So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Friday, April 3, 2009

SR22 Auto Insurance

By Jim Potenski

Technically, an SR22 is a type of certification, not a type of insurance, which serves as your proof that you have adequate liability insurance coverage based on the minimum insurance requirements of your state. Not all motorists are required to secure an SR22 certificate. A motorist is most likely to get an SR22 certificate if he gets arrested for traffic violations such as drinking while intoxicated, driving without a valid license or getting into car accident.

If you are mandated by your state to get an SR22 insurance certificate, you need to inform your auto insurance provider of the said mandate. SR22 certificates are filed by your auto insurance company to your state motor division to personally attest to the state that you are covered under their liability insurance. However, it would be a matter of luck on your side since there are some auto insurance companies that are not willing to provide an SR22 insurance certificate to their policy holders. Definitely, you will be a bit luckier if your insurer provides you with one.

If you already have your SR22 insurance certificate, you have to keep that one with you for about 2 years depending on the state.

Keep your SR22 certificate with you for a minimum of 2 years (or more depending on the state) if you have already been issued with one.

Do not fail also to comply with your premium payment deadlines to prevent another suspension of your license or worst, you will never get to have the chance to drive your car at any road.

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NYC Fashion Week

By MyImageExpert

It is fall fashion week in NYC and behind all the glitz, celebrities and drama, there was a lot of work to be done on my end. As you may already know, I own and operate a Fashion Consultant firm called My Image Expert www.MyImageExpert.com. I am also responsible for a custom couture fashion collection that I both design and produce in New York City. That said, sometimes I am called upon by other designers (much bigger then myself - literally) to fulfill last minute designs. Since my clothing collection is made locally, you can imagine all the calls I received for fashion week regarding last minute requests. Now that the week is just about over, I can finally settle in an share my thoughts about an incident that occurred a few days ago.

I was invited to be a guest blogger on a fashion related web site, much like this one. With the exchange of several e-mails, one of the contributors asked me to name my favorite trends for Summer/Spring 09. Anybody that knows me, knows I tend to over analyze things and it usually doesnt take much to get my wheels spinning. After the smoke cleared, I decided to share my thoughts regarding Summer and Spring trends for 2009 with the fashion network.

Spring/Summer 09 will be very a very interesting time for fashion. Fashion designers gather inspiration for their collection up to two years ahead of time. This includes the entire process from inception to completion. Inception includes the original concept for the garment including: color, fabric and style details that are usually represented in sketch form. Completion includes the delivery date that these garments are actually shipped the vendor or store supplier for retail. At this time, the consumer can actually buy and wear the garment.

Spring/Summer 09 trends were forecast several months before Spring/Summer 08! So in theory, the trends were created just before the majority of the credit crunch hit retail stores and consumers. By now, everyone knows that retail sales continue to take a beating due to the current condition of the economy. This beating has directly affected the designers and the companies they work for. Most of these companies manufacturer their own garments once the concepts, details, and samples are designed. The department store buyer will look at these manufactured samples and decide if they want to carry them in their stores. As we speak, buyers are working with designers and manufacturer samples for Spring/Summer 2010.

With that being said, this years Spring/Summer 09 trends, that are already available to consumers in retail stores, do not reflect the current credit crunch that has affected our economy. When the economy is bad, fashion trends tend to reveal the ramifications. Colors start to inherit neutral and basic tones like: brown, grey, cream and navy. This is because fashion colors (the trendy colors of the moment) are more expensive to manufacturer. In a bad economy, fabrics become less feminine and luxurious. Manufacturers use basic blends of cotton, wool and silk while avoiding intricate details like embellishments, sequins, leather, glitter and flaps. This helps to lower the overall price that a consumer will pay for such a garment. Hemlines tend to shrink in a bad economy. The mini skirt was first developed and designed by Mary Quant in the 1960's while in the midst of an economic recession. Less fabric is cheaper and lets face it, a mini skirt leaves little to the imagination!

