One Foot On the Ground, A Pilot's Memoirs of Aviators And Aviation By Paul Roxin

This book review was originally published by the US Review of Books and appears as is seen on their website. It is about early aviators during World War II and speaks to the Greatest Generation. If you are looking for a gift for men over 70 or for any WWII buff, this is a good read.

"we recalled the wonderful memories of a bygone era, when individual valor, integrity, and camaraderie stood for something. Sandy had it all, but for all of us who knew him, it just wasn't for long enough."

Roxin attempts to record the antics and courage of many early pilots, who tested their metal before and during World War II. Part history, part memoir, Roxin successfully opens our eyes to a shrinking generation, whose surviving members are now mostly in their 90s. He is generous in his acknowledgement of women and their contributions to not only flying, but to the war effort.

Roxin's small dossiers on his fellow pilots and friends give you just enough information to warm you to these early daredevils and at the same time leaves you wanting to know more. This is the mark of a good storyteller. His insights make you wonder at the recklessness of some early pilots, like David Taschman, who had to abort a mission, but decided to drop his payload on an enemy train he and his crew flew over on their way back to Italy. He missed, but the train was derailed. It reveals a time when pilots literally flew by the seat of their pants.

While Rosin focuses on the day-to-day heroes of aviation, he also includes some little known stories of famous aviators like Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Stewart and Tyrone Power. Who knew Rochester, New York was such an important center for early flight training companies? Many firms like American Airlines, USAir and Gannett Newspapers got their start in this area. The naming of O'Hare International Airport after a World War II hero is sure to pique the reader's interest to know more about the men and women, who were the foundation of not only the United States Air Force, but the aviation industry as a whole.

7 Qualities A Software Application Should Possess To Assist You In Your Business

With the software available to us these days, there is no question that you should be using what is available to you to assist you in growing your business. It only makes sense that if you have something or someone helping you do tasks in your business, you then have more time to work on more important projects like website development or product creation, which increases your earning potential.

One thing you need to understand about me is that I shoot from the hip and give it to you straight. I hate deception and fraud when it comes to these people that put out hyped up,?this will do it all for you? one click software that in the end does nothing. So here you go, hope it doesn't discourage and offend you in any way. My apologies if it does.

To clear up one of the biggest myths on the internet for those who are just starting out and have less of an understanding of how the internet works, there is no magic software out there that can just reach out and grab people and bring them to your offer or website. It's true that if you rank in the top ten of Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines, you will receive a ton of organic and no cost traffic. But there is no software that can automatically do this for you with the push of a button. There is software that can help you with the process but not automatically do it for you. Is that clear enough?

What you need to understand is that people are using the above mentioned search engines browsers. What they type into the search window, determined through algorithms and a bunch of other technical names, is what results they get. These search engine operators are also constantly updating and modifying their systems to bring their users the best results they can. Be rest assured that the search engines also have very tight and well protected security for their systems so there is no way someone can tap in and grab this traffic. You can pay for it of course, that's how they make money. So you see, software can't just reach out and grab surfers, they are behind closed doors so to speak.

Now that you understand this, you can however, find application software that can assist you in your business in various different ways. There is also different sites that use software to help you do tasks like article or ad submission, that will in the end free up your time for other tasks which in turn speeds up your growth. This is the main goal of any business. Growth is the key to any businesses success whether it be building a list, generating more traffic to your site or simply developing more products of your own to market.

What should you look for in an application software?

Here are the 7 main things to look for - in my opinion;

1. Does the software actually perform a task for you?

2. Can you use it for your Website or Blog?

3. Can it give me reports or results when requested?

4. Does the seller have testimonials available?

5. Can you contact the seller or creator for more information?

6. Do they have support available for the product?

7. And finally, do they offer a sufficient return or money back guarantee to allow you enough time to give the product a good test?

OK, now I don't recommend you just go out there and start buying a bunch of software, you need to do some research beyond the above questions, you want to qualify the product first. One of the best ways to do this is to get some feed-back from other users.

Only when you have qualified the product to be legitimate and you are totally comfortable with your research, only then would I suggest going ahead and obtain a product for use.

How to Choose a Bed and Breakfast

So you've decided to shun the neon-flashing motel chains and marble-foyered monsters and venture into the world of cozy, intimate bed and breakfasts? After all, you've heard how much more personal and romantic the b&b experience is, right? Well....usually that's the gospel truth. However, there are certain things to keep in mind and questions to ask yourself (and prospective innkeepers) before you make your final decision and turn over your credit card number.

