Making political capital out of the miners' strike

Violent clashes between police and striking miners at the Lonmin mine at Marikana in North-West Province, and between members of rival unions, have left 34 dead (at the last count) and many more injured. This has shocked most people in South Africa. After 18 years of talk of transformation, can we say that anything as been transformed from the old South Africa? Are the police that shot striking miners at Marikana in 2012 any better than those who shot protesters against the pass laws at Sharpeville in 1960? What has been transformed?

In such circumstances it's all to easy to join the blame game.

Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys in all this?

But the more you learn about what happened and is happening there, the more you realize that it's not at all simple. There are no good guys and bad guys. There's good and bad in all. So before pronouncing judgement, it is wise to learn a bit more about the issues and what is at stake, and what led to the strike. One fairly good article on this topic is here: Daily Maverick - Beyond the chaos at Marikana: The search for the real issues.

I'm sure that it doesn't tell the full story, and things have moved on since then, and much of it has been overtaken by subsequent events, but it is worth reading anyway.

Can this be compared with Sharpeville?

Yes and no. The Sharpeville protesters were unarmed, and most were shot in the back; the Marikana strikers were armed, though most with "traditional weapons". One can hope that there will be a Commission of Inquiry, and that it will not suffer the same constraints as the Sharpeville one.

The miners, we are told, are striking because they want an increase from R4000 a month to R12500 a month. How does R4000 a month compare with 1960?

Back then, when we decimalised our currency, and exchanged pounds shillings and pence for Rands and cents, underground miners used to earn between 15c and 35c a shift. That was roughly about R4.00 a month. If they are earning R4000 a month, that is 1000 times more.

Of course back then the Rand was worth a lot more than it is now. Again, at a rough guiess, I'd say it was worth 100 times more. A Rand today is worth what a cent was worth back then.

How do I measure?

In 1961 an omelet and chips in a downtown Joburg restaurasnt cost 35c, as did a plate of mince and rice. You'd be lucky to get the equivalent for R35.00 today. A bottle of Coke or Fanta or Sparletta cost 5c, as did a cup of coffee or a daily newspaper. You'd be lucky to get any of those for R5.00 today. A hamburger cost 15c -- equivalent to the daily pay of the lowest paid miners at the time (the miners did get food in the hostels).

So if you multiplied the pay by 100 it would be R400 a month today, not R4000. But I don't know if the miners of today who are earning R4000 a month are still getting free board and lodging. And even those who got free board and lodging on the job back then often had families at home elsewhere. So if they had a wife and three children, they could feed themselves on a quarter of a hamburger each per day.

So are the miners justified in striking? Are they justified in aerming themselves? Are they justified in killing those they regard as scabs? Are the police justified in shooting them?

I don't know. If such questions are to be answered, let a judicial Commission of Inquiry look into it.

But there are some things about this that do seem more unequivocally bad -- people who are not directly involved trying to cash in and make political capital out of it.

For example, there's one of those photos doing the rounds on Facebook, which is both disingenuous and malicious.

Why is it bad?

• The farmers were killed by criminals; the miners were killed by the police who are supposed to be catching the criminals.
• The miners were killed on one day; the farmers were killed over a long period.
• If one is going to make a thing about occupational groups, then one might as well acknowledge that the criminals picked on the farmers because the thought they were rich; the miners killed by the police were striking because they were poor.

So that picture is intended to spread disinformation, and to encourage the uninformed to spread disinformation. It's not that murdering farmers is not a bad thing, but rather that those who are ostensibly campaigning against it are trying to promote their cause by using thoroughly dishonest pictures like the one above.

Another example of someone trying to cash in on the situation to make political capital is here: Malema at Marikana: 'Many will die' - Mail & Guardian Online:

Julius Malema wasn't pulling punches, when he spoke to several thousand Marikana mineworkers on Saturday. President Jacob Zuma should step down, he said, as should Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

ANC National Executive Committee member Cyril Ramaphosa came in for a drubbing as well – with the implication that he was partially responsible for the deaths of the strikers killed this week.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) were sellouts, he said, and police had no excuse for using live ammunition.

Julius Malema seems to see this as his ticket out of the political wilderness.

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On treating miners as human beings

Did 44 people have to die to get people to take striking miners seriously? Are they being taken seriously even now? Are they even regarded as human beings? Writing Africa - Tinyiko Sam Maluleke's Website: Did Human Beings Die At Lonmin's Marikana Mine?:

If the workers are human, government will engage in more than the knee-jerk, poorly thought-out proliferation of publicity stunts aimed at appeasement of investors and mineworkers as well as the saving of face. If they are human, perhaps Lonmin might just realise that expectations of an improved wage, better working and living conditions might just be valid and even reasonable. If the miners are human then Shanduka may wish to contribute to the improvement of the wages and living conditions of the miners instead of waiting till the workers are dead to contribute to funeral costs.

There have been calls for a week of mourning.

Back in the days of hippies and student power there was a saying, "Don't mourn! Organise!"

Mourning, lamenting, wailing and hand-wringing are mere self-indulgent exercises if there is not an immediate and tangible improvement in the wages and living conditions of the miners, as Tinyiko Maluleke points out so eloquently in the blog post I have quoted above.

And, from the point of view of the investors and bosses, even if you don't want to treat miners as human beings, but rather, to use that dehumanising phrase, as "human resources", it still makes sound business sense, as this article points out: Lonmin needs to pay up to avoid another Marikana showdown - Telegraph:

Since the drillers walked out on August 10, all Lonmin’s managers have done is bang on about the strike’s illegality. Sure, they may have the law on their side. But look at the cost. Thursday’s massacre, at the hands of the police, came after a misguided ultimatum that strikers return to work or be sacked.

Even after the bloodshed, there have been two similar ultimatums, rather undermining the sincerity of the condolences with which they were interspersed. Depressingly, here was the main message today from Mark Munroe, executive vice president for mining: “By 7am tomorrow we expect workers to return to work. After that Lonmin has the right to fire them.”

If they say that the mine can't afford it, and that the workers' demands are unreasonable, perhaps they should look to see if they can afford the salaries of the grossly overpaid bosses, whose incompetence and intransigence led to the crisis in the first place.

And even Zwelinzima Vavi, the Cosatu leader, was banging on about the illegality of the strike.

For those who want to have a purpose-built liturgy for such occasions, here are some suggestions:

Jer 22:13-14 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

Look at the houses of the mine bosses, and the houses of the rock drillers, and weep.

Pro 28:8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

Pro 28:11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.

Pro 28:15 As a roaring lion, and a raging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

Pro 28:17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.

