Relentless internet marketing

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The internet is a fantastic place to promote your skills and accomplishments. You can pay a large sum of money by coming up with banner ad or pay per click plans to “get the word out” or you can go the budget way and market yourself smartly without spending nary a dime. I’ll leave the money plans for another article, instead let’s take a look at smart ways for you to promote you or your product online for little or no money!

Who said you have to have a marketing budget to promote yourself? Well, many companies do, but they are in the business to sell you something [namely, their marketing plan]. If you have the money to spend on marketing then go for it. If not, then you must examine cost effective ways to get your name out there. Here are some of my personal favorites:

Write Articles – Yes, just as I am writing this article in hope that you are reading it, you can do the same and submit your missives to leading article directories. A well written article of medium length [500-750 words] can go a long way in attracting interest by others. If you are new to the game, write the article and give it to a friend for their review and critique. Once you make your changes, find article directories you can join and start submitting. Make sure your resource box – the information at the end of the article – effectively pitches your product or you personally. Enjoy the resultant [and free!] links back to your site. Submit on a regular basis and you will reap the added traffic to your site resulting in more business for you.

Join Forums -- I run several message board communities and with my two largest ones -- the Corporate Flight Attendant Community and the Aviation Employment Board -- I permit members to add a link within their signature to their personal or business website. Many of my threads are indexed by Google and picked up by people all over the world. Thus, the right person at the right time can click on a thread and see valuable links to other sites of interest. Not every forum manager permits this practice, however. I guess I am just a nick guy! [wink]

Post on Craig’s List -- Craig Newmark started his “list” more than a decade ago to serve the San Francisco community. Years later his site is still going strong with well over one hundred cities across the globe featured. People from Atlanta to Auckland and from Zurich to Zimbabwe now have access to a site that allows them to pitch their products, display their resumes, or sell their very souls. The site is still free unless you are posting a job opportunity or real estate information under a few, select cities.

Your Website -- You do have a website, right? Oddly in this day and age I am meeting people who do not. I hear all kinds of excuses: it is too expensive, too time consuming, too difficult, etc. Heck, if you are going to “play” the internet you must be properly equipped to participate. Quit making excuses…find a way to get online and do it today! At the very least your DSL account probably provides a page or two where you can design your personal page and upload it to the internet. Oh, you are still using dial up? Yikes!

As with any marketing campaign you must stay on top of it at all times. What I mean is this: however you choose to proceed, you must continually monitor and adjust your plan to maximize its effectiveness. No going on auto-pilot here: you must take charge of what you are doing to reap the rewards. If you do, you can gain a lot of exposure – and work – without expending a huge amount of money.

Bipolar affective disorder

Bipolar affective disorder is commonly known as "manic depression". It can often be characterized by the episodes of depression in which one's mood is abnormally low. If one is experiencing mania or hypomania their mood is abnormally elevated with a heightened mental and often physical activity. There is often times when an individual will be able to experience normal moods. This is a very serious condition but it can be helped with the proper treatment.

Bipolar affective disorder may make one feel down or depressed with normal everyday life. The depressive moods will worsen , and go on for longer periods of time making it hard for an individual to deal with their daily life.

Manic depression can vary in time. An individual may experience very abnormal emotions. It has been known that the one suffering loses contact with reality and starts to believe in strange things or experience poor judgment and behavior that is quiet embarrassing. This can be very harmful and dangerous.

These episodes may be accompanied by:

Unusual confidence

Needing less sleep

More talkative

Racing thoughts

Distraction

Unusual restless or active

Problems at home; work; or school

Depressive symptoms

Bipolar affective disorder not only affects men, but it can also affect women equally. Even people in higher social classes are just as prone as low class individual's. It has been determined that the humans will suffer from bipolar affective disorder at some point in one's life.

Stressful events; illness; or a lack of support can trigger an episode of bipolar affective disorder. Also you will find that differences in one's genes can make one more vulnerable than others to develop bipolar affective disorder.

Often an individual may experience one or more episodes and never be ill again. There are others that are persistently experiencing the symptoms of depression or mania. They are quick to move from one extreme to another. Individual's can suffer nine or more episodes in one's life time.

Often treatment is carried out in a hospital. Mood stabilizers such as lithium are often used to prevent mania and depression. It is important to treat them when they occur.

Antidepressant drugs such as Prozac are often used to treat depressive episodes.

Neuroleptics are tranquilizers that are used to treat the manic depression.

Family and friends often play an important role in helping their loved ones in recovering. Often , psychological therapies and cognitive behavioral therapy is used.

It is very helpful in recognizing the early signs of this illness and to seek immediate treatment.

Black friday is coming

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A day is soon coming that some folks are looking at with dread, for others in eager anticipation, while the rest of us are scratching our heads not knowing what to make of it. So, what am I talking about? Why, Black Friday, the day immediately following Thanksgiving Day in the US.

So, why so black and why on a Friday? Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving used to mean one thing for retailers: it was the first day in the lengthy retailing calendar where a store could make enough money [move merchandise] to see yearly losses [for bookkeeping purposes represented by the color red] turn into gains [represented by the color black]. Supposedly, all the sales completed throughout the year were done at a loss until that one big day, Black Friday, whereby enough merchandise is sold to reverse course and to begin to turn a profit for the year.

Today, retailers don’t rely on just one day, even though some news reports still seem to indicate that the day after Thanksgiving is so vital to them. In reality, retailers have long since spread their reliance on Black Friday further out; now it is an entire season, Christmas, that ultimately determines whether a merchant turns a profit for the year or not.

Of course, if you are part of that one small, but significant part of the population who must rouse themselves up at 5 a. m. one day after eating Thanksgiving dinner and schlep over to a local retailer to wait on customers for twelve straight hours then the day is, understandably, black to you. Happy Black Friday!

Are you considering hiring a private tutor part 1

No matter what age you are, if you have ever had academic problems in any area, whether it is in high school, college, or trade school, There are many public tutoring programs available. Many of them are available free of charge. The problem with these public tutoring programs is that they are difficult for some people to learn from. Public tutoring sessions are a lot like classes, and if classes were easy, there would be little need for a tutor, right?

A private tutor is a person who is hired to coach and assist one (maybe two) students at once on a certain given subject or multiple subjects. The idea behind private tutoring leading to success in academia is that it is like a second teacher on the particular subject that they are tutoring on.

This is great for people who need the extra help and learn better that way, as many people do. There are multiple styles of learning out there, and each person has a different style of learning. Private tutoring is a great option and an even better career/academic move when it comes to one particular style of learning, and that is those who learn best with one-on-one instruction and specialized attention. Other people do not require such close contact and have great visual memories, or can pass simply by taking good notes. There are other people who get along in their academic life without adopting any style of learning, always slipping through the cracks and taking things as they come, and that is okay.

There are a variety of benefits in private tutoring that people have yet to discover. The main reason people neglect to truly explore the benefits of hiring a private tutor is because they can get quite costly. In all reality, how can you really put a price on your education? Hiring a private tutor may be the difference between passing and failing, and the possibility of having to repeat courses is a lot more costly than it would be to hire a private tutor.

Indiana casinos

Indiana casinos are located in the "Hoosier state," a Midwest state at the "crossroads of America." Indiana, with a population of over 6,000,000 and an area of 35,867 square feet, is known for agriculture, manufacturing, and mining of decorative limestone. The capital of Indiana is Indianapolis, the "amateur sports capital of the world," with a population approaching 2,000,000. The largest single-day sporting event in the world, the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, is held in Indianapolis.

Gambling in Indiana casinos is very popular and there are a number of riverboat casinos in the state, where the minimum age for gambling is 21. Some of the casinos are open from 11:00 a. m. to 12:00 Midnight, seven days a week, and others stay open for 24 hours. Indiana casinos offer a variety of table games, such as blackjack, roulette, craps, and several types of poker, including Pai Gow, Draw, Stud, Let It Ride, and 3 Card, as well as frequent poker tournaments.

