Cash loans good or evil

What a popular and complicated question! I am going to attempt to answer this with as much clarity and utility as is possible in a one page article. First I want to cover the questions that you must know the answers to in order to make a good decision on getting cash loans. They are (in no particular order): 1) do you have sufficient funds to make the payment on time and with money left over in case of emergency?, 2) is the thing that you are buying either saving you money somewhere else or making you money that is more than the amount that you are paying for interest?, 3) how much is the thing that you are buying going to be worth when you are done making payments?, and 4) are there any sorts of deals that you can get that will enhance the value of the loan for you? I want to use the two classic examples of new cars and houses that people use financing to purchase.

So the first question is purely a common sense type of question and can only be answered honestly with respect to the amount of money that you make. Basic guidelines would be that you should be spending no more than 20% of your budget for everything that has to do with shelter and 20% for every thing that has to do with budget. This brings up the important point that you should always be taking into account the fact that with a house and with a car there are regular expenses that come with both. Now there are ways to make the payment for cash loans less up front so that it eats up less of this 20% and we are going to discuss that in the following paragraphs.

Secondly, there are certain investments that when paid for with cash loans can be used as tax benefits. For our purposes the house represents this type of investment where you get a tax deduction for the interest you pay on the house. This deduction allows you more room to make money with the money that you save by not paying for the house straight up. I am talking about investing this “left over” money in a place that you are actually making more money on than you are paying in financing the loan. Cars offer no such advantage.

Number three you must consider the lasting value of this investment. In my opinion this is the very reason that buying a new car is a bad investment in general and that does not even take into consideration the finance charges that you will incur. It is very possible because of the large depreciation that happens immediately you will end up owing more for the loan (if you want to sell before the loan is up) than you can get for the car. Houses depending on the market and the types of improvements that you have to make may be a very different story, as they generally appreciate rather than depreciate and paying for them (with cash loans) is more acceptable.

Lastly, and this actually applies to both though I really am against buying a new car in general, you may be able to get deals that make cash loans more attractive. This really depends on the economy especially in the sectors of cars and housing for our discussion. The deals often will give you a fantastically low and affordable rate, or allow you a certain period that is “same as cash.” This simply means that any money you pay on the loan for a specified period of time will go directly toward the balance as there is no financing charges adding up.

Leveraging the efforts of others affiliate programs

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What if you could exceed your sales goals for a given month? Or a year? What if you could double, or treble...or quadruple...or more of your sales goals for a specific month? Impossible, you say?

Well, there is a way: The Way of The Affiliate. The possibility for potential growth through affiliates is virtually unlimited. The more affiliates you have in your program, the more money you can make. If Ray Croc had tried to run each and every McDonald's restaurant himself, he would not have been very successful. For maximum growth, you need others. Consider Avon Cosmetics: its phenomenal success is based on two things - a great product, and an excellent affiliate program.

To Attract Affiliates: Make it worth their time

* Offer a high commission per sale:
The higher the commission, the more affiliates will join your team/business/program.

* Provide the tools required to successfully market your program:
Example: articles, banner aids, and whatever else might make the program easier for the affiliates to operate and help increase sales.

* Provide updated information:
Newsletters, new promotional campaigns or other methods to inform and motivate your affiliates.

Choice of Affiliate Program

* One-Tier Affiliate Program:
Pays on one level and generally offers a larger commission. The affiliate receives a pre-determined amount per sale.

* Two-Tier Affiliate Program:
Affiliates are paid on two different levels in that they can recruit others to sell under them in the program. The Recruiting Affiliate receives a slightly larger commission than the Recruit/Second-Level Affiliate. For example, if the First Level/Recruiting Affiliate normally earns 20% of the sale, then she/he in the Two-Tier Program would make 15%, giving the Recruit/Second-Level Affiliate the difference of 5%.

Setting up the Affiliate Program

* Do it yourself through an Affiliate Tracking Software.
This software provides a method to track affiliate sales. It also allows affiliates to view their progress. There is, however, a disadvantage to this option: you are responsible for making the payments.

* Hire an Affiliate Tracking Company to do all the work for you.
This is a more sophisticated option as they use credit cards, which is important for internet sales. Such companies completely run the affiliate program from billing your customers, paying your affiliates, and paying you. This is a good option to use if you are a beginning business owner or are a busy person. It is a totally affordable option as most of such companies only charge a small one-time fee.

Whichever way you decide to run your affiliate program, it is sure to increase profits for your business.

Make perfect espresso at home

If you follow the world of coffee than you know that coffee is at the peak of perfection these days. I can’t believe that coffee is the new fast food business. I guess you could say its actually a fast drink business. Espresso drinks seem to have topped the charts for popularity. I love them, I drink them, and I buy them! There is nothing better for a pick-me up than a shot of your favorite syrup blended with coffee and milk. Just thinking about it makes me crave an iced latte. You can satisfy your coffee cravings all the time. Just walk out the door and hop in your car and you can find espresso machines raring to go in almost any shop. Have you ever though about how much you are spending to get your weekly fix out of your neighborhood’s espresso machines? You should think about it if you haven’t, because it’s probably a lot more than you thought. If you start adding it up every time you drink an espresso you are probably dropping $3-$4! If you do this more than once a week you can be in the hole pretty quickly! You might want to consider the kind of espresso machines that you can put in your own kitchen!

How amazing would that be to make the best coffee drinks right at home? You would be the most popular guy in the neighborhood! Every morning you could have the perfect latte without leaving home. You can buy the supplies you need almost anywhere and you would save tons of money in the long run. You wouldn’t even have to get out of your robe to have the perfect brew. Even the gas money you would save not having to run to the local coffee shop would add up. All you need to do is get your favorite syrup, some milk, and fresh beans! How simple is that! When you have your own machine you can have the best of both worlds. In no time the machine will pay for itself with all the money and time you save. Get online to research all the espresso machines out there. You can find something that is perfect for you and the right price too. Get the perfect cup of coffee everyday in your own home!

Deauville lamagnifique

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Les grands hфtels de Las Vegas, Macao et Monte Carlo font tout pour obtenir le privilиge de les faire jouer. Ils sont la source assurй de gros profits car statistiquement, ils vont perdre. Les hфtels n'hйsitent pas а mettre а leur disposition un avion privй pour les faire venir ainsi que leurs meilleures suites. Quant on est en mesure de perdre des centaines de milliers de dollars, tout le reste peut иtre offert. On peut dire en franзais "un flambeur".

Mais pour nous, simple debutant ou joueur non encore confirmes, je vous propose de decouvrir le casino a la francaise: DEAUVILLE.

Le Casino de Deauville est l’un des premiers casinos du groupe qui comprend entre autre les casinos Barriиre de : Besanзon, Ribeauvillй, le Palais Casino du Touquet, Carnac, Dinard, Enghien-les-Bains, l’unique de la rйgion parisienne, Chamonix, Cannes, Sainte-Maxime, Biarritz et bien d’autres rйpartis entre la France, la Suisse, la Belgique et Malte.

Depuis 1990, le capital de l’empire est rйpartit entre Barriиre-Desseigne, le Groupe Accor (34%) et Colony Capital (15%).
Le chiffre d’affaire du casino de Deauville s’йlиve а lui seul а :215,3 millions d’euros en 2004.

Dйcouvrez а la fois le luxe et la sobriйtй du Casino Deauville! Son immense palais blanc vous ouvre ses portes sous ses prestigieux tapis moelleux et une architecture incomparable, pour mieux vous faire vibrer au son des
cliquetis rythmй des jackpots, les tables rutilantes, ses bars et ses restaurants toujours avenants…

Dans cette ambiance festive et chaleureuse, venez retrouvez au Casino Barriиre de Deauville tous vos jeux favoris.
Casino Deauville c’est 325 machines а sous rйparties en 3 salons, 6 tables de Boule, sans oublier ses Machines а Rouleaux et Vidйo Poker de 0,10 а 20 euros

Entrez dans la salle de la Boule. Vous y retrouverez 6 tables avec mise minimale de 2 euros.

Le Casino Barriиre de Deauville porte l'hйritage de la splendeur du passй. Dans ce dйcor somptueux, vous pouvez varier les plaisirs а chaque instant.

Vous y retrouverez les jeux а mise minimale d’un euro :
2 tables de Roulette Franзaise (mise minimale de 5 euros),
1 table de la roulette Franзaise (mise minimale de 10 euros),

4 tables de Roulette Anglaise,
10 tables Black Jack,
4 tables de Stud Poker,
1 table de Punto Banco,
1 table de Craps.

Mais Casino Deauville, c’est aussi ses spectacles tels le festival swing et ses loisirs tels le Golf.

Celui-ci, situй sur le Mont Canisy, а quelques minutes du centre de Deauville, offre une vue exceptionnelle а la fois sur la mer et toute la campagne environnante, dans une tranquillitй absolue. Vous y retrouverez les parcours а 9 ou 18 trous. Des compйtitions y sont aussi organisйes.
Alors pourquoi attendre plus longtemps ! Rejoignez vite le Groupe Casino Lucien Barriиre а Deauville ! Le seul Casino а vous offrir en plein cњur de la Normandie le plaisir des jeux mйlйs au plaisir du sport !

