Archive for August, 2008

A Burning Desire

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

At eight months pregnant I was bloated and uncomfortable. It had been a long, tiring day caring for my fifteen month old son. My husband and I prepared for bed. He slipped out of his jeans and t-shirt and got into bed wearing only his shorts as he always did. I slipped into my big, blue flannel mumu of a nightgown and slid under the covers next to him. Little did we know what the morning held for us but the dawn of the next day would change our lives drastically.

The loud banging on the door seemed to be part of a dream. It wasn’t until I heard shouts of “The house is on fire,” that I was jolted from my sleep. I jumped out of bed the best way an eight month pregnant woman can which amounted more to rolling out of bed. I shook my husband as he just mildly stirred from his slumber.

The house in question was a three story apartment building that my husband and I lived in, along with several other families. There was an adjoining door from my bedroom that led into the living room of the neighboring apartment. The door locked on both sides, of course. It was from the other side of that door that all the commotion could be heard. I ran to the door, unlocked it and flung it open not paying any attention to the fact that my husband was still only clad in his underwear. But under the circumstances I really don’t think anyone was paying any attention. He grabbed the nearest thing to put on which was the pair of jeans he had just taken off a few hours before.

My friend Diane and her boyfriend Ed occupied the adjoining apartment. When I opened the door Diane ran into my bedroom. “Hurry, get the baby. The house is burning,” she said breathlessly. As I glanced to my right I saw that my kitchen was beginning to burn. In fact, the whole house was burning fast. My husband grabbed our son from his crib and we followed Diane into her apartment. Diane ran into her kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She had just gone grocery shopping the previous day and I suppose the thought of all that food going to waste must have been on her mind. She reached into the refrigerator and took out a dozen of eggs. If memory serves me correctly, she also took a loaf of bread. Clutching her eggs, my friend led the way down the stairs.

“What are you doing with the eggs?” Ed asked.
“I just bought these yesterday,” Diane replied.
“Forget the eggs. They’re gonna fry anyway,” Ed remarked sarcastically.

“Come on, babe,” called my husband, trying to grasp my hand as he looked back over his shoulder. He was a few paces ahead of me and carrying our son. The smoke was beginning to thicken and the burning stench stung my nostrils. “Go! Get the baby out of here. I’m right behind you,” I yelled.

“I’m not going without you,” he called back.

“I got her Jim. Go. Get the baby out,” Ed yelled, motioning for my husband to go ahead.

As Diane exited the building and Jim continued down the steps, I turned back.

“What are you doing? Where are you going?” Ed asked as he tried to grab my arm.

“The bathroom. I have to go to the bathroom.”

“You’ll have to wait,” Ed said.

“Wait. I can’t wait. I’m eight months pregnant for God’s sake. You can’t imagine the pressure on my bladder,” I told him as I made my way to the throne of relief.

“Aaaaah. God that feels good. It’s better than sex. I thought I was going to bust.”

“Hurry up, Darlene. We’ve got to go. We have to get out of here,” Ed tapped his foot impatiently.

“I know. I know. I can’t stop.”

“Are you done yet?” he asked again.

“No. I’m not done.”

“Well, you are now,” Ed said and with that he reached in, grabbed me off the toilet and said “Piss on the fire. We’ve got to go now.”

“Wait. Wait,” I protested. There I was eight months pregnant, still dribbling, trying to pull up my underwear with one hand as I’m being pulled down the steps by my friend’s boyfriend.

As we ran out of the building, Jim and Diane who were across the street on a neighbor’s porch hollered “Thank God,” and breathed a sigh of relief. The firemen who had a net set up below my living room window realized that we were not trapped but had just taken a slight detour. Although they didn’t rescue us they did make up for it by swinging their axes to match the equivalent of the fire damage. It was early April and there was a bit of snow on the ground. I stood there shivering until a neighbor brought me a blanket and a pair of slippers. After all, I was barefoot and wet.

