Tours Travel

Holidays in Ghana

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Ghana is a very accessible and friendly vacation destination. The magnificent beaches located along the coast can rival those of the Seychelles or Mauritius. The clear blue sea and sandy beaches are a big draw for Ghana and once you see them, you understand why.

The beaches located in and around Accra are the best and if possible look for accommodation here as the activities available in this area are excellent. Many of the hotels will have swimming pools and for safer bathing it may be advisable to use them rather than risk rushing water and currents in Accra’s lagoons.

Sport fishing is a popular sport enjoyed by locals and travelers alike and barracuda are prevalent in the area, so if you fancy wrestling a barracuda then this could be your chance. Other water sports you can take part in are sailing, water skiing, and scuba diving. Lake Volta is a key destination for such sports, but perhaps the best place to partake is Fete. This can be found to the west of Accra and has long been the most popular water sports target.

For the nature lover, a visit to one of the many nature reserves is required. Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary, Bia National Park, Bui National Park, Mole Game Reserve, and Kakum Nature Park are well-respected and fun options for wildlife and hiking options. The rainforests in these regions are spectacular and organized tours are highly recommended.

Mole National Park, located in northern Ghana, is home to wild animals such as buffalo, baboon, warthog, crocodile and elephant. To visit Mole National Park, you must have your own transportation. This can be inconvenient, but renting your own vehicle is quite inexpensive, especially if the cost is split among a group.

To enter Ghana you must have a visa. You must also have proof of yellow fever vaccination upon arrival. Malaria and dengue fever are also major health risks in Ghana and precautions against such diseases are recommended. It is also sensible to drink only treated water and eat fresh, hot food.

The climate in Ghana is very hot and remains so throughout the year. So it really depends on you when you want to visit this country. The tropical climate comes with tropical rains, so it would be advisable to try to avoid the months of April to June, when rain is more common. Northern Ghana tends to be the hottest area so avoid if you prefer cooler weather or go up there if you like hot sticky weather.

The currency of Ghana is the Ghanaian cedi. The cost of living in Ghana is reasonable and can accommodate even the tightest of budgets. Accommodation, even the most basic, is clean, comfortable and affordable. This can make Ghana an ideal destination for all travelers looking for a taste of Africa, but without the huge expense.

Arts Entertainments

Sensual Seductions – How to make her panties really wet before taking them off

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Guys, there are certain things you can do to turn a woman on so much that she’s dripping wet before you even start taking her clothes off! We call these sensual seductions! If you haven’t mastered the art of sensual seductions, you’re missing out on an important part of preparing a woman for heightened sexual tension, which will lead to intense sexual chemistry, irresistible animal attraction, and devastating female orgasms.

But, instead of Sensual Seductions, this happens all the time; guy meets girl, they talk, go on some dates and have GREAT fun and then, seemingly out of nowhere, she throws the “F-Bomb” at him! That’s right, the “Let’s Be Friends” bombshell! At that moment, most of the boys are perplexed and immensely despondent. His feelings can only be described as how the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots felt when they lost the Superbowl. Think about it; you banded together and reached out and we applaud you for that. So you made your move and asked her out of it. We applaud you again for that. Whereas on these dates, you didn’t show him a good time… you showed him a GR-EA-T time! Hooking up with you should have been a no-brainer! Right?

So what was the problem? This is the question thousands of men ask literally every day, right after the F-Bomb is dropped on them. And the answer is; She did not feel, she felt or detected any sexual chemistry! Guys, hear me out on this…you don’t create sexual chemistry by being a NICE GUY. I don’t care if they both attend a Bible College in the mountains of northern Utah. If she doesn’t sense, she senses or detects any sexual chemistry between the two of you, she’ll drop you like a worn tire! Point and end of the story!

How does a guy create sexual chemistry? You create sexual chemistry by being “BAD!” BAD is the acronym for: By Always Delivering. And what are you always delivering? Sensual seductions! From the moment you meet a woman, you start offering sensual seductions and you NEVER stop! Of course, your timing has to be right, but you should always offer sensual seductions because they are what ignite sexual chemistry.

The average man is convinced that in order to create sexual tension, arouse and annoy, arouse or sexually turn on a girl, they need to kiss her on the mouth, have their hands in her panties, or otherwise have sex. with her. Could not be farther from the truth! In fact, that kind of thinking will probably get you banned from the candy store before you even have a chance to get in.

Guys, you must realize; there are certain things that women love and crave that you as a man cannot overlook or ignore unless you are trying to go back to the prehistoric days of cavemen.

Women crave sexual chemistry

Women love to be sexually aroused by a man.

Women love being chased by a man.

Women love when a man makes them feel attractive.

Women love to be seduced by a man.

Women loved being teased by a man

Women love to be romanticized by a man.

By always giving her the things she loves and craves, you’ll make her panties wet long before she starts taking them off!