The majority of the larger Indiana casinos are open for 24 hours, such as Caesars Indiana, in Elizabeth, with 93,000 square feet of gaming area, 2,349 slots, 120 table games, including poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, and baccarat, 10 restaurants, and a hotel. Another large Indiana casino, the Argosy Casino and Hotel, in Lawrenceburg, is open 24 hours and has 74,300 square feet, 2,384 slots, 87 table games, and five restaurants. In addition, the Resorts East Chicago Hotel and Casino has 53,000 square feet, 1,966 slots, and 50 table games.

There are several smaller Indiana casinos, as well, including the Majestic Star in Gary, also open 24 hours, with 43,000 square feet, 1,600 slots, and 47 table games, and the Horseshoe Casino, in Hammond, with 42,573 square feet, 2,000 slots, 49 table games, several bars, and restaurants. Another popular Indiana casino is the Grand Victoria Casino and Resort, in Rising Sun, open Monday through Thursday, from 8:00 a. m. to 5:00 a. m., and Friday through Sunday, open for 24 hours. This 40,000 square foot casino has 1,497 slots, 36 table games, and four restaurants.

Indiana casinos bring an enormous amount of revenue to the state and the enthusiasm for gambling in Indiana is widespread. It is estimated that Indiana casinos in Northwest Indiana rank third in the gambling market of the United States. The worldwide appeal of poker tournaments and the excitement of gambling in Indiana casinos continue to attract more travelers, boosting the economy at a remarkable rate.

Tackling the toughest painting tasks with innovative painting tapes

Achieving painting perfection is easy for even the shakiest hand when the project involves a flat piece of drywall that can be simply trimmed and taped. Arched doorways, spindles, intricate windows or baseboards call for more than the traditional straight-edged masking tapes. While taping off walls and trim makes any job easier, masking these areas can be the most challenging part of the job. To curb the fear and ease the stress, special painting tapes are available to mask every complicated and hard-to-reach surface. These tools simplify the prepping and painting process and garner the results of a professional painter.

Paint Circles Around Problems

Painting projects involving bowed architecture and rounded edges are difficult when using traditional, rigid painting tapes intended only for straight lines. Protecting these areas has now become easier with the exceptional pliability of Curved Masking Tape. Maneuverable around any rounded design, including arched doorways, half-moon windows and even doorknobs, this unique painting tape eases painting preparation and improves the final results. Curved Masking Tape can even add to an artist's creativity, as it can be easily positioned to create rounded designs, like circles and clouds, on otherwise plain, nontextured walls.

Back Troubles Into A Corner

Masking off window corners is one of the most tedious parts of any paint job. From French doors to glass cabinets, painting around windows is an undesirable task. The use of masking tape on corners helps to simplify this process by increasing precision. Appropriately called Quick Corners, each pre-shaped corner forms a 90-degree angle that fits into every window corner and masks off the perfect shape. By simply connecting the corners with strips of window-safe painter's tape, the glass is protected, exposing only the trim sill in need of painting. Once the job is complete, simply remove the tape and corners by pulling and lifting the nonstick tab.

Avoid The Floor,

Get The Baseboards

Using drop cloths to protect the floor when painting baseboards is a no-brainer. However, old sheets or tarps are cumbersome and often shift during use. Pretaped Drop Cloths feature a pretaped edge that helps the cloths stay in place while fully exposing the baseboard for painting. Statically treated to cling to the carpet or hardwood surfaces, the drop cloth is ideal for catching splattering paint and containing dust when sanding. Drop cloths with a professional-grade masking tape also make painting and protecting chair rails and other decorative elements much easier, both during use and clean-up, as they remove cleanly from drywall, wood and glass.

By using products designed to simplify the preparation process, homeowners can take on the toughest painting tasks and finish with professional results they can proudly say they did themselves.

What to do while vacationing in lanikai beach

Have you recently decided that you would like to take a vacation to Lanikai Beach? Lanikai Beach, located on the beautiful island of Oahu, is a popular Hawaiian vacation destination. One of the many reasons for that popularity is because of all that you can do and see. For you, this is good news, as always having something to do and see can give you the vacation of a lifetime.

As previously stated, there is so much for you to do and see when vacationing in Lanikai. Once you first arrive and get settled in your Lanikai vacation rental, you will want to take a trip to the beach. The good news is that many vacation rentals are located close by. In fact, you may even have an ocean view from your rental. If this is your first time visiting Lanikai Beach, you may want to first take in the sights and beauty of the land. Lanikai Beach is a popular location for photo shoots, as it is, literally, picture perfect.

As for Lanikai Beach activities, you will find that most activities are centered on the beach itself. For instance, you can enjoy swimming, sunbathing, and picnicking along in the waters or along the beach. When doing so, it is important that you take all warnings into consideration. Lanikai Beach is not monitored by lifeguards, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy swimming along the beach, it just means that you should display caution. With that in mind, you will typically find the waters of Lanikai Beach calm, as the area is protected by coral reefs.

In addition to swimming at Lanikai Beach, you may also enjoy a snorkeling adventure. Lanikai Beach is known for having amazing conditions, perfect for snorkeling. Snorkeling is a recreational activity that can be enjoy by individuals of all ages, especially when compared to scuba diving. With the proper gear, you can view the beautiful waters of Hawaii and its underwater life while swimming on the surface of the water.

For a more adventurous Hawaiian vacation, you may want to try your hand at windsurfing. Windsurfing is a popular recreational activity at Kailua Beach, which is located a short distance away from Lanikai Beach. However, it is important to mention that when the conditions are right, you can enjoy a windsurfing adventure right on Lanikai Beach. For inexperienced windsurfers, a number of reputable companies in and around the Lanikai and Kailua areas offer wind surfing lessons, as well has have all needed equipment available for renting.

Another adventure that you may enjoy, and one that you will never forget, is kayaking. On the outskirts of Lanikai, about one mile from the shore, you will find the twin islands of Mokumanu and Mokulua. These islands are beautiful bird sanctuaries. As with windsurfing, there are a number of reputable companies in Lanikai and in the surrounding areas that can provide you with all needed kayaking equipment. You can also make reservations for kayaking lessons or guided kayaking tours, which should take you to the twin islands.

As previously stated, Lanikai Beach is located a short distance away from Kailua. If you are looking to participate in more than beach related activities, you may want to plan a trip to Kailua. Kailua is home to a wide range of restaurants, shopping centers, and boutiques. You may find similar establishments right in Lanikai, but many tourists also enjoy incorporating Kailua into their vacations.

Although it is more than possible you to vacation in Lanikai Beach on an impulse, in terms of what you want to do and see when there, there are a number of benefits to preplanning your vacation. One of those benefits is the ability to enjoy all that Lanikai Beach has to offer. When you have a set list of activities, you are more likely to complete that list. That may, in turn, help to give you the vacation of your dreams.

In addition to preplanning your vacation, in terms of activities and attractions, it is also advised that you thoroughly examine all of your overnight accommodation options. Lanikai and Kailua have a number of affordable, beautiful, and private vacation rentals for you to choose from. These rentals tend to include vacation homes, vacation villas, and vacation apartment rentals.

Home insurance. flood alert

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors warns that if you can't get insurance for your house, you're in big trouble. Mortgage lenders won't lend on houses that are uninsurable and as a result its value could fall by up to 80%.

It's a high flood risk that's most likely to make your house uninsurable. According to a recent survey, 6.5 million homes are already at risk from flooding of which 1.5 million are in high risk areas. The government has completed flood defences in many such areas and protection for a further 80,000 homes is due this year. But concerns have also been expressed about a further 120,000 new homes planned for the Thames Gateway which are potentially in a high “at risk” zone. Yet many areas remain vulnerable. And if global warming continues, by 2030, the 1.5 million at risk could mushroom 3.5 million. Back in 2003 the Association of British Insurers (ABI) agreed the principles which committed UK insurers to offering home and contents insurance for properties in areas which are assessed to be at a flooding risk once in seventy five years or more. The rider was that the flood defences had to be already in place or would be completed by the end of 2007.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has the responsibility of developing and maintaining these flood defences but within the insurance industry there's widespread concern that insufficient progress is being made. As a result the insurers have has warned the government that there could be widespread withdrawal of insurance cover if progress is stepped up.

