How To Determine Which Cell Service Is Best For You

With every cell phone carrier advertising their latest cell phones and super plans, it gets more and more difficult to determine which one is the right one for you. How do you know? If you live in a major metro area or almost any larger city, the plans, service and coverage are going to be pretty much the same. But if your intended usage is outside the major metro areas or you will be using your cell phone all over the place because you plan to travel a lot with it, then this is where the rubber meets the road and the RIGHT plan takes significantly more scrutiny.

Before going any further, it is important to note that you need to define what you plan to do with your cell phone. Now with that said, throw that note away. What you really need to determine is what ARE you going to be using it for, and what capabilities and functionality do you REQUIRE (not just merely want or find somewhat cool or desirable) with your cell phone and cellular service? If you dont define this BEFORE you start shopping, it is almost inevitable that you are going to be spending more than you need to, perhaps to a significant degree.

The first thing to note is where you will be using your cell service the majority of the time. Find out what carriers have the best coverage in your area. Again, this is critical. For example, if you save $10 per month but the carriers coverage in your area is marginal, how useful is your cell service if you drop one out of 3 calls, and the other calls make you sound like you are calling from the bottom of a bathtub?

Regarding the actual cell phone, unless you are just dying for a particular model phone (and you should not be), choose the cell carrier before you choose which phone you need. There are very few cell phones that have features that are particular to only one carrier.

Standard equipment would be a decent battery life giving you about 3 hours of talk time. The built-in cameras take pictures of a quality that is merely ok and will not win any awards, and you will likely use that feature minimally if at all after the novelty wears off. The ability to be an MP3 player? Bag it it will drain your battery faster and does not deliver the quality of an MP3 player that was actually DESIGNED to be an MP3 player. It provides 10-15 seconds of full motion video? Yawn. You wont use it after the novelty wears off, but you WILL be paying for that functionality. It has a built in PDA with organizer functions? It will kill your battery life.

Bottom line on the cell phone itself: let the cell phone function as a cell phone, and dont try to force it into performing functions that it was not designed to do, because that will only drive up the price, and it will not do any of those things as well as a device that was designed to do them.

Lets say you have narrowed your carrier choices down to 2, maybe 3. Now lets look at the plans. Who will you be calling mostly? T-Mobile has plans that allow you to select 5 people that you call most frequently and gives you unlimited minutes to call them. Sprint and Verizon usually allow you to call other cell customers of theirs on an unlimited basis. What about nights and weekends? Most carriers provide unlimited nights and weekends. Note that despite the position of the sun in the sky, night doesnt start until 9:00pm, or with Sprint and an extra $5 per month, night can begin at 7:00pm.

How many anytime minutes do you need? Be generous here, because you could be paying as much as 30 cents per minute or more as soon as you go over your allotted anytime minutes. Yes, every time you call your voicemail from your cell phone, that goes against your anytime minutes.

Finally, your best bet is to buy online. In this age of immediate satisfaction, your desire is to waltz into the cellular carriers retail store, and walk out of there talking on your shiny new cell phone. Dont do it. Go into the retail store to get a hands-on view of the phones you are considering, but with the spotlights, the shiny chrome cases, and a sales rep smiling like hes auditioning for Jaws, avoid the temptation. You can always find at least an EQUIVALENT deal online, and very frequently the online resource will also throw in some extras like a carrying case, a car power adapter, a travel adapter, and a hands-free kit, which would cost nearly another $100 if you get it at the carriers retail outlet.

Bottom line: define what you want and be smart about it. A cell phone can be a great thing, but you need to feel good about having done the proper research to get a great deal on it.

Jon Arnold is a computer engineer who maintains many websites to pass along his knowledge and findings. You can read more about cell phones and cellular plans at his web site at http://www.cellinsideinfo.com/ Marguerite Blog98459
Juste Blog52190

What To Make For Dinner?

Can’t decide what to make for dinner?

This is a common problem that I hear from housewives, working men and women and bachelors:

“What am I going to make for dinner??!!”

I know I have a house full of groceries and all the cookware you would ever need, but I still ask myself that question daily. After a long day at work, I usually walk to my refrigerator, open it up, and look at all these groceries that I just bought from the grocery store. I have a handful of recipes that I can make off the top of my head, but there is one problem with that…I’m tired of eating the same five things every week. There are only so many tacos and spaghetti I can eat in a month. I close the refrigerator and walk to my pantry. Same thing, tons of groceries, but the same five recipes run through my head.

Now, this problem is tough enough, but to complicate matters, I need easy to make recipes AND they have to be delicious. Am I setting the bar too high? Possibly, but, keep in mind that I’ve got a high-speed connection to the internet and we all know the internet has hundreds of thousand of recipes. What are the chances I can find a recipe in an hour? You would think, pretty good, but as you’ll find out, I have no chance and I don’t even know it. So, I fire up my computer and dive into the internet in search of a simple, delicious recipe. I find twenty or thirty recipes that sound delicious, from their title, but it turns out that I have to buy all these ingredients that I have never heard of before AND it’ll take over an hour to make. An hour goes by and it is now 7:30pm and I still have not eaten. I can either go back to the grocery store and spend another hour in search of ingredients I have never heard of or I can make a run to the local fast food chain. The interesting thing is that I am running out of time, but I had all the time in the world to look for a recipe while at work earlier in the day. If there was only some way to know what groceries I had at home (while at work) and I could plug them into a machine that would help recipes find me instead of me looking for recipes If there was such a machine, my stomach would be full and I’d be relaxing on my couch right now. Just think if you were house-hunting and instead of looking at house after house, the perfect house finds you or if you are car shopping and the perfect car finds you.

There has got to be a better way to search for recipes AND there is! Will I tell you right now? Well, what is the fun in that? I’ll give you a hint – it’s a website that you can use from anywhere you can get access to the internet. The requirements for the recipes listed are that they have to be delicious (as determined by the users) and they must be quick and easy to make (as determined by the users).

Michael K. Sasaki is founder of RecipeMatcher, a site where you can find quick and delicious crock pot recipes based on groceries you already have at home. To learn more about this site, you can visit http://www.RecipeMatcher.com.Bertrand Blog86897
Herbert Blog89536

8 Ways To Prevent Osteoporosis And Heart Disease During Menopause

Osteoporosis causes bones to lose mass and density. As the bones become porous and brittle, the chance of fracture is greatly increased. Often there are no symptoms and a person only discovers that they have osteoporosis when they suffer a fracture.

Heart disease includes a number of conditions affecting the structures or function of the heart. They includes coronary artery disease (including heart attack), abnormal heart rhythms or arrythmias, heart failure, heart valve disease, congenital heart disease, heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy), pericardial disease, aorta disease and Marfan syndrome, vascular disease (blood vessel disease).

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. thus, it is essential to learn how prevent heart disease.

During menopause, many women are easily getting osteoporosis. Indeed, it would also be easy for them to get heart disease.

How is that?

Women, during menopause, might be lack of estrogen. This causes bones to lose calcium and become weaker, putting them at risk for severe bone loss or osteoporosis. A lack of estrogen also increases risk of heart disease.

However, there are steps you can do to prevent osteoporosis and heart disease, such as:

1. Get enough calcium to keep your bones strong. Before menopause, you need about 1,000 mg of calcium per day. After menopause, you need 1,500 mg per day. You also can talk with your physician about taking medicine to help preserve bone and slow down bone loss. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. Try weight-bearing exercises, like walking, running, or dancing.

2. Eat healthy by including plenty of whole grain products, vegetables, and fruits in your diet. Choose a diet low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

3. Maintain a healthy weight. Ask your health care provider what a healthy weight is for you.

4. Control your blood pressure. Ask your health care provider what a healthy number is for you and how often you need it checked.

5. If you have diabetes, control and monitor your blood sugar levels.

6. Lower your cholesterol to the right level. Ask your health care provider what a healthy level is for you.

7. If you smoke, try to quit. Ask your health care provider for help or visit this special section of the NWHIC web site: www.4woman.gov/QuitSmoking

8. If you drink alcohol, limit it to no more than one drink per day.

So, if you think that your menopause has begun, it is important for you to pay attention to the eight essential ways to prevent osteoporosis and heart disease.

Riana Lance has a deep concern on health. Get her inspirational guides on How to Cure Insomnia at http://healthifica.com/guides/menopause-stress/ Also, grasp her other motivational health tips at http://www.healthifica.com, a worth-to-visit daily updated blog.Ancre Blog44945
Lydie Blog40220

Considering a Condo Hotel? Here Are 20 Things You Need to Know!

1. What is a condo hotel or condotel?

Think of a condo hotel (also sometimes called a condotel or hotel condo) as buying a condominium, although one that is part of a four-star caliber hotel. Therefore, as an owner, when you are on vacation, youll get the benefit of more four-star services and amenities than you'd get in a typical condominium.

2. What types of services and amenities are found in condo hotels?

If you can imagine the niceties youd find in an upscale hotel, then you can picture a condo hotel. Among the features are often resort-style pools, full-service spas, state-of-the-art fitness centers, fine dining restaurants, concierge services and room service.

In some locations, like Las Vegas, youll find condo hotels with their own casinos, retail areas, and entertainment venues. In places like Orlando, youll find condo hotels with their own water parks and convention facilities.

3. What is the difference between a condo hotel and a traditional condominium?

The big difference between a hotel and a condo hotel is that a hotel typically has one owner, either individual or corporate, but a condo hotel is sold off unit by unit. Therefore, a 300-room condo hotel could have as many as 300 unit owners.

4. Is it evident to hotel guests whether theyre staying in a condo hotel or a traditional hotel?

A hotel guest will likely never know that the hotel has multiple owners because the property is operated just like a traditional hotel and often under the management of a well-known hotel company like Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood, Trump or W.

Also, each of the individual condo hotel units will look identical in design and dcor to every other, just as they would in a traditional hotel.

5. Who typically buys condo hotels?

Theyre primarily sold to people who want a vacation home but do not want to deal with the hassles typically associated with second home ownership such as maintaining the property or finding renters in the off season.

6. What is the demographic of the typical condo hotel buyer?

The spectrum of condo hotel buyers is pretty broad. There are families that want a second home in a vacation destination. There are baby boomers who are at or nearing retirement and want somewhere they can winter.

There are also plenty of investors who purchase a condo hotel unit with little intention of ever using it; theyre in it for the potential appreciation of the real estate.

7. Can you live in a condo hotel?

Condo hotels are not typically offered as primary residences. In fact, many of them limit the unit owner's usage of the condo hotel unit (typically 30-60 days per year) because the unit is expected and needed in the hotel's nightly rental program where it can be offered to guests and generate revenue.

8. Who gets the money when your condo hotel is rented out?

The hotel management company splits the rental revenue with the individual condo hotel owner. While the exact percentages vary from property to property, the typical rental split is in the 50%-50% range.

