Carmine

Active-duty service members want to make sure they have a solid career when they transition from the military. Choosing the right career is the first step. It is very important to select an industry that is going to offer long-term possibilities. They should consider careers with positive career outlooks from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This source provides a forecast of specific careers and industries for the next decade.

Here's an inside look at some popular industries:

Real Estate
The real estate industry is projected to experience an increase in employment opportunities over the next decade as a growing population has a greater housing need. With a robust economy, individuals will be more likely to buy a new house, or invest money into a secondary residence. Flexible work hours and high earnings potential will draw more people into this profession.

Consider a job as a licensed real estate salesperson, licensed appraiser, licensed broker, home inspector or licensed contractor!

Medical
The medical industry is projected to have the strongest employment growth of any industry within the next decade. Continued advances in technology, as well as a growing and aging population, will spur this growth and create opportunities for well-trained individuals. There will be a steady increase in the number of group practices, clinics, and other health care facilities throughout the United States.

Consider a job as a medical billing specialist, medical coding specialist, medical transcription specialist, medical administrative assistant, and more!

Business
The business industry is projected to have steady growth over the next decade as it continues to expand and provide additional employment needs. Opportunities will be greatest for well-rounded individuals that possess knowledge of basic computer applications and office machinery, and demonstrate solid communication skills. There will be an ample amount of full- and part-time jobs as well as temporary positions.

Consider a job as a small business manager, legal secretary, administrative assistant, or property manager; or enhance your skills with Microsoft courses or Professional QuickBooks!

Heather Brunson is a lead marketing writer for Allied Schools a Military Education Online. She has a B.A. in Journalism with an emphasis on public relations. She has additional experience in technical writing.

W-2 Employees have tax options. Although they often feel left out of the tax-loop, those who work for W-2 payroll have a wide variety of options for saving money at tax time. The secret to getting the best tax benefits lies in knowing what your options are and using all the options available to you.

1.Keep all business related receipts. IF you purchase something required for your job and are NOT reimbursed by your employer, that item may well be deductible for you as a job related expense. As a matter of habit, keep all receipts for job related expenses.

2.Be aware of all deduction options. When you know what deductions you can take at the beginning of the year, you are more likely to save money later in the year on your tax debt. Job related travel, safety deposit boxes, and more are deductible if you choose to itemize.

3.Dont loose out on tax credits. Tax credits are created to benefit those who have unusual expenses during the year that are not legally deductible. Using the tax credits provides a benefit of returned cash for your expenses when you qualify.

4.Consider Tax Free Investments. When investing money for retirement or education benefits, consider a Tax Free Investment. The lower value of returns may balance out on reduced taxability of the investment.

5.Take a loss. Occasionally, the pay off for selling an investment at an apparent loss, can result in dramatically reducing your tax debt, gaining a benefit of less money spent, and more money gained. Your Tax Consultant can guide you, but will need your Tax information prior to the end of the year.

6.Charitable Donations. More than money, your donations to charity are deductible. If you donate clothing, furniture, or other merchandise to a recognized charity, get a receipt and use the receipt as a deduction on your taxes. Mileage driven for charity is also deductible.

7.Gifts giving saves you money. If you are retired and your children are due to inherit a large sum of money, gifting them the maximum allowable amount each year is often preferable to maintaining a huge estate and paying estate tax. Consider gifting your children and allowing them to enjoy their inheritance early. (Your tax consultant will have other options for saving your retirement tax moneys also.)

8.Maximize your Retirement Contributions. If youre in that other category too young to retire, too old to have children for deductions, its often recommended that you maximize your Retirement Contributions. This contribution can save you money anytime, and provide a viable option for retirement.

9.Put children on the payroll. For legitimate expenses, if you pay your children (over 14) for deductible expenses, pay them a check and pay taxes. Allow them to pay their own expenses with money they earn.

10.Double-check your Tax Documents. Many errors are made on tax documents that would save you money if caught before taxes are filed. EVEN if you have a competent Tax Consultant/Preparer doing your taxes, double-check numbers, placement of numbers, and items on your tax documents for correctness. Accounting errors can cost you money.

Having a Tax Preparer who willingly offers information about your Taxable Income and Deductions provides far better service than a minimum service whom you pay less, but end up paying more in taxes. Consider the additional amount you are paying in taxes without quality consultation, when considering your Tax Consultants Fee.

Know your rights as a Tax Payer, and hire a qualified Tax Consultant who understands the value of your dollar. Invest in accounting services that benefit you. Visit Jan Verhoeff, a Consultant with more than 20 years of Tax and Business Planning Experience, at http://www.freewebs.com/janverhoeff

* Are you the type of fisherman who has got into a rut? When it comes to using hook baits what does it take to double or even treble your catches, on those more fishing pressured waters?!

You are more than likely, representative of the majority of fishermen who fish for carp or catfish, and usually fish only one bait on the hook, or one bait of one type at one time. Doing this can rob you of takes when doing things a little different to normal can pay off big-time!

