Automobiles are sizeable investments. As a car becomes older, its maintenance becomes increasingly important. There are many tools that every auto owner should have. Auto shops can sometimes charge exurbanite amounts for a simple fix that could have been done at home for much cheaper. Having the proper tools and knowledge will allow any auto owner to save money, learn more about their automobile, and maintain their car.
1. Every auto owner should have a jack and jack stands. When working on a car, more often than not, the car must be elevated. Simple procedures like rotating tires can be done at home with the help of a Jack. Additionally, all car owners should have a jack in their car with them wherever they go. In the unfortunate event of a flat tire, having a jack and a spare tire can lead to a simple tire replacement. In a garage, having a powerful jack and strong jack stands makes it possible for an auto owner to reach every point underneath the car and thus solve problems more efficiently.
2. One of the most important car maintenance practices is the oil change. To maintain an automobile, the oil should be changed once every 3,000 miles. Quintessential to a successful oil change is having an Oil Wrench that takes the oil filter off and allows the oil to be changed expediently. Without an oil wrench, an auto owner may be forced to take their car to an auto shop and overpay for a simple oil change.
3. Often when dealing with parts of the engine, or the hard-to-reach spots under the hood, proper tools are required. A 3/8-inch Socket Set can allow an automobile owner to loosen and subsequently tighten a wide variety of bolts. Different extensions allow the auto owner to obtain the best angles for torque and therefore make auto jobs quite a bit easier.
4. When changing oil, having a funnel, some rags, and a bucket is very helpful. Once again, the oil change is one of the most important maintenances for a car, and it can be done easily by anyone. However, many people do not have the proper tools or knowledge for a successful oil change. Having a funnel can also be useful when refilling any other fluids in one’s car. The funnel serves to make sure that fluids do not get over filled, which can lead to significant problems.
5. Finally, every auto owner should have a pair of solid vice grips. Some times a part will just not come loose. Other times, a car part may not seem to be tight enough despite one’s best efforts. Vice grips can hold a wide variety of car parts and allow the user to obtain more leverage for either tightening or loosening a part. When encountering a part that will simply not come loose, many auto owners will give up and take their car to a shop. Having vice grips can help one to avoid this problem.
Unfortunately, there is no car in existence that doesn’t require constant maintenance. However, with the right tools, anyone can fix minor problems and maintain his or her automobile without the assistance of an auto mechanic. The right tools can lead to a longer last vehicle, and large cost savings. (Mike Scurria)
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Your Engine, Your Baby: Synthetic or Conventional Oil
One central argument between car enthusiasts and on Internet car forums alike is what oil is better for your car, synthetic or conventional. Before synthetic oils became available for regular automobiles, the argument centered solely on brand types and weight. But now, with the advent of these synthetics all over the market, what is truly the best choice for your engine? Let’s explore both of these worlds to find out.
Conventional oil is rated according to a SAE system. This scale is used so that you know what type of oil is best for your car given the environmental conditions (temperature, city driving, etc.) of where you live. The first number, for example on 10W30 motor oil, is 10 followed by a “W”. This “W” indicates that the number before it is the viscosity rating of the oil. The lower this number, the better the oil is for colder climates. The higher the number, the better it is for hotter driving conditions.
Synthetic oils, on the other hand (before their commercial release) were used in many military vehicles and fighter jets. Airlines also use synthetics in their engines. The synthetic oil has been designed not to break down as quickly and can tolerate extremities in temperature and weather (hot to cold).
One of the major differences between conventional and synthetic oils is that synthetics are treated with more additives that protect your engine for a longer amount of time before you have to change it. And, while we don’t want to get into all the molecular chemistry involved in the making of these oils, we should mention that they also last longer in hotter conditions and won’t “gel” in colder ones, like conventional oil. In other words, synthetics have more additives, which greatly protect the car from viscosity breakdown. They are designed to withstand temperature extremes. It may be safe to say that extreme driving conditions call for the use of synthetics.
On the financial side of the matter, synthetics cost a whole lot more; up to three or four times as much as regular conventional oil. But, the wonderful thing is that you don’t have to change your oil every 3,000 miles; recommended with conventional oil use. In fact, you may not have to change it until well after 25,000 and up to 50,000 miles as long as the oil filter is changed every 10,000 miles. So, the cost at first might scare consumers away, but the long-term benefits of synthetic oil use are substantial.
However, you will still have to be responsible for your car’s maintenance check-up every 3,000 miles or so. With regular oil-changes, you are automatically checking over the car for other problems (or if you don’t an inspection mechanic does). It might help you find a problem that could be dealt with, that could’ve gone unchecked. Also, you’ll want to check the synthetic oil every now and then to be sure that it isn’t contaminated and/or that there isn’t any moisture build-up.
With normal everyday driving, perhaps conventional oils work best for you. You aren’t driving in extreme conditions and you swear allegiance to regular oil. That may be fine. Synthetic oil cannot really offer you anything that conventional oil cannot under normal operating conditions. However, the definition of extreme driving states that if you do a lot of short driving (two to twenty miles) daily, it’s hard on your car. And, specialists agree that this constitutes extreme driving due to the faster breakdown of the structure of conventional oil.
Another major reason that many are choosing the synthetic route is that it contains fewer impurities; impurities that can cause your engine harm, perhaps to the point of premature engine wear. With conventional oil, there’s no way to totally rid, filter or clean the impurities from the natural elements. That’s another reason why synthetic oils do not have to be changed as much even in extreme driving conditions.
You’ll want to be careful; however, if you do decide that you want to give synthetic oils a try. If you’ve been driving your 1983 Ford Thunderbird for years using 10W30, you may not want to switch using your conventional oil brand.
Conventional oils have solvents that stick to gaskets and seals and often cause them to swell a certain way. These gaskets and seals have been used to the same oil for years and the switch to any other type of oil (whether it is to a different conventional oil brand, or an upgrade to a synthetic) may be harmful. The oil you change (or upgrade to) will also have solvents and additives, different from the original. So in other terms, the changing of oils could result in oil leaks and/or a once small oil leak becoming bigger due to the reaction the seals and gaskets will have to the change (not because of the oil itself). If you think that this might be the case for you (i.e. if you have an older car using conventional oil), it’s recommended that you not try synthetic oil until you have an engine (or new car) with relatively virgin gaskets and seals that will be able to acclimate much more easily to the chemical changes of the newer type of oil.
It’s easy to see that that fanfare for one or the other is an argument that has really been explored. It’s best for you to decide what will fit your personal needs. If you have an older car, you may want to wait until you upgrade. However, if you have a newer car, the benefits of synthetic oils are easily seen. Again, it’s solely dependent upon you and the conditions where you drive. Synthetics are shown to provide their best protection above 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Most people do not drive their cars this hot. However, many do drive in cities, where driving times are considered to be more of a “stop-and-go” nature, which may be considered “extreme” in many circumstances. When the time comes for you to make a decision, at least you’ll be informed of the differences of each. And, until that time, no matter what, keep up that automotive pride! (Michael Walker)
Conventional oil is rated according to a SAE system. This scale is used so that you know what type of oil is best for your car given the environmental conditions (temperature, city driving, etc.) of where you live. The first number, for example on 10W30 motor oil, is 10 followed by a “W”. This “W” indicates that the number before it is the viscosity rating of the oil. The lower this number, the better the oil is for colder climates. The higher the number, the better it is for hotter driving conditions.
Synthetic oils, on the other hand (before their commercial release) were used in many military vehicles and fighter jets. Airlines also use synthetics in their engines. The synthetic oil has been designed not to break down as quickly and can tolerate extremities in temperature and weather (hot to cold).
One of the major differences between conventional and synthetic oils is that synthetics are treated with more additives that protect your engine for a longer amount of time before you have to change it. And, while we don’t want to get into all the molecular chemistry involved in the making of these oils, we should mention that they also last longer in hotter conditions and won’t “gel” in colder ones, like conventional oil. In other words, synthetics have more additives, which greatly protect the car from viscosity breakdown. They are designed to withstand temperature extremes. It may be safe to say that extreme driving conditions call for the use of synthetics.
On the financial side of the matter, synthetics cost a whole lot more; up to three or four times as much as regular conventional oil. But, the wonderful thing is that you don’t have to change your oil every 3,000 miles; recommended with conventional oil use. In fact, you may not have to change it until well after 25,000 and up to 50,000 miles as long as the oil filter is changed every 10,000 miles. So, the cost at first might scare consumers away, but the long-term benefits of synthetic oil use are substantial.
However, you will still have to be responsible for your car’s maintenance check-up every 3,000 miles or so. With regular oil-changes, you are automatically checking over the car for other problems (or if you don’t an inspection mechanic does). It might help you find a problem that could be dealt with, that could’ve gone unchecked. Also, you’ll want to check the synthetic oil every now and then to be sure that it isn’t contaminated and/or that there isn’t any moisture build-up.
With normal everyday driving, perhaps conventional oils work best for you. You aren’t driving in extreme conditions and you swear allegiance to regular oil. That may be fine. Synthetic oil cannot really offer you anything that conventional oil cannot under normal operating conditions. However, the definition of extreme driving states that if you do a lot of short driving (two to twenty miles) daily, it’s hard on your car. And, specialists agree that this constitutes extreme driving due to the faster breakdown of the structure of conventional oil.
Another major reason that many are choosing the synthetic route is that it contains fewer impurities; impurities that can cause your engine harm, perhaps to the point of premature engine wear. With conventional oil, there’s no way to totally rid, filter or clean the impurities from the natural elements. That’s another reason why synthetic oils do not have to be changed as much even in extreme driving conditions.
You’ll want to be careful; however, if you do decide that you want to give synthetic oils a try. If you’ve been driving your 1983 Ford Thunderbird for years using 10W30, you may not want to switch using your conventional oil brand.
Conventional oils have solvents that stick to gaskets and seals and often cause them to swell a certain way. These gaskets and seals have been used to the same oil for years and the switch to any other type of oil (whether it is to a different conventional oil brand, or an upgrade to a synthetic) may be harmful. The oil you change (or upgrade to) will also have solvents and additives, different from the original. So in other terms, the changing of oils could result in oil leaks and/or a once small oil leak becoming bigger due to the reaction the seals and gaskets will have to the change (not because of the oil itself). If you think that this might be the case for you (i.e. if you have an older car using conventional oil), it’s recommended that you not try synthetic oil until you have an engine (or new car) with relatively virgin gaskets and seals that will be able to acclimate much more easily to the chemical changes of the newer type of oil.
It’s easy to see that that fanfare for one or the other is an argument that has really been explored. It’s best for you to decide what will fit your personal needs. If you have an older car, you may want to wait until you upgrade. However, if you have a newer car, the benefits of synthetic oils are easily seen. Again, it’s solely dependent upon you and the conditions where you drive. Synthetics are shown to provide their best protection above 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Most people do not drive their cars this hot. However, many do drive in cities, where driving times are considered to be more of a “stop-and-go” nature, which may be considered “extreme” in many circumstances. When the time comes for you to make a decision, at least you’ll be informed of the differences of each. And, until that time, no matter what, keep up that automotive pride! (Michael Walker)
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Art of Employee Motivation
If you think that your employees’ poor performance on their designated jobs is costing you a whole lot of loss profits, then instead of just doing a total overhaul of your employee roster, why not try to do some employee motivation tactics to get them to actually come around and be able to save your company from looming bankruptcy. It really is fairly easy and simple to rouse some employee motivation, you just have to take these techniques to heart:
People nowadays are concerned of the lack of importance that is being put into health care plans. Is your company one of those companies who does not provide their employees with the health benefits that they should be entitled too? This is a possible reason why your employees’ morale are down. You need to reassess the situation and try to give them the health benefits that will ensure them that they will be protected by the company that they have been loyal even in their times of sickness. Always remember that a happy worker is a satisfied worker so make sure to use this employee motivation tool in order to give your employees morale a much needed boost.
Remember, companies are usually employed with some women who will, most often than not, become mothers. So it is highly important that you know their needs especially during the time when they would want to avail of their maternity leave. It is important that your company, no matter what kind of product or service you offer, is always sensitive to your employees needs, no matter what gender.
When it comes to having a good health plan for your employees, you must be sure that your health plan is actually of any good or else it would not really do any good to your employees’
morale. Make sure that the health plan will be able to cover all their basic needs and it wouldn’t really hurt if you throw in some added kicks.
Basic health care plans that you can use for employee motivation actually covers the following: full coverage for any basic illness or injury, coverage of hospital payments in case the employee has to be checked in at the hospital or if there are some minor surgeries that need to be done.
Added benefits to further boost employee motivation through a health care plan is through having their dental health covered as well as their optical needs, eyeglass subsidies as well as free dental cleaning and check-ups will be a good treat for your employees and will surely be a great added employee motivation move.
Apart from having a good health care plan for your employee motivation tactics, you must also be able to provide for them some other additional care such as an insurance plan which they can rely on in case something bad happens to them and they are still of service to your company. Even if this employee motivation move will not be availed by the employee’s family during the time of his or her service, your employee can still choose to continue on paying for the premiums of the insurance plan even after he or she has retired from your company. Unfortunately for your employees, once they resign
from a job position at you company the said insurance plan will be revoked since the company will not be able to play for your insurance premiums anymore (remember, all the payments from these employee motivation tactics will actually come from the employee’s salary).
Another great employee motivation move for loyal employees of your company is to have a car loan ready for them, employees who have already served some considerable amount of years in the company should be entitled to a car plan wherein deductions from their salary will be used to pay for their vehicle of choice. This is a great employee motivation move since those who are not able to afford a car (a brand new car at that!) would actually want to continue staying in your company because of this added employee motivation benefit.
From time to time, especially during special occasions, you need to be able to give your employees some added morale boost by organizing events or parties that will foster camaraderie among your employees. A little good time certainly wouldn’t hurt anyone and this will all be in the spirit of good ole’ company fun. Employee motivation directed events such as Christmas parties and company picnics are surely a welcome treat to your seemingly overworked and over fatigue employees.
You must also remember to give your employees some time to unwind like providing your regular employees the benefit of having a two-week paid vacation leave. That’s the least you can do for your employees who you have held captive for the majority of the year in your office.
These are really simple and easy employee motivation tactics that you can do in order to boost your employees’ morale and be able to ensure a good upkeep of your company. (John Morris)
People nowadays are concerned of the lack of importance that is being put into health care plans. Is your company one of those companies who does not provide their employees with the health benefits that they should be entitled too? This is a possible reason why your employees’ morale are down. You need to reassess the situation and try to give them the health benefits that will ensure them that they will be protected by the company that they have been loyal even in their times of sickness. Always remember that a happy worker is a satisfied worker so make sure to use this employee motivation tool in order to give your employees morale a much needed boost.
Remember, companies are usually employed with some women who will, most often than not, become mothers. So it is highly important that you know their needs especially during the time when they would want to avail of their maternity leave. It is important that your company, no matter what kind of product or service you offer, is always sensitive to your employees needs, no matter what gender.