9. Who finds hotel guests and then cleans and maintains the condo hotel units?

The hotel management company markets the property and books hotel guests. It also maintains the unit and ensures the smooth operation of all of the hotels services and amenities.

10. What are the advantages / disadvantages of purchasing a condotel over purchasing typical rental properties?

Advantages include:

Hassle-free ownership; no landlord issues
Rental revenue to offset some or maybe all ownership expenses
A fantastic vacation home available for use whenever you want
A real estate investment at a time when other investments may seem less attractive
Strong likelihood of appreciation
Pride of ownership --"I own a piece of a Trump"

Disadvantages include:

Annual cash flow could be equal to or less than annual ownership costs
Pets are usually not welcome.
An owners condo hotel unit may be rented when the owner wants to it, so advance reservations are required to guarantee availability.
The condo hotel unit is subject to the same dips in the market that affect all hotels in the competitive market set: hurricanes, terrorist threats, warm winters up north, price of gas, etc., all of which can affect a unit's occupancy rate and the amount of revenue it generates.

11. Are condo hotel units difficult to finance?

Not at all, but they do take 20% down typically, whereas condos can be purchased with less cash down. It's also important to make sure you use a mortgage broker who has had success in getting condo hotel financing deals done. Not all banks offer financing for this type of real estate, but more and more are getting involved as condo hotels become more widely available.

12. How long have condo hotels been around and where are they located?

Condo hotels have been around for several decades, but the huge surge of four-star and five-star condo hotels that have been making their way across the country, started around year 2000 in the Miami area.

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale area currently has the most condo hotels, but areas like Orlando and Las Vegas are developing condo hotel properties at an even faster rate and will likely surpass South Florida soon. Outside the U.S., up-and-coming condo hotel areas are the Bahamas, Panama, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Canada and Dubai.

13. How much do condo hotel units cost?

Thats like asking how much a car costs. There are different quality condo hotels. Some require greater amounts of money than others, obviously.

There are inexpensive condo hotels out there for as little as $100,000. These are typically found in properties that have converted their use from an existing hotel. They are hotel room-sized, lack kitchen facilities, luxury franchises, and other first-class amenities.

Then there are the four-star or greater properties that may start in the $300,000 to $400,000 range, but can go all the way up to $800,000 just for a studio unit.

One- and two-bedroom units cost substantially more than a studio. Of course, the studios do come fully furnished and finished, and will be significantly larger in size than a typical hotel room, and may attract guests because of its name like St. Regis, Ritz or W.

14. What are typical maintenance costs?

On average about $1.00 to $1.50 per sq. ft., but the range can exceed $2.00 sq. ft. in the most luxurious properties.

15. Do you buy condo hotel units after they have been built, or can you purchase condo hotels in pre-construction?

Unless you are in a hurry to get started vacationing or you need to complete a 1031 exchange, it's best to buy condo hotels in pre-construction as early as possible. Thats when prices are lowest and unit selection is greatest.

You will likely wait two years or longer before closing on and taking possession of your condo hotel unit, but you will have locked in the price and will get the benefit of maximum appreciation.

16. Is there anything else investors should want to know about condotels?

There is more to buying this type of real estate than the old phrase, "location, location, location." While most condo hotels are located in desirable resort and business area locations, what is most important is a good franchise with a strong reservation system.

Also, do not be fooled by an aggressive rental split. One way or the other, the developer of the property will have to staff, maintain and operate the hotel and its services like the restaurants, bars, spas and pools from his share of the proceeds.

If he's giving you a very favorable share of the rental, he's also more likely to be charging you a higher monthly maintenance fee. Of course, this goes both ways. If the maintenance split that is offered is closer to 50-50, then your maintenance should be more reasonable too.

17. Any suggestions to investors in choosing which condo hotel to buy?

Get good advice. That means you dont want to rely only on the pitch provided by an onsite salesperson at a condo hotel.

You want to talk with a broker who specializes in condo hotels and who knows and understands the entire condo hotel market, not just the facts pertaining to a single property. He or she will listen to your wants and needs and then offer recommendations as to which properties best match your requirements. Youll have an opportunity to comparison shop and consider the pros and cons of each available property.

A good broker can be the difference between your buying a condo hotel that will be problematic and not live up to your expectations or one that will provide you with years of great vacations, good annual revenue and a substantial profit when you sell.

18. Does it cost more to use a real estate broker to purchase a condo hotel than buying a unit on ones own?

No! With new condo hotel properties, the prices are always set by the developer and are exactly the same whether you buy directly from an onsite salesperson at the property or using a broker.

The brokers commission is always paid by the developer and is already built into the price regardless of whether an outside broker participates in the sale or not. Since a brokers representation is free to buyers, it does make sense to enlist their aid and get the benefit of their advice before making a purchase.

19. How can prospective buyers find a good condo hotel broker?

Ask friends for broker recommendations or search online for condo hotel broker.

Also, visit condo hotel real estate websites and see if the information they provide seems comprehensive and unbiased. If their website seems to focus on selling homes or office space, and the condo hotel information appears to be an afterthought, steer clear. Because condo hotels are a unique type of real estate, your best bet is to work with a condo hotel broker who specializes.

20. How can buyers learn about new condo hotel properties coming on the market?

Condo hotel brokers can be good information sources as they often learn about properties prior to their release to the general public. Another option is to subscribe to a condo hotel newsletter such as the one we publish called Condo Hotel Property Alert.

We offer subscriptions for free on our website, http://www.CondoHotelCenter.com. It features a different condo hotel property coming on the market each edition, giving buyers an opportunity to invest when prices are at their lowest levels and the selection of available units is greatest.

Joel Greene is the President of Condo Hotel Center located in Miami Florida, which specializes in the sale of condo hotels. Visit his information-packed web site, http://www.CondoHotelCenter.com, for more facts on condo hotels and to see condo hotel listings, photos and prices. Kevina Blog71696
Horus Blog68136

I Love German Wine and Food - A Mosel Dornfelder

If you are feeling in the mood for fine German wine and food, you should really consider the Mosel region of central western Germany on the border of Luxembourg. Who knows, you may even find a bargain, and I am sure that you'll enjoy yourself on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local red Dornfelder.

The Mosel Valley is considered one of the world's most beautiful river valleys. This region, once called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer for its three rivers, is known for its Riesling. Some of the greatest Rieslings in Germany and in fact in the entire world come from Mosel. Experts can often identify Mosel Rieslings because of the slate in the local soil, which may impart a taste of flint. The slopes are among the steepest in the wine-producing world, sometimes attaining 70 degrees. The soil is so precious that every spring local workers lug pails of soil up these slopes, reversing the effect of the rains that wash the soil down every winter.

Mosel is fifth among the thirteen German wine regions for both vineyard acreage and total wine production. Slightly more than three quarters of the wine produced here is QbA and somewhat less than one quarter is higher quality QmP wine. Only one percent is table wine. More than half of Mosel wine is Riesling. The German hybrid white Mueller-Thurgau grape represents about 20% of the wine production. In third place is the historic variety Elbing that dates back to Roman times and is the major grape variety in the neighboring country of Luxembourg. Only about 2% of Mosel wine is red, so perhaps we were lucky to find a Dornfelder, reviewed below. Dornfelder is a German variety which is also grown in the United States and, believe it or not, in Burma. Created in 1955, It is a cross between two crosses,. One of Dornfelder's four "grandparents" is Pinot Noir.

The Mosel Valley stretches from the city of Koblenz not far from Germany's former capital Bonn to Trier sitting quite close to the Luxemberg border. These two cities are linked by the Mosel Weinstrasse (Mosel Wine Road) which is about 140 miles (224 kilometers) long on the eastern side of the river and somewhat less on the western side. Of course, you could take the autobahn to get between Koblenz and Trier at breakneck speed. If you do, you'll miss the interesting little towns and vineyards along the way.

The Trier Valley was first settled about 2400 years ago. The city of Trier itself was founded in 16 BC. Within three hundred years it was destroyed and rebuilt as a Roma secunda (second Rome). A unique aspect of this wine-exporting city is its underground cellars said to have a storage capacity of almost 8 million gallons. Among the sights to see are in Trier the Porta Nigra (Black Gate) dating back to Roman times, the Dom which is the oldest Christian church north of the Alps, the Rheinisches Landesmuseum (Rhenish State Museum) with the largest collection of Ancient Roman artifacts in Germany, an Amphitheater that holds real gladiator games, minus the lions, every summer, other Roman ruins, and the house in which Karl Marx was born.

Before reviewing the Mosel wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Foie Gras in Ahorn Jus (Foie Gras with Maple Flavored Juices). For your second course enjoy Mosel Trout. As a dessert indulge yourself with Feigenmus (Fig Puree).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Wehlener Nonnerberg Dornfelder Trocken 2005 13.0% alcohol about $15.50

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Delightful Dornfelder. Ripe and fruity, this deep-coloured Dornfelder really benefited from the heat of the 2003 vintage. This dry, medium-bodied, well-balanced red is food friendly matching a variety of dishes including pork roast or baked chicken.

My first pairing was with a grilled rib steak that had been marinated, perhaps for too long. The meat was accompanied by potatoes roasted in chicken fat and by spicy Moroccan carrots. Let's not mince words; this wine was lousy. It seemed like an alcoholic grape juice that was pleasantly acidic.

The next meal included spicy meat balls, rice, and once again Moroccan carrots. While the wine was a bit rounder, it still wasn't good. For some reason I thought of Concord grape wine, although the Dornfelder wasn't all that sweet.

The final meal consisted of beef stew with roasted potatoes and rice. The wine was moderately better but still tasted grapey. And it was still basically unacceptable.

The initial cheese pairing was with a goat's milk cheese from the Poitou Charentes region of central-western France. I would not have guessed goat's milk; this cheese looked and tasted like a somewhat runny Camembert. The cheese tamed the wine's grapiness. The Swiss Gruyere was even more forceful. Every single tasting was "better" than the previous one. And yet the final tasting still didn't reach the good level.

Final verdict. Even at half its price I would not buy this wine again. Dornfelder is grown in several other areas of Germany. But I don't see why I should open my wallet to give this grape another chance; there are too many fine German and other wines out there.

Over the years Levi Reiss has written sometimes with a co-author ten Internet and computer books. In his spare time he loves to drink fine German or other wine, and to pair it with tasty food and pleasant company. He teaches a variety of computer classes at a French-language community college in Ontario, Canada. His Italian travel website is http://www.travelitalytravel.com which links to his other web sites.Leda Blog42873
Elisabeth Blog33509

Science Fiction Movie Reviews

Nothing beats a Friday night at home, snuggled up on a coach with a bowl of popcorn watching Science Fiction Movies. Stop at your local video store and find a science fiction movie sure to get you thinking about what could have been or what might be. Here are some of the best all time science fiction movies.

