Driving tips in thailand

Thailand has a good network of well-maintained roads and highways between all main centres. Road signage follows international convention and is in both Thai and English. Drunk drivers and an abudance of haphazardly driven motorcycles make night-time driving a real problem, however.

Road rules

Traffic drives on the left hand side and drivers must be at least 18 and hold a full, valid Thailand driving licence or an international driving permit. If you only have a national driving licence from your own country you will be permitted to use for up to two months. To hire a car, renters have to be at least 25 years old. Wearing of seat belts is compulsory and drunk-driving laws apply; all insurance is invalid if drivers exceed the legal alcohol limit.

Police regularly occassionally set up speed traps and offenders breaking the limits will be subject to on-the-spot fines, which are routinely less than the official rate, but no ‘ticket’ is given. The maximum blood/alcohol limit is 0.5mg/ml. Unfortunately the Thai police are very lax in controlling drunk drivers and this creates a hazard late at night.

Speed limits:

Urban areas: 45 - 60kph/28 - 37mph

Highways: 90 – 110kph/56 – 68mph.

Motorways and the road network

There are about 64,600kms/40,141mls of paved roads in Thailand as well as a large network of unpaved roads (especially in the North). Major highways radiate outwards from Bangkok to all the major cities, with most of the north-south route consisting of dual carriageway. Interconnecting roads to smaller towns and cities are usually wide, and single-laned with two-lane sections at interchanges.

Parking in cities is usually on the street for a small charge or, for the most part, covered parking in hotel/plazas or shopping centres. Farther out of town centres parking is usually free, if you can find a space. Don’t block government building entrances or you’re likely to be towed.

Costs, distances and times

Service stations are plentiful and most of the larger ones accept major international credit cards. In more remote locations, hand pumps are common and cash will be required. Unleaded 91, 95 and high-octane 98 fuels are available as well as diesel, and LPG at some locations. Unleaded 95 is about 18 baht per litre; diesel, 15 baht.

Typical driving distances and times:

Bangkok to Chiang Mai: 686kms/426mls 9 hours

Bangkok to Hat Yai: 993kms/617mls 12 hours

Hat Yai to Phuket: 474kms/294mls 7 hours.

Safety

Renters requiring assistance will find an emergency phone number printed on their rental agreement and on the windscreen sticker. Try to refrain from driving at night as unsuspecting potholes, local drivers without tail lights and wandering livestock can greatly increase the possibility of having an accident.

Since Thai motorists are notoriously ill-disciplined with giving way or observing traffic rules, motorists are advised to drive at an ‘easy pace’ (50kms or less) in urban areas. In the event of an accident, Thais perfer to settle the legal outcome on the spot and often expect the wealthier motorist to absorb the cost, this includes foreigners.

Stay away from downtown Bangkok; traffic is horrendous and roads are confusing, not to mention road users who have a general disregard for other vehicles. Don’t drive too close to the edge of the road on any highway as motorcycles quite often drive up the wrong way, and keep out of the path of buses and trucks. The ‘songteaw’ minibus trucks have a habit of suddenly pulling ove

Reverse mortgage information

The first question that needs to be answered is "what is a reverse mortgage?" A reverse mortgage is a specific type of loan used by older homeowners who have built up some equity in their home. It is a method of acquiring cash from their home, manufactured home, town home or condominium. By using this type of borrowing method senior citizens can come up with money that they can use any way they want without the need to pay it back during their lifetime. If these elderly Americans can qualify they can turn their home equity into money.

If older American homeowners are struggling with their finances they can apply for this type of loan which can be used to pay off debts, increase their monthly income or for other things. This monetary influx will allow these senior citizens an opportunity to get out from under their current debt or to increase their monthly income which can be used for their daily expenses. They can start enjoying their life to the fullest by coming up with the additional cash they need. The money can be used to get out of financial trouble, home improvements, traveling and for other expenditures. This extra cash may be used for luxuries they have always wanted, but could never afford.

The purpose of a reverse mortgage is to allow senior citizens the opportunity to receive the extra cash they require without the necessity of having to sell their house. The cash they get can provide them with the additional financial security they require and also give them a chance at enjoying their remaining years by reducing their money worries. There are several ways to receive this money including regular monthly payments, a lump sum or even as a credit line. A line of credit is the most common method people use to receive money from a reverse mortgage. Some retired persons get their money by using a combination of these methods. It's possible to receive monthly payments while also getting a big chunk of money up front too.

The term reverse mortgage is a simple way of "reversing" a mortgage. Rather than being forced to make monthly payments by taking out a home loan people can actually receive monthly payments themselves. It's a method for retired homeowners to increase their comfort of living by taking advantage of the equity they have built up in their home. The loan amount depends on many factors including the value of their residence, how old they are, how much equity is in the home along with other factors.

To qualify for a reverse mortgage the applicant must be 62 years of age or older. They must also own a home (single family residence), manufactured home built on or after June 1976, town home or condominium. And of course they must have a certain amount of home equity. It is not necessary to have the house paid off completely, but there must be equity in it. In other words you can still qualify for a reverse mortgage even if you have an outstanding mortgage loan.

The loan cannot exceed the home's value, but there are no monthly income requirements and no medical prerequisites for qualification. There are few requirements, one of which is that the applicant must first meet with an approved counselor to discuss the loan or other possible options for their situation. Other than that there are very few requirements.

Hypnosis downloads internet comes to the rescue

Hypnotherapy now comes to you in the form of friendly, non-hassle hypnosis downloads! The Internet has become our savior in yet another aspect of life, and has superceded its role of being a communication channel, to become the most vital source of information for any subject under the sun. From cooking to embroidery patterns, everything is available is online, so why should downloads for hypnosis be left behind?

These hypnosis downloads are on the MP3 format, and are easily downloadable at various sites. Any individual can burn these MP3’s onto CD’s, MP3 players and even DVD’s. Now, you can listen to your personal self-hypnosis routine along in the privacy of your home. There are a host of websites which are catering to the needs of people who want to experience self-hypnosis and benefit from it. Some of these websites even offer free hypnosis scripts which you can use to create your very own hypnosis tapes. All you need to do is visit these particular sites and click on a particular hypnotic routine, for example, if you want to quit smoking you will have to download the MP3 related to hypnosis for smoking.

Any hypnotherapist would agree to it when I say that sound is one of most important components of a hypnotism session. You find yourself listening to a calm voice telling you to relax and soak in the experience. In self-hypnotism this sense of sound becomes doubly important because of the auto-suggestion mode that we need to practice. And to discover that these hypnosis downloads are just a click away is a great relief.

There are yet other sites which have visual hypnotic experiments listed on their websites. Visitors to these sites can most often take a product test before they shell out money to buy the product. Some of these downloads come with detailed descriptions of what results to expect from a hypnosis session using the download; this is a desirable quality in a self-hypnosis scenario, since the user needs to keep track of the progress which has been made in a particular problem area after using the downloads for hypnosis.

I would like to take this opportunity to say that most of these tapes and scripts are designed by professional hypnotism practitioners and therapists; so you need not worry about the authenticity of these hypnosis downloads. In fact, even I have a series of downloadable hypnosis routines which are available to my clients worldwide. It is needless to say that being present on the internet automatically makes sure that my hypnosis downloads are available to a greater number of people all around the world. These downloads have made millions world over realize the dream of bettering their lives, without having to fret too much.

From smoking to sexual problems, from will power to weight loss, all types of hypnosis downloads are available on the internet. All you need to do is download one on to your MP3 player, tune in, listen to the soothing female voice which guides you through the session and relax! Remember that these downloads are revolutionizing hypnosis the world over, and a record number of people have benefited from it. So go out and get your own download…don’t be left behind!

A historical spanish holiday

One of the locations very few would want to miss while visiting Madrid, Spain is the Puerta del Sol, or ‘Gate of the Sun’. This is a roadwork system that looks much like the sun. It starts with a slab outside the Casa de Correos, and going out from that slab are the set of six roads that make up the highways of Spain. As you begin your holiday of exploring Madrid, this is the place to begin.

At one time, the gates were the entryway into Madrid. Back in the 15th century it was important to be fortified and the city was encompassed by a protective wall.

Now your holiday to this area will find less in the arena of military fortifications and more in the arena of interesting attractions. Among them, a massive bear sculpture. He is eating fruit from a madrone tree. The tree is where the city gets it’s name, and the Bear is a symbol of strength for the people of the city.

As you continue your travel into the city down Alcala Street, stop at the Regina Hotel. From this location you can see the unique statues on top of the banks before your continue your trip.

One of Madrid’s most important sites is not far away. It is the House of the Post Office. You will spot this building as the one with the large clock face on the side of the tower. It was built in 1768, and if you happen to be in the area around the New Year Holiday, this will be the location of the major celebrations. The holiday celebration is the traditional festival eating of Twelve Grapes. When the clock chimes, all will cheer in celebration of the New Year.

In addition to being a location for celebration and merriment during holiday times, the Puerta del Sol is also a location that has more serious moments as well. It is commonly a location where political demonstrations and protests are held. It is very possible you will see one during your travels.

