The laws regarding bankruptcy have changed recently, but there
are still options available to you if your debt has grown out of
control and you have found yourself unable to repay them.
Bankruptcy laws give debtors a way to divide their assets among
creditors and completely eliminate some debts after the assets
have been distributed.

Due to the recent changes, you may have to undergo credit
counseling prior to filing bankruptcy, but as a debtor you are
entitled to file bankruptcy as a way to reorganize or eliminate
your debts.

People wanting to completely eliminate all outstanding debts
generally use Chapter 7 bankruptcies. Business can also file
Chapter 7 if they plan to liquidate all assets and close
permanently. Under a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, an individual may
keep certain property such as a home, automobile, tools of
trade, and various other properties.

Some property however, may be lost during the bankruptcy
proceedings. A trustee will control the debtor’s assets during
the bankruptcy process and those assets will be divided among
creditors as the trustee sees fit. Upon discharge of the
bankruptcy, the control of any remaining property is returned to
the debtor and all outstanding debts that have not been
reaffirmed will be gone.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is for those who wish to pay all their
outstanding debts but have found themselves unable to do so.
Chapter 13 allows individuals to reorganize debts and structure
payments differently so that the debtor can afford to make
payments over time.

In the case of a business wanting to reorganize, Chapter 11
bankruptcy is the appropriate choice. Filing bankruptcy is a way
out of debt for many people and businesses. Consult with a
professional to make sure that bankruptcy would be the best
choice for you before you make any final decisions.

Perishable food must be kept cold while commuting via bus, bicycle, on foot, in a car, or on the subway. After arriving at school or work, perishable food must be kept cold until lunchtime.

Why? Harmful bacteria multiply rapidly in the “danger zone” (the temperatures between 40 F and 140 F). So, perishable food transported without an ice source won’t stay safe long. Here are safe handling recommendations to prevent food-borne illness from “bag” lunches.

1. Perishable food, such as raw or cooked meat and poultry, must be kept cold or frozen at the store and at home. Eggs should be purchased cold at the store and kept cold at home.

2. Transport perishable food as fast as possible when no ice source is available. At the destination, keep it cold. Food should not be left out at room temperature more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is above 90 F).

3. Prepackaged combos that contain luncheon meats along with crackers, cheese, and condiments must also be kept refrigerated. This includes luncheon meats and smoked ham which are cured or contain preservatives.

4. At lunchtime, discard all used food packaging and paper bags. Do not reuse packaging because it could contaminate other food and cause food-borne illness.

5. Pack just the amount of perishable food that can be eaten at lunch. That way, there won’t be a problem about the storage or safety of leftovers.

6. It’s fine to prepare the food the night before and store the packed lunch in the refrigerator. Freezing sandwiches helps them stay cold. However, for best quality don’t freeze sandwiches containing mayonnaise, lettuce, or tomatoes. Add these later.

7. Insulated, soft-sided lunch boxes or bags are best for keeping food cold, but metal or plastic lunch boxes and paper bags can also be used. If using paper lunch bags, create layers by double bagging to help insulate the food. An ice source should be packed with perishable food in any type of lunch bag or box.

8. Prepare cooked food, such as turkey, ham, chicken, and vegetable or pasta salads, ahead of time to allow for thorough chilling in the refrigerator. Divide large amounts of food into shallow containers for fast chilling and easier use. Keep cooked food refrigerated until time to leave home.

10. To keep lunches cold away from home, include a small frozen gel pack or frozen juice box. Of course, if there’s a refrigerator available, store perishable items there upon arrival.

Copyright (c) Terry Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.

Terry Nicholls is the author of the eBook “Food Safety: Protecting Your Family From Food Poisoning”. For more tips like these, and to learn more about his book, visit his website at http://tinyurl.com/3fr2t

yourguides@cogeco.ca

Knowledge is Power! And this statement could not be more true
when it comes to selling on eBay. As explained in my book “eBay
Marketing Wholesale SourcePak” being successful on eBay all
depends on being in the right place, at the right time, with the
right product. For example, did you know one of the most popular
categories on eBay for buying and selling is the Antiques
Category. That’s right! People flock to eBay to locate treasures
from the past. But what if we could know exactly what they are
looking for? Just what kind of Antiques? Well I can help! Below
you will find the Top Ten Picks of Antique Categories (at the
time of this writing) as per eBay.

