A Moving Experience: Making Your Move Easy on Your Parrots

Moving is about as stressful a time as any in our lives and the lives of our fids. Having just completed moving the "gang" into a new house, I thought I would share some of the things that helped our move go smoothly. The feathered crew (Alex and Zeke, African Greys and April, Umbrella Cockatoo) have settled in nicely and things returned to normal quickly. Granted, the move was to a nearby city and we were not on the road in the U-Haul for more than an hour, but I believe preparing the birds had everything to do with their reduced stress level and smooth transition.

I also want to mention that there is the coolest service for moving called PODS (Portable On Demand Storage). I had it delivered to my old house the weekend before the actual move. This allowed me to pack up all my non-essentials at my leisure, clear out the house and cut down on the stress and chaos of the actual moving day. They took the "POD" away and stored it at their warehouse until the day I scheduled it to be delivered to my new house. I only had to rent a U-Haul for a few left over things and the bird cages.

Everything but a blanket, pillow, alarm clock, bird supplies and cages (that didn't get into the POD) were packed up in the U-Haul the night before the actual move. Renting the U-Haul for an extra day was really worth it! All I had to do on moving day was gather up a few things, place the birds in the carriers, load up the cages and away we went to our new home. My "POD" was delivered to my house later that afternoon and I had as much time as I wanted to unload it. It arrived on a Friday and I scheduled the POD pickup for the following Tuesday.

The reason I recommend a service like PODS is that it relieved so much stress. I was calm, the birds were calm and I could focus on making them more comfortable instead of running around loading things up at the last minute. I will never move without PODS again - it was that good!

The move actually took place in several stages.

Stage 1 - Keep the Fids Informed

House hunting is always both exciting and exhausting. But, when I found a house I really liked and the offer was accepted, I showed the flyer with the picture of the new house to the fids and told them all about it. I told them how nice it would be for them to have a bigger room with nice big windows and everything. Yes, I really did this! They may not understand all the words, but they get the fact that something is up.

When my old house sold and the paperwork was progressing along nicely, I started packing. I made sure they saw what I was doing and I would talk about the moving day and how exciting it would be.

Stage 2 - Prepare the Fids

A few days before the actual move, I cleared out my master bedroom and moved the fids out of their normal "bird room" and into the master bedroom. It was only across the hall, and not in totally unfamiliar surroundings. But, it conveyed the message to them loud and clear that change was coming. I made the move in the morning so they would have time to get used to the new room before bedtime.

After their first night in the master bedroom, I introduced the idea of travel. They have all been in carriers at one time or another, but I didn't have three carriers, I only had one. I went and bought a new one and borrowed another to make three. Three days before moving day, I placed each carrier in front of the cage of the bird that would be using that particular carrier. I placed them there all set up and ready to go with the doors open.

After they stated at the carriers for a few hours, I took each parrot and placed them in the carrier briefly. Just long enough to close the door, tell them how good they were and take them out again. The next day I kept them in there a little bit longer, about 5 to 10 minutes or so. The third day, I placed each into their carrier for about a half an hour. I also picked them up in it and walked around the house. All the while telling them how good they were and about moving day the next morning.

Stage 3 - Moving Day

I woke up early. We were supposed to arrive at our new house at 8 a.m. because the phone company, cable and internet company, etc. were arriving that day to set things up. And you know them, they are so exact on the appointment times, "Sometime between 8 a.m. and noon" was about as precise as it got. I needed my phone and internet hooked up pronto, of course, what's an online parrot supply store going to do without the online part and a phone?

I talked to the fids for a little bit and told them this was it. Moving day was here! Then I put them in their carriers and started loading up their cages. (They have big cages.) They all went in their carriers without a fuss. I put them by the front door so they could watch their cages being loaded and telling them how exciting their new home was going to be. The last thing I did was put them all on the front seat of the U-Haul with me and drove off to our new house.

Along the way, I picked up my helper for the day who would help me get their big cages up the steps to the new house. April actually greeted her with a big "Hi!" She wasn't stressing at all! Upon arrival at the new house, the first thing we did was to bring the birds inside and put them in their new room. Of course, I was talking to them the whole time. Then, we unloaded cages and one by one they were placed inside. I prepared their food and water like I always do and tried to keep things as normal as possible for them. All that was completed and the birds completely set back up in their cages before anything else was done.

Stage 4 - New Digs

I kept things as normal as possible for them. After a day or two they were pretty darn comfortable. That's when I started being a tour guide. Each was given a tour of a different room. I went from room to room, one a day or a whole house tour. It depended on the bird's comfort level. I made sure to point out the windows to them and have them touch it so they know not to fly into it. Things returned to normal quickly and they really love their new space!

I really believe that it went so smoothly because each of the steps prepared them for the next. I was shocked at how quickly they adjusted to life at the new house. They were even back to talking within hours of the move. April even talked IN THE U-HAUL. I hope this has been helpful to anyone considering a move in the near future!

Help With Dyslexia

More and more people are being diagnosed with Dyslexia nowadays. So more and more people are looking for information, help and advice on how to deal with this learning difficulty.

I was diagnosed with Dyslexia when I was very young and like many I was labelled a failure before I had even made it to secondary school. However now I am just about to start training to become an airline pilot. A life long dream that I am about to realise.

It is very important to remember that people with learning difficulties are not are NOT thick, dumb or lack intelligence. We are very clever people. Some very successful people are Dyslexic such as Richard Branson, Thomas Edison and Leonardo Da Vinci.

