Should you file for bankruptcy

Personal bankruptcy generally is considered the debt management option of last resort because the results are long-lasting and far-reaching. A bankruptcy stays on your credit report for 10 years, and can make it difficult to obtain credit, buy a home, get life insurance, or sometimes get a job. Still, it is a legal procedure that offers a fresh start for people who can't satisfy their debts. People who follow the bankruptcy rules receive a discharge which is a court order that says they don't have to repay certain debts.

The consequences of bankruptcy are significant and require careful consideration. Other factors to think about: Effective October 2005, Congress made sweeping changes to the bankruptcy laws. The net effect of these changes is to give consumers more incentive to seek bankruptcy relief under Chapter 13 rather than Chapter 7. Chapter 13 allows you, if you have a steady income, to keep property, such as a mortgaged house or car, which you might otherwise lose. In Chapter 13, the court approves a repayment plan that allows you to use your future income to pay off your debts during a three-to-five-year period, rather than surrender any property. After you have made all the payments under the plan, you receive a discharge of your debts.

Chapter 7, known as straight bankruptcy, involves the sale of all assets that are not exempt. Exempt property may include cars, work-related tools, and basic household furnishings. Some of your property may be sold by a court-appointed official, a trustee, or turned over to your creditors. The new bankruptcy laws have changed the time period during which you can receive a discharge through Chapter 7. You now must wait eight years after receiving a discharge in Chapter 7 before you can file again under that chapter. The Chapter 13 waiting period is much shorter and can be as little as two years between filings.

Both types of bankruptcy may get rid of unsecured debts and stop foreclosures, repossessions, garnishments and utility shut-offs, and debt collection activities. Both also provide exemptions that allow you to keep certain assets, although exemption amounts vary by state. Personal bankruptcy usually does not erase child support, alimony, fines, taxes, and some student loan obligations. Also, unless you have an acceptable plan to catch up on your debt under Chapter 13, bankruptcy usually does not allow you to keep property when your creditor has an unpaid mortgage or security lien on it.

Another major change to the bankruptcy laws involves certain hurdles that you must clear before even filing for bankruptcy, no matter what the chapter. You must get credit counseling from a government-approved organization within six months before you file for any bankruptcy relief. You can find a state-by-state list of government-approved organizations at the U. S. Trustee Program, the organization within the U. S. Department of Justice that supervises bankruptcy cases and trustees. Also, before you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy case, you must satisfy a “means test.” This test requires you to confirm that your income does not exceed a certain amount. The amount varies by state and is publicized by the U. S. Trustee Program.

What is your role as a parent to help prevent drug abuse

The drug called Ecstasy/MDMA is just one of several that children as young as 8th graders are abusing. Ecstasy is a human-made drug taken orally as a capsule or tablet. The short-term effects include feelings of mental stimulation, emotional warmth, enhanced sensory perception, and increased physical energy. Adverse health effects can include nausea, chills, sweating, teeth clenching, muscle cramping, and blurred vision.

If you suspect or find out your child is actually abusing this drug or is involved in any kind of drug abuse what steps can you take to help them overcome the addictions?

A family-based prevention program should include:

1. Enhanced family bonding and relationships;

2. Education for parents to learn parenting skills;

3. Developing, discussing and enforcing family policies on substance abuse;

4. Training in drug education and information.

What is family bonding?

Family bonding is the foundation of the relationship between parents and children. You can strengthen your family bonds through skills training on parent supportiveness of children, parent-child communication, and parental involvement.

One of the cornerstones for drug abuse prevention is parental monitoring and supervision. As a parent you can enhance your parenting skills with drug prevention program training.

Benefits of participating in a drug prevention program are:

• Being able to provide consistent rules and discipline for your child;

• Ability to talk to your children about drugs;

• Techniques of how to monitor your children’s activities;

• Techniques of how to get to know your children’s friends;

• Techniques of how to understand your children’s problems and concerns;

• And becoming involved in their learning.

The importance of this parent-child relationship continues through adolescence and beyond.

Below are some resources to help you find drug prevention programs:

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), DHHS Phone: 301-443-9110

• Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), DHHS

Phone: 404-639-3534

Phone: 800-311-3435 (toll-free)

• Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program

U. S. Department of Education (DoE)

Phone: 800-872-5327 (toll-free)

• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

Phone: 202-307-1000

• Knowledge Exchange Network, SAMHSA, DHHS

Phone: 800-789-2647 (toll-free)

• National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and

Drug Information (NCADI), SAMHSA, DHHS

Phone: 800-729-6686 (toll-free)

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIH, DHHS

Phone: 301-443-3860

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, DHHS

Phone: 301-443-4513

As a parent you need to educate yourself as much as possible about drug abuse, stay in touch with your children’s activities, and listen to their problems and concerns.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Feminization hypnotism

The truth remains that even if we now live in modern age, people tend to remain critical on gender issues. Although transsexuals are gaining acceptance, they have yet to earn enough understanding and respect. As these individuals become more and more aggressive in expressing their personalities, they continue to come up with more ideas and practices. One of which is feminization.

Feminization is an effort to transform a male’s appearance, behavior and thinking into that of a female. It could either be temporary or permanent. It is consciously trying to adapt feminine traits such as speech and behavior. Some common types are Forced Feminization and Hypnotic Feminization.

Forced feminization is when a male is instructed to adapt feminine ways against his will. It emphasizes the dominance of the female over the male – contrary to societal standards. Through this practice, the female gets to obtain personal satisfaction over gaining power over her subject. It is done through instructing the male to follow her directions; usually controlling the way he should act, think, and behave. The male is asked to portray the role of a typical feminine character. As the subject refuses to follow her demands, corresponding punishment shall be given to him.

An example is through physical contact such as through spanking and other stereotypical acts. He is asked to wear feminine clothing which are suggestive and provoking in nature such as undergarments. It is stated in some studies that refusal is usually unrealistic as the role-playing and submission secretly feeds on his fantasies and desires. But there are also cases where feminization is practiced as a form of abuse as in the case of sex slaves.

Contrary to forced feminization, hypnotic feminization involves a voluntary participation of the male. As per suggestions of the expert, he is then allowed to enjoy a particular fantasy. This environment usually evolves around being able to experience the feelings, thoughts, and even the physical traits of a female such as actually believing that you have breasts or female genital. It is a make-believe atmosphere where you could have somewhat realistic feelings and experiences. Hypnosis ends as per direction of the hypnosis expert.

The more conservative in us are yet to understand the reasons why some individuals undergo feminization. Feminization continues to create moral questions and it would take more than open mindedness and accepting gender issues. It may be a setback for transsexuals in gaining understanding but the fact exists that this practice exists.

Changing attitudes towards i. o.u. s

Changing times give rise to changing attitudes. With education and the growth of industry, so much of what we previously believed in has become obsolete. Schooling has become essential for people of all classes today. Educated people are no longer limited to only the privileged upper classes. Governments all around the world have for quite some time recognized the importance of raising the literacy levels.

The changing attitudes are not just visible in the field of education. Gender issues have also been affected by the changing times. Women are no longer permanent fixtures in front of the hearth. They now have the freedom to venture out in the world to find their fortunes. Finding one's fortunes is no longer limited to the men of the world. Moreover, it has become easier than ever before to actually find one's fortunes.

This is partly due to the immense growth in the world of personal finance. To what can we attribute this growth in the field of personal finance? One of the reasons will have to be the changing attitudes of the people. There was a time when people felt embarrassed to go out and ask for loans. Then, they simply waited for conditions to get better till they became convinced that no further improvement was possible. It was only then that they decided to go out and get some loans to help them out of their monetary woes.

Times have changed a great deal. Today, people have no qualms about going to a bank or some other financial institution to avail of loans. They know that they will not be laughed at or insulted. Banking representatives are well trained in the arts of politeness. So even while rejecting a client, they use the softest words possible. Gone are the days when people developed goose bumps at the mere thought of having to go to a moneylender. These days it is normal procedure to walk into a bank and check out for yourself the loan deals that are available to you.

Thanks to the changed attitudes of the people at large, banking institutions have taken it upon themselves to make life easier for all those who are trying to improve their lots in life. As a result, our world is overflowing with loan offers that pertain to houses, cars, education, home improvement and more. Working up a tab is no longer a bad thing. After all, credit cards have turned into status symbols. And all this is thanks to changing attitudes.

What is acne a brief users guide for parents teens and the rest of us

Acne is a disease in which the hair follicles on your skin become clogged and infected. This results in one of the three types of acne lesions to form.

The production of excess sebum is the culprit. It causes the follicles to become blocked. The medical community is still uncertain as to what triggers this excess production. Sebum is produced by the sebaceous oil gland and everybody needs a small amount to achieve healthy skin. Sebum helps protects the skin from harmful bacteria by washing it away.

Types of Acne Lesions:

The three types of acne lesions are whiteheads & blackheads (also known as closed and open comedones respectively), papules & pustules, and cysts.

