10 of the Best Link-Building Tips for an E-Commerce Websites

High-quality and abundant backlinks are by far the sure-fire way to drive your website to the top of search engine organic listing. No matter how Google updates its algorithms further, backlicks will always be the main ranking factor (unless social media push them back).

However, quality backlinks are not that easy to get if your website is a 100% e-commerce store. But the more challenging the task is, the more attractive it is.

Here are 10 of the Best Link-Building Tips for an E-Commerce Websites.

1 - Start blogging

Corporate blogging is an awesome opportunity to be more human and personal to your customers and create quality content people will be willing to link to. Once you start blogging, other people in your industry will comment on your posts, share them in social media, thus adding you backlinks and spreading the buzz about your e-commerce store’s blog around.

2 - Post on niche forums

We’re not talking about spam here. As an owner of an e-commerce store, you’re an expert at what you sell, so you can provide value to people by answering their questions. A link to your website in the forum signature section will be a bonus for your efforts.

3 - Get involved in niche organizations and local business associations

Thus you’ll be able to establish good business contacts offline, sharing experience and getting new ideas, partners, customers and friends.

4 - Donate to local charities and nonprofit organizations

Find charities and nonprofit organizations which link to their donor’s websites.

5 - Sponsor/organize contests and giveaways

Organizing contests or just sponsoring them is another great way to attract some links. Search for bloggers who actively organize contests for their readers.

6 - Create a coupon code

Coupons are very popular, and almost every buyer tries to find a coupon code of a store before doing a purchase from it.

7 - Offer products for review

Search for influential websites owners in your niche who write about different product and service providers, and submit your product for review.

8 - Issue news releases

Submit news/press releases to online press release distribution services. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your news item with a link to your website will spread around the web!

9 - Submit your online store to directories

Spread the word about your website in search engine directories (e.g. Yahoo! Directory), social shopping websites and other directories that provide thematic grouping of e-commerce websites.

10 - Plan and track your link-building efforts

At the end of the day, your link-building campaign will be successful only if you plan it carefully and further track the results. There’s special SEO software that can assist you in your link-building efforts.

• Reference/Source: 10 Link-Building Tips for an E-Commerce Store

SEM Blog - Search Engine Marketing (SEM) blog.

10 of the Best Ways to Be a Good Wife

I know, you want to be the best wife for your husband, but what does that mean? Well, eventually, it's up to you and your husband to establish the needs of your relationship and how each partner can do their part to accomplish those needs--and here are 10 advices or guiding principle to start off. However, keep in mind that a marriage is a partnership, so your husband wishes to make an effort too!

1 - Pamper Yourself

The very first thing you must do to be a good wife is to take care of yourself so that you feel good! Eat healthy, exercise regularly and maintain the way you look so that you remain the most attractive woman in his life! Irrespective of your age, if you look good, you will definitely feel better.

2 - Appreciate Him

According to a survey men like to be appreciated. So say a sweet ‘thank you’ when you see that he has made any effort, whether it is for you, your kids or for your house. Your compliments and appreciation will put a smile on his face and joy in his heart.

3 - Make your Husband a Priority

It often happens that wives are so occupied in their every day household chores and kids that they start taking their husbands for granted. Don’t do that. Instead try to spend quality time with your husband.

4 - Tell Him that He is Important

Let him know that he is important for you. Try to take interest in his hobbies and work. But make sure that you don’t overdo it. Be there for his support and not as an obstacle to his freedom.

5 - Give him Space

Every one needs some time to relax, socialise with friends or simply to be alone. To be a good wife, encourage your husband to socialise with family, friends and do the things he enjoys the most.

6 - Don’t Force Him to Change

Never force your husband to behave or act in a particular manner. Most behavioural experts suggest you cannot change others' behaviour. For instance, if you are outgoing and like to socialise and your husband is shy then you can either cut short the duration of social activity or go by yourself. But make sure to thank him when he attends a party for you. If you find something really annoying, then simply let him know or use positive reinforcement for changing that habit.

7 - Have Friends

Most women shrink their social network after marriage and become totally dependent on their husband. Don’t expect your husband to be your partner, lover and best friend. Instead make good friends and have fun. This will help you to bring new energy to your married life.

8 - Believe in your Husband

Even though most men show their brave side to world but at times, they do lack confidence and fear failure. Let him know that the love of his life believes in him even when he does not believe himself.

9 - Pay Compliments

Complimenting to your husband can actually help your relationship. Men like compliments as much as the women do. So keep complimenting!!

10 - Keep the Romance Alive

Marriage does not mean the end of romance. Be affectionate to your partner and let him know that you still find him interesting. You can plan a romantic date, initiate sexual foreplay or simply write a love note and see the smile on his face widening!

About Líäfstylé

(Lifestyle) is a composite of Motivations, Needs, Wants and is influenced by factors such as Culture, Family, Reference groups and Social class. Líäfstylé (Lifestyle) is a unique destination offering inspiration for home, family and life. Blogging Líäfstylé (Lifestyle) the latest Topics like - Health & Fitness and Beauty & Fashion Tips and Trends along with Diet & Nutrition, Love & Relationships, Life & Work, People and Self-Improvement Ideas & More.

10 of the Best New Chrome Add-ons

Chrome is now more popular than firefox, and there are lots of ways to make it even faster and smarter. AppsMaster.Net picks 10 of the most useful extensions for Chrome 13.

1 - Listen to Music as you browse the web

+Music is an excellent new Chrome extensions that lets you listen and to share songs by your favourite artists as you browse the web. Simply search for an act to view available tracks and then click to play them. The add-on continues to work in the background as you go about your online activities and lets you queue songs by other artists to listen later. +Music also features Facebook integration for sharing streams with your friends.

2 - View related web content as you type

Google Related helps to speed up your web searches by finding links, photos, new stories, videos and other web content relevant to the page you're viewing. These related suggestions are displayed in a thin toolbar at the buttom of the screen that doesn't obstruct your main view. The extension is particularly useful for displaying information such as maps and reviews of business and products, without having to open a separate browser tab.

3 - Add Facebook events to Google Calendar

If you use Google Calendar to organise your life, this handy extension will let you add Facebook events such as birthdays to your calendar in a couple of clicks. It saves you having to enter or copy and paste the details manually. Once you've installed the Add Facebook Events extension, an 'Add to Calendar' option will appear at the top of Facebook event pages. Click this, then click Save to add the event to your Google calendar.

4 - Share content on multiple social networks

Recognising that many of us have accounts with Facebook, Twitter and Google+, this extension lets you post links, messages and photos to all three social networks simultaneously. Publish Sync for Google+ and Facebook (Green Edition) also lets you share content from one site on a rival service and, in the case of Google+, choose which circles it will appear in. You can easily log out of an account to prevent your post being synchronized.

5 - Look up definitions of words on web pages

If you come accross a word on a web page that you don't recognise or understand, you can use the official Google Dictionary extenstion to find out what it means. Just double-click the word to view definition in a pop-up bubble, or click the toolbar button, enter a word and click Define. Foreign words are automatically translated into English and the latest version of the extension lets you click a speaker icon to hear a word's correct pronunciation.

6 - Always bring a new tabs to the front

When you right-click a URL in chrome and choose 'Open link in new tab', the page always opens in the background behind your current tabs. Install Tabs to the Front, however, and new tabs will open in the foreground by default, so you can view their content immediately.

7 - Change the appearance of web pages

Stylebot lets you adjust the way websites look and feel by playing around with custom style sheets (CSS). Usually, this involves some knowledge of web design but the extension makes it easy for anyone to change the fonts, colours and layout of different page elements.

