How to enhance your home theatre with tech devices

Mike Smith
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How to enhance your home theatre with tech devices

Most home theatre owners just want a more compelling experience. We all know that experience we get only at the movies and how we build an entertainment set up to incorporate this into our homes. Sometimes though, we don’t get precisely what we want. We constantly want more and we long to enjoy that heavenly feeling that is supposed to come with home theatre. We have all been in those shoes.

If you find yourself finding ways to enhance your home theatre experience, you are not alone. Having an entertainment set up in your home means that you want to enjoy yourself and you also want to make sure your visitors have a nice time too. Often, however, our home theatre system continually fails to deliver these expectations.

The way out then is to enhance what you have and make it awesome. You can do this with the aid of tech devices absolutely dedicated to ensuring you have a good time. If you are wondering which devices you should try, then you are in the right place. If you are not wondering about this and you are on this page, I invite you to come and catch in on the best home theatre experience you will get anywhere.

The top list of devices you should try

Well, if you would like to enhance your home theatre and create that compelling experience that you want, here is my list of tech devices that you should add on to your entertainment set up. All these devices are easy to get and while some of them are pricey, most of them are affordable. I am sure you would want to check them out.

  1. LG 55EG9100 TV

This LG product is one of the best TVs you will get when it comes to enhancing your home theatre. It has excellent viewing angles and can produce a high-quality picture that is bright enough for viewing in a dark room.

  1. Definitive Technology W Studio

The picture quality your TV produces will mean nothing if it is not accompanied by quality sound. The Definitive Technology W Studio has been recommended by industry experts such as PCMag and Soundguys as being able to produce the high-quality sound that you need. All you have to do is pair this soundbar with your TV. Definitive Technology W Studio is regarded as the best home soundbar available right now.

  1. Elac Debut F5 Speaker System

The quality sound you get will only go so far and will not give you the theatre experience you want if it is not accompanied by a good sound system. The Elac Debut F5 Speaker can provide you with that level of sound quality that you crave for. If you’re looking for quality soundbar for your home theatre here is the best soundbar list under $500.

  1. Harmony Smart Remote Control System

This device combines what would have been your numerous remote controls into one place. It is a universal remote system with multiple functions so that you do not have several remotes lying around and sometimes end up looking everywhere for them. This model supports all major home theatre systems around.

  1. Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 5030UB

For those of us who are more experimental, we are likely to want more than the usual TV. If you want a bigger screen, you can try this home projector. It provides a high-quality image and is as bright as you would want.

  1. Panamax M5400-PM

This is a home theatre power management system that is centralized and gets rid of the numerous wall outlets that having several power cords can cause. Instead of having several power cords, you can use the Panamax M5400-PM to manage your outlets. The system already provides the outlets you will need and even has additional connectivity features. It can help you monitor your voltage level and regulate it. You can also try its alternative the Panamax MR5100.

  1. Amazon Echo Dot

This is a must-have device to enhance your home theatre experience because its features allow for convenience. First, it contains the Alexa Voice Assistant that helps you control the entire set up including lighting!

The Amazon Echo Dot allows you to listen to music on your home theatre system through Bluetooth or the Internet! And it has a whole lot of amazing features like ordering takeout, checking the weather and shopping.

  1. Mini M8S TV Box

You can sift through a huge number of content available on this TV box from home videos to movies! It responds really fast if you are looking out for speed and it has good memory capacity. It has a RAM of 2GB and a ROM of 8GB. It also operates on the Android 5.1 operating system. You can choose from the movies streaming through this box, quality films that are shown in theatres. This means that you never have to leave your house again to get a good movie.

  1. Xiaomi Mi Capsule Earphones

Now if you want to get a really good watching experience, you should get one of these. Aside from its trendy capsule-like design, the Xiaomi Mi Capsule Earphones is comfortable and stable on your ears. It is also soft on your ears! It has a built-in microphone that you will totally love.

  1. UCVR View 3D VR Glasses

If you are really ambitious about having a great home theatre experience as I think you should, then you get the UCVR 3D VR Glasses. It gives you an incredible watching experience with 360 degrees view and the ability to fit it into your smartphone.

  1. EasyCast OTA

This is my bonus device for you. If you want to watch your favourite tv shows or online videos that have been designed for smaller screens on your home theatre, then you need to check this out. It allows you to stream those kinds of activities in your home theatre.

Now, your home theatre is just as efficient as the theatres you long for and you can enjoy amazing movies, videos and games right from your home!

Ways to improve site bounce rate

Christian Woods
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Ways to improve site bounce rate

The importance of your bounce rate has certainly become increasingly vital these days, and there is a good reason for this. Your bounce rate is a good indicator of whether or not users are engaging positivity with your website.

Google is placing a lot more importance on ensuring users are engaged with your site and this is why your bounce rate has become a more important figure to pay attention to and try to improve. But, you must remember, that while improving your bounce rate is important, it isn’t the be all and end all.

There are still a number of other things that you need to take into consideration when trying to improve your SEO. Your bounce rate is just one of the many different components that encompass your digital marketing strategy.

There are quite a number of different factors that can contribute to a poor bounce rate. So when looking to make improvements, you should take a look below at some of the best tactics to combat a poor bounce rate:

1. User intent and value

Local schema
Photo: Redpixel.pl, Bigstock

According to Jimmy Huh SEO Consultant this partly relates to having a positive user experience on your site. When users come to your site, if they can find what they are looking for easily enough then they will probably stay a while looking at your information and may just even visit different pages on your site as well.