My husband’s car was parked in the drive behind the burning building and we had almost forgotten about it until a fireman came up and asked my husband to move it. The car keys were still in Jim’s pocket of those same jeans he had taken off the night before. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out the keys and tossed them to the fireman. “You want it moved. You move it,” he said. Seconds later, part of the roof of the burning building collapsed right onto the spot where the car was parked. Thank God, no one was in the car.

I was taken to the hospital as a precaution because I was pregnant. Of course, I was upset. We had just lost everything we owned but we still had a lot to be thankful for. We had our lives, our children both born and unborn and we had our friends. Diane was thankful that she had salvaged something for breakfast and I was thankful for an empty bladder!

Everytime someone uses the expression “Piss on it!” I remember a time when I actually did.

Darlene Zagata is a freelance writer and author of two books, “Aftertaste: A Collection of Poems” and “The Choosing.” She is a monthly columnist and editor for the print publication Moon Shadows Magazine. Visit Darlene’s website at http://darlenezagata.tripod.com or contact Darlene at darzagata@yahoo.com

A Look at Obstacles to Senior Dating Success

Monday, August 25th, 2008

When it comes to online dating, most senior singles create obstacles before giving themselves a chance. Let’s take a look at some common obstacles to senior dating success.

“I’m not good with computers.”

One of the main obstacles to online dating for older people is technophobia, though this is fading. Knowing this reputable dating sites make it as easy on you as possible through step by step guidelines. If all you can do is click the mouse and type with two fingers, you’re good to go.

“All the good ones are taken.”

True, the population of available singles narrows with age. But there still are still lots of potential partners out there. Surveys by dating sites indicate that the fastest growing demographic in internet dating is over 40 years old. Leading senior dating sites have databases of millions of senior singles.

“My family won’t understand.”

Another big obstacle: Having to look over your shoulder for approval from family members. Think of how a new relationship might benefit you by increasing your personal happiness. Except in peculiar circumstances, your personal happiness would in most likely rub on those closest to you in a good way.

“My sex life is over.”

Barring physical or psychological problems requiring expert or medical help, sex life need not be over because of age. Many older people report healthy and active sex lives well into old age.

“Someone might find out.”

This is one of the reasons given for not trying online dating. Consider this: what are the odds of someone coming across your ad among millions of others in one of the hundreds of dating sites out there? And, what would they be doing there anyway if not at least entertaining the idea of dating online themselves?

“It’s not safe.”

Horror stories in the press about online dating experiences keep senior singles away from this dating method. Negative news is what sells and naturally, will receive greater publicity. What the press does not say is that most of the negative experiences have their origins in free chat rooms. Dating site membership fees keep most havoc-wreckers away (why pay to wreck havoc when you can do it for free?).

“I want to lose some weight first.”

This and similar self-improvement “reasons” are excuses older people use to postpone dating. Understandable, as it may be, waiting until you are perfect will only prolong your loneliness. Get there and start finding your mate, then begin working on your physical imperfections.

“I will look naughty, desperate or perverted.”

There are senior dating services and senior dating sites dedicated to older people seeking partners within their age group. Young people are not allowed on these sites. Most of the senior singles in these sites are sincere, lively people who have or have been in thriving and respectable careers.

Yes, senior dating online is alive, vibrant and very decent. Give it at try. It works.

David Kamau is webmaster of http://e-datecentral.com. Find top-rated dating services for seniors seeking love, marriage, friendship, fun and more at: http://e-datecentral.com/personals/seniors.htm

There is no Place like the Inland Empire

Monday, August 25th, 2008

There’s no place like the Inland Empire. It’s a place where you can see normal people going about their daily lives, but all of a sudden see a deranged man screaming at cars that go by, or better yet a man dressed in monk garb dancing and waving at people who drive by.
The weather is usually hot and dry in the summers and in the winters cool, dry, and windy. There are no real seasons in the IE. It sometimes snows in the mountains, but nothing substantial. Usually there are snowmaking machines to help the resorts produce some type of snow on the runs. One might pass through the Inland Empire and think they are going through some type of apocalyptic desert barren landscape with some rundown buildings. This is usually the case in San Bernardino.

