In this high tech advanced world that we live in now, it

appears many may have forgotten books, or at least lost

touch with them for entertainment. We have television with

multitudes of channels and devices that allow you to record

programs and view them whenever you want so you can

basically have an unlimited supply of entertainment to view.

In a generation where virtually every household has a

computer with an internet connection, we can email, visit

chat rooms and more. There are chat rooms and websites

on

every topic you can think of. So where does that leave books

in our lives?

What role do books play in your everyday life? Are they

dust-collectors on a library shelf? Do you pull them down

when you need to look for something or to find the

definition of unfamiliar text?

Unfortunately, books may have become less popular over

the

years. We now have magazines and newspapers to read so

some

people still get their daily reading. But many people don~t

read much more than that or the TV Guide.

Books come in many different forms. We have paperback

and

hardcover and we have fiction and nonfiction. Some books

are

meant to be reference materials. Some books are meant to

tell a story. When a person writes the story of their own

life it is called an autobiography. A book written about

someone else’s life is a biography.

Books are written about famous places in the world- and not

so famous places in the world. There are books about

presidents and governors and everyday people. There are

books about diseases and conditions and even self help

books

teaching you how to lose weight, build self-esteem, recover

from loss and many more topics. Virtually anything you can

think of can be found in a book.

Then we have the world of fiction. Fiction books are made

up, make-believe, tales, stories from the mind of the

writer. Some fiction books are pretty far-fetched. Some

books are based on some fact. Some are so close to the

truth with just a few details enhanced or exaggerated to

make it more interesting.

With the rise of technology, book expenses have risen also.

Unfortunately, this only damages reading more. There are

several options for those wanting to have their enjoyment

of books. One format is electronic, or e-books. E-books can

be purchased online and downloaded instantly like a

computer

program. They can then be read right on the computer

screen.

Another option is book trade-outs and used book stores.

Even

national airports are becoming involved in book trade-outs.

You can buy a book, read it on your flight, then return

it at your destination airport and get part of your cash

back. Someone else can then obtain that “used” book for a

lower price and the book cycle goes on.

In this technological world, we still need to remember that

none of it would be possible without the printed word.

LOL certainly is the most frequent way to convey laughter in internet chat, however it’s far from the only way. Today we’re going to present a few

more alternatives to LOL which might be used to express extreme laughter instead of simply laughing out loud.

ROFL or “Rolling On The Floor Laughing” comes second just after LOL with regards to how much it’s applied on the internet, it’s typically seen in instances where there is a need to point that something is really hilarious, the actual purpose is obviously not simply to reflect that you happen to be really rolling on the floor laughing, instead, it simply just means that you happen to find some remark, response or event, exceptionally hilarious that just using a LOL would not do it enough justice. ROFL is also significantly less reserved compared to LOL, it’s generally used by those who are friends or long-term online buddies. Contrary to LOL, ROFL is rarely applied as a verb, however very little would prevent you from using it as a verb in cases where it really is the more appropriate choice in a specific context. Googling “I LOLed” returned approximately 1.5 million results, on the other hand “I ROFLed” simply showed 36k results. The thing to remember is that there is absolutely no agreement on the appropriate usage of these types of acronyms, precisely which acronym to utilize, and specifically when to apply it, is normally something that you basically possess the freedom to decide. ROFL is definitely an intriguing online acronym and it certainly has its countless applications on the web, get into any sort of chat community and you’ll come across numerous illustrations of exactly how and when to make use of ROFL.

LMAO or “Laughing My A** Off” is relatively more current than ROFL, and to some degree not as much used too. But in many places it can dominate the rest of the acronyms, specifically on gaming sites and other more professional interaction websites. LMAO may very well be seen as a mid layer acronym, it comes somewhere between a LOL and a ROFL, even though it can certainly still be applied as an alternative for each of those. Being perhaps fairly less reserved compared to ROFL, you’ll find it commonly used in scenarios in which the circumstance leading to the laughter is actually a lot less pronounced or trickier to see by the public. In some places, like in one-to-one chat networking sites, in which not all people are really familiar with all the less popular web acronyms, it might be wise to employ the much more well-known LOL or ROFL to not possibly produce any unneeded misunderstandings. Generally speaking there is no scenario at which LMAO stands out as the sole reasonable acronym to use (although some people could disagree) in my opinion, LOL and ROFL are definitely more than adequate to express the many degrees of laughter, then again, people will continue creating fresh ways to communicate laughter on the web, and also even if you don’t utilize LMAO yourself, it undoubtedly helps to understand what it means and the reason why many people prefer it over other similar acronyms.

