Helpful Tips on Cheap Car Rentals

The next time you are responsible for planning a trip for business or pleasure, you won't have any trouble finding cheap rental cars. With so many choices, some people may find it difficult to sort through all the various options available, but it will be well worth your time to do your homework in advance. Knowledge is power when it comes to searching for the best deals and you'll have no trouble finding them if you know where to look.

Online resources make it easier than ever to compare prices when you are looking for cheap rental cars. The car rental companies will have details included on their corporate websites that will be helpful to you when you are comparing prices. You can also find plenty of information on the various travel booking websites that are out there.

One way to save money is to consider how long you will need to rent the car and choose a rental company accordingly. For rentals lasting less than a week, you will find that the best deals can be had with the major rental companies that deal nationally. If you will need the vehicle for a week or longer, you can often do better with a local company or car dealer. The only downside to dealing with local businesses is that support services are often sparse compared to the national companies.

If you have settled on a national company, there are ways to make cheap rental cars even cheaper. Review any frequent flyer agreements that you may be involved with, and check your credit card point programs. You can often find great deals that will allow you to trade frequent flyer miles or credit card points for cheaper car rental rates. They also offer some very good deals. You'll want to avoid the huge drop-off fees often charged for one-way rentals and don't forget to account for other fees like state and local taxes, gasoline charges and airport surcharges.

Another area where you can save is on rental insurance. If you are using a major credit card to pay for your car rental, review your card agreement. You will likely already be covered for collision damage at the very least. If this is the case, you can forgo purchasing additional collision damage waiver (CDW) or loss damage waiver (LDW) insurance.

Make sure that you fully understand the rental agreement because sometimes there are hidden fees that can turn cheap car rentals into expensive propositions at the end of the day. You want to be fully aware of any restrictions or penalties that may be incurred during your rental period. Will there be an extra charge if you are late picking up your vehicle? If someone other than you will be driving the car you want to ask about fees charged for additional drivers.

With all the resources and options available, shopping for cheap rental cars really couldn't be easier. Spend some time researching all the various options because the better educated you are, the better the deal you will be able to find.

Patrick goes Bald

Patrick Shaves his head for Sick Kids



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1RhoKpZM9I&hl=en

Be Careful About Maintaining Kids' Comforter Sets

Are you aware that kids' comforter sets require special maintenance? You should be aware what material the comforter sets for kids are made of, what goes in the stuffing of quilts and pillows, the mattresses.

The fabric of the kids' comforter linen should also given proper attention while making a purchase of them, because some kinds of fabric will require special care. Since kids' comforter sets are meant for children the bed linen should not be made of any kind of rough fabric. The cloth should be durable, because kids tend to make a mess of their beds. But the cloth should also be soft, gentle and warm. Silk and cotton are mostly used for the linen in kids' comforter sets.

But one should also purchase a kind of fabric for the kids' comforter that will hold less dirt and dust. Children usually make their beds messy. They just love to heap up all their dirtiest toys on the bed and take their best dolls under the quilt. So regular cleaning of kids' comforters is very important. The linen used for a kids' comforter must be gentle, yet strong enough to stand numerous washes. The colors on the fabric, too, must be fast colors, so that the washes do not drain them out.

It is good to apply dry wash to the kids' comforter linen - the pillow sets, covers and quilts. Although the kids' comforter sets are made of durable fabric, but the less tough fabric used for children may tend to fray if washed frequently. Hence, dry wash may help one avoid the problem of premature fraying of the bed linen.

The wooden or iron base of the kids' comforter too should be regularly cleaned. Generally people now prefer expandable and folding kids' comforter sets as they save space and can be adjusted according to the shapes and space of rooms they are put in. But this type of kids' comforter gathers more dust and dirt as they have numerous folds and corners. If there is a lot of dust, it may cause breathing trouble for the little ones. Hence it is important to clean the dust out of the kids' comforter with a good vacuum cleaner every day.

It is important to clean the bottom of the kids' comforter every day. The heavy layers of mattress and quilt also gather dust. Sometimes there are also big drawers under the kids' comforter where the quilt and pillows can be tucked away. These places too should be regularly cleaned.

In summer, to stop bacterial growth in a kids' comforter one can spread the linen in the sun and warm it up. This will also give a warm freshness to the kids' comforter. Regular exposure to sunrays, however, may fade the colors in the linen. But natural warming of the kids' comforter is a hygienic practice.

It is good to have regular contact with the company people who have sold you the kids' comforter. Some companies also provide regular cleaning service of the kids' comforter sets either at free of charge, or at a nominal charge.

Best Dogs For Your Kids

Many kids love dogs and want their parents to buy a new puppy, but what dogs are good for your children? This question is being asked for many years, but there is no true answer. It depends on the breed of the dog. Remember, that dogs are like individuals - they change during the years and you never know, what behaviors they may have later on.

Training your new puppy is the key to success. Make sure, that you or your relatives have plenty of time to be with a new dog and train sessions must be done everyday. Never allow your children to work with the dog on their own, always be around and supervise the process of training. The arrival of a new puppy is very fun and exciting event for your children. Young puppy relies on your, because it needs your best attention all the time. What type of dog it becomes depends only on you. Character and behavior are build at the time, when your dog is less than 1 year old. Try to have your training sessions short ( 30 min. ) and very consistent. Easy commands is a good start, base your training on respect and don't use punishment to avoid the change of behavior of your puppy.

Best dogs for kids must have a good personality and these are some of the breeds we could recommend:

Poodle - little smart dogs, that have a good personality and are extremely friendly with the children;
Collie - they are considered very reliable and smart dogs, gentle with kids and they are known from the famous movie "Lassie";
German Shepherd - very protective and loyal friends of the people, they weigh from 60 to 100 pounds and have a short hair;
Beagle - rather small dogs, only about 25 pounds or so, very friendly, smart and outgoing. Easy to train and they have no problems with the relocation.