Pro 29:7 The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

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Vitamin D Fights Depression and Alzheimers Disease

How should we be certain we obtain the right amount of vitamin D? Sunshine is definitely a great source of vitamin D. While you are outside in direct sunlight, the body generally generates vitamin D. While you're exposed to direct sunlight, be sure you make use of a decent sunscreen lotion to protect yourself from burns. Get the maximum amount of exposure to the sun as you can. Why? Our body normally generates vitamin D while we are exposed to sunshine. In case you have modest contact with the sun's rays, whether it's as you do the job inside or perhaps are living somewhere it doesn't have a large amount of sunlight, make sure to have ingredients which are excellent vitamin D sources. It's also in most our food products. A number of the food products milk products, fat free yogurt, fortified cereal, and also some types of bread usually are full of vitamin D. What's more, it exists the natural way in fish, tuna fish, and also chicken eggs.



If you fail to end up getting an adequate amount of vitamin D as a consequence of reduced sun exposure or not having ample food products having vitamin D with them, you'll be able to use a multivitamin pill. Multi-vitamins are usually a simple method of obtaining an adequate amount of minerals and vitamins we could be short of the diet. What are the results if you can't obtain a sufficient amount of vitamin D in your eating plan? You'll find several typical bone tissue softening disease that could arise mainly because of not receiving a sufficient quantity of vitamin D: Rickets, Osteomalacia, and also Osteoporosis. Rickets is actually a disease primarily noticed in kids. That may cause the bone tissues in the human body to fail to improve and get deformed. Osteomalacia is actually a complication that comes about in grown-ups. It really is resulting from muscular weakness as well as sensitive bones. Brittle bones occurs when the bone become less heavy and much more breakable. Then again, recent surveys are usually revealing that vitamin D may defend us from hypertension, many forms of cancer, serious painfulness, and even major depression.



Guys who already have minimal levels of vitamin D are more inclined to suffer from a stroke. Girls who may become pregnant or possibly are already pregnant need to ensure they are really obtaining a sufficient quantity of vitamin D. Females who use a multi-vitamin together with correct quantities of vitamin D within it will probably get kids with much stronger bone tissues. Vitamin D helps to increase the effects of carrying a child. Females who have appropriate quantities of vitamin D while being pregnant slow up the danger of medical problems later in life for their kid.

Find more information : VitaminDDeficiencySymptomsGuide.com

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Patent leather bag

Nowadays, patent leather bags, such as designer handbags,cheap evening handbags,Beautiful wallet,2012 fashion handbag,leather shoulder bags, are more and more popular. However,do you know how to maintain patent leather bags? If not, please pay attention to the following problems.

First,patent leather bag should be avoided contacting with any object whoes pigment may be dyed to patent leather for a long time, such as magazines and other leather,ect..

Second, please use seal bag that is attached with product to keep your product.

Third, patent leather bag must keep dry and be avoided contacting with any heating elements.Don't let patent leather bag stay in the car for a long time.

Four, patent leather bag had better not be in the sun, in order to avoid patent leather fade.

Five, patent leather bag should be away from the oily substance and cosmetics, because patent leather is of permeability.

Six,there may be some small black lines under the patent leather , which are generated in the production process, but don't affect the quality of the product in any way .

Seven, please use soft cloth to wipe when you clean patent leather bags.

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Affiliate Marketing Advice That Is Easy To Follow

If you are trying affiliate marketing for the first time, then you probably know some tips can be a big help in getting you started in this field. These tips in this article are designed to get your affiliate marketing venture off the ground.

Google Plus is the hottest new social network, so the sooner you can build a presence there, the better. Pull together your Google Plus account with your other social marketing accounts such as Facebook and Twitter, combining them for one purpose. Give them good information so they want to visit your site.

Stay up to date with your industry and market. If it seems to you like you are falling behind, you probably are. If you don't change this quickly, your competitors will quickly take business away from you. In all likelihood, you may have learned to stay clear of web sites like Profit Masters Academy which promote bad advice.

Affiliate companies that treat their partners fairly are the only ones you should get involved with. A twenty percent profit sharing split is a good threshold for deciding which affiliate companies you should work with. Good affiliate companies realize that good efforts deserve higher commission which will motivate you to do more for their business.

Each affiliate program has its differences. Programs vary by product and degree of flexibility.

Have your audience in mind when you are ready to choose your affiliates. Link yourself with products that are relevant to yours. Visitors come to your website for specific reasons and are interested in what you're selling. By placing ads that are related to their needs, you can take advantage of this.

A successful affiliate marketer is open and honest with their readers, which promotes trust and goodwill. Being truthful and disclosing important information to readers will help you build up a dedicated customer base. If readers can't trust the content on your website, they will avoid clicking your links.

Don't go book crazy; once you find a system that you like, work that system for a while. You have to be willing to do the upfront work for nothing and have faith it will pay off in the long run. The effort you put into reading multiple books is in fact an effort in stalling. Place the books aside, choose a couple of good tips, and begin your affiliate marketing campaign.

As this article has shown you, affiliate marketing is a great way to build your business, and get more money for you. These tips can help you be on your way to becoming an expert in affiliate marketing.

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Apply These Tips To Your Home Business Plan

Sometimes life circumstances can really hit you hard. You can lose your job and struggle to know what to do. Has the idea of a home-based enterprise ever occurred to you? This article can show you how to be your own boss.

During the process of setting up your home business, research local area business that are in similar markets and find out what they charge for goods and services. Base your rates on these businesses while trying to remain competitive. Charge based on your worth and what you need.

Dress up, even when you work from home. There is a great temptation to not dress professionally when working from home. Treat your home business like you would an office and dress professionally. By dressing up and feeling great, you will be on the right path to making your business as successful as possible. If you would like to check out an example of the things you should not do, check out the Profit Masters Academy scam that has been pushed aggressively through dishonest affiliate marketers.

To learn about running a home business, join a few forums and discussion boards on the subject. A quick Google search will find you several good sites that offer useful information. Use blog platforms to get in touch with other home business owners, and learn from them.

If you are working towards being innovative in starting you home business think about things that you might find useful in your daily life. Product selections should be based upon the needs of consumers. Chances are, if you could use something in your life, other people can use it too.

You can receive a tax break when entertaining clients. On your taxes, the dinners you took your clients to can be used as a deductible. Be sure you keep all of your receipts as proof, though, in case you are audited.

Make it clear to your family and friends that when you are hard at work, you should be allowed to handle business without outside interruptions. Explain these rules of work nicely to friends and relatives that like to drop in a little too often. If they insist on showing up during your work time, have them wait in another room with a magazine, or with the TV playing quietly, until you are ready to take a break and receive company.

Use your finances wisely by tracking every business expense. Even things like the gas you spent driving and your internet service, qualify. Many of these expenses are tax deductible, if you run a business. Small things can add up, so make sure you ferret out all the deductions you can.

There are many options for a home business including a personal shopper for the elderly or infirm, daycare services, or catering. Brainstorm ideas for community service opportunities since there are always many ways to help people around you.

While reading this article, hopefully you were inspired to take your life into your own hands. You were given a lot of tips about starting a home business, and now is the time to grab the bull by the horns and go for it! You can keep this article for reference to read anytime you are not sure what the next step you should be taking is.

