A Clever Spell

Killer Bees are deadly to those who they feel are a threat and once you are the target these guys are going in for the kill. It is very difficult to get away from a swarm and that is what most people advise, run like hell and get the swarm to string its self out so you have less of them to fight.

But if you used sound to stop a killer bee swarm, how might you do that? Well this subject came up in an online think tank as they were discussing swarm theory with regards to locusts and bees. One think tanker stated;

“I think I did not extensively mention a blast sound wave because I realize the local component of ear drum damage when someone is very close to a 16 inch gun aboard WWII Navy destroyers. I don’t wish to create a blast sound just because that is likely not effective, besides it is a point source for the origin of the sound.”

Why not you can use percussion sound waves to totally disrupt swarms or anything for that matter. Not to mention a taste of their own medicine, because the bees or swarming insects use the sound to confuse their prey also. Perhaps put fear in their prey to get their adrenaline and heart rates up so the poison administered works faster to disorient and prevent damage from the predator to their hive, which they do have much time and energy invested in their colony to begin with. Perhaps percussion sound maybe just the shock and awe these little buggers need to buzz off? Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Launched in June 2007 the Nokia 1650 has earned a solid reputation as a reliable, easy to use Bar style phone. The 1650 is an entry level mobile phone and, compared to some of the more popular mobile phones within this price band it is basic but functional. The Nokia 1650 is a very well designed mobile handset with a cutting edge feel to it.

Due to the rise of the Internet it has never been quicker or cheaper to buy a mobile phone. Find the latest offers try using a site to compare mobile phones to get the best possible price on a Nokia 1650 .

A Standard battery, Li-Ion 1020 mAh (BL-5C) battery cell is that is shipped with the Nokia 1650. Regarding the all important battery cell usage the Nokia 1650 has 8:00 talk time and 420 hours standby time. The Nokia 1650 has support for 2G GSM 900 / 1800 . The display type is CSTN, 65K colors. Polyphonic (32 channels) ring-tones are enabled on the Nokia 1650 along with a vibrating alert . If colour is important you may like to know that the 1650 can be bought in, Red and Black. In terms of size the Nokia 1650 is one of the smallest phones available. The 1650 weighs 80 g which is OK for a phone in this price bracket. This mobile phone as a number of extras like:

Calendar

Calculator

Currency converter

Voice memo

Built-in handsfree

FM radio

Flashlight

Personal budget manager

Although this is a relatively new model, the Nokia 1650 faces really stiff competition. This means that it is relatively easy to pick up some real bargains on this mobile phone.

This month marks the Spring Equinox, a time for new beginnings! When people hear me in concert, or find out that I’m a voice coach, I’m always amazed at how many of them tell me ‘I’ve always wanted to sing.’ They usually say it in a rather wistful way, as though it’s a dream that’s totally out of reach for them. I usually respond, ‘then why don’t you?’, to which, invariably, they say ‘oh, no! I can’t sing!’ Why do we so stubbornly defend our false beliefs and limitations?! If you’d love to sing; if you harbor that secret desire to belt out a tune or be the next American Idol; or just
want the courage to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ without embarrassment, I’m here to tell you that YOU CAN!

Everyone can sing! You were born singing! Along the way, though, someone told
you that you couldn’t, and that became your belief system. Spring is the time when
all things come back to life. Even dusty, forgotten dreams can be born again. So do
something wonderful for yourself - take a few voice lessons! You’ll see it’s not as
scary as you thought, and it will give you worlds of self-confidence. I offer both
group and private coaching at my studio in Midway, Utah, and I find that most
people are so anxious about singing in front of me initially, that we spend lots of
time working on that inner critic that demands vocal perfection. My goal is to help
my clients sing from their hearts, not their heads! Singing is all about raising your
voice in joy; not worrying about how good you sound, but how good you FEEL when
you’re sharing your music.

If you yearn to sing, then DO IT! You will feel great and you’ll feel proud of yourself
for taking a risk and emerging a stronger, more confident songster! I love to help
people find their voices, and now is a great time to take that step of self-discovery
and self-love. Sing because you’ve always wanted to. What better reason is there?
And if you’re a bit shy, then take a few lessons (study with someone who’s method
is based in Bel Canto) so that you gain skills that will give you confidence in your
voice.

