James Fairfield asked:


“Should I, or shouldn’t I?” I hear this question a lot from people who are not really sure they should have a cosmetic procedure. Is plastic surgery “OK”? Is cosmetic dermatology the right thing to do? Obviously it’s a personal decision. But with all these women — and men! — asking the question, it’s clear people need help thinking through this whole “changing my appearance” thing.

One woman told me she hasn’t gone out in shorts since she was a teen. Even around the house she wears “long shorts” only. Why? Leg veins. Now, I see a lot of women with significant leg veins wear shorts. Maybe they care, but they just wear shorts anyway. This woman’s veins are the tiny starbursts only visible up close. What’s the difference?

Well, they bother her. They make her self-conscious. Just enough to make her change her behavior, and avoid shorts. The truth is, everybody has different tolerance levels about leg veins, facial or bikini hair, fat bulges, or too-early signs of aging.

Now, right up front, we do have to address a problem that exists outside the individual. No question: We live in an appearance-conscious, image-consuming culture, and maybe the culture itself isn’t quite… right. Often, the prime value isn’t inner beauty, or even health (take sun-tanning — it’s BAD for you!).

But even if you “get” the undue pressure from media images, you’ll still have to deal with their impact on how you feel about yourself — it’s where we live. We each make our peace with the pressures on our lives. So it’s essential to be clear about our motivations.

I’ve often said cosmetic procedures, medicine and products are really not about the wrinkle, hair, spots, fat — whatever — but about self-confidence and self-esteem. So, if you find yourself feeling dissatisfied with some part of your physical presentation, the first step is a little self-quiz. If you’re repeatedly focusing on, say, the loosening skin on your neck, ask yourself: How do I feel about myself aside from that? If I did something about my neck, would I be expecting that change to improve other issues?

Obviously, it won’t. It will simply make you feel better about how your neck looks — which can improve your self-confidence around your appearance. The trick is in knowing who you are, and having reasonable expectations. Your essential worth, of course, doesn’t lie in your appearance. Are you someone who is always there for colleagues and friends? Who makes people laugh? Gets the job done? Knows how to ease a tricky situation? These are the things people will remember about you, not how you look.

Still, this doesn’t make it wrong to want to improve your appearance. And that brings up the common question: Is it right to spend money on a cosmetic procedure? Well, “afford” is a relative, personal term. One client kept stuffing her closet with new clothes and shoes. She sold most of it off to a consignment store when she realized that Fraxel laser treatments would make the cosmetic change she really desired, rejuvenating and toning the skin on her face and neck — which would actually free her from the nagging concern with how she looked.

Bottom line, you’ll have to make the call, but it’s no more “wrong” to spend money on a cosmetic procedure than on anything else relating to your appearance.

In muddling through the “should I” question, the most important thing is to find professionals you can really trust. But how do you know you can? Well, start by choosing a practice with caring people, who emphasize listening to your concerns, telling you all your options, helping you think things through, and building a long-term relationship.

Nowadays there are great alternatives to more expensive, invasive surgical procedures. A cosmetic dermatologist who specializes in these alternatives can help you choose what’s right for you, from surgery through laser, laser liposuction or microdermabrasion, to collagen, Restylane or Botox. Maybe all you need is a botanical facial peel, or just skin-care products.

Once you understand what cosmetic procedures can — and can’t — do for you, your choice will be easier. You know you will not be perfect. Ever. And that’s a good thing, because — let’s be honest — perfect isn’t all that interesting.



Russell

Arnold Hexden asked:


(c) 2008 Arnold Hexden

Ocean kayaks are tremendous fun and as long as you are near to the sea you will have no problem learning how to do it. Ocean kayaks are different to river kayaks in so much as they are longer than the river kayak and are designed so that you can paddle over long distances. They also need to have far more room in them in order to carry gear an equipment.

When choosing ocean kayaks it is advisable to have tried the sport in advance, most people who take up ocean kayaking have experienced it whilst on vacation or college, however there are usually clubs or hire centers which will rent you a kayak by the hour.

Buying Ocean Kayaks

So you have looked on the internet and thumbed through catalogs, what is the next step? It is always preferable to physically see the kayak as this gives you a much better feeling of size and weight, so if there is a kayak store near to you go along there an talk to the sales person, write a list of questions or even make a mental note of what you need to know and generally quiz him about ocean kayaking.

