Searching for an Internet Service Provider to Search With?
by Frank Muller
When you are looking at an ISP it would beneficial if they are located near you because, theoretically, it is easier to deal with any issues that may crop up. Services offered and prices charged vary a lot form 1 internet service provider to the next. The small business ISP's are generally popular as they often give great customer service and provide technical support fairly quickly.
These types of vendors offer good competitive price schemes and rely on a good standard of service provision. Another factor that stands out with smaller ISP businesses is the enthusiasm to please. Some of the larger, well known, ISP companies have developed their own in-house technical support and also support other Internet Service Providers. Often these larger ISP's don't offer the flexibility of the smaller ISP's. Generally speaking the bigger organizations have a much larger customer base and do not apply the resources in order to please customers.
For the business user ISP is generally cheaper provided by medium to larger size organizations. Money invested in research and development mean that big companies can offer more technologically advanced processes and connection speeds than the smaller organizations. When choosing an ISP, it is recommended that you do some research before signing up with your chosen ISP.
Make a list of the services you require from your chosen ISP. Search the internet for suitable ISP companies. See how potential vendors respond by emailing them questions regarding key service requirements. If your are a business seeking an ISP go to other similar size companies and ask the Director of IT for feedback on the vendor that they currently use.
Internet Service Provision - Free
Some Internet Service Providers provide a free service and even will help you determine which is the best ISP for you. It is worthwhile getting a free ISP to access the internet after which you can then compare the service offered. Broaden your horizons by surfing the web using a free internet service offered by one of the many ISP.
Dial-up internet connection is not really worth paying for nowadays due to the faster alternatives of broadband and T1.
Once you start using the net you must have a cleansing program that uses anti-virus and ad aware killing programs. To stop unwanted access to your system by intruders you must utilise the firewall protection software.
Basic Gude - P2P Technology
What do you know about P2P? Are you embarrased to ask about it? This guide will run down most of the major P2P services and how they work. Individuals can now benefit by sharing each others files by using P2P technology. Second generation P2P does not work off centralized servers such as Napster. First of all each peer connects to another peer whith whom they intend to share the files with. The next step is to exchange IP addresses. After connection has been established the software will then start the search for the file that is being shared. After finding the location of the shared file all the nodes are connected. At this juncture the download starts and the peer has a screen whereby he/ she can see the download progress.
About The Author
Frank Muller is the owner of http://www.internet-service-providers-focus.info
Low Rate Unsecured Loan: No-Security Money At Low Interest
Low Rate Unsecured Loan: No-Security Money At Low Interest
by Andrew Baker
The basic style of living that we follow nowadays demands a lot of amenities. Fulfilling these may require some extra money in addition to the regular income. It may seem like a problem when a needful person does not have an asset to pledge. But actually it is no more a hindrance. Low rate unsecured loan solves this problem.
A low rate unsecured loan provides money for any and every purpose of the borrower as it is a personal loan. It can be used for debt consolidation, home improvement, a vacation or educational expenses.
As the name suggests, low rate unsecured loan does not require any collateral for its approval. The borrower can borrow money without pledging any asset with the lender. Inspite of no assets attached to the loan, the lender provides a low interest rate to the borrower.
To apply for the low rate unsecured loan, the borrower has to fulfill some basic requirements like:
* Proof of employment
* Residential proof
* Age proof of over 18 years
* Proof of regular monthly income
With all these details in place, the low rate unsecured loan is approved easily. The approval is a fast process as there is no evaluation of assets required in it. As a low rate unsecured loan, an amount of �1000-�25000 can be borrowed. This amount is borrowed for duration of 6 months to 10 years.
Bad credit people also can avail low rate unsecured loan but that is available at a slightly higher rate of interest to make up for the high risk involved in the deal. This rate can be brought down either by proving good repayment ability and also by researching online. Timely repayment can help in improving the credit history of the bad credit borrower.
Low rate unsecured loan can act as a support for people who want to improve their credit history in addition to fulfilling the need for money. A genuine step in this direction can help a borrower achieve contentment.
About The Author
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Finding The Best Espresso Machine For You
Finding The Best Espresso Machine For You
by Richard Brown
You need to know what features are most important on a machine when looking for which espresso machines would best suit your needs. There are many espresso machines out there, with many manufacturers producing various makes and models. Upscale coffee houses use their wealth of knowledge and what their associates in the business say to discover which espresso machines are the best. Even they though, need some help when new makes and models are introduced to the market. What should a consumer do? Continue reading to find out.
One feature to look for in an espresso machine is the built-in grinder. These machines tend to have a special grind dial as well to help you the level of coarseness your grind produces. If you don't have a built-in grinder, then you will need to calibrate your separate bean grinder machine to correspond with your new espresso machine. Many of these grinder machines come preset to a certain grind, such as for a French press or automatic drip brewer, which may be too coarse. It may take several tries, and several shots of espresso before you achieve the grind that's perfect for your machine. Espresso experts suggest that two ounces of espresso be pulled between 17 and 23 seconds from a double basket.
If you're having trouble doing this grind test, bear in mind that good machines should be able to tolerate a variation in the coarseness of grinds. You can tell which espresso machines are the highest quality because they won't get clogged by grinds that are slightly too fine or too coarse. The finest machines have a safety valve that gives the machines a higher tolerance to force water through grinds that require more pressure, such as finer grinds. The espresso that is produced may not taste as good if the grind is not exact. Industry research has shown that there is an ideal pressure for extraction. Higher pressures from too-fine grinds can result in the shot taking too long to pull, which will result in espresso that is too strong and bitter. Grinding the beans too coarse will result in shots that finished too quickly, with a weak flavor and color.
Another thing that can indicate which espresso machines are highest quality is how loud the machine is. Premium brands should be relatively quiet. The best make of espresso machine is at the decibels of a whisper--in other words, a very low decibel. A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to carry out a normal volume of conversation while your machine pulls a shot. That way, you can tell all your friends how fantastic your machine is before they taste it for themselves.
About The Author
Your Own Business: Deciding what is Right for You
Your Own Business: Deciding what is Right for You
by Blair Rhodes
In an earlier article, entitled �Your Own Business: The First Steps,� I discussed what the initial nuts-and-bolts steps are in starting a business. In it, I made the assumption that the soon-to-be entrepreneur had already decided on a business but needed some direction on what to do next.
The response to that article has been positive, but the most common question asked of me is �Okay�but how do I actually decide what business is right for me?� So I now want to take a step back and see if I can offer a little direction in helping the anxious entrepreneur make an educated choice.
Most businesses are basically selling a product or a service. My focus will be on products for the most part, but much of what follows can easily be applied to services. The main thing to remember is that if you are offering a service, then you are expected to be an expert in that service. If you are not a good plumber, accountant or massage therapist, then do not choose that as your business! That is, unless you take the time to learn and study first.
Whether your business is a product or service, always be sure you are offering the best you possibly can. Excellence creates value and value creates repeat business and positive word-of-mouth.
I also wish to address another issue that I get questions about. Many people have said to me that I don�t talk about business plans, business models, complex marketing plans and such things that are in all the other books or articles. My answer is that such things eventually need to be done, especially if you plan is to take out a huge loan just to get started. If your particular business idea dictates such formalities upfront or if you personally feel more comfortable doing them first, then by all means do so.
But I believe many people are trying to start small businesses using whatever limited capital and time they already have. That is to whom I am addressing my suggestions. I feel that if you spend all of your time writing business plans and feeling everything needs to be perfect then you�ll never get the business actually launched. Spend your time getting the business started small and perfect it as you grow. The following steps will help you build towards all that other stuff, but will get you the important information you need to know faster.
That being said, be sure you have enough time and capital to get it started and ready for growth. Keep your overhead low so you can compete until you are established. I should say keep overhead low for you, but spend what is needed for customer satisfaction. Be sure you set it up according to the local, state and national regulations. Seek support from professionals as needed, including accountants and attorneys.
Analyzing a Businesses� Potential
1) Selecting Your Product (or Service)
While you are getting started, I feel it is generally more effective to focus on a specific product, product category, or customer base. This allows you to provide for your customers better by specializing and should also reduce your marketing costs since it should make it more cost-effective to reach the people who desire your product or service.
You will also find that your business and quality of life will be better if they are products or a service you are passionate about and in which have some expertise. If your business idea is a service, you probably know what you�re good at and do not need to follow this next step.
