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Why temperature is so important

NB. F = Degrees Fahrenheit and C = Degrees Centigrade

Temperature is critical in determining how long to cook a turkey, for the simple fact that the bird must have reached a uniform temperature of at least 165 F throughout in order to destroy harmful bacteria. You do not want to give your guests food poisoning!

The turkey is a weird shaped food source! – Large body covered with thick flesh around the breast area, large legs made up of dense muscle and a large internal cavity. Because of this, it is not so easy as cooking a single joint of meet for example. The breast meat tends to cook much faster that the dense muscular leg meat, so there is a risk of over-cooking the breast meat whilst waiting for the leg meat to cook thoroughly.

Deciding how long to cook a turkey is not an easy question to answer as there are so many variable factors to consider.

The type of oven

With conventional gas or electric ovens (not Microwave, Convection, Rotisserie) the top of the oven is the hottest zone. The middle part of the oven is usually the coolest zone. The bottom part of the oven is usually also a cool zone in a gas oven, but in an electric oven this area can be a hot zone. As the turkey will remain in the same position throughout the cooking cycle, this will influence the length of time and how evenly the turkey cooks.

Microwave ovens work on an entirely different principle but due to the larger size of turkey compared to chicken, may not be large enough to cook turkey.

Convection ovens are more efficient than conventional ovens because an internal fan circulates hot air all around the food. Turkey cooked in a convection oven should be more evenly cooked with maybe a 50% saving in time.

Rotisserie ovens are also more efficient than conventional ovens because the food is continually turned allowing heat to penetrate evenly.

Size and weight of the turkey

No surprises here, but the larger and heavier the turkey, the longer the time period for cooking! If the turkey is so large that it only just fits into the oven, seriously consider using a bigger oven or buying a smaller turkey. The reason for this is that to cook the turkey thoroughly, there must be a good air space all around the turkey to enable hot air to circulate. If this is not the case then it will be difficult to gauge cooking times and ensure even cooking throughout.

Fresh or frozen turkey?

Many people prefer to cook a fresh turkey as the taste is said to be superior to frozen. Fresh turkey should be purchased 1 to 2 days prior to cooking and stored in a refrigerator. When ready to cook take out of the refrigerator and allow to come up towards room temperature.

Frozen turkey is more convenient for many people however and provided the correct thawing out procedure is followed, should be safe and tasty. Care must taken to follow the suppliers thawing out instructions correctly, including that applying to stuffing. A general guide to thawing frozen turkey stored in a refrigerator is to allow 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds weight (e.g. a 14 pounds turkey would take 3 to 4 days to thaw out).

Deciding how long to cook your turkey

Professional chefs cook their turkey at an oven temperature range 325 F to 350 F (170 C to 180 C).

As a guide, if you are cooking a 12 pounds weight fresh or thawed frozen turkey without stuffing using a conventional oven operating at a temperature of 325 F, the likely cooking time would be 3 Hours. When stuffing is placed within the turkey it will take a little longer to cook through so the cooking time must be increased. Refer to a good turkey cook book for full instructions.

Testing temperature when cooking your turkey

The old school method for testing when your turkey is cooked is to use a clean metal skewer. When the approximate cooking time is up, you take the turkey out of the oven and carefully pierce the thickest part of the leg with the skewer. Remove the skewer and press against the leg to see if the juices run out clear without any trace of pink – if the juices are clear then the turkey should be cooked.

There are more accurate methods available using modern technology, more suited to the amateur or newbie chef:

• Use a temperature probe food thermometer designed to be inserted directly into the turkey during the cooking process, as directed by manufacturers instructions. This continuously monitors the internal cooking temperature so you can be certain that the correct minimum temperature is achieved.
• Use a thermometer (designed for the specific purpose) to register the internal temperature of your oven so as to check the accuracy of your ovens temperature controls.
• When the turkey has cooked and has been removed from the oven, use an “instant read” probe food thermometer to check the internal temperature of various parts of the turkey e.g. legs, inner thigh, breast, internal cavity stuffing. The turkey should be allowed to rest for approximately 30 minutes after cooking and the internal temperature must be at least 165 F to ensure that the meat is cooked sufficiently well and safe to eat.

Turkey cooking tips

1. Some professional chefs suggest pre heating your oven to a much hotter initial temperature of 425 F ( 220 C ). Place your turkey in the oven and leave for approximately 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature down to the correct range selected e.g. 325 F for the remaining time. The idea here is to give the turkey a good blast of heat which penetrates right into the meat and any stuffing.
2. Consider cooking stuffing outside the turkey in a casserole.
3. To protect the turkey breast from over-cooking and drying out, consider placing stuffing under the breast skin. You should carefully peel back the skin and work your fingers and then your hand under the skin to free it from the meat. Spoon the stuffing into the cavity and then replace the skin and secure down to avoid anything leaking out.

Enjoy your turkey dinner celebration!

About this Author

The author is an enthusiastic home cook loving traditional recipes. For a complete guide to cooking turkey made easy visit http://howto-cookaturkey.com

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I’ve recently been thinking about the importance of celebration or ways to add more celebration to your life. Finding new ways to celebrate seems especially important now, given the grim state of the economy and the world. We need more ways to step outside the mundane everyday reality to have more fun and feel better about ourselves and our experiences everyday.

The value of celebration has long been recognized in every culture, going back to the beginnings of human history and even before. It is closely linked with the use of ritual and play, which even many animals do. A ritual is a regularly performed action, and often it is done as part of a religious service or personal spiritual practice. Celebration is often incorporated in such religious rituals, such as when a prayer session or meditation concludes with a sense of joy and liberation. Likewise, play, which involves engaging in a free spirited fun activity, can incorporate a celebration or conclude with one. An example is when a game ends in a victory which calls for a celebration.

Celebrations can also give special recognition and fun to almost anything – from birthdays and holidays to the successful completion of any kind of tasks in business or at work.

You might think of celebrations as those special occasions that add a sense of excitement, awe, joy, or other types of heightened emotional release. They are a way to brighten and add meaning to your life, and they bring people together in a spirit of community and bonding. Without celebration life would be truly drab and monotonous – just doing a series of routine tasks day after day. It would be a little like being on a factory line that keeps going, going, and going and never ends. You would feel bored and unstimulated, living but not really alive. But a celebration, even a short one lasting just a few minutes, helps to recharge the mind and the soul.

Hence, the power of all sorts of celebration throughout history. There are celebrations to mark the passage from one stage of life to another – such as baptisms to welcome a new child to the family and community, birthdays, coming of age ceremonies like barmitzvahs and fraternity hazings, marriage ceremonies, seasonal holidays like Easter and Christmas, and Saints Days in the Catholic Faith. There are days when one can be someone else, such as during Mardi Gras and Halloween. There are celebrations to welcome newcomers to a group, organization, company, or neighborhood. There are parties to support or celebrate the success of a team, like tailgate parties and victory parties. Other parties are for achievements and promotions, still others for retiring or leaving a group.

In short, almost any event you can think of has a celebration associated with it – and there are special celebrations around the world associated with a particular industry, such as fleet days when the boats launch; launch parties for when a new company begins; and more.

Individuals, families, and blocks of neighbors may create their own celebrations, too, for different occasions. For instance, you might create a personal celebration to reward yourself for achieving some goal; your family might arrange to celebrate a special family day, such as by having a family picnic, graduation party, or outing at the beach. Your neighbors might organize a block party or become part of a network of block parties, such as National Night Out, which is sponsored by law enforcement to encourage neighbors to bond together and protect one another against crime.

For example, you can give yourself a quick reward at the end of completing a task or a certain amount of work. You can take a stretch or exercise break and imagine that you are celebrating some kind of achievement while you do. If you are doing routine work that doesn’t involve much concentration, you might imagine yourself engaging in some fun activity.

Or you might find ways to make work more fun for everyone, such as by having a party where people decorate their workplaces. Other possibilities include organizing a special dress-up day, creating a bingo awards game for people’s work, taking a goofy break to unwind, having a time at a meeting for people to brag about themselves, and beginning or ending a meeting with an inspirational story.

Still other possibilities are having a creative gift exchange, organizing a humorous theme contest or event, setting up an office skit or poetry slam party, and having a fashion show. Or try devising a workplace scavenger hunt, having a diversity day celebration, and organizing a creativity day where team members come up with creative uses for a series of objects.

Some other ideas for fun celebrations include creating a match-up game to help people learn about each other, having a rewards and recognition contest, using humorous gifts for office celebrations, and finding novel ways to recognize employees. Some more suggestions are putting on a surprise party for a special occasion, organizing a come-as a character day, creating a be-a-kid for a day event, and organizing a theme party featuring a fun place, such as a Down Under Australia party or Polynesian luau.

If you travel, you will find opportunities to participate in a wide variety of celebrations in different communities throughout the U.S. and the world. Just pick up the local daily or weekly newspaper and see what’s going on. For example, when I was in Southern California, one of the special celebrations I attended was a party to look for and welcome the grunions, a small fish that arrives in mass on the beach at certain times of the year to spawn. Another event was a Harvest Festival put on by a local college which featured a walk through a mysterious corn maze where costumed figures jumped out from the corn to startle everyone. And one of my favorites was a monthly drumming ceremony on the playa, where people came with their drums and rattles and danced and chanted around a bonfire.

In short, there are all sorts of ways to add celebration to your life – from what you do individually to what you do with friends, family, neighbors, your whole community, and the nation.

And you can not only engage in celebrations with others, but you can use your imagination to create personal celebrations in your mind. In turn, such celebrations not only add fun and excitement to your life, but they can help you become close to and bond with others and add meaning to your life. Also, when you use your imagination to come up with and experience celebrations, you are exercising and expanding your creativity, as well as stimulating your mental abilities, particularly your ability to visualize and plan. I have described a variety of such techniques in my book WANT IT, SEE IT, GET IT!

About this Author

Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D. is the author of over 50 books and a seminar and workshop leader, specializing in work relationships and professional and personal development. Her latest books include WANT IT, SEE IT, GET IT! and ENJOY! 101 Little Ways to Add Fun To Your Work Every Day, both from AMACOM. Her forthcoming book is 17 Top Secrets on How to Keep Your Job Or Find New Work Today, to be published as an ebook and as a paperback by ASJA Press.