The best way to find a new dog is to look at the rescue shelters. Dogs are given for adoption everyday at these institutions and the process is very simple. Finding a new puppy for your children has never been more easy. You can browse dogs for adoption by the age, size and breed. You can adopt an already trained dog and have less headaches training it yourself.

Why You Can't Trust ShotLink Statistics

We've all seen it. During a golf telecast a little box appears on the screen telling us how far a particular shot went and how far the ball lies from the hole. Ever wonder how they get those yardage details?

It's a system called ShotLink, developed by IBM for the professional golf tours, and I'm going to tell you why you can't always rely upon what you see or hear but first, a rundown of the ShotLink system itself.

Real-time data during every tournament round is collected in a processing center (a really cool trailer, actually) where it is then crunched and delivered to the TV production crews for use in the broadcast. And if you weren't aware, all of that information is available to you and me as well. Go to the PGA Tour website and search for ShotTracker. Then follow the golfer or group of your choosing. (FYI--the service is NOT available during the U.S. Open. Bummer, I know.)

So where does this shot-by-shot information come from? Two main sources, both of which are served by volunteers who work at each tournament.

If you ever get the time and the opportunity to volunteer to work at a PGA Tour event I would highly recommend doing it. It is a lot of work, but it is well worth the effort and for the average golf fan, this may be one of the only ways you can see tour players up close!

First, every group is followed by a walking scorer. The walking scorer is armed with a customized PDA which allows them to enter the player, club used, shot result and more.

Second, at landing areas in every fairway and at each green will be a team of laser operators. Once each shot has stopped, the laser operators zero in on the ball and target its exact position. Triggering the laser relays the information on the ball's coordinates which then tell the processing center the shot's length and remaining distance to the hole.

For the most part, the laser readings are very accurate.

To address a broken or malfunctioning laser, each team is given a laminated map of their hole and station as a backup. These maps have a finely detailed grid on them. If for some reason you cannot use the laser, you can still find the ball position on the grid and relay the coordinates to the command center over the radio.

The fairway grid maps have coordinates that measure roughly 5 yards square, and there are quite a few "known" points (sprinkler heads, drainage areas) from which one can get a good idea of the ball's position. The green grid maps are much smaller, and there is little on the green to help identify on exactly which coordinate the ball rests. Because of this, making an accurate greenside reading is very difficult.

The August 22, 2007 USA Today contained an article on the ShotLink system. Fred Funk summarized the challenges quite well. "The only downside to it", said Funk, "is that sometimes the person that's taking the measurements isn't real accurate. My wife will say, 'Why did you miss that three-footer?' I go 'three-footer? That was a 15-footer.' It's only as good as the person using the machine doing the measuring."

And therein lies the reason we can't accept all ShotLink data as accurate. Volunteers do their best, but for many reasons their readings aren't always accurate to the extent that television suggests.

I was fortunate enough to volunteer at the 2005 President's Cup tournament where my job was a fairway laser operator. Several times during the tournament our readings became inaccurate, either because the laser was not working or because the calibration had slipped for one reason or another. For about an hour on Day 4, the laser was not usable and so we had to plot the ball positions manually using the fairway grid.

Were we accurate? I'd say yes within 5-6 yards, but I'd be willing to bet none of you heard Gary McCord say, "Johnny, we're in the 16th fairway and after a beautiful tee shot, Vijay has somewhere between 167 and 175 yards to the pin but...we're not exactly sure. Let me get back to you after we check the map."

Now I'm not at all being critical of the ShotLink system or of the volunteers who run it. I love the data and am constantly looking through the statistics to see what a particular player averages off the tee or what their average distance to the hole inside 100 yards is. Just remember that everyday folks like you and me are providing those numbers, so once in a while you'll see a reading that's a little bit off.

larissa dancing

larissa dancing



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxZd9k9CQlc&hl=en

magha

rkpet kids play



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7bQDvE-CDw&hl=en

Car Rental Insurance - A Necessary Expense

It is a common practice for some people to rent a car especially when they are on a business travel. These people simply approach the car rental counter, pays for the rental amount but some of them refuse to avail of rental car insurance or waivers because they were thinking that such offers may only be additional expenses for them.

Many travelers do not pay for such coverages as they are uncertain and confused about it. Some believe that they are unnecessary and are only a devised scam by car rental companies to gain extra profit from the consumers.

However, one may never tell when an accident or mishap will happen. There may be some avoidable instances to save the rental car from nicks and wrecks, but certainly there are occurrences beyond the driver's control that may lead to the car's breakage or damages. Despite a number of people disagreeing with the necessity of driving an insured car, there are still lots of car users who ensure both their physical safety, the car's and their financial security.

It's best to know for every car renter, that such insurances are a way of securing his or her finances should an accident occur. Paying for repairs or worse is for the replacement of an entire vehicle may be more devastating than the misfortune itself.

If you are opting to rent a car, make sure that prior to the rental, you have already inquired from your agent about the personal auto policy that covers a rental car. If you have a credit card, ask your company what coverage if offers. Should a personal auto policy not include a rental car coverage, be polite in asking for the for additional rental insurance. It would also be wise that if you are a renter who finds that the information provided by a rental company is doubtful, the state insurance department may be consulted.

