If you live within a city-limits, be sure to check with the city manager’s office to see if they have any regulations about working on your own vehicle in your yard or driveway. Thanks!
Park your vehicle on a level surface and put blocks of wood or bricks behind the rear tires.
Jack the front of the vehicle up enough for you to get under it.
Be SURE to put jacks stands under the body (behind the front wheels) or put some timbers under the tires and let the weight off the jack.
Put a piece of cardboard, or an old blanket, underneath the vehicle to lie down on (I hate working on the *ground*).
Get a pail or pan that will hold at least 6 or 7 quarts of liquid to drain the oil into.
It’s a mess having a pan that holds 4 quarts and letting 5 quarts of old oil running into it!
You will need a wrench to remove the oil pan drain plug. PLEASE, don’t use one of those “adjustable” things. All they do is “round” the shoulders on the plug. Get the proper tool.
You need a filter wrench that will fit your oil filter.
Be sure the engine has had time to cool down. Hot oil will burn you, and burn you, and keep on burning you!
Now, the best way to go about this is to see where the oil filter is. If it will be just above you, leave it until last. Old oil will *drip* on you (yes!)
Put the drain pan under the oil pan drain plug and remove the plug, slowly. Once you have it loose, you can remove it with your fingers, it’s easier.
After the oil stops running out of the oil pan, put the plug back in by hand. Don’t force it, make sure you can twist it up easy, you don’t want to “cross-thread” it (you would be looking for me then!).
Tighten it with the wrench. When you get it “snug”, put a small amount of “pressure” on the wrench. Not too much, but we don’t want it to leak, either!
Now, move the drain pan (slowly) under the oil filter.
Take the filter wrench and slip it over the oil filter, being sure you have the handle where it will tighten up on the filter when you pull the handle toward you.
Pull the filter wrench handle toward you. Sometimes this might take quite a lot of pressure. When the oil filter breaks loose you can remove the wrench and turn it with your hand.
Have on cloth gloves or use paper towels because oil will probably run down the side of the filter.
Continue to twist the filter off and put it into the drain pan.
Unless your oil filter is positioned upside-down, you want to pour fresh oil into it.
Be sure to put oil on the rubber gasket. That protects the seal and makes it easier to remove next time.
As you put the new filter onto the threaded spout, be VERY careful not to “cross-thread” it. If you can twist it easily, you’re ok.
Once you get it snug, tighten it as much as you can with your hand (unless you’re a football player).
Now, I usually take the filter wrench and turn it about an inch, or less. You don’t want to get it too tight, it will squeeze the mating material and cause oil to seep from around it.
Now, jack the car up and take the supports out and let the vehicle down on its tires.
Raise the hood and remove the oil filler cap (the 710 if your cap is backward and has OIL written on it) .
Most vehicles take 5 quarts (with filter) to refill them. Some take only 4.5 quarts.
I usually put in 4 quarts, crank the engine, check the oil pressure gauge, or light; check for leaks underneath the vehicle (plug/filter), then turn the engine off.
Let the vehicle set for about 15-20 minutes.
Pull the oil dipstick out and wipe it off. Replace it and pull it back out and look where the oil level is.
If it’s just a quarter to a half inch from the “Full” mark, I’ll add only a half-quart of oil, then check it again.
You will need to take the old oil and filter to a repair shop or a disposal location to discard it.
PLEASE, don’t pour it out on the ground! EPA!!! Remember, I TOLD you so!
So, you don’t have to wait in line at the *quick* places to get your oil changed anymore! Never, ever, again.
Tommy Sessions has been in auto repair since 1970.
He publishes Bad Car Again Auto Repair Help Newsletter.
Visit the site: http://www.badcaragain.com
Join: http://www.badcaragain.com/newsletter.html
There’s a bonus just for joining.
Take Care Of Your Car So It Can Take Care Of You!
