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For far too long, college students have spent money that doesn’t have to be spent. Now, with the economy faltering and the cost of college at an all time high, more students are dropping out of college for financial reasons. Other students are leaving college with huge debts and a twinge of fear. That’s why wise students are aggressively looking for every possible way to cut their costs and increase their income.

Here are a few ideas for students and parents to consider.

Seek Out Grants, Scholarships And Financial Aid, Not Loans – Over the past thirty years, colleges have lulled parents and students into thinking that loans are financial aid. They are not. Loans have to be paid back. They place a large and immediate financial burden on graduates and often last for more than twenty years. True financial aid is money that doesn’t have to be paid back. Since it exists in many forms, students and parents should start looking for aid in the junior year of high school. This doesn’t mean that students won’t end up with some loans. However, if good students start early and work diligently, more true financial aid will flow their way.

Start Off At A Community College – Students can dramatically cut their costs by attending a well respected community college for the first two years of college. At the same time, if they seek financial aid, work at a part-time job while in college and also work summers, they can completely avoid taking out loans. In this way, students can get through the first two years nearly debt free. Caution: Identify the two colleges to which you are most likely to transfer. Then, make certain that you take only courses that will be accepted by those colleges. Also, keep your grades up. Transfer colleges won’t accept poor grades.

Start Off At A Lower Cost Four Year College – The same advice about Community Colleges will apply to lower cost, four year colleges. Choose wisely and you will benefit.

Attend A College That Offers An Accelerated Degree Program – Some colleges offer you the opportunity to complete your college degree in less that four years. If you have the temperament and work ethic, you can save time and money. However, only highly motivated and dedicated students are usually suitable for such a commitment.

Increase or Decrease The Credits You Take – At some colleges, students pay the same tuition whether they take 15 or 18 credits. If the student is both willing and capable, why not take 18 credits and get one course at no extra cost. By doing that, some students can cut out a full semester and graduate in three and a half years. For students who work full time and even for some part-timers, taking six or nine credits may be a way to get through college without college loans. This will greatly depend on your income.

Seek Out And Work For An Employer That Offers An Educational Assistance Program – A number of employers still offer educational assistance programs for their full-time employees. Investigate their requirements. Most require at least one year of service and pursuit of a degree that is job related. Many reimburse a percentage of your costs for tuition and books based on the grades you achieve.

Attend A Local College And Live At Home – At many colleges, room and board will represent around 20% of your costs, sometimes more. By attending a local college, you can nearly eliminate these costs. In some cases, the local college may also be less expensive. When you eat your meals at home and take a brown bag lunch, additional savings, however small, will result.

Sell Your Car and Ride A Bike – If you live at home, you can achieve a dramatic savings by eliminating your car during the college years. Yes, for many students, this is a psychological and emotional issue. However, a car can be a money pit (purchase price, maintenance, repairs, fuel and insurance). If you make the sacrifice and find other less expensive means of transportation, this action can pay off.

Take Some Online Courses – Many colleges now offer online courses. They eliminate your transportation needs and offer greater convenience. Furthermore, some of these courses can be taken as you have time because classes can be viewed at your convenience. This approach is expedient and a cost effective alternative for people with busy lives.

Cut Up Your Credit Cards – If you don’t have the cash to pay for something, don’t buy it now. Wait until you have the money. Too many young adults graduate from college not only with college loans, they also owe money on their credit cards. Some owe more than $5,000.

Evaluate Your Spending – Some students have difficulty understanding the difference between needs and wants. However, almost anyone can chart their monthly spending to see where their money is going. Armed with that information, many students can cut their spending by 10 – 20%.

Get A Part-Time Job – If you are attending college on a full-time basis, you should be able to find a part-time job that will cover some of your weekly expenses. When money is tight, a part-time job is more than an option.

A Campus-Wide Lawn Sale – With permission from the college, any student or student group can take the initiative and arrange for a campus-wide lawn sale/tag sale/street festival during the semester. Individual students and student groups will then have the opportunity to reserve lawn blanket space for the sale of their used Electronic Equipment, CD’s, DVD’s, Books, Clothing, and anything else that may be relevant. As appropriate, Entertainment and Food items may also be provided to attract buyers. For the most enterprising and businesslike students, this kind of campus event can result in a substantial amount of income.

When money is tight, there are only two prudent things that students can do. One is to reduce expenses; the other is to increase income. Since a college education is a requirement for many good jobs, serious students must face their financial challenges with a willingness to make the sacrifices that will get them through the tough times. It’s those sacrifices that will strengthen their resolve and lead to greater success.

Visit Bob’s web site: http://www.The4Realities.com . Bob Roth is the author of The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College -and- The College Student’s Guide To Landing A Great Job.

by Bob Roth The “College & Career Success” Coach

Bob Roth is the author of The College Student’s Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College. He also write articles for more than 175 college career services offices and campus newspapers. Additionally, Bob has developed 15 self-scoring learning tool that help college students find success. http://www.The4Realities.com Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of The College Student’s Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College. Known as The “College & Career Success” Coach, Bob also writes articles for more than 200 College Career Services Offices, Campus Newspapers, Parent Associations and Employment Web Sites. Additionally, Bob has developed 20 Self-Scoring Learning Tools that help college students find success. He has been interviewed on numerous radio programs across the country and also by many newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal. Lastly, Bob has served as an Adjunct at Marist College, teaching a course in Career Development. The4Realities.com

Public speaking and presentation skills are skills that we all need at some time in our lives. Many people have a deep fear of public speaking and fear it more than even death.

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

Jerry Seinfeld

While you can’t cheat death, anyone can learn to master public speaking and making presentations. Surely it would be better to master these skills than to quiver with mortal fear anytime you were asked to make a presentation? Wouldn’t it be great to see such requests as a great opportunity to sell yourself, your products and or services?

Now selling is one of the most loathed professions but everyone is in the business of selling whether you want to believe it or not. Nothing happens without a sale. Robert Louis Stevenson said “Everyone lives by selling something” and one of the world’s greatest orators said:

“Half my lifetime I have earned my living by selling words, and I hope thoughts.”

Sir Winston Churchill

Fundamentally, when you are engaged in public speaking or making a presentation you are selling words but it is your ability to organise and deliver words in a coherent, congruent and compelling manner that counts. To be able to sell effectively you must have great communication skills.

Topher Morrison, master NLP Trainer and speaker said that a friend of his wanted to buy a Rolex watch. They visited a local shop in Tampa, Florida but because the salesman lacked good presentation skills his friend left without making a purchase. When you are about to spend thousands of dollars you want to be served in a particular manner. In fact, his friend took a trip to the Bahamas just to purchase his Rolex watch justifying the trip by saying the savings he made by buying the watch duty-free paid for the trip.

How much money are you losing every day because you lack public speaking and presentation skills?

John Childers, described as the “millionaire maker” and who teaches one of the world’s most expensive public speaking training courses describes public speaking as “the world’s most profitable skill.” He has trained some of the biggest names in the public speaking arena – individuals such as Alex Mandossian, Armand Morin, Mark Victor Hansen, Mike Filsaime, Debra Johnson and the list goes on and on. They all know the value of using public speaking to grow their businesses. Irrespective of the different products and services they offer, they all use their public speaking skills to promote their products and services as well as those of others.

Through public speaking and making presentations you increase your visibility and the visibility of your company or organisation. You cannot achieve success if no one knows about you. Public speaking is one of the best ways to gain visibility and build your business. Arvee Robinson who describes herself as a “Persuasive Speech Coach” says that every time she speaks she get new clients.

How much is a new client worth to you?

Don’t think that these skills are limited to standing on a stage in front of scores or even hundreds of people. Don’t think that a presentation has to be hours long. It can be mere minutes. Christine Comaford-Lynch, author of “Rules for Renegades” said that she once camped out in the reception area of a company for six hours to get the opportunity to meet with its CEO. She wanted him to join the board of directors of one of her companies. If she was successful in her mission it would’ve have added enormous value to the perceived financial value of her company. Millions of dollars were literally at stake. After waiting for hours for a chance to speak to this CEO she had minutes to persuade to get on board. Can you see how critical presentation skills would be in a situation like this?

When you introduce yourself you use these skills. Do you want to make an immediate impact? Do you want to be a person that people gravitate towards and want to get to know? Or do you want to be the person that no one remembers. An introduction can last mere seconds and yet leave a lasting impression. You want that impression to be a favourable one.

Some people are natural orators but even they have to practice. The best professional public speakers spend years honing their craft. Dave Lakhani, speaker and author of “Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want” says:

“Speaking is a business and a process and processes are built on the back of education.”

Through mastering public speaking and presentation skills you can build a career that will serve you a lifetime and can provide you with an income anywhere in the world. Even if you don’t want to become a professional speaker through mastering your public speaking and presentation skills you can vastly improve your business profit margins and enhance the quality of your life.

Discover how you can master your public speaking skills and leverage public speaking to grow your business. Visit Public Speaking Mastery [http://speaking.megabusinessevents.com] for more details.

Aside from having powdery snow, majestic scenery, and the charming ambiance, this perfect mountain town also plays host to a number of unique festivals and events that serve as added attraction to the hordes of tourists that gather in the area especially during the ski season.

Winter Dew Tour:

One of the resort hosts for the hugely successful Winter Dew Tour’s debut season (2008-2009) which was held last December 2008 was Breckenridge. A counterpart of the summer tour which started in 2005, the Winter Dew Tour is an action winter sports tour which includes events like the slope style and super pipe snowboarding, and slope style and superpipe skiing, for both men and women’s categories.

The resort was only the first of the three-stop event wherein the top athletes in the world of snowboard and free ski accumulate points during each stop to vie for the coveted Dew Cup and the $1.5 million that comes with the title at the end of the tour.

The Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships:

Every year, four-person teams from different parts of the world come to Breckenridge to churn out distinctive works of art from 12-foot tall, 20-ton blocks of man-made ice with only the use of chisels, saws, the occasional chicken wire, and lots of imagination and creativity.

Working for around 65 hours spread out in five days, the team braves the cold to come up with the some of the most sensational ice pieces, which are then judged by a panel of renowned artists who give out awards for the first, second, and third prizes. Now on its 19th year, the Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships is one of Breckenridge’s certified attractions drawing crowds of more than 30,000 every year.

Breckenridge Festival of Film:

Breckenridge may be known as a premier year-round resort but what many people may not be aware of is that the town is also a huge patron of the art and craft of film making. Established in 1981, the BFF is actually one of the oldest film festivals in the country and each year features an interesting lineup of independent films, premiers, and educational programs.

Breckenridge Oktoberfest:

Fill your steins to the brim with German beer, dance to Oompah music, take a bite of the bratwurst – find yourself transported to Germany for a weekend when you join the Oktoberfest merriment in Breckenridge. In reliving this age-old German tradition now for 15 years, the town is known to have one of the most colorful Oktoberfest celebrations in this part of the world.

