You need to know about your variable annuity contract before you exchange it. When you own a variable annuity contract a broker may put a temptation to offer you an opportunity to exchange your contract for another one. Should you consider this? Maybe, but it may not be in your best interest.

The problem with exchanging one contract for another is the broker or agent can spin a story to make it sound very attractive. What you need to keep in mind is the grass is not always green on the other side of the fence. Your contract may offer the same or better benefits that can be added after the purchase of the variable annuity.

That’s right; many companies offer the opportunity to purchase the newer benefits to existing variable annuity policy holders. Many times the agent does not realize this or just wants to earn a commission. When that is the case that part is left out of the sales pitch. The availability of new features that are not offered by your current annuity company, or in the rare case that the insurer has financial troubles, are really the only reasons to switch variable annuity contracts.

You should never, ever exchange a variable annuity for another if you are still subject to a deferred sales charge, or penalty. Many brokers tell you that you can make up the surrender charge with a new “bonus” variable annuity. The fact is you will never make up that penalty you may take. All you have done is surrender one contract for another one that has longer surrender charges and/or higher fees.

The only acceptable reason to take a penalty is if the current insurance carrier is in extremely poor financial condition. Other than for that reason, it maybe just a reason for the agent to generate another commission.

If you are considering exchanging one variable annuity for another make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. If it is for the opportunity to get a better benefit, make sure your current company does not already offer that benefit. Also, make sure you are getting the best benefit for the money that you spend.

To do a comparison of the annuity offered you should get The Annuity Report that I offer. I show you exactly how the benefits works and the costs associated with them. You need to have the facts, especially when switching from one annuity to another. The sad fact is exchanging annuity contracts is big business and there is a lot of money in it.

Always make sure you get the right information, the first time around. Research, compare and evaluate variable annuities at your own pace, without a sales person. Read “The Annuity Report”, get the facts, and don’t get taken for a ride.

to learn more about variable annuities please visit: http://www.annuityiq.com.

A leading expert in variable annuities Scott DeMonte is the leading educator of the individual investor on variable annuities. Scott has over 12 years of financial services experience and has been widely acclaimed to be the industry expert in variable annuities.

Scott Has worked as both a financial advisor and as a executive at two of the largest providers of variable annuity providers. He is the only one who gives full diclosure on his site of his background. Check him out on NASD.com.

Scott Also provides a blog and an open forum where he invites his web visitors to interact with him.

Much in the way jazz altered our concept of music, glass art has changed our expectations of residential lighting. In fact, glass art lighting is being hailed as one of the hottest new trends to hit luxury home design. According to 25-year Southern California interior designer Greg Griffith, G. Griffith & Co. of Destin, FL, “It’s emerging as a transitional point for a more energetic look. From Asian to 18th Century, every style and design can incorporate glass art lighting. The fact that these are actual sculptured pieces means you’re adding art to the room without cluttering the wall.”

Aside from aesthetics, the benefit to glass art lighting is that it’s so flexible, it ends up resolving many design conflicts. Take, for example, the story of the Wisdom Window. This stained glass piece was created by a California glass artist to create a welcoming light at the end of a dark, New York apartment hallway. The artist created four matching sconces, but wanted the end of the hallway to feel like a window. He innovated a design where a diffuser sheet will be installed underneath the stained glass piece, and lit from behind.

One New York glass artist developed a unique way to illuminate her bathroom. She created her own mosaic glass sink and lit it from underneath to create a warm, amber glow. It also doubles as her nightlight. To underscore the look of an underlit sink, matching sconces are ideal. Some kitchen designers are commissioning glass art sconces and pendants to match underlit glass kitchen countertops. This creates interesting, ambient lighting in a more finished-looking lighting package.

Glass art lighting can be a subtle accent, or a prism through which the light bathes a room in a swatch of exotic colors. “I find many decorators driving décor based on the lighting fixtures,” says Seattle-based glass artist, Suzanne Guttman. “It’s easy to fall in love with a tentacled pendant light or chandelier and make it the centerpiece of a room.”

The Cost of Beautiful

Investing in gorgeous glass art lighting is less daunting than one may assume. A Bellagio budget isn’t necessary to incorporate museum-quality glass lighting into a residential design. Sconces range from $400 to $1,200; small pendant lighting (suspended by one point in the ceiling) ranges from $300 to $600; larger pendants and chandeliers can range from $1,500 to $10,000. Serious collectors consider glass art an investment as well as being an aesthetic piece, just as they would an original painting, or a piece of antique furniture.

