Brick or Stone DIY Projects: 7 Tips To Help You Build Your DIY Masonry Project and Your Relationship

There are so many homeowners in today's economy that see the DIY home improvement project as the solution to improving their homes living environment, increasing the value of their home or even potentially getting it ready for listing it for sale.

While either partners or spouses eventually enjoy the fruits of their labor, getting there can test the mettle of their relationship and quite frankly get on each other's last nerve in the process.

Women like to improve their environment, keep up with the latest design trends, change things up and fluff the nest so to speak, whereas men might come from the angle of loving using tools, building something with their own two hands and having all the guys over for a beer and showing off his work after a little chest thumping. So right from the get go we see things differently.

Throughout the project, men and women take a different spin on things as well. Men just want to dig in and get the job done and women are most often a lot more methodical about how to proceed. Even as women generally have to balance the ongoing home life and kids, men are in their element raising dust and noise and pretty oblivious to the trickledown effect.

There are a lot of effective tools, no pun intended, that you can implement in order to make a project go smoothly from that first brainstorm all the way to sitting around enjoying the benefits of your finished labor of love.

1) You need to have clarity on your vision about what the project entails in design, scope, materials, time and certainly your budget. Quite simply. you should both be on the same page.

2) Things are bound to get a little heated from time to time, so if there is already friction in the relationship you don't want to start a fire that is going to get out of control. A DIY home masonry or other project will go smoother if you are in a harmonious rather that confrontational relationship.

3) Nowadays every family is busy and juggling a lot of commitments from work, kids, church etc. Take a look at your calendar to see if you can afford the time to take on another project, particularly one as demanding and stressful as a DIY patio, planter, firepit or anything else you can dream up.

4) Access each other's skills and decide honestly what everybody is good at. Once you have done that and basically divided up the work load, give everybody the respect and trust to do their job, with a pat on the back thrown in for good measure.

5) Realize that with most DIY projects Murphy's Law can and will come into play at some point and you need to be able to laugh it off.

6) Schedule the project to take at least 2 to 3 times longer that you anticipate when you're sitting there dreaming up the project. That way everyone's expectations are right on schedule so to speak.

7) It is important to take a break for some down time. Families and loved ones need attention and quite frankly if building a fireplace from start to finish is not your normal workout, your body will appreciate the break too.

You will find that if you can make it through a DIY home project and savor the results, you will have exercised and developed some relationship skills that will foster better communication for the long haul. Hey, you might even think about another project!

The Greatest Wealth Transfer and Opportunity In History - Fast Approaching

What is currently being done today to the US dollar greatly impacts it negatively. Which in-turn is negatively impacting every fiat currency in the world. Sadly today there is no culture, country or currency that is safe from the negative effects of the dollar. Basically stated, if the world's reserve currency is sick and catches a cold it will become contagious. At that point all the rest of the currencies on the planet will become sick. The truth be told however, at this point the dollar is not just sick, it does not simply have a cold, it's got terminal cancer.

The demise of our world-wide monetary system

At some point the dollar will finally implode after all attempts to stop the process have failed. It is the way governments and central banks have addressed and tried to fix the problem, that's making the problem terminal. As more deficit spending occurs, money printing continues. By masking the ill effects of debt, more and more potential energy is created and stored upon the dollar.

Once the potential energy is finally released, the resulting implosion will be so severe that a majority of people will be in serious duress and financial turmoil. The only few survivors left will be those people who have pre-positioned themselves ahead of time by holding physical precious metals namely gold and silver.

For Every Crisis that Occurs, Opportunity Follows

Many indicators today are telling us that this event is going to be the greatest opportunity in the history of civilization. The timing of this event of course cannot be pegged to any specific timeline. However it is safe to say it will happen in full force, before the current decade runs out. This decade will not be like anything of the past, nor anything that anyone alive today has ever seen or known. There will be major changes taking place throughout the world's financial system.

Problems that were speaking about have already occurred throughout the world on a small-scale. We have seen pockets of these economic calamities occurring within our current lifetimes. Examples for the older generations, look at the hyperinflation of 1923 in Weimar Germany. For the younger generations, we can look to the massive hyperinflation within Zimbabwe that occurred, where in-fact there still trying to recover.

During these times people have always had the option to hold their wealth in US dollars to keep from losing all their assets. But now, today, if all the currencies in the world are sick at the same time, suffering from the same huge inflationary forces, or worse a lack of confidence in currencies, then at that point there is no place else to seek safety other than by holding physical gold and silver.

There has never been a world-wide demand simultaneously, what is happening in the world today is actually a brand new phenomenon that will be absolutely huge. We will all be witnessing the greatest wealth transfer in the history of mankind take place. Therefore we will see the greatest opportunity of mankind taking place. The good news is for those people who act now. Acting now will enable you to take part in this great wealth transfer as it un-folds.