Technology

How I fell in love with my quiet and boring life

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Life was loud, chaotic and downright loud at times. But it’s also fun, carefree and full of predictability. There was always a lot of alcohol, a lot of people, a lot of talk, many nights and early mornings. Every week he went out. In some place. Anywhere. I met a lot of people and we went to a lot of places. If he wanted something, he would go out and buy it. Was young. He had a lot of money and tons of time to waste. And though he had it all, he still yearned for more. Truth be told, all he had was stuff. stuff. He hardly had any real memories or experiences. He was out doing whatever felt right. He was about 70 pounds overweight, drunk all the time, careless and recklessly in love. Think of the movie National Lampoon’s Animal House mixed with Coyote Ugly. Yes, that was me. Every other day While most people tend to wait until the weekends to have fun, I would power up from Monday to Friday and use Saturday to sleep everything. On Sundays, I would take a break, but only to prepare to do it all over again the next day. My hangovers weren’t just from booze-filled nights. I was hungover from a high lifestyle. He was always on the move and hardly ever slowed down. I was constantly looking for a good time. When I wasn’t having a good time, I would go down from my highs to a very exhausting low. This is how I came to the conclusion that this persecution was not good for me. In fact, it’s safe to say it was all an escape from a life he hated. I will never forget a day contemplating if I wanted to go home. I remember looking at my watch while still at the office, logging online to find flights to book out of town, dropping everything, and never looking back. What stopped me was our son. She loved him more than life and she absolutely had to go home with him. But he knew something had to give. I knew that the only way life could get better for me was if I just started walking towards who I was meant to be instead of continually walking away from him, losing myself.

I can’t pinpoint exactly the actual day I got fed up. I just remember there was a fire that lit in me one day that he told me to turn down the volume on my spirit because the volume was no longer working for me. The man I had thought he would die with and officially decided to part with after 19 years together. It had to happen. It was divide or die. We no longer have anything in common. We’ve already been teetering on the inevitable for years, we just needed to admit it out loud. We spent several years lying to our family and friends about what was really going on between us, but we knew what was coming. Spending money, buying things, drinking and partying and consuming whatever we could get our hands on just kept us distracted from our dysfunction. I do not change it. It only kept us distracted long enough to avoid having to face reality. This happens a lot in marriages, whether many of us want to own it or not. Ignoring the truth does not make it go away. It just hides it. But this was only part of the problem. Things in my life were always so damn loud and active and noisy. He feared boredom but needed peace.

After our separation, I knew that my next steps were going to be difficult to adapt but necessary. Imagine spending 19 years with someone and then one day, no. I had to start a new journey in my life that didn’t include someone else all the time. Literally. I knew I could do it, but I needed a starting point. This is what I did to make the process easier.

  • do things alone – I started by making sure I slept alone. Each night. I hadn’t slept or done anything alone since the year 1999, so this move was very important. She needed to be alone with everything she did. All! She went out alone every day. I made sure to go to places that were packed with people. He hung out or ate alone. I used to go to the movies and screenings alone. I did not go out. I sat in the parks alone. I traveled alone. Yes, even to remote places and cities. I would look at the people. I’m scared of it. I would write. I made sure no one knew where I was going. I would just go. The goal for me was to learn to enjoy my own company. I adapted pretty quickly. I don’t know why doing things alone is considered an anomaly nowadays, but I fell in love. I also learned that someone walking around alone does not mean that he or she is lonely or has no friends. It simply means that they are not prepared to entertain company or socialize at the time. This was perfectly fine for me. I felt more compelled to try new things without the added background noise. It has made me much more focused than I have ever been.

  • clutter removed – Clean my house. I removed the walls. I bought a new bed. I gave away a lot of old furniture and threw the rest in the trash. I took all but one of my credit cards out of my wallet, called the companies, paid off the balances, closed the accounts and cut them off! I gave most of my clothes to my mother and sister-in-law and kept about ten outfits for myself. I have about four pairs of shoes and maybe a pair of boots. It may be less than that. I shop seasonally and it’s never really what’s in season so I don’t know. I had too much stuff and I’m sure I had it around me because I attributed my happiness to it. Most of these items had very little meaning. It clogged my house, it left very little room and I was tired of looking at it. I even sold my car. What was the use? I live in the city. I take the train or carpool like Uber or Lyft wherever I go, which often isn’t a lot of places. I’ve become quite minimalist. My house is big but now it’s empty, filled with nothing but books, two capes, plants, my son’s instruments, a few laptops, and food. I hate clutter and excess. Living without him has become my new normal.