Whiteheads as the name suggests, look like white bumps. They form under the skin and never reach the surface. This makes them very hard to eliminate. Blackheads grow upward and break the skins surface. This enlarged follicle and the oxidation of the dead cells, sebum, and bacteria have a black color, hence the name.

Papules form when a whitehead burst and the bacteria spreads to the surrounding tissues under the skin. This causes your body’s immune system to increase its fight on the infection making the inflammation worse. They appear as small, firm, red bumps. Pustules form as the body’s immune system continues to fight the infection by sending pus to the area. They appear similar to a papules with the addition of a yellowish white head.

Cysts are the third and final type of acne lesion. They form when a pustule worsens and expands further down under the skins surface. They appear red or purple and are very painful. This is the most serious of all types of acne lesions.

Types of Acne:

Acne can not only be classified by the types of acne lesions, but further broken down by acne type; depending on what types of lesions you have. People whose acne consists of whiteheads and blackheads would have what is called comedonal acne. A mix of blackheads, whiteheads, papules and pustules acne lesions is called acne vulgaris and is the most common type of acne. The third type of acne is called cystic acne and it is when someone has all three types of acne lesions with numerous cysts.

Who Can Get Acne:

While most people associate acne with teens, anybody can experience some type of acne at any age. That said certain groups of people are more likely to experience acne. They include teens, people under stress, people who have a family history of the disease, people taking certain drugs and adult women.

Photorefractive keratectomy laser eye surgery

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a laser eye surgery procedure that is carried out with the key intent to correct a patient’s vision. PRK permanently changes the shape of the frontal corneal tissue using an excimer laser, which is a high-precision ultraviolet chemical laser. The outer layer of the cornea (epithelium) is removed, and then a small amount of the corneal tissue is burnt off using the laser. Such an ablation renders the desired shape to the cornea and allows for optimal refraction.

PRK is a technologically advanced surgical procedure. For instance, a computer system tracks the eye position around 4,000 times per second, redirecting laser pulses for precise ablation. As mentioned above, the epithelium is removed prior to ablation. This does not hamper the patient’s vision, since the epithelium is a soft and regenerating layer, which is capable of completely replacing itself within a matter of days. However, the deeper layers, once burnt off, will remain that way because they possess limited regenerative capability. This theory is the cornerstone of the Photorefractive keratectomy surgical procedure.

PRK differs from LASIK in a way that the epithelium is removed in PRK and allowed to regenerate. On the other hand, LASIK does not involve epithelium removal. Instead it consists of cutting a flap in the cornea in order to make the desired incisions. Compared to LASIK, a patient who has undergone PRK experiences more pain and recovery is slow. However, both procedures are similar in the respect that they make use of a laser.

Photorefractive keratectomy is a viable procedure, but it does have possible complications. Apart from slow recovery and pain, the patient may experience glares and halos. As in any refractive surgery, there is a possibility of over - or under-correction. Eye surgeons typically perform PRK on one eye at a time, in order to gauge the results of the procedure and ensure its efficacy.

In a majority of cases, PRK has proven to be a safe and efficacious procedure to correct myopia. However, since the procedure is irreversible, it is recommended that the patient consults an eye doctor instead of jumping on a conclusion.

Article services and search engine seo

Article services and search engine SEO can be used together to provide a powerful means of attracting a high volume of traffic to your website – if you know how to do it.

It is not possible to provide a course in SEO or in article marketing or writing in an article such as this, but you can get the rudiments from appropriate web pages on the internet that are interested in showing you how. Initially, however, here are a few tips on how to make a start in combining these two powerful facets of internet marketing to your advantage. To make it work you have to get up and do it, and not expect it to come to you.

Achieve Nothing by Doing Nothing

My father used to say to me that nothing will ever be achieved by doing nothing but thinking about it. He said that when he was fighting on the destroyers in the Russian convoys protecting the merchant ships attempting to maintain supplies to the Russians in Archangel in 1942 it would have been easier to do nothing, but a job had to be done and they all did it by knuckling down and getting on with it, no matter what it cost.

Compared to that I find spending a few hours on a website simple and trouble free, and I have never forgotten the lesson he taught me. I work the hours I need to complete a task: the clock does not exist. The failures in internet marketing are those that give up too early. If you haven’t finished your day’s work by midnight, then stay up till you have finished – whether it is 2 am or later. OK, you might have the day job in the morning but nobody said it was easy, unless you believed the guys who offered you to get rich quick.

My dad didn’t help supply the Russians by bunking down at midnight. You won’t make a success of your new internet business by doing the same. That’s the reality of it. However, if you do knuckle down, and if you do apply the effort, then you will succeed since all it takes is the hard work then the rest will happen if you do as you are advised. Do what the winners do and you will join them.

Get Writing: Or Get Me Writing

If you can write then start writing. Write at least two articles a week on the subject of your website. More if possible. If you can write 50 then do that, but you will get success with just two. I have proved that to myself. If you can’t write, get a ghost writer. If you can’t afford a ghost writer contact me and I will help you if I have the spare time of the 24 hours I have each day.

You must also have more than one website, so get yourself two at least. The more the better, but two will do to start with. If you can’t afford two web hosts, then get one that allows unlimited subdomains and you can have as many independent websites as you want. eMail me for info on parked subdomains if you don’t know how to use them.

Optimize each page on each website as well as you can, and link one to the other. The topics or niches should be complementary, so that one is relevant to the other. Optimize the links between the pages on each of your sites to maximize your internal Google PageRank, and design the sites logically. If you use classic search engine SEO techniques, and tie them up with good internal and external linking strategies, you should soon start to see your traffic steadily increasing.

Build Up Your Website

There are several offsite actions you can take to improve the chances of your web pages appearing high in the Google listings for the keywords each page is optimized on. You should have at least 10 pages on each site, preferably more. It is easy to keep adding pages if you design one page to use as a template for the others, and add all the links to it that you want to have on every page.

Then all you need do to add a page is to change the article content, page heading, page title and graphics Alt text. The change the keywords, description and title meta tags and you are all set. You can do it in 10 minutes. Imagine: a new web page every 10 minutes!

Now write articles on the topic of each new page on your site and submit them to as many article directories as you can. You will get an initial page rank rush, or at least a rush of clicks to your site, until Google starts to take note of all the duplication of your article on multiple web pages (article directories). It will then begin to penalize these in the Google listings but not, and this is VERY IMPORTANT, not from the directories because Google cannot decide what content article directories hold. Your articles will remain on each directory until it decides to remove it – that could be years hence.

Do the Hard Work and Reap the Benefits

These are the basics of how to use article services and search engine SEO. The hard work is the writing and generating of the websites and web pages. However, if you are like my dad, and get on with the job even though your hands are frozen solid to the breach block of a five inch gun of a destroyer in the Arctic Ocean at 3 am on a cold February morning, then you will succeed. Work will get you there, not paying hundreds of dollars for software that does it all for you – it never does. Get the right guy to point you and you should be OK.

Hello from nova scotia exploring annapolis royal

Still thinking about what I learned about the fate of the Acadians after my visit to the Grand Prй National Historic Site, I got into the car and started driving westwards through the fertile Annapolis Valley, an area referred to as the “Breadbasket of Nova Scotia”. The gentle North and South Mountain Ranges enclose this agricultural land of orchards and vineyards. The Bay of Fundy is located just on the other side of the northern range. A pleasant drive took me along the Evangeline Trail that runs on the northern shoreline of South West Nova Scotia.

My destination was Annapolis Royal, a town with more than 400 years of history, located at the mouth of the Annapolis River. Annapolis Royal, founded in 1605, originally was called Port-Royal by the Acadian settlers, but after the territory changed hands to the British in 1713 it was renamed in honour of England’s Queen Anne. The word “polis”, Greek for “town”, was added to the Queen's name, and the original French word “Royal” was retained. A sign of turbulent times, ownership of this area went back and forth seven times between the English and the French. The town was settled two years before Jamestown, Virginia, three years before the founding of Quebec, and fifteen years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Massachusetts.

Together with today’s Port-Royal across the river, it is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St. Augustine, Florida. Annapolis Royal is one of five Cultural Capitals of Canada and was also recently selected as “The World’s Most Livable Small Community” in an international competition endorsed by the United Nations. To enter the town I drove across the causeway that houses the Annapolis Royal Tidal Power Generating Plant and drove slowly into one of the most historic and picturesque towns in Canada.

Annapolis Royal used to be the capital of Nova Scotia from 1710 until 1749 when Halifax became the capital of the province. Its collection of 135 Municipal Heritage Properties makes it the largest National Historic District in Canada. The town is a popular tourist destination and boasts numerous bed and breakfasts, restaurants, cafes, galleries and retail stores located in heritage properties.

