Bowling Etiquette - Do's & Don'ts

Bowling, like any other sport, has a set of DO'S and DON'TS that must be followed so that all can enjoy the game. The rules are based on common sense, and express courtesy and good sportsmanship.

Here are ten of the most important ones:

1) DO yield the 'right of way' When two bowlers are on adjacent lanes, and simultaneously ready to bowl, the bowler on the right delivers first. The other bowler ought to remainoff or to the rear of the approach area. This rule doesn't apply if the bowler on the left is shooting for a spare.

2) DON'T take a practice swing with your bowling ball on the concourse or behind the approach. Wait until you are upon the approach itself before doing any practice exercises.

3) DO be ready when it's your turn to bowl. Remain in your lane area while your teammates are bowling, don't wander off.

4) DON'T use an excessive amount of body gyrations at the foul line after delivering the ball. Confine your body 'English' to your own lane.

5) DO bowl immediately when it is your turn. Once you have your ball, assume your stance and start your delivery, it isn't necessary to wait for lanes on either side of you to be cleared before you bowl, just observe the 'right of way' rule.

6) DON'T bring food or drink into the settee or bowlers area, a drop of liquid or any type of foreign substance spilled on the approach could cause a slip and serious injury.

7) DO wait until you have completed the frame before checking your score. Don't come back to the scorekeeper after the first ball has been rolled.

8) DON'T bench jockey while others are bowling. Friendly bantering is an accepted part of the sport, but don't overdo it. Be a good competitor.

9) DO return your bowling shoes to the counter control desk after bowling, and if you've borrowed a 'house ball' return it to the storage rack.

10) DON'T linger at the foul line after releasing the ball. As soon as your ball hits the pins return to your seat.

New Theory On Increased Military Suicides Considered

In previous wars, we've had our military war fighters come back and often they had psychological challenges readjusting to society. This is normal, it has been talked about since Roman times in Western culture. It is also been discussed in ancient Chinese and Japanese writing as well. It's no secret, warfare, that is to say real war up close and personal changes a man. The young gung ho soldier running into battle is all about bravado, but their steely eyes once it's done don't lie, their innocence is lost.

We already know this, we don't need more psychologists studying this topic telling us what we already have discovered, and humankind has not changed from that historical record for as far as we can tell in the last 6000+ years; so why would it change now, because our technology has; doubtful?

The RAND Corp recently put out an interesting report in the 4th quarter of 2012 titled; "The War Within - Preventing Military Suicide" by Rajeev Ramchand, Joie Acosta, Rachel Burns, Lisa H Jaycox, and Christopher G. Pernin. The report's introduction discusses combat stress in the theater, prolonged deployments, multiple deployments, etc. and then on the issue of stress it stated;

"This stress can manifest itself in different ways - increased divorce rates, spouse and child abuse, mental distress, substance abuse - but one of the most troubling manifestations is suicide, which is increasing across the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The increase in suicides among members of the military has raised concern among policymakers, military leaders, and the population at large."

The report also noted all the military is doing with "state-of-the-art suicide prevention programs" and "prevention science" including robust monitoring. That's all well and good, and it makes sense to get to the bottom of the problem and find a way to prevent it.

However, I have a different theory on all of this, it is a new theory, one you haven't heard before, and I would like to discuss it with you. First of all we know that sand often has in it lots of bacteria. This shouldn't surprise anyone because if you look at sand particles under a microscope you see it is all filled with old organic material. As that old material decays, and since it is high in nutrients and minerals, there is an abundance of bacteria around even with all of the sunlight and UV radiation constantly on it.

These last two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq occurred in regions filled with sand. That bacteria in the sand does have an effect on the human bio system, gene expression, and disease. We already know that people in the Middle East often feel it is their duty to commit suicide through suicide bombings and terrorist attacks. Maybe they've been subjected to this bacteria in the sand all their lives.

Now that we have brought hundreds of thousands of Americans into that theater to fight a war, they are experiencing the same thing now, to a greater degree in previous wars. I'd say this bacteria effect is an enhancement or force-multiplier to the suicide problem and psychological issues of human warfare. There's your new theory, do with it what you will, but don't deny what I've said unless you can empirically prove me wrong. Please consider all this and think on it.

A Fan's Guide To Sports Merchandise

When you travel to another city, you can sometimes find yourself staring face to face with the need to understand the finer points of a fan's guide to sports items. This is especially true if you are often in a situation where you need to buy a nice gift for a coworker or a person in your family that is a sports fanatic.

With a little bit of advice on the types of sports collection that are available today, you can add to your personal collection for your favorite team or truly give someone else a gift they will actually treasure.

Sports merchandise for memorabilia, everyday, and gifts

It goes without saying that a signed card or autographed picture are the type of sports collection that some fans are looking for. On the other hand, this is more of an antique and unusual purchase. Instead, most people that are shopping for sports merchandise are looking for the season's latest wearable team logos. This includes your usual sports merchandise such as hoodies, sweatshirts, and hats.