Aside from rental car insurance, other options offering similar plan are Loss Damage Waivers (LDW) and Collision Damage Waivers (CDW). Coverage for whatever loss or wreck to a rented vehicle is included. Such policies are in actuality are unregulated and are not insurance policies which is why it is essential to first read the waiver before deciding. Reckless driving such a driving under the influence of alcohol or causing an accident, may result to the waiver's dissolution. These waivers are a means to protect the rental companies from renters who may be careful in driving their own cars, but not rental cars. A Supplemental Liability insurance is also another alternative that covers item which are not included in the renter's own insurance policy for rental car. Personal Accident Insurance deals with expenses brought about by injury or death.

As a conclusion, a rental car insurance, though at the onset of a car rental may seem additional cost on the part of the consumer is not really a scam or a rip-off. In actuality its saves the car rental drivers from more serious expenditures if the rental car is damaged. It is true that there are less chances of having an accident set upon you or the rented car. However, accident are neither planned. Therefore it is better to be safe and secured rather than be sorry in the long run.

The Gate Of Cirebon

Launching The Gate Of Secrets - Cirebon 2, yang dibuka oleh Bpk. Walikota Cirebon, Bpk Subardi Spd. didepan Balai Kota Cirebon MInggu 18 April 2010 pk 08:00 sampai dengan selesai.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mppCkH2_cdw&hl=en

Discount Codes, Promotional Coupons, DIY, and Smart Shopping Make Home Offices Affordable

The freelance lifestyle is envied by many, but understood by few. Common misconceptions about freelancing include "it's an easy way to make money," and "it's almost like a vacation because you don't have to go into the office." However, there are other hidden costs of freelancing that are foreign to most standard office workers, including self-paid healthcare, quarterly taxes and the costs of setting up a home office. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for healthcare or taxes. However, every freelancer can cut office startup costs by employing a few simple tricks for discounts.

Why not put together a new place of business on the cheap, using discount codes and promotional coupons?

Some companies offer business discount memberships. The sole proprietor or business owner joins this company, and is eligible for discount coupons and promotional codes -- redeemable for office supplies; computers and other technology; furniture, and more. Applying coupons and promotional codes in tandem with other discounts like mail-in rebates and store discount specials can really help freelancers to cut costs when setting up a home office.

I've got coupons, I've got discounts, I've got promo codes - who could ask for anything more?

If you truly want to cut costs, it's not enough to use discount coupons and promotional codes. You should also buy your equipment and supplies from the retailers with the lowest overall prices, and consider incorporating some do-it-yourself (DIY) elements into your office setup. The following list of ideas - combined with discount coupons and promotional codes, of course - should enable you to set up your home office at a deep discount.

Some furniture can be built using common materials found around the house. Bookcases are a great example of a DIY furniture possibility. Brick-and-board bookcases cost next to nothing to assemble, and look great, especially in modern-style offices. Accent shelves are also simple and cheap to build - you need only purchase lumber and some hanging materials. You can even build your own desk - simply place a large, sturdy board across the top of two filing cabinets, and stain the board as you like.


You can also save money on furniture if you purchase it unassembled and put it together yourself. Most people think of Ikea when the topic of discussion turns to put-it-together-yourself furniture. However, there are other outlets - often cheaper, too - that sell this sort of furniture at deep discounts. Wal-Mart and Target are two great places to try. Dollar General and other larger dollar store chains often also sell assemble-it-yourself furniture. Some of the furniture is quite attractive, too.


You needn't spend top dollar on brand-new technology. Purchasing a central processing unit (CPU), RAM, a motherboard, and casing separately often costs much less than purchasing a ready-made machine. If you want to save even more money, eschew the Windows Vista operating system in favor of an open-source Linux interface. You can download and install open-source operating systems like Ubuntu and Fedora Core for free. Bonus: For many applications, Linux is more secure and more reliable than Windows Vista, and is less of a memory hog.

Save on software - go open source. Why shell out hundreds of dollars on the Microsoft Office suite when you can download and install the OpenOffice suite for free? Modeled after office suites like Corel, Microsoft, and Word Perfect, this suite includes a database program, a spreadsheet program, a slideshow program, a vector graphics editor, and more. Similarly, if you can't afford Adobe Photoshop, consider installing The GIMP, which combines the best features of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to enable you to create and edit graphics. If you want a free, no-frills word processor, download and install AbiWord. It is a very light, easy-to-use, cross-platform-compatible writing tool.

Buy in bulk. The more of any item you buy, the more money you will often save. For example, if you're a work-at-home journalist who's constantly interviewing people, you will go through pens and notebooks rather quickly. Buy large packs of pens and notebooks, and you'll be buying each item at a discount. The same rule applies to adhesive, stationery, or any other office item you'll use frequently.

Buy used. Scour CraigsList, Ebay, and thrift stores for items that you shouldn't skimp on, like ergonomically correct office chairs and durable filing systems. You might pay half of the item's original value - or even less - if you purchase it gently used.

When setting up your home office, combine promotional coupons and discount codes with smart shopping and savvy do-it-yourself techniques. It is possible to set up your freelance business without going over your budget!

E-Procurement Systems - Why You Should Start Connecting to Today

Want a piece of a multi-billion dollar sales pie? The one served up by the tens of thousands of buyers who make the purchases for Fortune 500 companies and huge government organizations? Then it's time to connect to the world of e-procurement.

It used to be complicated, difficult, and horribly expensive to play the e-procurement connection game. But as Bob Dylan said, "The times, they are a changin'".

What is e-procurement, why does this challenge exist in the first place?

E-Procurement systems are vastly complex, enormously expensive software applications that allow large organizations to ensure that buyers make all their purchases in the same way.

This has several benefits,including:

Saves buyers time and effort
Allows management to control purchasing budgets and eliminate maverick spending
Allows purchasing to interface with other systems within the company including inventory control, shipping and receiving, and accounting

While these systems are a great boon to the company that invests in them, they create a problem for vendors like you and the buyers who need your products and services. That's because e-Procurement systems are internal to the company.

