VISA and MASTERCARD

This was the question of one of my students.
What's the difference between visa and mastercard?
So, I decided to post this one for everybody..
The two leading credit card companies in the world today are the competitors Visa and MasterCard. They both operate along very similar lines. While Visa can claim to have almost a billion cards issued, MasterCard has over twenty five thousand banks issuing its cards and it is difficult to find any difference in the number of locations worldwide that accept the cards, which is now estimated at over twenty million.

In fact, as far as most consumers are concerned, there is no real difference between the two. They are both very widely accepted in over one hundred and fifty countries and it is very rare to find a location that will accept one but not the other.

However, neither Visa nor MasterCard actually issue any credit cards themselves. They are both simply methods of payment. They rely on banks in various countries to issue credit cards that utilise these payment methods. Therefore, the interest rates, rewards, annual fees, and all other charges are issued by your bank and when you pay your bill you are paying it to the bank or institution that issued your card and not Visa or MasterCard.

How Visa and MasterCard make their money is by charging the retailer for using their payment method. So the truth of the matter is that a Visa issued by say the Bank of Scotland will have very little to do with a Visa issued by other banks and may in fact by more similar to the Bank of Scotland's MasterCard.

What this means for the vast majority of customers is that you do not have to overly concern yourself with whether a credit card is MasterCard or Visa. You would be better off concentrating on the interest and other charges on the card, the balance transfer possibilities or their reward scheme. You are very unlikely to ever be effected by the fact that it is one and not the other.

If you prefer, if you are going to have two credit cards, you may decide that you want one of them to be Visa and the other MasterCard, this means that if something drastic were to happen to one company, or if you were in the unlikely position of finding a location that accepts one but not the other, then you would have the option of paying with either.

At the end of the day however, much more depends on the bank that gave you the card, than on the type of card it is.
- by Joseph Kenny^^

HANGOVER

This morning, my student was asking about a word he can't remember, it was about the disagreeable physical aftereffects of drunkenness, such as a headache or stomach disorder, usually felt several hours after cessation of drinking, so I said - it's HANGOVER.
He's suffering from hangover and was asking ways to get rid of it.

But before I tell you on how to get rid of it , here's how you can AVOID having one.

Before your night out begins and throughout the night you can make some wise decisions that will lessen the effects of your misery the next day. Who knows, you may even avoid one completely.

Before you drink:

Eat. Fill your stomach with a healthy meal of starches and essential vitamins and minerals. Note that I said healthy. The food will absorb the alcohol and lessen it's effects on you. If you decide a greasy bar burger or drippy pizza is your idea of a good meal you may regret that idea when the grease mixes the wrong way with liquor and carbonation and you end up staring at the toilet bowl.
Hydrate. Drink lots of fruit juice and water now. Think of it this way, for every glass of non-alcoholic beverage you drink now you will save yourself from having to drink two glasses in the morning.
Prepare your favorite hangover remedy and place it in an easy to open container in the fridge. If you do over indulge the last thing you will want to do in the morning is gather ingredients, mix things and worse yet, run the blender.
A clinical study from 2004 suggests that drinking prickly pear fruit extract several hours prior to drinking will reduce the symptoms of a hangover.
Try one of the many anti-hangover remedies found at convenience store registers and drug stores. I have heard good and bad things about these but have never tried them personally, but it is an option.

While you drink:

Grab a bite to eat at the bar. This is where greasy fries would be okay to eat because it is a snack that will keep your stomach full and add extra material to absorb the alcohol. Bar peanuts, popcorn, any type of food will do the job.
Choose the booze carefully. Again, dark spirits contain more congeners, light spirits fewer, cheap liquor more. More congeners equal more headaches. Stick with quality light color drinks most of the night to reduce your hangover.
Memorize this rhyme and abide by it, it will save you a lot of pain. "Liquor before beer, never fear. Beer before liquor, never sicker."
Alternate alcoholic with non-alcoholic beverages. This trick will slow your alcohol consumption down and still give you something to drink. Choose water, fruit juices or light carbonated beverages. If you are worried about what your friends may think order a mocktail or dress up a straight virgin beverage with a garnish and lie. Call Sprite or 7-Up with a lime a Vodka Tonic or orange juice a Screwdriver or cranberry juice with a lime a Cape Codder. They are probably too drunk to know the difference and who cares anyway, you will feel so much better in the morning than they will, HA!
Consume less than one drink per hour. Your liver breaks down alcohol at the rate of one beer per hour, so spreading out your drinking over many hours will give your body a chance to keep up with you.
Once you make it home and before you crash on the bed force yourself to drink a glass of water and take some Vitamin B. This is also not the time to take any headache medicine (Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Aspirin) as they could seriously damage your liver.

Important: If you experience tremors, stomach pain, or see blood in your vomit seek professional medical attention IMMEDIATELY. You may have overdone it too much and should go to the emergency room right away.

Here's How To Get Rid Of Hang Over:

Sleep. Rest is your best friend at this point to give your body a recover. It is best to stay in bed so call in to work if you have to, tell them you have the stomach flu. You will sound so horrible on the phone they may believe you (unless they saw you at the bar, not a good idea then).
Replenish your body with fruit juice and water.
Avoid caffeine. A weak cup of coffee may be okay but a lot of caffeine will continue to dehydrate you, the opposite of what you want right now.
Drink orange juice for Vitamin C.
Drink a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade.
Eat mineral rich food like pickles or canned fish.
In Poland, drinking pickle juice is a common remedy.
Drink a Bloody Mary. While the popular phrase "hair of the dog that bit you" may sound logical with a shot of whiskey left in the bottle next to your bed, it's only temporary. Try a Bloody Mary instead, while your blood is dealing with the new alcohol it is ignoring the old and in the mean time tomato juice and celery are full of vitamins. If you drank the last of the vodka make a Virgin Mary. Another spicy morning after drink option is Hair of the Dog, in which gin and hot sauce are sure to bite your hangover back.
Take a shower, switching between cold and hot water.
In Ireland it was said that the cure for a hangover is to bury the ailing person up to the neck in moist river sand.
Try Alka Seltzer Morning Relief. One reader says that it's all that he and his wife have found that really works for them. He stumbled across this "cure" while his wife was still suffering after two days, within 15 minutes after taking the Alka Seltzer she was fine.
Get some exercise. Another reader suggests doing some sort of physical activity. He writes, "In the rare case of having hangover I usually drink about 1-2 liters of water and go outside to do some exercise like mountain climbing, swimming, cycling or just about anything that keeps me sweating." It takes willpower to move like that when standing seems like a challenge, but it is a good theory.
The side effects of aspirin, Tylenol and ibuprofen can be magnified when alcohol is in your system, so it is best (even though it may be the first thing you reach for) to avoid them to kill the hangover pain. Aspirin is a blood thinner, just like alcohol, and can intensify its effects and Tylenol (or acetaminophen) can cause more damage to your liver. Ibuprofen can also cause stomach bleeding. So be cautious when going for the quick relief.
Watch the video: Hangover Remedies. Jonathan Stewart demonstrates how to make a blended hangover remedy. There are a more than a few ingredients so you may want to have everything organized prior to overindulging.
As an antidote, one reader takes a little extra multi B vitamin and drinks a lot of water before going to sleep.

