My Cat's Late Night Visitors

My cat Spike is very laid back . Hes a lover, not a fighter, so it was with surprise that one morning as I was feeding him his daily ration of cat food, I saw two scratches on his nose. He ate the food like he was famished, instead of taking a few bites then going somewhere to think the situation over. Normally he would then come back to his bowl and begin to eat again. At the time I didn't know there were raccoons eating his food at night.

Spike sleeps in the garage. He has a cat door to the outside, so he comes and goes as he pleases. Only on the coldest winter nights does he sleep in the house, preferring the solitude of his own kingdom where there is always silence after dark. His quiet time was shattered one night a couple of hours after dinner. I heard a noise in the garage that sounded like something falling from a shelf. I opened the door to the garage and saw a large raccoon scurrying from the cats bowl to the opening in the pet door. He scooted through the door to the outside, then turned around and stuck his head back through the door, staring at me as if I should be sorry for interrupting his dinner.

The next day surveying the damage to my exterior door, where the raccon had scratched and torn at the pet door to get inside the garage, I did some studying about the subject of raccoon removal. I found out that they are nocturnal animals, sleeping all day and feeding and roaming at night. I also learned that there are ways to remove raccoons without shooting them. They are as follows:

Remove their food supply! This sounded like such a good idea that I tried it and it worked. I brought the cats dish into the house. That didnt deter the raccoon in the least. He chewed the lids off the five gallon containers that held the cat food, scattering it all over the garage. This dampened my spirits somewhat, but I was determined to drive him from our house forever!

Play the radio loudly in the areas the raccoon has invaded! They will think someone is talking and stay away! I turned the radio in the garage to a station that played rap music all night rap station and turned up the volume. If that didnt do the trick nothing would. It didnt work! Somehow he climbed up a bookshelf onto the top of a refrigerator where I had stored the cat food. He pushed it off onto the floor, dry cat food bouncing on the concrete floor like raindrops on a roof.

Trap the animals. I called the city animal control people and they brought me a trap. This was a big cage that would catch the raccoon without hurting it. The theory is that the raccoons would enter the trap, stepping on the trip mechanism as they ate the bait, (cat food), thus tripping the trap door. The raccoons would be caught, the city would then remove the animal to a safe place, miles away from my house and all would be peaceful again. Wrong! The only thing I caught was my cat Spike! Twice!

I learned that those traps do work, but raccoons are very intelligent. You have to put concrete blocks or some kind of barrier around the sides of the trap so they wont put their paws into the cage and grab the food without springing the trap. Raccoons have paws with fingers that enable them to grasp food and stuff it into their mouths.

By this time I realized I had a family of raccooons. By now I had seen five; two adults and three young ones. The young ones let me take their pictures while munching on Spike's cat food. I reward them for allowing me a photo shoot. The older ones wait patiently outside the door until I finish shooting. Theyll finish up the food when I go back into the house. Spike the cat is sprawled in an old chair, yawning at the raccoons.

My wife thinks Im nuts to have fallen under the spell of the adolescent raccoons. Since one of the young raccoons tries to get into the house every time the Maybe I am, but they are a lot of fun. Ive ordered a sure-fire raccoon repellant that I know will work. Its coyote urine. Sprinkled around the area the raccoons frequent, it will scare them away. Theyre afraid of coyotes because they are one of the natural predators of raccoons. If this doesn't work, I'll order wolf urine.

Robert Wilson Alexander is the author and sole owner of this article.

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MP3 is Music to Ears!

Making it that much easier for people to enjoy their favorite tunes MP3 players have revolutionized the music systems. All earlier musical formats, including records, cassette, and CDs could never give the sheer convenience of MP3 players. It enables a listener to create personalized music lists and carry thousands of songs along without having to be burdened by a number of discs in a pack.

The MP3 player, along with the hundreds of songs it can store, is a device tinier than a pack of cards. Compared to a CD player and a case to store the discs, this is more manageable and far more compact.

It is features and advantages such as these that have made MP3 players the toast of music lovers the world over. You could buy MP3 players from a variety of models in different shapes and sizes through which manufacturers try to build a wide and varied customer base. To make the deal even more attractive, players are integrated with some add-ons.

MP3 players makes a disc jockey out of you, letting you pick songs of your choice and arranging them in your preferred sequence the way you would like to hear them. It is the power of having thousands of songs at your fingertips. You can arrange songs in a play list in the order of genre, the singers, or simply mingled randomly. You could start creating a play list by first identifying the songs you want from a sea of sources available on the Net or around.

It is possible also to convert your collection of songs stored in audio CDs into MP3 files using the ripper and encoder software. Quite a few MP3 players available in the market are already equipped with the software required. Aided by a ripper, you could copy a song from the CD onto the hard disk of a computer. With the help of an encoder, the song could be compressed into the MP3 format. Encoded songs can be downloaded on the MP3 player and there you have a treasure of music to enjoy.

