A Light Dish You Can Toss up for Your Next Dinner Party

Have you and your friends made a pact to eat healthier this year and would actually do it for real this time, but have no idea where to begin? Well first, find something that’s easy to make and something that you would like to serve for lunch or dinner, like a trusty salad.

If you’re looking for a fresh, easy, and tasty dish that’s not doused in bottled Caesar salad dressing, here’s a recipe that you can snack on and share with your friends and family at dinner parties.





Sweet Potato Salad with Avocado, Feta, and Pickled Green Walnuts

Ingredients

455 g sweet potatoes
1 fennel bulb (thinly sliced)
2 to 3 avocados (1/4-inch slices)
2 cups arugula
1/4 cup mixed bean sprouts
6 pickled green walnuts
115 g feta cheese
Dill
Parsley
Salt and black pepper

Dressing
3/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
1 garlic clove
2 tsp salt
Dill
Walnut oil

Preparation
 
1. Preheat oven to180-degrees Celsius, and place the sweet potatoes on a rack and bake for 45 minutes. Let them cool.

2. Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch rounds. Set aside.

3. For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender and puree them until smooth. Set aside two tablespoons for garnish.

4. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the fennel and arugula in the dressing.

5. Arrange a layer of sweet potatoes and top them with avocados and sprouts. Season with salt.

6. Place the dressed arugula and fennel on top of the first layer.

7. Garnish with walnuts, dill, parsley, pepper, and the remaining dressing, and crumble a generous amount of feta cheese. Serve dish immediately.



Source: Charlie Carbungco for Northern Living,“Age of Decadence,” December 2015.

Photo by Patrick Segovia

source: preen.inquirer.net

Thanksgiving: Turkey, parades and shopping deals

NEW YORK — Turkey, stuffing and a helium-filled Thomas the Tank Engine were on the menu as friends and families gathered across the United States to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Here's a look at how Americans prepared to celebrate Thanksgiving.

GIANTS IN THE SKY

The nationally televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will include six new giant balloons including Thomas the Tank Engine, Paddington bear and the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. The annual event brings out throngs of people along its midtown Manhattan parade route, ending in front of the store's flagship location.

On Wednesday, passers-by on the Upper West Side got a sneak preview, as the giant balloons were inflated with helium in the neighborhood around the American Museum of Natural History.

"It's really cool, they're huge," said San Francisco resident Ella Missan. Daisy Elliot of Boston, who said she's been coming to see the balloons since she was little, agreed. "It's really exciting for me to see the balloons year after year," she said.

The parade's executive producer, Amy Kule, said organizers were glad wintry weather that made sidewalks slick and travel treacherous on Wednesday was expected to be gone by Thursday.

"We're suffering through a little bit of this now but the end result is really going to be a beautiful parade," she said.

• • •

TRAVEL TROUBLES

Rain and snow on Wednesday made getting around on one of the busiest travel days of the year a chaotic experience for some. The sloppy mixture caused hundreds of flights to be grounded in the Northeast.

Some travelers tried to beat the storm by flying out earlier, and airlines tried to be helpful by waiving re-booking fees. But many flights already were filled, leaving travelers with few options.

The roads weren't much better. By midafternoon, the line between rain and snow went along Interstate 95, the major roadway connecting Boston to Washington, and accidents abounded. Snowfall totals were expected to be as much as 6 to 12 inches in the higher elevations west of I-95.

The AAA estimated that 41.3 million travelers would be on the road between Wednesday and Sunday. That's up 4.3 percent from last year.

• • •

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

To the delight of some and consternation of others, it's increasingly become commonplace to see stores open on Thanksgiving, as retailers try to entice shoppers inside and kick off the holiday shopping season a day earlier than the traditional Black Friday. Some of the stores open for at least part of the day on the holiday include Kmart, Target, Sears, Macy's and Wal-Mart. Other stores, like Neiman-Marcus, Nordstrom and Costco, are closed.

source: lassvegassun.com

Father’s Day Special at The Strand Café

MANILA, Philippines – Give dad the best Fathers’ Day celebration he deserves. Treat him with a special lunch or dinner at The Strand Café. The restaurant offers a warm and cozy ambience perfect for family and a place to have a gastronomic experience. 

