Sorry dmoz is not home - please leave a message

That’s exactly the message I feel I am getting every time I visit Dmoz. org to try and list another website into its directory. You visit the site, leave your directory submission (your message), and never hear from them! Yes, it takes a long time to have your website reviewed for submission and it gets you thinking if they are even home in the first place. I have had many questions and complaints about Dmoz and have tried to answer them as correctly as possible. But the common question is “when will they return my call?”

For those of you who are new to the term “Dmoz”, it is the Open Directory Project which is the largest and most comprehensive human edited directory of the web. For your website to be accepted into Dmoz, it has to be reviewed by a human editor. If accepted, then your site is seen as a trusted source by search engines, especially Google. Combined with some SEO work, it will give you that extra boost within the rankings, however the only problem is that the editors take a long time to review the websites.

If you take a look at how many volunteer editors they have (71,816 last time I checked), compared to the number of website submissions they receive (we’re talking hundreds and thousands of websites), then obviously it will take a long time for the editors to get around to yours. To add to that, theses editors work for free and each one is assigned to a certain category for reviewing websites. The worst case scenario, you have a new website that has just been submitted to a category with the least number of editors monitoring it, which explains the long waiting time (up to 2 years, if not longer).

When Dmoz first started (1998), it took no longer than 6 weeks to have you website listed into their directories. With demand now running high, the wait is a lot longer and editors are a lot more selective. Never the less, there is no need to get frustrated as there are alternatives to gaining links from a combination of other sources that are just as effective as a link from Dmoz. For instance, you can submit your website to various directories such as Yahoo! and find many other resources on the web on ways to improve your link popularity. If you perform any search and look at the top five websites, you will notice that in most cases these websites do not have a Dmoz listing. This shows that some ethical SEO work and incoming relevant link building will get you those desired ranks.

Having said all that, there is no need to wait for Dmoz to come around. All focus should be diverted on other ways to improve your search engine rankings. If you don’t hear from Dmoz, then there is no reason to get frustrated on their lack of efficiency, for your goals can be much easily attained through other sources. On the other hand, if you do hear from Dmoz, take it with a smile and be sure to make good use of their listing with some search engine optimisation for your website.

Great christening and baptism keepsake ideas

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A baby’s christening or baptism is a very special occasion. It is the very first step in their spiritual life so there should be as many keepsakes of the day as possible. Since the baby won’t have any first-hand memories of this special day, it’s up to the parents, godparents and family members to create lasting memories for them.

There are always the popular items that make treasured keepsakes, but there are many other ideas that might get overlooked. For instance, are the invitations just for inviting guests to the celebration and providing all the important details? That is their main purpose, but saving just one of them to be framed or placed in a memory album/scrapbook will create a lasting souvenir of the occasion.

Here is a list of some more obvious and not-so-obvious items that make great baptism or christening keepsakes creating lifetime memories for the baby.

Gown or Outfit – Choosing heirloom quality fabric and taking the proper storage measures will help preserve the gown or outfit for future generations or just for a lasting remembrance.

Accessories such as shoes, socks, bib, blanket, bonnet, towel, headband, boutonniere - They all add an extra special touch to the gown or outfit and make great mementos.

Favors – These are perfect for showing appreciation to guests and giving them a take-home token. Many types of favors can be personalized.

Certificate – This is a great way to create a written record of the baptism or christening that can be framed and displayed.

Bracelet – What could be more precious and beautiful than a baby bracelet adorning the infant on her special day?

Personalized Gifts – These are normally items designed specifically for a christening or baptism such as a photo album, photo frame, Bible, cross plaque, doll, prayer bear, or candle. They are extra special because of the personalization.

Share of Stock with Framed Certificate – This is a gift that will educate and grow with the child throughout their life and the personalized frame will commemorate the date of their baptism or christening.

Godparents, in particular, should really consider giving their godchild a keepsake gift since part of their responsibility is to help the child grow in their spirituality. Since their baptism or christening is the beginning of their spiritual life, it should always be remembered. There are special godchild, goddaughter, and godson gifts available that can be personalized with the baby’s name and the date.

Keepsakes are a wonderful way to honor the memory of a baby’s christening or baptism through the years as they grow, both physically and spiritually.

Reward yourself

Looking better and feeling great may be their own rewards when you lose weight, but it never hurts to reward yourself for reaching goals and sticking to your eating plan. Building in incentives is a time-honored way of helping keep yourself on track. Did you pass up that piece of cheesecake at lunch? Reward yourself with a pot of fresh herbs! Did you get out and exercise for your daily half-hour? Take a luxurious bath with scented oils. Went the whole week without falling off your new routine? That calls for a big reward! Treat yourself to an evening out, or buy that book you've been dying to read.

