Modern technology has given us a wonderful range of sports sunglasses frames and sports sunglasses lenses made to both enhance and stand up to the demands of the sports enthusiast with lightweight, flexible, durable materials, no-slip frames and a wide variety of lens options. The sports sunglasses and discount sunglasses are made to suit whatever sporting activity you might be considering whether it be golfing, skiing, snow boarding, playing tennis, motorcycling, cycling, kayaking, boating, water skiing, fishing, mountain climbing, snow shoeing, mountain biking, playing baseball, running or jogging the options have never been more abundant.

One of the most important aspects of the sports sunglasses is the lenses. The optical quality and visual enhancement of sports lenses has never been better. Lens colors such as brown, yellow, green, gray, rose, amber and orange can help enhance your sports performance by filtering out colors and allowing you to see what is most important. Polycarbonate lenses are a popular choice as they are impact resistant and very strong which is helpful when it comes to sports. Having lenses that are impact resistant is also a necessary factor when it comes to children wearing sunglasses, impact resistant means the lenses won’t shatter if bumped or knocked.
The sports sunglasses frames available are just as important as the lenses you choose. Sports sunglasses frames can be found in lightweight and durable frame materials such as polyamide which keeps it shape even when under stress. Goggle frames made of softer flexible materials like rubber, nylon and propionate prove to be excellent as they hold their shape and will not become brittle in the cold temperatures when skiing or snow boarding and therefore will not injure your face. It is possible to find good quality discounted sunglasses, replica sunglasses and sports sunglasses frames to accommodate whatever sporting activity you choose to participate in.

When it comes to sports sunglasses polarized lenses are another popular option as they are ideal for water and winter sports where water and snow can increase the reflective glare, especially on flat surfaces. Polarized sunglasses lenses absorb approximately ninety eight percent of reflective glare offering glare free vision for your sporting activities. Polarized sunglasses are excellent choices for boating, water skiing, skiing, snow boarding, golfing, motorcycling, cycling and jogging with polarized lenses also available in ski goggles. Polarized sunglasses come in a wide variety of designs, colors and styles and can be found on discount sunglasses sites at affordable prices for everyone.

With so many wonderful sports sunglasses, polarized sunglasses, discounted sunglasses and replica sunglasses to choose from you might have difficulty selecting just one or two pairs of sunglasses. With that said the following are just a few of the sports sunglasses trends you might encounter and can include; no-slip temple grips and nose pads (quite often made of rubber); polarized sunglasses lenses that enhance sports performance by absorbing ninety eight percent of reflective glare; lightweight and durable sports sunglasses frames made with polyamide which keeps it shape even when under stress; sports sunglasses with changeable lens systems that allow you to use dark lenses under sunny skies or clear lenses for darker conditions; and sports specific sunglasses with color enhance lenses.

Ski goggles like sports sunglasses have also benefited from modern technology with the materials used to make them. Ski goggles not only provide protection for the face but for the eyes as well, with some ski goggles covering the whole upper portion of the face (smaller goggles are also available). Ski goggles are made with a lens area large enough to give the wearer a wide field of view and good peripheral vision. Unlike sports sunglasses ski goggle frames are made of softer more flexible materials like rubber, nylon and propionate as they hold their shape and will not become brittle in the cold and injure your face. Available in rose, yellow-orange and pink tints ski goggles allow you to make out the shapes, objects and bumps in the snow. Like sports sunglasses ski goggles are also available with polarized lenses which filter out the glare.

Due to the large number of sports related eye injuries each year, the importance of athletes wearing protective sunglasses and sport eyewear becomes obvious.

Whether you wear ski goggles for snow boarding and skiing or protective eye shields made of polycarbonate (impact resistant) for baseball eye safety is necessary.

Sports sunglasses will not shatter or bend like regular sunglasses might. Another reason for wearing protective sports sunglasses is simply for their UV (ultraviolet) protection, you should look for at least ninety eight percent UVA and UVB protection when selecting your sports sunglasses because without proper eye protection keratitis (sunburn) of the eyes can occur. The tinted ski goggles available can also assist with seeing the subtle bumps and lines of the ski hill which in turn can ensure your overall safety.

A popular trend in sports sunglasses is that of sunglasses for enhancing sports performance. Some of the sports enhancing sunglasses can include; yellow tinted sports sunglasses used for tennis where the balls are usually yellow; green tinted sports sunglasses excellent for golf as they give more contrast and visual acuity so the objects in the course such as flag stick and ball will stand out; specially tinted sports sunglasses for trap shooting and baseball; amber or rose ski goggles which enhance the soft grays that mark shadows on a ski slope, these shadows allow you to distinguish the ridges or bumps in the surface. The sports sunglasses that you select should also offer protection for your eyes.