Spring is the time to start something new; something that’s going to feed your soul
and bring a bounce to your step! Singing has incredible physical and emotional
benefits, and it’s a great way to meet new friends! My uncle just started singing at
age 81, and it has changed his life! He sings every Thursday night in Los Olivos,
California, and just loves it! And his audience loves it, too! How fantastic that he
took the initiative to take singing lessons at the local community college, then had
the guts to get up and put himself on the line. And you know what??? This is now his
PASSION! He lives and breathes it. I am so proud of him, and wish everyone would
have the courage to open up and sing! My uncle Dick is 81 and singing every week
in public; what’s your excuse?!
Spring is the time to sing!!

Beth Lawrence is the only expert in the country teaching The Integrated Voice
method; a holistic approach to voice coaching and therapy honoring the connection of
body, mind and spirit. Beth is the CEO of Viva La Voice!, a company offering private
coaching, workshops in the performing arts, and music camps for women. To learn
more: http://www.VivaLaVoice.com

Behavior Intervention Plans

If your child exhibits behavioral issues, it’s likely they’ve gotten into a lot of trouble at school. You’ve gotten those dreaded calls from their teachers on a regular basis. All you hear is bad news. Isn’t it time your child’s teacher called with good news? Perhaps it’s time to look into a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).

A BIP is developed when a child’s behavior impedes his or her learning or that of others. If your child is classified as needing special education and related services (likely under the Other Health Impaired classification if they have AD/HD) then a BIP is easy to incorporate into their IEP. Sure, BIPs requires more work of your child’s teachers, but so does making those phone calls at the end of the day. Understand that for that very reason, BIPs may not be implemented effectively the first few times around - but with your understanding, they’ll get it right and your child’s behavior will improve. It’s important not to blame anyone - including your child - for the fact that immediate improvement isn’t seen. Remember, it’s taken years for your child to acquire the behaviors; they’re not going to change overnight.

This BIP must include positive behavioral interventions and strategies - that means no punishment, no discrimination, no chastising to get the teachers’ points across.

Target Behaviors are those your teachers want to change. It’s important not just to use labels in describing behavior (”lazy,” “aggressive,” “sexist,” “harassing”) because it doesn’t tell us exactly what your child is doing that needs to be changed. Labels typically over-generalize and often inaccurately describe children in a negative fashion. “Target Behaviors” sections should identify behavior that is observable and measurable - and problematic only.

A sample statement would be:

1. “Teachers have distributed detention for 2 Saturdays because of X’s inappropriate behavior in class. The inappropriate behaviors have not decreased.

Once the targeted behaviors have been identified and placed into measurable terms, the Team will develop the plan by which your child will approach the goals incrementally. It also delineates the “5 W’s” to be involved in the BIP:

• Who will implement the BIP;

• What will be implemented;

• When will the BIP be implemented (under what conditions?);

• Where will the BIP be implemented (in the classroom, during Gym, etc.);

• How (o.k., not a “W”) will the BIP be meaningfully implemented.

The BIP is not subjective - it utilizes the data gathered from all of the assessments previously conducted, and it abides by research-based intervention data.

BIP’s are proven to reduce unwanted behaviors in the classroom. With a good plan in place, you’ll be getting that phone call PRAISING your child in no time!

Nadine O’Reilly is a school psychologist and Coordinator of Special Services. She designs 100’s of Individual Education Programs each year, including Positive Behavior Intervention Plans. She is the author of the IEP Resource Guide and the Section 504 Resource Guide, as well as the children’s book “Peter Can’t Eat Peanuts.”
Visit http://www.special-education-ieps.com for more information on how a BIP can help your child.

Sourcing your products from the China wholesale markets means margins you can’t find elsewhere, margins which will skyrocket your profits and allow you to dominate your market.

China has been described as the world’s factory.

It might well be re-named China Wholesale Inc.

