Laverne

Do you remember those stickers that said, 'Intel Inside', that were attached to so many personal computers and that appeared in zillions of ads?

It was a very clever attempt at branding something that wasnt visible to a customer, but which was nonetheless crucial to the overall functioning of the product: the processor.

Manufacturers that could claim their PCs were powered by Intel injected credibility into their otherwise drab and lesser known names on the computer boxes.

Equally important, over time, Intel could release increasingly powerful processors and it would give buyers an enticement to upgrade, which stimulated sales throughout the entire supply chain.

Im not here to tell you one chip is better than another, because that may not be the case.

But Intel showed us that there is a perception of value that can be built by touting the innards of a product.

Why wouldnt the same logic apply to customer service?

For instance, what if companies started advertising Real People Inside? You know, if you invest in shares of a mutual fund, or you sign-up with a certain Internet service provider, youre GUARANTEED to reach to a well informed and well spoken representative when you phone in for service.

Youll never have to hear That isnt a valid option when negotiating voice mail in a dash to find someone with whom to chat.

Would you pay extra for that assurance?

Would that bestow a competitive advantage on companies that could boast, Real People Inside, versus those that couldnt?

Would it send a message to the world that humans are needed, and reaching intelligent, helpful ones quickly is something of great value to buyers?

I believe so.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books and more than a thousand articles. A frequent expert commentator on radio and TV, he is quoted in prominent publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Business Week. President of Clientrelations.com and Customersatisfaction.com, his seminars and training programs are sponsored internationally and he is a top-rated faculty member at more than 40 universities, including UC Berkeley and UCLA. Gary brings over two decades of management and consulting experience to the table, with the best academic credentials in the speaking and training industry. A Ph.D. from the Annenberg School For Communication at USC, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management, and a J.D. degree from Loyola, his clients include several Fortune 1000 companies and successful family owned and operated firms.

He can be seen on CNBC at: http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=417455932# and reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

The life and career of Lance Armstrong is quite extraordinary. Lance has won the Tour De France, the toughest and most prestigious cycling event for 7 consecutive years 1999 2005. What makes this record even more remarkable is his well documented recovery from a near fatal attack of cancer. Lance recovered from this painful experience to become, against all expectations the most successful cyclist of his generation.

Lance was brought up by his Mother in Plano, Texas (his father left his mother at an early age). In his early years Lance was a very successful triathalete and would spend many hours training on his bike in the pool and running.However after training with the US Olympic development squad Lance concentrated on cycling. His rise in the amateur ranks appeared effortless, and Lance qualified for the junior world championships in Moscow in 1989. By 1991 he was the U.S. National Amateur Champion and soon after turned professional. In his pre cancer days Lance Armstrong was mainly known as a fearsome one day racer. His crowning moment of triumph came in the 1993 World Championship Race in a rain sodden Helsinki. Lance survived the numerous crashes of the race and hung on to win becoming the first American World Champion. Lance started the 1996 year ranked number 1 cyclist in the World.

However during that year of Lance felt his performance unexpectedly drop for no apparent reason. After many tests Lance was diagnosed with having a form of prostrate cancer and was given a 40% of recovery. After a prolonged and painful process of chemotherapy Lance managed to overcome the cancer and slowly came back to health. Lance wanted to revive his cycling career but perhaps not unexpectedly the top teams were unwilling to take a risk.

However Lance was given a break by the US postal team, which proved to be a remarkably judicious decision. Therefore in 1998 Lance returned to the professional ranks, although he nearly quit after having to drop out of the Paris Nice Stage race in early spring. However Lance merely needed more time and by the start of the 1999 season was starting to show good form again. In fact the cancer meant Lance Armstrong had lost some weight on his upper body. This loss of muscle mass proved to be a blessing in disguise in the sense that Lance was now more competitive in the mountains. This often proved to be the decisive stage in his Tour victories.

Throughout his comeback Lance has been the subject to many accusations about drug taking. To be fair Lance has never failed a drugs test nor has any convincing evidence been produced. Many of this accusations stem from the fact Lance has become Cyclings first superstar, his career and private life have been subject to enormous scrutiny. Nevertheless it does remain the case that professional cycling has yet to prove it has a clean bill of health and some argue Lance was ill advised to use the controversial trainer, Michele Ferrarri. M.Ferrarri was recently convicted of sporting fraud for advising some clients to use performance enhancing drugs. However since his conviction Lance has dropped M. Ferrarri as a trainer.