There are sports sunglasses available for whatever types of sports you and your family are interested in. Whether you purchase your sports sunglasses or polarized sunglasses from discounted sunglasses, replica sunglasses or fake sunglasses sites you should always be sure that the quality of your sports sunglasses is high. By selecting high quality designer sunglasses lenses and sports sunglasses frames you will be protecting your eyes from damage, while at the same time enhancing your sporting activity to the fullest.
Valerie Giles owns and operates Eyewear-4U http://www.eyewear-4u.com, an eyewear site featuring fashion eyewear, sports eyewear, prescription eyewear, discount sunglasses and contact lenses as well as accessories. The accompanying article is copyrighted. It may be reproduced only if the hyperlinks here are left intact.

When it comes to playing shorthanded games online, one size definitely does not fit all. Certain concepts, aggression being the most important, are paramount no matter WHAT level you are playing; but the low limit games with its preponderance of loose, passive opponents mandate a slightly different style of play be used to maximize profits.

As at any level of poker, starting hand selection is key. At Party Poker’s lowest level, the six seated tables are littered with players who see 60 to 70 percent of flops. We advocate that you keep your percentage somewhere around 30. While you are ditching your long term losers, most of your opponents will be bleeding money by playing negative expected value hands.

While position is important in Texas Holdem, it is much less important in low limit shorthanded play. Pre-flop raising is infrequent, so you will rarely be “punished” for limping with a hand of moderate strength. We advocate the following starting hands recommendations: Raise with pairs down to Nine, Ace-King to Ace-Ten, King-Queen, King-Jack and Queen-Jack suited. Limp with any suited Ace, Ace-nine and Ace-eight, Queen-Jack, King-Ten, Queen-Ten and Jack-Ten. King-nine can be played late, and Queen-Nine and Jack-nine are optional in late position. Play pocket sevens and sixes anywhere. Lower pocket pairs can be played if there are two limpers ahead of you. Suited connectors down to seven-six should also be played in an unraised pot. Other suited hands to be played are Queen-Nine, Queen-Eight, Jack-Nine and King-Nine. Jack-Eight and Ten-Eight can be played late.

Beware of playing too many hands in the blinds. Even tight players get caught limping in the small blind with poor hands. This is a long term money loser. Stretch your opening hand list only slightly in the small blind, and don’t be too eager to call raises in the big blind. Remember, most of these players raise only with top-notch holdings, so you’ll probably be at a disadvantage if you call a raise.

Shorthanded Poker is typically characterized by raising and aggression. However, this is often less effective at the lowest limits. Your pre-flop raises will typically be called in several places. At higher limits, raising with hands like pocket sevens is an effective strategy, as against a single caller you will probably be a favorite. However, this play is a loser at low limit shorthanded holdem. You will not be able to bully your way to pots very frequently. When you have raised with your big cards and missed the flop, position becomes most important. Frequently you will be up against three or more opponents. If you’ve missed the flop and are last, take a free turn card if possible, or fold to an opponent’s bet. Against two opponents, bet the flop and use your judgement on future streets as to whether you think you can bet them off the hand. Low limit players will generally call you down with any pair, so bluffing them on the river is a long term losing play. If they’ve stuck with you that long, checking (and then folding) is probably your best course of action.

If you’ve hit your flop, whether you raised or limped pre-flop, you must be extremely aggressive. Your starting hands are more solid than everyone else’s. The low limit players’ tendency to chase to the river with poor holdings must be punished. Bet and raise with impunity. If you are in the blinds and flop top pair, even with a weak kicker, by all means check raise. Punish other players for trying to steal pots or betting their middle pair. This will pay off handsomely, as they will remember being check raised and give you free cards later on. Remember also that top pair is a stronger hand in shorthanded games than it is in ten player games, so treat it as such. If you’ve flopped top pair, it is unlikely that one of the other two cards to make top pair landed in the other ten cards dealt to the table. Raise any bettors with top pair, regardless of the kicker, unless there was a preflop raiser. One last note on post-flop play: If you are heads up with someone, throw in a bluff raise occasionally. Many of your opponents are inexperienced and will drop their hands in the face of a raise.