Write down a list of products that interest you and you know something about. Focus on what you can basically make a part of your life. For instance, I enjoy the feel of pashmina and cashmere products, and I enjoy interacting with others who are the same. I had also been to Nepal and Kashmir a few times and welcomed the opportunity to make visiting those countries a part of my business life. This made building the family pashmina and cashmere business, The Pashmina Store, which you can find at http://www.thepashminastore.com/, much more interesting and fun.
The list should not be too long, maybe five items or so. Remember that this is about focus.
2) Research the Existing Market and Demand
Obviously, you�ll never get any business or make enough profits if there isn�t a large enough market for your product or service. You�ll have to decide if the market is big enough by yourself. That decision will depend on what your expected profits will be per customer, your marketing costs, and how much money you wish to make.
To get an idea of the market for the products on your list, simply look at the existing companies out there. You can do this by looking in your local phone books or just driving around town. If you intend to market outside of your local area, such as an ecommerce business, do some searches in Google and/or Yahoo to see what the results are. Doing these things gives you an idea of who you competition would be, how they market, what their products and prices are, and just how many there are.
Keep in mind that if there are a lot of companies, it doesn�t mean you can�t compete. Conversely, if there are not many companies, it doesn�t mean that it is not a good business for you. You may be a pioneer! But it is a good idea to get a general idea of the potential demand for each product on your list.
One great way to do this is using a wonderful tool that Yahoo Search Marketing offers. It tells you how many searches have been conducted for your keywords in the last month. It also gives you other related keywords and the demand for them as well. An incredible wealth of knowledge for free. It can be found here at http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/srch/index.php.
Keep in mind that Yahoo is much smaller than Google in terms of the number of searches. If Yahoo has a good number of searches for certain keywords, it is likely to be several times larger at Google.
Once again, it is up to you to decide if that market is big enough. If you can make a larger profit margin, then typically the market can be smaller. If the profit margin is smaller, then you will have to sell more to make a living.
3) Learn More About Who Buys the Product or Service
As you do steps 1 and 2, you�re going to start learning about who actually buys the product or service, but it helps to dig a bit more. Be sure you are learning about the decision maker in the purchase of the product or service. For example, the decision maker for a children�s product is probably a parent. The decision maker for a type of men�s clothing may actually be the women behind the man.
By knowing about the customer, you�ll start to learn just how much it might cost to reach them with your marketing message, what their expectations are, how much they are willing to pay, and where they shop now.
A good way to learn more is to visit the competition and observe. Also, look at where they advertise. Talk to a salesperson where they advertise to learn even more. Find out the advertising costs at that time as well. You may quickly discover that it will simply be too expensive for you to get to the customer. That doesn�t mean to give up; it might just mean you have to consider new and cleverer ways.
4) Discover the Wholesale and/or Initial Costs
In order to get an idea of the potential profit margins and your initial costs, you will have to know what your products may cost you at wholesale, what your minimum order will be, what set-up costs may be involved, shipping costs, if there are any customs fees, and/or other initial costs � such as any specialized equipment you may need just to get started.
Most of this involves finding out who your wholesale suppliers and/or manufacturers are and contacting them to ask questions � and don�t be afraid to ask questions. As long as they know you are serious about your business and future success, they should help answer all of your questions about what may be involved.
Be realistic with them, it does nobody any good to brag about how you�ll be good for tens of thousands of orders if you know you�ll have to start with an initial order of 100. Find out what their minimum is, what the price will be, other costs involved, etc. Ask about where price breaks are so you know how your inventory costs will be affected as you do grow.
You cannot expect free samples on your first call with them so don�t be offended and do be prepared to pay for them. But do get the samples if you can. You�ll probably find that you won�t be going with the lowest cost provider since their product may be of a lower quality or their service leaves much to be desired. The cheapest product does you no good if your customers dislike it or you can never get a reliable stock sent to you. It may take time, but you�ll be in business for the long term if you offer your customers reliability and quality. In order to deliver this to your customers, your own suppliers have to do the same for you.
You may discover liquidators as you research sources of product. These types of suppliers are not typically going to be long-term, reliable sources of product since they only offer what is on the liquidation market at any given time. You may consider them for a one time deal if the quality if right, but don�t expect them to be your long time supplier for any particular product.
Some Pointers
When you are researching and choosing the best products for your business don�t �fall in love.� Remember to never get too attached to a particular product, concept, location, supplier, manufacturer or such. If you do this, you�ll lose site of reality and try to make the facts fit your desired outcome. If the numbers don�t add up, then don�t do it.
Since I�m not in the business of selling you anything, I can use the words that franchises and business opportunities avoid like the plague � �work� and �sell.� Yes, you will have to work to be successful. Yes, you will have to sell to be successful. Selling is not just the normal concept of the salesman pitching a product and desperately trying to make the deal. It is much more complex than that. It is not a single transaction or one-off deal.
In business, as in life, you are always selling. You must sell yourself through your appearance and personality. You must sell the potential customer on just considering your business or product. You must continue to sell yourself even after the sale with excellent customer service and attention to any problems or issues that may arrive.
Remember what I said at the beginning about focus. Keep yourself focused for success. Focus your business on a product, service, customer group, or other such thing. By focusing, you truly are an expert and can serve your market better.
When you know what you business is going to be, focus even harder. It will be tempting to think the grass is greener doing some other business. You�ll never launch any business this way. If your research convinces you that something is a good product with a good market, stick with it and move forward. Don�t waste your time on activities not related directly to your business. Focus your attention on making yourself successful in the business you chose. You control your future, don�t let others give you second thoughts or steer you away from your objective.
Finally, never underestimate the power of organization. It seems so simple, but since the majority of your competition probably isn�t that well organized this is a simple way to beat them right out of the gate. By being organized, you�ll know just who to turn to when something goes wrong. By being organized, you�ll know where to go when the unexpected happens. Keep notes on your research, keep notes on your suppliers, keep notes on your customers, keep notes and know where they are. Keep organized, period.
About The Author
I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Sicily Region
I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Sicily Region
by Levi Reiss
If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Sicily region of southern Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you�ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour.
Sicily is the football kicked by the Italian boot. It is an island in the Mediterranean Sea located off the southwest tip of Italy. Sicily was first inhabited about ten thousand years ago. Agriculture and animal raising date back well over four thousand years. Its rulers have included the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Germans, and Spaniards, among others. This mountainous region is prone to volcanoes and earthquakes; in 1908 an earthquake and subsequent tidal wave killed eighty thousand people in the coastal city of Messina. Sicily�s population is about five million, with an additional ten million people of Sicilian descent around the world.
Agricultural products include wheat, barley, corn, olives, citrus fruit, almonds, and, of course, grapes. Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are prominent in local cuisine. Sicily is Italy�s second region for organic food. Many think that the Arabs introduced pasta to Sicily, which subsequently introduced it to the rest of Italy. Cattle, mules, donkeys, and sheep are raised. Sicily claims to have invented meatballs, The seas surrounding Sicily are bountiful, favorites include sardines, tuna, and swordfish. Sicily is famous for desserts, including frozen treats made with snow from Mount Etna.
Sicilian heavy industry includes petro-chemicals, chemicals, mining, and electronics. Tourism is a major factor in the Sicilian economy. Did you know that the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento on the Mediterranean Sea has some of the finest Greek ruins on earth?
Palermo, arguably the world�s most conquered city, is Sicily�s capital with a population of a little under seven hundred thousand. It is a definite tourist destination, with its numerous historical churches, museums, theaters, and Italy�s largest botanical garden. Another urban tourist destination is Syracuse, dating back to Ancient Greece. The Greek writer Cicero described it as �The greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all.� Both earthquakes and World War II caused heavy damage, but many of the most interesting sites have been reconstructed.
Sicily devotes about a third of a million acres to grapevines, it ranks first among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 213 million gallons, also giving it first place. If Sicily were an independent country, it would rank seventh in the world for wine production. About 54% of its wine production is red or ros� (only a bit of ros�), leaving 46% for white. The region produces 19 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Only a little more than 2% of Sicilian wine carries the DOC designation. Sicily is home to over three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, with more white than red varieties.
Widely grown international white grape varieties include Malvasia and to a lesser extent, Chardonnay. The best-known strictly Italian white varieties are Catarratto, Grecanico, Inzolia, and Grillo. The first three of these varieties are blended in the wine reviewed below.
