How To Know When You Need A New Advertising Agency

Even though many of us don't own or run our own businesses, we know that times can be pretty rough in the business world. In order to stand out and compete, businesses will take on the services of an advertising agency so that while the business focuses on having a solid product or service to offer, the advertising agency can focus on making the business a consumer juggernaut.

In practice, this sounds great. In fact, the argument can be made that this is the way to go for businesses looking to stay ahead of the game versus their competition. Far more often than you'd think, businesses will try to take on advertising internally, figuring that no one knows their business better than they do. The problem with this is that at some point, you're too close and drawing conclusions on advertising strategy is being done based on emotion rather than analysis & assessment. In the same way you can't really tickle yourself, it's hard to handle your own advertising.

But, sometimes the job isn't getting the job done. What was once an exciting partnership isn't quite as productive, and you wonder what the future holds. Moreover, you hope you see the signs of decline before it starts affecting your bottom line.

How can you tell it's time for a new advertising agency? Well, that be harder than you think. Here are a few tell-tale signs it's time to part ways:

You Encounter Nothing But "Yes" Men - A business owner may find the idea of uniform agreement pretty nice simply because it makes you feel as though you've got all of the answers. The problem is that an advertising agency needs to be able to challenge their client to think differently.

You Lose Track of the Numbers - How advertising dollars are spent weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly helps a business know where they stand financially, where they need to re-group, and how best to move forward. Transparency is key, but if an advertising agency isn't keeping communication about these numbers open, the business who hired them is flying blind.

Your Advertising Agency is Missing in Action - When things are new & exciting, the advertising agency you hired for your business is maintaining regularly scheduled communication, providing a breakdown of all that is happening with your account. Over time, though, the communication becomes less frequent, and the business starts feeling left out and less important. Tension can fester, making subsequent meetings with the agency feel forced and uncomfortable. Both sides may dread appointments. It's time for a change.

The one thing businesses need to keep in mind when working with an advertising agency is that in order for plans and strategies to play out, it takes time. Each side plays their part in achieving goals & milestones along the way. However, keep in mind that an advertising agency works for your business, and if they aren't cutting it anymore, you have to find an agency that will.

Read More

The Truth About Menu Boards

Digital Menu Boards are utilized in less than 20% of restaurants in overall nation. The other 80% are needlessly missing out on some incredibly easy and effective ways to increase the bottom line.

What's today's special?

Over half of restaurant customers look to menu boards specifically to find out what's on special. But incredibly, almost half the time the very information that these eager customers were looking for, literally with their money in their hands, was nowhere to be found! For the 80%, it's easy to see why. Imagine how difficult it would be to change static chalkboard signage every time you change your special. For owners of digital display systems, what's on your display can be changed at the touch of a button, with the changes automatically reflected in your POS system, too.

This disadvantage is especially crushing if your major target consumers are younger. The Millennials, perhaps the most important demographic for QSR establishments, are less set in their ways about everything, including the food that they eat. They are looking for new food experiences and your meal specials are prime candidates. Why would you want to miss this opportunity?

One picture is worth 1000 words:

QSR customers are in a hurry. They won't take a time to read lengthy explanations. That's why pictures are essential, especially if you're promoting a new menu item. A tantalizing vision of your latest promotional special, in all its mouthwatering glory in living color, will have your customers reaching for their wallets far faster than any verbal description. While posting great pictures is as easy as a few taps on a keyboard for operators boasting digital display systems, it will present much more of a challenge for those still stuck with chalkboard or painted signage.

Read More

Suggestions for Working With Drywall Repair Contractors

Similar to with paint, drywalling can be a method that's really labor intensive, so the drywall repair contractors you employ should be experienced at their work, as any kind of imperfections will certainly begin to turn up as soon as all the job has been completed. That's why it's crucial that you take time when searching for drywall contractors near you, to find a person who can be relied on to do the work well.

You might not understand this, however mounting drywall is made up of 2 different work. Mounting the sheetrock is the initial task, and also this entails shaping, cutting as well as setting the panels into location, rounding off by attaching them. Job number two is taping the joints as well as sealing them in addition to the screwheads, making use of drywall compound. The 2nd component of the job rotates around sanding as well as coating the surface areas up until the corners as well as wall surfaces are smooth, and also preferably, you are not able to tell where one sheet ends and the various other one starts.
When you take into consideration all this, it must be clear that you require to take certain actions when hiring drywall repair contractors, to guarantee you work with the appropriate person for the job.

Just what is the Scope of the Project?

The initial point you should take into consideration before you begin seeking drywall repair contractors is to analyze the scope of the project. Any little drywall repair service jobs could normally be handled by DIY, yet if you are looking at an extra considerable task that is composed of fixing one or more areas in your house, you should work with an expert drywall repair professional in your location. By doing this, you can be guaranteed that the job will certainly be managed swiftly and effectively.

Searching for as well as Hiring a Contractor

You could discover a drywall renovation contractor with a number of methods, including word-of-mouth, residence building shops, and also the web. Many of the moment, recommendations from credible celebrations are the most effective, as they can give you a concept of that is reliable as well as whether they are capable of getting the job done you intend them to do.

You could likewise see their website and consider consumer evaluations, though keep in mind that they will not be posting up adverse testimonials. Ask around Facebook or look at websites that have straightforward client testimonials.

