My Utile Center

Most people interested in hoodia today are primarily interested in the potential of pure hoodia gordonii products as appetite suppressants. People ask, “What is hoodia?”, because, until recently, it was commonly used by only a small group of South African natives. The San or Bushmen, commonly referred to as San Bushmen, are believed to have lived in southern Africa for at least 20,000 years. Living in areas surrounding the Kalahari Desert, the Bushmen are familiar with the hoodia gordonii and have used it to suppress appetite and hunger during long hunts. This practice inspired the modern use of pure hoodia gordonii products by dieters.

If a tourist asked, “What is hoodia?” The Bushmen might point out a plant with purple flowers and long spiky leaves that resembles a cactus, but is actually a succulent. There are many different species of hoodia, but only hoodia gordonii has been researched for its effectiveness as an appetite suppressant. There may be products on the market, claiming to contain hoodia and being sold as appetite suppressants, which contain some other species of hoodia. Dieters’ asking what is hoodia and searching for hoodia supplements would be wise to avoid these products, since they will probably not work. One way to find a product that is more likely to be an effective appetite suppressant is to look for one which contains pure hoodia gordonii from South Africa.

According to the American Obesity Association, there are approximately 127 million adults in the United States that are overweight and another 69 million that are obese. This may account for the large number of people asking; what is hoodia. People concerned about being overweight and the effects it may have on their health will try just about anything to lose those extra pounds. Pure hoodia gordonii products may help.

Which brings up another question; what is hoodia gordonii not going to do. Pure hoodia gordonii will not cause rapid overnight weight loss. It is not a miracle drug and manufacturers do not make outrageous claims about its effectiveness. Like so many products, pure hoodia gordonii works for some people and not for others. It does not, nor is it advertised to, take the place of reasonable diet and exercise programs. Pure hoodia gordonii is merely an aid. Some people have trouble sticking with a low calorie diet and low calorie diets often lead to decreased metabolism. Research of the active molecule in pure hoodia gordonii suggests that it may reduce appetite, without reducing metabolism.

For more information about pure hoodia visit the Hoodia Info Blog.

Patsy Hamilton is one of the editors at the Hoodia Info Blog.

Malaysia History:

Wikipedia, the encyclopedia says: “the history of Malaysia is a relatively recent offshoot of the history of the wider Malay-Indonesian world”. It is so because anthropologists and historians could see very little aspects culturally and linguistically, to distinguish today’s Malaysian territories from the lands of the Malay Archipelago. According to their research, today’s division of the Malay world into six different states– Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei and East Timor - is largely the result of external influences, like the Hindu India, the Islamic Middle East and Christian Europe (west), China and Japan (north-east). Besides, the most direct shipping route passing through the Strait of Malacca, Malaysia has naturally been a melting pot of trade routes and cultures. Thus, it has been found out that the geographical position of Malaysia has literally made it difficult for the Malay people to resist foreign influence and domination.

If one analyses the history of Malaysia, he can see these successive phases before the final assertion of Malay independence.

• The domination of Hindu culture imported from India reached its peak in the great Srivijaya civilisation in Sumatra (from the 7th to the 14th centuries).

• The arrival of “Islam” in the 10th century, leading to the conversion of the Malay-Indonesian world, having a profound influence on the Malay people. The Srivijayan empire broke up into smaller sultanates, the most prominent one being Melaka (Malacca).

• The intrusion of the European colonial powers and European domination: (i) Portuguese, (ii) Dutch and (iii) British, who established bases at Penang and Singapore. This triggered off the most revolutionary event in Malay history - the Anglo-Dutch treaty of 1824, which drew a frontier between British Malaya and the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia). Thus, the division of the Malay world was established permanently.

