How to create that tropical paradise in your bathroom

When you have decided that you need a tropical getaway in your home that you can enjoy everyday, try designing a tropical bathroom. Not only is this room small enough to create a cozy, island view, but it is a place that you use on a daily basis to relax and start your day. Here are some ideas on how you can turn your bathroom into a tropical paradise:

Canopies: by purchasing some very lightweight material, either white or off-white, you can create some great canopies in your bathroom. Start by measuring the bathtub or shower for the length of material that you will need to use. Once you have cut the material (don't worry about a hem at the bottom!), you will need to get a hammer and some light tacks or small nails so you don't tear the material. Next, start at one corner of the bathtub and fold the side of the material to create about a quarter-inch thick area to tack to the ceiling or wall. You can decide just how far up your canopy goes.

Then, allow part of the material to drape a little, creating a relaxed atmosphere, and do the same kind of fold and tack on the opposite side of the tub or shower. Allow the material to hang to the ground around the tub. Now, you can either get some fake tropical flowers to pin back the sides of your new canopy or you can find some other tropical material to use as a tie. Either way, you create a unique look. If your material is a bit frayed at the bottoms, great! This only ads to the tropical look, since the more “perfect” it looks, the more fake it will look. Top it off with some strands of ivy or palm leaves around the top of the canopy to finish off the look.

Greenery: depending on the size of your bathroom, placing a few fake palm trees (nothing huge) around the room or placing some smaller greenery, either real or fake, will add to the tropical theme. If you decide to go with some fake plants, you can find them at any local discount shop in any size that you desire. Make sure that you don't clutter your bathroom too much, or you will defeat the purpose of buying these plants in the first place. If you need to go with smaller plants, you can opt for real or fake. By going with fake, you take out all the upkeep with watering and clipping, but if you go with real, it will help to finish out the tropical look. Ivy plants work best in this setting since they will thrive on the moisture, are cheap to buy, and don't require any direct sunlight. You can also purchase strands of fake ivy or palm to top off your canopies or line the top corners of your bath to help create more greenery without using up space.

Tropical dйcor: by purchasing some smaller, tropical themed items to display around your bathroom, you will finish off your tropical theme. You don't have to go overboard, just a few decorative towels, soap and toothbrush holders, and a few inexpensive prints scattered here and there will complete any tropical theme.

I hope that these few tips on creating a tropical paradise in your bathroom have helped to inspire some creative juices in you and get you working on your own paradise to enjoy! Happy decorating!

Check out art-ickles. com for unique bathroom decorations from the Caribbean.

Interview with michael d. sellers who produced

Interview With Michael D. Sellers, Who Produced "Karla" for MovieBank Studios

The following is an interview with Michael D. Sellers, who produced (with the help of intrepid moviebank studios investors) the controversial film "Karla" for MovieBank Studios. The film depicts the crimes of the notorious Canadian husband and wife murder team of Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo. Its release in Canada was met with howls of protest from Canadian politicians and media outlets.

Q: This is undoubtedly one of the most controversial, violent stories in modern Canadian history, and it is essentially still unfolding. Karla Homolka, who was just released from prison a few months ago, was still in prison when you began making this film. Did you ever feel

you were making the film "too soon"?

A: Well, when the idea of doing a project on Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo was first brought to me by director Joel Bender, it was January 2004 and "Monster" was in the theaters. The murders in that movie took place at about the same time that these do so initially, no, we thought plenty of time had passed. Indeed, now, as the film is being released -- the murders themselves are 15 years in the past. But there

are unique aspects to this case which have kept it alive in unusual ways -- Karla's plea bargain and resulting short prison stay, her release this past summer, the court overturning the post-release restrictions. All of these things have kept the story alive and made it seem like the crimes were committed yesterday. But it's been fifteen years, and we think that is a reasonable, and respectful amount of time.

Q: You did research a great deal about the legal ramifications of telling this story, and were in close communication with representatives of the victims' families. Could you discuss that process a bit and what the outcome was of your discussions?

A: From the beginning, Tim Danson--the attorney who represents the victims' families--said that the families respected our right to make the movie and would only oppose it if the film contained depictions of their daughters which could reasonably be construed as either disrespectful or pornographic. Tim defined pornographic as nudity or simulated sex on screen by the actresses portraying the victims. We never intended to include either of those elements in the film, so there was really no problem. When we finished the edit, I took a copy to Toronto and showed it to Tim, and they concurred that it was not pornographic and they would not oppose the release of the film. Misha Collins and Laura Prepon in "Karla"

Q: There were reports that you removed some scenes at the families' request.

A: We removed 8 frames -- 1/3 of one second -- of a long shot across a room because Tim felt that if you played it frame by frame on a DVD you might detect a flash of nudity which was not detectable when played at normal speed. We agreed to do this. That was the only change. You have to remember -- there had been an ongoing and productive dialogue up to the point where we showed the movie, and that dialogue did affect the edit in certain ways--not in the form of demands from the family, but just from dialogue and discussion. So there were some changes, but not as a result of the screening.

Q: What kind of changes?

A: Well, Tim was able to provide additional background on some of the sensitivities of the families, things that really were important to them,

and we took that into consideration. One example would be the issue of Leslie Mahaffey being locked out of her house, and that playing a role in her getting accosted by Bernardo. We downplayed that aspect because it's a sore point for the family and not critical in any way to our story.

Q: What was the point-of-view from which you wanted to present the film?

A: Point of view in this film is interesting, and challenging. On the one hand, it's Karla's story. We meet her at the beginning as she is about to undergo an extended psychiatric evaluation in the fall of 2000, eight years into her 12-year prison term. We see all of the

events in the past--everything from the early scenes with Paul through the crimes and eventually a little bit of the trial--from her point of view. But that point of view is repeatedly challenged by the psychiatrist who is interviewing her. He doesn't "buy into" her story, but rather tries to peel away the layers of the onion, exposing Karla's attempts at "spin", forcing Karla to acknowledge things that she doesn't want to acknowledge.

Q: Did your approach to the story evolve over time?

A: Yes and no. I always felt that it was Karla's story, not Paul's. But I think, as we got deeper into it, we began to understand the ramifications of this on more levels, and that led to some changes.

Q: Such as.?

A: Such as the decision to use the interviews with the psychiatrist as a wraparound. We basically felt that yes, it needs to be Karla's story, but you need a counterpoint--you can't let her just tell it her way without any counter-argument being presented.

It felt like it would be irresponsible and misleading to not create a "dissenting voice" to her story.

Q: What problems -- logistical, legal, ethical -- did you encounter in commencing production?

A: Logistically, we were shooting Los Angeles for Canada, which is a switch since usually it's the other way around. We did find houses which closely matched the actual houses in St. Catherines, but we had to be careful--too much panning around with the camera and palm trees

would be visible. And red tile roofs, things like that. We thought originally that we would go up and shoot some second unit in Canada--but after the filming was complete and we had been editing for awhile, it began to seem less important because the story is so much about this kind of hermetically sealed world in which these two people live. It almost felt like attempt to bring in "local color" from Canada would

just confuse matters, rather than add value.

Legally, there were a number of issues. The most significant one, and the one that affects the story the most, is that we could not depict anyone in the Homolka family other than Karla, a convicted felon, and Tammy, who is deceased. That posed problems but we worked through it, without, I think, compromising the story.

Ethically, it was a matter of constantly remembering, and reminding everyone on the show, that this is not a thriller, this really happened. We felt that this imposed a very strict burden on us to be accurate. No flights of fancy--just try to tell the truth as we understood it.

And that involves a lot more than the simple facts of the story. The simple facts--this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened--are meaningless unless we are able to supply insight into the "why" of these things. Why did Karla let Paul talk her into the

rape of Tammy? Why did she stay with him? Why, when he brought Leslie Mahaffey home, did she join him? Why did she go out on the street and help him abduct Kristin French? Why did she finally turn on him? The film tries, to the very best of our ability, to deliver meaningful insight into these questions. We felt that, ethically, the film would only have value if it did this--that we only had a right to make it if we were doing our best to shed light on these questions.

Q: Among the aspects that seem to have transfixed the media and the public with this case are how ordinary, attractive and wholesome Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo seemed. How did you approach casting these "couple-next-door" killers?

A: In a way, it would have been much easier to cast a "killer couple" who were in some way overtly creepy. Finding people to play that kind of role is relatively easy. But we had to find actors who could be convincing--as Paul and Karla were--as "regular, normal" people, and who could also be convincing as the killers that they ultimately became. I had known Misha Collins from his previous work and asked him to read

for the part -- which he did, along with hundreds of others. In the end, he was the hands-down choice purely based on the merit of his audition. Laura Prepon was another story. I don't think any of us would have thought of red-headed Donna from "That 70's Show" as the choice for Karla -- but her manager saw the script and sent it to her, and she liked it and came in to read for it. As soon as she came in and we talked, then

read a little bit, I knew we had our Karla. She had a tremendous grasp of the character and an ability to bring out all sides of Karla.