  • Got rid of distractions – I unfollowed all celebrities on social media (with the exception of a small handful I actually know) and other people I don’t share a close personal connection with. I then deleted all social media apps. I don’t mind keeping up with trends or people I don’t know. Many of the people in my life were some of my biggest distractions. There is such a thing as meeting too many people. It’s not because they’re bad people, but because friendships were based on superficial ideals and got me nowhere. Unless there was something to go out and gossip and take some selfies while drinking, we barely had two words to say to each other. These relationships became stocks that needed to be sold quickly because the value had fallen dramatically from the initial purchase price. They knew it. I knew it. The distance widened, and as things began to change for me, within a few months we stopped talking. Friendships are beautiful to have. They can be fruitful, but they can also be exhausting. Nobody likes a loss. It is admitting that something went wrong or that you made a mistake. But cutting your losses can prevent you from taking a devastating downturn that is too steep to recover from later. Most of us get something wrong 3 out of 5 times a day. We still live to see another day. I still know a lot of people, but I only have a small handful of real friends. Trust me, there is a difference. Alcohol was the biggest distraction of all for me, so I stopped drinking. I gave up cold turkey. Alcohol not only kept me drunk all the time, it also kept me fat and sick. Eat out, too. I changed my relationship with food because I ate too much for no reason. Since then I have lost the 70 pounds I gained plus 20 more and have never felt better.

In a nutshell, getting things done just helped me better control my thoughts so I could sort out and get rid of all the distractions. The reward is that I have been able to reap the benefits of simplifying my lifestyle. I have gained a lot by getting rid of almost everything. It’s taught me a lot about myself over the years, like how much I hate hoarding things and molding my happiness around objects and people. I hate doing things in excess. I’ve gotten into the idea that I don’t need to be around people all the time to be happy and excited. I have learned to set limits. I’ve learned to stop stretching myself so much and take more care of myself. Even my relationship with money has changed. Drastically. I have learned that the value is in the respect that one must have for the dollar. I never had respect for money before. All he knew how to do was spend it. I realized that everything I had ever wanted and needed I had had all along and everything else was a matter of social currency rather than a happy life.

We live in an era where social status is the new currency. That’s why we take photos of everything we do and promote our lifestyle on social media in the “be like me” style. Social media and current culture say that our pedigree and class are now strictly based on social engagement and how much we receive rather than how much we give of ourselves. To some extent, it has always been this way, but never to this extent. An environment has now been created where we feel the perceived need to realize our ambitions in a publicly documented format to keep pace with our peers and it has become a soul-sucking trap. Many of us are deathly afraid of living unfiltered lifestyles because it goes against social norms and is considered risky.

But, it is not who we really are nor is it what we really want. Trust me, if everyone was as fit and happy as they picture themselves to be, the world wouldn’t be in such chaos. We go out of our way to hurt each other often and are always seemingly stuck in a perpetual cycle of constant confusion. This is why depression is on the rise and more people are dying younger. You don’t notice these things when they’re happening because we’re socially conditioned to keep up appearances. We have grown to staple our personalities around the idea that nothing we have or do is worth anything unless others approve of it. It’s a shame that every decision we make has to do with making sure someone knows or sees it, in some way. Sun to sun. Every day. All time.

I’m the happiest I’ve been since I stopped bothering with all that crap. He didn’t do anything for me anyway. He added nothing to my life. Literally nothing. I once avoided boredom and quiet rooms like infectious diseases. Now, I can’t get enough of either one. I divorced the shift in exchange for staying home, eating kid-friendly snacks, playing interactive games, cooking, and reading with my son. Turns out I’m having a lot more fun! My sleep habits are better. My attitude improved a lot. I am much more focused. My hair has started to grow again, my skin glows, my house is quiet, and my heart is full.

Business

Personality tests in pre-employment screening: understanding the drawbacks to maximize use

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“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, and I look forward to hearing from you about this opportunity.” When the candidate hands him an additional copy of his impeccable resume and releases him with a strong, confident handshake, he takes one last look at his meticulous attire and thinks, “This is our man.” However, you can’t help but wonder, “Is this all just a front?” How can you dig a little deeper to find out if it really is the best fit for your position?

It is this very scenario that is the catalyst behind the growing popularity of personality tests during the hiring process. Hiring managers yearn for more incisive methods of character assessment than dress scrutiny and handshakes. Personality tests seem to be the answer to your prayers. These tests often include multiple choice questions designed to identify key indicators of success and longevity for a position. Used in conjunction with other fitness assessment methods, these tests can be very helpful. However, some employers are placing too much importance on such tests, or even using them exclusively in the early stages of the hiring process, thereby denying themselves opportunities with several potentially suitable candidates who were prematurely “eliminated” by a test. Before you jump into the use of personality tests and discard your previous methods, read the tips below on how to maximize the use of this tool as a complementary addition to your hiring arsenal.

