Top financial mistakes made by college students

1. Blowing your school loan money!

Instead of using your financial aid for books, tuition, room & board, many students will choose to finance their extravagant lifestyle of partying, clothes, gadgets, and eating out. These school loans you've worked so hard to get should be paying for your education, not you social life...so use the money wisely. You'll be paying them off for many years to come.

2. Credit Card Debt!

Even responsible adults can rack up some hefty credit card debt, but students, who have no viable income besides their school loan money, and what cash mom & dad give them, have no business getting multiple credit cards. This is a recipe for credit disaster, because now students will not only have their school loans to repay when they graduate, but large credit card balances. Nellie May, the largest student loan maker, says that most graduate students have an average of $5800 in credit card debt.

3. Not Paying Your Bills on Time!

Racking up huge credit debt and not paying your bills on time is a good way to ensure that you can't purchase a car, rent an apartment or even get a cell phone after you graduate. Keep the credit cards to a minimum, and pay your bills on time to keep your good credit rating. You'll thank yourself in a few years.

4. Bad Budgeting!

Being a college student generally means living on a fixed income. Weather it be your financial aid money or money from a part-time job, or even money from Mom & Dad, the cash is usually limited and setting up a budget is important. A monthly budget doesn't mean you can't do the things you want to do, but simply a plan so you know the "must-pays" actually get paid. Figure out exactly what bills and expenses you have every month and plan for those first. Any money after that you can budget for social / recreational items like CD's and kegs.

5. Going to a College that's too Pricey!

Instead of going to your local community college for your pre-req classes and spending $25 a unit, many students feel they have to go to the 4 year university straight out of high school. Many end up returning home and going to a C. C. anyway, but attending a local school first is a good way to save money, and get those required classes out of the way cheap. After you've completed these courses, transfer to a 4 year school to complete your undergraduate degree. This will save thousands upon thousands of dollars that you would have racked up on student loans, and been paying off well into your 30's.

So many of the bad financial decisions students make is a result of poor financial education. Students haven't been taught by their parents or high school teachers the importance of maintaining a good credit score, paying bills on time, and budgeting income. Wise spending during the college years will ensure that the money you make after graduating will be spent on things you want, not credit card payments, collection companies and school loans.

From the heartland to the table dine in with fresh regional tastes of the nation

Demand for wholesome, sustainable food from American land is gaining momentum as Americans become increasingly aware of their food's composition and origin. Industry experts agree: Natural and domestic are two key criteria for food consumption and will remain on-trend for years to come.

American Lambs, produced in nearly every state across America and available fresh year-round, are raised on a high-quality natural diet and are free of growth hormones, offering a tender, mild flavor that fits in perfectly with this movement. In fact, according to a recent Synovate study, consumers prefer American Lamb, ranking it superior in terms of quality, taste and healthfulness to imported lamb. In keeping with the preferences of U. S. consumers, domestic producers raise American Lamb to ensure the highest-quality product with a consistently mild flavor and higher meat-to-bone ratio.

Chefs across the nation respond to the growing demand for fresh, natively grown ingredients with inventive spins on close-to-home, regional cuisines. From the depths of the Southwest to the heart of the Big Apple, chefs demonstrate how lamb's versatility and savory flavors harmonize beautifully with cuisines deeply rooted in American heritage. To help expand this trend to the home, acclaimed chefs have provided ideas for dining in with a variety of inventive American Lamb dishes that pay tribute to regional cuisines from across the nation, including Floribbean, Midwest, Southwest and Classic New York:

• Floribbean: The infusion of Floridian, Latin and Caribbean cultures has introduced an innovative cuisine that treats America to savory meats combined with sweet fruit flavors and straight-from-the-garden side dishes and garnishes. Sear a boneless lamb loin marinated in a guava or citrus glaze. Serve with calypso rice and a fruit salsa.

• Midwest: Midwestern cuisine continues to change with its seasons, from sheltering stews to backyard burgers. For a one-pot meal that's great for entertaining and tastes just as great the next day, try serving a lamb loin roasted with carrots, celery, potatoes and turnips.

• Southwest: Southwestern fare is light, zesty and fun. These dishes are easy to create and simple to share. Grilled lamb with salsa verde is perfect when serving a large group. Butterflied lamb shoulder is tender and flavorful once marinated in spicy salsa and tossed on the grill.

• Classic New York: As the indisputable restaurant capital of America, some of the city's most enduring scenes are upheld by American culinary classics such as the grilled rack of lamb, New York strip and garlic mashed potatoes. A roasted rack of lamb with a rosemary rub is easy to prepare and provides the perfect crowd pleaser.

Southwest Lamburger With Golden Tomato-Mango Ketchup

Recipe from Chef Sandy Garcia

4 servings

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 10 to 12 minutes

1 pound ground American Lamb

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped roasted poblano or pasilla chile pepper

1 tablespoon chopped mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley leaves)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 hamburger buns

Golden Tomato-Mango Ketchup recipe follows

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Make into four 1/2-inch-thick patties.

Grill over coals covered with grey ash for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Place lamb patty on each bun and top with golden tomato-mango ketchup.

Golden Tomato-Mango Ketchup

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

4 yellow tomatoes, chopped

1 mango, peeled and chopped

2/3 cup white wine or chicken broth

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon white pepper

In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sautй for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and mango, cook for 5 minutes. Blend in wine or broth, vinegar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool. Place in blender and blend until smooth.

3 principles for overcoming fitness obstacles

If you’re like me, the quest to be in shape and manage weight feels overwhelming. And, as if the quest to be fit isn’t hard enough, there’s often other obstacles to overcome: health issues, time management, mustering up courage or energy. Even if you’ve been exercising for a long time, there’s always new barriers to be broken. So, how to put all of this into perspective?

According to Tom Turner, executive liaison for the Spina Bifida Association that’s exactly it: Perspective. And also, according to him, there’s no mountain too high to climb. Tom would know. Paralyzed from the waist down since birth he’s now 35 and trains about three times a week. In fact, he tells me, he just couldn’t get along without exercise.

So in my quest for the last word on overcoming barriers in fitness, Tom sat down with me and together we came up with 3 basic principles that will help break-down fears and intimidations when striving to reach fitness goals. (After all, if he can exercise on a regular basis, shouldn’t that be encouragement enough for anyone to give it a shot?)

Principle #1 Move Into The Fear.

“Train you mind to believe no mountain is too high or any goal is too difficult to attain,” Tom tells me. Basically, it’s all about meeting your fears and facing them head-on. In this principle, aim to recognize your fears, acknowledge them and then move through them. Ask yourself what is it that makes you uncomfortable? Have you let yourself get out of shape and are afraid you’ll never get back? Do you have an injury that’s caused you to be afraid of your body? If you can visualize creatively, then you can put your fears in check. See your self as you’d like to be. Remember: your body loves you and has the potential to heal itself to perfection. Your only job is to trust it and listen.

Q: What is your body saying to you?

Principle #2 Trust Your Intuition.

It is important when overcoming obstacles and learning to break through barriers that you begin to listen to the still small voice of your body. In most cases, we all want the comfort of having someone telling us what we can and cannot do. However, our highest truth lies within us. This is not to say that the good opinion of others is not important, but ultimately the decision making comes from within.

When facing a challenge or an obstacle look to how you feel. What are your instincts telling you? Often it is simply your instinct that will move you into a new mindset and raise your consciousness. “I wasn’t about to let the wheelchair stand in my way,” Tom tells me. In fact, he says he had to merely change his perspective about it. He says he first had to learn about what his restrictions were then, create a boundary for himself. “We all have boundaries,” he tells me. "Regardless if a person can walk or not, obstacles are as unique as people themselves. Therefore, it’s first best to know your boundaries."

Next, Tom tells me he aims to meet those boundaries. “I first reach as high as I can within the confines of what I am able to do. Whether it be more sets, reps or greater endurance, I allow myself as much time as necessary to accomplish my small goals. It always surprises me, with small steps, how quickly I can reach a Big goal.”

Principle #3 Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.

What then, about fear? I wanted to know. If we move into the fear and meet it eye to eye what if fear meets us there? “So,” I asked Tom: “are you ever afraid? “After 19 operations in my life, I’ve really come to terms with fear,” he says. “It really comes down to our most primal fear; fear of death. Once you realize that death is all part of the divine plan, it’s liberating, you can let it go and, instead, choose how to live. So instead of being afraid of death I decided to choose how to live."

So what’s the take away message? Talking to Tom, I’m reminded of the poem by Dylan Thomas who said: “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.” It seems appropriate here. The bottom line: Staying afraid often keeps us from truly living. Tom reminds me that a positive attitude is key, "Life is all about attitude." He also says he could let fear beat him down, yet he doesn’t. “I wouldn’t want to miss being part of tomorrow,” he concludes. That said, what fears are getting in your way? Make today the right time to face them.

In conclusion: Life Beyond The Boundaries.

When you’ve faced your fears and pushed your boundaries to the edges, what then? I wanted to know. Tom smiles. “Find a new mountain to climb,” he says matter-of-factly. “It’s what makes life fun. I know I have considerations. I know that there will be days that I’ll need to stay in bed and rest while my braces are getting tuned up. It’s those times when I am with my thoughts that I decide what I am going to set my sights on.”