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Winning Home Business Strategies That Are Proven To Succeed

A home business is appealing but it is also very intimidating. Where do you begin? What makes a home business successful? You need to address all of your questions. Gratefully, here you will find useful tips on how best to make your home business succeed.

If appropriate, one way to earn profits is through membership fees. Offering a subscription to your site is a great way to net bigger profits.

Try to go out of your way to make your customers happy and satisfied with your products and services. Think about adding a little extra to their order, or slip a thank you note into the package. When you show someone that you are grateful for their business, they will come back for more. People love receiving free items, as it makes them feel special. Prove that your customers are important to you. Normally people who comprehend this article know, however there are also instances when they do not.

Buying into one of the many business opportunities that guarantee you success will not mean that you will get rich overnight. Building a successful home business takes time, regardless of your strategy. Hard work, dedication and proper planning are the essential building blocks of any successful business.

The ideal time to begin your new home business venture is when you still have a job. Don't quit your day job too quickly; it takes time for new venture to start turning a profit. You can use the income from your job to help make it through the start-up period until your new venture becomes profitable.

In order to get your business making a profit as quickly as possible, you should practice marketing your expertise online. You can market your business online by blogging, writing articles, or sending out an email newsletter. These actions will increase the traffic to your site and can lead to greater success.

Spend time in a business forum on the Internet. This can help you get insight from people who are doing the same as you. Individuals that have home-based business deal with similar situations and can share information and search for solutions to problems.

Entertaining your clients could allow you to write off more money on your taxes. If you take clients out for dinner, you can partially deduct that from your taxes. Be sure you keep all of your receipts as proof, though, in case you are audited.

As was mentioned earlier in this article, a home business can be both appealing and intimidating. Hopefully you have gleaned some good information and advice from the tips shared in this article. Put that advice into action, and watch as things begin to work more smoothly for your home business.

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Great Ideas For Effectively Working From Home

Sometimes life circumstances can really hit you hard. You can lose your job and struggle to know what to do. Has the idea of a home-based enterprise ever occurred to you? If you have, then this article will provide some tips for beginning this process.

Have business cards printed. You can even find some good business cards for free or cheap online. Make sure to include information such as your name, business name and phone number. Make sure to also include the URL of your website and an email address. This will make you easy to get a hold of.

You can dramatically increase the profits of your business by using the Internet to market and advertise your business. You can market your business online by blogging, writing articles, or sending out an email newsletter. These actions will increase the traffic to your site and can lead to greater success. As a rule men and women who thoroughly grasp this kind of scam are aware of, however you can also find occasions when they don't.

Create a schedule for both your personal and professional time and stick to the times. Set a time for your business to close, and stop working at that time every day. Be sure to schedule personal time, as well as time to socialize with your friends and family.

Do not quit your current employment when starting a home business. When starting a new business it is advisable to continue working until your new business begins generating profit. Keeping your job will ensure that you have enough money to cover your bills and take care of sudden expenses as they occur. You can continue to build your company in your spare time.

Home business owners often will visit online forums. Check out online message boards and forums that cater to those in your business situation. It is also helpful to visit forums that are designed for people working from home, in general. There are some issues that are common to all home businesses, so information from business owners in an entirely different niche may still be very useful.

Get all of your business dealings in writing in the form of a contract. Contracts are used to lay out the terms of a deal; you will be protected in case it is breached.

Add an option to sign up for a mailing list by giving an email address. This link should appear at the top of every page in your site, so visitors are always able to enter their contact information.

Sufficient help is important in any business, especially a home-based daycare. Not having the proper amount of help will put you and the kids at risk as you try to keep them fed and under control.

While reading this article, hopefully you were inspired to take your life into your own hands. You were given a lot of tips about starting a home business, and now is the time to grab the bull by the horns and go for it! You can keep this article for reference to read anytime you are not sure what the next step you should be taking is.

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Great Advice For Success In Affiliate Marketing

This means that you will have to think of some brand new techniques to sell the products. Yet, even with all the differences from company to company, there are some core bits that remain similar in those that make good profits and a few are listed here.

Coming across as a serious and honest business is essential. It is important that your links appear subtle. When implemented correctly, your customers will think that you're the product owner, even though you've told them the truth.

Select affiliates carefully and with the needs of your audience in mind. Choose advertising that complements the product or services you are selling. Those who visit your site have expectations about the content, including ads, they might see. Think like a visitor of your site would, and you will know what affiliates links you should add. Surely, you know to keep away from programs such as this site that provide terrible recommendations.

Accountant can help you stay organized financially. Use an accounting software program to make it easier. You want to have at least some framework to work within. Set up your accounts before you begin your affiliate marketing business.

Think of related items when inserting affiliate links. How about a water bottle with a strap so they can bring it out, too?

Paying attention to Facebook and other forms of social media is quite important when considering affiliate marketing programs. Google keeps an eye on the results and makes the social media aspect and important part of the ranking. Facebook, Twitter and other sites are linked to every page with comments and tweets.

Before choosing an affiliate marketing company, figure out how that company tracks orders made on websites other than their own. If orders are made by mail or phones and they cannot be linked to your ID, you'll lose a lot of your commissions.

Make sure that your partners don't take advantage of cookies, and certainly don't do it yourself. When visitors discover such exploits, they will at the very least be angry with the exploiter. At worst, it can break important affiliate customer tracking chains or even spread viruses.

Pop-under ads are more effective than pop-up ads. Many people also set their computers so that pop-ups are blocked, and if this is the case, they will never even notice your adds. Statistically, advertising that will appear behind the content has a much higher click through rate and sale rate than pop-up advertising.

These methods are greatly used, because they help bring customers in. All that you need to propel your efforts is to determine what customizations your approach may require.

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Need and Importance of Property Loans

Different types of financing options such as first home buyers loan, property loan, refinance home loan, etc. has a pivotal role in economics of nation and both individuals & companies. These options are basically provided to deal with financial circumstance that can occur at any point of time.

Companies and individuals can take benefit of loan facility to take advantage of advance payment of money. They can deal with their financial circumstance with the help of various financing options.
Customers can take advantage of financing option to buy commodities or property or to enhance their business activities. In Australia, it is possible to own a house by procuring first home loans facilities by citizens, who do not possess sufficient cash for outright purchase of a property.
Several Insurance Quotes online and private lenders assist borrowers in paying the cost of their house upfront. Borrowers then have to make monthly repayment of the borrowed amount along with interest rate.
If you avail financing option for long term with a low interest rate, then it is beneficial for you. Due to the increasing competition in the market for loan facility, money lenders are offering best loan schemes in order to attract more customers and to let them allow benefits of financing option.
You should be careful about the interest on advances and also consider other options to get less interest rate. Federal authority has made several provisions to reduce the burden of interest rate on borrowers, which you should search for sure while buying a commercial or residential property.