For more ideas on how to achieve what you want, you can see some chapters from her book Want It, See It, Get It ( http://www.workwithgini.com ). Her Website is at http://www.ginigrahamscott.com. Go to books to see information on all of her books.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHP is a very versatile language, allowing for programmers to make applications according to their various tastes or styles. But one thing all programmers should maintain is the ability to comment effectively. In essence, commenting can save hours of time perusing code months down the road- and is often required by employers.

Comments aren’t parsed by the PHP engine, so they are only visible to those who are viewing the original source code of the file. This is great for documenting what each code block does, all while keeping the casual visitor to a website oblivious to the extra comments present on the application they are using.

Unlike HTML comments, PHP comments aren’t even visible in the source code of a website. HTML comments are visible to the general public, which can potentially lead to the stealing of code or may even help hackers exploit applications. PHP comments aren’t output to the browser at all, so they are completely safe from prying eyes.

There are actually three operators that we may use to tell the PHP engine that we want to use a comment. Single inline comments can be used with the “//” and “#” operators. For multiple-line comments, we use “/*” and “*/” respectively to indicate what is a comment and what is actually PHP code. While the first two operators are synonymous, the last one discussed is the only one that can perform multiple line comments with relatively little work.

Unknown to most, PHP comments can also be used for more practical scenarios, such as troubleshooting. Expert programmers will find they have a problem with their application, and comment out different blocks of code to see what is causing the error. While it is usually in new code blocks, this method will indeed show that sometimes the problem is due to program code interacting wrong, which can in effect mean the problem is anywhere in the application.

Commenting in PHP is also great to use in selection structures, since PHP has long been known as a hard to scale language. Once files start getting big, it can be dizzying to try and remember which loops and selection structures go where, and what they do. By commenting out every closing bracket, and what it is in relation to, the problem is easily fixed. This is often mandatory for programmers who work for employers.

Closing Comments

PHP Comments are quite handy as we can see, more so than most would think. From troubleshooting to simple documentation, the three methods of commenting have a lot of use to the proper programmer. For more information on comments in PHP, and in other languages, check out more books, articles, and magazines for a more detailed guide in using them effectively.

You can learn more about the inner workings of PHP Comments via a PHP Comments Tutorial to get more experience with Comments In PHP

The poet Oscar Wild, wrote these moving lines: “Children begin by loving their parents. After some time, they judge their parents. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them”. It is a well known fact that the well-being of today’s children is inseparable from the peace, progress and prosperity of tomorrow’s world. It is, therefore, important that children be nurtured in an environmentally sustainable pattern to promote national and global peace and progress. The importance of their welfare was underlined during the World Summit for Children in September, 1990, held under the auspices of the United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) where world leaders maintained that “unless the investment in children is made, all of humanity’s most fundamental long-term problems will remain fundamental long term problems”.

Put succinctly, children are a country’s most precious assets and they demand the highest priority on both national and international investments. In spite of this open acknowledgment of the importance of their survival to our collective global future, evidence abounds that children are facing the worst tragedy in the world today. In a recent seminar organised by the United Nations non-government liaison services in Geneva, participants at the seminar from more than 120 countries were in agreement that “millions of children around sub-Saharan Africa live under especially difficult circumstances where special protection measures are required to enable them enjoy fulfillment of their basic rights”. These children in addition to being poor, are exploited, abused, abandoned, neglected, disabled and deprived of liberty.

The greatest manifestations of child abuse, exploitation, deprivation and neglect are very obvious in situations where children are used as a veritable source of cheap labour, soldiers, and prostitutes against their innocent and passive will. Many children seldom report cases of such abuses against them and most child abusers rely on this fact to continue in their wicked acts. Child labour thrives in our societies today mainly because some employers consider it cheaper to employ and over-work children who have very weak resistance to exploitation and oppression than adults. Such employers often betray and take undue advantage of the innocence of children’s dependence and trust. Families also use child labour to make additional income. While some of the hapless children are engaged in domestic duties of hawking goods, others are made to do hard labour meant for adults. Some Non-Governmental Organisations, (NGOs) have continued to express their concern over this unfair practice that is conducted not only in Nigeria, but also in other countries of the world. In an interview granted to a newsmagazine, Mr. A.C. Onukwue, a director of Media Environment Initiative (MEI) in Nigeria said that “children as young as eight years old are being subjected to a bland agreement by their parents to serve as slaves all their childhood and youths in the name of apprenticeship”.

Those working as domestic servants are the most exploited and most difficult to protect. Most of them are girls who live with their employers and are totally dependent on them. The United Nations Organisation (UNO) and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) have made some legal provisions in their bid to checkmate this growing monster. Article 32 of the United Nations Convention of the rights of the child and article XV of the Organisation of African Unity Charter on the rights and welfare of the child, unanimously condemn child labour in all its ramifications. The two articles recognize “the rights of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous, or to interfere with the child’s education or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social developments”. In Asia, South America and some migrant communities in the United States, it has been reported that children even as young as five years of age are forced into what can be termed “slave labour”. They work like little robots in dreadful conditions that damage their immature bodies and minds. Most of them have no education, are homeless and deprived of parental love and care.

Children as Child-Labourers

Most people have argued that the main cause of child labour is poverty. Others are economic and social inequality, war, unemployment, broken homes and juvenile delinquency. The merchants of children peddle stories of pleasurable life awaiting the kids in the cities in order to entice their victims from their poverty-stricken parents. Most poor parents swallow such stories hook, line and sinker and so inadvertently release their children to the slave merchants. Because of the nature of their minds, children believe what they are told by adults without reservation. Some of them on hearing such false stories of bright future awaiting them at imaginary lands, sometimes sneak away from their homes to be taken away without their parents’ knowledge. Most of them also follow child merchants because their parents find it difficult to feed, clothe and train them in school. Though many children in the advanced industrial nations and in some urban centers of the Third World countries enjoy good care and welfare, yet it is obvious that majority of them in some rural and urban areas whose parents are living below subsistence level are more often exposed to this risk. The situation has been considered dangerous enough that it was brought to focus in 1997 at a forum organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) for jourlalists in Lagos to deliberate upon. The theme of the forum was The Impact of Child Labour on Development. Participants at the forum agreed that child labour exists in Nigeria as in other parts of the world. It is interesting to note that most of these unsuspecting children lured from their homes in Nigeria are taken to Gabon in Central Africa and other neighbouring countries where they are subjected to the highest form of child abuse.

Children as Articles of Trade

But how widespread are cases of child abuse? Let us at this stage, embark on a historical excursion in order to reveal the extent of abuse and danger our children had been exposed to. On May 30, 1995 when 330 Nigerian deportees arrived in Calabar from Gabon, 109 of them were children below 16 years of age. Again, in March 1996, four students of Ikono Ibom Comprehensive Secondary School, Ikot Aya, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria were cajoled into embarking on a trip to Gabon by a fellow student. But these students, made up of three girls and a boy whose ages were between 10 and 14 years were lucky as they could not reach their destination. As fate would have it, officers of Nigerian Immigration Service intercepted their boat at the Oron Creek. And in January 1997, 150 Gabon-bound children were rescued from a camp at Mkpanak near Ibeno. Among the children aged between 11 and 18 years were 20 Nigerians. The rest of them came from neighbouring Togo, Benin Republic and Ghana. In February 1997, 86 under aged children were freed after a raid on an uncompleted building at Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State. It was reported that the nefarious dealers on children had intended to ship them to Gabon before they were rescued. A breakdown of the rescued children’s nationalities showed that 25 were from Nigeria, 23 from Togo while 38 were from Benin Republic. Of the 86 kids, 46 were girls.

It is also sad that not all of these children had been lucky. The hapless ones do not get to their destinations and do not live to tell their stories. In January 1996, more than 200 persons perished in the high seas of Ibeno Beach. About 73 per cent of the victims were school children, some of whom were in their school uniforms. These difficult circumstances represent serious hazards and risks to the survival and development of our future generation.

Children as Sex Tools

Apart from child labour and trafficking, sexual harassment is another area of high risk that confronts our children. Convincing indication of the enormity of this crime was tendered at the World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1996 which was attended by representatives of 130 countries. For instance, it was documented that in several parts of the world, there are millions of young girls, some even as young as 10 years of age who are constrained to work as call girls. After years of physical, mental, and emotional molestation, these girls are scarred for life. In most cases, they surrender to this atrocity simply because they want to eat and stay alive. The option is like choosing between six and half a dozen. As a result of such abuse, some children develop social and psychiatric problems later in life. Furthermore, the activities of pedophiles who occupy influential positions in our society do not help matters. Pedophile refers to a psychological disorder which causes adults to be sexually attracted to children whose sexual experience is nil. In August 1997, a Dublin Chief Judge, Cyril Kelly, committed Reverend Berndan Smith a 72 -year old Roman Catholic priest to 12 years imprisonment for a case involving 74 count charges of indecent and sexual assaults against children. Rev. Smith who admitted to a 36-year career of sex offenses against a total of 26 children in the Republic of Ireland, pleaded guilty to the charges. The Daily Telegraph of June 2, 1998 carried a report on a 44-year old soccer coach who used his position of trust to abuse young boys. He was jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to 23 specimen charges against children. The Chester Crown Court was told that from 1978 to 1992, the coach invited boys from the North West and Midlands to stay with him or go on holiday to North Wales and Spain where the offenses took place. According to The Daily Telegraph: “Benndell would take the boys into his trust by offering them the chance of not only training with his teams but also an occasion at Grewe Alexandra and Manchester City”.

Children As Child Soldiers

Compounding the tragedy further, there has been an increase in the use of child soldiers in guerrilla armies. Children are easily kidnapped, separated from their parents and siblings and conscripted into the army to fight wars. In such situations they are systematically brutalized, at times by being forced to watch gruesome murder. Some have been ordered to kill their own parents, brothers and/or sisters. Where they find it difficult to carry out these bloody assignments as a result of their innocence, such children are encouraged and compelled to take drugs in order to heighten their killer instinct. In Freetown, Sierra Leone, child soldiers whose innocence had been destroyed by the crimes of a protracted civil war resolved that they were not going to hands-off arms. They took the resolution in October, 1998 when Carol Bellamy the then UNICEF’s head in Sierra Leone, asked them in Bo to surrender their weapons. The child soldiers belonged to the hunter militia group known as Kamajor. In addition, children generally suffer a high death rate during civil or international wars. Most of them die of hunger or hunger related diseases such as kwashiorkor. Because they are fragile and defenseless, they are easy victims in war situations. On August 31, 1997 about 21 children fell into a swimming pool in panic and got drowned in Nsele, 60 kilometers east of Kinshasa, capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo when some armed troops tried to maintain order in the area. In Northern Uganda, rebels of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), headed by Joseph Kony, who have been fighting against the Ugandan government have continued to carry out atrocities against children in that country.

