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Telling Stories Through Photos

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Photos are a great way to preserve memories and tell stories. Traditional albums are no longer your only option. Photo books are great. They save on space, they are convenient and easy to access. The following are some qualities that may help you distinguish good photo books from bad ones.

1. It Should Have a Specific Purpose

Your photo book should have a clear purpose. Do not stuff random photos in it. You may use your photo book to document specific events such as weddings, a baby’s milestones, or a family trip. If you need to document different memories, you should use different photo books.

2. Proper use of White Space

Even though it is important to have enough white space, do not overdo it. Even though you have the option to make your photo book long, it is not always necessary. You can have a good photo book without too much white space. A short yet detailed photo book saves you money and it is more captivating.

Resist the temptation to include all your good photos in a photo book. Use photos that best capture the message you intend to convey.

3. The Paper should be Good

A good photo book is printed on high-quality paper. If printers use low-quality paper, the entire photo book may look wrong. Low-quality paper does not hold ink well. It may look messy and dull. The adhesive should be of high quality as well.

4. Simplicity

A good photo book should be simple. Do not go overboard with your colors, photos, or designs. If there is too much going on, it may take attention away from the story you are trying to tell. Pay attention to the clarity, lighting, and brightness of your photos. You should only include the necessary photos.

5. Variety

If a photo book has too much of the same thing, it might get boring. The variety will make your photo book interesting. You don’t need to use the same background on every photo. Use different backgrounds that complement each other and do not shy from experimenting with different layouts.

6. It Should Appeal to Emotions

A good photo book should appeal to your emotions. It should tell a story. If a photo book has random or impersonal photos, it may not appeal to the senses. Customizing your photo book may give it the personality and uniqueness it needs. When designing a photo book, you should not be afraid to show your creativity. It is what will set the book apart from others.

Do you need help designing a photo book? You should consider working with Mixbook.com. It allows you to customize a photo book for any occasion. You can upload photos from everywhere including your Instagram, Facebook, computer, and SmugMug.

Mixbook is free and it allows you to start as many projects as you need. You will only pay for your printed books.

Everything is completely customizable. You can choose the size, cover style, and format that works for you. You even have the option to add your own logos and stickers.

If you are unhappy with your order, you can return it. Mixbook is popular because it is easy to use. You don’t need any special training to use it. The customer service is amazing and it is convenient.

 

David Crawford on Whether Being a Doctor is Worth It

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As my good friend David Crawford often tells me, being a doctor is damn hard, it is in fact one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Despite the sheer volume of hard work and energy which a career like this requires, there are still thousands of people around the country who are signing up for med school with the dream of one day becoming a doctor. These doctors are signing up to make personal sacrifices, to invest massive amounts of time and energy into this career, and the question that I often ask David and some of our other friends who are working as doctors, is whether or not the career is worth it?

Dangers

There are many aspects of being a doctor that many of us just don’t see. For example the divorce rate amongst doctors is the highest for any profession, a direct result of the amount of hours which they must spend at the hospital and the emotional change which they go through as a result of doing this job. Personal sacrifice is huge and I’ve heard stories of cancelled honeymoons, canceled best man positions and doctors who have all but missed the most important years of their children’s lives. There is also the emotional turmoil which inevitably comes with witnessing death and injury on a daily basis.

Financial Reward

Doctors are the best paid profession in the country and it is true that there is huge earning potential in this job role. Something which many don’t realize however is that the big money really comes after the first 10 years in the career, and during those formative years the pay is really the same as teachers and fire officers receive. If you are prepared to stay the course and work your way up the career ladder then of course this is a career which is financially worth it.

The Reason Why It Is All Worthwhile

Every doctor who I have ever spoken to about this has told me that the career is absolutely worth it, regardless of the personal sacrifice and the problems that this job can create. It is not however the financial reward that is the reason behind why this is a job which they all considered to be worthwhile, but the personal reward which comes with knowing that they are providing one of the most important services to the community and the human race on the whole.

Whilst using a patient is of course sad, it is nothing compared with the joy and the pleasure of saving a child’s life, catching a disease early so that it can be cured or giving someone the use of their legs back after a catastrophic injury. The faces of the patients and the families of the patients in these situations are exactly why each and every doctor who I have spoken to, tells me that they wouldn’t swap their job for anything else in the world.

 

Know How to Spy on Cell Phone

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The myth has now turned into a reality when it comes to spying on someone’s cell phone. If you really want to read someone’s text messages and listen to the calls that are being placed by the person whom you have suspicion, all you would require is the purchase of software that would help you into this. It is very cost-effective when it comes to the purchase of software to spy someone’s phone.

