Catha For Council Blog

When you’re a web designer, there are lots of little programs
that you’ll gradually accumulate to make your life that little
bit easier. When you’ve spent hours doing something by hand and
you’re dreading ever having to do it again, it can be a big
relief to learn that there’s a free program out there that can
do it quickly and effectively for you the next time

Colour Programs

One of the thorniest issues you’ll run into as a web designer is
colour. Because web colours are all expressed in the somewhat
mysterious HTML colour (#000000 to #FFFFFF), it can be hard to
get the exact colours you want in your design. Don’t be fooled
into thinking there aren’t many to choose from: those colours
are in hexadecimal, meaning that each one of those six numbers
can have a value anywhere from 0-F (that is, 0-9, A-F). 16
possible values to the power of 6 makes over 16 million possible
colours - that’s 24-bit colour, not bad at all.

So, really, instead of trying out millions of colours by hand to
see which you like best, it’s much better to download an HTML
colour picker tool - an essential part of every web designers
toolbox. It might sound like they’d be very simple, but there
are all sorts of features they can have: suggesting
‘complementary colours’ to the one you’ve chosen, for example.
Some let you take a picture of your screen and click on parts of
it to see which HTML colour is being used - useful when you see
a colour somewhere that you think would work great on your
website.

My personal favourite colour program is Color Schemer, available
at www.colorschemer.com - it has all the features you could
really want in an HTML colour picker. If you’re after something
free, though, you might like to try the more compact Pixie, from
www.nattyware.com/pixie.html, which sits in the corner of your
screen and tells you the colour code of any colour you hover
over.

HTML Checkers

There’s not much competition when it comes to HTML checking:
what you really need is the W3C’s HTML Tidy, or one of the many
programs based on it (see http://tidy.sourceforge.net/). Tidy
can clean up truly disastrous HTML, including the kind of thing
produced by many of the more popular editor programs like
Dreamweaver, and applications like Microsoft Word. Even if you
think your code is great, the chances are that Tidy will be able
to make it smaller and better.

Mozilla Firefox Extensions

When you use Firefox as your web browser, you gain access to
lots of extensions that you can install quickly and easily.
Since so many people using the browser are web designers, there
are more extensions available for web development tasks than
there are for anything else. This makes Firefox an ideal browser
to use when you’re writing a website.

Which extensions are most useful? Here’s a quick list:

Web Developer’s Toolbar
(http://chrispederick.com/work/firefox/webdeveloper/). This is
the most useful Firefox extension out there for web designers.
Its best feature is that it lets you experiment with CSS styles
‘live’, so the style of your page changes as you do it - a great
way to write CSS.

LinkChecker
(http://www.kevinfreitas.net/extensions/linkchecker/). You
absolutely must check your website for broken links, but it’s
usually quite a chore. Because LinkChecker integrates with the
browser, it can check your links for you on-the-fly. It
highlights working links in green and broken ones in red.
Simple, but very effective.

HTML Validator (http://users.skynet.be/mgueury/mozilla/). Lets
you check whether your pages are valid HTML without having to
type all their URLs into an online validity checker. Takes a lot
of the pain out of code validation, which makes you more likely
to actually bother to do it!

SearchStatus (http://quirk.co.za/searchstatus/). When you’re
trying to monitor your site’s position in search engines, this
extension is indispensible. It shows you the Google PageRank and
Alexa ranking for your site, giving you an idea of both the link
popularity and traffic the site gets. It also lets you check who
links to your site, and whether the search engines have added it
to their index yet.

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Having operated a successful Family Child Care in my home for over 10 years, I have had many opportunities to introduce various aspects of the Arts to young children. Being naturally musical myself, providing a musical curriculum to my kids was a simple and obvious way to enhance the daily activities of my child care and my own children as well.

Children respond to music at a very young age. Nearly everyone can remember their mother or grandmother singing nursery rhymes to them as little children. I have vivid memories of swinging outside and singing ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’ as loudly as I could just to hear the sound. With my own children I have always used music to calm and entertain them; singing softly to them in the rocker or energetically leading them in finger-plays and sing-a-longs. However you may choose to do it, singing or playing music with children gives them a beginnings of music appreciation, not to mention the special memories that are created.

My son is a wild and wholly two-year-old, and greatly affected by his environment and the sounds and sights he encounters. Getting out of control is very easy with this little boy, and it’s up to me to find ways of calming him down and quickly distracting him and hopefully changing his mood. Music affects a child’s mood, and quiet, comforting music can relax an anxious child. It’s amazing the way my son reacts to his special CDs that he knows and enjoys. Often he’ll just stop what he is doing and I’ll see him stand and look toward the stereo and just sway and sing to himself.

Children will naturally relate movement with music giving them the opportunity to explore their own creative expression. They love to act out movements to the songs such as moving around the room like different animals based on the type of sounds they hear. They can explore how their bodies move and their physical coordination begins to grow and develop as a result.

Music activities in group settings help children develop social and interactive skills by sharing the activity with the other children around them. They love to join hands and form circles while singing simple nursery rhymes and dancing around together. Friendships are made easily when children share musical activities and even the shyest child can join in and become part of the group.