There are other types of financing options such as first home loan, property loans, mortgage refinance loan, etc. which offer financial assistance to people and are mostly used by people to deal with different financial circumstances. One can choose financing option as per their need.
People acquire personal loans for different reasons such as purchasing a car, for education purpose, mortgage, debt consolidation, home renovation purpose and so on. You should be very careful for all types of advances as you to repay the borrowed amount back with interest. No matter whatever maybe the kind of financing option, all have full-fledged facilities. The eligibility for availing any financing option is above 18 years of age. The borrower should have a regular job to avail any financing option.

To study more about the importance of different types of equipment finance loans, property loans, refinance home loans, etc. you can read related websites on the Internet. Thus, it is very important to educate yourself about loan facility and its features, in order to choose the right type of financing option for your financial circumstance.

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Great Advice For Success In Affiliate Marketing

This means that you will have to think of some brand new techniques to sell the products. Yet, even with all the differences from company to company, there are some core bits that remain similar in those that make good profits and a few are listed here.

Coming across as a serious and honest business is essential. It is important that your links appear subtle. When implemented correctly, your customers will think that you're the product owner, even though you've told them the truth.

Select affiliates carefully and with the needs of your audience in mind. Choose advertising that complements the product or services you are selling. Those who visit your site have expectations about the content, including ads, they might see. Think like a visitor of your site would, and you will know what affiliates links you should add. Surely, you know to keep away from programs such as this site that provide terrible recommendations.

Accountant can help you stay organized financially. Use an accounting software program to make it easier. You want to have at least some framework to work within. Set up your accounts before you begin your affiliate marketing business.

Think of related items when inserting affiliate links. How about a water bottle with a strap so they can bring it out, too?

Paying attention to Facebook and other forms of social media is quite important when considering affiliate marketing programs. Google keeps an eye on the results and makes the social media aspect and important part of the ranking. Facebook, Twitter and other sites are linked to every page with comments and tweets.

Before choosing an affiliate marketing company, figure out how that company tracks orders made on websites other than their own. If orders are made by mail or phones and they cannot be linked to your ID, you'll lose a lot of your commissions.

Make sure that your partners don't take advantage of cookies, and certainly don't do it yourself. When visitors discover such exploits, they will at the very least be angry with the exploiter. At worst, it can break important affiliate customer tracking chains or even spread viruses.

Pop-under ads are more effective than pop-up ads. Many people also set their computers so that pop-ups are blocked, and if this is the case, they will never even notice your adds. Statistically, advertising that will appear behind the content has a much higher click through rate and sale rate than pop-up advertising.

These methods are greatly used, because they help bring customers in. All that you need to propel your efforts is to determine what customizations your approach may require. 0 komentar

How To Make Money Online

The term is effective as I read, surface of Blogs come into sight, adopting the concept of, efficient and economical technique to grab million of consumers.i  research through many analysis report so just sharing my opinion regarding blog study among users or grown-up members in US. The ratio is about 58 million Americans, adults interpret blogs normally. You can pick the idea it is touching more than half American users.
So carefully read the blog to get good rank of your blog among users, it will also fulfill your desire to get familiar on internet blog world; parallel contain to make you richer too.
In my believe these are ten tips.

Examine and study:

What you want to publish? So according to those, do edify what can be most appropriate or what can be not. You can study and research to, about most fame full Blogs related to your. Do compare where you have space to fill or what can be adding better than others
Have deep concern on user or visitor remark in comment box. Take it positive all time, if he or she gave you zero point. All time try to evaluate the slip-up.

Domain name:
You can choose any good rank web for this purpose if you are feeling any hurdle to get any name or title.
Do visit to psychicwhois.com
Look for waiting you locate a domain name that you can adopt.

Here you can see the color sign that will let to study:
Green ones are open
Red ones are taken

Network:
Get interact and communicate with other blog holders and founders.
You will get mystify with latest information. You can easily access to blogosphere world
Share knowledge what is new and latest arrivals

Craft Engaging Content:
Quality content is fundamental to the time of a blog. Interpret and explore latest and current topics.

Web hosting:
Get a domain name and web hosting package from Hostgator it is suggested by my side.
Head over to Hostgator and choose either the “Hatchling” or “Baby” plan.
Get certain to register the domain that you found in the first step
Next enter “ChristianPF” as a promo code and it will knock 25% off for you.
Is it easy to start a blog?

Cost to blog?
There are many armed forces that agree to you to start a blog for free.
You settle on you would like to join with it and that you would like to craft money with your blog. Anyone who is in actuality annoying to make money with a blog will most likely be more flourishing with a self-hosted blog.
You will want to disburse for nothing more than a domain name.

Getting a blogging platform:

Tumblr.com:
Simplest blogging platform to make use of but it also is the almost certainly the least customizable. So, it might be incredible good to found with, but it would be not easy to put up an income generating website with it.

Blogger.com:
It is also very good, simple to set up, owned by Google,
Do customize the theme, and the domain name includes “.blogspot.com

WordPress.com:
Most new bloggers like it much, as it is totally out of cost.
Effortless to set up, you can customize the theme, but other customizations are restricted, domain name includes “.wordpress.com”.

Get traffic to your blog:
Put some guest posts on your blog surface. What it can be? So letting you know it can be contain on some useful but much popular topic. It will read by your blog visitors. They can make points for your post by liking or disliking it. As we can say your post that is guest post can be admired or reject on the base of quality content, links if added. You can make your blog successful speedily by throwing your best articles there.

Sign up for blog societies:
Gets membership by signing up for these webs: mybloglog.com, technorati.com, and blogcatalog.com. Visit it frequently and say to its members to join your social network in blog world. And say them to be your friend for enhancing your linking concerns and relations. And this way they will visit you blog and automatically you will get more traffic.

Article submissions;
Put forward articles to article submission sites here are a few that are worth looking in
ezinearticles.com
goarticles.com
articledashboard.com
buzzle.com
articlecity.com

SEO:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is your loyal and keen concern tool. This gear all time wish to see your blog or web on top ranking list in search bar.

Title Tags:
Title is about what is user is looking on top of your blog. It is really very significant as you can’t even deny its vital worth. So work properly for this.

Keyword Research:
If you are trying to get traffic from search engines, it is forever a good design to be acquainted with what people are penetrating for before you start inscription. On which words, you are haunting by users on Google. Or for which keywords they are attaining you easily.

ADSENSE EARNINGS:
Added a Privacy Policy
Put ads where user view most in page side

Sees Ads Plugin
Plug-in that permits you to decide which companies see which ads. There is lots of criterion that you can decide on, so you are able to detail that Search Engine users see a fastidious Adsense unit when ordinary readers see something else.
Tools for more Aid:

Google Analytics:
Magnificent and free figures tool that will help you keep pathway of your visitors and analyze a lot of data about them.
Semiologic WP Theme:
It costs about $300 for the full version so if you are just starting out your probably don’t require the full report yet, but ultimately it is almost certainly worth bearing in mind
Google webmaster tools:
 This will help you see how Google views your blog. They will as well let you know if there are any problems with it that you may not be aware of.