Once you have discovered a few professionals that you think will certainly meet your needs, you could take the complying with actions to tighten down your selection.

1. Interview potential contractors

After you've done your on-line research, you have a concept of that the finest professionals are for your job. Any type of reliable specialist will find the time to chat regarding your job extensively, so you could figure out if they are ideal for the task.

Several of the topics that you can cover when you are interviewing them are the following:

— How long their firm has been in business

— Whether or not they are licensed as called for by the area or state. Make certain to consult the licensing workplace as well as the Better Business Bureau to ensure they have the proper license.

If they can supply evidence of insurance,

— How numerous individuals would be working with your job

— Tentative begin and completion dates

Read More

What Do You Do If You "Find a Strad?"

A Stradivarius Violin in Your Attic? How to Know.

It would be a great shock to the world of fine stringed instruments if a lost violin from a great Italian luthier turned up. Many imitations were made 100 years ago.

It is not unusual to come across a violin in someone's attic, at a flea market or any other such corners of life where forgotten items surface. Sometimes the condition of the instrument makes it obvious that a student long ago abandoned the instrument when other pursuits just took over. Other times, the condition of the instrument or its case or something known about the owner - an eccentric uncle with some money, perhaps - lend the situation a bit of excitement.

Could it be? Is it possible? This excitement is heightened even further when a name, presumably of its maker, is on a label or stamped inside the f-hole of the instrument, on the back plate. There it is! It says "Stradivarius"!

Alas, there are many violins that were made toward the end of the Victorian era, in the late 19th century, that were falsely labeled with the names of the fabled great luthiers: Stradivari, Stainer, Guarnerius, Amati or Maggini among them. They were considered of a "student" level of quality at the time, and the ruse of their violin shops was less a lie than homage: the makers were saying the violins were made in the same style or to approximate the physical specifications of the great Italian violinmakers of the earlier era.

Recently, the excitement around the dollar value of antique violins (and violas and cellos) rose considerably, and raised controversy, when Chicago rare violin dealer Jeff Fushi placed the 269-year-old "Vieuxtemps" Guarneri del Gesu up for sale for $18 million in 2010. At last check it has yet to sell, but it illustrates what has happened with rare violins. Over the past 50 years, their value has appreciated 26,000 percent (compared to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which in the same time period has risen a mere 1,400 percent). Indeed, the problem has now arisen that only millionaires and billionaires can afford them. At best, the instruments are loaned to great contemporary players, concertmasters and soloists with the world's top orchestras. Otherwise, they are held as precious investments, perhaps seen by a rarefied group but only infrequently heard.

There are less than one thousand instruments by Guarneri and Stradivari in existence, and the discovery of a lost stringed instrument found by these or other great makers would be exceedingly rare. If you find one of the 19th century imitations, expect its value to be under $1500 (with a few exceptions) and that to restore it to playable condition could easily cost as much money or more. But do not be embarrassed about asking a professional in a shop for fine violins to look at it - they are accustomed to these requests, and are responsible to all ends of the market to encourage a love of violins (and violin playing) while providing a realistic assessment and encouragement. Even the fake "Strads" were once made, sold and purchased with intent to create beautiful music.

Read More

Power Ranking of Fantasia Sequences

1. The Pastoral Symphony

The Pastoral Symphony segment suffers from being the most childish of all the sequences. The humor suffers from too much slapstick. It is not as innovative as in The Sorcerer's Apprentice or Dance of the Hours. Furthermore, the animation is bland and not particularly memorable. Walt Disney had originally intended for the centaurs to be much more wild and beastlike, but concerns by the studio and censors ended these plans. As a result, the centaurs are merely pretty. There are some good moments, such as the storm scene, but this ends before it can become too threatening. The segment is cute, but not much else.

6. Nutcracker Suite

This second piece of Fantasia is extremely beautiful, but that is about all there is to say about it. Scenes such as leaves falling, ice fairies, and Russian flowers are beautiful to look at, but because there is no story, they are ultimately forgettable. This number is gorgeous to look at, but when one is done watching the film, it is hard to remember. This is still better, however, than being geometrically animated and forgettable, like the flamingo with a yo-yo in Fantasia 2000.

5. Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

This opening piece is meant to represent what the audience imagines while hearing a piece. At first the viewer can plainly see the instruments. Then one can see images that could be perceived as instruments. Finally the instruments disappear completely.

This is one of the reasons I like Fantasia. This sequence does not have a story; rather it introduces the audience to the concept of Fantasia, for example, when the strings' moving bows become an abstract. The sequence does not pander to children and put in a story, as Fantasia 2000 did with its "abstract" number, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. Yet the earlier opening number has more educational interest because it introduces the orchestra.

This sequence has beautiful animation and I admire the ambition of it, but ultimately it lacks the emotional power of the final four on the list.

4. The Sorcerer's Apprentice

This is probably the most famous sequence from Fantasia, and justifiably so. Making Mickey Mouse a sorcerer in the first place is funny. Then we see how badly he botches his simple task of mopping the floor, and while we're laughing, we also sympathize.

