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The entertainment division of Microsoft is riding high as their much anticipated and publicized video game Halo 3 set a record for first day sales with a take of 170 million dollars. The previous record was set by Halo 2 in 2004 at 125 million dollars in the first 24 hours. Microsoft was expecting Halo 3 to make 150 million dollars on September 25, 2007 the day it was released. But this ambitious figure was met and surpassed much to the delight of the people at Microsoft and Bungie Studios, their company owned animation studio.

When the first Halo video game Combat Evolved was released on November 9, 2001 it immediately captured the attention of the people who play video games. It then went on to much greater success. Several more video games like Halo 2 and a list of merchandising products like action figures and comic books were created. They were immediately embraced by a legion of loyal fans known as the Halo Nation. A cultural Icon and a very large following were created with this futuristic video game, much like the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises. xbox 360 was the king of video game consoles and the Halo video game franchise was number one for the longest time.

But things have changed for Microsoft since Playstation 3, PSP and Nintendo Wii came out on the market. They offer a variety of great games like call of duty, Madden NFL 07, Twilight Princess and Tony Hawks Project 8 to name only a few. The latest video game consoles by Sony and Nintendo also offer great technological advances, and this has caught the attention of the video game customers who love innovation with their video games and electronics. Especially the kind of innovations that make it seem like you are actually in the game.

When Nintendo Wii was released about a year ago it offered an exiting new technology with the Wii remote. It is called the motion sensitive feature and it allows one to be right there in the game interacting with 3D characters and special effects. It revolutionized the way people play video games.

The Wii console also sells for less than the xbox 360 console at about 250 dollars compared to 500. This fact has made Nintendo Wii video game consoles more attractive than the xbox 360 to the middle class parents whose Christmas funds for presents this year may be a little low.

Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 by Sony have both been on top of the video game market for the past year. Suddenly xbox 360 was no longer number 1 in sales of video game consoles and the Halo video game franchise was no longer the best in the world of video games. Prior to September 25, 2007 things were not so merry at the entertainment division of Microsoft.

A few years back Microsoft and Bungie Studios hired a group of talented computer programmers and 3D animation artists that was large enough to fill a high school auditorium. These people were the cream of the crop in the business of making video games. They worked very hard for over 3 years on the production of Halo 3 at an overall cost of about 50 million dollars. The result is a first person shooter video game with sound and graphics that are a feast to the eyes and ears and a storyline that is quite engaging with several twists and turns.

The Halo Nation has shown up in full force at the retail stores to buy Halo 3. There is also a very large following for the online video game version of the Halo franchise. Microsoft has reported that over 1 million online players battled it out in the first 24 hours on xbox Live playing Halo 3. This version of the game pits online members against each in a fight to the death.

Now they are dancing in their corporate offices back at Microsoft and Bungie studios. Their video game Halo 3 made 170 million dollars in the first day on the market and they are projecting that it will make over 560 million dollars overall. If this turns out to be true for Halo 3, which is well on its way to making it so, it will give Microsoft a 90 percent profit for this project. In an industry where most video games lose money this is quite an astounding statistic.

The recent release of Halo 3 has put xbox 360 games and xbox 360 video game consoles back in the spotlight and primed to be back on top of the video game industry. It is a testament to the creativity and marketing skills of Microsoft and its employees who have been known to do a few things right in their remarkable history.

Institute Iyengar New Ny Yoga York

What do you do if you have tried everything and can't seem to lose any more? You have hit a weight loss plateau and it can seem IMPOSSIBLE to get past.

weight loss motivation is a BIG problem especially if you have a lot of weight to lose. The answer to a weight loss plateau is never easy but there are some things you can try to kick-start your weight loss plan.

This is part 4 of our 8 part series exploring the 7 most crippling problems faced by people trying to stick to a weight loss plan and offer the solutions that allowed me to break free of the weight loss plateau.

Hitting a weight loss plateau is quite normal, in fact in your weight loss journey it is almost a certainty that at some stage you will come to a point where you don't seem to lose anymore pounds but you are still overweight.

Your body has simply become used to your current weight loss plan and is maintaining the weight rather than continuing to lose it.

before you change what you are doing you need to ensure that you are doing all the "right things" when it comes to your weight loss plan. These include:

• Eating small meals frequently (5-6 small meals per day)
• Performing regular aerobic exercise (for burning calories) and regular weight training exercise (for growing those all important fat burning muscles)
• Keeping your calorie intake to 15-20% lower than your normal calorie intake required to maintain your current weight

If you are doing all these things consistently then it is time to try something a little different to kick-start your body into burning fat once again. There is no one solution that will work for everybody as we are all individuals but what follows is some suggestions to get you started.