8 - Edit web pages and photos using Picnik

The Chrome extension for the Google-owed online image editor Picnik (www.picnik.com) lets you capture and edit photos and pages you come accross while browsing the web. Just click the toolbar button and either choose 'Send the visible page to Picnik' or select a specific image. The copied content will open and rotate it, adjust the colours and exposure, and apply a range of effects before saving and sharing the result.

9 - Add Google +1 to all web pages

Google's new +1 feature, which lets you share web content with your friends and contacts, has already been added to thousands of sites. But there are still plenty that don't yet offer a +1 option, which is where this add-on comes in. The awkwardly named '+1 Button - Plus One Button' add-on lets you add your stamp of approval to any web page with single click. You can also see at a glance how many other people have shared the same content.

10. Access Picasa Web Albums from Chrome

Picasa Extension is a simple but very useful Chrome add-on that gives you instant access to Google's photo-sharing service Picasa Web ALbums. Click the Picasa logo on your browser's toolbar to view thumbnail images of all your albums, then simply click one to open it. You can also read comments that have been posted on your photos.

About Roy Paran, the author
or more known as Apps Master (@iluvroy) on twitter is your average friend but with an extra-large social media addiction. His love for social media started in September 2008 when he joined twitter and sent out his first tweet from the web. Besides twittering Roy is also a part time internet marketer, editor and a blogger. Offline, Roy is competitive by Nature, Positive Minded and believes that the word “impossible” doesn’t exist and the word “impossible” simply means “Im Possible”

10 of the Best Viral Content Guide Articles

Every blogger wants to produce the best, quality and a viral content. Now that quite a lot of things have changed since then – Google algorithm changes, evolution of social media, changes in the content access devices, and with other ranking and viral factors. You have to believe that making content viral is the only upholding thing in the blogging realm where competition is inflated and that unanticipated events could happen anytime.

So I’d like to share with you my ultimate guides in my blog content creation, blog content management, and blog content promotion.

Here are my 10 Best Viral Content Guide Articles.

1 - Best Possible Experience for Users

“Search is a complicated and evolving art and science, so rather than focusing on specific algorithmic tweaks, we encourage you to focus on delivering the best possible experience for users. “ - Amit Singhal. This is the complete text to abide to if you really wish to make sense in the web. Thus, I always recommend this article of Google Webmaster Central blog to anyone who needs some guidance on how to create high quality content.

2 - Most Valuable Content Types Checklist

“The best ways to have your content spread is to have your readers share it because people trust their peers more than brands.” - Ahava Leibtag. You aim to get a debut through a very fantastic blog post, I am certain you have to put up with this checklist. As this article says, the silver bullet that will make our content sparkle has been found. This is the guide you are looking for.

3 - What Great Content is or Actually Could Be

“It seems that many content creators rely on size to measure greatness, while on the Web it’s often the other way around. The faster someone can convey a message, the greater the content.” – Tad Chef. I remember one of my clients who argued with me about content size and of how it matters to search engine rankings. That time I only send him the link of this article and he all got it. So, if you have a problem with this matter, better be informed.

4 - You Need Idea Generators

“Use experiences from your lifetime to make analogies about what you’re discussing. Or give the article a theme – sports, movies, comparisons, top 10 lists and fun facts – whatever you can think of.” - Webmaster Format. Do you have some rules regarding the source of your blog posts? Say enough to that rules. When I’ve read this article I begun to explore outside the box and say anything that I want about my niche. As it says, you don’t need any more rules. You need idea generators.

5 - Quality is the Only Sustainable SEO Strategy

“If quality, credibility, and authority can all be algorithmically identified, then certainly they are based on distinct sets of factors that in sum create signals.” Adam Audette. I always ensure that I’m taking up the excellent level with my SEO Strategy when working to my client sites. Honestly, I’m not doing much on this with my blog until I’ve found out this article that tackles on the factors of a sustainable SEO strategy. Just don’t build your SEO strategy around the algorithms. Build your SEO strategy around your users.

6 - Take Your Link Building Assessment

“The more quality backlinks you have the higher your PR will be. The mechanism is as that simple yet complicated.” – Kira Permunian. I have this blog post right after the Google Panda pagerank update last June 2011 where I took assessment with my link building methods. By having such, I found out that all just boils down to following usability standards and submission to Google’s mission in providing quality, useful and relevant content in the web when aiming a better Google Page Rank.

7 - Guaranteed Backlinks on Your Next Blog Post

“Since I have your attention, let me tell you one more thing: You have to keep people hooked on your content if you want to get links. People don’t share things they don’t read.” – ViperChill. I’ve learned a lot on this post. The ideas presented are realistic and highly applicable. If you wanted to get viral I believe you should read as what I have done with my shares and with my blog posts. Be innovative and attractive.

8 - Linkbait Headlines Every Blogger Can Use

“No matter how great your content is, if the headline sucks, it stands little chance of getting the attention it deserves.” – Eric Brantner. This is the idea of Always10 Blog of JrPlaza. When I first saw this blog, I was so sure that this will be the hit to search engines as many people love to know the “top”, the “most” and the “10s” about anything under the sun. Congratulations JrPlaza! This is really a great source of linkbait headlines. See more headlines at this blog.

9 - Know the Elements of Social Content Success

“While linkbait does bring tremendous SEO benefits from links and traffic, visitors also benefit from the quality content.” - Jordan Kasteler. Knowing this is crucial and very important in SEO and in Social Media success. If you do not know, contextual link bait is what Google looking for to get a good rank in SERPs. I find this very hard to achieve at first right after reading this post, but later on I’ve managed to get triumph on linkbaiting.

10 - How Quality over Quantity Wins

“The best way to ensure that your website ranks highly for your desired keywords is to specifically target your inbound linking strategy by entering into linking collaborations with a smaller number of websites that are specifically optimized for your keyword through content and quality.” – David from twago. This is the guest post that really makes sense a lot to me about hats in SEO. The equation to follow is Quality content + Quality site +Quality link building = Winning Site.

Now that you know my guide articles in creating a blog post, for better SEO projection and for Social Media presence, I think it’s good to hear from you. With your feedback, share the link of the most popular post of your blog. Let’s make it more popular and viral.

About Kira Permunian, the author
He is the author of SEO Geekster Online Blog. He aims to provide best SEO blogging tips, Social Media Optimization guides and technology updates to his readers. Visit his blog and don’t miss to follow him on various social media channels.

10 of the Best Ways to Protect Your External Devices from Viruses

In this modern era where everyone uses computers, you cannot assure that you are always safe. If you're still not familiar with the term Virus then this is your time to know them.

VIRUS or Vital Information Resources Under Siege is a harmful computer program that replicates itself to spread to other computers. One of the most common ways of diffusing them is through removable storage devices such as USB keys, External Hard Disks, CDs, VCDs, DVDs and similar things. VIRUS creates a copy of them in storage devices and is launched, usually at auto-play, to infect the next computer.

In this case, there are lots of ways to protect yourself from this harm:

1 - Install an Anti Virus

Making sure that you have an UPDATED Anti Virus installed in your computer is one way to make sure that your computer is safe. Just make sure than other than being updated, your AV must scan removable devices automatically on the time it is inserted.

2 - Online Back-up

Always make sure that you have back-ups of files that you have saved in your USB drives or external HDDs. This is would be very useful in times of "worst case scenario", wherein you would need to re-format your disks. Online Back-ups are advisable during this cases.