Author’s Note: In my personal quest to live beyond the boundaries I’ve chosen Tom as my role model (lucky for me, he's my brother). We so often look to the media for these sources and so often they are illusory. There are “real” people everywhere doing great things...look around you; angels are everywhere! Learn from them. Choose someone you look up to, admire or of whom you appreciate their values. Set goals, climb mountains! Set intention in motion and enjoy the healthy process.

Feather plucking a major problem for the african grey parrot

Feather plucking is known to be a very nasty habit of the african grey parrot. They are notorious feather pluckers. It is said that the Timneh African Grey parrots are not as bad as the Congo African Grey Parrots when it comes to feather plucking. But this is not a proven fact.

First of all any parrot keeper should ask himself why do parrots pluck their feathers. There are many different reasons for this nasty habit. The African grey parrot is a parrot species that need quite much attention from his human owner. If this doesn't happens then the bird will probably get bored and this can result to feather plucking. But belive me that the this feather plucking problem is very complicated because it's very hard to resolve it. There were cases when the african greys plucked their feathers because of getting to much attention. So you just don't know exactly how to treat your bird. Dietary imbalances, or environmental problems may also take to feather plucking. Some environmental problems could be smocking very much in the room where the parrot is kept or keeping him in a space with dry air. Also is recommended for african grey parrots to get regular baths or to be exposed to some kind of moist air. The african grey parrots shouldn't encounter any frightening experiences because this can take to feather plucking.

If this nasty habit appears in you bird's daily activities than you should first see a veterinarian. He will probably try to find a physical explanation for the bird's problem. It's best to try to understand what the veterinarian explains and try to find some ways of resolving the problem. It is proven that the african grey parrot is the most intelligent species. His higher degree of intelligence, along with possible incorrect early socialization at the breeders and not understanding the bird’s intellectual needs when it becomes a companion parrot often leads to neurotic habits -- such as plucking.

Timnehs african grey parrots don't pluck their feathers as much as the congo african grey parrot. This could be because they were not as popular as the congo african parrot. Because of their duller coloration they weren't as licked as the congo.

In conclusion the feather plucking is a major problem for the african grey parrots because they are very difficult birds to take care of.

It s a high price to live in the city

In any city where the majority of people are renters, the projected rise of a 5% increase in rent is anything but good news.

Over 61% of households in Los Angeles are inhabited by renters; one of the highest rates in the country. Under the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (which limits annual rent increases to about 3%, as long as the same tenants are in the unit) tenants have some protection. However, this law only applies to housing built prior to 1979 (when the Ordinance came into effect); an ever-shrinking housing stock in this city.

As the increase in rent skyrockets, Landlords are motivated to get rid of longtime tenants paying below-market rent. Landlords cite they have been hit with significant increases in real estate taxes, and rising fuel costs, and deserve compensation.

Owning a rental investment property hasn’t always been so profitable for Landlords. In fact, between 2000-2004, rents were not being increased because most tenants were vacating rental properties to buy houses or condos (300,000 apartments were converted to condos for sale during this time in Los Angeles).

This home-buying frenzy spurned investors to purchase an abundance of condos in cities like Miami, San Diego, and Las Vegas, hoping to flip them for a quick profit. However, a majority of these properties have been empty since the market faltered, and investors are now seeking tenants to help pay the mortgage.

Unfortunately, rent increases seem set to rise in the majority of markets, nationwide, and it seems that this trend is likely to continue for at least 3 years. Even with the expected 4% increase in paychecks this year, it is becoming increasingly difficult for most tenants to save enough money to buy a home; rents are rising because the payment gap between renting and owning remains wide.

So, if you are looking for a change of scenery, and are frustrated with the expense of finding a decently-priced rental in Los Angeles, then Miami, San Diego, and Las Vegas should be considerations on your relocation list. Not only are the rental prices affordable, but you also have the opportunity to purchase a property for a reasonable amount.

With rents scheduled to rise 14% higher than what they were in 2004, what hope is there to bridge the ever-widening gap between the haves and the have nots.

Seo for ceos search engine optimization unmasked for ceos

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If you’re like most other CEOs, the term “search engine optimization” will mean very little. Either that or it means expense! But it doesn’t have to be that way… If you feel like you’re standing in a dark room handing money to strangers to get you in the search engines, then this article is for you.

This is an article written by a business owner for other business owners and CEOs. It explains Search Engine Optimization (or SEO) in layperson’s terms. It won’t make you an expert, but it will give you some insight into what you’re spending your money on, what you should be spending your money on, and just as importantly, what you shouldn’t.

But before launching straight into an explanation of SEO, let’s talk a bit about search engines. Approximately 75%-80% of website traffic comes through search engines. What’s more, research shows that most people don’t look beyond the first 2 pages of search results. This means if your website doesn’t rank in the first 2 pages of the major search engines, it’s only receiving 20% of its rightful traffic… and revenue. (And remember, being ranked number 1 when you search for your company name or web address doesn’t count. You need to rank highly for the words your customers use at search engines.)

The biggest concern for search engine companies like Google, Yahoo, etc., is finding content that will bring them more traffic (and thus more advertising revenue). They do this by using complex algorithms to determine whether a site is useful and should be included in their search results.

This is where SEO comes in.

SEO is the art of ranking in the search engines. Nothing more, nothing less.

SEO means creating your site such that the search engines consider it useful. The two main weapons in your arsenal are:

• Keywords
• Links to your site

KEYWORDS

Figure out what words your customers are looking for at search engines, and use those words at your site. By frequently using keywords that are important to your customers, you tell the search engines what you do. These keywords are used in your copy and in the code behind the page. Generally speaking, the more you use the keywords, the more relevant you are to searches in that field.

Keywords in Your Copy

The use of keywords in your copy is easy to understand. But it’s not easy to do. You can’t just pepper your site with a meaningless array of words. The trick is using the most important keywords a lot without compromising the readability of your copy. It’s a balance between writing for the search engines and writing for your reader.

TIP: If you find this too time consuming, a website copywriter can take care of it for you. And if you know your keywords already, it should cost you no more than normal web copy.

Keywords in Your HTML Code

The use of keywords in your HTML code is harder to understand, but it’s easier to do. There are four main places these keywords are used:

• Keywords
• Description
• Alt
• Title

TIP: When you hear people talking about meta tags, this is what they’re talking about. To see how meta tags are used in practice, go to Google and pretend you’re a customer. Search for something your customers would search for. e. g. If you’re in car audio, search for “car audio”. Click on the first couple of results to bring up their website. Right-click on the home page, and select “View Source”. You’ll see a whole lot of code. You can ignore most of it. What you’re looking for are the following…

meta name="KEYWORDS" CONTENT="keyword 1,keyword 2,keyword 3"

meta name="DESCRIPTION" CONTENT="Meaningful description of page using the main keywords"

img src="filename. gif" alt="Meaningful description of picture using the main keywords"



Take a look at the way the creators of the site have used keywords in these areas, and follow their lead. You already know they’re ranked highly, so chances are they’ve done a good job. Alternatively, take a look at my site, divinewrite. com to see how I’ve done mine.

LINKS TO YOUR SITE

Now that you know how to tell the search engines what you do, let’s talk about how to convince them you’re important.

Links to your site (or “inbound links”) are the most important factor in ranking. The more links you have to your site from other sites, the better your ranking (related sites generate better rankings).

TIP: Think of the Internet as a big election. All the websites in the world are candidates, and all the links to those websites are votes. The more votes (links) a candidate (website) has, the more important it is, and the higher its ranking.

There are many possible ways to generate links. Some are dubious (like auto-generation software). Others are legitimate, but offer limited results (like asking customers and suppliers to list you on their sites, and adding your site to various business directories). You can experiment with these methods, but I’ve always found the best way to generate inbound links is to write helpful articles and let publishers of newsletters and e-zines use them for free – on the proviso that they link back to your site.

People who publish e-Zines and newsletters are always hungry for quality content. And there are websites out there dedicated to giving them just that. If you submit a well written, relevant, helpful article to one of those sites, you can have thousands of newsletter publishers ready to snap it up. Then you just sit back and watch the links multiply!

TIP: This method is beneficial in other ways too. Readers of your article will see that you know what you’re talking about, and because you’re published, they’ll see you as an authority.

It’s impossible to say how much time you’ll need to spend generating links. You just have to keep at it until you have achieved a high ranking. Even then, you’ll still need to dedicate some ongoing time to the task, otherwise your ranking will drop.

Summary

So to cut a long story short, it comes down to this. If you have a lot of the right keyword phrases, used in real sentences, distributed realistically throughout your site, and a lot of links from other relevant sites, you stand a good chance of being ranked highly.

That’s what you’re paying your providers for. And that’s what SEO is all about.

Tea what are good white tea blends

One of the most recent trends in Western tea drinking is white tea. Though white tea has been around for centuries, it has only recently become popular outside of the Asian world. And, even in China and Japan, where most white tea is grown, it was traditionally reserved for special occasions because of its rarity. Today, however, tea drinkers all over the world are enjoying white tea more and more.