• The British had obvious economic intentions in establishing their empire in the Malay world. In colonizing the Malay world, they had forseen financial profit, banking on the obvious attractions of Malaya, the tin and gold mines. However, soon after, the British planters started exploring the tropical plantation crops including pepper and coffee. On the other hand, there was a mass immigration of Chinese and Indian workers to meet the needs of the colonial economy. To meet the needs of a large and disciplined work-force, plantation workers, mainly Tamil-speakers from South India as well as immigrant workers from southern China were imported to the land. Thus, the Malay society suffered the loss of political sovereignty to the British and of economic sovereignty to the Chinese.

However, after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in the 1930’s, Chinese emigration to Malaya stopped significantly, thereby stabilising the demographic situation. In 1957, Malay became an independent nation, with 55% Malay population, and with rich export industries, consisting of rubber, tin, palm oil, and iron ore.

1963 was a significant year for the Malay world, when Malaya became Malaysia with the acquisition of the British territories in North Borneo and Singapore. It was followed by various political onslaughts like confrontation with Indonesia, the race riots of 1969, the establishment of emergency rule and a curtailment of political life and civil liberties forever. However, after the New Economic Policy introduced by the government in 1971, the Malaysian economy improved significantly, with the elimination of rural poverty, and with the identification between race and economic function. The political culture of Malaysia, on the other hand, remains increasingly authoritarian till recent times, with a notable decline of democracy. The question of when and how Malaysia will acquire a multi-party democracy, a free press, an independent judiciary and the restoration of civil and political liberties remain unanswered, despite its economic maturity which has been quite a phenomenon in the Malaysian history.

Malaysia Economy:

With a small and a relatively open economy, Malaysia is a country on the move. Earlier what had been a country dependent on agriculture and primary commodities has today grown to be an export-driven nation, thriving on high technology, knowledge-based and capital-intensive industries.

This drastic structural transformation of Malaysia’s economy which has been quite spectacular in these forty years, has been the result of pragmatism and a number of decisive steps taken by the Malaysian government. Largely depending on its wealth of mineral resources, fertile soils, agriculture and manufacturing, the Malaysian economy achieved average annual growth rates of about 7% during the last decade. And it has been possible because the government did not rest on its laurels, but took important steps instrumental to the country’s economic progress, like eradicating poverty with a controversial race-conscious program called New Economic Policy (NEP). First established in 1971, it was designed in particular to enhance the economic standing of ethnic Malays and other indigenous people, collectively known as “bumiputras”.

The results of such a revolutionary economic policy introduced by the government clearly shown, as the GDP doubled to reach an estimated RM219.4 billion (US$57.7 billion) in 2002. On the other hand, the country has shown tremendous potentials in its exports and imports which have almost quadrupled to reach RM349.6 billion (US$92.0 billion) and RM298.5 billion (US$78.6 billion) respectively. These highly contributed in placing Malaysia among the world’s top 20 trading nations, for which today the country even boasts of being an important trading partner for the United States. With a manufacturing sector that now accounts for 30.4% of Malaysia’s GDP, Malaysia today is considered one of the world’s leading exporters of semiconductor devices, computer hard disk drives, audio and video products, and room air-conditioners.

Rapid industrialization became a boon for the country, after the government opened itself to foreign direct investments (FDI) in the 1960s. Currently, with its market-oriented economy, combined with an educated workforce and a well-developed infrastructure, Malaysia has been regarded as one of the largest recipients of FDI among developing countries. Though the Asian Financial crisis in 1997 saw Foreign direct investment in Malaysia falling at an alarming rate and Ringgit depreciating substantially from MYR 2.50 per USD to much levels lower (up to MYR 4.80 per USD at its bottom), the economy rejuvinated shortly afterwards as the country had a strong growth in exports, particularly that of electronics and electrical products to the Unites States. Today, the country enjoys faster economic recovery compared to the neighbouring South-East Asian countries, though it is true that the level of affluence that was before 1997 financial crisis has yet to be achieved.

