The Poetry Portal Net

When I was growing up, I didn’t put much emphasis on clothing designers. This is probably because my mother never did, and I just put on my clothes and walked out the door. I always wanted to look nice, but buying clothes because of a designer label was never that important to me. Now, however, I do take more notice of who makes the clothes I like because I want to look for that same line again. Most designers have a theme, of sorts, and that means if you like one thing, they probably have more that you would like just as much.

You will never catch me buying designer labels just to have them or because they are popular. That to me is a waste of money. However, if you like the clothes, this is a great reason to be sporting that label. Clothing designers all differ, but many leave their mark on many of the things they make. This is not only something they like to do, it is something they do for advertising purposes. They hope their name will become hip, and everyone will buy it. It is pretty much the same as with any product on the market. The difference with clothing, however, is that everyone needs it.

If you have clothing designers that you love, you can usually rely on them to come up with something else that you will love to own. They may make many different styles and designs of clothing, but each one is within their own unique personality. This means that if you like one things, the others will appeal to you as well. The clothing in the lines will all be related. For instance, if you like Old Navy, you may notice that all of their clothes have the same feel, even though they are all different. Not everyone likes the look, but those that do go back time and time again for more.

When you want to find clothing by your favorite clothing designers, you may not always have to pay full price. Some are more expensive than others, and if you love one that costs quite a bit, you had better be ready to invest if you want those clothes. However, you can find discounted clothes on places like eBay (check to see if they are new or not) and even in some stores that specialize in discounts like TJMaxx or Gabriel Brothers. Some of these clothes are just fine, but might have a minor flaw no one can see, and others are disasters. Take your time when searching for your favorite clothing designer this way so you know what you are buying.

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During the earlier stages of my career I was fortunate to have worked for a large corporation that had a management development program for up-and-coming managers. This program combined formal management courses with on the job training. The job training involved assignments to different divisions in the company. Two learning goals were mandated by these assignments:

1. Acquire knowledge in a new discipline
2. Learn about the different parts of the organization, experience their challenges and understand how they contribute to the success of the whole

My formal education was in environmental studies with a specialty in ecology. One of the key principles in ecology is that ecosystems are made up of interdependent elements. A change in one part of an ecosystem will result in changes in other parts of the same system. Without knowing it at the time, my classmates and I became “systems thinkers”. This ability to see systems has guided my decision making throughout my life in business and in my private affairs. Naturally, I thrived in this opportunity to be a part of a management training program where I was able to experience different parts of the organization and see first hand how each part related to the whole company.

When I concluded the training program I was appointed manager of marketing planning. My appointment coincided with a strategic decision made by the company to aggressively increase its share of the energy market. I had a staff of 35 and a budget of three million dollars for market research. I was learning on the job. I learned from my staff and I learned from the consultants we hired to conduct much of the market research. In addition I was sent on a two week intensive executive marketing program at the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University in New York, and a year later to the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia. This was an amazing time of learning, personal growth and achieving demanding goals.

After that my career continued to flourish. I moved through the senior ranks of several companies until I reached president. Nine years ago I established Entec Corporation a company that specializes in measuring employee engagement. Although I loved marketing, I returned to my first passion-creating working environments where employees can thrive and be fully engaged.

Over the last nine years I have worked with many organizations and I have also been privy to the HR practices of many others. To my surprise I discovered the lack of research discipline that HR departments applied when conducting employee surveys. I was prompted to write this article after reading a piece by Sudipta Dev, from Aptech. In his article, “Is Job Happiness a Myth?” he wrote about the importance of conducting an employee satisfaction survey as a way of gauging employee sentiment. He also mentioned how important it was to conduct focus groups afterwards to fully understand the survey results. I witnessed this process of conducting an employee survey, followed by focus groups in several companies over the years. This included a well known company with 35,000 employees. However, I thought these were isolated cases. When I read this article it was evident that this was common and considered a best practice. I could not believe what I was reading. Why spend money on an employee survey if it is going to be followed by focus groups? Isn’t this placing the cart before the horse?

