Whether you’re flying across the country for a vacation with your dog on an airplane or simply riding the bus to bring him to the vet, the experience always poses some challenges. Aside from making sure that they eat or do their business at the right times and place during the trip, you should also consider their safety and well-being.Here are some easy yet effective pet-friendly travel tips to follow:For car ridesWhen it comes to traveling with your pet in your car, it is best that he remain still rather than free and roaming inside the vehicle for safety purposes. There are plenty of pet-friendly safety travel gear available in the market such as seatbelt harnesses, carriers and crates. According to experts, it is important that your dog has had the opportunity to stretch his legs and had his daily dose of exercise before being placed in a crate, especially for long drives. This way, he will be more inclined to rest, stay still and behave as he has already burned off his excess energy. Be sure to also make the crate as comfortable as possible for your fur baby – bring a nice, cozy blanket, some toys and plenty of treats.For airplane ridesThe Humane Society highly recommends to only travel with your pets by plane when absolutely necessary. If you must travel with your dog by plane, it is crucial to call your airline company ahead of time to know what their restrictions are when it comes to flying a pet. Some has restrictions about size as well as the number of pets. Some also require that a pet has certain immunizations, so be sure that your fur baby is up to date with his shots and have the proper documentation to bring with you at the airport.For bus and train ridesSimilar with airplanes, bus and train companies have different protocols when it comes to transporting pets. Those that allow animals on board usually require pets to be transported using a carrier. To be sure, do some research ahead to find the best pet-friendly transportation options in your local neighbourhood.One more important thing when traveling with your dog is to be responsible for their mess – always have a poop bag and disinfectant spray handy or make them wear diapers. The last thing you want is to have people complain about your dog’s mess while on a bus, plane or train ride!
Jumbo Refinance Mortgage Loans Can Be Approved If You’re Prepared
You are thinking of a jumbo loan for a home refinance while rates are low but you’ve been told, “Do not to waste your time applying. Not now, because the banks aren’t lending!” Most banks aren’t too keen on approving jumbo loans. The jumbo loans are considered a higher risk loan, especially in a stagnant economy. Some banks may offer jumbo loans but their underwriting process is so strict that getting the jumbo loan to the closing table is impossible. There are a few banks that handle jumbo loan efficiently and will hold these loans in their portfolio. Finding this type of bank may be the first step in your quest to have your jumbo loan refinanced. The right bank will have the widest array of terms and have the most flexible underwriting guidelines. There are other points that should be considered in choosing the right bank.Despite the inherent risks posed by higher loan amounts, the basics of mortgage loan underwriting still apply. Like mortgage loans with amounts below $417,000, the 5 Cs of lending remain intact, (capacity, credit, capital, collateral, character.) So what’s different with jumbo loan underwriting?A residential jumbo loan is any home mortgage loan where the loan size exceeds GSE’s (Government Sponsored Enterprise such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) limits. Currently, the GSE’s loan limits are capped at $417,000.00 or $625,500 in Alaska or Hawaii. Any mortgage loan exceeding these limits is considered a jumbo loan. This is of course the first obvious difference between a standard home mortgage and the jumbo loan. With higher loan amounts comes a lower LTV (loan to value) Expect to have at least a 20% equity position on a rate/term refinance.The loan terms will vary from lender to lender and it’s always prudent to look for a lender that has a variety of options that can be tailored for your specific needs, whether you need a 30 year fixed rate, a 15 year fixed rate or a 5/1, 7/1 or 10/1 hybrid ARM or interest only. The interest rates on these higher loan amounts are not as high as some borrowers think they would be. They generally are a little bit higher than conventional mortgage rates and in some cases they may be lower than some conventional loans after their rate adjustments.Many borrowers have unique situations and the bank that you should turn to is one that has a clear understanding of the uniqueness of the higher loan borrower. For example, although many borrowers have a standard salary and W2 income, there are a disproportionate number when compared to lower loan amount applicants that have a W2 income that include bonuses or commissions. With the higher loan values, there are also a larger number of self employed borrowers and professionals. Different calculations should be used for this type of borrower to allow for depreciation, depletion, bonuses and commissions. For a borrower’s best shot at loan approval and efficiency, the higher loan amounts require a bank that has a staff of underwriters and originators who have a higher skill set and proper training for this type of loan origination and underwriting.In order to be approved for a jumbo loan, you must be prepared with support documentation. Income documentation, documentation of reserves, letters of explanation, tax documents, etc. In short, you will need two years tax returns with all schedules, one month’s most recent pay stubs, two months most recent bank statements, schedule of real estate owned, most recent statements of stocks, bonds 401k and IRA accounts. A professional loan originator who is accustomed to this type of loan will give you insight on what documents you need for your application.
