What is the minimum amount of exercise.needed for health and fitness? While it depends on the person, lifestyle, and goals, the general wisdom is that 20-60 minutes per day of cardio pumping, iron lifting, or muscle stretching is necessary.
While no one could deny that these numbers produce optimal results, it is possible to accomplish great things in a shorter time.
The truth is that most badly out-of-shape people have lost a crucial body-mind link, a connection that helps them to feel the physical hunger for healthy movement. They hate sweating, dont like walking, and often confuse thirst or emotional pain for hunger.
For those of us who have to ease our way back into an exercise routine, even five minutes a day can be a life saving door into a healthier world.
Here are the rules:
1) In order to get the most out of this routine, it should be spread out over the day. Were suggesting sixty seconds of work at 9 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, 6 pm, and 9 pm. This approach is called Greasing the Groove and has an exceptionally powerful effect.
2) Concentrate on the abdominal muscles. They are the most important group of voluntary muscles in the body, aiding posture, digestion, and sexual function. Critical to athletic performance, they transfer power from the lower to the upper body. When it comes to appearance, the abdominals are called the window of healthwe are judged more often by our belt-lines than any other single physical factor.
3) It is virtually impossible to tone the abdominals without benefiting other muscle groups.
What exercises are best?? I would suggest a tri-pronged approach: a killer exercise, a light exercise, and one that can be done in publicwhile walking or driving.
1) A roller wheel. These are available in any sporting goods store for about five dollars, and are the only ab exercise devise worth your money. Beginners roll out from their knees, more experienced exercisers from their toes.
2) Hip lifts. Lay on your back, brace your hands at your sides, cross your feet, lifting feet and knees from the floor. Now contract the abdominal muscles and lift the hips from the floor. Relax and repeat the hip lift for sixty seconds.
3) Power breathing. Contract your abdominal muscles HARD as you walk or drive. Combined with proper breathing techniques, this can actually be the perfect ab exercise. There are many yoga, Tai Chi and martial arts teachers who can teach you proper breathing techniqueif you havent had training or studied this, dont assume you already know howseek out a teacher!
While the Grease the Groove technique is powerful (and can be used to develop strength, flexibility, or coordination) it is not intended to substitute for your longer cardiovascular workouts. It is offered as an addition, or for those days when you just cant exercise, or as a way for the non-exerciser to begin. Consider it a doorway to a fitter, healthier world.
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tags: advice, energ, exercise
Women who are raised in any of the several countries on the continent of Asia are known to be brought up learning how to be submissive and exceptionally pleasing to the men in their lives, especially their husbands. For many years, Asian women have suffered through a lifetime of being categorized as second class citizens, being given barely any personal rights, including the right to think for themselves. Based on that type of lifestyle, which can be very degrading and traumatic, many Asian women try to emigrate to other countries in search of a better life. They offer themselves as wives for what can many times turn out to be a worse existence than before they left.
But the times, they are a changin. Fortunately, many modern Asian women, especially Asian American women, attend school and college and go on to become successful business people. They become doctors, lawyers and even politicians. The modern Asian women have evolved into wives and mothers who no longer have to bow down to the commands of the men who surround them.
Asian women have also been developing outlets as a means of reaching out to one another, supporting and educating each other. One such outlet is a magazine designated for Asian women called Asiance Magazine. This new and modern publication targets the English-speaking generation of Asian American women who are breaking through their old-fashioned boundaries and traditional ways of being raised. It was established to bring together all of the Asian women who are challenging their culture by living in a country like the United States that encourages them to express themselves and live a full, independent life.
The women who write for and contribute to Asiance Magazine strive to encourage Asian women to continue to be proud of their heritage and share it with their American neighbors. The publication is not only meant for women of Asian backgrounds they welcome anyone interested in their culture to visit the website and learn more about their contemporary lifestyle.
On the magazines website, you can link to news stories about Asian women who are moving onward and upward in todays society. There is a section of the online magazine that keeps Asian women informed of the latest career trends with editorials from the women who are in these interesting and inspiring roles throughout various industries. There are entertainment articles about the latest and greatest Asian celebrities such as popular actors and musicians. There are fashion and beauty pieces and more containing commentaries on health, fitness, sex and relationships. Lifestyle pieces integrating the arts, culture and cooking are more subjects that are available for your reading pleasure. There is also free newsletter to subscribe to which you can receive via email.
This is a very special magazine and one that not only Asian women, but women from any ethic background can enjoy. Check it out this liberating publication at www.asiancemagazine.com.
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Please read on to discover how you can instantly boost your health and vitality as a result of the most astounding experiment in medical history.
Dr. Alexis Carrell, a Nobel Prize winner, researched experimental surgery, did ground-breaking work with human blood vessels, and was a pioneer of organ transplants.
Dr. Carrell took cells from the heart of a dead chicken. He put them in a solution of minerals and nutrients. He kept these cells alive for 28 years. They remained amazingly healthy. And they never aged, never got sick, and didn’t die!
In the conclusion of the experiment Dr.Carrell stated, “Renew this fluid at intervals, give the cells what they require for nutrition and, as far as we know, the pulsation of life may go on forever.”
All you need to do is two things, renew the fluid and give the cells what they need for nutrition.
You see, as you age your cells aren’t able to dispose of their wastes as well as when you were young. Natural acid salts build up in the walls of your cells, and they get stiffer and thicker.
Because the cell walls get thicker they cannot let as much vital nutrients and oxygen into your cells.
It’s also essential to wash away the waste and toxins your cells produce. That’s because the day Dr. Carrell stopped changing the solution and giving nutrients the cells died.
You must flush away wastes before they eat into the cells of your veins, arteries, and heart weakening and aging you.
The most dangerous wastes that are building up in your system now are acid wastes. I am almost 100% certain that you are building up a dangerous acid overload right now in your heart and veins.
How can I be so sure? Because it’s caused by the modern American diet. Please note, the acid I am warning you about is not stomach acid. The acid produced by a modern diet is flowing through your fluids and tissues all through your body.
There are two ways to fight acid overload.
#1. Make your diet almost 100% fruits and vegetables, which create alkaline in your body that neutralizes the acid wastes.
There are good acids in your body, and bad acids. Stomach acid is a good acid, as long as there is not too much of it, and it stays where it belongs in your stomach.
Another good acid is Folic Acid. It is a B vitamin and is used in your body to make new cells.
# 2. Flood your body with Fulvic Acid. You may not have heard of it yet. But it’s being used around the world in healing and treatment of disease.
If you are fatigued, it’s because your body is being flooded by toxins that have built up over the years. You need to get the nutrients and oxygen back into your stressed out cells so they can breathe again — you will instantly gain new energy.
Fulvic acid will flood nutrients into your cells, and flush away toxins and bad acid wastes. You will start enjoying light, refreshing new energy within minutes. Here are some of the benefits of taking fulvic acid.
– Beat the “always tired” draggy feeling
– Instantly energize your entire body
– Have new pep and drive to do more of the things you want to do
– Gain more stamina
– Look, feel, and act younger
Feel great in the morning with the energy and zest you had 20 years ago
Many scientific studies, like the ones you have been reading about here, have revealed that many diseases and nagging health problems can be made better by taking Fulvic Acid.
