Gift Wrapping Paper - Bulk Wrapping Papers

Author : Robert Lovelace

Got a gift or box that needs wrapping? Sometimes its hard to know which paper is right for the job. Papers that can be used to give a natural look to gift wrapping are so called because of their natural color. Common looking and inexpensive papers like newsprint, butcher and craft papers are usually thought of as protective rather than decorative. But these utilitarian papers work very well with certain art techniques and may be the answer for gift as well as bulk wrapping.There are countless ways to transform this type of utility paper into wrapping paper and can be the answer for large, bulky gifts. Stamping and stenciling are two that will work very well with this type of paper. Mix some colors and go to work, experimenting first on scrap paper until you are satisfied. Earth colors like reds, greens and burnt oranges will do just fine. Pull out some drawers and start looking for things suitable for stamping. Try a piece of corrugated cardboard or other patterns that can be used. Handy potatoes and erasers, of course, can be used to make your own shapes. If you are new to this, try cutting shapes with open areas in your stamped creations that can be later hand tinted or filled in with colored pencil. Making a two-part stamp is another nice technique. Printing say, adjoining flower and leaf in different colors.Newsprint is rather delicate and you will find that it tears easily- so handle gently when wrapping. Its not good with water either. Chalk will do well but will need a coat of clear fix to prevent smudging. Newspapers, especially foreign language along with sports and comic pages, can give an unusual effect. Add your own word balloons or translations for fun.Craft paper can be useful for wrapping gifts. Similar in texture to newsprint but a heavier weight, it can create a nice effect. You are probably familiar with this brownish colored paper used to wrap postal packages including bulk mailings. More sturdy than newsprint, it works well for fall and winter wraps. Some embellishments just naturally work with this type of paper. Pine cones, acorns and fall leaves are a natural. Leaves can be traced on colored paper and lightly shaded with spray paint or colored pencil for a nice effect. Orange, green and burgundy make nice accent colors. Look around for other possibilities. Nature offers many opportunities for being creative. Take advantage of these abundant, low-cost offerings. Or, be your own postal carrier and embellish your gift with exotic handmade stamps and cancellations. Abundant images of imaginary birds, colorful seashells, ocean-bound steamships and planes can be used to suggest the exotic and make your wrap a fun project. Butcher paper, in tan and white is another fall natural that is sturdy and usually sold in wide rolls for large bulky boxes. Sometimes found in individual sheets or bundles. A favorite of retailers of glass ware and china, its relative smooth surface takes many techniques like stencil and stamping. Be creative - go natural. Gift wrapping is a time to be creative. We offer lots of examples that will add to the anticipation and delight of any gift giving occasion. A site dedicated to showing you how put a personal touch to your gift wrapping ideas and gift cards.http://www.gift-wrapping-ideas.com

Category : General Consumer: Gifts and Collectibles

Top 8 Life Insurance Mistakes to Avoid

Author : Katherine Ly

Mistake #1

Don't forget to update the beneficiaries on your life insurance
policies regularly. Update it every few years or when there's a
major life event such as marriage, divorce, new babies, death of
beneficiary, etc. I hear sad stories all the time from people
who's husband, father, or wife forgot to update the beneficiary
on their policy. Instead of the deceased's family getting the
money it's some ex-wife, ex-husband, cousin, distant relative,
ex-girlfriend and the current family and kids are left
penniless. That's tragic.

Mistake #2

It's important to not let your life insurance lapse when you're
switching bank checking accounts. Most people have their life
insurance premiums taken out by EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer)
every month and forget to notify the insurance company of this
change. And guess what? Murphy's law strikes when you least
expect it and can't afford it. It's a high chance that something
will happen when you've been paying 20 years for insurance and
then when it has lapsed for 3 months there's a car accident.
Notify the insurance company when closing and switching bank
checking accounts.

Mistake #3

When requesting life insurance quotes most people aren't aware
that they don't have to set up an appointment with the first
agent that calls to give them a quote. You can receive a quote
over the phone or through email. And you don't have to buy life
insurance from the first Insurance Agent you talk to. It's ok to
shop around, but please be polite when you turn down the other
agents. Selecting an Insurance Broker is often easier than
working with an agent that only represents one life insurance
company. A broker will try to find the lowest rate for you and
the best policy to fit your situation. An agent that only works
for one company called a "captive agent" can only offer you the
products from that one company.

Mistake #4

Buying life insurance that does not require a medical exam. It's
often 2-3 times the price of normal life insurance and not worth
it if you are perfectly healthy. A medical exam can be
inconvenient but it can save you several hundred of dollars a
year. Now think of how much you can save if you multiply that by
30 years or whatever length you plan to keep that life insurance
policy.

