How to Raise the Prices You Charge to Your Cleaning Customers
by Steve Hanson
You started your cleaning business to make a profit and earn a living. Most cleaning businesses, whether they do residential or commercial cleaning, start out with the owner doing everything - marketing, cleaning, buying supplies, and even the bookwork. As your company grows and you hire employees and add more clients, your expenses grow too. When you started out you may have under-priced your services either to get new clients or because you lacked bidding experience. So now that your expenses are growing and you've discovered you under-priced your services, what do you do?
First off, understand that raising prices is necessary in any business. Just take a look at things you buy on a routine basis - gas, milk, cleaning supplies, electricity - prices do increase and sometimes take a big jump!
Before you raise your prices to your cleaning customers go back and take a look at your original contract. Does your contact state the original bid price will be good for a certain length of time? If it does you will not be able to raise your price until that time frame has expired. If not, how long have you been cleaning for that client? Even if you originally under-priced your services you may not want to increase your price if you have only been cleaning for the client for a short time. Most cleaning companies wait at least a year before increasing prices. If you don't have anything written in your cleaning contract about price increases, you should start adding a clause about it with your next client. Many companies guarantee their price for a year and state that they take cost of living increases each year (for example, 4%). Or they may state something like, "we reserve the right to increase prices after one year".
Before figuring out a new price go back through your original bid and make sure that you have everything covered so you are making a profit. If your supply costs have gone up dramatically or if you have added expenses (workers comp or more insurance because of hiring employees), make sure the price increase will cover the extra expenses.
Another factor to consider before raising prices is your customer's current satisfaction level. Are they happy with the job your cleaning company is doing? Most people understand price increases and will stick with your cleaning company as long as they are happy with the job you are doing. After all, looking for a new cleaning company takes time and your customer may not get a better price or the quality of work they want from someone new.
But don't be afraid to raise the price on a customer who is constant complainer, especially if their complaints are not justified. You may need to raise your price to cover the extra time you spend in their office (or home).
Once you have all your facts and the new price you need to charge, send a letter to your customer. Let them know that you are raising your prices, why you are raising your prices, and the benefits to them to continue using your cleaning company. Make sure you inform your customer at least 30 days in advance that the price will be going up. Keep in mind that large corporations and government agencies may need more time if they have to run the price increase through a committee or get approval by a board.
The phrase "you get what you pay for" is often true when it comes to cleaning companies. Too low of a price may mean the company is not doing satisfactory work or that the company has undervalued its services and will soon be out of business.
Pricing your services so you make a profit is not a bad thing! Your cleaning company's survival depends on charging your customers appropriately so you can stay in business and make a profit. Good customers will understand a price increase and be happy to continue using your services. And don't be surprised if a customer that leaves because of a price increase soon comes back! Many people eventually realize that a lower priced bid from another cleaning company means their building (or home) is not as clean as when your company provided their cleaning services.
Copyright (c) 2007 The Janitorial Store
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Got Your Eye On An Iphone? Here�s The Latest
Got Your Eye On An Iphone? Here�s The Latest
by James Mosieur
The iPhone goes on sale on June 29th, are you ready? Read the latest tips on snagging your own iPhone.
Do you have your heart set on an iPhone? You may want to get in line now. A May poll by research firm M:Metrics revealed that about 19 million U.S. cell phone users are ready to fork over as much as $599 for the new iPhone. That�s almost what Bernstein Research predicts Apple will sell through 2008.
The new iPhone will go on sale June 29 and all indications are the demand will be huge. AT&T is hiring 2000 temporary workers to help with the launch. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has forecast sales of 10 million iPhones in the first 18 months �a conservative estimate based on independent research.
AT&T nabbed the iPhone exclusive early on. M:Metrics analyst Mark Donovan said "Two-thirds of the people who said they have a strong interest in buying an iPhone currently subscribe to AT&T's three biggest competitors." He added "In this mature market, it's all about stealing customers from competitors."
Even the hefty price tag � as much a $599 with a two year contract � does not seem to discourage potential buyers. It is still unclear what plan AT&T will require with the iPhone but you can be sure the lure of technology will overpower the fear of the unknown. Donovan noted that once the initial group gets its iPhones contract pricing may be a barrier to some buyers.
Because of the youthful demographic, T-Mobile customers seem to have the most interest in changing. According to the M:Metrics survey, 12.5% of T-Mobile subscribers expressed a high interest in buying the iPhone, compared to 8.1% for Sprint Nextel customers and 6.7% for Verizon users.
Here are a few iPhone shopping tips.
� Get your www.CellForCash.com transaction started right away. You can have your box by the time you get your iPhone and some cash in your pocket to help you get past the sticker shock.
� AT&T spokesman John Kampfe says "The iPhone will be available�only in AT&T-owned retail stores, Apple retail stores and through Apple's online store.� Check out Apple's online store on June 29. According to Steve Jobs the iPhone is set to go on sale at 6 p.m. that day. But forget trying AT&T's site; the company says it won't be selling iPhones online, at least initially.
� Call a few local AT&T stores and see if you can get on their waiting lists or if your local sales representative has any tips about how that particular store is handling requests.
� Show up early at an Apple store or company-owned AT&T store before they open on June 29. The big question is how many phones each store will stock.
� Wait until the June 29 launch mania dies down and hope that AT&T and Apple decide to allow locally owned AT&T agents to sell the iPhone.
AT&T Inc. has spent $50 million on its network in anticipation of the heightened activity expected to follow the iPhone's debut on the 29th, anyone willing to break their existing contract can expect to pat $175 on top of the cost of the new gadget.
Apple is hyping this product like no other and it�s far from over. Stay tuned for more info as we get it.
About The Author
Website Basics-How to Register Your Domain Name
Website Basics-How to Register Your Domain Name
by Richard James
The simple and short answer is that when you buy a domain name, you are registering it. The reason for this article is that there are some optional features available that are well worth considering when registering a domain name.
First and foremost, make sure that the email address and contact information you give when registering a domain name are accurate. This is especially true in the case of the email address. Communications regarding the status of domain names are sent to the email address on file, so give an email address that is readily accessible to you, and if you change email addresses at some point please be sure and update the email address attached to your domain name. It cannot be stressed enough how important this is. Often people lose access to their domain name or lose the domain name altogether because they can no longer access it, and the number one reason for this is their email address changed, they failed to update it with their domain registrar, and they no longer receive important communications regarding the status of the domain name.
Privacy One of the �deluxe� options you will be offered at the time of domain name registration is the option for privacy. You�ll probably want to take advantage of this option. All domain names are listed in a large internet database called the WhoIs database. Without adding privacy to your registration, your contact info, including your name, address, phone, email, etc. all become public information, and readily accessible to spammers, telemarketers, and junk mailers. Private domain name registration is not mandatory and will not block all spam, but it is well worth the extra investment nonetheless.
Business Registration This next option concerns how your domain name is perceived in the WhoIs database and by the search engines. If your planned website involves commercial interests, this is a highly recommended option as well. Business registration places your domain name in WhoIs as a business, rather than a personal registration, and lists you by business category and subcategory. There is also an option to place an online business card and a link to a map to your store location, which will show up on the search engines. This also boosts your standing with the search engines; ie., business vs. personal.