In the mean time, those in areas threatened by flood water could find their insurance premiums soaring. Whilst the insurance industry agreed to provide insurance cover, their commitment was simply to maintain premiums at “reasonable” levels. But there was no definition of what “reasonable” means. As a result premium increases of 60% have been common with up 400% increases in bad areas. In a tiny number of cases, cover has been withdrawn altogether, mostly in country areas where DEFRA considers the cost of defending a cluster of a few homes to be uneconomic.

Environmentalists warn that unless DEFRA gets it's skates on, the UK 's current bill for flood damage could rise from Ј950 million a year, to Ј3.2 billion. After all, the average insurance claim for household flood damage is Ј30,000 – that's even higher than fire damage. And localised events like the 2004 flood at Boscastle, Cornwall , can cost the insurers over Ј15 million.

If you are in any doubt whether your home or proposed home, is in a flood risk area, you should visit environment-agency. gov. uk. This is DEFRA's web site where you can check whether they think your home is at risk of flooding. Their maps were originally designed for planning purposes and provide information on a post-code basis.

Whilst many insurers use the DEFRA information, others like More Than, have their own flood maps. These assess homes individually rather than post code areas. This means that if your existing insurer increases your premium for flood risk and uses the DEFRA information, you may still be able to get a cheaper rate from an insurer using it's own flood data if its data identifies that your property is beyond the “at risk” zone.

The ABI has recently added to the pressure on DEFRA to accelerate the building and upgrading of flood defences. It has warned that unless the government increases its spending on flood defences, the insurance industry may not continue their commitment to the 2003 principles.

That would be bad news for many homeowners.

Basement ideas

Being banished to the basement doesn’t always have to be punishment! Nowadays, owners of homes with a basement consider the space to be prime square footage. Everything from hobby rooms, play rooms, media centers, music rooms, poker parlors, exercise areas, office space and of course, it’s original purpose, storage space, is finding new life in the space “down below.”

The definition of a basement is an area that is either fully or partially below ground level. This is not to be confused with the crawl space of a house, since another part of the definition is that a person should be able to stand upright in the area.

The amount of square footage in the basement is generally equivalent to that on the ground floor. In most homes, it’s like having another entire level of living space, which can add up to quite a bit! The options for utilizing that amount of space really are limited only by the imagination since the space usually will have electricity and plumbing.

The basement can be partitioned off into different rooms or it can be one huge open space. If this part of your home is “finished” then consider yourself lucky. If not, or if the space is on the remodeling To Do list, there are issues to consider before proceeding with the project. First, it’s important to identify “trouble” spots such as lowered ceilings, enclosed boiler rooms, and ductwork. Second, the space must not leak. Uncontrolled moisture will cause a number of dangerous and damaging problems including the growth of mold.

Once the identification and remediation of basement problem areas is finished, the next step is determining a layout for the space. The task can be overwhelming, and a good way to begin is by determining the activities that’ll likely take place in the space. Looking at pictures or at what others have done always helps jump-start the imagination.

Keep in mind that the basement will have little or no natural light so consider this when planning the layout. Slowly but surely this space will spring to life and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it!

Next time you think it’s no big deal, remember that over time, excessive exposure to UV rays can lead to the onset of eye conditions including retina damage and even cataracts. So do your eyes a favor – eat your carrots and be sure to carry your sunglasses with you at all times!

Purchasing and selecting baby gifts and unique baby keepsakes

A new baby born, congratulations and celebrations but what to give as that special memorable gift, which will be treasured for years to come.

A gift that is different, unusual and unique. Personalised gifts are popular, showing thoughtful gift selection and sentimental value.

A whole range of personalised gifts are now available, for all occasions.

How about choosing a gift which really is that little bit special, and unique. A framed personalised baby certificates.

Why not consider a framed personalised Baby Birth announcement Certificate, recording your baby name, birth date, weight and length.

If you are looking for even more detail then a Baby Born Certificate includes many other birth related facts as well as baby name, birth date, weight and length, these include Place of Birth, hair/eye Colour, Family Information, Famous person sharing baby's birthday, On this day in History, UK Music

As well as these certificates there are certificates to record your pregnancy, announce your baby’s birth from the family, record your baby’s growth and award your baby

All baby Certificates are personalised, unique and original, and make an eye-catching and focal point in a nursery of in fact any room of the house.

Another great baby gift is silverware, my first tooth boxes and money boxes make ideal keepsakes, being both practical and useable.

Why not choose from a selection of unusual designed, from teddy tooth boxes to carousel, pram and horse money boxes.

Remember to take your time over selecting a baby gift, there are many gift ideas, so take time and thought selecting the perfect gift as it will undoubtedly be treasured for many years to come, by parents and child alike.

Personalised gift shops are increasing dramatically, especially baby gifts from personalised towels, bibs, and t-Shirts to bottles, dummies and furniture. However a framed personalised certificate is a gift that can be a part of the family home, and ultimately be passed on down through the generations.

Personalised baby gifts are great for baby gifts

So why not even add something special to a more traditional gift:

- A large teddy bear can easily be personalised specifically by you to include the teddy very one birth and presentation document.

- A wooden toy could be cut to include your baby’s name.

- Silverware could be engraved with name and birth details.

It’s so much fun shopping for a new baby so shop around and enjoy the experience, whether you’re a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, godparent, or friend. There are so many fabulous gifts and keepsakes, so you’re guaranteed to find the perfect gift.

A ghillie suit a sharpshooter s most critical asset

Not many people who know about camouflage have heard of what a ghillie suit is. You might not see it at all unless you are really looking carefully. Landowners would pay men to go around their properties and catch poachers in the beginnings of the ghillie suit. Ghillies, as they eventually came to be known, would get themselves in the bushes and wait patiently for poachers in outfits they would craft from old rags and shredded materials.

Nowadays ghillie suits are implemented for a variety of activities from the deadly art of sharpshooting to the much less lethal game of paintball. The textiles have changed but the technology behind the covering stays the same. Even when the enemy or target comes within a really close range to them, the modern ghillie suit wearer can stay undetected and look like a pile of leaves in the woods.

Because of their simple concept and high effectiveness, ghillie suits have been associated with sniping. Around the time of the end of the eighteenth century the art of sniping started. Guerillas would shoot at opposing armies from far-away locations to defeat and break the spirits of the opposition. Sharpshooters became popular when weapons became more accurate and sharpshooter could be more than one-hundred meters away from their target.

The use of sharpshooters in military engagements changed the the technique in which wars were fought. Officers would go with battalions and give commands during battle before the massive deployment of sharpshooters. Infantry warfare went from direct engagements to more covered, flanking techniques as more and more commanders were assassinated. Commanders had to attempt to blend in with the lower-ranking soldiers to avoid being killed. More covered areas such as woods and mountains became the choice terrain over open areas as sharpshooting techniques became more prevalent. As more ferocious and far-away techniques were used to fight, the code of conduct that troops in the past held onto was abandoned.

To pick off high-ranking officers and to demoralize enemy troops during WWI, all sides had ghillie suits and sharpshooter techniques. The skill to stay unseen for shooters lies within the suit; materials hang down and give the shooter incredible camouflage protection. There are several different styles of the suit so that the shooter can blend in with surroundings no matter what environment they are in. A woodlands ghillie suit, for example, would look much different than a ghillie suit for the desert.

Modern day sharpshooters still continue to use the suit for protection and security while on important operations. A sharpshooter's ability to remain hidden is imperative for their safety and life since the majority of the time a sniper works by himself or with one other person as the look-out. Besides the rifle, a well-crafted suit to cover the sharpshooter is a sniper's most essential asset. If the sharpshooter could not remain hidden until it was time to shoot, his security would be extremely compromised. Escape after a shot was taken is just as crucial to a sharpshooter as the actual shot. The suit adorned by the sniper is often used many times during a retreat.

