UltraPing Blog

There have been a lot of books written on how to be a smart investor and how to time the market. In fact, many people make a living on developing a “system” to time the market and then sell that system to other people. While there are a lot of indicators that can tell you when to invest and when to get out, one excellent way to invest is to be a “contrarian investor.”

A contrarian investor means that you are doing the opposite of what other people are doing. It takes a certain amount of finesse and “chutzpah” to be a contrarian investor but it can help you make money, and it can keep you from losing money.

Contrarian investing means that you need to buy when other people are selling and sell when other people are buying. For example, during the tech boom in 2000, the person who made money was the person who sold their tech stocks when everyone else was feverishly buying. Likewise, the person who bought Asian stocks during the Asian flu is seeing — and will see — an appreciation in that investment because they’ve bought what other people are selling.

People buy and sell every day, so how do you know what to buy and what to sell? The answer to this question is to go and look at the cover of investing and stock market magazines at your local magazine store. On the cover, you will see the popular industries that people are snapping up like crazy or dumping as quickly as possible. If you own the popular ones, get out. If you don’t own the unpopular ones, get in. The popular ones may go up some more, but it will go down because that’s what stocks do: they go up and they go down.

By selling when others are buying you are taking profits easily. By buying when others are selling you are snapping up opportunities at a discount. The concept seems crazy, but it works. Why? Because of the herd mentality. Many investors are undereducated when it comes to investing so they simply follow the crowd. Willingly, they buy and buy stocks that go up in price and are shocked when it comes crashing down because they followed the herd and didn’t realize that stocks fluctuate.

Is contrarian investing foolproof? No. And no investing philosophy is foolproof. Contrarian investing is not meant to replace quality research and carefully considered transactions. What contrarian investing is meant to do is to help you take profits when they’re available and buy cheap stocks when they’re available. It’s true that some stocks plummet for a reason but if you combine contrarian investing with some research, you’ll be able to buy stocks when they are unpopular and ride them back to the top!

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Investing Information a website providing information on Investing

Vitamins, proteins and minerals are the general nutrients that are required for healthy hair. These nutrients are present in the food we take. Lack of these nutrients causes several problems like hair loss, thinning of hair, shedding, brittleness, premature graying, dandruff, and so on. Hence, vitamins are very important in order to have healthy hair.

The main vitamins that influences the health of hair are; vitamin A (produces healthy sebum in the scalp), vitamin C (antioxidant), vitamin E (improves scalp circulation), Biotin (produces Keratin), Inositol (keeps hair follicles healthy), Niacin (promotes scalp circulation) and pantothenic acid, Para-Aminobenzoic Acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 that prevent graying and hair loss. Of these, vitamin E is found to have a significant influence on the health of not just hair but also skin and fingernails.

Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant that aids effective circulation in the scalp due to increased oxygen uptake in blood. It aids in supplying oxygen to the blood and thus retards cellular aging. Its anti-oxidating property also helps it to alleviate fatigue, strengthen capillary walls and bring nourishment to cells. It also prevents and dissolves clots in the blood. Vitamin E is used to prevent sterility and also other diseases like muscular dystrophy.

Vitamin E is found in the following food sources: cold pressed vegetable oils, soybeans, wheat germ oil, broccoli, grains, spinach, dried beans, nuts, ready to eat cereals, raw seeds, eggs and green leafy vegetables. A daily dose of 10 milligram of vitamin E is generally recommended for adult males and 8 milligram for adult females. Another source of vitamin E is artificial vitamin supplements available in the form of tablets or capsules. However, vitamin E is found to have some side effects like high blood pressure and reduction in blood clotting. Hence, it should be consumed only after consultation with a specialist.

Hair Vitamins provides detailed information about hair vitamins, hair and nail vitamins, hair growth vitamins and more. Hair Vitamins is affiliated with Baldness Solutions.

For most harried career individuals, a visit to their coffee shops for a nightcap with friends and business associates is their idea of a relaxing evening. But have you ever wondered when the first coffee shop started?

