In simple words, VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that allows one to make phone calls over a broadband internet connection. With the help of high speed internet connection and by installing certain VoIP software as well as hardware, people can talk unlimited at limited costs.

To make a call using VoIP technology you need:

Voip hardware :- VoIP hardware is basically an analogue telephone adaptor (ATA) which connects your phone to your broadband modem. This doesn’t require your computer to be on while making or receiving calls. The most popular application of VoIP works only with an ATA. An ATA converts analog signals to digital signals. Most VoIP service providers include the ATA in their VoIP products, but some require you to buy or rent an ATA.

The other hardware based option is an IP phone, which is similar to a standard telephone but includes an in built ATA adapter. The IP phone is connected directly to the router with a standard RJ-45 Ethernet connector. You can purchase calling cards from your VoIP service provider to start talking through this medium.

VoIP software :- Software-based VoIP works a little differently. VoIP software like Skype, Asterik works through your computer with a microphone, and your computer has to be switched on to receive calls. The most basic VoIP software allows two people with the same installed software to call each other over the Internet. Callers can set up a phone book and can make calls to other users.

VoIP services are comparatively cheaper than traditional calls. So, the next time you want to make long distance phone calls or international calls use VoIP.

VoIP Phone service
Alen
voip-traffic.com

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Twenty years ago the word “detox” meant a trip to the drug rehabilitation center. Today it defines the conscious act of cleaning up our insides down to the cellular level. Preservatives, pesticides, chemicals and radiation treatments spur the health-conscious to detoxify their bodies while making life-long changes that will help keep their cells clear of harmful substances. In today’s health-conscious home you are likely to find plenty of fruits and vegetables, raw dairy, grains and legumes - all preservative, pesticide and GMO free - but if you look under the kitchen sink you are also likely to find enough chemicals to wipe out the entire family.

The average American household has 3 - 10 gallons of hazardous, toxic chemicals, most of them sitting in colorful bottles right beneath our sinks. Many common products contain chlorine, alcohol, ammonia, bleach, formaldehyde, and lye. These toxic chemicals can cause allergies, birth defects, nausea, inflammation and burning of the entire respiratory system, confusion, headaches, symptoms of mental illness, and are linked to neurological, liver and kidney damage, blindness, asthma and cancer.

No health-conscious individual wants to consume pesticides, but we ingest them daily through skin contact as well as breathing them directly into our lungs by using commercial products in the home. Approximately 1,400 pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are found in consumer products - many of which are under the kitchen sink.

Checking labels doesn’t help. Not only are companies exempt from listing all the ingredients in their bottles of chemical voodoo, but the New York Poison Control center found that 85% of product warning labels inadequately informs consumers of potential dangers, like the deadly respiratory irritant chloramine, which is made by mixing chlorine with ammonia. The Seattle Poison Center alone receives 70,000 calls per year regarding spillage or swallowing of harmful substances in the home, and 1 in 10 children under the age of 6 ends up in the emergency room due to accidental exposure to household products.

Think about it: mopping, spraying, and wiping our homes with toxic chemicals make our attempts at detoxifying our bodies much like trying to punch a hole in water- it doesn’t work. A carefully watered and fed plant, for example, will still get sick if its surroundings are contaminated. Why should we be any different?

Luckily, detoxing the home is easy. All you need to do is get rid of the commercial cleansers underneath the kitchen sink and replace them with vinegar, baking soda and castile soap. That’s it. Age-old, tried and true, these are the ingredients for a healthy, chemical-free home.

Vinegar cuts grease, dissolves mineral deposits, removes mildew, soap or wax buildup, deodorizes, cleans windows and mirrors, is a wonderful fabric softener and hair conditioner - and tastes great in salads.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a useful all purpose cleaner. It can be used as a scouring powder without scratching surfaces; it neutralizes acids, deodorizes, softens water, and polishes metals, jewelry, porcelain and plastic. Baking soda softens fabrics and removes stains and can also be used as a non-toxic underarm deodorant and toothpaste.

