traced back to the owner. Of course there is the possibility of someone using a stolen credit card, but the risk is minimal compared to a free site or chat room.
2. Beware of someone who claims to fall in love with you after just a few emails. Start by being skeptical.
3. Never send money to a stranger in another country. Heck, never send money to a stranger in your own country (duh!).
4. Do not give out personal details such as home address, phone number, bank account, real email, or credit card number. Do not even give out your real name until you are sure the person is for real, and certainly not after two or three emails.
5. Do not deposit a money order from your “date” in your bank account. If you do, wait a couple of weeks to make sure it’s not counterfeit. Better still, wait for the money order to clear before forwarding the money.
6. Ask for more than one photograph. A scam artist from, say Nigeria, would usually have a difficult time faking more than one photograph. Also, ask lots of specific questions. If you sense discomfort or vagueness on the other end, cut the relationship.
7. Follow your guts. If something feels wrong, it probably is. If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.
Do not let bad apples stop you from finding love online. Many people have found happy, lasting relationships with local or foreign partners they met on the web. Just know that Internet dating scams are real, and keep alert for red flags.
About the authoer:
David Kamau is webmaster of a Dating Review Site. Now check out Top 10 Dating Sites and find the right one for you.
Seven Tips for Improving Your Relationship
What makes relationship last long? Why do some people seem to have happy and long-lasting relationships while others simply can’t seem to hold it together? Is there magic to what makes some relationships last longer than others?
Maybe there is. Or maybe it’s just that some people learn secrets of success from their grandparents or other relatives or friends. And since the latter is probably more accurate, here are some tried and true tips from people who have enjoyed long, happy relationships.
1. Dates: Dating does not have to end simply because the couple is married or has been together long. Keep dating each other. Even if life seems too busy, meet at the end of the evening for something light and easy, like viewing your favorite sitcom (record it if necessary) together or playing a game of Euchre.
2. Refresh: Take time to look back. Refresh your memories and share your most memorable moments. Take a look at what brought you together. Pull out those old pictures in happy moments and look at them together. Especially when times are difficult, lean back and rely on these old memories as your foundation and glue yourselves back together with them (not literally, of course!)
3. Fun: Couples tend to have fun on dates, and get too serious once married. Lighten up. Head to Yahoo Games (off Yahoo.com main site) and join in any number of card or other games. Or head to a local rental shop and rent an Xbox or other game player and some games.
4. Let Go: No need to hold on to the bad things that happened during an argument. Actively “forget”. Take them as lessons about what needs to be improved, or how to handle things better next time. Then move on. Be the first to apologize and make up.
5. Space: Give each other some space. Either you trust or you don’t. Get on with life, though. People need time alone and time with their mates and other friends. Be sure to give and take your fair share of space.
6. Disagree: Agree that it’s okay to disagree on some issues. You are still two different people, each with a brain of their own and an opinion. No need to create a new religion or political movement just to appease both of you. You don’t have to agree on everything. And you won’t. And that’s okay.
7. Reminiscences: Enjoy special moments, special anniversary dates and events. No need to be elaborate. For example, maybe you enjoyed watching a hot air balloon race one spring day. The next year, you might schedule time to watch it again. Make it an annual event. Collect postcards with balloons on the, playing cards, toss pillows…over time it becomes a theme.
So don’t wish for the “good old days”. Make them happen. You may be a little older, but you can rekindle the embers into a nice, warm glow. Take short steps to improve your relationships and let life’s problems magically pass by while you hold on to your relationship.
http://e-datecentral.com/dating_advice/improve_relationship.htm
Maybe there is. Or maybe it’s just that some people learn secrets of success from their grandparents or other relatives or friends. And since the latter is probably more accurate, here are some tried and true tips from people who have enjoyed long, happy relationships.
1. Dates: Dating does not have to end simply because the couple is married or has been together long. Keep dating each other. Even if life seems too busy, meet at the end of the evening for something light and easy, like viewing your favorite sitcom (record it if necessary) together or playing a game of Euchre.