This means you have to think about the user intent. Why are they coming to your page? What information did you tell them that you were going to provide them with in the search engine listing (i.e. the meta data)?

If the information a user thinks they are going to get from your website is different to the actual information on the page, then they are probably likely to click back on to Google and find another website.

For example, if a user thinks they will be able to purchase tickets to an event on your website and your page offers no option to purchase any tickets, this would leave users feel frustrated and not likely to return.

2. Page speed

How to increase page speed and convert more customers
Photo: Donets, Bigstock

The speed of which your website loads is of a top priority to help reduce your bounce rate, and this goes for both the desktop and mobile version of your website. The longer your page takes to load, the higher your bounce rate.

Research conducted by Pingdom shows that if your page takes just 1 second to load your bounce rate would typically be around 7%, 5 seconds to load and you are looking at a bounce rate of 38%. The overall benchmark for page load speed is 2 seconds.

Speed is something that you should be aware of and there is research conducted to suggest that there is a direct correlation between speed and your bounce rate. So, if you are looking for ways to improve your speed, check out Pingdom’s speed tool. You can see how fast your site loads and ways you can make improvements.

3. Intrusive Ads

Stop ADS - Red Sign Painted - Open Hand Raised, Isolated on White Background
Photo: Tashatuvango, BS

Pretty much nothing annoys a user more then being bombarded with a whole heap of pop up ads before they can even get to your content. So try and limit the amount of intrusive pop up ads you have on your website, especially on a mobile device where the screen is much smaller.

Pop ups are still okay to have, just maybe think about having them in the corner of the screen where it doesn’t completely block the content, or the thing a user came onto your website to see.

You could even try having a pop up be displayed once they have scrolled down to x point, or once they have been on your site for x amount of time. It is more likely that your bounce rate will improve and the effectiveness of your pop ups, because users don’t feel as ambushed if you showed them straight away.

4. Readability

5 Digital marketing trends that can change your strategy in 2019
Photo: StartupStockPhotos, Pixabay

Yes your content needs to have value and provide a positive user experience, but it also needs to be readable. Remember, users are more lazy and impatient then ever before, so if it is too difficult for them to read your content on the page, they simply won’t.

They know that there is probably another website with the same information that they would be able to read. So to stop them from going elsewhere, you need to ensure your site has high readability, for desktop and mobile.

This means thinking about even the simplest of issues like; is the text size big enough? Remembering that mobile screen sizes are much smaller, so how will your text adapt to the different screen sizes? Even text colour can be an issue, make sure the colour is readable on the background of your site.

 

Jimmy Huh shares his secrets to effective Search Engine Optimisation

Christian Woods
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Jimmy Huh shares his secrets to effective Search Engine Optimisation

Jimmy Huh is an SEO consultant in the US who has had many years of experience with digital marketing. He works with small to medium sized businesses, with a focus on providing personalised services to his clients. He also provides a significant amount of help to start-ups.

Jimmy Huh the SEO expert from Los Angeles has worked with a lot of clients in his time, many of them on an ongoing basis. This tells you one thing: he is very good at what he does. Here Jimmy shares some of the secrets that make his SEO campaigns so effective.

Jimmy, what is your background in digital marketing? What motivated you to become a digital marketing consultant?

I’ve been in digital marketing ever since college back in 2010/2011. My friend started one of the first restaurant discount texting services and we partnered with a bunch of restaurants on campus and marketed it to students with social media, email and ads.

From there I started my own businesses but they were always idea or product oriented and struggled to find good partners for lead generation. A lot of Search Engine Marketing people were either too expensive at an agency level or were located abroad. This motivated me to find partners or provide solutions that were more turnkey and affordable.

Overtime, the specific niche of SEM I specialize in now is SEO. The other aspects, whether it is PPC, content or email, I now outsource to strategic partners that highly specialize in those fields. It makes the work fun and one of growth.

For clients, they get an individual or a small sized business that offers a lot of personal touch and interaction. I think it’s important for a single proprietor or a small to medium sized business to get that.

How people can get their website on the top of Google search results?

I’d suggest working with an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Consultant or agency first. The industry has too many nuances for someone to do it solely on their own. A big reason for this is you may make changes or updates that can have a negative impact on your business rather than forward it.

Outside of that general disclaimer, it’s really important to be targeting something highly specific per page. One keyword per page is the mantra.

Part of the process will then be choosing the specific target per page and asking what are people searching for. You can scour the internet for tips on how to find those keywords and then how to place them on your page so Google knows what it is about. My suggestion would be to take a look at your competitors for a keyword currently on page 1; their usage, content strategy and focus will be very telling.

After that you’ll need to acquire some backlinks and send some PPC traffic – that takes good actions and your ranking process has started.

How you do you drive traffic to websites? Is there a special way to do it?

Initially, always do PPC. Work with someone who is seasoned in Adwords and/or FB ads. Depending on the niche, product or space, one may be stronger or more relevant or both may be worth running at the same time.

