Diabetes is a chronic disease with no cure but the good news is that proper care and treatment a person can live a log and healthy life. Nearly 2,000 people are diagnosed with diabetes everyday.

It is estimated that there are 17 million people with diabetes in the U.S and another 16 million have pre-diabetes or higher blood-sugar levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Buying diabetes supplies online can save time and money. In this article you will find the most used supplies and tools to achieve a good diabetes control and aid in everyday self-care.

For those who have been diagnosed with a diabetic condition, diabetes supplies are a fact of life. In order to maintain good health, diabetics must rely on various tools to help them monitor their conditions. Still, diabetes patients need to exercise caution when buying diabetes supplies.

The company that you buy your diabetes supplies from should have a phone number in case you need to contact the business because of a problem with the order. In fact, it’s best if the company has a toll-free hotline number that you can reach 24 hours a day. It is much better to register a complaint by phone than by e-mail.

Also, the company should have a pharmacist available to answer your questions. Having a pharmacist on staff indicates that the company is legitimate and is determined to provide excellent service to its customers. When ordering diabetes supplies, you’ll want to pay close attention to shipping charges so that you don’t experience sticker shock when you receive your final bill.

Typically, a diabetic pays a substantial sum each month for diabetes supplies, including pills, insulin, syringes, alcohol pads, lancets, ointments, salves, and special foods. Because competition for business is so great, the prices of items such as testing strips and glucose monitors are often competitive.

This competition can help to keep the diabetes patient’s expenses in check. However, there is no question that a diabetic must devote a portion of his or her income or insurance costs to diabetes supplies. In order to control glucose, blood sugar levels must be monitored closelyat least once a day.

Insulin Cases: Environmental factors such as excessive heat and freezing will have major affect on type of insulin. So, there is a need to keep insulin safe by using special cases while traveling and going out.

Blood Glucose Monitors: It is used to examine blood glucose level. Blood glucose levels below 120 mg/dL before meals, and below 180 mg/dL after meals, is the goal to stay healthy and prevent or delay the development of diabetes complications.

Blood Pressure Monitors: It helps to check blood pressure level of a person. High blood pressure affects 20-60% of people with diabetes and results in causing eye disease, kidney disease and heart disease.

Diabetes Software: This software can be used in your computer to help you to share the information with your Health Care Team to make the best choices in your treatment. Diabetes software includes OneTouch diabetes management software, OneTouch diabetes management software kit.

Glucose Tablets: Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels can occur very quickly and is a sharp complication of diabetes, especially if you use insulin. People with diabetes must always carry glucose tablets.

Glucose Gels: Glucose gel is absorbed more rapidly than tablets. In case of severe hypoglycemia 15 g of glucose in the form of glucose gel must be administered immediately orally.

Experts recommend that you deal only with those Internet companies that offer a return address rather than a post office box. If you want to make sure that you are buying diabetes supplies from reputable businesses that have their own offices, rather than an individual who is simply buying diabetes supplies from an Internet auction site and re-selling them to new customers.

Learn the facts about diabetic supplies .

How to Plan a Party That’s Enjoyed by All

When planning a party, remember that the best kind of party is one that allows you time to enjoy the get-together as much as your guests enjoy it. Whether an open house at the office or a holiday gathering of family and friends — large or small, formal of causal — with a little planning and consideration, you can entertain with elegance and ease.

Start by Planning Well in Advance

It is best to begin planning your party about 6 weeks ahead to insure that the last few hours before your guests arrive are calm and stress-free. Prepare your guest list, decide on the party foods and beverages you will be serving and select the recipes you will be preparing. Next make shopping lists of the ingredients, foods and beverages you will need to purchase, and then, calculate what you will need in the way of plates, napkins, etc. Shop for non-perishable items as far ahead as possible and choose a menu that doesn’t require a lot of last-minute preparation.

Appetizers

Serving bite-size party foods that people can ‘graze’ over is an excellent way to entertain. Your guests can freely mix and mingle while nibbling on easy-to-eat finger foods. To avoid congestion at the buffet table, consider having servers pass through the room with trays of hors d’oeuvres. You may also facilitate the flow of guests by utilizing accent tables, bookshelves, etc., as small food stations. (Don’t forget to protect furniture used for serving with mats or linens.)

To calculate the amount of party food you will want to serve, the rule of thumb is that each guest will consume 5 hors d’oeuvres per hour for the first 2 hours and 3 per hour for each additional hour. So if you are planning a 3-hour party for 10 guests, you will need to provide approximately 130 appetizers. When serving fruit and vegetable trays, figure quantities by allowing two “bites” per item per person per hour. Also, provide 4 small (cocktail) napkins per person per hour (more if finger foods are particularly messy).

You will want to consider a variety of foods when you plan your menu. Choose an assortment of hot and cold appetizers and include vegetarian choices. This way your guests can pick and choose appetizers according to their particular tastes and dietary needs. Fresh fruit and vegetable trays will allow even a dieter to select foods they can enjoy.

In planning the party menu, keep in mind that food safety and serving temperatures are important. No food should remain at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It is best to serve cold appetizers on small trays or plates that can easily be replenished with fresh ones from your refrigerator. Serving hot appetizers is easy if you use fondue pots, chafing dishes, heating trays or slow cookers.