You need to have the complete access to the phone that would require you to install software. You need not have to install it on your own phone as this way you will not be able to spy or check into everything that is going on in the phone of your suspected person. You will be able to check onto everything that you too even do on your own phone. You usually use a phone to browse over websites, check emails as well as other activities. These all you will be able to check when you spy onto the other’s phone.

So, have you ever wondered why anyone would be buying such software to spy on someone’s phone? The following are some of the reasons that might well answer to your queries:

1. You might have kids, and you want to keep a close watch over their activities they are into and whom they are associating with.

2. You might even well think that your better half or your spouse is cheating on you and for whom you require a solid proof.

3. You are the owner of a company and have issued phones to your employees.

The list might be never ending though these are few of them.

When you are a parent and you want to keep a watch over your kids, this software will render the effective help. You would probably have no idea of what they might be into in their teenage years. This software will help in a lot if your teen is a trouble maker and is always to prone to trouble. The time we are into, it is important to check what your child is up to. Your kid might not like the idea of having this software installed but don’t worry, this software is well hidden and your kids will not even know about it.

This software also comes into rescue if you think that your better half or your spouse is cheating on you by having an affair with someone else. You can easily have this software installed while they are asleep and check whether or not they are actually cheating on you. They will also not have any idea of this software being installed.

If you are an owner of a company and have issued phones to your employees, then this is the best way in which you can keep a track on them. You will always have the idea of where they are and check whether or not they would be harming your company. They too will have no idea of this software being installed.

 

Don’t Miss the Adult’s Night Out Party for Halloween in Chicago

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The promise of cool and crisp weather and all of the festive seasonal activities make Chicago come alive in the fall. One of the best ways to take advantage of the fun of the Halloween season is to attend the Adults Night Out: The Great Pumpkin Glow event.

You are sure to have a great time taking in the sights, sounds, and tastes of Halloween in Chicago. If you don’t call the Windy City your home, this event makes the perfect excuse to spend the weekend in this eclectic city. Here is everything that you need to know about the party and how to have the best time immersing yourself in the fall magic of Chicago.

ADULTS NIGHT OUT: THE GREAT PUMPKIN GLOW DETAILS

This unique event is scheduled for Thursday, October 24 at the Lincoln Park Zoo starting at 6:30 PM. Advance tickets are on sale now for $15. Pending availability, a limited amount of tickets may be available at the door for $20. This is an adults-only event and you must 18 years old to enter. The non-refundable event will be held rain or shine.

Guests will be able to take advantage of a variety of activities, including The Great Pumpkin Glow jack-o-lantern trail, a corn maze, free rides on the AT&T Endangered Species Carousel, a pumpkin patch, a cash bar, animal enrichment activities, and more.

Visitors can finally enjoy Lincoln Park Zoo after hours, with no kids and no crowds. Every year it’s a relaxed event full of Halloween-loving adults looking to unwind with a beer or glass of wine.

Parking will be available at the zoo lot on Cannon Drive or you can easily access the park via public transportation.

WHERE TO STAY

The best way to enjoy this event is to look into securing a stay at one of the hotels near downtown Chicago. The Hyatt Regency Chicago is an ideal choice for your weekend away. This hotel boasts spacious guest rooms with sweeping views of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, a 24-hour fitness center, and onsite dining options. Its convenient downtown location puts you steps from the famed Riverwalk and many of Chicago’s top attractions such as Millennium Park and Navy Pier. Or choose the Hotel Fairmont Chicago, offering a trendy vibe and onsite spa.

For an upscale vibe, you should also check out the Millennium Knickerbocker Chicago. This luxury hotel is located right on the Magnificent Mile. At one point in its illustrative history, it served as a speakeasy for the infamous Al Capone. Today, it offers guests an elevated experience in the heart of Chicago.

Bharat Bhise HNA – Why it is Important to Support Local Clubs

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When Bharat Bhise HNA first came over to see me in the UK he wanted me to take him to some sporting events so that he could get a taste for how we do things here. The first thing that he noticed however was the significant lack of support which we give to our local sports teams. In the USA people turn out in bog numbers for little league teams, college teams and local teams, yet here in the UK we shun the little men in favor of the bigger teams. Bharat was absolutely right about this and he spoke to me at length about the importance of doing so, something which I know understand. If you are guilty of not supporting your local team, here is why you should.