Platinum Registration This option protects your domain name from domain name hijack. In the event that you give others access to your account, such as when hiring a web author to build your website, Platinum Registration locks the domain name down in such a way that no one can modify or steal it in any way. Highly recommended as well.
Multiple Years In the past few months Google and Yahoo, among others, have modified their search techniques to include checking the length of registration of a domain name. This is to weed out the pretenders from the players. Registering your domain name for a minimum of 5 years (or more) will boost your esteem in the eyes of the major search engines. For more information on this topic, read the article HERE.
About The Author
StartMyWebsiteToday.COM was created by Richard James as a helpful resource for people new to building websites. Featuring free articles and 24/7 telephone support, the site aims to help newbies with their first web venture. You can visit the site at http://www.startmywebsitetoday.com This article is copyrighted, please do not alter in any way.
Different Types Of Refrigeration
Different Types Of Refrigeration
by Glenn Day
Each and every day, millions of people in the United States use a refrigerator. Many businesses depend on them as they are crucial to maintain our foods safety. When it comes down to it, refrigerators are so commonplace in our day, it is hard to imagine people would add chemicals or use ice to keep things cool. Beyond the refrigerator in a home setting, most people never even think of the extensive technology required to keep commercial and industrial food appropriately cooled at all times. Generally speaking, equipment is needed to protect and store goods, largely food, during shipping by road, rail, air and sea. Without the ability to do this, food would have no way of being moved from one area to the next without spoiling.
Domestic vs. Commercial Refrigeration
Domestic Refrigeration: This type of refrigeration is one that is familiar to most homeowners. Refrigerators and freezers that you keep in your home fall under this category. This is the type of unit that is used to keep food cold in a residential environment.
Commercial Refrigeration: This type of refrigeration holds and displays frozen and fresh food in retail stores, as well as other like establishments. In most cases, this type of refrigeration is farther advanced than refrigerators that you would find in residential homes. As you can imagine, it is crucial that many commercial establishments keep their refrigerators up to date with food safety regulations. This ranges from retail stores to restaurants and many more.
Food processing and Storage: This type of refrigeration is used to preserve process and store the food from its source to the wholesale division. If you are not in the food industry, you probably do not have much knowledge on this type of refrigeration. But even though you may not know about this, it still affects you in more ways than you can imagine. After all, you want your food to be fresh when it finally arrives at your home, right?
There is also a large variety of specialized equipment that may be required to protect and store foods when being shipped by road, rail, air, and sea. In other words, the food cannot thaw out just because it is in transit. Instead, special equipment is used to make sure that food is kept at the appropriate temperature regardless of transportation method.
All in all, there are many different types of refrigeration that help to ensure the overall quality and safety of food.
About The Author
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Unsecured Loans Offers Smooth Impetus For Your Needs
Unsecured Loans Offers Smooth Impetus For Your Needs
by Carmen Cortez
If your brain pulse is getting into an active impetus of your needs then opt for the unsecured loan. Unsecured loans help the borrower to relief from the financial crunch as it offers smooth impetus for the borrower to deal with his needs.
Unsecured loans are very common among those borrower�s who willingly or unwilling may not place their collateral against the loaned amount. Therefore, for this reasons, it is quite popular among the tenants, homeowners, students, non-homeowners etc.
So, borrowers who don�t own any valuable collateral asset like home, car, real estate finds easy to deal with the needs when comes to unsecured loans.
While opting for the unsecured loan, borrower must know that he can avail the loan amount ranging from �1000 to �25,000. This amount can be extended depending upon the borrower�s credit history and present financial situation. In unsecured loans, borrower can enjoy the loan amount for the repayment period of 5-10 years.
Unsecured loans take lesser time for the cash approval as no time is utilized in the collateral evaluation. Moreover, borrower avails the loan amount in shortest period as it carries lesser paperwork.
In unsecured loans, lender�s money is not secured, because of non placement of collateral so he offers slightly higher interest rate to compensate his loan risk. But borrower�s proper search and research can get him best deal. Therefore, while opting for the unsecured loan, borrower must not forget to compare and contrast the quotes of the lenders; these quotes can be easily accessed as they are offered free of cost by the lender.
The amount offered under the unsecured loan can be used for various purposes like going for holidaying, education expenses, buying a car or renovating a home.
Unsecured loans can be accessed from various banks, financial institutions or leading lenders. But applying unsecured loans through online mode quickens the approval process means borrower need not to wait for long to get his loan amount approved.
While dealing with the online mode, borrower has to fill in a simple online form. The online application form for unsecured loans requires you to fill in few details. Dealing with the online is secured also as the information that borrower provides remain confidential with the lender.
Unsecured loan offers borrower to meet his needs with easy repayment term and at feasible rates so that he is feels relaxed.
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What Does a Registry Cleaner Do ?
What Does a Registry Cleaner Do ?
by Arvind Singh
A registry cleaner scans the system for obsolete files and links and deletes them from the system registry to make the system run faster and more efficiently.
The registry was designed to speed up the operating system but this very intention and design by Microsoft could prove detrimental to your system is the registry is not serviced and maintained by regularly using a good registry cleaner software to clean the registry of useless entries that are slowing down the system and taking up disk space.
There are many registry cleaners such as the PC Mantra's registry cleaner, the PC registry cleaner and the Windows XP registry cleaner that can spruce up your system and make it much more enjoyable to use. Registry cleaner software, as any registry cleaner software, scans the system and traces obsolete or outdated data. Then after determining the good from the bad the registry cleaner deletes the redundant data enabling your PC to perform error free and more efficiently than before running the registry cleaner.
Ensure The Registry Cleaner Has A Good Backup Function
Before using a registry cleaner it is of paramount importance to ensure if the software has a registry backup function. This is important because in case the cleaner goes wrong the system will crash and will need to be restored with this backup to get the system back to its previous level of functioning. This can occur if the registry cleaner inadvertently deletes some file in the registry. You can download a free version of any registry cleaner or a trial version. However, a free or trial version will not have all the features enabled in the download so it is always good to have a licensed version of the registry cleaner software. In fact it is always good to have a licensed version of any software to keep your system running error free and efficiently.
A corrupted Registry Will Crash The System
If the registry of an operating system is damaged or corrupted the entire system will crash or become very unstable. This could render the system unusable. So, the registry is a vital part of the computer that has to be kept in very good working condition. If this part of the computer gets filled with trash, such as broken links caused by uninstalling software and not removing the entries from the registry, or outdated entries that do not need to be there the whole system will slow down drastically. Believe it or not a single day on the system can enter more than a thousand entries in the registry. Forty percent of which will be useless after the days work is done. These entries will have to be removed with the help of a good registry cleaner. Though a few thousand entries will have no significant effect on the system they will over a period of time.
About The Author
To know about the Registry Cleaner visit at: http://www.pcmantra.com/registry-cleaner.htm
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To VOIP or not to VOIP- that is the question!