Fort Anne, the main attraction in the heart of the town, was built by the British to protect the mouth of the Annapolis River and this was my first stop. I went into the visitor’s office at Fort Anne and was greeted by Alan Melanson, a 9th generation Acadian and a senior guide at this Parks Canada property. When I told him who I was looking for, he mentioned that my destination was actually the Port-Royal National Historic Site which was located on the other side of the river. I had obviously gotten the names Annapolis Royal, Fort Anne and Port-Royal confused and had showed up at the wrong place for my guided tour. That wasn’t a problem, though, since Alan indicated that his twin brother, Wayne Melanson, is a senior guide at Port-Royal and he would simply make a phone call to the other location to advise his twin brother of my arrival later this afternoon.

I would have a chance to meet Alan again later tonight to participate in the famous Annapolis Royal Candlelight Graveyard Tour which Alan would lead at about 9 pm this evening. So with my appointment set at Port-Royal for later this afternoon, I decided to park the car and explore the town on foot. I walked down Lower St. George Street past the Town Hall, the Lighthouse which dates back to 1889 and heritage buildings such as the Sinclair Inn Museum – a National Historic Site, the Adams-Ritchie House and the Old Post Office.

I came back up through Church Street and admired all the colourful wooden clapboard houses. One thing about Nova Scotia architecture is the decorative paint trim work that always stands out as a special touch. Since my busy travel schedule had so far kept me from having lunch, I stopped off at the Streetscape Cafй, a cozy local place where I had a delicious vegetable puree soup, followed by some vanilla biscotti. It was the perfect place to read up on the local brochures and tourist information I had picked up. Appropriately strengthened I was ready to continue my discoveries of Annapolis Royal.

Just a few steps up the street right in front of Fort Anne is the Garrison Graveyard which was originally a French Catholic Graveyard from 1636 to 1710 and is the last resting place of about 2000 early residents. Right across from Fort Anne and the Graveyard was my bed and breakfast for the night, the Garrison House, which I would have a chance to explore a little later this afternoon after my visit to the Port-Royal Historic Site. I continued my stroll past Fort Anne on Upper St. George Street towards the Court House. Built in 1837, it is the oldest court house in the province still in use. An enormous old French willow tree at the Court House lane used to serve as the whipping tree where minor crimes were punished in public.

Just a few steps further on Upper St. George Street are the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens – a full ten acres of horticultural beauty that just celebrated their 25th anniversary. I entered the gardens through the well-stocked gift shop and started my explorations of various display gardens, dykes and marshland areas. A stunning Victorian garden illustrates the horticultural styles of days past. An Acadian House (“la Maison Acadienne”) is also located on the property and showcases tools and utensils used by the early French settlers. Although it was already early October, many of the garden areas still provided colourful displays of flowers and during the summer the Historic Gardens also feature a cafй with hot and cold refreshments.

My brief walking tour through Annapolis Royal had given me a great introduction to a beautiful and very historic town and I was ready to discover even more history at the Port-Royal National Historic Site.

Foods that help curb hunger and cravings

While experts suggest the best way to keep healthy and fit and keep your body nutritionally balanced is by eating several small meals per day. But, of course what you choose plays a large part in how you look and how you feel. And, while many of us "should" be noshing every few hours, how often we crave and what we crave may depend on what we're indulging in. In fact, experts assert that when it comes to curbing hunger and cravings, the key lies not in NOT eating, but in selecting foods that fill you up but that don’t add fat or calories to your diet or your waistline.

1. "Liquid Lunches": Broths and filtered fresh drinking water help keep appetite at bay. In fact, according to experts thirst is often mistaken for hunger. They suggest drinking an 8-ounce glass of water at the first sign of hunger and waiting a few minutes, before making the decision to eat. If you’re not partial to water, they suggest organic vegetable or chicken broth and heat it up at a quart at a time.

2. Field Of Greens: Dark leafy greens and vegetables have lots of nutrients but very few calories, and can fill you up quickly and easily. And if you prefer them with a little seasoning; consider low-calorie salad dressings or stir-fry veggies in water. For more flavor you may even want to add a few onions, a little garlic, and some soy sauce, just may sure it's the low sodium kind.

3. Homemade, Instant, Organic Banana Pudding: An, easy tasty, do-it-yourself healthy dessert made from all-natural ingredients found at the health food store.

Pour a quart of soymilk into a blender and add two scoops of unsweetened banana-flavored simply natural spirutein soy protein powder and stevia (as a sweetener). Mix together. While blender is still running, add Ѕ tablespoon of guar gum powder and Ѕ tablespoon of xanthan gum powder to thicken.

4. Dill You Senses: By only natural varieties and avoid those with added sugars and artificial food coloring.

5. Crunch and Much (On Apples): According to nutrition experts, apples have few calories and an equally few amount of carbs, but taste great, are great for you, and fill you up before you begin to overeat, making them one of the smartest sweet treats you can eat.

Shopping in australia

Shopping in Australia is a laid back experience as you'd expect from a country whose unofficial motto is 'no worries'. Except for markets and some smaller shops, prices in Australia are fixed so there's no need to bargain. You'll find most items labeled with a price tag. A 10% Goods and Services Tax applies to any purchase made in Australia.

Shopping In Sydney

Sydney's shopping outlets run the gamut from international icons such as Tiffany's to street markets and homegrown, uniquely-Australian entities such as those showcasing Aboriginal arts and crafts.

Most downtown department stores, arcades, malls and boutiques lie on George Street and around Pitt Street Mall, Castlereagh Street and King Street. Especially noteworthy is the huge, historic Queen Victoria Building (QVB) which offers many floors of shopping delights.

The suburbs have their own shopping enclaves such as Warringah Mall. Meanwhile in Newtown and Glebe you'll find intriguing shops selling an amazing range of knick knacks.

One pointer, if you're buying Aussie knick knacks, check the label. You may well find that your stuffed koala is imported from China and your authentic didgeridoo was made in Taiwan.

Shopping In Melbourne

Melbourne is now firmly ensconced as Australia's capital of fashion. Boutiques on High Street and Toorak Road among others showcase the latest collections from up and coming Aussie designers. But for that unique experience, you should head for the markets.

Melbourne offers a host of markets, the most prestigious being the Queen Victoria Market on Victoria Street. Once reserved for sales of foodstuffs, nowadays you can get almost anything there.

Shopping In Perth

With its pedestrian-friendly center, traffic-free malls, and many quaint arcades, Perth is a real shopper's delight.

Downtown Perth is home to the chain stores. They're mainly in the malls located on the parallel Hay and Murray Streets and in the labyrinth of arcades that link them. For the latest offerings by young Aussie designers, visit the Colonnade shopping center on Hay Street. If you're looking for the more main stream designer brands, head to nearby King Street.

For a more 'boutique' experience, spend some time at Subiaco, affectionately known as Subi. Here you can spend a pleasant time browsing the chic boutiques, antiques shops, art galleries, cafes and markets.

Perth's jewelers showcase creations crafted from opals, Argyle diamonds, and pearls farmed from Broome.

Perth is also a great place to pick up Aboriginal arts and crafts. King Street and Subiaco are home to some fine crafts shops such as Creative Native and Indegenart.

Refinancing your home mortgage loan - refinance your adjustable rate mortgage

Refinancing an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is a common practice for borrowers. However, it may not always be the best option. Depending on how high interest rates climb, there are cases when you could end up spending more on converting your mortgage than you would save with a locked in interest rate.

Adding Up Costs

Before you jump on a refinancing offer, consider the upfront costs. To refinance a $100,000 loan, you can expect loan fees to range from $1000 to $3000. That is not including points for lower rates.

In order to recoup these origination costs, you need to be planning to spend several years in your home. Also, if you only have a couple of years left on your mortgage, you may be better off with your original mortgage.

Benefits Of Refinancing

Locking in a low rate is the most common benefit to refinancing an ARM. By converting to a fixed rate mortgage, you are guaranteed a low interest without worrying about yearly interest rate fluxes.

You can also build up your equity sooner by converting to a biweekly mortgage or short term loan. With larger monthly payments, you can potentially save thousands on interest payments.

When Not To Refinance

With an ARM there is always some risk involved, but there are cases when keeping your ARM makes financial sense. For instance, unless interest rates will rise more than a couple of percentage points over the course of your loan, you will probably pay more in loan fees than you will save. You should also keep your ARM if current rates are only 1% or lower than your ARM’s rate.

You may also want to keep your ARM if you are planning to move soon. With homeowners moving within seven years of buying a home, it doesn’t make sense to refinance when you won’t recoup the costs.

Picking A Lender

Just like with any mortgage, you want to be sure that you have researched several lenders before choosing one. Request quotes on both rates and fees. You will need to add up total costs to find the best financing package. You can also use the internet to find online mortgage lenders. Many times these lenders will offer lower interest rates or low closing costs to remain competitive.

Writing in exchange for bread on the table

Some people say that I have it all – I disagree. I constantly have to struggle with this love-hate relationship I have with writing. I love reading, that’s for sure. And I love to write….about myself as and when I want to. But when I am required to write about something like….say….how to change the black oil in a car or how to pick the right motherboard for your computer….I have to literally drag myself to the computer and prompt my fingers to move.