It is interesting to note that children are gradually becoming aware of the injustice and oppression against them by the adult world. In July 1997, Eric Ndelema, a councilor from Kaziso, West Rand, was stoned to death by an irate mob of about 200 primary school children. The mob also set his house ablaze. Mary Martins, a sergeant and South African Police spokesman, confirmed the incident that occurred in Johannesburg but said that the motive for the attack was not yet known. If the cause of the attack was not known, perhaps the peaceful demonstration that was carried out by children from January 5 to June 4, 1998 is enough proof that children are gradually getting fed up with the whole game. Pakistan played host to the global march against child labour in April, 1998 as part of a campaign to draw world attention to children’s rights. The campaigners, numbering about 45,000 children from various countries, walked through Manila, Vietnam, Thailand, India and Geneva into the boarder town of Wahgah, 25 kilometers from Lahore, capital of Pakistan, amidst cheers from the citizens. Kailash Trithay, the leader of the demonstration said his group was carrying a message from every working child that “the world should be free of child abuse”.

In spite of the above facts, which are by no means exhaustive, it appears that not many countries of the world have taken definitive stand against this global monster of child abuse which is threatening to turn our God-given children into slaves and make this world an unsafe place for those who are undoubtedly our leaders of tomorrow. The situation quickly calls to mind, the admonition of an erudite scholar, Martin Luther King, who once remarked that “the world is full of evil today not because of those who do evil, but because of men who keep silent and watch evil being done”.

I strongly advise everyone interested in this article to purchase my new book titled – MASTURBATION:How to Overcome and Quit the Habit. You can get the ebook version from the following link, http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=3962841

While those interested in having the printed and bound copy of the book should send me an email via: donationsglobal@yahoo.com Please quote REQUEST FOR BOOK on the subject line, to distinguish your mail from spam mails.

Victor Izuogu was born on February 8, 1973 in Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria. He attended Egbema Secondary School, Egbema where he obtained his West African School Certificate. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secretarial Administration from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Victor has worked in many reputable organisations as a an Executive Secretary and a Banker. Because of his humble beginning and experience in life, he has a passion for charity and humanitarian services. In order to execute his dream project, Victor formed a charity organisation, GLOBAL INTERCHANGE VENTURES. The proceeds of his literary works go to charity homes, churches and hospitals, e.t.c. You can support his charity and humanitarian services by sending your donations by mail to: GLOBAL INTERCHANGE VENTURES, P.O. BOX 1291, PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA.

Suppose a woman entered an ecommerce site. The site is for clothes sale. She starts her shopping tour from the dress purchase page where she purchases a decent dress by clicking on it. The dress is added in her x-cart. Now she moves to dress accessories page and select a scarf. She clicks on the link embedded with the image of scarf. This item automatically gets added to her x-cart. Similarly she does the same with pages for shoes and handbags. The selected items are then added in to her x-cart.

Now she opts for the order page where she finds all the items she selected in the list, which shows the final calculated price for all. This is the concept of a shopping cart. Many people have a misconception that Shopping Cart means payment and other related things, but it is not true. When items are listed in the shopping cart the process of payment is done through payment gateways and it is altogether a different process. In short, Shopping Cart is a series of scripts that keep track of items a visitor picks to buy from your site until they proceed to the “checkout”.

Success of the shopping cart depends on its integration with various payment gateways. PHP is a language that can do this job beautifully. Perfect integration means complete channels for requests and transfers with the relevant financial network including Internet merchant account with your bank. Thus x-cart with PHP eases this part of integration to a great extent.

Creation of x-cart in PHP is an easy job. All the details of stocks are stored in the database. When user adds product then the IDs of that product is added in shopping cart. You can delete it by deleting the IDs of the products you want to remove from the cart. PHP shopping cart has an inherent ability to call for an external PHP file.

The biggest advantage of PHP is serialization. Serialization is not needed for all types of databases with PHP. It was a problem in the earlier versions that when you wish to pass a value without mentioning its type, it gets dumb. This problem has been solved properly in the latest version of PHP.

Use of PHP in your x-cart development makes it user friendly, this means that it allows an easy search of a product and rapid and hassle free execution means easy shopping experience. It facilitates easy calculation of taxes, refunds and other incentives. Above all, its secure and you always will have secure transactions of money and your data with PHP. Thus you will have a secure ecommerce experience with PHP.

With PHP your x-cart would have fully integrated E-commerce data marts for customer profiling, relationship management, and to facilitate marketing decision processes. It is a common scenario that you will change your prices frequently and your stocks will also change in both quantity and types. With PHP you can do the necessary update easily with just some clicks of mouse.

Last but not the least is that you will get enough support from the developer community whenever you have any problem. PHP is a young language, it is growing and expanding its horizon so you can walk with time and get every thing you need for your advancement.

Hardik mistry is php developer at IndiaNIC – a leading shopping cart firm present quality and cost effective php web application development, php e-commerce x- cart and services across the globe. For any queries related to iphone email us at enquiry@indianic.com.

The very competitive automotive repair industry depends highly on sophisticated equipment which is very expensive. Automotive repair equipments like hydraulic lifts, alignment equipment etc play a vital role in the business operations of this industry. Although expensive, they are indispensable in various repair services. Therefore automotive repair equipment financing is assuming greater importance in the automotive repair industry.

The traditional lending institutions may not be willing to finance sophisticated automotive repair equipment due to their unique nature. However, there are a few genuine financing companies which understand your needs and requirements. They offer financial assistance under various categories and at better interest rates.

Commercial car wash requires lot of equipment and so an automotive repair industry needs to be equipped with all the essential equipments for the same purpose. Automatic car wash, In-bay car wash system, vacuum system etc are some of the sophisticated equipment required in car wash processes. But they are quite pricey especially in case of multiple car washes. Therefore, one can acquire the sophisticated equipments through automotive repair equipment financing.

Tire changer is another important component of any automotive repair shop. Nowadays people are particular about the tires they use and thus excellent tire changer equipment is indispensable for satisfying the customers. Automatic tire changer, PAX tire changer, manual tire changer are some of the equipments available in the market. They can be expensive and so the automotive shops need to look for automotive repair financing.

Auto body equipment plays a crucial role in making a wrecked vehicle to useful. This work however involves full line of auto body equipments like straightening equipment, painting bays and so on. In case they have to be worked on various types of vehicles, a full line of auto body equipment can be quite expensive. In such cases the help of automotive repair financing is much required.

Wheel balancer is another vital tool in an automotive repair shop which helps in assessing the potential problems in the wheel, quickly and accurately. Therefore this equipment helps in providing improved customer service. But the cost of wheel balancer is high and so wheel balancer financing provided by some reliable financing companies is essential.

Wheel alignment equipment is another valuable tool in an automotive repair shop. It saves time and helps the mechanic in easy and quick assessment and repair in any vehicle’s wheel alignment. Though essential, they are quite costlier and so many repair shops are not able to afford it. However automotive repair equipment financing provides valuable service to repair shops to acquire these essential tools.

A frame machine in an automotive shop helps to provide life even to severely damaged vehicle. It is also quite expensive, but some valid financing companies offer easy financial assistance to acquire a frame machine.

Automotive repair equipment financing therefore helps almost all automotive shop owners to acquire the valuable automotive repair tools. The financing companies provide straight forward approach in offering financial help. They provide fast approval with minimum application process. Even an online application is enough to get financial help from them. These companies offer help at better terms so that owners can pay their bills in low easy monthly installments.

Chris Fletcher’s page features more about new and used Automotive Repair Equipment Financing and other finance topics.

Buying a new car is a great feeling. The smell of fresh

leather as you The fresh smell of leather as you enter the

car. The paintwork is gleaming and waxy smooth. You might

even catch yourself stealing a glance at the reflection of

your pride and joy as you drive it out your house.

Skip ahead by 12 months and see how your car looks now. Is

it still gleaming new or does the paintwork look tired, dull

and “old”? How can some cars look brand new even though they

are already 3 years old? Why do others look “old” when it

just rolled out the showroom 12 months ago?

The secret is in how you care for your car. It is easy to

keep your car like new if you know how.

1) A Wash A Week Keeps Your Car Clean & Slick

Much as you wish that your car will remain clean by itself,

it just won’t happen. Dust will accumulate even if you just

keep it in your garage. There’s only one thing to do. Wash

your car! It’s very important that you wash your car

especially after you’ve driven in the rain. If you let the

water droplets dry naturally, especially under the hot sun,

there will be tough-to-remove watermark stains on your

paintwork.

The first thing you need to wash your car is a clean and

soft terry cloth. Alternatively, you can use cloth diapers

as well. You can get these easily at the baby’s section in

your local departmental store. They’re cheap and it works.

Of course, if you want to be posh, then get the Ultimate

Wipe cloth from Meguiar’s

([http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-1.htm]). You’ll need a

good car shampoo next. I personally use Meguiar’s NXT

Generation Car Wash

([http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-2.htm]). It’s reasonably

priced and a 64oz bottle will last you quite a while.

Start off by hosing down your car to remove any dirt, mud or

grime. Then mix 3 caps-full of shampoo with around 20oz (a

small bucket) of water. Apply the shampoo mixture to your

car using the cloth/diaper. Hose off the shampoo once you’ve

finished shampooing the car. Use your cloth under running

water to wipe off any remaining shampoo residue. It is VERY

important that you wipe your car dry with another clean

terry cloth/diaper. Make sure your entire car is wiped dry.

Next, clean your rims. Brake dust normally accumulates there

and cleaning it will make a huge difference in how your car

looks. It’s pointless to have clean paintwork you’re your

rims are dirty. It’s also advisable to vacuum the inside of

your car every week or every other week. You spend your time

inside the car, so cleaning the interior just makes sense.