Widely grown international red grape varieties include Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The best-known strictly Italian red varieties are Nero d�Avola, Frappato, and Nerello Mascalese.
Before reviewing the Sicilian wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Insalata di Finocchi, Arance Sanguigne de Olive; Fennel, Blood Orange, and Olive Salad.
As a second course try Pollo con Prosciutto e Melanzane Fritte; Braised Chicken with Proscuitto and Fried Eggplants.
For dessert indulge yourself with Cassata; Candied Fruit and Chocolate on Sponge Cake.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed
Tasca d�Almerita �Regaleali� Blanco 2005 IGT Sicilia 12.5% alcohol about $13
We�ll start by quoting the marketing materials. �Made with the local grapes Inzolia, Greciano, and Catarratto, this wine is matured only in stainless steel and is not put through acid-softening malolactic fermentation. The producer chooses this approach to retain the bright fruitiness and racy crispness of the wine. Enjoy with steamed mussels, chicken or summer salads.� And now for my thoughts on the wine.
I first tasted this wine with broiled chicken burgers accompanied by a hot pepper relish, and red peppers. The wine was light, perhaps a bit intimidated by the relish. It was delicate, but not weak. When I finished my glass with the red peppers, the wine was quite fruity and sweet.
I next tried this wine with fillet of sole poached in an onion sauce, accompanied by brown rice and okra in a tomato sauce. The wine tasted light and citrusy in the presence of the fish, and was more powerful when facing the rice and the okra. I finished that meal with fresh pomegranate. The wine became sweet and acidic, but did not take on new flavors.
Isola is a Sicilian fresh cheese made from sheep�s milk. The Isola cheese was powerful, strong smelling and strong tasting, especially when you crunched into a peppercorn. Unfortunately, the cheese overpowered this relatively light wine. In contrast, when paired with an Asiago cheese from northern Italy, the wine became quite full bodied and fruity. Sometimes rules such as local wines with local cheeses are meant to be broken. I had a bit of wine left over and finished the bottle with out-of-season strawberries. They brought out the wine�s complexity and softness.
Final verdict, in spite of its low official rating, I found the wine pretty good. I would buy it again, but avoid pairing it with strong-tasting food.
About The Author
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Trojans Are No Match For Rollback Rx
Trojans Are No Match For Rollback Rx
by Jacob Henderson
Let us have some insight into PC problems if you do not have rollback software installed. There is nothing worse than having your computer crash on you when you are working hard at completing the most important project you have done so far. You didn�t think you would need a disaster recovery solution or have to repair computer problems. All you can think about is doing a good job on your project, when your computer behaves strangely and a lot of pop up windows start appearing. You try to fix computer settings but it doesn�t seem to restore your work. What can you do? If it is Trojan spyware, your antivirus might not detect it.
Rollback Rx Software Keeps Your Data Safe
If you have Rollback Rx system restore software installed in your system, you never need worry about losing your data. You can use the snapshot technology to keep taking snapshots of your entire system so that should any of the above problems occur, all you need to do is rollback your pc to a healthy snapshot, without losing any of the data you were working on. Your project is intact. Backing up work is important, but even if you forget, Rollback Rx won�t. It is fantastic disaster recovery software that repairs computer problems quickly.
When Rollback Rx system restore software and disaster recovery solution is used to fix computer problems, it rolls back to the snapshot of your choice, and if there was any malware or virus, it discards those in the process, keeping your system free of corruption and the associated damages that occurred after that snapshot. In all this, it retains all the data that you worked on prior to your computer problem or Trojan infection. Maybe you are wondering what you would do if your system crashes so completely that your Windows operating system wont start up. Rollback Rx system restore software is still operational because it installs behind Windows and can restore your pc even in such a situation. The snapshots you take at periodic intervals hold the key. Snapshots can be created in seconds and they don�t even occupy much space on your hard disk. They just exist as a map of the system at the sector level.
Safety And Privacy Of Data Assured
Rollback Rx pc restore software comes with certain protection settings that let you see the partitions in your system that are protected by it. You can view the space used by Rollback Rx. You can select the drives on which you want to run Rollback Rx, and repair or fix computer problems by running a maintenance on just the protected drives so that you can make best use of space available on your system.
About The Author
Rollback are available at http://www.horizondatasys.com/Default.aspx.
http://www.horizondatasys.com/195837.ihtml
http://www.horizondatasys.com/169614.ihtml
Tea: How Is White Tea Different From Other Teas?
Tea: How Is White Tea Different From Other Teas?
by Marcus Stout
In recent years, white tea has gained great popularity. Tea connoisseurs everywhere have come to appreciate white tea�s delicate, slightly sweet flavor. Though white tea comes from the camellia sinensis plant, just like black tea, green tea and oolong tea, there are several significant differences between white tea and other teas.
Processing - White tea is harvested before the leaves are fully open, when the buds have fine white hair covering them. This is much earlier than other teas are harvested. In addition, white tea leaves are not fermented. Rather their leaves are simply steamed and then dried, often right in the fields. This protects white tea�s delicate flavor.
Availability � Less white tea is grown than other types of tea in the world. Most tea gardens designate just a few tea bushes for early harvest to create white tea. In addition, white tea is grown in far fewer areas of the world. Most of it is grown in China and Japan, and a little is grown in small areas of India and Sri Lanka. However, we may find more and more tea gardens concentrating on white tea as the demand for it grows.
Cost � Because white tea is fairly rare, you�ll find that it costs a bit more. However, white tea is gaining popularity, which means that it�s likely that it will become more readily availability, which is likely to drive down the price.
Flavor � White tea has a very delicate flavor that is slightly sweet. It has a paler color than other teas. In fact, it may appear that you didn�t steep it long enough, if you judge just by the color. It also has far less aroma than green, oolong or black tea.
Serving method � Do not pour boiling water on white tea leaves; the temperature should be a bit shy of the boiling point. And, experts recommend that you not use sweetener or milk in white tea; it should be served plain.
Caffeine Content � White tea has the least caffeine of any tea. White tea contains about 15 mg of caffeine per serving, while black tea contains 40 and green tea contains 20. This makes white tea an excellent choice for the caffeine sensitive.
Health Benefits � White tea contains all the benefits usually associated with drinking green tea, but with additional benefits, as well. Like green tea, white tea holds antioxidants in their natural state. These anti-oxidants have been shown to:
� Reduce your risk of cancer � Many different studies have supported the finding that green tea and, because of its similarity, white tea, can prevent and possibly even help treat cancer. Several studies have shown that Asian cultures, where tea drinking is most common, to have significantly lower incidences of many forms of cancer. Some other studies have suggested that a compound in these teas can actually inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
This compound may prevent cancer in healthy people, and may even be able to slow down cancer�s progress in those already battling the disease. It appears that tea may be most effective at preventing bladder, colon, rectal, esophageal, bladder, liver, lung, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer.
� Lowers Cholesterol - Tea has been shown to be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol. Tea also appears to inhibit the formation of abnormal blood clots. These clots, also known as thrombosis, are the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. Many studies have shown that when coupled with a low cholesterol diet, participants who drank tea reported lowering cholesterol levels more than participants on the same diet who did not consume tea daily.
� Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis �Tea�s anti-oxidants may also be able to prevent and reduce the severity of rheumatoid arthritis. Several studies have shown dramatic reduction in the incidents of arthritis in mice that were fed tea. In addition, the mice that did develop arthritis developed a milder form with an onset later in life. In addition, rheumatoid arthritis is far less common in the Asian world, where tea drinking is much more frequent.
� Help Lose Weight � Tea�s combination of catechins and caffeine appear to speed up the metabolism and may help with weight loss. It may also help regulate insulin in the body, which can be beneficial for diabetics.
� Prevent Alzheimer�s disease � Studies suggest that tea drinkers may also be less likely to develop Alzheimer�s disease.
� Improve your immune system � One benefit of drinking white tea that is not found in drinking other forms of tea is that white tea seems to be especially good at improving your immune system, which makes your body more effective at fighting off bacteria and viruses. White tea seems to be especially effective at killing the staph and strep viruses.
So, as you can see, white tea is very much like other teas, and very different at the same time. What this means to most of us is that it�s a great tea to add to our usual list of treasured teas. Once you try white tea, you�re certain to want to drink it just as regularly as the other varieties of tea you�ve grown to love.