10 - Lace and Crochet Trim

9 - Medical Antiques

8 - Wood Picture Frames

7 - Knobs and Handles

6 - Linen Samplers

5 - Mixed Material: Picture Frames

4 - Roman Antiquities

3 - Silver Napkin Rings

2 - Locks and Key

And the Number 1 Antique Category for “Hot Items” is…

Weathervanes and Lightning Rods

There you have it! The Top Ten Picks of Antique Categories where
potential bidders are surfing to find all those treasures from
times gone by. If you sell Antiques on eBay, finding items that
fit into one or more of the above categories will see your
number of bids increase substantially. Always remember to do
your research before listing any item for auction. Know what
categories are “Hot!” Do a price analysis of your product. Know
what the item costs you and what you can potentially sell it
for. Then sit back and watch the bidding heat up!

Happy Selling! Joe Clare

American Cranberry Viburnums have been cultivated by man for
thousands of years and this particular variety is my favorite
for fast growing and easy to cultivate plants. If you have had
trouble growing other plants in Newtown Pa., this is a plant
that will not fail for you. Planting Requirements - American
Cranberrybush prefers moist to wet soils of rich or average
composition, and of acidic pH. However, it tolerates dry soils
of acidic, neutral, or alkaline pH reasonably well. It loves
full sun to partial sun, and performs well in partial shade to
full shade, although its growth habit will be much more sparce.
It habitat range is found in zones 2 to 7 You can get more
information on this and other plants at the following web sites
http://www.seedlingsrus.com http://www.zone5treees.com and
http://www.highlandhillfarm.com

As the manufacturer of one of the most popular vehicles out in today’s roads and highways, the Ford Motor Company has made certain that they would ensure quality, safe, and reliable vehicles. They have also been acknowledged for their automobiles’ designs. The company has ensured that each and every part of their vehicles has been specially designed to guarantee an excellent performance, and at the same time provide comfort for its passengers.

As part of the long list of creations from the Ford Motor Company, Ford, the brand, has come up with its own unique list of vehicles crafted to make an impact on each person that it has come in contact with. One of these is a minivan that was produced and sold by the company from 1995 to the year 2003 bearing the name Ford Windstar. This was introduced in 1995 as a replacement for the brand’s first minivan which was the Aerostar. However, come 2004, this model was replaced by the Freestar. This vehicle was made available with a 3.0 L and a 3.8 L V6 engines.

Originally, this vehicle’s project code name was supposed to be WIN88 which stood for “wagon intermediate, North America”. Speculations have it that it was this code, WIN88, which had inspired the name Windstar. Later, ensuing redesigns and revamps for this Ford Windstar for the years 1999 and 2001 had then used VN, which then stood for “van, North America”, for its code name.

While it was still being made available in the market, the Ford Windstar has undergone two major changes in its crafting and design. Four years after it was introduced, the update was made on its overall shape. It was made to look more modern and sportier. Its grille was also altered to a grid array. Also, the window posts that could be located between the front and side doors were hidden away from view. Come the year 2001, the company rejuvenated the Ford Windstar by changing its grill once again by using a tighter array of smaller rectangles this time around.

As per the Ford Windstar’s drive through history, this minivan was introduced to the market as a replacement for the Ford Aerostar. And come 2003, the Ford Windstar that had replaced the Ford Aerostar had then been replaced, this time by the Ford Freestar. Ford claims and asserts that the Ford Freestar is all new, in essence, this “new” model is an updated Windstar. The name has been changed, however, it is this platform’s third generation vehicle.

Ford Windstar parts

Ford Aerostar

Ford Parts online

——————–

Chuck, a 38 year old freelance writer from Charleston, South Carolina, has been specializing on automotive-related articles and news. He has a degree in Automotive Techonology.

Now that Spring is upon us and things are coming back to life in your pond with the warmer weather, many of us are battling with string algae. String algae is caused primarily by a combination of the buildup of organic nutrients in the water, and sunlight.