2) A Monthly Wax Keeps The Shine To The Max

Waxing your car will keep your paintwork gleaming new. You

can either send it to an auto detailer or do it yourself.

It’s actually not that difficult to wax your car. If you

have an hour or so of spare time, then try waxing your car

yourself.

It’s important that you wash and wipe dry your car before

waxing. NEVER wax your car before washing/drying it! It’s

best to park your car under in a shady area when waxing. It

makes sense to use a good carnauba wax like Meguiar’s NXT

Generation Tech Wax

([http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-3.htm]). Use the

included sponge and apply the wax in a small circular

motion. Wax your car one section at a time, remembering

which section you started with. Finish applying wax on the

entire car.

Wipe off the excess wax using a soft terry cloth/cloth

diaper. Start with the first panel that you applied the wax

and continue from there. You’ll find the wax residue

accumulating on your cloth. Shake it off periodically and

continue to remove excess wax until you’ve finished all

panels.

Look carefully and check for remaining wax residue. Use your

cloth to clean any remaining residue.

To prepare your cloth for your next wax, wash it with a

liquid softener. It’s fine to use the liquid softener that

you use for your clothes. This guarantees there isn’t any

remaining dirt/grime that may scratch your car during your

next waxing session.

3) Wax Your Tyre Next O’ Sire

For that shiny, wet look, wax your tyres after every

wash/wax. Use Meguiar’s Hot Shine High Gloss Tyre Spray

([http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-4.htm]). The trigger

spray makes it easy to apply. You literally need less than 5

minutes for this but applying tyre spray/wax makes a big

difference.

4) Condition That Leather To Help It Fight The Weather

Make sure you clean and condition your leather seats at

least once every 2 months if you car comes with leather

seats. Use Meguiar’s Medallion Premium Leather Care

conditioner ([http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-5.htm]).

Apply the conditioner with a clean cloth/cloth diaper, leave

for 15 minutes and wipe off excess conditioner. Your leather

will look and smell like new if you do this every month.

While you’re at it, clean any vinyl surface of your car

using Meguiar’s Vinyl & Leather Cleaner/Conditioner

([http://www.fdcars.com/newsletter/n2-6.htm]). This

maintains the interior looking like new.

5) Your Car’s Now Shiny So You Can Be Happy

Your car will look like it’s brand new if you follow this

routine. An hour or so every week pays huge dividends.

Friends and family will think you’ve just bought a new car

even though it’s 3 years old. The best thing is when it

comes time to sell your car. A car with gleaming new

paintwork and a clean interior makes a strong impression and

will automatically raise the selling price of your car!

P.S. The writer does not work for Meguiar’s and only

recommends the products as a satisfied customer.

*********************************************

Fantic Carro is the owner of FD Cars [http://www.fdcars.com] which is a resource for

car lovers worldwide. For more articles, reviews and tips on

cars, please visit his site below:

[http://www.fdcars.com]

*********************************************

The common questions for anyone who want to start business are: How to raise money to start business, and where to get money for my business?

To raise money to start business is not as difficult as most people seem to think. This is especially true when you have an idea that can make you and your backers rich. Actually, there’s more money available for new business ventures than there are good business ideas. We will help you for where you can get money for business.

A very important rule of the game to learn: Any time you want to raise money, your first move should be to put together a proper prospectus.

This prospectus should include a resume of your background, your education, training, experience and any other personal qualities that might be counted as an asset to your potential success. It’s also a good idea to list the various loans you’ve had in the past, what they were for, and your history in paying them off.

You’ll have to explain in detail how the money you want is going to be used. If it’s for an existing business, you’ll need a profit and loss record for at least the preceding six months, and a plan showing how this additional money will produce greater profits. If it’s a new business, you’ll have to show your proposed business plan, your marketing research and projected costs, as well as anticipated income figures, with a summary for each year, over at least a three year period.

It’ll be advantageous to you to base your cost estimates high, and your income projections on minimal returns. This will enable you to “ride through” those extreme “ups and downs” inherent in any beginning business. You should also describe what makes your business unique—how it differs form your competition and the opportunities for expansion or secondary products.

This prospectus will have to state precisely what you’re offering the investor in return for the use of his money. He’ll want to know the percentage of interest you’re willing to pay, and whether monthly, quarterly or on an annual basis. Are you offering a certain percentage of the profits? A percentage of the business? A seat on your board of directories?

An investor uses his money to make more money. He wants to make as much as he can, regardless whether it’s short term or long term deal. In order to attract him, interest him, and persuade him to “put up” the money you need, you’ll not only have to offer him an opportunity for big profits, but you’ll have to spell it out in detail, and further, back up your claims with proof from your marketing research.

Venture investors are usually quite familiar with “high risk” proposals, yet they all want to minimize that risk as much as possible. Therefore, your prospectus should include a listing of your business and personal assets with documentation—usually copies of your tax returns for the past three years or more. Your prospective investor may not know anything about you or your business, but if he wants to know, he can pick up his telephone and know everything there is to know within 24 hours. The point here is, don’t ever try to “con” a potential investor. Be honest with him. Lay all the facts on the table for him. In most cases, if you’ve got a good idea and you’ve done your homework properly, and “interested investor” will understand your position and offer more help than you dared to ask.

When you have your prospectus prepared, know how much money you want, exactly how it will be used, and how you intend to repay it, you’re ready to start looking for investors.

As simple as it seems, one of the easiest ways of raising money is by advertising in a newspaper or a national publication featuring such ads. Your ad should state the amount of money you want–always ask for more money than you have room for negotiating. Your ad should also state the type of business involved ( to separate the curious from the truly interested), and the kind of return you’re promising on the investment.

Take a page from the party plan merchandisers. Set up a party and invite your friends over. Explain your business plan, the profit potential, and how much you need. Give them each a copy of your prospectus and ask that they pledge a thousand dollars as a non-participating partner in your business. Check with the current tax regulations. You may be allowed up to 25 partners in Sub Chapter S enterprises, opening the door for anyone to gather a group of friends around himself with something to offer them in return for their assistance in capitalizing his business.

You can also issue and sell up to $300,000 worth of stock in your company without going through the Federal Trade Commission. You’ll need the help of an attorney to do this, however, and of course a good tax accountant as well wouldn’t hurt.

It’s always a good idea to have an attorney and an accountant help you make up your business prospectus. As you explain your plan to them, and ask for their advice, casually ask them if they’d mind letting you know of, or steer your way any potential investors they might happen to meet. Do the same with your banker. Give him a copy of your prospectus and ask him if he’d look it over and offer any suggestions for improving it, and of course, let you know of any potential investors. In either case, it’s always a good idea to let them know you’re willing to pay a “finder’s fee” if you can be directed to the right investor.

Professional people such as doctors and dentists are known to have a tendency to join occupational investment groups. The next time you talk with your doctor or dentist, give him a prospectus and explain your plan. He may want to invest on his own or perhaps set up an appointment for you to talk with the manager of his investment group. Either way, you win because when you’re looking for money, it’s essential that you get the word out as many potential investors as possible.

Don’t overlook the possibilities of the Small Business Investment Companies in your area. Look them up in your telephone book under “Investment Services.” These companies exist for the sole purpose of lending money to businesses which they feel have a good chance of making money. In many instances, they trade their help for a small interest in your company.

Many states have Business Development Commissions whose goal is to assist in the establishment and growth of new businesses. Not only do they offer favorable taxes and business expertise, most also offer money or facilities to help a new business get started. Your Chamber of Commerce is the place to check for further information of this idea.

Industrial banks are usually much more amenable to making business loans than regular banks, so be sure to check out these institutions in your area. insurance companies are prime sources of long term business capital, but each company varies its policies regarding the type of business it will consider. Check your local agent for the name and address of the person to contact. It’s also quite possible to get the directories of another company to invest in your business. Look for a company that can benefit from your product or service. Also, be sure to check at your public library for available foundation grants. These can be the final answer to all your money needs if your business is perceived to be related to the objectives and activities of the foundation.

Finally, there’s the Money broker or Finder. These are the people who take your prospectus and circulate it with various known lenders or investors. They always require an up-front or retainer fee, and there’s no way they can guarantee to get you the loan or the money you want.

There are many very good money brokers, and there are some that are not so good. They all take a percentage of the gross amount that’s finally procured for your needs. The important thing is to check them out fully; find out about the successful loans or investment plans they’re arranged, and what kind of investor contacts they have—all of this before you put up any front money or pay any retainer fees.

There are many ways to raise money—from staging garage sales to selling stocks. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the only place you can find the money you need is through the bank or finance company.

Start thinking about the idea of inviting investors to share in your business as silent partners. Think about the idea of obtaining financing for a primary business by arranging financing for another business that will support the start-up, establishment and developing of the primary business. Consider the feasibility of merging with a company that’s already organized, and with facilities that are compatible or related to your needs. Give some thought to the possibilities of getting the people supplying your production equipment to co-sign the loan you need for start-up capital.

Remember, there are thousands upon thousands of ways to obtain business start-up capital. This is truly the age of creative financing.

Disregard the stories you hear of “tight money,” and start making phone calls, talking to people, and making appointments to discuss your plans with the people who have money invest. There’s more money now than there’s ever been for a new business investment. The problem is that most beginning “business builders” don’t know what to believe or which way to turn for help. They tend to believe the stories of “tight money,” and they set aside their plans for a business of their own until a time when start-up money might be easier to find.

The truth is this: Now is the time to make your move. Now is the time to act. the person with a truly viable business plan, and determination to succeed, will make use of every possible idea that can be imagined. And the ideas I’ve suggested here should serve as just a few of the unlimited sources of monetary help available and waiting for you!

Now you should get idea for how to raise money to start business, how to get money for business, and where to get money for my business.

———————————————————
Julia Tang publishes Smart Online Business Tips, a fresh
and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people
like you! To find out the best online business opportunities,
and to discover hundreds more proven and practical internet
marketing secrets, plus FREE internet marketing products
worth over $200, visit: http://www.best-internet-businesses.com
———————————————————-

Note: Feel free to publish it with the resource box and content
unchanged

Faulty information costs you money! Which of these

popular business misconceptions do you believe?

Popular Misconception #1:

“We Only Need Our Books Done Once A Year For Tax Purposes.”

Are Your Accounting Records Adequate To Run Your Business?