Need some excuses for rewarding yourself? Try setting one of these goals to give yourself something to shoot for:

1. Weight loss goals.

Pretty traditional here - treat yourself to something special whenever you can mark off ten pounds toward your goal weight. Get a manicure to make you feel extra special.

2. Look, Ma, I dropped a whole size!

Well, that certainly calls for buying yourself something in that new size, even if it's just a pair of new exercise sneakers!

3. Whew! I made it ALL the way through the half-hour workout without stopping ONCE!

Now that's impressive! Call your best friend or your mom and brag - or just chat. Even if it's long distance.

4. I didn't do it! That chocolate chip cookie dough sundae was calling my name, but I turned my back and walked away.

In that case, don't you think you deserve fresh flowers for your

desk?

5. I finally fit into THAT dress!

I'd say that calls for wearing it out somewhere special, wouldn't you? Take yourself out dancing to show it off!

6. I lost weight for the third week in a row. I'm so proud of myself!

Here's an ongoing reward - for every pound you lose, drop a dollar or two into a jar, and watch the money build up. Entertain yourself with plans on how you'll spend it when you reach your goal weight.

7. I got stuck for three weeks, but I finally budged from that plateau!

I'll tell you what - sticking to a diet when you're not seeing results is one of the hardest things that you'll ever do. Get yourself something that will make it easier to reward yourself. For example, buy a blender for whipping up frozen fruit smoothies.

8. I'm halfway there!

You deserve a Halfway Party, don't you think? Pull out all your old fat clothes and try them on so you can feel great about how far you've

come.

9. I've been slugging away forever, and I'm starting to get

discouraged...

Okay, so it's not a 'reward' situation -- but it is. You deserve a reward for sticking to it this long. Want a quick pick-me-up? Pick up the phone and get together with someone you haven't seen in months. This will guarantee that you’ll receive compliments at how great you look!

10. I did it! I made it! I reached my goal weight!!

Well, sweetheart, that calls for pulling out the stops! Remember that money you've been paying yourself for losing weight? Time to cash it in for something fabulous!

Eating healthy and losing weight are gifts that you give yourself, though they may not feel like it at first. By rewarding yourself along the way, you’ll not only increase the chances of your success, but you’ll enjoy the process a whole lot more!

Live happier and healthier herbally with herbal vitamins

Herbal products have become extremely popular in recent years. There are herbal supplements, herbal vitamins, herbal weight loss pills, and even herbal Viagra. Most herbs are geared toward better health and improved stamina without the use of over-the-counter or prescription medications; however, herbal products should still be used with caution. Let's take a look at some of the most popular herbal products and see what each has to offer.

Herbal Weight Loss Products

Probably one of the most popular uses for herbal products is to enhance weight loss. There are natural appetite suppressors such as Hoodia and its equivalent extracts, fat burners, nutritional supplements, carb blockers, laxatives, and other products that can help enhance weight loss if used correctly. Herbal appetite suppressors can help keep your appetite to a minimum throughout the day, thus, causing you to eat less than usual. Nutritional supplements can be taken to replenish your body of much-needed vitamins. Fat burners can enhance your metabolism and cause it to burn more fat.

Herbal weight loss products are not meant to replace food or to assist you in starving yourself to lose weight. Instead, they help you control your portions at each meal and resist the urge to snack in between meals. Your weight loss rewards can be even greater if you use herbal supplements along with healthy food choices.

Herbal Energy Vitamins for Mind and Body

You may also benefit physically and mentally by taking herbal energy vitamins. These help stimulate mind and body to improve your physical strength and mental state. Some ingredients used in energy herbs include extracts such as Avena Sativa, Guarana Seed, Panax Ginseng, and many others. These types of herbal products enable you to exercise more and be more active while also clearing and sharpening your mind.

Herbal Vitamins for Men and Women

There are a variety of herbal products designed to help men and women with their specific needs. For example, women who suffer from hormonal imbalances, menstrual or menopause problems, and even sexual problems may benefit from herbal vitamins.

The herbal vitamin Femline helps balance hormones and reduces mood swings using ingredients such as St. John's Wort and Magnesium. Menoplay combines extracts equivalent to Wild Yam, Black Cohosh, and others to reduce menopause symptoms. For men, there's herbal Viagra or similar herbs to help improve libido.

