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By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Paul_Purcell]Paul Purcell In an emergency youll need to provide and receive help, and after its over, youll have to return, repair, and rebuild. Central to this is communication and documentation. Our society loves red tape, especially after disasters. Below are 50 ways the camera phone can be used in an emergency to document, record, and relay important information. Any camera could be used for some of these things, but the phonecam carries a distinct advantage. It can immediately transmit your pictures. If you dont have a phonecam, go with what you have, or what you can afford. Disposable cameras and digital cameras are acceptable. However, the phonecam rules, so lets look at ways yours can be used in an emergency. These are excerpts from Disaster Prep 101 at http://www.disasterprep101.com. 1. Last minute child ID. Whenever the family might be separated, take last-minute pictures of all family members, especially the kids, and pets. 2. Send a map. To send or receive directions to or from a location when voice directions arent working, draw a map on paper, take a picture, and send. 3. Injury photos to the doctor. Suppose help isnt available, and someones sick or injured. If there are visible signs or symptoms, relay pictures to medical personnel who can walk you through whatever treatment is possible where you are. 4. Damage documentation. In catastrophes, itll be days before insurance adjusters get there to file claims. Photo all damage in case some of it gets repaired or cleaned up before agents arrive. 5. Report suspicious activity. If you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood, upload pictures of suspects and the situation to the Police immediately. 6. Heres the landmark. Gathering the family is critical. If you dont have a fixed meeting place, send pictures of where and what youre near so others can find you. This also works well if youre lost in the wilderness and need to relay pictures of landmarks. 7. Meet us here. If you have a fixed rendezvous point, send a pic you already have on file, so others will know where to meet. Take these photos while compiling your family emergency plan. 8. Photo shopping list. When stocking up in anticipation of an emergency, take a picture of your pantry as a quick shopping list. 9. Driving directions. If youre trying to tell others where a certain location is, send a picture by picture set of directions. Create this file while assembling your family reaction plan. 10. Meet this person. If your family evacuates, and they know where to go, but havent met the family contact person, send them a picture of the person theyre to meet, or send that person pictures of the people heading their way. 11. Last minute property inventory. If youre evacuating, snap quick shots of your property to include purchases not on your last home inventory, and the current condition of your property. 12. Adventure journal. Take pictures to record what you do, where you go, and people you meet during an evacuation, etc. 13. Situational severity. In a large-scale emergency, first responders will be overworked. They might not be available for a minor situation. However, the situation might be worse than they understand, and you might need serious help. Send a picture of how bad things are. 14. Quick text messaging. You might not have time to type a message, and the lines might not be open long enough for a conversation. Write a note on paper, take a picture, and send that. 15. Minor traffic mishap. In a minor fender-bender, with no injuries or disabled vehicles, most jurisdictions will tell you to swap info and move along. If thats the case (always call 911 to make sure), photo the vehicular damage, people involved, witnesses at the scene (and their car tag numbers), and of others involved in the accident to show their injuries (or lack thereof). 16. Wallet backup. Take pictures of your wallets contents (or important documents) to record numbers, and show that cards are or were in your possession. Be careful with this info as its very sensitive and can be used for identity theft! 17. Inclement weather reporting. If youre the first to see the funnel cloud, hail, or a river overflowing, send a picture to the weather service or authorities as rapid proof an emergency is developing. 18. First Responder intel. The more first responders know about a collapsed house, an auto accident, a fire in progress, or any other emergency, the more rapid and appropriate a reaction they can make. 19. Missing persons. Send picture of picture. In addition to last minute family photos, send a picture of a photograph in your purse or wallet of a missing family member. 20. Relay property damage to or from neighbors. After a disaster, whoever goes home first, either you or your neighbors, could photograph area damage and relay info to the other. 21. Help insurance adjusters find your property. After a devastating incident, street signs will be gone, house numbers wont be visible, etc. Take current pictures of landmarks or unique damage near or at your property to make it easier to find you. 22. Copy bulletin boards. If youre in an emergency shelter, and theres an info bulletin board, youll need the info but might not be able to write it down. Take a picture! 23. Bus, subway, or city map. If youre anywhere youre not familiar with and theres a posted map, take a picture of it for later reference if you get lost. 24. Document your route. When traveling to a new area, and you want to find your way back, take pictures along the way of landmarks at turns you make, forks in the road, etc. 25. Record medicines or food brands. To relay information about medications, or if you have special dietary needs and are sending information regarding certain brands to someone, a picture really is worth a thousand words. 26. Parking spot locations. Dont trust your memory, trust a picture. Take a pic of where you left your vehicle either in a lot or in a parking deck. 27. Engine repairs. Should you break down and your vehicle shows outward signs of problems such as steam shooting from a hose, or liquids dripping from the engine, send a pic to a mechanic who may talk you through a quick fix. 28. Business or service function and hours. Copy posted business hours or listed service functions (and pricing) for later review and recall. This is also a good way to report price gouging. 