The Matrix

In this complex story that aspires to mythology, a computer hacker searches for the truth behind the mysterious force known as the Matrix. He finds his answer with a group of strangers led by the charismatic Morpheus. What they encounter in confronting that truth makes for a lightning-paced, eye-popping thrill ride of a movie that cleverly combines sociopolitical commentary with cutting-edge special effects.

Star Wars Episode 1

In this Star Wars prequel, Qui-Gon Jinn and a young Obi-Wan Kenobi must protect the Queen of Naboo from the evil clutches of Darth Sidious and Senator Palpatine. Along the way, they meet Anakin Skywalker, who shows the beginnings of a great gift.

ET

Heartwarming story of the special bond 10-year-old Elliot forges with an alien he names E.T. The adventures they share as Elliot tries to hide his new friend, as E.T. tries to get back to his planet.

Cocoon

A group of shut-ins at a rest home get a new lease on life when they're offered the gift of eternal youth by visiting aliens. A charter boat captain who helps fellow seniors make the choice between perennial youth or old age.

Lord of the Rings; Fellowship of the Ring

From the idyllic shire of the Hobbits to the smoking chasms of Mordor, Lord of the Rings is full of action. Frodo Baggins embarks on his epic quest for the one true ring.

Men in Black

This sci-fi comedy features J and K, agents in a top secret, above-the-government agency monitoring alien activity on Earth. Before rookie agent J even breaks in his stylish black suit, the team is called to save a galaxy from a bad-tempered alien "bug" and save Earth from total annihilation.

Harry Potter

Harry has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard -- with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths ... and about the villain who's to blame.

Beetlejuice

Thanks to an untimely demise, a young couple ends up as poltergeists in their New England farmhouse, where they fail to meet the challenge of scaring away the insufferable new owners. In desperation, the undead newlyweds turn to an expert frightmeister named Beetlejuice -- who has a diabolical agenda behind his scheme to help them.

The Crow

Young rock guitarist Eric Draven and his fiance are brutally killed by a ruthless gang of criminals. Exactly one year after his death, Eric returns -- watched over by a hypnotic crow -- to seek revenge.

Mists of Avalon

King Arthur's Camelot with a feminist slant. Avalon high priestess Viviane and sisters Morgaine and Morgause battle for control of the kingdom. Viviane manipulates her own sister into marrying a king in order to produce an amenable heir, but deceit, magic and human fallibility threaten to destroy both the plan and Avalon itself.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

When Roy Neary encounters a UFO, he's left with a sunburned face, a skeptical family and a shaken psyche. Soon, Roy begins seeking out others who've had similar "visions." Among those he finds are Jillian , a woman who's lost her son to the aliens, and Claude, a researcher preparing for Earth's first contact with extraterrestrials.

Poltergeist

Life is very pleasant for the close-knit Freeling family until a host of otherworldy forces invades their peaceful suburban home. Before long, their house is transformed into a swirling supernatural sideshow -- all centered around their angelic young daughter, Carol Anne.

Andromeda Strain

When a satellite crashes in New Mexico, the Air Force sends two men to retrieve it. To their horror, they discover that the probe carries an alien virus that's already killed all but two of the residents of the town where it landed. Now, scientists must isolate the virus and stop it from spreading.

12 Monkeys

In the year 2035, convict James Cole reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time by scientists to 1996 to discover the origin of a virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth's population. When Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990, he's arrested and locked up in a mental hospital, where he meets a psychiatrist and the son of a famous virus expert.

Francesca Black is a fan of science fiction. She is a freelance writer and writes articles for Science Fiction Corner http://www.science-fiction-corner.com and UFO Gifts http://www.ufo-gifts.com.Aout Blog31576
Eymard Blog13252

Check It? Or Carry It On? - A Review Of Travel Restrictions Affecting Your Vacation To Aruba

After you have planned your vacation to Aruba, you may be wondering what to pack. To ensure that you dont experience any unwelcome surprises at either your departing airport or the Aruba Airport, make note of the guidelines in this article. The following is a convenient outline of what you can and cannot pack when traveling to Aruba and some added travel tips to make your vacation as enjoyable as possible.

First, make sure you pack all your important personal belongings such as travel documents, personal identification and medications in your carry-on luggage. Do not place locks on your carry-on baggage, as this could cause unnecessary delays when passing through screening.

Try to arrive at your departing airport three hours before the scheduled flight time. When you are ready to fly home, you must also allot approximately three hours for check-in and screening at the Aruba Airport, especially if your return flight is between 11 AM and 3 PM.

Due to recent concerns, liquids, gels and aerosols are no longer allowed in the carry-on baggage of all travelers on flights arriving to, traveling within or departing from the United States. Effective August 11, 2006, the following items must be placed in your checked baggage when traveling to Aruba, until further notice from the U.S. government:

All beverages and liquid food items such as yogurt

Skin lotions, creams or balms including suntan lotion and hand sanitizing products

Tooth Paste

Mouthwash

Shampoo

Hair gels and pomades

Hair spray or any other type of aerosol products

Liquid cosmetics such as lip gloss and mascara

Obviously, there are some exceptions to the restriction on liquids and gels. The following items are allowed in carry-on baggage when traveling to Aruba, but make note of the documentation and packaging that some items may require:

Prescription medicine - medication or dispenser must be properly marked with a professionally printed label or pharmaceutical label identifying the medication or the manufacturer's name. If for some reason you don't have a professionally printed label, you must obtain a doctor's note.

Non-prescription saline solution and eye care products (under 4 ounces per container)

Liquid insulin and dispensing products for diabetic passengers (under 5 ounces per container) must be properly marked with a professionally printed or pharmaceutical label identifying the medication or the manufacturer's name

Solid cosmetics and personal hygiene items including lipstick in a tube, solid deodorant and lip balm

Baby formula, milk and food - only allowed if a baby or small child is traveling with you

Gels, saline solutions or other liquids worn as detachable items used to augment portions of the body for medical or cosmetic reasons includes gel bras.

Duty free liquor, perfume and cosmetics items purchased within the airport terminal areas will given to you by the duty free operator after reclaiming your checked luggage.

If you are concerned about any item packed in your carry-on baggage, contact your travel agent or airline before arriving at the airport or simply ask personnel at the time of check-in. You can still place the above-mentioned restricted items in your checked baggage before proceeding to security screening.

It is also suggested that you try to minimize the amount of metal you wear. Large belt buckles, clothing with metal buttons, some jewelry and metal toed or heeled footwear can set off security checkpoint metal detectors. This will require additional searches, slowing you and other travelers down. Therefore, while you are waiting in line, it is recommended that place your keys, jewelry or watches, coins, belts and any other metal items in your carry-on baggage until you clear security. You will also be asked to remove your shoes at the checkpoint and place them in a tray to be x-rayed.

As was the case before the new regulations in August, electronic devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, cameras, CD and MP3 players are still allowed in carry-on luggage. However, be prepared to remove your laptop computer from its case and place it on the x-ray belt by itself. It is generally recommended to attach a name and contact information label to the bottom of your laptop in case any confusion arises passing through security. Also, it is still advised that you pack all film in your carry-on luggage. If you have any concerns about your film going through the x-ray system, you can request that it be hand-inspected by a security screener.

When planning your vacation to Aruba, it is also very important to note that effective January 8, 2007, the U.S. Government will require passports for all air and sea travel to and/or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Bermuda and The Bahamas. It is advised to allow six to eight weeks to process passport applications before your vacation to Aruba.

This article was written by Justin Burch. Justin writes select pieces about travel in Aruba for the Aruba Renaissance Resort (http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/AUABR).Daniel Blog13124
Harold Blog12901

Cooking Tip For Onions and Garlic -- Nana's Secret to Great Flavor, If You Know How

Onions and garlic always add great flavor to most dishes. But let me share with you a cooking technique on preparing them that will greatly enhance the flavor of your meals. Your guests will rave about your cooking.

Many dishes call for onions and garlic in their recipes. You chop them up, saute them for 3 minutes and you are done. This is where, in my opinion, they miss the flavor boat.

When I was younger I would watch my husband's Italian Nana cook spaghetti sauce and a number of other dishes and you know what she would do? She would always, finely chop the onion and slowly saute them in olive oil for about 35 to 40 minutes. It was a fairly slow process, because she would tend to the onions stirring them frequently as they slowly cooked. Eventually the onion would cook down (to almost half of what she started with) and turn a nice golden brown.

When the onion was about done Nana would add minced fresh garlic and saute the whole mixture another 4 or 5 minutes. What a wonderful smell that was. Boy was her spaghetti sauce special and this is why I believe her dishes were so delicious.

So I started using this technique every time I made a dish that called for onion and garlic. You know what? Every time I sauteed the onion slowly in olive oil my dishes were more flavorful. Special if you will.

So now I use this little technique every time I make spaghetti sauce, casseroles, beef stroganoff, taco soup and any other dish that calls for onion and garlic.

Once I made a Pampered Chef casserole with egg, zucchini, onion and garlic and used my little technique. Well let me tell you, that dish disappeared fast with many requests for the recipe. When I made this dish previously without using my onion technique the dish was nothing special.

So if you have the time, and I believe it is definitely worth it, try Nana's tip.

One thing to keep in mind is that the onion cooks down to just about half of what you start with so use double the amount of onion that the recipe calls for. Don't worry if it looks like way to much onion. Once it cooks down, the amount will be just right.

Again, here is all there is to it:

Finely chop up the amount of onion you will need. Pour olive oil into a frying pan. Be generous here. There is no set amount. Say 3 or 4 tablespoons for one onion.

Turn the heat on to medium high. Add the onion stirring frequently, until it is reduced by 1/3 to 1/2. If the onion appears to be cooking too fast, turn the temperature down to low. Just make sure the onion doesn't burn.

When you think it's done (after 35 to 40 minutes), add the minced garlic and cook an additional 4 or 5 minutes.

Now add the onions and garlic to you favorite dish.

You are going to love the flavor.

Robin Gai is a previous restaurateur and the webmaster of http://www.cooking-mexican-recipes.com. If you enjoy Mexican food be sure to stop by to find some delicious Mexican recipes.Hyacinthe Blog28239
Aquin Blog37449

Turn Your Dining Table Into A Masterpiece With The Perfect Dining Set

Whether you are hosting an elegant dinner party, or having the traditional family Christmas lunch, any meal can be elevated to a truly memorable event when it is served in a beautiful environment complete with a stylish dining set. After all, your guests will love sitting around your dining table in an ambiance of style and comfort. Moreover, serving your next gastronomical delight on a tastefully appointed dining set will do justice to the time and effort you put into making the meal.

Choosing the perfect dining set can be a very enjoyable task, but it is also an important one because your dining set should enhance and reflect the room it will be used in. Dining sets need to be functional as well as attractive. There is no point buying a beautiful-looking dining set if the chairs are uncomfortable, or the dining table is too large or too small, too low or too high. With that in mind, finding a dining set that incorporates excellent design with eye-appeal is the ticket to making your dining room the envy of your friends.

