Check The Ratings Before You Buy Anything

In this age of corporate greed and profits, consumers can no longer depend on the historic performance of a particular brand. Before making a major purchase, you check all the following websites for consumer ratings: www.Buzzillions.com , www.ConsumerAffairs.com , www.ConsumerReports.Com , www.ConsumerSearch.com, www.Epinions.com, www.Inods.com , www.MyProductAdvisor.com, www.Ratings.net , www.HowStuffWorks.com, www.Wize.com, www.Cnet.com, and www.Viewpoints.com .

Get Free Health Care With Clinical Trials

If you're one of the 50 million Americans that don't have health insurance for one reason or another, then perhaps there is a free clinical trial available to treat your condition. Visit all of the following websites for more information: www.EmergingMed.com,www.ClinicalTrials.gov , www.CenterWatch.com , www.SearchClinicalTrials.org , & www.Cancer.org

Best 7 Chinese Restuarants In Beijing, China

1.Liqun Roast Duck , 11 Beixangfeng Alley,Zhengyl Rd, Chongwen district. Phone (86-10)6705-5578. Reservations a must. All major credit cards.Whole duck about $20. 2.Guo Yao Xiao Ju, 58 Jiaodaokou Bei Santiao,Dongcheng district, (86-10)6403-1940,major credit cards, about $15 a person.3.Jun Qin Hua,88 Meishuguan Houjle, Dongcheng district, (86-10)6404-7600. Cash only. About $7 a person. 4. Xian Lao Man ,(dumplings are a specialty) 252 An Nei Da Jie,Dongcheng district, (86-10) 6404-6944. Cash only. About $4 a person. 5. Jade Garden,(seafood specialties) 6 Jiqingli Chao Wal Ave, Chaoyang district,(86-10)6552-8688,major credit cards, $25-$40 a person. 6. Hong Zhuang Yuan ,has 24 branches around Beijing open 24/7, Panjia Yuan Rd,(near Panjia Yuan antique district)Chaoyang district,(86-10)8771-8029,cash only,about $7 a person. 7. Hua Jia Yuan ,(menu in English),235 Dongzhimen,Dongcheng district,(86-10) 6405-1908,major credit cards, about $20 a person.

Two Easiest Bread Recipes On Earth

1. No-Knead Bread This recipe takes about 1 1/2 hours and any where from 14 to 20 hours rising time. Ingredients: 3 cups all purpose or King Arthur brand bread flour, 1/5/8 cups of water, 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, and some cornmeal or wheat bran. In a large bowl, mix, flour, yeats and salt. Add in 1 5/8 cups of water and stir until blended. Dough should be shaggy andf sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest from 12 to 18 hours at room temperature or about 70 degrees. The dough will be ready when it is dotted with bubbles. Now lightly flour your work surface and place the dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little morer flour and fold the dough over on itself once or twice. Then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. Using just enough flour from sticking to the work surface or your fingers, gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball. Then gently coat a cotton towel,( never terry cloth) with flour, cornmeal or wheat bran. Then put the dough seam side down on the towel. Dust the dough with either more flour, cornmeal or wheat bran, Then cover with another cotton towel and lt it rise for about 2 hours. When its ready, the dough will be about double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with your finger. A half hour beforedough is ready, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6 to 8 quart heavy covered pot like cast iron, pyrex or ceramic in the oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven. Then slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot seam side up. Shake the pot once or twice if the dough is unevenly distributed. Don't worry since it will even out as it bakes. Cover the pot with a lid, bake 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes until the loaf is golden brown. The cool off the bread on a rack. This recipe will yield about a 1.5 pound loaf. 2. Simple Crusty Bread This recipe takes about 45 minutes and about 3 hours of rising time.It calls for 6.5 cups of unbleached all purpose flour, 4 cups of water, 1 1/2 tablespoons of yeast, 1 1/2 table spoons of kosher salt, and some cornmeal. In a large bowl, mix the yeast and salt into 3 cups of lukewarm water about 100 degrees. Stir in flour, and mix it until there are no dry patches. The dough will then by quite loose. Cover the dough but don't make your cover airtight. Let the dough rise at room temperature at least 2 to 5 hours. Then bake it or keep it refrigerated for as long as two weeks. When you're ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on the dough. Cut off a grapefruit size ppiece with a serrated knife. Turn the dough in your hands to lightly stretch its surface. This will create a rounded top and lumpy bottom. Now put the dowh on a pizza peel or other work surface and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Then let it rest 40 minutes. Repeat this process with the remaining portion of dough and refrigerate it. Now place a broiler pan on the bottom of the oven. Then place a baking stone on the middle rack of the oven and put the oven on 450 degrees. Let the baking stone heat up at 450 for 20 minutes. Dust the dough with flour and slash the top with a serrated knife 3 times. Slide the dough onto the baking stone. The pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler pan and shut the oven quickly to trap the steam. Bake about 30 minutes or until it is well browned. Then let the loaf cool completely. This recipe will yield about 4 loaves of crusty bread.

