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I’m not currently a college student. Haven’t been one for awhile…at least in the undergraduate sense of things. But I hang out with college students. I work with college students. And I work full time at a University as the Director of Campus Life (the coolest on-campus job in the world).

Plus…I really like college students.

It’s one of the greatest times in life. When do any of us ever get to hang out with hundreds of friends for four, five…dare I say…six years? It’s like going to camp..except they give you homework and you have to read 800 pages a night.

So if I could sit you down, with a slow drip of coffee being shared between us (intravenously or by the cupful if you prefer), and share some ways that I believe you could not only make the most of your time in college, but really, really enjoy it and succeed at it – here’s what I’d say…

1. Meet people.

One day you’ll walk across a stage, and a very smart looking man or woman in a really nice, long, black gown will hand you a piece of paper that says “Bachelor” (even if you’re a girl!) on it. You’ll graduate from college. Do you know what you’ll remember most?

The relationships you’ve made.

My advice is to meet everyone you can. Be friendly. Smile. Talk to people (not in class…that could be dangerous). Go to places where people hang out and hang out with them. Your friends are what make college special.

Some day you’ll come back to campus as an alumni and the place will feel weird. It will feel different. That’s because all of the people that you were friends with during your college years aren’t there. It’s the same college, but different people. It’s the people that make your experience unique. You are going to make friends that you’ll have for the rest of your life.

Like I said earlier, I work at a University. My boss (yes…he’s smarter than me) is a good friend that I went to college all four years with. It’s been a great relationship for all this time. I don’t know of any other place you create these types of relationships at this age. So get out there. Get busy meeting people.

2. Talk to your professors.

This one continues on with the theme of number 1. Go ahead and do everything you can to meet your professors. Make an appointment with them as soon as it is possible in their schedule. I have discovered that I learned so much more from a professor when I had some kind of personal relationship with them.

Professors are people to. Respect their time and make sure you communicate clearly with them. Don’t waste their time with excuses for not doing the work or simply not showing up to class. The goal here is to establish some type of relationship.

Whenever I think about a subject or content I learned in college it is tied to the face of a professor. If I think of learning German – it’s McKinney; if it’s creative writing – Nelson; if it’s communication – Jackson. My knowledge came from a person more than it came from a book.

One of my favorite movies is Orange County. It’s a story about a high school senior that wants to get into Stanford. He’s enamored with the writings of a certain professor there. When he finally has the chance to meet the professor and sit down and talk with him, it changes his entire perspective. While those types of conversations might be rare in your experience because you go to a large University – seek them out anyway! They’ll be some of the best memories you take from your time in college.

3. If you need help ask for it.

One of the reasons you’re in college is because you don’t know everything. If you can learn to admit that, you’ll be ahead of most freshmen at your school.

Independence messes up most teenagers in that they want to do everything by themselves. So when a moment comes when they can’t do something or don’t know something, there’s an inner struggle. I encourage you to put the pride aside and ask for help.

If you need help in class, get a tutor. If you need directions to the financial aid office, ask for them. If you don’t know how to complete an application for an internship, look for someone who does.

Your school will have people that can proofread your papers, help you learn how to do your laundry the right way, and even give you some good advice on how to stay in shape (because we all need our health!).

Look at it this way: You will become smarter if you ask for help when you need it. If you don’t ask…you’ll remain ignorant. I’m not advocating that you shouldn’t try to find things out on your own. But there comes a time where you’ll discover that learning happens better in the context of “we” and not just “me.” And you might also discover that the best way to meet people is to simply ask, “Hi, would you mind giving me a hand with this?”

4. Get some sleep.

One thing that you have in common with every other person in the world is that each person needs to sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep, bad things start happening to your mind and body. I know this is difficult to hear, and I’m probably beginning to sound a bit parental by saying this, but go to bed.

I’ve pulled my share of all-nighters. I’ve had to study, cram, write, and just get it done. I’ve also stayed up too late because I kept losing at Halo and had to play just one more game. Either way, it messed me up for the next day. My body had to play catch up. I wasn’t sharp. If you string enough late nights together, you are not going to be the learning machine that you need to be.

I know you’re young and invincible. But sleep is so necessary. Research says that a night of sleep deprivation is like being mentally impaired by the legal blood-alcohol level. When you don’t get adequate sleep, you’re body ages faster. Sleep also helps to relieve stress…so if you’re stressed out – you may simply need a good nap.

Ultimately, getting enough sleep is a matter of prioritization. Just because you CAN stay up, doesn’t mean you SHOULD stay up. You need to be mature enough to know when you need to get some sleep so that you can be an effective college student.

5. Get organized.

Everyone needs a plan to accomplish all of the things that are required of you in college. It is extremely easy to start living from event to event, assignment to assignment when you’re neck deep into your semester.

My number one piece of advice for getting organized – get a calendar and stick to it, live by it, and look at it everyday. Now there’s lots of types of calendars out there. I like to use Google Calendar. It’s online and I can access it from anywhere. Since I spend a fair bit of time on the computer, it’s always handy. Plus, I’ve got it linked up to my email and the datebook software on my Palm Treo. But that’s my way. I made a choice one day that Google Calendar was going to be MY calendar. You’ve got to decide and stick with it.

Some colleges will provide you with a paper-based calendar like a planner. This may include dates of important events for your college, key deadlines, and class schedules. If you are pen & paper minded, this may be the route for you. I also recommend the Moleskine planner. It’s smaller and easier to carry.

Once you’ve chosen your calendar, you need to get busy putting EVERYTHING into it. That’s right. Put every assignment, every deadline, every part of your extensive social commitments. Remember, you don’t want to be surprised. It’s a horrible feeling to realize that you had a vital paper due yesterday. At the beginning of each semester, sit down with all of your syllabi and fill in that calendar. Set reminders a few days before big projects come due. This will also help you to see when you will have difficult weeks with lots of obligations so you can get cracking ahead of time.

Now that you’ve chosen a calendar, put all your information in it, you’ve got to manage it. At the start of each week, look over the week ahead. KNOW WHAT’S COMING! If you only look at each day as it arrives, you’ll miss opportunities to be excellent.

That’s the beauty of being organized. It creates space for you to do your best work. You know when something is coming and you make the appropriate time to do your best.

6. Have a lot of fun.

This is one of the best parts of college. You are going to have a ton of fun…especially if you follow the other pieces of advice in this article. College is one of the funnest experiences you will ever have. You are living with a lot of other like-minded people who are in the same situation that you’re in. It’s like Survivor (especially in the school cafeteria), but no one gets voted off the island.

I laughed a lot in college. I liked to hang around people who made me laugh and didn’t take themselves so seriously. There were lots of events to attend. My buddies and I would take some great roadtrips during the breaks. There is a lot of freedom to do a lot of things while you’re in college. I chose to have as much fun as was humanly possible.

The other benefit of having fun is that it makes incredible memories. I can remember some phenomenal pranks that have become lore at the college I attended (I won’t say what it is or my own level of involvement because the statute of limitations has yet to expire). While I didn’t play sports in college, I was an intramural animal.

Also, I don’t want you to get the impression that all of the fun occurred outside of the classroom. When you discover what you’re unique strengths are and land in a major that falls in line with your passions, learning becomes tremendously fun. I can remember projects and classes that I really enjoyed and looked forward to them. I think there were some professors who really made learning fun.

I guess with any aspect of college you can make the choice to have fun or to stress out. I encourage you to choose fun – even in the midst of hard work.

7. Get involved.

During the first semester of college, I joined a fraternity. I had to do some really silly things (I have fond memories of onions and “thank you sir, may I have another.”) to join this group, but it changed my entire college experience. When you arrive on campus, there will be a lot of ways that you can get involved in college besides going to class.

Your college has multiple organizations that are centered around social or academic themes. There are clubs and councils that are always looking for new members. You may have a bent toward student leadership and I encourage you to jump in and apply for those positions. It has been proven that those students who get involved in extracurricular activities have a better college experience. They also have a stronger attachment to their school when they become alumni.

I can remember our graduation day from college. When it came time to announce the valedictorian for our class they introduced a student whom none of us recognized. Now don’t get me wrong here…I want you to do all that you can to get good grades and pass your classes. But for our graduating class – the person with the best GPA was an anonymous person. He wasn’t involved in anything. We didn’t know who he was.

Now hear me out. My GPA wasn’t stellar, but I did graduate with a 3.6 in all of my major classes. Not bad. But I also was the Student Body President, was in a fraternity, joined many clubs, worked Security, and lived in a dorm all four years. I wouldn’t trade that for a four-point-whatever and be anonymous.

8. Handle money wisely now.

Right off the bat I must tell you – watch out for credit cards. It is the easiest thing in the world to get suckered into a credit card offer and start charging things on the plastic. Here’s the catch – you have to pay it all back – with interest.

My advice to you is to avoid the credit card route at all costs while you’re in school. I know that it’s probably unavoidable, so just use them for emergency purposes. Get a card with a LOW limit. Pay those things off every month. If you find you can’t do that, then you shouldn’t be using them. Most college students leave college with debt. There’s the necessary kind that comes from student loans. But it’s really hard to graduate in a financial hole because you have credit card debt.

With the money you do actually have, I think it’s wise to learn how to budget. Start a savings account. Learn how to balance your checkbook and do that every month. Bounced checks are no fun. The goal here is to live within your means. You may not have as much as other students. That’s alright. You are a college student and you’re supposed to be broke.

If you are in desperate need of cash, go to your college’s career center. They typically have a listing of odd jobs that students can do to get some income. Another thing you can do is to benefit from the ability to borrow rather than own. You don’t have to personally have everything, just know some of the people that do. When you live in a dorm, you begin to understand how easy it is to share. I remember that I looked better in my roommate’s sports jacket than he did. Don’t be a mooch. But learn to share what you have with others and you’ll find that they’re more willing to share what they have with you.

If you spend less money than you bring in…you’ll be in good shape.

9. Learn to write well.

One of the lessons I’ve learned from Scott Ginsberg is that “writing is the basis of all wealth.” I think he’s on to something there. I would add that writing is the basis of your success in college. While you are a college student, you will read A LOT. But you will also be required to write A LOT. Your writing skills are a KEY factor in how your work will be perceived by a professor.

You can have the best content in the world, but if you aren’t able to deliver that through good writing, your work will get lost in the translation. I am surprised how many college students can’t spell, don’t know how to structure a sentence properly, and use poor grammar. If you struggle with writing, then I encourage you to re-read #3. You must get this one down.

One of the reasons that I started this site (CollegeStudentsRule!.com) is to help college students become better communicators. If you can write better, your work will be better. If your work is better, your grades will be better. I realize that you may be the best person in your class at text messaging…but those little acronyms don’t hold up too well under a professor’s scrutiny.

Along with writing, I would encourage you to take a typing course. The computer is here to stay and if you are typing with two fingers, you’re wasting time. I think that you should work to be able to type at least 60 words a minute. Faster would be even better. Can you type without looking at the keyboard? This is a skill that won’t only benefit you in college, but in the workforce as well.

One final note on writing well is in regards to proofreading. Please don’t type out a paper and print it out and turn it in. Think in terms of drafts. If you turn a first draft into a professor, he or she will know that it’s a first draft. This post that I’m writing won’t be published until the third or fourth draft. It would be even better if you could get someone else to proofread your work. That person will probably catch mistakes that you can’t see.

10. Get out of the country you’re in.

This is an idea that is becoming more and more realistic in our day and age. At our University, opportunities to study abroad are growing each year. We also offer short-term mission opportunities to other countries. There are so many ways for students to experience other cultures.

Our world is becoming more globally focused. In some ways it’s shrinking. Companies are branching out across national boundaries. Any type of experience you can have outside of your home country will benefit you in your career and perspective on life. If you can get somewhere…go for it. You are young and you don’t have many of the responsibilities yet that could tie you down to your local geographical area.

I understand that some of you may have difficulty (financially or otherwise) getting out of your country. If that’s the case, find ways to learn about other cultures (watch the National Geographic Channel). But nothing beats actually going there and walking on foreign soil and being immersed in another culture.