Tom Genot -

Forum Marketing for Traffic Building

In the online marketing business, traffic is everything. You may have an extremely cutting-hedge-brilliant product to share, but, without an audience, who would you be talking to?

One of the many ways to promote your products online and to generate traffic is through online forums. You may not realize it, but online forums pull thousands, in the tens, to their website. If it is a specialized forum, then you have your audience cut out for you already!

Reaching the Correct Forum

Forums are generally easy to find, simply Google "your interest"+forum and an endless list of forums would be generated for you. It is best to pick the top few forums in search engines because that few forums would be what other people would find, and that is be where most of the crowd will be.

Registering into a Forum

To participate in forums, you would normally be required to sign up to a free account. Having signed up, they would then need you to log in to your e-mail to complete the registration. This is to confirm that you are a genuine participant rather than a spammer or a bot.

Once your account is ready, you may start interacting with the fellow participants. At the beginning, most forums would require you to post for a certain number of times before you may start adding links to your post. Take this as an opportunity to get to know how the forum runs and the general energy in the forum.

Start Posting

It is good to post informational comments that answers the questions posted. Answer their questions and try to solve their problems. If you give good advice and the participants like your comments and suggestions, they would visit your website. After a few weeks, you may even consider posting topics of your own and encourage discussion.

If possible, add your website URL in your signature so that they can see your link every time you post a comment. The more active you are in forums, the more often your website's URL will appear. This is good in helping to generate a good sum of back links for search engines crawlers to search for your site and ultimately boost your SEO rankings.

Community

Besides generating traffic and back links to your website, forums are also a great source of information. The questions and answers in forums are generated through real life experience. With that, it is also a great way to survey relevant market information of your product and come up with better value for your customers.

Niche Marketing Tips: Transform Your Career and Explode Your Profits!

Are you perturbed and disturbed about the way your business is growing, Do you know you can make millions with niche marketing? Well, it's very possible.

The reason your business is going the way it is now is because you failed to build a strong foundation. Take it or leave it; the foundation of any online business is centered on niche marketing!

As an online marketer and entrepreneur, if there's anything you should put the best of your time in is to improve on your niche marketing skills. You've got to sharpen your traffic approach and implement from different angles.

In case you don't know what I mean by niche marketing, niche marketing is just a way to market to a specific person in a target market. It's a way to channel your efforts and attention to a specific people who're likely to buy your products and services.

Please don't get me wrong with this word: '' You can make millions with niche marketing''. I simply mean that the growth of your business will improve if you apply the right niche marketing tactics.

I believe you know that you have to do market research on who your target audience are--what they like--the things that bother them--where they come from and preferably, how to tailor your products and services to meet their needs.

Although these factors are important and I believe you have been applying them in your business; but note this.

It works with the right set of principles.

You can't get much results if you don't use it rightly. I'll be revealing to you, the secrets to using niche marketing in building a profitable online business.

These tips I believe are things you know well off, but I'll be sharing deep fact about them and how to effectively use them to build your online home business.

Tip 1#: Advertise where your target market is most likely to focus their attention

It will be foolish to advertise a baseball product to pregnant women--Very foolish indeed.

Tailor your products or services to the demand of a specific person.

Advertise to people of the same interest, background, and ideas. It shouldn't be hard to identify who your target audience is if you can identify these factors.

Do you understand? OK, seems like I'm getting too serious.

For example, if your product is tailored towards teenagers, market them to teenagers. They are the only ones who're likely to buy from you if do a good job on your homework.

Tip 2#: Channel the way you communicate to how your target audience talk

You need to talk the way your target audience will do. The only way to capture the mind of man is to dance to his tune. It is the same in niche marketing. You need to talk the way your target market will do if you really want them to buy from you.

For example, if your niche market is young youths, you need to know the youth's and teenagers slangs. -- That's a way to feel among and to say that you understand what they like and who they are.

Approach them the way they'll talk to their friends. Don't be rude, arrogant, and too bossy.

Don't do that. You won't go far in business if you act this way; Instead, come down to their level and act their way...

Tip 3#: Address a specific need

The only way to make it in life especially online, is when your mind and focus is directed to meeting the needs of people. The law of attraction works for a man who's eager to help people solve their challenges. Show them the step you took and the decisions you made in building your own online empire. And practical tips on how they can help others do the same.

Stand out from your competitors-- don't look out for money--shift your gaze off it and focus in helping people achieve their goals. I assure you that if you act this way, your business will grow and your income will skyrocket by 120%.

If you want to outbeat your competitors, address a need better the way your other counterparts will do. Do a little market research to know in depth what your niche audience is searching for. Although this may seem like a bit of hard work, but it's well worth worth the time!

Tip 4#: Get the price right the first time

Get the price right the first time. People hardly buy expensive products this day and the only way to make them buy is to set the prices on an average scale.