We've all probably messed up some simple job, but not spectacularly as he does. The juxtaposition of his fantasy of ruling the universe with the out of control flood inspires sympathetic pity and anxiety, but also laughter at the ridiculous grandiosity of his aspirations. When the brooms multiply so dramatically, it's funny, but also terrifying because they are trying to drown poor Mickey. Likewise, the sorcerer's return is frightening, reassuring, and funny all at once. Mickey has been caught, and everyone can identify with the fear that inspires. At the same time, he puts an end to the madness Mickey started. And the ease with which he does so, as well as the bop on the bottom he administers with the broom, is comical.

While it is entertaining, however, this sequence does not have the fast-paced humor of the next entry on this list or the beautiful animation of the final two entries. It is excellent, but the final three here are great.

3. Dance of the Hours

This is arguably the high point of humor in Fantasia. The dance between the hippo and the alligator is the ultimate anti-Ginger Rodgers and Fred Astaire. While that pair personified grace, the hippo smushes the alligator, who nevertheless retains his romantic drive and debonair aplomb. The humor comes from the fact that both seem to think that they are graceful. In fact all the animals seem to believe that they are great dancers.

Though this sequence is highly amusing, the final two on my list combine drama with masterful combinations of animation and music that tell memorable and moving stories.

Read More

About Public Speaking to Help Marketing

Many people have a fear of public speaking. As a business owner; however, you are probably faced with situations where have no choice but to get involved with some sort of public speaking. You can conquer your fears and your public speaking efforts can help your business's marketing campaign.

The secret behind successful public speaking
Believe it or not, there is a formula that, if followed closely, will help you to become an expert at public speaking and that expertise that you develop will, in turn, help your marketing efforts tremendously. There are a few different approaches that you can take to accomplish this.

Proving your credibility: As a public speaker, you are in a position of having to establish your credibility with your audience members. The first thing that you would do in that situation is to say something to convince your audience members that you have the experience that would make them view you as a credible source and an expert in that particular area. When it comes to connecting with your audience, you must do two things very effectively. First, you must reach them on an emotional level. Whatever you choose to say, it must be something that they react to with some sort of feeling. Second, you must convince them that you are someone whom they can trust. Trust and credibility go hand in hand and if you are able to build your credibility, you will probably be able to build your trust with those people as well.

Reaching your audience members on an emotional level: Everyone (in business and in life) has a story to tell. Your story will elicit an emotional reaction of some sort. The stronger and more effective your story is, the more powerfully your target audience will react to you. If they react to you in that manner, they will most likely eventually want to do business with you at some point. As you are telling your story, it is a great idea to use a combination of words and graphic images. One of the main reasons why images work so well is that many people are visual and they react much more to images than they do to words. An important part of your story is expressing what you stand for and your principles that surround your business. That is where the marketing side comes into the public speaking. You have a business and your business is a clear reflection of who you are. They are tied together very closely.

Using your logical side: When you are speaking in public, whatever you are expressing must be convincing to the people who are listening to you. As you are speaking, you will need to back up your information with facts from other sources so that your audience members don't think that you pulled the information out of thin air. Credible resources go a long way. You need to back up whatever you are saying appropriately.

Making your presentation interesting to your audience: If you go on and on and it is all about you and your business, you will lose the attention of your audience. You must keep it interesting for them, yet, at the same time, you must get your point across effectively. Your presentation shouldn't be too long and it should captivate the people who are there to listen to what you have to say. You want to keep them in the palm of your hand throughout your presentation.

Don't just stand in one place and talk: As challenging as it might be, if at all possible, use visual aids when you are delivering your presentation. If you are able to use them effectively, they have the potential to make your presentation go from good to outstanding. They can captivate and motivate your audience members. Although it seems like such an obvious thing to do, you may be surprised to know that not everyone uses visual aids in their presentations. They really can make a tremendous difference.

Make sure that you rehearse: Practice really does make perfect. Perfecting your presentation is important for you as a presenter and it is important for you as a marketer. Even if you have a tremendous amount of experience with public speaking, you should always practice before you present. You will be much more comfortable and your efforts will come off much more smoothly. All of your hard work and effort will be obvious once you stand in front of your audience and tell them what you want them to know.

Read More

FAQs About Animatronic Figures

What types of animatronic figures are available?

You can find animatronics of all types, sizes, scope and level of sophistication. For example, there are figures of birds, animals and even human beings.

The figures are designed for different functions and for different locations. For example, there are those that are ideal to be displayed in homes and small locations and there are those that are ideal to be displayed in large public areas.

If you want a given figure, you only need to approach a given company and place your order. The company will process your order and create what you asked for.

How much do animatronics cost?

The cost of the figures depends on the complexity and level of detail. This means the more complex a figure is, the more expensive it is. For example, you can find simple animatronics going for as little as $50 and find complex figures going for millions of dollars.

When buying the figures, you should always go for the highest quality. This is to ensure that the product that you buy lasts for a long time. This calls for you to do plenty of research in order to identify a company that will sell you high quality products at low prices.

The good side is that you can easily identify a good quality company by going through the review sites. Here you will see what different people have to say about different companies. As rule of thumb you should always go with the company with the highest number of positive reviews.

How are animatronic figures made?

Animatronics are usually powered by pneumatics, hydraulics or by electricity. The figures incorporate mechanical frames that are made from stainless steel and aluminum alloys. There are also perfectly designed joints that are placed in natural joint positions.

The machinery is covered with body shells and flexible skins that are made of hard and soft materials. The figure is then colored in order to give it a great finish. Hair, feathers and other touches can be used to add detail and finalize the work.