Dine and avail a minimum worth of Php 1, 200.00 food purchase and dad will receive a special gift and a FREE Drink from The Strand Café. Promo available June 14-15, 2014.

The Strand Café is located along 161 HV dela Costa St., Salcedo Village Makati City. One Pacific Place Serviced Residences is managed by Quantum Hotels and Resorts. For more information please call (02) 304-7777 or visit our website and Facebook page at www.onepacificplaceresidences.com and http://facebook.com/thestrandcafemakati.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

California family celebrates 3 heart transplants

SAN MARCOS, California — Deanna Kremis remembers the exhilarating day her young sons first had the energy to race each other up a flight of stairs.

The brothers, then ages 7 and 10, could barely walk before having heart transplants just a month apart. As they flew up the steps two at a time, jostling and shouting, she recalled, “my friend turned to me and said, ‘Are YOU ready to get one now?’”

It was a joke that became prophesy. Her health, too, was slipping away because of the same inherited cardiac condition. By the time she received her own transplant in July, her heart was so weak she fainted while walking down the hall, collapsed mid-sentence and passed out in the middle of dinner at a friend’s house.

Her decline was terrifying for her sons, who were just beginning to embrace their lives with donor hearts and now saw their worst memories reflected in their mother’s struggle. All three have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic condition that causes the heart muscle to thicken until it can’t pump properly. Kremis’ mother and brother also have it, as did her grandmother.

“We just didn’t like seeing her go through the pain and stuff,” said Trevin, now 13. “We knew what it felt like.”

The 44-year-old stay-at-home mom for this family of five now finds herself in the unusual position of getting advice on post-transplant life from her sons while coordinating a never-ending regimen of pills and doctor’s appointments that has become her fulltime job. She also homeschools Trevin, who struggles with severe osteoporosis from the anti-rejection medicine he takes daily.

In the daily whirlwind, she still worries about her sons, who are thriving but face the constant threat of organ rejection and infection. Matthew has been hospitalized once for rejection and Trevin had eight fractures in one year from his osteoporosis. A third son — her eldest — and her husband are healthy.

“It’s just really hard seeing your babies go through anything. They’re amazing,” she said, holding back tears. “My goal was to get in and out of the hospital faster than them and I didn’t quite make it. And for them not to worry. I didn’t want them to worry about me. They’re my No. 1 priority.”

It’s not unheard of to have more than one transplant in one family when a genetic condition is involved, but the triple-transplant Kremises are a rarity even in the world of advanced cardiac specialty medicine.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects up to 600,000 people in the U.S. alone and is a leading cause of sudden death among young athletes, said Dr. Gregory Perens, one of the boys’ pediatric cardiologists at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA.

Many don’t have symptoms until there is a strain on the heart, while others experience shortness of breath and chest pain but have a milder version that can be controlled through medication and a pacemaker. A parent who carries the gene has a 50 percent chance of passing it along.

“For most families even having one child or one parent going through a transplant is a very big deal,” Perens said. “So to have three is an extraordinary amount of work.”

Still, the family never stops thinking about the anonymous donors who gave them all a second chance. After his transplant, the family would find Trevin crying quietly, worried about the family who had lost a child so he could live.

“I’ll take anything to feel the way I feel now,” said Kremis. “We’ve been blessed, just blessed, as a family and you live every day as best you can.”

The trio’s shared cardiac history is in plain sight around their house in suburban San Diego County, from the color-coded plastic bins that hold their prescriptions to the identical chest scars. Medical bills with eye-popping sums pour in for Kremis’ recent transplant and the family is still paying off the boys’ treatment six years later.

The family moved from Arizona to live with Kremis’ parents in San Marcos so they could to be close to the pediatric cardiology team at UCLA. Kremis’ husband, Richard, landed a job with AT&T. They have decent insurance, but with a high deductible, so that the boys can stay with the same specialists who oversaw the transplants.

“Has it affected our family? Yeah, but it’s just life,” said Kremis. “It doesn’t make our problems worse than anyone else’s. It just means when it comes, you just deal with it and you move on.”