3 - Turn-off your Auto Play

Virus usually hacks the auto-play to run a certain program. This is activated when you open a folder or a drive. Most viruses use this method to infiltrate and re-copy themselves on the victim system. To disable it on windows:

XP users:

a) Click Start], click [Run], type [gpedit.msc], and then click OK.
b) Under [Computer Configuration], expand [Administrative Templates], and then click [System].
c) In the [Settings pane, right-click [Turn off Autoplay], and then click [Properties].
d) Click [Enabled], and then select All drives in the [Turn off Autoplay] box to disable Autorun on all drives.
e) Click OK to close the [Turn off Autoplay Properties] dialog box.
f) Restart the computer.

For Vista and Win7 users:

a) Click [Start], type [gpedit.msc] in the Start Search box, and then press enter.
b) If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
c) Under [Computer Configuration], expand [Administrative Templates], expand [Windows Components], and then click [Autoplay Policies].
d) In the [Details pane], double-click [Turn off Autoplay].
e) Click Enabled, and then select All drives in the [Turn off Autoplay] box to disable Autorun on all drives.
f) Restart the computer.

4 - Know your files well

Make sure that you know all the files installed on your external devices. When I said all, I mean ALL files including archived, hidden and system files. This is pretty handy on inspecting your devices on searching for potential viruses.

Usually, a USB key would only have all your normal files saved (not unless you saved a hidden file in your key). On the other hand, External Hard Disks (HDD), have system files installed in them like RECYCLER which is a directory used for Recycle Bin.

5 - Always use Right Click when Clicking

Avoid using double left click when opening external devices. Using the double-click to open a file, directory or drive, is like activating the auto-play. Usually when you hit the right click the options might be different when the file or folder is infected.

By default, folders and drives should have "Open" and "Explore" as options respectively, files on the other hand should have "Open" as the very first option. Also don' be fulled by the ICON, usually viruses show themselves as folders.

6 - Know the function and how to remove autorun.inf

Virus most of the time creates autorun.inf file in your USB key that usually have [system file] and [hidden file attributes]. This way you may not notice them initially.

Autorun.inf is an instruction file associated with the Autorun function. It is a simple text-based configuration file that tells the operating system which executable to start, which icon to use, and which additional menu commands to make available. In other words, it is tells Windows what to do when opening a drive. Take note that not all autorun.inf are dangerous. But most of the time they are especially if they are hidden.

To detect this without opening the drive, you can try this:

a) Run the command prompt or cmd. (All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt)
b) Type [dir [DRIVE-PATH] /a:h] Example: dir f:/
- This should list all hidden files inside your drive.
c) Type [dir [DRIVE-PATH] /a:s] Example: dir f:/
- This should list all system file inside your drive.
d) If in both steps b and c, an autorun.inf file appears then it's time to worry especially when it comes also with a suspicious exe or folder.

To delete it: NOTE: Make sure that the autorun.inf and the exe file is virus before deleting it, usually an external hard disk may have such files too that is required for it to run.

a) Run the command prompt or cmd. (All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt)
b) Type [attrib -r -a -s -h [AUTORUN-INF PATH]] Example: attrib -r -a -s -h f:/autorun.inf
c) Delete it by [del [AUTORUN-INF PATH]] Example: del f:/autorun.inf
d) It is advisable too to remove the suspected exe file using the same commands, just replace the [AUTORUN-INF PATH] with the path of the exe file.

7 - Insert On Trusted System only

Very self explanatory, never insert your external device to systems you don't trust

8 - Enable Write Protection to your External Devices

There are different ways to do this, one is to buy a USB key storage that has an external toggle switch that can do it. Another is to use a software that can temporarily lock your storage devices.

When you disable writing in your external devices, virus cannot copy themselves onto your device. The cons for this one is that you too cannot copy nor write to your storage key too.

9 - Learn How to Search! Know the Virus Trend!

My first attempt on virus removal was when I was blamed after a virus spread during my college years. Being curious on the virus' name, i did some searching and find out how to remove it. This curiosity turns into knowledge and a hobby for me to know or dissect a virus. Basically, having a knowledge on how a virus act is one way to avoid being affected. :)

10 - Think Before You Click Policy

This is a new policy that is being noted worldwide. It's as simple as think before clicking. This is not just applicable to social networking sites but also in virus protection. Even if you already pass the items above, it is still important to think before opening or running applications coming from external drives (or even in a system).

The list above are all based on my experience. Proof to say that experience is the best teacher! Cheers!

About Beneath The Tree A collection of algorithm, code and other programming methods. Includes programmers' point of view, interests and game reviews.
About Aj Banda, the author
a software developer and a blogger. I used my blogs to share my knowledge to the world but most of the time it serves as a reference of my previous algorithms and source codes.

10 Best Ways to Save Bucks when you are travelling

Found this post from Yahoo, and I think this is a great post for all since global economic crisis is at brink.

So you've done the math twenty times but you're still a few hundred dollars short in the budget department. Here's ten ways to save money -- US$1,400 to be exact -- while travelling. Just think how much more you could do, see and experience with that extra $1,400!

1 - Don't spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of hiking boots.


You won't need them. Trekking in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam isn't like trekking in Nepal or Peru. Most get by just fine with a good pair of sturdy sandals. Hiking boots are hot, they'll start to smell really bad, you'll be needing to take them off over and over again to visit temples and enter guesthouses, and they're heavy.



Estimated saving over a month: US$285 (based on an average pair of quality boots going for US$300, with a sturdy set of leather sandles for around $15)

2 - Don't spend hundreds of dollars on malarials.


Unless you're planning on sleeping naked in a swamp in remote areas along the Thai/Burma border, chances are you'll not need to take malarials during your trip. If your family doctor starts writing out a script for months of malarials as soon as you say "Asia", go and see a travel doctor for a second opinion. If the travel doctor says you still need them, then buy generic equivalents upon arrival in Asia -- at a fraction of the cost of what you'll pay at home. But remember, if you are visiting destinations on the main tourist trail in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, and are not planning on spending time in remote rural areas, you do not need to take malarials. Instead use repellent, dress sensibly at mosquito feasting times (light coloured clothing, with long sleeves and pants), and use a mosquito net.

Estimated saving over a month: US$135 (Based of $3 a Doxyxyline pill for fourty five days -- a month and a week before and after.)

3 - Don't spend hundreds of dollars on brand new guidebooks.
As you're reading this on Travelfish, you've already got the right idea. Regarding guidebooks, buy the book for the first country you're heading to and buy/swap as you travel for the others. Not that we support piracy, but ... pirated (photocopied or bound) versions of Lonely Planet guides are available throughout Vietnam and Cambodia -- Yup that's right, that US$20 guidebook to Laos you bought at Borders yesterday can be purchased on the street in Phnom Penh for $2. The regional guides (Southeast Asia on a Shoestring etc) are hardly worth using in our opinion and you'll be FAR better served by the country-specific guidebook for each destination. Buy/Swap/Sell.



Estimated saving over a month: US$80 (based on purchase cost of four guidebooks at a cost of $100 Vs one real guidebook for $20, then swap or buy a fake one)

4 - Invest in a digital camera.


Asia is a beautiful region and you'll take photos -- lots of them. If you're shooting film or slide you'll be looking at hundreds of dollars to process all your happy shots. A mid-range digital camera (say around US$300) will pay for itself in no time at all and if you buy the right one, you'll get a video camera as a part of the package.



Estimated saving over a month: break even, but you've save money on your next trip.

5 - Don't buy a sleeping bag.


You won't need it. If anything, get a sleep sheet or a couple of sarongs, but nearly all lodgings will have sheets and treks will have bedding organised. Plus sleeping bags are hot (you're in the tropics remember) and they take up space that could be filled with trinkets.



Estimated saving over a month: $190 (based on a $200 sleeping bag Vs a $10 sleep sheet)

6 - Travel second class


The train system in Morocco has "C class" -- locals joke the C stands for Corpses, Crates and Cattle. Thankfully 2nd and 3rd class in Asia is nowhere near as bad. In virtually all cases, 2nd class is more than enough -- and it's generally about half the price.



