The Great Expert Blog

I have seen jobs posted for help with term papers. What I mean by “help” is a little more than editing a student’s term paper. Specifically, there are college students who are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to have someone else write a paper for them. This practice is nothing new, but it is much more prevalent than many folks realize.

Truthfully, I could probably make a good sum of money writing term papers for the rich kids out there. In college, I usually garnered an “A” or “A-” on my papers. Yes, I did quite well and that was due to my paying attention to what the professor wanted written and being thorough with my research. Once my research was completed, I worked very hard to produce a “jam up” paper. It was exhausting work, but personally rewarding!

So, my policy is this: write the paper yourself. Learn how to do it the right way and show some integrity and fortitude. You will be a better person for it, too, and prove to yourself that you can overcome a challenge.

How about you? Do you accept every project that comes along or do you have certain standards in place? How you answer these questions speaks volumes about you as a writer and as a person.

Copyright 2006 — Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on a variety of topics including: advocacy, automobiles, aviation, business, Christian themes, family, news, product reviews, travel, writing, and more. Please visit Matt’s blog for absolutely stunning and informative writings from the master himself!

BBC Green is the superb and sustainable living domain from the BBC Worldwide. The BBC Worldwide is fully owned by the British Broadcasting Company. The BBC Worldwide makes its profits from a large range of jobs and companies that are linked purely to the BBC’s main output. BBC Greens prime want is to cut through the uncertainty that these days surrounds environmental and climate questions. The BBC Green site shows you how to use Solar Panels to create reusable energy.

The term green is meant to boost you yourself to think about taking a responsible practice to using the natural resources that are sited round you. Some astonishing examples would be generating and using solar power. This will make a hefty contribution to a sustainable world. Your solar panels use energy that is received from the sun to supply electricity to run showers and lighting. Solar PV also known as photovoltaic only requires light during the day in order to make all of this work; all that is helpful as it still means that it should create a bit of power still on a cloudy day. There are innumerable benefits to using solar panel systems. You yourself should save up to 155 off your electricity bill also grid connected systems require uncommonly little maintenance. Your PV machines produce absolutely no greenhouse gases and each kWp may save virtually 418g of carbon dioxide gas per annum. This adds up to just about eleven tonnes over a systems life time.

The the new climate change website is outstanding at explaining things and incorporates all the issues from across Home & Garden, Food, Travelling, Society and Family and Cash. The thing that makes BBC Green good is that the green company like to think of themselves as dissimilar from each and every other search site folk will probably have used. BBC World Wide site strive to offer more relevant results not simply from BBC Greens very own green issue site, but furthermore from other green sites that look and research on environmental living. When you yourself process a search you yourself will be taken to a results webpage. This web page can have the principal eight web links for BBC Greens results and for suggested sites results.

How To Choose Your Road Bike, Different Level Of Riders

How to choose your road bike? Well the first question is how much do you want to spend and how much cycling will you do? The answer to the first question is a difficult one, many people when they are younger they want to ride there bike all day and what to be the next winner of the Tour de France, but they can not afford to spend much on there bike. If they get fit and win some races and get in a good team they will be given a top class bike, but what usually happens is they have to give up and work, have a family etc. When they are older and have more money they can afford the bike of there dreams. As to how much cycling you do, that depends on whether you can justify having the best bike around and only doing a short ride on Sunday morning. Remember you get what you pay for.

Basic Level Bikes.

If you go to the larger sports stores or bike shops they will have complete bikes for sale, probably a alloy frame with Shimano Tiagra or Campagnolo Mirage or a mixture of cheaper components, this bike will be built to a price, will ride fairly well, wont be very light and is a good place to start. To get some thing better, start with a nice alloy frame and if you can afford it, carbon forks, then with what money you have left chose your group-set of either Shimano or Campagnolo and then you can pick your saddle, handlebars, wheel rims and tires, this is all fun, but if you are working to a budget, it can be tricky.

Mid Level, Touring and Possibly Racing.

In this range of bikes you can buy them as a complete cycle, in the cycle shop, sports store or even in the specialist magazines or on the web. It is more fun to choose the components for your frame and how much you want to spend. At this level you would probably be looking at Shimano 105 or Campagnolo Centaur road bike parts and you could possibly buy some built up wheels from Shimano, Campagnolo or Mavic, but first start with the frame, there are many frames out there to choose from, get on the net and look for what you want, it will probably be alloy again, with carbon forks. Alloy seat pin, handle bars and stem and a comfortable saddle.