Welcome christmas

Christmas is the most mysterious holiday! Christians celebrate it all over the world. It is too special holiday as all the traditions were handled down from our grandparents and parents.

From November nobody forgets that Christmas is coming. Colored lights decorate many town centers and shops and artificial snow painted on shop, cafe windows. In streets and shops, 'Christmas trees', real or plastic evergreen 'conifer' trees, are also decorated with lights and Christmas ornaments.

Shopping centers become busier. Speaker systems in them play Christmas 'carols', the traditional Christmas Christian songs. Very often groups of people sing these carols raising money for charity. By mid-December, most people decorate their houses with Christmas trees, colored lights, make different decorations around the rooms. Some people decorate their trees with apples, nuts, and candles as it was in earlier times.

In many countries, most people send Christmas greeting cards with many wishes to their friends and family, and these cards are hung on the walls of their homes then. Traditional Christmas cards showed religious pictures - Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, or other parts of the Christmas story. Today pictures are often winter pictures, jokes, Father Christmas, or romantic scenes of life in past times.

'Father Christmas' (or 'Santa Claus') has become the human face of Christmas. In the pictures we can see the old man with long white beard, red coat, and bag of toys. Children are taught that he brings them presents the night before Christmas (or in some countries on December 6th - St. Nicholas' Day), and many children up to the age of 7 or 8 really believe this is true. The history of Santa Clause begins with a man called Saint Nicholas. He was a Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (now Turkey) in the 4th century AD. He was very shy, and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. One day he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking, which a girl had put to dry by the fire! This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children's stockings.

For many people it's too interesting to know: how did Christmas start?

Since about 400 AD Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus. 'Christ' means 'Messiah', the title given to Jesus. Unfortunately the real meaning of Christmas is often forgotten. It has become a non-religious holiday! More children believe in Father Christmas, not in Jesus. Christmas Day is a holiday with eating, drinking too much and watching TV and other activities. But the real Christmas story is found in the Christian Bible. After Jesus was born there were some wise men who came to look for Him, from an area which is now in either Iran or Saudi Arabia. Admittedly there were three wise men (or three Kings). The story said they had seen an unusual star in the sky that told them of a birth of a special king. For bringing honor to the child, the brought rich gifts: gold, frankincense (a resin which burns with a beautiful smell) and myrrh (plant oil with a very strong sweet smell). These gifts tell us three key things about Jesus: Gold - a gift fit for a King, Frankincense - burnt in worship of God, Myrrh - a sign of mortal humanness, used to bury the dead. Jesus lived too difficult life. He was and is 'everyman' for us all as He came to identify with every racial group. Christmas cards from different countries often show Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the landscape of that country, and with the racial appearance of that nationality. "No other person has had such an effect on human lives as Jesus. He came back to life again, and millions say they know Him today as a friend and helper in their lives. You owe it to yourself to find out more about Him. Is He who He claimed to be? Can He help us in our lives today? You have nothing to lose! Christmas is the time to stop and think about these important questions".

Merry Christmas!!!

Hey buddy watch where you re pointing that article

by Ken Nadreau and Hubert Daul

Article Marketing has really taken off lately. Virtually thousands of articles are written and submitted every single day. This is mostly due to Google AdSense and the search engine's keen interest in relevant content.

So everyone's creating high yielding content for their AdSense sites and building significant back links by submitting their articles to high ranking article directories.

Profits are being made, people are being instantly turned into experts in their field, and the search engines are totally loving the constant flow of new content they can show their customers.

But there's one definite way you could completely "blow" the whole thing for yourself, and unfortunately far too many people are doing it lately.

You see, the key factor that makes all of this work is relevance. The search engines want to know that when someone does a search through their system, they'll get exactly what they're looking for. It's what all this talk of changing algorithms are all about.

The search engines are on a quest to find the best way to provide the most relevant material for any specific queries put in front of them, and so they keep changing their algorithms to fulfill their goal.

All we have to do is make it as easy as possible for the search engines to find this specific relevance on our sites and in the articles we write, and we have a marriage made in heaven.

Now when we speak of relevance, there are a number of factors involved. Sure, if you're hoping to get your site listed a the top in the search engines for "baking cookies," your site better be all about baking cookies, and you'd better have a lot of content about it too.

But there's more to it than that.

Even the links on your site should be about baking cookies because the search engines take those into consideration as well when they judge your site's over all relevance. In fact, if your site is about baking cookies and you accept links from sites about car parts, you're actually hurting the relevance of your site and lowering your page ranking.

Keeping this in mind now, there's a seriously unfortunate habit a lot of article writers have gotten into. There are just so many articles being written and submitted to the article directories, that many aren't paying attention to where their articles are being posted.

Most article directories have category choices that separate the content of their sites into specific groupings. These groupings are seen by the search engines as individual "mother lodes" of content. But this true only if these groupings or categories are actually relevant to one specific topic.

Which is why article directory owners have to work so feverishly to maintain the integrity of their categories.

So if you're submitting articles to them just for sake of submitting, you're not only giving them more work, but you're actually wasting your time and working against the intended purpose of article submitting in the first place.

If your articles get posted into the wrong category, it won't help you because your back link will be in an unrelated place. Plus the value of the category will diminish due to your article about "car parts" being in a category about "baking cookies."

This problem has reached a critical point. Either those submitting articles will have to work at being more accurate in category choices, or the article directories will have get smarter so they can catch irrelevant articles before they ruin things for everyone.

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Most home based businesses are setup so you will fail

Many home based businesses will promise you the world. Many home based businesses are designed just to take your money. You will find all kinds of scam artists and con artists operating in this arena. All hope is not lost there are solid home based businesses out there. You will just have to sort through all of the mess out there. Building a business for yourself is still one of the best things you can use to achieve your financial goals in life. It's just a lot of con artists have also made their way into this industry. Many companies have a couple fundamental flaws which make it virtually impossible for the average person working from home to succeed. Many of these companies are setup just for the owners of the companies to succeed.

The owners of certain companies have intentionally setup these sham businesses to take your money and run off into the night. Many of these companies are setup so you will fail. The owners of these businesses know full well what they are doing. Think about it, I have seen pay plans where you have to match legs, build legs of 7 and all kinds of sophisticated compensation plans which only benefit the owners of the company. Companies that have the compensation plans where you must match your legs are complete scams. Many people have enough trouble trying to build distributors as it is, then asking them to match the legs makes it nearly impossible for the average person to make any real income.

A majority of these companies are based purely on recruiting. The more people you recruit the more money you make. Recruiting is the biggest sham out there. In order for you to be successful in the recruiting business you would have to recruit 20 to 50 people a week. You would need to go through hundreds of prospects a week, just to get 20 new signups a week. Many people are not capable of doing this. So let's say you could build downlines of 20 to 50 new recruits a week. In order for you to continue to make money you would have to have a productive downline. If your downline is unproductive you aren't making any residual income, it's that simple. Building a downline takes a huge amount of work and recruiting.

So how do you find a legitimate home based business? Simple sell products or services. That should be your main focus instead of focusing on recruiting distributors. Build a customer base. When you are selling a product or service people are just expecting to have their product or service fulfilled. They are not looking to make money, they just want to purchase your product. And as long as you have a solid product you will always have a solid income base. This is how you build a true home business, not by trying to recruit your friends and family into some pyramid scheme. Even if you are successful it is virtually impossible for everyone you recruit to make money. So you will have a bunch of unhappy recruits.

