The Inofficial Chamber of Commerce Website

We continuously witness evolution of technology pertaining to hardcore graphic systems capable of rendering movie like graphics. Quite ironically, online arcade gaming has successfully weathered such changes.

One main contributing factor to such a success is the presence of a large number, all over the Internet, of dedicated communities that support arcade games. These communities conduct tournaments which carry big ticket prizes, for arcade games at regular intervals.

For example, Xbox Live organized a Pac-man championship in first half of year 2007 in New York. At stake were

* one of a kind Pac-man inspired Xbox 360 console
* 100,000 Microsoft points
* Pac-Man Live Arcade Trophy

There were nine finalists from nine geographical zones namely Japan, USA, Europe, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Canada and Mexico. Criteria for selection was scores of Xbox LIVE Arcade leader box.

You will be surprised to know that each of these communities is a well-knit unit and all the communities compete game genres as a single entity. Massive growth in the penetration of Internet has brought about a similar growth in the number of such communities. Another factor is the rise of a huge number of multi-player arcade games.

In a way, arcade games look like they are from another era, given the advances in gaming technology. Unless arcade gaming communities stay united, they will find it extremely difficult to survive intense competition.

Interestingly, we find that consoles and handheld devices are populated with arcade titles in big numbers. It could also be a reason for the growth in the number of arcade communities.

Related Links:

free playable arcade games

arcade games pac man play packman table

I just recently started participating in JV giveaways this year. I had always ignored emails and promotions for them, assuming that the products given away would be poor quality or old over sold PLR products. Boy was I ever wrong.

It gets harder and harder to get people to give up ther email address. You see, that is what you have to do to download the gifts at a JV giveaway event. You get the free product, but you have to join the contributor’s newsletter. A fair trade, only if the gift is worth it. That is why you will only find quality gifts at these events. If you put junk out there as your gift, nobody will sign up for it.

This is where the list building comes in. I started out as someone looking for some free stuff, but then I realized the potential for building a big list in a short amount of time. If you are smart, you can also make a little cash while you build your list by sending your prospects to a one time offer before they download.

The cool part about participating as a contributor is that you get to leverage the traffic of everybody else’s promotions. I have been in JV giveaways with over 500 contributors. That’s 500 people driving traffic to the same website. Some of these people already have huge lists. That is alot of traffic.

You can see how beneficial this is for someone who is just starting to build a list. If you want to learn more about JV giveawys, including how to set everything up and what you will need then check out my JV giveawy events page.

[Keywords: JV giveaways, joint venture giveaways, jv giveaway events, list building, build your list ]

Some men may not know or do not have the slightest idea if
a woman is ready to be kissed. These men may be sitting
beside their dates talking too much they suddenly realize
how the lips of their dates are so kissable.

Their imagination will then take control, but this would
also mean disaster if done wrong. This may often leave
these men without a second chance for another date with the
woman.

If a guy finds himself talking to a girl and wondering if
she’s ready to be kissed, he may softly touch her hair and
give a compliment about it.

If the girl shows a favorable reaction, this may be a sign
of getting closer to a kiss. Get closer and try reaching
for her hair again.

Touch the hair tips and simply gaze on her lips and eyes.
The fact that she does not mind about you getting closer to
her is a sign that she is comfortable. This is a sign for a
guy to go and kiss the girl.

Some guys try to go out on an adventurous date in order to
make the kissing move more suave and natural. One
particular example is a guy who usually takes a girl to a
small boat ride on a river.

Upon sailing along the river, he happens to direct the boat
to a place covered with trees and fireflies - truly a
romantic place to kiss.

A guy can also take her date to some ancient ruins in a
local spot and manage to spend time walking until dark.
These ruins usually light up at night.

The guy can take his date to the top of the ruins where
they can see the city all beautifully lit up. This is when
the guy should make a move and kiss his date.