Lance Armstrong is the first cyclist to win 6 Tour De Frances beating legendary names such as Miguel Indurain, Jaques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx. Some argue however that Armstrong does not have a complete palmeres, apart from the Tour he has won relatively few races. Also compared to riders such as Merckx Lance races relatively few races, concentrating all his effort on the Tour. However cycling has changed with an influx of riders from new countries, more money e.t.c. It has become much more competitive and much more difficult to be in contention for races all year round. The Tour remains the most lucrative and prestigious event, to win it 7 consecutive times could be one of sports greatest achievements let alone cyclings greatest achievements.

As well as cycling Lance Armstrong is active in promoting his charitable trust The Lance Armstrong Foundation which helps raise money for cancer. The yellow wrist band Live Strong have proved remarkably popular starting many similar wristbands. Since retiring from cycling Lance Armstrong ran the New York marathon on Nov 5th 2006. His finishing time 2 hours, 59 minutes and 36 seconds. In the last half of the race he said he suffered alot saying:

"I think I bit off more than I could chew, I thought the marathon would be easier,"

It is likely Lance will continue to look for new challenges and will probably try to improve on this time.

More: articles on cycling

Richard Pettinger. Richard is a member of Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team and regularly races in British Time Trials. He finished 4th in the National 100 Mile Time Trial championship 2005

Not many people accept the existence of Internet television software. Most people who have heard about it think that it is too good to be true. To them Internet television software is more like a scam than a reality.

If you are one of them, you have been missing a lot of the money you would have saved to date. Yes, because I have saved $540 in the last six months since I downloaded Internet television software.

Secondly, Internet television software has made it possible for my family to watch free satellite television programs of their individual choices. I installed Internet television software in three desktops and my laptop. That is four satellite TV viewing points of over 3000 satellite television stations, programs and channels. Now the usual siblings channels and remote control conflict have been removed.

If you decide to download Internet television software, look for a reputable provider with proven technical capabilities. Nothing could be so disappointing than to buy Internet television software from a reseller you can not get to help you out of novice problems. And please read the sales letter carefully to ensure that the package has a life time upgrade at no extra cost.

A quality Internet television software is that which, without bugs, provides you the opportunity to watch all manners of satellite television programs and sports from around the world without requiring any hardware at all or monthly subscript fee to satellite television providers. All you will need is Internet connection.

Finally, if you have heard about Internet television software that makes it possible to watch over 3000 free satellite television stations on your PC or Laptop and you thought it was too good to be true, let me confirm it for you here. The Internet has finally merged with television and people are now watching satellite television on their PCs and Laptops free of any monthly subscription fees using Internet television software.

But dont get carried away, you have to be very careful when choosing a particular brand of Internet television software. Naturally, not all vendors of Internet television software can offer you the satisfaction and enjoyment advertised. Seek advice from a person who is already enjoying Internet television software.

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Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. However, they may have been been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways. This could include working with asbestos or by home renovation using asbestos cement products or even by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos. The resulting disease is rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs.

Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer.

There are various procedures used for the treatment of mesothelioma. The type of treatment depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health.

A common treatment of the disease is by means of surgery by the removal of part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura, a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.

Another method is Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy. This involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found .

Anticancer drugs can be used to kill cancer cells throughout the body. This is known as chemotherapy and involves the administration of the drugs by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Currently, doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen.

Because mesothelioma is very hard to control, the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) is sponsoring clinical trials that are designed to find new treatments and better ways to use current treatments.

Looking for information about Mesothelioma? Go to: http://www.mesotheliomalegalreview.com 'Mesothelioma Legal Review' is published by Linda Woodhouse - The complete resource directory for Mesothelioma related information, legal services, and products Check out more Mesothelioma articles at: http://www.mesotheliomalegalreview.com/archive

Cranes, excavators, loaders, and any other large equipment you might find on a construction site are considered construction equipment. While some of you might see construction equipment as hammers, saws, and other smaller items they are in fact construction tools. Are you looking for some construction equipment to help you with your next job? If so you need to know a little bit about the equipment available.

Cranes: You can have many types of canes from the all terrain hydraulic crane, to the boom truck. A boom truck is a piece of construction equipment that has a flat bed with a crane on it rather than a smaller cab for the crane with tracks. This crane system can be used to haul the material as well as move the crane about while hydraulic cranes tend to need a trailer and then roll off to be placed on the ground. These types of cranes tend to rotate 360 degrees.

Excavators: These are consider bobcats, and backhoes of the construction equipment. The size you will need is again dependent upon the job you will have. Most construction companies have a variety for the type of work and land they will have. Bobcats usually work out well when you have a little job, where as backhoes are great for digging larger holes.