Glass Art Lighting 101

Once a homeowner decides on glass art lighting, it’s helpful to know a little about the glass and where it should be used, based on its physical characteristics. Here are some tips:

Blown glass has some limitations to the size and diameter that an artist can create. Some blown glass lighting utilizes many pieces in its design to create a larger, more sculptural effect.

Cast glass is very beautiful, but quite unusual in lighting because it is very heavy to suspend. One glass artist has created a woven glass technique that takes on the look of woven fabric, and results in a glass art lighting fixture that feels like a glass blanket.

Fused & slumped glass is popular for glass art lighting. Through the use of molds, fusing allows the artist to create large diameter canopied type lighting, thus enabling a single shade to be up to 48″ in diameter. This creates consistency in shape and wonderful, unusual textures.

Etched glass is another wonderful medium for flat panel lighting. Pieces such as The Three Graces, by glass artist Margaret Oldman, can be lit with plain or multi-colored fiber optics, depending on the look a designer is trying to achieve.

Mosaic and stained glass are similar, in that they’re both ideal for flat panel lighting. Artists will often incorporate Italian smalti glass, blown sheets of transparent glass broken into small pieces, or dichroic glass, which is coated on one side with a metallic-like mirror finish.

Buyer Beware

One thing homeowners should remember, especially with lighting, is to be sure that the glass artist they’ve chosen understands how the electrical specs will dovetail with the piece, and that they know U.L. standards. As founder of Glass Artists Gallery, I estimate that close to 30% of our first-time customers come to us because they had negative experiences commissioning residential glass art lighting on their own. We are very careful about screening the artists we represent to make sure they understand the technical specifications

In short, glass art lighting choices become a very personal way to reveal a homeowner’s fingerprint on the interior design. As George Bernard Shaw once said, “You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.”

For more information or to see thousands of images of art glass lighting, visit Art Lighting Gallery

Jack Healy is part owner of Functional Art Gallery, LLC - Functional Art Gallery - a growing family of online resources for the designer, architect, builder and discerning homeowner. The company focuses on handcrafted functional & architectural works of art for both residential and commercial projects. The Functional Art Gallery family includes Glass Artists Gallery, Sinks Gallery and Art Lighting Gallery. Together these resources provide the largest collection of artisan and designer products available in North America.

A quick Google search will produce countless articles trying to
understand the popularity of ‘ringtones’; hundreds of bloggers
waxing lyrical on the benefits of personalising their cell
phones. Interviews with “experts” profering sexy theories about
ringtones and identity construction lend an academic seriousness
to the Crazy Frog phenomena. The figures are pretty serious too,
in the U.S.A. alone, the Yankee Group predicts, ringtones will
be worth $500 million. That’s roughly the GDP of Fiji. Obviously
our cell phones needs a voice, but does that voice need to be a
polyphonic adaptation of ‘Living on a Prayer’?

The latest figures indicate that young people are the greatest
consumers of mobile music. According to one UK survey, 15-24
year olds account for 80% of ringtone spending. Studies by Nick
Anderson of Sussex University show that young people are far
more aware of the “brand personalty” (the particular identity
affiliated with certain brands) than older generations. Anderson
suggests that teenagers can deduce a person’s character, likes
and dislikes, by their branded possessions. Considering the
amount of branding in the music industry, it’s not unreasonable
to say that popular musicians have their own “brand
personality”. So, your 50 Cent ringtone, for example,
communicates not only a your taste in music, but also your
compliance to the whole ‘Fiddy’ meme. Ultimately, for brand
savvy youth, this says something about your personality, which,
you hope, everybody within earshot understands.

If a cell phone rings in the woods but nobody is around to
hear it, are you still down with 50 Cent? Ringtones are
about personalization, and about public performance. The
publicness of the ringtone is an integral part of its appeal.
It’s unlikely that anyone would have a ringtone on their
landline. In a noisy urban soundscape like the city, silence is
an anomaly. Personalised ringtones are simply another irritating
sound in the hullabaloo. Most of us manage tune out the sounds
imposed on us: muzak, hawkers, traffic, the O’Reily factor, so
why try and impose yet another squawk? Perhaps the ringtone is
the audio equivalent of territorial pissing; thirty seconds in
which YOU pick the soundtrack. For a few moments when your cell
phone rings the 50 Cent meme is the most powerful in the sonic
environment. Where “Fiddy” is relatively redundant as a social
force, certain ringtones allow citizens to demonstrate their
dissatisfaction or support of a cause. Independent radio station
WFMU have created a variety of anti- George W. Bush ringtones
available for download, while engadget.com allows users to
choose their preferred presidential candidate ringtone.
Condemning other commuters to several cycles of 50 Cent, the
theme from ‘Star Wars’ or a Dubya quote demonstrates your
individual tastes and allows others distinguish you as either
nemesis or brethren.