Top Level Bike For Racing and Pleasure.

Now it gets more difficult, your components would be Campagnolo Chorus or Shimano Ultegra, unless you can afford the top components of both manufacturers. Wheels again would be possibly Mavic, Shimano or Campagnolo, deep carbon rims look Great and have a wonderful ride, but will probably be too expensive, best if you stick to alloy rims for high pressure tires as tubulars, even though they ride wonderfully, will be expensive and a lot of trouble. Handle bars, stem and seat pin could be alloy or carbon, if you have the money. The frame is the heart of your bike and you will want a good one, at this price range alloy is going to be the first choice with carbon forks and possibly a carbon rear triangle. If you look around you might manage to find an all carbon frame at this price, Giant make a very well priced carbon frame in a compact, sloping design, there are others but you will have to spend a lot more money.

The Top of The Shopping List.

When’re looking at a lot of money here if you want to buy a professional road bike. The frame will be all carbon or titanium with carbon forks and maybe a carbon rear triangle or alloy main tubes with carbon front or rear end. The nicest ones on the market at the moment, in my opinion, are Colnago, De Rosa, Pinarello, Battaglin, Time, Scott, Cervelo and many more, all are available in different colours, geometries and sizes, check out there web sites for information and try to make your choice, it’s a difficult job. This is a professional road bike so it will have to have the best components, Shimano Dura.Ace or Campagnolo Record are your only choice at this level. Same with the wheels, Dura-Ace or Campagnolo Bora, these can be for high pressure clincher tires or tubulars, tubulars are more trouble but do ride well, but clincher tires are very nearly as nice and much more practical. Handle bars, stem and seat pin will be carbon and your saddle will have a carbon base with a leather cover and sometimes with gel for a little extra comfort.

The Best Bike You Can Afford.

You do only get what you pay for, so get the best bike you can afford, look around the magazines and the web sites and don’t forget your local bike shop until you get that little jewel, but be careful not to make your partner jealous!
bike cycling reviews

About the Author

Andrew Caxton contributes adding articles to http://www.bike-cycling-reviews.com. At his site you can find reviews on bike parts and cycling clothes.

Ireland is a magical place. It has a culture and heritage that is truly it’s own. The country is divided into The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Republic has 26 counties while Northern Ireland has 6 counties giving the entire country 32 in total.

1. No visit to Ireland is complete without having spent at least a couple of days in the capital city Dublin. Dublin is now accessible from most major airports worldwide. Car rental can be hired from all major recognised companies directly at the airport but we suggest booking in advance to get the best rates. Car rental also offers more flexibility if visitors wish to travel further a field.

2. Galway is widely regarded as the fastest growing city in Europe. Located on the West Coat of Ireland, Galway is a lively city with an extremely young vibrant population. Known for its numerous pubs and cafes Galway is a must on any travellers agenda.

3. Cork is the third largest city in Ireland following Dublin and Belfast. Watch out for the famous Cork accent as its fast and can at times be hard to grasp. Home to Murphy’s and Beamish stout or beer Cork was the European Capital of Culture in 2005.

4. The famous Ring of Kerry has been travelled by millions of visitors at this stage. Enjoy the spectacular scenery that the Ring of Kerry boasts. Located close to Killarney this is a must see for any serious traveller. Be prepared for a slow ride though as the route is often very busy.

5. Possibly one of Ireland’s best kept secrets is County Sligo. Located in the North West of Ireland Sligo was home to W.B.Yeats the famous poet. Much of his inspiration was derived from the local surrounds. Marvel at Lough Gill, Ben Bulben and Knocknerea.

6. While Belfast may have gained an International reputation as a violent city due to it’s past it has now become one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe. The city is full of life and oozes an energy rarely found elsewhere. Another must!

7. The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare are a real treat. Standing hundreds of feet tall and reaching up from the Atlantic Ocean the Cliffs of Moher are a true spectacular. Surfers are now coming from around the globe to ride the mighty waves at the base of the cliff.

