Factors of a good PTC Website and How to Manage It

I started with Paid to Click sites with two sites and as the new ones coming in, more and more sites are adding to my list until I am already maintaining less than 10 PTC sites. But later on, I found out that it consumes a lot of time and can be stressing at times. After clicking for quite sometime, some sites turned to be a scam site such as 10bux.net, slobux,99centptc,buxyou,qualitybux,buxbp.info and many others.

Paid to Click sites are worth of our time if we know how to play the game which means we should know how to distinguish the legitimate and the scam sites.  Before joining, do some research on reviews and payment proofs.

The proof of a trusted site is a steady server which means there are no unexpected problems within the site like difficulty in logging in, your account page suddenly disappears and so on. Another one is the number of ads they produce which means more advertisers are coming in, there is a support/help page and most importantly is the timely payments to members.

Decide how much time you will allot for clicking the ads, and how many sites you can manage without sacrificing other tasks .

PTC websites gives an additional earnings but just like any other online freelance job, there is always a risk of winning and sometimes losing.  We  can  continue to move on to the next challenge.

Understanding Web Analytics Definition of Terms

Websites which offers web analytics services are:

Google Analytics, Sentiment Metrics, Compete, Clicktale,WebTrends, eLogic, Statcounter, Shinystats

Web Analytics Glossary of Terms 

Here is an  excerpt from  webtrends.com  glossary of terms to better understand web analytics:
Acquisition: The process of gaining customers through the means of different marketing strategies. For the purposes of web analytics, it often refers specifically to the process of attracting visitors to a web site.

Ad Click: A click on an advertisement on a website which takes a user to another site. 

Algorithm: A mathematical formula used by search engines to determine which web sites in their database to present in search results, in which order. While search engine algorithms change regularly, primary on-page factors include keyword density and source code optimization. The primary off-page factor is link popularity.

Ad Click: A click on an advertisement on a website which takes a user to another site.

Bounce Rate: The percentage of entrances on a web page that result in an immediate exit from the web site.


Conversion: An action that signifies a completion of a specified activity. 

Conversion Rate: The relationship between visitors to a web site and actions considered to be a "conversion," such as a sale or request to receive more information. This metric is often expressed as a percentage. 

Crawler/Spider/Robot: Component of search engine that indexes web sites automatically. A search engine’s crawler (also called a spider or robot), copies web page source code into its index database and follows links to other web pages.

Spider: An automated software program that gathers pages from the Internet.

Traffic: On the web, traffic refers to the amount of data sent and received by visitors to a website. 

User Session: A period of activity (all hits) for one user of a website. A unique user is determined by the IP address or cookie. Typically, a user session is terminated when a user is inactive for more than 30 minutes.

Visit: A visit is an interaction a unique visitor has with a website over a specified period of time or activity. In most cases, if a visitor has left a site or has not executed a click within 30 minutes, the visit session will terminate. 

Visitor Session: Interaction by a site visitor. The session ends when the visitor leaves the site.
Read more  Optimize Web Images Effectively to Draw Traffic and SEO Target

Benefits of Web Analytics Tool

Web developers and bloggers are very particular with online marketing, advertising campaigns, and search engine optimization (SEO) to boost traffic. The elements of a good website not only relies on good web design and content, but primarily if the website goals are met.  

It is basically important to define the goals of the  website. For a sales oriented website, visitors are expected to contact the sales office, order products, subscribe to newsletter, and download files. A good percentage of visitor  conversion  rates indicates a good web development and success of a website.

What is web analytics?
Web analytics is defined as the process of analyzing the behavior of visitors to a website.

Benefits of Web Analytics Tool

Monitor the return of investment for campaigns, website development, and maintenance investment.

•     Determine the effective promotional tools that gives trafffic to a website.
•     Be able to know the traffic sources or the referring websites of the website.
•     Identify which features of the website needs improvement or deletion.
•     Be able to know the demographics of the visitors.
•     The most viewed web page from the website.
•     From the web analytics report, be able to evaluate and see the strengths and weaknesses of the  website.
•     Correct and intensify the aspects of the website which causes its weaknesses.

Royal Wedding Dress of HRH Catherine - Duchess of Cambridge

The fairytale came alive as if you are watching a Cinderella cartoon movie when the newly wed Prince and Cinderella ride thee carriage and begun the procession before the cheering crowd.  After the well celebrated Royal wedding  last 29th April 2011 in London,  the wedding dress of the bride now Princess Catherine was unveiled.  The dress was designed by the creative director of  British fashion house Alexander Mcqueen.

YouTube video courtesy of BBC Channel

The highlights of the wedding includes when Prince William departed from the Clarence House with his brother Prince Harry.  The next one is the much awaited arrival of the bride, Catherine Middleton with her classic wedding dress.  The wedding dress was a revelation of the design including its designer.

The wedding dress  was unveiled, the dress was a conservative, classic, regal, and yet stylish wedding dress which was worn with elegance by Catherine.  It was previously hidden by the wedding organizers and kept secret.  After many speculations, the head designer had been revealed which is Sarah Burton.  She is a creative director from British fashion house Alexander Mcqueen.  On behind the scenes, the new Princess closely worked with Sarah to have a  traditional and modernistic wedding dress.

Here is an excerpt from the Official  Royal Wedding 2011 website about the intricacy of the wedding dress design :
"The dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar.  The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats.  The train measures two metres 70 centimetres.  The ivory satin bodice, which is narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, draws on the Victorian tradition of corsetry and is a hallmark of Alexander McQueen’s designs.  The back is finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops.  The underskirt is made of silk tulle trimmed with Cluny lace."

The topic about the wedding dress continue to draw comments around the Internet especially in the social media including Facebook and Twitter.  Media had expressed different opinions about the "Grace Kelly" look of Princess Catherine, but it seems that there been more positive reviews.  On Princess Catherine, "The bride is absolutely stunning". Aside fro the media, the fashion industry is all tuned in about the wedding dress and to the lucky designer Sarah Burton.