How To Sell Your Gold Jewelry Without Getting Fleeced

If you've got old gold jewelry you'd like to sell, then forget about going to local jewelers or coin shops to get the best price. Most likely, you'll only get 50% of what it's really worth. If you deal directly with a gold broker or refiner, you can expect to get 90% of your gold's value. For starters, gold prices are quoted based on pure gold which is 24 karats. Most jewelry is 14 karat, and is valued at about 59% of the 24 karat price. Also, gold is measured in penny weights and 20 penny weights equals an ounce. To get 90% of your gold's value, you should deal with a reputable gold broker like www.USGoldBuyers.Com To deal with them , you don't have to visit them in person. Just call 877-977-GOLD and they'll arrange to have your jewelry picked up by FedEx and insured for $5,000. If you need more insurance, let them know. Once they receive your gold jewelry, you can can have them call you with a quote or have them send you an immediate check. If you don't like the price offered to you, they will ship your gold back to you at their expense. If you wish to visit them in person, US Gold Buyers is located at 62 W. 47th St, Suite 610, NY NY 10036. The local phone number is 212-764-7586.

Party Hardy For FREE in New York City

Mark "First Fridays" on your calendar and head over to the Asia Society & Museum,, 725 Park Ave, 212-288-6400. Cocktails are served FREE from 6 pm to 9pm at the Leo Bar. For more info see: www.AsiaSociety.Org Then go to the Whitney Museum Of American Art, 945 Madison Ave,800-944-8639. Pay whatever you wish from 6pm to 9pm and enjoy FREE live music and cocktails. For more info see: www.Whitney.Org But the most popular first Friday party with New Yorkers is the Guggenheim Museum, 1017 Fifth Ave, 212-423-3500For $25 you can enjoy FREE beer and wine and a prominent DJ from 9pm to 1am. Since its the most crowed venue, get there by 8:30 pm. For more info see: www.Guggenheim.Org If you're outside of Manhattan, check out the Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, 718-638-5000, www.BrooklynMuseum.Org The party starts on "First saturdays" 5pm to 11pm,FREE. Or try the Bronx Museum Of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse, 718-618-6000. Also on "First Fridays",from opeing time until 8pm. See: www.BronxMuseum.Org

How To Send Your Kid To Harvard For Peanuts

Very few people know that the same BA degree offered by Harvard to day students can be had at the Harvard night extension university for about 10% of the regular tuition. For instance, for day time classes, Harvard charges $4,000 per course. At the night extension university, the cost is just $550 per course! And compared to the tough entrance requirements of the day school, there are no requirements to get into the night school. One just has to have a high school diploma, be 17 years of age, and one must get a B- in three courses before one can enroll in the bachelor's program. Then a student must maintain a C average to stay in the program. Plus all night student graduates are eligible to apply to all Harvard graduate schools. In addition, 52 out of the 128 credits required for a BA degree must be taught by top notch Harvard professors. And the only difference between the day school diploma and the night school diploma is that one reads "Harvard College" and the extension school diploma reads "Harvard University". The downside of going to night school is that a student will not have the social interaction of the day school. However, a young student can network and make job connections with people already in corporate life and with diverse people from all backgrounds ranging from their late teens to 35 years of age or more. One way parents can get around the high cost of room and board in Cambridge, Mass is to buy a 2 family income property 20 or 30 minutes outside of Cambridge. One apartment can be rented to an outside tennant and one can be for your offspring. The outside tennant may pay all or part of the mortgage and property expenses. When your child is finished getting his or her degree, the property can possibly be sold at a profit or it can be turned into an income rental duplex that can be managed by a property management company. Sending your kid to Harvard night school has three more benefits. One third of the courses may be taken online which would cut down on travel expenses to and from the campus. Plus night courses are sometimes less demanding than courses taught during the day. That's because instructors realize that night students have pressing job and family obligations and hectic schedules that must be met. And depending how well your child does in school, he or she could work full or part-time during the day to help defray tution and living expenses. Besides Harvard, other "ivy league" schools like Columbia, Brown University and the University Of Pennsylvania offer similar opportunities. As you can see, it's a "win-win" situation for the student and the parents.