Recommended Music for Young Children:

Sing Dance and Play - Genius Products

Baby’s First: Animal Songs - Various Artists)

Walt Disney Records : Children’s Favorite Songs, Vol. 1 :

Best of the IQ Builder [2001] - Bach

Children’s Songs [2001] - Genius Products

Sesame Street Platinum: All Time Favorites - Sesame Street

Baby’s First: Playtime Songs - Various Artists

Magic Mozart (Baby Genius Classical Series) - Mozart

Favorite Nursery Rhymes - Genius Products

Favorite Children’s Songs [Box] - Genius Products

Baby’s First: Nursery Rhymes - Various Artists

Toddler Favorites - Favorites Series

Night Night Classics - Ludwig van Beethoven

Sweet Dreams Lullabies [2001] - Genius Products

Introducing music to young children will provide them with a foundation to help develop language and listening skills, along with enhanced coordination and emotional development. Little children love to express themselves through music and given the opportunity, will reap the benefits of a lifetime of music appreciation.

About the Author: Sherry Frewerd is a Proud Work At Home Mother of 3 musical children. A Family Child Care Provider for 10 years, she also publishes several websites, specifically http://familyplayandlearn.com Family Play and Learn: Play and Learning Resources for Parents and Family Child Care Providers.

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Your house is a big investment - probably one of the
biggest you’re every likely to make. It is also the place
that you and your loved ones call home; a shelter and haven
from the outside world. That’s why it is so important to
ensure that your home and family are protected in the event
of your death. It’s not a topic that any of us like to
dwell on, but the sad fact is that should you die and the
family are no longer able to afford repayments on the
house, they will lose the property and the roof from over
their heads.

Having a good life insurance policy in place to protect
your property in the event of your death is vital. When you
die, your family will have enough to worry about without
the added stress of how they are going to hold on to the
family home. Your life insurance policy will ensure that
this problem is eliminated, with the mortgage balance being
paid in full upon your death.

The main types of mortgage life cover

The type of mortgage life insurance cover that you require
will depend upon what type of mortgage you have, a
repayment or an interest only mortgage. There are two main
types of mortgage life insurance cover, which are:

Decreasing Term Insurance
Level Term Insurance

Decreasing term insurance

This type of mortgage life insurance is designed for those
with a repayment mortgage. With a repayment mortgage, the
balance of the loan decreases over the term of the
mortgage. Therefore, the sum of cover with a decreasing
term insurance policy will also go down in line with the
mortgage balance. So, the amount for which your life is
insured should match the balance outstanding on your
mortgage, which means that if you die your policy will hold
sufficient funds to pay off the remainder of the mortgage
and alleviate any additional worry to your family.

With the decreasing term insurance, the cover is usually
taken out over the term of the mortgage, and payment is
made should you die during the term of the policy. Once the
policy has expired, it becomes null and void, so you will
receive nothing at the end of your policy if you are still
living. There is no surrender value on this type of cover,
but it does provide a cost effective means of protecting
your home and family during the life of your mortgage.

Level term insurance

This type of mortgage life insurance cover is for those
that have a repayment mortgage, where the principle balance
remains the same throughout the term of the mortgage and
the repayments made by the property owner cover the
interest payments on the mortgage only.

The sum for which the insured is covered remains the same
throughout the term of this policy, and this is because the
principle balance on the mortgage also remains the same.
Therefore the sum assured is a fixed amount, which is paid
should the insured party die within the term of the policy.
As with decreasing term insurance, there is no surrender
value, and should the policy end before the insured dies no
payout will be awarded and the policy becomes null and void.

Terminal illness benefit

Both of the above types of cover normally include terminal
illness cover, which means that the mortgage is cleared
should you be diagnosed with a terminal illness rather than
waiting until you actually die. This helps to ensure that
you do not have the additional worry of trying to meet
repayments when a terminal illness takes away your ability
to work and earn money, and at a time when the whole family
has enough to worry about without having to stress about
meeting mortgage repayments.

Critical illness cover

Critical illness cover is another type of insurance policy
that can be added on to either of the above mortgage life
insurance polices and provides an extra element of
protection and peace of mind. This type of cover can also
be taken out as a stand-alone policy, but usually proves
much better value if simply added on to a main insurance
policy.

With critical illness cover you will be eligible for a
payout in the event that you are diagnosed with a critical
illness. If you then go on to recover from the critical
illness, the payout is yours to keep but the policy becomes
null and void following your claim. The illnesses that are
covered by this type of policy are defined by the insurer
so you should ensure that you check the terms when taking
out critical illness cover.

Adding critical illness cover to your policy will only
increase your repayments by a small amount, but can provide
valuable protection if you are diagnosed as critically ill
and are therefore unable to work. With your mortgage repaid
from the payout of this policy, you will not have the
additional worry of trying to keep a roof over your head at
a time when you should be concentrating on trying to make a
recovery.

