A rare bird indeed for bird watchers the atlantic puffin

For most bird watching enthusiast, keeping an eye out for a rare sighting is of great importance. Sighting an Atlantic Puffin is just such rare sighting A Rare Bird Indeed For Bird Watchers – The Atlantic Puffin Observing an Atlantic Puffin is a bird watcher’s golden egg because they are not prevalent in the world. As the name suggests, they can only be found on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and only during certain times of the year. If you are building a life list, this is a bird that will set you apart from others. The Atlantic Puffin is a beautiful bird, a member of the Auk family of birds. A seabird, this little bird is a fisher in the ocean, often diving 50 feet or more to catch dinner. It is marked by its white lower body, which contrasts with a midnight black back and wings. The head is black topped with white around the eyes and extending to the beak. The beak is a cornucopia of sweeping colors with yellow, black and red being the dominant pigments. This little beauty is the only member of the Puffin family of birds found in the Atlantic. It is typically found in northern reaches, from Maine up through the artic and down through northern Europe. Occasionally, the Puffin will range as far south as North Carolina on the coast of North America, but not often. For bird watcher’s in the continental United States and elsewhere, this makes the bird a sighting worth having. The Atlantic Puffin is a bird that seems to teeter back and forth between population problems. In the 1800s, the bird was under serious pressure due to the harvesting of its eggs by humansing to shore to mate in cliff outcrops, the female laid only one egg. The losses thus were substantial and the bird nearly disappeared. Recently, populations have begun to grow again, but now new threats exist. Gulls and rat populations are once again threatening the breading grounds of these exquisite birds. Conservation efforts are fighting back and populations are at least remaining steady with some studies suggesting they are actually growing at a rate of five to ten percent. If the opportunity presents itself, a birding expedition to sight the Atlantic Puffin is definitely worth a go. The birds have a relatively small onshore territory, which makes them a fairly rare find for the avid birder.

Los angeles private investigation

Basic Information on Los Angeles Private Investigation Private investigation is said to be one of the boomers in the next five years within America. Meaning, it is being forecasted that in the following years, there may either be too much budding of agencies that could provide this service or that there would be quite many individuals who would channel their expertise to private investigation. Usually though, private investigators are retired police officers. There is not much problem on this except on the proficiency that is needed to accomplish each case. Private investigation is now largely becoming a new option for people who cannot seem to take the monotony of corporate living. This is also a good option for those who continuously seek adventure and thrill. This way, they do not only have a high-paying job but they are also likely to find the adventures that they have always dreamed of. Don’t be fooled though with the normal perception that people get with private investigation lifestyle. While it is true that they are in for danger, this still doesn’t mean that they are always at the verge of death or something harmful. Remember that the case they are resolving goes anywhere from divorce and other related incidences like infidelity or cheating husbands and wives to stalkers, investigation on financial concerns, personal background checks, and identity theft. Thus, they are not only bounded on government issues that we normally witness in films. In fact, it is rare that the government hires private investigators to do works for them. It has large resources enough to train and produce exceptional investigators that would help them with their own issues. If you are lucky (or unlucky) enough, you might find yourself dealing with dangerous matters that would really test the limits of your private investigation prowess. Los Angeles seems to have made itself into a popular city where various people encounter to bring business or to serve in business. Like most places, when one becomes a pool of various concerns, it is easier to find conflict than not. But don’t think as if it has already transformed itself into a "sin city" where private investigation on crimes and the likes is the most lucrative business. Besides, private investigation is not exactly the very thing that most films made us believe in. While investigators are paid for their services, it is rare that they get millions of cash or bulks of jewels as reward or payment for their accomplished works. Anyone, so long as he or she is willing and has enough resources, can pay you according to the deal. Gathering large sum rarely happens but is not impossible. Thus, the services of a Los Angeles private investigation team are very much in demand. And with the convergence of money-centered people and lucrative opportunities, various dilemmas in the city occur. If you happen to have found yourself into some sort of trouble, there will always be a private investigation unit in Los Angeles that could back you up with specific assistance. Contrary to what is popularly believed into, private investigation requires some formal training. In fact, there are multiple requirements that must first be passed before one can become a private investigator in Los Angeles. A normal practice though so that one could get around the process of undergoing formal training is to open a franchise wherein you are provided with all the needs you are required to present.

Virginia schools hail successes and fund challenges

Virginia Schools recently received national acclaim for some of its successful schools. Newsweek released its list of the top 5% of schools in the nation, and 87 Virginia Schools made the cut. Eleven Virginia Schools made the top 100, and an additional two were included in the list of the “public elites.” Those two were Maggie Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Both were included because of the higher than average SAT and ACT scores of their students. Virginia Schools achieve these results while spending about $7,751 annually per pupil. This puts the state right in the middle for national spending. Clearly some good results are coming from some of the efforts of Virginia Schools. But there are still some big concerns and certain gaps. Like the rest of the country, Virginia Schools struggle with an achievement gap for minority students. African-American and other minority students consistently score lower as a group on standardized tests. Socioeconomic factors have proven to dramatically effect a student’s academic success. One way that the Virginia Schools are trying to remedy this problem is through a partnership with the ECMC Foundation. In 2003 the ECMC and the Virginia Department of Education teamed up to create the Virginia ECMC Scholars Program to “increase participation in postsecondary education by economically or otherwise disadvantaged students, and to challenge these students to better prepare during the junior and senior years of high school.” 2007 will be the fifth cycle of funding and the ECMC has upped its pledge for Virginia Schools to $3 million dollars in scholarships, mentoring stipends and program funding. Participants in the programs are selected from Virginia Schools at the end of their sophomore year. What makes this scholarship program different is that educators select students they know. Anonymous strangers who base the decision on faceless essays or a qualifications list choose participants in most other scholarship programs. ECMC and Virginia Schools select children based on future potential rather than past grades. The participants are mentored and tutored through their junior and senior years to bring out their best potential. Ten Virginia Schools were selected on basis of need, and the program is funded through 2009. Privately funded programs like the Virginia ECMC Scholars Program are one way that Virginia Schools hope to close the achievement gap and propel the state school system forward. Virginia had its own testing system in place (Virginia Standards of Learning) prior to the 2001 No Child Left Behind Initiative. But the national mandate implemented class size and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) markers for every school in the nation. Pressure for students to meet passing marks in both Virginia Schools and across the nation has been intense. Educators and politicians continue to debate the merits and pitfalls of standardized testing as a way to raise learning standards in the nation.

World cup 2006 review semi finals final

The World Cup is over for another four years and it was Italy, rather than hosts Germany or a rejuvenated France, that were crowned World champions. Here is a short round up of the semi final, third and fourth place play off and the final itself to complete BetBonus. co. uk’s comprehensive coverage of the greatest tournament in the world. Semi Finals Germany vs Italy was arguably the best match of the tournament. Both are traditionally defensive sides but this year have shown attacking prowess like never before. The match was goalless at 90 minutes, proving the cautious bookmaker’s called the draw correctly at meagre 2/1 odds but the match was not without incident. Alberto Gilardino’s effort rebounded off the post and Gianluca Zambrotta's drive struck the bar. Lukas Podolski led the German attacking threat, missing the header from David Odonkor's cross and forcing a brilliant one handed save from Gianluigi Buffon. The match was heading for penalties until two goals in the final two minutes of the game stunned the hosts. Impressive left back Fabio Gross hit an unstoppable first time shot and a minute later substitute Alessandro Del Piero collected a pass and struck firmly into the top corner beyond the advancing Jens Lehmann to send the Italians into the final. France, at odds of 5/4 eased themselves into the final after beating a disappointing Portugal side 1-0. Zinedine Zidane struck a decisive penalty after 33 minutes after Thierry Henry was tripped inside the box by Ricardo Carvalho. Third / Fourth Place Play Off Germany finished the tournament in third place, comfortably beating Portugal 3-1 and ensuring they were one of the safest bets of the tournament at odds of 3/4. After a goalless first half Bastian Schweinsteiger stuck a long range effort after 55 minutes and Armando Petit deflected in another Schweinsteiger effort from distance, this time a low free kick. The Bayern Munich midfielder fired in another long range goal 13 minutes from time to seal victory for the hosts but Oliver Kahn, winning his eighty sixth and final Germany cap, was denied a clean sheet as Nuno Gomes headed in a consolation two minutes from time. Final Italy were crowned World Champions after a faultless penalty shoot out display but the match will be best remembered for Zinedine Zidane getting himself sent off in his last appearance for France. Zidane put France ahead after seven minutes from the penalty spot and became only the fourth player to score three goals in World Cup final matches, joining Geoff Hurst of England and both Vava and Pele of Brazil in this exclusive club. His goal also ended Italy's clean sheet streak of four matches, one short of the World Cup best set by the Italian side of 1990. France struggled to cope with Italy’s set pieces and Marco Materazzi headed in from Andrea Pirlo’s corner to draw level after 19 minutes. With the match level at 1-1 after 90 minutes at even skinner draw odds of 9/5 how ironic that the two goalscorers would be embroiled in controversy with the match heading for a penalty shoot out. After 109 minutes, Zidane was sent off for head butting Materazzi after the former Everton defender seemingly said something to offend the veteran Frenchman. No further goals were scored and five weeks of action would be determined on penalties, but it was the Italians who would vanquish the demons of 1994 and emerge victorious. Andrea Pirlo scored for Italy and Sylvain Wiltord drew the French level. Marco Materazzi scored but substitute David Trezeguet cannoned his effort off the crossbar. Daniele De Rossi put Italy 3-1 ahead but Eric Abidal scored to make it 3-2. Alesanndro Del Piero scored and so did Willy Sagnol. With the score at 4-3 in Italy’s favour, Fabio Grosso could win the Cup with a successful spot kick. He duly obliged and Italy won the match and indeed the World Cup, 5-3 on penalties.

