Your weekly collection of marketing tips, hints, and advice interspersed with humor, inspiration, and other goodies to spice things up a bit. Guidance, tutoring, advice, mentoring, coaching, inspiration, English lessons, editing, proofreading services for entrepreneurs and online marketers.
Publisher: Mary Wilkey
Volume 3 - Issue 19 - March 4, 2003
Published every Tuesday
Dear readers, I'm in the process of switching from a dial-up connection to cable, so if there is a gap in communication along the way, this most probably is the reason. You just never know what kind of obstacle will pop up next in such a transition. And in this cyber world game, obstacles can pop up even without making any changes. See feature article today.
If you enjoy this ezine, you can help it grow faster by introducing 'elf Expressions to just one other person—because the faster we grow, the more everyone benefits from the ads. Thank you!
If you've missed any issues, you still can see them.
Just go to:
Nobody believes the official spokesman . . .
but everybody trusts an unidentified source. —Ron Nesen
Contents:
Sponsor Ad
Ad Contest
Subscriber in the Spotlight
Feature Article
Today’s Chuckle
Today's English lesson
Marketing Mania
Internet Tips & Hints
Guest Article
Inspiration
Etcetera
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Results of last issue's ad contest, when the question was "Who said 'I shall return'"? The answer: General Douglas MacArthur. Lisa Reddell wasn't first in with the correct answer, but she was the only one I could get to send in her ad—see her it above!
For our subscribers only: Be first to submit the correct answer to the following question and receive the next available top sponsor ad FREE! Here is the question:
The year was 1902—the tallest structure in the world was what?
The following is a testimonial from an individual stating what results HE has experienced. No medical claims are implied, and we are not saying that the products discussed will cure the problems you have.
(The foregoing statement is required by the US Government, which should not be a substitute for your ability and right to think for yourself and make your own decisions!)
"I have had trouble with constipation for about 12 years. I had gone through a very difficult life and couldn’t handle the stress, so I ended up going on antidepressant drugs. I was put on about seven different kinds, but I didn’t feel any better—in fact, I felt worse from all of the side effects. Since then I was having a lot of trouble with my colon. I have been trying every laxative and cleanse on the market but without success.
"About two years ago I went to the doctor to have my colon checked, and they told me that if I wasn’t careful that my colon would totally quit functioning, and I would have to have that colon surgery. So I have really been searching for a way to overcome this problem.
"When I learned about Healing America, I decided to stop my other colon products and take extra MegaZyme+ and UltraBiotic+ and a lot of water, and it worked by the next day. I am so thankful, knowing that I can take these natural products to keep my body functioning and healthy. Thank you, Healing America!"
—Arlene Wasmund, Fond du Lac WI
If you would like to see what has worked miracles in Arlene's life—and also get a free download of Jon Barron's book, "Lessons from the Miracle Doctors," go to:
If you would like to look into becoming a distributor, just go to this website:
Watch the 6-minute video presentation (it may take a few minutes to load). Fill out and submit the questionnaire at the end of the presentation. Very shortly then, you will be contacted one time to determine if you qualify for our program.
Before you begin climbing that ladder of success, make sure
it's leaning towards the window of opportunity you desire!
—Tracy Brinkmann
Subscriber in the Spotlight
The first subscriber to submit his or her personal profile sharing with the rest of us all about who he/she is, background, family, location, interests, hobbies, goals, dreams, etc., will be spotlighted right here next issue—and yes, an email and/or URL may be included!
This week's Subscriber in the Spotlight is "no one," since "no one" wanted the free publicity this week!
Men occasionally stumble over the truth,
but most of them pick themselves up and
hurry off as if nothing ever happened. —Winston
Churchill
Feature Article
Oh, the Frustration of it All!
This is written as a result of my frustration all day yesterday in trying to send a message out to all of my subscribers.
I prepared the message and hit the SEND button, only to get an "Internal Server Error" message. I had no clue as to what that meant, so I emailed my list server, thinking that something was wrong there. A prompt response said that the problem must be with my web host.
Now I couldn't fathom exactly why I couldn't send out a message from my server if my web host was having a problem. I just couldn't see any connection between the two, being the non-tech person that I am.
Anyway, I went to the control panel of my host and looked through every page that seemed logical (and some not so logical), all to no avail. I knew that I'd reached my storage quota, as I'd been getting messages to that effect from my host, but the night before I'd gone in and deleted a bunch of stuff and even attempted to compress some archives, but received an "failed" message.
To my utter frustration, after doing all that, I found that my available space had not been increased, but was still over the limit!