Summary

As indicated by the features of the two main types of
mortgage life insurance cover, the policy you go for will
depend largely upon the type of mortgage you have. Both
types of cover offer value for money, with some really low
cost deals available. Of course, the amount that you pay
will ultimately depend upon the level of cover you require.
For total peace of mind it is always advisable to go for a
policy with critical illness cover incorporated into it.

Having some form of mortgage life cover is essential to
protect your home and your family. After working hard to
buy your own property, the prospect of it being repossessed
in the event of your death can be worrying both for you and
for your family. A mortgage life cover policy will ensure
that this does not happen, and will give your family the
security of knowing that whatever happens they will still
have a roof over their heads.

Claire Bowes is a successful freelance writer and owner of
http://www.a1-life-insurance-quotes.co.uk where you will
find further advice and information on life insurance, critical illness cover, income protection and mortgage protection cover.

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People often do not pay as much attention to their dental health as they do to other illnesses, often with serious consequences. To keep dental diseases at bay and to meet the rising costs of dental treatment it is important that you choose a good dental plan. Having a dental plan should encourage you to take more preventive care of your teeth to avoid the more serious dental problems.

With medical insurance services, the cost of a particular medical treatment or health check is reimbursed directly by the insurance company to the medical service provider. With dental insurance plans, the company is responsible for reimbursing the dentist. Dental plans can however vary in type and feature. Dentists participating in discount dental plans take lower fees than those covered by regular dental plans, with discounts varying between 20% and 60%.

All dental plans charge a membership fee, with the amount varying from one plan to the other. Dental plans are offered to either individuals or to the whole family, with family dental plans usually offering bigger discounts than individual dental plans. You should compare the rates charged under the different plans before selecting the most appropriate one for you.

It is important also to know the type of dental services covered by your dental plan. Routine dental check ups and dental treatments such as oral examination, teeth cleaning, fluoride treatment, teeth filling and teeth extraction are generally covered by most dental plans. However, dental plans do not always cover major dental care treatments such as oral surgery, dental implants, restorative care, braces, root canal treatments etc. In case of such costly dental procedures you unfortunately have to foot the bill yourself. Often there are a number of alternative treatments available for certain dental problems. Under such circumstances dental plans allow reimbursement for the cost of the basic dental treatment, and further costs in excess of the basic treatment cost has to be covered by the patient.

Dental health plans may or may not allow you to choose your own dentist, but it is common practice for patients to generally receive dental care from dentists mentioned in the plan. Before choosing a plan make sure that the participating dentists practice in your area. Choose a plan that is accepted nationwide and not restricted to your state. Check whether you are allowed to visit the dentist unscheduled, or at scheduled hours only.

You also need to decide whether you want an annual plan or a monthly plan. Annual dental plans are more cost beneficial than monthly plans. So get regular check ups with your dentist to reap the maximum benefits out of your dental plan.

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Get What You Pay For

Why bother paying for hosting when there are plenty of companies offering free hosting? Well, in web hosting, when you pay nothing, you often end up with nothing.

Most free web hosts offer limited services. Even though they are not charging you to host your website, they still need to make money. The most common way to do this to place advertising on your site. You probably will have no control over what kind of ads show up. You won’t be consulted when those decisions are made.

Sometimes free hosts will place restrictions on the content you place on your site. For example, you may not be allowed to sell things or have certain types of content, such as videos or music. Worst of all, your web site could disappear overnight. New companies offering free hosting pop up almost everyday, but they also vanish with astonishing regularity. When your hosting company vanishes, your web site goes with it.

Do You Need A High-Priced Web Host?

You’ll need to use a reliable web host if you are serious about having a web site. Prices range considerably — some companies offer rates as low as $2 a month, while others charge over $100. The highest rates don’t always translate into the best service. Some of the lower-priced hosts offer a reliable, stable environment that allows your website to be accessed around the clock for years.

Generally speaking, though, the more you pay the more you get. Higher rates should bring you services such as more storage space, more bandwidth to handle Internet traffic, and extras such as databases, email accounts, mass mailers, and the ability to add custom scripts. Higher rates can also mean better technical support, in the unlikely event you have problems with your website.

What is a Web Server?

When you’re ready to make your move, it helps to understand some of the technical details about the service you’re buying. Every host has dedicated computers known as servers, which connect to the internet and “serve” pages any time they are requested. So, whenever anyone wants to see a certain web page by clicking on a link, the request is sent to the particular server where that web page is stored. The server responds by sending HTML data across the internet, and eventually back to the person who requested it.

A web server must have fast connections to be able to serve pages quickly. For the greatest speed and reliability, try to find a host that has multiple high-speed connections, as well as reliable back-up power supplies in case of power outages.

Remember, you are trying to build a business, so you’d better be prepared to pay to keep the other business in business. Otherwise you may both soon be out of business.

Visit Hosting Solutions to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer with a Website Here.

Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

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Many home-based business owners go into business with the dream of creating more financial and personal freedom for themselves.

Usually, quite the opposite result is produced.

When running your own business, you often work harder and for longer hours than you would for an employer.