Malaysia Culture/Religion:

A multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multilingual society, housing 65% Malays, 25% Chinese and 7% Indians, Malaysia is also home to the largest indigenous tribe in terms of numbers, the Iban of Sarawak (over 600,000). As an interesting matter-of-fact, the largest community in Malaysia, the malays, are all Muslims since one has to be Muslim to be legally Malay under Malaysian law. However, there are also Christians and Hindus amongst them. Playing a dominant political role, the Muslims amongst the Malays are included in a group identified as “bumiputera”, speaking the native language “Bahasa Melayu”. However, despite “Bahasa Melayu” being the official language, when members of these different communities talk to each other, they generally speak English, recently reinstated as the language of instruction in higher education.

The Iban of Sarawak, interestingly, still live in traditional jungle villages in longhouses along the Rajang and Lupar rivers and their tributaries in Malaysia. Along with them, Malaysia also houses quite a large number of Orang Asli or aboriginal people, who comprise a number of different ethnic communities living in Peninsular Malaysia. Traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers and agriculturists, many have been sedentarised and partially absorbed into modern Malaysia, though still remaining the poorest group in the country.

Apart from the original nomadic tribes, there are the Chinese comprising of about a quarter of the population and also Indians who account for about 7% of the population. While the Chinese are mostly Buddhists, Taoists or Christian, and speak a variety of Chinese dialects, the Indians are mainly south-indian Hindus, speaking Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam and Hindi. However, english as a first language is used by umpteen middle to upper-middle class Chinese as well as Indians in Malaysia.

The remaining population of Malaysia comprises of a sizeable Sikh community, of Eurasians (of mixed Portuguese and Malay descent as well as mixed Malay and Spanish descent), Cambodians, and Vietnamese. In most cases, the Cambodians and Vietnamese are Buddhists of the Theravada sect and Mahayana sect.

The Chinese forming a sizeable part of the population, Malaysian traditional music is heavily influenced by Chinese forms. Saying that, the Islamic forms also influence the music to a great extent. The music, based largely around the gendang (drum), also includes a number of interesting percussion instruments, and even flutes and trumpets. Infested with a strong tradition of dance and dance dramas, some of Thai, Indian and Portuguese origin, the malaysian culture also incorporates artistic forms like wayang kulit (shadow puppet theatre), silat (a stylised martial art) and crafts like batik, weaving, silver and brasswork.

In terms of religion, Malaysians usually tend to personally respect one another’s religious beliefs. However, inter-religious problems arise mainly from the political sphere. Often non-muslims are said to experience restrictions in activities like construction of religious buildings. All Muslims here are obliged to follow the decisions of sharia courts, although when it comes to leaving/renouncing the Islam faith, the court of malaysia is said to have denied one the right (such as the Yeshua Jalilludin versus the Minister of Home Affairs case in the 1980’s).

Malaysia Travel/Tourism:

A glorious haven comprising of island life, adventures, city excitement and oriental culture & heritage, Malaysia has been attracting tourists from all nook and corner of the world as an ideal travel destination for over a decade now. With energetic, entertaining dance forms, with a mythical culture that represents fertility, vigilance and dignity, with elaborate traditional festivals like the bamboo dance and the warrior dance, and with a strong sense of community, Malaysia is truly a land of many cultures, wonders and attractions in the heart of Asia.

A land of fascinating extremes, where towering skyscrapers look down upon primitive longhouses, it truly accounts for a memorable eco-holiday. Above all, with some of the best beaches and diving spots in the world, it is ideal for island getaways. It is no wonder then, that with promoting Malaysia as a destination of excellence, the travel/tourism development department of Malaysia has been able to increase the number of foreign tourists and also extend their average length of stay, thereby increasing Malaysia’s tourism revenue considerably over the years.

