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Topics - ChanteXth

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Canada / Sahin vs. Podolski

« on: December 26, 2012, 05:22:11 PM »

Britain / Take Charge

« on: December 26, 2012, 05:57:27 AM »

Tradition has dictated that men get to ask out a woman initially, and now, thanks to online dating, men have even more women to choose from. In light of this reality and all the other challenges I've just described, what does it take for women to change the balance of power and be in the driver's seat? I I want you to be in control of your dating life by being in a position to accept or decline second-date invitations.

You've probably heard that dating is a numbers game. I absolutely believe that's true. Most dates will not, and should not, grow into relationships. Dating is a filtering process for a good reason: so that you don't end up with the wrong person. But if you have to go out with a hundred guys to find only one with whom you want to spend your life, then you shouldn't risk even one guy not calling back - because what if he turns out to be that "one"? I don't want you to ever wonder why one man didn't call you back. I want you to know why and leverage that information to guarantee even callback from now on. In my perfect world, no woman would ever be left sitting by the phone wondering why a man didn't call again. Scratch that. In a really perfect world, you'll be out on a second date with some cute guy while your home phone rings all night with a bunch of other guys calling to ask if they can see you again.

The Kitchen Colander

To be able to date whom you want, it's important to understand the way a man dates and then falls in love with someone, especially in this new dating world. (Women, of course, go through the same process.) In my experience as a professional dating coach and matchmaker, I've seen men date and fall in love in three stages. First, the filtering stage, during which most women are sifted out - it's as if he's using a kitchen colander. During the first few dates, he's filtering out anyone with qualities he personally finds undesirable, even if those qualities aren't "real" but rather perceived by observing trivial things and jumping to conclusions.

He shakes the colander hard because he's looking to rule out, not rule in. Next is the evaluation stage, where he focuses on one woman who remains inside the colander. He makes a mental list of her pros and cons, which reflect real qualities as he gets to know her better. "Sure," he thinks, "she has certain issues, but there are many fantastic things too." Third is the acceptance stage. He decides, "The pros outweigh the cons. I want the whole package." The better he knows her, the easier this acceptance becomes.

The key to understanding this process is realizing that it's sequential, first comes filtering, then evaluation, and finally acceptance. I believe that so many first dates are failing not because two people aren't a good match, but rather because one person often gets filtered out too soon before the other one can make an accurate determination of future potential.

Britain / 5 Familiar Promotional Gifts That Will Promote Your Brand for Less

« on: December 25, 2012, 04:18:04 PM »

Attend any trade show and your are sure to see five types of promotional gifts. These are the top five promotional gifts. They are popular because they are used everyday in offices and homes around the world.

If you consider using one or more of these five promotional items you will get great value for your money. This is especially so if you take some time to really plan your promotion and ensure your promotional products match your corporate image.

So here they are... These five gifts will be used and will promote your brand for longer than most other forms of promotion could ever do. Television, radio, magazine and newspaper ads will not last as long and they could be quite a lot more expensive. Give away a well planned and targeted promotional gift and it could be promoting your brand for years.

Promotional Pens

Cheap promotional plastic pens such as the lightweight capped pens you see all over the place are good for mega-sized promotions. This is especially so if you want to make a big impact and you are not concerned about how your brand will be perceived. Charities and churches use cheap pens very effectively. They want to get their message across without looking as if they have spent a lot of donated money to do it.

In business, however, you may wish to consider better quality plastic or even metal pens. Look at the styles available from Senator, Prodir, Roubil, Prodir and Lecce Pens. These European brand name pens are available worldwide. They are all fitted with good quality long-life refills that will write for months. I have a Lecce plastic promotional pen that have been using for over two years.

Each of these well known brands offer mix-n-match options so you can choose the colour of the nib, barrel and clip. You will usually need to allow a little more time for this service but doing so makes a simple promotional pen into a designer colour coordinated corporate pen at no extra expense.

Gift pens are the excellent choice for top clients, employees and used as graduation presents. You can normally purchase these in much smaller quantities. Gift pens are usually engraved and they look even better when presented in a pen case.

Check out the styles offered by Lamy, Parker, Cross and Waterman.

Promotional Mugs

There are now so many different mug styles to choose from. From high quality earthenware latte mugs engraved with a logo to the more simple non-breakable plastic mug you will be spoilt for choice.

On average people take a coffee or tea break five times every business day. If your customers happen to be using your logo printed mug that means your logo and brand are enjoying prime advertising space regularly.