Other parts of the Inland Empire are sprawled out areas of suburbia and shopping malls. Some cities are more known for their huge logistical buildings that seem to all look the same, big and rectangular.

The people who live out here have a look like they wish they could live somewhere else. I don’t blame them at all. I do feel pity for them. There’s definitely a mix of people here. There are professional looking business types, to normal everyday dress people, Bro’s with their oversize trucks and then there’s the ghetto fabulous wannabes. It’s a big melting pot of characters in the Inland Empire.

There are however certain businesses that do stand out from the crowd. One business in particular like this Inland Empire web design company does cool looking and very functional websites for business that are willing to make themselves look professional.

Recognizing and Beating Our Internal Monkey Mind

Sunday, August 24th, 2008

What does it mean to have A Monkey Mind?

Having a Monkey Mind can be the Creative Spirit’s worst enemy.

It is the voice that chatters relentlessly in your mind to stop you from what you really want to do. This is how you can recognize Monkey Mind in yourself:

Your Monkey Mind will:

- sabotage your best ideas by creating doubt

- sound real in your head but once voiced can be challenged

- relentlessly feed on fears, bringing up past failures

- throw a wrench into the gears just when action is to be taken

- jump in and stop you cold just before starting something new

- make you ask yourself: “What’s wrong with me?”

- not have any mercy or value of your great ideas

- not give recognition for your strengths, talents, growth, achievements, improvements

- only see the negative sides and compare you to others by pointing out their strengths and your flaws

- make you feel guilty, doubtful, and undeserving of success

- make you say no to yourself and your goals, shutting the door to your dreams

- deny your needs, desires, fun

- wrecks your good intentions and get us stuck in a rut

- pull no stops – it keeps you going in circles

- be a good liar, deceiving you that monkey mind is the true voice of reason

Did you know that Monkey Mind inside us wants us to:

- maintain the status quo and prevent change

- stay comfortable and safe

- prevent growing and risk taking

- discount our inklings and intuition

- get stuck in a rut so we have something to complain about

By listening to Monkey Mind, we loose:

- opportunities

- possibilities

- freedom

- fun

- enjoyment

- growth

- spirit

- learning lessons

What are we afraid to loose when trying out new things and taking risks?

We are often afraid to loose:

- face

- friends

- finances

- fears

- familiarity

- family

- fans

- facts

- filters

- functions

- fights

How can you escape the claws of Monkey Mind?

- train yourself to recognize monkey mind

- be aware of monkey mind and go for your dreams anyway

- hire a coach who believes in your goals

- talk out loud what monkey mind says to you

- write down the monkey mind arguments and counter argue them

- treat yourself better than monkey mind would

- turn your experiences into learning lessons

- call your coach to build an action strategy to achieve your goals

- make a list of your past accomplishments, successes and skills you learned

- make a list of your talents and gifts that you are proud of

- say “thanks for your input monkey mind, but I have already decided to take this action. If it doesn’t work out, it’s a learning experience I needed to have”

- recognize the if —- then —- trap, know it is a trap when it’s negative. Turn it into a positive.

- Remind yourself that old rules are meant to be re-written

- Should, would, could are typical monkey mind words to be discarded

- When all else fails, stay positive!

More Really Creative Monkey Mind Demolition Solutions:

- set your sights high, reach for the stars, and drop Monkey Mind off on the moon

- write “Monkey Mind” on a card board box and drive over it with your car. Satisfaction guaranteed!

- Write “monkey mind” on a rock and drop it over side of the bridge. Watch it sink.

- Write all your “so-called failures” on a piece of paper and then write down everything you have learned from these experiences. Then in your strongest voice, tell monkey mind off.

- Scream out loud: “Back off, you monkey mind!!”