Q: Some members of the Canadian government have called for a ban or boycott of the film. Your response?

A: The Canadian government, particularly the Ontario government, are viewed by many as having dropped the ball in the matter of achieving justice in this situation, and they clearly have a deeply felt (and politically understandable) need to show continued concern and vigilance. I'm not a Canadian so I don't really want to comment on what crosses the line between legitimate vigilance and intrusive "big brother"-ness. That's for Canadians to sort out. But I do understand where they are coming from. My only real complaint is that they made these calls without

having seen the film -- or without even having read any legitimate reviews of the film. I would note that all of these calls that you're referring to happened before any of the reviews came out. Since the first reviews did appear in August -- there have been no more such calls from government figures, and the families have also publicly stated that while they do not endorse any movie about the crimes, they will not

oppose the release of this one.

Q: You've said -- to paraphrase -- that this film is not a referendum on Karla's guilt or innocence, but rather an exploration of her character.

Could you please elaborate?

A: I think there may be a tendency in Canada for people, when considering Karla, to be overwhelmed by the notion of what she became--Paul's killer accomplice--and to forget that this is, indeed, what she became--not what she was when they met. When they met, he was already the Scarborough rapist but she didn't know that, and she was a high school senior with no history of illegal activities whatsoever. So how did this girl, a high school senior from a responsible, working family, fall in with Paul, and how and why did she make one decision after another that took her down a very dark road. We really felt that exploring that journey, rather than overtly judging Karla, was what the story was about. Everyone, even killers, have a point of view. They don't' start out as killers--they become killers. It is this "becoming" part of it that fascinated me. It seemed to me at the time we were studying and writing the story, that Karla started from what was for her a "normal" place, then made once decision after another, each one of which created a "new normal", and which made it easier for the next bad decision to happen. If you look at it in totality it's incomprehensible --but if you break it down into each step, each decision -- then we, the film-makers, have a chance to deliver meaningful insight about it. That's our job -- to deliver meaningful insight. Audiences will judge KARLA, the film, but I really believe they will do so, after watching it, from a position of much greater understanding of the

factors involved as a result of having seen the movie.

Seattle schools are all children special needs

It’s a great commentary that the “save Seattle Schools” blog hosted on is a wildly active forum for community interaction. Anytime I visit the site there are discussions on anything from the military recruiting in Seattle Schools to discussions of the budget and the school board. One of the latest really got my attention. It was focusing on the way that the Seattle Schools run its gifted program.

Now I know that the Seattle Public Schools aren’t alone in their challenges of how to educate these children. But the reason it attracted my attention was because of a recent NPR (National Public Radio) segment on educating children with autism. What struck me was the similarity in the Seattle Schools attempt to educate its gifted population and its special needs population.

It left me with the burning question: are all Seattle Schools’ students really special needs students? Well, think about it. One of the hottest topics in educational pedagogy is multiple intelligences. That’s the belief that people have academic intelligence, emotional intelligence, kinesthetic (movement) intelligence, and other specific intelligences. And more importantly, that schools should teach in ways that reach children who learn best in all these different ways.

So the fact that a gifted child in the Seattle Schools requires a different sort of challenge to motivate him, or that an autistic child needs a different environment to facilitate learning, really means they both have special needs. And if a “regular ed” child is an auditory learner, while her classmate is a visual learner; well, aren’t those special needs as well?

What Do Special Needs Students Require from the Seattle Schools?

Frankly, I don’t think that many teachers in the Seattle Schools would argue with my characterization of all children as having special needs. In fact, the best teachers I know strive to individualize instruction in classes with 30 or more students. Of course, one issue is that the resources of the Seattle Schools, while better than most of the nation, are never enough. But the other, and I think easier issue to tackle, is one of knowledge. There’s still a lot of disagreement among parents and educators about the best ways to teach classically labeled “gifted and special needs” students.

Inclusion is often seen as the most desirable option for special needs students, but many a parent will tell you that ideal is often a frustrating reality. One of the best things that the Seattle Schools can do today to make future education better is to track the success of students in different special needs environments. Since the children are required to be in public schools classes, it only makes sense to track their progress in the different venues. Again - cost rears its ugly head. But the Seattle Schools are fortunate to have some powerful corporations and higher learning institutions helping them out with a variety of initiatives.

The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter whether a child’s “special needs” are extreme or not. The Seattle Schools are going to have to find ways to address them.

The healing effects of an appropriate acid reflux diet

Acid reflux can become very serious if it is not appropriately treated and can even lead to severe complications. The factors responsible for causing acid reflux are multiple: low pressure in the region of the esophagus, inappropriate activity of the lower esophageal sphincter (a muscular valve at the union between the esophagus and the stomach), excessive production of digestive acid or physiological abnormalities of the esophagus.

Acid reflux may also occur due to inappropriate diet, stress and unhealthy lifestyle. The best way of controlling the condition is through the means of a good acid reflux diet. An appropriate acid reflux diet greatly contributes in preventing and controlling the condition. Due to the fact that excessive production of stomach digestive fluids aggravates the condition, an appropriate acid reflux diet should contain only foods that don’t add to the stomach’s acidity. A good acid reflux diet should exclude: foods that are rich in fat, citrus foods, tomato products, milk, caffeine-based products, spicy foods, fried foods, peppermint, alcoholic beverages and cigarettes.

First of all, avoid eating large amounts of foods that contain fat. By restricting the amount of fat in your acid reflux diet, you help normalize the activity of the stomach. When large amounts of fat-rich foods are ingested at once, the stomach can’t manage to digest it properly and attempts to dissolve it by secreting more digestive acids. Exclude spices and other irritants (preservatives, colorants) from your acid reflux diet and replace fast food with home-cooked meals. Although it is believed that dairy products have a calming effect on the stomach, milk can eventually increase the amount of gastric acid. Milk has a rebound action on the stomach, neutralizing the levels of digestive acid at first, only to increase the amount of digestive acid further on.

It is very important to avoid smoking and the consumption of alcohol. These factors are proved to increase the production of gastric acids inside the stomach and therefore can aggravate acid reflux. Also, try to reduce the consumption of foods and beverages that contain caffeine (coffee, cola, black tea, cocoa, chocolate). Although it is not exactly known how caffeine affects the normal activity of the stomach, it is best to exclude it from your acid reflux diet.

Foods considered to be appropriate for people who suffer from acid reflux are: apples, bananas, cabbage, carrots, beans, peas, potatoes, rice, low-fat meat, bread, pasta and cereals. Include more foods that are rich in carbohydrates in your acid reflux diet (price, pasta, bread, cereals, potatoes) and try to reduce the intake of protein. You may eat light meats such as chicken or fish, but try to place meat products on a secondary level in your acid reflux diet.

Follow a good acid reflux diet and you will quickly improve your condition. In some cases, an appropriate acid reflux diet can even be a substitute for medication.

Which charity credit cards are worthy of your support

Donating to good causes is a great way to help people who are less fortunate. People have always been able to help good causes by giving up their time or handing over cash. Now the process is even easier.

Many charities now have branded credit cards that enable consumers to donate to the charity every time they spend. These charity credit cards are backed by major UK banks. The Royal Bank of Scotland, Halifax and the Cooperative Bank all support several charity credit cards.

Learning About Charity Credit Cards

When consumers first sign up for a charity credit card, the issuing bank makes a donation to the relevant charity. This sum ranges from Ј5 to more than Ј40. The actual sum donated will depend on the terms of the particular credit card deal. If consumers keep and use the card, then card issuers usually make a second donation at the end of six months or a year.

Charity credit cards also give ongoing support to charities by paying a percentage of any spending on the card to the nominated charity. For example, most cards contribute 0.25% of spending to the charity. This means that 25 pence is donated to charity for every pound spent on the card. Some charity credit cards offer a donation of as much as 1%, so the amount given to charity increases to match. This is worth thinking about when deciding which charity credit card to go for.

What Causes Can I Support With Charity Credit Cards?

There are cards for almost every good cause. These include:

- Cancer charities such as Cancer Research UK and Breakthrough Breast Cancer Trust

- Children's charities such as the NSPCC, Great Ormond Street Hospital and Barnardos

- Animal charities such as the RSPCA and PDSA

- Aid agencies such as Christian Aid and Oxfam

- And many more.

To find out if the charity you want to support has a credit card, telephone them or visit their websites. There are also several credit card comparison sites to help consumers decided among the different credit card offers.

What Incentives Are There For Using Charity Credit Cards?

Charity credit cards offer the same incentives to new cardholders as other cards. This means that, depending on the offer, cardholders can benefit from:

- Low annual interest rates

- 0% balance transfer rates for a fixed period

- 0% interest on purchases for a fixed period

- other rewards and incentives.

Some credit card issuers may charge a one-off balance transfer fee. This should be considered when deciding on the right card.

As with all credit cards it is essential to make payments regularly and on time to avoid attracting any penalty fees.