Also in this area are all the other things you will be looking for on your vacation. There are a large number of shops that offer anything from department store shopping to specialty shops, antique shops and other venues. There are also a number of attractions to view, as well as a great supply of restaurants so you can try out a lot of the local fare.

You will not be at a loss for night life when you visit Madrid. Often some areas just start kicking into high gear after midnight. There are street musicians, and a festive attitude as well as a number of bars and dance establishments to keep you busy until the wee hours of the morning. And when morning comes and you are ready to take up touring again, you are just a short distance from the Royal Palace or Palacio Real, parliament, Plaza Mayor, and many more shops and restaurants waiting for you along the way

Dental plans for great dental care

People often do not pay as much attention to their dental health as they do to other illnesses, often with serious consequences. To keep dental diseases at bay and to meet the rising costs of dental treatment it is important that you choose a good dental plan. Having a dental plan should encourage you to take more preventive care of your teeth to avoid the more serious dental problems.

With medical insurance services, the cost of a particular medical treatment or health check is reimbursed directly by the insurance company to the medical service provider. With dental insurance plans, the company is responsible for reimbursing the dentist. Dental plans can however vary in type and feature. Dentists participating in discount dental plans take lower fees than those covered by regular dental plans, with discounts varying between 20% and 60%.

All dental plans charge a membership fee, with the amount varying from one plan to the other. Dental plans are offered to either individuals or to the whole family, with family dental plans usually offering bigger discounts than individual dental plans. You should compare the rates charged under the different plans before selecting the most appropriate one for you.

It is important also to know the type of dental services covered by your dental plan. Routine dental check ups and dental treatments such as oral examination, teeth cleaning, fluoride treatment, teeth filling and teeth extraction are generally covered by most dental plans. However, dental plans do not always cover major dental care treatments such as oral surgery, dental implants, restorative care, braces, root canal treatments etc. In case of such costly dental procedures you unfortunately have to foot the bill yourself. Often there are a number of alternative treatments available for certain dental problems. Under such circumstances dental plans allow reimbursement for the cost of the basic dental treatment, and further costs in excess of the basic treatment cost has to be covered by the patient.

Dental health plans may or may not allow you to choose your own dentist, but it is common practice for patients to generally receive dental care from dentists mentioned in the plan. Before choosing a plan make sure that the participating dentists practice in your area. Choose a plan that is accepted nationwide and not restricted to your state. Check whether you are allowed to visit the dentist unscheduled, or at scheduled hours only.

You also need to decide whether you want an annual plan or a monthly plan. Annual dental plans are more cost beneficial than monthly plans. So get regular check ups with your dentist to reap the maximum benefits out of your dental plan.

Job dream

Have you changed? Your job started out being what you wanted, but today it is different. Maybe you thought of it as a jumping place to a better job in the future, but you have been here 5 plus years.

it is a fact that your dream job is waiting on you, so don't continue in a miserable job, boring or basically unsatisfying, even questionable for basic survival. Your time is NOW to get out!

Satisfaction & fulfillment is your aim, not being in a "make do" position for an extended period!

When people think of dream jobs, all often, they think of the jobs that they thought about when they were children.

As a child, you probably thought about being a doctor or a lawyer, a nurse, even an astronaut when you finished college. Truth is few of us kept the objective in mind for those jobs & gave up; in other words, you felt you were settling.

The problem is, lots of of those people carried the disappointment they felt from learning that they couldn't do the jobs that they wanted as babies into their adult lives.

few people follow through with their childhood dreams, but the fact is, those childhood dreams probably would not have made you happy anyway.

Your needs & beliefs about a nice job when you were a child will be far different from your needs as an adult, & you'll find that if you consider your needs as an adult, you'll have a much better chance of finding your real dream job.

Think about what makes you happy, & what you need in terms of job security, monetary pay & challenges.

The first step in searching for your dream job is actually realizing that the one you are in right now isn't going to make you happy.

Have you been waiting on a promotion or raise that never comes, or do you feel that your efforts are wasted on a routine basis?

Perhaps you feel that they don't appreciate you, or you silently think that you are so much better than this. All of these feelings are valid; the important thing to realize is that they are feelings that should be acted upon.

When you take a look at the feelings of discontent that you have amassed about your job, realize that you spend a quarter of your life at work. Your life is basically short to feel like that for a fourth of it!

More people find their dream jobs than you might think; For a fact, it is imperative to make your time count as you search.

Help is obtainable for you to discover the career job of your dreams. Your mindset is key when you begin to look

Tips for a successful christmas party

If you wish to have that dream Christmas party, you need to plan a few weeks prior to the big day, since any successful party needs quite a bit of effort and organization. It is best not to leave it to the last minute, like the Christmas shopping, as you would not like to leave anything to chances. Here are a few tips to make your Christmas party successful :

1. To begin with, you have to take a decision on the type and the venue of the party. If there is a particular place where you wish to throw the party, you have to book the place in advance.

2. In case you decide to have the party at home, do up your house in a festive mood. And that begins with the Christmas tree. Nothing is more suitable for the occasion than a Christmas tree which truly sets the holiday mood and adds to the fun and frolic.

3. Next comes the task of deciding who you wish to call. Make a guest list, as this will help you call people in advance and avoid unwanted gatecrashers barging to your party. Also knowing the number of guests will enable you to decide how much food you need. Especially if you are thinking of taking the help of a caterer.

4. Once you have finalized the people who you wish to invite, send out the invitations fast. So that your guests have enough time to plan their schedule.

5. The entertainment section also needs to be carefully planned. For an informal get-together a simple karaoke can suffice. But if the party is a little formal, then you could think of a professional DJ to keep the mood of the party on till the end.

6. Make sure you have plenty of food laid out. This is the holiday season, when people like to splurge on food and keep all plans of dieting in abeyance till the New Year. If you feel a little apprehensive about cooking for so many people, you could take the help of a caterer. You can then save on some hard labor too ! you have some free time to look after all the nitty gritty details which crop up during the last minute.

7. Lastly, when you throw a party, make people thoroughly enjoy themselves.

The tips given above, can surely help you organize your Christmas part as if it was a cake walk. And of course, the mistletoes are not to be forgotten.

Selecting the right drapes for your home

Practically every house-proud homeowner wants to make the most of their home in terms of dйcor, and an integral part of achieving the perfect look for your property is getting the right drapes for each room. Because the theme and dйcor in a home can vary from one room to the next, it is important to consider a number of factors before selecting your window coverings. Some of the factors you need to consider when selecting drapes is the type of room you are buying for, the size of the windows, the type of ambiance you wish to create for the room, and the design and dйcor of the room. For instance, if you are buying drapes for your kids’ bedrooms, heavy elaborate covering would look a little odd and could work out quite costly, whereas lighter coverings with simple designs could prove ideal. On the other hand, if you have a room that is reserved for entertaining, where the dйcor is rich and elaborate, the heavier window treatments could fit in nicely. A family room used for relaxing might benefit from simply designed and easy to maintain coverings, whereas a kitchen might fare better with cafй style drapes or even blinds. Each room requires careful thought and consideration before you make any firm decision with regards to the right coverings for the windows.

Enjoy a great choice of fabrics, colors, and designs

Whatever the design and decoration of each of your rooms, you should have no problem finding the ideal coverings for the windows amongst the vast choice available. From simple, easy to maintain coverings designed for rooms with heavy traffic or children and pets to rich, luxurious coverings with elaborate patterns and sumptuous fabrics, you can the right covers for every room in the home. Having the perfect drapes to complement the dйcor in a room can really inject life into the room, helping you to achieve both the look and the ambiance you are looking for. If you are carrying out a home improvement program, finding window coverings to suit each individual room can really make a difference to the overall finish of your improvements, and can give each room a whole new look.

Choose ready made coverings or create your own

For those confident when it comes to sewing and design, you can get some incredible drapery materials at really affordable prices, and these can be used to make your own coverings depending on your needs. If you are not confident enough to make your own, you will find a vast choice of ready made coverings designed for all sorts of rooms in the home, from bedrooms and living rooms, to dining rooms and kitchens, so you can ensure that every room in the home boasts the perfect drapes to complement the dйcor. You can often get excellent deals on both ready made coverings and a wide choice of materials online, giving you an even better chance of finding the ideal window treatments for use throughout your home.

Making vitamins plain and simple

It's no wonder we are pretty confused when shopping for vitamins. We've been told, for example, that a good vitamin supplement would boost our energy level. In fact, we're told this constantly: in magazine arti - cles, television media, the plethora of vitamin - promoting infomercials, web sites, and pop-up ads on the Internet.

So when you arrive at the vitamin shop, you're already at a complete loss (and may have forgotten altogether) why you're even there, and end up like many of us, just not taking any vitamins at all because it's all so...so...confusing!

Vitamin World, Vitamin Gallery, The Vitamin Patch, Vitamins for Vegeterians -- the vast array of shops, whether online or in your neighborhood, all beckon, promising renewed everything. If you have any health problem or complaint known to man, you'll find a good vitamin supplement (or 12 to 15 of them) to straight - en out your suffering right away.

The good thing about vitamins (just one of many) is that they're really largely "natural," with very few containing harmful or otherwise irritating, toxic chemicals.