These items can be generic, but many sports fans will not want to do without those wardrobe basics. If you are a gift giver, you should probably avoid the usual suspects that a typical collector of sports collection would get. As an alternative, buy a sports memorabilia gift that is custom personalized.

Personalized sports merchandise purchases

If you want to keep the logo and the idea of sports merchandise clothing, there is one angle that you will want to cover. On many of the websites that allow you to personalize coffee mugs, t-shirts, shoes, and hats, they also offer you a chance to put your team's logo on practically anything. While most of the offerings are conservative, there are several wild ideas that will give you unique sports merchandise piece that become team treasures.

Weird sports merchandise purchases are a must

If you search for gifts online that are related to your team, you will see that there are several strange options. For instance, there is a toaster that brands your team logo onto every slice of bread. There are also painters that will paint the likeness of your favorite athlete and frame it and quilters that use official logo fabric to make bedspreads.

Finally, there are weird sports collection items that are part of the souvenir or bobble-head world that are colorful ways to have a good laugh. In other words, the deeper you did, the more weird sports merchandise you will find ready for sale trade that include your favorite team.

Compulsory Licensing (CL): A Ray of Hope for AIDS and Cancer Patients in Least Developing Countries

Pharmaceuticals patents are the foremost requirements to sustain a better level of public health in least developing countries (LDCs). Threatening diseases like AIDS, Cancer are most commonly found in these poor countries. Many other reasons are also responsible for the severity and morbidity of these diseases.

If these LDCs have their own patents or some protected drugs to cure the diseases like AIDS and Cancer, then it will be great relief for those concerned patients. Generally, pharmaceuticals companies of LDCs do not have much protected life saving drugs. Due to lack of their own protected drugs, these companies are not able to sell life saving drugs at affordable prices.

LDCs and some developing countries (Brazil, China, Canada, India, and Thailand) are enjoying compulsory licensing mechanism of TRIPS agreement to resolve out the problem of life saving drugs availability at affordable prices. Compulsory licensing mechanism is very purposeful in achieving the public health targets like the availability of life saving drugs at affordable prices.

First time, compulsory licensing (CL) procedure was approved by Paris convention and TRIPS agreement. After some time, Doha declaration added some amendments in the pre-existed procedure such as all members of TRIPS agreement can import patent protected products except some countries.

Doha declaration purposed three relevant paragraphs (paragraph 4, 5 and 6).

Paragraph 4 states some provisions related to more adequate use of compulsory licensing mechanism of TRIPS agreement by all WTO members.

Provisions of Paragraph 5 are very supportive for the health objectives of LDCs. Whenever any member country will face the problem of national emergency or other circumstances of extreme urgency related to public health crises (for example, abrupt hike in patients of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other epidemics). In this situation, every member country will carry the right of medical emergency determination. Each member country is free to create its own IP regime related to CL mechanism up to certain circumstances.

Paragraph 6 provisions were responsible for the delegation of a General Council to circumvent the issues related to allowing generic versions of life saving drugs those made under the compulsory licensing to be exported to countries that lack production capacity.

On August 30, 2003, General Council established some new provisions to approve the CL mechanism with some certain conditions and procedures. This temporary report of the General Council containing provisions related to compulsory licensing was permanently accepted by WTO members in 2005.

Amended paragraph (f) of article 31 provides significant flexibility to LDCs for enjoying the compulsory licensing mechanisms during certain medical emergencies.

Cressey's Fraud Triangle - Part 1: Perceived Pressure

Once upon a time...

Mr. Y had just dropped his mortgage payment and life savings at the poker table in Atlantic City, NJ. Returning home to VA, he became worried and quite embarrassed at losing such a huge sum of money, not to mention this months mortgage payment. He couldn't tell his wife, she would flip out, she wouldn't understand. Mr. Y couldn't borrow the money either as it would cause further embarrassment.

When Mr. Y returned to work on Monday, he "stumbled" upon a way to get the money back. His company EFG Technologies was a rapidly growing company that had lax internal controls. The company only required approval on payments made to vendors that were over $750.00. Mr. Y decided to set up dummy corporations with his wife's initials and use PO boxes to receive the "payments." Mr. Y thought to himself, "once I get that huge Vice President promotion, I can repay the money from the yearly bonus' the company pays all the executives each year."

Mr. Y was able to forge invoices from commercially available software; the accounts payable clerks were overwhelmed with the amount of work volume and they did not check invoices for accuracy. Mr. Y began "billing" his employer for invoices that were under the $750.00 threshold. In a years time he stole over $50,000; enough to make up the mortgage payment and replace his lost life savings.

However, in time, Mr. Y did not get that big promotion he was expecting. Angered by his boss's screw job, Mr. Y continued to bill his employer for the fake invoices and increased the frequency so that he bilked the company of $150,000 in fraudulent payments. Mr. Y felt justified for taking the money since he would have earned as much IF he had gotten that promotion; to make himself feel better he decided to by a new Lexus.

