Buying a portable computer: Buy what you need and nothing more or less

Posted on May 3, 2008
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Every time a friend of mine decides to buy a new portable computer, he/she asks me which one is the best. My answer is always the same: Buy the computer that fills your needs and nothing more or less. They often ignore my advice and then go out and buy either something that is on sale or something that is overpriced only to come back to me after a few months to tell me that they bought the wrong computer and that I was right.

My advice is based on personal experience. I have a long history of buying the wrong piece of equipment; until I learned my lesson, of course. When it comes to portable computers some times people are looking for mobility and some times they are looking for a desktop replacements. Neither of the two can do the job of the other in a satisfactory way long term.

A truly portable laptop computer often has a small footprint, with a small LCD screen, basic video card, and long battery life. Such a machine is perfect for work on the road. To be used as a desktop replacement more money has to be spent on peripheral devices such as a keyboard, mouse, external storage, and a large LCD screen. These laptop computers also tend to cost more because having so much power in a small package is an expensive task.

A desktop replacement portable computer, on the other hand, often has a larger screen, the latest video card, desktop-level CPU, lots of on-board storage and RAM. Such a machine is often very heavy reducing its mobility, unless you are a bodybuilder or something and can afford to carry it with all the time. Battery life is also sacrificed mostly because lots of energy is needed to run all the hardware (LCD screens and video cards consume energy like M&Ms at an Oprah convention.) Desktop replacement laptops are often cheaper mostly because all the components are the same as you would find in a normal desktop computer; there is not exceptional engineering going on here.

So, before you spend your hard earned money on a new laptop computer, think about what your needs are. Are you looking for mobility or desktop replacement? This is only a rough guideline, of course. There are probably more parameters to consider which differ from person to person. But this is the one factor that if you get wrong, you will regret it for the rest of your new computer’s life.

Live like the Romans with a custom home design

Posted on May 3, 2008
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The average house today has little character. In fact, most homes look more or less the same. They are designed to be put up quickly and to be functional as in providing a roof over our heads and nothing more. But, if you are willing and can afford it, paying for a custom architectural design can go a long way in making you feel better about your property but also increase it long term value.

The good news are old elements of architectural design, i.e., columns, capitals, medallions, etc., can now be installed in your new home easily. Best of all, these are constructed by modern material (fiberglass columns for example) which are of high quality, easy to install, and of high endurance.

At the end of the day, you can live in a house that looks like a carbon copy of every other house in the neighborhood, or you can invest a small amount of money for a custom architectural design and make you feel like you live in royalty. It’s your call!

Silk flowers: What’s in a name?

Posted on April 29, 2008
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Silk flowersIf you don’t like the hassle of real flowers for decoration, then you will be well served from buying fake flowers instead. These are often known as silk flowers even though they are not made of silk. Ever wondered where the name comes from?

Well, it turns out that once upon a time, fake flowers were actually made of silk. These days, artificial flowers are made of plastic and look much closer to nature’s originals than ever. Modern manufacturing processes and materials have made it possible to match nature, at least visually. Some of these fake flowers and plants look so realistic that unless you touch them or try to smell them, you will not know they are fake.

Alcohol abuse and treatment for teenagers

Posted on April 28, 2008
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There are many reasons today why teenagers feel the need to abuse alcohol. Reasons might include a bad home, peer pressure, and even the stress associated with academic success. Making drug and alcohol abuse look cool in movies and TV doesn’t do much to help the cause. And just to be clear, I am not against the consumption of alcohol by anyone but I am indeed against its abuse, especially by young people who just don’t know any better; you can’t really expect a teenager full of raging hormones to understand what the long term effects of alcoholism truly are. They will regret it when their liver is completely destroyed because of a poor choice early in their teenage years.

If you find out that your teenager is abusing alcohol, then you must take action to help them. There is no need for yelling or physically hurting them. They won’t listen to you if you behave in this manner and chances are that you will make a bad situation worse. A calm discussion to identify why the teenager feels alcohol is a proper choice should be the starting point. In fact, you should not rely on this one talk but instead follow it up with regular meeting. Spend some quality time with your kid. Find a hobby that you have in common and spend a few hours every week together.

If push comes to shove and things do not improve, then consider enrolling your teenager in an alcohol rehab center. These centers are full of professional people there to help your kid overcome his/her addiction. Chances are that the teenager will not volunteer to join a rehab center; try to convince them that this is the best for them and maybe explain how many celebrities had to do the same in order to combat their own addictions. At the end of the day, you might have to force the teenager to join but they will thank you for it after they come out healthy and full of life. Sometimes, you have to make difficult decisions and this might be one of the most important of them.

Get a pool alarm and protect yourself and your family

Posted on April 26, 2008
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Summer is coming fast and sooner than later you will find yourself spending much of your time in your backyard pool But pools are not 100% safe and you can’t hire a lifeguard to look after your children while you are doing your shopping or enjoying a cup of tea reading your favorite book. So, your best option is to invest in a pool alarm.

Consider for example, the Poolguard Inground pool alarm system that currently sells for less than $200. This nifty pool alarm works with a 9-volt battery and is specifically designed to reduce the number of false alarms due to rain and wind. It will even warn you if someone, i.e., your child, removes it from the pool.

You are already spending thousands of dollars on ademco security products to guard your property against thieves. Now, spending a couple of hundred dollars more can buy you peace of mind when it comes to your pool in the back yard. This will probably be one of the best investments you ever make in your life.

