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How Well do You Really Know Your Internet Partner?

We’ve all been hurt in relationships. We’ve all been on terrible dates where we had nothing to talk about. And almost all of us have sat around, feeling too shy to take that first step towards developing a relationship. For people like us, online dating is incredibly appealing. It lets you get to know somebody new in a low-pressure situation. You have privacy, you can take your time, and you can get to know somebody before you ever talk to them or see them in person. It’s a great way to build a relationship from a friendship on up.

But it’s also, sometimes, a little too private. When you’re dating somebody in real life, you see them in all sorts of situations that can help you see who they really are…like when they’re annoyed with a waiter, or driving their car in heavy traffic, or playing with their dog. But when you talk to somebody online, it’s hard to develop that same instinct. All you know is what your Internet partner has told you.

Don’t know if you really know your internet partner? Ask yourself a few important questions.

Have You Talked About the Big Stuff?

When you first start dating somebody, conversation can tend to stay on the light side. And sure, you know your Internet partner’s favorite foods and favorite books…but do you know where they stand on the larger issues? Have you talked about religion, politics, family, and one another’s pasts? Sometimes it’s in the bigger issues that the truth about a person’s nature can come out.

Have They Given You Details?

It’s important to be careful when chatting with somebody on the internet. While most of the people you come across are legitimately decent people whose goals are the same as yours…there are still plenty of predators out there. So it makes sense to be cautious about giving out details about your life.

That said, there does come a point where you need to know details about each other. Has your partner told you about what kind of job they do, where they live, or how they grew up? Do you know the names of your partner’s family members and closest friends, and what kind of people they are? If not, you might want to give some thought to why your partner is keeping you at arm’s length.

Have You Had a Fight?

I think it’s impossible to truly know a person without having fought –or at least argued– with them a little. This tells you how they react to stress, and how they tend to treat people when they’re angry. If you’ve never been in a fight with your internet partner, there may be some very important things about their nature and their personality that you don’t know yet.

Have You Checked Them Out?

I should say it again: there are a lot of online predators out there. So, after your relationship has developed legs, so to speak, and you’ve started to get more serious about it, it should be time to check your partner out. You should know their full name, where they live, and whether the information your partner has given you about them checks out.

Even better, be sure to tell your Internet boyfriend or girlfriend that you’re checking up on them. They should appreciate the fact that you respect yourself enough to play it safe. If the idea bothers your partner over much, a bright and shiny red flag should start waving in your head.

Use PlanJam.com to find additional dating advice along with date ideas.

Don’t Underestimate Our Competitor – China

In my book, RETURN TO THE MIDDLE KINGDOM, the heading of the 7th chapter is: Blending Confucius, Lincoln, and Marx, in which I explain what kind of society that Sun Yatsen, with the assistance of Eugene Chen, tried to create. It would be a harmonious society (Confucian conception summed up in the ancient classic, BOOK OF RITES) in which there would be “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people” (Lincoln), and there would be no inequalities of wealth (Marx). Of course they need cash to realize their vision. Where would the money come from? They would use trade to earn it from the West to build a “socialism with limited capitalism.” This is the prototype of the “socialism with Chinese characteristics,” coined by the Communist Party after they decided to switch Marx economy to marketing economy in late 1970s.

And then a new, momentous development occurred last year. The Chinese Communist Party held a conference, and announced that their goal was to build a harmonious, Xiaokang (middle middle-class in American terminology) society. Given their former goal was to build a communistic society, this play of words is of great significance. They also got both terms “Harmony” and “Xiaokang” from the Confucian classic, BOOK OF RITES, just like Sun Yatsen and Eugene Chen had done in early 1920s. “Harmony” means that they are going to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor. “Xiaokang” means that they are striving to make all the people live comfortably.