Stick with party foods that are quick and easy to prepare, attractive and undemanding of your time. Include easy, no-cook items such as a variety of firm cheeses, roasted nuts, crackers, breads and chips. You might also want to serve some bakery items such as cookies and brownies for your guests who have a sweet tooth.

Dips and spreads are the mainstays of party food - they are easy to prepare and guaranteed to please. Plan on having at least one spread and two kinds of dip to serve with breads and vegetables and at least one dip to serve with fresh fruit. Make the fruits and vegetables as appetizing and ready-to-eat as possible. Rinse well, trim stems, remove spots and seeds, peel (if necessary), and cut into sticks, rounds or bite-size pieces. Arrange neatly on platters and trays for a colorful and attractive presentation. Provide plastic cocktail skewers (swords) or toothpicks so guests may easily select what they want from the platters. Choose from the lists below to serve with your spreads and dips:

Breads - Assorted crackers, potato chips, tortilla chips, bagel bites, melba toast, garlic toast, crisp pita bread triangles, rye toast, breadsticks, pretzels, won ton crisps

Fresh Vegetables - Celery sticks, carrot sticks, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper strips, cucumber slices, radishes, asparagus spears, zucchini sticks or slices, snow peas

Fresh Fruits - Whole or halved strawberries, sweet cherries, pineapple chunks, orange wedges, kiwi slices, melon balls or slices (cantaloupe, watermelon, honey dew), red and green seedless grapes, mandarin orange segments, papaya wedges

In the event that a party has to be put together at the last minute and time management becomes a big issue, you can always turn to a professional for help. Gourmet appetizer web sites can provide an easy and affordable way to serve impressive chef-quality appetizers while costing considerably less than what a local caterer might charge. Simply select from the large variety of hors d’ oeuvres offered, place your order and the freshly prepared frozen appetizers will be shipped to you overnight. All you do is bake and serve.

Beverages

Always include beverages in planning your party menu. The amount of punch or number of drinks a guest will consume varies and the length of the party must be taken into consideration.

If serving punch, guests will drink approximately three to four 4-ounce servings of punch during a three-hour party, so prepare 1 gallon of punch for every 10 guests.

If serving cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks, plan on each guest consuming 2 drinks per person per hour for the first 2 hours of the party and 1 drink per person per hour after that. A 750-milliliter (standard size) bottle of wine or champagne contains six 4-ounce servings and one 12-ounce beer is considered one serving.

Be certain to have enough ice on hand for serving beverages by stocking at least one-half pound of ice per person and don’t forget to have enough glasses for your guests to trade a used one for a clean one at least once during the party.

Bottom Line for Party Time…

A party doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive to be a success. By making your party plans well ahead of time and preparing in advance, you can entertain in a style that suits you and your guests and be guaranteed a wonderful time. After all, the whole idea of entertaining is for everyone to enjoy themselves - including the host. When describing a truly successful party, what phrase could be more fitting than one made popular by actress Bette Davis…”[and a] good time was had by all.”

Copyright ©2004 Janice Faulk Duplantis

About the Author: Janice Faulk Duplantis, author and publisher, currently maintains a web site that focuses on both Easy Gourmet and French/Cajun Cuisine. Visit www.bedrockpress.com to see all that Bedrock Press has to offer. <> Janice also publishes 4 free monthly ezines: Gourmet Bytes,
Lagniappe Recipe, Favorite Recipes and Cooking 101. Visit www.bedrockpress.com/subscribe.html to subscribe.

Ever lost a sale you thought was in the bag? Not an unfamiliar feeling for many businesses large and small. No matter how good you think your product or service is, everything finally boils down to your ability to convince others that it is good for them. It is all about getting the decision makers who matter to say “Yes”.

In major sales the whole approach is fundamentally different to small scale selling and requires a very different set of skills and techniques. Being competent in the small, simple sale is no guarantee of success in larger scale selling. The traditional techniques and “tricks of the trade” such as closing don’t seem to work in quite the same way in the more complex large scale sale. They are replaced by precise planning, information gathering and behavioural skills that build trust in the minds of the decision makers. Fundamental to this is the development of a detailed understanding of how decisions are made in your target customer and who the key players are.

So what constitutes a major sale? For most businesses they have a number of characteristics:

1. A lengthy sales cycle. This can vary from a few days to a few months or more depending on the industry.

2. Multiple decision makers. Any decision becomes complex as soon as more than one person is involved in making it. Understanding who these people are and their role in the process is vital if you are to improve your chances of success.

3. High potential value/importance. This varies from business to business. If your turnover is £250k an opportunity worth £10k might be considered very important. If your turnover is £50m it might not.

4. Time consuming and costly to pursue. If the business is worth winning it is worth investing the time, money and effort that is required. However, because major sales can be time consuming and costly it is vital to identify those opportunities that are worth pursuing i.e. those that you have a chance of winning. If you adopt the lottery ticket approach and pursue every opportunity you will simply dilute your resources to the extent that you don’t have enough left to win the business you really want.

5. Competition. The sale immediately becomes more complicated when the buying organisation has a number of options. For example, in a bid/proposal scenario you could be up against a number of competitors. How you go about managing the sale can have a huge effect on the potential outcome. Additionally, never forget the hidden competitor - the “do nothing” option for the customer/client.

