Education Translation

The Corporate Housing Industry Continues to Grow

admin — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:03:37 +0000

The corporate housing industry is the business of renting fully furnished apartments to persons who need relatively short-term housing, typically 30-120 days. Often these temporary accommodations are supplied by employers for relocating employees or employees on a temporary assignment away from home. Sometimes, individuals will book directly with a short term residential housing company for extended travel lodging. In the case of natural disasters where homes are badly damaged or destroyed, insurers will also often provide corporate housing for displaced families. Altogether, the corporate housing business has been good and growing, even in a market that has been difficult for many others in the lodging and real estate industries.

Just how good has business been? Each year, the Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA) releases a detailed report of the state of the business. The most recent edition, Corporate Housing Industry Report -2008, tells the complete story. According to the report which details data gathered for the 2007 calendar year, 2007 marks the second consecutive year in which revenue for the corporate housing sector grew by double digit percentages. In fact, revenue was up more than 20% over 2006 totals. The business racked up an incredible $2.95 billion dollars in total for the year, making 2007 the best year ever for providers of corporate housing.

Although the number of residential apartments can vary from month to month, or even from day to day in some cases, 2007 saw an average inventory of just under 78,000 units in the United States. That’s an increase of 1.4% over 2006. The CHPA report expects similar inventory growth in 2008. Despite the growing inventory, furnished corporate apartments experienced an occupancy rate of over 90% for the year.

In a press release discussing the annual report, CHPA president Ned Scharpf, stated that "Corporate Housing’s growth out-paced that of other lodging segments in 2007, including increases in the average daily rate and demand." Indeed the average daily rate grew by 11.5% in 2007. Even so, when considering that corporate housing is fully furnished and includes most, if not all, utilities costs built into the daily rate, the average daily price of $116 per night is very reasonable, especially when you factor in the fact that most corporate housing is located in busy metropolitan communities. When calculating the additional savings that come from allowing the resident a fully working kitchen with stove and refrigerator instead of relying on restaurants and room service, corporate housing rates become even more attractive.

2008 numbers, when they come out, are expected to show that the business remained on its upward trends during the most recent year. Even 2009 is expected to get off to a great start, especially for Washington, DC residential and corporate housing during January of 2009, with the big influx of people expected for the presidential inauguration festivities. With all the doom and gloom projections facing much of the lodging and real estate markets for the coming year, it’s good to know that there’s at least one shining star in the sector.

Unwrapping the Passion in your Relationship

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:01:41 +0000

One of the most enjoyable and memorable parts of any Christmas is unwrapping the presents. Women can recreate that same feeling for their husbands by wrapping themselves in the luxurious folds of fine lingerie. Ladies, what your husband really wants for Christmas is you, but some fancy wrapping can certainly help set his Yule log aglow.

Like gift-wrapping, lingerie is an invitation to your partner’s imagination. It’s often said that the imagination is the most erogenous part of the human body, and lingerie, especially lingerie that your partner hasn’t seen before, can send his imagination racing. Where the imagination goes, the rest of the body soon follows.

Not only can lingerie enhance your partner’s experience, but it can help get your engine racing as well. Lingerie, and your husband’s reaction to it, can help you feel more beautiful and attractive. A boost in confidence can often boost the libido as well. Many women find that they feel more in control of the situation when they wear lingerie. It’s a signal that you are ready for playtime with your husband and most of the time, he’ll be powerless to resist. It allows you to make the decision of whether to engage in romantic activities while maintaining the illusion that your husband is making the choice. In reality, he is no more in control than the bull who sees the matador’s red cape waving at him, but he doesn’t need to know that.

With the busy work schedules that many two income families face today, it can be hard to find a time when both partners are in the mood. As a result, many find their sex lives are not as active as they’d like. By slipping into some sexy lingerie, you can help set things right, and put both of you back into the mood. Many relationship experts advise scheduling time in your busy week for romance, but that can lead to performance pressures for both partners and turn what should be fun into a chore. Just coming to bed with lingerie can serve the same purpose while maintaining the spontaneity of the sexual encounter. The unexpected surprise can help restore some of the physical and emotional excitement that you both felt when your relationship first started to get serious.