When it comes to having a good health plan for your employees, you must be sure that your health plan is actually of any good or else it would not really do any good to your employees’
morale. Make sure that the health plan will be able to cover all their basic needs and it wouldn’t really hurt if you throw in some added kicks.
Basic health care plans that you can use for employee motivation actually covers the following: full coverage for any basic illness or injury, coverage of hospital payments in case the employee has to be checked in at the hospital or if there are some minor surgeries that need to be done.
Added benefits to further boost employee motivation through a health care plan is through having their dental health covered as well as their optical needs, eyeglass subsidies as well as free dental cleaning and check-ups will be a good treat for your employees and will surely be a great added employee motivation move.
Apart from having a good health care plan for your employee motivation tactics, you must also be able to provide for them some other additional care such as an insurance plan which they can rely on in case something bad happens to them and they are still of service to your company. Even if this employee motivation move will not be availed by the employee’s family during the time of his or her service, your employee can still choose to continue on paying for the premiums of the insurance plan even after he or she has retired from your company. Unfortunately for your employees, once they resign
from a job position at you company the said insurance plan will be revoked since the company will not be able to play for your insurance premiums anymore (remember, all the payments from these employee motivation tactics will actually come from the employee’s salary).
Another great employee motivation move for loyal employees of your company is to have a car loan ready for them, employees who have already served some considerable amount of years in the company should be entitled to a car plan wherein deductions from their salary will be used to pay for their vehicle of choice. This is a great employee motivation move since those who are not able to afford a car (a brand new car at that!) would actually want to continue staying in your company because of this added employee motivation benefit.
From time to time, especially during special occasions, you need to be able to give your employees some added morale boost by organizing events or parties that will foster camaraderie among your employees. A little good time certainly wouldn’t hurt anyone and this will all be in the spirit of good ole’ company fun. Employee motivation directed events such as Christmas parties and company picnics are surely a welcome treat to your seemingly overworked and over fatigue employees.
You must also remember to give your employees some time to unwind like providing your regular employees the benefit of having a two-week paid vacation leave. That’s the least you can do for your employees who you have held captive for the majority of the year in your office.
These are really simple and easy employee motivation tactics that you can do in order to boost your employees’ morale and be able to ensure a good upkeep of your company. (John Morris)
Friday, April 20, 2012
Stop your wasting time right now!
Well not really, you have to know where you are and where you want to be in order to improve anything. So deciding that your time management skills are poor, and learning how to get better and where you want to be is time well spent. How ever in saying that if you've been searching for time management information for days now, and are still looking for a perfect solution there's a chance you’re procrastinating. Just one trait of someone with poor time management.
So what can you do to start improving your time management right away?
Make lists and prioritize
Often it's not that people aren't effective with their time rather they just don't spend the time they have doing the right things. We're all guilty of this at one time or another, but some of us are habitual with it. The easiest way to determine if you do this is to make a list each morning, or the night before of the things you need/want to accomplish
the following or that day. Once you have your list prioritize the items from greatest to least importance. Now spend a day and perform the tasks in the order you prioritized them. This does two things.
a.) It shows you what you need to accomplish in a day so you now have some urgency because you know there are other tasks to get done not just the one your currently working on.
b.) It ensures that the most important items are being taken care of first.
There are times when we can't finish every item on our list but at least we took care of the most important issues first.
Learn to say no
You can't do everything for everyone. Following our list exercise above it's obvious that if you have a list of 20 things and only time for 10 of them in a day then it's hard to accept additional activities from others. Of course there are trade offs that a more important task could come along and you exchange it for another task you were going to do that day. This gets into another discussion on life priorities such as friends, family, career, remember balance is also important. But you can't do everything so if the boss wants you to work late that night, but your supposed to see your son’s hockey game
you have to be able to say no somewhere.
Don't book every moment of your day
Now while we've preached lists, daily organization, and learning to say no you do need to leave some room for flexibility. Booking up every moment of your day so that you're on a minute-by-minute schedule can be a big problem if a mini crisis occurs in the day that wasn't accounted for.
Use other tools
Using day planners, or PDA's to keep track of appointments and to do lists will save time and promote organization on all levels. Also keeping good contact information whether it be in a contact database on your computer or in an address book will save time when you need to contact people. (Ian Henman)
So what can you do to start improving your time management right away?
Make lists and prioritize
Often it's not that people aren't effective with their time rather they just don't spend the time they have doing the right things. We're all guilty of this at one time or another, but some of us are habitual with it. The easiest way to determine if you do this is to make a list each morning, or the night before of the things you need/want to accomplish
the following or that day. Once you have your list prioritize the items from greatest to least importance. Now spend a day and perform the tasks in the order you prioritized them. This does two things.
a.) It shows you what you need to accomplish in a day so you now have some urgency because you know there are other tasks to get done not just the one your currently working on.
b.) It ensures that the most important items are being taken care of first.
There are times when we can't finish every item on our list but at least we took care of the most important issues first.
Learn to say no
You can't do everything for everyone. Following our list exercise above it's obvious that if you have a list of 20 things and only time for 10 of them in a day then it's hard to accept additional activities from others. Of course there are trade offs that a more important task could come along and you exchange it for another task you were going to do that day. This gets into another discussion on life priorities such as friends, family, career, remember balance is also important. But you can't do everything so if the boss wants you to work late that night, but your supposed to see your son’s hockey game
you have to be able to say no somewhere.
Don't book every moment of your day
Now while we've preached lists, daily organization, and learning to say no you do need to leave some room for flexibility. Booking up every moment of your day so that you're on a minute-by-minute schedule can be a big problem if a mini crisis occurs in the day that wasn't accounted for.
Use other tools
Using day planners, or PDA's to keep track of appointments and to do lists will save time and promote organization on all levels. Also keeping good contact information whether it be in a contact database on your computer or in an address book will save time when you need to contact people. (Ian Henman)
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Employee Evaluations: Four Tips to Help Managers with Performance Review Conversations
Managers talk with the people on their teams every day. Whatever the topic, most of these conversations happen with no stress, little anxiety, and minimal tension. But when the conversation is about an employee’s performance, anxieties often abound. Here are four ways to reduce the tension and defensiveness that too often surround performance evaluations.
1. Don’t wait for the meeting to deliver the performance appraisal form.
I worked for large corporations for fifteen years before beginning my consulting career. Every one of those companies — GE, United Airlines, PepsiCo — took performance appraisal very seriously. And my bosses at those companies also took their responsibilities for performance evaluation seriously as well. But all of my bosses kicked off the appraisal discussion in a way that was guaranteed to get it off to a bad start. How did they begin? They set up the time for the meeting and then waited until I was sitting across the desk to hand me their completed appraisal form.
At the start of the meeting my boss would give me his appraisal form and I would engage all of my speed-reading skills, whipping through the document as fast as I could to see what he had said about my performance. While I was reading the evaluation (and probably missing some key points in my haste to take everything in) my boss would be behind his desk, pretending to work, but in truth trying to gauge how I was reacting to the evaluation he had written.
What a terrible way to begin! Don’t wait until the meeting starts to give the employee your performance appraisal document. It’s far more effective to go up to the employee an hour or so in advance of the meeting, and say something like this: “Mary, you know we’re getting together at two o’clock to go over your performance appraisal. Here it is. Why don’t you take some time between now and then to review it? Read it carefully and jot down any questions that you’d like to ask.”
Giving the person the appraisal to review in advance of the meeting can lessen defensiveness. It allows her time to think about what you’ve written and prevents spur-of-the-moment reactions. You’ll usually find that giving the person a chance to read what you’ve written in advance produces much more effective business discussions.
2. Set a time frame (and give yourself an extra fifteen minutes).
Your discussion of a person’s performance evaluation may be one of the most important interactions you'll ever have with that individual; make sure you’ve allowed enough time. In most cases, an hour should be sufficient to review the appraisal document itself as well as discuss many of the other subjects that often pop up during performance reviews — development activities, career plans, and future goals and projects. Make certain that the very next activity you’ve scheduled after finishing the review isn't one that must begin at a set time. If you provide yourself with a little flexibility at the end, you can take the time to wrap up the discussion comfortably.
3. Don’t start by discussing the form itself.
Yes, the form is important, but the form simply serves as the formal record of your assessment of how well the individual has done over the past year. Rather than beginning with the first entry on the appraisal form and moving lockstep through the document item-by-item, it’s more effective to start by asking a general question that requires the employee’s thoughtful consideration: “Tim, you’ve had a chance to read the appraisal. Why don’t you start by telling me how you feel the past year has gone?” Then listen as the individual responds and continue the discussion from there.
4. Don’t fixate on getting the employee to agree with your performance appraisal.
One of the most common questions managers ask me during training sessions involves how they can gain an employee’s agreement with what they’ve written in the performance appraisal, particularly when what they’ve written isn't entirely favorable. “Don’t try!” is my advice to them.
What is a performance appraisal? It is a formal record of the supervisor’s opinion of the quality of the employee’s work. Pay attention to the key phrase, “. . . the supervisor’s opinion . . .”
Of course the employee is going to have a different opinion — all of us believe we’re above average. The goal in the performance review discussion is not to gain the employee’s agreement, although it is nice if that happens, the goal is to gain the employee’s understanding. As long as the employee understands how you came up with the evaluation, you’ve done your job. Of course, he may disagree (particularly if you’ve set the bar high and have tough, demanding standards). But don’t waste time trying to convince a person that you’re right and she’s wrong. The important thing is that she understands your expectations and how her performance was assessed.
There’s a lot more to conducting good appraisal discussions, of course. But these four tips should make a tough job just a little bit easier. (Dick Grote)
1. Don’t wait for the meeting to deliver the performance appraisal form.
I worked for large corporations for fifteen years before beginning my consulting career. Every one of those companies — GE, United Airlines, PepsiCo — took performance appraisal very seriously. And my bosses at those companies also took their responsibilities for performance evaluation seriously as well. But all of my bosses kicked off the appraisal discussion in a way that was guaranteed to get it off to a bad start. How did they begin? They set up the time for the meeting and then waited until I was sitting across the desk to hand me their completed appraisal form.
At the start of the meeting my boss would give me his appraisal form and I would engage all of my speed-reading skills, whipping through the document as fast as I could to see what he had said about my performance. While I was reading the evaluation (and probably missing some key points in my haste to take everything in) my boss would be behind his desk, pretending to work, but in truth trying to gauge how I was reacting to the evaluation he had written.
What a terrible way to begin! Don’t wait until the meeting starts to give the employee your performance appraisal document. It’s far more effective to go up to the employee an hour or so in advance of the meeting, and say something like this: “Mary, you know we’re getting together at two o’clock to go over your performance appraisal. Here it is. Why don’t you take some time between now and then to review it? Read it carefully and jot down any questions that you’d like to ask.”
Giving the person the appraisal to review in advance of the meeting can lessen defensiveness. It allows her time to think about what you’ve written and prevents spur-of-the-moment reactions. You’ll usually find that giving the person a chance to read what you’ve written in advance produces much more effective business discussions.
2. Set a time frame (and give yourself an extra fifteen minutes).
Your discussion of a person’s performance evaluation may be one of the most important interactions you'll ever have with that individual; make sure you’ve allowed enough time. In most cases, an hour should be sufficient to review the appraisal document itself as well as discuss many of the other subjects that often pop up during performance reviews — development activities, career plans, and future goals and projects. Make certain that the very next activity you’ve scheduled after finishing the review isn't one that must begin at a set time. If you provide yourself with a little flexibility at the end, you can take the time to wrap up the discussion comfortably.
3. Don’t start by discussing the form itself.
Yes, the form is important, but the form simply serves as the formal record of your assessment of how well the individual has done over the past year. Rather than beginning with the first entry on the appraisal form and moving lockstep through the document item-by-item, it’s more effective to start by asking a general question that requires the employee’s thoughtful consideration: “Tim, you’ve had a chance to read the appraisal. Why don’t you start by telling me how you feel the past year has gone?” Then listen as the individual responds and continue the discussion from there.
4. Don’t fixate on getting the employee to agree with your performance appraisal.
One of the most common questions managers ask me during training sessions involves how they can gain an employee’s agreement with what they’ve written in the performance appraisal, particularly when what they’ve written isn't entirely favorable. “Don’t try!” is my advice to them.
What is a performance appraisal? It is a formal record of the supervisor’s opinion of the quality of the employee’s work. Pay attention to the key phrase, “. . . the supervisor’s opinion . . .”
Of course the employee is going to have a different opinion — all of us believe we’re above average. The goal in the performance review discussion is not to gain the employee’s agreement, although it is nice if that happens, the goal is to gain the employee’s understanding. As long as the employee understands how you came up with the evaluation, you’ve done your job. Of course, he may disagree (particularly if you’ve set the bar high and have tough, demanding standards). But don’t waste time trying to convince a person that you’re right and she’s wrong. The important thing is that she understands your expectations and how her performance was assessed.
There’s a lot more to conducting good appraisal discussions, of course. But these four tips should make a tough job just a little bit easier. (Dick Grote)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
5 Promotion Secrets to Get the Job You Want
5 Promotion Secrets to Get the Job You Want
You Mean I Need to Promote Myself to Get a Promotion?
Time and time again I hear the following from students in my career advancement workshops:
• “My work speaks for itself…I shouldn’t have to tell anyone about my skills.”
• “Why did they hire from the outside, I am already doing what’s required of that position?”
• “Why did they get the job, I have more skills and experience than they do?”
• “How come my name is never mentioned when promotions come up in conversation?”
The answer is…you need to promote your skills and experience. Everybody quotes the old saying, “It not what you know, but who you know.” That’s not quite right. The correct saying should be, “It not what you know but who knows what you know.” The people that can make decisions or have input on your career need to know what you know. This will only happen if you promote, promote, promote your special skills and experience.
Here are five secrets you can use to promote yourself for promotions:
1. Volunteer to Make a Difference
Volunteer for assignments that expose your skills. Look for especially challenging projects that other people have declined.
Also volunteer to mentor others within your organization. This will show and develop your leadership, management, and interpersonal skills. Keep management posted on your challenges and how you are working with the person you are mentoring to overcome these challenges.
Volunteer to write a department or organizational newsletter. This is another way to benefit a large group with your ideas while showcasing your skills and ideas.
2. Be a Solution Creator not a Problem Maker
Anybody can find problems within organizations. My experience is that you don’t need to find them…they will find you. Sometimes they have a special skill of finding problems and reporting them.
Develop the skill of looking at these problems as “opportunities for advancement,” step back and analyze the opportunity, and develop ideas for overcoming the problem. Make sure you communicate these solutions during meetings, e-mails, memos, and conversations with management. You will soon be looked upon by management as someone who can overcome obstacles and make things happen within the organization.
3. Handle the Next Level at This Level
If you are a manager and want to become a vice president then, start working like a vice president. Find a vice president that is open to mentoring you for the next level. Remember, that vice president will not be promoted to the next level unless the organization sees that the vice president has developed someone to take their spot. It might as well be you. Plus you can lighten their work load.
Explain to the vice president what you want to accomplish so that everyone has a clear understanding and that this is a win-win situation for all involved.