The first thing to consider is the area of the country you will be visiting. Many towns across America offer the b&b experience but only have a handful of options for you to consider. On the other hand, if you visit our hometown of Fredericksburg, Texas (population 9,000) there are literally hundreds of b&b's, reportedly the largest number of b&b's per capita in the nation. Unfortunately for the unwary traveller, not all are created equal! When visiting such a popular bed and breakfast town, the research you do beforehand will greatly impact the quality of your stay.

These days it seems almost everyone makes their travel decisions and arrangements through the internet. In fact you are probably one of those individuals or you wouldn't be reading this article. You can always begin your search by typing in your destination city or town and "bed and breakfast" into your search engine to get an idea of the options you'll have. As you begin to view the properties, you should consider whether the b&b has the following amenities (assuming these are important to you): private bath, temperature control, full or continental breakfast, off-street parking, daily housekeeping and the ever-important factor....location.

Let's begin with location. Proximity to the "center of action" is often a plus for many travelers; however, it sometimes comes with a drawback...noise. In our town, many visitors want to be "on Main Street," and to be sure it is a boon at the end of the day when carrying heavy shopping bags back to your room. However, guests are sometimes surprised at the street noise which lasts throughout the night (Main Street is, after all, Highway 290)! Some visitors prefer to be a few blocks off Main with a bit more privacy yet good access to Main Street. Still others prefer a place in the country.

Making this first decision will cut the number of properties you consider by as much as 2/3. A note of caution however; if location is a prime concern of yours be very detailed in your quest. For example, many Fredericksburg bed and breakfasts advertise "Located on Main Street," but what they don't tell you is they are a mile and a half from the shopping district on the west end of town. In our town, the 100-300 blocks of East Main are considered the true shopping district. So if proximity to shopping is your goal, you would be better off with a cottage 3 blocks off of Main but within the 100-300 blocks than at the property a mile and a half from shopping that sounds so convenient. Remember the old addage, "Buyer Beware."

Question number two could be whether to stay at an Inn or an individual cottage. Fredericksburg is unique in offering literally hundreds of one-couple, individual Sunday Houses or cottages in addition to numerous true multi-unit inns. One big distinction here other than the obvious over-all privacy issue is usually breakfast. In a private cottage you almost always receive a continental breakfast, left before you arrive. At a traditional "Inn" or bed and breakfast, you are often served a full gourmet breakfast at a pre-arranged time...along with other guests. So for many guests the choice comes down to continental with privacy or full-breakast served in a dining room. Either option offers lots of possibilities. But with so many different properties, there are no set rules; so check their website or ask!

One more common pitfall is something that sounds so basic but can really impact your experience: decor. Word on the street in b&b circles is that guests are increasingly looking for a "magazine spread" when they walk in the door. Nothing pleases me more than to open our guestbook and read, "When we opened the door the beautiful room just took my breath away!" Few people go to a bed and breakfast looking for the type decor they have at home...or worse, their granny's decor! However, many b&b owners are under the false impression that they can take an empty rent-house and hang out their shingle. They may stumble upon a few unsuspecting guests...but you don't want it to be you. Be sure and check the pictures on the website. I would never book a room that didn't at least show photos of the exterior of the cottage or inn and the bed. Webmasters tell me that these are the two photo's potential guests are most interested in. I would be very wary of a facility that wasn't proud to show its exterior and at least one photo of the inside of each room. Jacuzzi tubs, hot tubs, gas fireplaces, it's all out there for the taking...for those who do their homework. Spend a little extra time asking the right questions and you can have the most wonderful, relaxing getaway experience yet.

Utilizing RSS Feeds Is An Excellent Method Of Driving Traffic To Your Website Or Blog

If you're looking to make money online, you need to have targeted website visitors going to your site on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. This is the case for any product or service you plan on promoting now or in the future. Many people don't realize that RSS feeds are excellent for generating the kind of traffic they need to be successful in their online endeavors.

In case you're not familiar with what RSS stands for, it means Really Simple Syndication, and it's a very effective way to promote your blog or website. In this article, I'm going to explain how beneficial this can be, and demonstrate why many people use this particular technique of traffic generation.

