A Few Basic Tips to Help You Get Cheap Electricity

If you consider yourself to be an average home owner, then at one point, you have experienced complaining about the ridiculous electricity bills that you've been getting. It is a fact that our electricity bills are not getting any cheaper. And with the current state of the economy, it is becoming a lot harder to foot our home utility bills. Wouldn't it be nice if you can take some steps that will enable you to avail of cheap electricity? Well it may sound like a foreign concept to you, but being able to save on electricity bills is not too far-fetched. You will just need to keep in mind a few guidelines and you should be able to save on your monthly electricity bills.

Having access to cheap electricity involves a couple of ways where you simply need to change some of your lifestyle habits. By making a few adjustments on your daily routine, you will be surprised at how it can significantly improve your monthly electrical consumption. Probably one of the most basic steps that you can take in order to cut down on your monthly bills is to turn off or unplug pretty much everything that is not currently being used. So don't forget to switch off the lights when you are not using it. This may sound so mundane but surprisingly many people still don't exercise this. The same is true with appliances that are not being used. Pulling off the plug won't likely consume much of your time and it will not only help you save electricity but it can prevent accidents as well.

If you want another method that can help you reduce your electrical bills, then you should look into the possibility of utilising alternative energy sources. Two good examples of such power sources are wind and solar power systems. If you opt to use a wind power system, just be sure that you are living in a place that get constant winds of at least 11 miles per hour. As for solar power systems, the materials needed are easily accessible and it is quite easy to install too. But of course, the availability of sunlight is one critical factor to consider.

And lastly, probably the best way that you can get the cheapest electricity is to sign-up with the right electricity provider. Your supplier can greatly affect the efficiency of your electricity connection, so it is important that you are signed-up with the right one. Fortunately, it is likely that there are numerous options that are available in your area. Just go online and search for electricity providers within your area and you should get many relevant information regarding the best electricity providers.

Dishnetwork Offers A Great Selection Of HDTV Equipment And Programming

Kids today don't realize just how good they have it. It wasn't many years ago that watching TV meant the entire family had to huddle around the one small television and choose one of the 10 or fewer stations to watch. Now, families still gather together, but it is no longer necessary to share only one television among the entire family. With Dish Network TV service, you can get separate programming on multiple televisions within the same household. And, with the diversity of programming available through Dish Network, you will be glad to have an entire TV to yourself to watch all your favorite shows. Of course, with Dish Network's great movie selection and family-friendly options, family TV time can still be a favorite tradition.

Dish Network gives you all the best television programming with access to news, movies, sports, educational programming, kid's networks and lifestyle entertainment. If you use your television as your main source of news and information, you will be impressed by the educational channels you receive with Dishnetwork programming packages. Channels like C-Span, CNBC World, CNN, Fox News Channel, and HD News will let you keep up-to-date on both international and local events. And channels like Discovery, Animal Planet, The Weather Channel, The Learning Channel, and National Geographic are full of exciting information that both children and adults will enjoy. Plus, if you want television programming to teach you useful skills, channels like Food Network and HGTV might become your favorites.

Because television should entertain as well as educate, Dish Network offers the finest sports, movies, and general entertainment channels. Every America's Top Entertainment package includes channels like Nickelodeon, MTV, ABC Family, and USA Network for the best entertainment for the entire family. For sports fans, options like America's Top 60 Plus offer your regional sports network to keep you in the action. And movie fans can get their fill with America's Everything Pak, which combines 180 channels with 4 special premium movie packages. Of course, you can always subscribe to extra channels like special sports shows, individual movie channels, and A La Carte channels to increase your options. And Dish on Demand offers the latest releases in the comfort of your own home.

Along with great programming, Dish Network offers the best of the newest technology. In addition to offering 100% digital broadcasts for all shows, Dishnetwork offers a great selection of HDTV equipment and programming. With HDTV, you can experience crystal clear pictures and extremely high quality sound to bring you the most life-like experience possible. Because Dishnetwork offers a wide variety of HD programming, you are sure to find hours and hours of enjoyable entertainment in the HD format. Of course, even with an HD package, you can also access plenty of standard definition programs so you don't have to miss out on your favorites. And, whether you opt for HDTV or stick with standard format, you can receive convenient technologies like the DVR (Digital Video Recorder) - a digital recording device that takes all the guesswork out of recording your favorite shows. All Dishnetwork receivers give you great features like the electronic program guide and favorites lists to make it easy to locate and select your favorite shows, plus parental controls to let you limit what your children can watch.