Conducting an employee survey is conducting research. My marketing training and experience taught me that the survey is the last step not the first step in the research process. The purpose of the survey is to quantify and prioritize. Focus groups are used at the start of the research process to get an understanding of potential issues. In our marketing work and now in Entec’s HR work, we use the focus group information to develop a model first. This is followed by developing questions that fit within the parts of the model. Creating a model before developing the questions provides a framework for the questions. This framework provides a structure for the survey analysis so that the results are organized and presented in a way that point clearly to follow up action. When the survey and the analyses are completed, there is no question as to what the survey results mean. There is no question about priorities. There is no question about who is responsible for follow up action

Marketing and market research are sophisticated, disciplined processes that produce highly effective results. For example, automobile manufactures use a variety of “focus group” techniques to clearly understand the reasons and motivators for a purchase decision: Is it external design, internal design, color, performance, quality, comfort, size, fuel efficiency, financing and so on. How will the different market segments prioritize these factors? The focus group information is used to develop the market research survey that will quantify the information. The research results are used to create the marketing programs for the various products and market sectors.

Employees are no less important than customers. Understanding the “root causes” of employee behavior and motivation is especially important in today’s knowledge based economy. We are in an economy where a company’s success rests on the mental performance of its employees. It seems to me that in this environment, HR departments would bring greater value to their organizations if they adopted and applied marketing’s sophistication and research discipline to understanding employee needs. A change in perception is required, where employees are viewed as customers. This will provide the information to unlock the creative and innovative energy of employees.

Let me share a personal story. Nine years ago when Entec Corporation was founded, we spent the first year conducting research. The purpose of the research was to clearly understand the key factors that contributed to the employee experience in the workplace. We organized focus groups in several organizations from different business sectors. For example, the General Manager of an electric utility consented to personally participate along with half a dozen staff from different parts of his organization and different job levels. We facilitated many meetings over a three months period to create an “employee experience model”. The model depicted all the factors that contribute to the employee working experience. At the end of this period the group formulated questions for an employee survey that was designed to measure the employee experience at work. The questions were clear and precise and they led directly to follow up action. This process was repeated at a health care facility and several other private sector companies. The surveys were tested and validated.

When we used our employee survey we noted that there was a direct link between the survey results and a company’s financial performance. For example, we surveyed three electric utilities. Although the number of employees ranged from 150 to 400, the customer profile for each utility was very similar. The revenue split between large industrial customers, commercial customers and residential customers was about the same for each utility. In other words we were able to compare apples to apples. The utility with the highest employee survey scores were also the most profitable. The utility with the lowest employee survey scores was the least profitable.

Since that time our employee models and surveys have evolved and have become more sophisticated. Today we no longer talk about measuring the employee experience but rather we talk about employee engagement. When the employee surveys and analyses are completed there is no question as to what they mean. There is no need for post survey focus group. There is a direct link between the survey results and the company’s financial performance. The following note from a client summarizes this best.

Gap Inc. Canada has partnered with Entec since 1999 to customize, implement, analyze and then action a compelling employee survey. I have reviewed and used many employee satisfaction instruments in the past, but none were as comprehensive, accurate or as linked to improving both business results and employee commitment as this one.

Vice President
Gap Inc. Canada

It is interesting to note that in 2004 the three Gap brands in Canada: Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic are among the most profitable in the world. Gap has approximately 175,000 employees, world wide.

I think companies and HR departments need to change their perception of their employees and view their employees as customers. To do this they need to adopt the full spectrum of marketing concepts, processes and tools to understand their employees and to meet their needs. These would include disciplined employee research, followed by appropriate communication, relationship building and provision of products and services. Naturally, the products and services will depend on the survey results but could include improved workplace practices such as greater participation in decision making, infusing a high level of trust and fairness, choosing from a menu of benefits that best suit individual needs, consideration around work/life balance issues, zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment, verbal abuse and bullying etc. Some companies are addressing many of these important issues but frequently the programs are developed in a piece meal fashion. There is little knowledge about the value and contribution of each program to unlocking employee energy and to the bottom line.