Acne skin care centers

Many skin care centers focus on treating acne and keeping it under control. The focus of such establishments is not symptomatic treatment but overall control and prevention. This often includes stress management, lifestyle advice, and personal counseling. While the modus operandi may vary from center to center, most of them provide certain standard services. For instance, almost all acne care centers advocate the use of retinoids (which are Vitamin A-based) to prevent abnormal skin cell proliferation. Others will employ the use of therapeutic light (or photodynamic) therapy. All of them will include hygiene and exercise in their program, and quite a few even offer acne surgery where extensive scarring has taken place. This last option is, of course, a highly specialized medical field and can therefore, if advocated, be seriously considered at a certified acne care center. Medical experts at these centers will also emphasize proper liver function, dietary adjustments, soundness of the digestive system and overall internal health. Depending on the orientation of its treatment program, the center will employ either pharmacological, homeopathic or organic (natural) treatment modules or subtle combinations of all of them. There are various center specializing in acne care and treatment in America including the American Dermatology Center, Perfect Skin Laser Center, and the Fayces Skin Care Center. People who feel that their acne needs overall professional care should contact an acne care center.

How to learn german fast

: The following tips to learn German are personal recommendations that you probably won't get from a teacher. But it is worth giving them a try. Picture Dictionaries Picture Dictionaries are books that differ significantly from what you would expect from a regular dictionary. They are made up of different themes - such as "At the airport" or "in the supermarket". They will show many pictures - mostly things and situations that fit this specific theme and mention the words below the picture in English and German - and maybe many other languages. You might think this is just for kids. But any adult can get such a great deal of information out of a picture dictionary. It makes learning fun, visual and context sensitive. Most people learn better in a visual way. So these mostly 2-sided themes will help you tremendously because they summarize the most relevant vocabulary for a theme clustered together with pictures that are fun to look at and to browse through. I use them myself regularly and it just doesn't feel like you are learning - it's as relaxing as going through a magazine. But the amount of content you pick up this way is amazing. Think of it: It resembles much more reality than learning pairs of printed words. A word is just an abstraction of something real. So when you are learning pairs of words you are dealing with two abstractions tied together. However, we tend to think in pictures. Your mind has to do two things: Translate the picture in your mind to an English word, translate the English word into the German word by looking up that word pair you memorized. So when you look in picture dictionaries you get the words associated directly with pictures in your mind. Sometimes a picture dictionary is the only way to explain a certain thing to a non-native speaker, because in many situations we cannot explain what we mean even in our own language - particularly certain types of food or special technical terminology. Advertisements Another unusual way to learn German - as well as any language is through advertisements. Why ads? Because ads are made by professional marketing experts for just one thing: Transport a message clearly and quickly and get in your memory and make you remember it. That's exactly what you want when you learn a language. A teacher or a textbook author does not come close to the effectiveness of the communication professionals in the agencies. So while you may not like to be bothered by ads in your own language you should take a look at them in the language you want to learn. Certain phrases will store themselves in your brain instantly remain in your memory for a long time. Most of them are short, funny and easy to remember. Eh, it's advertisement isn't it? Picture Associations When you hear a word in German that does not resemble anything you know in English try to think if this word reminds you of anything funny or strange that your know. The more unusual the association the better. Consider the German word 'Kissen' which means 'pillow'. Just think of yourself kissing your girlfriend/boyfriend on a pillow. This association makes sense and is easy to memorize. The best thing: It involves emotions. Emotions are a great accelerator for memorizing and remembering things. It doesn't even have to be positive emotions. Negative feelings work as well. Anything that is not boring will make you remember the words you wanted to remember. What You Should NOT Do Although it might seem tempting DO NOT use music and song lyrics to learn German or any other foreign language. Most songs contain either a form of dialect, inappropriate slang or rude language. Many songs play with language by falsifying it and twisting it around. Some use very old-fashioned and poetry-style language. So don't use it. Don't read German newspapers. Most of them are very political and use a terminology which is extremely hard to understand. The sentences are extremely long, so usually when you get to the end you cannot remember how it started. Newspapers are clearly for the advanced language learner. So please stay away from them in the beginning. This article was first published in our German Language Knowledge Base.

What is hdtv

: Some satellite TV providers, such as Dish Network, offer HDTV receivers with their packages. But many people don’t know what it means to have HDTV. Here is some insight. High Definition TeleVision is what HDTV literally means. But high definition compared to what? In order to answer this question, we need to know a bit about the original analog TV system. Analog TV 30 images per second (in Europe 25) are shown by normal analog TV sets. It does this by writing image lines horizontally, 525 lines in one image (In Europe 625) on the screen. The number of pixels on one line is about 500. This would be a definition of 500 pixels per line by 525 (or 625) linespared to modern computer monitors this is really bad. Even the lowest resolutions monitors have higher resolutions (640 x 480) than an analog TV. HDTV - High Definition TeleVision HDTV is high resolution Digital TeleVision (DTV) combined with Dolby Digital Surround Sound (AC-3). There are 18 different formats defined for Digital TV of which 6 are considered to be HDTV. The difference between Progressive and Interlaced is not difficult. It has to do with how one image is built up. With interlaced technology the odd lines are shown first and then the even lines are shown. The lines are shown in this order: 1,3,5,….521, 523, 525, 2, 4, 6,…. 522, 524, 1, 3, etc. This means that every 1/60 of a second a half image is shown. This often results in flickering, which can be tiring for the eyes. Progressive technology manages to show a whole image every 1/60 of a second, resulting in a much smoother picture. How Is HDTV Better? Normal TV has a resolution of about 210.000 pixels. An HDTV screen has a resolution of upto 2.000.000 pixels, which gives up to 10 times more picture detail. The aspect ration of normal TV is 4 x 3 (4/3 times wider than high). An HDTV screen has an aspect ration of 16 x 9, which is also known as wide screen. The Future of HDTV The FCC (Federal Communications Committee) has mandated that all TV stations in the USA have to be able to broadcast HDTV programs by the year 2006. The mandates of the FCC do not have an impact on just the broadcast companies, but also on cable companies and consumers. Broadcast companies have to invest on new equipment like cameras, editing equipment, etc. Cable companies have to convert all of their equipment, including receivers at the homes of their clients. Consumers may have to buy new equipment, like a top-box to convert digital signals back to analog signals, or even buy a whole new TV set. HDTV is the future, and a really big step forward. We once started with simple black and white TV, then moved to color TV, and wide screen TV. But all those systems were still based on the same signals as the original black and white TV used. When color TV was introduced it was not possible to force the complete population to throw away their black and white TV-sets and buy a color TV set. Therefore a color TV signal still needed to be understandable for a black and white TV. This prohibited the improvement of picture quality until the age of Digital TV. The need to satisfy older TV sets no longer exists and the much higher quality HDTV is available via Satellite TV Systems, including Dish Network. For more free and helpful information on Satellite TV, how to find the best deal, and how to set it up, visit dish-network-satellite-tv. ws/

Who is selfish

Who is not selfish in this world? Are all of us selfish? Do we always think of ourselves first? Will you call me selfish even if I donate a large part of my earnings? When will you call me a selfish person, and when will you say that I am not selfish? For that which qualities are needed in me? One more question - is selfishness bad always? Could the world have gone so forward if people were not selfish? Selfishness and selflessness, these two words can make us think about our society, our values, the world in bigger perspective, and ourselves. Let us begin. A family earns money first to feed itself. If something extra is left, it may give a part to the society. It is for the family to decide about how much it will save for itself first and when and how much part of its surplus will it give to the society. If a family decides to save at least a year's expenses for itself and begin donating only after that, will you call it selfish? This is very subjective assessment. Am I correct? Another family, which has saved nothing for itself but begun donating, can call the earlier family selfish, and the earlier family can advise the second family to save for the rainy days first. This all sounds so confusing. For example let us talk of two very good friends. One of them forgets to bring a very essential thing to the examination, say - a calculator. He/she requests the best friend to lend a calculator for the examination, but the other friend refuses. Which of these two friends is selfish? The person who is requesting the calculator after forgetting to bring it, or the person who refuses to lend it? How much for myself and how much for you? This question comes at a very stage of our life. For example - parents will not know how to divide if all the children want the same piece of cake. Every one of us has his/her opinion on this subject. It is our values and emotions that govern our definition of selfishness. Some of us may think nothing of giving away our life for fellow countrymen and some of us horde so much wealth for themselves that they do not know what to do with that. One can keep on talking and presenting arguments and examples infinitum, but no two persons will agree about this subject fully, because their perceptions are different.