Important as their announcement is, I don’t see that we here pay any attention to it. China seemed always to take us by surprise. When they succeeded to switch the Marx economy to marketing economy, we were surprised why they were more successful than the Russians. But if we knew a little more about Chinese history, we would know the idea of “using trade to earn capital from the West to build a socialism with limited capitalism” had been in the making for more than 60 years, long before the Communist Party put it into practice in the early 1980s.

Every American politician from the president down declares that China is our competitor and we must win. But how can we win if we don’t know with whom we are competing? More important, how can we win without coming to blows? The great military strategist, Sun Zi, said two thousand five hundred years ago: Know yourself, and know your opponent, and then you’ll always win.

Confucius said that reviewing the past in order to know what to do in the future. My book is personalized history, but it has ties to the present day. It covers a period in which China began its troubled relations with the West, in particular, the United States, and it ends when there was hope of the two reconciling. I present the book at a time when the United States, now more than ever, needs to build a relationship with China in areas where the two countries share common interests. The co-existence in peace and in friendly competition between the United States and China will benefit each country as well as the world. Otherwise the consequence is unthinkable.

Yuan-tsung was born in China, and immigrated to USA in 1972. Her first book, THE DRAGON’S VILLAGE, (was published by Pantheon, and) its Penguin paperback sells an average of 3,000 copies per year since 1981. Her latest book (nonfiction), RETURN TO THE MIDDLE KINGDOM, is now available through the Union Square Press of Sterling Publishing. Visit Yuan-tsung Chen.

Free Internet Dating - How the Process of Free Sites Work

Although many people have heard things about free internet dating sites, not everyone is familiar with exactly how the process works. Although it isn’t very complicated, each step in the process has a part to play in order to ensure that your dating experience on the internet is a positive one.

Sign up as a member

Free internet dating is a fairly simple process to get started with. The first step is, naturally, to decide which site you want to join. You should review those sites that match your personality or the type of site with many members and a wide variety of profile types. You should be able to sign up without submitting any financial or sensitive information. Make sure the site is actually free. You shouldn’t need to go through a testing process, either before you are deemed worthy to join the site. You just need to be honest about who you are.

Create a profile

Your next step on the path to enjoy free internet dating is to create a profile. Be certain that your member profile does an adequate job of expressing your personality. You should be complete and yet concise. Certainly your profile should be scrupulously honest. Don’t pretend to be someone you aren’t. At the same time, an interesting and fun profile is one that attracts other people to you, just as an interesting and fun person has more dates. When your profile can demonstrate that you are a person that’s fun to be around, you are more likely to improve your dating picture.

Browse or search for those with like interests

Free internet dating sites allow you to browse or search for those who have interests like your own. This eliminates the need for spending a lot of time in real life trying to find people who like to do the things you do. You can go to step two in the relationship, just be reviewing the profiles of the members online. You can search and index certain characteristics and traits and only follow up on those individuals who match those characteristics.

Make contact

Once you have set up yourself as a member and have written your profile and selected a smaller group of members in whom you may be interested, you can make contact with these individuals online and expand your communication with them. Free internet dating sites allow you to do all these things safely with no repercussions if you choose to drop the relationship at any point. If you want to continue, you can make contact at any of the levels indefinitely without pressure to change your relationship to something more serious. Of course, any change in relationship level would need to be done by both parties.

Move to the real world if desired

Another possible level to the relationships developed on a free internet dating site is that of moving to the face to face meeting and having a date with one or more of the people you meet online. If you both choose to do so, you will already have learned enough about each other that you will eliminate some of the potential awkwardness that might otherwise occur with a blind date. This dating may or may not lead to something even more serious, but you are under no pressure to do anything that is beyond your own comfort zone.

Learn all about the Free Internet Dating or Internet Dating process by visiting an informative web site on the subject such as http://www.online-dating-service-sg.com to learn more now.

Free Dating Websites - Advantages That You Do Not Know

Free dating websites are much more common today on the internet. In choosing a free site over a paid site, you probably have considered some or all of the following factors. Each time you find and check off one of these advantages, you are closer to finding the best possible website for your personality.

