Happy New Year !!!

Service Dog or Pal?

Trained dogs not only help people with sight problems, they are also being trained to help children with autism. Some schools want to keep the animals out and the parents are fighting back. Two autistic elementary school children in Illinois recently won court orders allowing their dogs to accompany them to school. California and Pennsylvania also had lawsuits about schools refusing to allow dogs. Parents say that the dogs help keep the children calm, ease transitions and have even kept them from running out into traffic.

The question that is the issue is whether the dogs are actually "service dogs" that help manage a disability or are they companions that provide comfort. Schools that are fighting over the issue say they are not discriminating but are drawing the line to protect the safety and health of the other children who may be allergic or scared of dogs.

Service dogs to aid the blind have been around for a long time but training dogs to help people with autism (a developmental disorder that involves behavior such as poor eye contact, trouble communicating and repetitive movements) is relatively new. The dogs are trained to have a calming influence by providing a constant between home, school and new places.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice said schools are required to make accommodations for disabled students and one of the ways of doing this is with a service animal.

source: The Associated Press

Get The House Of Your Dreams

It doesn't matter whether you're down-sizing because the kids are all grown up and have left home or if you're looking at first time buyer mortgages, getting approved for a mortgage is exciting.

Checking into mortgages for first time buyers can be a risky thing and may affect your credit ratings. People often apply or check into online applications for cars, insurance and homes without knowing that their credit score can be affected (and quite often adversely). When you fill out online inquiries or applications searching for the lowest mortgage rates, the process can be deemed as an application by many companies. If your credit rating is low, you may be treated as a "rejection" which will show in your credit history. If you do this with several companies, your credit score can be destroyed without you even realizing the cause of your downfall.

Comfort and Style

You want your footwear to be fashionable and comfortable and with Old Gringo footwear you'll have both. Looking for a sharp pair of leather boots? Want side zippers? They offer a huge selection of boots for men and women and half sizes are also available.

Miz Mooz shoes and boots have something for everyone in their fun collection. Buttons, ties and belts on this footwear offer lots of choices. Lots of choices of colors and heel heights too. There are several new arrivals and many are on sale.

Casual comfort comes with Sebago shoes. Their large selection of Spinnakers come in great color combinations. Oxfords and short and tall boots will add fashion to any shoe wardrobe at affordable prices.

Get The Most For Your $$$

If your advertising isn't hitting the mark, then you're just wasting your $$$. Many people like to try new restaurants so they look either in the yellow pages in their phone book or on the Internet. What separates one restaurant from another when someone is looking on the Internet? A top-notch restaurant website design that catches their eye. Fast food chains have found that the most eye-catching graphics/colors are those that contain red, yellow and orange colors and ads should incorporate bright colors. Graphics also play a major part in an ad.

Everything has seen dramatic changes in the last couple of decades and that's where bistrolink.com comes into play. Advertising has seen major changes and as a digital advertising company, they keep up with the changing times. A business needs an advertising agency that uses "future thinking". Their professionals track the success of the campaign and which section of the information is used most often so that advertising dollars are used to their best advantage. With the growth of the Internet, having a successful campaign often settles the question on whether a business stays open or closes it's doors.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!

Outside Color All Year 'Round

Window boxes for flowers can be used all year round. Plastic and artificial poinsettias can be put in them for the Christmas season to add color to the outside of your house. Why just keep color inside the house? Show your artistic talents outside with the different holidays that come in cold weather (Easter often comes while there's still snow on the ground).

You can also use window boxes for plants throughout the year. Autumn displays using the fall colors (oranges, yellows, browns and tans) can add sparkle to your house in the dark days of fall leading into winter.

Flower boxes are very functional and now come in many sizes and materials so that they are virtually maintenance free. Not only can they be placed under windows, they can be placed on patio railings and fences too.

The Economy Is Slowly Recovering

SLOWLY, very SLOWLY, the economy is starting to improve. The question is are you still saying you're not able to save anything? Saving/investing is very important no matter the amount you're able to put away. Financial planning is something that needs to be done by everyone especially in these economic times because you never know when that "rainy day" might come and you've got nothing put aside. One of the things you might want to find out about is stock trading and Firstrade is a company that can help you with this.

If you decide to do online trading with an online broker you'll be placing your financial future into trusted and experienced hands with www.firstrade.com. The important thing for a person of any age is to have a program established for regular saving and investing. If you had started saving/investing 5 years ago, imagine what $25.00 would be worth today. To plan for retirement, you could open IRA accounts (Individual Retirement Accounts). This government offering can be tax deferred or tax exempt.