White tea comes from the same plant as other teas, the camellia sinensis. But, it is harvested before the leaves are fully open and while the buds are still covered with fine white hair. This makes the tea leaves much mellower, resulting in a much milder tea than black and green teas. In addition to being harvested at a different time than other teas white tea undergoes very little processing, and is not fermented.

The leaves are simply steamed and then dried. Sometimes the leaves are even steamed and dried right in the tea fields and dried in the sun to protect the delicate flavor.

White tea’s flavor is much milder than black or green tea and it has a very delicate aroma as well. It brews to a very pale color and has a hint of sweetness. This mild flavor and aroma appeals to tea drinkers who might find black tea too heavy or green tea to have a bit of a grassy flavor.

Because of this, white tea has opened tea drinking to a whole new group of drinkers who may not have enjoyed tea before.

In addition to being delicious to drink, white tea is also very healthy. In fact, while few studies have been performed on white tea, it is believed to be even healthier than green tea. In the past, many studies have been done on green tea and its ability to slow the aging process and prevent serious diseases like cancer and heart disease.

The reason that green tea has been shown to prevent disease and slow down aging is because of its powerful anti-oxidant levels. Anti-oxidants are present in high levels in natural tea leaves, but the fermentation process changes these anti-oxidants, reducing their effectiveness.

Because green tea, like white, is not fermented it retains more of its natural anti-oxidants.

Therefore, if green tea is a disease preventer, white tea should be just as effective; perhaps even more effective.

In addition, some studies that have been performed on white tea indicate that it is extremely effective in improving the immune system. In particular, white tea seems to have the ability fight off bacteria and viruses. And, white tea is high in fluoride, so that it prevents tooth decay and inhibits the formation of plaque.

If you’ve never tried white tea, you should certainly purchase some for yourself and see if it appeals to you. White tea is much rarer than black or green; far fewer gardens grow it, and typically just one crop is grown each year.

However, particularly if you shop online, you can find very high quality white tea. Sample some Silver Needles or White Peony to get a good idea of what unadulterated white tea tastes like. It’s likely that you’ll find it a very refreshing beverage both cold and hot.

But, for even more variety, scope out the white tea blends. These teas offer a bit more flavor than a plain white tea because additional flavors are added to the tea. The addition of these flavors through the use of natural herbs can also make white tea even healthier. Consider these varieties:

Ginger White Tea – This tea combines rare white tea with the spicy flavor of ginger. White tea provides an incredible boost to the immune system, and ginger has long been heralded for its ability to calm the stomach. Ginger is effective for easing the nausea of morning sickness, motion sickness and the nausea that can be a side effect of chemotherapy.

The combination of immune boosting properties and nausea relief makes this a great gift for a friend who is pregnant or under chemotherapy for cancer.

White Licorice Tea – Another delicious white tea blend, this combination also offers the immune boosting quality of white tea with licorice, which is renowned for its ability to soothe coughs and act as an expectorant. Licorice also is soothing to the stomach. Licorice flavor is a wonderful complement to the delicate flavor of the white tea. When choosing white licorice tea, it’s important to choose a tea that has whole pieces of star anise to ensure the best and boldest licorice flavor.

White Persian melon Tea – This is one of the most refreshing white tea blends. The melon flavor makes the flavor of the tea a bit bolder and fruitier and complements the natural sweetness of the white tea. This is one of the best white tea blends for making iced tea.

As you shop around, you may find other delicious blends of white tea to further broaden your white tea experience. Be certain to choose only the highest quality teas with flavorful herbs to ensure that you get the best flavor in each and every cup.

Sell your house at fair price

Nowadays, home buyers are having more choice about the homes they will buy. In the real estate market, competition is tough now to find a buyer that sees the potential in a home that needs a little work, without substantially lowering your asking price.

There is a reason why you cannot get a fair price. In many cases buyers expect your home to be in 'move-in' condition before parting with their money. They see new carpets and freshly painted walls in showrooms and are judging your home with the same measuring stick. It changes what people are willing to pay. You receive offers subject to negotiations - meaning you have more work to do before the sale takes place. Others may simply try to give you a ridiculously low offer if they buy 'as-is'.

If you have pressing circumstances that mean you cannot do the work or cannot afford the time it would take to have the work done you may take one of these offers, losing thousands of dollars of value just because it was the best offer on the table.

Real estate investors know the market you are selling in. They are not put off by stains on the carpets, fading paint or any of the other typical wear and tear that comes with lived-in homes. You can find real estate investors who will take on all of the hassle of cleaning and prepping your home for new buyers - all the while taking over your payments so you don't have to wait for the closing before moving on.

You save yourself the hassle of finding a buyer that's willing to give you a fair price for your home while also being relieved of the work involved to make it look what its worth. This can be very important when a move needs to be made right away but you simply don't have the time or ability to fix things up.

It is better to find a realtor that can sell your home on the date you choose, giving you a fair price and doing the fixing up for you! All they can do is listing your home to the market - the market will decide what they will pay, not the realtor. Instead you may be talked into doing the work yourself or lowering your price - not always an option.

Remember that an investor is a buyer - you will not be paying them to list your property, they will be purchasing it from you or taking over the payments until a buyer is ready to purchase. You will not pay commission fees and other usual closing costs - you just sell your home. Have your home evaluated and find out the process involved - its easier than you think!

Talk about hidden costs...technically speaking

7:47 PM 4/24/2006

Author: Lucien Beauley

Lighting Facts...I Wanna Know !

Each one of us, at one time or another has either driven or been a passenger in an automobile and experienced our traffic control lighting system. Originally unique, but now part of a global system.

Situated at every fully functional traffic light intersection is at least one "Red" light which is timed to turn on and off regularly to "Stop" traffic. It employs a 100 Watt(varies between 90 and 120 Watts)incandescent light bulb. Several years ago, these light bulbs began being replaced with the latest LED(Light Emitting Diode) cluster assemblies, as were the other lamps at the same intersection. The newer Led lamps consumed only 10 Watts to accomplish the same light output(mostly greater). The clincher ! The original incandescent bulb only radiates approximately 10 % of the power consumed in visible light. The other 90 % is radiated as "heat". And with the red filter used on the original assembly to only let through the RED color needed for the "stop" function, another 30 % of the original visible portion of the light is lost, so that only about 7 % of the 100 Watts of power consumed to light the lamp is visible(to the human eye). The real clincher is that our local taxes to pay the utilities have been calculated for the 100 Watt consumption for each bulb( when it is turned on ) and only getting 7 % of the light. We

town citizens and tax payers have been paying for the 93 % wasted as invisible heat for several decades.

Leds, on the other hand, are a different breed of lighting technology and do not radiate light in the form of heat( unless designed specifically for that purpose ) and the Red Led assembly cluster which replaces the original traffic light bulb needs no red filter because it radiates a "pure" Red light. Granted, the initial cost for this lamp cluster

assembly is still higher, but when we consider the LED lamp "life" estimated to be 100,000 hours and therefore lower replacement along with labor cost, the pay-back is quick and fairly permanent. These benefits are not even considering the ongoing 90 % energy cost savings.

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Some Quick Mind Twisters(Awaikeners)

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To shatter an LED lamp would require more than 1,000 G's of impact force !

To shatter an incandescent lamp would only require less than 10 G's

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The time it takes for an incandescent light to turn on(to its maximum brightness)is about 1/10 of a second.

It takes much less than 1/1,000,000 of a second for the LED to accomplish the same thing and a generally accepted Led spec.. One might say , "who cares" ? Well, when Led lighting is used for an automobile brakelight, 1/10 of a second greater reaction time can mean the difference between stopping in time, or a collision, with possible severe injury to some, or all of the occupants.

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Basic turkey hunting tips

Turkey hunting is challenging, exciting and in some cases becomes addictive. Turkey’s senses are extremely keen - even your heart pounding can make the turkey vanish like a puff of smoke.

Basic help in turkey hunting

Before you can hunt a wild turkey, you have got to find them. The easiest way to do this is by locating the general areas of the turkey’s habitat.

• Get a good map of the area you plan to hunt.

• Wave or use a locator call like an owl hooter or crow call or even a turkey call to try to get a response. When you hear a gobbler, mark the locator map.

• Scout for the best location on foot. Check for signs of the bird’s scratches, droppings of feathers. This information can help you locate some areas. Check along mud holes, creek banks, pastures, log roads, fencerows etc. as many trips as possible.

• Never try to get too close to the turkey. A turkey’s eyes, ears and awareness are many times better than yours.

• Choose a tree that is wider than your shoulders. This will protect you from other hunters that might come behind you and mistakenly assume that you are a real turkey.

• Camouflage is almost a must to avoid being seen. Wild turkeys have such keen vision. Many turkey hunters usually wear camo suit, cap, facemask, gloves, vest with many pockets to carry calls and maybe a snack. Also do not forget to wear dark colored socks so that when you sit down, they would not show you. But the main thing to remember: your movement is more important; regardless of how well you are camouflage. It doesn’t make you completely visible. Even though you are camouflage, you are still an unnatural form in the woods. Movement is the greatest enemy of the turkey hunter. A turkey can detect you 10 times faster than you sense the turkey.

