Monday, June 25, 2007

Self Defense-which Non Lethal Self Defense Weapon Is Best For You?

Okay so you have made a conscious decision to get a non lethal self defense weapon instead of a handgun. Now what?

Non lethal self-defense weapons are gaining in popularity because they are effective against attacks. Martial arts and other self-defense courses are great to learn, but for many people, they take too much time to learn and can be expensive. You are not always going to have the opportunity to use learned self-defense skills. Non lethal self defense weapons such as stun guns, pepper sprays, tasers, etc. are a more practical way to go.

Before you go out and purchase a non lethal self-defense weapon you should consider some of the following points:

• WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU? Study and learn as much as you can. See what weapon is going to be right for you both on a physical and mental level.

•LEARN HOW TO USE IT. Having a self defense weapon and not knowing how to use it can injure you as easily as it can hurt your assailant. Once you have chosen a self-defense product, ask for proper instructions on how to use it, or take a course in using the products properly. Then PRACTICE using it until it becomes second nature.

•IS IT LEGAL IN YOUR AREA?You don’t want the embarrassment of being harassed by local law enforcement. Take the time to see if you are allowed to carry the self-defense product you have chosen. Some may need permits or other permission before you can carry them around in public.

•DON'T OVERCARRY – If pepper spray is going to give you the jump you need to defend against an assailant, then there is really no need to carry air guns, slingshots or a taser. When the time comes to use your weapon there cannot be any indecision as to which to use.

Self defense products can get you out of a bad situation – there is no doubt about that. Unless you know what you need, how to use that product, and the legality of it, you may be getting into trouble. You can actually do yourself more harm that good by not doing your homework before you invest time and money into self-defense products. They can save your life, your money and provide you with peace of mind.

Become Part of the ‘Recycling for Charity’ Program!

Did you know that aluminum, which was discovered in the 1820s, is the most abundant metal on earth? There are many things about this metal that you are probably unaware of. For instance, due to the fact that people recycle over half of the aluminum cans, two thirds of the aluminum ever produced is still being used today. This is also possible due to the qualities of this metal, durability and sustainability.

Moreover, did you know it only takes up to sixty days for a can to be recycled and back on the shelves as a new can, and that more than 100,000 aluminum cans are being recycled every minute? Or that the energy saved by recycling one can could keep you television running for about four hours? Transforming used cans into new ones takes about 95% less energy than it would take to make cans using virgin ore. Just imagine this: if you toss away an aluminum can and not recycle it, the energy loss is comparable to how much you would lose if you were to pour out half that can’s volume of gasoline.

If these facts don’t convince you that you should start recycling aluminum cans, let us give you some more reasons. For instance, are you aware of the environmental benefits this action has? These include saving natural resources, energy, money and time. What about the economic benefits? Over $800 million are paid annually by the aluminum industry for empty cans. Think about all the things this money could be used for! Due to its properties, aluminum can be recycled entirely and indefinitely, and the aluminum can is the most recyclable of all materials.

If you still have doubts about the importance of recycling aluminum cans, consider recycling for charity. The money that the aluminum industry pays for the used cans annually could go to charitable organizations, and really make a difference for people who need it the most.

Recycle for charities such as providing better education, helping the elderly and the homeless, fighting poverty, developing your community, AIDS research, and many more.

Aside from keeping our environment clean, and providing a useful resource for the recycling industry, you can recycle for charities, and help charitable organizations earn funds for their projects.

Recycling for charity is a noble act, as it can eventually lead to the improvement of the lives of many people in need, such as people with incurable diseases, whose condition requires expensive treatments, homeless people, old people, children in need of better living conditions and a proper education. You can contribute to all of these, by doing no more than recycling the aluminum cans that you have used.

A simple as this concept may seem, try to think of the big picture, and think of yourself as one of the many people who recycle for charity. How can you become an active part of this process? It is very simple. All it takes is that you place a container for used cans next to your beverage vending machine or inside the lunchroom in your building. The organization handling this program will take care of the rest. Recycling for charity is that easy!

Recycling and Charity

When we think of recycling, the first thing we associate it with is the benefits that this action has upon our environment. If we think about it a little more, we might even consider the economic reasons, and start giving some serious thought to recycling. But there is one other important aspect that many of us have never thought of – the social reasons. In other words, what about recycling for charities? Yes, that’s right. Now you can recycle for charity and help the less fortunate people, while keeping our environment clean.

Many people find it easier to give away used objects rather than donate money. Such objects include used cell phones, inkjet cartridges, toner cartridges, all sorts of wireless objects, and even aluminum cans.

Aluminum is the perfect metal for recycling, for several reasons. First of all, it can be recycled over and over again, and used indefinitely. We are now using approximately two thirds of all the aluminum that has been produced since its discovery, some one hundred and eighty years ago! Secondly, recycling used aluminum cans save a lot of energy, by comparison to producing new ones from virgin ore. A single recycled can saves enough energy as to keep a 100W-bulb running for about four hours! Moreover, we are saving on our natural resources, while protecting our environment.