Yachting as a sport, leisure pursuit or used as an organisational device is very pleasing. There are also individual yachting events that make it equally thrilling and can be something that the complete family are capable to go and get pleasure from all at once. One of the most important weeks of the yachting year is the Cowes Regatta Week; this boating event takes place once a year and has been operating since eighteen twenty six that makes it the longest running regatta throughout the world. With more than nine hundred vessels and 8,000 competitors partaking, being observed by fifty thousand viewers every day Skandia Cowes week has received the name as one of the key sailing corporate hospitality and public occasion of the whole year. Click here to find details for Ondeck’s range of Yacht Sailing including the 2008 Cowes Regatta.
The 8,500 challengers cover Commonwealth & European class practised sailors to new sailors. Nevertheless, if you are not onboard yourself, watching the yachting, benefiting from the get-togethers and live music, and to be involved in the unique atmosphere, makes it a one of a kind yachting event.
With Ondeck Yachting, two thousands and eight sees the introduction of their most recent Regatta Division. Improving on their great position in the yachting charter marketplace, this has seen Ondeck Sailing, run a quantity of triumphant events for organisations, they have lately teamed-up with Britannia Events, the primary organisers of industry events within the United Kingdom.
The path of the racing event itself will change each day as aspects like that of the weather state of affairs, tidal flow & haste of each class of yacht is taken into deciding. A characteristic Cowes Regatta has over 35 start offs each day for participates of cruiser series one designs and keelboats; adding to a sum total of over 800 powerboats. Through this instance the Solent which is a considerably busy industrial channel, is bursting with boats of all divisions and is principally bright on account of the yachts spinnakers. As mentioned previously as well as the sailing races the week includes a large number of onshore activities like that of live festivals & cocktail parties. From private or commercial residential parties & nominally private sailing associations & boats, there are full-sized marquees put up in the harbours offering food & champagne.
This is one of the hardest concepts for business owners to accept. They waste countless hours trying to convince unyielding clients to accept their version of reality, which often prevents them from communicating their unique benefits; alleviating significant flaws and/or ignoring golden opportunities.
It is vitally important that any one who has responsibility for growing a business or organization understand and embrace this critical tenet. It does not matter if outside perceptions are factual… because consumers behave based on decisions formed by attitudes founded on their beliefs, which are often subconscious. (If this sounds familiar, congratulations!)
This has particularly dangerous consequences when companies are forced into an undesirable place primarily because they fail to communicate their unique benefits. Thus, their “inside reality” is aware of their distinguishing qualities but “outside perceptions” are clueless.
In other words, the public may look at your business; your competitors’ businesses; and/or completely unrelated businesses and view them identically, good or bad. This means that they base their purchase decision solely on price or convenience. Why? Because they don’t have any other information!
Some companies can operate in this environment for a while but over time it gets them nowhere (except closer to extinction). Remember this, competing on price alone is the quickest way I know of to ensure that you will never be able to earn a substantial income… let alone, what you’re “worth”. It is a no-win situation and no matter how tempting, do not fall into that snare. And businesses will continue to compete in this way until they do something to alter their prospects’ perceptions!
Avoiding the Commodity Ambush
You must be willing to face and accept reality… and as my daughter-in-law is fond of saying, “and don’t pretty it up!” This is the first step in making sure you don’t get lumped into the commodity pot.
The worst (or best?) thing you’ll discover may be that your customers and prospects do indeed see you as similar, or identical, to others. Once you obtain this vital information, you must identify specific areas where your inside reality does not match outside perceptions. For instance, you may need to do a better job of educating the public about your exceptional qualities (i.e. service, delivery, product benefits, etc.) or conversely, you may need to fix gaps.
Let’s assume that you’re the most knowledgeable, educated and competent financial advisor in your area, having earned and saved your clients much more than your competitors. At a networking event you give your business card to a qualified prospect in need of your services and you schedule an initial meeting in your office. However, when the prospect arrives the waiting room is bland and the sofa upholstery is threadbare; the rest rooms are in desperate need of cleaning; your receptionist is curt; your office is a mess and you can’t find the forms you need.