29. Child custodian. If you cant get to your kids at school or other function, relay a picture of the person who is coming to pick them up. Send this picture to the school or function, and to your child (if they have a phonecam). 30. Info on injured or hospitalized people. You might be in a position to send pictures to people looking for loved ones or vice-versa. 31. Hotel room number. Whenever you get a hotel room, take a picture to find your way back. Photo the room number on the door, and the name of the motel and adjacent buildings. 32. ID your evac gear. As with all belongings, take a picture to prove ownership. This might come in handy with theft in emergency shelters. Its a rare occurrence, but be ready to prove things are yours. 33. Photo scavenger hunt. Youll need something to entertain the kids. Give them a short list of things they should take a picture of. First one to take all the pictures wins! 34. Identify the close-up. Another idea is to take a really close up picture of something while the kids arent looking, and have them figure out what it is. 35. Document your whereabouts. Lets say looting or rioting is occurring. You can help Police by secretively taking pictures of the perpetrators (not really recommended for safety reasons), or take pictures as youre leaving to document the fact you werent involved. 36. ID the rescuer. If a rescuer is picking up your child or pet, photo the rescuer (and the child or pet) and the vehicle they used. Photograph their name tag as well as registration numbers on helicopters, vehicle tag numbers, or names of boats. 37. Document your cleanup. It may be a while before your insurance adjuster can arrive. Take pictures of the damage as you found it, and steps you took during cleanup. Regarding insurance, NOTHING beats documentation! 38. Document expenditures. If you buy goods or supplies, rent equipment, or hire a service, in addition to receipts, photograph the goods acquired, equipment being used, services being performed, and the people involved. 39. Property pics for retrieval companies. Some scenarios will see you unable to return home. Some companies are trained and equipped to go into these areas to gather peoples belongings. Property photos will allow you to identify specific items youd like retrieved. 40. Evacuee status. Authorities will want to know who is injured, dead, or missing, and who is okay and where they are. Taking pictures of those you meet along with way, or at your emergency shelter, will help ID the living and well. 41. Language barriers. Ever try to find the restroom in a foreign country and you didnt know the phrase? Imagine how guests in our country feel in emergency situations. Pictures make communication easier, whether youre trying to understand their needs, or relay yours. 42. Transmit road conditions. Lets say after a hurricane, youre one of the first families returning home, and youre taking back roads. Authorities (or others following) might not have checked every avenue of return. If damage needs to be reported, or theres no damage (report that too), sending a picture can relay tons of information. 43. Relay traffic conditions. If family members are separated, or heading different directions, pass along traffic conditions or info from traffic warning signs. 44. Crime scene evidence. People have returned to a home undamaged by a disaster, but later looted. Since Police might not be able to show up right away, take crime scene photos (for both Police and insurance). 45. Too much on the screen? Should the TV flash pertinent information and you dont have time to write, or theres a lot of text on a computer and you cant print it, take a picture of the screen for later review. 46. ID for doctors or pharmacies. Medical needs are a real probability during an emergency. Since you cant get to your doctor, and they might phone in a prescription to a pharmacy that doesnt know either of you, use your phone to verify your identity to your doctor, and your doctor can relay the picture to the pharmacy. 47. Emergency supply information. Suppose a developing emergency finds you low on goods and you send different people to different supply locations. If supplies are low, these folks can send a picture of the types or brands of items available so you can make educated purchase decisions. 48. Last Minute List items and shutdown. Though everyone should keep a bugout kit packed and ready, there will be items which cannot be packed in advance. In addition to a written list, create a photo file showing items you need to take (and their location) and steps to secure the house before leaving. 49. Evac atlas. Create a travel atlas of emergency assets available along evacuation routes. Include lodging, ATM locations, emergency rooms, etc. Travel the routes and take photos, or draw maps and shoot those. 50. Reaction plan for the reading disabled. If a family member suffers from any reading disability, using photos is a must. Create a photo file that will relay your entire emergency plan without using text. Copyright 2005, Paul Purcell. About the author: Paul Purcell is a security analyst and preparedness consultant with over twenty years risk management and preparedness experience. Hes also the author of Disaster Prep 101. More information can be found at [http://www.disasterprep101.com]http://www.disasterprep101.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Purcell http://EzineArticles.com/?50-Emergency-Uses-for-Your-Camera-Phone&id=95517 buy phentermine 180 buy phentermine in louisiana phentermine promenade pharmacy buy phentermine online