Ergonomics at work osha is on the job

The French poet Charles Baudelaire observed back in the 1800s, “Inspiration comes of working every day.” Most people do work every day, and unfortunately it’s not only inspiration that comes of it. Repetitive stress injuries (RSI) are also the result of every day tasks performed again and again while operating a computer. Relief is in sight, however, thanks in part to a particular government agency. This organization is raising awareness and promoting solutions 24/7.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a mandate to protect employees from being hurt in the workplace. James Hodgson, Secretary of Labor, established OSHA within his department in 1971. This was in response to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, legislation he helped author. For the first time in U. S. history, the government stepped in to make sure that workers were as protected as possible from illness, injury, and death on the job. And OSHA had its work cut out for it. Construction, chemical, and agricultural workers were among the many who needed better safety standards in their industries.

But as computer use rose, and the related RSI grew, OSHA turned its attention to this new problem. In recent years, OSHA has developed a four part program designed to reduce injuries and illnesses associated with computer use on the job. The four parts are

Guidelines, Outreach and Assistance, Enforcement, and the National Advisory Committee.

Guidelines are recommended practices that are developed for specific tasks and industries. These are voluntary, not mandatory. Employers use the guidelines to identify and modify risks in the workplace. Implementing these practices reduces injuries related to the way people do their jobs.

The Outreach and Assistance component of this program is aimed at businesses of all sizes. OSHA wants companies to take a proactive stance when it comes to preventing RSI. To help employers, OSHA designed an extensive array of tools that educate, analyze, and train people regarding the ergonomics of their jobs. Available to the public for free on the OSHA website, the computer workstation portion of the Ergonomics eTools is a comprehensive guide to proper computing techniques.

Included in this section is:

Good Working Position (talks about every part of the body and what the best placement is for preventing RSI)

Workstation Components (all the technology and furniture you commonly use is listed here with possible hazards, solutions, and tips)

Checklist (a great way to evaluate how you’re doing ergonomically while you operate a computer)

Work Process (focuses on the physical movements of computer use, with hazards to watch for, more solutions, and tips)

Workstation Environment (information about factors people often don’t think about such as lighting, ventilation, and glare)

But Outreach and Assistance is more than the Ergonomic eTools. It has industry guidelines, cooperative programs, ergonomic analysis info, and success stories. It even has a checklist with tips for new purchases. It is chock full of valuable information for everyone from the individual computer user to the captains of industry.

OSHA persists in its campaign to help employers and employees prevent Repetitive Stress Injuries. If the folks at OSHA have their way, inspiration will be the only result of long hours of work in front of a computer. Baudelaire would approve

Bottles that impress giving the gift of wine

Wine makes the perfect gift for the holidays, from presenting it to your host at a dinner party to giving it to your friends and family. Whether your gift list includes a family member, a beloved friend or new boss, wine is sure to be a hit when presented with some flair.

Viansa Winery, situated at the Carneros grape-growing region at the entrance to California's Sonoma Valley, produces more Italian varietal wines than any single winery in the country. Consider these gift concepts that will set your bottle apart from the rest:

* Bottles that impress. Match your choice of wine to the person's personality. An assortment of fine Italian varietals like Viansa's "Vittoria" Pinot Grigio, "Pierina" Vernaccia, Arneis, Sangiovese, Barberra or Nebbiolo for the Italian food lover; or a choice of impressive California varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot for the Sonoma Valley enthusiast.

* Gift baskets that keep on giving. Viansa produces an array of award-winning wines and gourmet foods that are exclusively available through the winery, like the Sonoma Picnic Basket filled with salami, Vella Mezzo Jack Cheese, Olive Oil Crackers, Olive Harvest Nuts and Lemon Drops, along with a cork puller, cheese knife and two steady sticks to hold your wineglass upright in the lawn. Also try the Pasta & Piccolo for an instant Italian meal complete with porcini pasta sauce, imported pasta and Sangiovese wine.

Viansa's pestos, estate olive oils and vinegars, herbs and seasonings as well as dessert sauces add a flavorful twist to your gift of wine. To leave an even longer-lasting impression on wine and food lovers, Viansa offers exclusive membership to "The Tuscan Club." The club provides a 25 percent savings to members on wine purchases and a 10 percent savings on food and baskets.

* Accessorize. Consider including small accessories, such as drip stoppers, decorative corks and wine stoppers or wine charms. For a gift within a gift, wrap your wine in a fine bath linen, tablecloth or vintage material and tie with a large satin ribbon.

* Personalize. Viansa Winery offers a custom solution for impressive gifts with specially created wine or food baskets and custom-etched or private-label wine gift baskets.

Why facebook is worth over 10 billion

Yahoo! have been in talks with Facebook for over a year now and apparently recently got shy at Facebook’s $1 billion asking price but as I will explain here Yahoo! have missed out on an absolute bargain.

Facebook have 18 million users, plenty. However MySpace has 100 million + and sold for a mere $580 million to News Corp’s in 2005. YouTube sold to Google for a reported $1.65 billion in 2006 but it serves over 100 million video’s a day and has over 25 million visitors a month. So what makes Facebook so valuable? It gets relatively huge traffic levels but not on par with YouTube or MySpace. Despite now being available to anyone it began life as an exclusive network for students (you needed an educational email to register) and this is still its primary user group.

So where’s the money?

Currently Facebook displays conventional banner advertising on users’ homepages and selected pages through the site. Adverts are unobtrusive and random in so much as they’re not targeted at any particular user - they’re just served to the entire site on a random basis. Facebook are doing ok out of this arrangement on the basis of the number of page impressions they receive, although in reality they’re keeping advertising at a minimum in order to build up the value of the site for its eventual sale which will almost certainly happen in 2007/8. Smart guys!

The power of information

Register with Facebook and quickly you can find yourself giving away huge volumes of valuable personal information. Think about it… Facebook know your name, they know how old you are (actually your D. O.B which is infinitely more valuable as I’ll go on to explain), they know if you’re male or female, they know your hometown, your postcode if you choose to give it away (although I doubt many users choose this), they know if you’re single, in a relationship (and who with), married, divorced etc, they know your sexual orientation. Ok so you can answer all these questions as honestly, dishonestly or vaguely as you like but from what I’ve seen people happily give accurate information about themselves as it’s their friends and potential friends who are going to see it - and no one else right?

But what else do Facebook know? Well they know where you went to school, where you work, more sinisterly your religious and political views. From this we can start to build up a pretty valuable market profile. As I’m telling Facebook I may as well tell you I’m Male, 22 (born in August), Straight, in a relationship, conservative, atheist from Brighton, England. Went to school at Blatchington Mill Secondary, college at a place called BHASVIC, University at Bournemouth. From this information we can draw further assumptions - I live in Brighton and based on the location of my schools catchment area we could pretty accurately map places in Brighton I know about, visit, and live in (think Google maps API). I’m a straight; conservative from a reasonably wealthy area in full time employment therefore I’m probably white, middle class with a decent disposable income.

So what else? Facebook know what you look like, they probably know what you used to look like a few years ago as well. Probably most significantly they know who your friends are, they know how you know them, they know when you talk to them, what they look like and ultimately they know exactly the same information about them as they know about you - you’re interests, likes and dislikes and your friends tastes as well.

They know your email address, so they know if you use Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail etc. They know your phone number so they could pretty easily work out your phone provider. They have your IP address so they could work out your ISP. They know where you’ve arrived at the site from so they know what search engine you use (enter Yahoo! And Google to the bidding war), what browser you’re on, they know if you’re visually impaired or have learning disabilities from the settings on your browser.

Facebook know when I’m logging in and from where so they know the hours I work, if I’m using the internet at work, the pages I leave Facebook to go to or the pages I come from so they know what other sites I look at. I can set my current status and tell Facebook exactly what I’m doing or feeling right this second.

Ok so you get the picture by now, one last thing though, is your Facebook password the same as your email account password, your internet and telephone banking password, every other password you use in your daily life (because until I wrote this post mine was!) how much more information do you want to give away?

What’s the risk here?

Realistically it’s pretty slim. Facebook are a nice bunch of guys and a great site, I love using it and despite knowing what I know about information security and the like I choose to give away a big chunk of the information I’ve talked about here.