Deanna Kremis’ grandmother, a no-nonsense outdoorswoman from Alaska, wasn’t diagnosed with the condition until she was in her early 70s. When Kremis was pregnant, her grandmother told Kremis to get her children’s hearts checked before they played sports — but said nothing more.

Her first son was healthy but when Matthew was born, doctors said he wouldn’t live past age 10. The family had to learn CPR just to take him home. His lips and nail beds were blue and his skin was so pale the veins in his chest and stomach popped through “like a see-through kid,” his mother said.

“They just told us to take him home and cherish him,” she said. “He’s been on medicine since the day he was born and he’s still on meds. It’s been his whole life.”

Doctors checked Trevin for the condition in utero, at birth and then every three years. The tests were negative until he turned six.

Within a year, Trevin needed a transplant — just as Matthew’s health spiraled out of control.

“We didn’t really know the extent to what it was in our family until after. We didn’t know how it affected siblings and how many siblings would be affected. You know, we just didn’t know any of that,” Kremis said, brushing away tears.

Donor hearts don’t last forever, but doctors haven’t given the trio a life expectancy. The Kremises prefer to focus on the future.

Matthew, now a high school senior, will study auto mechanics at a trade school next year. Trevin skateboards and has a passion for rebuilding electronics and repairing motorbikes. And the boys love dirt-biking with their father and older brother — a hobby their doctors don’t like, but haven’t forbidden.

“How many people can say that they’ve been through what I’ve been through and go ride dirt bikes for fun? There’s not a lot of people like me and my family,” said Matthew Kremis.

“It’s really part of what makes my family so awesome. All we really have is each other.”

source: business.inquirer.net

A test of Christmas conscience

‘We don’t do Christmas. We save the money, spend it on ourselves for once. Not a dime on food we won’t eat or clothes we won’t wear or gifts no one needs… It’s a boycott…”

That’s Luther Krank making a prodigious proposition to his wife, Nora, in a favorite Christmas novel of ours.

Plotted so simply it takes only 177 pages to tell—and tell in considerately leaded print yet—the novel is the most uncharacteristic by John Grisham. It is not any of the legal thrillers he has made his name for, but it’s the one Grisham we have chosen to keep, in fact the only Grisham this little condominium nest in which Chit and I have been living our simplified senior lives can take for volumes. And how it has proved worth the keeping—it’s the one title that leaps at us in these morally anxious times!

As light and funny as the times it is related to are grave, indeed tragic, “Skipping Christmas” (Doubleday, 2001) would seem an irreverent point of reference. It’s about a couple who, left alone this one Christmas, decides to, well, skip it, leave the neighborhood to its suddenly senseless and wasteful communal traditions, and fly away on Christmas Day itself, for “10 days of total luxury” on a cruise! It’s certainly no way to do an occasion that precisely calls for selflessness and moderation—if Christmas is indeed that.

As it happens, it is a case where the moral lies in the perversity—in the self-centeredness, in the profligacy, in the whole hypocrisy that surrounds Christmas.

At no time has our own Christmas conscience, as a nation, come under a test so severe as now. The occasion is a tragedy that compares with no other: Whole communities laid waste by a typhoon of unequaled fury, 6,000 dead and counting. And what facile reaction among the untouched: How to do Christmas without appearing insensitive.


Twisted

It’s a reaction in the same sick class as the old wisecrack that passes for native, popular wisdom, here updated:

Before we proceed to gorge ourselves at Christmas, let’s be reminded of our starved brethren in Leyte, so that they may be able, at least in spirit, to partake with us.

Something is definitely morally twisted here. Christmas is no mere red date on the calendar, no blanket excuse for making merry, let alone in the most abysmal sense. Christmas is a noble spirit; it lifts and redeems and moves the inhabited as profoundly as he is seized by it.

Although, by force of tradition, it is activated more at this time of year than at any other, it chooses no season. And one thing it precisely cannot ignore is such cries as those issuing from Leyte.

