A Dream Come To Come True?

During the Shaquille - Kobe era, the Lakers won three NBA championships. All of a sudden, the team was haunted by a dry spell of misfortune. No championships, O'Neal left, Jackson left, a new coach was in, new faces on the team came and had gone, Jackson was rehired as a coach, Kobe wanted to be traded - things just seemed hopeless not just for the Lakers team but even for the avid fans.

Perhaps everyone in Los Angeles were dreaming hoping this season would simply be different. The start of 2008 NBA season seemed no different than the rest of those dry-season-no-championship spell for the Lakers. With the hope of removing any bad lingering dreams, has anyone started using and believing any Native American dream catchers?

With some twist and turn of events, somehow some positive things seem to have bloomed for the Los Angeles Lakers. A ray of hope seemed to appear somewhere on the horizon - Gasol was added to the team, Fisher is back, the rest of the players are stepping up, the team made it to the play-offs, Kobe became the regular season MVP, and the team defeated their western conference opponents that came their way one at a time. Finally, May 29, 2008 they became the Western Conference NBA champions! They made it!

But wait, don't get too excited yet. Being the Western Conference NBA champions was not the ultimate dream of the team and the Lakers fans, was it? There is still the NBA Championship finals. No single human being has the power to see the future. But the Lakers and the Laker fans are now certainly thrilled that this team have made it to the NBA championship finals.

With or without the use of any Indian dream catcher, there is a ray of hope among the Lakers and their fans that this team will be the 2008 NBA champions. There is hope that their dream to become the NBA champions will come true once more.

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Do you love Native American products? If you do, maybe you will also enjoy collecting kachina dolls, Indian bow and arrows, Native American flute, Native American jewelry, Navajo sand painting, or have a collection of Native American drums.

5 Top Practical Reasons Why Successful Companies Continue Marketing Their Business

Although there are many reasons in this world why an entrepreneur needs to market his business, there are only top 5 practical reasons why most successful companies continue their marketing campaigns. These practical reasons are listed in no practical order.

1. The market continues to evolve and change. Some people think that by doing business with a certain product (especially something that does not have a possible frequent repeat sales), time will come that once a particular area is saturated, no body else will buy that product. That is a pessimistic point of view.

A positive thinker knows that the market is always changing and evolving. Tell me, how many babies are being born around the world every day? How many babies are being born throughout the United States alone every day? How many people graduate from high school every year? How many people graduate from college every year? How many couples get married every year? How many people look for jobs every year?

According to one book I have read, one-third of all Americans in their twenties move each year. Go to international airports, how many new immigrants come to America every year? If these big companies stop marketing their business, they would miss out on a lot of evolving opportunities for their business. The changing and evolving market gives these successful companies new prospects year after year.

2. Continuing a company's marketing campaign gives an advantage over a competitor who ceased marketing. No wonder all these big companies seem to keep going and going with their marketing campaigns. Has Toyota ceased marketing their cars although new competitors are around the corner? Has McDonalds ceased from marketing their burgers from television ads?

Marketing therefore is a do-or-die strategy to keep the big businesses alive. Once a company ceases marketing their products, they loose. A new business will never survive in the business world without any business strategy.

3. People can quickly forget. Almost everywhere today, there are already thousands of advertisements - be it on the streets, in the print media, on the televisions shows, on the internet, etc. People need to be reminded always of your business. People need to be reminded of your existence. Otherwise, all these other
advertisements will simply bombard the minds of your customers and you'll be forgotten.

Marketing involves a business presence everywhere to tell people of your business. No wonder these big successful businesses seem to be almost everywhere. When their loyal customer needs them, they are there. Thus this successful businesses can always capture the sales and make lots of profits. Now, do you see the wisdom why there are big billboards of McDonalds along some freeways?

4. Marketing allows big businesses to continue operating. According to the business experts, marketing is the lifeblood of the business. If a company has no business marketing campaign, it won't be able to generate any sale of their products or services, and it will simply die out. Come to think of it, if no money is coming into the bank accounts of that business except for expenses and bills, what good will that business have?