Then you spend the next hour reiterating the professional qualities you posses - careful attention to details, reliable service, thoroughly researched advice, etc. You’re convinced that you have the know-how and abilities to provide the very best financial advice to him or her, but they choose another company. Why? Because there was a huge gap between what you said and what they experienced. Your words said, “excellence and professional” and your environment and staff said “mediocrity and fly-by-night”! As the saying goes, “If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”
What does a dirty bathroom have to do with sound financial advice? In this case, everything… So you can either argue the point (i.e. one has nothing to do with the other) all the way to the poor house or do whatever is necessary to create an office environment that reflects your level of professionalism.
Alternatively, your customers may continue to choose you over a competitor because you consistently deliver more product or service value that you’re not even aware of! And again, the only way to find this out for certain is to ask your repeat customers! For example, women may choose one comparable hair salon over the other because they are more careful schedulers and they never have a long wait. Presto! Instant differentiation handed to you on a silver platter!
The third, and possibly the worst, perception gap brings us back to the commodity “nowhere land”. In order to transcend this place you’ll need to force an apples-and-oranges comparison between you and your competitors. You must design, execute and communicate such significant differences between you, that your customers would be foolish to take their business anywhere else, regardless of price.
At this point, it’s enough to understand that this is an essential concept. Do not, however, worry about creating yours just yet… There’s lots of help in later chapters, so hold on for now!
Classic Symptoms of a Myth #3 Believer
They…
•Insist that their customers and prospects have no idea what they’re talking about
•Believe that a good product at the best price wins
•Put very little effort into retaining the customers they already have
•Ignore the importance of contact personnel, environment, and other customer touch points, particularly in professional service companies
•Lack any standardized quality program
Mary Eule specializes in helping small and medium-sized businesses get and keep profitable customers. Formerly a Fortune 500 marketing executive; founder of two successful small businesses and award-winning speaker, Ms. Eule is President of Strategic Marketing Advisors, LLC. and co-author of a new book, “Mandatory Marketing: Building Your Business with Loyal and Profitable Customers”.
She has a BA in Journalism/English from the University of Maryland and earned her a master’s degree in marketing from Johns Hopkins University. Log onto her website: http://www.StrategicMarketingAdvisors.com for free articles, newsletter and helpful marketing tools, tips and templates… and/or to purchase the book.
Futures wagering– which is in essence betting on who will win their division, conference, league or the whole kit and caboodle– is extremely attractive because more times than not the odds are very good. With any sport it is difficult to predict the future, but baseball with its 162 game, seven-month season offers an especially daunting challenge.
The great thing about wagering on futures is you can bet on various teams– fairly sure bets, up-and-comers, and long shots– and in the end either cover or win a substantial amount of money without having risked a lot.
This article will focus on two basic topics– strategies for determining on which teams you’re going to bet and basic methods of betting that can, to a degree, protect your wager.
In betting futures you’ll want to wager on more than one team and spread your bets amongst favorites, teams that have shown improvement, and clubs that might have that chance “Impossible Dream” year. It’s similar to betting March Madness in that you have a much better chance if you spread your money amongst various teams rather than putting everything on one club.
Before you place even one bet, do your research. Magazines, newspapers and the Internet have a wealth of analytical pieces on each team and how they should fair in the upcoming season. If possible, reviewing some back issues to see how various prognosticators have done in the past is not a bad idea. Looking for trends, such as how many analysts have chosen the Yankees to finish first in their division and to go all the way. If you have a particular expert that you find has been fairly accurate and you think that their methodology is sound, that can be extremely helpful.
Read carefully, be selective especially in considering how the analysis has been done and how detailed it is (the more detailed usually the better), and be sure to incorporate your own knowledge of the game.