The other benefit of being able to visit a store is that you can sit in the kayak and get a feel of volume and what ocean kayaking could feel like. Things to look out for are strength and robustness, look for a strong plastic kayak as there will be times when you will have to haul it over rocks and sharp pebbles. You need to feel comfortable in it as there may be times when you ill be sitting in it for long periods so make sure there is room to stow gear for your trip.

Solo Or Tandem Ocean Kayaks

Depending on your preferences you have a choice whether to go for a one man kayak or a tandem kayak. There are many families who just strap their tandem ocean kayak to the roof of the van and head for the beach. It can be great fun to share the paddling with a partner, so be sure to check out the range of tandems before making your final decision.

Where To Buy Ocean kayaks

Once you have made up your mind which kayak to buy there are many places to purchase them’ you could start with the shop which gave you valuable advice, however if you are on a budget you need to compare as many buying options as possible. Some of the more specialized boats can be expensive - so look for interest free credit.

If you have the cash and it is burning a hole in your pocket the best bargains are usually online, simply enter you requirements i.e. “ocean kayak” into he search engine and refine the results as you go. The chances are that you may even be able to pick up a cheap used ocean kayak on auction sites or classified’s like US free ads.

Which ever route you take for purchasing one of the many ocean kayaks on the market, once you own it you will have it for years to come and should you tire of it they sell well on the second hand market.



Patrick

Cdmohatta asked:


Quiz your friendship personality:

Friendship is one of the greatest relationships, isn’t it? True friends do not hesitate giving their lives for their friend’s benefit. We have heard stories of great friendships since childhood. What about you? Do you think you are a good friend? Are you friendly? If you believe that you are friendly, why do you think that? Did you take any feedback from your friends about this? Or this is your impression? Sometimes we think and believe that we are very friendly, while our friends have different ideas. We change and improve only after we ask our friends. Let us quiz ourselves about our friendship personality and find out if our friends can count on us. Let us become self-critic for a moment.

Quiz your friendship commitment:

How committed are to your friends? Do you nurture friendships? How many old friends can you count, or you keep breaking old friends and make new ones? Do you always try to find some fault in your friends? Or you accept them as they are and learn to make a bond. What is the bond of friendship? How many of us think about these questions that shape our friendships? Not many, but we need to do that. Please try this quiz on friendship-

Can your friends count on you?.

Quiz friendship loyalty:

We can count on a friend only if we are sure that our friend will not let us down in the moment of crisis. Without asking many questions and criticizing us, our friends will rally around us and help us fight. Can your friends expect this behavior from you? If yes, you are a person who can be counted upon. Be a good friend and get good friends in return.

Related link :- Free Friendship Ecards



Roger

Kristi Sayles asked:


Some people are making big money with affiliate programs-some are not. With a little research I have discovered that the people that are not cashing many checks are making the same five mistakes. Why not take a short quiz to see how you rate? Do you qualify as a novice, average, or super affiliate? Try this true and false quiz. You might learn something!

1. To make sure that you get all of the traffic you need, all you have to do is to put a link or banner on your site. Sales will come flooding in. (T or F)

2. It is a good idea to promote as many programs as you can on one web page created solely for that purpose. (T or F)

3. Free classified ads and FFA’s generate sufficient traffic. You don’t HAVE to invest money into advertising to be effective. (T or F)

4. Use the words, amazing, fantastic, and incredible as many times as you can to generate enthusiasm when advertising a site. (T or F)

5. If sales do not come immediately, you should drop the program and find another one that sounds better. (T or F)

How did you do? Let’s see:

1. False. Although a smart affiliate will include his link on his web site, this alone will not result in much traffic. It is much smarter to branch out with several kinds of advertising such as paid emails and solo ads to business opportunity seekers. I have found that sending my ads to targeted traffic results in far more sales than shot gun marketing to one and all. Although we hope that people will click on our links, we have to get them there first. Targeted traffic programs are best.