In our efforts to relieve poverty, impede environmental disaster
or cure the global AIDs epidemic, ringtones are totally and
utterly useless. When it comes to enforcing the myth that every
individual is special, the artificial uniqueness of a
personalized ringtone is just the ticket. Paradoxically, this
demonstration of individualism is only really effective in a
crowd. As far as this writer’s concerned the real purpose of
ringtones lies in their ridiculousness. A recent gathering of
sensible adults turned to hilarity thanks to an improvised game
of “Name that tune”. Using Foovely’s ringtone preview function,
those gathered took turns choosing snippets of songs for the
party to guess. Recognising a song in 30 seconds is SO much
harder in monophone!

Why are some people born natural flirts and others couldn’t
charm the backside of a bus if their life depended on it?

The power of flirting goes beyond attracting the opposite sex.
Master the art of flirting and you also become a friend magnet
and can use your skills to influence business relationships.

“You’ve either got it or you haven’t!” is often what you will
hear men saying when they boast about their conquests. Women, on
the other hand, are more coy when talking about a man they have
met. So as not to appear full of herself, she will often say to
her friends “Oooh, I don’t think he likes me, what do you
think?” If she is a successful flirt, however, she will be
thinking along the same lines of a man, “Yeah, he was putty in
my hands!”

Flirting is an art requiring confidence without being OTT. A
successful flirt knows how to get the balance just right; too
much and there is a real danger you will be labelled as “slimy”
(if you’re a man) and “tarty” (if you’re a woman).

If flirting doesn’t come naturally to you, you can learn to
flirt by building your confidence, believing in yourself and
interacting with other people.

Here are some basic flirting tips which can be practised at
work and/or on a social scene.

1. Have Fun!

First and foremost flirting is fun! Whether you are the flirter
or the flirtee it makes both parties smile (on the inside as
well as the outside!). Don’t take it seriously; be playful, be
light-hearted, be infectious!

2. Ooze Confidence

The best flirts have a positive outlook on life and are happy
with themselves. To successfully flirt you need to feel good
about yourself before you are able to transmit this “feel good”
factor to the opposite sex. If you display a positive and
optimistic attitude to life you will find yourself connecting
with people who are right for you.

3. Make the first move

Don’t wait for someone to approach you. If it’s someone at work
you’ve got your eye on, wait for them to go to the kitchen and
then make a beeline for the coffee machine. The same applies in
a bar, wait for them to go to the bar and then squeeze in next
to them. Start with a simple “Hello” and take things from there.
What have you got to lose?

4. Pay a compliment and receive a smile!

A genuine compliment costs nothing and yet can make someone
feel so special. If someone looks great, tell them! If someone
has achieved something to be proud of, tell them! Once you start
making someone feel good about themselves, they are more likely
to want to spend more time with you! And if someone pays you a
compliment, be proud of the compliment and say “Thank you”!

5. Eye to Eye Contact

Eye contact is one of our most powerful communicating
mechanisms. Most people don’t have a problem making eye contact
with someone they don’t find attractive but they become awkward
in front of people they are attracted to. If you tend to look
away at people you like, practice making eye contact with people
on your way to work, a quick glance and then turn away. This is
a good way to build up your confidence. Don’t stare, however,
this will make people feel uncomfortable!

6. Pitch your voice

7. Listen

A good flirt has the ability to get people to open up and talk
about themselves. Pay attention when someone is talking to you
and ask questions to show you are interested. The best questions
are the ones which will lead to someone remembering a positive
experience about themselves.

8. Move your body!

There are many positive body language signs: lingering eye
contact, smiling widely, touching someone, head tilting to one
side, running fingers through hair, undivided attention but if
you really want to let go and flirt openly - dance! Dancing is a
great form of self-expression allowing you to interact with
someone and connect.

9. Smile, Smile, Smile!

Make your smile contagious! The more you smile the more people
will want to know you and be around you!