A classic example of this is the company gym. I am a great supporter of physical fitness. I exercise each morning. In the past I worked for two companies that provided a physical fitness facility. I appreciated the convenience of these facilities. However, the fact that the facility was there did not change my behavior and it did not seem to change the behavior of most other employees. Those who worked out did so whether there was a company gym or not. Those who do not exercise did not start exercising. Typically health departments measure the utilization rate of their gyms. But they do not measure relevant measures such as the “conversion rate”- the number of employees that did not exercise in the past but exercise now. They do not link the presence of a gym to the financial performance of the company. Is a gym the best way for a company to be spending its money? Should they be investing in strategically located meditation rooms, or a day care centre, or a full time chaplain? Most companies cannot answer these questions because they do not have the information. They have not developed a framework to ask the right questions. They have not conducted disciplined employee market research.

The Beginnings of a Framework-Employee Engagement

The Gallup organization has placed the term employee engagement on the map. There contribution to understanding the underlining factors of employee motivation has been significant. There is however, an important piece missing in Gallup’s work. There are two parts to employee engagement:

1. the employee and their own unique psychological make up
2. the employer and their ability to create the conditions that will promote employee engagement.

Gallup’s work does not address the first part. Entec Corporation assembled a team of experts in strategic management, organizational development, leadership, behavioral psychology and psychiatry. The team was asked to develop a model of employee engagement. They determined that there were five factors that are primary drivers of employee engagement:

1. Employee emotional well-being
2. Department practices
3. Leadership behaviors
4. Corporate practices
5. Vision and values

The focus of the organizational measures in the Employee Engagement Survey© is on practices and on leadership behaviors. Practices and behaviors create the specific working conditions that influence an employee to be motivated, and emotionally committed to their work and to their company. Since every employee has a unique psychological make up, each employee will respond differently to the same conditions.

For example, every employee has a different level of self-motivation. One employee may require verbal recognition once a year for a job well done while another employee may require recognition once a week. Each of these employees will score the question regarding recognition differently even though they may have the same supervisor and they are treated in the same way.

If 40% of employees scored in the disengaged category it means that for these employees the organizational practices and leadership behaviors are not meeting their needs to motivate them to be fully engaged. It does not mean that 40% of employees are a lost cause. It means they need more from their organization to lift their level of performance. Disengaged employees can become engaged employees under the right working conditions.

It is important to convey to all employees that “disengagement” is not necessarily a negative reflection of their own desire to do a good job. The organization needs to create the environment to bring the best out in their employees. The majority of people want to do a good job.

But employees also need to understand that employee engagement is a partnership between themselves and the company. The responsibility for employee engagement does not rest solely on the shoulders of the organization. It is not one or the other - it is both. Employees have a responsibility to shape their own destiny and career path just as much as the employer.

Therefore employee engagement is a partnership between the company and the employees where everyone works together to achieve the business objectives of the company and the personal aspirations of employees. The organization has the responsibility to create the conditions for this to happen. But before the organization can enter into an effective partnership with employees to create the appropriate conditions for engagement, they need to have the right information that is derived from employee market research.

Kelly McCullough is a graduate with a Masters in Organizational Health from the University of Michigan. She has worked for Entec Corporation as research assistance. One of her most significant projects was her work as a research analyst on a major study of older workers that was led by Entec Corporation for the Canadian Federal Government.

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I talk a lot about lethal force, and one concept comes up almost universally. I call this idea the leg shot syndrome. The leg shot syndrome is expressed by the statement “I wouldn’t aim to kill; I would shoot the robber in the leg”. I believe I know where this thought comes from. It comes from the fact that everyone I give firearms classes to comprise the “good guys”. Good guys don’t go around killing, robbing, and raping people. They believe that everyone has redeeming qualities. Good guys don’t want to kill people, they didn’t start the encounter, and if they had their way, the bad guy would just leave.

