Microsoft and trustworthy computing do not belong in the same sentence. Everytime you turn around, there's another patch, another update to 'fix' another 'hole' left open in the code. Windows updates seem to be constant. So what exactly did you pay for when you purchased your operating system?

[Read More!]

Just as fear is also excitement, stubbornness is also determination. It's simply a matter of shifting from 'won't power' to 'will power'.

* * *

It's a funny thing about life;
if you refuse to accept
anything but the best,
you very often get it.
- Somerset Maugham

It appears that ClickBank has put a hold on the new system that was to be implemented by year end. Details can be found here: http://www.clickbank.com/announcement.html

Publisher's Corner

Yeah! Today is the last day I send KIT using email as the delivery method. And that is so exciting. I strongly believe that switching to a channel will benefit all of us.

[Read More!]

Pain (any pain - emotional, physical, mental) has a message. Once we get the pain's message, and follow it's advice, the pain goes away.

* * *

If I had a forumula
for bypassing trouble,
I would not pass it round.
Trouble creates
a capacity to handle it.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

If you want to learn about fear, whatever it is you fear doing, that is the the very next thing to do. Fear is not a wall; it's just an emotion. Move through the fear. Keep taking step after step toward the thing you want. It may become quite uncomfortable; then, suddenly, it will be less.

* * *

Everyone has talent.
What is rate is the courage
to follow the talent
to the dark place where it leads.
- Erica Jong

The only difference between fear and excitement is what we label it. The two are pretty much the same physiological/emotional reaction. With fear, we put a negative spin on it: "Oh, no!" With excitement, we give it some positive english: "Oh boy!"

* * *

Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps.
...David Lloyd George

It's Time To Take A Stand


by Lois M. Jeary, 2003





It is glaringly apparent to anyone using email for any purpose that email delivery has seriously deteriorated. Today you're lucky if you can get a message through to friends and family. By the same token, you are lucky to find a message you really want in your Inbox.

[Read More!]

The cure for guilt and resentment? [Read More!]

Guilt is anger directed at [Read More!]

To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all. [Read More!]

Finding Gems In The Dirt
by Charles Burke

On my morning walk last week, I looked down and saw a
diamond earring lying on the sidewalk.

Yes, a real diamond, approximately a fifth of a caret, and
excellent quality.

It was lying right out in plain sight, perfectly visible and
sparkling in the sunlight.

But nobody else saw it -- most people DON'T see the things
that are right underfoot. Especially the opportunities that
lie scattered all around us.


[Read More!]

There are added tax benefits when you operate your business from home. The following outline shows you the types of deductions you can include in your home-based business expenses for tax purposes.

[Read More!]

Publisher's Corner

Hi and welcome to today's issue of Keeping In Touch. I'd like to extend a big, warm welcome to our new subscribers. We're happy to have you with us.

Wow, it's been a busy week. Even the weatherman decided to work up a few snowfalls in Calgary and Colorado - it's much too early for that, in my humble opinion. We're just beginning the fall season - not winter.

I even wrote an ebook this week. It's called eMail Is Dead - Get Over It and you can download a copy of it here.
[Read More!]

If you travel in your business or are away from your computer on a regular basis, you can use PopMan 1.1 to check your mail.

[Read More!]

Your hoplinks will expire December 2003. Update your site today!

To better serve our 150,000 clients, ClickBank is retiring its familiar "hoplink" syntax in favor of our new ClickBank Tracking Code. Your existing ClickBank hoplinks will stop working in December 2003.

This change will affect both Affiliates of ClickBank products or services as well as the Vendors. Here's the page with all the details:

ClickBank Is Changing

You'll be able to obtain your new tracking code as well as read through the reasons why they are implementing the new system.

DO NOT OPEN OR INSTALL

There are a lot of these messages circulating that include a 'patch' and they look like they come from MicroSoft. MicroSoft will never send you a patch through email. Here's an example of a header from one of those messages.