Having a good time

Free dating websites are all about having a good time with no financial ties or concerns. You can have a lot more fun with a dating situation when you know there isn’t a bill for your membership coming due within a few days. Your activities on the web site can include chatting with others, meeting, describing great places to visit or enjoy and taking advantage of bargains in coupons or discounts. Your fun can be a casual discussion with others who have the same interests or can be a plan to meet and date a special acquaintance.

Hope for a lasting relationship

Free dating websites are great in that they provide you with hope that you can find a lasting relationship there. Because you don’t have to spend money on membership fees, you can take the time to investigate the other members to choose one that is most likely to hit it off with yourself. The members don’t always find a lasting relationship, but there is always hope that a good match will be found. If nothing else, there is the fun of mixing with other singles in a non threatening atmosphere.

Meet others quickly

Free dating websites mean that you can find and interact with others very quickly. You can fill out an application form, prepare your profile and post it and be conversing online with other individuals within a matter of hours. You don’t want to sacrifice prudence in a rush to meet others, but if you are exercising normal security and safety precautions on line and in your in person contacts, you can be visiting with others in chat rooms and via email in perfect confidence. The key is that there are no artificial barriers in the getting acquaintance process between members except those that are placed by the members themselves.

Safe and secure

You should be certain that you choose free dating websites that have safeguards in place to protect your privacy and security. The free sites are doubly safe in that they don’t require any information from members about financial or other sensitive information since the cost is zero. You can block the names or profiles of other members who do not interest you, even if they are not a security risk. There is no need to clutter up your inbox with profiles who don’t meet your requirements for personality or expectations.

Efficiency

Using the services of free dating websites is a very efficient way of managing your social life. You know quite a bit about individuals with whom you are communicating online so you don’t need to go out on a date with them if you are quite sure that they are not a candidate for your short list of great dates. If you are dating for the purpose of finding a life partner, you can save even more time and money by getting to know the potential dates online first. Then when you are ready to meet in person, you aren’t meeting a total stranger.

If you are looking for Free Dating Websites or Dating Websites, you should consider looking at the information available at http://www.online-dating-service-sg.com.Any information about free websites that you want to consider can be found.

Past and Present Nobility

Nobility can be many things including a social and historical concept. This is different from social status or class which is more related to income . Nobility in ancient Roman society was not established simply by birth. It could be maintained and acquired by service in public offices and promotion to senior positions, which were called honores. Nobility has been seen as a sign of biological or racial superiority; as a desired political arrangement; or as compensation for services given. Nobility was once demonstrated by the showing of an aristocratic pedigree and wealth. Chivalry focused the demonstration of nobility on action and strived to show that true nobility comes from the heart. Nobility titles are found today in quite a few countries, mostly though it is usually often with former or present monarchies.

The Noble

Nobles typically controlled resources, such as money, food, or labor, from other more common members or of lower rank nobles of their societies, and could exercise political or religious power over them. Having wealth or influence does not necessarily cause one to become a noble, neither do all nobles have influence and wealth. Nobles or knights were warriors on horseback who were committed to their ruler and swore to fight on his behalf for an grant of land together along with serfs. Heraldry or having a coat of arms, was never restricted to the just the noble classes for most countries, and having a coat of arms does not mean a person is part of nobility. Typically, but not always, nobles were entitled to land or other property, which was often demonstrated in their title.

Power

In some countries in which nobility was popular, they were slowly displaced in power by wealthy individuals not connected to nobility. For example a rich merchant had more influence than a lesser nobleman. As mentioned before, nobles typically controlled resources from non-nobility or nobility of lesser rank in society, and could exercise political or power religious over them.

Titles of nobility could be earned or inherited. In this aspect, nobility is different from peerage. Peerage is only passed to an individual family member. For nobility was not only something one could acquire, but something one could also lose.