If an analysis does not include the following beware of its accuracy– business and management practices, including the team’s budget for player salaries; baseball managerial experience and Minor League system strength. Some more obvious areas that should be covered include key acquisitions, trades and losses; pitching strength and depth; offensive potential and defensive abilities. Team chemistry and other intangibles, overall depth of the team and age/experience of the club are also important to consider.
Feel free to do more detailed research yourself, you certainly may and it can pay off. If, prior to the NHL season, you had read what everyone said about the Ottawa Senators you certainly would have known that they were an improved team.
But when you analyzed the Heatley-Hossa/DeVries trade, looked at how much the Senators had upgraded in terms of speed, scoring, and defense and saw their balance and depth, it became readily apparent that the Senators were the most improved team in the NHL and that they were poised to have a breakout season (which they have thus far). Anyone who says they are a “surprise team” did not do a thorough analysis of the Ottawa Senators.
Baseball, because of its long pre-season, may have more positive hype associated with it than any other sport. Every team seems to have at least one veteran player who’s ready to have a breakout year, a rookie sensation who will make a difference, and a pitcher who can really put the team over the top.
Spring training by its very position in the calendar embodies and symbolizes optimism, signaling the end of a long, wet, cold winter and the start of a time that is defined by lazy, pleasantly warm days. Don’t fall for it, especially if you have a favorite team. Wagering based on spring training hype is as dangerous as its gets.
Also, consider that some previews are written to generate fan interest in a season that is the longest in professional team sports and, thus, will not be overly critical of many teams. Of the 30 major league baseball teams less than half have any chance of making it into the playoffs, and of those who do get to compete in the post-season only three or four possess the potential to win it all.
So you’ve completed your due diligence and you’re considering which teams to pick. Let’s take a look at this year’s futures and see what some of your choices are. The odds below were published the first week of February. Realize that different gaming sites will often present different odds. As an example, in this list the Toronto Blue Jays are 17 to 1 but another odds maker at the same time had them listed at 25 to 1.
MLB
2006 World Series (These are not current odds.)
TeamOdds
TIER 1:
New York Yankees7/2
New York Mets 4/1
St. Louis Cardinals 5/1
Boston Red Sox 7/1
Chicago Cubs 8/1
Chicago White Sox 9/1
TIER 2:
Los Angeles Angels 10/1
Cleveland Indians 12/1
Oakland Athletics 15/1
Houston Astros 15/1
Toronto Blue Jays 17/1
TIER 3:
Atlanta Braves20/1
Philadelphia Phillies 20/1
San Francisco Giants 20/1
Los Angeles Dodgers 20/1
Minnesota Twins 30/1
San Diego Padres 30/1
TIER 4:
Texas Rangers 50/1
Ariz. Diamondbacks50/1
Detroit Tigers 60/1
Wash. Nationals 60/1
Seattle Mariners 70/1
Milwaukee Brewers 80/1
Baltimore Orioles80/1
Tampa Bay Rays 100/1
Cincinnati Reds 100/1
Pittsburgh Pirates 125/1
Colorado Rockies 150/1
Florida Marlins 200/1
Kansas City Royals 300/1
For the purpose of this exercise, the teams have been divided into four tiers. Tier 1 contains the six teams that this odds maker considers most likely to win the World Series. Tier 2 consists of teams that are believed to be competitive, but have less of a chance of winning it all. The third tier is made up of teams that many of us would consider to have some chance of getting to the post-season, but they are far from favorites. The final group, which is the largest and amounts to almost half of the MLB teams, are true long shots.
One strategy dictates that you divvy up the money you want to wager in order to increase your chances of winning. If you are going to do this, and in wagering on futures it certainly makes sense, you’ll need to decide how much of a risk you want to take. The greater the risk, the greater the payoff; however, the greater the risk, the less likely you’ll see a payoff.
