Signs that you should remodel your bathroom

Signs That You Should Remodel Your Bathroom Are you are homeowner who wishes that your home was a little bit different, more exciting, or more attractive? Although a large number of homeowners are more than happy with their home, there are others who want more. If you are one of those homeowners, it may be time for a change. Despite what you may believe, that change doesn’t have to involve buying a new home, it can involve a simple remodeling project, such as a bathroom remodeling project. When it comes to bathroom remodeling, there are many homeowners who wonder whether or not it is a good idea. If you are wondering that, it is advised that you take the time to familiarize yourself with some of the most common signs that your bathroom could use a remodeling. If any of the signs, which will be mentioned below, sound alto familiar then it may be time that you start thinking about remodeling your bathroom. One of the most obvious signs that you should remodel your bathroom was mentioned above. That sign is unhappiness. Whether you are unhappy with the overall appearance of your home or just the bathroom, a bathroom remodeling project may be able to offer you assistance. If you do make the decision to remodel your bathroom, you will find that you have a number of different options. You could easily remodel a small portion of your bathroom, such as your bathroom toilet or sink, but you could also change everything around. In fact, the choices that you will have are just one of the many benefits to remodeling your bathroom; you have the complete freedom to do whatever you want. In addition to just not liking the way that your bathroom looks, there is also a chance that it may be unsafe or in poor condition. Whether you have developed a mold problem or if your bathroom is falling apart, you may not only want to think about remodeling your bathroom, but you may actually need to. Since the bathroom is often considered one of the most used rooms in a home, there is a good chance that you, as well as anyone else who lives in your home, will use it multiple times a day. Loose bathroom floor tiles, mold, and other bathroom problems can not only look unattractive, but they can also be dangerous. Therefore, if your bathroom can be considered unsafe, you may want to think about having your bathroom remodeled. Another sign that you may want to think about remodeling your bathroom is if you are looking to sell your home. In almost all cases, bathroom remodeling projects help to increase the overall value of a home, especially if the bathroom was previously in poor condition. Although you are not required to remodel your bathroom before you sell it, it may be a good idea. For more information on whether or not a bathroom remodeling project can increase the profits that you will see when selling your home, you may want to speak to a real estate agent. You will find that in some cases it is worth to remodel your bathroom before selling, but others times it isn’t. The above mentioned bathroom remodeling signs are just a few of the many that exist. In all honestly, it doesn’t really matter whether you need to remodel your bathroom or not, all that matters is if you want to. If you want to remodel your bathroom, go right ahead; there are a fairly large number of benefits to doing so. Word Count 558

Toys for tots program expands giving boundaries

Coordinators and volunteers with the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program on Okinawa will be working overtime during the holiday season to extend the reach of the 60-year-old charity in the region. Reserve Marines, activated specifically for Toys for Tots support, began their 2007 toy collection drive during ceremonies at post exchanges on Camp Foster and Kadena Air Base Nov. 3. This year, program officials added Thailand and Guam to their area of responsibility, according to Staff Sgt. Suzette Smith, a coordinator with Okinawa’s Toys for Tots. The volunteers and reserve Marines collected toys for needy children in Okinawa Prefecture and the Philippines in previous years. Smith hopes Marines will be able to personally deliver donations to Thailand and Guam as done in Operation Goodwill, which delivers toys and clothes to children of the Philippines during the holiday season. “The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders,” according to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation Web site. Last year the organization collected approximately 10,500 toys, according to Sgt. Shamala Henson, a coordinator for Okinawa’s Toys for Tots. She hopes the collection drive can collect at least 11,000, especially since they want to provide for children in two more countries this year. “I want to break last year’s goals and make sure every child gets four toys like last year,” said Henson. Program coordinators also want to raise awareness of the Ho Ho Express, a campaign-closing event intended to collect as many donations as possible during the final moments of the toy drive. The Ho Ho Express is scheduled for Dec. 15, the last day of the drive. A bus will visit each collection box on island and program personnel will collect all remaining toys. The event doubled the amount of collected toys in 2005 with help from American Forces Network radio broadcasters, who constantly aired updates on the bus’ location and upcoming stops. The program needs toys for all ages of children. Toys for pre-teens and young teenagers are typically in short supply. “People should remember that there are kids that are 13 and that’s usually the age group we lack the most,” Smith said. Coordinators running Okinawa’s program have a lot of events for this year’s drive and need plenty of volunteers to help them. Volunteers can help with tasks such as sorting toys or promoting donations by making an appearance in public with their dress blues. Maj. Bill Hendricks and a group of fellow reserve Marines in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children during the first Toys for Tots program 60 years ago. Officials plan to continue the mission as long as there are needy children around the world. Merry Christmas to all and to all a big “HOORAH”.