Lingerie is not a magic cure-all for a troubled relationship, but it can help to signal that you still care enough to take the extra step to please your husband. Chances are that he’ll respond to your overtures with some signals of his own.

Added Touches to Make Any Bachelor Party Extra Special

admin — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:28:16 +0000

You’ve bought the beer, booked the dancers, scoped out some hopping clubs, and arranged for late-night snacks. While these are the essentials for a great bachelor party that you and the future groom won’t soon forget, a few added touches can really go a long way. When you’re planning your friend’s last night of single life, consider the following to make the evening even more memorable.

Invitations

Even if the bachelor party is going to be a relatively small one, you should still consider sending out invitations. Aside from serving as a reminder about the date and time of the party, they also make great souvenirs. You could go to a local party supply store, choose a design and theme, and mail the invitations to all of the invitees, but sending invites through email might be easier. There are sites that will allow you to send these invites for free, and there are plenty of designs to choose from. If your guest list is very large, you could also request that guests RSVP so you have an idea of how many people will be in attendance.

Favors

When you’re planning a bachelor party, there are two types of favors you should be looking for: ones that you will give out as keepsakes to everybody, and those that are designed just for the groom. For the groom, you could purchase an inflatable love doll that must accompany him to each and every club. You could also buy the guest of honor a hat, t-shirt, or glass that clearly identifies him as the groom-to-be. The types of favors you will have for the rest of the guests really depends on the size of the group and how much you are willing to spend. Bachelor party t-shirts are a common choice, but you can also consider shot glass or beer steins with the date of the event.

Games

Bachelor parties are a great opportunity to play those drinking games that used to occupy so much of your time in college. Explain the rules to the crowd, make sure there’s lots of beer, and get started. Many bachelor parties also involve adult-themed games. Booby Frisbee and pin the boobies on the hottie (yes, it’s the exact same premise as the kids’ version) are games that are sure to amuse everybody at the party.

Decorations

If most of the festivities will be taking place at a friend’s house, be sure to put up at least a few decorations. Streamers, balloons, and candles are all typical choices. Remember, however, that they don’t have to be boring. Take a little time to look online, and you’ll find triple X versions of even the most basic party decorations. The groom and your fellow partyers will undoubtedly appreciate your extra effort.

The Benefits of Benzoyl Peroxide on Acne

paul — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:03:35 +0000

Benzoyl peroxide trickled upon the acne scene in the 1930s. Why trickled? Because it was not heavily used at first and scientists didn’t understand quite how to administer it and at what dosages. Also, it was initially used in formulations in a powder form which proved explosive and extremely dangerous to work with. But, despite these setbacks, by the 1960s and 1970s benzoyl peroxide grew in popularity to become the mainstay of acne treatment. To this day, only Accutane can rival it for consistent results. Though it’s not a cure for acne.

So what is this acne remedy they call benzoyl peroxide?
Benzoyl peroxide is a molecule which basically creates oxygen. Peroxides all perform this action and contain an oxygen-oxygen single bond. What is so revolutionary about benzoyl peroxide, however, is its ability to penetrate the epidermis. Our epidermis is nature’s barrier. It does it’s job extremely well and prevents most substances from entering into the skin below. What scientists found with benzoyl peroxide is that it is capable of penetrating into the skin and still maintaining its oxygen creation properties.