• The best shotgun and ammunition for turkey hunting is the combination that delivers a dense, hard-hitting pattern at 40-45 yards. Practice with a target that portrays a turkey’s vital head and neck area. These parts are the ones that you should be shooting. You should have at least 8-10 pellets in the vital area at 40 yards.

• Do not hide so well that you cannot see what is happening. Blinds are useful for the turkey hunter, but when constructed so well that vision is obstructed, it is no longer a blind, and it is a hiding place, as beneficial to the turkey as it is to you.

• Cease from using gobbler calls. Although this call can sometimes be productive, it is also very dangerous. In areas where many hunters are located, you can attract hunters to you rather than turkeys.

• Never wear any red, white or blue clothes. These are the colors of the gobbler’s head - the main target of a turkey hunter.

• If another hunter is working a bird, do not mess everything up by trying to call the bird to you or spooking the bird. This is very unsportsmanlike. The true and experienced hunters do not do that kind of thing.

How to remove and clean your mini blinds

The first thing you want to start with is understanding the types of mini blinds and what the manufacturer recommends for cleaning, because you don't want to hire someone that does a different kind of cleaning, that's not recommended for your blinds.

Before you consider buying new mini blinds, you should consider cleaning the old ones. It's a whole lot less money to clean them than it is to replace them. The process is simple. To clean white vinyl mini blinds, fill your bathtub 1/3 with water, mix in 1/2 cup of bleach. Soak the blinds in this for about 30 minutes, then rinse well. Hang them up outside to dry. Even the string comes clean as well as the blinds.

When it comes to spring-cleaning, mini blinds are among the most over-looked items in your home. When was the last time they got a good cleaning? Just make sure you read the manufacturer's instructions so you don't damage them.

If you purchased your mini blinds from K-Mart and it cost you fifteen dollars, obviously you're not going to clean that type of product. But if you have a custom blind that cost $100 a window, you want to keep them looking like new. The cost of cleaning runs from about $14 up to $32 per shade or blind, depending on the kind you have.

How to modify your car cheaply to run on water

How to Modify Your Car Cheaply to RUN ON WATER

car-2-water. com

THE PROBLEMS:

Foolish petrol prices, petrol battles, pollution and global climate change. You know what I'm referring to.

THE BAD NEWS:

One likely way out, that you may have heard of, is water automobiles. As distinct from water hybrids, water powered automobiles are yet to be rolled out of the assembly plants. You could get a minimum of 10 strategies of water powered automobiles to try out. Regrettably those designs are too costly to put together, are very knotty, and absolutely unpredictable.

THE GOOD NEWS:

Widespread development and experimentation by numerous back yard engineers has proven one method FEASIBLE. With this method you can run your traditional automobiles PARTIALLY ON WATER (that's a "Water Hybrid"?) with little or no modifications.

"ў You should be able to increase your gas efficiency by as much as 59 (Cadillac 99).

"ў You could drastically cut down discharges and help reduce Global Warming.

"ў You can improve efficient burning of fuel and consequently lessen wear and tear, engine clatter, high temperature in the engine, carbon deposits, etc.

You see, you have just hit upon a unique piece of information. As there is a small number of persons on the World Wide Web who will not sell you products, but rather when you become a member of a group or club, you will will gain knowledge of how to make these stuffs yourself at home. A number of them will even provide you a COMPLIMENTARY HYDROGEN BOOSTER SYSTEM, fully put together set to go into your vehicle, so you can authenticate its practicability and have a copy for replication. Again, this is a COMPLIMENTARY GIFT for you, for becoming a member and a researcher

You could make use of this mock system to switch nearly any vehicle into an trial, wholly functional WATER HYBRID in one slow day, with the aid of simple tools at home. Back in I knew nothing about automobiles, I had no garage and no special tools, yet I installed one un-aided within a quarter of an hour. This was in an era when all I had was half a page of instructions. Nowadays you can obtain complete informational products or ebooks, packed with guidelines and suggestions. There are also support groups to assist you with any mechanical, electrical or tuning trouble. These new groups have labored hard to make it SIMPLE FOR YOU. And it is the influence of the group that makes your path so much easier and smoother.

IT GETS EVEN BETTER:

You will also be skilled in how to become a home manufacturer of numerous models of hydrogen generating system. Again, basic skills and easy tools is all that is need to replicate these systems for your friends, family or clients. PAY NO ROYALTIES OR LICENSE FEE - you keep all the cash!

When you get into one of these exceptional clubs or groups, you can discover answers to your questions:

1. Is this really practical? How come it's so easy?

2. Why didn't anyone tell me about it before?

3. could water technology do for me?

4. Why should I become a member of a group/club?

So you will start to realize why water hybrid (water car / watercar) secrets have been unknown until today.

About the author

To get involved in knowing all there is to know and in learning how to POWER YOUR CAR WITH WATER, visit car-2-water. com

Go freelance and work at home

With the rise of the Internet, the world has now gotten so much smaller. People are now leaving their jobs and going freelance. What is it about freelance work, anyway? Read on and find out.

The world of freelance jobs has been around for ages, but with the arrival of the Internet, the playing field has gotten so much bigger. Professionals can now provide services worldwide, and the projects just keep streaming in. When faced with the opportunity to work at home and do things they enjoy, or simply do pressure-free jobs and get paid more, there is no doubt that a person will leave his stressful job and annoying boss in a minute.

There are plenty of options for those who are looking into online freelance work. Depending on how serious you are about it, you can either go full-time or just use the freelance opportunities to earn money on the side. The best thing about this is that it is for everybody and anybody. Even students can work at home and earn extra money by doing freelance work. Going part-time is easy; you simply have to look for projects you think you can do and do it. Going full-time, however, can be a bit unnerving, especially if you are new to the concept. How much you earn and your success in the freelance field depends entirely on you – how you market the services you can provide, and how you provide services. Once you get started, and you provide services that your customers will definitely appreciate, the rest will be easy. Full-time freelancers can build a loyal client base if they provide quality services. This will ensure more projects and keep the cash coming in.

The freelance jobs online are aplenty. Full-time freelancers usually provide the services that they know best. Artists provide services such as web design, animation, photography, and the likes. Writers provide writing, re-writing, proofreading, and editing services. Teachers can also work at home and earn extra money just by providing tutorial services. Those who know different languages can also make use of them by offering translation services. These freelance jobs allow a professional to still stay on his chosen career track even as he leaves the office and works at home. Most freelancers also choose these jobs to further enhance their skills and give them a sense of fulfillment. Even if they work at home, don’t get to wear those power suits and get a carpeted corner office, they are still professionals offering professional services that maximize their expertise.

On the other hand, there are also some easier freelance jobs available to you when you work at home. There are a lot of companies who need temporary administrative work. In these instances, the companies don’t find it necessary to hire a full-time employee to do the job. Launching a full-fledged hiring stretch just to find a contractual employee will also take much time and effort that is unnecessary for just a short-term need. Because of this, companies are now looking for helping hands online. So now, you can work at home and do fairly easy, pressure-free jobs that will only take some time and effort. These jobs include data entry, transcription services, and virtual assistance.

When you choose to work at home, the opportunities are unimaginable. You can be assured that they won’t run out. Depending on how fast you work, and how serious you are about going freelance, you can get plenty of projects and even earn more than you can earn with a full-time office-based job. You can even work according to your own timeframe. There are plenty of people out there who may just be looking for the service that you can provide. It’s up to you to take advantage of the opportunities and maximize your time and abilities to work at home and earn extra money.

Acne scar treatments

There are many ways to treat acne scars. Determining your treatment depends on the type of scar and quantity of scarring. Before you consider a scar treatment you should have an in depth conversation with your doctor. It is very important you only use this information as an introduction to scar treatments and not a final guide. Your dermatologist and you can discuss the proper treatment after you have basic knowledge.

For very mild acne, a chemical peel might be all that you need. Different types of acid are used in this procedure. It is recommended that you choose another method of treatment, if you have very noticeable or deep scarring. The chemical peel procedure takes about fifteen minutes. The resultant facial redness may last up to a few weeks.

There are a few choices available to treat moderate acne scarring. The most popular are dermabrasion and laser resurfacing. Dermabrasion is a scar treatment in which a diamond plated wheel is used to “sand” your face. This technique has been around for a long time and sandpaper was once used instead of the new machines that utilize the diamond plated tool. Generally, this procedure takes around an hour to perform. You should expect some scabbing and redness for a few weeks. This method is most effective for individual with very pale or very dark complexions.

The other treatment for mild acne scars is laser resurfacing. This treatment involves removing old skin with a carbon dioxide (CO2) or erbium laser. Depending on the size and frequency of the scars, the treatment may last only several minutes or in excess of an hour. This treatment is not advised for people with darker skin pigment, because it may result in uneven skin color. After treatment, redness should be expected for a few weeks and a mild pinkish tone may be evident even longer.