In my opinion 90% of teachers do not know enough about dyslexia. They label children that may be disruptive, don't do there homework and struggle in class as trouble makers and say that they are not trying hard enough. Teachers will come across students showing these problems. However they will still focus the majority of their attention on the students that are already doing well in school.

This then means that the children that may have learning difficulties fall further behind when they should be the ones receiving more attention in class. As you can probably tell I feel very strongly about this as this is very similar to what happened to me. So please if you are a teacher research dyslexia as much as you can. You can make a huge difference in the education of students with learning difficulties.

To help people find out as much information about Dyslexia and learning difficulties I have set up a website/blog. It is full of useful information, advice, recourses, links to other dyslexia sites and much more. If you have ever wondered what it is like for someone with dyslexia to read then there is a very accurate video here.

So please visit the link below for all the information you need.

Be Your Own Wholesale Florist

Sweet smelling flowers are the universal language that does not need verbal communication, without uttering word, your intentions are understood. A flower as small as it may seem communicates a subtle message to every being it comes across, especially to humans. In some ways, its aromatic fumes act as a decoy waiting for a suitable prey to come along. They behold your gaze and touch once you seep into their trap. Flowers are used in various ways, to show lamentation, flowers give the sick emotional health and serve as finishing touches on many occasions. In these economic times Flowers are not a staple or obligatory product but a luxury.

People purchase flowers and plants for their own enjoyment. Their delicate beauty allows them to convey messages to loved ones for all sorts of occasions. Retail florists are aware that consumers have a variety of choices when buying flowers, this growing business niche should be considered like any other retail business with a perishable product line. Fresh flowers smell good and look marvelous when professionally arranged. The return on investment can be very good; retail shops just have to be resourceful.

Retail florists have lost business and made lower profits as a result of people simply shopping elsewhere. Companies like Bloom Net, Blossoms Network, B Brooks, FTD, and Teleflora are not doing florists any favors as their commissions and fees are just too high. Retail florists should be knowledgeable in the basics of maintaining fresh inventory and the supply chain involved in flower transport. Rising fuel costs have also added to their losses and despite the downward pressure on retail price points the floral wholesalers have raised prices to the retail florists.

Buying flowers from a wholesaler is very easy to do if you don't mind the added costs. Wholesalers buy grower direct, consolidate product and ship the flowers in bulk to their wholesale flower stores and then distribute them to the retail florist; raising the cost of overhead, shipping and robbing days and weeks from the short lives of the fresh cut flowers. The key for a retail florist is to get the product shipped to their location direct from the growers their wholesalers are buying from.

Retail florists also have the options just like any other business, they just need to understand how business works. Besides making innovative flower arrangements, they need to know all about buying, selling, accounting, managing costs, planning profits to succeed. When retail florists are buying fresh cut flowers just a day or two of the plant they can offer customers an improvement in color, size, flower form, and flower bloom stalks.

Buying grower direct opens up great possibilities for the retail florist. Retail florists can purchase product from growers in North and Central America, South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia that their wholesalers are buying from. When buying grower direct retail florists simply have more options; they can get into the wholesale side of the business and supply other retail shops or just be their own wholesalers.

American Idol 2007: Predictions For Season Six

Okay, so the top 24 are in and we are now all wondering who just might be our next American Idol for 2007. Last year, when Taylor Hicks took the 2006 Idol crown, he had the planet of great luck, Jupiter, transiting his Venus which increased his popularity among the masses.

If the stars do have anything to say about who wins American Idol (and I think they do) I can't wait to take a peek at the birth stars for this years contestants and make my prediction for the winner. However, I don't start that stargazing process until the top 12 are in---and as their dates of birth become available. So for now I'll just have to use another divining technique---one that can be had from the playful use of Anagrams; and will see what they predict to say about those in the running so far.

But first, let us begin with the anagrams that I found from the word phrase AMERICAN IDOL. What I found is unerringly connected to the shows whole premise; To make dreams come true for those who want to reach for Stardom. The following are the anagrams that I found to be amusing, enlightening, and appropriate to my own mental musing about the show American Idol and its contestants.

The first anagram I want to address is IDOL IN CAMERA. Aren't the judges always commenting to the contenders about how they appear on camera, or their appeal to America? Yes, they are. Now about this anagram, CLAIMED ON AIR this surely reflects American Idols' high TV ratings and their marketing strategies that get us to watch the show week after week with Cowel's unrestrained crass, and Paul's emotional teeterings.

And how about COIL IN A DREAM! Isn't that exactly what each and every one of the contenders are doing? Which sort of gives compliment to the next anagram I found, I'M IDEAL, OR CAN . Isn't that what America's votes do to one of them each week as the show progresses through to its 14 weeks of eliminations. Yes, it certainly is.

Now the disturbing anagrams, A DEMONIC LIAR and MALICE IN ROAD that I found surely suggests that there could be some backstabbing and untrusting behavior going on behind the scenes of American Idol. Makes me sort of wonder if all of America's votes are being properly managed. I know that I would like to see a bit more accountability in how the votes are handled; And it certainly explains how the band, comprised of professional musicians, sounds fantastic for one contestant performance, then all of sudden the sounds they bring up the rear seem a bit off kilter--making for what the judges tell a contestant is a lousy performance. I don't know about you but I noticed the band as much as I noticed the contestants--and sometimes they just ain't bringing it.