What happens is that during winter, when things slow down and many of us turn off our filters, decaying leaves and other organic matter (including fish waste) begin to break down in the pond.

The result is an excess of organic nutrients in the water, which is essentially food for algae growth. Add sunlight and some warmer weather to these conditions, and you have an ideal environment for algae growth, both the green water and string algae varieties.

The green water, or ‘pea soup’ algae is easily eradicated with a properly sized UV sterilizer, which we highly recommend. String algae, on the other hand, is a bit more complicated and difficult to get rid of.

Because it is usually attached to the walls and rocks of the pond, it becomes more difficult to get rid of and unfortunately, there aren’t and easy solutions. But we are going to outline a few remedies here that will help. First, we recommend a pond cleaning - if possible. For those of you who don’t clean your pond at least once annually, there are many good reasons to do this.

By cleaning out your pond, and removing as much of the decaying organic material from the bottom, you are also removing much of the ‘food’ for the algae.

Another good thing to do is to cut back on feeding your fish, until you get your string algae under control. The fish food, both eaten and digested, and the uneaten food, will both also contribute to this algae growth - so don’t worry about the fish, just stop feeding for awhile.

There are several products available which can and will ‘help’ with the string algae problem, like barley bales and/or barley pellets. The idea is that by adding these to the pond, they will also start to decay in the water, and the resulting natural ‘humic acids’ will actually oxidize the algae, and help keep it under control.

Farmers in the 13th century noticed that lakes with bales of barley straw in them, had much less muck and string algae in them. So, now we use them in fish ponds. Barley pellets are a newer version of the same idea, but will generally start working faster. Barley straw needs several weeks before it starts working, and only after it starts to ‘rot’ in the water.

Another way to help with string algae is to raise your salt level in the pond. Anything over .3% will help control the algae, but is best for KOI ponds, as the salt may also negatively affect water garden plants.

We also really like the Microbe Lift line of products. They also seem to help control string algae, by adding millions of beneficial microbes and beneficial bacteria that will feed off of this algae and also help to decompose any other organic waste in the pond.

An alternate method that many pond owner prefer is to add a chemical algaecide like PondCare’s Algae Fix. This is safe for fish and plants, and does seem to temporarily knock out suspended and filamenous algae, but does need to be added periodically for long term control.

One new method that we’ve been hearing more and more about is adding a certain type of clay to the pond water. Calcium Montmorillonite Clay is gaining popularity among KOI pond owners and water gardeners as an effective, natural method of algae control. It is also noted as having many beneficial qualities for the fish in the pond.

Hope this helps!

Happy pondkeeping.

Publishing Guidelines

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several pond-related websites including macarthurwatergardens.com and pond-filters-online.com. He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 6,000 pond owners. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive a complimentary ‘New Pond Owners Guide’ for joining, just visit MacArthur Water Gardens>

Navigating a credit report can be a bit confusing but it is important to understand how all of those numbers affect you whether or not you are considered credit worthy. A credit report is broke into four basic sections and each one is important to your credit score.

The first section contains your identifying information

This is just the basic information that identifies who you are. It can include a list of addresses where you have lived, your name and any other names you have gone by, your social security and driver’s license numbers, spouse’s name, date of birth and telephone numbers that have been linked to your name.

The second section contains your credit history

This section will list all of the credit accounts that you have. It will tell how long you have had the account, what kind of account it is, if it is a joint account, amount that the loan was for or the credit limit you have, total amount that you owe, amount of monthly payments, Status of the account, and if you have been making your payments on time. This section might also include notes that tell if you typically pay late or have a debt that was never able to be collected.

The third section contains your public records

This section includes any bankruptcies, tax liens, or judgments against you. If it is in the public records, it will show up in this section of your credit report.

The fourth section contains inquiries

Anytime someone requests your credit report, that information goes into this section. That means that every time you fill out an application for credit, that credit request will be noted on your credit report. Not all inquiries on your credit report were initiated by you. Soft inquiries are those requested from companies looking to contact you unsolicited and offer you a pre-approved loan or credit card.