The first coffee shop opened in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1554, while the first coffeehouse opened in Cornhill, London, in 1652. Boston welcomed its own version of this haven for coffee lovers in 1670, while Paris opened the doors of its first-ever coffee shop in 1671. It quickly grew in popularity, and by 1675, three thousand coffeehouses were born in England.

As the legend goes, the first coffeehouse was believed to have opened in Vienna in 1683, after the Battle of Vienna. The coffeehouse was started using supplies left behind by the losing Turks. A more credible version asserts that the first coffee shop opened in Krakow, in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, owing to its close trade ties with the Turks. The first coffee plantation in modern times was started in Brazil, in 1727, using slave laborers from Africa. Its success was akin to that of tobacco in seventeenth-century Europe.

The term “Café” is synonymous with a place where coffee and meals are served together. The Dutch people associate the word with bars and thus relate it more to alcohol. In the Netherlands, the term coffee shop is used to refer to places where marijuana is sold, since one needs fewer permits to open a coffee shop. For the French, Spanish, and German people, a café is a place where a wide variety of beverages are served, ranging from different types of coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages.

In addition to those blended commercially, a lot of coffeehouses have their own signature house blends. What are you waiting for? Visit your favorite coffee shop and take your pick from among these wonderful concoctions, sure to warm your hearts and lift your spirits.

Coffee provides detailed information on Coffee, Coffee Makers, Gourmet Coffee, Coffee Shops and more. Coffee is affiliated with Gourmet Flavored Coffee.

‘Wow’ your guests this Christmas !

If you are at home this Christmas, you may find yourself in the
kitchen cooking up a feast, but please give a thought to your
guests who will at some point visit your bathroom. With the
festive season looming Anna - Nadia Tweed suggests some top tips
for a mini bathroom makeover.

Does your bathroom need jazzing up in time for Christmas? Look
no further than your local DIY store. It’s easier than you think
to transform your space from drab to fab. By selecting the right
paint for each area, it’s possible to revive items that you
thought were beyond help.

* For tatty cupboards, use Furniture and Cupboard Paint, even an
easy job such as this can make tired furniture look as good as
new.

* A coat of paint can really perk up an old radiator. Get some
Radiator Enamel Aerosol and spray on the solution. It is
designed specifically for changing temperatures, so won’t yellow
or flake with the heat.

* If you are looking for a white wonderland, and all you’ve got
is a drab dated mess, use Tile Paint. You don’t need to rip out
old tiles, just paint over the top.

* If you’ve had a leak which has resulted in stains on the wall,
the answer is Stain Block Paint. Once the problem has been
fixed, paint over the patch and leave to dry. The resulting
stain-free surface can then be painted over with a normal
emulsion.

A new looking bathroom for only £45!

If you have a bit left in your budget for a few finishing
touches, check out these simple ideas:

* A mirror hung opposite a focal point such as a window, can
double its effectiveness, providing a view of a feature from
several vantage points.

* New towels folded neatly in a wicker basket will give your
bathroom a fresh homely feel.

* Put scented candles in the bathroom and light one when you
have guests. Not only will it create a cosy atmosphere, your
bathroom will smell beautiful too.

* The scruffiest-looking basin can gain a whole new lease of
life with a set of shiny chrome taps.

* Hang a chandelier or wall sconce for a hint of decadence.

* Adorn bathroom shelves with gorgeous glass accessories and
fill them with bath salts, and delicious cinnamon and orange
smelling lotions and potions for a delicious Christmas aroma.

Follow these tips and you will be on the long and happy road to
bathroom bliss this Christmas.

Dads have to work harder than ever to provide for their
families, and may be too tired to give as much quality time to
their family that they would love to give. In Oliver Sacks’
book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, the author
tells a story about a brain injured man who perceives his wife
as a hat. Is it really any surprise that he didn’t see her as a
race car, but as a comfortable hat that he enjoyed wearing?

Do you make the same mistake with your husband or Dad? Do you
tend to interact with him only when you need money? Has he
become nothing but a “wallet” to you?

This Fathers Day, make the time to improve your relationship and
show him that you love him for all that he means to you, whether
he’s your Dad or the father of your children.

