Friday, June 30, 2006

Auto Safety....

Since I love to write and research for fun, I also do it to get advice and everyday I see ads for Geico and I have known people who are insured by them. I just learned that they also have advised auto owners in California to keep up with the National Insurance Crime Bureau's (NICB) latest report that says California is home to six of the top 10 auto theft locations in the nation. According to Nancy Pierce who is regional vice president of GEICO's San Diego location, "A big part of our job at GEICO is providing safety measures to protect our consumers and prevent fraud." Now it is gettting more to inform the public as to what can be done to prevent vehicles from being stolen.

Ms. Pierce recommended certain steps to help reduce the chances of one's car from being targeted. I will just list a few of them here since it is a long list.

1) Keep the vehicle locked at all times, even while driving. Close all windows and sunroofs, no matter how hot it is.

2) Never under any circumstances leave keys in the car.

3) Avoid leaving valuables in the vehicle where passersbys can see them.

4) Do not leave registration or title in the car. Too often a car thief is pulled over and gets away from the police because he or she can produce the auto registration. If more than one driver use the vehicle, the best suggestion would be to hide the registration in a secret location that only the owners know.

5) Be very aware of surroundings, especially in garages, parking lots and gas stations.

6) If confronted by a carjacker, do not resist. Cars can be replaced; One's life cannot be replaced.

Those are just a few of the many steps to be taken to insure less crime with a vehicle.

For those who want the convenience to shop for auto insurance, there is a great online auto insurance site that provides auto insurance quotes for all 50 states. It is at CarInsurance.com where it is easy to buy one's auto insurance online, in some states the process is completed proof of insurance is provided whithin 15 minutes. This website saves time and money on auto insurance and provides excellent and professional customer service.

Reasons to Invest Very Wisely....

There was a time when gas was only 25-cents a gallon? Wouldn't it be nice to buy four gallons of gas for only a dollar instead of paying over three to four dollars for a gallon of gas. Now back when gas was only 25 cents a gallon the US dollar was backed by real money meaning real silver. Now you may find this hard to believe but that same amount of silver will buy four gallons of gas even today so that now proves that real money like gold and silver still has the same value and it is the green paper money that has devalued. Now this has me realizing that gas, food, and housing etc. has not gotten more expensive. We all are sure that the prices have gone up but that is not the case at all. What is really happening is that the value of the green paper money has gone down so it takes a lot more buy those exact same goods and services.

Now if one researches and talks to an Investment experts, they will highly recommend that one should invest quite a bit in tangible assets like gold, silver and platinum bullion and bullion coins. That is an excellent way to protect one's assets since the way the economy is constantly changing and there is no security as far as the dollar currency. Now it is important to invest in precious metals. Monex is one place to consider since they have the experience, expertise and resources as far as investing in precious metals. They have over one hundred thousand investors who have purchased precious metals including real silver. They are also one of the country's oldest, largest and most experienced firms specializing in precious metals. Monex is highly qualified to meet an investor's personal needs for precious metals.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Different Types Of Flowers.....

I know I make a lot of entries on flowers here and my other blogs too....I can't help it since flowers is my thing and then I love to photograph them since my love affair is with photography and I have posted some of my own nature photos here......

I am also growing a garden of flowers this year from Bachelor Buttons to Petunias to Pansies and Geraniums to Selosias....I am even trying my hand at Lupins that are now starting to bud....I hope to have a bigger garden next year since I plan to lasagna early in the fall both in my front yard and back yard.....I am still debating whether to have a portable nursery for next Spring so that I can produce my own flaps from seeds instead of taking a chance in the ground for everything just from seeds...I may do that for the seeds that didn't germinate this year....

Maybe I should have worked for a florist or a nursery or even a horticulturist. I keep checking out places on the web for not only seeds and garden advice. I also check out online florists since they are very knowledgable about flowers. I have learned that there are so many types of summer blooms just perfect for wedding bouquets for those getting married or those who will be standing up in a wedding. Those same type of flowers can also be used for bouquets, centerpieces, and decorations. Lilies, orchids, daisies, and dahlias burst with colors, warmth and grace. I have a dahlia bush, daisies, and orchids although my dahlia flowers had a short life span this year but my daisies and orchids are doing good. One of the best colors for summer wedding flowers is a white color that is airy or solid.