We have already seen how the show has launched careers for those who lost the competition, as can be read in the anagram, RADIAL INCOME. Justin, Clay, Jennifer Hudson, McPhee and others are making videos, recordings, movies and are appearing on more and more television shows. So it seems that even losers can benefit financially from being a contestant on Idol.

The anagram MELODIC ARIAN seems to be suggestive of an Aries person winning the competition. Carrie Underwood, born 3-10-1983 is a Pisces by Sun Sign, but of all the winning Idol's Carrier is the only one who has a strength of Aries in her natal birth chart; as Mars and Venus are deposited in the sign of Aries and very powerfully near a conjunct aspect. Fantansia a Cancer, Rueben a Virgo, and Kelly a Taurian; while Hicks was a Libra by Sun Sign, but it is possible that he could have a strong Arian Moon if he was born on the 7th of October and not the 6th in 1976 ---there are too many sources that are citing Taylor's birthday differently--so the anagram could be referring to him too. But for now, I'll have to give that MELODIC ARIAN anagram belonging to American Idol to Carrie.

Now lets get started on the name anagrams for the American Idol contestants for 2007 and see who they think will make it to the top 12.

The GALS

ALAINA ALEXANDER = LAX LEAD IN AN AREA = Out ANTONELLA BARBA = A TALL BANANNA BORE = Out GINA GLOCKSEN = EGOS CLANKING = In HALEY SCARNATO = AHA! ONLY REACTS = Out JORDIN SPARKS = DROPS INK JARS = Out LAKISHA JONES = AHA! JINKS LOSE = Out LESLIE HUNT = I'LL ENTHUSE= In MELINDA DOOLITTLE= ALL-TIME NOTED IDOL = In SABRINA SLOAN = A SNARL IN A SOB= Out STEPHANIE EDWARDS = DESPERATE AND WISH= In AMY KREBS = S! MY BREAK = In NICOLE TRANQUILLO = QUELL CROON, NAIL IT= In 6 The GUYS

ANTONIO TABALDO = TAN AN IDOL TABOO= In Now Out Later BLAKE LEWIS = A WEEKS BILL = In BRANDON ROGERS = R RARE SONG BOND= In CHRIS RICHARDSON = DARN! IRISH SCORCH= Out CHRIS SLIGH = CH! HIS GIRLS = In JARED COTTER = O! DRAT! REJECT= Out JASON HEAD = OH! SAD JEAN= Out NICHOLAS PEDRO = DISHONOR PLACE= Out PAUL KIM = A LIMP KU= Out PHIL STACEY = THY SPECIAL = In RUDY CARDENAS = RANDY CRUSADE= In SANJAYA MALAKAR = YA! ALAS! A JAM RANK = In - Is Brought Back

Now understand that I wish all the Idols well ---and I try to use anagrams that wouldn't be offensive if any of the idol contestants themselves (or their families) eyes graced this page. However, I can't help but to note the energies present in their names and discern which of them have a more positive influence in being a top running contestant that goes the distance in this competition.

Our names are very powerful entities in and of themselves. Some names tell a story quickly and point blank. Others, have a bit more mystery surrounding them. All I do is note the energies. I get the feeling from one of the male names above and also from the chart I did on the first show when the voting process starts, that one of the top 12 will be disqualified, and one asked to come back and that is due to Mercury's Retrograde motion during the top 24 eliminations, and a very telling anagram from one of the male contestants names. I don't want to disclose it now.

I'm sure I will be surprised when I few of my predictions are wrong, but it is just so much fun playing along with the excitement of another Idol season. I am ready to be entertained and look forward to seeing what happens.

Being a Good Father - A Couple of Tips

We all become adults eventually and nearly all of us will face the challenge of parenting. Raising a child is the most rewarding experience that you can face and while it may be overwhelming at times, it is all about being a good father and preparing them for adulthood so that they can survive on their own and everyone needs a few tips along the way and I thought I'd share some of mine with you.

• Their needs before yours. It doesn't matter if you like smoking or drinking, both are bad for your child and could set a bad example for them. It's hard to quit, I know, but it's for your child.

• Play with your child. It's important that you have fun with your child, get out there and play some sport or stay inside and play video games on a rainy day.

• Read stories and books. Children love using their imagination and what better way than perhaps a bedtime story? Or maybe do it in the middle of the day? Children's books are made for this and they are really good so get some.

• Stand by their mother. Don't say stupid things to her, don't fight, don't contradict her and such. Your relationship with your child's mother affects their self-esteem and how their views on women. So remember, be a team.

• Give your child self-esteem. This is really important and can be accomplished in several ways. Show you child that you love him/her (don't just tell them, show them!) by spending time with your child, talking and listening to him/her, praise your child and teach them right and wrong. Most importantly, spend time with them.

• Learning about finances. Often missed and oh so important. From an early age teach your child the value of money, how to save for something, how to manage the money and how to earn it. Perhaps by doing various chores in the neighborhood such as mowing lawns?

• Clean the house together! Cleaning is a task that most children will hate doing therefore you should teach them to clean up after themselves at a young age and clean their own room. But whenever you need to clean the house get your child to help, not only will it be more fun to do it together it could teach them a valuable lesson about teamwork.

The general guideline to remember and follow is to be nice to your entire family and spend time with them and things will work out just fine for both you, your child and your family.

What Are Online Skill Games?

In this article we will take a closer look at this popular and rapidly growing form of online entertainment and discuss exactly what defines online skill games as well as the vast choice of such gaming options available to you today.