Aside from the bride, another woman shines and it is no other than the sister of Catherine, Pippa Middleton.  She is also wearing a very simple and elegant dress that makes her more beautiful just like her sister. She came out the Buckingham Palace balcony along with the the Royal family, standing right next to the new couple Prince William and Princess Catherine with Queen Elizabeth herself.   It was reported that Prince Harry suddenly had his eyes on her?  Can we expect another Royal romance?

The new Royal couple Prince William and Catherine Middlleton is now the" The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge".

Related Links:
The Royal Couple : Prince William And Kate Middleton
Visit Alexander Mcqueen Website

Internet Sources for the Royal Wedding; Prince Wililam and Kate Middleton

The Royal wedding, the wedding of the century will begin at 11:00 a.m (London Time).  As the world awaits for the special event, the media had flocked London near Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace to bring the latest news through its television and Internet coverage.

If you want to know more of the event, here are some online sources related to the event:

The official website of the Royal Wedding 2011
Follow the British Monarchy in Facebook (share your wedding wishes to the couple) 
Follow verified Twitter account ClarenceHouse 
Know more about the wedding ceremony church - Westminster Abbey
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) wedding coverage
CNN coverage of the Royal Wedding

• Britain's Future King -  Prince Wiliam just a "regular" day
• See a CNN documentary on Kate Middleton  - "The Women Who Would Be Queen"
• Royal wedding speculation report at Tower of London
• Royal wedding shows Diana's influence lives on

• Follow @royalweddingcnn on Twitter

Watch the event at YouTube Live Stream - TheRoyalChannel
Purchase Royal Wedding Souvenirs
Google Earth 3D view of the Royal Wedding Route

• The procession starts in Westminster Abbey to House of Parliament, Whitehall, Prime Minister’s residence on 10 Downing Street before crossing through the Horse Guards Parade and the Mall and finally to Buckingham Palace where the couple will have their first kiss on public after the wedding.

Here are few search keywords for the Royal Wedding:
prince William and kate Middleton
royal wedding
royal wedding guestlist
westminster abbey
british royal wedding
royal wedding prince william
royal wedding buckingham palace


Related Articles
See images of Buckingham Palace
Royal Wedding: Souvenirs For Prince William And Kate Middleton
Royal Wedding Guestlist of Prince William And Catherine
The Royal Couple : Prince William And Kate Middleton
The Royal Wedding of Prince William And Miss Catherine Middleton

Images: Travel to Buckingham Palace

A visit to London will not be complete without going to Buckingham Palace.   A major attraction is the changing of the guard.  A part of the British history will be the Royal Wedding 2011 of the future king, Prince William and his love of his life, Catherine Middleton.

Buckingham Palace facade

Opening of the gate march the exit of the guards

Read about the history of the Buckingham Palace

Images: Travel to Tower of London, England

Tower of London is also a  major attraction London, rich in history and full of  british collections.  See the White Tower, the medieval bedchamber, the Royal  Crown Jewels and among others.

Tower of London

The Yeoman Warder.

The Tower of London was founded by William the Conquerer in 1066-7.

Visit Tower of London   
Tower Hill
London
EC3N 4AB
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7488 5663 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            +44 (0)20 7488 5663      end_of_the_skype_highlighting     
Website:  http://www.hrp.org.uk

Basic Guide to Web Content Management System (CMS) Softwares

A  content management system software is a tool for creating, organizing, maintaining, and publishing website content on a regular basis without the hassles of  editing the actual pages.  


Here are some of the benefits of  CMS :
1.  Reduced cost for site maintenance
2.  Avoid duplicate content
3.  More secure platform
4.  Faster workflow of content
5.  Remote authoring
6.  Convenient posting

Samples of what CMS can do :
1. Personal website and blogs
2. Business websites

3.  Online magazines

4.  Social media websites

5.  Corporate websites

6.  Community websites

7.  Article directories

A simple website may require basic CMS features while others require a more advanced  features such as websites engaged in ecommerce.  It is not enough to create a landing page that shows basic information of the business, a dynamic website provide interaction between its pages and visitors instead. Some of them are  commenting, reviewing, collecting email address through a webform, and placing a shopping cart for online purchasing. 

The goal of every website is to have a high web conversion rate that can affect the increase of sales.  Choosing the right content management system will depend on the type of business and website, and what the target market needs.  

 Read more about the different types of CMS and choose the best one according to your website requirements.

Posterous

Features :  

• Convert and resize files automatically into a web friendly format.  Accepts documents, links, photos,audio, and videos.
• Autopost content to blog and popular social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr for photos.
• Set a password and choose who reads your posts.
• Instant audio  podcast

Users :   This is for novice users who wants a simple blog.  Registration is not required, just email the files at     "post@posterous.com" to create and maintain a blog. 

WordPress

Features : 

• Widely used platform for bloggers
• More available themes and plugins
• Integrated statistics system
• Available in 50 languages

Users :

Good for beginners and advanced users who wants a basic and medium features on a blog or  homepage with photos and videos.

 Joomla

Features :

• Create a blog, homepage, ecommerce,ad server, and community features.  Also create corporate intranets and extranets.
• Easy to install
• Superior content administration
• Built-in applications, some of them are blog, forums, FAQ management, contact management, user contributions,link management
• With mobile plugins 

Users :   Advanced users who wants a more customized webpage usually good for a business.

Drupal

Features :

•  Create personal blog and webpage for enterprise
•  Excellent built-in management with analysis, tracking and statistics
• Available modules for utility, content, third-party integration, admin, content, media, e-commerce
• Easy to index and search content
• New release version 7  introduced enhancement to features on administration front end, dashboard, and content creation

Users :  For advanced users who wants a customized content and with  coding skills.
Ez Publish

Features : 

•  E-commerce capability such as shopping cart, shipping, payment features
• With built-in applications, some of them are blog, contact management, link management,forum, events calendar,mail form,polls, and wiki capabilities
• Easily publish content direct from a web browser, word processor OpenOffice
• No HTML coding required when adding content, use only the rich text editor  WYSIWYG
• Excellent administrative support
• High level of security for published content

Users :  Advanced users who wants a robust webpage.