11. Keep growing.

It may seem obvious to you that you would be growing since you’re in college. But I meet a lot of college students who gain knowledge, but don’t gain growth. I guess I’m talking about maturity. There are many experiences that you’ll have in college that can help you to grow up if you’ll let them.

Current research says that adolescence is being pushed farther out – to the mid 20’s. They are calling it delayed adulthood. Many young adults are simply pushing back some of the major decisions: marriage, career, home purchasing, etc – to later in life. But being young doesn’t mean you have to be immature.

There are many ways to grow outside of the classroom. Life has a way of providing it’s own type of classroom. Each of us has an opportunity to grow emotionally, relationally, spiritually, psychologically, and physically. Take the experiences you have in life and spend time reflecting on how you can use those to become a better person. Growth isn’t an automatic process. It takes work and it takes time. Use these exciting years in college to develop yourself.

It’s exciting to watch Seniors walk across the stage at graduation and remember what they were like when they came in as Freshman. There is so much potential that is wrapped into each one. I love being apart of the process of unlocking that potential during their time in college. That’s why I’ve written this article. If there’s something here that you find helpful, then I’ve succeeded. As with any list, there’s so much more that could be added.

Tim Milburn develops student leaders through his organization, Studentlinc. Please visit Studentlinc at http://www.studentlinc.net. You can subscribe to the Studentlinc blog by following this feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/studentlinc. Also, check out Tim’s latest project College Students Rule! [http://www.collegestudentsrule.com]

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

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

The Resume Challenge

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

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

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

Clear and Concise

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

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

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

Issue #1-Personalization

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

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

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

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

Issue #2 -Technology

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

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

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

Issue #3-Projects

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

Issue #4-Value

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

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

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

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

About IT Resume Service

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

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

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

Submit Your Resume For a Complimentary Review & Consultation CLICK HERE

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Health insurance is a big investment and you should carefully consider all of the options before making a decision. Little success can be achieved if you are physically unwell. Therefore, health insurance may be important to you.

Health Insurance Policy

Health is the biggest and most crucial asset of every living being. A health insurance policy is meant to financially assist you in case there occurs a setback to your health.

The insurer may be a private organization or a government agency. In a health policy, coinsurance refers to the percentage of the medical bills that the insured individual will have to pay after the deductible is met.

There are different types of health insurance but mainly all the health insurance pays a fixed percentage of the expenses for the policy holders bill.

Group Health Insurance

Group Health Insurance is a benefit that some companies offer their employees enabling them to receive private medical treatment quickly and at no cost should they need it. As an employee benefit, group health insurance has many rewards.

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Individual Health Insurance

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Family Health Insurance

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Health Insurance Cover

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Health Insurance Quotes

Purchasing an insurance policy should take time and a little research in order to arrive at a wise buying decision. Individual health insurance quotes are available from various health insurance companies.

When you shop around for a health insurance plan, health insurance quotes can help narrow down your options and identify the best plan that fits your medical requirements and budget. This may help you to make informed decisions about the exact kind of health insurance plans into which you want to enter.

The best way to find the right insurance quote is with the help of a search engine. Some insurance companies and agents provide different kinds of quote options, such as the instant quote and the custom quote. The instant quote is the fastest kind of application, that provides general information about the eligible plans and their benefits.

Health Insurance Premium

The way for companies to calculate your monthly or yearly premium is to look at many factors. The premium is the amount you will pay for the benefits covered under your health insurance plan.

Health Insurance and Emergencies

It’s easy to ignore family health insurance until a family member falls ill and hospital bills and medical expenses pile up. An emergency can occur at any time.

Health Insurance and the Hospital

If you are self-employed, look for a company that offers an extensive health insurance coverage, and at the same time would not make a big dent in your pocket. Remember that spending a day or two in the hospital can be very costly. You should make sure that you have ample coverage.

In the end, the major purpose of health insurance is to cover medical expenses and any lost income while you are not well and unable to function normally. That is why health insurance may be vitally important to you.

Copyright 2007 – Dan Theron. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author name credit and follow all of the EzineArticles terms of service for Publishers.

More and more young people are choosing non-traditional education to start and advance in their careers while completing and furthering their formal education. “Typical distance learners are those who don’t have access to programs, employees who work during scheduled class hours, homebound individuals, self-motivated individuals who want to take courses for self-knowledge or advancement, or those who are unable or unwilling to attend class” (Charp, 2000, p. 10). Three key elements surround the online learner: technology, curriculum, and instructor (Bedore, Bedore, & Bedore, 1997). These elements must be keenly integrated into one smoothly and operationally functional delivery tool.

While an online method of education can be a highly effective alternative medium of education for the mature, self-disciplined student, it is an inappropriate learning environment for more dependent learners. Online asynchronous education gives students control over their learning experience, and allows for flexibility of study schedules for non traditional students; however, this places a greater responsibility on the student. In order to successfully participate in an online program, student must be well organized, self-motivated, and possess a high degree of time management skills in order to keep up with the pace of the course. For these reasons, online education or e-learning is not appropriate for younger students (i.e. elementary or secondary school age), and other students who are dependent learners and have difficulty

assuming responsibilities required by the online paradigm.

Millions of students use e-learning solutions in over 140 countries: corporations such as Kodak and Toyota and education providers like ExecuTrain, New Horizons, the Enoch Olinga College (ENOCIS), Phoenix University amongst the hundreds of schools and colleges.

Studies have shown student retention to be up to 250% better with online learning than with classroom courses. Several recent ones have helped frame the debate. The Sloan Consortium published a widely distributed report titled “Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States in 2005″ that examined the growing prevalence of online education across U.S. institutions.

In addition, a study conducted by the Boston-based consulting firm Eduventures found that, while about half of institutions and more than 60 percent of employers generally accept the high quality of online learning, students’ perceptions differ. Only about 33 percent of prospective online students said that they perceive the quality of online education to be “as good as or better than” face-to-face education. Ironically, 36 percent of prospective students surveyed cited concern about employers’ acceptance of online education as a reason for their reluctance to enroll in online courses.

But what actually drives quality? A March 2006 report released by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education identifies six quality indicators: mission, curriculum and instruction, faculty support, student and academic services, planning for sustainability and growth, and evaluation and assessment.

The debate rages on while the Pros and Cons of Online Adult Education for today’s international students are constantly analyzed to determine if this type of education platform can deliver predictable and measurable results.

The Enoch Olinga College (ENOCIS) is one institution which uses this type of delivery system. ENOCIS enhances their learning experience by offering many other “value added”, cost reducing benefits to students. Online pupils can apply for scholarships available to students of excellence and other financial aid programs like the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), with attractive interest rates. They also provide convenient payment facilities, on line banking, Western Union Quick Collect, bank cards and a student who is granted a loan can start repaying it after two months if they have a corporate guarantor.

Pros of Online Education:

The key advantages of the online education experience are briefly explained below:

1. Cheaper: Online courses may be more affordable than those offered at colleges or trade schools. You may also save on transportation costs like gas, bus passes, and parking permits because you don’t need to commute to school and there are no housing or meals plans to worry about since you do not need to live on or near a college campus. Housing expenses and other costs associated with living expenses are usually the most expensive aspects of a college education, so by taking an online course you could save quite a bit of money.

The best part of online education is the absence of travel and immigration problems. Some students may prefer not to pursue traditional on campus education, as it involves traveling to attend lectures. With online education, an applicant does not need to travel. Courses simply require accessing the internet in order to begin the learning process.

2. More Convenient: By taking courses online, you’re able to decide when you study and for how long. You are also able to schedule your studying around your work or social schedule.

Since you’re not bound to a classroom, you may do your work wherever you have access to a computer and the internet. You’ll be able to set your own pace and decide exactly how fast you want to go over the material.

Take online courses when you need them, not based on some college’s annual or semester schedule. You can learn when you need it (Just-In-Time) A course is as close as a computer with an Internet connection.

3. Flexibility: with no set class times, you decide when to complete your assignments and readings. You set the pace. In some programs, you can even design your own degree plan. The online students can carry out their private or official work, along with the online education. As it provides the convenience of time flexibility, a student can login and logout as per his desire whereas, the traditional education do not provide such flexibility in learning.

Flexibility of online education allows the student control over their studies. They can allot more time in the topics, which they feel comparatively hard and vice versa. The speed of learning depends solely upon the students.

4. Technology: With the help of the scientific technology, students can do their online education at any place. The only mandatory pre-requisite is the availability of computer along with an internet amenity. Side benefits include the learning new technologies and technical skills

5. Availability: distance-learning opportunities have exploded over the past few years, with many accredited and reputable programs.

6. Accessibility: with an online course, you can work on the course just about anywhere you have computer access. Your learning options are not constrained by your geographic location. The new virtual classrooms have created a myriad of learning opportunities for global learning and education center. On line education is a new era experience adapting to the needs of the world citizen.

7. Self-Directed: you set your own pace and schedule, so you control the learning environment.

8. Time Spent in Classroom: now you can take a course on just about any subject without ever having to be in, or travel to, a classroom so you have very little wasted time. Note, however, that some distance-education programs still do have an in-class component and normally to receive a fully accredited US university degree an international student must spend one or two semesters on campus.

9. High Quality Dialog: Within an online asynchronous discussion structure, the learner is able to carefully reflect on each comment from others before responding or moving on to the next item. This structure allows students time to articulate responses with much more depth and forethought than in a traditional face-to-face discussion situation where the participant must analyze the comment of another on the spot and formulate a response or otherwise loose the chance to contribute to the discussion.

10. Student Centered: Within an online discussion, the individual student responds to the course material (lectures and course books, for example) and to comments from other students. Students usually respond to those topics within the broader conversation that most clearly speak to their individual concerns and situations resulting in several smaller conversations taking place simultaneously within the group. While students are expected to read all of their classmates’ contributions, they will become actively engaged only in those parts of the dialog most relevant to their needs. In this way, students take control of their own learning experience and tailor the class discussions to meet their own specific needs. Ideally, students make their own individual contributions to the course while at the same time take away a unique mix of information directly relevant to their needs.

11. Level Playing Field: In the online environment learners retain a considerable level of anonymity. Discriminating factors such as age, dress, physical appearance, disabilities, race and gender are largely absent. Instead, the focus of attention is clearly on the content of the discussion and the individual’s ability to respond and contribute thoughtfully and intelligently to the material at hand.

On line adult education can be more effective and better for certain types of learners (shy, introverted, reflective, language challenged, those that need more time). Distance education courses are often better for people who learn through visual cues and experiential exercises.

12. Synergy: The online format allows for a high level of dynamic interaction between the instructor and students and among the students themselves. Resources and ideas are shared, and continuous synergy will be generated through the learning process as each individual contributes to the course discussions and comments on the work of others. The synergy that exists in the student-centred virtual classroom is one of the unique and vital traits that the online learning format posses..

13. Access to Resources: It is easy to include distinguished guest experts or students from other institutions in an online class as well as allow students to access resources and information anywhere in the world. An instructor can compile a resource section online with links to scholarly articles, institutions, and other materials relevant to the course topic for students to access for research, extension, or in depth analysis of course content material in the global classroom.

14. Creative Teaching: The literature of adult education supports the use of interactive learning environments as contributing to self-direction and critical thinking. Some educators have made great strides in applying these concepts to their on ground teaching. However, many classes still exist which are based on boring lectures and rote memorization of material. The nature of the semi-autonomous and self-directed world of the virtual classroom makes innovative and creative approaches to instruction even more important. In the online environment, the facilitator and student collaborate to create a dynamic learning experience. The occasion of a shift in technology creates the hope that those who move into the new technology will also leave behind bad habits as they adopt this new paradigm of teaching. As educators redesign their course materials to fit the online format, they must reflect on their course objectives and teaching style and find that many of the qualities that make a successful online facilitator are also tremendously effective in the traditional classroom as well.