Breckenridge always offers great atmosphere that instantly puts you in a good mood. If you’re not into good climate, summer in Breckenridge Ski Resort offers more activities than any tropical resort you find. The weather is warm enough but not hot, so you can easily stay at Breckenridge Ski Resort for the whole day outside in just sandals and shorts. Don’t forget to put on sunscreen.

Are you thinking about switching careers? If you are, you’re not alone. Most Americans switch careers three times in their lifetime. Nevertheless, switching careers is scary. And it’s especially paralyzing the older you get. But making a career switch is very possible and much more common than you might think. Before you’re ready to leap, realize that it’s a heavyweight decision that deserves some time and solid thought. Here are seven steps to help you on your way.

1. Gain insight from your current situation.

When considering a career switch, the first thing you should do is learn from your current situation. To do this, take a step back and study what you do for a living today and why you do it. Examine the reasons that you are in your current job or career. Was it what you went to school for? Was it what your parents wanted you to do? Was it the “hot career” at one time? Did you just “fall into it”? Did you love it at one time? Did you do it for the money you could make? Was it just to pay the bills? The answers to these questions can provide valuable insight into the core reasons that you want or need to change.

Now examine why you want to leave your current career field. Remove any company or management related politics that are specific to your current employer from the picture. See your situation for what it is and ask yourself why you are looking to switch. Are you being forced out because of market shifts of business trends? Are you burnt out? Do you want to make more money? Are you miserable doing what you do? Have you tried your best but found that your career is “just not a good fit”? Have you decided its time to pursue a long lost career love?

Inspecting your current situation and reasons for your desire to change careers will provide a foundation for your next step.

2. Look inside

Whether you already have a career in mind or you are searching for a new career, you must look inward. In order to gain the most from your reflection, it is essential to start with a clean slate. Set aside any notions (real or imagined) about what type of money certain careers offer. Discard any stereotypes or judgments of occupations. Distance yourself from any pre-conceived ideas about what you are right or destined for.

Now seriously examine what you truly love. First start with the obvious. Look at your hobbies and interests. List out the things you are passionate about or in which you have talent. Give yourself credit for things you are good at and don’t be afraid to write things down that you love, but are not yet good at. Write them all down, even if you think they may not be a possible career path. You’re just brainstorming at this point and you should not eliminate anything right out of the gate. And it’s important to bear in mind that what you may think are your interests are not necessarily all of your interests. To help you get a good look at your interests, observe the simple things. What kinds of news stories perk your interest? What kinds of TV shows do you enjoy? What kinds of books magazines do you find yourself drawn to? What kind of people do you like to associate with or find interesting? What parts of your current career have brought you the most satisfaction?

Next, remind yourself of what you wanted to be when you grew up. Is it something you still want to be? Do you still get stars in your eyes when you think about it? This may give you some real clues. And of course, depending on what you wanted to be, that young dream may be out of reach. Or…is it? Think about it. If your ideal career aspiration at the age of 10 was to be an astronaut and you are now over the age limit or are not physically able to, you can rule it out. But what about other careers associated with astronauts or astronomy? There is a wide array of careers that touch upon astronomy from teaching, to marketing telescopes, to writing for a science magazine, to building models or sets for movies to working at a museum on a space exhibit! When you look at your passion and then use a little imagination, the sky (or should I say space) becomes the limit.

Lastly, look at what type of person you are. Be honest with yourself. Do you enjoy working with your hands? Do you enjoy working alone? Do you enjoy a social work setting? Do you enjoy being part of a team? Do you enjoy working at night? These are all examples of questions that will lead you down the path to discovering and evaluating whether a given career path is right for you.

As you are going through the exercise of looking inside, it is important to avoid cluttering your mind or list with any “buts”. If your answer to the question “do you enjoy working with your hands” was “yes”, leave it at “yes”. Don’t append any knee jerk reactions to your answers such as “yes, but I am clumsy” or “yes, but those jobs don’t pay as much”. Leave your mind open and you will be pleasantly surprised at how easily any natural human discouragement subsides.

3. Explore what’s out there

Now that you’re armed with a list of personal interests and talents, sit on them for a few days and let them cook. Let yourself get used to your newfound list. You may find yourself adding a few more during this time or even crossing a few out.

Begin your next step by opening your eyes to what’s out there (not what you perceive to be out there, but rather what is out there). Pick up your local community college catalog and flip through both credit and continuing education courses. Look online for education or career programs. Make a list of the careers of your friends and family. On your next ride to work or to the store, turn off the radio, look around and take notice of the buildings and businesses around you. Look at the people you see outside and start piecing together what their days are like.

The object of this exercise is to compare what is out there, with what interests you. Let’s stick with the astronomy example. You’re interested in astronomy. So what? Well…now you’ve begun looking through the local community college catalog and there, you see a continuing education course on astronomy. You’ve now found something concrete, a class that you can take that will allow you to pursue your interest. But what is a continuing education course going to get you? A couple of things. One, you will meet other people who share your interest. These people bring information to the table. They may know of groups or clubs that you can join. Or perhaps, they may have friends or relatives who are looking for someone to do research work or work part-time in their science store. Two, you will be able to further your interest…or be able to rule it out as a career path. You may learn that you really love astronomy and would like to pursue it further. On the other hand, you may learn that it really isn’t what you thought it was and you really don’t care enough about it to pursue it as a career. Any way you slice it, you will learn something about yourself and at the very least will have met others who share your interest.

Let’s try another example. Perhaps, on your way to work, you start to notice a road construction worker. The first day you see him, you’re in a suit, he’s in jeans and he’s joking with a coworker as he shovels asphalt under a sunny sky. You think to yourself, “Boy it’d be nice to get out of this suit, work outside…break a sweat for once! Maybe I’d like to do that…” The next day you see him and you watch as a driver leans out his window and curses at him. “Hmmm”, you think. The third day you see him, it’s raining and cold and he’s out braving the elements while you’re dry and warm inside your car. “Cross that one off the list”, you think. If you had only noticed the man on the first day, you’d only have seen him on a good day. If you had only noticed him on the last day, you’d have seen him at the worst. Either way, without really opening your eyes full time, you may have a fragmented impression on what it means to be this or that. The point here is not to look for distinctly negative or positive things about a given occupation, but to begin to see it as a whole. With this type of information, you will be able to form an opinion on whether a given occupation could be a possibility for you.

In addition to concrete and mindful exploration, talking to your friends and family is an invaluable type of investigation. When you start bringing up your interests or ideas for possible career paths in conversations or e-mails, you will no doubt hear a lot of “Oh! Susan’s son teaches astronomy at the university, he’s writing a book on the Hubble telescope this year.” or “Oh John does construction on the side, he loves it!” By talking to other people, you may make connections or gain insight into the experiences and opinions of people connected with your interest areas. It will also trigger some more ideas for you. Perhaps it never occurred to you to pair a love of writing with a love of astronomy until you talked with your cousin.

4. Do your homework

So, you’ve looked inside. You’ve come up with several interests and you’ve taken steps to explore what’s out there. By this time, you’ve come up with a few things you might like to do or have found one you’ve decided you want to pursue. Now it’s time to get to work. It’s time to delve into what it really means to have a job in a particular career field. To accomplish this part of your journey, you need to do serious research.

Your research homework consists of concrete exploration of available paths for your career options. For the majority of careers, you will need to embark on some type of structured educational path. Examples of this are things like sponsored career programs, college degrees, certification programs, professional designations, internships or apprenticeships. Even if your chosen career path does not require ordered training or education, you will no doubt have to “put in your time” and you will need to find out what and how much time you will realistically be expected to “put in”.

So how do you find out? Let’s say you’ve decided you want to seriously explore being a pharmacist. Wonderful! How do you get to be a pharmacist? For starters, inquire with your friends and family to see if anyone knows a pharmacist that you can speak with. Talk to your neighborhood pharmacist, find out where she went to school and ask her about any professional designations she holds or ongoing education she may be taking. If you’re brave, ask her what kind of salary pharmacists can expect to earn. In addition, pick up that college course catalog again and inspect the pharmacology program. Look at the prerequisites and notice how long the program will take to complete and how much the courses cost. Read the course descriptions. Do they peak your interest or do they make you want to throw the book down? A great supplement to all of your research is the internet. There are plenty of newsgroup, blog, forum and professional association sites out there. Any of these can give you a solid peak into what it means and takes to be a given occupation.

For each career path you are interested in, you will want to know the following:

• What are the education requirements?
• Does it require any job certification?
• Is there an apprenticeship required?
• Does it require travel?
• How much money can you make?
• Where are the regions of the country that people in this career field are more successful? more in supply? more in demand? make more money?
• Will it require you to relocate?
• Will it require regular, ongoing education?
• Will it require you to have your own business or work for another company?
• Are there yearly fees? (e.g. license renewal, union dues, association membership, equipment, etc.)
• How many hours will you normally work in a week?
• Are there any age requirements or cut-offs?
• How much will it cost you to become gainfully employed in the field?
• How long will it take you to become gainfully employed in the field?

The answers to these questions will help you narrow your career choices further and may even get a fire burning under your feet.

5. Take financial stock

Okay. You’ve done it! You’ve come up with one or more career paths that you’d like to embark on. You have looked into what it means to be employed in the career field(s) and you are now powerfully armed with the knowledge of what it takes to get you where you want to go! But like everything in life, it’s going to cost you. You now need to list out all the costs, add them up and compare them with what you will be able to swing. There’s no doubt you will be able to accomplish your goals, no matter what your financial situation. It may take you longer than you like or may come at the expense of some other items or conveniences in your life, but you can do it if you set your mind to it and approach it methodically. This may mean you have to call upon your research skills again and explore financial options such as grants, scholarships, payment plans, or 401K or private institution education loans. You even may be able to pay for education or experience by doing an internship or by performing work using a skill that you currently have in exchange for training or experience.

When you are taking financial stock, allow yourself breathing room. Perhaps your goals are not financially feasible at this moment in time. Perhaps you just had a baby, your youngest son needs braces, or you’ve just paid an absorbent amount of money to repair your car. It’s okay. Rejoice in the fact that you’ve come this far. You can put a plan together and start saving or start applying for aid or other means of financing. There may even be things you can start to do that will be free or cheap, such as volunteering in the field or reading books to prepare you for your studies. Most people don’t have the luxury of quitting their jobs while they switch careers, so most likely you will be living a “double life” while you prepare for the switch. Whatever you do, don’t break the bank, because you’ll inevitably find yourself right back where you started.

6. Check your calendar

Great! You’ve got it all under control. You know where you’re going, how you’re going to get there and how you’re going to pay for it. But can you afford the time? Do you have enough free time or flexibility to meet the educational requirements? Are you young enough or old enough to fall within any professional age requirements? If you have the time and the age, skip this step. If not, the last step of your journey is to shuffle your calendar!