Carp get used to dealing with conventional hair rigs and catfish too get used to the single bait or big bait on the hook and it really pays to ring the changes. This also can give you the opportunity to stimulate more of the fishes systems by using different food items on the hook. Then in time when perhaps one bait might not provoke a bite, then perhaps the other bait will.

For carp, simply fishing a different bait over, or to the side of a bed of free baits could hook those wary bigger carp. E.g. A bird food bait fished to the side of fish meal free baits.

Double baits or using a sinking bait and a buoyant bait together on a hair, are effective but as more anglers use this rig, perhaps its worth looking for other alternatives that are flexible and easy to use:

Using paste or dough baits on the hair wrapped around a small pellet or boilie could make all the difference on many days.

Or even use one boilie bait on your hair rig along with one air-dried paste or dough bait. Or how about fishing more than one hair on your hook. Use one boilie bait on one hair and an air- dried paste bait on the other?

In fact, in winter this type of rig works wonders for shy biting big carp when utilizing a buoyant paste or boilie on a separate hair and a sinking boilie or air-dried paste bait on another. This rig can trip up the fish as it needs to take both baits into it mouth to get at even one and this time, there is no hair length to let it escape getting hooked as the baits sit right alongside your hook...

Using 'PVA' string with baits identical to your hook baits, is a great way to fool those big carp, and it works better if you make your 'free baits' lots of different shapes, sizes and densities by using different production methods. This really works and for example, I had a very good 'hit' of carp at 'Waveney Valley Lakes' in the UK, using this trick.

Another great edge is to mix up your free baits to 'confuse' the reference points of your fish. Carp get used to sampling one bait of one type and shape and size. But what if you constantly baited your swim with four different boilie types all in different sizes, shapes, flavours, densities and colours etc. And then you fished a totally different hook bait beside them? Give it a try on a 'hard' water and find out for yourself!

Hook baits are merely a hook delivery system and there is no reason to get stuck using just one method, bait style or rig style. Changing beyond just the current fashions in fishing always gets you more fish and many bigger ones too!

The author has many more fishing and bait edges up his sleeve. Every single one can have a huge impact on catches. (Warning: This article is protected by copyright, but reprints with a link are OK.)

Tim Richardson is a carp and catfish bait-making expert, and a highly successful big fish angler. His bait making books / ebooks are helping fishermen achieve far greater catches of big fish: SEE =>BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS! at http://www.baitbigfish.com

* Even used by members of the world elite British Carp Study Group for expert reference. * Gain from more understanding, expert bait making experience and truly cutting-edge fishing information at this very unique fishing bait making website.

The thinking anglers fishing author and expert bait making guru.

I was just leafing through some of my sales training tips that I place in articles and sales seminars.

One of them pertains to maintaining flow in conversations with the timely injection of transition phrases.

I use the example of a person you call who says right away, Im pretty busy right now.

You can offer to call back, politely say goodbye, or you can parry the statement with a transition such as: Well I appreciate that and Ill make it brief.

Your decision as to what strategy to employ will be informed to a major extent not by your personal style or even your training in using transitions, important as these considerations are.

Your strategy will be governed by the size of prospecting universe that youre phoning into.

Example: One of my clients is a large distributor of farm equipment in the Midwest. How many prospects can buy HUGE crop cultivation machines, or even tractors?

Not that many. Even the most eccentric New Yorker won't commute to work On a Deere, so market enlargement is, practically speaking, out of the question for combines and harvesters.

Farmers are your market, and with consolidation and the rapid disappearance of family spreads, there arent that many to call, so you had better cultivate strategies for keeping those folks you have on your short list on the phone, or otherwise interested in hearing from you.

On the other hand, if your prospecting base is relatively large, you may not have to parry or address objections, at all.

At the first hint of resistance, you can seek out the next set of ears.

Beware of sales training that is so doctrinaire that it implores you to ALWAYS do this or that.

Your particular marketing universe will, to a large extent, determine the tools you can use.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books and more than a thousand articles. A frequent expert commentator on radio and TV, (See: http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=417455932#) he is quoted often in prominent publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Business Week. President of Clientrelations.com and Customersatisfaction.com, his seminars and training programs are sponsored internationally and he is a top-rated faculty member at more than 40 universities. Dynamic and fun, Gary brings over two decades of management and consulting experience to the table, with the best academic credentials in the speaking and training industry. Holder of a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School For Communication at USC, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management, and a J.D. degree from Loyola, his clients include several Fortune 1000 companies and successful family owned and operated firms. More than a talking head, Gary is a top mind that you'll enjoy working with. He can be reached at gary@customersatisfaction.com.

The ability to test your clients hair alcohol levels and gain a snapshot their alcoholic past is now made possible through the introduction of Hair Alcohol Testing in the UK.

Recently launched by Trimega Laboratories Ltd in April 2007, this new method of testing has been adopted by numerous court, legal and family advocates across the UK. For the first time ever, there is a non-invasive method of establishing long-term excessive drinking for up to 12 months.

ALCOHOL ABUSE THE FACTS

It is difficult to quantify the impact the substance misuse has on families. The use of drugs and alcohol is often one of many factors that place stress of family relationships. Substance misuse is associated with domestic violence, martial break-up, unemployment, and parenting problems.