About The Author
The 4 Most Popular Coffee Brewing Methods
The 4 Most Popular Coffee Brewing Methods
by Craig Barista
Coffee Brewing Methods range from popular Espresso or French Press methods to lesser used methods like Turkish. Here we explore the four most popular Coffee Brewing Methods.
Let's start with the Drip Filtration style.
Drip Filtration is probably the most popular method of all. The Drip Filtration machine works by spraying hot water across ground coffee that is held in a conical shaped filter. The hot water then slowly moves through the ground coffee. Once the water reaches the bottom of the conical filter, it drips into a container beneath it.
The most widely used conical filters are made of paper, while expensive stainless steel or gold conical filters are also available. Yes I did say gold. When buying paper filters, be sure to use oxygen bleached paper. Chemically treated papers may affect the taste of your coffee. Another point to be aware of with paper filters is that you may also have some of the flavorful coffee oils trapped by the paper filter. It is the oils that produce the rich crema when you make an espresso.
The grind is also important with Drip Filtration. If the grind is too fine, you may clog the pores of your filter. You can avoid this by using a course grind (read about grinding here).
Finally, if you do not expect to drink the full pot of coffee, either by yourself (all that caffeine....) or with friends, beware the constantly heated coffee. It loses its flavor and may even become bitter. And the golden rule....never reheat coffee.
One of the simplest of all Coffee Brewing Methods is the French Press or Plunger. This is probably the easiest way to make great coffee!
The French Press works by directly mixing ground coffee with near boiling water. The coffee flavors get drawn out into the water and then the press or plunger is depressed, separating the exhausted coffee grind from the brew. While the process has a similar taste to the Drip Filtration style, the French Press can extract more flavor from the coffee grind by extending the brewing time. But be careful. Manual infusion requires you to get your timing right. If you let the brewing process run too long you may end up with a bitter coffee. Conversely, if you brew too quickly you will have a weak tasting coffee.
One more point, use a course grind. You don't want fine ground coffee escaping through the metal filter and into the brew. A dusty cup of coffee is not an experience worth having.
Probably the most popular of the Coffee Brewing Methods in recent times is making an Espresso using a machine.
So how does an Espresso machine make a great cup of coffee? Super hot, pressurized water is forced through fine ground, tightly packed coffee. The pressurized infusion process ensures that the water stays in contact with the coffee grounds long enough to draw out much of the coffee ground flavor. The water then finds a path through the coffee grounds. And the coffee commences to pour into your cup. When the water finds a path through the coffee grind it is referred to as the 'shot being pulled' through the group.
The sign of a good espresso, using fresh coffee beans, is the richness of the crema. Crema is the hazelnut foam that sits on the surface of the coffee. This is produced by the pressurizing process and the oils of the coffee bean. Oils break down with time, and so a rich crema will be produced using fresh beans.
And if you didn't catch it when I started talking about Espresso, use a fine grind. Using a course grind allows the water to 'brush past' the grind rather than infuse with it. Using a course grind will still produce a good coffee, but it will taste more like a coffee produced using a Drip Filter coffee brewing method rather than true Espresso coffee.
The most Italian of all the Coffee Brewing Methods would have to be making Espresso coffee using a Moka Pot.
The Moka Pot style is also known as a Stovetop coffee pot. Moka pot's come in several sizes including 2, 4 or 6 cup capacities. The Moka Pot a simple 3 piece pot. The water reservoir is at the base, with a coffee basket in the middle and the brewed coffee ends up in the top.
The coffee brewing method is very simple. The pot is placed on a stove top which heats the water in the lower reservoir. As the water reaches boiling point, the steam rises and the water starts to push upward through the coffee grounds. This continues to travel up the central funnel and seeps into the top chamber where it comes to rest. The process finishes when the coffee stops moving into the top chamber. This should only take a few minutes to brew depending on the cup size of the Moka pot.
The grind should be a fine grind, similar or finer to that used in an Espresso machine. If you want to fill the coffee basket the way traditional Italian drinkers do, then heap the coffee grounds high in the coffee basket and screw the two pieces together. Don't worry about compacting the coffee. When the top half of the pot is screwed on, the grounds will be compacted by the filter screen. You should end up with a dry, compacted puck of coffee grounds at the end of brewing.
So there you have it. The four most popular Coffee Brewing Methods.
Cheers,
Craig.
http://www.the-java-cafe.com
About The Author
Cheers,
Craig.
http://www.the-java-cafe.com
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tips For Data Recovery
Tips For Data Recovery
by John Ugoshowa
Anytime your hard drive crashes or you lose your data, you�ll need to turn to data recovery to properly restore your information. Data recovery is something most computer users are familiar with, as a majority of us have had to turn to data recovery at some point in time. Even though hard drives are becoming better and better, they are still mechanical and will always encounter problems.
The first thing to do, before any problems happen, is to always back up your data. If you create backups of your information, you�ll be well prepared in the event of a disaster. This way, even if your hard drive cannot be repaired and the data is lost forever, you�ll have the back ups to continue going as normal. If you didn�t make back ups, you�ll find the situation very traumatic when you discover that your data cannot be recovered.
Most hard drives will last for years before they start to encounter any type of malfunction or hardware problems. You can help prevent data loss by turning off your computer when it isn�t in use, or shutting it down when you hear the hard drive making an odd noise. If the hard drive starts to malfunction, letting it continue to run will only do more damage. If you shut it off immediately and take it to a specialist, you�ll have a much better chance of getting it repaired.
With natural disasters, hackers, viruses, or other problems, you won�t have the time to react. Before you know it, your hard drive will be damaged and your data will be gone. Although this can be very frustrating, data recovery can normally bring your information back. All you need to do is take the hard drive to a local specialist, then let them work their magic and show you the power of data recovery.
There are software programs out there that claim to recover lost data, although you should avoid them at all costs. Most of time, these software programs will do your hard drive more bad than good. Even though software may cost a lot less than professional data recovery services, the professional services will guarantee their work. If you turn to software and it only makes things worse - your more or less out of luck, as the software doesn�t guarantee anything.
Anytime your hard drive fails and you seem to have lost your data, you should turn to professional data recovery services immediately. They may cost you a lot of money, although they do the job right the first time. When it comes to your data, you really don�t want to take any chances - especially if you had important documents and files stored on your hard drive.
About The Author
For more information on data recovery see the computer section of Quickregister.net Free Search Engine Submission Service at: http://www.quickregister.net/partners/
The Key that Opens the Door to Extraordinary Families
The Key that Opens the Door to Extraordinary Families
by Lori Radun, CEC
We've started a new game in our home. Each night at the dinner table we each take turns asking another family member a question about himself. "So, Rick, how are you feeling about your interview on Monday?" "Mom, what do you want for Christmas?" Sounds like just a normal conversation, right? Well, there is a purpose to our game. We have two introverted boys who struggle with social skills. This game was created to better teach them how to communicate and take interest in other people's lives. As adults, we are all required to be able to start a conversation with a new person or communicate our concern for the important people in our lives.
What is this new game we play called? There is no formal name, but this game is a family ritual, and family rituals help you create extraordinary families. According to the Webster's Dictionary, a ritual is "any formal, customary, or ceremonial observance, practice or procedure". Family rituals help define who your family is. Every family has a different way of doing things and your children will come to identify certain rituals as special, and they will begin to differentiate themselves from other families. Family rituals provide comfort and security. Think of the child that follows the same ritual every night before bed. Mom or Dad helps her get ready for bed. They read 3 books, talk about their day and end the evening with bedtime prayers. This child comes to expect this routine every night and this very ritual is what provides the trust that is needed between parent and child.
Family rituals build family bonds. My two boys have a special handshake they engage in to demonstrate their love for one another. It's too complicated for parents, so we don't even try to learn it. You can count on family rituals to generate a lot of wonderful family memories. I very clearly remember, as a child, going every Sunday to the donut shop with my parents. We would pick up our donuts and then go park in a parking lot somewhere. I would sit in the backseat eating my donut while my parents read the newspaper in the front seat. Now, it might seem like a strange ritual, but even today, as an adult, having a donut on Sundays brings back special memories. Lastly, family rituals can be used to teach values and practical skills. Without even knowing it, having a family game night is teaching your children patience, cooperation, and good sportsmanship.