To put it plainly, vitamins are good for us because they are derived largely from natural plants and min - erals. That's the basic fact. And the benfits are many; it's difficult to take the "wrong" vitamin, and it certainly can't hurt you, so why not give it a swing? But remember: Take everything in moderation.

Beta-carotene, for example, is thought to protect against cancer and heart disease. It can dramatically boost the immune system and is a powerful antioxidant, which controls those "free radicals" we've all heard about and prevents them from causing damage to cells that lead to premature disease and aging.

Biotin metabolizes protein, fats, and carbohydrates. It also helps in energy production, and there is some proof that it can help people with diabetes by keeping glucose levels reduced. Other benefits include healthy hair, skin and nails, and reducing fatigue, heartburn and some allergies.

Folic acid is famous among women who are trying to conceive and those already pregnant. Other benefits include keeping your heart strong, increasing energy and helping ward off Alzheimer’s disease.

Vitamins and minerals are now seroiusly recognized in playing a role in the health and vitality of every organ in the body, from skin and bones to the nervous and immune systems, right up to the brain. Vitamins can lower cholesterol levels, help wounds heal more, raise your sperm count and make you more resistant to colds and flu, asthma, cataracts, and even gum dis-ease.

Again, you really can't go wrong with vitamins. Look beyond the fancy marketing and packaging. The key is to focus on your particular ailment and go straight to the natural remedy. Don't let all the hype distract or confuse you; all you really need to do is keep it plain and simple.

A wide variety of cruise ships

Before the sixties, traveling on board a ship was the way of going to another continent. Travel by air, by passenger jets, which were absolutely luxurious, then ushered it. Even when Boeing introduced the famed 747 jets, travel by sea continued. This was despite the fact that it was nowhere near as pleasurable and relaxing as it is today. It was probably because it was a less expensive mode of travel as compared to air travel.

The film Titanic has quite accurately portrayed what a cruise aboard a liner entailed, aside from the great love story that unfolds in the film. There was a clear demarcation between the upper and lower class. While every luxury was available to the former right from their plush cabins to dancing and dining at the fine lounges and restaurants of the top deck, the latter had too be cooped up in their small cabins. It was simply money that decided the facilities that were available to a person. However, as a mode of travel to reach a certain place from another, an under deck ticket was the cheapest way to do so.

There were many cruise ships like the Queen Mary and the Lusitania, which were owned by shipping companies. There is a lot of legend associated with ships such as these. However, the number of such cruise liners was not many, but the companies were financially secure since there were enough passengers from all classes who brought in the money.

A perceptible change in the average view of what a cruise aboard a ship was, came with 'The Love Boat', the popular series on TV in the seventies. Now cruise travel seemed more like wonderful hotels which glided around the world offering luxury and recreation in the form of just lounging about on the deck drinking in the beauty of the ocean all around or reading a book, swimming and playing games, and dining in the fine restaurants. Once more, shipping companies acquired the same success that they had before the advent of the Boeing jet. The number of people wanting to go on a cruise holiday has been only increasing since then.

There is a wide variety of choice available right from the duration of the cruise, which ranges from four days to three weeks, to the size and amenities of accommodation on board, and the price that it costs to take a cruise. This makes it possible for anyone and everyone irrespective of their needs and budgets to enjoy a cruise. This is the main reason why cruises are the prime choice of vacation.

Chardonnay - an eminent white wine

The Chardonnay grape is an eminent white wine growing all around the world. This is the most popular white wine. The taste and flavours of Chardonnay are depending upon the origin location and processing methods. It yields a variety of flavours and styles. It is the major grape type in Champagne along with Pinot Noir. Due to its versatile flavours and styles, it expanded like a bush fire in Europe and in other parts of the world such as California, Australia and New Zealand.

As the wine makers paid attention in Chardonnay, it grew well in Chile and South Africa. As it is non-aromatic type, it is compatible with oak. French and American Chardonnay are the richest and complex whites. Although it has fatigue, but its wonderful flavours, richness will keep it popular for a long time.

The original recognition of Chardonnay comes from its boom in the Burgundy and Champagne area of France. Although it is labelled that White Burgundy is made from a less known grape Aligote, but the fact is White Burgundy can't be prepared without Chardonnay grape.

Chardonnay grapes are green-skinned and very thin skinned. According to the genetic science, it is the resultant of cross between Pinot and the Croatian Gouais Blanc grape. Although these two species are extinct, but Chardonnay is still popular.

Chardonnay grapes are generally fermented and aged in oak barrels, which yields the vanilla flavours in the wines. Chardonnay can also be fermented and aged in bottles, but it will not age as long as red wines.

As the Chardonnay wines are generally considered chilled, it clicks very well with chicken preparations and dishes with a lots of butter or cheeses. Chardonnay wines usually have less acid so it can match with seafood.

In America it is made by the malolactic fermentation with some oak. If it is fermented without oak, a soft wine will be produced with some mineral flavours. If it is aged with oak then the resultant wines will have caramel, vanilla and butter flavours with a blend of Smokey aroma.

Chardonnay is also used to make Champagne; the example of 100% Chardonnay Champagne is Blanc de Blanc. Furthermore, Chardonnay can be used to make some sparkling wines.

Chardonnay is now eighth-ranked in world chart of grape cultivation with estimated planting areas of 140,000 hectares. It is planted mostly in Australia, Italy, France and America. Its popularity has caused a repercussion from some wine lovers, who do not like any wine but Chardonnay. This causes the monopoly of Chardonnay in the wine market.

Be proactive with acne treatment

At some point in life, most people deal with acne. It is one of life's most annoying realities that doesn't seem to be a respector of persons. As a dermatologist, I am constantly meeting with teenagers, young adults and adults that are tired of struggling with acne and that are desperate for acne treatment that works.

Effective and healthy acne treatment is my life's work and my passion. I love researching about the causes of acne and about all of the possible methods for helping the skin clear from acne. If you've ever been to a store looking for an acne treatment, then you know first hand how many options there are and how easy it would be to make the wrong choices.

Most teens and adults I know go looking for the easiest and cheapest form of acne treatment that they can find. Yes, acne bothers them, but not enough to seek professional treatment. I am convinced that one of the reasons that so many people are unhappy with their chosen method of acne treatment is that they haven't taken the time to make changes to their lifestyle.

I am a firm believer that the most effective acne treatment is one that requires a total change of lifestyle. When any client struggling with acne enters my office, my first assignemnt to them is to change some of their lifestyle habits for a month and then return to see me. I will not prescribe any topical or oral acne treatment until people have other daily habits under control. For example, I look carefully at the typical diet of my patients and I look for ways to help them cut out junk food. I ask them to drink more water and less beverages that are filled with sugar, and I encourage them to stay away from sugary and salty foods for the month. I monitor their fitness habits and suggest that they get moving.

This might seem like a strange method of acne treatment, but you would be shocked to learn that every single client of mine returns to my office after a month of changing their lifestyle in awe of what a difference changing habits has made for them. Yes, I do offer topical and or oral acne treatments to supplement their other methods, but the point is that no topical or oral acne treatment will be as effective without partnering it with a healthy lifestyle.

Car lemon laws - you don t have to live with a sour deal

United States car lemon laws were enacted to protect consumers against buying defective, unrepairable vehicles. The major automobile manufacturers mass-produce their products, and generally the quality control is very good. However, when you connect more than a few parts together, you have a chance for a lemon.

What is a lemon car? A lemon or lemon car is an automobile that has a defect that cannot be repaired by the consumer after a reasonable number of attempts. Alternately, if the car has been in a repair garage for 30 calendar days or more for repairs on the same defect, it may also be classified as a lemon car. The term can also apply to a vehicle in which the defect negatively affects the value and safety of the vehicle. Car lemon laws vary by state, so you should consult your own state laws to determine the exact definition that applies to you.

Why is a terminally defective car called a lemon? One can only speculate why the name of a tart yellow citrus fruit came to be associated with defective cars. Lemons are very sour in taste, and traditionally sour tastes have been associated with bad luck. If something negative happens to a person, he or she might say, "It left a sour taste in my mouth." A salesperson whose big deal falls through might say, "The deal went sour." It seems plausible that the sour taste of the lemon, with its negative connotations, was used to coin the phrase "lemon car" to describe a car purchase gone sour.

Why were lemon laws needed to protect car consumers? Look at the general definitions of lemon cars shown above. Some quick math will show that a lemon car can be an extreme financial hardship. The last time you picked up your car from the repair garage, were you happy with the bill, or were you dreading it? A car with four to six (or more) attempted repairs, with all the parts and labor charges, can easily add up to thousands of dollars. If your car is stuck in a repair garage for 30 days or more, with the mechanics billing hour after hour of labor, the bill might approach the price of the car itself!

If your car meets your state's lemon car criteria, you have the right to seek a refund or replacement from the car manufacturer (not the dealer from which you bought it). You are probably entitled to be reimbursed for related costs such as towing, rental cars, and maybe even long distance calls to the manufacturer. Be absolutely sure to keep all bills and invoices related to your attempts to get your car repaired.

If you decide to proceed with a lemon law claim against the manufacturer, it is beneficial to consult with a lawyer that specializes in lemon law cases. A lawyer can help make the stressful process go more smoothly. No doubt are already stressed enough over your lemon car.