Cons of Online Education:

Briefly explained are some factors that could negatively affect your success with distance learning courses:

1. The Technology:

a. Equity and Accessibility to Technology: Before any online program can hope to succeed, it must have students who are able to access the online learning environment. Lack of access, whether it be for economical or logistics reasons, will exclude otherwise eligible students from the course. This is a significant issue in rural and lower socioeconomic neighborhoods and educating the underserved peoples of the world. Furthermore, speaking from an administrative point of view, if students cannot afford the technology the institution employs, they are lost as customers. As far as Internet accessibility is concerned, it is not universal, and in some areas of the United States and other countries, Internet access poses a significant cost to the user. Some users pay a fixed monthly rate for their Internet connection, while others are charged for the time they spend online. If the participants’ time online is limited by the amount of Internet access they can afford, then instruction and participation in the online program will not be equitable for all students in the course. This is a limitation of online programs that rely on Internet access. Equity of access to learners of all backgrounds and parts of society

b. Requires New Skills/Technologies: if you’re not computer-savvy or are afraid of change or new technologies, then online education will probably not work for you. The online students are required to learn new skills, such as researching and reviewing the internet. For the online students, they need to learn the techniques of navigation on an online library for necessary information. Technical training and support of learners and instructors

c. Computer Literacy: Both students and facilitators must possess a minimum level of computer knowledge in order to function successfully in an online environment. For example, they must be able to use a variety of search engines and be comfortable navigating on the World Wide Web, as well as be familiar with Newsgroups, FTP procedures and email. If they do not possess these technology tools, they will not succeed in an online program; a student or faculty member who cannot function on the system will drag the entire program down.

d. Limitations of Technology: User friendly and reliable technology is critical to a successful online program. However, even the most sophisticated technology is not 100% reliable. Unfortunately, it is not a question of if the equipment used in an online program will fail, but when. When everything is running smoothly, technology is intended to be low profile and is used as a tool in the learning process. However, breakdowns can occur at any point along the system, for example, the server which hosts the program could crash and cut all participants off from the class; a participant may access the class through a networked computer which could go down; individual PCs can have numerous problems which could limit students’ access; finally, the Internet connection could fail, or the institution hosting the connection could become bogged down with users and either slow down, or fail all together. In situations like these, the technology is neither seamless nor reliable and it can detract from the learning experience.

2. The Institution: Many online education facilities are relatively new with many courses and hence, lack in modern instructors for instructing the new curriculum. Estimates show that there is still a need for an increase of more 50% of qualified instructors for online education.

b. The Administration and Faculty: Some environments are disruptive to the successful implementation of an online program. Administrators and/or faculty members who are uncomfortable with change and working with technology or feel that online programs cannot offer quality education often inhibit the process of implementation. These people represent a considerable weakness in an online program because they can hinder its success.

3. The Facilitator :Lack of Essential Online Qualities: Successful on-ground instruction does not always translate to successful online instruction. If facilitators are not properly trained in online delivery and methodologies, the success of the online program will be compromised. An instructor must be able to communicate well in writing and in the language in which the course is offered. An online program will be weakened if its facilitators are not adequately prepared to function in the virtual classroom.

4. Perceptions/Reputation: while slowly changing as more and more mainstream colleges and universities embrace distance learning, there still is a stigma attached to distance education to the student’s interaction in the online education. Some of the students believe that, there are few opportunities with regards to face-to-face interactions and feedbacks.

5. No Instructor Face Time: If your learning style is one where you like personalized attention from your teachers, then online education will probably not work for you.

6. Little Support: students are expected to find their own resources for completing assignments and exams, which is empowering for some, but daunting for others.

There is little support and limited guidelines provided in online education system. Online students are required to search as per their own imaginations for completing exams and assignments.

7. Lacking Social Interaction: while you often interact with classmates via email, chat rooms, or discussion groups, there are no parties or off line get-togethers.

If you enjoy meeting new people and learn better while you’re interacting with other people, you may want to reconsider online education.

8. No Campus Atmosphere: part of the traditional college experience, of course, is the beauty of the campus, the college spirit, but you have none of that with distance-education courses.

Since you’re not on campus or in classes, you may lack opportunities to meet other students. You will not have many opportunities to interact face-to-face with your professors, so they may not have a real sense of who you are as a person.

9. Making Time: if you are a procrastinator or one of those people who always needs an extra push to complete work, you may have a hard time making time for your online classes. On line learning requires new skills and responsibilities from learners

10. Academic honesty of online students: requires a new mindset to online assessment. Most education experts agree that rote memory testing is not the best measure of learning in any environment and new measurement and evaluation tools are evolving.

11. Types and effectiveness of assessments: The importance of outcomes in online learning cannot be over emphasized. Does the program have measurable results? Are students learning what you say they should be learning? Then there are institutional outputs: course completion rates, job placement rates (if that’s the goal of the institution), graduation rates, student success on third-party tests, and student satisfaction scores.

These factors, both the pros and cons, contribute greatly to making an informed decision about the direction of your career path and how you are going to accomplish your goals: on line, in the classroom or a combination of both.

Institutions and companies that use continuing education to meet their needs also face similar decisions. Institutions that deliver online education are confronted with a series of challenges, including the search for good faculty, use of technology, and provision of adequate student services.

The Sloan Consortium report “Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States in 2005″ found that 64 percent of chief academic officers and faculty believe that it takes more discipline for a student to succeed in an online course than it does in a face-to-face course.

More and more major business and industry is turning to on line continuing education as a viable and cost effective resource for training its personnel. Hilton Hotel has 380 hotels worldwide and is represented in 66 countries.

When you weigh the benefits and advantages of on line adult continuing education the cost of study and flexibility of scheduling tip the scales of programs like the Enoch Olinga College, Capella and Phoenix University’s distance learning program on line adult continuing education is becoming a world wide respected form of education.

However, as with any situation, there are both pros and cons with the concept of online education and the benefits of the virtual or global classroom. You may want to evaluate both before you decide on an online education program. By examining the advantages and disadvantages, you will be able to make a more informed decision. But, at the end of the day, online learning is independent learning. A lot of structure has been put into online programs, but it still comes down to a learner sitting in front of a computer by him or herself. The knowledge you receive or the benefits it will generate either in development of self esteem or increasing earning capacity will depend sole upon you the student.

David W Morris is an international development specialist with The Enoch Olinga College (ENOCIS) http://www.enocis.org and author of several publications on socio economic development. David is a regular contributor to online article sites on the topics of on line education, underserved peoples, scholarship and educational excellence, continuing education programs and on line TOEFL and language development. David W Morris is also a successful online adviser of ranking blog site http://www.enocis.blogspot.com

The need for high performance maneuverability of tractors is same in Japan and America. People of America have big farms compared to Japanese. Kubota Corporation is a top tractor-manufacturing unit that has origins in Japan. The firm established in 1890, and today it has become an international leader in tractor manufacturing. With a focused approach and dedicated hard work, Kubota has gained global recognition. The company is selling 130 different Kubota tractors in the market, through direct deals and affiliates

Kubota tractors built to meet demands of farmers in Japan, but soon they spread their roots to America. Even though American farms are bigger in size than farms in Japan, Kubota tractors deliver better performance in channelizing American soils. Kubota Corporation launched its tractor in USA, 1969. The tractor filled the empty space left by tractors of America, and became the most powerful product sold in USA. Kubota 21 horsepower L200 was the first product launched in USA. Soon with the success of its tractors, the Kubota Corporation built a complete manufacturing unit in USA in 1974 and launched wheel-drive based vehicles for farmers

Variants of Kubota tractors

BX Series, B Series, TLB Series, M series, and L Series tractors manufactured by Kubota. BX Series tractors have compact structure, offer better utility. These tractors blend with 4WD handling to provide convenience to people in cleaning gardens. BX Series engines have 18.0HP-25.5 HP and are suitable for gardening, home mowing, towing, and light material handling. L Series tractors power 3.0 HP-59.0 HP engines. Used in small farms, landscaping, equestrian operations, and estate maintenance.

B Series tractors power 18.0 HP-32.0 HP engines are suitable for landscaping, ground maintenance, vegetable gardens, home, and commercial use. TLB Series and M Series are used for common applications like landscaping, light construction etc

Environmental Friendly Kubota Tractors

Landscaping or livestock operations tractors of Kubota can do all jobs. People can choose any tractor according to their requirement. With changing trends in economy and pollution standards, these days’ people are looking for environmental friendly vehicles

Kubota Corporation is now manufacturing tractors that produce low emissions. Environmental friendly tractors are good at yielding best results in farming. These orange tractors are affordable and come with a warranty. Kubota Corporation offers damage replacement on its parts, during the warranty period

Comparing Kubota with Its Opponents

Kubota Corporation was the first tractor-manufacturing unit to receive prestigious “Deeming Award” for manufacturing environmental friendly, economical, and high performance tractors. The company competes with many leading tractor brands like John Deere, Ford tractor, Holland and Cub Cadet. People looking for small, compact and convenient tractors for their yard work, can have a look at landscaping BX Series tractors. All tractors of Kubota have best re-sale value

Economical Kubota Engines

Kubota tractors equipped with diesel or gasoline engines. To keep environmentally friendly, most of the tractors are fitted with gasoline engines. These engines cause less pollution. All Kubota engines have following features: compact, tough, lightweight, liquid-cooled, turbocharged options, low noise, and low vibration

Low Market Imports of Kubota Tractors have led to grey market imports of tractors from Japan to North America. Some of these tractors had problems with safety measures followed in USA, so in 1974 Kubota started its company in USA. There are nearly 1040 authorized Kubota dealers in USA, and all of them are supported by the company headquarters in California. Recently, Kubota Corporation has approved the use of Bio-diesel fuel for some its tractors. B20 bio diesel fuels comprise of 20% bio diesel and 80% petrol diesel

Kubota Safety Features

Kubota provide operator optimal safety and comfort, all B-series tractors of Kubota are equipped with multiple safety features. Some of the common safety features included: backlight dash panel to track vital functions, multi-reflective headlights for better visibility, standard metal hood for providing better front view visibility, ROPS (Roll over protection structure) standard for protecting driver from getting hurt during accident, wide step area, more legroom, high back seat, and large flat deck platform.

Farmers and people who wish to know more about safety can either request “Ten commandment of tractor safety” brochure from dealers, or check it online. Kubota tractors have warranty on all its models. The safety equipment of all tractors checked perfectly and provided without damage

Are you taking it up to the next level – are you moving beyond house bowling balls in favor of your own, custom bowling ball? Well, before you go out and make the all-important choice as to which bowling ball you should get, you need to consider a few things:

· It is best to have at least two bowling balls – one for oily lanes and one for dry lanes. And you want a strike ball — one with a lot of hook potential and power — and a spare ball, a ball that will roll straight and true.

· Make sure you pick out the right weight – bowling balls range from 6 pounds to 16 pounds. When you have a bowling ball that fits your hand, you can actually use a heavier ball than whatever house bowling ball you were used to using.

· Make sure that you get a bowling ball that fits – get the finger holes custom drilled to fit your hand.

· In general, the more expensive the ball, the better the ball! Of course, that being said, this is genearlly just in terms of price ranges. For instance, a ball that falls in the $100-200 price range most likely will not be as good as a ball that is in the $200+ range. Of course, within those ranges, some bowling balls are definitely better deals than others! And you want to be sure that you are not paying extra money for something that you do not care about (like a glow in the dark ball, for instance).

· Before up and buying your first bowling balls, make sure that you spend the time to carefully decide what material you want your bowling balls made out of.

While bowling balls have been made out of rubber and even wood in the past, today’s bowling balls are made from different materials:

· Plastic bowling balls – this is generally the most inexpensive type of bowling ball, and it is actually usually made out of polyester. If you are used to using house balls, then you are used to using plastic balls. They are very durable. They also skid more (making them harder to control) and are less likely to hook – they are good for dry lane conditions.

· Urethane bowling balls – these balls have softer coverstocks that give the balls more hook potential. These bowling balls can hook more because they have a higher friction surface than your basic polyester balls. To increase or decrease the amount of hook potential, you can sand or buff the ball.

· Reactive resin bowling balls – these are a relatively new type of bowling ball. Only in the 1990s did bowling ball manufacturers started to add resin particles to the urethane coverstocks. What did this resin do? Well, resin is sticky/tacky, and therefore increases the ball’s grip on the lane. It made the balls have even more hook potential. Reactive resin bowling balls skid on oil (giving them great speed) and hook strongly on dry boards. Experienced players can make reactive resin bowling balls work for them with many different lane conditions.

