Does Anyone Have a Direct Line to God?

I have heard Catholics tell me that the pope has a direct line to God. I don't really know if that's true, but if he does, or anyone else does, I would like to ask them to do me a favor.

I would like them to ask God a few questions, these questions aren't going to be difficult, and we could even make them in yes or no formats, but these answers need to be asked and only God can provide us with the answers.

The first question that I would like to ask God, would be about starvation, why are there so many starving people all over the world? Are we or are we not supposed to be fruitful and multiply? Is overpopulation creating more problems in the world today, than it might have 2000 years ago?

These questions above, could be a little difficult to answer, but they shouldn't be too difficult for someone like God. I believe that God can handle a few tough questions and if the Pope or anyone else has direct communication with God, I would like to suggest something to them, quit wasting your time on frivolous things and start asking God the serious questions, that every one is really interested in.

It doesn't make a lot of sense, to pray and worship to somebody who realistically won't answer or deliver the things that we are requiring. I realize that most religious people are told, that God only answers some prayers or that God isn't ready to answer your prayers yet.

Anyway, if gods not going to answer all of our prayers, couldn't he at least answer some of our questions.

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended authors, Don Miguel Ruiz

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

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Jesus' Missing Years in the Bible

It looks like there is a big problem in the Gospels. There are more years in Jesus' life that are missing than years of his life that were ever recorded. Why weren't these years listed in the Bible?

All the Gospels talked about the death of Jesus, the birth of Jesus and a few years in between, but all of the Gospels are missing some very important years from his life. When raising a child, some of the most important years of their lives, will be those when they were teenagers and often those of their young adulthood.

The Gospels talk about Jesus at the temple at around the age of 12 or 13. After that, there is very little known until he reaches the final years of his life. Was there someone or a group of people or even a community who influenced his life? Could Jesus have learned something from a spiritual master Guru that changed the world forever?

There is more speculation on Jesus' missing years than you could ever imagine. Some say that Jesus went to Egypt to study with their masters or priests. Egypt obviously wasn't that far from where Jesus was raised, but like most of the stuff in the Bible, there is very little evidence to support any of these speculative stories.

Could Jesus have went to India and studied with the Buddhist masters or even a Hindu scholars? Did Jesus study with advanced Jewish scholars? This is only a little bit of the historical speculation, but if the truth was ever to be known, it could help Christianity solve a lot of problems.

Most Christians rarely even question these missing years. There are quite a few Christians that don't even know that there are any missing years in Jesus' life. I wrote this article to get people thinking and hopefully to start educating themselves about early Christianity. Good luck and God bless.

Great Christian Books And Articles

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Religious Education And Fear

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

How Long Does God Really Want Me to Try?

The Holy Spirit has been working through me for many years and I really want to know how long, God really want me to try? How long does he want me to try to get Christians to think and understand Christianity? I'm doing the best that I can and as long as God is working through me, I will try to do better.

God put me here for a reason and my reason is to teach other Christians about Christianity. As long as the Holy Spirit will keep me alive, I will continue to do the best that I can and teach other Christians, how to study the Bible and where their religion actually came from.

If you're reading this article, your probably interested in Christianity and the Bible, if you do read the Bible, do you actually understand what it's saying. If you study the Bible, are you exposing yourself to others who also study the Bible, or are you only studying the Bible with people you know and are familiar with.

How long are you going to try, before you actually quit? Have you quit before and started again and maybe you've done this a few times, but you haven't quite yet. I know where you're coming from, I've been there myself and continue to motor ahead.

I would like to give you a word of advice, don't ever quit and don't ever give up. Keep searching and you will find the answers, keep knocking and doors will be opened. I have been knocking and will continue to keep knocking.

I wish you nothing but the best of luck on your journey towards the ultimate answers that we're all hoping to find.

Do Christians Believe Everything

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a Christian self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

3 Steps to Compelling Communication

Communication is the primary tool we use to interact with others. It is vital in the development of successful business and personal relationships. Helen Keller who was blind, deaf and mute needed to learn ways to communicate so she could participate in the world. Participating in everyday life requires the development of effective, respectful communication skills.

The 3 key steps to compelling communication are Listening, Awareness and Questions

Listening
Sometimes silence is the most effective listening tool available. Have you ever noticed people who frequently interrupt conversations in order to make their point? What is the message to the person who was talking? Other times people rush to speak as a way of showing they understand or perhaps they have a solution to offer. To really listen means to give someone your complete time and attention without judgment or assumptions.

An employee went to her manager for suggestions and support in dealing with a difficult client. As she began describing the situation, her boss kept interrupting her and making assumptions. She never got the chance to fully clarify what had occurred and as a result the recommendations she was given for handling the situation were not particularly relevant. The impact of being a good listener can bring positive returns in not only working with colleagues but with clients and suppliers as well. When you do not fully listen and understand the concerns, how can you deal with it?

Awareness
In order to be truly aware you need to recognize what you are saying and doing as well as noticing other people's actions and reactions. In the work world as you move your way up the ladder of responsibility you will have managers and bosses who guide you and give constructive criticism. However, if you dislike your job or some aspect of the job you need to be aware of how your dislike might be coming across. How do you deal with a colleague or boss with whom you are having problems? What is your response? As you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings about a challenging situation, you are better able to manage and plan your actions.

It is equally important to be aware of how others may be feeling or behaving. If you are interacting with people face to face you may notice their body language. In today's world this can sometimes be challenging as you may be doing a lot of communicating by computer and phone. Therefore it is important to pay attention to tone of voice and the tone of emails. Your awareness and sensitivity of yourself and others invites collaborative solutions to problems and concerns.

Questions
Asking people questions instead of making assumptions is a useful way of gathering information. However the kind of questions you ask and the tone of your voice is key. Questions which are critical and judgmental disrupt communication, whereas questions which come from a place of curiosity and inquiry invite more meaningful conversations.

According to the "Inquiry Institute" there are two main types of questions, "judging or learning." Questions which have an accusatory tone such as "who's at fault, why are they so irritating or why can't I do anything right," generally contribute to people being stuck. Questions which invite possibilities like "What can I learn from this, what are the options and how can we do it differently the next time," tend to produce a more positive outcome. Which kind of questions would you respond to more favorably?

To move your conversations forward in the direct you want them to be going remember to really listen to what people are saying, be aware of yourself and others and ask questions which invite collaboration.

Copyright 2008, Gail Solish, Communication and Relationship Coach. All rights reserved. Visit http://www.actualizeyourgoals.com for more tips and information on communication skills and developing positive business and personal relationships. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter "Actualize Your Goals".

Gail Solish, provides Executive/Personal coaching to managers, directors and executives focused on workplace development and relationship management. Claim your copy of "7 Keys to Effective Communication" Today at http://www.ActualizeYourGoals.com

Accepting Second Best In Life

Are you a person who accepts second best in life? Is winning silver good enough for you? Are you content to be a follower rather than a leader? A couple of years ago I would have answered yes to all of these questions but I have since seen the light. I now strive to be number one in every aspect of my life, I am happy to work hard to achieve my goals and to listen to the advice that I am being given. In this article I will write about how I learnt to have this new found positive attitude.

As a teenager and into my early twenties I basically drifted through life, it was as if I could not be bothered. I have to admit that I was a slightly depressive person during this period of my life, this was mainly because I had a stammering/stuttering problem with my speech. I seemed to be in an almost continual rut, always blaming the stutter for my lack of progress in life.

This was all to change when a new guy started at the office where I worked. His name was Jim and he was very bright and bubbly. Jim had a positive outlook on life and was seemingly very confident. I, at that point, was the opposite.

Over the next few months I began to spend a lot more time with Jim and was quite shocked when he asked me:

"Why are you so unhappy Steve? You always seem to be quite down, is there anything I can help you with?

Even though I did have a lack of self-esteem and was perhaps not always the brightest of personalites, I was not expecting to be asked this type of question.

Jim did prove to be a massive help to me, he made me understand that we only have one life, one shot at making a name for ourselves and that positive people tend to be the most happy and successful people.

Stephen Hill runs The How To Stop Stammering Centre, he has a number of websites including:

stuttering information

dvd replication

eradicate depression

Crystals For Moon in Aries

Moon Crystal: Snow Quartz

Intuition Crystal: Aventurine

For your fiery moon, Snow Quartz works perfectly as it helps you understand the value of co-operation and finding the middle ground in situations. Snow Quartz also assists energy to go to its perfect balance for your being and it also helps the behavior patterns that always seem to be ingrained in the Aries Moon sign. Snow Quartz also helps negativity and clears the mind and brings clarity.

You have great courage and are very initiative, with strong ideals and lots of stamina, with the ability to assert yourself. You are an enthusiastic leader and others will follow where you lead. Aventurine will support these positive moon qualities and assist you in your care and concern for others. Aventurine is also used to elevate your spiritual vibrations, this crystal works very quickly and that works well with your impatient moon.