View our recommended sources for a personal credit report.
Also, check out our recommended online companies to help you eliminate credit card debt, or view our recommended lenders for home refinancing for people with problem credit.

If you are like may others on the internet, then you would like to have a web site of your own. The problem is, you don’t know how to design a web site, and you can’t afford to pay a web site designer to design a new site for you. So how do you get around this problem? Actually it is very easy - and as always there are options! There are many talented web designers on the internet, and they will allow you to purchase a web site design from them for a very reasonable price. The designs available to you are as varied as the people that made them. There is literally something for everyone - a design for all tastes and all purposes - just waiting for you to come along and use it.

These pre written web sites are called web site templates, and some of them are extremely well done. Web site templates are usually created one of three ways - they are : Html, Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Flash. If you know how to edit html, a template can be a quick and easy way to turn your ideas into a new web site. I can already hear some of you saying “That’s no good to me, I can’t write html!”. That’s ok! There is the photoshop style of web site template that you can try. Do you have a digital camera? Have you ever put a title on your photos? Have you edited your pictures or made a collage out of them? (multiple pictures joined into one..) If you have, then you can probably make your own web site using Adobe Photoshop - or a similar photo editing application. The photoshop templates do all the initial design work for you, you just have to fill in the text areas with whatever you want to say. It really isn’t that hard to do. The software will do most of the work, you just need the ‘content’ to fill in the provided spaces. Have a go at home using your own digital photos, and when you have made a couple of pages download a photoshop template and make a complete web site. Of course you will need someone to host your new site, but as most ISP’s include a small ‘home page’ area with every account, you can probably put your new site there to begin with. The next type of web site template uses Macromedia Flash to create it. Web site templates designed using Flash are usually animated and can have some quite advanced visual effects. The downside to using Flash templates is they are not really intended for novice web designers - the Flash software is quite complicated - but the results can be well worth the effort.

As a side note, search engines have a very poor understanding of Flash web sites, and if you want to create a commercial or business web site, then you would be better off using html or photoshop for your design.

The final option for designing a web site by template is to find a template that you like the look of, and have someone else turn it into your web site. By purchasing a web site template you will greatly reduce the cost of the design of you new web site - and as a bonus, you will know from the start what it will look like when it is finished

When you use a template to design a new web site please be aware that you are not the only person on the web that is using that template. There could be other web sites using the same design - but with the enormous number of web sites on the internet it is unlikely that you will ever find one of those sites. If you want to guarantee that your web site is completely unique, then you need to design it yourself, of you will have to get it designed just for you. Good luck with your new web site!

Colin Visser is the owner of webdziner.gotdns.com/ and also webdziner.biz/ Services : web site design & english proof reading. Proof reading for web sites, software, help files, email and news-letters. Free quotes. Please send comments using webdziner.gotdns.com/email.html

Walmart was the first business to require all its employees to wear nametags. (There’s a surprise!) Sam Walton created this initiative because he wanted his customers to “get to know the people they bought from.”

But the value of employee nametags spans far beyond getting to know people, it’s all about being approachable. So whether you work in retail, hospitality, food service or sales, to wear a nametag is to be on stage. To be on stage is to be ready to serve your customers. And to be ready to serve your customers is to do your job effectively.

Here are several ways nametags will help your employees maintain an accessible, comfortable business environment.

Accessibility
I have a bad habit of putting too much hot sauce on, well…everything. Recently, after I wolfed down a Tobasco covered bite of my cheeseburger, I realized that I desperately needed a refill of ice water to regain feeling in my lips. My server walked right by, but unfortunately I failed to get his attention because I didn’t know his name. Why? You guessed it: he wasn’t wearing a nametag! No water for me! Fortunately I chugged down my date’s ice tea.

Tip # 1: A nametag makes it easier for customers to gain the attention of an employee from whom they need service. Without it, the customers will either find someone else to help them, or won’t get what they need.

Comfort
Imagine you walk into a store. You browse the aisles for a few minutes and decide that you’d like to speak with a sales associate. You look around, see a few people, but nobody appears to be an employee. After wrongfully asking and embarrassing a few strangers who don’t actually work there, you get frustrated and leave the store. As you walk out the door, you complain, “Darn it! Doesn’t anybody work here?!