With the plethora of poor players at the lowest limits of shorthanded poker, the game is ripe for the picking. Aggression, while still very important, must be toned down a bit, however, in the face of the numerous calling stations you’re likely to find at these tables. So remain tight, play VERY aggressively when you’ve hit something, but don’t try to bully your way to too many pots and you’ll build a big bankroll by swimming with the fish.

Greg Dwyer is a professional poker player and shorthanded holdem specialist. Read more of his poker strategy at his websites: http://www.HitTheFlop.com and http://www.pokercentral.us

In August of 2005 the price listed as the price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas was $2.29. That same day Kellie Courtney of Cleveland paid only 89 cents a gallon. Marion Charvat paid $1.09 a gallon. Marion filled her Volkswagen Jetta for only $12.45. How could they buy gas so cheap? They did it because they are smart consumers. Here’s how they did it.

The reason that Kellie and Marion were able to purchase gas at such a low price is that they treated gas like it was any other item that they would go to a store to buy. They shopped around and they found a way to purchase their gas at the store that they found had the absolute lowest cost. They found a frequent shopper program that allowed them to lower their gas cost. They found it at a grocery chain called Giant Eagle.

Giant Eagle does business in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. Recently Giant Eagle added a new component to their frequent shopper program. It is called Fuelperks. It is a program that offers discounts on gas at Giant Eagle’s own stations for shopping at Giant Eagle using their frequent shopper card.

For every $50.00 of purchases using the frequent shopper card the consumer will get a 10 cent reduction in the price of gas for one tank fill up. Purchase $100.00 worth; get 20 cents off a gallon. Purchase $500.00 worth and get $1.00 off a gallon. Buy enough groceries and you can get gasoline for free.

A large family that has to buy a lot of groceries every week will very quickly earn large discounts at the gas pump. The prices at Giant Eagle are in line with most of the other groceries in the area and their regular price on gas is in line with other gas stations so you really are getting a legitimate discount on gas.

You have to buy groceries somewhere; you might as well buy it a store that gives you a substantial discount on gas while you are at it. That is one way to beat the gas pump.

Treat gas like anything else that you buy. Look for the best deals. Look for frequent shopper programs in your neighborhood that allow you to build up discounts you can use towards gas. Look for gas discounts and incentives anywhere you see a gas pump. Look for stores that may be branching out into the frequent shopper area or stores that now sell gas that didn’t before.

In order to compete with the new grocery gas stations many gas convenience stores are beginning to implement frequent shopper programs that will result in lower gas costs. But more and more traditional stores that never sold gas before are realizing that discount gas is a big incentive to get shoppers. Giant Eagle is one example of a traditional grocery store branching out to sell gas at a discount.

According to the Food Marketing Institute, just 18% of grocery stores built in 2003 had gas pumps; last year, more than 60% of new stores were built with gas stations. They have seen the value of offering gas to their customers as a loss leader.

The mega retailers are another place you should look for bargains. As in many areas Wal-Mart / Sam’s Club are jumping into the gas business big time. The VP in charge of fuel for Wal-Mart says he is looking to extend Sam Walton’s marketing strategy to gasoline by building gas stations at every Sam’s Club throughout the country. In his view, putting in pumps should be “standard practice. It just fits our business model: we want to bring everything [to consumers] at the lowest price.”

So how can you lower your gas costs? Treat gas like any other item you purchase. Look for deals, discounts and low prices. Comparison shop. Find the retailers that offer the best program for you. Look for gas bargains at some of the non traditional outlets like grocery stores or mega stores. Then maybe you will be able to buy that tank of gas for 89 cents a gallon like Kellie Courtney did.

Scott Siegel is the author of “Beat The Gas Pump!”
If you want to take your money out of your gas tank
and put it back in your pocket go to:
www.beatthegaspump.com
and get your free reports.

Today I want to focus on getting visitors to your website; if you plan to be successful, you need to attract targeted visitors to your site. You may have a nice looking site with some great income opportunities on there, but if you can’t get people to your site; you’re wasting your time. I wasted some money on trying to figure this one out. There are tons of different ways to do it, but there are only a few that work. The one I fell for was one of those companies telling me they could get me 10,000 visitors to my site instantly. Well, they don’t lie, but they aren’t targeted visitors. I offer income opportunities for people who are looking to work from home; if I’m getting people visiting my site looking to buy new cars, I won’t be successful. Here are the best ways to get targeted visitors to your site.