· Particle bowling balls – this type of bowling ball is perfect for anyone (especially experienced bowlers) who want great power potential in their balls. These bowling balls have textured particles like glass and ceramics to resin enhanced balls. This texture give the ball a whole lot of grip in oil, a controllable hook style, and a whole lot of power. Particle bowling balls generally have the greatest hook potential of any balls. Many professional bowlers use particle bowling balls – they like how controllable they are in terms of hook and spin.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and sports. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on bowling, please visit Bowling Balls and More.

This article describes where to look, what to look for, and how to choose day-hiking boots. Knowing where to look and what to look for, you can be sure to get the high-quality hiking boots you need without paying extra for features you don’t need.

Day-hiking boots range anywhere from $40.00 to $150.00. The high end of that range is beginning to cross into backpacking boots, but anything below that range is either an exceptionally good deal or an imitation hiking boot that will disappoint you badly.

So, let’s talk about the kinds of places to shop for hiking boots, features to look for, pitfalls to avoid, and techniques to make sure you have the right fit.

Where to Shop for Hiking Boots

If you have never done any serious hiking, you will want to buy your first serious hiking boots in a hands-on experience. I’m being honest here (habit of mine). Yes, it is in my interest to persuade you to buy your hiking boots through my Web site, but I won’t do that if it is not appropriate for you. Even aside from ethical considerations, it would be bad business for me to create a lot of dissatisfied customers telling their friends about their bad experience. No, I’m just being honest. I don’t want to take your money and leave you unhappy. Buy your first pair of hiking boots at a brick-and-mortar store where you can handle the boots and try them for proper fit. Then, when you have enough experience to know what you want in your second pair of hiking boots (or third, or …), you can take advantage of the lower prices available on the Web.

When shopping for hiking boots, look for an outdoor equipment store rather than a shoe store. The sales clerks in a general shoe store are not likely to know the difference between real hiking boots and fashion imitations of hiking boots. You might pay more money at an outdoor equipment store, but you will realize the savings out on the trail.

Once you’re in the store, ask about some of the things you read in this article. If the sales clerk doesn’t know what a scree collar is or why soft outer soles are better than hard, look for another sales clerk, or another store.

If you are ready to buy your hiking boots on the Web, you can take advantage of the best of both worlds. You can buy from a high-volume store that has the best prices, but first get your advice, recommendations, and reviews from affiliated Web sites that specialize in hiking equipment.

Wherever you choose to buy your hiking boots, make sure there is a reliable, knowledgeable person in the loop somewhere. If the sales clerk or Web site seems too eager about making the sale and not interested enough in discussing and comparing features, you should look somewhere else before you make a final decision.

Especially when you are shopping the Web sites, you may need to pay attention to brands. Certain brands have a well-deserved reputation for good quality, and you should not ignore that. On the other hand, some brands have an overblown reputation that often has more to do with fashion than with genuine quality. The only way to know the difference, and to find the quality you need without paying for fashion that you don’t care about, is to talk to those who know the difference and to read reviews from people who have actually used the hiking boots in the field.

Features to Look For in Day-Hiking Boots

Here is what you need to look for:

* Deep tread in a soft sole for traction.

* Appropriate height (just above the ankle).

* Soft, wide, thick scree collar (the padding around the top that keeps pebbles out without chafing your Achilles tendon).

* Fiberglass shank. Steel is okay, but fiberglass is better in day-hiking boots because it’s lighter. Full-length is preferred, but shorter shanks may be acceptable if you are planning more moderate hiking.

* Tongue attached at least up to the top of the foot, or higher if you plan on crossing streams frequently.

* Crampon attachments (good, but not essential, unless you do a lot of hiking in icy conditions).

* Hooks for the laces above the top of the foot.

* Choose eyelets, D-rings, or webbing for the lower lace attachment points as a matter of personal taste. My experience does not indicate any one to be better than the others for day-hiking boots.

* Good insulation and padding all around, firm on the bottom, with a tough but smooth lining.

* Double stitching on all visible seams.

* More leather and less fabric is better. Split leather is fine (and you’ll almost never find full-grain leather in a day-hiking boot), but not full suede.

* Fewer seams is better.

Most of these features are self-evident, but here are a few techniques for evaluating specific features.

* Tread should be at least two fifths of the total thickness of the sole.

* Measure the softness of the tread surface by pressing your thumbnail into it. You should be able to make a visible indentation that springs out in a second or so.

* Measure the stiffness of the shank by holding the heel in one hand and the toe in the other, and twisting the sole. You should not be able to twist it at all.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Hiking Boots

The biggest problem you’re likely to find in shopping for day-hiking boots is cheaply-made “imitation” hiking boots. They look like hiking boots, but they’re not built to stand up to trail conditions. They will not last long, and they will not give you the traction and water resistance you need.

You can tell an “imitation” hiking boot from the real thing by these characteristics:

* Mild tread, less than about two-fifths the thickness of the sole.

* Hard tread surface that you can barely indent with your fingernail.

* Non-attached tongue.

* Non-rigid sole that you can twist by hand.

* No scree collar. There may be patches of leather or a different color of fabric that look like a scree collar, but if it doesn’t have thick, soft padding around the top, it’s not a real hiking boot. It won’t keep the pebbles out, and it might chafe or constrict your Achilles tendon.

Fitting your Hiking Boots

You must fit your hiking boots with any orthopedic inserts, off-the-shelf insoles, and the hiking socks you intend to wear with them. A good rule of thumb is to start with one full size larger than your regular street shoes.

With all the inserts and insoles in place and your hiking socks on, but with no laces in the boot, put the boot on and push your foot all the way forward until your toes touch the front. You should have just enough room behind the heel to slide your finger all the way in.

Next, lace the boot up snugly and walk around. The boots will be stiff and uncomfortable because they’re not broken in, but they should not allow your foot to slide or rub.

Stand on a steep slope with your toes pointing down. (Use the fitting horse where you’re supposed to put your foot to lace the shoe while sitting. Go ahead and stand on it.) You should be able to wiggle your toes, and they should not touch the front of the boots.

If you bought the boots via the Web, do this fit-test as soon as you get them. Even if you think you know your size, boots from different manufacturers might fit differently. Check the size and fit immediately, and return them for a replacement if they don’t fit right.

Conclusion

If you are looking for your first pair of serious hiking boots, you must do your shopping in an outdoor equipment store where you can handle the boots and talk to knowledgeable sales staff. Only if you have some experience with day-hiking boots, take advantage of the bargains available on the Web.

Check for the features that identify a quality hiking boot, and avoid “fake” hiking boots.

Bring all the inserts and socks you will wear with your hiking boots, and check for a firm but comfortable fit with no rubbing or sliding.

Look for quality, and expect to pay for it, but don’t pay more than you have to for features that don’t contribute to the durability and comfort of your hiking boots.

Chuck Bonner is a lifelong hiker and amateur naturalist, and webmaster of http://www.HikingWithChuck.com For more information about hiking boots and other hiking equipment based on many years on the trail, visit [http://www.hikingwithchuck.com/Gear/HikingGear.htm]

Your child will soon grow up to really appreciate their surroundings. They will soon be at the stage where they will understand the necessities of what a bedroom should be like. Then comes the inevitable: they’ll choose the furniture for their selves. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that because they are in charge of their own room.

The bed is not the only thing that your child will change. They’ll change the complete makeup of the room from the headboards to the bookshelves. Fortunately you can find complete childrens furniture in online stores and look at them with your child. You won’t be disappointed in the selection of furniture that’s available.

A child’s bedroom should reflect more than just the bed; it should reflect their imaginations. If they are adventurous and action-oriented, then buy furniture that’s geared toward that. Fantasy-filled? There’s furniture for that, too. There is nothing that can’t be done in this regard. Your child will have much furniture from which to choose and you’ll be able to go with them.

Your child’s bedroom is going to more than just a bedroom, too. It’s going to be a central area where games are played and friends are going to spend the night. As such, you should buy childrens furniture that best reflects the child’s needs in regards to space and imagination.

The best option is to buy them online because many stores have limited time from which to shop. At least online, you can shop to your heart’s content.

To learn more about childrens furniture you can research more through some trusted website or learn more through children bedroom furniture.

Any parent with a shy child knows that being put in front of a large crowd and asking them to perform well is like a death sentence. Crying, panic attacks and failure are nearly a guaranteed result. There is a distinct difference between children who don’t like sports and those who just break down at game time. So, how do you get your child to enjoy team sports and participate in all that a team requires? The answer will depend on your child, but here is a great place to start:

1. Have a Talk with the Coach. This is the most important step to helping your child move forward. It is important that the coach understand your child’s issues and allow for them to be worked through. For instance, in the case of my child, she always did well in practice, but broke down at game time. She was actually one of the better players on the team, but just couldn’t pull it together for the games. The coach was very frustrated and assumed I was coddler her too much by not pushing her to stay in the game. After my talk with the coach, however, he just encouraged her to come to the first two games and told her she didni’t have to play. Then, he said she could just play one quarter (it was soccer). Having the coach understand why things are happening will change their attitude and allow the coach and child to communicate in a positive manner.

2. Encourage and Support Your Child. Don’t push too hard, but don’t let them quit either. Allowing them to quit will not help them in the long run. Even if it means only playing one quarter, or even one play of the season, they are on a team. Teaching them to work through hard times and knowing you are there to help them will build their confidence. The sense of accomplishment they experience will bleed over into other areas, like school.

3. Allow Them to Express Their Emotion. If they need to cry, let them. For a shy child to work through performing in from of large groups of people is a very bold and courageous thing. It takes a lot of energy and sometimes they need a release.

Whenever your child has issues, you must delicately balance encouraging them to be strong and finishing the task with allowing them to move at their own pace. Helping your child become more self-confident and overcome some extreme shyness is a process that must be taken step-by-step, but its one that every child can win.

You can find more parent related topics at my blog and website Every Kind of Mom.

C.D. Watson is the author of this article and enjoys sharing her views on a variety of popular topics. She is an entrepreneur and has written several hundred articles in her areas of expertise and life experience. Visit http://www.everykindofmom.com for more.

The old myths are shattered. You’ll be introduced to fly fishing in an entirely different way. Fly fishing is no longer considered difficult to learn or expensive to participate in. You’ll soon come to realize that this sport is easy to learn, and will reward your efforts with many fantastic days on the water!

Learning to fly fish is an excellent way to utilize all of the natural resources that are available to everyone — world-wide. Oceans, streams, lakes, bays and estuary’s literally teem with game fish, and are easily accessible . By learning to fly fish, you will enjoy the natural world around you, get some easy exercise, relieve the strain of everyday life, and even better, there are no greens fees or country club dues – no membership tab, and no lines to wait on!

Here’s the list of myths:

1. Fly Fishing is difficult

Fly casting will take a few practice sessions to become proficient enough to hit the water — but that’s all you’ll need to get started. Why not take a look at some online fly fishing lessons (see the resources section at the end of this article) — then practice in a park, your backyard or another private place. Hit a lake or pond, where you won’t find many obstructions behind you to get in the way. Catch a few pan-fish, learn to land fish – now you’re ready for the stream, ocean or wherever you’d like to fly fish!

2. Fly Fishing is expensive

It simply is not. Fly fishing can be expensive if you spend a lot of your hard earned mullah on premier, top of the line (dare say – overpriced?) fly gear. Don’t go bottom of the line either – inexpensive equipment is hard to use because inexpensive materials are heavier and not as stiff as quality graphite. Very inexpensive gear simply does not hold up to rugged fishing use – and we are rugged, aren’t we?

So — look around. There are some great deals on beginner fly fishing outfits — don’t let the word “beginner” scare you away. This gear is not only fairly priced, but the rods are specifically designed to be easier to cast and will last a long time if you take care of them. Take this from a fly fisher that broke his very first (and precious!) fly rod in the hatchback of a Toyota Celica! Some fly rod outfits even come complete with a protective rod & reel traveling case!

3. You can only Fly Fish for Trout

You get the picture. Trout stream, pipe in mouth, tweed jacket, leather patches, wicker creel…

Wrong. Today’s fly fishing is so much more exciting than that (but if the above excites you – by all means – knock yourself out!).