To VOIP or not to VOIP- that is the question!
by Dottye Blake
I used to love the TV commericals that Vonage, a well-known provider of VOIP or Voice over Internet Protocol telephone service. My favorite one was the one with the rocket that went berserk and flew all over, with people dashing around madly to get out of the way. I watched the wayward rocket totally mesmerized, and then started laughing so hard when the Vonage theme music started playing that I almost fell off the couch! I liked the one where the photographer fell into the fountain, too. I wish Vonage would bring those commercials back- the ones that they show now are so dull in comparison. Most of these ads try to sell their calling services based on how much cheaper they are in comparison to traditional telephoning plans. They also discuss quality and clearness of telephone calls. If you are smart, you have, in all probability, questioned how much of this is honest information and how much is hype.
VOIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is plausibly one of the most radical advances in the telecom industry. It permits you to speak to another person on the other side of the world by employing a digital network connection precisely the same way that you get e-mail or surf internet sites. Due to the fact that your voice is changed into a digital signal, it can be transmitted around the block, on the other side of the country, or around the world for exactly the same price. For VOIP telephone calls, the idea of long distance does not exist. A single basic benefit is its low-price. If you have a fast Internet connection (DSL or cable), you can make computer-to-computer telephone calls anyplace on the globe FREE. Computer-to-phone telephone calls normally have a fee, but are usually still less expensive than typical telephone service. Perks like call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail, caller ID and 3way-calling, are packaged with VOIP telephone service at no additional fee. At the same time you are speaking on the telephone, you can transmit graphics and documents.
VOIP telephoning plans are available in two types; bulk rate pricing and unlimited calling. Bulk rate pricing permits you to receive a monthly ration of minutes to telephone anyone you desire (similar to your cellular telephone ). If you exceed your monthly limit you will receive overage fees. Unlimited calling is precisely the way it is meant- you have no cap on the number of telephone calls you can dial. Limitless telephoning packages start at $35 a month depending on the VOIP service supplier and the extra perks included with your plan. Unless you are making many telephone calls or the limitless telephoning plan is very cheap, bulk rate pricing is normally a more beneficial choice.
Like cellular telephones, VOIP companies permit you to �port� or bring your existing phone number with you into their company. This is very handy since you will not need to advise your friends and family that you have changed your telephone number. Presently there is no law that VOIP suppliers must permit you to take your number with you if you are not satisfied or wish to switch companies. A few of them will, others will bill you an extra charge, and some will refuse to cooperate with your wish. Make sure, then, to take a look at this prior to putting your signature on any contracts.
Another benefit is its flexibility. You can make and get telephone calls as long as you have access to a broadband connection by just logging in to your VOIP account. Because of this factor, using VOIP is as easy as sending e-mail. While you are vacationing, you just take a headset or Internet phone with you; then you can speak to family or colleagues virtually for free.
Phone-to-phone VOIP is also portable. VOIP telephones are pocket-sized and light enough to take anyplace. Once you contract with a VOIP company , the Internet phone or adapter employed by that company is given a unique identification number. This 'phone number' stays valid, even if your VOIP company is in New York and you're connected to the Internet in Tokyo. While connected to a broadband connection, anyplace on the planet, you can make and receive telephone calls just like you were sitting in your own living room .
There are a few bugs that still make a negative impression with VOIP being more popular with the public. Lack of uninterrupted telephone service during power failures and problems with 911 emergency calling make up the 2 largest stumbling blocks.
Traditional telephone service keeps going due to the electric current running through the phone line at the time of a blackout. This is not possible with VOIP telephones. At the same time that the electricity fails, there goes VOIP service. Battery backups and electric generators that furnish power are the present-day answers to this dilemna.
A huge headache involves emergency 911 telephone calls. VOIP services usually aren't useful in emergencies. Traditional telephone gear can trace the locations of telephone calls. Emergency calls are channeled to the closest call center where the operator can distinguish your location, in case you are unable to talk. With VOIP, at this time there is no way to figure out the location from which Internet calls are coming. There is an emerging standard called e911 however, which is trying to resolve this restriction.
VOIP also has voice quality and reliability issues. Data sent through the Internet normally reaches its destination scrambled. E-mail and text files can be reassembled in the proper order when it arrives. Voice data also comes in scrambled, but it's more difficult due to the real-time nature of VOIP. Many data bundles may have to be unloaded when they don't make it in time, in order to make voice connections with the smallest time lag. This can create quick silences in the audio flow.
Space and speed of the connection specify the quantity of data dropped. Many networks get more traffic and therefore are more likely to create audio dropouts. One way to supply superior caliber audio connections is to produce dedicated data routes.
With the unbelievable amount of work committed to VOIP, these bad aspects will certainly be settled withinin the next 2 years. It is forecast that by then VOIP will be better accepted by consumers far and wide.
Please visit VOIP Made Easy http://www.computingninternet.com/2817
About The Author
Please visit http://www.computingninternet.com/
A South Street Seaport Restaurant Could Be The Perfect Place To Unwind
A South Street Seaport Restaurant Could Be The Perfect Place To Unwind
by Neil Folley
In the hectic pace of our daily lives we welcome any opportunity that will help us unwind and relax our stressed mind, even if it is only for a short duration. A person, who can enjoy his meal in the proper ambience and in a relaxed manner without having to rush through his lunch hour or dinner time with a quick meal, truly feels rejuvenated. A true gourmet will not compromise with his food at any cost as a good meal served the proper way matters to him as much as the taste of the food itself. It is therefore very important to select the restaurant where you plan to have your meal with great care and a reference from friends or family is always helpful in such situations. A person staying at South Street Seaport in Manhattan or any place near to the place or perhaps someone who is simply visiting this place can vouch for the rejuvenating effect that a historical district can have on people.
The historical architecture of South Street Seaport rubs off on the people staying here and also on the visitors. The place seems to transport you back in time to the New York of mid 1800�s and you get a peek at life during the commercial maritime trade. The travel in time machine leaves you feeling soothed and relaxed and somewhere a need arises to be pampered to keep the feeling of relaxation intact. Imagine a mouth watering meal at a South Street Seaport restaurant � it will be royal treat for not only the stomach but the soul as well.
A South Street Seaport restaurant caters to this need by not only providing excellent food that pampers your taste buds but also service par excellence that makes you feel special and gives you a sense of well being as well. The quaint cobblestone streets and scenic view of the Brooklyn Bridge add to the ambience of a South Street Seaport restaurant, whetting your appetite and making you look forward to a pleasurable luncheon or dinner experience.
A South Street Seaport restaurant offers a wide range of cuisine to choose from and specialty restaurants also line up this place to cater to every kind of taste. The staff is polite and courteous and well trained in helping a person with his choice of dishes to be ordered. A variety of side dishes available in most South Seaport Street restaurants perfectly compliment the main course and specialties served by the restaurant. Most restaurants also offer alcohol based drinks on their menu that help the patrons to relax and unwind with friends and family and add to the pleasure of dining out. The classy ambience and d�cor of the restaurants add to the experience and make the simple event of enjoying a meal a memorable one. So if you are visiting this place as a tourist it is advisable to take some references about a good South Street Seaport restaurant and be sure to include it in your itinerary when you go sightseeing in South Street Seaport.