Copyrights protected article written by Andrew Stratton for http://www.surveillancetechnology.com. More articles and information about the spy camera products can be viewed easily altogether at this location http://www.surveillancetechnology.com/entertainment-system.htm. Please be free to explore the website for more information on every surveillance products and their features.

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Methods and Techniques of Medical Astrology

Medical astrology is the branch of astrology that deals with the possible and actual health and diseases of the client. Usually, people come to the astrologer in times of great life changes, such as

Should I change my job?

When will I come into my inheritance?

Should I marry him/her? etc

To the medical astrologer, however, people come in the progressed stages of the illness, often after some kind of surgery has already taken place, along with a rich history of dealing with doctors. The usual questions for the medical astrologer are:

Should I go for surgery?

Does it have to be a surgery?

When should the surgery take place?

Why don't we have children?

Do I have cancer?

Will my cancer come to pass this year? etc

If the events in the history of illness coincide with certain astrological transits and configurations, we can find the astrological reason for illness, give the prognosis for the course and duration of the illness, and decide upon a therapy needed and so on. The opposite situation often takes place as well: the client comes for the usual astrological session, but the astrologer sees in the horoscope a danger long before the illness has manifested and materialized.

A great deal of expectations is attached to the advice the medical astrologer gives. Will there be a surgery or not, to go for chemotherapy or not, for a radiology therapy or not...

"On Tuesday, I have a radiology therapy appointment, should I go?"

"The doctor recommended taking my bladder away to stop the cancer from spreading, should I do that or not?"

Medical astrology is the cruelest branch of astrology. If you cannot bear meeting with tough, terminal pathologies, if you do not want to take lethal responsibility for the consequences of you advice -- you better don't do it. If you are not a medical doctor by profession, you will have to prepare well and read literature, consult medical doctors, gather information from the Internet, take part in forums, groups, membership sites etc.

The problems of curing are drastically different to what astrologers usually do during the reading. In an ideal world, astrologers advise and clients change their behavior, in order to spend the surplus energy the planets and stars send them. Medical astrologer may be more concrete and suggest wearing certain crystals, colours, aromatherapy, flower remedies and so on. It is best that the professions of medical astrologer and medical doctor do not mix. Ideally, medical astrologer does not cure and the client is not the patient, unless the medical astrologer is medical doctor as well, or eventually, a qualified homeopath. Neither should medical astrologer be a healer: he or she should only give a highly qualified prognosis of malefic influences that have already manifested as a disease and will -- unless nothing is undertaken -- continue to manifest thus, probably with heavier consequences as the time progresses.

Medical astrologer reaches out for all astrological techniques and methods from which something can be deduced about the nature of illness. He or she must be, above all, a competent astrologer, must command a wide array of astrological techniques and use them for the benefit of the client and their health. Since he or she gives advice about healing, but cannot heal on his own, in an ideal world, he or she should be connected to doctors and healers, should know their natal charts and through synastry decide whom the patient should see next. However, for practical reasons, it is best that the client finds his or her own doctors and healers to go after visiting the astrologer, otherwise, in case something goes wrong (and with ill people it always will), the astrologer can be accused of having a deal with the health practitioner that he has sent the client to.

From the chart, it is possible to decide upon the kind of therapy, such as homeopathy, Bach flower remedies, vibropathy, massage, classical medicine, attending spas, aromatherapy, crystal healing, Su Jok, etc.

The Signs

Signs represent the twelve large systems in the body of man, starting with Aries which represents the head, all through the sign of Pisces, ruling the feet. The signs that contain the planets, either by birth or through progressed horoscopes, will stand out, or will most probably be the sources of illness. For each sign a special tissue salt exists; these are the building materials for human body, the substances through the combination of which tissues, organs, systems of organs, and finally the entire body are built. Using these salts on their own or by combining them in material or homeopathic doses, one's health can be much improved.

Quite similarly, for each sign a special type of food is best. Medical astrologer will be qualified to give advice about food, and this will also improve the client's health in numerous ways. Using the theory of doctrines, i.e. finding the similarities between the zodiac, body, and herbs, it is also possible to connect signs with herbs and prescribe them to help the patient.

Degrees of the Horoscope in Medical Astrology

Each sign has 30 degrees, and each of these 360 degrees is connected to one part of the body. The planet on that degree is a predisposition for an illness -- the degree tells us which part of the body is in question, while the planet will show what kind of disease it will be. In a similar manner, it is possible to connect the midpoints and the degrees.

The Planets, Asteroids, and the Uranian Planets in Medical Astrology

The planets are sources of energy in the horoscope, and each is unique. For instance, the energy of Mars is fire-like; he flames up the fires in the body (resulting in high temperature) and cleanses it thus. Neptune stands for bacteria that are known to the medicine, while Pluto is for the unknown bacteria, and so on. The asteroids, the large ones in particular, such as Ceres, Juno and others, behave in a similar way. In medical astrology, the Uranian planets can also be used. There are eight "Uranian" planets which have no astronomical data, but the influence of which can be felt quite strongly in the chart. Some of these planets have strong medical connotations, so using them can increase the credibility of medical astrology analysis up to 90% of success.