Before you decide upon your new dining set, first consider the overall dcor of the room. If the dining room is super-modern and minimalistic, you should select a dining set that is also modern, simplistic and sleek. On the other hand, if the dining room is feminine and pretty, a more traditional antique-style dining set would enhance this theme.

Picking a dining table is more than mere aesthetics however. You need to consider the dimensions of the dining room, and consider what shaped setting would make best use of the internal space. The size of your family is another matter that will bear on your decision.

Likewise the material of the dining set is another major consideration. These days there are so many different attractive and highly durable materials to choose from that you are bound to find a material that is ideal for your needs. As well as traditional wood, there are different types of metal and glass, as well as man-made plastics.

Before you do head out to buy your new dining set, spend some time thinking about the overall look you want in your dining room or kitchen, as well as the number of people using it and level of durability you require. By preplanning, you are sure to get the perfect dining set for your home!

Martha Mountjoy writes for http://www.tablepiece.com, a website dedicated to giving the best advice on choosing dinnerware.Dominique Blog79915
Florent Blog36880

A Review of Bluetooth Enabled Cell Phones

With the rate that technology is evolving nowadays, its quite easy to be left behind in the current market of electronic products. I experienced this myself when I decided to buy a cell phone. My friend told me that I would be better off if I spend more money for a Bluetooth enabled cell phone instead of the generic model that I was planning to buy.

I couldnt decide which model I would purchase because I had no idea how different Bluetooth enabled cell phones are from the generic models. A friendly salesclerk at the mall patiently explained to me why they were so special. I found out that the features on a blue tooth enable cell phones would allow me to do a variety of things that would be impossible with standard mobile phones.

Bluetooth enabled cell phones makes it possible to wirelessly transfer e-mails, contact information, and other basic content to someone who have a similar device. If you have special car kit you, can even make and receive hands-free, wireless calls while driving. Doing these this manually with a standard cell phone would be dangerous. Many recent car models already come with the necessary equipment to accommodate blue tooth enabled cell phones and more automobile companies are planning to follow the trend in the following years.

You might think that with these state of the art features, Bluetooth enabled cell phones would be considerably more expensive than the older generic models. If youre not after very high-end models, you can find that they are actually quite affordable. With the number of cell-phone manufacturer competing for customers, you can be sure that prices of blue tooth enabled cell phones will remain reasonable. Since they are manufactured by world-class companies like Motorola, Sony, and Nokia you also can be sure of getting a high quality product.

Dont be left behind. You dont know what youre missing if you dont avail of the exciting features that affordable and user-friendly blue tooth enabled cell phones can offer.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Bluetooth Enabled Cell Phones. More information at http://www.newelectronicsinformation.com/electronics/electronics/a-review-of-bluetooth-enabled-cell-phones.html.Damien Blog64106
Gemeaux Blog40573

Determining Your Baby Shower Guest List

Pregnancy is always an exciting time. You are busy thinking about a thousand things - what sex the baby will be, what name to choose, how to decorate the nursery, etc. But, many of your friends probably have one thing at the top of their priority list - your baby shower. Baby showers are a great time to get together with friends and celebrate the upcoming birth and all the excitement that goes with that.

When the appropriate time comes, you will probably be approached by at least one friend about a baby shower. This may be your best friend from high school or the girlfriend you ran around with while still single. You may even be approached by relatives who want to throw a shower for you. Some people have multiple baby showers - one thrown by family members, one thrown by friends and one thrown by coworkers. No matter who throws the shower for you, you will need to think about whom to put on the guest list. Chances are, your aunt, best friend or coworker are not going to know everyone you would like to invite, so she is going to need a little help from you.

First, you will need to decide if you think you are going to have more than one shower. If you hear rumors of a family shower, you probably do not want to invite family members to your "friends" shower. If you have coworkers that are also close friends, you do not want to invite them to your "friends" shower only to find out you are having a work related shower as well. So keep your ears open to try to find out as much as possible to avoid duplicate invitations. You can even ask people you are close to if you feel comfortable enough and explain to them why you are asking. It will not be the worst thing if Aunt Silvia has to tell you to hold off on inviting your best friend to the family shower "just because."

Be sure to ask the shower host how many people can attend the shower. It may depend on where the shower is being held. Some people have their showers at their church so there is plenty of room and seating, but many people have them in their homes, so there may be a limited amount of space. You also do not want to overload your shower host's budget. She may be thinking you will invite fifteen people and you do not want to show up with a list of a hundred people. Remember that the shower invitations, decorations, and refreshments are going to cost your host money and you want to be respectful of her generosity in offering to throw you a shower.

Once you have an idea of what type of baby showers you are going to have, then you need to sit down and write out a list. You may want to jot down names on a sheet of paper before you start looking up addresses. You may even want to ask some other people whom you should invite. With all you have going on, chances are you may forget someone, so it will be useful to have another person helping you. You do not want to hurt anyone's feelings by unintentionally leaving them off the guest list.

After you get your list set, you will need to start gathering addresses. Actually giving your names and addresses to the host may best be done on the computer if you are comfortable using it. Many people already keep names and addresses in online address books, so giving your host your shower list may be as simple as printing the address list and checking the names of those you want to invite. If you do not have your addresses online, you can type them into a spreadsheet to give to your shower host. An online copy of addresses may come in handy depending on whether she is going to have addresses printed on envelopes, print address labels for the envelopes, or hand write the addresses on each envelope. No matter how she is going to do it, having a nice, clear copy of all names and addresses will be beneficial.

Finally, if you forget someone important on your list and feel badly about it, invite them out to a special one-on-one lunch with you. It will not be the same as being at the shower, but can help mend hurt feelings from being left out.

Have fun determining your baby shower list. Call a few of your closest friends, grab your old address books and have a good time reminiscing as you jot down names.

Jennifer Barnett is a successful party planner providing valuable tips and advice on planning a baby shower that is inexpensive, fun for the guests with baby shower games, and choosing the perfect baby shower gift. http://www.about-baby-showers.com.Jessica Blog57506
Delphine Blog11026

12 Things You Must Do If You Want To Retire With Your Present Income Intact

Baby boomers are that large segment of the population born between 1946 and 1964. Often called the me generation because of their desire for instant gratification, they are barreling full speed ahead toward retirement with one big difference...

Their instant gratification lifestyle got them the new car, the new home, the new high definition TV when they wanted it, but they have saved a much smaller percentage of their income than previous generations.

Now what do they do since they have a big elephant in the room with them called "Retirement Planning?"

1. Baby Boomers Have Neglected Retirement Planning

There is a "Purple Elephant" in the room that the majority of Baby-Boomers have been ignoring, it's called "Retirement Planning," and Baby-Boomers are heading for a shock as they hit retirement; primarily because of vanishing pnesions and inadequate 401(k) savings. But is it too late and what can they do?

2. The Government Will Take Care of My Retirement Needs

After all, Congress passed The Pension Protection Act of 2006. But, as we are all familiar with the results when the Government decides to "Fix" a Problem-right? So will they fix it or make it worse.

3. So did you see the Frontline Special: Can You Afford To Retire?

Here is What You Need to Set Aside...(40) million Americans now have 401(k) plans and many advisors are now saying that you need 15 times your active income.

Frontline Correspondent Hedrick Smith talked with experts about how people are handling this new do-it-yourself retirement saving systems and the common mistakes they're making.

Interesting Sidebar:

Correspondent was talking to an upper-level manager of a major corporation and a secretarial-administrative-assitant type came in the room to serve them coffee. When she left Hedrick asked: "Tell me, Mr. Big, would you let Suzy-Secretary handle your retirement-pension plan and handle your finances for the future?

Mr. Big huffed, and puffed and said: "Certainly not, she's not qualified nor experienced in such intricate financial matters."

Well, said Correspondent Hedrick, you are asking her to do that for her own retirement program.

My fellow baby-boomer, did you get the point?

4. The End of Lifetime Pensions?

Do you know that none of the major airlines have intact pension plans for their pilots?

Troubled companies have dumped their underfunded pension plans, leaving the federal pension insurance system holding the bag. Hedrick Smith talked with experts about whether the private pension system can be protected.

5. Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Strategy is the Answer...

Chapter 11 Strategies have become a strategic tool for troubled companies. Hedrick talked with industry insiders about how it worked in the case of United Airlines, and whether it's time for reforms to protect workers' benefits.

Find out who got protected and who didn't and why....very, very interesting and revealing as to how all this works.

6. Public Pensions-Is there More Trouble Ahead?

Cities and States are facing the same red ink with their pension trust funds as are private companies and corporations.

7. What's It Really All About-What Do You Really Need?

In the beginning of the Frontline segment it interviewed an individual who had the wisdom to set up his retirement, with professional advisors, and thought he had "covered all his bases."

He was receiving monthly retirement checks of $3,000 per month, and this-He and His wife thought-will be our retirement income. Then the unmentionable happened...his company cut his checks by 30%. The result-he had to go back to work and is now driving trucks to make up the difference.

8. An Alternative Solution...

What we all need is a check every month. We need cash-flow, we need money to pay our expenses, our insurance, and an income that will grow in the event of catastrophic health expenses in the future.

9. At Age 55 I Woke Up One Day...

Shortly after I turned (55) I had a wake-up call:

I got sick...fortunately, I had my Veterans Administration Benefits to fall back on; but it made me start thinking. Then the kiss death came. Social Security mailed me an estimation of what I would receive if I took an early retirement at (62.5)...A Whopping $937 per month.

Sure, I can live on this, if I start living under a bridge somewhere, and start panhandling for my living.

Not an acceptable alternative for me...

10. So What do You do if you are +55 And Haven't Saved a Dime

Don't feel alone-there are literally hundreds of thousands of people who have little to show for their efforts.

You may have had the burden of college tuition, unexpected medical expenses, job loss, bad investments, a bad divorce, or maybe like me, you really didn't land your first "Good-Job" until you were after 55.

There can be any number of other events that either drained your assets or prevented you from building that nest egg in the first place. Or, like so many baby-boomers, [aka the "Me Generation"] you may have just been leading the good life until you had your own personal "Wake-Up Call."

But don't throw up your hands and say, "It's too late-why bother?"

Wouldn't you rather end up with some assets than none at all?

11. So What Do We Do Now?

* Figure out what you will have and what you will need

* Put every possible dollar you can dedicate into a tax-deductible retirement plan...this includes any plans your employer sponsors, as well as your IRAs.

* Make a zero-based budget...meaning you start with the absolute essential expenses, and then add expenses from there until you run out of money.

* Take a hard look at your current work situation...could you be getting paid more elsewhere, or be working for a company that has better retirement benefits.

* MY FAVORITE-AND THE PATHWAY I HAVE CHOSEN-start a small business on the site. There are many benefits to this, especially if you are close to retirement. First, you can usually contribute up to 25% of your self-employment income to a tax-dedubtible Keogh plan even if you are already putting money into another plan.