I hear, “I’m too busy already to do this.” Well, let me ask you, “How badly do you want the promotion?” We are all busy. It’s up to you to enhance your time management and delegation skills so that you can take on these tasks that will prepare you for the next level.
4. Announce That You Want It!
Many times employees miss out on promotions because the decision makers and career influencers do not know they are interested in being promoted.
Announce that you want to go to the next career level!
Take time to sit down with your supervisor, manager, director, etc. and let them know you are interested in going to the next level. Ask them for their honest assessment of your skills. Then ask what you need to do to be ready when the next career opportunity appears.
Also announce your career aspirations to influencers in the Human Resources Department. Remember the more people they can hire from the outside, the less work they need to do. Make it easy for them to hire you.
Announce it to any one who can influence the decision for your promotion.
5. Join Groups to Accelerate Promotions
Join committees within the organization. This shows management that you care enough to make a difference.
Also join professional groups and associations. Professional groups and associations are a perfect way to let influencers outside your organization about your skills. Don’t just join, participant in the association’s activities to show your creativity, teamwork, and other skills.
One of the most important groups that you could ever join…is Toastmasters. This is a worldwide organization with over 175,000 members dedicated to helping it’s improve their public speaking, evaluation, think-on-your-feet, and leadership skills. The main reasons you should join Toastmaster is the following:
• Toastmasters give you the confidence to approach any opportunity with confidence.
• Toastmaster gives you the speaking skills to stand up in front of group and present your point in a persuasive manner while others shy away from this opportunity.
• You develop your leadership skills by learning how to do effective, positive, and encouraging feedback and evaluations while learning how to empower the receiver to do better.
• You have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills by volunteering for positions at the club, area, state, regional, and international level. I always say if you can’t get the skills at your organization, you can get it at Toastmasters.
Join and let your organization know you’ve joined these groups. I remember a student telling me he wanted the job of Network Administrator in a large organization. He never seemed to get past the first interviews. Then he joined Toastmasters. He shared with me he gained the confidence and think-on-your-feet skills needed to master his interviews. Shortly after joining Toastmasters, he landed his dream job as Network Administrator at a major hospital. It can make the difference for you.
I challenge you to apply these techniques. You will see immediate results and go to the next level. (Ed Sykes)
You Mean I Need to Promote Myself to Get a Promotion?
Time and time again I hear the following from students in my career advancement workshops:
• “My work speaks for itself…I shouldn’t have to tell anyone about my skills.”
• “Why did they hire from the outside, I am already doing what’s required of that position?”
• “Why did they get the job, I have more skills and experience than they do?”
• “How come my name is never mentioned when promotions come up in conversation?”
The answer is…you need to promote your skills and experience. Everybody quotes the old saying, “It not what you know, but who you know.” That’s not quite right. The correct saying should be, “It not what you know but who knows what you know.” The people that can make decisions or have input on your career need to know what you know. This will only happen if you promote, promote, promote your special skills and experience.
Here are five secrets you can use to promote yourself for promotions:
1. Volunteer to Make a Difference
Volunteer for assignments that expose your skills. Look for especially challenging projects that other people have declined.
Also volunteer to mentor others within your organization. This will show and develop your leadership, management, and interpersonal skills. Keep management posted on your challenges and how you are working with the person you are mentoring to overcome these challenges.
Volunteer to write a department or organizational newsletter. This is another way to benefit a large group with your ideas while showcasing your skills and ideas.
2. Be a Solution Creator not a Problem Maker
Anybody can find problems within organizations. My experience is that you don’t need to find them…they will find you. Sometimes they have a special skill of finding problems and reporting them.
Develop the skill of looking at these problems as “opportunities for advancement,” step back and analyze the opportunity, and develop ideas for overcoming the problem. Make sure you communicate these solutions during meetings, e-mails, memos, and conversations with management. You will soon be looked upon by management as someone who can overcome obstacles and make things happen within the organization.
3. Handle the Next Level at This Level
If you are a manager and want to become a vice president then, start working like a vice president. Find a vice president that is open to mentoring you for the next level. Remember, that vice president will not be promoted to the next level unless the organization sees that the vice president has developed someone to take their spot. It might as well be you. Plus you can lighten their work load.
Explain to the vice president what you want to accomplish so that everyone has a clear understanding and that this is a win-win situation for all involved.
I hear, “I’m too busy already to do this.” Well, let me ask you, “How badly do you want the promotion?” We are all busy. It’s up to you to enhance your time management and delegation skills so that you can take on these tasks that will prepare you for the next level.
4. Announce That You Want It!
Many times employees miss out on promotions because the decision makers and career influencers do not know they are interested in being promoted.
Announce that you want to go to the next career level!
Take time to sit down with your supervisor, manager, director, etc. and let them know you are interested in going to the next level. Ask them for their honest assessment of your skills. Then ask what you need to do to be ready when the next career opportunity appears.
Also announce your career aspirations to influencers in the Human Resources Department. Remember the more people they can hire from the outside, the less work they need to do. Make it easy for them to hire you.
Announce it to any one who can influence the decision for your promotion.
5. Join Groups to Accelerate Promotions
Join committees within the organization. This shows management that you care enough to make a difference.
Also join professional groups and associations. Professional groups and associations are a perfect way to let influencers outside your organization about your skills. Don’t just join, participant in the association’s activities to show your creativity, teamwork, and other skills.
One of the most important groups that you could ever join…is Toastmasters. This is a worldwide organization with over 175,000 members dedicated to helping it’s improve their public speaking, evaluation, think-on-your-feet, and leadership skills. The main reasons you should join Toastmaster is the following:
• Toastmasters give you the confidence to approach any opportunity with confidence.
• Toastmaster gives you the speaking skills to stand up in front of group and present your point in a persuasive manner while others shy away from this opportunity.
• You develop your leadership skills by learning how to do effective, positive, and encouraging feedback and evaluations while learning how to empower the receiver to do better.
• You have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills by volunteering for positions at the club, area, state, regional, and international level. I always say if you can’t get the skills at your organization, you can get it at Toastmasters.
Join and let your organization know you’ve joined these groups. I remember a student telling me he wanted the job of Network Administrator in a large organization. He never seemed to get past the first interviews. Then he joined Toastmasters. He shared with me he gained the confidence and think-on-your-feet skills needed to master his interviews. Shortly after joining Toastmasters, he landed his dream job as Network Administrator at a major hospital. It can make the difference for you.
I challenge you to apply these techniques. You will see immediate results and go to the next level. (Ed Sykes)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Auto Loan: The Path for Your New Car
If you want to buy a new car but you don’t have enough money, you should consider the idea of getting an auto loan.
Auto loans are pretty helpful for people who cannot afford buying a new car, but still need either a new car or a car. This is common among students who usually work part-time and pay for an auto loan with the payment they receive from the job. Well, nothing better than buying our own car with our own money, right!?
Here are simple advantages of auto loans:
- Sometimes, getting all the money we need to buy a car is difficult. For these people who don’t have the luck of having this facility, auto loans make possible the dream of having a car or a new car.
- When you get an auto loan, sometimes the final price of the car is cheaper than it would be if you had bought the car with a dealership.
- If you are aware of the terms of the contract, there is no way for to be deceived and the facility of getting a car with an auto loan is much bigger than buying a car with a dealership.
Besides all this, an auto loan is the solution if you have to buy a car in an emergency situation. For example, if you start a business and you need a car for this new business. You may be invested all your money for the opening of your business and now that you need a car, you don’t have the enough sum of money. An auto loan turns this possible: you get an auto loan and then get your car.
Auto loans are also helpful if your family is getting bigger. If you are gonna have a new baby in the family you may want a safer car.
Another reason that may get your interest has to do with a trip. You may have planned a trip with your family or friends but you found out the car is not comfortable enough or not safe enough. You can get an auto loan in order to take the trip with a safer and more comfortable car.
In addition to this, there are some other things that you should know about an auto loan.
www.quick-auto-loan.info (Loany Cary)
Auto loans are pretty helpful for people who cannot afford buying a new car, but still need either a new car or a car. This is common among students who usually work part-time and pay for an auto loan with the payment they receive from the job. Well, nothing better than buying our own car with our own money, right!?
Here are simple advantages of auto loans:
- Sometimes, getting all the money we need to buy a car is difficult. For these people who don’t have the luck of having this facility, auto loans make possible the dream of having a car or a new car.
- When you get an auto loan, sometimes the final price of the car is cheaper than it would be if you had bought the car with a dealership.
- If you are aware of the terms of the contract, there is no way for to be deceived and the facility of getting a car with an auto loan is much bigger than buying a car with a dealership.
Besides all this, an auto loan is the solution if you have to buy a car in an emergency situation. For example, if you start a business and you need a car for this new business. You may be invested all your money for the opening of your business and now that you need a car, you don’t have the enough sum of money. An auto loan turns this possible: you get an auto loan and then get your car.
Auto loans are also helpful if your family is getting bigger. If you are gonna have a new baby in the family you may want a safer car.
Another reason that may get your interest has to do with a trip. You may have planned a trip with your family or friends but you found out the car is not comfortable enough or not safe enough. You can get an auto loan in order to take the trip with a safer and more comfortable car.
In addition to this, there are some other things that you should know about an auto loan.
www.quick-auto-loan.info (Loany Cary)
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Cancer and Diet
The issue of is paramount to your health. Without feeding the body the ingredients it needs, it simply cannot produce the processes that combat the cancer.
Firstly, when looking at nutrition for cancer, we need to understand the role of pancreatic enzymes. These enzymes, including trypsin & chymotrypsin, play a major role in halting the formation of tumours. Unfortunately these enzymes also play a part in digesting animal proteins, so if our diets are too high in animal protein, then our supply of pancreatic enzymes is tied up in digestion and not available for halting tumours.
Secondly, we need to understand the role of B17 (hydrocyanic acid) in our diets and specifically its interaction with cancer. B17 interacts with the very large amounts of beta-glucosidase in cancer cells to produce hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde. These two poisons combine into an extremely deadly poison that targets cancer cells. The reason that it doesn't target healthy cells is that although they have small quantities of beta-glucosidase, they also contain rodonase, a substance that cancer cells do not have, that breaks the poison down into compounds that actually assist the bodies immune system! Clever, hey!?
So we start to see the crucial relationship between cancer and diet!
At this point it is interesting to note that one of the most concentrated sources of natural B17 is apricot kernels - that is the kernel INSIDE the apricot seed itself. However it is our understanding that the sale of apricot kernels is illegal in some countries, including ours. Consequently if you are lucky enough to get your hands on a large supply, it will be by word of mouth connections. However if you are prepared to ask friends to eat a lot of apricots or go on a mission to make frozen or bottled apricots, or maybe apricot jam, there is no law to our knowledge that says you can't eat them. The recommended dosage for people with cancer is up to 60 a day, but starting with 2 per meal and adding one per meal daily to ensure there is no intolerance.
Side note: Apparently the bureaucratic argument for making sale of them illegal is that they will poison you as they are a cyanide compound, (hydrocyanic acid) and produce another cyanide, (hydrogen cyanide) but they fail to follow through and tell us that the hydrogen cyanide then combines with the rodonase to make compounds that actually boost the immune system. Following this logic I have to wonder why then that Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin!) has not been banned. You may be aware they feed B12 to anemia patients!
So, we can address a diet for cancer from specific angles. Firstly by adding whatever natural sources we can find that contain B17, secondly by reducing (not cutting out!) animal protein intake, and thirdly by adding nutrients to our diets in their most easily & effectively absorbed forms ie in foods.
The bottom line is our body is at our mercy and what we put in to it can either help or hinder its ability to help us. The beauty of becoming aware of the interaction of cancer and diet is that it is something we can do for ourselves, thereby empowering us in the fight against this horrid invader! (Marilyn Bennett)
Firstly, when looking at nutrition for cancer, we need to understand the role of pancreatic enzymes. These enzymes, including trypsin & chymotrypsin, play a major role in halting the formation of tumours. Unfortunately these enzymes also play a part in digesting animal proteins, so if our diets are too high in animal protein, then our supply of pancreatic enzymes is tied up in digestion and not available for halting tumours.
Secondly, we need to understand the role of B17 (hydrocyanic acid) in our diets and specifically its interaction with cancer. B17 interacts with the very large amounts of beta-glucosidase in cancer cells to produce hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde. These two poisons combine into an extremely deadly poison that targets cancer cells. The reason that it doesn't target healthy cells is that although they have small quantities of beta-glucosidase, they also contain rodonase, a substance that cancer cells do not have, that breaks the poison down into compounds that actually assist the bodies immune system! Clever, hey!?
So we start to see the crucial relationship between cancer and diet!
At this point it is interesting to note that one of the most concentrated sources of natural B17 is apricot kernels - that is the kernel INSIDE the apricot seed itself. However it is our understanding that the sale of apricot kernels is illegal in some countries, including ours. Consequently if you are lucky enough to get your hands on a large supply, it will be by word of mouth connections. However if you are prepared to ask friends to eat a lot of apricots or go on a mission to make frozen or bottled apricots, or maybe apricot jam, there is no law to our knowledge that says you can't eat them. The recommended dosage for people with cancer is up to 60 a day, but starting with 2 per meal and adding one per meal daily to ensure there is no intolerance.
Side note: Apparently the bureaucratic argument for making sale of them illegal is that they will poison you as they are a cyanide compound, (hydrocyanic acid) and produce another cyanide, (hydrogen cyanide) but they fail to follow through and tell us that the hydrogen cyanide then combines with the rodonase to make compounds that actually boost the immune system. Following this logic I have to wonder why then that Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin!) has not been banned. You may be aware they feed B12 to anemia patients!
So, we can address a diet for cancer from specific angles. Firstly by adding whatever natural sources we can find that contain B17, secondly by reducing (not cutting out!) animal protein intake, and thirdly by adding nutrients to our diets in their most easily & effectively absorbed forms ie in foods.
The bottom line is our body is at our mercy and what we put in to it can either help or hinder its ability to help us. The beauty of becoming aware of the interaction of cancer and diet is that it is something we can do for ourselves, thereby empowering us in the fight against this horrid invader! (Marilyn Bennett)
Friday, March 30, 2012
Creating a Business Strategy
On a scale of one to ten, having a good business strategy rates about a fifteen!
No matter what kind of business you have -- whether you sell products or a service, as the saying goes, "if you fail to plan, then you're really planning to fail."
Creating a strategy can mean the difference between you working 60 to 80 hours a week all year long -- and then breaking even, or worse, losing money.
On the other hand, many successful entrepreneurs who have a strategy work fewer hours and make piles of money -- and they usually attribute their success to having a strategic plan and following it.
So what is strategic business management? Very simply, it's the process of defining the goals and objectives for your business, creating an action plan so you can reach them and then following the plan.
How do you create a strategic plan for you business?
1. First, know what your vision for your company is. If there were no barriers, nothing stopping you from taking your company as far as you could -- what would that look like?
2. Next, what are your company's core operating values? What are its guiding principles? In other words, why are you in business and how do you do business?