Although The Coca Cola bottlers company has been in existence for quite a long time now, it still continues to market its business through different advertisements. And yet, it is not just word of mouth advertisement that they rely on, they really do active advertisements year after year.

5. The Business Competitor Won't Quit. Case scenario: XYZ company sells gas but does not put a billboard sign along the freeways; on the other hand a competitor ABC company has billboard signs along the freeways. When a travelling car is about to run out of gas and the driver searches for a gasoline station and sees the billboard signs of ABC company, where will he naturally go at first?

To buy something, people spend money, don't they? Therefore, if you don't make people aware of where you are and what you are selling, they will naturally spend their money somewhere else! On the scenario we have mentioned, the driver who was looking for a gas station finds ABC company selling gas will naturally spend his
money with ABC company. If he doesn't know the existence of XYZ company, how can he know where this company is? If he doesn't know what XYZ company sells, why will he buy gas there when he knows ABC company can provide his immediate need at that particular moment? Who wins the business and the sale? Will the competitor win when it quits marketing?

So, if successful business companies make use of marketing strategies to improve their businesses, is there any reason why small businesses and new business owners should not?

Although there are different kinds of marketing campaigns, at least you as a business owner should apply a few to make your business grow. Example, if you venture to do business on the internet, you must be able to do internet marketing.

Remember, the growth of your business may be proportional to the marketing efforts you do for your business. Apply the wisdom of the big successful companies by marketing your business.

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Copyright by VMT Singuillo

VMT Singuillo accepts search engine optimization consulting. As a freelance writer some of his subjects include grandfather clocks, cheap motel, and more.

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Unique products you can give away in your marketing efforts: medical scrubs, religious gifts, blank business cards, Indian tomahawk, affordable cuckoo clocks, cheap stethoscope, and more. Simply use your common sense to whom you'd give any of these products.

When Your Mind Has Nothing To Blog

Blogging is almost the same as article writing at certain times. You need to be creative on it. However, with article writing, you may also come upon a point when your mind is simply emty. You cannot think of any else to blog. It is almost you have already written everything you know.

On the other hand, here are some simple ways to make your mind click. How about getting a dictionary and see which word you can blog about. Or maybe, think of your recent experience for the past few days. Or perhaps, think about recent world events.

Just like today, it seems that my mind is simply empty of other interesting topics that I can blog about. Hmmm, maybe I can blog about simple things like envelope seal stickers, blank wedding programs, printable thank you cards, or maybe the New King James Bible.

On the other hand, if you are doing business over on the internet, you can also blog about the products that you simply promote. How about blogging about a cheap stethoscope, a blood pressure monitor, black forest cuckoo clocks, an ebook, a cheap motel, or an Indian Navajo sand painting.

Are you still feeling empty on what to blog? How about sleeping first, probably you might be able to dream of something to blog about. ;)

The Blind Beggar

I have a friend who just doesn't seem to run out of funny stories. Although this story is simply a humorous one, it is not intended to hurt anyone - but it is simply related to provide humor.

The setting is in one of the poor countries in the world. A passerby happended to walk around a corner of a street where a blind beggar was waiting - begging for alms. The passerby simply took a coin from his pocket and tried to toss the coin to the beggar's hand.

Unfortunately, the coin did not land on the beggar's hand and it simply landed on the cemented pavement and it rolled a certain distance. To the amazement of the donor, he saw the beggar crawl precisely following the coin. The beggar got the coin without difficulty locating the money.

So the passerby confronted the beggar, "Why are you begging when you are not really blind?"

Surprised that he had been caught, the beggar replied, "I'm sorry, I am just a proxy for the day."

"So where is the real beggar?", the passerby continued.

The proxy beggar simply replied, "This is his off day today, so he went to the movies."

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P.S.The poor blind beggar had only one blind eye.

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VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer and an internet marketing consultant. Some of his subjects include Canon compatible ink cartridge, cheap motel, and more.

To Change A Name

A friend of mine told me a story of an old Chinese business man named Ton Shing Hua had been an immigrant to the United States for almost 10 years. One of this man's challenges was to make it easier for Americans to remember him by his name.

One day, the old man finally decided that once he becomes a US citizen, he will try to adopt an American name for himself. The day had finally arrived for him to take an oath as an American citizen.