This will be the first time in history when being fashionable is out of fashion! The collections that walked down the runway in September's Spring Fashion week were not designed for the frugal female or an economy on the verge of a recession. They were designed and created for the luxurious lady who loves to splurge on novelty items. When Spring 09 hits the stores many months after fashion week, people will simply pass up the designer brands and head to discount stores to buy what they can afford.

By now, my reply to your requirement is a bit extensive. I have to stop myself as I could go on for hours! I have decided to list my favorite trends in a more effective way that seems reasonable due to the economy and my above acclamations. It is possible to spend less and look the best! Many high-end designers have developed collections for discount stores like Target, H&M, and Payless. The best part about it is that no one ever has to know where you got it from! Here a few of my favorite high-end designers offering exclusive trendy and affordable collections. The trend for Spring/Summer 09 is to have the designers runway look at a fraction of the cost.

Botkier - purses, clutches, and wristlets normally found in high end department stores for $400-$800.00 available at Target for $50.00

Richard Thai " a regular style innovator at New York Fashion Week best known for his silk dyed garments! His dresses, skirts, and blouses are available for a limited time at Target for $13-$80.00. A Thai dress regular sells for $800.00

Alice + Olivia " a trendy womens wear brand in high-end department stores has released an exclusive collection for Payless Shoes! It will only be a matter of time before design garments for Target " Shh! Alice + Olivia shoes and garments usually range from $200-400.00. Payless has the new line for about $40.00

If you would like to include some of your favorite trends, I would love to hear about them - especially if they are outside the box. In the meant time, stay unique!

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Am I Entitled to Personal Injury Compensation?

By David Halbert

A lot of persons are not aware when and how they can make a personal injury claim. To make it straightforward, you can make a personal injury compensation claim in many situations. You can acquire this compensation if you undergo a back injury, broken or fractured bones, whiplash, any hurt to your other parts of your body which you may get in an accident which was not caused by your error.

A personal injury claim includes many issues besides these. In case you come across an accident and get some psychological tension instead of physical injury, even in this case, you can make this claim. The psychological side includes post traumatic stress because of the event and other things of the similar nature.

Besides, it can also include anxiety or depression as the result of the accident. It also encompasses depression of the nature which you may suffer if you lose your job because of the accident. Additionally, those who experience work related stress issues owing to harassment, bullying, undue workload etc. can also make this claim.

Any accident can seriously affect your life. You may get badly injured as the result of which you may not be able to go to your job for a long period of time. You may fail to carry out the normal routine matters of your life as well. What you need to bear in mind is that this kind of compensation claim can be made if the accident was not your mistake.

Accidents do not only mean the road accidents. You can hurt your self while walking or in the workplace while going up or down the stair etc. you may hurt your arm, leg or head in such incidents. In all these situations, one can make a personal injury compensation claim if the fault was of someone else, not yours.

In the place of work, people frequently become a victim of injuries and harm themselves. This is mostly because of not following the safety rules. Chiefly in the construction trade, such injuries are very widespread.

Nonetheless, the most universal reason of personal injury is yet the road accidents. Owing to the budding population and the increasing number of cars on the road the chance of accidents has amplified tremendously. One may undergo some little or rigorous injury during an accident. The compensation also depends on the intensity of the hurt that you bear. In case you get involved in a catastrophe, be it road accident, a slip, fall or any disaster in your agency which is not our blunder, you can make a compensation claim.

The foremost rationale of compensation is to present some economic support to the accident victim and facilitate him or her recuperate. As you may not be able to toil or go out of his home after being in a calamity, this compensation helps you to deal with your losses or pay for your bills etc. till you get better.

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Looking Out For Stucco Veneziano in Your New Home

By Adam Peters

If you are looking around for a new home then there are a number of things which you should be looking at. One of these things includes the paint and the stucco.

Why Look Out For Paint and Stucco?

When you first go to view a home, one of the first things which you see is the outside of it. However what most people tend to look at and focus on is the color scheme of the place instead of the health of it. Is it maintained properly? Are there cracks in the walls? With older houses generally there will be some cracks and so you really do need to be aware of them.

