Considering Condo Vacation Rentals in Lake Tahoe

Because many people want to live in or near Lake Tahoe, or at least own a piece of property they can call their own in the area, condominium growth has been explosive here over the last ten years. Due to a local government dedicated to preserving the natural pristine surroundings of the environment, a spiraling real estate market and the ever growing popularity of the area, prices for real estate have risen to dizzying heights.

Such demand has resulted in the development of condos in Lake Tahoe like you've never seen before. There are themed condos where the buildings, the interiors and the common areas are decorated like jungles. There are condos that resemble resorts more than places where people actually live. There are condos with pools that rival the grandest pools in the desert palaces of Las Vegas and Palm Springs and lakefront condos with recreational facilities for use that rival the commercial establishments around the lake.

By using a realtor or searching websites you can get an idea of some of the things that are available in the area. But the first thing you must do is to actually go to Lake Tahoe and spend some time in the area. You might like the hustle and bustle of the South Shore near the casinos and the shopping malls ? or not. You might like the peace and serenity of a woodsy setting perhaps near the ski slopes or across from a gentle mountain stream. Or you might wish to be right on the lake itself, after all that is the main attraction.

A simple one bedroom in a small complex of similar condos could just be right for you and a guest. Or perhaps a 2,000 square foot, four-bedroom, ultra modern unit with underground parking in a complex of over 500 suits you. Maybe you've retired and would like to live with other retirees in a complex whose design was intended from the start to accommodate older people. You choose. Whatever you want, however you'd like to live, it can be found somewhere around Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe Vacation Rentals Info provides detailed information on South and North Lake Tahoe rentals, as well as Lake Tahoe home, condo, and cabin vacation rentals. Lake Tahoe Vacation Rentals Info is the sister site of Hilton Head Rentals Web.

Real Spirituality

My fiancee' and I frequent a restaurant in L.A. called Real Food Daily. The concept behind the name is that their food -- which is unprocessed, abundantly nutritious, and lovingly prepared -- is more authentic, more "real," than most other food. This claim is at once silly and wise. Silly because philosophers have argued about the true nature of "reality" for centuries. Wise because it's an admissible philosophy that the closer something is to its source, the more "real" it is.

This principle has universal applications. Original paintings are deemed more "real" than prints. Linguistically inventive people are deemed more "real" than those who repeat one-liners from TV. A head of lettuce is more "real" than a hot dog. My interest here is to compare organized spirituality to improvised spirituality. Is either one more real?

Needless to say, comparing these two entities is trickier (and more controversial) than comparing paintings and prints. Every moment of every day, a gentle battle occurs between those that attend religious ceremonies and those that just "believe in something."

How many people do you know that just "believe in something"? I've met far too many to keep count (and I myself belong, for the most part, to this group). They're a raw and ragtag bunch that's curious enough for exploration but too impatient for formalities. Which begs the question: do formalities enhance "real spirituality" or detract from it?

Let's cast aside our existential leanings (if any) and assume that there is in fact -- for lack of a more evocative term -- a spirit world. If this is the case, then all of us are intrinsically connected to it, which means that accessing the spirit world (via prayer, visualization, intuition, etc.) requires no special passkeys. No torahs or rosary beads. No church walls or bemas. By this standard, we can kneel before garden hoses and find God in the pages of a phone directory.

Many of those that just "believe in something" like the sound of this. They tend to scoff in the face of organized religion. For them, all formally religious chants, prayers, rituals, and clothing are empty ornaments standing between the plain flesh of humanity and the sparkling blue rivers of eternity. I steer clear of such thinking.

To my mind, such formalities do not detract from real spirituality. Nor do they enhance it. Whereas the concept behind Real Food Daily is both silly and wise, the concept of Real Spirituality is just plain silly. All spirituality -- be it improvised, half-assed, or out of focus -- is authentic. Assuming, of course, that there is a spirit world.