PAMPER YOUR FEET!

I don't want to spend too much, as much as I could resist on pampering my feet...
Well, as they say, our feet are the most workaholic and tired parts of our body.
In my case, the way I pamper my feet, I feel contented with soaking with a foot soak and a thick cream for the callouses and all, feels heaven to me already.

A woman is not just a woman who has a comely face and a shapely body. She also must be a person whose soul glows with an inner light, who has depth in mind, and who is clean from head to foot. And she'll glow with beauty....

You may not think much of it, but once someone takes more than a passing glance at you, most likely he or she will look at you from head to foot. So it is important for you to take care of yourself and to look immaculate from your hair down to your toes.

Speaking of feet and toes, the heat of summer may have reduced you to wearing flip-flops and open-toed shoes most of the time to make the heat bearable. More than likely, the skin and soles of your feet have hardened due to constant exposure. How ironic it is that the one way to make your feet feel comfortable in the summer heat is also a way that will make your feet dirty and unsightly!

But there are ways of keeping your feet nice, soft and pretty, without having to spend so much on foot spas and salon pedicures. It is only a matter of good grooming, of keeping your feet clean and moisturized on a day-to-day basis.

When you take a shower, rub the hardened skin of your soles, as well as the calluses of your feet, with a pumice stone. Yes, you read that right, a pumice stone. Pumice stones are more effective at exfoliating skin than those fancy foot scrubs available at the market. Just remember to wait till your feet are softened by the water before you �stone� it.

After you have gleefully rubbed the hard spots off your feet, follow it up with a good foot cream or moisturizer. Dry your feet thoroughly and then apply a generous amount of moisturizer on them. Do this before you go to bed and sleep with your feet encased in socks. You will have soft and smooth feet when you wake up.

Lastly, keep your toenails well-groomed. This means clipping your toenails regularly, never letting them grow too long, removing the cuticles and painting them. Nothing is more unsightly than toenails that are long, have chipped paint and are dirty-looking. If you cannot give yourself a pedicure, make it a point to visit a nail salon every two weeks or so. If you are one of those women who do not like putting nail polish on, then make it a point to buff your toenails with a nail brush.

Since we are on the subject of foot care, do not hesitate to indulge yourself in a good foot massage every now and then, maybe once or twice a month. Not only is a good foot massage very relaxing, Oriental alternative medicine has it that reflexology � massage that applies pressure to certain parts of the hands and feet � do wonders to your overall health.

A beautiful woman glows inside and out, and is clean and well-groomed from head to foot. Always keep your feet healthy, happy and beautiful.

LIVE AND LOVE LIKE IT WERE YOUR LAST

All that glitters is not gold.
This so many times I'm told.

But what is gold?
What is its cost?

Can it be measured
if all is lost?

Is it warm?
Is it cold?

Can it comfort
when we grow old?

Can it buy you love?
Can it bring you joy?

Is gold a commodity
that you heart can enjoy?

Can it say I love you
and dry a sorrows tear.

Will it grow more tender
year after year?

The gold that really glitters
is the gold that I see.

When you have entered a room
and your eyes see me.

Your eyes have the glitter
and oh how they do glow.

The wealth is in
the gold I see.

Found in the love
Between you and me.

Live and love each day
as though it were your last.

FASHION PITFALLS

Smart dressing is very important if only because what clothes we wear and how we actually wear them tells a lot about the kind of people we are. They say that clothes make the man, or woman, as in our case, and it is indeed true.

We do not have to be fashion gurus or runway models to be able to look the part of the smart dresser. Most of the time, all it takes is to be neat, clean and presentable, and to be presentable, you have to use a bit of common sense and to avoid these everyday fashion pitfalls. You may find some of them funny, but woe to you if you are found guilty of such errors. Read on, learn and enjoy.

The everyday fashion pitfalls that you should avoid include:

Wearing outfits that are see-through. We always hear that less is more, and that adage is definitely applicable here. The less skin seen on you is oftentimes a lot better than baring it all. A touch of modesty does not hurt. Besides, wearing see-through clothes make you look on the slutty side, so it is best to shy away from them altogether.

Carrying a belly bulge. Even the slimmest women can be ruined by wearing pants hemilnesr skirts that are too tight at the waist. A waistband that is too tight pushes up the flesh of the abdomen, and it is quite ugly to look at. How can you breathe when your pants or skirt is too tight, anyway? Make sure that the waist of your bottom garment fits just right � not too tight, and not even snug.

Sporting an underarm cleavage. If the flesh on that part of your breast which meets the underarm bulges up, it means that the sleeve holes of your top are too tight and that your bra does not fit you snuggly. It also means that you should get a bra that is just the right size for your breasts. A right-fitting brassiere has cups that are just low enough to easily rest against your breasts.

Dragging hemlines for pants. Do the hems of your pant legs get caught in your shoes when you are walking? The solution to this problem is to have the legs of your pants sewn in such a way that when you are wearing mules and such footwear, they are long enough not to get caught in.

Squeezing in the sleeves. It is the autumn season and winter is fast approaching. Because it is cold, sweaters have become a necessity. Now, there are nice, warm sweaters out there that have really bulky sleeves. If you are going to wear a jacket or a coat over them, make sure that the sleeves of this jacket or coat are wide enough to accommodate those bulky sleeves.

Showing sweat stains. Sweat stains are very unsightly. If your clothes have them on the underarms and they would not come out with washing, consider wearing these clothes for doing heavy chores like yard work instead. If you have a problem with your sweating, use a deodorant and consult a doctor.