Your perception of being a business owner and the reality of it are miles apart. This is why so many entrepreneurs end up feeling out of balance and out of control.

If you are experiencing these same feelings, you are not alone, especially if you are in the early years of building your business.

A gap exists between your original expectations and the reality of running a home-based business.

It is important to acknowledge your false perceptions and recognize the reality of being your own boss.

It is also important to understand that running your own business is one of the most rewarding experiences in life, and as long as you are aware of the realities and remain committed to create the success you seek, you will make it happen.

In order to create breakthroughs for yourself and your business, you need to understand and embrace 8 powerful strategies.

1. Determine Your Values

This cannot be stressed enough. The success of your business will directly relate to honoring your core values.

A great tool to determine your values can be found at www.wheretheheartis-lifecoaching.com/valuesgame.htm

2. Create A Vision

What is it you want to achieve in the next six months to a year? Where do you want to be in 5-10 years in your business and personal life?

Write down the vision you have for your company and your personal life (5-10 items each). With this done you will be able to set realistic goals and focus your efforts where they are needed.

Beside each item listed, write down what realizing this vision will feel and look like. Every successful entrepreneur will tell you she wrote down her vision and how this practice has contributed to her success.

3. Set Goals

Take a few hours this week to identify and write down three or four key goals necessary to move your business forward.

Include personal goals as well! (These include relationship, physical, emotional, spiritual, family, nutritional, etc.)

Picture yourself at the end of this year. It’s New Year’s Eve and you are looking back on your achievements.

What would you like to have accomplished by then? How will you feel looking back at your amazing accomplishments?

4. Maintain Quality of Life

This is critical to the success of your business. If you are burned out, stressed, exhausted, unhappy and imbalanced, your business will suffer.

Play your favorite sport every week, get out with friends, play with your children, attend school functions and dinner engagements, get adequate sleep, eat healthy meals and take your partner on a date.

If your work and personal life are not in balance, you will do yourself, your family, and your business a great disservice.

When you are in balance, you have more energy, you can think more clearly and you can maintain a sharper focus.

When you function in a balanced state, you can accomplish more quality work in 3 hours than you can in 12 hours in an imbalanced state. You will make better decisions and fewer mistakes.

Take mini-vacations. Every time you do, you will come back fresher, sharper and capable of creating amazing breakthroughs in your business.

The little things that set you off before will go unnoticed when you’re refreshed.

5. Leverage

If you lack a particular skill, have someone else take on the task for you. You don’t have to be and do everything.

Some skills are essential in running a successful business. Others can be outsourced.

The greatest entrepreneurs of our time know where they are weak and use other people’s strengths and abilities to create desired outcomes.

By leveraging your time, you can free yourself up to focus on what you do best.

I considered learning how to create and manage my own web site then realized my time could be better spent focusing on my overall vision and mission.

I could have spent days learning a software program and designing a site, but that would have taken me miles away from my vision.

I would have been working in my business and not on my business.

Keep this in mind for yourself. You are the visionary of your business. You need to remain focused on the big picture. If you have time consuming tasks that can be better handled by others, hand over the reigns.

Know that you are rewarded for the results you create, not for how many hours you had to sweat and toil to create them.

6. Mastermind Groups and Support Systems

You cannot do it alone and you do not know it all.

Growth and prosperity are accelerated when you have a strong support system in place.

By having a mastermind group and support system in place, you will have a continual source of information, a direct link to hundreds of resources, encouragement, and a means of accountability.

These partners will help you remain focused and on track with your business while being good to yourself.

7. Maintain Strong Client Relationships

It requires 16 times more effort to acquire a new client than it does to keep an existing one.

Treat your clients like gold. Nurture your relationships with them and go the extra mile to make them feel valued and appreciated. Imagine every client as a million dollar client and treat him as such.

If you had a million dollars in your hand, you wouldn’t throw it away would you? You would protect it and treat it with care.

If your client feels valued and appreciated, he will go out of his way to share his gratitude with others.

Strong relationships will grow your business. People will seek you out. Focus on the relationships you build and the profits will follow.

8. Never Stop Learning

If you decide one day that you have achieved absolute wisdom and there is no more room for improvement, your business will start to wither.

Human beings evolve. Entrepreneurs evolve. There is no absolute perfection. Make continuing education mandatory.

Fill yourself with information about selling, marketing, your industry, your competition, your client demographics and psychographics, copywriting, economic trends, new product development, etc.

By using these strategies you will create breakthroughs for yourself and your business.

Take some time in the next couple of days to find a quiet place for yourself to sit and write down your vision and goals.

Put these strategies into place.

Revisit your notes every week and see how you are doing. What results have you experienced so far? Where do you need to make adjustments? Have you implemented all of the strategies?

Some home-based business owners are so excited about the possibilities that lie ahead they jump right in to building a business without creating any structure or implementing any strategies.

Many small and home-based business owners fail due to inconsistency, lack of focus, poor structure, ineffective strategies, and eventual burnout.

Invest the time and energy necessary to ensure your success.

Discipline yourself, create structure, implement the above strategies, and you will be amazed by the results you create.