Regardless of which one flower one chooses, all summer flowers are very decorative. Now take the *Calla Lilies* These are funnel-shaped and very elegant and they aren't really a flower at all, but a large horn-shaped extension of the stem, called a spathe, which ranges from 6" to 9" in length. They are mostly available from March through June and come in a small variety of colors that range from pure white to orange to dark magenta. They are also very popular for wedding bouquets as well as for centerpieces, or for bridesmaids to carry in a wedding. Then there is also the *Dendrobium Orchids* now these are delicate, six-petaled tropical flowers and they are least expensive during the months from April to August. They are also vailable in a variety of colors from simple to very much exotic. The dendrobiums make excellent additions to a woman's hair, corsages and boutonierres. Also one can sprinkle their petals over tables, down the aisle, or add to centerpieces for a wonderful floral arrangement. Then there are *Dahlias* that are vailable in a variety of rich colors and easiest to get in the summer and early fall. I can attest to the fact that these excellent blooms with large petals. I mean theses flowers are huge and beautiful and they make great centerpieces and pew decorations, and are also great for bouquests. I will now talk about the *Daisy* that blooms from May to July. Mine are just blooming now. Daisies have always been used as wedding flowers since represent hope, purity, and innocence. They can aslso mixed with green colors in a bridal bouquet and placed in bud vases for wonderful centerpieces, or be even used in bouquets for the bridesmaids. I would always recommend one to use daisies for a summer wedding. I must now mention the *Chrysanthemum* which I just learned is the Daisy's spiny-bloomed cousin. They Chrysanthemum is mostly available during the hot months of summer. I guess I can still plant those if I want since I still have room in my garden. These flowers have narrow petals and they also come in a very large variety of color. They also look exquisite in bouquets, centerpieces, and decorations. Last but least is the *Baby's Breath*. All the stems have tiny white blossoms and these flowers can be used as a fillers for bouquets, centerpieces, corsages, and boutonierres.

Most florists carry have the Baby's Breath all year around but if one would rather do their own flowers or prefer to choose from their own garden, the baby's breath goes in full bloom in a personal garden from May through August.

For those who prefer to use florists and for those who don't have a garden, I highly recommend Dot Flowers. They provide flower delivery all over the country and it is one of the easiest way to buy flowers online. DotFlowers.com offers a large variety of flower arrangements and gift baskets at the great prices. From what I have heard, they also provide excellent customer service, beautiful flowers and quick delivery times. If I had to send flowers to another state I would trust them since I am so sure whoever receives them would be very happy with the flower arrangement.

My Boss Is A Famous Internet Marketing Genius.

I think there are many types of geniuses....I could be a photography genius ( I am really still at the amateur level or why I am not making a living off it...) or if I tried harder a writing genius and yes I make extra money at it....I am passionate too about it and I wish I could be a genius in other things....

I would like to take this time to write about and honor (I feel very humbled) a famous marketing genius .

The marketing genius I am speaking of is Mr. Ed Shull who is a CEO of USWeb. He is also veteran of the Internet marketing industry with over 8 years of experience. Mr. Shull is a very well recognized leader in the online marketing space and has been featured in several high profile magazines including Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, and The New York Times. Mr. Shull is a Certified Oracle Consultant and frequently gives speeches at industry trade events such as Ad-Tech. Mr. Shull quotes "I am very lucky to do what I love. Internet marketing is in my opinion, the most exciting industry in business and there is nothing I'd rather do for a living. USWeb represents the best of breed in the space. If you have ever been at a company where not only talent, but passion is evident daily in the work, you have an idea of how fortunate I am."

Mr. Shull's past experience includes companies from small start ups like BBQ.Com to Fortune 500 companies like Morgan Stanley. Mr. Shull is on the Search Committee of the Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Marketing Committee of the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization. Mr. Shull contributes weekly to the USWeb blog.

I am very honored to say that Mr. Shull is the genius whom I employed by although I report to someone else who is very kind and I feel very humbled to have this opportunity to write about Mr. Shull.

We Are In The Month Of The Rose.....

I am having some luck with my gardening this year and I didn't have to plant the rose bush since it has been there a while....I just love roses and now I wish I clipped some roses off the bush since they have mostly whithered now...

I belong to a gardening forum and they have blogs there too and I also read other gardening blogs on the Internet and I happen upon this one blog located at flowershop.com .