Unsightly panties. If you think panty lines are horrible, you should look upon bunched up panties with even more horror. If your panties are too old and too stretched out already, give them a rest and throw them away. Neither should you wear panties the straps of which show outside the waistband of your pants. It is so dumb and so unneat.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHOES

Women certainly love their shoes.

Are you like Carrie Bradshaw, the sassy fashionista character played by Sarah Jessica Parker in the HBO hit series Sex and the City, who has some $40,000.00 invested in a closet full of shoes but has yet to wear all of them?
Do you know your shoes?

If you do know your shoes, then well and good for you. You can go ahead and skip the rest of this article.

But if you do not have even the smallest of ideas as to what kinds of shoes there are around, then perhaps it may interest you to skim through the rest of this piece.

So, do you know your shoes?

Pink shoes



Ankle strap shoes. Ankle strap shoes are shoes that have buckled or elastic straps that are fastened around the ankle. They can either be sandals or pumps. However, ankle strap shoes where the strap is a ribbon or string that is wrapped many times around the ankle and are tied are more often called ankle wrap shoes.




Ballerina flats. Ballerina flats are footwear that have flat heels and closed toes. Aside from these, ballerina flats often show most of the top of the wearer�s foot and are also styled like slippers.



Clogs. Clogs have thick platform heels, traditionally made of wood but can now be made from other materials. They also have closed toes and open backs.




d'Orsay pump. A d�Orsay pump is a type of shoe where the sides are cut away to reveal the arch of the foot.




Espadrilles. Espadrilles are slip-ons made of woven fabric and with a flexible sole. The fabric making up the shoe is usually canvas.




Kitten heel shoes. Kitten heel shoes are pumps with thin and low heels set. These heels are set in from the back of the shoes and often emphasize the feminine shape of the heel.




Mary Jane shoes. Mary Jane shoes are shoes that have straps over the top of the foot. These shoes can either have just one strap or more than one. Mary Janes also come in different heights.




Mules. A shoe is a mule if the back is open and the toes are closed. But unlike clogs, the heel of a mule can either be chunky or slender, regardless of height.




Platform shoes. A platform shoe has a thick sole at the front. The heels can either be wedged, thick and chunky, or even stilettos.




Slide shoe. A slide shoe is a slip on shoe that has either a single strap or a set of straps across the top, but with both the toe and the back open. A slide shoe can come in flats or can also have a heel of any type or height.




Sling-back shoes. If a shoe has a strap at the back instead of having a full, closed back, it is a sling-back shoe. A sling-back shoe can either have an open toe or a closed toe.




Stiletto shoes. Stiletto shoes have slender, high and pointed heels. They are also called spikes.




Wedge. Wedge shoes are those that have triangular heels that run from the back of the shoe to the middle or even the front, creating a wedge shape. Wedge shoes come in different heights.

WARDROBE MUST-HAVES

What are the elements of a timeless wardrobe?

A timeless wardrobe contains white tops. When we say white tops, it does not have to be a plain T-shirt or a baby tee. Have fun and choose different styles, with different collars and different length of sleeves (or no sleeves at all), as long as it is white. A white top can go with anything and can be worn anywhere.

Jeans are a must have in building a timeless wardrobe. You can wear jeans in many ways. You can throw a baggy T-shirt with jeans and sneakers if you do not feel like dressing up. You can also match a nice blouse and classy, heeled pumps if you feel like dressing pretty without exerting much effort. Get yourself a couple or so pairs of high quality and with a great fit, and you will find yourself with a good wardrobe investment.

Some women shy away from buying dresses because they feel that they cannot get as much mileage out of a dress as from a pair of slacks or a power suit. On the contrary, a dress can look nice either as daywear or for the night, depending on how you accessorize. If you want to spend wisely on a dress, get one that you can wear on any occasion.

Pearls never go out of fashion. If you want a touch of class and elegance on any outfit, just wear a string of pearls around your neck. If you have an heirloom pearl necklace, cherish it and take very good care of it. If you do not have one, you may want to consider saving up and investing your money on a few good pieces of pearl jewelry. However, you can still get away with artificial pearl beads if you wear them right and take care of them properly.

Just like when buying a dress, when buying jackets, choose one that you can wear anywhere and anytime, depending on the other articles of clothing and accessories that you match with it.

You also do not need to own so many handbags. Just a couple of bags that are high quality and with some color and personality can do you a lot of good.

And of course, no timeless wardrobe is complete without the little black dress. Whenever you feel that you have nothing to wear, you can always rely on your little black dress to save you. Choose one that fits your personality and your lifestyle.

ALL ABOUT DRESSING UP

Dress For Your Figure


Coming up with the perfect outfit to match our figure can be difficult at times. Not all women are built alike, so what may look good on someone else may not look good on us, especially when the other woman�s body type is different from us. Also, it is not always good to rely on the fashions displayed by runway models on the catwalk. Let�s face it: designers generally love stick-thin women, and runway models are several sizes smaller than the average woman.

But whether we have the body that makes for a walking mannequin or not, there is no rule out there that says that we cannot wear clothes that flatter our figures and remain fashionable. After all, it is us ordinary women that make fashion designers rich. All we have to do is to choose carefully the clothes we wear so that they enhance our assets and play down our liabilities.

How should we dress to flatter our figures? It depends on what type of figure we actually have, and there are basically six types of figures.

The skinny type. The skinny type is, well, skinny. Skinny women are those whose bodies are thin, angular, and yes, with very little fat in them. What skinny women would want is to create the illusion of curves, and this illusion of curves is achieved by creating bulk through layering clothes � vests over tops or dresses over trousers. Aside from layering, wearing clothes with extra details like ruffles, pleats and gathers also add bulk to the body and make it seem curvier.

The top-heavy type. Top-heavy women are women who have bulkier upper bodies and busts that are bigger than their hips. What they would want is to create a balance by playing down the upper body. This can be done by wearing dark tops, or tops that have monochromatic prints, and then pairing them with light-colored pants or skirts. Wearing necklines that give the illusion of length, such as V-necks, will also help tone down the bulky torso.

The bottom-heavy type. Bottom-heavy women are those who have hips that are bigger than their upper bodies. Women with these body types ought to draw the attention away from their hips by wearing light-colored tops that enhance the cleavage and pairing them with sober, dark-colored skirts or pants. The eyes can be further drawn to the torso through the use of chunky necklaces, dangling earrings or long chains around the neck.

