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Every person likes their steak cooked a different way, so throughout this article I will make sure that I cover each possible different way so that you will always get the best result for yourself or whoever you cook for.

There are several different cuts of beef that will make a great steak, and there are also many grades of beef to consider, depending on what the cow was fed on the farm, so your first step is to choose which one you would prefer. The choices include rump, scotch fillet, porterhouse, eye fillet and T-bone as the main premium cuts generally eaten. The beef’s grading will come down largely to marbling and maturity of the meat. There is a debate as to which is better out of grain-fed and grass-fed cattle, and really the answer is grass-fed beef is healthier for you as it is the most natural form of the cattle, while grain-fed beef will have a lot more marbling and flavour, so I will leave that choice up to you which way you want to go. As for maturity, I recommend finding a butcher that will hang your meat for quite a long time in their meat locker before carving it, I have found that 27 days is ideal. This will help tenderize the meat by having it stretched out and relaxing the muscles, to give you the best possible final result.

The rump and porterhouse are firmer cuts, and the rump in particular can be a bit tougher and chewier than the rest, and you will find a strip of fat at the top of each of these steaks, which will help flavour and tenderize the steak during the cooking process. Both these cuts I would recommend eating rare to medium-rare (I will discuss steak doneness a little later).

Meanwhile the scotch fillet will come very nicely marbled with fat throughout, and can usually be distinguished by a C-shaped piece of fat close to one side. Due to the marbling it will be very tender and full of flavour (however if you’re on a diet it may be one to avoid for now), and I recommend eating it medium-rare to medium.

The eye fillet is the most tender cut of beef, and will normally be free of fat, although this also means you may need to do something extra to add some flavour to it, the most popular way being to wrap bacon around it during cooking, so the fatty flavours of the bacon are absorbed by the steak. This is my personal favourite steak, and is best eaten medium-rare to medium.

Lastly we come to the T-bone, which has both the eye fillet and porterhouse on either side of the bone, and will get its flavour from the strip of fat on the outside of the porterhouse. I recommend eating the T-bone rare to medium-rare, though it can be tricky to cook evenly due to the bone in the middle.

Once you’ve decided which cut of steak you will be eating, you need to work out how big a piece of meat you want. A normal-sized steak is generally around 300g for a good-sized meal, however it could range anywhere from 150g up to 1kg and even more! The size of your steak will become important later when you want to cook it to a particular doneness. For example, two different rump steaks could quite easily weigh the same amount, yet be completely different shapes, sometimes they can be wide and flat, and sometimes short and thick, depending on what part of the rump the steak was cut from. Choosing the size of your steak and the shape go hand-in-hand, it’s best to have a thicker steak for a rare or medium-rare steak, and when you want a medium-well or above thinner is better. This is so it doesn’t take a long time for you to cook, and you can still have a juicy steak without burning the outside.

Now let’s just get away from the steak for a minute and think about what you’re actually going to cook it on. Ideally you should have a chargrill, one that sits on an angle, and has enough space underneath the flame to have a tray that you can put a small piece of wood on. What I personally prefer is mesquite wood, which comes from the USA, and the best thing to do is to soak it in water for a couple of hours before cooking. This will help the wood give off its smoky flavour rather than just burn away, and it will also last longer, usually for at least a couple of hours.

I mentioned earlier that if possible your grill should be built on an angle, sloping up towards the back. As you know, heat rises, so naturally you should find the hottest part of your grill at the back, and get slightly cooler closer to the front. Most grills and hotplates in general will have certain “hotspots” that you will need to find for each one to work out the bests places to position your food when cooking. Once you’ve used a particular grill a couple of times you should find it quite easy to figure out your favourite spots to cook on. The combination of knowing where your “hotspots” are and using an angled grill will make it easier to find the best position to cook your steak. If you don’t have a chargrill to use and you have a flatgrill or a hotplate instead, I would recommend not cooking your steak entirely through on the hotplate, particularly for medium or above, seal it on both sides then place your steak on a tray and finish it off in an oven. Otherwise all you will do is burn the outside and lose all the moisture and juiciness from your meat.

The other element to consider is how you would like your steak cooked. In general, a well-done steak should be placed at the back, a medium steak in the middle of the grill, and a rare steak at the front. Obviously, this leaves medium-rare between the front and middle, and the medium-well between the middle and the back. In some situations you will need to adjust this slightly depending on the size and shape of your steak, a big, thick rump may need to be pushed a bit further up the grill to cook properly, while a thin and flat porterhouse might be best kept a little closer to the front to avoid overcooking. Your steak positioning will come down largely to personal preference and a bit of practice and experience with your grill.

Now that you should have worked out where on the grill you will place your steak, you’re almost ready to start cooking! What you need to consider now is how you will season your steak. You may not want any seasoning, that’s fine, go right ahead and start cooking. If you wish to use salt and pepper, I would suggest waiting until one side of your steak has been sealed before sprinkling any on, as salt has the tendency to leech out some of the moisture from your meat. My preferred method of seasoning is to get a really good steak seasoning spice and generously cover both sides before placing your steak on the grill. When you do place your steak on the grill, if you are going to have a rump or a porterhouse, make sure you place the strip of fat at the top, so as it cooks the fat will melt and drip through the steak, adding extra flavour to your meat.

The process of actually cooking your steak is quite simple, but there are a few key things you need to know to get the best result. Firstly, the advantage of using the chargrill means you can have nice cross-markings on your steak when it’s finished, which looks fantastic for presentation. To achieve this, your steak will need to be turned three times, the first time straight over itself, then on the second turn spin it around 90 degrees so the lines from the grill will cross over each other and make little brown squares all over the steak, and then the third and final turn will be straight over itself again. When you’re finished the steak should have cross-markings on both sides, and you can choose whichever side looks best to serve facing up.

What you should find if you have got the grill positioning right for your preferred doneness, 3-4 minutes in between each turn should have your steak turn out just the way you like it! (If you are cooking your steak bleu, you only need to cook it for 3 minutes on each side in total, just enough to seal each side basically).

This is just a guide to work by only, as each grill will produce slightly different results, but definitely the most important stage of cooking your steak is knowing when it is at the exact doneness you would like. This can sometimes be a little tricky, but there are a couple of methods for testing your steak without needing to cut into it. The best method to use when you’re just starting to learn would be what I call the “thumb test”. Hold your left hand out open and relaxed, and press the flesh of your left thumb with your right index finger. It should feel quite soft, and this is how a rare steak should feel when you press it with your finger.

Now lightly touch your left thumb to your left index finger, and press the flesh of your thumb with your right index finger. This is how a medium-rare steak should feel when it’s ready. Next, lightly touch your left thumb to your left middle finger, and pressing the flesh of your left thumb will feel like a medium steak when it’s ready.

Touching your left thumb to your left ring finger will make the flesh of your left thumb feel like a medium-well steak, and touching the left thumb to your left little finger will make the flesh of your thumb feel like a well-done steak. Try this out as a guide to get you started, and as with all things, practice and experience will help you hone your ability and instincts to know just when your steak is cooked to perfection! And just as importantly, make sure you get feedback from every person that you cook a steak for, this will make your progress go much faster. As they say, “feedback is the breakfast of champions!”

Another method to use, which can be a little bit sneaky, is if you can see into the middle of the steak at the edges to see what colour the middle looks like. This works really well for a scotch fillet, as you can gently pull away part of the meat right where the C-shaped piece of fat is without damaging your steak, and see if the inside is red, pink or grey.

Now I will explain to you each doneness, so you can work out how you would like to cook it and so you know what to look for when it is finished.

I will start with bleu, which is basically just sealed, is still very red in the middle, quite mushy to the touch, and will feel a little cool inside, only slightly warmed.

Rare is red in the middle from edge to edge, a little mushy, and will just feel warm inside. Medium-rare is red in the middle and pink at the edges, and will feel warm inside. Medium is pink in the middle from edge to edge, feels tender to the touch, and will be warm to hot inside. Medium-well still has a quarter in the middle that is pink, and will be grey at the edges, feels quite firm and is hot inside. If you plan to cook your steak medium-well or above, I would suggest you could speed up the cooking time by using a steak weight to place on top of your steak. It should be shiny silver and kept clean, and what will happen is the heat coming up from the flames below will be reflected down on to the top of the steak so it cooks on both sides. Make sure if you use a steak weight that you only place it on your steak after sealing one side so there is no chance of cross-contamination.

Well-done steaks are grey throughout, no pink at all, quite firm, although can still be juicy, and is very hot inside. Very well-done steaks are grey throughout with no pink at all, very firm, very hot, and no juices whatsoever. You can also get your steak cooked Pittsburgh, which basically means charring the outside so it is burnt while the inside doesn’t need to be completely cooked. For example, if you want to have your steak Pittsburgh-Rare, you could char the outside, and the inside would be red in the middle from edge to edge. To do this you will need some oil or butter, I personally use lemon butter just for the flavouring, and drizzle some over the steak until it drips onto the flames underneath. Your goal here is to build the flames up so they are licking at the steak and will cook the outside much faster than the inside.

CAUTION! Be very mindful of how much butter you use, make sure you have fire safety equipment, and if necessary that you have adult supervision. Do not do this if you do not feel comfortable working with large flames, it can be very dangerous if something nearby catches fire, so please be very careful if this is how you would like to have your steak cooked.

Everybody has different preferences when it comes to their beef, but I would urge you to try each different way so you can work out for yourself what’s best for you. Many people fear the sight of blood coming out of their steak, if you can work up the courage to try something new for yourself, who know, you might find you really like it! I personally eat my steaks medium-rare, and would like to take this opportunity to mention that once your steak starts getting to medium-well and above, you really lose a lot of the nutritional benefits of eating beef, so I would recommend not cooking your steak any more than medium, but obviously that is a choice that is entirely up to you.

Now all that’s left to do is to serve up your perfectly cooked steak, there are many choices of sides and sauces, far too many to list here. I always love it with a creamy mashed potato and seasonal steamed vegetables, and my favourite sauce is mushroom sauce. If you have the time the best sauce is made using beef bones, cooked off with a little tomato paste, then make a stock by boiling the bones in water with some celery, carrots, onion, leeks, bay leaves and peppercorns. Simmer it for a couple of hours until it reduces about three-quarters, and then remove the bones and vegetables. Add some red wine and port, and reduce it down to about half of where it is now, until it starts to thicken with a nice consistency. From here you can add some sliced mushrooms, or peppercorns if you prefer, and even add a little cream if you like as well. This is very time consuming to make the jus (rich beef gravy), but if you can do it you will find it well worthwhile. One other little tip I have for you is to brush a small amount of lemon butter over your steak before saucing it, this will keep your steak very juicy and tender.

I hope you enjoy cooking and eating many steaks in the future, and make sure you go out and impress your friends with your newfound cooking skills!

Mick Reade is a chef from Australia who has been cooking in commercial kitchens across the country for over 10 years, and has been helping teach others how easy it can be to cook great tasting and healthy meals, for more information please visit http://www.alleasyfoodrecipes.com

How much do you love your children? Most parents probably say they love their children more than anything else. But how true is that statement? Answer a few questions and find out.

1.    Do you love your children enough to spend time with them, and by your example, show them the right way to live their lives?

2.    Do you love them enough to abstain from habits and addictions that will lead to personal pain and destruction in the not-so-distant future?

3.    Do you love them enough to swap negative friendships for good ones, so your children will not be subjected to the same downward-cycle of relationships that have kept you from fulfilling your destiny in life?

4.    Do you love your children enough to be faithful to your spouse, and treat her with the love and respect she deserves, so they learn the stability of a righteous home and marriage?

Some of the most destructive influences in childhood development are: negligent or absentee parents, addictive parental examples, negative external relationships (bad friends), and divorce.

We can’t wave a magic wand and make every negative influence go away, but if we work diligently to change the environment within our home, our children’s future will reflect those changes in many positive and rewarding ways. And that’s where love comes into play. If you really love your children like you say you do, then you’ll willingly change your lifestyle, behavior, attitude, and friendships, to create the right environment for their proper development.

Need a few examples? Start here: If your friends are drunks – get new friends. Unless of course, you don’t mind your children growing up to become addicts, as well. Statistics show that children who live under the influence of alcoholism, are likely to become alcoholics themselves. Is that really what you want your children to become? No? Then you better make whatever changes are necessary early one, and stay consistent, if you hope to positively impact their future-lives as adults.

Need more proof? Look at the statistics, and make your own assumptions. Negative relationships lead to destructive social behavior in children.

o    Physically abusive relationships teach your children a lifestyle of destructive or even violent behavior.

o    Unfaithfulness to your spouse will teach your children to be unfaithful to theirs.

o    Parents who lie, cheat and steal, can expect their children to grow up and live by the same shameful rules of engagement.

What’s the secret to parental success? Train your children to do what’s right, to live right, to choose right relationships, to abstain from illicit sexual behavior, and lead them into a right relationship with God. In other worlds; clean up your child’s world, and set the right example, and the outcome will be dramatically different than if you live your life any other way.

Here’s a short checklist that will help you guide your children toward successful adulthood.

o    Clean up your home: make your home child-friendly and kid-safe.

o    Rid their environment of drugs, alcohol, abusive situations and relationships. In other words: You must lose the losers, and fill their life with positive friends and influences – you won’t be sorry you did.

o    Don’t be afraid to tell your children NO. Remember, you’re the parent – so act like one!

o    Don’t be an absentee parent. Be involved in your children’s lives. How can you set the standard by which your children live, if you’re never home? Why have children in the first place, if you don’t want to spend time with them?

o    Here’s some great ideas for interacting with your kids:

1.    Pick a hobby and do it together. When our kids were growing up, we had horses. The motto of the horse crowd was: “Horses – not drugs.”

2.    Have their friends come to your house, instead of shipping your children off to be influenced by people you don’t know. How can you do that? Make your home an inviting place – and let your children’s friends welcome, so they will want to hang out there. Think about it: children get into trouble when they’re left unsupervised. It’s OK to let them hang out at their friends homes, on occasion, but not every day and night. If you want to impact your children, then you need to spend time with them.

3.    Set safeguards for your children, even when they are out of the home. How? Talk to the parents of your children’s friends. Make sure their home is kid-safe, too. It does no good to kid-safe your home, if they are free to do all the wrong things at their friends place. (This is where the “choose friends wisely” suggestion comes into play)

4.    Forget the PTA shuffle. You don’t have to let your children play every night. Teach them responsibility. It’s good for them. Make time for fun, certainly, but not always. What you do with them, is more important than you will ever know. Here’s a few helpful hints: when you have to run errands, pay bills or get groceries, take your children with you, and spend this time engaging them in meaningful conversation.

5.    Don’t leave you children unattended. When you aren’t home, you need to find a good, safe home for them to stay at while you’re away, or take them with you. That’s what we did. We took them along with us when we went places; like grocery shopping, paying bills, etc. Wee found this to be a great time to interact with our children, talk about their lives, and just be the parent. If you have an eye for making the most of every parental opportunity, this can actually be a good one.

Train them to do right – to live right. That’s your responsibility. Start by setting a solid example. You can’t expect your children to become something you’re not. “Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they’re old, they won’t depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 KJV)

A Good Place to Start:

o    Introduce them to a real, life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. Don’t rob faith from their hearts. Share your living faith with them – so it will guide their life, as it has guided yours.

o    Many parents start well – they take their children to church while they’re young, but when they grow older – and need God the most – parents start living a, altogether different lifestyle, and by doing so, they rob their children of the most important relationship they could ever have – a dynamic friendship with the Lord.

o    Drugs: Starting before your children are even born – make this the habit for your life. Never do drugs, or allow drug use in your family circle. Remember: what children see you and your friends doing, they will grow up doing themselves.

o    Choose the right friends. Never forget; real friends do not verbally, physically, emotionally or sexually abuse you or your children. Do whatever it takes to forever remove such people out of your life. As the parent, it is your responsibility to help your children learn how to select/ choose good friends. Be proactive, stay involved, and help them make right choices early on. You’ll be surprised by how a sound training helps change the outcome of their lives.

o    Safeguard them against Internet pornography and chatroom abuse: The Internet can be a wonderful tool for students, or even a great way to connect socially. But according to stats, the Internet is more likely to become a negative influence in the lives of your children. Listen up parents – never allow your children unsupervised or unfiltered access to the Internet. The solution is simple: Keep the computer in a public living space, or place parentally-selectable filters on your system, to keep your children from EVER entering these domains.