The Houses in Medical Astrology

Out of the twelve houses in the usual astrology, five are more significant that the others:

First house -- the physical body,

Sixth house -- diseases,

Eighth house -- support from others, sex, death, karma, terminal states, cancer,

Twelfth house -- isolation, hospitals and monasteries, psychic problems, auto-immunity.

However, every house has its own special meaning in medical astrology:

No. 1 -- face, consciousness, brain tumors, brain insults, etc

No. 2 -- blood, electrolytes, hormones, food intake, hypophysis, diabetes.

No. 3 -- the lungs, speech problems,

No. 4 -- producing food for others, mother, milk; genetics, inheritance,

No. 5 -- heart, infarction of myocardium,

No. 6 -- diseases, personal hygiene, meals, day to day habits,

No. 7 -- death through brain problems, balance of the body, spine,

No. 8 -- Expelling of the processed foods, hypophysis, adrenal cortex, kidneys,

No. 9 -- the upper part of brain, cerebral hemisphere, Jupiter rules over the left, Neptune rules over the right hemisphere;

No. 10 -- metabolism,

No. 11 -- circulation, hemorrhagia,

No. 12 -- autoimmune diseases, thymus, immunity in general, liver.

The ruler of the house is the main indicator of the events related to the house, while the planets in the house are not so important. For instance, to see what kinds of illnesses one can have, take a look at the sixth house and its ruler, its position, aspects and transits. Only after the ruler remained under pressure for a long time, we could be allowed to start predicting the existence of a disease.

Planetary Aspects

How will a planet express its energies primarily depends on its relations with other planets, which boils down to the angle that those two planets make with the centre of the circle. Each pair of planets brings its own kind of sickness, for instance, a combination of Sun and Saturn will slow down the metabolism, while the Sun and Mars make it easy for the person to burn his or her own energy -- such persons often go in for sports.

The angle of 150 degrees (inconjunction) is especially malefic. Whenever there is an exact inconjunction between two planets in the chart, the person will have to live through various troubles of medical nature. Malefic aspects from malefic planets to the Moon are the worst. Squares are extremely malefic, so Saturn squaring the Moon gives a predisposition towards cancer, although the same effect may be seen from malefic aspects from Neptune and/or Pluto to the Moon. Just as in other branches of astrology, malefic aspects produce action -- an illness of a kind. But, it always pays to see where the good aspects are, because they bring amelioration, often a complete cure -- sometimes through remedies, sometimes through persons that resemble the description of the aspect (for instance, a trine to Neptune -- healing through an apothecary etc.)

If there are no benefic aspects to the rulers of the 6th, 8th and/or 12th houses, then we should find persons whose planets create harmonious aspects. If that person is the doctor or a healer, healing will be successful.

Midpoints in Medical Astrology

Each planet is on the middle distance of another two planets, as if in a triple conjunction. For every midpoint there is a special medical delineation: the midpoint of Jupiter and Saturn denotes liver, while MA/SA (the midpoint for Mars and Saturn) denotes spasms, in more involved cases even death. Midpoints make each chart as unique as possible and you cannot do medical astrology well if you are not using them. For even greater precision, include the Uranian planets and their midpoints, especially in progressed charts.

Medical Aphorisms

Medical aphorisms are configurations typical for specific diseases and states. For instance, Mars on 29 Scorpio near the Ascendent will give a predisposition towards bronchitis, as will any squared malefic in Gemini, as will Saturn on the Ascendent in a mutable sign... and there may be more such combinations, for any given illness. The medical astrologer must be very well acquainted with such configurations and should be able to recognize them in the chart. However, the clients won't hold it against you if the middle of the session you look up at the manual -- they won't care if it helps them get cured!

In these modern times, it is possible to have astrology software compute medical configurations in the natal chart. To be more precise, without such a piece of software, it would be very difficult to do medical astrology, because there are hundreds of such configurations.

Diagnosing an Illness Based on the Natal Chart

Every chart contains dozens of potentially problematic configurations. It does not mean that that person must be ill just because such configurations exist in the chart, neither will it mean that the person will have all those illnesses at once, neither will it mean that all possibilities for illnesses in the chart must become reality. Configuration is a predisposition for illness, and it will manifest itself only when at least three predispositions are active at the same time. For instance, a square between the Moon and Saturn is the most frequent natal predisposition for cancer. The second predisposition may then come every seven years, since it takes seven years for the progressed Moon to make another malefic aspect to the natal Saturn. The third factor may come into play through a solar chart, in which there may be, say, an inconjunction between the Moon and Saturn. Or the third factor may come through a slow transit of Saturn, perhaps through its stationary point squaring the natal Moon. If there are four such factors at one and the same period of time, the client will feel as if surrounded by evil and wherever they turn to, the situation looks hopeless to them.