The revival of the personality test
As the economic downturn reduced the number of “workers” and skyrocketed the number of “job seekers” nationally, it became an increasingly daunting task for hiring managers to weed out the influx of applications and resumes that flooded job seekers. their desks. Although personality tests have been around for quite some time, there seems to be a growing popularity in using these employment tools to efficiently locate the right talent for open positions. According to an article on BestCompaniesAZ.com, personality tests have been designed to “determine the likelihood that the particular applicant will be a) successful and b) long-term”; it does so by “defining personality or behavioral tendencies that are in line with the duties of the position.” Such tests are effective in offering an objective opinion, something that is often difficult for us as humans to deliver. We are often swayed if a person is revealed to have similar interests or experiences to our own, even when we consciously try to stifle our subjectivity. Personality tests are also an effective method of differentiating between candidates. It can be quite difficult to make hiring decisions when looking at two very similar resumes where qualifications and experience appear identical on paper. In this way, personality tests can be very effective; when their effectiveness is diluted correlates with cases where they are used at sole discretion in the early stages of contracting, and where shortcomings are not fully understood by users. Recognizing these shortcomings is the only way to truly maximize the use of personality tests.

Understand the drawbacks
A key drawback of personality tests is the prevalence of “response distortion.” Response distortion, as described in the essay “The Impact of Response Distortion on Pre-employment Personality Testing and Hiring Decisions,” is a “fake” among job applicants who complete job inventories. personality. For many of the questions, there may be a clear indicator of which answers will be more favorable in the eyes of an employer. For example, when asked to choose traits to describe themselves, candidates can often say which descriptors (“energetic,” “ambitious,” “organized,” etc.) are most favorable to employers, and then align with that. those answers. In this way, it is relatively easy for a candidate to create their own desired perception in order to obtain a favorable result in the hiring process. This use of response distortion can lead to skepticism about “what effect this distortion has on the validity, usefulness, and fairness of pre-employment personality assessments.” (Rosse, Stecher, Miller, and Levin).

On the other hand, personality tests can also give erroneously negative results, depending on the circumstances in which the candidate is taking the test. Your answers may depend on your mood; therefore, a person who takes a test while depressed may be characterized as the wrong personality type, simply based on her mood at the time. Another area that could negatively affect personality test results is confusion. If the candidate misunderstands the question or the context, he may distort the results. One particular problem that tends to resonate throughout the realm of personality testing is confusion over whether the questions are directed at candidates’ behavior at work or at home. People are often very divergent when they are sitting at their desk instead of sitting on their couch. They may be extremely relaxed at home, but intensely professional at work. Using personality tests that are clear and unambiguous in both the wording of their questions and the context in which they need to be answered is key to achieving the most accurate results.

Another problem with personality tests is that they cannot accurately capture all of a person’s traits. People are dynamic characters with many facets. Multiple-choice tests often pigeonhole candidates into selecting only one characteristic over another (eg, are you an introvert or extrovert?) when perhaps the candidate possesses characteristics of both. A person who is reserved in their interactions with other people but extremely aggressive when approaching their own initiatives and ongoing projects may find it difficult to convey this on such a test, and the results may brand them as a shy individual who always takes their back. . seat, a description far from reality. When choosing which test to implement, it’s important to make sure it’s a quality test that can capture many different facets, and even then, it’s important to remember that there are just certain things about a personality that can’t be reflected in a test.

conclusion
In conclusion, personality tests are an excellent tool to complement your traditional candidate evaluation methodologies. They allow you to dig deeper into a candidate and discern not only if they will fit the role, but also if they will be happy and successful in the long-term placement. However, personality tests should not be used exclusively, as they are internally flawed and capture only a snapshot of an individual’s personality, rather than the big picture. As Mike Shraga described in his article on personality tests, they are best used as a management tool to uncover characteristics of interest or detriment, spark discussions, and even be used as a tool to train and develop a person in one or two key areas, instead of being used as a means of automatic disarming. When used in this way, personality tests will be an invaluable resource in both understanding and cultivating your workforce.

Means
Rosse, Stecher, Miller, and Levin. “The impact of response distortion on pre-employment personality tests and hiring decisions”. Journal of Applied Psychology.
Shrag, Mike. “Using Personality Tests to Make Your Hiring Decisions: What You Need to Know.” Academia.com.
BestCompaniesAZ.com. “Pre-employment Testing: Personality Assessments as a value-added part of the Process”.