They Need It

Local teams do not have thousands of people buying replica shirts or clothing, they do not have league money and they do not have huge gates which boost their takings. These clubs, be they rugby, cricket or soccer absolutely depend on the money which they take on match days, from food, drinks and admission to survive. These clubs need our support or they just won’t be around for long enough.

Starting Out

We have to avoid these clubs not being able to afford to continue, or else where will the youngsters learn their trade. Every footballer, rugby player and athlete has started at one of these locals clubs, and began to work their way up the ladder in their sport. If these clubs don’t exist then the youngsters will have fewer opportunities to get on.

Passion

Last year I ent to watch Gateshead play in front of 2,000 people, a far cry from the 50,000 which Newcastle pack into their stadium on a Saturday afternoon. The biggest difference here however was not the quality of the football or the noise of the stadium, but the passion which was on display. Most of those players will hang up their boots at the end of the day, and start getting themselves ready for work on Monday morning. The men and women playing for local clubs are doing so as a labor of love, not because they are making big bucks, but because they just want to play. When the money comes in, many players lose that edge, this is not so with local teams.

Community

Sport is at the center of a community and through our support of smaller clubs we can help to bring the community together as one. Over the last couple of decades the spirit of community has been greatly lost and the consequences of this are very dangerous indeed. It may only be a small gesture but in attending games and events at your local team, you can play your part in helping to bring the community back together.

Why not give it a try this weekend? Get out and see your local team play.

6 Top Criteria to Choose a Paper Writing Service Capable Of Providing Academic Assistance of High Quality

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Are you trying to pick the right content writing services but don’t know how to pick out the best from the crowd?

You just found the right place to get your problems solved!

In this educative piece, we are outlining great tips that would help you pick the most reliable paper writing service provider that would provide you with academic assistance of the highest quality.

Before you master the art of picking out great content writing service providers, you must develop your skills and be able to write amazing short stories.

Do you need help sharpening your short story writing skills? You’ve come to the right place. If you want to improve your writing skills, writing short stories are your best bet to do that. Short stories help you work on your writing skills generally and improve your general writing skills and also to try out your creativity.

In this article, you will learn how to improve your writing skills and craft short stories with ease. There is something you have to know before going into the main content.

Short stories are usually writings with 10,000 words or less. There are micro-fictions which are 500 words or less. There are also short stories that contain up to 20,000 words.

Most well-celebrated authors you know all began their writing careers with writing short stories. You can get your long awaited break into the literary works by mastering the short stories writing process. Another thing is that you can start building your audience from this stage.

A good number of readers opt for short stories to long stories because they are very easy to read. Thus, working on short stories gives you’re an opportunity to make a good impression on your audience.

A mastery of short story writing skills will help you develop your skills generally and get you ready for other complicated projects.

Short stories don’t follow the traditional writing process for a novel.

Thankfully, with short stories, there is no need to go through the process of outlining all the minor and major details in a story. You don’t have to develop the character profile step to step; neither will you have to go through the process of outlining the minor events in the story. A short story is best for a quick writing project.

Most of the events in a short story will happen instantaneously and will be full of surprises until the end of the story. That doesn’t mean you don’t plan for your project. What you need to create is just a few events and a few characters to generate a flow. The amount of work and creativity required to write a short story is less than the one needed for a long story.

Now we have the less important stuff out of the way, let’s get down to writing a short story like a professional.

Write in a sitting

Once you start writing a short story, your goal is to write the draft as fast as possible. It is possible to write a short story in a sitting and three months or less to write a novel. As long as you have a good storyline, you don’t have to bother much on your plot.

When writing your draft, assume yourself to be an archeologist looking to discover a city buried under the earth and that the draft is your first discovery.

Good dialogue is vital

Good dialogue is very vital in any creative writing. It is only when you have an in-depth knowledge of your characters that you can effectively write like a professional dialogue. Each of your characters in your short stories must have a distinct voice.

You can effectively assign a different voice to your characters if you ensure that their dialogues are a direct representation of who they are.

When starting a dialogue, use the tags ‘he said’ or ‘she said.’ As much as you can, try to avoid words like ‘she announced’ or ‘she spoke intensively.’

Write about Death

Death is a natural occurrence and death should be included in any good story. Most good short stories have death as part of its theme. One other thing is that death theme makes your story stand out from death. Check out the likes of The Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games.

Include suspense and drama

What makes your readers continue reading your story is suspense. Suspense grabs the reader’s attention and makes the reader eager to read through. To achieve great suspense, the fate of the protagonist must hang in the balance. Try not to reveal the next scene or happenings to your readers.