For very deep, pitted scars, physicians utilize a "punch technique." There are several "punch" treatments available depending on your doctor, type of acne and other factors. The first type is a punch replacement in which a tool is used to remove the scar. Then a skin graft from another part of your body is transplanted over the site. Another technique is the punch excision where the scar is surgically removed and the area allowed to recover. Finally, there is a technique where the physician removes the scar at the bottom. The skin at the treated area is allowed to rise and fills the cratered area. Usually a punch technique is combined with dermabrasion or laser resurfacing for optimal results. Healing may take up to several weeks.

Another type of acne scar treatment is subcision. With subcision the scar is detached from the lower tissue, which allows a blood clot to form under the skin. The clot forces the scar up to the surface of the skin. Similar to the punch techniques, combining subcision with dermabrasion or laser resurfacing yields the best results. This type of treatment can be effective for all types of scarring, but is best for deeper and more prominent scars.

The last type of treatment is augmentation. Augmentation uses a material similar to collagen which is injected under the skin to bring the scar to the surface. Recovery is immediate and no time off work is necessary. The drawback, however, is that results are temporary and only last up to six months.

Whatever acne scar treatment you decide upon, keep in mind that some may require more than one session with a doctor. Always consult your dermatologist to decide which treatment is best for you. There is a wide variation with the costs associated with the various treatments. Make sure you consider the financial ramifications with your treatment plan before you proceed. Remember, more than one treatment plan may be effective in your particular situation. Each plan has benefits and drawbacks so make sure you discuss all your concerns with your doctor.

Getting yourself fit for the season

With the changing of the seasons comes the changing of the wardrobe. Sometimes, however, you find that you can't fit into your clothes the way you could a year ago. A recent survey shows that two in five adults need to lose at least 10 pounds to feel comfortable in a bathing suit. That's why so many people are choosing this time to start a diet.

If you're beginning a weight loss program to get your body ready for the season, here are some tips to help you get started:

• Challenge Yourself. Have a goal and stick to achieving it. Make sure that you are reminded of your goal every day.

• Set a Date. Starting your weight loss plan early gives you plenty of time to shed those unwanted pounds. Choose a weight loss program that is easy to follow, fits into your lifestyle and produces quick results.

• Get a Buddy. Enlist the support of a friend to help you meet your weight loss goals. Studies show those people who have the support of a buddy tend to stick to their diets more than those who fly solo.

• The Garden of "Eatin'." Eat more fruits and vegetables. Not only are these foods good for your waistline, but they are nutritious and keep you hydrated.

• Put Some Spring in Your Step. Whether it means parking your car farther away than usual or taking a pet to the park, try to make exercise part of your daily routine. Even 20 minutes a day adds up.

• Spring Fling. Host a dinner party for your friends and make sure that there are plenty of healthy food options available. Try grilling lean proteins such as chicken and tuna instead of frying or baking them. You can add a variety of seasonings and spices to change up the routine.

• Space it Out. Studies show that eating smaller meals throughout the day can be effective in the weight loss process because they help to curb your hunger. If you eat six small meals a day, you will feel less hungry in between meals. Plan your meals in advance to avoid last-minute splurges.

• Drink Up. If you participate in outdoor activities, remember to stay hydrated. Steer clear of calorie-laden beverages such as soda, lemonade and sweet tea. Water is always the best choice.

Secret seo of a number 1 site with less links

Around the turning corner of year 2007, there was a site about Chinese culture on top 3, sometimes top 6, in the target keyword phrase ‘new year’. (I made this keyword up as an example. If you check on Google, you wouldn’t find this site because I don’t want my client exposed. Indeed, it was a similar keyword.) Around February 2007, all the sudden the site became top 1 in this keyword although there was no change in the content or the link profile. That’s because February is the Chinese Lunar New Year, people are very interested in my client’s content, so they click in and stay there for long time in reading the content. Google is very concern of the click-in rate. What Google would concern are: Would searchers immediately click ‘back’ button after click into this site? How long does the searcher stay in the site and start another search? Would the searchers click on the links attached in this site after? Will the searchers immediately redirected to another site? Google has all the data and want the best experience for their searchers. After the February 2007, the Chinese fever was over, the site went down to its number 3 as before. We can learn from this experience that searchers experience can make a big different. They can get you form number 3 to number 1. If you are trying to push your client’s site to number one in certain keywords you would probably have content that makes readers to stay long. They will vote for you.

As Google trust old website more much more than a new website, old and trustable site usually rank very well. You will notice in the search results that sub-pages of an old site without any inbound links from other site can easily rank in top 10 search result for moderate competitive keyword phrases. Someone have done an experiment like this:

He put the same content on a home page of a one-year old website (let’s call it Website A) and also on a sub-page of a ten-year old website (let’s call it Website B). The contents are very similar. To avoid duplicate content penalty he fixed the text a little bit, so search engines don’t look at them as duplicated content. A month later, when he check back to the result, he found that the sub-page of Website B rank number 10 on the targeted keyword while the Website A rank number 24. The sub-page of Website B has only a few inbound links from its own pages, not even from the home page, with no inbound links from other websites while Website A has hundreds of inbound links from different sites. See the different?

The question comes to how to take advantage of this experiment result? The answer is easy. You may buy an old domain from auction sites or rent a page from them.

Wide open spaces how to share the roads peacefully with trucks

On your local news program, you may hear stories about an “out of control” truck wiping out a car load of people or destroying property. The media sensationalizes the facts, often putting most of the blame with the truckers. However, many times that is not the case. For the most part, truckers are responsible drivers who are diligent about road safety. Not only are they making sure they adhere to the rules of the road, but they also have to keep an eye on the nincompoop drivers of passenger vehicles who think they are the exception to the rules.

There are a few common problems that truckers come across with motorists. These problems are often also the ones most sited on insurance claims. Are you guilty of any of these practices?:

1. Brake this habit – Everyone at one point or another gets stuck behind a large truck. So the most logical next step is to change lanes to pass the truck. No problems with that … the problem lies in a vehicle cutting back into the truck’s lane right in front of them, then braking for a turn or just slowing down, period. What most motorists don’t take into account is that truckers need a lot of space in order to slow down, at least two to three times the amount of passenger vehicles.

2. Peek-a-boo! – Now you see them, now you don’t. This peek-a-boo game is very troublesome to truckers. Large trucks have several blind spots which make it hard for the drivers to see other motorists who like to hang out there. The best thing that you can do is either pass the truck or stay a comfortable distance behind them. When in doubt, check for the trucker’s side view mirrors. If you can see them, then chances are that they might be able to see you too.

3. Back up and try again – In this day and age of technology, people are more accustomed to instant results and hate waiting for anything. Unfortunately, when big trucks have to back into a space, it may take a few tries to succeed. Motorists should appreciate the fact that these trucks are bigger than they are and let the truckers do their job. Patience can be a virtue!

4. Teach a lesson – Some drivers of passenger vehicles like to try and “teach” truckers a lesson. Sometimes, drivers think that the big trucks are either going too fast or slow. So they’ll speed up to pass the trucker, then get back in the trucker’s lane and slow down! Many parents tell their kids, “Worry about yourself,” and it would be smart for other motorists to heed that advice. Leave it to the troopers and policemen to enforce the laws of the road.

Common sense is what all these problems boil down to. Each person driving on the road is in charge of themselves. By exercising a little of that common sense, many accidents involving big trucks and passenger vehicles could be avoided. That old adage, “It is better to be safe than sorry,” certainly applies!

Idees pour mariage et lune de miel inoubliable

Alors le divorce, entre l'avocat, les frais de procйdure, et la durйe de ce dernier, tous nos bas de laine y passe. Alors assez! Pour vous, les places а ne pas manquer pour rйussir et votre mariage, et votre lune de miel!

L'endroit incontournable pour un mariage hors norme et а bas prix: Las Vegas.

Pour vous marier a Las Vegas, rien de plus simple. Autre que votre billet d'avion, le budget йvaluй pour un mariage est de prиs de $700? Pourquoi hйsiter?

Ces frais incluent: le permis de mariage, йvaluй а $30, la cйrйmonie civile, $50; la chapelle offrant en gйnйral la cйrйmonie, les tйmoins spйciaux, la limousine et les photos pour un montant se situant entre $200 et $500, a moins de vouloir pour tйmoin Elvis Presley, la зa monte un peu plus haut mais pas de grand chose, Votre divorce? Pourquoi pleurer trop longtemps. A Las Vegas, sitфt divorcй, vous pouvez vous remarier. Alors no woman no cry…

Les endroits de Las Vegas pour se marier:

Une simple cйrйmonie civile:

Rendez-vous auprиs du Las Vegas Marriage Commissioner. Le mariage peut se faire directement au bureau du Commissionner en 30 minutes pour un cout de $50.

Une cйrйmonie religieuse:

Rendez-vous dans l'une des cйlиbres chapelles. Sobres, classiques ou plus farfelues, il y en a pour tous les goыts!. Vous pouvez mкme trouver de ces chapelles pittoresques а l'aspect d'une йglise entourйes par des jardins de roses le long du Las Vegas strip parmi les casinos, bars et poker palaces. Pour une modique somme de 200 а 500 $, vous pouvez acheter un forfait de mariage qui comprend l'utilisation de la chapelle, la cйrйmonie de mariage, des fleurs, de la musique et des photos. Les forfaits plus coыteux comprennent plus d'extras comme le transfert depuis votre hфtel en limousine ultra longue ou Elvis Presley comme tйmoin.