Find more tips at LayAid.com

[Keywords: sex, relationships, love, man, woman ]

Essential to your success as an effective, engaging communicator is learning not only what to say, but what not to say. The following guide examines several sentences, phrases and questions that stand in your way of connecting and communicating with confidence.

Do you remember me?
If you walk up to someone and the first words out of your mouth are, “Do you remember me?” I guarantee you will a) make them feel uncomfortable, b) pressure them into giving an answer, and c) cause them to lose face when they regretfully tell you they can’t seem to remember who you are.

Some people are good with names; others are good with faces; while others can’t seem to recall a single person they’ve ever met in their lives. But no matter what type of memory a person has, “forgetting someone” is one of the most embarrassing feelings anyone can experience - especially if they’ve met you several times before.

Therefore, if you know someone doesn’t remember you, rescue them. Just tell them who you are. Odds are, deep down they’ll be signing, “Oh thank God he told me his name - I didn’t want to ask!”

SUCCESS SENTENCE #1: “Hi! I’m Scott with Front Porch Productions - we met last month at the Chamber Meeting when Carol introduced us.”

Here’s my card…
The rule of business cards is: don’t give it to anyone who doesn’t ask for it. It’s presumptuous. Sadly, the exchange of business cards is a ritual that our culture has de-formalized over the past 20 years. On the other hand, some high-context cultures like the Japanese view this as a sacred business ritual.

For conversational effectiveness, don’t assume that somebody wants your card. Think about it: how many times has someone given you one of their cards - without asking - to which you thought to yourself, “Okay…and what do you want me to do with this?”

SUCCESS SENTENCE #2: “May I give you one of my cards?”

So…what do YOU do?
According to CNN.com, the US rate of unemployment in September of 2004 was somewhere between five and six percent. Unfortunately, those are just the reported cases. So don’t overlook the possibility that the person you’re talking to is unemployed, was recently fired or is in the process of finding a new job.

Asking someone “So…what do YOU do?” is an assumption. And if you utter this phrase, it may necessitate a shoehorn the size of Shaquille O’Neal to get your foot out of your mouth. Instead, ask less specific, yet open ended questions that empower an engaging response.

SUCCESS SENTENCE #3: “How do you spend most of your time during the week?”

Can you believe the weather?
I’ve read almost every book on starting conversations, mingling, breaking the ice, networking and meeting people - and I have yet to find one that doesn’t say:

“Talking about the weather is always a good way to start a conversation.”

No it isn’t. It’s a terrible way. And just because everyone uses it doesn’t make it effective. Starting a conversation about the weather means you’ve settled for starting a conversation about the weather! This makes your conversation partner feel like you’ve settled for them too. And every time you do it, you show the other person that you aren’t a good enough conversationalist to talk about anything other than the weather.

But I have faith in you. You can do better than that.

SUCCESS SENTENCE #4: “What was the best part about your weekend?”

Are you a new member?
There’s only one feeling worse that forgetting someone: devaluing someone. In your organization, club, business or association - there are bound to be dozens, possibly even hundreds of members you’ve never met. That’s okay. You can’t keep a tab on everybody. People come in and out of organizations all the time, and not everyone comes to every meeting.

So don’t assume that someone is a newbie simply because you don’t know them. Even if you think “Oh, I know everybody,” there are always people on the fringes. Perhaps they joined the organization five years ago. Maybe they’ve been out of town for a few months or their schedule conflicts with certain meetings or events.

SUCCESS SENTENCE #5: “I don’t believe we’ve met before - my name’s Scott.”

Combating Conversational Crappiness
Some people don’t think before they speak, and the price to pay is at the expense of their partner’s conversational comfort. But if you avoid these five communication barriers, you will be certain to make the other person you’re engaging with feel welcome and valued.

© 2005 All Rights Reserved.