Skill games online require you to pit your wits against other human beings or against a sophisticated software program that will replace the human user. Most of these games can be enjoyed for free but there are an ever increasing number of online gamers worldwide who choose to challenge one another for cash prizes.

The main difference between online skill games and more traditional gambling pastimes is that the outcome of a skill game is based on players' ability and performance, with any elements of luck either eliminated or greatly reduced. This is critical, in order to be legal and avoid falling under anti-gambling statutes.

So what are some of the different types of skill games that you can play?

You will find an incredible choice of games as you begin to delve through the multitude of skill gaming websites at your disposal.

The games are generally simple with just a few rules to learn, are often enjoyable and highly addictive. These games offer something to suit all tastes and include the following popular examples:

Board games like draughts and backgammon; Sports games like pool, golf and basketball; Puzzle games like jigsaws and word games; Arcade style games such as shooting games.

The skill games online arena is growing at a faster rate than any other web market today. In fact, this entertainment sector is actually growing four times faster than the rate of overall internet growth and experts predict the market to grow from $5.2 billion USD in 2007 to $13 billion by the year 2011.

This example will highlight just how much this industry sector has developed and how it now carries enormous mass market appeal. In June 2006, 7.6 million British people (28% of the UK online population) visited the online games sector, with the average visitor playing games for an hour and a half at a time.

The online skill games market has been identified as the next step in the evolution of entertainment online and people of all ages, from all over the world, are currently playing in their millions. Some of the larger game networks have hundreds of thousands of players playing these games at any one time.

With this industry growing at such a rapid rate, the choice of games and the quality of sites available has never been so good. So get on the internet today and lose yourself in hours of online fun.

Artist Action Plan: How To Create Yours Now

Beside creating art, the most important step in developing your art career is to take action! You can enter or relaunch your career either haphazardly or with a plan. The one you pick will likely determine how long you stick with it and if there is a happy ending to your story. If you enter (or re-enter) the market with a plan, it means that you're tuned up. Your tools are in order, your strategies are focused and your attitude is adjusted.

As an artist, your mind is usually flooded with ideas - but great ideas will never reach their potential if they are not enacted. Often there are too many ideas swirling around in your head - that's where your action plan comes in. Once created, you can identify priorities from your plan and focus on your creative path. Your priorities will provide you with a direction of where and how you need to spend your time. The other areas of your art career that don't involve creating can seem like a tedious chore. Activities that involve marketing your art, writing your bio, uploading images, applying to shows - are all part of expanding your business. If you consider them an extension of your creating, you will find them more valuable as these activities begin to offer you more freedom to create.

Okay, so maybe this isn't news to you. You've thought about creating a plan, people who support you have suggested it - maybe you've even written a sticky note and stuck on your To-Do list - yea? Hey good for you! Unless you've actually done it, my guess is that note-to-self has transferred along your calendar with each passing day and may in fact be losing its stick. Don't look for blame or shame here, there is none, simply a chance to do it now, like there is no tomorrow.

So whether you need to shake things up and relaunch your career or you're launching for the first time, get a note pad (a big one) and pen and write some notes to yourself while you read this article - quick before any panic sets in!

First, let's address a couple of areas before we begin. Write your own list on your own paper. It's okay to print this list here for reference, but to make it real and yours, write it in your own words. This article is focused for painters and illustrators, but is a good place to start for any creative career. Please adjust it to fit your own creative focus.

Next, these steps listed are quick and basic and are meant to spur you on in the direction that your inner artist already knows to go - so add to the list as ideas come to you, but keep it simple and small. I'll put some resources at the end of this page to lead you to more detailed steps than there is room for here. These are steps that you can start right now that will build the foundation for planning and setting goals for your art for the long-term. The idea is not to make a super-detailed plan set-in-stone; instead, you want a bendable plan (like Gumby!) that moves and stretches with your evolving goals and your path of exploration as an artist.

If you want your art-making to blossom and grow, you must treat it like a living thing: nourish, nurture and release it. Once created it's an outside thing - your seed bloomed!

Like it or not, your art is a product, a thing you've made. To release it, you either give it away or sell it. Selling it and making money from it is not a sell-out. Receiving money for your art is part of the circle of giving and receiving... and giving again. The unique way you produce your art, your story about your process and the methods you choose to sell it will set the tone for the integrity of your work. If you want only to create for yourself, then you wouldn't be reading this far - so trust your instincts and move forward to create and share your unique vision.

Got your pen, paper? Write your title:

(your name) Amazing Artist Action Plan

Evaluate your skills. (e.g., artistic, business, selling) Research and learn. Jot down your philosophy, mission or statement. Make note to review later. Set up a workspace. Schedule time to create. Create a budget. Create 10 or more finished pieces. Price your art. Have your art photographed professionally and saved digitally. Assemble a portfolio. Get a bank account for your art and a PayPal account. Select and build home base for your online presence as an artist. (e.g., website, blog, online shop) Select and create one or two places to connect and share your story and build your community. (e.g., blog, YouTube, Twitter) Select and create where will you show and/or sell your work. (e.g., Etsy, Flickr, Zazzle) Select sources where you will go to learn about fellow artists, get inspired, learn what's new and find resources and opportunities and schedule daily or weekly visit. (e.g., Twitter, art magazines, art business blogs, art forums, Facebook groups) Make a list of your favorite artists who you consider working successfully and review how and where they market their work. Seek out seasoned artist mentors whom you can talk with. Decide what ways you would like to show your work in person and get applications and contact information. (e.g., open studio, gallery, festival, alternative space) Determine your audience and buyers. Create a calendar or dedicated planner for your office work. Make room for balanced down-time to exercise, meditate, eat whole, healthy foods and rest. A healthy lifestyle supports sustained creativity. Make a note to review this list a week or two from now and revise as needed. Find your Rhythm. Do #7 again and again. Keep going - Repeat.

