If you’re under the burden of debt all is not lost. With some debt counseling you’ll find light at the end of the tunnel.

The Internet is a great place to do some research about debt counseling and how such services can benefit you.

As a consumer who is struggling with debt it’s important that you educate yourself about debt counseling before you seek out the assistance of a particular service or company.

Understanding how debt counseling works is in your best interest as it gives you information about which type of questions you’ll want answers to before committing to counseling and/or a debt management program.

Debt counseling services were initially created by credit card companies in an effort to get a portion of the money owed to them back before their client declared bankruptcy and they were left without a dime.

Following are some questions you may wish to ask before getting involved with such a service:

What is the cost?

Will the service be notifying credit agencies re: your enrolment with them?

What kinds of programs do they offer?

Are there any particular benefits to using their service over another?

Do they have a professional affiliation?

If a debt counseling service claims to offer quick solutions or says they will ‘fix’ your credit report be wary. It will take time for your debt to be retired. Counseling is not an overnight solution.

Most services will help you with many different kinds of unsecured debt from credit cards and personal loans to medical and utility bills.

Whether you’ve been working away at your debt or have ceased payment altogether debt counseling can help. Most counseling programs are designed for people who have fallen behind in payment or have had to stop payments due to illness, job loss, or for whatever reason that has forced non-payment.

Many people wonder if they can still use their credit cards if they’re seeking debt counseling. It all depends on the situation. However, if a card is being consolidated the account would have to be closed in order for creditor negotiation to happen.

Most debt counseling services work with Visa, MasterCard and American Express as well as many smaller creditors in an effort to assist you in regaining your financial freedom.

Some debt counseling companies go above and beyond from a service standpoint and not only help people get out of their current debt situation but try to help them and their financial future by sending out a newsletter and offering workshops and seminars.

Doing your homework before signing up with a debt counseling service helps to ensure that the company you select to help you get out of debt and/or manage you credit will be right for you.

Sherrie Le Masurier is a freelance writer who believes in being a wise consumer and living within her means. Her blog http://www.doityourselfdebtreduction.blogspot.com features information on how to get out of debt, debt reduction strategies, credit card debt reduction, debt consolidation, debt management tips and general debt reduction help.

This article is a crash course in how to decorate a christmas tree. Your first step is to choose either a natural or artificial tree. Keep in mind that a natural evergreen tree only comes in one color – green. Artificial trees however are now sold in practically every color of the rainbow. Just remember, whatever color you choose will become your canvas for adding more color in the form of garlands, tinsel and decorations.

Your second step is deciding which color schemes go best with what color of tree. Green Christmas trees, both natural and artificial, look best with primary colors such as green, blue and red. White christmas trees look best with a red theme, pink theme, a gold theme or a silver theme or any combination of the above. Blue Christmas trees look best with gold or silver decorations. Red Christmas trees look great with green or pink decorations.

The third step in this course about how to decorate a christmas tree is about lighting. If you are going to buy a natural tree you will need to buy a strand of bulbs or diodes. Traditional strands of christmas bulbs come in a variety of decorative shapes and sizes including the vintage egg shape, tiny twinkling lights and rope lights. However if you buy an artificial tree you may be able to get one that is prelit. The prettiest prelit christmas trees boast fiber optic needles that give the tree a glow of its own. Especially gorgeous are the white christmas trees that boast fiber optics at their tips. These trees remind many people of angel feathers.

The fourth step is investigating the types of decorations that are available to you. The most basic is the garland. A garland is simply any kind of strand of objects that can be used to circle the tree. You can make a garland yourself out of cooked popcorn, holly berries or candy. You can also use a long length of ribbon and attach bows to it. Of course there are all types of garlands available commercially on the market. Most popular are the garlands made of furry bunches of white or gold tinsel. Red and green tinsel garlands can look especially nice on white christmas trees.

If you are traditionally minded you might want to consider decorating your tree with glass christmas balls. These are either hand blown or created in a factory. Many of them are painted and decorated with glitter. You can buy these as globes, flutes, tubes and also in the shape of musical instruments, angels and other Christmas themes. However if you have small children, you might want to opt for the plastic versions of these decorative balls as they don’t shatter if they fall off the tree.