Other CMS available are Textpattern, Mambo, Express Engine,Frog, Vignette, and many others. 

House 101 : Pest Control Household Tips

Tips on do-it-yourself household pest control.  get rid of ants,cockroaches and among others.
 
Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy.

Here are some do-it yourself tips on household pest control :

Trap ants in the kitchen by keeping a jam jar or bottle with a few drops of honey.  After an hour hundreds of ants will be contained, pour a boiling hot water to totally get rid of them.

Put an end to ants by mixing a tobacco with a little bit of water and pour into ant holes or other areas with cracks and crevices where they congregate.

To get rid of white ants.  Mix a little cam phor powder with liquid paraffin and pour into the infested cracks in furniture and woodwork.
Get rid of Flies.  Leave some mint leaves crushed and spread in a few places around the kitchen.  
Dealing with Mosquitos.  Smoking (burn incence0 on them is a cost saving way of getting rid of them.  The smoke makes the mosquitos fly away as fast as they can, so leave a window open till you have got rid of them all.  Mosquito repellant creams is  advisable specially for children to keep them from insect bites.

When using Insecticides at home.   It should be used with great care since these are considered lethal.  All food should be kept away from spray, pet animals or birds should not enter the room, which has been sprayed until the smell had left the room.  Make sure that pots, pans and plates have been removed in the kitchen.

Have your house fumigated.  Calling a pest control service is worth of your money if it will keep you house pest free and gives you a peace of mind.

Minimize Insect Pests.  Simply by keeping  the house clean, insects accumulate wherever there is dirt or food lying around.  Keep ford covered and get rid of garbage the soonest.  Pour boiling water down the kitchen sink to kill cockroaches at night which normally goes into water pipes.  Another way to prevent the house from pests is to paint walls with white colors.  Cockroaches and mosquitos normally loves dark room.  Paint kitchens, pantries and storerooms with white or with light colors.

Job Search Tips: What to Do During The Interview

 

Be on time.  Be early atleast 10 to 15 minutes, compose yourself when you arrive at take a deep breath to relax yourself.
Just be yourself.  Display energy and show sincerely you are interested in the job.

Be ready for a single or a panel interview.  A panel interview consist of 2 or interviewers conducting an interview with you.  On the other hand,  there are also cases that applicants are being interviewed simultaneously in one room.  This is quite challenging since you will be face to face with your competitor applicants and everybody would hear your answers.
Watch your grammar.  Articulate candidates makes an edge with others who cannot express themselves fully and with clarity.  Use pauses rather than "uhs".

Watch non-verbal communication. Pay attention to your posture, remember that you are making a good impression to your future employer.  Do not appear to be over relaxed or too rigid.    If the interviewer moves his/her chair back, check your posture.  You may be leaning  forward too closely.  Sit back in the chair instead.

Be alert and attentive.  Be sure you understand the question. If you don't, ask for clarification.  But once is enough, it is embarassing to ask the interviewer to repeat the questions again and again.  It would make a bad impression on you or she/he maybe annoyed by it.

Be prepared to answer tough questions.  Be ready to answer  in depth information from your resume and some tricky questions to test thinking ability.  Stress your qualifications  that give clues to your interviewer that you fit the requirements.

Never criticize a former employer or the company itself.  No matter how bad experience you may had with your previous work, do not elaborate or say things against them.  It will give a wrong signal to your future employer that you will do the same thing on them in the future.

After the interview, leave politely and jot down the pertinent questions you remembered during the interview.  Evaluate yourself and learn something from it for your development.

 

Basic Guide on How to Earn Money Online

Making money online is an alternative way to earn extra income. More websites are sprouting like mushrooms everyday related to online business. Thus, Internet became the fastest tool in business and social networks. Here are ways to earn online and some tips on getting started :

Online home-based jobs

image source

Ways to Earn :
1. Sell items online on Ebay, other Buy and Sell websites
2. Blogging - monetize blog through Google Adsense Ads, Pay to Post or creating links directed to Advertisers, Affiliate Programs, Banner placements to get new referrals from your other online sites.
3. Pay to write articles ( Bukisa, Wikinut) , review products, pay to post to certain forums or social networking sites (Mylot).
4. Pay to click Advertisers ads
5. Pay to read (Readbud)
6. Pay to play games, uploading and sharing files
7. Data Entry Services - filling out and answering survey forms
8. Freelance Services - specially for Virtual Assistants,copywriters, Transcriptionists, Researchers, Graphic & Web Designers and Programmers

Basic tips on getting started :
Choose among the different ways to earn you want to embark in. Your choice may depend on your field of interest, skills, resource materials and the amount of time you are capable and willing to shell out for it. Blogging is the most popular one, and can be also self rewarding but requires time in developing the site and commitment to readers for updated post. If you do not want to be bothered by website operation, better to write for a content site where you can only focus on writing articles and promoting it.
A combination of these ways to earn can be simultaneously be done as long as you can manage them well with your time and no effort will be wasted juggling to different activities.

Check websites you will be joining. Always read the FAQ page, terms and conditions specially on their payment process. Read others review on the site.
Be aware of online security. Separate personal email from your online business and create unique passwords for your sites.  Separate email is not only for the purpose of security, but also it is much easier to view your emails as sometimes with online business, your inbox will be flooded with site updates, promotional emails and other unwanted messages.

Marketing your work or products.  Keep updated with the latest marketing tool and social networking sites to optimize your marketing activities.  Observe and learn from others ways how to do marketing effectively.

There are no instant online millionaire, it takes time to establish oneself online usually one or two years before one can grasp it and be successful with it. Time management, improved skills, hard work, established online network, good marketing skills and a lot of PATIENCE are needed in order to have a successful online career.

Hollywood Actor Johnny Depp "Sexiest Man Alive"

Dubbed as "The Sexiest Man Alive 2009″ by People Magazine. Johnny Depp is one of the sought after Hollywood actor continuously reinventing himself with unique and surprising roles in the movies.  The man unmasked from  his portrayed roles is also a musician, screenwriter, director, producer, winemaker and a restaurateur all in one.