Although it is important to keep records for tax purposes,

it is not the only reason (or even the primary reason) good

accounting records should be kept. Another frequent reason

clients request financial statement preparation is to obtain

bank financing. Although important, this also is not the

primary purpose of keeping good records for your business.

Good recordkeeping will enable you to extract meaningful

financial information for your business that will help you

to manage it properly. If you can`t access this information,

you will not be able to manage your business properly. Bad

management leads to business failure.

Yes, the primary reason good accounting records should be

kept is to produce periodic (at least on a monthly basis)

financial statements for management information purposes.

Only with this current financial information can you properly

manage your business. This information can alert you to

declining sales, excessive expenses, tax opportunities,

cashflow problems, and many other vital concerns for your

business.

To be of value, this accounting system should be set up

with meaningful account categories and departments. It may

be cost-effective to have an outside accounting service do

the monthly bookkeeping. However, with accounting software

that is readily available, you don`t have to be an expert

bookkeeper to do your own books and extract meaningful

financial information.

If you do your monthly statements yourself, it would still

be prudent to have your accountant or business advisor help

you set up your system and, as well review such information

with you to discuss problems and opportunities.

Popular Misconception #2:

“Writing My Hobby Off As A Business Loss

Saves Me A Lot Of Income Tax!”

Is Your Hobby A Tax Write-Off?

If your business has no reasonable expectation of profit, if it is a

hobby and not really a business, you will ultimately fail in your tax

objective. Since your losses are being incurred for a hobby and not a

true profit generating business, the tax authorities will take the

position that you aren`t entitled to any deductions. This is a double

blow. First, you`re losing money. Second, you`re denied tax deductions.

It is true, however, that if you enjoy what you`re doing, you`ll do

better at it. You`ll be willing to work longer hours and you`ll be

willing to put up with more hardships in order to make your business a

success.

Rather than attempting to have the tax system subsidize your hobby,

why not turn that favorite pasttime into a real, profit generating

business? This is a doubly rewarding. First, you make money at

something you love doing. Secondly, the tax authorities legally have to

allow your reasonable expenses to earn your now substantial business

income.

Prove that you`re running a business by running a business. Prepare and

follow a proper business plan. Keep good accounting records with at

least monthly financial statements to give you the information you need

to manage your business. Above all, make money from what you do.

Popular Misconception #3:

“I Don`t Make Enough Money to Incorporate!”

Will Incorporating Really Benefit You?

Some persons resist the idea of incorporating themselves because

the tax savings may not justify the added costs of incorporation,

annual minutes, and extra tax returns. However, incorporation gives

advantages that go far beyond tax savings.

Insurance may give you some protection against loss. However, you

may suffer business losses and lawsuits that may not be covered. For

extra protection, consider incorporating yourself. The limited

liability of your own corporation alone may justify the additional cost

and complexity.

Corporations may also be used for income-splitting with your family,

as well as estate planning and retirement planning objectives.

Additionally, corporations lend some credibility to smaller businesses

and may enhance your image and prestige in the eyes of clients or

suppliers.

Lower corporate tax rates will generally apply on small business income.

Even in loss years, wages can be paid by the corporation to you so that

you may utilize personal tax credits available. If unincorporated, these

credits might be lost forever. The now larger corporate losses can be

carried forward to future (hopefully more profitable) years.

A full analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of incorporation is

beyond the scope of this report. However, being incorporated may give

you more flexibility and advantages than you originally anticipated.

Certainly, it is not prudent to reject it as an option simply because it

is more complicated and costly. In fact, it may be one of the best

investments you ever made.

Popular Misconception #4:

“I really need an office out.

Being home-based makes me look amateur!”

Is A Home Office REALLY Professional?

Many times small business persons make the mistake of generating

unnecessary overhead in order to impress clients and prospects. Often

this attitude leads to escalating debt and business failure. One such

example is getting an impressive, but expensive, commercial office

space.

Customers aren`t stupid. They can see when such outside space is

necessary or advantageous for them. They can also see when it is a

waste of money and designed to fuel your ego. What matters most to

clients is whether they are getting cost-effective results or not. If

your product or service delivers such excellent value, your customers

will be impressed and come back. In contrast, if one allows his ego to

get in the way of satisfying the customers` needs, they will go

elsewhere.

With the move to telecommuting, downsizing, networked communications,

and home-based businesses, operating from your home office is actually

smart and trendy. Can you think of a more appropriate location for a

consulting firm specializing in home-based businesses? They of all

businesses should set the example in cutting unnecessary expenses and

operating efficiently.

This is not to say that there aren`t any disadvantages to being

home-based. One certainly must be well organized, disciplined, and

willing to follow good time management principles. This alone could

mark you as more professional than other businesses, home-based or not.

Expensive office space is not the answer to reflecting a professional

image. If you are truly concerned about your image, offer quality

service. Make sure that all your corporate communications (telephone,

websites, printed materials, et cetera) reflect the professional nature

of your business.

Popular Misconception #5:

“Since we`re not seeking financing,

we don`t need a business plan.”

Do You REALLY Need a Business Plan?

To obtain financing, many persons will prepare a business plan.

Although entrepreneurs will go to great lengths to get their loan or

capital, these same business persons will not bother to plan ahead very

far or analyse their business. Even if you required no additional

money, preparing a business plan can help you to succeed in your

business.

Running a business without a plan is like going on a trip without a

map,sufficient gas, money, or even a destination. Just as you wouldn`t

go on a vacation without some planning, no business can be successful

without it. Putting that plan in writing helps you to think out a

strategy for successfully operating and growing your business.

Where is your business today? Where will it be tomorrow? What is your

mission statement? What product lines are profitable? Which ones

aren`t? What business do you think you are in? What business do your

clients think you are in? Should you be in a different business? Is

your product or service less attractive to your clients? How are

competition, global commerce, technological and social changes affecting

your company? What is your competitive strength? What are your

weaknesses? Who are your biggest competitors? What are their

weaknesses and strengths? What is your marketing strategy?

What are your projected income and expenses and cashflow for the next

year? How about the next five years? Do you have a capital budget?

What determines whether you buy an asset or not? Do you have an exit

strategy? How will you manage growth? Do you have a financial plan? Do

you have an operations plan? What definite sales and net profit targets

have you set for this year and the next five years? What factors could

interfere with the attaining of these goals? What contingency plans have

you made to deal with such problems?

The purpose of these questions is to get you thinking and planning.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Although your accountant or

business advisor can help you prepare your business plan, only you can

set the appropriate goals and follow through on them. Yes, you

definitely need a business plan, not just for obtaining capital, but as

a roadmap for your business.

Popular Misconception #6:

“I like bartering with clients

because it saves paperwork and taxes.”

Are You Reporting Barter Transactions?

Bartering is an excellent way of doing business. However, contrary to

popular belief, some barter transactions are taxable, both for income

and sales tax purposes.

Legally, you must maintain adequate financial records for your business.

Barter transactions made by your business must be reported to the

appropriate taxation authorities and taxes paid. However, transactions

between friends not engaging in business with each other may not be

taxable.

If you are an auto mechanic and I am an accountant and I swap accounting

services for your car repair services, the transaction in this case is

most likely taxable, even if we are friends. However, your accounting

fees should be deductible as a business expense and so should the

business portion of my car expenses. Note also that sales and similar

taxes may apply on this transaction.

On the other hand, if I trade accounting services for a vacation for my

family, I should really declare the value of such services as income.

The firm supplying the vacation would be able to deduct that value as

accounting fees. Any sales or similar taxes would have to be paid on

such transaction.

Many persons don`t record such transactions. For some, it may be a

matter of wanting to believe that you don`t need to be bothered with the

extra paperwork or taxes. Remember, though, that ignorance of the law

is no excuse. Legally, you must keep proper records and pay all taxes

due.

Popular Misconception #7:

“All My Workers Are Self-Employed, So I Don`t Need

To Bother With Payroll Or Workers` Compensation.”

Do You Need To Pay Payroll Taxes?

To save on payroll taxes and workers` compensation premiums, many

employers arrange their affairs in such a way that those working for

them are self-employed, independent contractors. This is good tax

planning.

On the other hand, some employers take the position that all those

working for them are self-employed, whether they are or not. Although

it is tempting to eliminate payroll taxes and workers` compensation

premiums, care should be taken to do so legally.

Whether those working for you are employed or self-employed is a

question of fact (which can be determined by the Courts). Do you supply

the tools and vehicles? Do you determine the working hours? Do you

have the right to control how the job will be done? Do you pay a

flat-rate or by-the-hour or a salary? Does your worker have other

clients?

By asking several such questions, a pattern will emerge as to whether

your worker is employed or self-employed. If it turns out that your

worker fits all the criteria of an employee, don`t say he`s

self-employed. On audit, you would still be responsible for the payroll

taxes (and penalties and interest as well).

Even if your workers are considered independent contractors by the

Income Tax Department, it is still possible that they will be considered

to be “workers” for purposes of Workers` Compensation legislation.

Thus, it is the responsibility of the employer to determine whether such

coverage is necessary or not. Failure to obtain proper coverage could

subject you to substantial (and unnecessary) costs.

In review, calling someone self-employed, doesn`t necessarily make them

self-employed. If you have a dog, call it a dog. Your position that

your dog is really a cat will not be successful. Likewise, make sure

that your position regarding your workers is legally correct.

Popular Misconception #8:

“My Accountant Charges Too Much.

I Can`t Afford It Anymore.”

Is Your Accountant Worth His Fee?

Many business persons view bookkeeping, accounting, and tax preparation

as necessary evils. In their view, accounting fees are an expense to be

reduced, deferred or even completely eliminated.

A good accountant, however, can give you benefits far in excess of the

fees charged. Well-designed accounting systems will enable you to

extract meaningful financial information for your business that will

help you to manage it properly, avoid business failure, and alert you to

declining sales, excessive expenses, tax opportunities, cashflow

problems, and many other vital concerns for your business.

Your accountant can save you lots of money with the advice you receive

on tax and other business matters. As well, a competent accountant can

be a valuable resource in discussing business problems and opportunities

with you.

Popular Misconception #9:

“Nobody Makes Money On The Internet.”

Can You REALLY Profit From The Internet?