By JB Anthony There are many reasons why people love to crochet. For one, crocheting is therapeutic. Because of its calming, rhythmic movements, many studies have shown positive results for people suffering from chronic depression, Alzheimers disease, dementia and schizophrenia. Crocheting is also for common ordinary people who simply enjoy the feeling of accomplishing something with their after-work, idle time. Crocheting relieves stress and muscle tensions after a hard day at the office as crocheting easily takes your mind off from work and draws you deeper into a solitary hobby where you can collect your thoughts as you let your fingers and the crochet hook do their work. Yarn colors also have positive effects on the eyes too. Colors in soft, fuzzy materials provide a diversion to the cold, hard and glaring screens of your office computers that you have been staring at for the whole day. Aside from the psychological and emotional benefits of crocheting, it also provides material benefits. I have known three housewives who have gone into crocheting, first as a hobby, and then into business, making sweatshirts, shawls and pillowcases in different designs and different colors. Of course, the income may not be as high as when you sell hotdogs during baseball season but it does add a considerable amount of cash into the household income, not to mention the personal satisfaction of having been able to consign and sell your own handiwork in small, local shops. Other items that can be made by crocheting are cellular phone cases, fashion bag parts, tablecloth, and coasters. Crocheting can also bond people. It provides a healthy venue for women and even young girls to come together to share thoughts and exchange views while exchanging crocheting patterns. It is both a social as well as a solitary hobby. While some people like to meet friends through this common interest, some people are also more comfortable working independently on their crochet and their work comes out just as fine. Most of all, people who are into crocheting simply enjoys the fact that crocheting tools are small and handy and can be easily kept in purses to take out when a good crocheting diversion is called for. JB Anthony is the webmaster of http://www.crochet.hottestniches.com For more articles, information, tips, guides, updates on crochet books and crochet patterns, please visit the site http://www.crochet.hottestniches.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JB_Anthony http://EzineArticles.com/?Crocheting-Benefits:-Why-People-Love-To-Crochet&id=361049 phentermine money order buy phentermine on line no prescription phentermine online no doctor generic phentermine without prescription

By Andrew Caxton Each Japanese garden is unique in its design, and most Japanese gardens are designed in a very singular way, but using common elements that are traditional in Japanese design. The most common elements that are considered for Japanese garden design are rock, water, plants and ornaments. In Japanese garden design, each of these serves a specific purpose. Rock is considered the foundation of the garden. In Japanese garden design, great care is taken in laying out the stones and the rest of the garden will follow this form. Tall, vertical stones may be used, or long stones may be laid on their sides, arching stone pillars and reclining rocks are all used to contribute to the design. Then stepping stones and rock pathways are formed. Since these rocks have meaning in traditional Japanese garden design, the placement of each stone and rock is crucial. But we may just place them where they look best. Water is another critical element of the design of the garden. It may really be water, such as a pond or a waterfall, or it may just be suggestive of water, such as stones raked in such a way as to resembel a stream. If you use real water running the water over surfaces such as stone, will add a peaceful sound, and create serenity. The Japanese view water as symbolic of time passing, so it is an important feature of a contemplative garden. The actual plants in a Japanese garden are secondary to the importance of stone in the garden. But they are crucial to the design and must complement it. They must harmonize with the stone and their placement must be well thought out to do so. Bamboo and Japanese maples are often used, but the kind of plant you use is not as critical as the harmonious placement. Some easy to use and place plants are ornamental grasses, evergreens and many deciduous trees. The next element is ornamentation. Ornaments are not focal points, but merely serve to enhance the critical elements of the garden such as rock and water. Therefore, they are strategically placed to accent a bridge, a stream or a stone in the garden. You will find lanterns, shallow basins or small sculptures in the garden. A Japanese garden will be situated as to take advantage of surrounding features. For instance, an opening in a gate may frame a distant tree or mountain, or a stone stream may be placed to appear as if it is meandering off into a faraway shore. Andrew Caxton is a consultant who writes on many consumer topics like oriental interiors for http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com Find more publications about japanese decorating at his website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Caxton http://EzineArticles.com/?Japanese-Decorating-Ideas&id=463745 phentermine no prescription pharmacy phentermine with prescription how to buy phentermine without a prescription phentermine online no perscription

By Morgan Hamilton There is an overwhelming number of criminal offenders in the current world we live in. Criminal activity only seems to increase as time moves on. The bigger problem is that criminals have more ways of getting at the ones we love in this day and age. Fortunately, we can prepare ourselves against crime in new ways. We can now use our computers to do a criminal background search and enter into their personal worlds. It is now possible to view who did what and where through background searches of criminals online. We can be further prepared for potential crime through this method. A person can turn to a variety of search engines such as Abica to research individual backgrounds. You can do a criminal background search on a person to see if he has prior convictions as long as you know his name. Most of us cringe at the thought of rapists and pedophiles. However, we should be wary of them living close by to protect our children. We