First you want to create a blog; a blog is great because you can just write your thoughts down and get people to come and read your ideas, thoughts or questions. Blogs attract visitors who are looking for what you have to say or offer. Plus writing a blog keeps your thoughts in order. This business is always changing; the more you jot things down, the better organized you will be. Once you start a blog; make sure you use a site that can ping your blog. Ping sites are great because they send your blog entry out to people all over the web.

The second way is by writing articles; writing articles is a very effective way to get people to your site; you also boost your ranking on major search engines like Google when you submit articles. When writing articles you have to contribute something; make the readers feel like they are learning something when they read what you have to say; even if they learn one thing you’re helping them out. Another thing to remember when writing articles is the amount of articles you right. The more articles you write the more people will come back and see what you have to say. The more they come back the more they trust you; once they trust you, they may be willing to purchase something off of your site. I’m in the process of distributing 30 different articles to 75 different article submission sites. Guess what? If you don’t feel like putting in the time and effort to do this, you probably won’t be successful. If you feel like you need some help distributing your articles; there are programs out there that will distribute them for you.

The third way of getting targeted visitors is advertising your site on other people’s sites who are offering the same opportunity you are; the opportunity doesn’t have to be exactly the same, but relates to what you are selling in some way. Try to advertise on high traffic sites; it costs money to advertise on other people’s sites; you don’t want to spend money on advertising on someone’s site, if they don’t get a lot of visitors.

The fourth and hardest way to advertise and get targeted visitors is by placing ads on major search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN. There are tons of people who use this method, it’s very competitive. Before you try this; be sure to research thoroughly how each search engine works. You have to spend a good amount of money to be successful on major search engines. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could loose $500 in one day. I can’t stress the importance of researching this method before you get started. I hate seeing people with a great website get their rear ends kicked because they thought just throwing down a bunch of money could get them visitors. Believe me, there are some serious professionals out there; when you start using search engines to promote your site, you’ll be competing against them. If you’re not careful; they will chew you up and spit you out.

I hope I was able to help you out; it’s tough out there. We need to learn from one another in order to better ourselves. Another thing to remember is; keep your mind open and don’t be afraid to try new ideas. Working from home was a new idea one time; look where it’s evolved to.

Corbin Forbes is a 31 year old Internet Marketer from Pennsylvania. He truly cares about spreading information about his own experiences, successes and failures. He wouldn’t have gotten to where he is today without the help from so many individuals. Not only is he an Internet Marketer; he is someone who wants to give back for all of the good things that have happened to him since starting an Online Home Business. You can e-mail him at corbinfor@gmail if you are interested in starting an online home business; or just want some questions answered.

In this country millions of homes are sold every year. In most cases buyers go to a
bank or finance company to seek mortgage financing.

In some cases, 200,000 in the U.S., home buyers rely on the seller rather than a
financial institution to provide financing because:

• The purchaser may not qualify for a traditional mortgage.
• The purchaser may be a relative looking to save on closing fees.
• The seller may be interested in having a long-term income stream.

Often the seller is pressured into providing financing for the purchaser instead of
receiving a lump sum. This forces the seller to assume the role of a mortgage
company, worrying about servicing and collecting a monthly income stream. A
stream, which may or may not be consistent, depends on the payer’s ability to meet
their monthly obligations.

Peacock Capital provides an option to note holders nationwide who are ready to sell
their homes and use the equity for their own purposes.

We will purchase the note for a lump sum and collect the monthly checks. No more
worrying about the “Check is in the mail” Or, “Will they stop paying, forcing a
foreclosure?” Or, “Has my buyer kept up with their insurance payments?” Etc.

Afra AmirSanjari is the Principal for Peacock Capital.
Peacock Capital specializes in solving the cash flow challenges of Small/Medium
Businesses, Government Vendors and Individuals with innovative financial solutions
by providing a network for securing operating capital.
http://www.peacockcapital.com a>
info@peacockcapital.com

Search engines are the vehicles that drive potential customers
to your websites. But in order for visitors to reach their
destination - your website - you need to provide them with
specific and effective signs that will direct them right to your
site. You do this by creating carefully chosen keywords.

Think of the right keywords as the Open Sesame! of the Internet.
Find the exactly right words or phrases, and presto! hoards of
traffic will be pulling up to your front door. But if your
keywords are too general or too over-used, the possibility of
visitors actually making it all the way to your site - or of
seeing any real profits from the visitors that do arrive -
decreases dramatically.