Tip 5#: Go down the trends to find what's trending presently ( Google trends)

A good way of knowing what people search the most online these days is to use Google trends. I use this platform to search for the present needs of people, the goods and services that people search the most on the search engines.

It's good that you use this tool in your business so you would always be current and of course, upgrade your products and services to meet the demands of people.

Tip 6#:Yahoo homepage sounds good!

Another idea I'll like you to implement in your niche marketing campaign is to search for the top ten searches on the homepage of Yahoo. For your information, I get at least 5 article topic ideas anytime I visit the Yahoo homepage! The reason why I love this platform is because it shows the current news and needs of people on the internet which is good for your marketing campaign.

This platform will lead to the right market that assures you of current demand; increasing your chance to make more sales, increase your revenue, and profits.

Although there are still other niche marketing topics you still need to know but these are the basics.

Implement these tips and ensure that you measure your results.

Audio Files - Uses and How to Create Audio Files

In simple terms, audio files are files containing audio or sound. These files come in a variety of formats, the most popular being mp3 files or wav files. The use of audio on the web has increased drastically and it has been shown that audio is only second to video in popularity.

The advantage of audio in a blog or website is that the user's experience is enriched. Besides content mainly composed of text, audio gives an added dimension to your visitors. For example, you provide your articles in text format on your site. If you also provide an audio recording of your articles, then visitors can download them and listen to your recordings at will. The availability of mp3 players and other suitable devices to listen to your audio transcriptions are widespread. And these devices are very portable, so they could be listened anywhere.

Another use of audio files is when editing your own videos. Video is currently one of the most popular formats on the web. And videos contain sound. So your sound files could be added to a video you recorded using special software. And if you know how to play an instrument such as the piano or guitar you could create a sound clip that you can use as background music for your videos, website and so on.

Generating traffic and creating backlinks could also be accomplished using sound files. As you are well aware, a website needs all the traffic it needs if it is to be successful. And backlinks are important for moving your website to the front pages of the search engines. This is an important part of the process called search engine optimization. With this in mind, there are specialized websites that offer a podcasting service. This means that you could upload your audio file to this website and people then download it to listen to it. At the end of your audio track, you will obviously ask visitors to visit your site for more information. And your files will generate a backlink to your website in your podcast profile.

Creating audio files is quite simple. You could use a free text to speech website that will convert your posts or web pages to audio. However the voice could be quite robotic but a little adjustment to the pitch of the voice could render your recording more realistic. To find such web based programs, a simple Google search for the words text to speech will bring up quite a number of sites offering this service for free.

How Can Insurance Brokers Help You?

Insurance brokers, better known as insurance agents or personal insurance advisors can turn out to be extremely resourceful in the process of buying insurance coverage. Basically, these brokers offer different types of insurances from various companies. One can choose the most suitable option from the best insurance brokers to save a good deal of time and money in the process.

How Do They Help You?

Insurance brokers spend all the time in the world by helping the clients to get insurances that are suitable for them, and fit their bill too. It is also recommended to use services of professionals, who are loyal to a particular company, and specialized agents who promote products of only one company, may turn out to be the best bets in case you're interesting in purchasing insurance from a specific firm.

These brokers can turn out to be a blessing for arranging unique event insurance, event cancellation insurance or public liability insurance while you're busy arranging an exhibition/event or throwing a party.

It is also recommended to do little research on insurance companies to check out the optimal choice, and by hiring the best insurance broker; you can easily make that happen. And, of course, the research done by the professionals who understand the nitty-gritty will always be more insightful than what you can analyse in a few minutes.

Coming to the home insurance brokers, they are not only hired by a particular company, but may again work with several organizations and help you in comparing the prices of various policies, so as to assist you in finding the best one for your needs.

They work for you and help you in spending your hard-earned money on the best policy available in the market. While finding the best home insurance agent, you need to keep the following things in mind -

Check the Licences of Brokers

Insurance brokers should have the license of the state, so you must check their licence proof first!

You can even call your their department to cross-check the records, in case you aren't cent per cent sure about everything.

Get Recommendations from Existing Customers

You can get recommendations from friends, family and co-workers who have taken a similar coverage earlier and it'd be a good move to go with an agent who has good reputation.

Can't You Live Without a Broker?

Not hiring the best broker doesn't mean that you will be paying more, and you can definitely live without a broker. However, such agents are capable of explaining the essence of the policy in a matter of few minutes. Apart from that, brokers will assist you in understanding the deal and signing it off in a hassle-free manner.

Pet Health Insurance Tips For Your Pet

Taking good care of your pet is of utmost importance. If you have a pet at home then you might have to spend your money in acquiring suitable pet health insurance. Pet health insurance can really help you in saving your money when your pet's health is in a bad state. Well, this amazing insurance policy can definitely save your hard earned money if you work hard and follow the right steps. You must consider several factors while choosing a pet health insurance policy. In this article, we are going to talk particularly about pet health insurance tips for your pet. All you need to do is to pay proper attention towards this article.