Best Sandwiches In The USA

AZ-Phoenix Cheese N Stuff, 5042 N. Central Ave, 602-266-3636 CA-Los Angeles Canter's DEli, 419 N. Fairfax 323-651-2030, LAs Nuevas, 3701 E. First 323-264-0678, CA-San Francisco Saigon, 560 Larkin St, 415-474-5698, CO-Boulder Jimmy & Drew's 2855 Twenty Eighth St, 303-447-3354, CT - Noank Abbott's, 117 Pearl St, 860-536-7719, CT -Stonington Cove Fish Market, 20 Old Stonongton Rd, 860-536-0061, CT - W. Hartford Restaurant Bricco, 78 La Sallle Rd, 860-233-0220, FL - Miami Latin America Cafeteria, 9796 Coral Way, 305-663-2600, La Sandwicherie, 229 Fourteenth St, 305-532-8934, IL- Chicago Al's, 1079 W. Taylor Ave, 312-226-4017, Borinquen, 1720 California Ave, 773-227-6038, OH -Cleveland Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Rd, 216-383-1124, Slyman's 3106 St. Clair Ave, 216-621-3760, Freddie's 1431 St. Clair Ave,216-575-1750, MA- Brookline Matt Murphy's, 14 Harvard St, 617-232-0188, OR - Portland Pine State Biscuits, Cor of SW Harriosn & Montgomery, Sat Only, No Phone ME- Southwest Harbor Little Notch Cafe, 340 MAin St, 207-244-3357, MI- Royal Oak Cafe Muse, 317 S. Washington AVe, 248-544-4749, MI- Ann Arbor Zingerman's , 422 Detroit St, 734-663-3354, NV - Las Vegas Restauarnt Guy Savoy, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd, 702-731-7731, NY - NYC Ino, 21 Bedford St, 212-989-5769, Katz's Deli, 205 E. Houston St, 212-254-2246, Manganero's 488 Ninth Ave, 212-563-5331, Manganaro's Hero Boy, 494 Ninth Ave, 212-947-7352, NC-Chapel Hill Allen & Sons BBQ 6203 Millhouse Rd, 919-942-7576, PA - Philadelphia John's Roast Pork, 14 E. Snyder Ave, 215-463-1951, PA-Pittsburgh Primanti Brothers, 46 Eighteenth St, 412-263-2142, RI -Providence East Side Pocket, 278Thayer St 401-453-1100, WA - Seattle Salumi, 309 Third Ave, 206-621-8772, Paseo, 4225 Freemont Ave North, 206-545-7446, VT - Brattleboro Vermont County DEli, 436 Western Ave, 802-257-9254, VT - Middlebury Noonie's Deli, 137 Maple St, 802-388-0014

How To Take Your Wedding Vows For Less

1. Venue The 3 main choices for a wedding venue are a hotel, banquet hall or outdoors. Outdoor weddings are the most costly. So consider using a banquet hall or a hotel. You can shave 20 to 25%off your bill if you have your wedding between November and April. Plus you'll save even more if you do it in January or February. To save even more money, have the wedding bewteen Monday and Thursday and you'll pay around $1,000 for a hall. 2.Flowers Most guests won't even remember your flowers so consider using candles or fruit arrangements instead of floral centerpieces. For bouquets,consider using roses. They grow everywhere, they keep their freshness and come in a variety of colors. You can use 5 roses for each bridesmaid and 12 for a bridal boquet. That should cut your floral budget down to $1.000 or less. 3.Catering A buffet dinner is less costly than a sit down dinner since wait staff adds 100 to $150 per person to the bill. Use the wedding cake as a dessert and you'll cut another 4 to $5 per guest off the bill. To save even more money, order a small decorative wedding cake for the cerimonial cutting and photo opts, and then serve the rest of the guests from sheet cakes in the kitchen. To avoid a big bar bill, offer beer, wine, champagne and/or a signature cocktail as an alternative. This could cut your booze bill from $10,000 to $3,000. 4. Dresses The wedding party's clothing can be 10% of your budget. To cut costs, choose synthetic fabrics instead of naturals since no one will be able to tell. Also, shop sample sales and don't be afraid to shop online. If you want a designer gown, rent it for $300 or less. These tips should cut your budget from $2,000 down to $500. 4. Music A live band can run $5,000 or more so opt for a dee-jay at around $1,000. As a plus, you'll have a pro who knows how to "work" a crowd and keep the party going.A lot of DJ's, bands and photographers work can be sampled at , and Today, an average wedding costs about $30,000. But with these tips, you can get by on $10,000.

10 Tips To Avoid Being Car Jacked Or Abducted

1. Your elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to an intruder, use it! 2. If a robber asks for your wallet or handbag, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM ! TOSS IT AWAY FROM HIM! Chances are he is more interested in your wallet or purse than you are, and he will go for the wallet or purse. THEN RUN LIKE HELL IN THE OTHER DIRECTION! 3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out of the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives! 4. If you're a woman, and you just got into your car after shopping, eating or working, STOP CHECKING YOUR MAKE UP, DOING YOUR CHECK BOOK, FIXING YOUR HAIR, OR ANYTHING ELSE! A predator may be waiting you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side of your car, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET IN YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE! 5. If someone is in your car and puts a gun to your head, DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead, GUN THE ENGINE AND CRASH INTO A THE NEAREST STATIONARY OBJECT ( a tree, a telephone pole, another parked vehicle) AND WRECK THE CAR! If the gunman is in the back seat, he will get the worst of it and your airbag will help you avoid injuries. AS SOON AS THE CAR CRASHES, BAIL OUT AND RUN! Its a lot better than having the police finding your body in a remote location. 6. When getting into your car in a parking lot or a parking garage, BE AWARE,LOOK AROUND YOU, LOOK INTO YOUR CAR AT THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR, AND IN THE BACK SEAT! If you're parked next to a big van, ENTER YOUR CAR FROM THE PASSENGER DOOR! Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle. If a man is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, walk back into the mall or work and get a security guard or a policeman to walk you back out. IT'S ALWAYS BETTER THAN TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY OR PARANOID THAN DEAD. 7. If a predator has a gun, and you are not under his control, RUN IN A ZIG-ZAG PATTERN! The predator will only hit you ( a moving target ) 4 in 100 times! And even then, it most likely will not be a vital organ. 8. If you're a woman, STOP BEING SYMPATHETIC! If may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man who always played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked women "for help" getting into or going to his vehicle. That's when he abducted his next victim. 9. ALWAYS TAKE THE ELEVATOR! Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and are the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at night! 10. Watch out for the crying baby scam! A woman called police and said she heard a "crying baby" out on her porch at night. The police told her whatever you do, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR! The police told her that there was a serial killer going around using the recording of a crying baby to lure women outside their houses! So don't open the door, unless you absolutely, positively know who is on the other side of the door!