Of course, I contacted the host right away, and they got back to me in a reasonable amount of time, with the message that: "You are saving mail on the server, with over 11MB in each of the following mail accounts (11326kb = 11.326MB): [list of mail accounts]. Mail is saved here daily, causing your disk usage to increase. Also, stats are collected on a daily basis so files are added to your stats directory daily. [Why was I not made aware of this somewhere along the line?]
"Archiving will not work if there is no space on the account—you would need to clear your email or old unused files from the server before ANY new files can be added to your account. Since the list program also saves a copy of your message and must write info to your account you will not be able to use the list until the old files or old email are cleared." [What does "write info" mean, for heaven's sake?]
Then their tech support kept insisting that this mail was on my ISP, which I'd already determined that it wasn't. Then she sent this message: "If you delete the mailbox from the file manager screen you would delete mail and free up your server space, but that might not be a good idea if you haven't checked mail for the box and downloaded a copy to your PC yet . . . (do you already have copies of this mail already?)" [How in the world would I know if I have copies of that mail already, if I hadn't even known of its existence?]
There also was something in File Manager that read like this: " -rw------- " and entitled, "Permissions." I asked what that meant. Here is the answer she gave: "That is the file permissions, account owner read and write." [I haven't a clue as to what that means.]
Why am I telling you all this? In the hopes that it may be of some help to you, if you are experiencing any of these same problems.
The outcome of it all was that I went ahead and deleted those huge mail files, and now I have all kinds of space. If I missed some messages, so be it. I just can't spend any more time trying to understand all the techno jargon . . . there must be an easier way!
Feel free to reprint the above article with this info intact: Article penned by Mary Wilkey, publisher of 'elf Expressions Ezine: http://elfexpressionsezine.com
What plant was used to strike the post of the door with blood during the 1st
Passover?
ANSWER — Hyssop as found in Exodus 12:22 "And ye shall take a bunch
of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the
lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none
of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning."
What happens to a man is less significant than what happens within
him.
—Louis L. Mann
Today's Chuckle
Thoughts
Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 apiece on those little
bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards: NAIVE
If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several
times, does he become disoriented?
If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people
from Holland called Holes?
If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
Why do we say something is out of whack? What's a whack?
Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale
bread to begin with?
People ask for criticism, but they only want praise.
—Somerset Maugham
Today's English Lesson
Seeing the same elementary mistakes over and over again has prompted this publisher to write an English lesson each issue.
This one concerns quotes—more specifically, whether to put them on the inside or the outside of punctuation.
Again, the rule is simple. They ALWAYS go outside of commas and periods. Whether they go on the inside or the outside of question marks and exclamation points depends on the sentence structure.
What determines placement is whether you are quoting a question or asking a question which contains the quote. For example:
As I fumbled for my key, she asked, "Should I wait for you here?"
versus
Can you believe that she actually asked if she should "wait here"?
And the same rule applies to exclamation points. For example:
She suddenly screamed, "Watch out!"
versus
I can't believe I've finally found "the secret"!
Quotation marks always go inside colons and semi-colons.
Reminder: We offer a reasonably priced editing/proofreading service for articles or even entire ezines. Just email: editingservice@elfexpressionsezine.com
Marketing Mania
Do Homemade Sites Sell Better?
Featuring Kevin Bidwell, weekly columnist, All-In-One-Business.com.
*Introduction*
I wish I never made mistakes.
I'll bet you do too.
I'm not very good at getting advice before I launch out into
a new project. This is certainly true with taking my offline
business online.
I just put up a site—not having a clue what I was doing—and started a poor advertising campaign. After all, I
reasoned, I know how to market offline, how much different
can it be online?
It is completely different.
In the end I wasted a ton of time and effort I could have
put into much more profitable endeavors.
I want to save you some of that time and effort by giving
you the tools to evaluate whether you need to build your
site yourself or have it done by a "professional."
*Things to Consider*
Here are some of the considerations when choosing whether or
not you will build your own site:
1 — Is it going to have a shopping cart?
If you are going to have a shopping cart, you need to have
someone else build it, unless you do this kind of thing every
day. There are just too many ways to mess things up to do it
yourself.
2 — Have you ever built a quality site before?
If you have built a site before, and want to do it again,
you know what you are getting into. If you were happy with
the results last time and are comfortable with the site
style you need to create this time, by all means build your
own site.
3 — Do you want to build a site?
Even if you have built a site before, you may not want to
build one now. A basic site can cost as little as $100. If
you don't want to build a site, have someone else do it for
you.