I took up fly fishing in my early twenties as the result of a childhood memory of my father and other fly fishers on the famous Beaverkill in Roscoe, NY. Let’s just suffice to say that there was a lot of tweed and wicker in the ’60’s. Today the world has changed! Now — picture this forty-something year old with his wife on the flats in the Florida Keys hunting down barracuda, bonefish and permit. All tropical, all cool, all hot, we were fishing machines — it was everything you’d ask for in the excitement department!

Species: so many – let’s see, OK – trout, bass (large-mouth and small-mouth), carp, pike, pickerel, perch, sunnies, crappies, steelhead, salmon (many varieties – and Lox is not a variety of salmon!), then there’s striped bass, bluefish, false albacore, bonito, weakfish, bonefish, barracuda, permit, mangrove snapper, snook, Spanish mackerel , jack crevalle. Oh the list goes on! But I’ll stop.

4. Fly Fishing has to be done in Exotic Locations

Although the Florida Keys are very nice, as well as New Zealand, Christmas Island, Belize and the like…

There are so many places close to home that can and will provide you with the total fly fishing experience. Your local park probably may have a stocked pond. That pretty little stream with the bridge that you cross every day — may be a trout stream. The beach that you take the dog to for a run — there are fish to catch there! Fly fishing is a great sport in that it enables you to open your eyes and enjoy the world around you.

Then again, a vacation sounds nice too!

Places: rivers, streams, creeks, brooks, tributaries, lakes, ponds, farm ponds, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, bays, estuaries, jetties, flats, reefs…

5. You need a PhD in Biology to Succeed

You won’t need a PhD in any subject to succeed in fly fishing! You might think so after conversing with some fly fishers. The reality is that you can over-complicate this sport as much as you’d like. Yes, here are times that fish are selective (won’t take the fly you’re fishing) — but in most cases you can dupe them with a selection of about two or three flies properly fished.

6. You have to be an Olympic Athlete to Fly Fish

Just as in any other sport, you can participate to the level of your physical abilities and derive complete enjoyment! Groups continue to build handicap access sites on streams and lakes — all over the US (and worldwide), and you can find a location to fly fish right outside your car!

7. You can’t learn to Fly Fish on your own

Many have, and many will. Guides, fly shops, fly fishing schools and the like will try to convince you that you’ll need those expensive lessons to get started. We disagree. And here are the key words — “to get started”. There are so many great resources for the beginner fly fisher — just read a little, online or off, and get out on the water and fly fish!

8. I thought you had to attach a real live fly to the end of the line

Negative. Fly Fishing is all about imitating fish food with a hand-made “fly”, often constructed of fur and feathers, but can also be constructed from man-made materials. The key here is imitating the natural food of the species of fish your are fly fishing for. For instance, saltwater species often feed on small minnows — and saltwater “flies” often imitate small fish or minnows.

9. I can’t do it, I tried once

Here’s the thing about fly casting: You are not casting any weight at the end of the line as with a spin rod. You are casting the fly line itself. Here’s a simple analogy: pretend that you are holding a stick with an apple pushed onto the top. You want to toss the apple across the room to your friend. You would have to swing the stick and abruptly stop the swing to let the apple fly off the top of the stick and hurl across the room to your waiting friend. Just imagine now that the stick is your fly rod, and the apple is actually your fly line. Fly casting is much the same as the analogy: your forward cast will start, just as when you swung the stick, and then stop abruptly to allow the fly line to hurl forward. See the resources at the end of this article for a cool animation that you can view, explaining the basics of fly casting.

10. You have to cast really far to catch fish

Most fish are you’ll be targeting are within 30 ft — or, you can get to within 30 ft of them. To cast to a fish this far away, you only have to be able to cast 21 – 23 ft of fly line, taking into consideration that most leaders (your terminal tackle) are 7.5 to 9 ft. We know, for certain, that with one or two practice sessions — you’ll be casting at least that far!

AnglerUniversity.com [http://www.angleruniversity.com] is an online resource for beginner fly fishers that combines online fly fishing lessons (with animations, video, and photos) with a fly shop that offers fly fishing combos, fly rods, fly reels, and accessories. Check out a couple of the resources below for fly fishing information and gear. When you’re ready to fly fish — make AnglerUniversity.com your first stop on the Internet!

I’ve included a couple of resources for you to check out:

Online Fly Fishing Lessons [http://www.angleruniversity.com/enroll3.asp]

Basic Casting Animation/Lesson [http://www.angleruniversity.com/lessons_intro.asp]

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!

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

Are you unsatisfied with your career and want to make a change? Do you feel like you are not achieving your full career potential? Do you want to make a change, but want to make sure it is the right career this time? Don’t know what you want to do, but know its not what you do now?

People are most fulfilled and successful when they find work they love to do and that suits their talents and abilities. This article shares five important keys to making a successful career change. Some concepts may be new to you, some may not. I encourage you to read through them either way, and let them stimulate your thinking. The exercises included are optional, but you are invited to reap

the full benefits by participating in them.

Key #1: Establish a career direction based on excellent self-understanding.

The first stages of a career change involve thinking, self-assessment, exploring, and planning. You can embark on these steps now–without disrupting your current employment situation. After you know more about your new direction, you can decide when to make your move. A career-direction goal should always aim for the ideal career and job fit for yourself. The first steps to identifying the ideal career involve self-assessment and generating insights into what career will make you most satisfied while meeting your needs. Research shows that people who are most satisfied and motivated in their careers are people who have a career that reflects their values, interests, skills, and talents plus their ideal work environment.

How can you clarify these kinds of self-understanding insights? You can do this first of all through a process of reflection on your favorite passions, skills, and interests as well as preferences. Career tests or assessments can also provide help here, and lend some objectivity to the exploration. There are a number of reliable and valid career-oriented tests that are widely available through career counselors and coaches.

Career counseling is geared exactly for this purpose. You may enjoy and benefit from the guidance of a counselor or coach to facilitate the development of a career direction based on who you are. This kind of self-understanding then translates into identifying specific careers that match up with who you are, and are likely to bring you the most satisfaction and motivation.

Here are some tips:

* Think ideally. What do you really want?

* Listen to your longings and desires.

* Pay attention to what attracts you.

* Stay away from things that repel you.

* Understand fully your unique style.

As you go about a career change, it is important to realize you cannot do everything well. You must choose a career direction and a job based on your best abilities and strengths. There are businesses that very much need the capabilities that you are able to provide.

Key #2 to a successful career change is to take stock of your skills, natural talents, competencies, and strengths, and to be able to articulate these well to potential employers as well as others.

Go with your strengths, and be able to communicate them impressively.If you think you have already identified your skills, talents, and strengths, and are looking for work that emphasizes these, great.

Take this opportunity to ask yourself, “Am I successfully saying no to careers and jobs that do not focus on my favorite skills, talents, and strengths?”

Focus your career direction into a career and job for which you are especially equipped. Each person has natural talent and intelligence in one or more areas. The idea is to be very clear on what you are naturally gifted at and let your talents guide you to your next career.

To further discover or clarify where your strengths and talents fall, think back on your life and previous work experience. What tasks and projects came easiest to you? What were the most important accomplishments in your life? What have you received the most recognition for?

You may want to ask several friends what they see as your greatest professional strengths. Career assessment can also yield good information. Take stock. Write down a list now. What themes emerge as you reflect on this?

This is a valuable exercise for self-understanding and career direction, but also when it comes to getting a job. The better you can articulate who you are and the talents and skills you bring to a business, the better impression you make on a potential employer.

There are a number of variables to consider in choosing a career or a job, including the market realities. This brings us to another concept that is necessary to be successful in your transition.

Key #3 is to identify a career that involves what you love to do, can be the best at, and for which you can be well compensated.

Imagine a Ven diagram consisting of three overlapping circles. One circle represents those activities, tasks, functions, and roles that you love to do. All of us at one time or another have experienced doing work that really did not seem like work because we enjoyed doing it. That’s what I mean by work that you love to do.

The second circle represents work that you have the potential to be best at–work that you can do better than most others. This means tasks and projects that you have the right skills and natural talent for, and excel at. Work that you will be highly competitive at and perhaps (potentially) better than anyone else.

The third circle represents work that you will be paid well for. If there is work that you love to do and are great at, it will not matter unless someone will compensate you what you need. It is important to understand and take into account the realities of the job market.

Now, in this Ven diagram, the three circles overlap with each other equally. In the center is an area where the three circles converge and all three circles are overlapping. This is the area that represents the right career(s) for you. You want to consider careers or jobs that align with these three areas–work that you love to do, can do best, and will be well- compensated for.

By the way, if this sounds similar to Jim Collin’s Hedgehog Concept in his book “Good to Great”, it is. It is an adaptation of his model for business success applied to career success. I highly recommend his book.

So now, I suggest you take a few minutes and apply this to yourself. Where is the convergence of these three circles for you? If you cannot discover this, how will you find out? When all is said and done, one of the biggest factors in a career transition is money. Although you may love the idea of quitting your job and jumping into your next career, financial realities are in play.

Key #4: To transition smoothly into your next career, plan the best

way to juggle the finances to support you along the way.

I know from my work as a career counselor and coach that the money issue can cause significant angst and difficulty. Here are some ideas for managing it well.

1. Use your current income wisely. If you have a job, keep it. There’s a saying that its easier to get a job when you have one. Before initiating a move: increase your savings, reduce your expenses, live within, or better, below your means for a while.

2. Build cash reserves through supplementing your full-time job with other work. You can get a part-time job, do contract work, etc.

3. Add a part-time business to your full-time job. If you must let go of your full-time job, then do what you can to produce an income while you are in transition.

4. Get an interim full-time or part-time job.

5. Do contract or freelance work.

6. Have a well-paying part-time job while you work on starting a business, if that will be your next career.

7. Use consulting gigs to generate income. Put your key strengths and capabilities to good use to generate income as a consultant while in transition.

8. Work full-time or part-time while attending school to prepare for your next career, if that is your plan.

A number of these options also have fringe benefits. While providing income, you can hopefully put yourself in positions where you can develop skills, experience, or contacts for your next career. How will you make the finances work during your career transition? Take a few minutes and jot down your thoughts.

Key #5: Network, network, network.

People who are most successful at career change and job-hunting use methods that require more effort. People who are less successful do the usual: passive methods such as sending out resumes, going through agencies, looking at the ads, and using the Internet. There is nothing wrong with these methods; in a strong job market they may be sufficient.

More active approaches include researching organizations in detail, doing informational interviewing, and building a network of contacts. These methods involve more work, but they are also the most effective.

Despite the fact that we are in the age of the Internet (it is estimated that about 5 to 10% of jobs are filled by on-line job boards–not bad, but what about the other 90%?), networking is still the best strategy.

So, to be successful in making a career change, it really pays to build a strong list of contacts and reconnect with them. If you don’t know how to network effectively or your skills could be better, it is a good time to work on this. Consider utilizing the help of a career counselor or coach.

Never underestimate who your friends and associates know. Keep track of your contacts as your list grows, and revitalize old relationships.

Your contacts may be the key to getting job leads, crucial inside information, getting the attention of whoever is hiring for the position you want, and many other valuable benefits. Many, many people have a job they love because they knew someone who knew someone.

Now comes the end of this article on keys to a successful career change.

Review:

Key #1: Establish a career direction based on excellent self-understanding.

Key #2: Take stock of your skills, natural talents, competencies, and strengths, and be able to articulate these well.

Key #3: Identify a career that involves what you love to do, can be the best at, and for which you can be well compensated.

Key #4 Plan the best way to juggle the finances to support you along the way.

Key #5: Network, network, network.

I hope you have enjoyed this article and are now taking steps to make a great career change. What was the biggest thing you will take away from this? What questions remain unanswered? Where will you go from here? Write out your thoughts.

William Morgan, Psy.D. is a career counselor and coach in the greater Philadelphia area serving clients nationwide. For more information on his career transition and development services and helpful resources visit his website at http://www.Counseling4Careers.com

Over the World Wide Web, there is a continual influx of information over the internet highway, including, most recently, a trend in fashion blogging. Currently, there are hundreds of new fashion blogs being created everyday, and over millions of already created websites. With these massive amounts of people posting their opinions on style, how can you stop wasting your time reading useless fashion blogs? Is there anyway to separate the quality blogs from the irrelevant ones? This review of five top rated fashion blogs gives insight into what standards should be used in deciding which blogs are worth your time.

