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

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Car Insurance Quotations At A Glance

By Anne Durrell

Do you ever wonder how insurance companies come up with your car insurance quotations? It may seem random, but in reality several factors are taken into account.

Below are some factors that count into car insurance quotes calculation:

How Old You Are

If you are older and have more experience behind the wheel, you'll pay a lower rate than a teenager who has just earned his or her license. Statistically, when figuring out Car Insurance Quotations, young inexperienced drivers have higher rates of accidents.

How your Vehicle is Used

Whether your car is used for daily commute or business purposed, it will add up to your annual mileage, and this will take into account to your car insurance quotations.

Of course, those with fewer miles will be less likely to have an accident compare with those who drive more often. In other words your car insurance will be lower when you use less of your vehicle.

The Type of Your Car

The average cost of repairs for your car model, including its safety statistics are taken into account when it comes to car and insurance . An expensive import car will cost more to insure than a crossover or minivan.

Driving Record

If you have a better driving records you will surely pay less for car insurance than people with many tickets on their records. In other words, those with more moving violations will pay more for their car insurance quotations.

Your Home Address

Most of insurance companies will ask where you live, they want to know how busy the streets are nearby your house. People who live in the city will usually pay higher for their car insurance than those who live in a village.

Credit History

You may not believe it, but your credit history is truly taken into account when it comes to figuring car insurance quotations. If you have a good credit history, you may pay less for your car insurance than those with bad credit scores.

Please note, it is better to get four to five quotes before you decide which provider you will choose for your car insurance, since many of them can be vary.

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The Kubotan: The Little Stick That Can Save Your LIfe

By R. G. Hinson

Ladies, have you ever found yourself in the position of needing a small discreet self-defense weapon? And I don't mean pepper spray. Pepper spray is fine but someone who is out to harm you, will be expecting pepper spray especially from the ladies.

Here is something that has more of a punch and is legal in most states. It's called a Kubotan. This little weapon of defense is small discreet and it can come as a key-chain. So there isn't any digging into a purse to find it. Giving you the precious time to protect yourself.

This weapon, called the Kubotan, first came into use through the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPD discovered it after Grandmaster Takayuki Kubota introduced it to them in the 1970s. They used it to control uncooperative prisoners, and eventually it made its way into the civilian setting, too. It's very effective because it looks completely innocent. In fact, its masquerade as an oversized keychain ornament hides the fact that this weapon uses pressure points as a finger might, and can also be used on bony parts of the body like a forearm to disable an attacker. Wherever it's used, the attacker will be hurt and (hopefully) be put off.

This "weapon" is considered to be nonlethal, but state laws vary and you should check to make sure you can use the Kubotan before you buy. If you purchase and use it, you may be charged with felony assault if it's not legal in your state.

Another great thing about the Kubotan is that you don't really need a background in the martial arts in order to use it successfully. You should have some self-defense training and knowledge, though. The tool is meant to hurt the attacker, so you can strike the attacker in sensitive areas, "crush" bony areas of the body, and otherwise disable the attacker. The Kubotan at the very least gives you the ability to hold your own against an attacker. You don't need much training to use the weapon, but to get some training in self-defense techniques in order to use it most effectively.

The Kubotan is usually five to six inches long and is made of wood, plastic or metal. Shaped like a tube, it has a taped or flat end. It helps to "reinforce" your fist so that you won't break your hand if you have to defend yourself by punching.

Let's take a look at the following situation to demonstrate its usefulness.

Let's say you're walking home at night, when a potential attacker accosts you and tries to grab you. By using the Kubotan, you can cause pain in his hand so that he is put off. If he tries to kick you, you can then use the Kubotan to block his kick. Again, the point is to inflict pain that will temporarily disable your attacker.

It's very easy to learn how to use the Kubotan, and you can do so quickly. It's also inexpensive, costing just five to six dollars.

Deceptively small, this powerful defense weapon can give the smallest woman an advantage over a bigger attacker. Remember the old saying, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall"? In part, the Kubotan gives you this advantage because it gives you the element of surprise. The attacker won't know what hit him until it's already happened.

Again, check with your state before you buy a Kubotan to make sure it's legal to do so. If it is illegal in your state, you can still use another item in its stead.

The next time you find yourself in a situation whereby you have to defend yourself against a physical attacker, perhaps the Kubotan can help you do just that.