About The Author
Monday, January 28, 2008
Choosing A Bike To Buy For The Growing Children
Choosing A Bike To Buy For The Growing Children
by Smitha Sanyal
Growing children at the age of 2-4 years can move on to their own appropriately sized bikes. These children can be trained to pedaling, steering, braking and sitting on a saddle. Mostly kids try a two-wheeler with training wheels around the age of 3 years.
Between the ages of 4 to 8 years most of children develop their physical ability, good balance master starting and stopping on a tricycle or training wheels and learn to ride. Along with physical skills it also takes mental readiness and motivation to learn to ride. Some kids don't develop this until they are 10 or more years old. Interest and readiness to learn to ride a bike can manifests itself as questions about bicycles, a desire to ride with friends, talk about tricycles and training wheels as things for "babies," etc.
Guide to Children's Size Bikes: Children's bike sizes are determine by the diameter wheel, not the height of seat and size of frame. After kids� grownup children's bikes they'll move into small-framed adult bikes with 26 inch, 27 inch or 700c wheels, which are sized by the length of the seat tube.
Children under the age of 12 years going alone on a tri-cycle or bicycle have a very limited range and don't get as much pleasure from simply cycling. If you want to have a family outing with more cycling, as you child outgrows their child seat (age 3) or trailer (age 4), there are a couple of options to consider: tandems with kid-kits on the rear seat and third wheel kid's seats. But you will still need destinations and activities that appeal to them. Whether by tandem or third wheel, your children will be right with you no matter how fast you ride. On a conservative tandem both cyclists have to pedal together, so when the adult pedals the child will have to pedal, unless they take their feet off the pedals. The third-wheel cycles are designed to be free wheeling so the child can sit back and enjoy the ride anytime they want.
About The Author
A Pediatrician on Helping your Kid with ADD/ ADHD
A Pediatrician on Helping your Kid with ADD/ ADHD
by Alvaro Fernandez
Today we interview Dr. Arthur Lavin, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western School of Medicine, pediatrician in private practice, and one of the first providers of a Working Memory Training program for kids with attention deficits. Dr. Lavin trained with esteemed Mel Levine.
AF (Alvaro Fernandez): Dr. Lavin, thanks for being with us. Can you explain the source of your interest in brain research and applications?
AL (Arthur Lavin): I am fascinated by how the mind works. How can neuroscientists' increasing knowledge improve kids' lives?
AF: Some readers may think that a major part of the problem we face today is that kids are simply "lazy". What do you say to that?
AL: I have never met a lazy kid. All people want to succeed, in life if not in school. The ones that are labeled as "lazy" are typically ashamed of their lack of capacity to deal with demands, and resort to evasive strategies.
AF: You mention a "lack of capacity to deal with demands". Is that gap growing?
AL: Yes. I can see how complex homework assignments are these days even in 3-4rd grade. Kids need to plan and prepare a whole matrix of tasks that require good organizational work to complete. They need to sequence what they do today, tomorrow, the day after. The major difficulty, for which such young brains may not be fully ready, is to deal with an overwhelming amount of information and demands.
AF: that seems to imply a higher need for good executive functions than years ago. A kid needs to have good working memory to retain, prioritize and sequence much information into actionable plans, and then execute them. We know that a common problem with many kids with diagnosed attention deficits is, indeed, working memory (the ability to hold in mind and manipulate several units of information). Can you explain what you see in your work with schools?
AL: I am afraid that many schools are too quick to diagnose ADD/ ADHD and consider drugs as the only potential intervention. The label itself can be misleading and counterproductive. School psychologists have wonderful expertise in evaluating subject-related problems and describing attentional deficit symptomatology, but are not trained or asked to complete neuropsychological profiles of a child's cognitive functions. Up to a point, many kids with attention problems would benefit from educational, not medical, interventions to improve cognitive functions such as working memory. I am seeing it first hand, having used a Working Memory Training program with 15 pre-screened kids: 80% of them presented a substantive improvement. With 50%, the results we have seen have been dramatic.
AF: Please give us some examples.
AL: Let me give you 3 vignettes, all 3 with diagnosed attention deficits.
Patient 1: 11-year-old boy, very impulsive, even on medication. Doesn't do homework, constantly forgets chores. After the 5-week program, he is able to sit down and listen instructions, engaging in fewer arguments with his parents. He can do better mental math- for the first time in his life able to do so without using his fingers. He finds that following school and doing homework is easier, grades have improved dramatically.
Patient 2: 16-year-old girl with ADD. She has trouble executing homework, often telling parents she had done it when she really hadn't. Her parents thought she liked to lie. Yet, when I talk to her, she is clearly more ashamed than dishonest. The working memory training program helps her develop a much improved perception of time. For example, she starts to manage her shower time better, being aware of when 5 minutes have passed-instead of spending 30 minutes in the shower, as before. Much improved school work, lying at home has dropped dramatically.
Patient 3: 19-year-old boy in college, who often became paralyzed when he was faced with complex challenges. He had a tough time with the cognitive training program, but after a while he started learning new strategies and developing self-confidence, and showing marked improvement. Now, he can break complex tasks into manageable pieces . His attentional deficits appeared to threaten his opportunities in his family business. Unable to keep track of change at the cash register, lines at the business would grow and customers get angry, leaving him out of consideration for key start-up employment in the business. Now he can manage day-to-day challenges such as these, and the door to being part of the family business is now open. He can sequence tasks and execute then with a clear plan in mind, without being distracted and losing sight of that plan.
AF: Dr. Lavin, this is all very exciting news. Thank you very much for your time.
AL: Thank you.
Copyright (c) 2007 SharpBrains
About The Author
Is There Really Such A Thing As A FREE Security System?
Is There Really Such A Thing As A FREE Security System?
by Frank Cheshire
"Is There Really Such A Thing As A FREE Security System?"
There is an old saying that goes like this:
�There is no such thing as a FREE LUNCH.�
The same goes for home security systems. For you see there are only two ways to invest in a system to protect your home:
1) Buy everything upfront
2) Pay little or nothing down and pay a small fee each month for 36 months until the equipment is paid off.
First lets look at the ups and downs of each.
The Benefits Of Paying For Equipment Upfront
1) No long term contract to sign
2) Monthly monitoring from $15.38 a month
3) Choose any Monitoring facility you like
The Disadvantages Of Paying Upfront
1) Not everyone can afford to lay out $795-$2,000 for a home security system at one time
2) Monitoring is usually �Local Monitoring� only (See our article �Local VS National Monitoring...Which is better?�
The Benefits Of a FREE Home Security System
1) Little or no money out of pocket to cover the equipment & installation labor
2) Save your money for other new home purchase needed
3) One low price includes paying for your equipment & monthly monitoring fee
4) Gives you NATIONAL monitoring protection (See our article �Local VS National Monitoring...Which is better?�)
5) Surprisingly can saves up to $300 over buying equipment upfront (See the �Consumers Guide To Choosing Atlanta Georgia Home Security Systems�)
6) Lifetime maintenance agreement as long as you monitor with the provider.