And how does benzoyl peroxide help keep people acne free?
Skin bacteria, also known as P. Acnes, can only live in an anaerobic environment. This means it can only thrive when there is no oxygen around. You guessed it, benzoyl peroxide creates oxygen and this bacteria can’t survive. It dies, and dies quickly and reliably when oxygen is present. Studies show that upwards of 99% of skin bacteria is zapped with one application of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide works remarkably well at killing this bacteria—better than any other product on the market, prescription or otherwise. But it also works in another way, through what they call desquamation. Desquamation is a fancy term for sluffing off skin cells. Benzoyl peroxide gets into the pores of the skin and sluffs off skin cells. It also does this on the surface of the skin. This mechanism helps pores from becoming clogged. If that weren’t enough, benzoyl peroxide is also an anti-inflammatory, which brings down inflammation in the skin. You can see this with people who often start out quite red and inflamed with a case of acne. After a few weeks or months on benzoyl peroxide their skin adopts a much less red, more even-toned look. Sure, even-tone is nice, but what’s even better about benzoyl peroxide’s anti-inflammatory response is that it helps prevent clogged pores from progressing into zits. Clogged pores are usually not even visible to the naked eye. When you see a red zit, that means the wall of the pore has actually broken. The body responds to this wall break with inflammation which creates the red color. Benzoyl peroxide works to fight this inflammatory response, thus allowing the body to heal itself more rapidly from a pore wall break. Using benzoyl peroxide from early onset of Acne can help prevent acne scars

Does benzoy peroxide work for acne on the back?
Yes it does, it can work great for back acne but it can work even better with the addition of alpha hydroxyl acid. Just be aware that benzoyl peroxide can bleach fabric when using it on the back.

Electrician 4 Hire Ltd

admin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:03:23 +0000

Electrician 4 Hire Ltd is a company who offer their services to residents in the Essex area and strive to offer an efficient, affordable and highly professional service for all of its customers. The company prides itself on its huge customer focus and many of the company’s sales come directly from word of mouth suggestions.

In 2006, the company was founded by Les Grayson, who too is an electrician in Thurrock. Ever since the company was founded, Les has worked hard in bringing the company together, incorporating good working ethic and believes in giving customers a full-sense of security and peace of mind before and after each transaction.

Electrician 4 hire is a family run business, which means a more personalised and tightly-knit service being offered – it’s their policy to never sub contract their work to third party companies as the service and quality cannot be guaranteed; each and every electrician is employed directly by Electrician 4 hire.

As part of the companies great customer care, they also offer free callouts and estimates of which are totally free of those charges that the best of us hate, hidden charges. Electrician 4 hire also gives you the most for your money by charging half hourly, which ultimately means the customer saves money. It’s uncommon to find a commercial electrician in Essex or company who charge you by these means

Quality of work is of utmost importance. All electricians will ensure customers are entirely satisfied with all work carried out on customers property, all will often give that little extra to ensure customers are one hundred percent happy.

Service is offered to all counties in the Essex area, this includes the Grays, Thurrock and Rayleigh areas. A member of the team can be with you on the very same day you request work to be carried out and at a time that is convenient to the customer, be it day or night.

Electrician 4 hire carries out work for commercial and non-commercial clients, also working with the likes of ITV and Stratford theatre. Whilst working with ITV on their ever-popular show “60 Minute Makeover”, they were originally asked to work for a single episode; however due to their hard working ethic and professionalism, they were asked to finish the remainder of the series for the Essex based shows.

Being NICEIC certified means a lot – these certifications hold nationwide recognition and demonstrate skills and knowledge in the relevant areas. NICEIC electricians are assessed on a regular basis to ensure that they are competent and capable of meeting the relevant technical and safety standards, codes of practice and rules of the Schemes they are registered to. Each Scheme has a defined set of competence criteria that contractors must meet to achieve and maintain registration.

It is believed that approximately 90% of Local Authorities in the UK restrict work to NICEIC Approved Contractors on safety grounds and householders can be assured that all work undertaken by an NICEIC-registered contractor will be safe and of high standards.

MMC Forums - Mobile Themes

paul — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:54:49 +0000

Personalisation is huge and it seems more and more programs and platforms now allow a high level of customisation, many supporting themes.

Theming your mobile phone is now hugely popular. Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones have full support for mobile themes built in and supply applications to help their users build their own themes with ease.

With the success of the internet, it’s allowed massive communities of mobile themers and their follows to be formed, some with millions of members. Some of the sites are dedicated to a particular brand and others are owned by artists who use their site to showcase their work.