Ecommerce selling to the world

Think about this. You are planning to engage in “eCommerce”, to take your business online. So, you need to learn a new set of business rules, a new way of doing things, because online business is “different”, right? Well, actually, no, not really. You still have a product or service to sell. You still have a store with a shop “window” (your website) and you still need the customers to visit your store, in order to buy whatever it is that you are selling. The only major difference is that (continuing the analogy) your local store window can only be seen by a small group of people, whereas your online business can be seen by the whole world. By engaging in eCommerce, you can take your business “global”. For many businesses, this is truly an advantage, representing a wonderful opportunity. But that is not the case for everyone, particularly for companies who sell a physical , tangible product. When planning to go online, therefore, you should spend some time thinking about your product and exactly who your target market is, because this will be a crucial factor in determining whether your venture is a success or a failure. What it is that you plan to market on your eCommerce enabled website, and who will want to buy it? Some products will, by their very nature, not be totally suited to a world wide market. Pork based food products for example, will not be popular in Muslim countries, nor will wine, whisky or beer. Sales of open toed sandals may be disappointing in Iceland, Greenland and the frozen polar North. Secondly, give very careful thought about how you will get your product to the customer. For example, if you were to make laser toner cartridges in Asia (as one of my client companies does) there is absolutely no sense in trying to sell one or two cartridges at a time to a customer in the USA, because of the cost of delivery. So, if your product is bulky or heavy, selling outside your locale may not be practical. Furthermore, you need to consider that, whilst most countries use the same Standard International Trade Classification (S. I.T. C) codes for deciding on how much import duty to levy on a particular product, the actual duty to be paid varies from country to country, and such variations can (and will) lead to disputes. Again, using my client as an example, they sold a consignment of toner cartridges to a customer in Finland, which got held up in Customs for several weeks on arrival in Helsinki, because of a dispute over the Import Duties to be paid. Whilst this was not the fault of my client or his customer, nevertheless, the result was an unhappy customer, who obviously did not become a regular customer. Likewise, if you plan on selling a service online, can that service be provided outside your local area in such a way that you still make money? Do you need to have one of your own staff actually work with the customer (in which case, you need to stay local) or can the work be easily subcontracted on a global basis? Would it be easy to find such a local subcontractor capable of supplying your advertised service in such a way that both you and the customer are happy? How much would such a subcontractor cost? Unless you can get positive answers to all of these questions, then, again, it may pay you to keep your services local, rather than overreaching, in order to become a global player. The simple truth is that, whilst the global nature of the internet allows you so sell to the whole world, it is the nature of your product or service that will ultimately decide whether this is practical for your potential customers, and profitable for you, or not. To read more, webbiz99.com/ecommerce/

Danger our kids health is at risk

: The American nation on the whole faces a very serious problem at present. It is obesity. Now matter how much time adults spend in the gym, it will not change the situation much till we do not pay attention to the need of physical activity for our children who are going to track the risk factor from childhood to adolescence and, finally, adulthood. The problem of nation’s overweight is to be dealt with starting with the youngest representatives of our society. The American children, one in eight being obese, are on the verge of such health outcomes as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension. And this are only a few to mention. This is dangerous as unhealthy children will grow up into unhealthy adults. So far, the effort of the officials to promote physical actibvities in children has not brought evident results. On the contrary, countless social, cultural and environmental factors have caused the increase of sedentary life style in children. The public opinion poll's results are sad and clear: the children at present prefer watching television and playing video games to going for sports. The hours kids spend on this useless pastime reach up to 25-27 a week. Average kid though spends only 14 minutes a day on physical activity! And we cannot blame them as our schools are very poor at providing children with sufficient physical training. Of course, there are physical education classes at school. But however ridiculous it might sound, they are more into theory rather than drawing kids into physical activity (sports). It feels for teachers and instructors together with parents more safe for children’s safety. And lack of play grounds is another negative factor. To achieve sufficient results every parent, teacher and all the agencies and persoanlities involved this way or that should show team approach do his/her best to:

• limit time children spend on watching TV and playing computer games
• to raise kids’ interest in active games by playing with them during recess at school and physical education classes
• take measures to assure the kids’ health and life are safe during the physical activity

Role of the parents in raising interest for physical activity in their children is under question the social quests tell. According to the recent data, the fact that both parents are involved actively in sports and healthful way of living in general does not mean that their offspring are as much active if active at all. Maybe being too busy with their own fitness program or whatever, they leave their kids’ physical activity life up to school staff. On the other hand, if youngsters are forced to take physical training, they are more likely too ignore physical activities when they are grown up. This issue is to be taken care of with great delicacy, first of all on the parents’ part who must choose playful form of exercising to encourage their kids to be active. Playing in the backyard with kids or even fooling around with them in the house can become an excellent alternative to the bring and, unfortunately, useless physical training classes. And short 5-10 minutes active breaks during a day will give your kid necessary 30 minutes activity a day. In addition, do the following to support your children:

• don’t hesitate to tell a kid again and again and again that he is really good at this or that activity
• encourage regular physical activity no matter where a child is: at home, school, etc.
• give preference to the activities that the child enjoys and never force him.
• Don’t forget about the individual approach and choose an activity adequate for a child

The significant effect can be achieved only if the measures are taken by all the institutions related to a child, that is as much by an educational institution as by a family. And as earlier we start the physical education of a child in the full meaning of these words, as better the result will be. So, promoting physical education in primary school must become an every-day life issue. In conclusion, it is necessary to underline that to sustain health of the nation children must have adequate conditions for sport and physical activities in general. And traditional models of physical training are proved to be ineffective, therefore, are to be substituted for modern ways to encourage love for healthy living. Children and their families must kept informed about al the progressive innovations in physical activity and stimulated to make them part of their routine. This measures will serve to awake healthy behaviors in our children which is so needed to improve the health situation in the country. You can read more at children's health system articles.

What is the right garden style for you wildlife garden

I am lucky enough to live in a rural area within easy reach of various country footpaths, which take you through different natural habitats. There are woodland walks, a coastal path, grassland areas and one or two large ponds with all the associated wildlife. Each area has it's own natural beauty and the wild plants can easily compete in shape form and colour with the cultivated varieties. When planning a wildlife garden it is a good idea to visit any country walks or parks in your area, so that you can get an idea of what natural species grow there, and the type of wildlife that lives in your area. You can then plan your garden around what is found naturally in your neighbourhood. To attract birds you need to provide plants that offer shelter, food and nesting spaces. Along with this you should incorporate water for them to drink. This can either be in the form of a pond, ornamental bird baths or simply tubs filled with water scattered around the garden. There are plenty of plants that can be grown in your garden that are both attractive and good food sources for the local bird population. Mountain ash (Rowan) provides an abundance of berries in the autumn which birds love. Dog woods, pheasant berry, viburnum and cotoneasters will also provide your birds with berries. Perennials flowers provide seeds for other birds. Sunflowers are a good example of these. Birds that visit your garden feed in different ways and levels, so you will want to provide plants of differing heights. Robins will scavenge on the ground looking for worms, grubs and insects. Finches and other seed eaters will be in amongst your perennials looking for seeds. Some birds such as woodpeckers prefer to be up in the tree tops. Along with birds there is plenty of other wildlife that you can attract to your garden. Butterfly's are no longer as common as they once were, so why not plant something like lavender, geraniums, hebe or a buddleja (Butterfly Bush) or two to attract them. These plants not only provide butterfly's with food, but also produce attractive flowers, and in some cases a pleasant fragrance throughout the summer. Bees are another form of wildlife that has been having problems in the last few years. Many people are nervous of bees, but they are in fact gentle creatures and will not sting unless provoked. Potentilla, penstemons, heathers, Lamium and ceanothus are always frequently visited by bees. A pond in the garden will always attract a fair amount of wildlife. Frogs, toads and newts will always find your pond and move in. You will also attract a number of insects, some of which are quite beautiful such as dragonflies and damselflies. Other birds and animals will also visit the garden to grab a quick drink. Maintaining a wildlife garden is a little less time consuming than some other garden styles. Trees and shrubs can be left to grow naturally. Shrubs only need pruning once or twice a year to encourage new growth. Perennials should be left to go to seed and tidied up in the spring before new growth starts. Weeding can be less of a chore as well. I like to leave many of the weeds in place unless they are causing a problem and taking over. Many of the weeds have attractive flowers and provide food for the wildlife that visits your garden. When designing your garden you want to create plenty of areas that your wildlife can take shelter in so that it feels safe from predator attack. Trees and dense shrubs are ideal for this. Try to use natural curves instead of straight lines, and don't manicure you plants.