The Disadvantages Of A FREE SYSTEM
1) Requires 36 month commitment
2) Slightly higher monthly monitoring fee of around $ 29.95 which covers equipment, installation & labor & monthly monitoring
3) Equipment is often propriety, which means only their monitoring facility can monitor your system.
Well, there it is.
As you can see they both have their own advantages & disadvantages.
It boils down to this...Pay now...or pay a little more each month.
I guess it comes down to what is most important to you.
About The Author
If you would like a copy of the FREE report, "The Consumers Guide To Choosing A Home Security System" Just go to http://www.SECURITYsystemConsulting.com
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Divorce � A Case Study
Divorce � A Case Study
by James Walsh
The Beginning
Melanie and Thomas had been high school sweethearts. She was the daughter of my maternal aunt. She was a good sportswoman, and that was why Thomas gelled in so well with her. They were both tall and good-looking, and would spend hours discussing league victories and drooling over their favourite football stars. Getting into college was easy for them, their achievements in sports helped them, and we all knew it. Their grades were not bad either, but they definitely weren�t the brightest couple around. Thomas got himself a job at a bank, and soon Mimmy and Tommy were walking down the aisle.
Around this time, I left town to go to university myself. Two years down the line I heard that Melanie�s marriage was on the rocks. When I returned home for my term-ending vacation, Melanie and Tom were not what they used to be. They had agreed on a �no faults� divorce because they could not figure out specifically what was going wrong. They did not have big fights, but were constantly bickering. They still went on vacations, but got bored. Within two days of returning, they would be so tired that they would start planning for the next vacation. In legal terms, their marriage had �irrevocably broken down.�
Getting the Divorce
Melanie would have got her divorce much more easily if Tom didn�t go overboard with the drinking. The oncoming divorce was a strain greater than he could voice, and he took to drinking with a vengeance. Melanie kept her calm till Tom wrecked their car one night. She had put in a sizeable portion of her savings into it, and was not amused. Tom was mad that she was more angry about the car than concerned about his broken arm and sprained knee. That was their first major fight, and we could hear them all over the neighbourhood at three in the morning.
Shortly after this, Melanie downloaded a DIY divorce kit from the internet, and started getting their finances in shape. Tom did little to help her. He was too busy drowning himself in self-pity and alcohol. He neglected his work, though not badly enough to get fired. Melanie was getting the divorce in order and had filed for it through the kit. Unfortunately for her, things took an ugly turn all of a sudden. Tom had not been very attentive about the procedures till he came to the part which concerned the division of their assets. He was unhappy with the way Melanie had divided their money and property. She had kept the house for him, but wanted the computer (since only she used it anyway) and the repaired car for herself. The money had been split evenly between them. Tom felt this was unfair since he had done all the earning. Melanie pointed out that she had done all the saving and financial planning. By this time, she could not turn around and file for a divorce on the grounds of unreasonable conduct because the process might become too complicated and costly.
Luckily for Melanie, the firm from where she had bought the DIY pack had the provision for free consultation to its clients. She was not ready to believe this, and expected some hidden costs to come up on the way. But she really needed advice, and after some thought, wrote them a mail. The answer was prompt, sympathetic and useful. Encouraged, she followed up on phone, and even managed to get a solicitor�s appointment at a pretty low cost from the firm. Thereafter, she managed to strike a deal with Tom by getting him muddled with financial jargon. But she still did not have a fair deal, and there was nothing she could do about it, and there the divorce was finalised.
Coping
Melanie took up a job at a local supermarket shortly after the separation. Today, she runs her own home business from her pc, has hired an apartment, and started dating again. Tom is still drinking.
Melanie�s divorce and the need to earn had made her a stronger and better person. Tom, at the rate he is going, will be bankrupt in some time, despite having won most of the money, the house and the car. We make our own destiny.
About The Author
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Child Care The Pluses And Minuses
Child Care The Pluses And Minuses
by Melissa Fishman
Having a baby at home is a wonderful experience. Looking after the baby and caring for it is an even more fulfilling experience. When calculating how much to feed a baby, on average a baby needs two and a half ounces of formula for each pound of his weight. A baby does not distinguish night from day. If it's your first, your baby is going to make a big difference in your life. Of course babies cannot understand what you are saying because they don't have a grasp of the English language but they do understand sounds and tones, and if you talk quietly and make happy noises the baby know this.
If both parents are working and you need to balance the care of your child between day care centers there are many things you can do to accomplish this, even if you are single parent many day care centers will work with you to help out. If both parents work a day job maybe you can arrange to have one of the parents working either at night or a staggered shift, say starting at noon and working to 8 or 9. And usually the best time to do this is in the summer when both parents might be off work.
As you look at the child care alternatives of day care center, day care at someone else�s home, or a dedicated child care worker in your home, there are two other factors you should take into consideration: it may be best to consider only state licensed day care providers; and your friend or co-worker�s considered choice might not be the best one for your family.
In a childcare center you will need at least one certified trained person that should oversee everything, this is very important if something should happen during operational hours. How can a parent be sure they have made the right decision? A parent wants the best possible care for their child. Today child care centers are very expensive, sometimes parents wonder if it is cost effective for both parents to work, because it is so expensive many think that the day care centers are money magnets.
The most important parts of providing daycare for your child and that's your child's nutritional needs. Certainly the daycare center is not going to let the child starve and the food the child is given to eat will certainly be good food. Trying to find good quality daycare is very hard.
When the child care deductions came about many parents were very happy about this because it put more money in their pockets. Many laws have changed since 2001, this was around when all the tax cuts were happening and in fact increased the tax deductions for the number for children. Children who are under the age 12 the parents are eligible to receive a tax break for them and this is a life saver for many. If you didn't know about this tax advantage there are many accountants or professional tax planners that can help with this, and show you how you can claim this deduction on your taxes.
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Saturday, January 26, 2008
Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
by Bill Anderson
This is another one of my favorite bbq sauces because it�s a sauce that is great for bbq competitions. You see, most people prefer a sweet barbecue sauce and competition judges are people too! When we first started cooking ribs for competition, this was one of the recipes we developed. You can substitute your favorite bourbon for the Wild Turkey. This sauce gives the ribs a real nice color� and the taste ain�t bad neither! This sauce is excellent to use with the professional rib cooking techniques found in our book, �Competition BBQ Secrets�...
Chatham Artillery BBQ Team's Bourbon Barbecue Sauce:
1/4 cup Wild Turkey Bourbon
2 cups ketchup
1 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup Apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Pineapple juice
3 teaspoon Molasses
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon Olive oil
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
1 teaspoon Salt
Mix all ingredients and simmer on stove until sauce thickens.