Yahoo! And Facebook

So if Yahoo!, Google or god forbid Microsoft successfully purchase Facebook (as I say I’m reasonably confident this will happen this year) the Orwellian lucid dream proposed by this post becomes a perpetual nightmare. Imagine a company who have made billions and dominated the fastest growing market in the world by developing algorithms which crawl hundreds of millions of pages of random information (the internet) and categorize that information with the ultimate goal of matching it to businesses and selling advertising.

The search algorithm let loose on Facebook

Imagine the search engines let loose on Facebook. An algorithm tuned to pick out profile information (John, born 13.08.84). Map it to keywords in personal interests i. e. football, Manchester United. Plot your location on a map i. e. Brighton, England. Follow links to your closest friends with similar interests i. e. Bob and Dave who live round the corner and serve me an advert something like:

Happy birthday for next week John.

Did you know its Dave’s birthday the week after?

Why not book tickets for Brighton and Hove Albion vs. Manchester united on 12.08.07

Click here to book now and get 3 tickets for the price of 2 (why not ask bob to come along - he supports Brighton and you haven’t spoken in a while).

Book today and we’ll give you a half price limo from your house to the game with trashy-limo’s. com.

Now that’s powerful advertising and it’s just around the corner. If Facebook has 25 million registered users by the time it’s sold, half of whom visit every day that’s a minimum 12.5 million page impressions a day. Serve the advert above at $1 a click (which is far less than its worth based on the current AdWords CPC model) expect a click through rate of up to 10% based on the precise nature of the advertising and that’s $1.2 million minimum a day - almost $Ѕ a billion a year. Grow that user group to 50 million (realistic if Google or Yahoo! can tap into their existing user database) and sell ad space on an affiliate basis say the football tickets at $300 with a 10% affiliate kickback and a 10% conversion rate =$3 per user x 25 million users =$75 million a day or $2737500000 in year 1! OK lets not get carried away people aren’t going to spend $300 every other day but the logics there and so the cash.

Will the audience except it?

Better quality advertising means less advertising - less websites rammed with banners so you can’t find what you’re looking for, less popups, less low quality products. This is the main driving force behind the success of search marketing programs and profile based advertising is already in place with Google’s personalized search returning more targeted AdWords ads than previously possible. If it falls into the hands of Microsoft then people may be more wary but with the image of Google or Yahoo! and Facebook profile information is seen as soft information as the company doesn’t sell you products directly and he service is free. It’s the way the internet is going and I believe it’s where we’ll be in 5 years.

Identity theft

The point I’ve been making tediously through this post is that we should be more careful about what information we give up and to whom. If the internet was a county it would be Nazi Germany and Facebook would be the Gestapo! Social utilities like Facebook are afforded the sort of privileged information fascist governments the world over would and have killed for. We moan about identity cards being introduced in the UK (ironically there’s several Facebook groups dedicated to the cause) but we happily give up personal details to a bunch of college geeks in the states who are ultimately planning on selling our details to the highest bidder (the value of any site is based on the volume, quality and amount of information they have about their traffic - but best of luck to them) possibly to the company who already control the majority of world business systems through the windows platform.

This post is not meant to scare - it’s simply a recognition of the power of new internet technologies, their possibly applications and to pose the question - if your Facebook friends are your real friends shouldn’t they know your birthday? Are Facebook really going to buy you a present?!

Introductory article marketing

Article marketing seems to be the buzz word in web site marketing and SEO (search engine optimization) lately. I've had a lot of people ask me-- what exactly is article marketing? Why is it so popular? And how is it done?

Well, the whole point of Internet marketing is to get people to notice your site out of the thousands and thousands of sites out there. There is little point in taking the time and going to the expense of having a business website if no one ever sees it.

So, how do you get people to visit your site? That is where web marketing comes in. Internet web site marketing is a specialization in the marketing industry, who's whole point is to bring in those "hits" on a website, and with those hits comes profit for the business.

There are a lot of ways that web marketing is done. One of the biggest is search engine optimization or SEO. This is the art of getting the big search engines to notice you, and put your site higher on the list of sites that come up when a person searches for something you sell. SEO can include site design, careful writing and keyword research, and pay-per-click advertising.

There are other ways to market a website. You can put an ad in your local newspaper or put your web address on all your business cards and correspondence. This is more of a traditional type of marketing, and there is nothing wrong with that. It has been around a long time because it works.

But my personal favorite is article marketing. This is where you write an article about a subject that you are an expert on, and that relates to your website business or hobby. You put a short ad with a link at the bottom of the article that goes to your website. Then you publish your article for free, to anyone who wants to use it in their newsletter, website, or blog.

You find people who want to publish your article by placing it in article directories, where web publishers go to find good content. The web publishers are happy to get new content, and you get people who read your article and follow the link to your site. Your article can get picked up by hundreds (or thousands) of people looking for something to put on their website, blog or ezine.

Now you end up with links to your site all over the Internet, and this in turn helps with SEO. Now the search engines start noticing you. And you don't have to worry about reciprocal links.

Article marketing is becoming more popular right now because websites are looking for lots of content on their website topic. That is another way to get search engines to find and pay attention to a website. So your article is helping them get noticed, and when they publish your article, they are helping you get noticed. It is a win-win situation.

Five health benefits of infrared saunas

When most of us think about saunas, one of two things comes to mind: people sweating in a steam-filled room or in a wood-paneled, very hot room. Indeed, traditional saunas are typically extremely hot, with some maintaining dry heat and others dousing the heat source with water, creating steam. In contrast, infrared saunas heat the body without heating the surrounding air. The heaters in infrared saunas emit long, infrared wavelengths that deeply penetrate the skin. Essentially, an infrared sauna conveys all of the benefits of the sun without the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays. More importantly, the heat of a far infrared sauna has a body penetration of up to 1-3/4 inches, whereas traditional saunas only penetrate about 1/8 inch of the body. This can result in a number of potential health benefits, five of which are outlined here.

1. Weight Loss - When it's hot, your body works hard to maintain its core temperature by sweating. In other words, you lose weight when you sweat. In an infrared sauna, you can burn up to 600 calories in one 30-minute session.

2. Detoxification - Through the air we breathe, the environment in which we live, and the foods we eat, our bodies accumulate and store a lot of chemicals and toxins. Because infrared saunas have such deep penetration, they can help detoxify the body - both at the cellular level and through the skin. This kind of detox helps eliminate such toxins as mercury, lead, alcohol, nicotine, sodium, and cholesterol.

3. Cardiovascular Health - Partaking in an infrared sauna causes your peripheral blood vessels to dilate, which in turn makes your heart work harder. This "workout effect" can help lower blood pressure and increase blood flow.

4. Pain Relief - Because a far infrared sauna penetrates so deeply into the body, it can make a real difference when it comes to pain relief. Those suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, muscle spasms and other chronic pain conditions often find that pain is alleviated by regular infrared sauna sessions.

5. Anti-Aging - While our skin is our largest organ, it can also be our biggest enemy when it comes to aging. Years of sun damage, along with an accumulation of dirt and toxins, can make us look old before our time. The deep heat of infrared saunas induces sweating, which is a natural way to cleanse the skin, and helps blood flow, which brings nutrients to the skin. In addition, far infrared saunas restore the elasticity of ligaments and tissues - including skin tissue - which helps to make us feel and look younger.

Buying a Sauna

Although many people consider a personal sauna beyond their means, a wholesale sauna can be truly affordable. Buying a discount sauna doesn't mean skimping on quality, however. When you're in the market for the best price sauna, be sure to look for one that incorporates what's called green wave carbon technology. This technology is infinitely superior to ceramic saunas, in that ceramic saunas produce only about 50 cubic inches of infrared heat, whereas carbon saunas generate over 500 cubic inches of heat.

Once you have your infrared sauna, sit back, relax, and enjoy its health and relaxation benefits.

Take control of rising prices on gas

Does your money seem to evaporate with every trip to the gas station? You can add miles to every gallon you pump simply by maintaining your vehicle and practicing fuel-saving driving habits.