Weight Loss plateau - Emergency Help Plan:

• Maybe you are "over doing" your exercise regime. Overdoing exercise may not be giving your muscles time to grow as each exercise session causes tiny tears in your muscles which your body repairs and builds stronger for next time. This is how we build muscle. If we are not allowing our body rest time to grow our muscles we are not increasing our muscle mass significantly.

HINT: Try including a day or 2 of rest in between each exercise session to allow your muscles to recover.

• "Break the Cycle" of your current calorie intake by increasing your calories slightly for a few days then decrease them. For example if you currently eat 1500 calories per day in order to lose weight, try eating 1800-1900 calories for 2-3 days then drop this back to say 1100-1200 calories for another 2-3 days then return to your normal 1500 calories.

IMPORTANT: Eating 400 extra calories doesn't mean 400 extra calories of fatty foods or snacks. Eat 400 more calories of the same type of foods you have been eating on your current diet. Try slightly larger portions of your existing meals or add an extra small meal to your day.

• Try fiddling with your percentage of carbohydrates such as reducing them from say 50% of your intake to 40% or try consuming more proteins in your diet. Keep records and see if you notice any positive changes.

• If you think your problem may be to do with fluid retention then make sure you are drinking at least 2 litres of water per day and eating lots of water rich foods.

These strategies will not fix EVERY weight loss plateau as the problem is complex but they are a good place to start. If you are really stuck even after trying all these strategies don't let your weight loss motivation fall to the point of giving up. Try a professional such as a dietician who can monitor you closely and design a weight loss plan specific to your needs.

Just can't stick to it? Here's a boost to your weight loss motivation

Many people find it very difficult to adjust to smaller meals and feeling hungry all the time. I would often "break out" and eat snacks when I shouldn't and I just couldn't achieve my weight loss goals no matter how hard I tried.

I would constantly be annoyed at myself for "breaking" my diet.

When the US discovered the media hype surrounding the Hoodia cactus after media coverage on ABC and CBS news, thousands of people decided to give this option a try and it has proved to be a breakthrough for those who had tried a diet or weight loss supplement in the past and it just didn't really work.

Eating the hoodia cactus has the effect of fooling your brain into thinking you are full. It has suppressed the appetite and thirst of the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa for hundreds of years.

Be Careful! A warning when purchasing hoodia:

Hoodia supplements of all kinds are now available. There are options from pills to liquids, patches, and even coffees, teas, shakes and fruit bars! The demand for hoodia at the moment is much higher than the supply available. You need to be careful which retailer you purchase from as only properly certified manufacturers can obtain authentic hoodia.

The South African government has placed limits on the amount of Hoodia that can be exported from their country in order to prevent over harvesting. Hoodia plantations are currently growing plants to meet the demand but the Hoodia is difficult to grow and takes around 5-7 years to reach maturity.

Until then Hoodia is a quite rare. Many manufacturers wanting to ride the wave of hoodia popularity have resorted to making fake hoodia products or supplements with so little authentic hoodia in them that the effects would be insignificant.

How to avoid the scammers:

There are lots of options available for Hoodia products. Although there are plenty of fakes, the good news is there are a handful of reputable products that are worth your time and your dollar!

Unless you plan on losing your money rather than your pounds there are 3 things you absolutely must AVOID when purchasing Hoodia supplements! These clues on a manufacturers website will help you to identify the scammers and which products to stay away from.

Visit Trusted Weight Loss Review and discover what you need to know.

This article only addresses one of the problems that can destroy your weight loss motivation. You can also download the full ebook The 7 Problems that can CRIPPLE your weight loss efforts for free at Trusted Weight Loss Review and get the full story.

Weight loss "wanna be" or weight loss success? Discover a wealth of resources and reviews of the products that have helped our readers to attain a slimmer, healthier, sexier you. There are no gurus here. No hype. Just real people who have achieved the body they have always wanted. Discover how at http://www.trusted-weight-loss-review.com/Hoodia-Report1.html

Yoga Here And Now Deerfield

If you're much of a fitness buff, you're probably constantly alert for fun and challenging workout videos and products. pilates is a phenomenon that is catching the attention of many because of the results experienced by certain Hollywood stars. Many community colleges, adult education and recreation centers, and gyms are now beginning to offer pilates classes.

pilates is a non-aerobic system of floor exercises that strengthens and firms the body while it promotes flexibility and coordination. It was invented by health and fitness guru Joseph pilates in the early 20th century and became especially popular among professional dancers.

pilates works the abdominal and the back muscles, which are referred to as the "core" muscles of the body. The core plays an important role in nearly all fitness related activities, so a strong, but flexible core means less risk of injury and enhanced performance in other workouts. Unlike many forms of exercise however, pilates requires great concentration. Because proper form is so crucial to success, you're forced to pay special attention to how your body is moving. In this way, it is actually quite similar to yoga and there is a lot of crossover between people who practice both.

