Why unique baby shower gifts are less embarrassing

How unique is unique, well to be honest I am not sure but to give a gift with a difference then surely this is enough to say your donation is just that. Unique baby shower gifts make the giving more pleasurable and less embarrassing in case of duplication. The receiving of a gift given with heartfelt emotion at a baby shower will make the occasion more unique than you could ever imagine from the eyes of the expectant mother. Future parents who wait in anticipation for birth of their baby occupy their mind in other ways by joining in the fun at the baby shower party. Eat drink and be merry is just one of the top priorities to be fulfilled at joyous events like these but first and foremost is the opening of all the unique baby shower gifts. By personalizing a gift you have guaranteed a way of ensuring uniqueness. Items like baby blankets, bibs, cuddly toys and baby burp cloths can be emblazoned with special logos, this can be of babys name or initials. Jewelry trinkets make fine donations if presented in presentation boxes personalized with engraved inscriptions thus making this gift unique. Jewelry can be put in a safe place till a later date if baby is not born at the time of the celebration. The future mother and dad also like to receive gifts. Consider giving them items like diaper - nappy or pram bags, even an article of clothing like a sweat shirt embroidered with a motto. Favoured among many guests invited along to a baby shower party is give a gift basket. Baskets for mother and baby can be specially personalised where you choose what the content is to be. By selecting what the basket is to contain then you have just added a uniqueness to your basket therefore different from all others. Content fillers of a gift basket for the mom-to-be are gifts of maternity clothes etc. And for dad the most unique gift of all is the price of a pint to wet the babys head Where do you go to find a unique baby gift - well, the first place to look is in your head for ideas. Be creative with your thoughts, then have someone make - build - bake what ever it is you have in mind. What will make your gift donation different from any other is the sheer fact that it was given by you

Nail patella syndrome

Introduction Nail Patella Syndrome (NPS) is a form of rare genetic disorder. It causes impairment of bones, joints, nails and even kidneys. An absence or immature kneecaps and thumbnails are responsible to cause Nail Patella Syndrome in an individual. Statistics of government agencies and hospitals says that one in every 50000 newborn babies is affected by this disease. Scientists have established the close relation between glaucoma and nail patella syndrome. At several circumstances it has been found that a newborn affected with this rare disorder has no thumbnails or underdeveloped thumbnails. The mother of such babies and other family members has also found with an absence of thumbnails in most of the medical examinations. However, it is not clear yet, whether glaucoma directly relates to the mutation of NPS gene or it is the deficiency of a separate gene linked with the gene of nail patella disorder. Sign and Symptoms of Nail Patella Syndrome General Symptoms - Some of the general symptoms of Nail Patella Syndrome (NPS) are 1. Low peripheral eyesight 2. Blind spots 3. Requires frequent change of spectacles 4. Blurred vision 5. Sore or red eyes or both 6. Seeing rainbows or halos around light source 7. Extreme headache, nausea and eyes pain in some of the cases If you have any of the above symptoms, it may be because of Nail Patella Syndrome. Go for professional medical help to fix the problem. Pathological Symptoms - Nail Patella Syndrome (NPS) is identifiable at two different systems, namely; Musculoskeletal and Renal. Musculoskeletal Nails - About 80 to 90 percent cases of nail patella syndrome (NPS) show dystrophic nails. Normally nails are found absent or deficient. Some of the symptoms are discolored nails, kolinonychia, longitudinal ridges, triangular lunulae. Fingernails or thumbnails are generally affected. Knees - Knees patella closely associates with osteoarthiritis, osteoarthrosis and the knee weekness. About in 60% cases knee patella is either found absent or hypoplastic. An after displacement on knee flexion some time also called knock – knee deformity can also be found. Elbows - Deformity in elbow is not common, but aplasia, hypoplasia, posterior process at distal ends of humerus with increased angle, limit to extension and suppination is found in some of the cases. Pelvis - Horns or sours can be found in llic bone and these are detectable by X-rays only. These are pathognomic form of Nail Patella Disorder (NPS). Renal Renal diseases are closely associates with nail patella disorder (NPS). Studies and hospital surveys shows that about 10% patients of NPS have renal disease. Foremost renal manifestations are: microscopic hematuria, nephritic or minimal proteinuria, edema and hypertension. Treatment The treatment for Nail Patella Syndrome (NPS) and glaucoma varies vastly patient to patient. It also depends on age factors etc and the fact that the patient is either newborn or an young person or an old age person. Although, there is no remedy to cure the glaucoma and NPS fully, but it can be controlled with the expert medical help. There are so many procedures like eye drops, pills to swallow, laser techniques, and surgery. However it is very importance to provide regular and periodic treatment to the affected person.

Stu unger rise and fall of a poker genius

Stu Unger is one of the biggest superstars to have immerged from the professional poker world. Besides being a true poker genius and a three time World Series of Poker champion, Stu Unger had a fascinating life story. It was not surprising that after his death Stu was the subject of a biography and a biopic. Stu Unger lived the life of a rock star including the quick rise to fame, the drugs, the comeback and the unavoidable death at an early age. Here you can read about the life story of the legendary poker player Stu Unger. The Beginning Stuart Errol Ungar was born in 1953 to a Jewish family who lived in Manhattan on the Lower East Side. Stus father was a well known bookmaker and his mother was too ill to fight against her sons fascination with gambling. After the death of his father, 13 years old Stu had found a father figure at his neighbor Victor Romano, one of the infamous Genovese family soldiers. Stu and Romano had at least one thing in common: they both had an incredibly sharp memory, which was mainly used in poker and gin games. By that time, Stu was already an accomplished gin player who had gained vast experience in winning gin tournaments. Stu dropped out of school to become a full time gin rummy player. The Genovese family had benefited from Stus talent. In return, they provided him protection from other gamblers who found themselves offended by his harsh and arrogant playing style. The Rise As a professional gin player, Stu had managed to beat all the professional gin poker players around. According to the rumors, Stu caused Harry Yonkie Stein, one of the best players around to stop playing gin completely after beating him in a gin match. Since he was out of proper competition, Stu decided to focus on playing poker professionally. In 1976, he and his girlfriend relocated to Las Vegas where they got married and had a girl, Stephanie. In 1980, Stu won the World Series of Poker Main Event after beating experienced poker pros such as Doyle Bronson. Stu was the youngest WSOP champion in history and was nicknamed The Kid. Even though Stu won the 1981 WSOP Main Event, he still considered himself more a gin and rummy player than a poker player. After winning his first WSOP championship title, he was quoted saying that the poker world would meet better no limit players than him, but no one will ever be able to play gin rummy better than he does. At the same time, Stu had tried to use his skill to grab money at the blackjack table. Nevertheless, the casinos were not happy with Stus presence around the blackjack tables and he was constantly barred. In 1982, he was fined by the New Jersey Gaming Commission for cheating, although Stu has not done anything illegal but using his natural skill and phenomenal memory. The Fall In 1990, Stu made another appearance to the WSOP. This time, he was heavily into drugs. He was a chip leader for the first three days of the event and then disappeared. He was found lying at his hotel room, unconscious from a drug overdose. However, it did not stop him from finishing ninth and earning enough money for his future cocaine supply. The Comeback After seven years of disappearing from the professional poker circle, Stu had returned to the WSOP. In 1997, he was broke, with damaged nostrils from cocaine abuse, addicted to horseracing and sports gambling, but still in shape to beat all the new contestants and gain back his WSOP Championship title. The local media was happy to embrace The Comeback Kid, but his success did not last long. The Death Stu Unger did not attend the 1998 World Series of Poker since he could not get the money to pay the entry fee. Seven months after Scotty Nguyen won the 1998 WSOP, Stu Ungar was found dead at his motel room in Las Vegas with 800 dollars in his pocket. Apparently, he died of a heart condition caused by years of drug abuse. The Biography Read: One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey The Kid Ungar, The Worlds Greatest Poker Player written by Nolan Dalla, Peter Alson, Mike Sexton. Watch: High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story directed by A. W. Vidmer and starring Michael Imperioli, Christopher Moltisanti of The Sopranos, as Stu Unger

Overcrowding and legislation are obstacles to orlando schools

The city of Orlando has a fast growing population and rapid development, creating a situation of overcrowding in the Orlando schools. The facilities are so overcrowded that, by the end of 2006, an estimated 40 percent of Orlando schools students will be taught in portable buildings — and the need is much greater than previously anticipated. With rising construction costs, increasing growth, and new mandates from state and local government, the funding is not keeping pace with the growth and innovative ideas to reduce overcrowding are being sidetracked by new government regulations. In 2000, the Martinez Doctrine was adopted by Orange County, where the Orlando schools district is located. The doctrine is designed to reduce overcrowding in public schools by denying or awarding zoning and rezoning requests from developers, dependent upon whether the projects are located near an overcrowded school or not. The doctrine was meant to curb residential growth in already dense areas. Though it was never an official law, the county adopted it as a general planning procedure. For the Orlando schools, the doctrine is a dual-edged sword. Due to the strict regulations, many developers are building elsewhere and the Orlando schools are losing much needed tax revenues; yet the doctrine assists in decreasing the overcrowding in the Orlando schools and makes developers “pay as they go” for growth. In 2002, voters approved a half-penny sales tax to raise $2 billion to pay for 136 school improvement projects and build 25 new schools across the county. The use of this money for a permanent solution to overcrowding in the Orlando schools was undercut by the voters and lawmakers, who passed the class size amendment. This meant that at least seven portable buildings had to be added immediately to each of the Orlando schools. The district’s vision of eliminating these buildings through facilities renovation and new construction was thwarted. Then last year, the growth management law was passed, requiring additional schools be built by 2012. The law provides $10 billion in state funds over the next 10 years to ensure new development is concurrent with schools — either a school must already be physically within the area of new projects or plans already in place to build a new school. The law affects the Orlando schools beginning in 2008. It does underscore the Orlando schools position that developers should help pay for the growth they bring to the city; however, as with the Martinez Doctrine, many developers are building elsewhere and funding from tax revenues are being lost. The Metro Orlando Home Builders Association has developed the School Express Program with the Orlando schools, making fast track construction of schools part of their development plans. The program has drawn support from both local developers and builders, as well as the Orlando schools, who are open to any help, support or suggestions to allow them to implement their overcrowding reduction strategies.