It’s too easy to fall into narrow roles in a family, and Dad
certainly can add to the impression that he’s only there as a
meal ticket. But with a little bit of effort, you can change
this around. He may the type of father who generously gives to
his family, but he still needs your acknowledgement that you
care about him and who he is aside from being your father or
husband.

Dads are the foundation of a family, but can wind up feeling
like a door mat instead.

Use Fathers Day as a kickoff for celebrating him, and follow up
frequently with small expressions of appreciation. Dad will be
so surprised to be seen in a new light and know that when you
approach him with a smile, it’s not only for a handout.

Fathers Day gift ideas for wives

Show your husband (and your family) how much you care about Dad
as a man and not only as the father of your children. You’re
both so busy shuffling work and family life, you may have let
the “man and wife” part fall too low on the radar screen.

* Surprise him with plans for a romantic night or weekend
getaway. No shopping planned, this is just about you and him
celebrating your relationship.

* Give him romantic flowers for a change! And slip in concert or
sport tickets.

* Have a trophy engraved with “my favorite hunk” or your special
name for him. Make a special presentation at your Fathers Day
dinner, then display in your home.

* Men are catching on that a day at a spa is a good thing. Check
if any local spas have special packages for men.

* Give him a special day of pampering at home. Create your own
gift basket and fill with spa goodies just for him. Don’t forget
sexy lingerie!

* What’s his hobby? Pay for a seminar or private lessons.

* Make up a coupon book that acknowledges his uniquely male
tendencies, such as “Two hours uninterrupted sports show
viewing,” “This is my cave day” or whatever ideas he would
especially appreciate. Let your husband know on Fathers Day how
much you love him for all the man he is and watch your
relationship blossom again!

Fathers Day gift ideas for children

* A wallet, but fill it with something for him, such as tickets
to a concert or sporting event. Slip in a photo of you and he,
and write a short message of love on the photo.

* A keepsake box filled with photos or mementos of your favorite
times together. Include a message about how you want to share
more of these wonderful times together.

* Make up a Fathers Day presentation where each child makes a
speech about a quality they especially appreciate about their
Dad. * A “Play Date” coupon book with messages about how you
would like to spend time with him.

* Chip in and spend a weekend away with him. Go fishing,
golfing, hiking or whatever his favorite hobby is.

On Fathers Day, show him how much you appreciate what a
wonderful husband or father he is. That’s the best gift idea you
can give to a man.

My website poll of 96 junior faculty members has an unequivocal winner. The poll asks, “What is the hardest part about being a junior faculty member?” Over a third of the respondents chose “Teaching takes up so much time” as their response.

Exactly How Time Consuming is Teaching? Surveys of how professors spend their time indicate that professors as a group, from junior to full professors, spend 29-30 hours a week at a minimum on activities related to teaching. Obviously, new faculty, who tend to have a higher teaching load than do full professors, and who are often teaching classes that they have never taught before, probably spend more than 30 hours a week. At some colleges with more of a teaching emphasis, it has been estimated that new professors may spend 50-60 hours a week on teaching.

What Can You Do To Lighten Your Teaching Burden? Robert Boice, the author of Advice to New Faculty Members, devotes the first 100 pages of his book to teaching. His advice can be boiled down to “moderation in all things.” When it comes to teaching, there are specific actions you can take. Here are some of his recommendations that I believe are the easiest to implement.
1. Don’t try to fit too much into each class
2. You don’t have to know everything
3. Simplify and make things more clear
4. Allow pauses during class
5. Do the “hardest work before it seems like work”

Don’t Try to Fit Too Much Into Each Class — Many new professors make the mistake of equating quantity with quality. The truth is that it is easy to overwhelm and bore your students. Do you want them walking out of your class with pages of poor notes, not having taken in most of what you’ve said? Or do you want them to leave energized, excited, and clear about your most important points?

You Don’t Have to Know Everything — Students are relieved and, ironically, will like and trust you more if they find out that you’re NOT perfect. Studies show that students prefer hearing their professors reason things out. Showing the process of your thinking is excellent modeling. You don’t earn their respect by being the smartest, most knowledgeable person in the world. You earn it by respecting them. If you don’t know the answer to something, model a scholar’s attitude of curiosity. Compliment them on the excellent question, say you’ll look into it and that you’ll answer it in the next class.