There are five major purposes for family rituals:
1. Family rituals are used to celebrate something. Rituals during the holidays are probably the most popular kind of ritual. Most families have a certain ritual they go through that helps them celebrate Christmas, birthdays, Thanksgiving, Cinco de Mayo, and other special dates. But what about celebrating the first day of Spring, the last day of school, golden birthdays, or report card day? The possibilities are endless.
2. Family rituals can be used to smooth transitions and change. When it was time for my younger son to give up his pacifier, we introduced the "Paci Fairy". We told him the Paci Fairy was going to come at night to take all his pacifiers and leave him a special toy. My son never asked for his pacifiers after that night. We all go through change in life, and family rituals can make those times of change exciting and normal. Consider introducing rituals for potty training, new births, 1st period for girls, 1st shave for boys, new drivers, and graduations.
3. Another purpose for family rituals is to solve a problem. There are always family problems that need to be solved. Weekly family meetings are an excellent way to address those problems. Consider having chore rituals to increase family cooperation. I know of families that will go through a silly ritual when their child is having a temper tantrum.
4. Family rituals should be used to help family members connect with one another. Mealtime and bedtime rituals are excellent ways to connect. Introducing family fun nights on a regular basis generates closeness. My older son and I have a special way we say "I Love You". It is a hand signal we use that no one else understands. Connection in your family is critical to creating an extraordinary family.
5. Family rituals are great for teaching skills and values. One great way to introduce values into your home is to create a "Value of the Month" program. Decide what your top 12 values are for your family and assign that value to a month. For instance, February is a great time to teach the value love, and November is perfect for thankfulness or gratitude. Incorporate special rituals each month that teach those values. Reading books, playing games, doing a family community project, and watching movies that pertain to that value are great ways to reinforce what you want your children to learn.
Think about the family rituals you already engage in. What rituals would be good to add to your family to create happier and closer relationships? What problems in your family need to be addressed, and how might you add a ritual to help with them? What changes or special days do you want to celebrate in your family? To get you started, I recommend having one solid ritual of connection daily. Create one modest weekly family ritual, and work in a monthly family ritual as well. Celebrate at least one family ritual for major holidays and birthdays. Remember, the purpose of creating family rituals is to equip your children with the skills and values you want them to learn, great family relationships, and wonderful family memories.
About The Author
Tips for Efficiently Finding Your Query in All Search Engines!
Tips for Efficiently Finding Your Query in All Search Engines!
by Edita Smith
World wide web is a perfect source for finding any information about any topic you are looking for. You can research a lot of information without leaving your desk. But most of the time a common problem is that you frequently waste an important portion of your valuable time with the irrevelant search results.
This article discusses the best ways to get better results from the search engines. To be able to receive the best results in terms of relevancy, you need to give some idea to the search engine. Although some people think of search engines as simple ask question and get answer robots, search engines do not programmed to work exactly in this manner. Instead, search engines work more like complicated database search and retrieval programs in which you direct the search engines about your query.
It is very important to give some idea to search engines about what you are looking for. What are you planning to find? Are you piling up any information regarding a comprehensive topic such as astrology? If any information coming out with the word "astrology" is important for you, then you are really lucky, because millions of search results will be available for you to analyze! And this is perfect solution for you if you are there to waste your spare time! Indeed irrevelant results bother many people because they try the first web site which came out as the result of search, and go to the next one, and then to the next one and so on. Altough many hours are spent in this trial and error method, the chances to reach the web site needed is still pretty low. The reason is that search engine will bring any website which includes the word "astrology" in any of its part. Can you imagine this? All the websites in world wide web with the tiny word "astrology".
Being as specific as possible is the only best solution to get what you want. If you are in front of your computer with the idea of getting more information about "Chinese Astrology", then immediately transfer this info to the search engine and type the phrase -Chinese Astrology- to the search engine. In this query, search engine will rank the web sites in an order of importance and will try to do its best to bring the websites which uses the terms "Chinese" and "astrology" at the same time according to their relevancy. You can get more relevant result by using quotes for the phrase you are searching. This way you command the search engine to give results containing both Chinese and astrology at the same time as one entity instead of retrieving one word and the other as seperate words. By doing this your search results will be filtered further and you will be closer to what you are looking for.
Web directories are great if you are already know what you are looking for. For specific queries you should prefer to look into directories other than search engines because they are organized to navigate back and forth of the directory tree with categories and sub- categories structure. Web directories may not give reference close to what you are looking for, but they are very time efficient and give perfect results since they are created according to specific topics and sub topics navigation needs.
No matter which search engine or directory you use to search the web for your needs, these tips will help you to get better results in your efforts to search the web time efficiently and get imddediate results!
About The Author
Wildfire Preparedness: The Five Aspects Of Readiness
Wildfire Preparedness: The Five Aspects Of Readiness
by Paul Purcell
A classic 70�s tune gives us the lyrics, �She ran calling �Wildfire��..� Then a love song, but today, possibly the beginnings of an action / adventure / horror movie. With rainfall low, and temperatures and winds high, the wildfires we�re currently battling across the country are heavily taxing our first responder assets. More fires will surely follow if these conditions continue.
First responder assets aside, these fires have affected local civilians. Thousands have evacuated, and many find nothing but charred vacant lots when they return. What are some innovative ways civilians can protect themselves, their property, and actually help firefighters in the process?
At the household level, most of us have smoke detectors. That�s good, because in a house fire, as in a wildfire, where there�s smoke, there�s F.L.A.M.E.:
Family � Something as massive as a wildfire will affect your whole family. Prepare them now.
Landscaping � Simple and subtle steps can make your property much more fire resistant.
Awareness � In an emergency, time is crucial. Stay aware of the threat and get the warnings early.
Moisture � Some say you fight fire with fire. We say you fight fire with water.
Evacuation � Even after taking all the other steps, a wildfire is something best avoided.
Family
A prepared and involved family is far more able to handle any type of disaster than those who wait for last-minute instruction. Therefore, one of the best things you can do for your family is to prepare them for one of the most common and least forgiving enemies; fire.
1. Take the family on a fire-safety tour through the house. Locate dangers such as overloaded electrical outlets and safety items such as extinguishers and escape routes.
2. In emergencies, redundancy is our friend. You should have more than one smoke detector, fire extinguisher, and escape route from rooms or the house. Hint: If you�re a heavy sleeper, buy a �baby monitor.� Put the transmitter near the farthest smoke detector and the receiver in your bedroom.
3. Make sure everyone in the family knows how to use a fire extinguisher, and how to call 911.
4. Have regular fire drills. Let each family member have a turn being the one who discovers the fire and who has to warn others. On at least every other drill, have everyone evacuate blind-folded on their hands and knees (while exercising due safety) to mimic the realistic conditions of a fire evacuation.
5. Revisit every family emergency plan with the whole family during wildfire season and certainly if one is in your area and possibly heading your way.
Landscaping
Though tragedies usually take the lead in newscasts, stories still abound of how some homeowners managed to protect their properties from wildfire by simple and subtle changes with their landscaping and home. Take these steps now, since in a fire, time is of the essence.
1. Your main landscaping consideration is to remove any dead, dry vegetation, whether on the ground or in your trees, that could transfer fire to your house. Since this aspect of wildfire preparedness has been adequately covered by others, here are a few good outside sources:
- General wildfire landscaping tips: http://www.firewise.org/resources/files/wildfr2.pdf
- Florida wildfire landscaping pointers: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FR/FR07600.pdf
- More on landscaping during wildfire season: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FR/FR04700.pdf
- Fire-resistant plants: http://web1.msue.msu.edu/emergency/pubs/wildfire_resistant.pdf
2. Be ready to seal your house before evacuating. Create covers for any opening on your home such as attic vents (roof turbines can be covered with metal trash cans), crawlspace openings, etc. Gather your material (such as plywood) and cut, paint, and label (where it goes) each cover now, keeping them stored on your property for immediate use. Put a couple of hooks over each opening you might cover and drill corresponding holes in the plywood covers. The hooks will hold the cover in place while you drill in the screws. This allows one person to do the job and frees up others to perform other necessary tasks. Hint: Also make covers for your windows (including garage door windows) just as if you lived in a hurricane zone.
3. Create a �fire tool box� and include everything needed to prep your house in advance of a wildfire. Store extra garden hoses, water sprinklers, �Y� connectors for extra hoses, wrenches to turn off your gas, rolls of heavy-duty aluminum foil (to cover the openings you didn�t make covers for), machetes and gloves for last minute brush clearing, etc. Store extra tools because you won�t have time to replace tools that might have been broken or lost.