Lastly, you might find it interesting to discover that ROFL and LMAO are often grouped together together and employed in the form of a single acronym, ROFLMAO or “Rolling On The Floor Laughing My A** Off”is by and large much less employed in comparison to the previously mentioned acronyms put into use individually. Still, more and more these days you observe these acronyms and others paired together into one word for maximum impression. Never underestimate the importance of a more expressive ways of interaction, particularly in an open collaborative model such as the online world. In my upcoming article, I’ll be presenting more acronyms very much like ROFL and LMAO which are rapidly starting to be part of the online chat vocabulary.

If you want to know some tips to turn strangers into your friends, we suggest that you follow these tips from experts. With these tips, you will be able to make some great friends. Read on.

1. Use the magic word

While it may sound easy, you may find it a barrier. Actually, what you need to do is use a good conversation starter. And "hello" is the best word to kick off a conversation. Most people welcome you when you say hello to start a chat. It takes some courage because you may find it hard to talk to a stranger for the first time.

2. Don't care about the outcome

If you don't expect an outcome, disappointment will stay away from you. Moreover, you won't get offended if the other person won't even respond to you. Things may not turn in your favor all the time. So, you should not care about the outcome of your first conversation.

3. Tolerate rejections

If you get a rejection, you should be ready to tolerate it. Actually, you should not take rejections personally. Moreover, if the other person doesn't grab the opportunity to talk to you, you won't lose anything. They will be the loser. So, you should not be concerned when you get a rejection.

4. Don't care about what they think

You will decide about whom you will talk to. The fact of the matter is that not everyone can be as open as you can. So, you should not care about what they think.

5. Deal with the fear

If you want to fight your fear, you should do it over and over again. What you need to do is push through the fear. Soon, you will feel it natural. Keep in mind that your fear won't go away all of a sudden. However, if you keep on fighting it, you will be able to beat it.

6. Practice

If you feel a bit aggressive or awkward at first, you should not worry. If you have good intentions, you will have a great time. As a matter of fact, it's like any skill that you get better at with practice. Your first conversations with people you don't know will feel scary, but they won't cause any harm to you.

7. Make them laugh

If you want to make the conversation joyful, you should make them laugh. As a matter of fact, people love to talk to joyful people. Therefore, you should get out of your head and have fun while talking to strangers. It's not a good idea to start the conversation with boring or uninteresting topics. If possible, you can make some jokes while talking to them.

So, if you have been looking for ways to talk to strangers, we suggest that you use the 7 tips given in this article. This will help you have a great time while talking to someone you don't know. Hopefully, you will be able to make some great friends down the road.

It was only a matter of time before audio and eventually video chat became part of this communication boom as well. There have been countless implementations and incarnations of this technology over the years, too. It started as something built into OS office software. From there, it found its way as an added-on feature of instant messenger services.

As time went on, video conferencing programs, with the instant messaging feature as a second thought, became widely embraced, and honestly these still are. But have you really taken the time to look at how many things feature video chat and free webcam chat as a given aspect of communications?

Cell phones, tablet PCs, game consoles and even television HD frontends all feature live video chat often at no additional cost now. This is just becoming part of our daily lives, and it’s getting to be more and more crucial as the office and commuting work environment gives way to the work-at-home trope which is taking hold.

However, there’s one use for this technology which wasn’t really thought of when it was put into place, and is really only beginning to appear now that websites can support live cam to cam chat without the need to install any program.

We’re all familiar with the internet dating services that have you record a video which can then be played back by prospective mates, and vice versa. But, now there seems to be a surge in people using random video chat programs to meet people.

The advantages of this are multiple. First of all, it’s a safe environment for adults to meet new and interesting people. The control both parties have over the situation, as well as the distance between them means that some of the less than desirable things that happen out in the real world won’t happen there.

This is also a great way to choose people based on interests rather than just looks. People are meeting people as blobs of text in web communities based around mutual interests, to then move on to using free webcam chat sites to actually see and talk to one another thereafter.