Some states have passed lemon laws to protect consumers against defective purchases of boats and even pets. Regardless of the origin of the term, lemon laws are here to protect you. The car manufacturers can hire teams of expensive lawyers, and they know you can't. Car lemon laws help to level the playing field in your favor.

If the guys at the car repair shop know you by your first name, you should consider the lemon law tips below.

Spitting up and other joys of motherhood

If you have a newborn, he or she is going to spit up. Some babies do it more than others, but they all do it. There are several reasons why, and some things you can do to minimize spitting up.

Newborns spit up more than older babies, in part because their esophagus is not mature yet, and in part because they tend to have a lot of mucous to clear, and when they clear it, the milk comes up, too. Most babies stop spitting up entirely by the time they are six months old, but there are those who continue until about one year old.

Other reasons that babies spit up are too much air in their stomachs, or simply eating a little too much. These are problems you can minimize with a little attention. First, don’t feed your baby when he’s crying, as he is taking in air with all those sobs. Calm him first and then continue. If your baby is taking a bottle, make sure you are holding the bottle so that the nipple stays full of milk, and holding the baby so that he stays partially upright. If possible, put him somewhere where he will be still for awhile right after eating. Jostling him around is likely to cause an outburst. Also, don’t try to feed your baby too much. Just because the doctor says that most newborns will take three or four ounces at a time, doesn’t mean that’s right for your baby. If your baby consistently spits up a large amount after every feeding, you might want to cut back by an ounce or so, and see what happens.

Now, let me point out something important. There is a difference between spitting up and throwing up. When your baby spits up normally, it will look (and smell) like a lot, but realistically, it is probably only a teaspoon or two of milk mixed with mucous. That is normal spitting up. It’s important that you know the difference between spitting up and throwing up the whole meal. If your child starts throwing up, it’s time to call the doctor!

Now, a word about your clothes. Keep a cloth diaper around at all times. When you had your baby shower, I bet people gave you some of those fancy burp rags, didn’t they? Well, they’re great for dusting furniture, but simply too narrow for your shoulder. Whenever I used them, I wound up with vomit on my shoulder nearest my neck. It was lovely. I wonder how many people thought I had switched to some new, horrible perfume. Another trick if you’re going to work. I used to put an old, extra large button front shirt on over my clothes when I got dressed on work days. I wore it until I had dropped the baby off at the sitters, and then took it off in the car. That way, if they decided to spit up on me on the way out the door, or at the sitter’s, I didn’t have to go home and change.

Spitting up is relatively short lived, thank goodness. So, just take precautions, and wait it out!

Dissecting credit card offers

I am always more than a little skeptical about signs that shout out "Zero Percent Interest" or "Flat Fifty Percent Off". The only thought that runs through my mind at those times is: "Where is the catch?" There usually is a catch. The question is: Does the catch overpower the benefits? That is the question that I ask myself just before I buy a new credit card or enter a sale. I usually find that the catch is somewhat insignificant when you compare it with the bigger picture.

I usually have a lot of these cynical moments when I am on the lookout for a new credit card. It seems to me that there are too many great offers going. It is as though they are too eager to sell me those credit cards. Why is there so much enthusiasm?

I mean, why would a company offer something like interest free credit cards? What is in it for them? And what about the zero percent balance transfer credit cards? What is the deal with them?

Well, I think once you do away with the skepticism, you find that most of these offers are more or less true to what they say. Most interest free credit cards provide a deal where you don't have to pay interest for a given number of months. After all, credit card companies are bogged down by immense competition. Each has to attract more customers than its nearest rival.

The same logic holds with 0% balance transfer credit cards. The credit card companies want to do business with you. They want to sell you their credit cards. So they have to take the help of gimmicks like this to win you over to their side. In fact, balance transfer credit cards are a prime example of how credit card companies lure away the customers of other credit card companies.

How does this work? Suppose you have a credit card with one company but wish you could get a different credit card that charges a different rate of interest, you could consider getting a hold of a balance transfer credit card. And there will be lots of cards that make you offers that you will not want to refuse.

Competition is everything in the world of today. Everyone is in the rat race to make more business, and everyone is in the rat race to win. So even though you should not be taking offers like "Zero Percent Interest" at face value, remind yourself that you are a potential customer. In this day and age, it is the customer who is the king!

What you need to know about mumps

Mumps is a fairly contagious viral disease (although not as contagious as chickenpox) and is caused by the myxo virus; it is something that has plagued the human race for centuries.

Generally speaking, most cases of mumps are in children aged from 5 to 14 years, although cases in young adults are on the increase. Mumps is rare to be found in infants and babies.

But fortunately, with the aid of modern medicine, a mumps vaccine can now be administered - but this only protects against mumps. However, it is far more common for the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to be given; as this immunizes the child against all 3 diseases in one go.

Symptoms of mumps:

The other most common symptoms of mumps include:

• headache

• fever with high temperature

• loss of appetite

• swelling and pain in the patotid glands

• loss of appetite

• stiff neck

• drowsiness

• nausea and vomiting.

These symptoms are not usually serious, but mumps can cause some other serious and rare complications. These include arthritis, kidney and pancreas problems, deafness, and inflammation of the thyroid gland, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) and meningitis. Medical treatment should be obtained immediately if there is any sign of these occurring.

It is also noted that serious complications of mumps are more common among adults than amongst younger children.

Apart from the well known symptoms of swelling to either or both sides of the cheeks and neck, mumps in adolescent males can sometimes result in the development of orchitis. This is a very painful inflammation of the testicles that can, in some rare cases, result in sterility.

Approximately 20-30% of infected people do not have any symptoms of mumps at all, and they are not even aware that they even have the disease.

Mumps is transmitted by airborne means or through direct contact with infected droplets or saliva, which are ejected from the body during coughing and sneezing.

Mumps being a virus, and like all viral diseases, mumps is not able to be treated with antibiotics. Taking paracetamol and drinking plenty of water are beneficial but avoid acidic fruit juices (lemonade, orange juice etc) as these can increase parotid pain.

Normally the infection can simply be left to run its course, while the body's defences fight off the disease. Most people can expect to recover from mumps within 2 to 3 weeks.

Once you have had mumps, it is very rare that you can develop the disease again, because of the immunity your body developed while fighting off the initial attack by the disease.

Although a number of people are not keen on any form of vaccination for their children it is still the best way to avoid the childhood disease of mumps.

Midge bite misery

Longer days and warmer nights mean that summer is getting nearer. For many horses and ponies, it brings with it the misery of sweet itch. The condition, which is found throughout the temperate regions of the world, is also known as kasen, Queensland itch, summer itch or summer seasonal recurrent dermatitis.

Affected animals are very itchy and will rub on anything they can find. They often have bald patches in their mane and at the base of the tail. In severe cases the skin may be sore and weeping. The signs tend to get worse over the grazing season.

Up to 5% of horse and ponies in Britain suffer from sweet itch. Many breeds are affected. Although it is often thought of as a disease of ponies, horses of any size can be affected. Even Shires are not immune.

Sweet itch is an allergic disease in which the horse or pony over-reacts to bites from certain species of midge. Normally, when exposed to foreign proteins, an animal produces antibodies that help to inactivate the foreign material. Horses affected with sweet itch have an abnormal immune response. Instead of producing the normal antibodies, they produce allergic antibodies which cause the allergic reaction in the skin. It is not that the midges only bite certain horses. They probably bite all horses, but only affected horses react.

Only the female midges feed on blood. They cut the skin with their mouthparts and secrete saliva, which contains active substances to dilate the blood vessels, and stop the blood clotting. The midges then drink the resulting pool of fluid. The midges tend to feed along the top of the horse, from the ears to the tail and under the belly. So those are the areas most commonly affected. When you consider that several hundred midges can be found on a single pony in an hour, it is not surprising that some ponies will have such a marked reaction.

At present there is no cure for the disease. Once an animal is affected the signs are likely to recur annually, usually getting worse each year. But there are several things you can do to reduce the irritation and make the horses more comfortable.

Ideally, the aim should be to prevent the midges biting in the first place. This may require several different lines of attack.

As the midges are active between dawn and dusk, bringing ponies into a stable overnight can reduce their exposure to the midges. You can put fine mesh netting over the windows to try to keep the midges out, and hang sticky fly strips in the stable to catch those that do get inside.

Try to avoid pasture in damp boggy areas, shaded by hedges and tress, which is an ideal breeding ground for the midges.

Insecticidal fly repellents may help, but need to be applied frequently. Various oil-based preparations are available, which may act as a barrier and help repel the midges. Again they need to be applied frequently.

Protective blankets such as the Boett blanket that cover the horse's body and prevent the midges reaching their favorite feeding sites are usually very effective.

There are various things that can be done to reduce the horse's reaction to the midge bites.

Short-acting corticosteroids such as prednisolone tablets are usually safe and effective. Longer acting corticosteroid injections may increase the risk of the pony developing laminitis. As a result, many vets are reluctant to treat sweet itch with corticosteroids.

Anti-histamines generally have little effect once the allergic reaction has started. They are more likely to cause sedation than reduce the itching.

