Auto Insurance Center
by David Yury
Are you looking for a great way to compare auto insurance companies and the rates available to you? Then you need to check out the Auto Insurance Center at http://www.autoinsurancefree.com. There are wonderful articles to read as well regarding various auto insurance topics. Find out how to keep your auto insurance rates low and the consequences of driving without vehicle insurance.
The terminology surrounding auto insurance can be quite confusing at times. Auto Insurance Center offers a great section that explains all the terms in very simple language. This really helps to take the complexity out of deciphering the various terms involved with auto insurance quotes and policies.
Hopefully, you will never be involved in an auto accident, but should it happen, do you know what to do? Go through the check list provided on the site to find out what items you need to carry in your vehicle for such incidents as well as the information you need to collect and share. Also find out the process for reporting the accident to the authorities and to your insurance agent.
Auto Insurance Center allows you the convenience of entering all your information and then getting several great insurance quotes. This is the perfect way to find out who can offer you the very best deal on auto insurance without having to spend hours on the phone compiling the information yourself. They feature insurance quotes for every state so you are sure to find the valuable information you need.
If you don�t find everything you need at Auto Insurance Center, you can contact them by phone or email. They offer a very friendly and knowledgeable customer service team that can assist you with any questions or concerns. In addition to auto insurance, you will find information on renters insurance, health insurance, and life insurance.
The Auto Insurance Center offers consumers a great one stop resource for all of their auto insurance needs. The site offers quotes that allow you to compare prices, information on getting the best rates, and wonderful articles to help you stay on top of the events taking place in the world of auto insurance. All of this information is free to use, so take the confusion out of your auto insurance needs and start using Auto Insurance Center.
About The Author
Feel free to visit: http://www.autoinsurancefree.co.nr
�Distinctions of Success: What is it that makes the difference? � Part I�
�Distinctions of Success: What is it that makes the difference? � Part I�
by Matt Bacak
Have you written a book or eBook? Do you want your book to reach top seller status? Of course you do, but the question is how do you get your book to be wildly successful? Read on to learn from a best selling author.
Here�s a story of a best selling author:
In 1992 he wanted to write a best seller. He wrote it the book and knew that he would have to persuade publishers to publish it. He knew to accomplish this goal that he had to learn the psychology of persuasion. He submitted his book manuscript to 246 publishers and nobody would publish it. Some publishers wrote back to him and said that his book had no chance. Good thing he didn�t listen to them because today that book is #1 on the best seller list in Japan. It�s been published Nigeria, Malaysia, Poland, and all over the world. He never gave up.
So what was his secret? He knew the distinctions of success.
What are the distinctions of success? This is rock solid science that will work in virtually any situation.
Success Distinction #1: All the research shows that you have to start doing what you want to be good at. For example, too often people who want to make money go back to the same old job so they aren�t going to make more money. You have to physically move yourself to do something to make more money. For example, you have to get off your butt and go to a meeting that promotes your goals.
Success Distinction #2: How do you attribute your success? When something goes right, what do you say? You should attribute improvements to yourself. How do you attribute your failures? Do you attribute them to yourself or somebody else? For example, a book rejection can be attributed to the stupidity of the publisher and that your book is just fine. Don�t listen to how hard it is to make a living in the publishing business.
Success Distinction #3: Your best chance for long term success is when you believe that you have or can development the skills you need to perform.
Success Distinction #4: Discover all the ways you can become better at things when you put forth effort. A lot of people don�t actually do stuff like going to the meetings or reading books. They get lazy and inertia takes over.
These are the first four distinctions of success. Do you have these distinctions? If not, start working on it today!
About The Author
For more information, visit Bacak's site at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or sign up for his Powerful Promoting Tips at http://www.promotingtips.com
My Favorite Russian Food
My Favorite Russian Food
by John Kunkle
As Lynn Visson's "Wedded Strangers" states:
�If you have been lucky enough to be invited to a Russian household, you will experience the famous Russian hospitality. The feast is kind of a war between host and guests. There has to be at least six appetizers including salads, smoked fish, pate, deli meats, cheese, meat and potatoes, soup, and something sweet, usually cake.�
�Hosts and guests play the game of forcing more portions, refusing, more pushing, okay just a little.�
Elena Petrova states on her website:
�It's considered rude if you leave something on your plate when eating at a private house and you can offend the hosts. If you do not drink alcohol, at least take a glass and have a sip. You are supposed to try every dish on the table so make room in your stomach.�
My wife is an excellent cook. We eat more or less in the Russian style on a daily basis.
Russians do not eat a special meal for breakfast as they do in America. To Russians, all meals are the same. You eat what is leftover from the last meal, plus anything new that is cooked to round out the choice of food.
Russian meals typically start with soup. All soups are home made. The most famous Russian soup is borscht. This is a beet soup. Ukrainian style borscht is vegetarian. Belarusians add bits of meat to the borscht and Russian style borscht usually adds sausage instead of meat.
A spoonful of Russian mayonnaise is added to the soup for flavor. The American equivalent to Russian mayonnaise is sour cream. Russians use sour cream like Americans use butter � they put it on almost everything.
Potato soup. Cabbage soup. Another soup is pickle soup, made from dill pickles. It�s delicious. Summer soup, made also from beets, is called that because it is served cold during the hot weather. There are more types of soup than I can remember. All of them are home made and delicious.
One of my favorite soups is Silonka. It has bits of just about everything cut up in small pieces and fried individually prior to cooking in the soup. Don�t pass up a chance to try Silonka.
Beets, cabbage, and potatoes grow well in the short Russian growing season, which is why much of their cuisine revolves around them.
Probably half of all Russians have a dachau, or a plot of land in the country, where they grow food. The growing season is from May to September. Food comprises about half of the monthly budget of Russians, so raising vegetables and fruit helps to cut a substantial portion of monthly expenses.
This is very labor-intensive work, as most of them do not have any mechanized equipment or irrigation systems. Water must be brought by bucket from the stream to irrigate crops. They can fruits and vegetables for the winter season.
Pork is the most common meat, followed by chicken and fish. Beef is not commonly served. They make homemade sausage called kielbasa.
Besides soup, the main staple of the Russian is thick brown bread, called �hleb.� If you are on a tight budget, you can survive on soup, pronounced �zoup� and �cleb.� It�s surprising how much they fill up your belly.
Draniki is a Belarusian favorite that is best described as a potato pancake with meat inside. Polish peroshkis are similar to Draniki. A dab of Russian mayonnaise is added on top.
Ploff is a dish from Central Asia. It is a spicy, rich dish, similar to Spanish rice. Frequently bits of chicken or lamb are added for flavor, plus a dab of the ubiquitous Russian mayonnaise.
Galipsi is a meat dish of ground meat and rice that is stuffed inside cabbage leaves. The meatball is first browned, wrapped in a cabbage leaf, and then boiled in a pot in a delicious sauce. You can guess what is put on top when served.
Polmeni is best described as a pasta dish with a special filling. Frequently, that filling is meat. However, cheese and fruit fillings are also used. They are usually served in a soup bowl with a special broth.
Russian salads are mixed salads like potato salad or macaroni salad, but come in much more variety. They do not serve leafs of lettuce with dressing on top as in America. A Russian would be insulted with such a serving, as if you did not want to put more effort into preparing the food.
Each salad usually has the ubiquitous Russian mayonnaise as a base ingredient plus other spices.
Usually there is a choice of two or three salads on the table. They put together combinations that seem unusual to an American. For example, there is meat salad and fish salad that is mixed together with vegetables.
Russians love fish, especially smoked fish. You have obviously heard of caviar, which are roe eggs from sturgeon. Caviar is relatively cheap in Russia and is a good choice of a gift to bring back home. They serve roe eggs from a variety of fish.
Russians like strong, thick Russian beer with their smoked fish.
When you bring a Russian woman to America, one of the best things you can do for her is to find a Russian store selling the delicacies that she loves. Whether you like Russian food or not, she will be homesick for food from her homeland.
I live one hour south of San Jose and two hours south of San Francisco. Frequently, we make pilgrimages to these cities to load up on Russian delicacies.
If there are no Russian stores near you, you can frequently buy goods through catalog sales from Russian stores in New York or places where there is a large Russian population. Where there are Russians, there is Russian food.