That means that buyers now have a daunting task; get supplier information - like products, prices, and ordering methods -- into their e-procurement system.

That also means the suppliers who want to do business with a company that uses an e-procurement system have to find a way to 'plug in' to their system.

That's exactly why the businesses that have already figured out how to do that are the ones who get the lion's share of these enormous sales. Just take a look at these supply categories and the companies who dominate them:

Office Products: Staples, Office Max, Office Depot

Industrial supplies: Grainger, MSC, HD Supply, Snap-On, Fastenal, IDG

Laboratory equipment and supplies: Fisher Scientific, VWR, Perkin Elmer

Computer equipment and supplies: CDW-G, Apple, Dell, TechDepot, Sharp, PCMall, Lenovo, SHI

Furniture: Steelcase

Follow their lead: There's a reason these companies have dominated for decades. But the good news is that you can level the playing field.
What do all these success stories have in common?

You guessed it; they all connect to the e-procurement of big customers and government organizations.

You see, until recently only businesses with vast technical resources and deep pockets (i.e., giant supply companies) could connect to these complex e-procurement systems.

There a number of companies that are offering these type of connections for far less than they used to be. When you're choosing what company to use make sure you're able to do 3 important things:

Ease of use - you can set up your connection with a simple online wizard. You don't want to have to involve IT guys if you don't need to.

Flexibility - Your setup needs to be adaptable to all the needs of any e-procurement system without having to create multiple separate sites that are not connected to one core central set of data.

An important note: Every e-procurement system out there (and there are dozens) uses a different protocol or language,so if you want to connect to more than one system, you need that flexibility.

Affordability - Because of the fancy terminology that can be used, don't let price stop you from expanding your busines. There are solutions that exist that are very affordable and are a fraction of the cost that other technology companies charge.

But no matter who you use, if you want to compete in today's market, you need to get connected. The sooner you do, the quicker your sales will grow.

How To Choose The Right Car Hire Company

At many popular car hire destinations in Spain like Alicante airport, Malaga or Mallorca you can book your rental car with both global and local car hire companies, but what are exactly the advantages of each one?

Many travelers prefer the peace of mind of booking with a reputable multinational like Avis, Hertz, Europcar or National in order to avoid unpleasant surprises when collecting the rental car. Funny enough most complaints are usually related with cars rented from multinational companies and the most common issues received by our customer services department are questions about the insurance.

Normally rates for Spain from multinational companies include basic collision damage waiver and theft protection with an insurance excess, sometimes up to 1.500 euros, depending on the company. However, if you go through the booking process on the website of a multinational car hire company on many occasions you will find an optional and additional item called Super CDW (Super Collision Damage Waiver) which normally can be included by checking a box. With this optional item you can reduce or eliminate the insurance excess and your financial liability in case of an accident.

From experience, the rates from local car hire companies in Spain, many of them with a fleet of rental vehicles exceeding 15.000 cars do already include the Super Collision Damages Waiver, there is no insurance excess on the car hire.

If you book car hire in Malaga, Alicante or Mallorca with a multinational car rental company or any online car rental broker offering their services in Spain we strongly advise to check the insurance conditions, as the daily charge to cover the excess can be as much as 15,00 euros per day at the counter of multinational companies at Malaga airport, Palma de Mallorca or Alicante.

Other advantages of local car hire companies in Malaga and other popular tourist destinations in Spain are the much lower additional charges which apply for services like extra drivers, baby seats, airport deliveries or after hour car deliveries. Many of these additional services are free of charge or against a very low flat rate and you will end up paying a lot less.

Obviously there are also disadvantages. Due to their low-cost philosophy these companies need to optimize their fleet which requires a larger number or rentals and the chances are that you have to wait a bit longer to collect your rental car when you arrive at Malaga airport, especially on peak days, during the weekends or the holiday periods.

The petrol policy from local car hire companies occasionally differs from the one applied by multinationals. Based on the statistics of the mileage per rental agreement many local car hire suppliers consider that an average customer will spend at least one full tank of petrol during the rental period of the vehicle and customers are requested to pay for a full tank of petrol and return the car as empty as possible - especially at popular car hire destinations like Malaga, Alicante, Granada, Madrid, Mallorca, Almeria, Murcia, Valencia, Barcelona and Gerona this may be the case. We recommend our customers to estimate their mileage and compare which option is the most economical one.

Make Your Kids' Bedroom Theme Quick Changeable

Decorating your kids' rooms with a theme can be costly. Then after all that work, they change their minds and want something else a few months later. What is a parent to do? Here are some tips to save your money and your sanity when it comes to using kids' bedroom themes.

1. Consider your child's tastes and color preferences. If you aren't sure, look at the clothes or toys they prefer. Pick a wall color that would go with several different themes. If it's too risky for you to go beyond builder's beige, just choose one wall to add a splash of color. As a general rule it seems that boys' toys and heroes are in the primary bright colors like red, navy, orange and bright yellow. Girls' toys and heroines are lately in lime green, purples/lavenders pinks and aqua or blue.

2. Window treatments: Keep it simple. Have a blind or shade that matches your window trim. Then you can add a valance, cornice board, window panels or a combination of these. Make or purchase these in basic colors and patterns, like solids, stripes or a fabric that looks like color wash, that will go with many themes. Then you can add some embellishments to them, like tiebacks or rod finials that go with the theme.

3. Bedding: If you want to match it to the window treatments you can, but for the bed skirt, sheets and comforter, keep it simple again as these are the expensive items and you don't want to have to replace them very often. Then you can add some throw pillows or a couple pillow shams in the current theme. Often times, theme sheets are less expensive than theme shams, and you can make your own fairly easily.