A vaccine can be prepared to try to stimulate the pony to produce good antibodies rather that the allergic ones that cause the problem. Regular doses are injected (initially every other day) in the hope of inducing a normal immune response to replace the allergic one. Opinions among veterinarians and dermatologists are divided on whether this treatment is effective. So it is obviously something you would need to discuss with your veterinarian first.

But there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Research at University College London suggests that regular treatment with a preparation containing certain killed bacteria may modify the immune response in affected horses. A trial is currently underway and the initial results look promising.

Las vegas top 5 poker rooms in las vegas

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If you want to experience live poker action at the gambling Mecca of the world, here is a guide to the top poker rooms in Las Vegas. You can read here updated info on each of the recommended Las Vegas poker rooms including their game variety, limits and tournaments.

1) Bellagio Casino and Hotel
If you want to experience Las Vegas poker action and hang out with pros, the Bellagio is the casino for you. It is one of the classiest poker rooms available in Las Vegas. It is so popular that you might find yourself spending over an hour at the waiting list and then find yourself stuck with a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs.

The games offered are Texas Holdem, Omaha and stud games, and you can also join one of the tournaments, but note that this involves playing No Limit Holdem. As for the table limits for the regular games, these are as follows:
a) Limit Holdem: 4/8, 8/16, 15/30, 30/60, 60/120, 75/150 dollars and up.
b) No Limit Holdem: 200 dollars buy ins with 2/5 dollars blinds.
c) Omaha: 6/12, 15/30, 20/40, 30/60, 50/100 dollars and up.
d) Stud Poker: 1/5, 4/8, 8/16, 30/60, 75/150 dollars and up.

2) Mirage Las Vegas
If you are tired of waiting for a table at Bellagio, the poker rooms at the Mirage can be an acceptable alternative. It resembles Bellagio's with its luxurious atmosphere, variety of games and its huge popularity among pros as well as tourists.

The games offered are Texas Holdem and Omaha, Stud and as the Bellagio, playing in a tournament means getting involved with No Limit Texas Holdem. As for the limits of each table in a regular game, they are:
a) Limit Holdem: 3/6, 6/12, 10/20, 20/40, 40/80 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: between 100 and 500 dollars buy ins with 2/5 dollars blinds.
c) Omaha: 5/10 dollars.
d) Stud Poker: 1/5, 5/10.

3) Excalibur Las Vegas
If you want to play in a less stressful environment, check out the poker room at the Excalibur casino. You can play spread limit Holdem with the lowest limits available on the Strip and enjoy beginners friendly rules such as limitation on three raises. The room has been renovated recently and the poker tables and seats are very comfortable.

At the Excalibur, you can play Texas Holdem or 7 Card Stud, and the limits are slightly lower:
a) Limit Holdem: 1/3, 2/6 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 dollars buy ins with 1/3 dollars blinds.
c) 7 Card Stud: 1/5 dollars and up.

4) Binions' Horseshoe Hotel and Casino
If you want to play at the same room where the first WSOP took place, you must visit Binions' poker room. Although the casino has been renovated and went through many changes since the days of Nick the Greek, the ghosts of the past still haunt the place, but in a good way.

Here too you can play Texas Holdem, No Limit Holdem in their own tournament, Omaha and Stud games for the following limits:
a) Limit Holdem: 2/4, 4/8, 10/20 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 dollars minimum buy ins with 1/2 dollars blinds.
c) Omaha: 4/8 dollars.
d) Stud Poker: 1/5.

5) Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
If you want to follow in the steps of the 2006 WSOP champions, check out the Rio poker room. You might be surprised from the size and the small variety of games, but the thought of sharing the same location with contemporary gaming legends adds a certain appeal to it.

Other than taking part in the tournament where you can participate in some No Limit Holdem, you can pick from Texas Holdem, 7 Card Stud, Omaha or a few other variations according to what players request. The limits are as follows:
a) Limit Holdem: 2/4, 3/6, 4/8 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 dollars minimum buy ins with 2/5 dollars blinds.

Horse trailers with living quarters

Living Quarters in a Horse Trailer

When you travel a lot with your horse then Living quarters in your horse trailer are a must if you travel long distances or have overnight stops. The size of your living quarters depends if you have bumper hitch or goose neck, the latter being sizeably bigger giving more free space for your comfort.

So what sort of living quarters do you want in your horse trailer? Obviously a bed is a must, you can sleep 2, 3, 4 or even more if desired, again the size of the trailer is the deciding factor. Your trailer can be a real home from home with varying degrees of luxury depending on your budget. After a hard day in the saddle a nice comfy bed in cosy surroundings appeals to most!

Okay so you’ve got your sleeping quarters, a bath/shower room will be an obvious must and space will probably be tight so don’t be alarmed. For me, a functional kitchen equipped with microwave, fridge, stove, storage space and with a seating area would complete the living quarters. The total space you will have will again depend on the size of your horse trailer. Remember there needs to be space for your horse and all his kit so you might find yourself looking at bigger and bigger trailers – try not to get carried away!

There are some pretty cool living quarters in horse trailers on the market and as you would expect they come with a price tag to match. For around $43,000 you can have all the above including an ultra leather lounge, aircon, cherry wood finish and separate shower and toilet.

With all this luxury in the living quarters in your horse trailer you would also expect your horse to travel in the same quality of comfort and I would expect to have feed and hay mangers, rubber matting on floor and plenty of travelling room in slant style stalls. If luxury is what you want then it is definitely out there all you have to do is look!

How a powered wheelchair can enhance the living condition of the handicapped and elderly

Wheelchairs are a boon to not only the handicapped but also for the elderly people. There are various types of wheelchairs. Some are manually operated and the others are electrically operated. Some wheelchairs are operated with the help of sensor devices. Here is a little information about the enhancement of living condition of the elderly and handicapper people with the help of the wheelchair fitted with sensors.

As mentioned earlier the wheelchairs are of immense help to the handicapped people, elderly people and others who could not walk due to various medical ailments. Those people need to move on their own. Confining themselves within four walls will harm them physically and mentally. Wheelchairs are nothing but chair on wheels. The chairs will have four wheels. The rear wheels will be larger than the front wheels. The chairs will be provided with sensors for safety, ultramodern navigation modules and steering that is omni directional.

The introduction of powered wheelchair is of biggest help for the severely disabled persons. They can move to different places without the help of others and even without exerting themselves much as in the case of manual wheelchairs. Conventional wheelchairs are very difficult to operate for the people who have limited psycho - mental capacity. There are two reasons for this. The first one is their mental and physical inability to operate the wheelchair.

The other reason is the complicated household environments such as small bathrooms located in one corner of the house with narrow passage. Controlling the wheelchair will be hard for those who have restricted psycho-mental capacity. In order to help severely affected people through research the technicians have come out with newer model. These models are provided with sensor instruments. These sensor instruments fitted in the wheelchair prevent the collision of the machine with any object be it is wall or other furniture items.

Hence the occupant need not worry about the collision and the subsequent injury while maneuvering the machine through the narrow passage. There is more freedom of operation. Some of the wheelchairs are provided with facilities like playback [moving on the prescribed or recorded direction and path] and back - tracing [facility to reverse the recent application]

The occupant of the wheelchair should be taught very well about the functioning of the wheelchair. It is better to make the occupant to go through the operating booklet thoroughly. Incase on any doubt about the particular function, it has to be clarified by the technician then and there. The basic function of the wheelchair must be made to known to the occupant otherwise we may need to design or order specific wheelchair for the occupant, I mean for the disabled person.

Few models of the wheelchairs are fitted with IR or ultrasonic sensors. The prime function of this sensor is to prevent dashing, thus providing safe movement. Some other wheelchairs are provided with sensors that help in movement directed by the environment. These sensors help in moving the wheelchair along the wall or through the door or for docking the wheelchair at station. Few other models were provided with special control devices such as play-back and back-tracing as mentioned earlier.

As the wheelchair is fitted with more advance equipments the movement the wheelchair by the occupant becomes very easy and the occupants are less burdened. At the same time as the functionality of the machine becomes more the safety becomes very important which should never be compromised.

Though the powered wheelchairs move automatically with the press of button, the speed and the direction must be decided by the occupant. Hence the occupant must be given proper training before letting him to operate the machine on his own. For some time it is better to ask the occupant to operate the machine inside the house. Once he is confident of himself, he can be allowed to use the wheelchair wherever he wants.

Though there are difficulty in understanding and operating the powered wheelchair, there is no doubt that these powered machines enhance the standard of living of the handicapped and the elderly people once they are familiar with the machine and its operation. The occupant will be confidant of himself, the dependency of the occupant on the other person for his movement will be less. The freedom of the occupant is ensured with the sensor controlled wheel chairs.

Choose a daycare with care

When my wife and I began having kids it was impossible for one of us to quit work to stay home with them. We had always hoped to be in a position financially where one of us could support the family while the other one did the important job of raising our children for the first few years of their lives until they got into school. So, unfortunately, when kids came around and our finances weren't at the level we had hoped, we began our search for the right daycare setting for our young kids.