Laurie Hayes is a Life Strategy/Small Business Coach and founder of Where the Heart Is Life Coaching.

Laurie works with home-based business owners who face the distinct challenges presented when working from home. She is the author of numerous articles and a bi-weekly newsletter, “The Heart of Living.”

To subscribe to her free newsletter and learn more about coaching, visit http://www.wheretheheartis-lifecoaching.com

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Shades Shutters & Blinds Product Information

Every thing you wanted to know about blinds, shades, and
shutters but were afraid to ask. A beginner’s guide for buying
window blinds.

by Lawren Gourney

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Ever shopped on line for blinds, shades, or shutters and were
confused by all the different products and prices? This page
should help. We are currently working on Window Shades 101 and
Plantation Shutters 101 to help with your plantation shutters or
window shade decisions.

WINDOW BLINDS Grab & Go Blinds vs. Custom made Blinds Grab & Go
blinds are simply a name given to pre-cut shades that you buy
off the self. They are made to common generic window sizes.
Because all windows are not exactly the same dimensions and grab
& go blinds have to fit windows in certain size ranges, grab and
go window coverings do not fit as well as a custom made blind or
shade. The widths of a grab and go window blind must be shorter
to accommodate as many windows as possible (this usually causes
a light gap, or reveal, at the sides of the blind or shade). The
blind’s length also has to fit several different sizes and quite
often must be shortened. Grab & go blinds are usually the lowest
priced blind or shade on the market. The lower price is due to
the use of lighter weight cheaper materials, lower quality
hardware, fewer sizes, colors and lack of a warranty. A grab &
go blind has a product life expectancy of 2 to 6 years. Price
makes these a good choice for certain applications like
basements, garages and attics. These window coverings are
available at most discount chain stores, large department
stores, and home improvement centers.

Custom made blinds is made to measure. Each window is measured
for it’s width and height to the nearest 1/8″ and the blind is
built to fit the opening. The light gap, reveal, on each side is
about 1/4″ and the bottom rail (bottom of the window shades)
comes right to the window sill. Custom blinds are made with
better materials and hardware. The come from well known
companies such as Hunter Douglas, Levolor, Graber and Bali. They
are usually warranted for as long as you own the home. The color
choices range from several shades of white to the most common
stained wood tones. The material choices are PVC blinds, wood
composite blinds, and real wood blinds. These custom made blinds
can be purchased at most retailers and internet companies such
as Shades Shutters Blinds. They are usually slightly more
expensive than the grab & go blinds.

Mini Blinds Mini blinds are made in several slat widths, 1/2″,
1″, 2″. The slats of this blind are made from several different
gauges (thickness) of aluminum. Some of the Grab & go mini
blinds use plastic slats to further lower their cost. The higher
the gauge the better. Mini blinds were very popular in homes
about 10 years ago and are still used extensively in commercial
building. Color choices for mini blinds are unlimited. For
affordable mini blinds. See Mini Blinds.

Venetian Blinds Venetian blinds is a large category in blinds.
The original Venetian blinds were made with wide curved metal
slats much like a mini slat. Over time the slats have evolved to
different materials, sizes and shapes. Venetian blind slats are
made from plastics, woods, and combinations of plastics & wood.
They are made in 1, 2, 2 1/2, & 3 inch slat widths. Venetian
Blind’s shapes can be curved, flat or elliptical. Most window
covering manufacturers buy slats from the same 3 or 4 companies
that produce them. To confuse things further, the window blind
manufacturers have made their own names for the same materials,
same sizes, and same shapes (a 2 1/2 ” composite blinds slat can
have as may different names as there are companies using them).
Hopefully this site can simplify this for you. We will attempt
to break down this mess to 4 basic types, PVC blinds, Composite
blinds, and wood blinds. See products. PVC Blinds or Faux Wood
Blinds

Faux or PVC blinds are made of a solid or foamed poly vinyl
chloride plastic. That’s right, the same stuff milk bottles are
made of. PVC s is one of the newer materials being used for
blind slats. Slat widths are generally 2″, 2 1/2″, and sometimes
3″. The blind slat’s surface can be smooth or embossed with a
wood grain. Color selection is limited most often to whites but
there are a few wood tone colors available. PVC blinds are
starting price point in this category. They are very durable, UV
resistant, waterproof (as in when the windows are left open and
it rains or the sprinklers come on), and easy to clean. The one
main draw back to Faux Blinds is the weight of the slats. PVC
slats are heavier than wood or composite slats and with large
windows can make raising the blind a little difficult.

The large building centers offer a PVC window blind that is a
cross over between the grab & go blind and custom made window
treatment. These are “cut as you wait”. You take the
measurements in and they cut your blind at the store. These PVC
blinds are cheap and you get what you pay for. The slats are
PVC, but so is everything else like the head rail (normally
metal), tilt mechanism (normally metal), barrels (metal best)
and etc. Customers are more often than not are dissatisfied with
this type of PVC blind and there is no warranty.

