Archive for the ‘Automotive’ Category
“The best place to hide anything is in plain sight!”
“What”, do you say? You’re pulling our legs, aren’t you?” “Just what do you mean, in plain site? Wouldn’t that make it easier for robbers and thieves to find my valuables?”
Not really, let me explain.
In plain site is not where robbers and thieves to expect to find hidden valuables, and if you hide your valuables in a diversion safe in plain site, it’s like a cloaking device. Robbers and thieves will not likely find your valuables.
Diversion safes, also known as hidden safes, are the perfect place in which to hide your valuables. The Chicago Crime Commission, in a report made public, stated that a burglar spends an average of only 8 minutes in the victim’s home. They are looking for easy items they can grab and then exit within a very short time frame.
So, put the odds in your court with hidden safes. With a hidden safe or a diversion safe, you can increase your odds of keeping your valuables and treasured items protected! Simply hide your valuables inside the diversion safe made from an otherwise ordinary household object and put it in its rightful place. No one will notice they are there. A regular object placed in a conspicuous location, does not look out of place and can and does fool burglars.
How do diversion safes or hidden safes work? The diversion safes disguised as such things as genuine personal care items, genuine well-known household products and genuine food containers. Examples of these are a soup can safe, wall outlet, saltshaker, salad dressing jar, book, candle, flowerpot diversion safe, beer and soda safe, etc. Some diversion safes also come in different product names and different brands. They are constructed to be indistinguishable from the genuine product and are weighted to feel full. They look and feel like the real products, right down to the bar codes.
These hidden safes, once spread about your home, make it much harder to keep your valuables or money from being found by burglars and even friends and relatives who may have sticky fingers.
One of the biggest benefits of these safes is cost. The use of hidden safes in recommended hiding spots is an inexpensive alternative to the more highly priced safes you can buy for a whole bunch more money. Prices generally range from $8.95 to $39.00, which are way less than most conventional fireproof safes. Determined burglars can easily remove very heavy safes, even ones bolted down to the floor.
Diversion Safes are a unique home-security product.
Help yourself and not the burglar; hide your valuables and treasured items in plain sight!
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Veteran’s Day gives us all a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to the women and men who, over the years, have endured hardships and made sacrifices to protect our basic freedoms. Some people attend local services or community parades, others take the time to remember more quietly. How do you feel most comfortable expressing your patriotism or nationalism?
There is hardly a family that hasn’t been touched by either the pain of conflict and war or the grief of loss. For many, feelings remain raw whether the loss was long ago or the mourning process is going on in the present.
Pat reflects on the irony of it all, having lost her Father in the Vietnam war. “He died when I was five and I spent my growing up years longing for a Dad. I couldn’t believe it when my husband told me he had decided to make the military his career. I hope every day that my children won’t have to suffer what I went through.”
The significance of appreciating Veterans has many parallels to our own personal relationships at home. As you remember the Veterans of all wars, reflect on the following ideals as they apply to your own family:
1. Identify, for yourself, the important components of what gives life meaning. Discover what constitutes personal well being, within the context of family. Continue to live up to those standards.
2. Value each member of your family and their individuality, emotional strength and independence. Let them know how much you respect these qualities. And inform them that you need them to accept your unique personal characteristics as well.
3. In moments of frustration, notice the context of the challenging situation. Recognize that your partner, children or parents are ordinary people who have been put in extraordinary circumstances.
4. Try to understand why your family members feel the way they do, and why they do the things they do, by putting yourself in their shoes. Identify with them and their feelings.
5. Acknowledge the depth and richness of your family life together. Relish, as well as laugh about, the complexity of it all.
6. Feel the embrace and the protection of the family unit as a whole. Tell your family how grateful you are for all the support that they provides for you.
No matter the composition of your family, how can you create daily positive thoughts about your relationships? How can you regularly express your gratitude to family members? Find the special ways to honor them as you work toward increasing the bonds of family unity.
? Her Mentor Center, 2006
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What is a miracle? If you stop and think about it, miracles are usually manifest in the midst of dire circumstances. In fact, you would not ask God for a miracle unless you or a loved one is facing a life and death situation, isn’t that right? A miracle is perceived to be instantaneous. In the Gospels we see Jesus pronouncing a person to be made whole, and “poof” an instant miracle. If Jesus did it then, and you believe that He has been and is doing it for millions of others today, then you might be thinking: “why not me?”
Let’s have a look at some Biblical miracles. The first one that comes to mind is how Moses, with his rod, performed the ten plagues. Yes, they were miracles. But with each one the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart more! Although the plagues were miraculous in nature, they were meant for a sign for Pharaoh and the Egyptians that the God of Israel was more powerful than their magicians. The real miracles were that while every person and beast in Egypt succumbed to the plagues, the Israelites in Goshen were completely spared each time!