Now, let us talk about some key tips regarding pet health insurance. You must read the points given below carefully.

Choose Provider Carefully A large number of firms proffer pet health insurance policy to their clients worldwide. Before choosing a particular policy, you need to completely educate yourself regarding the particulars of different insurers. If you don't research hard then you might end up finding an expensive policy.

Pick Your Policy Carefully You need to decide upon a policy carefully so that you get maximum coverage. Avoid purchasing an insurance policy that is more complex than required, as doing so will likely be a waste of your resources. For instance, if you carry your pet to the doctor only once in a year, opt for a suitable policy that serves your purpose in the best probable way.

Multiple Coverage Discounts Choosing a multiple coverage policy can definitely help you in availing a lot of discounts. You can opt for a single policy even if you have more than one pet. However, you must enquire your potential insurer regarding multiple coverage discounts as you move through the application procedure. It is of utmost importance to take pleasure in all the advantages of such policies.

Check With Your Vet A veterinary doctor can surely offer you a great amount of guidance in terms of choosing a suitable insurance plan. Get in touch with your vet and talk about his personal experience. You need to be very specific and clear in this regard. In case you face any difficulty you can easily research hard.

Pre-existing Conditions You need to make sure that your pet doesn't have any pre-existing conditions that might not be covered. Everything should be done in a planned and systematic way.

So, these are some of the most important points to remember regarding pet health insurance tips for your pet. I am sure all these tips would really help you in a big way. Besides, all these things I would like to tell you that you need to get in touch with a suitable veterinary doctor. He would surely offer you great help. Read this article at least once for further information. It could be of great help to you. Have fun and enjoy yourself while insuring your pet in the best probable way. This would surely make your life a lot easier.

4 Effective Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Site Using Pinterest

Pinterest started out as a scrapbook-type site where people could post pictures of their friends, family, pets and more and share them with other people. However, the response has being massive and people have started using Pinterest for marketing purposes and to increase web traffic.

Pinterest is a cool way to share your products or services with the rest of the virtual world. You can 'pin' pictures of products or showcase the talents that you have on offer. Pinterest works great for your brand and business personality if you know what you are doing. Here are 4 effective ways to drive traffic to your site using Pinterest.

Show Your Pins on Facebook and Twitter

Before Pinterest was Facebook and Twitter. The Tsunami traffic on these 2 sites is no joke. So use it to your advantage. This is very easy; you can share your pictures right from your Pinterest page. If your pictures are quality and attractive people will check it out. People are more likely to look at more pictures than read more text.

Do not sell ice to Eskimos

Use Pinterest demographics to get the right people checking out your pictures. If you do not target the right audience, you will never get traffic to your site. When you target the right niche, they will follow you and re-pin.

According to present research, most users of Pinterest are women aged 25-45 with at least a college degree. So if your business is tilted towards women in this category, you have struck gold. Even if your site is no tilted to women, see how you can tweak and cash in on the traffic.

Besides, the way the traffic for Pinterest is rushing in, who says those grand daddy boots you are selling would not moving like hot cupcakes in a few months.

Drum Up Activity

Send the word out. Let your mailing list and friends or associates from other social networks know that you are on Pinterest.

Ask them to send photos of your product in action or provide engaging images of recommendations or testimonials. Try not to be to direct with the marketing.

Go for creativity and exciting pictures. Mix it with neutral pictures to strike a great balance. And that you are not trying too hard to get your business noticed.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled

Be ready to tweak your pinboard, if you are looking for maximum effect; realize that nothing is cast in stone. So watch out for what people are excited about on Pinterest and see what building interest is early enough for you to jump on it.

Always build your pinboards round a theme, that way people know what you are about or can find what they are looking for easily.

Pinterest gives you the chance to add that special touch to your business, something that big companies cannot afford to pull off. So strategize before jumping in. Do things right and get laser-targeted traffic to your site and sales to go with it.

Benefits of Having a Travel Insurance Policy

Going on a holiday or a business trip requires a lot of planning in terms of ticket bookings, hotel reservations etc. We make our tour plans; calculate the amount of money to be spent on shopping, sightseeing and every possible arrangement, often ignoring looking out for a reliable travel insurance cover. Having a travel coverage by your side will prove of great help in times of need, read the below mentioned pointers to know more.

Guard against travel related emergencies: Your flight lands at the desired destination and you find out that there is a strike of taxi drivers. In such a situation you do not have any other option but to be stranded at the airport until the arrangements are made. Your budget trip can go haywire by bearing the expenses of surviving at the airport until you find other transportation options in foreign land. If you have a travel insurance such unexpected emergencies can be covered and you could save a lot of money too. Flight delays due to extreme weather conditions are also very common currently and travelers can do nothing about them. But if you opt for a travel insurance plan you can be protected against such instances and you can claim the expenses born during such times.