The long and lanky type. Women with long and lanky bodies have more flesh than the skinny ones; they are also generally taller. But they have the same concern: how to create the curves that they do not have. The layered look also works for women with this body type. Wide skirts or pants with wide legs in light colors will also work, but never pair them with tops with a low cut.

The petite type. Petite women are those whose bodies are short, lean and thin, but straight. They are small-breasted and do not have waists. These women would need to create the illusion of a waist by wearing a bold belt that greatly contrasts with their tops or their dresses, or full skirts.

The curvy type. Women who have curves should feel good no matter what the sizes of those curves are. Curves are beautiful, and they should be enhanced by clothes that skim the body, like wraparound dresses or blouses, or clothes with fabrics that drape the body. Baggy clothes should be avoided because they only add unwanted bulk.

NEW PET AT HOME

My daughter takes care of TWEETY so well.
Tweety is growing, strong and healthy.
And just the day before yesterday my mother came to our house with a surprise box for my daughter...
Well, it was a small fish tank with two cute little orange fish inside swimming and gobbling!
Another adopted member of the family!
And my daughter was very happy and was overwhelmed about the new creatures at home.
She named them COSMO and WANDA, characters from the famous fairly odd parents cartoons.
I just hope she'll still prioritize her homework instead of playing with her pets especially when I am not around.

MYYEARBOOK.COM

As I roam around the office, I noticed few people are so busy with a new social networking online.
Especially in the evening , one of them is even campaigning for a vote or something..
I haven't checked the site yet but I got so curious who did this interesting site.
I am only accustomed to Friendsters, multiply, facebook and hi-5, so this is really new to me.
Even my daughter has a friendster account and I 'm sure if she'll find out about MYYEARBOOK.COM, I'm pretty sure she'll sign up right away.
I know it's a dinosaur issue, but as I told you before I am not that techy person and I am still learning and exploring the web for myself.
Well, below are interesting facts about MYYEARBOOK.COM

GEOFF COOK
DAVE COOK
CATHERINE COOK
owners of -
MYYEARBOOK.COM


Ages: 29 (Geoff), 19 (Dave), and 17 (Catherine)
Location: New Hope, Pa.
2006 Revenue: undisclosed
Employees: 25
Year founded: 2005


A social networking site for teens, myYearbook.com was hatched around the family dinner table by siblings Catherine and Dave two years ago. With older brother Geoff now on board, the site has since grown from a single high school to more than 3 million members and more than 4.5 million visitors a month, ranking it third among all social networking sites in the United States, behind MySpace and Facebook.

myYearbook was initially created by two high school students, David and Catherine Cook, and their older brother Geoff, during Spring Break of 2005. Catherine persuaded Geoff, who founded EssayEdge.com and ResumeEdge.com from a Harvard dorm in 1997, to invest $100,000,000 for their project. At the launch of the site in April 2005, Dave was a junior and Catherine was a sophomore at Georgetown University; the project was only activated for their school in suburban New Jersey, Montgomery High School. The site was inspired by the typical yearbooks sold in high schools, but was intended to not only keep records of students but also allow them to keep in contact with one another. The site slowly grew to have a user base numbering in the thousands. As with other social-networking sites, it is free to register and there are no fees for users.

In November 2005, the forum Mystery of the Zenhex merged with myYearbook, adding several thousand members and more than doubling the traffic it received. Zen, the creator of Zenhex, was running low on funds and could not support Zenhex's rapidly growing member base. The increasing jump in members caused the site's servers to overload and create a series of notifications known as Database Connection Errors, or DBCEs. In order to keep Zenhex alive, Zen merged with myYearbook. After the merge, myYearbook experienced a very rapid growth rate; it grew 44% from November 2005 to December 2005 according to a Media Metrix report.[6] Zenhex has remained as the forum pool for MyYearbookers & "hexxors," original members of the Mystery of the Zenhex, with varying topics and forum areas. Zenhex, though, still regards itself as its own site, and prefers to be associated separately from myYearbook. Despite this, access to the forum can only be attained by passing though many myYearbook pages, with hopes to draw people to the myyearbook part of the site.

THE CONTINUATION....

Whenever I start writing about my dad, I can't help but cry...
It was his 4th death anniversary last weekend and I promised myself to continue the post I did for him.
Unfortunately, a renovation was undergoing so the house was in a mess.
We planned to go to the cemetery but it rained cats and dogs so we stayed home and went to the supermarket, for our one week food supply, later that day
My half-sister in Japan used to call us when it's our father's anniversary but this year she didn't. I don't know why. Maybe she forgot or she might be very occupied or something.
She used to call before...
She used to send something for my father...
She used to call without important thing to say...
I hope she still have our number...
AS far as I know, she knew all of our numbers, both homephone and mobile phone.
I just hope this day is not yet FORGOTTEN...
And our Dad as well....

Guides for Starting a Business

Guides for Starting a Business

- Business Licenses and Permits
- Business Structure Basics
- Buy an Existing Business
- Create a Great Business Card
- Create a Logo
- Find a Great Location for Your Business
- Find Product Sources
- Freelance Your Expertise
- Hire an Attorney
- Hire and Orient a New Employee
- Name Your Business
- Paying Yourself: From Startup and Beyond
- Research Your Business Idea
- Start a Kiosk Business
- Start a Service Business
- Start an E-Commerce Business
- The Basics of Money Management
- Value Your Startup
- What Should You Charge?
- Write Your Marketing Plan

WORD TO THE WISE

These 8 tired words will turn customers off instead of drawing them in.
By Kim T. Gordon | Entrepreneur Magazine - July 2008

Words are at the heart of almost every form of marketing. Whether they're married to images or standing on their own, words stimulate ideas, emotions and even our senses. Choose your words carefully, and sales will follow. Make the wrong choices, and customers will tune you out.

Right now, straight talk is in, and consumers prefer specifics to generalizations.

Bombarded daily with thousands of marketing messages, prospects respond to those that ring true and offer the specific benefits and features they desire. Throw in too much hyperbole, or make the same old tired promises as other advertisers, and your ads will be ignored.

Are you guilty of word crimes? Check this list of the most overused words eroding the quality of today's marketing. If you use these generalizations, you'll have a lot of explaining to do.