Those who have a word press blog don't have to be concerned about creating an RSS feed, because it's created for them automatically. Each time they post new and fresh content on their blog, their RSS feed will update automatically with the title and the first couple of sentences of their most recent post.

Although the RSS feed is defaulted to display their last 10 posts, their able to change this through their word press admin panel. I typically change my settings to display the last 20 posts on my feed. Each page on your blog should have a "Subscribe To Our Feed" button, enabling individuals to subscribe easily if and when they want to. Visitors to your site can be notified every time you post fresh content to your blog.

Because all this is done in the background, you don't have to concern yourself with manually updating your feed or contacting subscribers. As long as the content you post is useful and informative, they'll be notified about your new content and will continue to visit your blog.

You can notify those who haven't been to your blog recently about a new feed they can subscribe to if they wish, and you can also submit your RSS feed to feed directories. If someone wants to stay updated about what you're posting on your blog, they can find your feed in these feed directories and subscribe to it. There's a program called Feed Burner you can utilize to develop another feed for your existing feed. Since Google owns it, your new content will be indexed quickly.

Another thing I'd like to point out about this feed, is that you can promote it like a website. This will result in more subscribers, leading to more targeted visitors to your blog. You can even monetize your RSS feed to earn revenue from it, but that's the subject of another article.

How a Harness Horse Can Help You Win at the Dog Track

Off Keel doesn't owe me any money. I've played this 11 yr old grey gelding pacer for years and seen him cross the wire first in a good number of his races. However, there are times when he's not a good bet, although people still play him then. Not me. I know when he's not likely to come in and I lay off in those races. Even when he was at his peak, there were some situations when his post position or the class of the race put him at a disadvantage. That was when I watched the race and - more times than not - he finished out of the money.

I use the Trackmaster™ harness programs and highly recommend that you do too if you play the harness races. I think their class ratings are better than the on-track programs and they give you so much more information. But back to Off Keel and how he can help with greyhound handicapping... This year, Off Keel has been running well at a class rating of up to 75. That's the CR of the race, not his speed rating or class rating in the race.

When he gets up over a 75 CR, he's a lot less likely to come in. In fact, he hasn't won above that level since May 5th. Another thing that has a big effect on whether or not he comes in is post position. He runs at half mile tracks in Bangor and Scarborough, both of which favor the horse from the 1 through the 5, like most half-mile tracks. Put him outside the 5 post, and he doesn't win.

Harness fans remember that Off Keel was a very good horse when he was younger. They know that he's still a horse to be reckoned with now. But they don't remember or don't know the information about class rating and post position, so they bet on him no matter the class of the race or his post position. Then he doesn't come in and they go off him and he slides down to a CR 75 race and his odds are good and I have him and he wins.

There are a few other horses that are good bets at times and bad bets at other times at the local tracks and at the simulcast tracks too. I keep a list and play them when they're in a favorable situation. I do the same thing with dogs and you can do it too.

It's a little harder, because most greyhound programs don't have class ratings so you have to use grade. When you're handicapping, notice dogs that are always moving up into a higher grade, but never win in that grade. That's their class ceiling just like a CR 75 is Off Keel's class ceiling, this season anyway. Notice dogs who never come in when they're in certain post positions, but do come in when they're in other post positions.

Keep a list and you'll notice that the more you look for these dogs, the more you'll be able to pick them out. They're spot plays, of course, because they have a very good chance of coming in because of a certain situation. Spot plays are my favorite way to make money at the dog track and at the horse track too. In fact, I like them so much that I'm writing a book all about spot plays at the greyhound, thoroughbred and harness tracks. It should be out in about six weeks, if I can lay off playing the races long enough to finish it.

Greyhound Handicapping - How To Find Value

Value is a buzzword right now in handicapping circles. We heard it in almost every commentary on the Kentucky Derby. I hear it all the time at the greyhound track when handicappers are talking about what they like in the next race, and why they like it. Everyone assumes that they know what it means, but does it mean the same thing to everyone? What does it mean to you and how do you find it when you handicap a dog race?

To me, finding value means finding a dog that is underrated and playing it to win and/or place and in exactas with other dogs I like in that race. For instance, in a race where there's a standout dog - one who wins 2 out of 3 of its races or more - I might put a dog who wins almost as often but places more often into an exacta box with the standout dog. The standout dog might pay peanuts to win, but a decent amount in an exacta with the value dog. I'll also use that dog in other exotics, like trifectas and superfectas. And let's not forget Pick 3's and Pick 4's and the like.