I am a firm believer that a daycare, when chosen carefully, can be a great place for children to spend their first few years of life. Before my wife and I began our search for the right place for our kids, we sat down and made a list of the things we wouldn't compromise on when it came to the daycare our children attended. I'd encourage all parents who are considering daycare for their children to do the same.

By sitting down together and listing our priorities, we were able to begin our search with a better picture of the kind of daycare we were looking for. We knew that we wanted our children to be in a safe, healthy environment where they would be cared for well and encouraged to build friendships with other kids and to learn new things. We insisted that our daycare was smoke free and we looked for a daycare that gave the children many opportunities each week to get outside and enjoy playgrounds or other fun events for children.

Take your time and be intentional with choosing a daycare for your kids. If you are unable to care for your children in the earliest years of their lives, in some ways by choosing a daycare program you are choosing a substitute parent for your kids. You cannot afford to make the decision about daycare lightly because I guarentee your kids will be shaped and formed by the daycare they attend.

My wife and I settled on a small, private daycare that was run by one woman out of her home. Our two children made a total of six children that she was watching each day. Our daycare provider had a clean home that was filled with a variety of educational toys for children of all ages. Twice a week she took all of the children to events somewhere outside her home. Perhaps they would attend a book reading at the local library or go to the park on a nice afternoon. We were happy that her daycare service prioritized feeding our children healthy foods and helping them have a healthy, active lifestyle right from the start.

Determine your priorities for daycare and then stick with them, because choosing a daycare for your kids is one of the most important decisions you can make for them.

Ten important questions to ask your mortgage loan broker

When looking for a mortgage in today’s market you are swapped with information, products and deals. This can make the whole process very daunting and confusing. For this reason it is good to be prepared with a set of questions to ask your mortgage broker, so that you do not get ripped off and you know where you stand.

1. What are different types of mortgages and in what way do they work?

There are a mass of different types of mortgage products on the market, so make sure that your broker explains the differences between the different types of mortgages and how they can benefit you. For example may lender these days offer fixed rates, discounts and cashback over a number of terms. Also make sure that you get an outline of the varying ways of paying the capital off. This at first might seem to be a complicated area, but once you have the basics explained everything will become a lot clearer and you will start to see how different products will suit your personal circumstances better than others.

2. What is the Annual Percentage Rate (APR)?

In accordance to regulations the APR is meant to appear in all adverts alongside the headline mortgage rate. The APR is used to provide customers with the true cost of loans and empower them to be able to compare different deals. Do remember that APR is unreliable and is no substitute for personal prepared quote that outlines all upfront and ongoing costs.

3. What is the interest rate that I will be charged?

In the cases of fixed, capped or discount rate then your broker should tell you what the initial rate you will paying and how long you will be on that rate for.

4. So what happens at the end of the fixed or discount rate period?

It is important to know what will happen when your fixed or discount rate period ends. Will you be switched on to the standard variable rate or will the lender offer you another discounted or fixed rate deal. Also remember remortgaging is a good option.

5. Standard Variable Rate – What is that?

Because house prices are at a record high many people (probably including yourself) are now thinking of their mortgages in the long term as well as the upfront rate. For this reason it is worth knowing what current customers are paying. It is highly unlikely that when you come to the end of your fixed or discount rate period you will be on the same SVR as current customers. But you can use the information to see how the lender compares against others in the market.

6. What are the Early Redemption Charges or Early Repayment Charges attached to the product?

Most mortgage deals will involve some kind of repayment charge. So you will have to a fee to the lender if you repay your mortgage early or switch to another lender within a set time period. Make sure you find out precisely what you will have to pay and what would happen if you moved home during the mortgages term.

7. What will my monthly payments be at the quoted interest rate?

Your broker should tell you exactly what your monthly payments are going to be. They should also tell you what you would be paying at the SVR as to give you an indication of what you will be paying after your products term comes to an end. Get the broker to work out the payments on interest rates of up to 11% as well. This way if the interest rates rise substantially you will be able to see if you can afford the mortgage.

8. Are there any other conditions attached to the mortgage?

Different lenders will have different deals, incentives and clauses. Lenders will offer better discounts, fixed rates or cashbacks if you are prepared to take the lenders building and contents insurance. This is something that will be worth considering. Just make sure that you are informed about the terms and what would happen if you moved your insurance cover.

9. Are there any Higher Lending Charges?

With some lenders there may be a Higher Lending Charge (HLC) if you are borrowing more than a certain amount of the value of the property. Make sure you know what the charges are and how much the fees are. Some lenders will add HLC charge to the loan others will charge it upfront.

10. What are the arrangement or broker fees?

Your broker should tell you about every payment you will have to make to arrange your mortgage. This will give you an idea of the whole cost of the deal rather than just an upfront rate. This will also allow you to shop around and find the best deal.

So next time you are looking for a mortgage make sure you have these ten questions to hand.

Moving to a new location tax information

In modern America, it is rare to find a person or family living in the same place for thirty years. Most of us move five or ten times, which means taxes become an issue.

Moving To A New Location – Tax Information

I hate moving. Absolutely loathe it. I am sure you do as well. Nonetheless, you, me and everyone seem to move all the time. Whether we are buying and selling real estate or just getting a new start in a new location, there are lots of little things we have to get in order. While utilities and cable are first on the list of things to handle, most people fail to pay close attention to tax issues and miss out on some juicy deductions.

If you are moving, you are inevitably going to dish out some cash for movers, a truck, boxes, gas, hospital visits, aspirin, more aspirin and so on. Fortunately, these expenses may be deductible on your next tax return. There are three tests you have to meet.

Initially, you have to be starting work at a new job location. Many misunderstand this requirement to mean that you have to already have a job when you move and that is the reason for the move. This is incorrect. You must simply find a new job once you have moved.

The second requirement deals with timing issues. Assuming you are going to start a new job, you must actually start within a prescribed time. This time period is a year from the date of the move. This should be relatively easy to comply with as the lack of a new job within a year probably will mean you have returned to your old job and location.

The third test is known as the distance test. The IRS calls this the closely related in place test. Essentially, you have to be able to show the distance from your new residence to your new job is smaller than the distance from your previous residence to the new job. Your new job location must also be at least 50 miles from your old one. This should be pretty simple for most people to show. If you can’t meet this test, you can get around it by claiming the commute is easier and cheaper than your old one.

If you meet these tests, you can claim some nice deductions. They include travel expenses and all moving expenses reasonably related to the move including 30 days of storage. Sorry, but you don’t get to deduct hotel stays and food. Regardless, you can claim the deductions on form 3903. Just attach it to your 1040 when you file.

Acupuncture for infertility - will it work for you

Acupuncture for infertility promises miraculous cure even where modern scientific methods fail to work. Being a Chinese remedy, Acupuncture might conjure a feeling of dark rooms, hushed voices and incessant pains for pricking of needles. But it is not the case when you go to treat your infertility syndrome with acupuncture. It, on the other hand, promises complete relaxation and instant cure from infertility.

Acupuncture is based on Chinese methods. The Chinese people believed that to remain healthy, energy should flow in a balanced way throughout your body. Whenever there is a blockage in the flow of that energy, inflammations will occur leading to severe pains and several types of diseases. Since energy flows the meridian points, so acupuncture inserts needles in different parts of the body to make energy flow smoothly. Placing needles on certain points unblocks the energy points. This reduces the particular type of disease.

What acupuncture treatment will suit you?

A close research on acupuncture and infertility shows that treatment depends from person to person. However, you should visit the doctor, state your problem and know what acupuncture fertility treatment is right for you. Suggest every detail of your physical condition to the doctor and then go for particular acupuncture remedy. Whether you are suffering from low sperm count, bad quality egg, miscarriage problems, troubling ovulation or blocked Fallopian tubes, acupuncture has a remedy for all.

Acupuncture is best for those people who have already undergone various treatments without any effective results. It is also appropriate for those who do not want to undergo any costly fertility treatments. It is a safe, easy, reliable and painless method that provides fast relief from infertility. Acupuncture for infertility includes pricking of needles in the earlobes, eyebrows, eyelids, ears and fingertips. After the needles are pricked, the patient has to relax for 30 to 45 minutes. Acupuncture guarantees complete cure from infertility by just 3-4 regular sessions.

Other Chinese herbal treatments

Acupuncture for infertility can include auricular, electrified or manual treatments. Electrified means using of electric needles to cure pains and obstacles. Auricular treatment involving pricking of needles in the ears and earlobes is an alternative therapy for female infertility due to hormone disorders. Another method used during acupuncture treatments for infertility includes usage of Chinese herbal medicines. Hachimijiogan is a Chinese herb that subsequently reduces serum prolactin level and results in normal ovulatory cycle and pregnancy. However, using rhubarb, endometriotic pill No 1 and Hochuekkito also reduces pelvic pain and intercourse pain, removes blood stasis, disintegrates mass and leads to purgation of serums.

Acupuncture works for infertility by increasing the production of endorphins or brain chemicals that help to reduce stress. It also improves blood supply to the ovaries, and the uterus. This makes it easier for the uterus to nourish a fetus and reduce the risk of miscarriage effectively. Atlanta acupuncture for infertility pregnancy suggests that the sessions stimulates the central nervous systems causing neurotransmitters and neurophormones to be released, thus reducing infertility effectively.