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What Are The Best Custom Paint Designs on Cars - Spraypainting

By Freddie Disclen

It gets rather boring when you are driving down the expressway and you see all the same colors of cars. Sure theyre different makes and styles, but colour wise theyre totally the same and uninteresting. And then every once in a while some thing truly dynamic stops beside you. Its one of those cars that has been painted with a custom design. To paint a car is one thing but to custom paint its a whole new world.

At least when you went to buy your car you had a few more color selections then maybe your grandfather did in his day and age. Now today, not only do you have to decide on color, you need to decide if you want metallic, or rust-free or even scratch proof finishes.

When you get down to wanting to paint a car with custom colours youve to truly give some thought as to what you want. It is not inexpensive to custom paint a car. The paints are a very high grade poly urethanes.

When it comes time and you want to paint a car and you've determined to have a custom-made design put on it, then youre going to have to opt which type you want. Few years back the burning flame was the rage. To see a black car with those flames running down the sides was the envy of every avid car lover.

The flames are still really hot but the designs are more or less different. They cover more of an area.

Another favourite design is animals such as the wild mustangs or the flying eagle. And then there're designs that're just abstract in nature. The skulls and cross-bones type art used to be much more popular when it came to motorcycles, but it has sort of caught on with those car buffs that genuinely want to paint a car with the custom designs. Some other unique observation as well is that people like to just have the art painted as a mural on their trunks for instance.

One of the newer type designs that truly sort of fit in between the skulls and the flames is the dragons. These're becoming progressively hot, and one has to admit they do look somewhat amazing.

In todays age if youve decided to paint a car and have a custom-made design then you may find that an automotive logo design is suggested to you.

And then there are individuals who want to paint a car all in metallic with a mixture of colors as opposed to various type of graphic. These can be quite magnificent when the color selection goes well together and the airbrush color application flows.

One thing to bear in mind, it you want to paint a car and custom-make it with a design, it is not inexpensive. It can get rather expensive the more defined and elaborate you go. So it is well worth only having it done on a car you intent on keeping for a while, or at least selling at a reasonable price.

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The Impact of Paper Bags on Shopping

By Simon Green

Almost all of us identify one way or the other with paper bags when it comes to shopping. In most supermarkets and grocery stores, shoppers have the option to choose either paper bags or plastic bags. Paper bags while undoubtedly very popular still, have been getting very stiff competition from plastic bags which many shoppers prefer because of their durability and the fact that they are water proof meaning it is easier to buy fruits and transport them. But paper bags too have their advantages and they still feature in many stores when it comes to carryout assistance.

Paper bags were first processed by one Francis Wolle back in the 1852 era. This was the time when the modern retail revolution was taking place in the US and other Western countries and hundreds of supermarkets were springing forth. This posed a great challenge to these markets because shoppers did not have an adequate way of storing their shopping items. Wolle,who was an ordained clergyman who worked in the family grocery store and could empathize with customers, capitalized on this shortfall and developed one of the earliest paper bags for stocking shopping items.

Today, most retail chains and supermarket joints offer the option for the shopper to bag their purchases after shopping. The use of paper bags or plastic bags, has been at the center of all retail shopping and bagging the world over. The paper bag has indeed come a long way in the way it evolved to the way it now handles shopping goods. With grave competition coming from the plastic bag, the paper bag manufacterers have indeed made some innovative moves to try and compete. Below are some advantages that paper bags have over plastic bags.

The first advantage is durability. Paper bags today have been fortified with newer brands which are made of treated paper that is more resilient and durable than ever before. Paper bags can now withstand much more in the form of pressure and shoppers can load much more inside than ever before.

Another great advantage that paper bags have as a shopping bag is that they are considered safe. While plastic bags do offer paper bags stiff competition, they have been cited for safety concerns. One of the ways in which plastic bags can be unsafe is if they a child pulls one over their heads. There have beeb numerous cases of freak accidents that happen when a child accidentally plays with a plastic bag and slips it over their head therefore inducing suffocation. While this same scenario cannot be completely ruled out with paper bags, it is far harder because if a child was to slip a paper bag over their head and panics, any extended pressure would easily tear the bag apart rendering it usesless as a weapon. Plastic bags on the other hand are hard to tear and someone may struggle trying to free themselves from its grip but to no avail.

Paper bags are also condered cheaper and therefore more cost-effective.