How to start trading the forex market part 3

10 REASONS TO START TRADING FOREX! More and more well informed investor and entrepreneurs are diversifying their traditional investments like stocks, bonds & commodities with foreign currency because of the following reasons: 1) FOREX is the largest financial market in the world. With a daily trading volume of over $1.5 trillion, the spot FOREX market can absorb trading sizes that dwarf the capacity of any other market. In fact, when compared with the $50 billion daily market for equities or the $30 billion futures market, it becomes quickly apparent this gives you, and millions of other FOREX traders, almost infinite trading liquidity and flexibility. 2) FOREX is a True 24-hour market. The FOREX Market never sleeps. Trading positions can be entered and exited at any moment around the globe, around the clock, 5.5 days a week. There is no waiting for an opening bell as in the case of trading stocks. It is a 24- hour, continuous electronic (ONLINE) currency exchange that never closes. This is very desirable for you if you want to trade on a part-time basis, because you can choose when you want to trade: morning, noon or night. 3) There is never a Bear Market in FOREX. You can have access to a seamless exchange of currencies. Currencies trade in "pairs" (for example, US dollar vs. JPY (YEN) or US dollar vs. CHF (Swiss franc), one side of every currency pair (for example, USD/CHF) is constantly moving in relation to the other. Thus, when you buy a particular currency, you are actually simultaneously selling the other currency in that particular pair. As the market moves, one of the currencies will increase in value versus the other. Of course, it is up to you to choose the correct currency to be long ( you bought) or short( you sold). 4) High Leverage - up to 400:1 Leverage. You are permitted to trade foreign currencies on a highly leveraged basis - up to 400 times your investment with Fenix Capital Management, LLC and with some other brokers. Standard 100,000- US$ currency lots can be traded with as little as 0.25% margin, or $250. Mini FX accounts are permitted to trade with just 0.25% margin, meaning, just $25 allows you to control a 10,000-unit currency position. Futures traders, who are accustomed to margin requirements generally equal to 5-7%-8% of the contract value, will immediately recognize that the FOREX market provides much greater leverage, and for stock traders, who must post at least 50% margin, there’s no comparison. If you’re looking for an efficient use of trading , trade the Forex Market. 5) Price Movements might be Highly Predictable. Currency prices in the FX market generally repeat themselves in relatively predictable cycles, creating trends. The strong trends that foreign currencies develop are a significant advantage for traders who use the "technical" methods and strategies. Unlike stocks, currencies have the tendency to develop strong trends. Over 80% of volume is speculative in nature and, as a result, the market frequently overshoots and then corrects itself. As a technically-trained trader, you can easily identify new trends and breakouts, to enter and exit positions. 6) YOU don't pay commissions or fees to trade FOREX When you trade FOREX, through Fenix Capital Management LLC (FCM) you can do it totally FREE of commissions and fees , regardless of your account size. Fenix Capital Management LLC, requires a very low minimum amount to open a brokerage account, only US$ 200 and they do not charge commissions or fees to trade or to maintain an account, regardless of your account balance or trading volume. 7) YOU don't have to pay trading fees or exchange fees. There are none of the usual fees, which futures and equity traders are accustomed to pay: NO exchange or clearing fees, NO NFA or SEC fees. Because currencies trade over-the-counter (OTC), via a global electronic network, in FOREX, what you see on your trading screen, is what you get, allowing you to make quick decisions on your trades without having to worry or account for fees that may affect your profit/loss or slippage. In the equity and commodity markets, you must pay both a commission and exchange fees. The over-the-counter structure of the FX market eliminates exchange and clearing fees, which in turn lowers transaction costs. 8) HOW to Forex brokers make money if they don't charge commissions? Like all traded financial products, over-the-counter currency trading involves a bid/ask spread, which represents the prices at which your counterpart is willing to trade. Your broker will receive a part of this bid/ask spread. Because the currency market offers round-the-clock liquidity, you receive tight, competitive spreads both intra-day and night. Stock traders can be more vulnerable to liquidity risk and typically receive wider trading spreads, especially during after-hours trading. 9) Market Transparency. Market transparency is highly desired in any trading environment. The greater the market transparency, the more efficient the market becomes. Unlike other markets where transparency is compromised (like in the many recent scandals), FOREX markets are highly transparent (i. e., analyzing countries, and having access to real-time research / news, is easier than analyzing companies). Because of this transparency, as an FX trader, you will be able to apply risk management strategies in accordance to your fundamental and technical indicators. 10) Instantaneous Order Execution The FX market offers the highest level of market transparency out of all the financial markets. Because of this, order execution and fill confirmation usually occur in just 1-2 seconds. In Forex, order execution is all-electronic and because you'll be trading via an Internet-based platform, instantaneous execution is routine. There are no exchanges, no traditional open-outcry pits, no floor brokers, and consequently, no delays.( will be continued )

Detox diet juice fasting

Due to the highly processed foods that we consume and the polluted air that we breathe, our body accumulates toxins. The body does its best to eliminate the toxins, but ends up being stressed due to the overload. Symptoms such as chronic headaches, skin allergies, premature ageing, etc. start to manifest. What can we do to help our ailing body? Try juice fasting, as a safe way to detox! Many studies have been done on the beneficial effects of juice fasting. We can increase our lifespan, treat bio chemical imbalances, reduce our cholesterol levels, treat allergies, acne, etc. In juice fasting, by giving the body a rest from food and digestion, the immune system can focus on elimination of toxins, with the aid of the organs of elimination (liver, pancreas, gall bladder, kidneys, intestines, skin, etc.). During a prolonged fast (3 plus days), the body will start to burn off and digest its own tissues by process of autolysis in a discriminate manner. It will first decompose and burn those cells and tissues, which are diseased, damaged, aged or dead (tumors, morbid cells, abscesses, excess fat deposits, etc.). The stomach shrinks and becomes less acidic. Then, certain detox symptoms are experienced eg. acne breakouts, fatigue, headaches, as the body eliminates its toxins. These symptoms should ease and we will feel a renewed sense of health and well-being! You can juice almost any fruit and vegetables that you can eat raw. Vegetables that are good for juicing include tomatoes, cucumbers, celery and carrots. Fruit vegetable combinations taste delicious. For example, apple and carrot juice makes a nice blend. Another nice combination is apple, celery and tomato. For vegetable and fruit skins, peel them off especially if you suspect that they have been sprayed. If you can use organic fruits, this will be much better. Rinse off in filtered or distilled water. How to Juice for Juice Fasting? It is recommended to dilute your juice 50/50 with water, especially if you are using fruits and the juice is too sweet. Use distilled water, if possible, for dilution. Also, remember that you can’t buy freshly prepared juice from a supermarket or any juice that comes from a packet, despite what the label on the packet says. Any juice in a carton, can or bottle has been heat treated for preservation. Juice has to be prepared fresh! The longer the juice stays out, the less fresh raw food enzymes it will contain. This means that you either find a store that prepares it right before you drink it or you use a juicer yourself.