Let’s say you’re willing to wager a total of $100, and you decide to put it all on the 300 to 1 Royals. If Kansas City wins the series, you realize $30,000! The chances of that are, however, negligible. Instead, you may want to divide that $100 into 10 bets at $10 each. If you do that, you need to realize that betting on the top six teams means that if any of them win, you have lost money (anywhere from $10 to $65).
However, putting money on any combination of Tier 2 to Tier 4 clubs insures that if you do pick a winner you will, at the very least, break even (the Los Angeles Angels are 10 - 1). Consider that Tier 2 includes the Jays, Astros, Indians, and A’s. All of these teams have been in the mix in recent years.
Looking at the six Tier 3 teams, you’ll find that all of these clubs certainly have a chance of winning and many have been competitive and playoff bound over the past five years. Simply betting these six and the bottom four teams in Tier 2 provides you with some action that has potential to garner a return.
If you decide to venture into Tier 4 with one or two of your bets, you will be lessening your chances of hitting the winner, but if you do hit, your return will be much larger than that from any of the other tiers.
How you wager is entirely up to you. But when putting money down on baseball futures remember a few salient points. When choosing your team(s), carefully analyze each club’s entire pitching staff. Why? Pitching wins championships.
Good, steady pitching will defeat even great hitting at least 70% of the time. Don’t just consider starters. Middle relief and closers are essential in going all the way. You also need to weigh the age of the pitching stafftoo old may equal a late season breakdown and too young may mean a late season meltdown. Finally, you will want to look at the depth of the farm system in terms of rookies ready to come up and, more importantly, talent that team may be able to use in a mid-season trade to bolster either its defense or offense. There’s a dearth of quality pitching and even less quality pitching that a club is willing to deal to another team. When push comes to shove always go with sound pitching.
It’s interesting to note that the New York Yankees are the team favored by most to win the World Series. The Yanks have not won it all since their team salary broke the $100,000,000 mark. It is now, of course, over $200,000,000. Although it’s been five years since they’ve brought a championship to New York, since 2000 the Yanks have been the favorite every year.
Remember in 1991 when the Braves and Twins met in the World Series? Before the season began, both had been more than 100 - 1 underdogs. The Twins won it in seven games, with Minnesota pitcher Jack Morris being chosen series MVP. That was a big payoff!
Last year the Chicago White Sox were about 30 - 1 (a Tier 3 team in our example) and the Yankees were the overall favorites at 5 - 4. The White Sox paid $300 on a sawbuck bet.
Of course if you believe in fate, numerology, and curses consider that in 2004 the Red Sox won the crown for the first time since 1918 and in 2005 the White Sox were world champs for the first time since 1917. If that trend remains that means the Chicago Cubs (last World Championship 1908) are next in line. Unfortunately, they’re somewhere around 9 - 1, meaning the payoff is slim considering it’s a futures wager.
Whether you’re putting everything on one team or spreading your dough around, predicting the future World Champions is rarely a sure thing but often it’s a lucrative venture for the people who get it right.
Article was written by Pat Stevens for www.thegreek.com/. The Greek Sportsbook & Casino, recognized by The Sportsbook Review Service with an A+ financial rating, is host to one of the top online sportsbooks. Bet on your favorite baseball, football, basketball or hockey team and more. Reproductions must include link to www.thegreek.com
Ever heard the resounding clinging and clanging of coins dropping down noisily from a slot machine, and then you thinking, “Wow, that’s a lot of money!” Or is it? Is it really a lot of money? Did you get your money’s worth?
For a potential gambler who only raked in one coin and then winning immediately, that is a lot of money. But for someone who has been repeatedly clinging to the slot machine over and over again, then that’s a different story. Even if he finally wins in the end, do you think that all of his winnings equal to the coins that he put into the slot machine? Does it equal his effort?
On the contrary, no. Simply put, it doesn’t equal his investment. In other words, what he wins is far less than all of that money he has put into the slot machine. Aside from being short changed, slot machines get boring once in awhile as the game gets monotonous - that you need to repeat the same procedure over and over again, highly expecting that you win at one point or another.