Consider the realm of the spirit as a house with many doors. Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islamism are widely practiced, so perhaps they enter through the front door. Modes like Scientology and Wicca are less conventional, so perhaps they enter through the side. And as for those of us that just "believe in something," we may lack a formal name, and we may enter through the back, but I've no doubt that we reach the same place.

About The Author

Eric Shapiro is the author of "Short of a Picnic," a collection of fiction about people living with mental disorders. He is at work on his first novel.

shortofapicnic@aol.com

The Damaging Admission - A Persuasive Technique

We would all like to think that our product or service is flawless. More importantly, we would like for others to believe that as well. But no matter what you sell, a drawback (sometimes several) will always exist, even if only in the mind of your reader-prospects. Either way, you MUST address the issue up front. In fact, if written properly, "the damaging admission" can actually be used to your advantage.

Too many times, sales letters attempt to convince reader-prospects that there's nothing wrong with the product or service...that it is absolutely perfect. This kind of hyperbole will actually persuade some people, but your credibility will suffer with more others. There's nothing wrong with positioning your product or service to sound better than the competition, but to position it as perfect is a huge mistake. Admit your fault(s). Just be sure to show their real significance (or lack of) in proportion to the overall purchase.

A damaging admission must be 1) credible and 2) useful.

A damaging admission is only credible if it's real-- no product is perfect, so you shouldn't have to make up a damaging admission. Work-at-home opportunities are notorious for poor persuasive techniques, many to this effect: "Hey, we understand that some people don't want to make more money. That's okay--this new program isn't for everyone. It's only for those who want a steady stream of residual income." That's a ridiculous statement and it isn't even a real argument. I don't know anyone who wouldn't like to make more money. Making up a false negative only hurts your image.

A damaging admission is often used to exclude (or appear to exclude) potential customers who might be turned off by the facts related to the admission. This can be useful for eliminating time-wasting "tire kickers."

For example, if your product is expensive (but not prohibitively so for your target audience) then say so up front. Explain that the price is high, but that quality, customer service, etc., makes up for the price and even saves money over the life of the product. This will exclude many people who have no real intention of buying but still want more information. Plus, a higher price often creates the perception of increased value.

(If you decide to use price as a damaging admission, make sure your product will stand up to the test after the purchase, or be prepared to see sales drop off quickly.)

A damaging admission can be used to demonstrate a reason for a discount. Consider a recent example in the Dallas/Fort Worth area: a few days after a hailstorm, a local car dealership advertised lowered prices as part of a "hail sale." Their "damaging admission" was that many of the cars had been marked by the hail, so the dealership was forced to offer the cars at discount prices.

Were these cars really damaged? Perhaps, perhaps not. Either way, the dealership seized the opportunity to use a "damaging admission" to their advantage and have a special sale. The success of the campaign would depend on whether the damaging admission was credible. Were the discounts proportional to the supposed hail damage? If not, customers might think they'd been fooled. Because there was an actual hailstorm, however, the admission was probably accepted as credible.

When you write a sales letter, you're engaging in a one-sided conversation. You can't be present to answer any objections the reader might have and you can't be there to respond to concerns about your credibility. Make sure your sales letter does this for you.

About The Author

Matthew Cobb is an independent copywriter/consultant. He can be reached at contact@cobbwriting.com or by visiting www.cobbwriting.com, where you can sign up for his monthly e-pub, The Copy and Content Clinic.

Dont Expect to Bump Oprah From A Magazine Cover

"I want a pony, a tree house and the fastest bike in the world."

"I want the G.I. Joe with the parachute and camouflage Jeep."

Those wants from when we were children haven't changed much now that we have traded in our play clothes for suits and ties. When I sit down with clients, I always ask them what they want out of their publicity campaign so I can create a realistic list of expectations.

But I usually hear:

"Front page of the Wall Street Journal."

"I want to sit next to Katie and Matt."

"Do you think I could be on Oprah next week?"

Before I sign a new client, I make sure I explain editorial calendars and lead times so they won't ask me "Why haven't I gotten placements with you yet? It's been six days already." I also explain the concept of "newsworthy" to them.