Only when we see such a concentration of approximately identical transits, may we want to warn the client about cancer or some other such grave illness. Since we can compute the transits and solar charts in advance, we can exactly tell the client when his or her troubles will begin, as well as when will they end.

Sometimes, an identical predisposition will appear from different configurations. If there is a square of Uranus to the Ascendent, but that same Ascendent is also squared by Pluto, the combination for surgery will appear twice. Now it only takes a transit of Mars to empower one of those configurations, or for Mars to be on the Uranus/Pluto midpoint in the solar return chart and the surgery seems unavoidable.

Diagnosing an Illness Based on Transits, Progressions, Solar and Synastry Charts

In natal astrology, in 90% of sessions we will need nothing more than the natal chart and the transits -- in one-on-one sessions there simply isn't time to dive into all the charts that can be useful. In medical astrology, however, it is a routine to use many other types of charts. There must be three independent confirmations for illness to appear, regardless in which chart do we see it. Looking for clues in the chart in case of medical astrology often is a detective-like work, until you find the constellation which was active when the symptoms first started. Once you connect real-life events with their possible astrological causes, you can predict how the illness will unfold, and with confidence.

Long transits of malefic planets produce all kinds of health problems, while the progressive horoscope produces the best long-term view of the client's life. In medical astrology, we always use solar charts, because there we see strong accents, which may not endure for long, but which sometimes leave the sequeale for the rest of the client's life.

It also matters whom do you live with. The persons the client lives with and exchanges his or her energy with them. Sometimes they heal just by being present, in other times they make the client only sicker. The country in which the client lives will also have its own horoscope and that can be taken into account too.

Auxiliary Methods in Medical Astrology

Arabian Parts are formed by adding two important points, from which another, the third point, is subtracted. There are about 500 Arabian Parts, and some of them are directly related to health. Pars Fortunae is the most well known Arabian Part, and it combines influences of the Sun, Moon and Ascendent.

Each particular house has its own set of Arabian Parts. For instance, the sixth house has the following two Arabian Parts, which are of interest in medical astrology:

Incurable diseases, bad fortune and vice (Asc + Mars - Saturn),

Curable diseases (Asc + Mars - Mercur),

The sixth house also contains the parts for servants, the prisoners of war, and the pars of the defeated, which have nothing to do with health.

The number of Arabian Parts per house varies: house No. 7 has 16 Arabian Parts, house No. 8 -- 5 Parts and so on.

Quite often, horary astrology will yield loads of info. Instead of natal charts and the charts that are derived from it, in horary astrology we erect the chart for the time of asking the question about the illness. Reading a horary chart is different to the reading of the natal and all other charts, so don't use this technique unless you know what you are doing. Nevertheless, it pays to learn horary astrology, because it often gives a direct glimpse into the real situation, the course of the illness, eventual surgeries and deaths etc.

The decumbiture chart is the chart for the beginning of an illness. We should make it only if we know for certain when the illness begun. Also has rules of its own.

Electional astrology tries to discover when an action should begin. In medical astrology, such charts could be studied to discover when the prescribed therapy should start, when is the time for doctor to visit the patient and so on.

The Role of Medical Astrology in Healing

Modern medicine knows a lot about the state of the patient in the moment of measurement, and knows also, in a statistical manner, whether the prognosis is good or bad. Nevertheless, it never deals with the future of the patient, and is almost always used when something bad has already happened. Medical astrology is the missing link between the recorded state of the patient, his or her current therapy and the future development of the illness. Since it is possible to make the astrological prognosis in advance, it becomes possible to do something in advance as well. Homeopathy and other energy healing systems are a natural continuation of medical astrology, because energy healing "spends" the unwanted but present energy that planets and stars send us via astral body. The biggest advantage of medical astrology is that it enables not only to predict which techniques and remedies can heal now, but when these techniques and remedies should be stopped, and some other healing modality be taken and applied instead.

Dusko Savic is a mathematician, programmer, professional astrologer and long distance healer. His site http://www.how-to-avoid-hysterectomy.com/ is for women who want to avoid hysterectomy.

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Great Tips for Backyard Landscaping

Backyard landscaping is absolutely vital if you own your home. There is nothing quite like a groomed and cared for garden. If you really want to feel your home as being your fortress youd better start thinking about your individual style of backyard landscaping. It is a process that will take some time, but will make your backyard look really amazing!

The first thing you need to start with, is check which kind of backyard landscape you like to have in your garden. There are a lot of styles: you can have the garden full of trees, flower beds, vegetable beds. But plants take a lot of time to look after. If you are one of those hard-workers, who spend their entire day in full-time activities, youd better start working on another backyard landscaping project.