3. Now create a 3 to 5 year plan. Your long-term plan is based on the broad objectives that will help you get from where you are now, to where you want to be.
4. Develop a plan for this year. These are the specific objectives you plan to accomplish this year that will lead you closer to your long-term goals. Remember to be "SMART" when setting your annual goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-oriented). Include a list of the barriers that are stopping you from getting where you want to go. Figure out what resources you've already got, and what resources you need to get you past those barriers. And then create an action plan that clearly lays out how you will achieve your goals. Involve key employees with this part of the planning process.
5. Create a set of milestones or benchmarks. This is very important, so that you can measure your progress.
6. Share the plan with your employees, and anyone else who will be involved in the process. Your annual strategy is the roadmap that will make sure everyone ends up at the same destination -- but to be effective, everyone needs the same map!
7. Put the plan into action. Now that you have the roadmap, it's time to begin the journey.
8. Check your progress. Just like any trip, you need to check the map every now and then; to be sure you're still on the right road. If something isn't working, the sooner you figure it out and make the necessary adjustments, the sooner you'll be back on track.
9. Follow the same cycle next year. (Dream, Plan, Act, Check).
Creating a business strategy and following it will ensure that you enjoy the journey as much as getting to your final destination. (Hans Hasselfors)
No matter what kind of business you have -- whether you sell products or a service, as the saying goes, "if you fail to plan, then you're really planning to fail."
Creating a strategy can mean the difference between you working 60 to 80 hours a week all year long -- and then breaking even, or worse, losing money.
On the other hand, many successful entrepreneurs who have a strategy work fewer hours and make piles of money -- and they usually attribute their success to having a strategic plan and following it.
So what is strategic business management? Very simply, it's the process of defining the goals and objectives for your business, creating an action plan so you can reach them and then following the plan.
How do you create a strategic plan for you business?
1. First, know what your vision for your company is. If there were no barriers, nothing stopping you from taking your company as far as you could -- what would that look like?
2. Next, what are your company's core operating values? What are its guiding principles? In other words, why are you in business and how do you do business?
3. Now create a 3 to 5 year plan. Your long-term plan is based on the broad objectives that will help you get from where you are now, to where you want to be.
4. Develop a plan for this year. These are the specific objectives you plan to accomplish this year that will lead you closer to your long-term goals. Remember to be "SMART" when setting your annual goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-oriented). Include a list of the barriers that are stopping you from getting where you want to go. Figure out what resources you've already got, and what resources you need to get you past those barriers. And then create an action plan that clearly lays out how you will achieve your goals. Involve key employees with this part of the planning process.
5. Create a set of milestones or benchmarks. This is very important, so that you can measure your progress.
6. Share the plan with your employees, and anyone else who will be involved in the process. Your annual strategy is the roadmap that will make sure everyone ends up at the same destination -- but to be effective, everyone needs the same map!
7. Put the plan into action. Now that you have the roadmap, it's time to begin the journey.
8. Check your progress. Just like any trip, you need to check the map every now and then; to be sure you're still on the right road. If something isn't working, the sooner you figure it out and make the necessary adjustments, the sooner you'll be back on track.
9. Follow the same cycle next year. (Dream, Plan, Act, Check).
Creating a business strategy and following it will ensure that you enjoy the journey as much as getting to your final destination. (Hans Hasselfors)
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Breast Cancer Prevalence
In November 2003, the American Cancer Society stated that breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 44. In the United States, there are approximately 200,000 new cases of breast cancer and more than 40,000 deaths; making the U.S. one of the countries with the highest death rates due to breast cancer. Perhaps the most alarming statistic is 1: 8 women will eventually develop breast cancer over their lifetime.
Generally Accepted Risk Factors for developing breast cancer can be divided into two categories; those a woman can control and those she cannot. Women who choose pharmaceutical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and oral contraceptives may increase their risk of breast cancer. Additionally, a woman who consumes one or more alcoholic drinks per day or lives a sedentary lifestyle faces an increased risk for acquiring breast cancer. Those factors that are beyond the immediate control but still may lead to increased risk include: onset of menstruation prior to age 12 or onset of menopause after the age 50 and inheritance of the breast cancer genes, BRCA 1 and BRCA 2. Inheriting the breast cancer genes, BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, are known to be associated with both breast and ovarian cancers, but only account for 5-10% of all breast cancer. In 70% of all cases, the cause of breast cancer is still yet unknown.
Conventional screening methods all examine structure. For example, mammography uses X-ray to examine breast tissue. Any structure that has grown large enough to be seen by X-ray could be detected by mammography. However, mammography can have a high false positive rate. In fact, only 1 in 6 biopsies are found to be positive for cancer when found by mammography or clinical breast exam. This leads to increased psychological stress, physical trauma and financial worries.
Other risks of mammography include the radiation exposure, although this has been debated by doctors for many years. Recently published in Radiation Research, 2004 the author suggests that the risks associated with mammography screening may be FIVE times higher than previously assumed and the risk-benefit relationship of mammography needs to be re-examined.
There exists a technology that can detect a breast issue YEARS before a tumor can be seen on X-ray or palpated during an exam. This technology has been approved by the FDA as an adjunctive screening tool since 1982 and offers NO RADIATION, NO COMPRESSION AND NO PAIN. For women who are refusing to have a mammogram or those who want clinical correlation for an existing problem, digital infrared thermal imaging may be of interest.
Thermal cameras detect heat emitted from the body and display it as a picture on a computer monitor. These images are unique to the person and remain stable over time. It is because of these characteristics that thermal imaging is a valuable and effective screening tool.
Breast thermography has undergone extensive research since the 1950s. There are over 800 peer-reviewed studies on breast thermography with more than 300,000 women included in large clinical trials. An abnormal thermogram is 10 times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than a first order family history of the disease. A persistently abnormal thermogram carries a 22-fold higher risk of future breast cancer.
Medical doctors who interpret the breast scans are board certified and endure an additional two years of training to qualify as a thermologist. Thermography is not limited by breast density and is ideal for women who have had cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. It is recommended that since cancer typically has a 15 year life span from onset to death, that women begin thermographic screenings at age 25.
Thermographic screening is not covered by most insurance companies but is surprisingly affordable for most people. For more information or to find a certified clinic in your area, go to www.proactivehealthonline.com. (Brenda Witt)
Generally Accepted Risk Factors for developing breast cancer can be divided into two categories; those a woman can control and those she cannot. Women who choose pharmaceutical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and oral contraceptives may increase their risk of breast cancer. Additionally, a woman who consumes one or more alcoholic drinks per day or lives a sedentary lifestyle faces an increased risk for acquiring breast cancer. Those factors that are beyond the immediate control but still may lead to increased risk include: onset of menstruation prior to age 12 or onset of menopause after the age 50 and inheritance of the breast cancer genes, BRCA 1 and BRCA 2. Inheriting the breast cancer genes, BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, are known to be associated with both breast and ovarian cancers, but only account for 5-10% of all breast cancer. In 70% of all cases, the cause of breast cancer is still yet unknown.
Conventional screening methods all examine structure. For example, mammography uses X-ray to examine breast tissue. Any structure that has grown large enough to be seen by X-ray could be detected by mammography. However, mammography can have a high false positive rate. In fact, only 1 in 6 biopsies are found to be positive for cancer when found by mammography or clinical breast exam. This leads to increased psychological stress, physical trauma and financial worries.
Other risks of mammography include the radiation exposure, although this has been debated by doctors for many years. Recently published in Radiation Research, 2004 the author suggests that the risks associated with mammography screening may be FIVE times higher than previously assumed and the risk-benefit relationship of mammography needs to be re-examined.
There exists a technology that can detect a breast issue YEARS before a tumor can be seen on X-ray or palpated during an exam. This technology has been approved by the FDA as an adjunctive screening tool since 1982 and offers NO RADIATION, NO COMPRESSION AND NO PAIN. For women who are refusing to have a mammogram or those who want clinical correlation for an existing problem, digital infrared thermal imaging may be of interest.
Thermal cameras detect heat emitted from the body and display it as a picture on a computer monitor. These images are unique to the person and remain stable over time. It is because of these characteristics that thermal imaging is a valuable and effective screening tool.
Breast thermography has undergone extensive research since the 1950s. There are over 800 peer-reviewed studies on breast thermography with more than 300,000 women included in large clinical trials. An abnormal thermogram is 10 times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than a first order family history of the disease. A persistently abnormal thermogram carries a 22-fold higher risk of future breast cancer.
Medical doctors who interpret the breast scans are board certified and endure an additional two years of training to qualify as a thermologist. Thermography is not limited by breast density and is ideal for women who have had cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. It is recommended that since cancer typically has a 15 year life span from onset to death, that women begin thermographic screenings at age 25.
Thermographic screening is not covered by most insurance companies but is surprisingly affordable for most people. For more information or to find a certified clinic in your area, go to www.proactivehealthonline.com. (Brenda Witt)
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The Coming Television Revolution
The revolution is just getting started and will begin to make its mark this year. By 2010, it will begin to take off. By 2025, it will be the standard for all TV viewing. It's called Internet Protocol Television, or IPTV for short. IPTV works with a set-top box connected to any broadband interface and to a TV. It will allow users to choose among thousands (and eventually hundreds of thousands) of hours of programming, including movies, sports, classic TV, etc., and download their selections from the internet to the hard drive of the set-top box. Initially, set-top box hard drives will be able to store up to 300 hours of programming at a time, but capacity will expand as the technology becomes more refined. Also, download times will become shorter and shorter as broadband connection speeds become faster and faster. Eventually, a two-hour movie will be fully downloadable in a couple of minutes. Once the programs are downloaded to the hard drive, they can be viewed on the connected TV at any time via a DVR-type interface provided by the set-top box.
Besides the convenience of an all video-on-demand (VOD) environment, IPTV will provide a much wider range of programming than broadcast, cable, and satellite TV, or even major video chains, could ever provide. Because the programming is available from the internet, it will be almost completely unlimited and unconstrained. Programming from all over the world will be available along with every imaginable genre of niche programming. Also, previously unreleased independent films that have been sitting on shelves for years due to the lack of a distribution source will suddenly become available to the masses via IPTV. Films that previously could not be made at all will become a reality and be available on the IPTV services. Long forgotten films and TV shows will have new life breathed into them by IPTV. To top it all off, much of this programming will be eventually be available in high definition (HDTV)!
Most IPTV platforms will be divided into "channels", but not the same kind of channels that we have grown accustomed to with traditional TV services. In this case, a "channel" is defined as a division of an IPTV service by individual content provider. Each content provider carried by a given IPTV platform will have its own guidelines for delivering programming on its channel. Some will provide their content for free to everyone who owns a given IPTV product. Some will be subscription based, i.e., everything on their channels will be available for a monthly or annual subscription. Others will be all pay-per-view. Still others will provide a combination of all of the above.
Several entrants into this market have either already debuted or plan to debut sometime this year. Among those are Akimbo (www.akimbo.com), DAVETV (www.dave.tv), TimeShifTV (www.timeshiftv.com), and VCinema (www.vcinema.com). Please see their respective websites for more details, as each one will offer a slightly different variation of IPTV technology. In addition, a joint venture between TiVo (www.tivo.com) and NetFlix (www.netflix.com) will be starting up later this year. TiVo plans to eventually make the entire Netflix DVD library available to its customers on an on-demand basis via a broadband connection to a TiVo box and a TV. Other potential IPTV contenders will be announcing their intentions over the next year or two. One of these nascent IPTV services headquartered near my home has already started placing "help wanted" ads in my local newspaper.
Within the next 20 years, all the fuss over broadcast TV indecency will become irrelevant, as there will be very little other than news and live sporting events on broadcast TV. The major networks will shift most of their entertainment programs to IPTV to avoid all the broadcast content restrictions currently being enforced by the FCC. Eventually, broadcast TV will cease to exist. Cable and satellite services as we know them will also become extinct. Yes, there will still be cable and satellite platforms, but they, along with DSL and wireless internet services, will exist merely as conduits for bringing broadband internet into homes and offices. There won't be any more cable and satellite TV, per se. The now 60-year-old paradigm of television schedules in which programs air at specific times on specific days of the week will pretty much be a thing of the past. Everything, except what's left of broadcast TV, will be exclusively available on demand via an IPTV platform.
These developments in no way mean that all TV programming will become more risqué. While there will be plenty of risqué programming available to those who want it, there will an almost unlimited supply of family and religious programs available. With a veritable smorgasbord of entertainment options at your fingertips, there will be something available for all tastes. IPTV may not turn out to be a TV utopia, but it's at least going to come close that ideal. (Terry Mitchell)
Besides the convenience of an all video-on-demand (VOD) environment, IPTV will provide a much wider range of programming than broadcast, cable, and satellite TV, or even major video chains, could ever provide. Because the programming is available from the internet, it will be almost completely unlimited and unconstrained. Programming from all over the world will be available along with every imaginable genre of niche programming. Also, previously unreleased independent films that have been sitting on shelves for years due to the lack of a distribution source will suddenly become available to the masses via IPTV. Films that previously could not be made at all will become a reality and be available on the IPTV services. Long forgotten films and TV shows will have new life breathed into them by IPTV. To top it all off, much of this programming will be eventually be available in high definition (HDTV)!
Most IPTV platforms will be divided into "channels", but not the same kind of channels that we have grown accustomed to with traditional TV services. In this case, a "channel" is defined as a division of an IPTV service by individual content provider. Each content provider carried by a given IPTV platform will have its own guidelines for delivering programming on its channel. Some will provide their content for free to everyone who owns a given IPTV product. Some will be subscription based, i.e., everything on their channels will be available for a monthly or annual subscription. Others will be all pay-per-view. Still others will provide a combination of all of the above.
Several entrants into this market have either already debuted or plan to debut sometime this year. Among those are Akimbo (www.akimbo.com), DAVETV (www.dave.tv), TimeShifTV (www.timeshiftv.com), and VCinema (www.vcinema.com). Please see their respective websites for more details, as each one will offer a slightly different variation of IPTV technology. In addition, a joint venture between TiVo (www.tivo.com) and NetFlix (www.netflix.com) will be starting up later this year. TiVo plans to eventually make the entire Netflix DVD library available to its customers on an on-demand basis via a broadband connection to a TiVo box and a TV. Other potential IPTV contenders will be announcing their intentions over the next year or two. One of these nascent IPTV services headquartered near my home has already started placing "help wanted" ads in my local newspaper.
Within the next 20 years, all the fuss over broadcast TV indecency will become irrelevant, as there will be very little other than news and live sporting events on broadcast TV. The major networks will shift most of their entertainment programs to IPTV to avoid all the broadcast content restrictions currently being enforced by the FCC. Eventually, broadcast TV will cease to exist. Cable and satellite services as we know them will also become extinct. Yes, there will still be cable and satellite platforms, but they, along with DSL and wireless internet services, will exist merely as conduits for bringing broadband internet into homes and offices. There won't be any more cable and satellite TV, per se. The now 60-year-old paradigm of television schedules in which programs air at specific times on specific days of the week will pretty much be a thing of the past. Everything, except what's left of broadcast TV, will be exclusively available on demand via an IPTV platform.