Once you realize just how many programming options you have with Dish Network, you will more seriously consider getting multiple TV's hooked up- especially because you can have extra TV's hooked up for free! Once you order from Dish Network you can have your system installed and ready to go often within 2 days, letting you enjoy the best television service around. Switch to the best. Start now.

Can Chocolate Benefit Your Health?

If you're a fan of chocolate you're in good company. Chocolate is one of the most popular sweet-tasting treats in the world and has been for centuries. But part of the myth surrounding chocolate is that it tastes so good it must be bad for your health. Which gives it an air of the forbidden.

A beautifully wrapped box of chocolates has always been considered a very romantic gift. So if the special person in your life is a self-confessed chocoholic, you know one surefire way to please them on special occasions. But the surprising news from the scientific community is that this reputedly decadent treat actually has some health benefits, especially if you choose your chocolate wisely.

Is Chocolate A Health Food?

Chocolate contains over 300 chemicals, and has been the subject of a number of studies by universities and other scientific organizations. Here's a quick rundown of the results. We have no way of proving or disproving these claims so we offer them here as a stimulus for further research. If you're really interested in the subject, this may provide you with a starting point.

* Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. Of course, this is counteracted by the high sugar content of milk chocolate.

* The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.

* Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.

* The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which may raise good cholesterol.

* Drinking a cup of hot chocolate before meals may actually diminish appetite.

* Men who eat chocolate live a year longer than those who don't.

* The flavanoids in chocolate may help keep blood vessels elastic.

* Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.

* Mexican healers use chocolate to treat bronchitis and insect bites.

* The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.

What Chocolate Won't Do

There are many myths and half-truths about the effects of chocolate on the human body. Here are the latest findings on several of them.

* Studies show that chocolate is not a causative factor in acne.

* Cacao contains the stimulants caffeine and bromine, but in such small quantities that they don't cause nervous excitability.

* Chocolate is not addictive.

* Chocolate contains stearic acid, a neutral fat which doesn't raise bad cholesterol.

* Chocolate doesn't make you 'high'. You'd need to eat a huge quantity (about 25lbs at one sitting) to feel any noticeable effect.

But On The Negative Side...

1. Chocolate may trigger headaches in migraine sufferers.

2. Milk chocolate is high in calories, saturated fat and sugar.

What About Chocolate And Your Pets?

Chocolate is considered dangerous to animals because it contains a stimulant called theobromine, which they can't digest.

Dark chocolate and baking chocolate are even more dangerous because they contain higher concentrations of the substance. This applies whether chocolate is in candy bar form, or an ingredient in cake, cookies, puddings or ice cream.

If a pet becomes ill after eating chocolate, take it to the vet immediately.

Dark Chocolate Versus Milk Chocolate

Dark chocolate contains more cacao and less sugar than milk chocolate. It follows that any health benefits would be more pronounced in dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate is allowed on the popular Montaignac diet while milk chocolate is not.

You'll need to do a little research if you have any health concerns about eating chocolate. But with products like gluten-free and sugar-free brands finding their way onto supermarket shelves, you're sure to find some form of chocolate you can enjoy with a clear conscience.

Intarsia - Painting With Wood - Seven Rules to Follow When Doing Intarsia

Intarsia is a mosaic of small wood pieces all glued together in a specific order. Call it painting with wood. Think of wood intarsia pieces as ''Pictures In Wood'' which are more life-like than paintings, because they have a three dimensional appearance.

Each piece of wood is specially cut using a scroll saw (some may use a band saw), The piece is then sanded, try to visualize the project as if it were real. Then carefully contour to give a three dimensional look, when fitted together it will form an architectural scene, flowers, or maybe an animal, etc. The colors in the intarsia pictures are almost always the natural colors of the various varieties of wood (true intarsists do not stain the wood) combined with numerous grain patterns, we literally paint pictures in wood.