If you are adaptable, it is best to learn to like what your wife cooks. She is cooking to please you. If you really like something, let her know. If not, let her know that as well.
Personally, I have learned to like Russian style cooking. I don�t want to do anything to discourage my wife from cooking for me. She is an excellent cook.
I know some American men, who are married to Russian women, that don�t like Russian food. They are pretty rigid in their food choices. Pizza. American salads. Hamburgers or barbecued steaks.
Their wives don�t cook for them nearly as much as my wife cooks for me. I eat like a king. Learn from our experiences.
Russians typically put small plates on the table, rather than large ones that Americans are used to. You are supposed to take a small portion of everything.
Leave lots of room in your stomach. Stop before you are full. Your hosts will insist that you eat at least one more serving of everything.
My mother in law stuffs me like a pig. If I don�t eat enough to feed a longshoreman, she gets insulted and complains that I don�t like her cooking.
I gain five to ten pounds every time I visit.
About The Author
Leave lots of room in your stomach. Stop before you are full. Your hosts will insist that you eat at least one more serving of everything.
http://www.russian-luv.com/food.html
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Selecting a Colocation Facility
Selecting a Colocation Facility
by Robert Dupree
Selecting a Colocation Facility
Communications and data access are integral for business operations. Websites, email and messaging services, and servers have to be up and protected for business communications to function. Data centers that house mission-critical infrastructure � the most vital parts of the company network, like servers and databases � must sustain the power, climate-control and connectivity that network infrastructure demands.
Redundancy
The colocation facility should have redundant systems, with sufficient capacity, at every point of operation, from climate control systems to network equipment. Having multiple units for to handle capacity is not the same as redundancy. All systems should be in an n+1 configuration; for example, if there are two units, they should both run at less than 50% capacity so that if one fails, the other can still handle the load; if there are three units, then they should be at 66% capacity.
Superior Connectivity
Several factors determine the quality of a colocation center�s Internet connectivity:
* The number of Internet backbones
* Total available bandwidth
* Latency, packet loss, and jitter
* Uptime
Colocation data centers provide Internet access to tier-1 carriers, tier-2 carriers, or carrier-neutral access. Tier-1 services provide direct access to one of the major Internet backbone networks, like AT&T. Tier-2 providers routes traffic among multiple tier-1 providers, and reliability and speed are influenced by how effectively traffic is routed. Carrier-neutral access allows service from any carrier, but requires that customers configure their own routing and maintain their own connections to Internet backbones. Tier-2 access is preferable because routing is configured by the colocation facility and it�s more reliable because more backbones are available, which increases uptime and network performance.
Load-Responsive Routing
The way that Internet traffic is routed, both the hardware and routing logic, has a significant effect on connectivity. Effective routing covers three areas:
* Redundant routers and switches with full capacity for all customers
* Performance-based routing, which continuously adjusts routes to find the most effective one, rather than the least expensive
* Routing among more than three, and preferably four or five, Internet backbones
A hardware-redundant, dynamically adjusting routing system creates a self-healing network that offsets backbone problems, traffic and load, and hardware failures so that service doesn�t suffer.
Climate Control
The design of the facility itself has an impact on the performance of systems housed in the colocation center. Server rooms should control air flow between rows. The heat generated by servers is blown in one row, and cool air can be drawn in from another row. Designated hot and cold rows circulate the air to keep servers from overheating.
Appropriately-sized and redundant climate-control units create cold air and control humidity. Servers have strict climate requirements, about 72 degrees and 45% humidity. Colos must have both chillers for the facility climate control and computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units for the server rooms. The capacity for cooling units is calculated by dividing the total tonnage by the square footage. For example, if there are two 50-ton chillers and a 4000 square foot facility, the chiller capacity is 0.040 tons/foot. Chillers and CRAC units should each have a capacity of 0.30 tons/foot or higher.
Power
If there is a failure of the primary power source, the generators and UPS are vital to keep the network online. The UPSs run the servers while power switches from regular electricity to generators, and there must be generators onsite for immediate backup power. The power system should have the following features:
* Failover practices for switching to redundant generator and UPS systems
* Multiple, redundant UPS, systems, since UPSs fail routinely
* A generator large enough to handle 1.5 times the normal building load
Making a Decision
Keeping servers offsite can be a good decision logistically, but only if the data center provides a reliable, secure network environment. Look for potential pitfalls, where service may not offer enough reliability or performance:
* Non-redundant power, cooling, or Internet connections
* Insufficient backup power or non-redundant UPSs or generators
* A low number of Internet backbone connections or substandard routing methods
* Insufficient cooling systems
* Poor uptime record
About The Author
Communications and data access are integral for business operations. Websites, email and messaging services, and servers have to be up and protected for business communications to function. Data centers that house mission-critical infrastructure � the most vital parts of the company network, like servers and databases � must sustain the power, climate-control and connectivity that network infrastructure demands.
ACC's San Diego colocation services utilize a state-of-the-art San Diego data center. http://www.colocation.ccccom.com
A Family Christmas Sleigh Ride
A Family Christmas Sleigh Ride
by Stacey Leigh
You see pictures of it in magazines, commercials, flyers, paintings. But do people still really do it? Yes they do. A sleigh ride at Christmas time. It still does exist.
A few years ago a good friend of mine called me up and asked if I would like to bring my family to her family Christmas party. Of course I said yes. She then told me that we would be meeting at a farm to go on a horse drawn sleigh ride. What a great idea! It was one of the best Christmas get togethers we had gone to.
So this year I thought. Hmmmm what could I do for my family Christmas. As most of you know, as the years go by families go their separate ways. Sometimes even at Christmas. So, what we try to do is get all the brothers, sisters, Aunts, Uncles, cousins etc.. together a week or two before Christmas day. What better way to get everyone together, than to go on an old fashion Christmas sleigh ride.
I thought first I will call the oldest person in the family to see how she felt about it. Well let me tell you my 86 year old Grandmother is almost as excited as my 6 year old daughter. She told me that she had always wanted to go on one but had never gotten the chance in all her years. What a great memory this will be for her. Seeing her great grandchildren, grandchildren and daughters all together on something she had always wanted to do. Merry Christmas Gramma!
Now the planning begins. I choose a date, then called a local farmer to book the sleigh ride. You may want to book early so that you can get the date and time you want. I made a list of all my guests. And as Santa would do, I check it twice. I then called everyone. Told them about the family Christmas party and what we would be doing. By the way...Everyone loves the idea. While one the phone with my guests I ask them what they would like to bring. It's a potluck all the way. This way it's makes it a little easier on the host for when we get back to the house. Everything is prepared, (you may have to warm a few things) but you are able to serve the food as soon as everyone gets back from the Christmas sleigh ride.
Once you know what everyone is bringing, make a list of it so that you can make sure you have enough for the amount of people you are having. For instance, I'll be having around 30 people back. So my menu is: Brie-warmed and served with crackers, cheese and kielbasa platter, vegetable tray with dip, cabbage rolls, lasagna, sweet and sour meatballs, cheesy mashed potatoes, fresh rolls, Cesar Salad and some yummy Christmas baking. I will also serve hot apple cyder, have some beer and wine and juice for the kiddies.
Try to do all your shopping a few days before the event. That way everything is fresh, and you still have time to prepare what you're making. Make sure you have all the glasses, plates, cutlery, napkins, bowls etc. that you need. I use paper or plastic so that I'm not spending all my time in the kitchen while everyone his here. It's a quick and easy clean up and I can enjoy some Christmas cheer with my family and friends.
I am really looking forward to my family Christmas sleigh ride this year. And if you decide to try this wonder festive event, I'm sure it will become one of your family favorite traditions as it has ours.
Merry Christmas!
About The Author
http://recipes.gocurious.com/
http://christmas.gocurious.com/
and
http://www.gocurious.com/
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Clean The Computer Of Spyware Entries With Reliable Spyware Removal Software
Clean The Computer Of Spyware Entries With Reliable Spyware Removal Software
by Arvind Singh
Spyware is malicious software that downloads onto a computer clandestinely. It makes entries in the registry and must be removed with a registry cleaner in addition to a Spyware removal utility.