You have charisma in all that you do; you are full of passion, freedom and adventure along with emotional needs that demand instant gratification. You seldom like advice and/or being told what to do and some would say that you tend to be headstrong, but your real desire is to move out of selfishness to make contact with others and be open to friendships; the crystal that assists you to compromise between your needs and the needs of others is Kunzite, this crystal helps compulsive behavior, immaturity, depression and any thing related to stress.

Pyrite is excellent for your self worth and inner peace, you hate to be kept waiting and Pyrite carried with you all the time reduces this frustration and also helps negativity.

Blue Lace Agate assists in anger, impatience and encourages acceptance, discipline and reliability with the headstrong Aries Moon; it can also bring balance and emotional stability and improves communication on all levels.

Thought for the Day: "If you have not consciously made the decision to be rich, excellent, and healthy, then you have unconsciously made the decision to be poor, mediocre, and unhealthy." -Wallace D. Wattles-

Darlene has researched, practiced and implemented many spiritual and personal growth paths: Crystal Readings for Vibrant Living; Feng Shui for personal tranquility; Sacred Movements for a disciplined life; Gentle Touch Energy Healer; Whole and organic food advocate-Food as Medicine; Artist of hand woven and beaded amulet basket necklaces. She resides in California in her own personal wellness center and sanctuary. She brings her wisdom, knowledge and spiritual self to you in all that she does. Darlene's mission is to teach and encourage individuals how to find and maintain their balance in mind, body, spirit connection, which brings peace, joy and prosperity into their lives. They learn how to experience the joy of balanced living. She accomplishes this thru her Crystal Readings for Vibrant Living and her Wellness Coach Program, which is offer to individuals and corporations. Darlene Siddons Spirited Boutique

Clean House, Clean Head

When you walk in the front door of your home after a long, hard day, do you feel soothed, comfortable, and truly at home? Or does it look like a scene from the film Animal House?

Imagine looking around you and only seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling appealing things. Imagine coming home from work to a home where you love every single thing you see. Where every single thing has a purpose and a space, and you know exactly where everything is, and it all functions beautifully.

You CAN live this way!

Do you have clutter in your home or office? Are you behind on bills? Are there stacks of papers or other items that have been there since the 80's, and you are waiting to get "a round tuit?" Are you simply a busy person, or are you a packrat or a hoarder? If you are a chronic packrat or hoarder, you may consider seeking professional help and/or medication to feel safe without the "protection" that all your "stuff" provides.

Well, there is a direct psychological parallel to "stuff" out there; whatever is going on in your head is generally reflected in your house. Certainly some of us are more affected by our environments than others....some of us are more sensitive than others...some seem to frankly be completely oblivious to mess. Some actually swear that they do better with a mess, but it is generally an organized mess, yet they'd be even more functional if their environment were more efficient.
Yet underneath it all, they are simply comfortable with the familiar.

Many people would love to have an organized environment, but keep procrastinating while their piles of stuff and their guilt/fear/anxiety increase! Here are Ten Tips - - some really simple steps to help you get started on a cleaner house, head, and life:

1. Make a list of every closet, drawer, etc. that needs to be cleared. For example, master bathroom: 8 drawers, one linen closet. Home office: 6 desk drawers, 5 filing cabinets drawers, sofa stacked with papers. This crucial first step is not to overwhelm you; quite the contrary, it's to give you the big picture so you can break it down into easily manageable baby steps. Allow yourself all the time you need.....one or two hours a day or a week. This entire project may take you weeks or even months to complete. But you will feel better every single step of the way.....just imagine the burden being lifted by simply starting! Some couples and families find creative ways to do this together.

2. Next, prioritize which area needs to be tackled first. If you are close to bankruptcy, you might want to handle your office first. If your spouse is researching divorce attorneys because of the bedroom clutter, you might want to start there. Get your list in order, and choose one room, one area to make your debut. Pick your favorite time of day and day of the week to work on this project. Write it in your calendar/datebook/Blackberry and honor this date with yourself as if it were as important as a DDS or MD appointment so you are psychologically geared up for it. If letting go is already difficult, why not set yourself up for success by making it easier in every way possible? Enroll a friend of family member to help you, but only if he/she can be lovingly decisive. If you have children, allow them to help you. Know that you are modeling excellent behaviors for them to take on and pass on to their children. You are training them to be more decisive, organized, and let the small stuff go. Wear comfy clothes, put on your favorite upbeat music, and have your favorite meal and beverage (or fresh flowers, etc.) ready for you as a reward when you complete this.

3. On D-Day (De-clutter Day): Take every single thing out of the closet or drawer. Vacuum and/or clean out all dust and dirt. Thoroughly. Have rags and antibacterial cleansers handy and perhaps an air freshener. Polish the furniture. You may wish to line drawers with paper, and/or add organizational dividers.

4. Next, sort items into piles of (A) must keep because I use it frequently, (B) not sure, haven't used in a while, and (C) haven't used in years and frankly forgot I had it. Remember, nothing is gone forever. If you find later that you discarded something you still need, you can get another....perhaps an updated, better one. When we hold onto the past, we deny the future possibilities of improvement.

5. Put all of C items in a garbage bag and label for your favorite church, charity, homeless people, shelter, mission, or Salvation Army. OR, label for the garage sale you will plan when complete with the clearing phase.

6. Sort A items in an organized fashion: color code, size, etc. You can get very inexpensive racks and containers for drawers and closets that will keep all your items neat and orderly. Call me anal, but my closet is arranged (and labeled) DRESSES, SUITS, BLOUSES, PANTS, SWEATERS, and all color coded within the category. A REAL time saver when I want to mix and match.

7. Revisit B items and rate each on a scale of 1-10 in attachment, 10 being you really feel attached/scared to let it go. Anything scoring 5 or lower goes you know where.......in with the C items for recycling or garage sale. Another way to deal with the Bs is by asking yourself: Is this item a reminder of my past, or in line with my future?

8. Repeat this cycle in every area of your home or office. You will probably feel like your home has "lost weight," as indeed it has. Enjoy the feeling! Celebrate with that favorite meal, beverage, flowers, etc. You've earned a treat.

9. With all the items you are letting go, have a garage sale and make a few extra bucks. Or take to a local eBay seller and have them do it for you. Or give away the items to a friend, a college student, to a shelter or Salvation Army or a church. Remember, you are not losing these things.....you are recycling, sharing with others who can really use them. You've outgrown them. Others need them more than you do.

10. If even the thought of this is overwhelming, you might consider hiring a master of Feng Shui, a personal organizer, or a clutter buster, to come in and work with you patiently through every step of the process. Be prepared for emotions to come up. A good Feng Shui master or organizer will know how to walk you through this crucial phase. Keep a journal close by if you are working this alone, and write out your feelings. Bottling them inside you is exactly what is bottlenecking your home's energy.

After you're done, you want to put a maintenance plan in effect to insure continual comfort and psychological health. Once a week, more or less, check in and survey your home or office. Throw away or file away everything you can. Organize bills in a chronological fashion and keep in some sort of TO BE PAID stack. Look at it every week and see what needs to be paid. Debts (like excess pounds!) are definitely a form of clutter. Check out your closets and clothes drawers with every season's change, or just at the New Year, to clear out the C items, and survey the B items.

A healthy psyche can flow as easily as a ship on an open sea. Imagine how difficult it would be for a ship to sail through cluttered waters. It would take enormous energy and time to maneuver around obstacle after obstacle.

Here's to smooth sailing on the sea of life!

Dr. Nancy B. Irwin is a Los Angeles-based psychotherapist/therapeutic hypnotist, and author of nonfiction YOU-TURN: CHANGING DIRECTION IN MIDLIFE, a collection of over 40 stories of people over 40 who made successful life transitions.

Annual Forecast & Feng Shui Remedies for 2007 : Yin Red Fire Pig Year - Ox Sign (Chinese Zodiac)

The Chinese Zodiac Astrology is ancient, interesting, accurate and loved by millions across the world. The Chinese Zodiac is based on cyclic concept of time : a cycle of 12 years, repeated again and again. The 12 Years are associated with 12 Celestial Animals : Rat (or Mouse on Mongoose), Ox (or Buffalo or Bull or Cow), Tiger, Rabbit (or Hare or Cat), Dragon, Snake (or Serpent), Horse, Goat (or Sheep or Ram), Monkey, Rooster (or Hen or Cock or Chicken or Phoenix), Dog and Pig (or Boar or Hog). The animal names occasionally differ with the Oriental Country they originate. The Chinese Yearly Horoscopes are basically built around these 12 Animal Signs.

