Every barista (professional maker of coffee drinks) will have his or her own method of making a great cup of espresso. That said, here is mine…

It all starts with the right water. No not coffee grounds, it does not matter the quality, the quality of the coffee grind can not overcome an association with poor water. The poor taste of the water will overcome the coffee. Yes, even water can get stale, thanks to mildew, poor cleaning practices, and inadequate filtering. It must be fresh and very hot. The optimum temperature should be 203F (95C), nearly boiling.

Next comes the coffee. The best coffee that I would recommend is arabica – whether from Brazil, Bogota, or elsewhere. It is grown above 3000 feet (915m) and delivered fresh for roasting. Either self-roasted or bought within a few days after, the coffee should have that ‘fresh food’ smell.

A more common coffee is Robusta – though it is easier to grow and more disease resistant it has more caffeine and not as much flavor. Because of the increase caffeine this type of coffee should be reserved for those quick pick-me-up cups, not used for an espresso. Espresso is meant to be savored which is an exact opposite of what Robusta offers.

Next, it is time to finely ground in burr, not blade grinders. Blade ‘grinders’ actually chop, not grind. Burr grinders have pyramid shaped teeth on two plates that grind the beans between them. The grinders of the roast should be dark – French or Viennese. The name refers to the color, not the origin.

The next question is how long to grind the ground?

The distance between the plates determines this, which determines the fineness of the granules. Sand grain-sized is good and is what should be the goal. Grinding the ground to powder is too fine, and small-gravel grounds are too large. While grinding the grind should not be exposed to air any longer than necessary. Coffee, like any food, will oxidize and absorb odors from the air. Neither is conducive to a good cup of espresso.

And, last but not least the espresso machine. A good cup of espresso is not possible without a good espresso machine. Good espresso requires a clean machine of good quality. Not of excellent quality. ‘Good quality means: generates heat by boiler or thermoblock and is capable of producing pump pressure of 9 bar or better. Let me explain ‘thermoblock’. A ‘thermoblock’ heats water as it passes through the machine on the way to the pump. This feature is present in most middle tier machines on the market. Avoid the cheaper units that rely on steam to create pressure.

Above are just the basic elements of a good cup of espresso. Next comes the process.

Let get the espresso machine out to begin. Plug it up and Pre-warm the equipment by running that good water that I mentioned earlier through the clean machine. You can turn the machine on, let the water heat, and run a cup through with no coffee to warm the surfaces and flush the system. This step is very important as it takes away the impurities that can ruin an espresso shot.

Add the roast that was ground earlier and pack down slightly, as you would pipe tobacco. Just as with pipes, you should be feel some springiness, but the coffee shouldn’t scatter.

Insert the hopper in the machine firmly to make sure it does not fall out and place a warmed not cold espresso cup at the outlet. Running it under hot water can warm up the cup. Now, hit the start button to start the machine and in about five seconds you should have a thin, steady stream of espresso. (About 20 seconds for a double shot.)

If cappuccino is your preference, continue the same process as if making a cup of espresso but add these few steps. Warm a half a cup of organic milk in the microwave about 90 seconds, froths, and add to the espresso. Garnish the top froth with a taste of freshly ground cinnamon, nutmeg or chocolate. For those who like it sweet a little organic sugar goes a long way.

That is it, a simple but straightforward way to make a great cup of espresso. Simple wasn’t it. The key to this recipe is to start with good ingredients, keep your equipment clean, and don’t burn the roast. The result? A great cup!

In the 1990s, martial arts champion Billy Blanks released a series of videotapes that combined martial arts (Tae-Kwon-Do) with boxing for a unique activity that promised to deliver exceptional health and fitness benefits. Calling his method Tae Bo (pronounced ‘tie-bo’), Blanks punched, kicked, and sparred his way into the living rooms-and the fitness routines-of millions of Americans. Suddenly, boxing was not just a bloody contact sport, it was a fitness activity that brought massive health benefits to its participants.