Home Kitchen

The evolution of kitchen appliances in an ageless environment

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The “new” retirement would wisely be called “non-retirement,” an involved, active, decades-long life extension. The home will be the headquarters during this exciting stage of life, and the kitchen will be the command center. From non-traditional home styles to universal designs, the kitchen will be the first truly age-free space.

kitchen centered housing

Retirement age is steadily falling and even people in their twenties and thirties are anxiously contemplating their passage into the phase of life that used to mean the end of everything that mattered. Not so in the 21st century; Retirement can bring new freedoms, lucrative ventures, broader horizons, personal fulfillment, and global connections, all while sitting at the kitchen table and enjoying your morning coffee. Kitchens will continue to appear in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. They will always be loved as much for their flaws as for their charm and convenience. Housing styles and development patterns that isolate residents and create urban sprawl will be replaced with designs and plans that are environmentally sound and people friendly. One trend will shift couples and single homeowners toward compact, eco-friendly new homes and away from energy-hungry monster homes. These scaled-down residences will not only be smaller, but smarter. For example, some homeowners may concentrate food production in the kitchen through hydroponic or soilless cultivation in glassed-in expanses that also serve as dining rooms. Kitchen-centric multi-unit dwellings will become more common with home-like variations including:

  • clustered houses built around central courtyards that function as common areas for outdoor dining and vegetable gardens,
  • cohousing communities that integrate separate family units with common dining and recreation areas to strengthen community connections, and
  • Mixed-style high-rise units with private living rooms that radiate from central kitchens and living areas to offer affordable and stylish living styles.

Our first age-free environments

Too often, thoughts about the future focus on how technology will change our lives, ignoring one important fact: we are going to change too. All aspects of life will be affected as the demographic revolution represented by nearly 10 million Baby Boomers moves through life. Kitchens will be our first age-free spaces as they transform into multi-use, multi-generational work and entertainment spaces where safety and functionality are paramount for all sizes, shapes and abilities of users. Children and grandchildren, parents and grandparents, people without disabilities and people with disabilities should feel comfortable socializing, cooking and eating in these activity centers. Age-Free environments have flexibility by design. Universal Design, an emerging concept that will soon become commonplace, emphasizes the removal of all barriers to functionality and enjoyment for all. These Age-Free features range from wide aisles, lever door handles and height-adjustable countertops to ergonomic design with visual cues applied to everything from control knobs to furniture. All of which furnish a kitchen that allows the joy of cooking to be the focal point.

Voice-activated home appliances with robotic capabilities for repetitive tasks like cleaning and equipment maintenance will be among future innovations that save time, effort and money. Comfort will be ensured by advances in products and materials embedded in computer chips, like chameleon-like surfaces on the walls that change color on demand to suit mood and weather, and heated floors that recognize the walker and they automatically adjust the room temperature to suit that person’s pre-programmed preferences.

Room for improvement

Homeowners and renters will continue to strive to strike a personal balance between affordability and luxury in their homes. Not all families or communities will have access to the same levels of technology and design sophistication; there will still be room for improvement. Here are some enhancements that may be available to you:

  • Grocery shopping will go from a time-consuming physical task to an automated electronic task. Appliances that continuously monitor freshness and inventory levels will automatically place orders with grocery stores and food distributors to ensure you never run out.
  • Bulk ordering and cooperative purchasing arrangements for food and other goods will reduce costs and support essential local infrastructure within subdivisions, condominium complexes, and neighborhoods.
  • Systems and equipment will have backup capacity to protect food during power outages and failures. Some kitchens may be designed to function as a safe and independent living environment in times of natural disasters, pandemics, or municipal service outages.
  • Your refrigerator, through its wireless connection to the health monitor you’ll be wearing, can keep track of calories, salt, or other health issues for you and make suggestions or issue warnings when you open the door. Particularly outside of urban areas, online medical services will strengthen the connection between nutrition and wellness by using the kitchen as a hub of health. No aspect of home and living will see as many changes as the multi-purpose kitchen in the coming decades. Since the origins of the word “kitchen” relate only to cooking, these evolving spaces may eventually even earn a new name.
Auto

Green driving in today’s environment

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With skyrocketing gas prices being what they are, the dangers of global warming and public concern about foreign oil, more automakers are offering electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles. While buying a green vehicle is a great start to reducing the environmental impacts of driving. Of course, the vehicle you drive is the most important factor, but your driving habits and how well you maintain your vehicle will also affect the environment positively or negatively.

A Greenhouse Gas (GSG) is any gas that, when released into the atmosphere, traps infrared radiation (heat) and causes slow warming of the planet. The most common GHGs are: carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrous oxides (N 2 0). CO 2 makes up about 70 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, which is why many vehicles produce several times their weight in greenhouse gases each year. In fact, most of the fuel you put in your gas tank turns into GHG emissions!

Let’s face it: owning a car is a necessity in today’s world, so what kinds of actions can you take to help you “drive green”?

In hot weather, park in the shade when possible and open the doors and windows to cool down the car before turning on the air conditioning. Shades also help reduce heat and sun damage. The use of air conditioning increases fuel consumption and involves the use of fluids that are potentially harmful to the environment.

Avoid driving during rush hours. Starting and stopping driving increases emissions of pollutants that form smog.

Be careful with the brakes and the accelerator. Jack-rabbit starts result in wasted fuel and release more pollutants into the environment. Let your vehicle stop as long as possible and avoid brake wear.

Obey the speed limit. Driving 65 mph instead of 55 mph will reduce your fuel economy by nearly 10 percent and increase exhaust pollution production.