For the figure to perform in a realistic and lifelike manner, the animation control computer is programmed by an animator.

Read More

The Bob Barker: Yorkshire Born And Bred

One thing that reoccurs in Bob Barker's paintings is the cobbled and stone flagged pavements, which are very prominent symbols from his own childhood, growing up in Yorkshire. Although a new viewer may look at his work and see dark scenes of children playing, with the polluted skies and blackened stone, Barker sees colour. A lot of his inspiration comes from memories that are very dear to his heart.

Some of these fond memories included when his mother worked in a mill and Barker would wait for her to finish work and loved to talk to people spinning sheds and indulged in the smell of the looms. Barker was very fond of his mother whom gave him his most treasured present when he was twelve years old. One Christmas morning, he received an oil painting set, this was the start of his artistic career and he has not stopped painting ever since.

Barker has never had any formal art training and yet he is so good. He did, on the other hand, spend some time in Cornwall where he met two artists - Tom Gower and Keith English - whom he would watch for hours. Here was the moment in Barker's life whereby he truly felt he could become a professional artist himself.

Unfortunately real life got in the way of his dreams at first. He had a wife, kids and a mortgage to pay, which meant that his aspiration to become an artist had to take a back seat for a while. In order to have the security that he needed to raise a family, he set up a video and media production business which he ran for over twenty years. It was not a bad job and gave Barker the opportunity to go abroad and around the country filming for his clients. He would also put on workshops for A-level students and teach them the art of video making. Currently, his daughter-in-law runs the business which means that Barker finally has the time to make his hobby become his life.

Read More

Why Celebrity Life Often Ends In Disaster

There are as many successful celebrities, as there are those whose lives leave nothing to celebrate, owing to failure to plan, poor financial management and lack of self-confidence. There are many famous people who are languishing in poverty, jail and ignominy, yet they once straddled the showbiz scene triumphantly. Once they had all the money they needed; now they hide from the people who knew them. By the time most popular and famous people realize they are no longer in vogue, they have lost most of their material possessions. Many in society blame money, accusing it of corrupting the mind and morals. However, the problem is within the person.

One of the main reasons for the demise of many celebrities is failure to plan. When they start earning huge sums of money, many forget that fame is fleeting. They spend extravagantly; oblivious or ignorant of the next day. This happens, especially is sports. Young people are the main players in popular sports. For example, the ages of soccer players range between sixteen and thirty-five years. By the time a player reaches age thirty-five, he or she is considered too old to continue playing. Ironically, in other professions, this is the time when one is beginning to reap from a career. Players who later become paupers fail to save money for the days when they will no longer play. They have no investments to show for the millions they have earned over the years.

Secondly, celebrity life often results in disaster owing to low self-esteem. In showbiz and popular sports, fans create their idols. The player may trigger the adoration of followers owing to some exemplary or heroic performance. However, it is the fans that elevate the celebrity to such a high pedestal, that he or she begins to feel like deities. Consequently, when the person can no longer sing, act or play like before, the crowd begins to dissipate. The player's self-esteem takes a plunge. Not many big names make a comeback after this. Some resort to drug abuse or even suicide. They cannot imagine themselves living below popular perception.

Read More

Be Proud of Learning New Art Skills This Summer

Summer day camp not only gets kids out running and swimming in the sunshine, it also lets them unleash their artistic creativity in so many ways. From nature collages to friendship bracelets, hand-made musical instruments and wearable art, kids' day camp offers a lively mix of artistic endeavors.

Brilliant paints, vivid markers, colored clays and all the amazing treasures of the woods and fields provide so many ways to have fun creating masterpieces and memorabilia at summer day camp. Painting, pottery, ceramics and 3-D art are all camp favorites, and kids in day camp love delving into piles of canvas, clay, crayons, paper mache stencils and feathers to fashion their own unique and exciting artwork.

With lots of free time to just relax and let their imaginations run wild, kids love to paint, draw and just mess around with colors, designs and materials. Well-trained camp counselors have an amazing variety of clever crafts ready to go, along with big doses of encouragement.

Confidence, creativity, group co-operation and a sense of the fun of the creative process itself makes art projects at camp especially enjoyable for kids. Be sure to send them in old clothes on art project days, perfect for enjoying a messy, magnificent day of making masterpieces.

Nature's treasures offer plenty of artistic inspiration for everything from collages to wind chimes and seashell castings; of course a big part of the fun is scouring the woods, fields and beaches for pine cones, acorns, leaves and berries.

Projects like nature panoramas, personalized memory boxes, feathered dream-catchers, bird-feeders and seed mosaics all encourage an appreciation and love of the mysterious and wonderful natural world.

After a rambling nature walk, kids can sit down together and create bright leaf stamp paintings, acorn people, pressed flowers, leaf rubbings or painted rock paperweights. In addition, using materials like braided plastic bags to create jump ropes or necklaces also provides an important hands-on lesson in recycling and the importance of going green.

Wearable art is a big hit at summer day camp. Not only is it fun to make your own funky, colorful attire, but these T-shirts and bracelets serve as happy reminders of long summer days with friends.

Personalized camp T-shirts can range from tie-die to make-your-own-cartoon and nature-themed stencil designs, and attire decorated with fellow campers' names and/or handprints are big favorites. Whether a brightly-hued friendship bracelet, stenciled baseball cap, colorful beach bag or intricate lanyard necklace, wearable art often becomes a treasured keepsake of happy camping days.