Leyte, to be sure, is no simple case of fate—unstoppable, unchangeable, therefore excusable. It’s been brought to its desperate pass strictly by human hands, conscienceless, plundering hands acting out of the old self-feeding habit of greed and working schemes that, by the exploitation of the environment for profit, have left the masses of already poor vulnerable yet to the elements; and, by official corruption, have robbed them of their due from the wealth and opportunities their own nation has to offer.

Lest they be mistaken for pleas for charity or philanthropy, the cries from Leyte are only rightful demands for payback for moral debt owed generations that cannot be even remotely assuaged—but in fact mocked—by skipping Christmas.

Memorable, too, though not as resonant as “Skipping Christmas,” probably because its title lacks the ring that suits the times and its Christmas setting feels but incidental, is an even shorter novel (101 pages), actually down-billed as a mere “tale”: “A Different Kind of Christmas” (Random House, 1988). It’s one of two books we’ve kept by Alex Haley; the other being his Pulitzer Prized “Roots.”

It’s a morality tale more direct and timeless with its message than “Skipping Christmas,” and not light or funny at all. It’s about a young man from 19th-century North Carolina who forsakes family and class, and all the power, privilege and wealth that go with it, to lead a mass escape of slaves, some his family’s own, into freedom on Christmas Eve.

Now, that, for all its relative shortcoming in salesmanship, makes for a more felicitous inspiration.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Multi-billion dollar Ikea feud revealed in new book

STOCKHOLM—Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad was forced to hand over billions of dollars to his sons following a bitter family feud, according to a new book on the global furniture giant.

The revelation appeared Thursday in business daily Dagens Industri which published excerpts from “Ikea on the Road to the Future”, co-authored by former Ikea executive Lennart Dahlgren, journalist Stellan Bjoerk and economist Karl von Schulzenheim.

The book, due to go on sale on September 27, contradicts the official version of the company’s history which holds that Kamprad signed over his empire to a complex network of overseas foundations in 1982.

The authors claim that Kamprad—who founded the company in 1943—held back a percentage of sales based on intellectual property rights for himself, triggering a long drawn-out battle with his three sons.


“We’re probably talking about 20 to 30 billion kronor (2.3 billion to 3.5 billion euros, $3.2 billion to $4.7 billion),” Stellan Bjoerk told Dagens Industri.

According to the book, Peter, Jonas and Mathias Kamprad later contested the decision, going as far as to hire lawyers in the US to fight their case that the money should stay in the family.

Kamprad “swung between fury and resignation,” wrote the authors, “attempting his usual habit of haggling” but he eventually gave up and lost much of his control over the company.

The authors contacted the family directly for their book but the family refused to comment on the feud. Instead their information was based on sources close to the company.

Ikea declined to comment when AFP sought a reaction to the book.

Ingvar Kamprad has lived in self-imposed tax exile in Switzerland since the 1970s but announced in June that he intended to return to Sweden.

The media-shy 87-year-old rarely appears in public alongside his sons.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Tips for Getting Life Insurance as a High Risk Patient

There are many factors that can label someone as a high risk patient in the eyes of an insurance company; age, health problems, occupation, lifestyle habits, etc. are a few common factors that can make it difficult, if not impossible, for individuals to get life insurance coverage. If you fall into any of these categories and are struggling to find affordable rates, don’t give up quite yet; here are few strategies you can use to improve your chances of finding a company that’s willing to work with you.

Compare Your Options 

This might sound extremely obvious, but the truth no insurance company operates exactly the same way. Some might be more willing to understand your situation than others, so try and find one who has experience specifically with what you’re concerned with. Whether it’s smoking cigarettes or dealing with diabetes, the internet has made it extremely easy to find information on agencies who have dealt with a variety of things, and most websites have a surplus of information that allows you to quickly see if it would work for you or not. Also, ask around. If you know smokers, ask them if and how they received coverage, or talk to patients who have a similar health issue as you. The more questions you ask and information you seek, the more likely you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for.

Understand There are Certain Things You Can Control

If your high-risk status comes from something that’s not an involuntary health issue, take charge and change the things you can; if you’re over/under weight, take some time to get yourself to a healthy level, or if you smoke, quit (most companies require you to be tobacco free for a year, but ask around) and then apply for coverage.