have to ensure that the ones we love are kept clear from harm. We can now obtain that vital information before making the mistake of moving next door to a sexual predator by using databases such as Publicrecords-search.com. These sites often charge a fee depending on what youre searching. My wife and I wanted any information concerning sex offenders in potential neighborhoods we were considering when we moved to Detroit a few months ago. We found an ideal house to our liking, but our real-estate agent informed us that a registered sex offender lived right down the street in the same neighborhood. He was able to come up with this information through a criminal background search. We decided to pass on the house although it was ideal in size and price. We agreed that we must at least keep our children safe from what we do know is out there because we cant watch them every single second of the day. Of course, not everyone has children, and not everyone is concerned with the whereabouts of convicted criminals. These kinds of things dont seem to take much precedence in our everyday busy lives. Nevertheless, it doesnt take much effort to do a simple criminal background search via your home computer. A little criminal background search online may be well worth the minor trouble when we truly compare the value of our safety and the safety of our families. Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Criminal Background Search. Visit our site for more helpful information about Best Background Searches and other similar topics. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Morgan_Hamilton http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Conduct-Your-Own-Criminal-Background-Search&id=403184 buy phentermine from union pharmacy inc phentermine online physician buy cheap phentermine 37.5 mg phentermine diet pills

By Matt Bacak Creating a marketing plan for your business is crucial. Without one, it would be difficult for a business to generate revenue and successfully make a profit. It’s essential you devise a plan that will clearly define the value of your products or services, with the end result benefiting your customers. Gathering What Counts There are four major areas that you must have information about before creating a marketing plan: business resume`, target market, product message, and ‘how-to’ get the message to prospective customers (advertising). Business Resume: Clarity is the objective of a business resume`. Within the text, list the strengths of your product or service. Think of it as molding your knowledge. After all, would you write a marketing plan about something you know nothing about? Target Market: Five simple questions will assist you in identifying your target market. Who are they? What is their age? What is the average income? What is their status? Do they have children? It’s important that you evaluate your target market to determine ‘what’ product or service would sell the best. Product Message: A product message is a ‘direct call to action.’ This message must create value in the minds of everyone, that hears it, and for every feature, you offer a direct benefit to the customer must be demonstrated. Advertising: Advertising is an appealing and compelling invitation to buy your product or service. It is an investment that should never be an expense. Finding the right advertisement takes trial and error, what marketers` refer to as test advertising. First time out of the box and you can’t expect immediate results. Every business needs an outline of how they plan to approach the market. Make certain that you address the following questions in the process. 1. What medium is the most popular among your target market? (TV or Radio) 2. What is the percentage of participants in watching or listening to these mediums? 3. Do they read the local paper or magazine? 4. Should you consider direct mail? Think of writing a marketing plan as breaking down the important elements and charting a path to success. These strategies will be of great assistance when faced with possibility of failure. Business owners need to step into the world of marketing with confidence and knowing where to begin writing your marketing plan is a start. Matt Bacak became “#1 Best Selling Author” in just a few short hours.Recent Entrepreneur Magazines e-Biz radio show host isturning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories.Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign upfor Matt Bacak’s Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit hiswebsite at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Bacak http://EzineArticles.com/?Marketing-Plan&id=114835 where can i buy viagra in uk buy viagra cialis levitra cvs pharmacy viagra cost pharmacy cialis silagra brand name viagra cumwithuscom

By Tami Close WAHOO!!! for YOU!! You are the most AWESOME person alive!! Stand up and repeat after me. Come on, get up and feel the presence of God all around you. Are you up out of that chair? You can stand up while youre reading, cant you? Okay, are you up? Now shout. I am AMAZING, I am WONDERFUL, I am POWERFUL, I am my IDEAL WEIGHT, I LOVE myself, I am BEAUTIFUL, I am the DIVINE!! Phew!! How did that feel? I am always saying those words and I move my whole body. It is such an energy boost and every cell in my body dances with joy. Wow!! What did you think of that exercise? You keep this up and youre going to have the world in your hands. You already do, you know. The world is right there within you, you just need to believe it. Okay, now shoutI DO BELIEVE IN ME, I DO BELIEVE IN ME, I DO BELIEVE IN ME!! Phew!! You got it!! Youre on FIRE now!! Do you want to keep feeling that fire? Then lets keep going with positive affirmations. Ready, set, go! Can you tell I was a former cheerleader? Well, until I got kicked off the squad for missing the bus back to school after a field trip to a local college. Hey, there were some cute college boys. I could not pass up a chance to talk to them. Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY!! Sorry, just remembering that experience made my temperature rise. Im back on track now. Focus, Focus!! Ready to use your imagination? Imagine youre a cheerleader out on the field. Youre in that cute, little uniform and youre looking so fine shaking your pom poms.WHEW baby, you are looking mighty finehot stuff, in fact! Ready for the cheer? Give me a S, give me a U, give me a P, give me an E, give me a R. Whats that spell? SUPE.R!! Thats you!! Feeling so good!! You have to be feeling great, now!! These are amazing demonstrations of just who you are. Remember that your brain does not know the difference between what is real and what is imagined. So keep this in mind when youre thinking. Its so easy to practice negativity because its comfortable. But what does negativity get you? Pause and think about this? Does it get you what you want or what you dont want? I cant hear you!! Now, Im going to ask you another question? What does being positive get you? Does it get you what you want or what you dont want? I cant hear you!! Well, then why arent you thinking more positive thoughts to get you what you want? If youre going to be thinking a thought, why not make it a powerfully positive one? In your quest for weight loss, please remember weight loss programs will only work when you make peace with the inner emotions that drove you to overeat. You can do this by incorporating daily activities that keep you focused on the positives. Take out lesson #2 again and practice the techniques. When you have an issue, you can use RET having your eyes do the zig zag process. Practice EFT on a regular basisits a must for me. I do an entire routine each morning and night. It keeps me centered on my beliefs in myself. So now for your homework. Get Louise Hays book, You Can Heal Your Life. You can get it the library or through your local bookstore. Its like a Bible to me and I refer to it often. In fact, now my 20 year old daughter will pull it off the bookshelf whenever she is experiencing something negative to see what she needs to focus on. You, too, will benefit from having this book. There are a lot of positive affirmations. Enjoy!! I leave you with a quote from Nelson Mandelas Inaugural Speech in 1994. Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that We are powerful beyond measure It is our light, not our darkness That most frightens us We ask ourselves, who am I To be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesnt serve the world There is nothing enlightened about Shrinking so that other people Wont feel insecure around you We are born to make manifest The Glory of God that is within us Its not just in some of us Its in everyone and as we let our light shine We unconsciously give other people Permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear Our presence automatically liberates others. This quote is on my wish board and I look at it everyday. It gives me the most spiritual experience when I look at it. I feel Gods presence all around knowing that we are supposed to let all the light come in and manifest all that God intends for us. You are the Divine and I am so proud of you!! Love and hugs, Tami http://www.tamiclose.com http://www.closekeptsecrets.com Tami Close uses an integrative method, including cleansing and nutritional products from Isagenix, in her weight loss management practice. 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By Jim Deyo Ask yourself these questions. Would you be willing to invest less than $100 and a few hours of your time - I don’t know how many, maybe 3, or 4 at most - if the return on that investment was a measurably better understanding of what your customers wanted from you? If you could come up with a few simple, but specific things to do that would raise the impression your customers have about you a couple of notches and make them want to buy more from you, wouldn’t you do that? If you could easily find out what customers were really thinking, wouldn’t you make the effort to do it? Sometimes it’s hard to know the “hot buttons” that customers have. They’re usually patient, or at least polite. They walk away with their expectations having been met (kind of). They might come back and purchase from you again, if they don’t have to go too far out of their way. But, perhaps you didn’t knock the ball out of the park with that last interaction and are asking yourself how you can make it better next time, or at least have a little better feeling about what your customer was thinking. Using online surveys can give you the answers you want to the questions above. You’ll need to be willing to invest a little time and effort in the process, but it’s inexpensive, there are several good sites out there that will make the process easy, both for you and your customers, and the dividends from doing it can be huge. Youll have much better information about what your customers think of you, how they perceive your products, service, and process, and what they want to see you do in the future. There are many web sites for surveying customers that can do just about anything that you want them to accomplish - I’ll compare a couple of them here, but reviewing all of these sites is far beyond the scope of this article. The costs of the ones I looked at range from $19.95 a month to thousands of dollars. Some allow you to use their process free for limited surveys (although, these may be sufficient for many things.) Some have sales and customer service reps available to help you; others limit their assistance to e-mail responses to your questions. Some require a software download, while you do everything online with others. Some are just simple online survey services, while others want to sell you consulting and other services. Two of the sites I would encourage you to look at are Survey Monkey (”Intelligent survey software for serious primates of all species”) and Zoomerang. Survey Monkey charges $19.95 a month or $200 for a one year subscription and will let you use the site free for surveys limited to 10 questions and 100 responses. They collect and display responses to your survey that can be viewed online at any time, but their customer service is limited to e-mail communications. To get a quick overview of how their process works, I’d recommend doing the following. On the Home Page, look at the Survey Example, Report