A cool mix of visual arts and theater, creating sock puppets and simple marionettes encourage kids to have fun creating colorful characters and dialogue. Some camps incorporate theater by letting campers write and perform skits using their own funky creations.

Campers get to design and build the puppet theater, make up a story and write their own dialogue; they can even create simple musical instruments to accompany the show. Hand-made masks are another perennial favorite, and kids can let their creative urges loose making funny, scary or just plain silly designs.

Read More

Tips for Planning for Portable Toilet Rentals During an Event

As an event planner, you are always facing the challenge of organising a successful event. This applies to all areas including planning, timing and the entire function. Everything must be in its rightful place failure to which your reputation can get ruined. If you are planning an outdoor event that will take several hours, you need to ensure that people will enjoy themselves. One of the most important facilities that you need to hire is a Porta potty rental.

Tips for Planning for Portable Toilet Rentals During an Event

Portable toilet rentals will be used when people need to relieve themselves. An outdoor event that involves food and music necessitates this need. To avoid disappointment, it is important to work with a company that has references. This is a company that people trusts and whose services are timely and reliable. You can visit their website and read client reviews so that you can understand how the company operates. After this, you ask the company for personal references that you can contact for advice and a brief introduction of the services that the company offers. Here are other tips when planning to acquire toilet rentals that are portable:

• The design of the model: The best portable restroom rentals have the necessary facilities so that people can use them with ease. They include enough space to fit while using the facility, a flushing unit, sinks that have soap and running water and enough lighting to be able to see clearly. There are toilet rentals that have air conditioner, mirrors, sanitizers and mirrors. The choice of rental will depend on the money that you are willing to spend.

• Rapid response: Even the most well prepared and meticulous event planner can run into challenges during the event with the restroom trailer rentals. When this happens, you need to call the company so that a technician can offer assistance. The expert should be able to reach the event on time so that your clients' event is not interfered with. It is advisable to work with a company near you so that in case of challenges, the situation will be dealt with quickly.

• Shower trailer rentals are the best in environments that are very hot and humid. People are able to shower and cool their bodies. Additionally, these rentals are great for events that take the entire day.
Portable toilet rentals are indeed the best solution for the bathroom during an outdoor event. No matter the toilet rental that you choose, ensure that it functions well.

Read More

Everything You Need to Know About Leveling in ESO

Hey folks, gamers being gamers, there are dozens of ESO leveling guides and whatnot popping up on the net, promising to tell you everything you need to know to get to level 50 in two weeks or something like that. You don't need all that. All you need to know about leveling in ESO is right here. Enjoy and game on!

1) ESO leveling is like leveling in most MMOs, you gather xp by completing questing, killing enemies, and exploring. If all you want to do is get to level 50 as quickly as possible, just focus on questing. You can find details of which quests are the most 'valuable' in ESO leveling guides and online wikias, but the main thing is to just focus on questing--it will get you more xp faster than any other part of ESO.

2) When you level you will get one stat point to put in Health, Stamina or Magicka. Health is how much damage you can take before you die, Stamina powers your physical abilities (including Block, Dodge, and Interrupt), Magicka powers your magical abilities. Distribute your stat points according to your preferred playstyle. Make sure if you have a lot of Magicka powered skills you are putting more of your stat points into Magicka, and if you have a lot of Stamina powers skills more of your stat points are going into Stamina. Remember--unless you want to play a 'squishy' caster, Health is not a dump stat.

3) Do not waste time farming gold for a mount. Yes, needing to walk everywhere is annoying and takes a while. You will spend more time farming gold than you will save being able to ride to your quests. You'll get plenty of gold from your quests and can get a mount later. You can't get back the time you waste farming gold.

4) If you want to be able to do all the neat stuff available to level 50 characters, than you cannot just power your way through to level 50 as fast as possible. The devs for ESO wanted to encourage exploration and wider engagement, so they specifically designed the game to include important stuff you will not find if you just farm quests to enough xp to hit 50. In fact, you may not even be able to hit level 50 without some of this stuff.

Skyshards--Collecting Skyshards gives your character extra skill points. This is not something to be lightly ignored. ESO expects you to get a good amount of your skill points from Skyshards (and the rarer books), and skipping this part of the game will leave you without the skills that you need to fight effectively at high levels.

Crafting materials--Crafting is a bigger part of ESO than most games. Basically, there is a lot of powerful gear that you can't get as loot on quests and raids. You can either craft it yourself, craft something just as awesome and trade for it, or waste time farming gold in hopes that you will be able to buy it. Do spend hours tracking down crafting materials in the wilderness (if nothing else there are some strict carry limits in ESO), but if you see crafting materials as you travel to and from quests, pick them up. If you pass a crafting location, stop and craft some items. Yeah, this will slow you down a bit, but (again) not as much as farming massive amounts of gold will.

Hidden Crafting locations--In addition to the benefits of general crafting, there are several locations hidden throughout Tamriel that give special crafting bonuses. These bonuses give equipment abilities not found anywhere else. So if you want to take advantage of these special abilities, you'll need to either pay someone else to go to one of these locations, or go there and craft for yourself.

Hidden quest lines and dungeons--And of course, the devs hid some very nice quest lines and dungeons, with very useful loot and high xp rewards, back in the hills where you won't find them unless you step away from the obvious quest lines and go looking.