Castile soap is a vegetable oil-based soap. Olive oil castile soap works well without drying the skin. Castile soap can be used in place of laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, automatic dishwasher detergent, and as a mild, general cleanser and body soap.

With 2.1 million human poisonings reported to the U.S. poison control centers in 1999 and more than 50% involving children under the age of five, it’s no wonder that the numbers are growing in favor of non-toxic homemade cleaners. After all, when was the last time you saw a warning label or poison control number slapped on a bottle of vinegar?

But can these simple ingredients really keep harmful bacteria and germs under control?

Vinegar is a powerful disinfectant. Undiluted vinegar kills 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold and 80% of viruses according to Heinz company spokesperson Michael Mullen. The only reason vinegar is not labeled as a disinfectant is because it would first have to be registered as a pesticide with the EPA - probably not good for sales in the salad section.

We may not be able to protect ourselves from all the harmful substances contaminating our planet, but we do have the power to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals we come into contact with on a daily basis.

The concept of becoming healthy begins in the mind. Once the concept becomes conscious it can expand into action, usually by a change toward a healthier diet. More consciousness will lead the health-wise to detoxify their bodies of accumulated harmful substances. Healthy steps in the right direction. But why stop there? Perhaps when our homes are free of dangerous toxic chemicals we will be ready to take the next step - the vital step toward detoxifying our planet.

Recipes

Each “detox” needs to be adjusted to the individual. In the same way, each home has different needs, so experiment with the recipes below to find out what works best for you.

Air Freshener: Air out your home daily. There is no air freshener like outdoor oxygen - even in Manhattan or L.A. You can also place small bowls of baking soda and/or vinegar around the home to catch unpleasant odors. Simmering your favorite aromatic herb in water will give a nice, overall scent to your home. You can also use essential oils for the same purpose. Use Lavender to relax and ease headaches.

All-purpose cleaner: Every morning I fill my kitchen sink with hot water, a handful of castile soap flakes and a tablespoon or two of baking soda. I use this to wipe down surfaces as well as a pre-wash for the dishes in the dishwasher. A more basic cleaner is simply baking soda in water. The proportions depend on the task at hand.

Oven cleaner: Make a thick paste of baking soda and water. First wipe down the oven with the hot water, soap and baking soda mixture, then scrub out any burnt spots, and after that apply the paste. Let stand for a few minutes before washing off.

Disinfectant: Plain white vinegar, undiluted. You can also use a couple of drops of tea-tree essential oil in hot soapy water.

Drain Cleaner: Pour cup baking soda down the drain, then cup of vinegar to follow. Cover the drain immediately so that the vinegar can react with the baking soda. Then run hot water to flush the drain out.

Floors: A few spoonfuls of vinegar added to the water in the mop bucket will clean all floor surfaces. For linoleum, add a few drops of olive oil, and to buff the old wood floors use equal amounts of olive oil and vinegar and rub in.

Brass and copper: Use lemon juice with a bit of salt. Either rub a lemon slice directly on the metal, or simply rub the mixture in with a soft cloth. If you are not pleased with the results, try a mixture of vinegar and salt instead.

Silver: Aluminum foil sprinkled with salt and baking soda in a bowl of water cleans silver beautifully. Submerge silver in the bowl. Let sit a few minutes, or until the tarnish has gravitated to the aluminum foil then dry and buff.

Laundry: Replace hazardous laundry detergents with pure castile soap. Adding a cup of baking soda to the wash will help whiten whites and brighten colors. The baking soda also acts as a water softener, therefore boosting the effectiveness of the soap. Add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle as fabric softener. The vinegar also strips away any residual soap left on the clothes. Don’t worry, your clothes will not smell like a bowl of salad. Vinegar leaves no odor once dry. Still, I like to add a few sprigs of lavender to the dryer in a small cotton pouch if I don’t hang up the clothes to dry outside. You could also add a few drops of essential oil like ylang-ylang with the vinegar rinse if you wish. If you need bleach, try hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine.