2. False. While being actively involved in several different affiliate programs is not harmful, including a dozen affiliate links on a single page with no main product advertisement, brands the webmasters as amateurs-especially if the offers conflict with one another! On the other hand, a list of resources to the side that complements the main product is a good idea-and may result in sales!

3. False. Although these freebies may sound tempting to newbies, we that have been around the net for awhile have discovered that they are generally a waste of valuable time. Using that time to write articles with URLS in the author bio boxes or gaining testimonials for your site is more profitable. Actually, most super affiliates are willing to invest a few dollars to be successful. Paid email programs and solo ads are inexpensive and still effective. Many good programs will let you begin with as little as ten bucks. That’s less than the cost of a decent lunch!

4. False. Using these hype phrases when advertising may not generate as much enthusiasm as it does skepticism. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. We know this. So, tell the truth. If you have a good product, then tell your potential customer how he can benefit. Then let him decide how amazing it is. If it really is so awesome, then testimonials will do the real advertising.

5. False. Big mistake! Give the program some time. DON’T give up quickly. While it’s not a bad idea to test out new programs, don’t jump from program to program. You’ll find that legitimate programs with good products will pay off if you are patient.

Your score: 2 or less correct. Right now, you are in the NOVICE rating. Your affiliate marketing skills need to be honed. But don’t despair! You need help and there are lots of terrific techniques out there that are just what you need to achieve that affiliate income that you’ve always wanted!!

3-4 correct. You are an AVERAGE affiliate. You have obviously been around affiliate marketing awhile, but you could use a refresher course. I highly recommend finding a pro to learn from! Before long, you too will be a SUPER AFFILIATE!

All 5 correct: You are a SUPER affiliate! Keep up the good work and don’t forget that the best affiliate marketers NEVER stop learning!



Dale

Muneeb Ali asked:


For the statistically inclined Cricket fan, the on demand stat can add a new dimension to their knowledge. Such fans can know all about the personal milestones of their favorite players, as well as achievements by a particular team by having a look at the live Cricket score. Live Cricket score has become as a source for Cricket fans to actually feel the excitement of a Cricket match, despite missing out the live action on the Cricket field or on television.

Most Cricket sites provide their users with a downloadable Cricket score card, but this is the era of mobile phones and wireless communication. People tend to seek information on their mobile phones, because they can’t sit in front of a TV set or Computer screen during the whole match.

Many operators have used this phenomenon to earn profit by sending live scores via sms, but this method is expensive and the information to the user is minimum.

In all this, people are trying to find ways to get cheaper and most information. I myself have been trying to find something new. I have tried many applications which provide live scorecards and other information but none has been able to come close to the quality of Cricket Companion.

Cricket Companion is the newest in the lot and is AMAZING. It is basically a FREE Java based mobile application which uses GPRS to update live Cricket scores on our java enabled mobile phones, but it all just doesn’t end there. It not only provides live Cricket scorecard but it also provides more richer information like graphs, full scorecards, upcoming fixtures, previous results and much more.

Being a Java based application, compatibility is not an issue. This makes it a global application enjoyable in almost all parts of the world on all kinds of mobile phones. Secondly, GPRS technology makes it cheaper. Compressed data allows faster updates, yet keeps GPRS costs to minimum. It beats SMS updates in frequency, speed and cost of information.

Now coming to its features, it gives live coverage of all international Cricket games including Test matches, ODIs and Twenty20 formats. It provides live ball by ball update and alerts for boundary events (4, 6), fall of wicket, milestones (50, 100), match state (rain delay, water break, innings break, etc). It also has full score card providing detailed batting and bowling analysis, event calendar for viewing upcoming matches and results provided with updated points table and Net Run Rates. All information is provided on demand. Polls and quizzes allow opinion gathering within the community and a chance to win great prizes. Finally Ad Server allows advertisers to place ads in every match.

But “Cricket Companion” has still room for improvement. Updated international and regional Cricket news, live ball by ball text commentary and messaging between community members will enhance its performance and quality to a new level.



Cory

Lynn Pierce asked:


Every day I hear people from all walks of life saying things that literally cut them off from their own personal growth and total abundance. Things like, “I just can’t seem to get ahead,” or “I can’t believe I always do such stupid things.” Hearing those things is such a shame because it’s so unnecessary.

