International Adventure Travel By Car

Traveling the length of the African continent by car is an adventure the like of which can be life changing. If you have decided that you are going to attempt to drive from Cape Town to Cairo or vice versa, there will be a considerable amount of planning that needs to be undertaken. One of the most important issues relates to the choosing the right kind of insurance cover.

Not all insurers would entertain the idea of offering a premium to an individual who plans to take their car through some of the most harsh environments in the world. What's more, many of the countries that would be passed through are extremely dangerous due to internal conflicts. These risks are very real and an insurer would not be ignorant of the fact.

The policy that would be required should be more extensive than just covering financial outlay in relation to being in collision with other road users. It would be important, nigh essential, to take out a policy that offered protection against losses incurred as a result of a full range of somewhat unusual situations. Hijacking and animal attacks are two problems that most regular insurers would not provide coverage for, but which would be necessary if traveling across the African savanna.

To take a vehicle from one country to another requires documentation known as a Carnet de Passage, also referred to as a triptyque. A Carnet is a guarantee that when you take a vehicle into a new country, the issuing organization will pay import duty should you not take it out. Carnets can only be issued by national motoring organizations, such as the Automobile Association of South Africa, or the British RAC.

For a Carnet to be given, an insurance company must also give approval. If you are to enter an area designated as a war-zone, it is unlikely that you would be provided with approval and nor therefore a Carnet or insurance. Plan your trip accordingly.

Before you become too advanced in your planning, you should contact a number of companies that offer car insurance online to see whether your adventure will be possible. It would be incredibly frustrating to start collecting equipment, fitting out your vehicle, and applying for visas only to discover that no insurer is willing to give you the coverage that you need. Through the internet you are more likely to find a provider who will help you fulfill your dreams.

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Is Gap Insurance the Root of All Evil?

Car Gap insurance is a policy you buy in the hope that you will never need it. After all no-one ever plans to have their vehicle stolen or be involved in an accident, yet it happens to thousands and thousands of us day in and day out.

The whole nature of gap insurance is that it is a top up insurance used to fill in the gaps made by your own insurance company and leave you with no financial shortfall. Depending upon the level of cover that you have chosen it can simply pay the difference between your own vehicles valuation and any outstanding finance, the invoice price you paid or even the replacement cost if it has gone up.

So what happens when you make a claim and there is still a shortfall?

There can be many reasons that at there could still be a short-fall such as financial arrears and late payment charges. But in most cases it boils down to some very intricate rules of insurance. These rules are known as subjugation and contribution. These rules in brief mean that both insurance companies should act fairly and pay their fair share of any claim. Nothing more and nothing less.

For example if your car is written off and your own insurance company who let's be completely honest are a business offer you a price in settlement of your vehicle they should in theory offer you a fair price. This price is in most cases based on a guide price, or a percentage of one. In the UK this guide price is normally based on glass' guide. Your Gap insurance company will again in ninety-nine percent of cases use the same guide to value your vehicle and pay any shortfall.

In theory this means that here should never be any shortfall however as we have already discussed your motor insurance company is a business and it is in their interests to offer you a lower price in the hope that you will accept it.

Your gap insurance policies aim is to pay only from the guide price. This means that if you have already accepted an offer which is lower than the fair market value your policy will not cover it.

So who is to blame your motor insurance company or your gap insurance company?

Although this can vary the beauty of having a gap insurance policy is that you will have access to the prices and in most cases your gap insurance company will aid and do everything they can to make sure that your own insurance company pay a fair amount. Ensuring that they do not simply see that you have gap insurance as a scape goat to lowering their offer.

So is gap insurance the root of all evil well no I don't think so. Equally just because you have additional protection should not mean that they are now liable for any shortfall that your own insurance company under pay you.

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Facts About PGD for Gender Selection

PGD or Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnostics is a set of procedures performed by medical professionals on an embryo. This medical procedure is considered a breakthrough in the field of medicine and was first developed in used back in the 80's. It was originally created in order to help diagnose embryos for any defects. Today, with the help of in vitro fertilisation, also known as IVF, it could now be used to help couples select the gender of their future baby. While it is considered as unethical or immoral by some groups, it can also provide a lot of benefits. It has been tried by a lot of couples already and the probability for success is very high as compared to other types of sex selection processes and techniques. In fact, it is even very close to generating a hundred percent success rate.