There are also herbal vitamins for calming purposes, improved heart health, lower cholesterol, colon cleansing, liver tonic, antioxidants, improved memory, decreasing stress, and many others.

As with any herbs or medicines, check with your doctor before trying herbs if you have a pre-existing health condition or if you are currently taking medications. Some herbs do not mix well with certain medications, or can be harmful if taken while suffering from certain health conditions. Choose herbal products wisely and check labels or read product descriptions online to see what ingredients are included.

With so many online herbal stores and local health stores that carry a variety of herbal vitamins, you can easily find herbs to meet your needs. Visit an online herbal store today to start living happier and healthier herbally.

Credit card applications online

Are you looking for a new credit card? If so, the World Wide Web is the best place to begin your search. Filling out credit card applications online is faster, easier, and more secure than ever before. Here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy when you apply with an online credit card application.

A Wide Selection

You probably get many credit card offers in the mail. While this may seem convenient, the information you receive is limited. You only learn what one particular card has to offer. You could miss your chance to apply for a credit card that truly fits your needs.

The Internet gives you access to a wide variety of credit card applications. Whether you are looking for low interest rates, cash back programs, free miles or other rewards, you will be able to find it online. If you have poor credit, search for “bad credit credit cards” and you will find many that are made for your situation. If your credit history is solid, add the words “good” or “excellent” to your search.

Convenience

When you apply online for a credit card, you’ll find a vast assortment of options right at your fingertips. You can search for a card application any time, day or night, that is convenient for you. The terms and conditions of each card are also available online.

When you apply online, you will often be able to find out if you are approved for the card within a matter of minutes or even seconds. This saves you the time of sending in an application through the mail and waiting for weeks to find out if you have been approved. Once you have been approved, the card will be sent to you in the mail.

Choosing a Card

Before you fill out a credit card application online, think about what type of credit card you need. If you plan on carrying a balance from month to month, you might look for a card with a low interest rate. If rewards are what you’re after, you have plenty of options to choose from, including airline miles, gift certificates, gas rebates, cash back, and more. You’ll also want to look into the annual fee and interest rate. Many cards come with introductory offers, such as 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers. Some lenders offer a fixed interest rate, while others include a variable one. You will want to think about these factors, and possibly others, as you decide on a credit card.

The online application process is simple. Be ready to provide basic information, including your date of birth, social security number and home address. Some credit card applications also request information regarding your housing situation, income level and employment status.

When you have filled out the credit card application online, hit “send” to submit it. You will most likely receive a confirmation e-mail regarding your application. You’ll find out soon whether or not you have been approved. Once your card arrives in the mail, you can begin using it right away.

With the Internet, applying online for a credit card has never been easier. Start the process today. You’ll soon enjoy the benefits of your new card.

How to get approved for a personal loan with bad credit or no credit

For a regular bank loan officer this implies that he is considering lending money to a high risk client, because these kinds of records are known to lead to late payments and default.

Bad Credit Personal Loan Lenders

There are however other financial institutions willing to approve loan applications for people with bad credit. You should bear in mind though, that these financial institutions usually charge a higher interest rate. This is due to the higher risk involved for the lenders when lending to people with past financial problems.

Nevertheless, your credit history will be checked if you apply for a loan. Your credit report will almost always be pulled and your credit score will be taken into consideration. But you don’t need to despair; there are many ways to increase your chances of getting approved for a personal loan even with bad credit.

Bad Credit Secured Personal Loans

If you have any asset you can use as collateral, the smart thing to do is to apply for an unsecured personal loan. In this type of loan your credit rating becomes less important as the value of the asset will be guaranteeing the loan repayment.

This means that if you fail to pay the monthly installments, the lender has a legal claim on your property and you risk repossession.

Pondering the loan amount

Reducing the loan amount is another way of increasing your chances to get approved. The loan amount is another factor that plays along with the others so if you can reduce the amount of money you request, the requirements for approval will be less strict. That being said, you should always request the strictly necessary and not a dollar more.

Late and missed payments

You should avoid missing payments. Make sure all your bills and loan installments are up to date. Late payments will also have negative effects on your ability to get approved. Usually people belittle these two factors but it has such importance that it may imply that you get blacklisted for loans for a long period of time.

Applying to the right lenders

If your credit is too bad, don’t waste your time with banks and other mainstream lenders, they’ll pull your credit report just to decline your application and this will affect your credit score negatively. At this point, you should aim to financial institutions specialized in bad credit loans. These firms focus on customers with past credit problems and are ready to deal with their needs.

You should bear in mind though that the interest rate charged for such loans is higher than the one you would get from a bank. You may be able to reduce the interest rate by offering collateral or applying for a personal loan with a co-signer.