The truth about mouthwash

The product that is used for maintaining oral hygiene is called a mouthwash. It is a medicated solution that is used to gargle for a cleaner mouth. In other words, a mouthwash can also be called a mouth rinse. Mouthwashes have antiseptic and anti plaque components that help in killing germs, thereby preventing plaque, gingivitis and also bad breath. There are various mouth rinses available that are anti cavity as well. These mouthwashes have fluoride that helps in averting tooth decay. However, don’t stop brushing your teeth or flossing even if you use a mouthwash.

Generally, the standard quantity of mouthwash required by an individual to rinse the mouth twice a day is approximately 20ml. To get good results from a mouth rinse, you must gargle with the mouthwash for about thirty secpmds and then spit it out.

Thymol, eucalyptol, methyl salicylate, menthol, chlorhexidine gluconate, benzalkonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, hydrogen peroxide, fluorides, enzymes and calcium are some of the common ingredients that are used in different brands of mouthwash sold commercially. Apart from these usual ingredients, there is also water, sorbitol, sodium, saccharine and a fair amount of alcohol present. However, it fails to pass a Breathalyzer test owing to the presence of alcohol shortly after using mouth rinse. Several contemporary products are made alcohol-free.

There is a distinct type of mouthwash that is a salt mouthwash. This is usually made by dissolving salt in lukewarm water. This type is used especially for curing infection or other form of oral problems. One of the very widespread mouthwashes found is a hydrogen peroxide in a diluted form.

One of the most popular mouthwashes whose name is almost synonymous with the word ‘mouthwash’ is Listerine. This product is named after the father of modern antiseptics, Joseph Lister. This mouth rinse was invented in the year 1895. In the beginning, it was formulated by Dr. Joseph Lawerence and Jordan Wheat Lambert as a surgical antiseptic. Soon, Listerine became the first mouthwash sold in USA.

Regardless of the fact that these days there are a large number of mouthwashes available in the market, you can still make your own mouthwash at home. These will definitely help you in diminishing your bad breath and improve your oral health. One of the most famous homemade mouth rinses is Lemon Sage Brandy. The procedure to prepare this solution is given below:

What you require to make Lemon sage brandy:

A cup of brandy permeated with myrrh powder, thyme and sage.

A cup of purified water

Lemon juice (1 table spoon)

How to prepare:

Start with the infusion. Take dried sage, myrrh powder and thyme and combine it with a cup of brandy, cover it tightly and let it remain for a period of 2 weeks.

After the infusion, strain, put in the water and shake until it blends. After that, take 2 tablespoons of the mixture and put it in a glass and add a few drops of lemon to it. Then put it in your mouth, gargle and spit out.

Be it a branded mouthwash or a homemade, use it regularly to prevent cavities, tooth decay and improve oral health.

Play live roulette

Roulette is a very entertaining casino game that has always been very popular ever since its introduction in to the casinos. The game is popular because it is very easy to play and understand. Bets are made by putting your chips on the betting table to cover one or more number, depending how you bet. When you play live roulette in a casino each player is given different colour chips so the dealer does not get confused over who has made which bet. The different colour chips also help the dealer when it comes to paying out as they can organise things quicker by colour coding. Once the chips have been placed on the table the dealer or croupier asks the players to stop betting just before the wheel is spun.

When making a bet while you play live roulette there are two basic types of bets you can make, these are called the inside and outside bets. If you choose to play on a European wheel there are also a selection of French bets you can make. The dealer will know how to make these bets and if you are unsure simply ask about them.

Thanks to the internet you don't have to go to a land based casino anymore to play live roulette as there are more and more sites appearing each day offering live casino games. These games are played live in the casino and a video stream is relayed through the internet to you home computer enabling you to see everything that happens. These live casino sites are very entertaining and you can often join up and play for free to see how it works. To play the live games you will normally need to download and install a special piece of software to your computer so that you can see the live video streams. Before you download and install any software to your computer it is a good idea to make sure the site looks respectable and that they offer full technical and customer support. In Europe players over the age of 18 are allowed to gamble online however the law is slightly different in America so most sites will not allow US players to gamble, they can still however play live roulette just for fun.

When you play live roulette you should remember that it is meant to be fun and if you are gambling to make money you are playing for the wrong reasons. Another point to remember is roulette is not a game of skill; the results of the spin are completely random, so if your not having a lucky day then its probably best to walk away.

Mr. bin laden tear this wall down

You say, you want to help the Palestinians, but most of them still struggle in poverty. How are you helping anyone? Having been born into a privileged life, you use your wealth toward death, destruction, division, and sorrow.

Here is an old saying for you to ponder: “Give a man a fish, you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and you have fed him for a lifetime.” How are you helping the people of the Middle East, learn how to help themselves, with your millions of dollars?

You have wasted your money, and time, on a message of hate. It is easy to incite young people with the message of intolerance and violence. What a shame, when you think of all the people you could have helped

You could have helped the Palestinian Red Crescent or Iraqi Red Crescent.

God knows, they need all the help they can get. By the way, God and Allah are the same Supreme Being.

Who is Isa Al-Masih? You are an educated man, and you know the answer.

You are killing your “cousins.” The Christians are not your enemy, and we should put the past behind us, for the mutual benefit of mankind. Judaism,

Christianity and Islam, have sacred ties, so why keep the fires of hate going?

You have personally supervised the killing of Iraqi children by suicide bombers and car bombs. What have these Moslem children ever done to you?

Granted you and I are not the same religion, but why do fundamentalists, of all kinds, try to destroy everything, they don’t understand? A religious fundamentalist is the same, whether he is a Christian, a Moslem, or a Jew, all of them drink from the same “fountain of hate.”

As for the presence of Western soldiers in “your lands.” By your actions, you have provoked them, when, by your life of privilege, you were in a key position to negotiate. Now, you cannot raise your head from your cave without thinking about assassins, around every corner. You must live your life as an outcast.

It is too late for you to personally negotiate for peace, but you are still in a position to stop the violence now. You should declare an end to hostilities, and disband your cause, for the benefit of all mankind.

In the words of John Lennon, “ Give peace a chance.” You cannot undo what you have done, and you will be pursued for the rest of your life, but Allah may forgive you, if you set the wheels in motion - toward world peace.

Designer sinks and faucets for your bath

Sinks have certainly come a long way. The sink, and the accompanying faucet are more fashionable today than our grandmothers, or even our mothers could have imagined! You are only limited by your imagination.

Imagine a gorgeous glass sink seemingly floating upon a rod iron filigree base, this is what is called a vessel sink. Imagine washing your hands over a glass sink of shimmering gold opalescent that looks like something from Dale Chihuly's glass studio. How about a lovely ceramic sink that has decorations reminiscent of a blue Ming vase? Is that really the Mona Lisa looking back up at your from that sink? These sinks are available in glass, painted ceramic, stone and granite, wood, copper, or mosaic. Then, there is the decision of shape of the sink, round, oval or square, or perhaps somewhere in between.

Don't worry, if you have a Victorian home you are restoring you are in luck. The good old white ceramic pedestal sink is still alive and well, if you want one.

Needless to say, along with the modernization and beautification of sinks has come the modernization and beautification of faucets! There are still the traditional two handle faucets, single control faucets and wall mount faucets. Again, only your imagination holds you back in the creation of your new bathroom. Faucets can now be mounted on the floor behind, or beside a vessel sink instead of taking room on a vanity. Faucets for vessel sinks are found in a wide range of finish and style. Polished chrome or brushed nickel, brass, copper and pewter are just some of the finishes available. You will want to look for a faucet with a PVD finish. This "physical vapor deposition" finish is state of the art and bonds the finish to the faucet. It is the most durable finish available in faucets today. PVD protected faucets will not corrode, tarnish or discolor.

Avoid being the victim of credit card fraud

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Are you aware of how many ways there are for thieves to take access of your credit card accounts and make unauthorised charges against your account? Simply by rummaging through old receipts that you have thrown out or left somewhere public, or by a shop assistant quickly scribbling down your card details while they are out of your sight, or by an untrustworthy seller who you give your details to on the phone, by mail or on the internet, your private account details can be taken and abused by anyone.

While most of these situations are quite rare, and there are safety measures in place to avoid the abuses they highlight, it is a fact that credit card fraud and identity theft is a growing problem that is costing the financial services industry more and more each year. Therefore it is important to be aware of the potential dangers and be familiar with a few simple steps you can take to reduce the risk that you will become the victim of identity theft.

Take The Right Steps

One of the simplest steps you can take is to sign all your cards on the signature strip on the back as soon as they arrive. You can also consider carrying your cards separately from your wallet and driver’s licence so that if someone were to find them, they wouldn’t necessarily have your identity and address. Keep your pin numbers etc. somewhere safe and never with your cards. If it is possible, the safest thing to do is to memorise and then destroy pin numbers.