The idea is PPC traffic is supposed to:

  1. Help send traffic and business to your site now
  2. Give insight on how well your funnel or conversion is set up for a page
  3. Send positive signals to Google about your page
  4. Be eventually replaced somewhat by SEO

Once this is all happening, your rankings will begin to improve. The goal is to have your organic traffic begin to replace some or all of your PPC traffic but I generally recommend running both at once to cover all your bases and not miss out on traffic opportunities.

Are there any channels other than SEO that we should consider when we want to do some digital marketing?

Yes as noted earlier, PPC is a big one. Whether it is Adwords, FB ads, directory rankings, you will want exposure to your target audience and a quick way to funnel traffic to your site.

Depending on the page or product though, you can explore different methods to send traffic.

One such way is YouTube. Because of mobile phone usage and consumption behaviour, we’re seeing YouTube become the 2nd most used search engine behind Google. These have their own keyword tools but basic ideas like entering your general keyword will show what related keywords people are searching.

Having your content on Youtube be strong and informative, while using best SEO practices and even sending some paid traffic there while utilizing a description box to reroute or have traffic convert is a strong play.

What are the most recent trends in SEO?

Video and content is showing up newly. You’ll notice now that the video 3 pack or article 3 pack is now firing for certain searches.

The video 3 pack is the newest addition and it speaks volumes to how people are searching, what type of content they are looking for and how they are looking to consume the content.

Why is this significant? Youtube is relatively open compared to Google. You can rank for super competitive keywords much easier on YouTube than on Google because the content barrier to entry is much higher.

Not as many people are willing to create top quality content for video even though video is a massive consumption tool people are doing. With the right keyword usage, tag addition and having a video that is longer (about 7-10 minutes), you can have a video rank fairly quickly.

Other trends to look out for and try to utilize is the featured table or paragraph (we call them ranking 0) and image SEO.

How are you planning on expanding your business in the future?

I am in a few SEO mastermind groups so I’m constantly hearing the new updates or strategies that are occurring. Part of the idea is to target or create niches I am really interested in.

Other things I am looking at are businesses I can begin to enter or partner with as a marketing or SEO manager. I have many partnerships with businesses to do their SEO as an equity partner which allows me larger returns.

Lastly, I am growing my own website. I get a lot of leads coming in for people looking for exactly what I spoke about earlier – smaller, more boutique help that is personalized and especially local. Being a Los Angeles native and now a resident again, people have easy access to speak to me and know whom they will be working with.

The best sign I guess is not only the amount of business but also the reoccurring business I have or return customers I get. Also the referral numbers are growing each month!

Seamless gutters or sectional drains: which should you choose?

Christian Woods
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Seamless gutters or sectional drains: which should you choose?

If you live in a house or own the building you live or work in, you will need to consider how to drain rainwater from your roof. Even buildings in dry climates need to deal with this issue, although obviously it is a higher priority in regions with heavy rainfall. Your choices will essentially come down to seamless gutters or sectional drainage.

Seamless gutters, as the name suggests, do not have any joins where different parts of the network are connected. They are recommended by installers such as Gutter Guy, who works in a very wet area in Florida. Because there are no vulnerable spots where the drain is weakened this system is much less likely to result in leaks.

Sectional drains, on the other hand, are essentially brought to your house in pieces, then joined together to fit around your roof. This means there will be spots where they connect together that are vulnerable to breaking, especially if sticks or other debris are washed off your roof or there is heavy rainfall.

Seamless gutters

Seamless gutters are custom made to your roof, and in fact the installer will usually bring his machine and manufacture them on site. Because they are made for your roof you can be confident that they will fit tightly around your house and be as strong as possible. The drains that carry water and leaves away from your home will also be carefully placed to be as effective as possible.

This type of drainage solution will work for any home, no matter what size, and is even appropriate if you have multiple levels of roofing. Some multi-story homes will have less floor space on the upper levels than the lower, so that they have several rooves. Customised seamless gutters are ideal in this situation.

Sectional drains

Sectional drains are manufactured in a warehouse, then brought to you and cut down to size to fit your roof. They can be mass produced, which makes them significantly cheaper, and it is a lot easier to cut them to size and join them together than it is to create a whole seamless gutter.

The disadvantage, of course, is that sectional drains have inbuilt weak points at the joins. In heavy rainfall a leak or burst is more likely to happen in these places, especially if there is a build-up of leaves. The corners are also generally sharp turns, which narrow the width that the water and debris has to go through.

The joins in these corners are therefore particularly vulnerable to blockages and bursting, and if this happens you are likely to end up with water flooding the ground in the corners of your house, possibly leading to water damage in your walls or your foundations.

If your roof has any curves then it is even more likely that you will experience problems. Sectional drains are built along straight lines, so if they need to go around a curve you will inevitably end up with parts that do not connect to your roof.

Not only does this mean that in some areas water will be falling straight off the roof rather than being drained away, these sections are liable to collapse under heavy rainfall as there is less support than drains that are attached to the wall. Add in the necessity of having at least one join to bring the drain back to the roof and you have a very weak spot.

Sectional drainage
This sectional drainage system has broken at the joints. Photo: Antranias, Pixabay

Which is better?

When working out which system of drainage is better you need to look at your individual situation. Seamless gutters are a more secure and safe option, although they are also more expensive. If your area experiences heavy rainfall, though, they are probably worth the investment.