This is the relationship I have with writing. It’s because I make a living out of churning out articles after articles…sometimes completing up to 30 articles a day face to face with a deadly deadline….it is not such a heavenly life after all.

It’s ironic that I spent a large part of my life looking for the right thing to do. Something that excites me and challenges me. Something that I WANT to do instead of being FORCED TO do. I hate being forced into doing something but this is sometimes called the ‘REAL WORLD’. Even when you love doing something and you start having people telling you HOW to write your articles, or books, it begins to lose its initial appeal.

And yet, despite turning into a drudgery of kind, I continue to write. Writing is what I do best. Because my husband would turn to me in the dead of night, awakened by some kind of swearing and the tap-tap-tap of my keyboard, he shakes his head and says, “Gosh, you’re still writing? Why?”

I hiss back. “Because I am paid to do this. Because I LOVE this. It’s my job. It’s my life. This is what I am being paid to do, you moron!”

With a chuckle, knowing me, he turns his back on me and goes back to sleep. Smart ass!

While over the years, many other opportunities came a-knocking on my door and I wondered if I would do better if I did something else. Oh, I would still write but I will write my own stuff. My own novel. My own articles. My own blog. Whatever…my own diary. But no one else will ever get the chance to tell me how to write the things I write – NEVER!!!

And yet, surprisingly, I turn my back on those opportunities because I know I love to write. Like I said. I write for a living and secretly love it. If I started selling insurance or doing real estate, it would be like…so superficial. So temporary. But when I write…I write well and I do it quickly, fast and very efficiently. And I sometimes feel proud of myself…although my fingers and eyes were throbbing like an earthquake waiting to happen.

Writing is a passion. If you have a passion for writing, you’ll start writing passionately and whatever comes out is a masterpiece in its own right. Every single article that I’ve ever written, I am proud of them. I treat them like my little babies. I’ve lost count of the number of ‘babies’ I have today but all those articles that I have written, they are a part of me.

And I have learnt how to write efficiently and quickly without sounding like a train running out of steam. Get going, get going, get going. Come on, go on with it, write, write, write. And then after you’ve completed the article, go back and dissect them and inject some botox into them. If you stick around the first few sentences and try to get it perfect right from the start, you’ll never complete the article.

And with this secret (which is not a really a secret to begin with), I am now making my life as a writer.

Do I still love writing after spending the last 7 years writing on topics that are completely dry and arid to me? Well….I love to hate it …and sometimes I hate to love it.

I believe I will continue writing until I am lying on my deathbed….breathing my last few breaths….I can imagine myself saying, “Honey, get me my keyboard…I want to be buried with it.”

Once a writer, always a writer.

Evidence: I took a total of 3 mins 22 seconds to write this whole article.

Tips on saving dollars on energy in your home

A typical U. S. family spends more than $1,600 a year on home utility bills, yet making some simple changes around the home can save money and make heating and cooling systems more efficient, according to World Energy Solutions, a publicly traded energy services company based in St. Petersburg, Fla.

By evaluating facilities and equipment, World Energy Solutions (symbol: WEGY) helps businesses lower their utility consumption and maintenance costs and extend the life of their equipment.

"Many of the energy-saving strategies we use for our commercial customers can also be applied to the home," says Benjamin Croxton, chief executive officer of World Energy Solutions. "There are many common-sense, low-cost and no-cost ways to lower your home energy use as well as many new technologies that can be applied to your home's energy-consuming systems."

Here are some tips from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy on things homeowners can do to make their homes more energy efficient:

* Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting.

* Use energy-saving settings on refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines and clothes dryers.

* Use compact fluorescent bulbs, which can save three-quarters of the electricity used by incandescents. First to be replaced should be any 60-watt to 100-watt bulbs that are used several hours a day.

* Have your heating and cooling systems serviced in the fall and spring. Duct sealing can also improve the energy efficiency and overall performance of your furnace or central air conditioner.

* Clean or replace furnace, air conditioner and heat-pump filters.

* Assess your heating and cooling systems to determine if you should replace or retrofit them to make them work more efficiently to provide the same comfort, or better, with less energy.

"If your home's central air-conditioning system is over 10 years old, a new state-of-the-art system can save you 30 percent or more of your home's air-conditioning expense," says George Walker, air-conditioning expert with World Energy Solutions.

Why marijuana should be legal

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Many Americans feel that Marijuana is helping fund the war on terror, but making a war on drugs and keeping Marijuana illegal has not stopped millions of Americans from smoking pot everyday. So what is the answer?

First, why is Marijuana illegal? In the 1930's William Randolph Hearst, who had significant financial interests in the timber industry testified to congress on the evils of marijuana, saying things like it make people insane and commit acts of cannibalism? at this time very few even knew what it was and to stop people from going insane Congress decided to make it illegal.

The truth is many paper manufacturers were thinking of changing from using trees to make paper to using hemp because it was cheaper and easier to grow and better for the environment, and Hearst stood to loose millions so he used his influence and testimony to help get marijuana banned in the USA.

So now that we know why it was made illegal, we can realize that not only would making it legal in the United States stop terrorist from smuggling it into the USA, but would give us another option to cutting down of millions of trees every year for paper products that can be made better from hemp.

Hemp has thousands of uses that we are unable to exploit because of its illegal status.

During WWII hemp was used for the rigging on parachutes as well as rope and material for uniforms.

Nowadays Marijuana can be used to relieve pain and some of the effect of cancer treatments and old age.

It has been proven to slow down the spreading of Alzheimer's, relieve the pressure behind the eyes from glaucoma. It also helps relieve migraine headaches and the side effect of cancer treatment.

But until the United States realizes how much money can be made from legalizing it, it will remain illegal.

This is much like the situation with online casinos in the USA. America was sending billions of dollars out of the country and the government needed to do something to keep the money here, so they banned Online Casino and just like online casinos and online gambling I believe one day the government will learn to take advantage of these things instead of just banning them.

Eventually the USA will realize that the best way to stop the flow of money out of the country is not to ban marijuana or online casinos, but to enter the market and compete.

If the USA did what Amsterdam has done the government would make not only billions in Taxes from the sales of Marijuana, but the economy would boom from all the tourism that it would bring in from all over the world.

The truth of the matter is that legalization is inevitable. The attitude of people has changed so drastically over the last 30 years, that eventually when the younger generations start to take over marijuana will eventually become legal because they understand the truth, and that is banning something only makes the market for it stronger.

How to have a great time gambling without losing your money

Gambling in a casino or online casino is supposed to be for fun, but for many people the casino is the place where some machine eats all their money, and they are broke after the first hour and have to go to the ATM to get more money.

If you are not an experienced gambler it may be best to stick to the slot machines, but the fact is that the casinos make most of their money from those one armed bandits.

The easiest game in the casino is Roulette. The object of roulette is to guess what number the little ball will land on, which is not easy but there are other bets to make. In roulette you can bet on the color of the number the ball will land on, and since there are only 2 colors on the board it is a much safer bet. You can also bet on whether the ball will land on an even or odd number.

If you are not an expert gambler and just want to have a good time you can also play keno. Keno is much like the lottery. You have a card marked with numbers 1 to 100, and depending on the amount you want to spend and the game you play determines on how many of the number you get to pick. A computer picks the numbers and if you have at least 5 correct numbers you will win some of your money back.

I would recommend staying away from the poker rooms, but there is one poker game that is mostly newbie friendly, Red Dog Poker. The game is very simple to play. the dealer gives out 2 cards, and the player has to bet if the next card will fall in between the first 2, an example of this is you are dealt a 5 and a queen, so you have to bet on if the next card will be a 6 to a jack, the smaller the distance between the cards the more money you will win if you are right. If your cards are a 5 and a 9 and you win you will win less then if your cards were a 5 and a 7 and the next card is a 6. You may never become a millionaire from playing Red Dog Poker, but it is lots of fun and you can sit at the table for hours without spending much money, and it can be lots of fun.

One of my favorite things to do in the casinos or online sportsbooks is to play the horses. You do not need to be a genius or have been going to the track for years to pick a winner, all the information on the horse and jockey is displayed in an easy to understand way so you can have all the information you need to pick a winner, and for a few 2 dollar bets you can spend an entire evening in a casino or sportsbook for less then 50 dollars.

Many financial institutions are getting into payday loans

Payday loans, sometimes called paycheck advances or cash advances, are small, short-term loans. (Don’t confuse this “cash advance” with the term used when you borrow money against a prearranged line of credit. They are far from the same thing.) These payday loans do not require a credit check and are typically for amounts smaller than $1500. This kind of loan is normally to help the borrower “get by” until their next paycheck when money is tight.

How you go about getting payday loans is simple. The simplest way to receive payday loans is to give the lender a post-dated check, which will include the money borrowed plus interest. The borrower will get cash in return and the lender agrees to hold the check until the borrower’s next payday. On the date indicated on the check, the lender can process it normally or electronically withdraw the money from the borrower’s checking account.