Go for a cat instead

I know many people that are considering getting a pet for themselves or for family members of friends. When I ask most of them what kinds of pets they are considering they sort of laugh and say that "they are only considering dogs, of course." I'm not sure what causes this particular response in people, but I have done my best in the past few months and begun speaking up for getting a cat instead of a dog. It's true that I am a little biased about the benefits of owning a cat over a dog. After all, I have been a cat owner since I was three years old and I am now a cat breeder by profession. I will attempt to keep all of my bias away as I share with you a few great reasons why you should at least consider choosing a cat rather than a dog for your next pet. First, a cat is the perfect pet for many people because they require much less work than dogs. Think about it. Getting a dog requires someone to be home nearly all the time at least for the first few months of owning the dog. With a cat there is no need to potty train them, take them outside, walk them or spend endless hours playing with them. A cat is definitely a more independent animal and the perfect pet for more independent people. Who really wants to be tied down with an animal that takes so much time and attention? Another great reason for getting a cat rather than a dog is to have a quiet and constant companion. One of my least favorite things about dogs is how loud and noisy they can be. Of course, a cat will occasionally meow, but nowhere near as much noise as a dog. Cats pretty much keep quiet and are the perfect companion for most people. They are also great because they usually love to be around people, so if you are looking for a pet that will be quiet but will be near you, then the cat is the perfect choice for you. Cats in general take a lot less work than dogs. Talk to most cat owners and you will hear great stories of people who love owning a cat. So if you are thinking of getting a pet, take the time to check out the benefits of getting a cat. See how great having a cat can be with your stressful and busy lifestyle.

Why you should start an article website

When you start an online business that is related enough to writing, information, or some kind of data archives, which means almost any site you build, you will likely want to add the requisite bulk. That is, you will probably want to do the suggested thing and add, for starters, 300 pages of relevant, spider/crawler-friendly text for your visitors. The trick is, if you cannot afford a good writer or are not up to writing the pages yourself, to visit a free article website. What you do, it is suggested and in most instances is mandatory, is find the articles from the article website of your choice, copy and paste the complete test of each of the articles, and be sure to include the source box at the end of each of the articles. The source box typically contains the name of the writer of the article, his or her brief biographical information (including publishing credits, business successes, hallmarks, and awards, for example), and contact information. This source box MUST be included, in tact, and the article you “borrow” MUST be left complete. You may not modify it in any way, must not violate the free article website regulations, standards, or guidelines…regardless of what country you host your website from or what copyright laws you obey. It is common sense, common courtesy, and common morality that keeps the article website offering hundreds of articles and allows you to continue to get free text to bulk up your site if you can’t won’t or don’t wish to do so yourself. Some of the best article website endeavors include those that offer unlimited access to needful hosts and webmasters/mistresses and at the same time provide a starter venue for writers who need exposure. These include my starter favorites and those I am still proud to be a contributing writer to. For example, and for the premier article website, check out Ezinearticles, wherein one of the largest (if not THE largest) article website sources contains thousands (if not millions) of articles on everything from sports to health to computers and business and technology (of course). And check out the article website guru/owner, Chris Knight, who is brilliant, accessible, and quite the savvy article facilitator—offering help and advice to both the entrepreneur and the writer submitting. If you are the latter, I strongly suggest getting his ezine articles newsletter, or signing up for his alerts, so you can stay on top of the article-writing world. Other fairly decent article websites include those I started with, dignified and often containing quality sources: these are e-syndicate; article finder; article emporium; go articles; and idea marketers (very good!). Still others, which I have not checked out completely but which have special emphases are home highlight support and constant content—the latter of which is a paying article website that I had trouble logging in for (it locks me out, says I don’t exist, etc.) but which may allow you more play, I don’t know. Another paying article website definitely worth your while—whether you be web host or writer—is Associated Content. Here the database is building, and the writers get PAID! I am anonymous here in this article you are reading right now, so I cannot get credit for sending you, but there’s the additional boost: if you become a writer for AC, you can get bonus points (and maybe even prize money!) for drawing readers, or, as you know them as, HITS to the article website!

Indiana criminal records get the info you need

Indiana criminal records describe any arrests and subsequent dispositions attributable to an individual. Thus, most of the databases contain only Indiana criminal records of arrests and convictions. Minor misdemeanors are usually not included as the State does not require law enforcement officers and criminal justice agents to make fingerprint cards of such. Indiana criminal records are only kept in the State central repository if they are accompanied by fingerprint cards. If there is none, then chances are they are not included in the State database. The Internet provides you with many sources of Indiana criminal records. Below are some great sites where you can get copies of Indiana criminal records and other such public information. Indiana State Archives The Indiana State Archives is an online database of public records, including Indiana criminal records. The State Archives is the permanent repository for important records of state government. Its holdings include approximately 25,000 cubic feet of records dating from the territorial period to the present. Majority of the collections stored in the archives begin with the records of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government from the 1790s through the present. These include papers of every governor; bills, acts, and reports of the General Assembly; and proceedings of both the supreme and appellate courts. Thus, the State Archives are excellent sources of Indiana criminal records of court filings and procedures. City Databases All cities of Indiana keep online databases of public records. For instance, Boone has an online site where you can get Indiana criminal records of sex offenders. Clarksville keeps a list of most wanted persons. Crown Point makes their police blotter and warrants publicly available. And Hammond keeps a record of police incidents that happened within its territory. These are only a few of the city databases which you can check out for Indiana criminal records. County Databases Aside from cities, the counties of Indiana also keep online databases containing records that are accessible to the public. Adams County for one has a list of sex offenders which by law must be made publicly available. The Allen County database is also a good source of Indiana criminal records as it provides an online directory of warrants it has issued, along with its own list of sex offenders. Bartholomew County provides Indiana criminal records of court cases, open cases, and sex offenders. There are several more counties that keep online databases where you can get public information useful for employment or licensing purposes. Indiana State Police Limited Criminal History Search As suggested by its name, the State Police only offers a limited Indiana criminal records search. This means that the database contains Indiana criminal records of felonies and misdemeanor arrests (class A) within the state of Indiana. The Indiana criminal records stored here are based on reports sent by each county. A fee of $7.00 is the minimum amount needed in order to conduct one Indiana criminal records search, regardless of the result. Thus, even if you get a response of “No Records Found”, this is still treated as an official search result and the fee stands.

Selling your computer

Selling Your Computer Looking At Alternatives At some point, your needs are going to outgrow the capabilities of your computer. You may find yourself in need of more hard drive space for all those videos and mp3s that you download, for example. Or maybe that cool new programming language you've been dying to try requires more memory than what your computer currently has. Unless the activities on your computer are restricted to pure textual output (plain text files), your computer is going to get filled with a lot of "stuff" - stuff that can overfill a PC's capacity too much for the computer to function well. The problem is that while upgrading a computer is always an option, technology advances so fast that newer products (such as memory chips, new drives, etc.) aren't always compatible with the machines that we own. This is a common occurrence when newer pieces of hardware require the programming of a newer operating system. Sure, one could upgrade the operating system to accommodate the demands of a new piece of hardware, but trouble starts when that new operating system requires new hardware in return. If we're not careful, we could end up replacing almost every hard and soft part of a computer that we own - all in an effort to upgrade! Upgrading in this fashion is not only silly to do so, it's also costly - more costly than simply buying a new computer. But once the decision to buy a computer is set in stone, what can be done with the old one? There are alternatives to selling a computer and this article is going to introduce a few of them. 1. Give it to the kids. This is of course, assuming the kids are too young to whine about not having enough SDRAM or less than a 160GB hard drive. Today's "older" computers are perfectly capable of accommodating the needs of young PC users, and they're excellent machines for playing educational CDs, small multimedia files, or games downloaded from the Internet. And don't forget the most important role they play in a child's homework-clad life: A simple encyclopedia CD on a used computer makes excellent research tool (not to mention a rather fancy calculator!). 2. Donate it to a less-fortunate or less-literate family member. We often joke around the office about the "grandma" who refuses to use a computer until she can afford the "latest" one. Chances are, Grandma isn't ever going to shell out the bucks to buy the latest computer on the market, nor is she going to know how to use it once she gets it. What Grandma doesn't realize however is that a used computer is an excellent training tool that she can use to prepare herself for something "better" in the future. We always say, "'Tis better to screw up something on an old, used machine than to screw up everything on a brand new one!" A couple of errors on an old, used machine are easier to fix because someone is going to have the experience and knowledge to fix it. Errors on a new machine however can be a beast to fix because we're all knocking at Microsoft's door looking for answers. 3. Convert the machine into a storage area. As another alternative to selling that machine, we suggest that people disconnect it from the Internet and use it to store personal documents, records, or files. This way, personal data (such as bank statements, store receipts, health records, etc.) is protected from prying viruses or hackers, while the newer machine is used to surf the net. As you can see, old computers still serve a purpose either for you or for someone else. And although selling an old computer is always an option, there are a number of things that you can do with an old computer. All that's required is a little "out of the box" thinking and a grateful recipient. Word count 654