Similarly, think of other areas in your life that you have control over. If you engage in hobbies that wave a red flag, such as rock climbing, sky diving, etc., or if your current occupation poses a threat (pilots, construction workers, fisherman, etc.) weigh your options when it comes to making a change. If you love the industry you’re in but aren’t completely attached to your current position, consider moving to an administrative role. It all comes down to separating what you can control over what you can’t.

Show Stability and Responsibility 

Unfortunately, there are some health issues that can’t be easily controlled, but there are ways you can show an insurance agent the risks have been reduced. Medical documents and a statement from your doctor saying that your condition is stable can ease some companies into covering you. For example, if you’ve had cancer in the past but can prove you are now in remission, you’ll get coverage much easier. Even if you have an ongoing medical condition, such as diabetes, you can still show you have been responsible with your health. Taking your medication on time, following your doctor’s advice, and living a lifestyle that benefits your condition are all ways to show agencies that they’re you’re not suffering from any complications. A history of a stable condition will benefit your search for life insurance.

Speak with an Expert

If you’re feeling discouraged or overwhelmed with all the information and technicalities you read up on, don’t underestimate the power of reaching out to an expert in the industry. They can explain and elaborate on any information that seems conflicting or confusing, and they can also help you find the best and most affordable option for you. Most seasoned experts would already know what companies are worth reaching out to and which aren’t, so you could save time and energy searching around.

Consider Seeking Employment Benefits

If you have some solid skills or in-demand qualifications, consider transferring to a company that offers group life insurance. Just as it sounds, group life insurance is provided to a group of people, and because they are insuring the group instead of individual applicants, no medical history or exam is necessary. It generally provides less coverage than a personal policy, but it might be a good option to explore if your choices are limited.

Life insurance is an important tool that allows you to look out after your family’s finances if you were to pass away. If you’re older, in poor health, or currently practicing high-risk behaviors, it doesn’t mean the chance of getting coverage has passed. You might have to pay a bit more on premiums, but if you’re dedicated in your search and efforts, you should be able to find the best and most cost-effective choice for your situation. In the end, nothing is as valuable as helping ensure your family’s safe and happy future.

source: financialhighway.com

Billionaire Rinehart’s son sought $15-M ‘sorry payment’

SYDNEY – The son of Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, sought a Aus$15 million (US$15.4 million) “sorry payment” from his mother for how had she treated him over the years, a report said Wednesday.

Iron ore billionaire Rinehart is embroiled in a legal battle with two of her four children, including son John Hancock, over control of a family trust reportedly worth Aus$4 billion.

Hancock’s request is contained in documents tendered to the New South Wales Supreme Court as part of a dispute over the trust, set up by Rinehart’s father, the late Lang Hancock, in 1988, with the four grandchildren as beneficiaries.

Rinehart was due to be in charge of the trust, which holds a 23.4 percent slice of her company Hancock Prospecting, until the youngest grandchild turned 25 in 2011. Just days before, however, she said she wanted to alter the payout date to 2068 so they did not face a huge tax bill.

Emails between Hancock, his mother and her adviser tendered in court Tuesday show how he tried to come to a confidential agreement with Rinehart before the case went to court, the Sydney Morning Herald said.

In the emails Hancock said he would agree to delay vesting of the trust for an unspecified annual salary, while criticizing his three sisters’ ability to mount any kind of challenge.

“I doubt the other girls have the intellectual capacity to read the Income Tax Act which clearly defines that CGT (Capital Gains Tax) is disregarded under these circumstances, unless I… explain it in suitable baby language for them,” he wrote to his mother.

Hancock later demanded “a Aus$15m ‘sorry payment’ direct from GHR (Gina Hope Rinehart) for how she treated me over these last 15 years”.

Three of Rinehart’s four children, John, Bianca and Hope, originally took the mining magnate — worth an estimated US$17 billion — to court over her handling of the trust, arguing that she had breached her duties as trustee.

Hope officially withdrew from the legal action on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday Rinehart took legal action against a journalist working for the Sydney Morning Herald, owned by Fairfax Media, of which she is the biggest shareholder with 15 percent.