Researchers have observed high levels of mental health problems among relatives of people who misuse alcohol and drugs . Further, children of problem drinkers are more likely to have behavioural problems, school related problems, and to use alcohol and drugs in a problematic way than children of non-problem drinkers.

Current estimates indicate that 780,000 to 1.3 million children affected by parental alcohol problems and between 250,000 and 350,000 children of problem drug users in the UK .

There are an estimated 1.3 million parents with alcohol misuse problems in the UK and 350,000 parents who have serious drug problems in England and Wales . Of these parents who misuse drugs it is estimated that only 37 percent of fathers and 64 percent of mothers still live with their children .

Childline, a free 24 hour helpline for children and young people across the UK received calls from just under 140,000 children in 2004/2005. Analysis of these calls suggests that more children are effected by parental/carer alcohol misuse than drug misuse. In 2004/2005 the number of callers who spoke to Childline about significant others alcohol misuse was over double the number who called primarily to talk about significant others drug misuse (3,442 compared to 1,600)

It is therefore not surprising that substance misuse (particularly alcohol) is a problem for a large proportion of children and families on social work case loads in the UK. A 2002 Nuffield Foundation study reviewed the cases of 290 children allocated for social work cases across four London boroughs. Sixty two percent of the children involved were subject to care proceedings and 40 percent were on the child protection register. The study found that the parental substance abuse affected 100 families, 34 percent of the total sample. 41 percent involved alcohol misuse, and 27 percent involved alcohol and drug misuse. Only 29 percent of the families involved had received support from substance misuse professionals .

Furthermore, alcohol has just been classified as the fifth most seriously harming drug, after only heroin, cocaine, barbiturates and street methadone. Even more shocking is the fact that liver disease is the fifth highest cause of death in Britain and that alcoholics are just as prevalent in society as diabetics.

So it is not surprising that many legal, medical and HR professionals have been looking for a reliable test that tracks an individuals history of alcohol misuse.

ALCOHOL ABUSE TESTING EXPLAINED

Traditionally, excessive alcohol consumption has been monitored using the Liver Function Test (LFT), which indicates the degree of inflammation present in the liver, and the Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin (CDT), which shows excessive alcohol consumption by looking at a specific biological marker in the blood. While useful in showing excessive alcohol consumption over past three four week period, the major limitation is the window of detection. There is still a valuable place for these tests, not least because they provide a fuller picture of alcohol abuse over a two four week period.

Hair alcohol testing extends that history significantly by providing a reliable and historical record of alcohol consumption for periods of up to one year.

The alternative provider in the Medico-Legal market for hair drug testing, Trimega Laboratories, have a patent-pending process of hair extraction for these markers, followed by interpretation of results against controls set with clinical data from alcohol users that allows them to distinguish teetotalers or social drinkers from alcoholics or individuals drinking at harmful levels.

When hair grows it absorbs a range of chemical markers that are locked in the hair in just the same way that the rings on a tree can tell us about the climate year by year. These markers, including fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) only occur when ethanol (alcohol) is consumed, The more alcohol an individual consumes, the greater the concentration of these markers in the hair.

Unlike hair drug testing, it is currently not possible to segment samples to give a month-by-month pattern, unless the donor has abstained from drinking for the most recent 3 months or more. The reason for this is that fatty acid derivatives measured are carried into the hair via sebum from the scalp and then down the hair shaft. So past periods of abstinence when followed by excessive alcohol consumption cannot be accurately tested.

Already the feedback and interest in this medical application since the launch has been remarkable. This latest technology is a beginning of a new era in substance misuse prevention insofar as early identification of individuals that could place children at risk and families at risk.

For further information in relation to this testing Visit www.trimegalabs.com Or contact 0845 388 0124

Avi Lasarow, a proficient writer, writes articles for hairalcoholtesting.com. The author writes articles about Hair Drug Testing, Alcohol Test and Hair Alcohol Testing are accessible on the internet.

There are many types of software available, and they even have many versions for helping you to landscape. You may wonder which is the best landscape design software, and one way to find out is to experiment with free demos online, or to visit web sites and read about the products and how they work, what kinds of designs they allow you to do, how much they cost, and how easy or hard they are to learn to master.

Some of the best landscape design software programs are those used by the professional landscape designers, and these include CAD style software, that allows you to see an object in a 3-d form, on your computer screen. You can use this kind of CAD grid to view the landscape from a number of different angles and elevations, for example. If you want to know how the view from the kitchen window might be affected by the placement of bushes, shrubs, and trees, you can plug your data into this kind of program and then use your computer mouse to spin it and tip it in different directions until you get the view you are looking for. Then you can adjust your design, before you actually go to the nursery and invest money, or before you go out and get dirty planting a new dogwood tree that may later have to be moved at the risk of killing it.