Although boxing for fitness was hardly a new concept, Tae Bo glamorized it and made it more accessible to the everyday exerciser seeking to introduce a fun and entertaining aspect into their exercise routines. Consequently, many fitness centers today offer boxing classes to their members who seek to achieve peak physical conditioning in a short amount of time. But fitness-boxing routines do more than simply firm the body. Boxing has proven to be an effective way to relieve the tension that results from the stresses of modern society.

Exercise and Stress-Relief

Many studies have shown that physical exercise is an effective stress-reliever. One such study was conducted at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1999. This 4-part study was designed with the goal of, according to Assistant Professor Monika Fleshner, understanding “how regular, moderate, physical activity alters the stress response by examining the entire system, from the brain to the individual cells.”

To that end, the researchers conducted four separate but related experiments on mice. Each of these experiments yielded convincing proof of the stress-reducing effects of exercise and, by extension, of boxing classes.

For this study, a group of physically active rats (those who maintained a regular routine of wheel-running for 4 weeks) were compared to a group of sedentary rats after being exposed to 90-minutes of stress. In three of these experiments (the fourth one did not concern stress reactions), the physically active rats showed a marked difference in their reactions to stress as compared with the sedentary rats.

- Experiment 1. The physically active rats produced a lower amount of a stress-induced protein.

- Experiment 2. The physically active rats released less norepinephrine (a hormone that is similar to adrenaline).

- Experiment 3. The physically active rats were less likely to suffer the known negative physiological results of stress that include an increase of stress proteins, a suppression of cell division, and a decrease in cytokines (which causes a lowered immune response.)

The results of this and many other studies show that exercise is an effective stress-reliever that causes many physiological changes. Indeed, all it may take to knock out your tension, say experts, is to participate in boxing classes.

The Ideal Exercise
The ideal exercise routine combines aerobic and anaerobic activities, can be performed without undue risk of injury, increases calorie burn, and provides enough variety to avoid boredom. By this standard, boxing classes provide an excellent total workout for the body-and for the mind (via reduced tension and stress).

Boxing has been shown to increase the efficiency of the cardio respiratory and vascular systems, hone the performance of the central nervous system, and strengthen the musculoskeletal system.

Boxing Classes
Most boxing classes last for 60 minutes and, although the mix of exercises differs for each program (and for each fitness facility), one can expect the class to contain the following components:

Warm Up. This segment at the beginning of the class lasts for 5-10 minutes and is designed to warm the muscles and tendons, preparing them for the more strenuous portion.

Conditioning. The warm up typically transitions into several boxing moves that are designed to condition the body. These exercises provide anaerobic (strength) conditioning together with an aerobic component to increase the heartbeat. The conditioning segment of boxing classes typically lasts for 10 minutes.

Technique. A few new boxing techniques are introduced at each session. In the beginning, these techniques will be simple movements such as punches and jabs. After these are mastered, more complicated (and challenging) combinations of boxing movements will be added to the program. The training in each specific boxing technique lasts for approximately 5 minutes.

Hitting Drills. The prime focus of most boxing classes are the “hitting drills” which revolve around a timed series of punching and kickboxing of stationary objects such as heavy bags. The objects to be hit will be positioned as part of a circuit that the “boxer” will hit or kick (employing proper boxing technique) for approximately two to three minutes. Between each station, the boxer will rest for 1 minute before going to the next station for a continued two to three minutes of punching and kicking. (There may also be standard exercise machines within the circuit to provide a more complete workout.) This routine continues until the boxer has worked all stations in the circuit. This part of the boxing class, which lasts for approximately 35 minutes generally leaves the participants feeling energized and refreshed.

Cool Down. This last part of the class focuses upon gradually slowing the heart rate while practicing gentle stretching exercises that will help to prevent or reduce later onset of muscle soreness and joint stiffness.

Boxing for Everyone
Although boxing can be a very intense form of exercise, it can also be modified to fit anyone’s fitness level. To prevent injury, Felix Pagan, the manager of the LA Boxing Gym in Rockville, Maryland advises the individual to work on perfecting proper boxing form as well as building muscle and increasing cardiovascular strength. “When your form is the way it should be,” Pagan says, “it helps you execute [your moves] and your exercises are more effective.” This minimizes the risk of injury and allows one to truly benefit from-and enjoy-the boxing classes.