Shuffling your calendar may be easy. You may know right away what to eliminate or move in order to make room for your new career path. Conversely, finding the time might be downright complicated. Maybe you have small children, maybe you have an ailing parent, maybe you have church or community commitments…any of these things would make working towards a new career an uphill battle. Here again, it may mean that you have to post-pone your journey for a little while. Or, it could mean that you have to settle for beginning your education informally by reading books or taking online courses when you can. Whatever your challenge, don’t lose hope! Faith in yourself and perseverance will get you where you want to go.

7. Take the plunge

You’ve arrived at the last step. It’s time to jump in! Time to register for that first class, accept that internship, or apply for that entry level or part-time job in your chosen field. Whatever you’ve found to be the first step towards your new career, delight in the fact that you’ve come a long way and you’re doing it! You’ve done a lot of hard, thorough work and you have a lot to be proud of. Start down that path with your chin up and your shoulders back!

Food for your trip

You can’t take this trip without packing! If you leave home with one thing, leave home with the comforting knowledge that your approach to a new career is circular. This means that you can always go back to the beginning of the circle or to any point within the circle. If you’ve started a class or program and found that you hate it. So what? You’ve learned to cross it off you list and go back and take another look. Even if you get all the way to end of the path and decide it is not for you, take comfort that you did your best and its time to go back to another number in the circle. There is no shame in that.

So go on now…get out of here! Your train is leaving and you better be on it! Just don’t forget to take some pictures along the way, stop and smell the flowers, buy a few souvenirs and by all means, don’t forget where you came from!

Alotta Candor is a staff writer and commentator for JobSchmob.com, the “lighter” side of the working world. She is proud to be a liberated ex-corporate office worker.

http://www.JobSchmob.com

This article answers some of the questions asked

by car owners or would be Do It Yourselfers on Do It

Yourself Auto Repair.

What is DIY or Do It Yourself Auto Repair:

This is a maintenance system where a vehicle owner carry

out specific repair works on his/her car. The repair

work can be major or minor.

Can anybody carry out Do It Yourself Auto

Repair: Yes, anybody old enough to own a car, and

calm – headed enough to follow some sets of repair

instructions can successfully carry out Do It Yourself

Auto Repair.

It does not require deep knowledge of engineering

or mechanism, just the ability to believe in yourself

and follow instructions.

What are the requirements for Do it yourself auto

repair: The following are the basic requirements,

which may be more, depending on the repair job to be

done.

• A good auto repair manual.
• Set of tools.
• Auto parts for replacement.
• Calmness and determination.
• Time.

From manual you can get all the requirements and the

procedures.

Where Can Do It Yourself Auto Repair be carried out:

Anywhere there is space. preferably in a place where

there is privacy and where you are shielded from

sun, rain, etc.

Can I get help for Do It Yourself Auto Repair jobs when

I needed one: Yes you can get a real life help if you

register with a good auto repair site and/or auto repair

forum for car owners.

There you meet car owners like yourself sharing their

experiences in Do It Yourself Auto Repair job and their

failures too, you learn a lot and avoid many pitfalls.

What are the benefits of Do It Yourself Auto Repair: you

stand to gain a lot in Do it Yourself Auto Repair, Some

benefits includes:

1. Reduction in repair and maintenance cost.
2. Self Satisfaction in carrying out your repair works.
3. Better understanding of your car system and operations.
4. Opportunity to meet/chart with other car owners,
   share ideas and gain from their experiences.
5. Ability to gain total control over your car.

The total benefit of Do it Yourself Auto Repair cannot

be generalized it depends on where an individual is

starting from and his background knowledge. You really

see it when you start.

What is the rate of success in Do It Yourself Auto

Repair: The rate of success figure is not constant, for

it depends on individual knowledge and what he has

committed to it.

But a lot of people have been recording

success, this you can find out in DIY forum sites. even

people that started as a complete novice.

The important things to hold to record success is,

having the right tools equipment and starting/doing your

Do it Yourself Auto Repair jobs rightly. This I can show

you.

You may have many more questions not answered here, but

you don’t need to know all answers before you start,

just a step-by-step guide. if others have been doing it

then you can do it.

Why not start right now.

Tope Olawumi is a seasoned auto – infopreneur. His site at

http://www.all-about-auto-part.com/Do-It-Yourself-Auto-Repair.html shows you all the information you need to do your Do It Yourself Auto Repair right. For your right manual visit;

http://www.all-about-auto-part.com/Do-It-Yourself-Auto-Repair-Manual.html.

Modifying your car has been a popular pastime for many years. By modifying your car you are able to put your own unique personal touches on the vehicle to make it stand out from the rest. There are many cosmetic modifications that don’t make the car run any different, but then that’s not the point 90 percent of the time! More often car modification is done just to make your car look better or give it a more aggressive race like appearance. These types of modification are simple and will make your car stand out from the rest with very little work. As for the cost of car modifications, that is an altogether different story. Parts are freely available off the shelf from companies such as Spareco, Koni and Spax. For example you can buy Spax suspension, Janspeed exhausts, Momo rims and steering wheels, body kits, light alloy pedals, leather or led lit gear knobs, Corbeau race seats and even race harnesses.

Getting a new set of wheels for your vehicle is a popular choice. There are many alloy wheel styles to choose from. Another popular modification is having your windows tinted. Tinted windows can help keep the glare from the sun out and also makes it harder for others to see into the car. I.C.E or In Car Entertainment is vital to any car modification project. Enhancing your cars audio is extremely popular and the range of products and options available provide DIY car modifiers with a world of choices. Products to choose from include the popular iPod Car Adapter kits, USB, CD & MP3 Stereos and , multi CD changers, front and rear parking sensors (some have video), plus the leads, tv screens and tools required to fit everything. Leading brands include: JVC, Dension, Panasonic, Connects2, Dashmount, Parrot, Alpine, Autoleads, Kenwood, Pioneer & Sony.

Today car navigation systems such as Motevo, TomTom, Garmin and Pioneer navigation systems are key ingredients when modifying a car. Even satellite or GPS Navigation systems come in hundreds of shapes and sizes. The main types of in-car navigation systems are in-dash mounted navigation systems, portable GPS systems, hand held systems, motorcycle and marine systems and finally the remote navigation systems where the GPS system is plugged in to your car radio for instance. When buying a new GPS system its often better to opt for higher resolution screens as they make the map information easier to see. Large memory and a decent control chip make for smooth and efficient operating, the last thing you need is slow loading and in accurate positioning. Most GPS systems have large touch screens, working with a stylus can be tricky so it does help and lastly pay particular attention to how visible and mobile you wish your model to be. If it’s a permanent fixture in your car then bigger models are great, but if you need to take it in doors after use, a smaller model may be the answer. Car security is a factor not only when modifying your vehicle but also when insuring a car with lots of expensive audio equipment in it. Phone you current car insurance company and find out what you can do before your insurance starts costing you more. They will no doubt also require an upgrade to your car security system and there are simply so many companies out there the likes of Viper, Tracker and Clifford. They all sell various systems such as standard car alarms, remote car start systems and GPS tracking systems. GPS stands for Global Positioning Systems. Professional fitment is recommended and car security shoppers should always insist on a certificate of fitment from the dealer fitting the car security system.

If you want to give your car a sporty look without spending a fortune you can have racing mesh fitted for the front bumper of your car. This looks good and can also improve the airflow around the engine compartment. “Eyebrow extensions” is another way to customise your car. These extensions are usually plastic and are fitted to your car’s head lamps. You can get these in a variety of colours and are relatively inexpensive. Car engine mapping is also relatively cheap to have done and performance gains can be substantial. It is recommended that you have engine mapping performed by competent, well known companies as they are best able to advise you of other crucial safety features you should improve when doing so. Up-rated brakes being one of them and more expensive tyres make for better high speed performance and traction to handle the additional engine power. Consider upgrading the oil you use in your engine when you have this done and use an high quality performance air filter, fuel filter and also replace all perished water and oil hoses frequently, if you haven’t already done so. Engine mapping or chipping is basically re-programming your cars CPU and it is given new instructions on how to fuel your engine. The more power you ask for the more gas / petrol your mapping will request along with other parameters such as increasing the airflow to the engine by tricking the motor into thinking the air is colder, this produces more power. All this power comes at a cost though. Most cars that have upgraded their engine management systems do so for more power, not efficiency and in doing so use more fuel and rev higher too. Cam belts should be replaced more frequently and if you plan any engine modifications have a word with the manufacturers about what you plan to do.

There are many things that can be done to modify a car. An entire industry has been created by the need for body styling, engine tuning, lowered suspension and big bore exhausts. Any part of a car can be modified and making modifications is a statement of individuality and personal style. The most popular cars for modifying are usually small, low insurance group hatches. Always update your car insurance company with the latest modifications to ensure your cover is not withdrawn due to something you thought may be ok which they do not. Other insurances like car breakdown cover and gap insurance cover should not be affected by modifying your car, unlike your car warranty policy which will almost certainly be affected. Give your car warranty company a call and make sure your cover will still be provided before you make any changes.

Popular Cars to Modify

Peugeot

All of the cars from Peugeot are popular cars to modify. You can even modify the 106, 206, and 306 pugs. The Peugeot 306 GTi is one of the most popular hatches to modify and tune. You can find a wide range of 306 body kits and tuning parts. Second hand Peugeot vehicles are reasonable and can be found almost everywhere. The insurance group starts off low so it makes it affordable for most. These cars have the potential to make a street racer that you can be proud of.

Citroen Saxo

The Citroen Saxo is one of the most modified cars because there is loads of modifying parts available. You can find everything from body kits to suspension. A popular choice for modifying is the Saxo VTR because it can go from 0 to 60 in less than ten seconds. It also is very fuel efficient and takes corners well. There are plenty of places to get parts and garages that work on them. You can modify a Citroen Saxo to be a real head turner.

Vauxhall Corsa

The Vauxhall Corsa is one of the cheapest and easiest cars to modify. They are also very cheap to insure even when they have been modified. Parts are readily available and they are reasonably priced. The Corsa B is a definite favourite for modifying.

Honda Civic

The Honda Civic has always been a popular car to modify. It has grown in popularity due to the film, “The Fast and The Furious.” The Honda Civic EK is one of the more popular hatches to modify. You can find a wide variety of Honda Civic body kits and tuning parts.

VW Golf

The VW Golf can be modified to look cool and there are plenty of parts available for the later Golf’s. Volkswagen Golf VR6 is a poplar car to modify and there are plenty of body kits and tuning parts available.

Famous Cars

Some modified cars have become popular because of being in a film or on a TV show. Some are noted for their superior performance and some are known for the celebrity driving them. Below are a few of the cars that are considered icons today.