4. Accessories: Theme rugs can be pretty expensive, so here you'll need to use your own judgment. Sometimes you just have to have the matching rug. But you can often buy two basic throw rugs for the price of one theme rug. Most theme lamps are inexpensive, and make a nice statement next to the bed.

5. Wall Decor: Theme posters are fairly inexpensive and can be framed or not and can make a big statement in the room. The removable wall stickers have gotten really popular and are easy to find and make it simple for you to add the current theme to the plain walls. They can be added to furniture too! Wall decor is a place where you could do some craft projects with your child and hang their special art on the wall. Paint the picture frame in a basic color so all you have to do is change out the art. Of course you can repaint it if need be when you change the theme. You could also decoupage the frame with either paper or fabric.

Kids Luggage Sets - Accessorize Your Kid's Luggage Sets

Kids Luggage sets guarantees that you will have your memorable, the best vacation of your life. It ensures easy travel for you and your children. It also teaches them how to become responsible when traveling. They have to fix their own thing and put them in their luggage. Also having their own luggage means they are responsible for keeping an eye on their things.

Kids luggage sets comes in different variety of colors, shape and design. You can also accessorize your kid's luggage by putting a tag. This kids luggage tags adds life and security to your travelling with your kids. Children luggage tags are available in different colors and styles. The kids will love the unique designs of this luggage tag. Some designs are in bright colors and have cartoon character design. Fun luggage tags are designed to help the children identify their luggage. The main purpose of these tags is for identification. This kids tag usually contains the kid's necessary information like your name, address, and telephone number, this serve as your contact information if you lost your luggage. Other accessories are lunch bags, lunch boxes and drinking bottles.

Luggage sets for kids could be in form of rolling uprights, kid's suitcases, kid's duffel bags, kid's backpacks messenger and sets which can be used in school or for vacation. These kids luggage are intended to be carried easily by children

A set of kids luggage sets bring fun and excitement to family travels. Buying your children a set of kid's luggage will help them build their confidence and sense of independence. Instead of asking them again and again to pack and unpack their things, having their own, they will take care of their belongings all the way. When choosing one for your kid, always consider the durability that will last kids abuse.

The best place in looking for a cool and good looking kids luggage set is through online. There are vast array of them in the market. They come in different price range. So if you are interested in purchasing one, visit different sites and check out what's the trendiest luggage sets. Hello Kitty Luggage offers wide variety to choose from.

Polly Pocket Fab-tastic Fashions Collection from Mattel's ToyLab.com.au

Carissa from the Mattel Funsultation Committee reviews the Polly Pocket Fab-tastic Fashions Collection



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXo2Hur_cdw&hl=en

Driving And Renting A Car In Costa Rica - 7 Most Frequently Asked Questions

Driving in Costa Rica is not for everyone.  So make sure you know what you're getting into before getting behind the wheel of a car in Costa Rica.  The following are the 7 most frequently asked questions about driving in Costa Rica.  These questions come in from my popular podcast about Costa Rica from folks from the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

1. What type of cars are available for rent?

Renting a car in Costa Rica is more expensive than in the U.S. so most people rent the smaller more compact cars that are a little cheaper.

Prices vary and during the high season you will pay more.  Around $20 or more per day.  Renting during Christmas/New Years will add another $50 or more per week.  I looked at five car rental company cars in Costa Rica and the average for renting a small car like a Toyota Yaris will cost around $205 per week. Please note this doesn't include the required by law insurance which will add at least $10-20 per day.  So you're looking at $250-300 to rent a small car per week.

You will find all the major car rental agencies in Costa Rica such as Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Budget, and others.

2. Is driving a good idea?

It depends.  Driving in Costa Rica compared to other countries can be a very scary proposition for most.  Costa Rica has one of the highest vehicle accident rates in the world.  Traffic laws and speed limits are often ignored.  Crazy and illegal turns across lanes of traffic are common.  Turn signals are rarely used and dangerous passing is common.  So you might driving on your lane when all of a sudden here comes a car in your lane going the wrong way because they're passing on a blind spot.  The roads are in poor condition, and large potholes which could cause serious damage to your car is common.

Although the road conditions in the beach areas are worse the actual driving isn't as scary since there is less traffic and since the roads aren't the best people tend to drive a little slower.

I like to have my own transportation so renting a car is something I like to do but it all depends on your comfort level.  I've had friends and family who had never driven outside of the U.S. they found driving to be scary but a fun adventure.  So just take it easy and slow and you will be fine.  Don't worry about the other drivers, just do your thing.

3. Do I need car rental insurance?

By law you will need the INS (Instituto Nacional de Seguros) liability insurance regardless of your own car insurance coverage or credit card coverage.  The insurance required by law is known as TPL, SLI, SLC or API.  The cost ranges from $10-20 USD per day depending on the vehicle.  This insurance only covers damages to other people, cars, or property.  You will need to buy supplemental coverage to cover damages to the rental car or yourself.  However your own car insurance policy or credit card might cover that so call your insurance agent at home before leaving for Costa Rica and ask him or her if your insurance policy covers you for damages in Costa Rica.  You might also want to call your credit card issuer and ask them the same question.  If your own policy covers you in Costa Rica you're set and you don't need the supplemental coverage.  If they do not cover you, then I suggest taking out a supplemental policy offered by car rental agencies.

Optional-CDW or LDW - collision damage waiver which covers the cost of the car's deductible amount which varies depending on the type of car and agency.  The cost will range between $10-20 USD per day.

Optional-Zero Liability - This will reduce your liability to zero against theft and vandalism, for example, the cost for this insurance is between $5-20 USD per day depending on the agency and car.

As you can see the supplemental insurance cost can add up fast so it's important that you check with your insurance agent and your credit card company since you might not even need the optional/supplemental coverage.

