Mart Gnosis

In today’s world crime is everywhere. The people that prepare themselves in advance are the people that will survive or prevent injury to themselves or their loved ones. With that in mind, here are valuable tips to help you avoid violent crimes:

Avoid Sexual Assault

1. Always use your initials instead of your first name on mailboxes and phone listings. This will keep possible stalkers and attackers from knowing your gender.

2. One of the smartest things you can do is to avoid remaining alone in an apartment laundry room or parking garage. This advice applies not only to big cities but also to small towns and villages. You just never know who might be watching you.

3. Don’t make the mistake of telling someone on the phone or at your door that you are alone. One of the easiest ways to create the impression that someone is with you, is to make it seem as if you are talking to someone else in your home or apartment.

4. This might seem like common sense to you, but this is a mistake that many rape victims have fallen prey to. Never risk accepting a ride home from someone you have not met. This is an open invitation for disaster. Police files are full of incidents in which women didn’t remember this simple rule. Don’t risk it! Don’t ride–say goodbye is good advice!

5. If you are the victim of sexual assault and decide to physically resist, remember that your goal is to incapacitate the attacker long enough to run to safety and get help.

6. In the event that you do become a victim of a sexual assault, you need to make sure that you call the police immediately. Many women won’t do this because they feel ashamed or embarrassed. With so many rape consulting centers and women’s advocacy groups today, you should always seek immediate help! Also, do not bathe or change your clothes. You don’t want to destroy any evidence of the assault.

How To Avoid Robbery

1. One of the best ways for you to avoid robbery is for you not to carry valuable items or large amounts of money. But, if you do carry large amounts of cash, never be alone. Get a friend or co-worker to be with you at all times. Being alone is not worth the risk!

2. You should always plan ahead. For example, when traveling at night, make sure that you have your keys ready to enter your house or car. The last thing you want to be doing is fumbling for your keys in a dark or isolated place. Don’t make yourself a target.

3. If you are confronted by a robber, the best advice is to cooperate. You want the incident to be over as quickly as possible. And believe me, the robber doesn’t want to spend a lot of time near you either. I know that it’s difficult, but try to remain calm. If possible, try to focus on such things as: how tall is the robber, what is he wearing, any distinguishing marks, etc. This will be helpful when giving your information to the police.

4. Always remember, that if you resist and you don’t have some type of self-defense training, there is a greater chance that you will be injured. Play it safe. All you want to do is get it over with as quickly as possible and be able to return home to your family and friends.

Bank Machines (ATM’s)

1. Many people make the mistake of approaching an ATM without taking notice of what is happening around them. You need to be very watchful of any suspicious people around you. If you notice someone or something that just doesn’t “feel right”–find another ATM. More importantly, never use an ATM late at night in an area not properly lighted.

2. If you have to use an ATM at night, we suggest that you take a friend or family member along with you. Never go alone because then you are just asking for trouble!

3. One of the sure signs that you don’t want to use a particular ATM is if you find someone waiting and watching outside the area of the ATM. This is one of the ways that we mean for you to always be alert and prepared. Most people are just focusing on the money that they want to get out of the machine and so they aren’t paying attention to details. This is just what the robbers want you to do. Don’t play into their hands. Always be alert—it could save your money and your life!

Street Safety - Use Common Sense

1. Well-lighted busy areas are the best place for you to be. You should definitely avoid walking alone or being in known trouble spots.

2. If you are a woman carrying a purse, hold it close to your body rather than by the handles. One of the most common mistakes women make is that they wrap their purse straps around their wrist. The reason this is a bad idea is because you can get hurt in a struggle. Just hold your purse close to your body.

3. Unfortunately, many women carry what seems like “everything they have” in their purse or wallet! Experts agree that the best thing to do is only carry what you need.

4. Always avoid shortcuts through alleys, fields or vacant lots. An unfortunate incident happened in my area recently. A young girl on her way home took a shortcut through the back of a closed carwash business. She was abducted, raped and killed. Even though the abduction was caught on a security camera, it was of no help to the dead girl after the fact. Use your head—and stay safe.

5. If you think that you are being followed, cross the street and change directions a few times. get to a well lighted area with lot of people. Very important——Do Not Go Home!! The last thing that you want the attacker to know is where you live.

We hope that these simple tips help you and your family stays safe and secure. As the old saying goes—”It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

P.S.

From our family to your family—we hope that you stay safe and well!

