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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is charged with preventing deception and unfairness in the marketplace. The FTC Act gives the Commission the power to bring law enforcement actions against false or misleading claims that a product is of U.S. origin. Traditionally, the Commission has required that a product advertised as Made in USA be “all or virtually all” made in the U.S.

After a comprehensive review of Made in USA and other U.S. origin claims in product advertising and labeling, the Commission announced in December 1997 that it would retain the “all or virtually all” standard. The Commission also issued an Enforcement Policy Statement on U.S. Origin Claims to provide guidance to marketers who want to make an unqualified Made in USA claim under the “all or virtually all” standard and those who want to make a qualified Made in USA claim.

This publication provides additional guidance about how to comply with the “all or virtually all” standard. It also offers some general information about the U.S. Customs Service’s requirement that all products of foreign origin imported into the U.S. be marked with the name of the country of origin.

This publication is the Federal Trade Commission staff’s view of the law’s requirements. It is not binding on the Commission. The Enforcement Policy Statement issued by the FTC is at the end of the publication.

Basic Information About Maide In USA Claims

Must U.S. content be disclosed on products sold in the U.S.?

U.S. content must be disclosed on automobiles and textile, wool, and fur products. There’s no law that requires most other products sold in the U.S. to be marked or labeled Made in USA or have any other disclosure about their amount of U.S. content. However, manufacturers and marketers who choose to make claims about the amount of U.S. content in their products must comply with the FTC’s Made in USA policy.

What products does the FTC’s Made in USA policy apply to?

The policy applies to all products advertised or sold in the U.S., except for those specifically subject to country-of-origin labeling by other laws . Other countries may have their own country-of-origin marking requirements. As a result, exporters should determine whether the country to which they are exporting imposes such requirements.

What kinds of claims does the Enforcement Policy Statement apply to?

The Enforcement Policy Statement applies to U.S. origin claims that appear on products and labeling, advertising, and other promotional materials. It also applies to all other forms of marketing, including marketing through digital or electronic mechanisms, such as Internet or e-mail.

A Made in USA claim can be express or implied.

Examples of express claims: Made in USA. “Our products are American-made.” “USA.”

In identifying implied claims, the Commission focuses on the overall impression of the advertising, label, or promotional material. Depending on the context, U.S. symbols or geographic references (for example, U.S. flags, outlines of U.S. maps, or references to U.S. locations of headquarters or factories) may convey a claim of U.S. origin either by themselves, or in conjunction with other phrases or images.

Example: A company promotes its product in an ad that features a manager describing the “true American quality” of the work produced at the company’s American factory. Although there is no express representation that the company’s product is made in the U.S., the overall - or net - impression the ad is likely to convey to consumers is that the product is of U.S. origin.

Brand names and trademarks

Ordinarily, the Commission will not consider a manufacturer or marketer’s use of an American brand name or trademark by itself as a U.S. origin claim. Similarly, the Commission is not likely to interpret the mere listing of a company’s U.S. address on a package label in a non-prominent way as a claim of U.S. origin.

Example: A product is manufactured abroad by a well-known U.S. company. The fact that the company is headquartered in the U.S. also is widely known. Company pamphlets for its foreign-made product prominently feature its brand name. Assuming that the brand name does not specifically denote U.S. origin (that is, the brand name is not “Made in America, Inc.”), using the brand name by itself does not constitute a claim of U.S. origin.

Representations about entire product lines

Manufacturers and marketers should not indicate, either expressly or implicitly, that a whole product line is of U.S. origin (”Our products are made in USA”) when only some products in the product line are made in the U.S. according to the “all or virtually all” standard.

Does the FTC pre-approve Made in USA claims?

The Commission does not pre-approve advertising or labeling claims. A company doesn’t need approval from the Commission before making a Made in USA claim. As with most other advertising claims, a manufacturer or marketer may make any claim as long as it is truthful and substantiated.

The Standard For Unqualified Made In USA Claims

What is the standard for a product to be called Made in USA without qualification?

For a product to be called Made in USA, or claimed to be of domestic origin without qualifications or limits on the claim, the product must be “all or virtually all” made in the U.S. The term “United States,” as referred to in the Enforcement Policy Statement, includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories and possessions.

What does “all or virtually all” mean?

“All or virtually all” means that all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. That is, the product should contain no - or negligible - foreign content.

What substantiation is required for a Made in USA claim?

When a manufacturer or marketer makes an unqualified claim that a product is Made in USA, it should have - and rely on - a “reasonable basis” to support the claim at the time it is made. This means a manufacturer or marketer needs competent and reliable evidence to back up the claim that its product is “all or virtually all” made in the U.S.

What factors does the Commission consider to determine whether a product is “all or virtually all” made in the U.S.?

The product’s final assembly or processing must take place in the U.S. The Commission then considers other factors, including how much of the product’s total manufacturing costs can be assigned to U.S. parts and processing, and how far removed any foreign content is from the finished product. In some instances, only a small portion of the total manufacturing costs are attributable to foreign processing, but that processing represents a significant amount of the product’s overall processing. The same could be true for some foreign parts. In these cases, the foreign content (processing or parts) is more than negligible, and, as a result, unqualified claims are inappropriate.