Return-path:
Envelope-to: bounce_kit_news@home4success.com
Delivery-date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 11:43:20 -0400
Received: from [195.235.39.5] (helo=infomail.es)
by boston.servershost.net with esmtp (Exim 4.20)
id 1A1SqM-00037Q-CQ
for bounce_kit_news@home4success.com; Mon, 22 Sep 2003 11:43:18 -0400
Received: from gngiq ([213.97.200.121]) by infomail.es
(Tid InfoMail Exchanger v2.20) with SMTP id #1064245289.084180001;
Mon, 22 Sep 2003 17:41:29 +0200
FROM: "MS Corporation Public Support"
TO: " "
SUBJECT:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="jrjglexsphq"
X-Infomail-Spawn: e7610156@tsai.es a 78 destinos
X-Infomail-Id: 1064245293.20E2010A81106E.25293
Message-Id:
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 11:43:18 -0400

Delete it! As you can see it is addressed to the autoresponder I use to send out KIT. It's not something I asked for which is why I've taken the stand against email delivery. It is no longer effective or reliable and can wreak havoc when these jerks get their messages through to the unsuspecting.

Build Your Business - Not Just A Website

Site Build It (SBI) is revolutionary. We're not talking
just a simple hosting solution. SBI is a "technology-less"
business-building solution that will change the way
business is done on the Net.

->integrated graphic tools

->newsletter functionality

->automatic SE (re)submission and robot-tracking

->keyword research

->targeting tools

->automated PPC bidding and page optimization software

->link tracking and traffic reporting

->email directly from your site

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

<<~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~>>

Keeping In Touch With My Online Family

Helping you build your successful, home-based
business one step at a time.

<<~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~>>

The significant challenges that we face today cannot be
resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.

*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

KIT is by subscription only. If you change your mind, details
can be found at the end of this ezine.

*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Issue Number 98 Date: September 16th, 2003


*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

In This Issue
*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

=> Publisher's Corner
=> Feature Article
=> Review: Products or Services
=> Inspiration
=> Special Feature
=> Hot Tip
=> Success Links


*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Publisher's Corner
*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Hi and welcome to today's issue of KIT.

First let me say I owe you all a sincere apology. In my
excitement about switching to Quikonnex for publishing KIT, I may
have been unclear about why I believe it is the best alternative
for both you - and me.

Have you ever been really excited about something? You might be
waiting for your marks to come that will admit you into the
college of your dreams or you may be waiting to know whether you
qualified for a new house or car. Then when the answer you've
been waiting for comes - oh wow - now you have to tell everyone.

While sharing your 'good news' with everyone, it's easy to leave
out some of the important reasons why it's so important to you
and the person you're talking to may not really grasp why you are
so excited. I believe that happened here.

I currently have over 2,200 subscribers. Unfortunately, there are
a lot of addresses that cannot be delivered to on a regular basis
due to full mailboxes, while others continually bounce.
Naturally, it all comes back to me. When I took a break earlier
this year, part of the reason included trying to find a better
way to manage my lists and I've undoubtedly deleted more than
2,000 names from my subscriber base in the last year alone.

As I began to publish the issues to my website, it took me awhile
to understand that my subscribe links were being captured by the
mailbots and added to illegally harvested mail lists. We learn
through these experiences.
[Read More!]

I have no doubt that most of you are sick of the 'Nigerian' scam letters, the ads for viagra, diet pills, HGH - how-to increase certain body parts (we won't get into that here), life insurance, decrease your mortgage payments, the one about 'contributing to the moral decay' and of course the spam that suggests your protect yourself from receiving it with the latest and greatest gadget ... this list is endless.

Did you ask for this garbage? I know I didn't! And unless you have your computer protected six ways from Sunday you have a chance of receiving a virus through many of these messages.

Are You Prepared For the Alternative?

The main purpose of this post is to share information about the changes taking place on the Internet today. I've found a few excellent articles that back up the fact that email is no longer 'king' as an effective method of delivery for your ezine or information.

From 3rmarketing, we haveThe Death of Email in New Zealand

Read Is RSS the Answer to the Spam Crisis? if you haven't already.