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Virginia Waters helps everyday people with their personal self defense needs. She works with Powerful Response, a supplier of self defense and security products. View more anti-crime articles by visiting http://www.PowerfulResponse.com.

Spyware has to be the most talked about PC security threat of 2005. It has now surpassed the computer virus as the No. 1 menace to computer user both at home and in the enterprise. Despite efforts from Microsoft and independent security software companies, the spyware menace is set to continue through 2006 and beyond. The research firm Radicati Group expect worldwide anti-spyware revenue to surpass $1 billion by 2010.

There are numerous types of spyware with some more dangerous than others. At one end of the spectrum spyware pushes annoying ads to your computer as is usually referred as “Adware.” It is still spyware as the ads are generally pushed to you based on your surfing habits. A bad infection can also dramatically impact your computer’s performance as your desktop slowly gets overwhelmed with pop up adverts.

At the other end of the spectrum spyware programs can record what you do on your computer including individual key strokes. This information is then shared with a third party. This data is then sold to marketing companies or used to profit from. For example, the program may have captured your bank log-in details or credit card information.

Profit from these activities drives spyware development and deployment. According to anti-spyware vendor Webroot Inc advertising revenue generated from spyware is much more lucrative than trying to generate profit through Spam Email.

Here are the common ways spyware gets onto your computer:

• Bundled with free software like screensavers or P2P file sharing programs which you download. For example Kazaa, a P2P file-sharing application, installs adware onto a user’s computer even though it claims to contain “no spyware.” Waterfalls 3 from Screensaver.com installs spyware and Trojan horses. Examples are courtesy of a report from StopBadware.org’s website.

• Opening Spam email attachments.

• Being enticed into clicking on links in pop up adverts which then downloads spyware. These pop ups usually display messages to do with winning money or entering a special prize drawer.

• “Drive-by downloading” - this is when spyware is automatically downloaded onto your computer from the website you are surfing.

Earlier this year a report published by the University of Washington revealed categories of websites which are mostly like to host spyware or infect users through “drive-by downloads.” Their research revealed the following categories:

• Gaming sites

• Music download sites (I interpret this to mean “illegal” music sharing sites like dailymp3.com or where you can find P2P applications)

• Adult sites

• Celebrity sites

• Wallpaper / screensaver sites

Here are some tips and strategies to reduce the chance of spyware infection:

• Switch on your browser’s pop blocker.

• Install an anti-spyware tool with active protection which helps prevent infection in the first place.

• Keep Windows and other Microsoft applications like office up to date with the latest patches.

• Use SiteAdvisor - http://www.siteadvisor.com. This is a free plug-in for your browser which tells you whether a site is safe or not based on their testing. This is new software which is highly recommended.

• If you are a frequent visitor of the high risk categories please consider changing your surfing habits or at least making sure your system is fully protected.

Richard Rogers runs a number of computer-related sites offering Spyware Remover and Anti Virus Software help.

You need to buy a backpack for your son, but you are unsure which one to buy and don’t know how to choose the right one. After all there are those reports about how backpacks are damaging our children’s backs. What are you as a parent supposed to do?

Here are a few do’s and don’ts about buying and using backpacks. Hopefully you will at least some of them helpful.

Don’t buy the first backpack you see no matter how much your son whines. Do shop around. Check the department stores and sporting goods stores, do a web search.Try to find out what is available and how much you can expect to pay. Some schools require the children to have a backpack, and others do not. Also, some schools insist on see through backpacks, to cut down on he chances of kids bringing contraband, such as drugs or weapons to school.

If your child’s school has this policy, then you have few choices to make. Some do not allow wheeled packs, they are seen as a tripping hazard. Do check to see if the product has a warranty. What is the store’s return/refund policy? Some of the well-known makers of backpacks give lifetime warrantees.

We had a backpack for almost 10 years and the zipper broke and tore away from the fabric. We sent it back, and since that particular pack had been discontinued so they sent us a brand new one a brand new one.

Don’t buy a backpack simply because it may be a few dollars cheaper than one with a warranty. The if you need to replace it, you may well have paid more for 2 packs than if you had gotten the one with the warranty originally.

Do buy the best backpack that you can afford preferably one that has wide padded shoulder straps and at the very least, a waist belt. IF you can afford it get one that has a padded back and a chest strap.