PVC blinds -Synonyms Here a brief list of some of the trade
names blind companies give to blinds made with PVC slats. Many
of these are trade marked names.

Woodmates (Hunter Douglas), Doverwood (Comfortex), Faux Wood
Blinds (Generic Term), Infusion, Lake Forest (Graber), Wood Look
(Levolor), Wood Plus, Inspire, Panama and many other generic
names. Be sure to ask your dealer if it is a solid foam PVC
blind and ask about the warranty. See faux wood blinds.

Composite Blinds

Composite blinds are made from a combination of wood by products
and polymers. Composite Slats are also a newer material being
used for the window covering. Slat widths are generally 2″, 2
1/2″, and sometimes 3″ and come in flat or elliptical shapes.
The blind slat’s surface is a smooth poly-coating or a solid
composite material. Like PVC, the color selection is limited
most often to whites but there are a few wood tone and stain
colors available. Composite blinds are priced in the low mid
range. They are very durable, UV resistant, water resistant,
less likely to warp than wood and easy to clean. The one main
draw back to composite blinds is the weight of the slats.
Composite blinds slats are lighter than PVC blinds but heavier
than wood and therefore a good choice for large windows
coverings.

Composite Blinds- Synonyms- Here a brief list of some of the
trade names blind companies give to blinds made with Composite
slats. Many of these are trade marked names.

Everwood (Hunter Douglas), Devonwood (Comfortex), Wood
Impressions (Timber Blind and Shutter), NuWood (Levolor), Faux
Wood (generic term). Other copywrited names for composite blinds
are: Windsorwood, Woodperfect, Woodwinds, Distinctive Blinds,
Privacy Plus, Shutter Blinds, and Intrigue. See Composite blinds.

Wood Blinds

Both value & premium wood blinds are made from real woods. The
value wood blind slats are made from assorted Oriental
hardwoods. The premium wood blind slats are made from American
hardwoods (usually Basswood). Slat widths are generally 1″,2″, 2
1/2″, and sometimes 3″. The blind slat’s surface is either
painted or stained. The color selection of this window covering
is quite large with several different whites and the most
popular hardwood stain colors. If you are wanting to match a
cabinet or trim stain, wood blinds are your best bet. Wood
blinds are the most expensive blinds in this category. All wood
slats can warp and may color fade over long periods of time.
Wood blind slats are the lightest material and work well for
large windows.

Wood Blind- Synonyms- Here a brief list of some of the trade
names blind companies give to blinds made with wood slats. Many
of these are trade marked names.

Country Wood (Hunter Douglas), Design Basics, ValueWood (Timber
Blind & Shutter), Southeastwood, Olympian Wood, Classique,
Chalet Wood (Hunter Douglas), Premium Woods (Timber Blind &
Shutter), Northern Heights. See wood blinds.

FAQ’s about Shades Shutters and Blinds

I also have an article about the frequently asked questions
about shades shutters and blinds. See Frequently Asked Questions.

I hope this information about this type of window blinds was
helpful. If you would like to get more information about these
blinds and the many other products we provide, please visit us
at Shades Shutters Blinds or e-mail me at
support@shadesshutterssblinds.

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Starting a new business is scary, exhilarating, challenging and
at times downright confusing. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by
the huge number of tasks in front of you. When you get in that
state, step back and think, “What can I do today that will get
my message in front of my customers?” If you’re thinking about
this all the time, the other details will fall into place.

The first thing you need to do is decide on the goals for your
business. What do you personally want to get out of it? How many
hours do you want to work? How many employees do you want to
have? How much money do you want to make? The idea here is to
get as clear a vision as possible of what your business will
look like when it is established so you’ll know what needs to be
done to get there. For a very clear step-by-step method to do
this, I highly recommend a program called E-Myth.

Next, do the math. So many peopleincluding mehave learned the
hard way that the business they created is not capable of
meeting the goals they set for themselves. To help avoid this
problem, do some market research to determine how much you’ll be
able to charge for your product or service and what volume
you’ll be able to sell. Think about how many hours you’ll be
able to work in a day and get a rough idea of the maximum amount
you could make. Once you have rough estimates for those figures,
you can decide if the money you could make or the time you need
to put in will be worth the effort. You’d be surprised at how
many people spend years working in a business that is just not
capable of becoming what they hoped it would, even if everything
went perfectly.

Many new entrepreneurs think success is all about developing a
great product or service, but actually it’s all about selling
it. Before you spend tons of time and money developing your
product, make a prototype or develop a clear and concise
description of what it will be, and do some market research.
Figure out who your prospective customers will be, and go talk
to them! Ask questions. Find out what they’ll pay. Consider
their feedback and modify your design accordingly. Look at other
companies that are selling similar products or services. Find
out what they charge, how they market and what their competitive
advantage is. Go into their stores and watch their customers.
Find out what they are doing and why, and how customers respond.
Once you think you have a clear understanding of what the market
wants, then move ahead with your product or develop your
service.

You’ll also need to decide what kind of company structure will
best fit your plans (S Corp., LLC, sole proprietorship and so
on).