A few months later, Mr. Y's scheme unraveled when internal auditors discovered that his dummy corporations had the same PO boxes. Mr. Y confessed to defrauding the company and was prosecuted and convicted.

Interesting story, wouldn't you say? The story is fictional but it is a common occurrence in today's world. The headlines are full of similar stories such as this one. So what can we learn from this in our pursuit of learning about fraud? The first step is to understand why Mr. Y decided to commit fraud against his employer. We can gain an understanding of why Mr. Y defrauded his EFG Technologies by using Cressey's Fraud Triangle.

Cressey's fraud triangle states that where fraud is present there must be 3 factors. These 3 factors are perceived pressure, perceived opportunity & rationalization. Think of a fire; in order for a fire to burn it must have heat, oxygen and fuel. When all three are present a fire will burn out of control. The same is true for a fraudulent act. When perceived pressure, perceived opportunity and rationalization intersect, fraud is highly likely to occur.

Before I end, let's look at the first component of Cressey's fraud triangle...the perceived pressure. I call it "perceived" since what one person may feel is a pressure may not be a pressure to another. In most cases every fraud perpetrator feels some kind of perceived pressure. Most of the time it is a financial need, like Mr. Y who needed to replace the mortgage payment and his life savings he lost through gambling. However, in some cases the pressure is non-financial in nature. For instance, the underling who is pressured by their superior(s) to report financial results that are better than the company's actual performance.

Pressures can be divided into four main categories: financial, vices, work related and other pressures. Lets look at each one individually.

Financial Pressures

Financial pressures typically involve greed, living beyond one's means, high bills or personal debt, poor credit, unexpected financial needs and personal financial losses. From our example of Mr. Y, he faced financial pressure from losing the money for his mortgage and life savings. One thing to note and we will discuss later, is that financial pressures can be caused by vices, like gambling (in Mr. Y's case).

Financial pressures can sometimes occur without warning (casualty loss), suddenly (vices) or be long-term (disability or sickness). In many cases the fraudsters do not inform others of their financial pressures. From our example, Mr. Y felt he could not tell his wife because she would be angry with him. He felt too embarrassed to reveal he had lost such a significant amount of money to others; others who may have been willing to help him.

Vice pressures

Vice pressures are created due to vices like gambling (Mr. Y), drugs/alcohol or extramarital affairs. Simply put, vices are the worst kind of pressure to commit fraud. Anyone who is willing to go through anything to place that bet, get high or find that thrill from an illicit relationship will definitely look for ways to steal from their employer or commit other types of fraud.

Work-Related pressures

The majority of fraud is motivated by financial or vice pressures. However, in some cases some people will commit fraud to get even with their employer or other people. From our example, we see that Mr. Y decided to continue his fraudulent billing scheme due to being passed over for the Vice President promotion. Other factors that can contribute to fraudulent acts are: getting little recognition for job performance, job dissatisfaction, fear of losing a job or feeling underpaid.

Other Pressures

Finally many fraudsters are motivated by other pressures, such as a spouse who demands a higher standard of living. Sometimes many of us have trouble deciding between wants and needs. We are envious of the brother-in-law that drives the BMW and has the nicer house. Sometimes we all make bad decisions or we are far beyond driven by our vices and they take over our lives. We all are guilty of measuring success by the amount of money someone else has. Don't fall into these traps; concentrate on building lasting friendships and or relationships. Remember life is not all about you, and learn to measure success in other ways than relying on dollars or material possessions.

In my next post, I will discuss part 2 of Cressey's Fraud Triangle, perceived opportunity, stay tuned...

How to Get the Most Value From Your Private Health Insurance Policy

It's been 10 years since the federal government began its series of financial motivators to encourage Australians to purchase and maintain private health insurance, despite the hefty price tag that goes with it. By setting in place a 33 percent premium making private coverage more expensive to purchase after age 30, and by establishing a tax - a Medicare levy surcharge - for high income earners who do not have a private health plan. These rules gave high income earners and those individuals 30 and under an added incentive to purchase and maintain private health care.

When you're comparing private insurance policies, how do you know if you're getting value from the health care plan you choose?

Becoming informed about health care options in Australia is your first step toward making sure you are getting the best value for your health insurance. No matter how you look at it, purchasing private health coverage is not cheap. Data from the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman (privatehealth.gov.au) shows that coverage for a family can cost between $141 and $245 monthly, and can run as high as $413 depending on the policy and the level of services you choose. Extras, such as optical, dental, chiropractic and alternative therapies such as acupuncture will raise the price of your premium.

Purchasing less expensive policies may be more budget friendly for many Australians. However, it's important to weigh the benefits of selecting a cheaper policy if the coverage limitations are going to hurt you down the road, if you or a family member is injured or becomes sick. In order for your health insurance to be both comprehensive and affordable, it is critical that you are well informed when it comes time to compare plans. The more you know about the options available to you and your family, the better the value you will receive on insurance coverage that suits your needs.

