Online Dating: A Serious BusinessThere are approximately 90 million U.S. singles 18+, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Dating in the 21st Century Today, in the 21st century, if you are single and in need of a date you do not have to go very far from home to look for one. In fact, you do not have to leave home at all. Just log on to the internet and search for a dating service. Then, get ready to choose between the hundreds of dating services available online. There is a dating service for just about every unique individual around, offering anyone looking for a date or companion, the opportunity to find someone special. These online dating services can range anywhere from age specific, sex specific, faith specific to special sites for vegetarian singles and even pet loving singles. If you wish, you can also link-up with someone locally or internationally. 63% of singles online are open to using online dating according to Match.com U.S. Brand Awareness and Perceptions Study, March 2005 Faster, Better and Easier Dating in the 21st century is faster, better and easier. Equipped with convenient technology (such as the internet and cell phones) dating is no longer as intimidating as face-to-face blind dates can be. Privacy and anonymity have much to do with it. It is much easier to have a sincere conversation with an online stranger than it is to talk to a coworker or neighbor. So get to know your date first, anonymously and at your own pace. You decide when to go offline and take it beyond smiley face icons and computerized winks. Allow yourself to chat online, send an email, and let someone know you are interested with the simple click of a button. Search through hundreds of profiles and photos of singles you are interested in or that have let you know are interested in you. You never know, you may find “the one” you have been looking for. Just remember, dating online does not guarantee you a date or a long-term relationship, but it does broaden your possibilities to find one. Yahoo! Personals and Match.com earned the industry’s highest customer experience rankings, according to Keynote research.
Dating Advice for Women
Advice for Single Women in the 21st CenturyThere are many people who offer newfangled dating advice for women, but it is usually the most practical and old-fashioned advice that works. Although the dating world has changed tremendously for men and women in the past few decades, some old standards still ring true. With so many
people looking for love, dating advice for women is highly sought amongst single ladies.Before one can actually participate in a date, one has to ask or be asked out for one. In the 21st century, either party can easily do this. Dating advice for women often lacks the most rudimentary aspect of going out on a date: how does one ask another out? The best way is often to be upfront and honest about one’s feelings. Once two parties engage in some mutual flirtation and it seems they may very well hit things on romantically, it is only natural for a date to be the next phase. A woman shouldn’t feel inclined to do anything different than a man would in this situation. Women often ask what they should do in preparation for a date. After all, first impressions last forever. Dating advice for women often includes the smaller details, such as clothes and makeup, as women are very concerned about such things. This is opposed to men, who often want to know where the couple should go on the first date and what topics of conversation are appropriate. This dating advice for women is priceless: don’t overdo it. Too much eyeliner or too much perfume may not be the way to go. After all, the person who agreed to go out with her seemed to like the way she normally looked. When preparing, go for dressy/casual and don’t show up looking like a stranger.
Dating Advice for Men
Advice for Single Men in the 21st CenturyThere is a lot of misguided dating advice for men out there in the world. Namely, magazines and Web sites are often trying to dole out dating advice for men. However, men should know that the best kind of dating strategy is to stick with the basics. No matter how independent women seem to
become, they still want to be treated like a lady. Men should try not to be men, but gentlemen. Although this is an age of sexual liberation and celebrities constantly pushing the envelope, chivalry will always win a woman over in the end.Dating advice for men often differs from advice given to women in that men are looking for the more practical answers for their dates. Whereas women think too much about appearances and the emotional side of dating, men are often curious about more sensible things. For instance, where should a first date be held? Men shouldn’t always assume that they will decide where the date will be held, but it is an old-fashioned and still romantic thing to “treat” a woman with a date. Having things prepared before the date tells the woman that the man gave her a lot of thought. Of course, an old standby that still works for a first date is dinner and a movie.Those seeking dating advice for men will often concern themselves with how to dress for the occasion. Although women normally obsess a bit more than men about what to wear, this is still a topic of concern for men. The answer is the same for both sexes: wear something nice, but don’t overdo it. Depending on what the date will entail, one should go for dressy-casual. However, some more daring type of dates, such as ones that entail outdoor adventure, will obviously call for something different. A priceless bit of dating advice for men: groom yourself well, but go easy on the cologne.