It is clear that in major sales there is a need for a simple , structured approach that maximises your chances of success. By their very nature major sales are too important to be left to chance. Despite this very few businesses seem to have a robust approach in place and every new opportunity is greeted either with unfounded optimism or utter panic.

So what is required?

Step 1: Before you even begin it is important that you decide whether the opportunity is worth pursuing or not. If you haven’t already got selection criteria in place to help you to decide don’t delay any further. Get your key colleagues together and agree what the selection criteria should be. If you want a generic “Go/No Go” checklist visit our website at www.fieldofdreams.uk.com where you can download one for free. You should then tailor this so that it reflects your business and its’ unique requirements.

Step 2: Identify the people in your target customer who are going to influence/make the decision and ensure you have the right people (skills and personalities) to deal with them. It would be helpful at this stage to have unlimited talent available but I accept that this is most unlikely! However, you should ask yourself “Do I have the team in place that can realistically be expected to win this piece of business?” If the answer is “No” you should revue your decision to pursue the opportunity.

Step 3: The Customer Contact Meetings. There are three activities that are encompassed within the Customer Contact Meetings:

i. Covering the Bases - this is all about ensuring you have identified all the people at your target customer who are going to have an input into the decision and then ensuring they are contacted by an appropriate member of your team

ii. Understanding customer needs - ok, I know this is obvious and no-one would seriously try to sell anything without understanding their customer’s needs would they? At this stage it is vital to recognise that there are two groups of needs that should be understood and addressed:

a) The corporate need. This is the detailed understanding of the business needs that require addressing and how they can be best approached.

b) Personal needs. “Businesses don’t make decisions - people do”. What are the personal needs of the individuals that make up the decision-making team? Understanding and addressing these can be crucial in coming up with a winning proposal.

iii. Testing out potential solutions/propositions. Assuming the process includes a formal proposal document and/or a presentation, there is a temptation to store up your solutions/propositions in order to deliver an exciting proposal. This is the “rabbit out of the hat” approach. It is based on the assumption that the decision making team will be somehow impressed by all of this and that it will provide you with some sort of advantage over the competition. All too often it has precisely the opposite effect, with solutions presented that are simply unacceptable, or that have already been looked at and ruled out.

Given that this is likely to be the case, it is increasingly important that we constantly consider and discuss potential solutions with the customer/client. In this way we will be able to develop and hone our overall proposition to address the real needs, rather than those we have assumed exist. Additionally, it allows us to demonstrate our competence on an on-going basis.

Step 4: Your Proposal. You’ve done your Customer Contact Meetings. Now make sure that your proposal reflects the needs that your client expressed during those meetings and the solutions you have tested with them. Don’t let it read like a solution you just picked off the shelf. The proposal should clearly demonstrate that:

a. you have understood the key issues that the business faces

b. you have clear solutions as to how those issues can be addressed

c. you can demonstrate the benefits the target will enjoy as a result of your solutions

d. you can demonstrate your competence in these areas

e. Be concise. If you’re in a competitive situation and you turn in a short proposal, that’s the one that’s likely to be read first, which means that all others will be judged against it.

Step 5: The Presentation. Some major sales culminate with a proposal and/or a presentation. Whilst this article is not about presentations per se, you will not need reminding that some people would rather die than give a presentation. These are not the best people to choose to present your proposal. I take the view that in many situations the decision as to who is getting the business has often been made by the time the presentation arises. Under these circumstances the presentation becomes not the opportunity to win the business but the opportunity to lose it. The three key rules for effective presentations are - rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. If you are not comfortable presenting you may need help - go and get some! You cannot afford to fail at this late stage.

Step 6: The Follow Up: Once you have presented your proposal document and/or your presentation the question is “What next?”
You could sit back, congratulate yourself on a job well done and hope for the best. A more proactive approach is usually the best. Someone should contact the customer and make sure they have everything they need in order to be able to make an informed decision.

Step 7: Process Review: Win or lose, it is important that lessons are learned from the experience. The whole team should get together for a de-brief as well as an appointment being made with the target customer to understand how well/badly you performed in key areas. Why did you win/lose the business? What were the key issues? What did our competitors do that we didn’t? What could we do better next time?
Ideally, put together a question checklist of the things it would be helpful for you to know and develop this list over time. Success is a continuous process of learning - this is a good opportunity.

Winning new business is the lifeblood of any B2B organisation and yet many simply do not give this absolutely fundamental area of their business sufficient thought and consideration. Business winning skill is critical to a company’s on-going success. If the skills and processes are not in place in your business you could pay the ultimate price.

Mike Wilkinson is a director of Simatt Associates a UK based consultancy specialising in helping businesses target, win and manage more of the business they want to win. We work with clients evaluating current practices, helping them to develop robust approaches to their business development activities. You can contact Mike through the sales link at http://fieldofdreams.uk.com

Often a store has a sign with the warning, “You break it, you
bought it.” This is to keep people from carelessly handling the
merchandise.

I’m thinking of another sign, which should be posted all through
my house. “If it’s broken, I bought it.” This is not to say
everything in my house is broken, but to point out that
everything has a breaking point. And, it’s not to say I can’t
fix anything. I just can’t fix anything that is broken.

A case in point; my easy chair.

A man’s easy chair, especially mine, is control central of his
world. My easy chair is so situated that I can easily access my
entire world. Whoever invented the easy chair must have been a
genius, at least in my book.