2. Refresh: Take time to look back. Refresh your memories and share your most memorable moments. Take a look at what brought you together. Pull out those old pictures in happy moments and look at them together. Especially when times are difficult, lean back and rely on these old memories as your foundation and glue yourselves back together with them (not literally, of course!)
3. Fun: Couples tend to have fun on dates, and get too serious once married. Lighten up. Head to Yahoo Games (off Yahoo.com main site) and join in any number of card or other games. Or head to a local rental shop and rent an Xbox or other game player and some games.
4. Let Go: No need to hold on to the bad things that happened during an argument. Actively “forget”. Take them as lessons about what needs to be improved, or how to handle things better next time. Then move on. Be the first to apologize and make up.
5. Space: Give each other some space. Either you trust or you don’t. Get on with life, though. People need time alone and time with their mates and other friends. Be sure to give and take your fair share of space.
6. Disagree: Agree that it’s okay to disagree on some issues. You are still two different people, each with a brain of their own and an opinion. No need to create a new religion or political movement just to appease both of you. You don’t have to agree on everything. And you won’t. And that’s okay.
7. Reminiscences: Enjoy special moments, special anniversary dates and events. No need to be elaborate. For example, maybe you enjoyed watching a hot air balloon race one spring day. The next year, you might schedule time to watch it again. Make it an annual event. Collect postcards with balloons on the, playing cards, toss pillows…over time it becomes a theme.
So don’t wish for the “good old days”. Make them happen. You may be a little older, but you can rekindle the embers into a nice, warm glow. Take short steps to improve your relationships and let life’s problems magically pass by while you hold on to your relationship.
http://e-datecentral.com/dating_advice/improve_relationship.htm
Finding Your Soul Mate with Online Matchmaking Services
Online matchmaking is hot. The continual growth in popularity of online matchmaking services has even some its harshest critics take a step back and say, "Well, looks like it works after all."
Indeed, the advantages of online matchmaking over other tried-and-not-so-true methods of meeting a mate, such as singles bars, blind dates, supermarkets and so on are undeniable and varied. These advantages include:
1. Matching: On many matchmaking sites you answer questions and specify what you are looking for in a mate. You can be very specific as to what you like and dislike, what you must have and what you cannot stand, and anything in between.
2. Convenience: You can search and communicate with prospective candidates at any time of the day or night.
3. Numbers: There are millions of people from whom to choose, of different ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions and geographical locations.
4. Interacting: While some people can say the right thing at the right time, some of us get the right ideas long after the fact. In online matchmaking, you have all the time to create opening lines or think up appropriate responses.
Exchanging email, instant/text messages, chatting, and phone calls help further in finding the right match as well as weeding out those who are incompatible to you or with whom you are uncomfortable.
5. Put Your Best Foot Forward: In online matchmaking you can broadcast your best talents and qualities by creating a profile that touches on all the interesting elements that make the real you.
6. Privacy: Online matchmaking services provide easy-to-use features as well as an environment that lets you communicate while maintaining your anonymity. You can remain anonymous until you are ready to reveal more about yourself to the right person.
You also get to check out any number of potential mates without their ever knowing you took a peek.
7. Familiarity: You get to "know" the people who seem promising before meeting in person. This eliminates the awkwardness of first introductions. You also have an idea of what your prospective mate looks like, as you will have exchanged photos.
8. Minimizing risk: Meeting strangers in bars, clubs and other similar places carries an element of risk. Though risk cannot be entirely eliminated in online matchmaking you can maintain safety with caution and commonsense.
The fact that you have been communicating with the person for some time minimizes risk as you already know the person to a certain extent.
All in all, online matchmaking services offer many advantages over other dating methods. A reputable service can offer you a way to meet lots of compatible singles who are also looking for serious partners. Reputable matchmaking sites offer free trials.
About the author :
Indeed, the advantages of online matchmaking over other tried-and-not-so-true methods of meeting a mate, such as singles bars, blind dates, supermarkets and so on are undeniable and varied. These advantages include:
1. Matching: On many matchmaking sites you answer questions and specify what you are looking for in a mate. You can be very specific as to what you like and dislike, what you must have and what you cannot stand, and anything in between.
