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Archive for January, 2009

How To Email Your College Professor

So its 1:30 am and there you are at the computer trying to refresh the email inbox page. The big test is tomorrow and your Professor still hasn’t replied back, but why? Contrary to popular belief, that your Professor wants you to fail, the problem could stem from the fact that your email never reached him/her. Hence, the purpose of this guide is to show students how to write an effective email to their Professors.

The From Field

Always use your University or College email address when sending an email to your professor. This not only assures the professor that you are indeed a student but also avoids your email from getting put in the spam box. Many Universities and Colleges now employ a system of only allowing emails to be received from certain domains anything else (hotmail, yahoo…etc) is either automatically put in the spam box or is forwarded to the Professor as a potential spam.
Example:

Astudent@university.edu

The To Field

This is the single most important field, if you mess up in here there you can kiss your email good bye. Avoid putting the Professor’s name with the email (A Prof ), since not all emailing system can handle this format. It is always best to send your email to the Professor’s University or College account, since that is the email account that your Professor checks, or should check, the most. And again before sending the email double check to verify that email address was typed correctly.
Example:

Aprof@universtiy.edu

The Subject Field

The subject field should be of the following format:

CollegeName-CourceCode-Title-Subject

CollegeName: Is the name of your post secondary institution (America Learning College, Boston University…etc). Yes I do realize that this may seem a bit redundant but it is important. Most Professors (Usually new Professors) teach at one or more Universities and Colleges at any given term, and the email from those institutions gets forwarded to one main address, usually their ISP email address. So to keep things organized its best to write the name of the College or University in the Subject Field.

CourseCode- Is the code name of the course (MTH140, CPS124, GEF345…etc). It’s best to keep the letters Capital and no spaces between the number and letter.

Title: Over here you type in the title of your subject. (Test 1, Midterm, Exam, Assignment 5…etc)

Subject: Over here you type in what concern or problem you might have (Due Date Issue, Missed Test Issue, HW Problem #45…etc). Remember to keep it brief, no more then 5 words.

Example:

Boston College-MTH140-Assignment 4-HW Problem #45

The Text Body Field

Try to keep things simple, clean and to the point. By that I mean no 2 page emails or fancy fonts and color, remember your first priority is to convey your message not to show off your email editing skills. Start off with writing the Professors name (Prof C.Mcgill, Prof U.Stan…etc). Move on to the subject of your email, as a reminder restate the Course Code and Title Field (During the Monday’s MTH140 class you stated for Assignment 4). The next line should state the problem or concern. Remember to provide details and avoid repetitions. Its best to end the email with a salutatory statement (Thank You, Yours Truly..etc) and use your name, student number and College or University name as signature.

Example:

Prof C. Mcgill,
During the Monday’s MTH140 class you stated for Assignment 4 question #41 to use the second derivative theorem. However, I am having trouble as to how to find the delta X? In particular, during the situation when time is 3 seconds and delta Y is 0. Do we set delta Y to Ymin and solve from there?

Thank You
_________________
Any Student
#:0101010101
Boston University

Things to Keep In Mind

- Give a minimum of one weekday for Professors to reply back, before sending another email.
- Avoid sending multiple duplicate emails at any one given time.
- Try to send emails during weekdays and if possible during the Professors office hours.
- Try to be respectful and Professional (i.e. no offensive language, spell check…etc).
- Avoid taking out frustration by spamming the Professors email box.

Randy, College Student

Infidelity: Difference Between a Rage and Revenge Affair

The fifth affair I outline in my book, “Break Free From The Affair” is called: “I Want to Get Back at Him/Her.” This is the revenge affair.

It occurs in a marriage in which one feels slighted in some manner and seeks revenge by engaging in infidelity. It is less a movement toward the other person and more a movement away from one’s spouse.

Key Points:

1. The affair may be a direct response to the affair of the spouse. “I’ll show you! Take this! I want you to hurt as much as I hurt.” Or the affair may be revenge for some other form of cut-off or perceived emotional injury: “I’m not getting enough here, so I’ll show you!” Or, “There, I got your attention!”

2. This typically occurs in a marriage where effective personal confrontation does not happen or happens ineffectively. There is a mistrust of expressing one’s self fully to the other person. The marriage relationship usually is marked by civility, but the two, in essence, do not know each other very well. They are polite, but there is no fire. They may want more, but are not sure how to get more.

3. The fire that does exist is a smoldering tension under the surface of the marriage. The tension may be the result of the frustration that one or both experience when they believe their needs are not being met. There is a genuine desire for more - from the spouse - but it’s not happening.