10. Don’t be rude!

Flirting does not involve being sexually explicit! Nor does it
involve being offensive if someone rejects your advances. If you
have been flirting with someone and are not receiving positive
feedback don’t get disheartened or take it personally, move on
to the next person! You may want to consider a different
approach if you are getting a lot of rejections.

11. Send an email

Emails are a great way to communicate with someone if you’re
too shy to approach them face to face. Whether it’s someone you
are interested in at work or you want to try internet dating,
emails and instant messaging allow you to flirt without blushing
or getting tongue-tied.

Be careful not to become intimate online too quickly though;
it’s easy to paint a rosy picture of the person behind the
monitor but until you have met them you don’t really know them.
My message here is get to know someone online before arranging a
date, but don’t fall in love before meeting them! The reality
could burst the bubble!

If all the talk around the water cooler were a clue, it looks very much like just about no one person in the country has had any luck at getting thin. Crazy diets and quick weight reduction scam diets are everywhere now, yet most in the American population still tip the scales to the extreme side. Another figure is that approximately one third of the people in our nation are clinically obese and could drop dead at any minute due to the strain they are placing on their hearts. Yet more and more people of this great nation are exploring healthy ways to lose weight and learning that weight loss is not only a real possibility, but also easier than ever before to attain than they thought possible.

With the large scale upsurge of training for women only gyms, women in particular are finding out losing weight is something that they can do. Gyms just for women are now more than ever a very common thing every time you turn around. Female health clubs add up to one third of the fitness franchises in the nation.

Memberships at fitness and health clubs have been rising too. The most recent numbers show that the health and fitness industry is making a fortune.

So, why has the womens health club structure out performed all other forms of gym franchises? The short answer is it is a workable solution to being fat. Circuit training is a a series of exercises that, for women in particular, has turned out to be better for dropping pounds than starvation diets. The workout process excercise facilities for women is easy, allowing most healthy women to progress at her own pace. The ladies exercise in a circle, machines are usually set up at a post. The women will work out for half a minute or longer at every base, either by working air pump machines machine or aerobics. The entire routine takes about half an hour.

With this kind of great luck, its easy to see why this gym franchise idea has turned out to be so favored with todays unique women. For perhaps the first time in their lives, women of all types are discovering that its conceivable to get healthy and drop unwanted pounds and become much stronger in a few mintues for only a few days a week.

What is viewed by some as a good way to get in shape, creative thinkers view this opportunity as a franchise investment. Despite the incredible growth of womens health centers, there are still way more people wanting to work out and get in shape than space permits, so there are plenty of clients. Overweight Americans spend more on weight loss than almost any other health related product or service yearly on pills for weight loss and appetite, food related diet plan, as estimated by a leading marketing and research company, that researches the health business. Furthermore, information from the government indicates that 80 percent of americans dealing with chronic obesity and about nine out of ever ten extremely obesse humans are doing all they can to lose weight but still need more help.

A recent report indicated, many people made a Promise at New Years to do something good with their life. Some of those declarations were to get back into shape, making it the biggest area for self-improvement. This year is not an exception, either, a top researcher claims that some people know that if they want to improve the quality of life they will have to lose weight this year looking for for a womans only health club. Fitness franchises are only going to get bigger and better.

Using nothing more than God given talent and brains, women entrepreneurs are opting to open a health club franchise gym. While being independent and opening a new business from scratch has the inherent risk of having to figure it all out on your own, a franchise saves the businesswoman from having to go at it alone. For many female investors, working out has not only been a healthy thing to do but has also prompted them to enter the fitness market as an owner of a gym. With obesity rates still climbing, this is a trend that may continue for many years.

Franchise Opportunities provides a comprehensive franchise directory and franchise information database for the entrpreneur and business professional

Forget the Monday Morning Resolutions: Your Future is Now
by Jacqueline Cornaby

Every Monday morning millions of people make resolutions in an attempt to positively change their lives. I’m going to start my diet. I’m going to get rid of my debt. I’m finally going to end this destructive relationship. I’m going to start exercising every day. The list is endless. Yet, by day’s end over half of us have already broken our resolutions, and within two months, the remaining 50% don’t fare much better. What went wrong?
Some people blame their lack of success on outside events. They claim that the kids, their job, their spouse, and their prior commitments took up so much time that attaining the dream became impossible. Others blame their own goal setting strategies, believing their resolutions were too lofty for anyone to achieve. The fact is that when it comes to positively changing your life, resolutions are not enough. The key is to look inside and determine not what you want to achieve in the next few months, but rather, who you want to be for the rest of your life.