Fulvic acid is a 100% natural, pure product. In over 1000 published reports, not one dangerous side effect has been published. You are completely safe.
Laboratory and scientific tests all over the world are proving the power of Fulvic Acid and all the techniques you will learn reading more about Fulvic Acid.
Because you are still reading here at the end of this long article, then I suspect that Fulvic Acid is exactly what you need, right now.
We live in a busy world. Sometimes it seems like there is time for everything else, and everyone else. I would like you to ask yourself this one simple question. – “Is this the time for me to really take control of my health, energy, and youthfulness?”
If you say yes to this question, then I can say with the utmost confidence, that Fulvic Acid will absolutely provide you with everything you need to have outstanding success.
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In my last blog post, I explained the 5 signs of the fear of cooking that many people suffer from in deciding that they would like to learn to cook. Because the kitchen plays a particularly important emotional role in many people’s lives, not knowing how to cook can have devastating effects. Some people that have come to me to learn to cook have told me stories that not only explain their fear of cooking but have made it almost impossible for them to learn how to cook.
One of the ways that fear of cooking is intensified is through smells. Your sense of smell has a powerful links to your memories. In fact, I’m sure that most of you have memories that come flooding into your mind when you smell cookies baking or a pot roast. I have strong memories when I smell the chlorine from a pool that remind me of swimming and snack bar hamburgers.
Memories are not always positive. For example, I had one woman that came to my cooking school and told me that she can’t cook. Later in the evening as she was learning how to cook (funny how well cooking by method works), she explained to me that as a child, every time she went into the kitchen, her mother would scream, “Get out of the kitchen. You’re going to mess everything up. You’re going to ruin things. This is not a place for children.” No wonder she had a fear of cooking!
Let’s look a little more deeply into the 10 ways that the fear of cooking may affect your life
- Anxiety – this can come from the thought of the “impending” meal and not knowing what to cook or how to cook.
- Depression - eating the same things over and over again can cause depression and place a person in a lull where they lose the desire to learn to cook.
- Lethargy - most often this comes from eating foods that aren’t good for us. In particular, eating empty calories or fast food over and over again.
- Embarrassment - are you the person that always brings napkins to the pot luck? Not knowing how to cook can cause embarrassment when you never bring a meal to gatherings.
- Loneliness - eating home cooked meals has the potential to bring families together. Without home cooked meals, there may be a sense of loneliness because so much conversation and socializing occurs over a cooked meal.
- Non-Reciprocation – Have you been invited to dinner by your friends multiple times and never returned the favor? This can cause a feeling of being a “deadbeat”.
- Poor provider – Not knowing how to cook can lead to a lack of variety for your family and feeling guilty from not feeding your children healthy foods.
- Taker/not giver – Always depending on your spouse or partner to cook for you can make you feel like a taker and never being able to give back to the cook in the family.
- Spend-thrift - Do you have kitchen gadget that were gifts or purchased that you don’t know how to use? Do you have a multi-thousand dollar range that makes popcorn? This type of guilt can intensify the fear of cooking.
- Money stress – When one has a fear of cooking and doesn’t learn how to cook, there is a tendency to spend more money on take-out foods which can cause anxiety around money and cooking
You don’t have to suffer these effects of the fear of cooking! These are exactly the types of feelings and thoughts that drive me to continue to help people to understand how easy it is to learn to cook using simple cooking method. Having an understanding of how foods go together without using a recipe can not only make the fear of cooking go away, but will enable you to cook anytime anywhere with confidence. You will not only know how to cook but will never suffer from the devastating effects of the fear of cooking again!
Chef Todd Mohr is a classically trained chef, entrepreneur, cooking educator and founder of WebCookingClasses. You CAN learn to cook without written recipes by taking his FREE cooking class that will change the way you think about cooking forever!
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Todd_Mohr
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Copyright 2006 Bravos Direct
When the RC frequency spectrum was first introduced to provide controlled facilities for radio control (RC) modelers, it was limited to a set of just six. These frequencies were not labeled with channel numbers as they are today, but were represented by multi-colored flags; purple/white for 72.320 MHz (megahertz), red/white for 72.240 MHz, etc. Having only 6 frequencies to choose from was quite restrictive and meant a lot of RC airplane pilots had to be grounded, waiting to take their turn on a given frequency. The RC model airplane frequency spectrum today is much broader, consisting of 50 separate 72 MHz channels for general use, a few 27 MHz channels for park flyers, and a handful of other more specialized channels reserved for licensed amateur radio operators.
So now you’ve decided to buy your RC model and radio equipment you also need to decide which radio frequency you are going to operate on. Unlike most other features of the sport, choosing a popular channel which is used by lots of other people is not a good idea. Choosing a standard 72 MHz frequency for your radio can be as simple as going to the local hobby store and purchasing one with a standard radio setup. But randomly choosing a channel can result in a problem if you dont do a little investigation first.
Firstly, decide whether you are going to be a park flyer using 27 MHz or going for a more advanced setup on 72 MHz. The 27 MHz channels are primarily dedicated to what are considered park flyers. These pre-packaged systems usually come with everything you need to get up and flying and are intended for the casual flyer that just wants to get out, get in the air, and not mess with the higher cost of a more complex airplane and radio setup. Choosing a RC model airplane park flyer package with a pre-set frequency needs little to no investigation since you have little choice as the packages give you a choice of only 3 or 4 channels, some FM(frequency modulated), some AM(amplitude modulated).
Channel conflicts in a RC park flying situation are less common due to the large number of parks and flying areas available to the casual pilot. But if you do invest in a park flyer then be aware that there may well be other pilots out there in the park using the same frequency as you and that can mean expensive trouble when you lose control of your airplane because of someone else’s signal, or even worse, if some stranger accuses you of causing his airplane to crash.
Second, if you are going for 72 MHz then visit your flying field and find out what other people are using. Imagine arriving to your favorite RC model airplane flying field only to find someone else already using the channel you have just paid out good money for. Some clubs have rules pertaining to what happens in this situation. As only one pilot can operate at a time on a given frequency this usually means pilots having to switch off and take turns using the frequency and some means of the club controlling the changeover process either by physically taking control of the transmitter or just having a procedure written into the club rules. If you are flying at a busy site that is not a sanctioned flying club with rules and bylaws, you might find yourself sitting out and unable to fly for the day.
The smartest way to choose an RC frequency for your radio is to do some legwork first. Visit the field where you will do most of your flying. Investigate what channels are already in use and which channels are seldom used. Finding one that is infrequently used or not used at all will allow you to buy, secure in the knowledge that you will be able to fly with minimum interruption.
Third, make sure you can change the frequency after you have bought the equipment. If you take care to check before you buy whether the system will allow you to do a manual crystal replacement then if you run into a problem you can change later to a channel which is less busy. Some crystal changes you can do yourself while others have to go back to the factory to have the work done. Regardless of your current situation, if you already have an RC radio setup, or just thinking about getting one, doing a little footwork up front can go a long way to ensuring you get maximum enjoyment and flying hours out of your RC model.
