Archive

For February, 2012

Feb 29

My Favourite Smell is Lavender

By drussComments Off

I often wander around my garden, and i always stop at my lavender bushes and enjoy my favourite smell in all the world.

Lavender bushes are really easy to grow.  You can buy a small lavender bush from a garden centre.  Then you can either plant directly into the garden or into large containers.  They look very good planted in purple pots next to lean to greenhouses.  The bush will stay green all year and will flower in the summer.

The flowers grow very tall and are very fragrant.  They attract lots of bees to the garden.  The lavender bush will flower for approximately two months and it helps to feed it once a week.  The flowers can also be picked and put in a vase in the house.

Feb 23

Business Case: The Willingness to Blog for Business Success

By sequoiaComments Off

It is always about dealing with first impressions once you execute your business case in online communities, in your business websites and social media sites. Therefore, it is necessary that you produce an effective business case, in which you can develop your perspectives about the priority to consider blogging as a stepping stone for success.

The most important to consider when planning for a website or social media site based on a personal blog post style is to think first of a unique and professionally branded site name.  Use the Google AdWords Keyword Tool to identify popular terms and interesting keywords that you think are closely related to the name of your business blog. You can also go beyond this and look for patented business names so that you prevent any court troubles.

After the planning phase and when you are ready to start a personal blog post, you have to consider some guidelines such as the writing process, blogging etiquette, internet copywriting styles, and editorial standards. If you have business partners or affiliates, discuss with them the potential benefits of a regular blog post. Explain the importance of increasing brand awareness, building an online community of customers and prospects, and improving customer service and relationship through blogging.

If you are a business traveler, you may sustain your blogging responsibilities by making sure that your travel needs are well-organized. Look for cheap and efficient transportation where you can conveniently use your mobile devices and continue monitoring your blog posts without having to worry about possible theft or threat.

On a similar note, you can also write blog posts related to business travelling. Explore options and share your best tips about good food of some favorite destinations of business enthusiasts like you. Write reviews or introduce hotels and related lodging services of some popular tourist locations around the world. You can blog about your business travels and narrate how they helped improve the state of your business.

You may also write about blog posts related to current technology innovations such as mobile applications and internet tools such as time management apps, leisure and education apps, and other apps related to the business you have and to the target audience of your blog posts.

Further, finalize whether you will focus on one target segment of customers and blog readers or whether you will attempt to write various blog posts that relate to current events, diverse reader’s interests and concerns, and many others.

Feb 21

Muscat Muses in Koh Tao

By jonnydComments Off

Thailand is a country blessed like few others with an abundance of great beaches. There are literally hundreds of islands and maybe thousands of beaches to choose from  in the Kingdom of Thailand. Why is that then that I keep going back to  the one small island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand?

Such is human nature I guess. We find a place that we consider paradise and we are apt to keep going back to the same place. We daren’t risk going to a new place in case it doesn’t live up to the high expectations set by our favorite place. The best I do is to stay on a different beach each time I go to Koh Tao. I’ve stayed at Mae Haad, Sairee, Chalok Baan Kao, Tanote Bay, Mango Bay and Koh Nang Yuan. The latter is composed of three small islands joined by a sand bank. This sand bank is probably my favorite spot in all of Thailand. The sand is immaculate, the water calm and clear and the sky a perfect shade of blue. I love swimming in the sea and spotting the fish.

Koh Tao has the best of both worlds – it has pristine beaches, unspoilt natural scenery as well as some great night life. Most nights of the week there is a party happening on Sairee Beach or at the popular The Castle on the Chalok Baan Kao road. I stay up all night, make friends, drink buckets and stumble happily along the beach back to my bungalow where I blissfully sleep off the alcohol.

And finally, when the mood takes me I book up a dive trip. I try to get to a new dive site each time I go to Koh Tao. Each dive I am rewarded by spotting a new fish or sometimes even a whale shark or turtle.

I really don’t think I’m going to get around to visiting Koh Samui, Phuket or the other countless islands that Thailand has to offer.

Feb 19

Why You Aren’t Allowed to Refill Toner Cartridges

By dotslashComments Off

Well I can answer the question briefly – it’s basically money.  I started to get involved in environmental issues over the last few years and this is one area that really annoys me.  I’m not a hard line eco-warrior,  I like to try and do my bit within reason.  I’m also not going to spend my holidays in a tent down the road to minimize my carbon footprint.  But the business model adopted by the printer companies really annoys me.

Just for clarification let me summarize – the printer companies sell their printers cheaply for one reason.  That is that they will make loads more money on the cartridges than on the initial hardware.  That is the way they maximize profits, sell the hardware cheaply then make lots of money on the toner and paper.

