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How often do you use your kitchen counter at home? Do you have a Formica top, or another material that is just as solid and lasting? Most of us don’t give much thought to that cold, flat slab in the kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room. But perhaps we should, since it can serve a variety of functions that we depend on every day. Let’s talk about the kitchen counter, which lies at the hub of family life and center of frequent activity.

The kitchen counter is where dirty dishes are stacked, waiting to be loaded into the dishwasher or by hand. Crusty roasters, sticky silverware, and greasy platters bide their time on that beautiful finished surface while we take care of other things before tidying up the kitchen. The counter may be the place where you sign kids’ school forms, open the mail, or write last-minute notes to family members before heading out the door for the day. It’s where we set down bags of groceries, pet feeding dishes, an armful of dry cleaning, and a host of other items related to everyday chores. Small kitchen appliances like the toaster and blender probably enjoy their own spots for making the morning breakfast and other meals or snacks. Food preparation like grating, slicing, chopping, and mixing take place in this convenient area.

With all this activity occurring on a regular basis, your kitchen counter carries a lot of weight at times. It absorbs shocks from heavy items, accepts scratches or chips, and helps to blot stains from spilled juice or strained and drained foods. It’s a wonder the counter looks as good as it does, right? That is due in large part to the industry’s formulation of tough design and solid materials, as well as a protective finish. But keeping your counter in tip-top shape beyond the manufacturer’s reach is up to you.

Start by clearing your counter of all unnecessary items. Put away containers that take up space, cover or store unused appliances, insist that no foods, like bread wrappers or jelly jars, be left sitting on the counter for any length of time. Clearing the clutter will open more space and give the entire room a sense of airiness. The counter area will be able to accommodate more time-specific tasks instead of being a gathering place for everyone’s debris. Get a cutting board for food preparation so you don’t have to damage the counter anymore.

Then make a point of wiping your counter free of crumbs, stains, and spills after each meal, or certainly at least once a day. Use a clean cloth, not a damp one that has been sitting around for hours or days, as it will have a sour smell that can be picked up by the counter. Gently wipe under the microwave or canister set to remove all crumbs and thus avoid attracting unwanted pests.

Each week or so, inspect your countertop for deep-set stains. Wipe the counter with a damp cloth to moisten it, and then lightly sprinkle baking soda on the stained areas. Allow it to set at least fifteen minutes. Get the cleaning cloth more wet, and then rub the powder in small circles to work at the stain. Rinse the counter thoroughly when you are done. Run your hand over the surface for signs of residue grit or powder, and rinse again, if needed.

Set an attractive (but unbreakable) vase or other decorator pieces on your counter to remind family members to keep it clear when not in use. This can help everyone take better care of the counter to prolong its quality.

If you were ever a sailor, a boy scout or a girl guide you probably know what a Lanyard is. For the rest of us it’s that thing we hang around our neck to hold onto our security cards, keys and mobile phones.

It seems that almost overnight this daggy item of office apparel has suddenly become the hottest fashion accessory dangling out of the back pocket of every hip hop and happening skanky dude and dudette around town.

Once the enforced fashion faux pas of the IT Industry, its now no longer the likes of IBM or Apple we see blazoned on these nylon strings but Nike, Adidas and maybe even Prada.

It wasn’t so long ago that gay men embraced the concept of hankies hanging out their back pockets with a wide variety of colours and designs to signify a code for one’s sexual proclivities. One had to be careful to choose not only the right colour out of over fifty plus different coded designs, but also which back pocket - left or right - dominant or submissive - to hang it out of.

So is this the case with lanyards? Does one need to be careful to choose the right logo emblazed on their tag? The right colour? And of course, the right pocket to hang it out of?

And what about the right shiny metal attachment at the end? For with any fashion craze there is likely to be a whole industry accessorizing these babies to the hilt.

So why have we chosen to re-embrace these nylon strands and tszuj them up?

Is it because the metal key chains we strategically dangled from our cut-offs for the last few seasons (another takeaway from the gay community by the way) contributed so dramatically, due to their increasing weight, to dragging our pants down that now they don’t fit anymore? And all you underwear emporiums just thought we were just being trendy and showing off your label bands.

Have we been forced to seek out a new fashion accessory for hanging our keys which doesn’t ruin our clothes?