Johnny Depp on People's Magazine

 Interesting facts about Johnny Depp :
1.  John Christopher Depp II commonly known as “Johnny Depp” was born on June 9, 1963 from Owensboro, Kentucky USA.

2.  Parents are Christopher I who was a city engineer while his mother was Elizabeth Sue Wells, a waitress.
His older sisters Debbie and Christie are also both on the same field with him as Debbie, his personal manager while Christie is a screenwriter.

3.  Pawpaw was his grandfather’s name whom he was very closed and shared precious moments. Seven years old then, Johnny was devastated when his grandfather died.

4.  A close friend of the late River Phoenix. An equally talented actor of the 80’s until he died last October 31, 1993.

5.  His first love is not actually acting but the love for music made him a band rocker at 16. A self-taught guitarist , he performed with “Bad Boys” band (later renamed as “The Kids”) on Florida nightclubs. Later they moved to Los Angeles hoping for a record deal, but also split and walk their own paths.

Johnny Depp and  his love for music.

6.  Johnny’s first Hollywood movie break was a role on “A Nightmare On Elm Street” (1984). He was casted for the role through his first wife, Lori Anne Allison , a make-up artist who was a friend of Nicolas Cage. The latter introduced him to his agent that got him for the role.

7.  His biggest break came with a 20th Century Fox TV series role as Officer Tom Hanson in “21 Jump Street” that launched him as a teen idol. His role as a young undercover policemen in schools solving youths crime became a popular hit during its 3 years running time (April 12, 1987 to April 27, 1991) with a total of 103 episodes. A young Brad Pitt also appeared n one of its episodes.

On TV hit series "21 Jump Street"

8.  In Edward Scissorhands (1990), his role was an outcast with spikey-haired, scary face, and terrifying blades on fingers. From one of his interview about his character, he related himself as “There are a lot of Edward in me, and me on him”. He received a Golden Globe Best Actor nomination for this movie. In real life, co-star Winona Ryder became his girlfriend and then later broke up in 1993

Depp and Burton tandem follows more six films to date :  Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), and the remake of “Alice in Wonderland” (2010).

9.  Other notable performances follows  played by Johnny, among them as "Jack Sparrow" from the sequels of "Pirates of the Caribbean" .  Like Jack, Johhny has sense of humor  but also has his own depth as a person.


10.  With a flourishing career of more than two decades, Johnny  has a long list of interesting movies that gave him various awards.  Here are some of them :

People’s Choice Award - Favorite Movie Actor Of The Decade award (2010)
Golden Globe Award – (2008) Best Actor – Sweeney Todd
MTV Movie Awards - (2008) Best Villain - Sweeney Todd & Best Comedic Performance - Jack Sparrow
Teen Choice Award – (2004 / 2006-2008)
Nominations from Oscar Award, BAFTA Film Award, British Independent Film Award, Critics Choice Award among others.

His real and on-screen life was a also bumpy road linked with drugs, drinking,smoking, theft and vandalism issues. But the man did not remained still and continue to discover himself.   Soon to be 47 on June 9, Johnny’s most prized awards are his two kids Lily-Rose Melody, daughter and Jack John Christopher Depp III, son from his girlfriend in 12 years, Vanessa Paradis.

Away from work, Johnny is committed to his family enjoying a quiet life in France, and produces wine from his vineyard.

Johnny Depp Filmography

Discover Ancient Roman Baths from the Magnificient Bath City, England

Bath City is located at Somerset south west of England 100 miles from London. A UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1987), the grandeur Georgian architecture and the historical scenery of the city are perfect to create a cinematic effect on movies. It is no wonder that the Inventor of Cinematography, William Friese-Greene, begun his development of motion picture works at Bath.

Through the years, it has been a favorite film location for some Hollywood films such as Dracula, Duchess, and Vanity Fair to name a few. Other celebrities had been attracted with the beauty of Bath City either working on a project or for a personal tour. Some homegrown personalities are Jane Austen (Historic Writer), Jamie Cullum (Music Artist), John Oliver (Inventor).

Bath is considered as the “Spa City” and the home of ancient Romans in Britain during 1st Century AD with remains of the Temple of Aquae Sulis (“the waters of Sulis”) whom they identified to the Greek goddess Minerva, and the Roman Baths with hot springs beneath the city.

The Great Bath is the  Romans main bath with 1.6 meters deep hot spa water leading to all sides of the building.

 The Circular Bath or “Frigidarium” is a cold swimming pool for the Romans. After going through the “Caldarium” a hot plunge bath with hot floors and “Tepidarium” warm rooms, Roman bathers would complete their visit with an invigorating cold plunge to close the pores of the skin.

Collections at the Roman Temple Courtyard

• Temple courtyard is a sacred place for worshippers of goddess Sulis Minerva. This is where they gather to pray and offer great sacrifices at the altar. Inscriptions and tombstones remains are can also be found here.
• The golden bronze head from the cult statue of goddess Sulis Minerva was found in 1727  displayed at the sacred Temple courtyard.
• The Great Altar at the center of the Temple courtyard is a sacred cornerstone used by Romans for worship.

Aside from the Roman baths, the city offers variety of activities for tourists such as enjoying films and Shakepearean plays on theaters, various museums, parks, superb restaurants, luxurious hotels and events for couples or for the whole family. With almost 4 million visitors a year, the city continues to draw tourists around the globe.

Where and How to go:

The Roman Baths, Abbey Church Yard

Bath, BA1 1LZ

+44 (0)1225 477785 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            

+44 (0)1225 477785      end_of_the_skype_highlighting      

Email: romanbaths_enquiries@bathnes.gov.uk

Bath City is 136 kilometers from Heathrow Airport and 200 kilometers Gatwick Airport. Hire cars are available from these airport going to the Bath City.

Official Tourism Website of Bath City

How to Manage Blame Issues in The Office Objectively

Blame is an  act  of  attributing  fault or to  hold  accountable  for a mistake to a person.  What if that person is "you"?  Here are simple tips on how to manage blame issues in the office objectively.