Figuring out whether a dog is a "value" play is mostly a matter of figuring out how often it comes in and comparing that to its odds in the race its running today. If you bet that dog in every one of its races, how often would it have won and at what payoff? If it wins an average of 1 in 10 races, and pays $10 a race, odds of less than 1-10 aren't going to give you the payoff you need on it. It's not worth risking more money than you can reasonably expect to win on a dog.

Of course, there's more to handicapping than odds and statistics. When we look at a race, we have to look at the factors that will determine who hits the board in that race, things like speed, running style, post position and track bias, if any, on that day. Actually, these are the things we should consider BEFORE we look for value in a race. So, first handicap the race and then look for value by finding a dog that is at higher odds than it should be, based on its likelihood of coming in, judging by its past history in that type of race at that track.

3 Ways to Avoid the Negative Self Talk on the Squash Court

When dealing with any sort of negative self-talk the first issue is to recognize that there is some talk actually happening! I know that sounds crazy but so often people do not want to admit that there is anything that is deemed as negative going on at all. They do not, even in their own eyes want to appear to be bad and so denial is the first tool to use.

Secondly once admitted it cannot be cured straight away by squashing or pressing it down. These thoughts have to be given air time. I did not say you had to listen as you repeated each negative suggestion over and over again. I said they have to be given air time, a moment. No one has to buy in or believe. Simply put all I am asking you to do is acknowledge these thoughts and comments ONCE and then let them go. This of course is much easier said than done. The sentence thank you for sharing might be useful to you. I am not needing you to shout at your thoughts and tell them they have no rights, because for sure they will come back and bite you when you least expect it.

Thirdly once you have listened to all this unfriendly and critical chatter it is vital to let it go and not give it an ounce of credibility.

Squash is a funny game and physically the harder you try the worse it gets. On the mental front you need to be trying very hard to stay relaxed. When negative thoughts come into your head as they so often do, they tend to cause tension in your body through fear, anger doubt or another emotion. This tension is not conducive to a relaxed easy swing and accurate shot making. What is needed is a player who is focused, grounded in their senses and playing their opponent not themselves. When you are listening to negative self-talk you create a situation where you start to play yourself. When you are in your senses you now start to play your opponent, exploiting their weaknesses and hitting the ball into the spaces on the court to maximize your opponent's discomfort and pressurize them. You look for their patterns and try to always keep them guessing.

Should they like the rhythm of the game slow you make it quick, even if that is not your preference, doing anything to keep them off-balance. Your job is to play to your strengths and their weaknesses and you cannot do this if the voice in your head says to you constantly that you are not worthy!

That means you must practice flexibility, and have a number of games in your arsenal. Again you always practice and implement these tactics in matches that have no significance to you until switching becomes second nature.

Remember squash players are rebels and must always DO what their opponent wants them NOT to do. Anytime you do not you leave your opponent comfortable and potentially able to pressure you into a weak shot or too much energy expenditure.

Bulk Mail Services - A Cost Effective Solution For Your Business

If you want to grow your sales as a business owner then bulk mail services is a profitable solution and it expands your loyal customer base. In fact, It is an advertising media that exert high-volume sales result. This kind of services can really fulfill your business marketing needs and it is a reasonable solution that can be used for delivering your marketing materials. By Using this service, you can be confident that your target customers accept the email packages, which include your marketing materials.

With the help of email services, companies can obtain potential customers and enhance chances of growth with existing customers. These services are becoming one of the most favorable means of approaching a mass audience and you can send different copies of magazines, booklets, form letters and post cards to various addresses. Bulk mailing is a tool that can always be used with minimum expenditure to advertise the products/services that you wish to.

One of the best things about effective bulk mail services is the fact that you can depend on these services every time. When you search for the company that will be offering you with this service, it is mandatory that you take time to know what previous customers think about their service, so that you can find whether they are right for you or not. There are various companies who provide mailing services but you should make sure that you are selecting a company that will give the services you need. For example, if you want to create a mailing list for you, then be sure about choosing a printing company that could do this type of work.

The main benefit of bulk mail services is that one to one communication is available with the target audience. You can create HTML newsletters and send it to the whole world. The newsletter can be made personal which adds more authenticity to the recipients. In addition, a massive market can be obtained economically. There is no need to pay much on advertising/promotion because email costs less than television, radio and print medium.