So how does PGD really work in making gender selection possible? First of all, IVF or other assisted reproductive technology processes should be done in order to produce embryos. Embryos are then examined by a medical expert to see if there are any defects or abnormalities. Healthy embryos of a specific gender are then gathered in order to be implanted at the uterus of the soon-to-be mother. At this stage, PGD can help couples prevent having unhealthy children by not using embryos which are at risk. After the implantation of the embryo, natural conception process occurs. Depending on the couple's preference, other healthy embryos could be saved to be used in the future.

Since embryos that can have genetic disorders are not used, this process is considered by many as very important. The success rate of bearing a baby of a specific gender is very high so it can help a lot of couples who have several female children to finally have a male child or vice versa. On the other hand, PGD is also considered as an unethical procedure especially on the part wherein the other embryos which are not implanted could be discarded if the couple decides to do so. It is a very sensitive issue since there are a lot of groups which considers embryos as human life already so it can be equated to abortion. Gender selection in itself can also be a cause of major problems in the future. According to several studies, it can cause gender imbalance later on which can greatly affect the society.

For couples who are planning to undergo this procedure, they must understand all the advantages and disadvantages that come along if PGD is used for gender selection. Another major factor that needs to be considered is that this process usually costs a lot so it is not ideal for those who have financial concerns. Depending on several factors, the complete process could cost up to 20,000 US dollars. It involves meticulous processes which are only done by a few medical experts and it involves the use of hi-tech equipments thus the high price tag. PGD for sex selection is also not allowed in some countries because of ethical reasons and social problems that it can cause.

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Get Help From the Weight Gain Calculator to Determine Your Optimum Weight During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a very complicated time for a mother to be as there are numerous things that have to be taken care of, especially when the mother to be is in so much discomfort. At the time of the pregnancy it is not only the mother's health that should be looked after but the baby's health as well. Everything that you do has either a negative or positive way for the baby.

One of these things that are most important for the baby's health is the pregnancy weight gain. This weight usually means the weight that the mother to be has put on for the day of conception. Weight gain is very important after getting pregnant since if the weight gain is too little, the baby isn't in a healthy condition and it may lead a miscarriage. On the other hand, if the mother has gained too much weight, it can endanger the baby's health by increasing the chances of complications that can arise in the latter months.

So how can you determine whether the amount of weight that you have gained during pregnancy is the optimum weight? The Institute of Medicine has come up with a chart that determines the optimum weight as you make your way through the pregnancy period. What you need to do is take a look at this chart and then use a calculator to figure out the amount of weight which you should have gained in a specific time in your pregnancy.

There are many calculators present online that help pregnant women to calculate the amount of weight they should have gained by now. These calculators help make the lives of pregnant women easier since all they need to do is switch on their computer and add two to three details after which the weight will be presented to you within a few seconds. You are required to enter your height, the weight before the pregnancy and the week of pregnancy and hit the calculate button and you are good to go.

You should know that the health of the baby is greatly dependent on the diet of the mother to be. So what's the best thing to do is to get a diet plan in the very first week of your pregnancy and make sure that you keep a strict check on your weight and follow the diet plan very carefully as as it shows the health of your baby.

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Good Low Carb Foods

Many people don't begin a low carb diet, or don't stay with it, simply because they can't find tasty choices that are also low in carbohydrates. Actually, there are many foods that can be used for meals, in recipes or for snacks, when you're trying to maintain a diet that is low in carbs. Consuming a variety of foods that are naturally low in carbohydrates will allow you to eat a healthy diet that's tasty and also good for you.

Everyone is unique, and the same foods won't work for everyone, but there are foods that are very popular on low carb diets, and you can tailor your recipes to suit your tastes. Fish is a popular staple on low carb diets. But you don't need to restrict yourself to just the well-known types. There are many good low carbohydrate foods, and fresh fish are a healthy part of your low carb diet that you should eat at least several times a week. The best fish for your diet may include orange roughy, Alaskan halibut, trout, wild caught salmon, sea bass, cod and mackerel. Shellfish are healthy low carb choices that are full of taste, too. They include scallops, crab, shrimp, oysters, clams and lobster.

Eggs and egg whites can be included as breakfast essentials or as ingredients in other meals. Free range eggs are often preferred in low carb diets. You're not limited to chicken eggs, either. You might wish to try quail or duck eggs, to keep your diet alive and different from one day to the next.