One such project can rely more on stable decoration than on planting to make to whole outlook better. You can use a lot of decorative materials to make your backyard. First of all, you can cover some of the soil, which you dont intend to use for planting, with plastic bags or other type of isolation materials. Then, you can make several footpaths that would wind across your garden. You may as well put some decorative stones all around, so that your garden looks really like an enchanted backyard of a castle.

You may as well plant hedges and see the glorious results of its growing in different shape according to the way you liked it! Planting ivy on your wall opposite your backyard is also a nice landscaping idea! It will make the whole atmosphere different, and even if you dont have too much time for growing plants, an ivy will suffice in producing the effect of your backyard being green with different plants.Another important thing when trying to improve your backyard landscape, is to plan in advance exactly how much time and money you will need to make your projects.

It all depends on your job and your creativeness. If you come up with a nice and cheap idea, which is not time consuming at all, that would be the perfect solution! It is not important to feel under stress and press yourself to make backyard landscaping that you simply cannot afford. It is nice when you go for ideas that best fit your pocket as well as your willingness to work.When you do your best, there is nothing more rewarding to the praise of your friends and neighbors and their appreciation of what you ve done! Invite the people you like to see and assess your backyard landscaping. They may give some other useful ideas, which may motivate you to work further on.

Backyard landscaping should be done in a way that it stress your house , and enhance the influence of your personality. It should be done with a personal touch, because it is your unique area that you are trying to improve! It all depends on you, try it the way you feel like it. Remember that keeping things as simple as possible is also an option. Backyard landscaping shouldnt be too complicated, as it would be hard to maintain the whole area afterwards.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning gardening. Get more information by visiting http://www.groovygardening.com/gardening-information/gardening-tips/great-tips-for-backyard-landscaping.html.

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Can You Get Your Own FBI NCIC Record?

We all want to know what scoop Big Brother has on us in their databases. Especially the FBI. Heres how you can get your own FBI file.

First a clarification: The FBI maintains the NCIC database. It does NOT keep a file on every American. The NCIC contains data on every person convicted of a crime, wanted persons, persons deemed dangerous to law enforcement, all drivers and more. The FBI shares this information with all law enforcement agencies. This is the database police query when they stop your car and call in your license plate and drivers license. The database does not record that you have been stopped, although in most provinces in Canada there is a system where all stops and contacts are recorded. Many local law enforcement departments have local contact database but they are not shared. So if you get stopped in your own town theres a chance there is a local record of this stop. But not on the NCIC database.

The FBI also maintains its internal databases and that information might contain data on non-convicted persons. This database is an investigative file, containing information on any person of interest to the FBI. It also contains all the internal records on FBI investigations. This file is NOT available to the public under any circumstance. One example of this is the FBI Counterterrorism database. This database contains over 659 million records from the FBI and other government sources.

An FBI Identification Record, often referred to as a Criminal History Record or Rap Sheet, is a listing of certain information taken from fingerprint submissions retained by the FBI in connection with arrests and, in some instances, federal employment, naturalization, or military service.

If you have been convicted of a crime or wanted by the police you will have a record in this file. You can get a copy of your own file by following precise instructions. These can be found here: http://www.fbibackgroundchecks.com/get-your-own-FBI-record.html. The cost is $18 payable to the FBI. The request must be made directly to the FBI. There is no need to use a company or lawyer to do this.

Can you get a FREE NCIC background check? Yes, most non-profit volunteer-based organizations might get a FBI background check performed at the local police agency.

We are all familiar with the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA). We can get to any database, right? Not really. The government will censor what they deem confidential. I have tried to get several files using FOIA and the government will respond but slowly. And many records will have black marker streaks covering what they deemed confidential. In one case I know there was a record but the response was no record found. In a perfect world we should be able to see what is in these databases, but in todays world this is not so easy.

More information on the FBI NCIC database and background checks here:
http://www.fbibackgroundchecks.com

For information on Financial Fraud:
http://www.FinancialFraud.INFO

Ingvar Grimsmo is a writer and webmaster on a variety of current topics.
http://www.financingforsmallbusiness.com

Ingvar Grimsmo is a writer and webmaster on a variety of current topics.

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The Rich Sounds of Oaxaca

Remember your auditory sense:

It is said that while in Oaxaca, if you dont look up while sightseeing, youll miss a lot (i.e. centuries old detailed carvings, moldings and frescos, trees growing perpendicular out of walls and elaborately landscaped roof-tops). Similarly, if you dont keep your ear to the ground your stay in the city will not be as culturally complete and informative as it could be. What follows is a sampler of the range of sounds you might hear from car-top loudspeakers, truck and scooter horns, steam whistles, stereo systems and live bands, and an explanation of what each signifies, as well as how to tell them apart.