11 Ways To Avoid Airline Delays

1.Allow Yourself More Time If you have to choose a connecting flight, choose a flight with at least a two hour layover. Any less time is cutting it too close. 2. Avoid Major Airports Use secondary airports like NY'S Long Island McArthur instead of Kennedy. Instead of San Francisco try Oakland or San Jose.Substitute Hobby for Bush International,and Dallas Love Field for Dallas/Ft. Worth. 3.Schedule Early In The Month Try to book your flights in the first 20 days of the month 4. Fly Only Non-Stop 5. Fly Out At Dawn Or The First Morning Flight 6. Get Sick If you're stuck on a plane for more than several hours, claim to be sick. Passengers who claim to be sick have to be let off the plane. 7. Carry A Video Camera Then interview the pilot as to the reason for the delay. Then threaten to post the video on YouTube. If the the airline calls the police, let them. It's not illegal to carry and use a video camera on a plane and the police might get you off a plane stuck at an airport. 8. Sue The Airline In 1999 passengers sued Northwest for false imprisionment and settled for 7 million. So claim false imprisionment and get results. 9. Take The Airline To Your Local Small Claims Court If an airline abruptly cancels your flight and leaves you stranded, sue em' for lodging, food and for tickets you have to purchase to get where your going. Chances are, they won't even show up in court and you'll win by default. 10. Ship You Bags Ahead Waiting for bags is a big time waster. So ship em' ahead via DHL, UPS or FedEx and get where your going fast. 11. Take The Train Whenever its practable, take Amtrak for short jaunts like Boston to NYC. In most cases, it's just as fast, more relaxing and cost about the same as a plane.

8 Ways To Avoid Holiday Flight Problems

1.Getting Bumped According to the U.S. Dept Of Transportation, if you're bumped involuntarily from a flight and you arrive between one and two hours late, you can collect up to $200 of a one way fare from your airline. 2. Invoke Rule 240 When an airline can't get you to where you want to go, and its their fault, Rule 240 says that the airline must pay for your flight on another carrier. 3 Beat Long Lines If your flight has been cancelled, forget about mobbing the gate with the other passengers. You can go to any one of your airlines other gates to cancel or confirm your new reservation. 4. Fly Early Flights between 6am and 7am have a 90% departure rate. But flights booked between 8 and 9pm have a 55% chance of being delayed. 5. Free Tickets If you give up your seat on an overbooked flight, airlines try to offer you a free space available standby ticket. You should refuse and ask for a confirmed round trip ticket that guarantees you an actual seat. 6. Cash In On Lost Luggage About 98% of all lost luggage is returned within a few hours. But if your bag turns up lost, make sure you inflate the dollar value of your bag contents by 30%. That's because airline depreciate the value estimate you give them by 30%. 7. Easy Check In If you haven't been assigned a seat, check in by phone or internet 24 hours before the flight. Some roomier seats like the exit rows are not assigned until the day of flight. 8. Wait In Comfort If you're flight is delayed, you should head straight for the arrival area. There, you'll find bigger seats to relax and more conveniences.

How To Be Treated Like A Star When Dining Out

1. Pick The Right Restuarant If famous people dine there, and you know about it,then avoid it like the plague. A good restauarnt doesn't want Hiltonesque publicity because it relies on discretion and a good reputation to keep busy. 2. Avoid Saturday Nights Many good restaurants equate Saturday night with amateur night. To be treated like a good friend, try to eat out on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. 3. Book A Table 30 Days In Advance You should make reservations at busy restuarants at least 30 days in advance. If you cannot make your reservation, call in advance and cancel. You'd be surprized at the number of good restuarants that keep your information and put you on a blacklist. 4. First Impressons Count If a hostess is rude or treats you with out care or concern,then leave the restaurant. It's just a sign that things will probably get worse. If you're table isn't ready,a good eatery will apologize, escort you to the bar, and quite often buy you a drink. 5. The Golden Rule If you want great service,don't act like a jerk and be nice to your waiter. 6. When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do If a place is famous for steak, order steak. If its seafood, order fish. If you want a heads up on the best menu items, say this to your waiter: "If I had one day to live, which entrees would you recommend ?" If you have special dietary requirements, speak up. However, don't try to design your own menu, mix and match items, or ask that foods be over cooked. It's OK to share food when you ask for extra plates. But don't ask for half orders. In better places, avoid taking home leftovers. It makes you look like a chump. A good rule of thumb is don't do anything you wouldn't do on a first date. 7. How To Order Wine Don't be afraid to tell the sommelier that you don't know much about wine. Most people don't. Just tell him what you're eating and ask for a suggestion. If you'd like a bottle of wine, say this: "Can you select a moderately priced wine for me to go with the meal? Since I don't know much about wine, an expensive bottle would be a waste on me." 8. Send It Back If your food was not prepared as ordered, or if there is something wrong with it, tell your waiter. A good restuarant will correct the error. If the wine doesn't taste right, make sure you point it out after the first sip. Also, don't take out wrongly prepared food out on your waiter. He or she didn't cook it. 9. Tips On Tipping If your meal was good, 20% should be the minimum if you want to return .If you want to become a regular,tip 30% to make a good impression. Keep in mind that tips are split among lots of people. However, if you tip above 50%, you'll look like a fool.