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Selecting A Well-Working Detox Diet

By Chris Marex

When it comes to gaining a chance at increased health and fitness, deciding on an effective detox diet will be an item of great importance. Detoxification ("detox") is a way to flush years of potentially-harmful accumulations of food byproducts, free radicals, trace chemicals and other substances from the tissue, organs, and bloodstream in a human body.

Sometimes, people have misconceptions about these kinds of diets. Some assume, in fact, that the only thing needed when it comes to gaining or regaining the feeling of vigor they once had is just a matter of an occasional detox. This isn't exactly the case, though certainly there'll be a partial recovery in most instances. This also sells the possible benefits from detoxification a little short, but something is better than nothing, most people would say.

Irregular detoxification is only a halfway-serious way of trying to cleanse a body of collected impurities and the like. It's really the case that a consistent, scheduled and logically laid-out program of detox should be entertained. It should also be a component of a change in diet and lifestyle in order to ensure the beneficial effects of detox aren't ruined by a return to poor eating and such. Benefits, after all, are then sustainable.

As it pertains to detoxification, what kinds of foods and juices (blends, usually) should be counted in? Understand that most of the best detox diets incorporate two phases into the effort to rid the body of all those built-up substances. The first phase also counts on an effort to reconfigure diet and also an effort to change lifestyle. If these don't become permanent parts of the detox effort, most results will only be temporary.

The initial phase is usually referred to as a flush. This phase hits the body hard and fast in terms of taking in the right blend of juices which are mixed together with the aim of detoxification. In most cases, they're taken orally, though there are other methods of introducing the mix into the body. This would depend, of course, on the body systems or organs to be flushed. Colonics are an example of this.

Detox diets can be designed to hit at certain systems and parts of the body. A popular detoxification involves going in and cleaning out the body's bloodstream. Most of the diets aimed at cleaning out blood are called "blood cleanses." They usually attempt to clean the blood of toxins and other substances in the blood from meals that were eaten in the recent past.

Blood cleansing by itself, though, isn't considered to be a full detoxification. It also doesn't really do much to help the body expel trace elements and heavy metals like mercury, for instance, from the tissues and organs of the body. What's called for in this circumstance is phase two of a detox, and it's what's known as a "chelating" treatment. This process aims to remove those substances from tissue and vital organs, where they've built up over the years. People should know, though, that they'll probably feel a little bad for a bit after the chelating treatment. The reason is all those substances will first have to be flushed through the kidneys and liver before they're excreted permanently from the body.

An effective detox diet can be a way to address short and long term issues presented by the introduction of foods making up a generally poor diet. It's also a way to excise accumulations of heavy metals and other chemicals which end up in the tissues and organs of our body over the years. For the best results, detox should be combined with other changes in dietary habits and lifestyle like giving up smoking, for one thing.

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Bathroom Decorating Ideas Start With Wallpaper

By Adam Peters

You can find thousands of idea for decorating your bathroom and many of them begin with a wallpaper change. This is a real quick fix and relatively very cheap and changes the complete look of your bathroom. Adding decorative rugs and towels that match well along with the wall paper would completely change your bathroom. You can also begin bathroom decorating ideas by changing the paint colors. Changing the colors of the wall from dull to a bright color like yellow or blue would surely give a new statement. Also, adding similar or contrasting towels with the new cabinet knobs and pulls would make a complete new bathroom. Hence, if you don't even have a specific theme for your bathroom, changing with new colors or wallpapers would make your idea of bathroom decoration look like out of magazine.

How To Start

To start with the project of bathroom decoration, you first need a bathroom decorating idea. Begin by thinking back of all the bathrooms that you have seen in your memory and you can find quite a few of them and the ones which actually stand out positively in your mind. Try and imagine the similar look for your home. If this is close to possibility, your idea of bathroom decoration has started to gain shape. Go through the books and magazines till you get a bathroom which reminds you the idea that's in your mind. If you still feel, you are satisfied with the idea, then go ahead to a hardware store and being pricing our the different changes in the fixtures that you would like to make. If you do not have the plans of changing the fixtures, then check out the paint colors or wall paper stores, for your new bathroom. Check out for some bath stores to look at the prices of towel bars, new towels and accessories. If you find everything to be affordable after you check, then start your journey. It is always a better idea to ensure that the entire idea of bathroom decoration is there in your head and that is very relative to your budget. You need not purchase all of the accessories new. Sometimes you can always find things around the home which can be made use or maybe you can also get something for yourself from the garage sale or resale shop. It is very much okay to include your own items with the newly purchases ones. Normally, these old items would often look new when mixed with new wallpaper, color and some new accessories.