God had His purpose for the Israelites. Why did there need to be ten plagues and why did Pharaoh have to be so hard-hearted? I can only surmise that it took the Israelites that long to get their faith level up high enough to believe that their God was about the deliver them. They had heard about how He had brought their forefathers to Egypt 400 years earlier. However, now they were in abject slavery and their faith must have been at an all-time low. (Exodus, chapters 7-12) By the time Pharaoh finally relented, they had marvelled at the sovereign Hand of God ten times. Now they were prepared for anything! They even were bold enough to ask for, and received, all the gold and riches from the Egyptians!
Did they suddenly get transported out of their misery and into the Promised Land? More often than not miracles are the culmination of a long process. In the case of the Israelites, they had to walk a long way and were followed by the army until there was no way out! With the army on one side and the Red Sea on the other, their orders were to keep walking! As they walked into the sea, Moses held up his rod, and the waters parted! (Ex. 14)
Are you waiting for a miracle that does not seem to come? Could it be that, although you think you have faith, you’re not really walking in faith? Are you sitting back and waiting for God to miraculously manifest Himself in your life? He could. However, no matter how bad the conditions surrounding you, He wants you to start walking! Walk in faith, expecting doors to open up before you, one at a time.
You won’t know how close you are to a major miraculous intervention in your life if you miss the hand of God in the little breakthroughs. Take every step in faith and thank Him for all the joys and benefits along the way. Then you’ll be well on the way to receiving your miracle. How do I know? I’m speaking from experience. He carried me, and helped me “mount up with wings as eagles (Isa. 40:31) through desperate situations. The more I learned to lean on Him with every trembling step, the greater my faith exploded inside me until suddenly trauma turned to triumph!
Yes, miracles really do happen. Expect them! Your purpose is to walk in faith with a heart full of joy and thanksgiving for all His wondrous works in your life. Miracles will be pursuing you! “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him; and honour him.” (Ps. 91:15)
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Calculating outs (the number of cards that could improve your hand) and pot odds (ratio of the money in the pot versus the amount required to make your next call) is often used as a basis for a Texas Holdem Poker player on whether to draw and try to make their hand.
However this in my opinion should not be the sole basis of your decision on whether you should draw for another card.
You also have to decide on whether the hand that you are trying to hit will win you the pot or not.
How to calculate pot odds:
In this example, if the current pot contains $80, and the amount required at the next call is $20, the pot is laying you odds of $80 to $20 or 4 to 1.
As long as your odds of making the best hand are 4 to 1 or better than making the call is the right move. A hand that is 4 to 1 means that you will hit once in every 5 tries. You will hit the draw 20 percent of the time.
This next example takes into account calculating pot odds and outs.
Assume that your hole cards are a six and a seven (for this example suits do not matter) and the flop came down 8-9-3.
In order to complete your hand you need a 5 or 10. You have eight outs – 4-5’s and 4-10’s. Multiply your outs (8) by 4 and you get 32. You have a 32 percent chance of making your hand. If there was only one card left to draw you would multiply by two.
A 32 percent chance of making your hand means you have a 68 percent chance of NOT making your hand. This is roughly 2 to 1 that you won’t make the hand. So, as long as the pot contains $2 for every $1 that you have to call, it is worth going after your straight.
Doing these quick calculations and interpreting them can be very difficult and confusing for a beginner (and many advanced players as well!). But I would recommend that you at least be able to quickly calculate your outs to give you an idea of just how likely you are to make your hand.
Then decide if that hand will win the pot for you or not.
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Because hypoglycemia can effect your driving performance (even modestly low blood sugar can do this), if you are at all prone to hypoglycemia, I personally would strongly recommend you check out your blood sugar level each time you are about to drive.
Prior to you putting the key in the ignition, test your blood sugar. There are some great glucometers out there, like the Accu-Check Compact with the Accu-Check Multi-clix lancet pen.
The Accu-Check Compact has a 17 strip drum inside so you don’t have to take any extra strips with you. The Accu-Check Multi-clix lancet pen has a drum that automatically holds 6 lancets within the pen to use quickly and easily. Again, you won’t have to bring any lancets separately with you. If your blood sugar is low, treat yourself to some juice or hard candy and don’t drive until your blood sugar is back to normal. Usually 80 mg/dl and higher you should feel better. Then try and eat a small meal, like a low fat cheese and/or turkey sandwich.