Your Chinese Astrological Zodiac Animal Sign is directly based on the Chinese Lunar Year of Birth that you were born. The Chinese New Year is mobile and could start anywhere between 21st January and 20th February, depending upon the year. If your Date of Birth falls into any of the following Chinese Lunar Years, then, because you are born in the Year of the Ox (or Buffalo or Bull or Cow), you are symbolically identified by your Celestial Animal, the "Ox (or Buffalo or Bull or Cow)" :

From 19 Feb 1901 to 07 Feb 1902

From 06 Feb 1913 to 25 Jan 1914

From 25 Jan 1925 to 12 Feb 1926

From 11 Feb 1937 to 30 Jan 1938

From 29 Jan 1949 to 16 Feb 1950

From 15 Feb 1961 to 04 Feb 1962

From 03 Feb 1973 to 22 Jan 1974

From 20 Feb 1985 to 08 Feb 1986

From 07 Feb 1997 to 27 Jan 1998

In Chinese Hsia Calender, 2007 is the 4704th year and significantly, is also the fourth year of the New Feng Shui Land Luck Cyclic Period 8. The forthcoming new Chinese Lunar Year is from 18th February 2007 to 6th February 2008. The next Chinese New Year, the Yang Earth Rat will begin on 7th February 2008.

Enjoy the Annual Forecasts and learn about the suggested Feng Shui & Crystal Remedies that you may need for the coming "New Lunar Year 2007 : Ding Hai, the Year of the Yin Red Fire Pig" :

CAREER An year of fluctuating Career. If you can use your skills well, get used to long and heavy workloads, take the support of others than tread an independent path, refuse to get into arguments and ignore provocative rumours, then you will make progress. When opportunities present themselves - and they will, because of your groundwork of 2006 - shed your negativity and take the initiative, you have to harness the energy to transform the opportunities to success. Ignore provocations but do not hesitate to defend yourself, if need be. Do not take sides in office politics, but preserve neutrality. Avoid getting involved in gossips. If you have a female superior, avoid confrontation at all costs. Foreign trips are possible for some of you. Not right time for switching jobs or seeking internal transfers or for migration. Keep a set of 3 Qing Dynasty Coins (square coins with square hole in the center) with you for general luck - you need it. Creative Artists will excel. Business persons are warned against fruitless expansions. Employ only talented and trustworthy persons. Install the statue of QuiYong riding Pig or carry a set of 3 QuiYong Coins. If you are a shop-keeper, do not get into arguments with female customers, but allow them to have their say. If you are a doctor or surgeon or dealing with medicines and medical instruments, you will do well.

MONEY A reasonably good year as far as finances are concerned. By planning and shifting your money deposits to safer plans and with higher yields, you can easily balance your budget. There is a small amount of windfall luck coming your way, but do not risk high values in speculations. Carry a pocket size photo of Chai Shen Poh with you. Buying or selling properties will not profit you this year. Cut short your spending desires, otherwise you will have a big hole to fill. When you sign on dotted lines, read the fine print of the contract terms with a lens. Refrain from both lending and borrowing. Avoid direct money transactions with the opposite sex. If you are planning for a major personal borrowing to accommodate your lifestyle, you will be forced to notice that consistent rumours have influenced and damaged your credibility. Do not take to part-time jobs for earning some extra money, as it could affect your health. Keep a set of Dragon & Phoenix Coins along with cash, at your home, to initiate money savings.

HEALTH Long hours of work will bring general tiredness and shoulder stiffness. Meditate and relax. There could be some accidents, especially to the very young and to the quite old. Avoid long night travels. Keep away from the drinks. Avoid eating in unhygienic places. Headaches, indigestion, liver and gastrointestinal problems will surface. For the females, menstrual irregularities could become a source of worry. Hang a natural Chinese Wou-Lou by your bedside, to suck in the circulating sick chi. There could be a death in the family. If you are a male born in the year 1937, watch out for digestive disorders and constipation problems. If you are a female born in the year 1937, you might face urinary problems.

LOVE Turbulent times for both the married and the singles. Rumour mills will be grinding overtime. Good communication skills can avert many possible misunderstandings. Get involved with your loved one and spend quality time together, attend social gatherings and participate in family functions and dispel even the smallest doubts. Take short breaks from your tight professional schedule and make enjoyable pleasure trips with your spouse. Resolve even the smallest disagreements instantly and do not allow arguments to escalate. If you fail to compromise and let your ego ride, you could even face separation. Install the combined statue of the ideal couple : Dragon & Phoenix, to gain support. Single Rats should understand that 2007 will not permit them to make any meaningful and constructive relationship.

STUDIES Good academic results and enough opportunities to shine. The efforts that you put in this year will continue to yield results far into the future. If you were born in 1985, your active social networking will bring you into the sphere of cupid's arrows - do not get involved with silly romance - nothing ever will come out of it - it will only distract you from your ambition. Important : Be practical - self-harm in a fit of rage will bring down your entire family. If you were born in 1997, your academic performance will be outstanding.

Birthstone : Lapis Lazouli Good Relationships with : Rat, Rabbit and Monkey, for 2007 Conflicts with : Horse, Dragon and Goat, for 2007 Polarity Force : More Yin Lucky Numbers : 1, 3, 5, 12, 15, 33, 35, 51 & 53 Zodiac Protector : XuKong Zang or Akasa Garbha (Sanskrit)

A NOTE ABOUT REMEDIES : The above analysis has suggested some remedies/cures for reducing the impact of negative energy and has recommended certain enhancers for increasing and improving upon the beneficial energy of the year. For the remedies/enhancers to be effective, they should be cleansed, energised, blessed and programmed not only for the particular individual/family but also for the specific purpose/problem. They should also be placed in the indicated location, to derive the maximum benefit. Any or all of these remedies can be reused for the forthcoming new years, but they may have to be repositioned according to the specific new year.

Janarrdhana Guptha is an Energy Consultant, Kabbalah Energy Numerologist, Crystal Master & Clairvoyant Karma Reader. His speciality is permanent Karma Energy Correction through custom-built Crystal Energy Fields. His E-Mail : crystalvaastu@yahoo.com. His website :http://www.crystal-vaastu.com/home.htm & http://www.newage-kabbalah-numerology.com

Tips For Getting Fresh Lobster Shipped to Your Door

Many people do not realize how easy and inexpensive it is to get fresh lobster shipped right to your door. While you do need to exercise caution when dealing with live lobster, follow these simple tips and your seafood will arrive in great shape, ready for that gourmet meal.

• Clearly understand the shipping conditions

Many online merchants and retailers will explain they can have fresh lobster shipped to you within one day. While this is likely true, many companies will freeze dry the lobster and will not ship live lobster to you. Even frozen lobster can lose quality quickly. Make sure your company of choice offers live shipping and that the process is detailed on their page. If you have any doubts, give them a call.

• Understand the return policy

While getting fresh lobster shipped to you is relatively easy, you do need to understand the return policy of the company. Some companies do not offer a guarantee of the lobster arriving alive, and will not refund if your catch is DOA. Read the fine print, and understand the proper procedure should you need to return the shellfish for any reason. However, it should be noted that I have been getting this tasty crustacean shipped to me for years, and have never had an issue.

• Check for Specials

Most companies will offer great specials on whole lobster plus sides or other great items, normally at a nice discount. I have seen packages many times before that include 4 live lobsters of 1.5 pounds each, 4 filets (for the classic surf and turf), and even side dishes, for less than $130 and complimentary shipping. Pricing that kind of meal at a restaurant and you are looking at well over $200 for that kind of meal.

Getting fresh lobster shipped to your home is a great way to celebrate a special occasion or to enjoy using in great soups and other dishes. I have used these companies to send lobster for everything from birthdays to Valentines day.

My wife and I have enjoyed fresh lobster shipped to our door on many occasions. There are so many unique recipes and options available that it never gets boring coming home to find a beautiful box of lobster waiting for you. We have even created a site to share some recipes and resources regarding fresh lobster and other great seafood, including our favorite online merchant for fresh lobster. Visit our site here: fresh lobster shipped.

Some Advice for the Rowie Baker, Listen Very Carefully!

It's Friday the end of another tough week of fighting the good cause on my path to making 2 million dollars. It's an almost perfect day, its warm and the sun is shinning, I'm feeling fantastic, it's amazing what having a bit of sunshine does for your sense of wellbeing, life is sweet.

I can't wait to move to Barbados and have this sort of weather virtually all year round, but that's another story! I sort of get the picture as to why all those guys in Barbados spend all their time at the rum shop!

As part of my usual Friday ritual I head down to the Local bakery for my end of the week treat, you guessed it Rowies. They maybe taste delicious but they are too unhealthy to eat on a regular basis. I want to stay good-looking, young and healthy, so I eat them in moderation.

Rowies to the uneducated may all look the same, but they sure don't taste the same. I like mine soft and fluffy. I asked the shop assistant for four soft Rowies, he was a young Indian guy, that's something new to me, usually in our bakers in Aberdeen, the requirement to get the job is you must be old, grumpy and slow.