But it seems that more often than not, all of that explaining goes out the door.

Here's The Naked Truth.

Sometimes reporters like big names. Sometimes they like unknowns. That lifestyle editor at InStyle may love the handmade candles that you created but if a major crisis happens in the news (e.g. celebrity breakup, A-list star caught with a call girl, paparazzi caught impromptu wedding) then you can bet your wick and scented oils the focus of their article won't be on your candles. Same goes for almost every magazine you want to target unless you are Oprah, Bill Gates or the president ? of the U.S. not Trixie's Organic Dog Snacks. So don't blame your publicist if your story is axed or postponed. They will try another publication.

There's a great big world out there. Newsweek reaches over 3 million homes each week. They receive enough trash worthy press releases and media kits to fill a broom closet. Sometimes what you think is news? isn't. And you just have to trust your publicist to alert the media when something of interest is happening with your company. Or you run the risk of an editor never taking your releases seriously when you do.

Understand your target market. I know you think it would be the coolest thing since Nobu Next Door to be on the cover of Cosmo but you sell a high-end baby stroller. Cosmo readers don't have an interest in that. Trust me. They won't and the editors don't have time to wade through releases of no interest to their readers. Publicists know the publications' target audience and with the help of editorial calendars, they can figure out if you will fit in a certain issue they are preparing. So don't get upset when your publicist tells you they got you into a different publication because the one you wanted said "NO" to your story over 10 times. When they just aren't interested, publicists move on.

Sometimes the more is not the merrier. Just because we have an editor contact database of thousands doesn't mean each of them should receive your press release or an invitation to your launch party. It might sound great to you to say "Our company press release just went out to over 10,000 editors" but if they aren't targeted to the right editors they will only end up in the recycling bin. I'm positive Janice Huff at Channel 4 doesn't care about your gelato shop. She only covers the weather.

When it's time for your company to retain a public relations firm, remember to have realistic expectations. Your publicists know what publications are good targets and they know that providing you with the results you want is going to make you happy. And all publicists want to make their clients happy.

About The Author

Roman Pericon is the CEO of NakedPR (www.NakedPublicity.com), a public relations and event planning firm in New York. Subscribe to "The Naked Truth", his free monthly PR newsletter, by emailing Roman@NakedPublicity.com. NakedPR specializes in entertainment and lifestyle clients.

How to Handle Child Tantrums?

Child tantrums are a way for children to express their feelings and thoughts. Child tantrums are common in young children. Children below the age group of 4 are the most affected by child tantrums. They may not know how to express their anger and frustration. Hence they throw tantrums when they need to express. Different methods are used to handle child tantrums. Parents can use methods like isolating the child for the time they throw tantrums and ignoring the tantrum when they want to handle child tantrums.

Instead of exploring the methods parents can think of the ways to prevent child tantrums. As one of the method to handle child tantrums parents can talk to the child when they calm down after tantrums and they can teach them how to express their feelings and emotions through words instead of tantrums. Parents can even praise a child for calming down quickly. When they handle child tantrums parents should make sure that the child is in their view always even when they ignore tantrums.

Any sharp objects or dangerous objects should be out of the reach of the children when they throw tantrums. This is an important point to be noted when they handle child tantrums. If the parents know how to handle child tantrums properly they can avoid embarrassing situations like a child throwing tantrums at a public place.Children whose families are addicted to alcohol and drugs may have tantrums.

Parent should be disciplined to handle child tantrums that are due to such situations. The parent should know how to control himself in front of the child because most of the children learn from their parents only. To handle child tantrums in which the child is hurting herself very often, the parent should seek the assistance of a medical practitioner to deal such tantrums. Even if the parent couldn't control the urge to beat his child he can seek a doctor to sort out the ways in which he can handle child tantrums.

