Archive for June, 2008

The Expanding Universal Real Property Marketplace – Served by The PropertyIndex.com Company

Friday, June 20th, 2008

Need specialist advice for property in Spain? View the PropertyIndex site to find lots of properties!

Even if PropertyIndex.com is a recent business, (they were set up only in March 2007), they were fast to establish themselves. They’re a extraordinarily unceremonious business dedicated to offering instruction to every client who is planning to rent, buy, sell etc. real estate assets across the world. They affirm to lend you a hand to uncover bang-on what you need fast and, likewise, easily. Realty is available for the asking wherever you want in our times, one of the most exclusive areas being properties on the market in Spain. It should be quite easy to determine the fun land you can purchase in Spain, the argument for looking into properties here is real property available for sale and the option of living amongst such a lively and lively populace.

It is one of the truly trendy areas in our times, and considering the overall attractiveness and weather surrounding you, how could you ever go wrong. Realty in Spain is steeped in history, this geographical region has long been home to various sophisticated civilizations. Some 25 years ago you would find merely a tiny number of English keen on land in Spain. Just ask any one single person who has chosen to remove to Spain and they will corroborate it. There’s many people who would would view it as a plain fashion and others would view it as a that’s quite a fixation! Shoppers who are intent on moving to this area extend from young couples in search of a bit of a new perspective to older clients who intend to chill out and enjoy themselves.

Note, however, that you may encounter some complications when purchasing land overseas — expectably there will be dozens of heterogeneous steps be it when organising, sightseeing or buying. Even if just a single minor procedure is missed this can initiate overwhelming complications and, more important, loss of money. Obviously and expectably with this trendy region, land may well be rather high priced in this place and that is naturally due to the high market pressure. However, the property buyer is particular in a place so rich in shining view. It indeed has the whole thing just about anyone might itch for etc.

Brake Calipers, Car Blogs, and You

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

If you are big fan of the internet, as I am, you likely appreciate having access to much of the information you read online. Where else can you find information that is accurate, easily obtainable, and above all else: free? The library, perhaps. Still, reading some of the car blogs out there can be a risky proposition especially if you are prone to taking everything you read as the “gospel truth.”

Blogging certainly is fun and it is all the rage. You don’t have to know how to design web sites and you don’t even have to know how to write especially well. Therein lies the rub. Over the past several months I have had occasion to read information that is not only suspect, but downright inaccurate. Of course, if the writings are simply someone’s opinion about something that is one thing. However, when the writings give explicit instructions [or leave out pertinent information] on how to fix something, such as brake calipers, those instructions must be correct otherwise the reader could be obtaining information that isn’t just factually wrong, but dangerous.

Concerning brake calipers, if you are blogging about brakes, please make certain that when you discuss a brake inspection that you include brake calipers in the discussion along with pads, rotors, ABS, and more. Yes, a reputable mechanic will check all of that out, but diminishing that information in your blog entry can make the reader think that a brake caliper isn’t important. Indeed, they are important: brake calipers squeeze the brake pads onto the rotor to stop your car. Over time, brake caliper seals can wear out and your car can lose its braking capability.

I have several rules I follow when reading stuff online, particularly that which is posted on blogs:

1. Who is the author? Is that information given or is it someone simply posting anonymously?

2. Who manages the blog? Does this person know cars or not?

3. What is the source of the quoted information? Is it from another author or is it simply company material regurgitated for all to read?

4. Most importantly: is the site a bad neighborhood? Meaning, is it set up simply to capture cheap pay per click ads and not much else? I have a real problem with any site that is over run with advertising!

Ultimately, if you read something online check its veracity with at least one other source. You can easily “google” a few keywords and check the results for similar content. Of course, if someone is spreading inaccurate content all over the internet, then you know what the answer is!

Matthew Keegan - EzineArticles Expert Author

Copyright 2006 - Matt Keegan, is The Auto Writer, who writes about a variety of automotive products including Brake Caliper Info and other performance parts.

Anthony Loeff the European mountaineer is reporting the scales for Everest and Kilimanjaro

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008

More than 3029 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

Sherchan just 24 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Min Bahadur Sherchan noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. The Chinese were flying their airplanes over Everest and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu. His first found him within 186 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. Two years later, Bahadur Sherchan, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Chomolungma to finish what he had started.