Office politics.

Control  your emotions.   Control the situation by starting to control your emotion.  Normally, when  you are blamed for something you know you do not deserve, negative reaction takes place.  We tend to become irrational and makes impulsive actions.

Research your data first to support your stand.  If  you believe that you are not the person to blame, gather first the pertinent data  to support your  stand.

Document your response to the issue.  A verbal response will not do good in response to the issue.   Most of the office nowadays use e-mail for inter-office communication, creating an e-mail will do and copy furnish your immediate superior if necessary.  Your email should be clear and will only state about the issue. Write a  short introduction then  enumerate your points to prove your stand.

Escalate the issue through the proper channel.  An office environment will always have the chain of command.  If the issue was not resolved with  the involved person, escalate the problem with your immediate boss.  A personal meeting is preferred to discuss the matter better.

Do not take the issue personally.    Any issue related to work should not be taken personally.  Unless you are being harassed in the office, a single work related issue should not affect your personal well being.  Move on and focus in office productivity.

Handling conflicts and blame issues in the office is a skill, there will always be other issues but what is important is we know how to deal with them effectively and we rose victorious from it.

British Royal Wedding 2011: Wedding Memorabilia

Various Royal Wedding memorabilias or souvenirs are hitting the shops and online stores as collectors and Royal wedding enthusiasts are eager to get one.  Read more about the Royal wedding souvenirs.

Royal weddiing cup and saucer souvenir.

image via britishroyalfamily.com

Wedding preparations will not be complete without souvenirs or memorabilias especially for a  big event  like the  Royal wedding. Manufacturers of these items are having overnight production to meet the demands of the retail shops.  Here are some of the memorabilia for the wedding;

Gold Plated 5 Pound Coin.  Royal Mint have released the coin with embossed image of the couple with lettering around the edges "Celebrating the Engagement of William and Catherine".

Ceramic Exclusive Royal Cup and Saucer.  This type of souvenir has been a usual for occasions for wedding.  For the Royal wedding, this souvenir is presented in a royal blue gift box with an 8cm high where the picture of the couple and date of the wedding are printed.

Kate Middleton Doll.  A vinyl doll is a limited edition released of Kate Middleton  replica wearing her blue dress.  One of the  most photographed image of Kate and Prince William was during the engagement announcement.


Royal Wedding Paperweight
H.Samuel The Jeweller produced a stunning blue glass paperweight, collectors will surely love this souvenir.
Engagement Ring Replica
A replica of the engagement ring of Kate Middleton and Princess Diana made from 18 carat white gold with blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds.
Royal Engagement Boxes
A heart-shaped memento boxes to commemorate the Royal Wedding but this one from The lid features an intricate design of an interwined W and C, the happy couple initials, and inside is painted the diamond and sapphire engagement ring.

Exclusive Royal Wedding Crown Spoon
A silver crown spoon with an  inscription which reads "Royal Wedding - HRH Prince William - Miss Catherine Middleton - 2011".
Avid royal souvenir collectors like Judith Watkinson from Bradford have collected atleast 6,000 items over the years.   Royal enthusiasts and  tourists will surely love these collections, a remembrance of the special celebration.

This collection is only a remembrance of  the Royal marriage, we can only hope that the marriage bond between the Royal couple, Prince William and Catherine Middleton, is for real and they will be able to withstand the many challenges awaiting.


View here how to purchase royal memorabilia from UK Gift Company 

Images : Visit to Central London, England

The famous London bridge.

Central london, the busy street of Trafalgar.

Inside London Science Museum

British Royal Wedding 2011: Who are the Invited Guests ?

BritisThe much awaited Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton will finally take place on 29th April 2011 at the historical Westminster Abbey.  Specualtions are spreading on the news as the people are curious who gets in on the Royal guest list.

The Royal Wedding news buzz increases as the wedding gets closer on the 29th of April 2011.  Wedding preparations are almost done as the the whole world will be waiting and will witness the wedding of the century. Will it be compared to Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding? Not so much since even Prince William is considered a modern day prince. The couple carefully chose their 1,900 invited guest list for the wedding. The official guest list was released by the Britain's monarchy Saturday, April 23.
Here are some of the guests for the Royal Wedding:

• Princess Diana family, The Spencer family headed by sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Lady Anne Wake-Walker, Diana's aunt, Lord Fellowes and Lady Jane Fellowes, Diana's brother-in-law and sister; and Earl Spencer, brother of Princess Diana
• UK Music icon Elton John
• Football giant David Beckham with wife former Spicegirl member, Viktoria Beckham
• Actor Rowan Atkinson better known as "Mr. Bean"
• Singer Joss Stone
• Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe
• Fashion Icon Guy Ritchie who is also a friend of the couple
• The couple's wedding Photographer Mario Testino
• Ben Fogle and socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
• Prince William Search and Rescue team
• Representatives from various charity groups to whom Prince William is associated with such as the homeless organisation Centrepoint, wildlife conservation group, Tusk Trust, and the Royal Marsden Hospital.
• Chosen members of the government, parliament, and diplomatic corps
• Various foreign diplomats and dignitaries
• Some members of the British armed forces 
• Representatives from different  churches

image via http://britishroyalfamily.com/

Read more about Prince William and Kate Middleton:
Royal British Wedding HRH Prince William and Miss Kate Middleton
England Royal Couple:  Prince William and Kate Middleton

The Big event:
Watch the Royal Wedding at YouTube - The Royal Channel
29th April 10am London Time

Holland Tulips from the Famous Keukenhof Spring Gardens

Netherlands commonly known as “Holland” is the home of beautiful tulips, and has been the largest exporter of flowers for many years.  Tulips has its roots from Asia and Mediterranean until it was introduced to Holland during 17th century by Charles de L’Ecluse (Carolus Clusius), a famous biologist.

He then became the head botanist from the Dutch University of Leiden, and made a large contribution in the development of tulip bulbs experimenting different color variants in Tulips.  Tulips bulbs naturally grow in moderate climates planted typically 10 to 24 cm deep, but for other warmer areas, these are planted up to 12 inches deep to  protect from the heat.