Avoiding the surcharge makes purchasing private medical coverage a sound financial choice. Consider this: If you're a single individual who earns more than $77,000 yearly, you will be saddled with a one percent tax increase if you do not have private insurance, a valid financial reason for high income earners to maintain private hospital insurance. If you have a spouse and children, and your combined taxable income is $154,000 or more, your surcharge increases by $1500 for the second dependent child and every child that follows. Keep in mind when comparing insurance plans that there are medical policies available that actually cost less than paying the one percent surcharge. Although these policies will most likely not cover as much as other more expensive plans, they will provide you with the coverage you need to avoid the Medicare tax. Make sure that the policy you choose is Medicare levy surcharge exempt, as not all private insurance plans are.

We all know that avoiding a surcharge is not the best reason to buy private health care coverage. Having options regarding your treatment if you or a family member are injured or become sick makes having comprehensive private health insurance an excellent value in the long run. Private coverage ensures avoiding public hospital waiting lists if you prefer private hospital care. Keep in mind, you can still access public hospitals if you prefer. With private medical coverage, you have s choice.

Your health insurance also frees you and your loved ones from the burden of worrying about the high cost of treatment when illness or injury strikes.

Purchasing the least expensive private health insurance plan, however, will not provide you with the peace of mind that comprehensive coverage offers. When comparing insurance policies, look into the best coverage you can afford that is recommended for your life stage, and make sure you are paying for coverage with your needs and your family's needs in mind.

To get the most value out of your private health plan, know the benefits you're paying for. The value of those benefits will determine the value of maintaining your private health coverage.

The Best Places to Ski Around Geneva

When you are flying into Switzerland for a holiday spent hitting the slopes, one thing you want to consider before you land is organising your Geneva airport ski transfers to your intended destination. But, don't worry if it seems like everyone seems to be headed off to the same ski slopes; there are plenty of places within easy reach of the city that provide an amazing array of activities, both on and off the slopes.

If you are contemplating where you may want to go skiing, from Geneva you have a couple of countries to choose from. You can go to the Alps in France at Chamonix, or head across the border to the Italian side to the resort town of Courmayeur before the Geneva airport ski transfers take you back to the busy Swiss, airport hub.

Skiing in Chamonix When you land at Geneva airport, ski transfers will be ready to take you to the heart of the French Alps, to one of the best-known, popular and oldest ski resorts in the Mont Blanc area, and all of France: Chamonix. Located in south eastern France, this commune was the site of the innagural1924 winter Olympics. Chamonix has three main ski areas that consist of 108 kilometres of pistes; the 69 pistes, including 10 black, 20 red, 28 blue and 8 green ones that will keep you busy all day. This resort is popular with snowboarders and you can now catch your skills on camera at the Grands Montets freestyle park! In addition, Chamonix is great for off-piste skiing and snowboarding for those who are a bit more experienced and want to really sink their skis into the fresh powder. And, if you find yourself a bit tired of skiing and want to try something new and different, in Chamonix you can give cross-country skiing and paragliding a go. But if all this seems a bit tame and you want to get a bit of speed under your wings, give the new sport of speed-riding a try! It combines paragliding with freeriding incorporating jumps, twists, turns and getting some air-time with a small parasail. Fun unlimited!

Skiing in Courmayeur If you have chosen to book your Geneva airport ski transfers to take you to and from the Italian side of the Alps, then you are in for a real treat in Courmayeur. Courmayeur is an Italian commune in northern Italy, situated at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe east of Russia.

Skiing at an altitude of up to 2,700 metres, the slopes are aimed at intermediate to good skiers with a variety of off-piste action for those who are real experts. If you are a very seasoned skier, and feeling brave, head up in the small cable car to ski the Cresta D'Arp, which is the highest point to ski at 8,954 feet; this off-piste skiing is only for the experts and in order to do it, you need to book a trained guide to go with you.

But even if skiing isn't your thing, in Courmayeur you can sled, slide, snowshoe and hike around the area - proving there really is something for everyone, on and off the slopes.

Liposuction - What You Should Know

Liposuction And Weight Loss

If you're thinking that liposuction is a great way to lose weight, forget about it. Liposuction isn't about weight loss at all. It's all about sculpturing and contouring the body to remove excess fat deposits that aren't willing to go away with diet and exercise no matter how hard you try. It's about looking good in that swimsuit AFTER you've lost all the weight that you're going to lose.

Women love liposuction, but men dabble in it too. Women tend to have it done on their abdomen, thighs, knees, hips, chin or neck while men usually treat their neck, chest, abdomen, and "love handles."

In all but a very few isolated instances liposuction is strictly cosmetic which means your insurance company won't be footing the bill for your new belly or butt. Your insurance company MAY get involved, however, if your treatment is prescribed for certain medical conditions including enlarged male breasts in men and certain fat deposits, such as "buffalo hump" which is caused by a hormone imbalance.

How Liposuction Works

Liposuction is a procedure whereby fatty tissue is literally sucked from under the skin using a hollow wand which is attached to a suction device. Local anesthetics and other compounds including saline, and epinephrine are administered to control swelling and bleeding.