Instead of taking separate trips, combine them as much as possible. An engine that is already warm generates much less air pollution. Catalytic converters only work well when the exhaust has heated them to a certain temperature. If you start your vehicle cold and drive just two miles, the emissions are much higher than driving an extra two miles to stop at the grocery store after your usual overnight commute. Combining several short trips into one can make a big difference when it comes to green driving.

Use your tire gauge! Properly inflated tires are a must. Fuel economy decreases about two percent for every three pounds below recommended pressure. Check air pressure regularly; especially before embarking on a long trip. Your tires will also last longer.

A tune up can have a substantial impact on fuel economy. Check fluids, spark plugs and air filter. Change the oil (to be even greener, ask for recycled oil) and replace worn belts. Rotate the tires and align the wheels for even tire wear.

Avoid filling the gas tank after the automatic nozzle turns off. Spilled gasoline is carcinogenic to breathe, evaporates into the atmosphere, and can seep into the ground, contaminate water, and poison wildlife.

Save fuel and reduce pollution by biking or joining a carpool or vanpool to work and carpooling to and from kids’ activities.

By following these simple tips and guidelines, you can do your part to counter global warming and help the environment. go green!

Digital Marketing

The Pros and Cons of Link Building for Search Engine Optimization

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Tons of SEO professionals and webmasters nearly collapsed at their keyboards in the wake of Google’s Penguin and Panda updates. SEO professionals believed that “link building was dead…” and this was a huge concern, to put it mildly. However, as time went on and webmasters and SEO professionals alike adapted to the change, the fear dissipated regarding link building for search engine optimization (SEO). In fact, the initial reaction was a bit over the top.

Link building continues and should/should continue as it is an essential aspect of search engine optimization. All search engines are link driven.

With that said, we’ll move on to more information on link building, which you may find exceptionally useful and informative.

Misconceptions about link building that should be discarded immediately

– Don’t build links and make sure your content is amazing. This is far from the truth… In fact, even Google’s Matt Cutts said that “links are still the best way we’ve found to find out how relevant or important someone is…”

This statement came from the head of Google’s web spam team. For starters, the guy who released the Penguin and Panda updates. So maybe now we can relax and try to breathe again? Maybe…

You see, although backlinks are still a vital aspect of SEO and are also one of the best methods search engines use to rank and index content – ​​the old way of linking is a thing of the past. Those days are gone!

Google now targets particular types of link building methods/strategies. These particular strategies are ones that webmasters and SEO professionals should avoid or risk algorithm and manual penalties, which Google has the power to uphold at any given time.

Things to avoid when making backlinks

Google’s goals and hopes with the implementation of Penguin and Panda were to get rid of spam and suspicious link building scams. Bottom line, stay away and don’t use “quick fix” link building tricks. For a long time, website owners and webmasters spent a lot of time and money exchanging links with other websites to increase page rankings.

However, these link building methods did not offer anything of value to users. Its very existence was to develop as many links as humanly possible and trick search engine algorithms to advance a website’s page ranking. These are the types of link building methods that Google discourages and now, with the implementation of Penguin, if someone uses these unethical link building strategies, they will be hit with a pretty hefty penalty for such practices.

Do not use the following link building tactics:

1. Cross Linking or Exchanging links with other web pages for the sole purpose of building a link tree to increase page rank… This is the type of tactic that should be subjected to a lethal injection. DO NOT DO THIS!

2. Placing links to a website in low value directories is not recommended as most of these online directories are not good. You will be able to tell the difference between low value online directories and the really good ones. Make sure they are applicable and relevant to your business, industry, and/or niche.

3. Guest Blogging or Guest Posting for the sole purpose of inserting keywords, stuffed links within the body of the content is also a big NO, NO! As mentioned above, you will know which blogs are high value based on domain authority or social shares.

Here are some invaluable link building tips…

4 Tips on Safe and Effective Link Building Strategies

Now that we’ve established unethical link building tactics and they are, in fact, being targeted by Google, we’re ready to move on to what we should all really be focusing on, which are four basic building principles that will make your link the right ones! building efforts are invaluable and your SEO campaigns are an absolute success!

Stellar, quality content. It’s been said many times, but once again it won’t hurt a bit… Creating high-quality content is vital! High-quality content provides value to online users. So naturally/organically you will get quality, Google-friendly and approved links. In addition, this will also develop “Link Earning”. If you continue with high-quality, engaging content, eventually, your website will be recognized and your link building will go into autopilot mode.

Keep the links applicable/relevant. Google counts on your inbound and outbound links to stay relevant. For example, the links must be connected to other web pages that have an organic and direct connection to your business, industry and/or niche in your business. Example: If you have a website that offers professional cleaning services and you link to a website with professional cleaning equipment, this would make a lot of sense to Google instead of linking to a medical equipment company that flies at night.