Note that I said heavy, not regular, rainfall. If all you ever get is a light drizzle then you can probably get away with sectional drainage, even the rain is near constant. It’s areas where the rain comes pouring down in heavy storms that need seamless gutters, as this is when your drains are under the most stress.

Ironically, this means that a house in Alice Springs, where it only rains once or twice a year but absolutely buckets when it does, needs heavier duty seamless gutters than a home in England, where the rain is more regular but a lot lighter!

So when it comes time to decide which drainage system is right for you, you will need to consider a few factors. First, in pure monetary terms sectional drainage is going to be the cheaper option. However, this option is a lot less durable and reliable than seamless gutters. If your home is not built to a standard four straight walls design you should also seriously consider the seamless gutters.

How plastic surgery changes lives everyday

Christian Woods
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How plastic surgery changes lives everyday

It’s no secret that plastic surgery has the ability to make a profound impact on the lives of patients. Whether someone undergoes a corrective procedure following traumatic harm done to their body or just to get a cosmetic boost in their appearance; plastic surgery is undoubtedly one of the most impactful and commonplace disciplines within the modern medical field.

Experienced plastic surgeons, like the Reconstructive Surgeon in Boca Raton – Doctor Arthur G. Handal of Handal Plastic Surgery, have learnt that the best part about their job is seeing not just the physical transformation of their patients, but the emotional transformation as well. Surgeons like Doctor Handal don’t only specialise in the surgery itself, but in helping patients understand the choices they are making and making them feel confident throughout the entire process.

Let’s take a look at some of the incredible ways that plastic surgery routinely changes the lives of its patients.

Remedying long term self-esteem issues

The biggest and most obvious benefit of plastic surgery is that boosts the self-esteem of patients in a very powerful way. While we are always told that inner-beauty is what matters most, it would be dishonest to say that our outwards appearance has nothing to do with our personal happiness.

For example, if someone has grown up always being unhappy with the way their nose looks, then it’s perfectly understandable why they would pursue a rhinoplasty. It is very easy to say that inner-beauty is all that matters if you don’t have any significant imperfections yourself, as those living with issues that have plagued them their whole lives would beg to differ.

This is why, over the years, stigmas surrounding cosmetic plastic surgery have changed. Whereas in the past appearance-altering procedures might have been seen as a narcissistic luxury, they are now widely accepted as perfectly normal and are encouraged as a means of living a better, more fulfilled life.

With today’s highly effective and safe cosmetic procedures, there’s no reason to live with an imperfection that diminishes your self-esteem. With surgery becoming cheaper and more widely available, more and more people have access to this life-changing practise.

Boosting self-confidence

How plastic surgery changes lives everyday
Photo: Rido81, Bigstock

When your self-esteem is improved, so is your self-confidence. Because you have now overcome a cosmetic drawback, you can now head out into the world with more self-assurance than you have ever had before.

This manifests in the form of being more outgoing in your personal and professional life. Perhaps you might apply for a job that you previously felt your looks wouldn’t permit you to undertake or perhaps you might pursue a romantic relationship with someone you previously felt you wouldn’t have appealed to.

While in a perfect world your appearance wouldn’t have prevented you from pursuing the aforementioned endeavours; the world isn’t perfect. Everyone, no matter how impartial they claim to be, routinely judges others based on their outwards appearance because it is simply human nature.

Because of the unavoidable fact of life that looks do in fact matter, plastic surgery is incredibly powerful in helping people to climb the social and professional ladders in their lives. This is why plastic surgeons are so highly sought after as medical professionals, because their work can have a profound impact on the personal and professional harmony of the lives of their patients.

Promoting more active and social lifestyles

How plastic surgery changes lives everyday
Photo: digitalskillet1, Bigstock

Another added benefit of plastic surgery is that it, with the boost in self-esteem, people will spend more time engaging in social and physical activities. This is especially true for middle-aged and elderly patients for whom, looking younger = feeling younger.

People who have undergone plastic surgery and feel they have an enhanced outwards appearance are more likely to pursue outside activities that expose them to other people, either because they don’t feel insecure anymore or because they want to show off their new looks. This can manifest in the form of increased physical activity such as running, cycling and swimming.

It also has a big impact on the social activity of patients who are going to be more likely to schedule dates with their friends and generally live more freely. They won’t have to worry as much about hiding or trying to draw attention away from their imperfections if they have them addressed via plastic surgery.

As you can see, plastic surgery has a lot of amazing benefits that change the lives of patients in incredibly impactful ways. Whether it’s having the confidence to pursue more social interaction, apply for a job or just feel better in general, plastic surgery has the potential to change the lives of its patients in ways that are only going to become more profound as technology and techniques improve.

Why it is important to seek a family lawyer

Mike Smith
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Why it is important to seek a family lawyer

If you are having a family dispute that seems like it is getting to the point that lawyers need to be called in, it is recommended that you seek a family lawyer immediately. There are many situations where you may feel they aren’t worth the hassle or fee but it could save you both time and money in the long run. Lawyers are there to help you with any problem that you may have that is related to their field of specialty.

Consider that you are getting into an argument with your ex-partner about the time that you get to see your child. While it may be a petty argument you could have ground to stand on in a court of law. Even if you are seeking knowledge on the situation, there is a lawyers out there that can help you. Below we have compiled a list of reasons why it is important to seek out a family lawyer.