Characteristics of the Ranks

Some of the more popular noble ranks and their characteristics are listed below.

Marquis

A marquis is a noble title which is normally an inherited rank of varied European countries and sometimes their colonies. The term originally denoted a count holding a march, or mark (frontier district). Originally, they were counts which had extra powers due to the fact that they protected border areas. This gave them higher rank over other counts or earls as they were called in England.

Prince

Prince is a title of some members of Royal families and the highest ranks of the aristocracy or the nobility. A ruler, derived from Latin princeps, which means first in rank. Generally, any ruler was known as the ‘prince’, the ‘ruler’. A prince is known for being a leader or ruler. A prince is known for his fairness and his ability to guide or inspire others.

Knight

There were three types of soldiers in the middle ages and the knight was one of these: Archers, Foot Soldiers, and Knights. Knights followed a code known as chivalry. They were committed to be courteous to women, defend weaker people, and of course demonstrate loyalty to their king, and be of service to God. Knights were taught to be humble to others, particularly their superiors. Knighthood was eventually merged into the nobility as a lower noble title.

Spencer Miller is a researcher and author. Recently he found that titles of Nobility are sometimes issued. These Noble titles are certified legal titles that can be added to your name. All nobility titles include full documentation support which includes Apostille certification.

Cooking a Baked Potato is Not as Boring as it Sounds

Baked potatoes have been a popular side dish for many years. Besides being baked, the versatile potato can be boiled, slow cooked in a crock pot or fried. But, baking remains one of the most popular ways of cooking a potato.

Potatoes are baked in either a conventional oven or a microwave. They can also be baked in foil in a barbecue grill.

Choose the potatoes you use for baking wisely. They should be firm and have no wrinkles or stems growing from the eyes. Select potatoes of medium size; all potatoes should be (close) to the same size and shape. This will make sure the potatoes are all finished cooking at the same time.

To bake in a conventional oven:

1. Preheat your oven to 450

Appreciating a Mexican Christmas

When it comes to the holidays, you will find that few compare to an authentic Mexican Christmas. Taking the holidays seriously starts with celebrating this special time of the year in style. More than a tree and stocking are necessary to appreciate the best holiday season on the planet celebrated in the pure joy by which it was intended.

Las Posadas is a candlelight procession which starts on December 16. Ending on Christmas Day, Las Posadas is a time of joyful journeys and new beginnings. Children depict the struggle of the holy family on their quest for lodging in the birthplace of Christ, Bethlehem. A sacred festival involving not only the family but the whole town, this is a celebration that will bring people together regardless of age or socioeconomic status.

Las Pastorelas celebrates the Christ Child’s birth in a lighthearted manner with much celebration and humor. This is often referred to as the “Shepherd’s Play” because it represented the shepherds journey to follow the star to the Christ Child. Filled with lots of good messages, you will find this is the time of year where good always triumphs over evil.

Los Santos Innocentes is remembered on December 28. This is a commemoration of the death of all male infants as ordered by King Herod. Today, many people celebrate this day as a sort of April Fool’s Day with plenty of pranks and jokes being played on everyone. Generally, this is fun in nature with a serious message attached. An important day to remember in the spirit of the season!

A Mexican Christmas is a time of jubilant celebration and joy. Never falling short of reasons to celebrate, this is the time of year where anything is possible and gifts abound. One popular type of gift remains a time honored tradition: food.

Salsas are popular simply because of the delicious nature of this delicacy. In addition, salsa can be vibrantly colored to add to the festive nature of the season. Add in multi-colored tortilla chips and you have a snack in the perfect spirit of the season! A natural and authentic salsa is best, but you can make your own with some of the delicious recipes found online today. Simply insure you use fresh fruit and vegetables with no vinegar or added salt for a healthy addition to any day.