Now before I get tons of hate mail, let me say that I understand the reason people think this, and I wish everyone in the world felt that way. If there were no bad guys, there would be no crime. I could then put more energy into my primary job of preparing for natural disasters instead of diverting energy to preparing for criminal disasters. While understanding and admiring this idea, I want to emphasize that this is not a good way to apply this concept.

There are many reasons why this philosophy is not sound in the lethal force arena. Some of these reasons are legal, some tactical, and some, yes, are even moral. I will jump into what I hear as the most widely use reason why the leg shot syndrome should not be used, legal.

A handgun is a lethal weapon. Unlike a baseball bat, a butcher knife, or a policeman’s baton, there is no less lethal way to use a handgun against another human. The law does not distinguish the difference between shooting a person in the head, and shooting a person in the chest. If there is not legally defensible motive and the person dies it is still murder. A bullet cannot be recalled once it leaves the barrel. The person that fired the bullet either cannot influence what that bullet does upon entering a person. There is a major artery in the human leg, which if severed, can kill a person as quickly as shooting them in the chest.

Tactically manipulating a firearm under lethal force pressure is extremely hard. Quite a few books, and statistics from a vast amount historical data show that only about 1/3 of the rounds fired impact on the target. This doesn’t seem to be that bad, until you look at other statistics that show approximately 90% of gun fights happen under 7 yards and comprise less than 3 shots total. How realistic is it then that when most people can would be lucky to hit their attacker, you are going to hit one of the smallest areas, and an area that is most likely to be moving?

Tennessee (and every other state I have found that has a defined handgun training curriculum) specifies shooting center-mass with the intent to stop. This involves two concepts. The first being center-mass, this means aiming your projectile to impact inside the largest target area (the chest), since this is the largest area you have the greatest ability to actually hit it. Also the chest area has the largest ability to stop your attacker due to it being the location of most the bodies organs. Intent to stop, is neither aiming to kill, nor shooting to wound, either of these are irrelevant, your legal self defense ability is centered upon the attacker being able to kill you, and trying to kill you. If the mere presence of your legally owned firearm cause the attacker to stop, it has done its job, if one well placed round to center mass persuades the criminal to stop, that’s okay, however if it takes 3 boxes of bullets to stop a drug crazed, gang-banging, neo-nazi terrorist from killing you, hey so be it.

This intent to stop is the half of my moral argument. The other reason comes from plain street sense. I have a few years working in corrections. These years are split between entry level corrections working on the recreation yards and cages listening to inmates talk about themselves and their crimes, to working as a supervisor in maximum security units and applying inmate psychological knowledge to keeping the prison running smoothly. Criminals do what they do because it works for them. If a mugger or a rapist tries to talk you into leaving with him, it’s because it has always worked for him before. Believe me, a violent criminal hasn’t decided to start being a violent criminal just because your there, a criminal starts small and works up gradually becoming more violent. If a criminal gets away with hurting you, he will do it to someone else. I am not saying that vigilante justice is okay I’m not. I am not advocating deadly force as a punishment for a criminal either. What I am saying is that you are a reasonable person, with an inalienable right to life and liberty, minding your own business, living a peaceful life. You have a right do what you need to do to be safe, to go home to your family, this criminal attacked you, tried to hurt you for no reason other than his personal gain, your not trying to kill him, only making him stop trying to kill you. This is not wrong. This is right, your family needs you; make sure you do what needs to be done to be there for them.

David is a former U.S. Marine Corps noncommissioned officer, correctional supervisor and firearms instructor for the TN Dept. of Correction. He is presently commissioned as an operations officer for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. He is also a certified NRA instructor, and holds instructor ratings with both the TN Dept of Safety, and the TN Dept of Commerce and Insurance.
http://www.shepherdschool.com

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What if you just signed up with one of the many on-line Home Business Opportunities?