They can offer advice

A a lawyer giving advice
Photo: Fizkes, Bigstock

According to Brevard County Family Lawyers a big misconception about family lawyers is that you only need one if you are going to court. In reality, lawyers can provide you with some quality knowledge and advice about situations that you are going through. Chances are that they have heard about it or taken similar cases to court. In that case they can offer you a greater insight that you may not have which may lead to the conflict not going to a court room after all.

Additionally it is important to note that if you think that the situation could escalate, it is more than likely that the other party is thinking the same thing and will be seeking a family lawyer of their own. To avoid hitting the ground running it is important to have you representation already lined up if the situation calls for it.

They are experts in their fields

If the situation that you are in gets worse you may find yourself going to court and presenting your case. While it is legal within Australia to represent yourself in a court of law, it is not recommended in scenarios that you have little to no knowledge in. If you are in a high stakes case where your child’s custody depends on it, you want to be sure that you are doing everything in your power to ensure that you succeed.  Not getting a family lawyer puts yourself at risk as you won’t be fully familiar with proceedings or rulings.

What it comes down to is that an experienced family lawyer will have years of experience to fall back on when they are representing their clients. They know what the judges and jury are looking for within the case and are prepared to fight for you every step along the way.

More heads is better than one

Multiracial people having dispute about bad document at group meeting, african businessman disagreeing with contract terms at multi-ethnic negotiations in lawyers office, fraud or legal fight concept
Photo: Fizkes, Bigstock

When you enlist the services of a law firm it is likely that they will have more than one individual working on your case. This gives your case and point of view several perspectives that may not have been thought of if it was just yourself or one lawyer. Many law firms do this to ensure that their clients are set up for success and thus giving you a greater chance of being successful.

Helpful family law tips for parents

Helpful family law tips for parents
Photo: Peter James Anthony, Pixabay

When you’re a parent any kind of family dispute can put you and your family through a lot of stress and heart ache. If however you are trying to have the custody rights for your child, many people believe that family law disadvantages one of sides, eg. dads. Regardless if you are seeking full or partial custody of your child you need to have the ground work already set up to ensure you best possible chance at success.

The most important thing to remember in these sorts of cases is that the children come first and you shouldn’t do anything to impact their relationship with their mother. Be sure to show the court that you have a strong relationship with your children and that your actions relay that you are trying to be the best father that you can be.

Follow all parenting plans, orders and agreements that the court puts in place. Your cooperation is vital in these situations to ensure that your relationship with your children remains intact.

Here are some helpful tips that can help out with family law for parents

Conversations

Young strict mother or sister scolding stubborn sulky kid girl in living room at home, offended daughter ignoring angry mom reprimanding disobedient child for bad behavior, family conflict concept
Photo: Fizkes, Bigstock

Conversations are used as evidence a lot in these sorts of cases in both the form of verbal and nonverbal. Texts and emails are common to show up in the court room. It is best to keep any anger or frustration out of phone calls with the children’s mother as chances are the conversation will be recorded and brought up against you later on.

If you have shown signs in the past of aggression and an unwillingness to change for your children, chances are you won’t have a strong case. Also be sure to watch your written conversations as they can also be used. Reread emails and texts to make sure that they don’t sound aggressive and do your best not to call or message out of anger or spite.

Keep a record of all correspondence with the mother of your children and anyone else who may be relevant as they can be used as witnesses and chances are that the other party is already doing the same thing.

Social media

Like texts and emails, social media posts could be used as evidence during the proceedings of the court. Stay away from posting about your family situation, your ex and anything to do with the court proceedings.

The court finds remarks like this to be disrespectful to all those involved and does not tolerate any aggressive or negative behavior.

How to stop international travel

Father holding baby daughter during flight on airplane going on vacations. Baby girl drinking formula milk from bottle. Air travel with baby, child and family concept. Tired man traveling with kids
Photo: Romrodinka, Bigstock

A common case that is coming up with family law for parents is that their ex-partner is trying to relocate their children overseas. Legally neither partner can take their children out of the country without the other’s consent.

If you are worried that your ex-partner is planning on taking your children out of the country, make sure to keep a close eye on their passports and any other travel documentation that they may have. If you do believe there is a strong chance that they will relocate your children, be sure to seek legal advice with a specialty in family law.

Additionally you can also put their names on the Airport Watch List which will deny them from boarding a plane within Australia.

If you are feeling overwhelmed after reading all this take a deep breath and calm down. Stressing out won’t make the situation any better and could possibly make it worse. Find a lawyer that specialises in family law and explain your situation to them.

 

Psychic Billy Caputo explains how he helps people with his readings

Christian Woods
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Psychic Billy Caputo explains how he helps people with his readings

Billy Caputo is an American psychic based in New Jersey who performs readings over the phone. He says he is gifted with clairvoyance, telepathy, channelling and remote viewing – which is how he can perform readings as accurately over the phone as he can in person. He has also written seven books.

He helps people with all kinds of psychic services, from advice about love and future career moves to channelling spirits so people can speak to their departed loved ones. Billy also has a reputation for making predictions that may seem impossible, but eventually come true. He wants to explain how his powers work, and what he can help people with.

Billy, how did you discover your gifts?