An important tip to remember when decorating trees with glass balls is to place the larger ornaments at the bottom of the tree and the smaller ones at the top. This helps keep the total effect of the tree in a pleasing proportion to the decorations.

Of course, christmas decorations don’t have to be expensive. You can make your own out of paper that is cut into the shape of snowflakes and other xmas themes. Candies (especially the candy cane), apples, oranges and cookies (especially gingerbread cookies) can also be used as xmas decorations. Red christmas trees look especially good decorated with white shortbread cookies decorated with glitter. White christmas trees look great decorated with home made presents made from tiny boxes wrapped in shiny foil.

Another decoration to consider is tinsel. Strands of tinsel can be hung from the branches to simulate icicles. One tip when hanging tinsel is to hang it in clumps from the edges of the branches. Hanging single or just a couple of strands all over the tree makes it look messy.

The fifth step when it comes to decorating a christmas tree is to choose some kind of tree topper. Commercially you can buy tree-toppers in just about every Christmas motif imaginable including angels, snowmen, teddy bears and of course, the Christmas star. You can buy christmas tree toppers that glow with fiber optic diodes that twirl, play tinkly music and blink on and off. However it is not hard to make your own christmas tree topper. Perhaps the simplest version is a cardboard star that is wrapped in tin foil. Sometimes the home made decorations and tree toppers have more sentimental value than the store bought ones.

The sixth step in this crash course on how to decorate a christmas tree is to make sure you disguise the base of the tree with some kind of Christmas tree skirt. This is simply a mat that is draped around the base and on the floor. It can be made out of shiny or velvet fabric or you can buy commercially made ones that feature xmas motifs in stores and online. Some tree skirts can be quite ornate, decorated with sequins and embroidery. However their original function was to catch the candle drippings from candles on the tree and catch any dropping needles from natural christmas trees.

Another interesting addition, especially if you are a Christian is to place a small nativity scene beneath the Christmas tree on the mat. You can buy Christmas nativity scenes made of wood, metal or plastic. Also popular is a toy train set that runs in a circle around the Christmas tree.

A seventh and final consideration when it comes to how to decorate your christmas tree is a practice called flocking. Flocking is fluffy white stuff, kind of like silly string that is sprayed all over the tree to simulate snow. This gives just about any tree a real 50’s or country style feel and it is very unique to tree decorating traditions in the United States and Canada. However it is not recommended for artificial white christmas trees as the effect would be a little bit of overkill.

For more information on Christmas trees, visit www.o-christmas-tree.com – a year-round resource for all your christmas tree and decoration needs.

Have you ever noticed that there are some rooms you just love to go into and others that you find unsettling? Without realizing it colors affect our moods and the way we function. Interior decorators have known this for years and use it in their offerings on a daily basis but you don’t have to be a professional to learn how to use colors to your benefit.

How we react to color is usually on an unconscious and almost instinctual level and that reaction is purely our own. You may love the color blue because you find it soothing and calming whereas I may find that same color unsettling and a little disconcerting. There is no right or wrong reaction to any given color but there is scientific backup to show how the use of color affects our moods.

Try this little quiz to see if you can tell which color belongs to which effect:

1. blue ………………………A. energy, vitality, excitement

2. orange…………………… B. harmony and balance

3. red………………………..C. dramatic, sensual, sophisticated

4. yellow…………………….D. truth, serenity and harmony

5. green……………………..E. intellect, used for mental stimulation

6. purple…………………….F. social and exuberant, warmth

7. black……………………..G. purity, innocence and joy

8. white……………………..H. suppressive

9. pink……………………….I. restful and calming

10. grey…………………….. J. powerful, aloof, intimidating

You might be hard pressed to try to figure out which is which although some are fairly obvious because again we react to them on a subconscious level. I’ll give you a hint: pink is restful and calming and is the color of equilibrium. That is why delinquent children and even adults placed in pink holding cells had fewer outbursts when it was tried in the state of California. Conversely, couples fought more and babies cried more in a bright yellow room. These are the kinds of things you need to consider when painting and decorating your home. Green is a restful color and will help you sleep so it would be a good choice for bedrooms. This might be ringing some bells for you as you recall color schemes that were wrong for the atmosphere you were trying to create in a given room. Perhaps your yellow and white bedroom looked beautiful in the daylight but was unsettling when you were trying to relax and fall asleep. Keeping this knowledge in mind can help you enormously when you are ready to redecorate.