1. CARE: "We care," "caring for you" and "from people who care" are all versions of the same weak promise. Typically, you'll find these phrases in health-care, insurance and financial marketing. They prompt prospects to wonder how the promise will benefit them and in what ways this caring attitude is manifested. But because the word itself is so overused, prospects may not pay attention long enough to learn the answer.

2. SOLUTIONS: The great love of technology marketers, this word has been beaten to death. So many companies promise to have the solution that the word is no longer credible. Since most customers or clients believe their challenges are unique, it's hard for them to specifically imagine how these solutions will be delivered without lots of additional information from the advertiser.

3. RESULTS: Though not truly a naughty word, results has been overused and represents a highly general, fairly toothless promise. When confronted with the promise of results, most prospects will want proof. So if you choose to use this word, be prepared with testimonials and other support.

4. AMAZING: How many "amazing" breakthroughs have you seen advertised today? Are most of them really amazing? Probably not. This superlative makes something sound too good to be true. Use it with caution and be ready to back it up with plenty of details.

5. NEEDS: It seems like every advertiser these days promises to meet our needs. But most are short on specifics. This tired promise elicits a ho-hum response because we already expect the things we buy to meet our needs. Why else would we buy them? Strengthen your selling proposition by detailing how your product or service will do a better job of meeting needs than what your competitors offer.

6. QUALITY: Just as we expect products and services to meet our needs, we also expect high-quality merchandise. Consumers believe quality should be a given. What makes your product of higher quality than others? Tell consumers the ways you ensure quality, and you'll put some teeth into this bland promise.

7. TURNKEY: Marketing that promises a "turnkey solution" is likely to be met with skepticism mixed with a touch of fear over the prospective loss of control it suggests. Prospects must trust that your company will provide stellar performance every step of the way. That makes it essential to use specifics and take sufficient space or time to tell a complete story.

8. #1: It seems everyone is claiming to be No. 1 at something. Whether it's price, delivery, convenience or savings, marketers are claiming number-one status with very little proof. And that has damaged the effectiveness of this claim. Plus, being No. 1 is all about you and not about the advantages you provide to the customer. Use words that specifically detail how your number-one status translates into a higher value for the customer, and everyone wins.

Contact marketing expert Kim T. Gordon, author of Maximum Marketing, Minimum Dollars: The Top 50 Ways to Grow Your Small Business, at smallbusiness now.com. Her new e-book, Big Marketing Ideas for Small Budgets, is available exclusively from Entrepreneur at smallbizbooks.com.

BEAUTY / PERSONAL CARE BUSINESS IDEAS

Business Ideas

Business Name / Description
categories- BEAUTY / PERSONAL CARE

1. Alcohol-Free Club
Don't like confiscating car keys from your friends? Make a business out of promoting sober fun.


2. Alteration Service
Help others look their best with an alteration business.


3. Body Piercing
Start a business that pierces its way through the community.
Category: Beauty/Personal Care


4. Cosmetics Retailing
With even men and children becoming more interested in cosmetics, this large market is one worth considering.


5. Day Spa
Get creative by offering things like vinotherapy and kids' spa services. The ways to differentiate yourself are numerous.


6. Drive-Through Laundromat
Take the hassle out of getting clothes cleaned by offering drive-through service at your laundromat.


7. Hair Removal Service
Capitalize on this popular procedure that both women and men take advantage of.


8. Hair Salon
Help people do it up right with a hair salon.


9. Health Taxi
No more car excuses; give patients a reliable way to get to their doctor or dentist check-ups.


10. Image Consultant
Use your keen eye to help people look their best.


11. Makeup Artist
Wow clients with glam looks as a makeup artist.


12. Manicure/Pedicure Salon
Get your feet wet with a pedicure and manicure salon.


13. Massage Oils
Help people work out the kinks by providing them with massage oils.


14. Massage Salon / Massage Therapist
- Knead away people's cares, and they'll probably be back for more.
- If you love working with your hands, consider a massage therapy business.


15. Mobile Foot Massage Service
Get a kick out of your work and relieve some sore feet by starting a mobile foot massage service.


16. Office Moving
Here's a company that you can get your move on.

17.Organic Hair Care Products
Cater to the organic-minded with natural hair care products.


18. Pedicure Service
Enjoy flexible hours while keeping people's feet looking great with a pedicure service.


19. Perfume
Make the world a better-smelling place by making or selling perfume.

20. Personal Care Product Vending
Start a vending business and give people an easy and convenient way to get personal care products in public locations.


21. Personal Shopper
Fashion forward? Keep others looking good as a personal shopper.


22. Saunas
You want a hot business? It doesn't get much hotter than this.

23. Senior Citizen Clothing
Make shopping more convenient for seniors by taking the clothing to them.


24. Skin Care Products
Anti-aging has never been hotter. Capitalize on this market unlikely to dwindle anytime soon.


25. Specialty Soaps
Clean up by producing specialty soaps.


26. Tanning Salon
Give people that bronze glow all year with a bulb or spray-on tanning salon.


27. Wigs
Hospitals and medicals centers are among the growing consumer opportunities for wig businesses.

PERFECT WIFE

HOW TO BE A PERFECT WIFE

GET YOUR WORK DONE

Plan your tasks with an eye on the clock. Finish or interrupt them an hour before he is expected. Your anguished cry, "Are you home already?" is not exactly a warm welcome.

HAVE DINNER READY

Plan ahead, even the night before to have a delicious meal, on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

PREPARE YOURSELF

Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. This will also make you happy to see him instead of too tired to care. Turn off the worry and be glad to be alive and grateful for the man who is going to walk in. While you are resting you can be thinking about your Fascinating Womanhood assignment and all you can do to make him happy and give his spirits a lift. When you arise, take care of your appearance. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

CLEAR AWAY THE CLUTTER

Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. in a bucket or wastebasket and put them in the back bedroom for sorting later. Then run a dustcloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order and it will give you a lift too. Having the house in order is another way of letting him know that you care and have planned for this homecoming.

PREPARE THE CHILDREN

Take just a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small) comb their hair, and if necessary change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them look the part.

MINIMIZE ALL NOISE

Especially give heed to this if your husband has to join rush hour traffic. At the time of his arrival eliminate noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet at the time of their father's arrival. Let them be a little noisy beforehand to get it out of their system.