Your keywords serve as the foundation of your marketing
strategy. If they are not chosen with great precision, no matter
how aggressive your marketing campaign may be, the right people
may never get the chance to find out about it. So your first
step in plotting your strategy is to gather and evaluate
keywords and phrases.

You probably think you already know EXACTLY the right words for
your search phrases. Unfortunately, if you haven’t followed
certain specific steps, you are probably WRONG. It’s hard to be
objective when you are right in the center of your business
network, which is the reason that you may not be able to choose
the most efficient keywords from the inside. You need to be able
to think like your customers. And since you are a business owner
and not the consumer, your best bet is to go directly to the
source.

Instead of plunging in and scribbling down a list of potential
search words and phrases yourself, ask for words from as many
potential customers as you can. You will most likely find out
that your understanding of your business and your customers’
understanding is significantly different.

The consumer is an invaluable resource. You will find the words
you accumulate from them are words and phrases you probably
never would have considered from deep inside the trenches of
your business.

Only after you have gathered as many words and phrases from
outside resources should you add your own keyword to the list.
Once you have this list in hand, you are ready for the next
step: evaluation.

The aim of evaluation is to narrow down your list to a small
number of words and phrases that will direct the highest number
of quality visitors to your website. By “quality visitors” I
mean those consumers who are most likely to make a purchase
rather than just cruise around your site and take off for
greener pastures. In evaluating the effectiveness of keywords,
bear in mind three elements: popularity, specificity, and
motivation.

Popularity is the easiest to evaluate because it is an objective
quality. The more popular your keyword is, the more likely the
chances are that it will be typed into a search engine which
will then bring up your URL.

You can now purchase software that will rate the popularity of
keywords and phrases by giving words a number rating based on
real search engine activity. Software such as WordTracker will
even suggest variations of your words and phrases. The higher
the number this software assigns to a given keyword, the more
traffic you can logically expect to be directed to your site.
The only fallacy with this concept is the more popular the
keyword is, the greater the search engine position you will need
to obtain. If you are down at the bottom of the search results,
the consumer will probably never scroll down to find you.

Popularity isn’t enough to declare a keyword a good choice. You
must move on to the next criteria, which is specificity. The
more specific your keyword is, the greater the likelihood that
the consumer who is ready to purchase your goods or services
will find you.

Let’s look at a hypothetical example. Imagine that you have
obtained popularity rankings for the keyword “automobile
companies.” However, you company specializes in bodywork only.
The keyword “automobile body shops” would rank lower on the
popularity scale than “automobile companies,” but it would
nevertheless serve you much better. Instead of getting a slew of
people interested in everything from buying a car to changing
their oil filters, you will get only those consumers with
trashed front ends or crumpled fenders being directed to your
site. In other words, consumers ready to buy your services are
the ones who will immediately find you. Not only that, but the
greater the specificity of your keyword is, the less competition
you will face.

The third factor is consumer motivation. Once again, this
requires putting yourself inside the mind of the customer rather
than the seller to figure out what motivation prompts a person
looking for a service or product to type in a particular word or
phrase. Let’s look at another example, such as a consumer who is
searching for a job as an IT manager in a new city. If you have
to choose between “Seattle job listings” and “Seattle IT
recruiters” which do you think will benefit the consumer more?
If you were looking for this type of specific job, which keyword
would you type in? The second one, of course! Using the second
keyword targets people who have decided on their career, have
the necessary experience, and are ready to enlist you as their
recruiter, rather than someone just out of school who is
casually trying to figure out what to do with his or her life in
between beer parties. You want to find people who are ready to
act or make a purchase, and this requires subtle tinkering of
your keywords until your find the most specific and directly
targeted phrases to bring the most motivated traffic to you site.

Once you have chosen your keywords, your work is not done. You
must continually evaluate performance across a variety of search
engines, bearing in mind that times and trends change, as does
popular lingo. You cannot rely on your log traffic analysis
alone because it will not tell you how many of your visitors
actually made a purchase.

Luckily, some new tools have been invented to help you judge the
effectiveness of your keywords in individual search engines.
There is now software available that analyzes consumer behavior
in relation to consumer traffic. This allows you to discern
which keywords are bringing you the most valuable customers.

This is an essential concept: numbers alone do not make a good
keyword; profits per visitor do. You need to find keywords that
direct consumers to your site who actually buy your product,
fill out your forms, or download your product. This is the most
important factor in evaluating the efficacy of a keyword or
phrase, and should be the sword you wield when discarding and
replacing ineffective or inefficient keywords with keywords that
bring in better profits.