What vs. Who
When people say they want to achieve something, they naturally look to outside factors for support, advice, and direction. For example, they can only quit smoking if their stress level is down; they can only exercise each morning if the kids don’t need to be driven to school; they can only earn more money if the economy would change. The mentality is: “As soon as…then…” However, when people decide to positively change their perception of who they see themselves to be and choose ownership instead of excuses, then they are personally accountable for their future and don’t need outside factors to guide them. They can say no to that dessert because instead of trying to achieve weight loss or being the ones always on a diet, they are committed to becoming healthier individuals.
In order to change your perspective of yourself and reach your personal goals, you can follow a simple three-step process that enables you to turn your future vision of yourself into current reality. By doing so, you create your future today and assure that the coming months and years will be different and grander if you choose.

1.Create your vision.
If you could design the ideal life for yourself, what would it look like? How would you feel? What would you tell yourself to ensure your vision would become real for you? Would you be ten pounds thinner? Would you have at least an hour’s worth of free time in your daily schedule so you could focus on you? Would you be able to make smart financial choices so you could increase your net worth? Whatever it is you create for yourself, that’s the vision you need to focus on to bring your future to you now.
When you neglect to create your vision, you essentially allow outside factors to determine your life’s course. Creating a vision is about taking control of your future and accepting responsibility for the choices you need to make. It’s a proactive approach to life that says you refuse to let external circumstances get in the way of your dreams. By keeping your vision firmly in mind, you give yourself the strength and conviction to transform your beliefs so you can finally become who you really want to be.
As you create this initial vision, take the time to examine other areas of your life and then determine the focus for each individual aspect. For example, you could have a vision of your physical health, your family relationships, your job, your community contribution, and anything else you can think of. The more focused you are on how each aspect of your life should be, the more clarity you have on your future direction.

2.Create your identity in relation to your vision.
What three qualities or values do you want to own or possess to make your vision real? Some examples are “happy,” “peaceful,” “unstoppable,” “strong,” or “committed.” Because your external world is a reflection of your internal world, what you create in your life will only be as strong as who you are inside.
Identity is about taking ownership for your vision and for who you want to become. Without identity come excuses - all those reasons why you can’t make your vision real. I can’t enjoy life fully because I’m so stressed from my job. I can’t have the quality of life I want because I don’t have enough time. I can’t lose weight because I don’t have the willpower to resist dessert. I can’t get out of this bad relationship because I’m afraid of being alone.” All these excuses occur because of a lack of an empowering identity. A person’s identity is a powerful force within the human psyche. Why not choose one that serves you?
When you choose the qualities you want to possess, you prohibit outside factors from slowing you down. You choose to feel at peace so you can enjoy life. You choose to be strong and healthy so you can lose weight. You choose to be happy so you can release a draining relationship. Essentially, your job, your family, your friends, and even current events can no longer dictate who you are or who you become. Creating your identity frees you from others’ control and enables you to finally act upon the goals you have set for yourself. It’s a matter of realizing that there is no becoming; there is just the declaration of all that you already are right now.

3.Commit to your vision.
Nothing happens without action. The same is true for making your vision a reality. With your vision and your identity clear, you now must take the steps that will positively impact your life and transform you into the person you have chosen to be.
When you commit to your vision you take daily steps that will bring you to your goal. Daily reflection upon your vision is necessary for achievement. Some people choose to find photos that remind them of their vision, and they reflect on the pictures daily; others prefer to read or recite affirmations that help them connect to precisely what they want in life. For example, if your goal is to finally shed those extra pounds, you could find photos of the swimsuit you’d like to wear this summer or you could remind yourself each day that “I am a healthy individual who is at my ideal weight.” When the mind can envision the new you, the body will be more eager to do what’s necessary to achieve the desired result. The mind does not know the difference between real or imagined. Why not create an empowering reality?
Finally, give yourself checkpoints so you can assess your transformation process. Regularly ask yourself questions such as, “What is different in my life now compared to one month ago?” “What steps am I currently taking to help me become the person I want to be?” and “What can I do to bring my vision closer?” If possible, have an accountability buddy who asks these questions for you, who helps point out ways that you may be sabotaging yourself, and who reveals ways that are serving you to bring your future to you today.

