Cheap car insurance for teens some tips and advice

One of the most important tips anyone can offer a teen driver about obtaining, and keeping, cheap car insurance, is the tip of driving safely and responsibly. This advice does not mean just buckling up and driving the speed limit. Driving safely and responsibly goes beyond those basics – especially for teen drivers.

Below are some tips and advice for teens to drive safely and responsibly.

Obey the law. Obeying the law means buckling your safety belt (wearing a safety belt is a legal requirement in most states); driving the speed limit (speed limits change in different parts of town, especially in school and work zones); knowing, and respecting, what the colors of traffic lights mean; not driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or any other controlled substance; placing at least the length of one vehicle between you and the car in front of you; always signaling your next move to the vehicles surrounding you; and driving only during the times drivers your age are legally allowed to drive.

Respect your surroundings. Respecting your surroundings means driving in accordance with everything around you. Drive slower than the speed limit when weather elements such as rain and snow require it. Keep watch of pedestrians, especially children who may be playing close to the road. Pay attention to all vehicles around you, especially in high traffic areas.

Avoid unnecessary distractions. Unnecessary distractions include things such as putting on make up, eating, chatting on your cell phone, blasting the radio, and cramming too many friends into your vehicle. Many states have laws regulating how many passengers teen drivers are allowed to have. Know, and follow, those laws. When in doubt, never allow more passengers than your vehicle has safety belts.

Car insurance companies already view teen drivers as high risk. By driving safely and responsibly, teen drivers can keep traffic violations and accidents to a minimum, thus helping them maintain cheap car insurance.

San antonio schools evaluate texas tomorrow plan

Students in San Antonio Schools in 2008 will have college savings options that haven’t existed since 2003. The Texas Tomorrow II plan is a revamped version of the original state savings program that many residents in San Antonio Schools blasted as useless before it was ended in 2003.

The problem with the original plan was that it didn’t account for inflation. So San Antonio Schools families who used it as their main vehicle for college savings found themselves no better off. Governor Rick Perry announced this newer version that is based on the purchase of units. Here’s how it works.

Imagine a student in the San Antonio Schools hope to attend a decent four year college. The parents would purchase the appropriate number of units that the family can currently afford. Unlike the old plan, families don’t have to pay for 2, 4 or 5 years, but whatever they want. The Texas Prepaid Higher Education Board will set prices annually. Currently a two-year college costs 23 units for a full year, and four-year colleges range from 57-81 units.

Proponents in San Antonio Schools and throughout Texas claim that this protects parents because any inflation increases will be paid by the colleges. However, some in the San Antonio Schools fear that the results might actually hurt those the plan was designed to help. A great concern for San Antonio Schools is closing the achievement gap that exists between white and minority students. There is a strong correlation between poverty and poor academic success. Some administrators in San Antonio Schools fear that the current set-up will put colleges in the position of raising tuition to make up for the inflation they are stuck paying. And who’s left with the higher tuition? Students who didn’t purchase prepaid programs - usually the lower income families.

That’s not to say that most residents of San Antonio Schools don’t like the program. Actually, most parents are pleased that the state has finally replaced the old model. Some features that parents in the San Antonio Schools like are that they can transfer funds from the old program, or from 529 plans, into the Texas Tomorrow II plan. It’s also more accessible because families can start paying even if they don’t have money to pay for a complete year.

But, some parents and educators in San Antonio Schools point out - it’s still not perfect. Funds can't be used for books, food or housing; all items that make up a significant portion of college tuition. And for the poorest students in Texas and in San Antonio, it may not do much to get them into college. Still, the overall attitude of most of San Antonio Schools families seems to be that they need all the help they can get. With college cost rising, and even upper middle class families struggling meet tuition, it’s not surprising that scores of San Antonio families are eagerly anticipating the new plan.

Unleash the horses with a performance exhaust system upgrade

Stock exhaust systems are designed simply to provide a conduit for spent gases to move from your engine to your tailpipe - no more, no less. On the other hand, performance exhaust systems are engineered to maximize your engine's exhaust flow, giving you:

- Serious horsepower and torque gains

- Distinctive, growling exhaust tone

- Improved fuel economy

Horsepower and torque

In case you skipped out on Auto Shop back in high school, I am here to give you a quick lesson on the mysterious inner-workings of your engine's cylinders. Without cylinders, your vehicle could not drive around, unless you could convince your friends to lend you their backs and push you all over town. That's because the majority of your horsepower is generated right there in your cylinders through a fairly straightforward process, called combustion.

First, the cylinder sucks a mixture of oxygen and fuel (gasoline or diesel) into its chamber, where it is then ignited by a spark plug or glow stick. These three ingredients create a controlled explosion, or combustion, which generates both energy and waste gases. That energy transforms into wheel-turning torque to propel you down the road, but the exhaust is a cloud of useless particles that would clog up your engine if left to linger in the piston chamber.

That's where the exhaust system comes into action. The spent gases are exhaled, traveling out of the engine through your exhaust manifold, and they eventually exit out the back of your vehicle. The faster the exhaust gets out of the way, the easier it is for your engine to breathe, which means more horsepower, torque and fun behind the wheel.

The problem with stock exhaust systems is that they are not optimized for the best possible flow. Auto manufacturers spend much more time thinking about the shape and placement of your air vents than they do planning your exhaust pipes. What's the result of their neglect? Your motor has to work harder during combustion, which robs you of valuable horsepower, torque and fuel economy. A performance exhaust system will harness the potential power that your engine is wasting because of its inefficient stock exhaust.

Quick-installing, bolt-on performance exhaust systems improve your power by:

- Drastically reducing restrictions in your pipes

- Increasing the puny diameter of stock pipes

- Improving engine scavenging

The Growl

With a performance exhaust system, you not only feel the power every time your foot hits the peddle, but you also hear it thundering and rolling around you. Nothing quite improves your vehicle's presence as a throaty, rumbling exhaust system. When you hear each and every piston firing in rapid succession, you truly comprehend the unbridled force lurking under your hood. Stock exhaust systems try to hold back your engine's naturally forceful tone with thick-walled exhaust manifolds and mufflers that stifle your vehicle's rich resonance, rather than enhance it.

When it comes to the sound of your vehicle, the muffler has the most impact. Of course, you can tell by its name that a muffler's job is to dampen the sounds pouring out of your tailpipes. Without a muffler, your vehicle would sound like a string of M80 firecrackers exploding in a metal trashcan. On the other hand, a stock muffler suppresses the naturally aggressive rumble of a strong engine to a spineless wimper. Take control of the tone of your vehicle with a performance exhaust system for the perfect balance of sound and suppression.

Fuel Economy

Unless you've got your own oil derrick churning out barrels of Texas Tea in your backyard, chances are you too are feeling the pinch at the pump due to the rising costs of gasoline. And while it might sound too good to be true that you can get better fuel economy along with serious performance boosts, we're not pulling your leg.

That's because the same overall improvements that lead to greater performance are improving your engine's overall efficiency. You see, when the exhaust is flowing unrestricted down wider pipes with the right amount of vacuum left behind to keep the cycle running smoothly, your cylinders empty themselves of more and more waste gases. And when there are fewer impurities in the cylinder, your mixture of gas and oxygen burns purer, giving you greater horsepower without having to have a serious lead foot. These straightforward improvements in efficiency can result in around a 1 or 2% overall increase in fuel economy, saving you big every time the fuel gauge in your vehicle starts creeping down towards "E."

I'm convinced and I hope your are as well that the exhaust system upgrade that you end up with will improve performance, looks, and maybe even set off your neighbor's car alarm!.......:)

12 tips on how not to get a loan

Here are a few tips on how _not_ to get a loan, and underneath each one, the smart thing to do instead.

1. Ignore borrowing costs.

Examples of these are insurance schemes and prepayment penalties. Make sure you understand and are willing to pay them all. Understand your agreement before you sign, including terms and conditions.

A loan may become too expensive, with variable interest rates and fees. The total cost of your loan will depend on the annualised percentage rate (APR). The annualised percentage rate takes into account the interest amount, and all other charges.

2. Pick the first lender you think of.

Deals vary enormously, from loansharks to credit unions. Consider fully mutual building societies and credit unions, then find companies that are dedicated to loans. The first were set up to help members, and the latter's earnings come exclusively from lending money. They can offer better deals.

3. Communicate by telephone only, and don't record the name of who you spoke to.

Make sure you get the full name of the person with whom you speak, if you call your loan company. Big offices are impersonal; your loan officer could leave at any time. Write letters to keep a record of important points.

4. Take on a loan thinking "Well, I can always go bankrupt".

This is stupid. You will find it very hard to get credit of any kind in the future, when you need it badly.

5. Avoid researching the lender.

Type the name of the lender into a search engine. See if there are any negative postings about them.

6. Who cares what it'll cost you!

Think about your budget; how much can you afford each month? Then leave a portion of your monthly income aside as coverage for emergencies and unexpected bills.