Running on the right path

Career changes always require a painful transition period. A few years back I lost my job as a stage manager for live television shows, and I was feeling the heat. As I sat in my tiny little apartment staring at a huge pile of overdue bills, I could feel the pain coursing through my soul. I suddenly had the uncontrollable urge to just run. I am an avid runner who loves running in the wilderness. The feeling of breaking a sweat with a good stride in the great outdoors is like no other for me. Your heart is pumping blood through your body like a turbo-charger, your lungs are sucking in precious oxygen as fast as you can breathe it in, your pores are excreting sweat and toxins like crazy, and all of your senses are at their peak of performance. You can feel the world around you and you know you are part of it. It is a wonderful feeling; a healthy addiction if you will. My drug of choice is endorphins. I hurried down the stairs to the parking garage. The woman who lived below me was just getting out of her car when I entered the garage. She was a cigarette-totin’ Maggie with ashen-grey skin and a raspy voice that sounded like it was the product of damaged vocal cords due to years of yelling too loud at parties and breathing tobacco smoke relentlessly. She was tall, rotund and barrel-chested, with bleached white hair that she wore way too long for her age, which I guessed was somewhere around forty. She wore black clothing everyday that made her look like an albino witch. She was also a single mother of a teenage daughter that was seemingly out of control. I often saw this daughter coming home at four in the morning as I was just leaving for work. She was only thirteen, but she seemed to be in a big hurry to become an adult. Her mother didn’t seem to care about her too much. I drove to a nearby street and parked my car next to a couple of other cars at the entrance to a fire trail. I stretched for about five minutes, and then I was on my way up my favorite wilderness trail that led into the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains (California). I grew up playing and exercising in those hills. It is my favorite place to go when I need to get away from it all. There are fire trails everywhere that accommodate anyone who is looking for exercise in a wilderness area that includes rolling hills, bush-covered chaparral, and majestic mountains. About a mile into my run I began to work up a sweat. A group of dark clouds passed overhead and it started to rain. It was winter. I was only wearing a tee-shirt and shorts, and the rain was cold, but it felt good. The rain drops splashed over my face and body like a fire sprinkler from heaven that was released right on cue. The sun burst through the clouds and I was soon bathed in warm sunlight again. I entered a rocky area filled with caves that were formed by millions of years of wind and water erosion. The Chumash Indians once lived in those caves before the Europeans came. I looked up to the right and saw a group of teenagers hanging out in a big cave that was about fifty feet up on the face of a cliff. One of them noticed me running down below and threw an empty beer bottle in my direction. The bottle hit a rock about twenty feet away from me and exploded into a million pieces. This explosion was immediately followed by an eruption of laughter from the group. I was thinking about stopping to say something, but I did not want to ruin my good mood. I made a couple of left and right turns on trails that I originally explored when I was about eight years old. I ran deeper into the hills. Soon I was running up a series of steep switchbacks trails. I eventually arrived at the top of the highest hill in that area. I stopped for a rest, and to take in the beautiful three hundred and sixty degree view all around me. I had mountains in front of me, hills all around me and the San Fernando Valley off in the distance behind me. I watched the sunset over the mountains and meditated for a moment at my favorite spot on earth. When I turned around I could see the lights of The Valley glistening like a million fire flies. I was about five miles away from the nearest civilization, but it felt like it was five hundred. A half hour later I started my run back towards civilization. It was now dark, but I was not worried about getting lost, for I knew those trails like the back of my hand. Rattlesnakes were all hibernating, coyotes aren’t much to worry about, but mountain lions were a different story. Although attacks on humans were rare, there had been a couple of people killed in California in recent years. I did not want to be the next rare event, so I made sure to announce my presence by singing loudly (and slightly off-key). Suddenly, I saw a shadowy figure of a person up ahead on the trail in front of me. I was not used to seeing other people that far back in the hills. I approached with caution. As I got closer and closer to this dark silhouette, I noticed that this person was just standing still at a fork in the dirt road. When I was about to pass this person I noticed that it was a young teenage guy. He was wearing brown nylon shorts and a yellow tee-shirt that said Calabasas Cross Country Team on the front. He looked very worried, and seemed to be lost. The thin young man politely asked me if I knew which one of the trails he was standing in front of was the one out of there. He explained that he was training for an up coming cross-country competition and did not realize how far he had run, or how quickly it got dark “now that daylight savings was over”. I told him that I knew that area quite well, and that he could follow me out of there. I made a right turn at the fork in the road, and the kid followed behind me. As we were running down the switchback trails it started to rain again. We ran out into a large valley with tall grass, and then the kid began to fall behind a bit. I slowed my pace down a little until I could see him again slowly running behind me on the trail. As we were passing through the rocky area with all the caves we suddenly came upon the group of kids that were partying earlier. They were slowly walking on the trail and passing around a bottle of whiskey. A young girl noticed us approaching and broke off from the group with the whiskey bottle in her hand. As we were passing by the girl she held the whiskey bottle out towards us and with a sarcastic and drunken voice she said “you guys must be thirsty”! A full moon was now shining down on the area and it illuminated me to the fact that this girl was the thirteen year old daughter of the albino witch lady that lived in the apartment below me. She was too drunk to recognize me. We then jogged past the chuckling group of inebriated teenagers and continued on with our run through the wilderness. We finally reached the end of the trail and we both stopped running. While trying to catch his breath, the kid thanked me for giving him directions. He then disappeared into the neighborhood. I walked over to my car and stood next to it for a moment. I thought to myself; I may not have much money, but I have my health. I am thankful for having parents who cared, and that I chose to run on the right path in life. Copyright 2006. Michael P. Connelly

A deep look into soap operas

You have got to love soap operas. From the intricate plots and finely woven webs of deceit, to the depths of schemes, they were, are and always will be classics. They are timeless. I wrote this article as my take on them back in 1970 when filling white space for our high school paper. Watch a few soap operas for the next few days and see for yourself how closely they resemble soap operas 36 years ago… And now for that thought provoking question that plagues men’s souls unceasingly through the bright shining of the day and through the untold dark depths of the night: Why did Peter, who in reality is actually Superman, fake that he stubbed his toe on the 17th stone on the sidewalk starting at 4th and Grand instead of the 16th stone, which was bigger and more logically the victim of that invulnerable toe and why did Marlys take Sam’s advice to buy the yellow tulip instead of the red and green carnation, while all the time Rodregus knew that the curvaceous young Pandora was at the moment buying the last purple, double-breasted, duck-billed, warbling giraffe in the world for her dear departed Phillip disguised as a lowly second mate on the Queen Mary, which was under attack by the tyrant Cedric because of the terrible beating he had suffered at the hands of Radcliff whose ex-wife Natalie was actually Percival’s long lost great-great-uncle Maximillian in disguise who knew that Zigmond was fond of un-pitted olives stuffed into green grapefruit filled graciously with Granny and Gretchen’s goulash, which was gradually getting gooey and who also knew of Jennifer’s contact Louella in the deep Congo, seized at the time by the dread Gardenia, the 7th cousin of Guenivere, in hopes of receiving the eight-ounce bottle of Elmer’s Glue stored in the vast files in the cortex of Courtney’s colossal computer complex carefully compiled to correct the current curling, commonly crusading as the contagious, communicable, crystalline, cucumber crud, carried on cue sticks by crying cuckoo clock birds continuously to conform with the cunning Cornelius’ cumbersome plot to corrupt the currency and continue the crisis of the Cormandel Coast Cult, complicated by the coroner Cort’s corny connotation to conceal his consecutive coronary contractions constantly crippling his conscious efforts to contradict congenial counterparts’ careful counterfeit correspondence with Corwyn, the cosmic cosmetician? Was it because Bill had green eyes or was it because Melissa meddled menacingly and meticulously in Maude’s plans to read the calendar to see what year she had been sent to by her superiors in the future? Tune in tomorrow for the exciting climax created by another deep question.

How to play it safe in a casino or in an online casino

Here are some reliable tips to help you to gamble safely with your money. Limiting the Time You Play: By picking a stop time before entering the casino you can control the amount you may lose. This is the simplest method there is. All you have to do is set the alarm on your cell phone for a specific time and once you hear the alarm you finish the round you are in and then you leave the casino. Leaving the casino will not only stop you from losing any more money but it will also allow you to clear your head and eventually you can return t the casino and start fresh from the beginning. Cut Off Point: To help make sure you do not give in to the gambling gods and fork over all your savings to the casino I recommend setting a cut off point. This means that once you hit you set amount you push yourself away from the table and leave the casino. It does not matter if you go to the bar, have some food or take a shower and a nap. Just getting out of the casino will help you regain your attachment to reality. Then after an hour or so you can go back to the casino and start over in a better state of mind then when you walked away before. Voice of Reason: When you are gambling alone if you should start to lose the only one who is going to tell you to leave the casino is your conscious, but then you will get the other voice in your head telling you that if you just risk more the reward will be even better when you win. If you are gambling with a friend they can tell you when you are getting out of control and can physically drag you from the casino if that is necessary. Of all the different safety nets you can use this one is the best, just make sure that your friend is a responsible gambler and that he is not a 95 pound weakling so that if needed he really can drag you from the casino. Public Internet Access: Many cafes and restaurants now offer free Wifi access to the internet and for those who do not have a laptop with them they will have one or 2 terminals that you can use but they are coin operated. Because they are only meant for short term use it will prevent you from sitting there and losing money for long periods of time, after a half hour or so someone is going to ask you if they can use the computer. Gambling on the Go Many people are too busy to be able to get away to a casino or play in an online casino, but they have the time to do their gambling from their cell phones. To help them stop from going overboard I recommend they use a prepaid cell phone which can be purchased very cheaply. These phones require you to purchase talk time in advance and when the phone is out of time until you buy more minutes the phone wont work. So if you spend more time in the casino then you have minutes the phone disconnects. This allows you to limit your gambling time and helps protect your bank account. Anything you can do to help keep your gambling under control is a good thing and if you are the type of person that can lose control you should definitely use some method when gambling in any of its forms.

