Gail Lindenfield is a well-known British author who has
written several self-help books. In Self Motivation, she
does a good job of going over many aspects of self
development and she provides solutions to a variety of
everyday problems.

Challenges - make sure that are truly enjoyable and that
the outcome is worth the risk. Success is built on an
astute ability to synchronize challenge and chance.

Risk - before taking a risk, imagine and face the worst
possible outcome.

Principles - before starting a project- list your
principles and ideals. Keep a clear distinction between
core (unbending) values and more flexible ones.

Fear - learn to take control to your response to fear so
that you can reclaim your full quota of natural courage.
Don’t take on any more fear than what you have judged is
controllable by your current store of courage.

Energy - value and use it economically. Use the rhythm of
your own energy cycles to your best advantage.

Calm concentration - work on putting yourself into a
focused and relaxed state where the body is free of
tension and the mind is clear and energized.
Concentration exercise - count backwards from 50, as
soon as the mind wanders, go back to 50 and start again
until you get it all.

Organization - you must be able to draw upon order when
you need it and loosen its restraints when you do not.

Decision making - accept that decision making is
stressful. Focus on taking care of yourself while under
pressure rather than making a premature decision.

Self presentation - never sell out on your individuality.
Don’t penny pinch on presentation - a high class look
will give you a high class feel.

Problem solving - accept responsibility for solving your
own problems.

Intuition - make a habit of listening for, and noting
down your intuitive response whenever you need to make
a decision. Individuality - ask yourself regularly if
you are being yourself. Remind yourself that many of
those who have contributed most were individualistic
characters.

Action signals - these are symptoms that you feel that
require immediate action. Here are several action signals
along with a brief summary of her recommended solutions:

1. Guilt
2. Frustration
3. Disappointment
4. Inadequacy
5. Anger
6. Loneliness 

Self criticism - make a short self-criticism session
part of your daily habit: What could you have done
better today? What didn’t you do that you should have
done today? Reframe self put-downs into a neutral
format.

Self forgiveness - it’s important to regularly forgive
yourself because you are constantly changing and
developing, and it is impossible to do this without
getting it wrong many times.

Assertiveness - Practice using your directness in
low-charged emotional situations first. Deal with
your unassertiveness before tension mounts up and
you over react to the situation.

Self protection - don’t waste time and energy arguing
with people if their opinion is of no value to you.
Reveling in success without fear of failure - Double
your rate of failure. Failure is a teacher - a harsh
one, perhaps, but the best you can be discouraged
by failure or learn from it, said Thomas Watson of
IBM. .

States to strive for:

1. Visionary thinking without idle dreaming.
2. Unashamed neediness without selfish greediness.
3. Eternal optimism without denying common sense.
4. Guru worshipping without blind following.
5. Sound self-esteem without ignorant arrogance.
6. Thirst for challenge without imprudent impatience.
7. Steadfast principles without narrow prejudice.
8. Consistent courage without thoughtless gambling.
9. Endless energy without debilitating burnout.
10.Prepared proactively without disregard for
opportunity.
11.Solid responsibility without rigid perfectionism.
12.Calm concentration without repressed creativity.
13.Systematic organization without obtuse obsessing.
14.Meticulous planning without stubborn inflexibility.
15.Sharp decisiveness without blindness to
consequences.
16.Slick self-presentation without enslavement to
fashion.
17.Positive problem solving without immunity to
despair.
18.Reliable intuition without acting on every hunch.
19.Searching self-reflection without frustrating
self-absorption.
20.Pride in individuality without disregard for human
commonality.
21.Deep emotionality without enslavement to feelings.
22.Stringent self-criticism without suffocating
self-abuse.
23.Intolerance of excuses without deafness to their
message.
24.Sincere self-forgiveness without self-inflicted
punishment.
25.Personal power without disempowering others.
26.Assertive directness without thoughtless
insensitivity.
27.Skilled self-protection without harmful
aggression.
28.Perpetually learning without devaluing my
own wisdom.
29.Seriously focused without humorless solemnity.
30.Sensibly self-nurturing without spurning
support.
31.Seeker of solitude without reclusive aloofness.
32.Reveling in success without fear of failure.
33.Scrupulously self-healing without dismissing
comfort.
34.Amply self-rewarding without rejecting
recognition.
35.Inwardly driven without scorning incentives