Good for you! This is an important first step to financial independence. You probably are an optimist and you are excited to see the results that are to come. But it won’t be long and you are second guessing yourself as to whether it will really be paying off. If you are like me, that first sign-up gets you all excited and you are checking the commission earned tab many times before it actually started to show a profit.

What if the organization you signed up with, actually starts to cut you checks?

This will be one of the most exciting days you will ever experience. The first checks should be savored and a photocopy should be made to remind you what it felt like. Soon however you realize that the income stream is smaller then you anticipated and it takes much longer and more work before you reach your goals. Don’t give up because the first steps are the hardest!

What if you decide to sign up for a second affiliate to speed up the process of financial independence?

Good for you! This is a wise move. If one program can earn you some money, then two should double your chances,…… right? But just a minute, the work is starting to pile up too. All those e-mails that need to be checked and responded to; the many passwords you need to remember;……..and not least of all the different fees that need to be paid to receive the right tools. Don’t despair, you are on the right path. Did you know that most on-line entrepreneurs are involved with an average of 4 different programs? The successful ones are into as many as hundreds. The problem is that you have only so many hours in the day to work on these projects. You still have a full-time job. Your income stream is still just a trickle. Most of the really successful on-line entrepreneurs have hired help or a spouse that dedicated his/her life to the business. You don’t…..your spouse still thinks you’re nuts.

What if you are starting to realize that to earn a fulltime wage requires fulltime hours.

I know soooo many promise that 3 hours a week will earn you a full-time income…..but let’s get real. Maybe that happens over a long period of time. You want success sooner ….right?

What if you could actually sign up with many programs but not have to duplicate all the work over and over.

And ………………………..

What if such a program would give you the tools to manage the different aspects of all the affiliates and product sales?

And…………..

What if such a program would teach you how to manage all aspects without having to spend 40 hours a week.

This would be like having your own staff. Secretaries, web managers, accountants, sales people etc. Heh,……just a minute, that is what the big guys have, and do………Right?

What if you can do this by enrolling in one centralized area where you can pick and choose which affiliates to sign up with?

Sounds pretty good to me! Create multiple income streams and manage them all by one program that tracks everything and a program that has built in tools like autoresponders, shared advertising programs and gives advice, tip and tricks to be more successful.

This is exactly what I did and believe me I am so happy that is they way I went. It makes the difference between struggling for years to get to the top with countless hours behind the computer. Yes I still spend countless hours behind the computer but now because I have the time and can afford to……………………much better that way………Right?

If you are at the point where I was, in the beginning stages of building your business, why don’t you come and check this out for yourself. It is free to look at and you can even take it for a test-drive. http://www.referralware.com/home.jsp/1275972845 If you want to start slow, and use just one affiliate to begin with……that’s ok too. Soon you will realize you have too much time on your hands not to get another…and another….and another….!

What if you do what I did….you will get what I got……..a lot of money, sooner then you thought possible!

When you join me and our team; we will guide you every step of the way……right to FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE……….and you will be the one writing these articles…..!!!!

CHECK IT OUT YOURSELF AT http://www.referralware.com/home.jsp/1275972845

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When I first started doing mechanic work in 1970 (we
weren’t known as *technicians* then) I learned a great
*trick-of-the-trade*.

My boss and I were replacing the clutch on this 1969 Chevy pickup.

After he had put the line-up shaft through the clutch plate
to get it lined up, so the transmission shaft would go
through it, we bolted the pressure plate up to the
flywheel.

I pushed the jack, with the transmission on it, up to the back of the engine.

The transmission still had the bell-housing on it.

My boss was at the back of the engine. He guided the bell-housing up to the engine block.

We were very lucky; the transmission went right up to the block.

Well, almost.

It would not go the last inch.

We put a couple of bolts in and tried to draw it up, but it was in a bind.