When the young becomes restless

Being independent is something every young adult looks forward to. It is a time when they become free to do the things they've always wanted to do. Leaving home may have a certain emotional tug but the desire to become independent elicits a certain high that outweighs whatever feelings they have about staying home. However, as soon as they move out of their homes is the realization that independence involves not just freedom but many new responsiblities. Alongside those responsibilities are problems that would probably cause stress and anxiety. Such a period of transition may have a cruel twist to their emotional and psychological well-being and could even result in mental illness, specifically personality and depressive disorders. The first appearance of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other major depressive disorders tend occur in the late teens and early 20s. According to research, people are predisposed to acquire these medical conditions upon birth or during childhood. However, symptoms are may not surface until they hit a particular phase of development and/or certain stressors. Usually, men tend to develop schizophrenia between the ages of 18 and 25 while it appears in women about five years later. Bipolar disorder usually begins in early adulthood, although children and adolescents may also develop it. An increase in the incidence of major depressive disorder occurs after the age when puberty is reached. There are many cases when stressors precipitate the onset of mental illness in people who are predisposed to these conditions. Some of these stressors include death in the family, the loss of a job, or even positive events such as getting married or getting a promotion. The stress of going to college, getting independent from home and being responsible for oneself may become a trigger to anxiety disorder that leads to mental illness. Alcoho' and drugs could also trigger a bout of mental illness. Young people with psychiatric illnesses try to cope with their symptoms by using substances like alcohol, marijuana and cocaine which make them feel better when they experience a sense of being “high” and intoxicated which only complicates the problem. They are less likely to take medication properly and their symptoms are harder to control. They are at greater risk of exhibiting violent behavior and might need to be hospitalized more often Schizophrenia may be recognized when a person loses his ability to function. An adolescent who used to be doing very well in school and socially may show signs of regression. A marked changed in social or family functioning or their ability to get good grades or do well at work should be a concern. Psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations happens when certain pathways in their brains are being activated when they shouldn't be. Another symptoms of schizophrenia is paranoia or being suspicious of others. They exhibit inability to express themselves verbally, when they used to have no trouble organizing their thoughts. Other early problems may include sleep disorders such as insomia, depressed mood or anxiety. A bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive disorder. It is a brain disorder that causes unexpected changes in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. These are not the same as the normal ups and downs every person usually experience. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe which may result in ruined relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. However, bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives. Other symptoms include a decreased need for sleep, and an increased energy level. They also have an increase in risky behavior, such as excessive shopping or gambling, or being sexually promiscuous. A depressive episode involves a change in one's mood to sadness or irritability that lasts for at least two weeks and includes changes in sleep and appetite, and low energy. It's important for parents to keep in touch with their teens when they are away in boarding schools. Always keep the communication open. Always give them reassurance, affirmation and comfort in times of difficulties. Always encouraged these young adolescents to seek medical support when they are becoming extremely depressed, experiencing severe anxiety attack, or when they feel like they are hearing voices. Adolescents or young adults who have already been diagnosed with a mental illness should make sure that they are in regular contact with a mental health provider. Hospitalization may be necessary for those who experience their first episodes for proper diagnosis, treatment and safety.

Destination spas total spa vacation package

Destination Spas are a total spa vacation package, with physical fitness facilities and programs, accommodation and spa cusine. You can choose your destination spa vacation by location, type of program, interest or from one of their current promotions. The study also showed that spa travellers like to include elements of destination culture, history, cuisine and shopping in their vacations. On a destination health spa vacation, guests can feel better than they ever imagined. Tabacchi But for destination spa visitors, it's a different story, according to a recent survey of vacationers by Mary H. Tabacchi's study is believed to be the first to quantitatively measure the effects of a destination spa vacation. If you visit a destination spa your vacation is aimed at total wellness and the spa is full-service. Paradise Village is the ultimate destination among Puerto Vallarta resorts for family vacations, beach vacations, spa vacations and golf vacations. For the ultimate in vacation relaxation, nothing beats a destination spa! Discover how rejuvenating and relaxing a Spa vacation package can be. You may also choose a honeymoon vacation package or spa vacation customized especially for you. Continental Airlines Vacations makes it easy to create your own customized spa vacation package in just a few clicks. If you're looking for the ideal spa vacation package, you've just found it! Choose a honeymoon vacation package or spa vacation customized especially for you. A spa vacation package with Spatacular-spas will do it every time. Its ventures include the Luxury SpaFinder Magazine and spafinder, which helps vacationers find the spa most suited to their needsfort zone: Luxury spas are hot, and for vacationers, money appears to be no object. What else could be better than enjoying a relaxing Caribbean spa vacation aboard one of the finest luxury cruise liners. We look forward to planning a relaxing luxury health spa vacation in South Africa for you and making your dreams a reality! Enjoy a luxury spa vacation with wonderful spa therapies. We hope that your health spa, weight loss vacation experience is a pleasant one. Find the delight of health spa vacations and treatment products. Beauty, relaxation and health come together for an ideal spa resort vacation in Orlando. Cruises, too There's no reason a health spa vacation has to take place on land. Plan a spa getaway or some time at a vacation resort. Get practical advice on how to select and plan your spa vacation. Get practical advice on how to select, plan and get the most out of your spa vacation. Either way, you'll return home feeling completely relaxed, refreshed, and probably wanting to plan your next spa vacation. health-spa-vacation-resort

Guide to purchasing antiques

Antiques are a great way to adorn your rooms. But there are several things to consider before you buy that rare antique item that you have been looking for so long. Antiques can be any collectible item that has aesthetic value and is approximately 100 years old or even more. Grand clocks, pianos, jewelry items, vintage fashion, silverware, ivory or Faberge eggs are just some examples of desirable antiques. People have their own particular preference for different antique pieces, such as antique clock or antique Chinese porcelain etc. The first thing to consider is the originality and history of the antique you intend to buy. As rare antiques come at higher prices, you would not want to be fooled by fake replicas. Many antique sellers often put up retouched items for sale. But antiques look best when they are not refurbished though you should not buy items with defects. It is the originality that makes an antique item precious. Before buying you must do proper research on the antique item. The internet is the best place to do research on antique items as it can provide valuable information regarding global antique prices and the history of antique items. You should also be careful about antique reproductions. If you are new and have not done proper research, it will be difficult to tell the difference between a reproduction from the original. Antique pieces should show some wear and tear and these small details are something to look out for. If the item looks flawless than it probably is not an authentic antique. The best places to buy antiques are at antique auctions. Buying from a reputable auction house or an antique store will ensure that the antique collectible is genuine, as it should also come with certificates of originality. To get that coveted item you should visit the antique auctions regularly. Garage sales are also a good place to buy as you may often get rare antiques at a very cheap price, but do make sure that it is original. Though the internet is a useful source of information, this is not the case when buying antiques online. A first hand look at the antique product is not possible on the internet and the website photos often hide the defects and deficiencies. Proper care and maintenance should be taken to preserve antique items for ages. When buying an item, gather information about proper antique storage and antique preservation methods. Items should be kept in moderately humid and cool places. Direct sunlight should be avoided. The antiques should be handled carefully. Excessive cleaning sometimes ruins the originality of the antique. First-time buyers can also buy general antique guides for research and guidance on starting their antique collection. Guides on specific antique items are also available.

Is swimming effective for weight loss and tone muscles

Well, most people think swimming is effective to tone muscles and lose fat and that is why the swimming pools everywhere are always packed in the evenings and weekends. Well, I must first declare that I am not anti-swimming. In fact, I swim regularly. However when I researched materials for my articles, I came across some negative aspects of swimming from the scientific community. Swimming is considered as one of the best exercises to lose weight and also to build and tone muscles. Not surprisingly so because when you swim, all your major muscles are called into action. It also has an aerobic effect, so heart and lungs get a good workout too. However, a research published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine shows that in the absence of a controlled diet, swimming has little or no effect on weight loss. Professor Grant Gwinup conducted an experiment with the following results. * Test subjects following a walking program lost 17 pounds of weight during the three-month study. * Those following the cycling program lost 19 pounds of weight. * However, subjects following the swimming program actually gained 5 pounds. Astonishing isn't it? I was surprised too when I first read the report. Professor Gwinup then assumes that swimming in cold water stimulates the appetite to increase caloric consumption. Professor Louise Burke, Head of Nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport, pointed out that competitive swimmers typically have body fat levels that are higher than those of runners or cyclists who expend a similar amount of energy when they train. Many people feel hungry after swimming and may simply replace all the calories they've burned with a large meal after their swim. "Some research suggests that this is due to the cool temperatures in which swimmers train. By contrast, runners and cyclists usually experience an increase in body temperature during training, which may serve to suppress appetite - at least in the short term" said Professor Burke. Professor Burke further said that competitive swimmers are less active outside their training sessions. They are so tired from the hours spent training that they sleep, sit or otherwise avoid any real physical activity outside their sessions. Now on building muscles, because most of the work your body does when swimming involves positive muscle actions, like pushing up a bench press, there is no negative action like lowering the weights during a bench press at all. We know that the negative move during weight training is important to build muscles and burn fat. Doing any exercise is better than not exercising at all. So go ahead and swim so that you can have various forms of exercises to beat the boredom of doing the same things all the time. Just make sure that you don't eat more or become more sedentary after your swim.