Automatic dishwashing liquid: Dilute castile soap in water (if using flakes). Add any citrus essential oil or combination of oils. Lemon, orange, bergamot and lavender are nice. Store liquid in a bottle and place a tablespoon in the automatic dispenser of your dishwasher. For very dirty dishes, add cup of vinegar to the cycle to cut grease and shine the glassware. I often simply fill the dishwasher dispenser with vinegar and wash at a higher temperature.

Toilet bowl cleaner: Use baking soda as a scouring powder on the inside of the bowl.

Window cleaner: cup of vinegar in a spray bottle filled with water. Use newspaper instead of paper towels for streak-free windows and mirrors.

Marble surfaces: Marble is the only surface where vinegar is not recommended due to its acidic nature. Baking soda sprinkled on marble, then washed up with a wet sponge works well, or you could make a castile soap and baking soda solution as well.

Litter box: add a generous layer of baking soda on the bottom of the litter box to help keep odors at bay. Also spread baking soda on the bottom of the garbage can.

Sources:

http://www.ems.org/household_cleaners/household_toxics.html
http://www.ems.org/household_cleaners/facts.html
http://es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/safe-fs.html
http://www.maripoisoncenter.com/public/household.htm
http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/node/80
http://www.healthychild.com/database/guide_to_safer_cleaners_and_disinfectants.htm
http://getfrugal.com/articles/bakingsodarecipes.html
www.preventcancer.com/consumers/food/cancer_toll.htm

Vida Evenson is a WAHM living on a small Greek island still largely unknown to the outside world. There, she and her family own a holiday villa rental business on a large private lot overlooking the Aegean Sea. She is an avid writer, painter and organic gardener. Vida loves to hear from her readers. Readers can contact her through her website at http://www.aegean-villas.com or at http://www.aegeanliving.blogspot.com

*This is a free article. The author only asks that her signature box remain in tact with any and all sharing, copying, reprinting and publishing of this article*

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Let’s dispell a myth, cheap car insurance for woman drivers is
not really any different than cheap car insurance for men except
that in some cases it might be a little cheaper or at least a
little easier to get.

The factors used to compute cheap insurance are many and usually
place prospective policyholders in rating groups that categorize
level of risk. Obviously, in one rating group, gender, there’s a
difference.

Are women better car drivers than men, though? Only your
insurance company actuary knows for sure, but generally young
men are considered a higher risk to insure. In that age rating
group, auto insurance best quotes might favor women.

Cheap Based On Your Needs

What really counts, though, is whether car insurance for woman
drivers is cheap insurance based on their own needs. Best quotes
for woman drivers can be obtained online at automated websites
that return quotes from several competing insurance companies
simultaneously.

Women who know the ins-and-outs of car insurance for women need
only choose the lowest quote to get cheap insurance.

Get Help If You Need It

If you’re not familiar with auto insurance, however, you may
want to contact an insurance agent who can guide you through the
process and better ensure that you purchase the coverage you
require.

They can also show car drivers ways to lower their rates by
increasing deductibles or lowering Comprehensive or Collision
coverages which become less practical as a vehicle ages.

Just remember, there are six main types of car insurance–Bodily
Injury Liability, Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Property
Damage Liability, Collision, Comprehensive, Uninsured and
Underinsured Motorist Coverage–that cover your liability to
others, pay your immediate medical and other expenses, cover
damage to property, pay for repairs to or replacement of your
car, cover expenses due other causes of damage, and insure you
against those without insurance.

Most of all, don’t forget that what’s cheap insurance in the
short run can put your finances in jeopardy in the long run, and
that auto insurance protects your assets, not you.

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Who is the vampire’s closest friend?

The vampire bat, of course!

Every time you see a vampire in the movies, he is surrounded by
the little furry fellows escorting him on his nightly pillages.
When a vampire needs to make a quick exit, he often turns
himself into one of these creepy critters. But what is a vampire
bat, and do they suck blood from unwilling hosts? Are they evil
creatures, hiding in caves and dark castles? Surprisingly, as
scientists study the little bat, they are finding its
bloodthirsty habits may be helpful to humankind.