Less is more. With the new ways of link building, less is definitely more! Using just a few links from a small number of high-quality websites is much more valuable than using a large number of links from low-quality, spammy, and suspicious websites. Quality over quantity will triumph in the link building process. Focus on deep links when looking for high-quality websites.

Investment in social networks. Social media networks and/or platforms are more important than ever. Although Facebook shares or likes are not perceived as links, they nevertheless provide a great avenue to spread your message. Also, it will increase your brand visibility and attract users to your website. The content, which is shared through social media platforms, will organically boost and improve the visibility of a website. It is recommended that you use tools, such as – HootSuite or Buffer, so that you can schedule social media posts in advance.

As you know, the world of SEO is constantly changing and although it can become overwhelming at times, it is up to SEO professionals to adapt to these changes, so that your website stays up-to-date and even more successful and fruitful. So when you hear people say that link building is dead, know that this is a total misconception and that link building is still a valuable aspect of SEO practices.

Health Fitness

Can rapid weight loss cause back pain?

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It is well established that being overweight or obese increases the chance of experiencing low back pain. With that in mind, it makes sense to view weight loss as a treatment for back pain. However, rapid weight loss can cause back pain in a number of ways.

Malnutrition

Fast weight loss diets often revolve around the principle of ketosis, where the body burns its fat due to a decreased supply of sugars it receives to burn. Low-carb diets fall into this category. By cutting out grains and fruits, you will lose some of the nutrients you normally get. The whole body is affected by malnutrition; the muscles will not be able to function properly and may spasm or become weak, causing them to tense easily.

If your diet restricts certain food groups, you should take supplements to make sure your body gets the nutrients it needs. Look for diets like Ideal Protein that take steps to make up for nutrient loss.

Dehydration

Low-carb diets like Atkins and Zone are diuretic diets; increase water loss to lose weight fast. If you’re not informed or educated, it’s easy to become dehydrated while following one of these diets.

The body is made up of approximately 70% water. Spinal discs rely on water to maintain height and their ability to absorb shock. Dehydration reduces the fluids available to the spinal discs, which could lead to rapid disc degeneration, bulging, or herniation. Muscles also need fluids to receive and absorb electrolytes. When dehydrated, muscles begin to cramp.

If you want to follow a low-carb diet, make sure your plan includes instructions on water intake.

loss of muscle tone

Some people looking for quick weight loss plans with low calorie intake are told to avoid strenuous activities like exercise for a while as the body is adjusting to less fuel. Being sedentary can cause a rapid loss of muscle tone. The muscles of the lower back and abdomen are meant to work together to support the upper body and the alignment of the spine. As these muscles soften, posture can suffer. Various muscles in the back, neck, and shoulders become sore and tight due to poor posture.

over-exercise

Some people’s weight loss plans include regular, high-intensity exercise to help burn fat. If you are consuming fewer calories and burning more, you may be putting your health at risk.

Your body needs calories for energy and repair. If you’re working your muscles harder and giving them less fuel to work with, you’re more susceptible to strains. Also, not getting enough rest for muscles to heal is a cause of back pain among dieters. Intense workouts should not be done daily.

gallstones

Although the exact reason for this is not known, diets that are very low in fat and/or calories can impair gallbladder function. This organ helps the liver in the digestion of fats. A limited supply of fat is thought to prevent the gallbladder from contracting and releasing bile regularly, which could lead to stone development as substances in the bile stagnate and harden.

Gallstones and bile retention cause the gallbladder to become inflamed. Since it is located in close proximity to the muscles of the lower back and abdomen on the right side, inflammation of the organ can cause radiating pain in the back and stomach.

Warning: if the weight loss is unexplained

If you are losing weight without dieting and have back pain, this could be a sign of a serious medical condition. Cancerous spinal tumors can cause weight loss, changes in appetite, fatigue, back pain, vomiting, fever, and/or neurological problems. If you are unexpectedly losing weight, seek medical attention.

For some people, losing weight quickly is a must. For others, it is a choice. Reaching a healthy weight is a goal that should be pursued for the sake of your back and for your quality and length of life. Be careful with crash diets. Look for plans that pay attention to nutritional requirements and hydration. If you experience back pain while on a fast weight loss diet, it could be a sign that your body isn’t getting what it needs or that you’re exercising too much.

Don’t let back pain get in the way of your weight loss goal. Choosing the right diet will ensure that you lose weight quickly and safely. If possible, consult with a trusted health professional about your diet plan.

Pets

How I Trained a Strong Willed Dog

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Have you ever had a dog that constantly tests you? A dog that will look at you when you give it a command with an expression that says, “What’s in it for me?” One who will obey for a while, then slip away or adjust his command to fit his needs?

I call this type of dog STRONG WILL. and the first time I met one it turned out to be my fifth and current dog.