These developments in no way mean that all TV programming will become more risqué. While there will be plenty of risqué programming available to those who want it, there will an almost unlimited supply of family and religious programs available. With a veritable smorgasbord of entertainment options at your fingertips, there will be something available for all tastes. IPTV may not turn out to be a TV utopia, but it's at least going to come close that ideal. (Terry Mitchell)
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Branding Concepts
"Branding" is the process by which a company employs marketing strategies to get people to easily remember their business and products over anothers...essentially, it's applied psychology.
As a child, I was introduced to a relatively new hamburger chain that had begun in Australia. I still visit that burger chain regularly 25 years later. Not a lot has changed over those years in regards to this particular company and I guess that's one of the reasons that I am still a customer. I know each time I walk into that establishment what I am going to have, where everything is and God help them if they ever remove the item from the menu! Even if they radically changed the decor, it would make me nervous. Many millions of people around the world would feel the same......
One of our countries major supermarkets has a habit of occasionally moving products around in their stores. It works well for them as it increases sales. Customers who usually seek out particular products are exposed to other items as they hunt for their favourites. It is a highly annoying tactic and only works in this situation because the supermarket is very competitive in pricing and range of products. People are not so patient on web sites and continiously moving items around on your site will see you losing traffic....nothing surer.
After having worked in management of another major fast food chain outlet, I learned that once a company has established a presence and become successful, any changes to operation must be carried out extremely carefully. Our patrons became very attuned to the company, they were essentially a part of it. Their perceptions and opinions needed to be taken into account every step of the way, and not just in regards to the products.
Why?
We have succumbed to the branding experience..... it makes us feel "safe"
Branding isn't just about logos, it's the entire "feel" associated with a company. In these days of bleeding edge technology and rapid change, people still enjoy going to places that follow a pattern of operation. This very much applies to our websites. Your logo should appear on every page, your domain name and one line blurb contained in every email, your theme consistent throughout your site. Granted, quality content is king, but it's important that visitors remember where the content came from. Branding establishes recall abilities of your site.
Recently, I decided that I was going to change the colour schemes on my site due to the research that I had carried out on the psychology of colour. Many articles I had studied suggested that black was not really appropriate for a site about web design. After discussing the plans with a few regular visitors, I was surprised by the response. The feedback was for me not to change the colour in any way. Even those people who did not feel that black was appropriate considering the nature of site did not want me to change it. They were "used" to it. It was a constant on the site, the same as the logo placement and general navigation structure. So it is all staying. My plans were to make the site look more in tune with other very successful web presences that focus on web design. What was I thinking!?!?!?
Branding is not only about constants, but individuality..........
If some one told you that they were going to establish a hamburger franchise and the logo colour scheme would be red and yellow, you would probably think they were insane. Red tends to signify danger and yellow is purported to be the most annoying colour of all. But try telling McDonalds that.....
But having stated that, if you are just in the planning stages your site, I suggest that you do be careful in your choice of navigation, logos and colour schemes. If your site is established with a good traffic flow and you are considering revamping it, it is of the utmost importance that you consult your visitors first via some sort of survey before any radical changes are made. Otherwise the many hours of hard work that you put into the upgrade, as well as the hours invested in developing the original theme, may be lost.
.... along with your traffic.(Michael Bloch)
As a child, I was introduced to a relatively new hamburger chain that had begun in Australia. I still visit that burger chain regularly 25 years later. Not a lot has changed over those years in regards to this particular company and I guess that's one of the reasons that I am still a customer. I know each time I walk into that establishment what I am going to have, where everything is and God help them if they ever remove the item from the menu! Even if they radically changed the decor, it would make me nervous. Many millions of people around the world would feel the same......
One of our countries major supermarkets has a habit of occasionally moving products around in their stores. It works well for them as it increases sales. Customers who usually seek out particular products are exposed to other items as they hunt for their favourites. It is a highly annoying tactic and only works in this situation because the supermarket is very competitive in pricing and range of products. People are not so patient on web sites and continiously moving items around on your site will see you losing traffic....nothing surer.
After having worked in management of another major fast food chain outlet, I learned that once a company has established a presence and become successful, any changes to operation must be carried out extremely carefully. Our patrons became very attuned to the company, they were essentially a part of it. Their perceptions and opinions needed to be taken into account every step of the way, and not just in regards to the products.
Why?
We have succumbed to the branding experience..... it makes us feel "safe"
Branding isn't just about logos, it's the entire "feel" associated with a company. In these days of bleeding edge technology and rapid change, people still enjoy going to places that follow a pattern of operation. This very much applies to our websites. Your logo should appear on every page, your domain name and one line blurb contained in every email, your theme consistent throughout your site. Granted, quality content is king, but it's important that visitors remember where the content came from. Branding establishes recall abilities of your site.
Recently, I decided that I was going to change the colour schemes on my site due to the research that I had carried out on the psychology of colour. Many articles I had studied suggested that black was not really appropriate for a site about web design. After discussing the plans with a few regular visitors, I was surprised by the response. The feedback was for me not to change the colour in any way. Even those people who did not feel that black was appropriate considering the nature of site did not want me to change it. They were "used" to it. It was a constant on the site, the same as the logo placement and general navigation structure. So it is all staying. My plans were to make the site look more in tune with other very successful web presences that focus on web design. What was I thinking!?!?!?
Branding is not only about constants, but individuality..........
If some one told you that they were going to establish a hamburger franchise and the logo colour scheme would be red and yellow, you would probably think they were insane. Red tends to signify danger and yellow is purported to be the most annoying colour of all. But try telling McDonalds that.....
But having stated that, if you are just in the planning stages your site, I suggest that you do be careful in your choice of navigation, logos and colour schemes. If your site is established with a good traffic flow and you are considering revamping it, it is of the utmost importance that you consult your visitors first via some sort of survey before any radical changes are made. Otherwise the many hours of hard work that you put into the upgrade, as well as the hours invested in developing the original theme, may be lost.
.... along with your traffic.(Michael Bloch)
Monday, March 5, 2012
A Good Book Cover Design is Key
A Good Book Cover Design is Key!
Marketing your Book cover, Spine and Information.
Whether you've written your book or are just starting out, having an eye catching cover is a must. Did you know that customers may be looking over your book for 10 seconds or less? A good book cover entices the customer to want to read more information and to result in a purchase. To accomplish this, you need to know what catches a customers eyes. A good place to start is your friends and family. Ones that you trust. Ask their opinions. If you're uncomfortable with asking your inner circle or would like your book's cover to be a surprise, look to the net. You can post your book's cover idea and receive feedback. Only post your idea on the net if you trust it won't be stolen. When deciding to create my book cover for Mysterious Chills and Thrills for Kids, I looked at many other ones in the children's field. I kept in mind which book covers attracted me and for the ones that didn't, why it didn't. Keep in mind that not everyone is going to agree with your taste.
The same applies to your back cover information about your book. If the book is fiction, you'll need to ensure the customer that their entertainment dollars are worth purchasing your book. If your book is non-fiction, show the customer the benefits of purchasing. Can it help solve a problem? Many customers want to know that they are buying something that in some form can benefit them. You'll also need to show how your book is better than then next one in it's category.
Don't forget the spine and price. If your book is spine out, it'll need to attract the customer's eyes. When they pull out your book, the price can turn a purchase away. Look at other books in the field and price accordingly. Much lower prices than your competition may appear to sell more but may give the idea that your work isn't as good.
Self publishing, Small Press or a Large Publishing company, either way your book is competing against others out there. Make it count!
Read more free reprintable articles on writing written by Ms. Laura Hickey in English, Italiano and Espanol. Read book reviews and interviews for her children's book, Mysterious Chills and Thrills for Kids. (Laura Hickey)
Marketing your Book cover, Spine and Information.
Whether you've written your book or are just starting out, having an eye catching cover is a must. Did you know that customers may be looking over your book for 10 seconds or less? A good book cover entices the customer to want to read more information and to result in a purchase. To accomplish this, you need to know what catches a customers eyes. A good place to start is your friends and family. Ones that you trust. Ask their opinions. If you're uncomfortable with asking your inner circle or would like your book's cover to be a surprise, look to the net. You can post your book's cover idea and receive feedback. Only post your idea on the net if you trust it won't be stolen. When deciding to create my book cover for Mysterious Chills and Thrills for Kids, I looked at many other ones in the children's field. I kept in mind which book covers attracted me and for the ones that didn't, why it didn't. Keep in mind that not everyone is going to agree with your taste.
The same applies to your back cover information about your book. If the book is fiction, you'll need to ensure the customer that their entertainment dollars are worth purchasing your book. If your book is non-fiction, show the customer the benefits of purchasing. Can it help solve a problem? Many customers want to know that they are buying something that in some form can benefit them. You'll also need to show how your book is better than then next one in it's category.
Don't forget the spine and price. If your book is spine out, it'll need to attract the customer's eyes. When they pull out your book, the price can turn a purchase away. Look at other books in the field and price accordingly. Much lower prices than your competition may appear to sell more but may give the idea that your work isn't as good.
Self publishing, Small Press or a Large Publishing company, either way your book is competing against others out there. Make it count!
Read more free reprintable articles on writing written by Ms. Laura Hickey in English, Italiano and Espanol. Read book reviews and interviews for her children's book, Mysterious Chills and Thrills for Kids. (Laura Hickey)
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Beauty Comes From Within
Beauty Comes From Within
Since real beauty comes from within, it's important that your beauty products bring out your best natural qualities. Natural beauty product reviews can help you choose which products are best suited to your own individual needs.
One popular type of natural beauty product is stretch mark removal cream. Since stretch marks are pretty common--their causes range from pregnancy to body building--a lot of people can be helped by a natural, effective treatment for them. While reading natural beauty product reviews, I noticed that the best stretch mark remedies contain high amounts of Emu Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Collagen, Elastin and Vitamin E. When these key ingredients are combined in a highly concentrated cream, they can not only help reduce stretch marks you already have, but actually help prevent new ones from forming!
One of the most helpful things about natural beauty product reviews is that they tell you about the ingredients in the best beauty products out there. Whenever you're looking for skin treatments--whether it's cellulite cream, spider vein therapy, sunless tanning or stretch mark removal--you want to make sure that the ingredients are safe and actually make your skin look better, not worse. What's the point of diminishing stretch marks if the skin around them becomes red and irritated? Natural beauty products tend to be safer, because they don't include a lot of harsh chemicals in their ingredients.
If you're fair skinned like I am, you know how hard it can be to enjoy the great outdoors. There's nothing unusual about stretch marks or cellulite or spider veins. They are the natural effects of having bodies that grow and change. Using natural, high quality products to safely improve your skin's appearance can help you feel less self-conscious at the beach or in the bedroom.
Then your natural, individual beauty can shine through!(David Stanton)
Since real beauty comes from within, it's important that your beauty products bring out your best natural qualities. Natural beauty product reviews can help you choose which products are best suited to your own individual needs.
One popular type of natural beauty product is stretch mark removal cream. Since stretch marks are pretty common--their causes range from pregnancy to body building--a lot of people can be helped by a natural, effective treatment for them. While reading natural beauty product reviews, I noticed that the best stretch mark remedies contain high amounts of Emu Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Collagen, Elastin and Vitamin E. When these key ingredients are combined in a highly concentrated cream, they can not only help reduce stretch marks you already have, but actually help prevent new ones from forming!
One of the most helpful things about natural beauty product reviews is that they tell you about the ingredients in the best beauty products out there. Whenever you're looking for skin treatments--whether it's cellulite cream, spider vein therapy, sunless tanning or stretch mark removal--you want to make sure that the ingredients are safe and actually make your skin look better, not worse. What's the point of diminishing stretch marks if the skin around them becomes red and irritated? Natural beauty products tend to be safer, because they don't include a lot of harsh chemicals in their ingredients.
If you're fair skinned like I am, you know how hard it can be to enjoy the great outdoors. There's nothing unusual about stretch marks or cellulite or spider veins. They are the natural effects of having bodies that grow and change. Using natural, high quality products to safely improve your skin's appearance can help you feel less self-conscious at the beach or in the bedroom.
Then your natural, individual beauty can shine through!(David Stanton)
Beauty Comes From Within
Beauty Comes From Within
Since real beauty comes from within, it's important that your beauty products bring out your best natural qualities. Natural beauty product reviews can help you choose which products are best suited to your own individual needs.
One popular type of natural beauty product is stretch mark removal cream. Since stretch marks are pretty common--their causes range from pregnancy to body building--a lot of people can be helped by a natural, effective treatment for them. While reading natural beauty product reviews, I noticed that the best stretch mark remedies contain high amounts of Emu Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Collagen, Elastin and Vitamin E. When these key ingredients are combined in a highly concentrated cream, they can not only help reduce stretch marks you already have, but actually help prevent new ones from forming!
One of the most helpful things about natural beauty product reviews is that they tell you about the ingredients in the best beauty products out there. Whenever you're looking for skin treatments--whether it's cellulite cream, spider vein therapy, sunless tanning or stretch mark removal--you want to make sure that the ingredients are safe and actually make your skin look better, not worse. What's the point of diminishing stretch marks if the skin around them becomes red and irritated? Natural beauty products tend to be safer, because they don't include a lot of harsh chemicals in their ingredients.
If you're fair skinned like I am, you know how hard it can be to enjoy the great outdoors. There's nothing unusual about stretch marks or cellulite or spider veins. They are the natural effects of having bodies that grow and change. Using natural, high quality products to safely improve your skin's appearance can help you feel less self-conscious at the beach or in the bedroom.
Then your natural, individual beauty can shine through!(David Stanton)
Since real beauty comes from within, it's important that your beauty products bring out your best natural qualities. Natural beauty product reviews can help you choose which products are best suited to your own individual needs.
One popular type of natural beauty product is stretch mark removal cream. Since stretch marks are pretty common--their causes range from pregnancy to body building--a lot of people can be helped by a natural, effective treatment for them. While reading natural beauty product reviews, I noticed that the best stretch mark remedies contain high amounts of Emu Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Collagen, Elastin and Vitamin E. When these key ingredients are combined in a highly concentrated cream, they can not only help reduce stretch marks you already have, but actually help prevent new ones from forming!
One of the most helpful things about natural beauty product reviews is that they tell you about the ingredients in the best beauty products out there. Whenever you're looking for skin treatments--whether it's cellulite cream, spider vein therapy, sunless tanning or stretch mark removal--you want to make sure that the ingredients are safe and actually make your skin look better, not worse. What's the point of diminishing stretch marks if the skin around them becomes red and irritated? Natural beauty products tend to be safer, because they don't include a lot of harsh chemicals in their ingredients.
If you're fair skinned like I am, you know how hard it can be to enjoy the great outdoors. There's nothing unusual about stretch marks or cellulite or spider veins. They are the natural effects of having bodies that grow and change. Using natural, high quality products to safely improve your skin's appearance can help you feel less self-conscious at the beach or in the bedroom.