Edit like a professional

Most professional writers have to go through three or more drafts to get content that is good enough for the public. As you continue to edit, you publish out some of unwanted or extra scène and plot.

Share your work

After the editing process, you need to share your story with the public. The aim of writing in the first place is to get readers and build an audience. So try to share your content as soon as possible.

With these skills, you can see when a content writing service provider is about to rip you off and do something about it.

Lottery Myths, True Or False

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According to Smithsonian, the first recorded lottery was held back in 1446. But there’s evidence that it’s far from the actual first lottery which might date back to Caesar. Independent of when it actually started, there are a number of myths surrounding lotteries.

Odds of getting hit by lightning are higher than winning a jackpot
While it sounds good, and to be honest, even quite reasonable if we think about huge lotteries with tens of millions of people playing them, it might actually just be a myth. Iowa Lottery Commissioner Ed Stanek mathematically debunked that claim. Based on statistics, in 1996 1136 people won $1 million dollars or more plus another 4500 won $100 000 or more in North America Lotteries. And only 91 people were killed by lightning the same year. Then again…91 people were killed, but how many people were actually hit by lighting? I’ve heard of people who have been hit by lightning twice in one evening and lived to tell the story. So I guess, if we would actually only talk about huge Jackpots, not just big enough wins, and keep in mind that the number of people being hit by lightning is way higher than number of people killed by lightning, the myth still might hold some water.

Lottery is mainly being played by low income people
According to a Washington Post survey, it’s far from truth. It’s actually the middle income Americans who play the lottery the most.

Millions of dollars every year go unclaimed
Obviously this is true. Reasons vary, but sometimes people forget to check their tickets, or forgot they bought the ticket in the first place, sometimes people simply lose their tickets or end forgetting their tickets in their pockets before washing their clothes. If you want to be on the safe side, you better be smarter and play the powerball lottery online – that’s the only way to make sure that if you do manage to beat the odds, you’ll actually be able to benefit from it. According to CNN roughly $2 BILLION in lottery prizes go unclaimed every year, including more than 100 prizes worth $1 million or more.

The Life and Fame of Buck Reed

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A lot of people have heard of Buck Reed. He is a true mover and shaker who has had a tremendous impact on the world of sales and business. He is known for creating systems that can easily be duplicated, enabling people to manage and increase their own productivity, particularly if they work independently. But Buck Reed is about far more than that as well.

Getting to Know Buck Reed

Buck is from the Midwest of the country. He comes from a large multicultural family and lives happily with his wife and five children. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, taking them boating on the lake. He is a self-made millionaire and has worked incredibly hard for everything that he has.

At a young age, in his teens, he started his own business mowing people’s lawns. He worked hard at it and was able to develop his one man lawn mowing operation into a hugely successful landscaping company. At that point, he was making ends meet but he always knew that he wanted more. Never one to stand still, he continued to run his company but also started to take part in various self-development classes. By his early 20s, he became a mentee in sales classes and felt he really found his calling.

Buck spent several years working in sales. During that time, he found that his real passion lay in teaching others how to achieve success. He focuses on both marketing and entrepreneurship, the two key things that enabled him to put his passion and drive to good use himself and start such successful operations.

Buck dreamed of becoming a corporate trainer, mentoring others to become the best they could be. Several years after he started with this work, he earned his first million. However, things didn’t stop there for him. He moved on to becoming a trainer and mentor in the direct sales industry and he continues to be highly sought after today. His personal specialization is the psychology of sales. He has a track record of successfully mentoring sales representatives and his system, which is so easy to duplicate, is now found in sales organizations all over the world.

The Future for Buck Reed

Buck believes in living the good life, but he also believes in working hard for everything that you get. Hence, while he, his wife, and kids now have it very good, he continues to deliver training and to help develop others. He wishes to impart this life lesson on his children as well, who have nothing handed to them on a plate but have to work for things themselves.

Buck is nothing short of inspirational. Thousands of people the world over have been motivated by his work, achieving things beyond their wildest dreams. It is hoped and expected that Buck Reed will continue to deliver training for many more years, as this is where his true passion will always lay.

A Glance into the Personal and Professional Life of Ryan Grigson

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The Cleveland Browns Senior Personnel Executive, Ryan Grigson served the Indianapolis Colts as the General Manager from 2012 to 2016.