One of the most popular theming websites is MMCForums.net which boasts over 800,000 members to date and growing rapidly. It’s more than just a website, it’s an online community. Other websites such as ownskin were setup for members to create themes online using their tools.

The atmosphere at MMC is very relaxed and friendly. There’s no rivalry like seen on some of the other theming websites. I suspect that’s largely down to the hard work of the admins keeping all of the members happy and doing all they can to cater for everybody’s needs. Some members theme for Sony Ericsson and others for Nokia but in the forums, both groups work together, share idea’s and resources.Themes for Sony Ericsson aren’t quite as customizable as Nokia themes but both platforms are hugely popular and fun to work with.

There are various levels of capability among the themers, some are just starting out and others have been theming for years. There’s no superiority complex among the veteran themers, they’re always at hand to answer questions and share tips and even their artwork with the new comers. The veteran themers share their Nokia Theme resources to enable others to easier build new themes.

What makes a great theme is debatable. Some prefer simple themes made of solid colors and others like something a little more complex with beautiful wallpapers and icons.

Luckily different themers cater for different members needs, some themers pump out several themes per day, these tend to focus primarily on the wallpaper and keep most of the other elements set to default. Other themers may spend days and even weeks developing their theme, these themes are much more involved and everything from the wallpaper, clock, battery and signal indicators to the icons are all customized perfectly to match the rest of the theme. These themes tend to be most popular with members and receive the biggest amount of downloads.

One of the most popular categories on the site are Nokia babe themes which receive hundreds of thousands of downloads per day. One themer in particular focuses most of his time and attention on themes featuring babes from all over the world. You’ll find babes such as the stunning Angeline featured in this Angelina Jolie Nokia Theme.

In addition to themes, members also share Ringtones of various articles. You’ll find anything from pop to rock to alternative music. There’s always fresh new content to download and best of all it’s totally free of charge to download.

Better Relief for Back Pain

admin — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:04:49 +0000

For years we have heard that a firm mattress is better for those who suffer from back pain. There are even cases of doctors suggesting that their patients put a layer of plywood or a door under their mattress to make it even more firm. While some people may find relief while sleeping on a very firm mattress, a renowned study by a group of researchers in Spain, led by Dr. Francisco Kovacs has shown that a medium mattress offered relief for twice as many patients when compared to a firm mattress.

Dr. Kovacs’ study found that patients who slept on a medium mattress required less pain medication, reported less pain while lying down, and even less pain while walking around during the daytime. The differences in outcome were substantially more positive for the group using medium mattresses.

If we look at the way the body interacts with a firm mattress, the difference is pretty clear. Dr. Kovacs, in his report published in The Lancet, a well-respected British medical journal, said “Firm mattresses don’t allow shoulder and hips to sink into the bed. This leaves an unsupported area in the lower back so the spine is curved leaving one side of joints open while the other is closed. If you keep doing this, one side of the back is stretched. The ideal is to have your spine in a straight line.”

While a mattress should be firm enough to limit the depth to which hips sink into the mattress to prevent curving in the opposite direction, some yielding actually improves spinal alignment. Furthermore, using a material like memory foam that surrounds and cradles the body as it makes contact with the mattress surface provides critical support while preventing the misalignment that the Kovacs study found with firm mattresses.

Memory foam, then, is an ideal choice for those who suffer from chronic or periodic back pain. Sufferers of this condition would be well advised to make their next mattress a memory foam mattress. If they have already purchased a firm mattress and have found little or no relief, there’s no need to run out and replace their existing mattress. By simply adding a memory foam mattress topper to an existing mattress, the benefits of a comfortable, yielding, yet supportive sleeping surface can still be realized. Memory foam mattress toppers are typically available in thicknesses ranging from one to four inches. For back pain sufferers, a four inch thickness in the denser memory foam is likely to provide maximum benefit.