To the left of my easy chair is a small stand with a light. On
this stand rest various works in progress. I will admit some are
in slow progress, but that’s the way I like it. I can reach into
this pile, pull out some work and spend a little time on it.
Also on this stand is a well-stocked container of pens and
pencils.

Someone in our house, and I will not mention any names, has
suggested getting rid of this pile. There are times, and this is
one of them, I do not pay attention to certain suggestions.

To the right of my easy chair are various items. I have the
telephone, the remote control and a variety of reference books,
all within easy reach.

At the foot of my easy chair leans a small notebook computer.

As you can see, my easy chair pulls my world together in a
harmony of delightful reach-ability.

Recently, a situation developed with my easy chair. Last week as
I sat in it, working on my computer, catching up with some work
projects, I heard a funny sound.

B-O-I-N-G!

I could not place the sound, so I ignored it. It’s the manly
thing to do. Whenever something happens I don’t understand, I
resort to the old ignoring routine. Sometimes it’s the only
thing that really works. Then I heard the sound again.

B-O-I-N-G!

This time the sound was much louder but before I could really do
anything about it, I heard the sound for the third time.

B-O-I-N-G!

Suddenly, my easy chair quivered. Then everything collapsed, and
as I went free- falling, my whole life passed before my eyes.
Fortunately, as it turned out, it was not my life but everything
on my stand flipped in the air and came showering down on top of
me. Papers, books, the remote control and millions of pens and
pencils smothered me in a heap of confusion.

For a brief moment, I did not know what happened, or where I was.

The only redeeming aspect of this incident was the simple fact
that the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage was not home at the
time. I say “simple fact,” but the truth of the matter is it is
much more complicated.

My first job was to extricate myself from the mess. Secondly, I
had to pick up everything before my wife got home.

As it turned out, that was the easier part of my job. The most
difficult, and I admit it, was trying to fix my easy chair. It
turned out to be broken in places that completely and absolutely
confounded me.

Several months before this my wife insisted I throw out this
antiquated easy chair and get a new one. Looking back now I see
it was a foolish thing to do n but then I laughed at her and
told her in no uncertain terms that this easy chair was in
perfect condition. She just looked at me, shook her head and
walked away.

With panic as incentive, I gathered up the pieces of what used
to be my easy chair and tried to figure how to put it all back
together. I went to the garage, got some tools, a roll of wire
and several rolls of duct tape. Working at the speed of a
husband in trouble I managed to put the chair back in what I
thought was good shape.

Sighing a sigh of relief, I carefully tested out the chair. Much
to my pleasure and delight, it cradled me as afore. Leaning back
in my chair, I could not believe I had pulled one over on my
Better Half. Nothing matches an easy chair properly broken in.

Later that evening my wife and I were sitting together watching
television. Out of the blue, she brought up the subject of my
chair. “Don’t you think,” she reflected in one of those wifely
moods, “you should replace that old chair of yours?”

“Ha!” I said with the confidence of a fox who got away with a
plump chicken. “This chair has a few more good years left in it.”

Just then I heard a familiar sound.

B-O-I-N-G!

Everything collapsed, and as I went free falling my whole life
passed before my eyes. Looking up into the smiling eyes of my
wife, she simply said, “My, how time flies.”

The whole incident reminded me of a verse in the Bible.
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common
to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1
Corinthians 10:12-13 KJV.)

This is a discussion and topic that has been coming up a lot lately…at least it seems that way anyway. So what’s the difference between an intention and a goal? Aren’t they one in the same?

Not really, but they are related and intertwined with one another. I like to think of an intention as the bigger picture…the whole enchilada, if you will. With measurable goals as the filling of that enchilada (keeping with the analogy ) that makes that enchilada complete. Basically, with every intention there are goals that serve as our stepping stones to fulfilling that intention.

Let me give you a personal example…

My intention is to help change the world in a positive way one person at a time. Some of my goals to achieving that intention are:

1) Reaching out to as many people as I can as often as I can.
2) Continuing to build a loving and supportive coaching practice.

3) Broadening my knowledge and experience.

Now, comes the really fun part, creating measurable action items for each goal… the things that I can and will do in order to accomplish my goals. Let’s take #3 as an example… in order to achieve this goal (which is one that is continuous) I entered into a Masters program, I am continuing to expand my coach training, hired my own coach, I read all sorts of books, as well as listen and learn from others. I am always seeking opportunities to enhance and improve my coaching skills, which in turn helps me with goals 1 & 2.

If this sounds like a lot of work, I won’t lie…it is, but I have truly found that anything that is REALLY worth it is worth all the work and effort…especially when it comes to intentions.

So, what are some of your intentions and the goals you will use to fulfill those intentions?

© 2006 - What’s Within U. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of content allowed, but must contain a link to What’s Within U (http://www.whatswithinu.com), copyright notice, and author’s name.

Pam Thomas is a personal and business development coach who supports individuals that are stuck or in transition in creating their best life. Her passion and purpose is to help others find the resources and wondrous assets within them and around them to excel, overcome obstacles and discover the amazing opportunities available. Pam understands what it takes to reach deep inside to overcome fears and anxieties in order to truly achieve the goals, dreams and desire that rests within all of us. For more information about Pam’s work, please visit; http://www.whatswithinu.com

Now that the holiday season is over a lot of us want to get rid of some excess weight. Here is a low calorie recipe that tastes good and will help you to achieve your goal.