Today, you can find lenders that offer payday loans everywhere. Most often, they work out of small stores. However, even large banks and financial service providers have begun offering various forms of payday loans.

A new variation on payday loans may be available from your regular financial institution! Check with your bank and see if they offer something like a direct deposit advance! If you have your paychecks electronically deposited in your checking account each payday, your bank may offer to give you a small payday cash advance. When you get your next paycheck deposited, the bank will withdraw the amount you borrowed plus the agreed upon fee for the service, which falls somewhere between 10-20% normally.

A twist on payday loans may be available through your tax preparation service. Many of the services have begun offering refund anticipation loans to those they prepare taxes for. They’ll loan you a fixed amount and then it will come out of your tax return later, plus their fee.

There are also many lenders online willing to offer you payday loans. It requires you fill out an online form, give quite a bit of personal information and then you will either be approved or declined. Most are approved and you will quickly have money in hand through wire transfer or other available methods.

Be careful who you choose to receive payday loans from. Shop around and look at many lenders before choosing the one you wish to use. Some charge much higher rates for their services, which will cost you money in the long run. Also, be prepared to pay back the payday loans immediately after your next paycheck arrives. If you fail to pay it back, hefty charges can be added to your loan and you can end up paying much more than you planned.

Jacuzzi - a brief overview

Jacuzzi is a brand name of a water pump system used in bathtubs. When people refer to a Jacuzzi, it also means a hot tub or a spa. The terms can be used interchangeably.

When shopping for a Jacuzzi or a hot tub, there are several things to keep in mind. First, where are you going to put it? A Jacuzzi needs a room with plenty of circulation. The warm water needs ventilation to circulate in the room or to the outdoors to keep drywall from mildew or rot.

A Jacuzzi also needs plenty of weight support to hold all of the water. Putting a Jacuzzi on the second floor is not a good idea, unless it is a small bathtub Jacuzzi. A basement hot tub is not a good idea either since the cement block walls can hinder ventilation and cause added moisture problems.

A cement slab or patio is an ideal place for a Jacuzzi hot tub. To use year-round, a gazebo or small room can be built around it. Windows can be made to open or remove to allow for ventilation, or to cool off on hot summer nights.

Second, what size do you need? Do you plan on hosting lots of parties and entertaining? You may want to consider a 6-8 person Jacuzzi. If it is for you and a significant other, a two seater may be perfect.

Jacuzzi’s come in a variety of sizes, and they also come in a wide selection of shapes. Jacuzzi’s can be round, square, oval, kidney shaped or made into a custom design. Jacuzzi’s can be made into a shape to fit a unique room size or to curve around a wall or architecture style.

A Jacuzzi can be made from many different materials. There are inflatable hot tubs, which can be filled with air or let out and moved. This offers flexibility if you live in a cold climate, you can bring it inside for winter months and enjoy.

High resin plastics and wood also make up the exterior of Jacuzzi’s and hot tubs. When buying wood products, make sure it is specially treated to resist water and damage caused by heat.

The interior of a Jacuzzi is almost always a type of plastic. What determines the price is how many jets are inside and how many settings they have. Settings can be limited with high and low, but more advanced with multiple choices for water speed and angle.

Jacuzzi’s require similar care to that of an outdoor pool. Water levels must be checked regularly and tested for bacteria. To keep bacteria and other agents away, a variety of chemicals are available to treat the water. The representative where you buy your Jacuzzi from will have instructions and can offer guidance until you are used to the process.

Besides the initial expense of purchasing the Jacuzzi, there are monthly expenses for maintaining your hot tub. Those expenses would be for electricity to keep the water warm, chemicals to keep the ph levels safe and water to keep it full!

Options to go with your hot tub are unlimited. Floating tiki bars, drink holders, pillows and toys for the kids are just a few fun things available. Special seat cushions can be made to help with special back problems or ailments.

Covers should be on the Jacuzzi when not in use. It keeps any excess dirt and dust out of the water and jets. It may keep wandering children out of the water too. If you have children, special infrared and laser security alarms can be made to go off if the light has been broken. Keep safety a top priority if you have a Jacuzzi in your home.

A better manifestation for web development

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But here the SEO Delhi company e-fuzion feels the upwards solution is not a very fruitful for Google’s ranking. By which it did not get more importance in online marketing. Now a day’s one would put lots of information with wrong spelling and searching process rejects this type of articles by using different approach or technology of SEO services. As many search engines do not did this work very clearly? But here SEO Delhi company e-fuzion for makes their sites more interesting and catching uses different technology. And it is strongly not recommended as many search engine and do not like this approach and may exclude your site from their index. The best approach of SEO Delhi company e-fuzion is it just it rejects all the wrong and misspelled words in the alt tags of different images, as many search engines index the alt tags. And off page factors, while ding the link building for your web site, you can deliberately use the wrong or misspelled words in the anchor text and it will solve your problem to a great extent. Any body can select this SEO Delhi company to have a unstoppable web site traffic generation coming into your site would be a dream that any internet marketer would droll over. This would be a marketers dream come true. Only SEO Delhi company e-fuzion is the only company which makes the marketers dream comes true. And by it you can guess what it happens, and you can make it charming for you. The primary concern of Search engine optimization is, it just drives a steady flow of traffic to it in order to reap the benefits that a constant stream of traffic would provide. It does not really matter if you have a web site, or blog site that is geared toward making money from advertising, or simply selling products. The idea has always been to attract as much traffic to your site as possible. In this way it is make you realize that SEO Delhi company e-fuzion really brings better profit as comparing with other.

Search engine optimization process always think to provide a better opportunity to web site, it particularly selects the good and creative web sites which are based on good content. So here content plays vital role. It idea has always been to attract as much traffic to your site as possible. It is in this way you will realize the benefits simply by the numbers and nothing else.

Finding an audience with zero marketing expense

One of the best ways to establish credibility and gain exposure is to offer seminars and workshops. You will quickly be recognized as an expert in your field when you’re in front of a group of people, giving them a piece of your knowledge. And even for those who miss the event, you can add that to your bio and enjoy the prestige of being an instructor for the rest of your career.

Of course, the big challenge to this effort is the actual speaking part. Most people don’t like speaking in public and that dissuades them before they even begin. But believe me; you’re well advised to give it a shot before abandoning the idea. You might be amazed how quickly you get used to the feeling of teaching others and those who aren’t natural public entertainers often make the best teachers.

The hardest part of providing seminars or workshops is finding an audience. Just getting people to show up is an incredibly difficult task. But as it turns out, there are a number of places where you can find an audience for free. There are plenty of organizations that will effectively do the marketing for you and they’ll be responsible for putting people in the room. Taking advantage of these opportunities can position you as an expert in your field while preserving your money for other uses.

The first opportunity exists with the local Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs. These clubs usually meet at lunch time once or twice each month and they’re always looking for people to come in and give a presentation. Although you’ll get a free lunch for it, you won’t get paid and you can’t blatantly sell products. But it’s still a great way for you to get in front of professional people and demonstrate your expertise, potentially getting consulting jobs or getting other speaking engagements.

The second approach involves the adult education programs that are offered by most municipalities as well as a host of companies like the Learning Annex. Whether these programs are offered as a community service or to make a profit, they represent a spectacular opportunity for those who want to hold workshops and seminars. All you need to do is put together a strong workshop proposal and send it in. If they think it will attract an audience, they’ll put you on the schedule … and you might even make a few dollars along the way.

The third avenue you should consider for your workshop or seminar is that of tradeshows and conferences. In the case of tradeshows, they usually have an education day before the exhibits open and the conferences have sessions throughout their events. Once again, you can submit a workshop proposal to the selection committee and suggest a program of your choosing. If the topic benefits their audience and the proposal is well written, you have a good chance of being accepted.

All three of these strategies allows you to book speaking engagements and find an audience without paying a penny for advertising or marketing. Meanwhile, you’ll be stacking up credentials and gaining exposure for your area of expertise. So if you can get past the fear of public speaking, put a workshop proposal and a mailing list together and get send it out. You might be speaking in front of an audience sooner than you think.

Toshiba qosmio g15-av501 notebook computer

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Purchasing a notebook computer can be a mind boggling experience with all the different makes and models out there. Toshiba has a strong entry in their Toshiba Qosmio G15-AV501 notebook computer. Let's examine why this particular model is certain to be an effective competitor.

Unlike most laptops the Qosmio takes computing to the next level. You can watch your favorite TV programs, play DVDs, or listen to music by way of its Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 operating system. Sporting a 17" screen the Qosmio offers a nifty 1440 x 900 pixels resolution perfect for TV or video watching. Other key features of the Qosmio include:

• Intel Pentium M 745 Processor (Centrino), 1.8 GHz
  
  
• 512MB Memory
  
  
• Television Tuner
  
  
• Exceptionally Bright Screen
  
  
• DVD±RW/CD-RW Combination, 2 Hard Drives
  
  
• Wireless LAN Antenna
  
  
• Remote Controller
  
  
• Video Card
  
  
• NVIDIA GeForce FX Go 5700
  
  
• Weighs just under 10 lbs.
  