Although you can mail all stuff by yourself, but it takes precious time. Email services charge a fee, the time given individually for managing large quantities of mail can be used working on other side of your business.

Bulk mailing helps to build a strong customer base. It can create new leads and stimulate repeat business from existing customers. Small businesses, as well as sales person and big retail companies, all use mass emails to reach distributor and shopper.

Effective and targeted mailing lists are essential for doing business. Although it is your job to maintain precise records of customers because this kind of service can only help in keeping your list up-to-date and enhance your approach. It is mandatory to note that if mass mailing involves words like lottery then email services cannot process the marketing material. So, be sure your emails comply with legal regulations.

However, bulk mail services is the new trend in marketing mix. It is the cost-effective method of doing marketing over internet. Marketing of products and services has become surprisingly easier with introduction of the bulk emails. Most of the businesses are converting themselves to online means of advertising because of the wide approach of the world wide web and the lowest cost it can potentially include.

How to Get the Right Pet Health Insurance Policy?

It is widely known that pet health insurance policies and plans are available in plenty for your dear loving pets. The key to get the right policy is time consuming. To get a Birdseye view about your options helps you narrow down your choices and take the ultimate decision worth your concern.

Mainly the insurance plans can be categorized into four, traditional, customizable, accident only and discount. Traditional policies are standard pet health insurance plans that offer design options that cover pet illness, accidents and preventive care. Based on the chosen plan your insurance company will pay all or part of your vet bills up to a pre determined amount. The customizable set of insurance plans is like traditional policies except that it offers more freedom in terms of mixing and matching the necessary provisions such as deductibles, co-insurance percentage, maximum annual coverage amount and co-pays. The third set is accidents alone where cover is only for accidents and not for illness or preventive care. The fourth set is the discount plans, where you can take the pet to any veterinarian or hospital within the network of hospitals the insurance company opts. You will receive a discount on the services obtained.

The type of pet insurance you would opt depends on your budget, the age of your pet which includes checking of any pre-existing conditions, pet's breed and your veterinarian. The common exclusions in pet insurance are:

- Hereditary conditions which depends on the policy and if at all it is covered it will be covered at a lower level.

- Congenial conditions are not covered due its pre existence. They include patellar luxation, entropion, ectropion, liver shunt etc.

- Fleas and parasites are included in some insurance policies and are in the form of preventive medications against parasites which might not include eradication of parasites.

- Preventable diseases and chosen procedures like getting a vaccination to prevent diseases are generally not covered.

- Dental care is provided in case of any accidents but dental preventive care like teeth cleaning is not generally under coverage.

- Pre-Existing Conditions is common to see in the category of exclusion in pet insurance as it is for human insurance. Any pre-existing condition your pet has before the policy start date does not come under insurance cover. This includes conditions that may not have been diagnosed till date and just because you have not identified such pre conditions by taking it to the vet and are unaware of the condition, the plan does not guarantee that you will get covered for the particular condition.

Some companies will allow you to cover these potential problems with an additional payment. In some cases the local veterinarian will be able to warn you about any exclusion. Getting the right pet health insurance just needs careful overview of the plans that suit your pet and you budget.

How To Get More Things To Sell On EBay

If you want to learn how to sell things on eBay, you have to learn how to build your inventory first. Although this is certainly a very effective platform for marketing your wares, it is important to remember that you will first need to invest in products to sell. Where you buy your goods and how much you must pay for them is critical when it comes to maintaining profits.

Most people start out as sellers by offering goods that they have around the home. They use eBay as a platform for hosting virtual garage sales. Because the offered items in these instances are generally things that people no longer want or need, there does not seem to be a whole lot for individual sellers to lose. The goods that are being sold have long been paid for. Regardless of what their auctions are able to generate in terms of cash, they are still able to capitalize on stuff that they were probably going to throw away.

Maintaining a regular presence as a seller at this site, however, requires people to continuously replenish their inventories. Those who are clever will learn all of the best local haunts for picking up high-quality used articles at ultra low prices. For instance, some people travel to the flea market to find products that they can sell for profits online. Others visit thrift stores and nearby garage sales.

If you have a special niche as a seller, you will need to locate places where you can secure items for free. For instance, if you are a bookseller it may be in your best interests to establish a good relationship with your local librarian. When items are discarded you can be promptly notified so that you can add these things to your inventory.