BE HAPPY TO SEE HIM

Greet him with a warm smile and act glad to see him. Tell him that it is good to have him home. This may make his day worthwhile. If there is any romance left in you, he needs it now.

SOME DON'TS
Don't greet him with problems and complaints. Solve the problems you can before he gets home and save those you must discuss with him until later in the evening.
Also, don't complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as a minor problem when compared with what he might have gone through that day.
Don't allow the children to rush at him with problems or requests. Allow them to briefly greet their father but save demands for later.

MAKE HIM COMFORTABLE

Have him lean back into a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to massage his neck and shoulders and take off his shoes. Don't insist on this however. Turn on music if it is one of his pleasures. Speak in a soft, soothing, pleasant voice. Allow him to relax - to unwind.

LISTEN TO HIM

You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first, then he will be a more responsive listener later.

MAKE THE EVENING HIS

Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and to relax. If he is cross or irritable, never fight back. Again, try to understand his world of strain.

THE GOAL

Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit. Then add to this the application of all the principles of Fascinating Womanhood and your husband will want to come home. He will rather be with you than with anyone else in the world and will spend whatever time he can possibly spare with you. Try living all of these rules for his homecoming and see what happens. This is the way to bring a man home to your side, not by pressure, persuasion or moral obligation.

Guys,
I had been to 3 different malls today...

Megamall will be on MALLWIDE SALE until Sunday, October 19!
Robinson Pioneer- Midnight sale October 17
Mallwide sale October 17-19
Trinoma- MALLWIDE sale until Sunday!!!
Havaianas is on sale ,too!
When you buy 2 pairs of HAVS you'll get 40 % discount OFF the price!!!

HURRY!
HURRY!
HURRY!

SHOPPING! SHOPPING! SHOPPING!

SHOPPING! SHOPPING! SHOPPING!

Christmas is fast approaching ...
Need to buy gifts for your
loved ones?
friends?
officemates?
neighbors?

check this out...

A GIRL NAMED ELISHA

My daughter went home from school angry at her dad and pleading him to change her name.
She was being teased in school because according to her classmates hers is a boy's name.
Well, to pacify her anger , I explained why she was named Elisha and told her about Elisha Cuthbert, a famous Hollywood actress. And also a man famous of his invention, the elevator, Elisha Graves Otis.

INFO FOR BABY NAME ELISHA:

Gender: a boy or girl's name (UNISEX)
- Syllables: 3
- # of Characters: 6
- Pronunciation: a-LEE-sha
- the 605th most popular name

So, for couples who are expecting to have a baby and is still looking for baby names, here are some tips to consider:

The baby's last name
When searching for baby names, always consider the baby's last name. Saying the two names together should produce a sound with a nice ring. Feel free to say the name out loud over and over, to get a good feel for the baby name.

If the baby's last name is long
Long baby names will often strike a balance with a short last name. Keanu Reeves rolls off the tongue much better than does Joe Reeves. Last names with two syllables typically sound good with any length first name. AND
If the baby's last name is short.
Many look for short baby names to compliment a long last name. Jane Gulbranson sounds better than Juanita Gulbranson.

Baby names with a dash of uniqueness
Baby names which are unique can often be a great thing. Baby names that are TOO unique may not be a good thing. Jermaine Jackson named his son Jermajesty, which we believe to be a punishable offense!

A name for the baby's entire life
Remember that a name lasts the baby's entire life. A baby name like 'Precious' may be fun to say for the baby's first couple years. But later in life, the name 'Precious' on a resume may cost your child the chance for a once in a lifetime job.

Is an odd baby name a good thing?
Think twice before choosing an odd baby name. Research suggests kids with odd names are teased more by peers and are overall less socialized. But if your family is full of bravado and energy, odd baby names may be a great thing.

Baby names that end in consonants
If a baby is going to have a last name that begins with a hard consonant, you may want to choose a baby name that ends in a vowel. News anchor Paula Zahn's name is much more pleasant than if she was named Liz Zahn.

The pitfalls of common names
Common baby names can be a blessing or a curse. On one hand, you cannot go wrong with the common baby name. On the other hand, your son or daughter will likely be known as Mary P. or John O. at school and throughout life.

Don't forget the baby's middle name
Many baby names are chosen to honor a favorite relative, religious figure, hero, or sports star. If the baby name does not make a good first name, perhaps the name could be used as the baby's middle name.

Analyze baby names through the eyes of a 12 year old
We've all gone through it - our schoolmates try to make a 'not so glamorous' nickname for us. Your child will thank you for avoiding the baby names which are obvious fodder for teasing. Naming your daughter 'April' or 'May' may cause teasing during those spring months.

When to avoid celebrity baby names
Some celebrities can become so much larger than life, their name becomes one you may not want to use for your baby name. We may never see many people naming their children Elvis or Cher.

Baby names meant for a nickname
Some baby names can be derived from naming your baby a longer name. If you want to call your baby girl Jen, you may want to name her Jennifer. If you want to call your baby boy Zeke, you may want to name him Ezekiel.

Can't decide between two baby names - combine them!
There will be occasions when one cannot decide between two baby names. See if the two names can be combined. We know a girl whose parents could not decide between Janelle and Della, so she was named Janella. We think that's a great baby name.

Consider the baby name's meaning
You may want to consider the importance of the baby name's meaning. Even if this is not important to you, it may be important to your child.

Baby names using the mother's maiden name
If retaining the mother's maiden name is important, and you do not like hyphenating last names, try using the maiden name as the first name or middle name. Many maiden names may not be best suited for a first name, but will often make a great middle name.

Baby names and the initials they create
When choosing baby names, make sure to consider whether the baby name creates initials which are undesirable. Francis Arthur Thompson sounds like a great name, but the initials spell out F.A.T.

Announce baby names to trusted friends and family
Once you have zoned in on a baby name, get feedback from a couple, well-trusted friends or family. Their advice and input can be invaluable, and they can often point out anything you may have missed.

Your offspring will carry the name you gave for a lifetime so better pick one that she/ he'll be proud of and you as well.

RESPONDING AND REACTING

Response VS Reaction. Is there a difference, really?


Let me share with you what I have learned recently.

Response is defined by the Dictionary as an answer or reply, as in words or in some action, used for variety of reactions. Reaction, on the other hand is described as action in response to some influence, event, etc. So how do we set a line between response and reaction. A friend referred to these two as Two Types Of Answer. Let’s take a look at a practical example.