Everyone that does woodwork of any kind has developed their own techniques based upon the tools they own. There are a few rules we normally follow when doing an intarsia.

- Included in your intarsia pattern are suggestions for types of wood and grain direction. You can change these to suit the woods available to you. Most intarsia patterns will benefit from certain special grain patterns and shapes. Knots are seldom acceptable in the Intarsia itself, but often the grain pattern around the knot is very desirable. I love to find boards with knots so don't disregard a board just because it has a knot.

- There are several ways to layout your pattern on the wood, the most common is to use carbon paper under your pattern. The pattern is given as actual size, however; you may want to enlarge or reduce to suit your taste. When I have done this I cut the pattern out of lexan or some similar clear material with the scroll saw. This allows the intarsia pattern piece to be positioned perfectly on the wood grain. This can enhance the finished wood intarsia.

- The most important thing you need when cutting Intarsia can be summed up in three words; patience, patience and more patience! If you use lexan templates, cut, removing the line will give you the desired cut. If you are intimidated by the number of pieces of an intarsia project, separate it into several sections. Complete the sections, then assemble them together.

- Now make sure everything fits together using a dry fit. Whether you are going to use a backing board or not, any adjustments you need should be made now. Maybe your blade wandered a bit and you don't have a perfect fit, you will have to do a little sanding to correct the error. Sometimes you just have to re-cut a piece to make it fit properly.

- The most important portion of your project, contouring. Now you change a two dimensional piece of wood into a three dimensional piece of wood art. Think three dimensional. Try to keep in mind how you want the picture in wood to look, especially how the piece you are working on belongs to the overall intarsia project.

- Assembling your project: If you don't use a backing board assemble your Intarsia on a piece of waxed paper to prevent it from becoming part of your workbench. Simple yellow wood glue works well and it is easy to clean up and gives you some leeway if you make a mistake. If you a backing board assemble your intarsia directly on the board. Use glue on the backs of the wood pieces so they will adhere to the backing. Caution: Make sure you don't have glue oozing out on the finish side of your project. If you do, clean it off immediately.

- When the piece has dried, coat with a good finishing oil and put a hanger on the back.

Suicide: A Consistent Teenage Trend

Teenagers are naturally impulsive, sometimes rebellious and sometimes hard to figure out. This is their way of telling their parents and everybody else that, "Hey! I am growing up, so leave me alone and let me figure this out with myself, alone." But they cannot always blame them for acting out like that. It is part of the growing-up method and whether they 'adults' like it or not, in the finish, our teenagers will always find their way of jogging out of the shell that they have provided for them. And it is up to us on how they are going to handle their shortcomings and fights within themselves. And they must admit, they, ourselves walked that path one time and so they must understand and guide them to the path of righteousness.

Parents influence us over somebody else, from conception up to the final breath that they have. So fundamentally, what your kid is right now depends on the way you molded him/her. They can also trace the roots of these behaviors by using different theories like that of Sigmund Freud's Psychosexual Theory and Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Theory.

Suicide is from a Latin word meaning "to kill oneself". Suicide is the act of deliberately killing oneself. According to WHO, risk factors for suicide include mental disorder (such as depression, character disorder, alcohol dependence, or schizophrenia), and some physical illnesses, such as neurological disorders, cancer, and HIV infection.

So, how do people mismanage their life stressors that it even leads to self-destruction?

There's different kinds of people. Some are nurtured weak, some are strong and some are right, not so soft but not hard either. and those who were nurtured differently and grew up with low self-esteem, inferiority complex and vulnerability to relationship and life issues are usually the candidates for suicide.

These kids need helping hands, badly. They need anyone to speak to, not another nagger and definitely not another that punishes. They might not be able express it but they do. and they anyone who stays and sticks around even in the event that they shove you away.