Key thoughts:

“Be more concerned with your character than your
reputation, because characte is what you really
are, while your reputation is merely what others
think you are.”
-John Wooden, college basketball coach

“Although they only give gold medals in the field
of athletics, I encourage everyone to look into
themselves and find their own personal dream,
whatever that may be - sports, medicine, law,
business, music, writing, whatever. The same
principles apply. Turn your dream into a goal and
learn how to attack that goal systematically.
Break it into bite-size chunks that seem possible,
and then don’t give up. Just keep plugging away.”
- John Naber, swimmer, four-time Olympic Gold
Medalist

By: Regine Azurin
Regine Azurin is the President of BestSummaries.com,
a company that provides book summaries of the latest
motivational, inspirational, self-help and personality
development bestsellers.

http://www.bestsum.com
Free Book Summaries of Top Self-help, Motivational
and Inspirational books

Mailto: freearticle@bestsum.com
BestSummaries is a BestSummaries.com service.
(c) Copyright 2004, BestSummaries.com

April 8, 2006

The overall market choppiness since the beginning of 2006 has made it tough for investors to find trading opportunities. However, there are a handful of developing bullish and bearish sector trends that are worth a closer look. All of these trends are based on weekly - and even monthly - data, which weeds out the day-to-day noise that has been unusually loud over the last month. As such, a day or two worth of contra-movement can’t be taken to heart. These ideas are much ‘bigger picture’.

The Stealth Rally

Although the NASDAQ has lethargically trailed the S&P (as well as the Dow) in hitting new highs, many traders may be surprised to know that technology stocks have actually had a pretty good year. At no recent point has the sector been a top-performer, but it’s in the top three or four sectors in 5-day, 20-day, monthly, and six-month rankings. The fact that it has consistently been strong without ever being red hot has allowed the sector to quietly develop some momentum, without inviting waves of profit-taking that eventually cause in implosion. In other words, tech is in a nice stealth rally that is likely poised to continue.

The average tech stock P/E is at 32.2, which actually isn’t bad for technology. Profit margins are at a decent 10.17 percent.

The chart of the Dow Jones Technology Index (DJUSTC) looks like it may finally reward investors who have been waiting patiently for the fundamental data to work its way into share prices. The index had met resistance around 540 several times since 2002, including a handful of recent encounters. That persistence has paid off, in that the index is now 550, and still itching to go higher. Its MACD lines are showing a renewed acceleration.

Realistically, we’re watching 600 as a potential reversal point. That’s the high point reached in early 2002, and was also the last gasp before the death blow was inflicted that sent the index to 250 by October of that year. If we get past that level, then the tech stocks could really get moving, especially if the fundamentals continue to improve as they are. And even if 600 is a problem, that would still mean about a 9 percent gain between here and there.

Software - The Stealthiest of the Stealth

Of all the technology industries that are doing well, software appears to be the most viable opportunity. That’s not because it’s leading the pack, but because it has trailed all the major industries in the sector over the last six months. Since October, the average software stock has gained 15.4 percent……and that’s the weakest industry. The fact that it has lagged, though, just means these names are still at least a little undervalued. Pair that fact up with a chart of these stocks, and you have a pretty interesting investment idea.

In fact, the chart of the CBOE GSTI Software Index (GSO) pretty much mirrors the Dow Jones Technology Index, in that it’s developing some momentum while working to break above some resistance. The CBOE Software Index chart’s key resistance line is at 176, where it topped out in late 2004. After a good-sized correction, the index is back up to 172, and itching to go higher on the heels of its newly-found buyers.