After the oath taking, a close friend asked him, "So who are you now?"

He then gladly answered, "I am WASHINGTON!".

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About the AuthorVMT Singuillo is a freelance writer. Some of his subjects include grandfather clocks, religious gifts, medical scrubs and more.

Give away unique cultural gifts from America. Try our Indian jewelry, bolo ties, Native American flute, collectible kachina doll, Southwest Indian pottery, and more. Visit us at www.nativeamericanindians.net

10 Successful Goal Settings

In any endeavors we will have, we always need to have a goal to be able to reach an achievement. Whether as a student, in business, and anywhere in life, we need to know of a successful way of goal setting.

Here are the most basic ones that you need to consider.

1. Knowing Your Goals. Try to identify goals that you want to achieve. Write it down on a piece of paper or in your notebook and keep looking at it to keep you reminded.

2. Be Specific. Write down specific goals. Don't write goals in general terms such as "Being a millionaire in the near future". Perhaps you could say, "I will have a monthly net income of $10,000 a month."

3. Measurable Goals. Make goals that can be counted in figures. These figures can be in terms of money, dates, or anything you can count. Example, "I will achieve grades of B and above this semester".

4. Make Time LImitations. Goal setting involve making your goals with time limitations. Example, I should be able to accomplish 7 sales by the end of this month.

5. Achievable Goals. Make goals that you think you can achieve at your own limitations. It means to say that you focus on your goals that you are capable of doing based on your ability and present skills. Example, don't make a goal of achieving a sales of $100,000 next month when you are only able to make an average of $10,000 a month.

6. List Down Any Known Obstacle. By listing down any obstacles that you know can hinder you to reach a target, it means knowing them as well. By knowing these obstacles, you can then make plans to overcome these obstacles.

7. List Your Contacts. Listing your contacts refers to resources and people who can help you achieve your goals. These people can be your relatives, professors and mentors, successful business professionals, government officials, and a lot more that are available out there.

8. Know the must-have skills that you need. Know your capability. With your present skills, do you need to take an extra course to achieve an extra skill? Do you need to have a masters degree or a doctorate degree? Do you need to have an extra training for sales?

9. List Down the Benefits of Your Goal Achievement. What will your goals give you? Will it improve your present living condition? Will it make you the best in your class and thus attract more employment offers? If I make healthy cooking everyday, will I be free from being sickly within six months?

10. Write Your Action Plan. Having a goal without acting on it is just like day dreaming. Start to make an action plan and start acting on it as soon as you can. Best of all, take action every single day and live up to your commitment in achieving your goal.

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Copyright by VMT Singuillo

VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer and an internet marketing consultant. Some of his subjects include grandfather clocks, Native American flute, horsehair pottery, cheap stethoscope, ebook, and many more.

Are you in need of Canon compatible ink cartridge for your business?

The Facts About Faith

Faith is a big word to mention. I say big because it takes a lot of guts for someone to have faith. In fact, faith is related to the word "belief" or "believe".

Fact to matter is that faith is related mostly in religious terms. An example of which is faith in God. Faith in essence is just an abstract thing. This is because faith can mean believing in something that you have not even seen.

For example, do you believe that wind exist? But you can not see the wind. The wind can give a good feeling. And it can create so much destruction too when it is windy. Do you then believe that God exists? Do you have faith that God can bless you?

In the Christian world, Jesus asked, can He find faith in this world when He comes? Can we have faith even as small as a mustard seed? Indeed, it takes a lot of guts for someone to have faith in a God that has not been seen by anyone except Moses.

In the business world, faith can also be applicable. Do you have faith that a certain system can work? For example, I attended a seminar on internet marketing. In that seminar, the speakers claimed that anything can be sold over on the internet. Even a tumble weed can be sold - the buyers are usually western movie companies. But they did not say that anything can be easily sold through the internet.

As time went on, some people complained that internet marketing doesn't work. It did not work for them. However, I have also seen some people succeed in their internet marketing ventures. The fact that some people did succeed, it meant the system works. It's just that to have faith in a particular system, you also need to be patient and be persistent enough. Therefore, another fact of having faith in a particular system means that you need to have patience and persistence. So, do you believe that you can sell some large wall clocks over in the internet? How about an audio Bible?