He politely told me, they weren't very soft today, but he would give me the softest ones they had, that was something new to me an extremely polite assistant in the baker. What could I do, the next nearest baker was miles away, so I gave him my 1.20 and bought the not too soft looking Rowies, I was desperate for my fix, dam I had earned them.

I rushed home, I put the semi soft rolls in the toaster, they came out even harder than they went in, way too much salt in them for me, I'm too young to die of a heart attack!

Some advice for the Rowie baker, not all of us like hard Rowies, it's the 21st century, do you not have some sort of system for making your Rowies. How difficult can it be to make soft Rowies, you have been making them for decades. Listen, you can make some soft fluffy ones and then make some hard ones, it aint too complicated.

I wondered if Donald Trump or Alan Sugar have these problems, sometimes life is so unfair, but I did what any go-getter does. I walked down to the supermarket and bought some croissants, they were soft and fluffy and tasted absolutely delicious!

If I wasn't so busy becoming a successfully businessman I would go and make my own, but time is precious and that's why you have bakers.

http://www.2milliondollarbills.com

The Various Waffles That Waffle Makers Can Bake

Waffles have been around for centuries. If you speak to a person from Holland they will insist that they were the first to create them and that their "stroopwafels" are the precursor to the modern waffle. The evidence shows that they were first made in Gouda during the 18th century. However, there is earlier evidence that the "chiffon waffle" was first made in the Netherlands during the 16th century. To add to the confusion, the Belgium's lay claim to the hundreds of years old Belgian waffle.

However, the debate can be laid to rest. The oldest reference that can be found to waffles is in a 14th century English cook book and they were called "waffres". The British have seemed to have moved away from these types of cakes with the modern British waffle being a savory potato cake.

The modern waffle that everybody knows is the American waffle. The knowledge of baking waffles was passed on to the Americans when pilgrims arrived from the Netherlands in 1620. It took a few hundreds years for the American waffle to become popular but today's it is often eaten for breakfast or as a dessert. They can be made as a sweet or savory dish.

A basic American waffle is made using a waffle maker. The batter is made from flour, eggs, milk, oil and baking powder. You can also add other ingredients to the batter such as nuts, fruit or - in fact - anything that you want.

One of the most important things about baking a waffle is using the correct waffle maker. There are a large range of waffle makers on the market today and choosing the right one can be tricky. But it is important that you choose a waffle maker that will keep the outside crispy while the inside remains soft and fluffy.

The Waffle Makers Guide can provide you with the right information on choosing a waffle maker that will bake the ideal waffle for you. You can find more information on what waffles you can make with this article: Waffle Makers - What Waffles Can You Bake?

All About Alaska King Crab Fishing

Most people who enjoy a good crab know that Alaskan king crab is synonymous with flavor. Until recently though, most people did not know that Alaskan king crab fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Why is that? Because "crabbing," as it is called, requires the fishermen to sail out to the deep sea in the heart of winter, which as you can imagine, is also the season of treacherous storms. The season is short and sleep is limited. Compared to the average worker, the fatality rate among the fishermen is about 90 times higher. But to read accounts of crab fishermen is to know that there is an allure to the lifestyle, a connection to the sea that keeps them returning to the icy waters to make their potentially deadly catch.

Though crabs are caught in Russia and in international waters, the most prominent (and sustainable) of king crab fishing occurs off the coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. In 1980 the crab fishing industry with at a peak, presenting a catch of over 200 million pounds of crab; however, due to many factors, catches decreased after this year and thus the season was shortened to accommodate regeneration. The harvest now is performed in a very short amount of time and then the catch is shipped worldwide. Recent Alaskan king crab fishing seasons have been as short as 4 days, and can range from one to two weeks.

There are more or less three varieties of king crab that are commercially viable: In Alaska, three species of king crab are caught commercially: the red king crab, the blue king crab, and the golden king crab. Baited with cut fish, steel traps or pots are pushed over the side of a large boat. Each pot is marked with a buoy, which also signifies its owner. Pots are hauled in, at the right time, usually based on gut instinct and years of experience more than an actual science. When full the pots that must be dragged up can weigh well over a ton, presenting a serious risk to the fishermen and their boat. Pots are quickly emptied into the hold of the boat, rebaited, and returned to the ocean floor.

Alaskan king crab fishing is without a doubt a dangerous job, but the fruits of the labor are a delicious treat for the public at large.

Alaska is home to an abundant variety of seafood, and offers some of the purest marine, freshwater, and upland habitats on the planet.

From the clear crystal waters comes seafood that is delicious and healthy. Alaskan seafood is low in fat but big on flavor and Omega-3 oils. You can study thousands of pages of nutritional research. Or, simply observe the amazing health and longevity of people in countries where seafood is the most important part of their diet. Either way, Alaska seafood is as healthy as it is delicious.

Are you are looking for a meal that is low in saturated fat, filled with nutrients and packed with good heart healthy Omega-3s oils? Then you should start with Alaska Seafood.

http://www.alaskaseafood.org

Need Help Remodeling In Carlsbad

What you are thinking about remodeling your house and you live in Carlsbad. Let me give you some advice about some local contractors and some of the people involved. I used a company called Service Magic to find a local heating and air conditioning contractor. All I had to do was go on the internet , type in some information about my self and what I wanted to have done to my home. This didn't seem that bad of a idea at the time. But look what I found out.

I went to their web site, filled in my information and with in minutes I had received the names of at least 4 contractors. Wow this is neat. I didn't even get to start calling any of them when my phone rang. It was one of the contractors secretaries. She introduced herself and asked what would be a good time for someone to come out to look at the work I wanted done.

I was surprised at the speed things were taking place but in a way glad that I had a reputable contractor from one of the largest construction referral services on the internet. I told her 10:00 would be fine. I got a call shortly after that from one of the other companies. He wanted to meet me that mourning at 8:00 if it was Ok with me. I told him of course, let's do this. Then the next one called and I thought great you can come at 1:00. Well you guessed it the next one was coming over at 2:30.

The first contractor showed up as scheduled at 8:00. We talked about what I wanted done and he whips out his note book and starts figuring out a price. This took place around 15 minutes into the meeting. This guys good I thought. Being a General Contractor in Carlsbad myself, for a job like this I would go back to my office and figure out a price and then double check my figures for a accurate estimate. It took this guy less than 5 minutes to create a proposal of around 10,700 dollars for every thing.

Well I was thinking to myself, the job should be around 7,000 dollars but what do I know about construction. I informed him that I would think about it and that I was going to meet with a couple of other contractors that day. He ask me who the other contractors were. I proceeded to tell him that I probably shouldn't tell him who they were. Well your not going to believe this. He put on his physic hat and told me who was coming over. The only thing he didn't know was what time they where coming over.

Oh I forgot to mention before he left he told me he would knock ten percent off the job if I signed the contract right now. I pretended like I was excited just to see his reaction. He looked at me like he had won the gold metal in sales. I told him thanks but I bet your new offer with the ten percent discount will be good for the next few day. Right I asked. He wasn't looking that excited any more as he replied with a Yes it will be good for a while. I thanked him and he went on his way.

My 10:00 never showed but his secretary gave me the old, " He had to go do a emergency job and could he reschedule tomorrow at the same time. I said that would be fine. As a contractor myself I have always put the work I had to do first and foremost.

About 12:30 I get a call from my next heating and air conditioning contractor. He is running late but will be there at 1:30. I appreciate the call and I will see you then. The only problem now is that I have another contractor coming at 2:30. That give the next contractor less than one hour before the next guy shows up. I never liked going over to someone's house and running into another remodeling contractor.

The next contractor was very informative and knew his stuff. I listened and learned. He told me he was going to have to go back to his office and would have a price back in the mourning. Great I told him as I hurried him out the door.

The last contractor of the day shows up and wants to know whose been over to the house, was it these guys or those guys. I told him I wasn't going to tell him who was over. Now this guy was a salesman. He did a little more probing before he let me in on the fact that his company doesn't do complete home installations. He made up some story that his company only replaces the forced air units. I could tell he didn't want to do the job once he found out I knew what I was talking about. So I said my good byes to Mr. Salesman.

The bad part about him was latter on that week his company sent us some mailers. The kind that doesn't have your name on it and everyone in the neighborhood get's one. I couldn't believe my eyes when I started to read this letter. It said we would be glad to give you an estimate on all your heating and air conditioning needs or services. " We Do Complete Installs". I told my wife we could have used this a few weeks ago. Then I recognized the name of the company and now knew that the salesman had lied to me for sure.

That night I started to think about what was going on here it seemed like I was being set up. Everyone knew what was going on but me. It seemed clear to me that these people knew each other.