Or is it just another fad, like the yoyo, whose time will come and go. As security swipe cards fade into memory and fingerprints, eye scans and DNA tests welcome the next phase of our security conscious evolution will lanyards too just become another fashion craze that slips into folklore only to get recycled in twenty years time.

Only time will tell. But in the meantime don’t leave the house without one dangling from a pocket lest you wish to become a noughties fashion victim.

Peter Shuttlewood is the author of webzine freshread which contains articles on Popular Culture with an Australian slant. Freshread - the everyday in a fresh way.

I don’t know about you, but I find some of the poker welcome bonuses out there a little suspicious. I’m cautious enough about handing over my hard earned money to any online casino, but when a website says that it will match a deposit 300% I sense a scam. I recently came across a casino that was touting a welcome bonus well over the 200% mark. I was curious, so I looked around on the internet to see what I could find out about this too good to be true offer. Best thing I ever did because the customer forum was full of complaints against unfilled bonus promises and poor customer service. I’m glad that I was one less person to get taken in by the scam.

If you are thinking of joining an online casino with a high welcome poker bonus, make sure you look around first. You owe it to yourself to ensure that you are not handing your money over to a scam artist. Normally you can find customer reviews of the casino through a quick internet search if the site itself does not host an online community forum. And even if it does host a forum, unflattering comments may be removed from the message boards. Investigate the situation so that you don’t get scammed out of a poker welcome bonus.

The heavens, according to Psalmist and Prophet King David, declare the glory of God. (Ps 19:1) Our own sun and its celestial entourage constitute an amazing piece of machinery whose order and unfailing precision certainly make one think of intelligent design over random stellar evolution.

As far back as Genesis chapter 1, the sun, moon, and stars were given the role of a celestial timepiece to be for signs, seasons, days, and years. In other words, they have a practical function other than inspiring awe in humankind. The practical purpose of the sun and moon are well known. God obviously intended the sun to provide us with the heat, light, and food necessary to sustain life on earth in addition to providing those beautiful sunsets. Beside inspiring lovers to stroll beneath its silvery beams, the moon, of course, controls the ocean’s tides as well as regulating the rhythms of certain life forms.

Now it would stand to reason that the other heavenly bodies of our solar system have some practical function as well. Many brilliant minds throughout history have equated terrestrial weather patterns with celestial phenomena. Johannes Kepler, the 17th century astronomer and discoverer of the planetary laws of motion, first achieved fame due to his long-range weather forecasts based on planetary positions. Since planetary phenomena can be calculated years in advance, their effect on weather patterns can be known long before conventional meteorological forecasts can detect them.

It never ceases to amaze me how the Creator included in his handiwork a built-in and environmentally safe weather forecast system for our benefit. Good thinking!

Ken Paone has been working with Kepler’s long-range weather forecasting method for about 14 years. His published forecasts have appeared internationally. You can email Ken at kensweather@msn.com. His long-range forecasts can be found on his blog at http://www.theweatheralternative.blogspot.com

Dress formally the right way and you can project a stylish look, that will help you get the job or promotion you crave or close an important business deal.

In work it’s so important because your look can actually make or lose you money, so you need to look your best, so here are some tip tips to make sure you knock them dead.

Getting dressed for the office doesn’t mean you can’t follow fashion look stylish or develop a personalized style.

Your aim is to project a professional, competent and dynamic appearance - You mean business is the impression you are trying to create and can handle the job at hand

The style colors and fit of your clothes choices will reflect in the way other people view your ability to do your job.
Below we have outlined some basic tips on how you can maximize your appearance.

1. Fit

Trousers need to be fitted and free of visible panty lines. Skirts, especially straight styles i.e. pencil skirts, should be loose enough to sit down in comfortably and not excessively tight. Clothes need to fit so be aware of size and dress within it

Jackets should to be buttoned and blouses shouldn’t have gaps between buttonholes.

2. Traditional career colors include navy (trustworthy), grey (conservative) and black (chic & conservative) be careful of red especially in sales, it can be seen as aggressive and confrontational especially by other women.

Most of these colors work well in trousers, skirts and shoes and you can mix black with softer colorslike light blue, lilac, pink and stone.