Bottom line: Never forget who is the parent. If you love your children enough, you will do whatever you have to do to protect the innocence of your children – and keep it that way. Whatever you subject your children to: racism, abuse, critical attitudes, addictions, immoral practices (Lying, stealing, cheating, violence, porn); those influences will shape their own lifestyle, forever.

You need to decide, early on, how valuable your children’s success really is to you, and construct a lifestyle that will help them grow into their righteous destiny.

Never forget: there is only one influence in life that has the potential to positively guide your children into adulthood, more than you, and that is a personal relationship with God. That potential will only be realized, however, if you take your rightful place as a parent, and teach them to love Him.

Raising great kids is a challenge, but if you are willing to show them the way, the results will be more rewarding for you, than anything else you could ever do in life.

Tom Cannon is an experienced author, and has written numerous books, including; “Two Faces in the Mirror,” “Servants of the King,” “Mountain Empire” and “Changing Natures.” Tom is happily married, and lives in Tennessee. He is the director of Destiny Ministry, Inc., and ministers worldwide in conferences, churches and seminars.

For more information on this topic, or to purchase books, head on over to Amazon.com, http://www.TomCannon.org, or http://www.DestinyMinistry.net bookstore.

Email: destinyministry@gmail.com

Read more blogs at: TomCannon.org

Southern Vermont is the home of the superb Mount Snow, closest major ski area in the northeast to nearby metropolitan areas. Winter sport fans from the New York metropolitan area and the mid-Atlantic area, drive north to escape for alpine skiing, with a variety of novice and intermediate cruising trails on the main face or Carinthia, or for more challenging expert skiing, try the North Face. Located Featuring 26 lifts and more than 135 trails, the top elevation at Mount Snow is 3600 feet, with a vertical drop of 1700 feet. There are 20 chair lifts and six surface lifts available.

The Mount Snow Ski Club is an active member of two competition communities, the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA). They promote recreational and competitive winter sports, hosting major ski races for over 40 years. Their recent achievements have been “Snowboard Junior World Champions,” “US Champion”, and the “2002 Olympic Gold”, in addition to the “Freestyle Skiing Junior National Mogul Champion” and the “National Upright-Combined Champion”. Their Alpine Training Center at Mount Snow offers training to all young children interested in on-snow training and competitive skills.

To add to the skiing activities, snowboarders are welcome at Mount Snow, with a “kids only” terrain park as well as a special tubing park. The Grand Summit Hotel and Crown Club sits right off the slopes, and guests enjoy a heated outdoor pool and ski in/ski out accommodations. Different winter ski vacation packages are available with many great deals designed to save the families money. Child care is available at Mount Snow, and the youngsters will be well cared for, learning to ski as well. Mount Snow is very family oriented. They have a unique ‘back-to-base’ trail system used, that keeps everyone in the family from getting lost. Kids under six can ski and ride for free. When an adult buys a 3 to 5 day ticket during mid-week, their child receives a free ticket for that same time period as well. During January, the “Kids Ski & Learn Free” weeks seem to be the most popular family deals. Both group and private lessons are available for both adults and children.

For those sore muscles and tired bodies after a day on the slopes, Mount Snow features a full service health spa that you should take full advantage of. A variety of massages are offered, as well as various skin treatments. Spa packages are also available, and the spa caters to couples as well, with wedding parties welcome. There is also a fully-equipped health club and fitness class offered.

The total packages of winter activities at Mount Snow includes snowmobiling, snowshoeing, tubing, cross country skiing, and sleigh rides. There is a ski shop on the premises and rental equipment is available for those who do not have any. There are several restaurants and bars on the mountain to choose from as well. Again, Mount Snow is family oriented. You will find that this is a very safe environment for your entire family, where you can relax and have fun. Be sure to ask about the family deals when you call for reservations or information. There is always something for everybody!

Check out http://www.winter-sportz.com/ for more articles on lake tahoe ski vacations and colorado ski vacations.

Designing Fantasy Sports Jerseys

Are you designing your own fantasy sports team jersey on a tight budget… But you don’t know where to start, right? Well, there are a few things to think about when you want to show your team spirit, especially if you are the champion of your fantasy sports league! You might win a custom championship jersey from your league, if you ended up top in your standings, but even if you are in last place, you can still find places to design your own jersey. I know of a place that will help you design and print your own jersey on the Internet, but they were charging $150 to set it up and print it!

There has got to be a cheaper way, right? Well, once I did a little checking, there are a number of ways you can design and print your own jerseys or t-shirts, but there are some people that think it is worth the $150 to not have to go through the hassle. They do have some pretty good quality jerseys in all colors and t-shirts are cheaper, but if you already have photos, artwork and publishing software to print your own, it is pretty easy to do!

For one thing, there are so many different options to consider, when you want to design and print your own jerseys or t-shirts. Actually, there are some local shirt shops that will probably do it for a lot less than that, even if you are only getting one customized fantasy sports team jersey! You can buy iron-on transfer paper for your printer and use publishing or photo editing workshop software to get creative and make your own jerseys or t-shirts for much less. In fact, I think you can find the iron-on transfer paper at the office supply store and there are many free software choices on the Internet.

That just leaves you searching for the design for your custom fantasy sports team jersey, but that shouldn’t be that difficult and you probably already have something in mind. It depends on what fantasy sport you are playing and whether you want to personalize your team or if you might already have a name. When you are designing your logo, be sure to think of fun animals or cartoon caricatures to include and you might be better off spending a little extra money to have this created for you by a budding and aspiring caricature artist!

If you have a little talent and one of those neat little digital tablets, you can draw about anything and print it out, but make your design personalized and interesting or you might as well not waste the money! You can get ideas from the Internet or look at some of the uniforms that the college teams wear because they always have interesting color combination and logos. If you are into fantasy sports like I am, you probably already have the perfect logo in mind and a print shop or graphic artist might be able to handle the entire job for you, but you can find places on the Internet that are more affordable and let you get by without a minimum order.

I love fantasy sports, designing my own custom fantasy sports jerseys and collecting sports memorabilia. If you do too, you can find out more information and come to chat or visit at http://thesportsbreak.com.

If you’re looking for a career that will really make a difference, if you want a job that will bring a smile to your face day in and day out, you may want to consider enrolling in an Early Childcare Assistant Diploma program. Designed to train you to play an integral role in the growth and development of preschool children, the program will prepare you for an exciting and rewarding career as a Childcare Assistant.

In addition to being a fulfilling job, the vocation of Childcare Assistant is also one with exciting career horizons. Graduates have many options for employment, including:

· Daycare centres

· Nurseries and pre-schools

· Kindergartens

· Government and non-profit organizations

· Private homes

The best way to enter this field is by applying to an Early Childcare Assistant Diploma program, either at a trade school, or at an early childhood college. Programs are typically relatively short at 37 weeks, ensuring that students can re-enter the workforce quickly. Instructors are always experienced veterans of the field, and are thus able to share their considerable knowledge with students.

Instruction is a mix of classroom theory and “hands-on” training, to ensure that Early Childcare Assistant Diploma program graduates have the knowledge and training they need to be productive employees immediately upon graduation. A typical program course load would include the following:

· A childcare worker’s role

· Technology for childcare workers

· Child development

· Observation techniques

· Guiding children

· Planning a development program

· Children and technology

· Communication skills

· Health and safety

· Nutrition for child caring

· CPR and first aid

Part of the 37-week program is a 14-week job placement. This internship is of particular value to students, as it allows them to gain an even deeper understanding of their future role via a real-life setting. Upon graduation, Early Childcare Assistant Diploma program graduates can look forward to a wide range of responsibilities, including: preparing activities for children, supervising children, telling stories, managing developmental activities, teaching songs, participating in field trips, assisting children with dressing, and monitoring the progress of a child’s development. These responsibilities mean that Childcare Workers have the satisfaction of knowing that they have a significant role in the emotional growth of the child or children under their supervision.

If you’re interested in having a rewarding career that can truly make a difference in the world and in someone’s life, consider enrolling in an Early Childcare Assistant Diploma program. It may be fulfilling career you’ve been searching for.

Contact the National Academy of Health & Business for more information on their Early Childcare Assistant Diploma Program.

Percey Evans is a freelance writer who works for Higher Education Marketing, a leading Web marketing firm specializing in Google Analytics, Education Lead Generation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Mobile SMS Alerts, Social Media Marketing and Pay Per Click Marketing, among other Web marketing services and tools.

Cars – they are your passion, necessity, luxury, earning member. They have speed, they have music, they have curves, they have comfort, they have security, they have safety – they have something for everyone. Secured car loans can realize your car plans especially if your budget is stringent. Secured car loans options are stretched far and wide along the loan market. Buying a used car or a new car can be a pleasant ride with secured car loans.

According to National Statistics’ annual research, more people in Britain have more than two cars rather than no car at all. With such a transformation in the present condition the need for cars has become a precondition. To find a secured car loans is as easy as it is tricky. With such a huge pile of secured car loans alternative, you might want to pick the one that shines the brightest. But all that glitters is not gold. It is very true with secured car loans. They may look all attractive and advertised with 0% APR the bottom line is, it still may not prove to be your secured car loan type.

Secured car loan would mean you need to pledge your home or your property as an assurance. Having prepared yourself for that, you are all set to hear the good news. Secured car loans are in fact very easily available to homeowners. Secured car loans are a great opportunity to finance a car on your own terms. Am I getting too loud with my claims of the goodwill of secured car loans? You need to hear this. Secured car loans are flexible enough to mould in the financial requirement of any kind of loan borrower. With secured car loans you can get into your car and make your first payment after thirty days.

Getting a good secured car loan can save your money to a great extent. Sort out the car you would like to buy and how much it would cost you. This will enable you to figure out how much you need for your secured car loan. After you have set your budget you can go on to see the top secured car loan site. You can ask for a free quote and compare secured car loan rates online.

Secured car loans are a better option than car dealership. Car dealership may seem convenient round the clock service. They will be charging you more for your car finance. It is important to learn about your credit score before you go ahead with your secured car loans. Your credit report or your credit history would have important information about your payment history, mortgages, loans, inquiries from business when you have requested for loan, public records and collection information. Bad credit score would not prevent you from getting secured car loan, though it would increase the interest rate. Some loan lenders specially deal with cases of secured car loan with bad credit. Screen them and work out with them in case you have bad credit.

Car loans are considered precarious as loan types for car loans are for a possession that loses its value easily. Research, browse, study – you would certainly find a secured car loan deal. They are so many options. Read the fine print. Many of the additional costs are hidden in the fine print. Don’t accept secured car loans on impulse. Otherwise ask questions. Clear your doubts especially about monthly management fees, ongoing bank fees, redemption penalties, is the loan daily reducible, extra payments of any amount to be made, and at any time.

Secured car loans are short term loans ranging from 36 to 72 months. According to Automobile finance Study, 82% of the new vehicle loans are over four years while 31% of them are over five years. When you agree to more than 72 car payments, it means that you are overburdening your monthly budget. Car is a possession which depreciates rapidly so in case you intend to sell it, it is not a good idea to sell a car which already has a loan on it. Secured car loans are to be paid back even though you are driving the car you bought through them.

Secured car loans are celebrated for many reasons. Secured car loans mean better car and lesser payments. You are pledging your home or valuable asset and in return on it you get benefits in the likes of lower interest rate, flexible loan terms, varied repayment options so on and so forth. Secured car loan can also be bought with car insurance to protect against misfortune like illness or job loss. I know this car is special and you have been waiting for it for so long. But let us be a little practical and take an objective view while taking car loan. We can write our car legend when we own one. Till then let us write the specification of taking a secured car loan.

After having herself gone through the ordeal of loan borrowing, Natasha Anderson understands the need for good quality loan advice. Her articles endeavor to provide you the wise counsel in the most elementary way for the benefit of the readers. She hopes that this will help them to locate the loan that beseems their expectations. She works for the UK secured loan web site uk finance world.

To find a Secured or unsecured loan that best suits your needs visit http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk

Your mobility depends too much on your possession of a private vehicle. You may go for a car, motorcycle or truck as your own vehicle. But due to severe weather conditions in many regions it is not a good idea to depend on motorcycles all the time. It is also not a good idea to have a truck or SUV as they drink lot of gas and the maintenance is high. Somewhere in the middle and perfectly positioned vehicle for Desi would be a car. There are various types of cars to suite your need.

What you should have

If you are a single man and do not depend primarily on your car for commuting to your work, then go for anything as you wish.

There are coupes which have capacity for 4 persons but only two big doors. Primarily these cars are designed keeping in view for two, driver and one passenger. The other model is the sedan which has capacity for 5 and has 4 doors. This can also be called a family car. Depending on the size of the car, they are categorized as Compact, Mid-sized and Full. Compact cars are very small in size and have a good mileage per gallon too. Some manufacturers even make two seated compact cars. The power of the compact car is also little less than the cars of other categories. There are other cars that have powerful engines and are rated as sports cars.

On the contrary, if you have a big family and need more space in your vehicle, then go for van/SUV. But I wont suggest this idea to people who have just come to US, before/after marriage and don’t have any kids.

Besides, it is always your dream and desire that makes you to go for a particular type and model. But before deciding upon something, you must give a thought to the other factors like, the mileage, sitting capacity, transmission, trunk capacity, engine power, ease of driving/safety, interior, power doors and anti-theft devices. Also your affordability plays a major role in purchasing a vehicle.

Do you have a driver license yet? It is most important to have one before going for a vehicle. Various states have different rules for issuing drivers license. You can logon to Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) sites to know about the pre-requisites and methods of getting one driver license for your state. Normally it involves a written examination, minor vision test and a road test.

The never-ending comparison

Now you have to decide whether to buy a new car or a used car. I wont suggest you any thing or force you to go for what I think is right, but you must know the good and bad things involved in each.

Used Cars

* They are cheaper.

* They may be old.

* They might have more than one owner.

* They could be purchased from private parties or authorized dealers.

* They might have gone through serious maintenance/repair in the past.

* They might have gone through an accident in the past.

* Some parts/components are just about to die.

* There may not be enough warranty/guaranty on some expensive parts.

* The mileage may not be good.

* They may need more maintenance.

* They may not be reliable for long drives.

* Resale may be a headache.

New Cars

* They are not cheap.

* They are covered under manufacturer/dealer warranty.

* Their fuel efficiency must meet the specification.

* There is the satisfaction of owning a new car.

* Easy to get a finance for new car than a used car.

* No need to worry about the engine, body, suspension, tyre, batteries and interior conditions.

* Insurance premium may be higher.

* Can only be bought from an authorized dealer.

There are many other things that can be discussed as advantages and disadvantages under both the headings. However, I don’t want to focus on them right now. If you are convinced to buy a new car, then go for it.

Your target

Now it is the time for you to decide the Make, Model and Type of your car. In US you will find hundreds of Make and Models (no Hind Motors/Maruti cars of course). From a Desi prospect I would say it is better to start with Honda/Toyota/Nissan. These Japanese car manufacturers know our requirement and never ditch us on the highways. The engines are good and prices are low. They run long enough before giving up. The life of a Honda/Toyota is considered to be 300K miles. But the look and interior designs are not at par with the American/European cars.