Usually in 15 minutes taking 15-20 grams of Carbohydrate (CHO) will usually bring up your blood sugar to normal range. You can have a 4-6 ounce glass of juice, glucose tablets or 2-3 pieces of hard candy. Don’t overdo it because your blood sugar will then go sky high. If it doesn’t return within normal limits in 15 minutes, repeat the 15-20 grams of CHO and then check your blood sugar in 15 minutes.
Usually if your blood sugar is above 80 mg/dl, you should feel fine but sometimes going above 100 mg/dl, you’ll feel better. You should always follow with a small meal that contains CHO, protein that contains a small amount of fat.
Always make sure you have something to eat right within reach in the car (not in the trunk!). I tell my father to put 2-3 peppermint candy right in his pocket and have a supply of hard candy or peppermint candy always stashed in his car.
It is best if you eat 6-8 small meals a day. This would include a CHO, protein food that contains a little fat included. Example would be a cheese sandwich that contains either 1 or 2 slices of bread, a cheese that is low fat or turkey low in fat but not fat free. The protein and fat does help to stablize your blood sugar over a period of time instead of a quick spike in your blood sugar and a quick drop in blood sugar like juice would do.
During your trip if you need to take an insulin injection or an oral blood sugar medication, then make sure you eat as prescibed with your medication, otherwise your blood sugar can go low. I will be writing about how insulin and certain oral blood sugar medications can make your sugar go low. Not all insulin, esp. Lantus, or oral diabetic medications make your blood sugar low.
Signs of Hypoglycemia:
**Cold sweat, faintness, dizziness
**Headache
**Pounding of heart, trembling, nervousness
**blurred vision
**hunger
**Irritability
**Personality Change
**Not able to awaken
Now you can also have problems driving if your blood sugar is over 200 mg/dl. My father got in an accident because his blood sugar was over 200, he was becoming confused and at the same time had a Urinary Tract Infection. The police officer told me that a diabetic’s license can be revoked if an accident is caused by diabetes. I don’t know if that is true but why risk losing your license altogether if this is the case.
If you were going to be driving for any sort of extended time, every so often find an appropriate place to pull across and retest your blood. When it comes to driving: if in doubt, check out your blood sugar & eat!
Copyright 2005
Fern Kuhn, RN
Specializing in Diabetes
http://www.giftbasketcenter.info
http://www.diabetestestingcenter.com
http://www.attentiondeficitdisordercenter.com
You may reprint this article as long as you keep the links active
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If you live in a hot, humid sub-tropical zone like Florida or California, you have many options for growing fruit trees. You are lucky enough to be able to support almost any type of plant as long as you prevent pests from taking over. You should consider growing an orange tree, as these are usually easy to maintain and produce some of the most delicious fruits. The orange is one of the most popular fruits worldwide due to its sweetness, juiciness, and distinctive flavor.
The orange tree can reach up to 50 feet in height towards its later years, so you should definitely take that into account when planning. Even if youre starting with a very small tree, plan ahead and place it in an open area so that it will have plenty of room to expand. If you make the same mistake I did, you will end up having to renovate your yard to some extreme measures, such as taking out an entire shed. Just take the necessary precautions beforehand and avoid all of this trouble.
The ideal soil for growing an orange tree would be fine sand with great drainage. The soil should be deep enough to allow for extensive root development, since the trees are known for reaching monstrous sizes and requiring lots of support from down below. If you have shallow, easily saturated soil then you should either do something to remedy it or move onto a different type of tree. It is most likely that attempting to grow an orange tree in these conditions would be disastrous.
One of the more popular types of orange is the Washington Navel. It probably came about as a mutation of other oranges. It originated in Brazil around 1820, and had moved on to Florida within fifteen years. It is characterized by being one of the largest of all available oranges. The peel or rind is easily removed. Usually it is not as juicy as other oranges, but has an intense flavor. These are the most popular orange trees for commercial growing. If you decide on one of these trees, you probably wont have to water as much.
Another type of orange is the Trovita. It was invented sometime in the early 1900s at a lab in California devoted to experimenting with new types of citruses. It started being publicly marketed around 1940. It doesnt have a very strong flavor, and has more seeds than a Washington Navel. However, it was designed to be more adaptable to harsher, hot and dry environments that would not be acceptable for other types of orange. Some of the more popular oranges in Florida right now are mutations of this type.
The Valencia is one of the most juicy and flavorful oranges. It is most popular in South Africa and the southern USA states. Until about 20 years ago, Valencia oranges made up a strangely large portion of the orange market due to its popularity. It is thought to have been invented in China. It has almost no seeds. Another subgroup of Valencia oranges are the Rhode Red Valencia oranges. These were created around 1960, so they are slightly more recent than other types. Various mutations occurred and the trees that grew as a product of them were large and extremely hardy. The oranges themselves are more juicy and less acidic than the standard Valencia oranges.