1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Fastback was the star of the 2000 film “Gone in 60 Seconds.” In this film the car does some unbelievable stunts, including jumping over 15 feet of cars.

1963 Volkswagen Beetle became famous in the “Herbie” series films. Herbie was a little Beetle with a Porsche 356 engine who gave the big boys a run for their money.

1969 Dodge Charger became a muscle car icon through the television series, “The Dukes of Hazzard.” It had a confederate flag painted on the roof and the doors were welded shut. The modified Charger R/T, called the General Lee seemed to be always airborn.

1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was made popular by the television series, “Knight Rider.” The modified Trans Am known as KITT was a hyper intelligent crime fighting automobile. This car could do everything including, see, hear and smell.

1974 Ford Gran Torino was made famous in the television series, “Starsky and Hutch.” It was a powerful muscle car with a 351 Cleveland and 4 barrel Holley carburetor. It was driven hard by two California detectives in the series.

1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was made famous in the series of “Smokey and the Bandit” films. It was a powerful 6.6 liter 200hp muscle car that everyone wants to own.

1970 Dodge Charger was just one of the many fast modified cars in the film, “The Fast and The Furious.” This is a classic move that all gear heads love to watch over and over.

2003 Mini Cooper S-R53 was made famous in the 2003 film, “The Italian Job.” This little mite packed a supercharged 1.6L Tritect engines and was involved in some intense chase scenes.

1979 Ferrari 308 GTS was made into an icon by the television series, “Magnum PI.” The mid-engine V8Ferrari was featured in the original series. The show and the amazing performance of the 255hp GTS made people flock to the nearest dealer to buy one in the 1980′s.

There is a downside to modifying your car. If you don’t have a specialist or someone experienced in modifying your particular make and model of car, you may be wasting your money. You need to select the right combination of modification to gain the most out of your car. If you select the wrong combination you will have spent a lot of money for nothing. Another thing you should remember is modifications to your car may affect the warranty. It will also make your insurance premiums higher. You also have to be aware that some engine modifications can violate regulations and emission laws. You have to make sure that any modifications to your car are safe and won’t disrupt the reliability and stability of the vehicle. Sometimes modified engines are often touchy and require premium fuel.

It is easy to get caught up in the whole modification process and end up modifying the car too much. The rule of thumb should be; less is more. Otherwise you will spend huge amounts of money, which could add up to more than the car is worth. Also, if it is over modified it can be hard to sell and most dealers won’t offer a deal to do a trade in for the car. Just keep these factors in mind when you are going to modify your car to express your style and personality.

Enjoy your new car!

Click4 Gap Insurance and Click4 Car Warranty are part of the Click4Group and sell car warranties and Gap insurance direct to the public.

Celebrities today seem to be up for grabs. Photographers and tabloid writers feel free to spy on celebrities and follow them constantly. Celebrities seem to have different feeling about this. Some celebrities play along with the paparazzi and seem to tolerate the intrusion in exchange for good publicity. Others are constantly embroiled in battles with the relentless photographers and often end up in court. The question undercutting all of this however is who, in fact, actually owns these celebrities?

Celebrity Ownership

Despite the pleas on some tearful celebrities, the answer is the people. The same individuals who made ordinary actors, singers, and politicians into celebrities in the first place actually hold the deed on celebrities. So long as celebrities stay in favor with the public, they continue to live a blessed existence of fame and fortune. But if a celebrity loses favor and begins to fade away, they simply cease to exist for much of the world. In some cases they might retain some of the fortune, but the fame is certainly gone.

An audience creates a celebrity. Many individuals have starred in movies or performed at concerts without gaining celebrity status. It is only when the world begins to sit up and take notice of an individual that true star status is obtained. This is how stars are born overnight. If people care about the comings and goings of an individual and the media picks up on this interest, news and tabloid coverage will increase. This creates a celebrity. If nobody cares about a singer’s shopping trips or political message, it is a safe bet that individual will not be stalked by paparazzi and won’t be gracing the covers of magazines. Simply, celebrities are selected.

The Fickle World

Human beings are fickle creatures. The general population may hold a singer in great esteem one year and have moved on completely by the next. In fact, certain television stations and websites have a made a market out of finding these former celebrities and marveling at their now “normal” lives. Other websites offer members the opportunity to demonstrate their flightiest tendencies on a daily basis.

Celebrity Websites

Certain websites have constructed an algorithm to demonstrate the popularity of celebrities. This algorithm and the celebrity’s popularity equate to a market price, much like a stock price. Members of the site are able to buy and sell celebrities for their personal portfolios and if the celebrity increases in value – both popularity and price, the portfolio value increases. If a celebrity begins to lose value, he is undesirable and dumped.

There can be no clearer message about not only the value of celebrities, but also the ownership of celebrities. Just as celebrities in a portfolio can create a return for investors, those same investors take the time to research the celebrities in forums, news articles, and blogs. This research and drive for information increases the celebrity’s popularity and price. When a celebrity fails to generate news, or generates too much bad publicity, the public will simply lose interest, the celebrity loses value, and stardom begins to fade.

For additional gossip, news, and the opportunity to buy and sell the most popular celebrities in the world today, visit CelebrityContest.net [http://celebritycontest.net]

My old farm tractor is the best toy I ever bought. I’m a simple man, I used to enjoy working on my car, changing the plugs, tuning the carburetor, just plain ‘ole tinkering; that changed (along with the rest of the world) when computers entered the picture. And while they have revolutionized the way we live and work, they made tinkering a thing of the past. I refused to let that happen when I bought my first old farm tractor. I’m not a farmer by trade, but I love the land and enjoy dragging my bush hog, it keeps me in touch with the land. And tinkering? Well that keeps my old farm tractor running smooth and gives me some time away from the keyboard.

I learned a lot when I started looking for my first old farm tractor. Old is just a term if the older tractor runs good and does the job intended, but be certain to check thoroughly when shopping. In my case, I brought a neighbor of mine along who just happened to be a John Deere rep, feeling certain he’d give my potential old farm tractor purchase, a good “once over”.

Of course what’s a good older tractor for me, might not be your bailiwick at all, different strokes for different folks. So ask yourself (like you didn’t already know) are you buying the old farm tractor for work or play (restoration)? Are you looking to save money with an older tractor, or are you waxing nostalgic and looking to create a pristine show tractor?

Another thing to consider is the kind of service you’ll expect; will you be working the field, tinkering like I do, or only bringing the old farm tractor out for county fairs. In any of these cases, when you’re looking an older tractor, you’ll want to make certain she’s mechanically sound. If you’re actually a collector (or tinkerer) chances are you’ll know a local mechanic to bring along, they are worth their weight, believe me and could help you find a gem, or avoid a lemon.

First thing my John Deere rep did was climb on the old workhorse to see if she started up easy, telling me if she did, that’s a good indicator that the battery, compression, ignition and fuel lines are in working order. Now if it doesn’t start, don’t head for the hills, just make sure the price is right, since it will need a bit of work.

The farmer who owned the old farm tractor told us to go ahead and… “Take ‘er for a spin”, he smiled then walked away to do some chores. While all sellers might not be so friendly, it’s very important to test the tractor engine when it’s warmed up; are then any leaks, how does the engine sound? Then, shut her down, and see if the old farm tractor starts again.

While you’re warming the old farm tractor up, and assuming you have the go ahead to actually take her out of the barn, check the brakes, if there okay, great, another mark for the plus column, if they’re mushy and might need work, ask how difficult a brake job is, some older tractors have brakes that are very difficult to work on; this is where that farm tractor mechanic friend will come in.

Check to see if the exhaust is, a little blue or black smoke might just indicate a needed tune-up, blue smoke may say ring job. If so, plan accordingly, or find another old gem to buy.

Listen closely to how the old farm tractor engine sounds any unusual deep throated clunking sounds? Let’s hope not, but if do, time to thank the owner for his time, and head for the next prospective choice.

Years ago, back when they had “full service” gas stations, I remember the attendant saying… “Check the oil sir”? And that is definitely something you should do with your older (antique) tractor. Oil in a tractor is the lifeblood, does it look clear (indicating a recent change); or is there foam or water present. If you see drops of water that might be the head gasket and serious problems might exist. Water in the oil is NEVER a good sign; again, time for a “thank you and goodbye”.

Anytime you purchase a piece of machinery with the “new” worn off, take the time to be certain your purchase has aged gracefully. None of us want to see an old antique tractor rusting in a field, but neither do we want to buy a “pig in a poke”. Ask, look, examine, test; and if you’re satisfied, whip out the checkbook, put a smile on a farmer’s face, then take the old farm tractor home and get some work done.

Tangopang is the author and editor of more lawn tractors resources published at [http://www.economytractorsupplystore.com] Find more publications about lawn tractors [http://www.economytractorsupplystore.com] at his website.

Do you love cats? If so how many cats do you have? Is your cat well behaved?

How many times do you consider your cat’s safety? Does your cat return home safely at nights, without any rashes or bruises that are indeed created by other cats?

How certain are you that only your cat eats the food that you give them and they are not being joined by other cats when you are out? Most of the cat lovers would be finding it difficult to answer these questions.

Indeed these are the daily problems faced by cat lovers. These questions make the cat lovers feel worried about their dearest pets.

Most cat owners know how worrying it is when their cat goes missing for a day or more. Is there a remedy for all these hard moments? If at all there is a solution, will it guarantee on the safety and security of the pet? What can be done to stop these kind of problems for good?

Can your cat be safe from being bullied by other stray cats? Can your cat be safe in indoor without escaping, if the weather outside is very terrible and violent? The good news is that there is a very easy answer to all these questions. And of course that answer is Yes!

The antidote for all these physical and environmental threats that are literally experienced by the owner and the pet has now come to light. It comes in the form of a special cat flap called the Pet Porte Smart Flap.

The Pet Porte microchip cat flap is the first cat flap that effectively keeps other cats out. It provides an enhanced level of security that makes cats lives and the owners lives much better.

This is a Collarless technology, which indeed keeps the pet away from hard and rough collars which leaves a mark on the neck of the pet.

The Pet Porte microchip cat flap was invented and patented by David Chamberlain, one of Guernsey’s leading vets, which is the first in a series of inventions that will be coming onto the market intended to make your life, and your cat’s life, more enjoyable.

Pet Porte is the world’s first cat flap to stop other cats from entering your home and it recognises your cat without the need for electronic or magnetic cat collar attachments, heavy collar tags, restrictive collars or infra red.

The technology is completely safe and cats will not even notice that they are being scanned when they approach the door.

Cats love to use the Pet Porte microchip cat flap and it keeps them safe. The Pet Porte microchip cat flap is easy to use, and it’s simple to program your cats in, most probably the user of this Pet Porte product will not require you to constantly refer to the manual, because everything is operated from just two buttons, one red and one green.