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, “The World’s Foremost Expert on Nametags” and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

You’ve been there. You are introduced to someone you have never met before. You and the other person go through the social niceties, talk about the weather, the prospects for the athletic team of choice, fashions, even “back in my day” but invariably the subject comes up, “What do you do for a living?” It is the moment of truth. It’s time to “toot your horn.”

I asked that question recently and the reply was a generic, “Oh, I’m an accountant.” The answer made me feel that being an accountant was like being a commodity - that, if I didn’t know better, all accountants are alike, just like all long-grain rice is the same. But the fact is that, unlike rice, all accountants are not the same. Some are cost accountants, tax accountants, Certified Public Accountants, and auditors. Some specialize in working with individuals, small businesses, large, or mid-size companies. Some are solo practitioners while others work in large, multi-national firms. Some are expert in very narrow fields; others are generalists. In other words all accountants are certainly not alike.

If I was considering changing accountants there was nothing in the statement, “Oh, I’m an accountant” that would make me consider selecting that person to be my accountant. I didn’t get the passion, the joy, the interest in the profession in that statement. If the person I was introduced to was interested in attracting new clients he should have given me enough information to judge whether I should consider that person. He should tell me, in very few words, what makes him stand out, why his clients like his services enough to continue using him, what value or specialized knowledge he brings to his clients.

Some people call that introductory statement an “elevator speech” or an “audio commercial.” Whatever it is called, it is a mini-script that, if it is well rehearsed and sincerely delivered can be the beginning of a new business relationship. If you are interested in attracting more business, script your own audio commercial and be ready to “toot your horn” the next time you have the opportunity.

Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column, “Front Lines with Larry Galler” Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com Questions??? Send an email to larry@larrygaller.com

I didn’t know how good it could be until I opened a new account with….

I had been limping along for a couple of years before I made my move. I was making money online but I was really doing too many time consuming tasks that I really didn’t want or need to be doing.

The learning curve was huge and it didn’t need to be. You see I tried to go the cheap route and I ended up spending time with tasks that were not relevant to my revenue model.

How much is your time worth?

Is there a big difference between $3.00 a month and $7.00? Yes at $3.00 dollars a month you miss out on more family time and revenue because you spend more of your time doing non productive tasks. Heck I blow more than $7.00 on coffee!

The difference is $4.00 a month WOW and that $4.00 a month investment turned into more profits and additional time to enjoy what I enjoy most my loved ones. Profits and time a great combination.

I come from a technical background. But after the move I realized that I didn’t need to work so hard at the hosting part of my business

• The ease of servicing is very refreshing.
• The pricing is great.
• The uptime is great.
• The available options are great.
• Unlimited add on domains (when you grow you have the room)

Just having piece of mind and additional options to run my business make the pricing even more valuable. I now spend my time on more important events family, sharing with others and revenue building activities. I pay about $7.00 a month; well I pay by the year!

I host a several domains and now I can add more, my account comes with unlimited add on domains. More business more fun!

I know there are many different options out there for hosting and I will give MyHosting a HIGH rating. For the price I feel you can’t beat them.

My blogs are up and running and the setup was extremely easy. A couple of click and they were done. Blogs are fun and powerful tools. Do you have one you should?

Hosting has really showed me what a great hosting service is all about.

I only regret one thing I should have found them sooner.

Feel free to check out Best Web Hosting

This coupon was current at the time that I posted this use it and put your business on the fast track Coupon Code: hgc25. I saved a little under $10.00 using it.

After you buy at the Best Web Hosting come back and rate it for others.

Rod Wambold

http://www.i-addwealth.com/blog

[Keywords: web hosting, best web hosting, website hosting, best website hosting, quality hosting, blog hosting ]

Only years ago, it was hard to believe a concept like MySpace Music would exist. But then again, technology of tomorrow cannot be comprehended today. In recent times, we have been seeing a huge gathering at MySpace and equivalent sites. And it shows no signs of easing up. So what does “MySpace Music” mean to most of us? Well for starters, it’s a place to get the word out on your own unique blend of music and playing. You can easily DJ live for an online audience and get instant feedback on your music. In the past it was a lot harder. We had to book a spot in a club and patiently wait our turn. Now it can be done very easily from the comforts of our own home.