I shared this link in the last issue of KIT (#97) and it's definitely worth the read. Stop The Presses! by Steve Outing gives you an excellent insight about the current reality of email and the technology that is already replacing it. Take a few minutes to read this article: With E-mail Dying, RSS Offers Alternative - Publishers Must Find New Delivery Methods.

With Email Dying ...

The promise:

"In just 12 short weeks I'll take you by the hand and teach you my very own personal recipe for success!" That promise is made by Marlon Sanders.

Check it out here:

Your Chance

Here I sit at 3:00 a.m. posting the latest issue of KIT to my channel. There's no problem there. Then I send it out through my autoresponder. Of course we have the usual 'full mailboxes', no such addresses and it's a necessary evil. Now it's almost 5:00 a.m. and the bounces and undeliverables have been processed.

But what really gets to me is the fact that I cannot say in plain English what I want to say without tripping those crazy spam filters. No one should be able to tell me I have to doctor words like spam or opt-in or mask the word unsubscribe in order to get my message through to my subscribers. My duty is to my subscribers not to the whims of some crazy filtering system.

I guess I should have a category to cover my rantings. Thanks for listening. And have a great day!

Lois

<<~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~>>

Keeping In Touch With My Online Family

Helping you build your successful, home-based
business one step at a time.

<<~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~>>

The significant challenges that we face today cannot be
resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.

*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

KIT is by subscription only. If you change your mind,
details can be found at the end of this ezine.

*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Issue Number 97 Date: September 9th, 2003


*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Top Sponsor Ad
*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Astonish Your Friends, Your Family, and Yourself, with Your
Newly Discovered PC Skills, and start Handling Your PC and
the Internet like a Polished Veteran. PC & Internet
Companion is the most jaw-dropping collection of Plain
English Tutorials in existence. Read about it here
http://home4success.com/go/to.cgi?l=companion or Companion

*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

In This Issue
*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

=> Publisher's Corner
=> Feature Article
=> Review: Products or Services
=> Inspiration
=> Special Feature
=> Hot Tip
=> Success Links

*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Publisher's Corner
*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Hi and welcome to today's issue of Keeping in Touch.

Every way you turn, people are leaving email behind them and
moving on to more reliable delivery methods. And I'm happy to
say 'I'm one of them'.

Last week's issue of KIT is a prime example - simply because I
used the word s~p*a^m without putting any fancy symbols into
the word, I tripped a bunch of filters. I've discussed this with
my ISP as well as other individuals doing business on the net.
How can responsible publishers be expected to 'tell you like it
is' if they have to mask every other word? That's just plain
nuts in my book.

Why are we so accepting of this travesty? Part of the problem
is that we've noticed that email is lacking and instead of
trying to fix the real problem, we've been placing 'bandages'
on the process in the hopes that the problems will ultimately
resolve themselves. It is NOT working. The following piece
is just one of many 'must read' articles in the news.

Stop The Presses! by Steve Outing gives you an excellent insight
about the current reality of email and the technology that is
already replacing it. Take a few minutes to read this article:
With E-mail Dying, RSS Offers Alternative - Publishers Must
Find New Delivery Methods.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/editorandpublisher/features_columns/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1963664

The link is a long one so be sure to copy and paste it to your
browser.

If you run any type of business that uses email as a delivery
method, you should be paying close attention to the events
that have been unfolding. The changes that are being
implemented are not a one-shot deal. The changes are a solution
to the current email dilemma.

Today's Feature Article, Preparing Your Online Business for an
Emergency, is written by Angela Wu. This is a wake-up call
for anyone currently operating their own online business. We
all assume that we will 'be there' tomorrow. The reality is
we cannot control outside circumstances such as illness, a
motor vehicle accident or even death.

If anything unexpected happened to me, I am not prepared. My
intentions are good but not everything is organized and filed so
that with a few simple instructions for my successor (temporary
or permanent) my business will keep on running. The individual
taking over for me should be able to manage and maintain my
business. This issue struck home as it's likely I'll be having
wrist surgery shortly. I had this type of surgery a couple of
years ago on my left wrist and the recovery time is close to
three months for restricted use. The first time I was just
starting to explore an online business. Today presents a
completely different scenario. Do yourself and your business a
really big favor and implement Angela's suggestions.