If for example your wife says

“when are you gonna bring home enough money to feed all the mouth in this household?”

and you answered sarcastically with

“as soon as you start earning your keep!”

or perhaps

“why don’t you wear the pants and why don’t I stay here all day with the kids?”

or something to that effect, you are without doubt reacting to her words. What if you answered instead calmly with

“I know it’s not enough but I’m doing my best”

Then you are responding. Even if you replied in a soft admonishment for her lack of faith, but you made it in a constructive manner with an aim to resolve the discontentment, then you are responding to the situation. As in when your mother says

“when are you going to get a real job and stop sitting in front of that computer all day long?”

and you answered patiently with

“mother, this is work. what may seem as just sitting all day to you is actually work for me”

.. as compared to

“I hope you’d mind your own business, mom. You don’t hear me complaining when you’re sitting all day watching tv!”.

You may say that responding, then, is a stoic response to a provocation. But I’d like to label it as a constructive and logical address to a situation concomitant with patience and calmness. Response can deflect negative situation and turn the whole thing into positive discussion, while Reaction encourages retaliation.

So, how are you dealing with unpleasant situations in your life lately? Are you responding or are you reacting?

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

My colleagues call me ANDREA but it 's not my real name.
According to my immediate superiors, my real name is hard to pronounce and doesn't sound American.
So , they came up with that name and I have been known Andrea for almost 3 years now.
I´m working as an English as a Second Language Teacher and I became fascinated with foreign names at one time - particularly names of Nationals who doesn´t use the English alphabet for their given names.

As an English Teacher, I am, sometimes, asked by my students to give them an English name, if they don´t have one. And so, I would find myself giving them an English name like I was giving candies. It was fascinating, how a person who´s been called Lee Wang Hee (or some such name) for all of his 35 years in life, will, in a snap, be called David or Jason, or whatever name I would fancy at the time. And they answer to it! –and use it for all of their dealings in the English world.

My name sounds Spanish so I asked my hubby for an English name he'd call me or would suit me and my personality.


He stared at me and sighed and said Stacey. Stacey is a variant of Anastasia.
Anastasia, which in Greek means "resurrection" and is derived from the two words "Ana" meaning up and "Stasis" mean standing or stable.
It is 847th most popular name in the U.S.

The following is a list of famous people using the name Stacey:
Stacey Augmon - basketball player

Stacey Blades - guitarist from various bands

Stacey DePass - a canadian voice actress

Stacey Elder - American supermodel

Stacey Elliott - actress

Stacey Glick - actress

Stacey Williams - model; actress

Stacey Farber - Canadian actress

Andrea and Stacey....sound good....
But no, I 'll still choose to be called the name my mom gave me.
We will share the same name until I die.
It's our name...a glorious name...!

A POEM I LOVE

from :ruthhaven.com

* I believe that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

* I believe that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

* I believe that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distances. The same goes for true love.

* I believe that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

* I believe that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

* I believe that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

* I believe that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

* I believe that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

* I believe that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take it's place.

* I believe that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

* I believe that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

* I believe that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

* I believe that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

* I believe that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

* I believe that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want him or her to doesn't mean they don't love you with all he or she has.

* I believe that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

* I believe that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

* I believe that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

* I believe that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

* I believe that you shouldn't be eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

* I believe that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

* I believe that your life can be changed, in a matter of hours, by people who don't even know you.

* I believe that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

* I believe that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

MELAMINE CONTAMINATED PRODUCTS

Last week, I went home and noticed a red mark on my daughter's neck and applied rubbing alcohol to cleanse the area and after a few hours the redness were scattered and visible around her body and she told me that it was itchy.
I asked a friend about the first aid for it and she told me wash with vinegar, aplly cold compress but still it didn't improve.
My daughter's face and body was covered with hives and we decided to bring her to the hospital and she got an anti- allergy shot.
The doctor said - NO to chicken, egg, noodles, juice, chocolates (bar , candies, drinks) seafoods, soy sauce, fish sauce and any other kinds of seasoning.
Since we still can not trace the real cause or the food that triggered the allergic reaction I was scared of buying ANY kind of products/ goods from China
As the melamine in milk products from China problem continues to grow apace, Sciencebase presents a succinct list of melamine contaminated food list culled from the most recent news results on the subject. This is by no means an exhaustive list nor is it a condemnation of any particular products, it’s here merely to raise awareness of what is happening with regard to the melamine in milk scandal.

> Powdered baby milk.
> HK finds melamine in Chinese-made cheesecake.
> Cookies With Melamine Found in Netherlands.
> Mr Brown coffee products.
> Manufacturing giant Unilever recalls melamine tainted tea. CNN is also reporting that the Hong Kong authorities Sunday
> (October 5) announced that two recalled candy products made by British confectioner Cadbury had high levels of melamine.
> Melamine Detected in Two More Ritz Snacks.
> More Chinese-made sweets recalled in Japan.
> White Rabbit brand Chinese candy contaminated: Asian health officials.
> Lipton, Glico and Ritz the latest businesses to be affected by milk powder scandal.
> Hong Kong finds traces of melamine in Cadbury products.

Recalled Melamine Milk Products include Asian versions of Bairong grape cream crackers, Dove chocolate, Dreyers cake mix, Dutch Lady candy, First Choice crackers, Kraft Oreo wafer sticks, M&Ms, Magnum ice cream, Mentos bottle yoghurt, Snickers funsize, Yili hi-cal milk, Youcan sesame snacks and others. Testing of some of those has already proven negative.
Melamine Found in More China-Made Products, including Heinz DHA+AA baby cereal.
305 Chinese dairy-based products temporarily banned in Korea.
US bloggers have gone so far as to uncover dozens of products recalled in China that were still on the shelves of their local supermarkets.
31 new milk powder brands found tainted.
Just for the record, this is not, as was suggested on a couple of blogs linking here, a definitive, complete list. I will TRY AND DO MY BEST to update it as and when new information comes to light. Check out the previous posts for more information in the background to this news story and for further discussion on the issues surrounding the melamine in milk products scandal: Melamine Scandal Widens and (2008-09-29) Milky Melamine.

VACATION! ... REALLY OVER?