If your insurance agent gives you the thumbs up do me a favor and get it in writing!  You don't want any surprises.

4. What are car rental requirements in Costa Rica?

Requirements may vary depending on the car agency you use so check with them.  Most require a valid driver's license (one from your home state or country is fine), a valid passport with your entry stamp, the Costa Rica mandated liability insurance, and you must be at least 21 years of age.

5. Is it safe to drive at night?

The problem driving at night is not crime, it's just the unsafe driving and poor road conditions which are compounded even worse when you have poor visibility.  The roads are not lit up well and it gets pitch dark after 6:00 PM making it unsafe to drive for an inexperienced driver.

6. What are road conditions like?

The road conditions are very poor compared to the super highways of the United States or the Autobahn in Germany.  Drivers have to contend with unsafe driving habits of motorists, huge potholes, and even the highway is a two-lane road.  The roads get worse during the rainy season since road washouts from the mudslides from the mountains are common.

7. What side of the road do they drive on in Costa Rica?

On the right hand side, like in the U.S. and Canada.

One final tip

Make a copy of the profile page of your passport and your entry stamp and carry that with you along with your car rental papers.  You might get stopped by police and you will need to show this to them.  Do no carry your passport with you just make copies.  The Costa Rican government now allows you to carry copies instead of your actual passport.

Automobile Insurance Smooths Your Path

It has been well said that safety is the cheapest and the most effective policy. As a matter of fact, if you are extra cautious and follow all the rules of traffic then at least you can justify yourself in certain critical situations. However, destiny always has something in store for you, may be sweet or sour. It is also a fact as we are mere human beings we can't fight against it. But, yes we can, at least take preventive measures as prevention is always better than cure. Here in this context the automobile insurance can be mentioned. The rules of this policy come associated with various range of situations and most interestingly the aspects of the policies might often differ from state to state. Though, there are certain laws of Insurance which are universal but some important areas needs to be clarified and be aware of.

In cases of accidents, the rules of automobile insurance in all the states are almost the same. In India, automobile insurance is done mainly by prominent financial institutions and various banks which are in turn hooked up by the individual car companies or owners. This type of insurance basically covers the damage or loss which are incurred by the vehicle. You can take the support of the traditional method or the most advanced technology i.e., the Internet to get the latest information regarding the automobile insurance and travel insurance. You can even take into account various considerations while searching such affordable auto insurance rates. Various factors such as driver history, model of the automobile etc., would be taken into account by the insurance company. Moreover, if you use the Internet option then the process of application would also be a very simple process and would not consume much of your time. Just select your appropriate policy, click onto it to get access to the terms and conditions. After that when you are satisfied, you can go for applying the form at ease.

The major players in the automobile field are Ashok Leyland, HMT Tractors, Royal Enfield, Chevrolet LML India Swaraj Mazda Ltd., BMW Kinetic Motor Co. Ltd., Sonalika Tractors, Force Motor, Monto Motors, Toyota, Kirloskar Motors, Ford Motors, Nissan Motors TVS Motor Co., Hero Honda, Reva Electric Co., Volvo, Hindustan Motors, Rolls-Royce Motor, Yamaha Motor etc. while one of the eminent automobile insurer is ICICI Lombard.

The automobile insurance is basically done to safeguard or protect you against any sudden unfortunate events such as accidents or loss of the vehicle. However, for such preventive measures you would obviously have to dent your pocket, but yes it is quite affordable. For this, you are required to pay a specified amount of money at certain intervals for a particular period of time. As such, in case any loss has been incurred by the vehicle then the individual would get the insured amount to meet the loss. It must be borne in mind that such policy covers various other issues such as sum invested for repair works, damage occurred to a particular part or the vehicle has been totally damaged. However, you would get the insured money only after the investigation process gets completed.

This policy can be opted as you can safeguard your vehicle from various consequences such as damages occurred due to theft, fire and vandalism etc. However, while selecting such a policy you must be sure that your policy has some basics of coverage such as collision coverage, deductible, comprehensive coverage, effective date, glass coverage, endorsements, and exclusions.

Cutting Edge Sales Force - 4 Steps to Turning Your Sales Force Into a Competitive Advantage

Is your sales organization properly equipped? In today's environment of mergers, acquisitions, and layoffs many companies do not have a comprehensive approach to the toolkit that their mobile and remote workers carry with them every day.

Your sales team most likely has a cell phone and/or smartphone (Blackberry, iPhone, etc.), a laptop, modem card, and a varying degree of home office expensed services. It's critical that these services are all managed by your organization to ensure sales force effectiveness and efficient spending.

There are four high level steps that your organization should follow to define or re-evaluate your sales force toolkit:

Evaluate your current situation
Define your toolkit
Select vendors and negotiate rates
Implement

Evaluating Current State

Before you can begin converting your entire sales team to iPhone's and iPad's, you need to understand what your team is using, and what you're spending. It's easiest to start with the services that are currently managed by your organization. You'll need to take an inventory of all corporate provided services while digging for the expensed services. Does your sales force expense home office broadband, landline, and fax service? Do they expense cell phone service, hotel wi-fi? These charges take a whole to unearth.

To begin your current state evaluation you will need to:

Audit corporate provided services (cell phones, hardware, software, etc.)
Audit expense reports for communication spending (landline, internet, fax, etc.)
Conduct a survey to understand usage patterns, spend, and needs

A survey is an excellent tool to gather data to both support your audit findings and get requirements from your sales team. Incentive-ize your sales force by making sure they understand that the survey directly relates to the tools they will be using in the near future. I suggest making the survey anonymous to get honest responses. One organization I worked with had over an 80% response rate, which is outstanding.