Simplify and Make Things More Clear — The information is often already in the assigned readings. If classes function only as information dumps, students will be resentful. On the other hand, if you can simplify, clarify and help them see the information in a new way, you will be making the class time valuable to them. Do you notice how this interacts with the idea of not fitting too much into the class? In order to clarify and simplify, you can’t complicate things by forcing too much information into their heads.

Allow Pauses During Class — Racing through the material will leave you and the class breathless. It’s not only OK, it’s preferable to let there be some spaces where you collect your thoughts, find the next page of your notes, or ask if there are questions and allow a silence for students to digest the material. These pauses will allow you to gauge audience reaction and shape your subsequent remarks accordingly.

Do “The Hardest Work Before it Seems Like Work” — I used quotes because this concept is directly from Boyce’s book. As you go about your day, make notes of thoughts about future classes that crop up in your mind. Expand on those during little breaks of a few minutes in your day, making mini-outlines or taking notes on further thoughts. Continue to expand on these ideas, imagining student reactions, metaphors or examples you might use, questions you might ask, discussion points, etc. Thus you are not preparing in one painful session, but slowly building to a preparation that will be partly complete.
My Recommendation — I suggest that you choose at least one of these ideas to try out in your teaching preparation or in your classes this week. You might find the transition a little scary, but you also might find that it helps your teaching. What have you got to lose?

Gina J Hiatt, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, tenure coach and dissertation coach and enjoys helping faculty and graduate students complete research, writing projects, and publish, while maintaining high teaching standards and other commitments. In addition to dissertation coaching, she teaches workshops and teleclasses on time management, writing, career planning and grad student/advisor relationships. Sign up for my free newsletter at www.academicladder.com or call me at (703) 734-4945.

Did you know that great speakers are often nervous with butterflies in their stomach before giving a presentation? And there are many actors/actresses who can not speak to live audiences without cue cards. My 13 years as a professional speakers bureau owner allowed me to hear several thousand speakers give their presentations. Here are a few tips I learned from them.

1. You want to be nervous. Get your butterflies to fly in formation. Some tension brings about a great speech. You usually don’t look as nervous as you feel. Be prepared, be relaxed. Practice, practice, practice. Use visualization techniques. One speaker suggests that you curl your toes and get rid of your adrenalin. Get out of your head and in to your heart. Reduce nervousness with self talk.

Your mantra might be - “I am a relaxed, confident speaker.”

2. Great presentations are well organized.

Opening - You have 60seconds to get their attention. So start with a great question, quote or short story. Tell ‘em what you will tell them.

Body - Tell ‘em. This is where you tell your 3-4 points supported by your stories.

Closing -Tell ‘em what you told them. Give them a call to action. What is one idea they can use immediately? in seven days? in one month?

There are basically two kinds of presentations - Informative (to know) Persuasive (to do)

Be sure you know what you want your audience to do as a result of your presentation.

Ask. . . What do they need to know to do this? What do they need to feel to do this?

Then provide 3-4 points in the body of your message and provide transitions between the points.

3. Great speeches have great stories. Sprinkle them throughout your presentation. We delineate our thoughts visually and your audience needs to “see” what they “hear.”

4. Technology is just a tool. Do not be a master of ceremonies to your PowerPoint. It is not the presentation.

Here are some guidelines to follow:

Necessity - is this visual aid going to enhance the audience’s understanding Clarity - to help people understand Simplicity - PowerPoint with words - no more than five words per line and five lines per slide. Color - color enhances the slide - but only use a few (we’re not talking about your kid’s 300 Crayola box of crayons) Visibility - keep it large and clear

5. Your voice is the source of power. FDR, Martin Luther King, Churchill used the power of their voice. Remember people need to see what they hear. Slow down, add a pause, whisper . . .use your voice to change tones, be loud or soft as needed.

6. Use your eyes - to make contact with audience. Focus on one person at a time and all the other people will feel as if you are talking to them also. This will help you to connect with people and make them feel you are there for them.