When looking at the paintwork you first should look out for any peeling or flaking paint. This usually means that the home will need a completely new paint job, and that can get quite expensive! However most homeowners will improve their home before they sell it and so cracked and peeling paint is not something that you should find in obvious places. So look in places which are not overly obvious such as under roof overhangs and in every nook and cranny. If you do spot any potential problems then that tends to mean that any work which has been carried out has not been done properly. This can lead to further problems and so you will need to be wary of this.

Any stains around perforations in the paint should also be looked out for. One example of this could be if you look at a nail in the wall. If there is a little rust around the hole then that generally indicates poor maintenance and in worse circumstances it could mean that there is a water drainage problem.

If you are viewing a stucco home then there will usually be some form of cracking due to earth movement as well as temperature changes. If the damage is only small then you should not worry too much as it will not cost that much to repair. However if the stains are on the bottom of the wall then it could be linked to a water drainage problem. In this case the stucco will simply deteriorate and mold will start to form.

Overall when it is time to look at a potential new home, you have to take in so many different things including the paint and stucco walls. So many people overlook these small details and that can result in a very expensive problem! So unless you want to purchase a house and then be surprised with a huge repair bill, it would be a good idea to look at all potential problems such as water drainage issues and that way you will be covered in case anything does go wrong.

Read for more articles about tuscan decor and painting available here at this web.

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Cheap Liability Auto Insurance

By Donald H. Carlston

In today's world it is important to protect our assets such as our vehicles and the only way to protect it is through liability auto insurance. It is important that we can have maximum liability auto insurance coverage for our vehicle, but we know that car insurance can be expensive...or not? Sometimes, it's sad to think that a lot of people don't spend some time to shop around and are paying high amounts of premiums than they should. If you are one of those people who are paying high premiums, you should follow these tips to save money on car insurance and you'd be surprise that it only takes a small amount of time to reduce that expensive car insurance cost.

Do proper marketing research. How would you know if you are acquiring a cheap quote if you won't compare it to others? Visit car insurance websites and start filling up those forms. In most cases, it only takes less than 5 minutes to finish one. Three quotes should be good but as the saying goes, the more the merrier. You might want to also try comparison websites, the advantage of this is you only have to fill up an online form just once and the outcome is just a list of car insurance provider with their offered rate.

Having found the cheapest quote doesn't just stop there. You need to also verify if the company can provide what they are offering. Sometimes, cheap car insurance is too good to be true, in that case you better visit your states insurance website to see if they are legitimate or if there are any formal charges against them regarding paying out claims. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

The key to cheap car insurance is the deductible amount. Having it raised will greatly reduce your premiums. As a matter of fact, it will make more financial sense having your deductible raised; you can save as much as 35%. It's better to let your insurance provider handle major accidents and use your own money to repair minor vehicle damage such as dents, scratches or fender bender.

Always ask for discounts because most major companies have something to give. See if you are eligible for a low mileage discount, safety and security discount or if you have a good driving history, they might offer you cheaper rate.

Remember, don't pay too much than you should. I can assure you that there is cheaper car insurance out there, finding it is the only challenge. And by bringing these tips to the challenge, cheap car insurance is possible.

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Mix and Match at Michigan Fairs and Festivals

By Gary Tristan

Michigan is well-known for many things. In fact it is a melting pot of diversity; the fields in which a professional could work in shift from the heavily technical automobile industry to the robust natural science of growing fruits of all kinds. More interesting is the fact that the people of Michigan is able to excel at both fields; they lead the field in American cars, and are also the leading distributor of certain types of fruit.

It is this amazing duality that captures the state as a whole being. Michigan has shown that they can take on one aspect or niche, and still excel in another facet of their lives. In effect, it's like being in school again; and Michigan is that popular kid who is both good in Math and Sports. It's quite special; being proficient in two very separate fields.

The people of Michigan are no different when it comes to the craft industry. The residents are very talented at melding two very distinct styles of art and harmonizing them together in a single piece of art. I can attest that the woodcarvings have been skillfully worked into elegant shapes, and just as masterfully, the delicate art of glassblowing is done with just as much skill. Altogether, it's a very magnificent thing to behold.