The mind of the real estate investor

Myself and many others are living proof that by changing your mental and physical habits, you can build your wealth. This mini-course focuses on changing or fine-tuning your mental habits and attitudes toward real estate investment so that you can profit at will. It's about getting your mindset right. By mindset, I mean your way of looking at, and approaching your real estate investment business. This includes the way you perceive your business. It also includes what you allow to impress and intimidate you, also what challenges and excites you. Note: This article is the introductory session in a soon to be released mini-course entitled “The Mind of the Real Estate Investor” and the full course will soon be available to Rehab Real Estate Central ( rehab-real-estate) newsletter subscribers. This course will be a free service of Rehab Real Estate Central. Why bother with “mindset?” Simple. Because the cost of NOT adjusting your mindset is outrageously expensive (in opportunity loss)! If your mind isn't conditioned to think like a wealth-building investor, you are like a sailor paddling around in a boat with holes in it. If you bail water quickly enough, you'll keep it afloat, but you will eventually tire…and sink! ALL money-making endeavors begin with a thought. They are all ideas born in the mind of an investor. Some have more and better ideas than others. Why is that? Are some minds better conditioned than others? I say "yes!" In our society there is often resistance to conditioning one's mind, but nobody thinks a thing about going for a jog, or hitting the gym to condition their body. Does that make sense? If you walk the entrepreneurial path, mental conditioning is central to your business. The six concepts that I will unfold in this course are powerful weapons of the mind. If you condition your mind to these concepts will make you a lot of money, and you will KEEP making a lot of money. Simply put, if you don't develop, and then fine tune your mindset you will either: - Never quite get around to investing in real estate (if you have not yet begun) and forfeit the wealth you want to attain for you and your family. - Never quite get where you want to go in your investing (if you are already investing), and forfeit the wealth you intended to attain for you and your family. You see, a lot of people have enough knowledge to invest in real estate. Far fewer DO it. Why is that? Because far fewer have bothered to develop the mindset that conquers fear and other hurdles to investing in real estate. Frankly, it doesn't matter how much knowledge you possess about investing in real estate, you WON'T do it if you haven't conditioned yourself to think like and investor. Usually I write and teach practical matters of rehab real estate investing, but for this course, I'm breaking from that in favor of talking about what you can do to adjust your thinking…change the way your mind works. Since the investing won't be successful without a properly conditioned mind, it can be considered the most important aspect of learning to be a real estate investor! Mindset is the foundation of real estate investment. In other words, if it's not solid, you cannot invest successfully. I don't know how to put it any plain-er. I've known scores of folks who have WANTED to invest in real estate. These are usually acquaintances who find out somehow that I invest in rehab real estate. Invariable I here, “I've thought about doing that.” Sometimes I hear “I looked into that.” Sometimes they proceed to ask questions, but I find that most of the time the next word after the previous phrase is “…but” and then I hear an excuse. These excuses range from “I couldn't find any property” to “the numbers scared me” to “I couldn't get a mortgage.” What I'm thinking to myself is “these excuses have solutions, but they don't yet have the mindset to overcome these relatively minor hurdles.” In fact, unless someone ASKS me for specific advice on overcoming these hurdles, I don't offer advice. That's not because I don't want them to succeed! It's because their mindset is not yet right. Let me tell you where I'm coming from on this topic. My mindset was screwed up for 10 years! I was a real estate guru junkie! For a decaded I consumed every book about real estate investing on the market, attended seminars, and bought courses. I had “book knowledge” running out of my ears with ZERO property. Finally, one day I realized that I was about to “retire” from the Navy, I REALLY didn't want to get a job, and my family still liked to eat! I changed my mindset, and put thoughts into action. The rest is history. What changed? Not my knowledge! My way of thinking changed. Facing the end of my Navy career was the catalyst that got me started. If you haven't started, there IS a catalyst in your life, you only need to find it and capitalize on it. Are you satisfied in your job? Want more time with family? Want more disposable income? Want to build your retirement savings? This list could get long! This course is aimed at helping you capitalize on your action catalyst by developing your real estate investor mindset. For those that are already investing, this course will serve to fine-tune your mindset to make you more profitable. The VERY SAME mindset ideas that make people launch successful real estate investment careers are the ones that keep investors successful over their real estate investing careers, be it 2 years or 20. Let's get started!