Fashion blogs are ranked on a 10 point scale in four areas: (1) clarity of thought, (2) timeliness, (3) relevance, and (4) degree of opinion.

Style File blog:

Total Score: 28

Style.com is a primary source and destination for where people receive their fashion news, trends, and photos of seasonal runway shows. In addition, the renown website has a chief blog site, Style File, where writers can post opinions on various aspects of fashion in a more informal setting and approach. Even though there are several writers for Style File, the writing style of this blog site is distinct and individual to Style.com’s website.

1.) Clarity of thought: 6.5. It is decent. You are able to read through it, although some postings may be a bit long-winded. Also, some entries may be difficult to understand if you don’t have a lot of knowledge of people in the fashion industry, such as Sophia Hesketh and Byrdie Bell.

2.) Timeliness: 8.5. This blog seems to lack consistency. It will have 5-6 entries in one day, and then skip three days entirely without any new posts and then continue on with 5-6 entries. This is probably because people are not working on the weekends. On the upside, it does post slightly more than the average blog, but for a blog that is on a website of considerable size and prominence, you would expect that it would.

3.) Relevance: 7. I don’t think this blog really provides any new information that is of importance or is really interesting. It attempts to draw on styles outside of the US, which can be informative, but it doesn’t focus enough fashion in the homeland. Focus of articles tends to stray away from American fashion, and stick more with foreign matters. In the past several days, there have been over five postings purely on Moscow fashion alone. This is completely unnecessary. Information can also be quite dry at times.

4.) Degree of Opinion: 6. While it does provide news, writers do not write to form their own opinions really, but just blog to create a place for viewers to post their own insights and opinions. The writers tend to say something that they feel is true, such as the “Prep School Blazer style is very trendy,” yet it still opens the discussion for debate, by asking viewers whether they agree or what their thoughts are. This makes the writer’s opinions seems inconsistent and weak. The blog would be better if the writers had a stronger point of view in their critique. It is unnecessary to ask the reader whether they agree with them or not, because the reader will post his or her opinions anyway.

Hint Magazine blog:

Hint Magazine is an online fashion magazine, where you can read fashion columns and story features with a wide ranging selection of topics including music, art, dance and, of course, fashion. It has a separate blog to informally discuss various areas of interests that cater to more independent styles and are usually humorous and entertaining to read.

Total Score: 30

1.) Clarity of thought: 8. The blog is clear to read and understand. It is written in a contemporary manner that appeals to a younger audience. There are not copious amounts of text in each entry compared to the Style File blog, and instead they include many photos and videos that go along with the postings. This makes it look less daunting to get through, which is important in today’s fast paced world of Twittering.

2.) Timeliness: 6. In an era where bloggers are uploading new entries a dozen times per day, this blog only has, on average, 1-2 posts per day. In order to maintain a blog with readers constantly tuning in, it is imperative that there are multiple entries in a short span for readers to regularly come back to.

3.) Relevance: 7. Where Style File’s subject content was entirely about the New York fashion world, this blog seems to veer slightly to the left of that direction. The information posted seems to target a more indie audience by showcasing unheard of designers, writers and artists. I found also that it seems to post a lot on Brazilian artists and designers. I am not sure if there is a correlation between the writers and Brazil for them to do so, but either way, it is a little inconsistent with balancing foreign matters. Some posts are completely irrelevant and hold no interest for me, but for those that enjoy reading about marble urinals in art exhibits and gay porn awards, this is your destination. And if you are one of those readers who enjoy this blog, good luck with letting them know your thoughts, since they have disabled the commenting feature on this blog.

4.) Degree of Opinion: 9. Writers on this blog seem to enjoy writing about what they write about. While news information can be lackluster and tedious at times, this blog tries to send out their messages in a humorous and enjoyable way. While not all of the content on this blog is PG, I did enjoy reading it, even if I wasn’t too interested in what they were actually saying.

Fashion Tribes:

Fashion Tribes tends to appeal to the average fashionista who is well versed in various areas of fashion, such as new trends, beauty and accessories. The reader is usually familiar with popular styles and substantial fashion news occurring on in the fashion world. Taking elements from various aspects of fashion, such as advertisements, magazines and events, this website is pretty solid and well rounded.

Total Score: 30

1.) Clarity of thought: 9. The blog is portioned into smaller paragraphs, which makes it really reader friendly. Also, if you find yourself done with the reading, but are still interested in the topic, it allows you to read more after the jump, which gets rid of extra writing clutter, and opens up space for more easy on the eyes photos and videos. A lot of good pictures and examples, which make the posts look lively and not overwhelming to read.

2.) Timeliness: 6. For a website that is well known across the nation as one of the top rated fashion blogs, you would think that there would be much more blog entries, but instead I was disappointed to find that it only updates only 3-4 days per week. Even though there are a good amount of entries per day, the blog does not allow readers to view older posts, since there is no backlog feature. This makes it really disappointing for those that want to continue reading the rest of the blog, but are unable to.

3.) Relevance: 9. I really enjoyed the content on this blog and thought that it had a lot of good, useful information. It draws in various news about upcoming websites in fashion, as well as information about fresh spring beauty regimes and free giveaways, which everyone loves. Considering the wide-range of topics featured on this blog, I think that it is very good for an everyday shopaholic.

4.) Degree of Opinion: 6. There is hardly, if any, critique in any of the entries posted. However, when creating a blog site, you usually write about what you like, so with that in mind, you definitely know what the writers for this blog like to write about, which explains why I gave it a more generous score, since it posts things assuming that you know that these are things that they enjoy or find pleasing, without really having an opinion about them.

Go Fug Yourself:

Combine Hollywood celebrity style with a Perez Hilton sense of humor, and you have the love child of Go Fug Yourself. Known for its uncanny humor, it leaves no celebrity unharmed or unnoticed. This blog is probably one of the most hilarious fashion criticism blogs out there in a sea of fashion blogs on the internet, but then again, I am being completely biased, since these writers’ humor is right up my alley. Warning, this blog is not for everyone.

Total Score: 38

1.) Clarity of thought: 9. This blog uses the adverb, “A picture speaks a thousand words” and makes it its central point. Uploading a photo of a celebrity in a ridiculous outfit pretty much speaks for itself, since that is mainly how it shows the reader the ridiculousness of the celebrity’s outfit choices. Using the photo as the butt of its jokes, the writers then unapologetically bash the outfit.

2.) Timeliness: 10. Finally! A blog with a little consistency! It updates well over the course of the day. You can expect around 5 entries in a day, expect on weekends, which is understandable.

3.) Relevance: 9. Depending on your sense of humor, this site may or may not be right for you. For those who enjoy reading about bashing celebrities based on their clothing choices, then you have pretty much found gold, but for the fainthearted, you may cringe a bit more when you realize how harsh some of the critiques may be. No worries though, this website is all in good fun! Luckily, for this website, I fall in the former category, and enjoyed this blog thoroughly.

4.) Degree of Opinion: 10. Go Fug Yourself has made a career by casting its opinion on what others are wearing, so if it would be difficult for me to give it anything but a full score rating.

Fashionista

Fashionista is the product of two staff writers from Nylon and Elle Magazine, and joining to give you news in the fashion world faster than most other blogs. With a combo of gossip, rumors, sale tip-offs, internship suggestions, free giveaways, editorial photos and every other relevant news in the fashion world, Fashionista is a comprehensive and delightful read. Perhaps I am just being completely subjective, because this is one of the few blogs that I actually read everyday, alongside Perez Hilton, but Fashionista combines all the New York style straight out of the city’s oven.

Total Score: 38.5

1.) Clarity of thought: 10. The blog is written in small paragraphs, making it easier for the reader to get through it, without feeling overwhelmed. If the reader is still interested in a certain blog entry, she can click on a separate link taking them to “read after the jump.” It uses a combination of lively photos, videos and own photo-shopped writing, making the blog more personal and distinct to Fashionista. Also, as a helpful measure, if you don’t understand some fashion terminology, they have a dictionary specifically just for that!

2.) Timeliness: 10. Fashionista updates several times a day, throughout the day, to give you the most recent and important news. This blog is an archetype to how other fashion blogs should operate.

3.) Relevance: 10. The news featured on this blog involves news occurring in the New York fashion scene. While this may not include everyone, it does deal with high fashion in a very real way, something that can be understood no matter where you are. It also includes subjects from other fashion websites to give you the most relevant information, such as its “Mid-Day Snack” section. This blog also includes various areas of fashion, such as models, beauty, and editorial spreads, so the viewer can be well read in all aspects of fashion.

4.) Degree of Opinion: 8.5. While some blog entries are created just to provide readers non-biased information, other entries are made to showcase models or photo shoots that the writers really like. Either way, you will read this blog learning what is important to the creators of Fashionista. In most news, however, the writers write the entries in a critical way, with a strong point of view.

Written by Catherine Jang, fashion intern at San Diego Model Management http://www.sdmodel.com

You can contact Catherine at cathyjang@gmail.com

In this article we list the best twelve tips to help save and reduce your car insurance premiums. Providers of car insurance provide a useful service but it doesn’t make any sense to pay any more than you really have to.

Of course car insurance is legally required in all countries. The consequences are severe if you have an accident without proper car and motor insurance and getting caught by the police without valid insurance is very bad, you might even be jailed or at the very least fined heavily.

The good news is that although car insurance premiums can be costly there are ways of bringing your premiums down without breaking the law.

Do be aware that you must not necessarily choose the lowest car insurance quote on price alone – so be careful to ensure the premium gives you the coverage you require otherwise the policy and premiums are a waste of money if when it comes to a claim you are not fully covered.

Please also do not be tempted to provide false information on your car insurance application in order to try reduce your premiums because the insurance company can invalidate your policy if you have lied or provided false information and you could become liable to costly counter-claims by the other party involved in a car accident.

Tip 1 – Shop Around

Spend a small amount of time researching the different car insurance companies and brokers – making a few phone calls and sending a few emails can save you literally hundreds in just one year.

Internet-only car insurance companies often have the lowest premiums because they have lower overheads compared to the bigger companies with large offices and workers.

Tip 2 – Compare The Market

The Internet now makes it easy because there are many price-comparison search websites that crunch your details and in seconds compares different deals to show you the lowest car insurance offers available. This will save you both time and money.

Tip 3 – Price Matching

The car insurance market is very competitive. Once you have a quote tell each company you have a better quote and often they will come up with an even better price because they want your business. They are luring you with a cheap quote on the basis that probably next year when you renew you won’t bother to make as much effort because you will assume they will again be the cheapest provider of car insurance the next year – not necessarily so!

Tip 4 – Increase Your Excess

The car insurance company will have a compulsory excess but you can add what is known as a voluntary excess in order to reduce your premiums. Don’t do this if you are not the best driver as then you will really have to pay out when you have an accident.

Tip 5 – Increase Your Car Security

Fitting an alarm or immobilizer to your vehicle will usually lower your premiums as your car insurance provider then has less chance of a claim being made. Not every company will take account of this measure so it is best to check with your current company first before spending large sums on security buy by and large insurers appreciate that you have made additional efforts to prevent your car being stolen. Additionally many insurers also offer lower premiums if you park your car in a garage or driveway.

Tip 6 – Accept Limited Mileage

Many drivers do not use their car much. If you work locally or just use your car to go shopping then your chances of having an accident compared to a person who works on the road or drives a long way to work each day is much less. Insurance companies make money if you don’t have accidents so if they believe you are a low risk they won’t mind offering you lower rates so if you fall into this category ask for a low mileage restriction in your policy.

Tip 7 – Buy a Cheaper and Smaller Car

If you want to drive down your motoring costs then buy a cheap car which is not highly powered – it will be much cheaper to insure every year and the chances are it will cost a lot less in running costs such as petrol and gas. Try buying a car that is commonplace so servicing and replacement parts are cheap. Avoid cars with modifications and extras that make them stand-out to car thieves.