An activity that tones the body, refreshes the spirit and de-stresses the mind in 60 minutes…with minimal risk of injury to the body? Sign me up!

Giving an interview is like going on a first date: It will lay the groundwork for your relationship with the media. You’ve caught their attention, now you need to build a rapport and develop a long-term relationship, gathering the publicity results on your way. An interview is the best free publicity you can get, so you need to be the best interviewee-or date-the journalist has ever had. Make it so whenever they need an expert or need a source-regarding your area of expertise-you are the person they contact. Giving a good interview is the first step in getting more publicity, so sell yourself to the media, and score a second date.

Here are a few publicity tips to remember for your interview:

1. If the interview is going to be over the phone make sure you use a landline, not your cell. A dropped call or a bad connection can lead to confusion, wasted time, or worse, for you and the person interviewing you. It’s the same reason you don’t talk to your date with you mouth full. Good crisp connections are the key to achieving the publicity results you desire.

2. Take a promotional break. When you’re being interviewed, remember that the interview is your promotion, so there’s no need for you to do it. Don’t say “In my book…” fifteen times during an interview, or during a date. Take a backseat to the interview’s promotional power and enjoy the publicity results.

3. If you’re doing television, give some thought into what you’ll be wearing. Ask yourself, “How will I look on set?” You want to stand out, not blend in. Do you wear camouflage on a first date? Of course not. And always bring a change of clothes. You don’t want to be wearing the same outfit as your interviewer, or your date! It’s also a good idea to dress professionally in a phone interview. You’re likely to be more confident in your professional attire than in your pajamas. Publicity success lies in a person’s confidence.

4. Send in a suggested list of questions for the interviewer to use. Note: Do not try this before a first, second, or third date. You’ll be able to answer these questions in a very succinct and clear manner, making great sound bites that can be pulled out and used in print articles, getting more publicity for you. It’s always a good idea to review your online press kit prior to the interview as well.

The best free publicity tip-and dating tip- you’ll ever receive is this: Be prepared. For interviews and everything else in the PR realm being prepared is the key ingredient to a successful publicity campaign. Lack of preparation is a publicist’s nightmare-yours too-so dress up, know your sound bites ahead of time, and review your online press kit. With a little preparation, you too can be a publicity success.

For those business owners who have waited for the 11th hour to get a solid plan under their belt, here is a quick outline for you to work with. This outline will allow you to get up and running fast. Just get into each heading and flesh them out.

Heading

This is where your company heading goes. Drop in your company details. Blitz

Objective

What is our company about and why should we care? This is where the core principles of your business will go..

Summary

The major details of your business will fill out the rest of the plan but if someone was just skimming your plan, they should be able to develop confidence in your business from your objective page.

Concept

This is where you pitch the reason for your plan. This part is elevator speech about the future of your business. This segment is what’s on your refrigerator and you bathroom mirror.

Current Situation

Give the good, the bad and the ugly. Keep it real and honest. Keep it short.

The market

This is your expert assessment of the climate of the market, the statistics and the fundamentals that make the market and sub-markets viable. Show your know-how.

Market segment

How do you plan to find and work with your target market? Who is your target market?

How do you reach them? What can you do for them?

Consumer analysis

This is where you tell the reader about the market in greater detail. Keep your analysis sharp and to the point. Use facts and figures.

Completion

Summarize at this point.

Product/Service features and benefits

Pitch your top selling service or item and show how the after market or up sell items fit in.

Competitive analysis

Time to layout the profile of the competition. Who are they, how many are there and what kind of advantage and weakness do you have in relation to your competitors?

Positioning

How will you portray your company to the media and to your target market? What methods will you use?

Advertising and promotions

Outline your proposed mix of marketing sources. Explain your choices of marketing vehicles and how they will reach your target market.

Sales

Explain how your sales strategy will work in concert with your business strategy.

Research and Development

This will relate to any new projects your team is working on for the future.