Once the patient is prepared the doctor inserts the wand, called a "cannula" through small incisions which are made in the skin. They push and pull the wand through the fatty cells causing them to break up and to be suctioned off along with other body fluids. That's about as complicated as liposuction gets from the actual procedural point of view.

Different Types Of Liposuction

There are several different types of liposuction procedures in use. Each procedure is based upon the amount of fluid which is (or isn't) injected during the procedure.

Dry Liposuction uses no fluid and is rapidly falling from favor. Wet Liposuction is where the doctor injects six to eight ounces of ephinephrine. Superwet Liposuction uses the most fluid. Basically, the more fluid that is injected during the procedure, the less blood that is lost. The Risks

While the liposuction procedure is relatively safe when performed by a Cosmetic or Plastic Surgeon, it is not without its risks and side effects up to, and including, death in very rare instances (about 20 out of 100,000). Infections have been reported in some cases as well as "seroma" which is a pooling or oozing of body fluid.

Swelling, bruising and locally painful areas are almost a guaranteed side effect of liposuction and you can expect to lose a week or more from work during recovery. In almost all instances the procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and you'll be home the same day.

An unexpected side effect of liposuction is that the fat can return and, often times, it returns to a different area from where it was removed. This is believed to be caused by drops in leptin levels.

Leptin is a hormone that is made in fat. When the levels drop it signals the body to take in more food so that it can increase its fat levels to what it "thinks" is normal. This condition is most likely to occur in people who were overweight to begin with yet still sought liposuction as a hopeful "cure".

Caution

Any doctor can perform liposuction with as little as 30 minutes "training" on the equipment. However, since there is so much at stake, and the health risks are real, you should only consider treatment by a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon or Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon who has additional specialized training in liposuction.

Legal Research Tips for California

This article will briefly discuss some legal research tips for California although some of the tips will be useful for someone doing legal research in any state. I will be assuming that the reader has a basic understanding of what types of legal materials are available for California. I will concentrate mainly on legal research for California as it relates to case law.

There are three basic kinds of published cases for California.

California Supreme Court cases that are published in the California Official Reports. All decisions of the Supreme Court are published in the California Official Reports. See California Rule of Court 8.1105. Cited as Cal. or C.

California Court of Appeal cases that are published in the California Official Appellate Reports. Only certain decisions of the Court of Appeal are published. Cited as Cal.App., or CA.

Cases from the Appellate Division of various Superior Courts in California. Each county has an Appellate Division. Only certain cases of the Appellate Divisions are published. The cases are published in the California Official Appellate Reports Supplement, cited as Cal. App. Supp., or CA Supp.

Note that only published cases can be cited or relied upon unless they fall under an exception. See California Rule of Court 8.1115. Thus it is vital to ensure that any case you are looking at is in fact a published case. Note that just because a case has a California Reporter, Daily Journal, Lexis or other citation does NOT mean that it has been published in the Official Reports. Be sure to verify that the case is published before using it. Failure to do so is a big mistake!

It is also essential that you READ THE ENTIRE CASE to ensure that it is applicable to your situation. This author has on numerous occasions read a motion that cites a case and when he read the case he found that it either, (a) did not really say what was claimed by the opposing party, or (b) that the case did say what was quoted, but it was taken out of context, such as for example, the opposing party wanted the Court to dismiss the case because they alleged proper service had not been made quickly enough, however the case cited referred to a statute that said a case could be dismissed if the summons and complaint had not been served within two (2) years of filing! However in the case mentioned it had only been a month or two since the case was filed! Obviously their tactic did not work. Remember that the short summary of a case does not always tell you how the Court ruled. For that you need to actually read it. Don't get caught like a deer stuck in the headlights. Read every case that you cite. And read every case cited by your opponent from start to finish. You will be surprised how many attorneys and parties fail to read a case before citing it. All they read is the short blurb in the annotated code, or in a legal treatise. They are either too busy, or too lazy to bother with it. In the opinion of this author, if you are going to do a job do it right.

If you have access to a law library, looking through the indexes, such as the West index for California, or another treatise such as CA JUR for the legal issue you are researching, or one of the Rutter Group books published on your legal topic, is highly recommended. That can save you literally hours of research time as opposed to other methods. Of course if you have online access to either Westlaw or Lexis then you have a tremendous resource available to you. Make the most of it. Both companies offer training in how to use their database. Both companies also offer access to their database on a pay per use basis but that can be very expensive if you do not know how to use them.

Be sure to verify that the case you want to cite, or that has been cited by your opponent, has not been overruled by a higher court, or disapproved, or that other Courts of Appeal disagree with the reasoning. For that you will need to either go personally to a law library to use Sheperds, or go online and use Westlaw or Lexis to make sure that your case is still good law. Failure to do so can be a big mistake! You do not want to cite a case that is no longer good law. Particularly if you are representing yourself. That will really make you look bad in Court. If instead every case you cite says exactly what you wrote in your brief or motion, and the case is still good law then you will look good in Court.