This year climber Anthony Loeff is reporting the scales for Chomolungma or Mount Everest after reaching the peak of Mont Blanc earlier this season.

Indeed, he was all too aware of the potential dangers the Mount Everest could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused Nepalese man, 75, oldest climber to climb Mt Everest The 77-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of Mount Everest. “Everest this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism.

Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Andrew Brash returned a hero to Calgarians. “The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on the Mount Everest. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though Mount Everest is shared by two countries. They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. Now that Andrew Brash has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family. As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on Mt Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. Min Bahadur Sherchan last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

Nevertheless, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Bahadur Sherchan with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey. Min Bahadur Sherchan returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of Chomolungma or Mount Everest.

Wellness for Winter

Saturday, June 14th, 2008

As we move into Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere so starts the season of colds, flu and then other Winter ailments. By taking some preventative steps now and boosting our natural defence mechanisms it is possible to avoid a lot of the seasonal maladies.

Mucous is not a pleasant subject for polite company but we all produce gallons of the stuff over a lifetime and sometimes this natural, self managing, protective mechanism is adversely affected by inflammation, toxin overload, allergens, intolerances and infection.

If the nasal passages are affected by excess mucous this can lead to sinusitis and bronchitis. Adding 10 drops of Tea Tree oil to a bowl of steaming water and using this as a vapouriser with your head under a towel inhaling the moist air will give relief from congestion and fight any infections. A common cause of sinusitis is fungal overgrowth so using Tea Tree oil not only soothes and heals but its anti fungicidal properties tackle the root cause too.

There is an increasing amount of research indicating that the use of formaldehyde in shampoos, personal care products and air fresheners can trigger or exacerbate respiratory problems, including asthma, so do check the labels of the products you bring into your home.

Taking a good quality Echinacea formula for 30 days in alternate months will naturally enhance your body’s ability to ward off infections which would otherwise take root and thrive in mucoid situations. Look for a formula which contains other immune system boosting ingredients to help your body defend itself.

In the gastro-intestinal tract excess mucous is formed as a result of irritation, infection, overgrowth of bacteria, viruses and fungal infections. In the colon, mucous has the ability to cause endless problems. Good health and wellness begins in the colon but unfortunately, over a lifetime, everyone experiences a build up of mucoid plaque in their gut which impacts health and wellness. This build up can be likened to the build up we see in pipes if we live in hard water areas.

In the digestive process the foods we eat are broken down into basic nutrient molecules for absorption into our cells, with the remainder being excreted as waste. The absorption of nutrients takes place in the gut. Imagine how difficult and ineffective this process becomes when our guts are lined with mucoid plaque. Even if we are eating healthy, nutrient rich diets we cannot possibly absorb all of the available nutrients through this barrier. How shocking to realise that even though we are eating well we can still be malnourished.

Without getting too personal, I invite you to think about your daily routine. I guess you eat between 3 and 6 meals a day depending on personal preference and appetite. How many of you have between 3 and 6 bowel movements a day? I don’t think I saw a single hand raised there! And we wonder why we suffer from bloating, irritable bowel, colitis, diverticulitis and a host of other bowel related problems – possibly even bowel cancer.

This is where fibre comes to the rescue. Adequate fibre in our diet will gently and effectively remove excess mucoid plaque by encouraging regular bowel movements. The fibre will collect up the toxins which loiter in the gut and remove them safely. Once the plaque is removed the nutrients are able to pass through the gut wall unimpeded and health and vitality improves.

I invite you to think about your health and well being in a new way. You wouldn’t dream of putting diesel in a petrol engined car so why do so many of us abuse our bodies with the wrong fuels and yet expect them to function problem free? Take steps now to clear your body of excess mucous leaving nowhere for the germs and bugs to proliferate keeping you healthy and well right through until Spring.

Donetta Harrison is building Wellness For Life, an information resource on all aspects of wellness in all domains of life to encourage individuals to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing in order that that they may live life to the full.

Nothing written here or posted on http://wellnessforlife.info is designed to replace the advice of your Medical Practitioner. Please seek medical advice before making dietary or lifestyle changes if you are currently under the care of a Physician.

Writing The Perfect Baby Gift Thank You Note

Saturday, June 14th, 2008

You’ve gotten a beautiful baby gift, what do you do now? The most
appropriate thing to do when you receive a gift in the mail is to notify via phone or email that you have received the gift. With a new baby at home it might be difficult to immediately send out handwritten thank you notes and most people will understand, but a simple call or email to inform them that you received the gift will be most appreciated.