Your Future Awaits
Simply stating goals is not enough to change your life. You must also decide what your ideal future looks like, what qualities you need to attain it, and finally what daily steps will bring you to your desired outcome. Without such a plan, you’ll have nothing concrete to run towards and you’ll be content to stay where you are.
By following this simple three-step process you can ditch the Monday morning resolutions and create the life of your dreams today. Then, instead of hitting the two-month mark and wondering, “What happened to my goals?” you can further challenge yourself and ask, “What’s next for my life?”

Live Your Dreams
Resources for living a life most people only dream of
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http://www.jacquelineinternational.com

You have permission to publish this article as long as the Resource Box is included with the article.

All Rights Reserved 2003 Jacqueline International, Inc.

About the Author:
Jacqueline Cornaby is the Founder and CEO of Jacqueline International, Inc. an enterprise for implementing business and life strategies for individuals and organizations to live an extraordinary life. Jacqueline is an international speaker, author, and life strategist offering strategies and techniques for immediate results with fulfillment.
To request more articles or speaking engagements contact: booking@jacquelineinternational.com

This evaluation is not for the “weak-kneed”. Real questions to determine Real skills for Real world sales.When is the last time you were evaluated for your skills - not your personality or potential? Be honest. How do you critique you? How do you
identify your strengths and weaknesses in sales?This mini evaluation is designed to critique your skills regardless of what type of sales you are currently in. Although the product or service may change the selling process remains the same.

Take a look at the following questions, answer them carefully, and check back next week for the answers.

1) List the top five most important steps in the selling process.

2) Of these top five, which is the most important? Why?

3) List the top three steps in the qualifying process.

4) Of the top three which is most important. Why?

5) What’s more important - qualifying or closing? Why?

6) What is your current closing average?

7) How do you determine your closing average?

What is a qualified lead?

9) How do you qualify your leads?

10) What is the most important step in the lead qualifying process? Why?

How do you know you’re effective?

How do you know you can’t be better?

How do you determine your strengths and weaknesses?

Wouldn’t it be important to know?

CEO - United Sales Training (http://www.unitedsalestraining.com), 20 years as a Professional Sales Trainer, Recruiter, Sales and Marketing Manager, Consultant. Dedicated to the “keep it simple” approach. FOCUS: “Training programs designed to help women - tough enough for men.”

To receive 1 free mini-consultation via email: tsamuels@unitedsalestraining.com

Home lighting is something that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. There are so many TV shows that focus on home remodeling projects, and speak very little about the lighting. Most magazines that pertain to home remodeling also don’t do the lighting aspect justice. There are some publications whose primary focus is lighting but they are generally geared towards lighting professionals.

Just because it isn’t given a lot of attention, don’t let that mislead you into thinking it isn’t important. One reason this happens is many general contractors, cabinetmakers and kitchen designers don’t educate the customer on lighting importance, or don’t know themselves. What they fail to realize is how a good lighting plan can actually enhance their design and craftsmanship. Time and again I see beautiful built in units, entertainment units and bookcases that had a tremendous amount of planning and labor put into them, and yet not one ounce of thought into the lighting.

If your wondering why should they, when the lighting can just be added later. That may be true in some cases, but too many times it is hard to make it work later. Let’s take a bookcase for example. A floor to ceiling end-to-end bookcase is nice but picture the same unit with each shelf illuminated. Without having that in mind, the cabinet may be built without any lip above each shelf for the light to be hidden behind. A wall unit that is going to have some open or glass door display spaces really screams for lighting. The problem arises when a unit like this is installed without some forethought into the lighting and no prep work was done, it may be near impossible to add it later.

Kitchens are another example where planning a good lighting scheme beforehand is critical. I can’t tell you how many times I get called into a kitchen that was installed and the customer now wants to add under cabinet lighting. Same thing applies to inside glass cabinets. These are things a kitchen designer should bring to the attention of the customer during the planning phase.

Interior decorators also need to have a good working knowledge of lighting and it’s effects. All kinds of great looking fabrics and wall hangings can really beautify a house. Without a lighting plan to compliment it, that great design is only beautiful when the sun is out. Since most people entertain at twilight or after the sun has gone down, lighting can make all the difference.

There is almost no home remodeling project that won’t be enhanced with a good lighting plan. Hopefully you’ll see the light!
http://www.forteelectric.com

(c)copyright Paul Forte 2005

Paul Forte is a licensed electrical contractor with over 25 years of experience in residential lighting. If you would like some lighting ideas for your project contact Paul or visit his website http://www.forteelectric.com

It seems amazing to me that a woman of 35 with seven children, a
supportive husband and a spiritual relationship with God is
Still searching for something within. I’m not yet satisfied,
always wondering how to get further in life and more comfortable
with who I am inside and to have that realization take me to
places I’ve only dreamed about.