Ongoing analysis of tested keywords is the formula for search
engine success. This may sound like a lot of work - and it is!
But the amount of informed effort you put into your keyword
campaign is what will ultimately generate your business’
rewards.

Just like prices for computers and telephone systems have
reduced, so too have prices for video conferencing systems.
Video conferencing was once a hugely expensive technology, but
is now available to almost any sized company, large or small.
Video conferencing equipment is now so cheap, that is becoming
standard equipment in many meeting rooms around the world. The
conference room is where video conferencing technology really
shines. Video conferencing allows users to connect audibly and
visually in offices around the world as well as with people who
may be located at remote sites.

Typically the ISDN line is used to call video phones that are
outside your company and the IP connection for those that are
inside a company network. Video conferencing systems hugely
reduce the need for travel. Because of the savings involved
through the need for less travel, the units pay for themselves
many times over in a very short period of time.

There are many video conference units available on the market.
it is best to establish the maximum number of users you are ever
going to need and then purchase a suitable system accordingly.
Don’t forget when choosing the right video conferencing unit for
you, to take into account future company expansion and system
compatability.

Shephard Elementary School Immersion Program

Washington D.C. Schools are eager to begin a new language immersion program at the primary school level. Beginning in August of 2006, pre – Kindergarten students of various foreign language backgrounds will join the new language immersion program. In particular, French and Spanish speaking children are needed to start this two way immersion experience. Students participating in the program will receive either French – English or Spanish – English content classes taught by teachers fluent in the target language. Children born in late 2001 and early 2002 and speak a foreign language are encouraged to enroll.

The Shepard Elementary School program is part of the Washington D.C. Public School System’s ongoing efforts to integrate the International Baccalaureate Program into the elementary school level. Beginning in August 2006, all grade levels at Shepard Elementary school will begin participating in this internationally recognized program.

The Primary Years Program

The Primary Years Program is designed to teach the whole child through a range of interdisciplinary activities. Designed for students aged three through twelve, it involves an overall development of the mind, body, and heart and focuses on the needs of the child in all forms of development, including social, physical, emotional, cultural, and academic. The curriculum is published in English, French, and Spanish. The Primary Years Program is designed to prepare students for the International Baccalaureate Program, a college preparatory program offered at high schools throughout the world, including many locations in the United States. The introduction of the Primary Years Program in Washington, D.C. is in response to the large international community that lives and works in the area.

How Shepard Became an IB World School

In order to teach the Primary Years Program, Shepard had to go through several stages to ensure that the curriculum would reflect an international standard. Washington D.C. schools first entered the Consideration Phase, as they conducted research into the ability for schools like Shepard to meet the rigorous requirements for admission to the program. The district conducted an in –depth analysis of the philosophy and curriculum as well as identifying the resources that would be needed to implement the Primary Years Program.

During the Candidate Phase, the school goes through all the necessary procedures for implementing the new program. This involves training teachers to use the new curriculum as well as gathering the resources necessary to deliver the program. Shepard Elementary School then must implement the program for a full school year in order to complete this phase. The Washington D.C. school district will assist Shepard in beginning the program in August of 2006. This trial phase will determine how well Washington D.C. schools are able to handle the rigorous demands of this international school system.

At the end of the trial phase, scheduled for August of 2007 for Shepard Elementary School, a delegation from the International Baccalaureate Organization visits the school. During this visit, the delegation members decide if the school has shown success in implementing the curriculum. If the school does well, the school becomes authorized to offer the program and attains the internationally recognized status of International Baccalaureate World School. The IBO will continue to visit and monitor the school’s progress every five years.

Teacher Training

The teachers at Shepard Elementary received special training in order to meet the demands of the internationally recognized curriculum. Before becoming authorized to teach the program, the principal, administrative staff, and the teachers all undergo training of some sort. Some teachers attend IBO workshops. Many of the teachers in the Washington D.C. school district attended school based training organized by the IBO. Teachers are also encouraged to keep up – to – date using IBO’s online curriculum center in addition to attending conferences and workshops.

Shepard Elementary has taken the first steps to bring Washington D.C. public education to an international level by entering these first phases of the International Baccalaureate Primary Ye

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for www.schoolsk-12.com, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more on Washington DC schools visit www.schoolsk-12.com/Washington-DC/Washington/index.html

Once upon a time, Americans traveled the highways searching
for the latest word of God. But not anymore! Those same
roadside messages, plus a batch of new ones, can now be
viewed anytime at home on your own personal computer.