'Spyware' is a term that refers to a very wide category of malicious software that has been intentionally designed to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the consent of that computer's owner or lawful user. When the term 'Spyware' is taken in a literal sense, it suggests that the software clandestinely monitors the activities of the user operating the computer, however, it has over the years, come to be known as software that hampers the operating systems efficient functioning for the benefit of a third party, usually the person who created the Spyware. By downloading onto a system the Spyware will also make entries in the system registry. While it is imperative to remove the Spyware from the computer it is as imperative to remove all traces from the registry as well. This can be achieved with the help of some anti-Spyware and Adware removal utility such as Spyware removal tool.
How Does It Affect The Computer?
'Spyware' is candid software that downloads itself onto a person's computer and constantly operates in the background and collects personal information of the user. For instance, it will record the entry from the keyboard every time the user enters a username and password or credit card details. The Spyware will monitor and record the information as well as which site the username and password was entered into. It will then mail this information to the host computer that the Spyware came from. In order to do this the Spyware must take over some processor time. It does this by delaying the operation of other programs or applications running on the system. This slows the system down drastically. The system can be revamped with utilities such as Kazaa Spyware removal tool that works as well as any free Spyware removal software.
Are Spyware Removal Utilities Not Enough?
Spyware removal utilities do remove the Spyware from the system they cannot delve into the registry and remove all the entries therein. The registry will have to be scrubbed clean with Trojan and Spyware removal tools specially designed for the purpose. Many of the Spyware entries will be associated with critical system files and so the anti-Spyware program will not delete them from the registry. Only a Spyware Adware remover such as any of the free Adware Spyware removal tools will scan the registry and detect the broken links and determine it they will hamper the efficient operating of the system if they are removed. If the Adware Spyware remover decides that they can be safely removed the entries will be deleted. If the entries are left in the registry they may link up to the site where they came from initially and download the Spyware again.
About The Author
To know about the Registry Cleaner visit at: http://www.pcmantra.com/registry-cleaner.htm
Know more about Registry Cleaner?
Read Articles at : http://www.pcmantra.com/RegistryCleanerResource.aspx
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Hot Hugs
Hot Hugs
by Sarah Hague
Stuck for Christmas gift ideas? www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk has the answer.
Aromahome Hot Hugs are the perfect gift this Christmas.
Introducing Aroma Home�s Hot Hug range designed to soothe, relax and bring comfort to your body during cold weather, when feeling tired or to ease general winter aches and pains. When heated they provide, comfort and warmth whilst slowly releasing the natural power and aroma of natural essential oils. Hot Hugs are an ideal bedtime Hottie to comfort and aid restful sleep.
These huggable hot hug characters have removable tummy�s that have been infused with a blend of lavender and camomile pure essential oils, and can be heated in the microwave. Give them a hug and enjoy a lovely warm cuddle they come in seven cute characters as below and are the perfect Christmas Gift this year that can be used time after time. Each product comes in its own innovative packaging.
Giraffe Hot Hug
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gift-ideas-for-women/womens-gifts/giraffe-hot-hugs.html
Monkey Hot Hug
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gift-ideas-for-women/womens-gifts/monkey-hot-hugs.html
Cow Hot Hug
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gift-ideas-for-women/womens-gifts/cow-hot-hugs.html
Dog Hot Hug
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gift-ideas-for-women/womens-gifts/dog-hot-hugs.html
Duck Hot Hug
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gift-ideas-for-women/womens-gifts/duck-hot-hugs.html
Zebra Hot Hug
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gift-ideas-for-women/womens-gifts/zebra-hot-hugs.html
Elephant Hot Hug
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gift-ideas-for-women/womens-gifts/elephant-hot-hugs.html
Hot Hugs
� Hot Hugs are cute cuddly animals from Aroma Home containing a removable bag full of natural wheat germ.
� The lavender oil infused wheat pack can be heated in a microwave and the heat helps to soothe restless children to sleep.
� Gentle, safe warmth with a lavender fragrance.
� The warmth from a Hot Hug offers soothing relief for stomach aches and earaches.
� Not recommended for children under three.
Another great gift idea from www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/
About The Author
Find me a gift ltd is the owner of this article
If you need any further information please contact sarah@findmeagift.com
http://www.find-me-me-a-gift.co.uk
Monday, February 25, 2008
Frugal Living Tip - Giving Yourself a Reason to Save Money
Frugal Living Tip - Giving Yourself a Reason to Save Money
by Jonni Good
In the US and much of the Western world, we equate money with happiness, even though our personal experience seldom gives us reason to believe that the old saying "you can't buy happiness" is anything less than true. We assure ourselves that if we only get a raise or get a better job or win the lottery, all of the stress of daily life will disappear and we'll have time for those things in life we really enjoy.
This would be true, at least partially, if making more money allowed us to have more money in the bank. However, each raise in pay also raises our desire to spend, so a promotion at work can actually put us farther into debt. How many people do we know who bring in over $100,000 a year who are still living paycheck to paycheck? How many lottery winners end up in bankruptcy court, wondering where all the money went and how they managed to make such a muddle of this windfall that should have set them up for a lifetime of financial security?
An option to spending as much or more than you make every month is to live frugally - and it's refreshing to see the increase in interest in the voluntary simplicity movement. Being intentionally frugal can actually bring you the financial security that a high-paying job cannot. In fact, if you go one step further to voluntary poverty, as I have, you may be able to quit that job and actually do something that could really make you feel fulfilled.
The one frugal living tip that makes the biggest difference is to simply keep track of everything you spend for at least a month. You probably won't keep it up for much longer than that, but it will give you an idea of where your money is going, and whether or not the money you spend on each item is really giving you the satisfaction you're paying for.
However, just keeping track won't help much unless you have a vision of another way of life that would really give you pleasure or contentment. Saving money for it's own sake feels like a sacrifice, but saving money so you can retire early and start that little farm you've always wanted would be a goal worth working for. Creating that goal may take some true soul searching and many deep conversations with your family.
When you come up with a goal you all agree on, decide how much time it will take to get there - this time frame is important, and you should be as realistic as you can. Do you want to own your own home without a mortgage? Will it take 5 years of frugal living? Or 10? Would you like to retire all your credit card debt? How long will it take?
Once you have that goal in mind, the best way to start putting money in the bank is to notice where you're spending your money now.
One thing most people discover is that the simple act of jotting down the $3 you spend on coffee every morning, plus every other small or large expenditure, will magically cause you to have money left over that you ever had before. Keeping track causes us to be mindful of our choices, and even without adding up any numbers or making any deep decisions, we save money by spending more consciously.
Once you have at least a few weeks' worth of figures, you're ready to get out the calculator. Divide the items on your list into any categories that seem reasonable - such as lunch at work, utilities, dog food... Then add up the columns to see how much you really spend.
Then, go one step further to give yourself a true shock - multiply the amount you spend on each unnecessary category, like your morning coffee at Starbucks, by the number of months you think it will take you to reach that long-term goal.
If you spend $3.50 each working day at the local coffee shop, it doesn't seem like a very big deal. Multiply that by the average of 20 working days a month, and you may be startled to realize that you spend $70 a month on coffee that you could make yourself in your own kitchen. But the real eye-opener comes when you multiply that $70 times the number of months you need to reach your goal of financial security.
If you are willing to spend 5 years in frugal living to pay down the mortgage on your house or pay off all your credit cards, multiply your monthly coffee money by 60 months, and you'll see $4200 on your calculator screen. That 's enough money for a down payment on a reasonably priced house, or to buy a good used car for your teenager. It's also enough to pay at least several month's mortgage payments, or to put in the bank for a medical emergency. $3.50 isn't an important amount of money, but to almost anyone I know, $4200 is a serious amount of cash.
Do the same calculation for everything on your list that isn't truly necessary, and you may discover that you can reduce the amount of time you need to reach your long-term goal by several years or more. If your credit card debts are weighing you down and causing daily stress, this simple frugal living tip could lead to a complete elimination of debt in just a year or less. In my mind, that's more important than a fancy cup of coffee.
About The Author
Searching for an Internet Service Provider to Search With?