Les chapelles des casinos:

Pour un mariage mйdiйval, rendez-vous a l'hфtel Excalibur, sinon MGM Grand a un mariage en montagnes russes, Treasure Island un mariage de pirates а bord de son bateau HMS Brittania et le Las Vegas Hilton propose un mariage Star Trek а bord du vaisseau spatial Enterprise avec des tйmoins Klingon et des invitйs Ferengi. Les forfaits des casinos peuvent s'йlever de 350 $ а 3500 $ et au-delа. Ils incluent gйnйralement une ou plusieurs nuits dans une suite "lune de miel" de l'hфtel ainsi que des photos, des fleurs, de la musique, des divertissements et mкme une cure beautй complиte dans leur station thermale.

Puis pour votre lune de miel, rendez-vous sur l'un de paquebots suivants:

Monarch of the seas:

Aussi grand que Statue de la Libertй, Ses animations pour les enfants sont incomparables. Avec le Monarch, partez а la dйcouverte du Mexique. Arretez vous dans les villes de Los Angeles, San Diego, Ile Catalina, et Ensenada en cinq jours. Cinq jours de dйpaysement garantis.

Jewel of the seas:

Mis en service en mai 2004, le Jewel of the Seas est caractйrisйs par l'allure innovante des super yachts. Il possиde un design avancй avec ses grandes surfaces vitrйes dans les espaces publics et des ascenseurs de verre donnant sur l'ocйan. Au choix, voyagez sur ce paquebot autour des Caraпbes ou dйcouvrez l'Europe Transatlantique. Le "must" des Caraпbes vous attend aux escales de Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Georgetown, et en mer. Pour les amoureux de l'Europe, des escales inattendues vous permettront de dйcouvrir Oslo Copenhague et Hambourg sous un jour nouveau, ou encore, toute la Scandinavie, ses fjords et la Russie grвce а des visites а Harwich, Oslo, Copenhague, Stockholm, Helsinki, Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, et Tallinn.

Voyager of the seas:

Destination les Antilles. Ce paquebot est le plus grand au monde, et nous faisons grand usage de l'espace disponible. Vous y trouverez plus d'activitйs et d'expйriences que vous ne pouvez imaginer. Un mur d'escalade vous attend pour pouvoir pratiquer votre souplesse et votre rйflexion et dйcouvrir l'ocйan sus un angle nouveau. Au dйpart de Miami, des escales sont prйvues а Nassau, Saint Thomas, San Juan, Labadie, et deux journйes en mer avant un retour au lieu de dйpart. Dйcouvrez йgalement la fameuse patinoire oщ vous pourrez boire un bon chocolat. La vie nocturne y est йgalement de mise: les boutiques, les cafйs et autres animations du s'ouvrent а vous. Danser jusqu'au bout de la nuit au Jesters, une boоte de nuit entraоnante rйpartie sur deux йtages.

Pregnancy and acne treatment

Do you ever see all those Clearasil or Oxy 10 commercials with the completely blemish free teenagers smiling broadly and telling you about how their perfect complexions were a result of the use of that product? It doesn’t seem like these over-the-counter and massively available acne solutions could be of any threat to anybody, but if you’re a pregnant woman, you should be aware of a few things. There are many acne treatments that are available and safe to use during pregnancy, many of them natural and available right in the home. On the other hand, many manufactured products should be avoided during pregnancy.

It should be noted first that some acne during pregnancy is fairly common among women. During the first trimester, as the body prepares itself to provide for two, hormone levels increase and cause a rise in the body’s oil production. The result is acne flare-ups. The good news is that this usually clears up by the second trimester as the body begins to plateau in hormone levels.

The two most common ingredients found in the majority of most acne treatments are Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. It has been tested and determined that benzoyl peroxide is safe for women to use during pregnancy. However, it has also been determined that salicylic acid that is taken orally, such as a pill, has been known to cause some birth defects and may complicate pregnancy. Women must be careful when selecting a product to use, as a product that contains benzoyl peroxide will often contain salicylic acid as well.

So what about a topical application of salicylic acid? It has not been proven that it will cause birth defects or pregnancy complications, but as a pregnant woman that knows now that salicylic acid taken orally is potentially harmful, do you really want to run that risk? Some acne treatment products that doctors have recommended pregnant women should avoid are retinoid, oral retinoid, and Accutane. Retinoid is a form of Vitamin A that can cause birth defects in unborn children. There is no evidence that retinoid taken topically is harmful, but again, why run that risk?

For the desperate new mother that is trying to treat her skin, there are a variety of safe and natural ways to fight off acne. Of course, before women begin any new treatment they should consult their physician or obstetrician. Some products that mothers can safely use topically are Echinacea, lavender essential oil, and tea tree oil. But there are also even easier things one can do to control their outbreaks. Keeping your skin clean by washing with soap and rinsing with warm water to rinse off any remaining soap that may stay and cause block-ups or break-outs is one of the easiest things to do for extra care. After your face is washed and rinsed, avoid picking or popping blemishes to prevent scarring. It should also be mentioned that diet plays an important part in controlling acne. A high fruit and vegetable ratio in a woman’s diet should be maintained throughout pregnancy to not only help keep acne more clear, but also for the baby’s proper growth and development. Apples and blueberries are both rich in antioxidants, making them very good fruits to consume for the prevention of future outbreaks.

There are also a number of “household” treatments available. A mask of warm oatmeal cooked without additional ingredients in it and applied to the face for about 15-20 minutes may begin to clear up blemishes in as little as a few days. A lemon that has been cut in half and put on acne is another possibility. Uncooked natural oatmeal, garlic, olive oil, mashed potatoes, and even warm sugar water are ways to fight blemishes and prevent new ones from forming again.

So mothers, if you find yourself going through those frustrating outbreaks during your pregnancy period, have a little patience, try to go natural, eat a healthy diet of low-fat and preservative-free foods, and stay away from all those manufactured products that claim to clear your face up in five days or less.

Boost your savings

It is general knowledge that residents of the United Kingdom are typically not savers. They tend to spend much more than they save; according to studies, saving money is not as popular as it once was. Saving is extremely important to the quality of life you expect to live in the future. Think about it, what would happen if your car suddenly quit working? What would you do if the heater or refrigerator within your home just decided to give up one day? Imagine a situation where an emergency occurred and you had to travel immediately for some reason, what would you do?

Saving your money within an account can be an excellent source of immediate funds for an unexpected emergency. It makes a great deal of sense to simply put away money into an interest bearing account for these types of events, instead of having to take out a loan or bill a credit card for them. If you do either of these things will result in more debt and higher interest payments. Many experts believe that you need to set your priorities in the right direction and you should attempt to, over time, save an equal to your salary over a three month period.

Many people may find this a lot of money to put back when bills need to be paid, that is fine, consider saving as much as you possibly can without setting yourself into a deeper hole. If you simply saved Ј100 a week over a three-month period you would have saved Ј1,200 (not including any interest accrued), that would likely pay for a broke refrigerator or a significant amount on a new or repaired heater. There are many different types of savings accounts that you can consider, some of which do not require substantial deposits.

Typically, a banking institution will access a tax on the interest prior to adding it into your savings account, for example a taxpayer at the basic rate level will be accessed twenty (20) percent, while a taxpayer at a higher rate will be accessed forty (40) percent. For those who do not pay taxes, no taxes are deducted from the interest. For those who are non-taxpayers, you will be required to fill out a R85 form, this will allow you to avoid the taxes and receive the total interest accrued on the account.

One thing people should definitely consider is an ISA (Individual Savings Account), the government of the United Kingdom, created these types of accounts in efforts to encourage residents to save their money. In this account, they allow you to save your money in an amount of Ј3,000 or less yearly, that will be considered tax-free.

Facts about the generic cialis and viagra pill

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Pressure washer concrete cleaning equipment

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Pressure Washer Concrete Cleaning Equipment
By Lance Winslow

Cleaning concrete is tough and there is an easy way and a hard way. There is one thing you need to understand when you are pressure washer cleaning concrete; the concrete cannot always be made to look brand new again after it has been stained. You can always get stains lighter or bleached but completely removing it is very difficult, sometimes you get lucky, but if you are looking for perfection, chances are you will be underwhelmed. So when talking to customers let them know up front and explain this to them otherwise they will be asking for a job that just can't be done unless the entire concrete slab is ripped up and re-poured.

Let’s talk about equipment that is needed for this type of work. Remember safety is always important when working with a pressure washer. Some times there are chemicals involved in cleaning some stains. Thus, you should always use some type of eye protection. Also, when you are using chemicals you need to wear jeans to protect your legs. Chemicals made for concrete are very strong and should not be toyed with. Would a person rather work with dry feet or wet? It is recommended that you get rubber waders or some type of rubber boot. They will keep your feet from getting wet and keep them from getting burned by the 250 degree water.