Read More

A Locked-In Purpose

You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously. - Dr. Steve Maraboli

I have a very special friend one whom I love dearly. You might think it's my mother, my sister, my father or my brother. You might even think it's a cousin or a close friend. Although I love all of these people dearly, they are not the subjects of my affection for our purpose today.

The one I speak of is none other than my dog, man's best friend. His name is Prince and he is very special to me. He is a mixed breed between a shitzu and a poodle. He is a very loving, energetic, jealous, protective little guy. He's one of the smallest dogs, but has the biggest heart. He thinks he is the biggest dog there is, in his own little way he helps to protect our family by alerting us to every unknown person or object that happens to come across our path. But that's not why I'm talking about him today.

Prince, when ever I take him for a walk he has a single purpose a single goal. Now I never looked at it this way until recently and that's law of attraction, attracting into your life whatever you think about. You see things in a whole new light. Your dominant thoughts begin to manifest themselves in your life. And what I saw in Prince was a determination, a drive, a motivation that most people do not have. What I saw in Prince was PURPOSE. He purposed within himself that he would mark his territory no matter what.

Prince didn't care what was trying to stop him, what he had to go through and get over. If there was a fence he'd dig a hole under and come up on the other side. When he's chained up and can't get free his mind is on ONE THING marking his territory and the minute he gets an opportunity he takes it. If there is a hurricane, I guarantee you he'll go out to mark his territory.

A lot of us don't have that kind of direction in our lives we are going in every direction possible all at the same time and sometimes we don't even know it. We don't know what we want, what to do, how to do it or when to do it. They end up like nomads - all over the place.

I believe everybody was born with a purpose for their life. In the grand scheme of things that purpose is to make somebody else's life better it's that simple. But specific to you, there is something you can do that nobody else can do quite like you can. Nobody and I mean nobody can do what you've been birthed to do the way you can do it. The way you might sing an A flat, the way you dribble a basketball, the way you write, the way you smile, the way you speak, the way you GIVE, the way you LOVE.

And I'm telling you if you've never heard it before you can have anything you want to have, you can do anything you want to do you can be anything you want to be once you operate in your purpose. You are powerful beyond measure.

But the question is why do some people seemingly have this purpose that I don't. What separates you from them? What do they have that you don't? The answer to that is nothing they've just found their door and they were able to lock themselves in. I don't know if you got that. They don't have anything you don't have, but they have developed a mindset, the "Locked-In Purpose" mindset. They have locked themselves into their purpose.

Let me Illustrate it to you there was a man way back in the day you might have heard of him, if you've seen him in a cartoon or movie they've probably depicted him with a nice big beard. He was pretty old, he had three sons and anytime you think about him you think about a massive boat. If you haven't guessed by now I'm talking about Noah and his ark.

When the flood came and the wicked people were scrambling about trying to get in but it was too late, he was locked in. The rains came down, but did not reach Noah and his family. The floods came, but didn't drown them. The winds came, but it did not capsize them.

Read More

Violins: Mass Produced Versus Hand Crafted

When it comes to student violins, the axiom that "you get what you pay for" has never been truer. There exist two basic types of student violins: Those that are mass-produced student violins of inferior quality and workmanship by several less-than-skilled luthiers and then there are those that are mostly handcrafted by a single, skilled maker or a small team of other skilled makers. The difference in quality between the two kinds is immense, as are the costs of the instruments they produce.

The mass-produced violins you might find for sale at an online violin shop are made in factories, these days usually in China. These lower-priced violins are made on a strict minimum budget. That is the only way these cheap violins can be profitable. Large teams of makers, working very cheaply, do most of the wood carving in an assembly line environment and the wood that is being carved is usually low quality wood.

The wood used to produce a violin is very important. High quality violins - even if they are "student violins" - are made with high quality wood dried and aged for at least 5 or 6 years or longer. Over the years, violinmakers have unanimously agreed that aged and closed-grained Spruced is best for the front of a violin and Maple is best for the back, neck and ribs. The rest of the fiddle is made from Ebony, which is a very hard wood, and used to produce pegs, fingerboard, tailpiece and end button.

Mass-produced student violins are produced with far inferior woods that are not aged and are not pleasing to the eye. Such violins could never produce a beautiful, powerful tone. The parts that are typically ebony are substituted with a different inferior wood that is dyed black to look like ebony. Such inferior woods often make the violin unplayable as the wood alternately shrinks and swells with dry or wet conditions, making the pegs unusable. The materials are also much softer than ebony and are much more prone to breaking through normal use.

Since there is a budget that mass-produced violins must adhere to, it will come as no surprise that the cases, student violin bows and accessories often sold with these violins are also of inferior quality. The strings that come on the violin will be subpar and need to be replaced immediately, as will the complimentary cake of violin rosin.

Handcrafted violins that are not produced in an assembly line factory by cheap labor, on the other hand, are a different story. Overall, more care is taken during the production of the instrument. A single person or small team of skilled makers who specialize in one or more areas of violinmaking, such as scroll carving or rib bending, carves a hand-made violin by hand. These violins take much longer to produce. The violinmaker typically uses a template that assures that the violin meets minimum acoustic standards and certain physical dimensions required to produce an acceptable or even good tone.