Once people have selected the right charity card, making a donation is as simple as doing what they would do anyway. All they have to do is spend money in the usual places and their favourite charities will get the benefit.

Marine electronics

Autopilots The first self-steering gear was introduced in the 1920's to control model yachts but it was not until 1948 that the principle was applied to full scale yachts. Standing at the helm for lengthy periods, monitoring instruments and keeping a good look out can be very tiring. An autopilot relieves the helmsman from steering the correct course leaving him free to maintain a proper watch. The autopilot can be set to either steer a compass course or a course relative to the wind. A fluxgate compass or electronic wind indicator feeds information to a microprocessor which then makes the necessary rudder movements to return the vessel to it's required course. The mechanical power is applied to the rudder by either electric linear activators, hydraulic pumps or rotary drives. GPS/Chart plotters can be used to input navigational instructions to the autopilot.

Battery Chargers will keep batteries fully charged thereby extending their working life.

Chart Plotters Typically a chart plotter consists of an antenna, mounted high on the boat, to track GPS signals and a display unit sited either at the at the navigation station or the helm of the vessel. The vessels position is sent from the antenna to the display unit which in turn shows it graphically on the chart. The Chart itself will look similar to it's paper equivalent and show depth, land mass, navigational aids such as bouys and potential dangers in the form of wrecks and obstructions. The user can add way points to the chart and zoom in and out of the display. Chart plotters can be connected to drive an autopilot and/or send GPS data to a fish finder or radar. They can also interface with a laptop enabling complex passage planning to be done away from the boat and then entered into the chart plotter after arriving at the boat.

Magnetic Transmitting Compasses work like traditional compasses using magnets to determine the vessels orientation to the earth's magnetic field they then transmit the boats heading to an electronic display. They make steering easier than with conventional compasses because they display steadier headings and do not suffer from the "lag" that occurs when making a turn. They can interface with chart plotters, autopilots and radar. Fluxgate Compasses consist of two pieces of readily saturated magnetic material with coils wound round them in opposing directions. AC current is passed through the coils and the material is saturated in one direction and then the other. The earth's magnetic field affects slightly the time at which saturation occurs, earlier in one coil and later in the other. The difference is then calculated giving an output proportional to the earth's magnetic field. They are accurate to 0.1 of a degree. Their output can be displayed digitally to the helmsman or they can interface with autopilots, chart plotters and radar.

Echo Sounders work on the same principle as sonar. A transducer emits a narrow beam of high frequency sound. This is reflected by any solid objects and the time between transmission and receipt of the echo is measured. The speed of sound through water is know and so the range or distance to the sea bed can be calculated. That is then displayed in metres. Forward Looking Sonar (FLS) enables you to see the underwater hazards before you're actually on top of them. A typical range for a FLS is 150 metres.

An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) is a piece of equipment designed to float free of a vessel in distress. It then sends a radio signal that can be detected by Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) satellites. They relay a message to a ground station that in turn can instigate a search and rescue operation.

Fish Finders use the same technology as sonar. A narrow beam of high frequency sound is transmitted by a transducer, this is reflected by solid objects such as the sea bed. By developing this technology fishfinders provide displays that show where the fish are and they can differentiate between bait fish and larger species

Global Positioning System (GPS Receivers) - This system was originally designed for military purposes and is owned and operated by the United States Department of Defence. 24 satellites are arranged in a "birdcage" around the globe, they are positioned in such a way that at any place on the earth's surface a direct line of sight can be established to a minimum of 4 satellites. A fix is obtained by measuring accurately the distance between a satellite and the GPS receiver at a precise time. Because the exact position of the satellite is known, these distances provide position lines which are converted by a microprocessor within the GPS receiver to read outs of latitude and longitude.

The log is used to measure the boats speed through the water. A paddle wheel or impeller, mounted below the waterline is turned by the flow of water, this generates electrical impulses that are fed to a microprocessor that displays both speed and distance run.

Inverters - On most boats today you will find domestic equipment of one sort or another. For on board entertainment there are televisions and stereo systems. With the popularity of chart plotters comes the PC or laptop. Maintenance often requires the use of power tools. Liveaboards might have a washing machine, dishwasher or microwave. Can take 12v, 24v or 48v supply and convert it to a stable 110 v or 220v AC supply.

Navtex can perhaps best be described as a continuously updated telex service providing navigation and weather information within specified areas. An on board receiver, tuned to 518kHz, the worldwide Navtex frequency, if left turned on will either print out or display the latest massages sent from a local station. The service is available up to 400 miles from the coast.

Radar enables you to see what otherwise would be invisible. They offer greatest benefit at night and in fog or rain and are of particular value when close to shore or in busy shipping lanes. They consist of an antenna and a display. The antenna sends out a stream of RF energy which is reflected back off hard objects. When this energy is bounced back it is converted to a signal which displayed to the user. The antenna rotates every few seconds, the display continuously calculates the direction of the antenna and so a precise bearing to the target is calculated. The time is measured for the energy to be reflected and so the distance of the target is also displayed.

Satellite Phones consist of an antenna, a modem and a normal handset. They are powered by an iridium battery. Their range is anywhere covered by in Inmarsat Mini-M satellite. Voice, fax, email and data can be transmitted.

Satellite TV requires an antenna and of course a television. Reception is available within a "footprint" which is based on EIRP (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power) of a transmitting satellite. The EUTELSAT together with the two ASTRA satellites cover Europe. NILESAT and the two ARABSATs cover Africa and the Middle East. Good coverage is also available in North, Central and Southern America.

SSB Radio has a range of several thousand miles. You will need an FFC license, or the equivalent in whichever country you plan to operate it. Power consumption is a consideration. Up to 100 Watts may be required for transmission. SSB radio requires several items of equipment. A transceiver capable of SSB operation, An antenna, this must be 8 metres long and in practice most boats use a backstay or shroud for the purpose having fitted the necessary insulators. An antenna tuner matched to the transceiver model. If you want to send email you will also need and radio modem and computer.

VHF Radio The power required to transmit is minimal, all sets have the option of transmitting on either 1 Watt or 25 Watts and the lower power should be used whenever possible. Unlike telephones that allow you to both talk and hear at the same time most VHF sets require you to press a transmit button prior to talking. This is known as simplex. Duplex sets are available but are much more expensive. VHF radio waves travel in straight lines so the aerial should be mounted as high as possible, preferably at the masthead.

Webmasters improve your adsense earnings monetize income

Webmasters who have been there and done it have quite some useful tips to help those who would want to venture into this field. Some of these tips have boosted quite a lot of earnings in the past and is continuously doing so.

If webmasters want to monetize their websites, the great way to do it is through Adsense. There are lots of webmasters struggling hard to earn some good money a day through their sites. But then some of the “geniuses” of them are enjoying hundreds of dollars a day from Adsense ads on their websites. What makes these webmasters different from the other kind is that they are different and they think out of the box.

Here are some 5 proven ways on how best to improve your Adsense earnings.

1. Concentrating on one format of Adsense ad. The one format that worked well for the majority is the Large Rectangle (336X280). This same format have the tendency to result in higher CTR, or the click-through rates. Why choose this format out of the many you can use? Basically because the ads will look like normal web links, and people, being used to clicking on them, click these types of links. They may or may not know they are clicking on your Adsense but as long as there are clicks, then it will all be for your advantage.

2. Create a custom palette for your ads. Choose a color that will go well with the background of your site. If your site has a white background, try to use white as the color of your ad border and background. The idea to patterning the colors is to make the Adsense look like it is part of the web pages. Again, This will result to more clicks from people visiting your site.

3. Remove the Adsense from the bottom pages of your site and put them at the top. Do not try to hide your Adsense. Put them in the place where people can see them quickly. You will be amazed how the difference between Adsense locations can make when you see your earnings.

4. Maintain links to relevant websites. If you think some sites are better off than the others, put your ads there and try to maintaining and managing them. If there is already lots of Adsense put into that certain site, put yours on top of all of them. That way visitor will see your ads first upon browsing into that site.

5. Try to automate the insertion of your Adsense code into the webpages using SSI (or server side included). Ask your web administrator if your server supports SSI or not. How do you do it? Just save your Adsense code in a text file, save it as “adsense text”, and upload it to the root directory of the web server. Then using SSI, call the code on other pages. This tip is a time saver especially for those who are using automatic page generators to generate pages on their website.

These are some of the tips that have worked well for some who want to generate hundreds and even thousands on their websites. It is important to know though that ads are displayed because it fits the interest of the people viewing them. So focusing on a specific topic should be your primary purpose because the displays will be especially targeted on a topic that persons will be viewing already.

Note also that there are many other Adsense sharing the same topic as you. It is best to think of making a good ad that will be somewhat different and unique than the ones already done. Every clickthrough that visitors make is a point for you so make every click count by making your Adsense something that people will definitely click on.

Tips given by those who have boosted their earnings are just guidelines they want to share with others. If they have somehow worked wonders to some, maybe it can work wonders for you too. Try them out into your ads and see the result it will bring.