4. Make sure first responders can see your home�s address. Put your house number on your mailbox, near your front door, and painted on the curb by your driveway.
Awareness
A common theme in all our publications and presentations is the fact that in an emergency, our most crucial asset is time (see our other articles at http://www.disasterprep101.com). The two key elements of time in a wildfire are one, to have as much done in advance as possible, and two, get as early a warning as possible.
1. Don�t wait for a wildfire to approach to start your landscaping. Perform that now and keep your property as fire-retardant as you can.
2. Don�t wait for the smell of smoke to warn you a fire is on its way. If fire conditions are right, monitor news channels and listen for community warnings.
3. Learn to recognize your community warnings. Does your community have a reverse 911 system? Sirens? Will the local TV or radio station broadcast the alert? If your community doesn�t have any of these systems, why not start them in your neighborhood? At the very least, have a phone tree.
4. Buy an NOAA Weather Alert Radio since they�re being incorporated into the overall Emergency Alert System. You should also know who your local Ham Radio operators are. See http://www.arrl.org
Moisture
Water is the king of firefighting and fire suppression substances. The best protection for your property lies in your ability to keep a �dome� of moisture in one form or another all over and around your home.
1. One publication under �landscaping� above lists beneficial plants that hold their moisture well. Regardless of the types of plant life in your yard, keep them well hydrated (while following watering ordinances).
2. When setting up your sprinklers, give your yard adequate spray coverage, especially over areas that might worsen the fire such as an above-ground propane tank or wooden deck attached to your house. The best sprinkler for surface areas is the professional directional type rather than the small garden variety that only sprays a weak pattern over a small area. Your garden store rep can help.
3. Put sprinklers on your roof, being sure to anchor them in place since the high winds generated in some wildfire wind storms can blow them off the roof.
4. If you have an in-ground sprinkler system, great! It will give you even water coverage over the grounds and provide a good foundation for the comprehensive water system you�ll need. To your in-ground system add separate �fire� lines that feed water to sprinklers that either spray directly against your house, or outward from your yard to cover vegetation surrounding your property. Too, have a sprinkler line permanently installed on your roof to save you the time of manually putting sprinklers up there. Also, install an additional input valve to allow water from a secondary source like a water pump drawing from your swimming pool.
5. If you have a pool, pond, well, or creek, you have a reservoir that should be put to good use so you don�t draw off the municipal water firefighters need to prevent fire from nearing your property in the first place. It�s a simple matter to keep a gas-powered generator (which self-reliant families should have) and a water pump (such as a pressure-washer), and use the two to draw water from your pool and feed it to your sprinklers. If you have a well with an electric pump, hook your generator to the pump to keep it running should local power fail. Exercise caution when setting up your generator so it doesn�t start its own fire.
6. A final consideration with sprinklers is position. Cover the outer perimeter of your yard, spray against the outer walls and roof of your house, and cover the crowns of your trees if possible. Also, consider outward-pointing sprinklers anchored to an elevated position such as an upper floor deck or porch, or your roof.
Evacuation
We strongly recommend evacuation, even if you�ve taken all the above steps and feel they might work. It�s best that you be pre-prepped and ready to leave at a moment�s notice since time is our most valuable asset. The more ready you are in advance, the more time you have.
1. All your landscaping steps should be taken care of now and maintained, especially during fire season.
2. In wildfire-prone areas, and especially during wildfire season, keep your bugout kits and vehicle ready at all times (with fuel tanks topped off). Hint: With your documents, keep the non-emergency numbers for local authorities so you can call to find out when it�s safe to return.
3. Perform last-minute landscaping ONLY if time allows, since you�ll want extra time to perform the household shutdown steps. However, don�t do anything until you�ve loaded your car with provisions and have nothing left to load but people and pets (in their carriers and/or ready to go).
4. Inside the house do the following:
- Move all flammables (such as furniture and curtains) away from windows making sure each is closed and latched. Lower and close any metallic blinds.
- Leave your fireplace damper open, and close the fireplace protective cover.
- Close all interior doors but don�t lock them.
- Turn off your heat/AC system, and cover any window air-conditioners or floor heater vents with aluminum foil and duct tape inside and out.
- Turn off all gas coming into the house whether from underground line or above-ground tank.
- Turn on inside and outside lights so your property is visible in heavy smoke. Firefighters may need to use it as a beacon.
5.To protect the valuables you don�t have room for in your evacuation vehicle, consider these:
- For waterproof valuables, put them in a bathtub, storage tub, or trashcan you�ve filled with water. (Notice we didn�t recommend your pool, since you should be using it to feed your sprinklers.)
- Large valuables such as antique furniture, etc. should be carried into the center of the house on the lowest floor (the same place you�d go in a tornado).
- Major appliances, such as your oven, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, clothes washer, and dryer, tend not to be consumed by flame or crushed by debris and thereby offer a protected storage location for other valuables. Hint: Disposable diapers are surprisingly flame resistant, and might be useful as wraps for some items stored in an appliance.
6.Lock up the house, leave a note on the door telling authorities you�ve evacuated, check with neighbors to make sure they�re on their way to safety, hop in your vehicle, and leave. Hint: If the area is getting smoky, listen to your radio for road closure information, turn your headlights on low, and set your climate controls to �re-circulate� so as not to draw in smoke from outside the vehicle.
Naturally, this is an article that could go for a few dozen more pages since it�s such an important topic and certainly one where we could offer extensive detail. For now, this will have to do. Will the above information make you fireproof and prevent any damage to your property? No. But it�s very likely to help, especially if you take these steps now. Taking these measures also helps firefighters since any time a wildfire is delayed or a home protected, you take one more item off the shoulders of first responders. Prep now, stay safe, and remember that preparedness is not only a social responsibility; it�s your only true protection.
About The Author
Sunday, November 25, 2007
But, Butter is More Natural...!
But, Butter is More Natural...!
by Ian McKenzie
Another short chapter in the butter versus margarine debate.
Yes, I'll have more to say about what I consider the pros and cons of butter and margarine are at a later date! But, for the time being I would like to comment on the title above. I heard this comment from someone extolling the virtues of butter in relation to margarine.
I am afraid that I fail to understand the claim or belief that butter is natural! Sorry, I mean more natural than margarine! Let's take a quick look at how butter is manufactured.
Firstly, a paddock with grass growing and supplies of water is generally required.
Secondly, grazing in the paddock, we generally require one or more bovine animals of the female gender, commonly called cows.
Now immediately, this term "cows" or "cow" should give us a few clues. Isn't the term "cow" used colloquially to refer to an ugly or bad tempered woman? Or it can also mean something unpleasant or disagreeable..., "I have had a cow of a day..". Or, "a fair cow...". The term is also used expressing sympathy on occasions..., "the poor cow", an unfortunate person! And finally, for something that seemingly takes forever, we may say, "till the cows come home".
But no, I am not going to use colloquialisms as a part of my argument.
Let's just look at the facts. Let's look at the part these female bovines play in the butter manufacturing process. The farmer has the cow or cows fenced in a paddock, breathing fresh natural air, eating green natural grass and drinking fresh natural water from the natural stream.
But, that is about where the "natural" bit ends! Basically the first part of the manufacture of butter necessitates a cow or cows eating copious quantities of grass, drinking heaps of water and of course constantly breathing fresh air! The grass is masticated, being mixed with cow saliva, before being swallowed and passing through the cow's oesophagus and through the cow's alimentary canal until it comes to the first of several sac-like enlargements called stomachs..., and yes, cows have more than one. Here the masticated grass/saliva mixture is further mixed with other juices produced by the cow and the digestion process takes place. However, the vast majority of what has gone into the first bovine orifice, the cow's mouth, after much processing will come out of two other orifices at the opposite end of the cow, as waste product.
Talking of orifices, there are yet another five involved in the first part of the manufacture of butter!
And the poor cows are not able to do it on their own! They need the assistance of a bovine of the male gender, commonly called a bull! Yes, the farmer needs occasionally to let a bull into the paddock with the cows, for it to 'have his way' with them.
This part of the butter manufacturing process involves the bull placing his appendage into one of those five orifices of the cow mentioned above and pumping in some of his own special juices. The expected result of this is that the cow becomes pregnant, and eventually produces calves. Now, this is a very important part of the butter manufacturing process.