Accounts can be established with the purchase of gold bullion or coins. Even with the world's sluggish economy, gold keeps it's value. An ounce of gold has seen a continuous increase in value and is still recognized around the world as a solid monetary commodity. You can invest with "buy and sell orders" with mobile trading using a mobile phone or device.

When You Need To Know

You can use it either personally or professionally: the finger pulse oximeter. It monitors a person's oxygen. People with certain conditions including COPD and asthma need to know what their oxygen level and heart rate are in order to avoid serious health catastrophes.

Easy, lightweight and affordable, the oximeter uses 2 AAA (included) and powers off after 8 seconds. It's easy to read and has a shock resistant cover. It can be used continuously for 30 hours and is so dependable that hospitals and medical professional rely on it for accuracy.

Yoga Sun Salutation

Yoga is a fun and relaxing form of exercise that has been practiced by millions of people all over the world for thousands of years. It is a great way to learn how to relax and sleep better, and to get into great shape, with improved flexibility and muscle tone. One of the first things you will learn in a yoga class is Sun Salutation, the foundation to any yoga workout.

In most yoga disciplines, one of the main series of stretches is the Sun Salutation. This is a series of 12 postures that one performs in one single, fluid movement. It's actually very beautiful to watch, because the movements of the yoga practitioners are so fluid and trained; it's almost like watching a lovely, winding river flowing along. Sun Salutation may be done slowly, or some people really want to get the most physical benefits from the exercises, so they do what is known as power yoga, and perform the postures quickly.

Breathe as You Move

Each movement goes along with the yoga practitioner's breathing. One posture is done while the person is breathing in, the next movement done on the exhale. Sun Salutation begins and ends with the same posture, beginning on an inhale and ending on an exhale. This sometimes can take a while to learn how to do properly, especially if you tend to get out of breath easily. Be patient, and in time you will be doing the postures with the proper breathing and getting the full benefits of yoga.

The 12 Postures of Sun Salutation

When you do the Sun Salutation, you are performing stretches that will utilize every joint and muscle in your body, for a total body workout. In fact, a one-hour yoga workout is just as beneficial as a one-hour aerobic workout, without all of the jumping and running that can cause injuries, especially to the hips, knees and ankles. Each of the 12 yoga postures stretches different groups of muscles, and the combination makes for an awesome workout. The 12 yoga postures for Sun Salutation are:

-- Mountain
-- Hands Up
-- Head to Knees
-- Lunge
-- Plank
-- Stick
-- Upward Facing Dog
-- Downward Facing Dog
-- Lunge
-- Head to Knees
-- Hands Up
-- Mountain

When you practice Sun Salutation regularly, you will find that it gets easier and easier to do, and the breathing techniques will be just like second nature. As you improve your flexibility, muscle tone and lung capacity, hold the positions longer, while still practicing the breathing techniques, with longer and deeper breaths. You'll be getting into great shape in no time, looking and feeling better every day.

Let Your Smile Do The Talking

Do you have beautiful teeth but nasty lips? Weather plays a major part in how your lips look. In winter, they can get chapped due to lack of humidity in the air; in summer they can get sun burned and if you're sick or have a fever, your lips may also suffer. You can't be at your best if your lips hurt.

When lips dry out for whatever reason, they can crack, burn and flake. Lip skin is thin and lacks oil glands and natural moisture. Keep lips protected and moisturized at all times. Everyday, lip balm needs to be applied to form a protective layer. They can be waxed based or gels. Wax-based products give more protection. The richest and creamiest as the "butters". Scented or flavored should be avoided as they may contain irritants. and cause a person to lick their lips thus increasing the lip problem.

Linda Wells, editor-in-chief of Allure magazine, recommends gooey lip balms especially those with a petroleum jelly or Shea butter. Some may contain beeswax, coconut oil, lanolin, olive oil , wheat germ oil, avocado or Vitamin E (an excellent protective antioxidant). Prevention is best by applying a layer of balm before going outdoors and covering your lips with a scarf.

source: The Associated Press

ACC Football

Guest post written by my buddy Keith Kramer

The College Football Conference Champoinship Games are coming up in the next week or two. It is a wonderful time of the year, and I plan to watch all of them! This year I am really looking foward to watching the ACC Champoinship game. It is going to be Florida State vs. Virginia Tech. I am a Florida State alumni, so of course I will be cheering for the Seminoles.

At the beginning of the season nobody thought the Seminoles would make it to the ACC title game, but they did. It is going to be a tough matchup, but hopefully my Seminoles can coe out on top. This was a wild year in college football. The teams people were expecting to do really well, didn't. There are a few underdogs who did pretty well.