This new, controlled and streamlined way to meet and get to know new people via webcam chat is changing the face of how society works. Some say this is making us too insular and unwilling to be “out there”. Others say it’s a safer, less expensive way to broaden one’s social horizons. Which is the right estimation? Well that is strictly a matter of opinion!

I have more than one reason for sharing this today. First, I want it to be known that just because I am Beachbody Coach and a huge advocate for health and fitness, and practice the lifestyle I teach, I struggle too and want to be an open book. Second, I hope that if you are reading this and you also battle emotional eating, that it will inspire you that you can overcome it and still meet the goals of your weight loss journey. Lastly, if you are reading this because someone you love battles emotional eating, I hope that it can shed some light on what they may be feeling.

Looking back, I think that I have always battled emotional eating, but I wasn't aware of it until more recently. At the beginning of January, we decided to participate in a 21 Day Daniel Fast with our church that we attend. I knew I was struggling with my eating habits and had begun to fall off track, so I prayed that this partial fast would help me get my act together. My husband decided to join me and we are currently on day 18. If you have never heard of this before, it is a partial fast where you eliminate any leavened breads, sugar, coffee, animal products – basically you eliminate everything but fruits and vegetables . My senses have been heightened to my cravings since I cannot have my comfort foods, and I am recognizing more and more how much of a struggle I have with emotional eating.

Things I have realized:

· I am addicted to certain foods / drinks because of how they make me FEEL. Example: my decaf coffee makes me feel cozy and relaxed (emotional eating red flag # 1)
· I find myself eating mindlessly when I am BORED. Especially at night when I sometimes find myself wanting to eat everything in sight. (emotional eating red flag # 2)
· I frequently find myself feeling guilty after mindlessly eating, because I have recognized that I really wasn't hungry to begin with. (emotional eating red flag # 3)
· I have certain "trigger" foods (CARBS), that I have a terrible time putting down even when I am full. These trigger foods are all foods that I am addicted to for feelings of comfort. Example: chips or bread at a restaurant (emotional eating red flag # 4)

According to WebMD, a way to help determine if you are physically hungry or emotionally hungry is if you are focused on one particular food. For example, after a really stressful day at the office, I CRAVE carbs – typically things like chips, bread, pizza and fried foods – things that I don't eat very often. And what happens if I cannot get one of these comfort foods when I am having this feeling? I get UPSET. Hello? That is not good.

Also according to WebMD, what you reach for to satisfy an emotion depends on the emotion. For me personally, I crave carbs and sugar when I am having any type of emotional eating episode. But in this article I read, it says happy people tend to be drawn more towards pizza or steak, while someone in a sad mood might reach for ice cream and cookies. I rarely want ice cream or cookies, so I guess that means I am happy.:D

If you have been following me very long, you know that I have my own weight loss story that I share. In the past year, I lost a little over 30 pounds. You might be asking yourself, "How did she do so well if she battles emotional eating, and how can I do it too?" Well, first I will tell you that my results could have been much better. I cleaned up my eating dramatically, but I still could have done better sticking with the meal plans, so I could have had better results. However, in my opinion I did wonderfully and I am so much happier now. I want to share with you a few ways that I still lost weight while battling emotional eating.

· I got in an accountability group. I host these on Facebook if you ever want to hop into one. Having others also being conscious of what I was doing really helped me, and still does!
· I started exercising at home and replacing one meal a day with Shakeology. This just kept me more consistent and getting my workouts in 5-6 days a week was obviously a big reason for my weight loss. Shakeology helps with my cravings.
· While I still battle nighttime episodes where I want to eat every carb in sight, I began reaching for healthier options. I shouldn't eat after dinner at all, but hey, it was an improvement.
· I did not let one episode of emotional eating derail me – I kept going the next meal with what I knew I needed to be doing to continue losing weight.
· I made sure that I ALWAYS have snacks on hand. Every single day I go to work with breakfast, 2 snacks and lunch. This way, the constant array of fatty treats that come into the office don't tempt me as much. Example: the other day, someone brought in some amazing looking donuts. My need for comfort kicked in, but I kicked it back by eating my snack of strawberries instead.

I'd love to hear from you – do you have your own battle with emotional eating? How are you overcoming it? Or, do you need help overcoming it? Comment below and we will chat!