TV or Internet? Broadband Video Takes on Television
Which Will You Watch? TV and Broadband Internet Video Will CompeteI’m waiting for NFL games to hit the internet. It will probably be presented as a pay per view, but it’s coming, you can bet on that. Already you can watch live events via broadband internet. WebTV (an oldie in internet time) serves to muddy the waters a
little more. Which is TV and which is internet? Sometimes, it’s hard to tell.Sometimes there is no appreciable difference to the viewer. Churches ran with this technology right away and now it’s not uncommon to visit a Christian site and be presented with the option to view a full service – sometimes live, but more often not – on your monitor. Windows Media and RealAudio players handle these presentations very well. But what about real TV programming? The commercial kind, with interruptive advertising and all? It’s coming along. News videos, RealAudio broadcasts, Google videos, Youtube… they’re plowing up the roadbed and making it ready for the Big Guys. Whether national TV broadcasters come to the internet, or whether the internet births its own broadcasting super stars is yet to be seen, but whoever does it needs a better understanding of the internet than today’s news sites seem to have. Although computer monitors have yet to equal big screen TV, they’ve been greatly improved so that graphic presentations are much easier to watch. Watching newscasts, sportscasts and religious presentations tend to be a more individual activity because monitors are still small and one needs to sit fairly close to them for the best experience. But… as I said. It’s coming along. The question is, will they compete or compliment each other? Will the internet be a challenge to traditional TV shows, or will it fall into step beside them? I think – I hope – that the internet will challenge TV broadcasting The internet is more in touch with real people, doing real things. People who prefer to be online more than sit in front of the TV are a little different breed, and they’re going to expect different things from their entertainment choice. Is the internet up to it? Maybe not quite yet. But.. it’s coming along.
Vonage Broadband Voice Phone System
A Broadband Phone Service Worth Talking AboutAfter watching about 2 million Vonage commercials, and checking their website for all of the details, I did a little grade-school math, and found I would save approximately $40 per month in long distance fees and the cost for a standard telephone line, if I were to sign up for Vonage
broadband voice service rather than keep my existing telephone service carrier.My Vonage account was set up over the telephone, but there is also the option of signing up on the internet. All you need to do so is a credit or debit card. There is no annual contract, either. If you decide Vonage isn’t what you wanted, simply cancel the account. Your credit or debit card is billed each month for your telephone service. For $24.99 (plus the standard fees and taxes) per month I get: Three-way calling, 911 service, caller ID, voicemail, unlimited local and long distance (U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, and parts of Europe), call return, repeat dialing, call forwarding, call waiting, call transfer, take Vonage with you, the list goes on and on. There is also worldwide Network Calling, which means no matter where in the world you’re calling, as long as the other party is a Vonage customer, it’s free. I wasn’t getting half of these services with my previous telephone company, but I was paying more money per month – not counting the long distance, taxes, and other fees that are tacked on that everyone has to pay.There are cheaper packages, but the lesser packages have limits on minutes you can use and where you can call. There is also the option for business lines, and multiple home lines. Vonage phone calls come through clear, and there is a step-by-step CD-Rom guide that comes in the box with the Vonage Device. It takes literally minutes to connect to your internet and computer. All it takes to set up the Vonage Device is two cables and a phone cord. There is nothing to install on your computer, either. It’s so easy, a child could do it.
Five Tips to Combat the Fear of Public Speaking
Public Speaking – Be PreparedGlossophobia—the fear of public speaking.According to Wikipedia, glossophobia may affect as many as 75% of all people who have ever had to speak in public. There is a running joke that says statistics indicate that many people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of death. Public speaking is pretty much exactly what
it sounds like: speaking in public, and many people are terrified of this prospect.In order to be an effective public speaker, and to alleviate some of the fears associated with public speaking, this article will present five tips to help you become an effective public speaker.1. Know Your AudienceIn order to be an effective public speaker, you have to know your audience. This is where the ‘who’ of public speaking comes into play. How you would address a group of teenagers would differ greatly from how you would address a group of, say, lawyers. This is a critical factor to effective public speaking. You need to know your audience, who they are, their demographics, and then prepare your presentation geared toward the majority of your target audience. When you know your audience and understand where you audience’s perspective will be before you have to speak, you will be much more comfortable when the time comes to make your presentation.2. Know Your Subject/TopicWhat will you be talking about? What is it you will be presenting? Whenever you give a talk, speech, recital, presentation – you are presenting something to your audience. What is it? Figure out what your topic is and research and study it so you are prepared. While you may have a presentation already lined out and ready to just stand up and read, the audience may ask you questions, and you should be prepared to answer them. The more you know about your topic, the ‘what’ of your presentation, the comfortable you will be when speaking and the more knowledgeable you will appear to your audience.3. Practice, Practice, Practice