Don’t cave in and get a trendy backpack that your daughter wants if it doesn’t have at least some of the safety features. Do use an internet search to check the rating and testing results of the backpack you are considering buying. Consumer protection organizations routinely run this testing for durability, comfort, and safety.

Don’t buy a backpack just because of a low price or because you recognize the brand name, or because all of your son’s friends have one like it. Or because he thinks it is “cool”
Do check out the backpack. Make sure it is made of durable material. Look to see if the seams are strong. and if the zippers open and close smoothly. Check that the straps and belts work properly.
Don’t go for cute.

Just because your daughter loves a particular character, doesn’t mean you have to get her that pack especially if it isn’t back friendly Get her an umbrella with her character on it.
Do decide ahead of time what features you want in a backpack, such as extra padding or a sternum strap.

Don’t buy a backpack for you or your child just because it is the newest trend,the pack that everyone has to have.

Do insist your child wear her backpack properly, using both shoulder straps, and the waist belt.
Don’t allow her to wear it slung over one shoulder, or to take unnecessary items like radios, CD players or hand held games to school, they not only add extra weight, but are not allowed in most schools.

About the Author
Elaine Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of School Backpacks,
Backbacks,and more! her numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

In online marketing business like affiliate marketing, no traffic means no sales. That’s the reason why most affiliates or webmasters easily shell out even big bucks just to get top rankings on the search engines. Once you are promoting a product or service in you web page, you need to have more visitors that can be potential consumers to your products and services. This is one of the fundamental rules to succeed in online marketing business. Here, you just need to start and get it right and you can do some things wrong but still manage to succeed. Don’t ever try to get it wrong because no matter how hard you work, you can never find yourself on the way to success.

I guess everyone will agree if I said that obtaining enough highly targeted traffic is the key to success in affiliate marketing business. This method is proven to be effective if you’re promoting or reselling product or service online. One of the best and most secured marketing strategies that affiliate marketers can employ is the strategy of paying for performance. This means that your investments are used only on results such as additional sales and incomes.

Let’s take a practical example. Paying for performance could mean giving a commission to a sales person only when new sale is made. This strategy assures you real profit because you can already compute the amount money you have to spend for every new sale made. Also, you can avoid spending any marketing bucks because every cent you use up has either come from sale or will generate a sale in the future.

And one of the proven and most efficient ways of acquiring sales in affiliate marketing business is by drawing laser-targeted traffic towards your web site and converting them to sales by means of “Pay-Per-Click” Search Engines (PPCSEs).

Overture claims to be the Internet’s best pay-per-click search engine. It is the world’s leading resource of Pay-For-Performance search on the web. And what’s more enticing about Overture? When you advertise in Overture Premium Listings, your site will absolutely appear in the leading U.S. search engines like Yahoo, InfoSpace, MSN, Netscape, AltaVista, Lycos and more. Plus, you can get the benefit of reaching more than 80% of active Internet users.

PPCSEs like Overture can bring impressive sales because they permit you to pay for performance by means of attracting precisely targeted traffic to your niche. And this means people or site visitors who are actively searching for what precisely you are offering or selling. Overture’s secret is to drive laser-targeted traffic to your website by proposing or bidding on keywords that are related to the product or services that you are offering. And this strategy works this way: the more exact the keyword is, the better results you’ll receive and the less you’ll have to spend for each new sale.

Overture drives targeted traffic by keeping you away from the general keywords that are very common and usually come expensive and by casting a wide net of laser-focused keywords that are more targeted, not so expensive, and with high conversion rate. I’ll tell you, attracting laser-targeted traffic through Overture is nothing but a “Win-Win” Situation.

Overture’s strategy also allows your visitors to respond. And what’s important once you get your visitors to respond? Well, you are given a chance to develop lifetime customers that will patronize your product and will buy from you over an over again. Bear in mind that one-time sales can’t be a key in creating a highly-profitable business especially online. You can only achieve this through PPCSEs like Overture, which gets your site visitors to respond. And once it happens, you can constantly market and sell your products to them.

Another tactic that Overture uses in order to gain laser-targeted traffic is to have a “Back-Up Response” for those who “almost bought” your product on the first visit. To successfully realize this, you need to market and advertise to them over and over again until you make them a new customer. Offer them an incentive so that they’ll allow you to advertise to them over a certain time span by means of e-mail or post mail. Here are some of the back-up responses which you can use: send a free e-mail newsletter, give a free catalog and offer a promo or sweepstakes which gives them the chance to win free merchandise.