It is not necessary to venture off into the pueblos to experience the plethora of diverse and colorful sounds, which in and of themselves provide you with a greater understanding of life in Oaxaca. Just head outside of the Centro Histrico by taking a bus or taxi, or simply going for a long walk, even a kilometer or two beyond the Perifrico and N. Heroes de Chapultepec. I am referring not to the continuous din of donkeys and dogs, toads, turkeys, roosters, and the more exotic birds and bovine, but rather to man-made articulations. Such sounds advise the residents of the city of the proximity of vendors of a variety of goods and services, regarding religious and secular events, or that a rite of passage of a neighbor is under way.

Commercial vendors create most of the daily discord on the streets, and inform us of what fruits are seasonally inexpensive, delicacies which tempt the taste buds of locals, and how important it is for Oaxacans to have their fresh tortillas and other baked goods. The most unusual sound comes from a metal wagon wheeled along the streets, its operator selling hot fried plantain, with sweet cream and other condiments sprinkled atop upon askingsimply delicious, and generally a safe food to eat on the street. Usually during the evenings one can hear the pitch of its steam whistle, starting off with a low tenor, and reaching a high screechcant be mistaken. At the other end of the spectrum are the tortilla vendors who often drive by the same neighborhood streets 2 3 times daily, usually in a VW Beetle, or on a scooter, notifying residents of their presence by short beeps of their horns. You might also hear the bread and pastry truck trolling the streets, with loudspeaker atop, the driver busking the virtues of his bolillos and variety of pan dulce. When hes not so extolling, he has music blaring, the same songs day after day so neighbors can identify particular songs with baked goods for sale. The same pattern of dividing announcements between the shouted word and recorded music is encountered with the fruit trucks, pickups sometimes selling simply oranges by the bagful of 25, 50 or 100, or in conjunction with other types of citrus, melons and pias, by the piece or kilo, scales loaded in the back of the vehicle, young associate bagging, weighing and taking cash. When the voice goes hoarse, on comes The Beatles, Revolver. We learn a little about culture and economicsthe price of gas and labor relative to the sale of such perishables and required profit margins; the importance for residents to have fresh foodstuffs; lack of proximity to more traditional retail outlets with such offerings; and finally, the availability of at least one person in the home throughout the day to make such purchases. Think of what percentage of your neighbors are home throughout the day to welcome such purveyors. In Oaxaca, with its extended family tradition, and responsibility for making purchases entrusted to quite young children, it is feasible for such a method of marketing to continue.

Distinctly different sounds are made for announcing the arrival of necessities. It is trite to note the importance of drinking water. Several times a day water trucks loaded with 19 liter blue plastic or clear glass bottles patrol every street in every colonia, although sometimes economics may dictate use of a large tricycle instead of the motorized vehicle. The sound one hears is always the same, and unmistakable..agua (aah-gwaaah!). Almost as frequently one cant help but miss the trucks selling propane by the tank, usually in your choice of three sizesexchange your emptied for filled. No human voice used here, but rather one or more of perhaps three familiar signalsa deep fog horn type of sound, the racket of a chain dragging along the street, and/or the recorded sound of a mooing cow followed by a jingle. Propane is residentially used primarily for stoves and hot water tanksno underground oil or natural gas lineshere in Oaxaca we have enough trouble getting the government to just repair streets and sidewalks, and make somewhat safer the tap water we receive from the broken, antiquated and inefficient underground water delivery system---let alone embark upon changing the entire system of fuel delivery to subsurface (although recently the downtown sidewalks and streets were dug up to bury utility lines). Much more often than in earlier eras, residents are opting for the use of larger stationary propane tanks which are filled pursuant to a delivery schedule so that these larger single receptacle propane trucks do not notify households that theyre out on the street. Similarly, the large water trucks---which fill cisternas and tinacos for household use apart from drinking---need not signal their presence, since they arrive by order only. But if youre downstairs when the cow bell signals the arrival of the garbage truck, youve missed it for another week, unless you track down the truck with the weeks refuse in back of your pickup, either that day, or another if you know the dates and routes closeby.

There are also three types of informational announcements you may hear on a regular basis. Once again there are merchants, not peddling their wares on the street, but rather notifying Oaxacans of bargains or sales by means of car-top speaker, for example a supermarket chain promoting products, or a pizza franchise selling a large with two selections, plus two liters of soda for only 100 pesos. The second and perhaps more vital type of information that is received by residents is public service in nature, consisting of local news events. Often when someone in a colonia dies, a truck winds the neighborhood streets advising of not only the passing, but of pertinent details regarding mass, burial, and so on. When there are public works to be completed that the municipio does not deem within its mandate to address in a timely fashion, the president of the colonia may arrange for the work to be done by residents, for example clearing brush. The announcement traditionally includes where and when the project will be commenced, with a plea to attend ready for work and to bring as many picks, shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows as are available to you. When hearing this type of exhortation you know that there is a neighborhood organization in place that sees part of its duty to pick up where the higher levels of government have left off, or is not prepared to wait until government gets around to prioritizing what the residents deem important.