Tip # 2: The most important rule in retail is to “make a friend in thirty seconds.” The quickest and surest way to do this is to inform and remind customers of your employees’ names. This promotes self-disclosure and creates comfort in the conversation. And when you put your customers at ease, the sales process will be more personable.

Synergy
Have you ever started a new job and didn’t know everyone’s name until the third month? Or what about the organization for whom you’ve contributed ten years and still don’t know the name of that curly haired girl from the second floor? Let’s face it: people are terrible with names. It’s the single context of human memory most apt to be forgotten.

Tip # 3: Especially for organizations with hundreds of employees, nametags for your teammates will only ease their pain and contribute to a synergized workplace.

Ambassadors
Another invaluable benefit of nametags is that they will transform your employees into ambassadors. It will make them walk their talk. Ask people who work in real estate, they wear nametags every day! Some agents even wear two nametags: one on their shirt and another magnetized to the side of their car! Now, silly as that looks, remember this: everyone will know that Shirley is a representative for Gundaker.

Tip #4: A nametag immediately identifies an employee as an ambassador of the company. As such, it keeps her accountable for her behavior while she wears it and promotes good word of mouth for the business.

Branding
Your nametag is just like your company’s billboard. Except it’s free and people will actually look at it for more than four seconds. So, when customers or clients work with your employees, they will be exposed to your logo, colors and brand identity. As a result your nametag turns into an effective medium for free advertising.

Tip #5: A well designed nametag will constantly keep your company’s brand, logo and corporate culture in the minds of your customers and prospects. Because it’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.

Fun
Nametags are fun. Kids like them. Adults like them. They promote friendliness in the workplace and foster a sense of community. And people want to spend their money in places, on items and with people that are welcoming and approachable. Next time you walk into Borders, take a closer look at one of the employees’ nametags. Often times their lanyards will have stickers or pictures of their favorite books on them.

Tip #6: Employees who wear fun, memorable nametags will also show the customers that their business is fun and memorable.

Tag, you’re it!

Will free promotion, both personal and graphical help promote your business?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, well done! You’re on the right track. The next step is to make sure all your employees wear nametags. Because if they don’t, you’d better get used to hearing the phrase, “Doesn’t anybody work here?!”

© 2005 All Rights Reserved.

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, “The World’s Foremost Expert on Nametags” and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

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The placement of your water garden is your most important decision. You’ll want to choose a spot that gets as much sunlight as possible, generally away from trees or bushes that shed their leaves, because most plants and fish require a fair amount of sunlight to thrive, and deciduous trees and shrubs can make keeping your water element a chore in the fall.

You’re only limited by your budget, the size of your space, and your imagination, but always bear in mind that your water garden will require a certain amount of maintenance, which you’ll have to do if you want your garden to continue to look great. If you incorporate fish into your garden scheme, they’ll also need to be fed as part of your routine maintenance program.

If you use aquatic plants in your water garden, only cover about half the surface of the water. It will allow you to see your ornamental fish underneath. You may also want to plant flowers around the edge of your pond, and there are some plants that will actually add oxygen to the water, which is important, especially if you have fish in your pond. Fish can help keep the pond clean by eating insects.

Algae is one of the primary problems encountered by water gardeners, and it’s often brought about by over fertilizing water plants or feeding fish too much or too often. For many years, people in England have used barley straw to help reduce the amount of string and filament type algae, but it may not work in every situation. If you experience algae problems–and you probably will–pay close attention to the feeding regime of both your fish and your water plants.

To keep your water oxygenated and fresh, you’ll need a pond pump and filter, which can also help reduce insect and algae problems. Water plants also remove nutrients from the water that could create pollution problems. Some good plants include water hyacinths, water violets, and water crowfoot, if you bear in mind that they tend to reproduce vigorously and can quickly take over a pond.

Like all gardens, water gardens require a certain amount of care, but the results can give you years of pleasure.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Jeanette Fisher has researched the effects of environment on emotions for over 15 years. She teaches interior design college courses and seminars. Free environmental design info: http://environmentpsychology.com