Other things that will surely attract lifetime customers to your site are offering valued customer discounts, giving seasonal and special offers especially to your repeat customers and any other incentives to purchase. Don’t get me wrong with this; the abovementioned strategies can surely develop a trusted relationship between you and your customers. Aside from patronizing your products over their lifetime, they may even refer others to you or to your site.

To sum up, one of the most effective and secured marketing strategies that any businessman can utilize particularly those who are involved in online marketing is the approach of only paying for performance. And one of the most helpful online strategies to create more sales is by pulling laser targeted traffic towards your website and converting them to sales by means of Pay-Per-Click Search Engines like Overture. Author is writter for sites such as Information Today

Going on a gorilla safari must rank as one of the best wildlife experiences left in the natural world. Many people describe it as an overwhelming and awe-inspiring experience and worth every penny they spent on making it happen.

But it doesn’t necessarily have to cost the earth.

You can organise and plan your own trek far cheaper than it would cost if you used a safari company as they need to work through the applicable wildlife authorities in each country to obtain gorilla permits anyway and you can do the same if you know how.

The trade-off is that it will be more inconvenient for you because you will need to organise all the logistics yourself whereas with a gorilla safari company you just turn up and go along for the ride.

If you are a do-it-yourself traveller, here is what you need to know to make it possible and save yourself some money…

Where to Find the Gorillas

Mountain gorillas are highly endangered and there are isolated pockets of them left in Uganda, Rwanda and the Congo. It’s estimated that there are less than 650 mountain gorilla left in the world.

Travel to the Congo is considered risky because of the political and military instabilities that exist there but Uganda and Rwanda are perfect for a gorilla safari.

Your chances of seeing the gorillas are excellent in both Uganda and Rwanda because they are tracked each day by experienced trackers so their locations are known down to the last 24 hours. It’s possible but quite rare for visitors not to see the gorillas.

In Uganda the big apes live in the Bwindi National Park and in Rwanda they can be found at the Volcanoes National Park.

There are three habituated gorilla groups in the Bwindi forest and a total of eighteen permits are issued every day at six per group.

In Rwanda there are four habituated gorilla groups and eight permits are issued per group bringing the total per day to thirty two.

There are some simple rules that apply when visiting these great apes: Don’t go if you are sick because you might infect them and they are very susceptible to human diseases, no flash photography, maintain a seven metre distance, don’t eat or drink around them and each group can stay for a maximum of one hour.

Best Time to Go on a Gorilla Safari

Bwindi is a rainforest so you can expect precipitation most of the year with the heaviest rains occurring in March - April and September - November while other months are reasonably dry. Annual precipitation is between 1130 mm and 2390 mm.

The annual temperature ranges between 7-20 degrees c with the coldest period between June- July.

The climate in the Volcanoes National Park is changeable and you can generally expect both sun and rainfall during the day. At 1,700m above sea level it is generally quite cold particularly in the evening so warm clothing is advised.

The park receives a high amount of rainfall, over 70 inches (1,800 mm) per year and daytime temperatures average about 70F (21C). The dry season occurs mid-June-September and December-March.

Rain is an inconvenience on a gorilla safari but it’s not an insurmountable obstacle. Just make sure that you take a good pair of hiking boots with you because it can become very muddy and some parts are pretty steep which can cause you to slip.

Travel and Accommodation

Bwindi in Uganda can be reached from QENP in the north (2-3 hours), from Kabale to the south (1-2 hours), or from Kampala via Mbarara (6-8 hours). The roads meet at Butogota, 17km from the Buhoma entrance gate.

Two up-market tented camps, a lodge, community-run budget rooms and camping are available near the Buhoma entrance gate for accommodation the night before the gorilla safari.

In Rwanda the day before the gorilla trek you can take a 2 USD minibus to Ruhengeri (2 hours) or a 2 USD Virunga or Okapi bus from Kigale. Buses leave every hour (on the hour) from near the gare routire/bus station. If you want to leave early in the morning from Kigale it might be a good idea to buy a ticket the day before, but if you leave in the afternoon, you might buy a ticket in the morning.

In Ruhengeri you can stay at any of the decent guesthouses ranging from Home d’Accueil at 5USD, to Muhabura which is clean with private bathroom at 20USD. The expensive Gorillas nest is at Kinigi, a taxi car drive out of town.