Well as time went on we ended up hiring the first guy that came over. He seemed to have the best product at the most reasonable price. His company also did a great job. Keep one thing in mind here out of five contractors that I gave the opportunity to bid the job. Only three showed up and from them I only got two bids. Why didn't I get more bids? Quite frankly I was to busy working at the time and of course the other two guys were always going to show up and that kind of strung me along. My mistake.

Here's the kicker to all of this. Service Magic calls me up one day to tell me they would like to start sending me construction leads as a General Contractor.

I listened to what they had to say and was almost ready to sign up with them again. That's right, I was signed up with them when they first started until they changed the rules on me. The salesman that originally contacted me said if I paid them the 100 dollar sign up fee they would let me pick what jobs I wanted to do. That lasted about 5 months before I noticed that they were not sending me siding referrals to pick from. I called them up only to talk to someone who didn't understand the State Of California Contractors Licensing Board.

Well I wasn't about to reinvent the wheel. I simply told them that I should a least get my money back, right. They said they would look into it further as I never heard from them again about my 100 dollars. Well things have changed at Service Magic since I was with them when they started.
As a home owner you don't think you are paying Service Magic because all you do is fill out a simple form giving some information about yourself.

I found out that Service Magic sent all four of these contractors my original information. Each contractor then had to pay 55 dollars each to Service Magic for a total of 220 dollars. All I have to say is how are they getting away with charging this much money for sending a out a simple referral to these contractors.

The contractor unfortunately passes this expense on to his customers. You as the home owners end up paying these fees as a cost of doing business with them. Some contractors think this is a great way of doing business but you might think differently in the future if you start paying over 100 dollars for a simple construction referral.

Greg Vanden Berge has been in the home building and remodeling business for over 30 years. With this knowledge he has created a few websites that provide useful information for home owners as well as contractors. His main goal is to educate professionals in the home related businesses, dealing with problems that can easily be avoided with just a little bit of information.

His website http://gregvan.com provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building issues that could create major damage as well as possible damage to your pocket book.

Visit us now for Home Improvement Tips

Greg Vanden Berge Quotes

How to Achieve Success in Life Through Positive Affirmation

The term affirmation is more thought to exist within New Age and New Thought philosophy, where the practice of positive thinking or even a mental attitude that has been positioned to thinking positively is fairly well known and promoted. The basic premise of positive thinking and affirmation is that is should be bombarded to the mind until it becomes part of the structure of human thinking.

This is done primarily through writing down information and reading it to oneself on a daily basis, or any other form of auditory or visual stimulation. The whole idea behind affirmation and positive thinking also came about by a famous book called The Secret, written by Rhonda Byrne, which was a publishing phenomenon and spread the ideas of affirmation and New Age philosophy to the modern world like a dry brush fire. Psychologists and neurologists also refer to positive affirmation (or affirmation in any form) as a form of neurolinguistic programming, and is a feature of some treatments to deal with children and adults with brain developmental orders. How this relates to success is quite easy to figure out.

Positive messages affirmed into the mind will be able to help anyone achieve success; after all, a positive outlook in life is the first step in gaining a life free of worry. Positive affirmation is a discipline, one which requires some form of diligence to conduct these affirmations on their on, on a daily basis. However, technology has chipped in its 2 cents and what we get is technology that is based on positive affirmations but simplified so that anyone can use them. One of these technologies is the subliminal CD's which have positive messages embedded into auditory mediums like music, passed through the consciousness and their defences and planted directly into the subconscious mind.

This is the same principle that affirmation works on, but as you can see, much easier to execute and much, much more efficient. Instead of having to constantly bombard one self with the same messages each day, which will lend to most people giving up and burning our, using a CD and listening to it for 20 to 30 mins a day is a much easier solution. And the other good thing is that the messages are covertly embedded in easy listening music, which then transports them directly into the subconscious; less work for the same results, or even better results. This way, you can reprogramme your subconscious mind, change your attitudes and mindsets and kick your bad habits, all from a single CD.

Positive affirmation using subliminal techniques are fast gaining popularity in the personal development arena and thousands of people are experiencing their good benefits on a daily basis. You too and in fact, anyone can achieve momentous success with the use of such technology. It can only get better, as many incarnations of more advanced techniques like autogenics and biofeedback are in the cards to be trickled down to consumers like you and me. In the mean time, positive affirmation through subliminal conditioning is good enough to help anyone achieve success in life.

Click Here to get your Free 'Ultimate Success Unleashed' and achieve success faster. Greg Frost is a self improvement coach and has been helping thousands of people worldwide to achieve their dreams and goals through the use of subliminal cds.

Success Starting in Your 40s

You're going to find it hard to believe, but very seldom does an individual peak with creativity until they reach the age of 40. The average individual usually makes the most money between the age of 40 and 60. This doesn't have anything to do with retirement. Most highly creative people keep producing until they die.

If you're 55 years old and looking for a new career or can't seem to find a job in the profession you have worked at your whole life, don't be alarmed or fearful. Do you think you could start your own business? Is there something, you have always wanted to do but have put it off until retirement, or until you had enough time to do it?

Why wait, if you can't find a job in a business you never truly enjoyed, maybe you can find a new job doing something you love.

I have worked in construction for 30 years and at 44 years old started to pursue a career in writing and plan to create award winning websites and best selling books, for the rest of my life. This doesn't mean, I won't work in construction ever again, but I will become a best selling author within the next 20 years.

Most people don't take the time required to learn a new profession. If you're sincerely interested in another career, and you're 50 years old, there is plenty of people out there to give you hope and inspiration.

If you would like some proof, here's a couple successful American businessman who succeeded after the age of 40. Henry Ford is probably one of the most popular and became extremely successful after the age of 40. Andrew Carnegie, an American industrialists who transformed the steel business and did not start reaping the rewards of his efforts until he was well past the age of 40.

I gathered this information from the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. There is a section in the book where he talks about people after the age of 40 with phenomenal success. Anyone who's interested in gaining wealth through spirituality or finances should read this book.

I've often heard the statement, "People Often Over Estimate What They Can Do in a Year and Often Underestimate What They Can Do in a Decade." If you want to accomplish something after the age of 40, I would advise you to start with a plan and then put that plan and the action. Your plan could take five to 15 years to achieve or longer but think about the rewards, whether spiritual or financial.

Gregory Vanden Berge is working to promote personal development ideas and spiritual reform. He has started a web site for videos and articles based on current information about subject he is very familiar with.

"Education has freed me, to pursue other ideas and release me from the bondage and fear of organized religion."

Gregory Vanden Berge

Another Crappy Rule In The Bible

Brainwave Entrainment to Fall Asleep - Fact Or Fiction?

Brainwave Entrainment (sometimes known as Brainwave Synchronization), is the term used for bringing brainwaves into a certain state. Whether that state is Alpha, Delta, Beta, Gamma; there is some real truth in the ability to sync both hemispheres of the brain for a desired result.

Many scientific studies have been going on for years, researching binaural beats, which are tones release to the ear through the brain, and helps "synchronize" the two hemispheres to a certain state. Mainly here we are focusing on the Deep Delta state, that which is mostly associated with sleep.

When we are in the Delta brainwave state, we are in a deep dreamless sleep. Sometimes it is hard for many people to enter. Think about it. Do you wake up in the middle of the night? Or do you find that it's hard for you to go to sleep?

According to multiple products, it is able to produce delta brain signals and put the listener to a deep state of relaxation and sleep. Many scientists are still researching this, and there are still some unanswered questions. Only you can decide.

Because of today's society, unfortunately many people are taking prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications to help them fall asleep. What they don't realize (the sad part about it, most do) is that there are many side effects that can occur that have nothing to do with the symptom. Brainwave Entrainment is an alternative to sleeping medication in that it has no reported or proven side-effects.

Brandon is a Hypnotist who is the owner of http://www.HypnoticSubliminals.com

Planning Your Bathroom Remodel Budget - Home Improvement Ideas

As a bathroom remodeling contractor, I get calls from people, that have no idea what they want or how much anything is going to cost. Here's some simple tips that can be very helpful when planning a bathroom remodel budget.

Bathroom Remodeling Investment

In 2008, the average mid-range bathroom cost around $16,000 and you could recoup around $12,000 of your original investment upon the sale of your home. According to a popular remodeling magazine, larger bathrooms using expensive fixtures, tile, bathtubs, woodworking, toilets and showers had an average of $52,000. Upon the sale of a home, you could recoup around $36,000 of your original investment.

Finding out How Much Things Cost

My first suggestion, would be to visit your local home improvement center, lumber yard or plumbing supply warehouse. Larger stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, seemed to provide you with value pricing but don't have a large selection. While doing some research on the Internet I noticed that some of their pricing is outrageously, outrageous. Some plumbing supply warehouses can provide value but beware others won't.