It sounds fair enough until you start seeing them promote themselves as environmentally friendly.  The truth is that by far the most eco friendly option in this scenario is to make your printer refillable without producing additional cartridges – it would be easy to do, but also very bad for profits.

So the printer companies like HP and Epson start a two pronged attack – on one side they promote themselves as eco friendly by starting recycling schemes.  On the other side they spend millions investing in technology to stop people  using the  ’green’ option of refilling ink and toner cartridges.  These allegedly eco friendly companies have teams of people developing computer chips to install on their cartridges stopping people refilling them.

So a quick summary at the end – you can’t refill toner cartridges because it means the printer companies make less money.

 

Feb 17

Foundation I use to cover wrinkles

By SamastipureComments Off

Best foundation for dry wrinkles

For as long as I can remember, I have had a problem when it comes to buying makeup. You see, my skin has always been sensitive and it is often very dry. In fact, I can wake up in the morning and have flakey, dry skin even after putting on night cream or moisturizer before going to bed. It is something that I have always been plagued with. When I was younger, I attributed it to the fact that my mom smoked her cigarettes in the house. And after moving into my own apartment, my skin did get a little better but it was still dry. And now that I am in my fifties, it is still dry. The only difference is that now I also have to deal with wrinkles. Wearing foundation has always been a challenge, thanks to the dry skin flakes, but finding a good anti-aging foundation that works with my dry skin has been even more of a challenge. If you have skin like mine, then you know exactly what I am talking about here.

Revlon Age Defying Foundation with DNA Advantage

One of the first foundation products I found that worked okay is the Revlon Age Defying Foundation with DNA Advantage. I get it in ‘honey beige,’ but it is available in a few different skin tones. The thing that I like the best about it is the price – usually I can get it for around $10 or so. It offers pretty good coverage and works well with my sensitive skin. For my dry skin problem though, it is just okay. I can get through about half the day before I have to re-apply because it is caking and the dry skin flakes are starting to show. For a long time though, this was the absolute best foundation that I could find to hide my wrinkles and deal with my dry skin. Fortunately for me, I kept looking for the perfect product and one of the best foundation to cover wrinkles.

Tarte ReCreate Anti-Aging Foundation With Wrinkle Rewind Technology

The best foundation I have found is the Tarte ReCreate Anti-Aging Foundation With Wrinkle Rewind Technology. This stuff is a real lifesaver if you have dry skin like me but want to diminish the appearance of your wrinkles. I think one of the reasons that it works so well is that it is a natural foundation with all sorts of minerals in it. I can’t remember what all of them are, but I do know that I do not see any dry skin flakes during the day when I use this foundation. The only downside to it is the price – it is about three times the cost of the Revlon foundation. However, it works best for me so I do not really mind paying more for it. It keeps my skin looking smooth and free of dry skin flakes, which can be embarrassing when you discover them in the mirror.

Feb 12

Haad Rin Guide

By jonnydComments Off

For those not familiar with the place, Haad Rin is the name of the small town on the Thai island of Koh Phangan where the world’s largest monthly beach party happens.  It is a party that attracts up to 30,000 people every month. Despite the huge numbers of party goers, Haad Rin remains a small place. This is because it is hemmed in on a peninsula: to the east, west and south are the ocean and to the north is hilly terrain.

The advantage of the small size of Haad Rin is that it is easy to get around on foot. It takes only a few minutes to make it from the sunset beach to the sunrise beach. Even Haad Sarikantang farther down the west coast of the peninsula is only 15 minutes away from the full moon party beach.

The disadvantage of Haad Rin’s size is that the number of rooms in Haad Rin is limited. There are only about 10,000 rooms. The demand during the Full Moon Party is much higher. This means it is essential to book well in advance or go to Haad Rin 4 or 5 days before the party to get a bungalow near the action. As a result of the limit on accommodation all the resorts insist on a minimum stay of 4 or 5 nights during the full moon period. This does not suit a lot of people. The alternative is to stay elsewhere on Koh Phangan or to stay on the neighboring island of Koh Samui and take the boat in on the night of the party.

Haad Rin has the best selection of bars, cafes and restaurants on the island. You can find plenty of lively bars to drink in. They often have entertainment, drinks offers and other events. The choice of cuisine is also impressive. In Haad Rin you can find Indian food, Italian, Scandinavian, Israeli and of cause Thai food. Haad Rin is a self-contained spot that caters for most holiday needs.

And best of all, Haad Rin sunrise beach is a beautiful stretch of fine white sand with a sea that is suitable for year-round swimming. It is a great place to both party and relax.