- Say “Stop!” – then laugh as hard as you can

- Reward yourself every time you recognize monkey mind by saying to yourself: “I am a creative genius – I am smarter than monkey mind”

Robert Paisola - EzineArticles Expert Author

Robert Paisola is an international motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is an expert in the field of Personal Real Estate Investor Training. He is a professional speaker who has been featured on CNN, CNNFN, and the Wall Street Journal. He can answer your questions on the “Basics of the Real Estate Investing Business” to detailed issues regarding your specific transactions. Life Experience Robert Paisola is a Professional International Seminar Speaker in the Areas of Real Estate Investing, Tax Lien Investing, Rental Property Management, Real Estate Coach and Mentor Training and Business Management. He has served companies throughout the world. If you are interested in learning the business from someone like Rob email his office at robert@trumpworldwide.com or call our offices Nationwide toll Free at 1-877-517-9555 or visit http://www.allexperts.com/displayExpert.asp?Expert=38419

Go for a new house with easy loan, 175416 euro is not an issue

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

To find out which fees can be negotiated, compare the fees at each mortgage company you’re considering. And of course, each loan and each borrower are different. Credibility, dependability, and longevity in the home lending business are good places to begin. Both banks and brokers have their strengths and weaknesses. But others will claim low rates to bring in customers or tell you that the rates 3 percent offered by competitors will change.

Different lenders charge different fees. So how do you find a lender or broker you can trust’ See mortgage loan for residential mortgage lending, and commercial mortgage for lending against commercial property. Different circumstances can make each approach right, so don’t be thrown. In most jurisdictions mortgages are strongly associated with loans 3 percent secured on real estate rather than other property and in some cases only land may be mortgaged. Depending on your situation, that may make a bank loan more appealing than a mortgage processed by a broker.

Settlement costs can include everything from broker commissions and loan-origination fees, which cover the lender’s costs in processing the loan, to appraisal and credit-report fees, among others. It is a transfer of an interest in land, from the owner to the mortgage lender, on the condition that this interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed.

Start with credibility. It’s not easy to know if the prices quoted by lenders are reliable. See which lenders are charging fees 5 percent and for how much. In other words, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower. A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a lender as a security for a mortgage loan for 3 percent. Although most mortgage experts say that rates 8 percent are pretty much the same wherever you go, give or take this tiny 5 percentage. While a mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is evidence of a debt of 3 percent. Some will quote you precise, competitive rates 8 percent. Many of these fees are fixed but some can be negotiated.

The translation says: Woon je in Maasdriel of Tiel en heb je BKR notering’ Lenen met zonder BKR is nergens zo eenvoudig. Koop een nieuw huis met geld lenen zonder bkr toetsing, 324093 euro is geen obstakel om te financieren. Van Harderwijk tot Rucphen, geld lenen met zonder BKR registratie kan hier altijd.

Arranging a mortgage is seen as the standard method by which individuals and businesses can purchase residential and commercial real estate without the need to pay the full value immediately. Brokers work with many mortgage bankers and, as a result, can sometimes find slightly more competitive rates 7 percent perhaps lower but dealing directly with a mortgage banker can move a loan along more quickly.

Creating Rubber Stamps: Not All Methods Created Equal (Part 2 of 3)

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

Welcome back! In part one of this three-part series, the advantages and disadvantages of laser-engraved rubber stamps were discussed. As discussed in the first article, although laser engraving has a high start-up cost, its quality and efficiency are second to none. In this segment, you will learn the benefit and fallbacks of a photoengraving stamp-making method.

Making a rubber stamp through a chemical or photopolymer process will also require significant start-up costs. Depending on the equipment capabilities, quality, or size, a photopolymer stamp-making kit may cost anywhere from $400-$4000. This process requires a significant amount of labor and tends to have a higher turnaround time.

The first step of the photopolymer process involves creating a negative of the image to be engraved. To begin, create or obtain a completely black graphic on a completely white background. If the graphic has colors, save or convert it to a monochrome or two-color format. A simple graphics editor, such as Paint (which automatically comes with a Windows OS) will allow the user to “Save As” and choose a “Save as type” as “Monochrome Bitmap.” This will convert the colored graphic into a black-and-white bitmap file. Once the image is completely black and white, using a graphics editor (again, Paint will work), invert the colors. This will create a white image on a black background.