Searching for an Internet Service Provider to Search With?
by Frank Muller
When you are looking at an ISP it would beneficial if they are located near you because, theoretically, it is easier to deal with any issues that may crop up. Services offered and prices charged vary a lot form 1 internet service provider to the next. The small business ISP's are generally popular as they often give great customer service and provide technical support fairly quickly.
These types of vendors offer good competitive price schemes and rely on a good standard of service provision. Another factor that stands out with smaller ISP businesses is the enthusiasm to please. Some of the larger, well known, ISP companies have developed their own in-house technical support and also support other Internet Service Providers. Often these larger ISP's don't offer the flexibility of the smaller ISP's. Generally speaking the bigger organizations have a much larger customer base and do not apply the resources in order to please customers.
For the business user ISP is generally cheaper provided by medium to larger size organizations. Money invested in research and development mean that big companies can offer more technologically advanced processes and connection speeds than the smaller organizations. When choosing an ISP, it is recommended that you do some research before signing up with your chosen ISP.
Make a list of the services you require from your chosen ISP. Search the internet for suitable ISP companies. See how potential vendors respond by emailing them questions regarding key service requirements. If your are a business seeking an ISP go to other similar size companies and ask the Director of IT for feedback on the vendor that they currently use.
Internet Service Provision - Free
Some Internet Service Providers provide a free service and even will help you determine which is the best ISP for you. It is worthwhile getting a free ISP to access the internet after which you can then compare the service offered. Broaden your horizons by surfing the web using a free internet service offered by one of the many ISP.
Dial-up internet connection is not really worth paying for nowadays due to the faster alternatives of broadband and T1.
Once you start using the net you must have a cleansing program that uses anti-virus and ad aware killing programs. To stop unwanted access to your system by intruders you must utilise the firewall protection software.
Basic Gude - P2P Technology
What do you know about P2P? Are you embarrased to ask about it? This guide will run down most of the major P2P services and how they work. Individuals can now benefit by sharing each others files by using P2P technology. Second generation P2P does not work off centralized servers such as Napster. First of all each peer connects to another peer whith whom they intend to share the files with. The next step is to exchange IP addresses. After connection has been established the software will then start the search for the file that is being shared. After finding the location of the shared file all the nodes are connected. At this juncture the download starts and the peer has a screen whereby he/ she can see the download progress.
About The Author
Frank Muller is the owner of http://www.internet-service-providers-focus.info
Instantly Online Unsecured Loans without Pledge
Instantly Online Unsecured Loans without Pledge
by Tim Kelly
To qualify ones desirable requirements, individuals need to have make adjustments- financial adjustments. So as to taking account of today�s money market inflation, it�s getting harder and harder day by day to maintain budget accordingly. People avail the benefits of loans, the loans which not only provide with ample money, but also do no contain any sort of collateral pledging, the loans contain collateral pledging proves to be financial rather detrimental to the borrowers� property. For, the convenience of such borrowers, the lending authority has provisioned the various lenders with online unsecured loans.
Availing the online unsecured loans online accelerates the processing pace of these loans. No need of keeping collateral, evades borrowers from property evaluation and that quickens the processing procedures of online unsecured loans. Therefore, these loans attest the special attention of those who are tenant or non-homeowners. More so, those homeowners who do not want to produce their any valuable item before lenders too, can avail the facility of these loans.
Individuals having in grave adversity of bad credit history i.e., CCJs, IVAs, bankrupts, arrears, and defaulters, too have been given chances of availing online unsecured loans, all that they may have to face with a little more paper works and documentation. Due to degrading credit scores, lenders make their lending steps with clarity and cautiously.
Amount raised by the lending authority under the online unsecured loans is �5, 000; however this amount can be further increased up to �25, 000 too. Borrowers invest the amount as they wish to. Home improvement and renovation, children�s higher education, for ones business infrastructural development etc., these loans contain wholesome lending package.
In order to get benefits from the online unsecured loans, lenders keep the repayment period shorter to other loans. In view to make up the insurance of unsecured loans, lenders incur upon higher interest rates, as these loans contain no collateral as of borrowers� security. Nevertheless, period stipulated to the online unsecured loans is 5 years, which can be further extended up to 10 years terms too.
Now, what required is right selection of a lender, the lender may offer feasible terms and conditions of online unsecured loans. Due to presence of too many lenders in money market, it becomes somewhat harder for the borrowers to select amongst from. Possibly, not to forget taking help of financial expert, if one may having any problem regarding online unsecured loans.
About The Author
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Are You Famous or Focused?
Are You Famous or Focused?
by John Di Lemme
Are you famous or are you focused? Let's start with "famous". When people look at you, what do they say that you are famous for? Are you famous for procrastination�negative words�poor time management�What are you famous for?
Let me share with you what I am famous for. I am famous for consistent, structured, focused daily strategies and techniques to live a victorious life. I know�that is a pretty strong statement! You see, I would rather be "focused" than famous. I am focused on success.
I am focused on assisting you in achieving you dream and discover the greatness that is inside all of you! Forget about being famous, let's be focused. Be focused on your dreams�be focused on providing for your family�be focused on building a huge team�be focused on Finding Your Why! Let's commit today to become focused and start changing people's lives.
Millions of people world wide watch shows like "Who wants to be a Millionaire" or "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous". The interesting thing is that everyone sitting on the couch with a bag of popcorn watching these shows are broke. Why? Because they are famous for sitting back and watching shows on other people being famous. How about we flick the switch in life from famous to focused.
Stop dreaming of other people being famous and start being focused on your own destiny! You must laser-focus in on your success and demolish procrastination and create action. Demolish resolutions and create results! Let's demolish fear and create faith!
How is this all possible by simply being focused. How do people become gold medalist, super bowl champions, etc? They take charge of their lives, hire a coach and become focused. What are you? Who are you? Where are you going? How are you going to get there? More importantly, why are you not focused?
Those that know their "Why" are very focused. I am focused on my Why of changing lives of Champions worldwide through my coaching, mentoring, seminars and success library and creating massive success in those Champions lives! Do not allow famous to get in your way of being focused. Make a commitment today to forget fame and become laser-focused!
Let's get focused and know your Why! Let's go out and impact the world one heart at a time. Focus creates success and Fame creates problems. It's your decision�become focused and live your dream!!!
About The Author
Forget Emailing Pictures - Use Free Online Photo Hosting Websites
Forget Emailing Pictures - Use Free Online Photo Hosting Websites
by J.O. Moen
There is a very good alternative to emailing photos; they are called free online photo hosting websites. People love to share photos. However, photos take up a tremendous amount of space and can really slow down your email, not to mention take up a tremendous amount of space in someone's inbox.
On a free online photo hosting website you open an account and load your photos directly to that site. You can then invite family and friends to visit your site, check out your photos and even comment on them!
The following photo hosting websites are some of the more popular sites on the net.
FaceBook
FaceBook is a social network of people who have photo pages. You can find new friends through the search or you can link to your own friends and family while uploading an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos.
Anyone with a valid email address can join FaceBook. If you register with your school or work email, you can connect to co workers or classmates. When you have registered you can find a regional network to join and then you can connect to people in your area.
WebShots
One of the largest photo and video sharing sites, WebShots has more than 400 million photos to check out and is a great hosting site for your own photos.
They have free and premium memberships that offer lots of storage, ensuring that you will never fun out of space. You can share videos, photos and slideshow on both WebShots and on your personal website. You can even order prints of your photos and create custom photo gifts.
PhotoBucket
The self proclaimed most popular creative hub on the web, PhotoBucket links billions of personal photos, graphics, slideshows and videos to many of the most popular websites and social networking sites such as MySpace, Bebo, Friendster, Craigslist and Blogger.
However, the free online photo hosting website is not the only method that members can share their photos. They can also share their digital media via email, IM and even mobile devices.
Membership is free and it is a great place to share you latest shots of your new purple Mohawk or your adorable new baby.
Flickr
Flickr is a fun site where members can keep a blog of memories that they have captured on their cell phone camera, or maybe they just want to post their best photos so that they can show off their talents and perhaps earn the title web celebrity.
Of course, they can post their photos to share with family and friends. Flickr is a free online photo hosting website, but it also helps members get photos to the people who matter to them. Members can organize their photos, share and keep in touch with others.