It would be quite a shame to let these amazing pieces of art go unnoticed. As it happens, Michigan hosts a number of craft shows that happen on almost a daily basis. Just to go there is worth your while; it's a lot of fun and you can go look around for anything that catches your fancy. While there, you can also enjoy the traditional activities of a fair.

See the type of duality I'm talking about by visiting these craft shows. It just takes a bit of searching on the Internet to find one. A quick search on a search engine is sometimes all it takes to find whatever information you need, all in the convenience of your home.

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Teenage Car Insurance

By Thomas P. Evans

Teenage drivers are aggressive and this is the reason why they are likely to be in an accident. Because of this risk, insurance providers offer higher premium. With auto insurance, parents will feel both assured and at the same time burdensome because of the high premium they are paying.

There are different ways to obtaining affordable teenage car insurance. Usually, teenagers turn to the policy of their parents. By doing this, teenagers get "multi-car" discounts where the price is offset by the driver who has more driving experience. However, this approach may not turn out as expected. This is because auto insurance provider may assign the highest risk driver to the car with the higher risk. This means the young driver can be assigned to the car of his/her parents in determining the rates. The premium in this case may be higher than what is expected. Although parents can get free quotes from their car insurance provide for additional driver, they can still try other ways in finding affordable teenage car insurance.

Good grades of students can be an opportunity to get discounts from car insurance company. Note however that this discount only apply to drivers whose age is 25 years old or below.

Another way of getting an affordable car insurance for teens is to get a less expensive car. Usually, car insurance providers charge higher premium to expensive cars because expensive cars usually have expensive parts. Aside from parts, the labor of having it repaired is expensive too, compared to fixing a regular sedan. Small and fast cars are also charged with high premium rate. Based on statistics, these types of cars get into more accidents. This is because fast cars can be driven in ways that can lead to crashes and accidents. You can look for cars with six cylinders because it will cost you less than eight cylinders but car with four cylinders is cheaper than that with six.

Lastly, shop and compare the rates of different companies. This allows you to find the relatively affordable young drivers car insurance available.

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Live Lobsters: A Short History

By Sherry Shantel

Close your eyes, and picture that large, mouth-watering lobster waiting on your plate for you to crack open and enjoy. You'd be hard-pressed to think of anything that sounds better. However, don't rush out for a live lobster dinner just yet. Wouldn't it be fun to learn a little bit about the critter you're craving before you indulge?

Early Native Americans were a funny bunch. They had super-easy access to lobsters, but they refused to eat them. Instead, they used them to fertilize their farm fields or as fish bait. How sad is that?

The early European settlers which graced our shores didn't eat lobster meat, either. They'd pick them up by hand to use as fertilizer or to feed to the lowest creatures of their society, slaves, indentured servants, children, and the poor. After years of this practice, indentured servants begin to protest the constant lobster diet. In fact, they went so far as having it written into their contracts that they would never have to eat lobster more than three times a week.

Until the early 19th century, people collected lobsters by hand from tide pools along the shore. The first lobster traps didn't appear until around 1850. Lobster meat was only sold in cans, and the canned meat just didn't have much flavor, so it wasn't popular with consumers.

It wasn't until our modern transportation system developed that live lobsters became sought-after luxury items. Shipped to the big cities, they quickly became expensive luxury food for the higher classes of our population.

Have you ever felt a little funny about watching a lobster resting quietly in a fish tank only minutes before he appears on your plate? Don't worry. That's been a common feeling since people began eating lobsters years ago. But if you want to experience lobster in its freshest form, this is the way it has to be done.

During my lifetime I've known family members tracing clear back to my great grandmother who was born in 1873. Even when seafood came into vogue, she never ate it. As a Victorian lady, she would never have even wanted to think about throwing something live into a pot of boiling water. After all, women in the Victorian era were sheltered from the harsh realities of life.

It's amazing how tastes change over the years. For centuries the succulent meat of much-maligned lobsters went unnoticed and unappreciated. Then, almost overnight, lobsters moved from obscurity into the fanciest restaurants of the time.

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