If mugs are of interest toy you, I strongly recommend taking a little time to see what is available. Ask for samples and choose wisely. The mug you choose could become your customers' favourite mug and that could offer you years of free advertising.

Mouse Mats

Promotional mouse mats are used by almost everyone. I recommend looking for mats that people will enjoy using. There are a lot of cheap options available but be careful. If people do not enjoy using a mat because it is too lightweight of flimsy, it will end up in the bin instead of on their desktops where it belongs.

I love mouse mats because they offer so much printable area. Get creative with your design so that your brand really stands out.

Digital Photo Frames

Promotional digital photo frames are special executive gifts. They can be quite expensive but do not let this stop you from considering them.

Do you have a few top clients who are loyal to you? Why not give them one of these top quality eye-catching frames to store all of their favourite pictures. It could sit on their desktop for years. They will look at it often and your logo and brand will always be right in front of them.

Almost everyone has a digital camera. We all take many more pictures than we did in the days before digital photography. Take advantage of this and give your top customers a gift they will really appreciate and use.

I have even seen digital photo frames given away on trade show stands. They are not to be put on the front table as you would plastic pens or stress balls but they can be handed personally to you VIP customers that come on the stand.

Eco Friendly Shopper Bags

These are the perfect gifts for trade shows as they offer visitors to your stand a place to put all the other stuff they pick up at the show. Print you logo nice and large on the side for all to see.

We are all trying to use our own bags when we do our weekly or daily shops. It is eco friendly to do so. Giving your customers a nice large reusable carrier bag will keep you in their thoughts long after your promotion is over.

I hope I have offered you a few things to consider. Plan you next promotion with one or more of these promotional gifts and you are on your way to a successful campaign. As always please feel free to share your thoughts or experiences by leaving a comment.

Brazil / Romantic Love Can Last Forever

« on: December 24, 2012, 09:47:37 PM »

Romance does not necessarily have to fade away in the long-term relationships and transform into a friendship-type love, according to a new study. Romantic love can last a lifetime and lead to even happier, stronger and healthier relationships.

The study's lead researcher, Bianca P. Acevedo, PhD, from the University of California, Santa Barbara, said that many people identify romantic love as passionate love, which, in her opinion, is not true. The scientist explained that romantic love has the same intensity, involvement and sexual chemistry, that has the passionate love, with the exception of an obsession. Obsessive love is always accompanied by feelings such as anxiety and uncertainty, and never survives for a long time.

To come up with this conclusion, Dr. Acevedo and co-author Arthur Aron, PhD, analyzed 25 studies with more than 6,000 individuals that were engaged in the short-term and long-term relationships. The researchers planned to figure out if romantic love was associated with more satisfaction in a relationship. In several studies, the relationships were classified as romantic, passionate/obsessive, or friendship-like love, and categorized as the short- or long-term.

The first study involved 17 short-term relationships of single, dating or married college students with the ages between 18 and 23, whose relationships lasted less than 4 years. The second study analyzed 10 long-term relationships of middle-aged couples, with the marriage experience of 10 years or more. And, finally, two other studies included both the long- and short-term relationships in which it was pretty much possible to distinguish the two samples.

The results revealed that those individuals who said that they had a great romantic love, were much more satisfied in both the short- and long-term relationships. Participants from both the short- and long-term relationships, who reported that their love was mostly based on friendship, only moderately associated their relationship with complete satisfaction, and those who reported passionate love in their relationships, were more likely to be satisfied for the short period of time, rather than the long term. Also, couples who expressed the most satisfaction with their partner, turned out to be much happier and had higher self-esteem.

According to Dr. Acevedo, when partners feel and know that they are there for each other, it always creates a strong bond between them, and leads to a good relationship, which, in turn, contributes to stronger feelings of romantic love. On the contrary, when people start feeling insecure and jealous, they start also experiencing less satisfaction, which in many cases leads to misunderstandings and conflicts in the relationships. All this can point to the signs of an obsessive love, she said.

This new findings may change people's perceptions and expectations of what they really want in long-term relationships. The scientists wrote that companionship, or friendship-type love, which is what people usually see and expect as the natural transformation of any happy relationship, may be an unnecessary compromise. Partners should fight for their love with all the possible means, Acevedo said. And couples who have been together for many years and wish to rekindle their romantic feelings, should remember that this is an attainable goal that, like most good things in life, requires patience, energy and devotion, she concluded.

Mexico / President Obama on Departure of General Jim Jones, National Security Advisor

« on: December 24, 2012, 06:35:06 PM »