Buying a New Car

Take a cup of coffee, chat with your friends and go through some reviews before you decide upon the make model and color of your first dream car in USA. Check for the existing/upcoming models of your car by logging onto the sites. Select the color and interior and look at the car through the simulator. The most important thing that you must consider here is that, when the next model is going to be released. If it is very soon, then don’t go for it, because after you buy your car, you will see the newer model in the market and the resale value of your car will fall drastically.

Cars with automatic transmission and power window have good resale value. ABS and anti-theft devices are added advantages. Leather interior is as per your wish.

Now you have all the details in your mind and the budget is also finalized. Next step is to study the finance market and look for the bank/credit union who gives the best APR. Also don’t forget to decide upon your auto insurance. Find out a good insurance company and try to get a quote from them. The premium varies from place to place. With all these things set up, go to the Auto-Mall of your city. Go for a test drive for the car you have already decided. Beware of the car sales representatives. They will always try to sale you the most expensive car they have. But you shouldn’t deviate from your decision. Try to bargain with them for a possible reduction in their margin and ask for extra accessories.

What is the status of the loan? Have you arranged one or you want the dealer to make some arrangements for you? Always try to bring down the APR. If you are very new to US and don’t have any credit score, you may not get a good APR. However, dont worry about the APR right now. You can always refinance the loan with a better APR after you buildup the credit history after few months of repayment of the loan.

Once the deal is final, you need to sign some papers and then provide the Insurance details if you have. Otherwise, you could also provide the insurance agents phone number and the sales representative will talk to the insurance agent to get the car insured before leaving their premises (dont worry too much for the insurance premiums now, it is important to get your car insured before you drive out of the dealers premises, however you can easily change your insurance later, if you find a better one). In case you didn’t get any insurance, you can always go for binder insurance, but they are quite expensive, but you can always cancel them in the middle once you establish your insurance with somebody else and get the refund for the unused portion of your premium.

The next thing is to make the financial paper work. You will be guided to the dealers accounts department and one of the accountants will assist you in finalizing the loan and payment for the car. At that time they will try to sale an extended warranty for another 3 years after the manufacturers warranty. It is you who will decide for that. Don’t listen to them, but evaluate it being unbiased. They will try to sale so many other things like paint guard, gap insurance etc. I would suggest not to go with all these things except paint-guard.

After everything is over, they will apply for the vehicle registration/license plate to DMV on your behalf and give you the temporary ownership license (stuck to the windshield of your car). As far as I know, they wash the car and give you a full tank as a compliment before you drive your car back home.

New cars don’t give you much trouble as long as you do all the regular oil change and maintenance in time.

Buying a Used Car

Used cars are good but not as new cars. They are much cheaper than the new cars, but at the cost of your peace of mind. You can buy used cars from either a private party or from any dealer. Here also you have to decide your budget and the make, model and year of the car that you need. Also the other main factor is the odometer reading.

There are many sites that give you the links for used cars for sale. You can also refer to the local news papers for any such advertisement. There are places in some cities where people come with their cars for auction/sale. Since you are new, don’t go to such places. Rather get contact information from news paper ads or internet. Get the details of the car like make, model and year of the car, miles it has run, condition of batteries, tires and engine condition etc.

Now go to Kelly Blue Book (www.kbb.com) or Edmund (www.edmund.com) and try to evaluate the car. KBB will ask you some question depending upon the private trading or buying from dealer. After you enter data about the private trading car, it will show you an approximate value of the car.

Private Party

If you are buying a used car from a private party, then you need to be more cautious about certain things like, the engine condition, the body condition, the interior and the accident/maintenance history of the car. Don’t go for cars that have already run almost 300K miles (for Honda and Toyota). You can start locating for used cars for sale from various sources like, news papers, local ads and internet. After locating the availability near your place, prepare your matrix.

* Call each of them to fix an appointment for trial.

* Get the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) from the owner.

* Check for the approximate cost of the car using KBB or EDMUND sites.

* Compare the advertised price with the approximate cost that you arrived at.

* Use the VIN to find out accident/maintenance history from CarFax.com and check for any major incident. There will be a registration fee for CarFax.com, go for the one month pack.

* Talk to a mechanic for pre-purchase inspection of the vehicle. Mechanics charge around $50 per car. It is better to go to some brand names like Pep-Boys. They are good and reliable, but you may need to take an appointment beforehand.

* Go to the owner, see the car physically (for any visible dents, body color, torn airbag containers and interior) and then drive it with the owner.

* Take the car to the mechanic and have it inspected.

* (All the cars need a timing belt replacement after running for around 100K miles, so if the car is around or over 100K, then you need to figure out if the timing belt has been replaced, this information could be obtained from the CarFax report too. One thing you must remember that, in US, the auto spare parts are not that expensive, but the labor charge to install them is too high.)

* The mechanic will give you a report, in which it will indicate the current condition of the car and what needs to be fixed with a rough estimation.

* Check for the vehicle registration, is it current?

* Is the vehicle smog certified?

With the Kelly Blue Book report, CarFax report and the mechanics report, you can have a good bargain with the owner. If you really like the car and every thing looks OK to you, then start bargaining. Don’t focus more on the tires/batteries, they are not that important as the engine.

NEVER BUY A CAR THAT HAS A SALVAGED TITLE.

Once you have decided to buy the car, talk to the owner about the payment and mode of payment (check or cash). The owner has to give you a pink slip indicating that you paid for the car and it is yours now. He cant simply lodge a complaint with the police saying you have stolen his car. It is his duty to inform the DMV office about the sale and transfer of title. You should also apply to DMV for transferring the title to your name. For registration, you will need the pink slip, the insurance (get one immediately) and smog certification. After you apply for the transfer of the vehicle registration into your name, you are the proud owner of the car.

It is too cumbersome to buy a used car from a private party, sometimes it is too risky and in all the cases it is damn cheaper. For some unlucky guys it might have resulted in spending huge money on maintenance the next day. But it is not always true. However, you are supposed to visit the mechanic frequently and spend lot of time there.

Buying from Dealer

The next best thing that you can do is to buy a used car from a dealer. It may not be as cheaper as buying from private party, but 100 times more reliable. Even some dealers give warranty on the used cars they sale. They buy the used cars, clean them up, do a thorough checking of the engine and repair any damages, dents etc before putting them on sale. You don’t have to take the car to a mechanic for inspection, worry about the smog certification. But never forget to check the approximate price through KBB and have a CarFax report handy before making a deal with the dealer. Normally, good dealers don’t keep cars for sale that have any major issues like bad accident history, salvaged title etc.

Go to the dealer, talk to the sales representative about your purpose. He/she will show you all the different used cars they have that fits your requirement as well as your budget. Once you have selected the model, make and color, go for a test drive (don’t forget to check the odometer reading). If everything feels ok to you, then go to the dealers office and access their computer to logon to KBB for approximate pricing as well as to CarFax for accident/maintenance history for that car. Some dealers even do this for free. Now with all these things handy, start the bargain. You must always consider the worry free deal with the worth of the vehicle you are paying for. You may end up paying a little more than that of a private party deal, but there wont be any worries after you buy the car. If there will be any problem with the car (which is covered under warranty), you can always comeback to the dealer for having it fixed for free. The dealer may also arrange a loan for you and take care of the other formalities like title transfer etc. You will save a lot of time/worries in this. Time is important and costly in this country. So it is your call again.

After you finalize the deal, it follows the same process as a new car purchase. So finish all paper work and drive the car safely back home.

Tips

* If you own an old used car that needs maintenance and the mechanic gives you a list of jobs to be done, then do all of them once. That way you may save a lot of labor charge.

* As per my experience, buying a new car is always better than buying a used car from a dealer and buying a used car from a dealer is always safer than buying a used car from a third party.

* It seems to be a huge amount in the beginning to buy a new car. But if you compare the money spent for new (repay the loan) and used car (repair/maintenance), then over a period of 3 years they will almost equate with each other. So, why not to enjoy the ride of a new car.

Today’s economy limits most consumers’ ability to replace large pieces of equipment, vehicles and furniture. To save money, consumers have to get smart, and sometimes creative. By identifying what problems are occurring that may be causing these things to not work properly, it is then an easy step to find less expensive solutions to make it work. Often times a simple repair or part replacement can make all the difference. Specifically for vehicles with engine trouble, the problem may seem beyond repair but if analyzed, a simple replacement kit or a repowered engine may be the best, low cost option available.

Small engine vehicles – lawn mowers, golf carts, trucksters, motorcycles, snow mobiles – are secondary pieces of equipment that are expensive to replace. When they seem to have engine trouble, replacing the entire vehicle is an expensive proposition. A replacement kit is typically the most cost effective alternative. But before going that route, it is important to identify exactly what is wrong with your current engine.

Small engine problems typically fall into two basic categories, failure to start and a problem running after the engine has started.

Failure to Start

There are a number of reasons a small engine might not start properly:

o Fuel line problems: Check to see that the fuel tank is full, that the fuel is fresh, and that the shut-off valve is closed. The fuel line or inlet screen could also be blocked or the fuel tank cap could be clogged.

o Carburetor problems: The carburetor could be blocked or the engine could be flooded. There might be problems with the spark plug. Check the choke on the fuel bowl as well – it could be set too high.

o Ignition problems: The spark plug contacts could be dirty, the plug gap could be set incorrectly, the lead could be faulty, or the kill switch could be shorted. These all require basic replacement or repair and are a snap with a proper kit.

o Compression problems: Check the valves, pistons, cylinder, or connecting rods if you suspect a compression problem. These could be dirty, stripped, or otherwise damaged, and would prevent the engine from starting properly or at all.

Problems Running

Problems running properly can pose more danger to your vehicle than an engine that simply wont’ start. If left unfixed, constant overheating or smoke emission can eventually ruin an engine and require a full-on replacement.

o Overheating engines: Lack of oil is one of the most common reasons for overheating. So is a dirty engine. Beyond that, there may be shrouds or cooling fans missing within the engine or the gasket could be leaking. The fuel mixture might be too lean, another carburetor problem. Cleaning or replacing the fuel tank vent and fuel tank screen can help reduce the chance of your engine overheating as well. These are all fixes that you can do yourself or with some simple repair kit that will cost far less than a new engine.

o Smoking: If the engine is emitting blue or white smoke then it is likely burning oil. If it is emitting black smoke it is a problem with the carburetor most likely. If it is neither the carburetor nor an oil leak, then it might be a clogged or dirty air filter.

o Knocking engine: If your engine experiences knocking it may indicate an excess of carbon in the combustion chamber, which would require you to clean carbon from the piston and head. The flywheel might also be loose. A faulty spark plug lead could cause engine knocking. This can be easily repaired or replaced.

o Spark Plug Misses: This could be caused by any number of things, including a faulty spark plug, faulty breaker points, an incorrectly set carburetor, or a weak valve spring.

It may appear that your small engine problems are large and will require a brand new small engine. Very rarely is this the case thought. To save money, take note of what exact problems you are having with your engine, test the areas we have outlined above and talk to a small engine specialist about steps to take to get the engine in working order again. The steps may be as simple as basic cleaning or part replacement to a slightly more complex but much lest expensive small engine repower kit. In today’s economy, none of us can afford to make unwarranted purchases like new engines if it is not necessary.

~Ben Nystrom, 2009

Ben Nystrom lives in Portland, OR and writes for Repower Specialists, LTD.
Read more about complete small engine repair kits available online by visiting the Repower Specialists site specializing in truckster, mower and golf cart engines and parts.

Advice for creating a resume that accurately portrays your skills, experience, interests and personality.

The job market is a tough one right now, and it clearly favors employers over job seekers. There are simply more job seekers than available jobs. Competing in this market means that you need a solid resume, and one that recognizes a current reality for technical jobs. Employers are not just filling positions. They are looking to hire “the whole person” – someone who fits organizationally and culturally, and who can fill multiple job roles. The bottom line: You’ll be more competitive in this job market if you have a resume that shows “the whole person.”

The Resume Challenge

Almost without exception, no one likes to work on their resume. It ranks somewhere close to filing taxes or having cavities filled on the list of unpleasant things in life. It is one of those undesirable activities that simply must be done and done right. Many hire tax professionals to complete their returns, and nobody fills their own cavities. But all too often we struggle alone to produce resumes. My recommendation: Get some help! Seek help from your friends and colleagues, and perhaps from a resume professional. But even when you use the services of a professional resume writer, you can’t abdicate responsibility to make your resume personal and human – to let the “whole person” shine through. Creating a resume that accurately portrays your skills, experience, interests, and personality can only be done with your participation and the participation of those who know you well. Participation means reflection on who you are and what you want to do – a task that can’t be hired, contracted, or delegated.

Professional resume writers, often with good intentions, can create resumes that make interviews difficult, uncomfortable, and sometimes even defensive. Lacking the participation that is needed to make a resume personal, the hired writer will resort to superlatives and overstatements. Imagine being interviewed based upon a resume that that makes statements about you that you don’t even believe to be true. How do you respond to interview questions that arise from these statements? It is far better to be confident in the language that is used to describe you, and readily able to respond to any questions about your resume.

This statement was written by a professional resume writer who was overzealous in his desire to help a client obtain employment: “Exploited the power of system tools including scandisk and defrag to counteract performance issues in machines.” How would you answer interview questions about such a statement? Would you be comfortable to glorify such a simple task? Does it really offer a clear picture of the prospective employee, or does it cloud that picture?

Clear and Concise

I’m not particularly good at taking care of my glasses. I’m careless with where I leave them so they often develop scratches quickly. Gradually I find myself squinting more and more as I try to make out details. When the squinting becomes too severe, I become aware of the problem and replace the glasses. With each new pair of glasses I’m initially surprised by how clean and crisp everything looks. The comparison between before and after is dramatic. If your resume isn’t clean and crisp – if it doesn’t accurately portray the real you – then you have the “scratchy glasses” version with prospective employers “squinting” at your resume.

In this article I’ll illustrate resume clarity and showing the “whole person” by telling you Stephen’s story. Stephen is both a talented IT professional and a friend. His story does a good job of illustrating the importance of sincerity and clarity in resume writing. Stephen’s resume is included here for illustration and reference. The resume is not full of superlatives. It uses clear and concise language and describes Stephen’s accomplishments and abilities without embellishment.

It is a powerful resume that tells Stephen’s story quite well. But we didn’t get to this resume quickly or easily. There were bumps and bruises, starts and stops, and detours along the way. I’ll also tell you a bit of my story, as I am a resume writer who learned and grew from the experience of working with Stephen. I’ll tell this story in the form of issues, describing each issue encountered and the ways that the issues were resolved.

Issue #1-Personalization

Managers want to hire people, not marketing brochures. Your resume should give them a good sense of who are and how you might fit into their team. It’s a recipe for disaster when your resume tells one story and your interview tells another. You do a disservice to yourself when you let others describe you without comment or intervention. You know yourself better than anyone else, so it’s your decision how you are portrayed in your resume.

The first sentence in Stephen’s summary of qualifications statement answers one of my common questions when gathering information for a resume: “What is it that makes you most proud?” Stephen loves to stretch software functionality almost to its breaking point-it’s a game to see who will win. Even though he’s proficient with numerous BI and data warehousing tools, Excel remains his favorite. It was during our discussions about Excel that I captured this sentence: “Innovative technology professional who takes pride in building complex solutions with basic technology, getting the most from a company’s technology investment.”

I thought this was a powerful statement that couldn’t be a more perfect fit, so I submitted it as part of my resume certification program. The rewrite I received back was a bit of a surprise. The “resume expert” restated the sentence as “Innovative technology professional, expert in building complex solutions and extracting optimum results from a company’s technology investment.” In trying to improve what I had written, the reviewer changed the meaning and reduced the value of the statement. The more general statement sounds good, but it loses the concept of making much from basic technology. More importantly, it is a less clear statement that takes a more careful read to find the meaning. Most important of all – it loses the sense of Stephen as a person who takes pride in his technical abilities.