Imagine that you are a bbq competition judge... tasting the same old bbq sauces over and over again. The first thing the judges do is look at your ribs and give it a presentation score. Then they pick up a rib and tug on it to see how tender it is. Your rib meat should pull clean from the bone, but not fall off the bone. After that, they take a small bite and taste your ribs. Now what do you think will score higher... the same old sauce that they already tasted 100 times that morning, or something new that dances on their tongue and surprises them with a unique flavor that they have never tasted before?
Well... I think you know which of the bbq sauces the judge will score higher - the unique one. The Wild Turkey sauce with apple cider and pineapple flavors. Your family and friends will love a unique sauce recipe too. KC Masterpiece is a great sauce, but don�t you think they have all tasted that before? Give them what they want... a sauce with a bold, unique flavor.
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5 Things You Must Check When Buying A Grandfather Clock
5 Things You Must Check When Buying A Grandfather Clock
by Barry Share
Grandfather clocks or longcase clocks as they are known in the trade are one of the very few actual working antique pieces of furniture you can purchase today, but you must be aware that buying a clock that does not work can represent a real risk.
With their mechanical movements which have most probably been around for hundreds of years and have been subject to too much servicing and probably some repair or alteration it would be wise to have some knowledge or Horological experience before you hand over your hard earned cash. Even for anybody with the knowledge, buying a clock that is not working, represents a tremendous gamble sometimes.
There are a number of thing that can make a clock movement stop working, points that are not so obvious when first taking a casual look, it takes just a small amount of wear on the pivots and pinions to alter the depth of the train which will stop the clock and make the movement in need of a complete strip down and resulting in a major repair.
The pallets on the escapement could be at the wrong depth or worn which is not always seen by the untrained eye and at today's repair prices done by a reputable clock repairer, these problems could cost hundreds of pounds.
So if you do not have the adequate skills or knowledge find someone who has, it will save you hundreds of pounds in the long run and remember all clocks running or not need close scrutiny before purchasing.
Five things to check before you buy your future family heirloom or your investment into your pension plan are�
1. After making sure there is no major surgery needed to the movement and dial take a good look at the overall appearance of the clock case. Look for parts missing or damaged i.e. the correct feet or plinth are there and the base has not been cut down to fit into a room with a low ceiling, the same goes for the pediment or the top of the case hood. Look for any veneers or stringing that may be missing or loose and check fret work on the hood to see it is not damaged.
Check the polish or finish of the case looking for cracking or splitting caused by shrinkage or exposure to direct sunlight. Although these can be small jobs, the cost of restoration can mount up and increase your overall investment
2. Look for any pieces of the clock furniture missing or damaged, the brass or wooden finials that should be on the top of the hood, hinges to the trunk and hood doors are working correctly. Check escutcheons and locks, if any, and hood pillar caps.
3. Take a good look at the case hood and make sure it fits onto the case correctly and check the dial mask fits correctly around the dial, any gaps or overlapping is a sure sign of a marriage, this could be where some unscrupulous dealer has put a movement into another case.
4. Take off the hood and inspect the trunk cheeks. This is the top part of the trunk where the movement's seat board, the piece of timber the movement is fastened to, sits on the trunk. Check nothing has been altered or blocks have not been added, this to can be a sign of a marry up (wrong movement in the wrong case).
5. Open the trunk door and take a look at the back board, about the height were the pendulum bob is situated, and have a look for scratch marks made buy the pendulum indicating an ill-fitting movement, once again a sure sign of possible alterations.
It is always best to be on the safe side and buy from a reputable clock dealer if your knowledge on this subject is a little sparse.
Buying from any auction or from some well meaning, honest retired old couple with all their reassurance that the clock has been in the family since it was salvaged from Noah when he decommissioned the ark and has been running ever since, could appear to be a bargain, but will most probably cost you three times as much in repairs and restoration so be careful.
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How to Choose Aspergers Schools
How to Choose Aspergers Schools
by Dave Angel
Choosing the right school for any child can be stressful; finding one for your child with Aspergers can be almost too frightening. Every child deserves a good education and the law provides that children with disabilities such as Aspergers be educated with teachers trained in handling such disabilities in practice; however, finding good teachers isn't always easy.
Parents must decide whether or not their child will be best managed in a mainstream school, with a high rate of contact with mainstream children, or in a special or residential school, where the chances of the child coming in contact with mainstream children is considerably less. Special and residential schools may have better educational programs for autistic children but may not provide enough positive role models of more �normal' behaviors. Some people also feel that special schools can encourage kids to mimic other children with similar problems.
For most children with Aspergers I would consider that as a basic "rule of thumb" mainstream schools with support will be the best option for your child's long term progression. This is because for children with Aspergers the main issue is not one of cognition, learning or understanding it is more the case of challenges with social situations. So the child is best if supported well in an environment where typical peers for the rest of his life (i.e. the general population) are around. Because obviously the much more "artificial world" of special schools and communities does not prepare children as well for the general community. But I must stress this is a "rule of thumb" as there are certain institutions and certain individual cases where this much more specialized approach would be beneficial.
Choosing the exact right school most definitely needs a visit to the school and a talk with the teachers who will be teaching your child. Before such a visit it is essential to have considered your own fears and thoughts about the school experience for your child. Even more importantly the thoughts and feelings of your child with Aspergers. What questions do they have, what do they want to know more about. You can draw up a list of questions between you that you can take along and ask of the staff at the school.
Some of these questions may include: - How integrated will the child be in the classroom? - What techniques are used to support pupils if they are struggling to cope and about to go into "melt down"? - What is the plan for reducing arousal if necessary? - Will your child be well taught both theoretically and practically about coping and living in the community with others?
Your child may want to know how teachers will talk to him, what the other pupils will be like, what subjects and classes he will be in etc. Some of your choice in relation to schools will depend on the degree of Aspergers your child has and his or her age. Younger children will need very small class sizes with early education so that, when the child reaches school age, he or she may be more integrated into the classroom.
The �right' school understands Aspergers and has methods in place for teaching children with Aspergers. They carry a positive attitude about Aspergers and place expectations on your child for progress, in whatever way it occurs, in the school setting. The greater is the likelihood that you'll feel your child's needs are being addressed and that he/she will have a chance to improve along with learning important social skills from other children.
But once you have chosen the right school this is only really the beginning as you then need to work closely with the teachers to ensure that they know all about your child. They may well know about Autism and Aspergers. But they won't know about your individual child. It is your job to be an advocate for your child and teach the school what they need to know.
So to summarize this article on choosing a school � the major decision for parents is mainstream V special school. Beyond this the child and parents must visit the schools with pre-prepared questions to help make their decision. Then once the child is at school it is essential for the parent to educate the school staff further about the child.
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LaCartes.com - New UK Dining Guide
LaCartes.com - New UK Dining Guide
by Tom Matthews
Doesn�t it irritate you when you just can�t find the menu for your favourite takeaway? Or, you�re trying to organise a birthday meal for a friend, but the only restaurant listings you can find tell you the address and telephone number at best. http://www.lacartes.com have come to ease the pain. With over 1,000 eating establishments stored online, this is the largest growing restaurant and takeaway website in South London. Up-to-date menus with delivery information, photos, opening hours, average cost per person, parking information and many more details are provided with each listing.