The phenomenal economic growth in China, typified by the rise of Shanghai - now the world’s biggest city, in the world’s biggest country - will have an ever-increasing effect on world trade, and
on the world of re-selling on the Internet.

China manufactures for the world, and anyone looking to source products just has to start their search in the China wholesale markets. And that means me, and probably you as well.

Many US re-sellers are still convinced that the way to a quick fortune is to go to China, find the guy who makes shoes for Gucci or handbags for Prada, and persuade him to run off an extra few
hundred.

A less-reputable China wholesale manufacturer might do this, but the product will not bear the coveted label. You might manage to import the goods into the US, but no way can you sell them -
legally - as brand-name products, even if they are made by the same manufacturer as the genuine product.

Beware the so-called “grey market”. The Brand name companies are becoming ever-more aggressive in pursuing through the courts anyone infringing their copyright.

In most manufacturing sectors, China is a volume producer, which means that you will always be facing high minimum order quantities, typically thousands of units, which make it seem a
no-go area for the solitary trader of modest means. But there is a solution to this problem, as you will see later.

China already has a good reputation for quality clothing, shoes, and basic commodities, but increasingly China wholesalers are turning to high-technology products.

The good news is that the China wholesale manufacturers and the agents are very clued-up on the US market, and very quick to respond to requests for sample products and price and delivery
quotations. The really good news is that there is usually an unbelievably margin, so if you have the bankroll and the expertise you could really make a lot of money at this.

So what about a plan of action?

If the China wholesale market excites you, you really can’t do without the services of a local China-based agent.

He is the guy who has personal contact with all the manufacturers and factory owners. He knows the China wholesale world intimately - he knows the best sources for all the products. He acts as the middleman and effectively as the purse-holder, and you will need such an expert to guide you through the minefield that is the Chinese-US tax issue.

He will ensure that the product gets shipped on time, and most importantly can check on the quality of the product before it is shipped.

These Chinese export agents are monitored and encouraged financially by their Government to promote China wholesale business overseas, so you should be able to find a reputable one without any problem.

The bottom line is - if you’re serious about sourcing goods from China in volume, then you really can’t do the business without a good China-based agent.
You just have to invest the time to go over to China, ideally when one of the big trade fairs or conventions are taking place. (You can easily find this information on your favorite Search Engine).

Here you can meet with the agents, who can introduce you to the factory owners, who will invite you to the factory to see the product being made, and will probably give you an on-the-spot quotation.

You will find, as I did, that much business in China is still conducted on a personal-relationship basis, so if you don’t make the personal contacts and establish and cultivate relationships in the China wholesale world, then you probably won’t thrive in China.

If you simply haven’t got the time or resources to establish personal contacts in China, then you could look for a good US based Chinese agent or broker - ideally one based in your own city or State.(Again, you can find one using the Search Engines).
You may be lucky and find one who has good contacts in China, and he can guide you through much of the bureaucracy involved in importing from a China wholesaler.

Find out who he has represented before, and be sure to contact this person or business to check out your agent or broker.

There is an excellent resource on the internet with a lot of expertise in sourcing China wholesale products. This is the website at www.alibaba.com, which offers excellent advice, and can immediately supply details of Chinese manufacturers for your chosen product.

So there are 3 levels at which you can get involved with the China wholesale markets - the 3 paths to enlightenment and profit as we might call them.

At the bottom level,if you just want to get a feel for what is available, then spend some time on research at www.Alibaba.com - a great resource which can show you the incredible range of products available, and which can put you in contact with agents or manufacturers in the China wholesale business.

At a slightly more ambitious level, if you are committed to doing business long-term, then you could look for a reliable US-based Chinese agent or broker, who for a fee or commission will ease your way into the often-baffling world of importing goods from China.

And the serious marketers will jump in at the top level, and get themselves over to China, the sooner the better, in order to establish those long-term relationships with those active in the China wholesale world.

Relationships which will reap rich rewards for years to come.

If you aren’t big enough or confident enough to face this on your own, then find a few other re-sellers in the same market - or related market - as yourself, and pool your time and resources.
Whatever it takes, get into this lucrative market place - the potential profits are HUGE!