Red meat is an important staple in low carbohydrate diets, because it allows you to get enough protein for a healthy diet. Lamb is a good choice, as is venison or deer meat. Cattle that have been grass-fed will be a positive choice, as will buffalo or bison meat, as long as the animals were not treated with antibiotics or growth hormones.

Poultry can be included in many low carbohydrate recipes, to make them tasty. Consume only poultry that was never treated with antibiotics or hormones. Some of the most popular poultry choices are chicken, duck, goose and turkey. Wild bird meat is also on the list of good low carb foods that provide quality low carbohydrate recipe mainstays, so add pheasant, wild turkey and quail to your list.

You should include vegetables and fruits in any diet, too, so that you reap the rewards of their many vitamins and nutrients. Vegetables that are not starchy are the best for your diet, including collard greens and spinach. Good tasting vegetables to use for recipes and healthy snacks or salads include Romaine lettuce, cauliflower, asparagus, cucumbers, mushrooms, turnip greens and celery. You can also add cabbage, zucchini, cilantro and mustard greens. Vegetable leaves and stems can help you to prepare healthy salads that are low in carbohydrates.

Fresh fruits are good choices, as parts of recipes or as snacks. Include fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, and deduct any carb count from your allowance for each day. These do contain sugar and carbs, so they should be enjoyed sparingly.

Oils add omega fatty acids to your diet, so use them as desired in your recipes. Some of the best choices are extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed and canola oils. By using all these different good low carb foods, you can add good taste to your low carb, heart healthy diet.

Diet Soda Dangers: Is It True Diet Soda Can Be Dangerous?   Diet Soda Dangers: Is It True Diet Soda Can Be Dangerous?   Short Overview of the Most Popular Fruits for Smoothies   

Diet Soda Dangers: Is It True Diet Soda Can Be Dangerous?

Sugar-Free Soda Dangers Were Unknown 50 Years Ago

I grew up drinking soft drinks. They were easy to transport and our major source of liquids on hot, summery Northern California days. My grandparents allowed my mother to drink a soda right before bed and now my mom suffers from obesity and severe tooth damage. We weren't allowed to drink soft drinks before bed (thank goodness!), but I don't remember much restriction. As a teenager, I never had any problems with my weight, but I have had a lot of dental work.

As I aged weight definitely became more of an issue and sodas are an everyday part of life, so I thought.

There is a lot of research on overweight and obese people consuming soda. Research has also shown that drinking soda with artificial sweeteners can affect how you perceive calories and within a day you may ingest more calories than if you drank regular soda. Sadly, my mom drinks diet soda daily and she is in this category.

Two Studies Showing Diet Soda Dangers

A study presented to the American Diabetes Association shows that drinking sugar-free soda is associated with a wider waist in humans. A second study shows that an artificial sweetener in diet soda actually raises blood sugar in mice prone to diabetes.

In the first study, the height, weight, waist measurement and diet soda consumption was measured for elderly people in San Antonio. After 9 1/2 years, the diet soda drinkers had a waist measurement 70% greater than the regular soda drinkers. And people who drank the most diet soda, at least 2 cans a day, had waist measurements 500% greater than those who didn't drink any diet soda.

The mice didn't fare any better in the second study. After 3 months of adding aspartame to the diabetes-prone mice, they had higher glucose-blood readings than the mice not fed aspartame.

Aspartame, a Component of Diet Soda Dangers

Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by a scientist trying to make a new ulcer drug, and approved in 1981 for use as a sweetener. Aspartame is 160 - 200 times sweeter than sugar. Dr. Robert Walton surveyed the studies of aspartame. He states that of the 166 relevant studies, 74 had aspartame related funding and 92 were independently funded. One hundred percent of the research performed by the company who makes aspartame confirmed aspartame's safety, whereas 92% of the independently funded research found problems with consuming aspartame. H.J. Roberts, MD, reports that by 1998, aspartame products were the cause of 80% of complaints to the FDA about food additives. Some of these symptoms include headache, dizziness, cramps, seizures, memory loss, and fatigue. While the FDA has assured us that the research does not show any adverse health complications from aspartame, there are studies to the contrary.