7. Take your time paying it off.

No matter how cheap a loan may be, pay it off as quickly as you can to avoid interest accumulating. Try to get a loan that allows early payments; the quicker you pay back, the less interest you pay. If you extend the duration of the loan, you will have to pay much more in interest.

8. Make lots of enquiries in a short space of time.

Any more than four credit checks in one month for a personal loan looks suspect, and may affect your credit rating. When shopping for a quote, ask them if they're going to check your credit-rating, to be on the safe side. They don't need to, to give you a rough estimate.

9. Have lots of credit available to you, then ask for more.

To ensure you get the best terms, keep your credit-line as small as possible. Loan officers tend to count the total line of credit available as a liability.

10. Default or make late payments on small debts.

Not paying off that hire-purchase agreement years ago will come back to haunt you. Pay off small debts before they're due. Cancel credit cards you are not using. IMPORTANT: Keep your oldest card, for the credit history attached to it. Otherwise, consider their interest rates and fees, when deciding which ones to hold on to.

11. Sign papers without reading them.

You're anxious. You want the money _now_. Cue major upset later when you realise what's in the small print.

12. Keep quiet about repayment problems.

If you have problems with repayment, write to your lender as soon as possible. The earlier you tell them, the more sympathetic they'll be. You can then make arrangements for under-repayments until you get back on your feet.

Early vintage computer buses have their influences on your computer today

The term “expansion bus “is a frequent term in vintage computer terminology which requires elaboration. Much of the legacy of vintage bus systems are in our current computer systems today.

To begin with the “expansion bus" is a data highway for computer data information to travel on: the bandwidth is in essence the number of lanes. The bigger the bandwidth the more data can be sent. As examples, an 8 megabyte bandwidth means that data can be sent in 8 bits chunks. Our current systems use between 32 bit and now 64 bit bandwidth.

An expansion bus is where cards connect to the computer; Cards have an expansion edge, which fits snugly into the bus much like an electrical plug fits into a wall socket.

When cards are plugged into the bus, they communicate with the system, sometimes through the BIOS and others not. (The BIOS is the basic input /output system that tells the computer how to move data from the different components.) The 8, 16 or 32 bit bandwidth is an important consideration due to communication time between the cards. For example you have a 16 bit vintage 286 PC and it is sending out data at 16 bits a: your video card is also 8 bits. If you have an older 8 bit bus, such as in early IBM PCs and clones, the bus will become a bottleneck in the system; it is like having a 4 lane highway connected to another 4 lane highway by way of a 1 lane road. At most times regardless of the faster 4 lane highway traffic will be slow – limited by the single lane connection road.

There were basically 3 types of expansion bus available in vintage computers: ISA, MCA, EISA systems.

Each early development in major ways paved the way for the later systems which indeed we take for granted today. This was both in terms of hardware and basic concepts in our computer systems and technology as well as computer marketing that we take for granted today as simple basic facts of life without any consideration due.

Basically the newer buses offered increased performance over the older technology buses.

The basic explanations of the buses are as follows:

The 3 bus standards to note were Industry Standard Architecture (ISA).Micro Channel Channel Architecture (MSA) and Extended Industry Standard (EISA) bus systems.

Industry Standard Architecture (ISA). This was the original AT bus also called an ISA bus. It was the original 8 bit IBM PC bus which was bumped up to 16 bits at some point in its later development. Fine for a 16 bit 286 or very early 386 computers

Micro Channel Architecture (MSA). This was an early 32 bit bus system which was not received well but set the stage for an industry consortium of the major non IBM computer manufacturers ( at the time referred to as “The Group of Nine) to develop the EISA standard bus.

Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA). The EISA bus standard was a standard of its own right which was 32 bit, included bus mastering and importantly remained compatible with previous older expansion cards. 32 bit systems were first to incorporate in later 386 systems. The 486 line solidified and standardized the 32 bit systems in the established software of the day.

Backward compatibility at the time was a novel new concept which has remained an important consideration in the computer industry.

EISA slots would accommodate both the ISA and EISA expansion slots to allow hardware upgrades, However the EISA expansion boards would be of little advantage and would seldom work in the older ISA expansion slots.

On the other hand the Micro Channel setup was not backward compatible. On the one hand the Micro Channel developers were free to initiate new radical changes in computer development and hardware which would have allowed for major new useful features in computer software. However owners of previous systems would have been left with then obsolete vintage useless hardware which would have been of no use and certainly little financial value.

Hence there was a lot of resistance to the Micro Channel bus setup.

It died a lingering death with its legacy living on in the aspirations of features offered in future developments and standards.

Thus the die was set for future hardware standards and software function as well as standard computer marketing concepts that we take for granted like mother’s milk today.

How to maintain your mental health

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In recent years people have realized the importance of proper diet and exercise, and recent surveys show that over the last 20 years people are eating better and working out more often, resulting in people living longer, but people are still lacking in their understanding that their mental well being is just as important as their physical health.

Today most people get on average 4 to 6 hours of exercise every day, and make sure that everything they put in their mouths is not filled with sugars or preservatives, but they pay no attention to their mental health, no vacations, not even the occasional long weekend, 60 hour weeks, taking work home with them and even working weekends. All of this for hopes of one day getting that big promotion. What good will it do you when your brain overloads and you have a breakdown in the office.

In the end your physical health will suffer no matter how well you eat and how often you exercise. You will wind up with high blood pressure, stress and tension all of which raises the chances of you having a stroke or heart attack.

In hopes of helping you avoid this I am providing you with the things I do to keep my mental health in tip top condition.

My absolute favorite thing to do to refocus myself is to go for a long ride on my Harley. Nothing brings the world back into focus like riding free like the wind, there is no better forms of therapy as far as I am concerned.

Another great way to relieve the stresses in your life and help put a sparkle in your mental health is a trip to the casinos. Most people go to the casinos and expect to go home a winner, I do not. I go to have a good time.

I enjoy the skill required in
blackjack or poker, or just like pressing my luck on the roulette wheel or slot machine. I also make sure not to take my credit cards with me to the casinos. Every week I put a few bucks on the side and when I have enough to go to the casino I go, and have a real good time. This way I can blow every penny I bring with me and know I am not hurting my self financially.

Sometime I just like to sit at a poker table, blackjack table or roulette table and just make small bets. This may not be as exciting as risking large sums of money, but in the end I play longer, and I probably win more often. The best part is because I do not expect to win I am not disappointed when I don’t win, and on those occasions that I do win beside going home with more money I have a supper big smile on my face because the night was all that much better.

Another reason why I love the casinos is how far they are from where I live so I can take my bike out in the morning have a good 3 hour drive to Atlantic City then at the end of the day I get to enjoy another 3 hours on my Harley, and if the weather is really bad I can either take my truck or just stay home and log on to one of the many online casinos available to choose from.

I also enjoy watching an hour or 2 of television every night, some light sitcoms are a great way to lighten your minds load, and laughing out loud for 30 seconds every day is a great way to release stress.

Video games are also great for stress release, if you are mad at your boss what better way to get it out of you then boxing, just imagine you are pounding on your boss and hope you don’t lose.

I hope you try some of these methods or think of some of your own to help keep the stress down in your life and keep your mental health in as good of condition as the rest of you.

Pimped out poker bling out the high rollers

With the global domination of Poker, it seems that everyone is getting in on the act. From movie stars to musicians, poker is increasingly filtering into everyday life. The ever mounting jackpot prizes, now averaging in the millions of dollars, and its lateral expansion into mainstream media such as the televised World Series of Poker on ESPN, Celebrity Poker on Bravo and the European Poker Tour on Eurosport, only prove the ability of gambling to constantly reinvent itself to appeal to Generation X. Today online poker seems to be the current guarantor of future growth within this industry. It will collude in bringing the world together in a way that has only been seen in one other industry (I’ll leave that to you imagination).

The front runners cashing in on this craze is within the world of hip-hop. Rappers such as Jay Z – a global empire unto himself – and Ja Rule are getting in on the game. Their access to the bling lifestyle has given them a unique edge on the hundreds of other online pokersites out there. You can now listen to your favorite hip-hop artist, as you play all the casino games, win bonuses like concert tickets and backstage passes, take advantage of exclusive sign-up bonuses and other unique promotions.

Rap artist Pony Boi, creator of MTV’s Sorority Life and Fraternity Life reality shows is also bringing a hip-hop poker show to the MTV generation. Called ‘Bring it to the Table’ in which members of famous rap collectives compete against each other in a poker game. In ‘Bring it to the Table’, two teams of famous rap collectives from different regions will compete in a poker game where the pot is a piece of their "Bling" (a watch, bracelet, or pendant). The winning bling will be auctioned off with all proceeds going to the winner's favourite charity.

More recently, Snoop Dogg has announced that he will be hosting a Rapper's Challenge Texas Holdem Tournament, a one-day poker tournament in the titillating city of Miami, onboard a Casino Ship at the Port. This no limit challenge is expected to draw celebrities and top poker players from across the globe. Twenty seats are reserved for pro poker champions and seats are still available for all challengers. A Celebrity VIP Charity Tournament will be going on at the same time with $50,000 going to the winner's selected charity.