Get Back in Shape with this Healthy Low Calorie Recipe
Now that the holiday season is over a lot of us want to get rid of some excess weight. Here is a low calorie recipe that tastes good and will help you to achieve your goal.

Asparagus is a delicious vegetable that can be prepared many ways, from soups to spreads to being eaten alone. This healthy low calorie recipe is for asparagus leaves. It has a rich flavor and an unbeatable taste.

Asparagus has a unique taste when dipped in lemon juice as used in this recipe. There is no need for butter or added fat here.

The garlic also adds a bold flavor and provides great antioxidants for this dish that can be served as a snack or side dish to any meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole asparagus
• 1 cup white onion, chopped
• 1 small Roma tomato, diced
• 1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, diced

To Make:

Take a whole asparagus and chop off the rough parts. Wash the vegetable thoroughly.

Cut the asparagus leaves off, one by one. Place them into a small saucepan with just a pinch of salt and cold water.

Add 2 garlic cloves to the water and asparagus. Cook this vegetable on high heat. Boil it for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and place the asparagus leaves on a large serving platter.

Next, chop up the white onion and tomato. Put spoonfuls of tomato and onion on each asparagus leaf. Remember to spoon out the garlic cloves that you put in to boil the asparagus.

Put garlic on each leaf. This recipe calls for fresh squeezed lemon juice. Lemon juice from a bottle may be used. Squeeze lemon juice all over each asparagus leaf. If you desire butter for dipping the asparagus in, use low fat or fat free butter. This dipping method is optional.

More onion and tomato may be used in this recipe or different toppings and seasonings. You can experiment to find the perfect taste for your asparagus leaves.

Serve immediately.

Linda is author at
http://www.steaks-guide.com/ she loves to cook and has done a lot of work on
our
health section

It can happen to anyone, the roof is leaking, the credit card bills are pilling up and it is almost time for a new car. But where are you going to get the money to do all of these things? The need for extra cash can be very frustrating and worrisome, however if you are a home owner you have a variety of financial options available to you that you may not even be aware of. You should look into refinancing as a viable option to solve your financial worries.

Refinancing your mortgage can give you a lot of options as far as the freedom of a little bit extra cash. There are a few different ways that you can go about refinancing and the best way for you depends on what you are hoping to accomplish and what your own personal situation is.

What Is My Current Situation?

The first thing that you need to look at is what your current situation is. You need to do a little background research into your own situation. Many home owners do not know what they are paying for an interest rate or in some cases, home owners do not know the term of their mortgage or any of the details.

It is important to know what your interest rate is currently, because if you are going to refinance you may be trading your already low interest rate for a higher one, which is not likely to be in your favor. It is a good idea to know what your situation is presently before you try to refinance.

Why Should I Refinance?

There are a few reasons for refinancing a mortgage:

* To lower monthly payments
* To shorten the length of the mortgage
* To take advantage of low interest rates
* To finance a home project or renovation
* To consolidate bills
* Reduce Risk

How Will A Lower Interest Rate Affect Me?

One of the most common reasons that people go through the refinancing process is to take advantage of low interest rates in the marketplace. The interest rate that you pay on your mortgage makes an incredible difference to your monthly payments. If you have an interest rate on your mortgage that is quite a few points higher than the current market interest rate, you are likely to be paying much larger monthly payments than you need to be.

For Example:
House cost $200,000
Down Payment 40%
30 year repayment
Interest rate 5%
Monthly payments - $859

But, if your interest rate is only 3%
House cost $200,000
Down Payment 40%
30 year repayment
Interest rate 3%
Monthly payments - $675

As you can see, only 2% makes a huge difference in your monthly payments. An excellent reason to refinance your mortgage would be to take advantage of a lower interest rate and lower your monthly payments.

I Could Use Some Extra Cash!

Does your house need a new roof? Maybe it is finally time to develop the basement or to finally put on that much needed addition. Almost all homeowners at one time or another could use some extra cash. You can refinance your home mortgage to get your self some extra money to do the things that you need to do around your house.

Often it makes financial sense to refinance your mortgage to include the cost of the new roof or whatever it is that you need extra money for. If you can refinance at a low interest rate, then you can add the amount that you need to borrow into your mortgage and perhaps make slightly higher payments or extend the length of your mortgage term to offset the difference.

What About My Credit Card Bills?

Maybe you do not need the extra money for home improvements but you have some major credit card bills. If you have credit card bills piling up than refinancing your mortgage is an option that could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in payments every month. You can refinance your mortgage to include your credit card bills. People usually do this because the interest rate that you pay on your mortgage is generally lower than the interest rate of most credit cards. Before you decide to rework your mortgage to work in your credit card bills, you will want to look at how it will affect the overall picture. Will this extend your payout period a few years? What will your monthly payments be? These are a few questions that you will want to ask yourself and your banker before making the change.

What If I Want To Pay Off My Mortgage Faster?

Many people may find themselves in a situation where their circumstances have changed since purchasing their home. Maybe you are making more money now than you were when you bought your home and now you would like to payoff your mortgage faster. You can refinance your mortgage to make it a shorter payout period if you are in this situation. However, you may want to just consider increasing your payments voluntarily or make balloon payments on your mortgage instead of refinancing. This is advisable as a security net just in case you lose your job or the situation changes you will not find yourself in a bind. However, some people need to have it official in order to make the payments.