The final type of information your auditory sense picks up on the streets emanates from celebrations, evidencing the richness and diversity of social life, and signifying the arrival of an important customary or religious event. While often a part of the event may take place in a hall, church or salon, in this fiesta oriented society celebrating includes at minimum a portion of the festivities occurring on the streets or at a home, or entirely in a local setting. At any time of day or night it is not unusual to hear the blaring of a sound system or live band music echoing across a valley through neighborhoods. There may be a wedding of 400 people, a 50th birthday celebration or a quince aos (elaborate celebration when a girl turns 15, similar to a Bat Mitzvah in the Jewish faith) well under way. Depending on the makeup of the crowd, you may hear deafening rap, hip-hop or that otherwise deep base type of teenager-oriented music, or perhaps the more traditional cumbia tunes, or a combination of D.J. contemporary music in one set, followed by live band Latin music in the next. The most modest $100 stereo system can be hooked up to an amp and monster speakers to create a deafening diversion from otherwise relatively tranquil surroundings. The other type of music one often hears comes from more informal bands winding their way through the streets as a part of religious customs. Just look in any book which enumerates the multitude of saints days and other ritual dates, and you can pretty well assume that you will hear band music swinging up and down streets, weakening as the procession winds further away, and strengthening until it is upon you. Stop and ask whats going on. Have a drink if youre offered a small cup of mezcal, and eat up all that the festivities are willing to offer. Follow your ears to the origin of the music, and peek in if you can, no matter how formal or informal the setting may beyou just may be welcomed inside, and really have an experience to tell the folks back home. If you simply listen to the music your Oaxacan experience will be that much richer.

Alvin Starkman = owner of Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com) with wife Arlene, Alvin Starkman received his Masters in Social Anthropology in 1978. After teaching for a few years he attended Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, thereafter embarking upon a successful career as a litigator until taking early retirement in 2004. He now writes and leads small group Oaxacan tours.

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Santa is Always the News

We all know Santas story by now. He was originally a bishop back in the day, and after he died he became known as Saint Nicholas, or Saint Nick for short. And even way back then, before Christmas became a major holiday, the anniversary of his death was a day to celebrate by giving out gifts. But most of us dont know that Saint Nick actually had a bad rap for a while, and that is actually how he got all of the other names we know him by today.

During the time of great change in the Christian Church known as the Protestant Reformation, which occurred in the 1500s, the famous Martin Luther declared that all good Christians should stop celebrating saints. For the devout followers of Luther, that meant also stopping the celebration of Saint Nick, no matter how fun the gift giving had become.

But of course, not all Christians stopped celebrating Saint Nick, not even all of the Protestants. Instead of stopping the celebration, they crafted a plan to enjoy the Saint Nick holiday in secret. This is when Saint Nick became known in England as Father Christmas. In Germany, people referred to Santa as Christmas Man, and the Dutch created the name Sinterklass.

About this time, a large majority of Dutch settlers moved to New Amsterdam in Americawhat would later become New Yorkand brought their celebration of Sinterklass with him. Americans caught on to the idea, and tried to pronounce his name right. But instead, what came out was Santa Claus.

However, Santa Claus did not hit the big time until the author of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving, got wind of Santa Claus and promoted him the American press. This happened in the early 1800s, when Washington Irving wrote a story called the A History of New York, in which he went into great detail about a man called Sinterklass. This Saint Nick was fat and short, wore a funny costume, and would travel around on the Eve of Saint Nicolas on a horse.

The idea of jolly gift-giving man caught on in the American press. Another writer, the poet Clement Clark Moore, wrote a poem called A Visit from St. Nicolas, which is better known as, The Night Before Christmas. It was Moore who made Saint Nick a jolly old elf who flies around the night in a magical sleigh powered by eight flying reindeer. We all know the names of those reindeer, right? Well, Moore also included them in his poem.

Americans would get their best images of Santa Claus in the magazines of the late 1800s, when the cartoonist Thomas Nast put out his own visions of Saint Nick in Harpers Weekly. For Nast, Santa was a bigger man with a big fat belly, who wore a red suit lined with fur and a big leather belt. Nast also started drawing images of Santas workshop in the North Pole, and Santa using a list to keep track of his kids who were naughty and nice.

Of course, these are all the images of Santa that we use today in the newspapers, in cartoons, and on TV. Or should we say, perhaps, images of Sinterklass?

Randy Stocklin is the co-owner of Mail from Santa Claus. Mail from Santa Claus offers memorable letters from Santa Claus that helps keep the Christmas spirit alive. For more information about Mail from Santa Claus and to purchase letters from Santa Claus please visit http://www.mailfromsantaclaus.com/.

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Promote Clickbank, Top Selling, Products In 3 Easy Steps!

One of the many mistakes that affiliate marketers do is not failing to acquire enough knowledge. Rather, its not making something happen with the knowledge they have.