Snoop Dogg will emcee, while his Uncle Reo cooks his famous BBQ on the top deck. There will be live entertainment throughout the day with famous rappers and other hip-hop artists. In the evening, the famed Monday Night FightKlub rap contestants will be competing for a $25,000 prize. The tournament, filmed for a future television airing, just highlights the opportunity for those with the vision to profit on this trend. The celebrity endorsement now gives a more holistic offering with sex appeal emulating from the wealth, jewels, fame, and fortune gained with each booty. Perhaps online casinos and the poker world in general should take note of the entrepreneurial spirit of hip hop stars and their ability to back a winner.

St. louis rams tickets - is the team coming back to earth

St. Louis Rams tickets have been selling like hotcakes during the first part of the 2006 season as the Rams got off to a fast start. It looked like they were a team that was instantly going to get better under a bright new coach, and most thought it would be the Rams who posed the biggest challenge to Seattle’s division supremacy.

However, as we move into the second half of the season, the Rams have fallen off a bit. They’re currently in third place in their division behind the improving San Francisco 49ers, and they’re running out of time if they want to make a run at the playoffs. They still have a bright new coach, so what’s happening with the Rams? We’ll explore a few possible reasons for their struggles below.

Run Defense

The Rams have been known to have an average-at-best defense in recent years, as their offense has for a long time been the core of the team’s identity. That was supposed to change under new defensive coordinator Jim Fassell, late of the New Orleans Saints, who has long been known for his stout, physical defensive teams and schemes.

The Rams’ defense was strong for the first month-or-so of the season, but since their free-fall began, they’ve been getting gashed, particularly on the ground. In yesterday’s 15-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Rams surrendered 242 rushing yards, and that will get you beat almost every time. You can’t win in the NFL if you can’t stop the run, and Fassell and the Rams need to get that fixed right away.

Coaching Learning Curve

Scott Linehan came to the Rams known as an up-and-coming coaching star who had built successful offenses in both Minnesota and Miami. His knowledge and teaching ability made players such as Daunte Culpepper better, and his offenses always scored a lot of points, regardless of whether the talent he had at his disposal was run or pass-oriented. Linehan could put together a system that fit his players.

However, the difference between serving as a coordinator and a head coach couldn’t be more stark, and Linehan is finding that out. After the Carolina game, most thought that the Rams simply looked flat and uninspired. When asked about it after the game, several players all-but called out their coach after he admitted that the team was flat.

St. Louis Rams tickets have provided an all-but guaranteed fireworks show in recent years, but Linehan’s team isn’t putting the same attitude into offense, and his defense is getting trampled. Linehan will figure things out and continue to grow into a top-flight coach, but like any other “rookie,” he’s still learning the nuances of leading a team. If he doesn’t figure that out, he’ll risk losing his veterans, but it’s not too late to rectify the situation.

Offensive Line

The Rams have a good offensive line when it’s at full-strength, but it won’t be firing on all cylinders for the rest of the season, as star LT Orlando Pace is out for the year. No unit can simply move on at the same level when it loses its best player, and yesterday was the first tangible evidence that the Rams will miss Pace in a big way. QB Marc Bulger was sacked seven times and RB Steven Jackson carried the ball only seven times. The Rams mustered all of 111 yards of offense, which is never good enough to win.

Overall, the Rams still have time to right the ship. They need to find their spark, and perhaps a string of home games coming up on their schedule will help them get back on track. One thing is sure - St. Louis Rams tickets will provide fans with a highly-entertaining show for the rest of the season as the Rams attempt to keep up with the rest of the division.

Pathological narcissism psychosis and delusions

One of the most important symptoms of pathological narcissism (the Narcissistic Personality Disorder) is grandiosity. Grandiose fantasies (megalomaniac delusions of grandeur) permeate every aspect of the narcissist's personality. They are the reason that the narcissist feels entitled to special treatment which is typically incommensurate with his real accomplishments. The Grandiosity Gap is the abyss between the narcissist's self-image (as reified by his False Self) and reality.

When Narcissistic Supply is deficient, the narcissist de-compensates and acts out in a variety of ways. Narcissists often experience psychotic micro-episodes during therapy and when they suffer narcissistic injuries in a life crisis. But can the narcissist "go over the edge"? Do narcissists ever become psychotic?

Some terminology first:

The narrowest definition of psychosis, according to the DSM-IV-TR, is "restricted to delusions or prominent hallucinations, with the hallucinations occurring in the absence of insight into their pathological nature".

And what are delusions and hallucinations?

A delusion is "a false belief based on incorrect inference about external reality that is firmly sustained despite what almost everyone else believes and despite what constitutes incontrovertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary".

A hallucination is a "sensory perception that has the compelling sense of reality of a true perception but that occurs without external stimulation of the relevant sensory organ".

Granted, the narcissist's hold on reality is tenuous (narcissists sometimes fail the reality test). Admittedly, narcissists often seem to believe in their own confabulations. They are unaware of the pathological nature and origin of their self-delusions and are, thus, technically delusional (though they rarely suffer from hallucinations, disorganised speech, or disorganised or catatonic behaviour). In the strictest sense of the word, narcissists appear to be psychotic.

But, actually, they are not. There is a qualitative difference between benign (though well-entrenched) self-deception or even malignant con-artistry – and "losing it".

Pathological narcissism should not be construed as a form of psychosis because:

The narcissists is usually fully aware of the difference between true and false, real and make-belief, the invented and the extant, right and wrong. The narcissist consciously chooses to adopt one version of the events, an aggrandising narrative, a fairy-tale existence, a "what-if" counterfactual life. He is emotionally invested in his personal myth. The narcissist feels better as fiction than as fact – but he never loses sight of the fact that it is all just fiction.

Throughout, the narcissist is in full control of his faculties, cognisant of his choices, and goal-orientated. His behaviour is intentional and directional. He is a manipulator and his delusions are in the service of his stratagems. Hence his chameleon-like ability to change guises, his conduct, and his convictions on a dime.

Narcissistic delusions rarely persist in the face of blanket opposition and reams of evidence to the contrary. The narcissist usually tries to convert his social milieu to his point of view. He attempts to condition his nearest and dearest to positively reinforce his delusional False Self. But, if he fails, he modifies his profile on the fly. He "plays it by ear". His False Self is extemporaneous – a perpetual work of art, permanently reconstructed in a reiterative process designed around intricate and complex feedback loops.

Though the narcissistic personality is rigid – its content is always in flux. Narcissists forever re-invent themselves, adapt their consumption of Narcissistic Supply to the "marketplace", attuned to the needs of their "suppliers". Like the performers that they are, they resonate with their "audience", giving it what it expects and wants. They are efficient instruments for the extraction and consumption of human reactions.

As a result of this interminable process of fine tuning, narcissists have no loyalties, no values, no doctrines, no beliefs, no affiliations, and no convictions. Their only constraint is their addiction to human attention, positive or negative.

Psychotics, by comparison, are fixated on a certain view of the world and of their place in it. They ignore any and all information that might challenge their delusions. Gradually, they retreat into the inner recesses of their tormented mind and become dysfunctional.

Narcissists can't afford to shut out the world because they so heavily depend on it for the regulation of their labile sense of self-worth. Owing to this dependence, they are hypersensitive and hypervigilant, alert to every bit of new data. They are continuously busy rearranging their self-delusions to incorporate new information in an ego-syntonic manner.

This is why the Narcissistic Personality Disorder is insufficient grounds for claiming a "diminished capacity" (insanity) defence. Narcissists are never divorced from reality – they crave it, and need it, and consume it in order to maintain the precarious balance of their disorganised, borderline-psychotic personality. All narcissists, even the freakiest ones, can tell right from wrong, act with intent, and are in full control of their faculties and actions.

Simplicity as a life-style 10 practical steps

There is a relatively new phenomenon in North America called ‘voluntary simplicity.’ The term ‘voluntary simplicity’ is used to describe a process whereby people opt out of the harried life of modern day living, and chose to live a life of frugality. Frugality in this sense doesn’t mean poverty rather, it means, enjoying the virtue of getting good value for every minute of your life energy and from everything you have the use of. Frugal is characterised by or reflective of economy in the expenditure of resources.

Simplicity means making time for yourself in a hectic world. You clear out what is superfluous and make room for a life of passion, depth, and joy. As people become more and more stressed out from the pace of modern life and as we become increasingly concerned about the price of our over-consumption of the planet’s resources, the movement to living in a state of ‘mindfulness’ has increasing interest as a chosen life-style. To be mindful means to dwell deeply in the present moment knowing there is only one opportunity and it will never come again.

Voluntary simplicity comes from within. It is a social movement of a more sustainable, gratifying, and spiritually connected existence. Voluntary simplicity is a matter of personal responsibility and conscious awareness of how we live on the planet. It means identifying the difference between our needs and our wants. Needs are those things that are necessary for our survival - food, clothing, and shelter. Wants are all the other things we desire and to a large extent are driven by media advertising. Simplicity as a life-style is the identifiable difference between needs and wants, and the awareness of the cost in terms of our life force energy and our willingness to pay the price.