Estimated saving over a month: US$50-100

7 - Drink water not beer


Both beer and water are cheap in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The former makes you fat and drunk, the latter slim and hydrated. While beer is often super cheap -- say US$1 for a big bottle, water is often cheaper. Drink alcohol in moderation and you'll be surprised just how quickly the savings pile up -- and that's without even counting the greasy $5 American Breakfast you'll find yourself craving the morning after the night before. If you don't want to listen to us, listen to your Mum. Drink less booze and you'll save more baht.



Estimated saving over a month: US$90 (Based on four beers a night vs one, at $1 a beer -- doesn't include the greasy breakfast.)

8 - Fan good air-con bad

You're in the tropics so you know it is going to be hot, but the evenings are often surprisingly cool. If you're on the beach, look for rooms with good window space to let in that fine sea breeze. In cities you want a room on a higher floor and preferably with a window. Oddly, often rooms on the upper floors are cheaper.



Estimated saving over a month: US$300 (based on an average for of $10 for a fan room Vs $20 for an air-con one)

9 - Money management
Check with your bank before leaving to find out just what charges they have for overseas withdraws from ATMs and for cash advances. The fees may curl your hair and make travellers cheques look a lot more sensible as bank fees on a month-long trip in Asia can easily mount into the hundreds of dollars. When your bank tells you they have a US$5 charge per foreign bank withdrawal, plus an extra 5% spread on the exchange rate, you know which way to run -- either straight to a bank that doesn't, or to the closest American Express office for some travellers cheques.



Estimated saving over a month: US$100 (based on personal experience of one month in Vietnam foolishly using a Commonwealth Bank of Australia credit card)

10 - Food and Mouth Stuff
Most guesthouses will offer what they call an "American Breakfast". This is normally two greasy eggs, a couple of plastic sausages, manufactured ham and a decorative tomato or cucumber. Don't be surprised when it costs US$5. Skip the overpriced fatfest, walk out the door and plonk yourself down for some fried rice or noodle soup for a dollar.



Estimated saving over a month: US$120 (Based on $5 fatfest Vs $1 noodle soup)

• Reference/Source: Travel.Yahoo.com [08/08/11]

10 of the Things you do when you are disappointed with someone

According to Wiki, Disappointment the feeling of dissatisfaction that follows the failure of expectations to manifest. Similar to regret, it differs in that the individual feeling regret focuses primarily on the personal choices that contributed to a poor outcome, while the individual feeling disappointment focuses on the outcome itself.

As you certainly learned by the age of four or five, people will let you down repeatedly and consistently, through deeds of commission and omission. Am I overstating the case? Don’t think so. They will lie, mock, embarrass, mislead, provoke, double-cross, slander and make thoughtless errors in judgment that hurt you terribly. Hey, what do you expect? They’re human! The worst part, though, is not the casual matter-of-factness with which they do these things. It’s that they do them to you. And the challenge then becomes deciding what to do about it.

Here’s a multiple-choice menu I developed to help you explore options for reacting to this ongoing dilemma. You may want to select more than one category in any given circumstance, as all items are subject to change based on setting, diet and mood. Enjoy!

1 - Throw a tantrum

Sometimes people don’t fathom how serious the situation is, or how badly they’ve failed you…until you scream loudly. Forget abstractions. Show them in real time by acting out your rage and sense of betrayal. They’ll thank you for the clarity! Don’t forget to hurl a few extra-spicy epithets while you’re at it. Preparation and rehearsal are key to successful execution. Practice in front of a mirror or a friend, if you have one.

2 - Pout

Perhaps you were told otherwise as a child, but most folks really love this. It’s adorable…and effective! Just pretend that you’re Mommy’s little prince or Daddy’s little princess and see what happens. You can be angry without having to justify yourself or even admit to any feelings at all. No one gets their wishes met more quickly than the pouter. Stay the course and they’ll eventually come around.

3 - Condescend

Another time-honored strategy that will have your intended recipient dizzy with contrition. Superior is good; haughty is even better. Speak to the person as if they were mentally impaired. Ask for explanations and then respond by saying, “I don’t understand. Can you explain it again?” Interrupt whenever possible. Make ‘em squirm, back ‘em up against the wall and squish ‘em like helpless bugs. Then see how hard they try to win back your respect.

4 - Get even

Warm or cold, revenge is a delicious treat. Cook up a batch and watch the remorse eat away at your tormentor. There are so many different ways to inflict pain and humiliate…tantalizing choices all. You can punish your victim in secret or out in the open for everyone to see. Experiment and have fun with it!

5 - Criticize

Whether it’s directly to someone’s face or behind their back, this classic response will never go out of style. The more ridiculous they look, the more vindication you’ll feel. Brush up on the insults and let them fly.

6 - Get stone

Have a drink, smoke, snort or capsule. Numb those frazzled nerve endings and simply dull the pain. No one appreciates you anyway, right?

7 - Pontificate and intellectualize

It doesn’t matter what you say. What matters is that you can define everything on your own terms. Keep talking until their ears bleed.

8 - Ignore them

A personal favorite of mine, nothing sends a clear message like putting on the big chill. If you don’t acknowledge someone, they cease to exist. Problem solved!

9. Keep your head down and do your job

No commentary required. That’s life.

10 - Get over it

Get REAL! You are human and this do happens a lot. Just take this as a gift that we always human only have – the ability to feel things which can teach us to be better.

• Reference/Source: bnet.com by Mark Jaffe(The Headhunter's Lament) [October 26, 2010]

10 of the World's Most Dangerous Dog Breeds

All dogs (canine family) can be potentially dangerous; however some dogs are more risky than others. Diverse types of Canine breeds can be noticeably stronger and bigger than a person of average size. Training, socialization and proper care can make a considerable impact, though some dogs are by years of breeding more aggressive. After in depth studying and examining the research done by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the CDC, and the Humane Society of the United States, a compiled list of 10 of the World’s Most Dangerous Dog Breeds Came out.

Here's Top 10 of the World's Most Dangerous Dog Breeds. Enjoy reading!

10 - Dalmatian

Weight: 40-70 lbs.
Origin: Yugoslavia

The Dalmatian (Croatian: Dalmatinac, Dalmatiner) is a breed of dog whose roots are often said to trace back to Dalmatia, a region of Croatia where the first illustrations of the dog have been found. The Dalmatian is noted for its unique black- or brown-spotted coat and was mainly used as a carriage dog in its early days. Today, this dog remains a well loved family pet and many dog enthusiasts enter their pets into the competitions of many kennel clubs.

Dalmatians are very protective dogs and can be aggressive towards humans. They are very active and need lots of exercise. They have very sensitive natures and an excellent memory. This bred is famed for their intelligence, indepedence, and survival instincts.

9 - Boxer

Weight: 50-70 lbs.
Origin: Germany

Boxer is a breed of stocky, medium-sized, short-haired dog. The coat is smooth and fawn or brindled, with or without white markings. Boxers are brachycephalic (they have broad, short skulls), and have a square muzzle, mandibular prognathism (an underbite), very strong jaws and a powerful bite ideal for hanging on to large prey. The Boxer was bred from the English Bulldog and the now extinct Bullenbeisser and is part of the Molosser group.

Unlike their name suggest, these dogs are not typically aggressive by nature. They are bright, energetic and playful breed. Boxers have been known to be "headstrong", which makes it a bit difficult to train them but with positive reinforcement techniques, Boxers often respond much better.