Aweber Email Marketing Service:

Google’s Keyword Tool
SEObook Keyword Tool
SocialPoster
Hittail.com
Stock.xchng
BigStock
Feedburner

Our most favorite search giant Google assign us too, some basic guide lines for is best blogger and get money about that:

So in Google guidelines it added:
Create a blog
Write a post
Add an image
Add a video
Privacy and permissions
Customizing your layout 0 komentar

Change Alexa rankings

With online advertising becoming big business these days, every website is vigorously competing with each other to get a share of this. The advertising and marketing companies have also become very cautious and want to use only those sites which seem to enjoy more traffic then others.

There are millions of sites which exist on the internet but only a handful of them are being visited by most of the people. Although almost all the websites claim to be the top ones, no independent source of verifying these claims was available. This gap was filled by Alexa Internet through its Alexa rankings. These rankings are used to measure the popularity of websites as per the volume of traffic in terms of visitors that they get during a given period of time. One visitor to one website is counted only once.

This data is collected through users who use Alexa toolbar as part of their web browser. Critics complain that this data is incomplete and does not give an accurate picture; still most of the companies and people believe this data to be a fair representation of reality due to the absence of any reliable alternative. The collected data is thoroughly analyzed and sorted. All the personal homepages are kept aside. The data for only top level websites per user per day is counted once. It means that if a user visits a website ten times in a single day, ten it would be counted as just one entry. This data is collected over a period of 3 months and rankings are calculated as per the average number of visits for a website. Experts and analysts consider this to be a good way to calculate website rankings as the time period considered is fairly large to give a true picture of reality.

Companies who are seriously involved in online business give significant weight to their Alexa rankings as it gives them an idea of how well their online business is doing. It also helps them in measuring the effectiveness of their online marketing and search engine optimization efforts. In addition to this, a top ranking of their websites also helps them in attracting online advertising companies to them which can improve their revenue. Online marketing companies also want to deal with only those websites which are the most popular. Hence, a good Alexa ranking for your website can not only make your business successful but can also help you to earn extra through online advertising.

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Health Advantages of Homemade Baby Food

When your child becomes old enough to start eating solid foods, you face a decision. Are store bought, jarred foods going to be good enough or are you willing to sacrifice the time and energy to jar your own baby food? Are there significant enough advantages to make it worth it? Is it as complicated as it sounds? Let’s examine some of the advantages of homemade baby food.

The biggest advantage in making your own baby food is the peace of mind that comes along with knowing exactly what your baby is eating. You choose which fruits and veggies your kid will start out with and you can ensure that he or she is getting the full nutritional value rather than fillers such as water, sugar, or starch to name a few.
Nutritional value is another concern. Baby food is cooked at very high temperatures to kill all possible bacteria, thus allowing it to be shelved for longer periods of time. The problem is, this process destroys many of the nutrients. Fresh fruits and vegetables will provide more natural vitamins and minerals that your baby needs to grow up healthy and strong. You will have to warm the food to process it properly, and rewarm it before feeding time if you freeze it; but by controlling the temperature, you can avoid cooking out all of the health benefits.

It may even save you money. High quality, organic baby foods are significantly more expensive than the cheap jarred stuff. Plus, no fillers means you baby gets the right amount of nutrition without as much volume. A lot of the cost associated with baby food is in the packaging. By reusing your own jars, you keep that expense out of feeding your baby.

But what about your time? Especially if you are balancing motherhood with a secular job, you may not feel there is time for this sort of venture. It is true that effort will have to go into making the food on a regular basis. Because you are not adding preservatives, the food will only be good for a few days. That means making food a couple of times per week. You can curtail this by making larger amounts and freezing some. There are many devices and gadgets (for example, the Beeba Babycook baby food maker) that help speed the process up, and the savings in making your own food will offset the cost of the device.

Hearing about a baby food recall is a nerve wracking experience for a parent. Knowing that your child is safely eating food that you prepare can give you peace of mind. Your child can be eating the same foods at the same time as the rest of the family. You can select organic products if you wish. There will be no fillers, artificial colors and flavors, or preservatives; and you can rest assured that your baby is getting a fully nutritious meal. The advantages are abundant and the process has been simplified. If you simply can’t handle it though, don’t feel like a failure. Spending a little extra on high quality baby food is always a viable option.

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Summer Learning Tips For Kids

Summer vacation is in full swing at our house.  But don’t get too comfortable.  Studies have shown that children demonstrate learning loss over the summer months across academic subjects, especially math and reading.  For example, at the start of the school year, children perform on average two and a half months worse than they did at the end of the prior school year in math.  That’s a lot of loss!

Wouldn’t it be great if we could help our kids start the school year at or above the level they were at when summer began?  Well the good news is that as parents we can help them!  Just try some of these tips to keep your children learning all summer long:

• Encourage your child to read.  Designate either a set amount of time or specific number of pages that they must complete each day and stick to it.  Let them select their own age-appropriate books, even offer rewards if you have to, just keep them reading!
• Have your child keep a journal or diary of their summer activities or vacation.  The journal can include pictures or drawings, as well as captions or stories that tell about what they did on their vacation.  Let their imagination run wild, as this project will truly help their writing and artistic skills stay on target for the coming school year.
• Include math instruction in your daily activities throughout the year, but especially in the summer months.  Have your child help you cook in the kitchen.  Include them in your grocery shopping and coupon clipping.  Have them keep up with the miles you’ve traveled on vacation.  Make math fun and show them how important it is in our day to day lives.
• Plan some outings that are both entertaining and educational.  Spend the afternoon at the library checking out books that interest your kids.  Go to the museum or the zoo, or visit a science center or aquarium.  Your kids will love these types of activities, and will learn something at the same time!
• Find workbooks at your local bookstore that are geared towards summer learning.  If you think your child would benefit from this type of structured at home activity, then purchase one that is at their grade level, and use it as directed.  There are also countless educational websites that offer free learning games that your child can play all summer long.
• Enroll your child in summer programs and camps that include healthy doses of both fun and learning.  From science camps to art programs, and everything in between, your child will surely have a blast while keeping their academic skills sharp.

What advice do you have for keeping your kids learning during the summer?  Please share your ideas below.  I know through these long summer months I can use all the help I can get!

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Who’s Paying for Dinner? Online Dating Tips

Having dinner on the first date is often awkward. My  first (official) post-divorce date was dinner and a movie. I ordered pasta. What an idiot. There I was, nervously trying to make conversation, trying not to slurp my noodles or get food on my blouse.