You see, cows are members of mammalia, a class of vertebrates whose young feed upon milk from their mother's breasts. In the case of cows, this milk production is one of the by-products of the digestive process mentioned above. But the obtaining of milk from the poor cow for the process of butter manufacture is far from natural! You see, the teats on the cow, the final four cow orifices mentioned above, are squeezed by either the farmer's hands or a milking machine. The cow's body processes are therefore fooled into thinking that the calves need feeding, and the milk is produced!
But, where does the butter come from? Well, the milk is stored in vats and left to stand. The nutrient rich stuff is heavier and goes to the bottom, and the lighter saturated fatty gunk known as cream floats to the top. Machines are then used to beat the hell out or this fat. Two end products are produced. One is a watery translucent liquid, which is poured off and used for other purposes. The other end product is a pale yellow semi-solid stuff that is then generally processed further by adding things such as salt and colouring and packaged into containers.
It is then sold as butter!
"A natural product.....!!!" But, butter is more natural����..!
Another short chapter in the butter versus margarine debate.
Yes, I'll have more to say about what I consider the pros and cons of butter and margarine are at a later date! But, for the time being I would like to comment on the post title above. This comment was made by an acquaintance of mine whilst extolling the virtues of butter in relation to margarine.
I am afraid that I fail to understand the claim or belief that butter is natural! Sorry, I mean more natural than margarine! Let's take a quick look at how butter is manufactured.
Firstly, a paddock with grass growing and supplies of water is generally required.
Secondly, grazing in the paddock, we generally require one or more bovine animals of the female gender, commonly called cows.
Now immediately, this term "cows" or "cow" should give us a few clues. Isn't the term "cow" used colloquially to refer to an ugly or bad tempered woman? Or it can also mean something unpleasant or disagreeable..., "I have had a cow of a day..". Or, "a fair cow...". The term is also used expressing sympathy on occasions..., "the poor cow", an unfortunate person! And finally, for something that seemingly takes forever, we may say, "till the cows come home".
But no, I am not going to use colloquialisms as a part of my argument.
Let's just look at the facts. Let's look at the part these female bovines play in the butter manufacturing process. The farmer has the cow or cows fenced in a paddock, breathing fresh natural air, eating green natural grass and drinking fresh natural water from the natural stream.
But, that is about where the "natural" bit ends! Basically the first part of the manufacture of butter necessitates a cow or cows eating copious quantities of grass, drinking heaps of water and of course constantly breathing fresh air! The grass is masticated, being mixed with cow saliva, before being swallowed and passing through the cow's oesophagus and through the cow's alimentary canal until it comes to the first of several sac-like enlargements called stomachs..., and yes, cows have more than one. Here the masticated grass/saliva mixture is further mixed with other juices produced by the cow and the digestion process takes place. However, the vast majority of what has gone into the first bovine orifice, the cow's mouth, after much processing will come out of two other orifices at the opposite end of the cow, as waste product.
Talking of orifices, there are yet another five involved in the first part of the manufacture of butter!
And the poor cows are not able to do it on their own! They need the assistance of a bovine of the male gender, commonly called a bull! Yes, the farmer needs occasionally to let a bull into the paddock with the cows, for it to 'have his way' with them.
This part of the butter manufacturing process involves the bull placing his appendage into one of those five orifices of the cow mentioned above and pumping in some of his own special juices. The expected result of this is that the cow becomes pregnant, and eventually produces calves. Now, this is a very important part of the butter manufacturing process.
You see, cows are members of mammalia, a class of vertebrates whose young feed upon milk from their mother's breasts. In the case of cows, this milk production is one of the by-products of the digestive process mentioned above. But the obtaining of milk from the poor cow for the process of butter manufacture is far from natural! You see, the teats on the cow, the final four cow orifices mentioned above, are squeezed by either the farmer's hands or a milking machine. The cow's body processes are therefore fooled into thinking that the calves need feeding, and the milk is produced!
But, where does the butter come from? Well, the milk is stored in vats and left to stand. The nutrient rich stuff is heavier and goes to the bottom, and the lighter saturated fatty gunk known as cream floats to the top. Machines are then used to beat the hell out or this fat. Two end products are produced. One is a watery translucent liquid, which is poured off and used for other purposes. The other end product is a pale yellow semi-solid stuff that is then generally processed further by adding things such as salt and colouring and packaged into containers.
It is then sold as butter!
"A natural product.....!!!"
About The Author
Are You a Gourmet?
Are You a Gourmet?
by Emma Snow
What exactly does it mean to be a gourmet? Does watching public television cooking shows on Saturday morning while folding the laundry count? How about being fascinated with Julia Child and having all of her cookbooks on your Amazon wish list? Knowing what zest, garam marsala and charcuterie mean, does this qualify you as being a gourmet? Where did the term come from and what exactly does it mean?
A gourmet is someone with a discriminating palate who is savvy when it comes to fine food and drink. The word comes from the French word groumet which defines a person in charge of the wines at a meal. While this definition is a start, most people think they have a discriminating palate, but discriminating between a Big Mac and a Whopper probably doesn't count. What exactly are gourmets discriminating about? Who decides what is and isn't gourmet? From my research, I have come up with three things that qualify a person to call themselves a gourmet. While not an exhaustive list, qualifying in each of these three categories is a good indication that you can call yourself a gourmet.
If you still don't own a blender because you are saving up for a Waring or refuse to brown your bagels in anything other than a Dualit toaster, you are good in the first category of gourmet, knowing your equipment. Note that I don't say you need to own this equipment to be a gourmet, just know what it is and have a sincere desire to own it all someday, like when you win the lottery and can actually afford it. A few of the necessities in a gourmet kitchen include a Cuisinart food processor, Emilie Henry bakers, All-Clad pots and pans, Viking range, SubZero built in refrigerator, Kitchenaid mixer, Espressione espresso machine, Wusthof knives, and a Polder thermometer and timer. You will also need to include fine china, silver cutlery and beautiful table linens. Doing some calculations from the Williams Sonoma site (which should be one of your favorite places to shop), a fully equipped gourmet kitchen including service for 8 would come to over $25,000.00 This figure doesn't even start to cover the many food items you should have.
That brings us to our next category, food. Do you know terms such as foie gras, sevruga, gravlax, fleur de sel, truffles (not the chocolate kind) and herbes de provence? Have you ever eaten any of them? If you can answer yes to most of these, you are a definite gourmet. A good gourmet kitchen will be stocked with the finest wines, caviars, cheeses, produce, meats, breads and pastries. It will also have multitudes of herbs and spices as well as liqueurs and natural extracts. Hundreds of volumes of cookbooks are also a necessity and must include authors such as Jacques Pepin, Simone Beck, James Beard and of course, Julia.
The last area that defines a gourmet is drive. This means wanting to constantly learn more about fine foods and wines. Taking vacations to France and Italy are a start as well as visiting wineries, fish markets and farmers markets everywhere you go. Food should be an obsession, not just a past time. Magazines such as Saveur, Cuisine, Cook's Illustrated, Fine Cooking, Gourmet and Bon Appetit should dot the landscape of your home. You should also have a strong desire to take cooking classes and cooking vacations and your ultimate dream would be to one day attend "Le Cordon Bleu" cooking school in Paris. Yes, knowing French is a strong plus.
If you can say you qualify in even two of these categories, I would say you are a budding gourmet. Three would mean you are definitely a gourmet. Now that you have qualified yourself as such, don't hesitate to share it with others. Remember, however, that they may want you to actually cook something for them since they assume all gourmets can cook. This, however, was not one of the qualifying factors, so don't feel pressured if actually using your gourmet items scares you. Instead invite them to a gourmet restaurant and correct their pronunciations of items on the menu. Knowing the equipment, understanding the names and tastes of the foods and having the desire to cook someday is all you need to be a gourmet. Besides, who has time to cook when you are so busy learning to be a gourmet?
About The Author
Sweets and Savouries for Diwali
Sweets and Savouries for Diwali
by Liz Canham
Entertaining family and friends is a large part of Diwali, so every home needs to be prepared to provide tasty nibbles for guests at a moment's notice.
Diwali is a time of celebration and apart from the oil lights and candles which decorate homes, the puja and the prayers, special sweets, savouries and snacks are central to the festival.