Tip 8 – Take Third-Party Only

If your car has a high replacement value then fully comprehensive car insurance is essential in case of accidents but otherwise consider the calculated gamble of third-party only insurance if your car has a low value.

Tip 9 – Drive Slowly and Safely

Insurance companies love low risk drivers with a clean driving license as they rarely need to make a claim and so the insurance companies keep all of their premiums. Insurance companies do not like young high risk drivers as they are much more likely to have accidents through inexperience or showing off.

Driving slowly and with due care will help you build up your no-points bonus which will mark you out as a lower risk driver and will result in lower premiums and cheaper car insurance. Any convictions you get on your driving license all increase your car insurance premiums.

Older drivers are preferred by car insurance companies because they are proven to have fewer accidents, so if you fall into this category go to the specialist insurance companies that only offer policies to older drivers.

Tip 10 – Get Your Policies Under One Roof

As well as car and motor insurance you are surely bound to have other insurance policies i.e. home and house insurance. Try your current insurer as they should be wanting more of your business as it costs less to keep a current customer happy than find a new one.

Tip 11 – Pay Annually

Don’t be tempted to spread your payment because by paying your car insurance in one lump sum single payment you will save a lot of money. With monthly premiums an amount of interest is added to cover the extra administration so over the long-run it ends up costing you a lot more.

Tip 12 – Named Drivers

Sometimes putting another driver on your car insurance will reduce your premiums. This is mostly the case when the other driver is older and with a clean driving license. They may never even drive the car but by adding them it adds credibility to your application and the insurance company will assume for part of time they will be driving the vehicle.

This article has been exclusively written by the team at insurance spain who aim to meet the needs of people (particularly expats) who are looking for various types of car insurance in Spain.

Copyright Insurance-Spain.com. Feel free to use this article online and in your email newsletters as long as you leave it intact and do not alter it in anyway. The byline and biography must remain in the article.

Chemical toxins are a growing problem for everyone – you, me, your family, people everywhere. Dr. Dick Irwin, a toxicologist at Texas A&M University, stated that “Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to health. The diseases we are beginning to see as the major causes of death in the later part of (the 1900’s) and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin.” The chemical toxic overload growing around us is taking many forms including increases in cancer, asthma, and a condition called Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) is a syndrome of medical conditions ranging from mild to life-threatening and include headache, trouble concentrating, memory problems, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, dizziness, difficulty breathing, irregular heart beat, and seizures. Usually the symptoms fade between exposures, but some people have the symptoms all the time. MCS symptoms in children include red cheeks and ears, dark circles under the eyes, hyperactivity, and behavior or learning problems. Medical researchers believe MCS to arise from a physiology that has been weakened by an overexposure to chemical toxins. This overexposure probably occurs gradually over many years. Researchers have long known that chemical toxins can be stored and accumulated in the fatty tissue and organs such as the liver. MCS is thought to be a result of the chemical “straw that breaks the back” of our body’s natural ability to purify and remove toxins and it causes a temporary or prolonged breakdown in the body’s natural balance. Multiple Chemical Sensitivities is sometimes known medically as Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance IEI).

The discomfort from chemical sensitivities might be triggered by a wide range of causes such as the off-gassing of chemicals from a new carpet or new, fabric-covered office partitions, lawn pesticides, cleaning solvents, or clothing grown and manufactured with toxic chemicals – which is the vast majority of clothing produced today. Many common chemically-intensive products such as laundry detergents, perfumes and skin care products can trigger physical reactions. Our skin can act as a protective barrier but it is also very absorbent, especially in areas where the skin might be damaged, have a rash or where the top layer of skin might have been rubbed off or abraded. Chemicals and toxins applied to the skin are easily absorbed and enter our blood systems. The liver and large intestine are the primary organs involved in detoxifying the body. One of the liver’s primary functions is in breaking down toxins so they can be eliminated. As the liver becomes overwhelmed with a constant barrage of toxins from the environment, toxins are not effectively eliminated and they begin to be stored in fatty tissue within the body. Nothing is closer to our bodies than our clothing and our clothes today are too often chemical toxin storehouses.

Synthetics and man-made fibers such as polyester, nylon, acrylics, and rayon begin their fabric lives in a chemical vat. Most people are aware that cotton, once considered the symbol of purity, is grown in fields heavily drenched in pesticides and insecticides. California’s cotton fields are blanketed each year with more than 17 million pounds of pesticides. In the U.S., it takes nearly a third of a pound of chemicals to grow enough cotton for just one t-shirt. Does that favorite conventional cotton shirt still seem innocent?

The environmental damage due to toxic herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, and synthetic chemical fertilizers is significant and sometimes deadly to farm workers and wildlife near the cotton farms. Irrigation and rainwater runoff contain high levels of chemical pollutants which poison streams, rivers, lakes and seep into wells and reservoirs used for community drink water. Many municipal water treatment centers lack equipment to eliminate these toxic chemicals before they enter city water lines.

Residues of pesticides have been measured in human amniotic fluid and they accumulate in fatty tissues and have been found in human breast milk. For the chemically sensitive and everyone concerned about the levels of chemical toxicity that ultimately travel into our bodies, the cotton fields are just the beginning of the long, chemical road to our wardrobes and closets.

The garment manufacturing industry is huge internationally and notoriously chemically-intensive and polluting. All stages of the conventional garment manufacturing process, except for the spinning process, rely upon a blizzard of synthetic chemicals, many of which are toxic. Polyvinyl alcohol is often used as a sizing to make the yarn weavable. Harsh chlorine is used to bleach and whiten. Fabric is scoured, cleaned and de-pigmented with sodium hydroxide, heavy metal salts and cerium compounds in preparation for dying. Dyes often contain heavy metal impurities, chrome mordant and formaldehyde-fixing agents. Some Azo-based dyes (Azo dye group III A1 and A2) shed carcinogenic aryl amines.

Not only do toxic residuals of these chemicals remain in the clothing, but they also find their way into ecosystems as waste and waste waters from the manufacturing processes. This is especially true in developing nations where most garments are manufactured and where environmental protections are lax and ignored.

Finishing is the last step of the manufacturing process and it is here that the last remnants of the natural fibers are paved over with harsh chemicals. A urea-formaldehyde product is frequently applied to cotton fabrics to reduce shrinkage and wrinkling. Cotton is a fiber designed by nature to absorb and heat is used to lock finishes into the cotton fibers. When heat is applied, these chemical finishes expand and are permanently bonded into the fabric preventing them from being removed by washing or dry cleaning. People concerned about chemical overloads should be “anti-” any garment that is advertised as being anti-shrink, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-static, anti-odor, anti-flame, anti-wrinkle, anti-stain, or any of the other “anti-” easy care garment finishes. Easy care finishes for cotton garments are achieved through chemicals, most of which will not wash out. That “new clothes smell” found in most conventional clothing chains is because of the chemical finishes used on their clothing.

So what is the chemically sensitive Cinderella to wear? Begin with natural fiber organic clothing such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and organically grown wools that have been grown organically and manufactured using organic and eco-friendly manufacturing processes. Both the growing and the manufacturing phases are critical to produce healthy clothing. If the finest natural organic fibers are smothered during manufacturing with harsh and toxic chemicals, the result will still be wrapping your body like a toxic sushi and allowing these chemicals to be introduced through your skin into your body. In a sense, your skin “eats” your clothing because chemicals in your clothing do pass through your skin into your blood system and throughout your internal organs. For babies and young children, this is even more of a concern because they often put their clothing in their mouths and suck on their clothing.

Because Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is a syndrome of symptoms and can have many different causes, clothing that might be acceptable for one person will be intolerable for another person. At LotusOrganics.com, we have worked with many people with chemical sensitivities and have found that people with mild sensitivities can often wear organic clothing dyed with low impact dyes but people with more acute chemical sensitivities can only wear natural, non-dyed or color grown organic cotton clothing. Clothing made from hemp and various wools is often intolerable for the acutely chemically sensitive; probably not because of some problem with the natural fiber but with chemicals added during the manufacturing process.

Certified organic cotton from Peru generally receives the best ratings for its purity and comfort from the chemically sensitive. Some manufacturers in India are also starting to produce some healthy organic cotton garments. Organic clothing from Turkey and Egypt can be “iffy” often because of the dyes. Garments manufactured in Asia tend to be the most problematic as Asian manufacturing processes are often more chemically intensive and there is less transparency into their manufacturing processes. These are just general guidelines based upon our experiences helping many people with chemical sensitivities find healthy – and tolerable – clothing.

Another area of problems for the chemically sensitive is the presence of elastic and latex in clothing. Some people are very sensitive to direct contact with elastic or latex. This is especially a problem in underwear where the waistband and leg openings have elastic or latex that comes into direct contact with the skin. This is why some manufacturers wrap their elastic or latex within organic cotton.

New clothing wrapped in white tissue or packaged in some plastics can cause discomfort and health problems for the very chemically sensitive. White tissue wrapping paper has usually been treated with harsh chlorine bleach and colored tissues have been soaked in strong chemical dyes. Packaging and wrapping plastic is made from petrochemicals and some plastics off-gas fumes that can causes physical discomfort. New shipping boxes are bonded and held together with adhesives which can off-gas into clothing being shipped inside. At LotusOrganics.com, we prepare clothing for shipping by wrapping it in unbleached, non-dyed tissue and, when requested, use old cardboard boxes for shipping because they are largely off-gassed after time.

For people with MCS, the modern world is becoming a chemically toxic labyrinth and MCS is an environmental disease that can affect anyone. For more information, visit the Chemical Sensitivity Foundation (http://www.chemicalsensitivityfoundation.org/), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/faq/mcss.htm, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service report on MCS (http://web.health.gov/environment/mcs/toc.htm) We must all do what we can to reduce toxins and improve the purity of our environment – including our clothes closets.

Michael Lackman is the founder of LotusOrganics.com, an online organic clothing store offering purely beautiful and healthy organic clothing for exercise, yoga, casual wear, and sleepwear.

The best public speakers in the world all agree on one thing. You can’t get good at public speaking without practice. That’s where some public speaking training seminars fail in teaching people how to do successful presentations. Lecturing someone on how to do a presentation will not make a student learn any faster. If you learn by doing, you’ll achieve much higher results!

After several years of public speaking engagements, teaching seminars and performing piano music for worldwide audiences, I woke up one day and realized I didn’t know the first thing about public speaking. That seems like an odd thing to say but it’s true. How did I know I wasn’t any good at it? Because, I didn’t “feel” successful at it.

Then, as luck would have, I reluctantly and skeptically attended a seminar my wife dragged me too. I thought to myself, I’ve been doing this forever and I don’t need to learn anything. But, I went anyway. And boy, am I ever glad I did. For the first time in my life I witnessed a public speaking genius at work. This man was truly amazing. He had every one of the 2,000 people in that audience on the edge of their seats for three entire days!

That was the turning point for me. At that seminar I realize why I didn’t feel like a successful speaker. I resolved myself to learn everything I could about being successful, not only as a public speaker but as a concert performer. And, overnight I went from being a know-it-all to a learn-it-all. I decided to invest in a seminar that promised to teach how to do successful public speaking presentations. Wow! It was even better than their first seminar. It was five entire days of learning, jamb packed with the most incredible public speaking knowledge imaginable.

What happened next is the truly amazing part! As soon as I got home I started incorporating my new found knowledge into my concert piano performances. The result? My audiences began to grow exponentially and my sales of CDs and DVDs went through the roof. Plus, my fee for performing grew to ten times what I was getting previously.

So, I took the knowledge and experience and began my own seminar business. I first started teaching what I knew and was successful at including how to increase your leads and sales through internet marketing, how to succeed in the niche music business, how to sell off the stage and the inner game of success.

What does this all mean for you? If I could use public speaking training to improve my sales, so can you!

The secret formula that I use for my public speaking presentations works great for keynote speeches, training seminars, sales presentations, live concerts, fundraising speeches, wedding speeches, board room presentations, employee motivation, employee training, pitching, team building, networking and virtually every other public speaking and presenting situation you can think of.

What is this amazing secret formula?

IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU, IT’S ABOUT THE AUDIENCE!