Define Your Toolkit

After you understand the tools your sales team is carrying and what your organization is spending, you're ready to begin defining your toolkit. Remember, this is not a pure cost-cutting exercise. The goal is define the best solution possible for your sales team. You very well will save money, but depending on your current services, you may spend more money. However, the increased productivity and selling power your should easily justify your investment.

Don't just focus on your wireless services, be sure to include expensed services, landline services, hardware and software applications.

Potential Toolkit Includes:

Corporate Liable smartphone (Blackberry, Android, iPhone, etc.)
Wireless Modem Card
Femtocell
Mobile apps and mobile formatted intranet page
Fixed Mobile Convergence
Broadband internet
eFax or similar
multi-function home office printer
An iPad?

As you can see this potential toolkit covers all the needs of a remote workforce. Your organization my not need all of these solutions, but with a comprehensive toolkit such as this, you can guarantee your team will be the most equipped.

Select Vendors and Negotiation Rates

After you have audited your current state and defined your solution, you're now ready to select your vendors and negotiate your rates. Depending on the status of your current contracts, you may need to conduct a full RFP or just begin negotiating with your current supplier pool.

A few things to keep in mind.

Focus on the spend that matters. Fight for reduction in service fees, not just a percentage discount.
Ignore the small spend, or spend that doesn't matter. Don't press the carriers for a cheaper text messaging rate if your sales team doesn't use (or need) text messaging.
Start with your second and third tier providers, use their hunger to leverage your primary carrier.
When negotiating hardware, don't forget the big box stores. Staples, Office Depot, CDW, etc., all provide corporate programs that may rival dealing with the manufacturer directly.

Selecting vendors and negotiation rates is unique to each solution. There isn't a one-size fits all approach, but as long as you follow the guidelines above you should be in good shape.

Implement

Implementation is the final step in deploying your new sales force toolkit. There are many moving parts, so make sure you have complete plan that includes all stakeholders. You'll need to make sure you consider the following:

Understand who is getting what equipment
Updating your user database
Ensuring your support model is up to date
Updating your wireless policy for potential changes
Determining the delivery and activation model
The communication plan

This is only a partial list of all the tasks that need to be completed before you send the first new device out the door. Don't let a poor implementation plan spoil your new sales force toolkit.

Defining a sales force toolkit should be a priority for all organizations with a large remote workforce. A sales force toolkit should be one part of your entire wireless management program.

Collab info

mon. tues. wed. thurs. fri. sun. are still open.



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shah wali

thank you qamar islam .....



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JNVCKM: TalentTransformation-2008

Talent Transformation, A Workshop focusing on Personality Development and Career Guidance to the Wonder kids of our school. The initiative started in early 2006, with the name Career and Development Workshop, has successfully conducted 4 workshops. Year 2008 saw a change in name - Talent Transformation. The IV edition was conducted on the Dec 13th of 2008



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BfYgxo16Rg&hl=en

COD MW 2 Sniper Footage Part 2

this gameplay i have a Better HQ now its better than the first one now i hope you enjoy this video en please Give me 5 stars Gamer:DjordyH Moviemaker:Webcame only there is one stupid camper in this Video ENJOY



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low.MPG

clark and abby sister of daisy and the other kid



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TEST

test.webkinz.tv.test i dont own any song



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PLIES TEAMS UP WIT DANGER MANE & SOULJA BOY (NEW HIT) RYDIN DONKS 2009

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5 Kids Franchise Opportunities That Keep Kids Fit

Between diet and lifestyle changes in the last 50 years, America has become a very unhealthy and overweight place. When people and public services address this subject, they generally mention that roughly one-third of Americans are obese, and that obesity is one of the deadliest killers in the United States. What they sometimes fail to mention is that an estimated 16% of children are obese, some 70% of those kids will grow up and remain obese and one in 15 children are so bad-off today that they need medical intervention such as gastric bypass to recover from their condition.

Though it may initially seem unrelated, this has had an interesting effect on the business world. In much the same way that America's weight problem (and sudden societal awareness of it) has prompted fast food restaurants to begin offering healthier alternatives to standard menu items; the nation's new health consciousness has changed the way we look at kids, even in the franchise business world. Our newest concern is child fitness. If you have a knack for working with kids and a passion for healthy living, then there are business opportunities perfect for you, and here are just a few of them.

Fitwize 4 Kids

The first of its kind, Fitwize 4 Kids is essentially a kids' gym, offering circuit training that addresses the specific bodily needs of a child age 6 ½ to 15 in a quick 45-minute set of workouts that is both effective and fun. But their work with kids doesn't stop at cardiovascular exercise, resistance training, and agility training; they focus as well on nutrition. Hoping in all things to make a lasting impact not only on the body, but on the mind, this business' ultimate goal is boosting each child's sense of worth as a person. As far as the business is concerned, overhead is relatively low because the designs are so compact that every possible inch of space is used, and professional relationships tend to last for many years, making cash flow solid.

Pro Martial Arts

Though it's not solely targeted at serving kids, they tend to make up a majority of the clientele in a martial arts studio. This franchise opportunity is the perfect chance to tap a $19bil industry without operating a traditional weight-lifting and aerobics gym just like everyone else. There's no harm in not having any previous experience in teaching Grandmaster Samane Karate or running a studio, because the franchisor can and will teach you everything you need to know. Design and layout, marketing, operations, recruiting teachers, and website development are all included in the franchise packet, so all a franchisee has to bring to the table is a passion for martial arts, a drive to succeed in business, and the genuine desire to see people grow in physical fitness and confidence.