Doubles up as health insurance: When you opt for a medical insurance it will provide you coverage during times of medical emergencies. But not every health plan will protect you during your travel to domestic or international location. Travel insurances however take care of such aspects as well and will see to it that you get the best medical help within short time. Health complications cannot be predicted and if you are in unknown land there isn't anyone who can help you out. A travel insurance cover however proves to be reliable during such times.

Money saving: Purchasing travel insurance will ultimately mean saving money on your trip. If you encounter any sort of emergency be it baggage theft, sickness, flight cancellations or delays; travel coverage can look after all of them. But if you choose to undertake your journey without it you might end up shelling out double the amount of money of your insurance premium or even more.

Buying travel insurance will secure you or your loved one while traveling. Many people do not realize the worth and importance of such policies and realize it only after they have encountered unexpected scenarios during their travel. Prevention is always better than cure so make sure you do not commit the same mistake and buy yourself a trustworthy travel insurance plan.

Back to the Beginning

I invite you to today's discussion and I believe the Lord will minister to you as you meditatively go through this post.

Genesis I: 1-2

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without FORM and VOID and DARKNESS covered the face of the waters.

Nothing begins with perfection. Be it business, relationship, marriage, ministry or anything that you may think of. I have heard of testimonies of people who started business without really knowing what the outcome will be. God created the heaven and the earth yet His earth was not in the shape He wanted. God did not give up until what he envisioned happened.

We live at a time when people and Christians for that mater are not ready to hold on until their dream comes to fulfilment. Patience is a thing of the past. Many believers are caught in the game of running after miracles. Few are ready to pay the price for their miracles.

We see three issues standing as challenge to Gods mission;

• Without form-Some people put it this way, "I don't feel like it" • Void and • Full of darkness.

I came to discover that these three points are the main challenges to many people. God's earth was without form. No one could be attracted to it no matter what. It was void meaning that there was emptiness. The earth could not attract anything hence the emptiness. On top of that emptiness and formlessness, darkness topped up the confusion.

This is one of the positions many people find themselves in. We all pass through that state of

• Not feeling form so to speak. • Feeling emptiness • Being uncertain of your future.

As we have seen from the above scripture, God did not give up on the earth because it did not measure up to His original picture. He set out to work on it until as you will see the same chapter... He saw everything was very good. Things were not good, admirable shinning and attractive at the start. On the centrally they were discouraging. But God worked thing out until what He had purposed came to fulfilment.

The first thing God dealt with was darkness. Where there is darkness there cannot be beauty. Things do not appeal any more. Marriage, ministry cannot be enjoyable. Darkness increases the void and keeps whatever we do from gaining form. If things are to move in the right direction in outlives, then we must start at the right place. Deal with darkness. God said "Let there be light and there was light".

You will realize that everything needed to make the earth inhabitable was within her. The darkness and the void had covered it. Only light could put everything clear. The next thing which God did was to gather things at their rightful position. Maybe things are not working out for you because issues in your life are misplaced. There can't be land when water and land are mixed together. Sort things out and you will find what you are looking for.

The last thing that God dealt with was the issue of productivity. Remember earlier on; the earth was void and darkness was its cover. This condition cannot permit growth or productivity. Only after they are dealt with can we expect maturity and productivity. God could now say... "Let the earth bring forth... "

If we learn to follow God's method of doing things, we will be assured of victory. Our lives will never be void neither will it be formless. Where the word of God is there cannot be darkness. Growth and productivity is assured if only we learn to eliminate darkness out of our lives.

Stay-At-Home Moms Make Money at Nap Time

It is challenging these days for a family to make ends meet on one income. Many families consciously make the decision for the mother to stay home to raise the children when they are young, but this doesn't make the financial struggle any easier. There is still the financial pressure and/or desire for many mothers to contribute financially to the family. But where are the high-paying jobs you can do from home and how can you find the time to do them?

Webcam entertaining, or webcam modeling as it is sometimes called, is one of the few, if not only job you can do from home when it's convenient for you. And you can make fantastic money. Many stay-at-home moms (SAHMs) and work-at-home moms (WAHMs) find it to be a Catch 22 to earn enough money to cover childcare expenses while still making a substantial profit.

The following are the top 6 benefits of webcam modeling:

Flexible Hours. Work when you want to and as much as you want to.

Work from Home. Do you only have nap times and evenings free? That's more than enough time to make an excellent living from webcam modeling.

It's Free. Like most jobs, it costs nothing to get started. You are an independent contractor.

Spice Up Your Sex Life. You can do it by yourself while your husband watches from the sidelines or you can perform together. Some webcam production companies and studios allow you to block any states you wish from viewing your performances so there's no need to worry about your friends or your husband's boss or coworkers seeing you.