At the request of the mining magnate’s company, the Supreme Court of Western Australia issued a subpoena against reporter Adele Ferguson, who penned a biography of the billionaire, demanding her emails, notebooks and recordings of interviews she has conducted with John Hancock since September 2011.

Fairfax reported that it appears Rinehart wants Ferguson to reveal her sources for the book, which was published last year.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Get a FREE digital Awards mag!

Awards 2012 is the name of a new, free, exclusive to Apple Newsstand digital magazine that can be downloaded now.

PLUS: today only on Newsstand, the last six back issues of Classic Rock and sister mag Prog are 69p!




Packed with interviews and exclusive unseen pictures of awards winners, the free Awards magazine also includes a video intro from host Duff McKagan, behind the scenes video and a gallery of pictures.

It features interviews with ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, Nikki Sixx, The Damned (whose interview is hilariously interrupted by Lemmy), Rival Sons (with fan Vic Reeves), Family, Ginger, Status Quo, Russ Ballard and Anthrax.

If that wasn’t enough, Manic Street Preacher James Dean Bradfield explains why he loves Rush, Bruce Dickinson pays tribute to Jon Lord, Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera is interviewed with Rick Wakeman, and promoter John Giddings pays tribute to his old mentor, Genesis/Floyd manager Tony Smith.

Classic Rock Editor in Chief Scott Rowley said: “Every year at the CR Awards we get load of pictures, and hours of interviews with the stars that we can never fit in the magazine. This year, we decided to make them ALL available for free as soon as possible, with a few bonuses for the 300,000+ people who’ve downloaded the Classic Rock app.. Now everyone can share in the anarchy and chaos of rock music’s annual office party.”

If you’ve already downloaded the free Classic Rock app, you can just open it and download now. Otherwise go here http://goo.gl/z4Yhu (in the UK) or here http://goo.gl/YUnR9 (for the US).

source: classicrockmagazine.com

10 Ways to Lower Your Insurance Rates

Most Americans spend more than ten percent of their income on insurance. If you are among them–or if you simply want to lower the insurance premiums for auto, home, health, or even life insurance–you may want to try one or more of the following rate-cutting strategies.

1. Comparison Shop. Staying with the same insurance provider or agent for a long period of time can have its benefits, but it is always smart to shop around. Every insurance provider offers different levels of coverage as well as varying premiums. It isn’t unusual to see price differences in the hundreds of dollars. Getting quotes from multiple companies or an agent who works with multiple insurers can help you get the coverage you need for the best price possible.

2. Increase Your Deductible. Raising your deductible is one of the easiest and surest ways to save money on insurance rates. If your current deductible is low–$100 to $200–you could save as much as 30 percent by raising the deductible to $1,000. Just make sure you keep at least the amount of the deductible on hand and readily available in case you need it.

3. Reduce Your Coverage. Reducing your coverage is another good way to lower your insurance rates. You may be carrying more home insurance, (you really only need to insure to rebuild as your land is probably not at risk), more auto coverage (your yearly premium should be less than you could get back on a claim), or more life insurance than you really need. Less coverage means that you will get less back when you make a claim, but it will also lead to significantly lower insurance rates.

4. Avoid Duplicate Coverage. Many people have more insurance coverage than they need because they have duplicate coverage. For example, if you have good health insurance, you may not need to carry additional health insurance coverage on your auto policy. The same is true if you have an exorbitant life insurance policy in addition to coverage on a mortgage loan, car loan, and other debts that you may leave behind for your family. Evaluate your needs carefully and make sure you are not covered for the same thing twice.

5. Combine Policies. Most insurance providers offer discounts to customers who insure two vehicles under the same policy. Customers who insure their home and their auto under the same policy are usually eligible for additional discounts as well.

6. Ask About Discounts. Discounts are available for a range of things. You may be able to get a discount based on your age, occupation, or lifestyle. Specific discounts to ask for include a senior discount, good student discount, safe driver discount, low-risk discount, and loyalty or renewal discount. Your insurance provider or agent may also be willing to provide you with a full list of potential discounts as well as information on how you can qualify.