Most of the best landscape design software is used by pros who went to school to learn how to manipulate it, and it is best to hire a pro, instead of trying to buy the software which can be very expensive and doing it yourself. But if you are a do it yourself landscaper, then you can buy simple versions of the same kind of software, and these will help you to map out your plans, your plants, and your budget, easily. And some websites for nurseries or landscape supplies will provide their visitors with ways to use software to see some simple designs online.

For lots of information on landscape design online and other related topics, visit Guide to Landscaping at www.guide-to-landscaping.com

Hello dear one
I understand and hear
You're not feeling well
My sympathies I send
From the heart of a friend
Take time to rest and recover
I won't take long
I don't want to smother
Just a short note
To say I care
You lay long in bed now
Don't worry about your hair
Neither what you'll wear
Attend to your health
More important than wealth
Why spend one
To accumulate the other
Your health is irreplaceable
Undoubtedly foundational
To your personal well being
I care about how you're feeling
Both inwardly and physically
Emotionally and relationally
Life should be lived wholeheartedly
Enough of my personal philosophy
You rest and kick back now
Don't be concerned with why or how
Just cuddle up under the covers
Wrap yourself up in my love
Think nice thoughts and dream of
Pleasantries and dainty delights
Sunshine, sandy beaches, and moonlight
Waves crashing on the sea shore
Think of your problems no more
Allow yourself a little daydreaming
While you're ill and not feeling
Like going to work, dealing with stuff
Disgruntled people who handle you rough
Forget about them and all of that
Eat, drink, watch some tele, take a nap
Curl up and snooze with your cat
Turn off the phone, don't answer the door
Drink lots of fruit juice, eat a bit more
Send a family member to the store
To get all your goodies
Eat some chocolate covered strawberries
Lounge in your pajamas all day
Just sit, be still, and stay
Right where you are
Don't get in your car
Listen to some soothing music
Take a hot bubble bath
Watch a few movies and have a laugh
Soon you'll be well and this will pass.

Paul Davis is a FL real estate professional, life coach (relational & professional), worldwide minister, and change master.

Paul is the author of several books including Breakthrough for a Broken Heart; Adultery: 101 Reasons Not to Cheat; Are You Ready for True Love; Stop Lusting & Start Living; Waves of God; Supernatural Fire; Poems that Propel the Planet; and God vs. Religion.

Paul's compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul has served in many war-torn, impoverished and tsunami stricken regions of the earth. His Dream-Maker Inc. is building dreams, breaking limitations & reviving nations.

Paul's Breakthrough Seminars inspire, revive, awaken, impregnate with purpose, impart the fire of desire, catapult people into a new level of self-awareness, facilitate destiny discovery and dream fulfillment.

Contact Paul to minister, speak at your event or for life coaching: RevivingNations@yahoo.com, 407-284-1705.

For additional info: www.DreamMakerMinistries.com

www.CreativeCommunications.TV

Yeah, yeah, smatterings of sales trainers see fit to advise audiences to tell incorporate one of these lame lies into their sales presentations. A very few high dollar sales professionals will tell one occasionally. Even you may be tempted to respond like this every once in a great while.

What are the seemingly harmless white lies they tell?

How about this one left on Voice Mail: Im in a meeting or helping another client.

Or how about the one that comes to mind when a gatekeeper asks, Is he expecting your call?

Then, of course there are those who have heard No and decide to call back with a disguised voice including the female sales person who calls with a low, sultry, voice, asking for the prospect by his first name.

Stories about colleagues who practice these white lies bring raucous laughter, tears of amusement and a shaking of heads at sales meetings. Even a few company presidents chuckle and say Sales are sales if it works, whats the harm!

And I look em straight in the eye, tell em what harm is done, and what they need to look out for from the few sales professionals who use these tactics.

White lies give the appearance of being a harmless means to a profitable end, but

Lets look a bit closer as we count the costs.

This email message, Im away from my desk or on the line with another client right now is a bad habit and an especially ineffective bad habit if your goal is to do business with high-level decision-makers.

Take it out of context for a minute so you can see and feel the impact of that kind of message.

If you called the office of President George W. Bush after hours, what would you think if you received a voice mail message saying, Im either in a meeting or on the line with another citizen right now, please leave a message and Ill call you back?

Sounds goofy, fake, and wimpydoesnt it? So does yours.

This kind of message reflects your need to explain yourself, which in turn is the habit of a person who belongs at the lower levels of an organization. Lower level employees, by virtue of their job description, must always explain themselves to their superiors.

You dont need to explain yourself. They called you and can leave a message. PERIOD.

When the executive assistant asks, Is he expecting your call, some sales persons experience momentary brain freeze.

In a split second they are faced with a dilemma of character that demands a decision be made. The sales pro wonders, Should I say, Yes because thats what it might take to get me through or tell the truth and risk losing contact with the decision maker?

And then there is the disguised, sultry voice thing. Whats up with that? Do they really think the executive assistant wont catch on to that? Yeah, right!

Heres the common thread that runs throughout these lame lies.

The conduct we choose is a clear reflection of our character.

During my study of the impact of character, a company president, Bill, shared this story:

I decided to do random drug testing throughout my company. I wanted to be fair and knew to do so I needed to randomly test all levels of employees, myself and the other executives included.