Example: A company produces propane barbecue grills at a plant in Nevada. The product’s major components include the gas valve, burner and aluminum housing, each of which is made in the U.S. The grill’s knobs and tubing are imported from Mexico. An unqualified Made in USA claim is not likely to be deceptive because the knobs and tubing make up a negligible portion of the product’s total manufacturing costs and are insignificant parts of the final product.

Example: A table lamp is assembled in the U.S. from American-made brass, an American-made Tiffany-style lampshade, and an imported base. The base accounts for a small percent of the total cost of making the lamp. An unqualified Made in USA claim is deceptive for two reasons: The base is not far enough removed in the manufacturing process from the finished product to be of little consequence and it is a significant part of the final product.

What items should manufacturers and marketers include in analyzing the percentage of domestic content in a particular product?

Manufacturers and marketers should use the cost of goods sold or inventory costs of finished goods in their analysis. Such costs generally are limited to the total cost of all manufacturing materials, direct manufacturing labor, and manufacturing overhead.

Should manufacturers and marketers rely on information from American suppliers about the amount of domestic content in the parts, components, and other elements they buy and use for their final products?

If given in good faith, manufacturers and marketers can rely on information from suppliers about the domestic content in the parts, components, and other elements they produce. Rather than assume that the input is 100 percent U.S.-made, however, manufacturers and marketers would be wise to ask the supplier for specific information about the percentage of U.S. content before they make a U.S. origin claim.

Example: A company manufactures food processors in its U.S. plant, making most of the parts, including the housing and blade, from U.S. materials. The motor, which constitutes 50 percent of the food processor’s total manufacturing costs, is bought from a U.S. supplier. The food processor manufacturer knows that the motor is assembled in a U.S. factory. Even though most of the parts of the food processor are of U.S. origin, the final assembly is in the U.S., and the motor is assembled in the U.S., the food processor is not considered “all or virtually all” American-made if the motor itself is made of imported parts that constitute a significant percentage of the appliance’s total manufacturing cost. Before claiming the product is Made in USA, this manufacturer should look to its motor supplier for more specific information about the motor’s origin.

Example: On its purchase order, a company states: “Our company requires that suppliers certify the percentage of U.S. content in products supplied to us. If you are unable or unwilling to make such certification, we will not purchase from you.” Appearing under this statement is the sentence, “We certify that our ___ have at least ___% U.S. content,” with space for the supplier to fill in the name of the product and its percentage of U.S. content. The company generally could rely on a certification like this to determine the appropriate country-of-origin designation for its product.

How far back in the manufacturing process should manufacturers and marketers look?

To determine the percentage of U.S. content, manufacturers and marketers should look back far enough in the manufacturing process to be reasonably sure that any significant foreign content has been included in their assessment of foreign costs. Foreign content incorporated early in the manufacturing process often will be less significant to consumers than content that is a direct part of the finished product or the parts or components produced by the immediate supplier.

Example: The steel used to make a single component of a complex product (for example, the steel used in the case of a computer’s floppy drive) is an early input into the computer’s manufacture, and is likely to constitute a very small portion of the final product’s total cost. On the other hand, the steel in a product like a pipe or a wrench is a direct and significant input. Whether the steel in a pipe or wrench is imported would be a significant factor in evaluating whether the finished product is “all or virtually all” made in the U.S.

Are raw materials included in the evaluation of whether a product is “all or virtually all” made in the U.S.?

It depends on how much of the product’s cost the raw materials make up and how far removed from the finished product they are.

Example: If the gold in a gold ring is imported, an unqualified Made in USA claim for the ring is deceptive. That’s because of the significant value the gold is likely to represent relative to the finished product, and because the gold - an integral component - is only one step back from the finished article. By contrast, consider the plastic in the plastic case of a clock radio otherwise made in the U.S. of U.S.-made components. If the plastic case was made from imported petroleum, a Made in USA claim is likely to be appropriate because the petroleum is far enough removed from the finished product, and is an insignificant part of it as well.

Qualified Claims

What is a qualified Made in USA claim?

A qualified Made in USA claim describes the extent, amount or type of a product’s domestic content or processing; it indicates that the product isn’t entirely of domestic origin.

Example: “60% U.S. content.” “Made in USA of U.S. and imported parts.” “Couch assembled in USA from Italian Leather and Mexican Frame.”

When is a qualified Made in USA claim appropriate?

A qualified Made in USA claim is appropriate for products that include U.S. content or processing but don’t meet the criteria for making an unqualified Made in USA claim. Because even qualified claims may imply more domestic content than exists, manufacturers or marketers must exercise care when making these claims. That is, avoid qualified claims unless the product has a significant amount of U.S. content or U.S. processing. A qualified Made in USA claim, like an unqualified claim, must be truthful and substantiated.

Example: An exercise treadmill is assembled in the U.S. The assembly represents significant work and constitutes a “substantial transformation” (a term used by the U.S. Customs Service). All of the treadmill’s major parts, including the motor, frame, and electronic display, are imported. A few of its incidental parts, such as the handle bar covers, the plastic on/off power key, and the treadmill mat, are manufactured in the U.S. Together, these parts account for approximately three percent of the total cost of all the parts. Because the value of the U.S.-made parts is negligible compared to the value of all the parts, a claim on the treadmill that it is “Made in USA of U.S. and Imported Parts” is deceptive. A claim like “Made in U.S. from Imported Parts” or “Assembled in U.S.A.” would not be deceptive.