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tags: electric model airplan, model airplane, radio control, radio frequency, rc model airplane
One of the habits that has served me well throughout my life is keeping the mind-set of a student. I’ve always had an insatiable curiosity about a wide variety of topics, and I’m usually reading several books during the same time period. I’ve read about some really fascinating things, like quantum physics, and some really cheesy things, like romance novels. Truth be told, I’ve enjoyed them all!
It occurred to me the other day that it doesn’t matter what I’m learning about, as long as I’m consistently learning. I’m like a sponge that gets dry and shriveled if I don’t absorb something on a regular basis. My life then becomes boring and stagnant, and I feel sluggish and uninspired.
If this describes your life right now, you can turn it around pretty easily. Adopt the attitude of a student, and watch how it infuses you with joy, excitement, and motivation.
Being a student of life isn’t just about reading books and learning as much as you can on various subjects. That can certainly be part of it, but it’s more about the way you see the world around you and the way you handle your daily experiences.
Here are five tips to help you become a student of life:
1) Develop Awareness. – Most of us spend our days rushing blindly from one activity to another without ever noticing our surroundings. If we can instead slow down a little bit and just look around us, we’d SEE so much more in life. Take time to notice that beautiful sunset on the drive home. Step outside during the day and feel the sunshine on your face, and indulge in some deep, cleansing breaths. Become aware of your own spiritual self, and your connection to all living things. Give yourself the gift of just being, noticing, and breathing.
2) Keep an Open Mind. – Rather than assuming you know all about something already, approach each situation with an attitude of curiosity. Question everything. Explore new ideas, thoughts, and subjects you’ve always wanted to learn about. This goes for the people around you too. Don’t assume you know what they’re all about based on their appearance or some preconceived notion. Ask questions, get to know them better. Be willing to release any judgments you may have, and instead seek truth.
3) Keep an Open Heart. – Express deep gratitude for your life, and all of the experiences you have – even the not so pleasant ones. Be willing to be vulnerable in your connections with others, and allow yourself to feel. Too often we are afraid of our emotions and try to numb them or run away from them. Instead, let your emotions be your teachers. Listen to them, and honor them. They will teach you a lot about yourself.
4) Look for the Lesson. – In every experience, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Sometimes the lesson is obvious, and sometimes you’ll have to search for it. With every lesson, allow it to become a part of you and make you a better, stronger, happier person. Though we all make mistakes and stumble, the goal is to make new mistakes, rather than repeating the same ones over and over again. As long as we are making progress, we’re doing great! Use your own awareness to overcome challenges and keep moving forward.
5) Enjoy the Journey. – Most of us take life so seriously! Yes, it does have its serious moments. But overall this is supposed to be a pleasant experience, and we can make it that way by simply choosing to. Don’t worry so much about whether you’re making as much progress as you should, and don’t get frustrated when things don’t always work out as planned. Instead take a lighter attitude and understand that it’s all just a journey and the point is to relax and enjoy.
Imagine that you’re a beautiful white sponge, and you come across these brilliant pools of colored liquid. There’s a red pool of passion, a pink pool of love, a yellow pool of knowledge, a green pool of gratitude, and a purple pool of fun. Go ahead and dip your sponge toe into each of these pools, and your color will begin to change. Rather than being a plain white sponge, you are now a beautiful, multi-colored sponge, filled with passion, love, knowledge, gratitude, and fun.
Unfortunately, there are also a few pools of black, brackish stuff like negative self-talk, fear, regrets, etc. If you accidentally absorb some of this and it begins to taint your colors, don’t worry about it too much. Just focus on revisiting the pretty, colorful pools and absorbing more good stuff. It will dilute the negative stuff, and eventually get rid of it all together. 
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tags: growth, keeping an open mind, learnin, open mindedness, self help, self improvement
Whistler-Blackcomb is renowned as North Americas leading ski resort. The two mountains rise up majestically from the valley, with over a vertical mile up to the peak. So imagine you only have a single day to ski. Which mountain do you choose? Each has their advocates. Some people will always head for the Whistler Village Gondola or the Creekside gondola, both of which head up Whistler Mountain, and others head unerringly for the Excalibur gondola or the Wizard chair, the main gateways to Blackcomb. So what are the differences? What kind of skiers choose one over the other? Is there any real difference between the two mountains? Which conditions favour Whistler over Blackcomb, and vice-versa?
Powder days (for experts)
If the weather gods have blessed the day with fresh powder, there is little question that Whistler is the mountain of choice for expert skiers. Two words explain why: Peak Chair. The Peak Chair on Whistler gives access to an immense variety of off-piste runs to cater for all levels of powder skier. (If you are at the very high end, you can head for Air Jordan, a terrifying leap off a cliff which involves a 50 foot descent to a intermediate landing point only 60 foot square, after which you have to take off again and descend another 40 feet to the soft snow below. Fluff your first landing and you are looking at several months in hospitalif you are lucky.) There is no lift on Blackcomb to compare to the powder terrain opened up by the Peak Chair.
Powder days (for the rest of us)
Less accomplished skiers in the powder head for the Blackcomb Glacier on powder days. This is an enormous bowl where you can still find fresh tracks two or three hours after the lift has opened. Whilst the over-ambitious can easily do themselves a lot of damage in the many couloirs and cliffs off the Peak Chair, they cant come to too much harm on the Blackcomb Glacier.
Stormy days
When the weather is stormy and winds of 70km/hour are battering the high alpine, it is likely that the uppermost lifts are closed. Almost certainly the Glacier Chair and Seventh Heaven on Blackcomb will be shut, as well as the T-bars on the Horstmann Glacier. Youll probably find that Crystal Chair is also closed. This leaves most of the interesting terrain in Blackcomb inaccessible. However on Whistler, even if the Peak Chair and the Harmony Chair are closed, you still have the Village gondola (which has the added bonus in a storm of offering a sheltered ride all the way to the top), the Garbanzo Chair, Big Red and the Emerald Express. These lifts will remain open in any conditions that you want to be up on the mountain at all in. Garbanzo in particular gives access to many tree-sheltered runs which can be great in a storm.
Sunny days
Most of both Whistler and Blackcomb is faces north or west, and receives the sun only obliquely. This is one reason why the snow lasts a long time. However, on a cold but sunny day (and most sunny days are cold in the Whistler winter), you want the sun full on to soften up the piste and to keep you warmer as well. At these times you want to be on Seventh Heaven, the only major south-facing slope in Whistler.
Tree skiing
Both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains are well-covered with trees in the bottom two-thirds of the skiable terrain. However Whistler has the edge in terms of the sheer area of skiable treed terrain. Runs like Club 21 and Sidecut on Whistler are similar to Bark Sandwich on Blackcomb, but the tree runs off the Peak Chair are incomparable.
Lunch days
If you are one of the people for whom ski runs are short intervals between lengthy doses of caf cognac, and for whom lunch is the central part of the day, Whistler has little to offer, and you will probably spend more time on Blackcomb. None of the restaurants in Whistler has much atmosphere, whereas Blackcomb has a couple that are passable: Christines in the Rendezvous and the Crystal Hut.