Start with determining what the room is going to be used for. Do you want to use warm colors that stimulate activity or warm colors that create a more tranquil mood? Check out www.littlemonkeymurals.com for more information on colors and great ideas for decorating.

Colors not only enhance the atmosphere of a room but they can also visually change the dimensions of a room. The use of warm colors makes things like doors seem to stand out more and cool colors tend to recede or withdraw. You have to be careful though as there is a fine line between a color being aggressive and that same color being cozy. Usually the difference lies in the tones used. Walls, like our waistlines, appear longer and taller with vertical stripes.

Did you know that colors could help with weight management too? Using the color orange in your place settings or tablescape stimulates the appetite whereas the color violet suppresses it. Darker hues are said to slow our eating and brighter colors makes us eat faster. Think McDonald’s. They use the brightest of the primary colors to get you in and out fast. For healthy weight management tips see www.canadian-cook.com

Colors affect our moods and feelings and can even evoke physical reactions. There is research to show that fertility is increased in a blue room (this can work for you or against you). Even though the temperature is the same, people feeler cooler in a blue room and warmer in a red room. With all the research and studies done on our color personalities and what the predicted effects of color should be on us, we have to remember that color is still a very personal choice. What works for one will not work for another so when redecorating and getting a “professional” opinion it is important for you to be honest with them. It doesn’t matter what combination works on their palette or in the showroom, it has to work for you. Make every room inviting using the colors that evoke that feeling in you. Surround yourself with the colors you like.

Answers:

1-D, 2-F, 3-A, 4-E, 5-B, 6-C, 7-J, 8-G, 9-I, 10-H How did you do?

Rhonda Hoffman is a successful author and regular contributor to www.canadian-cook.com

Through most of my articles, I’ve tried to explain just how easy it is to build a computer. But there is one chore harder than the rest, and it’s one that most people don’t give a thought to, until they are confronted by it. This is connecting the case wires to the motherboard.

When you open up a new PC case, you’ll see a group of candy striped wires lying in the bottom. These are the wires that lead to the reset switch, the LEDs for the power and the hard drive, and that annoying little system speaker that beeps at you when you make an error.

These wires plug in to a grid of pins usually located at the lower front corner of the motherboard. The trouble is, which wire goes to which pin?

Some boards have the pins marked with extremely small print, that a middle-aged fellow like myself requires a magnifying glass to read. Abbreviations used can vary. For instance, the hard drive LED may be marked “HD”, or it may be marked “IDE”. Also note that many of the wires come in pairs, with a positive and a negative wire. They must be turned the right way if they are to work.

It is best to consult the motherboard’s manual, if you have one. Here can be found a diagram showing you exactly which pin is which, and if there are “dead” pins not used on that particular model.

This is particularly helpful in hooking up the speaker wires. The plug for it will span four pins, with the speaker wire on one side, and a 5V hot wire on the other. The grid will probably have one pin marked “5V”, but bear in mind there’s nothing to keep you from turning the plug backwards, so be careful.

Michael Quarles is the author of Building a PC for Beginners.

Good news is now here for the ‘War on Hurricanes’ and ‘Fight Against Cancer’ due to the rapid advances in Supercomputer calculation speeds. One Supercomputer named Blue Gene-L has broken the previous record for the amount of calculations it can do in a second. You are probably thinking so what right?

Well then check out the speeds; it can do 280.6 teraflops per second or 280,600,000,000 calculations per second; “Ah, hello!” That is intense, of course it beats its own best record of about half that.

This special supercomputer is a project with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and IBM. How much is this 280.6 teraflops? Well lets say 7 billion people had a calculator and punched numbers for ten years non-stop, well The Blue Gene-L did it in only one-second, so now are you impressed?

Well so are folks who are trying to find new drugs to fight cancer or mapping the proteins, RNA and DNA interactions. And best of all there is another great use, fighting Hurricanes and understand the butterfly effect. That is to say changing one or two very small weather events, which will inevitably end up slightly altering a larger affect and protecting us from harmful and horrific Hurricanes.