4 — Do you need to learn some HTML?
This is an important consideration. If you build your own
site, you will certainly learn at least some HTML. I
recommend everyone learn how to do some basic things—or you
will always be at the mercy of a $50+/hour web designer to
do things for you.
But even if you need to learn some basic HTML, you don't
necessarily need to build your own site. You can pick up
many of the basics as you make minor changes to your pre-
built site over time. The choice, of course, is always
yours.
5 — How much money do you have to spend on a site?
While it is relatively cheap to have a site built, some
people who take my course are unable to pay for any site
construction. If that is your case, go ahead and build it
yourself. You would be amazed at the people who build their
own sites and make hundreds of thousands of dollars from
their self-constructed sites.
One of the best ways to get your site created cheaply is to
use the tool on this page under option 2:
These questions will give you an idea of whether or not you
will want to tackle your own site. The bottom line on ANY
site is not how much it costs—the bottom line is how much a
site will make.
Kevin is offering a FREE Business Start-Up Kit to everyone
who visits his site. If you liked this article, you will
want to subscribe to his newsletter. Send a blank email to:
nwslttr@quicktell.net
"I would rather be a could be, if I could not be an are.
For a could be is a maybe, with a chance of reaching par.
I would rather be a has been, than a might have been by far.
For a might have been has never been, while a has been once was an are."
—Mickey Porter
Internet Hints & Tips
How to Display Your Website Logo on Your
Address Bar and in Your Favorites List
Want to make your website standout in your crowded
favorites list and address bars? How
about displaying your logo next to links to your site.
If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been
in bed with a mosquito.—Betty Reese
Guest Article
What's The Point Of It All?
by Selena Richardson
Some people go through life having accomplished most of their
dreams, only to succumb to Alzheimer's disease or senility and
forget about their entire life. What's the point of it all if at
the end you're left with nothing?
So what's the point in going through all of those experiences if
you don't even remember them by the time you turn 80?
It's all about the experience itself—about living in the now.
Enjoy the experience while it's with you.
Memories are good, but spending too much time remembering the past
takes your focus off of what's happening in the here and now.
People get so caught up with the past and the future that they
don't realize that their life is going on now.
Instead of wasting time worrying about what might happen in the
future or what did happen in the past, look at what's right in
front of you. Whether it's your kids, your spouse, your family,
friends, or just you. Enjoy life as it's happening right now.
We're here for one reason, and that's to experience life. That's
the point—to learn and experience life's ups and downs. To go
through the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
Some people complain about not being able to find their purpose
in life. They can't stay focused and probably switch jobs often.
They just can't seem to find a way to equate being happy with
working.
If you're in this situation, take some time to go back through
your previous work experiences and find the times when you were
happy, and try to think of a career that would better suit you.
For example, maybe you like to help out and give advice to your
friends and co-workers. So fields like social work, therapy, or
coaching might be for you.
So what if a traditional career doesn't fit you? Then what? If
you have a hobby that you really enjoy, you could create a part
time business so you can do what you enjoy and get paid to do it.
There are a lot of people who make an income from home doing what
they love. Who knows, one day you might be able to make it a
full time operation.
So what is the point of it all? Maybe it's to be happy in life
doing what feels good to you and enjoying the experiences that
life brings you.
You only have one lifetime to enjoy what this world has to offer.
Make the best of it while you can. Don't dwell on past mistakes
and future what ifs. Do what makes your heart sing, and all will
be well.
Selena Richardson, coach and editor of Creative Possibilities, a
free newsletter helping people focus on and reach their goals.
Are you ready to create your journey in life? To subscribe,
subscribe@creationjourneys.com or visit the site—
http://www.creationjourneys.com for more information on her
upcoming workshops.
Inspiration
I Believe . . .
. . . that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
. . .
that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing
and have the best time.
. . .
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when
you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
. . .
that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be
angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
. . . that, no matter how bad your heart is broken the world,
doesn't stop for your grief.
. . .
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.
. . .
that two people can look at the exact same thing and
see something totally different.
. . .
that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by
people who don't even know you.
. . .
that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
. . .
that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent
human being.
. . .
that the people you care about most in life are taken
from you too soon.
"NOTE: We are not liable for the use of any contributed information contained herein. We also claim no responsibility for the legality or accuracy of advertisements or articles submitted and reprinted by permission. It is the contributor's and/or advertiser's responsibility to abide by all pertinent jurisdictional laws and regulations pertaining to that person's business."
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