In many instances, most people do not have faith. This is simply because most of us want to see something IMMEDIATELY. We want to see results IMMEDIATELY. No wonder many people become an easy prey for "quick rich schemes". In retrospect, for those who succeeded in a certain business system, did they apply mostly what they were suppose to do for their business venture? How about those who failed? On the other hand, did the successful ones correctly apply what they were suppose to do? What about those who failed?

Quitting is something that is very easy to do. In fact, quitting is something that many loosers always do. Do you remember the axiom that says, "Winners never quit. Quitters never win." In essence, we can always say that winners have the faith, the patience, and the persistence.

Another fact about faith is determination. Most people who have faith have strong determination in life. Christians who have strong faith in God have the strong determination to go to heaven, right or wrong? Students who have faith in themselves, have strong determination to succeed in school and in their careers.

Now, do you have faith as small as a mustard seed? Do you have faith that you can be successful in life by selling saladmaster cookware?

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Copyright VMT Singuillo

VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer and an internet marketing consultant. Some of his subjects include graduation invitations, blood pressure monitor, Indian arrow, and more.

Native American Indian Collectibles

Are you a collector of Native American Indian arts and artifacts? If you have been doing this already, perhaps you already have an idea of what you need.

However, for people who are still making the decision of what to buy or which items to start with, here are 5 great suggestions:

1. Horsehair pottery
2. Native American jewelry
3. Kachina dolls
4. Indian tomahawk
5. Indian rattles

Customer's Mentality

If you as a business owner know your customers' mentality, don't you think that would be a great advantage for you to gain their business and their sales?

I wonder if you have observed yourself having this particular attitude that can be found in many buying customers. You, as a buying customer, have decided one day to go shopping. Let's just say you want to go to a clock store and you have decided to buy a grandfather clock.

As you enter a particular store, a sales clerk comes to you and greets you, "Good morning, is there anything in particular I can help you with?" Suddenly you may reply something like this, "No, thanks." Then you would go on your own look around and search for a particular grandfather clock you wanted.

Now as you go around the store and you can't find that specific clock or the specifics of a clock you like, you start looking for a sales clerk to help you out. Now, you have realized that no other clerk is available to help you at that moment that you needed their help. Frustration sets in on you.

By the way, this may happen no matter what product you are looking for - either you are shopping for a suit, a furniture, etc. But it sounds funny isn't it?

Question: Why is it that when the clerk offered to help you, you refuse the service?

As customers, here's a general observation of people. People love to buy, but they don't want to be sold. Isn't it true that you would love to shop and buy? But you do not want sales people coming to you to sell you stuff!

Using the example I previously mentioned, you go to a clock store. You have decided to buy a grandfather clock, but you refused to be helped when the sales clerk offered you some help. Why do people reject that help most of the time?

Answer: People want to buy at their own pace and at their own choosing. Again, people want to buy, but they do not want to be sold.

Now, as a business owner, what would you do about this? As a business owner, does this light a bulb in your brain right now? Do you still want to be pushy and scare people away?

Scrapbooking In America

Scrapbooking is something new to me as this was not very popular in the country I came from. However, it is very popular here in America and there are even exclusive stores that simply promote scrapbooking.

From the some arts and crafts stores, you can even find any kind of scrapbook paper which may vary from a Christmas scrapbook paper, wedding scrapbook paper to any other kind of designs.

But to my nieces, scrapbooking is so fascinating. I even have seen a fair on the television that was solely for scrapbooking. Is scrapbooking another famous past time in America today?

Niche Marketing

Niche Marketing

Specialization is a word that brings a lot of money to certain businesses. Both in the real world around us, as well as in the online world, specialization dominates in many aspects. In business, this so-called specialty business can be called niche marketing.

Say for example among physicians. The medical specialists have more money than general practitioners. Medical specialists are highly regarded by patients more than general practitioners. Business is better with cardiologists, neurosurgeons, pediatricians, and other medical specialists as compared to general practitioners.