Operations

Any important aspect of the business that does not apply to a topic above.

Staff

Indicate the names and titles of your key players. The roster should also include the names and positions of major consultants and mentors.

Financial Summary

This is the tough part. You’ll need to provide a pro forma, income statements, balance sheets and cash flow forecasts. Keep the figures as accurate as possible, and make your projections about five years out.

Payback and exit strategy

Debt and equity lenders want to know what your exit strategy will be. Are you planning to sell the company; go public; liquidate assets; or consolidate with another company? Let the reader know what your end game will be.

Closing Summary

This final statement to the audience will tell them what you told them before. Keep it positive and upbeat but levelheaded and practical.

In order to make this business plan in record time, you need to be prepared ahead of time. Get all your materials ready before you get started.

Are you looking for a great ancient Greek tattoo that will stand out from all the others out there? Want something unique that you’ll be sure to love? There are definitely some steps that you can take to find a design that is unique to your personality, one that will have the dynamics that you want.

The first step to getting that incredible ancient Greek tattoo is to determine which ancient symbol, figure, or personality you want to focus on. A lot of people don’t realize that many popular tattoos symbols originated from Greece and their ancient tattoos.

The snake, for example, is symbolic of healing rituals because their venom was considered to be medicinal in ancient Greece. The Greek god Asclepius was the god of healing and medicine. Legend has it that the incredible physician Hippocrates called upon Asclepius to produce the purest form of healing for his patients. The staff of Asclepius Tattoo is a symbol of healing for the medical field and is depicted as a staff with a snake wrapped around it. If healing interests you, whether it be physical, spiritual, or emotional healing, a variation of the staff of Asclepius tattoo is worth pursing.

Butterflies are also symbolic of ancient Greek history. Butterfly in Greek is translated as “psyche” or “soul”. Butterflies were significant in mythology and were associated with the human soul. They were thought to be the souls of those who were deceased and are depicted as being the means of passage for the soul to enter into the heavens. Butterflies can be used in designs that are a tribute or remembrance of a loved one.

Angels were very significant in ancient Greek religions. An angel, or “angelos”, was a divine messenger who was responsible for relaying messages from the gods down to the humans. The halo that Christians depict with angels actually originated in Greek times. The sun God Helios is often pictured surrounded with angels with halos, and oftentimes he was shown with a halo himself. Angels can give a sense of peace or serenity to any tattoo.

While these three ancient symbols may get overlooked in Greek designs, there are so many other design ideas that are easily associated. Greek key patterns, words, phrases, crosses, and of course the incredibly popular mythology designs are just a few others.

So what do you do once you’ve got an idea of which symbols you want to use in your personal ancient Greek tattoo? Well, you should get some references for good tattoo artists and find one that you’re comfortable with. But there’s one important thing that you need to keep in mind. When you look at designs in a parlor, be aware that these designs are standard and easy to complete. Many other people will be wearing the same design as you, a design that is simple enough to get you in and out of the parlor as quickly as possible.

The real key to getting that knockout ancient Greek tattoo will take a little bit of work on your behalf. You’ve already done some of that work by doing some research on ancient symbols and figures that have meaning to you.

Next you need to look for some award winning printable designs that are unique and fit your personality. You can combine these designs and make your own classic work of art that will turn heads where ever you go. Take these printable designs into the parlor with you and discuss the your ideas with the artist that will be doing the work for you. Trust me, they’ll be thrilled to help you because your unique design will also help promote their business.

What is a Niche Market? A Niche market is a market for a specific product category or group of products and services. For example health industry is one main Niche.

However since this Niche Market would be huge we would go down to for example diet pills as a niche. So before come up with your Niche ideas or try finding your niche, you should really study what interests you.

A good way to find niches is to look into magazines. Since Niche Internet Marketing can become very competitive, you really need to do your Due Diligence or Niche marketing research before you start build your niche website.

There are other ways to find niche ideas. Once again many niche marketers are full time marketer who know niche Internet marketing really well. However most don’t.

Internet Marketing or Niche Affiliate Marketing will become more and more popular as the amount of web pages and information just explode. And niche marketing on crack is a new saying for the phenomena.