If you were fully aware of how you talk to yourself and talk to the world about who you are, you’d be shocked. We’re all guilty of this to some small degree, but for many their self-talk is debilitating.

 

Take a minute to answer these questions:

Are you talking yourself out of living your fullest life with the self-concept you’ve created?

Who do you tell yourself you are with your self-talk?

Which of the following scenarios is closest to your self-talk? Maybe you are saying to yourself, “This is the year I’m going straight to the top,” “This is the year I become a superstar,” or “I’ve got everything going for me and this is my year.” Or you could be telling yourself, “Things don’t look like they’re going to be much better this year; in fact it might be a little worse than last year,” “Maybe it’s time for some belt tightening; I don’t want to take any chances,” or even “You never know what could happen, better to be safe than sorry.”

Is there any doubt in your mind which of these examples shows the confidence that will build self-esteem, and which are the ones that demonstrate low self-esteem?

Here are a couple more personal development questions in follow-up:

Which type of self-talk creates a better atmosphere for personal success and living an abundant life?

What do you think is the difference in income and professional development between people with these two types of self-talk?

What goals do you think each of these people possesses?

Who is having more fun and excitement?

Who do you want to be?

Your level of self-esteem sets the personal success bar for everything about you. Every decision you make is filtered through your self-concept. Your self-concept is the out-picturing of your self-esteem.

Take a look at just eight reflections of your level of self-esteem:

1.Your career choice

2.Your friends

3.Your primary relationship with another

4.Your level of income

5.Your home

6.Your car

7.Your free time and hobby choices

8.Your vacations

Changing what you believe about yourself will change your life in an instant.

Build self-esteem and you will build your self-concept. But, your self-concept requires attention and care to be maintained. It’s not as simple as saying you feel good about yourself and that’s the end of it.

Do you know that your self-talk comes at the rate of a magazine page of text every single minute of the day? That’s a lot of talking to yourself! If you fill your mind with positive input, it’s a pretty good bet that most of your self-talk will also be positive and foster personal and professional growth.

Use this personal growth quiz to become aware of your self-talk. By changing what you say to yourself and transforming what you believe about your personal success, you will automatically build self-esteem.



Marc

SunnyY asked:


Help E-retailers Capture Dollars on Cyber Monday

As this time of year is make it or break it for many retailers, now is the last chance to prepare for the busy period. E-retailers are ramping up heavy-duty deals to turn skittish shoppers into buyers during the crucial Thanksgiving weekend and “Cyber Monday” — but even so, online sales are expected to be fairly flat after years of strong growth. Here are some tips help you capture dollars on Cyber Monday.

Tip 1: Send eCards to Your Customers with Promotion Info

If you have email addresses of your customers, you could send a holiday eCard to them with your wishes and promotion information. An eCard would be friendly than a .txt email. There are many eCard tools like PPT to eCard help you build the holiday card in minutes.

Tip 2: Set Google Pay Per Click Adwords and Get Traffic

Open Google Adwords and get traffic from Google could be an easy way to get higher traffic. Many users search “Cyber Monday Offer”, “Cyber Monday Discount” and the like on Google, E-retailers could open some related keywords on Google and get the traffic quickly.

Tip 3: List a Promotion on CyberMonday.com

Use the marketing muscle of the site CyberMonday.com run by Shop.org. “A lot of smaller e-tailers don’t know the site exists, but it’s an extra area of exposure you can capitalize on,” said Leuenberger. “To stand out, though, you have to have a great deal, something beyond just free shipping.”

“We do quite a bit of testing, and this is one of those little things that make a big difference to the bottom line,” said Leuenberger. “It will boost the average order value.”

Tip 4: Create Product Bundle Gift Packages & Free Shipping

Develop a “gift package” bundle that includes items that complement each other. Make sure the price of the bundled package costs less than if the shopper actually purchased each product separately from your store.

Tip 5: Dress Up your Products with Flash Presentations

As Flash is the ultimate output, we should set up more engaging content to outstand the products and embed to web easily. But Adobe Flash Professional is difficult for most businessmen to create a Flash presentation, but they are familiar with PowerPoint. Wondershare Business Pack is designed for E-retailers to do holiday promotion. It helps retailers rapidly build products presentations, eCard and quiz games without any programming skills. Now it offers up to 56% discount for Cyber Monday. You could go to http://www.sameshow.com/christmas-promotion.html#109 and learn more about it.