Choosing the right running shoe

Purchasing anything new can be a lot of fun, but it can also be very frustrating. Purchasing a pair of Running shoes is no different, and do the nature of our bodies I wouldn’t recommend rushing into a pair of shoes just because they are cheap or convenient. No two people have exactly the same foot; however manufactures have divided shoes into three different categories: Cushioning, Stability, and Motion Control. Within these three categories their can be a lot of variation, but it is a good base guide to start with. Cushioning - Cushioning shoes are shoes that have little to no lateral support. These shoes are good for runners who do not need this support, and have neutral feet. Generally this type of shoe will be for the runner with a high arch. Instances where this type of shoe is not right is in a case where you are a pronator or an overpronator. Stability - Stability shoes are a mid range shoe category which offer a balance between cushioning and motion control. This shoe is for a runner who has a normal arch, lands on the outside of the foot and rolls forward. If you are unsure of where else to be this category is a good place to start. Motion Control - The motion control category is for runners who really need support in a running shoe. Extreme pronators and overpronators can take advantage of a Motion control shoe, as well as a runner with weak ankles and other foot problems that would benefit from a shoe with a lot of stability. Of course with only three categories like I mentioned above, there is a lot of room for variation. This is only meant to be used as a quick guide for things to look for in running shoes. I would recommend visiting a running store and having an employee look at your feet to give you a good idea of what category your feet fit in. If you have serious foot complications like extreme pronation, fallen arches, etc I would recommend visiting a foot doctor, as running shoes by themselves might not be enough. You could require orthotics, or even just simple strengthening exercises to get and keep you on your feet. Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the following caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