Pursuing a Life of Simplicity

The Chinese pictograph for ‘busy’ is composed of two characters: heart and killing. When I first read this, I thought of the many people who are ‘too busy’ to make that phone call to someone they love and then one day it is too late; the many children who get gifts and/or money instead of their parents’ time and then one day they leave home and it is too late; the many times we have an opportunity to touch someone’s life with kindness but we are ‘too busy’ and the moment never comes again and it is too late.

As we search for meaning in our lives, we start to become aware of the emptiness and shallowness of a life based on materialism and consumerism. We become aware of the tremendous expenditure of our ‘life force energy’ to just keep up with the daily ‘rat race.’ We start the search for a life of deeper meaning and ask ourselves ‘what gives us joy?’ We realise we don’t know and can’t answer the question but we feel a yearning in our hearts for a sense of connection, a sense of purpose, and the sense that our life matters. The question demands an answer. We discover that all the myths such as: get a job, get married, have children, buy a mortgage with a two-car garage, and you will be happy, makes us wonder what is the matter with us when we feel the increasing futility of it all. The emphasis on externally meeting our needs leaves a ‘hole in our soul’ as we consume more and more and feel less and less satisfied. Consume by definition means to do away with completely; destroy – to spend wastefully; and squander – use up. Is consumed by our meaningless and frenzied consumerism a description that all too closely resembles most our lives?

What we don’t realise is that we are spiritual beings, in a physical body, having a human experience, and when we don’t connect the internal (spiritual) and the external (physical), our lives increasingly lose a sense of balance or harmony. There is literally no distinction between the outer and the inner when our lives are in balance, and as we seek this stability, where do we start? We start by examining our expectations and assumptions including the belief systems that drive us to live our lives ‘zombie-like’ without determining whether or not we want to play this game. We move towards consciously asking the questions about how much of our ‘life force energy’ we are prepared to exchange for the material goods we consume. This expenditure of ‘life force energy’ includes the storing, cleaning, insurance costs, maintaining, etc. all the stuff that clutters our lives.

Practical Steps to Simplifying Your Life

1. Reuse paper bags, envelopes, newspapers, etc. Newspapers and shredded paper make excellent mulch in the garden. The mulch will break down over a period of time and add humus to the soil. (Don’t use coloured flyers.)

2. Have a Buy Nothing Day.

3. Carve some space for ‘mindful living’ so that you have time for ‘beingness’ rather than ‘doingness.’

4. Find friends who know the glass is half-full or in other words, find friends who share the same value system as you do.

5. Grow your own food or buy as much as possible from local growers.

6. Use non-toxic products such as borax, vinegar, baking soda, lemon, and salt in your home, yard, and garden.

7. Before you buy something, write the item down on a note and if you still want it after a month, purchase it then.

8. Decide what is really working in your life and let go of that which no longer serves you.

9. Surround yourself with what you really need and love.

10. Go Organic. Organic gardening is not only about the avoidance of chemicals, but in the

larger picture, it is organic living using Nature’s laws.

Lexus hybrid cars

As the world begins to embrace hybrid technology, more automakers are moving into the new technology. However, one of the initial manufacturers of hybrid vehicles has recognized the need to meet the public demand for a better quality, more powerful hybrid. In 2007, Lexus hybrid cars hit the showrooms combining power, hybrid fuel economy and luxury, all rolled up in one attractive package.

The RX Luxury hybrid sport utility vehicle, unveiled in 2007, offers an impressive 3.3L V-6 engine with an output of a combined 268 horsepower taking it from zero to 60 in 6.9 seconds. As a sport utility vehicle, it is equipped with front wheel drive and part-time all wheel drive making it one of the Lexus hybrid cars that doubles as a true sport vehicle. With 37 miles per gallon in the city and 27 on the highway, it is very conservative when compared to similar vehicles.

The 340 horsepower, V-6 GS performance luxury sedan gets a respectful 25 miles in the city and 23 on the highway out of its 340 horsepower power plant. This rear wheel drive is th quickest of the Lexus hybrid cars going from zero to 60 in just 5.2 short seconds. Coming in 2008 is the LS Prestige hybrid luxury sedan than boasts acceleration of zero to 60 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds. Its 5.oL V-8 engine produces a powerful 438 horsepower will achieving 20 miles per gallon in the city and 22 on the highway.

Many of the same luxury options Lexus owners have come to expect from this luxury vehicle company are also available on the Lexus hybrid cars, including the rear camera and automatic parking system. Safety features are built into every vehicle made by Lexus and now with its greener drive train, it not only saves fuel when compared to similarly equipped vehicles, it remains in a luxury class of it own.

Being competitive in the automotive market is important to maintain market share in any auto class. However, with Lexus hybrid cars people are finding the luxury they demand as well as the lower pollution, environmentally friendly vehicles they want to drive. Many luxury car owners are willing to sacrifice slightly for a vehicle that will help protect the air they breath, but may not be willing to give up the luxury they believe they deserve. With the new line of Lexus hybrid cars, they can now have both.

For information on buying and selling new and second hand cars and bikes visit bharathautomobiles. com/index. php

Reach at your destination with seo

In the internet market Google and SEO process are conjunct. And presently, this conjunct is at first place to divert the visitor’s passage directing at your web site. It may happen that even if your site is at first place in the Google, very less or almost no hits to your website. Plenty of big internet marketing companies put their hands up against Google. Google is the only search engine that frequently updates its algorithms and places new challenges in front of these companies. Many web sites get affected daily by this attack of Google. To steer clear of getting castigated by Google, there is only one tunnel to go and it is just follow their SEO Delhi Company e-Fuzion process rules. I know it looks like simple solution but most of the simple solutions often forgotten while facing the tricky challenges. SEO Delhi Company e-Fuzion and its software developers’ uses this black cap tricks to obtain maximum search engine result and there fore Google updates their algorithms frequently. If you want to gain a short term result, it works like a guaranteed to you. When you optimized your web pages, log files can show you the specific keywords used by the visitors for your website that is their hit are targeted by the specified keyword. You must be very studies and selective regarding this. Only the risk is that future your website may get barred by Google and al famous search engines. Who believes in long term internet business which must follow the rules and try to be a moral SEO process developer? In SEO Delhi Company e-Fuzion services you find many search engines that are emerging owing to the popularization of vertical search in united sates and other countries.

The materialization of upright search engines, which is the most modern trend in web searching methodologies, enables the search engine optimizers to have quick look at the wide and multiple web sites that are available on the internet. Some of the latest search engines provide file about the primary customary searching boards. Search engines are used mainly because they cut down on the search time.

What you should know causes of hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids involve the response of the blood vessels in the area of the rectum to pressure. This pressure can come from various sources and typically will cause pain and irritation. There are various reasons for hemorrhoids, and knowing them can help in making lifestyle changes and minimize the pain they cause.

Constipation is the main cause of hemorrhoids. This causes bowel movements to put strain on the rectal area, thereby putting pressure on the blood vessels and causing swelling and irritation. Strained bowel movements can cause bleeding from the blood vessels in the rectal area as well. Preventing constipation is an important step in preventing and minimizing the effects of hemorrhoids.

Pregnancy is the next leading cause of hemorrhoids. Pregnancy can also cause an increase in the pressure of the blood vessels in the rectal area. Hormonal changes are known to make blood vessels work harder which can cause swelling and irritation. Hemorrhoids due to pregnancy are usually temporary, but can be an important consideration in becoming pregnant.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency is the third leading cause of hemorrhoids. This condition occurs when the blood vessels in the area of the rectum are weakened, causing pressure, swelling and irritation. The pressure can be magnified with sitting or standing for long periods. Exercise and smoking in concert with CVI can cause irritation of the rectal blood vessels for those that are overweight.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, known as IBS, can cause hemorrhoids, especially in cases when IBS is dominated by constipation. Diarrhea is also known to put extra pressure on the rectal blood vessels. Portal Hypertension, which is an increase in the pressure of the blood vessels running from the intestines to the liver, can cause hemorrhoids due to the increased blood flow and pressure.

Any type of hemorrhoid can cause irritation, pain, and bleeding in the areas of the anus and rectum. It is important to identify the cause of your hemorrhoids for future preventative measures. You may want to look at dietary and lifestyle changes to help reduce symptoms.

How to get a home mortgage

Securing the right home mortgage is the most important thing for you to do when considering this large purchase. You should carefully find the right choice for you after comparing all of your options. Yet, when it comes down to it, it can seem like a very difficult thing to actually do. The fact is that many individuals do not know what the right way to get their loan is. Often, they think that their local banker is the only choice, when in fact this is likely to be the most expensive and non-forgiving of all financial lenders for loans on a house. Instead, turn your attention to the web.

Online, you will find a wider range of financial options to carefully consider. For one, you are likely to get a better amount of options in financing such as lower interest rates, better terms and even low cost or no cost on loan fees. These things really can add up to save you money. There is enough competition online that lenders are looking for you, trying to lure you in with these things. But, you are a smart buyer and you know that there is a lot to think about in the home mortgage .