If others have done it, there is nothing wrong trying it out for yourself.

Natural skin care beauty tips made from natural ingredients

For natural home cures, kitchen is the great place to start. Natural cures created at home for the smallest of problems from natural ingredients such fruits, vegetables, herbs are catching loads of attention due to its very nature of cure - no or negligible cost, purity, without side effects, dollops of TLC (tender, loving care), simple and no side effects. Sounds too good to be true?

-Try this for dandruff problem; soak 1 tbsp of fenugreek seeds overnight. Grind them into a paste. Apply on hair for an hour and wash it off using gram flour paste.

-For dry, flaky skin on your arms and legs, try this concoction. Mix 6 tsp petroleum jelly, 2 tsp each of glycerin and lemon juice. Apply this moisturizing lotion at least twice a week.

-Peel, grate and squeeze the juice of a cucumber. Mix it with Ѕ tsp each of glycerin and rose water. Apply this if you are suffering for sun burns.

-A facemask of egg white and honey gently removes the tan from your face.

-Dip cotton wool pads in chilled mixture of cucumber and potato juice. Keep this on your eyelids for 15 to 20 minutes and gently wash it off. A way out for dark circles.

-Melt paraffin wax; mix it with little mustard oil and apply on the affected area. Leave it on overnight. After 10 or 15 days, your cracked heels will become smooth.

-Mix oats with honey, yogurt and ground almonds. Apply this to your face, leave it for five minutes and wash with lukewarm water.

-Try chocolate mask to make your normal to dry skin, skin smooth. Take 1/3 cup cocoa, 3 tsp of heavy cream, 1/3 cup ripe papaya, ј cup honey and 3 tsp of oatmeal powder. Mix them together. Smooth on your face. After 10 minutes, wash your face with warm water.

-For oily skin, apply a mixture of grapes (softens your skin), lemon (natural cleanser) and egg white (tightens the skin). Leave it for 20 minutes and rinse with warm water.

-Tone and refresh your skin by rubbing the wedge of a cut lemon all over your face. Leave it for about 20 minutes and then rinse off with cold water.

-You can mix 1 tbsp cranberry sauce juice with 2 tbsp of Vaseline for a delicious home made lip balm.

-Mix honey, lemon and vegetable oil for a great home made moisturiser for your dry skin. Apply this concoction for 10 minutes.

-For a glowing skin, heat 4 tbsp of almond oil, 2 tbsp each of lanolin, petroleum jelly and extra virgin olive oil. Blend all these ingredients and massage into your skin.

-Mix a slice of pumpkin with egg yolk and milk. Let this mask set on your face for 30 minutes for a glowing skin.

-Massage your body with a mixture of coconut oil and some of your favourite scented oils like lavender or rosemary. Your skin, besides smelling heavenly, will acquire a silky and supple quality.

-Mix Ѕ cup honey to your bath water for soft and smooth skin.

-Paste of mint leaves and almonds, mixed with warm water and applied all over body till it dries and rinsed off with warm water makes a soothing body pack.

-Buttermilk dabbed on skin for 15 minutes will soak up oil from your skin without drying it.

-Carrot juice applied daily helps blemishes fade.

-For dark underarms and neck - apply lemon juice mixed with cucumber juice and a pinch of turmeric daily. Leave this on for 20 minutes.

-A mix of crushed mint leaves and oats applied for 20 minutes and washed off with warm water will reduce pimples.

-Hair on face - apply a sticky paste of egg white blended with sugar and corn flour. When it dries, gently peel it off. Repeat this three to four times a week.

-Thin apple slices rubbed onto oily skin will help in controlling the oily shine.

-For supple skin, apply a ripe mashed banana on your face for 20 minutes daily.

-Try this natural bleach to lighten the tan. Mix orange peels (sun dried and powdered) with milk. Apply this paste for 25 minutes and rinse off.

The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the recipes from this article. Avoid using if you are allergic to something. The responsibility lies with the reader and not the site and the writer.

The home improvement loan

Everyone wants changes in life; this change can be of any kind like change of wardrobe, giving one a new look for the betterment, change of jobs or even changes in the place where we spend most of the time i. e. our house. To increase the value of house the best way is to make renovations in your house. Changes can be of any kind like painting the house, introduce new furniture, renovation of kitchen or bathroom, set new tiling, replace carpets etc, in a way there is no end to changes that one can make in house.

Home improvement loan are taken when there is a deficiency of cash but at the same time a need to make changes in house also, thus applying for home improvement loan is the easiest way to get money. Home improvement loan gets sanctioned easily and from anywhere, it is a short-term loan where the interest rate depends upon the borrowers’ credit score and repayment capability and also on the value of asset if kept as collateral.

Home is a place to rest, relax and recharge hence, it should be a comfortable place. Home improvement loan are the loans that are available for anybody, it is even available for the people who have a bad credit history, these loans are available for a span of 5-20 years and the rate of interest is also low and affordable. The resale value of house increase if the house is well furnished hence, to get a better deal for your house one can easily opt for home improvement loan and give their house a fresh new look.

Basically home improvement loan are of two types; they are secured and unsecured loans. Secured loans are the loans where a large amount of money can be taken as a loan and can be repaid back over a longer period of time. The borrower needs to keep an asset of his with the lender as a security where if the borrower fails to refund the funds on time then the lender can liquidate the asset and get the loan amount back.

The next type of loan is unsecured loan, where the borrower need not put any asset as collateral with the lender, the amount taken as loan here is comparatively less and even the repayment tenure is short-term. Choosing for the right type of loan depends on the borrowers’ condition, if he/she has a bad credit score then applying for secured loans for home improvement is the best option.

Few things that should be kept in mind before applying for a home improvement loan is firstly the budget. The loan amount should be fixed based on the type of renovation that will be done in the house, this way the renovation will be quite cost effective. Another factor that affects the loan is the repayment option; people who have a steady income are always given priority because of their good credit score. The borrower should also read the terms and conditions carefully, there is no harm in asking questions several times if there is any doubts, always remember a good lending institution will always readily and happily clear all suspicions which prevail in the borrowers mind while applying for home improvement loan.

So far the best way to find for the best deal in home improvement loan is through the Internet. There are various online institutions that help you get the finest quotes in town and help you save your time and energy also. With just a mouse click, quotes from various lenders are available and not only the schemes but the borrowers also come across various other types of loans also that the company offers, thus helping you get the right type of loan. Home improvement is something that one can really enjoy doing it, and getting the right kind of loan is a double treat. To get more information and attractive deals about home improvement loan visit Wizard Loan Approval today.

Does a personal trainer really need a fitness business consultant

Asking why a personal trainer needs a Fitness Business Consultant is very similar to asking why a person who wants to get in shape needs a personal trainer.

That person has a basic idea of what his or her fitness goals are. They also know the basics of working out, or at least they think they do. They do all the different exercises they see other people at the gym doing, so they must be doing something right. And, even though is seems like a lot of work, they are starting to see some results from their efforts. So why would they need a personal trainer?

Well, as a personal trainers, we know that the exercises that most people do at the fitness center are usually performed with the wrong form, which can lead to injury. We also know that many people tend to use much heavier weights than they should because that's what they were always taught. And we also know that a person get far greater results than they ever imagined by performing the right exercise program in the right way, and usually not have to work as hard for those results. A personal trainer's job is to know how to accomplish the best results in the shortest amount of time. Our job is to take our clients' results to the next level.

Well the same holds true for why a personal trainer needs to work with a Fitness Business Consultant. When you start your fitness business you will probably do what all of the other personal trainers are doing. Offer the same services, charge the same amount per session, market your business in the same way and work with your clients in basically the same way. You do all the things that other personal trainers do, so you must be doing something right. And, even though it seems like a lot of work, you are starting to see some results from you efforts. So why would you need a Fitness Business Consultant?

Well, since I am also a Fitness Business Consultant, I know that most of what the majority of personal trainers are doing to build their fitness business just doesn't work. Sure you are going to get some results, but so would putting flyers on the windshields of cars in the grocery store parking lot. And whatever results you are getting are coming slowly and at a large cost, both in expenses and in missed opportunities. The job of a Fitness Business Consultant is to get you and your fitness business the greatest results in the shortest amount of time, and to keep those results coming. Our job is to take OUR clients' results to the next level.

Personal trainers have the skill, knowledge and passion to make them successful at what they do. But skill, knowledge and passion alone will not guarantee you a successful fitness BUSINESS. You need to learn about the "business of fitness from someone who has the skill, knowledge and passion for building a fitness Business.

That is where The Next Level Fitness Solutions can help. They are a Fitness Business Consulting Company that specializes in dramatically increasing your fitness business AND income. With their comprehensive fitness business training programs you will learn everything you need to know to guarantee your business will be as successful and profitable as you ant it to be. And they offer a sixty-day unconditional guarantee on all of their training programs to prove it.