Anti aging skin care

Anti aging skin care One of the most interesting topics on skin care is ‘anti aging skin care’. As one gets older, the natural defence of our skin (and in fact of the whole body) weakens. ‘Anti aging skin care’ is about protecting your skin from the negative effects of aging process. ‘Anti aging skin care’ helps in maintaining a young and fresh look for a longer period of time. However, ‘anti aging skin care’ doesn’t end just here. Besides maintaining your looks (good looks), ‘anti aging skin care’ is also about retaining the resistance to disease. Though the awareness about anti aging has increased over a period of time, still a lot of people are unable to recognize the aging symptoms (and hence are unable to determine if they are in need of additional anti aging skin care measures). Here is a list of visible anti aging symptoms that will help you in the planning and execution of your strategy for anti aging skin care: baldness, forgetfulness, graying hair, wrinkle formation, loss of eyesight or hearing loss and menopause. The occurrence of one or more such symptoms is an indicator for upping the ante on anti aging skin care. Note that we are talking about introduction of additional measures for anti aging skin care, we are not talking about starting ‘anti aging skin care’ altogether. ‘Anti aging skin care’ actually starts much before the symptoms of anti aging appear. Serious anti aging skin care is building and following a proper skin care routine much earlier in life (say in your teens). Anti aging skin care doesn’t mean adoption of any special skin care procedure but just following a normal procedure in the right earnest. Eating a lot of fruits, avoiding stress, drinking a lot of water and using natural therapies can delay the aging process. Once the signs of aging start showing up, you should start using some additional measures in the form of anti aging skin care products. The market is full of anti aging skin care products. In fact there are so many anti aging skin care products that they will probably find you even before you find them. Also, with age, the skin undergoes significant change. So you will need to analyse your current skin care procedure to check if it still holds good i. e. if it is still suitable for your skin. You should remember that aging is a natural process and there is nothing that can stop it from happening. All these anti aging skin measures can just help in delaying the aging process.

Top three cheap les paul guitars

Les Paul guitars are normally priced in the thousands. If you look around there are some cheap Les Paul guitars to be found. Good cheap Les Paul guitars can be found for under $500 dollars. These types of instruments can provide years of playing enjoyment. Our first of the cheap Les Paul guitars is the Epiphone Ultra electric guitar. The Ultra looks similiar to the Les Paul Standard, but to make it more "acoustic" sounding, its mahogany body has logically placed hollow cavities making it around 5.5 pounds lighter. It's very comfortable to play this guitar due to its belly contour on the back. Next is the Epiphone Les Paul Special II electric guitar. This guitar is cheaply priced and provides a classic humbucker sound. The neck is a nice mahogany, and the fingerboard is rosewood with dot inlays. The hardware is chrome, plus it has tone and volume controls. Our final affordable guitar under $500 is the Epiphone Les Paul 100 electric guitar. This instrument has two humbucker pickups, a fretboard of rosewood with a bolt-on mahogany neck, plus outstanding body wood. All this gives it one of the best sustaining tone characters. If you want to let your leads sing, try the Les Paul 100.

Etiqueta de poquer

Si eres un principiante en el juego, o mas bien un experto que se ha dedicado toda la vida a apuestas y partidos de Pуquer, aprender las normas de conducta nunca esta de mas. Aquн te presentamos algunas reglas no tan estrictas pero importantes a la hora de demostrar tu estilo y profesionalismo. En el Pуquer: 1) No debes mirar ni intentar leer las cartas de los demбs jugadores antes de que ellos mismos expongan las cartas en la mesa. No es considerado apropiado. 2) No debes revelar el contenido de tus cartas antes de terminar ese partido o mano. Si lo haces los demбs jugadores sabrбn si has mentido o como es tu situaciуn. Tambiйn podrбn saber que otras cartas quedan en las manos de los demбs jugadores. 3) No debes comenzar la jugada si todavнa no llego tu turno. No lo hagas ni en broma, y si lo haces por error, pide disculpas a los demбs jugadores ya que es un acto que no es aceptado en el poquer. 4) No debes amontonar las fichas del partido apiсadamente o desordenadamente. Probablemente va a molestar en la mesa a los demбs jugadores, e interferir en el reparto de las cartas. 5) No debes ayudar a demбs jugadores ni decir cosas que influyan sus a sus decisiones en el partido. Puede causar problemas entre todos los jugadores. Cada uno deberб tomar sus propias decisiones y equivocarse es parte del juego. 6) No debes usar el telйfono celular en el casino. Si estas en medio del partido y debes recibir una llamada urgente pide disculpas a los demбs jugadores y retнrate del partido hasta que termines de hablar. 7) No debes hacer trampa ni estafar. Pretender que tienes mejores cartas de las que tienes es parte del juego, pero la trapa y la estafa estбn prohibidos. 8) No debes maldecir o usar lenguaje obsceno en el partido de Pуquer. Tampoco debes amenazar al repartidor del juego ni a cualquiera de los jugadores. Es importante mantener la calma a pesar de los resultados del juego. 9) Es importante respetar el partido sin quebrar, llorar, estropear las cartas a la mesa o a las fichas. 10) Finalmente, no traigas objetos electrуnicos como cбmara fotogrбfica o filmadora, radio, etc. Son artнculos inapropiados para mantener el estado neutral en un partido de Pуquer. 11) No debes fumar deliberadamente en medio del partido. En muchos casinos esta prohibido, y si juegas con amigos asegurate que no moleste a ninguno. Todas estas normas, como mencione previamente, no estбn escritas en ningъn reglamento del Pуquer pero si son importantes de respetar y recordar a la hora que te propongas jugar. Disfruta tu juego y buena suerte!

Stop smoking if you value life

It is a well known fact in the medical community now that smoking and the morbidity and mortality that is a direct result of this destructive habit. It really is a health care crisis but the problem is that you wouldn't know it. Doctors are to blame for this in large part and that is because they don't make the decision to stop smoking as important and life saving as it should be. Smoking has many deep, deep roots that are intertwined in our culture and environment otherwise. This is in part what makes it so dangerous, that is that it is so natural. In fact there are doctors practicing now that as young doctors were suggesting that people take up smoking in order to reduce the stress in our lives. The other problem is that smoking isn't the only quiet killer that we have to deal with. If we get rid of smoking than we will start dealing with the looming crises of obesity, high fat diets, inactivity, pollution, and on and on. This is not to say that we should give up but rather not be totally distracted from other public health issues. Anyway due to the recent awareness there has been a lot of work into figuring out how to help people stop smoking. The results of all this work is fortunately encouraging. The major concern was that it wouldn't be a good use of the physicians clinic time to counsel and manage smoking cessation efforts. The problem was this counseling was one of the key components to successful treatment of the addiction. Then people started looking not so much at how much it was costing to have doctors spend time treating this issue but how much it was costing to allow people to continue to smoke. The numbers are staggering, and very much in favor of paying physicians to treat this addiction to nicotine. So all that to say that doctors have gotten good at helping people decide to stop smoking and to make good on this promise. Treatment usually involves a very well proven combination of frequent office visits for counseling, contracts to quit, recruiting the support of family and friends, nicotine replacement, and other pharmacotherapies that help to make a drastic but life saving change. So if you want to live but haven't made the plunge, please seek out a well trained and qualified physician. It's crucial to the success of your goal to stop smoking.

Things to consider when purchasing a drill

1) With Cord or Without? This is your first decision to come to. There are several advantages and disadvantages to each type of drill: - Cordless drills are almost always more convenient. They can easily be used anywhere quickly without having to deal with extension cords and power outlets; so long as the battery stays charged. The asset of corded drills is that there is no limitation on how long they can be used. When using a corded drill, you will never find yourself waiting for batteries to charge. - While it may sounds strange, cordless drills tend to be lighter than corded drills. But, if you select a high-power cordless drill (18V and up), these models are sometimes as heavy or heavier than their corded counterparts. - Cordless drills are safer as there is no cord acting as a trip hazard. - If high torque and long run times are needed, a corded drill will perform better. While there are many high-power models obtainable for cordless drills, corded drills will always be able to supply more torque, and they will be able to provide it for a longer period of time. - Even good batteries have a limited lifetime. You should expect that the batteries in your cordless drill will only last two to three years at most. Batteries are very costly to buy; it is usually cheaper to just purchase a new cordless drill than to purchase two new batteries. If you are buying a cordless drill, expect to be getting a new drill in a couple years time. For comparison, if you choose a corded drill your drill should last for a good 10 years or more. - If you are going to buy a cordless drill, make sure to get one with Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries; do not buy a drill with Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH) batteries. Li-Ion batteries are better; they are more powerful, they have longer lifetimes, they do not have "memory" issues, and they are better for the environment because they contain fewer harmful metal elements. 2) Pick a Chuck The chuck is the part of the drill that holds the bits in place. There are two picks to make here: size and type. Standard chuck sizes are 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" with the standard size being 3/8". If you want to be able to use bigger drill bits, opt for the 1/2" chuck since many bigger drill bits will not fit in a 3/8" drill. But if you do not need or want the ability to use larger drill bits, the 3/8" chuck is a better option since you typically can get higher bit speeds in these type of drills. There are two different types of chucks: keyed and keyless. For drills with a keyed chuck, you use a mechanical key to tighten and loosen drill bits. With the keyless chuck, the drill bit is tightened into the chuck by holding the chuck with your hand while powering the drill. The mechanical advantage of the keyed chuck makes it able to hold bits tighter so there is less chance of the drill bit slipping in the chuck. The advantage of the keyless chuck is that it is quicker to change bits, and there is no key to lose or keep track of. 3) Important Features To get the most usage from your new drill, make sure it has these important features: - A reverse mode. Even if you don't plan to use your drill for driving screws, reverse is key feature to have for removing drill bits that get stuck. If you are getting a drill with a keyless chuck, it will always have reverse (otherwise there would be know way to get the drill bit out), so you only need to check for the presence of this feature if you are getting a drill with a keyed chuck. - Variable speed. If you plan to use your drill to drive screws, this is key feature. If not, this is still an important feature to have since it makes it much easier to drill clean holes since different materials require bit speeds. - Two speed ranges. This is really only needed if you plan on driving screws using your drill. If that's the case, this is very important to have. Having the lower speed range makes it much simpler to drive screws without stripping them. - A torque clutch. Again, this is really only required if you are driving screws. The clutch lets you set a maximum torque after which the drill will stop driving. This is really handy when driving screws to guard against over-driving the screw into the material. If you are putting in large amounts of screws (like on a deck for example), this feature is worth its weight in gold.