To view charts of the Dow Jones Technology Index & the CBOE Software Index, click here: http://bluegrassportfolio.com/sectorwatcharchives/040806sectorreview.html

The average software company P/E is 25.1, while the net profit margin is 23.5 percent. Both of those measures are basically tops within the tech sector, which is precisely why the market should be giving a strong second look to software names.

Healthcare - Still in trouble, thanks to pharmaceuticals

While the broad healthcare sector should almost always be a core component of any portfolio, it doesn’t change the fact that these names have been a surprising disappointment over the last few months. Since this time in October, the healthcare sector is up 6.2 percent. That only tops consumer staples and utilities, which have six-month gains of 6.1 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively. The S&P 500, however, has improved by 8.8 percent during that time. That may seem like a trivial difference. But, given that that the average return of the sectors that have beaten healthcare stocks since then is a whopping 18 percent, what you have is a clear reason to focus on the top performers, and avoid the weak areas such as healthcare.

The chart of the Dow Jones Healthcare Index (DJUSHC) illustrates the problem very well, with a tumble from 325.94 to 314.77 right now that triggered a bearish MACD crossunder signal. Such a signal is no small matter, as they have historically spotted the beginning of rather large downward moves. Is this dip justified? The typical healthcare P/E is 31.4, and margins are a decent 11.2 percent. That’s actually respectable, so why is the sector still struggling? An investor should know that the healthcare sector’s single biggest component is pharmaceutical stocks, which have literally been dragging down the sector.

The pharmaceutical stocks are truly the only major group to not participate in this bull market. At all. Between March of 2003, which was the end of the bear market and beginning of the market recovery, the Dow Jones Pharmaceuticals Index (DJUSPR) is down by 9.7 percent. By comparison, the S&P 500 is up 53.4 percent. And sadly, the losing trend for pharma doesn’t look like it’s going to end anytime soon, primarily for fundamental reasons.

The entire pharmaceutical industry has been falling for so long, the market doesn’t really know how to do anything with these stocks except sell them. Old habits like this are hard to break, as we saw just last month when the rally attempt failed. The Dow Pharmaceuticals Index was able to reach as high as 262.61, but then came tumbling down to 252.43 by the end of March. The current reading of 251.50 is only making the matter a little worse. As a result of that selloff, a couple of key resistance lines were defined. These lines extend all the way back to early 2004….evidence of just how long and things have been tough on the likes of Pfizer (PFE), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), and Glaxo (GSK).

The toughest part for these companies is that they’re actually doing pretty well in terms of sales and profits. It’s just that the underlying stocks aren’t reflecting that performance. The average P/E of 19.30 makes them a bargain, and profit margins of 18.0 percent should be attract to most anyone. Yet clearly, these stocks continue to go unloved. At some point in time, the market will look past the history of these companies and their stocks, but until that happens, investors are content to leave big pharma alone.

But even taking the pharmaceutical stocks out of the equation, the healthcare sector just doesn’t seem to be able to get anything bullish going. The healthcare providers and equipment providers are both I the red for the year, while biotech is barely in the plus column so far. The leading healthcare sector year-to-date is, ironically, pharmaceuticals. In the grand scheme of things, though, the bearish illness seems to have infected the entire sector.

James Brumley is a freelance writer and investment manager. His company Bluegrass Portfolio Management offers retail and institutional investors a performance-oriented recommendation service. Visit http://www.bluegrassportfolio.com for more information.

Mr. Brumley can be contacted by e-mail at james@bluegrassportfolio.com.

Bluegrass Portfolio Management, LLC is registered with the state of Kentucky, under the Kentucky Securities Act. All information contained herein is for informational purposes only for U.S. residents and does not constitute a solicitation or offer to sell securities or investment advisory services. Such an offer can only be made in states where Bluegrass Portfolio Management, LLC is registered or where an exemption from registration is available. Representatives of the firm may only conduct business in a State if the firm and its representatives are approved to do business in the State or are exempted from its registration requirements.