All this being said, what more reasons do we need for recycle used aluminum cans? If you take into consideration the fact that you’re recycling a used object which is no longer of use to you, and help some unfortunate people in the process, recycling for charities becomes all the more useful and dignifying.

You may consider that your effort doesn’t count for too much, because a used aluminum can is only worth about one cent. You couldn’t be farther from the truth. Statistics say that 2.5 canned beverages are consumed by each employee daily, while at work. Think about what this means at a large scale, and how much money could be raised if you were to start a ‘recycle for charity’ campaign in a company or organization. And the process is as simple as contacting a charitable organization that deals with such things and installing a container on the location. They will take care of all the other aspects of the program.

A recycling for charities program can be started in schools as well, and it you be all the more beneficial, as children can be involved in this fund raising program, and be given a good reason to be responsible and proud of themselves. They will be taught that even children can help in making a difference on the environment and on society.

If you have any questions as to where the money is going when you recycle for charity, you will probably be happy to learn that this money is used exclusively to help the less fortunate people from all over the world.

Remember that recycling for charities makes you and the others environmentally aware, while helping people in need, such as children from poor third-world countries, homeless people, sick people, old people, and many more.

All About Barbie Doll Collecting - Why Is Barbie So Popular?

Have you ever asked yourself why Barbie doll collecting is so popular? What drives tens of thousands of people to snap up every type of Barbie doll imaginable?

Barbie Was Brilliantly Marketed Mattel learned early on exactly how to market the Barbie doll. No other doll maker has come close to her. Barbie has been seen on TV commercials since the early 1960's. With over 40 years of continuous television exposure you can't help but see the ads throughout your childhood and into adulthood. This exposure has led Barbie to being one of the most popular toys in history.

Barbie Dolls Are Nostalgic

If you are a woman under the age of 60 then you most likely owned a Barbie when you were a kid. Just like baseball cards, if you collected Barbies's when you were young, the chances are good that you enjoy it now.

Many people still have their original dolls from their childhood and it almost has become an obsession to collect each and every Barbie doll there is.

Barbie Is Not A Fad

You know that when you buy a Barbie doll that you will always be able to buy new clothes and accessories for her. She is not here today, gone tomorrow. No other doll can say that.

The Internet Has Fueled Barbie Doll Collecting

That's right, the online world has helped promote Barbie doll collecting to the next level. You can find all sorts of Barbie doll forums as well as websites to purchase Barbie's. Ebay is a great example of this. Both advertisers and collectors alike can get together and discuss anything and everything to do with Barbie, as well as buy and sell.

What does the future hold in store for Barbie doll collecting? No one can say for sure, but if it is anything like the past, you can expect some really great things to take place.

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What Everybody Ought To Know About Decorating With Cheap Wooden Blinds

Cheap wooden blinds are one tactic that smart decorators take advantage of. For around 1/2 price they can get a quality wood blind and have money left for other decorating accessories.

I love decorating with cheap wooden blinds for these five reasons.

They are the same blind.

I will say that one more time. They are the same blind. Not a cheaper imitation but the same bass wood blind that regularly sells for about 50% more. The slats are the same gauge and same width. Same Paint colors, same stain colors, same wood slats as the expensive blinds. The difference is in the options.

Usually you only get 5 or 6 color choices with cheap wooden blinds, there is one company that does give you 15 color choices. You are usually limited to only a string tilt control but here again a couple of the companies do allow you to have a wood wand tilt.

I personally like the wand tilt because I think it works and looks better than the string tilt.

You get a good looking 3" wood valance on these blinds, same size as the regular priced blinds.

Cheap Wood Blinds Cost Way Less!

Less is translated as low, low prices!

How does 1/2 price sound. One major blind retailer has a 36"w x 60"l bass wood blind for $63 and one for $129. The difference, the one for $63 has only five color choices while the expensive one has 21 color choices. There are other options available, but thats a big difference.

Friends and Neighbors Won't Know The Difference.

The only difference is in the price, other than that they are exactly the same blind. The only way anyone will know how little you paid is if you start bragging on the great deal you got.

Watch out! Tell too many people about your great deals and they will start to ask your advice on decorating and soon you will be known as the one to come to for decorating advice.

You Can Decorate More Because You Have Spent Less

One of the constant challenges any decorator has is to stay within budget. The great dividend is that saving all that cash on your wood blinds you now have more cash to spend on other decorating accessories.

Cheap Wooden Blinds Are Versatile

They look great as a stand alone window treatment or you can use them with just about any other window treatment. Cheap wood blinds look great surrounded by a pair of side panels or add a swag and jabot top treatment and you have a window to die for.