Another Component In Diet Soda Dangers

Another problem is the possibility of leaching calcium from the bones due to the carbonation in sodas. A rise in calcium deficiencies and bone fractures has been linked to soft drink consumption in girls and leaves them at risk for broken bones and osteoporosis later in life. Phosphoric acid can link to calcium and magnesium, reports Arizona Advanced Medicine, depleting these vital minerals.

It's a three step process: *

1. The carbonation irritates the stomach. 2. The stomach "fixes" the irritation with calcium (an antacid) 3. The blood pulls calcium from the bone to replenish calcium levels.

Diet Soda Dangers, Really Are Bad For You

If you can't stop drinking diet soda altogether, try small changes. Quit drinking diet sodas for 3 days, then a week.

Drink lots of water. Take your weight and divide by 2. The result is the amount of water you should be drinking every day. If you are 180 pounds, you would drink 90 ounces of water daily. If you are not used to drinking plain water, you could add a squeeze of fresh lemon for flavor.

Realize that sodas are addictive. Check the ingredient list in jams, salad dressings, yogurt, breath mints for aspartame or other artificial sweeteners. Minimize the portion size or completely omit those foods. Focus on fresh fruits and vegetables instead. After a month of eliminating sodas and artificial sweeteners you should be feeling better and find it easy to resist their attraction. Definitely, Diet Sodas are dangerous and harmful to your health.

* Mind Connection - Dr. Mercola

Diet Soda Dangers: Is It True Diet Soda Can Be Dangerous?   Diet Soda Dangers: Is It True Diet Soda Can Be Dangerous?   Short Overview of the Most Popular Fruits for Smoothies   

Krugerrands The Best Investment For Your Future

If you are looking for an investment for your future, and your families future, then buying gold is one of the best investment opportunities out there. Krugerrands are one of the best investments you could ever make. They are a good solid investment that only have gone up in value over the years, and unlike investing in the stock market where you gain and lose money daily. This is a good solid investment that you buy and put them away until you are ready to sell them. These gold coins will only go up in value over the years. Just think of gold krugerrands as a long term saving account or bond.

Investing in gold has been popular since it was first discovered because it is on of the rarest metal on earth. Krugerrand gold coins are in high demand because they are valued at the price of gold. If gold rises so does the value of the Krugerrand. If the price of gold drops do not sell your Krugerrand gold coin. Gold always rises again, the price of gold always fluctuates. Just know you have made a good sound investment, tuck it away till it is time to sell.

Krugerrands are the easiest and cheapest way to invest is gold. There are no restrictions on how many you can have, there are no FICA restrictions. Even though the value of gold will increase or decrease, millions of people have benefited in owning gold all over the world. You don't need to be an expert in Krugerrand gold coins to purchase them. Make sure you purchase them from a reputable dealer, and the value of gold is printed daily in the newspaper so you can watch the value of your investment.

The price of the Krugerrand coin will depend on the size you purchase. The come in 1oz., 1/2oz., 1/4oz., and 1/10oz. It will also depend on the value of gold for that day. You may want to purchase your Kruggerand coin when there is a dip in the price of gold.

Make sure to purchase your Krugerrand from a reputable dealer that specializes in gold coins. They can help you in what size Krugerrand you should invest in or should you invest in a proof Krugerrand. Maybe at the time it's better to invest in smaller coins, an expert can help you with all the knowledge you need when purchasing your gold coin.

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Why Physical Precious Metals Are Crucial in Any Investment Portfolio

Traditionally, access to physical bullion for the private investor was limited to buying jewellery or coins, while professional investors purchased investment-grade bars. A London Good Delivery Bar, which is the investment-grade bullion accepted in the professional markets, weighs 400 oz (troy ounce). With the gold price currently trading at 1,650/oz (on the 16th of April 2012) the cost of an investment-grade gold bar is approximately 660,000 US Dollars. Most private investors cannot afford such a high investment so they are forced to invest in precious metals by purchasing jewellery or coins.

The purchase of coins and jewellery has inherent costs associated with it. The mark-up for a gold coin is usually between 5-10% on the buying price plus another 5-10% on the selling price, compared to the spot price of a London Good Delivery Bar. So for a gold coin investor to just go break-even on his gold investment, the gold price has to gain between 10-20%. For gold and silver jewellery the case is even more dramatic as jewellery tends to cost between 20-100% above the real London spot gold price.