For one, you will want to use a tool called the loan calculator to help you to compare the loans that are available. This tool will allow you to easily look at how much one loan will cost as compared to another one. It will tell you the total cost of the loan as well as the monthly payment. Compare various rates, terms, loan types, virtually anything that is being offered to you. These are free tools, offered on many of the financial expert’s websites and they are easy to use. They come with no obligation to work with that lender either. In fact, you will not supply it with any information about you specifically. This can help you to find the best home mortgage out there fast.

You can even get a free, no obligation online loan quote. By simply putting in your information, it will produce for you a quote. This is usually more accurate as it will figure in the cost of your credit as well as the cost of your specific loan needs. Then, you can take this quote and compare it to other quotes that are available to find the best rate for your needs. A home mortgage quote like this should never cost you a thing and it should come with no obligation either.

Securing the loan that is ideal for your specific needs can be done much easier on the web. There are just that many more options out there for you to consider and to take in. In the long run, financing your purchase can be much more financially sound when you use the tools that are available to you on the web. Instead of dealing with face to face rejection and disappointment from your banker, just head onto the web to get the answers that you need about your home mortgage purchase.

Should you go for discount make-up

We are all aware of the fact that most women cannot do without make-up. Although numerous manufacturers are creating a wide variety of make-up to suit every skin type and every budget, you cannot deny the fact that majority of women are afraid to purchase cheap or discount make-ups for fear of having allergic reactions or skin related problems from the use of these products. While it holds true that most expensive cosmetics are of the finest quality and you are definitely getting your money’s worth with your purchase, there are still certain products that may not suit your skin type. Although almost all of the cosmetic products are created to be hypoallergenic, there are still remote instances when your skin reacts to it with frequent breakouts with the occurrences of pimples or blemishes. I, for one am a victim of this. I had bought a cosmetic product from an expensive brand and yet my skin didn’t react well to it.

Due to the existence of competition and the desire to capture a big chunk in the market, the cosmetic industry has flooded stores and shops with numerous types and brands of make-up that is cheap and very easy on the budget. A big amount of a woman’s expense goes to keeping herself beautiful and that includes the purchase of make-up. But with the rising prices in commodities, quite often most women especially those who have families and who do not have high paying jobs are having a hard time allotting a portion of their money for cosmetic related products when they have other expenses to attend to at home.

Now, the big question is whether these discount make-ups are safe. Basically the answer is nobody knows. Though a big portion of the women’s population would say yes they are not safe because of the ingredients they may contain, I personally think that not all of them are. I suppose it’s a matter of finding the right one that suits your skin type. I strongly suggest though that you be wary on trying them on and do not just buy at an impulse without maybe securing a sample or getting positive recommendations from family or friends who may have used it.

If you are really not sure the best option would be to consult an expert. Also, most well known brands of cosmetics are pricing their products at competitive and affordable prices. You could also wait when they have sales or discounts. In this manner you would be able to save on your make-up expense.

Adsense the secret of being rich

Building a virtual online empire is easier now than ever. There is a creative movement going on that will inspire you to create your own Adsense empire that will lead you to riches.

Whether Google realizes it or not, they are part of a bigger plan that will provide the vehicle for thousands of individuals to obtain wealth from the Internet. There is an unlimited supply of Internet opportunities available to you today that will lead you directly to wealth.

The task of building hundreds of Adsense enabled sites is so easy that even an adult can do it these days. There is software and step-by-step instructions that teach even the most novice entrepreneur how to create and optimize Adsense sites for maximum revenue.

Adsense sites act as mini business entities or sales agents that generate income for you twenty-four hours per day.

Google has provided everything you need to build an online empire. You can become the Donald Trump of the online virtual real estate world. The best part about Adsense is that you really don't have to compete to win; you just need to be creative.

In the online search world, Google is King. Google is king because they chose to share their wealth. The one remarkable decision sealed their position online and created massive income for the company.

Whether you know it or not Google and the universe desires you to have everything you want to have. Nature is friendly to your plans to be rich.

All you have to do is to plug into the substance and the heart of the Google Adsense Program to create your online fortune.

You do not have to take anything from anyone. You do not have to cheat or to take advantage or try to manipulate the Google Adsense Program.

In fact, there is a backlash happening to those individuals who created Spam sites that were created to manipulate the Google Adsense System. These sites will be kicked off the Internet and out of the Google Program on June 1, 2007.

So with Google, you just need to do things in a 'certain way" and you will derive huge benefits and riches from the Adsense Program.

You, as an Adsense Publisher will become a creator of websites that are full of unique and quality content. Your reward for creating these content rich sites is a big check from Google each month.

You are going to get everything you want in a way that will positively affect anyone that you touch. Every individual will have more than what they have now because of you.

Google has created this system and an entire organization and the whole universe on Adsense for the primary purpose of enriching your pockets.

Google is sometimes criticized for its hard stance on certain issues. Google can change its mathematical algorithms at a moment’s notice and affect the income of thousands of publishers.

However, Google plays a necessary role in your path to riches.

In order to become rich in the scientific way, you will rise above the competition.

You know that there is no limit to the number of advertisers that Google will enlist that need your websites to advertise their products and services.

You have to understand that there are countless millions of dollars worth of advertising that is transacted on websites everyday.

Google has kindly decided to share this wealth with you. You also must understand that the money you need will come, even as Google has created this opportunity for you, there are millions of surfers waiting to click on your particular ads on your specific website.

Menopause and palpitations

Menopause isn’t typically a life threatening condition – but in extreme cases, it can bring upon symptoms like rapid heart beat that feel like it is. The occasional feeling that your heart “skips a beat” does not necessarily indicate a serious medical problem. For those with menopause, rapid heart beat should be monitored by your doctor to check for a mitral valve prolapse which is a mild deformity of a heart valve.

Palpitation is when the heart races repeatedly without any sign of stopping. It’s not only extremely uncomfortable, it’s downright frightening. Premature contractions cause the heart to beat twice really quickly, causing more blood to enter the heart on the third beat. This increased amount of blood makes the heart contract even more. In essence, it is a forceful pulsation that can sometimes be caused by stress.

Stress can come from menopausal symptoms like irregular periods, annoying ringing of the ears (tinnitus), insomnia, panic attacks, depression, and everyday occurrences like the simple yelling and shouting of a child at the playground.

When you perceive a stressor, hormones form your brain pass into the bloodstream alerting the adrenal glands. In response they secrete corticosteroid hormone including cortisol.

When cortisol raises sometimes twenty fold, the body speeds up its blood sugar burning capacity providing an instant surge of energy. Cortisol causes your heart to beat faster in order to pump oxygen-bearing blood more quickly into your tissues. Too much of cortisol can lead to diabetes or high blood pressure, so this is a process of you can to be conscious of and learn to cope with by practicing such relaxing techniques as yoga, meditation and Pilates.

The addition of caffeine loaded drinks can worsen this condition as can smoking. In order to avoid rapid heart beat and palpitations, it is best to refrain from stress and maintain a healthy diet. Alcohol and coffee are known to excite the heart’s processes, causing it to work much harder than it has to.

The information in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice.

Helpful strategies for selling leather and leather products online part 1 of 4

When someone walks through your door, it is quite likely that a sales person is available and able to assist them with any questions. At that moment in time, specially in a leather oriented business, many aspects of the human sensory spectrum are in full swing. They can smell the unique scent of genuine leather, they can see and touch the smooth buttery leather and most importantly they can hear and understand what you have to say about your leather product offerings. Put all these things together and there is a very good chance you are going to make a sale! … Now try to accomplish this on the Internet.

It goes without saying that the Internet can enhance the bottom lines of many, if not all, leather oriented businesses, however, did you know that there are obstacles associated with selling online that can literally sink your leather business if you are not prepared?

For the purpose of this article, let us define the term “online commerce” as "the electronic selling of leather and leather products through an online shopping cart environment".

There are certain issues that a business should take into account before even contemplating opening up an online shop.

First let me start off by asking you a simple question. When was the last time you fired up your computer and said “I am going onto the internet to do some shopping?” I am willing to bet, that's not too many times, if any. Most people hop on the internet to do research, or if anything, to do a little window shopping! That’s right ... to look around and see what’s available. Very few people hop on the internet looking to buy something, but this does not mean you can’t sell to them! All this means is that you need to treat them a little differently to ensure they buy from you.

Here are some strategies to help you get started.

1. Develop your online catalogue with the first time shopper in mind all the time.

I can’t begin to count how many leather industry sites out there that are falling short in this department. Your company website has to take on the roll of your top sales person. It needs to provide as much information as possible to your potential customers. What we are talking about here is not only information on how to reach you, but detailed product specific information, product uses, methods for payment, shipping options, refunds etc.

You need to position your leather company as a mentor or teacher and educate your potential customers about your product offerings and their applicable uses. When writing your website content, pretend that every potential visitor will know very little about your offerings. Ensure that your content is as informative as possible. You will win over more leather consumers this way, trust me. Use this strategy whether you are selling a jacket, a pair of boots, a can of adhesive or a sheepskin. Once you convert that casual visitor into a customer, and you deliver on your orders, you’ll have gained a lifetime customer.