How To Cook The Perfect Steak

First, start out with a good cut of USDA "choice" or "prime" beef available at BJ'S, Costco or Sam's Club. Cut strip steaks or rib-eyes about 1 1/2 inches thick, and 2 1/2 inches for a filet mignon. Remove steaks from the frig for 1 to 2 hours before cooking and dry them with a paper towel. While the steaks are resting at room temperature, make a dry spice rub as follows: Combine 1/4 cup ancho chile powder, 1/4 cup finely ground espresso coffee beans, 2 tsp of sweet paprika, 2 tsp of dark brown sugar, 1 tsp of dry mustard, 1 tsp of salt,1 tsp of dried oregano, 1 tsp of ground corriander, 2 teaspoons of ground ginger in a bowl. This yeilds about 1 cup of dry rub which can be stored in a tight-lided jar in cool dry place. To omit the dry rub, you can just rub 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt for each side of the steak. To use the rub, omit the kosher salt. Apply the rub or the salt just before you're ready to start cooking. Pre heat the oven at 400 degrees with a rack set in the middle. If cooking outside, pre-heat the grill on high. Then heat a heavy cast iron skillet over medium high heat. The skillet will be ready when a few drops of water evaporate in 3 seconds. Then coat the bottom of the pan with 2 teaspoons of grapeseed or canola oil. Place the steaks in the pan or on the grill for 2 minutes on each side, flipping ONLY once using TONGS. Do not use a fork! During the searing, there will be some smoke. But the steaks are not burning. Its just smoke from the spice rub. If cooking outside, sear each side of the steak on the hottest part of the grill for 2 minutes on each side. Flip only ONCE using TONGS. While still in the pan, transfer the steaks to the oven and roast for 8 to 9 minutes on a 1 1/2 inch steak for medium rare. Transfer the steaks to a cooler part of the grill if cooking outside. Continue cooking for 8 or 9 minutes. An instant read thermometer will register about 125 to 130 degrees. When done, transfer the steaks with tongs and wrap them in a tent of aluminum foil. Then let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

How To Protect Yourself From Being Cheated By Property & Casualty Insurers

The PBS show Now revealed a distrubing trend by major property and casualty insurance companies. PBS demonstrated that after a disaster strikes, insurance companies try to pay as little and as late as possible. To protect yourself, you should first view the video or transcripts of the PBS show Now,Insurance 911. You can access the show at : http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/333/index.html To view the entire investigative report on the insurance industry by Bloomberg Market Magazine see: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601170&refer=home&sid=aIOpZROwhvNI# Also, see what steps you can take to protect yourself against home insurers at: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/homeowner/