Having been in the gift business for over five years, our company
receives numerous emails and phone calls each week from customers
wanting to verify that a gift we sent on their behalf has been received. Some go so far as to ask us to phone the recipient because they are too embarrassed and don’t want the new mom or dad to feel bad for not thanking them sooner.

After the thank you phone call or email, a follow up handwritten card in the mail within a month or so will also let the person know that you appreciate the gesture. Take another step by adding a photo of the newborn with the gift incorporated in the photo.

The handwritten note should include first and foremost a line of
appreciation for the thoughtfulness of the time and energy taken to select a gift for your baby. It should then be followed by a description of the gift itself and how helpful, cute, useful or original the gift may be. Let the gift giver know that you’d love for them to meet the baby in person and thank them again for their generosity. The closing signature from you personally is appropriate.

Here is an example of a quick, thoughtful note:

Dear Jane,

Thank you so much helping us welcome Baby Jack into the world. We
just love the new bib, burp & blanket gift set. These personalized treasures will come in handy at every phase. Thank you again for thinking of us. We hope you can meet Baby Jack in person soon.

Love, Julie

Technology is a convenient time-saver for a new parent, but nothing compares to reciprocating the kindness of a friend or family member with a handwritten thank note.

Author: Kathie Papera, founder and owner of Lilypad Baby a premier site for stylish and unique baby gifts that can be personalized.

Taking Chances – Learning All About It

Friday, June 13th, 2008

The incommodity of physically going to a meat space gambler’s den can be reason enough not to go unless you can’t avoid it. It’s not necessary to leave your home to try your hand at online wagering simply because it’s easy to access from your own home if you own a fully functional laptop or pc with broadband internet access. Though allowing for that, you’ll want to continue reading, as there’s a good many tips that you really should get acquainted with regarding online wagering, the more so should you be unseasoned regarding this realm.

You can play with free no deposit casino bonus here.

The first thing that I as a quick-witted web punter will make certain to hunt for is an online wagering Web site of the sort that is prepared to offer the best winning odds. Be sure that the online wagering Web site is monitored by an honest accounting company to verify their specific wagers’ pay-out percentages in a monthly manner. You must always be sure to confirm the virtual video poker etc Web site holds a bonafide license, e. g. by searching for the govt. warrant as laid out on the casino site webpage. Should it prove impossible to pick out any govt. warrant on your targeted virtual video poker etc Web site, don’t even try to take your chances there.

For some more powerful advice, would be to wager initially in smallish amounts in place of splurging more than does you good on the fly. First thing, check the functionality of this virtual video poker etc operation rather than chancing any major injury, the more so money loss! And here’s another info regarding virtual gambling casino. It is bound to be to never forget that all kinds of card playing should be about enjoying it rather than money. Betting in online casinos isn’t a chore, but, rather a diversion that is intended to let you feel happy and your entire life pleasurable. Just having kept to the above cues, you can now go and give in to the charisma of virtual video poker etc!

Four Simple Ways To Take Control Of Your Time And Your Life

Thursday, June 12th, 2008

It’s been said, “That no one has enough time yet, everyone has all that there is.” Simple concept – except when you’re living your life in the multi-tasking lane.

For most of you – your reality is too much work, information overload, struggling to balance your family and your work, and not enough time to get everything done.

Well, I struggle with the same things you do. While I don’t have all the answers – I do have a couple of ideas that you may find helpful.

Here are four simple ways you can take control of your time and your life:

1. Handling paperwork.

The one thing about paperwork is that it’s endless. All the
prognosticators who long ago said that the advent of computers would eventually eliminate paper were totally wrong – at least when I look at my desk. The junk mail you receive is never ending. Add to that correspondence from your company, from your manager, from your customers, personal bills, and everything else under the sun adds up, if you’re not very careful, it adds up to one very big distraction.

The control center for most professional salespeople is the home
office desk. A desk filled with clutter creates efficiencies that only worsen with more clutter. Here’s a suggestion for dealing with paperwork that I personally use and have found to be very effective.