Where and how to get the gorilla permit and transportation plus accommodation tips, advice and costs for both Uganda and Rwanda so that you can decide between them.

The Top Three gorilla safari companies if you decide to use a guide rather than plan your own trek.

Nelson Mandela, the well-known statesmen, once said, “Education is the great engine to personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that the child of a farm worker can become the president of a great nation.”

The truth of this statement can only be fully appreciated if one considers the enormous importance of preschool education. The famous Japanese violin teacher and educationist, Shinichi Suzuki, once expressed a great truism when he said, “The destiny of children lies in the hands of their parents.” The direction and the quality of this destiny are largely determined — by the parents — in the first seven years of the child’s life.

A study by High/Scope Educational Research Foundation of Ypsilanti, Michigan, showed the significant value of early learning. From 1962-1967, 123 African Americans, all aged 3 to 4 and born in poverty, and therefore at a high risk of later failing in school, were randomly divided into two groups. One group was exposed to a high-quality preschool program while the control group was not exposed to any preschool programs. The program that the experimental group was exposed to was based on High/Scope’s active learning approach. In the study’s most recent phase, 95% of the participants were interviewed at age 27. Additional data were gathered from the subjects’ school, social service and arrest records. The most significant findings of this study were:

* Almost a third as many of those attending the preschool program, opposed to those with no preschool exposure (71% vs. 54%) graduated from regular or adult high school, or received their General Education Development Certificate.

* At age 27, four times as many of those exposed to the preschool program, opposed to those with no preschool exposure (29% vs. 7%) earned $2,000 or more per month, and they also scored higher on home and car ownership.

* At age 27, only one fifth as many of those with proper preschool exposure, opposed to those with no preschool exposure (7% vs. 35%) had been arrested five or more times, and significantly fewer arrests for drug dealing were made under the preschool program group members. (7% vs. 25%)

* The rate of out-of-wedlock births was lower among the group that had received preschool exposure. (57% vs. 83%)

There is a proverb that one never gets too old to learn. This, however, is only partially true. There are indeed certain aspects of learning that can only be acquired effectively during the first seven years of life. Parents, who are desirous of offering their child an adequate preschool education, should therefore take care to concentrate on these aspects of learning. Some of the most important of these skills and aspects of learning are discussed below.

1. Language:

Language ability has been found to be an important predictor of reading ability. It is therefore of the utmost importance that parents should do everything possible to ascertain that their child be given optimum opportunities for language acquisition, more so because of the fact that, before the age of seven, a child has a phenomenal ability to learn language. From the age of eight years, the child’s ability to learn language is equal to that of an adult. It is therefore very unwise if parents do not exploit the wonderful opportunity that is presented only once in every child’s life, and only for a short space of time.

Parents should talk to their toddler as often and as much as possible. The more the small child is exposed to language, the quicker he will start to understand speech and later also start speaking. It is important that on a daily basis time should be set aside for story reading and/or story telling. However, it is vital that the same story be read or told over and over every day. The same story should be read to the child for several months before a new story — a slightly more advanced one — is introduced. This new story must also be read over and over for many months.

Effective language acquisition is dependent upon ample repetition of the same words, phrases and language structures.

2. Concentration:

Concentration is both an act of will and an acquired skill. For that reason it is important that parents make sure that the small child will receive enough opportunities to exercise this skill, so that he will be able to sit still and concentrate for at least 20 minutes or so by the time that he goes to school. >From about two years the parents can start reading stories to the child. It is important, however, that the child must sit still and listen to the story. He must not be allowed to run around or play during the reading. To make this possible, the parent must start with a short story of about five minutes, and then little-by-little increase the time. In this way the child’s attention span can gradually be stretched.

3. Work attitude:

The idea of school readiness is a universally accepted concept. However, readiness for work is probably even more important than school readiness. There has been a tendency over the past decades to try to make learning fun. This is certainly one of the reasons why there is so much learning failure all over the world at present, because learning isn’t fun; it is work. Naturally, work — just like learning — can often be very interesting, and it can even be enjoyable. Moreover, there are always aspects of work — and therefore also of learning — that are neither interesting nor enjoyable. Regardless of this, however, they have to be done. It is of the utmost importance to teach a child that work is something that has to be done, and done to the best of one’s ability — also those aspects of work that are not interesting or enjoyable. The child whose parents do not succeed in teaching him this, faces a very hard and difficult future.