Then your natural, individual beauty can shine through!(David Stanton)
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Divine Food for Divine Beauty
Divine Food for Divine Beauty
The phrase "natural beauty" has been abused and misused beyond restoration. The modern use is almost never associated with its true meaning. Someone said there should be a portrait of a healthy person in a museum so people would know what they are talking about. If we don’t know what a healthy person looks like, how do we know what natural beauty is?
In our unnatural world, the word "natural" no longer means without effort, at least not in the realm of obtaining your best look. One thing is a must in defining natural beauty: its achievement must not involve any sacrifice of health. None, period. If health is compromised in any way beauty is not natural.
Our body was created in the image of God, the Supreme Beauty. When our actions are in opposition to nature, the results are different types of bodily ills, deformities, and ugliness. Since there can be no natural beauty without eating 100 percent natural food, most of you have never seen the natural you.
There is an urgent need for another word. The contemporary meaning of natural is too far from the divine. I suggest filling this void with "rawsome", a new word circulating in the raw food community. It is a combination of two words:" raw" and "awesome" with the meaning being something between natural and divine. The diet of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds also needs to be renamed. I have often been told that the phrase “the raw food diet”, sounds like eating raw meat, particularly sushi, which is misleading. The raw food diet is so awesome that it should be called the very name it inspired- the Rawsome Diet.
Most of us feel our appearance lacks something. In reality, ugliness is more about excess. Toxic accumulations in our bodies are responsible for stealing our health and attractiveness. Beauty lies latent under cushions of retained fluids, deposits of fat, and sick tissues. Your beauty is buried alive, but in most cases it can be revived in a version that will be satisfactory to you. You must take immediate action to revitalize it. When you do, your uncovered beauty will surprise and delight you.
Eating cooked food will leave residues the body cannot utilize, and they will be deposited in places our Creator never intended. Everything not fully digested and properly eliminated, the body will treat as an abnormal substance. It will pocket these toxins as far away from the vital organs as possible--on the peripheries of the body--where it will invariably be reflected in our outward appearance. If the body cannot use it inside, it will deposit it on the outside. Nutrients from the food you eat spiral upward to the epidermis, and their quality will determine whether you will have a glowing clear complexion or skin spotted with growths, such as moles and skin sores.
Some physical characteristics of our face and body we cannot change--they were determined prior to our birth. But the consumption of the raw plant diet as an adult will make a difference in the texture of skin and hair, the health of nails, weight and complexion. All of these traits and more are determined by daily choices, with food being one of the most important and, luckily, the one we can fully control.
The Rawsome diet is the most suitable one for human physiology. It is salubrious to the body’s health and salutary to its beauty. The ability to renew cells is built into your body, and the body itself is capable of making you look more attractive. After all, we were designed to bloom continuously as old cells get replaced by new ones. The Rawsome diet makes the most of this rejuvenating ability of our bodies.
Rawsome beauty is not manufactured from the outside but cultivated from the inside by nutritionally charged food. Whole raw food restores the integrity of every cell and facilitates the optimal operation of every organ inside and out. The body, having been awakened by the improved diet, in its wisdom, will reach out to the places where health was lacking, and you will gradually see your beauty surfacing. The Rawsome diet will eliminate all the toxins on a deeper level and bring amazing changes to your appearance.
Only the body sustained on raw food will host natural beauty, or should we say Rawsome beauty. The landscape of the body will change. The surface of the skin will become soft and smooth but still firm and supple. Visible pores will diminish. A sallow skin with a yellow pallor will turn into a porcelain-like complexion. The whites of eyes, once red, will become bright with a bluish tinge. As natural collagen production improves, it will fill in the places where it is needed as in hollow cheeks. Raw food eating will clarify and refine your features and bring delicacy to your face.
On the Rawsome Diet, you will marvel at how the Master Artist will make the most of your individual features and bring balance to the entire face. Texture, hues, and shape will be harmoniously arranged into a genteel whole. Perfection and imperfection will be tied together into a unique original version of beauty.
Each time I see a woman, I study her appearance, and I see not just the way she looks but the way she could look. What I see is how far her image falls short of her potential beauty. I perceive her beauty as it would stand out after the body has cleansed itself from toxins and excesses.
From age 15 until recently, I wore my hair permed, only to discover at 45 that straight hair in my natural color was the best possible frame for my face. Did my preference change? Not at all. My face did. So let me give you a hint, if you need a camouflaging hairdo, you are not looking your best. The changes in your face brought about by raw foods will bring the freedom to arrange your hair in any way you want. When your peer group is thinking: “I am losing my looks”, you will be finding yours. At 45, I enjoy looking in the mirror while before I detested my reflection.
As the cleansing initiated by this diet is completed, you will be very pleased to see how you were meant to look. Your body will exhibit beauty and dignity. You will become satisfied, even fascinated, with your appearance. When you look your very best, you look perfect, in a sense that you are as close to the divine image for yourself as you could ever be. You accept yourself completely. Natural beauty is above conformity; it doesn’t demand to be accepted by the dictates of the beauty norm.
People who have been on the raw food lifestyle for several years begin to have a glow, the kind not often seen in middle-aged people. Optimal health is recognized by an emerging radiance. Glow is hard to fake because it is internal. It comes from an abundance of clear, pink, almost transparent cells that light up the face. Only superior blood circulation can bring this transfiguring glow. Several years on the raw food diet will make you look as though you just stepped out of a painting by Renoir--the impressionist best known for his preoccupation with light.
I have come to believe if you do not embrace the 100 percent raw food diet, you will never meet The Most Beautiful You. The best proof that the Rawsome diet is optimal for the body is it makes you beautiful. Slim face, slender waist, and clear skin with smooth coloration-these subtle changes will convince you the raw plant diet is the best for good health and graceful beauty. No woman knows her true beauty until she cleanses her body completely of all waste.
You can say there are people who are beautiful, and they are not on this diet. That is true. It is hard to believe, but even they haven't seen the best of themselves. Dissatisfaction with one’s appearance arises not from perceiving our bodies inaccurately but because subconsciously we are aware we haven’t achieved our optimal look. The Rawsome diet gives a feeling of authenticity, an assurance we have become what we were meant to be.
Raw food not only corrects beauty’s shortcomings but also lifts the limitations of one’s spirit and releases strains and tensions in both your mind and body. People on the raw food diet have an aura about them, a transcendent nobility and complacent dignity. Sickness is goodness lost, and our unhappiness is a longing for goodness. One takes in the goodness in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables and feels its purifying process on the inside. Goodness in one’s food summons up goodness in one’s appearance and character.
Do you think it is hard to follow this life style? Women have done so many outrageous and dangerous things to themselves in the pursuit of beauty, I believe they should at least try the Rawsome lifestyle, which promises to transform them into beautiful people. What a woman won’t do for health, she will do for beauty. This is the first time beauty asks no sacrifice from health. (Tonya Zavasta)
The phrase "natural beauty" has been abused and misused beyond restoration. The modern use is almost never associated with its true meaning. Someone said there should be a portrait of a healthy person in a museum so people would know what they are talking about. If we don’t know what a healthy person looks like, how do we know what natural beauty is?
In our unnatural world, the word "natural" no longer means without effort, at least not in the realm of obtaining your best look. One thing is a must in defining natural beauty: its achievement must not involve any sacrifice of health. None, period. If health is compromised in any way beauty is not natural.
Our body was created in the image of God, the Supreme Beauty. When our actions are in opposition to nature, the results are different types of bodily ills, deformities, and ugliness. Since there can be no natural beauty without eating 100 percent natural food, most of you have never seen the natural you.
There is an urgent need for another word. The contemporary meaning of natural is too far from the divine. I suggest filling this void with "rawsome", a new word circulating in the raw food community. It is a combination of two words:" raw" and "awesome" with the meaning being something between natural and divine. The diet of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds also needs to be renamed. I have often been told that the phrase “the raw food diet”, sounds like eating raw meat, particularly sushi, which is misleading. The raw food diet is so awesome that it should be called the very name it inspired- the Rawsome Diet.
Most of us feel our appearance lacks something. In reality, ugliness is more about excess. Toxic accumulations in our bodies are responsible for stealing our health and attractiveness. Beauty lies latent under cushions of retained fluids, deposits of fat, and sick tissues. Your beauty is buried alive, but in most cases it can be revived in a version that will be satisfactory to you. You must take immediate action to revitalize it. When you do, your uncovered beauty will surprise and delight you.
Eating cooked food will leave residues the body cannot utilize, and they will be deposited in places our Creator never intended. Everything not fully digested and properly eliminated, the body will treat as an abnormal substance. It will pocket these toxins as far away from the vital organs as possible--on the peripheries of the body--where it will invariably be reflected in our outward appearance. If the body cannot use it inside, it will deposit it on the outside. Nutrients from the food you eat spiral upward to the epidermis, and their quality will determine whether you will have a glowing clear complexion or skin spotted with growths, such as moles and skin sores.
Some physical characteristics of our face and body we cannot change--they were determined prior to our birth. But the consumption of the raw plant diet as an adult will make a difference in the texture of skin and hair, the health of nails, weight and complexion. All of these traits and more are determined by daily choices, with food being one of the most important and, luckily, the one we can fully control.
The Rawsome diet is the most suitable one for human physiology. It is salubrious to the body’s health and salutary to its beauty. The ability to renew cells is built into your body, and the body itself is capable of making you look more attractive. After all, we were designed to bloom continuously as old cells get replaced by new ones. The Rawsome diet makes the most of this rejuvenating ability of our bodies.
Rawsome beauty is not manufactured from the outside but cultivated from the inside by nutritionally charged food. Whole raw food restores the integrity of every cell and facilitates the optimal operation of every organ inside and out. The body, having been awakened by the improved diet, in its wisdom, will reach out to the places where health was lacking, and you will gradually see your beauty surfacing. The Rawsome diet will eliminate all the toxins on a deeper level and bring amazing changes to your appearance.
Only the body sustained on raw food will host natural beauty, or should we say Rawsome beauty. The landscape of the body will change. The surface of the skin will become soft and smooth but still firm and supple. Visible pores will diminish. A sallow skin with a yellow pallor will turn into a porcelain-like complexion. The whites of eyes, once red, will become bright with a bluish tinge. As natural collagen production improves, it will fill in the places where it is needed as in hollow cheeks. Raw food eating will clarify and refine your features and bring delicacy to your face.
On the Rawsome Diet, you will marvel at how the Master Artist will make the most of your individual features and bring balance to the entire face. Texture, hues, and shape will be harmoniously arranged into a genteel whole. Perfection and imperfection will be tied together into a unique original version of beauty.
Each time I see a woman, I study her appearance, and I see not just the way she looks but the way she could look. What I see is how far her image falls short of her potential beauty. I perceive her beauty as it would stand out after the body has cleansed itself from toxins and excesses.
From age 15 until recently, I wore my hair permed, only to discover at 45 that straight hair in my natural color was the best possible frame for my face. Did my preference change? Not at all. My face did. So let me give you a hint, if you need a camouflaging hairdo, you are not looking your best. The changes in your face brought about by raw foods will bring the freedom to arrange your hair in any way you want. When your peer group is thinking: “I am losing my looks”, you will be finding yours. At 45, I enjoy looking in the mirror while before I detested my reflection.
As the cleansing initiated by this diet is completed, you will be very pleased to see how you were meant to look. Your body will exhibit beauty and dignity. You will become satisfied, even fascinated, with your appearance. When you look your very best, you look perfect, in a sense that you are as close to the divine image for yourself as you could ever be. You accept yourself completely. Natural beauty is above conformity; it doesn’t demand to be accepted by the dictates of the beauty norm.
People who have been on the raw food lifestyle for several years begin to have a glow, the kind not often seen in middle-aged people. Optimal health is recognized by an emerging radiance. Glow is hard to fake because it is internal. It comes from an abundance of clear, pink, almost transparent cells that light up the face. Only superior blood circulation can bring this transfiguring glow. Several years on the raw food diet will make you look as though you just stepped out of a painting by Renoir--the impressionist best known for his preoccupation with light.
I have come to believe if you do not embrace the 100 percent raw food diet, you will never meet The Most Beautiful You. The best proof that the Rawsome diet is optimal for the body is it makes you beautiful. Slim face, slender waist, and clear skin with smooth coloration-these subtle changes will convince you the raw plant diet is the best for good health and graceful beauty. No woman knows her true beauty until she cleanses her body completely of all waste.
You can say there are people who are beautiful, and they are not on this diet. That is true. It is hard to believe, but even they haven't seen the best of themselves. Dissatisfaction with one’s appearance arises not from perceiving our bodies inaccurately but because subconsciously we are aware we haven’t achieved our optimal look. The Rawsome diet gives a feeling of authenticity, an assurance we have become what we were meant to be.
Raw food not only corrects beauty’s shortcomings but also lifts the limitations of one’s spirit and releases strains and tensions in both your mind and body. People on the raw food diet have an aura about them, a transcendent nobility and complacent dignity. Sickness is goodness lost, and our unhappiness is a longing for goodness. One takes in the goodness in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables and feels its purifying process on the inside. Goodness in one’s food summons up goodness in one’s appearance and character.
Do you think it is hard to follow this life style? Women have done so many outrageous and dangerous things to themselves in the pursuit of beauty, I believe they should at least try the Rawsome lifestyle, which promises to transform them into beautiful people. What a woman won’t do for health, she will do for beauty. This is the first time beauty asks no sacrifice from health. (Tonya Zavasta)
Monday, February 27, 2012
Alternative Medicine in Food- Shallots
Shallots belong to the lily family (Liliacae) where onion, garlic and leeks are present. It is classified as Allium cepa var. aggregatum .Shallots are smaller and sweeter than onion and like garlic its bulb divides into multiple sections .It digests better than onion when eaten raw. The bulbs are pulled of the ground and leaves are allowed to dry. The greens above the ground which are known as scallions are used as salads and also for cooking. Shallots are an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and folic acid. It also contain calcium, iron and have a high protein quality.
There has been lot of research and studies regarding the use of shallots for health conditions. Different analysis and studies have found that shallots contains two sets of compounds -sulfur compounds, such as allyl propyl disulphide (APDS) and flavonoids, such as quercetin. Flavonoid consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes since they are anti-cancer, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory.
Recent studies have shown the potential health benefits of common onions and established that shallots are particularly effective against liver cancer cells. Shallots have six times the phenolic content than onions. Shallots help the liver eliminate toxins from the body and have saponins to inhibit and kill cancer cells.
Shallots are specifically linked to inhibiting human stomach cancer. Shallots produce an anti-coagulant that thins the blood and exhibit strong anti-platelet activity and are very good for patients who have symptomatic atherosclerotic disease, cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. It aids brain function and thus protects against Alzheimer’s disease. Shallots can lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes by preventing the degradation of insulin and increasing metabolism of glucose. Eating shallots daily helps in the growth of bone tissue and reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis by 20%. It contains Prostaglandin A-1, a powerful agent which can lower blood pressure. Sulfur content in shallots makes skin look younger. Daily intake of a little shallot will benefit in the long run. Shallots can be eaten raw or cooked till they are tender. (Anita Cherry)
There has been lot of research and studies regarding the use of shallots for health conditions. Different analysis and studies have found that shallots contains two sets of compounds -sulfur compounds, such as allyl propyl disulphide (APDS) and flavonoids, such as quercetin. Flavonoid consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes since they are anti-cancer, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory.