The second benefit of starting a business on the side is that your new knowledge and experience makes you more valuable to your current employer.

Third, if you are laid off or experience job discrimination in terms of pay raise, you have another income.

* Forget the standard retirement age of 65-68. The longer you work the more money you can save, and the fewer non-income producing retirement years you will need to finance.

* Plan to sell your house and buyh a smaller one or get out of the real estate market altogether; especially if you are planning to move to a retirement community with liftetime services.

* Be realistic in your projections and your dreams. Look at each of the above items and use retirement calculators to calculate "what-if" circumstances.

Remember this: There is nothing worse than being retired and broke. And remember this statistic, at age 65, less than 2% of the population has $20,000 in cash. It's too late to start your life over again and save all that money you spent on things that didn't really matter.

Author Credit: Giner Applegarth, 12/13/01 http://moneycentral.msn.com/articles/retire/invest/1210.asp

12. But Which Business?

The Internet Security wave is here! Don't miss a day-get started building your financial future right now.

You can make an important difference in the lives of those you know and care about-AND buidl a solid finanical future at the same time.

Everything you need to get started for just $299.99. The enrollment fee to become an ISA and get your business started on only $270. You will be shipped an ISA Business Success Kit (valued at over $1000) that includes everything you need to get your INVISUS Direct business started and begin earning money immediately.

To get your personal computer protected, the initial month setup fee for your personal subscription to the INVISUS service is $29.99 per subscription. Altogether, for just $249.99, you will have an exciting and powerful new business of your own in one of the most explosive markets ever.

KEEP IN MIND: This is N-O-T a Get-Rich-Quick Scheme, but rather a solid business based upon a product that works, a product that is guaranteed, and one where there is never a charge for customer support. The choice is yours...

When the boomers - about a third of today's workforce - reach traditional retirement age in five years, there won't be enough young workers poised to replace them.

Such labor shortages already are forcing employers to rethink how they will recruit and retain older workers and deal with ' their ultimate retirement.

Aging baby boomers present both an opportunity and a challenge for employers interested in topnotch people, particularly with a labor shortage looming.

Clifford Wall is an independent Internet Saftety Advocate (ISA) with Invisus Direct. He is not a financial planner, attorney, or any other type of financial professional. However, he is a pre-baby-boomer, having been born in 1944. Technically, I guess you could say he was a World War II era baby.

For baby-boomers that have come to Retirement-Shock-Experience that he has, he is recommending that any baby-boomer facing ther same dilemma to give very serious consideration to starting a Single-Office/ Home-Office business with INVISUS.

http://myinvisusdirect.com/ponyhunter/

Clifford Wall is an independent Internet Saftety Advocate (ISA) with Invisus Direct. He is not a financial planner, attorney, or any other type of financial professional. However, he is a pre-baby-boomer, having been born in 1944. Technically, I guess you could say he was a World War II era baby. Gauss Blog36886
Julien Blog73887

Savings All The Way From The Departure Gate

Holidaymakers these days almost instinctively head straight for the computer for a cut-price trip away, in the same way we would have automatically gone to the travel agent a decade ago. Flights and hotels are the main criteria to arrange for the perfect getaway, but it is also becoming increasingly popular to sort out all the other little extras that make a good trip into a perfect, hassle-free holiday online.

Holiday necessities like travel insurance and airport parking can now be arranged well before departure in the same way it is possible to arrange flights or a hotel room, and the savings are similarly substantial.

For some of the best deals on travel insurance and a quote in just a few minutes, go to: travel-insurance-discounts Just add the vital details of your holiday, namely when you plan to go away, how long you will be away for and your destination before being offered a selection of coverage packages, from Standard to Essential Plus. Prices start at less than 12 for travel insurance covering you on holiday in Europe.

With the Essential Plus travel insurance programme, for example, you will get the benefit of coverage against a whole range of potential pitfalls. From a lost or stolen travel document to a hijacking, almost every possible scenario is considered meaning you wont have to worry about the bills when things do not go according to plan. Premiums are kept to a minimum even on items like a delayed departure or complete cancellation of your holiday. This means you wont have to foot the bill when these costs run into thousands of pounds.

Being able to do all of this online before you go and at prices that are more competitive than those available in the high street, will ensure you have a smooth trip. You may not have thought about securing an airport parking space before arriving at the terminal but in doing so, you could save yourself hassle and get a more competitive price.

Visit save-on-parking and simply input your travel details and wait for an extensive list of airport parking options, from short, medium or long-stay to services such as meet and greet. With the latter service, you will be afforded the luxury of being met at the terminal as you arrive in your own vehicle. A representative of the airport parking company will then park your car for you. After making a quick phone call to the company when you land, they will then drive your vehicle to the Arrivals exit for you to collect.

By booking such a service online, you will be able to save up to 45 per cent on the usual price, a considerable saving on airport parking. In some cases, such a luxury service can actually be had cheaper than the standard service if you were to book the latter at the airport on arrival.

As the travel industry has expanded, the range of services on the internet and booking or purchasing them has become increasingly straightforward. Now you can arrange all of the most important details of your itinerary before you leave home. Thankfully, this is also extends to the likes of travel insurance and airport parking, which in the past were often a costly headache.

Andy Burrows is a free lance writer who is familiar with online booking of airport car parking and travel coverage packages, he recommends pre-booking online with; http://www.save-on-parking.co.uk/ and http://www.travel-insurance-discounts.com/single_trip.htmHippolyte Blog21941
Emeline Blog34921

Your Health Never Takes A Vacation

Ahh, summertime is here, and it is time for a vacation. Its time for you and your family, (or just you yourself), to get out there, explore someplace new, visit family and friends, or just go to the beach. So, of course, you pack your necessary clothes, toothbrush, comb, hair dryer, etc., you have everything, right?

How about your weight loss exercise program?

What about your local gym that you go to?

Or the fitness devices you have at home?

Can you use your vacation as a fitness vacation, also?

Did you pack your discipline, too? Because youll need it when you go to all of those restaurants youll be going to.

Well, if you forgot to pack those (which most people do when they go on vacation), dont worry, I am here to help you with all of those questions while you are on vacation.

While vacation is for having fun, you should NEVER lose sight of the big picture. And that is to lose weight, stay in shape, changing your lifestyle, etc.

I can hear the excuse train coming already

Its too hard to work out while Im on vacation.

How will I ever eat right when we go out to eat at restaurants the whole time?

Where will I work out at?

Etc. etc. etc.

Always an excuse, right?

First of all, yes, it will probably be more difficult to stay on your fitness regimen while you are on vacation.

Ill give you that.

But thats all I will give you.

You can and MUST get it donemany people do it, including myselfso, it can be done.

Inconvenient?maybe.
Impossible?Not even close.

There are people in this world who do the most amazing things to survive day in and day outso before you start complaining that thinking ahead and planning how you will stay fit on your vacation is sooooo hardjust realize that people are always doing bigger and better things.

Now that thats out of the waylets get into the how you will manage to stay fit on vacation.

Let me show you how, its really not that hard.

Ok, sample scenario

You and your family are driving to the beach, staying at a nearby hotel for a few days.

Sounds like a basic family vacation, right?

Lets see what you can do

1. Stop by a grocery store (there are some by the beach too, you know) and stock up on fruits, vegetables, other assorted healthy snacks (low-fat yogurt, granola, raisins, etc.) to keep in your hotel room as snacks.

2. Also, you can buy bottled water, healthy juices (NOT the ones loaded with added sugar), teas, etc.

3. Most hotels have a small refrigerator (orjust go to the local Walgreens and buy a styrofoam cooler to put all of your stuff in). You just have to get ice from your hotel (and change it every day or so).

4. When you do go to restaurants (and there are usually a TON of them wherever you go on vacation)pick a restaurant that offers a lot of lean meats, fruits, and vegetables.

5. If you need to, eat just enough to tide you over for when you get back to your hotel roomthen you can eat from your healthy snacks.

6. Share a healthy chicken, turkey, or fish dish with a member of your family.

7. Stay FAR AWAY from onion rings, french fries, mozzarella sticks, etc.

8. Most hotels have a gymuse it...they also have carpeted floorsuse them for doing pushups and other body-weight exercises (more to come on that in the future).

9. Take a brisk walk on the beach in the morning and nighttheres nothing much better than watching a sunrise and sunset while you are exercising.

10. Or, just do this little routinebrisk walk for 2 minutes, do 10 pushups, then 15 jumping jacks, then sprint for 15 seconds.rest for 2 minutes and repeat.

There you go.I just gave you 10 things you can do to stay fit while on vacationwhat other things can you do?

Nothing short of hundredsmaybe thousands.

But its about that time.

Let that marinate in your brain for a whilethen stop on over to http://www.fitnesswithchris.com for some of the best health and fitness tips you can possibly find. As you should know by now, Im always here to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. Dont be afraid to ask me for help, its time you turn yourself into the person youve always wanted to be.

Ill talk to you soon.

Chris C.

Chris Callegari, founder of http://www.fitnesswithchris.com is unleashing his real-world exercise, fitness, nutrition, and healthy eating tips to the world, to help support lifestyle changes for any and everyone.Hubert Blog34410
Cassis Blog33798

Texas Schools See Increase In Number Of AP Exams Taken And Improved Results

The Texas schools released figures in September 2006, showing substantial increases in the number of Texas schools students taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams, as well as their resulting scores.

High schools across the nation are allowed to teach college-level coursework that is first approved by the College Board, the national administrator of the AP exams. Under current rules, a high school need only sign a form promising to teach the specific curriculum for any class to be designated AP.

When Texas schools students take and pass an AP exam with a high enough score, they receive college credit for the course, which they will not have to take when they attend college. Not only does this allow college-bound students to take fewer courses in college to fulfill their degree requirements, but it also means that they and their parents save money on the cost of college tuition.

Many Texas schools districts see this as a win-win situation that encourages students and provides incentives for them to attend college after graduating high school. Here is some of the information released by the Texas schools:

The number of high school students in the Texas schools that took AP exams increased from 80,240 in 2002 to 122,969 in 2006 more than a 50 percent increase;

The number of Texas schools students, who scored high enough to earn college credit in 2006, increased by more than 40 percent from 2002;

There was a total of 224,168 tests taken in 2006 and 49 percent of these scores were three or higher this is a slight drop from the 53 percent of three of higher scores in 2002;

English language, English literature, and U.S. history remain the most popular of the 35 AP exams available; and

Italian, Latin literature, French literature, microeconomics, and physics of electricity and magnetism were the least popular.

To encourage students to participate in AP coursework, as well as to take and pass the exams, many Texas schools districts provide cash incentives to both their students and teachers. They partner with nonprofit donor organizations or use foundation grants to fund their AP incentives. Some students and teachers earn from $100 to $300 for each exam passed. The incentives must work, since all of the schools using them have seen a dramatic increase in the number of students taking and passing the exams. Galvestons Ball High School, for example, expects to receive $15,800 this year in student-earned incentives.