U.S. origin claims for specific processes or parts

Claims that a particular manufacturing or other process was performed in the U.S. or that a particular part was manufactured in the U.S. must be truthful, substantiated, and clearly refer to the specific process or part, not to the general manufacture of the product, to avoid implying more U.S. content than exists.

Manufacturers and marketers should be cautious about using general terms, such as “produced,” “created” or “manufactured” in the U.S. Words like these are unlikely to convey a message limited to a particular process. Additional qualification probably is necessary to describe a product that is not “all or virtually all” made in the U.S.

In addition, if a product is of foreign origin (that is, it has been substantially transformed abroad), manufacturers and marketers also should make sure they satisfy Customs’ markings statute and regulations that require such products to be marked with a foreign country of origin. Further, Customs requires the foreign country of origin to be preceded by “Made in,” “Product of,” or words of similar meaning when any city or location that is not the country of origin appears on the product.

Example: A company designs a product in New York City and sends the blueprint to a factory in Finland for manufacturing. It labels the product “Designed in USA - Made in Finland.” Such a specific processing claim would not lead a reasonable consumer to believe that the whole product was made in the U.S. The Customs Service requires the product to be marked “Made in,” or “Product of” Finland since the product is of Finnish origin and the claim refers to the U.S. Examples of other specific processing claims are: “Bound in U.S. - Printed in Turkey.” “Hand carved in U.S. - Wood from Philippines.” “Software written in U.S. - Disk made in India.” “Painted and fired in USA. Blanks made in (foreign country of origin).”

Example: A company advertises its product, which was invented in Seattle and manufactured in Bangladesh, as “Created in USA.” This claim is deceptive because consumers are likely to interpret the term “Created” as Made in USA - an unqualified U.S. origin claim.

Example: A computer imported from Korea is packaged in the U.S. in an American-made corrugated paperboard box containing only domestic materials and domestically produced expanded rigid polystyrene plastic packing. Stating Made in USA on the package would deceive consumers about the origin of the product inside. But the company could legitimately make a qualified claim, such as “Computer Made in Korea - Packaging Made in USA.”

Example: The Acme Camera Company assembles its cameras in the U.S. The camera lenses are manufactured in the U.S., but most of the remaining parts are imported. A magazine ad for the camera is headlined “Beware of Imported Imitations” and states “Other high-end camera makers use imported parts made with cheap foreign labor. But at Acme Camera, we want only the highest quality parts for our cameras and we believe in employing American workers. That’s why we make all of our lenses right here in the U.S.” This ad is likely to convey that more than a specific product part (the lens) is of U.S. origin. The marketer should be prepared to substantiate the broader U.S. origin claim conveyed to consumers viewing the ad.

Comparative Claims

Comparative claims should be truthful and substantiated, and presented in a way that makes the basis for comparison clear (for example, whether the comparison is to another leading brand or to a previous version of the same product). They should truthfully describe the U.S. content of the product and be based on a meaningful difference in U.S. content between the compared products.

Example: An ad for cellular phones states “We use more U.S. content than any other cellular phone manufacturer.” The manufacturer assembles the phones in the U.S. from American and imported components and can substantiate that the difference between the U.S. content of its phones and that of the other manufacturers’ phones is significant. This comparative claim is not deceptive.

Example: A product is advertised as having “twice as much U.S. content as before.” The U.S. content in the product has been increased from 2 percent in the previous version to 4 percent in the current version. This comparative claim is deceptive because the difference between the U.S. content in the current and previous version of the product are insignificant.

Assembled in USA Claims

A product that includes foreign components may be called “Assembled in USA” without qualification when its principal assembly takes place in the U.S. and the assembly is substantial. For the “assembly” claim to be valid, the product’s last “substantial transformation” also should have occurred in the U.S. That’s why a “screwdriver” assembly in the U.S. of foreign components into a final product at the end of the manufacturing process doesn’t usually qualify for the “Assembled in USA” claim.

Example: A lawn mower, composed of all domestic parts except for the cable sheathing, flywheel, wheel rims and air filter (15 to 20 percent foreign content) is assembled in the U.S. An “Assembled in USA” claim is appropriate.

Example: All the major components of a computer, including the motherboard and hard drive, are imported. The computer’s components then are put together in a simple “screwdriver” operation in the U.S., are not substantially transformed under the Customs Standard, and must be marked with a foreign country of origin. An “Assembled in U.S.” claim without further qualification is deceptive.

The FTC and The Customs Service

What is the U.S. Customs Service’s jurisdiction over country-of-origin claims?

The Tariff Act gives Customs and the Secretary of the Treasury the power to administer the requirement that imported goods be marked with a foreign country of origin (for example, “Made in Japan”).

When an imported product incorporates materials and/or processing from more than one country, Customs considers the country of origin to be the last country in which a “substantial transformation” took place. Customs defines “substantial transformation” as a manufacturing process that results in a new and different product with a new name, character, and use that is different from that which existed before the change. Customs makes country-of-origin determinations using the “substantial transformation” test on a case-by-case basis. In some instances, Customs uses a “tariff shift” analysis, comparable to “substantial transformation,” to determine a product’s country of origin.

What is the interaction between the FTC and Customs regarding country-of-origin claims?