Orange cones are also important to have for this job. These help make people visually aware that you are there if you are in a high traffic area or where there are a lot of contract workers at say a newly constructed house that needs the concrete cleaned. This makes everyone around you safe and you are helping prevent accidents. Of course you are going to need a Hydro-Twister for this job. You can technically do the job with a wand but it will take a lot more time and water, not to mention you can cause streaking if you are not using even strokes across the slab of concrete. Most of the new hot water pressure washers have an option of a hydro twister type unit but if you don't have one and or you need a second unit we recommend that you go to buy one. When buying a hydro twister buy the larger of the two. There my be only a 5 inch difference in surface coverage but it is well worth it when you are trying to save time without cutting corners. Especially if you are cleaning concrete at a construction site or a large retail type box store, there is a lot of concrete and the faster you clean it the more money you will make. Think about it.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; WorldThinkTank. net/wttbbs

Article Source: EzineArticles. com/

How to choose a golf fitness trainer

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve been asked this question during my travels around the country and world on the golf circuit; “Sean, I am looking for a golf fitness trainer in my area, what do you suggest?”

Finding a golf fitness trainer for you, simply takes a little knowledge and time on your part.

Bottom line there are thousands of fitness experts, personal trainer, instructors, and conditioning coaches available to you. Some are more qualified than others to help you improve your golf game. Lets first off take a look at some general qualifications to look for in candidates.

The golf trainer’s education would be the first thing I would consider. In the world of personal training and fitness, there are no educational requirements, governing bodies, or state boards. Essentially, anyone can hang a sign on their front door and call themselves a “personal golf fitness trainer”. It’s unfortunate, but unqualified people are training people every day.

A highly qualified golf fitness trainer will likely have a college degree in the field of kinesiology, biomechanics, health sciences or a related field. There are many other organizations that accredit trainers too. These organizations provide intense educational programs providing the trainer with certifications. Accreditations from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, National Academy of Sports Medicine, and American Council of Exercise are highly regarded within the field. I would suggest looking for a golf fitness trainer with a degree in the field and at least one additional certification from the above organizations. This tells us that they have taken the time to become more specialized and better educated.

The Proof is in the Pudding

Experience within the field is absolutely critical. First look at the trainer’s general experience and dig deeper. In general, I am talking about how long they have been in the industry. Are they just starting out or are they a seasoned veteran in the field? What areas of the industry have they worked? Have they worked only in the health club setting, have they worked in a collegiate or professional athletic environment, or experience directly related to the golf industry?

I would look for a golf fitness trainer with some experience in athletics. A trainer with experience in competitive athletics understands the demands on your body under competition, whether it’s the weekend round with your friends, the club tournament, or the Masters for that matter.

Go to the Right Mechanic to Get Your Car Fixed

Now I don’t know about you, but if I had an engine problem with my car, I probably wouldn’t go to a motorcycle mechanic to get it fixed.

Would you look for a personal trainer that specialized in let’s say, youth football, to help your golf game?

Most trainers in the industry usually have a repeat client base. The client base can tell you a lot about the trainer’s area of expertise. The trainer’s cliental base could be very specific, for example working with elderly individuals or with athletes only. Other trainers may work with numerous types of individuals from young children, homemakers, to the budding collegiate star. More than anything a trainer’s client base gives you an idea if they have experience working with someone like you, and if they fit your individual needs.

I would suggest looking for a golf fitness trainer that has some experience working with someone like you. For example, if you are Nationwide Tour player, I would probably suggest looking for a golf fitness trainer who has experience working with professional athletes. The experience of working with professional athletes is only going to help with the interaction between the two of you.

Can’t We Just Get Along

Outside of education and experience, the final area to consider is the trainer’s personality. Some personalities will work well with you and others will not.

To get the best results for you, you must find a trainer that you are comfortable with on a professional and personal level. This will allow for the training sessions, development of your program, and the relationship to be a positive experience for both. Remember, you must trust the golf fitness trainer and this requires a level of comfort with them.

Overall, I suggest taking some time on the front end and interviewing a series of trainers. This will allow you to compare and contrast all of the criteria we’ve discussed, and help you make a decision you feel good about.

Remember, choosing the right golf fitness trainer for you can mean the difference between reaching your goals on the golf course or not.

Sean Cochran

Block island north rip fishing tactics

The rip at Block Island's north end can be a very productive fishing ground if you know when to fish it and what to use. I used to go there and catch very little to nothing, never really thinking of it as a productive place until I learned how to fish it. Even after all these years I am still learning how to fish it. There are a variety of ways to fish the rip, but in each case conditions that work best for that type of fishing should be followed. Pay attention to the tide and time of day, and see if you detect a pattern which repeats itself. This is how you'll become better at fishing any area.

Trolling. I find that the best trolling occurs when the tide is incoming and you arrive around 6:30-7:00am with the tide coming in for about an hour already. Then you can troll wire line outfits with umbrellas or parachutes and catch bass and bluefish for about 3 to 4 hours until the tide begins to slow down. I always troll against the current from 70 feet deep to go over the top of the hump at 40 feet, going very slow by the time I reach the 40 foot mark. Every time I'll hook up under these conditions. If you don't hook up, try letting out more line. The current can get very strong and if your not near the bottom nothing will happen.

Drifting. Drifting is another very productive method, and works best on the outgoing tide. Best to arrive around 6:30 with the tide having been outgoing for at least an hour. You can drift over the middle hump, which is about 12' deep over the top. Use soft plastics like the Storm pearl 6" swim shad, cast them out, let them sink near the bottom, and use a jigging retrieve. Be ready, when you lift the rod, the fish will be there. If you feel a hit and don't hook the fish, work it very slowly with lots of short jigs, as if it were an injured fish. This will bring more strikes. Drifting can be used at any point along the length of the sand bar. Different rigs can be used, even live bait, like eels.

Top water plugs are another good option, but they only work with a running tide and during overcast or foggy days, when the fish can't get a good look at the plug. They also work in the dim light of dawn, but it isn't very safe to be crossing over to the island in the dark unless you are a very good navigator and there is radar on the vessel. It isn't fun to end up on the bow of a barge as it is being towed east or west by a big tugboat. Top waters are worked when near the rough water, after you drift out of range you'll have to go around for another pass.

Another useful technique when drifting the Rip is diamond jigging. For this to be successful, you need to be in deeper water usually near the outer rise of the sandbar where it comes up to 48 feet or so. Also, this works best when the tide is running slowly, as it gives the fish a chance to see and hear the diamond jig. A minimum depth for diamond jigging would be 40 feet. Best conditions are early morning with the tide running slowly.

Keep your eyes open for any surface activity. If you see feeding fish, position the boat up drift and let the current bring you into casting range. Then cast in to the fish and work your offering. Try to match whatever they may be feeding on.

It's not always easy to use your fish finder at the North rip. The current can sweep many things past the bottom, many of which may show up as fish icons on your depth finder. So marking a lot of fish doesn't always mean that fish are there. During a "spring" tide (the largest tides that occur when the sun and the moon are on the same side of the earth) the current can get very strong. When the current gets near its maximum, it's not often good fishing on the rip because the current makes noise as it travels over the bottom structure at those speeds. This makes it harder for the fish to find your lure, especially as you get into deeper water. Best to fish soon after the high or low water mark on these days and avoid the mid-tide time when the current is screaming.

So follow this advise and you can have some success fishing the North Rip.

Creative ways to spend a cheap holiday vacation

When it comes to cheap family holidays the trick is to be opportunistic. If you get an invitation from someone to come and visit them in their holiday cabin, you should never ever think twice before you accept. If you are able to have as much fun at a local amusement park? then this should be your number one choice. Would your kids love the idea of cooking dinner over a campfire? No need to spend more on a trip when you can have lots of fun on a cheap holiday vacation.

Examples of cheap holidays

All over Michigan you will be able to find reasonable motels on the beach. The camping areas on the beaches of Superior and Lake Michigan are often cheaper and more scenic. You can find them in Michigan as well as in Minnesota and in Ontario, Canada. Here is a list of things you can do on your cheap holiday if you decide to try this type of vacation.

Treasure Hunt

You can buy two metal detectors for less than the price of a night in a hotel. You can spend your days hiking, exploring and treasure hunting. There are lots of things to explore when you take your metal detector to the beach. It is a lovable adventure especially for your children. If they get bored digging in the sand then there are lots of other activities that you could get your children involved in. Why not go for a walk in the warm sand, have a game of beach volley or go for a swim.

It is a cheap way to spend your vacation and the whole family will love it. You can find all sort of things washed up on the beaches.

Cheap Holiday Camping Vacations

If you can talk your family into living in a tent for a couple of days or if you own an RV, a camping trip is lovely and absolutely the cheapest of all cheap family holidays.

Other Cheap Family Vacations

There are lots of other ways you can have a fun but cheap holiday vacation. Cut the budget of your vacation and try to stay flexible. Cheap holidays are always in demand since we all want to spend as few bucks as possible. If you compare the two types of holidays, package holidays and do it yourself holidays, in terms of cost to decide which one is cheaper. You do not book your own package holiday instead you book it through someone. It could be a travel agency or a tour operator. When you pick this type of holiday it is always an all in one holiday deal. All you have to do is pay the money to the travel agency and everything about your holiday (arriving, boarding, lodging and so on) will be taken care of for you. On the other hand, lots of people actually prefer to arrange their own do it yourself holiday using the internet. You do booking of all your holiday needs, like travel and accommodation by yourself.