It became popular during late 1636 to February 1637, and created a “Tulip mania” during the Dutch Golden era. The Dutch tulip market soared, and demands for tulips had increased as people begun to discover the beauty of these flower. During this period, the prices of tulips are high that it became the symbol of status to those who can afford.      

Holland Tulips at Keukenhof Festival

Keukenhof Flower Spring Garden is a famous floral display with tulips, crocuses, hyacinths, and daffodils during Holland spring season. Established in 1949, Keukenhof is located on a small town of Lisse just southwest of Amsterdam. A 32 hectare garden is considered as “Garden of Europe”, and the world’s largest garden with 4.5 million tulips in 100 varieties, 15 kilometers of footpaths,   7 million flowers planted by hand, and more than 2,500 trees in 87 varieties.

The garden is the most photographed place in the world which has been a favorite location for photographers, floral hobbyist, and nature lovers.

Keukenhof Flower display is an annual event which usually begins last week of March until May. For this year, it will be open between March 18 to May 16.  An array of various activities are set during the season with flower presentations, demonstrations, photography workshops, discovery tour and parades.

Address and contact details :

Stationsweg 166a

2161 AM LISSE

The Netherlands

Telephone:    +31 (0) 252 465 555      

More Keukenhof Images 

Official Website of Keukenhof

Isle of Wight : A Travel Gem from Hampshire, England

Isle of Wight is a diamond–shaped island located at south coast of Hampshire, England with 2.6 million tourists every year. For most visitors, one trip is not enough to explore the many scenic treats of the island. Visit historic English Heritage places, impressive beaches, rich farmlands, discover wildlife exotic animals, enjoy outdoor adventure activities, and exciting events throughout the year.

The island has sunnier and warmer climate than other UK resort areas that is why it is a favorite family holiday destination since the Victorian era.

The Alum Bay in Needles, Isle of Wight

Magnificient view for tourist.

The Needles  Park (Cowes)
Cowes is a major landmark attraction of the island, and a seaport town known for sailing. It hosts national and international sailing events where the world renowned elite Royal Yacht Squadron are known for.
A breathtaking scenery of Needles Rocks and lighthouse at Alum Bay are one of the Island’s pride. The famous Needles are  the most photographed view  of the island, and considered as one of the wonders of the Southern England.

Alum Glassmaking with 30 years experience, watch craftsmen with a step by step demonstration of glassmaking of perfume bottles,vases, bowls and delightful ornaments.

Glassmaking demo.

Alum Bay Sand Shop. Create your own souvenir using the world famous natural coloured sands.

The Osborne House (East Cowes)
An English Heritage place designed by Prince Albert, this is the  summer home for Queen Victoria.  It is one of the best and grandest gardens on the island.  See  royal family life in the Queen’s private rooms, Victorian landscaping, various planting styles, magnificent trees in almost 50 acres which is free for public viewing.

The Osborne House is a major attraction at Isle of Wight.

 image via wikipedia

More of Isle of Wight
The island was named as the Garden Isle because of its rare plants and animals.

Atleast fifteen species of Dinosaurs bone had been found on the island. According to the National Geographic Magazine, the island is one of the top 7 Dino sites in the world, and the most important in Europe. The Dino list also includes Liaoning Province, China; Bahariya, Egypt; Alberta, Canada; San Juan, Argentina; Ukhaa Tolgod, Mongolia, and the western USA.

The island had attracted famous Writers, Poets, Music Artists, Royal European personalities to name a few.
Charles Dickens, Jr., the most popular English novelist of the Victorian era visited Isle of Wight on 1845, and it was said to be inspired writing his almost autobiographical novel “David Copperfield’ during his stay on the island.

J B Priestley, famous author and playwright .

Jane Austen, the famous author of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ visited the Island in June 1813 and mentions the Isle of Wight in Chapter 2 of ‘Mansfield Park’.
Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland visited Alfred Lord Tennyson at his home in Freshwater in 1859.

John Nash, famous Architect. Lived in the island between 1798 – 1835. His major projects are Buckingham Palace and the East Cowes Castle.

Kiera Knightley , Star of “Pride & Prejudice” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” also visited the island for a photoshoot at Osborne House for Hello! magazine in 2004

Callista Flockhart - Of Ally McBeal fame, starred in Fragile, a psychological thriller, filmed on the Island.
Jude Law - Visited with his children in the summer of 2005. Spotted at The Needles Park, Alum Bay on the chairlift with his daughter.

Jimi Hendrix, world renowned guitarist, made his last public performance at 1970’s Pop Festival before his untimely death on the same year.

Isle of Wight Music Festivals previous artists and bands includes David Bowie, REM, Coldplay, The Prodigy, The Foo Fighters, Snow Patrol, Muse, The Rolling Stones, The Police and Amy Winehouse. Among the largest festivals are the International Jazz Festival, Bestival, and Isle of Wight Festival.

BBC News :   Isle of Wight to be energy self-sufficient by 2020

Charice : YouTube Singing Sensation and Glee Appearance

On March 17, 2010 the respected New York Post chosen Charice to top the Pop Wrap’s Fave Five list beating lady Gaga. Last December 2009, she made a guest appearance on the top grossing movie “Alvin and the Chipmunks : The Squeakquel”.

Youtube singing sensation Charice

This young lady from the Philippines had gone a long way since her first U.S. TV appearance from The Ellen DeGeneres Show on December 19, 2007. Following a number of standing ovation appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, notable performances from “Hitman: David Foster and Friends” Concert, with Andrea Bocelli Tuscany Italy Concert, the unforgettable “Because You Loved Me” duet with her singing idol, Celine Dion, at Madison Square New York City, and singing at President Obama Pre-Inaugural Ball at Washington D.C.

Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco known as “Charice” started singing at the age of 4 and competing with the local singing contests at the age of 7 with her unusual vocal prowess.  In 2007, Charice became a YouTube sensation with millions of hits of her videos uploaded by a fan that made her an internet phenomenon which leads her to an International singing career stardom.