One the cats that you program in are allowed entry. You can program in up to 32 cats. The door is extra strong and cannot be bashed open..

In the Pet Porte microchip cat flap there are two distinct modes worth mentioning.

Two of the most popular modes are the VET MODE and the NIGHT MODE:

You can use the VET MODE whenever you want to keep your cats indoors. When you activate the NIGHT MODE your cats can always come back inside but they will not be able to get out when it is dark, they will be kept in until it is light again in the morning. These two modes make the Pet Porte microchip cat flap unique to all other cat flaps on the market.

The Pet Porte Smart Flap is very easy to install and operate.

Programming the Pet Porte is again a very short and simple process, as there are no complex steps involved, indeed the whole installation is only a single step process.

Simply hold down the green button for ten seconds and release. The lights start to flash. Then hold your cat under the outside sensor. It beeps three times. That is all the owner has to do, in order to finish with the programming process, in this same method an average of 32 different cats (approx) can be programmed.

There may be a question arising among the users that what actually happens when the pet is made to pass through the Pet Porte. When the cat is approaches the Pet Porte the intelligent sensors present in the sensor porch of the cat flap recognizes the existing microchip ID implants, the door unlocks only for your cats. Stray cats or neighbours cats, even those with microchips, are not allowed access because they are not programmed in.

This adorable product uses an adapter that is fixed directly to the power supply, rather than using batteries which may run out frequently or unexpectedly. The current is safe because it is low voltage, and its not at all harmful for the cat by any means, so there is no chance of short circuits, even if the cat chews or pounces on the lead, as the voltage is very low. Even if the cat flap is disconnected from the power it will always remember your cat’s microchip numbers.

The major characteristics of the magic door that is used in the Pet Porte is that its highly tensile and strong as it has the capacity to withstand the pouncing/attacks,even if it is created by the toughest cat around on the streets.

Because the cat flap is powered by AC adaptor, the magic door unlocks at the blink of an eye, i.e. in just few microseconds, so that you’re lovable cat can enjoy its play with the Pet Porte, even if she/he loves to dash in and out at speed.

The Pet Porte is friendly device to your pet, and it is designed in such a way that, there will not be any possibilities in which the tail or the paws of the pet getting stuck. Eventually there are no possibilities for other stray cats to enter, thus making your cat feel free and relaxed at all times.

The Pet Porte microchip cat flap has many clever features which makes it unique and reliable when compared to all the other cat doors. In fact the other cat doors on the market such as traditional, magnetic and infrared flaps all have their own disadvantages at different situations.

With traditional cat doors the result is that within one night the owner can see his house ruined i.e. his curtains torn, urine all over the wall, the cat food missing from its tray, the pet left with the marks of being bullied-all these are the problems created by none others than the neighbours cats. Thus these are the adverse effects caused when traditional type flaps are used.

Secondly, comes the magnetic cat flaps, all the cats with magnetic collars can gain access through the door, this is a major drawback. And the other issue is that, magnetic collars are heavily and tight, that makes the pet feel uncomfortable.

Thirdly comes the infrared cat flaps, these have sensors both at the transmitting and receiving ends and the door opens only if the sensor in the collar points directly to the sensor on the door. These Infrared cat flaps are expensive too.

Finally all these disadvantages experienced when using other cat flaps are in turn changed into an merit when the Pet Porte microchip cat flap is installed.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PET PORTE MICROCHIP CAT FLAP

The Pet Porte microchip cat flap was designed to be the best cat flap in the world. The irritation caused by the collar on a cat can be avoided by the use of the cats existing microchip. With the help of the locking mechanism, stray cats can be kept out.

The pains of calling your cat in at night is no longer an issue because the cat flap can detect the light level automatically and help to keep your cats in at night.

With the presence of the Pet Porte microchip cat flap, you will be able to know, if your cat inside the house or elsewhere, the beeping system of the Pet Porte will make you aware of the presence of your cat inside the house. You can easily switch the beep off if it makes your cats nervous.

The presence of a magnetic latch in the Pet Porte keeps the flap intact when the wind blows therefore protecting the cats from getting hurt.

The simple two button operation mechanism gives a full control over your cats world.

The microchip cat flap allows you to program up to 32 cats of your liking and only the cats which are programmed in are allowed access.

The programmable memory within the Pet Porte prevents the loss of information about your cats if the power is disconnected.

All of this comes under low voltage intake with no batteries to replace so your cat will never get locked outside.

This product is cat friendly and makes it virtually impossible for your cat to get its paws stuck in the door. Hence the Pet Porte microchip cat flap is a divine product that has been launched to quench the thirst of concerned cat lovers, and it is now available to cat lovers worldwide.

Many customers say that it makes them feel comfortable and relaxed at nights rather than worrying about their pets, since there is a friend there at the door step providing the most sophisticated level of security to the lovable kitties.

You can order online from Microchip Cat Flaps – a website recommended by Cats Protection, leading vets and Your Cat magazine.

Stylish, sexy, sleek, streamlined, spirited and speed demon are all words used to describe sports cars, which are essentially two-door automobiles that are designed for high speeds, great power and smashing good looks. The manufacture of the modern-day sports car began only after 1945, when the economy started booming, technology developed dramatically and better roads were being built. They came in various shapes like convertibles, roadsters, coupes, grand tourers and sedans. Sports-car lovers are either devoted to timeless classics that have been souped up for current times, or are trendsetters looking for the latest kind of exotic car.

From powerful purring beauties like the Mercedes Benz SLK 350 to thundering thrillers like the Ford Mustang V-8, you can choose a sports car that matches your personality. In fact, sports cars are as much about personality as they are about performance – smooth aerodynamic bodies of carbon fiber, chrome pipes and fittings, rich leather upholstery, wide wheels, shiny wooden panels and snazzy paint jobs.

Different brands of sports cars adopt different principles of design. Some cars may be light in order to achieve greater acceleration, others may boast of extremely powerful engines for better car handling and performance, while still others may stress safety and comfort rather than style. The majority of contemporary sports cars have front-wheel drives as opposed to rear-wheel drives, which were more common in the earlier generation of sports cars. Many cars also have the engine in the center, driving the rear wheels, which is unique to sports cars. In these cars, the engine is placed behind the driver, at the middle of the chassis. Porsche is the only sports car that has the engine mounted at the rear, driving the rear wheels. This aspect is a crucial part of car design, as it affects the maneuverability or handling of the car, which is critical at high speeds.

The most well known brands today are Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Triumph. Companies which manufacture other cars also make some sports models; prominent among these are Ford, Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Mazda, and Nissan. Today, the design and manufacture of sports cars is becoming more specialized and competitive, with newer, more attractive designs and a higher degree of technical sophistication being utilized.

Sports Cars provides detailed information on Sports Cars, Exotic Sports Cars, Classic Sports Cars, Sports Cars for Sale and more. Sports Cars is affiliated with SUV Vans.

Do you have children and are wondering about childrens furniture? The problem that many parents and children face is the vast choice that is available. When you look for furniture you are faced with huge ranges and all sorts of items. When you are looking there are some things to keep in mind.

Age and childrens furniture

Childrens furniture and the age of your child are invariably linked. Some furniture will be best suited for younger children while others are made for older children. Bunk beds are often a staple for a child’s room but is it something you want to have in a teenagers room? Desks are an item that is better for older children who will use the surface more. Getting your toddler a desk will be a bit premature and take away space better used. Matching furniture with age will help with safety and comfort.

Kids furniture should also be fun

A person’s bedroom is their own domain. This is true for children and adults. With this being the case it would be best to have kids furniture that is fun. One item that children often find fun is bunk beds. This item is like an indoor jungle gym and can be used to play on. The colour of the furniture should also be taken into account. While as an adult you may like certain colours in the bedroom you have to look at things from a child’s point of view. Bright colours with different shapes can be fun for kids. Of course you also need to make sure that the furniture is functional as well as fun.

How to pick the best children furniture

When you are looking at children furniture you may want to include your children in the process. There are a few reasons why this is a good idea. One of them is that your child will feel comfortable with their new furniture. Another is that it is something you can do together. Something that needs to be looked at when choosing the best furniture is safety. You need to make sure that your child will be safe if left on their own in their room. Check how solid the furniture is and how well it has been made. Furniture with sharp corners needs to be considered carefully. If your child is young then it is best to not get furniture with sharp corners. You also need to look and see if there are any heavy objects that come with the furniture. You do not want these objects to be loose as this can seriously hurt your child.

There are a lot of options available when looking at childrens furniture. You have to consider a number of factors before you choose the furniture. Age is one of these things as is the amount of fun your child can have with the furniture. Taking your children with is a good idea as they can help you choose.

This article was submitted by Simona Rusnakova, SEO consultant of 3R, on behalf of HomeLineFurniture who sell childrens furniture, and other types of furniture online in Dublin, Ireland.

If you are planning a skiing vacation or maybe you are already at the resort and are preparing for a day of skiing then there is a lot to think about. This is especially so if you are new to winter sports. You need to get your skis, boots and poles. You need to organize your lift pass and then you need to hook up with your ski class. Without these things your day would be unsuccessful, however there are a few other things that people often overlook that can also impact on your day. Here is a checklist of 7 things you may need on the ski slopes.

First thing to take is a trail map. No doubt you have looked at the trail maps that are dotted throughout the resort or even at your pocket version but it is essential that you take it with you when you are skiing. Despite your studies you will need to refer to it at least a few times on the first day. Maybe less as the week goes by but it is always handy to have especially if you take a turn that you are not used to.

Lip balm and sunscreen. The lips are very sensitive to the sun and wind. They are one of the few parts of your body that will be exposed to the elements. Make sure they are protected as chapped lips can spoil your vacation. Take a small tube of sunscreen and top up every few hours or so. This is mainly around the face and ears but this depends on the weather and what you are wearing. If it a pleasant day you may decide to ski in a shirt and will need to protect the shoulders and arms.

Something to clean your goggles or sunglasses. Sunglasses often come with a bag that doubles as a cleaner so this is fairly easy to cater for unless you have lost the bag a long time ago like me. If you don’t have the bag then any cloth, like a chamois, will do the trick. Obviously you need to be able to see where you are skiing so clear vision is essential. I’d suggest goggles or glasses are essential too as the glare from the snow is too much even on an overcast day. Goggles are best but sunglasses are more comfortable in my opinion (depending on the type of skiing you are doing).

Carry some water and a snack. There are many cafes and rest stops dotted around the slopes and you won’t have to look far to get a drink at the bottom of the slope but a bottle of water is handy if you need a break during a run. It also means you don’t have to stop skiing for too long. As for a snack, I like a chocolate bar and skiing is my excuse to indulge my chocoholic tendencies. Other people may take an energy bar or even a sandwich.