How to Buy Gold and Silver

In order to open the doors for private investors to the gold markets, a number of ETF's (Exchange Traded Funds) were created. Since they have low minimum investment requirements and closely track the price of gold, they have been attracting many private investors from around the globe. The issue with ETF's are that they are rarely, and sometimes not at all, backed by physical precious metals, which is the main reason why one should be exposed to precious metals.

ETF's are financial instruments that generally just "track" the price movements of gold and therefore don't have the same attractive qualities as out-right gold ownership. In the end, it is only out-right physical gold ownership that provides protection from Credit, Inflation and Currency risks.

During recent years, thanks to a group of bullion market entrepreneurs, allocated investment-grade bars and the professional bullion markets are now accessible to retail investors under the same terms as for professional traders. Investors can now enjoy improved prices without expensive markups, with commissions as low as 0.02% for bullion purchases as small as one gram. What is most important is that the price investors purchase metals on are close to or the same as the spot price on the professional bullion markets. This new transparency in the markets creates an opportunity for private investors to protect their capital with the same methods that large institutions have done for centuries.

Private investors can now either trade via online trading platforms or over the phone, without having to pay the high mark-ups traditionally linked to private gold ownership.

How to Store Bullion

Another aspect to take into account will be security and storage of precious metals, these costs will usually be in addition to the purchase price. Storing gold and silver at home or "under-the-mattress" carries a great risk and the insurance of it can be quite expensive. Another down-side with "home-stored" precious metals is that the value of gold and silver drops when it is held at home or outside an accredited vault. When investors purchase ETF's, whether it is backed by physical gold or not, there are usually management fees associated with the investment of around 0.4 - 0.5% per annum.

The smartest option available today is to store physical bullion with a bank or an accredited vault. Banks and accredited vaults normally have high minimum investment requirements and charge between 0.5% to 2.5% per annum for storage and insurance.

Some online bullion dealers have simplified this process by using their wholesale rates with banks and accredited vaults to provide storage and insurance to their clients for as little as 0.12% per annum, with storage of bullion either within or outside the banking system in the main precious metals trading hubs around the world.

It is possible now for investors to buy bullion safely and easily with insurance and storage costs incorporated in to the tight competitive prices.

Allocated or Unallocated Bullion

Finally, when a private investor considers investing in precious metals and having it stored, the investor must consider whether an Allocated or Unallocated Account is suitable.

Allocated Account means that whoever is storing your precious metals, is doing it as a custodian and that you are the out-right owner of the bullion. You, the private investor, hold title to the gold or silver, which is generally identifiable.

Unallocated ownership means that the metals are on the balance sheet of a bank or bullion dealer and that counter-party "owes" you the amount of metals you hold with them. Investors do not own a specific bar, but rather a specific amount of metals.

The main difference between these two type of gold accounts is mainly cost and counter-party risk. With Allocated Accounts, private investors are protected in case of bankruptcy of the bullion custodian or vault, because the metals are in the investors' name; however investors have to pay a premium in order to have the metals Allocated.

With an Unallocated Account, investors can in case of default of the custodian lose their bullion, although a very rare event, Unallocated Accounts are mainly attractive due to the efficient infrastructure, low costs of trading and storage. The low costs mainly attract professionals and institutions to Unallocated Accounts.

Summary

Regardless how an investor decides to invest in the bullion markets and protect their assets from confiscation from inflation, one must look at all available options and decide which option is most suitable. What we can all however agree on, is that the days of private investors purchasing coins and jewellery just for the sake of investment are long-gone. Private investors are now discovering alternative, cost-efficient ways to tap into the physical bullion markets.

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Investing in Gold for a Secure Future

Since the recession, there have been many people who have lost everything that they have worked for and saved for years at a time. Many of these people believed that the stock market was a fool prop way to invest and in the end lost everything. This does not mean they should not have saved for retirement. What they should have done though is saved in a much safer form.

What these people who have lost everything should have invested in was gold. Gold is one of the most secure investments in the world, because it is one of the only physical investments that you can touch. Gold does not go bad and gold does not become worthless over time. Even during the worst stock market crashes, gold will retain its value.

Gold is normally priced by the ounce. The hefty price that gold bars have can be cut down for those looking to invest less money. One of the most popular ways people buy gold is in the form of coins. US Eagles have become the most common forms of investing in gold along side gold bars, because they come in a wide variation of sizes. The sizes of coins include 1/2 oz, 1/5 oz, 1/10 oz, and 1/20 oz. These fractions of gold go all the way down to the $200 range.