If you enjoy this article, tell others about it.

Yours Truly,

Stan Burman

Copyright 2012 Stan Burman. All rights reserved.

Please note that the author of this article, Stan Burman is NOT an attorney and as such is unable to provide any specific legal advice. The author is NOT engaged in providing any legal, financial, or other professional services, and any information contained in this article is NOT intended to constitute legal advice.

These materials and information contained in this article have been prepared by Stan Burman for informational purposes only and are not legal advice. Transmission of the information contained in this article is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, any business relationship between the sender and receiver. Any readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel.

Inflation Will Cause Many to File Bankruptcy in the Next Few Years

As 2013 roars up upon us, many Americans are starting to see inflation like we have never seen before. What is funny is how the Department of Commerce has changed the way they report data to make inflation seem like it's almost nonexistent. We do know that over the last year the rate of Americans filing for bankruptcy has declined slightly. Is this a trend or is it a fluke? It doesn't seem like the economy is getting better and we have now seen QE1, QE2, the twist and now QE3. Billions of dollars has been thrown into the economy and nothing is getting any better. Four years ago the average price of a gallon of gas was $1.85, now that same gallon of gas is close to four dollars. Recently, they reported that inflation was less than 2%. This doesn't make any sense if you go to the grocery store you will see that a gallon of milk is up about 25%, coffee is up 90%, orange juice is almost up 50%, Turkey is up 50% and beef is up 60%. I don't know about you but it seems to me that inflation is going to cause more Americans to file bankruptcy in the near future.

A better title for this article should have been the incredible shrinking dollar but I'm more concerned with the long-term impact of the average American. It doesn't make any sense with the news that's being put out by the mainstream media. According to them, this must be the new normal. After further investigation it makes more sense to see how the numbers have changed. The government added in housing, which is currently deflationary, to the inflation numbers and that's how they are reporting that inflation is being kept in check. When American families know that their paycheck does not go as far, they will turn to credit to fill the void. At some point in time the credit will overwhelm the budget making the idea of kicking the can down the road no longer work. This is where the idea that many more Americans will have to file bankruptcy to eliminate this debt that they have accumulated to subsidize their income.

Americans need a reality check and should not feel bad about filing for bankruptcy to eliminate debt. For many, it is not an option but it's more about survival. The idea of becoming debt-free is something that will end up in history books covered with dust. Creditors with the help of the government, have put American citizens in bondage to the lending institutions of the world. The only hope for many of these Americans is to file for bankruptcy and cut the ties. When Corporations file bankruptcy, it's good business. When an individual has to file bankruptcy, it's dishonest to not pay your bills. That is a stigma that we all need to put behind us. A capitalistic society would not survive without having bankruptcy filing is a way out when things fall apart. People should not feel embarrassed about having to consult a bankruptcy lawyer about their financial situation. Most of the time they will leave the bankruptcy lawyer being encouraged that they are not alone during these tough times.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - An Easy Household Guide - Book Review

I was very excited to review Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - An Easy Household Guide by UK author, Nicky Scott. Because my husband and I wrote Trash Talk, which is a similar guide written for North Americans, I was very interested to learn how individuals in the UK are dealing with reducing waste.

With the 96-page book, the author attempts to provide a guide for people to follow; "in a world of confusing messages" where overwhelming environmental problems weigh down our hearts, Nicky hopes to encourage readers with positive information. Cute little illustrations by Axel Scheffler accompany most of the pages, adding a little touch of humor.

One of the first things Nicky discusses is the importance of refusing to purchase over-packaged items - in fact he states it is the main focus of the book, and it does briefly discusses avoiding disposables, things that cannot be recycled and those that are made from all virgin materials. Whereas the book seems to concentrate on how to reuse or recycle existing trash, it also comments on seeing the reuse, repair or recycle potential for products we are considering buying. He also suggests taking advantage of re-fill retailers (i.e. in Canada: Body Shop, Sampson Soaps, etc) and bulk outlets (grocery stores, bulk products at hair salons, etc). The author mentions that maintenance increases the likely hood of reuse and stressed donations and private sales. Tips are included on ways to make the recycle system run more smoothly and interesting UK statistics.

Chapter three hosts 59 pages of an extensive A-Z guide for items that are commonly found in waste bins. What to do with Fluorescent and CFL bulbs, funeral alternatives to consider, what the various numbers on plastics mean -it's all covered here in this tidy book. I found the information about all the different kinds of batteries, particularly the button-cell variety (watch, camera, calculator, etc), quite interesting. Interestingly, I never considered donating furniture too battered for reuse to upholsterer businesses and classes, where they may wish to reuse the frame to make new furniture.

Readers may find that some of the information is repetitive and Chapter four seems to reiterate what the book is trying to say. I enjoyed chapter five, which discusses the future of zero waste and cleaner waste (less toxic or greenhouse gas producing), very much. The book closes with an excellent resource section that offers roughly two-dozen organizations along with their contact information and lists about thirty books that are certain to make the environmentalist in you drool with anticipation.