Recent studies have shown the potential health benefits of common onions and established that shallots are particularly effective against liver cancer cells. Shallots have six times the phenolic content than onions. Shallots help the liver eliminate toxins from the body and have saponins to inhibit and kill cancer cells.
Shallots are specifically linked to inhibiting human stomach cancer. Shallots produce an anti-coagulant that thins the blood and exhibit strong anti-platelet activity and are very good for patients who have symptomatic atherosclerotic disease, cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. It aids brain function and thus protects against Alzheimer’s disease. Shallots can lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes by preventing the degradation of insulin and increasing metabolism of glucose. Eating shallots daily helps in the growth of bone tissue and reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis by 20%. It contains Prostaglandin A-1, a powerful agent which can lower blood pressure. Sulfur content in shallots makes skin look younger. Daily intake of a little shallot will benefit in the long run. Shallots can be eaten raw or cooked till they are tender. (Anita Cherry)
Friday, February 24, 2012
Acne and Green Tea
Green tea is used by the Chinese as a traditional medicine to treat many ailments including acne and to improve general well-being. But does it provide an effective herbal alternative to modern medication?
The answer seems to be ‘Yes’. There are only two herbal treatments that are known to be effective in treating acne and green tea is one of them.
In a recent study by Jennifer Gan-Wong, M.D. a green tea cream was trailed against a 4% benzoyl peroxide solution on people suffering with moderate to severe acne. The results from this research study showed that green tea was just as good in treating acne as the benzoyl peroxide.
But benzoyl peroxide dries out skin causing itching or allergic reactions. Unlike green tea that has the added advantages of natural anti-bacterial properties and antioxidants, particularly epigallocatechin gallate which is 200 times more powerful than vitamin E at fighting free radicals.
Green tea also helps to reduce inflammation, hormonal activity and aids in detoxification - which is all good news for acne sufferers.
Green tea extract is an extremely versatile herbal supplement - it can be administered topically, often being used in creams, taken as a in the form of a pill or incorporated into your diet and drunk as a tea.
This last method is very popular (Green Tea with Honeysuckle is often known as ‘Pimple Tea’ in many Chinatowns) when drunk after a meal it aids digestion and helps to detoxify your system, getting rid of the toxins that can cause acne. Tip: don’t drink it with sugar, this will neutralize the worthwhile effects of the tea.
It seems that taking green tea for acne is a win-win situation… It has many beneficial properties which promote good all-round health with little or no known side effects and for the price, green tea it’s definitely a herbal treatment that’s worth trying. (Elaine Clay)
The answer seems to be ‘Yes’. There are only two herbal treatments that are known to be effective in treating acne and green tea is one of them.
In a recent study by Jennifer Gan-Wong, M.D. a green tea cream was trailed against a 4% benzoyl peroxide solution on people suffering with moderate to severe acne. The results from this research study showed that green tea was just as good in treating acne as the benzoyl peroxide.
But benzoyl peroxide dries out skin causing itching or allergic reactions. Unlike green tea that has the added advantages of natural anti-bacterial properties and antioxidants, particularly epigallocatechin gallate which is 200 times more powerful than vitamin E at fighting free radicals.
Green tea also helps to reduce inflammation, hormonal activity and aids in detoxification - which is all good news for acne sufferers.
Green tea extract is an extremely versatile herbal supplement - it can be administered topically, often being used in creams, taken as a in the form of a pill or incorporated into your diet and drunk as a tea.
This last method is very popular (Green Tea with Honeysuckle is often known as ‘Pimple Tea’ in many Chinatowns) when drunk after a meal it aids digestion and helps to detoxify your system, getting rid of the toxins that can cause acne. Tip: don’t drink it with sugar, this will neutralize the worthwhile effects of the tea.
It seems that taking green tea for acne is a win-win situation… It has many beneficial properties which promote good all-round health with little or no known side effects and for the price, green tea it’s definitely a herbal treatment that’s worth trying. (Elaine Clay)
Monday, February 20, 2012
Home Improvement Ideas
There are many home improvement projects that you can carry out to make your home a more comfortable space and to add to its value as property. These home improvement projects include remodeling the basement, kitchen, and bathrooms, and painting both the exteriors and interiors regularly.
Whenever most people think of home improvement projects, they think in terms of doing up the living areas, such as the bedrooms, drawing room, and dining room. However, there is just so much that you can do in a bedroom—maybe add a comfortable bed, a reading lamp, a table or ceiling fan, a bookshelf, and a study table. Most people seldom entertain formally, so areas such as the drawing room and dining room seldom get used. You can, however, put in some comfortable sofas, chairs, end tables, and coffee tables, and put in an expandable dining table, chairs, and breakfront in the dining room. You are most likely to use your kitchen as an area to not only prepare and cook food, and wash utensils and laundry, but also to serve family meals and entertain informally.
You can add electric floor warming systems for kitchens, bathrooms, and basements to make these areas of your home more comfortable. If you waterproof and ventilate your basement and use glass blocks to let in natural light, you can use it as a gym, study, home office, or home entertainment room. You will need to put in an intercom system so that you can not only make and receive calls in the basement, but also keep in touch with other family members.
To make your kitchen a visually appealing space, you can add countertops that complement or match the cabinetry, floor, or walls. Your countertops could be of granite, marble, wood, or stainless steel. To bring in more light into the kitchen, you can place a large ceiling fixture in the center of the kitchen, with track lights near the sink, range, and countertops. You can also use warm colors for the kitchen walls and floor, add recessed lights and dimmers, and highlight your cabinets. You can use tiles, laminates, and hardwoods as flooring. Your cabinets can complement or match the colors used in the walls and flooring. You can even use stained glass panels for kitchen cabinets.
To make your bathroom a truly relaxing space, you can always add a steam shower, a body spa, or a comfortable bathtub where you can soak for hours and allow the tensions of the day to flow away from you. See that your bathroom is well-lit. If you are interested in chromatherapy, you will find several products, such as bathtubs, shower systems, and sinks, which feature chromatherapy options. You can also install multiple showerheads and a waterfall in the bathroom to get a spa-like experience. You can also include a large bathtub, fog-free mirrors, and a towel warmer for more comfort. The tiles and walls in your bathroom should be in warm colors. You can also put plants and pictures in the bathroom to give a lived-in feel, and replace the sink sunk in a counter top with a pedestal sink. Nowadays, sinks come in a variety of materials, such as glass, stainless steel, stone, and copper—you can select a material that suits you. Your vanity cabinet could be of stone, wood, or glass. You can select from a wide variety of faucets, including single-hole and single-lever, widespread, centerset, and wall-mounted faucets.
At Total Remodeling, we can help you with home improvement ideas and projects. We can improve your home in line with modern trends, thus adding to its comfort and value. (Dan Noyes)
Whenever most people think of home improvement projects, they think in terms of doing up the living areas, such as the bedrooms, drawing room, and dining room. However, there is just so much that you can do in a bedroom—maybe add a comfortable bed, a reading lamp, a table or ceiling fan, a bookshelf, and a study table. Most people seldom entertain formally, so areas such as the drawing room and dining room seldom get used. You can, however, put in some comfortable sofas, chairs, end tables, and coffee tables, and put in an expandable dining table, chairs, and breakfront in the dining room. You are most likely to use your kitchen as an area to not only prepare and cook food, and wash utensils and laundry, but also to serve family meals and entertain informally.
You can add electric floor warming systems for kitchens, bathrooms, and basements to make these areas of your home more comfortable. If you waterproof and ventilate your basement and use glass blocks to let in natural light, you can use it as a gym, study, home office, or home entertainment room. You will need to put in an intercom system so that you can not only make and receive calls in the basement, but also keep in touch with other family members.
To make your kitchen a visually appealing space, you can add countertops that complement or match the cabinetry, floor, or walls. Your countertops could be of granite, marble, wood, or stainless steel. To bring in more light into the kitchen, you can place a large ceiling fixture in the center of the kitchen, with track lights near the sink, range, and countertops. You can also use warm colors for the kitchen walls and floor, add recessed lights and dimmers, and highlight your cabinets. You can use tiles, laminates, and hardwoods as flooring. Your cabinets can complement or match the colors used in the walls and flooring. You can even use stained glass panels for kitchen cabinets.
To make your bathroom a truly relaxing space, you can always add a steam shower, a body spa, or a comfortable bathtub where you can soak for hours and allow the tensions of the day to flow away from you. See that your bathroom is well-lit. If you are interested in chromatherapy, you will find several products, such as bathtubs, shower systems, and sinks, which feature chromatherapy options. You can also install multiple showerheads and a waterfall in the bathroom to get a spa-like experience. You can also include a large bathtub, fog-free mirrors, and a towel warmer for more comfort. The tiles and walls in your bathroom should be in warm colors. You can also put plants and pictures in the bathroom to give a lived-in feel, and replace the sink sunk in a counter top with a pedestal sink. Nowadays, sinks come in a variety of materials, such as glass, stainless steel, stone, and copper—you can select a material that suits you. Your vanity cabinet could be of stone, wood, or glass. You can select from a wide variety of faucets, including single-hole and single-lever, widespread, centerset, and wall-mounted faucets.
At Total Remodeling, we can help you with home improvement ideas and projects. We can improve your home in line with modern trends, thus adding to its comfort and value. (Dan Noyes)
Friday, February 10, 2012
Beware Of Bad Credit Payday Loans
Could bad credit payday loans be the answer consumers with low bank accounts have been looking for? Is there any harm in using these services? Aren't they better than using credit cards or going hungry?
Have you seen the commercials? Cute characters promise financial prosperity. Happy, professional individuals appear to regularly visit their corner pay day loan shop as proudly as cashing a check at the bank. Customers at the grocery store all recommend pay day loans as the easy solution for a lack of funds.
WHY USE A PAY DAY LOAN?
Some individuals reason that paying a bill with borrowed money is better than receiving bad credit marks because of not paying the bill. This is understandable. However, some financial institutions are willing to make the occasional exception if contacted about the situation. Or there may be a small fee, but not a credit report made.
Using it for groceries or other items? Consider the true cost before making a decision. Compare the cost of using a pay day (or cash advance) loan to the fees charged for taking a cash advance on your own credit card. Can family help? Often those who are forced to use pay day loans are not able to repay the
loan by the next pay check and that can lead to a cycle of debt and stress.
WHAT IS THE COST?
Several sources, including a consumer report by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and the CFA (Consumer Federation of America) state that usual the usual APR is between 350 - 650% with some
as high as 780%.
A loan of $100 ranges in cost between $15 - $30. If the loan is not repaid by the pay date then it can be renewed with another fee due at each renewal. A loan of $100 can cost $60 in fees after 3 renewals.
WHO BENEFITS?
Based on the warnings issued by federal and consumer organizations it is clear that using pay day loans or cash advances from these businesses can often lead to more debt and problems. Some sites were reported to automatically roll over the loan and only withdraw the renewal fee on the pay date. Other sites surveyed by the CFA required customers to agree in contract to not participate in class action suits or to file for bankruptcy.
For those who are having debt problems it is recommended to seek no- or low-cost credit counseling from a local non-profit organization. These organizations can help with reducing current interest charges and lowering monthly payments. If the problem is budget, you should look to a financial planner who can help
you to manage the money you do have and avoid using credit at all. (Jeff Schuman)
Have you seen the commercials? Cute characters promise financial prosperity. Happy, professional individuals appear to regularly visit their corner pay day loan shop as proudly as cashing a check at the bank. Customers at the grocery store all recommend pay day loans as the easy solution for a lack of funds.
WHY USE A PAY DAY LOAN?
Some individuals reason that paying a bill with borrowed money is better than receiving bad credit marks because of not paying the bill. This is understandable. However, some financial institutions are willing to make the occasional exception if contacted about the situation. Or there may be a small fee, but not a credit report made.
Using it for groceries or other items? Consider the true cost before making a decision. Compare the cost of using a pay day (or cash advance) loan to the fees charged for taking a cash advance on your own credit card. Can family help? Often those who are forced to use pay day loans are not able to repay the
loan by the next pay check and that can lead to a cycle of debt and stress.
WHAT IS THE COST?
Several sources, including a consumer report by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and the CFA (Consumer Federation of America) state that usual the usual APR is between 350 - 650% with some
as high as 780%.
A loan of $100 ranges in cost between $15 - $30. If the loan is not repaid by the pay date then it can be renewed with another fee due at each renewal. A loan of $100 can cost $60 in fees after 3 renewals.
WHO BENEFITS?
Based on the warnings issued by federal and consumer organizations it is clear that using pay day loans or cash advances from these businesses can often lead to more debt and problems. Some sites were reported to automatically roll over the loan and only withdraw the renewal fee on the pay date. Other sites surveyed by the CFA required customers to agree in contract to not participate in class action suits or to file for bankruptcy.
For those who are having debt problems it is recommended to seek no- or low-cost credit counseling from a local non-profit organization. These organizations can help with reducing current interest charges and lowering monthly payments. If the problem is budget, you should look to a financial planner who can help
you to manage the money you do have and avoid using credit at all. (Jeff Schuman)
Monday, January 30, 2012
Baby Shower Decorations
When decoration for a baby shower, there are a few key aspects that should be considered:
1) Will your baby shower adhere to a theme?
Visit our baby shower theme for ideas about selecting a theme. If you are using a theme, then it is good to be consistent. People are most often impressed when decorating follows a selected theme. However, note that it doesn't have to be as specific as just rubber ducks. You can use baby items as a general theme and mix it up if desired.
2) Plates, cups and napkins.
If you are serving food, like most baby showers do, then baby themed tableware is often appropriate. If possible, try to make sure that the plates, cups, and napkins all match. Some places also have baby themed table cloths that are great for showers.
3) Confetti, banners, and streamers
The most common banners and streamers are "It's a Boy or Girl" streamers and can be attached around the walls. These decorations are usually very affordable and an easy way to decorate. Confetti can come in shapes like rocking horses, ducks, or bears. It usually takes more time to clean up confetti, but it may be worth it for some parties.
4) Yard signs
Yard signs, particularly the popular stork yard sign, is a good way to announce a new baby and also let your neighbors know about your baby shower. Another benefit is that guests will be able to easily locate the house that the shower is being held at.
5) Centerpieces and placecard holders
A baby shower cake is the most common centerpiece for a shower. Other ideas include floral arrangements, baskets, and bouquets.
Themed placecard holders are commonly available for purchase online. You can also make your own by purchasing a regular placecard holder and attaching a clip-on stuffed bear for example. Flower shops often carry such items.
Decorating can be a challenging, but fun task and carefully selected decorations can really set the atmosphere for your baby shower party. (Criss White)
1) Will your baby shower adhere to a theme?