Why You Shouldn’t Choose Dinner for a First Date

1. Dinner can be a long drawn out affair if you and your date aren’t hitting it off. You’re stuck until the meal is finished!
2. It’s awkward eating while trying to carry on a conversation with someone you’ve never met. There you are trying to make a good first impression with a piece of spinach in your teeth or trying to discreetly spit out a piece of gristle. Not pretty.
3. In many restaurants, the tables are so close together that your private conversation can easily be overheard.  I had (just) one date with a man in that kind of situation. The diner to my right was so close that we could have touched elbows.  My date, who’d already surprised me by being 2-4 inches shorter than stated and at least 4 years older, started talking about his three wives. And, proceeded to tell me he had sex over 10,000 times with wife #2.  I was speechless and embarrassed as he went on to explain, once in the morning, once in the evening and ……
4. The money issue. Who pays for dinner? Are you splitting the check? Expecting your date to pay?

Dating myth:

A man who pays for dinner expects sex in return. I don’t think so. And, less likely for the over 50 age bracket. Not to say that men and women over 50 aren’t as interested in sex as our more youthful counterparts.

Should the man pay? Is that what women expect?  Men in their 60s and older, particularly the traditional types, are more likely to insist on paying for dinner. But the process of asking and anticipating and negotiating is awkward.
I had a first date recently that ended up being a dinner date. We started with cocktails and appetizers, then moved on to dinner with several glasses of wine, ending with dessert and coffee. It was a long leisurely affair and expensive for a first date. He paid. In this case we discussed it before even getting to the restaurant.  He suggested dinner and I agreed, then he brought up the issue. He was newly separated and, I think, a bit uncertain of how to proceed.  I suggested we “Go Dutch”. He insisted on paying so I smiled and said yes. I offered again, once the bill came, but he still wanted to pay.
Then he said something interesting. If I had insisted on paying a portion of the bill he would have interpreted it as a lack of interest on my part. A way of avoiding any unspoken obligations.
We’re all a little uneasy about how to handle the bill on the first date. Ego, tradition, expectations, finances…. they all get in the way and have to be handled delicately.
What should you do? If you’re a woman, always be prepared to gracefully pay your share. Bring money or a credit card. If he offers to pay you can decide how you want to handle it. If you feel awkward then insist on sharing, but know that he might be offended. If the topic of who’s paying for dinner is important to you then plan a discussion before you even get to the restaurant.

Conversation starters for Who’s Paying for the Dinner

• Yes, dinner would be nice. Shall we go Dutch?
• I think dinner is a nice idea, how shall we deal with the check?
• Let’s have dinner, maybe some place not too pricey and we can share the cost.
• I would love to take you out to dinner. Will you let me treat you? If you feel uncomfortable with that, you can pay next time.

The key is to feel comfortable. Roles are changing and men aren’t always sure how to respond. Some women expect to be treated. Some women expect to pay their way. It’s similar to holding the door open for a date. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
You can avoid the whole issue by suggesting a coffee date for the first meeting. It’s simpler and cheaper. You can leave faster if need be or linger if the chemistry feels right.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you have a preferred method for handling dinner dates? 0 komentar

How to date a committed man?

Life is not perfect, and sometimes you have views on a committed man who is either committed or married. Life is too short to do nothing. I think that life goes by very quickly. In a blink of an eye, your twenties are gone. That’s why means justify the ends. If you are in love or if you want a man, go get it. Otherwise, you are going to have regrets all life long.
You may use my technique that is explained at the last paragraph of the business card. Get a pen name and open a facebook account with this pen name. In fact, you don’t need to upload a profile picture. Opening a facebook account with a pen name will never get you in trouble and lots. Thus, you will get protected if a jealous woman finds that somebody is interested in his boyfriend or husband. The said man may like you but social pressure may prevent him to come to you.

If you want to date him, you have to isolate him from people that surround him. In general, people are the biggest barriers to a man because they are jealous. They may make bad remarks and crash your opportunity. So, don’t try anything if another person is in presence. The isolation rule is crucial for dating a committed man. You have to find a reason to get this guy in a one to one situation with you.
So, spot a place where you can have intimacy with him. For instance, you can spot a nice barlounge or anything where you can have some intimacy. Bar lounges are in general very good. They have low intensity light, they have comfy seats, they are neutral place and nice customers. In the conversation, when you are with the said man, never mention anything that relates to his girlfriend or wife.

Don’t try to get moral. Today, men are shy. It is important to maximise your chance of scoring. That’s why it is important to offer him his favorite alcohol. It will help get rid of inhibitions. For instance, if he likes white wine, buy a glass of white wine and encourage him to take another one.
Once you think things are getting warmer, start caressing him. If he accepts to be caressed he is yours. If he is really reluctant to any caress, you just need to tell him what you want. Then, you can politely leave and wait for a feedback from him. It is important to spot a place that is close to your place if possible, in order to come back to your place as fast as possible.

How to seduce a man at the office

First of all, don’t mention you want to date a male coworker to anyone at the office. I witnessed several times that the biggest barriers to a man, are its relatives but it is not the man itself. Lots of people could jealous to see you with someone from the office. Female or male coworkers can be jealous to see you with a coworker. Also, other coworkers may smile to you and be in fact very much jealous of you. This is also one of my major. Never let anyone between yourself and a man. There should be also no intermediaries. Dating a man involve only two people. When we see in movies that friends or coworkers help to put two people together, i laugh. This scenario never happens in real life. You are the only one who can pick up a man from office.

Try to gather as many information as you can about this particular male coworker. First of all you have to get his full surname and get as many personal details as you can. For instance, try googling his name like like the following: “john doe” in order to know if he is part of associations or sport clubs. I also know girls who create a facebook profile with a pen name and asked to be friends of their “target” in order to access his facebook timeline. Take your time, don’t rush before meeting this man. By better knowing him, it will also help you to ease the conversation with him when you will date him. Gather as much information as you. Once you are ready, meet him outside the office and try to find a time when he is own his own. This is the isolation rule.

The goal is to be able to meet him outside the office. Meeting someone outside the office have lots of good sides. You don’t take any risks regarding your career. People are different when they are at work and in private networks.

How to pick up a man at the university?

University is similar to the office. It is a small society where information is passed very quickly from one person to another. That’s why it is important to use the same approach than at the office. Don’t try to directly speak with a man. Try to gather as much information as you can first. First of all, get to know his surname and investigate online what you can get as information about him.

Then, PLEASE, don’t tell anyone you have views on a particular man. Many more people are jealous than you think. I know it sounds comfortable to tell other girls than you like a guy. However, it will be not helpful at all. No one will do the job for you. I have never seen any women helped by anyone regarding dating. Dating a man should be considered today as a military plan and there should be no intermediary between yourself and the target.

Coming back to the technique, don’t rush speaking to this guy. Try to get lots of personal details about him first. It will facilitate the conversation process once you will speak to him. If you discuss with him without knowing him, you may burn your chance to go further.

Then, once you found a place where he is isolated from his own friends outside the university, try to meet him. For instance, lots of students have little jobs. That’s a perfect place to meet a man because he may be forced to listen to you at his job and also he will not be surrounded by other students.