7. Ask About Group Insurance. Groups, associations, or auto clubs that you are already a member of may offer discounts or group rates on various types of insurance coverage. You may also be able to receive group coverage from your employer. You can ask your insurance provider about current discounts. You may also be able to learn more by consulting your employee handbook or speaking with a group representative.

8. Lower Your Risk. Every insurance provider will analyze the risk of insuring you before providing a rate quote. You may be able to lower your rate considerably by lowering your risk. This might involve making your home more disaster proof, buying a car with safety features, or agreeing to participate in a wellness program. Talk to your insurance provider about the different things you can do to make yourself more insurable.

9. Improve Your Credit Rating.Your credit rating can affect both your auto and home insurance rates. If you improve your score, you might be able to lower your premium. You may also be able to achieve the same result by purchasing insurance through a provider that does not perform credit checks on new customers.

10. Quit Smoking. Tobacco use can increase the rates you pay on all four major types of insurance coverage: home, auto, health, and life. Quit smoking and you may see significant drops in your premiums.

Guest post from Bailey Harris, financial writer and Homeownersinsurance.org contributor.

source: financialhighway.com

Independence Day

It’s the 4th of July — Time to celebrate. We rejoice over this glorious freedom we now enjoy. In a few months, I will be facing my own, more personal Independence Day.

After years of waiting to be eighteen, the occasion is finally here. I will be heading off to college. Not only that, I will be embarking to see how it is like to live in a different country, a different culture, as part of my studies at New York University’s Liberal Arts Core – Global Program. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about my fast approaching day of total self-determination, self-regulation, self-government — indeed my very autonomous lifestyle. All the supports I have known my entire life will be pulled out from under me, well maybe not totally as I know my family, friends and mentors will be there if I ask for help.

This reminds me of the other cause that our Patriots fought and died for, the virtue that we should hail with each burst of fireworks and bite of hot-dog on a sticky summer evening — that the freedom we have been endowed with comes with responsibility otherwise this liberty will turn into chaos. And chaos is unsustainable. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and so many others tried to pull us from the fever of the Revolutionary War, and back into order. A new government was formed under rules that they believed to be important.

I don’t see college as a time for me to enjoy wild parties and pushing the limits until things shatter— but the natural development of my own belief systems and discovering the boundaries of my own mind. I need to prove that I am worthy of that freedom I have been given.

Centuries have passed since our forefathers declared their independence from Britain. Although much has changed since that time, for college bound students, our eagerness to taste freedom is not one of them. While we now have the right to make our own choices and— more notably— our own mistakes — I hope nobody jumps off without that parachute or bungee cords to ensure that we land on our two feet.

Before I take my plunge, I want to assure the people that have been there for me all these years and watched me grow, that I am putting in that backpack all the life lessons you have taught me in preparation for this day to ensure that my dreams materialize. This is not a goodbye. I’m just continuing in my life’s journey. And as I face those unique challenges in the places and cyber spaces that destiny has in store for me, I’ll be sure to apply and pass on those teachings I’ve learned from you.

Although I may be far away, information technology has made communication feasible with a blink of an eye.

I’ll stay in touch just like being next door.

source: globalnation.inquirer.net

LNP's Newman to explain private finances

Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman is expected to explain on national television how he intends to manage his personal finances if he becomes Queensland premier.

With two weeks until the Queensland election, Mr Newman on Saturday told reporters he would be making a 'significant announcement' on Channel 10's Meet the Press on Sunday to address questions about his personal financial dealings and family business interests.

Labor, which will launch its official Queensland election campaign in Brisbane on Sunday, has repeatedly raised concerns about Mr Newman's interactions with developers during his time as Brisbane's lord mayor and his 'increasingly tangled web' of financial interests.

'I have never done anything wrong, neither has my wife, nor my family, but tomorrow you will hear a lot more,' Mr Newman said.

He said a declaration of his personal finances was available online and he had been cleared of any wrongdoing on more than one occasion by Queensland's corruption watchdog.

Mr Newman blamed 'Labor's campaign of smear and innuendo' for two unfavourable poll results this week. The polls showed Labor incumbent Kate Jones would retain the west-Brisbane seat of Ashgrove if an election were held now.