Now, if you’re thinking about selling say upholstery hides (or other finished hides) online, let me give you a piece of advice. Do so only with customers that have bought from you before or who have received one of your sample swatches. Why? Remember online customers are going by what is on your website; they don’t actually get to touch your upholstery leather or hide. As we all know, every hide is different and each carries its unique imperfections. So forget about trying to display the true representation of the colors or textures of hides on their monitors. With the many different monitors and graphic cards available it is an impossible task. A simple comment like – “If ordering our XYZ upholstery hide for the first time, please request a sample cutting or swatch to confirm specifications before ordering.” If you make this offer; ensure you get the samples out! Potential first-time customers will appreciate the heads up and second-timers will be unfazed as they have bought the product from you before. The alternative is an unhappy customer, restocking fees, shipping fees and the loss of a potential lifetime customer.

In the next three articles, Frank will address three additional strategies that will not only help you keep your customers, but increase them as well. Learn how a $300 order can generate in excess of $120,000 of business.

Guide to reward type credit cards

Among all types of credit cards, credit cards offering rewards or bonus points are usually the ones with the highest interest rates. But if you’re not cash strapped and you’ve got a steady (not to mention abundant) source of income then maybe, this type of credit card is the ideal credit card for you.

The way a credit card offering rewards or bonuses works is quite simple. Each time you use your credit card, you are awarded a point. The number of points you’re awarded depends on the amount of your purchase. You can maximize the use of your credit card if you’re also able to pay off your purchases before it could incur high finance charges. If you don’t, then whatever reward or bonus you’ll be earning later on may just be equal to what you’ve paid the company for in terms of interest charges.

There are different types of rewards that are offered by credit card companies and it is certainly better that you choose one that would suit you best to make you more motivated when it comes to paying promptly. Some credit cards offer travel benefits as rewards. These benefits include but are not limited to free air travel, free hotel stays and rental cars.

On the other hand, there are other credit cards that target shoppers as their primary client. For these people, they offer cash rebates, discounts on their favorite stores as well as free items of their choice. If your credit card is affiliated with a gas company, for example, then naturally one of the rewards that you’ll receive is free gas for your car. This is not a bad bargain at all when you consider the soaring prices for gas.

To save and earn more using your reward type credit card then it’s better to remember that you should only use your reward type credit card for short term or cheap purchases which you can easily pay off before it can incur high interest rates. On the other hand, long term or expensive purchases are better charged to credit cards that do not offer any rewards but have lower ongoing APR.

Secondly, make it a point to shop as much as you can on the stores or brands that are affiliated with your credit card company because it will earn you bonus points that you may not get from other stores.

Lastly, if you’re just planning to get a reward type credit card of your own, do make sure that you get the highest amount of sign up bonus that you can.

Online dating web sites from the beginning

Online dating web site has been unheard off in the past years. But as the popularity of internet use grew, online dating web sites also cropped up. Majority of people met their boyfriends and girlfriends through traditional means. The most popular ways to meet someone included blind dates, setups, meeting through friends and colleagues, and of course bar and club hopping. By 2000, online dating entered the scene. Still, many people lacked internet access and therefore were unable to take advantage of the technology. Today, online dating web sites are worth $300 million industry in the US alone and rapidly expanding worldwide.

There are more than 700 dating services online in the United States alone and new sites are cropping up weekly. The huge array of dating services online can be overwhelming even for the most proactive dater. An average dating services online might demand $200 fee or less annually. Carefully weigh each option before committing to an online dating web site.

There are a number of online dating web sites over the net to choose from. Online dating web site is derived from traditional dating companies that have evolved into an online service of providing dating services to the public via the internet. Online dating service web site allows for a database of potential relationships to blossom. Online dating web sites offer real time chat, emailing, profiling, and telephone access dependant on the clients’ choices. Online dating web site can be accessed through Internet service provider. Participants are required to be over the age of 18 and have registered with their chosen dating service provider. They can access the services of the site but in order to communicate further with your intended, a subscription fee often applies.

Online dating web site enables clients to actually sign-up or registers to a dating service via the Internet free of charge. This is a feature of free online dating web site which makes the system and providers very popular to the potential clients. A number of online dating web site allows user to use their services before they are required to pay monthly, quarterly or annual subscription fee. Online dating web site let you try the online dating site before making a financial commitment.

There are innumerable advantages in using free online dating site on the Internet. First is the convenience. Online dating web site offers information access at the end of your fingertips. The freedom of online dating web site is that you can post a profile, browse members of a website and often receive emails at absolutely no cost. You only pay the online dating web site when you want to write back to someone or initiate first contact. This means you never have to join an online dating web site that doesn’t come up to expectations.

Getting started in tampa real estate investing

Tampa real estate investing is the best opportunity that you can have in order to be a millionaire entrepreneur. With the aid of proper education, knowledge, information, and training, you can be successful even if it is your first time.

With lots of options in Tampa real estate, you can definitely find motivated sellers that will give you fat check and can give you the best deal you want. But before that, you need to be packed with valuable information, tips, secret, advices, methods, strategies that can help you out in Tampa real estate investing.

There are plenty of ways in order to gain all of these and to be armed as you enter Tampa real estate investing. You can enroll yourself in university that offers real estate investing. You can read plenty of books about real estate investing. Checking out some websites that provides tips, strategies and testimonials of successful investors can be done to learn as well.

It is a good idea to find a mentor that can help you with the basics. Let others guide you first until it will come to the point that you can guide yourself. You can attend some seminars about real estate investing and sign up for real estate investor forums so you can interact with successful investors, indeed, you can learn through their experiences.

Yes, there are lots of ways to prepare in Tampa real estate investing. You need to be well-equipped as you enter this venture in order to see great results and not just waste your money with nothing.

Definitely, the main reason why you want to enter Tampa real estate investing is to earn lot of profits like those successful investors who gain millions in investing. But those successful investors educate themselves first before they enter this venture, so you need to learn first as well.

In entering with new venture, you have to start with a business plan that includes marketing, advertising, continuing education, and strategies.

As soon as you gain the proper education and training that you need, you can now go on and enter the market and look for properties that you want. Actually, there are lots of types of investing, so you need to decide which one you can do best and focus to that type, this can help you gain success.

Hiring real estate agent can help you will your quest, he/she can assist you in finding the property or properties that you want and he/she can also help you out in selling it, if this is the type of investing you want. But you have to make sure to hire the right real estate agent, the one that has the proper expertise and experience regarding Tampa real estate investing.

Your agent will assist and guide you with your Tampa real estate investing. Actually, this venture needs lot of work so you have to hire persons that can help you out to have the best deals. You have to look for persons that are familiar with Tampa real estate market.

Trying yoga for back pain then pick the right poses part 1

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Studies have shown that Yoga may be one of the most effective exercises for back pain relief. In fact Health-First reporter Leslie LoBue says twisting your body into those sometimes awkward positions may actually be just the thing for lower back pain.

However, as effective as Yoga may be to reduce the pain of back problems, knowing exactly what poses to use, for how long, what to offset the poses with and in what sequence to execute them, are other factors that should be taken into consideration before using it as a therapeutic relief from back pain.

I can see a reader go “Wait a minute…if I have to go through all that, then maybe I should just take some painkillers and call it a day.”

If that applies, it is hardly my intention to scare you away from Yoga for back pain, in fact I’d rather you embraced its use as an alternative to drugs-prescribed or otherwise-for your problems, however, for your success with its use, a little bit of awareness of the correct poses to use for back pain is required and will come in handy for a lasting use of this drug-free alternative.

I will go over the common, simple yet very effective poses for back pain and also give you instructions on the proper poses to offset the spinal motions when applicable. Moreover, I will discuss the factors of the duration of time needed when executing these poses as well.

Though some of these poses may best be learned under the supervision of a certified Yoga Instructor or avid expert, with the descriptions given below-and if need be, the use of image searches on related Yoga sites and search engines-
I believe you should be able to get a good concept to at least be able to practice these poses at home.
Here are some of the best poses for back ache and since the aim here is more so back pain relief versus exercising, it is not mandatory that you hold them more than 5-15 seconds, depending on your level of comfort. Moreover, a use of a yoga mat or any other soft surface is highly recommended in the execution of these asanas.

The Shoulder-stand (Savangasana)

This, folks, is a noted panacea for near any human ailment.
Don’t panic, it is extremely easy to execute, however, depending on the severity of your case, use discretion in its use.

-Spread a thick blanket on the floor and place your yoga mat on it. Lie on the back.
-Slowly raise the legs. Lift the trunk, hips and legs to a vertical position.
-Rest the elbows firmly on the floor and support the back with both hands.
-Raise the legs till they become vertical. Press the chin against the chest..
-While performing this pose, the back of the neck, the posterior part of the head and the shoulders should touch the floor. (I can assure you that you will say “Hey, I’ve done this before as a kid…this is yoga?”)
-Breathe in counts of 5-5-5 (inhalation, retention and exhalation).
-Don’t allow the body to shake.