Well, I began reading my mother’s emotions and what she would do next at a young age, about 7. I was always reading other’s but as a kid and teenager, you have no understanding of why or how you can see or predict things. You are just beginning to develop as a soul.

My real passion was music and I also started at a young age playing drums and singing. I also learned guitar and bass and spent enormous amounts of time and money on this passion. There was no outlet for talking about or understanding being a psychic.

It was not like it is today with all of the paranormal shows and social pages and websites on the psychic world. I was blessed to be in two very successful bands, played in front of thousands of people and also released 5 cd’s, all of which I wrote.

Music was my emotional and psychic outlet but I never spoke about seeing things or the ability to channel others who have crossed over to the other side because I knew people would think I was crazy if I did that back in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.

After spine surgery in 1997 and my mother’s death on Thanksgiving in 1998, and then my dad’s death in 1999, is really when i started to write things down and communicate with my family and see more images and sound out names and all kinds of things.

This would not make sense to the normal person. How do you explain something that others can’t see, feel or hear? I.e., we know energy is all around us but how do you explain that? Have you ever had the phone ring and you know who it was and there they are – that person you knew was calling!

How do you explain what doesn’t make sense in the linear world and mind? Humans naturally want to feel, taste, smell, hear and see.

Are your readings over the phone really as accurate as one in person?

Yes, in fact, phone readings are much better for me because there are no distractions. I am very sensitive to sounds. I also ask my clients to call from a quiet place and with a clear phone line. I tried doing readings at paces, flea markets and live settings but there was too much distraction for my mind.

I do my readings with complete silence, a dark setting and pen and paper nearby. A lot of times my eyes are closed to feel for answers for my clients. Almost like Stevie Wonder, who is blind, moves his head feeling the sound and motions of music.

What are the most common questions that people call you with?

Love! Love and relationship questions. Actually because of my many readings with thousands of people all around the world, I’ve learned quite a bit and have written 7 books, some of which are self-help books and others about love, break-ups and Finding your true love.

Writing is something I’ve always done. Whether its lyrics for songs in the past, my thoughts down in a journal or blogs for my website. I am always writing!

The only question that bothers me is “Can I get a free reading?”

I don’t think many realize how much time and energy it takes to really answer their questions and they also don’t understand that psychics need to have their own time. We are not always on when we want to be. I tell many people in my neighbourhood and new folks that I meet that I do IT work.

This saves my sanity, gives me peace of mind. I have to otherwise I will fall apart emotionally. Think of celebrities who can’t go anywhere or do anything without people wanting something from them.

It’s very stressful so what works best for me is to tell those around me, who are acquaintances that I do technology work…which I actually do with coding and website design. I also know a lot about smartphones. That’s my other big interest.

Do you keep track of how accurate your predictions are?

Sometimes. I remember predicting that the Pope would be out of office in April 2012 and that NYC would be under water in April 2012. This was 9 and 6 months before the Pope resigned and Hurricane Sandy hit lower Manhattan in NYC.

First, there had never been a Pope to resign before. Most would pass away before that position would be open again. And Hurricane Sandy hit us here in NYC so hard that the subways and lower New York was under water. The Hudson River was one with the streets of NYC. There are just too many predictions I have made but those two stand out the most at the moment.

Can your skills be learnt by others, or do you need to be born with them?

I believe we all are born with an antenna to connect to the other side of life and to answers and perceptions but sometimes the signals are not as strong for some as they are for others. We all have a special talent and gift but sometimes we need a little help to bring that Gift from the spirit out.

I actually have a course I’m teaching called The Psychic Business. I work one to one by phone with my students to find what their gifts are and how they can help others while earning money. There is no one teaching a course like I am. I guarantee results.

If anyone is interested in learning more they can always send an email to my office (see details at the bottom) but I can only take on 2-3 more new students in the USA.

Do you only speak to American clients or do you work with international callers as well?

I primarily do readings with people all over the United States. Some are in Canada some as far away as the Netherlands and Hawaii. Language barriers and different time zones are hindrances. I work a lot but I love what I do.

Actually, I shouldn’t say WORK because I love meeting new people and doing psychic readings by phone. Each psychic reading is like a new canvas I get to paint. Or a puzzle I get to figure out and put together. Clients always come back for readings and it feels good to help them.

Are there any topics that you don’t answer questions about?

I’m open to all questions from my clients but I don’t like to talk about Hell or extreme religions. Prayer is important and you can pray to God or any other source but for me, I pray to God every day for health and happiness for those who are physically and mentally suffering.

I understand and feel them. They need love, help and support. I watch the news a lot and pray for those who have met dangers and count my blessings for what i have.

Do you use any additional tools in your readings, like Tarot cards or Ouija boards?

I don’t use them. Actually, some friends have given me Tarot decks as gifts over the years and I’ve bought some myself at metaphysical shops but I just don’t understand them. They don’t resonate with me.

The Ouija board is very fascinating and intriguing to me but from what I know, I cannot put myself in a place to have something attach to me. I don’t recommend the Ouija board to others either because you are placing yourself in harm’s way – potentially opening up a portal to very unhappy wandering lost souls. But many of my students use Tarot decks, palm read, astrology and such.

Actually, I do astrology charts but I am not an astrologist. I’ve been interested in astrology since I was about 20 years old. It’s an amazing science. I’m a Taurus btw,my website is www.billycaputo.com, email [email protected] and feel free to friend me on Facebook.