If your card is out of sight during a transaction try to see what is going on behind the counter and seek to get it back as soon as possible. While still relatively rare, there is a lot of information on your card, which can be copied and used later on. You should destroy receipts if you do not need them. You should also check carefully all your monthly statements and make sure that all charges were in fact made by you. IF you have any doubts, contact your card issuer immediately to sort it out.

Do’s and Don’ts

Never leave your cards lying around where others can get access to them and don’t lend your card to anyone. Don’t sign blank receipts and never give your account details over the phone, by mail or on the Internet unless you are sure you are dealing with a company that you know and can trust.

If you do suspect fraud, or if you lose your cards, report it immediately to your card issuer. By following these simple steps you should be able to considerably reduce the risks of card fraud being perpetrated against you.

Parental control - you

With all the talk about the technology available for parental control, the experts all agree that parental control starts with the parent. We examine what the parent can do to keep their kids out of trouble.

There is a lot of talk going around about all the different ways that you can keep your kid from wandering into chat rooms, viewing adult sites, watching R rated TV programs and just about everything else that you want to keep your kid from. But studies show that the best parental control to keep your kids out of trouble is you.

This may not be very popular with parents who feel they don't have the time or shouldn't have to watch over their kids 24/7, but in the old days, that's how things were done. True, we didn't have the Internet, we didn't have cable TV with all its nudity and violence and we didn't have pornography just a click away, but kids were still kids and there were plenty of ways for them to get into trouble. And the principals that applied then apply now as well.

The experts in this area recommend the following simple things to keep your kids from getting into things that you just don't want them to get into. Again, these are experts' views and not necessarily the views of this writer. We're only reporting what the professionals say.

For TV it's still the same as it was years ago. For starters, kids don't get their own TV in their rooms. They want to watch something, they come into the living room or recreation room or wherever the TV is located and watch there with the rest of the family. Then, whatever it is your kid is watching, you as the parent make sure you monitor the program. If you're concerned with your kid turning on a pay station then simply don't have them in the house. We need to set examples for our kids. We can't do that if we're spending our time watching sex and violence ourselves.

Also, make sure you have designated viewing times. Most adult oriented material is shown after prime time begins. You may want to cut off the time your child can watch TV at around 10 PM. Earlier if your child is very young.

As for the Internet, this becomes a bit more of a problem because sex and violence are there 24/7. In the case of the Internet though it's really no different from the TV. No computer access in the child's room. The child uses the same computer as everyone else in the house, preferably in an open area where a parent can easily see what the child is viewing. Make your child aware of what is out there and tell him so he understands that he's to go nowhere near these sites. Explain to him that it is very easy to check if he has been to a racist or porn site and the punishment for doing so will be severe. Again, you need to set an example for your child. If you're going to know whether or not he has been to these sites, which you can easily check with your computer's history, then you as the parent have to make sure that you are also nowhere near them.

Many may find the experts' advice on this matter harsh and unreasonable, but they all unanimously agree that the problem with kids doing what they're not supposed to do starts at home.

It's the way it always was and it's the way it will always be.

A new science for a new climate

At first glance it’s hard to imagine how the proliferation of human activity upon the environment has been a major factor in climate change given that climate change alone is nothing new. Over two million years the earth’s history has seen enormous changes. Indeed, in the last ten thousand years the warming and cooling of the earth has been on a larger scale that what we see today.

The climate is however very changeable these days. Getting the politics right has been half the fight. Unfortunately, the right policy has been held at bay partially by having the right knowledge of what’s happening to the climate. The climate changes we see today are the result of only a century and a half of study, peanuts in comparison the huge shifts over the earths history.

The recent UN Climate Change Conference sought to put in place a policy to take over the Kyoto protocol. At its core were some recently publicised results:

1. The warming trend on the earth’s surface has been taking place since the early part of the twentieth century. The last ten years have been the warmest of that millennium.

2. There have been rapid signs of melting the Arctic circle. The sea ice there has fallen by around eight percent over thirty years.

3. The old inconsistency in the data between the temperature rise in the atmosphere and on the planets surface seems to have levelled out. They appear to rise in parallel.

4. The Scripps Institute of Oceanography in California noted that the ocean has been warming at different depths for over 65 years. These results match the predictions that warming has been induced more by greenhouse gases that as a result of small changes in the suns heat output.

5. There has been an observed and recorded link between the sea surface temperature and the frequency and intensity of tropical storms, typhoons and hurricanes.

6. The existing computer models of the change in ocean currents, in particular in the North Atlantic, are correct.

There are however still some unknowns. For example the solar hypothesis is now known to be a lesser contributor, the miniscule changes in the suns heat output over its eleven year sunspot cycle is adding to the mix. Also, the aerosol emissions from sulphurous fuel promote the formation of clouds, and as a consequence the sunlight reflected from the earths surface increases, effectively opposing the greenhouse gas effect.

Some even argue for the benefits of global warming, which include for example the opening up of new shipping lanes in the artic as the ice recedes, new oil drilling opportunities and longer harvest periods in Canada and Russia.

It seems climate change is inevitable and the small economic ideas such as banning coal subsidies bear little fruit as a means of curbing the problem. More than ever, political will must be demonstrated at first to show to industry and populations that it is even an issue. More importantly perhaps, the will of the politicians must be met with achievable methods from the technological and scientific community.

Professor Socolow is leading the way with what he calls “stabilisation wedges”. On a graph of climate change, the space between the trend line and the stability line is known as the “stabilisation triangle’. By dividing these triangles into wedges and assigning realistic goals to each wedge the massive problem is given a usable and effective solution.

The goals to assign to the wedges range from greater overall efficiencies, the decarbonisation of electricity, fuel displacement by low carbon electricity, methane management, and natural carbon sinks.

By further subdividing each wedge into sub wedges, such as decarbonised electricity being subdivided into nuclear power, renewable energy, natural gas as an alternative to coal, and the storage of carbon dioxide – these problems are confounded into what everyone has been looking for. A short list of solutions that together will balance the problem.

It seems the technology for all this exists. It is merely in need of refinement. For example the management of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels could be dealt with through further carbon sequestration. A couple of power plants already employ this particular technique to good effect. The carbon dioxide is extracted at the source and is injected into porous rocks deep underground to prevent it escaping into the atmosphere.

Steam reformation is another technique. It is, in essence, a pre-emptive technique that reacts the fuel used with water to yield hydrogen. The hydrogen output is burnt to create electricity.

Of all the possibilities of reworking and inventing technologies, perhaps the best idea is the oldest idea. Replanting programmes. The idea of photosynthesis to combine carbon dioxide with water and sunlight is a relatively cheap and exponential idea and would be hugely effective.

All about secured loans

What are secured loans Basically, secured loans are loans in which the bank or lending institution can be assured that they will receive back their money if the borrower is unable to make payments according to the specified schedule. Secured loans, then, are loans where property of the borrower is held as collateral until the loan is completely repaid. Normally with secured loans, the money is borrowed against the home or property of the borrower.

Secured loans are very popular with those who have a negative history of credit, because secured loans are relatively reliable to the bank or lending institution. It is wise for any person to think carefully before applying for secured loans. Secured loans are considered risky, because if secured loans are not paid in a timely manner, the borrower will most likely lose his or her house. Those skilled in the area of finances would normally advise a borrower to let secured loans be the final option, if all other choices are not available.

Before applying for secured loans, it is probably wise to assess your individual needs. Is the money you plan to request the smallest amount you are able to borrow Repayment plans for secured loans are normally spread out over a long period of time, and sometimes, they are paid in the same length of time that your mortgage is paid. Therefore, the smaller amount you borrow with secured loans, the better chance you have of being able to make payments on time, as well as pay smaller amounts of interest over the life of the loan.

Most secured loans include an option for something called a payment protection plan. This is basically an insurance policy that is linked with secured loans, and the premiums are added to the monthly payment for secured loans. In the case of some sort of disaster, loss of work, or illness, the borrowers with payment protection plans on their secured loans do not need to repay the rest of their debts on that account. Some people feel that this is an excellent idea, because it helps to prevent the loss of a home in the case of an emergency. Others do not like it, seeing it as a waste of money, and they feel it is better just to make regular monthly payments on their secured loans.

Secured loans are great ideas for consolidating debt, especially credit card debt. Rather than switching balances and juggling between cards and multiple monthly payments, a person can apply for secured loans and receive money to pay off all credit cards.

Who is eligible for secured loans. Most secured loans are dependent upon a home as collateral, so being eligible for secured loans usually means that you must be a homeowner. Unfortunately, secured loans are not normally available to those who are renting or leasing an apartment or house. Although automobiles can sometimes be used as collateral for loans, because of their depreciation and the fact that houses are worth much more in value, secured loans do not usually work with something like an automobile alone.

Caring for mom and dad as they grow older what baby boomers need to know about geriatric health care

I often get letters, like the two below, from Baby Boomers who are caring for aging parents and trying to find health care that meets the unique needs of older people. Finding the right kind of care can seem daunting, but a little information and some key resources can help tremendously.