Even if Customs determines that an imported product does not need a foreign country-of-origin mark, it is not necessarily permissible to promote that product as Made in USA. The FTC considers additional factors to decide whether a product can be advertised or labeled as Made in USA.

Manufacturers and marketers should check with Customs to see if they need to mark their products with the foreign country of origin. If they don’t, they should look at the FTC’s standard to check if they can properly make a Made in USA claim.

The FTC has jurisdiction over foreign origin claims on products and in packaging that are beyond the disclosures required by Customs (for example, claims that supplement a required foreign origin marking to indicate where additional processing or finishing of a product occurred).

The FTC also has jurisdiction over foreign origin claims in advertising and other promotional materials. Unqualified U.S. origin claims in ads or other promotional materials for products that Customs requires a foreign country-of-origin mark may mislead or confuse consumers about the product’s origin. To avoid misleading consumers, marketers should clearly disclose the foreign manufacture of a product.

Example: A television set assembled in Korea using an American-made picture tube is shipped to the U.S. The Customs Service requires the television set to be marked “Made in Korea” because that’s where the television set was last “substantially transformed.” The company’s World Wide Web page states “Although our televisions are made abroad, they always contain U.S.-made picture tubes.” This statement is not deceptive. However, making the statement “All our picture tubes are made in the USA” - without disclosing the foreign origin of the television’s manufacture - might imply a broader claim (for example, that the television set is largely made in the U.S.) than could be substantiated. That is, if the statement and the entire ad imply that any foreign content or processing is negligible, the advertiser must substantiate that claim or net impression. The advertiser in this scenario would not be able to substantiate the implied Made in USA claim because the product was “substantially transformed” in Korea.

Other Statutes

What are the requirements of other federal statutes relating to country-of-origin determinations?

Textile Fiber Products Identification Act and Wool Products Labeling Act - Require a Made in USA label on most clothing and other textile or wool household products if the final product is manufactured in the U.S. of fabric that is manufactured in the U.S., regardless of where materials earlier in the manufacturing process (for example, the yarn and fiber) came from. Textile products that are imported must be labeled as required by the Customs Service. A textile or wool product partially manufactured in the U.S. and partially manufactured in another country must be labeled to show both foreign and domestic processing.

On a garment with a neck, the country of origin must be disclosed on the front of a label attached to the inside center of the neck - either midway between the shoulder seams or very near another label attached to the inside center of the neck. On a garment without a neck, and on other kinds of textile products, the country of origin must appear on a conspicuous and readily accessible label on the inside or outside of the product.

Catalogs and other mail order promotional materials for textile and wool products, including those disseminated on the Internet, must disclose whether a product is made in the U.S., imported or both.

The Fur Products Labeling Act requires the country of origin of imported furs to be disclosed on all labels and in all advertising. For copies of the Textile, Wool or Fur Rules and Regulations, or the new business education guide on labeling requirements, call the FTC’s Consumer Response Center (202-382-4357). Or visit the FTC online at www.ftc.gov. Click on Consumer Protection.

American Automobile Labeling Act - Requires that each automobile manufactured on or after October 1, 1994, for sale in the U.S. bear a label disclosing where the car was assembled, the percentage of equipment that originated in the U.S. and Canada, and the country of origin of the engine and transmission. Any representation that a car marketer makes that is required by the AALA is exempt from the Commission’s policy. When a company makes claims in advertising or promotional materials that go beyond the AALA requirements, it will be held to the Commission’s standard. For more information, call the Consumer Programs Division of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (202-366-0846).

Buy American Act - Requires that a product be manufactured in the U.S. of more than 50 percent U.S. parts to be considered Made in USA for government procurement purposes. For more information, review the Buy American Act at 41 U.S.C. §§ 10a-10c, the Federal Acquisition Regulations at 48 C.F.R. Part 25, and the Trade Agreements Act at 19 U.S.C. §§ 2501-2582.

For more information about other ideas, try these links: Blog Addiction | Online Opportunities | Financial Matters | Fashion Today | Sports Reviews | Articles Online | Creative Innovations | Business Talk | Buzz Creator | Anime Online

Do not be surprise if you will see a Labrador Retriever vomit. Vomiting is not strange to this breed because of their appetite. They are known to have good appetite both to digestible and non-food objects alike. However, vomiting do not occur because of ingesting foreign objects alone. There are variety of causes as to why dogs vomit.

Vomiting is the act of expelling food, fluid or debris from the stomach or small intestines through the mouth. The most common reason why dogs vomit is gastritis, an irritation of the stomach caused by ingesting foreign objects like decomposed grass, aluminum foil or paper. Aside from ingesting foreign objects, dogs also vomit because of eating too much or too fast or exercised immediately after eating. An immediate change of your dog’s diet (switching from one brand to another or switching from commercial dog food to natural homemade food) can also be the reason of vomiting. Vomiting may also be a sign of diseases like metabolic disorders, liver disease, heat stroke, adrenal gland disease and many other diseases.

If your dog vomits once or twice without abdominal pain, vomiting can be treated at home. It is just their way of letting out foods and foreign objects that should not be in the stomach. But if your dog vomits more than few times and if there is an abdominal pain or blood in the vomitus, it is better to have your dog examined by a vet. Also, vomiting accompanied with depression or weakness, fever and unproductive retching must be treated by a veterinarian.