For larger amounts that are being invested, gold bars are the way to go. These bars all weigh 1 ounce and are all.999% gold. Buying these gold bars allows one to have the most secure investment, while it still has growth potential. Gold bars have been used as a popular investment for years. This has and always will be a form of investing that will be found amongst different countries.

If investing in gold bars does not seem like the right investment, then buying silver coins comes in the next choice. These coins are made of the same quality as the gold bars were made, just with silver. The silver market has proven to be a tad more aggressive than the gold market, which has many investors considering that as their investment instead. Silver coins have stood to the side of gold bars for years. Investing in silver is much more affordable and may prove to have a larger payback when retirement comes around.

Investing is the best choice that a person can make. It is literally the definition of building self value. When retirement comes around, having money safely stored away in an investment that never crashed will be the best feeling in the world. Gold is and always will be the best way to invest money for the long run. Gold bars are secure and come in many forms to fit anyone's income.

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Find a Gold Buyer for Fast Money

There are times when we do not have enough money. We need cash just enough to last us until the next payday. Loans help people who find themselves in tight spots. Banks lend money but only after a grueling and time-consuming process. How about deadlines you need to meet or emergency cases? Pawnshops are good places to borrow money. They do not need credit scores nor take forever to evaluate your application.

How Do Pawnshops Work?

A pawnshop is in the business of lending people money in exchange for items. A person gives or 'pawns' an item and is given a deadline to pay back the borrowed money. If the borrower fails to pay the loans on time, the item is forfeit. A pawnshop may sell the unredeemed items after the deadline.

The amount lent is not the actual value of the item but only a fraction of the price. Some pawnshops hire a gold buyer who is an expert in determining the best price and value of materials made from gold.

The Pros of Pawning

Pawnshops exist for those who need quick cash fixes. This is the clear advantage of using a gold buyer and pawnshops. You can get easy and fast money through legitimate means provided you are not trying to pawn stolen items.

Another distinction a pawnshop has over bank loans are the background and credit checks. You do not need to have a high credit score to pawn items. If you fail to pay a pawnshop and redeem your items, they will not report you to credit bureaus. Transacting with pawnshops does not affect your credit score at all.

You can pawn anything from electronics to action figures as long as they are valuable. Pawnshops understand most of their clients are in desperate need of cash so they accept almost everything except perishable goods.

The Cons of Pawning

There are risks to pawning, too. The money you will get will always be significantly lower than the market price of the item you are trying to pawn. Appraisals in pawnshops are typically low. If you need a specific amount, make sure your item is more valuable. They can also reject your asking price, imposing the value based on their own appraisal. They might also reject your item for any reason.

An obvious risk to pawning is losing your valuables. Pawnshops have the right to declare ownership of an item if not claimed within the deadline. They typically sell these to recover their losses and keep the business afloat.

Another significant disadvantage is the high interest rates and the short duration of loans. Pawnshops are only required to hold your items for a month and Impose high interest on the item before you can buy it back.

Times are hard and money is not easy to come by. Not everybody can keep a good credit rating nor wait for banks to process applications. In times of financial trouble, finding a gold buyer or reputable pawnshop is your best bet. There are risks to using these kinds of services but there are benefits as well. It really depends on your preference and necessity.

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The Pro Painter: Efficient Interior Painting

Professional Painters are known for their speed combined with a high-level of workmanship, but there is more to it than just 'painting fast'. Physical ability and dexterity do come into play, but there is a science to painting that is learned over time. There is a method to interior painting to make it go remarkably efficiently, and it come down to the philosophy of least exertion to achieve a given result. We will discuss some of these pro secrets to making interior painting as painless as possible.

We will consider the example of a complete repaint; that is, walls trim and ceilings of a house interior. The professional painter must work in a way that will get all of these surfaces coated with the correct paint, while achieving straight cut lines between them, and doing it all cleanly. If there is prep to do on any surfaces, this must be done right away to allow filling compounds time to dry. Depending on how much prep is needed it can be done by the entire crew, or one painter can prep while another starts painting as soon as practical.

Ceilings are usually the first things to be painted for one main reason: gravity. Paint splatter from ceiling rolling can get on the walls, so it makes sense to paint the walls later. If there are patches to do on the ceiling, though, you must account for this in your plan of attack. Sometimes, since trim is relatively small, it can be painted first and not be affected too much by paint splatter from ceiling and walls, so that can be done while allowing patches to dry on a ceiling when applicable. The main point is to think about the needs of a project and plan the steps taken to eliminate down-time.