Many people feel that the Internet is all hype. Many others feel that

it is overrated. Still others are of the opinion that it may be good

for some types of business, but not theirs.

Typical comments heard include: “I`ve lost money on the Internet…Major

corporations have lost millions…Do you personally know anyone who has

made money from the Internet?”

However, if you check out the list of recent billionaires, a high

proportion of these are Internet-related, and many of them under

forty years of age. As well as the very rich, you can find many cases

of more modest financial prosperity resulting from Internet commerce.

It is true that many are losing money on the Internet. It is also true

that many don`t know what they`re doing. However, with the proper

assistance, you, too, could profit from the net.

J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., http://www.popeconsultinginc.com/ has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years.

For valuable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/

Can we simply take the pain away from our children? I think that typically, we cannot but we can at least support our children in dealing with their pain. Pains of children can range from many different aspects. Pain from being teased at school, suffering from having their feelings hurt and the most horrendous pain are when wickedness comes to our children. As parents, in order to deal with our children’s pain, we must remember what it was like at their age and the mentalities of our children. I personally remember some heart breaks as a child and how I was totally clueless in dealing with those heart breaks. As a parent, I always try to ensure that my son does not have to deal with his grief alone, and I believe this is the most critical aspect of aiding our children in getting through atrocities.

I have found as a parent that speaking to children on “their” terms works tremendously. Speaking to a child aids them to know what you are trying to relay. Children need to experience comfort and safety with their parents. Children who have been abused or severely wronged begin to lose faith in people. It is the responsibility of parents to talk through the issues and atrocities which have occurred which will encourage children in not losing their faith altogether in people.

We can “speak” all we want to our children, and this is a powerful thing; however, it’s not enough. Children need to witness their parents actions in keeping them safe and secure. If incidents occur at school, our children need to see parents calling the school, speaking to their teachers. If someone harms our children, the children want to see parents taking active strides in keeping them safe as compared to only “talking” about it. If someone scares our children, parents need to be viewed taking preventive measures in preventing such things.

It is our duty as parents to safeguard our children from the weights and worries of this world. Children need positivity not negativity. Never speak ill of people who have wronged our children in front of our children. I’m not saying that we should say pleasant things about people who have wronged our children but speaking badly about people around our children adds to negativity. We should want our children to become effective thinkers. Displaying certain actions in dealing with abuse aids children in adapting to distressing situations.

Children are more intelligent than people think. Children will always know who protects them as well as who is TRULY there for them. This aids our children in forming lasting, trusting bonds when they feel protected and secure. Life is not always a bed of roses and sometimes, dysfunction can creep into not only our lives but the lives of our children. How parents handle these situations will affect the emotional reason of their children.

If you want emotionally healthy children, ensure you talk to them, listen to them, protect them. If you want emotionally damaged children, ignore them, ignore the situation and pretend that dysfunction has not occurred in your child’s life. Nurturing children entails taking time out of your active adult life and doing what needs to be done in the best interest of your children.

Anyone can say…”I would do whatever it takes for my child” but it takes a “parent” to execute this statement and put it into action. It is our duty as parents to protect our children. True love of a child is to set yourself in front of them while shielding them from pain and suffering. Parenting is not always happy times. Parenting sometimes consist of literally standing up and advocating for your child, even when no one else joins in your mission.

Love them. Protect them. Comfort them. Talk to them. They will love you back. They will run to you. They will talk to you. They will remember. They will do the same for their children. There is no more of a sacred trust than that which is held between parent and child. There is no greater responsibility than ensuring the rights of our children are respected. Our children’s success should be a priority. Children deserve to grow up without fear and want. It is our duty, and privilege to ensure this happens.

In my last blog post, I explained the 5 signs of the fear of cooking that many people suffer from in deciding that they would like to learn to cook. Because the kitchen plays a particularly important emotional role in many people’s lives, not knowing how to cook can have devastating effects. Some people that have come to me to learn to cook have told me stories that not only explain their fear of cooking but have made it almost impossible for them to learn how to cook.

One of the ways that fear of cooking is intensified is through smells. Your sense of smell has a powerful links to your memories. In fact, I’m sure that most of you have memories that come flooding into your mind when you smell cookies baking or a pot roast. I have strong memories when I smell the chlorine from a pool that remind me of swimming and snack bar hamburgers.

Memories are not always positive. For example, I had one woman that came to my cooking school and told me that she can’t cook. Later in the evening as she was learning how to cook (funny how well cooking by method works), she explained to me that as a child, every time she went into the kitchen, her mother would scream, “Get out of the kitchen. You’re going to mess everything up. You’re going to ruin things. This is not a place for children.” No wonder she had a fear of cooking!

Let’s look a little more deeply into the 10 ways that the fear of cooking may affect your life

1. Anxiety – this can come from the thought of the “impending” meal and not knowing what to cook or how to cook.
2. Depression - eating the same things over and over again can cause depression and place a person in a lull where they lose the desire to learn to cook.
3. Lethargy - most often this comes from eating foods that aren’t good for us. In particular, eating empty calories or fast food over and over again.
4. Embarrassment - are you the person that always brings napkins to the pot luck? Not knowing how to cook can cause embarrassment when you never bring a meal to gatherings.
5. Loneliness - eating home cooked meals has the potential to bring families together. Without home cooked meals, there may be a sense of loneliness because so much conversation and socializing occurs over a cooked meal.
6. Non-Reciprocation – Have you been invited to dinner by your friends multiple times and never returned the favor? This can cause a feeling of being a “deadbeat”.
7. Poor provider – Not knowing how to cook can lead to a lack of variety for your family and feeling guilty from not feeding your children healthy foods.
8. Taker/not giver – Always depending on your spouse or partner to cook for you can make you feel like a taker and never being able to give back to the cook in the family.
9. Spend-thrift - Do you have kitchen gadget that were gifts or purchased that you don’t know how to use? Do you have a multi-thousand dollar range that makes popcorn? This type of guilt can intensify the fear of cooking.
10. Money stress – When one has a fear of cooking and doesn’t learn how to cook, there is a tendency to spend more money on take-out foods which can cause anxiety around money and cooking

You don’t have to suffer these effects of the fear of cooking! These are exactly the types of feelings and thoughts that drive me to continue to help people to understand how easy it is to learn to cook using simple cooking method. Having an understanding of how foods go together without using a recipe can not only make the fear of cooking go away, but will enable you to cook anytime anywhere with confidence. You will not only know how to cook but will never suffer from the devastating effects of the fear of cooking again!

Chef Todd Mohr is a classically trained chef, entrepreneur, cooking educator and founder of WebCookingClasses. You CAN learn to cook without written recipes by taking his FREE cooking class that will change the way you think about cooking forever!

Tennis is a sport in which the more skill you have and the amount of time you put in practicing, the more successful you will be. Some tennis professionals have played tennis as far back as they can remember or their parents played tennis. For those who have tennis engrained in their blood, they still have to have some amount of practice in order to beat the other players that will be on the same or higher level than they are. There are many ways a person can train to perform at high level on the tennis court. One of the first things that you have to have is determination followed by patience and the will to succeed. Practicing your game is not unlike any other sport or art, the more you practice, the higher your skill and expertise become.

Just like many of its sports counterparts, tennis players will do what is necessary to win at their craft. Some players will begin their day with tennis and also end their day with tennis. Great players with a passion for the game can be found by joining the local country club or by heading down to the city park. When it comes to having a passion for the game, no card membership makes anyone more qualified than another. Unfortunately not everyone will have a skilled player to compete against daily so they will have to find other methods such as machinery to assist them. Hitting the ball back and forth helps the tennis pro be able to return a serve given to them by their opponents. So they would spend hours with their tennis ball machines returning the ball across the net. This ball machines tennis allow the tennis player to stay out on the court for as long as they would like.

Some players are so dedicated to their craft that they will purchase a portable ball machine to practice anywhere they go. In order to be good at tennis you have to return the ball back from where it came and put the ball where the other player cannot get to it. So some players invest in one of the most inexpensive portable machines in the twist tennis ball machine for their selves. The tennis twist ball machine can help them with their placement and their return. The good thing is for those with a budget to spend on their tennis lessons, this machine will help them tremendously in both savings and the improving tennis skill.

For those tennis players that are looking to improve their tennis skills faster and are ok with investing more money, the prince tennis ball machine is the ball machine for you. The tennis ball machine prince will give the tennis player variable speeds to choose to hit, various levels of ball trajectory and also can hold up to 250 of the prince tennis ball for your return. They will keep coming at you, so you can practice your forehand and backhand swings at the pace of a normal return from a human player.

For all levels of tennis players you can see look for the tutor tennis ball machine which is said to be the best portable machine on the market. The tennis tutor ball machine comes in a state of the art design which is considered best for traveling. It has a cubed design that can easily fit in the back of your vehicle to be taken out when you are ready to hit a tennis balls when you have the opportunity.

There is no wrong choice when it comes to how you want to train for tennis matches or to just use tennis as a way to stay in shape. You will not always be able to practice with a person so you cannot go wrong on which brand of automated machine you choose.

To learn more about a tutor tennis ball machine visit us at: http://www.royaltyuniverse.com/

In the cyberspace business world it is easy to

get lost. Therefore the term Internet

marketing has become the hottest of topics.

There are a thousand different Internet

marketing strategies, but what Internet

marketing strategies are the ones that truly

work? Look up Internet marketing on the

Internet and you will be bombarded with terms

like blog posting, article directory

submission and affiliate marketing. With so

much out there it’s easy to feel you’re in an

Internet marketing avalanche. You just want an

Internet marketing tool that’s going to be

effective. Why is that so hard to find?

Perhaps the solution to your Internet

marketing frustrations is something called

joint venture marketing. How can joint venture

marketing solve your Internet marketing

dilemmas? Allow me to draw you a picture.

Imagine two conventional stores, one a

clothing store the other a shoe store. Can you

tell where this Internet marketing metaphor is

going? A client for either store is running a

high probability of needing the other store’s

services as well. The same principle can be

applied to your Internet marketing needs. The

clothing store promotes the shoe store to

their clients; the shoe store does likewise,

both business benefit. If it will work in

conventional business then chances are it will

work for Internet marketing purposes as well.

What kinds of other online businesses would

compliment yours? That is the first question

to ask in determining how to use partnerships

to expand your Internet marketing. Ask

yourself why your clients buy from you.