When treating a vomiting dog at home, refrain feeding your dog for 12 to 24 hours after vomiting. After that no-food period, offer small portion of soft, bland food such as boiled rice, skinless chicken or pasta. Foods and water should be given at smaller portions several times a day, instead of one large meal. If no further vomiting occurs, you can increase the next day’s meal to normal-sized portion and can return to normal diet the following day.

To lessen the possibility of vomiting in dogs, refrain from giving your dog large meal. Break it down to several small meals a day (at least one in the morning and one in the evening). Then enforce rest after meals, especially avoiding strenuous activities. When switching food, do not switch all at once. Gradual switching of food works best for your Labrador Retriever.

“Before kids I used to happily peruse the supermarket aisles, slowly selecting interesting new items, scrutinizing labels and creating a few evening meals in my head as I shopped. Now I have two small kids and my creative shopping days are over. I run through the store and I am lucky if I get half of the essentials that I need to get through the week,” writes a frustrated mom when asked about her biggest daily stressors.

With small children in tow, visits to the supermarket can be unproductive and filled with anxiety. An extra twenty minutes of indecision, waiting at the deli, or traveling unneeded aisles, is just enough time for kids to lose their marbles and cause the parent to flee the store, shopping incomplete.

Supermarket shopping must get done, and bringing the children, for the majority of parents, is the only viable option.

Survival Tips

Create a weekly menu.

On Sunday, find 7 simple dinner recipes made with basic, healthy ingredients. Include an easy lunch menu for 7 days and then decide breakfast choices for the week. The Food Network website yields hundreds of tasty, easy to prepare meal ideas like beef stroganoff and tacos. Writing a weekly menu will relieve the stress that families feel each evening when deciding what’s for dinner, leaving more time and energy for family time.

Make a list.

Using the weekly menu, make a shopping list on the front of a plain envelope (reason for envelope in next tip) of all of the items needed to prepare the week’s breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. The food list complete, go through the house and add to the list, beverages, paper, cleaning, and bath and beauty products running low. A pad of paper and pen in an accessible area lets family members jot down items they need.

Study the floor plan of the grocery store.

It is really helpful to know the layout of the grocery store when creating a grocery list because the list can be made to correlate to the store. For example, if the deli is the first place passed and the dairy is next and then meat, deli items should be grouped at the top of the list followed by all of the dairy items and then meat. Although seemingly obsessive-compulsive, correlating the list to the store layout eliminates doubling back and can save enormous amounts of time.

Clip coupons.

After the list is created, find coupons that match items on the list. Only use coupons for those items regularly used, or those items the family might enjoy trying. Put the coupons needed for the current shopping list into the envelope with the grocery list printed on it. Place a check next to those items on the list that have a coupon. Don’t add extra items to the list just to use a coupon. Compare prices, sometimes another brand might be cheaper than the brand with the coupon.

Do be creative with the weekly menu to incorporate coupons, for example make chicken instead of pork chops if there is a chicken coupon. Don’t compromise on health to use a coupon; don’t buy a 10% juice beverage with a coupon instead of 100% juice without a coupon or settle for high sugar cereal with a coupon in place of a healthy cereal without.

Choose off-peak hours.

It is much more efficient and pleasant to schedule supermarket visits when the store is empty. Mornings, after people are at work and older children are in school, are quiet in grocery stores and lines are short or non-existent. Later evening for working parents, or early mornings on weekends are typically light. Take note when visiting or just call and ask a store manager, “When is the store is at its most quiet?” Schedule visits during off-peak hours. Workers are much more pleasant and helpful on a whole when not facing hoards of impatient customers.

Hug the perimeter.

The healthiest items in the supermarket are found along the perimeter of the store. Fresh produce, meats and seafood, and the dairy cases all sit along the outer edges. The majority of cart time should be spent along the perimeter. Fresh foods are, more often than not, healthier than the ready-to-eat foods found in the middle aisles. The amount of sodium and fat added to fresh foods while cooking is up to the cook, not the manufacturer.

Ask for help and bring a pen.

Supermarket workers are knowledgeable and generally willing to help. Instead of wandering the aisles in search of a product, ask. Staff will often go out of their way to locate a hard to find item. The butcher can slice cuts of meat and chicken exactly as recipes call for, saving prep time at home. It is perfectly reasonable and a good use of time to alert the butcher or deli clerk, and shop while they are preparing the order.

Bring a pen and cross items off of the list as you put them in the cart, or you will waste time checking and rechecking your list.

Finally, accept the bagger’s offer to bring bundles to the car. Let the bagger push the cart, load the groceries into the car, and return the cart. The parent can keep the kids safe in the parking lot and buckle car seats and seat belts. Safer and a time saver – and baggers often like to get out of the store.

No. It is not true that the so called “get-rich-quick-scheme” exist at all. Maybe if you venture into illegal businesses, you might find your riches quickly. But you also will be busted and be a bankrupt as quickly as you became rich. To me, a get-rich-quick-scheme does exist. In a way that if you work hard, you will get rich the fastest possible way you can ever imagine. Getting rich quickly is not true, unless you work hard and are willing to learn, you definitely will be much richer than those people working a day job.