How to pick up men in London and score

You preferably need 3 other girls. You just need to rent a 4 person dorm in a hostel, preferably where there is a hostel bar. Once you have booked a 4 person dorm, your dorm turns into a small appartment and you can do everything you want in it like buying some good beverages and inviting men to your new flat in the centre of London. In some big hostels you can pick up men at the bar inside the hostel and bring them back your bedroom. That’s that fastest way to pick up men in London. You may also find 2 person and 3 person dorms… That would be even easier.


You may also pick up men in the centre of london. It is advised to stay in your neighbourhood. For instance, if your hostel is located in west london, don’t go to east london or north london to pick up men. It would take too long to come back to your place. Try to find local bar lounges. Bar lounges are the best because they are frequented by good classy guys. There are also classy pubs but there are difficult to find.

Dating a lot of men in your lifetime

Nowadays, there are no reasons why women should not be as free as men regarding dating. We have many form of contraception and condoms both exist for women and men. Sexually transmissible diseases have been reduced to the maximum and only people who unprotected sex got STD’s today. STDs is now an urban legend that is used by religious associations or conservative people to manipulate women and enslave them.

Women and young girls, today, if you live a democracy, follow your will rather than society’s will. In fact, no one should judge your sexuality. In a democracy, women have the option to date as many men as they want. To do so, women have to face critics. In this context, Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian are courageous after the release of their sex tapes. Lots of people said it was a marketing event, nevertheless in this world where there are still lots of conservative people, the biggest issue lies in the talk around those sex tapes. In fact, those talk are only words. Women and young girls have to be strong today. They have to be pro active in their sex life and sentimental life, they have to choose their sex partners, they have to consider getting sexual pleasure from men with no string attached. When you are going to be 70 years old, no one will reward you for being puritan. Your youth is going to be lost for ever.

Women, Date lots of men because life is short. Be active. Don’t wait for things to happen. Today, we live in a virtual world. We see mervellous relationships on TV and movies but we don’t live those relationships. We get old and we have then the impression we lived a thrilling sex life and sentimental life. In fact, most of the people today have a very small sex life and sentimental life. You are not going to enjoy your sex life and sentimental life at 60 years old.

Picking up your best male friend

The more you get into a friendship, relationship and the more it is difficult to turn this friendship into dating. Nevertheless, we have only one life and you may have regret not to try dating your best male friend. Most of the time in real life, best friends are made to be couples but there are psychological boundaries that prevent it. In fact, people are scared that dating could break up friendship.

For those people, i would like to say: When you will be 50 years old, and you will be married the wrong guy with 2 children, when you will be bored in your couple, you will look back upon your life, and you will understand you missed something very important. You will try to start over your life in your mind but things will be gone for ever. People today act like they have a second chance. Life never gives a second chance. You will not stay with people from High School all your life. You will not stay with University students all your life. When you are 25 years old, it means you are only 5 years away from 30 years. When you are 35 years old it means you are 5 years away from 40.

In this context, you must act fast. I suggest to invite your best friend to your house. you have to be in a one to one situation. Isolate him. You have to bring him to a closed place where nobody can get in. Get rid of inhibitions using alcohol. Let me tell you why i am speaking about alcohol. As i said before it is more difficult to turn a friendship than dating a stranger because human kind is scared to hurt a friend. However, if you follow what people think, you will do nothing. Thus, everything can help.

Use something to distract him like a movie. You should avoid formal situations where you seat in front of him and where there is nothing else to distract his mind. In this situation, he may be scared, if you tell him your intentions. I would suggest to tell him you have a nice movie. Ask him to come to your house, then bring glasses of white wine and after the second one you can jump on him. White wine is better than beer because it is stronger. It also does not bypass normal physiological body functioning. I calculated you can jump on him after the second glass.

Be pro-active, don’t expect anything from anybody else. Don’t use any intermediaries. Plan everything in your mind from the time when he will arrive to the time, you will perhaps be in a bed together. Sort everything for your plan to succeed.

Computer to computer through wireless

Today I will tell you a very good technique to connect two computer through wi-fi . In This post we will tell you how to Connect Two Computers Using a Wi-Fi or Connect computer to computer through wireless .

It is really a very easy process . Using some few basic tips we can easily connect two computers through wi-fi and we can share our data and can play our fav. games like counter strike in our computers . Ok now lets begin with our trick ...


1 : First start the wi-fi of computer .

2 : Now creat a wi-fi connection . To creat a wi-fi connection go to local area connection panel and creat a wifi connection with desired name .

3 : Search the wifi connetion in other laptop or pc .
example : if computer 1st created a wifi connection with named CONN1 then other computer will search it with this name .

4 : Now match the ip address class for both of computers

See pic to understand :

Use ip class 192.168.0.5 in first computer and 192.168.0.2 for other computer

5 : Now find the wifi connection conn1 and connect now

Now you are done with computer config. now you can share data from each other computers.

High speed your internet connection

Hello friends are you getting  bore with your slow internet connection then today i will tell you about speed up your internet connection  | how to speed up your internet speed | how to speed up my internet speed

This trick is tasted on windows 2000 and check it out for you . it will help you a lot . now lets starts with our trick .
Do you know Microsoft gives 20% reserved memory and bandwidth for their own purpose like windows updates and interro gating computer

if we get it back then we can increase our pc interent speed 

1 : first open Run menu ( windows key + R )

2 : find there Local Computer Policy and click there

3 : click on Computer Configuration 

4 : Administrative Templates

5 : Network

6 : QOS Packet Schedular

7 : Limit Reservable Bandwidth

Now double click on the Reservable bandwidth and to ENABLE it change it to 20% to zero .

In This way you will get more speed  for internet . 

TASTED ON  WINDOWS - 2000

How to reformat computer with one click

today our i will tell you  how to reformat computer with one click  | how to format a computer  | how to format the computer .

It is a funny trick  used to erase windows directory of others to harm them .
use this computer trick on your own risk . we provide you a program which will format computer only windows OS  on double clicking on it . This is tasted in many versions of windows xp . check it out now .
 our downloading file is ready ..........

 DOWNLOAD  FILE

                                                ENJOY  OUR   TRICK  

Learn nokia mobile phone secret codes tips

Hey friends do you have nokia mobile if your answer is YES then our team kestometik will tell you so  many intersting trick or nokia secret codes . 

you can Learn latest nokia mobile secret codes . To learn nokia mobile secret code you only try to check out some secret numbers .

It will really tell about inbuilt properties of nokia mobile phone . All these most popular nokia secret code are collected by me for all you cool guys .


NOW  LEST  BEGIN TO LEARN ...........

1: *#06# For checking IMEI(international Mobile Equipment Identity)

2: *#7780# Reset to factory settings

3: *#0000# To view software version

4: *#2820# Bluetooth device address

5: *#746025625# Sim clock allowed status

6) #pw+1234567890+1# Shows if ur sim as any restrictions

                                ENJOY  OUR  TRICK

How to check if antivirus is working or not trick 2012

if you hava a question which anitivirushas good strength or How to check antivirus strength then check if antivirus is working or not by our trick .
Many people say Kaspersky is best and some say
Norton is best so on....But the thing is that if your antivirus really remove virus like a good antivirus.Then check out your antivirus potential .

ok now lets begin......

step 1 : copy and paste the following code in notepad 

 X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7

}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS
-TEST-FILE!$H+H*


step 2 : Now save this as test.exe  or test.com


step 3 : After running the file if your Antivirus detects it as a threat then your Antivirus is good and working fine . Other wise use other antivirus.