For many of us, the term 'social media' is practically synonymous with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

At the very least, we will tend to associate social media with analogues of these three big sites and generally we think of social networks as modern sites where you can log in and share pictures and status updates.

In reality though, the web has been social long before Facebook was a twinkle in Mark Zuckerberg's eye.

When the web first exploded in popularity, people were already having discussions and debates about their favorite hobbies and interests but they were doing so in chat rooms and on forums.

And while Facebook and Twitter have more prominence now than those aforementioned chat rooms, they are nevertheless still out there and they still offer a lot of opportunities.

What are Forums?

A forum is essentially a message board, normally attached to a website, where people can post questions and get answers. Users must first create a profile and from there they can create or respond to 'threads' as well as doing other things like send private messages.

In other words, these act like the groups or pages on social media, providing discussion that is centered around a specific topic and where only 'members' get to contribute.

This is one of the biggest attractions of these forums – they have a 'VIP' feeling and tend to nurture a much more close-knit community. Many people will make friends on forums, or will even work together on joint projects etc.

The Advantages of Forums

So while forums are smaller than social networks, they are also much more targeted and the users tend to be very committed and passionate to the subject. This creates an ideal opportunity for you to gain exposure for your product or website if you post there.

The problem is, most companies have no idea how to use forums. They will simply create accounts, log in and then post their link like an advert. Bearing in mind how much of a clique the users of these forums become and how protective of their community they are, you can imagine that this is often met with disdain.

To succeed on forums then, the objective is rather to post links only after you've established yourself as an active member of that community.

To do that, you need to take part: by answering questions, by starting discussions and by finding things you find useful. Though it takes a little work, this can allow you to learn more about your target audience, to demonstrate yourself as an expert on your topic and to build loyal fans and even friends.

Once you manage that, you may even find that they actively help you to promote your business!

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) was invented in 1988. The colleges rapidly caught on and the word spread.
Two of the oldest and largest IRC networks are DALnet and EFnet and are still operating today. They
are networks of hundreds of servers all working together, with thousands of chat rooms and people.

Until recently, linking into IRC chat from a webpage was difficult. The software was rough and no one
really put the time into it. Advances have been made, and now we can bring the world of IRC chat and
webcams directly to you from web pages.

You can find on-line chat groups where you can chat and see and streaming cams. Also, most users have
chosen to use a webcam to enhance their cam chat experience, a webcam is not necessary to enjoy the
chat or see the webcams on most sites. Some will even allow you to add your webcam. It's all free if
you find the right sites.

No matter if you are new to chat and webcams, or an experienced IRC user, you can find a place. Nearly
all discussion subjects are welcome in most webcams chat.

A lot of the users have ICQ, AIM and / or Yahoo Messenger installed to complement the live camchat. They
may even have live video and voice webcam chat.

Be sure that both java script and java are enabled in your browser for the java chat most sites use.
With IE and Netscape this is already on by default unless you have turned it off. If you are using a
popup blocker, make sure it is turned off. You may also chat with a stand alone IRC Client, such as
mIRC or pIRCh.

Thanks for reading,

The world becomes a small place to live when you make friends from cross-country and continents. I had the same experience. It was amazing one of the best in my life. My mind always drifted to Africa which many people term as the Dark Continent but I do not think it is true. I admired the African candor their knowledge their guileless attitude and their curiosity to know about the world. I was attracted to their culture since my college days when I read the American Literature. I came to know about their backgrounds, culture, dress code, and status of women in those days. Most fascinating was the wild life preservation that they are doing since eternal times. You should watch the documentaries made on Kalahari and Masaimara National parks. Strangest from the strange creatures would welcome you in their abode.

African-Americans follow different religions. Some of them are Jewish Christians and Muslims. Like normal people, they worship their Gods and live in peace and harmony. Why did I use the term "normal"? It is because other races look at them differently. It is because of the color that the disparity exists but I do not care for it. I admire Africa and its citizens. I am so glad that I have a young African boy as my closest friend in the world. His name is Aliyy Oke. Popularly known as Abussaif among his pals and family he is a techno freak and studies computer science as his passion. I came to know him through one of the article submitting websites and soon we began to communicate regularly. I began to admire his friendship.