Read More

Demystifying Stringed Instrument Mutes

While not as vital as shoulder rests, chin rests and pegs, violin mutes - as well as mutes for violas and cellos, for that matter - are important instrument accessories for a number of good reasons. Mutes are small devices that are attached to a stringed instrument that alters its timbre, thereby reducing the volume that is produced.

The "timbre" is just a fancy way of referring to the instrument's characteristic tone, as well as the color and quality of the tone. It refers to the sound that is produced by a violin, as opposed to the sound produced by a clarinet, assuming both instruments are playing the same note at the same volume. The sound is different.

Stringed instrument mutes, such as violin mutes and cello mutes, are manufactured from many different materials including wood, metal and rubber. These devices almost always attach to the bridge so that it dampens the vibration of the bridge, which produces a much softer, quieter sound.

The sound of a stringed instrument comes from a player applying energy to the strings, either by bowing or plucking the strings. The sound and volume is produced, not by the strings alone, but by the strings vibrating and conducting through a wooden bridge. By retarding the vibrations of the bridge itself, this effectively "mutes" the instrument.

But why would anyone want to mute a violin? The best reasons why any violin player, from beginners to pros, might want to use a mute are to practice. Practice mutes differ from performance mutes in that practice mutes are heavy and dampen the sound quite a lot, allowing a student or professional to practice the violin without the sound disturbing anyone. The so-called "practice mutes" are also called "hotel mutes".

Less-heavy performance mutes are actually used by orchestral performers because the composer of a certain composition may actually call for the use of mutes as part of the performance. A composer will indicate when an instrument should be muted, by using the term con sordino.

Cellists often use cello mutes to eliminate wolf tones. The mute fits between any two strings on the cello and acts as an energy absorber to "tame" the wolf tones.

Mutes for violas, cellos and violins tend to be low cost accessories, typically running between $1.50 for practice mutes up to $30 for fancier, performance mutes. It is recommended to purchase a mute for students to keep in their cases for use in practice, and, should the occasion arise, for performance.

Read More

How to Plan an Incredible Event - The Basics

The Basics of Event Planning

Detail is everything when you are planning an event. If you are planning an event, it is important to attend to detail and organization as much as possible. While event planning may seem somewhat cumbersome, it can proceed smoothly, as long as you follow a specified system of sorts. Every event has the same fundamental components, including space planning, guests tallying, amenities that you must purchase, as well as other commodities that you must attend to. With this considered, it is understandable why event planning is such as multifaceted and difficult practice for those who are not experienced in the field. However, if you truly wish to take your event to the next level, then consider the tips listed below.

Making Your Event Great

One way that you can make your event proceed smoothly is by integrating portable luxury bathrooms into the pictures. There are a number of benefits associated with renting luxury bathrooms, instead of your everyday port-a-potties. Your typical rented bathrooms may lack sophistication, quality, and proper sanitation mechanisms required to make your event a success. However, a luxury bathroom will make every guest at your event feel as if they are royalty. The key to conducting a successful event is that every guest feels the comfort and convenience of amenities in close proximity. Another reason why this particular luxury is so important is because many parents attend events with their children, and children require close access to bathrooms in close proximity. Therefore, if your guests feel comfortable enough to attend the event with their children, they will stay much longer. As you already know, hygiene is an important aspect of a human being's personal wellbeing, and that is why your guests deserve luxury bathroom rentals.

However, luxury bathrooms are not the only necessities that a large event requires. Every event needs to be properly sized, in the right venue and space, in the right atmosphere, and give the guests certain commodities, including beverages, food, music and much more. It is also critical to organize other important aspects of the event planning process, including where your guests will park, how they will enter the venue, and where they will be seated. All aspects of your event planning should be customized to your audience because the consumer is the most important facet of the prospect. If you consider the consumer's needs, your event will definitely be a great success.

Read More

How To Market Your Skill As A Writer

Good writers are wordsmiths. Like the building blocks, they have acquired the skills to carefully choose words that will convey specific meanings to their readers across the globe.

Acquiring the skills to write copies that will add values to your readers take time and lots of efforts. It is not a tea party.

You have to leave your comfort zone, read anything and everything under the sun, sleep less at night, stay on your computer till thy kingdom come, browse the net to get specific information, etc.

But, above all, you have to write, write and write. Reading is just 1%, while practice is 99%. There is no magic in crafting good copies. It is more of practice than talking.

But, when you write good copies, you have to let the world know.

In this 21st century, computer and the internet have reduced our world to a global family. It used to be called a global village. Off course you know this.

So, how do you market your writing skills to the entire world? Good question. The internet is a global library and a potent and dynamic market place for everyone.

Therefore, whatever product or service you render to humanity can find ready buyers online and offline.

Websites, blogs, the social media, emails, forums, directories, online advertising agencies, etc, are good platforms for announcing yourself.

But, let me be realistic with you, my brother, my sister. Like every effort under the sun, there is no quick-fix approach to marketing yourself first and subsequently making money online.

It is work first before payment. When you go to some restaurants in Nigeria and abroad, you order for your meals before payment. Yes, some will demand money before the meals.

But, in online writing business, you have to work, research, read, browse and request for specific information from Google, or any of the search engines.

For days, weeks, months or even years, you must continue to announce your presence, give out almost all your products, free and then wait patiently for the conversions to start rolling in.