Play better golf strengthen your rotator cuff

Many golfers are not aware of the rotator cuff and its function in golf. This group of muscles around the shoulder is crucial to the golf swing. Not surprisingly, the shoulder is one of the areas most often affected by the golf swing. Many golfers fall prey to strain and injury in this area. Since most golfers don’t realize the importance of the rotator cuff area, they don’t do any conditioning to strengthen and help prevent injury. By using a golf fitness routine that includes strength and flexibility exercises, many problems with the rotator cuff can not only be improved but prevented as well. Increasing flexibility and strengthening these muscles, will help to increase power and control in your swing. The rotator cuff is the area of the shoulder that is a supporting and strengthening structure of the shoulder joint. It is made up of the capsule of the shoulder joint blended with tendons and muscles as they pass to the capsule or across it to insert on the head of the humerus, the bone of the arm. Golf can result in what is known as a repetitive strain injury to the rotator cuff. Repeated movement of the shoulder causes it. The sheaths that cover the muscle tendons can swell and press on the nerves causing pain. Tendonitis, bursitis, and tears in the rotator cuff are common injuries for golfers. To improve your power and control of your golf swing as well as prevent injury, it is a good idea to do regular stretches and exercises designed specifically for the rotator cuff. This conditioning should be done on a regular basis both before play and in between rounds. It is especially important to warm up the rotator cuff area before exercise. This helps to increase blood flow to the deeper muscles and prepares them for activity. One simple way to warm up is by holding the arms at should level. Do at least 20 circles with both arms. The next step should be stretching exercises to help reduce tension in these muscles. Three areas should be stretched: the back, the front and the under side of the rotator cuff. Once the stretches have been completed, exercises to strengthen these muscles should be performed. After exercise, golf practice or rounds, be sure to cool down these muscles with stretching. By simply practicing a few stretches and exercises, you’ll not only help to prevent injuries, you’ll see a more powerful and controlled golf swing.

Golf flexibility exercises can improve your shoulder turn

I had a very interesting conversation during my workout this morning at the gym. I was performing a series of golf flexibility drills (Tops, Windmills, & Spiders to be exact) and a friend and very good golfer approached me. My friend, local club champion and a scratch golfer, was asking me about the series of flexibility exercises I was working on. He said; “Sean, I have watched your workouts and they seem to be very athletically oriented. I know you work on the PGA Tour and with Phil. Those exercises you were just doing, what are they exactly for, and how can they help my golf swing?” I get quite a few of these questions like this and my reply to him was as follows: “First off the golf swing is an athletic movement (if you disagree with me on that point, go play 4 rounds of golf in four 4 days and get back to me). It requires a high level of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to execute the swing correctly. Knowing this you need to develop these physical characteristics (Flexibility, Balance, Strength, Endurance, and Power) within your body. This will create the foundation upon which you can build an efficient and powerful golf swing. Lets take a quick a look at these concepts before moving onto some specifics. Flexibility, in relation to the golf swing, is the ability to draw the club through the proper range of motion. A full golf swing requires you to draw the club through a long range of motion. In order to perform this action correctly the muscles within your body must be flexible. If your muscles are inflexible the ability to draw the club through the correct range of motion will be compromised, resulting in compensations in your golf swing. Secondly, the golf swing requires a high level of balance. Balance is often thought of as a responsibility of golf swing mechanics only. The reality of the situation is balance is a component of both efficient golf swing mechanics and the body. The interaction of the muscular and nervous systems is responsible for your balancing capacities. These two systems regulate center of gravity, proprioception, and limb movement. If you have poor balancing capacities a directly negative effect will be seen in your golf swing. Introducing balance exercises can improve the ability of your body to regulate its’ center of gravity, know where it is in “space” (proprioception), and regulate limb movement. This will have a direct benefit upon your golf swing. Thirdly, the golf swing requires you to maintain a fixed spine angle, and rotate around this spine angle during the swing. In order to perform the swing correctly and maintain a fixed spine angle it is necessary to have high levels of muscular strength. Muscular strength in relation to the golf swing is the ability of your muscles to maintain a fixed spine angle during each swing. If you are lacking muscular strength, the ability to maintain a fixed spine angle will be compromised. Fourth in our order of merit is endurance. The golf swing is a repetitive athletic movement, meaning you are performing the same athletic action (i. e. the golf swing) over and over again. Repetitive athletic movements over time cause fatigue within the muscular system. Once the muscular system is fatigued (i. e. tired) the ability to perform the intricate biomechanical movements of the golf swing will be compromised. In order to combat such a situation it is necessary for the golfer to develop high levels of muscular endurance. Muscular endurance can be defined as the ability to perform a repetitive movement over and over again without becoming fatigued. Finally, the golf swing encompasses power. Power is the ability to generate clubhead speed. Clubhead speed equates to greater distance on all your shots. Developing clubhead speed is a combination of both your swing mechanics and body. In relation to the body it is the ability to generate the greatest amount of force within the golf swing. To increase the force outputs within the body it is necessary to develop high levels of muscular power. Developing muscular power relative to the golf swing increases the possibility of greater clubhead speed. Quite often the amateur golfer does not have the flexibility, strength, balance, or power in the body to swing the golf club correctly. The result is that sloppy, ineffective swing with a lot of body compensations. Any serious amateur must spend some time on developing the body for the swing. It does not need to be a substantial amount of time, but a little each day. This will over time develop the body for the golf swing.” My friend shook his head in definitive agreement and said he has lost some distance over the years and directly relates it to losing some of his flexibility. I said “exactly! That is what happens, the body becomes deficient in one area or another and the golf swing is affected. In addition, to developing the body for the golf swing a certain order must be followed.” He asked; “What do you mean exactly?” I replied; “The physical parameters of the body must be developed in a specific order to get the greatest benefit. For example, if you try to develop more power but are not flexible enough to execute a full shoulder turn. The power in your body you develop will be worthless. Start with flexibility graduate to balance and then look at getting stronger and more powerful. The exercises I was just performing are golf specific flexibility exercises to help the shoulder turn. Remember, follow the logic; flexibility first, balance second, and then develop strength and power.”

