Carmine

SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?

Many people have entertained the idea of being a writer. They feel the passion to write. They have a best-seller idea. They want to share their specialist knowledge with the rest of the world. Yet years go by and nothing happens. Why? The reason is almost always the same: they can't find the time to write.

Whether you want to write fictions, magazine articles, plays, screen plays, non-fiction books, children's stories, film scripts, radio scripts or commercial writings, one thing is for certain: if you want to be successful writer, you must write.

There are only 24 hours in a day and most of us lead hectic lifestyles which leave little time for luxury like sitting down to write. Family and job usually come first, and by the time the dishes have been washed and the children put to bed, chances are you're exhausted yourself and the writing will just have to be postponed until another time.

But if writing is important to you, then you must be disciplined and decide how you want to divide your time. You'll have to analyse your lifestyle and cross a few things off your list to free up time for your personal goals.

And it's not as difficult as you may think.

HOW TO MAKE TIME

If in doubt, cut it out

Record your daily activities in details for a week. Look at the list and eliminate those activities which do not contribute positively to your life. One such obvious activity is watching television. If you must watch it, at least try cutting the time spent on it. Watch it for one hour instead of two, and youll have seven more hours to write every week. Don't watch it at all and you'll have fourteen extra hours!

If you spend long periods gossiping with friends on the phone, try cutting it down and using emails to keep in touch instead. Im not suggesting you should cut off all contact with your friends, but if you want to be a successful writer, youll have to sacrifice some of that gossip time.

Break out from the rut

Are you one of those people who go through their days by rote? Up at 7.30am, breakfast at 8.00am, set off for work at 8.30am, at work until 6.30pm, dinner and TV until 9.30pm, watch the news at 10.00pm and go to bed at 10.30pm? Do you follow the same schedule pretty much every day? Do you spend a lot of time doing something because you've always done it, not because you enjoy it or it makes a positive contribution to the quality of your life?

If that sounds like you, then try having a break from your set routine and be surprised at how much extra time you have. For example, you dont have to watch the 10 oclock news every evening. If you skip it for two nights a week you will have created some writing time for yourself. Perhaps you are one of those who can write with the radio on in the background. In that case, listen to the news on the radio while you're writing and kill two birds with one stone.

Sleep a little less

If you are a morning person, get up an hour earlier. If youre a night owl, go to bed an hour later. Pick a time at which you feel most creative.

Use your lunch hour

Don't write at your desk though because you're likely to be distracted by office activities or hassled by your boss about that urgent report. Escape to the back of your car, a caf or the park to do your writing, anywhere where you won't be disturbed for a while.

If you work near a library then you are lucky. You can use your lunch hour to do research for your writing. Nowadays most libraries have internet facilities so you can also conduct online research.

Use your travel time

If you take the train or the bus to work, use that time productively rather than looking out of the window. Carry a notebook with you at all times to jot down ideas or even write your next chapter. Or print out a few pages of your writing for editing during this time. Look at your fellow passengers for ideas: one of them may be the perfect character for your novel.

If you drive to work, invest in a hand-held recorder. You can use it to record ideas, or to dictate your writing. Then when you get home all you have to do is play it back and type it in the computer.

De-clutter your life

Spend a few days clearing out the clutter in your life. By this I mean both the physical clutter around the house, and the emotional clutter which has prevented you from writing in the past. For example: how often have you said this to yourself?

"I will write when I feel happier about myself."
"I want to lose some weight first."
"I can't start writing until I've sorted out my relationship problems."
"I don't feel confident that I can write."

See what I'm getting at? Spring-cleaning your life is a good way to start a more disciplined and structured writing life.

Get support

Enlist the help of your family. Ask your partner or parents to look after the children once or twice a week. If you have older children, ask them to help with house chores for a small reward. That way they'll feel they're helping you with your writing, they get paid, the housework gets done, and you get to write for an hour or two. Everyone's happy.

Talk to your family and friends about your passion for writing. They may not understand what writers do, but at least they will be able to feel your passion for writing and provide the support you need. If they don't know you need support, you're not going to get it.

HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE

Okay, now that you have freed up some time for writing, how do you make sure you use this time productively?

Establish a writing schedule

Writing is essentially a solitary activity. As a writer you need to be self-disciplined; nobody is going to make you sit down and write. In fact, your family and friends will be glad that you're not writing and are spending time with them. But to succeed as a writer, you must write. Having a writing schedule is an important step. If you don't schedule something, chances are it will get pushed to the bottom of your list and never get done.

Write every day if you can. Otherwise, aim to write on a regular basis: every two days, three times a week or whatever suits you. The important thing is to write regularly. The more you write regularly, the more your writing will flow.

Buy a wall calendar, highlight your writing time a week ahead and put it up where you can see it. If you're disciplined enough you can use a pocket or electronic diary, but make sure you do look at it and not just let it sit in the drawer. Stick to the plan the same way as you would other regular activities in your life. Don't make excuses for yourself.

If you can, write at the same time every day. Writing regularly at a specified time establishes a pattern, and is essential to building a schedule.

Pick a time to suit your lifestyle

If you want to write from midnight to two in the morning and get up at 10am, and it fits in with your lifestyle, then do it. Similarly you may want to go to bed at 9pm, get up at 4 in the morning and write until the children get out of bed.

Dont get distracted

Aim to do nothing but write during your scheduled writing time. Try not to get distracted by writing-related activities such as research, note-gathering, writing the outline, etc. Do these things at some other time, ie, read the book for your research at bed time. If you find yourself spending all your scheduled writing time in preparatory work and never get down to the actual writing, then you need to take a look at why youre actually avoiding writing.

Prepare for writing (if you need to)

If you have a demanding full-time job, you may still be in work mode and find it hard to relax when you get home. In that case you may need to do something to help ease you into a more productive mood for writing. Call it a transition phase if you like. Try the following:

oDo some gentle exercise
oHave a shower or a warm bath
oSpend 10 minutes with your children
oRead a few pages of a book
oListen to some relaxing music for 10 minute
oGo for a short walk
oEnjoy a cup of tea in the garden

Don't over-do this bit though or you'll end up not writing.

Stick to the schedule no matter what

When it comes to your scheduled time to write, do it, even if your mind is completely blank and the last thing you want to do is sit down and write.

Don't worry about writing rubbish at first - even the greatest writers wrote rubbish sometime in their lives. Don't expect to create something worthy of publication each time. Even if you have only managed to produce garbage in a ten-minute slot, you have achieved something: you have written. As most writers know, beginning is the hardest part. Once you've started, it gets easier.

The bottom line is: don't spend too much time thinking about writing, write!

Be selfish

Put up a Do Not Disturb sign on your door (if you write in a separate room), on your computer or on the back of your chair. Be selfish. Let your family know you are doing something for yourself for an hour or two, but you will emerge as the loving wife/mother or husband/father again in due course. Dont let guilt stop you from following your dreams.

Initially your family may ignore your sign, but dont give in the moment someone shouts: Mum/dad, wheres my (fill in the blank), or Honey could you get me my (fill in the blank). Be strict. Dont make exception unless the house is on fire. They will get used to your schedule after a few days.

Look ahead

At the end of each writing session, set yourself a goal for the next one. This can be:

"I'll produce 500 words."
"I'll write 3 pages."
"I'll finish the first chapter."

Having a goal not only helps to motivate you, it will also minimise wasted time when you begin your next session.

No excuses

Dont use "I don't have time" as an excuse anymore. Remember, we tend to make time for something we really want to do. It all depends on how badly you want to become a writer; if your desire to write is strong enough, you will find the time.

Happy writing!

Mui Tsun is the creator of Inspire Software: the simple yet powerful Character Generator, First Line Generator and Scenario Generator will enhance your creativity, kick-start your imagination and clear your writers block. For more information visit http://www.raincatcher.co.uk/inspire.htm Dont be stuck, be inspired!