Removing the bolts so we could *shake* the transmission; sometimes this will cause it to line up with the pilot bearing.

We pushed up and down, right and left. The transmission was off the jack but we left the jack there so we could set the transmission back down on it and rest our arms.

We tried several times, and for several minutes (2 days to be exact, I think), but the transmission just wouldn’t go in that last half inch.

My boss had a large amount of tobacco in his mouth. He motioned for me to rest, spit a long stream of juice toward the left front tire, and said, “Let’s go get a cup of coffee.”

He was the boss, who was I to complain?

When we returned from the café he said, “Now it will go in.”

I thought… no, I won’t say what I thought.

We returned to our creepers, slid back under the truck.

He took the tail of the transmission and raised it up just a little bit and pushed the transmission all the way up to the block.

“Now put the bolts in.” he said with a silly grin.

“What did you do!?” I asked.

“Nothing, we were just too tired to get it lined up. That’s why we got a cup of coffee…to rest up.”

Well, throughout the years, I’ve never forgotten that, and I’ve used that technique several times.

I’m not sure if I stopped working on a project to rest up or just show the vehicle that I’m smarter than it is. 

Tommy Sessions has been in auto repair since 1970. He publishes Bad Car Again Auto
Repair Help Newsletter. He is in the process of setting up a blog for you to read the
newsletter and get auto repair answers. Check the site often to get the details of how to
get the Blog. http://www.badcaragain.com

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Truly, creativity is a wonderful thing for both adults and children to explore. Childrens arts and crafts can keep your child busy and stimulate their mind. The important thing is that you choose crafts for your child that are age appropriate and interesting for them. Even very young children can enjoy creating artistic works. If your child is five or under, stock up on the basics like fingerpaint, large poster boards, safety scissors, crayons, washable markers, non-toxic school glue and of course, modeling dough. Before you give your little artist free reign, however, there are a few preparations you’ll need to take.

Dress your child in old clothes, even if the paint or markers are washable. An old button up shirt of Mom or Dad’s makes the perfect smock. Cover the art area with newspaper or an old sheet. In nice weather, the outdoors makes a perfect studio for your child. Have plenty of paper towels and wet wipes on hand to take care of any messes or spills. Let your child explore the materials you’ve set out for him or her without offering too much guidance. When your child creates something, offer lots of encouragement and praise.

Older children enjoy more structured arts and crafts. For them, kits are ideal. A creative kit teaches a child to follow directions while being creative at the same time. There are embroidery kits, paint by number kits, pottery kits, model car and boat kits, jewelry making kits, and more. No matter what your child is interested in, there’s probably a kit out there to accommodate them. If your older child shows interest or aptitude in a particular area of art, encourage them to further develop and challenge their abilities.

There are likely childrens arts and crafts classes in your area that may be a great idea for your child. Not only will your child learn artistic techniques and skills, he or she will get the benefit of social interaction with other children. When your child creates a piece of artwork they are proud of, display it in your home. Even colorful fingerpaint on posterboard can be matted and framed to make a beautiful accent to any room. Designate a special area of your home to display your child’s art work. This is great for their self-esteem and will encourage them to keep creating.

Copyright 2008 by M. Attendorn - All Rights Reserved

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Currently there are several thousand franchise opportunities available to prospective business owners, from fast food restaurants to direct mail marketing. Your challenge will be to educate yourself and sift through all the information in order to make the best decision for your personal situation and goals.

1. Be in control: Many of the franchisees will sell you on the idea that they need to pre-qualify you before offering you their opportunity. Don’t let this cloud your judgment with feelings of obligation, and remember you ultimately will have the final decision that is in your best interest.

2. Do personal needs analysis on yourself: What are your goals in business ownership? What type of franchise? How much money do you want to make? Do you want to work from home or do you want more of a “brick and mortar” type of business? How much do you want to invest? Do you want room to expand the business and grow to multiple locations? Anything you can think of what you want to get out of franchise ownership, and make sure you write it down. These will be the beginnings of questions that you will be asking the franchisors and current franchisees.