How To Survive Terrorism & Natural Disasters

Anthrax If there is an anthrax attact, wait for instructions from authorities before taking antibiotics or cleaning your house or clothes. The drugs that treat anthrax can cause nausea, diarrhea or dizziness. Cleaning could stir up spores and raise your risk of infection. Symptoms to watch for are a raised rash that will develop a black scab. The first sign of anthrax inhalation mimics the flu with fever, headache, chills, vomiting,and chest or abdominal pain. The good news is the risk of anthrax attact is low since it requires an enormous amount of technical skill to produce it on a large scale. Also, when properly treated, it can be neutralized. Chlorine If there is a chlorine alert, head in doors. Then get into the shower since water will keep the vapors away from you. If you're outside, make a low tech gas mask out of a crumpled shirt to hold it over your nose and mouth. Wetting it will buy you more protection. Mild exposure to chlorine may cause slight choking or coughing. A strong dose will bring on nausea,dizziness, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest. High exposure causes the lungs to fill up with fluid making it difficult to breath. This can result in death. The risk of chlorine attact is high since there are 850,000 places in the US that store chemicals like chlorine. Plus there are thousands of truck that transport it around our highways everyday. The good news is that chlorine has a pungent odor and usually can't sneak up on you. There is no antidote for chlorine but medical treatment can help those exposed. Sarin If you suspect a sarin attact, hold your breath and head for the nearest exit. Once outside, forget your modesty and strip down to your underwear. Also make any victims you take with you strip off their clothes too. If you can find a public water fountain, bottled water or any water source, scrub your skin and hair. Also, don't leave the scene even if you think you're OK. That's because people can have delayed exposure symptoms and signs may be subtle. The good news is that the risk of sarin attact is low since its difficult to acquire and produce. Also, since it's like perfume, it quickly dissipates and its not inevitably fatal. Nuclear Suitcase Bomb If you're alerted to a dirty bomb going off, stay indoors. Draw your blinds and move away from the outer walls. If your building has a basement, go there immediately. If you can get a signal, attune to your local emergency broadcast. If you have to evacuate, get into your car and get out of the area. Drive at a right angle to the path of the cloud. And if its moving north to south, drive east to west. Signs of radioactive poisoning include reddening of the skin, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue and hair loss. Doctors can check your blood count to determine exposure. The good news is that such devices need periodic maintenance by highly skilled technicians so dirty bomb attacts may be unlikely. Plus you can ward off throid cancer by taking potassium iodide pills. They're available at most drug stores. Evacuation If you need to evacuate because of a natrual diaster, you need to create a back up plan in case of an emergency. Back Pack An emergency back pack should be ready to go at a moments notice. It should contain copies or a CD ROM of your birth and marriage certficates, ID, passports, home and life insurance policies, bank and medical records, deeds, miltary discharge, medicaid, medicare, vetran an other important papers. It should also contain prescription drugs, a mini first aid kit, $200 to $300 in one dollar bills,a prepaid phone card, waterproof matches, emergency flashlight with extra batteries, a signal whistle, a portable NOAA hand crank or battery operated radio, granola, nuts, snacks, bottled water, an extra set of keys to your house and car plus infant and pet neccessities. Car You car should contain local maps and a road atlas, writing supplies, paper cups, plates, plastic untensils, 2 gallon sof bottled water, hand sanitizer, a compact sleeping bag or blankets, plus dried fruit, granola or other light snacks. It should also contain a roll of toilet paper, a roll of paper towels, towelettes, a first aid kit, multitool knife, jumper cables, light sticks or road flares,and a tow line for hauling. Plus you should have a sweater, a waterproof jacket and an extra hat and shoes. Home When planning for home emergency supplies, keep in mind that a family of 4 consumes 51,000 calories and 14 gallons of water per week! Keep at least 1 gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation. Filling up a 50 gallon bathtub with water will last up to 12 days.Home supplies should include plastic sheeting, duct tape, clothes,canned or dried food and pet food, and a three day supply of bottled water.Figure on 1 gallon of water per person per day plus a few gallons of bleach and and eye dropper to purify water. You'll also need a manual can opener,plastic and paper utensils, a latern, candles, matches, a hand crank radio, dust masks, flashlights and batteries, heavy gloves, rope, fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and manual, toiler paper, a bucket and hand and power tools. You should also call your utility company before disaster strikes so you can learn how to stuff off the gas, the water and the electric in five minutes. Most gas valves are located outside and require a wrench for shutoff. Its a good idea to locate your main water valve and mark it so you can shut it off in an emergency. To shut off your electric, locate the circuit box and shut off the main breaker. If there is standing water near the service panel or circuit box , DO NOT TOUCH IT! Communication Keep a card with an updated list of family contacts in your wallet, backpack and car at all times. Make sure each family member carries the number of a familly member or trusted friend 50 miles away in case the phones are out. If your family members get seperated, you can form a circle or hub of communication by keeping in touch through a 3rd party. Technology Scan bank, medical,tax, property, ID, marriage, birth, military, insurance and other important records on your home computer. Then burn this info onto a CD ROM or DVD. Then keep back up copies of the CD ROM or DVD in a safe deposit box with the original documents or with a trusted family member. Also, keep a copy of the CD in your emergency backpack or car. Hidden Water Hidden water can be collected from your home pipes. Close the main water valve and open a top floor faucet to let the air out. Then draw water from the lowest faucet in the house. Another source of water is the hot water heater. A 30 gallon tank holds enough water to supply a family of 4 for one week. Keep in mind a natural disaster can sometimes foul up the water supply. So make sure you filter any water before you drink it. Purifying Water To treat contaminated water, rain water, moving stream or clear lake water, filter it through a paper towel, clean cloth or coffee filter to remove debris. Then boil it or sterilize it with 16 drops of household bleach per gallon of water. Wait 30 minutes before drinking. Power When the electric goes out, an unpowered frig can keep food up to 4 hours. Frozen food will last up to 2 days. If you have doubts about freshness, use a food thermometer. Anything above 41F should be trashed. Fruit can last at room temeprature up to 7 days. If unopened, dried pantry foods can last about six months and canned and jar goods can last up to one year. A 900 watt generator will run a dorm frig and seven 60 watt bulbs and burn 2.5 gallons of gas per 24 hours. A 4000 watt generator will run a full size frig, some lights , a coffee maker or a well pump. It will burn 12 gallons of gas per 24 hours. An 8000 watt generator will run a well pump, coffee maker, full size frig , lights, sump pump or the central air unit. It will burn 26 gallons of gas in 24 hours ! Always keep a generator at least 10 feet from the house. Also, because of carbon monoxide poisoning, never run a generator in a garage, under a deck, or enclosed. Also, you should have an electrican install a transfer switch on your generator to prevent electric going back on the grid. This will prvent utility workers from getting harmed when trying to repair a local line. Survival Supplies A good source of survival supplies at reasonable prices is: www.QuakeKare.Com

Earn 18% On Your Money Guaranteed

Six in ten people carry a balance on their credit cards at an interest rate of 18% or higher. So if you have an extra $1,000 to spend, then use it to pay off a high interest credit card. If your intertest rate is 18%, you'll save a cool $180 and make 18% on your payment investment!