I did not know how to pronounce his name but it did not matter. I was jumping up and down with glee as my dream of befriending an African boy came true. It was my ardent wish to visit this continent for a month and now I had an excellent opportunity of exploring on virtual basis. I began to ask him questions and inhaled lot of information that I felt curious about. He was soft-spoken, intelligent and when I saw his face, I realized that they Africans have a beautiful skin-tone. A bit of a brown and black with curly hairs, Aliyy had striking features. I stared at him and could not take my eyes off.

My friend belonged to Islam and I am a Hindu. My instinct at first was to set a limit between us but then I thought, why should we bring such differences in our friendship? I must let it go and relax myself. We talked about several things. He was in school and wanted to start his own website and do the marketing stuff. I was a literary scholar and bombarded him with Shakespearean stuff. We discussed philosophies, science, education, love, and our passion for wildlife. He had a great sense of humor and talked in a measured speech. Unlike other boys who start to flirt and chase the girls of our age he had strong limits and did not spoke a single word that seemed way less. This trait made me to love him more and I started to wait for his calls and messages.

Then he called me on Skype and on cell phone. I was thrilled at the sound of his voice. He spoke so fast I could hardly grasp but it had an undercurrent of affection. As perceived, his voice was filled with curiosity love and affection for me. It was the first time in my life that I received a call from seven seas afar. I have friends living in different regions of the world but Africa was my dream spirit. Aliyy lived in Nigeria in Oyo-Oyo state filled with lush green forests and beautiful surroundings. I saw him on the video call and was pleasantly surprised to find that he fitted in the picture of an "African Prince". He was tall and thin and had little beard as every Isl? Mic men has. His eyes glinted with happiness and perfect white teeth. I felt giddily buoyant and talked with enthusiasm.

We did not chat for days sometimes but it did not bother us. When you love someone and trust him or her, you will not stick to that person for 24/7. They need their personal space he had tonnes of work to do. Moreover, I was busy too. We continued our friendship as it blossomed to new heights every day. Like normal people, we faced our vicissitudes. I am a little hotheaded and easily blown off by temper and it resulted in big fights. He knew my problem so he handled in a way only a best friend could. To my surprise, I was easily placated. I would fight with him, talk with him, chat, and share knowledge and I could not live without him.

We are best friends and best mates any human can become. He loved me and I loved him. We understood each other perfectly and even if the bad times came, Aliyy took the oars and balanced our boat.

I missed him when we fought. His name weaved some magic on me. I knew this was the symbol of everlasting bond. Even if we never meet on these lands, he will always stay in my heart.

As the maxim goes, it is better to leave no stone unturned. This is why Chrysler Group's suitors are reaching out to some of the biggest auto dealers in the nation to gain even more crucial insight into the automaker and the marketplace.

Bidders have contacted public traded dealership chains including Lithia Motors Inc., the AutoNation Inc. and Group 1 Automotive Inc. Further, some privately owned dealers also have been contacted.

Medford, Ore.-based Lithia CEO Sid DeBoer said that he has spoken with one of the private-equity groups eyeing Chrysler which he declined to disclose the name. The conversation concentrated on Chrysler's vehicle lineup and the future of the American auto market. "They have sought opinions about product lines and things like that from some dealer groups," DeBoer said.

The suitors seeking to acquire the American arm of Chrysler from DaimlerChrysler AG include the private equity team of Blackstone Group and Centerbridge Partners, and the Wall Street firm Cerberus Capital Management and the Canadian supplier Magna International Inc. DaimlerChrysler executive Rudiger Grude is scheduled to meet with the representatives of those parties in New York this week.

The Tracinda, Kirk Kerkorian's investment company, has given a proposed $ 4.5 billion bid for the ailing automaker. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based AutoNation, the largest dealer chain in the United States with 30 Chrysler locations, has had a "series of conversations with a couple of big private equity groups" interested in Chrysler, said the President and the Chief Operating Officer Mike Maroone.

"They were interested in our point of view on a number of issues – products, the dealer network, the health of the industry," Maroone added. "We talked about broad issues, not behind-the-scenes stuff – our view of the market." Maroone said AutoNation emphasized that it believes the industry needs to take a more customer-focused approach to building and selling cars and adopt a more rational pricing approach.