Bulking and shredding: weights aren’t all you need for bodybuilding

Christian Woods
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Bulking and shredding: weights aren’t all you need for bodybuilding

If you’re a bodybuilder, or someone who does weight training for aesthetic reasons (i.e. to look good rather than for sport or work) then you’ve most likely heard of bulking and shredding before. Essentially it’s a process of spending a few months trying to gain muscle mass (bulking) followed by losing fat (shredding).

The bulking phase is fairly simple – lift big and eat bigger. Yes, you will probably gain some fat along with the muscle, but that’s what shredding is for. The second stage is a lot more complicated – you need to find a way to lose fat along with minimal muscle loss. According to Muscle Review, achieving this is hard, so it’s no wonder many turn to supplements such as an ECA fat burner stack.

How to bulk

To add a lot of muscle in a reasonably short space of time you need to eat a lot of protein, fats and carbs, as well as lift a lot of heavy weights. To build muscle you need to eat more energy than your body uses, as well as stimulating growth hormones – and that means you will spend a lot of time working out, either in the gym or at home.

It’s very difficult not to gain a bit of fat on this diet, and that’s not a bad thing – when you gain fat you know you are building as much muscle as possible. Gaining a bit of extra fat is also fine if it is proportional – if you have 10% body fat and gain 10 kilos, including 1 kg of fat, your body composition will stay the same.

You should also focus on building muscle all over your body in this phase, as your bulking period is the time when you will have the best results. This means lots of free weight training, with squats, deadlifts, bench press and other Olympic lifts forming the basis of your workout.

How to bulk
Deadlifting is a good muscle building exercise. Photo: Skeeze, Pixabay

You can go for a run occasionally if it makes you feel better, but generally you are best off avoiding cardio – it will slightly inhibit your muscle growth.

In terms of supplements, in the bulking period you are best off with protein shakes after you work out to maximise your muscle growth. If you want a bit of an extra boost then creatine is also good, as it will help your muscles recover.

How to shred

Shredding is a lot more difficult than bulking, as it is much harder to lose fat without burning muscle than it is to build muscle while also gaining fat. Over your shredding phase you are likely to lose a little bit of strength, however if you do it right you can also shed a lot of fat.

In this period you should ramp up your cardio, in particular resistance cardio (such as HIIT training and weighted running). This will get your heart rate high and keep you burning energy. You also want to continue with your weights training, but not as intensively. You also shouldn’t be surprised if your maximum lifts come down a bit.

Some good cardio exercises that will still activate the muscles you spent so long building are rowing and kettlebell workouts, along with plain bodyweight training. You can take this opportunity to tone your muscles as well as losing fat. Pure cardio activities, like running, are also very good for burning fat.

How to shred
Running is a good activity for shredding. Photo: StockSnap, Pixabay

You should eat lots of lean protein (white meat and fish, along with vegetable proteins) and try to cut carbs wherever you can. A ketogenic diet is ideal for shredding, and the protein will help you to maintain your muscle mass and lose as little as possible. To lose weight you need to eat less energy than you burn, so you need to be careful with your diet.

In terms of supplements protein shakes are still good, but if you were mixing them with milk while you bulked then swap to water. You can also keep taking creatine – it doesn’t stimulate growth or give you energy, and might help you to push through your workouts. Many people also use ECA stacks to suppress their appetite and stimulate metabolism.

What is an ECA stack?

An ECA stack involves taking three (perfectly legal) substances to suppress your appetite and increase your metabolic rate – ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin. Ephedrine is a stimulant that also prevents low blood pressure, and is often used during surgeries and to treat nasal allergic reactions. Caffeine is a stimulant, most commonly found in coffee. Aspirin is a blood thinner and painkiller.

In Australia ephedrine is a prescription only medication, as it is one of the primary ingredients in the production of methamphetamine. If you can’t get your hands on it then caffeine and aspirin will still help to control your appetite and raise your metabolic rate, but not as effectively.

Bulking and shredding is a process that requires lots of dedication and commitment, especially if you have a bodybuilding competition coming up. In this instance you should start four months out, and give yourself two months of bulking followed by two months of shredding – ramping up the intensity of your weight loss efforts in the last week.

It will take you a lot of effort, but if you do it right you will end your bulk and shred cycle both stronger and with less body fat than before you started. Managing the diet can be tough (well, in the shredding stage – the bulking diet is actually pretty fun), as is the exercise schedule, but you will almost certainly be closer to your ideal body when you finish.

Samuel Lozano reveals how to become an Instagram influencer

Christian Woods
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Samuel Lozano reveals how to become an Instagram influencer

In recent years, Instagram has exploded in popularity not only amongst everyday people but with marketers as well. Influencer marketing has become one of the most innovative and effective digital marketing tactics and it’s no wonder that more and more people want to get in on this action.

In this article, Samuel Lozano talks about how to become a successful influencer on Instagram’s platform.

What about Instagram makes it so attractive for influencers and influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing yields great results for brands because followers are generally very loyal and will place a lot of weight on a review by an influencer. It is also easy to amass a large scale following on the platform, and through the use of hashtags posts can easily reach a very wide audience.

Instagram has also changed so that you can include links in stories, along with calls to action such as “buy now” or “click here to find out more”. People will then be taken to the website of the product.