A Galaxy Poll, published on Saturday, had Ms Jones winning on a two-party preferred basis with 51.5 per cent of the vote compared with Mr Newman's 48.5 per cent.

ReachTEL on Tuesday showed Labor leading 50.7 to 49.3 per cent.

While the LNP needs a uniform swing of 4.6 per cent to form government, Mr Newman needs 7.1 per cent to wrest Ashgrove from Ms Jones.

'It was important for me as a leader to go for a seat that was difficult and I always said it was going to be a challenge,' Mr Newman said.

Mr Newman, who has been leading the LNP from outside parliament, ruled out being parachuted into another seat after the March 24 election if the LNP won government but he failed to claim Ashgrove.

'I will return to the private sector and pursue another career,' he said.

Premier Anna Bligh said the polls showed it was 'no longer just a theory' that the state could be without a clear premier if the LNP won government but Mr Newman lost in Ashgrove.

'It's time for the Liberal National Party and Campbell Newman to tell Queenslanders what their alternative plan is,' Ms Bligh told reporters in Brisbane's north.

The LNP has so far refused to reveal its 'leadership plan B', and on Saturday federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott reiterated the party line.

'I don't believe there will be a change of government in Queensland unless Campbell Newman wins his seat,' he told reporters in Sydney.

Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan also weighed in on the debate.

'I know that there are plenty of very bitter entrenched interests within the Liberal Party who will be fighting over that (the leadership) to the bitter end,' he told reporters in Brisbane.

Mr Swan said Labor had put its federal leadership woes behind it, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and former foreign minister Kevin Rudd both expected to support Ms Bligh at the Queensland campaign launch.

source: http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=727442&vId=

Kidizoom Spin and Smile Digital Camera

Everyone has their own precious moments that they usually experience with family and loved ones, these moments can be caught in a snapshot using a camera. That is why having a camera of your own is an advantage to keep those precious memories that you have with your children, your friends, and your special someone in your own album or frame. But taking pictures is not just the job of the professional photographers or it's just the task that parents usually do for their children because with the Kidizoom Spin & Smile Digital Camera, your children can create precious moments in a snapshot too.

The Kidizoom Spin & Smile Digital Camera is an easy to use camera built especially for children. The main reason for this is to let your child explore the great possibilities of freezing moments in a snapshot and to be able to use a camera that is created in a simpler and a more comprehensive manner.

The Kidizoom twist camera has a lot of features that will surely excite not just the parents but the children as well. Here are some of the great features of the product. You have to see this amazing digital camera that is so attractive.

One thing that is great about the Kidizoom camera is that it has not only the camera settings of taking pictures, it also the gaming feature which your children will surely enjoy. As you purchase your own Kidizoom Spin & Smile Digital Camera, there are already 5 games included in it.

Another feature of the Kidizoom camera is that it has the video settings as well wherein you can take not just pictures but videos. The camera has 20 megapixels resolution which is great for different kinds of settings and it also has a 4x digital zoom. Your child will surely enjoy his or her new toy and it's just like learning a new gadget. The Kidizoom Spin & Smile Digital Camera also has a self-timer just like the ordinary camera which will let everyone enjoy self-timer shots with the entire family.

The Kidizoom twist camera has yet another feature that will surely enhance the child's imagination and creativity, it has the photo editing feature wherein you can insert silly clip-arts into the image, and you can also add backgrounds and text. Through this picture, the entire gadget is not only for fun but it is also educational in a sense that your child will be able to learn arts and will be able to enhance his or her own talent in it.

Another feature of the Kidizoom Spin & Smile Digital Camera is that it can be connected to the television to view the pictures and video in a larger screen. Your child can also play the games that the camera has in store in the television. It can also be connected to the internet wherein you can send your pictures and video through the internet.

Let your child use his or her imagination using the Kidizoom Spin & Smile Digital Camera.

Alice Angell loves children dearly and has written many toy reviews. Check out her latest reviews of the Kidizoom Spin and Smile Camera and the Smart Screen Laptop today!

Article Source:
http://www.articlebiz.com/article/1051515737-1-kidizoom-spin-and-smile-digital-camera/