Example, and the Types Of Questions that you can ask. Then log in (they require a very minimum amount of information). Finally, go to New Survey on the menu bar at the top of the home page and set up a two, or three question survey to see how it works. (It won’t cost you anything.) Youll want to look a little further, if you decide to use the service, but this will give you a good overview and will only take ten, or fifteen minutes. Zoomerang charges $599 per year, but has its own free version for surveys limited to 10 days and 100 responses. (When I asked, I also found you can purchase the service for 1 month for $75.) They provide reporting that is similar to Survey Monkey’s, but have telephone customer support available for customers (which, presumably is why they charge more). Similar to Survey Monkey, you can look at several examples from the Home Page, but you’ll want to log in and create a survey to really see how it works; and, again, it’s a free process and won’t take that much time. Online surveys can help you answer a variety of different questions - the only significant limitations are your imagination in figuring out what to use them for and the number of times you can ask any group (customers, suppliers, employees, etc.) to involve themselves. What did your customers think of their last interaction with you? Will they purchase from you again? What do they want you to do for them in the future? What are their perceptions of the products, or services that you provide and the service you give them? What can you do differently to improve the customer experience they have? How do they compare you to your competitors? The list is virtually endless. Developing the actual survey questions will probably be the most challenging part of the process; there is both art and science to this and there is a whole industry built around conducting surveys and analyzing the results. But, if you know what you want to accomplish and youre prepared to act on the information you get, a simple, very short survey can get you what you need to have. People are not going to be willing to spend more than 10 minutes completing a survey anyway and, if you limit the survey to between 10 and 20 questions, you can obtain information that you need to have without being obtrusive and asking people to spend a lot of their time doing it. Too often businesses rely on their “gut feel” of what customers think of them. If you mean what you inevitably say about trying to provide value to your customers, you have to ask what it means to them! The key to creating value is not what you think it means, it’s finding out how customers define it. Using online surveys is not hard to do. You will have to invest a little of your time thinking through and setting up the process, but, when you do, you’ll have a feedback channel that customers will find easy to use and that will help you take some of the steps to increase your sales and provide genuinely better service to your customers. About The Author: Jim Deyo is the President of Business Advisor Online, an internet based service that provides small businesses with the ideas they need to grow and the resources they require to make the right decisions. As a former Sr. Vice President with a major banking institution, Jim worked extensively with small and medium sized companies and has over 30 years experience in commercial and consumer lending, accounting, finance, marketing, and strategic planning. Visit the website at http://www.businessadvisoronline.com and sign up for a six week free trial of the service, or e-mail Jim at jimdeyo@businessadvisoronline.com. 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By Aaron Schwartz Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. Sexual assault is any form of unwanted sexual activity. Forced sexual activity may include kissing, touching, oral sex, and vaginal/anal intercourse. Sexual assaults occur in all ethnic, religious, and economic groups. It can take place in heterosexual and in same-sex relationships.Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to the following: The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex. The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or a non-employee. The victim does not have to be the person harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct. Unlawful sexual harassment may occur without economic injury to or discharge of the victim. The harasser’s conduct must be unwelcome. It is helpful for the victim to directly inform the harasser that the conduct is unwelcome and must stop. The victim should use any employer complaint mechanism or grievance system available. The mission of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), as set forth in its strategic plan, is to promote equal opportunity in employment through administrative and judicial enforcement of the federal civil rights laws and through education and technical assistance. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and began operating on July 2, 1965. The EEOC enforces the principal federal statutes prohibiting employment discrimination. When investigating allegations of sexual harassment, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission looks at the whole record: the circumstances, such as the nature of the sexual advances, and the context in which the alleged incidents occurred. A determination on the allegations is made from the facts on a case-by-case basis. Prevention is the best tool to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace. Employers are encouraged to take steps necessary to prevent sexual harassment from occurring. They should clearly communicate to employees that sexual harassment will not be tolerated. They can do so by establishing an effective complaint or grievance process and taking immediate and appropriate action when an employee complains. Businesses take the issue seriously and many provide training for employees. Many commercial services have begun to offer training for managers and employees. The Internet is plastered with commercial websites offering information, products, and services. Despite widespread publicity about the perils of sexual harassment, surveys