Changing your eating habits

Because all of us have been brought up eating junk food, well most of us, it is not easy to change our eating habits. Your eating habits have developed since childhood based on what your mothers or fathers cooked and what your psychological make-up was during that time.

The foods you eat and crave help keep pass trauma and present anxiety in check. Food helps make you feel good when you start to feel bad. Eating is a natural defense mechanism that the brain-body uses to keep you from going crazy.

So, you see, it is very difficult to change our eating habits. When we do, we start to feel bad. We start to feel uncomfortable, we feel pain, we have withdrawal symptoms, and we may feel sick. Is it any wonder that any of us ever succeed in changing our eating habits?

I consider every thing that has been packaged to be junk food. There are a few exception and you need to read ingredient labels carefully. Very few food manufacturers and even restaurants prepare food with your health in mind. Of course, they want to satisfy you, but they don't use foods that are in your best interest.

Most people eat junk food 85% of the time and then eat good food the other 15%. It should be the reverse of this - eat good food 85% and junk food 15% of the time.

To have better health, here are some foods to stop eating. Eliminate these foods over the next two to three weeks.

· Milk (non-fat or no-fat also) - is a mucus and acid forming food. Milk creates mucus in the body and makes the lymph liquid (we will talk about lymph later) in your body acidic, which attracts parasites and other pathogens. (In the place of milk almond milk or goats milk)

Cancer thrives in a body that is acidic.

o Bread - white bread is also acid and mucus forming. It is also more difficult to pass through the colon and gives rise to constipation.

Sugar the #1 food additive. Sugar is in most of all the products that you buy.

· Sodas (regular or diet)- are extremely high in sugar or artificial sugar - 7 teaspoons per can. Most people drink over 35 gallons per year. Sugar is a body poison and leads to many disease - diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and osteoarthritis and so on.

o Sugar, also, depletes your B-vitamins and calcium and magnesium from your bones and teeth.

o In addition, since sodas are in aluminum cans, aluminum can go into the soda because most sodas contain phosphoric acid. Aluminum has been associated with senility and Alzheimer disease.

o Calcium is also leached from your body to neutralize the phosphoric acid. (Its healthier to drink juices of all kinds)

There is just no way around it. Sodas suck health right out of your body.

· Regular salt (NaCl) - excessive salt intake is related to high blood pressure, edema, and imbalances in the minerals in your lymph liquid. Sodium, Na, in salt attracts water so the more sodium you eat that more water your body will hold. (Use sea salt, it has 25% less sodium, use low salt soy sauce, and herbs to flavor your food)

o Most people eat too much salt - over 10,000 milligrams per day. We only need around 200-300 mg per day.

o Excess salt is also in involved with kidney problems, cardiovascular disease, stomach cancer, and excess sensitive to stress.

o Get your Sodium from eating vegetables that are high in sodium. When you get your salt from vegetables it is organic salt, which does not have the same effect in your body as inorganic salt from a shaker. You need a lot of organic salt or Na in your body. Your stomach is a Na organ. It needs organic salt, Na, to keep its lining from being eaten by the hydrochloric acid in your stomach - an ulcer.

o Foods high in organic sodium are apples, apricots, asparagus, greens, red cabbage, carrots, celery, dulse, egg yolks, figs, fish, raisins, prunes, and lentils.

For the next two weeks try adding the following foods to your eating habits.

· lecithin - is 30-40% choline, which is used throughout your body. This is why you want to include it in your diet.

o choline is one of the main chemicals in our cell membrane.

o It is used in our brains to create the neurotransmitter acytlcholine, which is required for thinking and memory. Consider lecithin brain food.

o It is used by the liver, which helps to prevent a fatty liver. A fatty liver prevents you from losing weight around your belly.

o it helps to break up fats into tiny goblets so that they are easily digestible and will reduce your cholesterol.

o it helps to keep cholesterol from clinging to your artery walls.

· flax seed oil - is an essential oil, omega 3. This means your body does not make it and it is necessary for you to eat it so that you can live without illness or pain.

o it helps to detoxify the liver

o it stimulates the production of bile. Remember that bile helps to breakdown fat so that the liver can better metabolize it.

o stimulates the body to burn fat.

o apple juice and apples - are high in vitamin A, in Potassium and have other minerals that strengthen the blood. They contain malic and tartaric acids, which keep the liver healthy and promote good digestion. Apples help you to lose weight by providing fiber and keeping you regular.

o fiber - you need 30-35 grams of fiber every day. Most people only get up to 10-15 grams. Fiber is one foods that reduce your transient time in the colon. Fiber helps to keep your colon clean, reduce cholesterol, remove toxins from your body and eliminate constipation.

There you have it. If you can accomplish these changes in one year, you will notice a big difference in the way you feel and the health that you have.

Tips for keeping up with automotive recalls

You hear about automotive recalls all the time in the newspaper, on the Internet, as well as on the nightly news. Amazingly, one in 12 cars traveling the roads today were recalled for one reason or another in 2003. However, even more amazing is the fact that only one third of the owners of the recalled vehicles chose to take their car in for the needed repairs. The car manufacturers are required to send out letters informing owners of these vehicles of the recall, regardless of whether it is a major or minor event. Also, the information regarding the recall is delivered to consumers in so many different mediums it is almost impossible that owners of the affected vehicles do not learn of the problems. However, people seem to think that if they are not experiencing any problems at the moment then the recall affects all of the other vehicles instead of theirs and end up ignoring the recall. This is negligence and simply asking for the problem with the car to crop up. However, if this happens after the recall then it is the owners fault because they were given the information and allowed to fix the problem free of charge yet they simply ignored it. As long as car manufactures report the recall and inform owners of the vehicles as they are required to do by law, it is up to the consumer to take advantage of the recall and have their automobile fixed. If not, then the owner is taking the risk. If you have not heard anything about car recalls or just bought a used vehicle and want to find out if the manufacturer issued any recalls then you should check out nhtsa. gov or autorecalls. org to see if your car is listed.

Both of these websites have all the information about recalls over the past years so you can search through the year, make, and model of a vehicle to see if yours is listed. It is very likely you will see your car listed on one of these website because more than 31 million cars were recalled in 2004. That is almost unbelievable considering the amount of technology used in developing cars as well as the fact that cars are safer than they have ever been. However, it is true that mistakes are still taking places and consumers are buying vehicles with basic problems like fuses or major problems with gas lines, tires, and seats buckling in crashes. Regardless of whether or not you believe you are driving a safe car you need to check out the websites stated above every few months just to make sure your vehicle has not ended up on the list. If it has, don’t fall into the two thirds of individuals who never respond to the recall. Instead, head to the nearest dealership or authorized mechanic who can make the free repairs to your vehicle. Why so many people don’t have time for free repairs is beyond me, but knowing your vehicle has a problem that could be potentially fatal for you and your family and that a free repair is available should be enough to motivate you to have the repair taken care of.

Another thing to keep in mind is that simple problems with your vehicle that result in a visit to the mechanic may not be a problem you are required to pay for. Millions of Americans each year take their cars to the mechanic for a basic repair, or even a major one, assuming something went wrong and they simply need to fix it. Unfortunately, many of these individuals never check to see if the problem was due to a recall and end up paying for a repair that might be free or discounted by the automobile manufacturer. So, armed with this knowledge the next time your vehicle has even the slightest problem make sure you check and see if the car has been recalled for similar problems and if you can get free repairs or discounted ones at the least. It is certainly worth checking out and could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Who Issues Recalls?

In general, the reason so many people don’t respond to recalls is because they simply don’t understand the recall process. The NHTSA , National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, is responsible for investigating consumer complaints regarding specific vehicles and problems associated with them. After several consumers have reported the same or similar problem to the NHTSA for the same model vehicle an investigation is launched. The point of the NHTSA investigation is to determine whether the consumer caused the problem or malfunction in some way or if the manufacturer of the vehicle is at fault. If the manufacturer is determined to be at fault then the owners of affected models will receive information in the mail regarding the recall of the vehicle with information included on how they can have the problem corrected free of charge. However, the NHTSA is not always the one who issues a recall.

Occasionally, the manufacturer realizes a problem exists in a certain model vehicle and will voluntarily issue a recall. Of course, the NHTSA is informed as well, and the same letter is sent to owners of the vehicle letting them know the problem with the vehicle and how to correct it. Many times, however, a recall does not affect all models of a particular year. For example, if a recall is issued on 2005 Ford Explorers more than likely it will only affect a certain batch of these vehicles and not all of them. However, if you own a vehicle of that make and year then you can take it to the dealership and the service department will run the VIN, or vehicle identification number, to determine if in fact your vehicle is affected by the recall. If so, then you can have the repairs made at no cost. If not, then you can head home knowing your vehicle is safe and sound.

Just keep in mind, however, each year millions of cars are recalled for various reasons and you should always take your car in if you suspect the recall might apply to your vehicle or if you receive a recall letter. Don’t take your safety for granted, especially if the repair for the recalled vehicle is free.