3. Narrow the Search: Based on the personal needs analysis, select no more than three franchises that potentially will meet those needs.

4. Begin the Research: Find out as much information you can before contacting the franchisors. Most franchises have information posted on their websites. Look for information such as areas that are available, investment amount, years in business/years as a franchised business. Also investigate information that is available with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission)

This should be a good foundation for you to begin the process of the investigative stage of franchise ownership. We will continue with the next steps to take in Part 2 of Franchise Opportunity Tips.
You can find other useful franchise information here at:
http://www.buying-franchises.com

Jeff Lubthisophon
http://www.buying-franchises.com

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This is part 2 of the subject of nutrients. Be sure to read part 1 of “Skin Problems? It May Be A Lack Of Nutrients” before reading this part.

Royal Jelly is a nutrient that can be used as a topical application as well as taken as a supplement. This nutrient that comes from bees is full of vitamins, pantothenic acid and amino acids. Royal Jelly can help with darkening of the skin, blemishes and wrinkles. When taken orally, its properties can help in delaying collagen from deteriorating which can help the skin look younger.

L-Cysteine (commonly known as just Cysteine) is a nutrient that helps the collagen in the skin to hold together. Most of the skin is high in this nutrient. People can get a good daily amount of this nutrient from foods like milk but mainly eggs.

Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA for short and commonly known as just Linolenic Acid) with its anti-inflammatory properties is great for the skin. It’s basically known as evening primrose oil in its supplementation form. Common cooking oils have this acid like extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and safflower oil. Just 2 tablespoons per day of these oils (preferably cold pressed) can be added to the daily diet by cooking with them, or they can even be made into a light vinaigrette dressing for salads. In supplementation form 500 mg of evening primrose oil is needed.

There is two more important “nutrients” that are very common and also very important when it comes to good skin care. The first one is water. Water is an important part of all tissues in the body including skin tissue. Water helps to supply important minerals to the body. Drinking about 8 to 10 glasses of pure, plain water will provide enough moisture and give keep good water balance in the body.

The second important “nutrient” is fiber. There are three types of fiber. The fiber in grains is called bran. The fiber in fruit is called pectin. The fiber in vegetables is called psyllium. People should aim to add least 40 grams of fiber from one, two, or all three of the different fibers to the daily diet. A person should add this to their diet slowly if their diet is low in fiber in the first place. Fiber can help to clear the complexion of the skin although studies have not uncovered how. It may be how fiber improves bowel elimination and therefore limiting the absorption of acne-aggravating properties, toxic substances and saturated fats.

Sources of bran from food are of course bran, whole wheat bread, brown rice, rolled oats, Grape-Nuts cereal and even white rice and shredded wheat. Sources of pectin from fruit are apples, strawberries and other berries such as blueberries and raspberries, pears, melons, oranges and other citrus fruits like tangerines and grapefruits. Sources of psyllium from vegetables are beets, green beans, green peas, potatoes, carrots and celery. Vegetable bulk powders like Metamucil and Citrucel are ok but add them slowly to the diet like a quarter teaspoon to each meal and add a quarter teaspoon each week to each meal until the amount is a full teaspoon to each meal.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Skin Care

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Windsor Castle is considered to be the biggest lived in castles around & the eldest in continuous inhabitation (over 900 years). It’s one of Queen Elizabeth’s three formal residences, and is often commented to be her preferred home. The Royal Standard flies above the Round Tower of Windsor Castle when Queen Elizabeth 2 is at the palace - whereas, at other periods, the Union Jack banner soars instead.

Samuel Pepys once announced Windsor Castle to be “the single most passionate castle in the world.” That was thought in sixteen-sixty-six & the comparable has been said today. Buy Windsor Castle tickets at great prices from Enjoy England.