“Slot machines are not a good way to gamble. Aside from losing money and from a less for of entertainment, slot machines cheat you of your freedom to choose as with any other form of gambling, you don’t have a choice!” (playsportal.net)
You just need to have similar symbols on three reels and that’s it. There is no enjoyment involved - unless you win, but that is still less thrilling as you would not have earned more.
Italy has practically more guidebooks written about it than any other country in the world, so I’m not going to breeze in here and suggest my experiences are more important than all those heavily researched lexicons. My angle is quite different. Unique? Maybe not, but still worth doing. I’m going to tell you not where to go to enjoy Italy, but how to enjoy it.First of all, get the basics right. Italy can be very hard work and, to get the most out of it, you need to be comfortable and well-rested! I like to stay at the same hotels every time I go because then I know exactly what I’m getting. For example, when in Sicily, I always spend a few nights at the Hotel Timeo. Similarly, foreign cuisine can take a bit of getting used to, so, while it’s crucial to the success of your trip to try new things and ‘get in’ with the locals, be careful of overdoing it!Your mindset is also really important. You must keep a positive mental attitude at all times because things will almost certainly go wrong. Even the best laid plans are inevitably subject to hiccups, but an optimistic attitude will get you much closer to resolving whatever the problem may be, than the pessimism that might first appeal. That said, it’s also important to hold your ground- don’t be a push over just because you’re not sure of the accepted way of doing things.Lastly, don’t take too much stuff. There’s nothing worse than lugging round a suitcase of clothes, shoes and accessories that you never even use. They do have laundries in Italy you know!
Virtually all mortgage borrowers go with a mainstream UK lender to make the biggest purchase of their lives, it’s the done thing and to be honest most people don’t realise there is a viable alternative - the foreign currency mortgage.
Interest rates are reasonably healthy in the UK at the moment, particularly in comparison with the 1980s, however interest rates are a lot higher here than they are in the Eurozone, Switzerland, America and Japan.
Did you know that you can borrow the capital you need for your house purchase in Euros, US dollars, Swiss Francs or Yen instead of Sterling? This means that you could take advantage of the lower interest rates elsewhere, securing the loan on your house.
These 3 month money market interest rates allow you to compare UK interest rates with other countries:
Japanese Yen 0.12%
Switzerland 1.03%
Eurozone 2.46%
US $ 4.48%
Sterling £ 4.64%
(Source: 3 month Money Market Rates, Financial Times, 9 Dec 2005)
As you can see, Sterling is significantly higher than some of the others. However, you will lose out on some of that advantage because you will pay a premium to borrow currency from another country. Still, if interest rates continue as they are at the moment, then there are still large savings to be made.
You’re probably wondering why, if the savings are so good, only 1% of UK householder mortgages are taken out in overseas currencies? Unfortunately, there are other factors to consider.
Interest rates - can be unpredictable and even though they have been stable for years, anything unexpected could happen to affect them (eg the 9/11 attacks). If interest rates in the country you were borrowing from increased, then you would lose a lot of the advantage between the foreign currency mortgage over the standard UK mortgage.
Exchange rates - herein lies the most unpredictable area of risk. Because you borrowed in Euros, for example, the loan must be repaid in Euros. If the Euro/Sterling exchange rates were linked and increased and decreased at the same rate, then it wouldn’t be a problem, but of course that’s not the case.
If Sterling strengthened against the Euro, then you will be quids in. To repay the loan, you wouldn’t need to convert as much Sterling into Euros, and you would make a big saving. That’s the scenario that makes the foreign currency mortgage so attractive.
However, if Sterling falls against the Euro, then you will be out of pocket, having to repay effectively more than you initially borrowed. It’s a huge gamble, and your home will rest on it. Your home will be at the mercy of the exchange rates, so you could win, or lose, a significant amount of money.