Stephen also has a love of learning and finds it rewarding to help others learn. He is naturally patient, and is clear and descriptive in his explanations. This important aspect of Stephen closes his summary of qualifications with the statement” “Applies natural talent to translate a love of learning into a love of teaching, and helping others to learn.” To reinforce this message we interwove elements of teaching into his resume with a section titled Business Intelligence (BI) Technical Training and Learning Laboratory Management

Issue #2 -Technology

Stephen is a gentle soul who is modest about his achievements. When I first read his resume I told him that something was missing. He asked “what? And I replied “technology.” This simple exchange highlights the fact that we often find it difficult to accurately self-describe. I know that Stephen has exceptional technical expertise, having worked with him in the past. But he had not thought to include most of it on his resume. His reasoning: he only included technology where he had an extreme level of experience and had not considered others. His measure of acceptance was so high that most technology was excluded.

I assigned Stephen the task to list every technology he had used during the past eight years. It is difficult to remember specifics over an extended period of time, so it made sense to start with an all inclusive approach then refine the list based on how and how extensively he used each technology. Together we found the right list of technologies to accurately represent Stephen on his resume.

How you position and organize technologies on your resume depends on how you view yourself. For those who feel tightly coupled with technology, placing it on the first page makes sense. In Stephen’s case, he is not so much interested in specific technologies as in pushing the limits of what the technology can do. He wants to see tangible results. We organized his technologies into five categories and placed them near the end of the resume. We focused the first page on the results instead of technology.

Issue #3-Projects

Determining which projects to include and how to describe Stephen’s roles in each of them was particularly challenging. He has worked on many projects over a span of eight years, so discussion alone was not enough to decide which projects to feature. I asked Stephen to create a list that included every project he had worked on, no matter how small. From that list we selected projects based on how well they matched Stephen’s interests and skills – how well the demonstrated “the whole person.” Then we organized them into seven categories.

Issue #4-Value

With an organized project list we were ready to tackle the question: “What’s the connection to business value?” Not everyone has statistics, such as ‘delivered 20% cost reduction’ or ‘increased new product sales by 35%’. For IT professionals, value statements are especially difficult because they often think in terms of providing technical solutions, not business value. Extending from technology projects to business value means thinking about what will work better, who will be happier, and what new capabilities will be available when the project is completed.

The following statements in Stephen’s resume effectively describe the qualitative value that he created without resorting to exaggerations, superlatives, or fictionalized quantifications:

Implemented systems to satisfy a variety of business-to-consumer requirements including web-initiated database transactions, contact management, and communications tracking. Software development – Reduced the time, cost and complexity of maintaining the ETL process by developing a rules engine to remove hard-coded rules from an existing difficult to maintain ETL process. Stephen’s project and technology lists now serve multiple purposes. The refined lists are included in his resume and the original lists serve as a quick review and reference prior to interviews. It’s best to refresh your memory before interviewing so that the facts are clear in your mind and ready when needed.

Stephen’s resume tells a story. It works as a well placed introduction that describes him in his entirety – his character, interests, and skills. What story does your resume convey? What does it say about your past, present, and future? A good resume does not come easily. It must be crafted over time and from all of the right perspectives. Put together all of the right pieces, including a pinch of this and a dash of that, to show the individual and make the resume interesting to read. Consider who you really are and how best to personalize your resume and properly position technology, projects, and value. Capture the sense of yourself that conjures up an image of you as a whole person.

About IT Resume Service

Jennifer Hay combines career coaching and resume writing skills with a broad knowledge of information technology to provide specialized and targeted career guidance services to IT professionals. Jennifer’s varied background of IT positions, technical training, career counseling, and educational advising make a solid foundation for IT career counseling.

Her interest in the human side of career development makes each career plan personal and individualized. Her unique and IT-specific assessment methods help people to make the best career decisions. A disciplined approach to planning and action helps to turn decisions and plans into real career successes.

Jennifer Hay
IT Resume Service
Phone: (425) 245-5102
http://www.itresumeservice.com

Submit Your Resume For a Complimentary Review & Consultation CLICK HERE

The biggest myth surrounding cat ownership is that cats are worry free, self-contained and self-providing pets that require little or no maintenance. Cats are so good at giving people the impression of independence and self-reliance that people believe they don’t have to provide the highly focused attention to cats that, say, dogs require. The fact of the matter is that cats do require the same attention to detail that any dog does, and maybe even a little more, in some cases. This is especially true when it comes to probing the controversy regarding whether raw cat food is better that canned cat food or kibbles for your feline ward.

It’s a sad thing to look around our country these days and see so many people who have allowed themselves to become overweight and then have to deal with the consequential suffering and ill-health effects of obesity. Diabetes, shortness of breath, constant exhaustion from lugging around so many extra pounds and lowered self-esteem. Of course, the garment industry is singing happy tunes with all the extra thread they have to put together. There’s no shortage of explanations for why this situation has come about, but I think when it comes down to it we can only blame ourselves at the individual level for allowing such a condition to take root. After all, how many pounds overweight does one have to get before they realize that something’s not right and becoming a problem? 10, 20… 50 lbs? And how long does it take to realize that the magic pills, diets, elixirs and effortless, lose-weight-with-no-work-out machines are products being marketed to your ego, to separate you from your bank account, and not to solve your problem? No… the only way to find an ideal normality is with thorough research, discovery and a lot of hard work accompanied with a healthy life style change. But, enough sermonizing about the human condition. This is about cats, their eating habits and raw cat food.

One thing needs to come along with this discussion from the previous paragraph. Most people are not experts in animal nutrition and rely on others to lead them in the right direction. The source for most ‘experts’ available to a person for their daily decision making and selection of choices usually comes to us through the traditional media of radio, newspapers, television and now, the internet. Media offers two kinds of resources. Investigative reporting which is presented in newscasts or opinion pieces, and secondly, the marketing hype that provides commercial broadcast funding. The former is reliable enough to put credence into and might call for further research on your part if it interests you. The latter really only wants you to spend your money with them. That’s not necessarily bad… it does ultimately put people to work and provides many with an adequate, and even comfortable living. Unfortunately, the bottom line is… corporations only have one objective in the end. That is to feed their bottom line. Now recent events have caused many to reconsider the morality behind a corporations goals. But, as long as this market structure is the paradigm for our economy, the ultimate goal for big business will always be to maximize their profit-loss statements towards the profit end of the spectrum, any way they can get away with, and at your expense… literally.

So, what does this have to do with cats and if raw cat food is what you should be feeding them? Simply put, most people rely on the marketing hype to base their decisions regarding the food they feed their pets. Which is exactly the wrong source for basing such a critical decision. Take the cat for example. It’s not only a scientific fact, but a cultural one also, that the cat is described as an obligate carnivore. This defines cats as creatures who derive most of their food nutrients from the animals they hunt and consume (raw cat food). When a cat devours it’s prey, she will eat everything including not only muscle meat, but the brains, organ meat and the stomach and its contents which may consist of grasses and grains. One thing she doesn’t do is fire up a stove and saute or bake her dinner, or prepare a nice sauce to go with it. She eats it raw. Cultural purists use this description as an argument that feeding cats store bought, mass produced canned or dry cat food is doing your cat a disservice by depriving her of the natural nutrients she would normally get in the raw cat food she captures in the wild, and for which she was biologically designed.

Pottenger’s cats

Francis M. Pottenger, Jr. (1901 – 1967) was the son of Francis M. Pottenger, Sr., the physician who co-founded the Pottenger Sanatorium for treatment of tuberculosis in Monrovia, California. Between 1932 and 1942 he conducted what is know as the Pottenger Cat Study. One part of this study was what effect heat had on the nutrient value of raw food. In other words, what happens to food when you cook it.

“Pottenger used donated laboratory cats to test the potency of the adrenal extract hormones he was making. The adrenal glands of these cats were removed for the experiments and Pottenger noted that most of the cats died during or following the operation. He was feeding the cats a supposedly nutritive diet consisting of raw milk, cod liver oil and cooked meat scraps of liver, tripe, sweetbread, brains, heart and muscle.

When the number of donated cats exceeded the supply of food available, Pottenger began ordering raw meat scraps from a local meat packing plant, including organs, meat, and bone; and fed a separate group of cats from this supply. Within months this separate group appeared in better health than the cooked meat group. Their kittens were more energetic and, most interestingly, their post-operative death rate was lower.

At a certain point, he decided to begin a controlled scientific exploration. Pottenger conducted studies involving approximately 900 cats over a period of ten years, with three generations of cats being studied.

Meat study:

In one study, one group of cats was fed a diet of:

• Two-thirds raw meat, one-third raw milk, and cod-liver oil
• A second group was fed a diet of two-thirds cooked meat, one-third raw milk, and cod-liver oil.

The cats fed the all-raw diet were healthy while the cats fed the cooked meat diet developed various health problems:

• By the end of the first generation the cats started to develop degenerative diseases and became quite lazy.
• By the end of the second generation, the cats had developed degenerative diseases by mid-life and started losing their coordination.
• By the end of the third generation the cats had developed degenerative diseases very early in life and some were born blind and weak and had a much shorter life span. Many of the third generation cats couldn’t even produce offspring. There was an abundance of parasites and vermin while skin diseases and allergies increased from an incidence of five percent in normal cats to over 90 percent in the third generation of deficient cats. Kittens of the third generation did not survive six months. Bones became soft and pliable and the cats suffered from adverse personality changes. Males became docile while females became more aggressive.
• The cats suffered from most of the degenerative diseases encountered in human medicine and died out totally by the fourth generation.

At the time of Pottenger’s Study the amino acid taurine had been discovered but had not yet been identified as an essential amino acid for Cats. Today many cats thrive on a cooked meat diet where taurine has been added after cooking. The deficient diets lacked sufficient taurine to allow the cat’s to properly form protein structures and resulted in the health effects observed. Pottenger himself concluded that there was likely an “as yet unknown” protein factor (taurine) that may have been heat sensitive.

Milk Study:

In another study, dubbed the “Milk Study,”, the cats were fed 2/3 milk and 1/3 meat. All groups were fed raw meat with different groups getting raw, pasteurized, evaporated, sweetened condensed or raw metabolized vitamin D milk. The cats on raw milk were the healthiest while the rest exhibited varying degrees of health problems similar to the previous cooked meat study.

This particular Pottenger cat study has been cited by advocates of raw milk as evidence that it is likely healthier for humans than pasteurized milk.” +

Though Pottenger’s experiments don’t conclusively verify that raw cat food diets are better for sustaining a healthy support for the physiological needs of cats than cooked (canned) or dry kibbles, (because he didn’t use canned cat food or kibbles in the experiments) certain conclusions can be drawn.

• Cooking meat can destroy certain food nutrients, namely amino acids (proteins)
• Cats thrive more healthily on raw meat rather than cooked meat with less degenerative results
• Cooking meat for your cat requires the replacement of the essential amino acid taurine, and possibly other nutrients destroyed in the cooking process

Pet food marketing hype says that “XYZ” cat food products are healthy for your pet because it adds “ABC” nutrients, vitamins and minerals to their product which safeguards your cat’s health. Fortunately, marketing laws require that the ingredients in any given product be listed on the packaging of your cat’s food. Ultimately, it is left up to you to make the decision about which is the best shelf product for your cat.

For a discussion that details interpreting cat food labels CLICK HERE

Today’s problem plagued market place has left many in doubt as to whether the corporate entities that supply the bulk of our aggregate necessities can continue to be worthy of our trust. Arrogance and greed have always gone head to head with social morality and it’s usually the end user that ends up paying with unnecessary suffering. Many pet owners have now taken matters into their own hands and are resorting to providing from raw ingredients meals made with their own hands for their pets. It’s not a bad step but certain measures, which include a life-style change, need to be taken when preparing your pet’s meals to keep her safe from bacterial infection and insure that her nutritional needs are met.

Here’s an example of a raw cat food meal preparation from scratch:

• 2 kg [4.4 pounds] raw muscle meat with bones (chicken necks are mostly cartilage, are easy to chop and easy for the cat to digest) thighs and drumsticks or, better, a whole carcass of rabbit or chicken amounting to 2 kg; if you don’t use a whole carcass, opt for dark meat like thighs and drumsticks from chicken or turkey)
• 400 grams [14 oz] raw heart, ideally from the same animal (if no heart is available, substitute with 4000 mg Taurine)
• 200 grams [7 oz] raw liver, ideally from the same animal (if you can’t find appropriate liver, you can substitute 40,000 IU of Vitamin A and 1600 IU of Vitamin D–but try to use real liver instead of substitutes).
  • NOTE: If you cannot find the heart or liver and decide to substitute with the Taurine/Vitamin A and D, then remember to replace the missing amount of organ meat with the equivalent amount of muscle meat. In other words, if you cannot find heart, you add another 400 grams of the meat/bones. If you can’t find the liver, add another 200 grams of meat/bones.

• 16 oz [2 cups] water
• 4 raw egg yolks (use eggs from free-range, antibiotic-free chickens if you can)
• 4 capsules raw glandular supplement (such as, for example, “Raw Multiple Glandular” from Premier Labs)
• 4000 mg salmon oil
• 200 mg Vitamin B complex
• 800 IU Vitamin E (“dry E” works well) Buy Vitamin E in dry powder form. It’s much easier to deal with than those little oil-filled capsules.
• OPTIONAL: 1/4 teaspoon of kelp and 1/4 teaspoon of dulse (1/2 teaspoon total) Try and get dulse and kelp in powder form that you can easily measure with a teaspoon rather than in capsule form. Taking apart those capsules is time consuming. If you can only find kelp in caplet form, you’ll need to spend time crushing the caplets with a mortar and pestle.
• OPTIONAL: 4 teaspoons psyllium husk powder (8 teaspoons if using whole psyllium husks) ?

It looks like this recipe will produce about 5- 6 lbs of finished raw cat food product which would feed a single cat for several weeks. That means most of it would have to be frozen in individual air tight containers and thawed as needed.

The digestive system of a cat is designed to handle things human systems can’t. Their stomachs have a highly acidic environment, which is an excellent deterrent to ingested bacteria such as e coli and salmonella. In the wild, cats sometimes eat some pretty iffy stuff with no ill effects. Wild cats die more often from infection due to injuries than from food poisoning. However, there are steps you can take if you have concerns about raw cat food bourn bacteria.

• Avoid packaged supermarket ground beef using whole chunks of meat instead
• Buy “free-range” meat and poultry as fresh as possible
• Add priobiotics (which help maintain intestinal health) to your raw food preparation
• Proper handling of raw cat food is essential since some raw cat food may contain bacteria that could cause illness to you or your pets. Be sure to keep raw cat food meat and poultry separate from other foods. Wash hands prior to, and after handling raw cat food. Wash working surfaces, bowls, and utensils that come in contact with raw meat with hot, soapy water. Always wash your hands after cleaning your cat’s waste; this includes litter boxes.
• Pick up and dispose of uneaten raw cat food within 30 minutes of feeding your cat

Preparing raw cat food meals from scratch for your cat is a labor of love indulged in by purists. Most people don’t have the time, and maybe lack the talent to take on such a task. If you count yourself among this latter group, rest easy. Ready-made products are finding their way to the market place. There are complete raw cat food meals which are shipped frozen and there are mixes which all you have to do is add the meat. Just remember that if you are going with the mix, be certain that the essential amino acids such as taurine are included. If not then be sure to add the heart (a source for taurine) and other organ meat from the same animal if possible, with the raw cat food meal so that your cat won’t be deprived of these critical ingredients.

So, what are the trade-offs you ask?