The free membership on this site offers you a lot of options, particularly if you have a lot of photos to store and share.
Yahoo! Or AOL Photo Album
Yahoo! And AOL photo albums are free online photo hosting websites and are very effective for sharing your photos.
You can save, send and share your photos through these sites. There is no fee attached, the services are both free.
You can set your albums to private or you can make them public. Additionally, you can designate certain albums as private and others as public. If you want some simple photo sharing, storing and organizing, these are two great sites to use.
About The Author
Health Food
Health Food
by Kadence Buchanan
Does your kid often eat junk food? Chances are, the answer to that one is a resounding yes because, as all parents know, children everywhere in the world absolutely love junk food such as hamburgers, pizza, candy, soda and salty foods like potato chips and french fries. Like most parents, you probably want to wean your child away from junk food (or at least lessen his intake of it) and reinforce his diet with healthy food such as grains, vegetables, fruits and nutrient-rich foods such as meat, beans, fish and nuts.
Here are some tips to help you achieve just that. The basic strategy is to make eating healthy food fun for the kids. You probably can even think of more ways to use this strategy when feeding your child.
(1) The Sneak Attack.
Sneak in those fruits and vegetables with a type of food that your child really enjoys. One example would be making muffins out of bananas or apples. If your kids like pizza, you can sneak in a wide variety of vegetables in there that your youngsters probably won�t even notice. Another tack is to arrange the food in creative ways that will appear funny and play-like to your childe. For instance, you can arrange the food creatively on a plate or make food stand at attention like people.
(2) Funny Name Game.
Kids below the age of four always fall for this one. It�s called the funny name game and involves giving healthy foods like fruits and vegetables funny names and conjuring up interesting stories involving the food. Obviously, many of these stories will conclude with the food being gobbled up by the giant child or having the food run for cover to avoid an alien attack by ducking into a big cave that also happens to be your kid�s mouth.
(3) The Taste Test.
The main reason kids don�t like vegetables is that they can�t stand the taste. Hence, if you can add things kids love like peanut butter to celery or some ranch dressing to broccoli, your kids may go for those veggies.
The main thing is to be creative about feeding your food. I�m sure you can look into your kitchen and discover your own way to make eating healthy food a fun experience.
About The Author
Saturday, February 23, 2008
China�s Battle for African Uranium
China�s Battle for African Uranium
by James Finch
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Sunday night�s revelations that China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC) may strengthen its ties to UraMin could represent a broader picture than an ordinary acquisition of a near-term uranium producer.
There is an ongoing global war for energy security, which appears to be politically inspired. China and Russia are the main opponents, especially in Africa, but have rivaled each other, over the past several years, in Central Asia. The goal for both nations is not only energy security but political influence and alliance over their targeted territories.
On May 12th, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan signed a declaration to upgrade and expand transport pipelines along the Caspian Sea coast directly to Russia. The project relies mainly upon the vast Turkmen gas reserves. This is part of Russia�s growing monopoly of Central Asian gas. Although Europe was shocked by Vladimir Putin�s new arrangement, the Chinese were flabbergasted.
We�ve been following developments in Central Asia, and had reported upon milestone events in both of our uranium publications, and again (with far greater details) in our soon-to-be-released Investing in China�s Energy Crisis.
After more than two decades in power, Turkmen strongman Saparmurat Niyazov passed away this past December. In April 2006, Niyazov had signed a framework agreement on oil and gas cooperation. By August, Niyazov had announced a pipeline, designed to pump gas to China, would be opened in 2009. The deal died with the dictator, it appears.
A few weeks ago, a spokesman for China�s National Reform and Development Committee announced China was unlikely to reach its natural gas target of a 10-percent portion of the country�s energy portfolio by 2010. Increasingly, Russia has shut China out of Central Asia in obtaining long-term, multiple energy sources.
Aside from South America, where China has strengthened the country�s ties with Venezuela and others, Africa is a prime hunting ground for China�s future energy security. China has established a strong foothold in the Sudan for petroleum. But, Africa is rich in uranium deposits.
According to a report published by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2005, Africa has 18 percent of the world�s known recoverable uranium resources � about six percent less than Australia and one percent more than Kazakhstan. We began coverage on both Namibia and Niger, after Russia sent a delegation to Egypt to discuss the nuclear renaissance. At the time, our research pointed to Africa, particularly those countries, as ripe for future uranium production. Chinese prospectors raced to Niger within weeks after our initial coverage.
During 2006, Namibia became saturated with numerous exploration plays hoping to capitalize on the country�s uranium resources and relaxed environment. Consequently, the Namibian Minister of Mines and Energy closed the country�s exploration window. Since then, Niger has become a new hunting ground. We expect this country to become just as saturated as Namibia has been.
China is eager to capitalize upon the continent�s uranium resources before Russia outmaneuvers them as has been accomplished in Central Asia.
According to an email we received from TradeTech�s Gene Clark, after presenting at the China Power & Alternative Energy Summit on May 18th, he told us China�s official target for nuclear power capacity was �40 GWe by 2020 and another 18 GWe in the following five-year plan.� This confirms China�s aggressive plans to acquire sufficient uranium to reach this capacity, and would be foolish to rely on just Australia.
Typically, China has built its energy portfolio through numerous deals across multiple regions. This past October, Yang Changli, vice president of China National Nuclear, said it would seek uranium not only from Australia, but from Canada, Kazakhstan, South Africa and Namibia. In an interview Yang gave during the 15th Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference, he said, �China won't rely on any single supplier of uranium because of energy security considerations.
Namibia is the First African Focus of Uranium Politiques
On May 14th, Russia�s second-largest bank Vneshtorgbank and Russia�s state-run nuclear exporter Tekhsnabexport announced they were considered a joint venture to operate in Namibia through licenses they directly hold and through investments in other companies which have obtained licenses in Namibia.
In March Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov announced his country was prepared to building nuclear plants in Namibia. Neighboring South Africa had previously warned Namibia to expect reductions in energy supplies. Namibia is dependent upon South Africa for electricity and has forecast an energy deficit of 300 megawatts within the next three years.
On May 10th, Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to set up the International Uranium Enrichment Center, anticipated to come onstream by 2013. As part of this announcement, Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Federal Nuclear Power Agency, said, �Any country can become a member of the center by signing an intergovernmental agreement granting it guaranteed access to uranium enrichment services.� We conclude Namibia may wish to participate in this arrangement.
Enter CNNC on Sunday night. The Chinese company�s deputy general manager for uranium procurement announced to Bloomberg News that CNNC and UraMin will start �more formal� talks this week.
UraMin is a prime acquisition candidate for the Chinese because of its uranium prospects in both Namibia and Niger. The company also has holdings in South Africa and the Central African Republic.
We are now facing a new era of uranium politics or rather �Uranium Politiques.� And there is good reason for this to escalate. Yesterday, the U.S. Energy Information Administration issued �International Energy Outlook 2007.� The report announced, �World marketed energy is expected to grow by 57 percent between 2004 and 2030.�
The most rapid growth in energy demand is anticipated in non-OECD Asia. The majority of this energy demand growth would come from China and India. This was the reference case � the middle ground of growth.
Also on Monday, leading Russian nuclear expert Yevgeny Velikhov, head of the Kurchatov Institute, told reporters at a news conference that the recent surge in uranium prices �may still grow by another order of magnitude.� He believes the uranium price will continue to rise as global uranium demand soars while supplies remain tight. �The global energy market is very turbulent,� Velikhov said. �The uranium price can hit any mark at a time of crisis.� Ironically, both crisis and turbulence have come about because of the Asian and Russian scramble to lock-up the uranium resources of entire countries.
The energy battle in Africa is good news for the two front-runners in Namibia: UraMin and Forsys Metals. We�ve called this a horse race, over the past several months. Both endeavor to become the �next miner� following Paladin Resources in this country.
Yet, both companies are vulnerable to acquisition efforts by Russian or Chinese companies. Or either could be acquired by one or more majors hoping to build up their uranium reserves. In the case of Rio Tinto, acquiring one or both could mean expanding uranium operations in this country.
Acquisition Candidates
Just as the announcement by Energy Metals Corp, regarding a potential sale of the company, fueled weekend speculation as to the �next� takeover candidates, the same could occur this week with African acquisition candidates.