By taking data and working back they may even be able to map the start of the beginning of the universe. Think on this.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

You already know that to maximize their chances of success, goals need to be specific and measurable. This is what distinguishes them from aims or feelings – something has to change in the real world. For example, “I want to be happy” is not a goal – it’s a feeling. You can make yourself happy right now, just by thinking of someone you like or something you’re good at.

Goals are different. They take place in the real world, where changes take time. You need to know what will be different when the goal is achieved, so you will know when you have achieved it. The more vivid the picture you can make of your goal, the more motivating it will be.

Specific and measurable are easy when it comes to financial goals like savings or sales targets, because money is easily quantifiable. But those figures on paper are not going to excite you on their own. No – what motivates the salesman to achieve his target is what the figures will get him: being top dog in the sales team, the stuff he can buy with the money, or just securing his job for another quarter. When images of these desirable things flash through his mind, however fleetingly, he feels an emotional pull to achieve them.

In that example the images more or less generate themselves. With less easily quantifiable goals you can still ‘measure’ and get specific about what will be in place when you achieve the goal. Even if you can’t put a figure on it, you can specify your goal in sensory terms – what you will see, hear and feel (and maybe even taste and smell) when you achieve your goal.

The more vividly you can imagine your goal in sensory terms, the more compelling it will be for you. Images, sounds and feelings will usually be far more motivating than just words. They also give you more detailed information, so you are more likely to notice any aspects of the goal that you need to adjust.

When you have got your goal exactly the way you want it, and you’re feeling really good about it, step back out of it. Why? Because to your unconscious mind, imagining that you have achieved the goal will feel much the same as really achieving it (depending on how vividly you imagine). Rather than spend all your time daydreaming about the goal, you have to make things happen in the real world.

Stepping back out of the goal reminds you that you are not there yet. When you see that image in front of you (metaphorically in your future), you know how good it feels and you will want to get there. The goal will be ‘calling’ to you, almost pulling you towards it.

Bonus tip: what if you’re not the world’s greatest at visualization?
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Actually anyone can daydream and see images. You may find it easier to talk through with someone else what your goal will be like, or to write about it in as much detail as you can. Use the present tense, as if you have already achieved your goal – this will make it more vivid.

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Andy Smith is an Emotional Intelligence consultant and NLP Trainer based in the UK. His new book, “Achieve Your Goals: Strategies To Transform Your Life”, is published by Dorling Kindersley in summer 2006.

You can find more ideas and advice for changing your life at the Create The Life You Want web site at http://www.createthelifeyouwant.co.uk. Sign up for Andy’s “Create The Life You Want” newsletter by sending a blank email to:
andy18-159754@autocontactor.com

How and Why People Agree to Things
This is a brief summary of some of the reasons we agree. Perhaps you want to become more persuasive or perhaps you want to discover why you are so easily persuaded. Let’s examine some reasons.

Reciprocity
We each try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us. Favors have a tendency to produce a feeling of indebtedness. There is also a feeling of obligation to make a concession to someone who has first made a concession to us. If you are treated to lunch, what do you say? “I’ll buy next time.” Right? If someone says, “Okay, I’ll ride in the backseat.”, you may feel compelled to say, “Okay, we’ll listen to the station you wanted to hear.” It’s only fair, we feel.

A variation on this is “rejection-then-retreat”. This involved asking for a large request (“Would you donate $25 to my scout troop?”), getting turned down, then retreating to a smaller request (“That’s okay would you buy a candy bar for $2.00?”). The smaller request is much more likely to be approved.

All of this falls under the heading of reciprocity the tendency to feel obligated to repay in kind.

Commitment and Consistency
Once we make a choice or take a stand, we will feel pressure to behave consistently with that commitment. This is sometimes referred in sales as the “head bobbing dog in the rear window” approach. Starting with small (seemingly harmless) requests (“This is a great ride, isn’t it?”). Agreement can increase the chance that we will feel compelled to agree with the next larger request (“Would you like me to run up a few figures on that? It’s no problem.). As the head bobs up and down in agreement we feel a need to continue to agree or seem inconsistent.