Visit our baby shower theme for ideas about selecting a theme. If you are using a theme, then it is good to be consistent. People are most often impressed when decorating follows a selected theme. However, note that it doesn't have to be as specific as just rubber ducks. You can use baby items as a general theme and mix it up if desired.
2) Plates, cups and napkins.
If you are serving food, like most baby showers do, then baby themed tableware is often appropriate. If possible, try to make sure that the plates, cups, and napkins all match. Some places also have baby themed table cloths that are great for showers.
3) Confetti, banners, and streamers
The most common banners and streamers are "It's a Boy or Girl" streamers and can be attached around the walls. These decorations are usually very affordable and an easy way to decorate. Confetti can come in shapes like rocking horses, ducks, or bears. It usually takes more time to clean up confetti, but it may be worth it for some parties.
4) Yard signs
Yard signs, particularly the popular stork yard sign, is a good way to announce a new baby and also let your neighbors know about your baby shower. Another benefit is that guests will be able to easily locate the house that the shower is being held at.
5) Centerpieces and placecard holders
A baby shower cake is the most common centerpiece for a shower. Other ideas include floral arrangements, baskets, and bouquets.
Themed placecard holders are commonly available for purchase online. You can also make your own by purchasing a regular placecard holder and attaching a clip-on stuffed bear for example. Flower shops often carry such items.
Decorating can be a challenging, but fun task and carefully selected decorations can really set the atmosphere for your baby shower party. (Criss White)
Friday, January 20, 2012
Persevere And Fly!
I had the opportunity to recently visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina. One of our stops was at The Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kill Devil Hills.
The Wrights, Wilbur and Orville, were the first to design and build a flying aircraft that could be *controlled* while in the air. No one up to this point had used the three control factors; roll, pitch, and yaw. These three dimensions make it possible to fly from place to place. The aerospace business depends on this simple but brilliant idea. So do spacecraft and submarines.
This changed the way we view our world. Seen from above, distances shrink and the horizon stretches. The world seems grander, more vast and three-dimensional. Open to endless possibilities.
We talk about the perseverance needed to make our niche on the internet today. Just think of Wilbur and Orville. Their accomplishment certainly didn't happen overnight!
Wilbur and Orville were 12 and 8 years of age, respectively, when their father brought home a simple toy rubber band-powered helicopter made in France. They were so intrigued by the concept and playing with it, it broke! Immediately, they began building copies.
They were hooked on aviation!
In 1900, as young men, having built their first glider, they decided to try it out at Kitty Hawk on Kill Devil Hills. It provided consistent stiff winds, and the somewhat cushioning effects of sand and water. That first flight was unsuccessful, but it didn't deter them.
After several more tries, on December 17, 1903, with a much improved bi-plane, they risked their lives and threw caution to the wind. They ended up flying the world's first powered airplane.
(Beginning at 10:35 a.m. that day, Orville flew it about 120 feet in about 12 seconds. About 12:00 p.m., Wilbur flew it 852 feet in 59 seconds)!
Johnny Moore, one of five men who helped them that morning drag the contraption across the frozen sand for positioning, ran to the village of Kitty Hawk crying, "They done it! They done it! Damned if they ain't flew."
The birth of aviation!
At this time, Wilbur was 36 and Orville 32. Roughly 24 years had passed since their father gave them that toy!
I got to thinking as we walked around the monument (with 40 mph steady winds and pelting sand adding to the mood!) of how they never gave up. The exhilaration they must have felt when they realized they'd done it! Their perseverance had paid off.
If you have a dream, work at it. If it doesn't turn out as expected the first time, don't give up! Try again! Who wants to live and say somewhere down the road, "if only" or "what if?" Stick to what you want to accomplish. Don't ever give up! (Mary Holzrichter)
The Wrights, Wilbur and Orville, were the first to design and build a flying aircraft that could be *controlled* while in the air. No one up to this point had used the three control factors; roll, pitch, and yaw. These three dimensions make it possible to fly from place to place. The aerospace business depends on this simple but brilliant idea. So do spacecraft and submarines.
This changed the way we view our world. Seen from above, distances shrink and the horizon stretches. The world seems grander, more vast and three-dimensional. Open to endless possibilities.
We talk about the perseverance needed to make our niche on the internet today. Just think of Wilbur and Orville. Their accomplishment certainly didn't happen overnight!
Wilbur and Orville were 12 and 8 years of age, respectively, when their father brought home a simple toy rubber band-powered helicopter made in France. They were so intrigued by the concept and playing with it, it broke! Immediately, they began building copies.
They were hooked on aviation!
In 1900, as young men, having built their first glider, they decided to try it out at Kitty Hawk on Kill Devil Hills. It provided consistent stiff winds, and the somewhat cushioning effects of sand and water. That first flight was unsuccessful, but it didn't deter them.
After several more tries, on December 17, 1903, with a much improved bi-plane, they risked their lives and threw caution to the wind. They ended up flying the world's first powered airplane.
(Beginning at 10:35 a.m. that day, Orville flew it about 120 feet in about 12 seconds. About 12:00 p.m., Wilbur flew it 852 feet in 59 seconds)!
Johnny Moore, one of five men who helped them that morning drag the contraption across the frozen sand for positioning, ran to the village of Kitty Hawk crying, "They done it! They done it! Damned if they ain't flew."
The birth of aviation!
At this time, Wilbur was 36 and Orville 32. Roughly 24 years had passed since their father gave them that toy!
I got to thinking as we walked around the monument (with 40 mph steady winds and pelting sand adding to the mood!) of how they never gave up. The exhilaration they must have felt when they realized they'd done it! Their perseverance had paid off.
If you have a dream, work at it. If it doesn't turn out as expected the first time, don't give up! Try again! Who wants to live and say somewhere down the road, "if only" or "what if?" Stick to what you want to accomplish. Don't ever give up! (Mary Holzrichter)
Sunday, January 15, 2012
15 Top Blog Marketing Tips
1. Place all your feeds on the following website and the directories listed on this page - http://www.rss-feeds-directory.com/blog_lists.html
2. For fast inclusion into yahoo, get yourself a "my yahoo" page - http://my.yahoo.com/ and place your rss feed on that page.
3. Have a link which allows other people to put your rss feed on their own "my yahoo" page. See "my yahoo" for details.
4. For fast inclusion to msn, also open a "my msn" account and add your rss feed to that page.
5. Place your blog on all the major search engines - http://www.thewebtrafficco.com/search_engine.html
6. Join this site and add your blog (free) - http://www.BlogExplosion.com
7. Ping your blog after every post at - http://pingomatic.com/
8. Place a "blogroll" on your blog using - www.blogrolling.com
9. Make a blog post at least every day or less. Why? - http://www.feedforall.com/why-use-rss.htm If you don't think you can write enough content on a daily basis, there are many free articles out there you can use.
10. Invite other editors/writers or webmasters to write on your blog as co-editors. Make sure you allow them to include their "resource box" at the bottom of each post and set up an "about our editors" page.
11. Place a link and description to your blog on all your websites, out going emails and any autoresponder courses you have set up.
12. Announce your blog at forums you currently use/participate in.
13. Place informative responses in the "comments" box of other highly trafficked blogs in your field of business.
14. Once you have 10 to 15 posts on your blog, announce it with a press release.
15. Download this free rss marketing ebook by top Rss expert, ‘Rok Hrastnik’ - http://www.rss-feeds-directory.com/rss_the_business_case.zip. (Chris Taylor)
2. For fast inclusion into yahoo, get yourself a "my yahoo" page - http://my.yahoo.com/ and place your rss feed on that page.
3. Have a link which allows other people to put your rss feed on their own "my yahoo" page. See "my yahoo" for details.
4. For fast inclusion to msn, also open a "my msn" account and add your rss feed to that page.
5. Place your blog on all the major search engines - http://www.thewebtrafficco.com/search_engine.html
6. Join this site and add your blog (free) - http://www.BlogExplosion.com
7. Ping your blog after every post at - http://pingomatic.com/
8. Place a "blogroll" on your blog using - www.blogrolling.com
9. Make a blog post at least every day or less. Why? - http://www.feedforall.com/why-use-rss.htm If you don't think you can write enough content on a daily basis, there are many free articles out there you can use.
10. Invite other editors/writers or webmasters to write on your blog as co-editors. Make sure you allow them to include their "resource box" at the bottom of each post and set up an "about our editors" page.
11. Place a link and description to your blog on all your websites, out going emails and any autoresponder courses you have set up.
12. Announce your blog at forums you currently use/participate in.
13. Place informative responses in the "comments" box of other highly trafficked blogs in your field of business.
14. Once you have 10 to 15 posts on your blog, announce it with a press release.
15. Download this free rss marketing ebook by top Rss expert, ‘Rok Hrastnik’ - http://www.rss-feeds-directory.com/rss_the_business_case.zip. (Chris Taylor)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
7 Money Saving Tips to Decrease Home Business Expenses
We all know that running a home business is highly satisfying, and at times downright liberating! No clock to punch, no dress code, and best of all, no boss to answer to. But there are also many facets of business ownership that entrepreneurs must stay on top of. One of those is keeping the expense to income ratio in balance. Below are seven painless ways to do just that.
1.To save on costly ink cartridges, print in draft mode, unless the printout is for a client or will be reproduced.
2.After spending your hard earned money on those ink cartridges, turn them into a free ream of paper! Many office supply stores offer a free ream of copy paper when you recycle a used ink cartridge at their store. Ask your local office supply store if they offer this service to their customers.
3.Make that free paper last twice as long. How many times have you printed something without spell checking it first? Use the back of those misprints for making lists and jotting down ideas. Another way to keep paper use down is to utilize the annoying sheets that often print out last with just a small ad or footer on them. Turn them over and print on the blank side.
4.Apply for a cash back/rewards credit card. Using one credit card for all of your business purchases simplifies bookkeeping and makes categorizing expenses at tax time a lot easier. Why not earn rewards such as airline miles or restaurant gift certificates, or even better- cash, on purchases you have to make anyway? Just be sure to fully read the fine print concerning interest charges and late fees. Or pay off the balance each month and avoid both!
5.Compare prices on internet service providers. Some companies offer a discount when internet access is bundled with cable or phone service. If you are really happy with your current ISP, call and ask if they are offering any promotions that you can take advantage of.
6.Network with other home business owners and offer to barter goods or services. If you own a gift basket business, assemble baskets featuring a direct sales consultant’s products, and customers are purchasing from both of you at once. A bookkeeper can trade services with a web page designer. The possibilities are endless. You just have to ask.
7.For low cost advertising, contact organizations holding charity auctions or raffles. You supply the prize, whether it’s jewelry or web hosting, and in return you receive exposure for your business and pleasure in donating to a worthy cause. (Paige Pate Hall)
1.To save on costly ink cartridges, print in draft mode, unless the printout is for a client or will be reproduced.
2.After spending your hard earned money on those ink cartridges, turn them into a free ream of paper! Many office supply stores offer a free ream of copy paper when you recycle a used ink cartridge at their store. Ask your local office supply store if they offer this service to their customers.
3.Make that free paper last twice as long. How many times have you printed something without spell checking it first? Use the back of those misprints for making lists and jotting down ideas. Another way to keep paper use down is to utilize the annoying sheets that often print out last with just a small ad or footer on them. Turn them over and print on the blank side.
4.Apply for a cash back/rewards credit card. Using one credit card for all of your business purchases simplifies bookkeeping and makes categorizing expenses at tax time a lot easier. Why not earn rewards such as airline miles or restaurant gift certificates, or even better- cash, on purchases you have to make anyway? Just be sure to fully read the fine print concerning interest charges and late fees. Or pay off the balance each month and avoid both!
5.Compare prices on internet service providers. Some companies offer a discount when internet access is bundled with cable or phone service. If you are really happy with your current ISP, call and ask if they are offering any promotions that you can take advantage of.
6.Network with other home business owners and offer to barter goods or services. If you own a gift basket business, assemble baskets featuring a direct sales consultant’s products, and customers are purchasing from both of you at once. A bookkeeper can trade services with a web page designer. The possibilities are endless. You just have to ask.
7.For low cost advertising, contact organizations holding charity auctions or raffles. You supply the prize, whether it’s jewelry or web hosting, and in return you receive exposure for your business and pleasure in donating to a worthy cause. (Paige Pate Hall)
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Alternatives to Digital Audio
Although MP3 is the most popular format for encoding music, it is by no means the only one. There are two basic methods for compressing audio – lossless and lossy, and for each of these methods there are many formats.
Lossless compression means that none of the audio data is removed during compression. Lossy compression means that audio data is permanently removed from the audio file. Lossy compression results in smaller files, but there is no way to rebuild the audio data to its original format. MP3 is an example of lossy compression.
Lossy Compression Formats
There are many alternatives to MP3 when it comes to encoding audio files. Microsoft reportedly developed the WMA format to avoid the licensing costs associated with MP3. WMA files can be played with the Windows Media Player that is included with the Windows operating system as well as many other audio players. It features similar encoding rates to MP3 and similar file sizes.
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is the format preferred by Apple and is used for its popular iTunes and iPod products. AAC files can be smaller than MP3 files because it uses more efficient encoding technology. A 96 kpbs AAC file is similar in sound quality to a 128 kbps MP3 file.
Ogg Vorbis is another type of lossy compression and uses .OGG as the file extension. It is an open-source product and unlike MP3, there are no patent restrictions on its use.
Lossless Compression
For the audio purist who insists on the best quality sound possible, lossless compression offers CD quality sound. The tradeoff is larger files sizes – while MP3 can compress audio in the range of 80% - 90%, lossless compression typically compresses the file by half.
Popular lossless formats include FLAC, Monkey’s Audio, and SHN (Shorten). These formats are supported by many audio players and are popular for archiving CD collections as well as for trading music. (Hans Dekker)
Lossless compression means that none of the audio data is removed during compression. Lossy compression means that audio data is permanently removed from the audio file. Lossy compression results in smaller files, but there is no way to rebuild the audio data to its original format. MP3 is an example of lossy compression.
Lossy Compression Formats
There are many alternatives to MP3 when it comes to encoding audio files. Microsoft reportedly developed the WMA format to avoid the licensing costs associated with MP3. WMA files can be played with the Windows Media Player that is included with the Windows operating system as well as many other audio players. It features similar encoding rates to MP3 and similar file sizes.
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is the format preferred by Apple and is used for its popular iTunes and iPod products. AAC files can be smaller than MP3 files because it uses more efficient encoding technology. A 96 kpbs AAC file is similar in sound quality to a 128 kbps MP3 file.
Ogg Vorbis is another type of lossy compression and uses .OGG as the file extension. It is an open-source product and unlike MP3, there are no patent restrictions on its use.
Lossless Compression
For the audio purist who insists on the best quality sound possible, lossless compression offers CD quality sound. The tradeoff is larger files sizes – while MP3 can compress audio in the range of 80% - 90%, lossless compression typically compresses the file by half.
Popular lossless formats include FLAC, Monkey’s Audio, and SHN (Shorten). These formats are supported by many audio players and are popular for archiving CD collections as well as for trading music. (Hans Dekker)
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