Baffled with bad debt squash the snag with secured loans

No doubt, bad debt is a big hindrance in the way of availing loan. It is true that bad debts tagged borrowers have less credibility among the lenders due to their overdue debt burden. And obviously for that their loan applications are often rejected by loan lenders. Now the time has come to eradicate this problem and amend poor credit score, as these days, secured loans are also offered to the borrowers who are suffering from bad debts. You may be baffled with your poor credit score. Overdue debts and harassing calls of lenders may jeopardize your mental tranquility. But it is said that there is an end of the tunnel. Bad debt secured loans will help you to end the episode of debt dilemma. How? Let’s have a look at the process. Bad debt secured loans are giving you a chance to merge your all unpaid debts into a single manageable debt. So by merging all your debts into one, you can quench your debt burden and it will be more convenient for you to repay. Thus, the interest rate that is being paid for your current debts will be reduced. So there will be a chance of lower monthly repayment that will help you to maintain regularity to repay the amount. And by paying debts regularly, you can easily repair your credit score. However, as the name suggests, bad debt secured loans are obtainable against collateral. As collateral you can use your valuable property like home or other real estate, automobile, saving accounts or other worthy objects. Here it is necessary to inform borrowers that choosing proper collateral is the most important. Generally how much one can borrow is decided on the basis of his collateral. Therefore, using valuable collateral enables borrowers to borrow higher amount. At the same time, finding an appropriate lender does matter as well. Many lenders, like banks, financial institutions, lending organizations nowadays are offering bad debt secured loans. But, one needs to make some efforts to get the best deal. In this context, individuals are advised that they should not confine their choice into one lender, it is necessary to shop for the best deal. Do collect various quotations of different lenders, compare them and then apply for the best bad debt secured loan. The internet is also a good option to get a pocket soothing bad debt secured loan. Online searching is rather easy and less time consuming. Even more, one may avail an online bad debt secured loan at relatively low rate. And last but not the least, you can fall into debt trap once again with bad debt secured loans. Thus, do not forget to check your repayment capacity before applying for a bad debt secured loan. Remember, you will have to use your property against the loan amount. Hence, in case of failing to repay the amount, you can lose your possession on your property.

Where to find a state car auction

State car auction gatherings are car auctions specific to a certain state or a few states. Only authorized state dealers can participate in a state car auction that is good for the car buyers. You can find various types of vehicles at a state car auction. There are brand new as well as used cars. Information about the upcoming state car auction venues is often published in the local newspapers as well as in the specialized vehicle magazines. Information is also available online and often it is even more detailed tan the press one. The state cat auction venues are always public. Some of them are also in fact a government state car auction gatherings at which surplus or seized vehicles are being sold. Usually a state car auction is a big car marketplace. That is why it is recommended that you go there only if you have enough experience in car auctions. If you are a first time buyer, take somebody experiences along to help you. Another thing to remember is that you should check the auction conditions before you start bidding. You should also gather enough information about the car brand and model you want to purchase and be informed about its market value and price trends. Set a budget and do not be tempted to overspend. The fact that you are at a state car auction means that there are hundreds of suitable car deals so there is no need to jump for the first car you are bidding on. Remember – a state car auction attracts all sorts of buyer and most of them are really knowledgeable ones. The same rules apply to an online state car auction websites. There are many but it is best to stick with the ones that look professional and big. You can get an idea if a state car auction website is good by reading the recommendations of other people that used the site. Joining an online auto club should give you enough information for the good online state car auction as well as some useful tips on how to participate in such auctions.

How to use your blog to market your business

Have you just started blogging? Or have you been blogging for a while? As you may already know, a blog is an excellent tool to let the world know about your business or your product, to connect with potential customers and promote your expertise. But how can you maximize your blog's impact? Here are five tips to do just that: - Blog Consistently. Many business owners get excited about blogging, post 3-6 times, and then promptly forget about the blog. I have seen many blogs that were started a year or two ago, have a grand total of five posts, and haven't been updated since sometime last year. To get the desired effect (search engine and human traffic), you need to update your blog on a regular basis. Search engines love new content and keep coming back to index it. Potential customers also like new content; it's what keeps them coming back to read your blog. - Use Your Blog For Branding. Your blog is an extension of your business, so make your blog have a look and feel that mirrors that of your business web site. If your blog is hosted on the same domain as your web site, you should match the look and feel of your web site exactly. This will be more difficult to achieve if a third party provider hosts your blog. However, you should still aim to present the same brand image. - Use Search Engine Optimization To Optimize Each Blog Post. The purpose of your blog is to get people who are in your target market to read your posts and enter your sphere of influence. Traffic from search engines does not cost any money, and it is a great way to get potential customers to your blog. Treat each one of your blog posts as a separate file to be optimized for search engines. Use a keyword research tool to find phrases that are related to the main subject of the post, and weave them into the content of the post. - Have A Special Offer On Your Blog. Do you offer a free special report? Do you offer a mini course as a bonus for new newsletter subscribers? Add the offer to your blog. This will transform people from casual surfers who just happened to find your blog to newsletter subscribers. - Share Information About Your Events, Products and Seminars. You might think that everyone has already heard about your upcoming teleclass on life and work balance or your e-book about achieving financial success. Not so! The person reading your blog might be hearing about you for the very first time, so they have no idea about your teleseminars or products unless you specifically tell them. Avoid overselling, as it will dramatically reduce the number of your blog readers. Do, however, let your blog readers know about your seminars and products. If you don't tell them, nobody will. A blog is an excellent tool to generate additional web site traffic, get new newsletter subscribers and sell more products. Use your blog to introduce potential customers to your business.

Pay off your credit card debt with a debt consolidation loan and save money

Credit card spending can easily get out of control. If we are on a limited income, the consequences can be devastating as our already inadequate income is further eaten up by credit card payments. The more we get into the stressful cycle of moving money around to pay bills and falling further into debt, the less able we often are to see the solution. This is why people can spend years in this quagmire even though a quick and easy solution is available: a debt consolidation loan. The killer is not just credit card debt but multiple credit card debt at high interest. Once we get high balances on a number of cards, we can quickly go down the gurglar. One high interest credit card is bad enough, more than one can precipitate financial disaster. So why don't people in this stomach churning predicament simply combine their debts into one low rate debt consolidation loan and give themselves a break? Stress from debt can actually paralyze people and prevent them from taking the very action that will immediately lower their stress levels and give them hope for the future. However, the more stressed people are the less able they are to see solutions. This is why it can be very helpful to lay your troubles at the door of a professional debt counseling service and ask for help. Don't let embarrassment stop you; your situation will be no different to the many they have already dealt with. Not only are they well equipped to find you the best debt consolidation loan to suit your needs, they will also do a lot of the paperwork and negotiation for you, saving you even more stress. Whether you choose to use professional services or do it yourself, the answer to debt stress from multiple credit cards and other debts is to combine them in the right debt consolidation loan for you. There are different debt consolidation loan options available to you depending on your needs and circumstances including a home equity loan, an unsecured personal loan or a low rate credit card or line of credit. Different needs require different options. Once you have combined your debt into one low interest debt consolidation loan, be smart and cancel your credit cards and any lines of credit you may still have open once the balances are paid out. This is very important in order to avoid the risk of increasing your debt again. It is also important to live within your means so creating a viable budget is an important step to help you to continue to move forward financially. A debt consolidation loan is the first but most significant step towards becoming free of debt and living a life free of financial stress.

Low glycemic index diets are better then high protein diets

Australian research team lead by Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller at the University of Sydney conducted a trial in which 129 overweight subjects ages 18 to 40 were randomly assigned to one of four weight-loss diets for 12-week. All four diets were comprised of reduced fat (30 percent of total energy intake) and held daily calories to 1400 kcal for women and 1900 kcal for men. This was the first clinical trial comparing the effects of glycemic index and high-protein diets on weight loss and cardiovascular risk. The diets varied in target levels of carbohydrates, proteins, and glycemic load (i. e., glycemic index multiplied by the amount of carbohydrate, divided by 100) as follows: Diet 1: carbohydrates comprise 55 percent of total energy intake, protein 15 percent of total energy intake, high glycemic load (127 g) Diet 2: similar to diet 1 except a lower glycemic load (75g) Diet 3: protein comprises 25 percent total energy intake (based on lean red meat), carbohydrate reduced to 45 percenttotal energy of intake, and high glycemic load (87 g) Diet 4: Similar to diet 3, except low glycemic load (54 g). Brand-Miller and her team report that the diets resulted in similar reductions in weight (4.2 percent to 6.2 percent of body weight), fat mass and waist circumference. However, in the high-carbohydrate diets, lowering the glycemic load doubled the fat loss. The investigators also found that total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels increased with diet 3 and decreased in diet2. In the short term findings suggest that dietary glycemic load, and not just overall energy intake, influences weight loss, Foods with a low degree of starch gelatinization, such as pasta, and those containing a high level of viscous soluble fiber, such as wholegrain barley, oats, and rye, have slower rates of digestion and lower glycemic index values. Without any drastic change in regular dietary habits, one can simply replace high glycemic index grains with low glycemic index grains and starchy vegetables with less starchy ones and cut down on softdrinks, that are often poor in nutrients yet high in glycemic load.