4. Coordination:

Nowadays, two of the common symptoms of children, who have difficulties with learning and with reading, are that they have low muscle tone and that they never crawled. Both these problems can be prevented in a very simple and easy way.

Low muscle tone is merely an indication of weak muscle strength, and a baby will only crawl if his parents teach him to do so. Children can only do what they are taught to do.

General muscle strength of the body is to a large extent determined by the strength of the back muscles. Muscles remain weak when they are not exercised. Parents should from very early in his life provide their child with opportunities to exercise his muscles, especially the back muscles. This can — and should — start from as early as a month or two.

By following a very simple procedure, parents can lay the foundation for their children to later have good coordination and strong muscles. From about a month or so the little baby should be allowed to spend as much time as possible on the floor in the face-down position. The baby will lift up his head, and this will develop strong back muscles. Being left in this position will also encourage the baby to try to move forward, which will encourage him to start crawling.

Later, when the child is a little bigger, eye-hand coordination can be developed by playing throwing and catching games with the child with a ball or bean bags. Fine motor control, as a preparation for a good handwriting, can be developed by letting the child crumple papers. Start by tearing pages from an old telephone directory, and giving the child one page at a time to crumple into a tight ball with one hand only.

5. Body parts:

Put on a pair of glasses with blue lenses. Everything you look at will have a tint of blue.

The great German philosopher, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), once said that we “see things not as they are but as we are.” This axiomatic statement is based on the fact that we human beings approach and interpret our world from inside our bodies. Just like everything appears blue to the persons with blue lenses, our perception of our world is tinged by our knowledge of our own bodies. The child, who has inadequate knowledge of his own body, will be inclined to misinterpret the world around him.

For an example of this, consider the phenomenon of reversals. Our bodies have a right and a left side. It is therefore inevitable that we shall interpret all objects that we encounter in terms of two-sidedness. Unless the child has been familiarized adequately with his own sidedness, there is the distinct danger that he may misinterpret the sidedness of other things — like b’s and d’s, for example.

Bath time presents an excellent opportunity to teach the small child body parts and sidedness. As soon as the child is able to sit up by himself in the bath, the teaching should commence. Don’t simply take the little foot and scrub it; rather hold your hand and then say, “Give me your right foot,” and wait for the child to place his right foot into your hand. If he gives you his left foot, say, “No, the right foot,” and then scrub only this foot. Next, nominate another body part, with left or right, and wash this. In this way go through all the various body parts, each one — where applicable — with left and right.

If a parent continues doing this every night for two or three years, the child will certainly have no uncertainties about left and right or body image. The effect of this, inter alia, will be that the child will not have any difficulties distinguishing between b’s and d’s.

6. Counting:

Counting can be regarded as the language of mathematics. It is therefore just as important to teach a child from very early in life to count well. The easiest way to teach a child counting is to start with his fingers, first with the fingers of one hand and then later both hands. Remember that, like with anything else, much repetition is required.

7. Colors:

Color is another very important very basic thing that should be taught to children very early in life. It is important to start teaching the basic colors first, white, black, red, green, blue and yellow. Again much repetition is required. One can, for example, play games with colors, e.g. “Put all the yellow blocks into the green box.”

Hiking is a great way to escape the rat race, get out in nature and leave the stress of the world behind. Alas, your hiking experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a hiking journal.

Hiking Journals

Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent hiking experience. What sticks out in your mind? Who did you go with and were there any incredible views? Now think about the first time you ever went hiking. Undoubtedly, you remember few things about the geography, people you went with and the particular hiking routes. The experiences you’ve forgotten are lost to time. If you keep a hiking journal, this won’t be the case.

There are famous instances of people keeping journals throughout time. Of course, Anne Frank’s Diary is the best example. In her diary, Anne kept a running commentary of the two years her family spent hiding from the Nazis. While your hiking experiences better be more lighthearted, keeping a journal will let you remember them as the years pass.