4. This form of revenge affair serves as a wake-up call for the relationship. If, and I use the word if advisedly, the couple can “get it out” - drain off the tension - and begin talking about needs, yes, the relationship stands a very good chance of turning into something wonderful. One or both must say with a great deal of passion, “I REALLY want you! I no longer will settle for the boiling frustration and seeming indifference to my needs. This is what I need and expect…..”

5. There is another kind of revenge affair that holds less hope and is more destructive. A revenge affair may be the result of long-standing and unresolved anger or rage toward the opposite sex. There is a persistent pattern of the person pushing others away with rage or anger. There also is a great deal of projection, or this person blaming others for his/her situation.

6. This form of anger is more rage than frustration. The rage emerges from a desire to hurt rather than from the frustration of needs not being met. This person exhibits little concern, as well, for the other person. Whereas someone more frustrated because they want their needs met, is usually more considerate of the other person.

Tip: Begin to make distinctions between rage and frustration. Determine the type of revenge affair you must face. If it is rage, learn to protect yourself and set boundaries. Begin to take exceptional care of yourself. Begin to say no! If it is an affair of frustration, begin looking at your needs. Identify and express those needs. Take a risk. Turn up the passion button. Dare to engage about needs, both yours and the others.

EzineArticles Expert Author Dr. Robert Huizenga

Dr. Robert Huizenga, The Infidelity Coach, has helped hundreds of couples over the past two decades heal from the agony of extramarital affairs and survive infidelity. Visit his website at: http://www.break-free-from-the-affair.com

Wonderful White Gold Wedding Rings

The elegant and sophisticated look of glittering, gleaming gold. There’s nothing quite like it.

Some people never grow tired of the look of pure gold jewelry. Gold, being our most precious metal, is often a first choice among couples looking for that perfect gold wedding ring.

While yellow gold remains very popular with the wedding crowd. Many people prefer the brilliant hue of a white gold wedding ring.

White gold will look beautiful on you whether you’re a man or a woman. You can find online a great selection of white gold diamond wedding rings and white gold wedding ring sets. Also, if you’re looking for something a little fancier that can also become a piece of wonderful keepsake jewelry, white gold makes a very elegant engraved wedding ring that can be passed on to future generations.

The one thing you need to be aware of when buying a white gold wedding ring is that it will need periodic maintenance in order to keep it’s luster.

To obtain it’s much desired glittering white color, white gold is coated with another alloy called Rhodium (the natural color of white gold is really light gray). Rhodium will wear down after a while, so to maintain your ring’s luster, you’ll need to visit your local jeweler about every 12-18 months and have it re-plated with a new coating of Rhodium. The cost for this should be very reasonable.

Whether you’re looking for a plain gold wedding band, or a wedding ring with sparkling diamonds, white gold is an excellent choice for those looking for something a little extra special.

First-Class Early Season Snow in the Alps

Climate change and the credit crunch, these double apocalypse have spared the European Alps, at any rate for Christmas. On the other hand it could have been so entirely polar. Before Christmas villages in the Super Besse locale were isolated when snow storms came down. Dual carriage way routes such as the busy Col du La Mongie were severed. At that place there was no mains or telephones, home owners were evacuated to temporary dwellings, it seemed as though it were a repeat of 1997.

It seems that all news is good news. La Tania featured nightly on the French news. As soon as electricity was restored reservations began to pour in, attracted by the excellent skiing conditions.

Brevent and nearby La Rosiere lay claim to virtually 5.5 m snow depth on the top pistes at 2000 metres alt. and 2.1 meters at the end of the resorts. At the moment the best in the French Alps. Tignes claims that there is four metres at the the highest point of the resort. Unfortunately a snow drift has knocked over a pylon of the ski lift that goes up to the sector. It will be out of commission until mid March.

Elsewhere in the European Alps reservations are up 17% in Plateau de Beille, La Tania and Super Besse. La Mongie has 2% occupancy and distributed a record number of lift passes last Wednesday. This is great for luxury ski chalets and large ski operators.

Sales Training Means Business

Copyright 2006 Sherry Harris

You can be a master in producing world-class products and may be among the best in the business, but that is not enough. You have to sell the product and anytime and anywhere in the world convincing a consumer is not an easy task. It is a well-accepted perception that to sell a product in numbers, product quality is not always the top priority. It has been observed that a reasonable product can outnumber a superior product by selling more units. It may sound harsh but it is a fact and the corporate world agrees with it. So we can conclude that selling a product is a craft and sales pundits nurture that and try to refine it everyday. To attain this craft we have to get sales training under the supervision of these pundits and professionals.