In the brick and mortar stores, although certain malls and department stores are certainly bigger, specialty stores can even be flocked more with customers. However, in the online world, online malls do not generally succeed.

With the existence of search engines, people do not try to search for an online mall first in the search engine before looking for a product. People simply search directly for the product that they want - like a blood pressure monitor or an audio Bible.

In other words, niche marketing is the best way to go in the online world. With niche marketing, you can use highly selected keywords that go with your products. Some e-commerce stores that have themes in them, use keywords that are highly related to their themes.

So, if your e-commerce store is related to Native American Indian products, you can use such keywords as horsehair pottery or even kachina dolls. I have known a website that has a niche on wedding favors and its owner is now making a very lucrative income.

However, not all niches can bring a lucrative income. Therefore, look for a certain product that are highly in demand. A certain product which is in high demand can bring in much money to your pocket than one that is not. However, I must also warn you that with products which are in high demand, there could be a very stiff competition which can be very challenging. Although these high demand products can bring in much success IF you succeed, it can also bring a lot of frustration to those who are new to the e-commerce business.

Another reason why niche marketing would be very advantageous to you as an online marketer is your knowledge and familiarity of the products. So if you are a nurse and you'd probably want to create an online business, perhaps you can sell medical scrubs.

So, have you now thought of a certain niche for your business?

Niche Marketing

Biblical Business Marketing Parable

I do not know if you who are business owners or salesmen out there have experienced what I have observed in business. There is a saying, "You can not please everybody." Isn't this right?

Certainly, that axiom is true. In correlation with that maxim, no matter how good or excellent a product you have that you are promoting in business, not everybody will appreciate it. In fact, not all prospective customers will even believe in what you declare as true - even if you are really telling the whole truth about your product. Do you agree with me?

For example, people may believe that cars like a BMW or a Rolce Royce is a very excellent car. Yet, not all will buy any of these cars for some reason even if they can afford it. I have recently found that the best healthy and safest cookware available in the market today is produced by Saladmaster. Yet not everybody would buy a Saladmaster cookware even if they can afford one. In comparison to the BMW and Saladmaster cookwares, is it the financial reasons alone that deters others to buy despite the good benefits that these products can give?

Well, there may be times that business can give you discouragements. Even if you share the whole truth to people, not everyone may believe in you. As I have been reflecting in some down moments of my business, I have come upon a parable (as told by Jesus in the Holy Bible) that holds true not just in Christian life but also in business.

When a preacher goes to the open market and teaches about a Christian message to the people, there would always be four classification of people that you will find. Some would not outrightly believe in what this preacher may preach because of Satan's efforts. Others, will gladly receive the message at first but when problems come up, the Christian message is disregarded or forgotten. Others too may accept the message for a short while, but it is not deeply rooted in their faith and these teachings can also be easily disregarded. On the other hand, there are also those who will certainly believe in the message and this will really grow in them.

The parable I am talking about is the parable of the sower. When a certain farmer started to plant seeds, some seeds fell on the road side where the birds easily took them away - thus these seeds never grew. Some seeds fell on thorny ground, and when these seeds grew they were easily choked by the thorns. Some seeds fell on stony ground where when they grew, they were not deeply rooted and when the heat of the sun came up, they easily weathered. While those seeds that fell on the good soil, they really really grew.

I have strongly believed that this parable can also be applicable in marketing and sales. Some customers would not easily believe in your claims or presentation. Others may believe you at first, but when others start talking about their negative opinions of your product, these will also discourage your potential customers. While there are also other customers who will really see the truth of what you claim about your product.

So if you are new to business marketing and sales, while there may be people who will believe in the truth you are preaching about your product, always remember that there will also be people who will be skeptical. Should you then be discouraged about it? NO! Simply be happy about those people who believe in the truth of your product. For those who did not believe, that is their choice and you are not to be blamed of their decision.

And speaking of skeptical people, did you know that Jesus had a skeptical disciple as well? Did you remember Thomas? Thomas was told by his fellow disciples that Jesus had already risen from the dead. Did the other disciples of Jesus told Thomas the truth? Yes. Yet, Thomas did not believe them. In fact Thomas even said he would only believe if he can see Jesus alive with the scars on His hands and hold the scar on the side of Jesus.