Why 80 fail in mlm online business

Eighty percent of the people in online business fail because they quit. This is a well known fact. This article is written to help those who have the ability to succeed to do one thing and one thing only: not quit. I have found that there are many leaders out there who are giving up to soon in online business. Often I'm puzzled as people who in the beginning say: "I'm with you all the way Don, even to the end, I know I'll never quit." But then six months or six days, or six hours later you get an email from your MLM that this person is no longer a member of your organization. Well, first off, you don't go chasing after the person, because as well noted speaker and author Jim Rohn has stated: "Just say, isn't that interesting?...and don't go chase the birds because when you do that you leave the field!" However, this article is written to those with genuine people, sales, or communication skills, who are quitting without giving themselves a chance from the start. Since this article is written for potential birds, my urging to you is don't fly away before you see your ocean view penthouse or your 2007 Corvette! Write down your dream, and then stick to it like glue, and do as Johnny Wimbrey, up and coming incredible motivational speaker says: "Make it your Must." So many people get into online business thinking that it's going to be get rich quick. Perhaps they should title get rich quick schemes "get rich quit." Because it's really true that the guys at the top of most scams are getting rich quick while you quit after investing your money. It's a vicious cycle. One that must be obliterated and dealt with. So, how do you know if you should stay with your current MLM online business or if you should quit? Number one, if you’re not sure of your company or stability, perhaps you have a good reason to quit. But for the 90% of you out there who are sold on your company or opportunity, I have one message: Don't quit! The online opportunity I'm involved with has over 20 years of online experience, and they were the first affiliate program ever offered online, so they have quite an immaculate background. But, even though that's true, it still takes me "work" to make it happen. Greg Ankeny, one of the top health company MLM leaders has been quoted as saying: "I went to work." That's the problem and herein lays the solution. Most people quit MLM's because they are not willing to go to work or to keep on workingments like: "Oh, this is too hard, and oh, I didn't know I'd have to talk to people, are running rampant in MLM. Yes you have to talk to people, yes you have to follow your companies marketing plan, to the tee, doing everything your leaders tell you to do, and then you may just end up getting rich! The internet today keeps making it easier and easier to market your online business, but yet it's amazing when you look at the statistics that fewer than 5% of those who join MLM's actually ever advertise online! Isn't that interesting? Even with the advent of cheap or low cost free ads, forums, pay-per-click advertising, and much more, people are still afraid to step out and just let others know about their site. That's just crazy! So how do we stop this nonsense? It's easy; I need all of you out there who are in an MLM, or looking for an MLM home business, to do three things. Number one never quit. Number two; find an online business that you love. Number three, when things get tough in your home business, I want you to remember the accomplishments in your life. For example, did you ever win an award for selling something, did you obtain a diploma your proud of, and did you win the Congressional Medal of Honor? Just simply thinking of your prior accomplishments in life may indeed help you to hang on to this awesome MLM online business opportunity you've been blessed to participate and succeed in. In conclusion, my hope and prayer is that someone will read this article that is about to quit their MLM, or who needs a stable MLM home business, and they will make the choice to do one thing: Never quit. Ever. Then I want you to write me and let me know what happens. In addition to never quitting I want you to follow the instructions of your upline leaders to the tee, without inventing your own tangents, and then keep going with your company for three to five years. It just might be after that amount of time where you "go to work" you may become financially free, and better yet, you may be involved with your MLM for life and your family may never have to worry about money again. Never forget what happened to a friend of mine Joel Buchfeller of Excel Telecommunications. He enrolled one guy names Al, on his second level, which made him an income for the rest of his life. He never fell below a $5000 per month income, and most of the time it was two or three times that. So don't give up, because you never know when you're going to find your "Al" who enrolls under you! So please, take my advice, and don't quit. Remember your prior accomplishments, and in the words of our Lord, please remember that: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26. If you know you belong with your MLM company, stick with it, and who knows, you may be the next online business internet millionaire, and you'll be the one all of us are listening to for advice. Never quit.

Improving your home with drywall

Improve or repair your home using drywall. To drywall a home for repair is easier said than done; however, it is never as difficult as some lead you to believe. When you start to drywall for home improvement, you must follow a few straightforward steps. As for tools, you will need a Putty Trial, Tray, sandpaper, and joint putty, scraper, hammer, paint, thinner, patches, plaster, and a few other items to finish the task. Of course, it depends on the size of the area as to what exact tools and materials are needed. You will need sandpaper, since you start the drywall procedure by sanding down the walls and removing any lumps. You should sand until you see clear white area. You will need a cloth to finish the procedure by wiping down the wall removing any drywall dust. Plaster comes in handy if there are holes in the wall, thus use the putty trial and scraper to apply the joint putty to fill in the holes and patch if applicable. From time to time, a second coating of plaster is required, thus repeat the course of action until the hole is filled and scraped down to smoothness. You will need to sand the plaster when it is dry. Never start to drywall until you have sanded down the area, smoothed out the surface, and have washed the wall, freeing the area of any dust. Furthermore, make sure the region is dry previous to sandpapering the area. Start the drywall modus operandi by following the systematic steps provided to you in the kit purchased, and not until you have a clear smooth area. You need to ensure that you avoid simple mistakes when planning and putting up drywall. Install the ceiling drywall before installing any walls. Work from top (ceiling) to bottom (floor). Try to run the drywall sheets perpendicular to the framing and mark joint locations so they are easier to find. If you can mark the stud locations on the ceiling and floor, do it so it is easier to fasten the drywall sheets. Check the plans for provisions for insulation, ventilation, moisture control and wiring prior to using drywall. Use dry wall nails or screws and cover the wallboard tape with compound. Make certain that you sand the drywall compound to ensure a smooth finish. If not sanded correctly, the bumps will show twofold when you apply paint. Most importantly, do not apply the drywall with the wrong side exposed. After adding the drywall for home improvement, you are ready to paint. Thus, choosing the paint and brushes appropriate for the job will help you receive a grand effect. Paint the base line area before relocating any furniture in the home. Allow the paint to dry and touch up by re-arranging the furniture, curtains, etc. Dry walling is not difficult and does not require a lot of technical skill, rather it is time consuming… If your walls are in serious need of construction you might want to consider other options rather than dry walling and painting the area. Sometimes you merely cover areas that are deteriorating by adding new lining, paneling, covering, etc. Thus, checking into additional options might benefit you while saving you money and time. Sometimes you can get away with repairs rather than entire makeovers. The walls are layered, thus a bit of plaster or spackle and other tools and materials could dress of the area. If you have rotted area, again you may want to consider other options, or else hire a drywall contractor expert to repair the home. Sometimes you simply cannot get away with home improvement by doing it yourself. At times, you may need assistance, thus preventing deterioration is critical to save you money. If you notice areas of the home that are starting to show wear, by taking care of the problem now will save you heartache later. The repairs are easier than entire improvements, thus repairs are also cheaper. If you have dents, cracks or holes in the walls, buy a plastering or spackling kit and follow the instructions to repair the problem now rather than allow it to linger. For repairs you will need paintbrushes, knives, spackle, latex bonding liquid, paint, patching plaster, sandpaper, fiberglass wallboard tape, and that about sums it up. For holes, you cover the area with the wallboard tape and then spackle to make the tape stick. After the spackle is applied, using your sandpaper sand the area repaired until it is smooth. If you notice peeling, paint or loose plaster around the area, use your scraper to remove or clear up the area. After the spackle starts to dry and is sanded, add a second coating to cover the hole entirely. Again, sand and prime the patched area. Finally, you are ready to paint. See how easy that was. Now, if you allow it to set without attention you will be doing a lot more work later and probably paying out a lot more money. You can use spackle to fix dents and cracks in the walls as well. Plaster or spackle will cover nail holes or holes made from screws. These home repair materials are affordable, thus cover now and save later.