In sales training a set of steps are taught that need to be adhered to sell products. These are:

1. Planning and/or preparation 2. Introduction or opening 3. Questioning 4. Presentation 5. Overcoming objections/negotiating 6. Close or closing 7. After-sales follow-up

These are the golden rules of sales and followed by all sales training programs everywhere in the world. After completing sales training a person can apply these set of rules in his/her own way. Sales training teaches these rules but how you implement this rule is up to you.

What else is included in this type of training? In short, the course should be designed in such a way that any one from any background can understand and learn the subject. You are taught the basics of demonstrating a product. The course puts stress on the psychological aspects too. You may be giving your full when selling a product but that is not enough. It has to be on the buyer’s mind. The buyer decides to purchase the product, not you. Thus in the course you learn how to influence your buyer. If you can do this, then the rest of the transaction is just a formality.

Salesmen in the entire world more or less follow a similar set of rules. The idea is learn the rules, then closely follow the rules and then work on your plan. This is the safest way to sell your product.

‘Sales’ is the buzzword in any business. Any businessman in the world is always fascinated about the sales of his products. If you are a businessman, then you must be dreaming of increasing the sales of your product.

As a businessperson, either you are a producer and selling your products through dealers or simply a seller of the various products. In any case you are selling products. So we can conclude that, a sale is an inseparable activity of business.

In the world everything follows a cycle. The cycle is a series of events linked together in a systematic manner. In business a cycle also exists. In the business cycle there are different stages and in a stage there are certain activities. In any business cycle multiple types of sales happen.

Demand for a product is the first stage of a business cycle. Demand creates the need for production. The product is produced and then it goes to market for sale.

A product can be sold in three ways.

1. Sales through various outlets to the consumer directly. 2. Sales through dealers, retailers and then a secondary sales to consumer 3. Producer sells the product in the wholesale market. Many wholesalers purchase the product. A wholesaler sells the product to a retailer and then the retailer sells the product to a consumer.

The bottom line is every industry in the world to survive requires sales. You survey the market; find a product to produce or sell. You may be a marketing person or from a production house, in any case the basic criteria for selecting a product are the selling probability of the product. To sell a product you have to be a good salesman. Otherwise despite the good quality of the product you can fall short of the target sales. Another reason, a sales training course is essential.

Tips for Clay Soils

We are located in Doylestown Pa. and are surrounded with heavy clay soils. The soils in our area will not support plants that can’t tolerate wet feet. Thus our nursery does not offer plants such as Firs . We do have some spots that will grow firs where the topsoil is deepest and well drained. Over the years we have tried to modify soils using compost and drain tiles. Yet long term nature wins out. The home owner will want to plant species that are not found naturally in their area so the home owner will want to modify their soils. On a small scale this is possible. The use of mounds , the addition of sand, compost and drain tiles is effective in modifing clay to make growing clay intolerant plants possible. Usually large amounts of sand and compost is needed. But be aware that building up the soil in one area can make more problems in adjacent areas. We also suggest that if you don’t see a plant growing in your area, only purchase seedlings or inexpensive container plants to try in your landscape before spending large amounts of money on large plants only to find out they are not hardy in your soils.

The following list is suggested plants that do better in clay soils. Norway maple (Acer platanoides) Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) European alder (Alnus glutinosa) River birch (Betula nigra) we have Heritage and Common River birches Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis) Apple, crabapple (Malus) Norway spruce (Picea abies) Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) Eastern White Pine (pinus strobus) Pear (Pyrus) Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) Willow (Salix) only on large properties, away from everything especially in septic fields Linden (Tilia) Shrubs Black chokecherry (Aronia melanocarpa) Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) Burning bush (Euonymus alatus) Forsythia (Forsythia) Honeysuckle (Lonicera) Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa) Willow (Salix) weeping and corkscrew Elderberry (Sambucus) Lilac (Syringa) French, Korean , Common, Micheal Dodge White cedar (Thuja occidentalis) We only have afew large ones but thousands of seedlings We raise over 10 types ofViburnums on our farms from seedlings to 5′ shrubs. If you have poor soils due to compacting from construction, try viburnums. Being rugged and hardy, they perform where other plants fail.American Cranberry Bush ,Korean Spice,Blackhaw ,ArrowwoodViburnum ,Chicago Luster,Dawn,Summer Snowflake, Shasta,Erie,Tea,Judd,Korean Spice, Praque,and Siebold.