Now for the counter poses to the Shoulder-Stand, try to incorporate the following:

Bridge Pose (Sethu Bhandasana):

From the Shoulder Stand position, stretch the legs and slowly touch the floor with the feet. It is done to bend the spine in the opposite direction.

Fish Pose (Matsyasana):

Lie on your back. Stretch the legs and keeps the hands palm down under the thighs. Raise the chest with the help of the elbows and, bending the neck as much as possible backwards, rest on the top of the head.

Suggested Duration:
Try to use the ratio below to time the execution of these three poses.
6:1:2 (meaning the fish pose is held for a third of the time spent in the shoulder stand and the bridge pose held for half the time spent in the fish pose (or a sixth of the time spent in the shoulder-stand)

Or as an alternative, you could simply forego the bridge pose and apply a 2:1 ratio (shoulder-stand to fish pose) but this is only advised if you intend to do the parent pose (the shoulder-stand) for only a few seconds.

Obviously a lot of detail has gone into the description of these poses, however, that is because my intention is for you to be well informed, but for the sake of time and space. I will briefly go over the other poses you could do well to include AFTER you try the sequence above. This is if you decide to use it by the way. If not, you could do very well to simply start from the stage to be depicted in part 2 of this article.

Natural health supplements for mental physical and social health

No matter your physical condition or what stage of life you may be in, health supplements can go far to improve your overall well being. People use health supplements for one of three factors – they want to improve their mental, physical or social health.

The key to finding high quality health supplements is to search for ones which support your entire system. The “right” health supplements will be herbal/plant based. Supplements made from herbs/plants contain all of the life-affirming nutrients that the human body needs to fight disease and illness. They also work to bring greater vitality to your life because a healthy body improves self-esteem and happiness.

Proxacine is a good example of a health supplement that supports and improves mental, physical and social health. Proxacine works as 1) anti-agent 2) pain reducer 3) immune system booster 4) energy booster. Its combination of natural, powerful ingredients works to increase libido, improve memory and learning, maintain glutathione levels, detoxify the body, digest protein, and above all it work to bind positive and negative ions in the body. Proxacine is a powerful, natural anti-oxidant and is a great scavenger of free-radicals. It has a wide range of medicinal properties and it enhances mental well-being.

There are a wide variety of health supplements in the marketplace today. Some work to improve energy, while others work to boost the immune system, promote sexual health, and fight cancer and more. Many of today’s mysterious illness (such as chronic fatigue syndrome, leaky gut) are being treated with health supplements. Once the system is rebalanced through health supplements, energy improves and the immune system is boosted and capable of fighting off disease and other infirmities.

It is interesting to note that health supplements are not just for the ill. Health supplements can greatly benefit the healthy, too. When health supplements are incorporated into a healthy individual’s diet, they can go far to enhance energy, libido, self-esteem, as well as keeping any hereditary diseases dormant and inactive. Feeling that your sex drive or energy levels are waning? Start taking a natural health supplement and you will see an increase in your libido and energy – which will in turn improve your mental health and social life.

When searching for health supplements, look for those that are natural and made up of plants/herbs. Remember that natural health supplements work on the three components of health: mental, physical and social. These three areas are not independent of one another and are interrelated. Therefore, they should be treated as a whole.

The big home ownership problem - what s next

The real estate world has known for a good while, yet some have been refusing to read what it says. Many Americans are getting deeper into debt. Part of this problem likely comes from the cost of owning a house. For a increasing number of homeowners, housing debt is forcing a tough situation into a dangerous one; creating a “foreclosure crisis” that will likely last many years more.

Several months ago, current numbers released by the Government are showing an alarming growth in the rate of foreclosures. In some areas, of all home owners who were extended sub-prime loans, the rate of default is as high as 14-20% when 4-6% is considered “healthy”.

This data has been all over the news — the sub-prime market has been in upheaval. Sub-prime loan officers are usually experienced in extending financing to borrowers with credit problems, unable to verify income, employment or other factors that make them a poor fit for traditional financing. In the past few months, many major players in the sub-prime market have sought additional investors or in some cases simply closed their doors and gone out of business. Just as their clients were unable to afford the escalating costs of living, many sub-prime lenders found it impossible to absorb the rate of default we are now seeing.

The major issue doesn’t stop with the sub-prime market. Even traditional lenders are increasing requirements and placing more scrutiny on the loan approval process. This begs the questions of how did this problem with foreclosures ever begin in the first place?

A fair amount of the responsibility can be laid at the feet of the homeowners themselves. In this age of "big is best" many Americans see a big home as an indicator of success. This pushes many buyers into trying to own a bigger, more expensive home without enough thought to being able to afford one. Often buyers push the levels of affordability and end up in a difficult situation or worse.

Blame can also be attributed to some financial institutions. Who is better informed as to how much house debt a borrower can afford? The current debt-to-income ratios are either broken, or the types of loans that lenders are offering are poor choices. Loans like 28/2 and 27/3 loans with fixed teaser rates that adjust after 2 or 3 years with a balloon or margin are just a few of the loans that have presented problems for borrowers.

Of course the ultimate result will be better qualified and better educated homeowners but did things really have to go so far? We've seen foreclosre problems hit most of the large regions we work including St. Charles real estate, Batavia real estate, Geneva real estate and Yorkville real estate. Frankly, I sometimes think they did. Lately it seems like it takes a good deal of shock to get some things back on track. In the mean time, if you are thinking of purchasing real estate in the next few years, it’s important that you start speaking with your local REALTOR or financial professional and make sure your finances and credit scores are in order before you go forward with applying for a loan.

How to qualify for working from home

The SciTech era is not only shaping our social progress, but it is changing our working habits as well. These days due the influence of Internet in our lives, the style of working has also been highly revolutionized. Different national companies as well as multi national corporations have started hiring people who work from their homes.

People are working online for the companies as part time or full time employees from their homes and drawing handsome salaries. Moreover the best part is that you are your own boss in a free work at home job. Work at home jobs can make a huge difference in your career development. Many computer-driven businesses are growing efficiently by encouraging several options of work at home jobs.

Some opportunities are there which offer free work at home opportunity and some require an investment. To qualify for working at home job you just need to fulfill some standard requirements. These mostly include a PC and an internet connection. But there are also some work at home jobs which require an amount of investment at the beginning. For instance, the organization may ask you to pay some amount of money during the training period as their training fees and after completion of the training period you will start earning yourself. A major drawback of work at home jobs is the possibility of frauds.

If you search through the Internet there are plenty of free work at home jobs. But to work from home you need the three Ds – Desire, Dedication and Determination. When you are working at home you do not have anyone bossing you around. Moreover you can do your work according to your own time schedule. But this also demands your total dedication and determination to improve. For this you first need to find a job that has the ingredients of your interests. This is where the desire to work will arise.

The basic things that are required to qualify for working at home job are basic knowledge of the industry you want to operate in, a computer with good speed and memory, Internet connection at home. You should have efficient knowledge of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. One also needs to have a good knowledge of using the Internet.

To work from home one needs to be very serious about his or her work. If you have opted for free work at home job, you must make sure that you can work undisturbed and provide quality output or result. Your reputation and the quality of your service would ensure continuous jobs to sustain your livelihood. While on the upside you get to spend a lot of time with your family, the downside is that too much of family involvement and interference can hamper your work at home performance.

Attitude of negligence towards work just because it could be done any time should not be there. To perform work at home job efficiently, one needs to determine a particular time for working and should stick to it. If you work with complete dedication, the determination to complete the work in time will definitely happen.

You can apply online for free work at home jobs with proper information about the company and your detailed profile. If the companies or organizations like your profile, then they will respond with a work at home job offer. You can also work for more than one company when you are working at home. This way it becomes more than just a work at home job option. If done well it can turn into a profitable work at home business.

York region

York Region has a population of over 870,000 people and covers an area of over 1,750 square kilometres. Sitting between Peel Region in the West and Durham region in the east, York Region consists of the Cities of Markham and Vaughan, with the townships of Aurora, East Gwillimbury, King, Newmarket, Richmond Hill and Whitchurch-Stouffville.

The two main population centers are the Cities of Markham and Vaughan. Both Cities have average populations with Markham being the largest in the Region with over 220,000. Markham is renowned for being the Hi Tech capital of Canada with several high profile corporate head offices making the city their home. The city is modern with excellent healthcare and schooling. Vaughan has one particular claim to fame in being directly north of Toronto, making them “above” the main city. This too is a rapidly expanding city with great facilities and plenty of new communities springing up.

The York Region is host to over 25,000 businesses which provide 400,000 jobs - a number that is growing by approximately 20,000 per year at current rates. With close proximity to the Pearson International airport and a young, well educated workforce, York Region is one of the fastest growing regions of the GTA and is very popular with Immigrants. The York Region Transit system connects most communities within the Region to each other and the Toronto GO Transit system to give a very effective public transport network.