An even stronger example of this can be seen if you can get someone to write out a belief or commitment. When we write things in our own hand, it seems very important that we support what we have written.

Social Proof
This is the “herd mentality” idea that the more we see others doing something, the more likely we will do it. An action seems more correct if others are doing it. The greater the number of people who find an idea correct, the more the idea will seem to be correct.

Liking
We have a tendency to be persuaded by those we like. Think about how the references of friends may persuade us. Liking can include physical attractiveness, similarity of background or interests, compliments, and long periods of contact with others.

Authority
Our need to conform to the dictates of authority figures may seem to have practical advantage. We are also susceptible to symbols of authority such as a title, clothing, the car someone drives, a uniform or other badge of office.

Scarcity
An opportunity seems more valuable to us when that opportunity is limited in availability. This is where we get things like “limited time offer”, “call within the next 10 minutes”, or “This is the last one in this color and size”.

This is one of the factors that has made e-bay successful I want this and there are not many of them.

So if you want to BE more influential work to see how you can incorporate these ideas into your life. If you want to be LESS swayed by others, examine yourself for your susceptibility to these ways of thinking.

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Hal Warfield is a speaker, teacher and coach. Contact him at warfield@midsouth.rr.com. Or read other self-development articles at http://www.halwarfield.com.

Online auction sites are set up in such a way that they can be very profitable both for you and for the auction house itself. But, what most people do not realize is that there is a world that is beyond that of Ebay! Yes, there are many other online auction sites for you to consider. Take a look at your options and see just what they offer you before you get started bidding on the web.

Let’s face it, Ebay is the largest online auction site. It has become so very successful because of its vast marketing plan and the ease of use it offers users. Everyone knows that if you can find something in the local retail area or you can find it online that you will likely find it right on the Ebay auction site.

So, how does it all work? Online auction sites are set up to allow for a meeting place of bidders and sellers. They do not sell products themselves but provide a meeting environment for you to find the people you are looking for. Of course to list a product to be sold, or in some cases to purchase a product on the web, you will be charged a fee. This is a necessary part of doing business on these websites but in cases like Ebay, it has become an excellent source of revenue as well

So, who else is out there? There are other online auction sites that you should take a good look at. These include the following:

• TradeMe
• Yahoo!
• EBid
• Internet Bargain Center
• Marktplaats
• Bidville as well as many more

There are many benefits to using these online auction sites include ease of connecting with prospective buyers, the use of 24/7 availability, and worldwide exposure to say the least. Many people find excellent reason to get into the online auction site as a business as well. There is no limit to what can be found on these websites. Taking a look at those that are less well known can be an excellent opportunity as well.

for more information please see http://www.online-auction-sites.co.uk

Making money as a property developer can be both lucrative and personally rewarding. However, to be successful, it is important to apply certain specific techniques. In this article we shall share some key tips to help you become a successful property developer.

The first step in any property development project should be to research the market. A good way to do this is to get in touch with local estate agents to get an idea of the type of property that is most popular in the area you are interested in and the average selling price.

The estate agents will be able to tell you what type of person goes for what type of property and what current trends in the area are. This information will enable you to ensure that the property you develop meets the needs of the market you are targeting.

You will also be able to get useful data by speaking to local planning authorities. They will give you an insight into the local economy which will indicate whether or not the area is up and coming.

The next step is to choose the right property to develop. Bear in mind that your aim as a property developer is to buy at a low price and sell at a high one. A good buy will reduce the risk involved and hopefully enable you to secure the profit margin you are aspiring to.

The other aspect is to consider how much you will need to spend on a property to achieve your desired selling price. Do remember that a general decorative overhaul can significantly increase a property’s value without you needing to spend a lot of money on planners and architects’ fees.

It is also essential to have a good understanding of the practicalities involved in property development. Before buying, ensure that you understand the building regulations that will affect how you develop the property.

In conclusion; if you have researched the market thoroughly and are tapping into your target customers’ requirements, if you buy well and if you manage your costs carefully you could make a lot of money as a property developer.

Trowbridge Building Supplies is an independent builders merchant based in Ashton Mill in Wiltshire.