A good hiking journal combines a number of characteristics. First, it should be compact so you don’t have to lug extra weight around. Second, it should have a case to protect it from the elements. Third, the journal should contain blank areas to write your notes. Fourth, the journal should contain cue spaces to remind you to keep notes on specific things. Cues should include:

1. Who you went hiking with,

2. The length and difficulty of the hike,

3. Who you met and contact information for them,

4. The weather conditions,

5. Any unique things that occurred while hiking,

6. The routes you took on the hikes and alternatives you might want to try later.

7. Unique information about the particular hiking trail, and

8. Any inside information provided by locals or other climbers you met.

At the end of the hike, you should be able to get the following from your journal:

1. Contact information for other hikers you met,

2. Enough detail to provide you or a friend with a guide if you or they hike the location a second time.

3. Memories to reflect upon years later, and

4. Something to pass on to your friends, children and grandchildren.

To get the most out of your hiking journal, you should write in it just before you start, during breaks such as lunch and when you return. It is always interesting to see the different impressions you have before and after a hike as well as your mood changes as the hike progresses. On a miserably rainy day in winter, the journal will make for good reading

Hiking is a great way to commune with nature and spend a weekend. Make sure to preserve the experience with your hiking journal.

Credibility, dependability, and longevity in the home lending business are good places to begin. Both banks and brokers have their strengths and weaknesses. It is a transfer of an interest in land, from the owner to the mortgage lender, on the condition that this interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed.

Different lenders charge different fees. While a mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is evidence of a debt of 8 percent. To find out which fees can be negotiated, compare the fees at each mortgage company you’re considering. Some will quote you precise, competitive rates 4 percent. Arranging a mortgage is seen as the standard method by which individuals and businesses can purchase residential and commercial real estate without the need to pay the full value immediately. Many of these fees are fixed but some can be negotiated.

A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a lender as a security for a mortgage loan for 5 percent. In other words, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower. Although most mortgage experts say that rates 4 percent are pretty much the same wherever you go, give or take this tiny 4 percentage. Start with credibility. It’s not easy to know if the prices quoted by lenders are reliable.

The Dutch translation says: Woon je in Aa en Hunze of Scheemda en hebt u BKR registratie’ Lenen met zonder BKR is nog nooit zo eenvoudig geweest. Haal snel een nieuwe caravan met geld lenen met bkr melding, 189360 euro is altijd mogelijk om te financieren. Van Alblasserdam tot Maassluis, geld lenen met zonder BKR is altijd mogelijk.

And of course, each loan and each borrower are different. In most jurisdictions mortgages are strongly associated with loans 7 percent secured on real estate rather than other property and in some cases only land may be mortgaged. So how do you find a lender or broker you can trust’ See mortgage loan for residential mortgage lending, and commercial mortgage for lending against commercial property. See which lenders are charging fees 11 percent and for how much. But others will claim low rates to bring in customers or tell you that the rates 9 percent offered by competitors will change.

Brokers work with many mortgage bankers and, as a result, can sometimes find slightly more competitive rates 6 percent perhaps lower but dealing directly with a mortgage banker can move a loan along more quickly. Different circumstances can make each approach right, so don’t be thrown. Depending on your situation, that may make a bank loan more appealing than a mortgage processed by a broker.

Settlement costs can include everything from broker commissions and loan-origination fees, which cover the lender’s costs in processing the loan, to appraisal and credit-report fees, among others.

Many centuries ago a wise philosopher Seneca said,” Someone takes away our precious time by force, others furtively steal our time, but the most annoying is when we waste our time ourselves. Specialists of time management agree with the ancient sage. Lack of time does not account for a great number of tasks we have to do. But it is rather a result of unpredictable and unjustified time losses. Today people take into account the recommendations of the experts and try to plan their day prioritizing the daily activities. However, even those who mastered the art of making rational and quite realistic plans are likely to complete only the half of the planned activities by the end of the day. “If I had at least a couple of hours more… ” . You may hear these words from the presidents of the global companies as well as from the secretaries, couriers and students.

People don’t realize that hours have been misspent. Perhaps in some cases it would be more rational for a student to buy essay papers from a reputable writing service than waste their time by arranging the capricious lines of their writing. Among the factors that steal our time during the working day we can point out the three major “time thieves”. They are uninvited guests, unexpected phone calls and… you. Some irrelevant thoughts may intrude your consciousness just when you are reading your mail, analyzing news or preparing documentation. They grab your attention and you are no more concentrated on the work. For writers (or philosophers) such state is even favourable as it may help to find some original ideas and creative decisions for their true essay of love. But a businessman should avoid such deviation, as this “stream of consciousness” may distract him from solving the current issues. To reduce the time we spend on extraneous thoughts psychologists offer to follow two principles. The first of them may be called a method of unification. You should group the problems of the same type and solve them in a single time frame. That way you will do much more. Phased solving of the identical tasks eases the problem and saves up your time. The second principle suggests concentrating on the matter, not on the terms or means of dealing with it. In other words, devoting some time for necessary preparation helps to avoid unpredictable difficulties and stops.