Now, take a look at your paper and let's go through them quickly together. Do you have all 25 written down? Cool. Schedule #1-3, 5 and 6 to be done within the next 10 days.

#4 can be a small corner in the kitchen or area of your house where you don't have to move it. Doesn't have to be a grand space yet.

#7 is good to plan a minimum of one painting (change to fit your art) per month. I highly recommend more than that depending on your style and the speed at which you want to enter the marketplace.

#8-10 will take a little time to organize. Decide how you want to archive your images. Only digital photography or film? I still have my work shot with large format film (4 x 5) it takes a few days to process, then I scan and create digital archives. If a piece is late for a show or you're in a hurry, going straight to digital works just fine. It's a good idea to have a portfolio in more than one form, but I don't recommend an expensive print product in the beginning. Over time, you can select your best work and create a showcase, for now, one image (with description and price) on a single white sheet of 8.5" x 11" paper and organized in a binder is a great start and something you can easily and inexpensively duplicate and edit. Organize your digital files by series and file size and create CD or external hard-drive backups.

#11 can be done in one morning. #12 can be started while you are working on your art. Get as much on your home site as you can right away: landing page, bio or about page, a blog page or space for news and events and a page for your online portfolio. Check what you've learned from #16 and 17 and apply it here.

As soon as you have your focus and philosophy, you can start #13. #14, can wait until your home web site is completed. Once you have your first targets, #15-18 will be an ongoing routine of keeping a feel for what's going on and where your art sits in the mix and that will lead you to #19.

Start the business planner today (#20). It can be ruled notebook, a moleskin or a day planner with a calendar and place for notes. You can take this digital if you are more comfortable with it, but a plain old notebook encourages spontaneous doodles and sketches, so that's my choice. As you find your rhythm, you can upgrade and personalize this vital piece or your art business.

I can't stress enough how important #21 is. You may have the idea that if you're a happy artist you're not a real artist. The stories we all hear or maybe even a friend or two you know - where artists are tortured, depressed or have fits of dementia in order to create may seem like a prerequisite for creative genius. Sadly, states of depression, dark moods and illnesses are more prevalent today than ever. If a person creates within these states of illness, self-loathing or altered states of consciousness, brief moments of creativity may emerge. A better path for longevity in all areas is to support your whole person, which holds your creative spirit. The key is finding your balance of mind, body and spirit. If you do, you are rewarded with unhindered access to your inner space where true creativity lives. You'll then be able to bring out your truth and communicate meaning with clarity and passion that will have the power to transform yourself and your community in positive ways - ways you never could reach with anything less.

Do #22 often. #24 and 25 are for life, they will change and grow over time, but you'll never cross them off your list.

Before I leave you here, are your eyes glazed over or is panic setting in? Okay, try this for a quick refocus. After a deep breath (always the first step), take a break and get grounded. Get outside if possible and stick your bare feet in the grass or on concrete or stone for 15 minutes or so. Add your own special touch while you do this (e.g., more deep breathing, standing stretches, close your eyes and do peaceful visualizations let all that tension flow into the ground) Sounds silly, but it works. When you come back inside, read over your list with your renewed calm and simply begin.

How to Search Free Divorce Records

The old statistic that half of all marriages ends in divorce is very well known. However, what most people don't realize is that this number is out of date. It is closer to sixty percent of all marriages currently end in divorce. So to assume, without checking divorce records, that your significant other has never been divorced, is a very big risk that you will be taking. Unfortunately, up until now, there has never been a good way to check the divorce records throughout the country to see if someone has been divorced before, and particularly not for free. But now, that capability exists...

In the United States, it is the individual state's responsibility to maintain the divorce records in such a condition that anyone can search through them at any time. It is your right, as a citizen of the US, under the Freedom of Information Act, to be able to search through them for any reason whatsoever. Unfortunately, the government does not maintain any searchable database in which someone can search throughout the entire country for a person's name to see if there were any previous marriages. There are, however, private databases that exists for this sole purpose.

The information you can get from a divorce record is free for anyone to look through and includes the spouse's name, place and date of marriage, children involved, amount of property involved and can even include such things as reason for divorce and alimony requirements, depending on the state. Typically the state that you are looking in will refer you to the local county's records department, where you can either visit or write a letter to find out whether they have information on the specific person's divorce. Most do not accept call-ins, and they typically charge a fee that can get to be upwards of fifty dollars, depending on the location and size of the file.

There are, however, websites whose sole purpose is to look up information on the person in question. Not only will they have divorce records, but you can search all of them, throughout the entire country, for free. You will also find that these sites have the person's property records, employment information, criminal records, and much more. As an added bonus, if you would like to do a more thorough search, getting the records is oftentimes much cheaper than it'd cost at the local courthouse, and you get to save a trip!

Overview of 190-952 Certification Exam

IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8.5 Application Development Fundament", also known as 190-952 examination. IBM-Lotus jointly conducts this examination as a part of its certification program. This certification is experiencing a great demand in IT industry area. In recent years, this certification has become a global standard for many successful IT companies.