By entering the distance from your postcode, a wide selection of restaurants and takeaways are listed, along with a thumbnail. Alternatively, if you know the name of the restaurant and takeaway you are interested in, you can simply type this in above. A more advanced search allows you to narrow down the results to the type of cuisine you desire, whether the restaurant offers a takeaway service or delivery and the average cost per head.
LaCartes.com want to promote a positive, mutual relationship between customers and restaurant businesses, so they have come up with a clever system whereby feedback and reviews can be submitted for all to view. Not only do restaurants get a rating, but also customers on the relevance and credibility of their comments. You can choose whether to leave a suggestion, which goes directly to the restaurant�s account, or to post a public review.
Another great feature available on LaCartes.com is the messaging facility. Users can also communicate between one another. This has been integrated into the website so that if a user happens to read a review given by someone else, and has further questions or queries, the reviewer can be contacted directly via their Lacartes account. A message will appear in their inbox.
Regular competitions to win a free evening meal for two at participating restaurants all over South London, have been set up by the website through their strong commitment to restaurant businesses. Entrants can use the normal search criteria of postcode and distance to find a participating restaurant near them, before answering a simple multiple-choice question.
Ding Gao is the brains behind LaCartes.com Having realised that there were no directories with consistent and valuable information that provided accurate coverage, he set to work on a user-friendly solution that made no exceptions or exclusive rights to Michelin-starred establishments; �Although we do welcome and promote luxury restaurants, takeaways have been a strong focus. We wanted to offer customers all the information that they would need to make a delivery order, online, from the comfort of their home.�
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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.
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A Practical Use Of Open Source Code Softwares
A Practical Use Of Open Source Code Softwares
by Roberto Sedycias
As we started the project of our web site, we knew that the proprietary software costs would be too high for our financial resources. Our only option then was to make use of Open Source Code softwares.
However, within the Open Source Code there are lots of softwares to choose from, and it�s up to the system analyst/programmer to pick the ones that best suit the project goals.
In our case, we picked Linux as our operating system. However we faced a big question: Which Linux distribution ? There are dozens of linux distributions, each one with specific advantages, sometimes with or without paid services.
We chose linux Slackware because we thought that it would suit better our needs, in terms of stability and reliability. Slackware is a conservative distribution, meaning that it only offers in its distribution package kernel versions and third party libraries, once it�s been proved to be stable and reliable. As a result, Slackware is one the most stable Linux operating system on the market. If the user wishes the most recent Linux kernel and libraries, we recommend to look for a different distribution.
Another reason for us picking Slackware, was because of its text interface, which at the beginning may become a bit difficult, in the long run however it offers a better understanding of the Linux environment. This way most of Slackware configurations are done thru text scripts.
Once it was set the operating system, we picked Apache as our web server. Apache is one of the most popular web server in the internet. For server programming language, we chose PHP. Also, a very popular programming language. Our experience with Apache/PHP proves that this setup is very reliable, working extremely well in our production environment. For workstation programming language, we chose javascript, which besides of having a simple syntax, it offers lots of resources.
Apache web server is really a complete web server. Also, it can become very complex with many configuration setups.
For our database, we picked Postgresql. This database has been made available to the public for more than 15 years, and besides of being well debugged, it offers so many resources that it has become one of the best database options from Open Source Code softwares. Extremely reliable, Postgresql has reported cases where there have been databases in production with over 4 terabytes. Besides all of that, Postresql is not the most popular Open Source Code database. A matter of marketing ? Probably.
As for the programming language PHP, we had to use an object oriented application structure. There are many PHP application structures being offered with Open Source Code license. Object oriented application is very important, because it makes programming very easy and scalable up to the point where the system may grow without many problems. Also, it helps to keep PHP code separated from HTML, with the help of some specific libraries, such as Smarty. We make use of Smarty library and we believe that it is a very important resource, which can even make web pages faster thru the use of its cache functions.
Also a very important set of libraries worth mentioning for PHP systems, is the PEAR libraries. In PEAR web site, among the many libraries being offered, there are the database interface DB and the MAIL_QUEUE, which sends emails thru the use of database.
As we came to the end of our project, we had to use some sort of real time database replication. For that we chose the DRBD and Heartbeat libraries. The use of database replication is very important and should not be postponed. Just after 3 months our system got into production, our server hard disk became bad. Thru the use of DRBD/Heartbeat we were able to put the system back into production within seconds, without loosing any data. DRBD/Heartbeat replication is done thru the use of a lan network between the server and slave nodes.
Our project also makes use of ImageMagick (enlarge and reduce images), Iptables (firewall), Tsearch2(text search in portgresql) and Mon (linux monitoring tasks).
Also a very important library worth mentioning is the pseudo APC compiler for PHP. Speed is always a critical factor for internet sites.
Our web site is already in production and based upon our experience we can say that the Open Source Code softwares we picked, proved to be extremely reliable and stable. Open Source Code softwares can certainly be an excellent option for developing web sites.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author�s name and all the URL�s (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
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This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the News Article section of page http://www.polomercantil.com.br/mp3-mp4-audio-portatil.php
Friday, January 25, 2008
family
family
by Shawn Capell
Those of us who work in the home construction and design industry tend to forget how many little things there are that go into the creation of a new home or a redesign. There are design elements that have to be decided upon, from the big picture such as the overall architectural style of the home, down to the simplest things such as the type of kitchen hardware or the balusters for the staircase or deck. Recently in helping some new friends with their home project I was reminded how much there is to take into consideration in even just one area as basic as staircase design.
�Who would have known when we began designing our dream house just how many little details we would have to decide on? Did you know we spent an entire week just looking at balusters, banisters, treads and newels? I had no idea what any of these even were before we started all of this � except that my grandmother used to let us slide down the banister at her home when we were very small. But growing up in a California ranch style house all on one level, stairs were somewhat novel to me. I really had no idea of everything that goes into putting together a staircase - there is practically a new language to be learned! What exactly did we want? What kind of treads? Iron balusters? Wooden newels? It was all overwhelming.� And after listening to them for a bit longer, I understood what they meant, even I felt exhausted just from their recounting all that they�d been going through before coming to see me.
So after reminding them that this process was something they had dreamed about for years and it was something they were supposed to be enjoying as much as possible and having fun with it, they relaxed a bit and listened to my suggestions of how to proceed encouraging them to consider three easy tips that anyone taking on a home project, big or small can use.
Concentrate on one area at a time � Whether you�re starting from the very beginning with having to determine what style of architecture you want for your home or deciding on a particular element, such as my area of focus, staircase design, concentrate on that one area and work through the possibilities. With staircase design, this might mean first learning about all the different things you�ll even need to decide about. What exactly is a newel or a balustrade? Then you can get a bit more specific - what types of treads are characteristic for the architectural style we�ve chosen? Would iron balusters compliment the area of the home the staircase will lead to and from? Although you will be thinking about and focusing on one area in particular, thinking contextually about how this one area fits in with the rest of the home will not only help you to make good decisions, but will also help you uncover other questions to be addressed. The key though is to note those down and come back to them. Remember, one area at a time to keep from going into overwhelm.