There are many different reasons for refinancing your mortgage, and everyone will have their own personal factors that help them make their decision. The important thing to remember is to know all of the facts before making your decision and make the best choice for you and your family.
© 2005 http://www.home-loans-101.com

About the Author
Kevin Brown is successful author and publisher of many informative websites including http://www.home-loans-101.com . His websites offer tips and advice on a wide array of topics including home loans, mortgage refinancing, home equity loans and more.

What is a Rhinoplasty?

Rhinoplasty is a very common procedure which aims to change the appearance of the nose to make it more harmonious on the face. The surgery can thin, turn up, augment, shorten or lengthen, and essentially change the shape of the nose. Rhinoplasties are commonly called ‘nose jobs’. It can involve rasping of the nasal bones to remove a bump, resecting the cartiledge to change it’s projection, trimming the cartiledge to make it smaller and more defined and a whole myriad of procedures.

Most rhinoplasty procedures are done after the patient has stopped maturing on their face. This usually occurs at 16-17 in girls and a little later in boys. Rhinoplasty can be combined with a chin augmentation, which can help balance the look of both the nose and the chin. Sometimes a problem in one area creates a perceived problem in the other.

Common reasons for choosing a Rhinoplasty

Possibly everyone has a reason to dislike something about their nose. Whether or not that dissapointment is great enough for you to seek to change it is dependant on the individual. People looking to get rhinoplasty must remember that it is a cosmetic change only, it is also important to understand the limitations of the procedure - what can or can’t be changed. There are realistic and irrational reasons for looking to change your nose.

Common complaints of people seeking rhinoplasty: too large, too flat, large bump or convex profile, too wide or fat, too thin, too long, too short, too pinched looking, scooped or concave profile (ski slope nose), hanging columella, functionality - difficulty breathing, crooked, asymettry (nostrils or general structure), bumps, a bifid tip - an indent down the center of the tip, scar tissue, damage from accidents, hooked nose, upturned nose, pointy, bulbuous, lack of definition

Common complaints or conditions of people who should not be seeking rhinoplasty: becoming more popular, life advancement, becoming more desirable, winning over someone, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) or any other self image disorder, low self esteem due to no visible cause, weak chin, weak jaw, weak or prominant upper jaw, pressure from third parties, career advancement

What your nose looks like on the inside

View image at: http://gossip.bluelaundry.com/info/rhino/rhinoplasty.htm

The bone structure of the nose makes up the upper part of the nasal area. It consits of ideally symmetrical bones which form a pyramid shape. This is commonly known as the bridge. The dorsum is the flat surface at the front of the nose caused by the meeting of the nasal structures. The glabella is where the bridge joins the forehead.

The lower two thirds of the nose are made up of cartiledge structures. These consist of five large pieces, the septum, two lateral nasal cartiledges, and the two greater alar cartileges. There are also several smaller pieces of cartilege known as the lesser alar cartileges.

The septum is a piece of cartilege that runs down the center of your nose, it divides the nasal cavity in half. The front part of the septum (furthest from your face) is the thickest, it is the thickest where it joins the nasal bones.

The lateral cartilage is at about the half-way point down the nose. It is wide and flat, and has a triangular shape. The front part of the lateral cartilage is thicker, and the upper side of it is connected to the nasal bones, the lower part of it is conected with the greater alar cartilages.

The greater alar cartilages are small and thin, and flexible. They are situated at the lower part of the nose, and is folded back upon itself, forming the tip and forming the lower walls of the nose. The two are connected at the center, and as they spread out from the center they become flatter, narrower and more oval shaped.

The nostrils can be changed in a rhinoplasty as well, by excising sections from the floor of the nose or at the junction where the nose meets the cheek.

The ideal nose

There is no such thing as an ideal nose, an ideal nose is based upon the features of that person and what works for their face. A nose that may be attractive on one person may look out of place and actually detract from their good looks on another. Given that, time and time again people have searched for a formula to determine the perfect face.

Leonardo Da Vinci Facial Thirds

The width of the nose at the widest part of the base should be about the same distance as the distance between the eyes

The length of the upper lip should be twice the distance between the lower lip and the chin

A slight upwards rotation in the tip is better and more attractive

Yale Medical University

(a) The distance from the infraorbital rim to the base of the nose should be equal to the width of the nasal base (from the outside of each nostril to nostril) and the distance of the middle third of the face (brow to the nasal base).

(b) The nasal length (radix to tip or RT) should equal the distance from the stomion to menton which equals 1.6 x TS (tip to stomion).

(c) Ideal tip projection (alar crease to the tip) equals 0.66 x ideal nasal length (RT).

(d) The line from the mid-glabellar area to the menton should bisect the nasal bridge, the nasal tip, and Cupids bow.

(e) The nasal dorsum should be outlined by two slightly curved divergent lines extending from the medial supraciliary ridges to the tip defining points.
(f) The width of the bony base is approximately equal to 80% of the alar base.

(g) The width of the alar base is equal to the intercanthal distance or one eye width.

(h) The alar rims should have a slight outward flare in an inferior direction.

(i) Lines connecting the tip defining points, the supratip break area, and the columellar lobular angle form two equilateral triangles.

(j) A line outlining the alar rims and columella resembles a gull in gentle flight.