2. Convenience: You can search and communicate with prospective candidates at any time of the day or night.
3. Numbers: There are millions of people from whom to choose, of different ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions and geographical locations.
4. Interacting: While some people can say the right thing at the right time, some of us get the right ideas long after the fact. In online matchmaking, you have all the time to create opening lines or think up appropriate responses.
Exchanging email, instant/text messages, chatting, and phone calls help further in finding the right match as well as weeding out those who are incompatible to you or with whom you are uncomfortable.
5. Put Your Best Foot Forward: In online matchmaking you can broadcast your best talents and qualities by creating a profile that touches on all the interesting elements that make the real you.
6. Privacy: Online matchmaking services provide easy-to-use features as well as an environment that lets you communicate while maintaining your anonymity. You can remain anonymous until you are ready to reveal more about yourself to the right person.
You also get to check out any number of potential mates without their ever knowing you took a peek.
7. Familiarity: You get to "know" the people who seem promising before meeting in person. This eliminates the awkwardness of first introductions. You also have an idea of what your prospective mate looks like, as you will have exchanged photos.
8. Minimizing risk: Meeting strangers in bars, clubs and other similar places carries an element of risk. Though risk cannot be entirely eliminated in online matchmaking you can maintain safety with caution and commonsense.
The fact that you have been communicating with the person for some time minimizes risk as you already know the person to a certain extent.
All in all, online matchmaking services offer many advantages over other dating methods. A reputable service can offer you a way to meet lots of compatible singles who are also looking for serious partners. Reputable matchmaking sites offer free trials.
About the author :
David Kamau is webmaster of http://www.e-datecentral.com which reviews dating sites. To find reputable Christian online dating sites go to: http://e-datecentral.com/personals/christian.htm
Writing an Online Dating Profile: Common Pitfalls to Avoid
When writing an online dating profile, there pitfalls that you should avoid as they may well cost you love of your life. Some common pitfalls include:
1. Laundry List:
Yes, complex beings we are, with wide and varied interests. But you don't need to put each and every one of them in your profile. Four to five activities that mean most to you and are integral to your life suffice.
2. Shopping List:
This is related to 1 above, only that you make a long list of demands that your prospect must have or meet. Some online dating profile lists of demands simply cannot be met by someone from planet earth. Be realistic.
3. Lies:
The biggest complaint about online dating is about all the liars out there. People lie about their marital status, age, profession, income and so on. These lies eventually catch up with them, inflicting deep wounds and even lifetime scars on either or both parties. Be honest.
2. TMI (Too Much Information):
Don't spill every little detail about yourself in your ad.
First, if you lay everything out on the table right away, you'll have a hard time finding things to talk about later.
Second, a little mystery in a relationship helps strengthen the interest in both parties. Take your time in finding out more about each other.
3. Bragging:
Nobody likes a show-off. But how, you might ask, do you write positively about yourself without sounding arrogant? Well, be objective as opposed to being subjective. Avoid self-aggrandizing commentaries like, "I look great", "I am successful", "I have a great sense of humor", and so on.
4. Clichés and Other Overused Phrases:
Guess what? Almost everyone enjoys "fine dining" and "long walks on a moonlit beach". You're not inviting a response when you list things like this. Using these phrases will make you seem unimaginative, if not outright boring. Put some thought into what you really enjoy doing and list things that make you stand out from the crowd.
5. Loser Words and Phrases:
Avoid using any of the following words or phrases in your personal profile:
a) "I'm tired of being alone" - This paints you as desperate and can set you up for responses by manipulative people.
b) "If you want more info, ask" - The whole response/reply process assumes this. Adding this line indicates laziness on your part to think about the content of your ad.
c) "I'm honest" - Even the most compulsive of liars won't admit to being one, so there's really no point in saying this.
d) "I'm no good at these things" - Few people consider themselves particularly gifted in writing personal ads. Like a) above, this reads like unmotivated filler text.
e) "I can't believe I'm doing this." Well, guess what, you are! Get real.