It is always joy and fun to come up and implement your own ideas of decorating the bathroom, but if you see the entire job as just impossible to you, then you might have to hire a professional interior designer. Since they are professional decorators and you just need to let them know of your ideas of bathroom decoration and they would do the rest of it. You don't get anything better and easier than this. Home decorating magazines are also good sources.

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Dave Matthews Band Newest Album Release

By Patrick Daniels

After a hiatus of sorts lasting four years, the Dave Matthews band has come back with their latest contribution, "Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King". To say it is a departure from the earlier work of DMB would be an understatement and stating the obvious.

In the past the Dave Matthews Band was known for a more rocking sound then bands such as Moe or Phish. With their newest release, the DMB goes into a new direction and expends on a more mature approach towards music and it's influences while mourning the loss of their dear friend and founding band member, LeRoi Moore.

Moore died in 2008 as a result of complications caused by an ATV accident. His role as saxophonist was taken up in the studio by Jeff Coffin. Many theorize the band came back together to make this album as a sort of tribute to Moore, and this is easily across the CD.

Many of the songs on this new album, especially the first release, "Funny the Way It Is", reflect the loss of Moore and the way the band dealt with his passing. "Funny the Way It Is" is most likely the track that most resembles the old Dave Matthews band sound while encompassing their new direction. Other songs on the album, such as "Alligator Pie" and "Baby Blue" show the influence on the band from their time apart, working with other people such as former Soul Coughing frontman Mike Doughty, and their experience recording in Louisiana with producer Rob Cavallo.

The New Orleans French Quarter sound finds its way into the album alongside more Delta Blues sounding songs and other clear laments. All in all the album is solid with band's ability play showing through even in the absence of LeRoi Moore.

Despite the new directions, fans will still get the same feeling from each new track. As with the previous albums, fans will surely be able to find the heart of their sound and will put "Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King" on the same high praise as "Under the Table and Dreaming" and "Crash".

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Clipping Coupons for the Grocery Store

By Alex Pastlin

People all over the country receive newspapers, sales papers, and circulars everyday that are filled with coupons that can help them save money at the grocery store. By being a wise shopper and taking advantage of these savings, you can find a wealth of savings. If you shop on a budget, taking a few minutes each day to comb through the coupons will be invaluable.

Coupons are not a new rage and have been around since Grape Nuts and Cocoa Cola started using them for marketing purposes back in the 1800's. With the customers that use coupons today, nearly $5 billion dollars per year is saved.

If you use coupons wisely, and make out a list and budget before shopping, you can save up to 50% on your grocery bill. That's pretty good savings, just by going through your newspaper.

A good idea when clipping coupons is to make a list, first, of what you were planning on buying and to then search through the papers for coupons for those particular products. It's more cost effective to do it this way because if you simply go through the papers without a list in mind, you might end up buying products that you weren't originally going to get, causing you to spend more money than you had planned on spending.

Your Sunday paper is an excellent source for coupons. Sunday papers generally have inserts as well, which contain coupons for a wide array of products.

Customers can generally get a discount on the Sunday paper if they buy an annual subscription. Some papers will allow you to get "Sunday only" subscriptions. It saves on the overall cost if you get a subscription instead of buying it outright every Sunday.

Circulars, those papers that come to your mailbox throughout the week, can also be a source for coupons. Because they come more frequently, you might want to clip them as you receive them and store them in an organizer for later use.

Your Sunday paper, as well as circulars, are good for coupons because they are generally locally based, meaning they are targeted to your area stores. This is good when using coupons because they're more likely to be accepted.

Also, don't forget to check the grocery stores themselves for coupons. Some grocery stores keep copies of the stores specials near the entrance of the store. This is also a good way to see what is on sale within the store, even if the papers don't contain coupons.

You don't want to get in the checkout lane and find that your coupon has expired so remember to check expiration dates before clipping and using coupons. If you're clipping a coupon and you see that it's going to expire the next day, and you weren't planning on shopping for a few days, it might not make sense to cut that particular one out.

On a final note, if you watch for sales and use the coupons then, you might even find that you can get the items at a rock bottom price-or even for free in some cases.

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