I was staring at the calendar and I can't really believe that we are not going to have a holiday until the 25th of December. How come? It means , the last holiday we've savored a holiday/vacation/day-off was last October 3. (excluding SAT and SUN) It was National Foundation Day or "Gaecheonjeol" means "Heaven-opened Day".
I felt exhausted, dismayed and disbelief upon realizing that we haven't executed plans of going out of town this year.
How are we going to make it to Puerto Galera?
Too bad...I hate it, I was looking forward to spending leisure time together with the people whom I am always with(12 hours a day), but we seemed like robots walking and talking inside a box.

There were many changes that inevitably happened like people infanticipating, one of them is my good friend Mylene. The other one is Jinke, who just gave birth recently. How are they going to push us all to go to the beach wherein they can't go there and enjoy the sun and the sand in a daring two piece swimsuit?
One of my friends became a stranger now...total stranger.
Some of them left the company already just like KEN and KICKERS...
And some of them are too damn busy preparing for wedding and new house and all.

Is it still possible?

Thanks to some of them who took time to drop by my station and say HI! even if I'm unavailable /comatose (in deep sleep)/or simply busy talking nonsense.LOL

I know it will happen..the question is WHEN.....

TEN REASONS OF HAVING A PET

Elisha, my 6 year old daughter, got her FIRST PET last weekend.
I know, it's funny and people will find it unusual because she got a chick as her pet.
I didn't really care about the chick at first because, I thought, it won't live long.
I was expecting for the chick to die the next morning but it didn't!
My daughter was even dreaming of her pet, and was talking while asleep and instructing people what to do with her pet's cage.
Okay...She was bugging me to have a pet for a year now and I really wasn't expecting that we'll be having a chick at home....
We went to Pasay last weekend for my niece's birthday party and that's where the chick came from.
Elisha and her older cousin, Chinchin were arguing about losing their money from a pick-a-prize along the sidewalk outside our house. If you'll win you can choose from a variety of colored day-old chicks in a big cage.
My daughter insisted that she won't be picking for a prize anymore but thinking of asking the owner to buy a chick instead. And she did.
So, she took the chick home and is taking care of it.
She named the chick TWEETY.
She told me , she thinks of Tweety while she's in school, she wonders if Ate Rose fed her lovely Tweety already.
One more funny thing is...since I was not expecting for the chick to live this long, we didn't buy food for her and gave biscuit instead.
Tweety loves butter flavored sunflower biscuits and ignores to eat whenever given rice, bread, or unflavored biscuits.
My daughter talks to Tweety and plays with it because Tweety likes chasing her when she's out of her improvised cage.
Whenever she does her worksheet in Kumon and her school assignments, you will see Tweety walking on top of her things and on her study table.
But ...I told her already not to expect for the chick to live with us forever because it will die sooner or later .
For the mean time, she is enjoying Tweety's company.^^

So, I researched and got these ten reasons of having a pet:

by Viviane Kertesz
(used with permission by Lifenetwork.ca)

10. Teach kids about selflessness. Owning a pet teaches discipline and responsibility to a child. Children can learn how to share their time, savings, and companionship with a being that is solely reliant on them. If your kids really want a pet that you know they're not ready for, start smaller: if they can't handle a dog, start with a hamster. If they can't handle a hamster, opt for a fish…and if a fish is too great a burden of responsibility, begin with a Tamagotchi.

9. Pets can increase your sense of security — personal, private, and psychological. Depending on whether you have a feline friend or a canine companion, cats and dogs can increase your sense of security. How so? Dogs can augment personal security when walking alone at night, while cats can ward off potential burglars by meowing to alert you to thieves' proximity. And because you know that someone you trust is always around, any pet, small or large, winged or ground-bound, can instil a sense of mental well-being by merely being close-by.

8. Personal growth 101: For pet owners. Of the countless reasons to own a pet, learning invaluable life skills that enable a person to become a better person is one of the most rewarding. Learning to share love, provide affection, and give attention to a pet are three qualities that enhance the personal quality of human life. Not convinced? Ask any pet owner about the satisfaction of caring for a pet…and whether they'd do it all over again if they could.

7. Need an excuse to get physical? Exercise is a great side effect of owning an active pet. If your pet requires frequent physical stimulus, you'll find that the amount of time you spend outdoors will increase dramatically. Dogs and other quadrupeds revel in enjoying larger spaces than the indoors allow, and will appreciate the time you make to take them on walks. Who knows? Your waistline might even thank you for it.

6. Preparing for parenthood? If you can't keep the fish alive, you'd better rethink your potential parenting skills. Puppies are especially good primers for parenthood, since, like children, they require bladder-control training and need lots of hands-on care and affection. If you're practising for a baby someday, but not ready to take the leap, why not rescue a pooch from a local shelter and put your care-giving capabilities to the test?

5. Looking for a constant companion? As well as love, pets offer continual daily companionship. Even pets like fish, which have a lower maintenance factor than dogs or cats, can be steady friends. Though some pets require frequent litter care and physical attention, like walking or play-time, it's all part and parcel of pet ownership and can quickly become a much-loved routine for you both.

4. It's a great way to meet people. People who have the same types of pets often exchange stories and compare experiences about the progress and histories of their pets, and generally love to talk about them with those who show interest. Whether you're walking your canine in the park or talking about your exotic reptile collection at work, pet ownership breaks the conversational ice and generates curiosity from strangers and friends alike.

3. Getting and giving unconditional love. Animals give you one thing better than R-E-S-P-E-C-T. They give you unquestioning, unbridled, unwavering love. Did your boyfriend or girlfriend suddenly take the high road, or your boss hand you your final paycheque? Never fear, Fluffy is near. Treat your pet with the respect it deserves and you will be repaid in kind with lifelong attention and affection, especially when you need it most.

2. Take a stand on a humanitarian cause. There are so many animals in need of adoption, yet not enough people willing to make the commitment and sacrifice it takes to look after them all. Make a difference in the future of a living being: figure out which animal would best fit your lifestyle, then adopt a pet at your local shelter. Go to the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies to find out more about the closest humane society or pet shelter in your neighbourhood. Sleep better knowing that you have taken on the responsibility of raising a pet while rescuing an animal in need. Your pet will love you for it.

1. Pets are a prescription for good health. How can owning a four-footed friend or winged companion help you live longer? Pets can increase a person's level of activity and ease stress. Medical studies have shown that seniors benefit especially from pet ownership, since owning a pet can decrease blood pressure, fight loneliness, comfort the pain of a departed spouse, and combat depression.