Too start become a master in your niche markets. You need to develop you niche market strategy. And to make it worth the efforts, you really need to learn the basics. The basics include setting up your own domain, install WordPress, add some plugins to WordPress.

Social Bookmark your new sites. Add internal links. And Build your list, so you can update your customers as well. Its much easier to sell again to old buyers. Then to find new customers.

That is how you build a profitable niche on it’s own.

WHAT NICHE TO WORK WITH?

When it comes to select a niche, you really should start to study a category of products and services that you personally like. Simply cause if you go into Internet Marketing with one reason, to make money. You will never make it happen. Look at Roger Federer? Think he thought of money as a 3 years old? No way. He managed to become the worlds best Tennis player as he had total passion and loved what he is doing.

So when you select a niche market to work with. Make sure you work with anything in health, wealth or relationships. Why? Cause they are evergreen niches. They are always asked for and will always be there.

STAY AWAY FROM BEING A NEWBIE AND GET KNOCKED OUT

There is no marketer online who has not yet failed. Most do. And most give up. You can’t if you are going to build your Business. There is a lot to learn. But when you start to work your Business a lot of knowledge comes naturally. So make sure your become a Newbie Knockout instead of being knocked out in The Niche Affiliate Marketing Field.

Super Cell Anemia is the first novel by author Duncan b. Barlow. From doing some snooping online, I found several of his short stories, a few critical articles, and a ton of sources about his former music career (he was a touring punk musician for many years before he quit and got his PhD in English). The novel was recommended to me from a friend who is an avid follower of Brian Evenson’s work (Evenson does a quote for the back jacket of this book). This book plays with many genre conventions, but never completely commits to the genre, making it a strange but enjoyable read.

The book centers around a strange, germ obsessed character named Gilles. Gilles has a problem whereby his body produces way too much energy and as a result of this, he begins shocking things. He fears that he may explode and begins to see a strange doctor name Dr. Moore. Gilles’ paranoia begins to get the best of him and he believes that the doctor and his newly acquired love interest, Charlie, are out to get him. Throw in a strange hybrid Calicoman, a group of homeless ruffians, two misguided policemen, a man who regurgitates sunflower seeds to make sculptures, and an abandoned subway system and one can begin to see how deep and rich the world Barlow creates truly is.

Duncan b. Barlow has a strange prose that reminds me of Franz Kafka’s later work. It is dark but abounds with hope. It is political but in a very subversive way. Simply by choosing not to give into genre, is a political statement. “How is this?” you might ask. Barlow takes good care to walk a very difficult line between the real and the unreal. His work requires the reader to read actively, to make decisions and not expect the author spell it out for him. If you are expecting Barlow to tell you in the end “it was all a dream” or “he is insane,” you won’t get it. Barlow wants his readers to decide if Gilles is sane or insane. Whether or not Gilles is sane in an insane world or insane in a sane world is not an answer he wants to give easily; honestly, I don’t think it matters because the end result is the same-Gilles is isolated.

Super Cell Anemia is a journey. The language and lovely dark images Barlow creates makes it a journey worth taking. If you are anything like me, you’ll never want the story to end. I hope to read more from this author soon.

The beagle chihuahua mix, sometimes called a “Cheagle,” is a very brave and dignified dog. Like a Chihuahua, he believes he can take on anything, and sometimes behaves like he is ready to knock down a bulldog! Jealous and protective around his loved ones, he loves and requires a lot of attention. These dogs tend to be great barkers. The quality of his bark will depend upon whether he inherited the Chi’s yap or the Beagle’s bay. They are small and can be fragile like the Chi or more sturdy. Expect them to be loving, obstinate and willful. Chihuahuas are intolerant of teasing, so they are not good companions for kids; Beagles are calm and much more tolerant. Cheagles may inherit either characteristic or a mix, so it is safe to assume they are not kid-friendly until proven otherwise.

They tend to be small, although not as small as the Chi, obviously. Expect the dog to grow to between 9 and 20 pounds.