So, the choice is your. Keep spinning your wheels and getting mediocre results at best. Or dramatically increase your fitness business and income by visiting The Next Level Fitness Solutions today.

The beginning wakeboarders guide

When it comes to wakeboarding the first thing you will need to consider is what type of equipment to you’ll need. Often people will choose to go to the nearest sporting goods store and buy the cheapest wakeboarding package available.

While this is a very viable route, especially for those who are getting their first introduction to the sport, these entry-level packages can hinder your progress as a wake boarder early on in the learning process. The best thing to do is to ask someone to take you out wakeboarding first to see if you like it.

Then when you are sure you want to invest in the sport, you can take your time to research and find the right board for your needs that will last you for years to come. The best investment you can make in the sport of wakeboarding is a good board and bindings.

Once you get in the water the most important thing for wakeboarding beginners to learn is how to get up on the board. For some people this part can be quite difficult and for others it is a very simple process. Either way you will have to learn how to get out of the water before you can start to practice and learn wakeboarding tricks.

For some the first try goes well and for others it can take an hour or two. It all depends on how gifted the individual is and how skilled the driver of the boat is. But it is important that you don't give up, remind yourself that you will get it eventually and then you will have the routine down for the next time your out in the water.

With some modern wakeboards the first trick can be fastening your bindings. For the new wake boarder it is often better to strap your feet onto the board while you are out of the water. If the bindings are tight you should use soap or another lubricant in order to have your feet slide in easily.

However, most of the times you just need to place a little water on the bindings and your feet before sliding your feet in and cinching up the laces. Next you need to slide off into the water, don't worry no one looks graceful doing it their first time. Take your time in the water before having the boat pull you. If you're on your stomach you will want to roll over at this point.

Before telling the boat driver to start make sure the line is above your board. You don't want the line under you or wrapped around you when the boat starts to pull you. When the boat starts to pull you’ll want to curl into a ball. Extend your arms while bringing your knees up to your chest.

If your elbows are bent this will cause a jerk and likely pull the rope right out of your hands. If you have an experienced driver then the pull will be easy and progressive. For an inexperienced driver the first pull can be a bit too hard. Now that you are on your feet you are ready to start practicing your wakeboard maneuvers and soon you’ll be looking great and having a blast.

Make time for family meals

Whether it is running around to participate in after school activities or putting in overtime at work, a big challenge that families face is balancing the demands on their time. The slow-paced family dinners of past generations seem almost impossible in today's fast-paced society. Making family dinner a priority is not easy, but the long-term benefits are well worth the effort.

A family dinner offers a natural forum that fosters togetherness. It can become the highlight of the day and a way to build pleasant family memories. This time together can also give family members a chance to share their lives and to receive encouragement and support.

A great way to get the family excited about eating together is to serve something everyone loves to eat. What better way to bring the family to the table than with delicious, easy-to-prepare pizza. With the addition of two new frozen pizzas from Red Baron®, there is an abundance of pizza options to satisfy everyone's appetites.

Large enough to feed the hungriest family, The Big Baron™ Pizza is easy to make and oven bakes straight from the freezer in just 16 to 18 minutes. It is available in Pepperoni and 4 Cheese varieties.

To add convenience for the time-starved families, the Classic Crust Microwaveable Pizza offers a great-tasting pizza that cooks in just 31/2 minutes. It is available in 4 Cheese, Pepperoni, Supreme and Sausage & Pepperoni.

So now, whether you are looking for a quick and convenient dinner for the family or for an appetizing choice for serving at parties, when unexpected guests drop by or whenever you need more pizza-Red Baron® is the one for everyone.

The new variety of pizzas are currently available nationwide in your grocer's freezer.

Getting the best deal out of pet insurance policies

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There are many good reasons for spending time for investigating in the selection of an ideal pet insurance policy. Some of the reasons are that, the pet owner may be attached to the pet very much emotionally, or the welfare of the pet may make a difference to the pet owner. The health of the pet is very important to the pet owner it is part of the household. Pet insurance serves as a tool that makes sure that the pet does not suffer from any kind of short or long-term illnesses. Financial planning plays a very important role as it may lead to a dangerous situation affecting the pet owner financially in the event of major medical condition when the pet gets injured in an accident or develops a life threatening disease etc. Pet insurance can ease out all sorts of worries. It makes the pet owner free from worrying regarding healthcare, regular checkups, vaccinations, vision checks, gums and teeth checkups etc. Pet insurance serves as an investment to the pet owner in shouldering the financial costs associated with the pet’s health.

Tips for getting a real deal out of insurance policies:

Everyone loves being safe and secure. That is the main reason that pet insurance concept has come into being. It acts as a risk management tool to the pet owner. There are several pet insurance policies with various terms and conditions, to get the real deal out of the insurance policies. The pet owner should go through each term and condition to select the one which will give the maximum benefit out of it. Online services are there to help such people who are confused about the pet insurance policy and the benefit the pet owner can get out of it. Comparisons can be done in terms of premium, health coverage of the pet, if the policy suits the pet etc. as normally pet insurance is offered for cats and dogs. If a person has iguana as his pet, he should look for an insurance company who covers this kind of pet.

Incase if the pet owner has more than one pet, he can very well approach the insurance company which offers discounts on insurance coverage for all his pets. This might be very useful in striking the real deal.

Pets are prone to accidents and illnesses, and the trip to the vet might be very costly affair. Hence pet insurance plays a vital role in providing financial assistance in such cases. Since the vet is the person who is going to treat the pet, it is good to ask him regarding the best insurance policy for the pets. Some vets have their own network of insurance agencies and companies and only work for them. In such cases the vet can provide some valuable information on which insurance company to be approached. Since the vet knows the health condition of the pet, he can suggest the best pet insurance policy which may cover to the maximum. Almost all pet insurance policies require the pet owners to pay the initial amount and then get the reimbursement of the amount they spent on their pets. The vet suggestion may help the pet owner to get the real deal by having the best policy with a good reimbursement plan.

Coaching - how are your using your business magnet

I don’t remember what grade it was, but there was a time when one my long list of teachers demonstrated the wonderful world of magnets. This was the first time I’d heard the term, “Opposites attract.”

The north end of the magnet always seemed to fall for the south end of another magnet. If, however I tried to place two south ends together I was in for a wrestling match. The two would repel each other in dynamic ways.

This little experiment has applications for business owners. If you own and operate an online business, and you have employees, you have the ability to use your ‘business’ magnet to motivate your employees. Make no mistake; you will motivate your employees one way or another.

For instance, if your motivational tactic is through the use of intimidation and threats you can expect your employee to be motivated, just not in the way you might hope.

Sometimes when we have difficult employees we tend to work at micromanaging an their time seeking to assure ourselves that we are getting what we are paying for. The two greatest problems with this approach is that, 1) we don’t get our own work done because we are overly concerned about the employee’s work habits and, 2) the employee feels as though they are back in kindergarten and often this feeling results in resentment.

So how does this motivate an employee? In the same way two south magnets motivate each other.

By using a more caustic approach to management you work to drive your employee away. The motivation you are unintentionally providing is a motivation that will find them looking for a new job, and you a new employee.

When you adopt motivational techniques that invite employees to the table to share ideas and insight into the running of the company you can discover two additional things, 1) the employee is attracted to this motivational techniques and, 2) they will typically have some wonderful ideas that can be incorporated into the long-term success of the company.

When you can begin to learn to view your employees as valuable members of your business team and less as hired laborers you will likely discover they are more willing to contribute to your overall success and will experience a greater degree of employee satisfaction.

You do have a choice in motivation. One method practically insures a revolving door of employees while the other invites long-term loyalty and mutual success.

How are you using your business magnet?

Poker book review the illustrated guide to texas hold em

At a time when new poker books are pouring onto store shelves, Dennis Purdy is the first author to offer a unique approach to learning poker with The Illustrated Guide to Texas Hold’Em. The former gambling pro uses a visual problem-solving approach rather than a textual approach at teaching poker strategy.

The first three chapters of the guide start off very similarly to many beginner books on the poker market, covering the basic rules of how to play Hold’Em, what you might wear to a table, how much you should buy-in for and some rules of good poker etiquette. The fourth chapter presents eight brief rules of ‘good basic poker strategy’ followed by a detailed explanation of actual odds and pot odds. Chapter five is where this book becomes unique as the next 300 pages are filled with 150 different, illustrated Texas Hold’Em poker scenarios, matched with the author’s answer to each of the practice situations! Purdy ends the book with a noteworthy 30 page poker terminology glossary.

The cover indicates that this guide may make a winner out of an advanced player but this book was really designed to captivate those unlikely readers that shy away from the other poker books already published. The introduction warns that this book is not ‘targeted towards sophisticated and knowledgeable players’, and I would agree. Advanced players will find too many examples stating ‘the obvious’ like situation #2: folding 27 offsuit before the flop.