Windsor Castle Remarkable History:

The origins of Windsor can be found lying in the 7th century Saxon settlement of Windlesora, where the present day community of Old Windsor can be located. The settlement of Windsor is more accurately identified as “New Windsor” - the phrase “new” being used in a strictly relative way!

Windsor Castle was initially built by the notorious William the Conqueror, as a result of his hit of England in ten sixty six. The original construction was erected from wood with ground walls. The Castle held an understandable tactical position on a big hill high above the River Thames, and was a fraction of a group of palaces surrounding the Capital, with the Tower of London, one day’s walk away, at its middle.

The Castle was soon reassembled in rock, & increased in significance over the subsequent centuries. In recent times Henry 2nd made the Round Tower and the original stone outer wall. Following the English Civil War, the structure’s prime role became that of a royal house. Windsor Castle has remained almost completely unchanged from the early nineteenth century, apart from the refurbishment work right after the latest fire.

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When shopping for a mortgage loan, every lender will have different rates, fees and points for each loan program. When shopping for a mortgage loan, it is important to understand the three components of a Rate and Fee Quote: (1) Premium Rates (2) Lender Fees and (3) Discount Points.

A Premium Rate offer is any interest rate above the market rate (referred to as the “Par Rate”). While the Par Rate changes constantly during the day, most lenders will commit to a specific Par Rate early in the day. If the Par Rate is 6.00%, the lender will only earn revenue if they offer you a rate above Par (for example, 6.25%).

Lender fees are charged for services performed directly by the lender, which may include Processing Fees, Underwriting Fees, Origination Fees, etc. These fees are charged to offset the cost of processing, closing, and funding your mortgage loan.

Discount Points often represent the largest fees associated with your mortgage loan as one point equals 1% of your loan amount. If you are applying for a loan amount of $350,000 and pay 2 Discount Points, the Discount Point Fee would be $7,000. Borrowers may use Discount Points to obtain rates below the Par Rate. For example, if the Par Rate is 6.00%, a 5.75% rate would indicate that the Borrower will have to pay Discount Points.

Factors to Consider
Every lender provides multiple combinations of Rates, Fees, and Points across a variety of different programs. All of these choices can become overwhelming when trying to decide between different programs, rates, and fee packages. To limit the possibilities, it is often helpful to answer a few key questions:

• How long do you expect to have this loan? Consider the probability of relocation, moving, or refinancing when determining your timeframe. Think in terms of 5 and 10 years.
• Do you have the available cash to pay additional fees now to lower the interest charges later? Be sure that paying upfront fees is the best use of your money. For example, paying higher fees or points for a lower rate may not be a good use of cash while carrying high credit card balances.

If you expect to have the mortgage a long time, paying points to reduce the rate makes economic sense because you are going to enjoy the lower rate for a long time. If your time horizon is short, avoid points and pay the higher rate because you won’t be paying it for long.

If you plan to have your loan for 5 years, paying 1 Discount Point on a $350,000 loan will cost you $3,500 upfront while saving you $88 a month. After 40 months of savings, you have recovered your upfront cost and will benefit from the lower rate. If you stay in the loan for 10 years, you will have created an additional $7,060 in interest savings over the life of your loan. Just like interest, points are 100% tax deductible in the year you pay them.

The second factor is your opportunity cost. What could you do with the money if you didn’t use it to pay points? Even if you expect to be in your house a long time, there could be other uses for your money that take precedence over the long-run savings from a lower interest rate. A useful way to pull these factors together is to look at the payment of points as an investment that yields a return that rises the longer you stay in your house.

Check out Greenwood Capital
For specific analysis of available interest rates, discount points, and fee packages, you can visit our website at GreenwoodLoans.com. Or select “Interest Rates” on the top navigation toolbar to view our current interest rates which are updated daily. Request a custom Rate and Fee Quote to have a Mortgage Loan Consultant provide a ‘lock-able’ interest rate with associated lender fees and closing costs for your review via email.

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