Neo Humanistic Education
According to scientists, the human potential is really unlimited, but up to the level of civilization we now only use only one percent of the potential. If this is so, then the foremost task of education is to remove all potential possessed by every human being for every human being human whole, complete. And this is indeed the task of Neo Humanist Education, which were made in an integrated effort to tap the highest potential in every child, at any time and any place.
Neo Humanist Education provide education to all sections that make up the child, not just memorize information and stuffed to the intellect, or train the child into a robot for teachers to be happy because he would issue the desired answers.
As was said as Neo Humanist Education should be given to children from an early age. That is why Shrii P.R. Sarkar, Neo Humanist Education pioneer with the introduction of the philosophy of Neo Humanism, suggested to establish more kindergarten or Pre-School, which introduced a system Neo humanist education.
Why P.R. Sarkar did not recommend establishing more universities? It is generally recognized as a fact most of one’s development occurs at the age of below 5 or 6 years. At this age period children’s cognitive and personality structure itself which will determine the way of life to the next. Therefore, the teachers and the best facilities should be concentrated on education kindergarten and elementary school.
P.R. Sarkar said that in every person there is thirst for something infinite. One of the most important task of education is to arouse the desire for an unlimited expansion of the (science). That must be generated on each student is feeling, “I want to know or unite.” While the traditional education system is still far from this in such business. Expectations held by each of the children born were more likely to fall apart, as a result of the injustices that occur at this time. Humans began as a butterfly and ends as a cocoon.
It is time the education system is designed in such a way that does not produce people who are only half-knowledgeable, which later developed into the aggressive, confused, dissidents and frustration.
The next result, a series of social networks become increasingly damaged. Viewed as a whole, more and more teenagers who drop out of school, wandering, and lapse into the use of illicit drugs (drugs), destructive environments, exposed to venereal disease, left home, mad or committed suicide.
It’s so much money and time sacrificed to try to fix the education system. But unfortunately, many have failed, because of the attention focused on the wrong source of the problem, namely by increasing the intensity of cramming information. In many countries, reform in education means more hours and teaching materials as well as spend more on information to children who actually already saturated.
Where is busy memorizing this information has reduced the quality and dignity of human beings and destroying the lives of students. When the children viewed as a basket of its main functions to receive, store and pulled back the data and facts, then the learning process that will be mechanistic and bored students who will become aggressive and frustrated or looking for an outlet uncontrolled emotions. We need change, and it must be done now.
We first have to understand what is described by PR Sarkar, and was supported by the principles of modern physics that our presence is not just the fact that visible by the five senses, but is a continuous series of different layers of consciousness, ranging from the coarsest layer of the physical body, continues toward the layers of the ie finer psychic layers, and finally arrive at a unified field with infinite consciousness. The whole psychological layer that can be identified into 5 layers:
1. Keep your awareness (Conscious Mind): SENSING
2. Unconscious (Subconscious Mind): INTELLECT
3. The first layer Supra Consciousness: CREATIVITY
4. The second layer Supra Consciousness: INTUITION
5. The third layer supra Consciousness: SPIRITUAL
Within each of the higher consciousness that there are a wider knowledge which give more happiness, because of the higher layers of a wider scope and contain energy reserves are not playing much.