The Texas schools attributed their improved results for 2006 to the cash incentives, incentives to reduce exam costs for students (up to $80 for each exam), increased teacher training, and the overall push by the Texas schools to create a college-bound culture within their high schools.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information on schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Texas/index.htmlAvila Blog18326
Aquin Blog37449

Affiliate Programs - The Best Ones to Start

AFFILIATE PROGRAMS - GOOD STARTERS

Affiliate programs are possibly the easiest type of online business to start running. Why?

Well, in order to start any online business you need a product or service to sell. First, you need to create the product. Then, you will have to create a website, write advertisements and set up a marketing plan. If it's a physical product you are selling then you're going to be limited by the amount of time it takes to make or buy the item, package it and ship it. Then, there's the issue of accepting payments and filling orders. We haven't even started talking about refunds and returns!

This is a daunting task especially if you've never run an internet business.

AFFILIATE PROGRAMS ARE THE ANSWER

So, what ARE affiliate programs?

Affiliate programs allow you to be the "sales force" for someone else's product or service and earn commissions for each sale. You may be pretty internet savvy without ever noticing that many companies offer you the ability to become an affiliate. Check for the "affiliate program" links which are placed in a discreet manner on many sites. One big advantage is that you do not need to build a website (though you can) or handle the transaction or fill the order. Your job is to drive traffic (customers) to your affiliate link. When a sale is made, the affiliate will send you a commission!

Signing up to become an affiliate is usually a pretty simple task. It usually involves filling out a web page providing some basic information about yourself. In turn, the company will give you an affiliate link. This is a special URL code that will identify that a customer came to the company's site from your advertising. It is usually the website address with a code attached to the end.

What Commissions Does the Program Pay?

It is very important that you know how much you can expect to earn from a sale. There is no point in spending time and money promoting a product that pays very small commissions. You could end up spending more on marketing than you make on sales. It is probably best to stick with marketing products with a high commission value, unless you have found a niche market where you can sell vast quantities of product, and make substantial commissions on your volume of sales.

How Much Traffic is their Website Getting?

Try to discover the amount of traffic the affiliate owner's website is already receiving. Alexa.com is a very useful tool for doing this research. If the website is ranked in the top 100,000, the merchant is getting a good volume of traffic, so it's possible that there may already be too many affiliates. If it is ranked below 500,000 it may be no good, or it could be a golden opportunity to make some real money by becoming one of the first affiliates!

Always research a merchant's product if their website has a low traffic ranking. It may be a good idea to buy the product yourself if you can afford it. Otherwise you could do a search to find out if there are any negative reviews about it on the internet. Be careful who you listen to though because many people are in the habit of bashing affiliate programs with nothing to really support their comments. If you find a large amount of negative reviews with little positive ones then it would probably be a good idea to stay away from that affiliate program.

How Often Are Affiliate Commissions Paid?

Some affiliate programs pay commissions every week; some once a month, others only pay every quarter. It is important that you know how often you can expect a pay check if you are going to have financial control over your business. Do you have the financial resources to continue to market a product if you have to wait a long time before you get paid? It would also be wise to find out the minimum commission that you have to earn before you get paid.

Does The Affiliate Program Use Tracking Cookies?

Many customers do not buy on their first visit to a merchant's website. It is important therefore that the merchant uses cookies for their affiliate program, so that you get credit if the customer returns and buys at a later date. Check out how long the cookies last. The longer the cookies lasts; the better the chances of you getting paid!

Does the Affiliate Program Pay on Subsequent Sales?

Some programs will only pay commission on sales that come through customers visiting their site via a direct link from your site. They pay you nothing for any subsequent purchases that the customer makes if they visit the merchants site directly. It is important that you get paid no matter what route the customer returns by if you are to build a sustainable affiliate business.

What Marketing Resources Does the Affiliate Program Offer?

Look at the type and quality of the marketing resources that they provide. Do they provide articles, advertisements, or other content that you can use to put on your site? Do they provide free guides, special offers, free viral e-books, or product samples that you can send to your list? If the marketing material they provide is good then it is likely that the business will provide good support for their affiliates.

Finding the right affiliate program for you can be tough to do. The best advice is to do your own research, follow the advice above, and listen to your instincts. Use the above questions as an aid to finding an affiliate program that enables you to reach your financial goals. You never know... You might just strike affiliate marketing gold!

Is their website professional?

Your reputation is on the line every time you promote a product or service. If you're sending your traffic to a website that is on free hosting or just looks unprofessional, then you're going to lose the confidence of your subscribers. Now, many sales letters aren't 'pretty' but they are grammatically correct, and everything is functional, with pictures and testimonials. So, although the website doesn't have to be beautiful, it does need to look 'live'.

Is their website easy to navigate?

If shoppers can't figure out how to purchase, then there's no point in sending your traffic there.

What are the numbers?

If you have two programs you like equally well, you can choose between them or write reviews for each and compare and contrast their benefits. Or, if that doesn't fit into your site, then test both to see which gives you the best results.

Free trial?

Any product that offers samples or service that offers a free trial deserves a look. If you can offer your website visitors a sample of any sort to get them hooked, you'll have much higher results than trying to convince them that the product is good.

Are there any tools to help you?

The best affiliate programs go above and beyond in their tools and resources section. Not only do they provide the standard text links and buttons and banners, but you also have solo mailings, articles, and even product feeds. These are the affiliate programs that 'get it'.

Once you find an affiliate program that you love, it's still smart to continue to test the results. Just because you think it's great doesn't mean you visitors will. Continually look at the statistics to see how much traffic you're sending and if any of it is converting. If you're not getting results and you're sending a lot of traffic, then you might want to look at a new program.

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ATTN : Webmasters and Ezine Publishers:

Free Content for your newsletter or your website! You are invited to use this article in your newsletter or website. The only requirement is the inclusion of the author's bio and link to the URL displayed.

John J Farina is a successful affiliate marketer. He provides expert reviews on which affiliate programs to join and which ones to avoid like the plague. He shows people how to actually generate substantial income on-line using very simple, easily modeled systems. An example of such a system that you can study and duplicate is at: http://www.johnnysreviewsite.comHorus Blog22463
Carole Blog80867

What Causes Fibromyalgia And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? : Part 2

Recent research has shown that in Fibromyalgia/CFS patients there is an irregular molecular weight for cells and enzymes that act as the body's defense mechanisms.

Viral channels remain open as expressed by RNase L weights long after the viruses have effectively been eliminated.

This means that your body still thinks it is fighting infections long after they have been beaten, consuming energy resources and destroying otherwise healthy cells and thereby contributing to the overall feeling of exhaustion.

For example, lets examine a commonly cited feature of Fibromyalgia and CFS. You should have noticed that when you have the slightest inkling of a sore throat or a cold beginning, your Fibromyalgia/CFS symptoms get noticeably worse, but interestingly the cold itself never fully develops.

This is a well documented feature of an up-regulated immune system, overreacting to eliminate the infection and subsequently leaving the viral enzyme channels open, way longer than would normally be the case in a healthy patient.

The cold virus is beaten but your immune system is still effectively fighting it, the lymphocytes can't find what they are looking for so float around attacking the wrong cells.

The effect is that your Fibromyalgia/CFS gets worse.

Not surprisingly, Ampligen has been found to have positive results in some CFS sufferers, as it has a strong antiviral mechanism, the incidence of viral infection and viral channel activation is reduced taking the stress off the ANS and effectively making the patient "feel" better.

However the ultimate goal should be to restore healthy immune function and appropriate immune response.

Similarly with Fibromyalgia/CFS of bacterial origin, the presence of these bacteria are causing an irregular dysfunctional immune response. What we can do of course with bacterial infections is reduce the presence of the organisms to almost zero while simultaneously addressing the underlying cause, the dysfunctional immune system.

There are widely over-reported instances of patients diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and CFS making a full recovery after antibiotics which only goes to indicate that the original diagnosis should have been Lyme's borrelia.

However this is a minority of cases and does not warrant the abuse of this data being touted around on various internet sites as Lyme's IS Fibromyalgia and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

In order to treat patients with Fibromyalgia/CFS type 1, I advocate reducing the bacterial load using synthetic antibiotics.

The regime I recommend is to start with 1.5g Amoxicillin working up to 3g taken through the course of the day. After 2 months on this regime a 4 month program of Metronidazole and Amoxicillin should be taken together.

This rigorous program will address the problem of borrelia in their latent and active states and give enough time and high enough volumes to penetrate deep into all body tissues where borrelial spirochetes can lie dormant, finish off with 2 months of Amoxicillin to consolidate results.

Amoxicillin is very well tolerated in most individuals with a negligible side effect profile. In patients where Amoxicillin is not tolerated, or if there appears to be some bacterial resistance, Doxycycline should be substituted.

Metronidazole I'm afraid is awful and may make you feel as poorly as the Syndrome itself, it can be taken for 4 days of a 7 day window thus reducing the side effects. Like most things that are nasty it works extremely well.

In patients averse to the concept of taking synthetics, a herbal supplement has been receiving reports from colleagues of powerful antibiotic, antiviral and immuno-modulatory properties. Pentacyclic Alkaloid Type Uncaria Tomentosa, is a Peruvian herb, it is produced by Nutrimedix Ltd under the trade name, Samento. It is an arena I will be investigating personally in the near future and will post reports after a statistically relevant period.

If you google nutrimedix you will find them. As you would expect, it is expensive whereas the antibiotic regime should be free or will relate to your individual country's adult prescription charge.

In following this programme, it is imperative that you explain to your doctor what you are doing, why and what you are trying to achieve, and get his support in prescribing these quantities of antibiotics.

There is strong controversy around the whole Lyme's arena and some doctors are under pressure from authorities to reduce antibiotic prescriptions due to the emergence of bacteria that are becoming resistant to them.

This is not your problem at the moment. If your practitioner cannot give you good reason that you are unsuitable for long-term antibiotic therapy then take your business elsewhere.

A true borrelial infestation should be terminated with the same prejudice that a provider would associate with severe syphilitic infections, a similar spirochetal organism which can ultimately cause brain and tissue damage if left untreated.

Under NO circumstances should a sufferer self prescribe or self administer drugs and the author takes NO responsibility should adverse effects occur as a result of self-administration after reading this document.

As a Fibromyalgia/CFS sufferer you will have suffered for some time with musculoskeletal abnormalities. You may be at an age where these abnormalities may not YET have manifested themselves as musculoskeletal pain.

The body is a resilient and hardwearing organism that can tolerate deficiencies, anomalies and abnormalities for many years before becoming symptomatic. You may be somewhat older and have already suffered back pain, either lumbar, thoracic or cervical, over many years. You may have suffered from TMJ and headaches for many years.