8 - Presa Canario

Weight: 80-115 lbs.
Origin: Canary Islands

The Perro de Presa Canario is a large Molosser-type dog breed originally bred for working livestock. The name of the breed is Spanish, means "Canarian blood hound," and is often shortened to "Presa Canario" or simply "Presa." The breed is also called Dogo Canario, mean Canarian Molosser.

Originally bred to guard and fight with cattle, an attack by this dog has been described as hopeless for the victim. They are a guardian breed with man-stopping ability, incredible power and a complete lack of fear.

7 - Chow Chow

Weight: 50-70 lbs.
Origin: China

Chow chow is a breed of dog that was developed in China, where it is referred to as Songshi Quan (Pinyin: sōngshī quǎn 鬆獅犬), which literally means "puffy-lion dog".

These dogs can be aggressive if poorly bred. The Chow Chow may appear to be independent and aloof for much of the day but needs constant reinforcement.

6 - Doberman Pinschers

Weight: 65-90 lbs.
Origin: Germany

The Doberman Pinscher (alternatively spelled Dobermann in many countries) or simply Doberman, is a breed of domestic dog originally developed around 1890 by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann. Doberman Pinschers are among the most common of pet breeds, and the breed is well known as an intelligent, alert, and loyal companion dog. Although once commonly used as guard dogs or police dogs, this is less common today.

Dobermans are great guard dogs for their alertness, intelligence and loyalty. They can be agressive dogs when provoked. The typical pet Doberman attacks only if it believes that it, its property, or its family are in danger.

5 - Alaskan Malamutes

Weight: 75-100 lbs.
Origin: Nordic

The Alaskan Malamute is a generally large breed of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) originally bred for use as a utilitarian dog, not just an Alaskan sled dog. They are sometimes mistaken for a Siberian Husky, but in fact are quite different in many ways. As pets, once mature, Malamutes have a very quiet, dignified temperament and are loyal to their owners.

These dogs are very energetic and active. If they are bored, they can become destructive. That's why this dog needs lots of exercise to be happy.

4 - Huskies

Weight: 44-66 lbs.
Origin: Alaska

Husky is a general name for a type of dog originally used to pull sleds in northern regions, differentiated from other sled dog types by their fast hard pulling style. The Alaskan Malamute was used for heavier loads and is generally slower in long-distance dogsled racing against smaller and faster Husky type dogs. Huskies are still used in sled racing, and in recent years companies have been marketing tourist treks with dog sleds for adventure travelers in snow regions as well.

Very energetic and intelligent dogs. Not considered a good guard dog because of its personality characteristics and gentle temperament. A 2000 study of dog bites resulting in human fatalities in the U.S. found fifteen such fatalities (6% of the total) were caused by "husky-type" dogs between 1979 and 1997.

3 - German Shepherds

Weight: 70-100 lbs.
Origin: Germany

The German Shepherd Dog (German: Deutscher Schäferhund), also known as an Alsatian or just the German Shepherd, is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog developed originally for herding and guarding sheep. Because of its strength, intelligence and abilities in obedience training it is often employed in police and military roles around the world. German Shepherds currently account for 4.6% of all dogs registered with the American Kennel Club. Due to its loyal and protective nature, the German Shepherd is one of the most registered of breeds.

These dogs are intelligent and very alert. They are highly used by local authorities such as the police K-9 unit. German shepherds are known to be fearless and confident dogs.

2 - Rottweilers

Weight: 100-130 lbs.
Origin: Germany

The Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" (German: Rottweiler Metzgerhund) because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market. Some records[which?] indicate that earlier Rottweilers may have also been used for hunting, although the modern Rottweiler has a relatively low hunting instinct.

Rottweilers are known to be very aggressive dogs because of their keen territorial instincts. That's why they make great guard dogs.

1 - Pit Bulls

Weight: 55-65 lbs.
Origin: United States

A Pit bull is any of several breeds of dog in the molosser breed group. Many jurisdictions that restrict pit bulls, including Ontario, Canada, Miami, Florida, U.S. and Denver, Colorado, U.S., apply the restriction to the modern American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, or any other dog that has the substantial physical characteristics and appearance of those breeds. However a few jurisdictions, such as Singapore and Franklin County, Ohio, U.S., also classify the modern American Bulldog as a "pit bull-type dog", while in the United Kingdom a pit bull is an American pit bull terrier.

All of the breeds share a similar history, with origins rooted from the bulldog and a variety of terriers. The dogs called bull terriers before the development of the modern Bull terrier in the early 20th century may also be called pit bulls.

A pit bull is a fearless dog that will take on any opponent. They will lock their jaws onto the prey until it's dead. Pit bulls have a reputation of mauling people to death and they are highly sought for dog fighting.

Dogs – in majority often makes a wonderful pet, nevertheless in certain circumstances, any kind of dog can be dangerous. Even friendly dogs, can impose great mischief in the wrong situation.

• Reference/Source:PetsDo.com
  
• Reference/Source:wikipedia.org
  

About PetsDo.com

a property of MarvQuin LLC, is a leading online Pet information and community resource. PetsDo's unparalleled and superior content attracts an audience of pet enthusiasts, novices and everyone in between. Dedicated to delivering an interactive, deep, and engaging environment 100-percent focused on Pets, PetsDo offers reviews and previews, videos, breaking news, and more. PetsDo also has an engaged, active community where like-minded pet owners and lovers interact via forums, ratings, blogs, groups, user generated video, images and more.

10 Important Tips to Avoid Withdrawing from Your College Course

Are you considering changing your course? Are you bored, fed-up, lost, or otherwise unhappy in your current course? Are you facing a crossroads at which you need to decide between staying in your current field and moving to a new one? Did you always failed your subjects? Have you been to a point where you are no longer doing what you love because you think you can't handle it?

Changing careers is one of the biggest decision students commonly faced, and with many possible outcomes and consequences. Before you make that jump to a new career field, consider these common career change mistakes so that you can avoid them as you make the transition from one career to your next.

Here's our 10 Important Tips to Avoid Withdrawing from Your College Course.

1 - Take Advantage of the Drop/Add Period

If you start a course and just know that there's no way you can handle it, drop that class during the drop/add period. That way, you'll get a refund on your tuition, you'll be able to return your books to the bookstore, and your financial aid will not suffer. It's important to know that too many withdrawals can hurt your financial aid.

2 - Study

If you take the time to study at least 2 hours a week, for each course, you will help to ensure that the course will be easier for you. Studying at least a few minutes each night will help you to memorize important information for upcoming tests and quizzes. If you have trouble studying on your own, get a tutor.

3 - Get a Tutor

If you must stay in the course, get a tutor. A tutor will be able to help you with tough assignments and help to ensure that you pass the course. Most tutors are students who have taken the course before and gotten an "A" or the tutor may also be an instructor. A student who has taken the course can help you learn what to expect from the course and this will also help to keep you from withdrawing.

4 - Don't Skip Class

I know you maybe tempted to skip class, especially if the course is boring, but this will only lead to you getting behind in the assignments, making the course even harder. If the course is unbearably boring, reward yourself for actually going to class in the first place. For example, if you make it through a week, reward yourself with a meal from your favorite restaurant. These rewards will help to keep you from withdrawing.

5 - Don't Get Behind

Even if you do go to class everyday, you might be tempted to procrastinate. Procrastinating will only make assignments harder. If you wait until the last minute to do an assignment that should have taken three weeks, you will be very tempted to withdraw from the course.

6 - Break down Large Assignments

If assignments are overwhelming, break them down into smaller chunks. This will ensure that the assignment is easier and that you get the assignment done on time. You may even get the assignment done early, allowing you time to work ahead.