Create a List of Bathroom Remodeling Parts

You can get a good idea of your bathroom remodel costs for your budget by making a list of bathroom parts with pricing and then adding them up for a grand total. If you're a total bathroom remodel budget is $15,000 and you have a $6,000 bathtub with $4000 worth of tile, you could have a budget problem.

Figuring out the Labor

You will have to contact a contractor to get an actual cost for the labor. Sometimes you can double the cost of your bathroom remodeling parts to get a rough idea. If you have a list or a couple of lists and a few pictures of some sample bathrooms, this will make the contractor's job easier and often they can give you a labor price within a few days.

Give Yourself a Cushion

I would suggest leaving yourself a small financial cushion for any additional remodeling items. For example, you could see a different toilet, or instead of painting the walls, you now choose to wallpaper, you could incur additional expenses that you haven't planned for. If you know exactly what you want and stick to the original bathroom remodeling plan, you shouldn't need the cushion.

Financial problems often transfer into construction problems, so spend some time figuring out, how much money you want to spend on the bathroom remodel and try not to go overboard on the budget. I hate to see homeowners struggling with home improvement loan payments. Try to create a bathroom remodeling budget that is realistic and will not create a financial burden upon you or your family.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more bathroom remodeling or home building ideas.

Another Crappy Rule In The Bible

Symbol of Brotherhood

Masonic jewelry is worn as a sign of membership of the brotherhood or passed down as family heirlooms. Here is a guide to this unique and interesting tradition.

The Brotherhood

The Freemasons have the longest history of any organization in the world. The first Grand Lodge was formed in 1717 in London, but there was loose organization and use of terms and symbols centuries before that. Stonemasons were the founding fathers.

Today, it is not necessary to be an actual mason to be a member as the principles of the brotherhood are self-improvement, social works and self-awareness. They were behind the creation of public schools in Europe and America.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, they also took it upon themselves to make sure orphans, the elderly and widows were taken care of when the system provided no protection for them. There are a lot of conspiracy theories, movies and books surrounding the mystery of the Masons, but there is no real secret to this philanthropic and educated organization.

Types of jewelry

To designate membership in a Masonic lodge, there are a variety of Masonic jewelry pieces that a member can wear. The traditional piece is the signet ring, but there are other options as well. For the man who already owns a Lodge ring, other gift options are cuff links, tie pins, pocket watches and even pendants. These can all bear the same the emblems as the rings.

The Symbols

Symbols in freemasonry are important and they designate the degree of the member, the lodge and what the member wants to say about his membership. The most common symbols are the square and compass which represent the cornerstone of freemasonry.

In the center of these tools is the letter "G", which stands for geometry, a principle of freemasonry, and for God, the original builder. Some other tools of the trade found in Masonic jewelry are the trowel, the plumb level and columns. There are many other symbols to choose from when designing different pieces.

Proper wear

Only members should wear membership jewelry, but there are cases where antique Masonic jewelry is passed down as family heirlooms. As far as how to wear the rings, there are no rules on the proper way. Some men like to wear the emblems facing them but others like to wear them facing out for others to see. Married men typically wear their rings on the right hand ring finger. Some men choose to wear their ring on the pinkie finger. So, really it is all about personal preference and comfort on how to wear the pieces.

How to clean it

In gold or silver, Masonic jewelry can be very simple or quite ornate. The more intricate the design, the dirtier it can get. Gold pieces can be soaked in warm soapy water and scrubbed with a soft brush. If there are enameled or synthetic colored parts, don't soak the piece, but gently scrub with a soft soapy brush. Regularly polish with a soft cloth. For sterling silver pieces, only use cleaners designed for silver cleaning. These products come in wipes, cloths and creams.

There are millions of freemasons across the world and a gift of men's Masonic jewelry is a great way to recognize his contribution to society and to honor his pride and dedication to his brotherhood.

Men's Masonic jewelry can make a great gift and is a way to show your appreciation for a member of the brotherhood. Browse through a beautiful collection of Masonic pieces in solid gold when you visit http://www.gemaffair.com

Nailing Or Screwing Drywall

Nails versus screws who will become the winner. When drywall first came out the installers used everything from regular steel nails to galvanized roofing nails. After a short amount of time they started to develop major problems from nails popping out of the finished drywall.

Nail popping results when the nail is driven into moist lumber and as the lumber shrinks the house settles and nail can actually pop out to the walls. Hard to imagine the nail could actually pop out of the drywall as the wood was drying out.

How far the nail would actually pop out was determined by how far it was driven in to the framing studs or ceiling joists. Well pretty soon drywall installers started to use ring shank nails to eliminate this problem. This worked great but these nails were hard to drive in and would often break.

As time went on the nails improved and were made out of galvanized metal with cupped shaped heads and came in a few different sizes. The size of the nail used was determined by the thickness of the drywall. These new nails worked great and had good holding power and eliminated a lot of nail popping.

Using nails means driving them in with a hammer. If you miss the nail you damage the drywall. This seemed to be a big problem and was virtually eliminated with the screws.

Well pretty soon people started using screws which had greater holding power and pretty much nail popping. Another advantage to using screws over nails is the simple fact you need less screws than you do nails to attach the drywall to the metal or wood framing.

This means less labor installing and finishing the drywall.

There is one problem with the screws and that is they have to be set perfectly. They can not break the paper surface on the drywall but have to be set enough into the drywall so that it can be finished properly. Most screw guns have an adjustable setting used to get just the right depth for the screws installed in the drywall. But this also was a problem when screwing into a hard piece of wood you can actually snapped the screw head off, strip the screw head or break the screw.

Nails on the other hand can bend while driving them into a hard surface.

Who wins the nails versus screws while installing drywall? I have got to give it to the screws. That doesn't mean the nails just got screwed or the screws just got nailed.

I couldn't resist. I actually preferred the screws over the nails except for when nailing the drywall corner bead on. Some drywall professionals use nails to hang the drywall and go back with a screw gun and some screws to finish the job. The nails sometimes seem handier than the screws when installing the drywall.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Carlsbad Home Improvement

Ask And You Might Receive Or Ask

5 Steps to Successful Transitions

Point A to Point B - life generally moves along as it should. The sticky parts are the transitions, the moments of instability when things change from what is to what is about to be. Life makes so much more sense when we finally realize that everything between birth and death is a transition! The sooner we make this universal truth real for students, the better they will handle the minefield of transitions they face every day.

Positive or negative, planned or unexpected, transitions force us to leave behind the familiar and adjust to new ways of living. The boss I just figured out gets transferred. I finally accept gas costing over $1.00 a gallon and, well, you know how that one ends! Change is everywhere, but it doesn't have to be exhausting. Here are five ways to make transitions exciting and creative rather than frightful and paralyzing.

1. Things are going to change. Day changes to night, your job, neighborhood, family and vacation plans change. Get over it.

2. Look at a bigger picture. What really is changing? What will this change cause to change? Often a transition is much broader than it first appears. Dorothy thought she was only had a tornado to deal with.

3. Gather your resources. Now is the time to take care of yourself and your business. A transition is not an event, but a process that always takes longer and costs more than you anticipated.

4. Use this Force, this is the only time you will have it. We are never totally without control. A transition means that something is moving so, rather than struggle, take advantage of the momentum to catapult you in the direction YOU want to go. For a great example of this strategy, listen to politicians. Whatever unwanted question they are asked, they structure the response to get across the information they want to give. The power is in the opportunity!

5. Anticipate. Few things in life are really a surprise. Look at people with lives and jobs similar to yours and see what might be coming for you. It's much easier to step into a transition with a controlled slide rather than to get dropped into one when it hits you from behind. New comers watch young executives with a few years under their belts. Parents watch others raising children slightly older than their own to see what to expect. Be ready.

Pat yourself on the back. If you're reading this article, you've already survived many transitions and come to recognize them as the difference between the leaders out in front and those who struggle with every step. Stepping into the transitions we can anticipate and bouncing back quickly from the surprises will position you ahead of the crowd every time!

Marcey J. Walsh is a national speaker and transition trainer. She is a team member of Russell J. White International and can be reached at http://www.thinkbigguy.com or at 877-275-9468

What Does a GFI Do? - Electrical Problems

In your bathroom you should have a GFI electrical outlet. Most new homes or newly remodeled homes require you to have GFI electrical outlets in the kitchen. Most older kitchens do not have GFI electrical outlets. GFI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter.

Why not call it a GFCI instead of a GFI electrical outlet? Well it is called a GFCI in some instances. GFI is short and is the most common name used by most electricians and builders for this type of outlet.

GFI 's come in 15 amp and 20 amperage outlets. GFI outlets must be wired properly. Make sure you're using the proper wire size when hooking up the GFI outlet.