Our Special Feature is called A Time Management Story and the
author is unknown. I shared this piece on my Home 4 Success
channel and took the liberty of renaming it "The Jar of Life".
The story is about how to achieve a fuller life and what you need
to accomplish first in order to make it so. You can view it
here as well. http://www.quikonnex.com/channel/page/home4success
Home 4 Success .

Feel free to share your comments or send a note through the
QChat on the screen. I'd love to hear from you. And don't
forget to subscribe while you're there.

Enjoy!

Have a great day and keep on smiling.


Lois M. Jeary
Publisher, KIT
Contact Me


http://www.home4success.com
AOL Click here


[Read More!]

Here's a great addition to Internet Explorer. Works in IE 3 and up. You'll get a search engine optimizer, search engine position reporter, search engine submission, site link popularity and a keyword density analyzer. Installs quickly. Now go to any website of your choice. Right click your mouse and you'll see these tools have been added to your options. Get it here:

MouseClick for Webmasters

I heard this story many years ago and was reminded of it through my business coach, Monty Sharp of Success Synergies. While the author is unknown, the piece is entitled 'A Time Management Story'. In my view that title does not express well the lesson to be learned so I've taken the liberty of referring to it as 'The Jar of Life'. Here it is ...

A Time Management Story

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group
of business students and, to drive home a point, used an
illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in
front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay,
time for a quiz" and he pulled out a one-gallon, mason jar and
set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a
dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time,
into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more
rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"

Everyone in the class yelled, "Yes."

The time management expert replied, "Really?" He reached under
the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some
gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work
themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then
asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the
class was on to him.

"Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. He
reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He
started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the
spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he
asked the question, "Is this jar full?"

"No!" the class shouted.

Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water
and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.
Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this
illustration?"

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no
matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can
always fit some more things in it!"

"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this
illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in
first, you'll never get them in at all. What are the 'big rocks'
in your life - time with your loved ones, your faith, your
education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring
others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never
get them in at all."

So, today, ask yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks'
in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.

Author Unknown

I got caught with this one this time. I was tired and it sounded familiar and the person the message came from was a 'reliable' source.

If you receive a message asking you to scan your system and delete the Jdbgmgr.exe file if you find it -- DO NOT do it. It is a valid file used by Windows and is the Microsoft Debugger Registrar for Java and is usually part of the Windows download.

Symantec Reference

I was reading an article in Jim Gray's channel about this eBay scam letter that is circulating. He does a good job of explaining how it works and you can get the details here. It looks like a legitimate letter and if you follow through you could end up with a nasty virus. Please read.

This article by Ryan Naraine shows exactly why publishers do not feel able to rely on email delivery as reliable.

"With scam artists, spammers and virus writers all using the e-mail inbox as the main target, it has become a daily nightmare for legitimate online publishers and marketers to cope with mail filters, blacklists and irate subscribers.

Enter RSS (define), the XML syndication format that allows publishers to shuttle content to news aggregators, avoiding the e-mail chaos altogether.


"E-mail is dead, period," declares Chris Pirillo, the Internet entrepreneur who distributes about 400,000 e-mail newsletters weekly. "I don't care what kind of legislation goes through, people aren't signing up for newsletters anymore. People are assuming that every e-mail publisher is a spammer."

To read the full article, please Click Here

The incredible life-changing secrets of a rebel
Swiss millionaire who turns anyone frustrated
with life and wanting a new chance... into a
profit-generating entrepreneur in less than
45 days!

Small Business Summit

In today's lawsuit crazy world, it's more important
than ever to protect you and your business. If you
don't have the proper disclaimers and legal documents
on your website, you may not be protected. The FTC
is clamping down on sloppy business owners.


http://home4success.com/go/to.cgi?l=weblaw

<<~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~>>

Keeping In Touch With My Online Family

Helping you build your successful, home-based
business one step at a time.

<<~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~>>

The significant challenges that we face today cannot be
resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.

*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

KIT is by subscription only. If you change your mind, details
can be found at the end of this ezine.