Mistake #5

Buying the life insurance policy with the intent to commit
suicide. Ok, this is silly but there are people that face
depression and have suicidal thoughts. First, this idea isn't
going to pay because most insurance company and policies have
this suicide clause that states if you commit suicide within the
first 2 years the company won't pay the death claim. Don't do
it, please get help if you are thinking this.

Mistake #6

Canceling your old life insurance policy when you're purchasing
a new life insurance policy with another company but the new
policy hasn't been issued yet. Wait until you have received the
new policy before canceling your old one. You don't want a few
months where you don't have life insurance. You don't know what
can happen during that time.

Mistake #7

Not getting enough life insurance coverage. It's hard to
understand why some people would spend money to buy
$10,000-50,000 of life insurance. That is such a small amount,
certainly not enough to pay off a mortgage, send a kid to
college, pay off loans or debts, and can't support someone for a
few years. At least find out how much it cost for
$250,000-300,000 of coverage. It may be cheaper than you think.

Mistake #8

Lying on the life insurance application. The insurance companies
have a way of finding things out. If you lie on the application
then insurance company may not pay the death claim and just
refund the premiums if they find out. Be honest about all
medical conditions and list all the medication you're taking.

Category : VOIP

Links Exchange - a Hazardous Business?

Author : Per Dindorp
So we gather in all the relevant information we can possibly find, and include it in all the right places, taking great care in linking our pages properly, optimise each page in turn with a list of ‘keywords’ - and making sure that the most relevant keywords are reflected in each pages ’title tags’..After having done everything we can possibly think of ‘at home’, - we become aware of the importance of having ‘inbound links’ from other websites, especially from ones of a similar nature to our own little masterpiece, - how a multitude of other sites referring to our site can ultimately make our site look more important to a search engines ‘spider’, and therefore gain in stature within the index of the search engine and move closer to the top of the list of results presented.At this point we’ll probably come to the conclusion, that the least time consuming way to achieve these ‘inbound links’ is by joining one of the many links exchange programs available on the internet, - such as LinkMarket or InfoWizards â€" to find other like-minded souls, who are also looking for fresh links into their websites.These are free to join â€" although they promote paid options as well â€" and on the whole work well by letting you (and other webmasters) peruse a list of sites that actively engage in one-for-one exchanges of links with their sites. â€" You look at the classified listings in their directory, decide which sites you would like to ‘partner with’, tick a box to apply for an exchange, - which will automatically then be ‘proposed’ to the other sites owner for them to decide whether to ‘partner’ with you or not, and if they accept your proposal you’ll be notified and asked to put up a link from your site to theirs.At this point one could easily get carried away thinking: - YES! Recognition at last.
And - sadly - it appears that many webmasters â€" especially of commercial sites â€" factor this into their thinking. Knowing that â€" as the proposer â€" you must link to them first, they’ll either take a very long time to put up a link for your site - (months) â€" or simply not bother at all, hoping that you’ll forget about it as you’re busily chasing after more sites to exchange with.Well â€" you’ve now been warned â€" DO NOT forget about it. Having put your link up to their sites, - give them SOME time â€" say a couple of weeks â€" to respond.But - remember: all the time you’re waiting, your links to them are likely to be producing benefits for their sites, - and if enough suckers do this, they will - in total â€" have many hundreds of inbound links, for which they are not providing any return benefits at all, - thereby gaining much in Page Rank for no loss of their own!Keep your wits about you. Before proposing or accepting a trade of links visit their site and check if there is a link from their Main Page to wherever they have their out going links. Then visit the links pages â€" be sure to keep an eye on the address bar in your browser â€" many, many sites are now engaged in the practice of having their links on a different site to the one you’re linking to, which again - usually - is an attempt to gain an unfair advantage on you.One exception would be, where they are engaging in a proper 3 way exchange simply in order for the search-engines not to detect the fact that links are being reciprocated, - which is a good idea as long as both sites on offer are ‘proper’ sites, - but they should be honest and tell you about this up front! All too often you’ll find sites that are nothing but a device for providing ‘cheap’ return links to the likes of you and me.Also on the increase are sites that will put up your link pretty smartly, often from a well rated page, but then after a week or two, - having allowed you to verify that your link is where you were told it would be â€" guess what? It disappears again. What a surprise!A possible tell-tale sign for you to beware of, would be sites showing a high Google PR, whilst having a very few outbound links on their links pages. I have seen quite a few sites with PR[6] or more and less than 50 outbound links in their directory!One must ask hard questions like: Are they really that good, that thousands of sites would be linking to them without a return link??
- or: Is the content that good and original, that it would warrant that high a rating simply for quality reasons, - considering that most sites struggle to achieve PR[3] or PR [4]??All this having been said, don’t be put off, - just keep your wits about you and ask yourself pertinent questions, and â€" most importantly: check, check and check again . .
The ‘smarter’ Google gets, - the harder some people will be trying to con you.- just an afterthought:Although we are told that the Google search engine increasingly tend to ‘discount’ â€" (for Page Rank purposes) - links that are reciprocated in this way, they should nevertheless be worthwhile for another reason: - they guide the search engine’s spider back into your site for another quick scan each time that page is visited, thereby helping any new content added or any changes to your site to be discovered and indexed that much quicker than if left to it’s own devices.Per Dindorp created and maintains a number of popular tourism orientated sites in and about Somerset, - UK including http://www.bath4u.com/
Category : Golf