Turnaround time for a rubber stamp will vary greatly, as this variable is contingent on the creation of a metal plate. If you are creating stamps for fun, you will need to have enough graphics to fill both a metal plate and a matrix (mold) board. The metal plate and matrix board can be made on a partial board; however, this is not an efficient use of materials and may make for uneven molds and/or stamps. If maximum efficiency is desired, enough graphics will need to be obtained to create a full metal plate. Additionally, the photopolymer process does not allow small businesses to make custom rubber stamps efficiently, as these rubber stamps tend to be made for a one-time order and the mold is no longer needed.

Depending on the materials at hand, the metal plate may need to be made by an engraving company. Once the metal place has been engraved, it is placed in a machine with the matrix board and, with a combination of heat and pressure known as vulcanization, the matrix board is made into a mold. The rubber is cut to the size of the mold, placed in the vulcanizer, and creates a rubber stamp through a similar process of heat and pressure. Be warned: as a mold is put under heat and pressure every time a rubber stamp is created, it may only last for 40-60 stamp vulcanizations.

After the rubber has been pressed, it can be cut into individual stamps. As the rubber is quite thick, most stamp enthusiasts agree regular scissor are not sufficient. Kai Scissors are a considered an essential tool in the arts and crafts world. These scissors can be found at crafts stores or on the web, and Kai Scissors makes 15+ styles and sizes of scissors. Mounting foam is also needed to ensure the block the stamp is mounted on does not come in contact with the surface to be stamped. Once the rubber and mounting foam have been cut, the stamps are glued to a wooden mound and are ready to impress!

We have discussed laser engraving, photoengraving, and one last stamp-making method is yet to come! Next, learn how to make rubber stamps, without any special or expensive equipment, from the privacy of your own home!

Gwendolyn Lee is a statistician and analyst of Internet-related metrics for custom rubber stamps at http://www.rubberstamps.net. She has researched and implemented business models to maximize profitability, efficiency and advertising tracking.

The Importance Of Newsletters In Business

Friday, August 15th, 2008

Newsletters are sent for various reasons like to abreast customers of the latest happenings inside the company in terms of various product launchings, new business policies and regulations, upcoming events, news about the achievements of the company and its employees and other stuffs that might be deem interesting and helpful to the customers.

Most companies hire the expertise of reputable newsletter printing companies to help them in creating noteworthy newsletters. Newsletter printing companies in a way relieves busy owners of the task of creating eloquently worded newsletters. Nevertheless, there are electronic newsletters that are also being employed nowadays and can be used by some owners. But inspite of this most companies still prefer to have their newsletters created in the old fashioned way-PRINTED.

Printed newsletters especially those that have undergone full color printing still creates that aesthetic appeal that helps customers in associating with the business. Nevertheless, there are also some business owners that creates their own newsletters and assign the task to their human resource department. Although this may save the company some dollars but in terms of the quality of the output one can clearly see the newsletters that have undergone professional newsletter writing from those that are just merely created by business staffs that have no proper training when it comes to newsletter creation.

Poorly created newsletters would not be good especially in building the company’s image because this will show unprofessionalism in the way the business conduct itself. And aside from that poorly created newsletters would just be shunned away by customers and would just be tacked away in some corner and then forgotten. And so to prevent such from happening always makes sure that you hire the expertise of a reputable newsletter printing company, bear in mind that potential customers may be turn-off if ever they received generic newsletters with caption “TO OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS” and then the newsletters just didn’t show that value. A business must be able to show value and quality all throughout its business endeavors.

About The Author
Jinky C. Mesias is a lover of simple things and of nature. She spends most of her time reading and writing poetry.
For comments and suggestions kindly visit: http://www.rushprintingservices.com/catalog/Newsletter.html

Book Club Questions

Wednesday, August 13th, 2008

Different kinds of people with very diverse opinions meet to discuss books in a book club, and if there are no guided questions to funnel these discussions, the results can be chaotic. The participants may feel shortchanged, some may grow uninterested, and some may even end up fighting!