My first childhood dog was a Toy Manchester, named Mickey after Mickey Mouse, which my mother chose for its size. The next dog, Pooky a one pound dog, was a gift from my brother when Mickey died. Again, my husband gave me a dog, an Irish setter puppy, as a wedding present. Sterling and I were inseparable friends, and she broke my heart when she died at the age of 15. Two years passed before she could love another dog. I chose a Golden Retriever, Lacey, who lived to be 13 years old. The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life was put her to sleep. Ebony the STRONG-WILLED DOG came into my life a couple of months after Lacey’s death when my two children decided that her mother was too lonely without a dog.

Do you know that you can buy dogs on the internet? Yes! You can search all animal shelters and rescue organizations and include photos. After several phone calls, we drove a mother 90 miles just to WATCH a trio of Black Lab/Border Collie puppy sisters. Ebony came to me.

I should have seen it in the eyes. There was something different about the look he gave me. I soon learned that the mischievous meanings behind the eyes were an indication of their STRONG WILL nature.

The first thing I learned about Ebony was that you had to watch her CONSTANTLY like a little girl. One thing after another was chewed up or destroyed in record time. Now, I know you’re thinking that she’s just a puppy, and rightfully so. But while Ebony was doing this destruction she looked at me with “those eyes”. They focused directly on me and then backed away from her as she fled with her bounty as bait for the chase.

The good news is that Ebony cured me of SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder. I started taking her for a 2-3 mile walk every day to tire her out so she could nap and I could accomplish something. It has now become a daily ritual bringing me rays of light physically, emotionally and spiritually. I no longer need my light box. “Those eyes” track all my attention if we’re late for our morning walk.

I taught him basic obedience commands at home first on leash then off leash. I started training her with the “come” command with treats when we went for walks and she let loose. He was happy with this game for a while. One day when I said “come” she looked at me, looked around her and decided there were better things to do. She was no longer an alpha dog and this was NOT good.

Having trained four dogs, I have never encountered this problem before. I started my research and settled on the SportDog Remote E-Collar. It was very simple to implement because she was already trained for an invisible fence after her many episodes of escaping from the yard through the blackberries.

Ebony was a quick learner and collects many compliments on our frequent rides. But she knows and I know that any chance she gets, she’ll push to get her way. Of the five dogs I have bred in a span of 50 years, Ebony raises the bar for the title designation of being a STRONG-WILLED DOG.

Real Estate

Creative ideas to add more space to your bathroom

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After spending all day in the hustle and bustle of this modern world, more and more people consider their bathroom to be the best place to de-stress, relax and indulge in luxury. This is also why many homeowners get involved in bathroom remodeling projects. In addition to improving your quality of life, this form of home improvement can help you sell your home faster in the future. This makes a bathroom renovation a very worthwhile investment.

But what if your bathroom is small or cramped? Instead of being intimidated by size, get inspired by some creative ideas to make your bathroom look and feel more spacious. As you contemplate the design of your next bathroom, here are some great ideas that you might like to try:

Mirrors work like magic

Adding mirrors to small spaces is the oldest trick to transform even the smallest space into a more spacious area. Add a corner mirror to your bathroom to effectively duplicate everything in sight, like the lights. It is a wonderful technique for bathrooms without natural light.

Be fun with paint treatments

Even by choosing the simplest and cheapest paint, you can completely change the appearance of your bathroom. While bold colors are impressive, creative paint treatments can work wonders in small spaces, too. Paint is a very easy upgrade to make, so don’t hold back and play as much as you want.

Try an open shower

It’s no secret that getting rid of the shower door can add more space, and for the smaller bathroom, every space counts. Of course, you need to take some extra waterproofing measures, like tiling from floor to ceiling, but this design is worth a try.

Choose your floor tile wisely

Place the focal point of your bathroom on the floor to draw the eye down and then to the back of the room. With the right tile, you can make your visitors forget about square footage. Putting a similar motif on the back window glass similar to the one on the floor can make for a cohesive bathroom design.

Be unconventional with your design

Trying an unconventional design can add more space to your otherwise cluttered bathroom. With a little creativity and strategic placement, you can put everything you need inside the room without it feeling cluttered.

Don’t forget the built-ins

Older houses have small bathrooms with lots of cracks, nooks and crannies, and random walls that are generally unused. Get the best out of these surfaces and never let a place become dead space.

add a wall

Placing a large mural in your bathroom can deceive the eye at first glance. There are many poster-style murals in many stores today. Imagine opening the bathroom door only to be transported to the desert or the beach.

Go bold with wallcoverings

Finally, bold wallcoverings can work wonders for a small bathroom, as they are delightfully stunning on the eyes. You can also add the same wallcovering to the ceiling for an extra dose of drama and create a unique space in your home.

No bathroom is too small when you use these strategic tips and tricks. Now it’s your turn. Take advantage of these ideas and be creative. The best transformation you never thought possible just takes a little planning and daring to be different.