Tip 6: Give a Free Gift Away for Orders Over a Certain Amount

“I’m not talking free shipping promos. Add something different to it,” said Leuenberger. “Something with a flare. Such as, ‘If you buy this flashlight, get a pack of batteries free.’ Make it worth their while. People expect free shipping, so if you’re trying to be competitive, be the one who offers that plus a deal, and you’ll get more sales.”

Tip 7: 1. Share the Love, Spread it Out

One-day sales are great for everyone, except your fulfillment staff. In order to prevent hysteria for your customer service staff, run the sale over a few days rather than one day only. This also will allow time for customer viral marketing to kick in.



Juan

Florence Bernard asked:


It’s May in my 8th grade class and I am giving the kids time to review for their up-coming French final. I am absolutely puzzled: Most kids are just sitting there, looking at their books, notes or old papers. They sit and swing on their chairs, spend one minute on each page and after ten minutes are at a loss as to what to do. They’re done! They’ve just read through the latest lessons and they’re ready. Of course, when I ask them two questions, no-one can answer!

So I tell them to go back to work and this time to get some blank paper out and to write notes, quiz themselves, challenge their knowledge with the book closed and check their answers. I watch a few look for their paper and stare blankly at it for a minute before writing a few words down, then hiding them, whispering something and starting again with a new list of words. In the end, I realize that this is wasted time and that I have to lead the review session myself, or better still, spend several hours teaching them study skills, because if I don’t, how are they going to prepare at home?

How can kids come out of elementary school not knowing how to study? Even very basic study skills seem to have been completely bypassed by the school system. The expectations that teachers have from pre-teens and teens are completely out of line with the reality. Teachers expect kids to have a certain level of independence and understanding as far as effective studying goes. Kids struggle with their homework not because it is difficult but because of the amount of time they end up wasting on it out of lack of study skills.

This starts with organization and time management. Teachers don’t give too much homework. What happens is that most kids procrastinate. If a teacher gives three weeks to complete a project, it means that kids need to start working on it as soon as possible and use the time imparted. If they wait until two days before to do it, the final project is bound to be mediocre. Such a project, worked on ten minutes every day will be greatly rewarded. This is a simple organization tip, which makes a world of difference. When teachers give projects, they are not just training kids on that particular topic but also on the realization of it, including time management and organization.

The great benefit of knowing how to organize homework and manage the time they have is that kids will be able to make the most of the free time they have. When your kids start their homework on Friday evening and don’t finish it until Sunday night, they can’t completely relax during their free time because they have this Damocles Sword called homework hanging over them. Even their best friend’s birthday party might be spoiled because their mind won’t really be into it. If they know how to manage their time and work more effectively, they will be able to complete all their work sooner and have a truly relaxing time.

Good study skills need to be taught early and should not be learned the hard way in middle school or high school. As parents, you have to help your kids. Start early with them and if you are not sure, communicate with the teachers and ask for advice. Keep on top of things and know what and when work is due to monitor progress. If you manage to have your kids capable of working independently and effectively as soon as they start middle school, excellent results are guaranteed until they graduate.

There’s a lot more to say on this topic and on more specific study skills, but I’ll get into it next time.



Todd

moojo asked:


Below are four (4) questions and a bonus question. You have to answer

them instantly. You can’t take your time, answer all of them immediately.

Let’s find out just how clever you really are.

Ready to GO? (scroll down)

First Question:

You are participating in a race. You overtake the second place person.

What position are you in?

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Answer: If you answered that you are first, then you are wrong! If

you overtake the second place person, and you take their place, you are

second!

To answer the second question, don’t take as much time as you took for

the first question.

Second Question:

If you are in a race, and you overtake the last person, then you are?

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Answer: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are

wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST person?! You’re not

having a good time at this! Are you?

Very tricky maths! Note: This must be done in your head only. Do NOT

use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.

Third Question:

Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30. Add

another 1000. Now add 20. Now add another 1000. now add 10. What is the

total?

***

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Answer: Did you get 5000? The correct answer is actually 4100.