How do I know which size wire to use? This all depends on how far away you are running it from the electrical panel. There are charts you can use to figure this out. If you are not running the electrical wire more than 80 feet from the electrical panel you can use 12 gauge electrical wires for a 20 amp GFI. This is a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

If you're going to be using a 15 amp GFI and you are going to be less than 80 feet away from the electrical panel you can use 14 gauge electrical wires. Again this is just a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

A GFI is a light duty electrical plug used in bathrooms, kitchens and the exterior of your house. The sole purpose of the GFI is to shut the breaker off faster if there is any moisture or light load problems.

Let's say for instance you have your hair dryer plugged into the GFI outlet. The hair dryer somehow falls into the sink while it is on or plugged in. The GFI outlet will instantly shut off because of the sensitivity of the breaker inside of the plug it self.

The GFI plug has a test button and a reset button on it. If you are continually resetting the GFI you will wear it out eventually. I have had GFI plugs after resetting the button about 10 times break and no longer able to use them.

The GFI electrical plug is a great idea and if you don't have them in your bathroom or outside of your home it would be a great idea to have an electrician install them for you.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Home Building Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

San Diego Termite Damage

Ask And You Might Receive Or Ask

What You Need to Know to Improve Your Study Skills

Improving your study skills will make you a better student when taking tests and exams for any subject. Students who struggle to perform on tests do so for a variety of reasons. A big reason why certain students struggle is a failure to prepare properly. Students may be studying but not fully using their time wisely. This article will talk about how motivation and a desire to be great is the fundamental building block to success.

Tiger Woods is a classic example of motivation and a desire to be great, having that motivation and desire means going to the driving range and hitting 1000 golf balls everyday. But how do you get motivated or if you perceive to not have motivation how do you develop it. The answer is to find what motivates you. What I mean by that is what do you want to accomplish. Not knowing what you want to achieve makes it very difficult to get motivated.

Motivation and desire are often not always the difference between a great student and a good student. Its the difference the majority of times between a good student and a student who just gets by. Improving your study skills takes commitment and a desire to want to change. In essence you have to be motivated to make that change. Motivation can happen very quickly if you make the conscience decision to embrace it. That is the point of this article and how it relates to improving your study skills. To improve you must focus on it, set goals and get motivated to learn new study skills and then apply them. If you do you will see results in the classroom and exams guaranteed.

I have written a ton of articles on tips and study suggestions but without goals, desire and motivation all these tips will not help you. Students who graduate Magna Cum Laude have the desire to be great in school. They have a focus, they make sacrifices and they are motivated to complete a task to the best of their ability. If you want to be great at whatever you do strive for it and don't stop until you reach your goals.

My motivation was to become a better student by learning how to improve my study skills and also learning how to increase my study speed. Motivation will help you become a better student guaranteed but you have to find it and use it. As mentioned before becoming a better student is learning how to increase your study speed. A website you can go to to learn the benefits of speed studying is here SpeedStudyMethod.com Imagine how well of a test taker you will be when you can study twice the material in half the time. My motivation was because I had more time to focus on other things. There are many benefits to using this method of studying. I used this method and was able to finish my undergrad in 3 and half years and currently I carry a 3.79 in my MBA program. If you want to be a better student follow these tips and check the website out you won't regret it.

New Versus Old Lumber - Structural Failure

During my 30 years of remodeling and building new homes. I have ran across quite a bit of structural framing failures. I find myself answering this question a lot when explaining to a homeowner about the structural failure I am repairing on their home, "Why Didn't They Use Better Lumber" or " Why Didn't They Use Larger Lumber." I really have a hard time answering these questions because I honestly don't know the answer.

However I can try to use some logic and reason to give these people an answer that seems to make sense to both of us. Why didn't they use better lumber, quite simply because, with most older homes that were built before the 1970s they actually do have better lumber. Now you're probably thinking how can these homes have better lumber when the lumber is old versus the new lumber used in a brand new house.

Most of the structural repairs I have made over the years has nothing to do with the lumber and whether it was new or old. A large number of these repairs were caused by neglect and poor maintenance.

The lumber in most older houses are from older growth trees. Some of these trees were extremely large and only the premium parts of the trees were used. The premium lumber is cut farthest away from the center of the tree. Now the larger the tree it makes sense that there will be more premium lumber.

A large majority of the newer lumber used in home construction comes from trees about 6 inches in diameter. Now you're probably wondering how can they cut a 2 x 8 piece of lumber out of a 6 inch tree. Of course they cannot, the larger lumber comes from larger trees.

Most 2 x 4's that are less than 8 foot long can be cut from these trees. This scrap or waste that comes from cutting these two by fours will now go into engineered building materials like particleboard, oriented strand board and engineered beams. Another name for an engineered been would be a paralam.

I hope you're starting to get the picture now when it comes to using new or old lumber. There are companies that are going into old logging rivers and retrieving old growth lumber. These were logs that sank to the bottom of the river's and were never retrieved because it was too costly.

The old growth lumber is quite expensive. Who's to say what problems we will happen in the future from the newer products created with modern day technology. When it comes to building houses it is not an exact science and as contractors we have been repairing the damage from poor engineering for years.

When I use the word poor engineering I am not pointing fingers at engineers. We now have more knowledge about home construction then we had years ago.

New versus old lumber, who wins the battle. Only time will tell.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Structural Repairs.

Personal Development

Essential Laws of Fearless Living by Guy Finley - Book Review

I recently read the new book, The Essential Laws of Fearless Living by Guy Finley. Guy says that we have an insatiable desire to be someone in the world. What drives that? The wish for power, he asserts. We think that power will put us above the world of the ordinary. It will move us out of our unremarkable daily lives and into a life of excitement and pleasure. We are running from the fear of being no one. But, as Guy points out . . ."what we resist persists." So by living in fear and discouragement because we are unable to move away from the fear, we are only bringing more of the same feelings! It's a vicious, never-ending circle. We try using power to control and possess others - a really bad idea Guy points out because by trying to control another person, we are, in fact, giving our power over to that person. So not only are we not in control, someone else has control over us! Not exactly what we had in mind. So instead of trying to control others, give to others what we ask from them. That is the secret to receiving what we wish for from others

Most of us automatically resist the unknown. But in order to become fearless, we must practice self-liberation. We live in negative states of self-doubt and fear. But if we realize that these states are voluntary, not mandatory, we can begin to free ourselves from their imprisonment. The more we think negative thoughts, the more we sink into negativity. And the more we live in negativity, the more we react negatively. We must realize that negative reactions make nothing better!

So how do we become fearless? By letting go of those limiting beliefs. And how do we find our limiting beliefs? Through self-reflection and thought. Put a question to ourselves - such as, what do I fear? - and really think about the response. Self-awareness puts us in touch with the higher intelligence that already lives within all of us.

Stop trying to change the world that we see. Instead begin by changing the way we see the world. Work on the inner first and the outer will follow.

Annette Greco is co-owner of a successful home remodeling business, author of The Kitchen Remodeling Cookbook: The Survival Guide to Cooking When Your Kitchen Can't and co-founder of On The Level Consulting. The remodeling business requires a successful combination of sales, marketing, administration and production. It is even more important for the small remodeling company to execute all areas well and in the right combination. Find out how to maximize profits while minimizing time and stress. Sign up for On The Level Consulting's FREE online newsletter to find out how. Visit http://www.onthelevelconsulting.com

Removing Interior Walls

Here's a word of advice for any contractor, Carpenter, handyman or homeowner that is planning to remove an interior wall from your home or someone else's. Beware of removing interior walls, to eliminate your fears of the house collapsing. Some of the interior walls inside of the house are important structural components of the building.

Some of these walls hold up floors, roofs and other loadbearing sections that could create safety problems within the structure of the house itself. This is an area where an expert with framing skills should be consulted. What is the definition of someone with excellent framing skills? Some one with at least 10 years as a master framing carpenter.

My home building experience consists of three decades for over 30 years of assembling some of the most difficult sections of a home. During these years I have seen damage done to houses from removing structural interior walls. Most of this damage could be repaired with a little structural engineering. Some of the damage could not be repaired and caused other damage to different sections of the house. The damage caused in some cases to the floor and the roof framing had to be completely rebuilt.

I'm not telling you about every single thing I have ran into but you would be surprised if I started to make a list of all the homeowners and professionals in the building industry or home selling and buying business that contacted me to remove a structural component of a building. There have even been a few of these people that told me everything was going to be okay just go ahead and remove the structural building component.

Needless to say I would leave these people very irritated but I'm sure they found someone to do the job. The bad news is I was normally the person they would hire to go back and repair the damaged building after these people were gone and out of business. There have been cases where people have removed an interior walls against my better judgment and over the years of driving by in these homes I personally got to witness the structural damage that was occurring on the outside of the house.