Childhood obesity in the USA a problem not to be overlooked

Posted on April 25, 2008
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The statistics on childhood obesity in the USA are staggering with close to 15% of all children considered obese. Things are also bad for teenagers. Worse even, the future for the young generations looks even worse with these percentage numbers expected to continue increasing every year. It has been a terrible 3 decades for young Americans. At the current state, childhood obesity is becoming a problem out of control.

With over 25 million children in the USA are overweight or in danger of being so. These numbers have created one of the pediatric problems in the country with up to 30% of adolescent children suffering from it. The resulting poor health for such a large and young portion of the population is not only a problem for each child individually but also increases the demands on the country’s already overstretched health care system.

For years, I have heard many arguments as to who is responsible for this growing problem. Many say that the parents are to blame and statistics show that obese children often have obese parents. Others put the blame on large corporations who in the name of profits market junk food to young children who cannot resist the flashy advertising and sweet taste of snacks and pop. Finally, maybe governments are to blame because they have done little to educate people on good nutritional habits. Moreover, allowing junk food to be sold on school premises had done little to ease the childhood obesity problems. School can also help by providing healthy school meals that nearly half of the children consume on a daily basis.

The sooner people realize what the long term benefits of eliminating obesity are, the sooner they will take action to combat it. The money that will be wasted caring for an obese population are far greater than the money needed to educate everyone on proper eating habits. Unfortunately, there are many industries, i.e., the weight loss, diet, private health care, etc., which stand to benefit much from an obese population. And these are the people with money who help politicians with huge campaign contributions. I haven’t heard any of the Presidential candidates (both Democrat and Republic) say anything about combating the obesity problem in children and adults. People are more interested in what Obama’s priest said during his sermon than helping American citizens live healthy and long lives.

The secret to the perfect move

Posted on April 25, 2008
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In the last 10 years, I moved a total of 7 times either within the same city, same country, and even half way across the world. Now that I have impressed you with my extensive travel experience (I do feel like a world citizen to tell you the truth,) I want to give you the secret to the perfect move.

The first ingredient is always to have a good friend nearby who can help you. This is important but not the secret because at the end of the day, you can always pay a professional mover to help you. The trick it to make it easy to move your livelihood across town or across the globe. So how to do it?

You start by how you live. Minimize all you can. Don’t accumulate crap in your apartment. Other than wasting money on things that you will never (or at best rarely) use, you are also making it difficult on yourself (and friend) to move to another apartment. No matter how much you minimize, however, chances are that crap will accumulate (it is the unwritten Murphy’s Law.) So, how do you manage the perfect move?

It is simple! Just get organized. Go out and purchase a few moving boxes. You can find these just about anywhere. The boxes are strong and will allow you to move all your processions in an organized and hassle free manner. Yes, the moving boxes tend to be a bit expensive but you should ask your friends if they have any (everybody has to move sooner or later) that you can borrow or buy from them at a much lower price.

And there you have it. The secret to the perfect move whether it is across town or across the globe is to get yourself some moving boxes.

The path to wealth starts with improving yourself

Posted on April 25, 2008
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If you have finally become frustrated with your financial situation then you are ready to take the first steps towards building your own wealth empire. Wealth building is not something that happens overnight and it can be a long process. However, the first steps are the ones closest to home and have little to do with money (receiving or giving.)

I’m talking about first getting the right mindset for wealth building. Start by making improvements on yourself. These can be physical and emotional. For example, aim to increase your energy levels by exercising regularly and eating healthier foods. Also, remove much of the clutter in your living space; an open space with little cluttered will increase your mental energy level and help you enter the proper mindset for wealth creation.

More importantly, if you have alcohol or a drug addiction seek help immediately. If your addiction is serious enough that you need professional help to get rid of it, consider joining one of the many addiction treatment centers available throughout the country. This might cost you a bit at first but in the long run you will end up with more money in your pocket than you can imagine now.

Indeed, the first step to wealth creation is improving yourself and getting the proper mindset. This mindset is what many millionaires have in common (other than their millions of dollars and luxury lifestyle, of course.)

Vacations are for the rich

Posted on April 23, 2008
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When it comes to finding a great vacation place, money talks. Let’s face it. If you are strapped for cash chances are that you are going to vacation in some god forsaken place with terrible accommodations surrounded by other people who could not afford to spend some quality time in luxury.

The rich, on the other hand, get to enjoy the best life has to offer. They can afford to spend time in private resorts served the best food and drinks. They can afford to invest in a condo hotel which allows them to both have a great place to stay during their vacation but also make money when not living there.

The gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow. The recent mortgage crisis will make it impossible for most Americans to go on vacation this year and for many years to come. Tens of thousands of people will lose their homes and have to live with federal support. At the same time, the rich will continue to feast on caviar quenching their thirst with the best of wines. Sad but true!

Low-flow shower heads suck

Posted on April 22, 2008
Filed Under Environment | Leave a Comment

I may be a bit grumpy this morning because a leaky faucet kept me up all night but I think many will agree with me that low-flow shower heads suck. There is nothing worse than trying to shower the morning after a sleepless night only to suffer the torture of a low-flow shower head. I understand that there are environmental reasons, i.e., preserving our planet’s limited water supply, but we shouldn’t have to suffer every morning. The same applies for low-flow faucets and toilettes which cause more headaches than solve the problem at hand.

The way I see it, taking a shower with the low-flow shower head takes me longer than using a regular shower head. It takes longer because it is next to impossible to get the soap washed away when there is hardly any water hitting my body. It is possible that I am just the victim of a low quality showerhead and that taking the time to research and purchase a high quality one will solve my problems. True, but I am renting a place temporarily for a few weeks and there is not much I can do at the moment to improve this situation.

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