Well, for one thing you will have to forego the convenience of one-stop-shopping in the supermarket pet food aisles. Orders for raw cat food meals or mixes are mostly made on-line so you will have to deal with credit or debit cards. Pre-planning will have to be regular routine so that you don’t run out of raw cat food before the next shipment arrives. If a shipment thaws, you will have to return it because you won’t want to take any chances with bacterial infection. Most companies will honor returns due to thawing. And, if you prepare raw cat food meals completely from scratch, be prepared to spend a couple of hours in the kitchen with this task.

The real trade-off is with the quality of cat food you will be providing. The store bought ‘meal’ based cereal foods will be replaced with the high quality fresh foods that cat’s were designed for. Some cats may balk at the transition at first because they weren’t socialized with raw cat food as kittens. But, their health will show marked improvement, you will probably be surprised by the results which can be compared to how your cat behaved before being fed a fresh, high quality raw cat food diet that meets their needs nutritionally, plus their immune systems will be stronger giving your cat a chance for a longer, healthier life.

Ask any monk or even the ordinary, next-door-neighbor contemplative type, and they’ll tell you that life is not easy; suffering is the characteristic that describes much of the existence in this corner of the Universe, and that the punishment for ignoring this fact is to bear more suffering. Yet this suffering can be relieved with even a little knowledge and understanding of why and how things can operate to ease your burden. It does take a willingness on your part to change and accept new habits to accommodate a changed life-style. But, knowledge and understanding cannot be acquired through osmosis. It takes a lot of work to comprehend even a small amount of the sense that holds life together. One can’t depend on epiphanies either. Like magic and miracles, instant knowledge occurs only rarely… and you can grow old waiting for it while your cat pines for a raw cat food meal. It’d be like huffing and puffing along wondering why you’re carrying around all that extra baggage.

+ – Thanks to Wikipedia for this excerpt

? – Thanks to Wikihow

Robert J Gallegos is the author of http://www.catlover-giftsworld.com a web site dedicated to proper cat care with quality cat lover gifts based on an understanding of cat behavior, instincts and the unique requirements for healthy cats as pets. Cats are the newest of animals to be domesticated and still have one paw in the wild. It’s a major reason why they’re so mysterious and resistant to human expectations.
Robert is a life long lover of cats. He is dedicated to sharing his understanding of the cat experience, reducing the epidemic feral cat situation, and helping cat lovers to provide the best care for their cats.

Collector Car Insurance and Classic Car Insurance

If you are fortunate enough to own a classic car – or any collectible automobile – then you want to ensure that your luck does not run out because of having inadequate insurance coverage. Call it covering your butt – or covering your “asset” – but by all means, call one of the major providers such as American Collectors, Haggerty, or Parish Heacock insurance companies and let them put you in the driver’s seat in terms of professional protection of your cherished automotive investment.

How to Kick the Tires on Classic Car Insurance

The whole idea of insurance is that it needs to do what you expect of it in an emergency, when the rubber really hits the road. And classic car insurance is as different from conventional auto insurance as, well, a classic car is from your run of the mill generic vehicle.

When you buy a classic car insurance policy, you are essentially purchasing protection for those times when – God forbid and knock on wood it doesn’t happen – disaster strikes in the form of a fire, a collision, or an act of theft or vandalism. Just as we now have modern airbags to save us in the event of a crash, we also have collector’s car insurance, to protect us with adequate moneybags when calamity throws a wrench in the works.

The time you invest in choosing the right classic car insurance coverage is well worth the value and peace of mind that a quality collector’s insurance policy delivers for owners of classic motor cars.

The Nuts and Bolts of Classic Car Insurance Coverage

Collector car insurance is not the same as the insurance you buy for normal coverage of your daily transportation. Collector car insurance, or classic car insurance, is made especially for the needs of the car collector. And while ordinary insurance does offer some protection, no matter what you drive, it can leave you high and dry in the event of a loss that it not effectively covered by the terms of the insurance contract.

For example, you may have a garage-kept Cadillac Sedan DeVille with swooping fins your grandparents bought for $7,000 brand new back in the 1960s. But dealers have offered you three times that much, and you saw another one sell at an auto show for $35,000. If you don’t have special collector car insurance or classic car insurance, and the car is totaled, you will be lucky to get $7,000 for it. With depreciation calculated in, the insurance statisticians may decide that it is worth only half that much, or less, and you could wind up with two or three grand in exchange for your dream machine.

Stipulations or requirements normally encountered while shopping for collector car insurance or classic car insurance:

• A decent driving record.
• At least 10 years driving experience
• No teen drivers on the policy or drivers with poor driving records
• Secure and out of the weather garage
• Proof that you have another car for daily transportation
• Collector vehicle insurance is sometimes limited by the age of your car, and if your car is too young it may not qualify for a particular policy.
• Limited mileage. You probably don’t want to drive your creampuff car all the time, and your insurance company doesn’t want you to either. Mileage limits have increased recently, though, so if you can live with 250 miles a month you’re probably okay.

Coverage with collector car insurance or classic car insurance: Three kinds of value are important to understand when buying your policy. 1) Actual cash value: This is what you usually get with ordinary insurance, and is based on replacement cost minus depreciation.

2) Stated value:

The insurance company pays up to the stated value of the car, but may not guarantee the full stated value. And deductibles of up to $1,000 usually apply.

3) Agreed value:

In most jurisdictions, those who provide collector car insurance or classic car insurance are allowed to insure for a value that you and your insurer agree upon. And for most autos, there is no deductible. If your $100,000 vintage Rolls get trashed, you get a check for 100 grand, plain and simple – which is exactly why collectors use special classic car insurance coverage.

Do a periodic review of your coverage limits, because classic car prices are rising. What you insured your cherry classic for ten years ago may be a fraction of what it’s worth today. And if you are restoring a vehicle, ask your agent to give you appropriate insurance. There is no need to pay extra based on mileage statistics, if your car is up on blocks with no engine inside it. And as the car’s value increases thanks to your hard work of restoring it, you should raise the coverage to keep up with the added value of the restoration.

Keep all your receipts and paperwork – for everything from parts and labor to expenses incurred to take it to a classic car show – so that you can document the total investment your collector’s car represents. And take photos and keep them updated, for the same reason. And Last But Not Least: Special Savings Opportunities

As long as you meet the criteria in terms of how you use and take care of the car, you can usually buy a policy.

Traditional insurers will either refuse coverage, offer only a replacement value based on the nuts and bolts (minus heavy depreciation) of the car, or will charge you a prohibitive amount for the premium. But many collectors find that special collector’s coverage saves them money – as much as half – while insuring them for higher limits, sometime three or four times what a traditional company gave them.

Yes, it’s possible to get collector’s insurance coverage for full market value for your car, and save up to 50 percent off of the premium you’d pay with ordinary insurance. That makes classic car insurance a must-have for any serious car buff.

Below is information about three of the most reputable and dependable collectors and classic car insurance companies in the USA (All information listed below subject to change, please contact the insurance companies listed to be sure.):

Hagerty Insurance P.O. Box 1303 Traverse City, MI 49685-1303

Email: auto@hagerty.com Toll Free: 800-922-4050

Qualifications:

• Similar to the others listed below, but please contact Haggerty for details.

American Collectors Insurance P.O. Box 8343 Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 Email: info@americancollectors.com Toll Free: (800) 360-2277 Qualifications (subject to change or regional laws so check with the company for specific up-to-date information).

• At least 15 years old
• Garage-kept
• Driven on a limited, pleasure-only basis (up to 5,000 annual miles – available in most states)

You may also qualify by:

• Having at least 10 years driving experience
• Having a good driving record
• Having at least one “regular” vehicle for every licensed driver in the household You may request a policy application either directly from American Collectors Insurance or through your local insurance agent (rates are the same either way).

Parish Heacock Classic Car Insurance P.O. Box 24807 Lakeland, FL 33802-4807 Email: info@parishheacock.com Toll free: (800) 678-5173 Qualifications (subject to change or regional laws so check with the company for specific up-to-date information).

• Each household member of driving age must have at least 10 years driving experience or be excluded.
• Each household member must have a regular use vehicle less than 15 years old that is insured with liability limits equal to or higher than the limits being applied for on the collectible vehicle.
• All licensed members of household and any other drivers of the vehicle must be listed on the application.
• Maximum of two accidents or violations in the household, maximum of one per licensed household member in past 3 years. No major violations permitted in past 5 years.
• A Driver Health Questionnaire must be completed for all drivers over 70 years old.
• Auto must be stored in a locked permanent garage facility when not driven.
• Auto may not be used for commuting to or from work or school, used for business purposes or as a substitute for another auto.
• Autos not covered while on a racetrack or when being used for: racing, speed, driver’s education, or timed events.
• Must display pride of ownership: well maintained, in restored or well-preserved condition.
• Vehicles under restoration must be stored at residence or a restoration shop, with a target date for completion. Agreed value coverage is not available on cars under restoration. Eligibility subject to company review.
• Replica Vehicles and Pro Street vehicles are subject to company review.
• Trucks and Jeeps must be over 25 years old, and not be used for towing, hauling, off-road or utility use.
• Generally do not require appraisals, but may ask for one if vehicle value is difficult to determine.

Michael Modica is an avid musclecar fan. He is the webmaster of the world’s leading Second Generation Camaro resouce, http://www.nastyz28.com

A car to a college student is like treasure to a pirate. Having a car at college is a luxury that not many students get to have.

Most students ride their bikes or walk to class, but if you are one of the few who gets to drive to campus and take long trips on the weekend, then you have to be prepared for the responsibility of owning a car. And that means you have to be covered with student car insurance.

Besides tuition and books, car insurance for students is one of the biggest expenses a student will pay in college. But if you are careful about choosing your student auto insurance, you will be able to work the payments into your student budget and still manage to save money in your savings account.

The Basics of Student Car Insurance

Finding cheap car insurance for students can be difficult since younger drivers usually have higher premium payments to make. It has nothing to do with you personally, but young drivers just tend to make more insurance claims than older drivers, so insurance companies will charge you more so they can make more money.

There are also other factors that can affect the amount a student will pay for student car insurance, such as:

• Age
• Gender
• Driving record
• Location of vehicle
• Damage history of vehicle
• Distance driven daily

You can’t avoid these factors when you are applying for student auto insurance, but there are many ways that you can lower your premium payments. You just need to take the right steps towards choosing your student insurance.

Tips for Choosing Your Student Car Insurance

You can’t avoid being young and in college, but there are steps you can take to lower your student car insurance payments. And even though you want to find an insurance company that offers car insurance specifically for students, not all of them do, so if you can’t get student car insurance, then follow these tips to get a cheaper car insurance plan:

Shop Around for Options

Find out as much information as you can for at least 3 different insurance companies. Compare their premium quotes and see who has the best benefits for your money.

Know Plan Basics

Knowing the basics of a student car insurance plan is very important in choosing the right kind of plan for your needs. Not all car insurance for students is the same, but the parts that make up the plan usually cover the same areas.

Here are the six basic parts of a student car insurance plan:

1) Bodily Injury - Covers you for bodily injury you might have caused to another person.

2) Personal Property Liability - Covers damage or injury you might have caused to another person’s property.

3) Collision - Covers you for any type of accident with another car or with an object like a parking meter or a utility pole.

4) Comprehensive - Covers you in case someone steals your car or something in it, or the weather damages your car. It is best to get both of these types of student car insurance coverage.

5) Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Covers medical costs and any lost wages from a job for the policy holder and any injured passengers.

6) Uninsured Motorist - Covers you for accidents with motorists who do not have car insurance. Also covers you for hit-and-run accidents.

Maintain Good Grades

Many insurance companies offer discounts to students who maintain a B average or higher. Make sure you bring proof of your grades when you apply for your car insurance.

Apply for all Discounts

Even if you get a student discount, always apply for any discount that the insurance company is offering. Most insurance companies will offer you a great deal if you purchase multiple insurance plans together, like car and renter’s insurance, and they might even offer you a family discount if you sign up for the same insurance as your family members.

Buy the Right Car

Before you even get student car insurance, you need to get a car that is right for you. Car insurance is often based on a car’s safety probability, so high speed sports cars and smaller cars have a greater risk of damage. They are also more likely to be targeted by thieves, so you should buy a more practical car with good gas mileage and reliability rather than a car that costs more than your entire student budget.

Walk or Bike More, Drive Less

Even if you have a car, that doesn’t mean you have to use it everyday. If you live on campus and you’re close to class, either walk or ride a bike and save on gas money. Some insurance companies will give you a low-mileage car insurance deduction if you drive below a certain number of miles each year, so save your long-distance car driving for the weekends.

Increase Your Deductible

If you increase your deductible – the amount you pay towards a claim before your insurance company pays – then you can save from 15% to 40% on your student car insurance premium.

Install Secure/Anti-Theft Devices

If your car’s seat belts and airbags don’t’ work, you should get them fixed as soon as possible. Also, if you don’t have an alarm system, get one installed. The safer you are against accidents and burglaries, then the less your car insurance company will have to pay and the less you’ll have to pay to them.

Be a Safe Driver

The most important step you can take towards lowering your student auto insurance is to be a safe driver. The fewer driving violations and auto accidents that you have the more money you will save with your car insurance. That means you should never drink and drive, you should park your car in a safe area or in a garage and you should always maintain the proper speed limit.

College should be both a fun and safe experience, so if you have a car and use it as part of your daily routine, always have student car insurance for protection.

Trish Smith is a copywriter for Green Student U, Student Finance Domain and Study Abroad Domain, websites that are devoted to providing college students with helpful environmental, financial and study abroad advice.

Have you been spending money on countless job boards, only to find that they don’t offer the types of candidates you need? If the answer is yes, don’t fret any longer, you’re about to learn crafty techniques to help you find free resumes on the net. There are numerous free resources online that offer resumes. These include: Free Resume Databases; Free Member Resumes on Association websites; Free College and Alumni resumes on University websites; Free Resume Newsgroups; Free Resume Blaster sites and active and passive resumes hosted on individual candidate websites. All of these resources can be found by using simple search techniques.

You will soon have hundreds of free resumes at your fingertips. The first step is to utilize multiple search engines since they will each offer different sites. The top 10 search engines suggested are: http://www.google.com, http://www.yahoo.com, http://www.altavista.com, http://www.excite.com, http://www.hotbot.com, http://www.alltheweb.com, http://www.galaxy.com, http://www.search.aol.com, http://www.msn.com, http://www.lycos.com. The search engines offer their own search features and they vary slightly. Therefore, it’s important to always read the search tips and check out the advanced search tool for each search engine. The common search symbols used across most search engines are called Boolean phrases.

Using Boolean Phrases

The first step is to choose one of the search engines from the above list and type the address in your Internet browser. Then decide what key words would be effective for finding the type of resource you want. Once you have a list of key words, use the following Boolean techniques to run the most efficient search.

o If searching for a phrase on a webpage, place the statement between quotation marks. Example: “free resume database”

o If searching for multiple words use the word AND between each word. Make sure to capitalize all 3 letters. Example: free AND resumes AND java

o If interested in finding one or more words, use the term OR between your key words. Example: “free resumes” AND java OR oracle OR php

o If looking for resumes that have a specific word with multiple possible endings such as: manager, management, managed, use an asterisk at the end of the base word. Example: manage* This will pull websites with all of the words that start with that base word.

o If searching for specific titles, type the word title: and then fill in the title of choice. Example: title: free resumes. This will pull websites with the words Free Resumes in the html title.

o If looking for URLs that have the word resume in the URL address, type the command URL: resume.

o If looking for a website with specific text such as: free resume search, type the command text: free resume search.

Below you’ll find suggestions of Boolean phrases and keywords to use that will help you find the free resume resources listed above. At the end of this article you will also find a suggested website that can give you access to hundreds of free resume resources instantly.