These layers are not just a theoretical conception of the psychologist, but it is a functioning level that can be experienced by everyone who practiced with great discipline to explore his soul. But unfortunately, in general people are not aware of the most important levels of the innermost soul, and we usually live with the two lower levels of conscious and subconscious layers only.
What makes the Neo Humanist Education is unique, is that the systems and methods of this education is systematically developing all layers of human existence and gradually lead the individual toward a goal that is not limited.
So Neo Humanism Education is indeed an overall education (holistic education), because in the process of education that no part of human consciousness is neglected, no aspect of human life that are not addressed. By understanding the characteristics of human existence as a whole is an educator will be easier to explore teaching methods that are better suited to the psychology students.
Neo-Humanistic Educational Objectives:
* Develop full potential of children: physical, mental, and spiritual.
* Generating thirst for knowledge and love (love) learning.
* Equipping children with academic ability and other skills necessary for further education.
* Facilitating the growth and development of the child’s personality, including morality, integrity, confidence, discipline, and cooperation.
* Developing physical and mental stamina stability through yoga and meditation, exercise and play.
* Develop a sense of aesthetics and appreciation of culture through drama, dance, music and visual art.
* Encouraging children to become active members of society and responsible.
* Increase awareness of ecology in the broadest meaning, namely the awareness of all things affiliated with each other, and promote respect and care for all creatures.
* Increase the view of Universal, free from religious differences, skin color, gender, and so forth.
* Understand the importance of the role of teachers in providing an example.
ASPECTS OF HUMAN PERSONALITY AND METHODS OF EDUCATION NEO HUMANIST
To develop them:
* Body material – development through calisthenics exercises are lightweight and rugged, subtle yoga exercises (yoga asanas), dance, and healthy food.
* Awareness realize its development through sensory-motor activities, including exercises in practical life, a supportive environment, ethics or pro-social activities.
* Awareness subconscious intellectual development through activities and use of sensory-motor games and fantasy (playway method).
* Awareness of the creative development of their own initiative and self-expression through creative art, fantasy games and drama.
* Awareness of intuitive wisdom of a smooth development and universal love through curriculum Circle of Love (Circle of Love) and the use of stories and songs that have universal value.
* Awareness of spiritual development through meditation (quiet-time), story and spiritual songs, and dances a soft yoga.
You agree? What did you think?
Selling Your Home: 5 Deal Killers That Are Lurking In Older Homes
You’ve listed your home for sale, you have a Buyer and now their Inspector is performing an inspection. You think you have a pretty good home, but do you really know for sure? What is he finding? Why is it taking so long? Here are 5 deal killers to watch out for when selling your home.
Deal Killer #1: FPE Breaker Boxes. These breakers and breaker boxes are known to have performance issues. They are no longer made, however they were very popular between the 1950′s and 1980′s. Many homes still have them.
Some of the problems were that the breakers would trip but still allow electricity to pass through the breaker. Another issue was that the breaker would not trip at all causing an over current condition which could lead to fires.
Just because the home is 30 years old and you’ve had no problems, don’t expect any Professional Real Estate Inspector to look past a FPE breaker box. The time theory does not hold water with electrical components. In my market, the cost to replace the box with a new 150 amp breaker box is anywhere from $1000 to $2500 depending upon the company and the extent of the work.
Deal Killer #2: Aluminum Wiring: The problem with aluminum wiring is that it expands and contracts more than copper wiring. So the components meant to be used with Copper wiring did not work well with Aluminum. The Aluminum would work its way loose over time and cause arcing, which lead to excessive heat, which leads to fires.
Even after the alloy was changed in Aluminum wiring, problems still persisted with the wiring.
Special outlets have to be used. These are marked CO/ALR. This means that the outlet is designed to work with either Copper or Aluminum.
“Pigtailing” the Aluminum wiring with Copper so that the Copper wiring can be attached to the outlets (remember, less expansion and contraction” is allowed by the National Electrical Code. No one is sure why. The Consumer Product Safety Commission does not see ‘pigtailing’ as a safe alternative.
Rewiring the home can be costly. The total price depends on to many variables to give you a price range here.