demonstrate that many businesses operating in the United States have yet to address the problem. Moreover, recent news reports indicate that sexual harassment has reached the highest levels of management. Although businesses know it exists, they appear unsure of what to do about it. As a result, the specter of employer liability for sexual harassment continues to loom over the workplace. Failure to adopt a pro-active and aggressive stance on this issue, how ever, can result not only in costly lawsuits, but also in a loss of employee morale, decline in productivity, and an erosion of a company’s public image. That businesses are still taking chances may reflect a failure to adequately consider the risks. Although men face harassment, women are the most likely victims. Nevertheless, harm caused by sexual harassment is often extreme even for men, including humiliation, loss of dignity, psychological (and sometimes physical) injury, and damage to professional reputation and career. Inevitably, the victims face a choice between their work and their self-esteem. Sometimes, they face a choice between their jobs and their own safety. In recent years, the number of sexual harassment cases filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), as well as in federal and state courts, has climbed dramatically. In 1992, for example, a year after the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas hearings on Capitol Hill, the number of sexual harassment cases filed with EEOC offices across the country jumped fifty percent over the previous year. Complaints about sexual harassment have ranged from fostering of a hostile work environment to demands for prostitution. An effective grievance procedure should provide the complainant with alternative routes for reporting harassment. In setting up grievance procedures, a company may want to consider that women lodge the vast majority of sexual harassment complaints, and that the courts have found differences of perception to exist between men and women. As a result, an employer is better protected if a female employee is involved in assessing sexual harassment complaints. That way, female victims may be more willing to come forward, thus enhancing an employer’s ability to take prompt and effective remedial action. As with any grievance procedure, of course, a company must maintain confidentiality, both for the sake of the victim and the accused. In 1976, the same year that the District Court of the District of Columbia resolved the first Title VII sexual harassment case, a Redbook magazine poll found that nine out of ten women said they had been subjected to unwanted sexual advances at work.13 In 1980, the federal government surveyed its own employees and found that forty-two percent of women stated they had experienced some form of work-related sexual harassment. (In addition, fifteen percent of men reported such harassment.) When the federal government looked at the same issue seven years later, the numbers had not changed. Surveys done in the private sector revealed similar results. These statistics notwithstanding, most cases of sexual harassment still go unreported: as many as ninety-five percent of all such incidents may not be brought to light. According to statistics, by far the majority of sexual harassment is done by men towards women (50-67%) … sexual harassment does happen to working men (15-30%) and that laws and guidelines are often written and languaged as if sexual harassment is only a male to female thing. More than 200 men file sexual harassment charges each year with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — that’s about one-tenth of the number of cases file by women. But more men will experience sexual harassment over the coming years as women assume more positions of power in corporate America, says lawyer Ron Green, who defends companies in sexual harassment cases. And a 1987 survey of federal workers by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board found that 42% of the women and 14% of the men had reported such harassment. 85% of the girls and 76% of the boys reported some experience of sexual harassment in school. Report by American Association of University Women. Note that various categories of harassment are given, in most cases girls are only slightly higher than boys. I think it is a mistake to “ignore homosexual harassment”. Indeed, a large amount of the total sexual harassment is done by men to men. But it is not necessarily homosexual, per se. That is to say, effeminate men or guys who are different in some other way are often exposed to harassment and teasing much more vicious than anything I’ve ever heard done to a woman. In a addition to outrageous verbal abuse and pranks these guys often face assault, sabotage, and extraordinary levels of isolation. Contrary to popular perception, a large number of sexual harassment cases are filed in the wake of breakups of mutually consensual affairs. The jilted party then begins a campaign of harassment against the one that left, and the one who left eventually files a complaint. In such instances, about 20% of caseload that involved male harassment complaints, are cases started to make womans life more difficult. There was a study conducted in Canada that suggest that men are victims of sexual harassment on the job more often than are women, as long as the same criteria are used for both sexes. A study at OISE by Gina Fisher in 1987 showed that men were more likely to report being sexually harassed (56 percent vs. 51 percent) yet were more tolerant of behaviors from women that women considered harassment from men, suggesting the real gap is much wider. Buy Dissertation Custom Essays Term paper Aaron is a professional freelance writer at custom essays writing service. He is also a technical writer, advertising copywriter, & website copywriter for Custom Essay Writing Service. 