If possible, work out of your home for awhile or rent the
minimum space and equipment necessary to run your business. It’s
important to keep your overhead as low as possible, at least
until things start to take off. Resist the temptation to rent a
nice office and fill it with furniture and equipment. I used to
think that was impressive, but I came to realize it was just
expensive.

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I once had a slightly tipsy singer approach me at a show and ask in all seriousness how I could possibly be such an accomplished Blues singer since I have never been an alcoholic and had never taken drugs. Though my shows often turn into Mr. Kool’s House of Blues, I had to explain that substance abuse is not what the Blues is about. I will expand upon that scenario to lay bare the true facts on how to sing the Blues.

The literature of lyrics on the development of Blues may help explain some of the prerequisites for, and the importance of Blues to the development of popular music. According to legend, a famous philosopher (and Rock star) Richard Starkey wrote, “You got to pay your dues if you want to sing the Blues, and you know it don’t come Easy”. Yes this does indicate that the Blues finds its beginnings in hardship and deprivation.

The Blues musical style was the spawning ground for much of Modern music. The great commentator and Blues singer Muddy Waters wrote, “The Blues had a baby, they named the baby Rock and Roll”. Rock got it’s start in the Blues style of the 50’s. Many famous Rock artists such as Elvis, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin all started out doing Blues. The term R&B originally stood for “Rhythm and Blues”, not “Rap and Bad-lyrics” as it does today.

You don’t have to write Blues songs in Ebonics, but it helps. With that as our opening thought, let me s’plain how you too can be “singin’ the Blues”. Most Blues begin with: “Woke up this morning…..”. Something happy like: “I got a good woman” is a bad way to begin the Blues, unless you stick something depressing in the line like, “I got a good woman but she got PMS”. The Blues is simple. After you get the first line right, repeat it. Then find something that rhymes….sort of.

“Got a good woman but she got PMS”.

“Yea, got a good woman but she got PMS”.

“When she gets mean,

she scares me half to death”.

The Blues is not about choice. “You stuck in a ditch… you stuck in a ditch… ain’t no way out… better love that bitch.”

Blues cars: Chevys, Fords, Cadillacs and broken down pickup trucks. Blues don’t travel in BMW’s or Sport Utility Vehicles. Often Blues transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Jet aircraft and company cars ain’t even in the running. But walkin’ plays a major part in the blues lifestyle. So does fixin’ to die.

Teenagers can’t sing the Blues. They ain’t fixin’ to die yet. Adults sing the Blues. In Blues, “adulthood” means being old enough to get the electric chair if you “shot a man in Memphis”. Memphis by the way is the birthplace of the Blues. Ain’t nothin’ closer to Blues then “Walking in Memphis”.

Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or any place in Canada. Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just seasonal depression. Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans and Kansas City are still the best places to have the Blues. You cannot have the blues in any place that don’t get rain. And we all know, “it never rains in Southern California”.

A man with male pattern baldness ain’t the blues, you got to be completely bald. A woman with male pattern baldness is. Breaking your leg ’cause you went skiing is not the blues. Breaking your leg ’cause an alligator chomped on it is.

You can’t have no Blues in an office or a shopping mall. The lighting is wrong. Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dumpster. Good places for the Blues: Karaoke bar, Highway, Jailhouse, empty bed, bottom of a whiskey bottle. Bad places for the Blues: Nordstrom’s, gallery openings, Ivy League Institutions, Golf courses.

No one will believe it’s the Blues if you wear a suit, ‘less you happen to be an old ethnic person and you slept in it… for two weeks. Best clothes for the blues is torn overalls, or a prison uniform. And of course you should be wearing a Kool Blues hat. Blues instruments are Harmonica, Blues Guitar and Saxophone. A Xylophone, Chimes and Violin won’t cut it.

Do you have the right to sing the Blues? Yes, if: You older than dirt, You blind, You “shot a man in Memphis”, You “can’t get no satisfaction”, You a “Back Door Man”, You named your guitar after your ex-wife who left you for your best friend. No, if: You have all your teeth, You “once was blind but now can see”, The man in Memphis lived, You have a 401K or trust fund.

Blues is not a matter of color. It’s a matter of bad luck. Tiger Woods cannot sing the blues. Sonny Liston could. Ugly white people also got a leg up on the blues. If you ask for water and your darlin’ give you poison, it’s the Blues. Other acceptable Blues beverages are: Ripple, Whiskey or Bourbon, Muddy Water, nasty black coffee. The following are NOT Blues beverages: Perrier, Chardonnay, Snapple, Slim Fast or Diet Coke.

If death occurs in a cheap motel or a “rundown shack by a railroad track”, it’s a Blues death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is another Blues way to die. So are the electric chair, substance abuse (but it’s not a requirement), and dying lonely on a broken down cot. You can’t have a Blues death if you die during a tennis match or while getting liposuction.

Some Blues names for women: Sadie, Hanna, Big Mama, Bessie, Fat Bottom Dumpling, and Caldonia. Some Blues names for men: Joe, Willie, Joe-Willie, Little Willie, Big Willie, Muddy, and Leroy. People with names like Michelle, Amber, Jennifer, Tiffany, Brooke, Brittany and Heather can’t sing the Blues no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis.