Like Beagles, Cheagles enjoy daily walks and exercise and are fond of running. Their portable size makes them reliable travel companions. Hope that your animal inherits the Chihuahua’s intelligence; Beagles are extremely sweet, but they have hound brains, all hunt and smelling things out, and not much thinking. If your Cheagle gets the Chi brain, she or he will be much easier to train.

Care: They need you to provide them their basic needs, firm discipline, and affection, in that order.

Ï Care for a Cheagle as you would a Chihuahua in terms of keeping him or her warm. Always choose good quality food (read the labels, not just the brand name or price), and provide clean water. Do the vaccinations, the boosters, and the flea and worm control. Cross-breeding usually weeds out the genetic weaknesses to which purebreds are prone. Since both of these breeds show a higher than normal incidence of glaucoma, epilepsy, tracheal collapse and patella problems, watch for these.

Ï Train them gently, firmly, early, and constantly. Do not let them develop annoying habits; they won’t understand later when people don’t want to spend time with them. Let them know what you expect, and keep enforcing the rules and rewarding good behavior. Just like a child, a dog wants to be secure in knowing what will happen and what they are supposed to do and not do.

Ï They love love. They will burrow under the covers, sleep on your lap, and follow you around the house. Don’t get this pet if you are out of the house without them for 5 or 6 long days a week. They want company, attention and interaction, and they will find ways of amusing themselves if no one else is available to play…

Many people report that their Cheagle has the loving personality and aggressive loyalty that the breeds share. Be careful in supervising your dog when guests come visiting, especially children, or when introducing other animals. Like any dog, the Cheagle is happiest when he or she spends lots of time with his or her people.

If you feel the over 50 + Age Bias has shut the job door for you, you are probably correct. To knock down this barrier take some steps to level the playing field. Don’t waste time being mad – do something powerful!

The facts are that younger workers have a 40 percent better chance of being called in for interviews than someone over 50. Almost everyone over 40 senses that age bias affects their career. You can’t take it personally as it is a given. Here is how to knock down the 50 + Age Bias door:

Get Ready:

“Get a realistic view of your current situation, the exact facts, and get rid of blaming yourself or others.

“Master a positive story by having your job coach listen to your “story” until all anger or blame is gone. Make sure “no anger” shows when you are in phone or one-on- one interviews. Your contacts will only refer you to possible connections when they feel comfortable, because you don’t show anger and blame. Mock interviews conducted by your job coach or advisor, are and excellent way to better results.

Take Action:

Professional marketers attack a problem immediately when a shift or radical change occurs, and so should you. So, now that you have a clear view, the blame is gone and you are no longer angry, you can plunge ahead ready to knock down the 50 + Age Bias door with these:

“Personality Assessments – It is not surprising that experienced professionals value insights they receive with formal assessments. “Myers Briggs” and “Campbell” are names you would recognize, but this is a highly specialized field with many options. A good coach can recommend and plan specific assessments along with a detailed debriefing after you complete the assessment.

“SWOT Analysis – The one page SWOT analysis with your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats staring you in the face is always powerful. It blatantly says what needs to be said about you as a product, and is very effective in helping you work around limitations. Yes, knocking down the door may mean using your strengths and avoiding weaknesses or threats.

“Revamp You – Think about yourself as a product then look at upgrading based on the market. The challenge faced in the automobile industry is a good example. You probably need a tough evaluation and it might be painful. Get it from your job coach or advisor, and then look at some possibilities such as new activities, technology, presentation and appearance.

The twist here is you tackled your 50 + Age Bias marketing problem by looking at yourself in an unbiased way. The “Personality Assessments,” “SWOT Analysis” and “Revamp You” force a tough reality check. In order to knock down the 50 + Age Bias door you have to be truthful and very realistic. It is a tough assignment for most professionals, for many nothing will be as tough, at any level in any industry.

Knock Down the 50 + Age Bias Door:

Taking these steps and you will be a little less like Rodney Dangerfield when he said “I can’t get no respect.” Get respect, as now you are ready to deal with 50 + Age Bias. That’s it … go knock down that 50 + Age Bias door!