A cell phone is a good device to have on you if you have an accident or need to keep in touch with friends. You need to find out where to meet up for lunch at the very least ! Take your wallet with some form of id and a credit card or small amount of money. You don’t want a heavy wallet weighing you down.

For more skiing and snowboarding tips and reviews of equipment then visit [http://www.snowboardnskiing.com] The site gives advice on things to carry when skiing [http://www.snowboardnskiing.com/skiing/things-to-carry-when-skiing-21/] and types of snow skiing [http://www.snowboardnskiing.com/skiing/types-of-snow-skiing-10/] Adrian Whittle writes on skiing and snowboarding.

Dog-child interaction is the single most important issue to deal with if you have a child and a dog. Children love dogs but dogs don’t always love children. When you bring home a new puppy, your child should be trained together with your dog. Dog owners need to remember that it takes two to tango. Children aren’t often taught how to treat a new doggy which can make his life a living hell. This is not only torment for your dog but can be dangerous to your child. Never trust your child alone with ANY dog, regardless of how gentle that dog is known to be. A child tends to know just which buttons to press to turn the gentlest animal into a dangerous beast. Most dogs initially feel threatened by a child because they are at eye level, they have high-pitched voices and make vigorous movements. The dog senses that the child is somewhat unpredictable. Dog-child interaction should be monitored in order to make sure that child and your dog are getting along.

What you should teach your child

• Do not let your child hug the dog until the dog-child relationship has developed and they’ve become comfortable with each other.
• Children are accustomed to showing their affection with a hug, but some dogs will tolerate it while others will not.
• Never approach a strange dog without asking the owner if it is o.k. to do so.
• Allow the dog to sniff you before you try to pat him.
• Stay away from stray dogs. A stray dog may carry disease or try to attack.
• Never scream or run away from a dog. This will only start a chase.
• Never run towards a dog or around a dog.
• Never approach a dog face to face. This is threatening to them. Always approach a dog from the side. This will allow the dog-child relationship to develop.
• Never look a dog square in the eyes.
• Never tease or hit a dog whether he’s loose, tied up, behind a fence or in a crate.
• Never play rough games with a dog, such as tug-of-war. This will encourage a dog to become aggressive.
• Never pat a dog on the head. Always approach him under the chin or on his back.
• Never bother a sleeping dog.
• Never bother the dog while he’s eating or chewing his favorite bone.
• A dog is not a toy. Never yank on his ears or pull his tail.
• If a dog poses a threat, teach your child to stay perfectly still with arms at the side, avoid eye contact, don’t scream. If there is no one around who can pull the dog away, have your child use a jacket, schoolbag, garbage can cover, or anything he can find as a shield while backing away from the dog slowly.
• If a dog has knocked your child to the ground, he should curl up into a ball with his hands behind his head to protect his face.
• Never give the dog table food.
• Always play with your dog under adult supervision.
• Always be kind to your dog. This will help develop a dog-child friendship.
• Always protect your dog from harm.

What you should know as a dog owner

• Begin obedience training your dog as soon as possible. Don’t wait til he gets older, it’ll only get harder.
• Never leave your child alone with the dog.
• Never let your child walk the dog alone.
• Never tie up your dog. Provide your dog with a fenced-in space instead.
• Socialize your dog. Get him acquainted with other dogs as early as possible. You should also get him familiar with everything in his environment, both indoors and outdoors. This is key in attempting to establish a great dog-child relationship.
• Reward your dog for good behavior with praise and a treat.
• If you leave your dog in the yard, make sure your fence does not have spaces large enough for a child to stick their hands through.
• Never allow your child to abuse the dog in any way. This will never enable a dog-child relationship to flourish.
• Give your dog a space to call his own to which he can retreat to if he is feeling bothered (such as a crate).
• Do not allow your child to invade your dog’s space especially while your dog is eating.
• Get your dog used to being touched on all body parts. This will make him more comfortable around children.
• Teach your dog to maintain a good temperment in the case of having his food bowl taken away while he’s eating or removing a chew toy from his mouth. This will allow your dog to be more comfortable having a child around when he’s eating or chewing on his favorite toy.
• Teach your child how to properly handle the dog/puppy.
• Walk your dog on a leash. Do not allow him to roam free.
• Keep in mind that just because your dog is wonderful around your own children doesn’t mean he will tolerate other children the same way.
• Spay/neuter your dog.

If you have a dog and are expecting a baby

First off, if you haven’t read the information above this subhead, go up and do so now. The above information will provide you with all the do’s and dont’s in preparing your dog for an addition to the family. If your dog has never been around a child for a long period of time, you will have the next nine months to get him used to it. Dog-child interaction is crucial at this stage.

Invite a niece, nephew, cousin, neighbor, etc. over for a few hours a week (Preferably a child who still wears a diaper. This will get the dog used to baby smell as well).

This idea satisfies two objectives: it will get your dog used to having a child around; and will develop your dog’s behavior in such a way which allows him to have a dog-child relationship with almost any child. Teach your dog how to behave around a child using much of the information discussed above.

Do not wait until the baby is born in order to make adjustments. Try to make as many adjustments as you can before the baby arrives, this way he won’t be hit with all these changes at once. For instance, if you will have to move furniture around to accommodate a high chair or a playpen, this may affect the placement of your dog’s bed and bowl. If so, make this move before the baby arrives. This will lessen the impact it will have on your dog and is less likely to affect the dog-child relationship.

Once you have the nursery set up for the baby, teach your dog that he will not be allowed in the room, at all. If he learns this before the baby comes, it will lessen the dog’s resentment towards the baby.

Get your dog used to the sounds a baby makes by playing a recording of a baby cooing and crying. Play this recording in the nursery in order to indicate to your dog where exactly he can expect these sounds to be coming from.

Make accommodations for your dog for the day you go into labor. He may have to spend hours alone before daddy’s comes home from the hospital.

When it’s time to bring the baby home, have someone go into another room with the dog while you put the baby down and get settled. Then bring the baby out and introduce the dog to the baby. The dog will probably give the baby a sniff or two and seek your attention. After all, he hasn’t seen you in days. At this point, it would be a good idea to put the baby down and spend some time playing with the dog. Show him he’s still loved. This will aid in the development of the dog-child relationship.

Your dog may require some extra attention in the first days of welcoming the baby. This will keep him from resenting the baby for stealing all the attention. Give him your undivided attention.

Allow your dog to be present when changing or feeding the baby.

Never yell at your dog for getting too close to the baby. Allow him to sniff the baby in order to get used to his scent. Make sure this is done under strict supervision. This will help nourish the dog-child relationship.

As the baby gets older, you will teach him to respect the dog and be gentle towards him.

Get your child to help you with dog chores, such as feeding and walking the dog.

Before your know it, a natural dog-child bond will form which will give them a long-lasting friendship for years to come.

Help your child and your dog live in perfect harmony by adhering to these simple rules. Once a good dog-child relationship has been established, this bond will last a lifetime.

If you have trouble controlling your dog, you should bring your dog (and your child) to an obedience class to help you get started.

Nancy Settecasi, Owner of Happy K-9 Dog Care Proud owner of Cookie and Skippy, Cocker Spaniels, Dog lover http://www.happyk-9.com

Participating in affiliate programs as an internet marketing

company affiliate is a viable way to make money on the internet

without having your own products and services for sale. In

essence, as an internet marketing company affiliate, you market

other companies’ products and services for a fee.

Generally affiliate programs are either one-tier or two-tier

programs which means if you participate in a one-tier program,

you get paid for referrals that you send to the company for which

you are an internet marketing company affiliate. If you

participate in a two-tier program, you also get paid for

referring other affiliates to the program.

In most affiliate programs, an internet marketing company

affiliate gets paid either a percentage of sales that result from

their referrals, or a flat fee per lead or click-through that

result from their internet marketing efforts.

The defective line of thinking that leads an internet marketing

company affiliate to failure and disappointment is the thought

that being an internet marketing company affiliate is an easy,

get-rich-quick business opportunity. Unsuccessful internet

marketing company affiliates are those who don’t realize that in

order to make money with affiliate programs you have to actively

market them.

The error that is common to a new internet marketing company

affiliate is that they launch a website to display links, or even

pages, for the purpose of promoting various affiliate programs

for which they are an internet marketing company affiliate for,

but they don’t actively market their website or their affiliate

products. As a result, their website doesn’t generate any revenue

or generates very little revenue.

To be a successful internet marketing company affiliate you

absolutely have to market your affiliate products and services.

You can actually make loads of money as an internet marketing

company affiliate, but affiliate marketing is not a get-rich-

quick scheme. It is a business opportunity that must be taken

seriously and it does require work, some internet marketing

knowledge, and some funding for launching an aggressive internet

marketing campaign.

Because you don’t have to put out money for product development

or inventory, starting an internet business as an internet

marketing company affiliate may not require as much of an

investment as other types of internet businesses, but assuming

that it is a zero-investment venture is flawed thinking.

For most programs, as an internet marketing company affiliate you

have to have a website through which you market your affiliate

programs because some affiliate programs view your website as

part of their approval process and some only allow you to use

affiliate links to them on a website. In addition to the

investment involved with website development an internet

marketing company affiliate also needs funding for internet

marketing of the affiliate programs.

Common internet marketing methods used by an internet marketing

company affiliate to promote affiliate programs include search

engine marketing, email marketing, linking campaigns,

distribution of expert articles, viral marketing, and

participation in online newsgroups and forums.

Purchasing advertising through pay-per-click search engines,

ezines, directories and so forth is also a method of internet

marketing that is conducive to promoting affiliate products and

services as an internet marketing company affiliate.

One thing is for certain. In order to make serious money as an

internet marketing company affiliate, you simply have to market

the products and services of your affiliate programs.

Some website operators join affiliate programs and become an

internet marketing company affiliates for the purpose of

supplementing their income a little while providing their website

visitors with easy access to products and services that may be

beneficial to them. For them, actively marketing affiliate

programs may not be a necessity because the affiliate programs

are not their primary source of income.

However, if you desire to be an internet marketing company

affiliate who generates revenue solely from affiliate programs,

you must be an active internet marketer.

Copyright Christopher J. Enders. Are you at the end of your rope, fed up and confused by all the scrambled internet marketing advice you’re getting? Whether you are new to internet marketing, or a website owner who wants to make more money from your website, learn the proven strategies that will sky-rocket your internet business at http://BiznessTips.com

Pregnancy can be a fascinating phase with so many changes taking place and so many things to look forward to such as the need for comfortable maternity clothes. The joy of creating life, watching your belly grow as well as having to deal with the many pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness make the pregnancy period a time to cherish!

It is usually during the second trimester that you may start to feel the need for comfortable maternity clothes. As the body begins to experience change, our regular clothes start to feel uncomfortable and tight. Shopping for maternity clothes at your favorite mall or in the many online stores can be fun as there are clothes to suit any pocket.