Zoar

Author : Patricia Nordman
"Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it...it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared" (Genesis 19:20).Poor Lot still hadn't learned his lesson about the city. Above all, he hadn't learned about faith. Here he was offered an appointed mountain of refuge, but he complained that it was too far off and he wouldn't make it. He wanted to take the convenient way out; Lot always seemed concerned about his comfort. Nothing is noted here about any concern for those left behind. Lot is beginning to sound like the rest of us!We all ask at some time for a safer and more expedient refuge. After all, who wants to leave all behind to head up to a lonely mountaintop, even when we know the God of mercy is there? There is much advantage and abundance in the city, so who of us wants to flee to the unfamiliar? But sometimes God requires us to head out and up, and quickly. A blaze of anguish consumes the margins and rushes us into the nucleus; "Flee for your lives! Don't look back and don't stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" (Genesis 19:17).But our so-human nature heads for a Zoar. We are reluctant to give all and to accept all; to remember that all things work together for good. God wants us to leave our molehills of doubts--our secret reservations about His love and commitment--and ascend to the holy mountain of His certainty. But we beg, as did Lot, what can be so wrong about a Zoar? Perhaps nothing, but it is a compromise instead of a promise; another stopping-off place of temptation that we have chosen instead of our Father who knows better what is best for us. It is a place to give birth to our Moabs and Ammonites, more sinful beginnings.
Category : Self-Improvement:Inspirational

10 Innovative Game Features

Author : Winston Malton
Watch yourself struggle, sweat, collapse as you turn your video game console into a personal trainer.Here are ten ways the latest development by Eye-Toy technology is doing away with the couch-potato stigma that's commonly attached to gaming, and developing the hottest new innovation moving the video game industry right now.1. Dubbed Eye-Toy Kinetic, the game assesses your weight and your height to devise a workout for you. In some cases it will even devise a certain number of calories to burn. It designs a personalized physical training or workout program. You can customize your workouts to make it suitable for getting you in shape, losing weight, or toning your muscle. It feature exercises from four different disciplines, four exercise zones available to you: cardio, combat, toning, and mind & body, such as meditation and yoga.2. You go at your own pace and monitor your progress along the way. It will also take advantage of the PS2's internal clock to keep you on a regimented 12-week workout. It's not a game so much as a virtual home fitness center and cheaper than a gym membership.3. You interact with one of two virtual fitness trainers to keep you motivated. One is male, the more gung-ho type with his loud fitness platitudes, and one is female, the more reassuring of the two. Miss a workout and expect to get an earful from one of them.4. This game technology requires a user to step face to face with the screen used with a console. A minicamera beneath the screen to project your image onto the screen and allow you to capture a full range of motion onscreen. It will use the EyeToy peripheral to actually track your activity and motion.5. A boxing match places you in the center of your TV screen and pits the virtual you against a Mr. Universe. Another challenging game has you facing off with an likeness of yourself, punching balls coming at you on the screen, while steering clear of other ones. Here you are playing the game with real punches that tire a you out, jumping on a small mat. You work up a good sweat.6. Exercise different muscles, muscles that you don't normally use. Staying fit is the name of this game. It's a good cardiovascular workout. You work up a light sweat, be short of breath, and sweaty at the brow after punching for almost 10 minutes.7. The exercise factor has become a hot new selling point. Manufacturers' biggest problem is getting women more interested in gaming. Now, for the first time, they are going to see it. It's made for all fitness abilities. For example, in one three-minute exercise you beat back punching bags coming towards you from the four corners of the screen. This could be accomplished either through precise punching and kicking or wild flailing; either way, you burn calories. It's fairly intense as the bags coming at you faster and faster.8. It would allow players to have their body interact with the machine, instead of twiddling a joystick wiht buttons. The next wave in video gaming is all about bombarding your senses with real sensations. So plan on throwing away your old plastic joysticks.9. Eye-Toy isn't only for virtual boxing; it comes in versions that include ping-pong and even dancing in a dance studio or a Zen garden.10. Games do not have to be an unhealthy exercise. Now you can finally put a video game to work for you with EyeToy. Appease your addiction to games with your body's need for exercise.Winston Malton is dedicated to offering news, articles, and instruction on all types of games. You have a definite choice in how you play! Visit http://www.askfreegame.com for more information.
Category : Computers-and-Technology:Games

