For the love of Home Ownership

Easy to say and yes I am happy, actually I am ecstatic that I finally entered the home owner elite. Well it seems that way at the moment even though I know we are no more elite than anyone else. In actual fact nothing has really changed. I have to pay money to someone else every month for the privileged of staying in a house. I do not like where I am going with this. I love my new house, all mine now I need to make it my own. The mortgage and insurance are taken care of and I have my new carpets arriving next week so all is well.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Does Anyone Experience Contemporary Art?

By Anna Meenaghan

Nowadays art is available in a great many variations. I usually find them all very interesting and sometimes even mind blowing. At times you might not enjoy what you are seeing, but you would still be able to acknowledge the hard work that went into it.

As I am a contemporary artist, I only know too well how my emotions guide me on my various paintings. If perhaps, I had a hard day, it normally shows in my art. It can range from dramatic to tranquility.

Art is a very personal thing, what appeals to one person, others hate - the appeal is in the eye of the beholder. These days there so many things classified as art which makes it more satisfying. As an example take spray painting, some people do this but also use stencils. Myself I often really admire some of the spray gun graffiti scene. Very clever youngsters do some amazing creations. Although many people would view this as vandalism.

Another great example are the various artist plying their skills in the Montmatre district of Paris. To everyones amazement the pavement artist sketch out their paintings on the floor or the art students who set up their easels in the street trying to make a little extra money by drawing caricatures. No doubt then that we are talking about talent here.

Perhaps a little different are sand sculptures. They are very popular in the Canary Islands and probably in other parts of the world as well. The scenes feature anything imaginable from biblical to dragons which have real fire breathing out of their nostrils. And believe it or not, there is another form of art that a great many of us have at home or in our gardens. Mosaics - on plant pots, walls, floors and so on.

Children are encouraged to create art on a great many occasions. Simply take posters for example. Kids enjoy the challenge to make impressive posters ranging from subjects such as recycling to road safety. And if you are really prepared to let your mind wander a little - What could a really talented individual do with driftwood collected from a beach?

Paperweights are an every day object which no one spends to much time thinking about. Yet they too can be wonderful subjects of art. When one takes a few collected pebbles, cleans, paints and varnishes them they certainly take on a life of their own. And of course the simple collecting of them, feeling the texture of the rock in your hand, provides great satisfaction to many of us.

Designing and making your own cards not only brings pleasure to many, but also brings individuality to the recipient. Papermache is another form of art I have never tried, but I really like the results that people manage to achieve. Decoupage in this day and age seems to be very popular, along with scrapbooking, felting, patch working and needlepoint.

There are so many forms of art there surely must be something to suit everyone. Help is at hand as there are many workshops running in many crafts stores as well as local schools. Art brings joy to many people, creating it or enjoying the art of others " it also relaxes you and can make you a host of new friends, so enjoy !...

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Kids Clothing Fashion and Trends

By Jennifer Hess

Kids today are not as simple in terms of clothing as they were years ago. Today, they seek to express themselves in various styles and designs that can also showcase their individuality. In modern times, fashionable clothing has grown beyond just men and women; the kids too have their way and get it. In the bygone era, kids clothing was similar to clothing for their parents but in a smaller size.

They would neither be able to express the sensuality in that because they are at a very tender age and nor would the dress look as good on them as their parents. Hence, designers in kids clothing brought about a revolutionary change and children clothing today not only makes a style statement but also brings out the innocence of the kids coupled with their individuality.

While designing kids clothing, designers have to give utmost priority to comfort and safety. In terms of their clothing, style occupies only a secondary place. Kids run around, play, hop and jump around a lot. Hence, the designers have to design clothing in which the kid not only looks good but can also go about their activities without any fear and inhibitions of tripping over and having a fall.

There are certain points that kids clothing designers need to keep in mind while designing dresses for these tiny tots. The patterns and designs have to be created not only keeping style in mind, but also comfort and safety. It is definitely a bad idea to have long tailcoats for small boys and trailing dresses for small girls. This is definitely a breach of the safety point while creating the design since it increases the chances of the kids tripping and falling over.

Using the right kind of fabric is also very important while designing as well as buying clothes for your children. There are a variety of fabrics available ranging from the traditional cotton to modern day satin, tulle and wool for winters. However, not all fabrics are suitable for all kids. They type of fabric also keeps changing from one season to the other to make the kid feel comfortable.

The skin of the child is very soft, tender and sensitive and needs good protection. Using cotton clothing for winters is as bad as using woollen clothes for summers. Also using clothes made of tulle just because they look good can be bad for your child because this fabric can cause irritation at times when it rubs against the skin of the child especially if worn for a long period of time.

Last but not the least; don't buy clothing that outgrows your child in a matter of days. Even the designers need to make provisions for alterations in kids clothing because at their age, kids grow fast very soon. Hence, clothing with long helms and cuffs are preferred over the others.

There are many dresses available for kids today, that they are totally spoilt for choice. So, go ahead and pick the best of the lot for your precious one and help them bring out their individuality with style.

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Invest In Entrance Mats

By Bart Icles

Whether you are in your home or your office or anywhere that you own that you can call your place, you want to create a positive impact on people as much as possible. You make it a point to have your place presentable at all times by keeping it spic and span. You spend hundreds to even thousands of dollars sprucing up your place just to be able to maintain a positive impression on whoever will be entering your doors.

Entrance mats can make a very positive difference in keeping your place spic and span, therefore giving your guests a great impression of you and your place at all times. This is because entrance mats act as "guards" for any place they are being used, making sure that unwanted "guests" are not permitted inside your premises.