So each mountain has its supporters, and each mountain is better for certain conditions and certain types of skier. Just make sure you try them both when you come.
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tags: Whistler chalets, Whistler lodging
Herbal programs may work more effectively when the pH is in balance. Get more from your supplementation program by balancing your pH. Your body is able to assimilate minerals and nutrients properly only when its pH is balanced. It is therefore possible for you to be taking healthy nutrients and yet be unable to absorb or use them. If you are not getting the results you expected from your nutritional or herbal program, look for an acid alkaline imbalance. Even the right herbal program may not work if your body’s pH is out of balance.
Note that a food’s acid or alkaline-forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. For example, lemons are very acidic, however the end-products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline so lemons are alkaline-forming in the body.
Likewise, meat will test alkaline before digestion but it leaves very acidic residue in the body so, like nearly all animal products, meat is very acid-forming.
The correct ratio of acid and alkaline forming foods is difficult to know since the balance is altered by chewing, food preparation, individual lifestyle, genetics, exercise, and mental outlook. However, those prone to infections, viruses, excess mucus problems and other toxic acidic conditions need to increase their alkaline diet.
The Saliva PH test is a simple test you can do to measure your susceptibility to cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, and many other degenerative diseases.
There is a simple way of measuring saliva pH. First, you must wait at least 2 hours after eating. Fill your mouth with saliva and then swallow it. Repeat this step to help ensure that your saliva is clean. Then the third time, put some of your saliva onto the pH paper.
The pH paper should turn blue. This indicates that your saliva is slightly alkaline at a healthy pH of 7.4. If it is not blue, compare the color with the chart that comes with the pH paper. If your saliva is acid (below pH of 7.0) wait two hours and repeat the test.
Some health food stores and pharmacies stock pH paper. What you are looking for is narrow range pH paper measuring pH 4.5 to 7.5 or pH 4.5 to 8.5. These pH strips to measure acid/alkaline balance pH belong in every family medicine kit, right beside the thermometer to measure body temperature.
pH paper for the test are relatively easy to acquire. Some health food stores and pharmacies stock pH paper. What you are looking for is narrow range pH paper measuring pH 4.5 to 7.5 or pH 4.5 to 8.5. These pH strips to measure acid/alkaline balance belong in every family medicine kit, right beside the thermometer to measure body temperature.
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tags: acid, acid food, acidic, alkaline, alkaline food, balance, balance body, balance ph, health
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
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A link is essentially a free advertisement on someone else’s site pointing back to yours. So when submitting your link information, write it like a well-thought-out advertisement. Here are some guidelines.
1. Give your link text some length — at least two sentences. If all “link pages” consisted of a short paragraph or two instead of five or six words, these link pages would have “content” and be more valuable. Most webmasters want substance (content) instead of one or two word descriptions. This will also make your listing stand out from the crowd.
2. Pack your link text with your most important keywords. You don’t have to “hype” you site. Just pack your description with your most important information. This is called creating a keyword-rich “context”.
3. Make sure your “anchor text” includes your most important keyword. The search engines considers this important because the text that is linked is an indicator of the theme of the site being pointed to. Each time a site is pointed to with a link that says “golden retrievers” that site’s importance as a “golden retriever” site is reinforced. See the examples at the end of this post.
4. Create more than one version of this link text. A long one should be roughly 200 characters. A short one might be less than 100 characters. Having two or three different versions and lengths of your link text ready to go will make your life a lot easier when it comes to actually placing your links.
5. Mix up your anchor text. If you are doing some serious link work, trying to create hundreds, even thousands of inbound links, don’t use the same anchor text all the time. The Search Engines may interpret repetition of the same link patterns as “unnatural” and manipulative. So use different versions of your anchor text and create different link text “contexts”.
Concentrate on building keyword-rich contexts in which your subject matter is clearly stated and your links can be clearly associated with the subject matter that is most “relevant” to your site. This is the best way to insure they will create an impact.
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Starting a small business ranks close to having a child in the major life event category. This can be one of the most stressful times, but if done right, it can also be one of the most rewarding things in your life. Some might think that to start your own business, you have to know everything. One thing that you can have something help you with is marketing and advertising. This is a very complicated part of any business and if the average business owner thinks they know everything they need to know about this, they are kidding themselves. When someone has a heart problem, they go to a specialist. This is how you should treat your small business marketing. Using an Ad Agency could be one of the smartest things you could do to help ensure your business doesnt fail. It is well known that 80% of all businesses fail within the first 5 years. How many of those millions of heartbroken owners could have been part of the 20% only if they would have not been a know it all and asked the experts for help in areas they didnt have an idea in. Throughout the years of running an Ad Agency, we have never had a client spend more money with us than if they would have done it alone. In a majority of cases, they actually have saved thousands of dollars with us. This is for a few reasons. One is the enormous buying power good Ad Agencies have. We can buy in bulk and pass the savings to all of our clients. Ad Agencies also have more negotiating power. Going into a buying process with 5-10 clients at one time can give us a huge advantage in negotiating power. One thing that new and existing business owners fail to do is create an actual advertising marketing plan for the year. This can be done at any time during the year and not just January first. Create a plan for the next 12 months based on your target audience and your budget. We never come to a client and tell them how much they should spend for the year. We take your budget and create a plan for you, at a price you can afford. We handle over $38 million in advertising dollars every year, but we service the $5000 startup or the $100k budgets. Any and all are welcome to participate in our programs.
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Concerts have long since become the popular way to see your favorite bands perform. Although there are very few free concerts, OzzFest is offering free tickets for its 2007 tour. The only thing you need to do is order the printable tickets online. Now for those who want to see Keith Urban or American Idol, you can look to other websites that buy and sell tickets. The first choice is www.ticketsinstock.com, which has tickets for every event possible. Whether you live in the United States or Canada, you can buy these tickets online.
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PHP is a very versatile language, allowing for programmer. to make applications according to their various tastes or styles. But one thing all programmers should maintain is the ability to comment effectively. In essence, commenting can save hours of time perusing code months down the road- and is often required by employers.
Comments aren’t parsed by the PHP engine, so they are only visible to those who are viewing the original source code of the file. This is great for documenting what each code block does, all while keeping the casual visitor to a website oblivious to the extra comments present on the application they are using.
Unlike HTML comments, PHP comments aren’t even visible in the source code of a website. HTML comments are visible to the general public, which can potentially lead to the stealing of code or may even help hackers exploit applications. PHP comments aren’t output to the browser at all, so they are completely safe from prying eyes.
There are actually three operators that we may use to tell the PHP engine that we want to use a comment. Single inline comments can be used with the “//” and “#” operators. For multiple-line comments, we use “/*” and “*/” respectively to indicate what is a comment and what is actually PHP code. While the first two operators are synonymous, the last one discussed is the only one that can perform multiple line comments with relatively little work.
Unknown to most, PHP comments can also be used for more practical scenarios, such as troubleshooting. Expert programmers will find they have a problem with their application, and comment out different blocks of code to see what is causing the error. While it is usually in new code blocks, this method will indeed show that sometimes the problem is due to program code interacting wrong, which can in effect mean the problem is anywhere in the application.