Purdy’s advice is mostly in-line with most other poker authors however there are certainly some debatable answers to a few of his problems (i. e. Problem #46 suggests to cap the betting with 36s pre-flop?). There is often more than one correct way to play any individual poker hand however I sometimes found myself wondering why Purdy would suggest such advanced plays, especially since these situations can be easily misinterpreted by new players. The intention of this guide may have been to give definitive situational advice to poker scenarios, however, I suggest that readers actually place more importance on the general strategy advice given in the answers rather than the specific action to take. It’s really the whole strategic approach you take to the game that will make the most difference in your results.

The visual representation of each of the poker situations is by far this book’s greatest asset. I personally know readers to have picked up this book after ignoring the other acclaimed texts on the premise of its simple and fun-looking learning method. Another quality point is that no commitment is needed as the reader can easily review a couple pages and put the book back down again without losing the value of the material. The teaching pattern also follows through with its ideas, enabling the reader to encounter the same notions and strategies in various problems throughout the book (for example, each of situations #17, #38 & #148 address folding small pocket pairs in early position before the flop).

Due to the popular nature of problem solving game books, this style of teaching poker is expected to appeal to many players and will most likely be adopted in more books to come. Like many books of its nature, The Illustrated guide to Texas Hold’Em is not recommended as the only book to teach you sound poker strategy, but as a visual practice supplement for those players not interested in studying the more technical texts. Readers that insist on keeping the fun and excitement first and foremost in their poker education will appreciate this chance to learn without being bogged down with abstract concepts or complicated terminology.

The beauty and benefits of breastfeeding

In recent years, there has been a lot of debate surrounding the issue of breastfeeding. While the decision to breastfeed is a personal one, there are countless benefits for both mother and child that ought to be explored. One of the most significant reasons to breastfeed your child relates to the quality of food your child is ingesting. Although baby formula may meet the nutritional requirements of children, it is not the ideal food for babies.

According to the World Health Organization, Breastfeeding is the absolute best source of food for babies. Commercial baby formula is comprised of countless preservatives and by-products of other food production techniques that have no proven benefit for your child. Formula is also extremely high in fat content, and leads parent to believe that their child is thriving because he or she is gaining weight. This is not necessarily the case.

Breast milk, on the other hand, has undergone millions of years of development in the laboratory of Nature. Countless studies have proven that there is no reasonable substitute for Breast milk. Breast milk has the amazing ability to transform and adapt to the needs of your baby at various stages of development.

Colostrum is an amazing example of the way a woman's body produces the perfect food for baby. It is the first liquid produced by a mother, usually beginning a few months before delivery. It differs slightly in appearance than breast milk, in that it is thicker and has a yellowish tint. It has a high concentration of antibodies, which helps newborns fend off illness and disease and build strong, stable immune systems. It is extremely easy for babies to digest, and it also has a laxative effect to help ease digestion.

Studies have also shown that there is a direct relationship between breastfeeding and a child's cognitive ability and intelligence. Simply put, breastfed babies have higher IQ's than their bottle-fed peers. Some studies have concluded that the longer a child is breastfed, the higher IQ he/she will have. Other studies have shown that breastfed children have a lower incidence of ear infections. This is significant when one considers the overuse of antibiotics and antibiotic resistant disease.

Food allergies are another important consideration for new parents. Breastfed babies have a much lower chance of developing food life-threatening food allergies. As a consequence, the have an even lower chance of developing related illnesses such as gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhea and vomiting. Breast milk protects babies from food allergies because it has a high concentration of the immunoglobulin IgA. IgA works by binding to foreign proteins and preventing them from entering the child's bloodstream. Children do not begin to produce IgA of their own until approximately 8 months of age.

Other studies have concluded that breastfeeding can also protect your child from diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Leukemia. New parents should explore their options carefully, and make educated decisions regarding their child's health and well being. Speak with your Pediatrician, or contact your local health unit, for more information. The choice you make will affect your child's health for the rest of his or her life.

Investing in tax liens tax deeds for higher returns

With large numbers of Americans now looking for safer investments for their long term wealth building programs. Most want higher returns than they can get from putting their hard earned money into Bank CD's, many are seeking information about Tax Liens. Investing in Tax Lien/Deed certificates will enable you to realize safe, annualized returns all guaranteed by the United States Government.

The collection of Real Estate property taxes is a major priority in every taxing district in the USA, as all home owners know all to well. If a county were unable to collect those taxes in a timely ashion, it would be unable to provide the public with important services such as the police and fire departments and schools for our children. To avoid this problem, all counties in 26 states across the US will place a Tax Lien on any property with delinquent property taxes and then sells the delinquent tax debt to investors. The county gets their money, the tax delinquent taxpayer gets more time to pay their already past due property taxes and the investor gets a Real Estate secured high yielding investment.

Tax Liens are often called the “Fort Knox” of investments. Government issued Tax Lien certificates are a safe investment for the following reasons. The constant rise and fall of interest rates do not have any affect whatsoever on Tax Lien Certificates because the interest rates of Tax Lien Certificates are mandated by State law. Basically, you are investing in the Government. When they have collected the past due taxes, you will send them the Tax Lien certificate and in return they will send you a check covering the money you paid for the certificate plus any outstanding interest.

The ups and downs of the stock markets will have no affect whatsoever on the rate of return. Each State has a mandated length of time for the delinquent taxes to be paid. If they are not made current during this time period, the property is sold to pay the debt. The following are examples from three states showing the lucrative business of Tax Liens: 16% per year in all 15 counties in Arizona, 18% per year in all 67 counties in Florida, 50% per year in all 254 counties in Texas.

Most properties will have an outstanding mortgage. Generally, the lender will pay these delinquent taxes before it gets to the foreclosure stage. The certificates can also be sold or transferred at a discount before the due date allowing the investor to make a smaller profit on the certificate should there be a need for cash for whatever reason.

The main advantage to the new or smaller investor is that there are many thousands of Tax Liens/Deeds for sale at every budget level. In the old days, you would have to travel thousands of miles across the country to auctions if you wanted to buy Tax Liens/Deeds. Now you can do it from the comfort of your own home using the internet.

Will the democrats be able to reverse the online gambling ban

Many people were hoping that if the Democrats won control of Congress they would reverse the online gambling ban, but experts doubt they will even try or that if they do that the will be successful.

Once the bill was passed and signed into law by the president, it became much harder to reverse the law.

The democrats would need to bring up the law and get it to a vote, then after the vote passed it needs to go to the president for his signature. The problem with this is that the current president is the one who signed the bill into law in the first place.

Another problem is because the gambling ban was attached to another bill, it means that to reverse the law the entire bill needs to be reversed, but the other part of the bill is for an increase in port security, so any congressmen who recommends reversing this law, will be going on record as trying to reverse the increase in port security.

Because of this trying to get the law reversed could ruin a congressman’s chances of ever getting elected to public office again for the rest of their lives.

It is more likely that it will have to wait till the end of George Bushes term in office and then get an amendment to the law that reverses only gambling ban part of the law.

So if you are on Online Gambling enthusiast and you were hoping that after the election the online gambling ban would just disappear I am sorry to say you were mistaken and that you are going to have to wait a little longer, but that does not mean you need to sit quietly by.

The key is to make sure that you are heard, write letters to congressmen, and attend protest rallies anything that will keep this issue in the front of the minds of the politicians so they know that just as the Republicans lost the house so can they.

The republicans used the online gambling ban to try to gain votes for them in the last weeks before the election, but it backfired on them and lost them more votes then it brought in.

Hopefully the Democrats will learn from the mistakes of the Republicans and will understand that banning something never works, and that it is only thru regulating the online gambling industry that will ensure that it is safe and honest to play and that no underage children manage to play.

Other wise I am sure that the Democrats will also see the wrath of the American voters when it comes time for the next elections.

The American people are tired of having the government controlling every aspect of their lives and I think this election may have made their point for them.

So if the question is will they try to reverse the law I am sure they will try, but how successful they will be is still up in the air, and no one can really know what the outcome will be.

Maltese and children is it a good combination

Maltese are outgoing and intelligent little dogs. Their small stature means that they are great playful companions in any family but read on if you are considering bringing a Maltese into your family.

Maltese love children but they are not a good choice if you have small children in the house. When I say small I mean under around eight years old depending on the maturity of the child. Otherwise they can make great playful and wonderful family members

Children will love their miniature stature; they are little enough to be carried around. But it is because of their size that they are a dangerous combination with little children. Your child will not be able to understand how fragile your Maltese is. It's easy to seriously injure a Maltese by standing on it, or accidentally sitting on it.

The "teacup" variety three pounds and under is a very bad dog to have with children. These dogs are too small and as a result their bones are extremely frail and brittle. It's an unfortunate result of their small size - their bones break easily. They can far too easily be injured accidentally. Standing or sitting on your Maltese can seriously injure your dog.

If you do choose a Maltese you can greatly minimize all these risks by training the dog well as well as teaching your child all about respect for dogs and how to treat them. This will make all the difference!