One of the reasons for its immense popularity is the fact that the certified candidates have the opportunity to work in any country of the world because they are acknowledged in all countries equally. This certificate helps not only to improve the knowledge and skills of a IT professional, but 190-952 also helps career by giving possibility for qualified usage of lotus products under different conditions.

The majority of companies in the sphere of information technologies require the presence of this certificate for the work in the company, and that makes obtaining this lotus 190-952 certificate is an important tool to enhance the IT career.

There are a total of 68 questions for this exam, and 90 minutes are allocated for the completion of this exam. The passing percentage is 70%. All the questions are available only in the English language. The examination format is multiple choice questions.

The primary topics which are covered in this certification are:

a) Application Architecture b) Application Management c) Design Elements d) Domino Designer in Eclipse e) Programming f) Security

IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8.5 Application Development Foundation Skills is related to IBM Certified Associate Application Developer certification.

It has a very important role to play in the core development and design of the products. The Associate Developer provides application development services related to design, implementation, testing, debugging, and deployment of J2EE Web applications and Java applications. The applications typically make use of Servlets, JavaServer Pages (JSPs), HTML, and JDBC technology.

Credit Card Debt - Do You Feel Frustrated

If you're one of those people who like to "charge it" to their plastic, chances are you've piled up a mountain of debt. And like most people who have spent their way into a financial corner, are probably don't have the money to pay off your debt.

Credit card debt is a serious problem - a problem that won't just simply go away on its own. Unfortunately, many people compound their financial problems by doing just that - ignoring it, because it's such a scary and humbling experience to face it head on.

This is unfortunately a bad thing considering that people who are in debt need to snap back to their senses and assess whatever it is that they've still going for them and be ready to face their debt no matter how overwhelming a problem it appears to be.

Ok, it's time to get real and face the cold, hard reality that you've stumbled a bit and now it's time to pick up the pieces. Not fun, but the sooner you start the sooner the oppressive weight of debt can be lifted from you life and you can go back to living again.

Clearly, the first step is stop using your credit cards to buy stuff. Give them a rest for goodness sakes, exercise a little discipline and go back to only buying stuff you can afford, which of course translates into paying for things the old-fashioned way - with cash.

Surrendering your credit cards won't be easy, especially for shopaholics like yourself, but then again if you would simply remind yourself that if you don't do something soon you debt will balloon out of control and before you know it you'll be filing for bankruptcy. It's like the old car commercial that talked about getting your oil changed and doing a little preventive maintenance. The tag line was something like: "you can pay me now or pay me later" with the clear implication that you exercise a little discipline now (preventive maintenance) or pay me later (a much costlier bill like a new engine).

On the other hand, excessively high credit card debt, no matter how much it actually is, is not the end of the world - although it feels like it. A lot of people who have had the same problem have been given a second "financial" life after they stopped irresponsibly using credit cards. Of course, they also put in the effort to setup a budget and prioritized paying off their and changed their spending habits to better reflect their income and most importantly - they did something completely foreign - they started to actually spend less than they made. So you see, all is definitely not lost but it will take some effort.

Once you decide to start taking financial responsibility it's time to take action. Be friendly with your creditors and by friendly I mean asking for their advice on how you can restructure your debt into a plan that you can actually afford without having to starve yourself for years and don't be afraid to ask for a big reduction in the interest you're being charged and a little "forgiveness" in the amount of debt you owe - 50% reduction is good target.

Knowing that you're actually interested in taking responsibility for your credit card debt shows a lot of maturity on your part and your creditors will most probably be more than happy to help you out because 50% of whatever you owe at a lower interest rate is better than the hope of getting 100% of nothing - as in you filing for bankruptcy. Not that bankruptcy will eliminate all your debt, it won't but this is not only a hassle for you it's also a big hassle for your creditors.

Although your creditors won't give you the money to pay for your credit card debt, they can educate you in what you really need to know about fixing your finances: From learning how to discipline yourself from overspending, having a monthly budget as well keeping track of one's expenses is extremely important. If you don't know these things it's nearly impossible to exhibit proper financial responsibility and to bit the bullet and make the necessary changes.

Once you've finally been given a fresh start with regards to your financial life, don't even think of falling back to your same old habits ever again. If your job doesn't let you enjoy some of life's luxuries then you better make a choice between having a lifestyle change or finding a better paying job or getting a second job. You have to make sure that your income, no matter how much it is, is more than you're spending.

Remember, credit cards are not the problem; it's your lack of discipline. Learn to exercise discipline and having a credit card or two is not a bad idea. Just be sure to payoff the balances each month and only use them as an alternative to always having to carry around a bunch of cash.

This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Government Contract Compliance

Any kind of contract work with the federal government calls for attention to a lot of details and handling many technicalities. One of these highly important tasks is to make sure that you are working in proper accordance with the government contract compliance. Every government agency needs to appoint a candidate who will work as a liaison or act as channel of communication between the government agency and the small business houses. If you find a government contract suitable for your business or if you have bid and won a contract, you will require getting in touch with the right person.

It is of utmost importance to verify that you are in compliance with each and every applicable regulation that has been laid down by the federal government. You could be working with any of the government agencies like the National Archives and Records Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Interior or the U.S. Agency for International Development. But in every case, you have to reach the right government contacts to make sure that you are in the government contract compliance. When you are working on such contracts, you would be required to know the federal acquisition regulations (FAR) in order to be in complete compliance with the government contract terms.