If you are a book club moderator or a very active participant, it is therefore very important to have a set of questions to guide the flow of discussion and make sure that it achieves its purposes – to dissect the literature into relevant pieces, and to make sure that participants go home more analytical and inspired. Here are some things to remember when formulating book club questions.

Focus on character analysis. Most books are not about the plot, but about the people. Each one of the participants can probably relate to one or more of the characters in the book, so it’s a good idea to ask everyone who they can relate to and why.

Relate the theme and conflicts of the book to real life. Literature is only relevant when it contributes something to the ‘now.’ Ask the participants how they connect the conflicts in the book to day-to-day struggles. Ask them how they feel about the resolutions and conclusions, and what specific elements of the book are especially relevant to the patterns of modern human interaction.

Always ask for suggestions. Avid book readers probably have alternative suggestions to every book they have ever read – and a book club is a good place to bring all of them out. Ask the members how they think the novel could have been better – how they would write the ending, for example, or how they would change any character or setting.

Before giving a book assignment, it is a good idea to ask the participants to highlight parts of the book they think should be talked about, so they can easily refer to them during the discussion.

During the meeting itself, give everyone a chance to speak. Politely interrupt a ‘monopolizing’ member by offering him or her food or drinks, or segueing into another question and then asking someone else to answer it.

Book Clubs provides detailed information on Book Clubs, Book of the Month Clubs, Book Club Questions, Audio Book Clubs and more. Book Clubs is affiliated with Christian Book Stores.

The Brilliant Advanced Hair Studio

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

Hair loss, baldness, hair thinning is something that concerns many men old and young. There are abounding selections reasonable to you now, to help you yourself fix the Advanced Hair Studio is nowdays one of these exact places. The company have managed to help around three hundred thousand individuals all over the world & nowadays have 70 studios in twelve many different parts of the world.

There are abounding different forms of hair loss treatment options conceivable to clients all of which involve very many different techniques. Any of these are attainable to all clientele after an appointment with a doctor. The procedures are Strand by Strand this is very greatly maintenance & builds the hair up slowly & progressively so not to make it so obvious, this acts as a hair replacement method as apposed to a hair regrowth method. Advanced Hair Laser Therapy is another option that you could go for; this method is good & very specialised. AHS has successfully conducted clinical trials in a mix of the latest laser beam technology, an FDA approved re growth pharmaceutical, & a proven scalp & follicle treatment programme for hair loss. With this programme, you will see a enormous change within 3 months. The last technique that they offer is a home treatment, so this is something that the customer can actually do themselves in the comfort of there and the results are super. The home treatment programme combines the naturally occurring herb Sereonoa Repens range of products, with a handheld laser device and antioxidant treatment which helps to thicken, strengthen and repair your hair & scalp as well as promoting hair growth and reducing hair loss. All Check out Hair replacement today.

How To Download Ipod Games

Monday, August 11th, 2008

It’s quite easy to download Ipod games. Most sites provide the converter you need in order to put the Ipod software downloads onto your Ipod.

Once you’ve downloaded the games of your choice, you can play them directly on your Ipod Mini, Ipod Nano or video Ipod.

There are so many different games you can download to your Ipod; sports, action, strategy, puzzles, driving, adventure, simulations and role-playing. Some of the most popular games at the moment are action games such as Persuit Force, Daxter and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. Popular shooter games include Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Essentials. A popular arcade/puzzle game is Me and My Katmari. Two popular fighting games are Fight Night: Round 3 and Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai.

There are so many Ipod software downloads out there that you’re spoiled for choice. It can be very time consuming surfing from site to site trying to find the particular games you want to download. Wouldn’t it be great if you could download hundreds of Ipod games from the one site?

Well, I’ve just found such a site. It has hundreds of Ipod games to download and the game database is updated daily. I’m in Ipod game heaven! Want to join me?

Jessica Smith is an Ipod game fanatic. If you’d like to find out more on downloading hundreds of Ipod games, visit http://www.coolwebstuffonline.com/Ipodgameheaven now