In the next chapter I will explain how these abnormalities have come together to present as "torsion" in the thoracic area of the spine, how this relates to your Autonomic Nervous System, and how this in turn relates to the symptoms of your Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

It does not matter about the exact etiology of your personal condition. All these anomalies and abnormalities in your musculoskeletal make-up, balance and gait are what has finally lead you down the path of Fibromyalgia/CFS.

And the good news is that THEY ARE REVERSIBLE.

Some may take longer to address than others. Some may be more expensive to address than others, and some may entail an increased element of hardship and suffering to address.

But ultimately, they CAN be addressed, and by combining an undertaking to correct these structural anomalies, with my techniques and procedures, you will be able to see rapid improvements in your condition with noticeable improvement in the first month of between 25 and 50%, and an 80 to 90% improvement over the year that you stay on the treatment protocol.

Dr Mark J Shaw is the author of a new digital book and training manual Beat Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"Korie Blog81640
Enclumes Blog45415

What is Cosmology?

The word 'cosmology' originated in Greek: 'cosmologia', meaning order, orderly arrangement or ornaments, plus the word 'logos', meaning word, reason or plan. Cosmology is the study of the Universe at large, which has a long history, involving at least three main regimes: religion, philosophy and science. This article deals mainly with scientific cosmology.

Scientific Cosmology

Also called physical cosmology, it is the branch of science that deals with the scientific study of the origins and evolution of the Universe and the nature of the Universe on its very largest scales.

In its earliest form (2nd century BC) physical cosmology was basically just celestial mechanics, the study of the 'heavens'. The Greek philosophers Aristarchus of Samos, Aristotle and Ptolemy proposed different theories for how the heavens work.

In particular, the 'earth-centric' Ptolemaic system was the accepted theory to explain the motion of the heavenly bodies until Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo proposed a 'sun-centric' system in the 16th century.

Although Greek, Indian and Muslim academics formulated the sun-centric theory centuries before Copernicus, his reiteration that the Sun, rather than the Earth, is at the center of the solar system is considered among the most important landmarks in the history of modern astronomy.

Newton's Cosmology

With Isaac Newton's 1687 publication of 'Principia Mathematica', the problem of the motion of the heavenly bodies was solved. Newton provided a physical mechanism for Kepler's laws of planetary motion. His law of universal gravitation resolved the anomalies caused by gravitational interaction between the planets in the previous systems.

Despite the words 'universal gravitation', Newton did not consider the implications of his theory on the Universe at large, although it implied that gravity works the same everywhere. The universal application of gravity was left to Albert Einstein, who formulated it more than two centuries later.

Einstein's Cosmology

Scientific cosmology really began in 1917, when Albert Einstein's published the final modification to his theory of gravity in the paper 'Cosmological Considerations of the General Theory of Relativity'. This paper prompted early cosmologists such as Willem de Sitter, Karl Schwarzschild and Arthur Eddington to explore the astronomical consequences of the theory of relativity.

Mount Wilson astronomer Harlow Shapley championed the model of a cosmos made up of the Milky Way star system only a static unchanging universe. Einstein also believed this and 'fudged' his equations of general relativity to represent this static state. He introduced a 'cosmological constant' that prevented the universe from contracting or expanding, which was what his original equations told him.

Heber D. Curtis, on the other hand, suggested that the observed spiral nebulae were star systems in their own right, or 'island universes'. In 1923-24 Edwin Hubble detected novae in the Andromeda galaxy and then showed its distance to be way beyond the Milky Way's boundaries. This settled the debate and it was accepted that the Milky Way was not all the universe there is. However, the cosmos was still thought to be static and unchanging.

Modern Cosmology

Subsequent modeling of the universe explored the possibility that the cosmological constant introduced by Einstein may result in an expanding universe, depending on its value. In 1929, Edwin Hubble's discovered the red shift of the light of distant galaxies, indicating that they move away from the Milky Way. Hence, the universe must be expanding.

Einstein promptly repudiated his earlier 'fudge factor' and declared that the introduction of the cosmological constant was the "biggest blunder of his scientific career". His original 1917 equations support an expanding universe without the cosmological constant anyway.

In 1931 Georges Lemaitre, a Belgian priest, postulated that an expanding universe meant a creation event at some time in the past. He postulated that the Universe was created from a small 'cosmic egg' and set into motion, expanding until today. This theory was later labeled the 'big bang'.

There were many rival theories to the big bang. The 1964 discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation by Arno Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson was a first step in ruling out many alternative physical cosmologies.

The Golden Age of Cosmology

Recent observations made by the COBE and WMAP satellites observing and accurately measuring this background radiation have effectively, transformed cosmology from a highly speculative science into a predictive science. This has led many to refer to modern times as the "golden age of cosmology".

Present observations match predictions made by a theory called Cosmic Inflation, first proposed by American physicist and cosmologist Alan Guth in 1981. It is a modification of the standard big bang theory that explains how the universe obtained the expansion and solves some problem areas of the big bang satisfactorily.

Today a lot can be scientifically explained, but it is still not possible to technically explain how the universe came forth 'out of nothing'. Modern cosmological research mainly concentrates on 'quantum cosmology', striving to reconcile general relativity with quantum physics. This may provide a scientific answer to this ultimate puzzle that we call 'the Universe'.

Burt Jordaan writes about relativity and cosmology for non-scientists. Read more popular, 'light-technical' articles on cosmology and relativity by clicking here: => http://www.einsteins-theory-of-relativity-4engineers.com/what-is-cosmology.htmlLorilee Blog71264
Mangue Blog79817

Imagine Proven Way To Become An Educated And Respected Person In This Society With Online Education!

Not so much time ago people had to travel days, months, even years just to go and search for a little bit of knowledge. The day of today we have all this technology at our sides but it seems that we dont use this benediction. In only one mouse click we can download as we desire all the books, articles, courses, software's and such, but do we really use our minds as we should?

With online education we can go very far in our path to gain knowledge so lets get focused on that. Any kind of knowledge is findable on the web with its history and all of its details. We have at our disposition online softwares to research the oldest sayings and cultures. To discover how they where living, eating, dressing, learning, and so on

Theres nothing that you really want to learn without finding it on the web. If you could only have the passion to build a car, a plane, a house, an empire The web is going to teach it to you. Showing to you step by step how to handle, where to buy, why to build

Its a universal project to ease a lot of things to human kind. From grand-mothers to new born babies, they all find their interest with online education. For example a granny is able to learn how to make baby clothes and the baby will have a warm winter!

The World Wide Web is really a very big school where everything is offered to you for a little amount of money but most of the time it's even for free. Isn't that a wonderful thing? You don't have to make any efforts to educate yourself or your children. It's even surprising that using the web doesn't costs a lot of money.

It's really cheap and easy so use this chance to take knowledge and be useful for yourself and for others by spending your time to use what you've learned and to teach it to others. Please be modern, go on the web and surf on the "online education" forums, blogs and sites to gain what you really need to be integrated in 2007.

The only thing I know is that the clock is ticking while we aren't really progressing as we should. As I said before: "Not so much time ago people had to travel days, months, even years just to go and search for a little bit of knowledge." Shouldn't we be ashamed to be ignorant of the simplest things such as a second language, a foreign culture or even our own history?

It isn't hard to become respected and educated in this society but you have to really want it. Just go and surf on the web to find the best of online education and get started

Everaert Patrice is the creator and senior editor of http://www.learnfrenchonline.blogspot.com. Get started with this partner to be respected and educated! And progress step by step in your path of gaining vast knowledge.Lauretta Blog7546
Diane Blog28395

Web Design and Development Buyers Guide

Getting Started:

When developing a website for your business there are many important issues which need to be considered. I have made a list of recommendations about many of these issues so that you can evaluate your current project needs and how to prepare for them. Your website is by far the most important aspect of your business marketing. It is the face of your company which people from all across the world are going to see. People base their opinion on your company based on the professionalism of your website. If it looks cheap and amateur, people will simply think you have a poor business model and you arent making enough money to afford a professional web presence. But if your site looks incredible, your potential customers will feel comfortable with you and give you instant credibility. Studies have shown that a companys website design has more influence on a potential customer than the products, functionality or written content within the website.

Preparing Project Requirements

To start preparing for your project, first you must create a project requirement document for your exact needs of your project. It is extremely important to be as detailed as possible when creating these specs because the future of your project depends on it. Many times the company or individual developing your website design or web application does not take the time to help you build a spec, especially if you dont pay them a consulting fee. If you have the budget to pay for project consulting we highly recommend that you do. It could save you thousands of dollars and months of wasted time. Most companies will even refund your consulting fees once your project.

However if you feel that you dont need any consulting and you can write your project requirements on your own, then make sure you are as detailed as possible. If you forget something it could cost you much more to have it added later. If you would like some documents which can guide you through writing your project requirements please ask your web development company to provide them to you.

Also, you must write everything down in a word document format or in an email. This is very important especially towards the end of your project when testing begins to see if all the requirements have been met. If its not on your sheet, there is a great chance it wont get done, and youll have a real problem convincing a company to do any extras for free unless its something small.

Choosing Your Developer or Web Company

Once you have your requirements the next step is to choose your developer or development team. This is a very crucial decision which must be well thought out. Many people and small companies shop for these developers based on price alone. This is a big mistake. These low cost options tend to be college students, low cost offshore developers in India and other parts of the world, local web companies with weak portfolios, and large cookie cutter developers like www.register.com, www.networksolutions.com, or www.yahoo.com.

College students generally only charge $10 to $30 per hour and have very limited skills and experience. Anyone who charges this amount generally does so because they have no real experience and will take anything they can get their hands on. College students only know the basics and usually try to cut and paste their way through the project using free scripts and templates. The result is a website or application that doesnt do what its supposed to do and looks extremely amateur. Also college students generally never finish on time, or at all. They are not dedicated to your project because most of their time is spent doing homework, going to class, socializing, or working at a part time job. These delays can cost your business heavily. Also many times desperate college students will agree to take a project which is more than they can handle. They try to get a friend to help them or do it themselves. Once they fail, obviously you most likely wont be getting your money back. I have heard stories like these 1000 times over.

Another cheap option to avoid is low cost offshore developers. You will generally get hundreds of emails per year from these companies offering to work for $2 per hour up to $30 per hour. 99.9% of the time you are guaranteed to be disappointed. Most of the time the offers are coming from India, China, Russian, Ukraine, or Mexico, so please try to avoid them at all costs. They often reply to any ad posted on websites like www.elance.com, www.craigslist.org or www.guru.com. They usually reply to hundreds of ads per day in hopes that someone will actually give them a project, and then its just a game of roulette after that. Many times they will supply you with a stolen portfolio of completed work, or a bunch of promises to give you the highest quality, blah- blah- blah, etc... I have rarely seen anyone successfully do a project off shore without jumping through some major hoops to do it. The time differences, the language barriers, and the lack of security alone should push you away from these options. Many times they are just college students as well, and they cant provide you with what you need even if they wanted to.