When you make it a point to use entrance mats anywhere you are, you are assured that you are armed against dirt, dust, and grime at all times. Generally, about eighty (80) percent of dust, dirt, and grime in public buildings are being tracked in from the outside according to the Institute of Industrial Laundries. Imagine if you are not using entrance mats! You will have to shoulder hefty maintenance costs as compared to when you make use of entrance mats which is way cheaper and can prevent these unwanted "guests" to enter your premises.

If you do not use entrance mats, it can cause a lot of your home and office furniture and equipment to malfunction and to, eventually, become irreparable. This is because when dust builds up on them, they can really affect how they function. According to the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, nine (9) out of ten (10) computer system failures are caused by dirt and dust that have accumulated into the recesses of computers. Buying home and office equipment and furniture is not a mundane expense. You shell out your hard-earned money in order to be able to acquire them and to put them to use in order to make your lives easier and more comfortable. So it is very important to be able to maintain them by keeping them clean at all times. Doing so will save you the headache of high repair costs or, worse, replacement costs.

Create a great impression on everyone when you use entrance mats. You can even have them customized in order to create a touch of personality into them. Investing in them will make your life easier.

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Radiation Therapy Is Still Used For Skin Cancer

By Kathy Forcey

When radiation is used to treat skin cancer it is the use of x-rays to eliminate the skin cancer cells. It will usually take multiple visits for treatment before the skin cancer can be completely destroyed. It will take place over time. Skin cancer radiation treatment is generally used when skin cancer keeps coming back or is particularly resistant to treatment.

Skin cancer radiation treatment is not a first option for treatment. There are cases, however, where it is the only option that is available. Many times the condition of the patient or other mitigating circumstances will require the use of radiation treatment for skin cancer. The reasons that skin cancer radiation treatment might be used are many. It could be that the patient has other health considerations that prevent them from undergoing other forms of treatment.

The area where the skin cancer is either too large or in an area that is not conducive to treatment with surgery are other reasons that radiation treatment might be sought. It is always possible that a skin cancer has been treated but is reoccurring frequently.

This type of treatment has been shown to have some success for difficult skin cancers. In patients who were experiencing a fifty percent reoccurrence of their skin cancer the radiation treatment dropped that number to twenty five percent.

There are some risks to treating skin cancer with radiation, however. You may develop new skin cancers in the area that surround the affected area. If the skin cancer reoccurs after the treatment it may be that much harder to treat because of the radiation. And you might experience damage to your healthy skin in the same area.

There are also side effects to consider when you are thinking about skin cancer radiation treatment. You will experience fatigue, nausea, hair loss and redness in the area. Generally the side effects will disappear when the treatment is stopped.

Your doctor should have already discussed this kind of treatment for your skin cancer if you are seriously considering it. You will need to be very careful in reviewing your situation, to ensure that this treatment suits your needs. Radiation may not be the best option for treating you skin cancer, and your doctor should consider all other treatment options before proceeding with radiation treatment.

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Day Trading Training - What Makes The Pros So Good?

By Sam Lockwood

Day trading can be an excellent method for making a profit, if you have the stuff to do it. However, no matter how others may pitch it, it's not a smooth ride. You have to put a lot of work into it to succeed.

Day trading stocks and commodities is really a highly lucrative job. Just like a regular job, it needs you to have a number of traits in order to succeed, as well as a number of firmly ingrained habits.

The first thing you'll absolutely need is a good sense of time. The kind of person who's not good in the mornings or needs that morning jolt from coffee will only make themselves miserable trying day trading. That's because the best time to decide how you'll be playing the market today is right before opening bell. That's at nine in the morning in New York and six in the morning in California. If you're living in Hawaii or Alaska, it's five am. Of course, just being an early riser isn't enough. You'll also need to have a good internal clock and a solid scheduling system.

Habit number two that you'll need is having a good set of skills for quantitative thinking. You'll make or lose money in day trading just by operating on gut instinct. Making informed decisions, on the other hand, requires you to be able to look at numbers and understand them completely without even thinking about it. This means that numeracy and the ability to deal with numbers in your head is vital if you're going to tell whether something's a blip or a trend, and deal with it correctly.

You should know that this doesn't require you to be a mathematician. Numbers you'll need to know can be learned, even if you always hated math. There are a few numerical skills you can learn to the point of them being ingrained, once you get going in the game.

Successful day traders also have to have patience and skills of observation, and combine them with a short memory. This can be pretty hard to learn, since you have to avoid feeling disappointment when you don't catch a stock at the top, or when you lose money because the short you're intending just never shows up. Don't get caught up in things when you lose, and don't allow winning to take over your life, either.

Dedicated research is also a must. Day trading doesn't require you to devour accounting statements like long term investing usually does, but you do need to constantly be able to deal with the flow of data and make analyses. You also have to be proactive about shares that you're buying or selling, and make snap judgments that you act on fast. The only way you'll know these judgments are the right ones are through the right research. However, don't let this desire for good research paralyze you.

Remember that a lot of the research and analysis won't need to be done by you directly. The best traders always have a number of tools at their disposal, as well as many different data services and research sources ready to access.

If you're thinking about getting into day trading, you'll also need to build up a support network. That requires dealing with a broker, as well as finding investors who will help you apply leverage to the market. You have to understand that this is work, and that this kind of work requires intelligence, focus, and a strong will.

If you've got all these skills and can develop these habits, day trading could be a great way to make a fantastic income. This is a job you can call fun honestly, and it can be pretty enriching, too.

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