Picture a creature with a little head, bright black eyes, and a
squashed up nose, looking almost like a pig’s snout. The animal
has huge ears, rounded to a tip, and sharp, pointed incisor
teeth in an overbite. It has a wingspan of eight inches, with a
soft, brown furry body the size of a person’s thumb. It weighs
about three ounces. It goes by the long name of Desmodonitidae
rotundus, but prefers to be called by its everyday name, The
Common Vampire Bat.

The Common Vampire Bat lives in Central and South America, along
with its cousins, the White- Winged Vampire Bat and the Hairy-
Legged Vampire Bat. The common vampire bat is the only one that
loves to dine on mammals; the other two prefer birds. They have
been around at least six to eight million years, with fossil
records going back as far.

They like to live in caves, abandoned mines, tree hollows and
sometimes abandoned buildings. Like most bats, they can see, but
use echolocation to find their prey. Living nine years in the
wild, they have one baby a year, and nest in large family
groups, sleeping upside down.

Time to hunt! The little bats will swoop out of their cozy caves
around dusk, looking for fat sleeping cattle or pigs in the near
by countryside. The vampire bats consume only blood for
nourishment. They drink about two tablespoons of blood a day,
and need to drink at least every other day, or they starve to
death.

Ah, a nice big sleeping cow. The vampire bat swoops down to the
cow’s back, and quickly pierces the hide with the sharp incisor
teeth, making two small holes (just like Dracula!). The bat then
laps the blood into its mouth with its tongue, nothing as sloppy
as sucking. Imagine your pet cat lapping at a bowl of milk.

Special anticoagulants, or chemicals that prevent blood from
clotting, help the vampire bat drink enough blood before the
animal’s blood dries up, similar to a mosquito. The bat also has
a “numbing” agent, to keep its dinner from waking up and kicking
it off!

Scientists are studying the anticoagulants in the vampire bat,
and have made a drug called ‘Draculin’ to aid in anticoagulation
for cardiac patients. Other scientists are using the compounds
to help stroke victims limit the effects of blood clots in the
brain.

Unfortunately, the vampire bat is considered a pest because the
bat population has grown enormously since tropical forests were
decimated to allow for more grazing area for livestock. With the
addition of more livestock, came more bats. Ranchers are killing
the bats in large numbers, along with insect eating bats.

Dracula’s best friend may be humankind’s good friend in helping
scientists fight heart attacks and strokes. Hopefully people can
be educated as to the true nature of the little bat, and not
continue to kill off a helpful creature out of ignorance and
superstition.

Here’s to the vampire bat, and all creatures who go bump in the
night!

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In the technologically advanced world of today, websites are a great way in which to distribute information, gain business and more. Many people wonder how certain websites receive such a great response while others are viewed hardly at all. The answer to this may lie in the area of website promotion. Two ways in which to promote a website are through articles and press releases.

How Articles Promote Websites

Articles are a great way in which to get traffic to one’s website. If someone using the Internet is utilizing a search engine to find an answer to a question that they may have, they will most likely be looking for articles which talk about the topic that they are concerned with. If a website owner has various articles written and then posted on his/her website, the individual searching for information on that topic may be directed to the business owner’s website. While reading the article which is posted on that website, not only may the Internet user buy something from that business owner but he/she may also bookmark it for future reference and/or recommend the site to friends and family members which will ultimately result in more web traffic to that particular website. Articles are not only a great way in which to get people to visit one’s website but also to refer to it at a later time.

Another benefit of articles is keywords can be placed strategically throughout and when individuals search those particular keywords the articles will be returned as high results from the search engines. Articles are great ways to provide information to visitors, but keyword articles is a great way to get visitors to your site so they can view these articles.