Kinderdance

In their own words, they are the "original developmental dance, motor skills, gymnastics, music, and fitness program blended with academics and specifically designed for boys and girls ages 2 to 12." What that looks like varies greatly from one franchise to the next. With four different business design options (bronze, silver, gold, and gold plus), franchisees with this home based business have many choices in regard to how their businesses will run. Each different business plan entails a different number of weekly classes to be taught, and depending on the desires of the franchisee, those can be taught either by the franchisee himself or by a hired teacher. Startup costs are very low, as are overhead costs, because there is no studio space to lease.

Monkey Joe's

The undisputed key to getting kids to exercise is finding a way to make exercise fun, and no one does it better than Monkey Joe's. Designed to be children's activity centers, these franchises provide kids with a great way to get away from the TV, video games, and movies that have so flooded their lives; be playful and physically active for a spell and let out some of that boundless childhood energy. And as children safely play on a full array of indoor, inflatable bounce equipment, with a trained and child-loving staff supervising the children, mom and dad get some time to relax in the designated parent space, watching some TV, surfing the web, or just sleeping. It's a great opportunity for the whole family and an even greater one for a talented franchisee with a heart for kids.

Skyhawks Sports Camp

If you see sports camp as an opportunity to teach children life lessons and develop character, then you are right in line with the purpose of Skyhawks Sports Camp. With 29 years in the business of teaching athletics around the country in a summer camp setting, this business has developed some of the best methods, one of which is franchising. Franchisees work from home and spend most of their year marketing and publicizing their camp to bring in more clients when summer rolls around. The franchisor provides every work at home franchisee with the tools necessary to get up and running and stay in operation, including initial sales training, technical support for web-based software, accounting, marketing, and much more.

For the entrepreneur interested in helping kids achieve a good level of fitness and a greater sense of personal value, there are no better business opportunities than these kids' health franchises. Weight and poor health are major issues in our society, but if the next generation is taught how to live healthier lives now, the trends may change when they grow up.

Is Car Rental Insurance Right For Me?

Sadly, the insurance that comes as 'basic' from the car rental company may not quite cover all the risks. To begin with, in some countries you may find that the rental price actually includes little or no insurance at all and the rental company will offer it to you as a chargeable extra. Even if car rental insurance is included in the rental price, you may find that it contains limitations that you're unhappy with.

It is worth examining closely the third-party liability cover (the insurance that covers claims from others than you have injured them or damaged their property) to make sure that it is not capped at an unrealistically low maximum payout. This does not apply in the UK where cover must be unlimited by law but in some countries the cap could be set at a level far below potential court awards.    

It is also likely that the CDW (collision damage waiver that covers damage to the rented car) will have exclusions that mean it will not pay if areas of the car such as the wheels, tyres, roof, windows and undercarriage are damaged. The costs here could be high following an even trivial accident.

Finally, the car rental insurance policies provided by the rental companies will probably contain excess. The excess is an amount of money that you could have to pay towards the cost of an accident and claim. Typically it is set between 500 and 1500 pounds. If you have an accident that costs say 1000 pounds to repair and the policy has 750 pounds excess, then you'll have to pay that 750 pounds.

If you find these things unacceptable, what can you do about it?

The car rental company will offer additional forms of insurance that mean they will increase the amount of third party cover, reduce or remove the excess and possibly increase cover to the excluded areas of the vehicle. When purchased from a car rental company, these forms of insurance can cost several times more than when they are purchased from a specialist insurance provider through the Internet.

The specialist providers sell a range of policies to cover some or all of the above gaps. They work on the basis that if you have to pay the rental company for excess or damage to an excluded area of the vehicle, your direct policy will reimburse you.

A major advantage of car rental insurance purchased from a direct provider is that it is sold to you the policyholder and by the day or year. What this means is that it will cover you against the above risks for any cars rented during the period - subject to certain terms and conditions. If you're renting regularly this could not only save you very significant amounts of money but also lots of time as nobody enjoys the 'extra insurance' debates at the car rental collection desk. It may be a good idea to research the specialist providers further if you're looking for a good and flexible deal.

Kids' Closet Organizers

"Mom, I can't find my shoes!" "Dad, where's my backpack?" How many times a week do you hear these and similar cries? Probably more than you'd care to count. These frantic pleas for help can be heard daily in homes across America. Families late, children missing busses, parents stressed--all due to a serious lack of organization. Kid closet organizers can help.

Most homes do not offer adequate closet space, especially in children's rooms. The space they do provide is often poorly designed, offering only one rod and a top shelf. With an effective closet organizer, however, you can actually double the storage capacity of your closet.

Closet organizers for children's rooms are available in a variety of fun colors, such as bright primaries and pretty pastels. Traditional white and wood colors are also available. Organizers can be found to match most any décor, including popular children's characters.

Like regular closet organizers, child closet organizers are available in a variety of materials, such as wood, laminate, metal, and wire. Some organizers are even made of durable cloth canvas.

Kid closet organizers can be purchased as closet organizer kits or systems. Kits are designed for either the budget conscience or the do-it-yourselfer. Starting at $20, they contain everything needed for the closet. You simply choose the correct size and the desired components. Choices include such things as single or double garment rack, shelves, shoe cubbies, drawers, wall hooks, toy bins, and baskets. Assembly is required. Some kits are made of durable plastic and simply snap together; others will require tools.

Child closet organizers are also available as closet organizer systems. Systems are fully assembled. You simply measure the space, choice the components, and put in place.

Closet organizers can be floor-based or wall-mounted. Floor-based units give a built-in look, while wall-mounted systems keep the floor clear.

With a well-designed closet organizer, your child's closet can be neat and orderly--no matter your budget.

H2O Song _ No Ordinary Girl + Lyrics - Kate Alexa

This is the H2O_just add water movie song. I hope you like it. I google the pictures. RIKKI, CLEO and BELLA Season 3



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBhk0Tq1GDY&hl=en