What does that mean exactly? Well, the vast majority of performers and public speakers are far too concerned about how they speak, about how they look, how they perform and how they sell themselves. This is 100% guaranteed to have less impact! In fact, if you’re out there trying to sell yourself, think again, few will buy!

Based on my experience, once I started to make the audience the star I generated more audiences, more results, and more money. This was real world proof that the template works! At first using the template felt strange, because of course, the template felt unfamiliar and was very different than anything I had previously tried. But, after only a few engagements, I was able to merge my personality with the template.

With practice, the template began to feel natural and effortless. Now, I use the template for every type of presentation. In fact, I recently did a boardroom sales presentation for a corporation and walked out with a $20,000 deal. How did I do it? The TEMPLATE!

Here’s where you can start. First be open to learning! Then learn the perfectly powerful speaker’s template. Then learn by doing. It’s that easy! Don’t forget to make the audience the star and you’ll realize just how rewarding and profitable public speaking can be.

Paul Tobey’s motivational public speaking training seminars are perfect for professional speakers, performing artists and anyone looking to raise their public speaking skills to a whole new level.

Have you heard of the waterless cooking method? It is a relatively new method of cooking that has many advantages. In the past, a lot of household cooking has involved cooking food with water. When cooked in water, however, a lot of the food’s nutritional value, not to mention the flavor, is taken away. Waterless cooking allows you to cook food in it own juices, retaining all the vitamins and minerals as well as most of the original flavor. There is no need to add water to foods (especially vegetables) because the natural moisture in the food is released and the steam created helps the cooking process. The steam is circulated throughout the pot and falls back into the food allowing it to stay moist and juicy.

So what are the advantages to waterless cooking? First of all, it is an easy way to cook. Many times you can use a one-pan cooking method so that all the food (meat, veggies and potatoes) is cooked together. This also allows for easier clean up with only one pan to wash up. And the new waterless cookware, with its superior heat distribution, tends to have less chance of food burning or sticking.

Waterless cooking also tends to cook food a lot faster. With the new waterless cookware available now the heat is evenly distributed along the bottom of the pot or pan. Because of this, there are no ‘hot-spots’ that may tend to burn your food. The lid of the pot forms a seal, which locks in the heat (as well as the moisture) so the cooking time is decreased.

As mentioned, waterless cooking is a healthy way to cook. None of the nutrients are lost during cooking, and you don’t need to add oil to stop the food from sticking to the pan, which also makes it healthier. The natural color and texture of the food is also retained which makes the food more appealing. Foods that are supposed to be crisp tend to keep their crunchy texture as well.

The features of waterless cookware that allow this cooking method to work include a flat bottom on the pots and pans which allow the most efficient means of heat transfer. The flat bottom connects with your stove element better, whether it be the coils of an electric stove or a gas unit, so that the heat transfer is more efficient. The cookware also has an iron core and an aluminum or copper base plate built into it that helps to retain a continuous, constant cooking temperature even after the heating element has been turned off.

Waterless cookware is typically made of high-grade stainless steel, which is better than other traditional pans in a couple of different ways. The stainless steel does not allow the taste of the metal to transfer to your food, as may be the case with aluminum or Teflon-coated cookware. Some companies use surgical stainless steel, which is the highest grade you can get for a real quality product. The stainless steel is easy to clean, durable (enabling it to last an extremely long time) and it allows you to keep your cookware sterilized.

One of the main features of waterless cookware is the special lid that keeps the natural moisture in the food from escaping. The lid forms a seal with the pot and lets the natural juices form into steam so the food cooks in its own natural juices, retaining all the nutrients and original flavors. There is a steam valve that whistles and tells you when you should turn off the heat (once the juices have created sufficient steam). In this way you save energy when cooking and the food is always cooked at a constant temperature.

Although it is referred to as waterless cooking, one thing you should do before cooking with this method is to rinse your food in water and then drain it before cooking. This ensures there will be enough water clinging to the food to create enough steam, mixed with foods natural juices, to cook it properly.

Cooking times with the waterless cooking method is generally a little less than traditional cooking times, depending on personal tastes for doneness. You should always cook your food at medium to low temperatures because the special waterless cookware construction allows the unit to conduct heat in the most efficient manner. You must also resist the urge to lift the lid during the cooking process as this will lengthen the cooking time and may even allow the food to dry out when the steam escapes.

The steam valve will tell you when you should turn off your stove element-when the correct temperature has been reached to allow the food to cook itself. When the steam valve whistles, turn off your stove, but do not lift the lid until the specified cooking time has elapsed-then you can open the lid and serve out your hot food. As a tip, put warm water into the unit after the food has been removed and let it sit while you eat so clean-up will be a snap afterwards.

Most recipes can be adapted (with a few alterations) to using the waterless cooking method as well. You will discover that old favorites will taste better and new recipes will be simple to master. The waterless cooking method is a new and healthier way to cook. It is more energy efficient, allows the food to retain its own juices, texture and color, and is an easy way to cook.

For more cooking articles, recipes, and cookware guides please visit my website at http://www.potsandpanscity.com/blog

Today I sat contemplating the meaning of the term ‘eco fashion’. I thought to myself, “If anyone should really understand the meaning of the above it should be me, as I have dedicated the best part of three years toward the creation of an eco fashion brand.” The problem is there is no point in me understanding the meaning if others can’t conceptualise the term, and how it may fit into their lifestyle. So here we are, and I am going to attempt to detail the meaning of ‘eco fashion’.

‘Eco fashion’ could quite literally be seen as two entirely different entities. Firstly the idea of ecological and environmentally sustainable ideas being somewhat of a trend, fad, or as it states fashion, something that may be washed away or brushed under the carpet in years to come. Secondly it can be viewed as fashion, as in clothing, accessories, perfumes, aftershaves and footwear, which is made with the environment in mind.

For the purpose of ‘eco fashion’ as apparel and its derivatives, the point to focus on is the statement that ‘eco fashion’ is fashion made with the environment in mind. What does this really mean? From my point of view it can mean one of four things;

- Fashion produced and created through the use of organic materials

- Fashion produced and created through the use of recycling of otherwise excess fabrics

- Fashion produced and created through the use of recycled materials not initially directly related to fashion

- Fashion produced and created that gives back directly to the planet.

These are my four categories and I think you will agree they capture the essence of ‘eco fashion’ fabulously. Under the above headings many designers, brands and labels have designed products that can appeal to the wider public, however currently the proportion of the population that really embraces products made under the ‘eco fashion’ title remains niche. This is by no means a problem because ‘eco fashion’ is young and has over 100 years or more of modern styling to compete with.

The more pressing question is to ask, “What will happen over the coming years?” Some might say it has already begun; is ‘eco fashion’ blending and merging with regular fashion? Has it become apparent that the ‘eco fashion’ route is not so much more expensive, and creates large benefits in comparison to regular production methods? Currently as a result of smaller scale designers, brands and labels, the law of economy of scale dictate, that anything done on a small scale will ultimately be expensive, but if ‘eco fashion’ moves mainstream and all processes are inherently eco friendly there will be no definition just a shift in foundation principles.

Some might question why I am writing this as I am one of the small producers of ‘eco fashion’ that will suffer as a result. Some might say customers, who would have sought out Excentree for its niche appeal, will no longer need Excentree. Well that is where you are wrong, yes we would no longer be niche, but it won’t be the customers who need us directly it will be the mainstream department stores, clothing stores and such like who will lend from our experience and expertise.

The proponents of ‘eco fashion’ have prepared for this period of change and it will be us at the forefront of the eco evolution. I for one will continue to champion the cause of mainstream ‘eco fashion’ because it can only benefit our people and our planet and unless I am mistaken the point of ‘eco fashion’ is to benefit both the customer and the planet, not to remain niche. Recently I have been dismayed when reading and listening to so called eco-gurus, eco-reporters, eco-commentators and eco-critics use the term “eco has gone too mainstream”, what is that all about? Working together should only be seen as positive. I don’t care if it is a multi billion dollar corporation that decides to have eco policies or the small start up, every little count. I sympathise with those who say “how can an oil company be eco-friendly?” The point is not their core business, but the fact that they acknowledge their responsibility and decide to take positive action. No one can expect companies to stop operating because their industry is seen as ecologically damaging, that is complete nonsense.

Sometimes I fear that ‘eco fashion’ is just that, an idea for people to jump on the bandwagon and when they get bored, and too many people have the same idea as them it won’t be fashionable anymore. Eco fashion can be a cause for good for the future, we should move forward together, not fighting, or criticising the efforts of others just because we don’t like people crowding our fashion. We need to farsighted in our quest for success, as our chosen niche grows as it should we must not lose sight of our values. In conclusion I would urge all those who believe in, or are concerned for the preservation of our planet to work with those who are new to an eco way of thinking, or being. Don’t forget the panoramic picture; the landscape of our existence is the real fashion we need to protect.

James McAloon is the Co-founder of Excentree Fashion Collections. Excentree Fashion Collections combines all elements of what exemplifies organic, environmentally and ethically aware clothing while attaining fresh, sharp and relevant style.

Excentree Fashion Collections offers vibrant, relevant clothing, drawn form a variety of strong and expressive world cultures. Each Excentree garment allows the purchaser to plant one tree in one of seventeen agro-reforestation projects. This guarantees a two ton reduction of any carbon footprint.

Everything that makes our world how it is; culture, diversification and our beautiful environment is showcased in the complete Excentree product. To find out more please visit http://www.excentree.com.

Do you plan to go on a hiking adventure? A hiking adventure can last a few hours or more, or even for the whole weekend. But no matter how long your hiking trip may be, you will need to choose where to hike. And when you do choose a hiking trail, be assured that you have many options. Anywhere in the United States there are hiking trails where you can go to, and some of them might just be a short distance away from your home.

In view of so many hiking trails which you may choose from, it goes without saying that your concern might be on how you can choose the ideal hiking trail for your planned hiking adventure. To be sure, there are lots of factors that you may find worth considering when choosing a hiking trail. Let us briefly discuss these factors for you.

One of the factors which you need to consider when you choose a hiking trail is the level of difficulty there is in a particular hiking trail. As you probably know, the design, format or terrain of hiking trails differ. There are even nature parks that boast of several hiking trails within them. This simply means that you have lots of hiking trails to choose from. So instead of looking at the scenery and aesthetic value of a hiking trail, you can choose the one with a difficulty level that matches your own confidence level. For example, you can try a hiking trail that is intended, or designed, for beginners if you happen to be a first-time hiker.

Along with the difficulty level, consideration for your safety is important and should be a key factor when you choose a hiking trail. You just cannot leave your safety to chance. Check the maintenance conditions of hiking trails you wish to choose from. If it is not possible to see for yourself the condition of a hiking trail, you may try asking around from friends or acquaintances who may have had experiences with it. Another way of getting the information you need is browsing the internet. Look for online discussion boards or websites from which you can gather pertinent information. Then proceed to select the one that you think is safe enough for you to hike.

Related to safety considerations is security. Again check if security measures including security personnel are well in place when you choose a hiking trail. Let not your anticipated excitement obscure the possibility that you might not be familiar with the hiking park or trail you are going to choose. Security personnel around hiking parks can readily help you in case something untoward happens, like accidents or encounters with strangers whose disposition towards you may be suspect.

If you plan to go hiking that may last the whole weekend, or even more than that, you may also be thinking of a camping adventure. Camping happens a lot of times for hikers. In this case you would do well to choose a hiking trail with overnight accommodations. Often this kind of accommodations goes with onsite campgrounds. There would be other things to consider, like gearing up properly and bringing along with you enough food provisions. But if you are inclined to hike only for the day, plans for overnight accommodations may not be that important to consider when you choose a hiking trail.

Another important factor is price. Hiking parks or trails in the US charge admission fees for hikers so that they can get access to them. The rates vary from one hiking trail to the other. They would usually depend on facilities and services they offer. Although these charges are reasonable enough and highly affordable by American standards, you have much to gain and nothing to lose if you take into account the varying charge rates especially if you want to save money.

What we discussed are just some of many other factors which you may do well to consider when you choose your hiking trail. They are meant to guide you as you plan for and go on a hiking adventure. They can help make your adventure enjoyable and memorable.

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