As a saying goes,”time is money”, must be remembered for those who wish to get rich quickly (I don’t mean in a day or two). You have to spend every second available to you to get on with your research and to plan your strategies if you wish to venture in the online market. The online market is saturated with online-marketers-wannabes. But if you put in the extra effort, I am a hundred and one percent sure that you will be able to succeed.

There are many ways for you to choose if you wish to work from home. There are jobs ranging from online marketing to doing online surveys. It is up to you to choose which job you really want to do. But let me tell you something, even if you know practically nothing about the internet, as long as you are willing to learn and put in the extra effort, you will be able to succeed and earn even more than those who have ventured in online marketing for a long time.

So, getting rich quickly is impossible if you think short-term (maybe a week or two). If you think long-term (maybe a month or two), it is possible to achieve your desired results. And you can start planning for a holiday to Hawaii or whichever country you wish to visit.

Working from home and earning a handsome amount of salary might be a fantasy to others, but not to you and me.

Are you considering a future in the music industry? Has the lure of the performing arts or music called to you and you are now trying to establish your place there? It can be overwhelming to say the least and without the proper aid or assistance you might find yourself confused, lost, and beginning to falter in your dream. Don’t let go or give in, simply look for the help you need and let them help carry you on toward your dreams.

If you are just entering into the music industry and have no idea about who or what you should be contacting, your first move should be to arrange a meeting or interview with a music industry consultant. These people know the industry inside and out, and they are trained on how to manage it while aiding new up and coming actors, musicians, etc. By securing the help of one, you are insuring your place in music and you will be able to begin your move toward the top. By hiring them you are showing that you are willing to learn, and that you are serious about accomplishing your dreams.

Trying to handle the business aspect of the music industry can be demanding and wearing on your nerves. Hiring a music business consultant could save you both time and money, leaving you to focus on your career and your dreams. Your consultant will be ale to achieve order and practicality concerning the business end of your work and they are qualified to keep things running smoothly and in control. Don’t place more stress on yourself than is necessary, let them carry the business.

Confused about what music you should perform? A music consultant can give you a fresh perspective on what is popular and what is not, as well as help you find your best performance material. No matter what you are doing, you will need music, be it singing, dancing, or acting and these people will help you find the best music there is.

As with any endeavor, music is no less difficult. There will be highs and lows, happy and sad moments but depending on your determination and your hard work, you may find yourself rising quickly to the top and achieving your goals and dreams. Keep them in your mind, and follow your dreams the practical way — get help from people that know the industry.

You may think that women want someone who is buffed and tanned and looks like a bodybuilder model from GQ. Those things are nice and yes we like to look at those guys, but just like you don’t need for us to look like Victoria Secret models we don’t require it in our man. OK. The 13 most important qualities that women look for in a man are:

1. Honesty
2. Intelligence
3. Nice Smile
4. Sense of Humor
5. Manners
6. Sensitivity
7. Sincerity
8. Gainfully employed
9. Has own place
10. Owns a car
11. Affectionate
12. Considerate
13. Thoughtful

OK. First things first. Honesty is the NUMBER ONE trait that women look for in a man. That doesn’t mean to be brutally honest and tell her she looks fat. (Never do that) but we want to know that we can trust that what you are telling us is the truth. If you’ve lied in the past it will be a very cold day in Hell before she trusts you again. And she may want to check your phone messages and read your email and call you 10 times a day to feel secure that you’re trustworthy again. You may not like that but if you lie it may be the price you have to pay.

Intelligence: Women want to feel safe and protected and we want our men to be smart. Maybe even smarter than us. Women feel that your brain is your sexiest organ. So dazzle us with your brain and you will be surprised how stimulated we become. Kick her ass at “Jeopardy” and watch what happens.

Smile: We love your smile. We can’t get enough of it. It makes us want to touch you and kiss you. So brush and floss and see your dentist and keep your mouth kissably fresh.

Sense of Humor: If you can keep us laughing you are golden. We love to laugh and we love a man who can make us laugh. This goes back to the smart thing as well. You have to be smart to be humorous. We like a man who’s humor challenges us. Leave that 3 Stooges stuff for the guys. Women don’t appreciate 12 year old juvenile humor.

Manners: Little things like manners are very important. Women don’t want their man to drive up and reach over from the driver’s seat and open the passenger door or just wait for us to open the door. A little old fashioned chivalry goes a long way. Escort the lady to the car and open the door for her. We love to be treated like queens. It makes us feel like you think we’re special. And hopefully you do think she’s special. We love a man with manners. We know we can take him home and our parents will love him. We don’t want to have to worry about what you might do or say. We want to be with a man not a boy. That means no farting, belching, toe or nose picking, spitting, or smacking your lips when you eat. We want to know we can take you in public and we won’t be embarrassed. And don’t forget we also like to show you off to our girlfriends and we want them to approve. You want the girlfriends to think you’re a “Keeper”.

Sensitive: That whole thing about being “Sensitive” and getting in touch with your “Feminine Side” are all very true. A woman is waaaay more attracted to a man who isn’t afraid to show his feelings and be gentle and sensitive. We actually think that makes you more manly. A man who clams up and thinks being macho is what we want is very wrong. One of the things that is extremely attractive to a woman is when it’s obvious that you are attracted to us. There is nothing hotter than seeing how much we turn you on. Don’t be afraid to show that. But of course there are limits and this can easily be overdone. Be careful about showing things like that at work or you might find yourself in a sexual harassment situation. And if you decide to try to tip your hand to a woman and show your interest, remember to keep it subtle. No woman likes a STALKER or a HORNDOG! We love to know that we are getting to you, but not in an obnoxious way. You may have to make some changes in your behavior. But of course, they’ll be changes for the better and you will most likely be happier for it.