What are the traits you think someone needs to be successful as an influencer on Instagram?

Anyone can become an influencer – the key is to post great content and post on a daily basis. You also need to engage with your followers. Of course it is easier if you simply take great photos that people like looking at, but you can also document a personal challenge or journey, or artworks.

What are the most important ‘first steps’ that someone needs to take to become an Instagram influencer?

Decide what your passion is, whether it is fitness, travel, modelling etc., and make sure your account is congruent with that topic. You need to add value to your followers’ lives in some way, which can be as simple as telling a joke or giving them a nice picture to look at, but inspiring them in some way is also very powerful.

What is the most effective way to “tempt” a brand to adopt you as an influencer?

The easiest way is once you hit at least 5,000 followers you can start reaching out to brands via Email, Direct Messaging or Facebook. You are also likely to have brands make contact with you once you have enough followers to be deemed an influencer.

If you pick a niche to operate in – say, lifestyle – then you will be tempting to brands in that category (clothing, food, fitness etc.). This can help to make you more valuable to these companies, but you need to be careful not to close yourself off to too many opportunities.

The more specific you are, the more valuable you are to brands that fit your niche, but the overall number of companies you can attract declines.

What are the biggest mistakes you see people make on their path to becoming an influencer?

  1. They don’t have a clear account that tells you what their niche is – if followers or brands are confused about the nature/purpose of their page then they make themselves less valuable as influencers.
  2. They don’t implement growth strategies – in other words, once they get to the stage where they are paid to promote products they lose sight of what attracted their followers in the first place and start to lose relevance.

How do you think the nature of influencer marketing will change over the next few years?

It is estimated that influencer marketing will grow to a 10 billion dollar industry, so the only changes will be further growth – and possible Instagram algorithm changes. So far changes to algorithms have served to make it easier to commercialise accounts, so we can expect this to continue as well.

What Dan Holzmann can teach us about successful management

Christian Woods
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What Dan Holzmann can teach us about successful management

Dan Holzmann is the CEO and President of the Juice Plus+ company, a highly successful, multi-national health and wellness brand that has a presence in over 25 countries. The success of Juice Plus+ speaks for itself, but how has the CEO achieved this success as a leader?

Juice Plus+ was established more than 50 years ago, starting as a small, direct sales company that expanded into the health and wellness sector in 1993. When the brand entered the European sector, Dan Holzmann jumped on board and worked his way into the CEO position he maintains today.

His employees will tell you that he is a very hands-on CEO who really treats everyone, at every level, like his own family. He has had several pitfalls and setbacks throughout his career and instead of trying to bury them, is open and honest about how others can learn from his mistakes.

This level of humility and fatherly management of his company is what sets Dan Holzmann apart and keeps his employees motivated. In this article, we’ll look a little closer at some of the core principles that this dynamic leader holds dear and that have driven his success up to this point.

A passion for making a positive difference in people’s lives

The main driving factor behind his great success is undoubtedly his sincere passion for improving people’s lives, whether that is his employees or his customers. He not only uses his business as a means of enriching the health and lifestyle of customers but also as a means of providing a business opportunity for his employees.

Because he knows that teamwork is absolutely essential to the success of any enterprise, he chooses to engender a sense of family throughout his business. Above all, this approach creates a trusting environment where even in high-level corporate settings, people are supported and mistakes are learnt from rather than punished.

Dan Holzmann never gave up on his company and understood that sticking to a good idea, even if it struggles in the beginning, will always eventually pay off. He was confident in his product and his employees and remains so to this day.

His passion for his brand’s mission and his confidence in the ability of his employees to accomplish that mission is what has enabled his company to succeed where others fail. It’s not just about saying he can do something, for Dan Holzmann, it’s about actually taking active steps to achieve the goals that are talked about.

A unique management style that focuses on enabling leadership in others

Dan Holzmann’s approach to business management acknowledges that a key leader is essential but that it doesn’t mean others can’t have opportunities to lead in their own contexts. The marketing approach of Juice Plus+ allows partners to become leaders of their own teams and inspire people under them with their own approaches.

As a leader, Dan Holzmann really puts the power in the hands of employees while guiding them with authority where necessary. His approach isn’t about pretending there’s no hierarchy, it’s about giving everyone the flexibility to succeed and make decisions within their own arenas.

Discipline in his craft

Dan Holzmann understands that underlying everything, you need to show a level of discipline to succeed in business and life in general. This means adhering to a personal code, even when it’s inconvenient.

Having faced a lot of adversity over his long career, he knows that if you take shortcuts and don’t apply yourself, there won’t be any reason for people to trust you. This discipline in his craft has allowed him to succeed where others may have given up.

How these simple principles can be applied to business and life in general

While these traits have been beneficial for Dan Holzmann and his global business, they aren’t exclusive to him and can be adopted by anyone with the willpower to do so. Adopting any new mindset is going to be difficult in the beginning, but if you stick to your guns these traits will become second-nature very quickly.

Above all, what we can learn from Dan Holzmann is that a sincere commitment to a set of guiding principles is essential to achieve success in a competitive industry and to inspire others to support your ambition. Without a passion for what you do and without the ability to acknowledge as well as learn from your mistakes, it will be very difficult for you to overcome setbacks and achieve the success you desire.

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