8. Fancy taking a trip back in time to how Ireland used to be? If so take a trip to The Aran Islands off the coast of Galway where Gaelic or Irish is the main language. The Islands will give you a glimpse of how Ireland used to be with a laid back attitude prevalent.

9. Visit County Wexford, known as The Model County and climb Europe’s oldest lighthouse at Hook Head. Dating back over 500 years this is a climb that will leave you breathless-not from the exertion of the climb but from the views.

10. Lastly be sure to book your accommodation and car rental well in advance to avoid any disappointment. Remember that the Euro is now the currency of Ireland so do your calculations prior to booking.

Dara Ward is the Managing Director of Accommodation in Ireland and operates over 20 Irish Travel and Tourism websites. He is widely recognised as an expert in the promotion of tourism to and within Ireland and has an in-depth knowledge of the travel industry in Ireland. He also operates Hotels in Dublin amongst other sites.

According to many today, the doctrine of creation is one of
those critical doctrines that one must believe in. In many
churches, it is required belief before a person becomes a member
of the church. However, it has not always been that way. As you
will see, this is a relatively new doctrine, invented by
twentieth-century young-earth believers and their ministries.
Let’s take a look at this doctrine…it’s history, it’s
relevance for today, and it’s necessity for belief. What is a
Doctrine? First, let’s look at the definition of a doctrine.
According to Webster’s, a doctrine is “teaching, instruction.”
However, doctrine as it relates to the church is much more
restrictive than this phrase. Doctrine in the church indicates a
fundamental truth that must be believed in. A few examples for
definitions are: - philosophy, philosophical system, school of
thought, ism — (a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as
authoritative by some group or school) (Footnote 1)

- is the body of beliefs about God, humankind, Christ, the
church, and other related concepts considered authoritative by
the community of faith, becoming the standard of interpretation
and application of the Bible and the Christian faith.(Footnote
2)

- A set of accepted beliefs held by a group. In religion, it is
the set of true beliefs that define the parameters of that
belief system.(Footnote 3)

- Positions or principles held to be sacred, or inspired, truths
in a system of beliefs. In Christianity, these beliefs are an
instruction to be taught to the faithful by means of the
catechism, sermons, and through the religious dogma of the
church. The Anglican Church’s Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion
is an example of religious doctrine.(Footnote 4) As you can see,
it is clear that doctrines of the church are key teachings that
members should believe in to associate with that particular
denomination. The final definition gives us our starting point.
An example of doctrine from the Anglican Church is the
Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, which defines the Anglican
system of belief.

Click on the link to the Thirty-Nine articles, and scan for
references to the creation. There are none. Thus, the doctrines
which are key to the Anglican system of belief, dating from
1801, do not include any key beliefs about the creation.

Now, let’s expand our search to other key systems of belief.
When it comes to the history of the church, one of the most
telling items about doctrines are the three creeds. Creeds were,
from the earliest days of the church, used for the purpose of
baptismal professions, in order to teach the new converts the
proper path right at the beginning of their Christian
walk.(Footnote 5) First, the Nicene Creed comes from the fourth
century. The traditional wording ((Footnote 6) is…

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and
earth, and of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his
Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God
of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the
Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our
salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy
Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified
also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried;
and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and
ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the
Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the
quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I
believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Live, who
proceedeth from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father
and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spake by
the Prophets. And I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic
Church; I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and
I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the
world to come. AMEN.

In the third and fourth lines, the new believer is affirming
that God is the creator of all things. Note that there is no
reference to a length of creation…it merely states that God is
the creator. Thus, to become a believer in the fourth century,
there was no requirement for belief in a young earth. In fact,
many of the church fathers took II Peter 3:8 to mean the days of
creation were 1,000 years long.

Next, consider the Apostles Creed. It appears in it’s full form
in the 5th century, but it has roots all the way back to the 1st
and 2nd century.(Footnote 7) It states… I believe in God, the
Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus
Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived of the Holy
Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The
third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He
shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the
Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life
everlasting. Amen.

Once again, we have a general statement that God is the creator,
but no specific mention of the length of time that it took.
Thus, it would be no problem for an old-earth believer to be
accepted in the 2nd century church.

Third, let’s consider the Creed of Athanasius. It dates to the
fourth century.(Footnote Although it is the longest creed, it
does not even mention creation.