Teenagers are emotional and sensitive. A simple mistake can make them feel broke. A simple unkind word from the people they value most can make them feel inferior. and a simple gesture can make them feel ignored. That is why there are teenagers who call themselves 'emo'. These kids ought to not be ignored or be humiliated more or be judged by us. They have this so-called inner-battle within themselves that needs to be won. One time their ego has been crushed or their self-esteem has been pushed down to its limit, they would not be able to guess what would be their next move. Stronger willed teenagers will probably lift their spirits up and think more positively and stand up again. But those with weaker mind tend to succumb to depression which may lead to suicidal ideas, suicide attempts and suicide gestures.

Relatives is of our strengths and also the reason why they hold on to something so hard. But relatives is also our weakness. Teenagers with lovely relatives relationship are more likely to succeed than a teenager from a wrecked unhappy relatives. like a personal computer, how can it operate if the CPU is not processing the knowledge well, if it was broken to start with?

But they can always prevent things from happening, right? Teenagers can always use somebody to hold on to, their relatives and friends. In the event that they need to be alone, then let them be but don't leave them. Let them know that you will be there whatever happens but be positive that you will be there, all right? They must help them find themselves and give a helping hand when they fell. And keep in mind, to have somebody who listens to your troubles is to make somebody feel better, so be a nice listener if not a nice adviser.

Parents ought to try and understand what is going on. When they make mistakes and were hurt, give consequences but give it after you comforted your kid. Let him express himself first. Let him describe what happened. And let him know that you trust him, that way they will have no other choice but to tell the truth.

Let him feel better first before you give any punishment because if they happens to be down and still you punish him, there could be no self-esteem left for him and they won't learn anything from you but feeling inferior even more even to himself.

Suicide is preventable.

Stress is manageable.

Life is a gift and so they must cherish it. It was given to us. It is ours now but it is not a reason for us to take it ourselves. There's a bunch of things that is worth our presence. Don't waste it.

Ten Ways to Decorate Your Bathroom on a Budget

You may think that you don't have enough money in your budget to decorate your bathroom. But, it can be done without spending too much money. Just changing your bathroom accessories out to new (or to accessories that you've found at garage sales), can't make a dramatic difference.

First of all, take everything that can be moved out of your bathroom so that you can start with a clean slate. This means everything on the countertops, and in drawers and the medicine cabinet.

Now, make a plan. Decide what you really need to have in the bath and where you are going to put it. Clutter is something that can ruin the look of any bathroom design. Try to find places for toothbrushes, hair care supplies, and the like. Find some organizational systems that will fit in your cupboards and drawers. The more storage space that you have, the less you will be tempted to keep on top of the counters, and ruining the looks of your new room.

Here are some ideas that you can use to beautify as well as cut down on bathroom clutter:

1. Start with a fresh coat of paint. Painting a room is the quickest way to change the décor of a room. You can also paint your cabinets if they are damaged or in poor shape. Make sure that your paint will stand up to the humid conditions that all bathrooms have.

2. If you are really ambitious, you can remove the mirror above the sink and replace it with a new one. Two smaller decorative mirrors over a double vanity instead of one large mirror will bring your bathroom into a more modern style.

3. Add a nice looking hook to your bathroom door to hang up bathrobes and plastic pouches which can contain hair dryers other bathroom items.

4. Change out the knobs and drawer pulls on your cabinets and drawers. Try something with a little more color or in a different style than the original knobs.

5. Replace your bathroom hardware such as bathtub and sink faucets. A new, shiny faucet will work wonders for your bath.

6. Now, change your bath towel racks and rings. Also, think about where you will keep those towels that you aren't using. There are many decorative options like baskets and shelves that you can use. This way, you can have the colors of the towels to accent your bathroom but still keep them neat and tidy.

7. Use bathroom accessories to add color and style. Purchase shower curtains, a waste basket, liquid hand soap dispenser, soap dishes, new towels and a toothbrush holder.

8. Buy new throw rugs for the floor. They come in almost every color imaginable so try to match them to your towels and other accessories.

9. Add one or two moisture-loving plants. They will bring life to the room.

10. Finally, add a few fancy candles to add warmth.

These inexpensive ideas will beautify any bathroom without the need to totally demolish it and add all new cupboards, counters and bathroom fixtures. Give it a try and you'll have a whole new bathroom!