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By Nicole Martins There are many alternatives to creating a fire pit other than buying a firepit model that is ready-made and requires some simple assembly. If you are a do-it-yourselfer looking to design and build your own fire pit you don’t need a fancy set of blueprints, just a vision of the type of pit you are looking to create. What does it take these days to build fire pits for outdoor campfires and barbequing? The answer is not a lot. In terms of cost, building a wood burning pit can cost next to nothing and require no more than a few hours of physical labor (especially if you have materials such as rock or brick on hand) to see the fireplace complete. First pick a safe area for your fire pit, away from any structures that can catch fire and definitely out of the way of backyard traffic. Be sure to check with you local fire department for information and codes. You need to know what the rules are before getting started. Getting going will entail quarrying up some fieldstones or brick to line the inside dirt walls of the pit once you’ve dug the hole. Not to get ahead of ourselves here, but you will need a good old shovel and some back strength to excavate soil. Position your fieldstone or brick around the holes perimeter and extend these materials above ground. The purpose of installing these materials is to keep wind down and the soil away from the fire. You can also build a stucco pit above ground or think of other creative ways of building your pit; magazines or the internet are a great source for tips and ideas. When considering a design you’ll want to keep with the look of your home and other existing structures. If you don’t have time to dream up design ideas or if you had something more complex in mind, you can order a set of plans online complete with material list, for only a small fee. Once you have finished building, be sure to keep safety in mind. An in ground hearth is a permanent outdoor fixture. You may want to keep it covered when not in use; you can find inexpensive scrap metal and have it cut to fit. Another option is to buy a basic fire pit which should include cover, spark screen, log grill and such and then build your stone or brick wall around it (see http://www.outdoor-fireplaces-and-patio-heaters.com/outdoor-fire-pit.htm ). This limits the chances of children or pets accidentally running into an exposed fire pit and getting burned. If you want to build a gas fire pit, shop for either gas fire logs with or without embers or choose a simple metal fire ring: both ideas will allow you to design the housing for the fireplace and come up with your own plan. Whatever you decide, either to build your own or buy one manufactured, a fire pit is a beneficial addition to your outdoor space, allowing you to grill outdoors or to stay warm on cool evenings. Nicole Martins is a contributing writer and researcher to Outdoor Fireplaces and Patio Heaters, an online resource providing you with information and reviews of popular outdoor heaters, fire pits and fireplaces. Read more about: Building Your Own Firepit Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicole_Martins http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Does-It-Take-To-Design-And-Build-Your-Own-Fire-Pit?&id=297294 buy xanax bars xanax prescription xanax no prescription ships to us order xanax off internet

By Lawrence Andrews Online dating services are thriving after almost 10 years now. Some people succeeded in finding that Mr. or Ms. Right through them. Some might not. But for those who still have not lost hope in looking for that potential through these services, here are the top online dating services that might assist a searcher in this endeavor. MatchMaker.com, with a monthly rate of $8.33 to $19.95, has an approximate number of 8 million members and communication is carried out either through IM or e-mail. Reviews have it that MatchMaker is one of the best online services. It boasts of two major features: a.) user-friendly site and b.) One of the most comprehensive profiles online. The profiling consists of an extensive questionnaire and an optional essay. YahooPersonals has a monthly rate of $7.50 to $19.95 and has more than 5 million members. IM and e-mail is the form of communication with this online dating service. It is loved for its refined search engine. Categories such as living area, age and interests can be used to improve the search process. YahooPersonals has this Premier version that offers a more in-depth profile for those in search of more than casual dating. DreamDates.com has a monthly rate of $9 to $24.95 and 3.5 million members. Members’ interaction is supported by chat, IM, e-mail, and voice. DreamDates offers a better communication option of allowing members to talk to each other. It is available in two versions - a Romance membership or an Erotica option. AmericanSingles.com can be availed with the monthly fee of $16.50 to 24.95. Its more than 10 million members communicate through IM, e-mail or chat. If one is interested to allow communication with a person who has shown interest first, but is not that totally at ease yet, with American Singles, one can remain anonymous. This service has this “Tease” message feature, which is a fun and non-committal way of getting in touch with members that you find attractive. Match.com has a monthly membership fee of $9.95 - 24.95. Its 15 million members communicate through e-mail or chat. It takes pride on its user-friendly website that offers side-by-side comparisons of one’s requirements and others’ requirements to facilitate the “search.” With that parade of information regarding various online dating services sites, one’s online search for “the one” will not be as hard as when one is still clueless about them. Good luck! About The Author: Lawrence Andrews is an ePublisher, software developer, consultant, and author of numerous books. Visit his Private Label Content and Software site at http://www.lmamedia.com for more information about Dating Do’s and Dont’s. You may use this article freely on your website as long as this resource box is included, a link point back to my site, and this article remains unchanged! Copyright 2005 Lawrence Andrews Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lawrence_Andrews http://EzineArticles.com/?Online-Dating-Services-Sites:-Which-is-Which?&id=122173 buy xanax from mexico 2mg xanax order best place to buy xanax buy 1 mg xanax