It is also helpful to pay attention to formal businesses that share your niche. For booksellers, if a book store is going out of business these individuals can wait until the final discounts have been applied to the remaining stock. This is the perfect way to get high-quality items at prices that will allow you to maintain a fair profit margin. In order to stay abreast of local changes in your competition, you must continually perform research. Those who are first to claim these savings are generally the people who get the best deals. You can also look at online classified sites to find offers of free or dramatically reduced products as well.

There are many other aspects of learning how to sell things on eBay. Finding the best ways to stock your inventory, however, is key for keeping your endeavor afloat. With a comprehensive stock you will have the greatest ability to generate a formidable income.

Google AdWords Management Pros and Cons

PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising is an alternative method to organic SEO which can be used to get your website on to the first page of search engine results and thus increase traffic. Google's PPC program is called AdWords and it is the most popular with companies looking to advertise in this way. AdWord advertisements appear at the top and side of Google search results for the keywords that you have specified; these are both prominent positions, which is why the market to have your advert placed here is so competitive.

As with any business decision, choosing to use Google AdWords as a marketing tool has pros and cons; these will be discussed below.

Pros

Targeted Traffic - Google AdWords advertisements are indexed according to which keyword you want your advert to appear for. This means that any traffic vising your site via your AdWords link will be targeted; interested in the goods and services you have on offer. The conversion rate will increase as a result; less traffic will leave the site without making a purchase. Cost Effective - The targeted sales and high conversion rates created as a result of increased targeted traffic to your website means that AdWords, when managed effectively, is a very cost effective advertising solution. The more well-managed your AdWords account is, the more cost effective it becomes as the average cost per click will reduce, and those clicking on the links will generally make a purchase. This increases revenue and decreases outgoings. Quality Assurance - Google AdWords assesses the quality of each website against their desired keywords and this adds to the websites' profile. The score that a website receives for its quality in terms of relevance to keywords has a direct impact on the cost of the AdWords campaign as it features in the equation that Google uses to calculate the websites' rank score. The higher the rank score, the less you will pay for AdWords. Therefore, this is an incentive to ensure that your website is the best that it can be.

Cons

Management - When a Google AdWords advertisement campaign is running smoothly, it is a fantastic way in which to generate more business. However, to manage an AdWords account takes lots of time and effort. Essentially, the beginning of an AdWord campaign is about educated trial and error; learning which keywords are most appropriate for your site and sector, altering your maximum bid per click to come into line with your competitors, attempting to increase your quality score etc. As you can appreciate, this is a time-intensive on-going task, but is necessary to ensure that your AdWords account is being of benefit to you. Poor management of Google AdWords accounts is costly as it will result in traffic not relevant to your site which will bring down the conversion rate and ultimately cost you more money than it will make you.

Overall then, the moral of the story here is if you are going to use Google AdWords as a marketing tool, ensure that you are able to manage it effectively or use a reputable company with experience of AdWords management to run this for you.

A Friend in Need

Here's the scenario: Julie, a hardworking secretary, lent money to her good friend Ray; $1300 to be exact. Ray had just moved to a new town and claimed that he needed two new suits: one for an upcoming wedding and one to wear on job interviews. Ray lived in a beautiful penthouse. He had a degree in Computer Science and was accustomed to the finer things in life - designer labels, frequent travel, and spa week-ends. When Ray told Julie he would repay her and signed a paper promising to do so, Julie didn't think anything of it.

A couple of weeks later, Ray tried to hit Julie up for more money; this time to furnish his new home. When she told him that she wouldn't be able to help him out this time, he accused her of being cold and hung up the phone on her. Julie suddenly realized that she was being taken advantage of. Her hurt quickly turned to rage. She wanted to know how someone could be so self-serving and inconsiderate. If Julie had been weak enough to lend Ray another several hundred dollars for furniture, how could he sleep at night knowing that she had expenses of her own to look after?

We as women have an innate desire to nurture whenever possible. Many of us have learned the hard way we must always keep our guard up - spot when we may be being misled or taken advantage of. It is a common belief that a woman who is eager to lend money to a man, suffers from niavity, desperation, or poor self-esteem. But in this case it was a loan not a gift, and a friendship not a romantic relationship.