Could the detroit pistons be the best in nba history

The Detroit Pistons have everything on their side right now. Time, wins, great players and some say they may be one of the best NBA team to ever grace the professional courts of the NBA. What do you think? Look at Detroit’s last season record of 54 wins to 28 losses making them first in the Central Division. Also, take into account the fact that two years ago, they took the NBA title by maintaining outstanding play throughout the season and with exceptional coaching. Will it be the same for the 2005 - 2006 season? What has changed and what has remained the same? First of all, Detroit’s former Coach Larry Brown has moved to New York. Brown is often credited with developing the fabulous defense that gave the Pistons that winning edge. Brown is also credited with leaving players and fans angry in the wake of his decision to move to New York. Now, Coach Flip Saunders, in his eleventh season of coaching with 411 wins and 328 losses under his belt, will try to heat up the courts as Detroit’s new head coach. Fans can expect to see a combination of unmatched defense as well as a diligent offense providing the scores needed to excel this season. Saunders transferred from the Minnesota Timberwolves after ten very successful seasons of coaching. Will he be able to fully prepare and implement the proper aggressive offense that has been missing in order to secure a berth in the Finals in his first year with Detroit? It is anticipated that he will, because of he did lead Minnesota into the playoffs for eight of the ten years that he was coaching at Minnesota. Offense has always been considered Coach Saunders strongest point. This should give Detroit the edge it needs to stay on top. As for Detroit’s team members, G. Maurice Evans was added this year. After playing with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2001, Evans played in Europe until returning to play with Sacramento and then moving on to Detroit. He is known for his superior shooting from the outside, this should give Detroit the edge it needed in the past. If he is able to mesh with the remaining players this should give the Pistons another dimension that it has been lacking in the past. Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Carlos Arroyo, Carlos Delfino, Darko Milicic, Antonio McDyess, Lindsey Hunter and Tayshaun Prince remain from last year's line up. There were no key players lost this season. Of course, Detroit is up against some stiff competition. It is never an easy job to be the best of the best in the NBA, but it looks like Detroit has accomplished this goal. Fans consider Saunders a good coach, but many of them wonder if he will be able to bring another championship home to the Motor City. If Saunders is able to get the players to play to their potential and adapt to his coaching philosophy, Detroit will be a team to be reckoned with this season. If the current players are able to use the teachings of Brown and the new techniques of Saunders this might be one of the best Detroit teams ever. Detroit is very motivated and highly energized to finish out this season on top. They want to show Brown and the rest of the league that they can win without him and that they are here to stay. If they are able to play with the same intensity they have over the last couple of years winning shouldn’t be a problem. It does help that the starting five Pistons will be returning. Beginning with Chauncey Billups, who would have earned a second straight MVP in the Finals had his team made it through the series, he'll be joined by Richard Hamilton, an established veteran. Center Ben Wallace at 6 foot 9 inches will make the defense glow again. Antonio McDyess will play a prime backup role again. He is known for his play during the playoffs. He will get help from veteran newcomer Dale Davis. Roster moves were minimal this season but those that were made should be key to the overall success for the team this season. The only things that could possibly hold this team back would be key player injuries or team members failing to adjust to Saunders style of play. You can rest assured that the team wants to take the title this year badly, so it is rather doubtful that this team will not give it 100%. Yet, injuries are unpredictable and this could be the only way that this team is stopped. Barring injuries this team might walk away with the NBA title in the 2005-06 season. Detroit is the team to watch this year. You should see some exciting play, different styles and a newly developed offense to complement the already strong defense. This team has all the components of a winner including: good coaching, great defense, strong offense, and great teamwork. The Pistons are easily one of the best team on the court today, and it is very possible they are one of the best teams the NBA has ever seen!

The perfect freelance writer

"Careers, like rockets, don't always take off on schedule. The key is to keep working the engines." - Gary Sinese If you pay close attention to the words and inferences of some who use freelance writers you will see that freelancers must be superhuman. The Top Ten Signs you Have Found a Perfect Freelance Writer 1) They are never too busy to work on my project. 2) They are always efficient enough to have the project completed yesterday. 3) They are willing to write for a fee less than the poverty level. 4) They are willing to provide unlimited rewrites. 5) They always know exactly the style of writing I need. 6) They do not have a personal life. 7) They are knowledgeable about every subject known to man. 8) They never get sick. 9) They never expect prompt payment. 10) They like it when I'm snippy. As a freelance writer you may be finding some truth to this list, but the burden of proof is on your shoulders as a freelancer. You do need to adopt a can-do attitude, but be honest enough to pass on a project if you are uncertain about the subject, deadline or volume of work. The reason a good freelancer may seem superhuman is they have learned the value of follow-up, follow through, customer service and commitment. All freelance writers have had clients that have more than likely been refused service from other freelancers. These clients refused to be pleased with any work they are presented with. They have an idea writer in mind, but sadly that writer does not exist. In these cases it is difficult to end the relationship gracefully. It could be you have provided numerous rewrites and the client remains dissatisfied. At that point you may need to stand up to the client and ask for payment or to be released from the obligation. When you do hear from satisfied customers, you should not hesitate to ask for a brief testimonial you can use for the benefit of other customers who may be considering you as a means of reaching their content objectives. Stretch your wings and learn new skills. A good freelancer may specialize in one type of service, but is adaptable enough to facilitate new writing formats when needed. The more you learn about freelancing the more marketable your skills will be. "Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can." - Lowell Thomas

The art of leadership

The art of leadership is sought by virtually everyone. It is claimed by many, defined by a few, and exercised by the unheralded, depending on the source you use. In fact, we know a lot about leadership; it is the application of leadership that creates confusion for most. In spite of all the leadership texts, containing a veritable plethora of theories about leadership (each of which is THE KEY), leadership remains a very individual concept, exercised in many diverse yet successful ways. Indeed, successful application always results in leadership. Unsuccessful application is invariably counter-productive. So, is this another theory? No, but I will share with you some of my observations about where to look for leadership. It’s my belief that although we may not be able to define it very precisely, we can recognize it when we see it. We know that there are people called “formal leaders” and “informal leaders” in some of the literature. I am not going to talk about those “formal leaders,” because they are by definition occupying positions of authority (i. e., a supervisory position) and that is their sole claim to leadership. “Informal leaders,” on the other hand, exercise leadership from positions not formally designated for leadership, thus causing a problem for the organization. How the informal leader arises is curious, but it can often be caused by the lack of leadership in the “formal” position. But that doesn’t mean that the “great man” theory takes place (that’s the one that says when a crisis occurs and there’s no one prepared to deal with it, someone will rise to the occasion and deal with it). Why is someone not in a leadership position given authority by the group in which they work to exercise leadership? There are, of course, several answers to that question, so let’s examine some of them. It may be that the one who is the leader is a confident (at least confidently-acting) person with a bit of charisma, thus one who offers logical answers to questions from the group, and who may have the ability to demonstrate that they have good ideas. We often see this in groups that begin by discussing particular problems; if no one is specifically “in charge,” the leader who emerges is often the person who demonstrates the most passion about the topic. Or, they may simply be someone who is impatient for action, and goads others into a particular action that appears to achieve some common goals. In this case, the group tends to rally behind the “visionary.” Sometimes, the visionary doesn’t have much of a vision, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of pursuing one (or of having one in the first place). Another possibility is that one of this group recognizes that things can be done in a way to benefit everyone involved, much like the development of John Nash’s gaming theory (the basis for the movie, “A Beautiful Mind”). The concern is not for the betterment, enrichment or even recognition of the leader, rather for the achievement of group goals, including the entire organization. When we find this leader of the latter sort, John Collins, in his book Good to Great, calls them “Level 5” leaders. They are the ones who are passionate about achievement of the whole, not of themselves individually. These leaders aren’t heralded, because they don’t blow their own horns. They are too busy working toward meaningful goals to be distracted by something so counter-productive. Yet they do some particular things that we can see “proves” their leadership. Some of those things are where I’d like to focus this discussion. Leaders who are passionate about their vision (they ALWAYS have a vision), are careful to make sure everyone in the organization knows what that vision is. They will indoctrinate everyone so that it is not simply a vision, but a tangible part of the environment, so much so that it will go home with employees at night. Everything that flows, then, is a reflection of that vision, because the vision becomes the beacon that guides the actions of everyone in the organization. Those leaders know their people well: their personalities, their histories, their passions. The leader knows them because of the leadership involved in attracting and retaining the right people to “get the job done.” They reach back to the theory of W. Edwards Deming, not necessarily for Statistical Process Control techniques (although they are valuable), but for Deming’s “14 Points,” one of which is to insure adequate and continuous training. If the right people are in the job and they are given the resources to get the job done, cheerleading is a waste of time, because these workers already get out of bed in the morning excited about going to work. Motivation? It’s boiling inside each one of them, and they don’t need slogans or mantras, or group meetings to cheer about history, because the “self-actualized” person is also self-motivated. They know their jobs, they know what’s expected of them, and they know that they have a responsibility to the rest of the employees to do the best job they possibly can. One reason that happens is that the individual has been involved in development of their job and their responsibilities for that job, they’ve been informed about how their job fits into the overall scheme, and they are intimately involved in changes that occur in the company. Revolutionary? No, it’s been in the books for decades. When leaders develop this kind of employee and the managers to supervise those employees, they are freed up to do the visionary tasks: keeping the goal in sight, and making the course corrections necessary when changing conditions require them. Tweaking is a skill these leaders have that is taught in no school, which makes it that much more valuable. In my history is a ten-year stint as a division controller for a manufacturing firm. The division manager was a true visionary, who brought the division from a lackluster, poorly motivated, money losing operation to an energetic, proud organization that had attained ISO 9000 certification on its way to becoming profitable as well. Over those ten years, I watched that manager steadfastly steer the division in the direction his vision so clearly defined. Not all of his actions were exactly right, but that didn’t keep us from learning from them. And the division became a model for the corporation, while the division manager became a regional manager so his skills could be used in other divisions as well. He had learned that putting the team together was his biggest job, but once that was done, the team drove the progress. He simply got out of the way. His time was not spent showing what he’d done, it was spent in providing the tools to the team members so they could get where he wanted faster. If he needed to do something that should be done by one of the team members, that team member was, by definition, unnecessary, and was eliminated. That doesn’t mean that mistakes weren’t tolerated, nor that effort wasn’t made to insure the team member was adequately placed and trained. But when it became obvious that change was necessary, it occurred quickly and cleanly. It was truly a joy to work there, but especially to observe that unsung leadership in action. There are some things we as individuals can do, if we want to develop our own leadership: 1. Keep focused on the primary goal for your company. Never let yourself be distracted from that. 2. Surround yourself not with those who only agree with you, but with the right people for the job you need done, then train them and provide them the tools to do the job. 3. Recognize the benefits of having different personalities around you. Not only do separate skill sets come with different personalities, but different approaches that are essential to your company’s success. 4. Having hired the right people, get out of their way. If you must micromanage them, you don’t need them. This is not a big problem, however, since they won’t stay anyway, if you treat them with so little respect. 5. Remember always to consult your feedback loop in all your processes, to make sure things are working as you expect, and that you can make appropriate changes timely. Failure to do this with hasten the failure of your organization in total. Recall that your feedback loop is only as valuable as the people from whom you get feedback. Listen to them. 6. Know when you have exceeded your limitations, and acknowledge it. Then get help to overcome it. Each of us has the capability to be a leader. We will only become effective leaders, however, when we lose our fear of making mistakes, and share responsibility for achievement of the goals of the organization. If those goals are our individual measures of achievement, then the organization will work to succeed and achieve; if they are not, we will be the transient leader that gets things going, but fails by failing to share credit and push for only the good of the organization. Dare to achieve.