To know more about child tantrums, pls visit http://www.natural-treatment-guide.com/childtantrums/childtantrums-intro.html for more details. To browse the online version of the above article, visit http://www.natural-treatment-guide.com/childtantrums/handle-child-tantrums.html

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Senior Citizen Calling Tips

The AARP, American Association of Retired Persons, ( http://www.aarp.org/ ) conducted a survey in 2000 entitled, "Consumer Understanding of pricing Practices and Savings Opportunities in Long Distance Telephone Industry." This report was an update of an earlier survey conducted in 1998. As the title implies, the survey examines the pricing issues surrounding long distance calling plans in the market and the public's awareness, with a particular focus on people over 50, of these types of savings plans. Only one-quarter of those interviewed 65 and older, looked for long distance calling plans that would save them money. More alarming was the fact that only a little more than 40% knew that the best rate was not the standard rate. To read the complete report, click here. ( http://research.aarp.org/consume/d17192_longdis.pdf )

Since deregulation, there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of calling plans available in the market today. This has been a windfall for consumers but unfortunately all of the various plans and options can become very confusing for most consumers ? particularly our elderly who grew up during the AT&T only reign. Please read on if you or one of your family members fall into this category. We offer these tips to help cut through some of the confusion and ease the burden (pain) of selecting a calling plan that will save them considerable sums over time.

? Telemarketing Issues:

Telemarketers and receiving spam email are one in the same, as far as I am concerned. With unwanted email you can hit the delete key; with telemarketers simply hang up. Besides, selecting a calling plan should be done with full knowledge and disclosure and reading the fine print. You cannot do that over the phone and you can rest assured that the telemarketer is not going to be terrible forthcoming. As the drug commercials say, just say no ? then hang up.

? Peak versus Off-Peak Rates:

You need to look for a calling plan that delivers the same low price, any time and all of the time. Although there are numerous plans out there that offer different rates for different times and weekends, they have the tendency to mystify and bewilder mere mortals such as you and me.

? First Steps:

Start with people you know and trust; family members, close neighbors and business associates if appropriate. Ask who they use and why; what their rates are and if there are any limitations. Check with them on whether there are monthly fees and minimums with their calling plan and most important, whether they are satisfied with their service and would recommend their carrier to others. Answers to these types of questions will get you pointed in the right direction at least. Also, if you hear the same company recommended by more than one friend then you need to look into their plans first.

? Primary Considerations:

Unfortunately, getting the right calling plan requires a little work on your part. You need to study your telephone calling behavior, check for patterns, times, particular cities that you call more frequently and so forth. Do you make most of your calls locally, within the State or State-to-State? Are you a large consumer of International calls? Once you understand your personal calling habits and patterns you can begin to focus your attention on which carrier will best meet those need and meet your expectations with the most competitive price. Match your calling pattern with the recommendations you received from others in the first step above. Is there a good fit? If so, pursue them further.

? Monthly Fees:

There are many calling plans available in the marketplace that does not force you to pay a monthly fee. Avoid monthly fees if at all possible. Even more so if you do not make many calls. One more word of caution, do not buy in to the hype about low state-to-state rates because in some cases, lurking in the fine print may be a monthly fee. It's like spotting an attractive lady across a dimly lit room, once the makeup and wig comes off you discover the true ugliness lurking beneath.

? Leasing versus Owning the Phone:

There is no reason today to lease a telephone from your local carrier. Check your telephone bill and see if there is a line item for leased equipment. If there is, head down to your local retailer that sells telephones and pick up a phone that suits your needs. Chances are you will be able to purchase a telephone with more features and at a cost that will save you a tidy sum every year. There are many retailers that sell phones for well under $100 with some below $50. There are many telephone carriers that charge leasing fees up to $20.00 per month or $240 per year. Today that is just a waste of money.