"Most motorists don't realize that it's the little things that don't take a lot of time or cost much that can really make a difference when it comes to saving money at the pump," said Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council. "Loose or missing gas caps, underinflated tires, worn spark plugs and dirty air filters all contribute to poor fuel economy."

The Car Care Council offers these gas-saving maintenance and driving tips.

* Secure your vehicle's gas cap. About 17 percent of the vehicles on the road have damaged or loose gas caps or are missing gas caps altogether, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.

* Keep tires properly inflated. Driving on underinflated tires is like driving with the parking brake on and can cost you a mile or two per gallon.

* Replace worn spark plugs regularly. A vehicle's spark plugs can fire as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles. A dirty spark plug causes misfiring, which wastes fuel.

* Change dirty air filters. If the air filter gets clogged and chokes off the air, it creates a mixture that's too "rich" in gas, which causes the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.

* Don't be an aggressive driver. Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by as much as 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent on city streets.

* Avoid excessive idling. Sitting idle gets zero miles per gallon. Letting the vehicle warm up for just one to two minutes is sufficient.

* Observe the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Use cruise control to maintain a constant speed on the highway.

* Do not carry unneeded heavy items in the vehicle. An extra 100 pounds can cut fuel efficiency by 1 percent to 2 percent.

Insurance can it sustain

Health insurance are finally lively parts of our day-to-day life. It is lone that sometimes, we are not well-informed of this fact!

Keep your conviction undertake to anything when saying about health insurance. Opinions may differ, but it is the harmful of health insurance that is important.

A "State Insurance Pool" is a ground-breaking fashion that secures insurance benefits for all individuals, exact those who are categorical to be high-risk by the insurance industry. Quite often referred to as "Guaranteed Access Programs", these pools are diacritic plans created by specific illustrate legislatures in order to make available a sturdy safety net for those folks to whom the dreaded term "medically uninsurable" has been applied. Previously, this determination meant that a person in need of medical care was denied health insurance coverage usually because of a pre-existing health condition. Sadly, it is the patient with such health issues who is in the greatest need of quality health care, yet quite often unable to afford the treatments because of the financial strain involved. Previously, this has led to interruptions in medical care for patients who had exhausted available COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) benefits, and were now unable to meet steep financial demands from care providers.

It is happy that limn insurance pools vary from impart to state; however, they usually pursuit within the confines of a delineate formed not-for-profit alliance, which is governed by a handout of directors. In general, this pabulum has representative members from the insurance industry, individual insurance customers, and members of the specific state insurance department. Operating very much like a clearing house, the board enters into contracts with an insurance company, and then oversees the day to day operations of collecting members' premiums, receiving and paying out claims, and answering questions on eligibility for treatment.

While coverage is frequently comparable to the coveted 80/20 primary medicals and outpatient coverage, coming members may inanimate be denied working benefits seeing of perceived issues of now uninsurable, yet this limitation is often restricted to a 12-month period. Thereafter, acceptance is all but guaranteed. While this is good news for patients seeking insurance protection, it is important to remember that this coverage, while state sponsored, is not free. As a matter of fact, premium costs are usually quite a bit higher than comparable plans offered on the open market by competing insurance companies, yet because of state law regulations, there is a firm cap on the amount of money a patient may be charged for insurance. In general, this cap runs between 125 to150 percent of the base individual market rate. While the cap is firm, there is still some elasticity in the rates, and they sometimes may vary based on plan participants' ages, or even domicile addresses.

Quite usually

copies of dissension notices must lump together an stress for coverage subservient the umbrella of a make apparent insurance pool from state-licensed insurance carriers. Additionally, anyone wishing to take advantage of a state-run plan must be a resident of the state in which the plan is offered. In lieu of a rejection by an insurance carrier, an individual who can evidence 18 months or more of uninterrupted health care coverage and is considered HIPAA eligible will quite often qualify for pool coverage. Coverage for Dependants is available as well.

You may be filled with wondering with the profit of notification we have compile here on health insurance. that was our intention, to confound you.

In short, a explicate insurance grade is of good assistance to anyone who has been denied health insurance because of pre-existing conditions or has worn-down the allotted shot period of COBRA benefits, and needs assistance in receiving needed medical care without fear of exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses.

Football gambling line spreads

When gambling on football you must look at the football gambling line statistics . Football game lines are set by casinos to try and split the action down the middle. Football point spreads are not used to predict how much a given team will win by. Casinos just care about splitting the action. For instance, if Carolina is favored by 3 over Atlanta. The casino just wants to even the action out. They may move the spread to 3.5 or 2.5 to get more bettors, and to make the action more even. If all the bets came in for Carolina and Carolina won, the casino would take a huge loss. Casinos are not into gambling they are into making money. Splitting the action down the middle ensures the casino will make money.

Football games normally end with one team winning by the following amounts: 1,3,4,6,7,10,11,13,14,17,20,21,23,24,27,28,and 31. I call these key points. When you see .5 added to a spread be careful because it could be a trap or a great deal. .5 can make all the difference in the world. If you get a spread of 5.5 then the .5 does not make a huge difference because most games don't end with a team winning by 5. But a spread of 3.5 or 2.5 can make or break you. You must learn to read the gambling line statistics to determine why the casino placed the points where they did and why they moved a certain line.

Lastly when betting on football remember this, you are betting against the general public not the odds makers. The odds makers know everything the general public knows and they are trying to split the action based on the public's knowledge. So the real question is "is the public wrong for this game?" For example the Colts lost Peyton Manning, now everyone is saying the Colts are going to get blown out. That is public perception, are they right or wrong? A couple of tips, normally when ESPN or any other sports guy is hyping a team, don't listen. These guys just hype the team of the week. Also in the NFL the underdog wins a lot more than college.

So you want to publish a community magazine

So you've made the decision to publish your own community magazine, but what now? Where do you go for advice, information and above all, inspiration?

Despite its growing popularity, the business of publishing local community magazines is not covered to any great extent on the internet and there are very few web sites where you can get informal advice and communicate with like-minded people. Unlike normal publishing, the business of publishing local community magazines is very often the domain of individuals working alone for much of the time, and it can become a solitary existence.

Basically, there are two types of local community magazines favoured by aspiring local publishers. The first comprises booklets, usually in A5 size, containing local trade and business advertisements, and this type of magazine is generally distributed around your local area free of charge, with income being made from advertising revenue alone.

There are several franchise opportunities available for this type of community magazine which can prove to be a great way to get started as almost everything you will require is included in the package, including software, advertisement templates and on-going support. The drawback to this type of opportunity is the initial cost of your investment, which can be as high as several thousand pounds. A number of companies now offer local community magazine publishing franchises and a search on the internet will enable you to obtain further information from those readily available.

The second type of local community magazine offers a much more personal reflection on your community, comprising the recollections of local people and a study of your town’s local history, which are compiled into a saleable product. It is unlikely that you will find a franchise opportunity available for this type of magazine and if you decide to go along this path then much of the groundwork will have to be done by yourself. However, in terms of overall interest, this type of magazine will offer much more appeal to your readers.

Establishing a local community magazine featuring the recollections of people from within your home community along with studies of your town's local history can be accomplished with very little financial investment. It is possible to begin printing your magazines from home using a suitable laser printer until you have established a circulation sufficient to meet the cost of commercial printing. Even if you opt for commercial printing from the outset your initial investment could be relatively small.

The main difference between these two very different types of magazines is that one is distributed free of charge, while the second has to be marketed and sold, although as we have already learned, the second type of magazine produces a very saleable product.

A magazine based primarily on local advertising can be highly lucrative but the competition can be intense as there are already a large number of similar publications in circulation and you may well find yourself competing against large-scale organisations. On the other hand, a magazine featuring personal recollections will generally have very little, if any, competition.

Whichever option you choose there is a fair amount of work to be done in order to become established. You must either contact local businesses and sell your advertising space or you must obtain interesting accounts of your town for publication. As always, getting started is the most difficult part.