What you must do when moving to spain

It’s really no surprise that many people would have an interest in living in Spain. After all, Spain has an amazing climate and year long temperature, which actually is a driving force for people in Northern Europe to move to this region and cozy up to the colorful Spanish culture.

Another reason that people will commonly move to Spain is for work or family related reasons such as a job transfer or whatnot. In this case you’ll have to become knowledgeable about various topics such as work permits as well residency permits. Also, you’ll need to know the language of the land, which obviously is Spanish, so studying for this beforehand would be a bright idea.

Regarding relocation to Spain for job purposes, you can actually make this a much more smooth transition by utilizing the services of one of the many relocation companies. These are companies that offer a staff of multi lingual individuals to assist you in such tasks as finding your home, finding a school for your kids, help with registering vehicles, as well as getting your residency permits. They can also help you extensively in becoming familiar with different aspects of the Spanish culture itself.

If you do have to begin working in Spain, you’ll need to obtain certain permits for this. The different kinds of permits depends on the amount of time you’ll be doing the work, as well as the type of work that you’ll actually be doing.

For those conducting seasonal work, you’ll need a permit known as the Type A Permit. This type of permit is good for 9 months and is usually limited only to certain geographical areas.

A permit that’s given for a longer period of time is the Type B permit, which is actually the initial work permit. These are for specific types of professions as well as specific areas. These are valid for 1 year but can be renewed for two years max.

Now, a C type of permit is good for any type of job. These are region restricted at all and are usually valid for up to three years.

The next type of permit is the Type D permit, which is for those people who are self employed. These also, like the Type B permit are valid for one year but can be made valid for two years at renewal if necessary. These as well can be limited only to certain geographic areas

A permit that’s valid for up to three years, that has no geographic limitation is the E permit.

Type E Permits have no geographic limitation. These are valid for up to three years.

If after a Type C or Type E work permit expires and you still need a permit to work that has no limit on geography then you can file for a permanent work permit, which is for both employed and self employed individuals.

Beach lovers enjoy your hawaii vacation with a hawaii beach rental

Do you consider yourself to be a beach lover? Whether you enjoy lounging along the shoreline, swimming, scuba diving, boating, or surfing, you may consider yourself to be a beach lover. If you do love the beach, there is a good chance that you may want to vacation in an area that can give you just what you want; a place to swim, boat, surf, or go scuba diving. You can do this in Hawaii. In fact, you can have the vacation of your dreams on one of the many Hawaiian Islands.

Choosing to take a Hawaii vacation is enough to give you the vacation of your dreams, but you may want more. You can easily do this by carefully choosing where you want to stay while on vacation, in the form of overnight accommodations. If you are looking to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Hawaii, as well as everything that goes along with them, you are urged to give Hawaii beach rentals some thought. Hawaii beach rentals are the perfect way to spend your whole vacation taking in the beautiful beaches of Hawaii.

As you likely already know, Hawaii vacation beach rentals are rentals that are along the beach. These rentals are most commonly found along Hawaii’s coasts. What is nice about Hawaii beach rentals is that they come in a number of different forms. The two most popular types of rentals include beachfront vacation homes and beachfront vacation condos. When trying to decide whether you would like to stay at a Hawaii beachfront vacation home or a beachfront condo, you are advised to examine the advantages and disadvantages of each. Doing so may make it easier for you to choose the overnight accommodations that can best fit your needs, as well as your wants.

Hawaii beachfront vacation rentals are ideal for those who are looking for privacy and some seclusion. This is because beachfront vacation rentals are traditional homes; homes that are designed for vacationers and homes that are located along the coast. Perhaps, the greatest benefit of staying in a Hawaii beachfront vacation home is that you will be able to enjoy a Hawaii vacation, while still feeling the comforts of homes. All vacation homes come fully furnished; therefore, you really only need to worry about your food and drinks. In addition to coming fully furnished, most beachfront vacation homes house multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, dinning rooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and family room areas.

Although there are a number of benefits to staying at one of these popular Hawaii beach rentals, you will also find a few, small number of, disadvantages. One of those disadvantages is the cost. Since you will be renting your own private home, you will find that beachfront vacation homes cost more money than traditional overnight accommodations at a hotel or at a resort. Despite the high costs, you will find renting one of these Hawaii beach rentals to be well worth it. In fact, that leads to another disadvantage of beachfront vacation homes, their popularity. Over the past few years, the popularity of beachfront vacation homes has, literally, skyrocketed. This means that a large number of travelers are often requesting the same homes. To ensure that you get the beachfront vacation home of your choice, you are advised to make your reservations early.

In addition to beachfront vacation homes, you can also book a stay at a Hawaii beach rental by renting a beachfront vacation condo. Beachfront vacation condos are living spaces, or vacation spaces, that are available for rent. These spaces are often housed inside a large building, such as a townhouse or a high-rise. As with vacation rentals, beachfront condos tend to cost more than most hotels or resorts, but they are still, almost always, worth the extra cost. This is because most beachfront vacation condos have multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, dinning rooms, living rooms, and kitchens; everything that you need while on a Hawaii vacation.

Aside from all of the points mentioned above, it is also important to remember that Hawaii beachfront rentals tend to give you more access to the beaches. In fact, you will often find that you are given twenty-four hour access. Whether you are looking to go for a boat ride or a swim, you should be able to, depending on the location of your Hawaii beachfront rental and on the condition of the waters in front of you.

3 steps to getting listed in the search engines

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You've just finished putting in all kinds of effort towards getting your website online. You're ready to take orders and make sales. The only problem is... No one can find your website! You need to get listed in the major search engines in order to get visitors to visit your website. What can you do? Follow these 3 steps and the search engines will know about your site in no time at all.

1. Write an article related to the main topic of your website.

Not sure if you know enough about writing to write an article? Don't worry about being perfect. Write about what you know. Keep the article short, between 300-600 words long. When you write the article, give out general information that anyone would gladly post on their site as valuable content. Don't try to sell your product or service in this article.

Remember the goal of the article is for you to get a valuable link back to your website, not to make a sale. In fact, if you try to make a sale in the article, most webmasters will not want to publish your article on their site. The whole goal of writing articles is to get your articles on as many websites as possible with a link pointing back to your site.

2. Include a resource box at the end of the article with your website link in it.

If you've created a good general information article that is relevant to the topic of your website, you are ready to create your resource box. Keep in mind here to get to the point quickly. It is usually considered fine to promote your product or service in this resource box but it is necessary to keep it short. You should remember that the main point of including this resource box is to get a link going back to your website. The secondary purpose of the resource box is to get readers of your article to click through and visit your website.

When including a link in your resource box, make sure that one of your links includes the main keywords of your home page. Keywords are a fancy term for the phrase or words a visitor will type in to find your website. Make the keyword the clickable portion of the link instead of your web address. Put this keyword text in between your html anchor link.

3. Submit your article to the major article directories.

Once you've created your article, submit it to the major article directories to get the article distributed on as many websites as possible. Some major article directories include EzineArticles, ArticleCity, ZapContent. com and Isnare. Some services like Isnare will even distribute your article for you for a fee.

Do these three steps and search engines will find, crawl, then list your website in their listings. It's as simple as that!

Why linux and windows will never do your laundry

If a store opened across the street from Target, same relative inventory, same service, only difference everything was free, would Target survive?

Unlikely.

Yet in software…

"Payware" = "Freeware" (open source)

--------------------------------------

Windows = Linux

Oracle = MySQL

MS Office = OpenOffice

Ultra Edit = PSPad

…the current reality is that payware and freeware compete in the marketplace head to head.

In fact, the “for pay” software continues to thrive in the marketplace despite free software that is in many cases just as good (some might claim better).

Why is this?

When you buy a pair of jeans at the store the total cost is paid in full at the time of the purchase. There are no additional costs involved that directly pertain to the manufacturer. Of course there is the on-going cost of maintaining the pants through washing. This is a totally different market that is wholly agnostic to the brand of jeans. In other words, Tide washes Wrangler’s the same as Levi’s.

With software the game is different. Only a small percentage of the total cost of software can be attributed to its development. Support and maintenance make up a sizeable chunk of the cost. The larger one scales the software the higher these costs go. There is no singular solution like Tide to deal with both Windows or Linux. Sure you copy files in both, and make directories, but the means of doing so is very different and not interchangeable like your detergent. My trivial example has not even exposed the tip of the iceberg!

So this leaves us with the issue of market share. When you have a commodity that requires so much additional and continuing service/support, market share becomes a very important factor.

Support and service for free software is anything but free. Microsoft loves to tell us (and rightly so) that TCO (total cost of ownership) between Windows and Linux is in the same ballpark. They even claim that Linux costs more, all factors considered. But the geeks at Redmond can’t have it both ways. Open Source software that can be obtained for free does not represent communism (Remember Mr. Balmer declaring this?). Communism to my understanding was never a sustaining and growing multi-billion dollar business.

If we look back as to how Microsoft dominated the market we tend to forget some key points.

* The mainframe market viewed Microsoft as a passing fad.

[The CEO of DEC wondered why in the world anyone would every want to own a computer.]

*Microsoft was the only real game in town when it came to PC operating systems.