We all know how risky it is to lend money to a friend of either sex. Some of us decide to give the lendee the benefit of the doubt because we think we know and trust them. Some of us are vigilant enough to take precautions to make the loan legally binding. The bottom line is that we need to stop stereo-typing and pointing fingers at a woman who would lend a man money. We need to take a closer look at the character of anyone who would try to take advantage of a friend's genourostity .

Along with her respect for him, Julie also lost all compassion for Ray and their so-called friendship deteriorated.? The fact of the matter is that no one can respect a man who fails to respect others. When he performs actions that are self-serving and manipulative, his sincerity, his honour, his integrity, are all called into question.

They say:

It's not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong;

not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich;

not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned;

and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity.

Review of Down and Out in London and Paris By George Orwell

Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell is an intriguing and entertaining tale concerning Orwell's experience and observation of poverty. This vivid memoir eloquently and intelligently describes his time spent with the destitute and desperate of his society in Paris and London. The haunting and moving way in which Orwell describes each character he meets sticks in your mind, and although many doubt whether this novel was a real autobiography, no one can ignore the unique personality of each character such as Boris, Charlie and Bozo.

Orwell voluntarily entered the ranks of the poor and scarcely surviving in Paris. His account is rich in its description of sights, sounds and characters. When he isn't unemployed and pawning his clothes, he works long days as a "plongeur". Orwell's book fully demonstrates that the never ending cycle of Poverty is "squalid and boring". He ends his Paris section by speaking directly to the reader about the reasons for such Poverty. Rather than claim any kind of nobility in his destitute state, he shows that the appalling jobs he and his friends perform are mostly useless and can easily be made obsolete, which creates a dismal tone in the novel. Later he moves over to London and joins the ranks of the English vagrants. This section is less strong and reads more like a scientific study of homelessness in Edwardian England.

The tense and dramatic atmosphere is accentuated in the detail of the rapid descent into the heart of the seedy and impoverished, portraying an entirely different attitude towards two of the most famous cities in Europe. Contrasting with great, romantic literary works of these cities, Orwell uses a depressing and dark point of view to bring to light many of the false generalizations and careless mistakes we have towards the unfortunate of our society. This shocking revelation creates a gloomy and appalled tone to the novel, making it more emphatic and memorable.

The novel also gives emphasis to the power of words that Orwell possesses, showing his talent through the thorough yet still entertaining descriptions he gives throughout the script. Since there is very little representation of spoken discourse in the text, the story must be fleshed out by vibrant narrative which is difficult to do well. However, in my opinion Orwell's fine style and evocative attitude sets a tone of significance to everything that is written on the pages. Through this, Orwell is able to convey his inner thoughts and emotions to his audience in a refined and subtle way. This air of secrecy is very effective in the novel as it draws the reader in and leaves a memorable atmosphere.

Altogether I feel that this is an interesting novel with some strong key ideas about morality in the society of Orwell's time. While much has changed since the 1930's, I believe that the basic concept that Orwell is trying to get across are still significant in today's culture. Rather than an actual story with a beginning, middle and end, I did sense that the novel read like a long journalistic article on society, due to the interlude chapters concerning, for example, slang and Orwell's personal opinions of the idea of Poverty. It seemed to me that Orwell was trying to persuade us to accept and agree with his view, which to be honest worked wonderfully. However, I would not call this a typical novel, and I wonder if this part-fictitious tale could even be categorized with other novels or whether it should go under its own unique genre to match its unique author.

If the novel had been written by any other author, it would have been extremely dull, as the book is repetitive and the story line is weak. However the art lies in the description for the most part, creating a colorful image to relay to the audience the effect of a place or person. I thought that more went on in the Paris section of the novel than the London section, mostly due to the fact that he didn't do anything but waste time trying to survive on little money whilst in London. I feel he included the London sections more to make a point about hardship in English Poverty rather than entertain an audience.

Overall I genuinely enjoyed reading this novel and encourage others to take a look. The novel looks dense and difficult, but even through the treacherous hardship Orwell faces, he manages to keep the tone light. To be honest, this is the sort of novel that everyone should read at least once in their lives to help educate the minds and inform them about the different aspects of humanity.

Budgie Pellets: How To Convert Your Seed Eater

These days there are many super nutritious pellet mixes around for budgies, but owners often have trouble getting their budgie to actually eat them. And if your budgie isn't eating it, it doesn't matter how healthy the food is.