Search out pictures of what you like and even what you don�t - This is a great way to help your through your decision making process. Head to the library or a bookstore and spend some time going through magazines and books until you find something that you really like. It�s again important to keep your focus narrow � look only at staircases and their elements in one sitting - don�t let yourself get distracted by chandeliers you like. If you see something you want to come back to, make a note of it so you won�t forget. Looking at particular elements in use is another option. Grab your digital camera and go look at buildings that might have iron balusters if you�re considering them or the particular type of handrails you loved the sample of but would like to see in an actual home setting. Oftentimes, vendors or builders can help you with referrals of where their work or products can be seen. Gather up all of your pictures to not only help you to solidify your vision, but to help to explain what you really want to your architects and home designers � as well as examples of what you absolutely do not want so that they really can get a visual sense of your style.
Remember your budget, but make decisions that you can live with for the years to come � Sometimes your budget as well as home size will decide from the get go for you if certain elements are not to be considered. For example, that grand balcony and sweeping staircase you saw in that Mediterranean estate on your honeymoon simply won�t work or be cost effective if you�re building a 1600 square foot 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. You�ll not only use up too much of your floor space if you go that direction, but lots of your budget as well. But that�s not to say that with a little creativity and inspiration that you can�t capture the same feel of what you loved about it and bring it to your home. The large antique hand-carved iron scroll work you admired can be emulated with today�s iron or aluminum balusters and accent pieces scaled to fit your particular staircase and home. And with the ability to shop online now for virtually any product for your home, you will also be able to find options to fit within your budget. The important thing is to capture the essence of the design style you like, even if initially it seems out of reach, so that you will enjoy living with your choices for years to come � and ideally stay within your budget.
Although these three tips may seem to oversimplify the process you are sitting in the middle of or are about to embark upon, by applying them over and over to all of your different home design decisions, particularly those you aren�t sure of, you�ll be able to focus your energy one step at a time and break down what might at times seem a daunting task. Your home is important and should reflect your style and desires. The project at hand may take time and energy, but the end result should and will be one you love and treasure for years to come, from the kitchen hardware to the iron balusters, if you just relax and take it step by step and enjoy the process as much as possible.
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Forex: The Keep It Simple Stupid Guide
Forex: The Keep It Simple Stupid Guide
by Jim Wilson
A wonderful way to diversify your investment portfolio is to learn forex trading. Many new investors have discovered the world of foreign exchange trading to be an exciting new challenge. One that is filled with rewards that are beyond what they were achieving as stock traders. Currency forex trading is a great way to branch out into new investments. Experience a completely new world of investing by stepping outside of the chaotic domestic economy.
The unique thing about the forex market is that it never closes, if you feel like trading at 2am it's not a problem. Unlike with other markets, such as the stock exchange, you can continue dealing with the currency trading market without worries over it closing at the end of the day. Websites give you 24-hour access to monitor what has been happening in the world currency markets at anytime. Through these sites you are able to learn all the basics about the market.
The websites will include tools and tips to guide you through the beginning steps of trading. This is a clear advantage because you can hone your trading skills before laying down your own money in the market.
When you think of it, the forex firms are training you to become skilled at trading for free by providing guidance, demos and news at no additonal cost. In a short while you will start feeling confident in trading and investing in forex. It only takes about $300 to start getting some good returns.
Learning forex does not require that you have a degree in economics or that you study the markets for years. The forex trading websites have made it easier for you to become successful. Forex brokers will give you access to the market for your currency trading.
Just like stock brokers, they can provide you accurate information and advice on how to deal with Forex trading strategies. Advice includes all the aspects of the Forex trading market which extends to research approaches and technical analysis to improve the member�s trading performance. Naturally, because this market has apparently been providing a great return on investment, large financial institutions have been proactively monopolizing the market.
However, with the trading firms, small-time individuals also have the opportunity to earn money through Forex trading brokers. As I mentioned earlier, the online firms have been providing powerful website tools to become familiar with the whole idea of the currency market.
Your choice of Forex trading broker will largely depend on your need in the trading market. Many brokerage sites will provide trading simulators and expert advice as well as research and analysis designed for first time traders. Furthermore, these websites typically provide experienced online Forex traders who offer in-depth advice to forex traders of all levels. All of these tools are available to beginners to try out.
You really can earn money by taking the time to learn forex trading. The availability of investment simulators and 24-hour customer support enables new investors to learn quickly. Not only can you be trading in no time, you will also be showing a tidy profit. Start researching forex trading. You might be shocked to see how many large companies are involved.
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Thursday, January 24, 2008
Learn How To Bake Like A Pro
Learn How To Bake Like A Pro
by Nancy Batson
Baking can be complicated if an individual does not know what they are doing. Here are some cooking tips and guidelines to assist these individuals.
Before an individual gets started, there are a few steps that should be followed first. These cooking tips will prevent most disasters from happening. Always read through the entire recipe before beginning. This ensures that all necessary ingredients are on hand before starting. Check expiration dates on all non perishable supplies, so that running to the store happens in the middle of baking. Preheat the oven and check with an oven thermometer. Most ovens can run anywhere from twenty five degrees to cooler to twenty five degrees warmer. This ensures that the proper temperature is obtained for the recipe. Follow directions on adjusting oven racks, prepping baking sheets, and using the right baking pan. Measure ingredients accurately this means holding it up to eye level especially with liquids. To measure dry ingredients over fill then level off with flat edge of knife. Finally bake with love, if an individual is angry or rushed the recipe may not turn out right.
These next cooking tips are about ingredients. There are many different kinds of flour, and they are not all the same. Wheat flour is important for all yeast breads. Bread flour works for yeast loaves, however put it in yeast bread and it will turn into a heavy cake. Cake flour is very fine. All purpose flour can be used for most any baking. Bleached and unbleached flours can be used interchangeably. Make sure to store flour in an airtight container, in a spot that cool and dry for up to six months.
Baking powder and baking soda are not interchangeable. Baking powder is a combination of baking soda and an acid. Its leavening power works when mixed with wet ingredients and then baked into the oven. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. When it mixes with an acid ingredient like buttermilk, yogurt or molasses, it makes carbon dioxide bubbles that make baked goods light and airy.
Cooking tips for handling chocolate are important. First there are different types of chocolate. Unsweetened chocolate is chocolate liquor that has at least fifty percent cocoa butter and no added sugar. Various amounts of sugar added create bittersweet, semisweet, and dark chocolate. Milk chocolate is dried milk powder, cocoa butter and added sugar. White chocolate is made with cocoa butter instead of chocolate liquor. Unsweetened cocoa is made from chocolate liquor with seventy five percent cocoa butter removed and then dried and ground into a paste. When melting chocolate it is easy to burn, so always melt it over very low heat. Individuals can choose the double boiler method, the direct heat method, or the microwave oven method.
Using these cooking tips will make almost any baked goodie turn out great.
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