As much as the Qosmio is an effective performer, I have learned that the battery life is very short compared to models half its $2500. sticker price. That's right, $2500 [shop around, as prices vary]. So, only serious multimedia experts will go for this machine and they will be keeping it constantly plugged in to boot! Any software you add will be extra, therefore expect to shell out well in excess of three grand if adding a productivity package, extended warranty, shipping, handling, taxes and the like.

Still, serious multimedia fans will find the Toshiba Qosmio to be a top performer in an ever expanding sea of laptop computers. For that reason alone it is worth a special look.

Facts about small business

Everyone agrees on a broad level that small businesses are vital to the American economy. However, most people would be surprised to know just how important. The United States Small Business Administration keeps records and statistics on small business in the United States and some of their findings are surprising.

First, the typical perception of a small business as a mom and pop operation with just a few, if any, employees is not the entire picture. The Small Business Administration defines a small business as an independently business with less than 500 employees. There are an estimated 23 million businesses in the United States that meet that classification. In some smaller towns in the United States, these businesses represent a major source of employment.

In fact, small businesses as defined by the Small Business Administration represent 99.7 percent of all the employers in the country and employ half of all private sector employees. More than 45% of the private sector payroll is generated by small business. Over the last decade small businesses have accounted for 60 to 80% of all new jobs created on an annual basis.

Although a large percentage of small businesses are in the retail and service sectors, small businesses are rapidly making gains in the technology sector. 41% of high tech workers like engineers, scientists and computer programmers are employed by small businesses. Employees at small businesses produce 13 to 14 times more patents than those employed by larger companies.

The Small Business Administration also offers some interesting observations on small business survival. Two-thirds of small businesses survive for at least two years declining to 44% after four years. Most of the factors that support a small business surviving are well known, such as access to capital and owner's education level. However, a lesser known factor in small business survival is that the business is large enough to have employees.

Similarly, barriers to starting a small business include lack of access to start-up capital and lack of education. However, the number one barrier to small business start up and a primary concern of existing small business owners is access to private health insurance. Individual health insurance for sole proprietors is much more expensive than receiving coverage through an employer. If a small business owner is able to offer health insurance to its employees, the administrative and premium costs are often much higher than those for larger businesses.

Learning the basic commands of dog training

Wanting a calm and obedient dog is important for a dog owner for a number of reasons. Well-trained and obedient dogs are often happier and less aggressive with other dogs and people. The law is another reason for a well-trained dog; many cities have ordinances requiring properly behaved dogs. This is true for certain breeds that are reputed to have aggression and other behavior issues, such as Pit Bulls and Rottweilers.

Training your dog well will make him a much better family companion, especially if you have children. Studies show that basic dog training can help to down the number of dog bites and other bad behaviors.

If you are thinking about training your dog or enlisting the help of a professional, there are certain basic commands that you and the dog should learn well in order for the dog to be considered trained. These basic commands are:

• Heel – it is important a dog learn to walk next to his owner on a loose leash, without pulling or being pulled

• Respond to “No” – This can save you and your dog a lot of trouble.

• Sit – This command is very basic and one of the most important.

• Stay – A well-trained dog should learn to stay where you tell him.

• Down – More than just a cute trick, down is a key element of a basic dog training program.

There is more to dog training than teaching obedience. Training your dog can help to create and strengthen your bond. Because dogs are pack animals by nature, they look to a leader for guidance. The key to successful dog training is to make sure you are the leader.

Establishing yourself as pack leader to your dog is very important. Each dog pack only has one leader, and in your case, it must be you, the human. Without this, there will be many behavior issues to deal with.

A well-trained dog will respond to all of your commands, and will not be anxious, confused, or belligerent. Any good dog training program focuses on teaching the dog what is expected of him, and will utilize positive reinforcement to reward desired behaviors.

Obedience training is not only great for you, but it helps your dog as well. It fulfills his need for physical activity, security, and trust between you and him. Dog training provides your dog with an important task, and a goal to reach.

Giving the dog a job can be crucial to his well-being. Dogs were originally bred by humans complete important tasks with them and for them. Most dogs today are merely pets, and have no important job to do. This can lead to boredom and bad behavior.

Basic obedience training, along with constant reinforcement of the commands can provide the dog with a task. This is particularly crucial for high-energy breeds such as German Shepherds and Border Collies. Conducting training sessions with breeds such as these is ideal for letting these high-energy dogs expend their energy and have fun with you at the same time.

Making your training sessions fun is a great way to prevent boredom for both you and the dog. Playing with your dog while training him strengthen the bond of love and trust between you – the pack leader – and your dog.

Work life balance adding white space

You most probably heard that work life balance is called the ''holy grail of the 21st century.'' In bookstores, the bookshelves groan with books devoted to the topic, yet ironically enough, quite a few people just can't find the time to read them. May this article help you cast a fresh eye on what work life balance means to you and take a further step towards balanced life.

Graphic designers and layout people will tell you that white space is what makes it possible for us to register text on a printed page or a computer screen. White space gives order, context, and emphasis to what matters.

White space facilitates delight: it makes it possible for the contents of a page or of a life to be arranged in a pleasing way. It requites and allows artful choice. Without it, everything seems equally urgent, similarly important.

Because it is empty, it is tempting to fill white space when the pressure is on. If you've ever tried to read an email that isn't broken up into short paragraphs, you know what happens when too much content squeezes out the white space. It is hard to track meaning, hard to isolate key points, hard to know how to respond.

The same thing happens when there is not enough white space in our lives. When we steal time from the white space to make another meeting, start another project, make another call, we end up distracted, confused, and reactive. Depending on our individual styles, we may get irritable, weepy, bossy, or simply forgetful, none of which saves time, makes money, or engenders effective collaboration. In an ironic turnabout, we may start saying "no" to things we'd like to say "yes" to and vice versa. Play feels like work, work loses its charm, work life balance quits us.

However, if we expand or maintain white space in times of great challenge, we will often notice that unexpected opportunities and solutions arise. When a problem is too big or complex to be solved with available resources, we have to go to another level to solve it. White space helps us find that other level and bring work life balance back, when pushing harder and moving faster won't work.

I wrote a version of this article in September, 2001, when I realized that grappling with the events of that month required extra energy and that I needed more white space for a while as I adapted to the demands of those times. I think we are in similar times now, when, regardless of your politics or perspective, world events require our heartfelt and intelligent reflection, a process that is not likely in the short term to result in clear cut solutions. Staying awake, connected, and present in such times is a big job, and it's the kind of job that requires white space.

I'm renewing my commitment to white space for the next few weeks. I leave for a month-long vacation soon, and it is tempting to work round the clock until I go. But I know too well the costs of that choice. So I'm getting out into the garden this weekend, taking time for music and reading, and making myself available for an afternoon nap or two. This is not self-indulgence. It's not even self-care. It's cultivating the white space that I need in order to maintain work life balance, show up, serve, and prosper in every aspect of my life and work.

If there is not enough white space in your life to sustain work life balance, or if, like me, you need more white space than usual right now, take some time to revise your commitments and declare a moratorium on promises for a few days. If you are a manager, ask yourself how you can support your people in having the white space they need. It's not necessary to make a production of this; you can accomplish a good deal by simply keeping white space in mind as you assign tasks, evaluate performance, and manage the context and mood of your teams.

Caring for white space can allow the shape of what is truly important to emerge while giving us the breathing room to stay balanced and respond more completely and effectively, if at a slower pace.

California refinance what you need to know

So what’s the best deal now with California refinance? Getting your dream home is one and paying your debts is another. A refinance will require your careful planning and budgeting if you want to succeed with your new loan.

What’s The Deal?

The deal is paying a lower monthly payment without having to increase your interest rates. As a rule, 2% off from your usual loan interest will make California refinance a better option.

California is still the best place to be and lower interest rates may attract you get a California refinance. There are several lenders vying for your business. They will offer you attractive interest rates. Be vigilant, though, in choosing your lenders if you wish to have a successful refinance program.

What You Should Know

Any refinancing means a longer new loan. If you have a 30-year fixed rate mortgage with just 20 years remaining but you want more cash flow monthly and you think you’ll be saving more by refinancing into a new 30-year agreement, you will erase 10 years of payments.

Given this scenario, you have to have a very good reason to get a California refinance, like lowering your monthly bills, paying off big debts, sending your child to college, and other big expenses.

But wait, do you know that your loan can be tax deductible? Make inquiries about the State’s policies on this matter. This will help you lower your expenses further.

What Happens When You Apply For a Loan?

When going for a California refinance, here’s what happens after you fill out a loan application form: the loan consultant has your application pre-approved, and before your application file reaches the closing, it goes through a series of steps.