Expert witnesses shine with winning word selections

: A picture may paint a thousand words, but in the expert witness field you still need to find the right words to describe your practice. It may sound easy, but it is not! Even a seasoned writer searches for appropriate language. Why is word selection important? Reason # 1: Attorneys and paralegals find you online by searching on keywords. Reason # 2: Search engines categorize your website based on Metatags and keyword density. Reason # 3: Prospects look for certain phrases when they need an expert witness with very specific experience. Five sources for industry buzz words Now is a good time to take an inventory of your website and promotional material. If your copy is stale, here are some good places to look for useful ideas to freshen up your own service descriptions. Monitor competitor sites and maintain a file of “best practices.” Personalize and incorporate the good ideas into your own work to keep your website and printed materials current. Review websites of law firms that specialize in your area of practice. Read their newsletters, articles and practice descriptions to gather ideas on important words and phrases you can use. Take notice of the presentations being made at leading industry conferences. You will discover newsworthy subjects described with catchy titles and important keywords. Visit industry association websites to look for fact sheets, press releases or newsletters that outline current events. Add appropriate keywords to your own website to stay up-to-date. Explore federal, state and local government agency websites. These can be an excellent reference source for legislation, regulations and enforcement actions. Read national newspapers, local dailies, state Bar Journals, online legal news sources and trade publications to see how emerging trends and key industry issues are described. The “Ins” and “Outs” of good copywriting Lawyers frequently need to know about standards and practices. Identify terms and protocols that are reasonable and customary in your field and include the technical terminology in your service descriptions. Standards-setting organizations govern best practices in many industries. If you are an expert witness in standards issued by ANSI, JCAHO, IEEE, ISO, UL or the alphabet soup of other organizations, spell out the organization name, include the acronym and specify the standard when you describe your pertinent experience. Industry metrics frequently guide professionals when they evaluate a situation and determine a recommended course of action. Examples include the Richter earthquake scale, the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale or the Stanford-Binet IQ scale. You will want to document every scale in your field that you can address in a court of law. How often have you visited a website that spouts so many generalities that it sounds like “blah, blah, blah, blah, blah”? BORING! Do not let this happen to you. You will not distinguish yourself in a crowded field by relying on general terms like “courteous professional services” or “high quality litigation services.” Stick to the facts, describe your services thoughtfully and you will be well positioned for enhanced online visibility.

Corporate team building events throw distancing to a distance

If someone just studies a few recent corporate recruitment advertisements, there will be at least one thing he or she will find common in almost all of them. The recruiters are putting much emphasis on hiring a one-team man rather than a one-man team, in the management category at least. In accordance to this shift, the office atmosphere is changing too. CEOs of the companies at present are accessible to general employees more than ever before. The visual distance is cut short. Office decorations are changing with more and more interlinked and free sitting arrangements. At this age, one can never ignore the psychological affect on human beings created by the respective surroundings. The corporate houses these days are spending huge amounts to unite the workforce into an active team. Active and spontaneous participation of employees in both internal and external affairs of the company and even in the decision making process are regarded as the path of progress. The main problem in the corporate team building process namely ‘distancing’ is predominantly inherent in employees’ as well as in the employer’s psyche. It is one of the basic instincts of human beings. The primary team building process is constantly fighting to throw away ‘distancing’ to a great distance. The ideal corporate team building events concentrate on bringing together employees who do not always get the chance to come in close, if not in personal contact with each other. The prime ideological stand is that, if an employee does not know his or her co-workers then he or she cannot actively participate to boost up the company profile and morale as a whole. It is all about fixing the SELF, not into the category called OTHER, but under the umbrella named WE. The corporate event management companies divide the employees into various groups. Apparently, it seems that the process is breaking the basic notion of team building activities, but in fact, it just adds to the notion. The participants here never feel rivalry among themselves. They are conscious that it is merely a game though they need to win. Thus, they fail to concentrate on the issue that it is a part of the team building exercise tailored by the company. This lack of concentration on the subtle issue ultimately does the trick. The idea of the team is built in the consciousness of the participant that excludes the visual divisions. The job is done. However, a Corporate Hospitality Company must be cautious of the standard and socio-cultural background of the participants. Otherwise, the whole process may go in vain.

How to hire a nanny

Hiring a nanny is one of the best solutions. People may consider daycare instead of nanny. So which choice is better than another? Why would you choose to hire a nanny instead of using a daycare? Here are some questions you should ask yourself as well as what you should look for when choosing a nanny for your children. In some parents’ eyes, daycares are less favorable than a nanny. Some parents feel the personal attention a nanny can give to their children is a valuable service many daycares are not capable of providing due to the number of children in their care. Another reason that families choose nannies is for the convenience of having the childcare available outside of standard daycare operating hours. A nanny will become an integral part of the family so choosing wisely is an important step to selecting the best nanny for your children. What should you consider then? 1. Do you want a live-in nanny, day time nanny, full-time, part-time or on call? What is your budget? Will you want the nanny to clean the house, cook meals or transport your children to after school activities or play dates? What other responsibilities are you looking for in a nanny? 2. Will you allow smoking or visitors in your home during the care period? Do you care if the nanny speaks your native language or any other language? Au pairs are commonly younger women from foreign countries; is it important to you to have a caregiver from your locality? 3. What is the rate? Before you start looking for a nanny you should find out what the local rates are and determine if you can afford the care you are looking for. Perhaps making arrangements with another family to share a nanny will better suit your budget. If you choose to share a nanny you will also need to make a clear agreement with the other parents as to the responsibilities you both require. Nannies can be found through agencies, personal references and by posting an ad in the newspaper. Wherever you go to find a nanny you will want to ask them for references (make certain that you are able to contact the references), a driver's license or other ID, criminal check and child care experience or education depending on your personal requirements. Asking for a nanny with First Aid or CPR is also common. It is better for you to ask the agency about their background and work experience. Arrange to meet the candidates in person and don't commit to a hiring until you've had the chance to interview them.

Increase your rotational strength for a more powerful golf swing

Every golfer dreams of a fluid, unhindered golf swing. So why do so few of us actually achieve it? The culprit is usually a weak core and poor posture. You should aim for a healthy 60-degree rotation in your trunk if you want to achieve a free, smooth golf swing. Here are two simple exercises that you can perform to improve trunk rotation: 1. Improve Rotational Flexibility Sit straight on a stool with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Hold your golf club across your shoulders. Turn around clockwise as far as you can, till you feel a good stretch. Then turn around anti-clockwise as far as you can. You might notice a difference in your turning ability on each side. Work on your less flexible side to correct the imbalance. Having one side weaker than the other can affect your 'feel' for the game! Many people perform this stretch standing, which is less effective as it permits movement at the knee and foot. Movement at these joints can compromise trunk rotation. 2. Improve Rotational Strength Fix a cable with handle (or an exercise tube) to a low pulley. Do not set the weight too high. It's always easier to start low and then gradually raise your limits as you get accustomed to the moves. Stand with your right side to the cable, feet are shoulder width apart. Grasp the cable handle with both your hands while standing erect. Pull the cable towards your left shoulder, ending up with your arms making a 45-degree angle to your neck. Keep only a slight bend in your elbows. Perform four reps and repeat with the other side. Injuries and muscle imbalances often result from poor stability, which is the main cause for lack of coordination between your upper body and lower body. The abs and hips are your body's "transmission system" transferring power from the bigger and stronger muscles of the lower body to the upper body, which guides and controls your golf swing. 3. Stabilize your trunk for better rotation Stand straight with your arms crossed at shoulder level and weight equally distributed on both legs. Shift your weight to the left foot, and move your right foot one step away from your left foot. Make sure your right foot is firmly positioned on the floor. Rotate your upper body the same direction as the supporting leg. Now shift your weight to the right foot while rotating your upper body to the same side. Do not lean forwards or backwards while you bend your knee. Your body should remain with good posture while maintaining a tight stomach and neutral back position. Continue repeating this exercise so you can get a feel for what it is like to produce stability in your midsection while rotating from a more solid body position. Finally - do not expect an instant miracle on the golf course. Perform these exercises regularly and keep adding new and challenging routines to work on your trunk flexibility, stability and strength!