The Blackstone / Centerbridge team has spoken with Houston-based Group 1 Automotive's CEO Earl Hesterburg in the past few weeks. This information was given by individuals familiar with the discussions. Group 1 spokesman Pete DeLongchamps said that he was unaware of any conversations. Lithia's DeBoer, who took over the family business in 1968 after his father died, said that he is not surprised that potential buyers have begun to contact dealers. Lithia has more than 35 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge retail outlets. "We have no idea as a dealer what a manufacturing company should do or who should own it or how they should go about it," he said.

"But we do know what sells and what has a lot of potential," DeBoer said. He added he would prefer that Chrysler stay with DaimlerChrysler. "They have tremendous synergy in many of the products," he said. "I just don't believe it's the right thing for the German company or Chrysler."

Every option is weighed and considered. And it is possible that a private equity would break up and sell Chrysler. Hence, the efficiency likened to that of EBC Active Brakes Direct could also be resorted when making decisions especially if it concerns the future of lots of workers.

"I don't think anybody could do that and get value. I don't think that's the risk," DeBoer said. "I think no matter who owns it whether it's Daimler, Cerberus, Blackstone or Magna, they all have to do the same thing – reorganize the cost structure, make good product choices and run a company." Jeep brand is a wonderful brand. Dodge has got a great name in its own way. Chrysler isn't damaged by any means, there's just a lot there, "he said.

Some dealers of Daimler's American arm said potential buyers should gather information from Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge retailers of all sizes. "To get a perspective and good due diligence, it would be probably best for them to talk to as many varying size dealers," said John Schenden, the owner of the Pro Chrysler-Jeep in Denver.

Back in 2001, we were smitten by the cult-film AI Artificial Intelligence. It was an extremely futuristic movie, one that involves a young boy named David, who is a per-programmed robot. Despite being a robot, David seeks for mother's love and eventually falls in love with Monica, who he considers his mother. The robots are more humane than actual humans in this film, which leaves us questioning the difference between our programming and theirs. So deep and emotional is the movie that we can't help but empathize with the humanoid, David, who struggles to find a room in Monica's heart. AI was a concept which was still nascent at that stage. But, today, it is a growing phenomena.

AI is in your everyday life

An AI-powered bot can take on several human skills. As for the companies, it is an economical alternative to hiring humans. As a result, companies are embracing bots to resolve their customer queries. By adding new cognitive abilities, chat-bot development companies are coming up with responsive bots. Today, there is a bot to suit all your purposes. For instance, if you want help for your finance management, there is a personal finance bot to manage your money. If you want to know the weather forecast, there is a weather bot for that too. This apart, there are chat-bots for cab services, news, grocery, and many more. Brands are tapping on bot efficiencies and developing their own to engage customers.

Bot development is easier than you think

The first question which might strike you when you think of bot development is – 'If I want to build a bot for my company, do I need to hire an expert?' The answer is 'no.' You will just have to figure out why you need the bot, select your platform on which your bot will be integrated (Facebook Messenger, Slack, etc.), design a bot conversation and set up a server to run your chat-bot from. If you are running short of finances to hire an in-house bot development team, you can opt for chat-bot development outsourcing services, offered by third-party agencies. These agencies appoint chat-bot development experts. Therefore, you can be rest assured about the quality of their services.

Your bot is your branding frontier

It's not enough to simply launch a bot. You must know how to brand it as well. For this, you need to be particular about factors such as personality, tone and design. Do not build an 'all-inclusive' bot. Instead, focus on features which would fulfill your business objectives. For instance, give your bot a unique name. This way, your customers can simply run a quick search to connect to your brand. Make your bot conversational. This gives your customers the feeling of texting a friend. The more you encourage your customers to have a one-on-one intimate conversation with your bot, the more popular will be your brand. Since a bot design is a reflection of your brand, make sure your bot has an attractive logo and a unique user interface. Make your bot sound smart by using short and crisp sentences. This way your customers will come back to you for further assistance. And finally, integrate your bot with a platform, where you customers are mostly present, for example, Slack, Skype, Messenger, etc.,

When I was a young kid and watched films like AI Artificial Intelligence, little did I think that bots will bring such revolutionary changes in the business sector one day. Turns out, I didn't quite understand its huge potentials. Today, I am amazed to find out its endless prospects and what it can do to businesses.

People, meet AI bots!