Ponds are small water spaces that provide beauty and calm to their surroundings, whether large concrete constructions or small private gardens. Even the Romans, Egyptians and Chinese of the ancient world loved to decorate their gardens with attractive ponds.

The most important task while building a pond is to lay a Pond Liner, just like laying a foundation for a building. A natural lake or pond has dirt, rock and silt at its bottom. A Pond Liner helps prevent the pond water from penetrating the soil, making the soil silty.

Pond Liners come in different options. The first choice is between preformed and custom-made or flexible. Preformed liners are suitable for small garden ponds. Preformed Pond Liners are quick and easy to install. Flexible liners are suitable for medium-sized ponds. Flexible liners are made of natural materials like rubber and clay, as well as synthetics such as PVC liners.

Installing a preformed Pond Liner requires creating a hole suited to the space of the pond. But installing flexible liners requires checking whether any sharp objects will penetrate the liner.

Preformed Pond Liners made of plastic are strong and not likely to leak. They are difficult to fit, due to their varying shapes and depth sizes, and are suited to small ponds. Such ponds are usually expensive, with high delivery charges. Flexible liners include rubber products like butyl rubber, EPDM (ethylene propylene dyiene monomer) rubber, and clay like sodium bentonyte clay. Synthetic plastics include P.V.C. (polyvinyl chloride), polyethylene (a thermo plastic) and Ultra Guard (polymeric alloy).

The primary advantage of flexible Pond Liners is that they are easy to transport. They are not affected by limits of size or shape. The materials can be molded into the pond shape of your choice. It is easy to make adjustments. There is a variety of material to suit every need. The pond will look natural as it blends with the landscape.

Synthetic rubber is most versatile. Called EPDM, it is economical, durable and easy to install. And really flexible. Flexible plastic liners such as PVC and HDPE are available, but not as effective as rubber liners.

With the advent of garden pools and preformed pool liners, all the hassles of concrete and other raw material are saved. Heavy-duty Pond Liners are available with long-term guarantees, and sell for less than $1 per square foot. Large ponds require a large Pond Liner that is safe for fish and plant life, inexpensive, easy to install, and durable to last over 20 years. Polyethylene is suitable for such ponds.

Pond Liners are available in black, and U.V. protected. Many people install pre-liners to provide an insulating layer between the soil and Pond Liner. Ultimately, to select a Pond Liner, a number of criteria must be considered such as size, quality goals, budget, property value, and wildlife.

Pond Liners provides detailed information about pond liners, garden pond liners, preformed pond liners, rubber pond liners and more. Pond Liners is the sister site of Natural Waterfalls.

1. Size of the Html emails:

Size does matters. If the emails are bulky, spam filters think they
are spam. So they will be deleted or directed to junk folder. Better
be less than 20 kb.

To make Html emails with small sizes follow these principles-
Don’t use WYSIWYG editors to create Html emails.
Don’t attach images to messages. Upload the images to your website
and link from there.
Mind attachements that you will send with emails.

2. Javascripts and executable attachments:

Don’t insert javascripts and those sort of things in your Html emails.
They potentially decrease the deliverability of your email in to
your subscribers inboxes, because people disables these in their email
clients to run.

3. Html complexity:

Most of the email clients support only minimal html. Like simple
break tags, paragraph tags etc. Don’t use complex html code like
frames, sliding menus etc.

4. Hiding and Tracking links:

Great advantage of Html emails is you can hide your affiliate links
and track who opened the emails (only if images are downloable).

5. Easy to publish on the web:

Make a template for your Html emails. So let all emails be consistent in
layout. You can publish the ezines or ecourses on the web directly from Html
emails. You don’t have to format like in text emails.

6. Attachments:

All mailing list managers has the ability to attach single or
multiple attachments. But spam filters triggered by attacments in
many email clients. So put them as download links.