Walking sticks a money making hobby

: Carving walking sticks wasn't meant to be a money-making hobby for me. I sometimes made them when backpacking, and I had always enjoyed taking my pocket knife to a piece of wood to see what I could make. I just hadn't thought of doing anything more with the hobby. One summer, when my wife Ana and I briefly got into the flea market business, I noticed the occasional vendor selling walking sticks. If the event was more of an arts and crafts show than a flea market, they sold for as much as $50 each. Ana suggested that we could sell them too, so I went to work. I could cut 20 or young poplars in an hour with my "shortcut" saw, and get two sticks out of half of them. My favorite wood, however, was white cedar. In the Cedar swamps near home, it grew straight and died young from overcrowding. Cedar wood remains solid for many years after dying, so I could quickly cut many straight and perfectly dried sticks. There was soon a pile of wood shavings behind the house, as I cut the bark off and carved each stick into various forms. Many were just rounded off on top. Others I cut into a spiral, or pyramidal shape. I put padding and leather covers on some, and drilled out the tops to inset nice stones on others. This is a hobby that lets you really exercise your imagination. I wrapped the walking sticks with leather near the bottom, to prevent splitting, and most also had leather handgrips. The leather came from old leather coats I bought at thrift stores for $5 each and cut into strips. It was attached with glue and small nails. Each stick had about fifty cents in materials in it at most. A Money Making Hobby They sold for as little as $6 each to as much as $24. This was less than others sold walking sticks for, but then we were mostly selling them at flea markets, rather than arts and crafts shows, where they would get a higher price. I also wholesaled them to a vendor who sold them at gun-and-knife shows, and to a friend who sold them at Native American pow-wows. How much could you make selling walking sticks? Who knows. I sold about $1200 in walking sticks that summer, before we moved on to try an internet business. They were a nice addition to our other crafts and the stuffed animals we sold at various flea markets. My advantage was that I was very efficient in making them, spending less than an hour even on the most elaborate ones. The most I sold was $250 in walking sticks in a day. However, I saw vendors who paid $300 to rent a space for the weekend (we typically paid $10/day for a flea market space), and sold only walking sticks. They were undoubtedly selling much more than I, but in any case, doing something you enjoy AND making a profit is a nice advantage of any money-making hobby.

It certifications what types of support do your clients need

Sweet spot small businesses have distinct support needs-strong desktop support skills and light LAN skills. In this article, you'll learn what skills and certifications are most important to your sweet spot business clients. What Specific Tasks Will Your Clients Need Help With? These sweet spot clients are looking for help with popular desktop applications like Microsoft Office, Intuit QuickBooks, and Interact ACT! and help doing hardware upgrades. They need help setting up shared folder backup software and keeping their antivirus and firewall software up-to-date. These small businesses need help synching up their PDAs with ACT! and Microsoft Outlook. And they definitely need help with their networks. Micro Small Businesses Have Different Needs Micro small business space with fewer than 10 PCs, the peer-to-peer end, don't bother spending a lot of money on certification. In fact, IT certifications are often perceived as a negative-small business owners feel like they're paying for someone who's overqualified for the job. IT Certifications Are More Important to “Real” IT Managers When you start selling to a real IT manager, in a much larger small business (50+ systems) you'll find a more sophisticated IT buyer. At this point, IT certifications start to become extremely important. At this level, a “real” seasoned IT manager knows exactly what the different levels of IT certifications are. At this level, there's a very good chance the buyers you're selling to are certified and they'll typically look for deeply niched experts-as opposed to virtual IT generalists. An in-house IT manager often handles the generalist work in-house. So this kind of larger small business doesn't need a virtual IT department-they are looking for someone to fill in their own skill gaps. For example, if this client has a Microsoft Exchange Server installation, the IT manager may bring in a consulting firm skilled in doing forms development or hooking up a Java-based application to something that's based in a Microsoft Exchange Server Message Store. Or the IT manager may be looking for a Microsoft SQL Server developer or someone with strong Microsoft Visual Basic development skills. The Bottom Line about IT Certifications The sweet spot clients are a very different type of opportunity than where most small business computer consulting firms focus. At least at the outset, put most of your energy into the 10 to 50 PC space which is just big enough to need fairly sophisticated solutions, but not nearly large enough to justify putting a “real” highly-skilled IT person on payroll. Copyright Notice: Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting 101. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

You can build your own doghouse

Anybody who owns a dog will know that they can be expensive. Vets bills and food supplies soon mount up and this is why so many dogs end up abandoned in rescue centers or put out on to the street. Responsible dog owners are aware of the costs which a pet incurs and so go into it with their eyes open. However, an unnecessary expense is that involved with the purchase of a doghouse. Many dog owners allow their pets to sleep in the home with them, thus eradicating the need for an exterior doghouse. But others prefer to distance themselves somewhat from their pets, preferring them to sleep outside at night. For these owners, the need to buy a doghouse is essential. These can range from budget buys which are little more than a wooden shell, to hugely extravagant constructions complete with a porch and stairs to make their kennel into a luxury home. Obviously, the cost rises proportionately to the quality of the doghouse. However, there is an alternative option. You could build your own doghouse. You would still be required to pay for the supplies and you would have to do the work yourself but it means that you can tailor the doghouse to your pet. A doghouse should be large enough for your pet to comfortably turn but no bigger than that in order for it to retain the dog’s body heat and so self-insulate to a degree. Most readily available dog houses that you can buy from pet stores or similar places are a fairly standard size. Given that your doghouse should be sized in relation to your specific dog, you may find that, if you have a particularly large or small dog, that the shop bought ones are not ideal. Therefore, building your own can solve this problem. There are a few things to remember when buying the materials for your doghouse. The first is to ensure that the doghouse is raised from the floor slightly to prevent moisture from seeping into the wood. The second is to ensure that you purchase exterior grade plywood and not pressure treated plywood. Exterior grade is slightly harder to come by as the majority of hardware stores sell pressure treated. However, this is treated with chemicals which may be harmful to your dog if they chew it. These are the main things you need to adhere to when building your own doghouse. As long as these three areas, the size, raised from the ground and use of correct wood, are correct you can pretty much do what you like in terms of design and build. Why not decorate the finished doghouse to suit your pet’s personality? That is what I call a designer home!

Getting credit where credit is due

What is credit? Do you really know and understand that credit is a business, and that if you are not a good business risk, you will not able to get credit? If you have ever had credit, then you understand that getting it and maintaining it are essential to your financial success. Credit, by definition, is the extension of financial resources to you by a third party, under a contract, that dictates that you will repay the amount of the credit you use (with interest). Credit can be acquired with security or without (on your good name). Acquiring credit of itself does not create the debt. You become indebted when you actually use the credit. For example, when an investor extends credit to you in the amount of $10,000.00 (the amount is insignificant) and you use all $10,000.00, you have created a debt position with the investor for the $10,000.00. However, if you only use $1.00, you only pay back $1.00. There are various types of credit for different purposes. The lending agreement sets the amount of credit to be extended and the terms for repayment. It is fundamental that you comprehensively understand the terms and conditions of every contract you agree to whether it's for credit, or for some other legal matter. This is probably one of the greatest areas of misunderstanding for consumers and corporations alike. On the other hand, you can use credit to prove yourself financially trustworthy. Credit is an industry unto itself, and you have to realize that if you manage credit well, you will get more of it. The more you demonstrate that you are able to adhere to and execute the terms of the contract, the more exposure the investor will be willing to take with you. Essentially, it's comparable to gambling. The investor basically stakes (based on certain calculated risk factors) how much you will be able repay. To the investor, this "gamble" is considered an investment. Why? Because the amount of the original advance will be repaid with interest. Investors loan you money and you pay them to do it. A very simple definition for interest is this: Interest is money made by the lender on money they loaned to you. For example, if you borrow $100,000.00 and have to pay back $110,000.00 according to the terms of the contract, you are paying $10,000.00 in interest. The investor, whether private party, corporation or bank, made $10,000.00 on that deal. The most important thing you can do for yourself in order to build and maintain an excellent credit record is to learn what investor's look for in potential "investments". Lenders do not look at you as a human being. When you consider purchasing anything on credit, including houses and cars, you have to understand that your life is literally reduced to numbers. This is the sad truth about how the credit reporting system works. The system is not designed to serve you as the person needing the loan. The system is designed to protect the investors who lend the money. It is a business and the business has nothing to do with you. It is not subjective which is human nature, it is relentlessly objective. Every dollar of credit extended has to be paid back with interest in order the business to make sense. In order to master the system, it is necessary that you educate yourself what lenders (investors) look for, and become strong in those areas. Credit is not personal, it's business. Do not ever let anyone judge you as a person based on your credit report. You are not defined by your credit. Credit is a financial tool, not a relationship-building tool. If you intentionally abuse the credit system, that's one thing. But, if you simply do not understand the system or, have just had various circumstances beyond your control knock you out of the game, don't be discouraged. Educate yourself, master the system, and get back in the game.

3 Women starting a small business

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 doesn’t 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 didn’t 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.