One might be misled into believing China would focus on Niger, where the company has built a foundation, and Russia�s focus would remain in Namibia. However, in a state visit to China this week, Namibian Defense force chief exchanged views with Guo Boxiong, Central Military Commission vice chairman, on promoting relations between the two countries.
In February, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Namibia to sign an economic deal with Namibia giving the country a grant of US$4.3 million and an interest-free loan of the same amount. Reportedly, some of the money would be used to boost group tourism from China to Namibia. This is the same tactic China has utilized in courting relationships in South America to help develop natural resource deals.
With US$1.2 trillion in foreign currency reserves, China is exercising its financial biceps. In March, the country formed the Huijin Fund as the state�s investment arm. Up to US$400 billion have reportedly been placed in this fund for investment purposes. On Sunday night, the Huijin Fund invested US$3 billion to purchase a stake in about 9.9 percent of the Blackstone private equity firm. Our research suggests the fund is likely to strongly invest in natural resources.
On this basis, we can not rule out a simple carving of Africa. We don�t believe China will quietly step back and focus the country�s uranium acquisition efforts in Niger, permitting Russia to concentrate on Namibia and South African uranium.
In Niger, we covered two �early days� prospective uranium juniors over a year ago. North Atlantic Resources acquired a uranium permit in the 1900-square kilometer Abelajouad in this country. This past April, the company increased its holdings to nearly 3,000 square kilometers. In late April, Northwestern Mineral Ventures announced uranium mineralization in assays from rock samples after a first-pass reconnaissance on its In Gall and Irhazer uranium properties. Both would need to further explore their properties before attracting serious interest from the Chinese.
However, in Namibia both UraMin and Forsys Metals are actively progressing toward mining uranium on their properties. Either could be the first, but we believe both should become winners in the uranium bull market. Because China has carefully aligned with UraMin, or at least shown an inkling to do so, we suspect Russia might begin to look more carefully at Forsys Metals. This is purely speculation based upon our premise of �uranium Politiques.� We do not have any �inside track� on this matter.
Fortunately, we had the opportunity to chat with Forsys chief executive Duane Parnham late last week. His company had announced the completion of the pre-feasibility study on the company�s Valencia uranium deposit in Namibia. We missed the company�s conference call, but were allowed the opportunity to discuss his company�s prospects and future plans during a telephone call.
The company�s pre-feasibility study was prepared by Australia-based Snowden Mining, which used the guidelines of Australia�s JORC code. Subsequently, the Valencia uranium mineral reserve was classified as Probable Reserves. These were calculated at 24 million pounds U3O8.
We asked about production. �We are now modeling 2.4 million pounds per year,� Parnham told us. He expects to payback in less than two years. With Forsys as with all near-term producers, some early conversations have begun about pre-selling the company�s uranium production after production has commenced.
His company�s news release talked about six month of stripping during the initial part of the operation so we started there. �We�ll start when we get a mining license and then looking at production.� When will the company complete its ongoing environmental assessment? �We are hoping to have an environmental decision by year end,� Parnham told us. �We are hoping to have enough data to apply for a mining license in early 2008. If that�s successful, then obviously the decision to go forward will be made at that time.�
For the time being, the company plans to expand its resource. �The pre-feasibility is just the first snapshot of the situation,� he said. �We are finding the pit optimization study is only looking at a very small portion of the overall resource.� Does that mean the resource is actually larger, then? �It�s a heck of a lot bigger,� he told us. �It�s just a function of how much data you have available to punch into the model. Then, how much does the model give you back? The evaluation process is ongoing. You�ll probably see a change in the pit design very shortly because we have the ability to move more resource into the reserve category.�
We talked about his company�s horse race with UraMin. How does it look? �Neck and neck, toe to toe,� Parnham said. �I think it shows there�s opportunity in Namibia, and that�s good that there are a number of us working for a common goal.�
Finally, we asked what has emerged as the key question: Is Forsys a ripe plum for the picking. He offered both sides of the coin. �Where the real opportunity lies is putting a property into production,� he responded. �The operation isn�t all that difficult so it�s not a deposit that our expanding team couldn�t put into production.� And then Parnham left the door open. �Anything can happen. It�s an open market, and we are a public company. But, we are certainly geared toward putting this into production.�
And from what we�ve seen among the recent, significant consolidations, those companies who have commenced production, and those closest to production, are the prime acquisition candidates. Why should companies developing projects in Africa become the exception instead of the rule? Especially when two super powers are both eagerly trying to establish stronger uranium footholds in this continent.
COPYRIGHT © 2007 by StockInterview.com
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Website Basics-How to Register Your Domain Name
Website Basics-How to Register Your Domain Name
by Richard James
The simple and short answer is that when you buy a domain name, you are registering it. The reason for this article is that there are some optional features available that are well worth considering when registering a domain name.
First and foremost, make sure that the email address and contact information you give when registering a domain name are accurate. This is especially true in the case of the email address. Communications regarding the status of domain names are sent to the email address on file, so give an email address that is readily accessible to you, and if you change email addresses at some point please be sure and update the email address attached to your domain name. It cannot be stressed enough how important this is. Often people lose access to their domain name or lose the domain name altogether because they can no longer access it, and the number one reason for this is their email address changed, they failed to update it with their domain registrar, and they no longer receive important communications regarding the status of the domain name.
Privacy One of the �deluxe� options you will be offered at the time of domain name registration is the option for privacy. You�ll probably want to take advantage of this option. All domain names are listed in a large internet database called the WhoIs database. Without adding privacy to your registration, your contact info, including your name, address, phone, email, etc. all become public information, and readily accessible to spammers, telemarketers, and junk mailers. Private domain name registration is not mandatory and will not block all spam, but it is well worth the extra investment nonetheless.
Business Registration This next option concerns how your domain name is perceived in the WhoIs database and by the search engines. If your planned website involves commercial interests, this is a highly recommended option as well. Business registration places your domain name in WhoIs as a business, rather than a personal registration, and lists you by business category and subcategory. There is also an option to place an online business card and a link to a map to your store location, which will show up on the search engines. This also boosts your standing with the search engines; ie., business vs. personal.
Platinum Registration This option protects your domain name from domain name hijack. In the event that you give others access to your account, such as when hiring a web author to build your website, Platinum Registration locks the domain name down in such a way that no one can modify or steal it in any way. Highly recommended as well.
Multiple Years In the past few months Google and Yahoo, among others, have modified their search techniques to include checking the length of registration of a domain name. This is to weed out the pretenders from the players. Registering your domain name for a minimum of 5 years (or more) will boost your esteem in the eyes of the major search engines. For more information on this topic, read the article HERE.
About The Author
StartMyWebsiteToday.COM was created by Richard James as a helpful resource for people new to building websites. Featuring free articles and 24/7 telephone support, the site aims to help newbies with their first web venture. You can visit the site at http://www.startmywebsitetoday.com This article is copyrighted, please do not alter in any way.
Cappuccino in the Morning - How to Make Your Own
Cappuccino in the Morning - How to Make Your Own
by Carol Stack
The taste of a good cappuccino is totally lip smacking and some times people just cannot start their day without a cup of cappuccino.
Cappuccino is a rich, dark coffee whose recipe originated in Italy. The name cappuccino actually comes from the resemblance of its color to the robes of the monks of the Capuchin order.
Cappuccino has a large volume of foam making it a light weight drink and less filling than other coffees. You need to take equal parts of frothed and steamed milk and espresso, the milk being on top of the espresso. You can then sprinkle any number of toppings on your cappuccino, such as nutmeg, cinnamon or chocolate powder.
Start With Good Espresso
To make a good cappuccino you have to start with good espresso, which you get from doing the following: Grind the beans fine, press the espresso down firmly, use a high pressure machine or stove top model, don't make too much at once, the creama must be visible on top as a golden-brown foam, and use an espresso cup to keep the temperature from cooling down too quickly.
The Difference between a Cappuccino and a Latte
Lattes are also half espresso and half milk. If you are wondering what the difference is between a latte and a cappuccino, with a latte you take the milk and espresso and pour the milk down the side of the cup so it mixes with the espresso.