Free Resume Databases (These sites allow you to search through a database of resumes)

o “free resume database”

o “search for free” AND resumes

o “free resume search”

o text: free resumes

o free AND resume*

Association Websites offering Member Resumes (Many associations or organizations offer sections on their websites where members, who are looking for jobs, can post their resumes)

o “member resumes” AND association OR organization

o url: memberresumes

o text: search member resumes

o member AND resumes

o title: association AND resumes

Free College and Alumni resumes at University websites (Some Universities offer a section on their website where students, looking for internships, can post their resumes. Some also have pages where alumni can also post their resumes, when searching for work)

o “alumni resumes”

o url: edu AND resumes

o alumni OR student AND resumes

o text: alumni resumes

o university AND resumes OR cv

Free Resume Newsgroups (Newsgroups are email lists where people can post various things. There are several free resume newsgroups.)

o “free resumes” AND newsgroups

o newgroup* AND resumes

o url: newsgroup

o text: newsgroup

Free Resume Blaster Sites (These sites send resumes to your inbox after you fill out a form describing the types of resumes you need.)

o “resume distribution”

o “blast your resume”

Active or Passive individual candidate resumes on individual web pages. (There are thousands of personal resumes posted on the web. Some are active and some passive. Using the 4 numbers of the current year in your search can help you find more active resumes)

o url: resume AND 2005

o url: resume AND java AND oracle AND php

o resume AND experience AND education AND java OR oracle

o title: resume AND manage*

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Remember, the Internet is an amazing resource for recruiters and if you don’t want to spend large sums of money on useless job boards, you now have the skills it takes to find free resumes. Good luck with your recruiting efforts!

Kim Proulx is a professional Internet Researcher with 10 years of experience.

INTRODUCTON – The term “health insurance” is commonly used in the United States to describe any program that helps pay for medical expenses, whether through privately purchased insurance, social insurance or a non-insurance social welfare program funded by the government. Synonyms for this usage include “health coverage,” “health care coverage” and “health benefits” and “medical insurance.” In a more technical sense, the term is used to describe any form of insurance that provides protection against injury or illness.

In America, the health insurance industry has changed rapidly during the last few decades. In the 1970’s most people who had health insurance had indemnity insurance. Indemnity insurance is often called fee-forservice. It is the traditional health insurance in which the medical provider (usually a doctor or hospital) is paid a fee for each service provided to the patient covered under the policy. An important category associated with the indemnity plans is that of consumer driven health care (CDHC). Consumer-directed health plans allow individuals and families to have greater control over their health care, including when and how they access care, what types of care they receive and how much they spend on health care services.

These plans are however associated with higher deductibles that the insured have to pay from their pocket before they can claim insurance money. Consumer driven health care plans include Health Reimbursement Plans (HRAs), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), high deductible health plans (HDHps), Archer Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Of these, the Health Savings Accounts are the most recent and they have witnessed rapid growth during the last decade.

WHAT IS A HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT?

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged medical savings account available to taxpayers in the United States. The funds contributed to the account are not subject to federal income tax at the time of deposit. These may be used to pay for qualified medical expenses at any time without federal tax liability.

Another feature is that the funds contributed to Health Savings Account roll over and accumulate year over year if not spent. These can be withdrawn by the employees at the time of retirement without any tax liabilities. Withdrawals for qualified expenses and interest earned are also not subject to federal income taxes. According to the U.S. Treasury Office, ‘A Health Savings Account is an alternative to traditional health insurance; it is a savings product that offers a different way for consumers to pay for their health care.

HSA’s enable you to pay for current health expenses and save for future qualified medical and retiree health expenses on a tax-free basis.’ Thus the Health Savings Account is an effort to increase the efficiency of the American health care system and to encourage people to be more responsible and prudent towards their health care needs. It falls in the category of consumer driven health care plans.

Origin of Health Savings Account

The Health Savings Account was established under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act passed by the U.S. Congress in June 2003, by the Senate in July 2003 and signed by President Bush on December 8, 2003.

Eligibility -

The following individuals are eligible to open a Health Savings Account -

- Those who are covered by a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP).

- Those not covered by other health insurance plans.

- Those not enrolled in Medicare4.

Also there are no income limits on who may contribute to an HAS and there is no requirement of having earned income to contribute to an HAS. However HAS’s can’t be set up by those who are dependent on someone else’s tax return. Also HSA’s cannot be set up independently by children.

What is a High Deductible Health plan (HDHP)?

Enrollment in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) is a necessary qualification for anyone wishing to open a Health Savings Account. In fact the HDHPs got a boost by the Medicare Modernization Act which introduced the HSAs. A High Deductible Health Plan is a health insurance plan which has a certain deductible threshold. This limit must be crossed before the insured person can claim insurance money. It does not cover first dollar medical expenses. So an individual has to himself pay the initial expenses that are called out-of-pocket costs.

In a number of HDHPs costs of immunization and preventive health care are excluded from the deductible which means that the individual is reimbursed for them. HDHPs can be taken both by individuals (self employed as well as employed) and employers. In 2008, HDHPs are being offered by insurance companies in America with deductibles ranging from a minimum of $1,100 for Self and $2,200 for Self and Family coverage. The maximum amount out-of-pocket limits for HDHPs is $5,600 for self and $11,200 for Self and Family enrollment. These deductible limits are called IRS limits as they are set by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In HDHPs the relation between the deductibles and the premium paid by the insured is inversely propotional i.e. higher the deductible, lower the premium and vice versa. The major purported advantages of HDHPs are that they will a) lower health care costs by causing patients to be more cost-conscious, and b) make insurance premiums more affordable for the uninsured. The logic is that when the patients are fully covered (i.e. have health plans with low deductibles), they tend to be less health conscious and also less cost conscious when going for treatment.

Opening a Health Savings Account

An individual can sign up for HSAs with banks, credit unions, insurance companies and other approved companies. However not all insurance companies offer HSAqualified health insurance plans so it is important to use an insurance company that offers this type of qualified insurance plan. The employer may also set up a plan for the employees. However, the account is always owned by the individual. Direct online enrollment in HSA-qualified health insurance is available in all states except Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

Contributions to the Health Savings Account

Contributions to HSAs can be made by an individual who owns the account, by an employer or by any other person. When made by the employer, the contribution is not included in the income of the employee. When made by an employee, it is treated as exempted from federal tax. For 2008, the maximum amount that can be contributed (and deducted) to an HSA from all sources is:

$2,900 (self-only coverage)

$5,800 (family coverage)

These limits are set by the U.S. Congress through statutes and they are indexed annually for inflation. For individuals above 55 years of age, there is a special catch up provision that allows them to deposit additional $800 for 2008 and $900 for 2009. The actual maximum amount an individual can contribute also depends on the number of months he is covered by an HDHP (pro-rated basis) as of the first day of a month. For eg If you have family HDHP coverage from January 1,2008 until June 30, 2008, then cease having HDHP coverage, you are allowed an HSA contribution of 6/12 of $5,800, or $2,900 for 2008. If you have family HDHP coverage from January 1,2008 until June 30, 2008, and have self-only HDHP coverage from July 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008, you are allowed an HSA contribution of 6/12 x $5,800 plus 6/12 of $2,900, or $4,350 for 2008. If an individual opens an HDHP on the first day of a month, then he can contribute to HSA on the first day itself. However, if he/she opens an account on any other day than the first, then he can contribute to the HSA from the next month onwards. Contributions can be made as late as April 15 of the following year. Contributions to the HSA in excess of the contribution limits must be withdrawn by the individual or be subject to an excise tax. The individual must pay income tax on the excess withdrawn amount.

Contributions by the Employer

The employer can make contributions to the employee’s HAS account under a salary reduction plan known as Section 125 plan. It is also called a cafeteria plan. The contributions made under the cafeteria plan are made on a pre-tax basis i.e. they are excluded from the employee’s income. The employer must make the contribution on a comparable basis. Comparable contributions are contributions to all HSAs of an employer which are 1) the same amount or 2) the same percentage of the annual deductible. However, part time employees who work for less than 30 hours a week can be treated separately. The employer can also categorize employees into those who opt for self coverage only and those who opt for a family coverage. The employer can automatically make contributions to the HSAs on the behalf of the employee unless the employee specifically chooses not to have such contributions by the employer.

Withdrawals from the HSAs

The HSA is owned by the employee and he/she can make qualified expenses from it whenever required. He/She also decides how much to contribute to it, how much to withdraw for qualified expenses, which company will hold the account and what type of investments will be made to grow the account. Another feature is that the funds remain in the account and role over from year to year. There are no use it or lose it rules. The HSA participants do not have to obtain advance approval from their HSA trustee or their medical insurer to withdraw funds, and the funds are not subject to income taxation if made for ‘qualified medical expenses’. Qualified medical expenses include costs for services and items covered by the health plan but subject to cost sharing such as a deductible and coinsurance, or co-payments, as well as many other expenses not covered under medical plans, such as dental, vision and chiropractic care; durable medical equipment such as eyeglasses and hearing aids; and transportation expenses related to medical care. Nonprescription, over-the-counter medications are also eligible. However, qualified medical expense must be incurred on or after the HSA was established.

Tax free distributions can be taken from the HSA for the qualified medical expenses of the person covered by the HDHP, the spouse (even if not covered) of the individual and any dependent (even if not covered) of the individual.12 The HSA account can also be used to pay previous year’s qualified expenses subject to the condition that those expenses were incurred after the HSA was set up. The individual must preserve the receipts for expenses met from the HSA as they may be needed to prove that the withdrawals from the HSA were made for qualified medical expenses and not otherwise used. Also the individual may have to produce the receipts before the insurance company to prove that the deductible limit was met. If a withdrawal is made for unqualified medical expenses, then the amount withdrawn is considered taxable (it is added to the individuals income) and is also subject to an additional 10 percent penalty. Normally the money also cannot be used for paying medical insurance premiums. However, in certain circumstances, exceptions are allowed.

These are -

1) to pay for any health plan coverage while receiving federal or state unemployment benefits.

2) COBRA continuation coverage after leaving employment with a company that offers health insurance coverage.

3) Qualified long-term care insurance.

4) Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, including deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance for: Part A (hospital and inpatient services), Part B (physician and outpatient services), Part C (Medicare HMO and PPO plans) and Part D (prescription drugs).

However, if an individual dies, becomes disabled or reaches the age of 65, then withdrawals from the Health Savings Account are considered exempted from income tax and additional 10 percent penalty irrespective of the purpose for which those withdrawals are made. There are different methods through which funds can be withdrawn from the HSAs. Some HSAs provide account holders with debit cards, some with cheques and some have options for a reimbursement process similar to medical insurance.

Growth of HSAs

Ever since the Health Savings Accounts came into being in January 2004, there has been a phenomenal growth in their numbers. From around 1 million enrollees in March 2005, the number has grown to 6.1 million enrollees in January 2008.14 This represents an increase of 1.6 million since January 2007, 2.9 million since January 2006 and 5.1 million since March 2005. This growth has been visible across all segments. However, the growth in large groups and small groups has been much higher than in the individual category. According to the projections made by the U.S. Treasury Department, the number of HSA policy holders will increase to 14 million by 2010. These 14 million policies will provide cover to 25 to 30 million U.S. citizens.

In the Individual Market, 1.5 million people were covered by HSA/HDHPs purchased as on January 2008. Based on the number of covered lives, 27 percent of newly purchased individual policies (defined as those purchased during the most recent full month or quarter) were enrolled in HSA/HDHP coverage. In the small group market, enrollment stood at 1.8 million as of January 2008. In this group 31 percent of all new enrollments were in the HSA/HDHP category. The large group category had the largest enrollment with 2.8 million enrollees as of January 2008. In this category, six percent of all new enrollments were in the HSA/HDHP category.

Benefits of HSAs

The proponents of HSAs envisage a number of benefits from them. First and foremost it is believed that as they have a high deductible threshold, the insured will be more health conscious. Also they will be more cost conscious. The high deductibles will encourage people to be more careful about their health and health care expenses and will make them shop for bargains and be more vigilant against excesses in the health care industry. This, it is believed, will reduce the growing cost of health care and increase the efficiency of the health care system in the United States. HSA-eligible plans typically provide enrollee decision support tools that include, to some extent, information on the cost of health care services and the quality of health care providers. Experts suggest that reliable information about the cost of particular health care services and the quality of specific health care providers would help enrollees become more actively engaged in making health care purchasing decisions. These tools may be provided by health insurance carriers to all health insurance plan enrollees, but are likely to be more important to enrollees of HSA-eligible plans who have a greater financial incentive to make informed decisions about the quality and costs of health care providers and services.

It is believed that lower premiums associated with HSAs/HDHPs will enable more people to enroll for medical insurance. This will mean that lower income groups who do not have access to medicare will be able to open HSAs. No doubt higher deductibles are associated with HSA eligible HDHPs, but it is estimated that tax savings under HSAs and lower premiums will make them less expensive than other insurance plans. The funds put in the HSA can be rolled over from year to year. There are no use it or lose it rules. This leads to a growth in savings of the account holder. The funds can be accumulated tax free for future medical expenses if the holder so desires. Also the savings in the HSA can be grown through investments.

The nature of such investments is decided by the insured. The earnings on savings in the HSA are also exempt from income tax. The holder can withdraw his savings in the HSA after turning 65 years old without paying any taxes or penalties. The account holder has complete control over his/her account. He/She is the owner of the account right from its inception. A person can withdraw money as and when required without any gatekeeper. Also the owner decides how much to put in his/her account, how much to spend and how much to save for the future. The HSAs are portable in nature. This means that if the holder changes his/her job, becomes unemployed or moves to another location, he/she can still retain the account.

Also if the account holder so desires he can transfer his Health Saving Account from one managing agency to another. Thus portability is an advantage of HSAs. Another advantage is that most HSA plans provide first-dollar coverage for preventive care. This is true of virtually all HSA plans offered by large employers and over 95% of the plans offered by small employers. It was also true of over half (59%) of the plans which were purchased by individuals.

All of the plans offering first-dollar preventive care benefits included annual physicals, immunizations, well-baby and wellchild care, mammograms and Pap tests; 90% included prostate cancer screenings and 80% included colon cancer screenings. Some analysts believe that HSAs are more beneficial for the young and healthy as they do not have to pay frequent out of pocket costs. On the other hand, they have to pay lower premiums for HDHPs which help them meet unforeseen contingencies.

Health Savings Accounts are also advantageous for the employers. The benefits of choosing a health Savings Account over a traditional health insurance plan can directly affect the bottom line of an employer’s benefit budget. For instance Health Savings Accounts are dependent on a high deductible insurance policy, which lowers the premiums of the employee’s plan. Also all contributions to the Health Savings Account are pre-tax, thus lowering the gross payroll and reducing the amount of taxes the employer must pay.

Criticism of HSAs

The opponents of Health Savings Accounts contend that they would do more harm than good to America’s health insurance system. Some consumer organizations, such as Consumers Union, and many medical organizations, such as the American Public Health Association, have rejected HSAs because, in their opinion, they benefit only healthy, younger people and make the health care system more expensive for everyone else. According to Stanford economist Victor Fuchs, “The main effect of putting more of it on the consumer is to reduce the social redistributive element of insurance.

Some others believe that HSAs remove healthy people from the insurance pool and it makes premiums rise for everyone left. HSAs encourage people to look out for themselves more and spread the risk around less. Another concern is that the money people save in HSAs will be inadequate. Some people believe that HSAs do not allow for enough savings to cover costs. Even the person who contributes the maximum and never takes any money out would not be able to cover health care costs in retirement if inflation continues in the health care industry.

Opponents of HSAs, also include distinguished figures like state Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, who called them a “dangerous prescription” that will destabilize the health insurance marketplace and make things even worse for the uninsured. Another criticism is that they benefit the rich more than the poor. Those who earn more will be able to get bigger tax breaks than those who earn less. Critics point out that higher deductibles along with insurance premiums will take away a large share of the earnings of the low income groups. Also lower income groups will not benefit substantially from tax breaks as they are already paying little or no taxes. On the other hand tax breaks on savings in HSAs and on further income from those HSA savings will cost billions of dollars of tax money to the exchequer.