Make a Full-Time Income from Part-Time Hours. Most performers who spend about 20 hours online earn at least $500-1,000+ per week. Some top performers earn that daily!

Feel Sexy. Let's face it - after changing diapers and taking care of everyone's needs all day, it's hard to feel like the sexual, beautiful woman you are. Getting attention online is a great ego boost and performing will make your sexual side re-emerge.

Webcam modeling is not for everyone. You need a sense of adventure, an open mind and a flirty attitude. But to quote my favorite role model, Mae West, "Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before."

PPC: Giving You a Quick ROI

Pay per Click is famously known as PPC. It is a very fast and effective form of marketing that integrates with every other marketing style. For instance if you are a company with just 3 employees, with PPC you can compete with the national chains. PPC campaign management offers a wide range of advantages. Let us have a look at them.

• Instant Results: PPC provides faster or I'd rather say instant results as compared to other forms of marketing. Even if we are talking digital marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) takes from a few months up to a year to garner results.

• Timing: Why do we say that instant results are possible? It is because these ads are not just shown to anyone. For instance one is searching for mobile devices, only then the search engine or a particular content network will show him/her ads of mobile vendors, mobile repair services etc. Thus the person is actively looking for a product and has already come a long way into the purchase cycle.

• Targeting: PPC ads let you target a specific audience of your choice. Suppose you are an educational institute. You could target those who would be completing their high school soon. This is possible on various social networks. Also if one searches for 'educational institutes' your ad will pop up and there is a higher chance of the person coming to your site as that is exactly what they are looking for.

• Traffic: Due to the above mentioned reasons, PPC can drive excellent volumes of traffic to your site. As we know, PPC ads are shown on the right hand side of the page that hosts the ad. Studies have shown that a person first looks at the top 3 results and the right hand corner of a page.

• High return on investment: Considering two or three clicks a day, even a single conversion can result in great returns.

• Quantifiable: There are number of metrics and statistics that let us calculate exactly the no. of clicks/visits, bounce rate, number of conversions, even location of your visitors etc. Thus, we see that PPC campaign management is much more beneficial as compared to other forms of marketing. It garners quick results. It is especially useful if you are a start up and are looking to get people to know of your business or even need to make a few quick sales.

Best Practices for Computer Forensics in the Field

Introduction

Computer forensic examiners are responsible for technical acuity, knowledge of the law, and objectivity in the course of investigations. Success is principled upon verifiable and repeatable reported results that represent direct evidence of suspected wrong-doing or potential exoneration. This article establishes a series of best practices for the computer forensics practitioner, representing the best evidence for defensible solutions in the field. Best practices themselves are intended to capture those processes that have repeatedly shown to be successful in their use. This is not a cookbook. Best practices are meant to be reviewed and applied based on the specific needs of the organization, the case and the case setting.

Job Knowledge

An examiner can only be so informed when they walk into a field setting. In many cases, the client or the client's representative will provide some information about how many systems are in question, their specifications, and their current state. And just as often, they are critically wrong. This is especially true when it comes to hard drive sizes, cracking laptop computers, password hacking and device interfaces. A seizure that brings the equipment back to the lab should always be the first line of defense, providing maximum flexibility. If you must perform onsite, create a comprehensive working list of information to be collected before you hit the field. The list should be comprised of small steps with a checkbox for each step. The examiner should be completely informed of their next step and not have to "think on their feet."

Overestimate

Overestimate effort by at least a factor of two the amount of time you will require to complete the job. This includes accessing the device, initiating the forensic acquisition with the proper write-blocking strategy, filling out the appropriate paperwork and chain of custody documentation, copying the acquired files to another device and restoring the hardware to its initial state. Keep in mind that you may require shop manuals to direct you in taking apart small devices to access the drive, creating more difficulty in accomplishing the acquisition and hardware restoration. Live by Murphy's Law. Something will always challenge you and take more time than anticipated -- even if you have done it many times.

Inventory Equipment Most examiners have enough of a variety of equipment that they can perform forensically sound acquisitions in several ways. Decide ahead of time how you would like to ideally carry out your site acquisition. All of us will see equipment go bad or some other incompatibility become a show-stopper at the most critical time. Consider carrying two write blockers and an extra mass storage drive, wiped and ready. Between jobs, make sure to verify your equipment with a hashing exercise. Double-Check and inventory all of your kit using a checklist before taking off.

Flexible Acquisition

Instead of trying to make "best guesses" about the exact size of the client hard drive, use mass storage devices and if space is an issue, an acquisition format that will compress your data. After collecting the data, copy the data to another location. Many examiners limit themselves to traditional acquisitions where the machine is cracked, the drive removed, placed behind a write-blocker and acquired. There are also other methods for acquisition made available by the Linux operating system. Linux, booted from a CD drive, allows the examiner to make a raw copy without compromising the hard drive. Be familiar enough with the process to understand how to collect hash values and other logs. Live Acquisition is also discussed in this document. Leave the imaged drive with the attorney or the client and take the copy back to your lab for analysis.