Loud colors like bright pink and wild prints are more risky so be careful if you want to mix these in

3. Jewelry that jangles (hoop earrings and stacks of bangles that will indicate you are coming) are no, no. GO for minimal jewellery stud earrings or single bracelets and a nice watch.

4. Slouchy handbags look unprofessional and sloppy. Instead choose structured styles that project an organized and efficient image with sharp lines.

With other accessories don’t neglect them! Everything about you needs to project cleanliness and efficiency.

Manicured nails, run-free hose, clean polished shoes, styled hair. Make sure that everything creates the right look down to the smallest detail.

Looks never to worn to the office include:

6. Sexy clothes - Avoid - See-through garments, miniskirts, really high stilettos, designer labels and to much leather.

7. Clothes should fit correctly and avoid: wrinkled clothing, too many layers and baggy-fit clothing.

Dressing for the office is all about striking a balance between looking good stylish and also looking competent, organized and ready for business.

You can still look sexy in a subtle way, but the look is subtle and not in your face - That is the biggest mistake of all when dressing for the office.

Follow the above tips and get ready to knock them dead!

A great look will help you get ahead in your career and hopefully it will speed you along the career path you desire.

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For more free womens style and fashion tips, as well as regular FREE fashion videos to keep you update on the latest styles visit:

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Cowboy boots are a special kind of boot that a lot of people wear today. Cowboys do not only wear them anymore. They do not only wear them in the south and on a farm, people are also wearing them these days as dress shoes or as everyday shoes. The design of cowboy boots is unique and distinct. They are certainly a great shoe for anyone to wear either in a more dressed up look or on a regular basis.

Cowboy boots have a high and rounded heel and also have a pointed toe. There are no laces to deal with and no straps to tighten. Most of the boots that are around are made from leather. They can be from just about any kind of leather. Most of the brands are from cowhide, or genuine leather. In addition, some are constructed out of exotic skins like snake, lizard, eel and alligator. These are going to be the more expensive boots in their class.

There are boots to be found in any color. You can get the normal black or brown and there are also other colors to choose from as well. Many of the exotic skinned boots come in other colors like white, gray, tan or even red. Cowboy boots are designed for the easy insertion of a horse rider’s foot into the stirrup of a saddle on a horse. This is why most of the boots have a pointed toe. However, the styles are changing and there are some of the boots that are becoming more rounded at the toe.

Although the shoes are mounted, the tall heel of the boot is what prevents the foot from sliding out of the stirrup. If this were to happen to a cowboy on a horse, it could be very dangerous. However, when the cowboy is dismounting from the horse, the smooth sole of the shoe is what allows the boot to easily come free from the stirrup. The tall shaft of the boot is what helps to hold the boot in place. There are no laces that are needed to use on a boot.

The shaft of the cowboy boot is also going to be used to protect the leg from getting scratched or bumped while riding or working. In the south, it was very normal for the farm workers to wear cowboy boot while they were working. There are many people who still use these boots as their everyday work boots. They find them very comfortable and easy to work in.

With more and more people wearing cowboy boots on a regular basis, there are more and more companies coming out with newer styles. You can find these great boots just about anywhere and in any store. Since they are becoming so popular, cowboy boots have even come down in price and you can find a great pair for an affordable price.

Agust Hauksson is a regular contributor of articles to many online publications. Find more great information at: http://www.cowboy-boot.biz

It is common to find men choosing white for their solid colored mens dress shirts. They believe that it is the easiest with other outfits as well as creating a formal appearance. There are people who feel that white dress shirts projects radiance onto mens face.

However, there is an aspect that we need to take note in mens fashion coordination, which is the skin tone as well as the hair color of the man. Imagine a blond man with fair-colored skin tone in a white shirt.

The direction of focus will on the shirt or tie rather than his face. The white shirt is not able enhance his overall light colored skin tone.

Instead solid colored mens dress shirts against the skin tone and hair color is supposed to bring the focal point to the man’s face, not the shirt. It applies similarly to patterned shirts as well.

White is not the only ultimate choice for solid colored mens dress shirts, I would say blue color is the other must-have color for every mens dress shirts. It has the best blend into almost every mens skin tone and hair color.

It never seems to go wrong wearing a blue dress shirt to provide a warmer and richer overtone for any skin tone than white dress shirts.