What super power would be best to cheat in a casino

X Ray Vision: The ability to see thru other objects would be a great help in casino games such as poker, blackjack, and baccarat. You would be able to know what every other player had in their hands and what the next cards to be dealt were. So you could know when you should fold and when you should raise the bet in poker. You would know when to bet on the house and when to bet on the player in baccarat and when to hit when playing Blackjack. This ability would not really help much for roulette or craps. Invisibility: This super power may be good as a teenager to sneak into the locker room of the opposite sex, but it definitely is not the best for gambling in a casino unless you are working with a partner. With a partner you could find out what the other players have in their hands for poker, and in Roulette the invisible one could stop the ball on a certain number or could move your bets to the winning number as soon as the ball stops on its own. Rubber Dude: The power to stretch and bend could be really cool and it can be helpful in a casino, but you have to be careful. If you are going to move your bet on after the dice has been rolled in craps you have to be careful there are 4 people that work at a craps table watching you, but it can be done. The Thing: The things super power was that he was made of stone and had almost unlimited strength. This would be good if he wanted to become a professional wrestler or an UFC fighter. He would be undefeatable. How to you punch something made of stone. What submission hold works on rocks, but how strong you are is no advantage to cheating in a casino. Manipulate Fire: This would not be a good power for casino gambling. There is lots of wood in a casino and a small fire could quickly become a big hotel fire trapping and killing thousands. Speaking to Animals: This would be really cool if you were trapped in the woods or if you fell off a boat or from an airplane, but unless you are playing poker and there is an aquarium or some caged animal behind the other players I really do not see the advantage. Kinesis: If I could pick any power at all I would want to be able to move small and large objects with my mind. This would allow me to cheat at craps and roulette by manipulating the outcome of the game without anyone seeing. Telepathy: This super power would fall right under X Ray Vision because you would know what everyone had in their hands, but you could never know what was the next card in the shoe like you would if you could see thru things. So this would be helpful but not the best one to have. Super Hearing: The only way I can think of to make money with super hearing in a casino would be blackmail. I am sure people talk about things they should not discuss in public in a casino thinking they are safe with all the noise of the casino. The Flash: If had the ability to move faster then the eye could see, you could have a big advantage in a casino. You could change your bets or change the cards in your hand without anyone being able to see you Mind Control: This would be one of the best of them all even better then X Ray Vision. It would not matter what you had in your hand you could make everyone think you won. This is the only super power that would work in an online casino, and that is assuming that you can control the minds of people who may be across the world. If you should ever gain a super power you should know nothing says you have to use it for good.