I learned over there that June is National Rose Month. According to this flower shop blog there is no other flower as well known or that has so much history and meaning attached to it. We all know that red roses mean love, but did I learned from reading this blog that if one presents a red and white rose together it symbolizes “unity?” Make it pink and white and it means “I love you and always will.” Now let's figure where does this come from? In reality the local florist does not make this stuff up. These meanings have been around for centuries. The “language of flowers” took off during Victorian times. Dictionaries were then published to allow people to “read the bouquet” they had just received. Any florist will say that one of the most popular questions is “what does a certain color mean?” Here is a short list of some popular colors and their Victorian meanings. Red stands for Passionate Love; Yellow means Unfaithfulness; Pale Pink defines Youth and Femininity; White means Keep My Secret; Pink means Perfect Happiness; Coral states I admire your accomplishments; Leaf of a rose means You May Hope; Time has passed by for so long and today we have rose colors that our ancestors never dreamed of. One thing has never changed is that we are still using flowers to communicate our love, devotion and respect for someone special. I know I sure am.....I am have helped something from going sour just by the flowers......Let us all remember this is now Rose Month....

Extreme Sports And Paintball

Most who know me know that I am into extreme sports like ice climbing and rock climbing....in fact I just did some rock climbing yesterday......and what good is winter without ice climbing....

When I feel like being good, that is when I get into paintball and I really love that sport and I did reading into this and found out that paintball also known as Airsoft originally started in Japan during the early 1980s. It was illegal to own firearms in Japan but since there was an interest in them, a company started producing spring-powered replicas of firearms that fired 6mm, plastic BBs.

Then later in the late 1980s the sport spread out to neighboring countries such as Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Airsoft started appearing in North America and Europe during the middle of the 1990's.

Airsoft guns are actually 1:1 scale replicas of the real firearms that fire 6mm, round, plastic pellets commonly known as "BB's" and they are propelled out of the guns by compressed air. Airsoft guns mimic the looks and functionality of it's real-steel counterpart. Airsoft guns can also look, feel, weigh, and function similar to the actual firearm. Most of the time the only way one can differentiate a "real steel" firearm between an airsoft gun is that blazing orange tip when the trigger is pulled. Also the "BBs" splatter paint once it lands. A great place I found online to buy cheap airsoft guns is at Zephyrpaintball.com which was founded in 2004. Not only do they have low prices, they also have great customer service and fast shipping to the paintball world. Zephyr now carries Airsoft. They carry Airsoft pistol and rifles arriving daily from Firepower, KWA and china Airsoft. All Airsoft replica BB guns include a safety orange muzzle tip in accordance with Federal law. Any attempt to remove that orange tip is a violation of the Federal law.

Friday, June 23, 2006

To Have Or Not To Have Surgery.....

Everday we see the how great the people in Hollywood look and how thin they stay inspite of their age and wee also notice the same thing with models and how thin they are....yes, there tends to be envy there and then we find out later who has had tucks and liposuction and more people each day also think about either bariatric surgery or liposuction.....one thing I have learned before always going in for surgeries since I have had surgeries on myself...not liposuction but at one time I was a candidate for bariactric surgery....anyway it is a must to read about them first to see what you will go through and it helps so much to have the information on a website....

Now with liposuction, there is one reliable website to get this informaion and that is at www.expertliposuction.com . I checked out that website and noticed how informative it is and it is one of the most informative website for liposuction that many people are considering since weight loss is very difficult inspite of products like Slim Fast that I was on for over a year and even also trying South Beach and Atkins diet and Atkins sure didn't work for me....yes I know just don't eat so much but isn't food our main like these days......anyway back to this website....it talks of everything for those who need to know about liposuction and this website also features a very prominent Beverly Hills liposuction surgeon by the name of Dr. David M. Amron. He is also a Los Angeles Liposuction Expert and a cosmetic surgeon known both nationally and worldwide for his meticulous, careful, and great sculpting skills. Dr. Amron practices the art and craft of his skills and specializes in surgeries that bring remarkable results in an overall proportioned body for his patients. He has also appeared in television shows, radio spots and printed publications.