For more ideas and inspiration, visit the Rain Catcher website at: http://www.raincatcher.co.uk

What a lousy week for the North American Markets! It started well in the USA but went nowhere until the end of the week. If you had a week off, you did not miss a lot. Actually, when we have national holidays on the two sides of the border we are better to do so.

The stock markets closed higher than the previous week and should do well over the next couple of weeks. Dow is poised to break its all time high but wont go too far away. The coming week should give us a clue on whether it will reach 14000 before retreating or will keep the attack on the level for the fall action. NASDAQ is reaching its limits for now. The S&P TSX composite is boosted by the resources. Next target for it is 14550. This target is 7000 for FTSE 100 and 21000 for Nikkei 225.

Good run for the currencies! As previously mentioned, the Canadian dollar is the leader. Next week Bank of Canada is expected to increase its rate by .25 which in turn helped it to reach a 30yr high this week. It is well poised to achieve parity with the US$ and to go much, much higher. It could easily add additional 7-8 cents for a target of US$1.03 this summer. The British pound is targeting 2.03 and the Euro is going for 1.43. The Pound is completing a 15 years reverse head and shoulders pattern which is an extremely bullish outlook for the next decade.

The Resources are my favorite sector. Lots of money has been made there since 2001 and many opportunities will be available in the next decade as well. Presently, gold is still trying to find its way up. An important point to watch is 671.5 (August contract). A break trough it will lead us to a substantial run for the metal. Silver is trying to advance too. It has been a precursor of golds behavior in the past and its moves recently are very encouraging. Next week a 13.70 break (September contract) can signal a run up but it stays a low probability. We should eventually wait for another more week or so before getting a more clear reading of the move. Crude oil is doing great and is continuing to make its way up but I am expecting it to make a rest next week and not to advance too much.

Good investing and best regards,

Stefan Penkov

www.investinghelptoday.com

Disclaimer: Stefan Penkov is not a registered investment advisor. The opinions and statements made in the above publication are the result of extensive research and are believed to be accurate and from reliable sources. The contents are my current opinion only, further more conditions may cause my opinions to change without notice. The insights herein published are made solely for international and educational purposes. The contents in this publication are not to be construed as solicitation or recommendation to be used for formulation of investment decisions in any type of market whatsoever. WARNING share market investment or speculation is a high risk activity. Investors enter such activity at their own risk and must conduct their own due diligence to research and verify all aspects of any investment decision, if necessary seeking competent professional assistance.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has made several determinations of late confirming what most of us already knew, 2006 was the hottest year on record and 2007 is proving to be hotter yet. Global Warming activists and environmental groups have latched onto he sudden climate change since 2004 as proof that global warming is accelerating and that human generated greenhouse gases are the cause.

The evidence for global warming is irrefutable, the planet is warmer. The increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is also well established. What is not in evidence is that the greenhouse effect is responsible for the sudden change in global temperatures over the past 2 years. The greenhouse effect ignores several important factors, planetary axis shift and oceanic carbon dioxide sequestration.

Planet earth has undergone several axis shifts over human history. The best documented are the axis shift following the eruption/explosion of Krakatoa and the 2004 axis shift following the indonesian earthquake and tsunami. The most recent of these shifts is responsible for changing the latitude of the Northern hemisphere by 1/2 to 1 degree relative tot he incident angle of the sun's rays. In plain English, everyone in the Northern Hemisphere moved south 200 miles that day. I live in the Orlando area, now I have Miami weather.

Oceanic carbon dioxide sequestration is more difficult to explain. Imagine that the deep ocean floor is a "carbon dioxide battery." Under the right water temerature and salinity, the ocean water "charges" the "battery" by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide out of the air. As a result, greenhouse gases are reduced and global tempertures drop. Under different ocean conditions, the "battery" releases carbon dioxide which bubble or even boils to the ocean's surface.

This sudden and explosive release of carbon dioxide has been documented on film as early as the 1930's when a US Navy freighter sank suddenly as the ocean around it foamed and lost bouyency. It has been estimated that in the time it took for the ocean to engulf the freighter and the release to end that the equivalent of 1 year worth of human and domestic animal carbon dioxide production was released.

What does all this mean to global warming?