Liberty League Int’l is now doing that for me. Putting aside the
fact that it creates income, the amazing discovery that I have
found in LLI is that it is literally a Personal Journey for you
and your soul. It shows you How you have held yourself back from
Opportunities in Life and how to knock those walls down with
your mind.. It shows your how to go beyond your dreams. It shows
you how to reflect within yourself and empower yourself with
what you have found within you. It’s like an Excavation, digging
for Gold, finding that Treasure Chest that was hidden within
your soul the entire time. It’s refreshing and sometimes
overwhelming, but most of all its Liberating.

It is changing peoples lives daily. It is changing mine. It is
changing my Husbands. He has gone from a negative naysayer to a
person that has hope in the future. That in itself is life
changing. That Single change will change his future. Now he has
a chance at happiness and fulfillment. That, for me has been a
weight lifted off of my shoulders. It is hard to live with
someone whose inner self has lost the thing that drives all
human forces forward in life, and that is hope.

If you are searching for a better life, A more fulfilled Life, a
successful life and an Amazing Journey, I ask you to come with
me. Whether you’re Looking for an Income, wanting to improve the
Business You Already Own or just ready to Change Your Life, Look
at Liberty League International and find what your searching for.

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The glittery glow of liquor advertisements, the fizz of the champagne opened by a victorious sportsman, the gushing froth
from the beer bottle in the hands of a macho hero - all add a touch of style and sophistication to alcohol. Freedom. Fun.
Comraderie. Social bonding. These are the enduring symbols of alcohol etched in our minds. We drink when we are happy and
then we also drink to forget sorrow.

Ask a teenager - to him, alcohol is a symbol of liberation, a sign of revolt, a freedom from control, frustration and
anguish.

A couple of years later, what remains as the enduring symbols of alcohol for most people are loss of self esteem and health.
And destruction - of self, and family.

Many people start as occasional party drinkers, sure in their minds they’d stop, the minute they sense they are getting out
of control. Some of them can stop; but for some, things can go awry. That’s because some people are more susceptible to
alcohol abuse than others. Researchers differ in their opinions why it is so. Is it genetic, psychological, or pathological?
Or a mix of all the three, with a dash of environment to spice it up?

When Poornima accompanied her friends to have a week-end blast at a local pub, she accepted the Bloody Mary her friends
offered her, because she did not want to be prudish and say “Oh sorry, I am on mineral water!” As fuzzy warmth melted her
inhibitions, she went on to accept more, slowly replacing the Bloody Mary with gin and Peachschnappe. When she sobered up the
next day, she began looking forward to the next weekend, to be free again.

Over the next two years, Poornima developed both physical and psychological dependence on alcohol. Her body started
‘tolerating’ alcohol and required more alcohol to get the desired effect. Alcohol became so central to her thoughts, emotions, and activities that she could not control the craving for drink - she was psychologically hooked to the bottle.

As Poornima recalls her journey from spirited friends to sanitized hospitals to spiritual counselors, she says that despite the warnings she received at work and home, she could not stop. She was sacked from the office; but she continued to drink, stealing money from home to meet the bills. When she could not steal, she would lie, beg and justify her obsession with emotional tales of frustration. Slowly she started turning violent and was herself aghast when she dashed her mother’s head on the wall. That incident broke her ’spirited’ denial of the problem and she finally agreed to go with her parents to visit the de-addiction centre at the Bangalore’s NIMHANS hospital.

After a month-long detoxification treatment of the “withdrawal symptoms”, such as sleeplessness, nausea, anxiety, nervousness
and tremors and several months of counseling she finally traced her painful steps back to sobriety.

Dr. Pratima Murthy, Associate Professor at the deaddiction centre of NIMHANS, says that teenagers and women are at a higher risk than men. Since women’s bodies contain less water than men, and retain higher concentration of alcohol in the blood, it takes shorter time for complications to develop among women. Dr. Pratima cautions women that alcohol can affect the growth of the fetus during pregnancy.

What Happens when you Drink Alcohol?
Alcohol produces certain toxins in the body and the body attempts to protect itself by producing enzymes to metabolize and remove them. Your kidneys and liver require water to dilute and process the toxins. As you are drinking alcoholic beverages, your body is actually losing fluids. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, which means that it increases the release of urine from the body. If water and fluids are not readily available to aid in this detoxification process, the body will redistribute whatever water is available. All parts of the body are impacted by this redistribution of fluid, even the brain. That’s why your head hurts!!