Search for your loan Online

When it comes to finding a lender willing to approve a bad credit personal loan, online lenders are the best options. Due to their online nature, they have lower costs and thus charge lower interest rates. There are also some online firms that offer access to many lenders in a single site, so you won’t need to search around for a lender and you’ll be able to compare loan quotes from the comfort of your home.

Learn internet marketing from real experts

When it comes to making money online the fastest way to get yourself over the initial learning curve, is to join a coaching or mentoring program that will provide you with the tools that you need to ensure your success.

Unfortunately, all the internet “experts” that talk about being able to offer you the best coaching package online are not always able to deliver on their promises. Being able to create success for yourself is one thing, but being able to replicate the materials that will show others how to create that success is an entirely different thing.

In the last 12 months a number of “learn internet marketing” coaching opportunities have appeared online and are being run by people who are not trained life coaches, mentors or teachers. They have the belief that their success somehow qualifies them to begin teaching someone else how to do it too. But learning success from a book or being inspired by the success story of someone, and actually being able to motivate and inspire an adult to learn something you are teaching is very different.

One of the first mentoring programs I embarked upon was with an experienced internet marketing company who charged over $6,000 and yet 6 months later, despite the promises and glossy paperwork that showed the 6 figure sums their past participants were all making, I had nothing to show for it (well not entirely true, I had acquired a lot of new found knowledge but still nothing to sell and I made no money). One of the things missing was the fact that I had no product, or any idea about what I wanted to do online, and despite being told that didn’t really matter, it actually did in the end.

My second coaching program with an experienced internet marketer proved to be more rewarding. The opportunity to connect with other people plus learn from some of the best internet marketing experts out there (I guess when you are well known you can pull in all your well known friends to help you out!) made a huge difference. This is still an ongoing program and taught me a lot about how to make money online but still lacked the structure needed to teach a complete business system. I was looking to build a business structure not just earn some money.

So when the opportunity arose to take part in a coaching program that was run by the very Life Coach who taught these internet marketing experts I jumped at the chance. Being quite clear that investing in this high end coaching program was an investment in the future of my business. I also understood that the only way to experience success is to learn from those who have already experienced success in that area – (well actually it’s not the only way, you could learn from making your own mistakes and take twice as long to experience results!). Plus, the added bonus was being coached by a qualified life coach, which for me only added to the excitement of joining.

What I was looking for was a way to build the internet structure that would run my business, not just make a few thousand dollars a month, but actually build a large company that is run by other people so I can spend my time travelling the world attending internet marketing events and bringing back what I had learnt to my team!

Many people are promised the dream of sitting on the beach while money pours into their bank account, and whilst this is possible, what they neglect to mention is the fact that it takes years to achieve, and even after achieving it you are still tied to a business that needs constant attention. Talk to any “overnight success” and they will paint the real picture for you of what it took to get them to that point. The more realistic dream is to look at building a business that is put together so that each part of your business adds value and revenue to your profit margin.

But joining these coaching programs is about so much more than just learning how to build a business, ultimately your success will depend on who you know, not what you know. You can have the best product in the world but if no one can find it then you will not be making many sales.

When you join an exclusive coaching program you will usually get access to the expert running it (if it is a decent program). They will want you to be one of their success stories so will go out of their way to help you. When you have a successful internet marketer promoting your product (if they offer that service) then people are more likely to take notice of you. You have invested in them by buying their services so they are more likely to invest their time in you by supporting you in whatever way possible.

It is important that when considering who you will be learning from you take a good look at what you will be taught and how. Forget promises on a web page, and instead focus on :

Can I actually interact with the person who is running the program?

Is it possible to earn revenue from referring the program to others?

What is the vision for all the members of this coaching program?

Are there joint venture opportunities available with other members?

What guarantees do they offer?

Do they offer the opportunity to promote your product?

Who have they successfully worked with in the past?

What resources are made available to you?

How much time commitment do you have to make to the program?

How quickly can you expect to see results if you consistently follow their program?

Are they dedicating all their time to teaching their clients or are they focused on other things?

All of these are important questions to consider when investing in a high end coaching program if you want to ensure your investment helps you create the profitable business you desire.

Standing on the shoulders of giants, learning from the experienced internet marketing experts who have successfully and consistently made their living online is an amazing experience. It saves you time, energy and money because you will not waste precious time (sometimes years) on working on something that doesn’t bring results. I highly recommend you invest in yourself and your business if you are serious about building a lifestyle that includes a profitable business.