MySpace is definitely here to stay, and musicians and DJ’s are thankfully for the opportunities it brings to their live music.

[Keywords: myspace music, live music ]

The world of anime - a place where fantasy and reality meet; a place for people to meet and have fun. Well, that’s the concept behind Anime Online, a forum / community developed for those interested in anime, manga, graphic design and as a general place to hang out and chill. Here we have a group of teenagers to adults making new friends, and all having a passion for Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach, Gundam or other anime series.

The site has expanded over the years, and now helps members with graphic arts, anime backgrounds and design work. Boasting over 50,000 members, you can be sure to get the advice and relaxation you are looking for.

Over recent years, there has been a strong following in this type of Japanese cartoon and comic work. It’s a raging success in Japan, and you can often see office workers commuting each day on the trains reading their favourite manga stories. Now in the US, Cartoon Network regularly airs  a variety of anime series each week, with Storm Hawks currently playing.

[Keywords: anime, anime backgrounds ]

Where does time go? Without calendars, we really wouldn’t know what day it is. Custom promotional calendars help us sort through the blur of time, keep appointments and meetings, remember birthdays and anniversaries and basically organize our lives and make us more efficient. One promotional calendar per household isn’t enough anymore. At home, they can be found in the kitchen, next to a phone, in the bedroom, on the fridge, in a purse or wallet, the garage, or the computer room. At work, on a mouse pad, desk blotter, a wall, a weekly planner - and the list goes on! We need one for work, for school, our social lives, and for our kid’s social lives!

Douglas Wilder, former Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the first elected Black Governor in the United States gave me advice that I will never forget. He said, “From this point on, when you walk into a room, walk in that room like you own it, when you talk with people remember to stand on your principles, keep your word, and people will want to associate with you.” His advice became synonymous with my career and everyday living.

At the time, that advice seemed a bit arrogant, but in retrospect, his advice has granted me passages into many executive suites, corporate boardrooms and has helped me build solid relationships. His advice came at a time when I was desperately seeking to glean knowledge and help from anyone who was willing to share insight on what it takes to be successful in business as a young African-American-especially one on the lecture circuit.

Seemingly overnight, in a section of Fairfax, Virginia, businesses stretching a two-block radius have changed ownership from a predominately-White entrepreneurial establishment to an Asian and Latino establishment. They are receiving thriving support from each other. Granted, I find it great to witness that in the land of milk and honey success can be achieved by all. But, how long will African-Americans continue to allow years of division to stop us from gaining the riches and wealth we deserve? Why is it difficult for African-Americans to build business alliances and partnerships with each other?

Marie Johns, President and CEO of Verizon Communications Washington Company said, “Creating alliances and partnerships is a dynamic organic process. It is formed and reshaped. As professionals move to different sets of responsibilities there is a need to network with new people as well as maintain current alliances. One can never say that their network is complete. There are always interesting people with whom one can engage who would end up being a valuable experience.”

In today’s business culture, having productive relationships for commerce exchange is a way of life. People do business with people they know and with people, they like. They do business by referrals from people whose judgment they trust. Albert Einstein said it best, “Trust is what stands the test of experience.”

Similarly, Frank Fahrenkopf, Co-Chairman of the Commission for Presidential Debates said during our interview it’s best to “Look for opportunities and see where there is a need, think about it while making sure that you have a plan, set objectives that are reachable then prove yourself by your professionalism as you go along with every small step until you reach the end. It is highly important to be able to articulate your views once your objectives have been set.”

It’s foundations like Emerging Business Forum who see the need and are bringing minorities together as a culmination of the essentials for business growth, knowledge transfer for personal and business relationships. But, does former Governor Wilder have a valid point in how to attract quality relationships? More importantly, what are colleges doing to educate students in creating alliances before they get into the workforce?