Be ready with a copy of the title of the subject property and your income tax payments. The loan consultant will review these, including other documents. Afterwards, you will receive the loan disclosures which you will sign and return to the loan consultant.

Property appraisal and the review of documents by the processing department and the assigned underwriter will follow. Upon the final approval made by the underwriter, the closing date is finally scheduled. The final documents will be sent to the title company, notary public, or attorney who will close the loan. At this point, be ready with your state issued identification prior to signing the loan document.

Copies of all the documents signed during the closing will be provided. This will be followed by the three-day rescission period – time enough for you to change your mind. If you don’t cancel, a new title will be recorded and you are provided with the California refinance funds.

Double Check Rates Before Getting a Loan

Take the time to review the going rates and compare them with your existing loan. Lowered rates does not mean you’ll be paying lower monthly payments with a California refinance or a re-mortgage. You might end up paying higher monthly bills. If the monthly payment won’t be lowered, a refinance is worthless. So do your homework.

Secrets of raffle ticket fundraising success

As a nonprofit you need to find new and exciting ways to raise funds for your organization. Some of the many ways are auctions, dinners, and golf tournaments. In this article, I'm going to show you how and why raffles are considered to be the fastest and most profitable forms of fundraising for your nonprofit organization.

Raffles are simply the quickest, fastest, and most profitable fundraising method around. Organizations of all sizes can benefit from a raffle fundraiser because the size of the raffle can be easily controlled by the organizers.

The cost involved in the organization of a raffle is low, and the profit margin is affected by the number of tickets sold, the cost of the prizes, and the marketing and administrative costs.

Raffles are also an excellent way to draw attention to your organization. More people will learn about your organization and tell others about the raffle tickets they purchased in support of your organization.

The more the community learns about your organization, the more likely they will be to contribute funds in support of your organization in the future. Raffles not only generate money for your organization, but also help spread community awareness.

The one problem that many organizations have is, "How do I get started?" I will give you the steps to take to setup your raffle:

Step 1: Contact your State Attorney General's office.

Step 2: Ask the registration details for conducting a raffle.

Step 3: Organize your raffle with your volunteers and other people associated with your organization.

Step 4: Get your raffle prizes donated to your organization.

Step 5: Market your raffle locally or on the internet.

Since every state and county have their own set of rules and regulations it is just a matter of contacting your State Attorney General's office to get more information about registering your raffle.

You want to ask the correct questions so you will not get into trouble with the goevernment regarding your raffle fundraiser.

Are raffles legal in your state? Can your organization conduct a raffle? What is the prize amount limit for a raffle? And many other questions to ask as well.

So if you are a nonprofit looking to raise funds faster and quicker than ever, raffles are the number one way to get going fast.

Hollywood gone to the dogs

There is no question that people in America love dogs. One look at popular culture in our country will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Americans have a love affair with dogs. Movies and TV shows about dogs go in and out of popularity and stories like Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows are considered timeless classics. Only in America, however, do dogs manage to achieve celebrity status.

Rin Tin Tin

Rin Tin Tin was Hollywood’s first recognizable canine star. The German Shepherd was featured in 26 films for Warner Brothers Pictures and is generally credited with having saved the studio from bankruptcy during the silent film era. The original Rin Tin Tin died in 1932 at the age of 13, but his bloodline and his fan club exist to this day.

Lassie

Ask someone to name a famous dog and you will probably get the name Lassie every time. The star of several television series, many movies, and the subject of countless books, Lassie is probably the most recognizable canine star in American TV and movie history. Interestingly, all of the dogs to portray Lassie over the years have been male. The original collie to portray Lassie was actually named Lad and was the star of the memorable original television series as well as several movies, most memorably the original version of Lassie Come Home.

Benji

In the 1970’s a would-be filmmaker named Joe Camp started pitching a “dog movie” around Hollywood. He was told repeatedly that the film would never work, so he decided to produce the film independently. Once the film wrapped Camp had new troubles because no distribution company would release the film. Again, Camp relied upon himself to distribute his family movie worldwide. Camp’s gamble paid off and Benji, starring a lovable mixed breed dog that was adopted from an animal shelter (the original Benji was the dog Higgins who had worked on the TV show Petticoat Junction) became a huge hit. Over the years there have been five Benji movies, television programs and specials, comics, and a ton of Benji merchandise.

Video game testing - become a video game tester in 5 simple steps

Step One: Be Proactive!

You won't land any video game tester jobs if you just sit around and wait for a "Game Testers Wanted" ad to appear in the paper. It won't happen. So instead of sitting back and waiting for a miracle to occur, just get out there and find the perfect video game testing job for you.

Head straight to the game companies and developers and apply for testing jobs. Since they aren't looking for you, the only logical step is to actively search for them. Once you find them (which shouldn't take too long), apply for a game tester position with them and then repeat the process for as many different companies as humanly possible.

On your application/resume, brag about all of your video game achievements, such as the consoles you own, the games you've played, the games you own, the MMORPGs you are apart of, and anything else that shows how much experience you have with video games. And if you want to help your cause even further, create a website/blog that talks about video games, gives reviews, previews, cheats, hints, tips, etc.

You have to remember that experience and professionalism count for a lot in this industry. Therefore, the more experience you have and the more professional you are, the better your chances are for getting a video game tester job.

Step Two: Step Out of Fairy Tale Land and Into Reality

You have to realize that video game testing is a job. Yes, it's a really fun job, but it is still a job nonetheless. This means that you have to treat it as such and take every part of it seriously. Don't merely sit down and play the game to have a good time. Sit down and play the game so that you can collect a paycheck when you're through.

Many "wanna-be" testers believe that being a professional video game tester is a "no work, all play" type of career. Honestly, they couldn't be more wrong. Although there aren't huge amounts of work that a game tester must wade through, there are still a few things that he/she has to complete. For instance, filling out reports. Surprised? Well, most aspiring young testers are when they hear that there is actual work involved with video game testing.

Contrary to what you may have thought, you won't be simply playing games and giving your opinion on whether they are good or not. You will actually be testing them. You will play through a game, find any bugs or glitches, and then fill out reports on any problems that you come across. This is to help the developers and programmers locate and fix those problems. You don't have to be an English professor or a college graduate to write bug reports, but you will have to have basic writing skills. Aside from the reports, you will also be required to fill out numerous questionnaires; which are typically opinion based.

As soon as you accept the fact that you'll be doing actual work as a video game tester, you will have much more success finding testing jobs.

Unseen picture of night life of pattaya

Although most of travel destinations in Thailand are about natural resources such as beaches, mountains, caves, historical sites etc. but for many of us who have visited Thailand for several times realised that there are more and more interesting things to see in this interesting country.

That is city life or night life. One of the most entertaining activities for both Thais and foreigners. When we talk about night life in Thailand, we usually think about Bangkok, Chiangmai and Phuket, which are major cities and these cities already gain global reputation. However, let’s have a look at the east coast region of Thailand, there is a province called “Chonburi” where the location of Pattaya city.

Unlike any other city, Pattaya has number of tourists as equal as big major cities of Thailand. For example, Chiang Mai may have large number of tourists only in peak season or during winter season. But for city like Pattaya, travelers can visit throughout the year and that’s why the number of tourists of Pattaya are as many as many of major city in Thailand.

Somebody has mentioned that night life in Pattaya is endless. You will find that the people in this city always active and do their job regardless the time. No matter in the daytime or at night, there will always be things for tourists to enjoy.

Bar and night clubs in Pattaya are very well attractive to visitors. Some kind of fantastic shows such as Tiffany shows and Thai boxing shows. Apart from that, you will gain experience of Thai and seafood cuisine in Pattaya.

This city located on the coast line, so it is naturally become very famous for seafood market. There are also several province in eastern region such as Rayong or in the south like Phuket where the capital of seafood market is there, but all people who visited Pattaya are really appreciated the taste and freshness of sea foods.

Also, as the city is considered as central hub for foreign tourists, great international food also available by many of hi-class restaurant. For some of you who want to enjoy night life in Pattaya with pleasure of Thai and international cuisine, you have just come to the right place!!

Pattaya is also the idea place for romantic couple who want to get great private atmosphere to enjoy most favourite time. Beautiful island where five stars resorts and hotels are located do you are able to enjoy your honeymoon private time. In case if you are family who want to join activities together, there are all kinds of indoor games and outdoor activities such as paintball game and rock climbing to try out.

In summary, Pattaya is not only the city for nigh life, but also including all kind of pleasure and activities that everyone can find the most suitable to your preference. No matter you are the person who only wants to get very relax moment privately on the beach or enjoying activities together with family or even you are the person who not much appreciate nature but shopping, it is also the place for you.

New irs scam hits email mailboxes

There is a new wave of email “phishing” that is showing up in email mailboxes this spring, unscrupulous scammers are now targeting the American public with email claiming to be from the IRS.