Don’t believe it? Check with your calculator!

Today is definitely not your day. Maybe you will get the last

question right?

Fourth Question:

Mary’s father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono.

What is the name of the fifth daughter?

***

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Answer: Nunu? NO! Of course not. Her name is Mary. Read the

question again!

Okay, now the bonus round. You can partially redeem yourself with

this one!!!!!

Bonus Question:

There is a mute person who wants to buy a toothbrush. By imitating

the action of brushing one’s teeth he successfully expresses himself to the

shopkeeper and the purchase is done. Now if there is a blind man who wishes

to buy a pair of sunglasses, how should he express himself?

***

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Answer: He just has to open his mouth and ask. He’s blind, not

mute - so simple.

Find out More Jokes and Dementia Questions Test on

Jokes Club

Download Free Funny Wallpaper and Screensavers on

Funny Wallpapers



ARDIN Cicilia Hong

Giselasfsgf89 asked:


When you go to work, your diabetes goes with you.

You get up, get showered, get breakfast, get to work. You have bills, therefore you have a job.

But you also have diabetes. You have to care for your diabetes while you’re at work. Here are 10 tips for merging your diabetes care with your career.

1. Wear medical identification jewelry

- If you ever need medical assistance at work, the emergency medical personnel will know you have diabetes.

2. Decide who to tell

- All things being equal, it might be in your best interest to let a few trusted co-workers or your boss know. Just for your own safety.

3. Give your co-workers a chance

- Don’t just assume that your boss won’t accommodate you, or that your co-workers won’t be helpful. Give them a chance to grasp what diabetes is and understand how they can help you, particularly if you’ve been diagnosed since starting your current job. Diabetes may be as new to them as it is to you.

4. Get it in writing

- If necessary, get a doctor’s note. It may help to get a medical statement from your doctor saying what your diabetes care needs are. Present it to your company nurse or human resources department, and make sure your supervisor gets a copy.

5. Be your own advocate

- Your local hospital or diabetes center may offer programs through which diabetes educators can come to your workplace and explain to your human resources department, supervisors, or co-workers what diabetes is and how they can make the workplace more diabetes-friendly. See if your employer is willing to host such a program.

6. Don’t abuse the system

- Unfortunately, there are people who claim extensive health challenges and reap disability benefits their situation may not warrant. That makes it harder for everyone. It’s best to save sick days and disability pay for when you really need them.

7. Plan ahead

- The biggest challenge many people with diabetes face is access to meals and breaks. Have snacks readily available should you need to treat a low.

8. Take your equipment with you

- Keep your blood glucose meter and supplies where you can reach them. Don’t leave blood glucose meters or insulin in the car. Extreme temperatures can affect them.

9. Watch out for stress

- Stress can wreak havoc on your blood sugars. Stress can cause either high or low blood sugar. It differs from person to person, and sometimes from situation to situation in the same person. Stress may mask symptoms of low blood sugar, or prompt completely different symptoms. Frequent monitoring is your best defense.

10. Keep good diabetes control

- The best thing you can do to remain productive is to stay healthy. Don’t let your diabetes get so far out of control that you’re not able to work. If you’re eating well, exercising, and controlling your blood sugars, you will have a productive work life.

The payoff from a job well done is that if and when you need to take time off for your diabetes care, your boss and co-workers will remember your good track record and be that much more willing to cover for you or help you with scheduling. By communicating with your employer and taking responsibility for your care, you can incorporate your diabetes care into your work life successfully.

If you feel that your employer is not making reasonable accommodations to allow you to care for your diabetes at work, contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) at: (800) 669-4000 or (800) 669-6820 TTY.

Ask your doctor about diabetes and have your blood sugar checked several times a year.

For more information about diabetes, including a Diabetes Quiz and a Free booklet, visit the Hope4Diabetes website at: http://hope4diabetes.com/info

This 20 page FREE booklet will provide you with in-depth information on comprehensive diabetes care. The 7 principles, or steps, will help you to understand, manage and diagnose your potential diabetes risk.

It could help you live a longer and more active life. The booklet is Yours absolutely FREE - No Risk! Share it NOW with the people you love and want to Keep alive!



Carol