I’ve finished my first book: each word has been read and re-read, each sentence edited, each page a labor of love. All my family and friends have read my book and assured me it’s wonderful

The locust are buzzing. The fireflies flashing, and we can almost swim in Lake Champlain. That means it’s just about popsicle weather, which is the perfect time to get serious about your dream. There’s more daylight, less squeeze in schedules, and more time to connect with your soul. These are some great ways to tweak your routine to better serve your dream. Dig in before the summer slips by. Your heart will thank you! - Unplug your television. Even better, completely remove it. Or put a lock on it. You can find them at Time Scout or Eyetimer. - Cancel your subscriptions. Get rid of anything you don’t read. I just gave up The New Yorker (which I’d ‘read’ for 26 years … or let pile up.) If I can do it, you can, too! - Make regular ’soul’ time every day. If you’re a morning person, get up one hour earlier and dig into your projects. If you’re a night person, stay up one hour later. - Time your projects. Determine before you start just how long you’re willing to work. Then prepare to be pleasantly surprised when you make your deadline. We used this to write our songs for my new show (see below) and it worked like a charm. - Don’t waste your lunch hour eating. Bring lunch to work, eat it briefly at your desk, and then get out there and do what really matters to you. - Stop agreeing to do things you don’t truly want to do. This includes volunteering, meeting friends and family, and serving on committees. - Redesign your work schedule. Create one day or several afternoons a week to concentrate on the things you really want to do in life. Explore flex-time alternatives in your workplace. Consider telecommuting, working from a home office, or going free-lance with your company. - Put the kids to bed earlier. Establish ‘grown up’ time, a time zone when all children are in bed (even if they’re only looking at books or listening to tapes before going to sleep) and the adults get to have a little room to breath. - Cut corners cooking. Take advantage of gourmet take-out and grocery-store fast foods, such as prewashed salad, precut vegetables, and premarinated chicken. - Stop answering the phone. Return calls during a pre-scheduled set time each day that works for you. Or better yet, email a reply, and post your email on your answering machine as a better way to get in touch. - Divide up the housework. Hand over the laundry and vacuuming to your mate. Teach your children to do dishes, cook meals and mop floors. And be willing to give up control of the end results. Read Patricia H. Sprinkle’s book, Children Who Do Too Little ; Why Your Kids Need to Work Around the House (and How to Get Them to Do It) for terrific pointers on how to make this happen. - If you can’t relax your standards, delegate. Hire local teenagers, professional housecleaners, or even a temp service to help you clear out your desk, answer correspondence, pay bills, organize closets, walk the dog — whatever you can give up that makes more time for you. - Do something you truly love. Once you’ve created this time for yourself, use it wisely. Take on the challenges and dreams that really will improve your life. Chances are that once you start, it will be very hard to stop. Best of all, thank yourself for doing that work that you are truly meant to do … and not so much of the other stuff that slows us all down. Suzanne Falter-Barns is an internationally known author and speaker whose work has been featured in Woman’s Day, SELF, More, Fitness, and more than 100 radio and TV shows. Pick up her free article, ‘36 Guaranteed Time Savers’ at .howmuchjoy.com Toreprint this article, please use with this bio box intact. Thanks! ©2005 Suzanne Falter-Barns LLC.

There was a time in my life when I sold life insurance. Well, to be frank, I tried to sell life insurance. With little success. And while I didn’t sell any insurance, I did learn a thing or two, and I’d like to explore one of them with you today - time horizons. Some of the prospective policyholders I met could visualize themselves well into the future, say 20 or 30 years into the future. They were obviously good prospects for life insurance. Others focused more on the coming year or few years. To them, something that might or might not happen 20 years ahead was a pure abstraction with little relevance. Now, let’s put these perspectives into a communication context: When you send or receive messages, do you factor in the time horizon of the person who sent you a message or gets one from you? Let’s consider an example that’s similar to my experience. Say you’re trying to sell mutual funds to a new investor. You enthusiastically point out the possibility of getting rich by saving every month for perhaps 25 years. But the person across the desk looks at you with a blank face. Perhaps he’s thinking to himself that the money could be used to pay down the loan on his truck in three years instead of five, and then he could buy a new one much sooner. Or, consider the time horizons that involve communication between managers and the people who report to them. Generally speaking, the higher you are in a hierarchy, the further ahead you’re expected to look and anticipate. So, how do you handle messages to people who have different time horizons than you? First, be aware of the possibility that they may exist. Ask a few probing questions that help you find differences. Second, use visualizations that help others imagine the future, and how they’ll fit into that picture. For example, companies that sell retirement packages spend a lot of money trying to get us to imagine ourselves basking in luxury on a tropical beach. Third, don’t just talk about that future time in an abstract way. Personalize it by explaining how it will affect the person you’re addressing. Give that person a stake in the future you foresee. Fourth, get to that future time in steps, not in one big jump. Don’t ask a 25 year old to visualize where she’ll be at age 65. Instead, talk to her about the typical life styles at ages 35, 45, 55, and 65. Finally, put the processes into reverse if someone else asks you to visualize a time horizon that’s unfamiliar. Ask yourself what kind of assumptions and visions he brings to his scenario, and adjust accordingly. In summary, different time horizons can be a barrier to good communication. To overcome these potential barriers you start by first recognizing the possibility of their existence. If they do exist you can use visualization, personalization, and a series of time steps rather than one big jump. Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott’s Communication Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at: .communication-newsletter.com