By losing more fluids than usual, you are also losing important vitamins and nutrients. Lack of quality sleep contributes to
the general grumpiness and fatigue you feel as part of a hangover. When you fall asleep - or pass-out - after a bout of heavy drinking, the high levels of alcohol in your system drug the brain and prevent it from performing some of its routine tasks, such as managing your sleep pattern. You are unable to enter the important REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep, which is a critical element to a good night’s slumber. The next day, you may feel fatigued and listless due to the lack of proper rest.

Daily drinking of alcohol is associated with a wide range of medical complications. Damage to the liver later resulting in
cirrhosis of the liver; irritation of stomach; high blood pressure; nutritional deficiencies; loss of memory and other
effects on the brain; tingling numbness of legs and hand due to damage to nerves are some of the effects of long term alcohol
abuse.

Addiction - the Brain Pickled in Alcohol?
Not all people react similarly to alcohol. Some alcoholics report they exhibited alcoholic tendencies from the moment of
first intoxication, while most people can drink socially without ever becoming addicted.

Dr. Ashok Rau, chief of Freedom Foundation, a treatment cum rehabilitation centre for alcoholics in Bangalore explains the process of addiction. Right after you take the first sip of your martini or gin, a cascade of chemical and electrical events triggers the neurons in the brain to release dopamine. Dopamine provides feelings of enjoyment and motivation to do the pleasurable activities. A healthy individual has the ability to balance the dopamine-based reward reinforcement system with the serotonin-based behavior inhibition system which is responsible providing satisfaction, which is why a normal person can stop after a few pegs of the intoxicating drink.

As the person drinks habitually, the nervous system adjusts itself to the excess levels of dopamine in the body caused by
alcohol. Now it requires more and more alcoholic stimulation to get the same level of pleasure. This explains the phenomenon
called tolerance.

Alcohol Dependence and Theories Galore….
No one knows for sure what causes alcohol dependence. Both environmental and genetic factors may contribute to the chemical imbalance that prevents normal stimulation of the pleasure centre. Growing up in a dysfunctional home environment where a child is deprived of healthy nurturing may indirectly alter the pathways that stimulate the pleasure centre of the child’s brain.

The genetic model notes that certain addictions run in the family. The cultural model recognizes the strong influence of
culture - for example, the rarity of alcoholism among Saudi Arabians, where obtaining alcohol is difficult and the prevalence of gambling addictions in the gaming-industry-dominated North America.

Recent research shows that apart from the above factors people with personality or conduct disorder such as childhood history
of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are also prone to addiction.

The cognitive model argues that addiction is not inherited but is a learned behavior. The more one consumes the more likely
one is to be become addicted. Addiction can thus happen to anyone and can be unlearned by psychological therapy that treats underlying personality problems, such as impulsive, anxious and aggressive behavior.

Treating Alcohol Dependence
The patient needs to be hospitalized in order to ensure safe withdrawal. Coming off alcohol quickly can result in
disorientation, sleeplessness, restlessness and delirium tremens, which can be a fatal condition and must be treated
carefully.

Most rehabilitation centers have an outlined residential program. The inmates are required to stay off the alcohol, while doctors prescribe drugs that modify the neurotransmitter system and treat withdrawal symptoms of anxiety and depression and help maintain abstinence.

Once the pharmacological treatment is over, psychotherapy starts. The patients are helped to analyze themselves, confront
defensive behavior and learn how to cope up with stress. The alcoholics are taught specialized assertive techniques to refuse drinks under social pressure from friends. The patient is trained to be his own behavior therapist, analyzing behavior
interactions, planning appropriate modification strategies and implementing his plan of action.

Along with the patients, the family members are also counseled. Often the family is abused by the addict; so it is essential
to explain to them why alcoholics are not in control of themselves.

Apart from the emotional support from family, self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can help the person remain free
from alcohol use. This group conducts weekly meetings presided by former alcoholic addicts, where people share their
experiences with each other. The only requirement for membership is a ‘desire to stop drinking’. The AA approach is to accept that one is ‘powerless over alcohol’ and to put oneself in the hands of ‘God, as we understand him’.

Uma Shankari is a Bangalore-based freelance writer, passionate about development issues