Therefore, it is clear from early church doctrines that the
length of creation was not a requirement for faith. Church
Denominations Now, let’s consider church denominations, which
set standards of belief for their members. As you may be aware,
Answers In Creation has a listing of denominations which are
open to an old earth. A review of the 50 major denominations
that have been reviewed shows that only two are hostile to
old-earth believers (independent, fundamental Baptist churches,
and the Assemblies of God). Two others have statements
denouncing evolution, but do not have a position on the length
of the creation days. One of the two largest denominations, the
Southern Baptists and Seventh Day Adventists, do not rule out
old earth belief, but individual churches vary in their beliefs.

Forty-four of fifty denominations present no problems with
old-earth believers.

Is there a pattern here? The roots of the young earth movement
are with a man named George McCready Price, a Seventh Day
Adventist from the 1900s. He was a loud voice in the move to
promote six 24-hour day creationism, starting around
1902.(Footnotes 9,10) Although the Seventh-Day Adventists are
now not as restrictive, their statements on creation have deep
roots. In fact, the modern movements, led by Answers in Genesis,
the Institute for Creation Research, and Kent Hovind, have their
roots in Mr. Price.(Footnote 11)

In fact, the Baptist denominations have historically, over the
last thirty years, provided the main base for promoting young
earth creationism through the parachurch organizations of AiG
and ICR. But what about the Assemblies of God? Their statements
of faith come from 1916, a time at which Price was preaching his
young-earth creationism. Although there is no clear ties between
the two, both the Assemblies and Adventists beliefs arose about
the same time (the Assemblies had been loosely forming since the
1890s).

The pattern is that young earth creationism did not start until
the 1900’s, and then only in a few select denominations, in
which it continues to this day, with the help of a few outspoken
individuals and third-party organizations. Interestingly, during
the fundamentalist movement of the 1920s, early fundamentalists
railed against evolution, but did not make any clear
prohibitions against an old earth. Evolution was the enemy, not
an old earth.(Footnote 10)

Why did the father of young-earth creationism, Price, preach so
adamantly about creation? Seventh Day Adventists claimed that
they had a vision, in which they saw the creation of the world
in six 24-hour days. Thus, you could easily say that today’s
young earth movement is based on a vision (someone’s
dream?)…not a solid base upon which to make a real
doctrine!(Footnote 12) Creation Becomes a Doctrine! We have just
looked at the churches that made creationism a fundamental
belief. It appears that this doctrine did not exist prior to
1900. It is a 20th century creation, and is only adhered to by a
few churches (even the Southern Baptists do not claim it is a
doctrine, although many of their churches will argue for it).

Starting in the 1920s, Fundamentalism grew, and eventually
several individuals saw the need to defend the young-earth
position of creation. There were many, but most significant of
these is the ministry of Henry Morris, who founded the Institute
for Creation Research in 1970. Through this ministry (which took
off in 1961 with his book The Genesis Flood) he and his
disciples proclaim creation as a doctrine. This can be seen in
Chapter 17 of his book, Biblical Creationism, first published in
1993, and in Impact Article Number 132, from 1984. Conclusion In
summary, young-earth ministries of the 20th century have added
the doctrine of creation to the church. For nearly 1,900 years,
this doctrine was not needed. However, because of a vision
(dream) from some Seventh Day Adventists, we are now stuck in
this creation battle, as young-earth/old-earth proponents argue
their position against each other.

A young-earth doctrine is not a part of most church
denominations, nor was it ever a part of any pre
twentieth-century church organizations which were responsible
for setting doctrinal beliefs. As such, this doctrine should
pass into history.

Millions of people, when given the choice of believing in a
young earth, when all the evidence from God’s creation says it
is old, were turned away from the gospel. Fundamentalists of the
1920s and later made a fundamental mistake by insisting on a
young earth. From that time, the word “Fundamentalism” has been
used by the secular world to stereotype Christians, and it has
done much harm. It is clear from scripture that you can believe
in an old earth, and still believe in an inerrant Bible. You can
be a fundamentalist and believe in an old earth.

We must stop turning people off to the Bible by insisting on
young earth belief. Yes, many thousands have been saved by
young-earth ministries…but compared with the millions that
have been lost, the choice is clear.