Orange trees are a great thing to get planted, because with just a little effort in the planting process you will be able to enjoy hundreds of delicious fruits every year. Just pick whatever orange sounds the most delicious, and go with it! Before you purchase a tree, you should of course consult a local expert to make sure your desired type will flourish in your area. Usually this wont be a problem, but it is always good to make sure before you spend the money and time.
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Are you ready to live a highly successful life, achieve all of your goals, and enjoy the success you know deep down that you really deserve? If your answer is yes then before you go any further you must answer the following searching question.
Just what is your purpose in life? If you dont have a ready answer, dont be too surprised. Even the greatest of the philosophers who have ever lived succeeded only in making this question more profound. Why? Because the answer lies not in simply knowing what is your purpose in life but lies in discovering what is your goal in life. The last one is only possible if you have already gone through the process of goal setting.
Soul searching is actually personal goal setting in its infancy. The only problem is that for many people that infant never grows up into maturity. The person involved in soul searching might dismiss this process as nothing but being sentimental. Without realizing it, the person has just killed the infant, or his chance to flesh out the course of his purpose driven life.
But luckily, soul searching is a recurring process. So the next time you have been given the honor of another visit, be mindful.
Personal goal setting is a powerful tool for setting a course for a meaningful and fulfilling life. The process of personal goal setting in itself is powerful enough so that if you are going through with the process you might think that your lifes meaning or purpose had been found. But it is not. The euphoria is only a result of your self finally realizing that you are on the right track.
For some, the process itself is motivating. Once you have found a way of making this a habit, you will soon realize that achieving your goals that look like impenetrable walls in the past is nothing but a purpose that needs a set of personal goals as the key.
Personal goal setting: what should be set?
Since there is more to life than the four letters that it represents, personal goal setting involves a review of all the aspects of your life, and all of these should have a corresponding goal. But before going to the process of setting up goals, you must have one general goal that encompasses all the other goals. In fact the other and smaller goals should work in the service of this large goal of yours.
1 Career. What aspect of your career do you think needs an improvement? Or perhaps, ask yourself, is it time for a new career?
2 Outlook or attitude. Is there a part of you, particularly on how you perceive things, that needs to be changed?
3 Financial. Do you have a clear projection as to how much you should be earning in a particular moment in your life? This aspect is closely related with career, so better review and come out with a goal with these two side by side.
4 Potential development. Perhaps some of your talents and skills need an improvement, or are maybe already clamoring for an improvement. Life, after all, is discovering your potential and developing it in the process.
5 Academic. Perhaps you are no longer getting any mental stimulation lately. Maybe your education related goals have expired many years ago. Perhaps it is time to go back to school for another degree, or engage in some thought provoking activities.
6 Family. What is your idea of a family? Getting married, having and raising kids? When? How?
7 Social involvement. Perhaps you want to help achieve something that would make the world a better place? Perhaps you are into animal protection, environmental concerns, and human rights issues?
These are just some aspects that generally come to mind when it comes to personal matters. If you feel or think that this list is not enough, or does not fit well with you, you may add or change it. Remember, personal goal setting is what its name is, a personal task. It is all up to you to device it and make it happen.
This article has just scratched the surface as far as goal setting is concerned. There is a lot more information out there in such places as the local library, the local bookstore, and also there are a number of very helpful Blogs on this subject.
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If you are starting out as an affiliate marketer, one thing I am sure you are interested in is low cost advertising. If you are like me, I am a stay at home mom looking to make some extra income for my family, you have time but not a lot of financial resources. I can put in the hours, but I do not have a lot of extra money to invest.
Article writing is a great way to get extra exposure to your website without any cost involved. It works like this, you write an article that gives helpful information about a subject, or product available. People read your article to learn the information that you have available. At the bottom of each article, you are allowed to write a small amount about yourself as well as a link to your website. If people are interested in what you have written about, they have the opportunity to follow the link to your website, where you can share more information and hopefully get them interested in the product you wish to promote.
You can not use affiliate links in your articles, nor can write sales letters and pass them off as information. Your articles need to be quality information that is given in an easy to understand format. They do not need to be very long. Usually between 400-700 words. If you write your articles with the goal of providing information to your readers, you can be successful. No one wants to read the same information over and over again, so its also important to make your articles unique. Maybe you are interested in birds and have a website devoted to different types of birds. You can write an article about the different types of birds and direct people to your website. This will generate targeted traffic to your website and will have cost you nothing but the time it took you to put together the article.