Nicky Scott, Chairperson for the National Community Composting Network (CCN) in the UK, is the author of three small books (roughly 4 x 6 inches) dealing with waste reduction and has appeared in two videos about composting. His interest began while working at a compost business as a young man, and the passion grew while he studied at the UK's leading organic research organization, The Henry Doubleday Research Association. As initiator and Secretary of one of the first community composting projects, which continues to created jobs, and the head of the newsletter for the CCN organization - he is a busy man. Between all this, he squeezes in time to run workshops and give lectures. In his spare time, Nicky is a musician and artist.

Author: Nicky Scott Illustrator: Axel Scheffler Publisher: Green books (UK) ISBN: 1-903998-40-9

Underlays Usage for Rugs

Rug underlays act like foundations of a building. A good underlay is of a vital importance as it can help in extending the life of your rug by about 40%. It helps to reduce the noise effects as well as make the feel of the rug softer and cosier. With new carpets which are secondary or jute backed an underlay is an essential layer for the floor. Although textile and felt backed rugs can be laid directly on to the floor, they increase heat loss of the rooms through the floor and don't give a very comfortable feeling. Furthermore, laying down carpets without an underlay means that you cannot use the gripper to stretch he carpet according to the shape of the room and it could leave a much unfinished look to the entire installation. Some benefits of installing a rug underlay are:

It holds the rugs firmly in the place. It can extend the life of your rug. It reduces any noise reflection from the surface of the floor. It acts as a thermal barrier and does not allow the room heat to escape through the floor. It helps in preventing any foundation damage to the floor. It provides a soft and cosy feel to walk on. It provides protection from any hazards of tripping and falling by cushioning, thus making your floor skid-proof. These underlay fabrics are designed to last and hence do not shed, tear or crumble. It is absolutely harmless to carpets and floors alike. They are odourless thus preventing any odour or foul smell to accumulate on your rug. They are extremely easy to install.

Different Types of Rug Underlays

There are many kinds of rug underlays available and you can choose the one which suits your needs the most. Here are a few most common in use:

Foam Underlay: This is the most sold and popular underlay. These are made out of recycles sponge which are covered with a protective covering of sawdust, compost, or paper and then compressed together with steam. After the process it is cut into various thicknesses of 7mm, 9mm and 11mm. The benefit of this underlay is its soft, absorbs sound and gives thermal insulation. The only disadvantage is that it cannot be recycled. Wool Felt Underlay: Although fairly new, because of its extremely high comfort and thermal qualities, this underlay is catching up pretty quickly. Inspired from the traditional underlays of jute and hessian fibres - which were not very comfortable, these are made out of a softer material - wool. The advantages of this underlay are it gives very high thermal insulation thereby reducing electricity bills, reduces noise considerably, gives a softer walking experience, is environment friendly and cheaper than other types of underlays. Rubber Underlay: This underlay is now much in decline with the introduction of foam and wool underlays, but was most commonly used in the past decades. The flat textured sponge in these give a more firm grip and does not compress. The advantages of this are its firmness, high noise reduction and long lasting. The downside is it can't be recycled, is expensive and has very poor heat retention.

Back to School Show & Tell

One thing you can count on during the first days of school is the inevitable question of "What did you do over the summer?" Here are a few creative ways to describe your summer experiences for the first edition of Show and Tell.   1. Flip Books Create a moving picture of your summer fun with a flip book. Start out with a Post-It pad or a pocket-sized spiral notebook. Draw the first picture on the last sheet of paper and work your way to the first page by changing the picture little by little. For instance, if you learned how to surf over the summer, you might start with a picture of you lying on a surfboard in calm waters. The next picture could show the waters growing a little choppier. The following drawings could be of you slowly turning, then standing on the board as the wave grows larger, and so on.   2. Summer Collage Illustrate your summer happenings with one of my favorite forms: collages. Simply use glue to cover a poster board or even several small postcard-sized papers with magazine cutouts, sections of road maps, photographs, movie and concert ticket stubs, restaurant menus, train schedules, and any other mementos from your summer.   3. Map It Instead of just telling the class where you went and what you did, pinpoint our summer destinations and activities on a map. If you stayed close to home, use a local road map. If you were able to travel to several cities and states, use a countrywide map. Glue magazine cutouts of activities, or actual photos of your fun onto the map. For example, if you went to a dude ranch in Dallas, glue a picture of a horse onto the map in Dallas. If you visited Mount Rushmore, glue a photo of your family onto the map in South Dakota. The same goes for rock climbing, swimming, snorkeling, and anything else you had a chance to enjoy over the summer months.   4. Seashell Memories Capture every fun moment of summer vacation on seashells. If you didn't get a chance to go to the beach, don't worry-most craft and hobby stores sell bags of seashells. Use acrylic paint and a clean paintbrush to paint pictures inside the shells. My son's summer shells feature an octopus in the ocean (from snorkeling-we didn't actually see an octopus, but he wishes he had), a colorful clown from a friend's birthday party, an airplane in the clouds, and the night sky filled with stars and a bright crescent moon.