Island Life highlights in Malaysia consist mainly of the Langwaki Island, Kedah, and the Pangkor Laut, Perak. While the local legends, beautiful beaches and natural marvels make the Langwaki Island especially enchanting and unforgettable as a fascinating Island getaway, the Pangkor Laut, Perak, is basically a private island whose market value has increased dramatically after it was voted as the ‘Best Island in the World’ by the UK-based Conde Naste Traveller Magazine. Aficionados of adventure would just love to explore Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site and one of Southeast Asia’s highest mountains (4,093 metres). Towering amidst a veil of clouds, while the largest cave chamber in the world at Mulu Caves beckons the tourists with its inexplicable mystery, on the other hand, lush tropical jungles teeming with wildlife for millions of years, like the Taman Negara, Pahang, would be tempting one to experience the exhilaration of endless escapades.

Those looking for city attractions in Malaysia like glamour, shopping, fine dining and more will definitely be able to satisfy their fine tastes and sensibilities. With the ultra-modern Petronas Twin Towers (in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre), the classic Moorish-style old Railway station, the luxurious and extravagant shopping malls and restaurants with succulent Chinese and oriental food fests, one cannot fail to revel in the umpteen alluring attractions of Malaysia.

With all these and much more in store, its no wonder that global tourists continue to return to Malaysia time and again to explore its mixture of cultures and environments for a fantastic, inspiring holiday.

Lopa Bhattacharya (Banerjee) now based in Buffalo, New York, United States, is a content writer/developer working for various overseas corporate website projects, CD-Rom presentations, brochures, flyers and other communication materials). Has worked on numerous SEO copywriting projects on varied themes ranging from travel, hotel industry, photography, web design and software development to US-based clubs and network communities. Was previously an editorial associate for the news, culture and entertainment portal based on the life and times of Kolkata.

Part 2

7. Ezine Ads - create an ad for your product and find ezines that
cater to your target market. Write several ads and track them
until you find one that pulls well.

8. Signature file - include this all your online and offline
correspondence. Set up your email client so that it does this
automatically each time you send out an email. Include your name,
who you are, what your business is about, a way to subscribe to
your newsletter, your web site address and your email.

Link strategies

9. Write articles - ezine publishers are always looking for
original content. You can include a link back to your web site in
your signature file. If several ezine publishers (that may have
thousands of subscribers) publish your article, you can get
hundreds of links pointing back to your web site.

10. Reciprocal linking - get links from other sites that
compliment yours. ie if you just offer web design and someone
else offers search engine optimization you could exchange links
with each other, thus adding to the quality of each of your
sites.

11. Forums - offer your help to other forum participants then
leave a link back to your site in your signature file. Popular
forums are spidered regularly by the search engines, thus giving
your site a link boost.

12. Offline marketing

Not all your customers are online. Market offline by including
your web site information on all stationary ie letterhead, and
business cards. Place ads in newspapers, trade publications, send
out postcards, fliers and get involved in local organizations
such as the Chamber of Commerce. You can even set up your own
local club or be a guest speaker for others.

Continuously evaluate, test and refine your web site marketing
strategies so that you can apply them to any product. These
are the keys to building a successful online business.

Here are the 6 Web Site Marketing Strategies discussed in Part 1 of this article.

Herman Drost is the author of the popular ebook:
101
Highly Effective Strategies to Promote Your Web Site Subscribe to his “Marketing Tips” newsletter for more original
articles at: subscribe@isitebuild.com. You can read more
of his in-depth articles at: http://www.isitebuild.com/articles

Energy is today’s number one problem and with the increasing oil price, alternative sources of energy are a must and should be obtained and made as efficient as possible. Solar power has always been one of the alternative energies that has captured the interest of many, as it is clean and also cuts the cost dramatically. The downside is that installing the panels and the basic maintenance is expensive, therefore no monthly bill might actually mean a huge out of pocket expense. Solar power is surely good for limited areas, like private residences or small items, such as traffic lights or street garbage disposal devices, but it has not really proved itself to be efficient as an energy replacement for large areas, such as entire cities.

The future will tell us whether or not solar power will ever become our first source of energy, but in the mean time we’ll keep on using it on limited zones, hopefully heating our pools with it, rather than using gas. It would be nice to see it slowly growing, and fully understands its power and all its benefits. Solar power studies are advancing and today, we can have a more educated position on it and hopefully soon, we’ll all live in a better and cleaner world.