But, the truth is that in a world of the good, the bad and the ugly, trust online and offline is a big deal. You have got to earn the trust of your readers.

As at 2015, online reports quoted the international telecommunication union as estimating that in a world of about 7 billion people, 3.2 billion of them use the internet.

About 2 billion people from developing and 89 million from least developed countries also use the internet.

Read More

Important Factors For Peak Performance

1. Keywords

When most people enter a word or phrase into the search bar in their browser, they are most likely using either the Google, Bing or Yahoo search bars. The results of their query will bring the search engines best matches for the person.

The goal or ideal situation will be to find the articles on the first search engine results pages, or SERPs, for the keywords and subjects that are relevant to the content in that post. The first 3-5 keywords in the post will get a higher priority from the search engines.

It's a great idea to use a keyword tool. I think that the Free Google Webmaster Keyword Tool and the Jaaxy Keyword Tool, which has a free starter plan, are both awesome and I highly recommend them.

2. Title

Did you know that up to 95% of the article, post, or book success can be determined by the first 3-5 words in the title? Wow, that sounds like a really interesting and important factor to keep in mind, I'm sure you agree. A lot is determined simply by whether the piece sells, the demand or purchasing of the work. So choosing the title is not to be taken lightly, create keyword rich titles that match the most commonly searched keywords for your topics, for best results with your articles, eBooks, etc.

Your article marketing strategy can be maximized simply by understanding keywords and how to create smart titles. These titles that are closely matched to word phrases entered into the search bars on a daily basis. You can draw or attract lots of targeted traffic to your articles and website by understanding how the search engines work.

3. The Introduction or Summary

The purpose of your article summary is to lead an interested reader to check out the rest of your article. Start out by letting your audience know the benefits they will receive when they read your article.

The length of your article introduction should be somewhere between 3-8 sentences or about 2 paragraphs in length. Add a few keywords related to your article title within those few sentences.

With each post written, be sure to target your intended viewers and speak directly to them. Let them know that your article is written for their benefit and they should read the whole page.

There's no need to make the summary any more than 5-8 sentences, nor should you repeat the author name in the introduction. Don't try to promote yourself or your business by adding a link or your URL address. All of these things, including email address, can be added at the end of the article. Don't put the title of the article in the 3-8 sentence summary either.

4. The Article Body

Choose a Font and letter size that you like, one that's easy to read with enough white space between lines and paragraphs. You can break your article down into an eye-pleasing, easy reading style, maybe with a numbered list or bullet points.

Share your expert strategies, tips, and knowledge. Your website should be filled up with quality posts or articles, relevant and useful for those searching for up to date information on the topics of your site.

Draw the reader to want more and to click on your site URL where there is a lot more relative information. Some will be persuaded to answer a call to action or even to make a purchase.

Put links in the end or conclusion of the article and draw readers to your website or to an affiliate site.

It's not a good practice to promote your own site in the article body. The content should be in a manner that doesn't sound spammy. Save the links and self-promotion for the end.

Most website owners and publishers will not republish a self-promoting article and I'm sure that we all want as much exposure and circulation as we can get. It's always best to fill up the article body with great quality content in a way that gives the reader something that answers their search entry.

The article body should show your expert experience, knowledge, how to info, and or advice. When writing the article always provide up-to-date, relevant, useful information with your readers and continuously build up your niche authority and trust.

Read More

Advantages of Web Content Writing

Creating content has evolved into an art form of its own. Coming up with fresh content every day is a talent, even more now because we live in the age where the sfpeed of everything is doubled. And it all comes down to whether readers will engage with your content. Good thing content writing for websites has benefits print content cannot deliver.

Each website on the internet has a different voice, and in turn, different kinds of content. As mentioned, at the end of the day, what matters is readers engage with your piece, especially because there are a million other websites fighting for your readers' attention as well. Here are the advantages (and some tips) for web content writing.

1. Less Than 1,000 Words

A whopping 79 per cent of users scroll through a webpage instead of reading articles word-for-word. Most people won't finish an article (albeit some won't even read them), because too many other things are vying for their attention.

Embrace the fact that the world we're living in now is constantly distracted because it will help you think of ways to capture your readers. Think of your website fighting for your intended audience's attention. Keep your content brief by establishing your points head on to help readers know the point you want to get across or only important details. Articles should be kept at maximum 1000 words.

2. Keywords for SEO

As a writer, keywords can guide you so you don't get lost in a sea of words (or in the absence of them). For your readers, however, keywords are made to ensure your content comes up when they search for what they're searching for-what you, as a content writer, can offer. Knowing what keywords to include and exclude are not only common, but a necessity for web content writing.

However, a common pitfall for content writers is compromising quality to boost SEO. A way to address this is to keep your keywords in mind, and work around that set. It's particularly helpful to remember that your audience is not algorithms, but living, breathing human beings like yourself.

Write as if you were writing to impress yourself. When you know exactly what you should be writing about, you won't get lost.

3. Readers Engage More Easily

As the number of writers grow easily online, so do the number of conversations. The internet provides people a platform for engagement. Since then, points are raised and other ideas are launched for discussion by readers through feedback. The takeaway here is the exchange of information that can lead to more ideas for content.

Capture your audience with compelling ideas and share your content. Content writing for websites is compatible with social media. This will let more people reach your content.

4. More Affordable Than Print

Read More