China and its manufacturers will have an enormous impact on the Internet re-selling world over the next 5 years.

It is already starting to happen, and the time to get involved is now.

The guy who sources the product at the lowest price is the guy who wins, particularly on the Internet.

And that lowest price will almost certainly be provided by a Chinese manufacturer.

If you’re still not persuaded to check out the fabulous opportunities in the China wholesale markets, then you should certainly have a look at the best resource on the internet for sourcing products for reselling - just go to http://www.wholesale-dropship-researchproduct.com/wholesaleinfo.html

For your free ebook “Starting Your Internet Business Right” visit our Wholesale and Dropship Resources site at
http://www.wholesale-dropship-researchproduct.com

10 weeks ago a Europe based dutch online company begun with a dutch online sweepstakes. 11 months ago a Dutch online company started a sweepstakes websites. Many more sweepers are choosing to enter online sweepstakes. You can win super SUVs every 17 hours. In an effort to increase consumer demand for scratch cards and to help control the litter small problems associated with the disposal of non-winning lottery tickets. Sweepstakes are frequently used by fast-food restaurants to boost business. The reason why contests are treated differently is that the winners are not chosen by chance but by an element of skill. Terrific cars to be won at contest websites. Sweepstakes promotions are prohibited from requiring a purchase to enter. Members sign up once and are entered to various sweepstakes each month. 10 days ago a Belgium company took of a online sweepstakes. Absolutely fantastic computers to win at dutch online contests. Anyone can win great wakeboards every 21 hours. Fantastic TVs to be won at online sweepstakes. Really everybody can win marvelous plasmas every 7 months at super contests by windeprijsvraag.nl. There are also other online services, which automatically enter members into sweepstakes. It will be really great or realy terrific to win 6895 euros. Fantastic swimming pools to win at dutch online contests. Although some sweepstakes ask for a proof of purchase or UPC code, the sponsors must provide an alternate method of entry if they do so. Entering sweepstakes by mail is declining in popularity. Many state lotteries also run a second chance sweepstakes in conjunction with the retail sale of state lottery scratch cards. It should be absolutely fantastic or great to win 8793 dollar. Consumer promotions advertised as contests, however, can require an entry fee or proof of purchase. 5 days ago a European dutch company has started with a contest websites. Sweepstakes are generally easier and quicker to enter than contests. That should be terrific or really great to win 4556 dollars. Really anyone can win marvelous Hummers every 5 weeks. Its super or terrific to win 8295 euro. 4 days ago a European webcompany begun with a dutch online sweepstakes. Before home computers were popular a common method of entry was a mailed one. Sweepstakes are also legally different from contests in the United States. Really great laptops to be won at sweepstakes websites. This saves entrants time and effort.

Getting your best deal when you sell your business is a major challenge. Unfortunately, it is a process all too many business owners take too lightly. They end up settling for less when they fail to employ strategic business thinking to all elements of the selling process and transaction. To help you get your best deal; I have developed a ten-step process you can follow to help you achieve your goals.

One thing I’ve found is that getting your best deal often depends on recruiting and using the right team of advisors. These advisors include your attorney, accountant, financial planner and consultant and/or investment banker. These professionals comprise the team you will need to achieve the most dollars and the best terms. Each has his/her own specific skills and you will need them all. The few dollars you spend for professional assistance (usually 10%, or less, of what you receive from the sale (as you receive it) will more than pay for itself in getting you a better outcome. The steps in this process appear deceptively simple but require discipline, hard work and sometimes painfully honest self-assessment. They are:

#1 Develop two written lists of goals — your lifestyle goals and your business goals. In short, what do you want to happen in your life once you’ve sold the business? Develop each set of goals separately. This helps you keep perspective. Compare both lists. Don’t be surprised to see conflicts. Resolve all conflicts between the two goal sets and prepare a coordinated list, keeping business and personal goals separate but on one sheet of paper. Share the list with your leadership team. They will, in most cases, be staying on (and locking them into their jobs may be key to achieving your objectives). Ask them for their opinions — in writing — of both the goals and the potential impact of attaining the goals on their areas of responsibility.