It means that the problem is far more complex than simply decreasing fossil fuel use. There are global factors that move in cycles set in geological time. Events that we can no more predict than we can control have a far greater impact than all human endeavor and domestic animal cultivation combined.

On the other hand, the entire global climate system is like a household budget. In my home, I am the long range planner, infrequently spending large sums of money on large family purchases. My wife is the short range budgeter, spending smaller amounts daily to keep the household going. We both negatively impact cash flow. I have big effects, but they are rare, just like planetary axis shifts and oceanic sequestration. My wife has a constant effect, but it is sustained and if just slightly over budget, will have a large negative impact.

Our human effect on global climate change is incrementally small, but if excessive, will yield a global catastrophe equal to the 2004 axis shift or Krakatoa.

Dr. Maurice A. Ramirez is the founder and president of the consulting firm High Alert, LLC.. He serves on expert panels for pandemic preparedness and healthcare surge planning with Congressional and Cabinet Members. Board certified in multiple specialties, Dr. Ramirez is Founding Chairperson of the American Board of Disaster Medicine and serves the nation as a Senior Physician-Federal Medical Officer in the National Disaster Medical System. Dr. Ramirez has a new book: You Can Survive Anything, Anywhere, Every Time. His website is http://www.High-Alert.com

If you are a self-employed person and have had the misfortune of visiting a dentist, you will immediately realize the importance of buying individual dental insurance coverage. The same also holds true for people whose companies do not provide group plan coverage for dental insurance.

If you have group dental insurance, then there is no need for buying individual dental insurance. This is because dental insurance is designed to cover costs that help prevent a dental disease. This usually entails regular check-ups, cleanings, and fillings. As a result, there is really no need to buy individual insurance. Otherwise, buying an individual dental coverage should be considered a wise step to keep your bills in control.

Individual dental plans fall into two categories- Preferred Provider Plans (PPO) plans and Indemnity Plans. The major difference between these plans lies in the individuals freedom of choosing a dentist for the treatment. Compared to indemnity plans, PPO provides coverage at a lower rate, but then the individuals freedom of choosing a dentist becomes restricted to the ones listed in the plans network.

In the case that a person wants to consult a doctor outside this network, he or she would have to pay a higher cost that will not be covered by the plan. The indemnity plans are more expensive, but then the patient has the freedom to opt for a dentist of his or her choice.

Individual dental insurance is designed to cover both the policyholder and their family, It makes sense to get a cover for the entire family because regular dental check-ups are usually covered by plans, and this preventive measure can eliminate chances of complications to a large extent.

Also, before buying dental coverage, it is essential to do a comparative study of the plans and see how much they cover in terms of diagnostic, preventive and emergency treatment. With this done, the person should try the balancing act between the cost and coverage and then buy the plan that best covers their needs.

Dental Insurance provides detailed information about dental insurance, dental insurance companies, and more. Dental Insurance is affiliated with Texas Health Insurance Companies.

Have you had a time during your training where you felt really good about your performance and when it was promotion time, you didn't get promoted? Did you find yourself analyzing the person that got the promotion and comparing them to yourself, with them not being as good as you with each comparison?

If you haven't experienced this feeling, you're either very new to grappling, a great liar, or a completely ego-less grappler (which I have yet to meet in 11 years of grappling). It's natural for all of us to look around the gym and compare ourselves with our classmates and their skills. And at the same time, those comparisons can be counter-productive to our grappling progress.

Generally, when we notice someone else moving forward, we get anxious and start questioning why we aren't progressing at the same rate. And if we can't come up with what we figure out are rational reasons (e.g. they're younger, stronger, more athletic, trains harder, takes more private lessons, etc.), we then settled into what I call "rank envy mode" and start challenging the decision behind their promotion and why we were overlooked. And "rank envy mode" has been known to make students go after newly promoted guys to embarrass and prove to everyone how the wrong person got promoted. Rank envy mode has also been known to make some grapplers change schools or quite grappling completely.