The Treasury Department has estimated HSAs would cost the government $156 billion over a decade. Critics say that this could rise substantially. Several surveys have been conducted regarding the efficacy of the HSAs and some have found that the account holders are not particularly satisfied with the HSA scheme and many are even ignorant about the working of the HSAs. One such survey conducted in 2007 of American employees by the human resources consulting firm Towers Perrin showed satisfaction with account based health plans (ABHPs) was low. People were not happy with them in general compared with people with more traditional health care. Respondants said they were not comfortable with the risk and did not understand how it works.

According to the Commonwealth Fund, early experience with HAS eligible high-deductible health plans reveals low satisfaction, high out of- pocket costs, and cost-related access problems. Another survey conducted with the Employee Benefits Research Institute found that people enrolled in HSA-eligible high-deductible health plans were much less satisfied with many aspects of their health care than adults in more comprehensive plans People in these plans allocate substantial amounts of income to their health care, especially those who have poorer health or lower incomes. The survey also found that adults in high-deductible health plans are far more likely to delay or avoid getting needed care, or to skip medications, because of the cost. Problems are particularly pronounced among those with poorer health or lower incomes.

Political leaders have also been vocal about their criticism of the HSAs. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. issued the following statement criticizing the HSAs “The President’s health care plan is not about covering the uninsured, making health insurance affordable, or even driving down the cost of health care. Its real purpose is to make it easier for businesses to dump their health insurance burden onto workers, give tax breaks to the wealthy, and boost the profits of banks and financial brokers. The health care policies concocted at the behest of special interests do nothing to help the average American. In many cases, they can make health care even more inaccessible.” In fact a report of the U.S. governments Accountability office, published on April 1, 2008 says that the rate of enrollment in the HSAs is greater for higher income individuals than for lower income ones.

A study titled “Health Savings Accounts and High Deductible Health Plans: Are They an Option for Low-Income Families? By Catherine Hoffman and Jennifer Tolbert which was sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation reported the following key findings regarding the HSAs:

a) Premiums for HSA-qualified health plans may be lower than for traditional insurance, but these plans shift more of the financial risk to individuals and families through higher deductibles.

b) Premiums and out-of-pocket costs for HSA-qualified health plans would consume a substantial portion of a low-income family’s budget.

c) Most low-income individuals and families do not face high enough tax liability to benefit in a significant way from tax deductions associated with HSAs.

d) People with chronic conditions, disabilities, and others with high cost medical needs may face even greater out-of-pocket costs under HSA-qualified health plans.

e) Cost-sharing reduces the use of health care, especially primary and preventive services, and low-income individuals and those who are sicker are particularly sensitive to cost-sharing increases.

f) Health savings accounts and high deductible plans are unlikely to substantially increase health insurance coverage among the uninsured.

Choosing a Health Plan

Despite the advantages offered by the HSA, it may not be suitable for everyone. While choosing an insurance plan, an individual must consider the following factors:

1. The premiums to be paid.

2. Coverage/benefits available under the scheme.

3. Various exclusions and limitations.

4. Portability.

5. Out-of-pocket costs like coinsurance, co-pays, and deductibles.

6. Access to doctors, hospitals, and other providers.

7. How much and sometimes how one pays for care.

8. Any existing health issue or physical disability.

9. Type of tax savings available.

The plan you choose should according to your requirements and financial ability.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1 Questions and Answers about Health Insurance- A Consumer Guide’ published jointly by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)and America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)

2 http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_savings_account

3 2002 AHIP Survey of Health Insurance Plans

4 “How High Is Too High? Implications of High-Deductible Health Plans” Davis, Karen; Michelle Doty and Alice Ho. The Commonwealth Fund, April 2005

5 http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/schs/pdf/hsa_tri-fold_brochure.pdf

6 HSA/HDHP CENSUS 2008 by Hannah Yoo, Center for Policy and Research, America’s Health Insurance Plans

7″HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS Early Enrollee Experiences with Accounts and Eligible Health Plans” John E. Dicken Director, Health Care.

8 Thomas Wilder and Hannah Yoo, “A Survey of Preventive Benefits in Health Savings Account (HSA)Plans, July 2007,” America’s Health Insurance Plans, November 2007

9 Gladwell, Malcolm, “The Moral Hazard Myth”, The New Yorker (29-08-2005)

10 2008 Benchmark Survey HAS Bank

11. Employer Health Benefits 2007 Annual Survey, Kaiser Family Foundation

12. Health Savings Accounts and High Deductible Health Plans: Are They An Option for Low-Income Families?Catherine Hoffman and Jennifer Tolbert for Kaiser Family Foundation, October 2006

13. Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003

I am an ardent reader who also loves to write as well. I am an MBA with specialization in finance.

“In Beverly Hills… they don’t throw their garbage away. They make it into television shows.”

- Woody Allen

It was not as hard as I thought it would be. My wife and I had purchased a new townhouse; similar to what you would find in Brooklyn Heights, but this is Toronto. We had made the choice not to have television in our new place, having spent the better part of every evening in our basement apartment staring blankly at it. Cold turkey was how we decided to go, no weaning off the boob tube.

It has now been well over 18 months without a telly. Why is it when this comes up in conversation the recipient inevitably says, “Oh… well I don’t watch that much television, just…” as if by underestimating their television viewing habit will alter the fact they watch television. Frank Lloyd Wright defined television as “chewing gum for the eyes” and we all love a good chew now and then.

Here is a stat that scares the hell out of me. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2003, the average American spent 1,745 hours watching television! This works out to 145 hours a month, which if my math is correct is more than six full days sitting in front of the TV. Our bodies are not engineered for just lengthy inactivity. If you are going to spend 6 days of every month watching television at least stand to burn more calories.

Who says there’s never enough time? The extra time you always craved of having is as easy to obtain as turning off your TV. That simple act alone will give you ample time to do those things you have kept saying you never have time to do. Would I be writing this article if there was television in my home?

Imagine what you can do with 6 more days per month… 5 hours per day. Give yourself an additional 5 hours per day means you can:

· Get a part-time job (earn extra money).

· Give more of yourself to your career (further your career).

· Take a course, class; earn a degree, certification (further your education improve a skill, learn something new).

· Immerse yourself in a hobby.

· Read

· Exercise (take better care of your physical self)

· Meditate (take better care of your mental self)

· Cook great meals for your family and friend and enjoy their company (socialize; keep up with friends and acquaintances).

· Get a good night’s sleep (you should not watch television before going to sleep).

Who says there’s never enough time? The extra time you always craved of having is as easy to obtain as turning off your TV. That simple act alone will give you ample time to do those things you have kept saying you never have time to do. Would I be writing this article if there was television in my home?

So what have my wide and I been missing without television. The radio, Saturday newspaper, Internet provides us with our news and entertainment so staying current has not been a problem. On those occasions we need visual entertainment there’s always the movies, theatre, concerts and simply putting a DVD in the laptop on those rare occasions. Other than missing a few cooking shows today I do not miss television and its after effects. What you watch marinates in your mind

Television told me I had problems… dandruff, bad breath, gingivitis, lack of sex appeal. Hate your body, hate your clothes, hate your friends, hate you car so you can love the body, clothes, friends, car you see on television Thank God the answers to my problems could also be found on television, usually moments after being told of my new ailment. Homer Simpson, that cartoon sage of American mainstream wisdom observed, “The answers to life’s problems aren’t at the bottom of a bottle. They’re on TV.”

Television creates and then shares our collective delusions and anxieties. What better way to spread propaganda than with words and animated image? Nothing beats the telly for creating and supporting a conspiracy theory. We all love a good conspiracy theory; especially when documented with unaltered film footage. Alien autopsy, the grassy knoll, Elvis spotted pumping gas outside a 7-Eleven in a New Orleans suburb… it all must be true, we saw it on television. You know you are watching too much television if you are using fictional characters, animated ones at that, to support your argument.

Not long ago I came to realize television’s hypnotic effects were causing my stress and bruising my self-image. I was comparing myself to a superficial world created to destroy, or at the very least question, my self-esteem. Now that I am spending all my time in the real world I see I am no different that everyone around me, what a relief! Not have a rail thin body, wearing up to the moment fashion, surrounded by flawless supporting characters, was beginning to deflate the little ego I had left. It turns out television is designed and written to manipulate our emotions and it does a damn good job at it.

To get more information on how television massages your psyche check out www.turnoffyourtv.com and www.tvturnoff.org. Marshall McLuhan spent the better part of his career trying to explain television’s positive social influences; he never did make a convincing argument. The negative effects of television from causing obesity, restless sleep patterns, stress and depression are well documented.

Take the first step to gaining 5 hours a day; remove your television from you home. You will go through withdrawal symptoms like I did, but believe me I know from firsthand experience it will only last a few weeks and by not watching television you will have extra time to get over your TV addiction. Today my mind breaths easier.

I am an aspiring writer who without discrimination writes on what moves me at the moment.

Tropical fish tanks are a great addition to a home or office. It is time to get started, and you have some important, and fun, decisions to make. There is a stunning variety of saltwater and reef fish to choose from, the ones you have seen in many tropical fish tanks.

Buying Your First Fish Tank First things first. You need a tank. The best advice is to buy the biggest tank you can. Of course, space and money are the usual constraints, but many find they enjoy their fish so much they wish they had purchased a larger tank! Buying another tank means spending more money, so getting the biggest one you can may save you money down the road. Tropical fish tanks come in many sizes, but the smallest tank to consider would be a 30-gallon tank. This size will provide swimming space for the fish and sufficient surface area for adequate exchange of oxygen into the water. Of course you can always add aeration equipment to your tank, but if you want to add more fish in the future, you will want an adequately sized tank.

Tropical fish tanks are either acrylic or glass. Glass tanks are a bit less expensive and will not discolor over time, but if you have kids that like to have sword fights in the house, remember that glass tanks break easier than acrylic tanks. Acrylic tanks can be ordered online to your specifications and they are lighter than glass so you can use a smaller fish tank stand.

Setting Up Your Tank Here are some things to consider about the location of your tank in your home, office or business. Make sure your aquarium does not receive direct sunlight. Sunlight causes algae to grow which makes the water cloudy and requires more of your attention. Also, avoid locations close to room heaters or air vents. These can cause changes in water temperature and the fish like a stable water temperature. You may find acrylic fish tanks come with a stand. You will need a sturdier stand for a glass aquarium because of the weight.

To prevent the possibility of cracking the glass, and make sure you have a polystyrene or rubber pad between the tank and the stand. Once you have your new tropical fish tank situated, it is time for water, but just to check for leaks. Fill it up and keep and eye on it for a day or two. If it is water tight, then it needs a thorough cleaning, and do not forget to rinse the gravel. Any contaminants left in the tank can poison your new fish, so clean and rinse thoroughly.

Get Your Tank Up And Running Now it is time to add salt and chemicals. Make sure you use a good guide to determine exactly what you need. Once the tank chemistry is set, run all your equipment including pump and heater for 72 hours to filter and heat your water and stabilize your tank.

Just Add Fish The day you have been waiting for. It is time to add some color and life to your new tank. There is a wonderful array of beautiful fish to choose from and, of course, what you buy will depend on your budget and personal taste. Tropical fish tanks are a great addition to any home or office. I hope you enjoy your new fish tank.

Discover best tropical fish keeping tips at my tropical fish tanks site at http://www.TropicalFishTanksBlog.com, and get your free Fish Compatibility Guide.

The pet industry generates about 40 billion dollars of online sales annually, 70 million homes have pets and the average spent by a typical American is 150 dollars per month. Of course these are rough estimates but nevertheless, it is one hell of a lot of money.

Would it not be exciting to grab just the tiniest piece of this action?

Well anyone can do exactly that. You can set up an online pet supply business with very little trouble. If you have a real passion for pets, this could be right up your street. Even if you have no interest in pets, the online pet supply business is for everyone and is very profitable. Some people are making a very, very good living by selling other peoples pet supplies online for them

It is a very real business and should be treated as such. You can put a little effort into the business and make some extra spending money but if you want to take it to extremes and drive huge amounts of online web traffic to your pet store business, the world is your oyster.

Your online pet supply business comes with a free start-up kit that will enable you to get your online pet supply store up and running immediately. It is a pre-built store so there is no worry about having to set up your own website. Your online business comes equipped with a large amount of pet products in many categories that will ensure your customers will keep coming back for further products in the future.

There are numerous guides that are supplied. There is a marketing guide that will explain how to drive customers to your online pet supply business by various methods. There are other marketing tips and general techniques designed to help grow your online pet supply store. There are other guides that help you with general business aspects like cash flow, accounts, taxes and wealth and retirement issues.

If you are thinking where and how do I store all of the pet products? Don’t worry because of that side is taken care of. All that you do is get the customers to your online supply store where they buy the supplies and you get your hefty commissions. The actual storage and mailing of the pet supplies is totally in someone else’s hands.

Everything is included that you need to create a successful pet supply store. Once you have it up and running and you have all of the customers that you want, you can take a back seat and leave it alone and it will take care of itself. Of course you will have to spend time on your pet supply store now and again to keep it current.

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In the next 10 minutes, I’m going to reveal to you what took me over thirty years of intensive eyeball-to-chart research to discover! The road has been long and sometimes bumpy with plenty of unexpected twists and turns along the way. And, guess what…it hasn’t ended yet! The more I learn, the more I realize there’s more to learn. So, fasten your seatbelt and experience the excitement I felt on this road of discovery…it’s truly been a ride to remember!

Let’s start at the beginning. I made my first commodity trade in 1968 while a student at the University of Montana working towards a Master’s Degree in Business Finance and Investments. I was fascinated by the leverage you could get on your investment capital by putting up a relatively small margin fee in order to control a much larger quantity of some commodity…leaving open the potential for substantial gains…and by using stops supposedly limited risk. And, since I was a cash-strapped student with a “relatively” small amount to invest, this really appealed to me.

So, one memorable Tuesday afternoon, I skipped gym class and hiked downtown to open my first commodity trading account. I was nervous as a cat…but, I knew it was something I just had to do. The broker was understanding and after about an hour of filling out forms and waiting for an OK from headquarters, I plunked my money down and began what I imagined would be an illustrative career as a “professional” commodity trader. I just couldn’t wait to get started!

Early the next morning, I was chomping at the bit and decided to start off by trading corn futures. Then over the next two weeks, the worst thing that could happen to a beginning trader happened to me…I had three big winning trades in a row! I was convinced I was the King Kong of trading…and frankly couldn’t figure out why everyone told me trading was so hard to be successful at. Then, as you’ve probably guessed…the fourth trade murdered me. I lost everything I had already made plus $200 more than I even had in my account! So much for the supposedly limited risk. You can guess where the book fund for that quarter went! My trading “career” appeared over about as fast as air rushing out of a balloon.

I went away from that experience licking my wounds, but absolutely convinced there was an underlying and identifiable pattern or rhythm in the markets. I could sense it. I knew it was there…but, I had no idea what it was. I wrestled with questions of how such a thing could exist. Or more to the point, since I saw evidence of it’s actual existence…how could I prove it existed? Even though initially I even questioned my own perceptions, I just knew in my bones it was there! I was determined to do whatever it took to identify it, pick it apart and ultimately find out exactly what made it tick.

It was then I realized that if you could discover any sort of regular or consistent pattern in market movements…you would have the key to successful trading! Why? Because you then could trade in sync with the timing patterns controlling market movement. This was certainly a goal worth devoting a lifetime of research to…and, as it turns out…I have!

I started my search by going to the source…the markets themselves! I studied charts from every market I could get my hands on…some constructed from data going back to the start of the Chicago Board of Trade in 1848! I knew that if there was a pattern that repeated itself in the markets, I could find it…given enough time, effort and stacks of charts to look at.