7 - Work Ahead

Working ahead will ensure that you don't get overwhelmed by the course. Most of the time, an instructor will stick to a certain plan for each chapter of a textbook. If this is the case, work ahead and stay at least a chapter ahead of the class. If you want to make sure you do the right chapters, talk to your instructor.

8 - Talk to Your Instructor

Talking to your instructor will not only ensure that you do the right assignments, but it will also give you a chance to ask your instruct how you could improve your grades. Your instructor may be willing to give you a few pointers on studying for the course and completing the assignments. While you are speaking with your instructor you could find out if your grades are good enough to pass.

9 - Keep an Eye on Your Grades

You maybe considering withdrawing from a course, but have you looked at your grades? Your grades maybe good enough to pass the course and the fact is, if you had trouble with the course this time (even after following the above tips) you will probably have problems the next time you take it as well. So if you can pass, it's best just to get it over with.

10 - Will You Pass

When you talk to your instructor, flat out ask them if you have a chance to pass the course. Sometimes looking at your grades isn't enough. Your instructor maybe able to tell you about upcoming assignments that will raise your grade or maybe able to offer extra credit assignments. Either way, it's best to find out before making the decision to withdraw.

• Reference/Source: AssociatedContent.com by Amy Brantley, Yahoo! Contributor Network [Dec 13, 2006]

10 of Most Common Interview Questions and Best Answers

There are questions that employers commonly ask at job interviews and it's important to be prepared to respond to those interview questions. You don't need to memorize an answer, but do think about what you're going to say, so you're not put on the spot during the job interview.
Review the top 10 interview questions you'll most likely be asked at a job interview, plus the best answers. Also, review the other questions you may be asked, so you're prepared to ace the interview.

Here's the top 10 most common interview questions and their best answer.

1 - What is your greatest strength?

This is one of the easier interview questions you'll be asked. When you are asked questions about your strengths, it's important to discuss attributes that will qualify you for the job. The best way to respond is to describe the skills and experience that directly correlate with the job you are applying for.

Sample Answers

- When I'm working on a project, I don't want just to meet deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of schedule.
- I have exceeded my sales goals every quarter and I've earned a bonus each year since I started with my current employer.
- My time management skills are excellent and I'm organized, efficient, and take pride in excelling at my work.
- I pride myself on my customer service skills and my ability to resolve what could be difficult situations.

How Will Your Greatest Strength Help You Perform?

As a follow up to being asked about your greatest strengths, you may be asked about how your greatest strength helped your performance on the job. When you respond, relate your strengths to both the job description and your ability to perform at work.

2 - What is your greatest weakness?

When you're asked what your greatest weakness is, try to turn a negative into a positive. For example, a sense of urgency to get projects completed or wanting to triple-check every item in a spreadsheet can be turned into a strength i.e. you are a candidate who will make sure that the project is done on time and your work will be close to perfect.

Note that the term "weakness" isn't used in the sample answers - you always want to focus on the positive when interviewing.

Sample Answers

- When I'm working on a project, I don't want just to meet deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of schedule.
- Being organized wasn't my strongest point, but I implemented a time management system that really helped my organization skills.
- I like to make sure that my work is perfect, so I tend to perhaps spend a little too much time checking it. However, I've come to a good balance by setting up a system to ensure everything is done correctly the first time.
- I used to wait until the last minute to set appointments for the coming week, but I realized that scheduling in advance makes much more sense.
- I would say that I can be too much of a perfectionist in my work. Sometimes, I spend more time than necessary on a task, or take on tasks personally that could easily be delegated to someone else. Although I've never missed a deadline, it is still an effort for me to know when to move on to the next task, and to be confident when assigning others work.
- I've learned to make my perfectionism work to my advantage at work. I am excellent at meeting deadlines, and with my attention to detail, I know my work is correct.
- I used to like to work on one project to it completion before starting on another, but I've learned to work on many projects at the same time, and I think it allows me to be more creative and effective in each one.

3 - How do you handle stress and pressure?

A typical interview question, asked to get a sense of how you handle on-the-job stress, is "How do you handle pressure?" Examples of good responses include:

- Stress is very important to me. With stress, I do the best possible job. The appropriate way to deal with stress is to make sure I have the correct balance between good stress and bad stress. I need good stress to stay motivated and productive.
- I react to situations, rather than to stress. That way, the situation is handled and doesn't become stressful.
- I actually work better under pressure and I've found that I enjoy working in a challenging environment.
- From a personal perspective, I manage stress by visiting the gym every evening. It's a great stress reducer.
- Prioritizing my responsibilities so I have a clear idea of what needs to be done when, has helped me effectively manage pressure on the job.
- If the people I am managing are contributing to my stress level, I discuss options for better handling difficult situations with them.
- I find that when I'm under the pressure of a deadline, I can do some of my most creative work.
- I'm not a person who has a difficult time with stress. When I'm under pressure, I focus, and get the job done.
- I find it exhilarating to be in a dynamic environment where the pressure is on.
- I find a past pace to be invigorating, and thrive when the pressure is on.
- I've done some of my best work under tight deadlines, where the atmosphere was very stressful.
- I'm the kind of person who stays calm under pressure, and handles stress fairly easily.
- It's a good idea to give examples of how you have handled stress to your interviewer. That way, they get a clear picture how well you can work in stressful situations.

4 - Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it.

There is no right or wrong answer to questions like "What are the most difficult decisions to make?" or "Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it." These are behavioral interview questions designed to discover how you handled certain situations. The logic behind these type of questions is that how you behaved in the past is a predictor of what you will do in the future.

Give concrete examples of difficult situations that actually happened at work. Then discuss what you did to solve the problem. Keep your answers positive ("Even though it was difficult when Jane Doe quit without notice, we were able to rearrange the department workload to cover the position until a replacement was hired.") and be specific. Itemize what you did and how you did it.

The best way to prepare for questions where you will need to recall events and actions, is to refresh your memory and consider some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You can use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories that illustrate times when you have successfully solved a difficult situation.

5 - How do you evaluate success?

Best Answer

- I evaluate success in different ways. At work, it is meeting the goals set by my supervisors and my fellow workers. It is my understanding, from talking to other employees, that the GGR company is recognized for not only rewarding success, but giving employees opportunity to grow as well. After work, I enjoy playing softball, so success on the field is catching the winning pop-up.

6 - Why are you leaving or have left your job?

One of the questions that is typically asked in an interview is "Why are you leaving your job?" or "Why did you leave your job?" if you have already moved on. If you were fired from your job, use these answers to respond. If you left of your own accord, review these suggestions on how best to answer and tailor your response to meet your particular situation. Be direct and focus your interview answer on the future, especially if your leaving wasn't under the best of circumstances.
Don't Badmouth Your Boss

Regardless of why you left, don't speak badly about your previous employer. The interviewer may wonder if you will be bad-mouthing his company next time you're looking for work. I once interviewed a person who told me that her last employer was terrible. They didn't pay her enough, the hours were awful and she hated the job. That company happened to be my company's biggest, and most important, customer. And there is no way I would have hired someone who felt that way, justified or not, about our valuable client. So, she gave up any opportunity of getting the job as soon as she answered the "Why did you leave?" question.

Prepare answers to typical job interview questions, like this one, in advance. Practice your responses so you sound positive, and clear, about your circumstances and your goals for the future.

Sample answers to the interview question "Why did you leave your job?