For those who are considering liposuction will find quite a bit of information that is easy to understand and it covers a variety of liposuction procedures and techniques offered in Dr. Amron's office. The main techniques are mini-liposuction and pure tumescent liposuction. Pure tumescent liposuction is a form of liposuction performed under local anesthesia and that is a procedure Dr. Amron prefers over the liposuction techniques. He states that pure tumescent liposuction is much safer than other liposuction techniques in which general anesthesia is used. Researching this website also helps prospects to learn about the many areas of the body treatable with liposuction, and which areas are more commonly treated than others.

There is also a page of testimonials on his website on how the former patients of Dr. Amron’s are doing after surgery. Most of the testimonies state the fact that Dr. Amron’s expertise has really brought about a significant change into their lives. One of the major factors to consider in making the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery are images of patients before and after an operation. That is one reason why Dr. Amron provides a photo gallery of his patients before and after he performs liposuction on them. And just to be of greater service to his prospective patients, Dr. Amron has a page on his website where one can request a consultation for more information about a specific procedure. One only needs to fill in the form online on that page. For anyone who wants to know more about the Los Angeles Liposuction Expert Dr. Amron, one can check out his curriculum vitae and his ideas on liposuction and both those pieces of information are displayed on his website.

So there is hope for those who cannot get rid of the weight problem....

Thursday, June 15, 2006

An Interesting Craft Project For The Summer.....

I know I have mentioned before how I love to work with children and that is what I do and then I know I mentioned about my love for crafting and also when it includes flowers....since I know that many here love to craft, have children and love flowers, I found this idea for a great craft project from another website......

This website is called How To Create A Create A Monogram Of Flowers located right here. They have this monogram of flowers project featured that was written by Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza from the DIY Network. Now since summer is finally here, you can use all the blooming flowers and rich colors around you and make an easy floral monogram for your front door, a baby’s nursery or a teenager’s room. The possibilities are endless! You can adapt this project to fit your own personal taste and decor by choosing your own favorite types of flowers and colors of ribbons. The pastel colors in the hydrangea petals are a fresh look for spring and summer, but, with richer colors and velvet ribbon, you can make the same monogram for fall and winter. You can also adapt other flowers and colors to suit a holiday theme like using Poinsettas for Christmas and using pinks and blues for Easter...Cathie first made this project as a gift her mother-in-law’s birthday. She loved it and it is hanging on her front door. For another gift, she made a monogram for her niece, but instead of just using one initial, she used all the letters in her first name and spelled it out. Then another example is one made in the form of the letter “G” for Grandmother Graham, who is 98 and lives in a senior apartment. It will be the great for her front door and it makes a wonderful conversation piece for the ladies.

Here’s how to make your Monograms:

Supplies:

6-inch wood letter of choice

white craft paint & paintbrush

floral print scrapbook paper

glue stick

hot glue

tacky glue

1 large silk hydrangea

1/4-inch decorative ribbon (enough to go around your letter, plus 10 inches)

small rhinestones or ultra fine glitter

Plaque Steps:

1. Paint the back, front and sides of the letter with the white craft paint and allow to dry.

2. Lightly trace the letter onto the scrapbook paper.

3. Cut out the tracing and use a glue stick to attach the paper to the front of the letter.

4. Use your fingers to press out any air bubbles.

5. Cut 10 inches off your decorative ribbon. (This will be your hanger)

6. Turn the letter over and attach the ribbon hanger by forming a “U” shape with the ribbon and hot gluing the ends of the ribbon to the back of the letter about 2 inches from the top.

7. Using your hot glue gun, attach the remaining ribbon around the outer edge of the letter.

8. Break apart the silk flower so you have lots of little petals.

9. Use hot glue to attach the petals to the front of the letter. (You can glue them in a random pattern or a design of your choice)

10. Use a drop of glue and add a few sprinkles of ultra fine glitter to the center of the petals or add rhinestones for decorative effect.

VOILA YOUR MONOGRAM OF FLOWERS....

The Mystery Of The Hope Diamond....

Since I am now off my regular job for the summer, there is so much I can now do that I normally cannot do during the off summer months....I have my gardening, my crafts, my blogging, my family, my photohobby and then I have some mandatory things that have to be done like resizing my rings....one of the rings I was looking at is my diamond engagement ring that I recieved many years back...it is just so beautiful and it got me thinking to the day when I was given that ring just a few days after DH proposed to me.