Buy an inflatable air mattress with absolute ease

The process of searching for an inflatable air mattress can be a very tedious task if you’re unsure of exactly what you are looking for. Following are a few things to keep in mind when doing your research. The entire process does not have to be a headache and with a little research you should have no problems finding the right inflatable air mattress for you. The internet is always a good first place to start when doing research. You can gain a vast array of information from various sources in quite a short time. From the internet you can obtain information such as prices, specifications and details of all models of inflatable mattresses available. Many websites will also have detailed photographs showing exactly what it is you are buying. Having done your research beforehand will be of great benefit in making a quick and efficient purchase. Reviews written by other people who have already purchased an inflatable air mattress are a great way of discovering the pros and cons of each mattress before you commit to any purchase and part with your hard-earned cash. On the other hand you may prefer face to face contact to obtain the desired information. In this case you can always visit a retail store and find a salesperson who is experienced in this matter. The salesperson may be able to give you more detailed information than you could possibly find on the internet, and can recommend an inflatable air mattress which is currently popular or would suit your specific requirements. Researching your product thoroughly in the first instance will definitely help you to choose the most suitable inflatable air mattress for you. Research does not always have to be via the internet. If you prefer to talk to a “real” person you can personally visit the stores or send inquiry letters to salespersons in your local area. To ensure you purchase an inflatable air mattress that will meet your requirements for years to come, it is a good idea to find out all the options available before you buy.

Ideas for wall art within a budget

Nowadays, if you decide to work on an interior design project then you will not fall short of any ideas or things to buy and put up. In fact, the main problem lies in the wide variety of items that you could easily integrate in your home or office dйcor. But, the bigger problem lies not in the variety of choices but in the budget and your ability to stick to it. Although the budget is an important consideration, this does not mean that you will not be able to achieve your decorating goals. All you have to do is to look at the project in a different way, and you will realize that you will not need a huge amount of cash to fulfill your ideas and plans. So, when working on your interior design projects on a budget the first thing you should do is stay away from the mass produced ready-made kits on wall art. These kits are generally over-priced and do not provide a good return on investment as to how much area of the room the actually cover. These kits also have the tendency to take away the fun from all the decorating and planning. After this, you should take a good look around your home and try to imagine the effect a few normal household items and touch of paint can give to your home. For instance, if you want to add some texture to your wall, then you can simply achieve it by sponge painting that wall. The technique of sponge painting is to just dab the wet paint on your wall with the help of a sponge or just directly paint the wall with a sponge. Sponge painting is one of the most fun techniques that you can get. Here, not only will you be able to do it yourself but you can also involve your family in it. This will also not hurt your budget as you just need paint and a few sponge. You should definitely try out this technique as it produces some wonderful results. If you are not into sponge painting then you can also use stencils to decorate your walls. You can apply stencils with help of normal house paint. If you want a glossier and metallic finish then you can also use spray paints on the stencils. There are so many different kinds of stencils available that you will be spoilt of choice. You can definitely find a stencil that will not only enhance the theme of your room but also will suit your family. One word of advice, when you decide to use stencils, do not forget to cover the area outside the stencils to avoid any kind of spillage.

Learning to bowl

Bowling is one of the easiest sports to learn. It has been around for centuries and is played by professionals and amateurs worldwide. The best place to practice is at the bowling alley where a friend or an instructor can teach you everything about the game in a few hours. Bowling alleys have balls and shoes that customers can borrow/rent off the racks. After determining the right shoe size and the weight of the ball to use, it is time to go to the lane and start practicing. It is advisable to get a lane far from other people to avoid distractions. A lot of people achieve strikes or even spares not because of talent but out of sheer luck. A beginner should not feel discouraged when he can only bring a few pins down or when the ball goes down the gutter since this is perfectly normal. By listening to the instructor and focusing on each shot, the score will gradually improve and be better than those bowlers who have no training. The bowling ball is a spherical object that has holes to allow the person to get a good grip before releasing it. It involves inserting the player's middle and ring fingers into the holes and there are three ways to do this. The first is the conventional grip which lets the person put the two fingers in the holes up to the second joint. The second is the finger tip grip which puts the two fingers in the holes until the first joint. The third is called the Sarge-Easter Grip where the two fingers are in one hole but this grip is only used by experienced players. The conventional and the finger tip grip will usually be introduced by the instructor. The player will then choose which is more comfortable. Players usually take three steps forward before releasing the ball. This makes proper approach and follow through important to be able to hit the pins a few yards away. This can be done by using the arrows, markers and dots to guide the ball to its target. To become as good as the pros won't happen overnight. It will take a lot of time and practice to do the proper drills in order to get it right. Aside from the instructor, another person that can help is the lane operator. These people are there every day and learning a trick or two can improve one's game.

Wheeled computer briefcase

The reminder in your cell phone breaks the silence of the boardroom! You pick up your wheeled computer briefcase and rush to catch the next fight to New York. Classy and stylish wheeled computer briefcases perfectly define the modern-day high-flying executives. The designs are smart and good-looking so that these briefcases perfectly complement your superior Armani or Versace business suit! Laptops are an indispensable electronic commodity that keeps the extremely busy business traveler like you accessible just about everywhere and anywhere in the world! Wheeled computer briefcase are ideally suited to pack your laptops in the most convenient and fashionable way. So you might label these travel briefcases as some kind of a fashion accessory that enhances the style statement of corporate honchos always in transit! You would love to check out the myriad designs and styles that make each wheeled computer briefcase uniquely convenient so that it perfectly suits your style and requirements. The wheeled computer briefcase is fitted with retractable in-line wheels that provide smooth and stable rolling of the luggage. These briefcases have lots of storage space, extra pockets and panels to store your important business files, binders and documents, mobile phones, other digital accessories and water bottles, in addition to your laptop. Most of these briefcases are made lightweight with padded and anti-slip shoulder straps so that you are comfortable while carrying it around. For easy maneuverability a wheeled computer briefcase is often provided with an adjustable telescopic handle system. A removable padded internal computer sleeve is a common feature of most wheeled computer briefcases. This provides shock protection to your laptop. You can opt for an expandable-wheeled computer briefcase that can expand to a considerable extent for increased capacity. These briefcases are provided with fan file system that helps pack your files and official documents in an organized manner so that they can be easily accessible whenever you need them! Also your files and documents remain wrinkle-free in the fan file system of panels. Wheeled computer briefcases are available in nylon fabric, pure leather, synthetic leather, or a nylon-leather combo whichever you choose to pick up that satisfies your taste and personality. Leather computer briefcases are always classy and elegant and go well with that CEO tag that you have recently accomplished! Nylon wheeled computer briefcase is more sturdy. For the business traveler the wheeled computer briefcase is also fitted with card slots for storing business cards, key fob, CD slots that can hold important CDs and numerous security zippered pockets. The ergonomically designed wheeled computer briefcase thus completely fit the travel styles and work demands of today’s executives. The wheels and telescopic handles provide the maximum mobility and shock absorption while traveling through airports and hotels. You can store all your necessary business accessories along with your laptop so that you don’t have to look anywhere else in times of need! Thus the wheeled computer briefcase makes your business travel hassle-free. It also provides you with adequate flexibility while moving around with your laptops and business documents in style!