Sincerity: This is a little like honesty, but what I mean is if you need to change some of your behaviors to be more attractive to women then don’t just do it to get the girl. This is something that has to be real. If you think that’s not you, then maybe you should think about making a change. You can decide you don’t want to change, that you like yourself the way you are, but if that was working for you then you probably wouldn’t be reading this article. You were drawn to this piece because you must truly want to know how to be better with women and if you sincerely do then you may need to take an honest look at yourself and decide what you want because it has to be real.

Employed: OK. This is a no-brainer, but truthfully there are some men out there without jobs that think they can get all the women they want. I have no idea what makes them think that, but their egos are on overtime. Women need security and we want a man who can provide for us. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to work, but it does mean that we want to know that you are a responsible MAN.

Has Own Place: OK. Matthew McConaughey was really cute in Failure to Launch but that was a comedy. Seriously we don’t want to have a sleepover at your Mom’s house. Having your own place just shows us again that you are a responsible adult. And it does help if your place is decorated nicely. I don’t mean you have to hire a decorator, but we’re not drawn to frathouse chic. Impress us with your style. Again we want MEN not BOYS!

Has Own Car: This may not be important if you live in New York or in a place where the public transportation makes owning a car unnecessary but in most of the world you need a car to pick up your date and take her out. It is important to mention here that even though we love luxury cars we don’t need that in our man. Women love men with all kinds of cars, but FYI keep your car clean (especially the inside). Nothing says SLOB more than a dirty car. Take out the fast food wrappers and keep it neat and smelling nice.

Affectionate: We really do love to touch and be touched. And I am not talking sexually here. But try holding her hand when she’s not expecting it or gently rubbing her back. Little touchy things like that mean a lot. Rub her arm when you’re reading the paper or do little things like foot and hand massages. Women love that.

Be Considerate: We appreciate the little things like holding a door open or not walking ahead of us. If we’re sleeping make sure you turn out the light when you leave. Show her you care by picking up after yourself. When you get some dessert out of the fridge ask if she’d like some or make sure you leave some for her. Just basic consideration is so important to us.

Thoughtfullness: This may sound like consideration, but it goes a little further. Being thoughtful of her needs goes a long way. Maybe give her a call from work just to see how she’s doing. While we love that we don’t want to be smothered with a bunch of calls all day long. Bring something home for her when you go to the store, like some fresh flowers (I know that’s cliché, but that’s because it works) or maybe some of her favorite ice cream…just because. This shows us that you are thinking of us and that makes us feel important and special.

Those 2 words important and special should be burned into your brain. If you can always make a woman feel important and special you will be an irrisistable Chick Magnet.

Press Ahead with Online Public Relations

Recent Internet research cites that over 93% of journalists visit online newsrooms to research stories. Ensuring that your website is within easy reach on the web is essential for your company to succeed at online Public Relations (PR).

It must be noted that the online marketplace is a potent public relations tool very different from the offline marketplace. It is much more than dashing off press releases to publications and building message branding strategies.

YELLOW7.COM provides you with an opportunity to get closer to your customers through online PR. We integrate online PR and keyword optimized press release services with search engine optimization to augment your brand visibility in the marketplace. This will result in a direct improvement of traffic, leads and sales.

Online Wire Services

We identify target keywords to create keyword-optimized information about your company and products/services in press release format and distribute it through online wire services. YELLOW7.COM also targets your online release to specific writers in your industry to greatly increase your media coverage opportunity. Once your keyword optimized press release is distributed, we track the page view clicks and pickups along with the rate of direct traffic that the release attracts to your website. We ensure that journalists, reporters, and industry insiders know exactly what you want them to know about your company.

Article Writing

YELLOW7.COM helps you develop expert articles relating to your industry. We use our industry contacts to post these articles on industry websites and popular online portals, ensuring that members of the media researching your industry online view your website and your product/service offerings, in addition to driving more targeted traffic to your website.

YELLOW7.COM Customized Online PR Strategies

The potential offered by online technology for PR is enormous, with newer media avenues like blogs, podcasting and others being discovered. However, based on your specific public relations requirement, YELLOW7.COM appropriately customizes a PR strategy.

Our customized online PR Strategies encompass:

* Search Engine Marketing
* Blogs
* Consumer-generated Media
* Online Branding
* Online PR

Is traveling via mass transit more convenient for you? Do you much prefer regularly riding in buses when going to your place of destination instead of taking your own vehicle?

Then you should know the risks involved and the matters that you may become involved with if ever the public transportation vehicle you are riding on encounters an accident.

While mass transit may be a tad safer than driving in your own vehicle, especially if you are still an inexperienced and unfamiliar of the roads accidents may occur that could bring complicated matters.

Low speed accidents do not have such a big impact on the bus and its passengers due to its typical size and weight. However, if a high speed collision occurs then it may have a great impact on the passengers of the bus since their seats are usually unrestrained. Often, severe multiple injuries may even be sustained especially if the impact of crash or collision causes the bus to roll, go off the road, or catch fire.