#2 Use your lists of goals to generate a criteria checklist. Items for this checklist include: minimum selling price (see #3 below) required to close any gaps in your financial (estate) plan and ensure success in your retirement or in your next endeavor; type of buyer most suitable to run the business; timetable for sale; objectives to achieve prior to any sale (including employment contracts, shadow equity or equity for key team members); transition period and contract for you; desired terms and conditions; and, other financial issues. Divide your completed checklist into MUST items, those things a buyer and/or sales transaction must have for you to close a deal, and LIKE items, those which while nice to have are not essential to the sale. A good, solid checklist takes time to develop, but it will keep you on target.

#3 Pricing is important. While you MUST get your minimum-selling price, you will almost certainly want more. In addition, you probably want to establish an asking price that allows some room for negotiation. You should have your consultant or one of the other team members prepare (or commission) an independent valuation of the company. The valuation will give you a good starting point in establishing a realistic pricing strategy. Ideally, the valuation should allow you to compare several valuation approaches to the company’s worth. These computations can be based on: multiples of earnings approaches; asset value plus goodwill; or some of the many sophisticated cash flow models. Knowing how much to ask and under what terms are central to your success.

#4 Take a look at all the preparations completed to date BEFORE even looking for a buyer or dangling a tantalizing “carrot” in front of an eager prospect. Be brutally honest with yourself. Have you considered all the contingencies? Have you reviewed and considered all your financial plans? Would strengthening the business over a short period result in a greater selling price or better terms? ARE YOU READY TO LET GO AND WALK AWAY?

#5 Evaluate specific potential buyers against your checklist. Prospective buyers for small- to medium-sized companies can be found in local and regional publications, as well as The Wall Street Journal, under Business Wanted or Business Opportunity. Investment bankers, venture capitalists, local banks, accountants and attorneys, in addition to many business brokers, are all potential referral sources for transactions. Your management team may be ready and willing to make you an offer. A family member might want to continue the business. Customers and/or vendors and/or competitors might have interest. Research companies and individuals whose business interests fit your criteria, but don’t make any announcements until you are truly ready to go public and tell the world. (Once you announce the company is for sale, there will normally be more “tire kickers” than you want to deal with.) In addition, some competitors will almost certainly use such information as a way to attempt to “raid” your key accounts. Match every prospect against your MUST’s. If you discover a “must” missing, move on the next prospective buyer.

#6 Develop a short list of prospects composed of those who inquire, those whom you feel might make a good match and those whom you feel might make a good transaction. Rate them on their potential attractiveness on their potential ability to complete the deal, grow the company and complete all payments to you. Once you have a working list to go with your criteria you, or preferably a member of your team, can begin making contacts. A significant show of interest results in the prospect signing a Confidentiality Agreement. It is at this point that you will normally begin to disclose financial and other data to the prospective buyer.

#7 Once the Confidentiality Agreement is in place and as you prepare to disclose information, have your team conduct a thorough due diligence review to qualify any prospective buyers — companies or individuals — identified above BEFORE releasing your own information. Serious buyers should insist on reviewing records, tax returns, financial statements, public disclosures and other documents. They should speak with your accountants, attorneys and advisors. They should want to speak (and this needs to be handled very sensitively), with your vendors, customers and employees. They should also be prepared to prove they can complete the transaction. Due diligence is essential to both sides in crafting a win-win deal.

#8 Begin the challenging task of negotiating the sale. My advice to clients (buyers and sellers, alike) is to strive to control the terms rather than the price. Several years ago, I negotiated a deal in which the seller and buyer were far apart in their estimates on what the company was worth. We structured the agreement of sale so that the net present value, the cash value today, equaled what the buyer wanted to pay, but the total dollars for the transaction over time were more than the seller originally asked. Both sides felt like they won. Other advice I give my clients is to go gently into negotiations. Realize, particularly in the initial discussions leading to the transaction that you may be perceived as an entrepreneur more interested in having the business “adopted” than in sold; or as a large, inflexible, corporate type intent only on selling a product line or division before a certain date or at a certain price; or as shareholder representatives who don’t know the business or its potential or future and just want out. Getting past these perceptions is key to enhancing deal value. All require different approaches and great sensitivity.