With any medical condition, follow your doctor’s advice, but if your doctor still recommends a firm mattress, ask him about the Kovacs study that showed much higher rates of relief with mattresses of medium firmness and ask whether memory foam might be the right option for you.

Little Known Facts about the Trucking Industry

admin — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:04:04 +0000

Freight transportation is the backbone of consumerism in North America. Without the seamless movement of goods in the economy, prices would rise and products would be unavailable. Trucking in particular represents the bulk of goods flow between manufacturers and consumers. Because freight transportation works in the background with little fanfare, the average person knows little about this vital function and how trucking impacts their everyday lives.

Of the estimated 360,000 trucking companies in the United States, 82% run six or fewer trucks. Which means that the overwhelming majority of trucking companies are very small operations, and there are relatively few large trucking companies. This is good news for those assessing whether to become an owner-operator as the barriers to entry are not prohibitive to small operators. Single-truck operations make up a significant piece of the small trucker segment.
In commercial truck accidents causing death, more than 80% are caused by the non-commercial driver. The old stereotype of sleep-deprived truck drivers being a danger on the roads is largely disproved by this statistic. In actuality, the experience and skill of those who drive for a living is an important factor in avoiding and surviving accidents. Strict regulations about the operating condition of vehicles and the driving time logged also help ensure the continued safe operating records of commercial truckers.
The trucking industry accounts for only 12. 8% of all of the fuel purchased in the United States annually compared with automobiles and light vehicles which accounts for 63%. In these times when gasoline can fluctuate by three or more dollars a gallon, shipping goods by transport truck is an effective and cost-efficient method of transportation. Truck transportation also provides more timeliness and flexibility than other sources of transportation, such as rail.
According to the American Trucking Association, in 2006, trucks hauled over 80% of the value of trade between Mexico and the United States and over 64% of the value of trade between Canada and the United States. Trucking is still the main conduit of goods in North America and is the main reason that companies can maintain just-in-time inventory systems. This saves money in storage and holding fees and prevents goods from becoming obsolescent sitting in warehouses.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) reports that there were 20,268 registered property brokers as of April 2008, up approximately 25% from 2006. The freight brokerage business is booming and new brokers are opening for business every day. Other surveys, however, show that more than half of these brokers are not able to carry on past their first anniversary. Most of these business failures occur due to a lack of general business knowledge by the owners.

Give Your Lottery Odds A Real Boost

admin — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:52:06 +0000

If you are anything like me then you probably enjoy playing the lottery but are still waiting for the massive win. You may even be disappointed that you never seem to get very many of those little wins either.

I used to be one of those disappointed individuals every week too!

Although everyone knows that the chances of scooping the jackpot are very poor, many thousands of people still win smaller payouts on games like the UK National lotto and Euromillions lottery each week. I never seemed able to join this winning crew. That was until I began to find out some of the secrets that a bunch of individuals in the know are using every week to -

a) massively increase their likelihood of grabbing the jackpot and
b) win smaller prizes on a more regular basis

So, what are these secrets that these people are implementing?

A simple way of improving your probability of winning is to simply purchase more entries. But that means you have to spend more cash and the big idea is to pick up more money, not spend more money!

However, there is a way of playing the lottery with a greatly increased chance of winning without having to spend a packet.

Now, I have read many terrible stories about lotto syndicates winning a sizable cash prize and someone disappearing with the winnings or members suing each other in the law courts.

These situations can be avoided if you become a member of a well organised lottery syndicate; better still, a well organised lottery syndicate that uses a tested mathematical formula that lets you win more with the same numbers than you would playing
alone.

I know what you’re thinking, how can that be? If you have to share your winnings as part of a lotto syndicate how is it possible to win more with the same numbers?

I will try and explain…

As a member of an e-Lottery syndicate you can unite your spending power and play with an incredible odds advantage.

To participate in the UK National Lottery you choose six numbers between 1 and 49. Now lets say that you are a member of a lotto syndicate totalling 49 members. Each week the lotto syndicate plays with the same five numbers and uses its spending power to buy 44 tickets.