The ingenious fraudsters’ aim is to collect your Social Security number, credit card account information and banking account information. The emails, which look authentic complete with the IRS logo and privacy policy, lure people into providing this information by notifying them of an audit or offering them access to a link to collect their refund. Additionally, the web site that appears bears a striking resemblance to the official IRS web site (even the font type matches) and when people click home, it actually takes them to IRS. gov (the real IRS web site).

However, there are some flaws to these thief’s attempts to secure people’s private and personal information. This is what the public should know: In one of the scam emails in the browser or address bar at the top of the page it reads: tzk. kozle. pl and the information that is requested, Social Security number, credit card number, banking information (where the refund goes).

The public needs to know that the IRS generally does not communicate with them via email.

“We do not communicate with taxpayers via email. We may send you a letter, we may call you, but we do not send out email,” stated IRS spokeswoman Nancy Mathis.

In recent weeks up to one hundred complaints a day are reported regarding email scams and the IRS has found twelve web sites operated in eighteen different countries committing this type of fraud or other types of IRS related fraud.

If you get an email from the IRS and if you doubt its authenticity, it is best to call the IRS and verify that they did, in fact send the correspondence. Call the IRS at 1-(800) 829-1040 ask confirm if they are trying to contact you. To report a fraudulent or suspicious email claiming to be from the IRS, call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1 (800) 366-4484. Furthermore, report any cases of identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at consumer. gov/idtheft.

Cheap carpet - carpeting a room for 20

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Do you want cheap carpet that you can easily install yourself? Well, I once carpeted a large bedroom for a total cost of about $12. You read that right, and no, the carpet was not used carpet. I did it with carpet samples.

I bought them for 25 cent apiece at a closeout sale, and it took 36 squares of carpet to finish the room. The only other supplies I used were the staples, which cost about a dollar. Normally, you might pay a dollar each for squares of carpet. I found them available for half that just a few weeks ago, but in any case, this is cheap carpet.

This is an unusual style, though, and you may have to consider the resale value of your home. The bedroom I carpeted this way was in a rental mobile home, where cheap and unusual styles are the norm. Ordinarily, you will want to save this trick for areas like basements, playrooms, and maybe a children's clubhouse. Still, it doesn't look so bad - actually it looks just fine if you mix the various colored squares of carpet well.

In a children's playroom, the multi-colored floor is perfect. It is cheerful and colorful, and if a spill stains one of the carpet squares, you can easily pull it up and install a new one in its place. This is a nice advantage of carpeting a room this way.

Installing Cheap Carpet

The only things you will need to carpet a room with carpet samples or squares is a carpet knife and a staple gun. 5/8-inch staples have worked best for me. Begin at any corner. Just put the piece in place and staple it in two or three places along each side. Wiggle the stapler head down between the fibers, or between the border and the fibers, and the staples will usually be well-hidden.

When carpeting a basement floor, you can use carpet tape instead of staples. In either case, this is best done where padding isn't too important. Of course, you can use padding too, if you don't mind the complications, but without it, this is pure simplicity.

You might want to lay out the pieces first, to decide where each will go. When you come to walls, heating registers, and other obstacles, you can easily cut the pieces to fit. If you make a mistake, it cost you perhaps a dollar. Just start over with a new piece.

Before you start, estimate how many pieces you'll need, and call around to find a carpet store that has enough samples for sale. The carpet samples at different stores range in size, but are usually at least 18 by 18 inches. Using pieces that are all the same size is the easiest way to go. Even at a dollar, this makes it less than 50 cents per square foot to carpet a room. That's cheap carpet!

Decorating books - cookie decorating book

Decoration Books is one of the best guides that help you to decorate your favorite places and things. In simple words with the help of decorating book you can decorate your house, garden, office, cakes, cookies, etc. It has the best collection in most of the topics that a decorator seeks for. With decorating book you can make a well-decorated output. It doesn't matters whether you are a good decorator or not but with an appropriate decorating book you can decorate easily and quickly.

There are number of decorating books in the market which are designed specifically. For instance there are decorating books for beginners, decorating books for professionals, decorating tips books and so on. Decorating books are available for different stuffs like there is a cake decorating book, garden decorating book, Interior decorating book, office decorating book and so on. One of such types of decorating book is a cookie decorating book.

Today there are different types of cookie decorating book that can help you prepare delicious and yummy cookies. These books provide you with not only mouth watering recipes but also different ways of decorating your cookie.

Cookie decorating Book

Everyone likes to eat cookie especially children who may love to eat every day. Don't you want to give tasty and decorated cookies to them or have it yourself? This book gives a different look to your cookies that attracts the attention of your guest. Moreover the tips provided in this book are simple and easy to understand.

Cook decorating book provides you essential tips and guidelines that can help you in decorating cookies. With the help of this book you can give an attractive look to your cookies. Purchase cookie decorating book to decorate cookies for Christmas celebration, birthday party or a picnic trip.

Cookie Decorating Book: Features

The main feature of this book is that it contains some of the best tips to decorate your cookies. Even though it acts as cookie decorator it is available at a very reasonable and affordable price. It contains step by step instructions and attractive pictures so as to render special guidance. It contains easy and simple project work for its user.

Sport as a part of our lives

Every day we get up, have our breakfast and rush like mad to whatever destination. We don’t care about anything that is outside of our field of work. But when it comes to health we run like crazy to the hospital, forgetting about our daily routine. Now it is quite clear to us that we have to keep fit and stay healthy to keep up with the speed of living today.

Someone buys a dozen of pills and remedies and crawls in bed with hope to get well soon and someone starts doing sports, tries to have a healthy lifestyle.

Doing sports doesn’t really mean that you have to spend the whole day in the field or pitch running, jumping, making new records and winning the Olympics. To be frank, not every person has the nerve to do it. When we say sports, we mean simple physical exercises, that help us stay healthy slim and fit. A lot of argumentative essays can be written to prove the absolute necessity of some physical exercise, especially today, when we mostly come to work, sit with comfort in the chair till the rest of the day and then wonder where from did these extra kilos appear? But neither argumentative essay, nor discussions will make you think that way. You have to get the idea to do sports into your heads by yourself firmly. You can find a number of exercises on-line, in various books, on TV; even buy a video tape with necessary movements. If you don’t have time to do it, just revise memories from your past (PE classes) and use it to get started. If you feel like you can use something unusual to get to know something new and to keep fit, you can use yoga or Indian dance. You have two pluses here: you get to know just a bit of the culture and feel that your body becomes flexible and slender.

If yoga or any other exotic art is too much for you, you can try simple aerobics. You can join a team and work out two-three times a week. This is also a good chance to make new acquaintances and enjoy some time in a good company. If you are a very busy person, you may use a video tape and have some good looking girl or handsome boy guide you on your way to a good figure. It is also a nice idea to reunite with your old friends and play some ball games in the free time. You’ll love to have a soccer match and than chat with those whom you attended high school with. If you feel obliged to do exercises just to keep fit, you may just drop the idea because you’ll se no result. If you have no desire to work out and do sports, no matter how you try, you will never achieve positive results. To reach your aim you have to start from the corresponding attitude. Besides, no one can say that sports are boring and not worth even watching. Then why do we stay glued to the TV screen, watching the Olympics. We shout for our favorite athletes and deep inside feel that jealousy, which you can’t bear. And when you see an athlete wearing a medal you imagine yourself taking the prize. Do sports and you’ll achieve your goal. Not necessarily your golden medal in sports, but maybe some results in other field where you are the best.

How to manage your home business life

Everyone likes to be in control of when they work and when they don’t. So, if you own a home business, you might think that you can simply walk away for a week to go on vacation, or when you have a family crisis to attend to. And of course, you can, it is just that with your own business, you have to be sure that you are taking precautions to keep your business going while you are away.

See, when you are working for someone at a business, you can take leaves of absences for reasons, if your boss lets you, and you don’t have to worry about the business itself. You might have work that piles up when you are away, and you might have to do some catching up when you get back, but because the business is in someone else’s hands, you will find that it will still be there when you get back.

However, when it is your business, flying away for a week for vacation is much harder. If you’ve got someone on your payroll or a partner, it might be easier, but if you are running a business out of your home and it is just you, there are going to be things that you should think about.

First of all, how can you make sure that the business runs while you aren’t there? There are several things you can do. If you have only a few clients, you can let them each know personally that you won’t be around for a week. A lot of clients will appreciate this and will actually like it. If you have more clients, you can use a mass email or an automatic email response to let them know that you will be out of the office.

No matter what, the key is to let people know. You never know when you are going to have people who are looking at you as a prospective business, and if they catch you while you are on vacation, you might lose the chance to gain them as clients. So, be sure that you have an auto response on your email that lets everyone know you are gone and also when you will be back so that they can expect an email. If you have a phone number, set the message to allow people to know this information as well.

Another thing to remember, as well, is that you have to be sure you are being professional at all times. You want to make sure that no matter what, you are talking to clients in what is always a professional manner. This will make sure that you aren’t losing any business while you are out of the office.