Q: My 81-year-old mother recently fell and was rushed to the emergency room. The doctor who saw her suggested that she start seeing a geriatrician. What is a geriatrician and why should she see one?

A: A geriatrician is a physician with special training and expertise in caring for older adults, especially those with complex health problems. Like children, older adults have unique health care needs. As we age, our bodies change in many ways that affect our health. Among other things, we're more likely to develop chronic health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and arthritis, and to need multiple medications (all with potential side effects). About 80 percent of adults 65 or older have at least one chronic health condition and 50 percent have at least two. As we grow older it's also harder for us to recover from illnesses.

Q: I've tried to find a geriatrician for my parents but haven't had any luck. Why aren't there more geriatricians? What should I do?

A: Today, there are fewer than 7,000 practicing geriatricians in the U. S. That's about one geriatrician for every 5,000 adults over age 65. Finding a geriatrician is likely to become even more difficult over the next 20 years, as the nation's 77 million Baby Boomers reach retirement age. To prepare for this "Aging Boom," we need to support programs that both train geriatricians and better prepare all health care providers to care for older adults. Until recently, the federal government's "Title VII" geriatric health professions program did just that, by supporting geriatric education centers and young medical school faculty who trained medical students, primary care physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other providers to better meet the health care needs of older adults. Unfortunately, Congress eliminated all funding for this program in late 2005. We need to restore this funding--for the sake of all older Americans.

Renault wind concept the wind of change

The improvement of Renault, the inventor of the "Wind" roadster this year, is considered an interesting step because it reflexes the tendency into the roadster market in the future. There are many fascinating features of Wind developed under the “Touch Design” concept, such as the elegantly designed appearance that reflexes lively and the inner decorated with fine quality materials which reflexes class.

Neat, clean appearance consists of 2 main lines which are the bottom and top lines. Although the headlights’ shapes are plain, they are a significant part that helps empower the overall. Transparent windshield stuffed with blue and green lights similar to plane’s light, which are such brilliant. The green smoothly blended with the light blue or aquamarine of the body part is the individual characteristic of Wind. Fabulous 19-inch wheels and “245-35/ZR19” Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires are another remarkable complement.

The most outstanding of it is the 3-seat capacity which is cocoon-curve shaped, light brown leather seat embraces the passengers and the driver.

Frill-designed seats are permanently installed, as well as the steering wheel and console that are adjustable and automatically roll out when the doors are opened, and that helps the passenger enter the car more easily. The center section linked with the back seat which is made of carbon fiber. It is layered with foam and leather, which can flip inside out in order to make the third seat.

Although it is a compact roadster, Wind contains wide and useful space. The rear space has 232 liters in capacity. Wind’s dimension consists of 3870 millimeters in length, 1750 millimeters in width, excluding the side windows, 1260 millimeters in height, and 2395 millimeters in wheel’s base’s length, as well as the 850 kilograms in weight.. The back seat has extra thick car soft-top attached with the rear curve-shaped window for protecting the passengers from rain and sunlight.

All Wind’s controlling devices are made of aluminum, which reflexes the sport characteristic. They are designed to be in round shape installed in the center of console. They contain control button, communicative device, stereo, and navigation system.

6-speed robotized gearbox is designed to be with the dashboard, while the shift gear is put on the steering wheel like the Formular-1’s. There is one gauge-meter made of cylinder-shaped glass. It is used for indicating the round-per-minute speed which is displaying the numbers in both analog and digital.

Air conditioner’s controller is designed to put on the inner driver’s door. Its engine is a 16-valve 2.0liters, 136 horsepower maximum, and 191 N/m torque. It is considered a low-pollution engine which qualifies the Euro-4 polluting gas production regulation. From the Wind’s information, it implies the effort to market the small roadster which has the outstanding in designs in color, capacity, and clean burning energy that is quite energetic. Most of its designs are in the draft stage, so if Renault has a plan to import this production, they need at least 2 years in development.

Its 2005----bulk email is dead

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A typical day at the inbox

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Today, I received 374 e-mails total.

A pretty light day considering some days I get more than 1,000.

To clarify what they were--35 were for business, 4 were personal in nature, 11 were from groups I asked to get information from like Neiman Marcus and Urban Outfitters, VH1, and a PR Newsletter.

The balance of 324 was unsolicited (UCE-unsolicited commercial e-mail)--in other words spam.

If I extrapolate the UCE I’ve gotten in the last six hours alone, I find I must be missing something about myself on some spiritual level..

I am a balding, fat man with a small penis that doesn’t work. I am in debt.

I am looking for a lower interest rate on my mortgage while at the same time making thousands of dollars with no effort on my part in the privacy of my own home—filling out surveys, stuffing envelopes and not selling something that miraculously sells itself.

Even better, I can be a travel agent without wrinkles; obtain a college degree while waiting for my 1500 advance to show up in my bank account; I can restore my credit rating legally while watching my free satellite TV and munching on my drugs sent courtesy of an offshore pharmacy that has a doctor who will write me a prescription… HMMM…definitely something to consider. NOT.

I’ve also discovered that I am a prime candidate to help an African Prince transfer funds into the US. He trusts me. All I have to do is give him my bank account information.

The problem is that I am a woman who doesn’t suffer those ills.

Someone thinks I do…There is something wrong with this picture.

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The future of bulk email and why it is likely to remain dead

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Now, you might be asking why I, who was dubbed the “Spam Queen”

in the “Wall Street Journal” three years ago, am even bothering to say anything about e-mail?

Just to set the record straight, I have never advocated spam or sending spam.

One reporter said to me, "Some people consider all bulk email as spam. What do you have to say about that?" to which I replied, "Then I guess you'd call me the spam queen," as a joke.

In our sound byte media world, one editor turned this little quip into a buzzword and I became known almost instantly, all over the world, as representing what everyone, including myself, hates about email.

The media as usual emphasized sensationalism and missed the point.

I am not complaining because my marketing business skyrocketed as a result.

At that time I advocated email as a very effective medium for small business, which because of its low cost lets small businesses level the playing field against big corporations.

At no small personal risk, I visited the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, DC, and spoke my peace about small businesses and not throwing out the baby with the bathwater before even the very term spam could be legally agreed upon and defined to the satisfaction of marketers, ISPs and the government jointly.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of the US economy, and entrepreneurs with their dreams are what have made the US the economic powerhouse it still is today.

Email that is sent to people who WANT to receive it, and that is in accordance with their preferences, still gets a high response. It allows many small businesses to get ahead. I didn't want to see big corporations or the government take over email and bar entry, filter, and extort everyone else while still sending their own advertising messages freely.

And then came the Can-Spam act, which I and many other legitimate marketers welcomed, because it had a great promise of getting rid of the noise while keeping the signal.

As it turned out, the opposite happened. Email filters from ISP's now block a large amount of legitimate messages, which they call "false positives".

Marketers can't send the text they would like to send to their subscribers, so they have to resort to filter tricking tactics such as spelling the word spam as sp@@@M so that they can get past the filters that were intended for another purpose entirely.

In a climate like this, legitimate companies that had been diligently following best practices, and keeping their lists clean for years, suddenly did not want to stay in business with ambiguities in the law and the potential litigation that might ensue even if all the rules WERE followed, so many companies just folded.

However the people that continue to send email illegally did not fold.

Often times sending from outside the US borders, they stepped up their operations even more, to the point that there is almost no truly legitimate bulk email left.

In other words, the signal has become lost in the noise.

The simplicity is this — bulk commercial e-mail has gotten to the point where it isn’t effective. We just don’t do it anymore. What’s the point? It doesn’t get a response, and we found people are overloaded with advertising messages and no longer willing to receive more, especially in their inbox, unless they specifically asked for it.

As a marketing professional, the only thing that should count for you at the end of the day is effectiveness. Bulk commercial e-mail has turned into the above, a bunch of unprofessional, ineffective scams.

In other words, Spam is a four-letter word.

Legitimate marketers are staying away in droves and it’s easy to see why. First of all let’s look at some facts. In the United States, it is legal to send unsolicited commercial e-mail. The CAN SPAM act allows for this. You have to provide a way to opt-out and not hide who you are, and a few more simple but ethical rules.

Although it is legal, there isn’t an internet service provider in the United States who will allow you to send unsolicited commercial e-mail.

Larger mailers have opt-in information from lists they purchase which imply consent but those lists aren’t originated from the mailer, but from other sub-mailers—you get a free thing or access to a particular site and the user checks a box that it is okay to get information from their “affiliates and partners.”

The “affiliates and partners” they are referring to are those who pay for the e-mail addresses and opt-in information.

These guys are sending you mail legally, but the fact is, they are not getting into your e-mail box for the most part. Blocking, filtering, and doing it the “legal” way bulk wise, is just not working.

Not to mention, there is no way to prove that the recipients opted in or are willing to get the message since they opted in at someone else’s site, not yours.