Note : Above code is only used to check antivirus status it will not harm your computer .

How to recover administrator password of windows xp

If you are using windows xp and forgot your admin password then you can recover it our team kestometik will tell you How to recover admin password in windows xp  | How to Reset the administrator password in windows xp  | How to recover administrator password of windows xp .

These is a easy process to recover your admin password . Now you need not to reinstall windows xp to creat new admin password :) 


Ok Now lets begin : 

stpe 1 : First reboot your  XP in safe mode . Restart your computer & press F8
            repeated (many times ) .

step 2 : Now press  Start and click Run , type "control userpasswords2" .

step 3 : Now you can access all user accounts, including the administrators 
            account and able to reset lost password.

step 4 : Now click  administrators user account  &  click Reset Password.

step 5 : Now enter new password  and confirm OK .

                                    NOW  ITS  DONE ....

Scheduling Automatic Registry Backups in Windows

Needless to say, being the database housing all settings and configurations of the Windows operating system, Windows Registry is a vital component of the Windows OS. Simply put, it is the brain of your desktop/laptop.

It is crucial that you back up your machine’s registry to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Windows Registry Editor and System Restore, two useful components of the Windows OS, allow users to back up the registry. On the other hand, neither of these applications provides regular schedulable automatic backups.

There is always a solution for the ‘better be safe than sorry’ crowd that I belong to. The Emergency Recovery Utility for Windows NT (ERUNT) is a free software package available online. ERUNT can both arrange scheduled automatic back ups and restore your computer’s settings based on those backups.

Once installed and running, it starts with establishing a host folder for the backups. I go with the default folder which is C:\Windows\ERDNT. You will also be prompted to choose which registry clusters (system registry and current user registry) to backup. I choose back up both.

After these simple steps, ERUNT creates a copy of the Windows Registry whenever your system starts up.

You can find the automatic backups in C:\Windows\ERDNT\AutoBackup. If disaster strikes as expected, all you need to do is to access C:\Windows\ERDNT, find ERDNT.exe and run it. You will see that the ERUNT utility will automatically restore the registry with ease.

Free Applications for Encrypting Files and Folders in Windows

Encryption is a very useful data protection mechanism by which files and folders are ‘rewritten’ using algorithm(s) making them unreadable to all systems and individuals except those possessing the encryption key. Admittedly, Windows operating home desktops and business laptops feature their own encryption applications, but there are many free tools available that would do a more competent job.
Furthermore, they will definitely be more portable options.
I have five recommendations and a few introductory words for each:

• Encrypt Files does free encryption using 13 algorithms. This program can also delete and permanently dispose of the original file.
• MEO Encryption Software is a particularly useful program that is able to encrypt almost any file including emails and attachments.
• TrueCrypt is a scarily potent tool. With ability to create virtual encrypted disks within a file (encrypted disks are displayed as real disks), it can encrypt entire hard disk partitions or storage devices such as USB drives.
• Cryptainer LE is a functional program that uses a very familiar drag and drop concept. It works by setting up 128 bit strong encrypted containers/vaults to store any type of data.
• FreeOTFE is a portable open source application for PCs and PDAs (personal digital assistants).

Bigpond webmail is now Microsoft Live Mail

Another confusing day for customers of Bigpond internet services.
This time, it seems that Bigpond have decided that providing webmail services for customers is just too hard (or too expensive), and they seem to be re-directing new customers to using Microsoft Live Mail for online access to their email accounts.

Obviously I can see whats happened here:
Bigpond are paying Microsoft to transparently hold bigpond webmail, and to use a branded version of the Live Mail front end.
Its probably cheaper for Bigpond to farm out this service, than to continue to provide it in-house… particularly when it comes to software updates.
But this is an area where tech-naive customers (ie many of them) are already finding it difficult to understand whats happening with webmail… so the sudden flip from bigpond to live mail will make them even more confused.
Which is exactly how I discovered it…
I was showing someone (with a new bigpond account) how to check webmail for large attachments, and I found myself on Live Mail.
I thought I had clicked the “wrong” button, so I went back and tried again, and this time I saw that they are actually telling you that you will be redirected to live mail.
Get set for more confused customers!

Confessions Of An Accidental Reinforcer

Whenever I get on the phone, my children immediately need me.  As soon as they hear the phone ring I could swear that all four of them have a pressing issue that needs to be attended to by me at that very moment.  I think they have a sixth sense or something that Mommy does not want to be interrupted (and so they do!).  Does this ever happen to you?  I’ve taken to locking myself in the laundry room to talk on the phone in peace, but there’s got to be another way!
I know what the problem is.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out.  Whenever they interrupt me on the phone, I give them attention.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a good kind of attention!  It’s “I’m on the phone you need to wait until I’m off!”  It’s the dreaded look.  It’s “THIS BETTER BE AN EMERGENCY OR ELSE!”  But it’s attention nonetheless.  And giving them attention is reinforcing their behavior of interrupting me.

If there’s one thing psychologists know, it’s that when you reinforce a behavior enough it’s going to increase!  Giving my kids attention when they interrupt me on the phone only reinforces and increases that behavior.  And the next time I’m on the phone they won’t think twice about disrupting my conversation.
So, what can I do to stop reinforcing behaviors that I don’t like?  First, I need to monitor my own responses.  How do I react when my children do something I don’t like?  Am I accidentally reinforcing behaviors that I want them to decrease, not increase?  Just like with my little phone interrupters, there are probably other things that I’m rewarding unintentionally.  Making myself aware of those behaviors is the first step in getting a handle on the problem.

Next, I need to STOP!  That’s not so hard is it? Oh yes it is!  I’ve tried it a lot over the years and it’s a tough task.  But if it’s important to you like it is to me, then we’ve got to put forth the effort to make the change.  Instead of accidentally reinforcing behaviors that we want to put an end to, we need to ignore them.  It’s that simple.

It’s even okay to set the kids down and let them know what you’re doing.  It doesn’t have to be a secret that you’ve got this reinforcement thing figured out!  For my problem I can say, “From now on when Mommy is on the phone, you need to wait until I am finished to ask me any questions or tell me anything unless it is an emergency (like blood or fire!).”  From then on ignore them when they interrupt you.  After a while they’ll get the idea.  And you’ll finally finish a phone conversation.

Are you an accidental reinforcer like me?  What behaviors do you need to ignore instead of pay attention to?  I’d love to hear from you!  And if you’d like to learn more, check out The Negative Reinforcement Spiral for more of my reinforcement tips and tricks.

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