Even though, most of you would agree that understanding the government contract regulations is itself a tough task, but at the same time you would be relieved to know that there are several such firms and organizations which would simplify the task for you. That means, these firms and agencies would assist you in every step of the government contract compliance procedure and ensure that you don't go off track unknowingly. This will ensure you are compliant with all the rules and regulations of the federal government procedure and thus no legal worries can hamper the smooth functioning of your business or tarnish your company's image.

Using Hypnosis Downloads to Enhance Your Self Hypnosis Efforts

If self hypnosis interests you, technology can aid you in your quest of self improvement. In this case, you can make the most of your personal hypnotherapy regime through the use of hypnosis downloads. See, by using other people's work, and adding it into your own self hypnosis regime, you are able to give yourself more tools and opportunities to improve many things about yourself, resolve your internal problems, and guide your subconscious in the direction that you wish to travel in life.

Hypnosis recordings are really very similar to guided meditations that have been on the internet for as long as anyone can remember. Of course, unlike guided meditations, hypnosis downloads work more quickly - in fact, they're intended to have immediate effects on your habits, and your life in general. Guided meditation is meant more as a means of reflection, although it generally shares that characteristic (and others) with hypnosis in general.

Keep in mind when you're selecting your recordings, that you ought to select the ones that address your most severe issues first. In doing this, you become open to many more possibilities in life, including the ultimate control over your own fears (a huge victory indeed). You can use hypnosis recordings to break habits that are considered private or embarrassing (even if only to you), and conquer those problematic habits without going and informing a stranger about them.

Additionally, you can also acquire recordings that are designed to improve on your skills, including your ability to interact with others socially. These are more proactive, and positively work to strengthen, instead of working to resolve a problem or shore up a weakness. You can let your subconscious do the lion's share of the work, and follow through with your goals much more easily - when your conscious and subconscious minds work together, things get done much more effectively.

Many people who hypnotizes themselves regularly attempt to construct a balance between the conscious and subconscious - which can allow one to reach an equilibrium that many people do not get to enjoy. This balance can improve the odds that you'll meet your goals, and allow you to enhance and improve all aspects of your life with seeming ease. In this way, meditation and hypnosis are rather similar. And if you're already practicing meditation, then you may want to combine it with your self hypnosis efforts to achieve an even greater impact on how your mind works.

The Dangers of Bicycle Riding - Drivers, Roads, Weather and Other Hazards

Many athletes as they grow older have a tough time playing their favorite sport or running. Their knees and muscles are simply not as good as they once were. So, they migrate over to riding a bike, unfortunately, the cars simply refuse to give them the right of way. Now, we all know that drivers do attempt to be courteous, I know both you and I do, but there are many who will not yield and even get a little aggressive, perhaps they are having a bad hair day or want to see how close they can get.

There are many roads with little or no shoulder for the bicycles. There are times when it is very windy, when the roads are wet or slick, and those pot holes due to poor maintenance. Of course, every bike rider knows of the roadside debris, glass and nails and cyclists are constantly dodging this stuff as they ride.

Still worse are those teenage drivers who are text messaging while they drive, the executive reading the newspaper while driving to work or the good looking lady doing her lipstick, eye shadow or make-up with kids in the back seat on her way to day care before her first appointment. And if that is not bad enough, there are quite a few casual drinkers hitting an early happy hour and then hitting the road or even you if you do not watch it.

There are way too many fatalities of bicyclists out there, through no fault of their own. Some might say bicycling is dangerous, so you should not do it. So, what is the alternative, jogging might have you buying $40,000 a side titanium knees. If you do not exercise you will die of something else, so I ask, how can you win? Think on this.

Scores on the Doors - How to Improve Your Rating

If you are a food business you may be aware of Scores on the Doors; a Government scheme that provides consumers with the results of hygiene inspections carried out by local authorities. According to the Food Standards Agency, the "primary purpose of these Scores on the Doors schemes is to empower consumers so that they make more informed choices about the places from which they purchase food."

iPhone users now find it even easier to check local restaurant ratings with the new Scores on the Doors app which is free to use.

The three main areas covered by the inspections are confidence in management, structural compliance, and hygiene, cleanliness and safety compliance. By training staff in Food Safety you are equipping them with the knowledge to prevent foodborne illnesses and to maintain a clean, safe environment around food.

Staff should also have a basic knowledge of general Health & Safety in the Workplace to know how to prevent hazards and accidents. By keeping records of regular training you will have proof of safety compliance and the knowledge that your staff are working safely around food and reducing risk to your customers and reputation.

You will also need to follow a food safety management system which is a way of keeping records of risk assessments, changes in the workplace and training.

It is also a good idea to have a Health & Safety Policy Statement if you do not already have one. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) provide a template for this on their website.

These are some basic ways to improve or maintain your Scores on the Doors rating.

A Fundamental Progression to Improve Passing at Any Level

At our camps we use the following progression to teach passing, no matter the experience level or talent of the players. Of course, how much time we spend on the following is dictated by the passing prowess of the players. However, I have never conducted a camp where the passing fundamentals of even the most experienced players could not be improved with a little more focus on technique. Typically, the better the players pass when we begin, the faster we run the drills, as most players passing accuracy decreases as their speed to the ball increases.

