First of all, you aren't alone. One of the unfortunate realities of real estate, is that not all homes sell in the time frame promised by a real estate agent. Why? Well, there are many reasons actually. Here are two.

1. Your agent made a promise they couldn't keep (and most likely, they knew it).

You got a referral, you found them on the internet, you called a big brand company, etc. and thought you hired a good-standing, over, knowledgeable real estate agent. You spoke on the phone, and then you met in person at your home. They went through their song-and-dance, showed you how great they are, told you that they are going to advertise on Twitter-majig, MyBook, and all of those other fancy websites, and when you discussed list price they smiled and promised to get you what you wanted. But they had a secret. They REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted their sign in your front yard. And they would tell you anything to get it there.

The problem here isn't that the agent is not a good person, or doesn't really WANT to come through on their promise. It's that when they walked out of your home they already knew it wasn't going to sell at the price you wanted, and they were too scared to admit it. Maybe they even told themselves that if it didn't sold in a month they'd give you the whole story then.

And even if they did tell you the truth about the price of your home a month later, it was too late. You'd already been promised a certain price. You believed it could and should and would sell for what they told you.

So now, even if you lower your price, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE CHASING THE MARKET.

2. Two Days After Your Home Was Listed, Your Agent Stopped Working For You.

What I am NOT saying is that your agent didn't provide great customer service, or that they didn't advertise as promised. What I am saying is your real estate agent did not actively search for home buyers for your house. Like 99% of agents, they listed your home and hoped, prayed, danced, that ANOTHER agent would produce a buyer for your home.

Long story short: Listing agents tend to list homes. Buyer's agents tend to work with buyers. And inter-dependence is created.

Okay, okay. What Do I Do Now?

I understand how much of a hassle it can be to put your home on the market. What I want you to visualize right now is that WANT or NEED for why you put your home up for sale in the first place. Keep that goal in the forefront of your mind. Did you want a larger home? Did you get a job in another location? Are times hard, and you need to keep your home from foreclosing? Do you really want to live closer to the grandkids? Your NEED or WANT is justified and DO-ABLE!!

I'm going to be frank. Whether you end up sticking with your current Realtor or not, it is time to get another opinion. Price is undoubtedly the most important aspect of getting a home sold in today's market. It's tough to swallow, but you are competing with well-priced bank owned homes (REOs). Most buyers see the value in purchasing from a private party over purchasing from a bank, but buyers are comparing bang-for-buck. You need to be part of the market to even get noticed. So have your Realtor re-evaluate price AND have another Realtor or two give you their opinion. You don't need to go overboard, but you wouldn't remodel your home without interviewing more than one contractor.

During that same interview, ask one very important question: How are you going to find a buyer for my home? ALL real estate agents advertise. That isn't finding a buyer for your home. That's waiting for a buyer. Generally speaking, what you are looking for, is someone who works with buyers too. Hopefully they have a list of buyers just waiting to purchase homes. This REALLY ups the chances of a quick sale! I can't expose all my secrets...so if you want to know how I personally find you a buyer, shoot me a quick email or give me a call.

While you're interviewing, here are a few traits to look for in your next real estate agent.

Punctuality: Are they on time for your meeting? Do they call you back when they say they will? This may seem minor - but if they can't give respect on such a basic level, they are playing the game for themselves, and not you.

Honesty: Do they agree with everything you say? Do they never share their own opinion? Remember, you are hiring a consultant. A consultant should be able to nicely share their opinions, and validate their reasoning. They MUST be able to tell you the truth about your current housing market. They need to be able to communicate whether there are foreseen issues with the sale of your home, a short sale, getting the price you need, and what your options are.

Humility: At least personally, it is a HUGE turnoff to work with someone who goes on-and-on about themselves. Being humble is a quality often forgot in real estate sales. Find someone who is capable of answering your questions without pretending they are God.

To summarize: Your home is sell-able. I repeat: Your home can and will sell with the right agent on your side. Find a Realtor who can guide you toward a realistic asking price for the current market, and has data to support their advice. If that Realtor has the three traits from above, and works with buyers on a regular basis, you've got a winner.

Protein is an essential part of our diet. It is needed for the body to be able to grow and repair tissue and is the main building block of the human body. I think that this page demonstrated this amazingly on the muay thai lessons page.Protein is a molecule made up of 22 amino acids.

Your body can make literally hundreds of different proteins to perform various functions from these amino acids, such as:

• Antibodies - for immune defense

• Collagen - for supportive tissue

• Enzymes for metabolism

• Haemoglobin - for transport

• Hormones

The human body can create 12 of these amino acids naturally, while the remaining eight need to be obtained by eating foods which contain them.

These eight amino acids are known as 'Essential Amino Acids' which include:

• Isoleucine

• Leucine

• Lysine

• Methionine

• Phenylalanine

• Threonine

• Tryptophan

• Valine

The body's proteins are broken down continuously, therefore our bodies needs to produce thousands of proteins every day to replace them. Basically the more active you are - the faster your proteins break down - the faster your protein breaks down - the more protein is needed to refill them. Protein needs to be replenished daily as it is unable to be stored in the body unlike carbohydrates or fats.

The body breaks down and absorbs protein to help our body in many important ways such as:

• Balance hormones

• Regulates metabolism

• Builds and repairs muscle

• Grows tissue

• Fights against illness and infection

Did You Know?... Protein, like water, is the most plentiful substance in the body. Roughly half of the non-water mass of our bodies are made up of protein.