Pull the Plug

Heated discussion occurs about what one should do when they encounter a running machine. Two clear choices exist; pulling the plug or performing a clean shutdown (assuming you can log in). Most examiners pull the plug, and this is the best way to avoid allowing any sort of malevolent process from running that may delete and wipe data or some other similar pitfall. It also allows the examiner access to create a snapshot of the swap files and other system information as it was last running. It should be noted that pulling the plug can also damage some of the files running on the system, making them unavailable to examination or user access. Businesses sometimes prefer a clean shutdown and should be given the choice after being explained the impact. It is critical to document how the machine was brought down because it will be absolutely essential knowledge for analysis.

Live Acquisitions

Another option is to perform a live acquisition. Some define "live" as a running machine as it is found, or for this purpose, the machine itself will be running during the acquisition through some means. One method is to boot into a customized Linux environment that includes enough support to grab an image of the hard drive (often among other forensic capabilities), but the kernel is modified to never touch the host computer. Special versions also exist that allow the examiner to leverage the Window's autorun feature to perform Incident Response. These require an advanced knowledge of both Linux and experience with computer forensics. This kind of acquisition is ideal when for time or complexity reasons, disassembling the machine is not a reasonable option.

The Fundamentals

An amazingly brazen oversight that examiner's often make is neglecting to boot the device once the hard disk is out of it. Checking the BIOS is absolutely critical to the ability to perform a fully-validated analysis. The time and date reported in the BIOS must be reported, especially when time zones are an issue. A rich variety of other information is available depending on what manufacturer wrote the BIOS software. Remember that drive manufacturers may also hide certain areas of the disk (Hardware Protected Areas) and your acquisition tool must be able to make a full bitstream copy that takes that into account. Another key for the examiner to understand is how the hashing mechanism works: Some hash algorithms may be preferable to others not necessarily for their technological soundness, but for how they may be perceived in a courtroom situation.

Store Securely

Acquired images should be stored in a protected, non-static environment. Examiners should have access to a locked safe in a locked office. Drives should be stored in antistatic bags and protected by the use of non-static packing materials or the original shipping material. Each drive should be tagged with the client name, attorney's office and evidence number. Some examiners copy drive labels on the copy machine, if they have access to one during the acquisition and this should be stored with the case paperwork. At the end of the day, each drive should link up with a chain of custody document, a job, and an evidence number.

Establish a Policy

Many clients and attorneys will push for an immediate acquisition of the computer and then sit on the evidence for months. Make clear with the attorney how long you are willing to maintain the evidence at your lab and charge a storage fee for critical or largescale jobs. You may be storing critical evidence to a crime or civil action and while from a marketing perspective it may seem like a good idea to keep a copy of the drive, it may be better from the perspective of the case to return all copies to the attorney or client with the appropriate chain of custody documentation.

Conclusion

Computer examiners have many choices about how they will carry out an onsite acquisition. At the same time, the onsite acquisition is the most volatile environment for the examiner. Tools may fail, time constraints can be severe, observers may add pressure, and suspects may be present. Examiners need to take seriously the maintenance of their tools and development of ongoing knowledge to learn the best techniques for every situation. Utilizing the best practices herein, the examiner should be prepared for almost any situation they may face and have the ability to set reasonable goals and expectations for the effort in question.

Scuba Diving in Lake Malawi, One of the Best Fresh Water Diving Locations in the World

As the sun bakes down upon the glistening surface of Lake Malawi, three divers emerge close to the rocky outcrop of Masimwbe Island, a dive site off Likoma Island in Lake Malawi. Bursting with excitement they return to the boat, remove their kit and discuss the fish they spotted on the short journey back to shore. With unspoilt white beaches and pure blue water stretching as far as the eye can see, you continually remind yourself that you are not diving in the Caribbean, but in the 3rd largest lake in Africa. Together with over 1000 different species of Cichlid fish, as well as cat fish and even otters, it is no wonder Lake Malawi has been cited as one of the best fresh water diving locations in the world.

Malawi is a landlocked country in the Southern Region of Africa and is bordered by Tanzania to the north, Zambia to the west and Mozambique to the east and south. The landscape is dominated along its eastern side by the third largest Lake in Africa, and the ninth largest in the world. Lake Malawi is known as the Lake of Stars, due to its impressive ability to mirror the star's constellations at night in its crystal clear fresh waters. The lake is of substantial importance to the country not only as a means of transport but also as a source of both food and water. As a Scuba diver, its significance lays in its remarkable abundance of different fish species- making it the most biologically diverse fresh water environment in the world.