I'm planning to watch the games with some close friends at home on my satellite tv from www.direct.tv/. There is nothing like watching good football, having some beers and being with friends! Thia has been a long season, and hopefully in the end I will be happy with the outcome!

A Long Day Finding Just The Right Christmas Tree

This guest post from Doris Dillon

Every year my family makes the trek to Ryan's farm to get a Christmas tree the week after Thanksgiving. We start pretty early in the morning, a nice big breakfast, all the kids getting wrapped up in a few layers of clothes, boots and gloves. We have found that even if the weather seems nice and sunny at home, by the time we get to Ryan's it may be snowing and cold. Since we will be gone all day my husband double checks to make sure the home security alarm from ADT HOME SECURITY is set, then it is off on a four hour drive.

Ryan's is a great place for Christmas trees. They have 35 acres of trees to pick from. You can cut your own tree, have one of the farm hands cut it, or pick from a wide variety of already cut trees in the front lot. We always take the hayride out to the woods. We sing Christmas carols and drink hot chocolate. Then we wander around in the woods for a while, looking for just the right tree. It has to be pretty full, with a nice big bottom, then tapering up to the top. I like a 6 ' tree. The branches have to be strong enough to hold some of our heavier, bigger ornaments. My husband chops down the tree we all agree on and drags it back to the hay cart for the hayride back to the store. It makes a great day, we all love it.

'Tis The Season

With the holiday season in full swing, many people are getting together to celebrate. Some people are toasting the end of a depressing decade which saw record high bankruptcies, foreclosures, job loss and more. Rogar wine openers can help make opening a bottle of wine a lot easier and a lot classier.

Not only do they have an excellent selection (estate, champion and professional collections) of openers, they also carry accessories and replacement parts. Accessories include wine opener stands, wine and stemware racks and stands and handle sets.

As always, please drink responsibly and use a designated driver when necessary.

OH NO! Flu Season Again!!!

It's flu season again and along with H1N1, swine flu can rear it's ugly head . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) swine influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that cause regular outbreaks in pigs. In early 2009, cases of human infection with swine influenza were reported. Due to the outbreak, people had many questions about dealing with with this flu. In 2009/2010 H1N1 was the culprit and the questions continued:

How does any flu spread?
How can someone with the flu infect someone else?
What are the signs and symptoms of flu?
Can I get swine flu from eating or preparing pork?
Are there medicines to treat the flu?
Can surfaces be a source of contamination?
How long can viruses live outside the body?
How serious is the flu?

For answers to these questions, contact CDC, your local health department or a medical professional.

Loving These Deals!

I love a good deal especially when I'm able to get it in the comfort of my own home. Using www.offers.com/, I'm able to find out what the best deals, offers, discounts and coupons are from major stores and businesses.

Home Depot, Sears, Travelocity, online sweepstakes and more are available with just the click of the mouse. How about discounts of 20%, 30%, 50% or more from Banana Republic? Find out what the 5 top online deals of the day are. With money tight and Christmas just a couple of weeks away, why would somebody try and shop an y other way? What are you waiting for? Start saving NOW!

The Bells Are Ringing!!

Bells have been around since the beginning of civilization. The first ones were very crude and were used to ward off evil spirits, to change the weather or were used for festive occasions. Bells can be made of anything from clay to wood to metal and can be very decorative or plain.

Bells are idiophones (instruments sounding the vibrations of resonant solid material). Early bells were cast from metal in the Bronze Age. The Chinese culture took the bells to a more sophisticated level. During the European Middle Ages, Christians used bells to signal divine services. The origin of bells in Christian worship can be traced back to the dinner bell in the Old Testament. There were pictures of bells on stone tablets dating back to the 5th century BC.

All cultures use bells and many have a major significance and reflect the history and culture of the people. In the United States, the Liberty Bell is a symbol of freedom and independence. School bells symbolize freedom to pursue education. Garden bells can offer romance and atmosphere any time of the year. Farm bells have been used for centuries to summon family and farm workers from the fields for dinner and also to alert people in times of emergencies or danger. The sound of this bell was not gentle: it was very resonant and usually of a fairly good size.

Not only is a bell on a ship used as a dinner bell,it also serves as a warning to other vessels when the visibility is not good (in fog for example). In 1858, British Naval Regulations made it mandatory that ships ring their bells in inclement weather. Today, maritime law requires all ships to carry a working bell. In 1798, Paul Revere made a bell weighing 242 pounds for the frigate Constitution known today as "Old Ironsides".

Oh Yea! CHOCOLATE!