6. Shouting:
Typing in all capital letters is not only hard on the eyes, but also annoying to most readers. Also, on the Internet this is considered shouting. DON'T SHOUT! (See what I'm saying?).
7. Sexual Innuendo:
Save the sex talk for later communication, when you and your date become more comfortable with each other. What you intend as a cute remark may inadvertently be taken the wrong way.
8. Berating Former Relationships or Partners:
Almost everybody has gone through a relationship that just didn't work out (I doubt there's anybody who hasn't). Don't whine about what you didn't get out of your last relationship. This is not the time or place to vent.
9. Unfamiliar Words:
Don't try to show off vocabulary you do not have. The easier to read your personal profile is the better. Conversation-style writing that brings out your personality works best.
10. Negativity:
You want to come across positively. Talk about your positive aspects and traits. Leave the negative behind.
There you have ten common pitfalls to avoid when writing an online dating profile. And while you are at it, don't forget to check your spelling and grammar.
About the author :
1. Laundry List:
Yes, complex beings we are, with wide and varied interests. But you don't need to put each and every one of them in your profile. Four to five activities that mean most to you and are integral to your life suffice.
2. Shopping List:
This is related to 1 above, only that you make a long list of demands that your prospect must have or meet. Some online dating profile lists of demands simply cannot be met by someone from planet earth. Be realistic.
3. Lies:
The biggest complaint about online dating is about all the liars out there. People lie about their marital status, age, profession, income and so on. These lies eventually catch up with them, inflicting deep wounds and even lifetime scars on either or both parties. Be honest.
2. TMI (Too Much Information):
Don't spill every little detail about yourself in your ad.
First, if you lay everything out on the table right away, you'll have a hard time finding things to talk about later.
Second, a little mystery in a relationship helps strengthen the interest in both parties. Take your time in finding out more about each other.
3. Bragging:
Nobody likes a show-off. But how, you might ask, do you write positively about yourself without sounding arrogant? Well, be objective as opposed to being subjective. Avoid self-aggrandizing commentaries like, "I look great", "I am successful", "I have a great sense of humor", and so on.
4. Clichés and Other Overused Phrases:
Guess what? Almost everyone enjoys "fine dining" and "long walks on a moonlit beach". You're not inviting a response when you list things like this. Using these phrases will make you seem unimaginative, if not outright boring. Put some thought into what you really enjoy doing and list things that make you stand out from the crowd.
5. Loser Words and Phrases:
Avoid using any of the following words or phrases in your personal profile:
a) "I'm tired of being alone" - This paints you as desperate and can set you up for responses by manipulative people.
b) "If you want more info, ask" - The whole response/reply process assumes this. Adding this line indicates laziness on your part to think about the content of your ad.
c) "I'm honest" - Even the most compulsive of liars won't admit to being one, so there's really no point in saying this.
d) "I'm no good at these things" - Few people consider themselves particularly gifted in writing personal ads. Like a) above, this reads like unmotivated filler text.
e) "I can't believe I'm doing this." Well, guess what, you are! Get real.
6. Shouting:
Typing in all capital letters is not only hard on the eyes, but also annoying to most readers. Also, on the Internet this is considered shouting. DON'T SHOUT! (See what I'm saying?).
7. Sexual Innuendo:
Save the sex talk for later communication, when you and your date become more comfortable with each other. What you intend as a cute remark may inadvertently be taken the wrong way.
8. Berating Former Relationships or Partners:
Almost everybody has gone through a relationship that just didn't work out (I doubt there's anybody who hasn't). Don't whine about what you didn't get out of your last relationship. This is not the time or place to vent.
9. Unfamiliar Words:
Don't try to show off vocabulary you do not have. The easier to read your personal profile is the better. Conversation-style writing that brings out your personality works best.
10. Negativity:
You want to come across positively. Talk about your positive aspects and traits. Leave the negative behind.
There you have ten common pitfalls to avoid when writing an online dating profile. And while you are at it, don't forget to check your spelling and grammar.
About the author :
David Kamau is webmaster of http://www.e-datecentral.com which reviews dating sites. To find reputable Christian online dating sites go to: http://e-datecentral.com/personals/christian.htm
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