I decided ahead of time that if the tests results came back positive for drug use, Id discuss this with the employee and give the person one of two options. He/she could chose to resign or to stay employed with us at no reduction in pay if he/she chooses to go through a drug detoxification-rehabilitation program at the companys expense.

I was surprised and saddened that several of my executive-level colleagues tested positive for narcotics. And every person who tested positive insisted The tests are wrong and opted to resign from the companyrather than admit to the truth and take advantage of free help.

This business leader learned how a person presents himself is an issue of character. Character determines behavior. A person who has the character of a liar is devoted to lyingeven to the point of refusing free help and losing a good job.

What traits do your behaviors reveal about your character? Regular use of words that reflect integrity are a good choice with which to start your prospect-client relationships or for that matter any relationships!

Forward this article to friendstheyll thank you for it!

For your FREE mini-course Jealously Guarded Secrets to Cold Calling Company Presidents visit http://www.ColdCallingExecutives.com! Or call Your Sales Coach for Extreme Profitability, author/speaker Leslie Buterin (like butterin bread) at (816) 554-3674 9-3 CST (thats Kansas City/Chicago Time).

Have you ever thought about fixing a broken window in your house, but didn't think you could do it because nobody ever taught you how to cut glass? Well, you really don't have to know how to cut glass in order to repair your window. If you knew how to remove the frame, you could order a replacement piece of glass from your local glass shop already cut to the proper size. Then, it's just a matter of installing the new glass into the frame. But, there are so many different kinds of window out there, there is no way i could explain them all in one article. So, this is going to be the first in a series of articles describing the repair procedure for each type of window.

There are really two categories of windows out there. They are single pane windows and dual pane windows. Then, within those two categories, there are several types of windows in each category. Let's start with the single pane window category. This would be older windows that were around before the building industry became more energy conscious. It just means that there is a single piece of glass in the frame that surrounds it. A lot of homeowners mistakenly think a horizontal sliding window must be a double pane window, since there is a pane of glass in the sliding panel and another pane in the stationary panel. The terminology refers to the number of panes in the sliding or fixed panel alone. In other words, a single pane horizontal sliding window has a single pane of glass in the sliding panel, and a single pane in the fixed panel. A double pane slider would actually have two pieces of glass in both the sliding panel and fixed panel. The pieces in each panel are separated by approximately 3/8" of air, and have a metal spacer around the edge of the glass.

So, let's get back to the single pane repairs. One of the more common types of single pane windows are the type that uses putty to hold the glass in the frame. All old wood windows are done this way. Old metal casement windows are usually done this way as well. The casement window is the kind with the handle on the inside bottom corner that you crank, and the window opens outward on a top and bottom pivot. Let's focus this article on the putty style replacements.

Before you begin, pick a local glass shop in your area where you will go to pick up the new glass. Make sure they are going to be open the day you do the work, and confirm with them that if you call in an order for a pane of glass in the morning, you can pick it up in an hour or two. You dont want to remove the glass from the window frame, then find out the glass shop won't have your glass cut until next week. If they can't guarantee a two hour turnaround, keep looking.

The fastest and easiest way to remove the old glass is to break it out. Put an old sheet or a tarp on the ground below the window. Then, put on some gloves. Use gloves with a material that will prevent a piece of glass from cutting your hands. A pair of gardening gloves should work fine. Get yourself a pair of safety glasses as well. Trust me, you don't want to get hit in the eye with a piece of flying glass. As my Father always used to tell me, "Better safe than sorry". Now, go inside with a hammer in hand and knock the glass out of the center part of the window. It's best to leave some glass sticking out around the edge. You can grab the protruding glass and use it as leverage to pop the old putty loose. The more old putty that you can get to come out along with the glass, the less scraping you will have to do. I have done some wood window replacements where the putty was dried and cracked, and it practically fell out on it's own. On the flip side, i have done some where the putty had almost become a part of the wood. The only way to separate the putty from the frame in those instances is to use a putty knife to scrape it down to the wood. While removing the putty, you will find little pieces of metal that are used to hold the glass in place while applying the putty. The wood windows use push points, and you can get a package of new ones at the hardware store. If you're working with the metal casement window, the metal clips are called sash clips. You might have a harder time finding these. Frankly, i don't see any problem reusing them.

Once you have all the glass and putty removed, clean the frame with a paint brush. Then measure the width at three spots:bottom, middle, and top. Take the smallest measurement and deduct 1/8" for wood windows and 3/8" for steel casements. Then, measure the height at the left side, center, and right side. Take the smallest measurement and deduct 1/8" on wood windows and 1/4" on casements. When you order your new glass, order double strength glass, and give the width first, then the height. When you get the new glass home, the installation process is slightly different between wood and steel windows. If it's wood, put a thin bead of caulk on the frame where the glass is going to make contact. Install the glass. The caulk will hold the glass in place while you install the push points. You can either apply putty or use white caulk instead. If you're going to use caulk, cut the tip below the tapered part, and cut at a 45 degree angle. You want the largest possible hole to allow the caulk to cover the large area previously covered by the putty. The caulk method is faster than putty, but it requires more skill to make the job look nice. If you have steel casements, the only option is putty. The area is just too large to use caulk. The sash clips install differently than the push points. The push points stick into the wood, but the sash clips insert into small holes in the side of the casement frame. Sometimes the holes get plugged with old putty and it's easy to overlook them. Take your time applying the putty. Make sure you use the putty knife to smooth the surface. You just repaired your putty window.