The Region administers the Healthcare and Education following the Provincial guidelines. The York Region District School Board and the York Region Catholic District School Board are responsible for the day to day operations of the Region's schools - all of which can be contacted via these sites.

The Town Of Aurora - With a population of over 43,000, the Town of Aurora is another rapidly expanding town. The population is young and has a high average income (compared to most Canadian towns) of around $110,000 per household. The housing is fairly expensive though with an average price of a single family detached home being over $370,000 two years ago!

There is a large variety of employers in the town and it is also commutable to the Toronto downtown core. This gives a low unemployment level of 4% in 2001 with the majority of employment in management/business, finance and sciences/technology. Manufacturing and retail are the other big areas of employment. To research all the businesses currently operating in the town go to the chamber of commerce site via the towns Economic Development Division page on the Town website.

The town itself is a historical place with plenty of old buildings with lots of character. With close proximity to both the big city of Toronto and the rural areas, Aurora provides excellent recreational opportunities to its residents. This ranges from parks, playgrounds and pedestrian trails to championship golf courses, fine dining and theatre. A full recreational program is offered in the Town which will soon be augmented by a new state of the art Recreation Centre.

The Town Of East Gwillimbury is a semi rural area located only half an hours drive from Toronto. Another historic area with settlement dating back to the 1700's, the population is now over 20,000 and growing.

Again, East Gwillimbury has an excellent array of recreational facilities including arena's, trails, play parks and over 135 acres of parkland. There are ice rinks, outdoor sports pitches, the usual golf courses and for the less active a 16 screen movie theatre.

There are a wide variety of employers in the town providing ample employment and the new GO Transit station gives good access to the city. The population also enjoys an above average household income.

The Town Of Georgina is the most northerly area of the York Region and is made up of several smaller communities. Situated on the South eastern shores of Lake Simcoe, the communities of Georgina have plenty of beaches and open space - especially with the area being known as "Getaway Country".

The lake offers up year round recreation including swimming, boating, canoeing, fishing and ice fishing to name a few. On top of this the great outdoors is all around and the communities have good facilities. Some of the more prominent communities are Keswick, Sutton, Udora, Jacksons Point and Port Bolster.

Most employment seems to be in the local services and tourism sector though full research can be carried out through the chamber of commerce website.

The Township Of King is home to around 20,000 people and is a fairly rural area. Famous for the Holland Marsh - a fertile area that produces most of the Provinces fresh vegetables - most industry is based upon the support of agriculture. There are a lot of Horse breeders in the area along with livestock and dairy farms. There is some light industry and the Seneca College campus is located on the former Easton estate.

As with most Canadian towns, King has good sporting and leisure facilities including golf courses, trails, parks and 3 arena's. Most facilities are pay as you use - more details can be found on the township website. The Township has a rich history dating back to the aboriginal peoples and then the western settlers in the late 1600's. A museum is now dedicated to the area's history and will be well worth a visit.

There are excellent transport links to Toronto and it's only around 40 minutes to drive to Pearson International airport (south). A prosperous town, the average income back in 1996 was over 97,000 with an unemployment rate of 5%. In the 8 years since I can only see that the average income would rise to over $100,000 per household.

The Town Of Newmarket is another large town with a population of over 73,000 that is growing fairly quickly. Over 70% of the population are under 45 years old. With all the amenities you would expect for a big town, Newmarket is home to the York Region Administrative Headquarters, the Provincial Court and the District 1 Police HQ.

The Southlake regional health centre is a fully equipped modern hospital with plans for expansion. These combine to make local government the highest employer in the area. On top of this, the local business community is growing at over 3.5% each year with retail stores and manufacturing companies having a large presence. Use the links on the town site to go to the Chamber of Commerce site for the full listing of businesses.

For recreation purposes there is a full program of sports and activities with the new Ray Twinney Rec. centre having two arena's and an indoor pool. There are several other arena's, pools and rinks in the town as well as a youth centre with a fully equipped skatepark. All the usual outdoor activities are available in the area including hiking, cross country skiing and golf. For the less energetic, the Upper Canada Mall is an impressive 1 million square feet of shops which should pacify even the most hardy shopper!

House prices are reasonable for Ontario with the average in 2001 being $242,000 for a single family detached home. Being located close to Toronto brings obvious benefits with great transport links including the GTA GO Transit system. The York Region Transit system also operates in the town. Highway 404 will direct you to the downtown area of Toronto in around 30 minutes and Pearson International airport is only an hour away. Buttonville airport in nearby Markham is useful for lighter regional aircraft.

The Town Of Richmond Hill is one of the fastest growing large municipalities in Canada and has a population of over 158,000. Situated directly North of Toronto, (between Markham and Vaughan), Richmond Hill is ideally located for commuting and access to the city for recreation or onward travel. As with the other municipalities, Richmond Hill has the York Transit, Toronto Transit Commission and the GTA GO Transit networks providing great options for transport.

Richmond Hill is renowned for its world class high tech manufacturing and research companies with the lowest R&D taxes in the G7 group of countries. Major international IT companies like Lexmark and Compaq are headquartered here along with MGI software and Shaw Communications. The young population provide a well educated workforce and with the average cost of housing lower than most other areas of the GTA is a popular place to settle.

Recreational opportunities are plentiful with Lake Wilcox providing aqautic fun along with the Lois Hancy Wave Pool and over a hundred parks for jogging, cycling and hiking. Golfers are well catered for and there are movie theatres, the enormous central Library and the David Dunlop Observatory for the less active.

The Town Of Whitchurch-Stouffville is a collection of smaller communities and rural areas and was established in 1792. Located some 24 Km North of Toronto it is on the Eastern/Central side of York Region. There is a population of around 24,000 who enjoy pleasant countryside with farms and equestrian facilities along with the small urban centres.

The area has good transportation links with the York Region Transit and the GTA GO Transit networks. Only 30 minutes from Pearson and 15 to Buttonville airports means you can soon be on your travels.

The major employers are in the Business and personal services sector with the area experiencing a healthy 8.5% growth rate. Only 3% of the population remains unemployed.

A modern Hospital opened in 1990 and with good schools, a library and Museum there are plenty of facilities. The York-Durham heritage railway runs through the area with several stops and there are plenty of golf courses and recreational programs.

For more detailed information and great links please go to onestopimmigration-canada. com/york_region. html

Domestic violence dr jekyll or mr hyde

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde a two in one package, that springs to mind every time I hear of another case of domestic violence. How many men/women can relate to this personality disorder in their partner?

There are no excuses for the people who inflict pain on another human being. It was a deadly potion concocted by the famous Dr Jekyll that led to the actions of the notorious Mr Hyde where innocent victims perished. For those victims there were no choices whether they lived or died all because they were unaware of what was around the corner.

You the victim of domestic violence have no corners to turn, at least you know when to expect the next punch or kick in the head. How much longer will you go on making excuses for the broken bones and bruises? How long before permanent damage is done, if not already. Believe me when I say the situation can only get worse unless you act now and get help.

How can you ever be happy being on the receiving end of a clenched fist and god forbid should there be any children in this abusive relationship, I urge you even more to get out. There will always be the nice side to that person you once thought you knew, but niceness is not enough to overpower evil.

You still have life for the time being; do not let anyone speed up an early grave for you

Right now there is a fortunate patient being treated for cuts and bruises at the AE unit spinning yarns to cover up for their abuser. Doctors are not stupid especially when these one off visits become regular. Then we have the less fortunate lying on a cold mortuary slab.

Family members and friends are the first to notice all the signs of domestic violence, and should they voice their opinion on the matter it is because they care and are concerned for your safety.

Domestic violence can blind the victim into believing that they deserve this sort of punishment. Poppycock, no woman/man deserves to be beaten by the hands of another.

Fear plays an important why many victims do not take action in getting out of the abusive relationship. If you are looking for a way out then do not hesitate to talk to a help group. Even the law is on your side so you see you are not alone.

Approx 1 million women a year suffer in silence at the hands of their abuser but manage to escape with their lives.

It is known that approx four million American women a year experience an assault from their partners

Most common perpetrator in many domestics in the home is the man. For your own safety listen to the people who want to help. Believe it when I say, no woman is as physically strong as the male species so this is one battle you are never going to win when it comes down to fisty cuffs.

Why put up with the torture of not knowing which identity your partner is going take on for the night. Will it be Jekyll or Hyde?

Back to the fear factor, you have two options. You can continue to still live in fear and beaten or leave and be feared with out the beatings. You get to choose.

Many of the abused who leave their partners will always be apprehensive and in some unfortunate cases where the victim is mentally scarred may live in fear for the rest of their lives. But with the help of family friends and help groups the fear can become a thing of the past. Claim back your pride with help and guidance then maybe you can go out and live your life to the full.

Help groups deal with domestic violence on a daily basis and are there to help you in your fight for liberation.

Love is a misunderstanding between two fools I have heard say, and in an abusive relationship one gets to be an idiot. You have the idiot who slays or the idiot who stays.

Check my information page if you feel the time is right to make a stand and get out. benidormbeaches. com