Deal Killer #3: Asbestos: Asbestos was used in many building materials and is still used in a very few even today.
Areas a Seller or Buyer will have to worry about it are in a few places. Pipe insulation on older heating pipes, vermiculite insulation, some paints and to a lesser extent, on roof and siding shakes.
Asbestos causes the most problem when it is in a loose state (friable) where particles can float around. We’re all aware of the health problems concerning Asbestos, so I’m not going to go into them here.
If you have Asbestos siding or roofing shakes/shingles, then there is a lesser worry because these are not friable unless broken.
Asbestos removal can be very, very costly and not likely a cost a new buyer will want to tackle shortly after moving into their new home.
Deal Killer #4: Composition Wood Siding: Some of this type of siding is known by it’s generic terms like Masonite and LP siding (there are other brands). This type of siding was (and some are still) involved in class action lawsuits.
This type of siding is basically constructed from pressed and glued wood particles, some as small as sawdust.
Some of the problems arise from poor installation techniques that allowed this siding to get wet. It would then start rotting and letting more water into the structure.
There have been many homeowners who joined the class action lawsuits, received money to replace the siding, but instead pocketed it and put their homes up for sale.
Composition wood siding companies only pay once for siding on a home. If a claim has been filed and paid out on a home, there’ll be no more money coming down the pipe for siding replacement on that particular home!
Deal Killer #5: Polybutylene (PB) plumbing lines: These are water supply lines that are grayish in color.
The problem was that this type of piping is known to burst, especially at the seams. Many of the class action lawsuits have been closed and it may be difficult, if not impossible, to receive any money for replacement if the home you are buying has PB plumbing.
Replacement cost can be in the thousands of dollars. Any good home inspector will call this out on their inspection report and likely recommend a licensed plumber to investigate. I don’t know of one reputable plumber who will recommend keeping the pipes in your home.
Granted, many of these Deal Killers only exist on older homes. However, especially in rural areas, we’ve seen these components show up on newer homes. How, I don’t know unless someone had a stockpile of these materials.
A pre-listing inspection by a reputable and qualified home inspector will bring these Deal Killers and other potential deal killing threats to you attention before listing your home. Playing ignorant about what is in your home (like some real estate agents recommend) will not save you from having to fork over some greenbacks before you home will sell.
Health and Fitness Tips to Eliminate Stress
Our society is one that is under a lot of stress and this stress is literally making people sick. Stress can run down your immune system, cause sleep problems such as insomnia or over-sleeping, cause gastrointestinal issues such as ulcers and much more. It is extremely important to add a health and fitness routine to your daily life in order to feel better and to reduce stress levels. Stress can be caused by a number of factors such as an illness, a death of someone you love, job expectations, financial difficulties, relationship problems and many other reasons. It is important to understand where the stress is coming from and to learn how to eliminate it from your life.
When developing a health and fitness plan, it is very important to include an adequate amount of exercise. Exercise is not only good for the body, but it is also a great natural aid in reducing stress and tension. Activities such as walking, biking, aerobics and swimming can be great examples of good exercise habits. The average person would greatly benefit from working out for at least thirty minutes, three-five times per week. Exercise alone can greatly reduce stress and anxiety and many doctors highly recommend some form of exercise for their patients who are experiencing an unhealthy level of stress.
Another factor to consider when creating a health and fitness plan is a healthy diet. It is imperative to avoid sugary foods, caffeine, salty foods and foods that contain empty calories such as candy bars. These foods should be replaced with healthy alternatives such as fruits and vegetables, foods that are rich in protein such as nuts and cheese, and yogurt. A proper diet can help to build up an immune system that may be weakened by high stress levels. When the immune system is weakened, there is an increased chance of getting an illness or disease. One should also cut out red meats and eat lean meats such as chicken or fish. These changes can greatly improve the way that a person feels.
It is possible to reduce stress by utilizing a health and fitness plan. It is important to speak to a physician about the stress that a person is feeling and to gain assistance in creating a treatment plan. Stress can interfere with your health and happiness and the sooner that it is under control, the better.