Often times most of the ceilings can be painted relatively soon, and since walls are going to be painted as well, there is no sense cutting the edges with ceiling paint. The pro painter will simply paint roughly into the edges, and roll out the area of the ceiling, not worrying about overlap into the walls, because these will be edged with wall paint later. This saves significant time on unnecessary brush work. The same principle can be used where trim meets walls only one paint will need edging in most cases. Walls or trim can be done last, but consider that trim paint is usually more robust and glossier, so it will be preferable to paint it last.

When it come to painting the walls, rollers are fast, but you can't get around the need to brush edges. The goal is to minimize brush strokes while allowing for straightforward rolling of the rest of the wall areas. Rollers cant get within about 2 inches of adjoining ceilings, walls and trim, so the idea is to brush about 3 inches away from edges for some clearance, and this will allow faster rolling because you don't have to slow down near the edges. It also important to brush areas that are hard to reach with a roller, such as around a vent, or narrow sections of walls around doors or windows. The key to professional speed is doing exactly what is needed with the brush, and no more.

When painting several rooms with a team, the cutting should start first, and then rolling follows once walls are outlined, and the cutting should continue into all rooms with the same colour paint. Rolling takes less time, so either have more painters cutting, or one should start cutting and roll afterwards while another painter cuts continuously. Paint dries quickly, so the second coat can begin back at the start as soon as the first coat is rolled.

The last concern is to minimize cleanup and setup as much as possible. Paint-filled brushes and rollers can be wrapped in plastic and kept in a fridge to preserve them overnight if they will be used again, saving some clean up.

How to Clean That Ugly Roof   Basics of Painting IV   Exterior Color Ideas: Before Painting - 13 Tips to Help Homeowners and Builders Make Color Choices   "Yellow," She Said! 4 Tips for Choosing Exterior House Colors   Hiring the Right Painter for Your House   

Product Launches Done the Right Way

One of the biggest mistakes newbie internet marketers get wrong are product launches. There are two ways to launch a product and more than often the newbie marketers don't know which ones to choose. The two ways are simple the right way and then the lazy wrong way. Of course newbie's will choose the lazy way every time!

The lazy way consists of some newbie creating a website, telling all of there friends on MySpace and Facebook and then posting endlessly on forums about there product. All of this does one thing only it takes up time and makes no money!

The only right way to launch a product is to have a pre-launch in place for at least 1 week. By doing this you build up hype on the product. The best way to do this is by releasing a little bit of info on your new product each day. It's like slow feeding the internet with your amazing product to the point to where they can't wait for it to release.

The next step to take is to build an email list. Every little piece of info on your product you put out there should have a link to a website where the person can opt into your email list so they can get more info on the product. This process will keep them hungry for more info on your product without over feeding them!

The way you go about getting this info out to interested people can be done by a number of ways. One being by paid advertising. The others by posting on your twitter account, posting in forums and blogs, or by advertising on MySpace or Facebook. With using all of these resources you should be able to build a profitable list before launching your product. One of the best ways to get more info to your email subscribers is to use an autoresponder to give them even more quality info and have them coming back for even more!

Finally the day has come and your product is released. How you make the most of this day is to email everyone on your list but before doing that make sure you set up an affiliate program on your product that will let others sell your product and make a profit as well. This way all of your friends can refer there friends to your product and make both of you extra cash! This way will send a huge amount of traffic to your site with huge profits.

Another great idea is to recruit affiliates before the product is launched so they can build email lists as well. This will promote your product better than just you doing it. Remember two mouths are better than one!

There Advanced Product Launch Secrets That Will Sell Products Like Crazy   Product Launch Tree - Are You Just a Few Tweaks Away From Earning an Extra 456% in Profits?   Secrets of Seminar Marketing During Hard Economic Times   Product Launching 101 - How to Keep People's Attention With Your Ecourses   Adding $1 Million to Your Business   

Affiliate Classroom 2.0 - Whats This Do For Me?