The biggest problem with comparing ourselves with our teammates around us is the presumption that everyone should learn a new skill and progress at the same pace, regardless of how each of us learns and processes new information. There is no standard pace for learning and progressing. Each of us has an internal rhythm that drives us to determine and achieve goals based on how important they are to us. So, a person with lots of non-grappling commitments demanding his time shouldn't expect to progress as fast as a person with no commitments and lots of time to train. And at the same time, two people with identical external commitments won't progress at the same rate if achieving grappling perfection is more important to one person than the other.

What's the solution to training comparisons and rank envy? The best solution is to leave the evaluation to your instructors and to keep training. If you trust your instructor's judgment and consider them a good instructor, let them determine when it's your time to move up to the next belt level. You're at the school to become proficient at grappling, not evaluate your teammates' performance or determine if promotions are being handed out fairly.

Paul M. Greenhill, "The Wise Grappler", is the creator of The Wise Grappler System and author of The Wise Grappler Ezine, a weekly ezine that provides martial arts training and personal development tips for the older (over 35) and non-traditional martial artists. To learn more about "The Wise Grappler" and to sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit his site at http://www.ihateyoungpunks.com or contact him at paul@thewisegrappler.com

(c) 2007 Paul M. Greenhill

In this article I'm going to discuss how to catch a trout. There are four major species of trout that I'm going to be referring to when I use the term 'trout'. Those species would include rainbow, brown, brook, and cutthroat trout. Basically, any trout that swims in the various rivers and streams of North America. Most of the species can be found in lakes as well, although all of these trout seem to prefer rivers, if given a choice. Just to be clear, when I use the term 'trout' in this article, I'm not referring to lake trout or sea trout, but the previously mentioned trout.

Catching a trout is fairly easy. As with many species of fish, the small ones aren't that tough to catch. The challenge comes with catching large trout. For the purposes of this article, anything over twenty inches will be considered 'large'. The easiest way to just catch a trout is to employ a good old American worm. Really, what could be more American than fishing with a worm? In any case, the easiest way to catch a trout is to use a small hook, and bait that hook with a worm. To increase your catch rates, try using a set of gang hooks. Gang hooks present a worm in an amazingly natural way.

If live bait just doesn't do it for you, the best way to catch a trout is with a small spinner or spoon. If you're simply trying to catch a trout, any trout, I wouldn't suggest anything larger that ounce. I personally like darker colors when it comes to spinners and gold when it comes to spoons, when fishing for trout. There are literally enough color choices to choke a horse, so experimentation with colors will be your best bet. The colors of your spinners and spoons really comes down to personal preference as much as anything else when it comes to trout. A good rule of thumb is to remember that it's always a good idea to emulate the fish's natural prey as closely as possible.

Another good rule of thumb when attempting to catch a trout is to use light line. Trout, as a general rule, live in cold clear water. In clear water your fishing line can become visible to the trout underwater if it's too heavy. I personally use 4lb. test monofilament, and don't suggest using anything over 6lb. test for trout fishing. I see a lot of fishing line that gets left along the banks of various trout rivers and many times this excess line is much heavier than six pound test. This is a big mistake when trout fishing.

That should provide any angler with enough information to go out and catch a trout. Before you think that large trout can't be caught with gear as 'small' as I've been mentioning, think again. I regularly catch large trout using exactly the size gear that I've been referring to in this article. I also never use gang hooks tied with any hooks other than size 10 (which if you don't know, is a small hook). Now it's time to take this information and get out there and catch a trout or two.

Trevor Kugler - Co-founder of JRWfishing.com Trevor has more than 15 years of business experience and 25 years of fishing experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country - Montana.

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If you a person interested in sitting at the comfort of your home in your favorite easy chair and watching your favorite movies on your DVD and wished that it would be similar to watching movies in theaters, then this topic An introduction to Home Theater Systems is the right one for you. If you are in search of all these, then a home theater system is the most ideal one for you, where you will be at liberty to watch movies at high quality picture and sound at the comfort of your homes and also at timings that you prefer. So, if you are considering going for a home theater system, then make sure that you choose one that will suit your needs and requirements.