Sweets �mithai�, of which the Indians are inordinately fond, are given as presents�. These sweets are made with a combination of any of paneer (similar to cottage cheese), semolina, chickpea flour, thickened milk, wheat flour, coconut, grated carrots and spiced with any of cardamom, nutmeg or cinnamon with nuts and raisins added for texture. Here�s a favourite.
Kalakand
Ingredients:
500g paneer
1 tin condensed milk
2 heaped tbsp full cream milk powder
Flavourings to taste
1 silver leaf (optional)
Mash the paneer coarsely with a fork and add the milk powder and condensed milk. Mix well.
Heat the mixture in a thick bottomed pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.
Remove from the heat and spread onto a greased baking tray. Sprinkle cardamom powder or slivers of almonds or pistachio nuts on the top.
Top with the silver leaf if using. Cool and cut into squares.
Makes: 15-20 pieces
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Sweet and savoury snacks are consumed at home and might include pooris (deep fried bread, which puffs up almost to a sphere, made with cumin and green chillies or with sugar and cardamom), samosas (pastry triangles stuffed with spicy peas and potato), half-moon shaped pastries, filled with coconut, nuts, raisins and spices. Here�s a taste of both sweet and savoury.
Besan Laddus
Ingredients
250g Gram flour (besan)
300g Powdered sugar
400g Ghee or butter
3tsp Cardamom powder
2tsp Almonds, chopped
2tsp Pistachio nuts, chopped
Method
Heat the ghee or butter in a frying pan. Add the gram flour and stir well to mix. Fry on a low heat until it is pale brown and the flour is cooked. Allow to cool.
Add the powdered sugar, cardamom powder, chopped almonds and pistachios to the flour mixture and form into small balls with your hands.
Murukku
Ingredients
90g rice flour
120g cup white gram flour
1 tsp Sesame seeds
� tsp Cumin seeds
� tsp Chilli powder
� tsp Asafoetida
3 tbsp Oil
Salt
Oil for frying
Method
Mix the flours together and add the spices, seeds and salt. Rub in the oil and add water to make a thick dough. Twist the dough into circular shapes.
Heat the oil until a pinch of the dough dropped in, rises to the top with bubbles around it.
Fry until golden brown, turning occasionally and drain on kitchen paper.
Cool and store in an airtight container.
Another favourite snack, which is quick and easy to prepare for guests is Masala Cashew Nuts
Just deep fry large cashew nuts in ghee or oil, drain on absorbent paper and sprinkle with a mixture of salt, red chilli powder and garam masala. Be sure not to try to fry too many at a time or the ghee may initially bubble up too fiercely then cool too quickly, leaving the nuts very greasy.
About The Author
As well as a love of Asian cooking as you can see in her Asian Food and Cookery website, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz website.
http://lizebiz.com/
Determining Your Baby Shower Guest List
Determining Your Baby Shower Guest List
by Jennifer Barnett
Pregnancy is always an exciting time. You are busy thinking about a thousand things - what sex the baby will be, what name to choose, how to decorate the nursery, etc. But, many of your friends probably have one thing at the top of their priority list - your baby shower. Baby showers are a great time to get together with friends and celebrate the upcoming birth and all the excitement that goes with that.
When the appropriate time comes, you will probably be approached by at least one friend about a baby shower. This may be your best friend from high school or the girlfriend you ran around with while still single. You may even be approached by relatives who want to throw a shower for you. Some people have multiple baby showers - one thrown by family members, one thrown by friends and one thrown by coworkers. No matter who throws the shower for you, you will need to think about whom to put on the guest list. Chances are, your aunt, best friend or coworker are not going to know everyone you would like to invite, so she is going to need a little help from you.
First, you will need to decide if you think you are going to have more than one shower. If you hear rumors of a family shower, you probably do not want to invite family members to your "friends" shower. If you have coworkers that are also close friends, you do not want to invite them to your "friends" shower only to find out you are having a work related shower as well. So keep your ears open to try to find out as much as possible to avoid duplicate invitations. You can even ask people you are close to if you feel comfortable enough and explain to them why you are asking. It will not be the worst thing if Aunt Silvia has to tell you to hold off on inviting your best friend to the family shower "just because."
Be sure to ask the shower host how many people can attend the shower. It may depend on where the shower is being held. Some people have their showers at their church so there is plenty of room and seating, but many people have them in their homes, so there may be a limited amount of space. You also do not want to overload your shower host's budget. She may be thinking you will invite fifteen people and you do not want to show up with a list of a hundred people. Remember that the shower invitations, decorations, and refreshments are going to cost your host money and you want to be respectful of her generosity in offering to throw you a shower.
Once you have an idea of what type of baby showers you are going to have, then you need to sit down and write out a list. You may want to jot down names on a sheet of paper before you start looking up addresses. You may even want to ask some other people whom you should invite. With all you have going on, chances are you may forget someone, so it will be useful to have another person helping you. You do not want to hurt anyone's feelings by unintentionally leaving them off the guest list.
After you get your list set, you will need to start gathering addresses. Actually giving your names and addresses to the host may best be done on the computer if you are comfortable using it. Many people already keep names and addresses in online address books, so giving your host your shower list may be as simple as printing the address list and checking the names of those you want to invite. If you do not have your addresses online, you can type them into a spreadsheet to give to your shower host. An online copy of addresses may come in handy depending on whether she is going to have addresses printed on envelopes, print address labels for the envelopes, or hand write the addresses on each envelope. No matter how she is going to do it, having a nice, clear copy of all names and addresses will be beneficial.
Finally, if you forget someone important on your list and feel badly about it, invite them out to a special one-on-one lunch with you. It will not be the same as being at the shower, but can help mend hurt feelings from being left out.
Have fun determining your baby shower list. Call a few of your closest friends, grab your old address books and have a good time reminiscing as you jot down names.
About The Author
Saturday, November 24, 2007
6 Critical Benefits of Preparing Your Own Personal Budget
6 Critical Benefits of Preparing Your Own Personal Budget
by Bruce Hokin
The task of preparing your own budget is a liberating experience. You can finally see the true state of your personal finances. The benefits listed below may help encourage you in making your decision to start today. Ready to begin? Let's go.
Benefit #1. The budget focuses your thinking.
Without a budget you are not able to clearly see the extent of your spending compared to your income. This is the most important role of your budget. It will show you whether you are living within your means or whether you are living on borrowed funds. It is also the tool that can show you where all your money is being spent. This allows you to answer important questions, such as "Am I wasting money on things I don't really need?", "Is my credit card debt to blame for my predicament?" and "How much better off would I be if I could manage to be debt free?".
Benefit #2. Helps you save money and set goals.
Once you have correctly prepared your budget, it will show you how much you need to save from your income to meet your expenses and set aside some funds for emergencies. It allows you to set goals, both for the amount and the timing. For example, you may set a goal of paying $3,000 (the amount) off your credit cards, within 1 year (the timing). Once you make a commitment to yourself to make this work the budget becomes a tool that will help you stay on track.
Benefit #3. Keeps your goals in your mind.
It is easy to slip back into your old spending ways if you do not commit to making the budget work. The budget will help you keep the goals you set in your mind when you are tempted to give in. When you are out, it can help you say no to frivolous expenditure, say no to that daily coffee-shop coffee, think twice before you hand over your hard-earned money on things you don't really need and wait until that item you really want goes on sale.
Benefit #4. Helps you live within your means.
Every time you make a spending decision, it has a positive or negative impact on your financial position. The budget can show you clearly how your spending habits affect your finances in advance. Your budget can help you understand that if you spend money on this item you can't use the same money to spend on something else. You only have a finite income. If you spend more than you earn you are living on borrowed money and the cost of that money is interest. The interest on borrowed funds is most probably the cause of your financial worries.
Benefit #5. Puts you in control of your finances.
If you've prepared your budget correctly, you will see how much you have available to spend, after taking into account your debt repayments and savings requirements for your future needs. This information can take away the guilt you may have felt when purchasing some item(s) you knew you couldn't really afford. With a budget you know what you can afford and what is beyond your means. When you know you can afford an item you really want, the purchasing experience will be much more enjoyable and rewarding.
Benefit #6. - Tracks your progress toward your goals.
Once you prepare you budget it should not put into a drawer and forgotten. It should be a live document that you refer to weekly, or at least monthly. This is your guide to financial freedom. You need to check your progress towards your goals, thus giving you the incentive to keep going and achieve your financial objectives. If you make the effort and follow your plan, you'll be surprised how easy it really is to reach financial freedom.
About The Author