If you want to sing the blues you need a good Blues singers name. You may adopt one. First take the name of a physical infirmity (Blind, Cripple, Lame, etc.) Then add the name of a fruit (Lemon, Melon, Cherry, Tomato etc. Yes tomato is a fruit, and a health food to boot). Then tack on the last name of a President (Johnson, Jefferson, Bush, etc.) For example: Blind Melon Jefferson, Jakeleg Lemon Johnson, Killer Tomato Bush, etc. (maybe Horny Cactus Clinton?).

Now that you are dully indoctrinated into the fine art of Blues singing, here is a little Blues tune to practice on:

“I got a woman never could be true”

“I got a woman she never could be true”

“plays jokes on me,

then hollers APRIL FOOL”.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

DJ Kool Karl has been a Disc Jockey and KJ for over ten years. His articles have been published in Karaoke magazines and on various internet disc jockey sites. He can be found DJ-ing at clubs and private parties around Orange County California. To get your own Kool Karl articles, DJ/KJ shows, parties or special events call 714-544-2614

Email: Karaoke@TheOffice.net

Or check out:

http://home.earthlink.net/~karyll/karaoke/

http://www.wedding-dj-in-orange-county.com/

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After Mrs. Denise, your next door neighbour, came back from his
second trip in a month, you were bound to marvel. What makes
Mrs. Denise, who is on the same rank as you, enjoy innumerable
expensive holidays, when you have your wife and kids swearing on
you for not taking away them on holidays for a long time.

The enigma behind this lifestyle of Mrs. Denise is that he has
knew the superpower of personal loans to give nonsensitive
access to funds. You likewise were never inexperienced of
personal loans. Nevertheless, the bad credit profile that
adorned your credit report was root to the concerns of being
disapproved for Personal loans for bad credit.

Personal loans for bad credit have however proved you incorrect.
You may be not realize it, but Mr. Thomson too may have
undergone bad credit history. While he can have personal loans
with a bad credit history, why cant you?

Credit deformities, specially known as bad credit history,
result from county court assessments, individual voluntary
arrangements, and bankruptcy. Usually bad credit points out have
no proof at all. There have been instances when a borrower got a
bad remark on his credit report because of his legal separation
from spouse. Loan providers too are not ignorant of such
instances. Because of that, loan providers at present research
the credit report keenly. This assures that the first timers or
borrowers who do not have any bad credit deformities are short
listed for loans. Borrowers who are intentional defaulters have
to face refusal of personal loans for bad credit by the loan
providers.

It was not long back when loan providers would actually fear
offering personal loans to borrowers with bad credit history.
Borrowers with bad credit history were considered to be missing
on credibility. Would there be any person who had defaulted on
debt payments back then be trusted to return the amount safely
now? I don’t know.

But, loan providers take up the risk. Actually, they couldnt
have ignored so many people having bad credit profile. Unjust
spending habits have resulted into more and more people becoming
victim of bad credit list. Personal loans for bad credit people
are as easily available as the regular loans.

Because of the bad credit history, borrowers would have to shell
a higher amount as interest. Additionally, terms are going to be
stricter. Interest rate on a bad credit personal loan will go as
large as 25%. Because of the speculative potential of these
borrowers, loan providers try out to play safe by elevating the
rate percentage.

Benefitable deal can be had from these loan providers by
offering a collateral. Collateral is an asset that borrower
pledges with the loan provider. The loan provider acquires a
right on the asset till the period borrower repays the personal
loan for bad credit. It is home that normally serves as
collateral. Other assets that act as collateral are automobiles
and landed property.

Collateral gives the faith that the personal loan for bad credit
will be repaid without delay. Therefore, borrowers can acquire
the loans at much better terms. Although the interest rate will
not Understand a strong fall, it will be a lot lower than the
unsecured personal loans for bad credit.

Personal loans for bad credit also behave as a treatment to heal
bad credit history. The credit reference agencies, which track
record every default and credit legislation against borrowers,
also track record instances when borrower was regular in
repayments. There is not other time when the bad credit
borrowers can fix their credit condition. Improvement in credit
status has huge amount of advantages. Borrower may not be
overcharged on personal loans. This must be a motivator for the
borrower to go on paying monthly instalments of the personal
loan in seconds.

When monthly instalments play an important role of amortising
the personal loan for bad credit, borrower can select to return
the loan through a single payment likewise. In each method of
payment utilised, the borrower is oblige to pay the loan amount
and the interest.

The personal loans accompanied by an obligation. Thus, borrowers
must be highly cautious in dealing with them. Whether it is the
decision to choose the loan providing agency, or it is the
decision on monthly repayments, borrowers need to maintain their
focus. There are no other decisions that effect the outcome of
the personal loan for bad credit. The grade of gratification
from the personal loan for bad credit decided mainly by the
borrower himself.

To find what people search on personal loan please visit http://personal-loan.ab
c123101.com .

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