While buying the clothes care should be taken to buy comfortable and lasting clothes. There are maternity dresses, evening wear, coats and jackets, pants and jeans, tops and blouses, shorts and beachwear, swimwear etc. You may buy clothes to wear at home such as pajamas and night gowns; you may have the choice to buy stylish maternity clothes, trendy party, and office wear items too.

Maternity apparel requires careful selection as you just cannot buy them by only looking at them. They have to fit your growing body at the right places; you do not want to add to any other discomforts by wearing ill fitting clothes.

You may buy limited maternity apparel at a time, buying new clothes each month as these will help you get the right fit. It may be unfortunate if you buy too many maternity clothes at a time only to find out that you outgrew them within a month or so.

A Few Tips For Buying Maternity Clothes

While buying maternity clothes, consider the weather and buy appropriate clothing, buy clothes that will help you stay warm and comfortable during winter and clothes that are light and breezy during the summer months.

While selecting lingerie, moderation is again recommended as you may require a bigger size as your pregnancy progresses. Buy clothes that are practical and easy to maintain as you may not have the inclination or the time to pamper the clothes!

If money is a constraint you can always make do with a few comfortable pairs of maternity jeans and plus sized t-shirts. Log online and look up sites that sell maternity clothes at great discounts, you can buy many comfortable dresses if you find the right store with appropriate clothing.

Towards the eighth month it is better to shop for delivery kits and nursing clothes. If you are prepared in advance you may save yourself the trouble of finding the right clothes when you may not have the time for it.

Buy trendy maternity clothes, chic clothes and create a mood and a style for each day, have fun buying and wearing funny maternity clothes, buy practical maternity and nursing pajamas and sleep well at nights. Pregnancy is a unique period in your life and it passes so fast that you have to find ways to help make it a memorable and enjoyable period of your life, wearing maternity clothes that help you look great is just one way of celebrating motherhood.

Gone are the days when you had to make do with ill-fitting clothes during maternity. Now with a wide range of maternity-clothes such as maternity T shirts, maternity gowns and maternity special occasion dresses available, you can feel and look good all through your pregnancy period. Read more about maternity clothing and other aspects of pregnancy on Pregnancy-Period.Com

A cooking recipe is a series of instructions on how to prepare a meal. It will list down the ingredients required as well as preparation instruction and other useful information to make your cooking a success. By following the instructions the cooking recipe, you will be able to come up with new dishes. Cooking recipes are used not only by novice but by professional chefs around the world.

In order to take full advantage of the cooking recipe, it got to be used in the right way. Many people do not know how to use a cooking recipe correctly. They usually jump right in and before you know it, faces problem with their cooking.

Browse Through The Cooking Recipe

The right way is to browse through the cooking recipe briefly from the beginning to the end. Familiarize yourself with the methods or processes involved and try to visualize it in your mind. After you have understood what is needed out of you do you start it. By taking this initial step, you will save yourself from trouble because you can give the recipe a miss if it’s too difficult to cook. It will spare you the embarrassment of failure. You will also be able to plan what to buy before actually starting to cook. Therefore it is important to browse through your cooking recipe before you actually begin cooking.

Preparing The Ingredients

After the preliminary reading of the cooking recipe you will have a general idea of how the dish is cooked and what ingredients to buy. Make sure that all the ingredients are ready before you begin your cooking adventure. It is very frustrating to realize that you have run out of the ingredients half-way through your cooking. You will loose all the momentum and enthusiasm once this happen.

You will also need to have the right type of ingredients. For example, if the cooking recipe says prepared mustard, do not assume that you can substitute it with dried mustard. They are two completely different ingredients and substituting one for the other will have disastrous effect on your cooking. Another thing worth mentioning is make sure you have enough of the ingredients. Double check to ensure that you have enough of everything before you starts to cook. Imagine what will happen if you don’t have enough flour when baking a sponge cake!

Have The Equipment/Utensil Ready

Just as important and often overlooked is to have all the equipment and utensils ready before cooking. If you do not have the equipment or utensil, try borrowing them from your friends. You might only need to use the utensil mentioned in the cooking recipe once and so it is cheaper to borrow. If your friends do not have the items you are looking for or if you foresee that you are going to use it more than once, then buy it. Also, check that the equipment or utensil is in working order before starting your cooking.

Conclusion

Cooking is great fun for many people. It can foster relationships and improve family bonding. In order cook great dishes, you must make sure that you have followed the cooking recipe closely.

If you need more information on Cooking, please visit my website at http://www.outdoorcookingclasses.com [http://www.outdoorcookingclasses.com/cooking-index/]. Some of my latest articles includes Outdoor Cooking [http://www.outdoorcookingclasses.com/cooking/outdoor-cooking/] and Cooking Classes [http://www.outdoorcookingclasses.com/cooking/cooking-classes/].

Are you looking to rent sports cars? Do you know that there are several options to get into a sports vehicle. Now you can discover what you need to get into a sports car. Join me as we take a look.

There are several ways to get into a sports car. Here they are, and then we will get into detail:

* Buying A Sports Car

* Joint Ownership

* Renting Sports Cars

* Buying A Sports Car

Buying a sports vehicle is the first option. This can be a great idea, especially if you can afford it. Afford it, the next option is to get a kit car. These are great ways to get into a great looking sports car for much cheaper!

For many though buying a sports vehicle is the best. One option if you don’t have all the cash in one go, is to buy on finance. A car loan is a great way to get the car you want.

* Joint Ownership

Another option is joint ownership. This can be a great idea especially if you are flexible. If you need the car today, it might be a problem!

What group ownership is, is that it allows several people to own the car. The result is that the group decides when they need the car, and each has the car equally throughout the time of owning the car.

This can be a great way to get a sports vehicle and not have to worry about if you can come up with the entire cost. For some it means getting into a top sports car easily, though this can be a problem, especially if you all want the car on the same dates!

* Renting Sports Cars

What is the other option? Rent a sports car! Renting is always great because you don’t have to worry about buying and you don’t have to worry about having to make sure the car is available when you need it. Renting allows you to get into the car, and if one place hasn’t got it, somewhere else has.

For a minimal fee, you can be in the front seat of the latest and greatest. Many people choose this option.

To find the latest and greatest sports cars for rental check out sports car rental and rent exotic cars and find them at the most amazing and affordable prices!

Often, when considering cooking dinner with a Crockpot, people may automatically think of soups, stews, a pot roast or chicken pieces. However, with a little creativity and a spice rack some delicious, impressive foods can be the result.

Slightly altering recipes from a variety of cookbooks and sources, Crockpot cooking need not be mundane. If you are leaning towards a recipe that calls for slow roasting in the oven, use the Crockpot instead!

One of the main reasons for not using the Crockpot with more creative recipes might be the fear of the unknown for some cooks. Trying something new with an long-standing, tried and true appliance can be a worrisome prospect to some and for good reason. However, trying and failing is better than not trying at all! If one recipe doesn’t work for you, try the next one, and the next, until you find a grouping of recipes that will work. Always remember to write down the ones that do work, so you’ll have the recipes at the ready the next time you wish to try “something new”.

The beauty of the Crockpot, when it comes to cooking, is it allows whatever ingredients you are using to marinate in their flavorful juices. If your primary ingredient is a pork roast, a slow cooker helps to create a tender, tasty piece of meat. In altering recipes from cookbooks, always remember, the lid stays on during the cooking stage, therefore any recipe that requires liquids will use less, due to lack of evaporation.

Some suggestions for the Crockpot might be lasagna, linguine with clam sauce, your choice of white or red, macaroni and cheese, fish with stuffing, Swedish meatballs with gravy, adding a layer of egg noodles for good measure, or meatloaf, a staple in most households.

As most gourmet recipes call for wine, flavored vinegars, olive oil or some combination of the three, some of the liquid is provided but when in doubt add a can of flavored stewed tomatoes, liquid and all, to provide some zest to your dinner table. In addition, if you find yourself at a loss for a liquid, you can always add a cup or two of beef or chicken bouillon or broth to add some flavor to whatever it is you’re cooking.

Crock-pots can be used to create a tremendous variety of Hors d’oeuvre, entrees, side dishes and desserts. With the array of sizes in which crock-pots are available, the possibilities are unlimited. Given the versatility of cooking with a Crockpot, you do not have to feel trapped with the same old, tired recipes.

Overcoming your fears and trying something new in your crock-pot will be an advantageous and delicious way to feed your family while not spending all your time in the kitchen, both before and after dinner. Try some new recipes in the crock-pot when company comes and give yourself more time to enjoy your company, which is really what entertaining is all about, isn’t it?

Gourmet cooking in your crock-pot is obtainable and oh so delectable! Your family will love you for it and guests will marvel at how much time they might think you have spent preparing a delicious, “time-consuming” meal making them feel even more special!

The author loves cooking and sharing cooking tips with everyone. Take a look at this article on becoming a gourmet cook for more gourmet ideas. For some more information on cooking for kids take a look at this interesting article at http://hubpages.com/hub/Become-A-Gourmet-Cook

When your car breaks down, it’s usually accompanied by a sinking feeling. You know that it’s almost a certainty that it’s going to be a costly affair which might easily throw a wrench into your budget. If you’re lucky enough to know a dependable and honest auto repair mechanic, at least you know you won’t be paying more than necessary. If not, you might be maxing out your credit card to get back on the road. Here, we offer some information on getting an honest and accurate auto repair estimate.

Just as with any type of business, you’ll find a mix of both ethical and unscrupulous auto repair shops. Unfortunately, it’s often difficult to discern which are which in auto repair businesses. It’s a fact that dishonest shops have a number of tricks up their sleeve. For example, some shop owners instruct their mechanics to give an initially reasonable auto repair estimate. Most car owners take this estimate as the final cost.

Once you have your car in the shop, you’re stuck. While the original auto repair estimate was $200, once your car is up on the rack and the repairs are begun, you may get a call from the repair shop, advising you that the problem is more extensive than first thought. What started out as a starter replacement, has suddenly burgeoned into a complicated affair. Not only is the solenoid bad as well, but while doing a routine check on other components, it’s found that your battery is not getting enough juice. Now you also need an alternator. This is what you’re told. The cost becomes $400. You are now in a take it or leave it position. Your car is in pieces.

You can ask to have the bad parts returned to you, thinking that will offer proof that the work was really required. What you don’t know is that the unethical auto repair shop often stockpiles bad parts just for this purpose. The ruined part you receive may well have come from another vehicle! The mechanic, who is instructed by the shop owner to practice such deceit, wants to keep his job and thus goes along with the program.