Wireless Headsets

Author : Josh Riverside

Wireless headsets are headphones that are not physically connected to the main device with a wire. These headsets use radio or infrared waves to receive signals from the main source. They provide extremely flexibility to do anything while wearing them-walk, jog, skate or even ski. Wireless headsets are becoming fairly common even for household use like watching TV or listening to music. Since they are not connected by cords to the main equipment, they allow flexibility to move around and do things like cooking, exercising or any other household chores. Some wireless headsets use infrared rays for receiving signals, like a remote control. These have a limited range of receiving of a maximum of 30 feet. Cordless headphones, on the other hand, use radio waves. The headset should be adjusted in frequency with the base station so as not to interfere with other devices. These headsets have a greater frequency of up to 2.4 GHz and can reach up to 300 feet. When buying a wireless headset consider the following: is it comfortable? Does it stay securely in place for long hours? Is the microphone flexible and unobtrusive? Are the volume and other controls easily accessible? Is the sound quality on both the lines clear?Most wireless headsets these days come with advanced features like standard/voice tube/ noise canceling, the solution type (telephone use/ mobile use/ headset adapter/headset accessory), the kind of ear piece (monaural/binaural), the kind of phone or computer connection to be used with the headset (Bluetooth, USB, 3.5mm/ Analog), the compatibility (to music), the kind of computer usage (VoIP, Computer Gaming), the range of bass/treble, the speaker power, etc. The kind of battery should also be considered since the length of use is dependent on the strength of the battery. Some wireless headsets use rechargeable batteries. The leading manufacturers of wireless headsets are Plantronics, GN Netcom, Headsets.com, Sennheiser, Jabra, and Sony. The Internet is a good source for locating the ideal wireless headset. There are several web sites that provide comprehensive information about the wide range of wireless headsets available in the market today. Manufacturers also provide the support of online specialists to help you select the best headset, including discounts and warranties. Wireless Headsets provides detailed information on headsets, wireless headsets, phone headsets, aviation headsets and more. Wireless Headsets is affiliated with Telecom Audits Info.

Category : General Art & Entertainment: Music

Government Procurement Connections 2005 Igniting - City, State and Global Opportunities: Creating Capacity A Solution to Success

Author :

METRO will embark on a $7.5-billon expansion and the Port of Houston is looking to award more than $30 million in Bayport terminal contracts. These are just two of the substantial opportunities available for business owners to plug into at the GPC 2005. Government Procurement Connections (GPC) 2005 represents a full day of intergovernmental cooperation and one-stop shopping for information regarding contracting opportunities. GPC is a thirteen-year strategic alliance with the City of Houston, Harris County, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Department of Veteran Affairs Office Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization, State of Texas, Houston Federal Executive Board, and Port of Houston Authority. This exciting one-day event on Wednesday, March 30th, is expected to draw more than 3,000 small business owners and more than 500 purchasing representatives from various entities to the George R. Brown Convention Center. There will be a Golf tournament, Sponsor reception, awards luncheon and technology forum between Monday, March 28 and Wednesday, March 30th.Dynamic speakers will present informative workshops and seminars on a variety of topics. These seminars show participants how to gain a competitive edge, master the maze of governmental contracting, identify funding sources, as well as, learn about new government programs. Frank Wilson, CEO of METRO will be our awards Luncheon speaker. Kase Lawal, CEO of Camac Holdings will speak at our sponsors reception.All local, county and state dignitaries have been invited to take part in the official kickoff as well as a host of GPC 2005 sponsors. The fair is free and open to everyone, and promises to be one of the most beneficial events a small business owner can attend. For additional information, contact Darian Ward (713) 628-0142, Phillip Yelder 713/837-9027 or visit our web site at <a href="http://www.houstongpc.com" target="_blank">www.houstongpc.com</a>.

Category : General Psychology