Commenting in PHP is also great to use in selection structures, since PHP has long been known as a hard to scale language. Once files start getting big, it can be dizzying to try and remember which loops and selection structures go where, and what they do. By commenting out every closing bracket, and what it is in relation to, the problem is easily fixed. This is often mandatory for programmers who work for employers.
Closing Comments
PHP Comments are quite handy as we can see, more so than most would think. From troubleshooting to simple documentation, the three methods of commenting have a lot of use to the proper programmer. For more information on comments in PHP, and in other languages, check out more books, articles, and magazines for a more detailed guide in using them effectively.
You can learn more about the inner workings of PHP Comments via a PHP Comments Tutorial to get more experience with Comments In PHP
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A snowmobile is a motorized sled or a modified stock chassis that carries one or two people over snow. Often called a snow scooter or a snow machine, it is usually powered by a two or four-stroke engine. Though snowmobiles originated to ride people across distances covered with snow, it is now a popular winter sport in Canada, North America and the colder regions of Europe. However, even now snowmobiles are used for travel in the Arctic areas, though the major attraction of snowmobiles is for recreation only, especially in areas where snow cover is stable in winter. In fact, snowmobile enthusiasts love to drag race on grass and asphalt strips in summers as well.
The standard snowmobile measures from 5 to 8 feet in length and 2 to 3 feet in width. It rides on two short skis in the front and a wide track at the rear. It has an engine of up to 150 horsepower that moves the track, propelling the snowmobile. You can steer the snowmobile with handlebars and go at the speed of 0 to over 100 miles per hour. Snowmobiling was once considered an environmental hazard, mainly because of the two-stroke engines which have since graduated to four-strokes, reducing the pollution levels considerably.
The earliest snowmobiles were used for mail delivery. But, the Ford Model Ts that were modified for the purpose, replacing tracks and skis for the undercarriage, could not be operated in more humid areas. The modern snowmobile in its open-cockpit one-or two-person form came as late as 1970 when many competitors sprang up and nearly two million snowmobiles were sold in three years from 1970 to 1973.
These days we have the industrial-type snowmobiles that are large enclosed vehicles. They are powered by strong 4 to 8 cylinder diesel or petrol engines and are completely tracked with no skis in the front. They can carry passengers and cargo, and are meant for grooming cross-country ski trails.
Snowmobiling is an exciting sport that can make some operators reckless. Many accidents happen due to snowmobiling in the dark and speeding. People die every year in snowmobile accidents. When you go snowmobiling, you should make safety your chief concern because careless snowmobiling has often resulted in death or serious injury. You should never attempt to snowmobile while drinking. Also, watch out for obstacles and be very careful when crossing roads.
Snowmobiling is a major source of income for people in the small towns of Canada and the United States where tourism is the only activity during winter and summer months. Every year, Americans and Canadians spend over $27 billion on snowmobiling including expenditures on equipment, clothing, accessories and snowmobiling vacations. This goes to prove how popular snowmobiling is in these regions!
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tags: sle, snow mobiles, snowmobile, snowmobiles
For most, the section 404 solution will serve as a central repository for internal control documentation. It will also facilitate the testing of internal and external audit controls and serve as a portal for executive review. Like most rollouts, Section 404 software requires education in processes and internal controls.
Most products offered by vendors are web-enabled, allowing clients with multiple locations to use software with a minimum of IT Staff. The use of Extensible Markup Language (XML), Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL), Java, and middleware languages is a success factor. These languages particularly XBRL, bring the publication, exchange, analysis of the complex financial information in corporate business reports into interactive realm of the internet.
XBRL provides a common platform for critical business reporting processes and improves the reliability and ease of communicating financial data among users, whether internal or external to the reporting enterprise. XBRL is an XML based royalty free open standard that is being developed by a consortium of more than 170 companies and agencies; the intent is to deliver benefits to investors, accountants, regulators, executives, business and financial analysts, and information providers.
Commercial packages typically include word-processing, spreadsheet, diagramming and flowchart tools to document processes and internal controls. These features allow users to custom-design their software. Some Solutions facilitate certification testing of controls by the business owner and the auditor. Others allow a view of best practices for internal controls or the committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) integrated framework.
Various packages offer users the ability to resolve significant accounts from financial statements. Processes associated with selected accounts are identified and then assigned to process owners. Internal controls are documented and tested, and process owners can sign certifications for each process on a quarterly basis.
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Ham is usually sold in one of three conditions:
1) Fully cooked
2) Partially cooked
3) Uncooked
Although the cooking techniques are similar, there are differences between a fully cooked and a partially cooked or uncooked ham. For example, a fully cooked ham should be cooked to an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, while a partially cooked or uncooked one should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
The instructions below are grouped into sections for fully cooked and partially or uncooked hams. –
Roasting or Baking–Fully Cooked
There are three basic types of fully cooked ham:
1) Wet cured or City Ham
2) Spiral sliced
3) Canned hams
Keep in mind that a fully cooked ham does not require cooking; it can be eaten as is. But cooking it can bring out the flavors of its own juices. The flavor can also be enhanced by adding other ingredients during the baking process. A fully cooked ham should be cooked to an internal temperature of 140 degrees.
Spiral Sliced Ham
This type is pre-seasoned and does not require cooking. However, if the ham is to be served warm place it in aluminum foil, cut side down and add approximately ½ cup of water. Wrap ham tightly in aluminum foil and cook at 275º-300º. Allow 10 to 14 minutes per pound cooking time. Ham may be removed from oven when internal temperature reaches 135º. Allow to sit in foil for a few minutes until the internal temperature reaches 140º.
Canned Ham
Place the ham in a shallow cooking pan, uncovered. Bake at 325º. Allow 15 to 20 minutes per pound cooking time.
Wet Cured (City) Ham
This ham may be cooked either covered or uncovered.
Covered
Trim any excess skin and fat. Do not trim off all the fat as that is what produces the juices and flavor. Place ham in a roasting pan, if cut, place cut side down. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 325 degrees. Allow 15 to 18 minutes per pound for whole hams and 18 to 24 minutes per pound for half hams. Glazes, if used, should be applied during the last thirty minutes of cooking.
Uncovered
Follow directions for covered ham, except do not cover with foil. Use same cooking temperatures and times. Apply glaze in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Roasting or Baking Partially Cooked or Uncooked Ham
These hams are defined as Dry-Cured (Country) ham or Wet-Cured (City) Ham types. Remember, regardless of the type, these hams should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Dry-Cured (Country) Ham
These hams need to be washed and soaked for up to three days before cooking. Follow the label directions on the ham for washing and soaking instructions. This type of ham can be baked covered or uncovered.
Covered
After soaking, place it in a large roasting pan with 4 to 5 cups of water. If the ham has a skinless side and a side with skin, put it in the roasting pan skin side up.