- I found myself bored with the work and looking for more challenges. I am an excellent employee and I didn't want my unhappiness to have any impact on the job I was doing for my employer.
There isn't room for growth with my current employer and I'm ready to move on to a new challenge.
- I'm looking for a bigger challenge and to grow my career and I couldn't job hunt part time while working. It didn't seem ethical to use my former employer's time.
- I was laid-off from my last position when our department was eliminated due to corporate restructuring.
- I'm relocating to this area due to family circumstances and left my previous position in order to make the move.
- I've decided that is not the direction I want to go in my career and my current employer has no opportunities in the direction I'd like to head.
- After several years in my last position, I'm looking for an company where I can contribute and grow in a team-oriented environment.
- I am interested in a new challenge and an opportunity to use my technical skills and experience in a different capacity than I have in the past.
- I recently received my degree and I want to utilize my educational background in my next position.
- I am interested in a job with more responsibility, and I am very ready for a new challenge.
- I left my last position in order to spend more time with my family. Circumstances have changed and I'm more than ready for full-time employment again.
- I am seeking a position with a stable company with room for growth and opportunity for advancement.
- I was commuting to the city and spending a significant amount of time each day on travel. I would prefer to be closer to home.
- To be honest, I wasn't considering a move, but, I saw this job posting and was intrigued by the position and the company. It sounds like an exciting opportunity and an ideal match with my qualifications.
- This position seemed like an excellent match for my skills and experience and I am not able to fully utilize them in my present job.
- The company was cutting back and, unfortunately, my job was one of those eliminated.

7 - Why do you want this job?

Keep in mind that you can customize these answers to fit your particular circumstances and the job you are applying for.

Joyce Lain Kennedy's sample answers to the interview question "Why do you want this job?"

- This is not only a fine opportunity, but this company is a place where my qualifications can make a difference. As a finance executive well versed in the new stock options law, I see this - position as made to order. It contains the challenge to keep me on my toes. That's the kind of job I like to anticipate every morning.
- I want this job because it seems tailored to my competencies, which include sales and marketing. As I said earlier, in a previous position I created an annual growth rate of 22 percent in a flat industry. Additionally, the team I would work with looks terrific.
- I well understand that this is a company on the way up. Your Web site says the launch of several new products is imminent. I want be a part of this business as it grows.
Having worked through a college business major building decks and porches for neighbors, this entry-level job for the area's most respected home builder has my name on it.
- As a dedicated technician, I like doing essential research. Being part of a breakthrough team is an experience I'd love to repeat.
- This job is a good fit for what I've been interested in throughout my career. It offers a nice mix of short- and long-term activities. My short-term achievements keep me cranked up and the long-term accomplishments make me feel like a billion bucks.
- I want this job selling theater tickets because I'd be good at it. I'm good at speaking to people and handling cash. I would like a job with regular hours and I'm always on time.
- Although some companies are replacing Americans with imported low-wage workers, you are standing tall. This company's successful strategies, good reputation and values make it heads and shoulders above its competition.
- I'd fit right in as a counter clerk in your fine drycleaners. I have observed that the counter clerk position requires competence at handling several activities in quick order -- customer service, payments, bagging and phones. I like multitasking and, as a homemaker, I have a lot of practice in keeping all the balls in the air.
- The work I find most stimulating allows me to use both my creative and research skills. The buzz on this company is that it rewards people who deliver solutions to substantial problems.

8 - Why should we hire you?

A typical interview question, asked to get your opinion, or to validate the interviewer's opinion, on why you would be the best candidate for the position, is "Why should we hire you?"

The best way to respond is to give concrete examples of why your skills and accomplishments make you the best candidate for the job. Take a few moments to compare the job description with your abilities, as well as mentioning what you have accomplished in your other positions. Be positive and reiterate your interest in the company and the position.

9 - What are your goals for the future?

The best way to respond to the interview question "What are your goals for the future?" or "Where do you see yourself in five years?" is to refer to the position and the company you are interviewing with.

Don't discuss your goals for returning to school or having a family, they are not relevant and could knock you out of contention for the job. Rather, you want to connect your answer to the job you are applying for. Examples of good responses include:

- My long-term goals involve growing with a company where I can continue to learn, take on additional responsibilities, and contribute as much of value as I can.
- I see myself as a top performing employee in a well-established organization, like this one. I plan on enhancing my skills and continuing my involvement in (related) professional associations.
- Once I gain additional experience, I would like to move on from a technical position to management.
- In the XYZ Corporation, what is a typical career path for someone with my skills and experiences?

10 - Tell me about yourself.

You walk into the interview room, shake hands with your interviewer and sit down with your best interviewing smile on. Guess what their first question is? "Tell me about yourself."

Do you "wing it" and actually tell all manner of things about yourself? Will you spend the next 5 minutes rambling on about what an easy-going, loyal, dedicated, hard working employee you've been? If this is the case, you stand a good chance of having bored your interviewer to death thus creating a negative first impression.

Because it's such a common interview question, it's strange that more candidates don't spend the time to prepare for exactly how to answer it. Perhaps because the question seems so disarming and informal, we drop our guard and shift into ramble mode. Resist all temptation to do so.

Your interviewer is not looking for a 10-minute dissertation here. Instead, offer a razor sharp sentence or two that sets the stage for further discussion and sets you apart from your competitors.

Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Give them "your synopsis about you" answer, specifically your Unique Selling Proposition. Known as a personal branding or a value-added statement, the USP is a succinct, one-sentence description of who you are, your biggest strength and the major benefit that a company will derive from this strength. Here is an example of a Unique Selling Proposition: "I'm a seasoned Retail Manager strong in developing training programs and loss prevention techniques that have resulted in revenue savings of over $2.3Million for (employer's name) during the past 11 years."

What a difference you've made with this statement. Your interviewer is now sitting forward in her chair giving you her full attention. At this point, you might add the following sentence: "I'd like to discuss how I might be able to do something like that for you." The ball is now back in her court and you have the beginnings of a real discussion and not an interrogation process.

Be Specific

The key is that you must lead with your strongest benefit to the employer. Be specific and don't wander about with some laundry list of skills or talents. Be sure to put a monetary value on your work if at all possible and be ready with details when you're called upon. Give an estimated value to the $$ you've either helped to make or save for your employer.

Be Prepared

When you walk into an interview, remember to always expect the "tell me about yourself" question. Prepare ahead of time by developing your own personal branding statement that clearly tells who you are, your major strength and the clear benefit that your employer received. The advantages of this approach are that you'll quickly gain their attention and interest them in knowing more. You'll separate yourself from your competitors. You'll also have a higher chance of being positively remembered and hired.

• Reference/Source: jobsearch.about.com by Alison Doyle, About.com Guide

About Alison Doyle is a job search expert with many years of experience in human resources, career development, and job searching, with a focus on online job searching, job search technology, social media, and professional networking. She has covered job searching for About.com since 1998.

10 (Ten) Usual things on an RPG

Another contributor, Aj Banda which I've meet from Bloggers.com recommends this Top10 list.

Here's Aj Banda's 10 (Ten) Usual things on an RPG

1 - Healing and Save Station

(e.g. Inn, camp, hospital, healing center, rest point, fountain)
Every RPG starts, with an adventure, and an adventure would be useless once you are defeated. That is the purpose of the healing and save stations. Oftenly named as an Inn and mostly found on every town. Most healing stations have save stations too, but definitely not all save stations have healing spot. Those save stations are mostly found inside the dungeon just before you trigger an importatnt scene.