If your article is not interesting though, no one is going to follow your link. You need to give the people reading the article good information about the subject they are looking for information about. If you write about something that you know and are interested in, people will see that in your writing and know that you can be trusted to give them quality information.
Writing articles is a great way to generate targeted traffic to your website. You should keep your articles targeted to one specific area and make sure that the information you are giving is correct. They should be easy to understand and helpful to the reader. Do not write them as sales letters, or they will not be accepted into most article directories. There are many article submission sites available on the internet for you to choose from.
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If you’re pregnant, you’ll certainly become familiar with the routine questions your doctor will ask you during each visit. Pregnancy isn’t without risk and sometimes, there can be complications that occur.
Knowing the signs of when something is wrong is very important to any mother carrying an unborn child, and your body is the best way to tell if you need to call your doctor or not. While there are many discomforts and complaints associated with pregnancy, there are some definite red flags that you need to be aware of.
Blood loss, whether it is spotting or a heavy gush, may signal a miscarriage and you should contact your health practitioner quickly, especially if you’re also experiencing pain in your back, stomach or abdomen. There are other causes of concern that are signalled by bleeding, such as placental placement complications. Calm, quick action are the best ways to handle this situation and your doctor will most likely want to monitor your condition.
Preterm labor is often signalled by back pain as well, a common sign of contractions. Contractions themselves, especially if they are persistent or increasing in intensity, can mean your baby is arriving before its time.
Before 37 weeks, you should call your doctor and then head for a hospital quickly. After 38 weeks, you’re within the normal range and can take your time to prepare for the upcoming birth. Other signs of a preterm labor include a gush of fluid, which could be your waters breaking.
Facial swelling and weight gain can be caused by pregnancy-induced hypertension called pre-eclampsia or toxemia, a dangerous issue that’s cause for concern. Should your doctor determine you do have pre-eclampsia, you and your baby will be frequently monitored during the rest of your pregnancy. If this is your second child, your risk of contracting pre-eclampsia is lower, but no less cause for visiting your doctor if you suspect the complication.
While these symptoms of complications may have you feeling worried and afraid, you can relax knowing that most of the time, pregnancies pass without a hitch.
The point of this information is that complications do and can occur, so knowing what to watch for and informing yourself is a very big part of being able to calmly handle the situation should something unusual raise questions. Oftentimes, even these red-flag symptoms can be attributed to some common pregnancy complaint but confirming with your doctor is always the best course of action.
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If you are thinking of doing some redecorating in your house, or are looking for a fun way to create professional quality arts and crafts, then you should consider using stencils. With stencils, a world of creative possibilities will be opened up to you that will allow you to create truly stunning works of art in your own home.
A stencil can be best thought of as a physical negative; it is simply a sheet of material,usually plastic or a heavy construction paper, that has had sections removed to create an image. All you have to do to recreate the imagine is to place the stencil on the recipient object and run paint or some other pigment over the entire stencil. Because the paint will have passed through the holes in the stencil onto the recipient object, you will be left with a perfect recreation of the image. Want to create a second or third image? Just use the stencil again as often as you want to create identical images.
How to Use Stencils for Home Decor
Stencils can be incorporated into almost any home improvement or arts and crafts project you do. Indeed, your imagination is the only real limit to where you can use stencils.
A popular use for stencils with arts and crafts is to create beautiful greeting cards. Instead of using stock cards this holiday, why not create personalized holiday cards with the use of a stencil? Stencils can also be a great way to encourage creativity in children. Younger ones will enjoy using stencils because they can do all the work themselves and still end up with a perfect image.
The most popular use for stencils around the house is for border, whether around wall edges or as a border around windows or door frames. A more creative use of stencils is to paint large images on your walls; in this way, you are using stencils in the place of or as a trendy alternative to wallpaper.
How to create the best high quality stencil image
Stencils are undeniably easy to use. That is after all, one of their main attractions. Nonetheless, you can take steps to ensure that you are creating the best images possible.
If this is your first time stenciling, it is probably a good idea to try it out on pieces of paper before painting a large oriental flower scene on your dinning room wall! It is important to get a feel for how much pressure to use when applying the paint, and more importantly, how much paint to use. You will likely be surprised at how little paint is actually needed to create a strong image.
To place the stencil on the wall, you have two options. The cheaper method is to simply use masking tape. The advantage of masking tape, other than its economy, is that it does not need to be cleaned off of the stencil, as opposed to adhesive repositioning spray, your other main option. Adhesive repositioning spray creates a firmer hold than masking tape, and is quicker to apply. Masking tape will still be a better option if you are planning to use both sides of the stencil, however, as you will have to wash off the glue before attempting to paint that side of the template.
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