Press Releases Are Also Useful In Promoting Websites

Frequently an individual will be researching a topic and come across a press release regarding that particular topic. Within the press release, the text may include a website reference which the readers can simply click on to be directed to that site. This is a great way to obtain new visitors to one’s website and frequently new clients for a particular business owner. Press releases are a wonderful way in which to get the word out about a specific website.

These are just two methods that promote websites and ultimately gain business for the website owners.

SitePromotionResources.com features hundreds of tips and tricks for webmasters looking to increase their search engine positioning, build links, and promote their web sites on a limited budget. Visit http://www.SitePromotionResources.com today.

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As medical advances teach us more and more about the human body, it is more obvious than ever that fitness needs to be a regular part of our lives. Luckily, there are plenty of items out there that can help us build fitness into our lives in a way that is unique to each of us. Fitness is not just about building muscles and looking good in those great jeans you bought last week, it’s an ongoing process that can be made easier with the right equipment, the right mindset, and the will to reach higher and push harder for a happy, healthy body.

You Don’t Have To Go To The Gym To Use A Weight Bench

The great thing about fitness today is that you do not have to join a gym if you don’t want to. You can purchase items like a quality weight bench for your home. Many of these items are easy to use and will give you the results that you would expect from weeks and months in the gym. Having a weight bench in your home will allow you to train and maximize your fitness level the way you want, when you want, and how you want. You will also be more familiar with your specific piece of equipment, which will make working out and getting in shape easier than ever before.

Shop Online For Great Deals

When you shop online for items such as treadmills, ellipticals, a recumbent bike, or even an upright bike you’ll find that you can get great deals. Instead of paying more than a thousand dollars for a piece of fitness equipment you can pay several hundred. Many people report that when they buy gym equipment online that they can save as much as 75% off the original retail price. Even when you add the price of shipping, this is a savings that many consumers simply will not overlook. While great savings is worth it, many people believe that the convenience of shopping online for items such as a multi-gym, total gym, or home heal is worth it. Not only can you get great prices, you can also compare and contrast different equipment and when you find what works for you, it will be delivered to your door!

If you need to see equipment in person before you buy, you can often have the product shipped to your home free of charge. If you are not satisfied with the fitness product, you can send it back and you’ll pay nothing. You can also choose to check out the fitness equipment in your local store and then buy online for convenience and savings. Buying online simply makes the most sense when you consider all of the advantages.

When you buy online you also make it easier to build your fitness regimen into your life. Buying online will allow you to do all of the research that you need to do from the comfort of your own home so that you cannot use that as an excuse. If you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on your fitness equipment, you don’t need to wait any longer because you can find a weight bench, ellipticals, treadmills, and just about everything else in your price range. You may also find that many websites offer financing, so that any piece of fitness equipment truly can fit into your budget. Buying online can allow you to start your fitness program sooner rather than later so that you can look good, feel good, and extend your life in the most positive ways.

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If you are looking to get your first puppy or your first dog or
if you have a dog that has a particular problem then you may
want to look at using the services of a professional dog
trainer. A trained dog trainer will have a great many tricks
under his or her sleeve that can help in even the most difficult
of circumstances.

For the first time dog owner, a dog trainer will not simply
train your dog to perform the actions you want because it will
be you who will take on this mantle when you return home. For
this reason, a good dog trainer will teach you to how to train
your dog. However, there are a number of dog trainers available
who can help with training you and your pet. You will want to
find the best available and the first decision you should make
is whether to have one on one dog training or group sessions.

As with many forms of training, one on one training offers the
most direct and the most precise results. You will be able to
concentrate on the things you want to and go at a pace that
suits you, your dog and the trainer. One on one training
sessions can usually be conducted either on the trainer’s
premises or in your own home. Training within your own house
means your dog will not be affected by the surroundings and
should find it easier to concentrate.

Group sessions may not be geared directly towards you and your
dog specifically but they do offer you an excellent opportunity
to socialize your dog. By letting him meet other dogs and other
people he may find it difficult to concentrate at first on the
activities you need him to perform but eventually he will get
used to the added distractions and this will make it much easier
walking him in the long run.