To get a foreign currency mortgage you will need a deposit of at least 20% for your house purchase, so you will need to have a good cashflow to arrange it.
There is an alternative to the above, one that represents less risk. You can link your UK mortgage to an interest rate in a different country. This means that you are not gambling on the exchange rate, but you will still be subject to the interest rate, in the hope that they will not at any point exceed the UK interest rate. There is less risk involved, however these kinds of mortgages do tie you in for a longer period, ie 5 years, and the redemption penalties will be more than nominal. There is a certain degree of flexibility though, and you can often transfer the mortgage to another property if you want to pay the loan off early.
The above option is particularly popular with mortgages linked to the Swiss Franc interest rate, because their interest rates have stayed at beneath 1% for the last four years. The Eurozone interest rate is also very stable, and has not moved in five years.
Whatever your decision, and even with a UK mortgage, it’s a gamble and deserves a lot of thought. It’s probably worth talking to a financial specialist about it. There’s big savings to be made, but have you got the stomach for it?
Michael writes for Brokers Online who offer critical Illness and most UK financial services including mortgage quotes. Visit our family finance blog for useful tips on UK finance.
There are many ways to promote your business online. The difference between online marketing and offline marketing though is profound.
Although advertising can be very effective offline, it isn’t nearly so effective online. The reason why is that most people surf the internet looking for information. They aren’t usually interested in advertising unless the product or service in question can solve their problems.
There are five strategies that you can implement in your business that will not only create a content strategy for you but will also create a very effective marketing strategy. This strategy will only require a few hours of your time each week.
1. Articles
For those who have read my work, you know that articles not only brand you as an expert but are also a way to create quality content for your site, and search engines love content.
If you don’t like writing, or don’t write, you can find quality articles to post on your site. The larger your site, the more likely you will be found in the search engines.
Here are a few article directories you can use:
http://www.ezinearticles.com
http://www.isnare.com
http://www.goarticles.com
2. Blogs/RSS
Blogging is another way to create content for your website, and by using RSS, you can easily distribute your content.
Most don’t understand what RSS really is, or how it can most effectively be used to drive traffic to their sites.
Basically, RSS is a form of code that’s very search engine friendly. With RSS feeds, which you can add to your website or blog, you can create content that updates itself. Because of this self updating, the search engines will spider your site more often, raising your rankings.
Once you’ve built your blog and added several entries, you need to “ping” it to get it listed. Here are two tools you can use:
http://www.pingoat.com
http://www.pingomatic.com
3. Press Releases
Press releases are news about your business. Press releases are also an excellent way to get high rankings for your site because you can create content rich press releases and submit them to press release directories. Many of these directories are high traffic.
Here are several sites that accept press releases:
http://www.press-world.com
http://www.free-press-release.com
http://www.prbase.com
http://www.click2newsites.com/
http://www.prweb.com
4. Search Engine Optimization
Optimizing your site for the search engines means creating keyword rich content, exchanging links with other sites, submitting your site to directories, which create backlinks pointing to your site.
You can use tools like Web CEO, http://www.webceo.com, to help you optimize your pages.
Although submitting the search engines is often unecessary, since most search engines will spider through to your site from another site, you still need at least one link pointing back to your site so that your site gets spidered.
Submit your site to Alexa, http://www.alexa.com. Not only will this make sure that your site gets spidered, you’ll be able to compare your site to other sites, as well as get statistics on traffic to your site.
5. Free Ebooks and Reports
By writing and giving away free ebooks and reports, you give visitors an incentive to visit your website.
You can also submit your ebooks and reports to ebook directories for free.
http://www.ebookdirectory.com
http://www.ebookpalace.com
http://www.ebookjungle.com/
http://www.ebooksnbytes.com/
If you make your ebook brandable, which means others can place their links inside your ebook, your ebook becomes viral. You give others an incentive to share your ebook and spread it across the internet.