I remember when I was in med school, we had a professor who was a heavy cigarette smoker and he taught us about the lung and lung diseases. During his lecture, our professor admitted that cigarette smoking can really cause cancer, yet he himself was smoking during our lecture. Our professor knew the truth about smoking, yet he did not bother to stop smoking. That is his decision, right? And if he suffers the consequences of his decision, who is to blame?

Let those who believe reap the benefits of your product, while those who do not - let them suffer the consequences of their decision. So in marketing and sales, if you really believe and are passionate in your product, follow the SWSWSW rule - "Some will, some won't, so what?"

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Test question: Do you believe in Max GXL?

Franchise Opportunities

Franchise Opportunities

Franchise opportunities are great! Think about it. You will be doing a business with an established company simply by completely copying their strategies without reinventing the wheel.

However, do you really know what it takes to do franchise? Number one, do you have the start up capital to do the business? Some companies have franchise fees from $500,000 to as high as a million dollars. Can you afford that? On the other hand, there are also companies that you can franchise from as low as $6,000 to $200,000 dollars. At that range do you have the start up capital to start with?

Yesterday, I was fortunate to attend a Franchise and Opportunities Expo at Riverside, California. Although I already have an existing home based business opportunity which I am doing simply part time, I went there to personally learn first hand about franchise businesses.

A lot of booths were there each of which were occupied by a company promoting their respective franchise or business opportunities. There was a coffee vending company that offered a $6,000 franchise for their coffee dispenser of Star Bucks. There was a printing company that offered $30,000 franchise. There was even a mobile photo company that offered $130,000 franchise. Max GXL which is distributed by Max International was even there too.

Even if you may not have enough start up capital, some of these companies are willing to partly finance the franchise fee. Some were willing to finance 75% of that franchise fee. So, if the franchise fee was $130,000 and 75% of which was financed for $97,500, do you have the $32,500 immediate cash to pay up front?

There were free seminars that were also going on. Oone of which I attended discussed about selecting a franchise business. That seminar I attended was an eye opener for me because I have learned that although about 75 percent of the population today want to establish a business, only 5 percent of those will really succeed.

Again, from that seminar, the speaker told us that you will not be able to have a successful business overnight. It may take time. In fact, a question was raised like, "How soon can a business owner start paying himself from his business?" The speaker said, "Probably in six months, 1 year, or maybe year and a half."

Another thing I've learned from that seminar is that the franchise fees are not just a one time fee. It may be like once a year, every two years or even every five years. And once you stop paying these franchise fees, you are on your own, and you can not have the privilege to use the logo of the mother company of your business nor the business support.

Despite the expensive cost of franchise, it does not even give a 100% guarantee that you will succeed. Again, they say, only 5% will certainly succeed. I remembered my brother who lost about $70,000 in two months when he joined a celphone franchise. After two months, my brother closed his business.

Reflecting on what I already have, I think my part time business opportunity is the right one for me. Simply by investing in a set of healthy cookware systems, the company will give you and me the privelege to do business with them. In less than two months I was able to pay off my set. The company is called Saladmaster.

On the other hand, instead of promoting coffee through the coffee dispensers which can cost you $6,000 for a start up, with Saladmaster, you will be able to promote health through healthy food preparation.

Although, each of us who are presently doing business with Saladmaster have different success levels, I have already received good sum of money in return of my investment simply by doing this part time. After all, potentially receiving an extra $300 - $800 a week is not bad, isn't it?

If you are in Southern California particularly in the Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, you can join us at this link:
http://www.easy-healthy-cooking.com/business_opportunity.html

Franchise Opportunities

Popular Navajo Collectible Kachina Doll

Many collectors of Native American Indian arts include a collectible kachina doll in their prized possessions. The top six searched Navajo kachina dolls include following:

1. Eagle kachina

2. Clown kachina

3. Crow Mother kachina doll

4. Wolf kachina

5. Kachina chief

6. Butterfly kachina

There are more than 200 different kachinas that are known by the Native Americans. And each kachina is believed to represent some special attributes in them.