Regardless of the type of dog trainer you use, it is vital that
you continue what you have learnt when you return home as well
as simply when you are at training lessons. By reinforcing
everything you have learnt in this way the training will be much
more effective. Set aside a time every single day to practice
specific things but always maintain the techniques on a regular
basis in everyday life. It might not really matter to you if
your dog doesn’t do as told when you are at home on your own but
letting him do something one time and then reprimanding him for
it the next will inevitably confuse him.

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Since they were first developed as hard glass lenses in the 1950s, contacts have gone through many transformations and technical improvements in quality, look and feel.

Today, with the modern advancements of disposable lenses and toric lenses, more and more people are changing from spectacles and enjoying the benefits of corrective eye lenses.

The latest, exciting development and daring innovation in the contact lens industry, however, is the fabulously varied colored contacts that are now widely available and gaining in popularity.

Gone are the days when contact lenses were worn as a sight correction device. They are far more than just functional corrective eye wear - they’re now funky, fun and an outrageously theatrical fashion statement!

Colored contacts let you suggestively enhance the color of your eyes on a permanent basis or just for an occasional night when you want to accessorize with a particular outfit.

Now - whatever the occasion you can make a truly unforgettable ‘eye catching’ appearance and show off your extraordinary ‘eye catching’ style!

There are four different types of colored contacts for you to choose from - visibility tints, enhancement tints, opaque-color tints and light-filtering tints.

But the best thing of all is most of these come in styles that can be worn by people who do not necessarily need corrective eye wear. These style contacts are known as plano form lenses.

Visibility tint colored contacts have a practical application. They have a light blue or green tint that, although not visible when being worn, allows you to see them when you are inserting or removing the lenses. And when (not if!) you drop them they are much easier to find!

In contrast, enhancement tint colored contacts have a translucent but darker tint to them. These lenses are not meant to alter or change the shade of your eyes but rather to enrich and enhance your existing eye color - hence, their name.

The Opaque color lenses with their dazzling array of colors have the most dramatic impact and can completely change your eye shade from brown to blue, blue to purple, etc. Wear them as a fashion statement or just for a change of mood if you want.

Light-filtering contacts also have a practical application. When wearing these they will greatly enchance certain colors in your field of view, making them easier for you to see.

Having trouble driving that tiny little golf ball down the fairway? Wearing a pair of these performance lenses will make that golf ball stand out and easier for you to hit. These performance tested lenses will be the next step forward in corrective eye wear.

Elaine Clay is the owner of Online Contact Lenses Guide.com. A one-stop online resource guide - find helpful information, tips, articles and advice all about the different types of contact lenses available.

Feel free to use the above article on your web site or ezine. Provided that it is published in it’s entirety, including my resource box above and a “live” clickable link to: www.online-contact-lenses-guide.com

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She didn’t have to die. She was young, she was beautiful, and, yes, she was exciting. Now she’s gone, and it was all so unnecessary - so, so senseless!

Dare I say what he did to her? Do I "point the finger" at him? Someone has to, I guess. Actually, it was a case of what he didn’t do. You see, she was a charming new website and he - well, he was an inexperienced owner who thought all he had to do was open a well-done website and the world would zero-in on her and make him scads of cash. He even called her "Carly Cash". The poor, misguided fool.

If only he had known, there are a great many things he could have done to save her, indeed to help her thrive and fulfill her exciting promise. He could have:

• used business cards to promote his website. Probably the cheapest, most effective form of dirtside advertising is an attractive business card. He could carry them everywhere (alright, smartie, not in the shower). Post them on supermarket, community and college bulletin boards. Drop one in the envelope when he pays a bill. Leave one, or more, at the video store, dentist’s office, doctor’s office, library, county jail - wherever. Maybe not the jail.