Flipping or fixing houses for profit

What's the difference between a fixer and a flip? Many real estate investors make $5,000 to $10,000 or more by flipping houses. These investors buy a home from a distressed seller and resell it quickly for a profit. Just because a seller has serious problems like a pending foreclosure or divorce doesn't mean the house is a fixer. Many distressed sellers offer prime houses in perfect condition discounted for a quick sale. Distressed sellers jump at the chance to get out from under their overwhelming problems with an offer to close in ten days. To purchase a home quickly, you need to be prepared to offer cash or a have secure loan in place with a reliable mortgage lender. Other real estate investors prefer to buy fixers from distressed sellers. Distressed fixers tender the best bargains to make the highest return on your money. For instance, if you put 5% down on a $200,000 home, spend $5,000 fixing the house up, and another $3,000 in payments, your cash investment totals $18,000. If you sell the home for a $70,000 profit like many rehabbers, you can see that your return on your investment of $18,000 for two months exceeds most other types of investments. This investment plan assumes that you have the knowledge and skills, time to work on your fixer, and that you sell the house as soon as it’s finished to a qualified buyer. Home improvement centers help you with how-to classes, brochures, and advice. You need to give up your free time--TV, parties, leisure activities and work on your fixer. You could hire workers, but contractors and laborers work slowly and eat up your profits. The last part of the equation, selling your house quickly to a qualified buyer means you need to do your homework. Many investors seek free help from a loan officer to price the house right and to qualify their buyers. These investors earn the sales commission by selling their houses by owner. The most important issue, how you fix up your house, ensures that you quickly attract a buyer willing to pay top dollar for your transformed property. Investors using Design Psychology strategies for fixing houses sell their homes, for more than the asking price, three hours after putting the yard sign out. Whether you want to make money investing in real estate by flipping or fixing houses, you need to understand your market. To get started in your real estate business, go house shopping. You'll soon learn how to pick up a flip or a fixer and be on your way to making a high return on your money. Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author's information with live links only.)

The pros cons of working from home

The advantages of working from home are numerous and the benefits are plenty. You get freedom, work life balance and the ability to take care of your spouse & family. It is also better from an environmental point of view: Pros • No stress driving from work & home • More efficient • Dress as you please, no more traffic jams & less stress. • Use your time more productively • Learn how to cook, and no more visits to fast food outlets • Less stress • More time to exercise • Reduced stress benefits • No rates or rents Cons • One can't hold a business meeting at home • Noisy children • Isolated • Wife / partner asks you to get messages • Family doesn’t believe you are in work mode • Partner wants control of the "house" • Uninvited guests • Children's friends • Working from home is not ideal for many types of jobs Compromise If you work for a large company, you can often achieve a compromise solution whereby you work a few days at home and attend the office a couple of days a week. This allows you attend important meetings at the work place and still avoid the traffic jams on most days of the week! New Technology With the advent of broadband, web cams & unlimited calls from your phone, working from home has never been easier. Large companies nowadays are more results oriented then counting hours that employees have worked. Most employees will tend to work longer hours when they don’t have to clock in. What kind of work can you do working from home? 1) Create an internet web business. Always choose the niche you are knowledgeable in, and focus 100% on your target market. Do not try and please everybody. Aim for a highly specialised field and become an expert. 2) Turn your hobby into a business. As an example - if you like collecting stamps, you could always start trading in stamps via online auctions like EBay. 3) Write for other websites and online offline publications. There will be needs in you communities that are currently not being met. Find out what they are and try and meet them! Do you work from home? What do you think the advantages & disadvantages are working from home?

Stock markets of the world

"Stock Market" is a term that is used to refer both to the physical location for buying and selling stocks, and to the overall activity of the market within a certain country. When you hear "The stock market was down today," it refers to the combined activity of many stock exchanges. The major exchanges in the US are the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the American Stock Exchange (Amex), and NASDAQ. The correct term for the physical location for trading stocks is the "Stock Exchange." A country may have many different stock exchanges. Usually a particular company's stocks are traded on only 1 exchange, although large corporations may be listed in several. Investing Around The World There are stock exchanges located throughout the world, and it is possible to buy or sell stocks on any of them. The only restriction is the oparating hours of each exchange. Both the NYSE and NASDAQ, for example, operate from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Other exchanges have similar opening hours based on their local time. When you trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, your order will be executed sometime between 9:30 pm and 4:00 am New York time. The locations of the major stock exchanges of the world are: Japan (Tokyo Stock Exchange) India (Bombay Stock Exchange) Europe (London Stock Exchange, Frankfurt Stock Exchange, SWX Swiss Exchange) the People's Republic of China (Shanghai Stock Exchange) United States. Stock Market Fluctuations The economic health of a country will strongly influence its stock market. When the economy is doing well the market is bullish. Bull markets occur during times of high economic production, low unemployment and low inflation. Bear markets, on the other hand, follow downturns in the economy. When inflation and unemployment are rising, stock prices are usually falling. Stock price fluctuations are also driven by supply and demand, which in turn are dependent to a great degree on investor psychology. Seeing a stock price rise rapidly can cause investors to jump on the bandwagon, and this rush to buy drives the price up even faster. A falling price can have a similar effect in the other direction. These are short-term fluctuations. Stock prices tend to normalize after such runs. The stock exchange is only 1 of many opportunities for people to invest. Other popular markets include the Foreign Exchange Market (FOREX), the Futures Market, and the Options Market. FOREX: World's Largest Market The FOREX is the biggest (in terms of value) investment market in the world. FOREX traders buy 1 currency against another and can profit from small changes in currency value. Most FOREX trades are entered and exited in 1 24-hour span, and traders have to keep a close watch on the market in order to make profitable trades. The Futures Market The Futures Market is a market of contracts to buy and sell certain goods at specified prices and times. It exists because buyers and sellers of goods wish to lock in prices for future delivery, but market conditions can make the actual futures contract fluctuate considerably in value. Most investors in the futures market are not interested in the actual goods -- only in the profit that can be realized from trading the contracts. The Options Market The Options Market is similar to the Futures Market in that an option is a contract that gives you the right (but not the obligation) to trade a stock at a certain price before a specified date. These options can be traded on their own or purchased as a form of insurance against price fluctuations within a certain time frame. Stocks: Low Risk, Long-Term All 3 of these markets are considered quite risky without considerable knowledge and experience. They also require close monitoring of market movements. Stocks, on the other hand, are less risky because movements of the market are usually more gradual. Although short-term investment strategies are possible, most people view stocks as long-term investments.

Architect or building designer who do you choose

Thinking of building a new home or complex? Will you use an architect or a building designer? Both are involved in the design of buildings – their appearance, layout, structure, and so on. But what’s the difference? The simplest difference is a legal one. To be called an “architect” in NSW, you have to be registered with the Board of Architects of NSW. The title “building designer” can be used by anyone designing buildings. But that’s hardly even scratching the surface. Brian Basford is a building designer and treasurer of the Building Designers Association of NSW. He suggests that building designers are generally less expensive, and mostly involved in less flamboyant buildings. “It’s horses for courses. Most architects probably wouldn’t want to design a single bedroom extension for a pensioner, whereas I’ve done a lot of that.” Brian also stressed that there are quite often overlaps between what architects do and what building designers do. There’s no simple rule. “But no matter what the job, good building designers and good architects both produce quality work”, he says. Architect Gary Kurzer agrees that architects are more likely to be involved with more distinctive, “up-market” buildings. But not because of cost. “Architects work to your budget just like building designers. The real reason is that architects are a little more likely to stretch the boundaries and challenge convention.” According to Gary, you should generally choose an architect if you want more than just a literal translation of your brief. “My clients normally have a rough idea of what they want. I take that idea and transform it into something they love, but could never have imagined themselves.” The most important thing is knowing what you want from the service, and choosing someone that suits your job. And whether you choose an architect or building designer, remember, qualifications are no guarantee of quality. Always ask to see previous examples of their work. Ask for references from previous customers. Ask to see their qualifications. Ask how long they’ve been working. Do they have professional indemnity insurance? Are they a member of an accredited body?… In the end, it’s like anything else… there’s no substitute for common sense. Thanks to Gary Kurzer, Architect, 0411044448, and Brian Basford, Building Designer. FAQs Q: Are architects and building designers the same thing? A: No. Architects must be registered with the Board of Architects of NSW. Q: Will I get a better design from an architect? A: Not necessarily. The only guarantee is a minimum level of qualifications. Architects must have a Bachelor of Architecture degree (5 years) as well as the demonstrated ability to deal with clients and satisfy their requirements. Generally this means at least a couple of years experience in an architect’s office. Q: Are building designers more in touch with builders and other trades? A: Not necessarily. Architects are trained to deal with and manage all aspects of the building project. It all comes down to the individual’s experience and abilities. Q: Are Building designers “would-be” architects? A: No. Building design is a recognised profession with its own national body (the BDAA) offering 3 levels of accreditation based on experience and quality – but registration isn’t compulsory. Many building designers have the qualifications to register with the Board of Architects but they choose not to because they don’t think the name “architect” is worth the ongoing cost of registration. Q: Are architects more expensive? A: Not necessarily. An architect will work to your budget like a building designer. They can do anything from a simple design to very complex interior and exterior detailing to superintendence of the building process. Your building costs and ongoing running costs may also be less. For example, find out if your architect is incorporating cost-saving measures into the building process. They may also design to take advantage of natural lighting, ventilation, heating, cooling, etc. which will save you less in electricity. Q: How do I tell if they’re really an architect? A: Call the Board of Architects of NSW – (02) 93564900 or visit boarch. nsw. gov. au/f_consumer. html. Q: How do I look for an accredited building designer? A: Call the Building Designers Association of NSW – Sydney (02) 49264855 or visit bdansw. au or bdaa. au/index. htm. Q: Where else can I go for further information? A: architecture. au - Royal Australian Institute of Architects bdansw. au - Building Designers Association of NSW