You will need to teach your children how to treat your Maltese. This includes strictly enforcing a "no roughousing with the dog rule". The kids must learn that your Maltese is fragile and should be treated as such.

If you intend on keeping a Maltese in your home we always recommend some professional training. The cost can be minimal if you take your pet to Pet Smart. Spend some money and make sure that your Maltese is as well socialized as he can be.

Try to get the children involved in the grooming. Maltese need a fair amount of grooming and this is one way you can encourage a great relationship between them. Even small children can gently comb the dogs coat (under supervision!).

As with any household pets; the general principle should be to teach the children to treat all animals with kindness and respect. This is one of the most important life lessons you can impart and the best place to learn is at home.

Just don't leave your children unsupervised around a Maltese. Even though the child may mean well, that will not stop the Maltese from becoming agitated. Some can be a little snappish, so look for a Maltese where the parents are a little mild mannered. This will reduce the risk of any problems. Overall Maltese make a great family pet.

Traveling safely with children the basics

Safe traveling with children starts with preparing items to bring along with you. First, you should always consider utilizing products from a child safety store. Also, before you leave, label the inside of your child’s clothing. This information should include his or her name, home address and contact number. Also, prepare necessities for the trip. If you will be driving, this should include emergency items such as a tire jack a cell phone; and items for accidents, such as a pack of baby wipes. Thirdly, be certain to carry the proper documents related to car or travel insurance.

Not only should you prepare objects to bring on your trip, but also in regards to the object that will be your means of transportation. If you will travel by car on a lengthy trip, get the car serviced beforehand. Have safety features such as child safety seats checked, as well as mechanical components. Then before you take off in your vehicle, verify that you and your child have buckled your seatbelts. Also, secure all possessions in the car. Moreover, be aware of any child safety signs that you may spot while driving.

If you will be flying on your trip, other precautions should be taken. Learn what is permitted on airplanes, as these guidelines are subject to change. If you are traveling internationally, learn what passport requirements for your child are required. Also, be aware of any child safety signs that are displayed in the aircraft’s cabin.

Whether in a car, planes, or hotel, always prioritize your child’s safety. Never permit your child to play alone—anywhere! Also, make it possible to always recognize your children if they wander off. Bright clothing is advisable, and remember what clothing your kids are currently wearing. Also, do store recent photos of them in your wallet. Next, prepare a plan in the case that you become separated from your children. Additionally, do your homework about hotel childcare programs, and verify whether such programs are licensed.

Lastly, make your trip a healthy one. A first-class first-aid kit is a requisite. Also, use car-window shades, sunglasses and sunblock to protect you and your children when sitting by windows. Absolutely never leave a sleeping child unattended in a car, as the interior can become scorching in just minutes! Furthermore, have your children wash their hands constantly, particularly in germ-infested airplanes and airports. It is also advisable to drink an ample amount of water during trips, and particularly when on airplanes. Various products from a child safety store can further ensure that your child’s health is maintained while traveling.

When traveling with your child, his or her safety should be the number one priority. Taking certain precautions and securing items from child safety store can put you on the road to happy traveling.

Buying versus leasing a car

If you are considering whether to buy or perhaps lease your next car and which would afford you the best deal, most consumer experts agree that from a purely financial aspect you will be better off in buying your next car.

Of course paying cash in full is the best possible scenario since with this option you would avoid any type of finance charge. But for the vast majority of us and for the scope of this article we’ll take a look those purchases or leases that involve financing.

In the short term leasing may look attractive to you because monthly lease payments will more than likely be less than the monthly payments of a purchase agreement. Why? Because with a lease you are essentially only paying for the part of the car you are going to use. It’s kind of like splitting the cost of a pizza with someone. You are only paying for the pieces that you are going to eat. In car terminology the part that is left over in a lease is called the residual value of the car. The higher the residual value of the car the less of the car you will use during the lease so you payments for the part that you do use (the lease) will be lower.

Typically lease durations are 24, 36, or 48 months. Do not sign up for a lease beyond 48 months. Actually anything beyond 36 months is pushing the value of the lease. Don’t let the car salesman get you into a longer lease just because they make your monthly payments look more attractive. Remember time costs you money and the car’s residual value will plummet and you loose all the advantages of leasing and still be left with nothing in the end.

For some drivers the car buying decision isn’t based purely on bottom line numbers. And this is fine. It’s strictly personal. Leasing does afford you the ability to always be driving a new car. A car that is within a few years of the latest body style and technology. A car that is always under the factory warranty. For the person that has accepted the fact that they enjoy being in a newer car and that car payments is just another monthly expense, then why not get the most car for the money? Then leasing could be a good alternative.

If this is your personal preference the other two questions you must answer are how many miles a year do I drive and how hard on cars am I? The mileage question can really come back to haunt you if you are not careful. People who are in new cars and thus enjoy driving them and showing them off more will have a tendency to drive them more. Be very careful with you mileage. Going over your allotted mileage on your lease could end up costing anywhere from 15 to 30 cents per mile beyond the lease mileage allowance and this can get painful in a hurry. In most leases you can purchase additional mileage up front at the time of the lease but keep in mind if at the end of your lease you haven’t used all of your miles, you don’t get that money refunded back to you.

I mentioned a bit earlier you need to consider how well you treat your cars. Only you will know this and you need to be honest with this one. Don’t think that you can turn your lease car in at the end of the lease with the car in sub par condition. If you do, you may be assessed reconditioning fees that could become rather hefty.

In summary, from a purely financial perspective buying your next new car is the best over the long haul. But, car with car ownership, so much personal preference, and personal priorities come into play. If you think leases look attractive, be absolutely certain about your mileage you will drive. Take good care of the car. And finally check with your insurance agent first to make sure that you don’t give back the money you save in monthly payments to your insurance company.

Coffee makers - doing it like professionals

How coffee beans are judged is the profession of a barista, a coffee maker. Coffees taste is judge by a cupper, a professional taster. All this expertise is combined to help buyers get the best beans to make the best cup of coffee. However, the barista is the person you see at your coffeehouses. They note every comment, good and bad, to judge the failure or success produced by cappuccino machines and other coffee brewing methods.

About 70 countries grow coffee beans in a band from the Equator to about 25° north or 25° south. Plantations are found in Africa, the Middle East, South America, the Caribbean and even Hawaii. It is the barista's job to decide which region supplies the best beans as influenced by their customers.

Due to varied climates, altitudes, machinery and techniques, each country's beans have different qualities. Each plantation will also have individual variants of the two main types of beans, robusta and arabica. Robusta is the bean of choice due to lower caffeine levels. It is used for the best coffees, supplying better flavor and aroma.

Arabica beans are best grown at above 3000ft. Brazilian arabica beans are less preferred, being grown at lower levels. Ultimately, the final decision is down to if you are roasting your own beans or getting pre-roasted beans. Green beans normally smell like vegetables and are soft. Choose them if you are doing your own roasting. If you want roasted beans, the varieties are seemingly endless.

Roasted beans come in many flavors. Cinnamon or light beans refer to the color only. They are very acidic and very high in caffeine. American roast or medium is fractionally darker and used by Folger and Yuban, but not the best quality. City roast or dark is a specialty item with less caffeine and the taste is acidic, but the final cup is not so bitter. It is an average type espresso. French roast is very dark and oily in appearance, but not burnt. They give a full-bodied flavor. Italian roast is used for the best espresso drinks. It is the darkest colour, a strong aroma, the least amount of acid, has the lowest caffeine and is much sweeter. This sweetness results from the carmelization of the beans' sugars during roasting. The lower caffeine levels result from being burned away during roasting. The result is a mellow cup of coffee.

Therefore, when you go coffee bean shopping you can play the amateur barista. You have the basic knowledge, but without the long line-ups of customers and a store full of machines.

Good website design solutions web development services in australia

It is easy to create a new website these days. Everyone has access to tools that make it easy to put up web pages. However the efficiency is no longer in getting the page built, its in getting it built right.

A lot of advice already exists on the web about graphics and layout design to help you get the perfect web page. But to retain visitors on your site or to bring them back again and again means you need a good website design to make your page usable. It's a little difficult to find sound advice about good website design in relation to convergence of design and usability.

Good web site design needs to use the basic principles attracting people to the site and being able to convert them into clients and in the process, retain them for long: we need to find out how people use the internet and use those findings to improve your presence and increase your sales with a good website design. This not only involves traditional marketing practices such as positioning your product, testing your market and measuring results; it means looking at how people are using your web site in the first place.

Whether you are embarking on developing your existing website or considering developing a brand new website designed to deliver genuine business benefits Suncoast Internet can manage and implement the entire project providing you with a good website design, the end result of which is an effective, fast-loading, easy-to-use site with a modern design that will yield results.

By providing a full range of website design services including custom web design from a simple web page to the complex internet solutions including content management systems, portals, ecommerce websites setup and SEO. Our web design team will deign you a fully functioning website that enhances your business that will improve customer awareness of your products and services.