If you become involved in a bus accident and file a claim for damages against those who may be liable for the incident, here are several of the complicated matters you may have to face up with.

• Governmental Immunity – often, buses are being operated behind a governmental authority, such as a public school or municipality.

Given this, even if it was identified that the bus driver was the one at fault, an attempt may be made in order to avoid you and the other injured persons during the accident from being compensated. Governmental immunity laws are protecting the liable person. These laws have considerable variations in every state and they can be difficult to understand.

If your case involves governmental immunity, make sure to consult with a vehicle accident lawyer with specialized knowledge in this matter and practicing on the jurisdiction where your accident happened.

• Accidents on School Buses

Serious injuries on school bus accidents may occur on situations such as:

- boarding and disembarking of passengers –passing motorists sometimes disregard the signals indicated in the school bus, unsafe way of crossing by the children from the bus, driver of the bus lost track of a child passenger and then prematurely turns off the vehicle’s signals or accidentally hits the child with the bus itself.

- Collision accidents involving the school bus with other motor vehicles

- Highway and traffic accidents

Nowadays, the more modern designed school buses have a noteworthy element providing passive restraint on its seat design. The seats are made in such a way that injury will be minimized and avoid a child from being thrown out from the seat during a collision or be struck into the other seat in front of them.

If your child happens to become involved in such accidents on his / her school bus, make sure to talk with an attorney regarding the governmental immunity policy.

• Fifteen passenger vans – although, cannot really be considered a bus, since it is usually used as a public transportation vehicle, then if an accident happened, make sure that your vehicle accident lawyer investigate well on its causes. You may have a potential product liability case against the vans’ manufacturer because of a rollover accident.

• Fraud concerns – pre-conditioned or scam accidents staged by con – artists. If this case is suspected, the accident is usually investigated of pre-existing elements. It would be difficult to establish claims in these cases.

Be more informed about the other matters involved in bus accidents with the help of California vehicle accident attorneys and Los Angeles Lawyers at http://www.mesrianilaw.com/Los-Angeles-Vehicle-Accidents-Lawyers.html

Now we see thousands of people playing online games such as tetris, ping pong, mario bros, super mario etc for free but despite its history dating back to 1970s, for most people online gaming began with the explosion of Internet in 1993 and with the advent of Doom and Warcraft sometime in 1994 or 1995. This got further boost with publishers starting to add Internet connectivity to computer games in 1994-95.

The media, in fact, have themselves been ignorant about online games history. As far as they are concerned, online gaming just coincidentally happened when their advertisers started producing Internet-capable games. But it isn’t so…

Early Years of development

In early 1950’s a college student created a game much like Tic-Tac-Toe for a class project to be played on dinosaur computers of those days complete with cathode ray tubes for the screen display. The 1960’s had MIT students programming a game called “Space war” that could be played with two people over a primitive network. The late 1960’s brought the first “real” video games like table tennis and shooter games.

The 70s – the game begins

Serious online gaming began with the first interactive online game called ADVENT. In fact networked gaming got conceptualized with ADVENT. Networked gaming had users playing against each other within an online fantasy world. The first networked game was called Mazewar, a game which involved networked players traveling through a maze and attempting to kill one another.

Next came the interpersonal interaction in a multi-player environment. The first such game was called DUNGEN. DUNGEN had players competing against one another to complete a series of quests. DUNGEN provided with new settings and players each time the user logged on.

The late 1970’s saw the start of video game craze with more and more households getting computer savvy. As a natural corollary, people started writing their own games for the home computers. These programming hobbyists traded and sold these home-grown games in local markets.

Other changes in the 1970’s were home gaming consoles which used game cartridges. That meant the people could collect games cartridges for one base unit instead of having bulky game console systems.

The 80s – some pause before the storm

1980’s saw growing craze for the video and computer game craze, but online gaming wasn’t on the horizon yet. New games with better sound and graphics were introduced and gained popularity. Pole Position and Pac-man were two that achieved big popularity. It was during 1980’s when Nintendo introduced its first gaming system.

The 90s – revolution begins

The 1990’s saw the phenomenal growth in both popularity and technology mostly because of the rise of 3-D and multimedia.

Myst, the intellectual adventure game introduced gaming on the CD-ROM format. Fancier 3-D graphics hardware made FPS (first person shooter) games such as Quake possible.

The late 1990’s saw the exponential growth of the Internet, MUDs (multi-user dungeons) which made online games wildly popular. New and improved graphical interfaces had people all over the world playing against each other not only in FPS games but also in real time strategy games (RTS games) as well as third person games like Grand Theft Auto.

This was also the period when websites started offering online games such as tetris, ping pong, mario bros, super Mario, and other free online flash games and non-flash based games free for playing after registering with them. This really pushed online gaming into the popular psyche.

The 21st Century – world is just a playground

Early years of the 21st century were dominated by the DVD-CD-ROM. It has changed the way online games are played. The latest gaming systems such as Sony’s play station and Microsoft’s X-box have networking capabilities to enable people play with each other in real time from all over the world. Exponentially growing broadband internet services have made playing these online games possible in true sense of the word.

The only drawback to the constantly evolving technology for online games is that what you buy today might become obsolete by the next year. Luckily, for the serious gamers, the resale industry for these online games is huge. This resale industry is just another element to the ever-changing history of online game.