References: 1 WordNet 2.0 Search 2 Jude Ministries Definition
( HREF=http://www.judeministries.org/Contending/somedefinitions.htm
rel="nofollow">http://www.judeministries.org/Contending/somedefinitions.htm
) 3 www.inthelight.org
( HREF=http://www.inthelight.org/dictionary/dic_c-d.htm rel="nofollow">http://www.
inthelight.org/dictionary/dic_c-d.htm) 4 PBS.COM, Church Vs.
State Glossary ( HREF=http://www.pbs.org/williamsburg/church/glossary.html rel="nofollow">http://
www.pbs.org/williamsburg/church/glossary.html) 5 The Three
Creeds ( HREF=http://www.churchsociety.org/crossway/documents/Cway_093_Thr
eeCreeds.pdf rel="nofollow">http://www.churchsociety.org/crossway/documents/Cway
_093_ThreeCreeds.pdf) 6 The Nicene Creed ( HREF=http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/history/creed.nicen
e.txt rel="nofollow">http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/history/creed.nice
ne.txt) 7 The History of the Apostles Creed ( HREF=http://www.path-light.com/history.htm rel="nofollow">http://www.path-light.
com/history.htm) 8 The Athanasian Creed ( HREF=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02033b.htm rel="nofollow">http://www.newadv
ent.org/cathen/02033b.htm) 9 George Price Biography ( HREF=http://www.geocities.com/lclane2/geoprice.html rel="nofollow">http://www.ge
ocities.com/lclane2/geoprice.html) 10 The Historical
Development of Creationism ( HREF=http://www.reasons.org/resources/apologetics/history2.shtml rel="nofollow">
http://www.reasons.org/resources/apologetics/history2.shtml)
11 The Historical Development of Creationism, Part 3 ( HREF=http://www.reasons.org/resources/apologetics/history3.shtml rel="nofollow">
http://www.reasons.org/resources/apologetics/history3.shtml)
12 Special Revelation, through dreams and direct contact with
God, is believed by all non-Pentecostal churches to have ended
after the Apostles departed the earth

Acne cures that work are hard to find and that is a problenm, especially since acne can be a serious skin disorder not just a few pimples. that can be unsightly and embarrassing to the individuals it afflicts.

Two of the best acne cures that work are on the market and include a drug called isotretinoin, also known as “Accutane”, and the other, a system in three parts called Proactive Solution.

Accutane is one of the well known acne cures that work although it is a drug that has many serious side effects so it is prescribed for only those with serious cases of acne.

This acne cures that work begins to rid one of severe acne in a permanent manner after only one application.

Accutane is the best acne treatment to hit the market in well over twenty years and is highly thought of as one of the acne cares that works.

It falls into the category of drugs by the name of retinoids and as a rule one course of treatment must be taken to cure acne for a period of five months.

This treatment has been shown to help the great majority of acne sufferers (approximately 85 percent).

Occasionally patients require more than one course of the drug in order for it to cure their acne however most do not.

The Proactive Solution is another of the acne cures that work

This is not as high-risk and as far as acne cures go, Proactive can help people who have mild to serious cases of acne.

Combining all three parts of the Proactive Solution’s system together can help cure acne in a timely fashion.

It is a topical solution that is applied directly to the affected areas of skin.

The system includes Renewing Cleanser, Revitalizing Toner and Repairing Lotion.

The items need to all be used in concert to do their job correctly and treat your acne the way you want.

“Discover more articles and information regarding acne and skin treatments”. Find some Acne Treatments that Work

Light touch coupled with intent and direction of energy is used to bring the cranial, spinal, and pelvic structured back into balance and to remove blockages that the body’s own physiologic forces have been unable to overcome. One of the hallmarks of craniosacral therapy is the use of a very light touch. The amount of pressure used is seldom more than 1 ounce, and is often more on the order of 5 grams the weight of a nickel. By using such gentle pressure, the therapist assists the client’s body to self-correct and avoids encountering resistance.

An experiential example can facilitate understanding of how light touch decreases resistance. For example, imagine a hard pull on one of your arms. Your immediate reaction is to resist by holding back against the pull. Thus protecting yourself. The use of light touch is a way of not engaging the body’s natural tendency to resist change.