Last week I drove my son to buy art supplies he needed for a new class. We picked out the few items we didn’t have at home already, including a very important sketchbook. He hovered near the shelf, studying the different styles of sketchbooks, caressing the different types of paper. He held two or three of the books in his arms before he made his choice. On the way home, he sat next to me. His eyes opened wide, he lifted the sketchbook out of the store’s bag and ran his hand over the cover, then opened to the first untouched page. Page after page, he sighed over its pristine nature. I smiled, quietly knowing how he felt. (And thrilled that he’d inherited at least one personality quirk from me.) I walk to the store every once in a while just to buy a new notebook. Spiral-bound on the side, with three or more sections

So you play video games and maybe you are pretty good at them. Maybe you have thought about making video games but the task seems a bit daunting. If you have some ability to write and keep a lot of information organized you might want to try writing your own game guide. Here are some tips to help you write terrific video game guides. If you are interested in the pursuit of making video games but don’t know where to start writing a game players guide is a good first option. It will give you a good understanding of the playability of games and how they are structured. You don’t have to be a great writer to create a great guide but you do have to know some basic rules. It will also give you some great insight and experience toward making your own games in the future. Decide which type of game guide you are going to write There are many different types of guides and the first thing you need to decide is which type you are going to write. There are four different types and the first type is the walk-thru. This is the most common type where you guide the player through a series of steps in the game. This could be a complete guide or just a guide to a certain portion or quest. The second type is the character guide, which explains many of the different skills, options, and abilities of a specific character type. The third type is the beginner’s guide, which helps beginners get familiar with a game, how it works, and how the interface operates. The fourth type is a performance guide, which helps players achieve certain levels and goals within a game. Once you have decided which type of guide you are going to write you need to embark on the most important step of the process

Writer David Miller has just released his first book, “The Ghost of Bobby,” a ethereal and ominous children’s tale produced in collaboration with the publishing arm of advertising and design company 72andSunny. “The Ghost of Bobby” signals a return to the mystery of 19th century European thrillers, this time for children. The author tells the tale of a 19th century English family whose twin children, Sammy and Thomas, are forced to embark on a journey of terror against a sinister man named Skeats. Skeats pursues the family from the fog shrouded streets of London to the back alleys of Paris and back, thankfully, always under the ever-watchful eyes of a powerful and mysterious ghost dog named Bobby. This book is dedicated to David The story was brought to life late one weekend in Amsterdam during a violent thunderstorm as Miller hid under a old worn out bed with his daughter Sammy. Sammy loved her father’s ghost stories, but the tale of Bobby was always her favorite. At the time, Miller had just left a six-year post as the Managing Director of a prominent Amsterdam ad agency. With a shared vision and passion for telling compelling stories, Miller and former colleague John Boiler, who co-founded 72andSunny in 2004, decided to realize the novel together. Boiler enlisted the help of 72andSunny designers, artists and strategists, and “The Ghost of Bobby” was published in 2007. “We’re without a doubt outsiders in the literary world, but we’re fortunate to have been able to publish this book without having to follow any rules. All we wanted was to get our story out there, and have the characters come alive in people’s imaginations.” David’s life inspired ample creative fodder for “The Ghost of Bobby.” Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Miller left school at 16, and spent his teen years tending bar and working the night shift at a psychiatric facility, before talking his way into a job in advertising at the age of 17. “The Ghost of Bobby” was designed by Christina Kelly, illustrated by Julia Kuo and published by 72andSunny Publishing. The embossed hardbound book targets readers ages 7 and up, and features Julia’s fanciful water color illustrations that complement the moody, action-packed novel. 72andSunny also designed the marketing collateral for the book, including retail posters and displays, the official book website, and an animated short promotional film viewable online at his website; the ghost of bobby, Youtube and Myspace. The first 300 subscribers, who leave a review on the Ghost of Bobby blog, will also receive updates on David’s latest work. Become a special reviewer for details go to the ghost of bobby and is subscribe to receive the FREE review copy of the book. Only 300 subscribers will be accepted.