7. Interact - provide your audience with short role plays or partnering exercises. This gives them an opportunity to practice what you are telling them to do. Give them an opportunity to tell someone about their challenge and get some feedback as to how to resolve it. Then they can walk out the door at the end of the program ready to think or act differently. This is what every great speaker wants!

8. Join a fre*e Teleclass to learn how to speak like a pro on June 30, 2004 from 8-9 p.m. (EST) http://www.schrift.com/teleclasses/index.htm

© 2004 by Sandra Schrift. All rights reserved

Publishing Guidelines: You are welcome to publish this article in its entirety, electronically, or in print fre*e of charge, as long as you include my full signature file for ezines, and my Web site address (http://www.schrift.com) in hyperlink for other sites. Please send a courtesy link or email where you publish to sandra@schrift.com. Thank you.

About The Author

Sandra Schrift 13 year speaker bureau owner and now career coach to emerging and veteran public speakers who want to “grow” a profitable speaking business. I also work with business professionals and organizations who want to master their presentations. To find out How to Become a Highly Paid Professional Speaker, go to http://www.schrift.com/ProfessionalSpeaker/ Join my free bi-weekly Monday Morning Mindfulness ezine http://www.schrift.com/monday.htm

Attract More Visitors To Your Artworks.

Web traffic matters a lot in online artwork selling, but not completely. What matters is a combination of targeted good traffic looking for artworks. For an example, if a person is willing to buy a digital camera, then what are the chances of his buying an oil painting? Of course very less! But, in the case of a visitor looking for home decoration items is more likely to buy that oil painting. There are lots of methods to attract more targeted traffic to online gallery. Some of them are listed below to assist artists:

1. Artwork Promotion:

There is no replacement for artwork promotion. This brings your artwork more viewers. The more the viewers, the more the chances for sell. Promotion is like advertisement and for which you may have to pay little amount but it worth. This helps you in many ways. Some of them are:

a. Increases exposure.

b. Reaches to targeted viewers.

c. Increases probability of sell.

A targeted traffic to your art gallery will boost the visibility and increase the chances of sell.

2. Submit good quality & multiple pictures:

Many artists submit ordinary quality picture of their artworks. Art lovers see the artwork very minutely and hence it is suggested to give them a reason to buy, by providing high resolution pictures. Ordinary quality pictures hide brush strokes which art lovers may look for. Remember, high resolution pictures take more space and many website may not allow uploading of such high size picture. There are many photo editing softwares available in the market and some of the trial versions are also available on internet. In cases, artists are not comfortable with photo editing on computers then www.artilysis.com does editing work on behalf of registered artists absolutely for free. All an artist needs to do is to e-mail the pictures to sales@artilysis.com

If this is a craftwork or sculpture then, try to submit more than one picture taken from different angles. The purpose is to provide a 3-D view of artwork. Just take an example, keep yourself in buyer’s place. Now, you are searching online for some good craftwork or sculpture for your home, office, hotel, restaurants whatever it may be. You have shorted out two good craftworks and you have to finalize one. One craft is shown in single picture and other one is given three images taken from different angles and giving you full 3-D visuals. Now, which craftworks you will likely to buy? Of course the second craftwork has got more probability. The same way, multiple pictures help buyers to visualize the craftwork and chances for sell goes up.

3. Provide an attracting title:

i. Artists know their artworks more than anybody else and hence provide attracting titles to your artworks. The title is the second most important factor after the artwork, where an art buyer or collector looks at.
ii. Every artwork is created in different moods and a good title helps an art buyer or collector understand your idea. The title or theme is one of the most important factors which differs your Artwork from a Product.

4. Provide a little write-up about your artwork:

People who love art are more likely to read or listen a little about your concepts. It is suggested to provide a short description of your each artwork. Also, providing small details of previous exhibitions, responses, media attentions etc helps a lot. There is nothing to loose by providing short write-ups but definitely adds value to your artwork. Remember, the visitors visiting your gallery are interested more on the artwork and less on the write up and hence avoid long write-ups. If the exhibition is in an Art Gallery (Not online) then, ensure for a suitable font size of write up so that it can be read easily.