A Beginners Guide to Games of Luck Gambling Aficionados Play: Betting Room Taking a Risk

A valid description of a betting house is an edifice that focuses on gaming. Here, paying customers will hopefully enjoy themselves going for slot-machines or different games. Gaming establishment games most likely include numerically derived percentages governing them which insure the gaming organization retains its lead over the players. on line gambling software


A huge number of betting saloon games can instigate you to get addicted speedily. Case in point being the time-honored one-armed-bandit, a coin eating gizmo with three drums that gyrate once a knob on its side is moved. The appliance mostly will spill winnings referring to a series of pictograms displayed on the screen of the gadget. Regrettably, gaming room pastimes present the glamor of mental power, tricking the gambling aficionado — the participant is charged with options, but in actual fact they won’t truly match the gamer’s longterm handicap. This is due to the gaming establishment not paying up the full sum as expected. This structured arrangement is notoriously noticeable in famous casino games such as five-card stud poker, craps, roulette or blackjack.


Seven-card stud is undeniably a very fashionable casino game. The customers, playing with partially covered hands, place bets into a principal pot which is then given to the last punter endowed with leading hand. (And yes, the bluffing hand can win as well.) Commensurate with five card stud poker, blackjack too is a very fashionable casino game. A generous portion of its acclaim is owed to its particular mix of chance and talent & decision making, not to forget a practice tagged “card counting”. The aforementioned is a peculiar gaming tactics by which gaming aficionados may actually shift the chances of the card game to their advantage both by betting and strategy decisions correlating with the cards deployed.


“Craps” is yet another well-known gambling hall pastime where you place bets on the throw of 2 dice. Craps buffs bet on the result of one cycle, or on a string of rolls on two dice. Dissimilar to blackjack, there can’t be a probable winner betting system punters can profit by to improve the odds.


Roulette is a crowd pulling casino pastime: a croupier twists a roulette wheel that encloses a set of exactly 37 (classical roulette) or thirty eight (American roulette) uniquely tagged divisions in which a white ball will come to rest, which determines the winner and its accompanying sequences. Assuming that the player happens to bet money on a particular number which actually hits it so they’ve got a lucky hand, the set accolade will be 35 to one, the original wager itself being tossed back. Therefore in total it’s increased by thirty-six.


Do make a point of being emphatically attentive nevertheless for all of these gambling saloon betting games may well be extremely addictive. Many lives have regrettably been wrecked due to uncontrolled gambling & though it arguably might be entertaining, do please aim to exert some self-control.

House Price Crash? How Does 2008 Compare with the 90s?

House price crash? How does 2008 compare with the 90s?

Is the UK housing market is on the brink of a serious downturn? As availability of (and demand for) mortgages falls, house prices are falling too - which could spell bad news for homeowners looking to sell.

Whenever the economy shows signs of danger, we can look at historical examples to predict what might occur. The last slump in the housing market occurred in the late 80s / early 90s - but there are a few differences in today’s economy that suggest the current housing slump may well take a different course.

How do the early 90s and 2008 compare?

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

1990s
Along with the 1980s boom in house prices, inflation rocketed. To combat the rise in inflation, the Bank of England felt it necessary to raise their base rate significantly, at one point reaching almost 15%. This meant that many people could not afford a mortgage - meaning demand and subsequently prices fell sharply as the 90s began.

Today
Following years of relaxed lending, increasing numbers of sub-prime homeowners began to default on mortgage payments. This became known as the ’sub-prime mortgage crisis’.

To limit any possible damage, banks tightened their lending criteria, making it harder to qualify for mortgages. Mortgages also became more expensive, so demand for mortgages is now very low, and house prices have started to fall.

INTEREST RATES

1990s
Throughout most of the 80s, the Bank of England’s base rate was around 10% - twice as high as today’s. However, most mortgages were smaller (as multiples of salaries) than they are today, so they were still affordable - until the base rate jumped to almost 15%.

Today
For the past few years, the base rate has hovered between 4% and 6%, making mortgages more affordable. This encouraged many people to take larger mortgages, often using up a great deal of their monthly income - which meant any drop in income or increase in expenditure (caused by a rise in interest rates, for example) could push them beyond their financial limits.

Remember: in the 90s, the Bank of England intentionally raised its base rate to counteract inflation, but this also made mortgages more expensive. In 2008, however, the base rate has in fact been lowered, to encourage lower interest rates from lenders. However, while uncertainty in the market continues, lenders are unlikely to lower their rates accordingly.

SIZE OF THE ‘BOOM’

1990s
The 90s downturn was preceded by an average real house price* rise of around 75% - from around £65,000 in 1982 to around £115,000 in 1989.

This was followed by a decrease to just over £70,000 at the end of 1995 - around a 40% drop.

Today
The more recent house price boom lasted a lot longer. House prices rose consistently from 1996 to mid-2007 - and in that time, real prices went up from around £73,000 to around £188,000: a 150% increase.