Link up the two of men’s most important quests and you’re bound to expose something customarily called a web based sportsbook. And really, what could believably be more ingenious. If you visualize a convocation of friends clapping for any given favored sports club, and often antes will be geared up in tandem with the din. So as to get a share of the action, spectators on a regular basis try to foreknow who is the likeliest to win the running contest. All this develops into a good-humored contest known as web based sportsbook.

Top venue sports handicapping wager games available through this link.

Conceded that it might appear overpowering, but indeed sportsbook betting is essentially purely diverting and of forging bonds with one’s fellow sports buddies. Here, you can risk a a little budget of moolah and yet enjoy a extravagant time. Read on a number of basics to get you going sportsbook betting.

If you want to place any bet, we would advise you surf to a web based sportsbook, i.e. a place which tenders web based sportsbook. In the US, there’s currently a total of four states where to go for sportsbook betting in a legit manner, but beyond legality you can do it wherever if you can pinpoint a bookie AND happen to be of legal age. Included in the sports competitions you’ll have a choice of wagering on are pro alongside college class football + college basketball, professional hockey, professional hockey, alongside horse and dog racing. You’ll have a choice of wagering on the entire tally of a contest or game, on what round any given party will be defeated, and even whether a given coin toss in a contest or game will come out heads or tails.

The betting establishment lean on mere numbers to help you out come to a decision which sports club you suppose is the likeliest to win. There is the spread, in other words point advantage assigned to the disadvantaged contestor assumed to go down by a specified number points. This constitutes the sportsbook company’s traditional modus operandi of making evenhanded lays possible for a sportsbook. To take a practical example, a punter may bet money on a competitor assumed to go down and and yet profit from the wager if the contestor does actually take a licking by a specified number of points.

So, why don’t you simply have a shot at it, and enjoy the fun at one go. But safeguard you won’t get unduly carried away and fritter your entire income on a crotchet. If you don’t, you’ll probably find yourself repentant for the rest of your life.

Suggestive selling is a powerful tool that can increase your revenuesand your bottom linesignificantly. We are all used to the order taker at a fast food place asking if we want fries with our burgers, or if we would like to “Jumbo-Size” our orders, but suggestive selling can work in any business.

Shoe stores suggest socks or polish to go with your new sneakers, hair salons recommend styling products, and stores selling electronics offer an extended warranty on the gadget you just bought. In each case, the business encourages the customer to add on to the purchase they are making.

Upselling can be done in person, on the phone or over the Internet. Many online shopping carts allow you to set up a product-specific upselling page. That means that when someone orders Product A, they get the suggestion that goes with that product. Someone who orders another product receives a recommendation appropriate to that product.

Here are some tips to make suggestive selling work for you:

Make the suggestion after the customer has made a commitment to buy. Don’t try to add on to the sale before the customer has made a firm decision and is in the process of buying.

Upsells should be related to the original purchase. An upgrade, a warranty, accessories, or something else that adds on to what the customer is buying can be effective. The customer is more likely to see such a suggestion as helpful than as simply a sales ploy.

Consider making the upsell a “two-fer” offer. Because the customer bought one item at regular price, they are able to get a second at half price.

The add-on product should have a lesser cost than the base purchase. Suggesting batteries to go with a radio works. Recommending a radio to go with a battery purchase doesn’t.

Don’t hit customers with a lot of upsells. One (or possibly two) is enough. Badgering them to buy more can backfire and maybe even kill the sale completely.

Make sure employees and order takers are making upsell offers to customers. Remind them of the importance of doing so, and consider rewarding them for great results, or even when you “catch” them upselling. Give telephone order takers a script that includes a suggestive sales offer.

Done properly, an upsell is helpful to the customer and builds your profits as well.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous with inexpensive and free marketing ideas. Get free marketing tips, articles and more at http://www.IdeaLady.com/.
Cathy is also the author of The Mystery Shopper’s Manual.