Why Time Shares Are A Poor Investment

Buying a timeshare could be one of the worst investments you could make. Instead of paying $15,000 to $75,000 for a time share, put the money in a vacation fund. The yield will pay for stays at comparable hotels and you won't lose your principal. And you won't be stuck paying annual maintenance fees of $700 to $1500 if you don't use the timeshare in a given year. If you're tempted to buy a timeshare, keep in mind that the same unit is being sold up to 26 times (two weeks for each buyer). Then ask yourself if you would consider a total purchase price of $400,000 to $2 million. If not, walk away.

28 Red Hot Travel Tips

1.Dump Your Foreign Currency When checking out at your hotel, first pay your bill with foreign bills and coins, then pay the balance with your credit card. 2. Get Free Web Access If you don't have a laptop, Sears and Kmart have free interent access in CA, HI and 15 other states. Or visit the local public library or the nearest junior or 4 year college library. 3. Pack A Small Portable AM-FM Radio On A Caribbean Cruise AM signals travel easily over water and you'll get to listen to lots of different island music while the ship is in port. 4. Pack A Rubber Jar Opener It works better than tape roller lint brush and takes up hardly an room. 5. Check Out A Hotel,Charter Package Or Cruise Ship Before You Book Ask the hotel or resort whether there will be a wedding or a convention during your stay. On a ship, ask how mature or young the crowd will be, whether there will be singles or children present. For detailed info on cruises, check:www.CruiseCrtic.Com When shopping for cruises, check out www.CruisesOnly.Com ,www.CruiseStar.Com and www.Cruise411.Com If you don't get the price you want, then let cruise brokers fight over you at www.CruiseCompete.Com Brokers bid against each other for your business and you are under no obligation to buy anything! If you book a cruise, make sure you arrive at the port the night before the ship leaves. If your flight gets delayed because of bad weather, the ship will leave without you and it's up to you to catch up. 6. Passport Safety Besides making a copy of your passport, scan it and e-mail it and your itinerary to yourself and someone back home. That way you can always access a copy online. 7. Don't Trust Hotel Ratings 100% Sometimes the difference between a 3 star hotel and a 4 star hotel is a phone in the bathroom. Plus some online hotel photos may date back 20 years, may hide construction, rooms may seem bigger than they are or the room pictured is far better then the one you booked.Always check out what other travelers had to say at: www.TripAdvisor.Com 8. Always Join Loyalty Programs Make it a point to join FREE car rental, hotel or airline or airport lounge loyalty programs even if you just use it one time. You get better treatment and way faster check in and check out times. 9. How To Bid On Priceline Priceline is best for hotels in big cities but stay clear of 2 stars hotels or less. For best results, bid on business hotels for weekend stays,at resort towns for weekday stays,and anywhere off season. To see successful Priceline bids, check out: www.BiddingForTravel.Com c 10.Charter Tour Operators & Consolidators May Have Cheapest Flights Tour operators like Apple, Funjet and Vacation Express that sell packages also sell flights seperately. The downside is that they only leave once a week. So if you miss your flight, you're out of luck. Consolidators buy airlines seats in blocks and re-sell them at a discount. One of the best is www.1800FlyEurope.Com 11. How To Override A Travel Vendor's Voicemail If you get an operator that sounds like an idiot or a jerk, just hang up before you give your name or use a fake name and hang up. Wait a few minutes and then call back. Or visit:www.GetHuman.Com 12. Delete Your Cookies Make sure you delete your cookies every time you visit a travel website. This will keep the site from giving you the same price each time you visit. 13. Always Confirm Always confirm all your reservations, rates, perks and cancellations with a confirmation number and an e-mail. If you don't have proof in writing, it's tough getting a charge off your credit card. 14. Never Pay Cash Never pay cash or even make partial deposits in cash for travel. Always use a credit card. If the tour operator goes broke or something goes wrong, you've got recourse. Always try to use your American Express or Discover card when booking travel. They have a better track record of siding with consumers involving any dispute as compared to other cards. 15. Always Insure Your Trip Even if you are flying within the US and staying with friends or relatives, insure your trip. Reason? In a medical or dental emergency, your health insurance may not cover you outside of your home state. If you get sick or break your leg, you may not want to recover in a hospital hundreds of miles from home. So you may need a medical airlift to your home state. That can easily cost 10 to $25,000. When going abroad, it's imperative to have medical, dental and airlift coverage in a foreign country. Plus new trip insurance policies allow you cancel for any reason including terrorism. The best site to compare costs and buy insurance is: www.InsureMyTrip.Com 16. Never Check Your Bags In this age of terrorism, checking bags and lost luggage are a huge hassles and big time wasters at airports and on criuse ships. Learn to pack light and do laundry at your destination. The other advantage is that you can check in and print your boarding pass 24 hours before you arrive at the airport. Then you can avoid the long check-in lines and go straight through security. If you have to check your bag, mark it with a colorful strap or sticker and take a photo of the bag in case it gets lost. Or you can ship your bags ahead to your hotel or destination via Fed Ex. If you do this yourself, you'll save 50% of what a baggage forwarding service would charge. When you carry your own bags, you can walk right off a plane or a ship and head for home immediately.17. How To Get A Good Seat Always reserve a specific seat when you book a flight or package. Visit www.SeatGuru.Com to check out a plane's worst and best seats. If you end with a bad seat, try to switch to a better one at check-in. If that doesn't work try again at the gate and again when you board the plane. 