Another dish popular is enchiladas. Wonderful meat filled tortillas make this a wonderful addition to any evening. Add in cheese for a true Tex-Mex original. Of course, these can also be prepared days in advance and frozen until needed. Simply heat up and you have a dinner fit for a king. Another great reason to trust on enchiladas is that everyone loves a good enchilada!

When it comes to a Mexican Christmas, you will find that you have an experience ahead of you that will become a family tradition. Celebrating one day is no longer an option, because everyday is special when it comes to this important holiday. Enjoy many festivals and many cuisines in your search for the perfect in holiday spirit. Feliz Navidad!

More about Annie Dubois and great Mexican food or gift boxes can be found at Mexican Food & Gifts To Go.

Do You Want to Visit Camp David

Sometimes my house is called Camp David – no, I don’t have any political heads of state there, nor am I entertaining George Bush, his dog, and all his Washington drinking cronies – but I always seem to have a group (sometimes small, sometimes large) of people hanging out there.

Sometimes on a Bootcamp weekend I’ll have a whole bunch of clients staying over at my house – and then it really is Camp David! It’s like a sleepover. They all bring their sleeping bags, and we go duck hunting in the morning, and then we go do some pow wow stuff. Just kidding, we don’t really do that in the mornings!

So the other night at Camp David we had a couple of people over. There was this one woman there named Amy, and she and Khiem started talking. Khiem wanted to share something that you women tend to do over and over again.

So ladies, as the men would say, this Bud’s for you – I’ll say, ladies, this blog’s for you! Without further ado, here is Khiem.

Khiem: Thanks David. I always enjoy hanging out with you at your house because I can always meet interesting people. Yesterday, I was very fascinated by one of your friends. Amy is obviously beautiful, young and has a lot going for her, but when we started talking, she began to open up about one of her past relationships.

She actually fell very hard for a “bad boy” or a loser. He supposedly did a lot of drugs, drank a lot and he lied to her, which was a big deal breaker for her. She told him upfront that she didn’t like liars and she didn’t like hypocrites.

However, as their relationship developed, she discovered that he lied to her. She broke up with him six months ago, but I found out yesterday she is still heartbroken. She still loves the guy, because they were together for a while.

And the question is why do women get so attached to these kinds of guys?

It was really interesting for me to hear how she wanted him to want her back, but she herself didn’t really want him back. She knew that by going back to him they would go to a place that would not be good for her in the future.

What this made me realize is that Amy valued him a lot more because he made her put up with so much of his shit. Even though he lied and drank, the few times that he actually paid attention to her – the few times he gave her himself – made her value him more. Every time he would ignore her but then turn around and give himself to her, it was like she hit the jackpot.

This is something that is very difficult to understand in the psychology of people because this guy was obviously no good, but because he made himself be valued so highly, she couldn’t let go. At the end of our conversation, Amy admitted that she might just be attracted to bad boys.

But for all of the guys out there, you need to learn to lead. Be more dominant, and be more masculine. The reason that Amy fell so hard for this guy is because he truly led her – through the ups and the downs, and mostly downs in this case – he always led her. He was always doing the things that were most important to him, but incorporating her into his life.

David: What Khiem is really saying is 100% true. Women are attracted to strong, dominant men. Whether this guy was a winner or a loser, he still led her on an emotional journey.

A lot of men will do that to women, lead them up and down, but it’s an adrenaline rush that women get addicted to. Women don’t want you to be soft, and they don’t want you to be needy. Women want you to lead them somewhere. We’ll have to talk about that more deeply in another blog.

Khiem: The interesting thing is that even though it has been six months, and Amy is trying to meet other guys, she mentioned that all the new guys she’s met are highly successful – they have degrees from high-end schools, or have a great job and make great money –she’s still been unable to open her heart to them.

It was very interesting to me because while obviously she is still in love with her ex-boyfriend, the biggest problem is that she wasn’t giving these new guys a chance. She thought that she was by going out with them, but emotionally and mentally she wasn’t judging the new guys with a clean slate. She was always comparing the new guys to her ex-boyfriend.