Charice second single entitled, “Pyramid” (feat. lyaz) is a very promising upbeat Pop/Urban song released last February 23, 2010 under Reprise label and produced by winning Grammy songwriter - producer, David Foster. The song was far from her previous soulful list she was known for like belting Whitney Houston songs, and from her first single “Note to God”. “Pyramid” is rapidly raving positive reviews on the airwaves and hits from YouTube.

Charice  U.S. Debut Album was launched at Oprah Show, May 11, 2010 with Hitmaker (now her Godfather), David Foster.  Her album tops the Billboard Dance/Club Chart.

Charice walks at GLEE Season 2 Premiere Red Carpet Event 2010 at Los Angeles, California last September 7, 2010.

The popular  FOX T.V program GLEE  second season premiered on September 21, 2010 with Charice for a recurring role as Sunshine Corazon (a rival to character Rachel Berry).  The first episode "Auditions" got a soaring 12.3 Million views where Charice made an applauded solo performance of Beyonce "Listen" as her audition piece to the Glee Club.

April 18, 2011 Charice's  releases her new single “Before It Explodes,” on April 18 (US time).

April 19, 2011Charice  returned to Glee singing 'All By Myself" popularized by Celine Dion from its episode “A Night of Neglect.”
 
Watchout for  Charice for another song release entitled "Louder" and the upcoming Hollywood movie "“Here Comes The Boom,” alongside Salma Hayek, Kevin James and Henry Winkler.

Charice Official Website 

Proper Care and Protection of Your Eyes

According to World Health Organization, millions of children are affected, and almost half a million become blind each year especially in developing countries because of Vitamin A deficiency.

Proper food intake and wearing protective gears against eye threats can help save our eyes. Eye threats can be from light,small particles,wind blast, heat, sea spray or some type of ball or puck used in sports. Sometimes we experienced headaches and eye strain especially if working more than 10 hours a day.


Sight-Saving Tips
1.  When reading, good lighting, erect position and proper distance should be practiced. Children should be taught not to be too close to computer or television, and have an allocated time for them to stay so as not to strain their eyes watching or playing games in the computer.

2.  Choose the right toys for children, avoid pointed, sharp-edged and other dangerous toys.
3.  Keep household chemicals and pointed objects beyond the reach of infants and children.
4.  Do not look directly at the sun, bright lights,welding or eclipses.
5.  Avoid touching eyes with dirty hands,towels,handkerchiefs and or other materials.
6.  Have a good sleep, there is no better way to give the eyes a rest with an enough amount of sleep.
7.  Be aware of the warning symptoms of vision problems such as blurring of vision with or without eyeglasses, seeing spots or light flashes, redness,tearing, itchiness,pain,swelling, seeing double, repeated and persistent headache or dizziness.

8.  Have a periodic check up by an optometrist once a year.

9.  If a small particle gets in your eyes, do not rub the affected eye, but rub the other eye instead. If the object can be seen, try to wipe it gently by using the sterile gauze, or the corner of a clean handkerchief. On the other hand, if you still not able to wash it out call a physician immediately to professional remove it as soon as possible.

10.  Vitamin A is good for the eyes health. It helps in body functions such as: vision, gene transcription, immune function, embryonic development and reproduction, bone metabolism, haematopoiesis, skin health and antioxidant activity. Sources of Vitamin A are : liver ,beef, pork, chicken,turkey, fish,carrot, broccoli leaf,sweet potato, butter, spinach,pumpkin, collard greens,cheddar cheese,egg,apricot papaya,mango,milk.

11.  Wear protective gears. Safety glasses to prevent dust particles getting into eyes.
Sunglasses
Welding goggles
Welding mask
Solar eclipse glasses
Eye protectors
Swim goggles
Various helmets

12.  Have intervals and take time to relax your eyes.

Types of Fats

Is fat always the culprit? Fat seems considered gives the risk of different illnesses such as heart disease. 

Not all fats are not good for the health; there are fats that are needed for a healthy diet for adults as well as for children. Children needs certain fats for their brain, nervous system and has benefits on their growth and proper development. Get to know more about the types of fats :

Types of Fats
1. Saturated Fats. Best in moderate consumption. Cholesterol found in the body is usually called “blood cholesterol”. It is found in some saturates food eaten is the main influence on blood cholesterol levels.
It is advisable to cut down on the total amount of fat eaten, and choose that are high in unsaturates. Saturates are best kept in minimum because these increase cholesterol in the blood, which increases the risk of developing heart disease.

Saturates visible fats can be found in butter, margarine, cream and fat on the outside of meat. There are also called “hidden fats” mostly found in cakes, chocolates, biscuits, crisps and pastry.

2. Unsaturated Fats. Consist of polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. The difference between these two is in their chemical make-up. Some of the unsaturates are necessary in small quantities for good health. Sources of unsaturates foods are vegetable oils, sunflower, corn, soya, olive oils, fat margarine and nuts.
3. Trans fat.  It makes a very small amount of the fat we eat. Like the saturates, it is best to keep a minimum amount of these fats since it also increase people’s blood cholesterol about as much as saturated fat did. Major contributors to trans fatty acid intake are baked goods such as doughnuts and pastry, deep fried foods on fried chicken and french fried potatoes, and imitation cheese. Snack chips, cookies, and crackers often contains high amounts of trans fat as well natural resources including milk, sheep, goats and deer.

Seriously Eat with Less fat

Eat with less fats to reduce heart disease and keep the body healthy.

Choose a low or reduced fat spread rather than butter, hard margarine, or ordinary soft margarine. Preferably choose one that is labeled “high in polyunsaturates” or high in “monounsaturates”. If you are having margarine, try to spread it thinly so you will get a small amount of fats on it.

Try half-fat hard cheese or cottage cheese instead of full fat hard cheese.