Suncoast Internet is a local website design company that offers a wide range of good website design solutions specializing in construction of quality websites for today's challenging internet market. We specialize in custom web site design, web development, search engine optimization and ecommerce websites.

Some enchanted autumn

Some Enchanted Autumn by Linda Andrews is an excellent gift idea for the Halloween season. Vampires, skeletons, spiders, witches… they are all here – but this is definitely not a children’s book.

One town, founded by the same wagon train during the pioneering days of the North American continent, holds a secret that could destroy them all.

Divided by a bitter and ancient rift, it becomes two rival towns – Pumpkin and Holly. These folks take their holidays seriously, but none more so than Pumpkin’s residents do.

Lonnie, who is running both from herself and from facing her pompous and boring boyfriend, returns to Pumpkin - her hometown. There she meets Nicholas who is both more wonderful than her wildest dreams and as frightening as her childhood nightmares. Together they are assigned the difficult task of discovering the "Prankster’s" identity and the reason’s why that person is set on keeping the ancient rift between the towns alive.

Nicholas and Lonnie harbor a steamy and slightly erotic passion for one another, which they do their best to keep in check. Their family ancestors, after all, were the main players in the rift that continues to tear the towns apart.

I would classify Some Enchanted Autumn as a fantasy-fiction, paranormal-romance novel with comedic elements. Although it begins with a bit of confusion, the story rises in pace until I felt unwilling to put the book aside. This 238-page book is not the author’s first endeavor. In fact, Linda has written two other books, The Christmas Village and Ghost of a Chance.

ISBN#: 1-55410-287-1

Author: Linda Andrews

Publisher: Zumaya Publication

How to win more from the casinos

It may be for the excitement, it may be for a vacation but it is the dream of going home a big winner that keeps us going back to the casinos, but are there ways other then cheating that can help you take home more cash? The answer is yes.

Believe it or not gambling at on online casino is a great way to gain experience so that you can win some big money in the casinos.

May online casinos besides having games as low as 50 cents, also have practice rooms that are free. You are given some play money to make your bets, but no real money is exchanged.

These practice rooms are available for most of the different casino games like poker, blackjack, roulette and baccarat.

This is a great way to gain experience. Not only do you get to play, you also get the experience of playing against other people instead of a computer. This allows you to learn how to watch their betting habits to look for patterns. This may not be so important in a game like roulette or craps but in poker this is almost as important as the cards you are dealt.

These patters are called tells. A tell is when someone gives away their hand by an involuntary action.

Some common tells are the way players arrange their cards, or playing with their chips when they have a good hand, or rubbing their face when they are bluffing

In a practice poker room you also get the experience of learning how to watch your money, without losing your shirt when you make a mistake, which will happen at first.

On of the biggest problems with learning to gamble in a casino is that the dealer and the other players are not forgiving. By this I mean let’s say you are playing roulette, a first time player may not know that until all winnings are placed on the table you may not take your winnings. Getting a warning from the dealer the first time you play can be embarrassing and unnerving to a new player.

So by playing in an online casino at first you will learn the rules, procedures and the etiquette for playing in a land based casino.

If poker is your game it is a little different, most games depend on luck and all you really need to know if the basics, but poker is totally different because you are playing against other layers that know all this information already. when you feel confident enough then go to the casino and find the game you want to play and spend some time watching the other players. You want to find a table where all the players are less skilled then you. This will give you the edge, but make sure you watch carefully. Many times players will do things to make themselves look worse then they really are to give the other players a false confidence.

Then as you see yourself getting better and better you can move up to higher stakes tables and against better players.

Once you get confident and see your skills increase so will your bank account.

The four golden rules of personal finance

Many successful people have mentors to guide them in learning the skills that lead to achievement, and I’ll do my best to offer you some critical personal finance perspectives. They say that life is a school where you learn the lesson after the test. The same thing applies to money, but you can’t go back in time to fix catastrophic financial mistakes that you have made over time. As long as you are alive, you are a player on the field of the money-game, and you need to know the basic rules before you get tagged by the experienced players.

Rule #1: To earn money from money. The only way to escape becoming a wage slave for the rest of your life is to set aside savings. The profit on your savings can be used to increase your lifestyle spending, reduce the number of years until you retire, or allow you to actually have any retirement at all. How are you doing so far toward saving and getting it to earn money for you?

Every dollar that you spend eliminates its ability to earn money for you in the future. I am not recommending that you stop eating at restaurants and going to movies, I am recommending that you use some common sense, like looking at your four biggest expenses over the last few months and aggressively finding a way to reduce them.

The biggest obstacle for the first rule is personal debt of any kind (other than a mortgage for your home) or a lease of any kind. Every personal debt that you incur reduces your net worth which could have been working for you over your life time. Acquiring personal debt is exactly like putting a large hole in your wallet. In the money-game, a huge transfer of wealth occurs between the ‘Haves’ and the ‘Have-Nots’ over the words, “I can afford that monthly payment.” Here is a hint: the “Have-Nots” are the ones who make that statement. So please don’t ever look at whether you can afford a monthly payment to make a purchase; pay in cash after you’ve saved for the item. [Everything that you buy with a 0%-interest payment plan must be over-priced. Behind the scenes, your payment contract is sold to a lender with an interest rate, and retailers don’t do this without building-in an acceptable profit for themselves. Ask retailers how much the item will cost if you pay in full, and you could get a lower price.]

Rule #2 Always keep your finances under control. The first step in losing financial control and spiraling into debt and money problems is simply not dealing with personal finances. Prepare for catastrophic financial accidents with health, life, disability, and auto insurance. Plan and save before you buy something. Create a balance sheet for yourself at least once a year to see how you are progressing. Pay every bill on time, or contact the creditor to tell them what is going on and make a partial payment. If you are temporarily unable to handle any of this, ask for some help immediately and find someone trustworthy who will do this for you.

The most common source of financial trouble is a trauma in your life. This can be a health problem (large expenses or unable to work), an emotional problem (divorce or loss of loved one), or a financial problem (losing a job, cut in pay, relocation, unexpected expenses). Whichever the source may be, it leads to three emotional problems: the first is denial, the second is being overwhelmed, and the third is hopelessness. Denial causes people to not open their mail and continue spending as usual, and being overwhelmed paralyzes people from getting assistance and dealing with the situation. For example, if you just lost a loved one, balancing your checkbook and paying bills is not high in your priorities. Unfortunately, tiny amounts of debt grow with interest and penalties into seemingly insurmountable mountains of debt; leaving you with loathsome options such as bankruptcy, poor credit, declining lifestyle spending, and added stress that you bring to relationships and work.

Rule #3 Pay attention to the finances of the people with whom you spend the most time. Whether they are relatives, friends, or co-workers, these people have the most impact on your financial life. Do they consistently follow the first two rules of the money game? Do they earn about the same money as you? If the answer to either of those is “no”, then I recommend that you start spending a little less time with them; and this is why. If they don’t consistently follow the first two rules, it is unlikely that you will either. You unconsciously model the people around you, and the more people you are exposed to that don’t follow the first two rules, the more likely that you will unwittingly follow them. No one thinks they are ‘trying to keep up with the Joneses’, but we all do it to some extent, and this is the mechanism. On the other hand, if they earn a lot more money than you, you may rack up a lot of debt trying to keep up with them (meeting them at their favorite expensive restaurant, joining them for another expensive vacation, buying a new car because yours is the junker among all of your friends, etc.) On the other hand, if most of your friends earn a lot less than you, you will turn into the group’s banker. For example, you’ll find yourself in the pattern of putting your credit card down to pay for dinner and they’ll all say they’ll pay you back later, but 50% of them never do; and they don’t mind taking advantage of you because, after all, you earn a lot more than they do. Or, you and your friends need to pay a deposit for renting a house and they expect you to write the checks because you have the money available and they do not.

The neighborhood that you live in also creates financial pressure to violate the first two financial goals. Your neighbors are likely to become friends (and I’ve already gone over this), but they also influence the size of your home, extent of your landscaping, price of furniture, and the size of your TV. So pay very close attention to the finances of your neighbors – if you don’t like how they are measuring up for first two rules, move somewhere more in alignment with your financial goals. If your family and friends, don’t measure up financially, find some additional people to spend time with that have financial habits that you’d like to emulate and learn from. I have friends with a wide range of income, but it is much more difficult to follow the first two money rules when I am with the extremes from my own income. You’ll just find it easier to reach the next rule when the peer group that you hang out with aligns closer to your economic level.

Rule #4 Accelerate the other three rules:

Add to your savings by increasing your income through advancing your career. It doesn’t matter whether you enjoy it; it is a means to an end – with the end being progress toward the fulfillment of rule #1. Increase the amount that you save by aggressively lowering four of your highest expenses. Start spending time with people that talk about investing money and are systematically building their wealth the fastest. The combination of all four of these rules will hopefully offer a next-step for you to take today to start getting more ‘wins’ in the money-game.