Cover the ham with aluminum foil or a cover. Put the ham in a preheated 375 degree oven and increase oven temperature to 500º and cook at this setting for the first 10 minutes only. After 10 minutes, turn the oven off and allow the ham to set for three hours without opening the oven door. Turn the oven back on to 500º again for 15 minutes. This time, the ham needs to set in the oven, without the door being opened, for 6 to 8 hours. After setting, the internal temperature of the ham should be at least 160 degrees; if not, repeat the 500 degrees setting again for 15 minutes and check the ham after 1 to 2 hours. If desired, brush with glaze before serving.
Uncovered
After soaking, place the ham in a large roasting pan with 3 cups water. Do not cover. Put the ham in a preheated 325 degree oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. As a guide, a whole ham will need about 18 to 20 minutes and a half ham will need about 22 to 25 minutes cooking time per pound.
Wet-Cured (City) Ham
Use the same methods as the fully cooked wet cured hams, but remember to cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Therefore, the cooking time will be a little longer than that for a fully cooked wet ham.
Ham Cooking Tips
- Baking at lower temperatures but with increased times will result in richer flavored hams. Do not use temperatures below 200 degrees.
- Do not pierce the ham once cooking begins-this allows beneficial juices and flavorings to escape.
- When checking the internal temperature, avoid touching the bone with the thermometer as this can cause an incorrect reading.
Learn more about how to cook a ham and about cooking in general at these links.
Ray T. Lewis thinks that if it’s pork, it tastes good. And that just about sums up his ideas on food.
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When it comes to picking pro football games, there are a number of factors that can affect your success. Last minute injuries to key players, weather, and even an odd bounce of the ball can mean the difference between a win and a loss for both the football team and for you. So how do you make the right picks? There is no real answer; in fact it is called gambling for a reason. There are, though, some tips you should consider. So, to that end, here are some tips on choosing the best pro football pick.
Pick Early
One of the best tips on choosing the best pro football picks you can get is to pick early. When the lines first come out on the game, that is the time you will likely get the most favorable spread. As the week goes on, bets are placed, and things happen, the spread can change dramatically, which can make it much more difficult for you to decide. When you make the picks early in the week you can get on the bet when the line is fresh and before betting has driven it one way or another. This is probably the most common of the many tips on choosing the best pro football picks you will hear.
Go With Your Gut
Another one of the best tips on choosing the best pro football picks you will get is to go with your guy. One of the biggest mistakes that amateur football gamblers will make is to over-think or overanalyze the games. You likely do not have inside information or access to the teams, so beyond what you already know about the game and the teams, there is not much you will learn that will allow you to cheat the line. Even pro gamblers fail often, so overanalyzing the games will not help you any more than going with your gut will. See the line, think about the game, decide how you feel about it, and make your picks. It sounds simple, but it is going to serve you better than studying the game deeply.
Pick A Game On Its Own
One of the best, but least heard tips on choosing the best pro football picks is to pick each game on its own. What does that mean? Instead of hedging your bets by picking one game one way because of how you chose another one, you should pick each game in a vacuum, so to speak. Make your picks and stick with them. Hedging can eventually cause you to lose two games when you might have only lost one otherwise. Keep that in mind and you will actually minimize your losses more than when you try to hedge out.
There are many pro tips on choosing the best pro football picks out there, but these are a few to get you started. Remember, pick early on the first line, go with what your gut tells you, dont over-think the game, and pick each game on its own merit. Do those things and you will be on your way to responsible picking of pro games.on the links.
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Summary: Did you know your minimum credit card payment is rising? A new government program working to get Americans out of credit card debt is pushing credit card issuers to raise minimum monthly payments. Will you be able to make the higher monthly payment? Here are some tips for getting by.
If you’re an American, your minimum monthly credit card payment may soon be doubling. If you’re only paying the minimums now, you’ll have to be careful to adjust your budgeting to pay more.
Who’s Raising Your Monthly Minimum Credit Card Payment?
Whose idea was it to increase credit card minimum monthly payments? The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department that has become more and more involved with reigning in the abuses of credit card companies. Yes, this credit card minimum payment increase was thought up by people trying to help you.
Who will be raising their monthly minimums? So far, some of the largest credit card issuers have agreed to the new standards. Bank of America has already been asking for the higher monthly minimum payment. MBNA, Citigroup (a.k.a. Citbank), Discover, and Chase (on some of its cards) will be breaking the news to their cardholders as Fall 2005 progresses.
How Much Will Credit Card Minimums Increase?
For many credit cards, such as MBNA and Bank of America, the new rates mean that monthly minimum payments will double.
Right now, the monthly minimum payment is only 2% of the balance on most of these cards. The new rate will be around 4% (the actual number may vary from card issuer to card issuer). This means that if you have the average American credit card balance of about $10,000, your minimum monthly payment will go from $200/month to $400/month.
Of course, if you have any additional fees, whether a late fee or a cash advance fee or any of the other fees that the credit card guys cook up, you will have to pay that, too.
Why the Credit Card Minimum Payment Increase?
You may be wondering why anyone would want to make you pay a higher minimum monthly payment. The basic reason for making you pay more is: for your own good.
According to Mike Peterson, co-founder of American Credit Foundation, by doubling the amount you pay per month toward credit card debt, you will cut down on what you pay toward interest by much more. Look:
Old monthly minimum payment of 2% of balance, $2,000 credit card debt at 18% percent interest:
* Time to pay off debt in full: about 30 years.
* Interest paid: about $5,000two and a half times what you initially borrowed!
New monthly minimum payment of 4% of balance, same debt:
* Time to pay off debt in full: about 10 years. Time saved vs. old payment: 20 years.
* Interest paid: about $1,100slightly more than half what you originally borrowed. Amount saved vs. old payment: $3,900.
Tips for Paying Double Easily
How do you pay off your new, higher credit card balance?
Stop Charging
Yes, you will have to make major sacrifices to stop using your credit card. But just look at all the money you’ll have in ten or thirty years that you wouldn’t have if you had to pay all that credit card interest. If you have trouble resisting the temptation to charge, here are some solutions that have actually worked:
* Give your credit cards to a friend or family member to hold in safe keeping.
* Freeze the cards in a block of ice.
* Never carry more than one credit card with you.
Economize on the Small Things
According to Michael Peterson of the American Credit Foundation, even tiny savings really add up when it comes to debt. His favorite example is the Diet Coke example:
* If you buy one Diet Coke a day at $1/day, that’s $365/year.
* If you instead invested that one dollar a day at 10% interest (the average yearly return on major stocks over the last half century), you would be a millionaire within 56 years.
* Of course, with credit cards, this logic works in reverse: if you are lucky enough to be paying only 10% interest, fifty years of charging Diet Coke to your credit card will mean you’ve lost the same amount, not only in interest paid, but in the lost opportunity to save and invest.
* You don’t have to put aside one dollar a day for fifty years to see a big difference. One dollar a day is $30/month, 15% of the average $200 increase in credit card minimum monthly payments.
* In order to get that entire $200 increase out of your daily budget, you would only have to save $200/30 or less than $7 a day. OK, maybe you aren’t drinking seven Diet Cokes a day. But there are very few credit-card-holding Americans who can’t cut $7 a day out of their spending.