In terms of appeal among your intended audience, the more personal community magazine is easily the better option and can soon generate sufficient interest to ensure that once you have obtained content to begin publishing, additional content will be submitted directly to you by your readers.

It must be borne in mind that a magazine based on advertising can also incorporate features providing local interest, and in much the same way, a magazine featuring personal recollections can include local trade and business advertising as a source of supplementary income.

Publishing local community magazines can either be simply a business or a very enjoyable and extremely satisfying business - but that is for you to decide.

5 physical symptoms of menopause

While thinking about the symptoms of menopause, it is important for you to know and understand that these symptoms differ from women to women. Certain factors like difference in diet and nutrition, general health and health care, etc all affect the way women experience menopause.

The general physical symptoms of most women approaching or experiencing menopause include:

Longer menstrual periods

For a woman who usually has short menstrual periods of, say, 4 days, this can increase to more days. When this occurs, it could be one of the symptoms that she is approaching her menopause. When you notice that this is happening to you and you are approaching your late 40s, there is nothing to worry about. Simply know that this is a symptom of menopause.

Heavier menstrual flows

Some women also notice that their menstrual flows are now heavier than usual. If this happens to you and you are sure that nothing else is wrong with you physically, then know that you could be approaching your menopause, especially if the age is right. If the age is not right, then you are not approaching menopause.

Spotting

Spotting is the situation whereby little drops of blood comes out during the time when you are supposed to be menstruating. When this occurs, it could be a sign of menopause. First, check whether you could be pregnant or not. If not, and if it continues, then it could be a sign of menopause.

Menstrual periods irregularity

There is also the tendency that you will experience general menstrual periods irregularity when you are approaching menopause. When this happens and you know nothing is wrong with you health wise, then it is a symptom of menopause.

Lack of interest in sex

Lack of interest in sex for most women in menopause occurs partly because there is now less fun when having sex. This is because as menopause happens, the estrogen levels decline, thereby making the vaginal walls less elastic and thinner. This eventually leads to pain or discomfort during sex. To solve this problem, there is the need for sufficient vaginal lubrication for women who are experiencing menopause and still want to enjoy sex with their partners.

Kitchen decorating ideas can bring the world s cuisine home to you

Kitchen decorating ideas are frequently based around choosing the right colors and paying attention to the little details. Remember that the kitchen is an important part of your house, where your family will gather, and guests will frequently have a seat. This being said, decorating the kitchen should be done with comfort, friendliness, practicality, and appeal in mind.

Among the most popular easy kitchen decorating ideas is the Italian decorating style. It combines traditional and modern elements for grace and elegance, with charm and comfort. This makes it a place where people can gather in your home not only to eat and prepare food, but also just to be together.

If you are thinking of Italian kitchen decorating trends, then you will need to begin by concentrating on color. This theme needs you to create a warm feel with your color, which simply cannot be achieved with white walls. Your interior decorating kitchen will be all about warm oranges, yellows, reds, and greens. This takes away every element of starkness, replacing it with an inviting feel.

Additional kitchen decorating tips for this theme include using Italian-style pictures and pottery in the right colors to continue the style throughout the details of the room.

The next stage of your kitchen decorating is to work your space properly. Remember that space doesn’t always have to be filled. Many ideas for decorating a kitchen in the Italian style involve leaving some space untouched, removing any hint of clutter. The room should look lived in, and not be comparable to a showcase.

This will mean that your Italian kitchen decorating idea will need to use every bit of hidden storage possible to achieve the “open” look of the style. You can also use additional visible storage as long as you do it in the Italian style, such as hanging pots and pans from rails on the ceiling.

No matter the style you choose, your kitchen decorating ideas should be all about making the space work for you, while still managing to look great.

Definition and interesting features of fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a neurological chronic condition that affects the musculoskeletal tissues of the body. The disorder is mostly responsible for inducing discomfort, pain and fatigue in the muscles, ligaments, tendons and in the areas surrounding the joints. People who suffer from fibromyalgia are constantly confronted with intense pain that tends to reoccur on a regular time basis. The pain caused by the disorder is felt deep inside the muscles and in certain points called trigger points. A common feature to all people with fibromyalgia is the location of the pain; to all patients fibromyalgia pain occurs in the same trigger points. Although people with fibromyalgia perceive the pain at different intensities, they claim to permanently feel a different level of pain in their soft muscular tissues.

An interesting aspect of fibromyalgia is that it can be very difficult to detect in some patients. The symptoms of fibromyalgia are common to many other conditions and therefore they can be misleading in establishing the appropriate diagnose. Although some of the symptoms of fibromyalgia may resemble those of rheumatoid arthritis, people with fibromyalgia seem to be in perfect health when they are examined by a physician, revealing no signs of muscular dysfunctions. Basic physical examinations and common laboratory tests usually don’t reveal the presence of fibromyalgia. This is due to the fact that pain, fatigue and discomfort are mentally induced to patients with fibromyalgia, as a consequence of abnormal activity of their nervous system. Although they show no physical abnormalities or dysfunctions, their experienced pain is real!

Abnormal brain activity is considered to be the main cause of fibromyalgia and there are two areas of the brain thought to be involved in the process. A high output of the mesencephalon (the upper region of the brain) accelerates the heart rate, increases blood pressure and raises the body temperature. People with fibromyalgia often experience sudden changes in body temperature and sometimes they sweat abundantly and even have fever. Also, a high activity of the mesencephalon is responsible for difficulties in falling asleep and inconstant sleep patterns. Most people who suffer from fibromyalgia have trouble sleeping and in some cases they even suffer from insomnia. Therefore, the cause for fibromyalgia lack of sleep is thought to be the abnormal activity of the mesencephalon. The permanent fatigue felt throughout the whole body by people with the disorder is amplified by inappropriate sleeping patterns, un-refreshing sleep or insomnia.

Another part of the brain that is considered to be responsible for inducing other fibromyalgia symptoms (anxiety, depression, lack of concentration, poor cognitive abilities, loss of short-term memory and confusion) is the cerebellum. A lower activity of the cerebellum is thought to be the cause of other fibromyalgia symptoms and the majority of people who suffer from the disorder reveal abnormal activity of both cerebellum and mesencephalon.

Fibromyalgia is considered to be a serious condition. Due to the chronic character of fibromyalgia, patients require ongoing treatment and therapy. If left untreated, fibromyalgia can cause other symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and swelling, vomiting, internal distress. Many people with fibromyalgia also seem to become depressed as the disorder develops and sometimes they even indulge in suicidal acts. Therefore, it is vital to spot the presence of fibromyalgia in time and appropriate measures must be taken in order to prevent further complications and undesirable effects.

The lowdown on online nursing schools

Just what is the lowdown on online nursing schools? There are so many opportunities for individuals to get their education today with the advent of the online educational fields. Which is the right method of educating yourself? How can you actually learn anything by taking classes over the internet? There are many questions when it comes to online education. If you are looking for a method of getting your degree and nursing is the path you want to take, then consider just what your options with online learning are.

Getting the lowdown on online nursing schools starts with finding out what type of a degree program you are actually interested in. There are various schools that offer various degree programs. You can start with a basic certificate and work towards earning your associates degree, your bachelors degree, your masters degree and even earn your Ph. D. if you would like to. Determine what fields you would like to educate yourself in as well.

Now, the next consideration is how you will do this. Most online nursing schools allow you to do a combination of educational courses. You can get most or even all of your education through virtual learning. Here, you will work with a small group of other students and a teacher for self guided instruction. You may also want to consider educational opportunities that allow you to connect to local campuses that will allow you to complete clinical study as well as lab classes.

Finally, to get the lowdown on online nursing schools, you should compare one school to the next. Determine which of the schools offers the best level of education for your needs. Determine which one offers what you want and then find success in taking those courses. With several to select from, you should not have any trouble doing and getting just what it is that you would like to.