Do you remember the original billboards? Someone in Florida
started the ball rolling with eighteen messages in white
type on black billboards all “signed” by God.

South Florida motorists spotted such disarming “quotes” as:

* Let’s meet at my house before the game. -God

* C’mon over and bring the kids. -God

Others messages spoke in a friendly but more serious tone:

* What part of “Thou Shall Not . . .” didn’t you understand?
-God

* That “Love Thy Neighbor” thing . . . I meant it.
-God

Fast forward six years and we find that God, like the rest
of us, now prefers sending his messages through cyberspace.
If you want to see the latest trend, here’s where to go:

Click onto God Speaks.com (http://www.godspeaks.org). Their
graphics will grab you. Also, you’ll find all eighteen of
the original sayings as well as nine brand new ones at the
same web site.

Like the originals, these new “quotes” vary from witty to
thought-provoking. For instance:

* All I know . . . is everything. -God

* If you must curse, use your own name. -God

* The real Supreme Court meets up here. -God

If you are looking for quantity of “Godspeak” messages,
Inspirational Message - God’s Billboard (http://skywriting.
net/inspirational/messages/gods_billboard.html) wins that
category with 141. And they actually invite you to send your
own entry. Care to create God “quote” No. 142?

On the lighter side, and most of their messages are on the
lighter side:

* I told Noah to swat one of those two mosquitoes. -God

* Don’t be afraid . . . I’ll keep a light on for you. -God

Others carry more of a message:

* To all the unborn, I love you . . . I love you . . . I
love you. -God

* No matter how you nurse a grudge it won’t get better.
-God

And their site even serves up a few puns:

* Pray up in advance.

* In the dark? Follow the Son.

If those witticisms aren’t your cup of tea, click over to
Victoria Station.us (http://victoriastation.us/God’s%20Bill
boards.htm.) Many of these fifty-two anonymous “God speaks”
come straight from the scriptures. Is it effective? See for
yourself.

Simple white print on black background warns us:

* Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction. Don’t follow the crowd. -God

Or asks us:

* When I was hungry, did you give me something to eat? -God

Others directly challenge skeptics:

* Make up your mind; is Jesus a lunatic, a liar, or my only
begotten Son? -God

* Would you give up your life to perpetuate a hoax? Neither
would Stephen, James, Peter, or Paul. -God

Still others attack the prevailing wisdom of our times:

* Evolution is the mythology of fools. -God

* If I didn’t exist, neither would atheists. -God

Say, do you think people really ought to be signing God’s
name to their own words? One “quote” seems to answer that
very question:

* My word is sufficient. Beware of those who add to it or
subtract from it. -God

Entertainment or inspiration, whatever the attraction, the
internet “Godspeaks” continue to grow in popularity. You may
smile at some, chuckle at others, and possibly wince at a
few. But if you enjoyed the originals, you just might find
some golden nuggets among the newer generation too.

Check them out. One thing they are not, and that’s boring!

Mr. Boone is a sailor, author, webmaster, and cartoonist. His works include THE SAFETY LINE - EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN, an apologetic study published 1998, and Victoria Station.us a popular joke, quote, cartoon web site. He is also a contributor to “Christian Living in the Mature Years” magazine.

Are you aware that your body language reveals your deepest
feelings and hidden thoughts to total strangers? It might
surprise you to know research indicates that over 65% of our
communication is done nonverbally. In fact, studies show that
nonverbal communication has a much greater impact and
reliability than the spoken word. Therefore, if your prospect’s
words are incongruent with their body language gestures, you
would be wise to rely on their body language as a more accurate
reflection of their true feelings. Body language is a complex
mixture of movement, posture, and tone of voice. The good news
about this subject is that your subconscious mind already
understands the meaning of every gesture, posture and voice
inflection. The bad news is without the proper training you are
unable to consciously apply this information. Developing a
working understanding of body language is similar to learning a
foreign language; it requires time and effort to achieve
mastery.

As a professional salesperson you must continuously monitor your
prospect’s body language and adjust your presentation
accordingly. Think about the tremendous advantage you would have
as a baseball manager if you knew the meaning of the opposing
teams signals. For example, suppose you knew in advance that the
other team was planning to steal second base. You would have a
distinct edge because you would be able to adjust your strategy
accordingly. Are you missing your prospect’s signals? By
understanding your prospect’s body language gestures you will
minimize perceived sales pressure and know when it is
appropriate to close the sale.