How to Leverage Video to Market Your Business
It is reported that YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, used by almost 47% of Australians. Given the enormous use of Search by consumers these days, these facts alone should convince you that video really should be a part of your marketing mix. If not, this article may convince you – plus it provides tips on how to really maximise video for marketing and make it work hard for you.
Don’t tell me SHOW me.
Apart from the cold hard facts, there’s the human element. Video is eye-catching, it can help you stand out from the crowd and draw in potential customers. Video can clearly define your business and in a succinct, much more interesting way then text. And importantly, video can bring faces, voices, personality and heart to your operation, while also demonstrating your authenticity. So if a picture speaks a thousand words, a video speaks a million!
Spread the word. Strike that… Spread the video!
Like any content, video can be shared easily to help spread the word about your products and services. Create a YouTube channel and embed your YouTube videos in your website, blog and all social channels. Links between your YouTube channel and website can boost your rank in search engine results, as can the added visitor count if your video encourages viewers to visit your website.
What Kind of Content?
Different types of content work for different types of businesses, here is a list of ideas to get you started:
- Success stories – bring case studies to life.
- A brief company intro or value proposition video.
- Product demonstrations (even for simple products).
- Interviews or Q&As with your CEO, clients, industry experts etc.
- Record any external conference or seminar presentations you give.
- Product reviews and testimonials – check out Bravo to capture user generated content.
- “How-to” videos or short tutorials, eg. if your business sells child safety equipment, create a video on how to child proof the home featuring your products.
- A video tour of your premises – if this acts as a selling point or benefit for customers, then show them.
- Introduce users to staff that have consumer contact, such as customer service – it’s nice to put a face to a voice.
- Record internal training presentations – this content could be valuable for both consumers AND staff. Important company announcements – don’t just post an update or press release.
What about production?
Your videos don’t have to be big Hollywood productions to be engaging and effective. In fact, you should focus more effort on video planning & marketing, than video production. You don’t need to use expensive camera equipment or even record in HD when for the web. It’s possible your web cam or smartphone will do the job just fine. And in terms of editing, YouTube offers its own free video editor, Windows Movie Maker is bundled with Windows, and iMovie with Macs.
Here are seven tips for creating your own videos:
- Short is sweet – and definitely no more than 5 minutes.
- Focus on first 10 seconds – engage viewers from the very start.
- Work to a topic guideline, not a script.
- Maintain a fairly fast pace to keep the content punchy and interesting to watch.
- Lighting is important. (Avoid windows behind you).
- Camera shy? Try Animoto or screen capture such as Ezvid.
- Include a call to action.
Share, post, blog, tweet, update…
Once you’ve created your video content promote it everywhere! Upload to video sharing sites – YouTube (see below), Blip.tv, Vimeo, Viddler, Metacafe – post on Facebook, tweet on you know where, share on LinkedIn. You can even (and should) embed videos in your email marketing. And encourage your staff to promote via their network and social channels. To reiterate, you should focus more effort on video marketing rather than video production.
Leverage YouTube – it’s free!
Nowadays YouTube is much more than an entertainment channel to watch funny cat videos or hear Harry announcing that Charlie bit his finger. It’s a powerful (and cost effective) communication tool so be sure to create a YouTube channel for your business. And like all your web content, your YouTube videos must be optimised.
- Give your video a title that includes your strongest keyword (relevant to the content).
- Complete the description with a short synopsis of what the video entails, including keywords and a link.
- Use tags that are true to the content of your video and include your business name too.
- Because consumers won’t necessarily be watching your video on your channel, embed your logo via YouTube’s Channel Settings (InVideo Programming).
- And maximise links to your website from your YouTube channel.
In summary if you run a business or manage the marketing for one, there’s a lot of compelling evidence suggesting that online video marketing should be a part of your marketing activity.
For more advice, or assistance with your marketing get in touch via our website or call 03 9504 6216.
What Are Some Benefits of Shopping Online?