Early life

Ryan was born on 23rd February 1972 in the locality of Highland in Indiana. He was the child of Juanita and Jeff Grigson, went to Our Lady of Grace Catholic School and finished his higher education at Highland Senior High. He was a football player in high school but his college injury refrained him from playing football for a year. He returned back in 1993 and showcased his footballing skills.

Professional Football career

In 1995, Ryan was drafted to be in the Cincinnati Bengals in the 6th round and was bound under a contract – but was released in the final cuts. He was then signed by the rival team Detroit Lions and played the NFL 1995 season with that team. He was released from the Detroit Lions team in 1996 and then went on to play for Toronto Argonauts in 1997. But following that year Ryan got a major injury, which never allowed him to play again, thus, retiring very early.

Executive and Manager Career

In 1998 after his retirement, he started as pro Scout for Saskatchewan Roughriders and served as assistant coach for McPherson College. Ryan had been part of St Louis Rams as the national scout in NFL in the year 1999. He then joined Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 as the Western Regional Scout. After serving for two years as Western Regional Scout, Ryan was promoted to be the Director of College Scouting and then as Director of Player Personnel in the year 2010.

In the year 2012, Ryan was signed by Indianapolis Colts as the General Manager and this helped their team to improve and win several matches. Because of his guidance and mentorship, the team played really well and he went on to win Executive of the year award and Mental Toughness Award. The Colts under Ryan’s mentorship even made an NFL record of having a longest winning streak against any division after having their 16th consecutive win over the AFC South opponent. In 2016, Colts announced the contract renewal of Ryan with them till 2019.

But due to not able to pick good drafts and other concerns, in the year 2017, Ryan was released from Indianapolis Colts. He was then signed with Cleveland Browns as their Senior Personnel Executive. He replaced Lake Dawson who joined Buffalo bills serving as the assistant director of college scouting.

Personal Life

Ryan is a happily married man to his beloved wife Cynthia. They were college sweethearts and met while studying at Pardue University. After dating for several years, they finally got hitched in 2001 and are blessed with 6 children. Ryan is a firm believer in Catholic. He loves all his children and love to spend time with his family. After his father’s death, he understood the responsibilities of a father and wants to imbibe good things in his children too, which his father did.

Conclusion

Ryan was a great footballer but due to his career-ending injury, he had to retire. His executive and manager career has several ups and downs but still, he managed to provide wins in whichever teams he had been attached to.

4 Valentine’s Day Gifts You Can Make with Yarn 

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You don’t have to get an expensive bouquet of red roses or a heart-shaped box of chocolates to show your affection to your loved ones. Instead of shelling out money for these expected presents, you should use your creative skills to put together adorable gifts — all you will need are some craft supplies, some time and lots of yarn.

Love Bugs

This crocheting craft is easy to do and only requires colourful yarn, stuffing and two black beads for little eyes. The website Yarnspirations will have the love bug pattern available, along with other fun crochet patterns to use for projects in the future. The website will also have most of the supplies that you need to complete the craft—you can get high quality yarn delivered to you within days after browsing through the amazing selection.

Pompom Flowers

A bouquet of these flowers will be even better than red or pink roses — they won’t be as expensive as any flowers priced around Valentine’s Day and they will never wilt. Forget about temporary blooms and make a pompom bouquet instead — you will need a handful of simple supplies like yarn, scissors, twigs, ribbon and a hot glue gun. The pompoms should be made with a chunky yarn instead of a fine fiber so that they end up looking as thick and fluffy as possible. For additional details, you can paint the twigs green and add ribbon leaves to make them look like real stems.

Cup Cozies

A cup cozy is a great gift for a friend or co-worker who just can’t seem to get enough coffee in the morning. To put together your DIY cup cozy for Valentine’s Day you will need knitting needles and pink yarn—you can sew on a decorative heart made of white felt embroidered with kind messages. This practical present will make someone’s cup of coffee a little warmer and their morning a little sweeter.

Spools of Yarn 

This is a simple gift that will be perfect for someone who enjoys crafty activities like knitting and crocheting. All you have to do is get some spools of yarn in holiday colours like red, pink and purple, along with crochet hooks. Then tie the spools together with ribbon, slip the hooks inside and add a fun message — try some wordplay like I’m hooked on you, I yarn for you or I need-le you to be mine. This present is great for those who find themselves too busy to knit or crochet an item, but still want to share their love of crafts.

Whether you hand these Valentine’s Day gifts to your coworkers, to your friends or to your significant other, they will be appreciated for their uniqueness. While it’s always nice to receive chocolates and roses, it will be much more impressive to receive these handcrafted gifts that come from the heart.