*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Issue Number 96 Date: September 2nd, 2003


*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Top Sponsor Ad
*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Why Build A Web *Site* When You Can Build A Web *Business*?

Site Build It (SBI) is revolutionary. We're not talking just a
simple hosting solution. SBI is a "technology-less" business-
building solution that will change the way business is done on
the Net.

->integrated graphic tools
->newsletter functionality
->automatic SE (re)submission and robot-tracking
->keyword research
->targeting tools
->automated PPC bidding and page optimization software
->link tracking and traffic reporting

http://home4success.com/go/to.cgi?l=BuildIt
SBI

*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

In This Issue
*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

=> Publisher's Corner
=> Feature Article
=> Review: Products or Services
=> Inspiration
=> Special Feature
=> Hot Tip
=> Ezine ADventure
=> Reader's Corner
=> Ad Swaps
=> Success Links



*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Publisher's Corner
*~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~*

Hi and welcome to today's issue of Keeping in Touch.
A big, warm 'hello' to all our new subscribers.

Did you all enjoy your last summer long weekend for the year? It
was beautiful here. How many of you managed to see the planet
Mars in the last few days? We had very heavy cloud cover for a
couple of days and by Sunday, I forgot to look. My husband
did see Mars on his way back home from a trip.

September - WOW! Doesn't it feel like this year is moving by
quickly? The day light hours are shorter, the temperatures
cool down in the evenings and most of the flowers have finished
their jobs for another season. Farmers are out burning the
rubble from their fields. Summer is just about over for another
year.

And speaking of change, I definitely believe it's time for
another one. Email delivery is becoming more of a nightmare
than ever. It's going to be a very long time, if ever, before
it's cleaned up. I received a message yesterday proclaiming
'Send 99 million emails for $99'. Unfortunately, there are
enough newbies out in cyberspace that won't realize these are
illegally harvested addresses and will jump at the chance to
send to 99 million emails for that price.

Then throw in the numerous viruses circulating the Internet
with all the unprotected computer systems and you have a real
mess.

And that's why I'm pleased and so excited to present a winning
alternative to email delivery for KIT. Quikonnex offers an
effective, efficient and completely safe way for me to reach
out to my subscribers. In fact, I'm so confident in this
new system that in short order, I will no longer use email to
send out KIT.

A special surprise is that you will be among the very first
people to try this awesome process. Yes, I know the people who
created this direct-to-desktop method of publishing. They are
top notch in my book. And no, it won't cost you a thing to
subscribe.

All you have to do to sign up for KIT is visit this link:

http://quikonnex.com/channel/subscribe/home4success/109/3
Get Connected
and it will take you to my Home 4 Success channel subscription
page. The best news is that you are now in control of your
subscription. I won't need your email address or details.

The creators of this method have taken out any guesswork and kept
it easy and simple for you to subscribe to your favorite ezines.
By the end of September I hope to stop using email altogether as
a means of delivery. I welcome your feedback and that's really
easy for you too. All you need to do is comment in the place
provided and your response is immediately entered and I'll get
it. Now when asked for a comments or feedback on something, you
can just click and send without having to go back through the
ezine to the relevant link. It happens instantly.

When you see the possibilities for this little gem, I know it
won't long before you'll want your own channel up and running.

Remember, it quick, it's easy and above all it's safe. There
are no adware or spyware programs running in the background. I
invite you all join me. That link again is:

http://quikonnex.com/channel/subscribe/home4success/109/3
Get Connected

Today's Feature article is In The Beginning. Owning and
operating an email list has changed drastically in the last
couple of years. Without a dramatic change in the current
email situation, businesses are going to lose out simply
because their messages aren't getting through to those who
asked for it.

Our Special Feature comes to us from Peg Bastin, Who ARE You? I
have to agree with Peg on this one. If you are building your
online business, people need to feel confident about who you
are and how to contact you. All your details should be on your
web pages.

Let's get on with the rest of today's issue. Have a great day
and keep on smiling.


Lois M. Jeary
Publisher, KIT
Contact Me

http://www.home4success.com
AOL Click here

[Read More!]