2 - Healing, restoration and boost up items

(e.g Potion, Healing leaf, healing water, Power up, Phoenix, Revive, Restore, Panacea, Nectar, Union Plume, etc)
Since you cannot heal at all time, you need something portable to aid you. that is where the items take place.
Healing Items - as the names suggest, this restores your Life points
Restoration Items - this either revives the unconcious heroes or cures them from odd status like poison
Boost up Items - this items gives your heroes some boost up to their status, either tepmporarily or permanently

3 - Status Points

Characterize by the following:

a) HP (Health Points) - oftenly use and usually signify by a heart symbol. This serves as the life points of the character. Draining it to zero will trigger the game to end aka GAME OVER

b) MP (Magic Points/ Manna Points) - Oftely used together with HP and is usually used by magicians. This serves as the measurement whther a certain caharacter is still capable of casting a specific action like magic or a special attack

c) EP (Energy Points) - Something similar to MP but usually used for physical attacks or activities.(Well, most of the time)

d) RP (Rune points) - Similar to MP and/or EP

e) DME (Dematerialize energy)- similar to HP, as far as I know, only one game uses this kind of points which is the "Valkyrie Series". Well logically, they cannot use health points because their dead.

f) LP (Life points) - similar to HP

g) AP (Arts Point/ Ablity points) - Similar to EP


Other common status points are the following:

a) Attack Points - determines how strong the character physically

b) Intelligence - determines how strong the character in performing skills or magic. Also known as special attack

c) Defense - determines how much a character withstand a physical attack

d) Special Defense - determines how much caharqacter can withstand a special attack

e) Speed - determines the evasion rate or whether who hits first on a turn based battle

4 - Magic

Either one of the characters is a magician or at least one of them can perform magic, I'm pretty sure that there would always be something magical about the story. And when I say Magic, I don't mean like those that can cast fireballs but instead those that are not common on the real world.

5 - Sceneries

On making a game, one thing is always being checked, the Graphics! Whether the game is one of those old type games that has a poor graphics, there would always be a part where a very beautiful scenery would be shown. An example would be the big old tree at the back of Genkaku's house of suikoden 2.

6 - An Elder and/or A child

I don't know why, but this is very noticeable on every RPG, there would always be a child or an elder that would sometimes be a part of the story. You would mostly find an
Elder on the Village or I cryingf child on the way. (If they're not crying, they would be running or playing)

7 - Sword

Similar to magic, either one of the character is a swordsman(mostly the main one) or someone from the Evil forces would definitly used a sword. Or at least you can see it from somewhere in the game as a decoration.

8 - Armor and accessories

To boost up the characters status, they would be needing this stuffs. These are oftenly found on dungeons hanging around on treasure chests or dropped by enemies. Mostly they can be bought on an item/weapon shop on every town

9 - Map

It is something worth keeping on every RPG to avoid being lost.

10 - Guide
This is a very important part at the beginning of the game but mostly neglected specifically by the experience one. This helps you to coping up with the game specially for their special features.

• Reference/Source: Ajibanda.blogspot.com by Aj Banda

About Beneath the Tree A collection of algorithm, code and other programming methods. Includes programmers' point of view, interests and game reviews.
About Aj Banda, the author
I'm Aj but some calls me aji. I'm a web programmer and a blogger. I used my blogs to share my knowledge to the world but most of the time it serves as a reference of my previous algorithms and source codes.

10 Pregnancy Facts that no one usually tells you

After the joy of discovering that you are pregnant, sure enough, you want to know exactly what you can expect to feel during the pregnancy stages. You are anxious about how you will handle each stage of pregnancy.

These are the 10 weird things that happen during pregnancy that people probably won't tell you about.

1 - You Could Be Pregnant For Over A Year

Most pregnancies last for about 9 months and doctors are likely to induce labor if pregnancy goes on too long. That being said, it is possible to be pregnant for a whole year. The world's longest pregnancy lasted 375 days, strangely, the baby was only a little under seven pounds.
It certainly puts a whole new perspective on being a few weeks late, doesn't it?

2 - A Male Fetus Can Get Erections In The Womb

Most mothers don't like to think about their baby boys getting erections, even when they are teenagers, but the fact is that many baby boys get boners while they're still in the womb. In fact, babies of both sexes are known to masturbate in utero, but boys are the only ones who can be caught while aroused on the sonogram.

If having sex while pregnant seemed a little creepy before now, just imagine what your baby is doing while you make love.

3 - Your Entire Undercarriage Might Need Stitches

The last place any woman wants stitches is in her taint, but many mothers have to get that area closed up surgically. Nine out of ten women have some type of vaginal tearing after birth, but there are many degrees of tearing. Some tears only require a little care or a few stitches, but the really bad cases go from the vagina all the way to the anus. Some can even affect the muscles beyond your anus. On the upside, tearing that reaches the anus is somewhat rare and only affects one in one hundred mothers.
Massaging the area prior to child birth can reduce tearing, but even then, it won't completely stop tearing in most people.
Suddenly, getting a C-section started sounding a whole lot more appealing, huh?

4 - You May Just Poop Yourself

During childbirth, it is extremely common for a woman to accidentally expel the contents of her bowels. There is a good reason for this –the muscles you use to push the baby out are the same ones you ordinarily use during a bowel movement. As if that weren't enough to get your sphincter ready to go, the baby directly pushes on the rectum as it makes its exit, helping to squeeze out anything near the exit.

In olden times, it was common for nurses to give enemas prior to labor, but this practice didn't end up stopping the mess from happening and often caused dehydration. These days, your doctors and nurses will be ready to help clean up the mess. In most cases, they won't even say anything about it so you won't know the difference.
It does make you think twice about filming the birth though, doesn't it?

5 - You Really Will Glow

Saying a pregnant woman is glowing is a common expression, but most people chalk it up to the woman's excitement about becoming a mommy. As it turns out though, glowing skin is a very real thing for pregnant women. While you're pregnant, the amount of blood in your body will increase by 50%. The extra blood ends up showing through the skin in many areas, particularly the cheeks.

On top of this, hormones cause the oil glands to become more active, resulting in a softer, shinier appearance. When the increased blood flow combines with shine, the result is a noticeable glow.

6 - Your Sense of Smell Gets Better

During pregnancy, your sense of smell increases drastically, as does your sense of taste. Scientists hypothesize that this is to help pregnant mothers avoid eating small levels of toxins that might not be dangerous to an adult, but could be deadly to a fetus. As smoke, alcohol and coffee are all particularly noticeable to pregnant women, this theory certainly seems to be on the right path.

7 - Contractions Don't Stop After Birth

Most mothers will have contractions for the first few days after birth. The muscle cramps are the body's way of stopping excess blood loss. On the upside, if you give birth at the hospital, you'll still be pretty drugged up and will probably barely even notice.

8 - You Don't Really Need To Eat For Two

Despite the widespread rumors that say pregnant women need to gain all the weight they can in order to birth a healthy baby, the truth is that most women will only need an extra 300 calories per day. That's equivalent to about one serving of yogurt and half a bagel. Most women only need to gain about 25 pounds throughout their entire pregnancy.

Of course, if you happen to be at the buffet and are having a tough time resisting the desserts section, go ahead and sneak a little extra. No one will give a pregnant woman a hard time if she pigs out

9 - Your Feet Can Grow Up To One Full Shoe Size

If you're wondering why your feet will get so big when you only gain 25 pounds, it has to do with the excess pressure on your feet paired with relaxed ligaments in your body. As your pregnancy wears on, your body starts to release the tightness of its ligaments to help with the birthing process. Unfortunately for your shoes, this also means your feet start to lose their arch and stretch out on the sides. The flatter, wider shape of your feet will probably be temporary, but if they grew too much, the change could end up being permanent. If your feet do stay a bit larger, it certainly will serve as a great excuse to buy more shoes.

10 - The Father Might Show Symptoms of Pregnancy

It's surprisingly common for a father-to-be to start gaining weight, getting morning sickness and even feel cramps in his lower abdomen. The condition is known as a sympathetic pregnancy or the Couvade Syndrome, which comes from the french word couvee meaning "to hatch".

• Reference/Source: Oddee.com by Jill Harness[3/11/2011]