They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach but the way to a woman's heart is with chocolate! Any size, any shape any form!It doesn't matter whether the chocolate is mixed in milk, frosts a cake or comes in bar form.

You can never miss with chocolate as a gift for birthdays, anniversaries or as a "thinking of you" gift. With Christmas just a couple of weeks away, it's great as a stocking stuffer. The beauty of chocolate is that you can buy as much or as little as you want at a time. Whether plain, with nuts, with various center, chocolate never misses the mark.

Get The Skin You've Always Wanted

Are you always trying to hide you face or your hands because of age spots? Whether they're caused by too much sun exposure over the years or the aging process, there's help available to lift away the damaged cells, even out skin tones or help reduce skin discoloration.

Teenagers and older people are often battling skin breakouts and acne and there are acne products that will show skin improvement within 3 days. The skin becomes cleaner and clearer thereby reducing additional breakouts without the use of harsh chemicals. Murad skin care products address many issues including aging and cellulite. There's a large selection of travel size products also that meet Federal size regulations so there's no interruption in a person's skin regime.

Christmas Decorations Make Memories

Growing up, one of the Christmas season's traditions for my family was driving through our local park to see the lighted holiday displays. Then we'd drive around in the surrounding residential areas to see who had outdone everyone else. My mother enjoyed decorating our house for the holidays as this was her favorite time of the year. Every year, the decorations and displays got bigger and better. As a child, I loved seeing large Christmas decorations.

My family moved to Michigan over 30 years ago (from the East Coast). We learned that there was a huge "all year round" Christmas store about 30 miles away in Frankenmuth, MI. They are open 361 days a year and are a worldwide tourist attraction. They carry every imaginable ornament and decoration. My husband and I would take our 2 daughters up there at least once a year because the store kept growing and growing. It was especially fun to go in the summer when the temperatures were high. Large Christmas decorations were every where. Trains ran on tracks close to the ceiling, dolls were swinging on swings, animated animals and characters were moving about and some were singing. I thought we had seen everything in the way of holiday decorations.

Should States Require Motorcycle Helmets?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) almost 5,000 motorcycle related deaths occurred in 2006. Several states require motorcycle helmets for driver and their passenger. Several states have laws covering only the riders and 3 states have no helmet laws at all. Many states with motorcycle helmet laws are repealing them.

NHTSA, reports that 65% of fatally injured riders in 2006 were not wearing helmets compared to 13% in states that have rider helmet laws. The largest increase in motorcycle fatalities from 2006-2008 was in the age group 50 and above. The group still having the largest percent of fatal crashes was in the 20-29 year age range. 27% of those who died in vehicle accidents with a blood alcohol level of .08 or more were on motorcycles. Without question, those drivers and riders involved in accidents who were wearing helmets such as HJC helmets saw a reduction in fatalities.

Thinking About A New Car?

Is that "old rattle-trap" you're driving around costing you more for it's upkeep than it's worth? Time to think about looking into getting a new car but aren't sure of the best way to begin? Then a car encyclopedia is just the place for your to start your search.

Are you thinking about possibly purchasing a Lexus LS 460? It can be purchased with AWD (all wheel drive) with an 8 speed automatic transmission or RWD (rear wheel drive) which also comes with an 8 speed automatic transmission. Maybe you're thinking of purchasing a Porsche 911 which comes in several models including a 2 door Coupe or 2 door Cabriolet.

If a Fiat 500 is your car of choice, you'll get twin turbo chargers and 415 horsepower. It's a sporty car with a clean look. Why wait? Wouldn't it be nice to find yourself in a new car for the new year?

CONSERVE Water Now

Water is something that's been taken for granted ever since the time of the first man. We all assumed it would be there whenever we wanted. Not True. The use of rain barrels is one the easiest ways to conserve water. I remember visiting my grandparents when I was little. They made use of rain water barrels decades ago. Part of the reason they saved water was due the hard economic times they grew up in and part was due to the fact that clothes washed in rain water kept them very soft. My grandmother also used the rain water to wash her hair. It always smelled good and was very soft to the touch. Her barrel was the old wooden type.

Rain harvesting is vital if the world is going to survive. Rain forests are the world's oldest living ecosystem. They currently cover only 6% of the earth's surface but contain more that 1/2 of the world's plant and animal specimens which provide both food and medical products. A rain forest is described as a tall dense jungle. The reason it's called a "rain" forest is because of the high amount of rain it gets each year (usually between 68-78"). The climate is very hot and humid so the plants and animals that live there learn to adapt to the climate.

Start thinking "water conservation". Time's wasting so start now. Water conservation is vital and capturing rain water is necessary and EASY!!! Our eco-syetem depends on it!