Once you implement these content strategies on your site, add streams of revenue to your site like Adsense and Virtual Portals. These sites will allow you to monetize your site.
http://www.google.com/ads/
http://www.virtual-portals.com
Although adveritising, like pay per clicks, can be effective in promoting your website, it can quickly become expensive. By focusing on creating quality content for website, and then promoting that content, you can continue to drive traffic to your website for years to come.
Jinger Jarrett is the author of “Affiliate Cash”. “Affiliate Cash” will solve your most common problems with building content rich websites and creating quality content that drives loads of traffic to your site. Download your free copy now: www.101articles.com/newstuff.php.
Summer is here! My herb garden would be in bloom if I weren’t furiously pinching out Thyme and Chive blossoms everywhere. Great white and yellow strawberry blooms - like something out of a child’s story book - would be waving in the wind if I hadn’t just slaughtered them to make their young stronger. Winter couldn’t possibly seem further away…so why on earth am I getting my boiler serviced?
Well it’s all about getting a better job done cheaper. I’ve been doing it for years, off and on, but this web nodule about getting your boiler service in summer crystallised my reasons for doing so. When’s the worst time to be hiring a Santa Claus impersonator? Obviously it’s Christmas, and likewise you’re not always going to get the best deal if you try and find a plumber to service your boiler around the same time of year. In case you’re completely bereft of common sense I’ll spell it out for you: plumbers work like Japanese Beavers from September to February, but only the best of them will be REALLY busy in the summer months.
Ipso fatso, if you want a better chance of snagging a great plumber you should get your boiler serviced, or indeed any plumbing work you’d like done, in summer.
The path of United States HDTV world: A brief on United States HDTV
The history of High definition television, HDTV in United States can be recalled back to 15years ago.
It is amazing to see that despite short history of HDTV in the nation, HDTV started to play a major role in United States home entertainment system. Thanks to satellite TV service provider who continuously pushes it hard to the market.
How does HDTV land on U.S.?
15years ealier back to year 1987, the FCC issued a ruling signifying that the HDTV standards to be issued would be compatible with existing NTSC service, and would be restricted to the existing VHF and UHF frequency bands.
By the end of 1988, 23 different proposals for HDTV or EDTV standards were submitted. These were all analog (or mixed analog/digital systems like MUSE) and explored a variety of different options for resolution, interlace and bandwidth.
Early 1990, the FCC announced that HDTV would be simultaneously broadcast with full HDTV standard, rather than the reduced resolution EDTV. A big leap forward, although its still remains in analog form.
But U.S. HDTV world did not wait long to get “digitized”. A few months later on May 31, 1990 General Instrument Corp. submitted the first proposal for an all digital HDTV system. By December 1990, ATRC announced its digital entry in HDTV system, followed quickly by Zenith HDTV and AT&T, then MIT. Thus there were four serious contenders for digital HDTV system in the United States, as well as a modified “narrow” MUSE and an EDTV proposal. These systems were then tested in year 1991-1992.
1993, a remarkable year for United States HDTV history, the FCC made the key decision for an all digital technology — but could not decide among the four contenders. Therefore, after some argument, a recommendation was made to form a “Grand Alliance” composed of AT&T, GI, MIT, Philips, Sarnoff, Thomson and Zenith. This Grand Alliance of HDTV would take the best features of the four HDTV systems and develop them into an HDTV standard. Most of the remainder of 1993 was devoted to establishing the features of this new HDTV standard.
During 1994, the system was constructed and 1995 is slated for testing. If all goes well, the FCC may be setting this standard by the end of 1995.
Teddy Low
Webmaster
http://www.satellitetvissue.com
Teddy L.Cc., a successful freelance internet webmaster/writer. He is currently running 4 internet major websites including http://www.satellitetvissue.com. Frequent writter on issue regarding electronics goods as well as web hosting.