Successful Internet marketing can only happen

when you understand your client. Then ask

yourself what associated needs your client may

have. Now your Internet marketing journey is

well on its way.

As soon as you find a successful online

business that can compliment the needs of your

client then your Internet marketing search is

nearing fruition. Now you can build a

relationship with that business that will see

Internet marketing success for both of you.

But be prepared to work on it. Successful

Internet marketing is more than just carrying

links to each other’s sites. It needs to be a

well thought out Internet marketing strategy

that will drive people to both businesses.

When that is working on both ends of the

Internet marketing partnership both businesses

will prosper. Both businesses will succeed

because the Internet marketing campaign

combines the strength of both businesses into

one Internet marketing whole. The result is a

beneficial Internet marketing campaign for

both parties.

An additional word of advice: Once you have

found a potential Internet marketing partner,

do your best to make the initial meeting a

personal one. Given the global nature of the

Internet, a face-to-face meeting may not be

possible, but there is always the phone. Your

Internet marketing search has taken a lot of

work so that now that you have made a choice

in an Internet marketing partner you need to

give that choice the best chance of responding

favorably to you. The more personal the

initial contact the better the chance that you

will solidify an Internet marketing partner.

About the Author:

An informed source of advice for all Internet Marketing and Home Business related issues. For information on the very latest & best online opportunity visit: [http://www.MakeItBigForLife.com]

A freshwater fish tank is the best option to be considered for either beginners to the world of fish tanks, or for individuals looking to cut down on the time requirement necessary to maintain the tanks. When people think about fish tanks, they are most often picturing the freshwater variety. From cost, to set up, to ongoing maintenance, a freshwater fish tank can be a terrific way to add new pets to your home while minimizing the effort necessary to maintain them.

When setting up a freshwater fish tank, you’ll first need to assemble your supplies. The first supply, quite obviously, is the tank itself. One of the hardest parts of deciding which tank to use is the size of the tank. For a beginning fish enthusiast, your best bet will be to choose a smaller tank. This will mean less water and surface areas to maintain, and less fish to care for. Once your experience with fish tanks builds, you’ll be able to move to larger and more expansive tanks. You may find along the way, however, that a smaller tank is simply a smarter option to maintain in your home.

You will need to gather additional supplies beyond the tank as well. Some of the most important supplies you will need are gravel to line the bottom of the tank, a filter to ensure the exchange of clean water within the tank, a tiny vacuum to help maintain the water and gravel quality within the tank, water test kits to ensure healthy water property levels, a heater depending on the type of fish you will maintain in your freshwater fish tank, and cleaning supplies to be able to perform regular maintenance within the tank.

Once you’ve chosen your freshwater fish tank and assembled your supplies, you’ll next need to locate the perfect spot within your home to set it up. Ensure that you do not choose an area of high traffic – the danger would be too great that someone – human or other pet – would accidentally bump into the tank and cause it to break. Pick a sturdy table, desk, or platform to set the tank up on. Remember that you will also need room to store your supplies nearby. Once you have set up the actual aquarium, carefully wash it, inside and out. Also wash all of the supplies you have chosen for your freshwater fish tank. You can then begin to add water to your fish tank. Do so slowly and carefully.

Once the water is added, you may be anxious to add your fish, but you still will need to test the water, create a balanced pH environment, set up your filter and heater, and ensure that the tank itself is in good working order before fish are introduced. Once you are sure that all other aspects of the freshwater fish tank are in place and tested, you may then begin to add your fish to the tank. Do so one at a time so they can acclimate to their new home. Going forward, with simple and careful maintenance, you can work to enjoy your freshwater fish tank for many years to come.

GetaHugeTank.com offers freshwater fish tanks, large fish tanks and fish tank accessories.

A domestic animal must know how to adapt itself to live with you together; from one side, preserving it’s originality, and from the other side, don’t be a burden or source of problems for your home. In order to keep this in balance you need to blockade a cat’s bad behaviour. And the best thing you can do with this is preventive measures.

Scientists emphasize five types of the common problems, which you can meet during your cat’s upbringing and training.

Cat behavioural problem 1

Capricious and aggressive cat, which does everything it wants.

Sources of such behaviour come out from its childhood, when it didn’t know word: “NO!” or “DON’T!”

What to do with this? You need to take your kitten or adult cat to your hands more often. And never kick it! Because this will not help, only will make cat angrier. If cat shows its claws – stop playing and caressing it, and say: “NO!” or “DON’T!”

You should remember, that a cat’s belligerence very often caused by fear.

Sometimes you may meet spitting cats. You may respond to this cat’s bad behaviour the same way – spitting upon it! If this does not help, take sprayer – this method definitely helps.

Sometimes cats behave very aggressive, scratching your carpets, and it seems they are trying to bury something. It can come from feeling that cat lost control upon situation. In this case – you may propose old rug to your cat. Or wrap cat in warm towel. It works, because warmth reduces fear, as well as love and caress.

The second possible cause of such an aggressive behaviour – cat’s territory protection. It happens more often in places, where live more than one animal. In this case – you need to teach patiently your pets to get accustomed to one another. And in no way lock them up. In the worst case scenario – spray them, using the same perfumes.

Cat behavioural problem 2

“Silly” cats, that refuse using litter box, drag off things from the table.

In this case – the first thing is – to think about medical issues with your cat. If everything is fine and cat’s health in a good condition, think it over, whether your cat lives well in your house. Maybe cat, doing all of those things, just trying to catch your attention, because cat angry, lonely or unhappy! In this case the first measures it is love and care! Coming home after work – first thing you need to do is caress your cat and communicate with it! And only after that – socialize with the rest of your family!

Also cats don’t like people, who they are afraid of. And because of this – cats do mark in front of those people. In this case, I advise you to hang up the foil, where you wrapped the fish, over the cat’s favourite place, where cat does marks. This method will distract cat’s attention to do the marks on the floor. Or you may try to feed your cat in that place, where cat urinates.

If you can not find out about motives of such behaviour, glue the sticky tape around that “special” territory, or spray with vinegar around it. And you don’t need to poke your cat’s nose into that mess – it doesn’t work every time! Also consider to set up litter box very comfortable for your cat to use.

Cat behavioural problem 3

You have a “whining” cat.

Maybe, the first thing you will want to do is to take cat to your hands and caress it! And the second thing, which comes to your mind after few hours listening to the cat’s howling – is to kill your pet! Of course, if it is not the disease, you need to know – cat is whining, because it feels abandoned. What is the solution to this behavioural problem? You need to provide comfortable place for your cat, according its taste. Make such a place well beforehand cat’s “concert”, and if cat starts whining at night anyway – spray cat with water.

Cat behavioural problem 4

You have cat – destroyer.

Representatives of this type trying to tear everything that could be found on their way. In this case you must hold your temper and all your patience! Cat will not understand from the very first time that it is not allowed to tear to pieces everything in your house. You need to have special plank for cat to scratch. Any plants, which cat doesn’t like and always pull out you need to keep in a safe place, not reachable for the cat. It is better to make special garden for your pet only. The most elementary “cat’s garden” – is oats in the pot. You may grow wheat or parsley as well.

Cat behavioural problem 5

You have cat who is “prima donna”.

Main symptoms – cat eats with you at the same time, but only the best pieces of meal, you have prepared for yourself! And cat allows you to care about it graciously. Saying that, your cat is a snob. What do you need to keep in mind? Most of the cats can change their diet during just a few days, of course, if you think that it is the best and only choice. Cats can even go without food for few days – nothing terrible will happen!

Measures for changing such a behaviour: don’t feed your cat from your plate; you need to camouflage new cat’s food to its favourite food, increasing the dose. You need to harden your heart, because that time cat will be looking at you with beseeching eyes! Feed your cat strictly by appointed hours. You may even ring the hand bell before feeding time and caress your pet as often as possible.

Author – a professional and enthusiast with wide experience in training cats and dogs. To learn more about how to train your cat successfully and correct it’s behaviour visit The Planet of the Cats where you will find useful information and vital links to all your answers about cats and kitten training, dietary solutions, and vet advice: http://catsplanet.wordpress.com.

An aquarium fish tank can bring the beauty and splendor of tropical or freshwater fish into your home or office, and if you follow sound fishkeeping principles when setting up your tank it will bring you years of enjoyment.

Planning your aquarium

A visit to your local pet store or specialist fish breeder will help you decide on the type of fish you’d like to have in your new aquarium fish tank. The staff at the store will also help you decide on the right size tank for the space available and supply all the necessary equipment and accessories that you will require.

However, don’t buy any fish, yet! You’ll need to establish your tank before you introduce any fish into it.

The first step is to thoroughly clean the tank. Don’t skip this important step just because the glass of the aquarium looks clean. Use a mild detergent in warm water to scrub out the tank. Rinse out the tank thoroughly to completely remove all traces of debris and detergent. Flush out the cleaned tank several times with fresh water to ensure there are no traces of detergent left behind.

Also clean all equipment that will be used in your new aquarium fish tank and rinse thoroughly. Even a tiny amount of leftover detergent can kill your fish so do not skimp on the rinsing process. Gravel should be rinsed under running water until the water runs clear. Plants can be stored in a clean bucket of water while you set up your fish tank.

Even a small aquarium fish tank is heavy – one gallon of water weighs about 10 lbs – so your new tank will require a sturdy stand. There are dedicated aquarium stands available that will provide a solid base, although a small fish tank might sit on another item of furniture. Use a layer of polystyrene tiles between the tank and the stand to even out any bumps.

When setting up your aquarium try to avoid placing it in direct sunlight, which will cause algae to grow in the tank. Remember it will need to be situated near a power outlet as many items of tank equipment require a power source.

Now you can fill your tank and check for leaks. Leave the water for several hours and confirm that the tank is not leaking and then drain the tank.

If you will be using an under-gravel filter place it in the tank first, following the instructions provided, then add the gravel, piling it a little higher towards the back of the aquarium to give the impression of distance within the tank.

Half fill the tank with water. Ideally, use dechlorinated water, or add chlorine remover in the recommended dosage. Place a dish in the tank on top of the gravel and pour the water gently onto the dish. This will create minimum disturbance to the gravel.