Making the Froth
Where does the frothed milk come from for cappuccinos and for lattes? If using a French press for a foamer, heat a cup of non-fat milk in a microwave or on the stove to a temperature that is not too hot for you, pouring it into a plunger pot that has been rinsed. Pump the plunger in the pot for a few minutes and the milk will expand to three to four times its volume, creating the froth for your cappuccino (or latte).
Getting Your Own Cappuccino Maker
If you have a coffee addiction, you may want to shop for a cappuccino coffee maker so you can make your own at home. A nice characteristic about the counter top model is it can steam milk for cappuccino and latte's. When purchasing a cappuccino maker keep in mind that if you entertain frequently, you may want to shop for a cappuccino machine that makes several cups of cappuccino at one time.
Conclusion
Once classed as luxuries, many items of equipment such as grinders, cappuccino makers, espresso makers, and other drinks makers now adorn homes all over the world. By having your own equipment and making your cappuccino at home you save money.
Another great benefit is being able to make yourself some cappuccino whenever you want. Running out to purchase a cup of your favorite coffee will be a thing of the past. You simply walk to your kitchen and put together your favorite brew.
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How Much Debt is Too Much?
How Much Debt is Too Much?
by Jo Ann LeQuang
People have a certain threshold or tolerance for debt. Most of us can tolerate a little bit of debt. How much debt is all right? And when are you in over your head?
Most of the time, the decision that you have "too much debt" is made emotionally. That is, you have too much debt when you feel you have too much debt.
So why do some people panic over small debts but others sleep like babies even when they owe tens of thousands?
The answer is that people have an emotional sense of how much debt is acceptable. The danger is that this personal gauge is highly unreliable. You may have gotten it from your family situation, past experiences, or what you saw on TV or in the movies. Your debt style also involves your own maturity level and self control.
We also have an emotional response to what is unacceptable, which is sometimes called "hitting rock bottom." For some people, hitting rock bottom is having a car repossessed. For others, the repo man was a familiar character from childhood.
Hitting rock bottom may be the day you cannot make minimum payments, the day you lie to a spouse about an overdue bill, or the threat of impending homelessness. In other words, the emotional response and not the event itself is what defines a "hitting rock bottom" moment. One man's rock bottom is another man's standard of living.
So when is debt too much debt? On a purely emotional level, many people hit "rock bottom" when the first calls from bill collectors start to come.
Getting hounded by a professional bill collector is tough. Some people cope, but others find it embarrassing, humiliating, and shameful. For some people, it may take an intervention of friends or family members to drive home the point that the debt is getting out of control. Others may wait till they are evicted or sued.
So how much is too much debt?
First, it's not a question you should answer emotionally. Most entrepreneurs have nerves of steel when it comes to debt and financial risk taking, but most of them do not carry a lot of personal debt. So the amount of debt you can tolerate emotionally is not the governing factor; in fact, it should not even be taken into account.
Debt is financial and the only way to evaluate financial things is to look at the big financial picture.
Your financial report card is something called your "net worth." You can do a reasonably good snapshot of your own net worth without hiring an accountant or doing a bunch of fancy stuff. Just write down all of the money you owe. If you have credit cards, list all the balances. If you have loans, list all of them. If you have a mortgage, add that. Take all of these debts (the accountants would call these "liabilities") and add them together.
Now take everything you own. This includes the contents of any bank or investment accounts you have, your retirement account, stock portfolios, and so on. If you own a house (even if it's mortgaged), add the fair market value of the house. If you have vehicles (cars, boats) add them in. It is fair to add in the value of your furniture, electronics, and clothing, but be very conservative. It may have cost you thousands to build the wardrobe hanging in your closet, but it's doubtful you could convert it to very much cash. Don't count what you spent, count what you could get if you had to sell it today. Add everything together to get what accountants call your "assets."
Now subtract liabilities (what you owe) from your assets (what you own), and you have your net worth.
I hate to disillusion you, but the number should be positive. And it should be thousands.
There are some reasons for a low net worth. For those who are just starting out or those just starting over, your net worth may be low because you have not had chance to amass any assets. You may have just gone through a major medical disaster or other catastrophe. The other reason your net worth may be low is a lot of debt.
Now look at your income and your monthly bills. Don't worry about total debt here, just look at what you spend each month versus what you bring in. Take some pencil and paper time here. Does your out-go exceed your income? That's a debt-making machine. Until you turn this around, you're going to keep your debt growing which, in turn, will keep your net worth negative.
If you can't make minimum payments, if you are adding to your debt each month, or if you are really unsure of your financial states, you are probably in need of some financial help.
Certified credit counselors can help and there are lots of excellent books and programs on the market aimed at getting you debt-free. There are even free resources. For instance, your local banker can probably help you come up with a financial plan to manage your debt, including things like debt consolidation.
If you're wondering if you have too much debt, you probably do. One of the great financial secrets of the truly wealthy is this: no debt. It's possible for even ordinary people to live debt free.
The bill collector or the repo-man are not the first signs of debt problems; they are really symptoms of a prolonged period of too much debt. When the warning signals come, even if we are not rattled by them, we should take firm steps to dig ourselves out of debt. The difference between too much debt and being destroyed by debt are just a few missteps.
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Do You Know The Answers To These Audio Book FAQs?
Do You Know The Answers To These Audio Book FAQs?
by Janet Rusky
Do you know the answers to these audio book FAQs?
Audio books are rising quickly in popularity. More and more people are taking advantage of the modern MP3 techniques and iPods. Yet there are still many questions unanswered in this area. Find out what these are....
Do you know the answers to these audio book FAQs?
In as much as the audio book phenomenon isn't too new, there are still lots of people that don't know certain things about it.
I must confess that I was also ignorant about certain aspects of audio books myself.
During my early days of audio books, I had to ask certain questions and today I hear a lot of people asking the same such questions.
Who knows, you might also have such questions and you really want to find the answers to them.
If yes, then below are some of these questions and their answers:
>>> What is an audio book? An audio book is simply a book in audio format. Instead of receiving a physical hardcover or paperback book that you have to read, you will receive a CD, cassette or MP3 version of the book.
>>> What formats do audio books come in? Audio books come in normal cassette formats, CD formats and MP3 formats which can be played on cassette players, cd players or MP3 players respectively.
>>> What is an MP3 audio book? MP3 is simply a compression technique that makes it possible for reduction to be made to audio books so that they use less space (sometimes as little as 80%) compared to that of cassettes or CDs.
>>> How can MP3 audio books be played? MP3 audio books can be played on any new version of CD players that support the MP3 technology - mostly those that can accept a 4.75 diameter disk.
They an also be played on any PC that has Microsoft's Windows Media Player or other related software.
>>> What is an unabridged audio book? An unabridged audio book is one that was narrated word for word. In such an audio book, nothing was removed from the printed book. It has the exact content with that of the printed book, albeit in audio format.
>>> What is an abridged audio book? An abridged audio book is one that is shortened and doesn't contain the exact word for word narration as the printed book.
>>> What is a dramatized audio book? A dramatized audio book, as the name implies, is a dramatized "play-life" version of the printed book, with usual full cast, music and sound effects.
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http://www.best-audiobook-store.com
Friday, February 22, 2008
Employers: Save Time By Hiring A Private Investigator To Conduct An Employee Background Check
Employers: Save Time By Hiring A Private Investigator To Conduct An Employee Background Check
by David Almeida
If you are in business, you know that it's important to have a variety of information about those individuals who are working with you. This is true whether the position involves a security detail, handling large amounts of cash or working with a great deal of information such as the social security numbers and credit information for your company's clients.
Therefore, conducting an employee background check is essential in many businesses. However, not every manager or owner will have the time to thoroughly check out everyone who has applied for and who is being considered for filling a position. That's where a private investigator comes in.
It's possible to hire a private investigator to conduct an employee background check for you.
With an employee background check, a private investigator can determine whether the prospective employee:
has a car or truck registered in his or her name;
has a clean driving record;
has indeed attended the college or university listed on his or her application;
has been sued or has a criminal record;
has ever filed for bankruptcy protection;
has sued a previous employer for worker's compensation;
has passed state licensing exams such as those for teachers, doctors, nurses or lawyers;
has ever failed a drug test; or
has been listed on the sex offenders registry.