* Saving weekly rather than daily, $200/month works out to about $45/week, or the cost of a restaurant meal for a small family–another luxury you might want to skip until you’re debt-free.
Bigger Savings
* Taxes. Most Americans could pay hundreds of dollars less tax each year if they just took all the deductions they were eligible for upfront, rather than waiting to get a refund in April. By April, you will have spent a big chunk of money on interest on debt that you wouldn’t have spent if you’d had the money at hand.
* Pleading. Call the credit card companies and ask if they can allow you to set up a payment plan, or at least provide a brief extension. Simply calling and letting them know you haven’t forgotten about them can help keep you out of the worst trouble.
* Credit counseling. Credit counselors can talk with credit card issuers to help you get a repayment plan you can keep up with. They can also open your eyes to untapped sources of income you never knew you had, like kicking the $1,000,000 Diet Coke habit.
In short, don’t panic. With only a little bit of planning, you can make the higher minimum monthly payment work to your advantage, just as the policy’s authors intended.
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tags: credit, credit card, credit counseling, debt, financ, money
Corporate Blogging Alphabet – What Is It?
I built this alphabet to showcase what I think are the benefits and best practices of corporate blogging. Not all of these entries will apply to every individual blogging scenario, but they all apply to corporate blogging in general. So here you have them, corporate blogging benefits and best practices … from A to Z.
Accountable
Accountability applies to corporate blogging in two primary ways. With single-author blogs (such as CEO blogs), the author can inspire trust among readers by “owning” his or her commentary. But companies also assume a certain level of accountability for all blogs under their umbrella, regardless of disclosures to to the contrary. So blogging accountability must be carefully considered at both the individual and corporate level.
Believable
Used properly, a corporate blog or CEO blog can make a company more believable. And in the low-trust, post-Enron world of corporate skepticism, a little believability goes a long way. Use your blog to tell an honest story in a passionate way.
Candid
A common mistake in corporate blogging is when organizations use the blog as “website, part two,” shoveling press releases and other corporate literature onto the blog. To achieve the believability mentioned above, a corporate blog must take on the candid, heartfelt voice of the author. Sure, it takes courage to do this (and probably a set of corporate blogging guidelines), but your readers will reward you by becoming advocates.
Direct
Corporate blogs are direct. You write your message, click the “Publish” button, and your words are directly viewable across the Internet. This removes intermediaries from the corporate communication chain. There are no journalists or editors to put their own spin on things. The message goes from the author directly to the audience. Never again will your message be diluted or mis-aligned (unless you do that yourself).
Enthusiastic
In my opinion, only enthusiastic bloggers should be allowed to represent the company. Half-hearted commentary stands out like a purple elephant in the corporate blogosphere. This kind of commentary does more harm than good, whether it comes from the CEO, the communications chief, or Joe Employee. Enthusiasm comes across in blog posts — and it’s contagious.
Flexible
One of the great things about blogs is the versatility with which they can be used. A corporate blog, for example, can be used internally or externally. It can be a news channel, a customer-feedback forum, an educational tool, or a combination of these things.
Google-friendly
And Yahoo-friendly, and MSN-friendly, etc. A corporate blog can help you increase your search engine visibility in a number of ways. For one thing, a blog gives you an easy way to expand your website with new content. If you blog daily for a year, you’ve got 365 new pages of topical content (and 365 new items for people to find through search engines). Blogs are also more “social” than websites, so in time a well-written blog will acquire links from other blogs. This kind of link popularity does wonders for your search engine ranking.
Happening
Nine times out of ten, a corporate blog is more “happening” than its website counterpart. Blogs are easier to update than a regular website. And when you update a blog often with quality content, it becomes an active resource that people are more inclined to revisit.
Informative
When you keep your customers well informed on new products, services or “behind the scenes” company happenings, you increase the likelihood of future business from those customers. Corporate blogging is a simple but effective way to keep people informed.
Jargon-free
Generally, corporate blogs are not the place for corporate speak. At least, not a customer-facing corporate blog. Save that language for your annual report. Business blogs evolved from online diaries, single-author sources of information and insight. Much of this plain-speak expectation carries over to corporate blogs, so the potential power of blogging for business purposes lies within the blog’s frankness, not its jargon.
Knowledgeable
Use your corporate blog to show readers how knowledgeable you are on your subject. When your readers see how much information you have to share on a subject, they’ll recommend your blog to others who are interested in the subject. These are the kinds of readers you want. Just remember, some of your readers will know as much about the subject as you do. So check your facts before posting.
Limitless
Corporate blogs can be configured in endless ways to serve endless roles. They can stand alone, be part of a website, or be part of a larger network of blogs. Because the technical aspects of a corporate blog are limitless, so too are the uses for the blog.
Manageable
Blogs reduce the technical side of web publishing to such a degree that anyone can blog, regardless of their web experience. Blogs are so manageable, in fact, that even a large web presence built on blogging technology can be managed by a single individual. In this way, blogs are only an initial burden on the IT department. Once a blog is setup, it can be managed by the author alone.
Non-invasive
Corporate blogs “pull” readers to the message, rather than “push” the message to the reader. People can sign up for a blog in total privacy, simply by pulling the blog’s RSS feed into their feed reader. In this way, corporate blogs are non-invasive for readers. The readers come to the blog — the blog is not thrust upon them, like other forms of corporate communication. As long as blogs adhere to this non-invasive, respectful approach, they will be held in higher esteem than other communication channels like email.
Operational
Corporate blogs are more than simple communications tools. With their versatility and ease of use, a corporate blog can server operational roles. This might include internal collaboration (like an intranet) or outward instruction (like an interactive Q&A forum). Blogs can be an active part of your organization’s daily operations.
Purposeful
The key to a good blogging experience is to have a purpose. Sure, you can plunge right into corporate blogging and figure out your purpose as you go. That’s part of the appeal. But your blog will be more effective (and easier to produce) if you have a blogging plan and purpose. Maybe your blogging purpose is to educate readers on what goes on behind the scenes at your company. Maybe you want to increase your visibility on the Web. Or maybe the CEO wants to share his ideas on the business to foster interaction. Fill in the blanks as needed, just be sure you have a purpose behind your blogging efforts.
Qualitative and Quantitative
When corporate blogging is done well, it has both a quantitative and qualitative affect. Because blogs are easy to publish, they help you increase the quantity of content on your website. This increases your blog’s value to readers, as well as its visibility to search engines. If the content is also useful and informative to your key audience, the blog adds quality. A well-managed corporate blog can enhance your web presence by adding both quantity and quality.
Reusable
Blog content can be reused for a variety of purposes. For example, if you expand on a blog post (or compile several blog posts), you can create articles that you can syndicate online. This will help you grow your web presence and even more. This is one of the strategies I teach through my blogging guide mentioned at the end of this article. Another example of reusing blog content — Seth Godin’s book Small Is the New Big is simply a compilation of his blog posts over the last few years.
Straightforward
Okay, so this is somewhat repetitive of ‘C’ for candid. But it’s worth repeating. The most popular of the corporate and CEO blogs reached their level of popularity by being straightforward. And here, I’m referring to both the design and the content of the corporate blog. Blogs that are “overly designed” don’t really look like blogs at all. They look like corporate websites, which (I believe) takes away some of their candidness and authenticity. The same is true of blog content. Blog postings that are straightforward and candid will generate more trust, interaction and “buzz” among the blog’s readers than thinly-veiled corporate speak.