In the old days, all people were challenged to write their own cover letters together with their resume. This is because traditionally the means to share information from person to person were not as extensive and advanced as today’s world obviously is. When the Internet came into public use, people have found a means of easily and effectively sharing information to a lot more people than was previously possible. Among other things, sample cover letters are now abundant in a lot of websites in the Internet. Most of these samples are free and easy to download and use. Hence, with the similar laziness that comes with the convenience of technology, more and more people have come to use the sample cover letters as actual cover letters for their applications. They simply cut and paste the letter into their word processor, add in their names and contact information, attach their resume and they’re all set. Question is, is it really beneficial to rely on sample cover letters? To answer that question, one needs to take a close look at what sample cover letters can and cannot do in relation to his application. Sample Cover Letters Cannot Convey the Real You A cover letter is considered as the HR department staffer’s look into your personality, and a means to find points in you that will qualify you for the position that they are recruiting you for. All this information can only be conveyed through careful writing of a cover letter. However, with a sample cover letter that is unedited, you fail to convey this information. Instead, it turns you into something generic in the eyes of the HR department, a classic criterion for qualification in the paper shredder or trash bin because this goes against what a cover letter should do: set you apart from the other applicants and prove your qualifications and worth. In the same note, sample cover letters are so abundant that employers themselves can spot which ones are genuine and which ones are rehashes of existing cover letters. That is why you should not rely too much sample cover letters without editing them thoroughly. Sample Cover Letters Are Just Merely Templates to Improve On There’s no doubt about it. Sample cover letters are created by people hoping to help others in coming up with their own approach and style in writing cover letters. They are merely templates that show what a cover letter should look like: the wording, the structure and, most of all, to show the purpose of the cover letter which is to sell yourself to the prospective employer. Tips for Writing a Cover Letter from a Sample Letter By now, you would’ve realized that you need to come up with your own cover letter. It doesn’t hurt to refer to a sample. However, you need to edit them. Here are some tips to do just that: • Mention the individual’s name instead of the “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To whom it may concern” that you can find in most cover letters. • Make sure the letter informs the individual of how you found out about the job. • Indicate your interest in your own words and creativity. Clara Ghomes is an expert author who carries interest in variety of topics like SEO, copywriting. Currently, she is working on how to write a cover letter that really works. She has explored and discovered that gives quick yet winning cover letters. Visit .push-button-cover-letters.com to know more about resume cover letter and other sample cover letters.

Most entrepreneurs and executives really want to become a published author, but few have the time or resources to write their book. Writing a book is a big commitment, and many aspiring authors just can’t seem to get started. If you fall into that category, you may decide that you need a ghostwriter or a writing coach. On the other hand, you may just need a gentle nudge to get started. If you’d like to make this year the year you finally write your book, these 10 tips to getting your book done can help: 1. Make the Commitment