Price is the only cheap thing about cheap wooden blinds. Put the expensive blind side by side with the cheap wood blind, they look the same and they feel the same. The use of cheap wood blinds in your home is limited only by your imagination and daring.

How to Make a Baby Mobile for Fun, Learning and Saving Money

One thing I find strange is how many parents want to make a baby mobile despite all the fancy, high-tech ones they can buy in shops.

I've often wondered why.

If I disregard saving money, the only conclusion I reach is that you can actually make a very good learning toy if you do it right. Unfortunately few parents know how to make one or even what to look for when buying one.

The sad thing is that many parents still believe that commercial baby mobiles are far superior to homemade ones.

But that's not true!

If you make a good one...

- You can vary and change how much stimulation your baby gets

- Prevent your baby from losing interest and keep his attention, thus getting much more "play and learning value" from your mobile

- It's a simple technique for increasing and growing visual stimulation

- It gives you the right way to encourage grasping with one hand and using both hands together at a very early age, and…

- Very few other baby mobiles give your baby the chance to discover the textures and shapes of different objects

So, how do you make a good learning baby mobile?

Step 1: Find a long dowel rod (at least 12mm/half inch diameter) or even a normal yardstick to use as suspender bar for the baby mobile's crosspiece.

Step 2: Fix this dowel or yardstick (suspender bar) to the top of the cot approximately above your baby's chest.

Step 3: Use a piece of cardboard or plastic tube, wooden clothes hanger (removing the wire hook) or even rubber hose as the crosspiece. No sharp objects allowed.

Step 4: Tie a strong piece of string to the middle of the crosspiece. Tie the other end to the suspender bar at the top of the cot.

Step 5: Tie a piece of string to each end of the mobile's crosspiece.

Step 6: Tie small objects to the end of the string tied to the crosspiece. The object must dangle at the distance of Baby's outstretched hand when lying in the cot.

Step 7: Tie other small objects to the same crosspiece, making sure the crosspiece still balances.

Step 8: Finally… make sure that the swing of the crosspiece is such that when Baby grabs an object, he can handle, touch and feel it.

What are the best objects to hang from the crosspiece?

Everyday toys like colorful booties, blocks, rattles, squeaky toys, small plastic bottles and teething rings work well. In fact… you can use almost any child-safe object as long as it's colorful, have different textures and contrasts light and dark colors.

If you want to get even more from your baby mobile…

Tie only a few objects to the crosspiece at a time, but change them more often… maybe once or more often per week. This keeps your baby's curiosity and interest for much longer.

The thing I like about this baby mobile is that it encourages and teaches your baby to use his senses to work together - one of the first skills all infants must master.

Only once this skill has been fully mastered will he automatically further explore and discover the crosspiece objects.

Simple Steps to Organizing Your Outdoor Barbeque Area

If you're planning to do any barbecuing at all, it's going to be important for you to make sure that your grill area in general and the grill itself is optimized and organized! It doesn't matter if you're planning to grill all summer long or keep it restricted to a few large bashes around the Fourth of July and Labor Day, having your outdoor barbeque area organized will make a big difference in just about every area that counts.

One of the first things to keep in mind is that through organizing your barbeque area, the person in charge of the grill will be a great deal more comfortable. For instance, consider the location. In the middle of the July heat, you aren't going to want to be standing over a hot grill in direct sunlight. Rather than crowding your barbeque equipment into the best shade available, why not make your own? Umbrella sunshades can be mounted directly next to your grill, providing you with shade as well as adding a jaunty note to your back yard.

One way to organize your barbeque area is to make sure that everything has its proper place. This can be a little difficult, as the trays that attach to the grill itself can be quite small. The way around this, of course, is to provide your own! There are lots of great options out there in terms of stands that you can place by the grill. If you don't want to move the stand, you can modify it to your heart's content. Look for one with lots of hooks where you can hang your tools, and if you are not going to store it when you aren't using it, make sure that is weather-proof and animal-proof. If you get a stand with wheels, it can serve double duty as a place to store your tools and a serving cart. You can even equip it with wet wipes to keep the stand tidy. You might want to keep the supplies on a lower shelf of the stand and keep the upper area for food and food preparation.

If you are planning in advance, you also might want to consider what kind of grill works the best for your needs. Will you be grilling often? Will you be serving many people when you do so? Considering these questions can give you an idea about the grill that will work best for you. A grill that complements your location and your needs is an important component to getting your outdoor barbequeing organized!

A clean grill will make you feel proud to invite your friends over, as well as giving you a better quality of food, so make sure that you keep cleaning supplies on hand. Whether you want just keep some towels near the area to wipe up spills or you have cleansers that will keep your grill spotless, you can keep them close to hand by making a space for them. Find a weatherproof bag and store them right next to your grill if you want to. Having those supplies close to hand will make you grateful when disaster strikes!

By keeping these tips in mind, you can prepare for summer grilling that is as efficient as it is tasty!