I will be on Christmas vacation for the next two weeks, but when I come back, I will continue this series of articles on repairing single pane windows.

John Rocco has been installing replacement windows since 1978. To learn more, visit How To Install Windows

Having life insurance is essential especially if you have children and a family who are dependant on you. While it would be hard enough for them to come to terms with the death of their loved one, they would also have the added worry about how to cope financially.

A recent survey has however shown that a staggering third of all people who pay out for life insurance pay far too much for their premium. There are however many ways that you can save money on your life insurance premiums and one of the best ways to start making savings is to use a specialist broker.

While going online yourself and doing a little research you are able to make comparisons with many insurance providers, you will get a good idea of the sort of cover you want. You can then let the broker take it from there. This will lead you to getting the lowest premium and the best deal possible.

Another factor you should take into account if you have a partner or family is to check out if it might be possible for you to save money by covering all family members under one policy. This can sometimes work out much cheaper than buying separate cover for all of them.

While life insurance can be confusing, when you start looking around online for information it suddenly becomes much easier to understand.

Should you wish to find the insurance yourself, then there are some things that you should take into account when looking around online for the cheapest deal. For instance, if you have a pre-existing medical condition then it is essential that you be totally honest about this.

If you do have an existing condition and have already got life insurance then you could still save money on your premiums by switching, especially if the condition has improved since you last took out insurance.

The price you pay for the premium can also depend on your lifestyle, such things as giving up smoking and drinking can save you a lot on your premium, and it also helps that if you are overweight, you lose a few pounds.

If you currently have life insurance and are switching it then you will also have some things to consider before making the switch. You should always make sure that you dont cancel the policy you have now until you make sure that the new one is in place fully, so that dont leave yourself without any insurance.

Always make sure that you check what a policy covers you for, there are many exclusions within a policy and if you do have any existing medical conditions this might leave your loved ones unable to make a claim should it come to it.

David Thomson is Chief Executive of BestDealInsurance a completely independent specialist broker dedicated to providing their clients with the best insurance deal. They offer great value life insurance as well as, critical illness and income protection, ensuring that their clients have the protection they need, without leaving a hole in their pocket.

Good bathroom tile design should create a floor surface that is attractive, water resistant and safe to walk on. Bathroom tile designs using ceramic tile, rubber flooring or vinyl and linoleum floors are examples of bathroom tile design material choices that should be available nearly anywhere. These types of tiles are easy to clean, water resistant and safe to walk on. If you are going to use natural stone or terra-cotta ceramic tiles on your floors to create a more sophisticated effect, make sure you buy the kind with a non-slip finish.

As you consider which bathroom tile designs to select, each type of tile will have unique properties that may or may not provide characteristics that are good for your bathroom. Here are different material types for bathroom tile design along with advantages or disadvantages of each:

1. Laminate and Vinyl Bathroom Tile Design - these types of tile in bathroom tile designs can be found in a variety of colors, patterns and textures. Some tiles even imitate wood, stone and ceramic. It is not very expensive, is water resistant, easy to install and clean and it is durable.

2. Ceramic Bathroom Tile Design - ceramic tile can range from fairly cheap to expensive and it is the classic choice. Tile is made of clay, shale or porcelain and is formed and fired at very high temperatures until it hardens. The higher the temperature and the more times the tile is fired, the harder and less porous the tile.

If you are using a white or cream ceramic tile for your bathroom, using a different color grout like "blue" will give your bathroom a dramatic look. Grout is the material used to fill the spaces between the tiles. Make sure you apply sealers to grout lines in areas of heavy wear like countertops. Sealers will also preserve grout colors.

3. Stone Bathroom Tile Designs (marble, granite, brick, slate, onyx, travertine and limestone) - this tile can be beautiful, very strong, durable in high-traffic areas, it will last a long time, is low maintainance and easy to clean. However, it is expensive, it's a cold material, can be slippery and absorbs stains easily.

4. Linoleum Bathroom Tile Design - this tile is made of renewable and natural materials like linseed oil, ground cork, limestone, jute and wood flour. This type of bathroom floor is making a comeback with new marbled and graphic designs, and it is more durable and easier to clean than vinyl tile.

5. Mosaic Bathroom Tile - this wonderful tile was an ancient craft that today can be made of tile, stone, porcelain and colored glass, creating stunning floor patterns. These tiles are small (1 or 2 inches square) and often expensive. What you can do is to add a small section of this type of tile for visual interest to your floor or countertop.