#9 Identify and align your options in relation to being paid at closing and after the sale. Knowing what you want is critical to getting it. A brief list of options includes: a strictly cash sale due at closing; a tax free exchange of stock; cash plus a promissory note plus an employment contract; cash, a promissory note and a non-compete agreement; venture capital. The list goes on. Be sure at closing that you have removed yourself from any contingent liabilities arising from transactions in the old company. Such transactions may include: unpaid taxes; unexpired leases; lender UCC’s (Unified Commercial Code filings) that have not been satisfied. Failure to clear these items could result in costly comebacks at a later date. Allow an average of from 2-6 months for serious buyers to identify and line up funding sources.

#10 Closing can be tricky and unfortunately has been the unraveling of many deals. Again, go gently. A deal isn’t done until all parties have signed off on the transaction. One deal I witnessed fell apart at the closing table when one of the advisors, claiming he was “emotionally moved” by the integrity exhibited by both sides, read a poem he had written for the occasion. After the closing, your new life begins. You are either out the door or an employee who will (probably) be out the door once the new ownership gets a handle on running the business. (Employment contracts notwithstanding, most former owners are asked to leave long before their due date.) More importantly, the “buck” now stops somewhere else. Remember that and stand aside. Whatever your choice, good fortune and good luck to you as you explore your options.

If you explore selling your business, getting the right professional help can mean the difference between a successful sale and the frustration of time, effort and hope wasted. Solidify your standing in the sale by completing your research and consultations with your advisory team members in advance. With proper planning, you can get the very best deal when you sell your business.

Copyright 2006 John J Reddish

John Reddish works with and speaks to entrepreneurs and top executives who want to master growth, transition and succession, helping them to get results faster, less painfully and in ways that work for them. Author, speaker, consultant and mentor, John is a member of the National Speakers Assn. For booking and product information: http://www.getresults.com. Or call 800.726.7985 in the US, 01.610.388.9335 internationally, or at johnr@getresults.com.

When looking for a home, it is important to first get pre-qualified with a mortgage company before you search for a home. This is the first step in making buying a home a no-nonsense experience.

There are many mortgage lenders in the Kings Bay Georgia market. Most offer many of the same programs, but the mortgage that they offer you may not be the mortgage that best suits your needs.

As a mortgage broker with Affordable Home Funding, I have more to offer you when it comes to financing your home. We can almost always offer you a lower rate, better service, quicker closings, but most important, knowledge of the market and the neighborhoods in the Kings Bay area.

We will guide you every step of the way! Beware! of realtors who almost insist that you use the lender in their company. In many cases when you allow your realtor to be the director of your financing, you are giving them permission to decide what loan program, appraiser, etc. that you will use. When you hire the lender, your lender can advise you on the right loan program for you, not what is in the real estate agents best interest.

After all, who is most important when it comes to buying your home? You and your family!

I would love the opportunity to earn your business! You can find me online at www.thebestmortgageguy.com There you can find contact information, mortgage calculators and apply online>

Welcome to the Kings Bay Georgia area and Good Luck!

Glenn Keller is a veteran in the mortgage business and specializes in VA, FHA and Conventional mortgages in the Kings Bay Georgia real estate market. Affordable Home Funding is located at 1204 Hospitality Ave., Kingsland, Georgia 31548. Our website is http://www.thebestmortgageguy.com This article is the opinion of its author.

Keep a computer journal - every time you have a problem, write it and the solution down. When the same problem comes up again (which it often does), you know what to do. With a memory like mine, this has saved me a lot of time and money.

If something doesn’t work, check the obvious first. For example, my printer stopped working, so I checked the program, re-installed the software, re-booted the computer, but nothing worked. Then I realized that the printer cable had come just a little bit loose. Not enough to notice, but enough to stop the power.

My hard drive at work got slower and slower, then totally died. I didn’t realize that hard drives were capable of that and it reminded me again of the importance of saving my data to a disk or cd.