Several years ago I read an interesting article about a body
language experiment conducted with college students. The
researchers divided the students into two groups. The first
group of students was asked to maintain an open body posture
during the class lecture. They were instructed to keep their
heads up, both feet on the floor and their arms unfolded. The
second group of students, attending the same class, was
instructed to use closed body posture by crossing their legs and
folding their arms during the lecture. At the conclusion of the
lecture both groups were interviewed and tested. Those students
that were asked to maintain a closed body posture scored 38%
less in their retention of information and, of equal
significance, they had a more critical opinion of both the
material and the professor. As a professional speaker, I share a
similar challenge with the college professor. As I begin my
presentation, I can anticipate that a significant number of the
audience will initially display closed body posture. They will
have their legs crossed, their arms folded and their heads down.
I know that if I am to be effective my primary task is to
connect with the audience and get them to adjust their body
language into a more receptive posture before real learning can
begin.

Here are some important body language gestures you need to
become familiar with:

Body Postures: There are two basic categories of body postures;
Open/Closed and Forward/Back. In an open and receptive body
posture, people have their arms unfolded, legs uncrossed, and
their palms exposed. In a closed body posture, arms are folded,
legs are crossed and their body is usually turned away.

· Leaning Back and Closed: Indicates a lack of interest.

· Leaning Back and Open: Indicates contemplation and cautious
interest.

· Leaning Forward and Closed: Indicates potential aggressive
behavior.

· Leaning Forward and Open: Indicates interest and agreement. If
appropriate, this would be a good time to ask for the order.

Head Gestures: There are four basic head positions.

· Head Neutral: Indicates a neutral and open attitude.

· Tilted Back: Indicates a superior attitude.

· Tilted Down: Indicates negative and judgmental attitude.

· Tilted to One Side: Indicates interest.

Facial Gestures: Facial gestures are easy to observe but are
frequently overlooked due to their subtlety. Facial gestures are
vitally important because

· Dilated Pupils: Under normal lighting conditions when a person
is excited about something, their pupils will dilate.
Conversely, when someone is upset or angry their pupils will
contract. For this very reason, professional poker players
frequently wear sunglasses. Aristotle Onassis always wore dark
sunglasses whenever he negotiated business deals. As a
professional salesperson you should not wear sunglasses while
you are in front of a prospect. Eye contact is crucial for
building trust and rapport.

· Eye Rub: Indicates deceit, “See no evil.” When a person rubs
their eye they will normally look away from you to avoid eye
contact.

· Eye Roll: Is a dismissive gesture that indicates superiority.

· Looking Over Glasses: Indicates scrutiny and a critical
attitude.

· Nose Rub: Indicates dislike of the subject at hand.

· Hand or Fingers Blocking Mouth: Indicates deceit, “Speak no
evil.” When a person uses this blocking gesture while they are
speaking they are literally attempting to block or filter their
words. If your prospect assumes this gesture while you are
speaking, this indicates they are skeptical or doubtful of what
you are telling them.

· Glasses to Mouth: Used to stall or delay a decision.

· Chin Stroking: This gesture is used when a person is in the
final process of making a decision. When you see this gesture
avoid the temptation to interrupt your prospect. If the gestures
that follow chin stoking are positive, and it is appropriate,
ask for the order. If the gestures following the chin stoke are
negative then you will know there is additional work to be done
before you can close the sale.

· Thumb Under Chin/Index Finger Pointing Vertically along the
Cheek: Indicates a negative attitude and critical judgment. Do
not mistake this gesture for interest because in this case the
thumb is under the chin. When you encounter this negative
gesture, hand your prospect something to force them to drop
their hand away from their face.

Matching and Mirroring: People want to do business with
salespeople that they like and trust. You can build trust and
rapport by deliberately, but subtly, matching your prospects
body language. Matching and mirroring body language gestures is
unconscious mimicry. It is a way of unconsciously telling
another that you like them and agree with them. For example, if
you notice that your prospect is crossing their arms, subtly
cross your arms to match them. After you believe you have
developed trust and rapport, check it by seeing if they will
match you. Uncross your arms and see if your prospect will match
and mirror you as you move into a more open posture. If you
notice your prospect subconsciously matching your body language
gestures, this indicates that you have developed trust and
rapport. Conversely, if you notice your prospect mismatching
your body language gestures you know trust and rapport has not
been established and the sale is in jeopardy.