Step 1:

You go to Clickbank's marketplace and scan around the top 2 pages of each category. Take a look at the statistics of these products.

By this I mean the gravity, the % referred, $ earned per sale etc...

So you think you've found a good category to enter - Say Sports & Recreation. The next logical step would be to unearth a winning product to promote.

Generally, the top 5 products are extremely competitive and have tons of affiliates promoting it already. It would be quite difficult for you to take on the competition at this stage.

Step 2:

Click through to the next few pages and look for items with a reasonable % referred that isn't too high and a good gravity weighting.

Broadly speaking, a % referred rate of more then 75% is high and anything with a gravity rating above 30 would be worth a shot.

Step 3:

Select 3 products that fits the criteria and choose from them. Click on "view pitch page" to see the sales page for yourself. It'll instantly become very clear to you which of the 3 sales page converts better.

First, I do a "look" around Clickbank Marketplace. I look from the first page (best sellers) onwards slowly to the back. You would notice that most are around the same niche but I need something different, something that is a niche and does not have many similar products in the Clickbank marketplace...

Other things to look out for:

1. Does the vendor provide a strong affiliate resources page?

2. Is the % earned per sale stat high? Generally, I'd never promote a product that pays below % 50 unless its a high ticket item.

3. Are there any payment leaks? Scan for them, its extremely important that you do this.

I've to mention there is no sure-fire way to select and pick products to promote.

Even if you follow what I say to the dot, you could end up picking a loser, the only 100% guaranteed way is for you to test it out - Find what works and what doesn't yourself...

Dylan Loh

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How Network Marketers Get Leads and Get Paid Simultaneously

Ever imagined a never ending supply of hot network marketing leads pouring into your mail box as the minutes pass by? Any serious marketer's dream. Can you picture anything better?

Well, how about getting those hot leads and getting paid!

Welcome to the wonderful world of Funded Proposals. A unique method of generating top MLM leads while generously contributing to your bank account.

To avoid "information overload", you probably discovered this but never investigated any further. Funded Proposals are no secret, rate extremely profitable, yet maintains as the most neglected marketing strategy on the net.

Why? Simply, lack of proper guidance and tools (automated systems) for those not interested in building their own websites.

A funded proposal consists of a marketing system that generates funds to cover the cost of your advertising on the front end in order for you to capture there details and promote your business on the backend.

Advanced marketing? Yes. Difficult to master? Definitely not!

Lets take an example. You promote an eBook authored by a network marketing expert sharing his secrets to success via a capture page. Visitors can opt-in and choose to purchase the eBook or to receive a free report delivered by a series of autoresponder messages. Either way doesn't matter as you've just captured a top quality lead!

How many time have you heard the following: **95% Of Network Marketers fail within first 2 years!**

Key Reason: **Running out of Money to supply a constant flow of prospects.**

The days of "Make a list and talk to your friends and family" no longer exist. A great short term solution, but what happens once your warm market is exhausted? You need to market your network marketing business. Period. So if a limited budget restricts your marketing campaigns, get started with a funded proposal.

Getting great MLM Leads is what you're after, but what a bonus having your lead generation making you money.

Best of all, they come to you!

Instead of being the hunter, you become the hunted, creating the circumstances for prospects to come to you. What a great way to position your new team members in the marketplace.

Five Key Benefits:

1. You only attract network marketers and those believing in the business model.

2. They are serious and willing to invest in their success.

3. You make money whether or not they join your business.

4. Get recognized as an expert.

5. Save Time by not chasing after prospects, Time you now spend productively on duplicating and training your new team.

Five Tools you need:

1. An eBook that provides valuable information for network marketers.

2. A sales capture page.

3. Merchant account like Paypal or Clickbank.

4. Autoresponder with a well composed email campaign.

5. An advertising method, e.g. pay per click advertising.

With pay per click advertising you will have your funded proposal up and running in minutes. Even if you're new to pay per click advertising, you will find hundreds of tutorials to guide you step by step.

Most importantly, it duplicates well. There are many other ways to get traffic to your funded proposal capture page, but you want to keep things simple for your team members.

Instead of seeking for perfection with generating traffic, just take action and do it!

In no time you will receive two types of emails: One notifying you of your new MLM leads, the other being receipt of payment!

CAUTION: Don't get sidetracked! Yes, you will earn easy money, but not residual. Stay focused on your business, life and financial goals.

Next time we will discuss various ways of following up your funded proposal prospects tactfully and touch on some other prospecting techniques.

How Much is Quality Leads And a Steady Cash Flow Worth to YOUR Business? George Fourie & Dave Sherwin provide Complete Funded Proposal Systems & Principle Based Guide on building a MLM organization Online. Find out how in Daves eBook, The Art and Science of Attracting People into Your Network Marketing Business. Get YOUR Copy Today! ==>http://www.LightHouseMarketingeBook.com

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