18. Breeze Through Airport Security At home ,place gels and liquids in 3 oz containers and put them in a quart-sized Ziploc bag. Wear slip on shoes, and wear socks. When your 3 people from the front of line, remove everything except your ID and boardpass from your pockets, remove your shoes, take off your jacket and remove your laptop from your bag. You'll breeze right through. 19. Avoid Upscale Hotels Upscale hotels usually charge for phone calls, internet, breakfast, the gym and more. If you book an upscale hotel on the cheap, make sure you inquire as to what's included. Mid range hotels like Holiday Inn Express, Four Points By Sheraton,Coutyard by Marriott, and Hampton Inn include lots of perks for free. 20. Avoid Room Service & Mini Bars Room service food is just fair, over priced and may take forever. To chill out in your room, whip out the phone book and either have a pizza or some other take out delivered to your room. It's way cheaper and faster. Plus don't touch anything in the mini -bar. Modern mini-bars have sensors that know when you remove something. 21. Be Safe Always use the hotel safe to store extra cash, jewelry , airline tickets, and other valuables. And always make it a point to use a money belt even when traveling in the US. 21. Car Rental Tips Alays reserve the least expensive model. If they don't have your car, rental companies always upgrade you to a better model for free. Prepaid gas is for people with expense accounts. Always gas up before you turn your car in. In general, unmarried couples can often skip the extra driver fee. Laws vary by state so make sure you tell the clerk you are domestic partners. Always turn down CDW or collison damage waiver fees. Its a big money maker for car rental companies at $10 to $20 daily. Always use a credit card that covers this for free. Also, if your car insurance policy has collision, you may be covered to drive any car. Ask your insurance company or agent before you book a car. 22. Airline Passenger Rights If you're bumped from a domestic flight and you get on another flight within two hours, the airline must pay you the equivalent of a one-way fare or $200 maximum. If it's more than two hours they got to cough up to $400. Voucher are an option too. If your checked bag is delayed, the airline must cover expenses for toiletries and clothing until it delivers the bag to you. For a lost bag, the carrier must reimburse you up to $3,000. If your hotel is overbooked, it must find you a comparable room nearby at no extra charge. 23. Free Or Low Cost Airport Parking Airport parking frees run about $140 a week or $20 a day. Sometimes, you can park at the far end of an airport hotel parking lot and no one will bother you. Just park your car on the property, and take the hotel shuttle bus to your airline terminal. If that's not an option,go to www.AirportParkingReservations.Com for a list of off-site, low cost parking lots. 24. Try Bribery If you need a special favor, try slipping the front-desk clerk , maitre'd or other service personnel at $20 bill. It goes a long way. But just don't try it with cops, custom or border agents. You might end up in jail. 25. Document Eveything Buy a digital camera with a minimum of one gigabite of memory or make sure your cell phone has a camera. If that's not an option, then buy a disposable flash or video camera at CVS. Then you can snap before pictures of damage to your rental car before you sign off on it, how full the gas tank was when you returned the car, where you parked your car, a ferry schedule or roaches or bed bugs in your hotel room. You can always delete digital photos later. PS The diriest item in any hotel room is the bedspread. As soon as you enter your room, take it off and put it in the corner. If you see bed bugs in your bed, demand a refund, and leave the hotel. If you bring them home, bed bug infestations are difficult to eradicate.26. Avoid Long Lines Some museums such as the Louve in Paris, have more than one entrance. The lesser known ones often have shorter lines. Also, you can purchase tickets at locations other than the end of a long line at the front door. Tickets for Versailles can be purchased in advance at Fnac record stores in France. In Rome, tickets pourcahsed at the Palatine Museum lets you walk right in the Colosseum. Check various guide books for tips before you go. 27. Buy City Passes Most major cities sell ciy passes to majot attractions. For instance, a NYC pass costs $53. But that good for five diferent major attractions that sell for $100 if purchased seperately. 28. Bring It Home Tax Free When returning to the US, Americans can bring back $800 of goods for personal use without paying duties or taxes. For a couple, that's $1600 in tax free goods! You can also send $200 worth of goods per day to yourself at a US address. That's $400 a day for a couple. You can also send duty-free gifts worth up to $100 per person per day to friends and relatives in the US. Keep in mind that shipping rates will vary depending on the country your mailing from. So compare postal rates and insurance to FedEx and UPS rates from the county of origin.

Best Dry Barbeque Rub

Mix 1/2 cup paprika, 1/4 cup chili powder, 3 tablespsoons salt, 2 tablespoons ground corriander, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 2 tablespoons curry powder,2 tablespoons of hot mustard powder, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 tablespoon dired thyme, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, and 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper in a bowl. Mix well and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place aay from heat and light.