It is advantageous that pilates is great for all fitness levels, even for beginners. With the many videos that have been produced, you can even do pilates at home. When you first work out to winsor pilates tapes, you may be quite surprised at how challenging the seemingly-simple movements actually are. That is because pilates works muscle groups you probably aren't used to exercising. If you keep up your workouts however, you will adapt quickly. Don't assume that just because it is difficult the first time that it will be impossible. You will get much better with practice.

Working out to the winsor system can be a great way to get in shape. You get a 20 minute workout and the longer, more challenging 50 minute accelerated body scultping video. So, once you're proficient in the basic moves, you have an additional video to keep you challenged. The instruction is clear and friendly, and modified moves are demonstrated for those who have a weak back or neck.

It is convenient that the mari winsor pilates workout tapes do not require extra equipment. The exercises can be performed comfortably on a carpeted floor. If you have hard floors, you will want to get a mat.

One drawback to these tapes is that once you know how to do the exercises, the instruction can seem too wordy. You get a better workout if you don't take breaks in between the exercises, but Mari frequently pauses the workout to explain how to do the next move. One solution is to hit fast forward; another, is to write down the sequence of moves and do them without the video once you're familiar with the exercises and comfortably know what to do.

The bottom line is, the winsor pilates videos are effective, especially when combined with a healthy diet and aerobic exercise.

Kathy Hildebrand is a professional writer who is easily bored with her "day job" assignments. So, she researches anything and everything of interest and starts writing. Writing about an extremely wide variety of subjects keeps her skills sharp, and gives her food for thought on future paid writing assignments.

More of her research and articles can be found at www.lasertargeted.com/pilates and other sites around the internet.

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When I meet people and tell them what I do, I often hear, Oh, you are a motivational speaker, with some amount of assuredness in their voice. While I realize there are many speakers that people lump into this category (some who are my friends and mentors), I strongly disagree with that label.

Do I speak? Yes.

Can I inspire, challenge thinking, provide ideas, input, and encouragement (and in smaller settings), provide feedback? Yes I can.

Can I motivate? No I cant.

DIY

There is a channel on my television called DIY The Do It Yourself Network. On this channel you can learn how to make drapes, redo your landscape, take care of your yard, build a deck, make unique crafts, and much more. Many people must watch it, because it has been on my television for several years.Actually this doesnt surprise me. People want to learn how to do new things. They want to avoid the cost of the expensive plumber, carpenter or painter, and they like the pride that comes with seeing the results of their efforts.

If people do the things they learn about (rather than just watching) they are doing it because they are self motivated. No crafty, clever, or comical TV host has motivated them they have motivated themselves.

It is the same with our personal, professional and business projects we may work with others and need expert coaching, advise, counsel and encouragement, but in the end these are Do it yourself projects too.

Five Suggestions

Here are five things you can do to make your own improvement and growth and do it to yourself project.

1.Have a reason for doing. If your windows are bare, you know you need drapes. If your grill sits in the grass, you know you want a deck in your backyard. What is the reason you want to improve your skills or habits or achieve new results? Having a clear goal is the first step towards self motivation. If you watch the TV show because you are interested, but dont need that skill, you will just watch. If you listen to a great speaker or read their book and dont have a clear goal, youll get no more than an enjoyable experience.

2.Take action every day. You have your goal, your reason, so now take action. I cant take that action for you any more than Bob Villa, your boss or a family member can. Make a plan and get started. You dont have to carve out two hours in your already over crowded day, but do something. Take a step towards your self-improvement project every day. At least one thing, every day.

3.Put in the positive stuff. Many people who are learning to build that deck buy books, magazines, and software; go to the local hardware super center for classes and ask for advice, and much more. Are you putting anywhere near this amount of time, effort, and money into reaching your personal or professional improvement goals? read or listen to the positive, uplifting material each day. Consider it inspirational fuel for your own motivation.

4.Lose the Losers. Do you have people around you who arent willing to invest in themselves? How much time are you spending with those who ridicule or put down your efforts? While you may not be able to remove these people from your life, you can reduce the impact their attitude has on you. Recognize how they negatively impact you and move on.

5.Turn off the TV. Yes, even football, I remind myself. Am I saying you should not watch any television? No, but TV is the major time stealer in our society and is a self reinforcing habit. Every show has commercials for other shows. So not only are watching others achieve their goals while we arent achieving ours, but we are being bombarded with messages about products we dont need and being convinced to watch even more. You will find as you watch less TV it gets easier to watch less. Why? In part because you wont know what is on!

The person who learned how to dry wall his own basement when asked why they chose to do it says something like, I figured no one would care as much about the quality of the job as I would, so I decided to learn myself. Besides, I have so much more pride in the results.

These are great reasons to do it yourself. Apply that same logic and reasoning to yourself. Dont ask me to motivate you. That is your job. Just like the expert on TV, I can help show the way and help you see that it is possible. But in the end, it is your life, your results, your project.Go out and Do it yourself.

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