[Any attempts by others (DR Dos, OS2) were summarily squashed.]

*Microsoft gave away IE in order to squash then leader Netscape.

[Who?]

*Microsoft sold early versions of Office for $99.00 to gain market share.

[Other players at the time were selling there office suites for 3+ times that amount. Microsoft bought market share by thinking long term. After all, changing your word processor and spreadsheet are a bit dicier than changing your undies. Also, think of all of us who make a living off these products.]

While many software vendors have come and gone, it is the open source, "here it is for free" Cowboys and Cowgirls that are here to stay and threaten the very world of "for pay" software. But what the hey, we developers are typically more enthralled by creating things than making money. I know of no other profession on the planet where not taking and reusing other peoples work is considered the sane way of doing ones job. I believe in journalism they call it plagiarism?

Are anabolic steroids real baddies

You’ll be utterly ignoring the good aspects of anabolic steroids, if you call them “baddies”. Certainly, anabolic steroids are neither wholly bad nor utterly good. These drugs are blend of good and bad!

Anabolic steroids are the drugs derived from testosterone, male sex hormone. Testosterone is potent androgenic steroid hormone, which is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females, but a small amount of testosterone is also secreted by the adrenal glands. Testosterone, the male sex hormone, is an anabolic steroid. It plays key roles in health and well-being of both males and females. It is responsible for libido, energy, immune function, and protection against osteoporosis.

On average, an adult human male produces about eight to ten times more testosterone than an adult female body. The hormone is responsible for the development of male secondary sex characteristics. The level of testosterone goes down when a person ages or grows old. Thus, anabolic steroids are often recommended as part of a regimen for the aging men and women. Anabolic steroids helps in maintaining good testosterone levels in aging men and women and help in restoring their strength and good health.

Anabolic steroids are the drugs having a number of androgenic and anabolic properties. Thus, anabolic Steroids are widely used for treating several medical conditions, such as, hypogonadism, delayed puberty, and some types of impotence. They are also used against several chronic wasting diseases, such as AIDS and Cancer.

Anabolic steroids are mainly available in three forms - oral steroids in form of pills, injectable steroids in form of injections or shots, and anabolic steroid creams and gels. Anabolic steroids are widely abused as performance enhancing drugs. These drugs are commonly abused by bodybuilders, weightlifters, athletes, and jocks. They are also used by young boys, girls, and teenagers for various cosmetic reasons.

However, anabolic steroids have often been linked with a number of serious side effects and several health risks. Some of the side effects associated with anabolic steroids include – premature balding or hair loss, dizziness, mood swings (anger, depression and aggression), hallucinations, extreme feelings of mistrust or fear, sleeping problems, vomiting and nausea, trembling, high blood pressure, aching joints, jaundice, liver damage, urinary problems, shortening of the final adult height, increased risk of developing heart disease, and strokes. Anabolic steroids also cause some gender specific side effects. Side effects of anabolic steroids in males include — reduced sperm count, increase in nipple and breast size, impotence, and enlarged prostate. Side effects of anabolic steroids in females include — reduced breast size, increase in facial and body hair, menstrual problems, and deepened voice.

Pain relief medication and addiction

Pain and pain relief medication are two things that everyone is going to end up having to deal with. Everyone feels pain, which is among the many natural responses the body has that serve as a way to keep a person from doing something inexplicably stupid. However, pain is also something that most people don't want to have to deal with, especially if the pain is chronic and gets in the way of performing daily tasks. Pain relief medication gives a reprieve from such problems, though these drugs can sometimes have a negative effect of their own on the body. Even if the pain relief medication being used isn't derived from opium, medications of this sort can still become highly addictive.

Everyone is at risk when it comes to becoming addicted to pain relief medication, but not everyone is going to develop a problem. For the most part, the most narcotic pain killers (such as morphine, opium, and heroin) are easily the most addictive, but are also the ones that people are least likely to be exposed to. Morphine is usually used as a last resort by most doctors, particularly with non-narcotic alternatives already available. There are other instances where morphine might be used, though these are usually cancer patients and those who are undergoing post-surgery treatment. The doses of morphine for these people are usually in small amounts, which may or may not be enough to develop a physical or psychological addiction to the effects. In these cases, it often comes down to a matter of tolerance to the drug.

According to studies, the people who are at the highest level of risk are the ones that have become addicted to substances before. Former opium abusers are more likely to develop an addiction to morphine, while former morphine users have a lower tolerance for the effects of heroin. However, it does not always have to come down to derivatives of opium. Statistics show that even if the previous addiction was unrelated to pain relief medication, the risks were still increased by a noticeable amount. Family members who have become addicts in the past also apparently increase the risk of addiction in an individual, though it is unknown if this is caused by an inherited genetic trait or if “families of addicts” are more a product of nurture than nature.

Withdrawal is just as bad as the addiction itself, particularly if the drug was an opioid. The body undergoes the standard symptoms of undergoing withdrawal from a narcotic substance. For example, the early stages are easily characterized by an overwhelming inability to perform the simplest tasks or endure even small amounts of stress without some amount of the drug in their system. The body sometimes goes into a state of prolonged shock if deprived of the drug, with shivering, palpitations, excessive sweating, and occasional muscle spasms being part of the package. The psychological impact is also notable, especially since pain relief medication addiction can linger in the mind far longer than it does in the body.

The dick van dyke show dvd review

In the Fall of 1961, CBS first aired The Dick Van Dyke Show, one of funniest sitcoms in television history. Similar to I Love Lucy, but featuring more docile and less eccentric characters, the show became a mainstay in the top 10 Nielsen ratings for its first four seasons. When the show's ratings slipped in the fifth season, the network cancelled the show. But in the four decades since, The Dick Van Dyke Show has continued to entertain its fans and their children (and their children's children) via syndicated re-runs…

The Dick Van Dyke Show is centered around the life of Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke), a family man living in suburban New York. As the head writer for the fictional "Alan Brady Show," he works with co-writers Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam) and Sally Rogers (Rose Marie). Rob's work life is always interesting given Buddy's constant wisecracks, Sally's never-ending search for a husband, and the trio's unified harassment of Alan Brady's brother-in-law, Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon). At home, Rob's loving yet overly-nervous wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) stays at home with the couple's son Ritchie (Larry Mathews). Surrounded by all these unique characters, Rob is always embroiled in someone's scheme, fantasy, or shenanigan…

The Dick Van Dyke Show DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere "The Sick Boy and the Sitter" in which Rob convinces Laura to go to a party at Alan Brady's house, despite the fact that their five-year-old son Ritchie is sick. The two get a babysitter, but Laura's maternal instincts don't disappear… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include "Jealousy" in which Laura grows jealous of Rob's work relationship with a beautiful TV star, and "Where Did I Come From?" in which Ritchie asks Laura and Rob about his origins, and they struggle to come up with the right answer…

Below is a list of episodes included on The Dick Van Dyke Show (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (The Sick Boy and the Sitter) Air Date: 10-03-1961

Episode 2 (The Blonde-Haired Brunette) Air Date: 10-10-1961

Episode 3 (Sally and the Lab Technician) Air Date: 10-17-1961

Episode 4 (Washington vs. the Bunny) Air Date: 10-24-1961

Episode 5 (Oh We Met the Night That We Danced) Air Date: 10-31-1961

Episode 6 (Harrison B. Harding of Camp Crowder, Mo.) Air Date: 11-06-1961

Episode 7 (Jealousy!) Air Date: 11-07-1961

Episode 8 (To Tell or Not to Tell) Air Date: 11-14-1961

Episode 9 (The Unwelcome Houseguest) Air Date: 11-21-1961

Episode 10 (The Meershatz Pipe) Air Date: 11-28-1961

Episode 11 (Forty-Four Tickets) Air Date: 12-05-1961

Episode 12 (Empress Carlotta's Necklace) Air Date: 12-12-1961

Episode 13 (Sally is a Girl) Air Date: 12-19-1961

Episode 14 (Buddy, Can You Spare a Job?) Air Date: 12-26-1961

Episode 15 (Where Did I Come From?) Air Date: 01-03-1962

Episode 16 (The Curious Thing About Women) Air Date: 01-10-1962

Episode 17 (Punch Thy Neighbor) Air Date: 01-17-1962

Episode 18 (Who Owes Who What?) Air Date: 01-24-1962

Episode 19 (The Talented Neighborhood) Air Date: 01-31-1962

Episode 20 (A Word a Day) Air Date: 02-07-1962

Episode 21 (The Boarder Incident) Air Date: 02-14-1962

Episode 22 (Father of the Week) Air Date: 02-21-1962

Episode 23 (The Twizzle) Air Date: 02-28-1962

Episode 24 (One Angry Man) Air Date: 03-07-1962

Episode 25 (Where You Been, Fassbinder?) Air Date: 03-14-1962

Episode 26 (I Am My Brother's Keeper) Air Date: 03-21-1962

Episode 27 (The Sleeping Brother) Air Date: 03-28-1962

Episode 28 (The Bad Old Days) Air Date: 04-04-1962

Episode 29 (Sol and the Sponsor) Air Date: 04-11-1962

Episode 30 (The Return of Happy Spangler) Air Date: 04-18-1962