Loaders: The are also many types of loaders from a front end loader to a wheel loader. Loaders are often seen used for road construction as well as other construction jobs. These are tractors that have a bucket on the front and use a hydraulic system to raise the bucket and dump the material either in a dump truck or off to the side.

Construction equipment is important whether you work on housing sites or road construction. The equipment you choose will depend on the type of work you do and will also be determined by the terrain you work on.

Phil Nichol writes for a number of construction, remodeling and home improvement websites. For more detailed information on construction equipment such as loaders, excavators and backhoes please click on the links. There you will find articles and resources to help you with any construction project you are planning including a guide to specific construction equipment manufacturers and the pros and cons of buying new versus used construction equipment, as well as specific details of which pieces of heavy equipment you should use for which job. Visit: http://bestconstructionequipment.info

You know, going down the Internet marketing trail the way I have...and approaching the Internet from an SEO perspective, I am able to observe how the net works and more importantly, how the programs that are designed for success for average people like me work.

Funny thing, most people just know that they need to buy some software program, some Internet marketing marvel, some latest and greatest program that will automatically make them highly successful and rich.

Programs that can range from $19.95 to thousands of dollars are being sold every single day to people with stars in their eyes hungry for the grand prize of Internet marketing success. This is not to say that some programs are good.

Some programs actually do assist people in building an online business, but the bottom line here is...the systems that legitimately work...that are time proven...that give the desired results of placing websites at the top of Google...are absolutely FREE!

That word free is too often used on the Internet today with a back end attached. Some programs may be sign into for free...but somewhere down the road, the people are going to be asked to part with some of that hard earned green stuff. Let's take a look at some FREE stuff that really is FREE!

Writing articles and then publishing them to great places like EzineArticles.com is one place that one can write articles...submit them...and if they meet the specifications of the owners of the systems, the articles will be published live on the net with all the necessary promoting properties that search engine spiders love. Original content, keywords and links. Those are the elements that drive the entire internet, and nothing more. The cool thing about ezine articles is the fact that once that come up to the top of a keyword category, they stay there. They can be used as a precursor to the website. If someone clicks on the ezine article link, and reads about the url promoted, then possibly a contact is made. Again, free...just requires a little thought and effort. Writing press releases. Writing an effective press release is much the same as ezine articles; however, one needs to approach the press release from the aspect of making an announcement to the internet. A press release, when properly written, will come to the top of a keyword category within a few days. Here again, another precursor to the website promoted, as well as being another link directed back to the website. Since the internet is all about linking, this valuable tool is a great way to produce links for the website promoted. Totally free...and very effective.

Writing press releases. Writing an effective press release is much the same as writing ezine articles; however, one needs to approach the press release from the aspect of making an announcement to the internet. A press release, when properly written, will come to the top of a keyword category within a few days. Here again, another precursor to the website promoted, as well as being another link directed back to the website. Since the internet is all about linking, this valuable tool is a great way to produce links for the website promoted. Totally free...and very effective.

Blogging is a fantastic promotional tool and with the introduction by Google of the new Blogger.com, it is even better. When content is added to a blog...just another name for a website...and submitted to Google for indexing, a wonderful thing happens. Original content and yet another link going to the website promoted is made. When done consistently day by day...producing unique links every day...the process makes for a great way to get URLs promoted to the top of a keyword category. Totally free...and highly effective, but as usual it does require thought and action.

Creating and posting to forums.These are a great way to get URLs out on the net, but a great many people do not realize that a forum is absolutely free to obtain...and after consistent posting to forums (their own forums) with good original and relevant content, Google may even attach a spider robot there to make indexing a regular occurrence. Here again, consistently writing good information about the website promoted. Again...a great all FREE tool for promoting websites.

A question is raised here...why would good money be spent, when it is not necessary? Ah, the age old dilemma that most people fly by the great things, in the ultimate search for the easy way out...to which there is not an answer.

Butch Hamilton is an SEO|SEM Specialist. Living on the internet has become a way of life...a succesful way of life. His talents for obtaining top positions on the search engines have led him to the point in his life where he has always wanted to be.

"Life-What a Ride!"

Says Mr. Hamilton, "Writing has always been my passion. Gone are the days when I placed blatant ads on the internet for exposure. I have found my life's work in writing articles.

Reliable and credible information is what the internet is all about to Butch Hamilton. His experience as a self employed building contractor...steel fabrication...has led him on an incredible journey.

He now resides in his beautiful home in Texas with his wife. Writing is the passion behind his successful promoting ability on the net.

Butch Hamilton's Quote: "What we think-is what we become."

http://ButchHamilton.com
http://butchhamiltonsbestdomains.com