The response rate is pathetic and when that mail does get through, you have many disgruntled individuals who never remember opting in, so in their view, the mail is unsolicited. The only way to get e-mail into inboxes en masse is by not following the rules, so the only messages getting through are the scams, including the pornographic, illegal, and objectionable.

It is ironic that the very thing people want to rail against, they are getting more of in the aftermath of Can-Spam.

So where does that leave us?

What can a small businessperson do to get their message out, and not break their bank?

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How to market effectively in the new internet wave

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If you are a small businessperson, there are 3 alternatives that you should consider, which are described in this next section:

What is effective you might ask? (Ask away, it’s kind of the point here..)

1) First party offers that impart some value added (a tip; some information, something the consumer is interested in.)

Lets say John Q. Consumer gave his e-mail address for a newsletter, or for more information on a particular subject, or to play a game.

Chances are he probably would not be angered to get an e-mail from your company especially since he asked for you to contact him. He would recognize your domain name since he spent enough time on your site to actually ask the info.

Additionally, your internet service provider would not shut you down for violations and you’d start to build a small but effective list of people who are actually interested in what you, as a business owner, have to say.

This has been effective since the beginning of the internet. The only problem is, how do you reach people the first time, to get them to your site?

How do you find a target market for your products that is likely to be interested in what you have to offer and sign up for your newsletter, visit your site, and hopefully buy your stuff?

Is there anything less costly than television, radio, and (ugh!) banner ads?

Yes there is. Drum roll please…..Search Engine Marketing. If you write good ads, and compete with the right keywords, people who are already searching for an answer to a question, doing research, comparison shopping will go to a search engine and type in their parameters.

If you know how to market well, only people who are interested will go to your site.

If you have a web site that is compelling and you are offering a value added, they will ask for more information or sign up for your newsletter, or get your free download.

Now, getting to this point can sometimes take a little time, but if you are persistent, and know how to interpret your statistics, you can do this. If you want the result without the learning curve, hire a Search Engine Marketing Firm.

So the new tools for small businesspeople to stampede traffic to their websites in 2005 and beyond are going to be:

1) Search Engine Marketing

2) Publicity, including press releases that provide meaningful news

3) Providing quality content and expert commentary for radio, TV, and internet hubs in your field

You can be successful on the internet and these tools help to establish you as an expert in your field, as well as attract the very people who are looking for your product or service at the same time.

These are the tools of a new form of marketing, which people are calling "In Touch" Marketing, or "intelligent marketing" and is one way to cut through and actually get you the most possible business, at the lowest possible cost, with laser precise targeting. In future articles I will teach you how to use them with deadly precision.

This is the new way for small businesses and entrepreneurs to succeed in 2005 and beyond.

Remember, you heard it here first :)

Laura Betterly

CEO, In Touch Media Group

Stu unger rise and fall of a poker genius

Stu Unger is one of the biggest superstars to have immerged from the professional poker world. Besides being a true poker genius and a three time World Series of Poker champion, Stu Unger had a fascinating life story. It was not surprising that after his death Stu was the subject of a biography and a biopic.

Stu Unger lived the life of a rock star including the quick rise to fame, the drugs, the comeback and the unavoidable death at an early age. Here you can read about the life story of the legendary poker player Stu Unger.

The Beginning

Stuart Errol Ungar was born in 1953 to a Jewish family who lived in Manhattan on the Lower East Side. Stus father was a well known bookmaker and his mother was too ill to fight against her sons fascination with gambling. After the death of his father, 13 years old Stu had found a father figure at his neighbor Victor Romano, one of the infamous Genovese family soldiers.

Stu and Romano had at least one thing in common: they both had an incredibly sharp memory, which was mainly used in poker and gin games. By that time, Stu was already an accomplished gin player who had gained vast experience in winning gin tournaments. Stu dropped out of school to become a full time gin rummy player. The Genovese family had benefited from Stus talent. In return, they provided him protection from other gamblers who found themselves offended by his harsh and arrogant playing style.

The Rise

As a professional gin player, Stu had managed to beat all the professional gin poker players around. According to the rumors, Stu caused Harry Yonkie Stein, one of the best players around to stop playing gin completely after beating him in a gin match. Since he was out of proper competition, Stu decided to focus on playing poker professionally. In 1976, he and his girlfriend relocated to Las Vegas where they got married and had a girl, Stephanie.

In 1980, Stu won the World Series of Poker Main Event after beating experienced poker pros such as Doyle Bronson. Stu was the youngest WSOP champion in history and was nicknamed The Kid. Even though Stu won the 1981 WSOP Main Event, he still considered himself more a gin and rummy player than a poker player. After winning his first WSOP championship title, he was quoted saying that the poker world would meet better no limit players than him, but no one will ever be able to play gin rummy better than he does.

At the same time, Stu had tried to use his skill to grab money at the blackjack table. Nevertheless, the casinos were not happy with Stus presence around the blackjack tables and he was constantly barred. In 1982, he was fined by the New Jersey Gaming Commission for cheating, although Stu has not done anything illegal but using his natural skill and phenomenal memory.

The Fall

In 1990, Stu made another appearance to the WSOP. This time, he was heavily into drugs. He was a chip leader for the first three days of the event and then disappeared. He was found lying at his hotel room, unconscious from a drug overdose. However, it did not stop him from finishing ninth and earning enough money for his future cocaine supply.

The Comeback

After seven years of disappearing from the professional poker circle, Stu had returned to the WSOP. In 1997, he was broke, with damaged nostrils from cocaine abuse, addicted to horseracing and sports gambling, but still in shape to beat all the new contestants and gain back his WSOP Championship title. The local media was happy to embrace The Comeback Kid, but his success did not last long.

The Death

Stu Unger did not attend the 1998 World Series of Poker since he could not get the money to pay the entry fee. Seven months after Scotty Nguyen won the 1998 WSOP, Stu Ungar was found dead at his motel room in Las Vegas with 800 dollars in his pocket. Apparently, he died of a heart condition caused by years of drug abuse.

The Biography

Read: One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey The Kid Ungar, The Worlds Greatest Poker Player written by Nolan Dalla, Peter Alson, Mike Sexton.

Watch: High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story directed by A. W. Vidmer and starring Michael Imperioli, Christopher Moltisanti of The Sopranos, as Stu Unger

8 tips for dealing with a stressful office job

It may surprise you but the main reason why we get stressed isn't that we have "too much to do". For most of us, having too much to do is perfectly fine as long as we know what our priorities are and if we can have a good oerview of our work. Instead, the plague of modern office life is that we have to MANY things to do and that we loose track of it all.

Discover an easy and effective way of managing your work. These simple techniques have been proven time and time again. In essence, the simple secret lies in taking charge of your time.

1. Write it down! I never cease to be amazed by how often stressed out people try to keep all the things they have to do in their heads. Stress is often more about knowing that we have a lot to do but not being able to remember exactly what.

2. Write it ALL down! In order for you to have a to-do list that you can rely on, you must trust that it contains ALL the things you have to do. Otherwise, you will still have a nagging feeling that you may not be focussing on the

right things.

3. Channel interruptions to your to-do list. Interruptions are a part of life so don't let them stress you. 95% of all interruptions are either very quick so that you can deal with them straight away or something that you can defer to a time when YOU decide.

4. Don't let your email inbox become your to-do list. Receiving emails can be great fun. Unfortunately, it is also very easy to confuse your inbox with your to-do list. Try to only scan your email inbox once every hour or two

(If you lack the discipline, you can set your email client to do this).

5. You don't have to do everything! If I had to choose one single reason why people fail with their to-do lists it would have to be that they lack the ability to strike things off it. Things change and so should your to-do list. If you are uncomfortable with deleting tasks, create a "storage" list and move it to that.

6. The Nibble. Let's face it, some tasks are big, vague and truly and utterly boring. We end up postponing these tasks forever and as a result they never leave our to-do list. Eventually, our list is filled with these types of tasks

and finally we decide not to look at the depressing thing. The trick is "The ibble". Break the task down into smaller components. Make sure that the first step is takes less than 5 minutes to do. Then take that first step.

7. Not my time of day - Listen to your own rhythm. Let's face it. Were human, not machines. At times we are productive and at times we are not. I see it as a surfer who times the waves and then rides them to their fullest. Try to find a task management system that let's you monitor your own "waves". You will probably find that you know less about yourself than you think you do.

8. Play! Why oh why do all planners and task managers have to look so professional and at the end of the day, so very very boring? Make your work into a game. Set small targets and reward yourself.

Adsense - maximising your income in the holidays

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Have you noticed around the American bank holidays, like July 4th & Thanksgiving, your Adsense income takes a nosedive? Do you wonder how you can make the most of these holidays and actually maximise your income?

These income nosedives are something I've noticed particularly over the past year and each time is happens my heart is in my mouth as my Adsense income plummets and I wonder if it's ever going to return to more normal levels. Of course, it does, but just for a day or two you're wondering just what has happened to your normal income levels.

If you've been making money with Adsense for any time at all - you'll know that your Adsense income can be unpredictable to say the least. From one day to the next you can experience quite big fluctuations for no apparent reason.