I received an official looking email at work, claiming to come from administration. It was a zipped file, so I downloaded it. Later I found out it was a virus. Lesson- just because the name on an email looks official doesn’t mean it is, so be careful about opening files or giving out personal information, especially charge card details.

I was painting the kitchen and wasn’t sure if the previous paint was latex or oil based. So I went onto the Internet, asked Jeeves (www.askjeeves.com) and found out how. Answer: apply a cloth dampened in denatured alcohol and latex will bubble or wipe off.

Found out that URL is pronounced earl. I would never have known that and it sounds really funny.

Every day lately, I’ve been getting emails about seminars and new products that I would love to buy and attend, but I’d have to be a millionaire first. How do people decide what to focus on? I read that you should find one or two people on the net that you admire and concentrate on learning from them.

I read an article about training your brain. Every day you should learn one new thing and then think about what you learned right before you go to bed. Then when you get up the next morning, think about what you learned again. This is supposed to re-inforce whatever it is that was learned. I’ll have to try it with my learning Spanish. I’m having a hard time remembering more than two phrases and saying “I’m going to the washroom” and “goodbye” don’t get a conversation going very far.

My newest gadget and birthday present is a little label printer and it’s so cute. I wasn’t sure if I would use it that much, but it came in very handy. I’m having a baby shower for my daughter and rather than wreck my wrist writing (say that quickly), I printed off the address on labels and pasted them on the invitations. They look nice and saved a lot of time and effort. Next I’ll do the envelope labels and I’ll be all set. I didn’t like doing labels with my regular printer because it was so fiddly getting the data nicely centered. But this little printer does them perfectly every time and I can add little pictures, print all different sizes, and like I said before, it’s so cute.

Carol Bremner (otherwise known as Granny Geek) is a computer loving member of the gray generation. Her websites promote computer literacy in the home for the over 50 crowd. Her goal is information without overload.

Simply changing your eating habits is often the key to reaching your weight loss goals. Ask yourself who, what, when, where, and why questions about your eating habits and listen carefully to the answers. See if you can identify clues that will help you make necessary lifestyle changes.

1. Who Are You Eating With?

Do you find that you tend to overeat or make bad food choices when you are around certain people or at social events? Have a strategy. Rehearse in your mind exactly what you will do in these situations. Remind yourself several times a day that you are in charge of your actions. It’s okay to choose not to be around certain people or attend certain social events. It’s okay to say no thank you and decline an invitation. You are in control of you. If someone will not support your efforts then remove yourself from their association for the necessary amount of time you need to reach your goals.

2. Where Are You Eating?

Too often we eat mindlessly, while we are watching television, driving in the car, while we are cooking, talking on the phone etc. It is during these times that we intake calories with no regard or recognition and inevitably put on unwanted weight. Sit down and eat at the table only.

3. When Are You Eating?

Stop eating two to three hours before bedtime. Calories consumed late in the day stay around to be converted to fat because your metabolism decreases later in the day. Your body is preparing for rest, not digestion.

4. How and What Are You Eating?

Don’t eat so fast. Sometimes we eat so fast, ingesting huge amounts of calories in a short period of time, that we have barely tasted the food, let alone enjoyed it. These calories are turned into unwanted body fat. Chew your food slowly, taste it, make it a habit and give yourself a chance to feel full. It takes about 20 minutes for your body to send a message to your brain that you are full. Put your fork down between bites. Take a break. Drink some water.

5. Why Are You Eating?

Sometimes we think we are hungry when we are really just thirsty. Drink some water first. If you are eating out of boredom, find a hobby or an interest that gets you out of the house. To kill a craving or binge, wait 5 to 10 minutes before putting something into your mouth. This may be all you need to get through. If you are eating late in the evening — especially when you are not even hungry, choose to stop eating 2-3 hours before bedtime every night. Chew some gum, brush your teeth, turn off the lights and stay out of the kitchen to remind yourself that you are finished eating for the day.

Taking the time to think about who, what, when, where, and why you eat helps you to identify current habits that need to be replaced with better habits in order to reach and maintain your target weight.