Can all blue tones fit different skin tones and hair colors? Generally the best choice is going for medium blue and the suitable shade of medium should always bring the focus toward your face.

Men with tan or olive skin tones with contrasting hair color can afford to wear darker blue tones.

Fair skin men with dark colored hair have the best advantage in their choice of blue tones. Basically all the shades of blue are suitable for them especially the medium to dark blue tones.

Men with light colored hair and fair skin has to settle for light and soft blue hues. The overall blend between their hair and skin creates a muted contrast and the lighter blues will balance out this low contrast.

Copyright 2005, Leroy Fong and Mens-Fashion-Tips.com

Reprinting this article is allowed provided all references and acknowledgement to the author, the website, and the URL remain intact.

Leroy Fong
Mens Fashion Tips: Mens Fashion Guide on Dressing for Success

Translated in Dutch it means: Woon je in Heumen of Harenkarspel en hebt u BKR codering. Lenen met zonder BKR is nergens zo eenvoudig. Koop een andere auto met geld lenen zonder bkr toetsing, 348106 euro is gewoon mogelijk om te lenen. Van Bergeijk tot Hilversum, financieren met een BKR notering is altijd mogelijk.

Be wise today to examine if you have a great offer or if you don’t with the moneylender that offers you a loan. A merchant bank in Euclid Ohio or so may have a total completely different actual rate for a 17500 dollar loan then a bank in Lake Charles Louisiana and that makes a immense clear gap in your monthly pay backs. At this present you can look into rates of interest quickly on the internet and project if there are other conditions you should know about. Lots of of the moneylenders wil show you a interest rate that is looking ok but feels badly or so after a while. It makes no difference if you live in Layton Utah or in Appleton Wisconsin a just online investigation will salve you often a lot of incommode. 4.7 percent loan rate may appear so mediocre but will it stay unalterable after you’re going to reinforce your bank loan. Investigate to see if the moneylender who wants to give you a bank loan is honest. This is why now you need to check out and find out if you can have a credit loan at a honorable percent rate of interest.

You have just arrived at the most beautiful place on earth. The sun is shining bright, there’s a light breeze in the air and not a cloud in the sky. The sand is whiter than snow, and the ocean waves are singing nature’s lullaby as they crash onto the shore.

Life doesn’t get much better than this, you think to yourself as you find a good spot to enjoy this tropical paradise. You have your man and your best friends by your side, and you are getting ready to order a frozen concoction to complete the surreal scenery. You put your towel down, take off your cover-up skirt and tank top — you’re ready to soak up the sun.

Then it happens — you realize that everyone on the beach has directed their eyes on you. You immediately freeze, afraid to move a muscle. After what seems like lifetimes, you finally look down and realize that you are wearing a hideous, worn-out, unflattering bathing suit that’s so outdated even your great-grandmother’s grandmother wouldn’t have been caught wearing it.

Just when you are about to shrivel up in shame, the alarm clock sounds and you wake up with a new mission in life. It’s time to go swimsuit shopping.

If the thought of a tropical paradise vacation is giving you nightmares instead of dazzling dreams, then chances are you are in desperate need of swimsuit shopping support. The first thing you need to do is breathe deep and keep the thought of those waves crashing in your mind at all times.

The next step is to get rid of the old hand-me-down you’ve been wearing for way too long and relax. You are not alone. There are many places designed to help you shop comfortably while you find your perfect fit. Whether it’s high prices, fluorescent lights, crowded stores or three-way mirrors you want to avoid, there is a swimsuit shopping solution for you. Here’s a list of the top 10 different places and ways you can go about shopping for your swimsuit.

1. Check out stores that sell only swimwear — these are great for specialized assistance.

2. Department stores offer plenty of choices, but the lighting can be harsh in the dressing rooms.

3. Buy them online. Find a site that asks for your specific measurements and body type.

4. Check out discount stores for great deals.

5. Surf the net for specific swimsuit sales at your favorite department stores.

6. Shop seasonal sales to get major discounts.

7. Fashion magazines and catalogs are great ways to avoid the crowded malls, but before you order make sure to take your measurements and buy the suits that best match your shape.

8. Specialty stores and boutiques near the beach often offer great sales but not much variety.

9. eBay.com often has brand-new designer suits just waiting for a bid.