Reliance on the inherent self-correcting mechanism of the body is another of the hallmarks of craniosacral therapy. This approach relies on the body’s own wisdom and desire to move toward homeostasis to guide the treatment session. Treatment is a cooperative effort between the therapist who is trying to help the system work more effectively and the person receiving treatment. For this reason, treating the craniosacral system is not only useful for correcting disease, but also for promoting a high level of wellness.

Douglas Adams is the owner of http://www.allwellbeing.com/ all wellbeing.com a website dedicated to increasing knowledge of health related issues.

For high quality health care products click here

Every leader, supervisor, coach, team member and parent has been told of the value of giving positive feedback. We’ve heard reasons why. We’ve heard we don’t do it enough. We’ve learned all of the basics about giving positive feedback successfully: make it timely, make it specific, and when giving positive feedback consider sharing it publicly.

All of this is good advice, but it falls short of the mark if we want to make a long term lasting difference in the self-image, confidence, and performance of others. In short, if you want to give positive feedback, consider doing more than telling people how you feel, consider writing it down.

Why Write it Down

Here are three reasons why written feedback is so valuable.

1. It is unusual. While most of us give (and receive) far too little positive feedback to start with, receiving it in writing is even more rare. The time taken to form our thoughts and write them down demonstrates to the receiver how valuable and important the feedback is.

2. It can be preserved. Verbal feedback can be preserved, but only in the mind of the receiver. I know that I have had people tell me very nice things that I remember, and in some cases I can even take you to the exact location that they told me. But our memories can fail, and those events can just be lost among the millions of moments in our lives. Not so with something in writing. Not only can the thoughts and comments be preserved, but you can bet that in many cases they will be saved… for a very long time.

3. It will be re-read and therefore reinforced. Verbal praise is shared and can be savored by the receiver, but I don’t think many people will stop the person giving the feedback and say, “Will you tell me that again please?” Quite the opposite for the hand written note. It will be read at least twice initially, and if the feedback is especially meaningful, perhaps several more times in the coming days - and often far beyond.

Some Ways to Do It

It really is as simple as picking up your pen and writing heartfelt, genuine comments to another human being. Here are some ways to help you get in the habit of giving people positive feedback in writing.

1. Send a letter. Writing someone a quick letter doesn’t take very long. It doesn’t need to be formal, it just needs to genuinely tell the other person how you feel. Don’t put it off, just write it.

2. I like you because. I learned this from Zig Ziglar. He used to (and perhaps still does) produce small pads that used this sentence stem to make it easier to give someone positive feedback. The was printed with “I Like You Because” then it had several lines for you to fill in your note. I have used this idea for many years in a variety of settings with great success. Create your own pad like this on your computer, or start with a blank piece of paper or index card. Using this sentence starter may help you get started (and help you look for and find) the behaviors you want to praise.

3. Thank you notes. An extension of written feedback is the hand written thank you note. Most of us could write more thank you notes than we do, and they serve as an acknowledgement of what someone did for us, but they also serve as positive feedback. Commit to writing more thank you notes, or to adding a bit more feedback to those notes you do write.

4. Send them an email. This can be a letter in email, or a quick reply to a project update, letting someone know you thought their approach was good, or you appreciate how they are handling something. While the handwritten note is hard to beat, emails will be saved and re-read too. Don’t underestimate the value of a quick three or four line email.

I could tell you stories of how meaningful written feedback has been, both to me and those I know. I could tell you stories of notes kept for years and re-read often. I could tell of people who said that some hand written encouragement buoyed their confidence and helped them through tough times and contributed mightily to their success.

You probably know of some of these stories too - which means you know my premise is right - that written praise can be extremely powerful. Since we know that it is valuable, and we know that it will be more than just appreciated, then it is our responsibility as leaders, teachers, parents, and siblings … as people … to give feedback to others in this way.

I’ll bet as you read these words you thought of at least one person you could share positive reinforcement with in writing. Since you know who it is, and what to say, and now you’ve been reminded of the impact that act could have, you have no other choice.

Write that note now.

You’ll be glad you did, and so will the recipient. And who knows, you may change another person’s life forever.

Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company. To receive a free Special Report on leadership that includes resources, ideas, and advice go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/leadership.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

A favorite at many wedding receptions edible wedding favors will always please the vast majority of guests. Normally they are of the sweet variety but there is no reason why savory favors cannot be supplied. If you have a special wrapper made up it will look that little bit special and even a simple bar of chocolate will be a popular choice. Although you can use just as easily use plain, milk or white chocolate filled with an almond or raisin center. Many people may eat the chocolate at the wedding but will probably keep any packaging that it comes in, as a souvenir.

There is nothing wrong with adding a photo of the couple as well to finish off the gift to ensure it is something the guests will probably keep too remind them of the day. Tins filled with candy are another option for brides and grooms who want to give out edible wedding favors. Once again, it is easy to have the tin given the personal touch with the bride and grooms details on it. You can guarantee your guests will take the tins away with them even if they are empty because not only will they be a reminder of the day but they are practical as well. Despite the fears about too much sweet food in our diet, candy still remains one of the most popular edible wedding favors.

One unique way to give out candy as wedding favors is to use large glass bowls as the centerpieces for the tables and fill the bowls with the bride and grooms’ favorite types of candy. You can also leave a small presentation box with details of the wedding, and one that can even match the wedding theme if there is one. This way each guest can put whatever candies they like in the container and take it home when they leave the reception. An unusual edible wedding favor is a cookie that can be made especially for the day. Using plain cookies keeps the cost down because they will look best in a presentation box possibly designed especially for the day.

Military Surplus Guns or MilSurps can be an extra great deal. I was first turned onto milsurps about a year ago. Since then I have become Cruffler or Curio and Relic Firearms Licenced. It basically allows me to purchase curio and relic, C&R firearms, both longarms and short, via the internet or local dealer without a waiting period and have them shipped directly to my house. Now before all you anti-gun nuts out there get in an uproar, C&R firearms are over 50 years old and/or listed as a relic by the BATF, so it’s cool. Now onto the topic. I collect and enjoy shooting anytype of gun, new or old. I prefer Milsuprs though and here’s why.

First of all they’re cheap. My first Milsurp, a Russian Mosin Nagan chambered in the potent 7.62×54r was bought at Big 5 sporting goods for $79.99. In a matter of 20 minutes I was able to purchase the rifle and a box of ammo. This is a bolt action rifle and was at least 4 feet long but still cool.

Second the history. I’m not necessarily a history buff, but I do enjoy learning about the wars that the rifles may have served in. Seeing the pantina and grime on the old warhorses really sparks me imagining the soldier sitting in a foxhole somewhere hugging that rifle for dear life. There is lots of debate out there about restoring a milsurp, by extensive cleaning, and stock resurfacing. I see both sides of that fence. It could be so beautiful if resanded and stained, but yet the character that age gives it also makes it beautiful.

Third, it’s addictive. They’re like potato chips, you can’t just get one. Currently I own 6 Milsurps and can’t wait for my next purchase.
Fourth the Ammo. For the most part, it’s cheap and abundant in many of the calibers, both surplus and commercial. My SKS shoots 7.62×39 and I can buy a 500 round tin of this caliber for about $40-$50 delivered.

CONS to milsurps.

They’re cheap. Sometimes you get what you pay for. I’ve been fortunate and not received anything I was unable to live with. I read stories of some real sewer pipes out there (horrible barrels). These are mostly limited to the pawnshops and gunshows. Some folks try to unload their junk on others. Most of the big online dealers like Centuryarms, AIM, and SOG have pretty good grading criteria and will allow you to return things if you get one that slipped through grading process. Civilian Markmanship Program is an excellent and probably the only way to buy true American milsurps that have not been re-imported from loaned governments, sorry guys no select fire’s ever, this includes M-14’s and M-16’s. I bought my M-1 Garand from them, it’s balls on accurate, new barrel I tink and only set me back $395.
Some are ugly. This one is questionable, beauty is really in the eye of the beholder, some like wood and metal, others like plastic and composites. It’s a personal choice. I know for a fact if I ever run out of ammo for my Garand in a firefight, I can always beat them to death with a few blows.

I own both, milsurps and NIB, new in box, modern weapons. They both have distinct advantages and disadvantages. But when I’m at the range and someone asks me what I’m shooting it’s because it’s not another 10/22 or remington, etc..

Provided by Casey of http://www.TheCheevesFactor.com. He writes on a variety of subjects with 13 years experience.