It’s called the four D’s:

1. Do something with it. If you can’t do something with it right now – you shouldn’t be touching the paperwork at all. One of the keys to efficient office management is to touch paperwork only once if at all possible. The best way to do this is to schedule time for the sole purpose of dealing with your paperwork.

2. Delegate it to someone else. Delegation isn’t easy especially when you know you can perform the task better than someone else. The fact that you can perform the task better than another person is no reason for you to perform the task. First – consider the value of your time. Next – consider the priorities that take precedence over this particular task. Never, never, never do anything that you can getsomeone else to do for you. Simply stated that’s the art ofdelegation!

3. Defer doing something until you have more time to deal with it. Okay, you have set aside a chunk of time to do your paperwork. One o fthe items in your stack of paper requires research and follow-up and you estimate that you’ll need 45 minutes to get the job done. Defer doing anything until you can block out 45 minutes on your calendar. Just keep moving through your paperwork.

4. Dump it! That’s right dump it – get rid of it. My guess is that 20 – 40 percent of everything that crosses your desk can be trashed immediately and without regret. If the worst thing does happen, that you need something you have previously tossed away, worry not, because someone else in your organization will have a copy for you.

All that paperwork that’s on your desk doesn’t have to be
overwhelming. You realize of course that stack of paperwork isn’t capable of managing itself. Rely on the four D’s to maintain control of your desk. Properly managed your desk will become an asset for you instead of a major liability.

Unfortunately, when it comes to paperwork, you’re either in control or out of control. It’s your choice.

2. Don’t Stash It – Trash It

Are you surrounded by stuff? Of course you are – if you’re like most salespeople. The tendency, when it comes to stuff, is to wait and procrastinate putting this thing we call “cleaning up” off to a later and more convenient time.

Your mind is probably riddled with these and similar thoughts.

“Not now.”

“I’ll set it aside and take care of it later – when I have more time.”

“I’ll rack it up by stacking it up in a neat pile.”

How would you like to immediately feel good and look good? You’re thinking, who wouldn’t want to pull a switch to feel good and look good. It’s really quite easy and only requires a touch of discipline. Actually, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. The only thing you need is a large trash can liner and some “reckless abandon.” Here are the easy steps:

1. Trash your office. You will really enjoy doing this – trust me. With your trash can liner in hand begin with your desk. Without re-stacking anything toss away everything that isn’t absolutely essential to your selling success. Begin at one end of your desk and work your way through to the other end of your desk tossing away everything that’s unnecessary to keep. This includes magazines you haven’t read, files that you haven’t used, projects that you haven’t done, papers that you haven’t filed, and notes that you haven’t read. The first time you do this can be painful. But remember, if there’s no pain there’s no gain.

2. Trash your briefcase. Take a couple of pages from your daily newspaper and lay them on the floor. Empty the contents of your briefcase onto the newspaper that’s now on the floor. Isn’t it amazing, what you have accumulated and stashed away in your briefcase?

You know the drill – toss away everything that’s not essential to your selling success. Everything else goes back into your now very clean and organized briefcase.

3. Trash your car. The two times your car is the cleanest is the day you buy it and the day you sell it. Depending on what you sell your car may literally become your second office. Your office on wheels can take on the untidiness of your home office if you neglect it.

Start with the trunk – what a mess that can be, and toss away
everything that isn’t absolutely essential to your selling success. Proceed to your car’s interior so you can clean up and toss away everything between and under the seats. Now that you’ve trashed all the unnecessary stuff – you may as well get the car washed, and even detailed if necessary.

Ask this question often. Should I stash it or trash it? What do you think?

3. The key to finishing is starting.

Recently I did a postcard mailing to promote my No-Brainer Selling Skills Boot Camp. One side of the postcard had a photograph of a salesperson, dressed in a suit, running, with both arms extended high over his head, one with a briefcase, as he dashed across a red ribbon finish line.

It was a great picture capturing a successful moment. It reminded me, and I don’t know why, that you’ll never cross the finish line until you cross the starting line.

How many things are you thinking about doing that aren’t getting done?

How many priorities do you have perched on the back burner in your territory?

How many things could you start doing today that would provide you with an immediate payback ($$$)?

If finished is better than perfect then starting is better than
procrastination.

Before you cross the finish line you have to cross the starting line.

(Begin, dart, spring, jump, effect, enable, rouse, proceed, or
breakthrough.) What are you waiting for?