You see, the problem is that budgies don't see pellets as food. Pellets are artificial, and budgies haven't evolved to see pellets and want to gobble them down. And, unlike many other animals, budgies can't just sniff the pellets and realize they're full of nutritious stuff.

Obviously, it wouldn't be a great survival strategy to just eat things that you don't recognize as food, so it can take some convincing before your budgie will eat them. So, let's look at three strategies to move your budgie over to pellets. These aren't miracle fixes, but they do work, with a little effort and patience.

Strategy 1: Mixing It In

The first strategy is pretty straight forward, you mix pellets in with some irresistible food, and wait for your budgie to accidentally nibble on a pellet, when they're trying to get at the other food. The idea is that once your budgie finds out that the pellet is edible, and tastes good, they'll have no problem eating them in the future.

This can take a lot of patience, as your budgie might go weeks without touching the pellets, but they will do eventually. And, once the start eating them, they'll realize they're food forever.

Strategy 2: Going First

It might seem kind of silly, but if your budgie is bonded with you, it can help if your budgie sees you eating the pellets first. If their surrogate mate is enjoying the pellets, nibbling on them and making yum sounds, they'll often be enticed to try some themselves.

This strategy also works to get your budgie started on fresh fruits and vegetables, in case you're having trouble with that, as many people do.

Bird food pellets are perfectly safe for people to eat, although I don't whether you'll enjoy the taste of them. But still, you don't have to eat them forever, just until you manage to convince your budgie to try them.

Strategy 3: Gradual Conversion

Another option is to gradually replace their seed with pellets, every three days adding ten percent more pellets. So, the first three days your budgie has 90% seeds, 10% pellets. The second three days they have 80% seed, 20% pellets etc. The whole conversion will take roughly a month.

When working with animals things don't always go according to plan though, so if you get a week or two through the conversion and your budgie isn't touching the pellets, start at the beginning again. If you don't, your budgie could become dangerously underweight, since they don't carry fat reserves.

For most birds though you'll find your budgie is eating pellets just fine without your having to restart the cycle.

Whichever strategy you decide upon, the name of the game is patience. You're trying to get your budgie to do something deeply unnatural, eat something which isn't food, and some birds will take a lot of convincing to do that.

Commonly Asked Medicare Q and As

As an outsourced medical billing company I get many questions regarding Medicare. I will keep track of these questions and publish some of them periodically in one of my articles. Below are answers to three commonly asked questions.

Do Medicare rules apply to patients who don't have Medicare?

Medicare has rules called "conditions of participation" regarding facilities and home care agencies and these rules apply whether or not the patient has Medicare. In order for the facility to maintain its Medicare provider status, it must meet the conditions of participation. On the other hand, Medicare only stipulates that these rules only apply to Medicare patients and do not have any connection with other payers. So if there is a patient that comes in for an office visit and they do not have Medicare or any other type of insurance and will be paying for the visit themselves, the provider does not have to accept Medicare's rates and does not have to meet Medicare's required documentation or disclosure requirements or Medicare's performance measures.

What constitutes an "Initial Visit" for Medicare billing?

For example, if a patient comes into the office to receive results of a sleep study can this be billed as an initial visit? An initial visit or a "new patient" visit is a face-to-face visit. If you are going over and giving the results of the sleep study with the patient present and have given further instruction and have a treatment plan, this is an initial visit. If the patient is not present when giving the results, then this is not a visit. According to Medicare, a patient qualifies as a new patient when they have not been seen in over 3 years. If the patient has not been seen for over 3 years, an initial visit can be billed. If a patient visits the hospital, then one initial visit per patient per hospitalization is allowed. All other visits while the patient is hospitalized are to be billed as subsequent visits.

Can more than one Nurse Practitioner bill a Medicare patient on the same day?

In some cases this is allowed. For example, if there are two Nurse Practioners one being the primary care nurse that bills Medicare one diagnosis and the other Nurse Practioner being in a specialty practice bills for a different diagnoses on the same day. Will the bills for these visits through two separate practices and two separate provider numbers be paid by Medicare? Yes. According to Medicare rules, both claims would be paid. The reason they will be both paid is due to their being two different diagnoses on each claim and the bills are being generated by two separate providers. However, when there are cases of two Nurse Practitioners who have billed for the same day with the same diagnosis, it is likely that one of these claims will be rejected by Medicare. In this case, it is extremely important that the Nurse Practitioner has justification through their progress notes to back up their claim.