5. Money back guarantee:

Artworks are priceless. Money back guarantee encourages people to buy your art. This also reflects the authenticity of artwork and develops a trust in you and attracts more viewers/visitors to your artworks.

6. Encourage queries:

Encourage visitors to send their queries to you. The faster you resolve their queries more the chances to win the sell.

7. Do not replace the sold artwork from your online gallery unless there are some restrictions. Keeping some of the sold artworks in your gallery adds value to your other artworks and generated interest and trust in buyers. (source: www.artilysis.com)

Disclaimer: Successful art selling depends on many other factors also and hence there is no guarantee for sell. Readers may or may not agree on the content of the article submitted.

This article is submitted by a volunteer working for http://www.artilysis.com

When classy shoppers of the city of London are in desperate need of some seriously real retail therapy Matches Fashion supplies them with the glamorous fix they are looking for and the designer clothing fix the fashionistas need. Based in fabulous London Matches offer the greatest of British and International designer collections along with a focus on both classic elegance and cutting edge fashion. Matches Fashion also make available European and American shipping which is a treat for all global Matches Fashion uber trendy buyers.

Matches Fashion is one of the most blooming designer fashion style stores in London. They own over twelve stores dotted around; three of the larger clothing boutiques are situated in Richmond, elegant Wimbledon and Notting Hill. Along with Matches high end fashion boutiques Matches furthermore have a fantastic website. You may find your favourite Eugenia Kim clothes and slip ons on the internet no matter where you are in the Great Britain or the USA. Making the Matches Fashion name always available to you. Get expert assistance in picking the best Stella McCartney Clothes to suit your style and shape.

The striking website itself presently has over 600 distinct designer fashion mini skirts in stock; there are plans to rise this to approximately Like tons of other fashion boutiques around these days Matches is always introducing new lines to their stock bringing in items that are the top must haves of the season. Every season Matches are centred on picking out the key bags and editing the Dolce and Gabbana collections down to decide what Matches actually want to look at stocking that season. This takes tons of preparation but there has not been a season whereabouts Matches Fashion has not been spot on with the bags they are providing for Matches Fashion gorgeous shoppers. Stocking only the latest shoes from designers such as Freda Freda, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney to name but a few, anything you purchase from Matches Fashion regardless of what clothing designers make is, is bound to turn heads.

The VIN Number Search is a way to tell if a used car you are considering is worth buying, or if you should continue looking to find a more suitable vehicle. It is the only sure way to find out everything you need to know about a car’s history before you buy, giving you peace of mind when it comes time to make the purchase.

Oftentimes, the current owner will tell you that everything is fine, that the vehicle is in excellent condition and that there have been no major problems in the past. You might even have the opportunity to drive the car around the block a few times or on the highway, and not notice any issues. But does this mean you should go through with the purchase, based solely on the word of the owner and a few minutes of driving? Absolutely not.

That’s where the VIN Number Search comes into play. Once you have discussed the particulars with your neighbor, friend, or dealer, whatever the case may be, and have driven the vehicle around, there is one more step in the process before you close the deal. Copy down the car’s unique vehicle identification number, or VIN, which is a 17-character alphanumeric sequence found in various places on the car itself and on the title or registration.

Once you have this information, start with a free VIN Number Search at a reputable used car information service such as CARFAX or Autocheck. These companies have an extensive database with millions of records culled from DMV’s, insurance companies, auction houses and other agencies, and chances are they have comprehensive information on the vehicle you are looking at.

After the initial free VIN Number Search, which will reveal the year, make, model, brake system, engine and other vital data, you can proceed with the full vehicle history report, which contains detailed information such as serious mechanical issues, odometer problems, hail damage, police use and much more. It will also give mileage readings so you can see how much use the car has seen, ownership transfers and various DMV transactions.

Although you can get very basic info in the free VIN search, for just $19.99 for one car or $24.99 for unlimited cars, the vehicle history report is well worth it, especially if it alerts you to a problematic vehicle that you were close to buying before you ordered the report. Spending $20 to avoid thousands of dollars in future headaches is a small price to pay.

So whether you opt for the VIN search, or the full history, make sure you check out any used car extensively before you decide to buy…you’ll be glad you did!