I have no idea what the inside of the house looked like but could only imagine. My advice again when removing interior walls is to hire an experienced contractor or at least get some advice from an experienced framing carpenter. This does not include your basic know it all that has basic construction experience like your father in law, parents, friends, golfing associates or people you work with that tell you not to worry about it, just do it, everything will work out just fine.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and What Does A Shear Wall Do

When Do We Get To Meet God

Creating and Using a Victory Journal

During an interview with Sandi Givens, the discussion lead to how women sometimes have a difficult time disassociating themselves from the things that they do. In other words, when a woman presents an idea to someone, and the idea is rejected or she's told it's not a very good idea; many women find it difficult to remember that it was the idea itself that was rejected and not the "woman". In other words, women become so closely attached to their ideas and the work that they do, that if something they've brought up is put down, it's often seen by the woman as a put down or reflection of themselves.

In order to help encourage "disassociation" between yourself and your work; or between yourself and your ideas; Sandi recommends creating and using a victory journal. You should purchase a nice notebook or blank journal - the nicer the better because you want to look forward to holding it in your hands and writing and reading from it!

On the very front page of your journal, the "cover page", you'll want to nicely write "Victory Journal". You could handwrite it, or you could make it fancier and use scrapbooking supplies or stickers. Whatever makes you feel good when you look at it.

In this "Victory Journal", you are going to write down your victories, wins, successes of each day. Do not ever write something and belittle it; in other words- don't say "I just had a good meeting today". The word "just" dismisses the victory and that is what we are attempting to overcome with a victory journal.

The other important thing to remember when writing in your victory journal, is your victories do not have to be earth shattering. In fact, it's about all the little things that make up your day that are considered successful. You could write that you met a deadline. You could include that you got your little ones off to school on time and without complications or arguments.

If you're not a big writer, there is no reason to write long winded explanations or anything. A victory journal is actually just as effective if you write your successes and wins for each day in a bulleted list - just short phrases that tell you what the success was.

When someone rejects a proposal or idea that you have come up with, you will immediately pull out your victory journal and read some of the successes you've had. You'll be able to see that you are not your idea; that the idea is not you - and that you have so many victories and successes that having one rejection cannot dismiss all of that goodness about you.

Janet Beckers is the host and founder of Wonderful Web Women
An award winning on-line community recognized for generous and honest marketing advice for women on the internet
To learn from the most successful women on the internet through live webinars, masterminds and forums absolutely free, visit http://www.WonderfulWebWomen.com and join today

Checking the Building For Square

The most important thing when building a home is the ability to keep everything as square, plumb and level as possible. Starting with the foundation, if the foundation is not square or level, the rest of the house is going to be out of alignment.

You've probably heard the saying, start with a good foundation. This applies to the building industry as well. There are quite a few ways to build a square foundation, it all depends on what kind of tools you have, to build it with.

Some of these tools can be quite expensive but it used every day can save you a lot of time and of course time is money.

You don't need expensive tools to build a square foundation. You could actually build a square foundation with less than $100 worth of tools. It might take you a little longer but could be done.

Let's start with the 3 - 4 - 5 rule.

Okay lets see if I can explain this in layman's terms. If no West side of the foundation is 3 foot and the north side of the foundation is for foot, then the diagonal measurement from the southwest corner to the northeast corner would be 5 foot. Out of square building can create foundation problems

This can also be done using 30' x 40' should equal 50 foot. You can use this if the building is large and you need to check it for square.

By measuring the foundation diagonally from each corner, the measurement should be exactly the same. If it isn't, the building is out of square and should be adjusted before the concrete is poured. This measurement should always be checked before you get too far along in the form building process.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your having problems in your attic, find out more at concrete contractor basics and home building ideas.

Wrong With Bible Verse

Self Improvement - Information is Power - Improve Information Flow With Upgraded Google News Alerts

For those of us who are informationally inclined Google has bettered their best efforts in delivering us their news. Now when you take Google News Alerts you will not only get the latest articles in your carefully chosen topical key-words, but also you will now see pictures that accompany these articles or even logos of the companies in the news that are involved in the stories that are in your list of articles.

Why is having pictures on Google News Alerts so cool?

Well, you might be asking what is so innovative about pictures accompanying the articles that are in your Google News alerts and you could say that they are irrelevant. However, you will have to admit that the new visual presentation is very cool and it breaks up the monotony of a whole bunch of text. Indeed, it is a visually appealing, but the pictures also tell a story about the story and help you decide if the article presented is really something you wish to learn about or click on to get your daily information.

How do Google News Alerts Work?

Well, first you go to Google's News Alerts page and put in your email address plus the information that you wish to receive. Google scans the internet, blogs, news and whatever else you deem appropriate and its special algorithm gives you the information by email. Here is the web link to sign up:

http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en&gl=

Getting a steady stream of news delivered to your email in-box will keep you heads-up on your industry, sports, or other personal interests. Information is power, so power up with Google's new and improved Google News Alerts. I do.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Checking the Building For Square

The most important thing when building a home is the ability to keep everything as square, plumb and level as possible. Starting with the foundation, if the foundation is not square or level, the rest of the house is going to be out of alignment.

You've probably heard the saying, start with a good foundation. This applies to the building industry as well. There are quite a few ways to build a square foundation, it all depends on what kind of tools you have, to build it with.

Some of these tools can be quite expensive but it used every day can save you a lot of time and of course time is money.

You don't need expensive tools to build a square foundation. You could actually build a square foundation with less than $100 worth of tools. It might take you a little longer but could be done.

Let's start with the 3 - 4 - 5 rule.

Okay lets see if I can explain this in layman's terms. If no West side of the foundation is 3 foot and the north side of the foundation is for foot, then the diagonal measurement from the southwest corner to the northeast corner would be 5 foot. Out of square building can create foundation problems

This can also be done using 30' x 40' should equal 50 foot. You can use this if the building is large and you need to check it for square.

By measuring the foundation diagonally from each corner, the measurement should be exactly the same. If it isn't, the building is out of square and should be adjusted before the concrete is poured. This measurement should always be checked before you get too far along in the form building process.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your having problems in your attic, find out more at concrete contractor basics and home building ideas.

Effects Of False Prophets

Self Help For the Self Employed

So much for Mr. Key Executive and his forerunner, Mr. Young Executive. As employees of Corporation Americana, their occupations offer them a unique and negotiable source of estate building. Yet not everyone climbs a corporate ladder, nor has the opportunity or inclination to do so.

For those reasons we want to introduce another character into the drama, a professional woman who is nobody's employee. Her name is Ms. Doctor, the young physician who nets $80,000 a year from her new practice. She has no compensation package and no negotiated benefits, no company to give her any of these niceties. Where are the estate-building opportunities in her occupation? Who is going to help her?

This, in a nutshell, is the situation of some ten million citizens of this country-all the doctors, lawyers, dentists, accountants, architects, engineers, writers, artists, and actors, other independent professionals, and along with them the independent businesspersons: the sole owners or partners of businesses, large or small, the entrepreneurs. These are the self-employed. They range from the actress who commands $100,000 for a single performance and the individual business owner who grosses a million per year, to the corner grocery store operator who nets only $35,000, or the writer who makes $60,000 in a good year, half of that in a bad one, and the Web page designer who has seen his business boom in the last few years, and expects it to keep on growing.

There are no ready-made pension plans, deferred compensation arrangements, or profit-sharing funds for them. They can put up to $3,000 a year into an IRA or $6,000 where there's a nonworking spouse and they file a joint return. (If neither of them participates in a qualified retirement plan they may make deductible IRA contributions. However, if they are active participants in a retirement plan, the $3,000 IRA deduction limit per person is phased out for single taxpayers with income over $45,000 in 2004; $50,000 in 2005 and thereafter. The phase-out income threshold for married taxpayers is $65,000 in 2004; $70,000 in 2005; $75,000 in 2006; $80,000 in 2007 and thereafter.) Unlike the rest of their fellow citizens, their occupations do not automatically provide them with substantial built-in tax shelters. They are compensated as well as or sometimes better than the corporate employee. But since all of this compensation is in the form of income, it is subject to tax.

The heart of their dilemma is in the very word that describes their economic situation: self-employed. Our tax laws were set up originally to benefit the employee, the person who works for someone else. Large though their numbers are, the self-employed used to be an economic anachronism in our economy.

Today there are a variety of opportunities for the self-employed to establish tax-favored savings plans for retirement. The fence that once separated the tax-sheltered employee from the nonsheltered self-employed person is no longer an issue. Over the years it has been opened more and more, until the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 gave the self-employed the opportunity to provide themselves with most of the same employee benefits that their corporate counterparts enjoy. Since then many changes in the tax law and many more retirement planning opportunities have been added.

"Self-help" is still the concept, however. More than large corporation employees, the self-employed have to take the initiative and put together their own compensation packages, and have to know about and utilize the various opportunities available to them for building funds for retirement and for building an estate.

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