6. Concrete Bathroom Tile Designs - durable, low maintenance, perfect for wet areas and stunning. You can find this type of tile in beautiful textures such as shiny, rough, slick and sandpaper and in various colors and sizes.

7. Hardwood - you can build your bathroom floor using solid wood, parquet flooring or engineered woods (several layers of wood laminated and high-tech materials that are similar to plywood). Hardwoods are wear-resistant, attractive, comfortable to walk on, easy to clean and refinish, not very cold in winter, but they are more vulnerable to moisture when used in a bathroom.

If you want to use a bathroom tile design that includes rugs in your bathroom, make sure you buy the kind that has rubber backing, or add rubber backing strips to the rugs. Be careful with rugs that can slip and slide on a tiled floor or natural stone floor which creates a safety hazard. Rugs can also harbor dust mites and allergens which is a problem for people with allergies.

Whether you'll be remodeling an old bathroom or creating a brand new one, being active in the design stage helps ensure that your bathroom turns out just like you want. The bathroom tile designs and styles, colors, patterns and sizes you choose can help you have a bathroom that is comfortable, attractive and functional and a room that you will enjoy every day.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing

Read more about bathroom design ideas and bathroom lighting, storage, bathroom vanities, small bathrooms, childrens bathrooms and more. David Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.yourdreamloghome.com - a popular website for homeowners.

The term set-top box will become something of a misnomer in the near future, as most displays will become too thin to allow a box to placed on top of them. As the price of plasma & LCD displays has plummeted and their image quality has improved, they are popping up in homes everywhere.

Although they are the darlings of the media and the generic for flat panel display in the minds of many, plasmas are about to be in a serious fight with other technologies for the flat panel crown.

LCD displays, seen on the desktop for years as computer monitors, and commonplace in smaller flat panel TVs, are finally increasing in size to the point they are becoming a rival to plasmas in the 42" 50 size range. Picture quality is similar to plasmas; however LCDs are immune to the burn-in that can affect plasma displays. This burn-in occurs when plasma units are used to display static images such as video game screens and stock or sports tickers.

Plasmas generally have an edge in the ability to produce deeper blacks and more saturated colors than LCDs. Plasmas are also better at producing full motion video than LCDs because of the response time of the LCD panels, although this difference is disappearing.

LCD TVs are a bit more expensive than plasmas at 42" and larger sizes, but they should last a while longer. Plasma displays should last 20,000 25,000 hours and LCDs should give 30,000+ hours of useful life. However, the latest generation of plasma displays from NEC, LG & others is claimed to have a 60,000 hour life. If that is an industry trend, the traditional lifespan advantage held by LCDs may soon disappear. This comes at a time when Sony and other major consumer electronics manufacturers are either abandoning plasma or reducing their plasma offerings. Others, such as Panasonic, Fujitsu and Pioneer are firmly commited to Plasma technology.

Currently Sony has a 42", NEC a 40", Sharp a 45", and Samsung a 40" LCD TV or display. Samsung also has the big one, a 46" that started shipping in early September of 2004. The Samsung 46" was the first consumer LCD video display to have a 1080 line native resolution. This allows it to display 1080p native when that format arrives for HDTV. The Samsung has been joined by Sony, Toshiba and others, to endow the mid 40" size category with some pretty solid LCD offerings. The largest consumer LCD TVs or monitors are the Sharp 65" and Sony showed a prototype 82" LCD from their Bravia line at the 2006 CES in Las Vegas.

Other technologies are on the horizon as well. One that has shown great promise is OLED, for Organic Light Emitting Diode. Developed by Kodak and Pioneer, this technology has been used for a few years in car stereo and cell phone displays. It's just about ready for prime time. Philips has shown a 13" unit, Samsung a 17", and Seiko-Epson has shown a 40" prototype.

OLEDs advantages are many. It actually emits its own light, so it requires no backlight and has better contrast than a traditional LCD. OLED displays have a wide viewing angle like a plasma display. Power usage is very low, less than 1/2 that of a traditional LCD display. At around 2mm deep, OLEDs are much thinner than either a plasma or LCD.

They have a refresh rate about 1,000 times faster than a traditional LCD, so they will be far superior for video applications. They have fewer parts than LCD or plasma and can be manufactured using a novel ink jet printing process. This promises to keep prices low as the technology is implemented. It is expected to see sub 20" displays in stores by 2006 with larger units following one to two years later.

Other promising display technologies on the horizon include SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) and carbon Nanotube. SED was developed by Canon, who began research into the technology in 1986. SED is basically the same principle as CRT, however there are important differences. The most important from a consumer standpoint is thickness. An SED display is only an inch or two thick, depending upon screen size.

The basic construction is two glass plates separated by a vacuum. One of the plates is coated with phosphors the other is mounted with electron emitters. Electrons are ejected when a voltage of about 16 to 18 V is applied to the emitters. These electrons are then accelerated by a higher voltage into a beam similar to that in a CRT display.

The visual advantages of SEDs are as for CRT displays, great color, deep black levels and quick motion response. These advantages, combined with the slim form factor, low cost and small power requirement should make for a real winner.