You may well have noticed that particular days of the week are far better than others - this will depend on the particular niche that your site is in. For me, my best days are Wednesdays, with Saturdays & Sundays being particularly quiet. For my daughter's site, she often has better days at the weekends. It will depend very much on your site content and just who your visitors are. My daughter's site is fashion related, so I guess that a lot of her visitors are teenagers and young women who have more time to browse the internet at the weekend.

Of course, the upside of these Adsense income fluctuations is that the build up to big holidays, such as Christmas, can see some big increases in income. If your site is one where you can cash in on this market, you'll want to consider preparing for this several months beforehand. Especially so as the Christmas rush starts in early November!

By creating your content pages embedded with your Adsense code in good time you're giving the search engines plenty of time to find them & index them. You've even got time to tweak them if you find that they're not coming high enough up the search engine results.

As well as building pages, don't forget that all-important building of links. This is more important for MSN and Yahoo, as Google seems to penalise irrelevant links. However, it's worth building links to your new pages from related sites, as this will improve your search engine rankings and thus your Adsense income.

It's especially early to get an early start creating new pages that you want to get ranked in Google as they are now only re-indexing their pages every few months so it is taking longer to get new pages ranked well by them. Making sure you've got a Google Sitemap can help to get over this problem. There are plenty of free tools available to help you create your Google Sitemap - just type “free Google sitemap” into the search engines and browse through the available options.

Of course, the great benefit of building your internet businesses with Adsense, is that they'll keep earning you money whilst you take your holidays, allowing you to take a well-earned rest.

So, instead of dreading the holidays, learn to make the most of them plan for them, and use them to make even more money with Google Adsense!

For the latest information on making money with Adsense, visit Google Adsense secrets & tips.

To get a free email course on how to make more money with Adsense, sign up for our free Adsense course.

This article was submitted by Jennifer Carter.

How to get great web design done fast

So you need to get a web site done quickly? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Define The Job.

What do you want the site to do? Successful projects are ones where the intent is well-defined. Avoid going off half-cocked buying software or services you don't need. Changes mid-build can be very expensive; just like building a bricks-and-mortar house!

2. Suit The Design To The Purpose.

Do you just want a simple site, like a placeholder? Do you want something even an amateur can edit? Or do you want a CMS with Ajax and a coffee maker?

A super-simple site: Use a text-to-html generator to create web pages from text files. Then use an index generator to make an index HTML page of these files. Tart these pages up in a WYSIWYG web page editor. Then FTP upload them to your webhosting account. Voila! A super-simple web site.

What, you want something fancier?

Get a web hosting account with Cpanel and Fantastico. Look for the 'Wordpress' option in Fantastico, and install it. Then get a search-engine optimised theme for your blog; the default install isn't search-engine friendly.

Hey presto, you've got a Web 2.0 site! Blogs are good because Google likes them, and you can edit them easily from their admin panel.

Want something more complicated? Consider using a freelance.

3. Use Freelances For Jobs You Lack The Skills For.

Is your budget tight? Try scriptlance. com or rentacoder. com. The key to getting the best work is to a) be a specific as possible as to what you want and b) write your specification in simple, concise terms. Your work will likely be done by someone who's first language is not English. Most people give a vague specification and get work they're not happy with.

Pick someone who's had a lot of favourable reviews recently. Pay in stages. Use the freelance site's escrow service. Don't expect to get more than you paid for, and don't be cheap; if someone does a good job, they deserve a bonus, not carping.

4. Promotion Is As Important As Content.

A site can only be good if people know about it. Promotion on the internet is mainly a) 'Word of mouth' and b) Links. The latter help you site move up the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). So you need a site which has something people really want (which will generate word of mouth) and backlinks to get free search engine traffic.

Links can be garnered from free articles, press releases and submitting your site to a few directories. Fire them off, then forget about them.

5. The More You Learn, The Better, But ...

It's good to learn how the software works. You can customise it, or fix it if it goes wrong. You can talk to a developer in his language.

But ...

Try to keep your eyes on the prize; the end goal of the project. Avoid getting bogged down in minutiae. The internet if full of geeks living in their mom's basement who know the ins and outs of every software you can think of. Their bosses are the ones making the _real_ money.

Focus on the end goal; you'll make better decisions and the getting there will be much less stressful.

Touring the cadillac cts

Cadillac’s luxury sports sedan, the Cadillac CTS has been bringing fame to its brand as well as unforgettable experiences for its drivers and passengers. The Cadillac CTS actually stands for “Catera Touring Sedan”. It holds four doors and has the capacity to take in a maximum of five passengers in its spacious cabin. This vehicle has also been made available in two trims which comprise of the 2.8 L Sedan, and the 3.6 L Sedan.

Upon its introduction, the Cadillac CTS 2.8 L Sedan comes equipped with the standard 2.8 liter V6 engine that is very much capable of providing some 210 units of horsepower. It also gives the Cadillac CTS the chance to achieve 17 mpg for city driving and 27 mpg on the highway. As per the Cadillac CTS 3.6 L Sedan, this vehicle comes with a standard 3.6 liter V6 engine capable of making 255 horsepower. It can give the Cadillac CTS a chance to roll along with 17 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. Standard for both of these trim levels is a six speed manual transmission system with overdrive. Given as an option is a five speed automatic transmission system with overdrive.

This vehicle rolled off the Cadillac manufacturing plants using the General Motors’ new Sigma rear wheel drive architecture. To give credit to its brand name, this vehicle was nominated in 2002 for the North American Car of the Year award. Trivia has it that the Cadillac CTS was seen extensively in one of the car chase sequences in the 2003 movie, The Matrix Reloaded. Because of that stint, the first photographs of this vehicle were from that movie.

The Cadillac CTS comes in a package of features. For exterior colors, this luxury sports sedan could come in painted with light platinum, black raven, blackberry, blue chip, infrared, radiant bronze, sand storm, silver smoke, stealth gray, or white diamond. As per the interior, it could be ebony, light gray/ebony, or cashmere. Standard equipment for this includes driver and front passenger frontal air bags, head curtain side impact air bags, an AM/FM stereo with CD player, a digital clock, an auto tone control, an automatic volume, a Radio Data System, four wheel anti lock brakes, a dual-zone automatic climate controls, a cruise control system, power door locks, fog lamps, daytime running lamps, halogen headlamps, a wood trim for the interior, power adjustable and heated mirrors, the OnStar system, a remote keyless entry system, seat controls, and the XM Satellite Radio.

Ways to improve your credit report

Is it really essential to improve your credit report?

Even though credit score are three digit numbers but it has great importance in today's business world. To earn a good credit standing it is very much essential that one pays his/her dues on time. Regular and timely payment of dues ensures a healthy credit score history.

Many retailers and lenders entirely depend on credit report in order to run their business on credit. Any negative remark can directly affect your credit obtaining flexibility. So it is advisable that you must improve your credit report and score. If your credit report contains any negative remarks it becomes vital that you improve your credit score as quickly as possible.

Suppose you are thinking to purchase a car on credit. For this you will have to apply to different bank and money lenders. Bank lenders solely depend on your credit score to judge your financial position in the market. If you do not have a satisfactory credit score history, there is every chance that you will not be granted the necessary loan to buy the car. Similarly there can be different types of investment you would like to purchase. So for all this purpose it’s very important that you maintain a healthy credit report.

Following are certain tips and guidelines that can help you improve your credit report.

• Make all your bills payment on time or before the due date. As any late payment can directly affect your credit report and simultaneously your credit score.

• Do not apply for credit every time as it may decrease your credit report rating.

• Maintain estimated balance on your credit. For instance your credit balance should not exceed 25%, as it is the usual credit limit.

• If you find any negative remark in your credit report, apply to know the true reason. Ascertain whether the information in your credit report is accurate or not.

• Maintain a free copy of your credit report.

• Do not open unnecessary accounts. Remember a zero balance account is also taken into consideration.

• As far as possible make sure that you avoid introductory offer on your credit card.

• Maintain good credit history.

• Check your credit report periodically at least twice a year.

• Repair your credit timely for any credit report service.

Online shopping for christmas without hassle and stress

Christmas shopping can be fun, at the same time; it can be very daunting and hectic as well. The mere mention of Christmas shopping would remind us of anything ranging from traffic jam to messy sales racks and long lines at the payment counters. These scenes undoubtedly contribute to a merrier Christmas atmosphere and have been part and parcel of the celebration taking place. Whilst this is true for many people enjoying every moment of the crowds, there is another group of the population who hate to fight the throng of holiday crowds and find these chaos too stressful and frantic and would rather take on other better alternatives to complete their shopping. The recent growth in internet shopping and boom of online e-stores and e-malls have made it possible for convenient and stress-free shopping from anywhere and at any time. The following article will provide some tips regarding online shopping.