Parts of the body primarily made up of protein include:

• Bones

• Eyes

• Hair

• Individual cells

• Ligaments

• Muscle

• Nails

• Organs

• Skin

• Teeth

• Tendons

• Tissue

FACT: Our bodies generally require 1-2 grams of protein daily for each kilogram of body weight.

Did You Know?... Protein can also be burned as a source of calories. The amino acids that are not combined into protein are converted to calories or energy.

Will low Protein intake damage my body?

Without a sufficient amount of protein, the body will break down other muscles or tissues; or could even 'borrow' amino acids from the immune system or other body functions to satisfy its protein needs.

FACT: It is essential that your entire body receives enough protein from food to ensure proper growth and maintenance.

Protein is important when working out, for if you have inadequate protein in your body, you won't have enough to rebuild your muscles and other cells and tissue, leaving you weaker and more prone to injury.

Insufficient protein can affect your health and body functions such as:

• Bone cell construction

• Enzymes

• Heart cell turnover rate

• Hormones

• Immune system

• Neurological system

• Organ function

• Range of Motion/ mobility

• Red blood cell production

• Skin elasticity

• Stamina

Did you know?... An inadequate protein intake during pregnancy may cause a less than ideal body weight for the baby.

Symptoms of protein deficiency include:

• Anaemia - usually caused by a lack of iron, it causes insufficient amounts of oxygen to be delivered through the blood to the cells

• Oedema - is a build-up of fluids which particularly occurs in the feet or ankles

• Slow growth - in children

• Wasting and shrinkage of muscle tissue

Is too much Protein dangerous?

Everyone has a different opinion regarding whether or not too much protein is dangerous. If you are generally healthy, don't have any problems with your kidneys or liver, and are not on medication, it is unlikely that it could do any harm.

What happens is when amino acids are not combined into protein, they become calories or energy. During the conversion the body separates the amino acids from their nitrogen atoms, therefore creating nitrogen waste which then enters the kidneys as 'urea' and gets filtered out through the body's urine.

Too much protein can actually cause harm to your kidneys if you have reduced kidney and liver function as the build up of nitrogen waste can strain the kidneys and liver, and can cause them to further weaken.

Did You Know?... A very high protein diet can also prompt excessive mineral calcium loss.

As with anything in life, protein intake needs to be balanced. As a general rule of thumb, 1-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is adequate. If in doubt, it is wise to consult your Nutritionist to work out what is best for your needs.

What foods are high in Protein?

Almost every animal food including dairy products contain the most protein. If you are a vegetarian, you can easily obtain all of you protein needs by eating a diet with a variety of vegetables and grains.

Proteins rich foods include:

• Black beans

• Black-eyed peas

• Chicken - chicken breast is high in protein

• Chickpeas

• Cottage cheese

• Crab

• Dairy

• Eggs - egg whites

• Fish

• Lentils

• Lobster

• Nuts - Almonds, Peanuts, Cashews, Pecans

• Orange roughy

• Pork

• Prawns - shrimp

• Red meat - lean meats such as round steak, sirloin and ground beef

• Salmon

• Seeds - Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Flax seeds

• Soy beans

• Soy bean products - tofu, tempeh etc

• Split peas

• Swordfish

• Tuna

• Turkey - turkey breast and lean ground turkey is protein rich

• Vegetables

• Wide variety of beans and legumes

• Whole dried peas

Although starches and vegetables have only a small amount of protein, it adds up over the day.

Different protein sources include the following:

Casein Protein

Casein is a white odourless, tasteless combination of phosphor-proteins separated from milk by an enzyme known as rennin. It is very nutritious as it contains all eight of the essential amino acids and is also the basis of cheese. Muscles seem to love casein as they are found to use greater amount of protein through this source in comparison to others.

Did You Know?... Studies suggest casein not only assists in toning and firming muscles but can also assist in increasing muscle strength.

Soy Protein

Soy protein is made from the soybean which is native to East Asia. It is one of the very few plants which provide a complete protein source. The soybean not only provides high quality protein, it is also provides a good amount of vitamins, minerals and fiber, and is fairly low in fat content, making this protein source fantastic for vegetarians.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is a high quality protein naturally produced through cow's milk. It contains a high source of the essential amino acids. Whey protein is one of the most widely used forms of protein as it has numerous health benefits and fitness properties.

Is copying TV program downloads to your PC illegal?

The simple answer is no.

The only thing that is illegal is taking copyrighted material that you haven't acquired legitimately - and, of course, distributing copyrighted material that you have acquired legitimately.

You are well within your rights to copy your own tv program downloads,music collection or whatever onto your computer or your iPod, as long as you don't then copy those files onto your friends computer or iPod.

As for tv program downloads and music on the internet there are numerous legal options, including online services that sell individual recordings to download and keep, others offer unlimited access to a media archives in return for either a monthly fee or a one off membership fee.

There are also plenty of TV program downloads that are both legal and free, these include one-off promotions from the major companies as well as products from little known production companies or upcoming bands who are more interested in exposure and making a name for themselves than making a profit. I found that this page demonstrated this really well on this Troy Hsieh post.

As we've already seen there is nothing the media industry fears more (for obvious reasons) than the uncontrolled distribution of its copyrighted material.

It is difficult (impossible?) to see how the companies can stop people sharing files they have copied from their own CD's or PC files even if they manage to legally kill off the underground file sharing networks.

The major companies do however have a strategy for stopping people freely distributing media they have legally purchased.

Its called Digital Rights Management or DRM, it involves embedding special pieces of code into music files for instance, (or TV program downloads or other formats for that matter) which digitally impose certain restrictions on what you can do with that file.