After night after night of painstaking study, a bit of inspiration arrived from somewhere and I came to the conclusion that by simply using daily futures charts…where each vertical bar represents a single trading day, I could possibly detect tradable patterns by identifying reversal points in normal ongoing markets…specifically, reversals that tended to occur on the same number counts over and over again when counting forward in time from any significant high or low point…in the past.

It was about this time that a fellow trader related to me that W. D. Gann, the world famous market timer, was purported to have said “if you want to know how to time the markets…read the Bible three times!”

I had generally studied the writings of Gann and was frankly never able to get much out of his cryptic and obscure ramblings other than to note his focus on time as opposed to price pattern analysis. Nevertheless, this got me to thinking…is it possible that specific number counts where reversal energy is demonstrably exposed…critical time points I had already identified in my relentless search through endless chart examples…is it possible as some sort of confirming device that those same numbers are numbers prominently mentioned in the sacred texts?

Since it was my custom to regularly read in the Bible, I decided to keep a notebook handy to jot down specific numbers mentioned in the Bible as I came across them. I had no real expectations one way or the other, but I was looking forward to comparing the numbers my private research was turning up with the numbers prominently mentioned in the Bible.

So what did I find? Actually, a head scratching puzzle. What I noticed right away after collecting months of references was that there were an amazing number of near misses…numbers from the Bible that were in most cases off by just one number count from the numbers I had already identified through research.

This wasn’t the only thing that bothered me. I’d been in a quandary for years over a quotation from Jesus found in Luke 24:46 which said “Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.”

With my persistent mindset, I just couldn’t see how Sunday was the third day. It seemed to me that if Christ was crucified on Friday, then Saturday…Sunday… and then Monday should be the third day. It had been a long running and seemingly irreconcilable question in my mind.

Then out of the blue it struck me. To make the biblical order work, you would have to count Friday as day number one! Why this had been so hard for me to see was I suppose understandable. Counting that way was just not how we were taught to count since grade school. Nevertheless, this was a critical breakthrough…since I had now learned how God counts!

The next step was obvious…use the newly learned counting method on the charts I was studying and see how the number counts compared with what I was doing before. I picked up one of my trusty old charts and started counting days forward from an important high point reversal day on the chart.

Immediately, it jumped off the page at me. By adjusting the number count of each newly discovered reversal energy number…by just one day to reflect the new counting method, the correlation between Bible numbers and specific number counts I had already collected were now almost perfectly…in sync!

I say “almost” perfectly because what showed up was a pattern of hits…that is, actual reversal days occurring on the chart that would tend to “hit” (1) on the day just before, (2) right on or (3) the day just after the individual counting number being projected.

This was heady stuff. Clearly, by using the 40 different and proven counting numbers so painstakingly identified through research and confirmed in most cases by biblical references, I could now exactly pinpoint and project into the future perfectly defined and extremely powerful 3 day “reversal zones” or “timing windows”…on any chart for any market…at any time!

It’s important to note that the strongest reversal energy always exhibited itself in the center day of the 3 day zone or window. I don’t know why, but the image of Christ crucified between 2 malefactors came to mind as I worked with this material. And, as it turns out, the idea of a 3 unit zone or window with the most powerful energy focused in the center unit became over time an even more powerful research concept…as we shall soon see.

And here’s another curiosity. Apparently, there’s no way to determine or foretell whether anticipated reversals will be up or down reversals…until you get there. As the market starts to actually trade up or down into the zone or window, then and only then does the market tip it’s hand to us.

And, here’s the really great part…It’s exactly at the critical moment to do something from a market timing standpoint. That is, just before the market reverses…and while concurrently pointing us in the direction the market has just revealed it’s going to go! And, only those that know the language of the markets understand what the markets are saying when they speak.

Amazingly, the markets literally hand us top secret timing information at the critical moment for us to use it for positioning trades in the right direction…and precisely at the right time to be totally in sync with market movement…guaranteed!

Now, here’s how it works. If a market is initially trading down into a 3 day reversal zone, then we should expect a reversal of some consequence to occur to the upside during the period of that reversal zone. The anticipated reversal up is then confirmed on any subsequent day that sees a rally above a previous day’s high. It couldn’t be more simple!

And, conversely, if a market initially trades up into a 3 day reversal zone, we should expect to see a reversal movement to the downside occur. The reversal is then confirmed by any subsequent drop below a previous day’s low.

Another major plus is that this strategy automatically generates a close-in stop or stop/reverse point just on the other side of the recently anticipated and confirmed reversal. This minimizes trade risk tremendously.

It was at this point that it suddenly occurred to me that what was really happening here…in the march of black bars across price charts…was the ongoing record in time of an unbelievable projection process…a process whereby the forward counting of days was tracking some sort of energy ripples radiating forward in time from high and low reversal points in the past.

My research proved this “process” is ongoing. It’s constantly radiating energy off reversal points in the past which projects three day “timing windows” or “reversal zones” into the future…where this reversal “energy” tends to generate new reversal points in interval patterns falling precisely on certain specific number counts…which I now had identified!

But, how could this be? All I could imagine was that some kind of previously unknown wave energy must be radiating off top or bottom reversal points in the past…continually moving out into the future in varying degrees of intensity, set in irregular yet constant intervals…and with enough structured energy to dramatically affect directional turns…in any market…in exactly the same manner and timing count sequence. And all this, at precisely and objectively projected points in time in the future…whew!

Sit back for a moment and think about it. The magnitude of this discovery…let’s say revelation actually, is mind boggling in it’s implication and absolutely astounding in importance! It’s almost as if the curtain has been ripped back and we’re now privileged to look lingeringly at the fabric of space and time…literally, the framework God employs to organize time and event progressions! Shockingly, it would appear that nothing happens by chance!

I knew instinctively that this method of market timing could not be called fundamental or technical analysis…but is rather an entirely new method of market timing analysis which I dubbed temporal analysis since it is based on time instead of price. Indeed, at this point I realized that one of the greatest hallmarks of the newly named Kenison Counting Numbers is the total lack of subjectivity in producing such valuable timing projections.

No guesswork is ever involved. The number counting sequence is simple and easy to understand. You don’t ever need a calculator or computer or any specialized foreknowledge. And, the signals projected are very precise and completely objective. It’s all right there on the chart…exactly where the next reversal energy in the market will be exposed…and correspondingly, exactly where the next projected reversal should be expected!

And get this. Kenison Counting Number projections will never become obsolete. They will continue with absolute objectivity…for all the years of you or your grandson’s trading careers…to pinpoint at or within one day of a specific future number count, exactly where a market reversal of varying degree of magnitude should appear.

How do we know this? Simply because years of exhaustive historical research has proven that whether you’re looking at constructed charts from the last two centuries, the 1970’s or last week, the system would have worked exactly the same in each era…with exactly the same phenomenal results!

And remember, these are the very same timing count numbers confirmed historically and through study of the scriptures to have proven and very definite reversal energy associated with them. Believe me…after learning the Kenison Counting Numbers market timing method, you will never look at a price chart the same again.

I was also extremely gratified to learn through decades of ongoing research that Kenison Counting Numbers work equally well in projecting future reversal points in every market, irregardless of whether it’s a futures, options, stock, forex or cash market…anywhere in the world!

How Kenison Counting Numbers Work…

This totally unique and extremely powerful method’s ability to project important market highs and lows…in the future is uncanny. How does it do it? After decades of personal research, I have identified the exact irregular number sequence the market itself observes. Just count the bars on a price chart forward from any market high or low point in the past and the Kenison Counting Numbers will tell you exactly on which numbers in the sequence you should expect powerful reversal energy to be exposed…in the future…and with a very high degree of reliability! This allows traders to anticipate, confirm and then act on potentially profitable trading turns that others don’t even see coming…or have the slightest idea even exist!

There is nothing subjective about this analysis…it’s entirely objective. It gives you no nonsense exact entry and exit points with close-in and automatic stop loss points. And for the charts you need? They’re free on the internet!

One other thing should be stressed. This is strictly eyeball to chart analysis. No complicated software program or mathematical calculation is ever necessary. With this new life long knowledge, you can spend just moments with a price chart and know with total confidence what your course of action should be…and know with absolute clarity what the risks are…all in advance!

There’s no need to check with anyone first…you’re the expert! Why? Because when you understand this market timing method you’ll know with quiet confidence what the market itself is telling you about current trends and potentially explosive turning points…and exactly when to expect them!

When you see how by simply counting forward and backward in time from important high or low points in the past, you can project important reversal points in the future…believe me, you’ll be hooked! I’ve been hooked now for over 30 years and I’m still fascinated on a daily basis as I watch these turns occur like clockwork in timing windows projected weeks and even months before!

Traders can become expert in using all 40 of the unbelievably powerful Kenison Counting Numbers to project forward in time to exactly where reversal energy will be exposed…in the future!

One of the most impressive Kenison Counting Numbers is represented by Zone 14…especially, when using our simple triangulation techniques in combination with other counting numbers to project powerful conjunction and convergence reversal zones…reversals which begin extremely dynamic high-velocity directional market moves! Other traders marvel at windfall profits that seem to come out of nowhere. Kenison Counting Numbers is the tool that alerts you beforehand thereby allowing you the opportunity to profit from these explosive market moves!

When investors and traders investigate this precision market timing method, they are amazed to discover the natural and irregular rhythm identified in the markets…a rhythm that is constant and traces out exactly the same pattern for all markets worldwide! It’s shocking to see how invariably reversals occur on the same number counts in the Kenison Counting Numbers sequence…over and over again.

And now another amazing fact concerning the Kenison Counting Numbers method…it holds true no matter what time frame you’re looking at! As we already know if you apply the system to a daily chart, you will project daily reversals. But surprisingly, If you also apply it to a weekly chart, you will project weekly reversal points into the future. In fact, the same Kenison Counting Numbers sequence works equally well when applied to monthly, weekly, daily or intra-day charts!

It was exactly at this point that another phenomenal discovery was made. I discovered that you could determine the most likely actual reversal day, week or month within each reversal zone by using the Kenison Counting Numbers to count backward in time from each of the three days, weeks or months within each reversal zone. How does this work? Quite simply, when you count backwards in the fashion mentioned above, you will notice that significant high and low points…in the past…fall exactly on specific number counts in the Kenison Counting Number sequence…but only if you are counting backwards from the most likely actual future day, week or month where the market will reverse! As I witnessed this mirror image or echo effect in action, I realized this is truly a miracle!

This is absolutely astounding when you realize that by counting forward or backwards in time reversal energy is exposed on the same number counts in the Kenison Counting Numbers sequence irregardless of whether you’re counting months, weeks, days or 15 minute intervals on an intra-day price chart! Witness this system in action in real markets in real time and you’ll be totally amazed at the magnitude of this discovery…I guarantee it!

Copyright (c) 2006 Bruce Kenison

Bruce Kenison is the founder of several market timing advisory services employing the Kenison Counting Numbers precision market timing method and is the Editor of “Bruce Kenison’s Market Timing Signals” ezine and newsletter available FREE to investors and hedgers. He is also president of a publishing and seminar company that recently published the 5th Edition of Bruce Kenison’s Market Timing Home Study Course. For a FREE subscription to the ezine or newsletter and information on our products and services, send a blank e-mail with “Subscribe” in the subject line to: bruce@brucekenison.com.

This article is available for reprint in your magazine, newsletter, ezine, website or ebook. You MUST agree not to make any changes to the article and the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included.

Prior to the invention of automotive GPS units, traveling to unknown areas had to be done through reading a map and/or asking for directions. Both methods had problems. For instance, how can one effectively read a map while driving? Map-reading is only best if there is another passenger in the car, which isn’t always possible. Asking for directions can also be annoying, at least if the person giving the directions does so in a manner that is not as clear.

Fortunately, with the emergence of automotive GPS units the process of map-reading and getting directions has never been easier as each can be done either through voice activation, touching the screen, pushing buttons or a combination. Maps pinpointing the exact location pop right up on the screen, while directions can be given through a computer-generated voice. Nothing could be easier or better. The only issue is deciding which automotive GPS unit should be purchased. This article will serve as a guide telling consumers what they should be on the lookout for when choosing automotive GPS units.

The first area of consideration when buying automotive GPS units is seeing how accurate the device is. One way to determine this is by how many channels the GPS unit has. This is because more channels means the unit will be able to communicate with a larger number of satellites, resulting in more coverage. Another way to determine the accuracy of most automotive GPS units is through how its antenna is designed. Make sure the antenna is placed in an area of the unit where it will be able to stand freely.

The next thing to think about when looking at automotive GPS units is size. There are some automotive GPS units that will not be portable. Onstar, which has to be installed in one’s car, is an example of an automotive GPS unit that can not be moved from car-to-car. Many other automotive GPS units vary in portability.

Thirdly, perspective buyers of automotive GPS units should take notice of a unit’s interface. More expensive automotive GPS units will contain voice-activation and/or touch-screens, while cheaper ones can only be used through a series of buttons. If another person is in the car, using buttons is not as bad, but if only the driver can use the unit, it is important that it be as hands-free as possible. It is also important to try to get an automotive GPS unit that has the capability to give directions through a computer-generated voice. Doing so is another way to ensure that the driver of the car keeps their eyes on the road and nowhere else.

The software that the automotive automotive GPS unit uses is also critical. Most top of the line units have very good mapping software included with the unit. However, as time passes the mapping software becomes out of date. You should make sure that you automotive GPS units software is updated at least once every 6 months. Frequently there is cost for this service but if you live in fast growing urban environment then it is a good investment. Your automotive GPS unit is only as good as its operating and mapping software.

When looking at automotive GPS units one should consider: ease of use, accuracy, size and interface. Keeping these elements in mind ensures that a buyer obtains an automotive GPS unit that is reliable and will best assist them when they are on the road.

James Kesel, MS is the Publisher of GPS Auto Tracker providing information on automotive GPS units and the latest GPS Tracking and Navigation systems.

Although all kids are different, I will share with you my views on sports and kids with special needs.

If your child is having difficulties socially in school, you may be tempted to sign him or her up for basketball or soccer with the other kids.

You know your child better than anyone. Just be sure that you’re setting your child up for a positive, rather than a negative experience.

The things I have heard from Coaches about kids on their team would make you spit nails.

“Oh, he’s an awful player. He’s got some kind of disorder or something.”

“I hope he doesn’t sign up next year.”

And, the parents in the stands are just as bad.

“What is wrong with that kid?!”

“Put him on the bench.”

And, that was all heard in reference to kids in the regular 3rd – 6th grade classes. I know. It made me sick, too.

Now, I’m not at all saying that team sports should be avoided. Just make sure you know who will be coaching your child, and make sure that he or she is someone who you want in charge of your child’s self-esteem for the next few months.

There ARE wonderful coaches. Coaches who understand the impact they have upon children and make sure that it is positive. And, of course, there are special camps and organization with coaches trained in encouraging and training special needs kids.

However, if team sports are not your child’s strong suit and he or she gets very stressed or has that “lost” look while participating, then here are some alternatives:

Camping as a family

Going on Long Walks with You

Bike Riding (go on bike trails if you are concerned about safety)

Playing Tag

Swimming

Going to the Park (just being a kid!)

Karate (again, make sure the people in charge of the facility are warm, loving, patient people, before signing on the dotted line)

Each of these activities will help strengthen your child physically and give him or her the benefits of self-confidence as well.

Yes, all kids need to be physically active, but at what cost? Surely not at the cost of feeling like they aren’t good enough. Don’t feel pressured into pushing your child into a team sport that may do more harm than good.

Alexa Simmons invites you on her journey to learn about Asperger’s Syndrome. Visit http://www.aspergerresources.com – where you’ll find a growing collection of information to help you and the child you love. For activities to spend time with your child, she recommends http://www.ShowKidstheFun.com