Thoughtful
The best corporate blogs are thoughtful. I don’t mean thoughtful in the sense of “kind,” although kindness goes a long way on the Web. I mean thoughtful as in “full of thought.” Blogs with a lot of “fluff” don’t fare well in the corporate blogosphere. So be sure you put some thought into your blog’s content.
Usable
Your corporate blog should be easy to navigate and read. In fact, any blog should be easy to use, or any website for that matter. Web readers and researches are skilled at hopping from site to site. They don’t need much of a reason to bail out on you, and they’ll do just that if your blog is hard to navigate. Review a list of the most widely read blogs on the Internet, and you’ll find they have something in common — they all have simple designs with high levels of usability.
Voluntary
You should blog because you want to, not because you think you have to. If you start a corporate blog just because people say you should, it will lack the heartfelt enthusiasm that’s a hallmark of great blogs. (See ‘E’ for enthusiasm above.)
Wise
Your corporate blog is the ideal place to share your wisdom about your industry. This will help you position yourself as an authority in your field, and will also help foster the trust that’s mentioned under the letter ‘T’ above. Show people what you know about your industry, but do it in a conversational way. A “tip of the day” series is a prime example of this. It’s a great way to share your wisdom, and it’s the kind of thing others will link to if it’s full of useful content or advice.
Xstensible
Okay, so I cheated with this letter. But blogs are certainly extensible (and you try to come up with a good adjective starting with ‘X’). Corporate blogs, business blogs, CEO blogs — any blog — can grow as the company grows. You can add additional authors, additional sections, whatever you need. And it doesn’t require and act of the I.T. gods to get it done. By design, blogging programs are meant to be extensible.
Yours
If you ask me, anonymous blogs are not blogs at all … just plain old websites. A corporate blog can have one author or several authors, but it should be somebody’s blog. It should be yours, or his and hers, or all of yours. Somebody needs to own it. Otherwise, nobody will trust what it has to say.
Zippy
The definition of zippy is “lively and full of energy.” These are great traits for a corporate blogs. Some people equate the word “corporate” with “dull.” Show them otherwise. Inject your personality. Show them the passion you have for your industry. That’s the only thing that will keep them coming back.
* You may republish this article online if you retain the author’s byline and the active hyperlinks below.
About the Author
Brandon Cornett is the publisher of CEO Blog Watch and the author of a new blogging guide. Download your copy of the blogging guide by visiting http://www.ceoblogwatch.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brandon_Cornett
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Sending Roses and Saving Money with Overnight Flowers Shippers
Sending beautiful roses at a significant discount is easier than ever, thanks to a variety of direct-ship flowers sources on the Internet. These innovative flower companies import the best? rose varieties and colors fresh from growers around the world. Then, they deliver them by overnight air direct to your special someone. The result is often fresher, longer lasting flowers, all at substantial savings. While overnight flowers arrive unarranged and don’t offer the finished touch of a local florist delivery, they’re fast becoming an extremely popular and reliable alternative for budget-conscious flower-lovers. We set out to test three of the better sources for flowers by overnight air, placing orders for one dozen red roses at hallmark.com, flowers-delivery-florists.com, and proflowers.com. All three orders arrived as promised on the morning of the appropriate day. All three were well packaged with quality roses that opened nicely and lasted the better part of the week. Which one was the best? You decide. Here is what we found.
Hallmark
When the Hallmark flowers arrived some people thought they looked a little unimpressive due to a dark color and tight buds. They hadn’t opened much yet, but when they did two days later they had a pretty shape. The heads were firm, indicating healthy blooms and good hydration, and they lasted all week. Including a vase and shipping, our purchase came to $60.94. The vase was metal and didn’t appeal to everyone in our office but served surprisingly well for displaying the roses. The bouquet included a couple of sprigs of Babies’ Breath that didn’t add much. The purchase also credited us with 500 Gold Crown points that we’ll probably never use. Ordering was easy with a choice of available gift cards displayed online. The flowers arrived with a packet of flower food, and the whole box was decked out in an eye-catching purple color scheme. On the whole, this was a great product, even if it did come at a premium price.
Total Cost: $60.94 Delivered
Summary: The highest price, a stylish vase, the most attractive packaging, and roses that arrived a bit tight but lasted all week.
Flowers Delivery Florists
The roses from flowers-delivery-florists.com were quickly hailed as the office favorite due to their vibrant red color and large blossoms. At only $40.90 total, they were also the best bargain of the bunch. The stems were thick and sturdy, indicating healthy, well-developed flowers. After a few days the roses were still going strong, although one bloom may have been damaged in shipping as it was beginning to drop petals. Clich Babies’ Breath was not included. Instead, there was some tasteful foliage to complement the flowers. While basic, the free glass vase made displaying the flowers quick and convenient. The packaging was nice, and the roses were the only ones to come with cold packs to help preserve them during shipping. This bouquet was an eye-catcher for five to six days. So, at 30% less than the first order, it was definitely our pick for the best overall value.
Total Cost: $40.90 Delivered
Summary: The lowest price, best blossom size, and most impressive flowers upon arrival, still lasting most of the week.
Proflowers
The roses from Proflowers arrived before noon, which made us glad we didn’t spend the extra money for “guaranteed morning delivery.” The flowers themselves were pretty, with ample fluffy white Babies’ Breath included. The price was reasonable at $44.97 delivered, but the roses arrived without any container, which made us wish we had spent the extra $9.99 for a vase. The flower heads seemed a little soft. After two days they looked fine, but by the end of the week they were in the poorest condition. Ordering was easy, although we didn’t like the fact that our total purchase amount was not clearly displayed until the end of the process. The light green packaging was compelling, and flower food was included. On the whole, the Proflowers roses were definitely good quality but just not quite as nice as the other two.
Total Cost: $44.97 Delivered (vase not included)
Summary: A quality product at a reasonable price that was very satisfactory but not the most economical or long lasting.
Conclusion
While our test is just a one-time sampling, it dramatizes how easy and inexpensive it is to send a message of love, congratulations, or thanks with roses. All three sources performed exceedingly well, delivering superior flowers on time and without a hitch. The stems had to be cut and dropped in water, but that was relatively easy, and all the bouquets were beautiful for at least five days. Hallmark’s flowers were particularly long lasting, as they arrived with tighter buds, but Flowers Delivery Florists was our favorite due to its strikingly vibrant flowers and particularly low price. All three online services offer a wide selection of bouquets, vases, and delivery options. So, check them out. Regardless of which you choose, you’re sure to find the perfect gift for someone you love.
This article was written by John E. Williams, a writer and flowers lover in Chicago, Illinois and may be republished in its entirety on the Internet as long as this credit and the link above are included.
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tags: cheap flowers, direct ship, florals, florist, flower delivery, flower ordering, flowers, grower shipped flowers, on line roses, online flowers, online ordering, ship flowers