10. Bring your best buddy with you. You can make the experience a bit more fun and get an honest opinion.

Carolina Diaz-Bordon
eDiets.com Staff Writer

At eDiets, there’s something for every body. Click here to choose from more than 20 personalized diet plans!

Differentiating products and services through advertising is common for many industries. Financial services marketers seem to be having a particularly tough time.

In preparation for my role on a branding panel at the recent Washington Bankers Association marketing conference, I hired a clip service to capture Western Washington bank print advertisements for two months. The panelists also collected their personal financial direct mail for the same period. The result was thousands of ads from scores of banks and credit unions. The junk mail must have weighed 30 pounds.

Consumers are being inundated with financial ads, direct mail, and telemarketing. With direct mail, much of the effort attempts to persuade consumers to open envelopes with fake checks, fake government documents, and fake come-ons that offer incredibly low interest rates that aren’t that low when one looks at the fine print. Everyone at the conference agreed that this tactic is expected from loan brokers, yet seemed surprised to see this tactic from quality institutions like Bank of America. Still, we are seeing more of it. Precious little direct mail demonstrated why each bank was the right choice. Much of the advertising is not much better.

Carrie Williams, president of BrandLab (www.brandlab.com), agreed to sort through the marketing messages and create brand maps to demonstrate how banks appear to consumers and how banks compete against each other. Carrie has a lot of experience doing this for industries such as healthcare, fashion, and the airlines and is skilled at getting to the essence of what she calls the brand soul. As she says, brand soul is a reflection of what is core to an organization. It encompasses its values, personality, its style of doing business, and how it gives back to the community.
The good news is that any bank that wants to stand out through exceptional advertising has almost an open field. The bad news is that the financial industry is rapidly moving to commodity status by educating consumers that all they should consider is the best deal. With the exception of a handful of financial institutions, none of the ads contained any brand attributes at all, per Carrie. In essence, most financial institutions are not talking to consumers in ways that are memorable or compelling.

Rather than cluster by brand attributes, the work focused around product and service features. In rank order, offers focused on the following:

1) better rates
2) higher return
3) personal service
4) product specific
5) promotions
6) local community

Advertisements feature pictures of happy customers, happy employees, and experienced bankers. And most of the work is remarkably similar.

There were some exceptions. Bank of America, Washington Mutual, Key Bank, and Wells Fargo all have the kind of advertising one would expect from giant ad budgets. Their messages are consistent, they emphasize ideas that differentiate them from other banks, and they look like quality institutions by having well produced ads. Banks with more modest budgets, such as Sterling Bank, Banner Bank, and Homestreet Bank, have also done a good job creating work that differentiates and offers marketplace consistency. The rest of the work is just wallpaper.

More of the financial industry is moving away from human interaction and relying increasingly on electronic service, and consumers are embracing this trend in growing numbers. Now they can shop for loans from the privacy of their homes, and they can consider institutions from across the U.S.

Fabulous communications are mandatory in our less-personal-touch world. They can give consumers a sense of relationship with their financial institutions and help illustrate through storytelling each bank’s personality in a way that resonates. Still, the evidence would say that banks are being wooed by the notion that ROI is all that counts in communications. If you get the greatest response rate, the story ends there. But does it?

I learned at Disney decades ago that several factors should go into evaluating advertising performance. Campaign performance and ROI count for a lot. Equally important is the net impression that the communications leave behind. With direct mail in particular, a two percent response rate is not the only factor. What was the take-away for the 98% who did not respond? At Disney, we cared more about the 98% than the 2%. And most important of all, we cared that the work reflected well on the Disney values, which every employee understood.

Shareholders and consumers will be well served when bank messaging reflects each bank’s people, values, and personality and the consumer experience reflects those unique attributes in a consistent and winning way. With that said, stop the slogans, research your brand personality, and create work that makes it possible for Carrie’s concept of brand’s soul to penetrate through the ad clutter and engage the right customers to propel your business forward.

Bill Fritsch is president of Hydrogen Advertising, an award-winning, Seattle-based advertising agency emphasizing superb ideas efficiently produced. Reach him at 206-389-9500, ext. 224 or email bill@hydrogenadvertising.com. For more information, visit http://www.hydrogenadvertising.com.