This passing progression has improved the passing accuracy of every team I have ever worked with, so here we go:

THE STANCE:

- Feet wider than shoulders with rt. foot slightly in front of left (big toe on lt. foot lines up to instep of rt. foot)

- Ankles flexed or bent forward so that weight is on front of feet and heels feel like they are barely touching the floor. (This will cause their knees to bend naturally- but telling them to "bend their knees" will not guarantee their weight is on the front part of their feet.)

- Hands waist high with elbows bent in front of hips, palms facing each other.

- Hips up, shoulders forward, so that the back is flat and parallel to the floor.

Tip: You do not not want them to bring their heals off the floor in their stance. USA Volleyball did a study awhile back and concluded that if the heals are off the floor in the ready position, the first thing that happens when the player begins to move is that the heals go down to the floor anyway, thus slightly slowing down the start of the movement to the ball.

Tip: Each time they get into the ready position, have them lean forward and "swipe" the floor with their right hand with a sideways motion, touching it with their finger tips- this tells them they are low enough and helps to ensure their weight is forward on the front of their feet. Do not let them "squat and poke" the floor, make sure they lean forward and swipe instead.

THE RHYTHM STEP/PASSING PLATFORM:

- As the all comes in to them, they take a small "left- right" step to the ball. It's almost a shuffle, as the left foot should never come totally in front of the right foot.

- As they are doing this, the arms/hands are extended straight out from the body.

- Hand position: lay the right hand across the inside of the left hand so that the first knuckles of the right hand are just outside of the pinkie of the left hand, then bring the base of the thumbs together and rotate the wrists so that the thumbnails are pointing toward the floor.

Tip: This hand position guarantees that the fleshy part of the forearm will be exposed to the ball. This leads to more control of the ball upon contact than if the ball were to contact the bony part of the forearms- which is what is most exposed to the ball if the old "make a fist and wrap your other hand around it" technique is used.

THE PASS:

- Keep the ball between their hips

- Point their passing platform at their target

- Watch the "bottom- half" of the ball into the fleshy part of the forearms.

- If the ball were to somehow pass right through their arms it would hit them right in the mid- to- upper thighs.

- Hold the platform to the target until the ball reaches the target (or gets far enough away from them that it misses the target)

Tip: After they pass, have them stay low and again lean forward and swipe the floor with their right hand. This keeps them from bringing their shoulders up, and thus producing too much arm motion on their follow through, which produces too much force on the ball.

PRACTICE:

- Start them with the "Stanford Passing Drill"

- Pair them up with a ball for each pair.

- One girl from each pair is 15 ft. off the net, the other is at the net as the tosser/target.

- Give them a goal of so many good passes in a time period, and make sure to define for them what counts as a good pass.

Tip: As their passing level progresses, move the passers to the ten foot line. (The closer they are to the target, the harder the drill becomes.)

Next go to "Short/Long Passing Drill":

- Same alignment as "Stanford" to start

- First ball is tossed so that the passer has to shuffle three steps minimum to make the pass

- Passer then holds that position until the tosser tosses the next ball at least three steps minimum to make the pass

- Passer holds that position until next toss is made in front of them like the first toss of the drill

- Go for 30 secs with a "total good pass goal" and make sure everyone goes twice.

Next use the "Passing Footwork Progression Drill":

- A coach stands at center net on the same side as a single file line of players on the endline at middle back. Two players are to the left of the coach at the net. One serves to hand the next ball to the coach and one is at the target.

The drill starts with the coach rolling a ball to either corner. The first player in line must shuffle to the ball in their passing stance and let the ball roll through the center of their legs (mid- line of the body) while keeping their hips and shoulders square to the net. The player then turns and runs to retrieve the ball and moves to the target position to the left of the coach. The player serving as ball hander gives the coach the next ball and runs to the end of the line at middle back. the target player moves to the ball hander position, and the drill continues in rapid fire fashion.

Progression:

- After a few times through the line, the coach moves to bouncing the ball on a low and quick path.

- After a few more times through the line, the coach moves to tossing the ball and the player passes the ball to the target.

- After a few more times through the line, the coach moves to the opposite side of the net about twenty feet back and throws the ball overhand to the corners, and the player passes the ball to the target.

Tip: Stress "beating the ball to the spot". This gets the players to focus on moving quickly enough to be in correct passing position when the ball arrives.

This is a great drill for teaching shuffling to the ball while staying in the passing stance and square to the net. The progression allows the players to apply the footwork and body position to actually passing a ball immediately.

Next use the "Triangle Passing Drill":

- Groups of 3 girls/two balls- aligned in a triangle formation with the two tossers about 10 ft. apart and the passer about ten ft. away and in the middle of them.

- One tosser tosses ball directly out in front of herself and passer must shuffle over and make pass back to her.

- As soon as the pass is made, the passer starts shuffling to get in front of ball tosses by the other tosser, who tosses it as soon as the first pass is made.

- Go for 30 secs. and the score is the total of the good passes to both tossers added together.

More Tips:

- During this entire progression, periodically have them take off one knee pad and place it between their shoulder blades. This keeps them from bringing their shoulders up, because if they do, the knee pad falls off.

- With each of these drills, be sure to make sure they remember their scores and then set a goal to beat that score the next time the drill is run.

- Any time the ball is more than three shuffle steps away, they need to break down and run to get behind the ball and then quickly get back into their stance to pass the ball. Make sure they focus on "beating the ball" to the spot, not "meeting the ball at the spot".

- As you move into drills that are more of a combination of skills, make sure to demand they continue to focus on their passing fundamentals. Usually the more involved the drill is, the more they let their basic passing fundamentals drop off.

Good Luck!