4. Maintain your focus.

Seven years ago I did a sales training program in Colorado. The
meeting was held about two hours north of Denver, in a lodge situated in Roosevelt National Park. My client was, Low Alpine, a manufacturer of outdoor gear. Specifically, they made the stuff that Mt. Everest climbers use to trek up that mountain.

My two-hour presentation was scheduled right after lunch. The
speaker, who preceded me before lunch, had an extremely interesting topic. He had a slide presentation showing his various attempts at climbing the incredible MT. Everest. As you might imagine it was a powerful and extremely insightful presentation about the art and dangers of mountain climbing.

There were 25 salespeople at this meeting. Their climbing gear was sold to retailers. So they knew all about the climbing business. They also new, by reputation, many of the names the speaker referred to. Throughout his presentation everyone was glued to his seat with anticipation. He mixed his stories with slides, which was extremely effective.

Just before he ended his presentation he asked the group a question. He remarked, “There’s a time when you’re climbing, when you can almost feel depressed. You just feel low and down. Do you know when that is?”

My imagination started to run wild especially since the highest I ever climbed wasn’t even climbing, it was an elevator ride to the top of the Empire State building. I thought surely the salespeople in the audience would know the answer to his question. They responded with things that I imagined; when you first begin the climb, when you only have 100 yards left, when you reach the top, and when you begin your descent. The speaker’s body language and facial expression gave it all away – no one was even close.

I was surprised by the answer – maybe you will be too. He said,
“Climbers get down when bad weather sets in.” He went on to explain that when bad weather sets in you can’t see the peak – you lose sight of your goal and become easily distracted.

You might be wondering, what if anything does this have to do with time management? I see a very clear correlation. You see, like a mountain climber who can’t see the peak, salespeople and entrepreneurs without clearly defined goals (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) are more susceptible to daily interruptions and distractions, and more likely to waste your precious time resource.

You don’t have to climb Mount Everest to appreciate how important your eyes focused on your goals is to achieving your ultimatesuccess in sales.

Well, that’s a wrap – four simple ideas on how you can take more
control of your time and your life.

This isn’t intended for everyone. As a matter of fact, only those of you who are dedicated to achieving more balance in your life would be even remotely interested.

If you do want a more balanced life, you may want to take a peek at my 53 other ideas on taking control of your time and your life.

Don’t click on this link unless you’re very serious about
achieving more balance between your family and your work.

http://www.meisenheimer.com/ebook/57wayssalesletter.htm

Jim Meisenheimer - EzineArticles Expert Author

Jim Meisenheimer is the Guru of No-Brainer Sales Training.
His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by contacting him at (800) 266-1268, e-mail: jim@meisenheimer.com
or by visiting his website: http://www.meisenheimer.com

Homeschooling – Can You Really Do This?

Thursday, June 12th, 2008

As you know, school house teachers prepare for their career path through many hours of course work, methodology classes, and student teaching before they begin teaching school. So how in the world could a parent without such training and preparations expect to be able to successfully home school their children?

As someone who has accomplished both, I can tell you that home schooling is quite a different job than classroom teaching. For instance, a classroom teacher is tasked with the rather prodigious challenge of conveying specific skills to a large group of kids with many different learning abilities and learning styles and certainly they come from different backgrounds. I can tell you, as a teacher, the temperament toward learning in which the child is exposed to at home is a huge influencing factor when it comes to the child’s performance at school. Whether a child comes from a home environment that embraces and nurtures learning or not makes teaching a large group of students an even more challenging task. Then there are those discipline issues that inevitably come. When this occurs, the schoolteacher is bound to follow rules, regulations, and policies. And may or may not have the support of the parents in correcting the behavior.

Disciplinary action is a whole different arena when you are a homeschooling parent. This is a natural duty for you as a parent and as such you can incorporate the rules and policies that not only work best for your homeschool but for your family as well.

As a homeschooling parent, you are in control of the home environment of student(s)! And homeschoolers certainly don’t have to teach, motivate, and reach out to an entire room full of children at one time. We only have to motivate and manage one (or several) children, and even then (if you’re creative with your scheduling and planning) it doesn’t have to be all at the same time. As parents, homeschoolers are driven by the highest of motivators… the love for their children and the desire for them to be successful.