(k) With the eyes in frontal gaze, the nasofrontal angle lies at a level between the upper eyelashes and the supratarsal crease.

(l) The nasal dorsum, in women, lies approximately 2 mm behind and parallel to a line from just above the nasofrontal angle to the tip defining points. In men, the dorsum is slightly higher.

(m) 50-60% of the tip lies anterior to a vertical line drawn adjacent to the most projecting portion of a normally positioned upper lip.

(n) Tip projection equals alar base width.

(o) Tip rotation is determined by the degree of the nasolabial angle, measured as the angle between vertical and a line drawn through the most anterior and posterior edges of the nostrils (normal 95-100 degrees in women and 90-95 degrees in men) (nasolabial angle is not the same as columellar labial angle).

(p) The columellar-lobular angle is approximately 45 degrees.

(q) On a basal view, the outline of the nasal base forms an equilateral triangle; the lobular to nostril ratio is 1:2.

(r) The upper lip projects 2 mm more than the lower lip, and in women, the chin lies slightly posterior to the lower lip; slightly stronger in men.
The distance from the mandibular angle to the menton is the distance from the menton to the natural hairline (or trichion).

The procedure

- Open or closed

Surgeons performing rhinoplasty have a choice between two types of incision methods. An open or closed technique differes in the incision method, an open technique the surgeon will cut open the nose exposing the inner cartileges. A closed percedure is done with cuts, usually inside the nose. This operation is done wihout visual. What’s more important is the skill level of the surgeon. Some surgeons prefer one method over another.

In an open rhinoplasty the cut is made across the base of the columella, the small wedge of flesh that creates and seperates your nostrils. The incision is usually made with either a “Z” or an inverted “V” cut, this help minimize the appearance of the scar. The scar that it leaves when healing is complete is usually very faint and eventually fades away on most people, sometimes there may be a faint pink line where the incision was made. In rarer circumstances a keloid scar can form, but this can be prevented or treated with post-operative care (Such as dermabrasion or kenalog injections)

- Nasal augmentation

Different shaped implant can be added onto the structure of the nose, increasing it’s projection or width. There are a wide variety of materials to choose from, most doctors will use one particular material because they believe it to be superior. There are implants which can be harvested from your own body, and artificial implants to choose from.

Bone grafts are usually taken from the patients ribs. There is a small percentage of absorption when implanted, as well there is a longer time for recovery. An extra surgery is performed to extract the graft. There are possibilities of bone infection as well as excessive calcification. Rib grafts have been reported to warp and deform, as like any graft.

Cartilage grafts can be taken from the patients, either from their rib or ears. When taken from the ear a tiny sliver is extracted from the back of the ear, this is usually used in patients who have had too much cartilege removed. Rib cartilege is usually taken from the false floating ribs.

Silicone implants have been used for facial implanting since around 1956. They are hard, yet flexible depending on how they are manufactured.
Alloderm is donor tissue, through treating the donor tissue is stripped until it is only a protein framework. It contains no human cells. It can last up to two years, and in some cases indefinetly. The product is expensive. It will not mimick the look of bone, but can be used for cartilege implanting and structure work.
Polyethylene is a plastic which is porous, resembling coral. Scar tissue can heal into these pores securing the iplant.
Gore-Tex is a biocompatable micro-porous material which allows tissue to grow into it. It is soft, flexible and strong. Gore-Tex is easily carved for further personalization to each patients face and needs.
Medor/Porex is a light weight high density polyethylene. The implant material has a long history of medical use without any harmful effects. Because of it’s porosity, it does have one downfall. If at a later date the implant has to be removed, the operation will become more difficult as it has fused.

- Ethnic rhinoplasty

As with any rhinoplasty the goal is to create something that will work harmoniously with the patients face. With an ethnic rhinoplasty it is important to retain and incorporate that persons ethnicity into the final nose. A good rhinoplasty will create a nose that does not stand out or attract attention. In most cases the patient wants more projection and definition in the nose bridge, as well as a narrowing of the nostrils.

Ethnic skin does have a higher chance of keloid scarring, which is the formation of excessive scar tissue. In pigmented skin, there is also the possibility of hypo or hyper pigmentation.

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When it comes to promoting their new music releases, I have
found that most musicians only consider radio as the vehicle
for exposing their music to the public.

Rarely do they consider publicity, in the form of print media,
i.e., music magazines, weekly arts and entertainment
publications and newspapers as support tools to help support
their radio airplay (another subject I shall address shortly).

But, even rarer, is their consideration of the importance of
having videos for their singles. A video of your single, which
was once considered an optional luxury, is now a standard,
vital and necessary tool if you are going to compete with
fellow independent recording artists for media and consumer
attention.

And, a video is even more important if you are going to
compete with major label artists. In fact, since having a video
for your single, particularly, your very first single from a new
release, is so vitally important, why would you even release a
recording without one in today’s music climate?

To me, that is like a soldier going to war with only a handgun
while leaving his automatic weapon behind in his barracks.

But, perhaps, in your mind, you believe that it is still very
expensive to produce videos for your singles. Even more,
while you are likely an expert on producing music, you
probably feel like an amateur when it comes to video
production. However, that need not be the case any longer.

So, I am going to show you a no-brainer approach to easily
getting a video produced for, at least, your first single from
your new release, if not all of your singles.