Now I do have a weakness for sappy love stories and I was also thinking of the Hope Diamond since the sequel to the Titanic is coming soon even though there is a controversy surrounding Leo Decaprio since his characted died in the first one...the one scene that moved everyone in the world.....several months later one of the jewelry that was popularily sold was a blue rhinestone necklace with a big blue rhinestone in the center.....

Now since one of my crafts include beadwork and jewelry making someone left behind one of those necklaces and never came back to collect it and I was making every effort to track the owner....someone just said to give it up and save it for myself and I felt guilty on this but then I had project ideas on this on how I could make an excellent necklace on this....I never did anything yet but I still get to thinking about the Hope Diamond.....I did a little research on this gem and found the following information.....

There is a legend in India that when the large blue diamond was stolen from an idol in India, a curse fell on not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it. The curse held bad luck and death. This legend originally began with a theft. It all started many centuries ago when a man named Tavernier travelled to India. While he was there, he stole a large blue diamond from the forehead (or eye) of a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita. After this happened according to the legend, Tavernier was mauled by wild dogs when he was visiting Russia. This happened after he had sold the diamond. This blue diamond or otherwise known as the Hope diamond had many people intrigued for centuries. This diamond's perfect quality, large size, and rare color make it excitingly unique and beautiful.

Then this diamond has quite a bit of history that includes being possessed by King Louis XIV, stolen during the French Revolution and then sold to earn money for gambling.

When the Hope diamond went on sale again back in 1949, it was bought by a New York jeweler by the name of Harry Winston. Winston had others wear the diamond to balls to raise money for charity. There are people who believe that Winston wanted to get rid of the Hope diamond so that he would not be affected by the deadly curse. Mr. Winston actually donated the Hope diamond to the Smithsonian Institution back in 1958 only because he believed in helping to create newly established gem collection as well as to inspire others to donate.

There is one great place to buy great diamond rings for those who want to buy rings online and it is located in the world famous diamond district of Manhattan, New York. They say that one never has to pay retail prices again...they have many customers who have purchased their wide selection of Diamond Jewelry and you can even read about some testimonials on their website here http://www.primestyle.com/testimonials.html.

Now let us hope that I have no curse on me because I have a blue rhinestone necklace that looks just like the one on The Titanic......

Summer Sports..........

While we all know that the Winter Olympics this past year was our major entertainment this past year and now summer is here where sports gets really very interesting.....and then we can talk of the Summer Olympics of 2004 that was held in Athens, Greece.

So many fun things happen during the Olympics where they have the athletes compete who have been training all their lives and we get a good look into their professional lives and off course sports life....we also have to keep one thing in mind and that is there are some unfortunate incidents that happen behind the scenes......seems like there are always so many controversies going on during the Summer Olympics.....there was one that came into mind that happened to Nancy Burpee during that year....

Nancy Burpee is a world class paralympic swimmer who attempted to participate in the Paralympic games in 2004 held in Greece. The United States Paralympic team was already selected at the United States Olympic trials and Ms. Burpee had set world records in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle at the trials held in Minnesota.

At the Paralympic trials, Ms. Burpee was disqualified by an Australian referee on a procedural technicality. The law firm, Simmons, Jannace & Stagg then represented Ms. Burpee on a pro bono basis as soon as Nancy Burpee phoned Kevin P. Simmons; one of the partners at the law firm. She wanted to have the disqualification removed. The law firm stated that the Australian referee showed bias against Ms. Burpee and that the Australian referee did not want Ms. Burpee competing against an Australian paralympic swimmer. Ms. Burpee's attorneys also argued that the United States Paralympic swim trials were not held in accordance with the paralympic rules. Unfortunately an independent arbitrator ruled against Ms. Burpee and as a result did not force the United States Olympic Committee to name her to the Paralympic Team.

Nancy Burpee still continues her career in swimming....

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Orlanda Vacation....

Ever wonder where to go on vacation or spend the season...one suggestion is to try an Orlando vacation home rental.

Orlando now welcomes more tourists than California. It is an excellent city to have a vacation and raise a family.

Tourism is now booming which is opening many jobs. There is also a land boom there which has many openings in real estate as well.

Whether you are looking for a vintage house or an upscale rental in downtown Orlando, the city has just the solution for you.

The realty agent also meets all your needs.