? Cramming:

Get into the habit of reviewing your telephone bill every month. Although reputable telephone carriers do not indulge in the spurious practice of cramming, they do occasionally make a mistake. Cramming is the practice of placing additional charges for goods and services on your telephone bill that you did not authorize or purchase. It is illegal. In the case of a mistakes or suspected cramming, you need to contact the company and ask them, politely initially, to explain the charges. If you didn't authorize the purchase then ask your carrier to remove it from your bill. If they fail to remove the charge from your bill, and you feel that the charge is wrong, then contact your local office of

Public Utilities or go to the FCC web site and file a complaint.

? Added Features:

There are many fine features that can be added to your telephone service to enhance its functions and permit a broader range of useful information. But if you are like me, and could care less about the fancy bells and whistles, remove those services that you really don't need or want. Unfortunately, there are many seniors that are sold a package of goods and services when they sign up for a new service or when telemarketers call with the latest gizmo. If you don't need it, don't get it. If you have it and don't use it, remove it. All of these little "extras" increase your bill and could be a waste of money.

? Saving on Calling Plans with Fixed or Low Income:

The Federal Government is committed to providing telephone service to all Americans. The Federal Universal Service Fund includes the low-income program; which provides discounts on telephone installation and basic monthly service to qualifying consumers. There are two components to the low income program, Lifeline Assistance ("Lifeline") and Link-Up America ("Link-Up"). Lifeline and Link-Up are available to all qualifying low-income consumers nationwide. The FCC's enhanced Lifeline and Link-UP programs, however, which offer additional discounts, are available only for qualifying consumers living on Tribal Lands. Check with your local provider and ask about these programs in order to earn discounts on the basic telephone service. For more information about these low income programs click here. ( http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/tribalfactsheet.pdf )

? Changing Long Distance Carriers too Much Trouble:

Many people feel that switching carriers is just too much trouble and a bit too confusing. They are probably right. But in any event, if you decide to keep your existing carrier then at least check with them to make sure you are getting the best value for your money and the cheapest rates they offer. Do some of the other tips we suggest here, such as getting rid of leased equipment and extra features and you will be able to trim your bill substantially.

Copyright 2004 Raymond Klesc

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated - send to info@globalvalueconnect.com

About The Author

Raymond Klesc

Global Value Connect ( http://globalvalueconnect.com ) has been providing the best value in telecommunication products and services for the home or office since 1995. If you want to cut your telephone bill in half register today for our free eBook entitled "Telephone Bill Saving Tips for Home and Office" and is available at: http://globalvalueconnect.com/Saving_Tips.htm.

Short Term Payday Loans - Use One Online To Get Cash Quick

Short term payday loans are now available online. After filling out your application online, you can have an emergency loan deposited into your checking account the next day. You don't have to stand in line, fax information, or even have good credit. Online payday loans offer convenient cash advances for those unexpected expenses.

How It Works

Payday loans are short term cash advances designed to get you through to the next payday. You fill out an application providing information about yourself and your income online for instant approval. Once approved, a cash advance is deposited into your checking account the following day. The loan company will debit payment from your checking account on your next payday.

You can handle the entire process online or you can speak with a payday loan representative. Reputable payday loan companies list their loan rates online and have representatives you can call. They will also keep your information confidential.

Payment Options

Most payday loan companies offer three payment options. You can pay only the finance charges for up to four due dates. Another option includes making a series of payments that include finance charges and principal payments, spreading out the time to pay back the loan. You may also pay off the entire amount of the loan. The sooner you pay back the loan, the less finance fees you will have to pay.

Payment options are also flexible. If you planned to repay the loan the following payday but something unexpected comes up, you can change the terms of your repayment plan. You will be required to make a minimum payment on the due date, but the principal balance can be paid off at a later date.

Convenient Service

Unlike typical payday loan companies, online payday loan companies are open 24 hours. You can fill out the application from the privacy of your home and avoid sharing your financial information in public. You can also avoid the hassle of waiting in line.

Online payday loan companies also offer convenient payment options. You can make payments online or call a company representative. The whole process is handled privately and discreetly.

To view our list of recommended payday loan companies online, visit this page: Recommended Payday Loan Companies Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational website with articles and information about various types of loans.