• issued a press release to the world. Huh? He could have sent a press release to his local media, after determining the names of the appropriate editors and news directors. He could go to his favorite search engine, enter "press release", and doubtless be amazed at the result. He’d need to remember it’s not called the World Wide Web for nothing. Getting a press release published ten thousand miles away can do him just as much good as appearing in a local paper.

• placed classified ads in "advertiser magazines", for lack of something better to call them. In this part of the world we have the Pennysaver, which carries announcements of local events, community activities, concerts, that sort of thing. But primarily it is classified ads for everything from aardvark toys to zebra-striped jammies. And it’s very popular - it’s a garage sale in print and delivered by the postal service.

• arranged to appear as a guest on a radio talk show. Many AM stations are devoted to talk, he should know, because they don’t carry music as well as FM stereo. Our wired, wired world is a popular talk topic and all he has to do is find our which stations, or show hosts, are so inclined. Interesting guests are always welcome (at some time or another).

  The same is true of local television talk shows like "AM Akron" or "Missoula in the Morning" (maybe not). He should be aware that no show host, or station, is going to allow a prolonged commercial for his website. He will need to be able to speak intelligently about some aspect of the web,answer questions from the host/ess and perhaps the audience as well. The idea is to help brand him, create interest, instill trust, and get in a plug or two.

• thought creatively about publicity and likely come up with his own ideas. Had he been in his right mind (home of creativity and intuition) and fired up his imagination, maybe "Carly" wouldn’t have died. Here’s hoping her successor has a rich, rewarding life, and perhaps little bytes of her own.

Copyright by Kent E. Butler

Butler Marketing Group

About The Author

Kent E. Butler has been in marketing, sales and training since shortly after the creation of language. If the above language has been helpful, he’s happy. To make him really happy, visit http://www.ButlerMarketingGroup.com the One Stop Internet Shop (and great bizop) and acquire something useful.

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Gichin Funakoshi was an Okinawan native who taught at the school “Shoto Gakko”, which prepared Okinawans for Japanese civil service. His life’s passion, however, was karate. Because of the respect he commanded from Japanese gentlemen, and his skill in karate, he was selected to represent Okinawa’s martial art.

He defeated every opponent he faced at the demonstration, and won great respect. Because of this and his love of Japanese culture, he stayed on the mainland to further propagate karate. As a result of the first and further exhibitions, he gained many followers and ultimately began teaching out of a Kendo dojo.

At first, there were cultural barriers and traditions that slowed the progress of karate across the mainland. As a result of Funakoshi’s excellence in teaching, however, he broke through the prejudices against karate. Eventually, he was able to open his own dojo, which was the first formalized karate dojo. Also during this time, karate as a whole came to be formalized and “Japanized” (although divisions among separate karate styles have
not, to this day, been resolved).

Such formalization included acceptance of the kyu/dan (class/grade) system as devised by Jigoro Kano (founder of judo). Also, it became important that all teachers were qualified and knowledgeable. Finally, it was necessary to institute a standard curriculum, uniform, and competitive format.

Nationalism and anti-Chinese sentiment made the karate-jutsu
movement consider a more appropriate ideogram to represent their
art. The original “kara” ideogram of karate meant China, as did the “tou” of toudi (Chinese hand, and a reference to the Tang dynasty). The replacement ideogram means “empty”, and takes on not just a physical but a spiritual meaning. “Kara” may represent the “void”, and freedom from worldly desire.

Also changed was the suffix for karate. Instead of jutsu (art/science), do (way/path/totality, pronounced “dao” in Mandarin) came to be used. In this sense, as a result of the efforts of such masters as Itosu, karate-do joined kendo, jiu jitsu, aikido, and judo as a modern budo, in which not only combat is practiced, but also a cultural discipline for the pursuit of harmony.

Owen Johnston lives and teaches Wado ryu Karate in Lake City, South Carolina. He enjoys reading, writing, video games & movies, and spending time with his fiance. For more information on classes in the Florence and greater Pee Dee area, as well as martial arts supplies, please visit Johnston Wado ryu Karate - Online Community.

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