So, how are you to protect yourself from this type of auto repair estimate scam? Car problems usually turn up without warning. If you have only one car, it’s imperative that you get it fixed immediately. However, you can spend just a few hours and substantially weed out the disreputable repair shops. Get online and Google ‘scams repair-shop-name your-town’. If the repair shop comes up in your results, check out those links. You may find complaints from angry customers on message boards and auto forums. Check the Better Business Bureau records for consumer complaints.

If you know someone who has auto testing equipment, ask them to check your car out. If the testing procedure indicates that your starter is bad and everything else is in proper working order, you won’t be fooled into thinking you need several other costly parts and additional labor.

Better yet, become familiar with your car yourself, before a repair is needed. Buy one of the Chilton’s books and learn the jargon. Study the diagrams. This helps avoid having a mechanic overwhelm you with jargon, faulty reasoning and other deceptive sales talk. You might well save a lot of money if you invest in some basic auto testing equipment that allows you to eliminate that alternator as a problem.

Although it takes a little extra time, it’s worthwhile to get two or three auto repair estimates from different shops. The estimate may vary substantially from one another. Surely there’s a reason. Inquire of each shop why a component has been included, or excluded, if that component shows up on another shop’s auto repair estimate. The attitude of the mechanic and the explanations offered can be revealing.

Always ask for recommendations from trusted friends. A sterling report from someone who has had several repairs performed, with the auto repair estimate closely matching the actual cost is a good bet. That honest shop may gain a new and loyal customer, you!

An Education Staff of Athalia School, Tangerang, Indonesia.

If someone has the ability to read does not mean he directly has the interest to read. Reading skill and reading interest are 2 kinds of different matters. Many schools in the developing countries struggle to educate their society to be able to master the reading skills. For example in Indonesia, some parts of the society still have no ability to read because of their poorness in getting education opportunity or because they live in a very remote area.

Many people in developing countries still struggle with the basic needs such as food, clothes and housing so that they do not have idea or budget for books, even for education.

Because of that situation, the culture of reading habit is far from their reach. Even though some of them already have a better living, their thought is still focused on something that is more real, functional, comforting, money- value or something that can improve their prestige like jewelries, hand phones, luxuries housing & cars, expensive toys, etc. Because the culture of reading is not formed yet, the society spend most of their free time for watching TV or chatting.

For some family who has realized the important of books and education, it is still hard for them to increase the reading interest and habit of their children because they have to spend more money for buying books that are getting more expensive. Libraries are rare. Even many schools have no libraries. But there are still some ideas to increase children’s reading habit in the midst of not ideal condition.

First, if you realize that reading habit is important for you and your children, start the reading habit in your own family without blaming the situation around you. Your habit will sooner or later influence your surroundings. Read your children everyday or regularly to form their reading habit and their love of books. It does not matter if you only have ten minutes everyday. It still also gives you good impact. Let your children know that you enjoy the time you share with them for reading. They will love both the time for reading and the time to attach with you.

Second, include expense for books in your budget. It does not matter if you only spend a little of money according to what you can afford. The important thing is you plan and budget it routinely every month. You and your children should often visit bookshop or book fair.

Third, visit any libraries that are available in your neighborhood, schools, universities, clubs, etc. Ask the children to visit the libraries will increase their love for books.

Fourth, you can decrease the expense of books if you can exchange your books with your friends, relatives or neighbors. Sharing books will increase our knowledge in a cheaper way. You can hold a book club where you and the other members (adults and children) can bring their collection of books and share them.

Fifth, you can make your own books. Reading books does not always mean buying books. We can borrow them, share them or make them by ourselves. Children will be enthusiastic if you make a personal book especially made for them. You can use their photographs, handmade pictures, etc to make the book. You can stick the photographs or pictures on some sheets of blank paper, then you write some comments about them. You can arrange the photographs from the child’s birth till he is growing. You also can cut and stick the brochure from the hospital where the baby was born to complete the book. You or your children can draw something on that books, too. You can put the photographs of grandpa, grandma or other relatives to introduce your big family to your children. You can also stick some pictures that reveal your culture or the customs of your society so that the children will learn about their ancestors’ culture and tradition.

The handmade books can be varied in themes. Maybe you want to tell your children about your job and what you are doing while you are away from them. You can take some pictures of your office, your friends, your projects, places you visited, etc and make a book from that pictures. The children will be happy and trust you because they know what you are doing when they miss you. It is important especially for career women who often leave their children.

It’s cheap but excited if you ask your children to make their own books. They can draw or cut pictures from magazines and write their own stories according to their imagination. If your children is still to young to write, you can ask them to tell you the stories of the pictures and you write it for them. After that, read the books for them. They will be very proud of them.

For you yourself, you can collect a lot information from newspaper, magazines, internet, brochures and any other printing materials to make a clipping of information. For example, if you like cooking, you can collect many recipes from many resources and also add your own recipes that you write or type. Bundle those information to make your personal cooking book. If you need information about technology, you can also do the same although you must work harder to collect more information. The important thing is financial problem and lacking of books do not stop your enthusiastic for reading. There are many ways to get and collect information.

Sixth, there is another way that will make children interested in book. Usually children like watching cartoon like “Nemo, Lion King, Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh” or may be there are some traditional legends, puppets or stories that the children love very much. It is very interesting if they watch the movie or show and then read the books. The books can be bought or made by yourself.

Seventh, It is creative if you can dramatize the story you read to your children. For example, if the story is about a king and a queen, you can pretend to be the king and your child is the queen. You can pile up some pillows as your throne and wear a hat as your crown. You and your children can also roar like lions if there are some lions in the story. Children will be very enthusiastic to do that. You can do what the story is about, too. For example, the story is about going to the zoo, you can go to the zoo, too. Or if the story is about fruit, you can go to the market or supermarket to observe them. Bring the information in the story into reality or action.

Eighth, give books as gifts for your children instead of toys. I do not mean that toys are not good for children. I think educational toys are very important for children but you should introduce books as gifts so that the children will respect books as valuable gifts. You can give books for your children as their birthday presents, Christmas presents or when they have good achievement in schools.

Ninth, your reading habit should be the example for your children because deeds speak louder than words. If your children often see you reading, they will know that reading is a good habit that mom and dad often do. How if you yourself do not like reading but you realized that reading is very important for your children ?. It is a fact that many adults do not like reading but there are some tips that you can do to overcome this problem. Find the books that are suitable with your hobbies. If you like cooking, read many recipes or books about cooking. You can also chase your favorite novels. Talk to yourselves that books are important because they can broaden your point of view, your knowledge, skills and even improve your career as well as give you relaxation. Switch off your television, because we usually spend more time for watching television that what we plan. Put the books on the places that are easy to see and access like in your bedroom, in the living room, in the kitchen, in the car, etc. Ask your friends what books they are reading now or books that are good in their opinion. You will be more motivated if you hear that your friends promoted them to you. Make a list what books you have read and what books you plan to read. You will be satisfied if the list is becoming longer. Visit the bookstores, book fairs and libraries. The best thing to do is do it now ! Do not wait until you have enough time or until you think you want to do it later.

Tenth, make sure that books and reading habit are one of your priority because you know the benefit of them. From books you can introduce a lot of knowledge to your children. There is no limit of knowledge if we can learn it by ourselves through reading both from books or from the internet. Do not wait until your children able to read to give them books. Start as soon as they were born. If you often communicate with your babies and read stories for them, their language ability will increase. Although they have not been able to response you through words, they absorb the words you speak to them (Beck, 1997). Do not only give fiction books for young children although they usually like fiction with cute pictures like Winne The Pooh or Mickey mouse. They will also be enthusiastic if you give them non fiction books like books of knowledge such as books about human body, solar system, sea animals, etc. Introduce them to the knowledge since they are very young so that they will like the knowledge and their curiosity will increase, too.

Besides, through books we can teach our children about some concept, value or belief. When it is difficult to tell them not to cheat, you can find a children book with interesting pictures that contains of moral teaching concerning cheating. I have an experience with my little boy when he was afraid of visiting a dentist. Before we visited the dentist, I read him a book about going to the dentist. It is a funny story because the dentist is a tiger and the patient is a little tiger. The little tiger is very brave to see the dentist. This book made my son brave enough to see the dentist because he wanted to be a brave little boy like the little tiger was.

But remember that only good books should you and your children read because some books can be very destructive if they are not suitable with your value or belief. For example, there are many books that contains of pornography and violence that can influence you and your children’s mind. You must be very selective in reading or giving books for your children because our mind is not like a computer. You can delete some data in your computer but you can not erase the information or imagination in your children’s mind. If you think that your children have already been fond of wrong books, do not forbid them directly to stop their habit of reading them. Instead, influence them with your opinion that they should be able to choose which books are good and which books are not so that they will not resist. Let them know from the beginning that they can choose their books but give them some limitation which books are acceptable, which books are not and your reason of that limitation.

There is another benefit of books. You can use it to teach your children foreign languages. Children’s brain is easier to absorb language than adult (Beck, 1997). If you take your little children live abroad, they will master the language when they interact with the children from other countries. If a child is raised by a couple of different nationalities, the child will be able to speak two languages of his parents. I know a child whose father is a Japanese and mother is an Indonesian. This child master both Japanese and Indonesian. Because of children’s ability to absorb new languages fast, you can use foreign language story books to introduce and teach them the languages. Maybe you yourselves only know a little about this language but if you can just read it for them, the vocabularies and structures of the language will be remembered by them.

I am an Indonesian. I read my son English story books when he was 3 years old. I just read the books again and again and then he can repeat the story by himself as if he can read it. He can also repeat the structures in a daily conversation. For example, the book says ” Cat can eat. Cat can drink”. While he was eating, he could say “I can eat, I can drink”. There is another book that says ” Teddy flies higher and higher”. While he was playing, he climbed on a chair and then he jumped to the floor saying ” I can fly higher and higher.” I think the influence of the books is very prominent. The important thing is you have to find a simple story book which has a big picture and a few words or sentences and repeat the story many times as long as your children is not boring. You can choose what foreign language you want to introduce to your children. Just find the simple story books and repeat them in a regular basis. Sooner or later he will remember the vocabularies and recognize the structures.

There are many benefits of books, but you do not always have to buy them. As it is explained above, you can borrow them, share them or make them by yourself. Use your imagination to produce your simple drawings. Or use the pictures from newspapers or magazines to make your own books. Arrange the pictures and the words according to your idea and you will have your personal collection cheaply but creatively made just for your children and yourselves. The value can’t be compared. So do not wait until you have enough money to buy books or wait until you have enough time to read or wait until your children are big enough to read books by themselves. Start it now ! No matter the condition of your financial problem is. If you invest your time and your kids’ time for reading good books, you invest better future for your family.

Anna Yulia lives in Tangerang, Indonesia. She is working as an education staff of Athalia School in Tangerang, Indonesia. Athalia School is a Christian School that provides education for playgroup, kindergarten and elementary level.