7. Links in Html emails:

Try not to misdirect your subscribers. Best way linking is by using
legit wording. Like if you are keeping the following affiliate link
(example - www.affiliatesite.com/affiliate.php?idxxxx) for a search engine
optimization ebook, keep this url linked to the word
‘Search engine optimization strategies guide’. Don’t link to affiliatesite.com
This way subscribers know what they are clicking and what to expect
after clicking.

8. Email clients limitations:

Not all email clients display Html emails properly. So offer a choice
for your subscriber to opt for text emails in your email letters.

Radhika Venkata (c)

Subscribe to ‘iNet Marketing Ezine’ which is completely focused on Internet Marketing. Receive FREE Ebooks with Resale rights! http://www.webmasters-central.com/subscribe.shtml

FREE Ecourse 30 days Solid workout to increase your online profits! http://www.ebooks-world.com/ecourse/index.shtml

The installation of a new bathroom vanity and countertop can transform an outdated bathroom into a contemporary one. Installing a vanity and countertop is simple to do and can be purchased from any home improvement store for less than $500.

Remove the old Vanity and Countertop

First turn off the water supplies under the vanity. Next disconnect the supply lines at the valves. Then disconnect the drain pipe at the trap (the j-shaped section underneath the vanity).
Next remove the corner screws that are securing the top of the old vanity to the countertop. The countertop should then be able to be lifted off of the old vanity.

After the countertop has been separated from the vanity, remove the faucet hardware if you plan on reusing the existing faucet. Make sure, however, when purchasing your new vanity countertop that it will support the faucet configuration (one hole or three holes - and the number of inches between the holes - center to center).

After the countertop and faucet have been removed from the work area, unscrew the back and/or side screws that hold the vanity to the wall(s). Then remove the vanity from the bathroom.

Installing the new Vanity and Countertop

Slide the new vanity into the location where the previous vanity resided. Note: you will probably need to remove/cut away a portion of the back of the new vanity to allow the supply lines and drainage pipe to slide through. A jig saw works fine for this effort. Just make a couple of pilot holes with a drill and then use the jig saw to cut out the appropriate area.

Once the vanity is in position, you will need to square it up with the back or side walls and make sure it sits level. If there are imperfections in the walls when attempting to square it up (e.g. the walls are not straight), you can either scribe the vanity or use a small piece of trim to hide any imperfections. Scribing involves using a compass and cutting/shaving away a strip of the vanity edge such that the entire length of the cabinet edge sits evenly against the wall.

In order to level the vanity, shims may be necessary to temporarily hold the vanity in place. Make sure the vanity is level back to front and side to side. Then, using screws fasten the vanity to the walls. Make sure the screws are securely fastened to studs behind the sheetrock.

Once the vanity has been secured, it is now time to tackle the new countertop.

It is best to mount the faucet assembly to the countertop before placing the countertop onto the vanity. Once the faucet/supply lines and drain pipe have been installed to the countertop you are ready to place the countertop onto the vanity. However, it is best to lay a bead of Liquid Nails (caulk adhesive) along the top of the vanity first. This will help to ensure that the countertop remains securely fastened to the vanity. In some cases, this may be all that is necessary or desired for securing the countertop to the vanity.

Place the countertop on top of the vanity making sure it sits square. Use screws to secure the vanity to the countertop. Usually there are corner blocks on the vanity to secure the screws to the countertop. Make sure, however, that you use screws that will not penetrate through the top of the vanity.

Finally connect the supply line feeds (dangling down from the faucet) to the copper supply lines. Then connect the drain pipe of the bowl/sink to the J-Trap drainage pipe.

Turn on the hot/cold water supply line valves and you are done.

Me_Donovan@comcast.net
http://www.homeadditionplus.com
http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

Over the past 20+ years Mr. Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. Mr. Donovan’s formal education and profession have been as an Electrical Engineer and Marketing Manager.