Tips on Public Speaking for the Total Coward
How to Conquer Your Irrational Fear of Public SpeakingImagine for a moment that you have to deliver a speech to the United Nations on the State of the World, and wars might result if you offend the wrong person. Some of us will shrug and quickly move on to the next thought. Others may break out in a cold sweat at the very thought of having to deliver a public speech of such magnitude. Many people face a crippling, yet totally irrational fear of public speaking, and no matter how much coaching or counseling or practice, some people might never overcome it.However, even if you never overcome that fear, HERE are a few tips that will help you prevent others, those listening to you, from ever realizing how terrified you were. Included are some preparatory notes on how to plan and how to execute on game day.Whenever handed a request or an order to deliver some public speech, whether it is a wedding toast, a victory speech, a campaign speech, a sales pitch, or simply a public announcement for your church, you are also handed an advantage: Advanced Notice.What that means to you is that no matter what happens, you have a little time to think and to plan in order to prepare. So how in the world do you prepare for public speaking? You don’t curl up into the fetal position and sob uncontrollably. The very first thing you do is plan out what you would like to achieve.You see, the absolute worst thing that can happen is that you might not achieve that goal, and if you never understand what it is, then you certainly will never achieve it. And lets face facts, MOST of us will never deliver a speech where a life is on the line, so the pressure can’t be that bad.Let’s take an example from everyday life; The wedding toast. How do you set a goal for a wedding toast? Its more simple than it sounds, and in five minutes, you can probably name ten things you want your toast to achieve. Here are a few goals I have for wedding toasts:
No More Games; Dating Advice for Men
What Girls Want in a Guy; Written by a Guy What does a woman want in a man? The truth is they arent going to tell us. Do not think for a moment however, that we won’t be held accountable for not knowing. For this very reason I’ve spent uncountable hours observing the female sex and becoming one with their mind by using my
Jedi ninja powers. I now make available, for the first time ever, a mans guide to what women want out of us. Print these pages and make them your new bible but spend more time reading this one.Girls want to be loved. When I say love I’m talking about love, Im talking about something that is unconditional. Love does not see flaws. Love does not seek to hurt the other person. Love is something that we do. Its an action verb. Its something that we can express and show. Love is a passion that you have for that girl. But it’s still there even when the passion’s cooled. They want us to love them for ever, to always show it. They want the kind of man that will still love them even when we dont particularly like them at the moment. They want a man that will make a commitment to them and stick with it. We’ve proven that we can commit guys. If we can stick by the same baseball or football team for our entire lives then what makes it so hard to love someone that actually shows love back? Love is not just a feeling that we have its something that we do. That’s what the girls want. They want that kind of love. That’s the number one thing. Did you know that there are very few of them that haven’t daydreamed about their weddings and what they’re husbands are going to be like since they were little girls. They used sit around in little circles and actually discuss these things with other like-minded junior high girls. Make no mistake about it fellas, these girls at one time had a standard and while many will settle simply because they dont feel as if any of us can live up to it. They do have one, knowing what it is will make us much happier as well. Happy wife equals happy life. We need to not only start meeting that standard, we need to exceed it.
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles – Qian Li Zou Dan Qi: A Sweet, Quiet Drama. In Chinese and Japanese with English Subtitles
“Qian Li Zou Dan Qi” is a rare collaboration between Japanese and Chinese filmmakers, and the result is a lovely, lyrical tale of family and forgiveness.Takata Gou-ichi lives alone in a little Japanese fishing village; he hasn’t seen or spoken to his only son, Ken-ichi, since Takata’s wife died ten years ago. Rie, Ken-ichi’s wife, tells Takata that Ken-ichi has been hospitalized for what turns
out to be terminal cancer. Despite Rie’s well-intentioned duplicity, he refuses to see his father; Rie sends Takata home with a videotape Ken-ichi produced, a short performance of a Chinese folk opera, followed by an interview with the singer, a man called Li Jiamin. On tape, Ken-ichi promises to return to China to film Li performing a song called “Qian Li Zou Dan Qi”, a tale of an ancient Chinese nobleman who declined various honors and traveled hundreds of miles to aid a friend. Takata doesn’t know the story of the song, but he decides to travel to China and film Li’s performance as a peace offering to his dying son.Takata sets out for the hinterlands of China’s Yunnan province only to find that Li is in prison. This begins the almost farcical quest on Takata’s part to succeed in his original aim. He struggles with bureaucrats, interpreters (he speaks no Chinese at all), villagers, the vastness of China’s undeveloped countryside, Li himself, and last but not least, Li’s fiesty 8-year-old son Yang Yang.Ken-ichi dies, of course, so there’s no happy ending. The movie ends as it begins, with Takata alone in his fishing village. But he’s achieved a connection with his son that wouldn’t have been possible without this journey, and maybe he’s learned something about himself as well.We never see Ken-ichi’s face, a subtle but effective metaphor for the distance between father and son.