Lake Malawi contains a greater variety of indigenous species (around 1000) of Cichlid fishes than any other lake. Researchers have identified over 500 species to date that are endemic to Lake Malawi, which is more than all of the freshwater species found in all the waters of both Europe and North America. The Cichlids of Lake Malawi, perhaps even more so than the Cichlids from the other two rift lakes, Victoria and Tanganyika, are brightly coloured and patterned. Cichlids have evolved from a single common species into the hundreds found today, coexisting within the lake ecosystem. The variable species have developed differential feeding techniques to maximise productivity. Some species have developed teeth specialized in scraping algae from the rocks, or aquatic plants. Others use a sand filtration technique to sieve aquatic animals or invertebrates from the sand. Also found are species specialised in snail, plant and fish consumption.

One of the most fascinating phenomena seen on dives is the protective nature of the mouthbreeders, made famous in the BBC documentary series 'Planet Earth'. The Cichlids of Lake Malawi are among a relatively small number of fishes that look after and protect their offspring. The mothers carry their eggs and fry in their mouths until the juveniles are large enough to fend for themselves. Even at this stage, in many species, the baby fry remain close to their mother in a tight shoal when at the first sign of predatory danger, she opens her mouth and the whole brood are taken in for safety. In the case of many of the mouthbreeders, the males exhibit no parental care; after spawning, they move on to find another female. Often divers can see the males dig large spawning pits- large round craters - in the sand, at water depths of around 2-20 meters (6-65 feet), in order to attract further females.

Other species in Lake Malawi have developed some very unique hunting adaptations, which make them fun to observe whilst diving. At least two species lure small fish within range by feigning death and lying motionless in the sand! These have been given the nickname of "The play-dead fish." One of the largest fish that can be seen whilst diving is the Kampango. Growing up to 2m in length, the Kampango is a large, territorial and predatory catfish endemic to Lake Malawi, occurring from the lower reaches of rivers to the deepest habitable parts of the lake. A nocturnal predator, it feeds largely on smaller cichlids. Juveniles mainly feed on eggs released by the female, and when slightly older, the male helps the young in searching for invertebrates in and around the nesting site, which both parents will defend. If you are lucky enough to find a catfish pair with babies, you will see perfectly formed miniature catfish - up to 80 of them in one nest! The Kampango is inquisitive and will approach divers entering its territory, particularly when breeding.

Lake Malawi is a fresh water environment; as a result there is no coral growth on the reefs. However, that doesn't mean to say there is no plant life. Lake Malawi boasts an endemic genus and species of freshwater sponge, Malawispongia echinoides. This little colonial animal occurs nowhere else on earth.

About one third of the lakes' coast is rocky, which is home to the vegetarian cichlids, the Mbuna, as well as the occasional fresh water eel. These underwater rock formations make for stunning dive sites including countless swim throughs and drop-off walls. The rest of the coastline is characterised by sandy beaches and bottoms. This is where the majority of the open-water piscivores (eat other fish), called Haps, dwell. A few Cichlid species inhabit the muddy and weed-strewn bottom where larger rivers flow into the lake.

Lake Malawi is unusual in that it does not have tides or significantly strong currents, making it a perfect environment for open water training. Diving is possible all year round. However, between August and November, the lake is at its calmest, with very little wind. Water temperatures can rise up to 30 Degrees Celsius during this time, with visibility as good as 20 metres. With these conditions, 3-5mm wetsuits with little or no weight systems are perfectly suitable in this freshwater paradise. Given that Lake Malawi sits at nearly 500m above sea level, special procedures are required when diving at altitude.

Night diving is certainly regarded as a unique experience in the lake. Dolphin fish, resembling nothing like their names sake, can be seen using the torch light of divers to facilitate an easy meal. Numerous different catfish can also be seen rising from the depths of their daytime lairs in search of food. In the shallower waters a plethora of blue crabs can be found on the sandy bottom, whilst a sharp eye can spot tiny fresh water shrimp located in and around the rocky boulders.

For those days that divers prefer to stay topside there is always something to do on Lake Malawi. Kaya Mawa, an award-winning lodge on Likoma Island, offers activities for its guests, such as sailing, kayaks, bicycles, waterskiing and wakeboarding, round island boat trips and quad bike tours. For the 2012 season, Malawi's first Kite-surfing school has also opened. For those keen on birdwatching, Lake Malawi is a haven for hundreds of species. If you are lucky, you might spot the crimson-rumped waxbill, found only on Likoma Island, or the Majestic Fish Eagle, swooping down to catch it's prey.

There are several international airlines that fly into Malawi, including South African Airways, Kenyan Airways, Air Malawi and Ethiopian Airways. Internal transport is possible by bus, taxi, rental car, internal flight companies (Ulendo Airlink) and the Ilala ferry, that travels a continuous route around the Lake.