* Steps to Getting Your Video Singles Produced Cheaply *

1. After you have your mastered soundtrack, and have
selected your first single, you should then contact an area
college, university or art institute.

2. Tell the school’s administration department that you need
to get in touch with its “broadcast journalism” department.

3. When you reach the broadcast journalism department,
ask to speak to an “advisor” or “department head.”

4. Tell the advisor or department head that you are an artist
interested in getting a music video produced, and that you
would like to be put in touch with either a senior student or
graduate student who is majoring in broadcast journalism
with, perhaps, a concentration on “production” or “direction.”

You may also want to stress your preference for a student
who has experience with having produced music videos
already. Depending on the size of the school, there will likely
be several highly qualified student candidates.

In most cases, you will find video producers or directors who
will want to work from a script, which includes a story line, for
your video single. If that is the case, and you are in need of
a script, I would like to direct you to MuBiz.com, which can
produce a video script from your single. See the below link:

http://www.mubiz.com/services.html#Video_Scripting

You can also see a sample video script that I created for a
client at the below link.

http://www.mubiz.com/vdoscript.html

5. As for the low cost of getting broadcast journalism
students to produce your video, in quite a few cases, these
particular students are already in need of videos for their
class projects, and yours just may be the one that will pique
their interest. This is a no-cost method, and you will often
need to arrange this setup one semester in advance.

In other cases, students may either own their film equipment,
or be able to borrow school equipment for production. And,
in this case, there may be nominal charges, however, these
charges will be very affordable.

The best thing about this particular scenario is that, while you
will get the best production knowledge from the student, as
well as your video produced with the latest technology, you
cannot be charged commercial rates, such as if you used a
videographer or related service that officially operated in a
commercial status.

But, perhaps, the best thing about this avenue to take for
producing your video singles is that, not only will you be
able to bring your marketing and artist status up a notch by
having a video, you will now also have another product that
can be used two-fold:

1. For further promotion of your single

2. Able to sell another product on online music sales
sites as well as in retail outlets.

In some cases, you may also wish to offer it as a package
deal with your CD. Additionally, why not go a step farther
by incorporating it within your CD, placing it on DVD, as
well as making it available on video cassette for retailers
and consumer?

Note: Depending on the extensiveness of your production,
most videos can be produced and edited within two
weeks, if not sooner.

Kenny Love is president of http://www.MuBiz.com, a radio promotion and media publicity firm that also provides business and career services to musicians.

Women are ten times more likely than men to be victimized.
Battered women have more than twice the health care needs and
more costly than those who have never been battered. Women who
were victimized as a child are more likely to attract men who
are abusive or they are abusive themselves. Every day four women
die in this country as a result of domestic violence. Every 9
seconds in the U.S. a woman is assaulted or beaten.

As a child of twelve I was a victim of child molestation. In a
foster home, as a teen, I was physically abused. Seven years of
my life, I endured physical, sexually, verbal abuse from an
abuser. Finally escaping, I found myself attracted again to an
abuser. Not looking for the warning signs, I spent nine more
years of my life in another abusive relationship. I decided I
wasn’t going to let that happen again.

I was awakened on my birthday with my husband singing happy
birthday to me. He whispered happy birthday in my ear.

Five years ago I met a man that was unlike any of the men I had
ever been involved with. He intimidated me at first. I almost
passed him by because I was afraid of getting into another
abusive relationship. He told me stories and I questioned if
they were true, I was so used to being lied to. Some how this
man was different and I felt it was so right. He was laid back
and didn’t let much upset him.

We laughed and talked and it felt good. We wanted the same
things in life happiness, loving each other, and working
together to achieve those things. We had good communication. He
told me the truth about everything even if he felt I wouldn’t
like it, he was honest. He was so none abusive in any way.

He encouraged me to do the things I wanted and not to do
anything that I was uncomfortable with. He encouraged me to be
myself and go after the things he knew I wanted. I now know the
true meaning of love, and loving. With so many accomplishments
in the past five years, I am a lucky person to have such a
wonderful husband.

Watch for warning signs and steer away. Some of the signs to
watch for are:

Intense jealousy of friends or family. Yelling shouting and
intimidation. Controlling behavior and persistent put downs.
Shows severe mood swings. Has poor self-image and blames others
for problems. Unemployed. Shows cruelty to animals. Abuse of
alcohol or other substances and other unexplained behavior.

It is so easy for women that have been in abusive relationships
to attract men and be attracted to abusive men. Women stay in
abusive relationships for many reasons.

Where will I go and how will I support myself? So emotional
torn apart that nothing seems real and you can’t think rational
anymore. Mental abuse has left you at rock bottom. Fear that
your partner will follow and stalk you. Fear of emotional
damage to children. Not being able to find a job. Ties to home
and belongings. Fear of the unknown.

Don’t let yourself be a victim. Get help and get away from the
abuse. There are safe homes and help lines for abuse victims.
Have a happy ending like I have.

Phyllis Benton author of Living Nightmares of Abuse.
Autobiography. Emotional story of abuse. Available when released
at PublishAmerica, Amazon, B&N, and other on line book stores.
ISBN# 1-4137-9156-5. http://www.pdbenton.org
http://www.freewebs.com/dianesfantasy/

abuse victim and survivor, sexual, verbal, and physical,
molestation, fear of unknown, life after abuse, accomplishments,
goals