Building Your Marriage: Some Thoughts From St. Paul

These verses of Scripture from St. Paul are commonly used in Christian marriage ceremonies. They speak of the relationship between Christ and the Church in terms of the relationship between a husband and his wife. As beautiful as they are, they are also very misunderstood and misinterpreted. Look closely and see their wisdom for your marriage.


In Eph 5:21 to 33 Paul writes,
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.


“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.


“In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery, but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”


There are four important points here. First, Christ loves us so much that He wants to marry us, He calls us His Bride, and He uses marriage as a picture of His relationship to the Church, and to each of us as his followers.


Second, there is the “S” word. Submission. Submission does not imply INFERIORITY. God made Eve out of the side of Adam, to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh - his equal - his companion. To say that submission somehow implies inferiority is to say that Jesus, when he submitted to the Father, was somehow inferior to the Father. Submission does not imply inferiority in any way. It is a voluntary reliance on another. In fact, the Apostle Paul says that we are all to submit to each other. Wives to submits to husbands, husbands to wives, both to Christ.


Third, husbands are to be the leaders of the family, the Pastors in the home. And men are to love their wives as Christ loves the church, and even died for it.


And finally, just as Jesus is preparing his bride, the Church, for the day when she will be presented in Heaven without spot or wrinkle, so husbands, as leader, are to prepare your wives to stand before God one day. Always remember that leadership in the home is primarily a spiritual responsibility.


May God richly bless your marriage.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library’s family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.

How To Care For Your Diamond Engagement Ring

Your engagement ring is a precious symbol of your eternal love. Something you wear every day no matter what you are doing. And because of this, your engagement ring can be subjected to harsh chemicals and activities. While it’s true that diamonds are the hardest gem, they can become damaged if you are not careful. Learning how to properly care for your diamond ring can ensure that it really will last for eternity.

Through your everyday activities, your engagement ring can get smudged and soiled. Even If you take them off when you do housecleaning and shower, they can collect dust. Soaps, lotions, and our natural skin oils, can cause film and grime which can dull the brilliance of your diamond engagement ring .

In order to keep your diamond looking sparkly and new you should clean it regularly. Regular cleaning will insure that the maximum amount of light can refract the stones fiery brilliance. To clean your diamond, you can use a small brush - an eyebrow brush is perfect. You don’t really need any special chemicals, just make a bowl of sudsy water with soap or mild detergent and put your engagement ring in the water to soak. After a few minutes (or longer if it is really caked with dirt and grime) take the soft bristled brush and scrub the diamond in the suds.

Rinse the engagement ring thoroughly to remove all the soapy suds. Don’t simply hold it in your fingers under the water or you might find yourself taking the drain apart to search for your ring! You can put the ring in a small strainer and run the water through that to make sure all the soap gets washed off. Finally, take a lint free jewelers cloth and pat the ring dry.

If your diamonds are really dirty, you may need something a bit stronger than soap and water. In this case, try a mixture of half water and half ammonia. Let the diamond ring soak for 30 minutes. Then gently brush them with a soft brush. Rinse and dry as recommended above.

You can also buy jewelry cleaning kits in almost any department store. These kits have everything you need - the solution and brush and are quite convenient as you can store them away and use them over and over again. Read the label to see if the kit is OK to use on your diamond engagement ring.

If you really want a super clean diamond you can try an ultrasonic cleaning machine. These machines use high-frequency to generate a cleaning motion. Every machine is not the same though, so read the instructions before using.

Caring for your engagement ring is not just about cleaning, there is a certain amount of maintenance you should provide. Be sure to take your diamond ring to a jeweler once a year. Have them check the mountings and prongs and make any needed repairs. This can prevent your diamond from coming out of its setting and getting lost.

When you are not wearing your engagement ring or if stones have become loose you should be stored it in a a fabric lined jewel case, or jewelers box where it can be kept separate from your other jewelry. Ideally, every piece should have its own compartment. This will keep the diamonds in your engagement ring from getting scratched as well as keep your diamond from scratching your other jewelry.

To take best care of your diamond engagement ring, remove it when doing physical work. Although diamonds are a very hard stone, they can be chipped and scratched easily. Also don’t let your diamond to come into contact with bleach household cleansers which can damage the settings and mountings. These cleaners can even change the color of your setting or the diamond itself!

Your engagement ring is one of your proudest possessions and it is is essential to keep it brilliant and sparkling. The preferred cleaning method is up to you but between cleanings try not to touch the diamond with your fingers. This will help maintain its dazzling shine and brilliance for longer periods between cleanings.

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