For girls that have been hurt before and have fallen hard – if you meet a new guy, look at them with a clean slate! If you don’t, you will never see the true positives or negatives that the new guy has to offer. Every person is unique, and as much as you loved your previous boyfriend – they will never be comparable.

David: So that’s why you really should not start dating again until you’ve cleaned house. If you have an old guy or woman in the cupboard, rotting away, you need to clean that up. What will happen if you don’t is that you’ll let a lot of good opportunities pass you by because you’re not emotionally ready.

I never believed in the terminology “dating for substitution.” I’ve found that you don’t date to replace, but you start dating again to start a whole new experience.

http://www.davidwygant.com

Easy Chocolate Dessert Recipe

Chocolate is one of the oldest processed foods enjoyed over the past millennium. It came from the tropical tree called cocoa. This tree is native to South America, Central America and Mexico. The seeds of the cocoa tree are dried and fermented and finally grounded and liquefied. As a result of these processes, pure unsweetened chocolate is formed.

There are different kinds of chocolate. Each is classified according to its composition and color. Milk chocolate is the combination of sugar, cocoa butter and milk. It is considered not a true chocolate because of the absence of cocoa solids formed from the processes involved in production of pure chocolate. White chocolate can be consumed by animals. The addition of sugar and fats makes up the third kind of chocolate. Dark chocolate has high cocoa content and is believed to have health benefits by reducing the occurrence of heart attack. One example of dark chocolate is semisweet chocolate which is used in cooking recipes. Sometimes vanilla is added for a more pleasing aroma.

Chocolate is enjoyed in a wide variety of preparations nowadays. If one would go to a nearby restaurant, cafeteria or snack bar, one would definitely come across chocolates in various attractive servings ranging from breads, cakes, drinks and ice creams.

Below is an easy chocolate dessert recipe that you can enjoy doing. It’s a recipe on how to make your ice cream richer, creamier and attractive when served after a sumptuous meal. It is very easy to prepare.

Chocolate Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe

Ramen noodles are made from dough of wheat flour, salt, and a type of alkaline water containing potassium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. Eggs are sometimes used instead of alkaline water. Noodles are usually flat, fat, thin, and ribbon-like. They can be straight or wrinkled and they come in yellowish hue. Ramen is a typical Japanese food though it originated in China. It is usually cooked with broth or boiling liquids flavored with meat and vegetables. Toppings are usually added like pork and onions to add flavor.

One example of ramen noodles that gained popularity is yakisoba. Yakisoba means “fried noodles.” It is prepared with vegetables, bite-sized pork, carrots, cabbage, salt and pepper. It is usually served in a plate. Another way of preparing yakisoba is by piling the noodles. The piled noodles are placed on sliced bread and showered with pickles.

Instant ramen is a popular food among Orientals. Since it production, its preparation has gave birth to wide varieties of recipes ranging from fried ramen to salads, served mostly in restaurants. It has gained popularity in western countries and is now served not only with meat-based broth but with a wide range of ingredients like vegetables, nuts, and fruits.

Salads are mixtures of foods, often served with dressings with addition of meat, fish, cheese and grains. According to history, salads originated in countries like Italy and the Netherlands. The word “salad” comes from the French word “salade” which means salt in Latin. There are types of salads. These are sometimes named based on the food items mixed with the vegetables. Some of popular ones are Antipasto salad, Chef salad, chicken salad, and ham salad. Dressings come in wide varieties like vinegar, mayonnaise, lemon, or soy sauce.

Below is a simple ramen noodle salad recipe that is easy to do. This requires no heating and is ready to eat as soon as all ingredients were mixed up.

Cabbage Ramen Noodle Salad

Ingredients for the salad:

1 package of Top Ramen Noodles, crumbled

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