The 3rd option to avoid like the plague is using cookie cutter companies. These large Do it yourself corporations butcher the web. Companies like www.register.com and www.networksolutions.com and www.fortunecity.com and many others, will offer you to buy a hosted solution. They offer you the wonderful opportunity to build your own site for only $250 or something, and host it with them for a year for only $20. This is a joke and all too many people have fallen for this. When you are surfing the web and find a site that looks like a kindergartener built it, this is usually one of the do-it-yourself websites that some poor sucker purchased. There is no functionality, there is no design template offered that is worth a look, and there is no way a real company or anyone serious about setting up a legitimate webpage would ever consider using this service. However I can see how many people have decided to buy these sites. They tried to use a college kid, and then tried some Indian offshore developer, and then tried their local low budget web or hosting company, and finally came to the conclusion that all of the quality was pretty similar to that of the cheap cookie cutter corporations. So they fall for the marketing, and buy the cheapo template website and now their stuck looking unprofessional and their potential clients wont take them serious.

Now that youve been informed of all the bad apples out there, lets take a look at the companies out there who actually decided to take this route, then we will look at some companies who took the high road and made a professional site. Please go to www.webpagesthatsuck.com and take a look at all the worthless sites that are out there. This site is dedicated to convincing people how important your web presence is and what people will think of you when you publish low cost amateur sites.

Once youre done, lets take a look at a few sites which were done professionally. I will use a few examples of websites our company has developed, and to be fair a few other random sites other companies developed. Take a look at www.dreamsoft.us, this site is very well put together with great use of colors, great structural layout, plenty of relevant content, reasonable use of flash and 3d, and overall you get a professional look and feel when youre on this website. Here is a www.completebirkenstock.com , nothing really fancy, very conservative use of flash, but yet its very professional and easy to look at with a top notch shopping system. Here is a site from one of our competitors www.spiketv.com. As you can see they have done an excellent job with flash animation and 3D graphics, as well as lots of content and functionality. In my opinion its one of the best sites around, and I commend them on their good work. Many people cannot afford this type of work, but it shows true quality. Buying web development and services is like buying a car. There are Cadillacs, Ferraris, Old Clunkers, and everything in between. The key is to find whats best for your needs and taking the proper steps to get what youre looking for.

Negotiating Your Costs:

Now that youve chosen a few potential developers, its time to negotiate a fair price for your project, this is a very important step. Generally for descent work you might be able looking at paying an average of $60-$300 USD per hour. This depends on the company and the difficulty of the work you are requesting. It is very possible to get the same quality for $60 USD per hour as it is for $300 USD per hour, so you want to look around and bargain shop. This isnt easy; you need to understand that many of these companies have new projects coming across their desks everyday. And many times these companies spend countless hours consulting and estimating without ever getting the project they spent so much time on. There are tons of freelancers out there who dont want to estimate their own projects so they go out and bid it out to a few web companies who will put together a nice presentation and detailed estimation, which they take to their clients and pretend its their own. This must happen 1000 times per day all over the world, its one of the oldest tricks in the book. So dont be surprised if your potential development company asks for a small consulting fee to see if youre serious. Usually it will be $50-$2000 depending on how large or small your project is, and its a good idea for you to pay the fee. It shows that youre serious, and the web development company will take you much more serious and it will probably lower you additional costs in the long run.

Once you give your project requirements document to the developers, they will begin to dig through it. They will most likely send you some questions to answer to give them a better idea of what youre looking for. Having a detailed requirements document is extremely important and can lower the cost of your project tremendously. And make sure you have it all written down properly, dont think you can just call and tell them over the phone. Web developers hate when a client calls and just starts rambling on and on about what they want changed, so if you have any changes make sure to send it in an email or word document and clearly label it. This can help you avoid any disputes later on down the line, and trust me there are always disputes over what the original requirements were and how they were conveyed. Dreamsoft.us built a huge project management and document management system called Projectpro.us just to avoid these conflicts.

As far as pricing goes, dont be fooled or intimidated by hourly rates. Its not as simple as it seems. Just because company X charges $100 per hour doesnt make them the wrong company to use, the same as company Z charging $40 per hour doesnt make them your best bet. For the exact same project, company X might bill you for 25 hours, while company Z might bill you for 100 hours. So for the same project company X charges $2500 while company Z charges $3000, yet company Z looks more attractive because of their low hourly billing structure. Dont judge your potential developers by their hourly rates; you could drop a reasonable offer just because of some unnecessary sticker shock.

Monthly Website Maintenance:

Also before choosing your developers you should consider the ongoing costs. These can REALLY add up. If youre going to be paying maintenance on some web program, SEO campaign, or hosting, just make sure its reasonable. Most web companies are pretty lenient about these fees, but expect to pay something. Also if you feel you wont need a lot of updates on a regular basis you can ask them to modify their monthly options to something smaller for your specific needs. Generally your monthly maintenance needs will be around $350 USD per month and up.

Web Hosting:

THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. Hosting is by far one of your most important issues as your company grows. At first its always easy to just take the cheapest hosting company in town, or the most well known. This is the recipe for disaster, almost every single time. DO NOT host with the major hosting companies like Godaddy.com, Register.com, Yahoo.com, or Networksolutions.com. Generally when you register your website you do it through a huge company like these, and then you sign up for the 1 year of hosting, and the ecommerce package. These solutions are only for individuals who dont know what they are doing and buy it out of convenience and low cost.

As your company grows, you will need to add email addresses, add functionality, add software, change server requirements, change passwords, gain particular server access, and many other things. These big low cost hosting providers wont even pick up the phone, if you can find a number to call. If there is a problem, it takes 2 weeks to 2 months before they can resolve it. And when you try to switch to another provider they will ignore you as long as they can before giving in to your request. They have millions of clients, only paying them a few bucks per year, so you can see they arent going to waste a few bucks having a customer service rep or technician help you out in a jam. And when your company goes offline because of some technical failure, not even the president of the United States can get these people on the phone. Meanwhile, your company suffers, and while people are trying to view your site, they see Page not found.

Another problem is when you add some new functionality to your website, and it requires that the server needs to run a certain program. Although it might take 5 minutes to install it they will bill you for 2.5 hours (because they have minimums) and they know you cant do anything about it.

I suggest using someone reliable, someone local, someone you know and trust. This is truly one of the most important aspects of having a web presence is making sure you have reliable hosting and registration.

Registration:

Dont forget, when registering your domain name; make sure the administrative contact is in your name with your email and your contact info. Dont let web or hosting companies hold you hostage. If the administrative contact information is in their name, they have total control of your site. I have seen this done once before with a fairly good sized web development and hosting company in Chicago. An acquaintance of our CEO had their site developed by a local web company. This acquaintance then asked our CEO if we could do some Search Engine Marketing for them. We agreed to the task, but when we went to get access to the site from the local web company, they decided that they were going to take this marketing project and refused to grant us access. Our customer called the web company and asked them to switch over the hosting rights to us, and they refused. Although this is illegal for this company to do this, there is nothing our client could do. The domain name was registered originally by this web company, and they kept the registration in their name (which is also illegal). But it takes 6 months and tons of court costs to get it back, so our client had no choice but to stay with the ones that refused to let him leave. This happens on a daily basis and the best way to avoid it is to use someone you trust.

As far as the cost, it ranges from $250 per year, up to $5000 depending on what programs your running and how much space youre using. 99% of sites usually only need the basics which is around $250- $350 per year.

Development Contracts:

Once youve made all your important decisions and found the right company to do your project, make sure you get everything in writing. And you must make sure that there is an attachment to the contract specifying the exact amount of time until the completion of your project, the total cost, and the project requirements. This will ensure that you get exactly what you paid for, and get it on time. Make sure to have a signed copy for yourself and also make sure the start date is clearly stated.

During Development:

Now that your project has begun, there is no time to relax yet. Although everything is clearly stated in your project requirements sheet, you must provide the developers with the necessary materials they need in a timely fashion. I am telling you this from a web developers standpoint. When a project starts, the development company has allocated tasks for its individual developers just for your project. So if you wait 2 weeks to send materials, then the company must allocate other tasks for their developer to keep him busy earning money for the company. This can cause major delays in your projects completion time. The materials you need to have prepared are images, content, and anything else which the web developers cannot provide for you. Please understand that developers cannot read your mind, dont just expect them to just miraculously build what you foresee in your mind without some direction from you.

Be attentive and always check your email. Web developers will send you updates and have multiple questions, sometimes on a daily basis, so you need to make sure and not neglect them. Sometimes they hit a brick wall, and cannot move forward without your comments, especially during web application programming or design. Many times if you dont respond within a day or so they will just keep trudging ahead and many times in the wrong direction. Then when you tell them to erase all the work and do something different they will get pretty angry. So to avoid any conflict try to check your email at least a few times each day, especially during business hours. Always send your responses by email. I cannot stress enough how irritating it is to have a client calling over the phone to tell you everything. This just makes the developer have to write everything down and there can be errors using this method. If you must talk on the phone, then call the developers, talk to them, then go back and recap the discussion on an email so they know what you want.

Project Completion:

Once your project is near completion, you need to start testing. Dont be angry to find small glitches or bugs, this is very common. You might find links which dont work, images misplaced, spelling errors, or other small inconveniences, but this is common when the project is coming to a close. The developers will wrap everything up and make everything look good, so dont get discouraged. When they tell you its finished and you still find something, dont get angry, just let your developers know and they will surely fix it quickly. Usually these little things take only a few minutes to fix and developers overlook them because they know its just something minor and they usually concentrate on the major functions. Some companies have testers which do quality assurance testing for the client, but these are only the larger companies, and even they miss things occasionally.

Project Payment:

The web development standard for any project is 50% up front and 50% at the end. In my opinion over years in this industry its truly unfair that the web development company gets paid in this fashion. But at the same time paying slowly via milestones is also a pain in the rear. Now for larger companies the 50/50 deal is fine, but for small 5 employee IT companies this can be life or death. I remember years ago when we first started we couldnt eat if a client decided to pay late, or of the project dragged on for weeks past the due date because our clients werent responsive enough, or they haggled over tiny details to delay the payment.

In my opinion no matter what size the company is, make sure to pay when the project is near completion, dont drag it out, its not fair to the developers who worked so hard to get you what you want. The margins in the web business arent what they used to be and some of these small fry companies may be doing great work, but they get killed on delay of payments. We recommend paying via bank wire to all our clients, and we are a company of over 40 developers.

Conclusion:

To wrap things up, I wrote this article in hopes of helping people understand how the web development and web design industry works. Most people who are getting ready to start a web project should read this, a lot of the information you read here you wont find anywhere else. It gives you an inside look at how a web project actually gets done, and hopefully you will avoid the pitfalls by having a better understanding of the process.
Alex Dubko Fourier Blog2054
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