When it comes to the curriculum, schoolteachers are largely bound by a prescribed program and schedule. In the traditional classroom, because of scheduling and time constraints (along with everything else) a teacher must instruct as efficiently as possible. Too much time on one unit will probably mean cuts being made in others. One of the biggest challenges schoolteachers face with the larger class sizes is finding teaching pace that will not out run the slower student yet deliver to the higher learners subject matter that challenges them as well. Unfortunately, the answer is usually a compromise that neither works for the slower or the faster students.

As a homeschooling parent you don’t have to work within the time constraints or the class sizes. And you certainly won’t get called into the office because you spent too much time on one subject either because your child really took to it and you wanted to dig deeper, or your child struggled to understand some of the concepts and you wanted to review, test and teach some more before you moved on. As a whole the homeschooling parent can work with and help their children fully learn something without having to worry about any myriad of issues that schoolteachers face.

It’s been documented that one on one instruction facilitates learning at a much greater pace than can be done in a one to many environment. The homeschooling parent has the flexibility to adjust the schedule as learning dictates. You’ll find that because this teaching model is so much more efficient than classroom learning, that you’ll be able to dig deeper and stay longer within subjects and still have plenty of time on your homeschool yearly calendar.

Preparation is always a good thing and with today’s technologies it’s much easier. Get out there and read books, find some good online homeschooling forums that you like and jump in. You’ll soon get a feel for how those ahead of you on the path have approached the very same questions that you have. Be prepared for some sanding and buffing of your schedule and your plans until you find what works best for you, your child(ren) and your family.

Do you have educational training and pedigrees that schoolteachers have? Probably not; but as you now know, in the case of homeschooling you don’t need many of them.

So, homeschooling… can you really do this? I think you’ll find that with the availability of so many resources today, combined with your enthusiasm for your child’s success and the love of being their parent that… yes you can do this.

Mary Joyce is a former educator, successful homeschool parent, and has written many articles on
teaching your child at home for the Homeschool-Curriculum-4u website. Please visit (http://www.homeschool-curriculum-4u.com) for more of Mary’s articles, resources on homeschool, ideas, and curriculum information.

French Country Kitchen Design

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

A kitchen can be more than just about its role in function, organization and efficiency. Kitchens need a personality and a look and feel that can liven up the senses in addition to being a functional place for the preparation of food. The French Country Kitchen design is one of many classic kitchen design themes that you could consider. It can provide your kitchen with a traditional look that has its roots in the hillsides of rural France. It is a style that can fit into both rural farmhouses and in the grandest chateau.

French country kitchen design conjures up images of the Provence and the French countryside with its pastoral settings, lavender fields and rustic French farmhouses. The French country kitchen represents country living that is uniquely French. In designing your French country kitchen design you discover that the French country look is always very rustic, old and warm.

There are many elements that go into the French country kitchen including the use of large pieces of furniture made mainly of light colored woods and can be decorated with ornate carving.

Color & French Country Kitchen Design
Color is an important place to start the design process. You can draw inspiration from some of the principle French impressionists like Monet and Renoir, Van Gogh. Colors that are used in the French country kitchen style can include sunny yellow or soft gold, bright red and rust, grass green, cobalt blue and soft ocean tones.
You can decorate in the style of the French country kitchen design by using vivid colors – poppy red, sunflower yellow, bright blue, meadow green, and sunset purple. Your walls and cabinets and large furniture can be painted in off white, ivory, light beige, and taupe. Cabinets can be painted a glossy white to brighten light-filled spaces in the kitchen or they can be left as natural wood. These colors can provide a light, airy feel so you do not want to use strong colors here. In fabrics such as curtains and seat cushions you might also add paisley, stripes and floral prints to your French Country Kitchen theme.
Natural Materials
Natural materials are an important element in walls, cabinetry and furniture that is used in the design of French country kitchens. The materials used in creating a rustic French country kitchen look include natural stone floors, granite counter tops and tumbled marble back splashes. These natural materials can be used on walls and beamed ceilings, and can be rough stained or painted plaster, or wood painted in natural colors. Floors can be made of stone or brick and covered with wool or cotton rugs, a fireplace made of stone with a heavy beam that can serve as a mantel, and wooden shutters as window coverings. Furniture and cabinets can have a rustic or even a distressed look. Countertops can be done in ceramic tile with tile back splashes.
Accent Pieces
In French country kitchen design you will find that tile, rustic urns, hand-painted European ceramics and pottery accents are used extensively. Ceramic tiles and terra cotta pottery pieces are used wherever possible. Add copper pots and a French country kitchen can can encompass many old world decorating colors.