If you have never shopped online, you have missed out on one of the most convenient, and often affordable, ways to purchase items, whether for yourself or as gifts for someone else. There are many benefits to shopping online, including these:
Convenience
The most important benefit of online shopping is the convenience. When you shop online, you do not have to leave your home. You can do all of your holiday shopping, for instance, from the comfort of your easy chair with your laptop in hand. You can avoid the crowds, save gas, and eliminate the stress of visiting a store and finding that they were out of what you needed. Online shopping is, perhaps, the most convenient type of shopping.
Shop Whenever You Want
When shopping online, you do not have to worry about the time the store closes. After all, getting to the store before 9 is not always easy when you do not leave work until 6. You have to eat dinner and spend some time with the family before you can go to the store. When you are online shopping, Canada and U.S. merchants are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You do not have to stress about the clock when you are shopping on the Internet, because the stores are always open.
Compare Prices Easily
Saving money is always a good idea, but when you are shopping in a traditional way, you have to drive from store to store to compare prices. You may be able to compare prices when calling, but not all stores will share prices over the phone, and this presents quite a hassle, because you have to wait for the clerk to find the item, check the price, and then quote it to you.
When you shop online, you can compare prices from several merchants on one computer. Within minutes, you can know who has the best price, how much they will charge for shipping, and how quickly the item will be at your house. In this way, you can get the best possible price for your purchase.
Expand Your Shopping Range
When you shop at traditional retail locations, you are limited by your geographic area. Unless you plan to drive for hours to get to the next shopping mall, you must shop only at the retailers that are in your area. This may not give you the best selection.
When you shop online, you can shop from retailers in other parts of the country, or even the world. You are not limited by geographic area, with the exception of the cost of shipping, which may increase if you shop with a retailer that is quite far from you.
By increasing the number of retailers you can choose from, you do two things. First, you increase your selection. This is especially important if you are shopping for a unique or popular, hard-to-find item. Second, you give yourself the ability to find the item at the best possible price. By increasing the amount of competition for your business, you decrease the price of the item.
Find Online-Only Discounts
You can find discounts online that are not available in the store. Major department stores often circulate discount codes and free shipping offers that lower the price of your item even more. Before you make an online purchase, be sure to search for these coupon codes. Type the name of your merchant and “coupon code” in your favorite search engine, and you may find a discount that you did not know existed. When you combine a coupon code with an already low price found by shopping online, you will get great bargains.
After Work Drinks, Everyone?
As the days get warmer and beautifully longer, there is always an increase in the amount of alcohol that office workers consume. The allure of a beer garden is just too hard to resist when the sun is beaming down. After all, you never know when it will be this sunny again so of course you must make the most of it.Problem being that a stark increase in drinking inevitably leads to a stark increase in hangovers, carryovers and many other ghastly things from the night before. Whilst prevention is better than the cure there’s not much you can to do to curb your workers drinking habits. In this situation it seems that pre-empting is the only cure.Whilst a few naughty workers will pull a sick day, plenty more will still come into work despite the fact that their productivity and general usefulness is at an all time low. Dig through your office supplies to see what things can help snap your workers out of their alcohol daze.Hydration is paramount to beating a hangover. Water coolers or water filters are ideal ways to make sure workers have as much access to the liquid gold as they need. Do not over look another key refreshment – coffee, the caffeine will surely give them a much needed kick start in the morning. A few emergency packets of biscuits should also be on hand for a sugar boost. Offices can be unbearably hot in the summer, especially when trying to recover from the night before. Invest in some good quality fans and instruct whoever arrives first to turn them all on, thus creating a cooling environment for when the stragglers arrive.The day after a heavy night drinking is probably not the best time for your workers to be on the phone. So use this opportunity to encourage them to catch up with filing and any other tasks that are usually ignored. By the end of summer you could have yourself the most impressive and organised files in the country. The glare from a computer screen can also be unbearable when you’ve got a headache. Treat your office to some anti-glare screens to help employers work to the best of their ability.This may seem like a lot of extra effort to attend to the hangovers of our workers. However when you consider that hangovers cost the economy around 2.8bn each year due to productivity loss, it seems a small price to pay.