Why 44?

If you have to to choose six numbers per draw, and you already have five numbers, then all you need to do is purchase 44 tickets using the 44 numbers you don’t already have as your sixth number.

The brilliance behind this approach is you are at all times guaranteed to have at least one number in each draw. If you are participating in the UK lottery you now only need to match 2 numbers to secure a cash prize and 5 to split the
jackpot.

The e-Lottery syndicate system has been planned in such a way that means that when your syndicate wins, it wins on many lines resulting in you sharing a greater slice of the total prize fund.

The odds advantage of playing as a member of an e-Lottery syndicate is considerable; your chances of winning a cash prize in the UK National lotto are 733% greater than buying a ticket the normal way.

I hope you can now see the real benefits of collective player power in a well run lottery syndicate.

Summer Borders from Seed

admin — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 07:00:06 +0000

It can seem daunting to start a border from scratch. Buying plants from the garden centre can prove extremely expensive, particularly if you have a lot of space to fill. For a better value, and more personalised summer display, try growing your border from seed. At Gardens4less, we have a huge variety of species to choose from. So with a little forward-planning, you can create a bright, vibrant backdrop for your barbecues and evening drinks.

Sowing Annuals

It is best to start planning your border well in advance. Most annuals can be sown in spring and allowed to germinate in a heated propagator (link) or in the airing cupboard. When seedlings emerge, be sure to allow them plenty of light - a sunny windowsill is ideal. Generally speaking, plants should be ‘pricked out’ when they reach approximately an inch in height - use a dibber (or wooden lolly stick) to lift seedlings into individual modules. Annuals can be planted out when all risk of frost has passed, usually around May. If you wish to sow seeds directly into the ground, wait until June, when the soil is beginning to warm up. For unexpected cold snaps, our mini greenhouses (link) provide protection for potted plants. If you lack the room for a greenhouse and don’t want seedlings cluttering your windowsills, try a cold frame (link).

What Should I Grow?

If you don’t have time to plan a border but want a splash of colour, try one of our mixed seed selections. The easy ‘Fairy Mix’ (link) provides interest throughout the summer, in shades of purple, pink, white and yellow. If you’d like a more natural look, try our ‘Butterfly Mixture’ which will encourage beneficial wildlife into your garden. Inject some holiday cheer into your beds with the ‘Californian Mixture’, containing golden poppies and other bright blooms. For best results, broadcast sow (scatter liberally) in drifts throughout the border. Our seed collections are also useful for filling gaps in the border when another, larger plant has finished for the season.

Planning a Border

The key to a good layout is choosing plants which do not overpower each other in size or colour. Place large specimens towards the back of the bed, and choose smaller species as you work to the front. If your border is against a warm wall, try a climber to create a green backdrop to your planting. The purple bell vine (link) is a rapid scrambler with stunning black/purple blooms. Reaching an impressive 91cm, poppy ‘Black Peony’ (link) has rich red blooms which can provide a foil for smaller, light-coloured varieties. Mid-border, why not choose the familiar ‘Oxeye’ daisy (link)? Easy to grow, this variety is ideal for a wild flower theme and attracts a range of insects. Dwarf varieties are ideal for the front of your planting scheme. Sow viola ‘Petite Bronze’ (link) for dainty red blooms, or the award winning ‘Jolly Joker’ (link) for instant cheer. For gaps at the front of your bed, alyssum ‘Avalanche’ provides superb ground-cover and will cascade onto paths to blend into an informal display.

New and Unusual

For something novel, try ornamental millet. ‘Purple Majesty’ (link) is a superb architectural plant; the tall, maroon spires providing definition to a soft or clump-forming scheme. Amaranthus ‘Autumn Palette’ (link) is another striking feature-plant, and can be cut for indoor displays into the autumn.

The toast of new pansy breeding, ‘Chianti’ (link) is an elegant addition to your garden. The ruffled, striped petals will attract admiring stares from your neighbours. Sow in spring for summer blooms, or in summer for flowers throughout the winter.