Affiliate Classroom 2.0 is going to break onto the marketing scene on August 11 similar to the way PPC classroom broke onto the scene a while back. Many successful Internet marketers were raised in the PPC classroom and Anik hopes to do the same with Affiliate Classroom 2.0

There are many different things you need to consider when trying to learn about online marketing. The first of which is; simply saying that you want to have an internet marketing business is not a business model. This process needs to be broken down much further and into much greater detail. Don't worry this is not hard just necessary to ensure that you stay focused and on track with where you need to head.

The first choice is simple. Do you want to have a product or do you want to sell someone elses product. The easiest place for newbies to start is with selling other people's products since this prevents them from having to make their. We are not done yet though. This still needs to be broken down a lot further before you can start to design a successful business model.

With Affiliate Classroom you will be able to break this down and learn about what ever technique you want. There will be over 50 courses all going into great detail about what you want to focus on. You will have the opportunity to learn about PPC, SEO, cost per action, and many more techniques that can lead to you being a successful internet marketer.

The key is to pick one strategy though and stick with it until you have built a successful business model with it. Once you have accomplished this then the decision is up to you as to what you want to do next. You can simply wash and repeat your now proven business model or you can go back to affiliate classroom and learn a new technique.

There Advanced Product Launch Secrets That Will Sell Products Like Crazy   Product Launch Tree - Are You Just a Few Tweaks Away From Earning an Extra 456% in Profits?   Secrets of Seminar Marketing During Hard Economic Times   Product Launching 101 - How to Keep People's Attention With Your Ecourses   Adding $1 Million to Your Business   

Your Successful Product Launch - The Prelaunch Webinar

Launching a product can be seen as both the first and last steps towards a products development stage. Regardless of what category you wish to place it in, the launching of your product is both exciting and crucial. One thing you have to make sure is that it is done correctly otherwise you could find your self with a whole load of problems.

If you look at it from a business point of view, the whole purpose of you developing and launching a product in the first place is to make sales that will generate a good income. Unless you are able to successfully launch the product you will have no sales. This will result in you having more expenses that income which as a result could see you in debt, even before your new business begins. The whole purpose of this article is to show simple ways that one can use in order to have a successful launch.

The biggest key to a successful product launch is creating as much awareness as possible with your possible customers. You need to do this well before the actual release of your product so that when the day of the actual release comes, you find yourself seeing a line full of people waiting to buy your product. A great way to go about this is to do a pre-launch webinar for your potential customers. This has been known to be quite effective for many types of businesses.

Your webinar (think of it as on online training session) should provide your listeners with real usable information, information that they can put into action even before they buy your product. You want your audience to think "If this is the free stuff, how great is the actual product going to be".

There Advanced Product Launch Secrets That Will Sell Products Like Crazy   Product Launch Tree - Are You Just a Few Tweaks Away From Earning an Extra 456% in Profits?   Secrets of Seminar Marketing During Hard Economic Times   Product Launching 101 - How to Keep People's Attention With Your Ecourses   Adding $1 Million to Your Business   8 Important Components of a 7 Figure Launch   

How to Do a Proper Product Launch

Product launches are the easiest and fastest way of making money. However, most people get it wrong. There is a common misconception that it is very difficult, that it takes a lot of effort and that only established people in the industry can make successful product launches.  Do you know that even a newbie can create and market successful products and make a lot of money within a short time? You just need to get started and follow a course step by step and you will be surprised how quickly you can launch a product.

There are two ways people bring their product out to the market. One is simply by listing and advertising their product in the internet, in article directories, ezines, forums, blogs and Web 2.0 properties. These people make a lot of money but they also leave a lot of money in the table. The other way of bringing out product in the market is by launching them. This is done with a lot of buzz and a countdown timer just like launching a rocket. This is much more successful and profitable that the previous way.

There is a third way of launching a product. This has been done by a handful of marketers and the rest of the internet world knew nothing about it. Although it has been practiced by the top Fortune500 companies for decades, it is absolutely new to internet marketing. This technique involves launching your product with a lot of psychological 'additions' or complimentary products which make you thousand times more money than normal launches, and your customers think it is normal and in fact feel grateful for introducing them to the complimentary stuff. This is really powerful in multiplying your profits.

There Advanced Product Launch Secrets That Will Sell Products Like Crazy   Product Launch Tree - Are You Just a Few Tweaks Away From Earning an Extra 456% in Profits?   Secrets of Seminar Marketing During Hard Economic Times   Product Launching 101 - How to Keep People's Attention With Your Ecourses