The options and choices of home theater systems are plenty these days and it is advisable that you go through the details of all the systems available with utmost patience, before finalizing on the one that will suit your style and personality and one that will offer a real digital theatric effect of watching movies at the comfort of your homes. There are numerous choices in functions, sizes, shapes, etc, and depending on these various choices, the prices of the home theater systems vary. Home theater systems bring the excitement of watching movies in a theater right your living room. Movies are the most preferred choice of entertainment by many people, both young and the old, and there is no such medium that has got so much attention alike from people all over the world.

The hassles of watching the movies in theaters are plenty, like - lines for tickets, lines for concessions, small seats, damaged seats, filthy foyers etc, and all these have made more and more people to install home theater systems in their homes to watch their favorite movies and movie stars at the comfort of their homes with their families and friends. In a home theater system you will get all the advantages of watching the movies in big screen without all the above said hassles. The music sounds that come out of the home theater systems are in fact sharper than those we get in the multiplexes today and with todays video technology, watching movie in your home theater system is always a safe bet.

Another important reason for you to go for a home theater system is related to the cost. If you are a movie buff, you are sure to know the expenses that you incur while taking your family to a matinee movie. So, over a period of time you will find that the investment of watching movies on your home theater is relatively cheaper than taking your family to the movies. Also, with the home theater systems you get the double benefit of having television and stereo entertainment.

The basic components that are needed in a home theater system are a high quality television, satellite or cable system, DVD/ video system, good sound system with speakers and hundreds of feet of wiring. There are plenty of different types of home theater systems that are available these days at reasonable prices and the concept that the home theaters were for the luxurious and rich people who had space available for fixing it in their homes are all a thing of the past. Today, home theater systems are assembled in such a way that they fit any sized room or space and smaller systems are specifically designed to cater to the needs of apartment dwellers.

Home Theater Setup might seem confusing, but donest need to actually be so, learn about Home Theater Systems at http://hometheatersetupcentral.com

The first prototype for Japanese samurai armor came about in the form of the yoroi during the Gempei War of 1181-1185. The weight of the yoroi was around 60lb. The upper-body armor of the samurai was known as the 'Do'. This comprised of the 'Sode', the suspended shoulder and upper-arm protection plates. The Sode had hoops by which silk cord was tied and then fixed to the back of the armor in an 'agemaki' / decorative knotted tassel. Guards were also placed over the shoulder cords, and a leather plate placed across the bow cords to prevent them from been cut or becoming ensnared during a skirmish.

A samurai's protective helmet, or Kabuto typically consisted of from eight to a dozen plates all fixed together with cone shaped bolts. Much like in the military of other cultures, a samurai's helmet would display the samurai's rank and his group or clan, and often be very elaborate and decorative looking. As many samurai had long hair, their ponytails would protrude through the tehen, a gap left in the centre of the helmets crown.

Shikoro is the name of the thick five-plated protector of the back of the head, neck and the cheekbone which was fastened to the bowl of the helmet. The top four plates of the Shikoro would be upturned to create the fukigaeshi. The idea of the fukigaeshi was to prevent the vertical slicing of the shikoro's horizontal fastening chords. A visor is also on the front of helmet and is known as the mabisashi. This would not only help to keep the sunlight out of the samurai's eyes, but its protrusion would also act as a degree of protection for the face from the extended and downward strike of the enemys sword.

As part of the samurai attire, mainly for those of higher importance an eboshi, a silk cap-like headgear would be worn under the helmet. As the samurai during this early time of the Gempei War fought much on horseback and utilized bows and arrows, the right arm of the standard samurai soldier had no restricting protection to allow for the drawing back of the bow. A light protective sleeve was worn on the left arm.

Not all fighters during the Gempei War were of the samurai class, and therefore were equipped differently and wore a different style of lighter armor called the 'Do Maru'. A body Wrap style of armor resting on the shoulders and fastening under the right armpit was far less restricting than the yoroi. It was based on this freer design of armor that development would be made for the samurai's armor of the future.

For a continuation of and a more in depth look at samurai armor, visit our website at http://www.japanese-samurai-swords.net