No one really knows exactly how the first beer came into being … Suffice it to say that, around 10,000 years ago, somebody let a primordial barley and hop concoction stand long enough for it to ferment. The result not only made anonymous history, it was the genesis of beer’s own special influence throughout the ages. Here are a few examples of note: It was the accepted practice in Babylonia, as early as 4000 years ago, that for a month after a wedding, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer, and because their calendar was lunar-based, this period was called the “honey month” or what we know today as the “honeymoon.” I have also heard that the custom included one of the most resourceful bits of propaganda ever created for husbands. As the story went, if the groom drank mead for an entire moon, it would enhance the chances of his wife bearing a male heir. The bride, however, had to abstain from drinking alcohol at all. I’ll leave the punch lines to you. After consuming a bucket or two of vibrant brew they called ‘aul,’ or ‘ale,’ a certain self-appointed breed of Vikings would head fearlessly into battle without armor, or even without shirts. In fact, the term “berserk” means “bare shirt” in Norse, and eventually took on the meaning of their wild behavior in battle. They believed that Odin’s favor was all they needed for protection, and if they were to die in combat, it was only because The Allfather decided it was their time to enter the hallowed halls of Valhalla. This was Odin’s great ‘Castle of the Chosen Slain,’ where ‘inductees’ would spend eternity in Viking nirvana, ie- fighting all day, having their wounds miraculously heal at sundown, and then partying all night, with generous quantities of ale at their beck and call. Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thumb or finger into the mix to find the right temperature for adding yeast. Too cold, and the yeast wouldn’t grow. Too hot, and the yeast would die. This practice is where we get the phrase, “rule of thumb.” The first known consumer protection act arose with the German Beer Purity Law of 1516, known as Rheinheitsgebot. This decreed that, in order to be called ‘beer,’ a beverage could only consist of four ingredients: malt, hops, yeast and water. This is such a revered regulation that when the European Union facilitated the introduction of other beers into the German market, it took a court order for many stores to sell them. Most of those beers contained preservatives, and to a respectable German, that meant — and still does — that such beverages were not beer. In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So, in olde England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It’s where we get the phrase, “mind your P’s and Q’s.” Also in England’s olden days, pub frequenters often had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. “Wet your whistle” is the phrase inspired by this practice. In 1740, Admiral Vernon of the British fleet decided to water down the navy’s rum. Needless to say, the sailors weren’t too pleased and called Admiral Vernon “Old Grog,” after the stiff wool grogram coats he wore. The term “grog” soon began to mean the watered down drink itself. When you were drunk on this grog, you were “groggy,” a word that has been expanded to include the effects of too much beer and is still in use today. There are numerous quotations which pay homage to beer. Allow me to list three of the wittiest: “Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink, I feel ashamed. Then, I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, ‘It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.’” — Saturday Night Live’s faux-philosopher, Jack Handy “Put it back in the horse!” — W C Fields, disapproving of a sub-standard brew “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” — Benjamin Franklin Given a good pint, composed of God’s natural ingredients and nurtured by man’s learned craft, beer has made us very happy, indeed. Just keep the joy below 0.08% of your blood content. Copyright 2005 - The Longer Life Group J Square Humboldt is the featured columnist at the Longer Life website, which is dedicated to providing information, strategies, analysis and commentary designed to improve the quality of living. His page can be found at longerlifegroup.com/cyberiter.html and his observations are published three times per week.

An educational phenomenon has begun in the world of learning for students in K-12th Grade who are seeking additional resources in reading, math, and writing. Online Tutoring, virtual tutoring sessions where the students are instructed from the comfort of their own home, are becoming more mainstream as an alternate learning tool. Once informed about resource, parents are grasping onto this technologic capability of enhancing their students learning levels and demanding further attention be brought to the importance of this online tutoring ingenuity. Tutoring sessions are now not just available to those that can afford private training, but to anybody who has access to a computer in their own home. Online Tutoring makes sense and parents need to become aware of the positive effectiveness this convenient tool can have on their child’s education. Online Tutoring is the key to the future of our children’s education because the sessions are presented in a non-threatening situation. “Online Tutoring allows students to learn in their home setting rather than a public institutional setting. Students learn best in this non-commercial, familiar, stress-free environment” explains Debbie Cluff, CEO of Links for Learning, an online tutoring site. She goes on to say, “Parents need to become aware of the positive educational resources available to them right in their own home”. Parents have the ability to be present during all tutoring sessions and reinforce the ideas presented during the sessions. Parents can then discuss the online tutoring session during a private chat with their online tutor or via email. This builds the necessary tools to create a structured learning environment for students because it involves the three aspects of gaining an education. These three aspects are the co-relation of the parent, the student, and the teacher. During the online tutoring sessions, the students are in the comfort of their own home, learning in a positive atmosphere. The tutoring session have unlimited access because in the online sessions, “the world is your oyster”. Students gain confidence and a better understanding of their problem area because of the unique style of learning the sessions present. Online tutors are able to plan each lesson around the individual students needs and are not limited on the resources they have because of working online. Online students feel certain about what they are learning and how they are learning. Learning in the home is the ultimate learning experience. Online tutoring is available at many different sites. It is important to find an affordable and convenient site that has specific teaching credentials. Some companies offer online tutoring for a low price, but are not really willing to work with both the parents and the students. Also, some sites offer tutoring sessions that do not have credentialed teachers working as their tutors. Some sites do hire tutors that do not live in the same country that the students live in, which is hard to tutor because of the different language barriers. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the tutor that you are going to have your most priced possession dealing with. Homework Help is offered at some sites which is another great resource to enforce the online learning setting. This is a great resource for working parents because it enables their student to have access to a tutor 24/7, a tutor who can help with homework questions. Online tutoring is the new phenomenon that is sweeping through the educational world. Colleges have invested in this idea and use online tutoring in most of their beginning English courses. Parents need to now invest in this idea and help it to become more mainstream in the educational society.