Cliff McKnight, Counselor and Associate Professor at Montgomery College in Maryland believes “that colleges should engage students in leadership activities such as clubs and other organizations through the office of student life. It’s a major component for student development.” His belief is noble. But without a formal setting is joining clubs enough to provide competent networking skills?

Dr. Ivan Misner, President and Founder, of BNI (Business Network Int’l), an international organization that manages two thousand networking chapters says, no! Colleges and universities are not teaching networking skills because the professors don’t know the subject matter.” Why? “Because it’s an emerging topic and many are unfamiliar with the art of networking themselves,” Misner said.

After years of research, informative interviews, and hundreds of social events, I discovered the key to creating successful alliances and partnerships is by utilizing the NAAP Approach. The NAAP Approach is coined and defined as a three-dimensional approach to creating long-lasting partnerships. The rules of engagement are:

•Networking—First stage, strictly for building a Rolodex of contacts and expertise. Identify professionals that have partnership potential.

•Action-Alliance—Second stage, relationship building takes place at this stage. It is important that keeping in touch or practicing due diligence. This process can take months or several years.

•Partnerships—Third stage, after completing stages one and two, a shared purpose for partnering can be determined. At this point, there should be a solid foundation for working together; call in your chits.

Contrastingly, Marilyn Crawford, of Primetime Omni media says, “If you have established a genuine relationship with a person there’s no such thing as calling in a chit. If you need help with something and you go to a certain person, you are essentially forwarding the relationship. In turn, they are simply forwarding opportunities to other people.” Crawford continued by saying, “If I need something from an alliance, I am comfortable enough with the relationship to pick up the telephone and say this is what I need, can you help me? On the other hand, because that person is comfortable with me they will say either yes or no. Just be prepared for possible rejection.”

Rejection! Rejection? Many African-Americans will say that the fundamental nature of rejection is nothing new and the word itself carries no meaning until the banks and lending institutions makes the word real. “It’s the banks, they refuse to give minorities loans,” a woman said while reading the draft of this article. Maybe Rennie Williams, a professional barber dubbed by the Washington Post as a “debater laureate” says what some are afraid to say, “It’s trust. Whom can you really trust in business? Many African-Americans don’t trust each other and that mistrust stagnates our culture.”

In my opinion, the easiest and most effective way to accomplish creating many strong partnerships simultaneously is to:

•Go direct to the decision maker. Begin at the top. It’s the top down theory. Going direct to the top will eliminate corporate politics that come with starting at the bottom. Top decision makers assign projects to the appropriate person.

•Present your credentials before an introduction. Having a good image can open many doors. Presenting your credentials before you meet with potential partners allows them to have an idea of who you are and the past work you have done.

•Provide any professional supporting documentation. Submitting supporting documentation such as patents, trade articles, or related accomplishments is often the deciding factor whether executives will accept your request for a meeting.

•Have a reason for the dialogue. Make sure the purpose for communicating with potential alliances is compelling. Ask yourself this, is the meeting more to help them or help me? If it is more for them, your chances of collaborating are greatly increased.

•Maintain good values, strong ethics, and moral principles. Would you do business with a liar and a cheat? Of course not! Never assume that you know someone’s values and ethics. The best rule of thumb is to carry yourself and treat others with the highest respect.

Creating successful alliances and partnerships is critical more than ever before. It takes more than having a college degree and it takes more than just having a prominent job title. Just remember, it doesn’t matter how much money you have, creating partnerships that work takes personality and action. Once you put these two ingredients together and see the benefit of the alliances you form, you will understand why Tim Russert, Host of the television news magazine Meet the Press says, “Creating partnerships has been the most important component helping me build my career.”

Melvin Murphy
Speaker and author of: “It’s Who You Know: Creating Successful Mentor-Based Alliances, Coalitions and Partnerships Through Networking”
Email: MMurphy833@aol.com