Still the most important thing for purposeful work is self -discipline. Nothing controls your attention better than your own consciousness. Your precise determination to complete the task as soon as possible will manage to prevent from inopportune thoughts. Unexpected phone calls are another nuisance during your working day. Top leaders may entrust their secretaries with solving this problem. The rest have to look for options themselves. Ask your colleagues for a favour promising to help them in the same situation. Surely you will have to tear yourself from the work when the call is urgent. And you will deal with the rest of the calls when it is convenient for you. The other problem is uninvited guests. They are your colleagues, who drop in “just for a quick word”. In fact they start with discussing some really urgent professional issue, then coming down to gossiping about the secretary’s new haircut and boss’ mood. You can get rid of these “time thieves” in different ways, but unfortunately they are not so delicate and tolerant. The most harmless method is to set the so - called “quiet hour”, choosing the best time period for solving the piled up problems. A special notice on the door of your study may be a signal to those who want to disturb you. If you don’t have a separate room, ask the office manager perform the functions of this notice. Very soon everyone will be acquainted with your working schedule and they will try to fix “reception hours” with you in advance. If you can’t manage to reduce your time losses, try to keep a diary where you will make notes why and how much time has been wasted. These notes will help you to find the hole where all the precious minutes flow. Then you will just have to patch this hole up!

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One of the biggest challenges of getting a GED is paying for classes, study materials or the actual test. Also, many students can’t afford the cost of childcare or transportation to attend classes regularly. Or, students simply can’t go to classes because of family and job commitments.

There are solutions. Though resources for adult learners vary, no-cost or low-cost classes and study materials for self-guided programs are usually available in most communities. There’s also help and resources online for GED students working on their General Education Development credential, the best alternative diploma for adults who never finished their high school education.

Here’s a guide to free or affordable resources for GED test preparation:

1. Your Public Library should have many of the study guides and GED lesson plans available for loan, and may also have videos and CD ROM GED testing study courses as well. In some communities, the library even sponsors free GED classes.

2. Most Community Colleges offer free or affordable GED courses or classes in basic skills, which will apply to a GED study program. The cost of these GED courses varies from area to area, but generally they’re free or inexpensive. If classes are fee-based, check with the community college Financial Aid Office. You may be eligible for free classes.

3. In many communities, even childcare costs and transportation are available for GED students. Talk to local GED instructors; check with the community college Student Support Services.

4. Community-based nonprofit Family Support Agencies or Family Resource Centers are excellent sources for GED students. Contact your local agency and ask about classes, materials and other needs related to your educational goal such as childcare, transportation or adult education classes or grants.

5. Your local Public School District or University may have continuing education courses or adult education courses. There’s often grant money available to school districts that sponsor programs and classes for adult learners. Give them a call to see if they have the material you require for the GED test. You’ll probably want to check with the Central Office of the public school district, the nearest High School and with the Adult Education Office or Career Services office at the university.

6. Don’t forget about the local branch of your State Unemployment Office and local Department of Social Services. Both of these agencies may have funds or resources available through programs related to job training, workforce development, job readiness or a DSS family support or welfare-to-work program.

7. If you’re employed, your workplace is an excellent resource for adult education. Your employer may already sponsor a program, or be willing to sponsor your GED study and testing costs since your goal is just as significant to your employer as it is to you. Check with your employer or supervisor directly, along with the Workforce Development, Personnel or Human Resources officer or department. You may find you need to ask a variety of people in the workplace to find the answer you need.

8. Your local PBS television station broadcasts GED courses that you can take. PBS also offers some online courses for basic skills required for the GED test. They’re free.

9. PassGED was created to provide free support and low-cost help for GED Test candidates. A lots of free information, test advice and study guides is available, along with financial aid for an online GED program. You’ll also find a learning community of GED students and instructors at the online Message Forum. The website address is http://www.passGED.com.

10. You may also want to check with the American Council on Education, the national administrative agency for the GED. The ACE provides information about testing, official test sites, GED scores and transcripts. To locate your official state test site and administrator, a complete listing is available at http://www.passged.com/test_state.php.