An useful tips for doing online Christmas shopping would be to plan and start your shopping early. Make it a point to complete the online shopping early enough so that the gifts and goods would be shipped to your intended recipients right on time before the Christmas. Rushed orders can also be filled but it comes at the expense of having to incur extra charges for rushing the shipment to meet the deadline. The delay of online shopping may also result in the gifts arrive late after Christmas even if you opt for the express shipment which cannot accommodate further rush orders. Standard shipping rates apply to normal delivery, therefore, with adequate time allowed for early shipment, not only do you incur reasonable shipping cost but you do not need to pay extra for shipping which can be very costly. Do not start your shopping too early in case the gifts arrived too soon and they may get opened earlier or they were put aside and forgotten by the recipient.

If you have been a frequent online shoppers of products and goods, you may or may not encounter circumstance where the goods that you purchase, in reality, may look differently than the online advertisement. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you are aware of what the item actually looks like before making the purchases. There are several steps that you can take to achieve this: you may compare a particular model of product that you have seen in stores by its model. If the goods represent something that cannot be found in the local stores or something unique and distinctive that is hard to come across, you may exercise due caution of carefully studying the product picture and information such as measurement, details, country of origin and so forth so that you have an understanding of the size, nature and quality of the product. By taking due care in obtaining the product information, you will be more likely to purchase goods and items that will appeal to you, your family members, friends and relatives.

It is also important to consider the reputation of the website retailers or suppliers when performing online purchases. No matter how incredible the sales hype or bargain available or advertised by the retailers, the dangers of shopping with a badly reputable or notorious e-commerce retailers and suppliers would be risking a lower quality product or falling into a deliberate scam scheme. There might be a slightly higher price to pay when shopping with the reputable retailers and suppliers, you can be certain that they are more reliable and generally provide the reasonable level of customer service. The elements of websites that can promote reputation of the retailers and suppliers that you can look out for are their privacy statement, customer service policy, refund or satisfaction policy and other forms of authentication and certification.

Wipe out debt with balance transfer credit cards

If you find yourself metamorphosing into a plastic junkie, then you may use balance transfer credit cards to consolidate your payments. However, the best balance transfer credit cards offer some incredible deals and if you use them judiciously, who knows, they may even help you write off all your debts. No wonder, a balance transfer credit card has become the rage with Generation Plastic and a large number of them are happily on their way to debt freedom. If you wish to join this debt-less club, read on.

Know All About the Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards

First, don the knowledge armor by reading many more articles like this. They are available freely on the net, they provide hot tips and guaranteed strategies for fighting credit-induced poverty, and will help you save thousands of dollars.

Next, try analyzing your credit history. If it is any good, card companies will be happy to transfer large balances for you. However, if your credit history is marred, or slightly flawed, then you may have to settle for a smallish balance transfer. While this may not be much of a help it is, at least, a step in the right direction.

Your best bet, really, is to get the card company on the negotiating table. Let them know that you can take your business elsewhere if they do not agree to your request. Also, try to convince them that you are able to plan your finances better now and show them the steps you have taken towards constructing a viable financial strategy.

The Details of Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Such cards will offer a zero percent rate of interest only if you follow their rules. Therefore, it pays to do some eye stretching exercises and scour the fine print. Do you have make $X purchases within a certain time frame? Or you are not allowed to spend $Y? Or they may stipulate that you absolutely must purchase something. The devil, truly, is in the details.

Time Limits of a Balance Transfer Credit Card

Wouldn’t it be just perfect if you could enjoy a zero percent balance transfer all your life? Or maybe a lower rate of interest? Well, truth is, every company offers a certain time period during which you can get a zero or lower rate of interest. If you are financially savvy you may, theoretically, be able to work off your debt by jumping from one zero percent balance transfer credit to another. You will be surprised at the number of people who do so. So choose a card that offers a zero percent balance transfer for the longest possible period.

Money Back with a Balance Transfer Credit Card

Some companies will lure you by offering a cash back on purchases you make with a new card. If you plan to retain this card for some time, you may consider this option. Not that it will help pay off your debt, but if a penny earned, is a penny saved, then it is worth investigating such a deal.

Annual Fees of Balance Transfer Credit Cards

What’s the point of a balance transfer if you have to shell out a packet in annual fees and processing charges etc? If the whole idea of a balance transfer is to pay off debts, then look for a balance transfer credit card that offers a zero annual fee in the first year. Try to negotiate a zero fee for the next year as well. If you don’t plan to retain the balance transfer credit cards for very long, start shopping for a new card with zero annual fees as soon as you have finished the formalities for this one. You will soon realize that the best balance transfer credit cards need to work for you, not against you.

Swimming attire for swim meets

Every neighborhood pool will begin forming a swim team in May of each year. Each swim team will belong to a swim organization that will monitor the progress of teams throughout the summer months. This organization will have guidelines in place that will dictate the type of swimwear that will need to be worn by all participants at every swimming meet.

Various colors will be assigned by the swim organization for use as team colors. These colors will be incorporated into the swimwear selections that are worn by each team. The swimsuits will also have a team mascot or logo assigned that represents the team in some way. One neighborhood swim team might be named the gators and have an alligator stitched into the material.

The colors used for the team mascot or logo will be stitched in one matching color. The swimsuit color will be the remaining color choice that is assigned by the swim organization at the start of the swimming season. These colors will normally remain the same for as long as the swim team remains a part of that swimming organization. The mascot or logo will usually be professionally embroidered onto various styles of swimwear.

Some swim teams will choose the same image as their team logo. Current swimwear designs for swimming meets allow the swimmers to have the option of having the image embroidered into the fabric on the front or back of the swimwear. Teams with the same logos or mascots will usually assign one specific area to stitch their logo on so fans will know which team is being represented when the swimmers enter the pool.

The swim team will also be able to special order swim caps made of latex rubber in their team colors as part of their swimming attire. All swimmers might not like the form fitting caps, but must adhere to the rules issued by the swimming organization and are expected to wear these swimmer's caps during all swimming competitions. The swimmer's caps can be removed from the head after the swimmer has exited the pool.

The most common swimming attire worn by swim teams in competitive swimming meets will be a one-piece swimsuit made of spandex and rayon materials. Male swimmers will be assigned Speedo styled shorts to wear at every swimming meet and must rely on drawstrings to keep the swimsuits on the body. Some boys do not care for these swimsuit styles because they cling to the body very closely.

The material used for swimsuits will stretch when the swimmer is in the water and keep its shape when the swimmer comes out of the water. The stretchy material will make it easier for the swimmer to glide through the water and meet less resistance while swimming in the water. The spandex materials will ensure that the swimsuit does not slip or ride up while the swimmer is performing various swim strokes during swimming competitions. The close fit of the swimsuit will give the swimmer a sleek appearance that is pleasing to fans and those that judge the swimming competitions.

Using blogs for affilate and adsense profits combined

How do you set up a blog for effective affilate and Adsense profits?

Here is the low down of how it’s done and some of the in’s and outs of rss.

For this example I will use web hosting as the affilate product we selling on the blog.

1. Rss is great for getting the robots to visit but it will not get you visitors until

*You have quite a number of pages

*Have decent page rank…

2. Best blog platform…

> wordpress. org

3. Blog page - index page.

*A two column blog I find works the best

*The sidebar should be on the right hand of the page for SEO purposes

*Heading for your affiliate reviews shouls be first… something like “In-Dpeth, Top 5 Cheap Hosting Reviews”. Two links underneath, one going to reviews and the other to “why our reviews are more relaible than other sites”

4. Reviews of your products.

4 to 10 reviews, make them long and give info of what benefits one product has over the other and a rating for different aspects. Do not put adsense on your reviews page.

This site does it really well - keywordworkshop. com/ and it’s a blog to boot.

5. Next heading in the sidebar - “Articles”

A link going to current articles followed by a search box for your articles. Each article page is where you Adsense sits and here are some good tips…

*All links including Adsense, one color underlined.

*Research has shown the normal blue and darker blue get’s the best hits

*Adsense in the middle and at the end of all your articles… you will get less click troughs with Adsense in the borders

6. Next heading “contact Me”

Blurb… A little confused with all the info, so many choices or an aspect of one of “hosting reviews” (linked to your review page … feel free drop me an email any time.. blah blah

Then more headings after this is you wish… “My fav top ten hosting tips articles”… “Top 5 Domain Name Website Reviews”? and so on.

The way I see it, is if they are customers coming for information on a given product, service or business area, why not stick some products up and make some more money!

If they are just interested in the articles monetize those with Adsense.

And then if for any reason you have a bad Adsense month, the affilate income is there as a backup.

The final tip is to keep your blogs clean so people can easily find the information they are looking for whether that be a product or articles. Heres one of my article directories as an example…

> thewebtrafficco. com/adb/

Easy homeowner loans can be found online

If you want an easy homeowner loan then you don’t have to leave your own home because one of the easiest and quickest ways of securing your loan is by going online with a specialist provider. A specialist provider will give you help and advice along with making comparisons so that you can be sure of getting the cheapest rates of interest.

Homeowner loans are one of the easiest types of loans to apply for and get, the homeowner loan can be taken out by those who have a poor credit rating or who are self-employed, they are also suitable for those who wish to borrow a larger sum of money and pay back over a longer period of time. The downside to the homeowner loan is that the rates of interest are higher than a personal loan and you have to secure your home as a deposit against the loan, which means that your home is at risk.