A kitchen can be more than just about its role in function, organization and efficiency. Kitchens need a personality and a look and feel that can liven up the senses in addition to being a functional place for the preparation of food. The French Country Kitchen design is one of many classic kitchen design themes that you could consider. It can provide your kitchen with a traditional look that has its roots in the hillsides of rural France. It is a style that can fit into both rural farmhouses and grand chateaus.

The materials used in creating a rustic French country kitchen look include natural stone floors, granite counter tops and tumbled marble back splashes.

James Mahoney is the author of many kitchen design articles and has a site about kitchen design ideas at Kitchen Designers Ideas.com. He also publishes a newletter on kitchen design.

History of the Boss 302 and Boss 429 Mustang

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

In 1967 the first big-block Mustang was introduced, the S-code 390 which was rated at 320 hp. This Mustang was not able to compete with the hot new SS 396 Camaro , so in 1968 the 428 Cobra Jet engine was introduced, giving the Mustang true muscle car status, but then why stop there? In February 1968 when Bunkie Knudsen arrived in Dearborn he brought with him some strong ideas concerning the Mustang. He believed the popular pony car was a good looking automobile, but that there were a tremendous amount of people out there that wanted a good looking automobile that could perform. He also knew that the Z/28 Camaro, created with SCCA Trans-Am road racing in mind, could handle and stop as well as it could accelerate. Big block pony cars were faster, but left something to be desired going through the curves with all that weight up front.

Bunkie was able to lure several GM Design Engineers over to Ford in 1968. One of them was designer Larry Shinoda, the man who had drawn up the Z/28’s sport image in 1967. Shinoda was tasked with besting a performance legend that he had helped to create. Shinoda contributed the new cars stripes, spoilers and window slats, as well as its name. Two Boss Mustangs were born in 1969, both originally developed concurrently by Ford’s performance contractor, Kar Kraft Engineering, in Brighton, Michigan.

The Boss 429 was also built in response to Chrysler’s 426 Hemi and it’s success in Nascar. Ford built a 427 Hemi-headed single overhead cam motor first, but it wasn’t considered stock enough for the series so along came the “semi-Hemi” head 429. Kar Kraft was given the task of wedging a 429 into the Mustang. Quarter-mile times were reported to be in the lower 14s. Although another of the hot rod magazines, Car Craft, slightly modified the stock 429 and got a 1/4 mile in the mid 12s. The street cars came from the factory with a conservative cam and a somewhat small carburetor.

Starting with the 1969 model year the Ford brought the road racing Mustang program in house by creating the Boss 302 with styling by Larry Shinoda, suspension was design by Kar Kraft. Engineer Matt Donner was the man responsible for the excellent Boss 302 chassis, which quickly impressed the critics with the way it hugged the road. The engine was a Ford 5.0L block with the new 351 Cleveland heads. The car was originally to be called the Trans Am, until Ford found out GM had already licensed the name from the SCCA.

The Boss 302 was rated at 290 HP because insurance companies were beginning to penalize the muscle cars by tacking on higher charges to any car rated over 300 HP. Actual horsepower was closer to 350. (These are Gross HP figures, not Net, as used today). Race versions made 450 HP at over 8,000 RPMs.

Boss 302s also ran in Nascar’s Grand American (GA) series. The car came with a wide-ratio or close-ratio 4-speed top loader. A 3.50:1 rear gear was standard with 3.91 and 4.30 optional. Front discs are rear drum brakes and 15-inch wheels were standard. Road tests at the time put 1/4-mile performance in the upper 14-second range. However, Super Stock magazine tweaked a ‘70 Boss 302 and put slicks on to get a time in the mid-13s.

How did the Boss 302 compare to the Chevy Z28? Well it seems that is was very close indeed. Chevrolet’s Trans-Am Camaro took home the SCCA racing championship in 1969, while Ford’s Boss 302 put the Mustang back on top in 1970. As for street performance, both machines relied on specially built 290 horsepower 302 cubic inch small block V8’s. Performance was so close as to be a toss-up in most street or track encounters.

In late 1970 Ford stopped all factory-sponsored racing. So regrettably the fun had to end … for now.

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