Next, install the filter and the heater if you will be using one. For an indoor freshwater aquarium fish tank a heater is rarely required. Tropical saltwater fish will generally require a heater to maintain the necessary temperature. If you are using a heater you will also need to install a thermometer in an easy-to-read location.

Now you can add your aquarium decorations. This could include a backing picture, rocks or other ornaments on the base of the tank. Create plenty of hiding places with the use of rocks and other decorations. Your fish will be glad of a place to hide from time to time. You can also install plants that need to be buried in the gravel at this time. Floating plants can be added when the tank is full.

Turn on the filter and the heater and ensure they are working before filling the aquarium to the top with dechlorinated water. This will start the process of tank cycling which is the process of eliminating excess ammonia from the tank.

Ammonia can be a problem when setting up a new tank as the bacteria that breaks down ammonia is not yet present. Over several months beneficial bacteria (nitrosomonas) will develop in the tank. The bacteria breaks down the toxic ammonia into nitrites. Because of the time it takes for the beneficial bacteria to develop in the tank it is recommended that you do not introduce fish for at least two weeks after setting up your tank.

When you are ready to add fish to your new tank try adding just a few at a time. You’ll bring them home from the store in a plastic bag filled with water. Float this bag, still sealed, on top of the tank until the water temperature in the bag matches the water temperature of the tank. This may take several hours. Don’t rush. When the water temperatures are the same you can carefully undo the bag. Let the fish swim out of the bag by themselves before removing the bag.

Watch your fish for several days or even several weeks to ensure they are healthy before adding more fish. Take your time to establish your fish population and you’ll give the biology of the tank time to adjust to the new fish and the waste they produce.

Always purchase your fish from a reputable dealer to avoid the likelihood of introducing diseased fish to a tank. Never add plants or fish from wild to a fish tank – the microorganisms and bacteria attached to fish from the wild can be deadly for fish in a tank!

Setting up and maintaining an aquarium fish tank involves a commitment of both time and money but will reward the dedicated aquarist with years of enjoyment.

Alison Stevens is an online author and maintains The Goldfish Site to assist anyone who wants to get started with setting up an aquarium fish tank and keeping goldfish.

By definition a sports car is equipped with two seats, has a low center of gravity and a front mounted high performance engine. I believe to be a true sports car in the old sense of the word it must be a soft top. I think the true sports car originated in Britain with models such as the Austin Healey 3000, MG B GT s and Triumphs of the fifties and sixties. These two seater sports cars were a revolution in motoring. Generally built with folding soft top, two seats and a throaty 4 cylinder engine they gave drivers of the day the thrills they had been looking for.

Today Sports cars have evolved to be affordable accessible and practical. The original cars of the fifties and sixties were badly fabricated, they had awful handling, poor reliability, were very slow compared to today’s standards and didn’t stop well at all. The sports cars of today are fun nimble and will be sure to bring a smile to your face.

Some sports cars today even have rear seats; sometimes referred to as a 2+2 these seats allow you to car 3 additional passengers but generally speaking aren’t particularly comfortable over long journeys. Sports car hire in Spain is best suited to a couple traveling abroad looking for fun on the open road. If you intend to take a road trip or want to travel in style with a loved one there is no better feeling than putting the top down and heading out across the beautiful Spanish country side. With the breeze in your hair and the burble of exhaust notes behind you the road becomes your friend.

Taking a road trip in Spain couldn’t be easier you aren’t even restricted to return the car to the same place that you hired it from. If it suits I would suggest starting at one airport and ending at another. There will be very little difference in costs and this way you won’t have to back track or see any thing twice.

Sports cars today range from things like the now defunct TVR s or the increasingly popular Mazda MX5 even BMW and Porsche build cars which fall under the category of sports car if you are feeling wealthy or want to turn heads as you cruise the streets and boulevards of Spain try hiring a Porsche Boxer or BMW Z4. These cars are top of their game and offer the driver unbeaten control and driving experience. A trip though Spain in a Sports car is sure to leave you with memories that will last a life time.

Travelling to your final destination can also save you money; if you fly to a relatively small airport outside of the main cities this will save you money you can then travel on in your hired sports car, eliminating any need for costly airport taxis. The Mercedes SLK, Peugeot Cabriolet range and Audi A4 convertibles are widely available throughout our Spanish destinations. They are more expensive than the very bottom range vehicles but this is because they cost more to buy and more for the hire companies to insure. Although a bit frivolous the memories and feeling you will get driving a sports car during your stay are immeasurable

When hiring a specialist sports car it is always best to book early, make reservations as soon as you have your holiday booked. By doing this you will get the cheapest quotes and ensure that your sports car is ready and waiting for you the moment that you pass through arrivals in Spain. You won’t have to wait to fill out lengthy documents you can simply collect your keys put the roof down on your sports car and hit the open road. Don’t forget to take a good CD of driving songs!

A Sports Car Hire [http://www.cheap-car-rental-hire.com/Sports-Car-Hire.html]. One search to compare the best car hire companies online. Luxury, sports, family car hire at the best possible car hire rates.

New product development and innovation is much more difficult and time consuming than most other business activities. Automotive rapid prototyping greatly enhances learning speed and reduces the risk of new automotive parts development.

Historically, the automotive industry has been using rapid prototyping as an important tool in the automotive parts design process. The extremely fast-paced automotive design cycles require an extremely fast prototyping system which can produce car parts fast and inexpensively.

The main objective of automotive prototyping is to learn quickly: how a new automotive product behaves in its natural working environment, before transferring the prototype to the production line. Many times, mistakes are learned only after a new automotive part is launched. This is the main explanation for poor automotive parts design, from product mismatch, poor engineering and function or finish, and overpriced production. In order to accelerate the learning curve, before these costly automotive prototyping mistakes are made, one must accelerate and facilitate feedback loops from tests in the lab and market trials.

Automotive Manufacturing Technologies

Working with an assortment of rapid prototyping equipment, automotive prototyping engineers utilize the most advanced 3D printers, in their quest for perfect form, function and utility. Working in advanced manufacturing centers, the automotive engineers use the technology to verify what they are doing, and, equally important, to save tremendous amounts of time, and money.

Automotive Rapid Prototyping Compresses Development Time

The advantages of 3D rapid prototyping model creation versus viewing a cad/cam model on a computer screen is palpable. Automotive parts engineers get together discuss the pros and cons of a rapidly produced automotive parts model and discuss the pros and cons of the design, as they pass it around, twisting and viewing the prototype, and decide if that is what they had in mind. This way, problems get solved up front, before going to the assembly line! Once determined that the automotive prototype design is a go, the model can then be sent to a die maker.

Automotive Prototyping and the Die Maker Process

The die maker cannot use model to make the die, but because they have it in their hand and can look at it and feel it, they can determine where the parting lines will be and exactly how much steel they will need to produce it. The timing of the die process is greatly compressed.

Examples of Automotive Rapid Prototyping Parts

· Engine castings and parts

· Car Engine parts

· Auto Mechanical parts

· Car Dashboards

· Car Handles and Knobs

· Auto Body Components

· Car Trim parts

Fail first Paradox in Automotive Rapid Prototyping

The automotive rapid prototyping paradox is to fail earlier rather than later. By failing earlier, the design engineers surprisingly succeed in accelerating the project; this greatly reduces development cost risk. By considering all automotive prototype failures as learning experiments, the engineer has much less stress, knowing that they are practicing the old adage, that success comes from ninety-nine percent failure and introspection.

Dan Flower is a writer for Objet Geometries Ltd, an automotive prototyping 3D printer manufacturer.

Many of us have closets full of used clothing that we never wear anymore. With the expansion of the internet, there are many new options for you to dispose of those unwanted used clothes. Here is a list of options for disposing your used clothing items:

Option 1: Used Clothing Stores

Start by using your search engine and the local yellow pages to locate used clothing retailers, starting with ‘Used Clothing’ stores that exist near your home. When you contact them, find out about what types of clothing that they accept. They may take shoes, shirts, pants, women’s clothes, men’s clothes or children’s clothes. Inquire about how their sales structure works and whether they buy your items or place them on consignment (paying you a percentage when your items sell). Also ask what kind of condition they accept the clothing in. You can also consider stores around the world if they offer a high enough commission percentage to cover the shipping costs.

Option 2: Online Consignment Stores

This is a recent innovation with the expansion of the online sales marketplace. Many companies are offering the opportunity for you to upload pictures of your used clothing items onto their site for sale. You can sell items in this fashion from anywhere in the world, as the seller provides the shipping services to the customer. Most of these sites require the seller to pay a commission to the site for their provided infrastructure and to cover their marketing services. Start with SellUsedClothing or your search engine for available online consignment options.

Option 3: Online Auction Sites

Online auction sites such as Ebay offer the opportunity for you to offer used clothing for sale to online bidders. You can sell any clothing item such as pants, shirts, hats, shoes, suits, ties and more. You can determine the minimum bid that you will accept and then wait to ship your item to the highest bidder. You will do well on this site if you offer Designer clothes, hard to find clothing items, or clothes that are in great condition.

Option 4: Sell Clothing to Your Friends

You can offer your clothes for sale to your friends who are the same size as you. If your clothes are in good condition, this may be a great option for you to consider.

Option 5: Have a Clothing Swap Party

Schedule a party where friends bring used clothes that they are looking to get rid of. Each person will be able to swap one item of clothing for one of similar value with another guest. Each guest will leave with a selection of used clothing items and accessories that will replace the items that they no longer wanted in their closet.

Option 6: Sell it at a Flea Market

Consider leasing a space in a local flea market for a weekend if you have a large amount of used clothing items to dispose of. You will often find that you will have the ability to lease a space for a reasonable price and will have a high volume of foot traffic to sell your items.

Option 7: Hold a Garage Sale

Schedule and advertise a garage sale at your home or contribute your used clothing items to a group garage sale to sell your items. For the items that do not sell, consider donating them to a local charity.

Option 8: Donate them to Charity

If you would rather donate your used clothing items to charity instead of selling them, search and choose a charity that would accept the items and that you feel comfortable supporting.

With all of these options available, you are sure to find a way to get rid of those used clothing and accessories items that you no longer want in your closet.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used clothing, used watches, and vacuum food sealers. When shopping for used clothing, used watches, and vacuum food sealers, shop only at the best online stores for sell your used clothing here, used watches, and vacuum food sealers.