By going online for your homeowner loan you can take the advice that a specialist can give, work out how much the loan would cost using an online loan calculator and make comparisons quickly and easily all from the comfort of your own home. When deciding how long to take your loan over then it is important to realise that the longer you take out the loan for, then the more interest will be added onto the total cost of the loan but the monthly repayments are lower.

Another factor is that you home is at risk until you make the last repayments on the loan and if the loan is taken out for many years then some thought has to be given to how you would continue with the repayments if your circumstances should change. Easy homeowner loans can be found online but they have to be given some very serious consideration before you out your home at risk.

Weight watchers weight loss strategies my top 10

Recently I hit my goal weight and moved to the Weight Watchers Maintenance Program. I've been thinking about it a lot as I continue to do my best to follow the program, and wondering how it is I was able to lose nearly 33 pounds in 8 months. So, I decided to write my Top 10 Strategies. I'll list them Dave Letterman style.

Top 10 Weight Watchers Weight Loss Strategies That Worked for Me

10. I make sure to have lots of 1 and 2 point treats in the house. I work at home and I've learned that I like to snack and nibble during the day so it's important to have low point treats available so I don't feel guilty.

9. I let other people know (my friends, family and colleagues) what I'm working on so they can support me and give me kudos when I succeed.

8. I share my success and challenges on a blog ( slim-people. com). This has been a great outlet for me to focus myself on what I need to keep doing, reading and thinking about in order to stay on track.

7. I use the Weight Watchers online etools. I'm a nut for details so the online program is great for me. I work at home and sit in front of a computer all day. It's no problem for me to add my food immediately to the online points tracker. I also enter my weight every Saturday after my weekly Weight Watchers meeting. I get an immediate visual representation of how I'm going as I view the graph.

6. I attend the weekly Weight Watchers meetings without fail. I think in 8 months I've only missed two due to being out of town on business and unable to get to a meeting. Though, when I know I'm going to be out of town, I will usually at the very least go the day before and weigh in.

5. I weigh and measure my food. I learned quickly that what my eye thinks is 2 ounces usually is a lot more. I'm not consistent about this but more often than not I do weigh or measure what I'm eating and drinking.

4. I track my points. I write down what I eat. I hear Flora in my head saying, "You bite it, you write it." I've learned that when I slack off from writing everything down, I either don't lose or I gain weight that week. Again, my eyes are not a good judge of quantity.

3. I work out 4 times per week. Before Weight Watchers I took Pilates classes 3 times per week. Though I was getting stronger, I was not losing weight. In fact I was gaining weight due to hormones, a sedentary job and eating too much. I switched to 2 days of Pilates and 2 days of cardio workout. I started the cardio workout the same day I joined Weight Watchers and I know it has make a big difference. Last week I even started walking to my Pilates studio since it's only a 10 minute walk. Up until now I've been driving, if you can believe that.

2. I have a buddy. My dear friend and I joined Weight Watchers together, as well as joined the gym together. We go to the meetings together. We work out 2 times per week together. We talk about food and how we're doing all the time. We evangelize about Weight Watchers. Without my buddy I don't think I would have stayed with the program. No, I know I would not have stayed with the program.

1. And number 1. I made the decision to join Weight Watchers. I had heard a lot of success stories about Weight Watchers and after putting on 30 pounds over the course of 3 years, I decided it was time to take action. I had been telling myself it was age and hormones that contributed to the weight gain and that may be partly true, but I had to take action and do something so I could feel good about myself, my body and my health.

That's it. There are probably more things that could be added to this list. Now my challenge goal is to maintain for 6 weeks and get to Lifetime Member.

Oh, I just remembered one more thing I did. I read an article, I think on Weight Watchers Online, about rewarding yourself when you do well. So I set up a savings account and deposited $10 every time I lost a pound. I call it the "Pamper Me" account. Now, I will add $10 every week I maintain my weight. Then, eventually, I'll do something wonderful to pamper myself!

Good luck and best wishes to you in your journey to weight loss!

Knowing your credit card application

Credit cards are fast replacing cash as the currency of choice in today’s busy, often turbulent world. For an executive with a lifestyle built on speed, digging through a wallet for cash can be a waste of time, especially when the single swipe of a credit card can finish a transaction instantly. For a college student low on funds, a credit card can be a saving grace, especially when emergency purchases need to be made. For an employee with average income, a credit card is a chance to buy now and pay later.

Credit card companies, however, are aware that credit cards can be abused, and that credit card scams abound. Someone who claims to be an executive can actually be someone who assumes the names of wealthy people, and who uses their names in making expensive purchases. A college student can sometimes abuse a credit card and use it to buy liquor or drugs, all while the student’s parents think that the card is being used to purchase important materials for school. An employee may get carried away with purchases, as a credit card can conjure the illusion that no money is being paid.

As a result, credit card companies are now stricter when receiving credit card applications. Some credit card companies, moreover, have changed their application questions in order to exercise a greater hold on potential predators or credit card abusers. Although some of the questions that they pose on their applications may seem intrusive, credit card companies are simply making sure that honest applicants are sifted out of the thousands of applications that they receive each year.

Credit card companies ask many questions on your credit card application, some of them with seemingly no bearing on your ability to pay. You may be asked about your father’s or mother’s name, your mother’s maiden name, or the city in which your grandparents were born. The answers to these questions can be known by only a few people, and they can be used if your identity needs to be verified. Do not underestimate these questions, as they may actually save you from being hoodwinked by credit card identity thieves.

Credit card companies may also ask you about previous credit cards that you have held. This is a way for them to verify that you can pay your credit card bills. Do not withhold any information on this matter, as a record of good credit standing can actually work in your favor. You may be given a higher credit limit on the credit card that you are applying to. However, if you have poor credit standing, then your application may be denied, or your credit card will have a much lower credit limit than before. Do not lose hope if this happens, as this may discipline you into saving more, and spending less.

Credit card companies may also ask you to name supplementary card holders. Although this can be advantageous if you are a parent with a child living far away, or a husband willing to finance his wife’s spending, supplementary cards may actually put you in greater danger of identity theft. Supplementary cards will arrive separate from the principal card, and these can be stolen and used. Exercise great caution when considering whether you should purchase supplementary cards.

If you know your credit card application, you will better appreciate the value of your credit card. Be honest on your application, and be scrupulous when your credit card finally arrives. If you continue to be in good credit standing, then you will enjoy the benefits of your credit card for many years to come.

How to zone out in the dental chair

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And so the therapy began.

My next appointment was the following week for more root canal and the week after that also. Not only that my newly filled tooth was now even more painful than before so more work on my filling ensued (as well as more root canal). To cut a long story short I then chose to have a crown in place of a filling that may, or not, have lasted very long.

By now I was helping myself to their filtered coffee and newspaper on arrival.

So today, as I again sat in the dental chair I was prepared. I made sure I was sufficiently relaxed, centred and in the present moment before I turned up.

What did I do? I meditated before my appointment and then meditated through my appointment!

As the shrill piercing sound of the drill reverberated through my head and my face sprayed with water, I simply drifted away to somewhere else – somewhere peaceful. The dentist and the assistant continually asked me if I was okay – I’d slowly nod then zone out again, drifting away and closing the door to the sounds and movements of where my physical body was.

And then it was all over!

The next time you visit your dentist, it really pays to zone out during your procedure (if possible even before you get there) - especially if you’re nervous about any dental procedure at all like I am.

7 Steps to help you Zone out

1. Get a meditation session in before you arrive for your appointment. If you’re not sure how to meditate, do some slow, deep breathing exercises. I generally take around 4 to 5 slow deep breaths, focusing on the outward breath.

2. Be in the present moment. This is when you’re not thinking anything about the future – even 3 minutes into the future! Nor are you thinking about the past – not even 3 minutes ago. The present moment is now whilst you’re sitting in the dental chair, staring at the ceiling becoming aware of and concentrating on the rhythm of your breathing.

3. Once the procedure starts close your eyes and take your mind within. Focus straight ahead – wherever you perceive straight ahead to be once you have your eyes closed – and think of nothing – just blank – the void – staring at the colours and patterns you can see as you sit in the chair with your eyes closed.

4. If you’re about to receive an injection – as the needle goes in, breathe into that area and continue to concentrate fully on your slow breathing until the injection is over.

5. Once that’s over, resume staring into the blank void that is the inside of your eyelids!

6. If you find it challenging to think nothing, focus on a visual image that makes you feel really, really good about yourself then have a look around and see where you are.

7. Whenever you sense you’re starting to again focus on the drilling or whatever else is happening in your mouth, breathe in slowly and deeply focusing on the rhythm of your breathing and allow every single muscle you become aware of, to deflate and relax.

Meditation is a great ‘self help’ tool and when applied during a visit to your dentist – it makes the experience if not enjoyable, at least bearable!

Michaela Scherr Transformational Coach