Feb 08

What I’ve Learned About the World Economy

By bfh9350Comments Off

From living in different parts of the world with radically different customs, courtesies and culture I have discovered one underlying factor that seems to be a boost for different economies:  personal responsibility.  Personal responsibility is at the root of any healthy economy.   Governments can regulate, legislate and magistrate all they want but at the end of the day it’s up to the people to take control of their own personal finances and contribute to a healthy economy.  My finances are healthy and secure as I use an amortization schedule to ensure that I do my part in fiscal responsibility and can actually afford to pay my mortgage loan on a monthly basis.  It’s amazing how this type of responsibility isn’t encouraged in many cultures.  Personal responsibility among citizens is unquestionably what leads a nation to economic success.

Feb 06

All Because of a Craving

By nancyComments Off

All because of a craving I will have to be in traffic accident claims court in two weeks.  If only I had not seen the commercial for my favorite cheeseburger I could stayed in my pjs and off the road. But no! Off to get a burger and fries I went.

I got my burger and started to head home. I was almost there. Only 7 houses away but instead of arriving to the driveway I hit a park car. Why did I do this? Because out of nowhere the neighbor’s dog came running from towards the side of my vehicle!  I jerked the wheel and that was all it took. BAM!

It was humiliating to knock on the door to my neighbor house to tell them they parked car now had damaged. To make matters even worse the car I hit was owned by their visiting Grandpa Bob! I am sure that was no away he wanted to start his vacation.

Feb 06

Pertaining to Pitchfork and the Term Hipster

By nancyComments Off

Recently there has been a lot of focus on a new subculture with a recycled name: hipsters. We live in a world where new subcultures are created at a whiplash pace. But this one drives me the craziest, especially when it has something to do with the web site, Pitchfork.com.

Don’t get me wrong: there are definitely people who could be considered indie snobs. Because an artist is mainstream, they immediately hate any output from that particular artist. But I have seen an ungodly amount of hate for anything that would be considered indie, including Pitchfork.com. While I think some of the reviews on Pitchfork’s web site may be quick to either dismiss or praise a certain artist or band, I don’t think that makes them any different from the people who openly dismissed Arcade Fire following their Grammy win.

Plus, with the open musical sea that has become of the Internet, an artist on the indie scene can become mainstream darlings relatively quick. From the Grammy nominations for Bon Iver to the recent SNL bands like The Black Keys, the divide between hipster and mainstream is too blurry to keep up the divides.

Feb 04

Getting Juicy With It

By lionelComments Off

Fruits – sweet, delicious, juicy and good for you. Is there a better food on the planet? Today I want to introduce you to the joy of muscat grapes. You can eat them fresh, eat them as raisins and you can even juice them. You can find out more about juicing and what sort of machine is best for the job by looking at online juicer reviews websites.

Grapes are really enjoyable to eat and help us when we want to detox our body. This means that a meal can be as many grapes as you can eat! In other words, just keep on eating grapes until you are full.

When it comes to picking the best grapes, this is what Produce Pete has to say:

Look for plump, smooth grapes with good color. They should be firmly attached to a fresh-looking green stem, with no evidence of wrinkling or withering. There should be a dusty bloom on the skin of the grape itself. Like the dusty bloom on blueberries, it’s a naturally occurring substance that helps protect the grapes and is a good indication of freshness. Green or white grapes will have a golden glow when they’re ripe; red grapes will be a soft, rich red, and black grapes will have a deep, blue-black color

The bottom line is that the fresher your grapes, the more nutrients they will contain. Not only that, they will taste the best too. While other fruits will ripen after they are picked, the fact that grapes don’t means that we should pick them ripe and eat them as soon as possible.

Feb 01

What I Like About The Neato XV-11 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

By AMKComments Off

Strong Suction
The biggest pro is that the Neato XV-11 is a true vacuum and not a sweeping-vac like all other robotic vacuums on the market.  It has very powerful suction that can compare with that of any upright vacuum cleaner.  Many users report that they are amazed at the enormous amount of pet hair and dust that it sucks up.  Most people run their Neato XV-11 daily and only use their upright once a week for deep cleaning.

Low Maintenance
The Neato is very low maintenace.  The only maintenance invilved is cleaning the dustbin when it is full.  The dustbin is opend by lifting the filte.  This means that the dustbin can be removed from the XV-11, taken to the bin and emptied out with hardly any mess.

Scheduling
The Neato has a control panel allowing you to schedule automatic cleaning daily for up to seven days.  This is brilliant as you can schedule the Neato to do your cleaning while you are at work.  Nothing beats coming home to a freshly vacuumed house!

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