With this information, you can verify the information that is on the applicant's resume and determine whether or not they meet the criteria that your company sets for its employees.
Much of the information that is included in an employee background check is information that is on public record. Therefore, some businesses may wonder why they should hire a private investigator when it is possible to get the information on their own.
There are a number of reasons why it makes sense to hire a private investigator to conduct an employee background check. Time is one reason: while as an employer may have to place a number of phone calls or conduct a number of searches just to determine who should be contacted to find the information, a private investigator is experienced at conducting employee background checks.
In addition to saving time by having someone else conduct an employee background check, your business will be able to continue to focus on your clients and customers. As a result, your day to day business will not slip through the cracks and you can be sure that the employee background check is conducted without bias.
When the same individuals who conduct interviews also conduct employee background checks, it's possible that a detail would be weighted based on the interview with or personality of the applicant. Because a private investigator is a neutral party, all that will be considered during the employee background check is the information that the search yields.
With that information, you will be better able to determine whether or not the applicant is someone who fits in with your company, your mission statement and the specifics of the position. And, thanks to an employee background check, you can be sure that the person who you hire is a reputable, reliable candidate who will help your business to grow.
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Save Time Cooking
Save Time Cooking
by Emma Snow
Does the idea that good food has to take a long time to make keep you from spending time cooking? There are many ways to help speed and efficiency in the kitchen. The arrangement of your kitchen, as well as the tools you use, make all the difference. Don't give up on trying to expand your skills and abilities. Try these suggestions to make gourmet cooking well within your time constraints.
You might have heard the old adage, "a place for everything and everything in its place." This is a great time saving practice. Put the same things in the same place in your kitchen and work area. You will not waste time trying to find things and get frustrated. Tools and items that are frequently used should be placed accessible and easy to get. The bowl or platter you only use at Thanksgiving can be placed in the basement or in the back of the cupboard. It is also worth noting that you won't know if something works until you try it and you might make changes as time goes by. Don't be afraid to reorganize or adjust.
The smell of bread baking alone is enough to make the senses ripple with pleasure. Don't deny your home of the enticing aromas of fresh baked goods that relax and invigorate the soul because you think they take too long. If you are among the population that think making homemade bread is a horribly long process that you do not have time for, invest in a mixer, it does all the work! While the ingredients combine you can spend your time checking a recipe, loading the dishwasher, or making a call. When choosing a mixer consider the quart size capacity of the bowl and wattage of the mixer. This is important because a smaller, less powerful machine will not be able to handle some quantity of ingredients. More time will be spent mixing by hand and cleaning up than if you would have done it without the machine to start with. Another important thing to note about a free standing mixer is their ability to do so many different tasks. Whipping, whisking, blending, and kneading, can all be done without you participating at all. Not only does this save time, but it also saves effort, freeing up up energy for other aspects of preparation.
Another time saving product that will help you cook like a pro is a food processor. Different jobs need different sizes and so it is recommended to have a smaller and larger capacity processor. Chopping onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, nuts, etc. is quick and easy. Those items you frequently use do not need to take so much time to prepare. Use the tools that speed your work and you will be more apt to do more of it.
One of the most frustrating and time taking occurrences is running out of measuring cups or spoons because they are dirty. More than one set is needed to cook efficiently. If a cup is only used for dry ingredients it is not a problem, or if you can do all the dry ingredients first and then the wet, you solve the problem, but usually they are interchanged as you cook. Two to three sets will allow you to be quick in measuring without having to stop and wash (and then thoroughly dry) measuring tools while you cook. Having a set of odd sized cups and spoons makes cooking and baking faster and easier also. A two cup, one and a half cup, 2 tablespoon, half teaspoon measures are a great time and ease saver.
These products are worth the space they take up. The time saved making delicious dinners, breads and treats will allow you to spend time that you want to working or playing without sacrificing making good food yourself. Cooking gives so much more to a person that food on the table. It allows for relaxation, contemplation, creativity and enjoyment. Free up unnecessary time spent in your kitchen and become the gourmet cook you have always wanted to be, but thought it just took too much time.
About The Author
How to Attract your Goal Income each Month
How to Attract your Goal Income each Month
by Matt Bacak
Can you answer the following five questions correctly?
1.) What three words will make you hand over all your money to me?
Answer: �Stick �em up!�
2.) What eight words will get you to never have money worries again?
Answer: �You never have to worry about money again.�
3.) What one word is the greatest word in the history of marketing?
Answer: FREE!
4.) Besides fear, what is a prime motivator that will get people to listen to you?
Answer: Curiosity is a prime motivator.
5.) What�s the best way to get your customers curious about you, your business, and your products and services?
Answer: You can get more of what you want by asking open ended questions. This gets people engaged.
How did you do? Let�s look at the answer to question #2 - �You never have to worry about money again.� What does this mean to you? It means freedom, security, and a worry free life. Most of us use worry as a motivator. Usually this does not work. Instead, you should act on your intuition and not worry. If you worry, you are limiting your own ability to act.
Instead, you should focus on positively attracting the things you desire to you. Try this exercise.
1.) Take a piece of paper. Write an intention about your income.
2.) Use curiosity and hypnotic words to engage your own mind to attract money.
3.) Do you want more money and income every month? Everybody does.
4.) Write how much money you want to make each month. Stretch your possibilities a little bit. Your goal should excite you and scare you a little bit. Make it something that energizes you.
5.) What would be better than what you want to make per month? This is the ideal.
6.) What is your ideal?
7.) Write that you want to make a particular amount of money per month and something better. This is your new intention.
8.) Now, imagine receiving this new intention (the amount of money you want per month or better) and allow this to surface in your awareness. What does that feel like to you? What does that look like to you? How does your experience of receiving that goal amount of money feel to you? It may make you smile. Enjoy the thought. Imagine what you are doing with that money. How are you spending it? How are you investing it? Who are you paying with it?
Guess what. By completing this exercise you are well on your way to attracting the things you want. You have a positive mindset that will help you earn the income you want. Engage in this exercise often. You would be surprised at the awesome results you can enjoy.
About The Author
For more information, visit Bacak's site at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or sign up for his Powerful Promoting Tips at http://www.promotingtips.com
How to Lay Low as Helicopter Parents
How to Lay Low as Helicopter Parents
by Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D. and Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D.
As your college student is settling into the dorm, are you discovering that letting go is more difficult than you imagined? Even with the pressures you feel as a member of the Sandwich Generation, are you ambivalent about cutting the apron strings?
You may be stuck in a new phenomenon that falls under the colorful moniker, Helicopter Parent. If you find yourself 'hovering' over your kidult, attempting to protect him or her from life�s ups and downs, you fit the description.
Is it technology - cell phones, email and instant messaging - as some say, that keeps parents overly involved, or is something else at work? Maria worries, �I�m far too enmeshed with my daughter and afraid of keeping her closer than is healthy. I�m trying to step back and minimize our contact - for the emotional growth of both of us.� Like Maria, you can do this, too.
1. If you want information, contact the parent-relations specialist that many colleges now employ. The telephone hotlines and email support services they provide allow you to stay connected in a healthy way.
2. Adjustment to communal living � roommates, dorms, personality differences - takes time. Be more supportive and less directive as your sons and daughters learn new problem solving skills.
3. Your adult children will be faced with many choices about courses, assignments, extra curricular activities. Be supportive, but let them make their own decisions and then deal with whatever consequences occur. It�s been said before, but experience is a great teacher.
4. Make sure that parents� weekend is on your agenda. It�s a natural and positive means by which to feel reassured that your children are adjusting to their new home environment.
5. Resist taking on chores that now should fall to your kidults. As much as washing their clothes and cleaning their rooms have been part of your job description for years, it�s now time to pass the baton.
6. Focus on your kidult�s positive qualities and think of reasons to support their unique ideas. Remember that they are learning more about the joys and responsibilities of independence.
7. Take courses so that you have some common areas of interest with your children. Or better yet, enroll in the college classes you want and follow your own dreams.
In the end, having your emerging adult children be accountable for their own actions facilitates their personal development, sense of self-sufficiency and positive self-esteem. Isn�t that what you really want anyway?
© http://www.HerMentorCenter.com - 2006
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