The Cost Of A Winter Holiday

It's something that one assumes everyone knows, namely how much is a week's skiing? But I watched something with Eddie Edwards (yes, "the eagle") some woman and some PR bloke from Austria and it dawned on me that perhaps people might like to be told.

Skiing (when I say skiing I mean sliding on snow holidays, boarders don't get your noses out of joint, it's just skiing is a shorter word to type) has always been considered expensive, there was a democratising of price that went on during the eighties and until quite recently, but now you'd be lying to say it was cheap, although perhaps we had more money then.

The papers and PR mouthpieces always try and say "good value yada, yada" - do not believe it, in truth I reckon you're looking at the best part of a grand in any currency for a week per person.

There are three ways you can do the holiday: a hotel - up to you how much you spend, self catering or package. The latter former: A week's ski is usually about GBP500 a head (could be a bit less, could be almost double on the busy half-term week) but as a yardstick a monkey is what you're looking at. This includes flights, transfers, an evening meal (with booze) with breakfast and usually an afternoon tea after leaving the pistes.

Now, when you see 500 it looks to be a deal, BUT (do you like big buts?) this does not include lunch (usually), does not include a ski pass - Eur200 and does not include ski hire - Eur100. There is also one night a week where you will not get fed as the chalet staff are entitled to one night off - perish the thought that enough staff be employed to cover this contingency.

So there you go, the best part of a grand, but this will come with peace of mind. Now the other type of holiday is your self-catering. I'm going to say for a two bedroom apartment in some comfort (such as Alice in Monetier) you're looking at Eur1000 for low-season and say Eu1500 for higher, more if it's half term. Of course you can squeeze your mates in on the sofa-bed, but aren't you getting a bit old for that? I's not 18-30 you know. So let's say Eur300 p/p for a bed.

Flights say Eur100 p/p, could be less, could be more, but as a working figure it's about right. Transfers: Eur50 each way p/p. Or a hire car. The airports that serve Serre Chevalier are Turin and Grenoble with Lyon only 20 minutes beyond that. Car hire is about Eur150 a week.

So we're up to Eur400 right there. Ski pass and hire brings you to Eur700 and I'd say you'd get change out of Eur100 for a supermarket shop for a week, with booze, you do get the ability to make a lunch up, so that makes up for paying rather a lot for food on the hill.

I wish I could say eating on the piste is good value, but you're probably looking at Eur20 p/p per meal. For a family of four that's Eur480 over the week. Yes you can have a sandwich and a bowl of onion soup, always the most economical and hearty, in which case you can pay less. Not certain kids would understand why they can't have a can of coke, but there you go.

Chuck in lessons, that's another Eur100 for the class. There are some places that do bundles lessons, ski-pass and ski hire, such as the Serre Che-based Ski Connections, this can help shave points off the price and are worth investigating. There are some deals to be had, but for the packages these are usually in January or April, the price soars in school holiday times - and anyway why be on the slopes when they are full of kids?

In truth skiing is expensive, but man is it worth it.

A Few Tips on How to Save Money on Insurance

In these times of financial crises, we should all learn how to save up our resources. This practice includes considering insurance as a potential resource rather than treating it simply as an investment. You should also try to maximize the benefit that you get out of your insurance policy. Here are ten tips for saving money on insurance.

Pay premiums annually. Paying your premiums monthly or quarterly is a valid option but going for annual payments gets you a substantial discount. It may seem like a minor change but in the long run, you'll be paying a lot less. Be at your peak health when you go to the medical exam the insurance companies require you to take. When you have to provide a stool examination, for example, make sure that you have been eating properly and exercising as necessary. It also a great benefit if you continue with this process even after the exam ends. And if possible, avoid smoking, drinking, and other unhealthy vices. Buy the insurance policy you can afford in the long term. How to save on life insurance also involves not missing your payments so that your insurance isn't wasted. Some studies show that over 90% of insurance policies have already lapsed before the end of the term. When you determine what kind of life insurance you need try to get as many quotes as possible. Compare and contrast insurance policies. Don't just settle for the first insurance policy that comes knocking at your door. Make sure that you shop around and look for the policy that best fits your need and your lifestyle. Look for the best insurance agent. Well, not exactly the best, but at least an insurance agent you can trust with your life. Ask him questions that have been bothering you, the benefits and him for tips for saving money on insurance. Stay in control. There are lots of insurance companies who will give orders on what you should do. Keep the advantage on your side by pressuring your agent and being the one in charge. After all, this is your money and in the long run, it's you who'll benefit from this. Remove unnecessary elements from your insurance policy. Here are some life insurance policies that need to go out the door: flight insurance, mortgage, and life insurance of your child.

Make sure you study the ways on how to save money on life insurance before getting a policy of your own.