A unit shown by Toshiba at a Japanese trade show in April of 2005 even had its contrast ratio up to an incredible 100,000 to 1 by significantly reducing black luminance. Even if the specs were a bit inflated this would still amount to a fantastic contrast ratio, on the order of 5 times that of a traditional CRT. At one time, Toshiba indicated they would move to this technology for all displays over 40 by 2006. However, after a spectacular demo at 2006 CES by where they indicated a late 2006 debut, both Canon and Toshiba, Toshiba resheduled their release date for SED until mid 2007, ostensibly to allow them to produce lower cost SEDs.

There is another fly in the SED ointment too. On April 21st, 2005 US firm Nano-Proprietary has filed a suit against Canon in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Texas, alleging that the surface (SED) televisions that Canon plans to release violates a licensing agreement signed 5 years ago between the Japanese giant and Nano-Proprietary.

The pace of change in the home theater and entertainment display market has just kept accelerating. There are some promising technologies around the corner that will allow, as usual, higher performance, lower cost and more compact form factors. As prices for advanced technologies plunge and technology improves, it will make it even easier for the average person to have a fantastic media system almost anywhere in their home.

Steve Faber has almost 15 years in the custom installation industry. He is a CEDIA certified designer and Installer 2 with certifications from both the ISF and THX. His experience spans many facets of the industry, from the trenches as an installer and control systems programmer, and system designer, to a business unit director for a specialty importer of high end audio video equipment, a sales rep for a large, regional consumer electronics distributor, and principal of a $1.5M+ custom installation firm. He currently is senior sales engineer for Digital Cinema Design in Redmond, WA. For much more about flat panel technology, home automation and home theater, go to flat panel displays for your home and theater

Red Flag is the United States Air Forces airborne net-centric war game training. It resembles the United States Navys famous Top Gun School only with added components. As warfare training and simulation gets better and our SmartBombs and Smart Munitions get smarter the future of war will be fast, furious and permanent for the players. You live or die based on your ability to communicate and execute.

Each year United States Air Force personnel rotate thru the high-tech war games of red Flag to learn how all the new components of the blue force communication in a net-centric team to identify, evaluate and terminate the enemy with split second and pin-point accuracy. So precision that the missiles launched fly thru windows and the aircraft fire before they are seen, as there is little left to chance.

Indeed there is no other Air Force in this world with the capacity and capability of the United States of America. I believe we can do better and therefore, I propose that we use state of the art Holographic Technologies in full motion 3D, 4D and 5D right up in the sky to simulate real world air-to-air combat, anti-aircraft fire and surface to air incoming missiles.

Military strategists and war fighters can play out the battle in the virtual battlespace in advance on tabletops at command and control and then watch it un-fold in real time. Meanwhile the USAF pilots can watch holographic images in front of them as if it were real and it will appear to be so real, that once in a real live battle situation, it will be a cake walk, think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; www.WorldThinkTank.net/

What data is considered for High School Rankings for K-12 general interest? Newsweek Magazine is the most popular publication that ranks public high schools, and most high schools strive for inclusion. Newsweek journalist Jay Mathews devised the formula used by the magazine to determine which schools make the list. It looks at how many students took the Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate &/or Cambridge tests, and divides that number by how many graduating seniors the school has; and that is the standard for determining High School Rankings for K-12 general interest.

However, there are many other, immeasurable factors that go into High School Rankings for K-12 general interest. Many factors determine the success of the high schools; great teachers, motivated students, strong extra-curricular programs, and top-notch leadership.

Principals are the leaders of the school they inspire and motivate not only the teachers, but the students themselves. Whether they realize it or not, and its safe to say that most do, they are the first factor in determining High School Rankings for K-12 general interest.

In my opinion, principals are the backbone of any school, and influence the entire atmosphere of both academically and socially. High school principals, indeed principals at all levels, are leading schools that no longer simply focus on the 3 Rs; they have to support and influence honors programs, demonstrate strong leadership and motivation for teachers, support extracurricular clubs and activities, participate in community outreach, discipline students while being sensitive to a teenagers needs. All of these things motivate the principals, who are responsible for High School Rankings for K-12 general interest.

High School Rankings for K-12 general interest is something a high school principal must think about as well. How the school compares to other schools influences the success of the school in several ways. For the most part, the High School Rankings for K-12 general interest influence who comes to the school. Students and parents are the clientele, and principals want to draw them to their school; not only for the chance to further the students education, but to improve the prestige of the high school in question. They are definitely looking at High School Rankings for K-12 general interest to see which school they want their children to attend.

A principal who is sensitive to High School Rankings for K-12 general interest faces many challenges, however. The job is a tough one one that for most is 24/7. Even when they arent at the school, working for recognition in High School Rankings for K-12 general interest, they are out in the community, participating in school and neighborhood functions, talking about their jobs with peers, friends and family, or simply thinking about the next day and dreaming about it at night!

While economic background, race, parents education, and student achievement are all looked at to determine how successful a high school is, it is important to remember that a good leader a motivational and determined principal affects High School Rankings for K-12 general interest.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information please visit High School Rankings