Use semi-skimmed or skimmed milk rather than whole milk. Both have just as much calcium and protein as whole milk but much less fat. A whole milk contains 22grams of fat per pint, while semi-skimmed has 9grams and skimmed with 0.6 grams of fat per pint. For children under two years old a whole milk is advisable , while older kids can drink low-fat or skim milk.
Make salad dressings with natural yoghurt, herbs, spices, tomato juice, vinegar or lemon juice rather than mayonnaise or salad cream.
Grill, microwave, steam or bake fish with a little or no added fat, rather than frying. If you do fry, use a non-stick pan and you may not need an oil at all. When it comes to roasting, “dry roast” without added fat and use a trivet so that the fat can drain off.

Meat products such as beefburgers, and sausages are very fatty. Do not eat them often and when you do, choose with marked “low fat” and grill them.

When stir-frying, it is best to use a steep-sided round-bottomed pan like a wok. This will allow you to fry with such a small amount of oil.

Oily fish helps reduce risk of heart disease, it helps the blood not to clot. It contains the essential polyunsaturated fatty acids or the omega-3-fatty acids. Try to eat at least two portions of fish every week. Examples with oily fish are salmon,mackerel,trout,sardines,pilchards,and fresh tuna.

Benefits of Omega-3. These are polyunsaturated fats found in fish low in mercury such as salmon, shrimp, canned light tuna, and anchovies. This is also from lots of leafy green vegetables, nuts, beans and vegetable oils such as canola, soy and flaxseed in the diet.

Read food labels. Repacked foods must contain the following : name of the food, list of ingredients in descending order of weight, weight, how long it can be kept and how to store it, name and address of the maker, packer or seller. It may also includes the place of origin. Many manufacturers use labels or symbols to identify foods which are “low in fat”, or “high in fibre” among others. With no legislation controlling the meaning of claims, meaning may differ on different foods. Remember to choose good nutrition value by checking the label.

Earthquakes : Emergency Preparedness List

The various earthquakes happenining in different parts of the world such as the  Haiti, Chilean, New Zealand, and Japan  earthquakes jolted the world news.  It only proves that the the earth is not getting any better and the structure is changing, nature has its own way of changing its core. 

Now, different local government creates their preventive measures to intensify people awareness, constant inspection of structural engineering of buildings,bridges and other infrastructures within the area.  What should we do to prepare ourselves for the big one?  Earthquake preparedness is what we can do as individuals for our families to survive on these difficult times.  Here are some various earthquake measures we can do:

Preparedness List

• Discuss with family members about earthquake, conduct drills as possible to avoid panic if an earthquake happens.  Identify an area where to meet your family after an earthquake.
• Check house for earthquake hazards.
• Make sure that water heaters and gas appliance are secure since fire damage can result from broken gas line.
• Heavy objects should be placed in a lower ground,secure bookshelves and other furniture that can easily fall.
• Have an emergency kit which includes flashlight, small radio, extra batteries,whistle.  Place them where it can easily  be accessible to all.
• Replace halogen and incandescent bulbs with fluorescent to minimize fire risk.
• Have atleast enough food at home for 2-3 days
• Be aware too of your workplace earthquake plan and exits area of the building.
• Keep informed by tuning to media and advisory information from authorities.

During the Tremor

• In every emergency situations, always try to maintain presence of mind and be calm.
• Turn off electrical main switch and valves during an earthquake.
• If inside a building, look for a large piece of strong furniture to cover yourself or stand at the center of the building such as doorways.   Never  use an elevator.
• If on the streets or between the buildings, look for a strong structure . Beware of broken down electric wires, falling debris, loose ceiling slabs and crumbling walls. Avoid being between tall walls or structures.
• If inside the car, stop the car and find any hard material to cover your head.

After an Earthquake
Normally, an aftershock occurs after an earthquake but on a smaller magnitude.  Depending on the scale of the earthquake, the effects has always been damaging to the community.  Other domino earthquake effects comes fire,tidal waves,tsunamis, landslides and avalanches.  Aside from property damages, the community may also suffer loss of income,lack  of basic necessities,disease, hunger and  emotional desperation.

• Be ready of aftershocks, stay away from unstable objects or structures. Window glass or loosened objects to fall.
• Do not attempt to move seriously injured persons unless medical assistance is around. Improper handling of serious cases can have further damage to the patient.
• Do not eat or drink from open containers near shattered glass.
• If power is off, check the refrigerator if there is still food you can take before it spoils.
• Check electrical wirings before turning on the main switch.
• Avoid seashores, go to higher grounds instead for tsunamis and tidal waves.

How to Get a Raise That You Deserve

Getting a raise is what every employee wants. Let your boss know that you are qualified to get a raise.

Working as a team.

Take an extra effort to what is expected from you.  This is an essential to career advancement, show your boss what makes you different from others.  Find ways to improve the report or project assigned to you.   On this way, your boss will take notice that you are focus and interested in your job.

Be flexible in your department functions.  Make your boss feel that you are dependable to fill in other functions in case of absence.  Take time to learn other facets of the department  to assist them when needed.

Have a good sound judgement and be able to make decisions.  There are situations that needs immediate action in case your boss is not around.  Decide on the situation and do your best to solve it at your own level.  If you can solve it yourself, the better.  Your boss will know that you are capable of greater responsibility in the future, and you can be a candidate for promotion.

Be sure your boss knows what your are accomplishing.  A good communication and periodic reports with your boss are necessary to establish a general view of your work and progress.

Get along well with your fellow workers.  It is not enough that you work is excellent, remember that you also need to become a team player in the group.  You are in an organization that you need to work and deal with others.

How to Avoid Car Thefts

There are thousands of car thefts reported  everyday around the world.  Protect yourself and your family from thefts.

Make sure the door is  locked when going out of the car.   Car thefts  knows how to" jump the lock" and can easily start the ignition immediately.

Make it a habit to close all the windows, hooks can be used a partially open window to release the lock.

As much as possible, do not leave valuables in your car.  If you really need to leave them, make sure to put them in locked trunk or hidden somewhere to keep out of sight from outside the car.

Park the car in a well-lighted area, isolated areas are most likely the target of thefts.

Never leave the children in the car even for a short period of time.  There is a great risk for them and for the car to be stolen.

When in the road, be alert always and keep the phone handy for emergency calls.